#should i be mad over fictional characters? probably not worth my time

[imperiuswrecked]

How do you think Doom's dictatorship should be portrayed? I'm personally always very uncomfortable when writers try to go the "benevolent autocrat" route, and after making online friends with an F4 fan whose parents and extended family actually suffered under such a regime (and who is imo rightfully furious whenever writers try to depict Doom's rule as being actually good or "worth it"), in addition to everything going on in Eastern Europe right now and the alarming rise in nationalist and authoritarian-leaning politics/politicians/ parties/voters all over the world, I'm admittedly even more critical of that depiction. It just seems incredibly irresponsible, disingenuous to how real-life human hierarchies/economies/politics/psychology actually work, and disrespectful to the past, present, and future victims of these regimes. (Not to mention the fact that Lee/Kirby, two Jewish WWII vets, were pretty explicitly satirizing the very concept of "benevolent dictatorship" with Doom in their original F4 run, and being Doom's two daddies, they'd probably know best.)

But that's just my opinion, and I'm curious to what extent (if any) that you agree with me, as a fellow Doom connoisseur. Thanks, and I hope you and your loved ones have a safe and blessed rest of your week. <3

Thanks and I hope you and yours are healthy and safe as well ❤️

While I don't personally know the other F4 fans you speak of, or what the full context is around their feelings for Doom, I do understand why they and you might be uncomfortable with characters like this and that's fine since you don't have to like characters, and if they want to be mad at writers for portraying Doom that way then that's their right but I don't agree with them. I'd personally rather Doom be a benevolent autocrat than the writers try to inject hilter dictatorship into Doom's character/imagery. I find that very disturbing for a character like Victor to be subjected to, because Nazism isn't something I take lightly and definitely feel it's inappropriate for a character with Victor's background to ever be linked with.

I'm gonna put this really simply; it's fiction. Doom can be a benevolent autrocrat, be beloved by his people, have little children throwing flowers in his path, and be a villain to the Fantastic Four at the same time and be depicted as a good thing for the Latverian people because it's fiction.

There's a time and place for discussion when it comes to how fiction affects real life, but it doesn't work in Doom's case because showing Doom in this light does not mean any writer endorses an autocratic ruler nor will have an impact in Real Life because there is no such thing as a real life benevolent dictator who gives his country and people free healthcare, education, safety, security, prosperity, and the freedom to worship whom they please/live their lives in return for their complete obedience and being unable to critize Doom's rule. It's literally never happened in real life. There is no such thing as a good government in the entire world, because there will always be a time or government or leader who has harmed their people or other people in all manner of ways. There is not one single country in the whole world that gives equal rights to every citizen, doesn't harm people either physically or through their laws/government system, and provides everything every single person needs with justice and fairness.

You say it's disrespectful for writers to portray Victor in this way but disrespectful to whom? Disrespectful to people who suffered under real life dictatorships? They don't have to like the character or agree with the writer, but I've already established that a fictional character/story doesn't take precedence over real life suffering and I hope people understand there is a line of separation between enjoying fiction that has flaws/isn't good/has darker elements vs real life. As readers it's our responsibility to determine what we can and cannot handle in fiction.

Disrespectful to the characters? Latveria is fictional, the characters are all fictional, if we take into context the history of Latveria in the 616 and look at Victor through the eyes of the citizens of Latveria, both Romani and non Romani citzens, then to them Victor is a hero, he led a rebellion and resistance against the rich and powerful ruling royal class of Latveria who were absolutely horrible to their citizens.

If we are continuing in the context of the 616 universe, "how could Doom's people love him/look up to him even though he's set on world domination" then you have to acknowledge first that world domination isn't feasible in the real world at all, that's a non issue, and second that Doom wasn't created out of thin air, he didn't wake up one day and go "well I'm gonna take over my country and then the world" He was built from the oppression and crimes against himself and his people by the ruling class of Latveria. Kirby and Lee's origin for Victor isn't one of a tyrannical overlord deciding he's in charge, it's the story of a boy outcast from the main society because of his background, oppressed by the government/ruling class, orphaned as a child, and hellbent on gaining power because of his circumstances.

If you feel Victor is satire then that's your interpretation but I personally feel that silver age villainy is an era comic readers have outgrown and shouldn't apply to today's character, because by that logic then Magneto would still be seen as an allegory for mutant supremacy because that's how Kirby and Lee portrayed him, but instead over time he was transformed into a character who's past suffering had a righteous (if flawed at times) cause. Both Doom and Magneto were made in the same era but while Victor's past was laid out from day one, Erik's past was created so much later.

Just like the Mafia Boss with the Heart of Gold, who is a totally bad guy but he protects his people/loved ones is a fictional and very popular trope, it's unrealistic in the real world because Mafia/Mob/Crime bosses make their living doing things/crimes that hurt others.

Anyways I think it's a non-issue that Victor is portrayed as a benevolent autocrat. I think it's interesting to have him be portrayed as such because it fits into his characterization of him believing that all people who don't have his level of intelligence are beneath him and he must treated as children or sheep he must herd and care for. It fits with his ego being so large that he believes that him being in charge is the only path forward. It's a great way to study the character too because Victor is very fascinating to me.

[cellsshapedlikestars]

People should just close the tab instead of being unnecessarily snarky. Didn't know that jon was so one dimensional as to only follow their version. Hoping you didn't feel demotivated by that comment ❤️

Not in the slightest, anon. The reason I don't usually respond to comments like that is because I KNOW the person is probably miserable irl, and fighting with them isn't worth it.

I'm honestly more disheartened by someone reblogging my fic post & whining about ship wars in the tags, as if my fic has literally ANYTHING to do with Dany or Dany bashing. THAT is disheartening, because I go out of my way not to repost Dany bashing things (bc I genuinely don't care enough to get that mad over a fictional character) and I go out of my way to avoid annoying discourse, only to have someone vent their frustrations in the tags of my fic, making it seem like that's exactly what I'm doing. Like clearly their problem is with Tumblr ship wars in general & they just happened to rant in the tags of my post, but that's so frustrating and disheartening. Like what if someone sees that and comes to my page or fic to send hate that I have spent my whole time on Tumblr trying to avoid.

[thewingedswine]

Can I ask what it is about this fandom you find unfriendly? I've been feeling the same a little and I've been feeling alone in this.

Long winded rant, hold onto your buttcheeks.

I’m going to put this out there for anyone who feels afraid to say it, and that’s only because this particular fandom is the ONLY fandom I’ve ever experienced this with. I’m a big fan of marvel and dc, sci-fi and fantasy, I show dogs, I train dogs, I make leather goods, and those are all cutthroat communities with their own problems but I’ve never felt uncomfortable in any of those the way I am in this one,

So here goes; I hope this helps some of the people like me, who really love Avatar, but don’t like the fandom environment.

I think the biggest problem is with the NeteyamxOC pairing niche- which seems to be the biggest subcategory in the fandom.

I’ve seen in the comments sections of several Instagram and tumblr posts(Neteyam pictured or written with oc’s, mostly) where a bunch of mean-girl antagonist harpies will emotionally body each other and the OP and claim Neteyam as if no one else has a right to pair an OC with them?

UM EW? SO WEIRD AND CULTY. thank god none of that happened on any of my posts or I would’ve had to slam my head in a door.

then there are the purists, who reprimand you if you change the traits of any of their favorite characters or portray them in a way they don’t approve of- this has happened to me several times, which, fair, I suppose. I did something heinous with a character in my story(he gets a redemption arc later but that’s not the point. I should be able to write anything I want, and while I value free speech, it’s like? Why are you getting so mad? He’s a fictional character, just DNR my fic and move on to something you like better, it’s not that serious)

There’s also people reposting artwork that I spent a lot of money on and not crediting the artists, but I feel worse for the artists because you can have all the money in the world but you will never get your time back, and I feel like it’s fucked up that they aren’t at least getting the recognition they deserve on those posts that these stupid poopybutthole assdicks are making.

That could go for any fandom, but I think it’s worth mentioning.

Lastly, both my direct and indirect interactions with a select few people who are VERY prominent in the community have just… left a slightly bad taste in my mouth…? Like nothing explicitly bad happened and if you ask all three of them they will probably go “oh no, me and that person don’t have a problem!” But just… if those three incidents were translated into equivalent in person interactions, I would’ve felt extremely bullied. You could call that me being sensitive, or a number of other things, but that’s just plain how I feel.

It’s a shame because I looooove love love all the fics people write in every aspect and pairing of the fandom, and can recommend you so many amazing fics that were written so much better than mine by such fucking nice and pleasant and humble people tbh, I legit would lick the bottom of their shoes if they asked me politely enough

It’s just those few hundred OTHER people that have made this a bad experience for me🤣

So there that is, this place and some of the hostile NPCs that inhabit it make me feel like I either need to curl into a fetal position to mourn the loss of common sense on the internet, or step into a rage room and never come out,

And the more I think about it, the more I feel like stepping away is a good decision for me.

Maybe when I come back people’s buttholes will have loosened up and I can walk around in the bountiful fields of Avatar/NeteyamxOC fanfiction again like a floppy golden retriever puppy without having to look over my shoulder for a poacher with a sledgehammer, but until THAT day,

(But not before I’ve made my last 2-3 posts by the end of the week)

I’m peacing out, buh-bye😂💕

[thattimdrakeguy]

was it the new dc movie slate that got you down? :( but anyway, if dc comics aren't bringing you joy anymore then I think it's good choice to take a break. hopefully you'll get stuff you'll like again some day.

yeah, like the comics are just really awful, have been for years with very short periods of quality that it's getting pointless to try and even wait it out

surrounding myself with people that somehow manage to like the stuff isn't great on the confidence or mind, because i'm literally putting myself in a place i'll get myself frustrated

but i was still like "AY, LOOK, I STILL GOT THE MOVIES"

but what they got planned? fuck that

I'm not watching the Flash, it has Ezra Miller. I'm not watching Aquaman it has Amber Heard. The Authority? Heard it was a good comic, but I'm just plain not going to have the same interest I had in a Guardians of the Galaxy or even The Suicide Squad.

Keeping some of the actors but getting rid of Henry Cavill? Fuck that. He's the only one I'd want to keep since Batfleck is done beyond cameos.

and i am certainly not watching The Brave And The Bold. I don't give a single living shit it might have the other Bat-Family members in it. What is the fucking point if they're there but we skip past the stories that'd be worth adapting. it's just literally fucking fan service, and the fact they're willing to skip so much only means they probably don't care about what makes them then, making it even less worth it

but i know the fandom will eat it up, so i'm certainly not going to be checking the tags again at least for a long time

i've already been decently far away from dc. most of my queue is months, maybe even over a year old actually. it literally posts one thing a day because that's the lowest i can set it. i actually wanted the queue to stop entirely when i did that, but i couldn't

sick of DC being just people's weird fan fictions. and i know technically every writer after the first is that. but their used to be some kind of standards that made it worth paying for

why should i pay for something that is half assed just in it's design?

been watching and reading about Ben 10 instead, 'cause I loved it as a kid and it's good nostalgia, and i already know i like it. and i'll probably start reading Ultimate Spider-Man, maybe I'll post about that stuff who knows

A person can only live off of old and sometimes dated comics for so long, especially with a fandom that pats itself on the back for being so nice, despite being filled with some of the most obnoxiously dense people that apparently have no way of detecting how obnoxious they're being

Lot of lovely people in the fandom don't get me wrong, but they're only getting fewer and far between, and I'm just not someone who can switch their opinions just to get the praise of a bunch of strangers i don't know

but will i like it again some day? very unlikely. everything is only going to get worse which it has been for years

i'm tired of stupid fucking sitcom bat-family

i liked the characters 'cause they were deep, layered, complex, and stood out. that isn't even remotely the case anymore

and DC films being James Gunn "what ever the fuck i want" universe was depressing. wasn't even properly mad. i didn't get red faced, i didn't feel this overwhelming sense of anger 'cause i no longer had the movies to look forward to. i was just disappointed, because 'Wow, i wasted my time being invested in this stuff even once'

the negatives of this experience of mine outweigh the positives

Ben 10 Omniverse is underrated

[icaruskey]

okay ok before I start I need to mention that I've literally only just started putting the p&p bits in so outside of the dynamic between Hades and Persephone I've not gotten into it much. And there's gonna be some queer going into the weeds because reasons

Basically, I was inspired to bring pride and prejudice into the story cause like. The first "real" meeting between Hades and Persephone is going to be at a formal event introducing newly minted godlings.

Should probably explain that

In this day and age, Greek mythology has a lot of potential squicky implications, especially if you want to stick a little closer to certain story beats than LO does. Like... Zeus being obsessed with Persephone. So. Very. Obsessed. Not only is the guy married, but he's her father. Not touching on how the 12 are like all related.

I'm not super comfortable trying to put modern morality on what are essentially a distilled version of a collection of a massive amount of an entire region's worth of stories that span multiple cultures and time periods. Cause that's the super cool thing about Greek mythology! We all know the main pantheon got taken over by the Romans, but did you know that the reason we have so many inconsistent characters amongst the gods is because individual cities and towns and families had their own versions of the gods?

It's also how gods like Apollo and Artemis end up taking over different aspects. Basically as time moves on and certain gods gain favor over others, they'll get older stories wrapped into their own and thus suddenly Helios is out, Apollo is in for the sun god (rip Helios. At least Artemis takes on Selene's name).

So, how does one solve that problem? I want to acknowledge the history behind modernized Greek mythology, and I don't want to force these characters into a modern morality. But I am still telling a story to a (nonexistent) fictional audience, and it needs to appeal to that modern morality.

The answer is reincarnation!

Specifically, in my story, the gods aren't entirely immortal (thank you Norse mythology for the inspo). They do stop aging, and they can live forever if they're not killed. But they can be killed. Sorta like vampire rules. They are vulnerable to certain things, not yet figured out. But like a sword through the side is gonna hurt like a bitch, but so long as they get timely treatment they'll be okay. And some gods (like Apollo), whose aspects in part revolve around healing or regrowth having a healing buff.

The aspects is the important thing. When a god dies, their aspect is reborn to a new godling. The only way one can tell a godling from a normal baby is through their ears. Pointy ears, but not overly long. Just regular pointy, so it's easy to miss. Godlings don't have their powers properly manifest until after they've finished puberty (yes this is so they have second puberty. Godhood is trans). But their aspect (music, archery, animal care) may be attracted to them as people.

Like LO, there is literally an Olympus (New Haven), Mortal Realm, and Underworld (Twilight). There's also the Mists, a place beyond Twilight where those who wander are forever lost. Dis, my Hades, is the oldest god of the current incarnations. He is not the first Hades, but there haven't been many.

Twilight is an interesting beast, and this is in part because I'm converting something I've been working on since 2016 into this. This underworld is sentient and the Hades character is as much a mouthpiece for it as they are a caretaker of the dead. And, unfortunately for Dis, Twilight is very aggressive about making its will known. It has infected Dis and honestly, it should've driven him mad and/or killed him long ago. He's just very stubborn and is trying to avoid putting someone else through what he's suffering.

Okay so for the Pride and Prejudice bit. Dis is v much Mr. Darcy. How could he not be? This dude is not only Hades, who is associated with the wealth of the earth (hello, his Roman name is Pluto). But he's extremely cold and distant, being the only of the Royal Four who rarely ever leaves his realm (the other three are Poseidon and Demeter who rule the sea/earth of the Mortal Realm respectively and Zeus, who rules New Haven). And he is prideful. He doesn't think anyone else could handle his burden and hides any potential weakness behind a veil of cold disdain.

He's also like 5'1" and has used a cane since he was a godling. Let's just say his unusual appearance makes him more jaded to most besides Hephaestus. In fact, his unusual appearance is in part what pushes Kore (Persephone) away initially. Because in this story, Kore only learns they are a godling when Twilight decides its time to find a replacement and literally opens a rift into the Mortal Realm, dropping Kore into Twilight. If Dis hadn't found them, they likely would've died.

So Kore is taken to Apollo to be healed and later goes to live with Dionysus and Demeter to learn about their powers and master them. Dionysus is an ex of Dis's, so Kore gets to hear a lot about this god who saved them, gets a bit of a crush on this vision of Dis they have in their head. And then when they meet at this gala thing thrown to introduce the godlings to the gods and magical beings of the realms... well, if you expect Adonis, you're going to be disappointed.

And me thinking of how that meeting happens and Kore's disgust and Dis's cold pride and disdain is what got me thinking about Pride and Prejudice to begin with. I've got to map that out into the greater mythos.

But I have thought a rather unfortunate amount about Dionysus and Kronus so

should I talk about Pride and Persephone? mind, it's still not gonna be like an "official" project. If something ever comes of it it'll be a surprise to me

[mercisnm]

Rant: she fidgets

Upon rewatching this scene I've just realized that Tissaia has started fidgeting with things (the rings on her fingers) when she is nervous, as in this scene here where Stregobor tried to frame Yennefer as a betrayer.

You can see in the previous shot her right hand fingers were just resting on her left hand, but once Stregobor started accusing Yennefer of betraying the Northern mages, Tissaia started turning the rings between her fingers. The gesture was more clear to see as she studied other people in the room.

I, for one, still hate the addition of golden jewellery to her look with a passion, simply because they look gaudy as hell. Her complexion and overall character goes better with silver, like in the Ascension ball outfit; mother-of-pearl or ivory would also fare very well - but gold jewellery, and as crude as those the costume department added, would not. Then throw in the partly questionable partly enigmatic character development this season where she gave up the role of a simple school teacher, got tangled in politics, got laid with [fax machine noises] [AK-47 firing] [Ciri screaming], I cannot help but making a bad joke about midlife crisis behaviour, or worse (*).

I think it counts as half a win for book enthusiasts since Tissaia's OCD in the book was quite apparent. I have always thought it a shame that they did not make her that way in season 1, did not utilize an interesting trait of her that deserved to be translated on screen, I kept hoping anyway that they would add something subtle about her disorder in season 2. The rings could be to show her OCD. Since MyAnna's acting Tissaia-wise is precise and concise, I don't think the fidgeting is unintentional, especially when it started only when things started not looking so bright for Tissaia.

imho it is not too late to make Tissaia more book-like, yes, but symptoms of such disorder does not stop at, does not have to be just the fidgeting - it is plenty other kinds of compulsive behaviour. So while the rings might be a thoughtful enough addition (they are not impossible to spot, but neither they are in your face) - they do not seem particularly creative either, plus they do clash with her previous characterization. Remember, this is the woman who, on the most formal, dress-up kind of events, as shown at the Ascension ball, donned simple earrings and her everyday pendant and that was as far as jewellery went for her, no rings were to be found on her hand that day. I used to interpret that detail as a crucial trait of Tissaia: she is aware of her good looks, but she is practical, she is serious, she is stoic; and while she does not force herself to quit the small pleasures of life such as packing and lighting a pipe every now and then, frivolity and Tissaia are strangers grown.

So in short, am I pleased that they seem to include some book!Tissaia's traits to show!Tissaia? Yes, quite. Am I pleased at their execution? No, not at all, could have been done a lot better, the rings and her OCD were just a small part of book!Tissaia that they tried to bring into the show but seems not to go very well, but since Tissaia's story has not come to a close yet, I'll not draw any conclusion except for:

Damn, those rings are ugly.

(*): When you think about it that only after Yennefer had gone missing/been assumed dead and Tissaia had started having a relationship with [Roach neighing] that she started wearing tons of jewellery, the detail about the rings does not sit well at all. It looks as if a dick could make someone as intelligent and stoic as Tissaia dull and frivolous. To be honest I am quite close to calling that a sexist move from the writers, or a move so lazy it actually seems detestable, but again who am I to judge. Let's all hope Tissaia has been playing every side this season. Fingers crossed.

Do NOT bother to leave a reply I don't know how replies on tumblr posts work and cannot be arsed to learn, so if you want to feed me to sharks please do it with the reblog.

[sublimecatgalaxy]

Ouu maybe steve x Eddie x reader where the boys are already dating then they meet the reader and all start dating, like their meet cute basically

Also I'm a feen for all your Eddie and Steve stories I have notifs on and everything 😭❣️

I had to look up what 'meet cute' means because apparently that is not in my vocabulary so I hope this is what you were thinking!! I also wasn't sure if this was fem!reader and it's typically what I write with this ship so I went with it :)

And thank you, also, for your support, it means the world to me.

A/n: this is a FICTIONAL piece on FICTIONAL characters. I'm not assuming sexualities of characters, just writing a request and writing a ship that I quite like. So no one get mad, please.

Eddie would tell you that he knew he was down bad for Steve right off the bat. He had seen him around the halls a few times before he graduated and even managed to share a few classes with him in senior year. But the ever present existence of females in Steve's life- Nancy, for one- stopped Eddie from even introducing himself.

But when Dustin joined Hellfire though and Eddie was pulled into the realm of the Upsidedown along with all of the bullshit that was hidden under Hawkins for the longest time, Eddie finally had his in.

He wasn't subtle, he knew this- he didn't want to be subtle. He was already labeled as the freak so who cares if Steve thought he was weird, it was the chance that he would also feel the same way that made it worth it. He openly flirted with Steve and even managed to raise a few brows when he would send him flirty winks and subtle touches.

What was shocking to Eddie- someone who's had his sexuality (or lack thereof) figured out loosely-was that Steve felt a similar way. Steve was much more confused of his feelings for men, in fact, he had never really thought about it too in depth until Eddie came along. But it's the fact that he thought about it at all which was good enough for Eddie and gave him grounds to go on, to push Steve a little bit more to explore that curiosity.

Maybe it was the fact that Eddie was just so comfortable and confident in himself, even if it was just an appearance to make himself seem more likable. It worked, I mean, Steve liked him, probably more than he should have and maybe that's what led him to playing off his interest as disgust for the repeat senior.

But by the time everything calmed down and Hawkin's was returned to its former glory, Eddie's feelings came out of him like word vomit and to Robin of all people. She quickly played match maker and encouraged Steve to get over his fascination of only boobies and to branch out a bit. That it 'couldn't hurt'.

Steve still says he owes his overall happiness to Robin, his bestest friend in the whole world.

Dating, as two men, was extremely weird to the both of them, especially when it came to the time that they were living in. They didn't go out on dates, they stuck to pretty neutral terms to referring to each other in public and they kept their group small. The group who knew about the Upsidedown, knew about their secret romance- the two biggest secrets in Hawkins. I mean, sure, some rock stars were coming out as gay or bisexual- terms they weren't even sure they really understood- but they understood feelings. They felt a lot of feelings- especially for each other. And they were content and the confusion seemed to dissipate after a bit.

That is until they met you.

They stand side by side, lips parted like fish out of water, the air in their lungs seemingly sucked from them at the sight of you. Both of them share thoughts about how undeniably beautiful you are and all of a sudden, all of the thoughts about them not being attracted to women anymore were thrown out the window.

You seemed to spark their interest in a different way than they were expecting, neither of them really expecting to fall head over heels at the same time for the Pizza Delivery girl. But they did, they both knew that you were special and that they wanted more from you than just handing you a tip and telling you to have a good day.

You still swear it was the start of a really bad porno.

"Am I at the right house- I swear to god, sometimes they fuck it up- it's not my fault, I promise." You stutter out a nervous laugh quickly, looking back and forth between the two handsome men before you, biting anxiously at the inside of your cheek as you wait for them to speak.

But they couldn't speak, they just stood there and looked at you for a good minute or two before stumbling to get money to actually buy the pizza they ordered in the first place. And after a few moments, Eddie invited you in, granted it was really awkward and rushed and his cheeks were as red as a firetruck.

"I don't know. I really don't wanna get fired- this is my second job this year." You laugh, reaching up to fix the hair that had blown into your face, watching the curly hair boy in front of you stutter.

"We'll help you come up with something- plus, we've got weed."

Maybe you should've paid more attention in the stranger danger courses or the pictures on the sides of the milk cartons but something about these two men- they drew you in. You couldn't deny the looks that the two of them gave you and the curiosity you felt being in their presence. Between that and the looks they gave each other, you could tell they were together.

And they could tell they wanted to be together with you.

Following that night, Steve made it a point to order pizza from your restaurant and request that you deliver it- the boys did that until they chalked up the guts to ask you out.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- Taglist: @bubblebuttwade @rafelover2405 @leslienjazzy @sorceresss @grxnde-dwt @alex–awesome–22 @bunnietoof @niyamar1e @serialghost @plantlungs @geniusohn @akaliltimmytim @lilaalouuxx @xshariex @elliotsbeigeguitar @elle4404 @lelieja @srhxpci @joselyn001 @taysirene @spinkspanther @thedivineuphoria @peter-maximoffs @tsukishimawhore @poohkie90 @szlaco @distantsighs @nstyles4299 @wolflover384 @givemefoodandlovesstuff @vane2828 @yeswhatever33 @amirrahfranson @vvaalleennttiinna @f-mu @yaspillz @jeyramarie @skylievin@abbybarnes17 @jointherebellion215 @visiondaddy @steezysimfinds @its-ya-gay-boi-luigi

@crunchytoenailsyum@glizzymcguirex @beth123lg @melovesmut @rafecameronswhore @ariianelle @write-from-the-heart @vampviolets@haylee-e@popehaywardssecretgf @honee-chai-tea @lokiandbuckywife @smoke-and-fire @officiallyunofficialperson@heyaitsklaudia@rosepetalsparks @bluetreecloud20 @scenesofobx @double-shot-of-tequila @1dluver13xx @colbysbrocks @iamasimpingh0e @smoke-and-fire386 @loveshineslikethesky @id-3-kbro @diorsitgirl @errorfound101-allideasburnedout @neverwillknowme18 @ellyskey @taylors-folk @loversjoy @myaloveee @thyris-is @lagataprrr @aaaaslaaaan @minjix @luvrosee

[astaroth1357]

Demigod MC Series: Dionysus

Hey y’all, sorry for going dark! I’m alright, almost completely recovered in fact! I just got so sleepy while my body was fighting stuff off and couldn’t really work up the energy to write... Still going to be spotty for a short time, but I’m glad to have gotten this done. See ya soon!

Demigod MC Series: Intro, Aphrodite, Hermes, Hades, Dionysus

Lucifer

Well, this mortal stumbled out of the portal covered in glitter, body paint, and carrying a red solo cup… which they proceeded to stare at like, "'ell sshhit… Thiz iz sum stron s'uff…"

First impressions were not on their side here.

He spent a depressingly long amount of time more or less assuming that the MC was a drunken f-up and spent the first few months trying to make them more… presentable.

But like… How do you stop someone from acting like a drunk fool when they can turn any drink they touch alcoholic???

For months they would show up to meetings buzzed or stumbling, all smiles and all giggles but HORRIBLY unprofessional, and he just couldn't stand it!

But then he found out their little secret…

Assassination threats befall the exchange students all the time. Most of them are dealt with quickly but some (through skill or dumb luck) manage to slip through...

He had been walking with the MC through their new vineyard in the House's courtyard, yet again trying to lecture them about their drunken behavior, when suddenly the two were ambushed!

Ten or so heavily armored demons dropped down from the sky to attack them! Lucifer was so preoccupied that he got cornered by three of them and it took him a hot minute to destroy them.

When he looked back at the mortal (who had been fighting a 1-on-7) he was certain they'd have been kidnapped or worse…

But he saw that they had already cut down two attackers with their weapon with ease. The other five were rolling in the dirt, babbling about inexplicable terrors and imaginary pain as their minds succumbed to madness…

Meanwhile, the MC just stood in the middle of it all with the icy glare of someone who’s just revealed how stone-cold sober they've always been under the surface...

When they turned back to him, they put their usual ditzy smile back on over the tormented wails of the demons around them...

MC: Whoopsie… Gotta little mad there. 🙂

He uh… took a big ol'step off their back after that. Surprisingly, they're more pleasant (and less dangerous) "drunk" than they are sober…

Mammon

Oh HELL yeah!! Lucifer actually gave him a mortal that knows how to party!!

Admittedly, they looked like utter trash when they first met, like, "Hey, I've been at this party since DAWN" trash, but they gave him one good look and pulled together a surprisingly hot smile.

MC: "-ey yer cute… Ya like strip poker?"

Spoken like someone else who also makes shit decisions… They were going to get along just fine!

And they did. The MC to him was that one friend that's always down for anything. Just anything. Whenever. Wherever.

He wants to try sneaking into Lucifer's room to steal stuff? Sure, what time?

He wants to take a mattress and see if he can ride it down the grand staircase of the palace? Alright, we bringin' pillows too?

He needs to set up another scheme that's gotta involve live rats and box of tiny hats and monocles?? That's oddly specific but count them in!!

Sometimes he honestly can't tell if they're laid back or just crave chaos... but it works out fine for him either way so who cares? 🤷‍♀️

And if you think normal Mammon is a pain in the ass for Lucifer? Check out drunk Mammon. All the same urges but literally none of the (marginal) competence!!

At one point, the eldest ended up stringing both Mammon and the MC from the ceiling after they both barged into his office looking for Goldie… while he was still in there… watching them wander around aimlessly calling out for a piece of plastic like it was a missing puppy…

They end up together on the ceiling a lot come to think of it, but hey, at least now he has some company. 😌

Leviathan

Thinks they're the most normal normie to have ever normed on this normie planet!!!

No, seriously. They're a billion times worse than Asmo!! All they want to do is go to parties and drink all the time! What kind of use is he to someone like that??

… That being said they ARE pretty fun to be around… And their sake is WAY better than anything he could get off Akuzon!!

They also like karaoke too! So at least he has someone else to go with (even if they get so drunk they can’t remember any lyrics and just belt barely coherent discount Mariah Carey vocals behind him...)

Of course, the real fun between these two is everybody else getting to watch a couple of the Devildom's sloppiest drunks attempt to communicate with each other…

Levi: MMM-*hic*-MCCC…!!! *throws himself at them from across the bar*

MC: What Leviachan??? �� Did the chair kick you off?!

Levi: Nooo! *pokes their cheek* I wanna-I wanna tell you sometin'...! *tries pulling them closer*

MC: Whaa? Secrets?? *leans in eagerly*

Levi: Mammon used all ma money on’a pyramid scheme a thou-zand years ago… AND HE STILL WON'T PAY ME BAAA-!!! 😭😭 *starts shaking them violently*

MC: *getting flung around like a limp noodle* Waaaat?! Nooo!!! I'm so sowwy!! 😢

Mammon: *watching it all go down right next to him* 😑 Ya guys need some water… I'm cuttin' ya off, got it?

MC: 😱 Shut yer whore mouth, criminal!! *starts pelting him with pretzel bites*

Levi: 😤 Yah!! *joins in*

Good thing he's a shut-in, because the hangovers he gets after those escapades are unreal…

Satan

A little concerned for their liver, honestly… How much damage have they already done to the poor thing...?

But at the same time, he'll be damned if they don't make some utterly fantastic wine!

Alcokinesis wasn't a power he would have pegged a demigod to have but apparently the great art of making drinks comes from their godly DNA.

When they first met, he was trying to get the MC to act less slovenly but made the mistake of agreeing to a wager: he'd let them dress however they pleased if they could give him the BEST drink he'd ever tasted.

Now, Satan isn't a huge drinker (thank you terrible alcohol tolerance), but he's still a man of fine tastes. Plus, he's sampled Demonus from Diavolo royal stock before. They should not have won…

But on that day, he had to let them go to RAD in a pink blanket toga... 😑 Their wine is just THAT good.

He hates to admit it, but they've gotten him drunk more times than he could probably count too… He's not a huge fan of clubbing with them and the others, but if they bring over a bottle from their vineyard he just can't resist. They're a master of their craft, truly.

And it's a good thing he likes their drinks so much, because if they called him, "Kitty-boy," when he's sober, he may have just become a sour grape himself…

They also may or may not have copious amounts of blackmail material of him either meowing between sentences, sobbing over some fictional character he likes, pole dancing on dares….

Yeah, he's been trying to destroy their phone for months now. If Lucifer were to see ANY of that, he's done for… 😣

He has also been meaning to ask them about other aspects of their abilities, their father is also the God of Madness after all, but anytime he tries to bring it up they shove another glass in his hand and tell him not to kill the mood...

Eh. What's the harm in having another drink, right? 🤷‍♀️

Asmodeus 

Honey. He's MET Dionysus. He's been to a Dio-party or two and they're INSANE. He could not be more thrilled by this!!!

He practically scooped them up on the first night that they were in the House and it’s practically been a nonstop rave between these two ever since. They’re like the party twin he never knew he needed!!

He absolutely abuses their ability to turn pretty much any drink they touch into alcohol at clubs. It makes the nights so much easier on the wallet PLUS it makes an excellent little party trick to impress the succubi! Who doesn’t want a free drink? 😏

And can he just say that their drinks are better? Just flat out amazing! If it weren’t so unhealthy he’d consider drinking nothing but their booze and wine for the rest of his days, Satan’s certainly getting close to it.

But little does Satan know, he’s not even getting the GOOD stuff...

There’s the normal wine: grapes picked from the vineyard, hand squeezed, then magically helped through the fermenting process. But their real good stuff? They were given enchanted oak barrels from their father and anything that comes out of those is worth starting a WAR over. 😩

He knows, because he gifted an extra bottle to Diavolo once and Barbs came to him the very next day demanding to know what vineyard had produced it with the look of man willing to annex a small nation...

Asmo had to beg Lucifer to talk to Diavolo after the butler more or less kidnapped the MC back to the Castle… Devil knows even Barbs wouldn’t ever be able to reproduce their wine, so they could have been locked there for eternity!!

Thankfully, he got his party-buddy back and their debauchery continued! (Just now with Barbatos following them around sometimes like he’s trying to gather state secrets... It’s an impossible task but he hasn’t given up yet, bless his black heart.)

Beelzebub

He isn't much bothered by their carefree nature, at least they seem to be having fun with his family which he appreciates. 🙂

To be honest, though, he nearly ate them when they first met because they smell like freshly peeled grapes… and for good reason.

By their third day at the House they had (somehow) planted and cultivated a full on vineyard in the courtyard. Hell, the wall growing to their bedroom balcony was covered in grapevines!! Always ripe and completely healthy in defiance of the lack of sun... Whatever magic they used was strong.

And, of course, their grapes were also delicious! Easily among the best fruits he's ever tasted! Every cluster is ridiculously plump, juicy, and sweet like little droplets of pure Heaven… 🤤

When their fruit first ripened, the MC came out with a basket to collect some only to find Beel had gouged himself on over half of their crop!!!

… which may have been why he got snared up on one of the courtyard walls by pissed off grapevines... Even with all his strength, he couldn't break through them and had to wait for Lucifer to cut him down… 😔 

From then on, Beel was pretty much the pesky rabbit to the MC's harvest. They had to set up traps and magical barriers to keep him from their precious grapes…!! Which inevitably meant one of his brothers had to come rescue him from their furious vines at least once a week... 🙄

SOMETIMES, the MC will bring him along to help harvest with them with the deal that he can have an extra basket for however many he helps them pick. But the second he takes a bite he shouldn't, it’s back on the wall!

Out of the vineyard, they're nice enough. But put some grapes between these two and they're mortal enemies… STOP messing with their plants, Beel!! 😤

Belphegor 

So… this drunken fool is supposed to get him out of the attic? Never mind, this is never going to work…

He was SEVERELY underwhelmed when the "human" finally made it up the steps. This was who they decided to bring for their exchange program? They seemed like they could barely stand!

Naturally, he figured all the better for him. They probably wouldn't even last that long! 

Some poor, incompetent human falling victim to a demon out there? Diavolo's reputation would in tatters and he wouldn't even have to lift a finger! (His favorite way of doing things really 😌).

But… they just kept coming back? Like. Nothing was killing them….! How guarded were they keeping this moron?? 

Or… maybe it was something else?

Sure, the MC seemed like a drunken idiot but there were times when he'd swear that they were just… too aware to be sloshed…

MC: *suddenly stops smiling at him mid-conversation and looks him in the eye* You tilt your head when you lie. You know that?

How can someone so cheerful ALSO be so unnerving…?

So really, he should have seen their sudden heel-turn after they opened the door coming. There he was, fully intending to take them by surprise and choke them after a hug…

...and they knocked him down, climbed onto his back like a spider monkey, and rode him around like a bucking bull using his horns like handlebars!!

It wouldn’t have been AS humiliating if they didn’t also keep shouting things like "Giddiyap!" And "Yee-haw!!"

It took him a whole month to be sure that any and all footage of that nightmare was erased and he STILL hates the MC quite a bit for it…. But he's too scared to attack them now, so…

The lesson here? It's not a fair fight when one side’s crazy... 😔😒

[deepperplexity]

Black Clouds

Title: Black Clouds

Request: Hi! I just wanna start off by saying i love you’re writing ❤️ I was wondering if you could write a snape x fem reader where the reader is thinking about committing suicide because she feels like she's not worthy of living and she believes that he could have someone better and Sev notice that something is wrong and uses legilimency to find out the issue because she doesn't want to open up with anyone and he's shocked by what he sees and tries to help her. I'm sorry if that's too specific and if you don't feel like writing it, don't worry ❤️

A/N: First of all, before I say anything about this request, I want to tell EVERYONE who feels suicidal to find and ask for help. YOU ARE NOT UNWORTHY OF LIFE. This request hits home for me and I was deliberating if I should write this or not as it’s such a sensitive subject for me personally. But, that’s actually all the more reason to write it. Suicide is a hush-hush subject in society when it really should not be - this is something we ALL need to talk about and we ALL need to make sure that everyone feels safe enough to ask for help. And, as you all know by now, I am all for writing about sensitive/taboo subjects that need to be addressed more. 

Secondly, if you are suicidal or harm yourself in any way - THAT DOES NOT MEAN YOU ARE LESS WORTHY. You are worth all happiness, help, support and care in the world - you have a place in this world and it is ever-changing. What is today may be different tomorrow, what happened yesterday may impact what happens the day after tomorrow. There is always a new dawn to meet and a new sunset to cherish. If you are reading this, you are alive and fighting - go you! Like, seriously, it is fucking hard to be alive in this world but you are doing it! You are fighting, even on bad days, you are fighting and winning! Thank you for being here, thank you for staying with us, thank you for gracing the world with your presence and life! ❤️

As I mentioned this hits home and I will do my best to do this request justice as it is so damn important. I do want to mention this is fiction and I do not personally stand behind all the things that characters do even if I write it. Characters have their own will and sometimes that overrules my will as a writer (also, sometimes it’s just needed to get a good story). To intrude in one’s mind is not something I find to be a good thing - but as my loyal readers already know its a thing I use often because its fun to write and Severus just wants to bloody do it all the time; that man as no sense of privacy boundaries when it comes to others, let me tell you… So just keep this in mind whenever you read fiction - just because someone wrote it does not mean it is something they stand behind or condone. If that were the case the world would be way more bonkers - just think of all the murders and rape and war and devilry stuff authors write about O.O 

+A/N: I was writing with a female reader in mind but as I edited this I noticed nothing actually states that it is a female so the reader is GN - I hope Nonny doesn’t mind.

Pairing: Snape x Reader 

Setting: Post Second War, Spring 2003, Your home at Rosewood Hill 

Word count: 3540

Warnings: Suicidal thoughts, Angst, (Age Difference), Fluff, Mental Health, PTSD, Anxiety, Emotional Rollercoaster, Kissing...

Prologue:

You, like many others who had survived the horrible battle at Hogwarts in 1998, suffered from a series of illnesses. Survivors guilt, depression, anxiety, panic attacks and lately the thoughts had begun to overwhelm you. Collectively one could call it severe PTSD but to simply group all the different emotions and disorders like that simplified it a bit too much. Some parts were PTSD, of course, but some things had haunted you long before the battle. Like your struggle with self-worth, your anxiety and the intrusive thoughts that popped up more often than not. The fact that you had been mere 19 years old when you fought for life, justice and all things good probably made the experience even harder to handle. 

Fortunately for you, something good had come from the war. Love. Your previous professor, Severus Snape, had been severely injured - actually, he had been at death's doorstep - but pulled through after several months of care where you as a nurse partook in his recovery daily. He made a full recovery under yours and others care and once he was free to leave the hospital he had asked you out on a date. You had accepted happily and then everything just sort of happened. You fell in love, got married, moved to Rosewood Hill and renovated a rundown house together as money was tight - but it all turned out quite good in the end. Well, except the fact that things weren’t good. Not at all…

Masterlist page // Masterlist post // AO3

You had been unable to sleep in the early hours of the morning. Flashes of memories and the sound of screaming paired with falling bodies kept you company. It had gotten worse since Christmas four months ago. That was when it had snowballed out of control completely. You blinked and sighed before you carefully left the bed, and Severus, behind to get some coffee as you tried to keep the intruding thoughts at bay. 

Lately, despite all the love and happiness in your life, you had been feeling less and less worthy. Of life, of Severus, of everything. You did your best to hide how you felt. You smiled, you laughed, you baked and cleaned, did all of your hobbies and made sure Severus wouldn’t see how you were hurting inside. Made sure he wouldn’t notice how tormented you were by the mere fact you were alive. 

He had enough to deal with, he was so strong that it nearly brought tears to your eyes. He had been through pure hell. Had struggled and fought with all his might year after year while he was hurting, so deeply. You couldn’t fathom how he did it, how he survived and lived on. How he could stand it all. All the thoughts and emotions. Everything. What you felt simply couldn’t be anything to measure with against what he must have felt for so long. It pained you that your thoughts were so selfish, that you had such pain and hurt inside of you when he had a stronger right to claim such emotions. Weakling, worthless, unuseful piece of garbage...

The coffee burned its way down your throat and you winched slightly. “Careful, love,” the gruff voice of your husband echoed out. It startled you as he always slept late and the sun wasn’t even up yet. You smiled at him as you tried to arrange your face into a happy one. He arched a brow at you and you chirped out a ‘good morning, honey’ to him. He grumbled  at you, “no morning is good before nine.” You simply laughed at him as he grabbed a giant mug and poured it full with black coffee. 

“Why are you up so early?” He grumbled after a few sips, you shrugged and cradled your own cup of coffee in your hands. “I just couldn’t sleep, figured I’d get a headstart on the day,” you smiled out and he huffed. “You’re mad,” he grumbled and you shrugged again. “Why are you up?” “You left, the bed felt empty.” You smiled at him but couldn’t help the piercing thought that he would sleep better if you weren’t by his side at all. 

You snuggled up on the couch with a thick book, something to escape into. Something to cradle and lose yourself in for a few hours as Saturday passed by ever so slowly. You didn’t notice that Severus took up a place right beside you before he placed your legs over his own with gentle movements. He made sure the blanket covered your feet and then held a steady grip around your calves. You glanced up at him from the book with a smile etched to your lips. He arched a brow at you. 

“What?” you asked quizzically, his hands squeezed your leg for a moment before you felt his tender fingers stroke back and forth. “That is the question I would like to ask you, love.” You raised your brows ever so slightly before you closed the book. “What do you mean?” “What’s wrong, love?” he asked in a hushed tone and you smiled reassuringly at him. “Nothing’s wrong,” you said, “why would anything be wrong, darling?” 

Severus looked at you for a moment before he let out a small breath through his nose. His eyes left yours as he looked down at his hands placed on your legs. They were rough and pale, they were hands that you loved. “Do not lie to me, (y/n). Something is wrong. You are, not yourself anymore. Tell me,” he said gently yet firmly. You smiled wider before you placed your hand on his forearm. “Darling, nothing is wrong, I promise. I’m fine and happy, I have you.” 

For a long moment, there was nothing but silence and you felt as if your plastered smile might have failed you at any moment when he finally looked at you. “Love, do not lie, it does not suit you. Just, tell me.” You patted his arm as thoughts raced through your mind, wondering how you could reassure him he did not have to deal with your shit when he probably had so much to deal with from his own thoughts already. 

“Darling, come here,” you said and he leaned towards you. You stroked away one side of his black hair and hooked it behind his cute ear before you gently caressed his cheek and kissed his lips tenderly. I will not fail you, was the one thought that spun through your mind over and over as you tasted him. “Everything is great,” you whispered as you broke the kiss, “I’ll go make some tea for us. You seem a bit tense.” He nodded at you but there was sadness in his eyes that you could not ignore even if you stood and walked out to the kitchen.  

Your hands were shaking as you poured water into the kettle. The cups rattled as you placed them on saucers. Your breathing faltered over and over as you tried to calm your heart. Too close, too close, too close, you thought as you placed tea bags in the cups. I need to do better, he can’t see, I can’t worry him. He’s got too much of his own stuff to deal with, I can’t be a burden to him. I don’t want to burden him anymore… 

A small, glinting tear rolled down your cheek as you bit your lip to keep a sob at bay just as the kettle screamed. The water swirled as you poured it, stained by the tea in a gentle pattern before it all gained the same deep colour and you felt as if you yourself had been stained a deeper, darker colour throughout the depths of your heart.  

You had avoided him a tad after the tea. You busied yourself with laundry, cleaning, changing sheets on the bed and dusting. Not until evening came and Severus had set the table with a divinely smelling dinner were you forced to be still and in close proximity to him. Now, some might have thought this was just because you didn’t want him to notice it all, see it all, know it all. But no, no that was not the reason you had avoided him. At least not completely. 

You wanted to tell him, talk to him, get help. Or something along those lines. At the same time, you felt shame, pain and an array of doubt as to how he would react but also regarding your infliction of pain through verbally admitting what you felt to the one you loved so deeply. The storm inside you that was black clouds of endless dust that howled about your insignificant worth made you feel horrible in every way. Yet, the one thing you did not want was to hurt him. Drag him into the storm. Pain him with your selfish thoughts when you knew, knew what he had been through - for years . 

I have no right. No right to feel like this. I should be happy. Should be grateful. I’m alive, I have a home, a man who loves me and the world is safe again. I know I should feel all these things. Should be filled with love and joy. He survived, we found each other. Yet, he is just so damn much and I’m just, not worthy of any of it... 

“(Y/n), talk to me,” he said all of a sudden as he put down his cutlery. You lifted your head, allowed your eyes to meet his and tugged your lips up into a smile. “Darling, I don’t understand what you’re going on about. I’m fine, everything is good. I’m good.” “You are not good!” The sudden change of his tone startled you for a second. His gaze was intense and penetrating. As if he looked through you. You gasped as you felt his intrusion in your mind and you had no chance of blocking him out. 

He saw everything. Every little thing that you had desperately tried to hide from him. The hurt, the doubt, the horrors of your mind that filled your days with anxiety and sorrow. He slithered through your mind with such power and speed you barely had a chance at breathing as your mind raced with thoughts you had wanted to hide. But, it is as they say. If someone says ‘do not think of an elephant’, what do you think of? An elephant. And that elephant was all of your fears combined with all of the pain. 

His eyes watered and you stood with such speed that the chair toppled. “Severus-” you breathed out with a mixture of emotions that were nothing but bad. Your lip quivered as tears rolled down your cheeks before you dashed out of the kitchen and ran towards the bathroom. You closed and locked the door a mere second before he pulled at the handle. “(Y/n). Open the door,” he said with a slight shake to his voice. But you simply curled up in the tub and hugged your legs, your knees against your forehead as tears wet your clothes and skin. 

He banged at the door, twice, and you shivered. He saw it, he saw it, he’ll hate me, he’ll be furious with me. I have no right to feel this, I’m not worthy of, anything… The fear of him feeling such things towards you made you nauseous and afraid. “Please, love, open the door. Let me in,” he said through the wood that separated you. But you didn’t move. Then a click was heard and he had used the unlocking spell to let himself in. You hugged your knees tighter. Buried your head with more force as you tried to stop the sobbing that wanted to crawl its way out of your mouth from the depths of your chest. 

You felt his hand on your back as you heard the ruffling of fabric as he lowered himself beside the tub. “Love, please,” he whispered and pain was evident in his voice. You curled up further, as much as you could. I hurt him. I hurt him just like everyone else has done. You’d be better off without me, I know you would. I’m such a fucking coward, why haven’t I just- just- just ended it?! I’m not worthy of breathing the same air as you. I should have died. I should have died with the others. Someone else should have lived, I should have died in that war. “Love, don’t.” 

It was too late when you felt his presence in your mind as your dark thoughts buried you in such cold depths you barely registered that he lifted you out of the tub. His arms wrapped beneath and around you. His thin lips pressed themselves against your head and you let go of the clawing sob. It escaped through your quivering lips and Severus tensed. 

“Love, you are my everything. My whole world. You, are the very reason that I am living. You are-” “Unworthy of your love,” you breathed out in a hushed whisper. To say the words out loud felt as if someone drove a piping hot branding iron down your throat. “It is I who is unworthy of you ,” he whispered against the top of your head as he sunk to the floor and cradled you, “I should have seen, noticed, I should have been there for you like you have always been for me. I am so sorry, love.” 

Had this been one of those stupid romance novels I would have been all smiles and happy by now. To hear you say that. I would have been cured of these feelings. But apparently, life is not like that… The thoughts and feelings you had had for so long had not lessened in any way. Had not disappeared just because of his adoring words. They were as strong as ever. But now, now there was also the pain of having hurt him and made him feel unworthy or lesser. It was agony and you had no way to deal with it other than to cry. 

Darkness had fallen long before you finally stopped crying. Everything in your body ached and you knew Severus was stiff and sore from the odd position on the hard floor, with you in his lap. “I am so sorry, love,” he whispered for the umpteenth time. “I’m tired,” you whispered back as your mind kept spinning with all the things you had tried to bury. To hide. Things from before the war and after the war. Life, death, loss and gain. “Let’s get you to bed,” he simply said and the thunder in his voice felt subdued. A mere distant rumble and it made you feel strange.  

He rose with you in his arms, carefully cradled as if you would break with any hasty motion. You felt the stiffness in his movements, yet he didn’t say a word about it. He simply carried you through the hallway and placed you on the bed with gentleness. You turned and laid on your side as your mind echoed the words ‘insignificant, worthless, unbearable’ over and over and over as Severus pulled the cover up over you. “I’m so sorry, love,” he whispered before he kissed your head, “I will help you, in any way I can. Please don’t, don’t leave me...” 

The room was silent after those words and a moment later you heard him take a shuddering breath before he left. You were alone. In that moment, something desperate clawed in you. A fearful thought crossed your mind and pain travelled through your veins as if they were freezing with an ice-cold breath. He’ll leave me now, he’ll see that I’m not worth anything. That, that he is better off without me. Strangely enough, that scared you. Even if it had been the very epicentre of your dark thoughts and agonizing pain lately it was different now. He knew now. Perhaps it was the end and all you had feared was actually true? That you meant nothing, was worth nothing. Nothing at all.  

You shivered, turned to lay on your back and grabbed the cover to take it off but at that moment the door opened. You turned your head only to see a broken man in the doorway. His eyes glinted with unshed tears and his shoulders slumped. He looked nothing like your Severus. Nothing at all like the powerful and strong man you had fallen for.

“I will never leave you. I love you, (y/n).” You looked at him as the words vibrated through you in a low tone. “I would have been dead if it were not for you,” he continued and the words elicited a gasp from you. You could not even fathom the idea of a world without Severus. Such a place couldn’t even exist in your wildest fantasies. He was everything. “A world without you, would be worthless and empty. You are everything to me and I want to keep you forever, here, with me. No matter how selfish that may be, I need you with me. Or I shall perish.” 

Your heart fluttered with a need for his love as his words landed somewhere in the darkest parts of your mind. The parts where screams and falling bodies lingered. The part where dark clouds of dust swirled with sorrow and pain. The part where no dawning light had shined for years. There his words landed, settled. A small crack in the clouds allowed a single ray of sunshine to come through as gentle words of thankfulness for all who had survived could be heard, even if they were muffled by distant memory and buried beneath all the bad things. 

You removed the cover and sat up slowly. As your feet touched the carpet something jolted in you. You ran towards him, slammed your body into his so harshly that he took a staggering step back as his arms wrapped themselves around you with such haste you were nearly surprised. “Please, love, please. Stay and go through this with me. Together,” he breathed out and you nodded as new tears leaked from your eyes. “I will-, will try…” It was the only kind of thing you could say as you clung to that tiny sliver of light in the depths of the darkness. That tiny little ray of warmth that was your beloved and his love for you. 

 Epilogue: 

It had been nearly six months. For six months he had guarded you, tended to you, helped you through the pain and anxiety attacks too many times to count. He had cred, you had cried and several times it felt hopeless. As if nothing would ever change the darkness that clung to you on the inside, in the depths of your mind. 

But he had encouraged you, supported you, helped you in all ways possible. Even on days when you wanted to run away from it all and give up, he made sure you could see light and feel warmth. He had confided in you as well. His fear of losing you, his pain in seeing you turn into someone he did not know, the anguish of not knowing and not being able to help. The horror that had raked through him each time you had shut him out with lies of how great and good everything was. His fear that he was not enough for you, that he was not what you wanted. 

But now, after months of hard work, tears, open communication and desperate attempts at surviving through it all you felt lighter. The dark clouds of dust were nearly gone as light bathed most of your inner self; a warmth spread like the gentle breeze of a summer night. It was thanks to him, to your beloved, and your own hard work. Your own strength and determination to not yield and succumb to the darkness. Even on days when it was most tempting to escape it all swiftly. 

You had fought. Struggled. Won battle after battle. Some battles were lost but the war was being won, one fight at a time. You did that. You fought on and conquered the pain, the sorrow and despair. The abysmal voice that echoed horrendous words of unworthiness and shame had nearly been silenced and replaced with a growling noise of power and love. His voice, his sound, it saved you time and time again as you allowed love to actually unfold and be a part of your life. As you allowed yourself to be alive even if you were not always sure you should be. 

You did not give those thoughts more than a swift glance as they passed by in your mind. They were not worthy of your emotional investment. They were false and wrong. You would not succumb to them no matter what as you had finally found your will to live accompanied by a need to do so happily - despite everything your mind had whispered, you were worthy. You just needed help to break free of the darkness and see yourself for the worthy person that you would always be. No matter what, you would always be worthy of life.

Masterlist page // Masterlist post // AO3

A/N: I want to say thank you to the Nonny who sent this request and I want to yet again remind everyone that you are worthy of all good things and being suicidal or harming yourself does not take that away! If you are harming yourself or have suicidal thoughts, find and ask for help! You are worth it, worthy of help and of life! Thank you for being here with us. ❤️

Taglist:  @lizlil​ @snapefiction @darkthought15​ @monstreviolet @flowerdementia​ @marvelschriss​ @simpforsnape​ @once-upon-an-imagine​ @ravennight41​  @morphineisouthoney​ @setsuna-meiou31 @meteoritewolf69​ @bionic-otp​ @elizabeth-baelish​ 

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[Feb:2021]

[epicspheal]

( this is gonna be long super sorry!!!) I have some Thoughts™ about Lusamine cause I'm conflicted. I love Lusamine as a character. And by that i mean I love to hate her. Rich white woman that's probably from Kalos( France) abuses her children, constantly gaslight them to make her the victim, and etc. It doesn't matter if she gone crazy, she's still an abuser.

The reason USUM boils my blood at times is because it goes the route of " oh yeah I wanted to save everyone" route which completely glosses over the fact that she abused and controlled her children for so long to the point of them both running away. And this one is purely headcanon in my part, cause I doubt Nintendo intended this, but she is, again, a rich white woman in comparison to the majority poc Alola. Is it infuriating how they welcomed her( well, at least on the front) after everything she's done? Yes. Is it a sad reality? Also yes. But it I'm still gonna complain. It also seems that Lillie and Gladion forgave her so easily? Of course, they have their own right to feel however they feel about their mother( especially if there was genuine good memories prior everything that happened), but like???? Idk it rubs me the wrong way.

But here's where I'm conflicted. Pokemon masters have shown a redeemed Lusamine. I understand masters is it's own thing, but also it's really interesting cause when you think about it, out of the Bad Parents Club, she's kinda the most likely to get that???( Other than Rose). Like by the end of SM, she finally acknowledge Lillie, and maybe going to Kanto will also mean getting therapy, which could lead to the Redeemed Lusamine we see in Masters( and what USUM were trying to sell). I personally feel like the other two, Giovanni and Ghetsis, are too far gone. So, like, Lusamine has a chance. But I hate her. I made an oc with the goal of at one point throwing hands with Lusamine for a REASON( other than parallels with her own life but that's different). Also when you take into account what lead her to this point, you kinda understand ( NOT JUSTIFY) her decent into madness. I guess what I'm trying to say is that they really should have portrayed her "redemption" better( putting quotations in redemption cause we don't know if she fully learned her lesson or not).

Okay that's all. Super sorry this got very long, I just have many Thoughts ™.

Hi there @ihopethisendswell! Oh boy Gen 7's story is not my favorite for multiple reasons and the shift between SM and USUM's handling of Lusamine was a big one. Like honestly if they truly wanted to redeem Lusamine USUM should've been a sequel rather than retelling because that way a few years would've passed, Lillie and Gladion could've healed on their own and Lusamine could've gotten some time to get herself together and maybe earn a redemption. But honestly I didn't want Lusamine to be redeemed. Let her rot in the "crappy parents" brigade with Giovanni and Ghetsis. I've said this before in a previous ask that I already didn't care for the Aether Family Plot to begin with but I at least enjoyed finally having the main villain be a woman and her being just absolutely a piece of crap too. I I don't like that they tried to redeem they chose her, and in such a haphazard way. Let the women be irredeemly evil. We need to see more of that in fiction. Unrestrained cruelty knows no gender.

But then again Lusamine's writing flops just fall in line with other issues Gamefreak has with writing female characters. Right in step with "Let's make Lillie, the one female child character whose been cursed with a crappy parent be the only helpless, passive one to the point of pretty much being the load while Silver, N and her own brother Gladion who also have shitty parents get to have more agency and fight to them. Because girls are the only ones who can be damsels and boys have to be tough."

Oh and I can't forget "Let's make Professor Burnet mostly irrelevant to the plots of SM despite her field of research being the most valuable concerning the whole research plot. Can't have a female researcher be useful" As you can see I have a lot of gripes with the gen 7 plot.

But your point about how Lusamine was handled in the majority POC region of Alola is probably my biggest issue with the Aether family. Because I really didn't care for the fact that the blonde family took up so much presence and importance in the story at the expense of the POC characters who were actually born and raised in the region. Like there was two whole plotlines of the Hau trying to live with the burden of being a Kahuna's grandson and Kukui trying to show pride in his home region by creating league while also not stepping on the traditions that make Alola's island challenge so sacred and special but we don't get to see it because it's the Aether Family show. Gamefreak has had a rather prevalent issue in writing when it comes to balancing story plotlines in general, but Gen 7's botched handling really stood out to me. The Alolans had really interesting stories that I wish had of gotten more prominence rather than being shoved off to the side like they were in canon. I hope whenever we get gen 7 remakes they add more depth to Hau, Kukui, Guzma, Acerola, and Hapu's stories because their stories as natives deserve as much attention as Lillie being able to find her confidence. Finally there should've definitely been a "press x to punch Lusamine's lights out" option in game. Like you I made alolan champion OC specifically just straight up give Lusamine a black eye. Yeah it meant aging her up to around 17 instead of the canon protags age of 11. so she could have more force behind that punch but it was worth it :D

[longitudinalwaveme]

DC Comics’ Portrayal of Mental Illness

 As you can probably ascertain from the general contents of this blog, I am a huge fan of DC comics (and, more specifically, of the Flash). I am also a psychology major who is on the autism spectrum and has struggled with Social Anxiety Disorder and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. As such, I have a...complicated relationship with comic books that discuss mental illness. 

Of course, of all the comics that deal with mental illness, Batman is undoubtedly the most prominent, and, as such, is the easiest target for criticism. The more a comic book talks about mental illness, the more opportunities it has to get stuff wrong. Since there are literally thousands of Batman comics out there and I don’t have the time to research them all, I will be using a 2001 Batman guidebook to give you a few examples of the things that it gets wrong about mental health (and psychology in general). 

To start, let’s talk about Arkham Asylum. Not only is its name anachronistic (virtually no mental heath facilities are called asylums anymore), but its depiction usually is as well: even a psychiatric hospital that doubled as a penal facility probably would not be located in an old Gothic-looking building that looks like it came straight out of a horror movie. It’s also worth noting that Arkham Asylum didn’t exist in the Batman mythos prior to 1974, and that originally, Two-Face and the Joker were the only two villains who went there. Prior to that point, everyone, even the Joker, just went to prison when they were caught (which, as we shall see, is actually probably more accurate for everyone except maaaybe modern Two-Face and the Mad Hatter). My suspicion is that it was introduced to capitalize on the popularity of the 1962 novel (and, once it was released, the 1975 movie) One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, which was about a psychiatric institution, but there were probably other factors involved, such as the popularity of works by H.P. Lovecraft (which is where the name Arkham came from). Whatever the reason, though, Arkham Asylum is really only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the misrepresentation of mental illness and mental health in Batman fiction. 

The introduction of Arkham Asylum led, increasingly, to the idea that all Batman villains were mentally ill, which, in turn, led to some...um....very inaccurate portrayals and depictions of what mental illness is and how it works. 

For example, the 2001 guidebook I am using incorrectly describes the Joker as “certifiably psychotic”. He’s not. While there are individual exceptions (we are talking about comic books, after all), in most appearances, the Joker is not psychotic. He has no apparent hallucinations and does not seem to display signs of delusions, either. He is not out of touch with reality in any meaningful way, he’s just horrifically violent. Describing him as “certifiably psychopathic” would have been much more appropriate (although you can’t technically diagnose someone with psychopathy; the condition he would be diagnosed with would be Antisocial Personality Disorder). 

In the same book, Two-Face is described as “schizoid” and “schizophrenic”, both of which are not even remotely correct. What the modern Two-Face is supposed to suffer from is Dissociative Identity Disorder (what used to be called Multiple Personality Disorder), although it’s not always portrayed terribly accurately. Schizoid Personality Disorder is not DID, and it’s not Schizophrenia, either; it’s a personality disorder characterized by a lack of interest in social relationships-basically people who are extreme loners. Similarly, Schizophrenia is not DID. While it is hypothetically possible for the two conditions to be comorbid, they are not at all the same thing. Schizophrenia is a psychotic disorder characterized by delusions and hallucinations, which Two-Face almost never displays in fiction. DID is a dissociative disorder. Most people with DID do not experience delusions or hallucinations; their condition is typified by the presence of more than one personality and is thought to usually only occur as a reaction to severe childhood trauma. (Credit where credit is due: modern Two-Face is correctly shown as having experienced trauma as a child.) The fact that the term schizophrenia literally translates into “split mind” is probably the source of some of this confusion, but with schizophrenia, the split is between the mind and reality, not between the mind and itself. 

Also from this guidebook, the Riddler is, confusingly, described as having “an obsessive-compulsive desire for attention”, which, from a psychological perspective, is pretty much nonsense. Desire for attention is one thing; obsessive-compulsive disorder is another. The “obsessions” in OCD refer to intrusive, recurring thoughts, not to something that a person strongly desires and spends a lot of time pursuing. Additionally, the Riddler is described as “pondering the unsolvable riddle of his own psychosis”, which is not accurate. The Riddler consistently displays signs of Narcissistic Personality Disorder, and less consistently displays signs of OCD, but neither one of these conditions is a psychotic disorder, as neither involves hallucinations or delusions. When the Riddler says he’s not psychotic, and that he’s perfectly sane, he’s completely right on both counts. He’s never displayed any evidence of a break from reality, so he’s not psychotic, and he’s almost always aware that what he’s doing is a crime, so he’s not insane, either. In fact, with the possible exceptions of the Mad Hatter, Man-Bat, and Two-Face, none of the Batman villains are insane, since they are all aware that what they’re doing is illegal when they do it. 

What makes the earlier mistakes in this particular guidebook even more mystifying to me is the fact that their description of Scarecrow, and, more impressively yet, Scarecrow’s fear toxin, is pretty much accurate. They don’t call him psychotic or label him with conditions he doesn’t have and they accurately identify his on-again off-again phobia of bats (Chiropteraphobia). It also describes his fear gas thusly: “a toxic mix of adreno-cortical secretions and strong hallucinogens...it prompts neuromuscular spasms, cardiac arrhythmia, and panic attacks”. This is an astonishingly accurate description of what his fear toxin would need to be made of and what it does to his victims’ bodies. I don’t know who wrote this section, but they deserve some serious credit for doing their homework! (It makes no sense to put the Scarecrow in Arkham. Not only is he neither psychotic nor insane, but putting an evil ex-psychologist in a psychiatric institution is a REALLY bad idea, as he has the know-how to easily manipulate both the doctors and the patients.) 

Also from the 2001 Guidebook: The Ventriloquist is described as having multiple personalities, and is NOT described as schizophrenic or schizoid. While the term Multiple Personality Disorder is no longer used by psychologists for diagnosis, it is at least describing the same condition as DID. Modern Firefly is described as a pyromaniac; this is accurate from what I know of the character. Mr. Zsasz is described as a “sociopath”; again, this is mostly accurate. 

I also decided to use a few other DC guidebooks and see if there were any other egregious mistakes: 

2015 Guidebook:

 Haha, “Lenny Snart”. (That has nothing to do with mental illness, I just thought it was funny.) 

 Dr. Polaris is described as suffering from “a split personality disorder”; they mean DID. It’s also worth noting that most people with DID do not have a “good” alter and an “evil” alter; having DID does not make you Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. 

The Joker is described as “crazy” and “insane”; while the former is up for debate, I can say with confidence that the Joker meets no real-world definition of insanity that I know about. 

Riddler is not described as insane, yay!  

Two-Face is described as having Multiple Personality Disorder; this should be DID but is otherwise broadly correct. That being said, the idea that getting acid thrown in your face would cause you to develop a split personality, as this book seems to imply, is unlikely. DID doesn’t develop that suddenly. 

2016 Guidebook: 

While Doctor Polaris may very well have a personality disorder, the emergence of a second personality would indicate the development of DID, not  a personality disorder. An adult man couldn’t “develop’ a personality disorder anyway; they’re developed in childhood and are usually lifelong afflictions. 

Harley Quinn is a weird case; to call her psychotic isn’t completely inaccurate, as she has displayed signs of hallucinations and delusions in the past. That being said, the way her condition is depicted is inconsistent and confusing, and doesn’t seem to line up perfectly with any actual real-world condition. 

Modern Heat Wave is absolutely a pyromaniac; Johns in particular was surprisingly good at writing a realistic case of the condition. 

The Joker is not insane. Neither is the modern Joker’s daughter. Both understand what they’re doing is wrong. 

Lex Luthor is indeed a sociopath, as is the New 52 version of Mr. Freeze (BTAS Freeze is not). 

Two-Face’s condition should be described as DID, not MPD; otherwise things are about as accurate as one can expect from Two-Face. 

2008 Guidebook:

Calling Abra Kadabra narcissistic is accurate. 

The Black Manta autism thing is icky on multiple levels. Ewww.

The first Cheetah probably would not have suddenly developed a second personality as an adult. 

Dr. Polaris. You know the drill. Split personality should be DID. A “good” and “evil” alter are pretty unlikely. Usually DID would show up before adulthood. 

Firefly and Heat Wave do both seem to have pyromania. It’s also accurate to describe Heat Wave as cryophobic. 

The Joker cannot be “certifiably crazed”; crazed is not an official psychiatric term. And again, he isn’t insane, so he shouldn’t be in Arkham. 

Killer Croc has never displayed any noticeable signs of psychosis. 

Magenta having DID is actually more realistic than most of the other characters I’ve talked about; she’s got the necessary childhood trauma and her alters developed when she was still quite young. Furthermore, her more violent alter isn’t manically evil. 

Whoever wrote the Scarecrow piece in the 2001 Batman Guidebook must’ve also helped to write this one, since the shockingly-accurate fear gas description is the same. 

Professor Strange is not insane in the legal sense of the word. 

Arnold Wesker has DID; MPD is the condition’s original name but is no longer used by professional psychologists. 

Zoom (Hunter Zolomon, not Eobard)... I think there’s an argument to be made that Zolomon actually is psychotic. While he’s never displayed hallucinations, he is clearly delusional in the most literal sense and does seem to have lost touch with reality. As such, this book is not wholly inaccurate in calling him psychotic.

You get the idea....

Looking specifically at the Flash, things improve slightly simply because writers who don’t understand psychology aren’t constantly talking about it. That being said, that doesn’t mean it never gets brought up. 

Golden Glider was intended to receive a psychiatric evaluation in the late 1970s. It’s interesting that she actually protested this, pointing out that the male criminals never received psychological evaluations (and indeed, they always went to prison rather than to an institution). She was indeed motivated by something other than profit, and I can understand why they wanted to have her evaluated given her lack of earlier criminal activity, but I don’t know if she was actually mentally ill per se...and she definitely wasn’t insane. 

In the early 1980s during the twilight hours of Barry Allen’s first run on the Flash, it seemed that the writers were trying to take a page out of Batman’s book by arguing that Barry’s costumed criminals were insane (even though they usually didn’t display any behavior that would indicate this). As such, Barry stated to imply that his Rogues were mentally ill in some fashion despite the fact that their behavior really hadn’t changed appreciably since their earliest appearances. That being said, the Pied Piper did appear to suffer some sort of nervous breakdown during the “Trial of the Flash” arc; what exactly this was is difficult to explain, since we didn’t get to see a whole lot of him after this point, but he did go to an actual psychiatric hospital (that was referred to as such rather than being called an asylum) and he did recover, relapsed, then recovered again, making this one of the more accurate portrayals of how mental illness works despite the limited information we have about his actual condition. They even showed him slowly deteriorating over a period of time before the actual collapse!

Big Sir, who made his debut in the same storyline, was rather more poorly handled....but at least he was explicitly manipulated into villainy rather than becoming evil simply because of his condition. 

Wally West went to therapy early in his run; given the context I’d say it was reasonable that he was suffering from both anxiety and depression (his uncle had just died and he was really struggling to fill his shoes as the new Flash). Going to therapy did actually help him, which was nice to see, and his therapist did not become evil, which was also nice to see. (I’m not going to talk about Heroes in Crisis, as I prefer to pretend that that never happened.) Yay for protagonists discussing their mental health problems in productive ways! 

In the early-to-mid 1990s, Mark Waid wrote a story in which Lisa stated that she’d faked insanity in order to be sent to a psychiatric hospital rather than to prison, but the story seemed to be implying that she was actually insane. Not only is successfully being declared not guilty by reason of insanity incredibly difficult, but Lisa displayed no signs of not recognizing that her behavior was wrong, so she wasn’t insane. She was, however, displaying strong signs of paranoia, which could perhaps be attributed to a paranoid delusion of some sort. It’s especailly weird since this was never really a characteristic of hers before or since, and it just kind of came out of nowhere. 

The Trickster (specifically the first one, James Jesse) is often mistakenly believed to be mentally ill by casual fans. While he is indeed mentally ill, possibly even psychotic, in the DCAU,  and he’s a remorseless psychopath in both live-action Flash shows, in the comics themselves he displays no real signs of mental illness. That being said, I LOVE the interactions between DCAU Wally and DCAU Trickster. They’re made of adorable.

The Pied Piper went through a second bout of mental problems in the mid-to-late 2000s, being tricked into believing that he’d murdered his parents, going to prison, being beaten regularly by the warden, escaping from prison, going through the stress of fighting in the Rogue War, having his mind messed with by the Top, accidentally becoming involved in the murder of Bart Allen (another thing I like to pretend never happened), having to go on the run, watching the Trickster get shot in front of him, having to drag his corpse around a desert, almost dying, getting transported to Apocalypse, blowing it up with Queen music, and then being left basically all alone. He really went through a trauma conga line, so it’s not surprising that he was starting to display some odd behavior. Poor guy probably had PTSD. 

And then there’s the Top. Beyond the speculation of @gorogues that he’s on the autism spectrum (a  theory I find to be quite persuasive), I also think it’s likely that he suffers from another mental illness (most likely bipolar I disorder, also as suggested by @gorogues). He was clearly mentally ill for most of Geoff Johns’ run, and his behavior in his very first appearance was decidedly odd as well. Intense mania and depression can sometimes induce psychosis (as we seemed to see during Geoff Johns’ run), and his “threatening to blow up half the world to become its ruler while I’m somehow safe on the other side of the planet” plan from his first appearance, which he clearly expected to work perfectly, is so overconfident and over-the-top that it fits well as a particularly exaggerated manic episode. While it’s not conclusive by any means, I think it’s a distinct possibility.

[vanillafrog]

On A Ride

Pairing: Whiskey x You

Summary: Jack's motorcycle gave you a thrill from just looking at it. Even without having been on it yet, you knew it would end up being one hell of a ride. Aka the one where you ride Jack on the motorcycle.

Word Count: 1809

Warnings: smut!!!! motorcycle sex of course, grinding, clothed man naked woman, creampie + unprotected sex (please use protection), established relationship

A/N: i wrote all of this within an hour on discord because i was ✨inspired✨

Jack had a great taste in vehicles, there just wasn't any denying it. He had taken you on many trips in his Bronco and the amount of times you ended up in the backseat with him is astronomical. But despite the thrill you always got whenever you sat in his passenger's seat with the top down, it never matched the shiver that ran down your spine whenever you saw his Harley. 

He hadn't taken you on a ride with it yet. He claimed it was because you didn't have a helmet but truthfully, you didn't feel like that was the full reason. You never pushed him though. You knew how much his motorcycle meant to him.

Yet you daydreamed of your arms wrapped around his waist as he sped through the backwoods. The wind in your face and his warmth pressed into your front. You just knew it would be heavenly.

Jack was upstairs in a meeting while you were left alone to wander his house. This happened time to time with how his job was and you gotten used to it. You respected him and what he did. But you were bored out of your mind. You read all of his books, he didn't have much in the ways of baking ingredients (you would need to remind him to go shopping) and your phone could only keep you distracted for so long.

You suddenly had an idea. He was busy, he would never know. You got up from your perch on his couch and walked over to the garage door. It always squeaked whenever it opened so you pulled it slowly making sure the squeaking was quiet enough that Jack wouldn't notice.

You slipped between the same crack, not bothering to close it just yet as you walked over to his Harley. The shiny red paint was kept pristine and the engine was still warm from his earlier ride. Your hand trailed along the body until you caressed the leather seat.

Your thoughts about the motorcycle weren't always clean. Most of the time you tried your best to keep them pure but you couldn't even if you tried your hardest. Not after seeing how Jack looked when he pulled off his helmet and smiled at you. His leather jacket snug over his shoulders, hair mused and cheeks pink from the wind.

Would he look more disheveled if you sucked him off as he leaned against his Harley? Would his calloused hair knot into your hair as he laid you across the leather seat as he pounded you? Would he make you touch yourself as you sat on it as he reeved the engine for you? 

Biting your lip, you saddled the bike. Your dress pushed up letting you feel the warm leather against your core. The slight fiction sending a jolt up your spine. Your eyes glanced over at the door, making sure Jack didn't suddenly appear before placing both hands on the warm handles. You used them to help you grind against the seat.

Your eyes fluttered closed as you bit your lip to hold back your whimpers. Images of Jack flashed behind your eyelids. Every dirty thing you both have ever did now featured the bike. Your underwear grew wetter with each pass of your hips. You just knew that the seat under you was drenched and the thought just spurred you on.

You were too busy in your fantasies to notice Jack creep into the room with you. He watched as you brought yourself closer to orgasm. 

Jack could feel himself losing it at the sight of you. The real reason he never took you on a ride on his bike was because he knew he wouldn't be able to make it out the garage without the instant need to pound you. Every time he rode the bike, he imagined you riding him as he sat firmly on the seat. How your lips would part with every whimper and moan. The way you were look wearing nothing but his leather jacket as your draped yourself across the bike for him.

Seeing you on it was better than any fantasy he could come up with and he was a very creative man. He just leaned against the wall in front of you as he watched you shatter apart. Small moans falling from your lips that you couldn't stop. Your hips stuttering against the seat and your grip tightened on the engine. He smiled as you caught your breath.

"If you wanted a ride, honeybee..." Your eyes snapped open instantly, a look of horror and embarrassment etched onto your face. "All you had to do was ask."

"Jack-" You started to try to explain only for him to cut you off.

"Stand up and strip." His tone was thick and darker than you ever heard. Even when you were his favorite sundress with no underwear. 

Not one to ever question that tone, you instantly stood. You almost ripped your clothes with how you pulled them off but it would've been worth it. Jack's eyes trailed over before looking at the seat. Sure enough, there was a wet smear from where you rode it.

"Naughty girl," he tsked at you. "You got my bike all dirty."

"I'm sorry, sir." 

He walked over to you, his hand twisted into your hand as he guided you onto your knees. The concrete floor biting into your skin. His eyes softened for a moment.

"Color?" Your heart skipped a minute.

"Green, sir." You gave him a reassuring smile which he happily returned before getting back into character.

"You've been so bad. Getting off without my permission, getting on my bike *and* getting it dirty. I should punish you for it." You opened your mouth to respond but he pushed your head towards the seat. "Lick it all up right now. I don't want a single drop of your pussy left on it." 

Fire raged through you as you followed his command blindly. Before Jack, you never were a fan of tasting yourself. It just wasn't something you found arousing but he changed the game. The sinful pleasure he got from tasting you invaded your mind. 

The salty taste of your cum and the musky bite of the leather on your tongue made you moan. Jack pressed closer to you. Heat practically radiated off the bulge in his Levi's.

"You like that?" You nodded against the leather, continuing to lap it up. "Of course you do, filthy baby." 

The hand in your hair yanked you away. A small whimper escaping your mouth. He helped pulled you up to your feet as he dug into his pants to pull out his bike keys that he didn't have time to put away before the meeting. Jack let go of you as he sat down.

The bike roared to life sending a shiver of anticipation down your spine. Your nerve endings were practically on fire. You watched Jack rip open his pants just enough to free himself. His cock hard and ready for you.

"Come get on my cock now." His tone left no room for argument. You scrambled to follow his order, needing to feel him filling you up. The warmth of the engine against your bare ass surprised you at first but Jack's hands on your hips soothed you. He pulled your thighs over him as he helped lower you. 

You both groaned when he bottomed out. Planting your hands on his shoulders, you readied yourself to ride him only for Jack to stop you. You looked at him confused. 

"Stay still. Let's see if you can come from just being filled with me." Your confusion turned into wanton heat as he reeved the engine. The vibrations roared through you, his cock rubbing just right against your g spot. Your head fell back as a whimper of his name escaped your lips. He smiled wickedly as he reeved the engine again. "Come on, be good for me and cum just like this."

"Please," you whined out. "It's not enough."

"Yes it is." He just reeved the engine again as he flexed inside you. Your legs twitched as your moaned. You opened your eyes to look at him. His pupils were beyond blown out. A fire roared in his irises as he kept reeving the engine. The neighbors probably thought he was the biggest douchebag but that wasn't your problem. 

With each roar of the engine, the closer you got. Your nails tearing into his shoulders and you begged for more. You needed him to fuck up into you but he ignored you. He just watched you lose yourself in the vibrations. Jack already planning on buying you a matching helmet and leather jacket so he can continue to have you like this.

One final rev and you shattered. You clenched tightly around as you shook. He cursed as your walls fluttered around him. His hands fell from the handle bars and onto your hips as he lifted you up slightly. He instantly started to pound into you, making you letting out a surprised gasp.

"So fucking good for me, honeybee. So sexy." His grip was going to leave welcome bruises. You tried to fight oversensitivity as you grabbed onto his shoulders to stay up. "I'm going to fuck you on this bike every chance I get. So much better than my imagination, fuck!" 

Jack bit into your shoulder harshly before pulling away. One hand moved between, his fingers circling your clit.  You tried to pull away from him but he moved his arm around your waist to lock you in place.

"You're going to come for me again," he growled. "Soak my cock right now." A few more harsh thrusts was all it took for you tip over the edge again. Tears prickled at the corners of your eyes, some falling down your cheeks and you sobbed out. He groaned as he pulled your hips flush with his. Jack's cock throbbing intensely as he filled you with his cum.

The only sounds that filled the garage was the sounds of the bike and both of your heavy breathing. Jack reached around, turning the bike off. He hugged you close to him.

"Are you actually mad?" You asked into his neck.

"No baby, I'm not." He kissed the side of your head. "If I'm honest, the only reason I didn't take you out sooner was because I didn't think I could control myself." You giggled at him, pulling away from you.

"You don't ever need to control yourself around me, cowboy." You gave him a soft kiss on the lips that he quickly turned filthy. His tongue exploring your mouth and only pulling apart when you both needed to breath.

"If that's the case, want to see what else we can do with this bike?"

[sokayisaidiot]

Dream SMP Assumption #7

Today’s topic: Everybody is suffering and you know it.

Please DO NOT read if you’re uncomfortable with the themes of death, depression and suicide. It’s a very complicated theme. I did NOT study it and do NOT know some aspects of it. I just go off the things I saw in the smp and made my own theories about it. If you’re even slightly triggered by this, please stop and do NOT try to read it. Please do NOT put yourself in some kind of uncomfortable zone.

Please do not. Thank you

(This is all assumptioning from the fictional world of dream smp)

(Heavy spoilers on the resent events)

(Also just assumptions, when you know something, you can always drop it :))

(Mainly around the lmanburg way, sadly need to learn more about badlands ): )

(This Series is created by another person, that’s just too fuckin lazy to move her butt)

Trigger warning today:

Suicide thoughts

(PTSD)

Depression

War

Child Neglect

Betrayal and Trust Issues

Death

Lets get this straight, no one is pure evil just because. Everybody has something happening and BOOM, finished chaos and sadness and strange behavior and aggressiveness and- You get me? Good. I will take on EVERYBODY who says that a person in the story didn't suffer. I aint a Apologist either. I just want to make some things clear who suffered how. Understand? Good.

Stop saying “[Character] didn't suffer!” Hell yes somehow everybody, close in the lore, fuckin did.

LET’S GET STARTED

__________________________

Tommyinnit

Lets start with one, who should be pretty obvious. Tommy. In my second Assumption, I explained symptoms of PTSD and Depression. 

He was never really trusted by any point

Was just as used as Techno, because who had Tommy controlled was pretty powerful

He was exiled by a country, he HELPED saving MULTIPLE times

He saw his brother get killed by his father

He experienced so many deaths (Tubbo’s, in the final control room, Schlatts, 

He lost his pets 

He lost his belongings

Has to be on edge constantly

Gets accused by someone and then MOSTLY EVERYBODY believes, it was him

He isn’t really taken seriously

He gets seen as power-hungry person

People literally having him on the Hitlist

He nearly saw his best friend dying, on a mission, that was started by him

His older Brother, who he has an confused relationship with, doesn't even want to be revived.

Lost his brother to insanity and had to sit in the FRONT ROW of this spiral

PTSD

Depression

Suicidal thoughts

Betrayal

next to no one on his actual side

got left by almost everyone

was stuck on a island with an amnesiac ghost, who is a shell of his older brother

gets told his comfort items he had before everything else didn't matter

constantly has to live on the edge because he runs around with one just fuckin heart

Tubbo

Next to Tommy, he also suffers from PTSD, Depression and Suicidal tendencies. And that doesn't mean you kill yourself. It means you are too careless to give a fuck. And that can happen. TUbbo was way too easy to give up his OWN LIVE for something his best friend has passion in it.

He got publicly executed in a place HE DECORATED by someone he considered his Allie

Had the burden of Presidency on his YOUNG shoulders

The People who had to teach him about it, were also there for the tyranny

Got constantly considered a pawn, a throwable item

The adults use him as a figure head and proceed then to use him

He HAD to exile his best friend, or Tommy would have died sooner than ever

PTSD

Suicidal in a way of being okay for dying

Depression

Betrayal

Never gets taken seriously

Gets over-spoken a LOT

GETS COMPARED TO FUCKIN MANIACS OFTEN

Didn’t get nice words after his manipulator told him down, just SILENCE

He nearly died

He heard 

Got left by everyone, when they didn't see anything in this place anymore

got told by his best friend, that the discs were more worth than him

As Tommy, he is always on the edge of death

Technoblade

Techno is one of the most powerful people here on the server. No doubt about it. However, if someone, even a God, tries to refuse they have feelings, it’s impossible. And those feelings, when they get something terrible done to them, get hurt.

BETRAYAL

Loneliness

A bloodlust he sometimes seriously can't control, no matter how much he tries

His best friend (Wilbur), died before his eyes

He thought he could trust his (little brother figure) friend

Gets used often for material

betrayal

Has a hard time understanding his feelings

Gets talked over

Is socially avoiding talking

Gets seen as a bad guy many times

Trust issues, yay!

Also BETRAYAL

has at least some people who want to kill him

Wilbur Soot

Our favorite maniac! Yay! We can all see how he fell from a proud Leader of a family to an lost in himself man, with nothing left to loose

Had to countdown his brothers death

Was killed by his father

His OWN SON disowned him

He wasn't able to get help, especially not from his younger brother

His Allies were not really trust worthy

He got betrayed by a close comerade

His dear Brother was sometimes really chaotic

He had to lead an army to war, not one, but two times

He lost the election

He had to run away from a country he helped create

Had a hard time with this father (with how it’s shown, that he maybe was neglected and had to raise Tommy)

Ranboo

Our favorite Memory-Minutes-Boi! I think EVERYBODY in this community will protect him

His first days on the server were pure Chaos

Had to see a person, he considers a friend, being rotten away and not being able to do anything about it

A sister figure who just went angry

He isn’t trusted by anyone really

He knows things others don’t

ALSO LOSING YOUR MEMORY AND HAVING CONSTANT MEMORY LOSS FUCKIN SUCKS, TRUST ME

Has serious issues

GETS TALKED OVER

Is often forced to take a side, even if he's against it

Phil

He has a hard time. Especially with the death, failed resurrection, disowning one of his son, he didn't got even close to. Being 

Also on the edge of death every day

Was in the end peer pressured into killing his own son

Suffering from the loss of his son

Couldn't help his youngest son in exile, because he thought Tommy hated him

Wasn’t there for L’Manburg glory days

was ridiculed in his house arrest

Dream

Of course, we all know how mad he is now and shit, but you gotta think, he has some points here, that are infecting his behavior LARGELY

His friends left him, without considering helping him

He had lost his dear pet before

He actually wanted peace, but fell into the fun of destruction and chaos without someone knowing or helping him

He is homeless

Probably, he is a old being, that already suffered for millions of years

Sapnap

He’s actually one of my favorite Characters and I think we know he has a place in here.

Third wheels a  l o t

Constantly being referred as the THIRD person, who isn't important

Fought his friend, who took the side of a child

Said friend had one of his beloved fishes by his side the hole time

Said Fish got thought as dead

Fundy

Some of you guys forgot how sad actually Fundy’s character is. He IS one of the most hurt characters. And he gave up hope

constantly being talked over

disowned by his hole family

GREW UP IN OLD L’MANBURG, WHICH WAS AT WAR

doesn’t think he is a part of a group

had to disown his father, to help fight a tyrannt

Got babied his whole life

His dead father is still running away from their problems

Doesn’t know where his mum is

Lost his home so often

Nihachu

Actually the person I watched for the first long time as in the SMP

Again, being talked over

Doesn’t get taken seriously

Lost her Best friend (Wilbur)

Got betrayed by her friend, Karl, by him selling their Land to L’Manburg

Gets used as a hostage or Maid in Distress, even when she isn’t

Got her pets killed

Then constantly being used for her niceness

Jack Manifold

He has a pretty big Role now, and he's very VERY angry. And you might ask why

Got left behind by his country

doesn’t get taken seriously

Got his most powerful items removed in one thing

His land somehow is near a crater

got told he didn't suffer somehow

Went to mf hell

Quackity

Quackity, despite his funny demeanor, he's one of the hurt character

with him staying with Schlatt, he had a uncomfortable relationship a long time

got killed by the festival

somehow helped organize the death of a child

Said kid helped a revolution against him

he helped a tyrant come to power and will probably never get it live down

fought for a country so often, but, two times, it got exploded in front of his face

had to face war, also in a young age

Eret

Our favorite King is here too! Yes, he may have started the distrust spiral of Eret, but somehow, someone would still have led them to the FINAL CONTROL ROOM. Somehow History will always be happening.

Had one of the hardest time, getting forgiven

Was never really given a chance

got accused of something

gets used as a pawn

He has shown often regret

got left alone

I think we all can say they are just having MULTIPLE communicate, trust and self worth issues. Like goddamn, Puffy, please help them, you’re one of the only sane people in the lore-

[takerfoxx]

Some stuff from 2020 that I actually liked

Okay, so 2020 was a godawful year, we all agree. But a lot of good did happen to keep us sane, so I want to go ahead and list everything that made me happy last year. Also, note that some of these things actually debuted earlier than 2020, but I came across it in 2020, so it counts for me.

TV!

-The Hollow.

The Hollow is a truly underappreciated show. A cool premise and interesting characters that just got better every episode.

The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance.

This is one of the best single-season shows I’ve ever seen. Absolutely brilliant, and fuck you Netflix for pulling the plug!

Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!

This show is not my thing by any means, and I would never have checked it out if the opening wasn’t so attention-grabbing. Glad I did, because it gave me genuine joy. Though it probably should have debuted later in the year, since it seems custom-made for the quarantine months. 

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power: Season 5

What more can I say? One of my favorite shows of all time going out with a fantastic bang. God, I love this show.

Honorable mentions: Kipo and the Age of the Wunderbeasts, The Owl House, Magia Record, and SSSS Gridman.

MOVIES

There wasn’t a lot of movies worth talking about this year, and fewer that I actually saw. This one had the good fortune to drop just in time to dominate the box office right before quarintine shut everything down. And for a film with such an uninspired premise, such a problematic production, and being a video game movie no less, it just brought me so much joy.

VIDEO GAMES

Stinkoman 20x6: Level 10

Homestar Runner was my first favorite thing on the internet, and I spent many hours playing through Stinkoman 20x6 well over a decade ago. So when they finally announced the final level mere days before flash died forever, it was a big of closure I never thought I would get.

A Hat in Time

This game was a surreal delight. More like this, please!

Hollow Knight

On the other end of the spectrum, good lord was exploring the world of Hollownest a joy. Can’t wait for Silksong!

Honorable mention: Orri and the Blind Forest

PRO WRESTLING

Tetsuya Naito achieves his Destino

I’ve already got into detail why this moment was so special, so I won’t repeat myself here. But man, was it incredible.

Kota Ibushi, back-to-back G1 winner!

If it were anyone else, I would be annoyed. But it’s Kota.

I started watching Lucha Underground!

This show is years old, but I only started watching it this year, and I’m glad that I did, because it is so much fun. It’s basically Mortal Kombat as a wrestling show!

Honorable mentions: the Firefly Funhouse match, Roman Reigns turning heel, Kenny Omega and Jon Moxley’s AEW championship wins

LITERATURE

Two Dresden Books

The Dresden Files is my favorite book series, and after waiting so long for it to return, getting two books in the same year was a real treat

Dance in the Vampire Bund

This is probably my guiltiest of guilty pleasures, because unlike other guilty pleasures like To Love-Ru or the Hollywood Undead in which their unashamed schlockiness is part of the charm DitVB is largely a fantastic vampire story with a richly drawn world, great characters, a compelling plot, and some truly great action. It just has that one really gross aspect that overshadows everything else, and unfortunately is promoted as its main selling point. That being said, I was happy to see it return.

PERSONAL WRITING

Returning to fanfiction

Ah, IM and RD, how I’ve missed thee. Sure, my heyday may be over, but it’s still wonderful to return to old stories

Finishing both Walpurgis Nights and Restless

These two were both passion projects that have been taking up space in my head for years, so finishing both was a dream come true, no pun intended

Getting Blood Island going

I have no idea how my future in original fiction will go, but I hope it’s good.

MUSIC

DemonDice

Yes, we all know who she is now, but finding Calliope’s older stuff kind of makes me mad about how unappreciated she was. 

Mystery Skulls - Ultra Rare vol. 2

I remember asking Mystery Skulls right after vol 1 dropped if a vol 2 was in the worlds, and he said definitely. It took a while, but it’s finally here.

Skyhill returns

God, Howling at the Moon came when I needed it the most.

K/DA All Out

I found out that this was coming out literally days before it dropped, and it ROCKED!

Ken Ashcorp

Why yes, I would like more incredibly catchy, shamelessly horny songs about nerdy stuff that I like, thank you very much.

Honorable Mentions: Hybrid Theory deluxe edition, In This Moment, Gorillaz Song Machine

Misc.

hololive

This is the era of the Vtuber. I still don’t fully understand why these cute but psycho anime girls bring me so much joy, but I’m glad that they do. 

And finally...

Donald Trump gets voted out of office.

Fuck you, you narcissistic, fascist piece of shit. You losing didn’t make up for such an awful year or for the four years in which you ran this country into the ground, but it was a good start!

[everything-laito]

How would you react if someone close to you found out you enjoy Diabolik Lovers and then accused you of glorifying Laito’s actions by drawing fan art of him? I don’t think it is shameful to enjoy fiction with themes of abuse as long as one can differentiate between fiction and reality and right and wrong, but I was just wondering if you think it is worth ending a whole friendship because of this dispute. My friends think I am someone who supports sexual assault through this series and it hurts.

Coming back from the dead to answer this question

Oh goodness, first of all, I’m very sorry anon. I’ve been in that exact situation with a friend when I first got into DL six years ago. They’re not my friend anymore due to some other things that happened in early high school on top of that, but trust me, it’s something that I’m familiar with too.

I was also ashamed of myself as well for some time. But, after when I was first sexually assaulted, I still didn’t mind Dialovers, and in fact, it was a coping mechanism for me (probably the healthiest I could find at that moment too). Although, Laito’s HDB route definitely hit very very hard because it is his darkest route in the series. But you can still watch something and be like “oh god this is a terrible situation” but know it’s still fictional, and since Laito’s HDB route is a well written one, you can appreciate it from an artistic stance. Art and media shouldn’t be limited to drawing the positives. Sure does it glorify nonconsensual situations??? Maybe a little but it does show Yui’s deterioration and trauma. Which is why I don’t think it glorifies it too much in HDB, considering what Yui’s thoughts are can be very real.

(Also not saying all sexual assault survivors will have the same opinion of this anime, I don’t speak for all survivors. But there’s your perspective from one :))

Regardless, the fanservice of DL, at its core, is a ravishment fantasy franchise. Sure people are here for the lore too (I know I am), but they can also be for the fanservice. I am unsure how old you are, anon, but considering this petty argument is occurring between a friend and you, it sounds like some high school/late middle school drama to me. I preface this considering I’m gonna be arguing something from the 18+ scale too. If you’re not 18+ this doesn’t rly apply to you (since no minors should be practicing kink) but there is something called CNC, or “consensual non-consensual.” Also known as “rape roleplay.” It’s a kink that can be used in BDSM, and is enacted by consenting adults. Is it nonconsensual? No way! However, in order to practice this, you need a lot of communication and trust, and it’s something that you shouldn’t start out with of course. Also, see Netflix’ “Sex Explained” and I think the first episode is on sexual fantasies. Many women have ravishment fantasies, but that doesn’t mean they want it ACTUALLY to happen to them!! With those types of fantasies it’s just in a D/s (Dom/sub) power play situation, which again, is performed by two (or more) consenting adults.

When it comes to that argument as well, it’s kind of like saying “if you watch and like slasher horror, you support serial killers” which,,,, is far from truth. Murder and rape are both terrible things. We’re just more used to seeing glorified violence on mainstream media rather than rape in general. There’s a whole slasher fandom! With people who love the lore and people who love the characters! It’s pretty similar to this fandom given the circumstances. But there’s people who have crushes on real life serial killers, and that’s just,,,, that’s a huge issue (abs very gross), and very different. Since one’s fantasy, and one’s in real life with real life actions that have affected legitimate families that exist. Even going from the slasher serial killer, it’s like “if you like Deadpool, do you support his actions?” (Which yes he’s an antihero but he does pretty illegal things) which no!!! It’s fun to explore dark and illegal exposition in a fictional world! It’s an escape! It’s looking at a story and still having empathy and sympathy for the characters.

So no!!! Liking DL is not supporting rape!! That’s legitimately such a stretch, and if you want to get technical with this, it’s a type of fallacy called the “slippery slope” fallacy. I believe it’s a combo of others too, but it’s making a claim and having the conclusion be way out of left field. I believe it falls under poor deductive reasoning (but it may be unsound inductive reasoning, it’s been a while since I’ve had to use those skills oops). For an anime specific example, let’s just say you know someone who has a crush on Yuno Gasai from Future Diary. Many people do. Many people love her character. Yuno’s a very flawed, traumatized character just like the ones in DL. But people love her! But you’re not supporting her incredibly unethical actions and murder by liking them!

Even if you know that this is a fictional universe, if you knowthat the characters are flawed but still like their characters, that doesn’t mean you’d support their actions irl. If they’re an interesting villain like legitimately all the characters (except Yui) in the first game are (the diaboys become both the villain??? And the hero??? It’s blurred in the later games but that’s what I love about DL), but you can appreciate their characters and flaws, that’s not supporting their actions at all. It’s a goddamn fictional universe and if you know not to do that and you know the repercussions of it irl then your friends should know you well enough that you have a good head on your shoulders!!! Shit makes me wicked mad, but it’s nothing to lose a friendship over unless if they’re being very toxic (that ex friend I was talking about earlier was a very toxic person and that’s also part of the reason why I’m not her friend anymore but it wasn’t DL related). Sure you can disagree with liking DL, but you still have to respect them. I’m linking a video from Markiplier made four years ago with a powerful message.

I’m very sorry you’re going through this. It’s completely normal, healthy, and inconsequential to be exploring a dark fictional world but not its contents in real life. Your friends shouldn’t be treating you like that. It’s hypocritical of them in my opinion, assuming that they also watch stuff with violence and illegal/unethical acts in them—I don’t know a single person who doesn’t, considering there’s even kids cartoon violence. Best of luck you you though, I hope I was able to help.

[carriagelamp]

April l was apparently the month for me to revisit some children’s authors who are steeped in controversy at the moment. So here’s my hot (well, lukewarm) takes on issues that absolutely do not need a single other person talking about them. Also some actual good books that I read this month!

Badger in the Basement

The Animal Ark books are a childhood classic — though I recently found out that apparently there’s a difference between American and British publications, and the American versions didn’t include a lot of actual COOL animals which is… bizarre. As a Canadian stuck in the middle of this, this nonsense drives me nuts. This one was about the main character, the daughter of pair of vets, trying to protect a local badger sett from men wanting to participate in badger digging and baiting. These books are always feel-good, and it was a nice single-day-read while I waited for a library book to come in.

Chi’s Sweet Home

The cutest manga series about the misadventures of a little kitten, Chi, who has been adopted by a loving family. I’ve never bothered to read them in order, but apparently this time I stumbled across the last in the series -- whoops! Still, stood on it’s own pretty easily, and it was a fun read! Things get tense when the family realize that they may have found Chi’s original home… and may have to give up Chi forever.

Earth Before Us: Dinosaur Empire!

This was an odd graphic novel, I feel like I’m not sure who the target audience was exactly. It was a nonfiction comic done in a Magic School Bus style, with the purpose of teaching current, up-to-date facts about the animals that lived in the Mesozoic Era. If you’re into dinosaurs, you’ll probably enjoy this! The art is absolutely adorable, I love the dinosaur illustrations, and I learnt some really neat facts. That being said, the pages are really dense, and there’s a lot of info crammed in… some of it will probably go way over a child’s head without specific additional teaching or a very strong personal interest. But that being said, a dinosaur obsessed kid is still probably going to really dig this… as would a dinosaur obsessed adult. It wasn’t my cup of tea exactly but I’m sure it is someone’s.

assorted Dr Seuss Books

I love these types of controversies because it means getting to listen to every moron who has never had an opinion on Dr Seuss ever start generating a mile of them out of the aether. So many people are so mad about the six books that are getting retired and I bet most of them haven’t even read them. These are not the friggin Cat In The Hat or The Lorax or even the likes of Yertle The Turtle. I was raised by a grade one teacher, was a voracious reader who loved Dr Seuss, and wrote my university thesis on children’s literature, and I still only knew two of the six books on that list. So by all means, if you want to write an essay explaining why those specific books are worth clinging to, feel free, but if you haven’t even heard of them maybe it’s not a big deal. *grumble*

Anyway, my grousing aside, it gave me the urge to reread a bunch of Seuss books, including the two retiring books I personally knew: McElligot’s Pool and To Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street. I do still enjoy both, especially McElligot’s Pool which always sparked my imagination, but it’s obvious why they’re being retired and I personally think it’s the right choice. There’s so much good kidlit out there, we can survive without these.

Goodbye, My Rose Garden

A f/f romance manga, fairly standard fair though cute if you’re looking for some historical angst, pretty dresses, and mutual pining. A young Japanese woman moves to England in the hopes of meeting a writer (Mr Frank) who she has long admired. Along the way she is employed by an enigmatic woman with plenty of money, rumours, and melancholy following her. I’ll be honest, uncut romance isn’t really my genre, but I’ll probably still try to the second book to see if the story picks up.

From The Holocaust to Hogan’s Heroes: The Autobiography of Robert Clary

It’s no secret that I’ve been on a Hogan’s Heroes kick. This is the autobiography of Roberty Clary, who plays my favourite character in the show, Louis Lebeau. And holy shit what a life this man has had. He was a Jew growing up in France before the start of the war, and who was one of many children taken away from his family and sent off to the concentration camps in Germany. This was an amazing, intense, inspiring, and heartbreaking read… it has Clary’s voice all over it, and it tells everything from the charming childhood he had, to the horrors of the concentration camps, the brutality of survival, and then about his exciting journey into the entertainment industry afterwards. It’s an experience, would recommend if you’re a fan of the show.

The Ickabog

The second controversial author I read this month. Originally I was going to give Rowling’s new book a miss, given everything that’s been going on over the past few years, but in the end my curiosity got the better of me. Politics aside, it was a fun read! Not groundbreaking, but enjoyable enough and written in an interesting style. It didn’t read the same as a lot of modern kidlit, it felt more like a cross between a classic fairytale and a Dahl book. Perhaps a bit like Despereaux. It tells the tale of how an idyllic country gradually falls into ruin through the ignorance, inaction, and greed, and how a supposedly fictional monster hides the very real, human monsters at the heart of the country. It was cute and pleasant and I’m glad I decided to get it from the library, though for anyone who is choosing not to engage for political reasons: you aren’t missing anything major.

Franklin In The Dark

A Canadian classic. I don’t think there’s a single person my age who hasn’t read or been read a pile of these books, and the nostalgia is so comforting. I found this on Youtube and listened to someone read it to me, and honestly 10/10 would recommend for a calm evening.

The big reason I decided to seek this one out though, was because I finally got to the M*A*S*H episode that inspired this entire series! In the episode C*A*V*E, in which Hawkeye is freaking out over his claustrophia while the camp is forced to take shelter in a nearby cave during some intense shelling, he mentions that if he had been born a turtle he would have been afraid of his own shell, and that the other turtles would make fun of him cause he’d be forced to walk around in his underwear. And so this first story about a young turtle who’s afraid to sleep in his own shell and drags it around behind him. So if you were ever curious, Franklin the Turtle is in fact named after Dr Benjamin Franklin Pierce. (this is also why the French version is named Benjamin!)

Wolves of the Beyond: Lone Wolf

I loved the Guardians of Ga’Hoole books as a kid but I never read the Wolves of the Beyond series. This first book was an interesting read, Lasky does a great job creating worlds and societies for the animals that inhabit them. Lone Wolf is about a deformed wolf cub who was abandoned in the wilderness to die. And he would have, if a desperate mother bear, who had recently had her only cub killed, hadn’t stumbled across him and saved him, vowing to raise him as her own...

Petals

A “silent” graphic novel. It has beautiful artwork and is told entirely through pictures, no text at all. It’s loves and heart-wrenching, though it left me feeling somewhat unsatisfied… I felt like there should have been more. Still, a neat story.

The Southern Book Club‘s Guide To Slaying Vampires

What a banger of a novel!! I can’t recommend this one enough. It’s about a group of suburban mothers in the ‘80s who form a book club out of a shared need for community and a love of grisly true crime novels. But when a strange drifter appears in town and starts setting down roots… and when children begin disappearing… these women need to band together to confront the horrors that have invaded their neighbourhood, and face down not only a terrifying monster among them but the patriarchal system that allows it to flourish. To quote the preface:

“Because vampires are the original serial killers, stripped of everything that makes us human — they have no friends, no family, no roots, no children. All they have is hunger. They eat and eat but they’re never full. With this book, I wanted to pit a man freed from all responsibilities but his appetites against women whose lives are shaped by their endless responsibilities. I wanted to pit Dracula against my mom.    As you’ll see, it’s not a fair fight.“

The Weirn Books: Be Wary of the Silent Woods

I love Chmakova’s graphic novels, though I’ve only ever read her slice-of-life middle grade series before. This one is pure fantasy and very fun. It’s about two cousin “weirns” — witches with demon familiars — who attend the local night school. Things get strange though when an ominous figure appears outside the old, abandoned school house deep in the Silent Woods, and begins tempting children down its path…

I’m very much looking forward to word of a second book and was honestly kind of surprised that I haven’t heard more about this book given how popular her other series is. This has all the same charm and quirks but for those of us who prefer stories based in fantasy rather than reality.

And A Bonus...

For some masochistic reason I got a Garfield book out of the library. Jeez, if I didn’t love these as a kid, I found them absolutely laugh out loud hilarious, and now I just don’t see it anymore. But here I will share the one strip in the book that actually made me laugh