#thank you do much 😊

[the-inkwell-variable]

Talk about a WIP? (For the ask game)

Absolutely! Thank you so much for the ask!

I'm gonna chat a bit about Dauntless, since the Big Month of Writing A Novel (unaffiliated) is coming up and that is, once again, my project. I've been working on Dauntless since about 2012, finished it three times just to delete or lose my draft and start again. This time I actually have a draft to edit and rewrite, yay!

Dauntless takes place almost entirely in Bluegrass, Kansas, a fictional city based on where I live. It's not a small town (I think we're sitting at 30k people right now?) but we are a suburb so we do get that small town vibe.

Since this is a zombie book, let's talk infection! I'm not sure how I'm going to implement this yet, if at all, so this may be the only place it's mentioned, but this is a parasitic infection. A type of worms mutated to survive the water purification process and is now in everyone's drinking water. Humans are still pretty tough, so it's not going to start as fast or hard as The Last of Us did, but people are going to be affected quickly. The worms grow inside a person to eventually wrap around your brain stem and wiggle its little appendages into the various books and crannies of the brain. Fun! Love this for us! Definitely not gagging at all over here! 🫠

The first stage of the infection (which I originally intended to be a related but separate thing... Might still go back to that.) is definitely a fun little horror show to write. It's somewhat inspired by Crossed, a comic in which infected people carry out their sickest, most twisted desires with a smile on their face. (Definitely a messed up series, read at your own risk. It caught ME off guard a few times, so please take care of yourself if you read it!) However, infected people in my story dont do it with a smile or out of pleasure (some do, but they're further along in the infection and were kind of messed up to begin with). They think their messed-up actions are logical, common sense. In most cases, they don't even realize that they're doing a messed-up thing. Some of their stories are quite sad when you realize that they genuinely think they're helping or doing the right thing. (Side note! I'm writing a separate book of stories that takes place alongside Dauntless, that focuses on these characters. It's going to be a ailabke for free when it's done, I promise I'll link it here!)

The second stage of the infection is death and reanimation, typical zombie stuff. This is a zombie book, after all. The zombies start off fast, quick, agile. Think Black Summer. They understand how to open doors, that a window can be an entrance, that dodging an attack can keep them alive a bit longer. They're not smart, per se, but they're not completely stupid yet. The longer they shamble around, the more they deteriorate and the dumber they get until they're your typical shamblers. In the far distant future, when the next trilogy in the series takes place (I might have dreams too big for my britches here lolll), they do mutate, but for now, they're just zombies.

Introducing Ashlee, our protagonist! She's not interested in any of this. She wants a normal, quiet life. She's helping her sister take care of her kids after the divorce (which she hates - she's not really the parental type, though she really is trying). She works at a clinic and is dating her boss, which even she knows is not a great idea, but he's handsome and friendly and wants the same future she does, so how bad can it be?

Now I'm more into the survival aspect than the interpersonal drama, but don't you worry, there is drama to be had! Niece Selina is a teenager doing teenager things, which Ashlee has to stay on top of so she doesn't make the same mistakes. Is boyfriend Dr Jordan Parker truly as altruistic and kind as he seems? What's going on with the cop that keeps sniffing around? Is Ashlee bisexual and/or poly, or is she simply desperate for a loving touch in these cold times? And will the author have the strength to keep fucking Chuck's grubby little hands off this document or will she have to burn the world to the ground to get rid of him once and for all? Find out next time, on Dragonball Z!

Thank you so much for asking about Dauntless! I'm sorry I rambled so much. I have a lot of thoughts about this book. I hope you're having a fantastic day ❤️❤️❤️

[thefrsers]

requested by: @skatingthinandice: 7.02 + 7.08 "don't deserve a second chance" parallel

[plulp]

whitney (design kinda mid but its alright ill deal with it)

[aurorangen]

Renee and Charlie were talking about Strangerville when a woman came over and introduced herself as Sergeant Dar'leen Neilsen (by @bloomingkyras). They talked about the disappearances to her and Dar'leen gave some useful insight into both cases, particularly about her experience with Strangerville and its dangers.

Transcript & Bonus:

Just don't let the police know.

...

Dar'leen: Excuse me, but I couldn't help but overhear your conversation about Strangerville. I'm Sergeant Dar'leen Neilsen, but you can call me Dar'leen. You two sound really worried…can I be of any help? Renee: Oh Sergeant! I'm Renee and this is my cousin Charlie. We've got a difficult situation right now.

[The two explain everything. First about the the disappearance of Vincent then about Veronica's letter] Dar'leen: You're right. You should find out if he's with relatives, if not I would report him as missing immediately. Report him to San Myshuno investigation department, Detective Reichmann's team is best at handling it.

Charlie: Yeah we should tell my Dad about this. We're all really worried at this point. Dar'leen: Ah I see! You are his family, you two do look alike! I was at a conference with him earlier. Charlie: My Dad is really busy now isn't he? [Dar'leen nods her head while reading the letter]

Dar'leen: From reading your letter [sighs] Strangerville. It's not a good place. You see I am from Oasis Springs, the only town closest to Strangerville, a few hundred miles [thinking back]. So I was part of this case and we travelled close to Strangerville. The town had a surrounding border, with lots of military personnel…

Dar'leen: They were strange people and all armed with weapons. By all means, they block anyone from entering, researchers, reporters, outsiders. Since no one is allowed in, there's not much information about Strangerville online, or from any outside sources. No photos, articles. It's all a secret really.

Dar'leen: Hmm and your friend here seems like she has business to take care of. I'd advise you to not get involved, Strangerville is too dangerous for everyone. No one really knows what's happening there. Renee: That's true. I'm just hoping it won't take too long and she'll come back…ask her about it then.

[They take their minds off things for a bit. Dar'leen talks about her daughter and Britechester University] Renee: Actually I'm heading back to campus very soon! I could show you guys around! Dar'leen: Unfortunately I won't be able to make it, that would help her out a lot. Thank you Renee!

…

?: [the other end of the line] Do you hear me? We cannot let the fucking police get involved in any of this! They'll find him and then-…arghhh! What's your plan now then eh? [adamantly] Just don't let the police know.

[hadesknockedupintheunderworld]

Between Sonic and Tails, who do you think would end up confessing their feelings first?

Good question. Definitely depends upon the iteration and context, but for the most part (at least in my head) getting either of them to confess (and in some cases even ruminate on their feelings and admit to themselves the nature of them) is hard

Like, for example, I personally think that game!Sonic (and post sgw Archie Sonic and IDW Sonic) kind of take Tails' presence for granted in a way. To them, it will always be the two of them (Sonic and Tails). The ideal future is that they keep on hanging out and still fight side by side sometimes and that even if Sonic goes it alone he can always come back from his adventures to chill with Tails or crash at his place. In other words, in Sonic's fantasies of the future, things like getting married or raising families or anything like that are just kind of tacked on as something that will just kind of be true at best and ignored at worst. If he even considers a future where things are a bit different because Tails is together™ with someone, to him it's only natural that Tails would be in his life the same way and nothing would really change. And so to that end, even if Sonic DOES realize his own feelings, he probably wouldn't see any good reason to confess. It would make things more complicated, especially if Tails doesn't share those feelings, and he doesn't have to worry anyways because Tails will always prioritize the two of them and be at his side, right?

And then it's even worse for versions of Sonic more akin to, say, pre sgw Archie Sonic. This is because in addition to the already existing unwillingness to change things and the assumption that he doesn't ever have to worry about no longer being the center of Tails' world (or a major figure in it at least), there is some palpable internalized homophobia within that hedgehog with an added complexity. For Archie Sonic in particular, I think even if he realized that he wanted to even be with Tails forever in a strictly non brothers fashion, he would feel mixed feelings about that (perhaps that coming out about it would ruin things or make things weird, or that getting together with Tails at any point would deprive him of "normalcy", or that he'd pressured Tails into it, or even just weird or a bit creepy).

As for Tails, I actually think that most iterations of him have figured their feelings out by this point. In all honesty, there's only so long you can go on fixating on someone and admiring them, and structuring your life around them before you realize your "I want to be with them" isn't just about simply admiring them. It's just that Tails' main obstacle to me is the avoidance of ruining anything.

On one hand, there's Sonic's avoidance to being tied down. We've seen time and time again Sonic rejecting people who pursue him openly or looking uncomfortable with them. Archie Sonic in particular made it clear that this version of Sonic couldn't stand the idea of not being able to freely be himself or adventure. He couldn't stand the idea of having to tie himself down and taking on extra responsibilities and expectations simply because he's with someone. I can see Tails being afraid that by confessing, he could scare Sonic away. If he happened to confess and Sonic thought Tails meant to stifle him or Sonic felt uncomfortable by that open expression, wouldn't that risk their relationship? Even if Sonic wouldn't go so far as to drop him as a best friend (which he never would do that for the record), there's still real fear in making things weird or different between himself and Sonic.

And that feeds right into the other hand. On the other hand, Sonic probably doesn't see him that way, right? Though Sonic is special to him and Sonic also cares for him back, at best Sonic has never thought about it and never will, or he just wouldn't feel the same (in Tails' eyes). With Archie Tails in particular, even if Tails gets over his own interlized homophobia about it and recognizes his feelings for what they are, he probably feels that there's no way to be anything different than a brother to Sonic, and thus confessing would be a terrible move. If Tails confesses and Sonic doesn't feel the same, it also runs the risk of making things weird between them or (in Tails' eyes) ruining it.

All this to say that my general opinion is that as long as things stay exactly the way they are forever, even if they start spending even more time together, I find it hard to believe either of the two will opt into confessing on purpose

But, with that being said, a confession is not an impossibility. I don't think either of the two are immune to being put in a position where they finally confess (and no, with the state of things for them, simply saying "I love you" will not count as a confession). And if we barred situations where like. They're literally about to die or one can do anything they like without the other (or themselves) remembering the outcome, I actually can give you an answer

And honestly, if one of them had to confess eventually, I believe it would probably end up being Sonic.

Why? Well, out of the two, Tails actually sits back and thinks about his emotions more often than not. I think even before he figured out the exact nature of his feelings he knew he felt very strongly for Sonic. But, no matter which media you're touching upon, I feel as if Tails fits into that archetype of "person who has been in love with their best friend since literally forever, but knows their best friend will never feel the same". The longer Tails ruminates on these feelings, the stronger he feels them, the more he watches Sonic (especially as someone who cares about plenty of people other than him), the more time he spends with Sonic, the less incentivized he feels to actually confess. Especially if Sonic would never feel the same, the best Tails can hope for is that things stay the same between them and Sonic never replaces his role.

Or in short, Tails is so in his head about it at this point, it's very hard to convince him that confessing is ever a good idea or necessary.

But while Tails is more obviously attached to Sonic, Sonic is much less obviously attached to Tails and other people as a whole. With him being "free as the wind" and the kind of figure he is, he kind of benefits from having the persona of a guy who doesn't need his friends but (nevertheless) can be assisted by them. He probably seems cool for being so strong and independent while equally caring that people live. But this doesn't mean Sonic doesn't have attachments (far from it). Rather, for Sonic, his attachments to others seem to naturally grow. And the more time he spends with them, the more he grows used to their presence. And especially with someone like Tails, who has been around as his companion the longest, he doesn't sit around long enough to consider that Tails would ever leave his side. Once he grows used to that person, he doesn't have to recognize his attachment or even think about the nature of his own feelings because it is and always has been whatever it is. So, in other words, even if he becomes more and more reliant on the fact that Tails will always be around or that Tails will always assist him, he doesn't have to admit more than "This is what our best friendship is. This is what it's like"

All of this is to say that while my idea of present Tails would be trying to do anything in his power to stay with Sonic (as long as Sonic is willing of course), even if that means never confessing the exact nature of his feelings for the hedgehog, Sonic isn't already thinking about these things. This means that while Tails has very few pathways to confession, Sonic has plenty!...if you scare him well enough.

For example, Idw Sonic has been more clearly spending more time with Tails (even baseline just. Crashing at his place more often) after the metal virus arc. Couple this with post neo metal incident 2 electric boogaloo idw Sonic who just wants to have a break and live peacefully for a minute, this is a Sonic who has become scared enough to want to indulge in spending more time with Tails. I also think that post Sonic Prime Sonic is also a version of him who would start to spend more time with Tails than before after having already lost him and having to deal with the Tails shaped hole in his life once.

So, if you got a Sonic to the point where he'd fully accepted his feelings and he felt like confessing them would be necessary to secure the future he wants, then he'd confess. Honestly, the easiest way I'd see this going about would be a story where Tails is framed as leaving him to go do something or be somewhere else, away for Sonic, possibly indefinitely, or if Sonic actually has to spend enough time without Tails after initially telling himself his own feelings wouldn't matter so long as Tails is happy wherever he is. But, if it came down to confessing being something that might actually bring Sonic to his desired future (especially if Tails rejecting him is no different from prolonging the separation they already have if he says nothing), then I think he could work up the courage to do it.

And in the end...I think it has to be Sonic. Although I on occasion enjoy fantasizing about moments where Tails can't take it anymore and confesses, only for Sonic to realize his own feelings in the process, I think that Sonic would have to be the one who confesses his feelings/wishes for the future for Tails to even believe that his pipe dreams are a possibility. I think it's Sonic who would need to pull Tails out of his head, because the probability that Tails works up the courage to confess is more unlikely.

So...yeah. In my head, Sonic is driven to a point where he confesses and pulls Tails out of his head about it.

[secrettastemakerland]

call me penelope featherington the way that i giggle, flush, kick my feet, and twirl my hair when i see colin fucking bridgerton on my screen

[shuploc]

is it okay to use your art as an icon on tumblr/other platforms as long as we give credit? [sorry if this was asked before!]

You can definitely use my stuff as icons, or phone backgrounds even, go right ahead! 😊

I think the problem with stuff like this is usually if you just stumble upon something and decide to use it for a pfp, and you don't know where the original came from or who made it if someone asks. I'm pretty sure you do know who made this though lmao.

But thank you for asking, I really appreciate it! ❤️

[mettywiththenotes]

Tomura and Izuku doing self imposed challenges: Tomura reaching max only by using evil boops and Izuku reacing max only by using super boops, somehow whoever reaches it first wins lmao

LOL I love this idea

Tomura doing evil boops with the League and Izuku doing super boops with the class

And then they find each other's accounts. Now it is a battle to reach max in their own ways. They are locked in to get the highest super/evil boops first

I can imagine Izuku sending his results to Tomura with MAX - LOL and being like "I win >:3" but then Tomura sends his which are TUM - BLR and being like "get on my level >:3c"

[itsallaboutbl]

I got tagged by @thasorns (thanks, love 💕) to share 6 pictures in my camera roll!

The first 3 pics are one of my succulents (1st pic), a random sunset and another succulent at a garder I went to visit. And the other 3 are me and my cats. That's my most recent pic if i'm not mistaken, taken last month 🥰

I'll tag: @itagakimizuki @negrowhat @chinzhilla @my-rose-tinted-glasses @sherrymagic @spicyvampire @markpakin @williamrikers @faithinlouisfuture @yilinglaozu (feel free to ignore 😘)

[jrueships]

can you please walk us through the relationship between wemby and jabari the people need to know

i think the most notable thing about vic and Jabari's relationship is that they don't have one, when it would be so beneficial if they did. they're like two soldiers fighting for the opposite sides of a war, too loyal to the cause to stop and think about what could have been if they just lowered their respective weapons aimed by cold hands larger than their own. foils by fate, friends by freedom.

' remember, you will Always be Different. '

' remember, you will Always be Replaceable. '

'Replaceable'

Jabari's dad made it in the NBA, then didn't. He was a big that could shoot, but wasn't a post-up man. Back then, post-up was the desired style. Ironically, now, it's all about shooting. But his dad didn't live in the now, and his career in the US was short-lived, to keep it cordial. Jabari's older brother played basketball throughout his whole life, but stopped after college. Jabari's cousin, Kwame Brown, was drafted 1st overall in the lottery, and became a notorious bust for the Washington wizards.

Basketball is a business. Basketball is fleeting.

It doesn't matter that a big with sharpshooter skills is valued as something so 'prized' in today's nba, not back then, not when it would have mattered for Jabari's dad. Making it is one ballpark in its own, but Staying in it? Can perhaps be an even more painful ordeal when the hoops to accomplish it aren't circus hoops, but a plain hill some just don't have the strength, mentality, or the materials to help climb without distraction or pitfall.

Jabari's dad made sure Jabari had this threat forever ingrained in his mind. When he yells at Jabari for misplaced eye contact, for typing the wrong words in a public social media reply, for reacting in a way a camera might misinterpret, it's out of love. Jabari's dad was known for being a hassle to coach back then, maybe because he knew his potential and no one else did because it was too new to the mold. So he makes sure Jabari doesn't follow his same habits. Jabari is polite to authority, simply replies with a 'Yes Sir' or a 'No Ma'am', he holds eye contact, he wakes up hours before he needs to just to jump rope, just to uphold the standards that his family could not. He is Everything his father is and isn't, plus more. When his team wins, he's still talking about his missed freethrows even 8 hours later. Because someone else could have won the game And hit those free throws too . someone from a family that gained success and stayed in that success. Someone who wasn't Just Another Son of a basketball player trying to do what his father couldn't, someone who was Different .

Everyone knew wemby was different. When his literature class was asked to write an essay about your future dreams in life, he wrote a fictional romance about a couple where the woman got in a car accident and was comatosed as a result, but got better in the end. He didn't write about being a great basketball player one day, because his parents don't pressure him to hunker himself into the norm, even though his mother once was and now coaches. If Wemby one day realized this wasn't for him, they would encourage him to leave and follow whatever greater passions propelling him. He's so agile for his size because his dad was an Olympic talent in track and field. He is someone who has hobbies and talents that are considered common alone, but strange combined, because he loves what he has and what he does. He reads every night for one hour before bed not to appear as some pseudointellectual, but because he Genuinely loves it, and when he loves something, he excels at it. He does try to be different, but not out of ego. He just loves to be. He either accomplishes at 200% or zero. It may be 200% in an unexpected direction, but it's His direction and that's what matters. If he somehow does wind up a bust, a possibility he considers without fear but acceptance as potential fate, then he won't go down as yet another failed first pick. He'll fall as he flew, Victor Wembanyama.

' Different '

' Replaceable'

Jabari winces each time he's subbed out, even for a second, even on an injured ankle, he's silently Stubborn, his posture shrunken and his gaze at the ground yet his eyes, big, wobbling, staring up always at the speaker, he's silently scared.

Jabari doesn't Want to be different. He just wants to be what his family couldn't be when it came to fame: irreplaceable . His parents split when he was younger, he tries his hardest to appease them both as to not cause any more issues. The relationship relies on his shoulders more than ever, and he can't fumble it again. He has to be what his dad couldn't so his dad can stay, commenting on commonality or surprises. He wants to support his still working mother, especially after the split. He doesn't Want to be unique, he just wants Security.

Because this can crumble any moment now, it doesn't matter how high your pick was or how bright the future Could Have been or how the game would later shift to your style if you had just somehow Stayed. Why bet on low chances if you know you can't handle the risk. He shakes any college coaches' hands that showed up to his practices, personally thanks them for coming even though he's one of the best in the country so their presence should be a given to him, it's not. When he picks a college, he picks one that guaranteed their faith in him from day One, and didn't require any further prodding to finally say '.. Maybe we'll offer you a position' like Kentucky did, as big and famous as it is, it wasn't Secured . They saw him as a risk at one point, and that's everything he's been trying to avoid when it came to attention, negatively standing out.

Jabari wants to be known as the strong shoulder to the world. He WANTS to be known as That One Guy who can just carry everything, nameless but Good. He just wants to be Good. Please tell him he's good. Please tell him what he's doing is Good. That basing his entire personality around yet another soldier who ultimately fell in battle but fought nonetheless being nameless is Good. Please feel free to give him all your burdens to bear like he's just some mule, an animal, a Tool .. because that means he's Useful, at least. That means he's Good. And if he isn't good, then he's nothing. Because you can always just buy another one anyways. A better one.

'Different'

Although his parents try not to treat Wemby by simplifying his differences into a strictly labeled, simple FUTURE BASKETBALL PRODIGY box at birth, that doesn't mean that can always stop others from doing it. Wemby signed his first autograph at ten years old.

It didn't matter if he was a kid who was so much more than just his basketball future, basketball fans wanted one thing from him and one thing only: Success. People didn't care about his literary skills or his drawing hobbies. The eyes on his alien needed to be smaller 'so your shoe can sell better, trust us, it's still Your drawing.. your weird little .. not money-making hobby, do believe me, Vic, We know what We're doing. You just stick to whatever you do.'

His differences, in the end, are minimalized just to that. He's just Different. That's what everyone says who wouldn't really care to say anything at all if he never hooped as well as they wanted in the first place. The youtube videos of 40 year old men criticizing his 15 year old games didn't Really care if he was just a kid, they just cared in the 'imagine when he reaches peak physicality? imagine the points (money) he'd make for the nba.' His beautiful differences, artistic, soft, unique but oh-so wonderfully common and passionate.. are all dissolved into 'Different', the Base definition.

he's an alien. Someone you can just dump all your poverty franchise worries onto because don't worry, he's Different. Trust me, he'll save your team. 'He's Different. ..am i talking about how he'd effortlessly answer questions in class while also trying to hide the fact that he's playing on his phone by tucking his bony legs awkwardly in his chair and crouching his spine over that it looked almost scary? HELL NO? what does THAT have to do with BASKETBALL?? no, he's just freakishly long, but like. Gifted. Though. ... I don't know, man, he's just DIFFERENT, okay? you can trust me, i'm a sports podcaster, okay? everything i say is gold.'

A celebrity approaches him because he was different than most famous basketball athletes. He was Different. And yet, when he didn't recognize or notice her presence due to Different cultures ( due to Being Genuinely, Detailedly Different ), he was scorned and ushered out of public eye so another possible pr bomb couldn't injure his reputation as a Difference That They Really Would Rather Not Want.

that's what his reading falls into, his old friends, his family, his art, his personality. If it's beyond ball, if it's beyond Business. The world only cares if it's marketable. Sure, some reporters will ask a question outside of sport, but only because it'll be a Different.. funny little nugget of knowledge for fans to laugh at then soon disregard for what Really made him famous. But, Wemby is what he always wanted to be. He's Different. So What if it's not exactly the kind of Different he actually wants, he actually functions on? No one has the time to perform 200% anymore. Slap the label you wanted and call it quits, stop being so High-Maintenanced. That's not marketable.

You're just different. And to some people, that's all you'll ever be. No need to explore it any further. Who knows, your Consumers might find something they won't like. And we can't risk that happening to our greatest circus freak.

i mean. Generational basketball talent .

If there's a press conference going on that somehow includes the two, then Wemby just wants to be sure everyone can hear what he really wants to say, in his own words, not echoing anyone else's, and Jabari just wants to Be in the Room.

His brother stopped playing basketball because his family said he didn't try hard enough. Jabari Can't have that. His whole life revolves Around basketball, around sport. He doesn't WANT to be DIFFERENT if that isn't the soundest option, he just wants to be GREAT. Because GREAT is SUCCESS. Jabari Smith is not success. It's just a retry at it . His father shares the same name.

Wemby's life did not always revolve around basketball, to people, at one point. At one point, Wemby's life was just his life. Now, it seems like only his family think that, and they're from a whole other country. When he comments on videos critiquing his playstyle, he doesn't do so out of anger or questioning, he does so because he genuinely Wants to improve. He Does want to be great. But, he wants to be great in Everything that he finds interesting. He always did. When he likes an author, he reads All their books, not just their most notorious novel. He wants to be transported into other people's worlds so he can learn, so he can change, so he can be Different. Even if he somehow were to lose all of this fame, this Greatness, this job, this opportunity, he will never really lose. Because he's someone who's always taken opportunities to the fullest, so even if they pan out a little differently, that's Fine, really, because he's different. Not in the minimizing, dictionary definition then leave the meaning at that different, but in the butterfly effect. What he once was ten days ago is not exactly the same of what he is now, and it hurts, sometimes, when people fail to see that, or simply don't want to because textbook different is easier to digest than worldly different.

IN SHORT.. theyre foils. i can't Exactly walk u thru their relationship bcs .. there Isn't one.. & that's what's so Interesting about them. That's what makes their relationship, to me. Because if they WERE to be friends, if they somehow in some alternate world WERE to get paired up on the same team... they would be friends. I really think they would be. Not only because their signs are so compatible, or their differences are so stark, but because their similarities would triumph everything beautifully. Maybe. We don't know because they Weren't paired together, we can only speculate. But i think it would be big and beautiful, whatever they would have, it would be Something.

unfortunately, we don't live in an alternate world where they're teammates though ! Double unfortunately, Jabari and Wemby's biggest similarity is their loyalty to the game (a double-edged sword in both their lives from Jabari's silent unhealthy desire to be limited and Wemby's silent desperation not to be) Wemby, in Jabari's eyes, is Indeed a powerful...

Problem.

He's not really a person to him . In all fairness, no one really is when they're involved in the basketball world, not to Jabari, not from the way he's been taught. Everyone's supposed to be Replaceable, a faceless tool in the pocket of good business.

.. except for This freakazoid. Apparently.

APPARENTLY, he's some supposed 'saint'. someone to be feared for being more. APPARENTLY, the reporters just LOVE yapping about him SO much, that Jabari HAS to take the time out of his training just to talk about some guy who doesn't even GO here, yet when they ask him about his opinion on future prospects. WELL, that's ALL wemby IS to Jabari, just another future prospect. Just another problem.

A problem he'll be sure to check off his list.

... okay, so Maybe he's a bit more than a problem.. maybe.. he's just a really persistent problem? yeah, that's it, nothing more. Jabari will work through this. He Always does. That's what he does well, Work.

Wemby wonders if that's all he ever does .

But he doesn't have long before Jabari's marching down the tunnel to beat himself up over all his mistakes other people would never make, and Wemby's being escorted to an interview that other people would never make solely to show how Much he just Stands Out as a soul... in basketball .

I hope they find each other in basketball, and out of it as well. I just feel like

Something would Happen

[hartpisces]

release ur limited star knowledge (i wanna know 🤨)

im so glad u asked!

it started when i found out ant is a leo and kat is a scorpio, which was SO wild to me because it just makes perfect sense?? heres the post i made about them when I was going insane about this revelation —>

(take the moon signs with a grain of salt, since the exact birthtime isn’t known)

For jalen specifically, hes a VIRGO which again, very intriguing because from what i’ve seen, he does very much present as a hardworking, nitpicky, perfectionist, reserved guy (fe: almost every argument he has with josh involves nitpicking, his press conferences.. THE LOCKER CONVO “your locker looks like a tornado hit it” OK VIRGO!!!) Virgos are also known to be shy/easily embarrassed especially when receiving praise, which is so insane to me seeing how he responds to josh (being rendered speechless oml), donte, the media, literally anyone complimenting him. He is a textbook humble virgo!! (also the sign of the virgin btw, lmfao)

Now it gets spicy when you consider that his moon sign is Aries, meaning his emotions are ruled by this fiery, defensive-ass sign, and he acts this way with the people he’s most comfortable around. This is totally represented when he tries to poke Josh’s buttons constantly, but it ultimately backfires every time because Jalen can be short tempered, and a bit spiky. Him being a virgo, he wants to prove how chill, “normal” as he says, he is. But at the end of the day, someone who KNOWS him, and is intuitive (will get to that later) will know how easily flustered he gets. I see why he is such a great leader (im a knicks fan so i have to glaze rq) he gets the precision/composure from his sun, and passion from his moon, bam leads a team through the playoffs.

Now for his venus (sign of beauty, love, romance) his venus is in cancer! ♋️ 🦀 🦀 these people are sensitive, cautious, CLINGY (“we have to hangout everyday”) when it comes to relationships you kind of have to approach them like a crab 🦀 because they WILL cling forever (he literally refused to let go of Donte and Josh, and never will). Very emotional lovers, but they will avoid emotional confrontation in fear of getting hurt. Also soo sentimental! (his reaction to josh being traded while he was at Villanova, you know this man loves feeling nostalgic). Cancer lovers want to be consumed, to belong entirely to someone (if i speak…)

Also gonna do Josh because i make everything about Jalen and Josh. Josh is a pisces sun, taurus moon. Being a pisces, he dreams big, is emotional, VERY intuitive, and he has this ability to sort of be a chameleon and fit in with very diverse groups. This could explain his passion for podcasts, since he’s had two in his career and had all sorts of guests. Pisces can unfortunately be TOO sensitive (cough, beating bitches up in college). While they are dreamers, they are notoriously late to everything, and prefer to chase after them at their very specific pace (explains Josh’s hatred for practice? also moving into his bestfriend’s house during highschool because he knew it would help his grades, environment matters to him). As for his intuition, Josh is very understanding of other’s emotions and his own, more so than Jalen. The most important part about josh being a pisces to me is that it proves he is a full on LOVER BOY and can see through a prickly guy like Jalen.

His moon is in taurus. To his core he is dominant af (literally was described as a dog that needs to mark his territory, always wants the upper hand in arguments). He’s stable, steady, calm (he IS the one who always gets into Jalen’s head first, not the other way around) and is uncomfortable with surprises. I don’t have a link but I read an article where he was talking about how terrible his trade from the lakers felt; he overall resists change. Taurus is also the sign of pleasure and is often aligned with materialism and a love for food (his watch collection? obsession with mike & ike’s??) Overall hes very chill and has soo many lover traits, just do not threaten his dominance lmfaoo.

(I was the most shocked with this placement) Josh’s venus is in Aquarius. The approach people with this placement take with love is friends first, full trust, and then they’ll consider a relationship. They are unpredictable in their advances (josh calling jalen cute on camera twice?? josh’s unpredictable ways of touching jalen and donte whenever he feels like it???), and will try to impress their person of interest with provocative jokes and their rebelliousness. They don’t want to be tied down, but they don’t mind setting rules for their partner. They also might avoid an actual *love* confrontation/confession. The independence of these types aren’t always a bad thing, since their partner will receive a lot of space/won’t feel suffocated.

Accurate or not, this is such a sharp contrast to Jalen’s Cancer venus. Jalen doesn’t WANT space, he could cling 🦀🦀onto Josh all day and still feel too far. There might be conflict in terms of communication; Josh might flirt as a “joke” and Jalen would feel that it’s real, being the more emotional, hopelessly romantic one. This doesn’t mean Josh doesn’t feel the same way, his Aquarius-approach to love just makes him way more cautious about committing to love. His Pisces sun might want him to fall in love, but the Aquarius energy in him is yelling NO! Josh will touch Jalen like he’s his, will leave Jalen stammering, flustered. Jalen will look at him and smile with so much longing, but it’s just another thing they won’t talk about. Jalen is just too careful, awkward and Josh is ever-so conflicted. Jalen fell first, Josh fell harder??👀👀 (hypothetically ofc) (maybe)

i wish i could find out their rising signs because that would be so interesting to me, but obviously nba players don’t care to know their exact birthdate in the name of astrology😭

TLDR

these boys got issues to sort out

[le-velo-pour-dru]

impersonation time. Ahem.

SLDGSKSGAKSUVSKAKSH OHHHHHGGG MY GOSH 💖💖💖💖💖💖💖IM SO IN LOVE WITH THIS OLD MAN(?) HES SO GORGEOUS WAUGH🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭😍😍😍😍😍😍😍🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷💕💕💕💖💖💖💖

Slash positive

ZDHJCYFHZYKCGJXYKVGJXCYFHXGJJXGJXJTCGJGJXGJCJCG I'M ALWAYS SAYING THIS FR X3 🩷 You nailed it as far as I'm concerned!! 🤭💖 Thanks for participating, your impersonation was great X3 🫶💖

And oh my gosh thank you for the added bonus of Dallon images?? He's so lovely!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 😍🩷 Xhfghjgchkgjcjfxhkggxyvkcgjvhkfjgc look at that pretty face I'm in love with himmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm 🥰💖 HE'S SO GORGEOUS I LOVE HIM AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!! ☺️🩷 MY LOVE 😊🫶💖

[fandomsarefamily1966]

Character ask: Samwise Gamgee

😊 I'm surprised most of these are LOTR related, but I'm not complaining

Character ask: Samwise Gamgee (The Lord of the Rings)

Favorite thing about them: His undying loyalty towards Frodo. While everyone else gets separated from him through no fault of their own, Sam is with him the whole way through, and will not leave his side no matter what happens, which plays a major part in the quest's completion.

Least favorite thing about them: His temper. It doesn't really flare up all that often- mainly whenever it looks like someone's insulting or about to hurt Frodo- but it does keep him from playing nice when it would be a smart idea, like with Faramir.

Three things I have in common with them:

*I love plants.

*I'm very loyal to and would do anything to keep my loved ones safe.

*Once I set my mind to something, I'll try my best to see it though.

Three things I don't have in common with them:

*I'm female.

*I'm not a hobbit.

*I'm not as good a cook as he is.

Favorite line: Again, there are many, but I'll try to keep it simple.

When he talks to Frodo about his conversation with the elves:

"Leave him! I never mean to. I am going with him, if he climbs to the Moon, and if any of these Black Riders try to stop him, they'll have Sam Gamgee to reckon with."

His response to Frodo's prediction that he'll be either a great wizard or a warrior:

"I hope not. I don't want to be neither!"

When Frodo can't go any further, so he carries him the rest of the way:

"Then let us be rid of it, once and for all! I can't carry it for you, but I can carry you! Come on!"

The very last line of the series, after he sees Frodo off for the very last time:

"Well, I'm back."

brOTP: The other hobbits, especially Frodo.

OTP: Rosie.

nOTP: Sauron or Gollum.

Random headcanon: He's just as traumatized from the quest as Frodo is, it just manifests differently, and in a much less obvious way- his need for things to go back to normal as quickly as possible, as he does get married and has no less than THIRTEEN children rather quickly.

Unpopular opinion: His and Frodo's friendship is amazing, but I wish people would focus on his relationships outside of Frodo more. I also feel the same way about him that I do with Jo: I love both of them very much, and they deserve all the love they get, but they're also a bit overhyped, especially at the expense of my beloveds Frodo and Beth.

Song I associate with them:

"Candle On the Water" from the movie Pete's Dragon.

Favorite picture of them:

Sean Astin in the early 2000s films:

[domesticatedmeatpig]

why are you all in my house

[freepassbound]

Grocery list or no grocery list?

Do you decorate your house for holidays? Which ones?

Favorite high-effort meal that you make?

Please :)

Grocery list or no grocery list?

Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Depends how desperately I need something (and thus must remember it) combined with how recently I forgot something because I wasn't using a list. 😅

Do you decorate your house for holidays? Which ones?

I haven't even ever really finished moving into this house, so, no. I've thought about doing something for Christmas (which is the only one I've ever decorated for), but... no family is around in the winter. Though I did up the old family house a few times when I was solo (for various reasons)... this place... for whatever reason it just doesn't seem worth it for only myself? Also, there's no tradition of doing it here, I think is a big part of it.

Favorite high-effort meal that you make?

I am not much of a fancy chef, but there is this dish called hamburger pie (which I make with ground turkey) that goes well with mashed potatoes... it's delicious, but it's a lot of work for a single person. Brown the ground turkey, wash potatoes, peel potatoes, cut potatoes, mix the turkey, prep the dish, pop in oven, drain potatoes, mash potatoes... it usually ends up being about two hours (though there is some down time waiting for the potatoes to cook).

[hadesknockedupintheunderworld]

I know this may sound crazy but remember how in No Way Out, Sonic told Nine that he still considered him to be a friend while getting down on one knee and Nine calmed down? Later in Nine’s Lives, Nine says “Typical” when seeing Sonic run to the others and accused Sonic of betraying him when Sonic called the others his friends.

Nine was sort of acting like Sonic proposed to him and then cheated on him by being friends with the others.

Okay so first of all, I don't think you're crazy. During S3 there's actually plenty of evidence that Nine is jealous, both of the Tails variants and Sonic considering everyone else his friends.

One example that presents his specific kind of jealousy is during Episode 2 of Season 3, when Nine first appears to Sonic in New Yoke.

"Everything is collapsing... This is terrible!"

"Is it? That seems odd coming from you. As far as I can tell you only care about your own home."

Essentially what I'm getting at is this. I do believe that pre betrayal, Nine admittedly considered Sonic to be the most important person to him, and thought Sonic may have felt the same way. And the "betrayal" at the end of S2 hurt Nine very deeply. He had this image of Sonic in his head that was shattered by the finale, so he sort of instinctively switches to thinking the worst about Sonic because he can't trust that anything he thought before wasn't a lie. This is one of the reasons that he can't fathom Sonic caring about shatterspaces other than his own home.

But it's not just that he can't fathom it, it's that due to this deep hurt, Nine cannot allow himself to believe it.

Because if Sonic genuinely cares about the shatterverse as a whole, if he genuinely cares about saving all of these people, then to Nine, what made him the exception?

Sure, we the audience can see Sonic’s journey in Prime. We can see that by the end of S2, Sonic wanted to keep the shatterverse safe just as much as he wanted to bring back Green Hill. He wanted everyone to be alive and happy. But from Nine's pov here, he's just learned that Sonic lied to him, spoke honeyed words and manipulated him just to get to the prism. None of that is true, but he doesn't feel like Sonic actually cares for him or wants him. So at this point, for Sonic to put saving all of these people over saving his own home or genuinely worrying about their home makes Nine feel like the exception or that his feelings about Sonic must be wrong. Either one of those ideas he'd understandably like to avoid (because one means that Sonic is genuine with everyone except for him, and the other would mean to him that his feeling of betrayal and hurt feelings post S2 finale are misplaced and not allowed to be had, though he feels justified feeling hurt)

And that scene in S3 E3 No Escape is actually another big exemplifier of Nine's brand of jealousy and just how hurt he is.

"Don't worry. Beneath the surface, my new friends are far simpler than the flawed creatures you knew and loved. And all the more loyal for it."

Starting out strong, Nine takes a not so subtle shot at Sonic's friends while taking subtler shot at Sonic's loyalty, since Sonic had been his first and only friend.

"Ever wonder where we'd be if things had gone differently between us?"

"...Not anymore."

"I do. All the time."

"Not anymore." Implying that post the S2 finale he really had dwelled (at least for a time) on thoughts of how things could have been different. How he wished things could have gone differently.

And Nine gets visibly angry/frustrated when Sonic confesses he's always thinking about how things could have been different. Perhaps because it feels like a slap to the face, or feels hard to believe.

"Tch. You had your chance."

"...Right back at ya, bud."

And then, despite his anger, despite how he's been trying to get Sonic all along so he can drain his energy and save his home, Nine ignores Sonic's "should we get this over with". He puts on another one of those faces, similar to earlier when Sonic arrived and Nine talked about his "new friends". Perhaps to cover up exactly the way he's feeling in this moment with a veneer of superiority (he always did something similar when talking up Sonic to the Chaos Council).

"You know...after all this time...I think I finally understand you, Sonic."

...

"You wanna save everyone. Friends. Foes. Total strangers! You say it's because you're a hero and that's what heroes do, but deep down... After what you did—destroying your own home—it's the only way you can ever live with yourself. Even if that means you won't live at all."

And while I think Nine isn't incorrect—that there is a part of Prime!Sonic who's been acting out of selfishness, caring more about feeling like a good person than actually being one—these are still words from someone who feels betrayed by Sonic. I think there's a level to which Nine is seeing a part of Sonic no one else did, and also to a level which Nine is trying to recontextualize Sonic's more heroic/selfless seeming actions so he can reconcile them with how he feels about Sonic and sees him at this moment. In other words, while he's seeing a facet of Sonic he didn't see before, this is not all encompassing of who Prime Sonic is. It's just that perhaps by believing that Sonic's every seemingly selfless action is disingenuine, that all those nice words and intent to save people is just so Sonic can feel good rather that actually caring about anyone, then Nine doesn’t have to feel like the exception. Then he can see Sonic as someone who is pretending to care about all of this, and Sonic's other friends as fools who don't see what he (Nine) has seen.

But as I said, it's more complicated than that. Perhaps Nine is seeing a facet of Sonic that other people don't see or don't want to see, but Prime!Sonic is multifaceted. Perhaps he does want to hurry up and sacrifice himself in this scene because then he can finally feel like he's atoned for what he's done and he's absolved of/paid for his crimes, but that also doesn't mean he doesn't genuinely care about the lives of people in the shatterverse.

"If I don't make it, and you do, how do I know you'll keep your promise."

"Don't worry. Your 'friends' are safe. Once I have your energy, I can restore everything. They can have their silly lives in their silly spaces, as long as they leave me alone."

"Fair enough."

...

"And for what it's worth...I wouldda done the same for you."

"Don't lie to me..."

"I'm not–"

"DON'T!"

"Think whatever you want, but it's true. Even after everything you've done, everything we've been through. Together. Against each other. You're still my friend, Nine."

I really couldn't express more just how hurt Nine feels. That he doesn't believe Sonic would give anything up for him, even if he were to accept that Sonic would do that for everyone else. When he tells Sonic not to lie to him, frustrated, angry, voice wavering, I think it's because he can't take this again. If Sonic is lying just to manipulate him, if this isn't genuine, if he's just using him again, he can't take it again.

This is an incredibly intimate scene. With Sonic, standing face to face to Nine, inside Nine's safe space, his home that no one else has been into, behind the physical representation of the walls surrounding Nine's heart post betrayal, this is his first time all season really being allowed to speak to Nine directly. Here there's no one to perform to aside from each other.

But you can see that despite everything, Sonic still reaches Nine in this scene. It's not easy, but he reaches Nine's heart, leading Nine to start to believe in him again.

And that's why it's a pity the other variants show up when they do, using Sonic to breach Nine's walls. With the way Nine reacts after this happens, Sonic may as well have made Nine believe in that image of him again. Sonic may as well have made Nine believe that Sonic does care about him, that he'd do anything for him (or, at least, would give his life for him like he would for the others if it meant they could live), only to be the trojan horse that allowed the enemy™ to breach his safe space. The pretty lie.

At the beginning of S3 E4 Nine's Lives, Nine says "Predictable" when Sonic runs over to his friends. And, as anon mentioned, Nine says that Sonic has betrayed him for the last time, calling the deal off.

I wouldn't necessarily say here that Nine feels as if Sonic had cheated on him so to speak, but I would say that even if Nine doesn't see Sonic as a willing "trojan horse" here, Nine still feels like a fool for "falling for it again", for believing in Sonic. I think it's enough betrayal to Nine that Sonic would convince him that he cares about him and wants him to have a future too, only to then side with a bunch of people who want to beat Nine down and who would not let Nine be happy if Nine surrendered to them (from Nine's pov at least).

So in short, anon, I think you are seeing Nine's jealousy here. Even if he also has to believe Sonic is secretly fooling the others, to him this is a scene where Sonic is not only choosing them over him, but another example of Sonic (from Nine's pov) proving that he's a liar who doesn't care for Nine or his future/safety at all.