#so I'll just post two versions of these posts

[ao3commentoftheday]

I know tag wranglers do a lot of work connecting tags etc. Is there anything authors can do to make their jobs easier for them like trying to mostly use canonical tags or not making tag comments?

Thanks!

This is a great question, and I'll do my best to answer it but I do hope that some wranglers add on in the notes! I'm also just going to preface this with the fact that you should still tag however you like to tag. This list isn't meant to be a checklist or anything. It's just info I've picked up over the years and you can take or leave each piece as you see fit.

Okay, so the first thing that most non-wranglers should know is that wranglers see tags separately from the fic. They get a big bin full of tags to sort through and match up in the system, but they'll only see your fic and the other tags you've added to it if they decide to go look.

That's important to know because sometimes a user will tag something like [character] is so sexy and then also tag by which I mean they're a huge dork. The wranlger won't see that second tag and won't know that they're connected so your sarcastic tag will end up synned (matched up to) sexy!Character or whatever the canonical is, as if that was the meaning you were going for.

Another good thing to know is that tags can only be synned if they only have 1 idea in them. So if you tag, say, [character] is gay and autistic then the wrangler can't actually syn that to either [character] is gay or character is autistic because it only half-fits either tag. To have them synned in the database, you would need to tag those two ideas separately.

You might have already seen the post I made referencing the fact that you don't have to tag multiple versions of the same idea (unless you want to for the aesthetic) because the synning that wranglers do makes sure that tagging one idea allows users to filter for all versions of that idea. But in case you didn't know that, now you do!

Wranglers are often members of the fandoms they wrangle, but they aren't always. Sometimes they'll take on a fandom that doesn't otherwise have a wrangler because they like to do research or because they like small fandoms or for many other reasons. But that means that if you're tagging your OCs by name, you should add (OC) to the end so that they know it's not a canon character that they aren't familiar with. This is double true in huge fandoms like Star Wars where there are millions of canon characters and just as many OCs.

Wranglers don't "seed" tags in fandoms. For a tag to exist, users need to create it. The rule of thumb is at least 3 fics from 3 separate authors, but that's very much the minimum and in fast-moving or huge fandoms the bar is probably higher. Also, for brand new fandoms, it's entirely possible that they won't know you exist until you tell them. Back in January I was the first person to write in a brand new fandom so I knew I had to start the tags, and I waited until there were 25 or so works by 15 or so creators before I emailed Support because I know I have to be patient - but I'm still impatient by nature lol.

Another thing to know is that tags are kind of like proton packs - they can't cross the streams. If you put a tag in the Character field by mistake, wranglers can't move it to the Additionals. This can also work in your favour, though, because if you have a minor character or minor relationship that you want to tag because there's some kind of fandom drama happening and people want to be able to avoid them, you can tag them in the Additional Tags so that people can know they're in there, but the people who like that character or ship can still filter the Character and Relationship tags without seeing a bunch of works that don't really focus on them.

This got super long, so I'll end with your question about tag comments. I know people worry that it makes extra work for tag wranglers if you get all chatty in your fic tags but I've been reassured by more than one wrangler over the course of several years now that it's no extra work. They just shovel those tags into the gaping maw of the Unfilterable Beast - which is the same thing they do with those tags that have multiple concepts in them. If it can't be synned, then that's where they go.

(keep tagging that way, though, if you like to because that's how new concepts get created and eventually canonized)

Alright, I that's all I can think of off the top of my head, and the list was actually longer than I thought! Wranglers: please do add on with other things you wish users knew, and please correct me if anything has changed since the last time I delved into this topic!

[yourstrulynobody]

[Draft] Dark Moon from this post :3

TW: EYESTRAIN(?)

Oh and Nexus is here too :D

(Had no idea on what Dark Moon would call Moon, so I just made up the SAMS dimension's name and out 'inferior' next to it </3 great for hc i guess?)

I have always had this thought since I created Dark Moon—on what if he just became a problem (for the fam)? Hes basically just "Oh Dark Sun claimed this dimension huh... Like I fucking care >:)"

(Small rambles + hcs under cut)

Like President Earth, Dark Moon's design has been fixed for a while now, so have another crappy ss of a video I have (WHY IS IT SO LOW QUALITY)

(I aint gonna keep calling Dark Sun "Dark Sun" so I'll be using 'Solstice" :3—same goes to Dark Moon who I will refer to as "Umbra"!)

What I mean by "claimed this dimension" earlier is (personal hc):

Solstice and Umbra would "claim" random dimensions as theirs just to be petty competitive with each other. If Solstice claims a dimension, that means the Sun of that dimension is under his care and a possible candidate to join the paradise; if Umbra claims a dimension, he can do whatever the hell he wants with it and he oftens gives the Moons higher power. (Umbra has the Newton Star and has learned how to use it outside his given dimension for plot reasons :3)

This, of course, leads to arguments and major conflict between the two, and that feud leads up to this (context of art piece):

Umbra goes to the SAMS dimension (prior Nexus being trapped in another dimension) and just straight up kills Nexus the next time he comes bothering the family. BUT rather than being this 'savior', Umbra goes: "Im your problem now. Anyway lol Moondrop wanna join my emo squad"—Moon obviously doesnt join which would irritate Umbra greatly and boom problems ensues.

(i am creating this draft at like 1:00 AM. So uhh dont mind how crappy this is :'D!!!)

Anywho, thats about the end of my rambles :)

I hope I can make art of the other villian versions of the fam (Lord Lunar, Lord Eclipse, and Solstice + Star Solar, aka my evil Solar >:D) just for angst purposes

[mac-ann-cheese]

Rusameamerusharumachispacegays-- okay, I'll stop ( ˙꒳​˙ )

Cold War era-centered sketches with some headcanons below the cut. The post with many words. You don't have to read all of my yapping, I just had those hcs written down in my notes for like fuckknows how long (-_-;)

I think there are already plenty of beautifully written interpretations; however, I still want to give my own opinion on that. Additionally, it is important to note that everything below is silly and whimsical; please do not take it all too seriously (⁠◕⁠દ⁠◕⁠)

After WWII, both went absolutely batshit crazy, however in diff.. styles, I guess, so yeah yum yum. The war literally affected and changed the way they viewed peace as a state of life.

They both believed too deeply in their vision of an ideal world. Therefore, cutting the globe in half (almost, I should say - a buffer zone in the form of the Non-Aligned Movement squeezed in between), the regions, the countries, and turning everything into a "better" version was the only solution to regulate their loud and clunky clash of ideologies.

One more side note: I need to say that I tolerate the interpretation that both of these blorbos could not actually control the escalation of, basically, everything, and it was the government, yadayadayada. However, it takes away the drama...... The spiceeee..... the friends to lovers to enemies to lovers to enemies to ..... I mean, whatever tickles your pickle, I don't shit on others hcs. I am just clearing this up, and I need to provide an explanation for everything, as I am neurodivergent and do not want to be misunderstood.

Now, back to the scheduled programming!

Before the CMC in 1962, Al and Ivan didn't fully recognize the consequences of their actions. The world was their playground, the balance of power — the swingset for only going up. The rest were left to sit on a powder keg and wait for it to explode. After the crisis (or more so, the reality check), some rudiments of awareness began to grow. It was the first time of being in centimeters (inches, if you prefer) close from falling into the pit of doom. Everything they do has so much influence that it will not pass without a trace, and it is necessary to somehow solve this and negotiate: set the boundaries of what is permitted, bargain on terms, and still try to somehow take the invisible first place in influence over the world.

Regarding the questionable rationale behind creating nuclear weapons:

If Alfred had the bomb, nobody would even dare to start any new war. He would become the new guarantor of peace, but it turned against him. Security based on something so destructive as nuclear weaponry becomes senseless, it only makes others worry to find their way on creating or obtaining the made-up security. A difficult dilemma, a no-win scenario, only leads to a weakening of the existing peace. You can never create security based on someone else's insecurity.

Aaaand this is what actually happened.

Welp (¯ . ¯;)

Alfred (until I guess the 1963s? Until the regulation of nuclear weapon processes and disarmament, that's for sure. The creation of the IAEA put him at ease, but only for a short period of time after) began to experience severe paranoia. I think that nations don't feel the passage of time like humans do; they get used to not noticing how the years flow by. However, at that time, every minute of thinking and guessing Alfred fully experienced.

A short and quick excursion into political science 101 to understand the context! Power, in a fairly broad sense, is a way of influencing people (its scope of concepts may include manipulation, influence, persuasion, force, etc.). Basically, there are two types of power: over and to. But why do we need power? For decision-making. The future is always uncertain and full of risks, and its forecasting is based on past experiences and is still not ideal. Therefore, people relieve themselves of responsibility for the future and transfer it to those who will make decisions for them. for those who have the power. Perhaps a fair question will arise about pluralism and democracy (polyarchy), but in these cases, power is present among several collective groups, and their decisions affect different areas of problems, where conflicts of interest may arise.

Decision making = responsibility = power = some control over the future.

Ahem.

So, Alfred doesn't know what to expect, he can't prevent something from happening. The only thing he could do was to react, and that drove him up the wall. He is powerless and is grasping at straws. Espionage was the optimal solution and the best way to anticipate the actions of the opposing side. He would call Ivan at night (for his time zone) to check, he didn't even need him to say something. Hearing Ivan breathe through the phone meant that he was not planning something against him as he found time to answer at an awful late hour. However, neither of them wanted to end everything with the threats they made to each other. It would have been pointless because no one would have had to prove anything. They were racing each other to prove who was cooler in the simplest sense. Simply dropping a nuke meant too many unforeseen risks for them to cover the losses. So Alfred and Ivan raised the stakes until they could calculate that the losses on both sides would be the same or terrific for both of them, and thus no one would "win", in other words, they preferred the potential threat of mutually assured destruction than the actual action (for further details on this topic I highly recommend checking out Thomas Schelling's "The strategy of conflict").

However, they have physically dispatched each other millions of times in the most sophisticated ways, cause woah magical personification's regeneration.

Ok, folks, the next bit is freaky, achtung!!!!

As Amy Allen notes on Foucault's conception of power, it operates in and through the practice of confession both to subject individuals to the injunction to tell the truth about their sexuality and to enable them to take up the position of sexual subject (Amy Allen, The Power of Feminist Theory: Domination, Resistance, Solidarity, 1999, p. 36). The point is that without possessing power on a planetary scale, they wanted to have power over each other in the most human (or even animalistic) form. To fuck, or not to be fucked, that is the question.... The feeling of having influence over someone else's body could have restored inner self-confidence (which was not there at that time). Ehh, I actually recommend for those who are interested in that just read Michel Foucault's work, for example, the history of sexuality. But they never got to the point of actual action, so to speak; everything slid into violence.

I don't think there was a dramatic breakup. It was unnecessary at that time. They have lost connection with each other in the whirlpool of events. No "ex" stage, their relationship froze in time, waiting for the spring (omg, she did the thing).

When there is no love, the search for power and control fills the vacuum.

This is precisely where the problem lies: they both blame each other for giving up on their relationship. Too stubborn to work it out.

Honestly, yes, they would reminisce about the time spent together on very quiet and lonely evenings. Perhaps with a hint of nostalgia. Only for them uncontrollably hate themselves for feeling weak.

And suddenly, the world's most annoying superpowers sort of calmed down in the 80s. The historical context and reasoning can be found in textbooks. But perhaps Alfred's mania phase went into remission, and perhaps Ivan felt that everything was going to end (for him). Perhaps both saw the change or at least let the thought that they might change, if not for the better, just change somehow.

[fabuloustrash05]

Hi! I've been wanting to publish a tmnt rewrite post for a long time about what if April's "Half Kraang" arc had lasted a little longer and how will she walk the path after "The Kraang Conspiracy" episode. You, as a writer, I'd like to hear your version of how she would deal with such news rather than accept too quickly that she has been lied to throughout her life.

I'll definitely credit you as an author if I take some of your thoughts in my future post.

Thank you in advance if you read it ^^

Ooo! Yeah, I've been thinking about this too actually. In the 2012 series April seems to accept the fact she's a mutant way too quickly. I wanted to see her come to terms with it, explore how she and others (her dad specifically) feel about it and when did she fully embrace it.

April seems genuinely shocked, scared, like her whole life has been a lie, when first learning she's a mutant and rightfully so, but then the episode ends. After that reveal, she just moves on with her life, not really talking about it and showing concern about her new found identity.

The very next episode is the Fungus Humgus episode so I think it would've been a good start to explore her identity crisis. Maybe instead of the fear she's seeing being her dad as a bat trying to eat her (which can still be included) its her seeing herself transform into a Kraang like monster. Indirectly showing the audience that she's scare and confused, unsure of what exactly she is: "Am I human or a Kraang?! Why and how did this happen to me?! What am I??!!!"

I feel it would also be a good moment for her to talk with Splinter, since he's the only human turned mutant she knows (that this point) who can enlighten her on what it was like, feeling his body change and move into something else entirely, and how he came to accept his new life as a mutant. I think Splinter would admit to April he hasn't fully adjust to his new rat body and there are times he hates what he sees when looking into a mirror, but it's his sons are the ones who keep him going and appreciate the life he has now. It would also be a good bonding moment for her and Splinter, which we needed more of.

I remember one time I made a Tiktok a LONG time ago that basically went like;

Casey: You didn't say your friends are mutants! April: What's wrong with that? Casey: Mutants are dangerous! April, shocked and hurt: I'm a mutant...

So April would have moments like that where she's conflicted with mutant subjects. She's not human enough to be considered "normal" but she doesn't look mutant enough to be with them. She'd torn between two worlds and neither will accept her (cause it's established in later season that some mutants HATE humans: Punks Frogs, Alopex, etc.)

I feel there was also a missed opportunity for April to discuss this with her dad. Kirby must have SOME KNOWLEDGE about April's Kraang origin because he was LITERALLY THERE WHEN THE KRAANG TRIED TO CAPTURE HIS DAUGHTER BUT GOT HIS WIFE INSTEAD!!! (i'll get to more of that later)

The April's mom episode will also really take a toll on her, seeing that Kraang creature and fearing that is what she truly is on the inside. She has seen what she is capable of by this point and I think it would've been interesting to maybe have an episode during the farmhouse arc where April goes away for a bit, scared she'll hurt her friends until Raph is the one who finds her. He'd open up to her and tell her that while he won't understand what she'd going through, he knows he fear she has of hurting loved ones. This would also give a good April and Raph bonding moment of his sharing with her his fear of letting his anger getting the better of him that he harm hurt his brothers. Raph's words will give April the courage to go back the farmhouse.

I've always stood by the concept of April getting more Kraang features the more be begins to embrace and understand her powers. For me, it would start with April having green eyes instead of blue for the entire show (her mom has green eyes and so do the Kraang, subtly foreshadowing, you know?). Then after the season 3 finale, that's when things get crazy.

This moment is when April's Kraang side will really show. After April's freak out of Splinter's death, 6 long skinny pink tentacles will sprout from the back of her neck, pink antennas pop from the top of her head, she eyes glow full green. This is April's new look for the rest of the series. She can easily retracked them but whenever she's feeling intense emotion or even during combat, they sprout out and assist her. I can even imagine her using the tentacles to help her hold things lol.

Once April is in space, that is when she truly comes to love and embrace her Kraang mutant side. Being in space was like a self discovery journey. I feel her befriending and training with Fugitoid would help her embrace that side of her. Fugitoid would train her to properly control her powers, making her comfortable with her Kraang features being out (note: beginning of space arc she'd hide them in shame for looking like the enemy, Mikey thinks they're cool and wants to test them, but the Turtles tell him to give her space and let her adjust). The Utrom Council could also play a role in April learning more about her Kraang side, or even her mother's origin. By the end of the Space arc April would fully embrace her Kraang features and show them off with pride. This will lead to conflict with her father later in season 4.

Side note: I'd also like to add the concept of April befriending Mona Lisa and her being the one to give her ideas of how to fight with her Kraang tentacles, since Mona fights with her tail. Just a cute idea lol

April would finally confront her father about their family connection with the Kraang after returning from space, and it's reveal Kirby has always known she was a mutant Kraang, and her mother had ties with them. He just never wanted to tell her and hoped the Kraang would never find them. He never wanted that side of his daughter to come out, after all he's been through with losing his wife, he feard this Kraang side of his daughter would make him lose her too.

Spoilers for Kpop Demon Hunters, but it will be like the scene when Rumi confronted Celine for making her cover up her demon patterns;

April: Why can't you love me?! Kirby: I do! April, Kraang side coming out, full of rage: ALL OF ME!!

This drama would also tie into The Power Inside Her episode (which btw would've been a good season finale after all that build up). I don't know fully how it would play out, but her dad will play a big part in the whole Za-Naron situation. It will end with Kirby finally realizing he's fear is pushing his daughter away and he accepts her for who she is fully and is supportive from there on out.

But those are just a couple of ideas I have for this concept! I hope you like them and I cna't wait to see what you'll do with them! Feel free to add your own creative ideas too :D

[itsquakey]

Hey everyone! I'll be doing Artfight for the third time! Obviously picked team crystal I mean come on...pick crystals..Galacta knight (with how obsessed I am with him rn). I also did two versions, one for my kirby ocs/blog and one for my more original characters and sonas.

Just to add some detail about attacks and who I will attack there is some priorities-

Highest priorities- College pals, Tumblr mutuals/friends

Middle priorities- Anyone who is not in highest priorities that attacks me, I'll try and do as many revenges I can

Lowest priorites- Anyone not in middle or highest priorities, random people whose characters I like and wouldn't mind attacking if I have time.

I'll also do something different here and post each attack by itself unless they're related so it's just easier to tag folks and whatnot.

[seafoam-taide]

I want so badly to be writing fic about The Whole Situation but its evading me so bad so you all will continue to get dumbass inaccurate comics

And this 💕 the best part about all of this is I get to finally do my favorite thing (shattering a character's incredibly flawed perspective in one fell swoop and forcing them to get back up again) to soooul yaaay. Have 1 million heart attacks boy

Extra rambling about my thoughts below

In the process of drawing this had more thoughts on how exactly The Situation goes and works. And i want to talk about it

Okay so obviously this is the part where my shit goes from 'really weird version of the album story' to 'none of this shit happened remotely'. I know I posted a comic that directly contradicts what I'm about to say but that was a for fun what if. Bc I need to draw soul suffering at least once a day. But anyway so. Shit. Fuck. Just realized I also need to actually Explain what the hell is up with the fake whole first

So like I said in previous words post soul is lying always to himself and. Haha. Well. His selves. Which means he's either struggling to be a person in real life or he's playing a role inside his own head 24/7. He has No one to talk to and Never feels safe to let his guard down. So whenever he isn't chasing down the other two or trying to people he's just holed up somewhere dissociating and spiralling so bad. And at one point he starts venting aloud to himself to at least pretend anyone was listening. But then he got embarrassed about talking out loud to no one so he was like ! Idea. I'll just pretend like I'm talking to myself but when I'm normal. Bc me when I'm normal would tell me to stop freaking out over every little thing 💕 I'm so smart.

And that's just. A thing he starts doing and never stops doing. And he's pretty much like "might as well atp" about it bc he already views h&m as the same thing. Only fair to make up a him that will be nice to him. (And then he uses that to beat himself up further at his lowest point in the cycle but shhh)

Anyway 👍 one cycle for whatever reason- bc and I won't get into this but the cycles also progress like. They Do remember them somewhat. Things change progressively. Sometimes worse sometimes better. So one cycle his lowest point is Very low- he still can't genuinely bring himself to. Actually dying. But during one of his vents he spirals about wanting to never have to deal with any of this again and to just exist without having to be him. And he's like "oh. Soul's the one that has to do all of this. I just have to not be soul. I just have to make soul like i made the others" <- he loves depersonalization its like a sport to him. So he attempts to do this. It does not work bc unfortunately he IS soul and soul is already real.

And he's immediately like oh my god why did I do that I'm not allowed to do that you're so fucking stupid but also sad bc he's still himself (and also scared bc of the Implications) and then he looks over and uhhhhhhhhh uh oh. That's a guy. Like a real guy. What. What? What???

And then from there it's a huge ordeal but eventually it results in them all actually communicating and existing as a normal fucking system instead of violently repressing it every other week and erasing nearly all progress they make.

Also also to add. Thought about it. Regular concord in the cycle they shouldn't really be like. Fully unmasked flourishing. So heart & mind are still just Afflicted instead of fully embracing themselves. Soul barely fucking changes at all. The awesome fun creature designs they can only get during The Whole Situation 💔 sad.

Okay 💕yay 💕 I'm done for now. I recognize it's late as hell rn you better believe I'm reblogging this in the morning

[eye-of-mordor]

ADAR THE LORD-FATHER

[tagarilaghost]

I SWEAR CELEBI'S THINGY IS COMING SOON BUT I REALLY WANTED TO POST THIS ALRIGHT

yeaah... future trio got me too...

and Darkrai is there too, because of course he is.

hey look i drew a cute Drifloon :D

...ignore the rest

whatever started at Darkrai doodles ended in brainrot of future trio + darkrai and I'm blaming @scribz-ag24 for this

[johnnyshrine]

★ 127 // “Chao”

[ghostly-cabbage]

We need to talk about the worst thing about making AUs....

The fact that then when you inevitably think about crossovers you don't want the crossover with the canon you want it with your specific AU. Your brain worms, your circus, but THEN WHAT?

Oh, yeah, to understand this crossover you need to go read this entirely different fic/series? Girl help 😭 you can't do that

[necrotic-nephilim]

Nightwing: Brothers In Blood is such a fucking hilarious comic for DickJay content, given the bulk of the plot is Jason deciding to dress up as Nightwing and kill people which, Dick predictably is not fond of, as a concept.

There's so much in that arc that makes me unwell. Dick straight up saying he wishes Jason had died. The way they instantly banter when they run into each other before Dick gets mad at Jason for dressing up as Nightwing, then Jason begs Dick to work with him.

But what I think gets me the most is the outright confirmation of how even now, Jason still has a serious case of hero worship for Dick and just wants to be like him and get his approval.

nightwing (1996) #120

There's such a complex Jason has over Dick and it makes me Unwell. Jason identifying with Dick, wanting his attention, his approval. His love, even. I mean, later on when Jason gets kidnapped, in his mind he hallucinates Dick talking to him and it outright confirms he wants Dick to save him and Jason has a doomsday spiral about Dick not saving him, through his mental image of Dick.

nightwing (1996) #121

Jason wants Dick in his life, there's so much unrequited love and weirdness between them. They're so not normal about each other. Later on he sends Dick a note saying he just wishes they could be family again and I think it's so unhinged of Jason. Dressing up as Dick, just because of how much he loves and respects Dick. So much potential in that.

Also aside from all of that complex this comic is also hilarious for the bit it has where Dick accidentally takes a job as a model and has to dress up as Nightwing, specifically Jason!Nightwing because of the sex appeal Cheyenne (the woman Dick is seeing) thinks it has. And when he's on the runway and sees Jason in the audience he just jumps at Jason, in front of everyone, to beat the shit out of him, while dressed as Nightwing. Which the public thinks is a planned stunt to bank on the weird Sexy Rivalry between the two Nightwings currently running around. It's the most unhinged thing and I think it's so funny. Dick's sort-of-girlfriend makes him dress up as Nightwing!Jason because she thinks it's hot and it'll sell, then Dick beats Jason up in front of everyone, still dressed as Nightwing (specifically Jason), and it reads as a sexy performance modeling piece.

nightwing (1996) #120

Imagine being so weirdly homoerotic about your sort of kind of brother figure that you can't hesitate fighting him when you're supposed to be modeling and everyone thinks the tension is so good it's a part of the show. These two cannot leave each other alone with their weird tangled feelings for each other. I love it dearly.

[specialized-rexan]

MUST POST

MUST SHARE

MY BROTHER GOT ME THE BIRTHDAY CAKE I'D HOPED FOR AND EVEN WENT FURTHER THAN MY IMAGINATION:

HE USED DUCKY CANDLES

("LUCIFER WITH DUCK" IMAGE FROM THIS POST)

[dollypopup]

I think it's interesting to look at the 'Mr. Bridgerton' scene as a backdrop for the eventual mirror scene. Firstly, in the fact that I think we've kind of misinterpreted it.

So many people are of the mind that scene's purpose to 'drag' Colin, but really, that scene has 3 primary functions. The first is to inform Colin that Penelope is aware of what he said of her, thus opening the door to clearing the air between them and providing an avenue for which Colin can apologize. The second is to establish the ground that they are currently on: Penelope has given up on the dream of Colin Bridgerton, in particular the perfect prince that can do no wrong, and has made it clear to him. It also creates distance between them that they will bridge.

But the third, and to me the most wrapped up in the mirror and the inner workings of their relationship is that it reveals how Penelope feels about *herself*. It's not necessarily an echo of what the ton considers her as, after all, we have a lot of evidence indicating that, for all intents and purpose, people aren't *unkind* about her, but rather that they ignore her. Audience members recognize this as Penelope's own shyness being the cause, she is often sitting off on the sidelines or not really talking to much of anyone, in the books she's referred to as the 'one who doesn't speak', and her LW business takes her away from being a character in the action of the ton to a bystander, kind of a self-fulfilling prophecy of sorts that perpetuates itself. Pen felt unseen so she became LW to have some power, but then LW herself must remain unseen and Penelope continues to be by design of her own making.

No, I think what it really reveals is that Penelope has incredibly low personal self esteem. We as a fandom has lauded that scene as her dragging Colin, saying that he's cruel and calling him Mr. Bridgerton is absolutely meant to create distance between them, but I don't think she's dragging him.

Because the person she is *actually* dragging here. . .is herself. And it is a general theme in her life. In Whistledown. Aloud. Even with Marina, when she complimented her, she assumes that she's lying. When Edwina says she's wearing a pretty dress, Penelope puts herself down and doesn't believe her, even when the compliment is genuine. In truth, Portia is not seen as being particularly unkind to Penelope. At least, speaking as someone who's mum was *awful* about my size and weight and outfits, Portia is. . .overall rather mild. She's not KIND and loving, not by a long shot, but she's also not targeting Penelope only. She's plenty mean and critical to Prudence, too, even to the point where she foists her off to her own cousin as a pawn piece. Penelope has low self esteem because of a lot of reasons, she's bullied by Cressida (I think a lot of girls are, she was pretty mean even to Daphne in S1) and her family isn't very tender to her, and she's not being pursued at every turn, but part of it is also her own perpetuation.

Listen to what she says "Of course you would never court me" "I embarrass you" "I am the laughingstock of the the ton". She sees *herself* as an embarrassment. She puts *herself* down. Arguably, more so than the ton does. She's meaner to herself than anyone else is, aside from Cressida. And honestly? Looking at Colin's face there. . .he is HURT that she considers herself this way. That she's projecting that onto him. Yes, he's hurt that he hurt her, of course he is, he never wants to hurt her. And yes, he's ashamed that he said he wouldn't court her the way he did and that in doing so, he validated her fears that she is unloved and unwanted, but also because. . .she already feels that way about herself. She's felt that way for years. And it's painful to care about someone, to see them as wonderful, and realize. . .they don't feel the same about themselves at all. I don't think Colin is out here feeling so wounded over the fact that she called him cruel and won't refer to him by first name anymore, but that he's most hurt by what she says about herself.

Because he *doesn't* see her the way she accuses. She says she never expected him of all people to be so cruel, but he feels the same way. He never expected her to be so cruel to *herself*. He wants to go somewhere private, not because she is an embarrassment, but because he wants to have a private conversation with her. Maybe assure her. Maybe explain himself. Maybe hash it out. But god Luke Newton's acting. . .he is *aching* for her. And it feels like he's going to do those lessons not in atonement for what he said (thank god) but to genuinely help his friend who thinks badly of herself. To lift her up. It's not about him at all, not about earning forgiveness, but about elevating Penelope. And that's. . .fuck, I just find that's just so heart stoppingly beautiful.

You can see, in that scene, how much he cares about her. How deeply and genuinely he adores her as a person. And just how painful it is for him to know he has validated, whether on purpose or otherwise, how poorly she feels about herself. How low her self-confidence really is. She is giving him a glimpse into the cracks of her heart, and when he sees them, he wants to reach out with both hands and make it feel better. Make her feel better.

After she says 'even when I change my entire wardrobe', he looks so fucking crushed. So 'don't say that'. So 'you really believe that?'. So 'God, I hate that you think that way'.

Because regardless of it all, he does love her. It's not romantic yet. It's not sexual yet. But he genuinely, truly, from the bottom of his heart, thinks she's wonderful. That was evident even in the 'purpose' scene. Every time Penelope opens up and reveals a facet of herself, he likes it. He likes her barbs and her dreams, he likes talking to her. He likes her. And he feels awful that he hurt her. And he feels awful that she's hurting herself. He loves her. He wants her to love herself.

And that's where the mirror scene comes in. Because the mirror scene isn't about sex, not really. Not entirely, at least. The mirror scene is about *intimacy*. The mirror scene is about being seen. Not just her seeing him, or him seeing her, but for Penelope to see *herself*. In a way, through his eyes. Because hers are biased rather negatively toward herself, which is evidenced in the 'Goodnight Mr. Bridgerton' scene, and in so many little moments we've already gotten where she's literally looking down on herself, feeling down. She doesn't necessarily *like* what's in the mirror, but he does. Because he likes *her*. And he wants to show her that he does. Show her that he finds her beautiful and have her recognize that in herself.

The 'Goodnight Mr. Bridgerton' scene is about Penelope revealing how she sees herself. The mirror scene is about Colin showing her how *he* sees her. The Goodnight scene is about Penelope thinking she means nothing to him, that he thinks of her the way she thinks of herself, that this is how everyone thinks of her, and the mirror scene is a direct response to that: No, he doesn't. No, he doesn't think she's embarrassing. No, he doesn't think she's a laughingstock. No, he doesn't think she's unappealing. And he doesn't think she should, either.

And he's going to show her that. Not just tell her, but show her. The mirror scene is so often a focus on Penelope, so much of Polin is in Penelope's focus, but approaching it from Colin's perspective and his motivations is so fulfilling, too. It's a glimpse into them in conversation, and a demonstrate of how Colin loves her. How Colin loves in general, openly and earnestly and altruistically. How he encourages her to be braver and more confident in herself, bolstering her because he just likes her *that much*. How he finds the most fulfillment and satisfaction in caring aloud. The mirror scene is a demonstration of his heart in reflection.

When Luke Newton said the first word that came to mind with the word 'Mirror' was 'Exposed', he doesn't just mean physically. He means emotionally, too.

God this couple is so fucking good.

[hipsternumbertwo]

@lakeshirtsecurity I'm just checking in. Are you okay? I know you're my biggest fan (according to Tumblr - I didn't just decide that)...

(I see you too @catlizard even if you don't follow me and for some reason can't tag you)

...but getting maybe around 200 notes in an hour from you alone was new.

And while we're at it, I also want to acknowledge @korrageous (I see that you got an AWESOME header) and @finn-is-in-the-binn for rounding out the top 4.

Now, on the opposite side of the spectrum, shoutout to my tumblr crushes @ammnd, @coloredlion, @lilac-hecox, @graceschasity, @frongle444, and @forevertrueblue.

And to my mutuals (most of whom probably doesn't know we are mutuals because I'm a sideblog ): @smosh-potato, @thesixthimmortal, @vangoghschair, @wuunderstruck, @poppyfamily, @babychosen, @chanse-mccrary, @lycan-exe, @shebecamethesun, @totallynotmeems, @lovelautski, @tryinganythingtobehappyagain, @justkiddingm0m, @smooshme, @philomenacunt, @heavymetallovrrr, @victor-aguilar, @damienhaasmylife (I'm probably missing some more here)

And to the rest of you who chose to follow me for whatever reason, thank you.

Advanced Happy Valentine's Day!

[weirdghostcat]

Originally, I was going to post this without any explanation whatsoever, but this is actually the perfect time to explain what I have planned for the other timelines in Timeline-Tale. Because surprise, surprise: They act more like AUs to the original timeline.

I have no Idea how to name this Pit version. This is just something I came up with on the spot. Caro is just his placeholder name for now.

Expand for more:

Now, I'll explain... Timelines are like strings of time that expand and split into new ones. Some timelines change more drastically than others when some events are changed or new actions are taken. Timelines that changed drastically from the OG-timeline are the ones I will put into this AU.

Caro will appear when I let Frisk wander through the different timelines (this will be explained a little bit more with Frisk's character card). This Pit is inspired by Underfell, but don't expect the same story as Underfell, since I am not really deep into the Lore of other AUs, and since the "Underground" functions differently than in other AUs, the same Lore will not work anyway. The CORE does not produce magic, so if I were to put something like a Horrortale-Timeline into the mix, I'd need to change the cause of the famine... I forgot the story of Underfell, so that's why I just use the random Horrortale example.

In the beginning, I was planning to just take those other already existing AUs and change my main characters into those versions, but... For one, I don't want to accidentally upset a Creator by just straight up using their AUs, and two, it would be boring. Like, VERY boring. I mean... Let's be honest, what is more interesting: A straight-up Underfell version rip-off or a casino version with some Underfell details mixed in?

Yeah, that's right: the second one is correct!

I'm also thinking of putting a dusttale version and, for some fun and giggles, a bittytale-timeline into the mix. But since it will take some time till I even get to the other timelines, I won't rush into creating them. Caro or Casino!Pit is just a design I have since over two months now... and I really like this edgy version. I mean... I really, REALLY like this version ( •̯́ ₃ •̯̀) Pit is still my favorite child! I swear!

[evergreen-endo]

worlds most irritating couple somebody separate them STAT !!!!!