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bluemusickid · 4 years ago

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Ok so I have been this fantasy about Chris Evans lately... the reader and he are friends and Chris has a girlfriend but she’s not satisfying him in the bedroom and you guys get a little tipsy one night and you end up making all his naughty dreams a reality... and there will be lots of dirty talk like, “she can’t make you feel like this... or does her mouth feel as good as my mouth does, etc”... I need you to work your smutty magic on this one! Could be for any of his characters too! Whatever you’d prefer! ❤️

As much as I abhor cheating........this is a sexy one. Thanks for this one, nonnie!!

Pairing: Andy Barber x Fem!Reader

Warnings: 18+, SMUT, SMUUT, NSFW, minors DNI, drunk sex, dubcon (if you squint).

A/N: wHEW, this one was a toughie. I wanted to draw the line somewhere lol, but oh well. Hope you like it! MINORS PLS DNI. Not beta’ed, all mistakes are my own. You are responsible for your media consumption. Dividers by @firefly-graphics.

This is my entry to my own challenge (lol). The colour I have chosen is red, which symbolises passion, danger, excitement. <3

You took a swig from your bottle, grimacing at the bitter taste, the sight in front of you even more bitter than the drink itself. It would have to be your worst luck that Andy Barber was here at the party, but his girlfriend as well? Killed you.

It was especially worse since you had a humongous crush on him, which didn’t seem to go away, no matter how hard you tried. It was even worse that you had to act normal around him at work, for fear of being mocked or ridiculed by your coworkers.

Andy Barber had completely encompassed your world and was a part of every waking moment. You watched him get tipsier as time passed, dancing around with his friends, his girl not leaving his side even once. If looks could kill, she’d be dead by now.

Deciding that you needed some air, you stepped out, only faltering a bit as the alcohol was steadily making itself known. Trying to light a cigarette, you heard a few voices from the garage. Your good manners were screaming at you not to eavesdrop, but you couldn’t help it. The liquid courage was winning over.

“So she doesn’t go down on you?” a voice asked. You raised your eyebrows at the question.

“Uh..” you heard the answering voice sigh, followed by a nervous chuckle. Oh my gosh it was Andy. You waited with bated breath for his answer, not knowing what to expect.

"I mean we're happy with each other, she's a great girl, very kind and she's great with Jacob. But there's just no spark." He trailed off, slurring a bit at the end.

You didn't know what to feel about this little tidbit you heard; your brain was telling you that it was wrong to feel good but your senses, your mind was in jubilation. You scuttled off inside before you were caught, this new piece of information even more intoxicating than the alcohol.

You stumbled your way into a bedroom, trying desperately to find a washroom. Why was this place so goddamn big? You mused, relieving yourself, the earlier conversation playing in your head on loop. Shaking yourself mentally, you realised there was nothing you could do about it.

Stepping out, you nearly fell as you bumped into something, your foot getting caught in the doorframe. Strong arms grab onto your biceps, steadying you as you managed to straighten yourself. You looked up to thank the stranger, instead finding yourself looking into the eyes of your dream man.

"Are you ok?" He muttered, his voice soft against your ears. You inhaled sharply, your core tightening in response.

"I am now that you're here." You rasped, unsure of the words coming out of your mouth. Did you just say that? You had no game, generally.

He chuckled, tucking your hair behind your ear. "Who are you and what have you done with my sweet, innocent coworker?"

Mesmerized, you gaze at him in wonder. "Who said anything about me being innocent? I'm not a goody two shoes, I'm different." He looked at you, mildly amused. "Oh yeah? What makes you different?"

"Well, for starters, I know how to go down on my man." You whispered in his ear, moving past him, your hip brushing against his.

You had no time to register when he grabbed your wrist and pulled you to him, his chest colliding against your back. You gasped, turning around to face him, annoyance etched on his face. “What did you say?” he growled, his breath fanning your face.

Smirking, you ran your fingers through his hair, smoothing the crinkle between his eyebrows. “The walls have ears too, you know.” you murmured, stepping closer to him. The rough material of his pants was grazing your thigh, your core throbbing with need now.

Running a finger down his torso, you stopped at the button of his jeans, looking into his eyes, wanting some reaction. Silently, you softly palmed him through his jeans, revelling in the sharp intake of his breath. You looked up at him, for permission to continue, acceptance slowly seeping into his eyes.

Undoing his zipper, you graze your fingers over his boxers, the tent in his underwear causing your core to clench.

“Can she get you this hard with just one touch?" You softly whispered, running your nose along his. He closed his eyes, his palms closing into a fist. You could feel him mentally warring with his emotions, his body betraying him.

You entangled your lips with his, tugging on his lower lip, as you pulled down his underwear. "I bet she can't do this."

You ran your tongue in one single strip along his length, the tip of your tongue circling around the tip of his member. He moaned softly, his hands undulating, as he tried to stop himself from burying them into your hair. Grinning salaciously, you said, "Answer me, Andy. Can she?"

He gulped, his mouth thinning into a line. "No." He muttered, through gritted teeth. That's just what you wanted to hear. And so you began your amorous assault, taking him in your mouth till he was buried to the hilt. You swirled your tongue, letting your underside work his length. He groaned, his hands finally making their way into your hair, his resolve now fully broken. Bobbing your head around his length, you could feel him slowly thrusting deeper into your mouth.

Suddenly, he pulled you up, throwing you over his shoulder and dropping you unceremoniously onto the bed. Stunned, you were about to retort, but were cut off by his insistent lips. Gathering your wrists in one hand, he tried to tug off your panties, his impatience winning over as he tore them off, the material dangling limply from one of your legs. He circled your nub, his need to be within you ebbing steadily.

Bracing himself on his arms, his fingers locking with yours, he thrust into you in one move, leaving you breathless. His eyes trained onto you, seeing every emotion on your face, spurred him on, as he pounded into you. There was no other way to describe it except frantic coupling. Crossing your ankles, you pushed him deeper, the new angle hitting your front wall, your thighs quivering from the sensory overload. "This is what you wanted, isn't it? To be fucked thoroughly, like a whore?". You gasped, unable to form coherent thoughts, the depth and intensity in his eyes scaring you a bit. "Drop the act, sweetheart. I've seen you in office, swaying those fuckin' hips, batting your eyelashes. Don't act like you didn't want my cock in your pretty pussy, fucking you till you wept."

His words made you feel ashamed but in the deepest, darkest part of your heart, they turned you on like nothing else. They fed your libido, which was already wound tightly around his manhood. This man had you wound around his pinky, but you didn't mind. If that was the cost you had to pay to make him yours, you would pay it.

Pushing your legs up, he let go of your hands to caress your swollen bud. You screamed as the new position left you seeing stars, your legs nearly losing sensation, a warmth seeping through your body. Your silky walls grasped him tightly, to the point where you became one, as he shouted his release. Pulling out, he panted as he glanced at the sight in front of him; your overstimulated lips swollen and wet, messy from your intermingling fluids. He cleaned you up with a wet washcloth as you dozed, leaving as quietly as he could.

You woke up after some time, your limbs and pussy sore, you relishing the ache. You didn't see Andy anywhere, but you did see your clothes neatly kept in a pile at the foot of the bed. You were just about to reach for them when your phone dinged with a message alert. Bemused, you checked and saw it was from Andy.

"See you in office, sweetheart. P.S. Wear a skirt. Don't be late."

Part 2

Tags: @donutloverxo @chris-evans-indian-fanfic @gotnofucks @imdarkinme @ozarkthedog @savior-adriana @chrissquares @a-little-counter-esperanto @denisemarieangelina @chris-butt @patzammit @tenaciousperfectionunknown @worksby-d @starlightcrystalline @tinylumpiaa @whosmarisaaarw @jbreenr @melli0112 @harrysthiccthighss @bigchoose @violentyoshi

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edsbacktattoo · 2 years ago

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hey jams, for the fanfic end of the year ask: 1, 23, 25

i hope you're not feeling too under the weather!! get well soon!

Hi, Ella! Thank youuuu <3 it's mostly just a nasty cough and sniffle at this point. I'm just going out of my mind in this here room by myself.

favorite fic you wrote this year.

This is hard! I have a special place for all the fics I wrote this year, but I think my favourite is still Chasing Storms.

Writing this thing was an absolute trip from start to finish. I uploaded the first 6 chapters in one hit because they'd been sitting in my laptop for a few days and I just kind of thought 'fuck it. If this thing gets 10 hits, I'll be stoked.' Up until that point, all my writing had been very private so it was a pretty big leap.

And then I just had this flood of positive feedback and kindness and people telling me that they were enjoying the fic and that they liked the way I write and it was incredible. Recently, someone told me that they've read it 3 times. Can you believe that?! I may or may not have cried.

For my first ever fanfiction publishing experience, this fic is incredibly special to me. It's always going to be very, very close to my heart.

23. fics you wanted to write but didn’t

This is another toughie! To be honest, I think I've written (or I'm currently working on) everything I wanted to write this year. I don't tend to think up a great number of ideas, I just think of one and then write 100k+ words about it hahah. I think there might have been some smut pieces that I wanted to write that I never got around to, but there will certainly be time for those. :)

25. a fic you read this year you would recommend everyone read

I answered this one here, but another one of my absolute favourites is:

the knife and the throat by darcylindbergh (@forpiratereasons)

This fic is astounding. It's incredibly written, and so many of the lines feel like a damn gut-punch. I think about it all the time. It feels like each word has been carefully selected and arranged in the perfect order, without feeling forced. It just flows. I love this fic so much. Everyone read it, I beg.

Thanks so much for all the questions, Ella! <3 :)

Fanfic asks!

#these were great questions #thank you again <3 #ask game #fanfic

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mxvladdy · 4 years ago

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I would like to request! Can I request? Well I wish for you to consider what type of person/what kind of situation would cause the brothers to make a pact with someone. Maybe even what they would request in exchange? This can be before or after they met MC. With that out of the way, I totally binge read all of your works after my sister gushed to me about the True Form series, and just thank you??? It made me really happy reading them and it's always impressively detailed and well thought out.

Awww thank you! I’m glad it’s rave-worthy! I plan to add to it soon bc it was an absolute riot to write and research for lol

And wow this one is a toughie! I’ve actually never thought of what would make them want a pact! Hope ya like it!

Lucifer- Pact of Success

Absolutely the hardest brother to do business with, but that is probably a good thing. He is incredibly selfish with his contracts. Sure, they’ll benefit from his pact mark, but he will get the most out of it. Aside from MC he only takes requests for contracts from the human “elite”. They make wonderful feathers in his cap.

But also he takes some enjoyment in breaking them. They always get so cocky with his contracts thinking that they have him on the ropes and at their beck and call. It gives him a good chuckle, humans are so brazen considering their very short lifespan.

He destroys them slowly over time- all the little minutia he peppers in his legal bindings adds up. Not that his normal clientele ever read the fine print. But he designed it that way to make sure they don’t. All their requests are the same and so simplistic. Big boats, fancy cars, climbing the proverbial ladder faster than their friends or enemies - blah-blah-blah. At least the paperwork is easy to complete.

Very rarely does he find a contract he is excited to make. Those contracts are given to artists and craftsmen he sees potential in. He loves good art, and every artist should take pride in their work.

When it comes to the “price” of his pact it is worryingly simple. All he wants is some of their time. It sounds simple, and it is. Which is why it’s dangerous. The contract doesn’t specifically say how or the rules of it. How he takes your time is completely up to him.

Sometimes he simply comes for a drink and to ask how business is going. Or with the pacts he gives a damn about- he pops in to see progress on their artist visions or listen to their latest musings.

Other times if he grows tired of his pact holders’ ever-growing demands or ludicrous requests he comes and takes time right out of their lifespan. His visits leave them weak and fatigued though they can’t place why. He is a slow siphon of death and they are too foolhardy to notice. If he is feeling especially cruel, or sentimental he takes memories, things that a demon generally wouldn’t want.

Time with family, the first time they met the love of their life, a child’s birthday. He takes them all and leaves them with only a blurry recollection in his wake

When MC crosses his path though he is very apprehensive. He doesn’t want a pact or anything that could jeopardize Diavolo’s upcoming plans. But they make his skin itch with want. He doesn’t want them to be another trophy on his wall. He wants a mutually beneficial pact, one that almost leans in their favor and it grates him. Should/ when a pact is made he won’t use his powers on you as then he would have to take something in return. Instead, he takes his time and coaches them to be successful by their own right, though if he has to eliminate some obstacles- well they don’t need to know that.

Mammon- Pact of Riches

I love his man with all my heart, but even when he isn’t losing bets or getting tricked into pacts he still isn’t the most selective with who he conducts business with. He is the avatar of greed, after all. I guess it comes with the territory.

He scouts for already wealthy humans or people with a good head for numbers and is money smart. Some are too smart to deal with him, knowing that whatever monetary gain they are granted from him will backfire in the end (or their mama’s taught them not to make deals with strange demons). But a sucker is born every minute, and he has nothing but time on his hands.

His pacts are pretty simple and upfront. Sign on the dotted line and they get some of his wicked gamblers’ luck and more riches than one human life span could do much with. While he gets a glorified accountant and a nice percentage of their profits. It’s a win-win… for him.

See he forgets to mention that there are two sides to every coin, and his flip side is particularly detrimental to one’s health. He just so conveniently glosses over that his luck will wear out over time depending on how frequently the pact holder uses it.

But the hunger for more doesn’t. If anything that particular sensation grows into an all-consuming fire in the pit of their pitiful guts. It forces them back into the seedy basements or griming gambling halls. One more roll, one more stack of bills, just one more time and they will hit pay dirt surly! But the losses just keep coming. If one of his pact holders ends up face down in a ditch after one too many bad hands and uncontrollable greed… well ain’t nobody’s fault but their own.

He has a softer spot for humans that seek him out and treat him like a living being instead of some tool to be tossed around at will. It’s refreshing. He will actually take some care with these pacts and tell them to temper their use of his magic so they can get the most out of it in the long run. They still might run into misfortune and he is genuinely sorry for that but there is only so much he can do in the end.

With MC he doesn’t even tell them about what his pact can do or how to use it. He doesn’t want anything bad happening to his human. If they want something tell him he will do it himself no magic or pact summoning required. He wants to keep them happy and healthy for as long as his lifespan will allow.

If MC should find how to use his pact mark he will get pissed. Not so much at them but the situation in general. He’ll be upfront about the whole thing, judge him how they want but he refuses to let greed consume them too. He focuses a lot of time and energy on learning how to reel in his magic with them so they get some of the perks but none of the major downsides. Unlike with his other pacts where he lets it all just run wild (just means they use up their contact faster and he can move on to even bigger fish).

Leviathan- Pact of Wisdom and Skill

Surprisingly, despite his antisocial tendencies with “normies”, he gets around when it comes to contracts. Perhaps it’s jealousy at his other brothers or perhaps he finds collecting contracts a bit of a game on its own.

He has a small niche of people interested in his pacts. Pacts with him give people a strategic advantage in nearly any situation. Seemingly overnight his humans turn into near tactical geniuses. Because of that, he is very popular with military leaders and humans with dangerous careers.

He also makes mini contracts with foot soldiers and humans with dangerous oceanic jobs. They just want to make it out alive and he gets that. With contracts like these, he is more lenient and doesn’t ask for much. Make an offering of fancy food to Henry 2.0 or wait in line for a rare human figuring he wants. Wam-bam thank you ma’am kinda business.

This is completely different from his larger contracts. With the military contracts, he expects them to continue with their duties until they die in the field. Simple as that, he doesn’t mince words in his contract. It’s what he would do as General so he expects it from them. Should they try to define him he will get rid of them.

He takes delight in defiant contract holders. They think they are as clever as he is now. But they forget that they are using his magic. He could take his magic away right after they defy him sure...but he won’t. He lets them stew for a bit, thinking they have had the last laugh on envy. If they wish to play games with a General then he will make sure it’s good.

With MC he plays on easy mode, granting them insight and little touches of his magic during exam week or when playing a game against his brothers. He wants nothing in return from them but some quality hangout time.

Satan- The Pact of Retribution

As the only pure-blooded demon out of the seven, he does these pacts out of necessity like most other demons. While the others do it more so out of monetary gain and an obligation to the crown. Or if you’re Belphie, sheer enjoyment.

He does it because he hungers, it a hole in his very self that he is trying to fill. He hunts for one reason only- relief from his cardinal sin. He will never feel the calm after a storm of rage naturally. Patience and tranquility are the antitheses of his very creation. So he gets it artificially through his contracts.

He looks for the downtrodden, angry, and the most bitterly despondent humans he can find and gives them the chance to seek vengeance. He is very upfront with what his pact entails. Once the vengeance is complete his rage will consume them and they will become another soul for him to consume.

He isn’t cruel about the process or tries to trick a human into a mark. Very few of the ones he approaches turn him down even after hearing the details. It is possible that humans once shot to get even and he gets to feel bliss, to feel calm. He finds out that the longer or more obscure the plan for retribution is the sweeter the outcome is for Satan.

If he is feeling super ornery he will go after people affected by the outcomes of Lucifer’s pacts. They are easy prey and almost as wrathful as Satan himself. Bonus it aggravates Lucifer to no end when he has to go out of his way to clean up the mess Satan’s contract made of his own. Anything to piss him off makes Satan feel all the better.

With MC he doesn’t need to use his pact magic. Mostly because they are always around him in the Devildom, and no one is stupid enough to mess with someone Satan favors. If someone or something does irritate his MC he will take it out before it can fester into something his magic will try to latch onto. Keeping you calm and happy makes him feel almost tranquil as well.

Asmodeus- Pact of Gratification

Another very popular pact to try to get, and how could it not? He is fabulous~ But as much as people try to find him, he only goes for a certain type of contract. He has his perfectly manicured fingers on the pulse of the fashion and beauty industry.

His name is a whisper among the up and comers in the business. Many-while not looking for a pact - at least want to see him at least once. Many never will, they get cut from their agency or quit before they could get a foothold. It happens, and he hates to see it. Everyone deserves to feel gorgeous, or at least get a chance to be in the same room as him!

But for the ones the perceiver and climb the ranks get invited to one of his many parties. They can only get invited by someone wearing his mark. He trusts them to know who would be amenable to his contract.

His pact grants its bearer a glamor that can’t be broken by any meer mortal or mage. It makes them absolutely irresistible. How they wield that power is completely up to the user, he won’t judge or intervene.

Once they sign the contract all his holders see him frequently. He absolutely loves dropping in on their shoots or fancy dinners to say hi or get a recap on how they are fairing. Not because he is a nice demon or just super friendly (though they would like to think so). No, he just likes to watch.

His payment is slow, methodical and no one sees it happen until it is already complete. In exchange for beauty and the graduation of getting whatever their little hearts could as for he gets their ability to love, whether that be familiar or sexual. Asmo loves the feeling of being loved; he wants it in all ways possible.

Some pact holders don’t have an issue with this. They got their looks, a successful career, and people to manipulate to their heart’s content. Not having strong contentions with anyone works in their favor. But others don’t and while they search for him to try and get that little slice of humanity back he is long gone. He got what he wanted anyway.

MC is his darling. He can and will make a special contract just for them (reviewed by Lucifer). A beautiful new contract for a beautiful soul! He wants you as unchanged as possible because this MC is the one he fell for.

Beelzebub- Pact of Prowess

His pact is a very elusive one as he isn’t keen on going and looking for one. Beel isn’t a big fan of these trades, but he needs them every once and a while. Nothing is more filling than a contracted soul.

His trade is basic, make a pact and you get his strength. He, like Satan, is upfront about what his payment is and what side effects will plague them. He sees no reason to lie about it. The more they draw on his power the more the host's body gorges itself. Their bones will collapse in on themselves from the stress of it- the magic feeds on anything in the host bodies. It will deplete the iron in the blood, go after the calcium in the bones, sink its teeth in their muscle system.

It’s all rather gruesome and Beel does feel bad about it. He tells though who are still adamant about binding with him ways they can negate some of the side effects by taking supplements and augmenting their diets.

But it is like patching a deep cut with a bandaid, it just won’t work. His stomach is near bottomless- humans most certainly aren’t. They simply can’t eat enough to sustain their body like he can.

It surprises him that people still seek him out. To some, the pros outweigh that very huge cons. Some really do believe that they can find a loophole or find the right mix of medication to offset it.

He doesn’t get beaten up about it anymore but it gets on his nerves how obstinate humans can be about his very clear warnings. When his magic finally consumes them he takes both the body and soul back down with him and feasts on both.

With MC he keeps an eye out on them. Consistently checking in, making sure they don’t skip a meal, and join him at the gym often. He wants them to be strong and healthy enough to not ever want to use his pact. Though he does speculate that their angelic bloodline buffers both his and his brother’s magic a good bit.

Belphegor- Pact of the Visionary

Dreamers come in every shape and size and from different walks of life. But they are are all suckers to Belphie. He is known as the Lord of Decet for a reason.

He will promise them everything and anything their heart desires. That invention that will change the world? Done. A patent that is long overdue. Easy enough. A sudden rush of ingenuity to complete that nagging project. He is a devil of his word, it will be done. It- just won’t be done in the way they would want it.

See manipulating the physical realm is hard work. Like a lot of hard work. More than he would ever do for some stupid little human. It’s a lot easier to control outcomes in his realm.

The moment the contract is signed his hosts fall under his control and he takes it from there building a perfect little dream world for them to frolic in and believe they are getting what they want. He feeds off of them here, taking little sips from their energy and exploring these new fresh dream worlds. His dreamscapes get boring every once and a while, so having a new human under his influence is always refreshing.

While his humans thrive inside their minds their bodies waste away in bed as his magic draws them further and further into an endless sleep.

He doesn’t see anything wrong with his contracts. Who would argue with him that the dream realms aren’t real in their own sense? Did his humans not accomplish their goals in the end? He doesn’t think of the outside effects of his magic and pacts. Belphie really doesn’t care about what families he broke apart or lives he inadvertently affected.

MC is different to him though. He doesn’t keep them under his spell hardly ever (maybe if they are spending too much time with Dia or Lucifer. But he doesn’t push it with them.).He still walks into their dreams whenever he feels but he comes just to visit, not to change. He simply just enjoys keeping you company and relaxing in the little mini paradise you always seem to create in your dreams.

#obey me #request!#obey me luficer #obey me mammon #obey me leviathan #obey me satan #obey me asmodeus #obey me beelzebub #obey me belphegor #headcanon

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cygnetofthesea · 3 years ago

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Wisteria, shadow blue and cornflower 💜

Oh shit, Val interrogating me with 3 hard-hitting ones LOL

Thank you for the ask! 🤗

Wisteria: What’s your favorite thing about yourself?

Oof a toughie but, I guess the most basic answer is that I like to think I'm respectful and open-minded? Like even if something isn't my cup of tea, I'll either give it a try or let people eat their cake in peace. Basically, do you. My rule of thumb has always been do you, just don't 1) harm yourself and 2) harm others. I think that's a pretty chill motto.

Shadow Blue: Do you have a darker side to you that most people are unaware of?

I think everyone has a dark side so yes, I'd say so! For me especially, I can be quite private. Like to those that I've conversed with extensively, they know some stuff but it takes a long while to get comfortable and trust people so it takes me time to show all sides of me. But the "dark" side of me comes out either when I get depressed or if I witness bullying (which is a surefire way to get my blood boiling). So it's definitely not a space I try to dwell in.

Cornflower: What do you think about the most?

Shiiiit...the future? lol Yeah, I think I'm always stressing about getting my shit together, creating different ways to build a stable future, one that is full of options. It's one of my major flaws: I live more in the future, stressing about it rather than being present and smelling the roses.

#thank you for the ask Val!#damn you really made me think lmao #Ask Games #maybe tmi about me #bobrossstan #these asks made me so nervous LOL why? who tf knows

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andromedarune · 4 years ago

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[Piers/Reader] “Just One Night’s Rest”

DESCRIPTION: Babies really aren't your jam, but if it's so your best friend can get a good night's rest for once, you're willing to make an exception.

RATING: Teen and up (for adult language)

WORD COUNT: ~2,500

A/N: Hey so I have Piers brain rot (surprise, surprise) and wrote this fic when I was really super tired, so it might not be good but WHATEVER I TRIED MY BEST

(Inspired by some fan art of Piers with a Toxel I found on Twitter by Squidbiscuit)

(oh yah also this is a Gender-Neutral reader, so yah, right on)

* * *

It was another nippy evening in the gloomiest town in the entire region. You kept a brisk walk going while you made your way towards the further ends of the city; if you focused hard enough, you could just barely hear the sound of waves lashing out against the cliffs way beyond the tall, run-down buildings of Spikemuth. It’s been years since you’ve traveled down that area, and yet you still remember all the backpaths into the forest that led to the bluff, which had been technically off-limits for decades, now. You’d basically memorized everything about this damn city, which can’t really be too surprising, all things considered. It was home, after all.

But now wasn’t the time for running through the town, seeking thrills and nostalgia. No, you found yourself on this side of town because your best friend decided that he desperately needed your help for - oh, Arceus knows what - at damn near six o’clock at night. It wasn’t the first time he’s called you out here on short notice (and definitely wouldn’t be the last), so you had your own little pity-party before getting out of your comfy bed, putting back on all your winter gear, and trudging out into town.

It isn’t too long of a trip, thankfully; you march up to the tall, banged-up steel gate that leads up to his house, mindlessly tapping in the numerical password you’d memorized years before. It opens easily. You walk through, stuffing your cold hands into your jacket pockets as you make your way up the porch steps and knock on the doorbell.

A moment passes by.

You stand there, shifting your weight from foot to foot, awkwardly trying to move around to create warmth without looking like a total moron. Your eyes glance at the doorbell just a few inches away from the door. Probably still broken, you think to yourself. Fix your fucking shit, Piers.

Just before you think to call him, the door opens. Despite your best attempts, a snicker cuts through your mouth.

Piers really can never be described as someone who looks “put-together,” but seeing him now - serious Zigzagoon eyes, ponytail ridden with worrisome knots, black sweater notably wet in odd places with an even odder substance, the weird red rubber gloves that were duct-taped onto his limbs, expression reaching newfound levels of grumpiness that just screams ‘I have never been more dead inside in my life’ - it’s impossible to not laugh. He just looks down at you as you throw a hand over your mouth; at least he seems a bit relieved that you’re here.

“Sorry, sorry,” you eventually manage to say, “your face there was perfect.”

“Whatever you say…” is his grumbling reply.

The taller man moves aside for you to enter, and you happily do. While the house itself isn’t much to really note (Piers was never one to keep too much stuff, even though he’s lived here for ages, now), you were kind of surprised to see that even with there hardly being anything around to mess up, literally everything looked all sorts of, well, messed up. The couch had that strange gooey stuff along the cushions, singe marks lining the armrests as well; a coffee table had been toppled over, one of the legs entirely missing; a trail of what looks to be blank sheet music papers lined down from the kitchen and disappeared down the hall. You gave Piers a confused glance.

“This, uh… this isn’t a datura party, is it?”

Piers shoots you an overdramatic offended gasp.

“‘Course not! It’s just… well, uh, it’s…”

You open your mouth to say something, only for a distinct whine in the distance to cut you off. Immediately, you’re giving Piers a cold glare; the man laced his hands together, damn near going to a knee as he gave you the biggest set of pleading eyes he possibly could.

“Please, please, please - I really need your help!”

“I don’t do babies, Piers.”

“It’s just a little Toxel - hardly anythin’ like a human baby.”

“Oh, yeah, because a pokemon baby is so much easier to take care of.”

He couldn’t really argue with that. But you could still see the hopefulness in his eyes as he tiptoed closer to you.

“I seriously need your help, though… With the concerts and the gym gettin’ ready to open up for the season, I’m runnin’ all over the place. And Toxel are super finicky - they need constant supervision! It’s bad enough havin’ to watch the little guy when I’m workin’, but I haven’t even had an inch of sleep in weeks. Just one night - that’s all I’m askin’.”

“Why’re you asking me? I’m not the one who raised my baby sibling.”

“Marnie doesn’t have anythin’ on a baby Toxel. Besides, she’s staying the night at a friend’s house, and… well, you’re the only other person I can really trust with somethin’ like this.”

A loud crash in the distance catches your attention. You grimace, but when you return to look at your friend with the full intent of saying ‘Yeah, no,’ he’s got those big baby blue eyes glimmering down at you. Your grimace tightens. You’re stronger than this, don’t let him get to you.

“P-please,” he mutters pitifully, “I’ll… I’ll… I’ll owe you one - no, fifty! I’ll buy all your video games, give you front row seats to shows, buy you more stuffed animals from those overpriced shops you like - just please help me out here.”

Well, when he’s begging like that and making that face, it’s really hard to say no. You glance off to the side, pretending to be oh so inconvenienced by him when really it’s that odd look in his eyes that’s making you a bit weak in the knees.

“Uhg… fine. But just tonight. And it’s not my fault if anything else gets broken - I’m really no good with babies, Piers. You’ll totally owe me for life after this.”

Perhaps driven mad from his sleeplessness, he nods without hesitation. You watch as he frantically rips off the rubber gloves and tosses them over onto the couch, making an attempt to run his fingers through his hair when it immediately snags and pulls a helpless groan of frustration from his throat. You laugh a bit at that, though it’s laced with some pity.

Piers eventually guides you down the hall, pointing to the door just to the right; it’s partially open, the sounds of paper being ripped to shreds and the occasional croak of a baby Toxel all to be heard from its depths. Before you make you way down, he grabs your shoulders, forcing you to look up at him once more.

“I seriously can’t thank you enough. Toxel isn’t anythin’ to be scared of - he’s just a baby, after all. Even bein’ a poison-electric type, he can’t really hurt you too bad.”

“It’s not him I’m worried about...” you mumble out.

Piers chuckles a bit, giving you a gentle pat on the head.

“Don’t sweat it. He’s a toughie. I don’t think you could really hurt him if you tried. All I’m askin’ is that you keep an eye on him for a few hours, make sure he doesn’t eat nothin’ bad or completely destroy my house. But if it gets too much, just wake me up and I’ll take over - no problem, alright?”

You manage a nod. Piers gives you shoulders a little squeeze before turning on his heels.

“Ooookayy…” he suddenly slurs out, stumbling into a wall briefly before reorienting himself. “... ‘m goin’ to bed… see ya at six…”

“Yeah, uh, sure. Night…”

He hums, disappearing down the shadows of the hall with only the soft click of his door closing to be proof that he didn’t vanish into the void. Hesitantly, you glance over at the baby room, where now banging sounds can be heard. You take a deep breath, gathering up all your resolve before heaving a harsh exhale. Alright! I can do this! How bad can this Toxel be, anyway?

*Several God-Forsaken Hours Later…*

“Toxel, please,” you cried out, teetering left and right from a combination of balancing on the wobbly stool and from the sheer nausea you felt after getting hit face-first with a Toxic technique. Your hands were trembling from all the numbness pricking deep into your palms, but nevertheless, you reached hopelessly towards the baby pokemon. Toxel gave you a hearty raspberry, digging deeper into a jar of Arceus know what from atop the fridge. “Please, buddy, let’s go nigh-nigh. Wanna go nigh-nigh?”

Toxel let out a belch, his chubby face covered almost completely in some kind of berry jam. At this point, you could hardly care about how Piers would react. Your main priority for the past several hours had been solely on getting a firm grip on the baby. And, true to the Spikemuth citizen, this little guy was being anything but obedient.

Desperately red eyes spun around the room, hoping for anything to entice Toxel into your hands. Thankfully, you were able to tuck away most everything dangerous that he might have gotten into (though at one point he did get his hands on a spoon he found underneath the couch - it took you nearly an hour to finally get him out from there, especially when he found shocking you with the spoon just so entertaining). You looked across the dining room table, seeking the mess from an earlier meal you’d failed at making, to the countertops that you tried to clean gooey purple poison off of several times through the night, and even to the sink where you’d also tried (and, of course, failed) to give Toxel a bath. Nothing immediately caught your eye until…

Your smile spread maniacally across your face as you honed in on a new target. Passing a sneaky glance to the baby, you reached over into a slightly ajar cabinet and grabbed a juicy-looking oran berry.

“Oh, Toxel~,” you coo affectionately to the pokemon. Initially, he lifts his head with perhaps full intention to blow another disgruntled raspberry in your direction, only for his eyes to widen in recognition of what you held out in your hand. A small, dare you say cute ribbit of curiosity was faintly heard from his throat. Toxel moved away from the berry jar, reaching his grubby little hands out to the berry.

“You gotta come here if you want the berry.”

Toxel immediately complied, crawling towards the end of the fridge with no regard for if he fell. Even with the numbness from his electric secretion in his skin, you manage to snatch up the baby, pulling him close to your chest before he fell out of your grasp. A part of you nearly let out a mad cackle; another part of you considered crying. Thankfully, because you still had some semblance of sanity left in your husk of a body, you simply gave a tired sigh and looked down at the baby. “Okay… Snackies and then it’s off to sleepy time junction…”

You slowly meandered back into the living room, stepping over various chair legs and abandoned drawers on route to the couch. Your body ached more and more the closer you got; you all but collapsed into the cushions, hardly caring about the poisonous slime or gooey whatever that coated the entire piece of furniture. Toxel got cozy on your lap, gnawing at the berry. Seeing him so damn determined to eat the fruit pulled a light-hearted chuckle from your lips. Gently, you took the berry from his fingers, ignoring his growls of disapproval.

“Look, Toxie,” you lowered your voice, letting the nails of your thumbs shakily dig into the thick skin of the fruit, pulling it apart so that the juicy innards were easily accessible. A light, sweet smell wafted immediately into the air. “You gotta take the skin off, first, buddy. Here ya go.”

Toxel gratefully accepted the fruit, wasting no time in digging into the fruity flesh. Aside from his soft croaks of satisfaction, the house had finally seemed to fall silent. Slowly, your eyes began to flutter; your head leaned back. The pleasant environment that had befallen over the abode was far too comfortable to resist just another second more of darkness…

… Piers slowly began to stir, letting out an involuntary groan as he rolled over to his back. His eyes fluttered open, and much to his surprise, the house wasn’t totally in pieces. Or, at least the chaos hadn’t spread into his room, yet. The man let out a soft chuckle at that thought. He’d definitely be hearing about this for a long time from you - but for that warm, cozy restfulness he had at the moment, it was definitely worth it. He just hoped you didn’t completely hate him. After all, he knew how nasty this certain Toxel could be, and he really knew how much you hesitated when it came to young pokemon. But even if he’d basically end up handing over all his credit cards and bank accounts to you, Piers would make sure to let you know how grateful he was just for just this little favor.

He had his own little stretch and eventually pulled himself out of the warmth of his covers. He found himself glancing over at his closet door mirror, adjusting his hair a bit and resetting his slightly twisted up shirt - the poor lad was so tired the night before that he didn’t bother getting undressed like he normally does. Which was probably a good thing - not sure how he would have reacted if you ended up having to chase Toxel into his room and found him damn near skyclad. Before that thought could wander to some dangerous daydream, Piers quickly broke away from his reflection and headed towards the door. Now was probably a good time to rescue you.

To be honest, Piers figured that the house would be in a worse state. But judging by the piles of broken objects shuffled into corners or onto hastily wiped tables, it looks like you even tried to clean up a bit. He didn’t know why he laughed at that fact; probably because it was you. Piers shuffled down the hall, peering around corners with curious eyes that he may see you in some comical situation at the mercy of an infantile pokemon. However, much to his surprise, he could just barely hear the sound of snores coming from the living room.

Piers leaned in, and immediately tensed up at the sight.

You, sprawled out on the couch with one leg dangling to the floor, baby Toxel all curled up nice and cozy on your chest. Both so sweetly sound asleep. Piers nearly passed out from it; even after all these years of knowing you, you had never seemed so… peaceful? Reticent? Maybe…. Even… beautiful? He looked down at the two of you for a few breaths more, memorizing every single aspect of this moment - it’d make for a great song, if he ever got the courage to write it. Eventually, he crept a bit closer, kneeling at your side with a soft exhale. Yeah, you were out like a light, and Toxel seemed no different. So the taller man indulged a bit more in the peacefulness of morning, leaning over the back of the couch with his eyes shut and patiently waiting for you to wake up to him there.

#pokemon #pokemon sword and shield #pkmn #swsh #pokemon swsh #piers #gym leader piers #piers/reader #pierxreader #piers x reader #gender neutral reader #gn!reader #reader don't like no babies #but they'll deal with it for piers #piers has a crush #reader's got her own shit to worry about lol #Toxel is A LOT to deal with

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yallemagne · 4 years ago

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14, 15, and 16 for the art asks!

14. Do you ever collaborate with others? If you count people in the JCS Discord seeing my random shit and taking it as a drawing challenge, yeah. *side-eyes the blobsonas and bombardment of 2k Jedas dipping*

15. How long does an average piece take you to complete? Humm, that's a toughie. Especially with traditional vs digital and sketching vs painting. For digital,, well,,, most of my stuff is unfinished and the recent stuff I've been posting has either been stuff I knocked out in a day or art from months ago that I'm just now finishing. For the Jedas crossover comic, it takes a day. It's so much easier to get stuff done when you don't have privileges like multiple layers. OKAY, GET TO THE POINT! On average, recently it takes a few days. Most of my Hades art took about 10 days, and some of those were full paintings.

16. Do you draw more today than you did in the past, or do you draw less? MORE. At least I think. I have no idea how long it took me to finish stuff previously to getting a drawing tablet or what my average was. I'll hit a brick wall most likely when summer ends. BUT I'M HAPPY TO HAVE A RENAISSANCE THANKS TO JESUS MUSICALS!

#update #people ask me things #peach0cake

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hermitcamau · 5 years ago

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Surprises

Notes: WellsBlazes (WB) is Bdubs’s Cam; ImpulseCam (Imp) is Impulse’s Cam, and TangoCam (Tangy) is Tango’s Cam) Also, I was listening to @thatreallyminecraftsmygender‘s song “Boom” while writing! It’s really good, go listen to it on Soundcloud!

“Welp, this is it!” Tango announced cheerfully as he stood up, wiping his brow on the back of his arm. Impulse sighed with relief, leaning on the wall and fanning himself with his hands. Bdubs gave a similar exhalation, but he was able to stay upright. “D’ya think they’ll like it?”

“They better!” Bdubs cried out, and the three men laughed. Impulse was the first to crawl out the makeshift entrance, careful to not hit anything with his feet, and the other Boomers followed. Tango blocked off the entrance with a trapdoor, hoping it would blend into the wall well enough. Bdubs turned to Impulse, who was rifling through the barrel full of orders from various Hermits.

“What’s up next?” Bdubs asked, looking over the other’s shoulder. Impulse deftly handed him a paper before standing. The Boomer read the paper and his face scrunched up. “Ah geez, that’ll be a toughie. Who even needs that many trees blown up?”

“X, apparently. Says he wants to see if it’s faster than chopping them down, and we’re the experts.” Impulse pulled a cloth out of his pocket and began to wipe down the front desk.

“Hell yeah, we are!” Tango cheered from behind the desk, where he was reviewing a map of Xisuma’s jungle area. “C’mon Cam, let’s-” He suddenly looked up, then facepalmed. “Right, we told them to stay home today.” Bdubs chuckled as he sidled up to Tango, resting a hand on his shoulder.

“It’s fine, I forget all the time too! WB got kinda grumpy when I told him to stay at my place, wouldn’t stop pouting about it.” Slowly, his expression twisted. “Kinda bothering me though, right? Or am I alone in this?”

“No, I feel the same.” Impulse agreed as he put away his cleaning rag. “When I asked Imp to remain at the base, he got this… look on his face, really gloomy.” He gazed up at his friends. “Was that the right move?”

“Well, we didn’t want them seeing the project! That would’ve spoiled the surprise!” Tango disputed, rolling up the map and hitting it on his open palm. His gaze softened when he saw the look on Impulse and Bdubs faces, however. “Maybe we coulda said it better though. I got into a bit of a fight with Tangy, he’s always been feisty.” He chuckled lowly.

“Oh, idea!” Impulse perked up, and the others tilted their heads at him. The redstoner pulled his communicator out of his pocket and began to read aloud his typing. “‘Meet us on top of Zedaph’s mountain in 10 minutes!’” He sent out the message to Tango, Bdubs, and all their Cams. Impulse smiled at his friends. “C’mon; let’s go hang out with the Cams.” Joe Hills Time Skip! Imp stared over the horizon, keeping an eye out for their Hermits, as Tangy and WB played ‘stone/paper/sword’. “They should’ve been here 3 minutes ago!” He muttered, trying not to complain but certainly not happy. The other Cams looked up from their game and nodded. Tangy floated up to Imp and rested his hands on his hips.

“Those jerks! They leave us at home all day, they want to act all buddy-buddy? No way! I’m not gonna- THEY’RE HERE!” The Cam’s mood did a 180-degree turn when he spotted his Hermit appear on the horizon. Imp and WB also cheered up, and all three took off instantly.

“HEYO!” Tango called out at the tiny figured zooming towards them. He just barely slowed down before Tangy slammed face-first into his chest. The Hermit laughed as he continued to fly towards the mountain with his cam snuggled into his arm, the others doing the same. Once all of them had landed, the Cam started yelling in high-pitched voices, demanding answers as to why they were left at home.

“What were you doing without us?” WB indignantly implored, crossing his arms and floating in front of Bdubs’s face. Bdubs tried to explain, but he couldn’t come up with an excuse.

“We’re supposed to help you, why won’t you let us?” Imp had tears in his eyes, dejection clear on his face. Impulse held his Cam closer, wiping his eyes with a tissue from his pocket and murmuring.

Tango allowed Tangy to continue ranting, wanting to hear every argument and claim against him. Finally, once the Cam had finished, the peak of the mountain was eerily silent before Tango began to speak with tears beginning to form in the corners of his ruby-red eyes.

“Guys, we’re so sorry. We didn’t mean to hurt your feelings by leaving you at home; we were trying to set up a surprise for you, and having you help us would’ve ruined it. But I see now how… how insulting you would find that. You were designed to help us, so telling you not to- it just goes against your nature. We’re sorry. I’m sorry.” Everyone stared at Tango, surprised at how maturely he was apologizing. Tangy closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and threw himself into Tango’s chest.

“No, no, no! You can’t cry, don’t cry!” The Cam babbled. “No- wait, why am I crying! Dammit!” Tango laughed softly, wrapping his arms gently around him. Bdubs also allowed WB to curl up his chest, Impulse already holding Imp. For a few minutes, the Hermits sat on the mountain, whispering assurances to their Cams as if they were children. Once the Cams had fully calmed down, Impulse spoke up.

“Well, you heard Tango earlier; we have a surprise for you! So let’s head back to the Boomers shop to show you, ‘kay?” Everyone nodded, and the three Cams all crawled out of the Hermit’s arms. Flying back, the mood lightened considerably as they began to crack jokes and talk about their days. Finally, the group had reached the shop, and the Cams excitedly zipped inside, looking for whatever surprise was in store for them.

“Guy, over here!” WB pulled open the new trapdoor, and Tangy and Imp hurried inside. Tango, Impulse, and Bdubs allowed the Cams to enter before they crawled after them. Once inside, the Cams all gasped in awe.

The room was only two blocks high but to them it was massive. In the center, a half-slab table sat with three buttons that could be used as seats nearby, and bookshelves full of trinkets and tools surrounded it. The walls were covered in maps that were red with blue stripes, courtesy of VintageBeef, and glowstone lit the room. And lastly, hanging over the entrance was a version of the Boomer’s logo, with the caption “Zoomers” at the bottom. Everyone knew that the Boomer’s Cams were the fastest fliers in the server, which earned them their nickname.

“It’s GORGEOUS!” Bdubs raced around the room, admiring the simple room design with intricate details. Tangy and Imp also looked around, pulling items off shelves and admiring the lights. The Cams turned to their Hermits, who watched them happily.

“THANK YOU!” The Cams cheered, smiles wide on their faces. It was a perfect surprise, and though they still despised being left at home, the wait was worth it.

#hccamaccountau #hermitcraft #tangotek #tangocam #impulsesv #impulsecam #bdoubleo100 #bdubs #wellsblazes #the boomers #fanfic #1k words

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theredscreech · 5 years ago

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Grammar Tips That Are Actually Useful #2

So I honestly didn’t expect to do another one of these, but ever since my first GTTAAU post got a whole bunch of hits over the last few days, I decided to do another one about a popular piece of grammar that I notice is often misused.

Writers, gather ‘round as we explore the dreadful and terrible aspect of writing that is the...

Epithet.

Dun, dun, duuuuuuuun!

I first want to preface this by saying that I was notorious for this. I am so sorry to everyone who read my TMNT fics from 2016; I didn’t know better and I apologise profusely!! I went entire pages without naming a character in the narrative and I have no one to blame but my own ignorance, which has now been remedied - Hallelujah!

To explain: An epithet has a few definitions, so let’s take a look at them. (Definitions courtesy of dictionary.com.)

1. Any word or phrase applied to a person or thing to describe an actual or attributed quality: “Richard the Lion-Hearted” is an epithet of Richard I.

2. A characterizing word or phrase firmly associated with a person or thing and often used in place of an actual name, title, or the like, as “man's best friend” for “dog.”

3. A word, phrase, or expression used invectively as a term of abuse or contempt, to express hostility, etc.

In other words, an epithet is an adjective or noun to describe or name someone without using their proper name.

(There’s a ton more under the Keep Reading, so buckle up.)

Epithets are used in a variety of ways to describe a variety of any character’s characteristics (haha). Most common examples for this are:

hair - the blond, the blonde, the black-haired person, etc.

eye-colour - the green-eyed person, the brown-eyed person, etc.

skin-colour - the pale-skinned person, the dark-skinned person, etc. (Side note: NEVER use food to describe skin colour/tone (eg. olive-skinned). It is offensive and wrong, so just don’t. If you have any questions, I’d encourage you to follow @writingwithcolor (which I do). They have excellent commentary for writers who write characters of varying ethnicities, religions, etc. Check out their FAQ before asking anything, though, because they’ve answered a ton of different questions already.)

status - the child, the teen, my boyfriend, his husband, etc.

profession - the engineer, the doctor, the ninja, etc.

species - the dwarf, the human, the dragon, etc.

or any combination - the green-haired teen (I saw this one in a fic from Izuku’s own POV), the orange-masked turtle (this one is mine and also from Mikey’s POV, and I am sooooo sorry.), etc.

There are, of course, dozens more of examples, but these are the most common ones, especially in fanfiction, so let’s leave it at that.

So why do writers use epithets so often?

Honestly, it becomes tedious and repetitive to write out the characters’ names all the time. It looks odd, too, all those ‘Mikeys’ and ‘Izukus’ and ‘Natasha Romanovas’ and what-nots. They’re just prancy-dancing all over your page and it looks. so. off. There’s just something about seeing characters’ names that, for whatever reason, some writers don’t like. And I kid you not, I had to train myself out of this way of thinking.

I had to train myself because as soon as I learned about epithets, I saw that I was using them absolutely everywhere. I would write literal pages without using anyone’s name, and four years later, I look back at those stories I wrote and posted publicly, and I cringe. But it’s the good kind of cringing because it lets me know how far I’ve come in my writing craft, that even though I’ve been writing for years and years, there’s always something new to learn. There’s always something to improve upon.

“Good for you, Red, but why are epithets so bad?”

Well, technically they’re not bad. They’re just used poorly or overused or both (as was my case).

We’ve already talked a bit about over usage (unless you missed the parts where I confessed to writing pages without using names), so let’s talk about poor usage.

Poor usage of epithets is when epithets are used incorrectly.

Here’s an example: Mikey looked at his red-masked brother.

Gah, that physically pained me to write! Okay, so what’s wrong with this sentence? Well, unless we’re writing for Mirage Studios’ comic (1984) where all four turtles of the TMNT wore red masks, then we’ve got a pretty good idea that ‘red-masked brother’ actually means ‘Raphael’.

Okay, great, so we know ‘red-masked brother’ is Raph, so why is this an example of poor epithet usage?

Answer: Because we already know Raph has a red mask. It is set. It is eternal. It’s a part of who he is, just like his skin or his shell. If you are at all familiar with this character, you will know that Raph is the ‘red-masked turtle’.

Here’s the thing epithets do. Epithets estrange characters from each other. This is why they’re most commonly and properly used for characters whom either we as the audience/narrator or the characters themselves do not know.

This is why phrases like ‘the dark-clad figure’ or ‘the blonde cashier’ are so popular - because we do not know who the people are! Sure, we can always go up to the dark-clad figure and introduce ourselves, or we can look at the blonde cashier’s name tag, and that’s sort of the point because we do not know who these people are yet. Epithets are used, more often than not, for unknowns until they are made known.

There are exceptions to this, of course, of course, most commonly of which are status ones: my husband, his son, their niece, etc.

These are fine, but use them wisely and sparingly (tying into the over usage part again).

Here’s a better example: I walked into the kitchen and found my husband already there and making breakfast for all three children.

‘My husband’ and ‘all three children’ are epithets, but they don’t estrange the characters, per se, because they’re letting us know who’s who and their importance to the narrator/character. That being said, you should still use ‘my husband’ sparingly because if you’re ‘my husband’-ing your husband, whose name is Henry, all over kingdom come, it begins to sound...not good. Like, why would you need to remind yourself Henry is your husband all the time? Do you have amnesia? Are you just forgetful? Are you insecure? Maybe he was unfaithful at some point and he’s doing better, but you’re internalising that and reinforcing the fact that he’s yours? Maybe you just don’t like his name? Or don’t know his name?

Hard to say.

The fact of the matter is this: the closer the characters are in terms of their relationship (platonic, romantic, as friends, as siblings, whatever), the less they will use epithets for each other.

For example: I, personally, have never thought of my mother as ‘the brown-haired woman’. She has always been mom or mum or other such derivatives. It never crosses my mind.

Contrarily, when I’m working at the book store and I’ve taken a few things up to the cash desk for a customer, I’ll let the cashier know that the items are for ‘the curly-haired woman with sunglasses’. Because she is a stranger to me.

Consider Disney’s film Lady and the Tramp (1955). I haven’t seen the live action, so I can’t make a comparison, but the 1955 version fits for what I want to talk about here.

Please name Lady’s owners.

If you said, ‘Jim Dear’ and ‘Darling’, you would be absolutely correct! While we can safely assume that ‘Jim Dear’ is actually ‘Jim’ or even ‘James’, we have no idea of Darling’s real name. Some pet names and nicknames are technically epithets if we’re being especially pedantic today (please see Disney’s Tangled’s character Flynn Ryder’s nickname for Rapunzel), but let’s say for the sake of argument that all pet names fall into the category of proper names, particularly since we’re talking about Lady and the Tramp (1955).

If you listen closely, you will notice that not once - not a single time, ever - do any of the characters that know Jim Dear and Darling call them by anything else (except for Jim Dear’s men friends at the baby shower; they all call him ‘Jim’). Even Darling’s friends call her ‘Darling’. Jock and Trusty both call Lady’s owners/masters ‘Jim Dear’ and ‘Darling’. Never ‘Lady’s owners’ or whatever else.

This is a perfect example of using names instead of epithets. It helps immensely that they aren’t main characters - secondary characters, certainly, but not main - but the point remains.

“But, Red, the Tramp never calls Lady by her name!”

And you’re right! But there’s a reason for that: Lady never formally introduced herself. The story begins in December of 1909 (thank you, Wikipedia). So by the time Lady is six months old, we’re well into 1910. Conventions in this era, as far as I know, not that I am an expert, dictate that ladies/women introduce themselves so that men could then address them (or something like that? Someone please correct me if I’m wrong). Since Lady never does that, Tramp is reduced to giving her the pet name ‘Pigeon’ or ‘Pige (Pidge?)’. Also, Lady doesn’t find out Tramp’s name until the dogs at the pound tell her.

Either way, Tramp is forced to use a pet name, but it is not an epithet simply because ‘Pigeon’ isn’t describing Lady’s characteristics.

Now, Tramp on the other hand...is a characteristic, and someone can definitely win the argument of whether this is an epithet or not. Hint: it is because it’s preceded by ‘the’. He is literally introduced as ‘the Tramp’ (Bull, the bulldog, says it first in a scene with him, Peg and the Tramp, and then Toughy drops it at the pound in front of Lady). This is his epithet, his defining characteristic, because he is introduced as it: The Tramp.

But this is not his only characteristic. He’s helpful and compassionate (the entire scene when he fights off three alley dogs chasing Lady and then proceeds to help her get the muzzle off), he’s also playful (shows Lady there’s more to life than “life on a leash”), courageous (he fights a rat), and respectful of Lady’s choices (tries to persuade her to run away with him but pursues the matter no further when she tells him ‘no’, and he also backs off when she’s mad at him).

This is what epithets do. Not only do they estrange the characters, but they also reduce the characters to a base level. Those well-rounded, complex babies you so carefully crafted become one-dimensional and flat in the span of a single phrase. They become ‘black-haired men’ and ‘green-eyed teens’ and ‘red-masked brothers’ and in that moment, that is all they are and when you continue to reinforce that, that is all the readers will see them as. Besides the fact that readers might very well forget their names entirely, especially if it’s an original work where the audience is not as familiar with the characters as they would be with fanfiction.

This is why Lady never addresses Tramp directly in the film. If she’s speaking to him, she’s looking at him so he knows she’s addressing him. It’s a subtle nuance in the film because Lady refuses to reduce Tramp to his epithet (once she learns it) because he isn’t that basic. (Another reason why Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp’s Adventure bugs me because I swear she actually calls him ‘Tramp’ and it feels so wrong for her to address him like that.) But Tramp gives Lady a nickname. See the difference?

So, yes. While epithets are not strictly bad, they are best when used properly and sparingly. Like, yes, please, feel free to remind us that Mikey loves his brothers and that Katsuki calls his friends ‘Spiky-hair’ or whatever. These are descriptive and good and should be used, just be aware of when and how often you use them, not to mention why. If you’re simply using an epithet for the sake of avoiding saying someone’s name, then it’s poor usage.

And holy freaking wow, this thing is ginormous! I’m going to stop here because I don’t think I can write another word about epithets and how important they are.

Thank you for reading! I hope this helps. And a reminder: check out RavenshellRorschach on DeviantArt for comprehensive how-to’s on some of English’s toughest homophones and grammar points.

Cheers, y’all!

~ Red

#writing advice #grammar #gttaau #this might become a series #epithets

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thehoneyedhufflepuff · 5 years ago

Note

1,17 and 19 for the writer asks :)

Thanks for the ask! I’m going to try to take sporadic breaks from work to answer these, y’all. You’re all going to keep me sane today. 💜

1. Who is the hardest character for you to write?

This answer changes depending on the story. Post-CO, I found I didn’t have trouble writing either Simon or Baz. (though I do sometimes get a little hit of OMG, I didn’t characterize them right anxiety. But that’s besides the point lol.) Post-WS...is tricky to say. I’ve not dabbled in it too much yet, tbh. (Y’all have probably noticed that if I write in canon universe, it’s usually post-canon stuff. Oh how I wish I could write those good good Watford-era canon-divergent fics. Anyway.) But yes, the only post-WS fics I have so far are ones I wrote during the countdown that I set a while post-canon events so I didn’t have to fully explore them. And then there’s Crumble, which I really like. Be With Me is the one I have a good chunk of anxiety about. It’s meant to be my take on a post-WS (&, theoretically, a post-AWTWB world, chapter 2 onward) exploration of intimacy for them. Next chapter (or next few chapters) will be written for the COBB, & I haven’t touched it since I posted the first chapter for the countdown, & I just…

I’m nervous about it. It’s not hard for me to imagine how they’re feeling, per se, but it’s difficult stuff to write. I know it’s difficult because a lot of what’s going on there is emotional stuff I’m sort of exploring in BTL, & that has proved a challenge. (And also I feel like I’ve already gone wrong with how I wrote chapter one [though it’s been well-received, I think] & also some dumb dick brain feelings about how there’s no point in me writing it, but that’s dick brain for you.)

I was going to say that in BTL-verse, Baz is the most difficult. Which is especially tricky because I think he gets the most screen-time POV-wise. I’m not sure how much of that has to do with my skill level as a writer, or the fact that it’s just hard to weave in his mental process with everything else, or that writing can just be hard sometimes. Maybe a bit of all three.

TL;DR: it depends lol

17. What is the most supportive comment you have gotten?

I don’t think I can pick just one! God, my commenters are wonderful. I’ll try to narrow this down to a few here.

Literally every single comment on last chapter of BTL was a godsend.

Recent comments from the following people have given me Big Feelings: @grownupyaflover @foolofabookwyrm @amphipodgirl & @fxandchill (via DM; I was too compromised to articulate anything at all lol 🥰)

@pipsqueakparker @krisrix @rareandbeautifulthing are so incredibly thoughtful with their comments, & it’s always such a delight to read them. Thank y’all.

And lastly, this comment I got on Housewarming, which still makes me very happy. Sex scenes are super hard to write (no euphemism), & when I write them I’m trying to explore emotion, & this just made me feel like I was actually achieving that. (Also, it was a good reminder for me today.)

Side note: no need to EVER apologize for leaving lovely comments, y’all. It’s sometimes especially heartening on fics of this variety. 💜

19. How do you handle negative comments?

I have, thankfully, not received a full-on negative comment since the Great Merry Gentlemen Debacle of March 2019, however that might be due to the fact that I turned off anon commenting after that.

This is a toughie for me, honestly. Because I fully believe that 1. We are in charge of our own feelings & it is our responsibility to deal with how we react to things, & also 2. People shouldn’t be assholes in the comments. I honestly do sometimes wonder how many negative comments I’ve avoided by turning off that option on AO3 (not to mention how many positive ones I’ve avoided, unfortunately), but in the end it’s better for me to have some control over that aspect of my experience, I suppose.

At the end of the day, it’s about loving what you do, & about the other people out there who also love what you do. But sometimes it’s hard to brush off negativity (in my case, because my brain likes to latch on to that shit, but also probably at least a little because I’m human). Honestly though, I’ve found most people in this fandom to be incredibly lovely, so I think we’re pretty lucky in that respect.

asks from this list 💜

#asks #my fanfiction #writing schtuff #writing probz

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whatkindofnameisella · 4 years ago

Note

2,4,6,8

ok first of all going to cry bc i wrote this out in a very long and non-succinct way and accidentally hit the back button on my mouse and it. all got deleted. and im writing this again. but here we go.

2. What do you do to understand the characters better and get into their head space?

i think this depends on the kind of fic! i do one of two: for moment-specific fics, i rewatch the clip. and rewatch it again. and again. and then rewatch it and get all of the dialogue and voice inflections down. and then rewatch it and look at all the space BETWEEN the words and analyze that. that’s really more on the understanding side than the headspace side, but it’s pretty helpful to me!

for any fic (even the moment-specific ones bc if ur just writing down what u see on the screen its like. just go watch the show why are you reading this.) i will literally just imagine the table & liam and laura (+ any other ppl) & their body language & voices (an important one for me! bc i am pretty aurally inclined which is a blessing but also a curse when you’ve been watching something with a specific accent all day and then u start writing and its like why does this sound like scottish in my brain). it’s super useful when i don’t know what comes next, as ill just pretend like what im writing is a cannon moment and think, “okay, what would they say next?” i try to strike the balance between “this is fanfic i do what i want” and “would they actually do this if this was in an episode?” and if it strays too far from the later i rewrite it into something more simple or less direct, instead directing that emotion im trying to convey into the space between the dialogue/action (as seen above when i am analyzing actual episode clips, aha do you see the pattern). i like keeping somewhat close to possible cannon.

anyways this is long because i am incapable of being concise and like expanding on things oh well

4. How does your writing happen? Do you visualize scenes playing out in your head, or do they come out in words as you type?

ok. as i am typing this for the second time i have had even MORE time to think about this question which curveballs on you the more you think about it. i think my process boils down to a really solid visualization of the scene & a strong sense of what the characters are feeling, which my brain then boils down into sentences & to which my aforementioned aural brain goes hey this is going to Sound Like This with This Specific Rhythm, good luck finding some words that fit to it.

i think like anyone i do really have to have some sort of verbal plan going in, like A Scene or A Sentence that i am building to, or else i just end up really frustrated. i find that my fics that are all just built on some visual scene are harder to get out of my brain and onto the page, which is why an idea will usually float around for a day or two before my brain will go ‘hey look at this sentence’ and ill say OKAY YES I WOULD LIKE TO WRITE THAT and i try to start writing something just so i can write that one thing (although Buttercups is an exception to this. a brilliant, miraculous exception).

6. When you write emotional scenes, do you feel what the characters are feeling?

this is a toughie. in some ways i do, but it’s not in the more plot related stuff, or things like... crying, per se? the more i write the more i’ve figured out it’s all just projection and meta and yourself in one big pot, so i think a lot of the emotional arcs i write come from my own experiences/emotions. of course, not to the t, because i don’t have such intense self loathing as caleb, or am not currently falling in love! but like. caleb noticing the flowers and sun so specifically in Buttercups was me missing spring in January, jester finding joy in being clumsy in Viscaria is something i’m figuring out & trying to embrace more myself as i go through life, the rib bursting feeling in pretty much all of my fics is just from those every day little experiences i have of that, finding something beautiful and feeling fulfilled, just redirected for a different context. i think i feel what the characters are feeling in that way.

8. What are three things you’re proudest of when it comes to your writing? Dialogue, descriptions, humour, romantic fluff, kisses, action, pacing, worldbuilding, setting, anything! Even small things like sentence structures and the way your characters banter counts!

oh jeez. i think i’m good at writing all of that in between stuff mentioned above, those little descriptions in between the dialogue or in between what the characters are doing, really using those to show the implications behind what is being said and done and how that’s affecting the character. i also think i’m pretty good at building to an emotional climax within each little fic, though most of the time it’s rather unintentional - that rhythm and plot (???) combined to have that moment of oh. that moment of revelation for the character. and lastly... i think i have quite perfected that knife that is caleb pining. for now at least. i’ve learned how to twist it real good.

thank u for the qs! ask and u shall receive very long answers that i will accidentally delete and have to rewrite again.

#this ended up taking me way too long it is now quarter till midnight oh no #jadesabre301

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zerolympiustrife · 5 years ago

Note

Here's a bit of a toughie, Tsundere Yang x Jaune

That’s a toughie indeed.

————————————————————

Anonymous asks: How to Tame Your Dragon (RWBY)

————————————————————

*Outside Beacon*

Yang (walking by, crossing her arms): Hmph.

Student 1: Ugh, it’s her again.

Student 2: What’s her problem?

Student 3: Despite her age, she thinks she already mature enough to go out drinking and partying.

Student 4: That, and her semblance is so cliche. Anger making you powerful? Never heard that before.

Yang (frowning, internally): What the hell’s their problem? They don’t understand what I’ve been through…

Jaune (approaching): Hey, Yang.

Yang (deadpan): Oh. Hey, vomit boy.

Jaune (raising an eyebrow): …I was expecting you to that with a little more enthusiasm.

Yang (sarcastically): Oh, I’m sorry. Let me try again: *Takes a deep breath, then yells angrily* WHAT’S UP, VOMIT BOY?!?

*Everyone turns to look at the duo weirdly*

Jaune (concerned): …You didn’t have to shout…

Yang (rolling her eyes): Whatever. *Walks back into the school*

Jaune (internally): Hm…maybe I should keep my distance away from her until she…simmers down. *Silently giggles*

*3 hours pass as Teams RWBY and JNPR are killing Beowolves*

Ruby (dodging): Agh! There’s too many of ‘em!

Yang (punching some out): There’s no such thing as too many! *Get attacked and pushed away* Gah!

Ruby: Yang!

Jaune (running over to Yang): Lure the Grimm away! I’ll go heal your sis!

Ruby (doing so): Got it!

Yang (grunting): Agh…rgh…

Jaune (checking her wounds): Yang, are you alright?!

Yang (sarcastically): Yes. In fact…Ack!…I’ve never been better.

Jaune (sees a bleeding hole on her back): Nonsense. You need this bad. *Heals her*

Yang (gasping): Ah! Huh?

Jaune (finishes healing her): Oh, and one more thing… *Amplification!*

Yang (getting up, activating her semblance): HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!! Whoa! Rgh! Now this is quite the power boost, vomit boy! Thanks a bunch! *Runs off into the distance, killing Beowolf after Beowolf within a span of one punch and causing explosions* HAAAAAAAA!!!

Jaune (smiling): Heh, that girl…

*2 hours pass, Jaune is walking down the hallways, and sees Yang approaching him*

Yang: Hey, vomit boy. Thanks again for the help.

Jaune: No problem, anything for our fellow team.

Yang: Those Grimm thought they had the upper hand, up until RWBY’s secret weapon kicked in.

Jaune: Technically, I was the one who helped bring out the big guns. *Makes a bunch of finger gun gestures*

Yang: Shame you were too fire away to check out my one-hit KOs.

Jaune (shrugging): Shame Grimm can’t speak human languages, otherwise we couldn’t hear their flameous last words.

Yang: Is that all you got, vomit boy?

Jaune: If you and Weiss were to join a photographer’s club, would your new team attack be called “Freeze-Flame”? Or a Blaze-ard? Would a criminal who commits arson be flamed for murder? Is your favorite type of jewelry a Safire? Would you mind if we formed a match-ual relationship? Would it be a love-heat relationship?

Yang (sneeringly): Sheesh! I love making puns, but even this is making me cringe.

Jaune (happily): That must mean I’m succeeding!

Yang (taken aback): …You know what? …Screw you. *Runs off*

Jaune (shrugging): Aw…I didn’t even get to say “When, where, and how hard?”…

*The next day, at the cafeteria…*

*Jaune is eating soup, then feels somebody sitting close to him, he turns to look and it’s Yang*

Yang (nervously): …Erm…Hey.

Jaune: …Hi?

Yang (scooting over): Can…I…hold your hand while you eat?

Jaune (raising an eyebrow): What?

Yang (turning away): …You know what? Never mind. Forget what I said.

*Jaune shrugs, slowly lends his left hand out and places it next to Yang. She notices this, turns away in a arrogant manner, but slowly lends her hand out and places it above Jaune’s hand as she blushes*

Yang (internally): …Is he…not going to say anything about this…? *Slowly scoots over as she grabs Jaune’s hand with both of her hands* Hm…this feels so nice…hm…

Jaune (internally): Man, Yang’s been super close to me ever since she sat down next to me. Could it be that… *Feels a note in his hand* …Huh? *Checks the note and reads it* “Can you meet me outside my team’s room? ASAP. -Yang”.

*ASAP, Jaune runs over to Team RWBY’s room, seeing Yang*

Yang (beckoning Jaune): Ah, good. You’re here. Come in. *Opens the door, the duo enter, and they’re the only ones alone*

Jaune: You wanted to talk to me?

Yang: Yeah…um… *Slowly blushes* Hey…Jaune…do you…have a crush on someone?

Jaune: Not really, no.

Yang (happily): Aw, that’s awesome! *Realizes what she said* I mean… *Keeps a stern expression* Gee, that’s a shame.

Jaune (weirded out): What’s so awesome about me being single?

Yang (turns away): N-Nothing!

Jaune (walking towards her): Are you sure-

Yang (eyes turn red): EVERYTHING’S FINE!!!

Jaune (slightly terrified): Ah…

Yang (eyes turn lilac): Oh! Sorry…I didn’t mean to snap…what I meant to say is…”That’s a shame that you’re not seeing anyone, because…I know of an awesome gal who wants to…be with you. Be close you. Be…become an item with you.”

Jaune (surprised): Oh, really? That’s great! Who’s the girl? Is it you?

Yang: Yes! It’s- *Eyes widened* Wait, no! It’s not me!

Jaune (bummed out): Oh, so it’s not you?

Yang: No, of course it’s me, you dumb- *Realization again* Actually, no! No, it’s…okay, you know what? Screw it! *Grabs Jaune by his hoodie collar*

Jaune (gets pulled towards Yang): Screw wha- *Yang kisses him angrily*

*Jaune freaks out a bit, but slowly calms down. Yang attempts to break the kiss, still angrily, but Jaune pulls her towards him, making the kiss last a little longer. Yang gets surprised by this, but calms down as she softly rubs Jaune’s cheeks*

Ruby (walking in): Hey Yang, I was wonder- *Sees her sister and Jaune kissing each other* Agh! Eugh! Never mind! I didn’t know you had a thing for “vomit boy”! *Walks out, slamming the door*

Jaune (breaking the kiss): Do you love me?

Yang: Of course I love you!

Jaune: You could’ve just said so.

Yang (blushing): I was getting sick of myself not outright saying it. So…I felt like it would’ve been better to show, don’t tell.

Jaune (blushing): I…I see.

Yang (raising an eyebrow): That’s it? “I see” is all you have to say to me?

Jaune: Would you rather have me keep the kiss going on longer?

Yang: Well…I won’t say no… *Surprise kiss!* Mmph?!? Mm…

*Jaune presses her against a wall, and the duo continue their little kiss-capade*

Ruby (peeking from the door): Stupid lovey-dovey filth-induced idiots…

#ask me anything #anonymous asks #Q&A #rwby #dragonslayer #yang x jaune #jaune x yang #jaune arc #yang xiao long #ruby rose #tsundere yang

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twilightofthe · 4 years ago

Note

6 through 14

ANYWAY, while looking for my missing asks, I found this one! That I hadn’t seen yet! Thanks for asking tho anon!!!! (Fanfic Ask Meme Found Here)

6. What’s your least favorite fanfic category?

Hmmm well I’m not sure how exactly to define category? I guess— and remember y’all, these are only my opinions and I won’t judge you for yours if they’re different! —I’m not a big fan of major character death unless I’m in the right mood for it, I don’t like character bashing, I don’t like breakup romantic fic, if there’s angst, there HAS to be a happy ending for me.

7. Would you rather read a plot-focused fic or a pwp?

Ooh this is also tough! Cuz as an asexual woman, I have a strange relationship with pwps where I get like, zero actual sexy feelings out of them, but I enjoy them for the pure romantic element???? (I don’t particularly care for PWPs where all characters aren’t in love with each other cuz of this) so like when I’m looking for a fix that’s just “look these characters like each other a LOT and they’re gonna have some sex to show it!” so I’m like “heck yeah they like each other look at them!!!”

But then there are So Many POSSIBILITIES for unique and amazing Star Wars plots and tbh I enjoy the movies and shows for their plot and character focused elements way more than I do for literally any of the romances. Often times I prefer genfic to any kinda romance cuz I’m just not in the mood? Like ugh this is a tough decision and long story short anon, I don’t know xD

9. (The list skips 8 uhhh???) Favorite ships to read fics for?

Hmmm that’s a toughie also (if y’all haven’t guessed by now I am THE MOST indecisive person one will ever meet ahaha). All the pairings I ship have SUCH talented fic writers omg, it’s like asking to pick a favorite child!

Tbh I’ll at least try any pairing if you write a good fic for it.

But, my favorite ship in general is Obikin lol so I’m gonna have to say that. Others I really include are Kanera, gah I love Kanera, Jedistormpilot started my journey into SW fic so that’s always gonna be a soft spot for me, Obitine has some megatalented people, Ahsoka/Barriss or Ahsoka/Kaeden or Ahsoka/Trace because wlw!Ahsoka is so important to me personally and tbh there is very little content of them and I get SO EXCITED?!?!? when I see new fic!!!!!!!!! They’re just so good!!!!!!!!!!!

10. Have you/would you read a reader-insert fic?

Literally all my respect to those who do it, people who are like “ya know what? I got the hots for this fictional character so I’m gonna write ME and THEM KISSING!” Like that is so self-satisfying and I love so much to see ppl living their best lives.

Me personally? I always get secondhand embarrassment when I see them, like it’s basically me feeling all Uncanny Valley like but this Y/N chick isn’t ME? Why is the author trying to say that’s me??? I wouldn’t act like that? Fuck off?!!!?!????? So like I personally can’t read them, but all my support to those who do! 💚💚💚

11. Ever read guilty pleasure fics?

All the fuckin’ time! I WROTE guilty pleasure fics! The entirety of And The Void Answered Back started off as me just wanting to see Force Ghosts in the ST and Anakin and Obi Wan being old and cute together. But yeah I always love fics that just hit that spot for me!

12. First person or third person fics?

Third person unless the fic is based off of a book that’s set in first person. It just kinda feels...... off? Otherwise? Like I won’t back out of a fic just because of that unless it’s a smutfic, in which case I gotta because it gets to close to inserting myself into a sexual situation which I Cannot Do, but yeah, it’ll be a bit jarring for a while lol. Just a personal preference tho!!!!!

13. Do you read author’s notes usually?

Always! I LOVE to hear what an author has to say about the story, or to us as the readers, just get a look inside their head when they’re writing! Hell knows I write my own long-ass author’s notes to hopefully start a conversation with my readers, I want to do the same for authors when I’m reading!!!!

14. What’s your favorite AU setting?

I swear I already answered this one somewhere but I can’t find the ask lol. Anyway, definitely either a historical AU, an alternate canon AU, a time travel AU, or magic powers AU!!!!

#thanks for the ask!#anon #ask #asks #star wars #sw stuff

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turtleduckdog · 5 years ago

Text

Enough Information to be Dangerous

When I finished my university degree I wanted to pursue more education because “I had enough information to be dangerous”, I have yet to still go on and do a masters degree, but those words I said to myself once I graduated really hit home. And watching the recent season two finale of DuckTales has reminded me of them. Lunaris had enough information to be dangerous.

Lunaris had some information about the earth, some of it from his father who feared the earth because they could see that things were being launched into space from the earth, a feat that the Moonlanders had not achieved and probably couldn’t or wouldn’t until much later; or until a certain Della Duck showed up and thanks Gyro for Gold tech that was the only source of fuel that the Moonlanders could have used, pretty sure rocket fuel is not capable of being created on the moon even in the DuckTales Universe okay time to get back to my point…

Incomplete information can be just as dangerous as false information. Because in both cases it leads to being misinformed. With the incomplete information that Lunaris had about the earth he created a narrative of the earth being a superior place with potentially dangerous beings (I want to point out that Lunaris isn’t wrong, us earthlings can be really lethal, but we don’t have to go into that today), and he became scared and insecure. People who are scared and insecure feel very threatened and lash out at others in an attempt to make themselves feel safe. It’s not right, but it is a reason and one that shouldn’t be overlooked.

Now, we are shown that Lunaris did start to do his own research on the earth, but it was clouded by his narrative of the earth being dangerous and so that’s what he was looking for; he was looking for threats on the earth. He discovered that Scrooge McDuck was the biggest threat of all. For a scared insecure individual like Lunaris, you better believe that fearless adventuring confident Scrooge McDuck who calls himself Tougher than the Toughies, Smarter than the Smarties and Sharper than the Sharpies is a total threat.

Lunaris goes after Scrooge’s strength, and that’s his family, but being the bully that he is, not just his family the youngest most venerable members of his family, the children. We have seen a similar theme come up before with Magica and Webby. Magica underestimates Webby because she thinks that Webby befriending a shadow and being sentimental is weakness, when I maintain that Webby being a true friend is her greatest strength. Webby finds the strength to defeat Magica because she is a friend to Lena, and as I have said in another blog it’s Webby’s friendship that truly gives Lena her sentience and helps her overcome Magica. Although the opposite happens with Scrooge and Lunaris; Lunaris recognizes Scrooge’s family as giving him strength so he threatens to go after them as a way to distract Scrooge from Luanris’ goal of making the earth orbit the moon (pretty sure physics says no; but props for creativity!).

Lunaris further constructs a narrative to his people that if they want to remain safe and keep the status quo then they need to invade the earth and taking out Scrooge and his family. I was really scared for his plan to take out the children, but I actually was more mad at Lunaris for manipulating his people and putting them in danger. He turned his people into an army and gave them little training, but I must say, telling people that you are better than others and then giving them weapons was a pretty good tactic to invading the earth and I found it kind of disturbing. Because somehow the Moonlanders did get he upper hand, might have been due to shear numbers, oddly superior weapons, and the element of surprise, but I also think it had to do with their chaotic way of fighting. Yes, Lunaris had a plan but those Moonlanders just went in guns blazing and took over Duckburg like a bunch of crazy people.

Why do the Moonlanders trust and follow Lunaris? Again, misinformation, they knew nothing of the earth and here is someone in a position of power telling them lies, they don’t know they are lies as:

They do not have the means to verify this information.

They have no reason to believe that Lunaris is lying as they trust him.

They probably do not have a concept of critical thinking as they have never needed to before. (We do see Penumbra showing critical thinking skills, but as we see she is of the few).

Now, Della did start to tell them stories, creating a bond and showing them that the earth is a fascinating place and she made a promise to them that got broken due to circumstances out of her control, setting the stage for Lunaris to easily manipulate them. Showing them that earthers cannot be trusted because the only one they every met betrayed them and left without saying goodbye, why? Because she is going to launch an invasion to the Moon, but they will do it first.

There is a blatant commentary here about people following blindly and believing everything they are told. This is why it is so important to be educated and to also have the skills to think critically about the knowledge that is presented. We see the Moonlanders come to a realization that they had not thought critically and had not asked the right questions when Lunaris threatens to blow up the earth when things get out of control. The Moonlanders have a moment of “Wait, we’re the bad guys?”. It’s subtle but it’s there. Many of the Moonlanders did still have a sense of wonder and desire to explore and experience the earth, they were just told that to do that they first needed to invade and take over it. In all honestly I have a feeling that they gave very little thought to the earth before Della showed up.

In conclusion, I encourage all to seek knowledge, be education, but always ask questions that lead to critical thinking. Where did this information come from? Why is this information being put out there? Who wrote/produced this information? How is this information being presented? What exactly is the information that is intended to be taken away, is there any subtext? One of my professors said it best, “When you think you have all of the information or know all of the answers, ask yourself: what am I missing?”

#ducktales #moonvasion #della duck #donald duck #scrooge mcduck #Webby Vanderquack #lena de spell #Huey Dewey and Louie #critical thinking

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