#props??? because again call me dramatic but thats kind of whats happening here. like they need Michael_B to tell their story.

[doodlebloo]

Am I spouting bullshit or is the constant and relentless joking about killing Michael_B and how funny that would be from other ccs not just another way to make fun of fans who actually like lore and would like to see the characters' stories get completed, whether intentional or not?

Because the main argument I see is always like "he is a MINECRAFT MOB" so it feels like. Weird and ESPECIALLY weird from people who have their OWN lore because it's like. Ok so YOUR lore is cool and people should watch it but if people care about RANBOO or TUBBO'S storylines not getting unexpectedly ruined/derailed just so you can have Funny and Unexpected content on your stream it's "just Minecraft" and they "care too much" ? Do you want us to care about lore or should we start ignoring everyone's lore including yours like 💀

[seancekitsch]

Bitter They Kiss: A Paul x Reader x Marko fic

Warnings: double penetration,oral, dirty talk, ouid and wine, threesome, what do you expect from me

“Stay inside, y/n, just until you learn how to control yourself.”

“Marko, Paul, Stay with y/n tonight.”

Figures you’d be fuckin stuck with the terror twins tonight. No, not that you didn’t love them; these two stirred up a lot of trouble with you. They were a great time, but this was about how David still didn’t trust you not to make too big a mess.

Did he have somewhat of a good point? Okay, sure, maybe you’d killed someone in the tunnel of love on the boardwalk in front of witnesses in the car behind you and hadn’t tried to hide it. That was just one time. You were starving, and all of the newfound power is fun. There’s no reason not to use it.

But David saw this as some kind of issue, so you’re stuck being baby sat while David and Dwayne hunt for you until you ‘learn your lesson’ or some stupid shit.

You pick at the  flaking black nail polish on your ringed fingers, foot propped up in the lawn chair you were sitting on, trying to bide your time with the cold feeling of hunger settling in your frame

“What's with that sour face, baby?”

It’s Paul’s voice coming from somewhere up in the rafters, before he drops himself down next to you. You sigh more than dramatically before letting your head loll to the side to meet his gaze.

“Whats up, Harpo? Zeppo stop kissing your ass so now you gotta come bug me for attention?” you quip, the Santa Carla coven really feeling more like a vaudeville troupe when hunting wasn’t on the mind.

“Oh it was more than kissing,” Marko’s laughing voice comes from behind you, earning a fake grossed out look from you thrown at Paul. Marko drops beside you opposite of Paul, with a case of beer in one of his hands.

“Do you even know who the Marx brothers are, y/n?” Paul sneers, “That's a pretty tall reference you just made.”

“Yeah, y/n, aren’t they your grandparents' humor?” Marko adds.

“The Marx brothers are all younger than you, old man,” you throw right back at them.

“At least we look better.” A pout forms on Marko’s angelic features, while a goofy grin seems permanently plastered on Paul’s.

“You seemed bored all cooped up in here,” Paul starts, “So we wanted to know if you wanted to party with us?”

Did he even have to ask? You roll your eyes and motion for Marko to give you one of the beers, and the boys high five. You and the boys crack open the cold cans in unison, taking big gulps before setting them down.

Quiet sets in among the three of you, unsure what to do. Usually, the cave is more crowded, all of you sticking close to one another, but still intermingling. It felt empty and tense without the others.

“Should I go turn on some tunes?” Paul asks, already moving to stand, when you reach behind him and pull him down by his jacket.

“If I have to hear another Motley Crue record this week, I’m going to scream,” you mutter, urging him to take another sip with you. They’ve heard you scream, and they don’t want to hear it again.

“Let’s play a game with the kid!” Marko suggests, and just by Paul’s expression you can tell there are a million evil thoughts in his head. Here we go. You roll your eyes as they start going through their usual game repertoire.

“Truth or dare?”

“You’re just gonna dare me to take my top off.”

“Seven minutes in heaven?”

“Do you guys think you could last seven minutes?”

“I can last seven minutes. Paul, can you last seven minutes?”

“Who wants to know?”

“Y/n wants to know!”

“Knock it off!”

“What about never have I ever, babe?” Paul suggests, taking a lock of your hair and twirling his finger around it.

And you actually don’t have shit to say against that game. It was the least pervy or dangerous of all of the games these two liked to play. If Dwayne were here, he’d suggest cards or something normal.

“Alright fine, lets play never have I ever you fucking children,” you huff, as you motion for Marko to pass you another beer, his cold fingers lingering on yours for a moment too long. As careless as Marko seems, he doesn’t act without intention. The guys are up to something.

It's a game you know well, one played often and usually used to humiliate each other, and tonight will be no different. If you’ve done the thing, you drink, if you haven’t, you don’t. It starts off slow, with lame things like, ‘never have I ever eaten an avocado’ or ‘ never have I ever been traveling’ but then quickly descends into madness.

That’s why you know you’re playing with fire when you utter the following phrase:

“Never have I ever kissed Paul.”

And something absolutely evil flashes in Marko’s eyes as he meets your gaze over the rim of the beer can when he takes a long drink, like a challenge.

“Well, sweetheart, never have I ever been caught staring at any of us like you wanna eat us,” he counters.

“Excuse me? I’ve never-“

Paul cuts you off.

“No, no babe you don’t get to say shit. I’ve seen the way you stare at us. It’s pretty hot.”

“Well, maybe I have checked you out…. once or twice,” you allow yourself to admit. A few beers and hunger for something has loosened your tongue as your leather shorts start to feel a little uncomfortable.

“More than a little,” Paul shoots back, “But don’t worry.”

Paul's bright eyes have mischief in them as you scoot a little closer to him.

“Why not?” you whisper, not missing the way he’s leaning in as well. That's when you feel Marko against your back.

“Because we look at you like that too,” and he closes the gap, kissing you roughly on the mouth. His stubble scratches against you slightly, knowing if this keeps happening your skin will be rubbed raw by the time you have to sleep. But you pull away, regaining your senses momentarily.

“Wait… Wait, are we doing this for real?” You watch Paul’s mouth melt into a lopsided grin as he nods eagerly, then look to Marko behind you, who has something intense in his eyes, a single nod.

“Alright,” you concede, grabbing your beer from the floor between your feet and chugging the rest of it, throwing the can whoever knows where, “Let's do this boys.”

They descend upon you, not unlike a fresh kill. Paul’s hands fly up to your face, first cupping your cheeks before tangling themselves in your hair, Marko groping at you before unbuttoning the flannel you were wearing and ripping it off of your body to discard it. Neither of them are gentle, but they don’t have to be. As a member of their coven they know they won’t break you.  Paul’s tongue delves into your mouth, leaving no single tooth or gum unexplored, he kisses like unwrapping a present, holding you in place like if he doesn’t you’ll slip away from him. Marko on the other hand attaches himself to your shoulder and neck, mouthing at you before biting down.

You almost yelp before it melts into a moan, quickly swallowed by Paul and his roaming tongue. Paul continues, gently pulling at your hair as your hands roam his chest, while Marko’s hands paw at your chest.

“Think you want some more of us?” Marko asks, his voice a low growl, the sound muffled as he’s attached to the bite he’s made. You’ve been told that vampire’s feeding on each other is the most powerful aphrodisiac on earth, and you have a feeling you’ll discover the effects of it tonight. You nod, and Paul pulls his mouth from yours.

“Stand up sweetheart,” Paul tells you, and you obey without even wanting to ask why he wants you to. He leads you over to the couch, and he himself lays down on it, facing the ceiling with a wide grin.

“Climb aboard!” he shouts, driving the point home by slapping the sides of his face with both hands. Marko is behind you again, unbuttoning your shorts and pulling them down to the ground before you can do it for yourself. You lean into his touch, letting his hands roam your body, a moan leaving your lips as his fingers reach your cunt, teasingly rubbing against you, but not delving into you the way you want.

“She’s wet for us, Paul!” he calls, as if you’re not even standing there. It feels like you’re a plaything for them, but thats not true. They can’t mistreat you, because they’ve got you with them for eternity. You whimper into his touch, and he kisses you sweetly.

“I’m gonna treat you real good, y/n, and so is Paul. But if you don’t like anything, say so. You’re one of us, and we don’t wanna make you sad.”

Its like he knew everything you were just feeling, and pushed it all away gently. You whisper “okay” and a contract is sealed.

Marko guides you over to Paul, who has shed nothing but his jacket. You raise one leg, carefully straddling his face. Paul wants none of that, quickly grabbing your hips and pulling him right down onto his mouth. On first contact, his mouth is already open, tongue seeking to split you open immediately. His tongue seeks out your clit first, flicking the bundle of nerves making you almost jolt forward, but Marko is there to hold you in place. Paul licks and sucks at you like a man starved, moaning into you and making you shake above him. His arms hold you firmly, any of your squirming and bucking no use against his mouth. It feels amazing, all of your nerves feeling like static on edge as you feel your release embarrassingly near already. Paul moves from your clit to your wet cunt, and back again.

Your hands shake as you grab onto Marko for some form of stability, sliding down to his belt and gasping as you undo it. He carelessly lets his jeans fall once you get them past his hips, letting you paw at his cock greedily while he smiles down at you.

“How’s she taste, Paul?”

Paul speaks, muffled by you and sending shockwaves up your core.

“Alright!” Marko exclaims, and his hand catches your jaw, first slowly prying it open, then moving to press his thumb down against your tongue. His eyebrow quirks in a silent question, and you answer by closing your lips around him and sucking on the digit. He steps forward and removes his thumb so he can replace it with himself. He’s hard as a rock, and thick, with precum already leaking from the tip, which you greedily lick as he sighs. What a beautiful noise, you think as your lips wrap around the head of his cock and you sink down as far as you can. Never being one to back down, you try to take him as far back into your throat as you can, head bobbing as he moans and talks.

“Oh fuck, baby, just like that.” You swallow around him and he moans.

“Who taught you how to blow like that? Holy shit,” as his hand wraps around your hair.

All of his moaning and praising spurring you on as Paul abandons his ministrations and switches to fucking you with his tongue. What a fucking relief it feels to have something inside you, and you instinctively clench down on him, chasing any sensation you can. He doesn’t let up, tongue moving at an unmerciful speed as you-

Shockwaves hit your system as your body spasms, orgasm overtaking you by surprise, your scream muffled by Marko’s cock at the back of your throat, and he laughs. You almost gag as he pulls out of you, Paul not trying to be gentle as his tongue fucks you through your high.

“That was so fucking sexy, oh I wish you could see your face right now. Paul, I wish you could see her too! She’s wrecked.”

He’s probably right, you can feel the tears wet on your cheeks, your mascara probably running. You caught a glimpse of the line of drool from your lips as his cock left your mouth.

Paul finally slows down as your shaking dies down into tiny shivers, Marko holding you firmly by the shoulders, presses a gentle kiss to your forehead.

“Let me in?” he whispers, and you nod, not yet over your first orgasm but already wanting to feel that again. He lifts you up slightly, and Pauls big hands finally release your thighs to let you move. He slides out from under you, slapping your ass playfully as he stands up to take Marko’s original spot in front of you. His hands come up to cup your cheeks again as he kisses you, slowly this time to let you savor the taste of yourself on your own tongue. You inhale sharply against his mouth as Marko’s fingers enter you without warning. Just as soon as they enter, they’re gone. Then you hear him.

“You’re right, Paul, delicious.”

Paul hums against your lips, then releases you. You can hear Marko undressing as Paul asks,

“You wanna bite?” To feed from him, another vampire. You nod, again never being one to back down, and he pushes his hair aside to offer you his neck. Your arms come up around him as you get a good angle, kissing him a few times open mouthed and sloppy before you sink your teeth in.

t’s divine. Heat you almost forgot existed flows through your veins renewed, and your skin feels so aware of everything. The cool wind of the cave, the worn mesh of his tank top, the rough material of the couch that would have given you rug burn if you had a pulse. Just as you fully start to feel the effects of Paul’s blood, you feel Marko line himself up with your entrance, again entering you without warning. This time you feel him stretch you, his thickness deliciously painful. You scream against Paul’s skin, but it quickly turns into a low growl. You feel animalistic, wanting to push back against Marko’s hips as you take Paul in your mouth. Want to fully give yourself over to this and to them.

Marko feels your ass pushing back against him, and squeezes it playfully, before his arm wraps around your waist and pulls you back down against the arm of the couch.

It’s only when you start to undo Paul’s pants that Marko starts to fuck you, he starts out slow, then abandons his initial pace for a much more vigorous one.

He fucks you harshly, pulling almost all the way out before slamming himself back in as you take Paul deep into your throat like you did Marko. Paul isn’t as thick as Marko, but just as long. As you swallow around him, tongue massaging the underside of his cock, you wonder what it would be like to feel both of them in you at the same time. One hand reaches up to massage his balls and he keens at your touch, begging quietly for more. You’d experimented a lot, but never with two people at once. The thought was overwhelming, almost as overwhelming as Marko pistoning behind you. It's when his hand reaches beneath your legs that you can't control the wanton moans escaping your throat.

“She’s close,” Marko tells Paul, “This tight little pussy keeps squeezing me.”

Paul laughs, and then looks down at you,

“Can I get some too, pretty?”

You nod enthusiastically before pulling off of Paul’s cock with a pop of your lips. Not missing how you whine when Marko pulls out of you, Paul discards his clothes quickly before rushing to return his attention to you. He rubs your clit with his fingers while he asks,

“So how do you want us now?” You have the control, now you’re certain of it. At first you weren’t sure, the way they passed you around, the way they talked around you. But it’s all for you. You feel comfortable asking.

“Can I-“ Your voice comes out more watery and lost than you expected, “Can I have you both? Marko where he was and you in my ass?”

The men share a glance, eyes wide. Apparently they hadn’t expected that from you, but nonetheless they eagerly agree, grinning ear to ear as they kiss up and down your chest and face while they reposition. Marko lays down on the couch where Paul was, and you quickly position yourself to sink down onto his cock, moaning all the while. You stay there, still and waiting for Paul as he climbs up behind you. A strong arm pulls you down to rest against Marko’s chest as Paul preps your ass. You can’t help but whine as he inserts a finger, and then two into the second hole and starts scissoring his fingers. The added pressure against Marko’s cock inside you is already almost too much to bear, and you might finish before they even get a chance to get started in this position. You can feel Marko groping at your chest with the arm not around you, pinching your nipple before rolling it between his fingers.

“Paul, please,” you pant, begging to bite off more than you can chew from this. And he obliges, very slowly removing his fingers and pressing the head of his cock against your ass, sinking in slowly, inch by inch, centimeter by centimeter until he bottoms out. You have to concentrate not to scream and come right then and there. All of it, the sensation is so much, but still somehow you crave more.

“You good, babe?” Paul asks.

“She feels fucking good,” Marko responds, and you nod, worried that words will fail you. The both move slowly within you. Both of them panting and moaning as much as you, your muscles squeezing them as all three of you try to hold out and savor the moment. Two sets of lips attach themselves to your neck, one on both sides, and they both find purchase biting down on the skin there and lapping at the blood they draw, moaning in ecstasy at the taste. They work up a rhythm, moving in tandem against you, and you lose it first, orgasm crashing against you like the waves against Hudson’s bluff. You scream both of their names, begging for something unknown as they work you through your high, both of them reaching their’s almost right after you.

Spent and overstimulated, you fall limp against Marko, and he very gently pulls out of you, Paul follows suit much more slowly, careful not to hurt you. They move only to let you rest and lay down on the couch while they clean you and themselves up, finding some semblance of their clothes and blanket.

You’re breathless as they both finally come back to lay down with you, sandwiching you between the two of them, both of them pressing their chests against you. Paul wipes your hair from your sweaty forehead as Marko rests his cheek against your shoulder-blade.

“Did you like that, baby?” Paul asks, voice quiet and almost shaky.

You nod gingerly, bites against your neck sore.

“Good, because we definitely wanna do that with you again,” Marko mumbles, himself spent as well.

You like the sound of that, you think, as you pull them both closer.

[pixiegrl]

the pan scene from the muke tangled au (with luke's pov?) 🥰🥰

Em! I love how much you love the Tangled Muke verse! I had alot of fun writing this and trying to have Luke be tough (but he’s baby). Please enjoy this thing I write specficially for you and @calumsclifford​

Also its on ao3 bc thats who I am now: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26054014

When Luke got up this morning, he wasn’t expecting his day to take this kind of turn. It had started like any other day. He’d gotten up, made some food, played hide and seek with Petunia, painted on what little space he had left on his walls. Luke thought about cleaning, but considering he wasn’t leaving the tower anytime soon, it seemed unimportant.

And then there had been the matter of Mother. Luke had finally worked up enough courage to ask her about letting him go see the floating lights. It’s his twenty-first birthday in a few days and he figured that he was old enough to leave the tower and go see them. He knows they’re not for him exactly, but they always appear on his birthday. It always felt special and nice seeing them once a year on his day. A little part of him has always liked thinking that they were for him, a birthday gift from the world to him. Luke desperately wants to see them, at least once, in person. He wants to be able to touch them, to be a part of whatever celebration it is that is happening.

Mother had, of course, rejected the idea immediately. She’d gone on and on about how dangerous the world was, that it was dark and full of evil and danger, that Luke and his hair would be at risk if he left. She’d called him clumsy and ditzy, told him he wasn’t smart or savvy enough to survive on his own out in the world. She’d left him with the brush-off that he shouldn’t ever ask to leave again, for his own health and safety. She’d been mean and cruel, insulting him and then she’d just left.

Luke just wanted a hug. But it’s very hard to have a lizard give you a hug when you need it and it’s not like Mother was here to give him one. She’s never been here when he needed it, not when he’d broken his arm and cried for hours from the pain until he’d realized he could use his hair. Not when he gets sad and lonely, worried that she’s been gone for too long and she’s never coming back for him. Luke doesn’t know what he’d do if something happened to her. He can’t just leave the tower; he would have nowhere to go. If she never comes back after this argument, Luke’s not sure what will happen to him.

And then this...this man had shown up. Climbed in right through the window (which Luke’s not sure how he managed that) and landed at his feet practically. He hadn’t known what to do and on instinct, had hit the stranger with the only thing he could get his hands on, which happened to be a frying pan. He’s reasonably sure he hasn’t killed him, only knocked him unconscious. He’s laying facedown on the rug, the bag he was carrying splayed out next to him. Luke doesn’t think he’s that big a danger in this state. He doesn’t have pointy teeth or sharp claws. He doesn’t even look that mean.

Luke is busy examining him when he’s suddenly struck by an idea. If he can show this man to Mother, prove that he’s capable of taking care of himself, then maybe she’ll let him go see the lights! He scrambles to lift up the body and drag it over to the wardrobe he has. The man is heavier than he thought, but he manages to drag him across the room and successfully heave him into it. He slams the doors and props a chair under the knob to keep it closed.

“Petunia! Look what I did! I managed to take him down and trap him! Mother has to let me go now to see the lights, I mean look at what I just did. I’m not too weak to handle myself,” Luke whispers excitedly to his lizard. Petunia cocks her head to the side, nodding along with him.

“Oh! He had a bag! I should go hide that too.” He turns to grab the bag, noticing that the flap has fallen open. Curious, he peeks inside it. There’s a beautiful circlet of jewels. He slowly pulls it out, turning it over in his hands. 

“Petunia, what do you think this could be?” Luke whispers. It’s bigger than the ring he has. It’s too large to fit on his wrist and he doesn’t think it’s big enough to be a necklace. Carefully, Luke turns to the mirror and places it on his head. It shines in the light. He tilts his head to the side, letting the light from the window catch in the jewels. It glows slightly. He’s never seen anything so pretty before. He wonders who wears this kind of thing, what the purpose of it is. The stones in it are similar to the one in the center of his ring he notices. Maybe those kinds of things are common down where this man is from.

“Luke,” Mother calls from below the tower. Luke jumps, looking around frantically. He hadn’t expected her to come back so quickly. “Let down your hair,” She sing-songs.

“One moment Mother!” Luke calls, pulling the thing off his head and tossing it into a nearby vase for hiding. He kicks the bag off to the side and runs to the window. Now is the perfect chance for him to show her what he’s done. She’ll have to let him go now if he can show her what he’s managed to do on his own.

“Luke! I have a surprise for you!” She calls. 

Luke hooks his hair over the peg and throws it down, “I have one too!”

“I bet my surprise is bigger and better,” She sing-songs again as Luke pulls her up.

“I seriously doubt it,” Luke mumbles. He finally manages to pull her up enough that she’s able to sit at the ledge of the window and climb into the room.

“I brought back parsnips. I’m going to make hazelnut soup for dinner. It’s your favorite! Just for your birthday! Surprise!” Mother makes her way to the table he has, placing her basket on the table.

Luke frowns. He doesn’t like hazelnut soup. He prefers the squash soup she makes. Mother likes the hazelnut soup. She looks at him expectantly. 

“Well Mother, that’s nice and all, but I have something I want to tell you-”

“Luke, you know I hate leaving you after we’ve had a fight. Especially when I’ve done nothing wrong. But you just keep pushing and pushing after I’ve told you how worried I am for you to be out there, especially with how special your hair is. I only want to keep you safe you know,” She starts to pull everything out of the basket, going about preparing for dinner.  

“Well, I’ve been thinking a lot about what you said earlier-”

She sighs dramatically. “I hope you’re still not talking about the stars.”

“Floating lights. And I’m leading up to that.” Luke starts to make his way over the wardrobe. Her back is turned to him, so maybe this can be a surprise. He can finally prove that he is capable of taking care of himself, of going out into the world to see the floating lights for one night.

“Because I thought we dropped the issue sweetheart.”

“No ,Mother, I’m just saying you think I’m not strong enough to handle myself out there,” Luke says, making his way towards the wardrobe.

“Oh I know you’re not strong enough to handle yourself out there,” She says, glancing at him. There’s an air of finality to what she’s saying but he’s determined to show her what he’s done to prove himself to her.

“But if you would just-” Luke pleads, hand on the chair, ready to pull it out from under the door to show her the body he has.

“We’re done talking about this.”

“Trust me! I know what I’m-”

“Luke! Enough with the lights! You are not leaving this tower! Ever!” Mother yells, rounding on Luke. She looks angry, angrier than he has ever seen her. 

Luke shrinks back, filled with fear and dread. He pulls his hand off the chair. Maybe it’s better if he doesn’t show her what he’s done. Maybe if the man wakes up, he can bribe him to take him to where the floating lights are. Mother doesn’t have to know that he’s even left. He can convince her to leave him alone for a few days and be back before she knows it.

“Great, now I’m the bad guy,” She sighs heavily, looking at him expectantly.

“I was just going to say that you’re right. I would be safer here. I decided that what I wanted for my birthday is a new guitar,” Luke says carefully, evenly. He can’t give away his new idea, lest she know what he’s planning.

She glances up at him, “But you have one already.”

“The strings are old and worn down. And I’m out of strings to replace them with.”

“It will take me almost a week to get you a new one similar to what you have.”

“I just thought it would be a better idea than the stars,” Luke says, making a point to emphasize the word she’s been using. She perks up at that. “Maybe I could write a song for you with the new one.”

She sighs, coming over to Luke, holding her arms open. He quietly wraps his arms around her in a hug, which she half-heartedly returns.

“You’re sure you’ll be alright sweetheart?”

“I know I’m safe as long as I’m here,” he says. Mother kisses his hair, petting it fondly.

Luke bites his tongue all through dinner, preparing Mother a basket of food to take with her, and lowering her back down out of the tower and onto the ground. He waits until she’s completely out of sight, gives it an extra few beats in case she turns back. When he’s reasonably sure that she’s gone, he cautiously approaches the wardrobe with his frying pan and pulls the chair away. The body falls out. The man is still unconscious. Luke frowns. Well, that wasn’t part of the plan.

“What do I do?” He hisses to Petunia. She seems to shrug at him, before pointing at the chair. Oh! He can tie the man to the chair using all of his hair. He makes quick work of it, securely wrapping him up.

He steps back, proud of his handiwork. Now just to wake him up. He’s still pondering how to do it, when Petunia creeps up onto the man's shoulder and sticks her tongue into his ear. He screams, jolting awake with a cry. He looks down around himself, around the room, and then back up at Luke.

“Is this hair?”

“Hey! I ask the questions here!” Luke says, trying to make himself appear imposing. The man smirks. Luke draws himself up to his full height. The man just raises an eyebrow at him. “I know why you’re here and I’m not afraid of you!”

The man cocks his head to the side, a look of confusion on his face, “Let’s say for argument's sake that I don’t know what you’re talking about. What do you think I’m here for?”

“My hair. Mother warned me that people would try to come and take my hair from me. So what are you here for and how did you find me?”

“Well, I was just wandering through the forest on the run from some people when I came across your tower. Honestly, I thought it was empty and it seemed like a good place to hide. Didn’t expect to find a lovely young man such as yourself here.”

“Stop changing the subject. You have to have known about my hair!”

“What is so special about your hair? Just because it’s long? And where did you put my satchel anyway? If anyone has been wronged here, it’s me!”

“You broke into my home! I’ll keep your satchel until you tell me why you’re here!” Luke yells, pointing his frying pan at the man.

The man looks down, sighs and takes a deep breath. He looks up at Luke, smiling widely, “The name’s Michael. Michael Clifford. I’d shake your hand but, well. You have me tied up and all.”

“Shake my hand?”

“Yeah, it’s a thing people do. To greet one another? Jeez how long have you been up here; Princess?”

“Twenty-one years. This is my home, where else would I go?”

“Do you have anyone here with you?”

“Just Mother.”

Michael blinks at him. “Sounds fucking depressing.”

“It is...lonely sometimes. But I have Petunia here.” Luke lifts her up, grinning. Michael looks concerned.

“And do I get a name to go with your lovely face?”

“Luke. Just the one name. You really don’t want my hair?”

“Not particularly. The only thing I want to do is get out of it, take my satchel, and leave. People really want your hair that badly?”

Luke decides not to tell Michael about the magic in his hair. It’s better to keep it a secret. “Mother just tells me that. She says it’s why I have to stay up here.”

There’s a pause as Michael and Luke study each other. Luke’s not really sure what to make of Michael. He supposes he looks nice, but then again he’s never really seen someone else before. He’s got some kind of hoop in one of his ears though and some metal stuck in his eyebrow. He seems like a reasonable enough guide to take Luke to the floating lights.

“So can I take my satchel and go? I promise I won’t tell anyone about this place.”

“I have a deal to make with you.”

“I’m not giving you the satchel.”

“I want you to take me with you.”

“Come again?”

“Do you know where the floating lights are?”

“You mean the lantern thing the king and queen do for the lost prince?”

“I knew they weren’t stars!” Luke exclaims, clapping his hands.

“Focus. What do they have to do with this?”

“It’s my birthday in a few days. And every year on my birthday at night, they release these. I want you to take me to see them and then bring me back here. Safely. And then I will give you the satchel back.”

“The only problem with that is that I can’t exactly uh, go back to the kingdom. Sort of the people I’m running from.”

“Well that sounds like a you problem, Michael Clifford. If you want to get your satchel back, that’s my deal.”

Michael grins, “You’ve got some attitude, Princess. I’ll help get you to the lanterns and back safe and sound for my satchel.”

Luke cheers in happiness, clapping excitedly, “Oh will you really? Oh thank you so much! This is the best gift ever!”

“Alright, calm down. It’s just some lanterns, Princess. Tone down the happiness or I’ll leave you here anyway.”

Luke sticks his tongue out at him. Michael huffs out a laugh, rolling his eyes, “Alright, enough chit-chat, Luke. We’ve got a journey ahead of us if you want to get to the lanterns in time, so you’d better untie me.”

Luke smiles. This is the best gift he’s ever gotten. 

[comicteaparty]

February 14th, 2019 CTP Archive

The archive for the Comic Tea Party chat that occurred on February 14th, 2019, from 5PM - 7PM PST.  The chat focused on Earth in a Pocket by Jabbage.

Featured Comment:

Chat:

RebelVampire

COMIC TEA PARTY- THURSDAY BOOK CLUB START!

Good evening, everyone~! This week’s Thursday Book Club is officially beginning! Today we are discussing Earth in a Pocket by Jabbage~! (http://earthinapocket.spiderforest.com/)

Remember that Thursday discussions are completely freeform! However, every 30 minutes I will drop in OPTIONAL discussion questions in case you’d like a bit of a prompt. If you miss out on one of these prompts, you can find them pinned for the chat’s duration. Additionally, remember that while constructive criticism is allowed, our focus is fun and respectfully appreciating the comic. All that said, let’s begin!

QUESTION 1. What is your favorite scene in the comic so far and why?

perhaps not a full scene, but im really fond of this page in general http://earthinapocket.spiderforest.com/comic/2019/01/22 where the socio economic development stuff is broken down. theres just something so elegantly simple about how its shown. not to mention i appreciate the injection of humor, because i think it makes everything really grounded.

Delphina

The badger page is perennially endearing (http://earthinapocket.spiderforest.com/comic/2018/08/11), but I also like the most recent one where Little One is encouraging Halisi to be proactive and set up some long-term solutions for herself: http://earthinapocket.spiderforest.com/comic/2019/02/05

RebelVampire

im really curious why she thought of badgers at all. unless she had the badgers badgers mushroom song stuck in her head. XD

Delphina

@Jabbage please make that canon

Jabbage

makes it so

(Hi! I'm going to be here for a little while! :D)

RebelVampire

thanks for coming, Jabbage!

Jabbage

I figure that if you're on a road trip with a small child who is prone to ask a billion questions, eventually you're going to end up talking about badgers

Delphina

I just really appreciate how even after all she's been through, Halisi still has so much love and passion for her studies, and it's what she reaches to when she's looking for ways to console Little One and solutions for herself.

Kabocha

Hmmm, my favorite scene probably was the Witch bottle explanation http://earthinapocket.spiderforest.com/comic/2018/08/15 It was a good bit of information I hadn't really been aware of :D I also just... enjoy her interactions with the little jellyfish - even though she's in a bad spot, she's still taking time to tell him stories.

RebelVampire

i like the element of logic there is to it too. like she's not panicking, but using what she loves to calm herself down in a way. and i think thats a really great showcase of her character without needing to be told shes like that.

its a characterization via the action versus the telling

mathtans

Here for now, the little one seems extra fussy tonight. Yes, I call my baby daughter the little one. So comic was a bit surreal.

RebelVampire

hi math!

at least your little one isnt old enough to ask yet "are we there yet?"

Kabocha

Right? I mean, she could have just given in, accepted that she might die here... But nah. And she's still kind, even though this entire situation is awful

mathtans

The Witch bottle thing reminds me, I liked the way the art moved through the centuries on that one page, but with people who looked kinda similar. I thought that was clever.

True. Little one could save us some time by specifying what her issues are though. ^.^

RebelVampire

ironically though another of my favorite scenes is the one where halisi sets up the signal and kind of ditches her new jellyfish child to just go despairingly collapse in front of it. i like this brief moment of her giving into despair cause theres something really raw about it. like at first she doesnt say anything even, and i think it makes it really powerful because the silence just adds this immense weight to the sorrow. you know shes super suffering for that moment and feeling the weight of everything finally hit her.

Delphina

Yeah, the comic does a good job of showing a lot of conflicting emotions(edited)

mathtans

Yeah, honestly the very opening was a heck of a kick in the pants. Like, I have no idea what I'd do in that sort of situation. It's very problematic.

RebelVampire

yeah theres def a lot of stressful situations. but i kind of appreciate the lighter moments. like her trying to start a fire but ultimately failing. i mean its kind of scary and sad for her survival, but the way its handled is still pretty funny

also that moment where shes trying to fix the machine at the beginning and it just flat out basically bursts into flames XD

Jabbage

I'm pleased to hear that! I'm always aware that it could be quite a bleak story, but I want it to ultimately feel hopeful and positive, so the silly moments are important for that!

kayotics

I also liked the badger scene, but I think the scene that had the most prominence for me is when she finds out that someone else landed on the planet 80 years ago

i think that scene really set in how dire her situation is

khkddn

the portrayal of emotions really is great. it's really interesting to see someone going through such a crisis and only surrounded by beings who can't relate at all

Delphina

Oh god yeah, and the aliens just going "Something happened to the human we don't know what cause death isn't a thing that happens here???" was scary.

kayotics

"it's hibernating!"

G (Title Unrelated)

I felt something in the scene right after where they tell her dad "we haven't heard from her yet"

Delphina

collective tentacle shrug

kayotics

yeah i really feel for her dad

this isn't a scene, but I appreciate that all of the characters are middle-aged or older

RebelVampire

agreed. but i appreciated the realism of the ppl on the other line being like "meh its probably fine my dude" to the dad. cause that really uses reader knowledge to an advantage to create sympathy for him. because we know its not fine, and that he is right to worry. and that makes it sad hes the only one worried in that moment.

G (Title Unrelated)

Yes I agree

kayotics

Also agreed. It's a good example of dramatic irony

RebelVampire

although i like the most recent page with the followup where hes basically enlisted an army of students to find her. abuse of power, probably. but makes him the sweetest dad? yes.

QUESTION 2. Much of the comic revolves around Halisi telling stories based on things in her pocket. Which of Halisi’s stories impacted you the most and/or taught you something new? What do you think is to be gained from Halisi telling these stories to an alien race with no real connection to humanity? How do you believe the stories and knowledge she has might help contextualize her current situation for her? What, to you, does it mean to have “Earth in a Pocket?” Further, if you were in Halisi’s position, what objects would you pick in 10 seconds to represent the sum of human existence? Lastly, what other cultural or past history aspects do you think Halisi might bring up? How might they be contextualized to add a new viewpoint to Halisi’s situation?

Delphina

I liked the Dancing Plague story a lot http://earthinapocket.spiderforest.com/comic/2018/08/06

RebelVampire

this is the point where i say the witch bottle scene. I think it was beautifully illustrated, and as a story it was not a cultural thing i was aware of. but i like how suitable and unsuitable it was for the situation. but overall it just made me think about humans are weird and can make fear out of nothing at all if the minds decide it to be so.

unless the plot twist is there really was a witch in that bottle

ive always found the dancing plague fascinating because again, humans be weird. minds play tricks.

khkddn

the witch bottle scene is kind of like a story about the power of storytelling, pretty fitting i think

the idea of a witch meant so much to people, like how halisi's stories mean so much to the jellies

G (Title Unrelated)

so she's got a single seed, too, which is also super symbolic

kayotics

I really like the agriculture story, because, like it was mentioned before, it was very concise, but also it shows a lot about Halsi's personality and what she thinks is important about understanding humans on a basic level

mathtans

Back. Know what you can't do when you have a little one? Have a life sometimes. >.<(edited)

G (Title Unrelated)

I wonder what kind of seed it is

RebelVampire

oh man what if the seed wasnt even food. like she winds up growing a rose bush or something XD

mathtans

I was going to say, one of my fave moments was actually comedy, when Halisi first goes off with the inhabitants, thinking about ditching them, and they're all "we can see the thoughts".

RebelVampire

i appreciate the jellyfish didnt just ditch her at that point. cause i would not be as forgiving as them XD

mathtans

And yeah, the hope and sudden crash of the human who was there before was powerful too.

Delphina

I hope it's like... a nice fruit tree. She seems like she could use a nice fruit tree.

mathtans

The framing of the witch bottle scene was cool too. With the whole "not helping me be less afraid" thing (and asking for that term).

kayotics

i just really like the little jellyfish aliens, because they're written in a way that's much less human-centric. I like aliens that are just kind of weird for being weird and don't follow human conventions.

mathtans

Though props for the "pot-reon" in the agriculture bit too.

RebelVampire

yeah im really appreciating the jellyfish for that reason. theyre a nice blend between humanistic traits while still being super alien. its always nice to see when theres kind of a basic gap of understanding where the way each species thinks is quite different

anyway, for me personally though, while she does literally have some of earth in her pocket, i think earth is more about the stories that have traveled with her. because oral traditions reach immensely far back and is the main platform by which we teach and learn about ourselves as a species. so imo they are more representative of humanity than the objects. thus how she can fit earth in a pocket, even though she doesnt need the pocket.(edited)

G (Title Unrelated)

Yeah, I think you nailed it!

mathtans

Also, random question/thought. Halisi didn't have to dig too deep to get "well" water (I liked that one too)... yet was able to bury a guy? The water must be specific to locations or something?

Agreed on the alien-ness people have been speaking about.

G (Title Unrelated)

I mean it's an alien planet

mathtans

Good point about the traditions, Rebel. She's her own pocket.

It helps that she mostly just has to think things rather than even speak them aloud too.

Jabbage

AHAHA yeah, I realised that after drawing it. It's on a list of things i might tweak one day, although I do also like the idea that it is just an alien planet and it's strange and unpredictable like that. So much of our own planet would seem strange and random if we didn't understand a little bit about it's geology, the water cycle etc.

kayotics

on that note i like the idea of halsi going around trying to find ground that doesn't immediately fill up with well water

"okay let's try this spot. Hm, nope, that filled up. can't bury him here"

G (Title Unrelated)

haha!

RebelVampire

yeah it didnt particularly stick out to me just cause i wrote it off as like a change in elevation or something like that. but basically alien planet does alien things XD

mathtans

Fair point.

Could just drag dirt over from another place too, though I guess it would be raised more then.

kayotics

I think if it needs to be tweaked in the future, Jabbage, you could always just change it to a mound rather than a hole. same concept but it avoids going below the dirt

mathtans

Fixes the w"hole" thing.

G (Title Unrelated)

also digging a hole IS hard work

Jabbage

Yeah, or using rocks

kayotics

digging is a lot of work

mathtans

Also whistling while you use rocks, to get rock music.

I'll stop.

kayotics

if she plants that seed she may have to make a mound for that too, it would probably get too waterlogged otherwise

mathtans

I wonder if the soil has the right nutrients.

RebelVampire

yeah i was thinking that too

that her next challenge is finding a not well spot for that seed

cause unless its a crop that specifically needs to be waterlogged, shes gonna have a bad time

mathtans

The jellyfish said the mushrooms could talk, right? Maybe they know a place.

Does rice have seeds?

G (Title Unrelated)

I think if the planet has breathable air it might have a similar balance of elements and whatnot to earth?

kayotics

i think most rice is planted from splitting an existing plant, but i'm sure there's a seed that starts it all

Delphina

What do the jelly aliens taste like

kayotics

DELPHIE NO

Delphina

MAYBE THEY GROW BACK OR SOMETHING

Jabbage

Whether or not the mushrooms can talk is a fun thing that's not really ever going to get expanded on, but which I had in mind for how the jellies work. I figure that they don't have many ways of getting external sensory information about the world - no eyes, ears, sense of smell etc. They are psychic though, they share thoughts and ideas and information about the world. I figure that the mushrooms have some kind of consciousness and run through the planet, and the jellies can draw from that somehow to orientate themselves and know what's going on

G (Title Unrelated)

that's what I kinda assumed!

I mean, that is basically how forests work on earth. XD

RebelVampire

so basically the mushrooms can function as gps

Jabbage

@Delphina ~ I mean I'm sure Big One has some spare limbs... ~(edited)

mathtans

Oh, wow. Cannibalism-like issue didn't occur to me.

Jabbage

Me neither honestly

mathtans

I think the jelly was a bit broken and said she'd regenerate over time...?

RebelVampire

QUESTION 3. Story wise, the comic deals with Halisi crash landing on an alien planet and all but being stranded. Do you believe Halisi will learn to farm with the little she managed to salvage and find a way to survive? What obstacles might prevent such an excursion on the planet? How will Halisi deal with the obstacles? Further, how do you think Halisi will deal with managing her mysterious illness, and what is she sick with for that matter? How might her actions be hindered or helped by the native alien life? In what ways do you think her actions will change how the alien life lives their own lives? Finally, do you believe that Halisi will be rescued at some point? If so, how will this come about?

mathtans

I like the mushroom consciousness idea.

RebelVampire

i do think the jelly child said as such.

G (Title Unrelated)

Q3: These are... all questions I have, myself. XD

mathtans

That illness thing is probably the immediate concern. Withdrawal itself is an issue, whether the pills were life saving or not

G (Title Unrelated)

I was wondering if they were antidepressants or something

RebelVampire

yeah for all the optimism in this plan, the pills are gonna be problematic. but i did wonder if they were antidepressants

khkddn

the flashback scene after she takes her last pill makes it seem to me like she was waiting for medical test results

kayotics

it's also a future time, so it could be a pill that prevents a life threatening disease from spreading.

mathtans

That's a good thought. The whole not accomplishing anything in her life is pretty bleak. Maybe that's a symptom.

G (Title Unrelated)

oh I didn't realize that scene was about her somehow

kayotics

my hope is that she's rescued well before she even needs to worry about this single plant producing any viable food options, since even if the plant grows, it's not likely going to sustain her

G (Title Unrelated)

yeah exactly

RebelVampire

not to mention depending on what plant it is it could take forever to grow. plant growth really varies a lot from crop to crop

kayotics

as for the pills, it seems like her illness has a vague timeline. Like a degenerative disease or something cancerous.

G (Title Unrelated)

P.s., I want some rainbow space maize.

RebelVampire

yes i second this

rainbow space maize for everyone

mathtans

It's a maize-ing.

khkddn

a few pages after she takes the pill she wonders "why are red pills better stimulants" and the pill she took was red. but then again if it were antidepressants i would expect a flashback that looked more like a therapists office than a doctor with results

Jabbage

Oh gosh I don't want to interrupt all the amazing discussion about Halisi's mysterious malady but I was so pleased to find out that there's actually multicoloured corn like that

I thought I made it up for a gag but it's reaaaaaal

kayotics

i have the link, if you'd like it

khkddn

oh i love the corn page

kayotics

https://www.sciencealert.com/this-rainbow-corn-is-the-coolest-way-to-eat-your-veggies (rainbow corn)

mathtans

It wasn't too corny.

kayotics

Honestly? corn, rice, and wheat would all be things I'd say should be brought to an earth colony.

G (Title Unrelated)

yeassssst. XD

unless there's naturally occurring yeast.

Man, we don't even know what it would be like to visit another living planet

RebelVampire

if we have rainbow corn, clearly were meant to go into space right now.

thats a good catch with the red pill, @khkddn

i actually hadnt paid attention to the pill color

mathtans

As to the question of Halisi being rescued, I foresee two possible outcomes. First, that she's found still alive, and she's learned enough about the planet natives to further space research or something, or second, that she's found dead, but the natives were so taken by her stories that her name will live on forever in the history books of first contact.

G (Title Unrelated)

I didn't associate the pill color musing with her situation but maybe it IS related!

RebelVampire

though i leave it open shes on some sort of mental health related medicine, i do feel its more likely its a degenrative disease of some sort. cause it makes her wanting to go to space make more sense. cause i feel its one of those things where youd be more willing to do it if you knew that you had a shorter time than most to live

math no, that second one is too dark

XD

although not implausible

khkddn

if halisi is not reunited with her dad at some point i'll be so sad

or at least they speak to each other

Delphina

Yeah, I'm just gonna say I don't think Halisi's gonna make it back to Earth. I think we're probably looking at a "she finds peace and purpose with the remaining time she has" situation.

RebelVampire

im gonna believe in the rescue efforts cause her dad seems to be a determined dude. and tbf they probably know her flight path so unless she was super duper off course they can probably guess a reasonable area she might be.

mathtans

I don't know that it's necessarily dark... it's kind of a happy end, just not for Halisi.

Also, maybe the pills help her speak. But that's a thing she won't need with the jellys.

I do think that receiving a message from an 80 year old spacecraft is probably something worth investigating.

RebelVampire

thatd be mighty convenient. tho in some au shed get so used to the psychic stuff shed go back to live among humans and be like "oh shit thats right they cant just see my mind pictures"

mathtans

That's an interesting point, about readapating to civilization.

Crazy theory time: Eating the mushrooms constantly ends up turning her into a jelly-creature. When the humans arrive, they won't recognize her.

RebelVampire

i do think shell have some affect on the jellies though. cause i think at the very least shes gonna teach them the important of oral traditions and theyll start telling their own stories and collectively grow as a species. i think shes really setting the jellies on the path for this.

LOL

i was thinking earlier about what if the mushrooms are semi psychic cause thats what happens to the jellies when they die

they dont die and just come back as the mushrooms

mathtans

Ooooh, that'd be an interesting twist.

Like maybe Halisi gains some psychic powers too.

(Though we may have ended up back at cannibalism...)

G (Title Unrelated)

not to shoot down anyone's fun speculation, but it doesn't seem like that kind of story, tbh. XD

kayotics

haha

we don't even know if the jellies can die i mean, I'd think they would, since they apparently come into existence somehow

mathtans

Also they haven't overrun the world.

kayotics

maybe theyre very slow at growing

or they just become the water

G (Title Unrelated)

slow-growing seems very likely

mathtans

I figure before they die they just kind of stop transmitting. Maybe run off somewhere. So no one is aware.

(Maybe they're like lemmings?)

G (Title Unrelated)

(that is not how lemmings work, sorry. XD)

mathtans

(I would worry if lemmings could read my thoughts.)

G (Title Unrelated)

(the suicidal lemmings myth was created by disney)

mathtans

shakes fist at mouse

G (Title Unrelated)

(or did you mean something else lol)

mathtans

I free associate. I mean what you want me to mean.

RebelVampire

yeah ive been wondering if the jellies are immortal. although ya know what, we have immortal jellyfish on earth so thats not that ridiculous to imagine.

kayotics

man, jellyfish are messed up

mathtans

There can be only one! hands out swords

kayotics

i can only imagine that the Jellies in earth in a pocket feel the same too. I was able to touch the bell of a couple at an aquarium once and man, that was a weird feeling

G (Title Unrelated)

I've been watching PBS Eons on youtube, I wonder if they've done one about the origins of cnidarians yet...

RebelVampire

honestly im putting money on immortal just cause they didnt even know what death was. unless they do die and just dont understand the hibernating jellies are never coming back

QUESTION 4. One topic resounding throughout the comic is humanity connecting to the past while also embracing the future and expanding. In what ways do you think reconnecting with humanity’s origins have changed Halisi on a personal level? How might they continue to change her? Why do you think Halisi so strongly believes in bringing the past to humans as humanity expands into space? In what ways do you think she’ll think it will help humanity as a whole? How might Halisi’s experiences on this new alien planet change the way she thinks about humanity’s past? How might it change how she conveys humanity’s past to other humans? Overall, what do you believe the story has to show us in regards to balancing the past, the future, and why both are needed?

G (Title Unrelated)

immortal jellies make for a good contrast to Halisi's fears of her own mortality

mathtans

They can be injured though, like the one who had a thing fall on it. It'd suck to be immortal that way.

RebelVampire

that is true. and contrasts like that are good.

Jabbage

(imma point out, Little One also notes that they're going to get better one day, although Halisi is a bit incredulous about that)

mathtans

The connecting to the past thing makes me think of that society. Which didn't seem to have a lot of members. Also, it took them, what, ten years to decide on things? (I was amused by "say that to my face" because, um, I think that's what the person is doing.)

Delphina

Totally saying, if I had a bunch of tentacle arms that would grow back and my weird human buddy was dying, I'd let her eat a couple to survive.

G (Title Unrelated)

I assume their tentacles don't have stingers. XD

RebelVampire

for me itd depend on how fast theyd grow back. cause if i had to spend like 500 years waiting for tentacle arms to grow back, that doesnt sound pleasant

mathtans

If so, they must have turned the stingers off to crawl around on her.

RebelVampire

they probably wouldnt have stingers cause their planet seems peaceful. like none of the jellies are like "oh no predators who will destroy us" so theres no need for their evolutionary track to lead to stingers in so far as i can see

kayotics

in response to the question: There's a lot of parallels to humans expanding to other planets and our own planet's history of colonization. There's a lot of cultural pain that comes with leaving your home and leaving your country (whether by force or by choice), and reconnecting to that cultural heritage is something that decedents often go through to feel like they belong in the world. I can see that being a driving point for delivering some of these artifacts to other planets.

G (Title Unrelated)

IRL Jellies mostly use their stings for catching prey?(edited)

Delphina

Do we even know if they feel pain?

mathtans

Wait, do they eat?

khkddn

they seem to have difficulty understanding when a human is unhappy or feels pain

kayotics

they might not need to eat in the same way

they might just kind of absorb what they need

Jabbage

I'm not sure it's going to come up specifically, but I think they probably dont' feel pain like we feel it? Just because i don't think they have the same sensory capabilities. Little One is frustrated that they can't move around as fast as the others, but I don't think they're in pain as such

G (Title Unrelated)

yeah. I was thinking about the Question and I think... it's interesting how it's framed as this thing where they've decided the colonists NEED this, but like, they can't agree on what's actually important

mathtans

Maybe Halisi will make a tiny scooter for Little One.

G (Title Unrelated)

I think it's the stories, not the objects, that are important.

And like... All stories are important???

RebelVampire

i think that is true, that all stories are important. cause stories are subjective and whats personally important to one person isnt important to someone else

kayotics

i think a few cultural trinkets to go with the stories can help, like... like I remember being a kid and my family having a christmas wooden carousel from germany or something, which is where my family emigrated from, so it was like "oh that's my people" I think having something to connect to some of the stories is important.

RebelVampire

thus why its worth preserving them all and no agreeance is needed really. because any single story can have an affect on someone

Jabbage

@kayotics I really like your point about our history of colonization, and it's something that I've tried to be careful with and approach thoughtfully, because I think that IS a driving factor in Halisi wanting to share people's cultural heritage with them. One of the things that sparked this story is thinkign about how current issues with repatriating cultural objects and deciding who has control over them would translate into a world where we don't even all live on the same planet any more

Delphina

The beginning showed that humanity has VR technology to "experience Earth", but it's several very comfortable degrees apart. I like that normally, being so advanced would make the hardships of the very distant past feel less real (just vaguely amusing/educational) But having Halisi have to figure out how humans lived and survived kind of brings that back and grounds her in a way that establishing Cookie Cutter Terraform Colony Number 14792 wouldn't.(edited)

So in that sense, the physicality of it is important

RebelVampire

i do think @kayotics has a point. especially in this story because of that vr scene where they were touring the roman thing. cause its not like they dont already have stories and ways to view historical things. and the actual objects can really tie that together. but i also think the stories are just as important via the scene where theyre shown to be able to print 3d objects. in essence the object means nothing without the story, but the story is made more powerful by the object. its a symbiotic relationship in a way.

kayotics

I'm glad it's something you've thought about!

I can't help but think about how colonization has affected the planets that the humans have landed on, and how it'll effect the planet that Halisi has landed on as well, no matter how small.

G (Title Unrelated)

I was thinking about that, too!

mathtans

Maybe she'll want it purged from the records to preserve it. And since Dad was just using grad students, he can oblige.

Jabbage

I thought long and hard about what race to make my astronaut because when they were a random white academic, the whole thing had a very different feel. Landing on some planet and educating the rather silly native denizens. I also wanted someone who grew up around the earliest archaeology created by anatomically modern humans so it made sense to make her black and from South Africa anyway

but then I'm white and British and so... yeah, I've basically had a lot to think about and juggle on that one

mathtans

Jabbage: Well, damn. I hadn't considered that, but you make a good point.

At least she's not building churches and asking the jellys to worship.

Incidentally, speaking of growing up, I liked the flashback image with her and dad looking youthful.(edited)

RebelVampire

im interested in the idea of who has control over the cultural objects we deem important, especially in regards to technology. because the comic touched on it a bit with the 3d printing and it really starts getting into the ship of Theseus issues of identity for those objects

mathtans

"Fax me your statue. No, I'm not paying you for it, I'll display it on Planet X for the Xposure."

Jabbage

And is seeing a reproduction ever 'the same?;

Even if it's identical in every way?

mathtans

Probably not, which is why they haven't figured out teleporters.

kayotics

if it's identical in every way i feel like maybe it is the same

but... wait maybe not

mathtans

Just to sum, pretty grand scale for this one, and a powerful beginning. Here's to Halisi and the Jellies.

Sounds like a strange band name.

RebelVampire

see its a really interesting philosophical question to explore. is whether cultural significance relies on the exact object or if we can transfer that as humanity spreads into the stars

mathtans

(I wonder if we'll learn more about jelly civilization.)

G (Title Unrelated)

Also, what stories do we remember or forget...

kayotics

I feel like there's something to be said about the energy that we as humans put into things. Like there's something there in the reverence we give something. like when you see a giant statue that's been prayed to vs a huge statue to commemorate someone, those have different feelings.

RebelVampire

COMIC TEA PARTY- THURSDAY BOOK CLUB END!

Sadly, this wraps up this week’s Thursday Book Club chat for now. Thank you so much to everyone for reading and joining us! We want to give a special thank you to Jabbage, as well, for making Earth in a Pocket. If you liked the comic, make sure to support Jabbage’s efforts however you’re able to~!

Read and Comment: http://earthinapocket.spiderforest.com/

Jabbage’s Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/Y8Y8HEYO

Jabbage’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/Jabbageart

[theenetflixnerd]

Riverdale Recap. Ep 10-13.  Murderer Revealed & Build up to Season 2.

Hi once again to you all following my blog. I just wanna start off by saying I AM BACK and SORRY for the little hiatus but I was on holiday for a few weeks with vert limited internet and so I couldn’t keep up with the Riverdale episodes.  I figured it would be too much trying to catch up all four eps I missed, so now that I am all caught up I’ma roll them all into one monster recap.  Soo enjoy.

Things moved so so so super fast in these last few episodes its actually crazy. I was gasping, ooohing and aaahing through all the eps at every little twist and turn. To make this a little easier I am gonna break this recap up into characters and we’ll catch up with where each of them are at the end of the first season.

Needless to say: SPOILERS AHEAD!

I’ll start with my personal favourite character and leading lady, the one, the only MISS BETTY COOPER! Since the beginning and up till now I am just absolutely ADORING Lili Reinhart in this role. Betty is amazing! I always resonated with her in the comics, and really see myself in her. What I do love in the show is the stronger and darker element that they’re giving to Betty - in the comics she is always so sweet and innocent and ‘waiting around for Archie’ but in the show she is strong, and fierce and doing things for herself which I love. I loved that scene with Betty & Jug in ep13 and the fact that their make-out session is super sexy and intense and gives another nod to the ‘Badass Betty’ that has been hinted at throughout the season. I also enjoyed that Jughead is now a ‘Serpent’ (adore that scene where he puts on the southside jacket) and I have a feeling that these two are going to make a pretty badass power couple leading the Southside in Season 2 (Please!!) .... Also the fact that in e10 FP nods to the fact that Alice had some connection to the Serpents - Betty and her hidden dark side is not too far fetched and I think that it’s perfectly thought out writing (props to the writers!!) that Betty is with Juggie who is now also moving over to the dark side. I know Betty ‘acts’ upset by the fact that Jug puts on the serpent Jacket - but I honestly feel that she’d have NO PROBLEM at all joining him on the Southside.  I have no idea what Season 2 has in store for this pair but I certainly hope we get to explore a bit more of the Serpents through them!  I am also happy to see the Coopers trying to sort their family out, and get the secrets out and Betty’s campaign for honesty instead of just an ‘image of perfection’ in the town of Riverdale.

It was also revealed that Betty and Polly have a brother out there somewhere due to a baby Alice gave up for adoption. (A part of me thinks it might not neccesarily be Hal’s baby - I have a feeling FP and Alice may have had a fling back in the day). So maybe we get to meet him in the next season?

Now onto Jughead Jones.  I’m loving the relationship with Jughead and Betty. Absolutely ship these two and think Cole and Lili’s chemistry is off the charts. I am a little disappointed in Juggies dark side but as  mentioned before, I think this could be a interesting turn of events and it might allow Betty to showcase more of her Badass side - so I’m keen to see where the writers take this. I hope they continue the relationship and explore this dark dimension instead of this being the cause of the relationship to implode. My heart is also aching for Juggie in these last few episodes. I hate the fact that FP is framed, and being mistreated by most of the town. That scene where Jug calls his mom and it basically seems like she tells him not to bother, he’s not wanted there. *tears*. Poor JUG. I hope he finds somewhere he belongs - and from the looks of things that may just be the Southside? As I said - I’m out on a limb here - but I absolutely CANNOT wait to see where they take this in S2.

Archie Andrews is driving me a little CRAZY in these last few episodes. Don’t get me wrong. I LOVE ARCHIE. (KJ Apa is amazing. I’m so impressed by his portrayal of this role.) But - Damn boy, you’re confused as!! I just can’t handle his indecisiveness and his inability to see things through - I mean c’mon he’s been in 3 little flings in the season and I still think Valerie was the best match for him. I am sorry, but I can’t stand Archie and Veronica together. I thought we were staying away from the ‘love triangle’ - I just don’t feel the chemistry between KJ and Camilla (actually just don’t feel Camilla’s character much at all more on that later).  Also the fact that he get’s with Ronnie and then the episodes are clearly hinting that there are some pangs of longing for Betty?? Or did I just imagine that??? It’s like he wants Betty to be upset about him and Ronnie? He wants her to want him? He comes up with an explanation for his reaction, but I’m not feeling it. I love BUGHEAD but somehow still think that Betty and Archie are endgame - so I dunno. Once again we’ll have to see what S2 has in store. Having said that I do love that we get to see more of Archie’s heroism showcased in this episode with him saving Cheryl!! A super intense scene! (More on that in a sec)

Also the end scene has me devastated - FRED WAS SHOT. I am heartbroken by this! Fred is one of the best parents in Riverdale! I also hate the fact that this shooting (as the voice-over says) is ‘anything but random’. I have my ideas about who did it .... Definitely the LODGES. It’s either Hiram because he is jealous of Fred and Hermoine’s relationship, or it’s Hermoine herself (afterall even Hiram said in a letter to Ronnie that she’s not innocent as she seems) because Fred is refusing to sell her the business. 

** I also want to mention I loved the song ‘Kids of America’ at the school dance - I just wish it had been Josie or Valerie instead of Veronica with Archie! **

Now, let’s talk about Veronica Lodge. I am so sorry that I feel this way, because I didn’t want to but I just don’t feel the character that Camilla is portraying. Everything feels acted, and feels a little ‘forced’ - I don’t know. I love Camilla, and think she’s gorgeous, but I just don’t think that her character is the character Ronnie from the comics - it just feels like some other random character.  I do feel sorry for Ronnie however and I love the scenes with her & Betty and her & Kevin and even the Pussycats- but I don’t feel the chemistry with Archie and I don’t see them lasting very long. I am really annoyed at Hermoine right now - and I like that Veronica is also pushing back against her mom - Hermoine is such a manipulative b*** .  I am sorry but she is! She’s so fake and changing her whole demeanour now that Hiram is coming home. (On a side note - I can’t wait to meet Hiram Lodge in S2. Some Archie / Hiram rivalry is gonna be an awesome nod to the comics ;) so can’t wait for that!) ... and I strongly feel that she (Hermoine) is somewhat involved in Fred being shot. I don’t know how exactly but indirectly or directly she is root cause of Fred’s shooting! 

Now onto the BLOSSOMS. Talk about  a CRAZY, INSANE family. Holy guacomole!! So we finally find out who murdered JASON. With some prompting from Polly, and some discoveries Cheryl starts to doubt her parents because Penelope somehow has possession of Polly’s missing ring (from grandma Blossom) ... Of course Penelope and Clifford have been creepy and psycho from the first episode and I have always kind of wondered about them. Turns out (thanks to a USB found inside Jason’s jacket pocket (although I don’t know how that ended up in his Jacket) it is caught on film that CLIFFORD shot his own son!! He tried to cover it up by killing the only other witness a serpent who Archie got in a fight with. FP only found Jason’s body and put in a freezer and cleaned up with the help of Kev’s boyfriend, Joaquin. Because of this involvement though - Clifford blackmails him into making a false confession - but luckily our sleuthing Riverdale Gang are on the case and quickly prove FP’s innocence - although he is still in trouble for obstructing justice and he wont turn on the serpents.  Straight away Betty warns Cheryl that her dad killed her beloved ‘JayJay’ and Cheryl tells him that he did a bad thing , and every body knows.  Her father then proceeds to hang himself before the police arrive, and it is revealed that the Maple Syrup business is also a cover for drug running. More craziness is revealed in the fact that the Coopers actually are ‘Blossoms’ as ‘Great-Grandpapi-Cooper’ vs Great-Grand-Papi Blossom feud - they were BROTHERS who turned on each other the one decided to break off from the family and become the ‘Coopers’. Thats why they were so anti the Polly/Jason relationship - because they are actually related!

All the turmoil drives Cheryl a little insane and she tries to drown herself in the Sweetwater River to be with Jason. Luckily, the gang are able to save her (Archie (and actually KJ Apa! IRL) breaks his hand in the process) by punching through the ice of the river. Cheryl is still not right and says the only way to get back to normal is by starting clean - so she super dramatically, in true Cheryl Blossom style, burns their house down!!

AMAZING AMAZING AMAZING SEASON.  RIVERDALE - I MISS YOU ALREADY.

I look forward to season two and what more will happen with these characters and what other secrets will be exposed in Season2!

[fictionalrat]

let it happen | chapter two

pairing: klance

sneak a peek:

“Lance, don’t freak out, but…” Keith adjusts his glasses, “I might have an idea.”

Lance huffs, “Don’t strain yourself.”

Keith scowls, “Shut up and hear me out, asshole.”

“Okay,” Lance leans back on his chair and crosses his arms, “I’ll bite.”

“I think we should…” Keith snaps the rubber band on his wrist, “Uhm, fuck?”

read on ao3

“Lance?” He hears when he clicks the door shut with his foot. He whips his head around to find Keith at the dinner table hugging his right leg to his chest, foot on the chair and knee tucked under his chin. He’s frowning deeply at his laptop screen like it’s offending him in some way, his glasses perched on the edge of his nose. Keith looks so damn adorable Lance’s heart almost leaps out of his chest. Fucked, Lance’s fucked.

“Yep, that’s me,” Lance responds, throwing his keys on the kitchen island and kicking off his shoes.

Keith peers up at him over the rim of his glasses. “Come here for a sec,” he nudges the chair next to him with his bare foot. Lance stares at Keith. Hm, weird. Keith narrows his eyes when he doesn’t move. Oh. Right, moving. Yep, on it. He pads towards his friend.

Lance smiles at Keith, hip-checking the table and reaching his arm forward to adjust the shorter man’s glasses with his knuckles gently, “You need to get these fixed, shorty.”

Keith bats his hand away and scowls, “Sit.”

Lance chuckles but acquiesces, “Seriously, it’s too loose.” As if on cue, Keith’s glasses slide down his nose again. Lance snorts, “Told you.”

Keith socks him on the arm, hard, “Shut up.”

“Ow, so mean!” Lance pouts as he rubs his arm, “What do you want from me, anyway?”

Keith adjusts himself on the chair, tucking his left foot under his right thigh, and turns his laptop towards Lance so he can see his own words staring back at him. “This won’t do,” Keith says seriously as he pushes his glasses back with his middle finger.

Lance drums his fingers on the table. “What?”

“Lance, this isn’t working.”

Lance’s fingers freeze, his brows rising, “What do you mean this isn’t working??”

“I mean…” he deadpans, “I can’t edit this, it’s total bullshit. There’s no hope.”

Lance bristles, “ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME, KEITH????”

Keith snickers, “Maybe a little?”

Lance throws his head back and glares in exasperation at the ceiling, bringing his hands up to cover his face and groaning, “God, please, take me now.” After a moment, he lets his hands fall back on the table. “You know,” he starts, turning his head back so he can glower at Keith properly, “If you weren’t so good at editing and I wasn’t so desperate, I wouldn’t even think of asking you to do this for me, ‘cause you’re a serious fucking prickly pain in my fucking miserable ass.”

Keith smirks and shrugs, “Thanks.”

Lance splutters, “THAT WASN’T A COMPLIMENT.”

Keith doesn’t respond, though, he just stares at Lance in a weird way. A very, very weird way.

Lance touches his face, self-conscious, “Is there something on my-”

“Huh,” Keith blurts out, interrupting Lance.

“Keith?” Lance questions with a frown, worrying for his friend’s sanity.

“Sorry,” Keith blinks at him and blushes.

Lance squints, “Dude, what the fuck.”

“Lance, don’t freak out, but…” Keith adjusts his glasses, “I might have an idea.”

Lance huffs, “Don’t strain yourself.”

Keith scowls, “Shut up and hear me out, asshole.”

“Okay,” Lance leans back on his chair and crosses his arms, “I’ll bite.”

“I think we should…” Keith snaps the rubber band on his wrist, “Uhm, fuck?”

Lance chokes on his own spit and coughs so hard his chair almost topples over.

“Are you okay, Lance?” Keith asks, his voice concerned but amused.

“Fuck?” Lance croaks after some time, slapping his chest and blinking away tears.

“Yeah,” Keith’s mouth twitches. “For research, obviously.”

Lance can only gape at Keith, his chest heaving. Lance’s lungs are burning so, so bad.

“Look, I’ll be straight with you,“ Keith runs his fingers through his FUGLY mullet, “your writing style’s actually pretty decent. You’re eloquent, I’ll give you that. But you suck at writing sex scenes… maybe from lack of experience?” Keith teases, then winces when Lance kicks his shin under the table.

Is this guy for fucking serious? They should fuck? What kind of joke is this?

“No, but seriously.” Keith insists, “Even though the sex scenes are well-written, they lack passion, which is kind of a surprise coming from you. You clearly need some inspiration and I think being actually in character might really help, is all.”

“AND BY THAT YOU MEAN THE TWO OF US FUCKING???”

Keith bites his bottom lip in amusement and nods. He doesn’t tease, which is a first. Lance is thankful but still.

“OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!” Lance yells in disbelief, then takes a deep, recomposing breath. “Okay. So uh, let me get this straight… you think we should fuck this one out?”

Keith shrugs again, “I mean, if you want to.”

“Huh.” Lance’s mouth twitches, “That’s crazy but okay.”

“What?”

Lance rolls his eyes and waves him off, “I said fine, Keith. Let’s do this.”

Keith smirks, turning his attention back to his laptop. Lance stares at the side of his face then chuckles. “Gotta say, though,” Lance leers, “I didn’t know you wanted to fuck me this bad, mullet head.”

“SHUT UP!” Keith pushes Lance off his chair.

Lance can’t fucking sleep.

He tries playing dead for a while and when that doesn’t work, he settles upon changing positions back and forth.

He kicks off the sheets in frustration, takes his shirt off, turns to his side, rolls on his stomach, burrows his face into his pillow. Props himself up on his elbows and huffs, lies back down. Flips his pillow over and presses his face to the cool fabric.

It doesn’t work.

He rolls on his back and lets his eyes dart around the room as he taps his chest with his thumbs, chewing on his bottom lip.

Nothing fucking works.

He blinks up at the ceiling and blows a raspberry.

“i think we should… uhm, fuck?” he mimics under his breath.

Fucking Keith.

God, he can’t do this.

He reaches for his phone on his nightstand and brings the device closer to his face, adjusting himself on the bed. He unlocks the phone and almost drops it right on his face in agony because, wow, such brightness. He turns down the brightness on his screen and blinks several times before tapping open his messages with Hunk.

He starts typing furiously.

Lance (2:06 a.m.)

HUNK U UP

HUNK HUNK

HUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUNKKKK

HELP

Hunk (2:08 a.m.)

why hello lance my good buddy how are you?

i’m fine thanks for asking ure so kind

what can i do for you this alarmingly late???

Lance (2:10 a.m.)

I CANR SLEEP HUNK HELP

HEPL ME

IM GONNA DIE

KEITHS A SERIAL KILLER AND HES COMING AFTER ME WITH HIS DICK

KEITHS GONNA KILL ME WITH HIS DICKKKKKKKKK

Hunk (2:13 a.m.)

i think ure overreacting a bit lance

calm down and explain this to me like a normal human being

breathe in

breathe out

Lance (2:14 a.m.)

ICANT HUNK H

U

N

K

WHAT AM I DOING WITH MY LIFEEEEEEEEEEEE

Hunk (2:17 a.m.)

i still need an explanation

please cUT THE DRAMATICS

IM GETTING REAL WORRIED HERE AND YOU KNOW WHAT WORRYING DOES TO MY STOMACH!!!!!!!

ITS NOT PRETTY LANCE SO SPILL

Lance (2:18 a.m.)

EW GROSS

but okay

so

fucking keith came up with this fucking INSANE idea that we should FUCK

HE SAID WE SHOULD FUCK HUNK cuz my sex scenes were like AWFUL and he thought that was a brilliant idea HE SAID I LACK EXPERIENCE THE ASSHOLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! CAN U BELIEVE THE NERVE????? and i went with it cuz i HAVE THE MORAL DUTY to prove him wrong and now im gonna die

okay get this

this is the weirdest part

its not only cuz i gotta prove him wrong but cuz i kinda wanna fuck the bastard for my own self-indulging and impure reasons

Hunk (2:23 a.m.)

lance not even rover thinks thats weird and hes a DOG

Lance (2:24 a.m.)

IMHYPERVENTILATING HERE AND URE MAKING FUN OF ME

URE A TERRIBLE BEST FRIEND

TERRIBLE I TELL U

IM HAVING A CRISIS HERE HUNK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OH MY GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD

HES SO HOT HUNK HELP ME I CANT DO THIS

IM GONNA DIE

RIP LANCE

Hunk (2:26 a.m.)

lance youre not gonna die

jesus

i thought this was serious

Lance (2:27 a.m.)

GASP

it IS SERIOUS HUNK CANT U SEE IM A DEAD MAN WALKING?????? THIS IS PRETTYFUCKIGN SERIOUs HUNK

at first i thought i could do it but then i started thinking about it and now IM FREAKING THE FUCK OUT HELP HUNK AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Hunk (2:29 a.m.)

calm down lance its just keith

its not like he’s gonna make fun of you or anything

Lance (2:30 a.m.)

HUNK???????? DID U HIT UR HEAD OR SOMETHING???? SHOULD I BE WORRIED????? CALL AN AMBULANCE??????? ITS FUCKING KEITH WERE TALKING ABOUT DUDE!!!! MISTER MCMULLET CAPTAIN GRUMPY PANTS!!!!!!!

Hunk (2:33 a.m.)

well i mean not too much???

Lance (2:33 a.m.)

hUNK!!!!!!!

Hunk (2:34 a.m.)

okay you got me

youre never gonna live this down good luck man

it was nice knowing you

Lance (2:35 a.m.)

well thanks

for ABSOLUTELY NOTHING

Hunk (2:35 a.m.)

you know i love you bro

seriously tho

you dont have to worry about this too much

keiths your friend after all isnt he

not to mention hes a cool bean, a real gem

do you trust him?

Lance (2:36 a.m.)

well duh i wouldnt be living with the guy if i didnt

Hunk (2:39 a.m.)

there it is

he knows all about your weird fixations and habits and is still there

thats gotta count for something right???

its not like hes gonna judge for real

hes just gonna tease the hell outta you which is normal behavior for him

and youll tease him right back

so DONT WORRY LANCE GO

BE BRAVE MY CHILD

CONQUER THAT BOOTY!!!!!!!

COMPLETE YOUR QUEST!!!!!!!!!

Lance (2:42 a.m.)

ohmy GOD hunk ure so embarrassing

thanks tho

for real

Hunk (2:42 a.m.)

anytime ;)

Lance (2:43 a.m.)

Lance sighs, turns on his side only to place his phone back on his nightstand, then rolls on his stomach, burying his face deep in his pillow. He closes his eyes and wills himself to fucking sleep.

About thirty minutes later, he’s out.