#that'll probably get its own post though

[awesomefroggy]

Will this song ever leave my brain? God I hope not. The one line pitch he has for it is "Orpheus and Eurydice reliving their first dance as the memory starts to fall apart around them" and I swear the bridge gives me goosebumps literally every time I listen to it. Something about "If it only lasts a minute / I'll make certain that you're in it" being the setup for that just fucks me up in the best way possible. Also "I've called many things love and so many things grief / But they've all just been versions of uncertainty" like you didn't have to just punch me in the gut but you did and thank you

[thewertsearch]

Ask Comp 07/09

Anonymous asked: also, thats pretty distinctly not vriskas handwriting (page 2196). the hell is terezi even talking about?

Terezi, for god's sake.

@manorinthewoods asked: I'd like to note that Pyralspite's eyes are either an eighth the brightness of Alternia's sun, or Pyralspite has the ability to psychically burn out people's eyes just by wanting to. Probably the former. ~LOSS (30/8/24)

I should have guessed that Vriska's cruel and unusual punishment for Terezi was yet another case of Mindfang Roleplay.

I think it's likely that Pyralspite does have some sort of ocular ability. After all, Terezi's lusus had a vision-based power, and she's probably Pyralspite's direct descendant.

@gogogoat495 asked: Say, what do you think of the reuse/mix of animation and music from Dave: Ascend to Seer: Ascend? Is it a simple callback or are there deeper parallels between the characters and story beats?

Well, they are both lead-ups to a climactic fight between 'siblings'. Other than that, though, I'm not really sure. Dave and Terezi have always got on very well, but I can't really see any direct parallels in their personal arcs.

@manorinthewoods asked: Mindfang's classism is ridiculous. This woman straight up said 'one of such middling 8lood' about someone literally one step below her on the ladder. If she were Tavros, she would be oppressing Aradia so hard. ~LOSS (29/8/24)

In Terezi's own words, she's 'a little too teal' to be considered a true highblood. I think there's a hard line of separation here, where anyone below Vriska's caste is considered a midblood at best.

In other words: to be a blueblood, you really need to be a blue-blood.

@manorinthewoods asked: Nepeta, whose handle is arsenicCatnip, uses arsenic's atomic number as a significant element of her quirk. This implies that arsenic has the same atomic number in Alternia as on Earth, which in turn means that, at the very least, the two universes likely share a periodic table. Odd, given how one has widespread psychic abilities and the other doesn't. ~LOSS (29/8/24)

I think it makes sense that Earth inherited some of its scientific concepts from Alternia. It wouldn't be the first thing we inherited!

@heliotropopause asked: TG: maybe if you kill her at least we can finally stop obsessing over her Hah! homestuck's been over for over for almost eight years now, and people are still doing vriscourse to this day. There is no escape, i'm afraid.

'Vriscourse' is kind of killing me. I'm kind of disappointed that this is my first time hearing the term, because I'd probably have been using it this whole time.

@probablyapineapple asked: im not completely caught up on reading this liveblog yet (currently up to s67) but i think youre on track to understanding these characters better than literally anyone

Well, thank you! I have, admittedly, posted some rather hot takes in the past, though. If I recall correctly, my Act 5 shipping chart was my most controversial post to date.

@bladekindeyewear asked: Back during these times in the comic, there were broad theoryposting camps advocating for both narrower and broader interpretations of Aspect domains/powers. I know you're avoiding as much outside influence as you can, but I'm wondering if maybe after the end of this Act, you could accept some community Theorydiving from around this time that could unlock more tools for you to understand hidden evidence for Aspect Stuff you might have missed? […]

I'm definitely considering something like that. Specifically, I'd love to take a look at some of the comic's early theories - ones that had already been disproven by this point in the comic. That'll allow me to get into the headspace of Homestuck's earliest theorists, without influencing my own as-yet-unproved theories.

@manorinthewoods asked: Perhaps an older Legislacerator's job is less actually trying to pursue justice, and more going through cargo cult-esque rhythms of justice, taking its trappings and trying to bring it about while having no understanding of what they're actually doing and what the meaning of their actions is. Maybe, like the Subjugglators, they're an entire social class/blood color based around a single cult? ~LOSS (28/8/24)

I think Dave was pretty on the mark when he described early legislacerators as bounty hunters. Maybe they assumed something marginally closer to an attorney's role in Alternia's modern age - but in Redglare's era, the ideal legislacerator was a violent thrill-seeker, more concerned with bloody combat than courtroom paperwork.

@violetsquare111 asked: I do wonder how big, exactly, is the multiverse in Homestuck. I guess that's a bit of a weird question if there are "infinite universes"… but infinite potential doesn't mean infinite already-existing universes, does it? For some reason I always thought of the amount of Sburb sessions/universes being fairly small, in the grand scheme of things. Less than a million, maybe. I really don't know where I got that from, and there's probably some throwaway line in the comic contradicting it, but if applicable then it's another possible explanation for how Perfect Jack would be one-of-a-kind.

It's not impossible. That would imply that the overwhelming majority of sessions are doomed to fail - but, honestly, they might be! After all, neither of the sessions we've seen so far have been unambiguously successful.

@iris-in-the-dark-world asked: i had a dream that you went from page 3703 to page 7053 in one day

You dreamt of Sally on Adderall.

@spiddermen asked: hihi i just caught up with your liveblog and im so happy to have a chance to reread hs along with you, the first time i read it was when i was like… twelve? so nine years ago? and pretty much all of it went over my head. but now im finally getting to appreciate this masterpiece and your observations are making a lot of stuff click for me as well. so its cool to finally get to understand how freaking good this story is and i cant wait to see you react to some of the crazy later stuff also i hope this doesnt trip the spoiler sensor but some of the answers to the questions you're asking are only answered in sequel material so i do really hope you'll read those, they're ignored by a lot of the fans but they're honestly really really good and i feel like you're the kind of person who would get the intended experience out of them. and psycholonials as well! everyone ignores it but it practically is homestuck (2) to me

Thank you! And yeah, we've talked a bit about this before. Cat and I had a discussion about the subject back in Act 3, and I'm well aware that this comic isn't going to answer all of my questions. Honestly, it would be pretty surprising if it did - I've been digging really deep into aspects of the comic that are clearly just meant to be background details.

As for whether I'll be dipping into Hussie's other projects, or Homestuck's non-canon material - I'm certainly going to check them out, but only time will tell whether they get the full liveblogging treatment. That said, if it addresses questions of mine that Homestuck itself doesn't elaborate on, consider my interests piqued.

@manorinthewoods submitted: I sorta skimmed Homestuck, and missed out on basically all of the Flashes going through, so I totally missed the fact that WQ wrote a romantic fanfic about herself, which is really funny. It does have a serious aspect, though - it implies something about her relationship with WK, no? I suspect they may be friendly with one another, but fate gives their relationship a bit of tragedy - as well as a bit of 'we are simultaneously both forced to be in a romantic relationship and also only being co-rulers'. Is WQ<3WK a thing? Doesn't have to be. I suspect it may be something like WQ<>WK […]

Plus, Carapacians are clones, so it's not like the Royals need to make any heirs. Really, they only need to be co-workers - but the idea that they might have a moirail-adjacent relationship is very cute.

Anonymous asked: Grimdark Rose: "Vengeance and rage are all I live for now, seeing my dead mother makes me feel nothing, I will-" John: Exists Rose: "OMG bestie hiiiiii" ~DJ

First Vriska, now Rose. It seems like John's the perfect calming influence for any out-of-control Light Player.

Anonymous asked: Not sure if you noticed, the tapestries about the kids' quests are all referencing the [S] pages with misattributed quotes associated with each kid (pages 82, 307, 444, and 2988). The quotes are, respectively, from Maxims by Francois de La Rochefoucauld, The Waste Land by T.S. Eliot, Drop It Like It's Hot by Snoop Dogg, and possibly an original piece by Hussie ending with a line from Hamlet. I don't think any of them mean anything.

The quotes might not be Hussie originals, but they definitely seem to evoke the kids' respective Quests. Dave's quote is a bit of an exception, though...

Anonymous asked: "They wait for he who would drop it while it's hot whilst the pimp's in the crib." I mean, you laugh NOW, but knowing Andrew and this comic, can you honestly say this won't end up having an incredibly important and literal meaning? @walkerbehindyou asked: Is there a quest more suited for Dave than to show up at his denizen’s (certainly the pimp of LOHAC) palace in the past and drop straight fire?

...but perhaps that means it's foreshadowing something we haven't seen yet. If Dave ends up making a Choice, I wouldn't put it past him to rap an answer to his Denizen.

@iris-in-the-dark-world asked: the soundtrack of the grimdark rose segment really gets to me. i'd highly recommend the first few songs of that album

Black Rose/Green Sun was a great song. It evoked a very different feeling than anything we've heard before, and really highlighted how alien Rose has become, now that she's been fully submerged in darkness.

@manorinthewoods asked: Ooh, here's an idea - when you do the Sahlee-and-Sally Let's Play, set it in an alternate Sburb that's based on all of your incorrect theories. Every Land has a God Tier Moon orbiting it, for instance. Would be really cool - your theoretical Sburb has a lot of super fun stuff in it. ~LOSS (12/8/24)

Oh, I like that idea. It means I can finally bring back the anti-Skaia, which is probably my favourite since-disproven theory.

Anonymous asked: I never realised that the pillow that Rose uses then is the one from her mum - well spotted :,(

A mother will do whatever is best for her children.

And a daughter will remember what was best about her mother.

Anonymous asked: So. Do you think that a Horrorterror-Boosted Rose has any chance against a First Guardian Prototyped Jack Noir? We've seen that if left alone Jack can destroy Entire Worlds and his teleporting is Nigh Instant, plus who knows how far he can go in a single teleport! […]

Dark Rose is arguably a God-Tier level threat, but we've just seen Jack one-shot a God Tier. I don't think she has a hope - there's only so many bullet-time stabbings she can take!

Anonymous asked: its really interesting to see you say that rose saying she felt mom was a sister and a mother at once made u feel like there must have been camraderie. for me, it reinforced the idea that moms parenting forced rose to act like a peer to mom when it came to her alcoholism? in the sense that moms alcoholism took her out of commission, and made it so that rose had to take care of herself in a lot of ways that a parent would, putting them on similar levels. So its interesting to see a different interpretation!

It's not impossible. To me, Rose's monologue reads as if she's trying to express her admiration of her mother. This is the first time she's admitted to having positive feelings for her guardian, and I think she's regretting that she never voiced these feelings to the woman herself, before it was too late.

That's just one reading of her words, though. I think her monologue here is meant to be ambiguous, just like the Lalonde mother-daughter relationship always was.

@manorinthewoods asked: Ooh, you're thinking of a Carapacian player, huh? That would be interesting - imagine if they go in with, like, complete knowledge of how Sburb works, so they prototype something super strong in order to buff the Ring that they then steal and equip. ~LOSS (12/8/24)

That would be interesting. Carapacians are the only species where the game can't fully compensate for the power of your race by buffing Underlings, since buffing the Underlings would also buff the Ring I'm abusing!

@skelekingfeddy asked: re: troll romance: i generally lean towards xenopsychology, mixed in with a secret 4th thing (humans can also feel troll romance), with a little dose of propaganda, and also an undercurrent of parody (because Hussie. everything has an undercurrent of parody (e.g. pretty much all the trolls are based on internet stereotypes). i COMPLETELY disagree with the notion that the quadrants are made up unhealthy bullshit. i think theres a genuine evolutionary biological origin for the quadrants if matespritship is all about Companionship, then kismesissitude is all about Competition, Rivalry, a drive to push yourself and make yourself better. both are generally healthy and beneficial in their own ways. the evolutionary basis for moirallegiance and auspisticism is the need for pacification, a better half, to prop up matespritships and kismesissitudes and keep them from being interfered with (as described in-comic). each quadrant is the result of a genuine primal, biological urge

I don't necessarily think the quadrants are fabricated, but I do think that the version of them that exists on Alternia are unhealthy more often than not, particularly when it comes to black romance. Monogamous auspisticism requires an overwhelming amount of emotional labor, all the kismesissitudes we've seen have been toxic at best, and there has to be a better way to do this.

Anonymous asked: My brother's been going through your liveblog recently and it's been fun getting to re-experience it through him, especially being reminded of all the theories you have that are shockingly accurate in very inaccurate ways. The two that come to mind are your theory that Jade was engineered in a lab (which, she kinda was, but that's not unique to her) and that John's version of Sburb is bugged (the meteors, it turns out, were a part of the game as it's meant to be played, but this whole 'tumour' thing sure isn't). Also, while I'm here, going to recommend checking out Temporal Shenanigans by Rachel Rose Mitchell, which is a gorgeous fansong about Aradia that shouldn't have any spoilsies at this point. I would also rec PhemieC's music with the caveat that many of their songs are spoilery - while most of the troll-specific ones should be alright, I'd definitely say to get someone else to go through them first to be certain. Hope you're doing well!! And I look forward to seeing more of your liveblog if and when you return to it! -Megido

Oh yeah, I was talking about how Jade was made in a lab! I'd totally forgotten about that theory.

You know, her Dreambot is actually interesting in retrospect. The bed that controls it looks suspiciously like a Quest Bed, which makes me wonder just how much Grandpa knew about Sburb's lore, and what exactly he was trying to do here.

Anonymous asked: I find it a bit funny (in good way) how aspects of your troll and human sona are kinda opposites, like life and death type of thing, sweet

Really, it's mostly just me hedging on my own Aspect. Plus, having two 'sonas lets me explore twice as much Sburb lore, allowing me to come up with two weapons, Lands, Title powers, and the like.

Within the hypothetical context of the fic, I've been thinking a lot about why there'd be two Sallys. Like, was one 'sona partially cloned from the other? If so, who was the original? Technically, the Alternian version would have existed 'first', but the existence of time travel ensures that that doesn't mean much.

@manorinthewoods asked: Rather appropriate that Rose's weapon is her Thorns. ~LOSS (10/8/24)

Ayyy!

@ipunchvampires asked: "You should understand [Rose has] been corrupted by various entities with some rather questionable motives," says Entity with Rather Questionable Motives corrupting her. Kind of the perfect Doc Scratch line, honestly.

Doc Scratch is an awful person, but he's still a funny fuck.

@heliotropopause asked: wait. is that *Guybrush Threepwood* in the boat there??? @elkian asked: At the risk of being the 88th person to say something, the troll in the dinghy is a Guybrush Threepwood cameo (using the more cartoony style from Curse Of Monkey Island etc.). Man's truly unfortunate, or maybe he's lucky for not being a focal character? XD Anonymous asked: that 'one random motherfucker on a little dinghy' is in fact, guybrush threepwood from the monkey island series, thrown in as an easter egg by one of the artists who made assets for the flash @sanctferum asked: the troll on the dinghy is Troll Gybrush Threepwood. the guest artist for that scene confirmed this on the now-defunct MSPA forums IIRC

Ahahaha. Mystery solved, I guess!

I've been wanting to play Monkey Island for some time - and now I need to, so that I can understand the true backstory of of GY'BRSH TRPWUD.

Anonymous asked: I love this section, because I think it really shows something about Dave (and Rose). Because Dave just says whatever pops into his head, when he's getting command prompts, he just repeats them uncritically. (That also supports that when he said he didn't love his Bro, it was his honest reaction) @ben-guy asked: David "Zero Filter" Strider was absolutely not ready to have thoughts beamed directly into his head by an exile lmao @krixwell asked: It's so funny to me how when thoughts are incepted into Dave's subconscious mind, they just come falling right back out his mouth at the first opportunity. Filter, what filter? Those sunglasses don't hide shit.

Reminds me of his stress-rambles from early on in the comic. The reason he wears those shades is, I think, because he is a naturally expressive person - he just doesn't want to be.

[kashixxx47]

A fun little fanfic?

Guy's so.. I was think about making an Halloween costume fan-art so that'll probably be the coming up post for y'all and also I was hoping you guys wouldn't mind if I post fan art n fan fiction right?

Here's a little fan fiction I wrote

( don't mind if it's a little out of character huh)

[ n let me know if I should continue writing k]

(↑ it's taken from pin btw)

Fanfiction Outline for Kakashi x Y/N: "Steamy Encounters"

Chapter 1: The Unexpected Mission

Summary: Kakashi and Y/N are assigned a joint mission involving reconnaissance in a remote mountain village famous for its hot springs. The village harbors strange rumors about chakra-infused waters. While staying undercover at the hot springs, they both begin to realize their feelings, but in a hilariously awkward way.

Chapter 1: The Unexpected Mission

The morning sun barely peeked through the high windows of the Hokage’s office as Y/N stood in front of Tsunade’s desk, waiting for her mission details. She shifted slightly, glancing around the room, trying to look focused. But her thoughts were drifting somewhere else entirely.

“Y/N, are you paying attention?” Tsunade’s voice pulled her back to reality.

“Yes, Lady Hokage,” she replied, straightening up.

“You’ll be going to Hotsuki Village,” Tsunade continued, unfazed. “There’s been talk of unusual chakra activity around the hot springs there. Your mission is to go undercover, investigate, and report back. Nothing too difficult.”

Y/N nodded, her mind finally back in the moment. Undercover at a hot spring? That didn’t sound bad at all. She could use a break, especially after the last mission.

“There’s one more thing,” Tsunade said, a glint in her eye. “You won’t be going alone. Kakashi will accompany you.”

Y/N froze for a second. Kakashi? Of course, it had to be him. The legendary Copy Ninja, calm, mysterious, and impossible to read. They’d been on missions before, but the thought of spending days at a hot spring with him felt…different.

Before she could say anything, a familiar voice interrupted her thoughts.

“Ah, I see I’m right on time.”

Kakashi appeared at her side, his usual lazy posture in full effect, one hand holding the latest volume of Icha Icha Paradise. He offered her a sideways glance, and though his face was masked, Y/N could swear she saw his eye crinkle in amusement.

“Ready for some R&R, Y/N?” he teased, his tone light.

Y/N rolled her eyes, trying to hide the heat creeping up her neck. “It’s a mission, Kakashi. Not a vacation.”

“Of course, of course. Let’s go then, shall we?”

The trip to Hotsuki Village was quiet, though not without a few moments of awkwardness. Y/N had never been particularly good at small talk with Kakashi. He always seemed to be in his own world, making it difficult to know what he was thinking.

The village itself was nestled between two large mountains, and the scent of sulfur and steam hit them as soon as they arrived. The hot springs were famous throughout the land, and the village was bustling with tourists.

“We’re supposed to go undercover,” Kakashi reminded her as they checked into a local inn. The innkeeper, an older man with a crooked smile, handed them a key. Y/N didn’t think much of it until they reached their room.

“One room?” Y/N blinked, staring at the single bed.

Kakashi scratched the back of his head, looking unfazed. “Looks like we’ll have to make do.”

Before she could protest, he was already placing his things on the far side of the room. “I’ll take the floor,” he said nonchalantly. “You should get some rest. We’ll check out the springs tomorrow.”

Y/N felt her face heat up but nodded stiffly. She didn’t trust herself to say anything without stammering.

The next day, they arrived at the largest hot spring in the village. Tourists were lounging in the steaming water, and the sound of relaxed laughter filled the air. But beneath the surface of relaxation, Y/N could feel something off.

“I can feel it too,” Kakashi murmured, standing close enough that she could feel the warmth of his body next to hers. “The chakra is strange. Almost… alive.”

“Maybe we should investigate further,” Y/N suggested, glancing around. “But without raising suspicion.”

Kakashi gave her a lazy smile. “What better way to investigate than to experience the springs ourselves?”

Y/N’s eyes widened. “Wait, you mean—?”

Before she could finish, Kakashi was already stepping toward the entrance, waving at her to follow.

Moments later, Y/N found herself submerged in the warm, steaming water of the hot springs, a towel loosely wrapped around her body. The water was soothing, but the chakra felt like it was dancing against her skin, prickling with strange energy.

She glanced at Kakashi, who sat a few feet away, his mask somehow still in place even in the water. His eyes were closed, but she could tell he was just as aware of the strange sensation as she was.

Suddenly, the water bubbled. Y/N felt something brush against her leg, and she tensed.

“Kakashi, did you—”

But before she could finish, the water surged again, and with a splash, Y/N was suddenly pulled underwater.

End of Chapter 1

What do you think of this start? I can continue with the next chapters where they dive deeper into the mystery, and their relationship starts to develop more?

Ty ヾ(＾-＾)ノ

[zelcii]

\\°.• LUCKY, GALLY TMR // 2.5K WORDS

cw; yelling, angry, suspiciously calm gally, the death cure spoilers, blood, angst to quick comfort, kinda no fluff, subjectively shitty writing, gender neutral insert, guns, violence, swearing

sum; gally had died in your arms. you were with him during his final moments, feeling his breaths slow as soldiers dragged you away. yet now, impossibly, he stood before you. well and alive.

a/n; coping rn because all my work got wiped so im writing this to get it off my mind. hoping tumblr wont take this away from me eitherrrr <333 NOT PROOFREAD its a shit post so itll probably never be proofread

You cradle Gally in your arms, his body growing heavier with each passing second. His breaths come in ragged gasps, each one weaker than the last. His eyes, once fierce and full of defiance, now clouded with regret and resignation. Blood seeped from the wound in his chest as his blood stained the wooden stake that ran through him. 

Now and then, with teary eyes and bated breaths, you'd look up at the stake, wondering if pulling it out would help him, but something inside you screamed not to touch it. Telling you that you could make it worse. Blood stained your hands and clothes, but you barely noticed. All your attention was focused on Gally’s face, his eyes on yours.

You whispered in chants, your voice tinged with desperation, each word dripping with panic and resentment. The syllables trembled on your lips, the anger laced between each word almost palpable. Your breaths came in shallow gasps, the pain surging through your shoulder. The anger and hurt you felt poured out in those whispered words.

He tries to speak, but only a faint whisper pushes past his lips. "Don't… leave," he manages between large gasps of air, his voice barely audible. You glare at him.

Behind you, the boys huddled around Chuck, who lay in a pool of his own blood, but as both he and Gally fell to the floor mere seconds ago, it was only natural for you to run to the blonde.

Tears ran down your face, having started the moment you left the Glade. Gally stood opposite you, his stance firm and resolute, while you stood at the entrance of the Maze, a place you would usually avoid at all costs.

He raised his voice, passionately declaring that he, along with all the other Gladers, belonged in the Maze and that we should've been thankful to live within the safety of its towering walls. His words were filled with conviction, each one driving a deeper wedge between the two of you, tearing you further apart as every word came across as absurd. As he spoke, you felt a pang in your chest, your heart breaking at the realisation that he wasn't going to leave with you, and that there was no chance that you were going to stay with him.

Your vision blurred with tears, and you could barely make out his determined expression. "Gally, please," you pleaded, your voice cracking. "There's nothing left for us here. We need to find a way out."

But he shook his head, his jaw set stubbornly. "No," he said firmly, walking up closer to you to stare you dead in the eye. "This is where we belong—nothing is waiting for us out there," Gally spat, his words nothing but bitter. "Leave if you want to, but don't expect me to welcome you back when you finally realise how wrong you are.” He spoke low, his spiteful words directed towards you and you only. “Don't come crawling back to me when you see that the only place that'll ever feel like home to you is with me. Out there, you're nothing."

You let a tear run down your cheek, never letting your eyes stray from his. Your shoulders trembled and your grip on your weapon tightened. His words rang in your head, etching itself into your mind. The weight of his decision pressed down on you, a heavy, inescapable burden. Nothing you could say or do would change his mind, and the realisation left you feeling entirely helpless and alone.

Though you'd like to believe that he had the guts to beg you to stay, to plead with you, or to fight for you, it would have been in vain anyway. Your decision was as set as his. Despite your yearning for his touch and the tears that streamed down your face, you knew you wouldn't stay. You were filled with the determination to escape, hoping only for a life beyond the walls of the Glade. You could imagine that after three years of hoping and praying, the Glade would soon begin to eat away at your soul and any chance at feeling whole. Gally's resolve and your determination clashed like unyielding forces of nature, both of you too stubborn to give in to the wishes of the other.

But even if he had begged, you would still have chosen to leave. Your heart ached with the weight of that truth, knowing that no matter how much you cared for him, the call for freedom was stronger. He must have known that too, seeing as an hour later, the boy you loved held you at gunpoint.

“What the hell, Gally?!” Newt shouted, raising his hands in a desperate attempt to calm Gally down from afar. “Put the bloody gun down.”

Gally's hands trembled, but his grip on the gun remained firm as he ignored Newt's protests, his eyes wild with fear as his gaze was locked on you and nobody else. "I-I can't let you go out there…" he said, his voice breaking and his hands shaking. His voice was low and strained as he continued, his grip shifting on the weapon. "Baby, you'll die out there. I can't—I can't lose you."

You stared at him, a smokey feeling of betrayal mingling with the weight of having to leave him. But the look in your eyes hurt him far worse. Your eyes narrowed at him with nothing but fear, your hands held up in surrender. "Gally… you're—you're stung," you pleaded, your voice steady despite the chaos inside. Your words also served to try and convince yourself that the love of your life wasn't aiming to kill you right then. "And I'm leaving… whether you come or not.”

Thomas took a cautious step forward, his voice softer now. "Listen to her, Gally. Put the gun down, a-and let's just talk, okay?" His words trembled, eyes locked on the gun pointed at the girl.

Gally's eyes darted between you and Thomas, the conflict within him painfully visible. For a moment, you thought he might lower the weapon, but then he shook his head, a tear slipping down his cheek. "I'm so sorry," he whispered. The words were barely out of his mouth when he pulled the trigger. The bullet tore clean through your shoulder, and pain ran through you like wildfire, making you stagger back in shock.

You cried out, your hand instinctively flying to the wound as your own blood oozed between your fingers. Almost immediately, Thomas pulled you behind him, yelling angrily at the blonde who now blinked down at his hands, horrified at what he'd just done.

"Are you out of your fucking mind?!" Thomas shouted, his voice filled with fury and disbelief.

Gally's eyes widened in horror, his face pale. "I... I didn't mean to," he stammered, his voice shaking as he cursed at himself. "I just—I wanted to… holy shit."

Newt rushed to your side, pressing his hand against your wound in an attempt to slow the bleeding. His usual calm was replaced by frantic urgency. "Put the gun down, now," he ordered. He looked up at Gally, glaring at him with anger and betrayal. 

The next moments were a blur. When Gally refused to drop the gun, Minho, reacting swiftly, grabbed a wooden stake and hurled it at Gally. The stake struck him, and through the shock and pain, Gally pulled the trigger once more, the gun now aimed at Thomas.

Now you were there, crouched with your good arm wrapped around a boy you now feared. Angry tears stained his shirt as you looked down at him, a whirlwind of emotions tearing through you. You wondered why you even spent your energy on him, cradling him with such care, avoiding eye contact.

"You're so stupid." You wanted to yell at him, hit him, hurt him far worse than he could hurt you, but you couldn't find the strength. Your voice cracked and faltered under the strain of the sobs wracking your body, each one a painful reminder that you were bleeding out because of him. Pain and anger overwhelmed you, but your body felt weak and drained. All you could do was stare at him, tears blurring your vision, as you thought back to everything that happened before, trying to pinpoint when everything started to go wrong.

Gally winced at your words, his eyes guilty and pained. "I know, I know, I know,” he repeated over and over again faintly under his breath as he brought a trembling hand up to tuck a strand of hair behind your ear. He opted to rest his hand on your cheek, and you let it rest there for a moment before you shoved it away, letting him slowly fade away as you repeated hurtful ‘I hate you's under your breath. 

Soon, men in protective gear dragged you away, throwing you into a helicopter. The world blurred through your tears. You could still feel the warmth of Gally’s blood on your hands, or maybe it was your own; you weren't sure. The weight of his body, the final, shuddering breath, haunting you, a stark reminder of how lonely you finally were. The soldiers' voices and the chaos around you faded into the background, leaving you with your grief and confusion.

That was months ago.

Before, you would cry nightly, the same three words playing on your lips like a broken record. "I hate you," you'd whisper to the empty room, the words directed at no one but yourself. Sometimes, when you'd wished you had stayed in the Maze, you'd think of Gally and all the things he said before you'd left. The pain of losing so many people so abruptly was raw and all-consuming, a constant reminder of the heartbreak and helplessness you’d felt in the moment.

But now, time has passed. Your hair has grown, your pain has numbed, and you healed inside and out. The sharp edges of your grudges have softened, numbing into a dull ache that you can manage. The nights no longer bring tears, but rather a quiet reflection on how far your group has made it, surviving both the Scorch and the Flare. Though sometimes your eyes would sting at the notion that you were slowly beginning to forget what he looked like. Despite everything, you were content with how you managed, getting by day by day, hour by hour.

Later you'd find that life had other plans.

The world spun around you, leaving you dizzy and disoriented as you stared at the boy standing strong before you. You blinked, distrust evident in your eyes. It must have been a play of shadows, a trick of illusions, because it had to be utterly impossible that you were seeing Gally standing in front of you; alive and well.

The moment he took off his mask, the boy locked eyes with you, a silent plea for understanding in his gaze that you had never seen before. With a swift motion, he dropped his gun and kicked it far away, something he could have done a very long time ago. 

You stood idly, paralyzed by your own mind racing inside you. In an instant, Thomas lunged at him, rage fueling his movements. He threw merciless punches at the boy who used to braid your hair, each blow a release of pent-up anger and betrayal.

The sound of fists meeting flesh echoed through the air, mingling with the distant hum of other men that surrounded your group. You watched in a daze, memories flashing before your eyes—the quiet moments of intimacy, shared laughter, the warmth of his hands against your hips as he held you close. Now, those same hands were raised in a futile attempt to protect himself from Thomas’s relentless onslaught.

Once Thomas was forced to pull away, a wave of frustration crashed over you. Your body began moving forward towards the man. You bent down to grab his gun from the floor in your stride, your movements fueled by fear that you were simply seeing things. Tears welled up in your eyes, threatening to spill over, but you stubbornly held them back. Gally signalled to the men around him to stand down as you faced him.

Your heart ached with the weight of everything you thought you had gotten over already; the betrayal, the pain, and the confusion all churning inside you like a dreadful storm. Each step felt like it was dragging you deeper into your emotions, but you couldn't stop. The desperation to find answers, to make sense of the chaos, pushed you forward.

Swiftly, you raised the gun and pressed it against him, right on his shoulder. You gripped the trigger firmly, staring him directly in the eyes.

Words that hadn't left your mouth for months began to flow out of you like muscle memory. Words you thought you'd forgotten, words you wished he never said.

“This... is where we belong. Nothing is waiting for us out there," you sobbed, your lip quivering as you spoke between staggered breaths. "Leave if you want to, but don't expect me to welcome you back when you finally realise how wrong you are.” You were yelling now, your voice strained as you recited the words he said so long ago. You dug the gun into his shoulder, one of his hands resting gently on yours, while the other rubbed circles into your hip like he used to. “Don't come crawling back to me when you see that the only place... that'll ever feel like home to you is with me." Your throat ached. "Out there... you are nothing."

You staggered as he held your gaze, his attention locked on you and nobody else. You choked through a sob, yelling out in pain. Those three words played on your tongue once more. But you couldn't bring yourself to pull the trigger.

You let the gun drop to the floor as your knees buckled beneath you. Gally’s arms wrapped around you in an instant, and you let them. He cradled your head carefully, whispering soft ‘I know's into your ear as he weaved his fingers through your hair.

Then, amidst the soft whispers you shared, your voice cracked, speaking weakly.

“I don't hate you,” you murmured, your voice barely a whisper against his chest.

“I know, I know,” Gally continued to repeat, his arms wrapping around you tighter, as if trying to hold together the pieces of your shattered hearts.

You looked up at him, your eyes brimming with tears. “But I should hate you,” you confessed, the words tinged with all the pain and confusion you left bottled up for so long.

“You should,” he agreed, his voice filled with regret. He pulled away slightly, bringing one of his hands up to gently push a strand of hair behind your ear before letting you rest your face in his palm. His touch was tender, his eyes deep with emotions that he would've hidden from you in the Glade. “Just means I'm the luckiest man in the world that you don't.”

praying this'll save 🙏🙏

thanks,

claire.

[queenofapeacefuldawn]

SPY × Family: Chapter 94 analysis unhinged thoughts

hello hello! i am back with my thoughts for the latest chapter! please note that there are spoilers ahead for chapter 94! (Long-ish post incoming?)

Okay, so I loved this chapter. I'm a person who loves locked room murder mystery type stories, so this definitely scratched that itch for me. Obviously, I'm biased.

Analysis (of sorts?):

Right off the bat I can say that this chapter isn't really oriented on emotions or certain character dynamics. It is pretty plot heavy (but. not to the main plot. this chapter in itself has a plot to its own, but I really really liked it).

So the chapter starts with Bondman facing off an enemy in a snowy mountain...

which, of course, inspires Anya to have an adventure of her own. She asks Loid to take her skiing, only to be flatly denied...

BUT! Agent Anya has tricks up her sleeve (threatening to cry), and that works on our dear, super-spy Agent Twilight (he's so weak and stupid y'all.)

side note:

he thinks he's soooo cool. he's not.

Anyway, we get Twilight trying to explain skiing to Yor, which... fails, kinda. we also get gymnastics from Yor, (SHE's the cool one), and a half-baked explanation from her about learning all that from a gymnastics teacher.

The Forgers are trapped in a snowy blizzard, which leads them to take refuge in a lodge. They meet a group of young college students, who regale them with a tale of a bloody snowman who kills people in the dark.

Might just be me, but this design reminds me of Type-F from the new Code White movie (note: this isn't exactly a spoiler, I haven't seen the movie, but this is what's on the wiki and in the trailers). The snowy backdrop + this Type-F-esque design might be a homage to the movie? Probably just me, though, haha.

Anyway, onto the main focus of the story (kidding, it's not):

WE COULD'VE HAD IT ALL..... YOR AND LOID SLEEPING ON THE SAME BED.... WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN....

(jk, it probably wouldn't have happened, but a girl can dream)

"Eh, why not?" Certainly, these words CANNOT exist in the vocabulary of THE Agent Twilight! Perhaps.... no, it can't be... he's finally RELAXED for once? Feeling secure enough to ASSESS THE LAYOUT FOR POSSIBLE ESCAPE ROUTES WITH HIS YOUNG DAUGHTER? No... it can't be possible....

(Sorry, I know I'm unfunny. I don't think that'll change)

But, genuinely, this just shows how at ease he is with his wife and daughter. He might not know it yet, but I know it (← somebody whose opinion isn't worth shit).

Finally, onto the main crisis of the story:

the would-be murderer.

There's something to be said about how he jumped into action to save the guy's life, (as one does), BUT. BUT

OHOHOHO. The minute Yor's in danger (see: the man reached out to grab her but Loid just grabbed his hand) he decides to find the killer to prove her innocence. (You know his adage? A spy should never draw attention to themselves.) The minute his WIFE was in danger he resolves to find the killer and prove Yor's innocence their guilt. HMMMMM. Agent Twilight, you ain't slick. I think you momentarily forgot about about your #1 lesson to never draw attention to yourself just to prove Yor's innocence. OHHHHHH. The fanfiction is fanfiction-ing

(I'M SORRY I'LL TRY TO BE FUNNY FROM NOW ON)

To summarize the rest of the chapter: Anya realises with her telepathy that the killer is the lodge owner, and meddles in the investigation to nudge Loid in the right direction, and the police arrive to the lodge to find the incident resolved. Everyone's happy, right?

Not... really.

Anya's excited because, "Wow, I solved a murder! So cool, best trip ever!"

But Yor and Loid aren't that happy. Loid is worried that this kind of meddling will get Anya in danger... and he's more worried that she isn't really grasping the gravity of the situation.

Which. She kind of isn't. A man was almost killed, but she's not showing any signs of shock? Remember, he was this worried even after the hospital visit where she makes a mess of that sand-model thingie, and after the bus hijacking arc, when she's hyped about the Stella, and he tells her that the Stella was "not for the reckless way you defied those hijackers."

Which.... is a lot of character development from the man who was A-OK with leaving her alone in the apartment, to now how he constantly worries about her wellbeing. Growth.

Also, another tidbit:

I feel like this chapter showcases another facet of his personality. Not Agent Twilight's, or Loid's, but [REDACTED]'s.

[REDACTED] always wanted to help. Even in the War Arc, when, in Luwen where he was staying at his great-uncle's house, we can see that he wants to catch fish for his and his family's dinner, while, in the backdrop, children are laughing and playing. It's always been in his character to help, and, hell, it's partly the reason he is who he is today. Agent Twilight wants to think that he left [REDACTED] behind after that fateful bombing in Luwen, but [REDACTED] is hanging around him like a ghost, and some of his character bleeds through the facade that is Agent Twilight, which is masked by the facade that is Loid Forger.

Final thoughts:

Loved the chapter. It's probably just me reading into it too much, but... that scene where he grabs the guy's hand who was trying to tie up Yor. Hm.

This entire chapter might have been a locked-room murder mystery type chapter, but I genuinely think that it showcases how much of an effect this family has had on Agent Twilight. What with taking Anya on a sweep of the premises to look for escape routes, to trying to prove Yor's innocence that definitely betrayed his number 1 rule as a spy... this man is truly so oblivious, I wanna cry.

(Also: did he not stop for a moment to think that him performing first-aid on the victim, or trying to build a radio from scratch OR playing detective to prove his wife's innocence IN FRONT OF A GROUP OF OSTANIAN PEOPLE would raise suspicions? Obviously, it was all overshadowed by the discovery of the would-be killer, but... at least one person had got to have been suspicious of Loid.)

(Also also: He's so weak. One look at her crying face and he's gone.)

This was just my thoughts from a preliminary read of the chap, so if I get more thoughts, I'll probably add onto it in a reblog or a new post. Tysm for reading! Hope you liked it, and have a great day/night! Remember to stay hydrated!

[nyerus]

Overview of TGCF Versions

Due to recent(ish) events, I thought it would be good to make another post cataloguing all the different "versions" of TGCF, for newcomers and old fans alike! I'll also be going over some FAQs that I've seen or been asked so this post can serve as a decent info thread.

For simplicity's sake, first think of there being two "main" version of TGCF:

The Original -- what all the translations are based on, as well as the manhua and donghua.

The Revised -- what was released in print last year in China (only), and what was recently updated on JJWXC. The audio drama is adapting this

The original webnovel was itself not "censored." By that I mean, it contained everything MXTX originally wrote including kisses, swearing, innuendo, etc. MXTX did self-censor to avoid Real Censorship (hence the lack of NSFW scenes we may have gotten like in her previous novels), but that's a whole different thing. For all intents and purposes, consider the original version and (most of) its translations as being uncensored.

The revised version was first publicly released as a print novel in China. As such, it was actually censored. While "Hualian" is still there, and things are alluded to, it's a lot more vague. Kisses and a lot of other things were cut, including certain dialogue tidbits that perhaps were deemed a bit too obvious. (Plus a lot of Feng Xin and Qi Rong's cursing was removed lmao.)

HOWEVER, shortly after the print release, the audio drama started adapting the uncensored revised version. So we all knew there was an uncensored revised version somewhere in existence. It wasn't until the end of last month that we actually saw it! TGCF was available again on JJWXC after years of being "temporarily locked" to comply with regulations. (Though it was possible it was locked for other reasons. We will never fully know!) Not only was it finally unlocked, but it was actually updated to the uncensored revised version!

F.A.Q.s

1.) Why did MXTX make a revised version anyway? MXTX has mentioned before that she was not entirely satisfied with the original version of TGCF. Because she wrote and released each chapter in a serialized manner, with frequent (possibly daily?) updates, it doesn't surprise me that it didn't turn out exactly how she wanted. Now that she has the opportunity to sit down with it and go over everything on her own time, she's able to get it closer to what she wanted. In short: she's just really passionate about this story!

2.) Is there and English translation, or will there be? What about other languages? Officially, not yet. We don't know if there ever will be, as MXTX would have to re-negotiate the rights with publishers for translations, and at this time, we don't know if that'll happen. Unofficially, there are a few options: a. ClearNoodle has done some fan-translations you should check out here! b. By purchasing the webnovel on JJWXC now, you can MTL (machine translate) the novel. If you've seen screenshots in English floating around that aren't part of the fan-translations above, this is probably the source.

3.) What is JJWXC and how do I use it/purchase TGCF on it? JJWXC is the webnovel publishing site where TGCF was originally released. It hosts a giant array of C-novels, including most other danmei that you may have heard about. SV and MDZS were indeed also on JJWXC, but are currently (still) locked. To purchase TGCF (or any other novel) on JJWXC, cangji.net has an excellent guide and list of other helpful links to get you all set up. Please do check it out! Additionally, buying on JJWXC seems to be the most direct way to support authors. You can also throw bonus tips at them!

4.) How much has really changed in the revised version? A fair bit. Mostly, the changes are to do with plot structure, minor characters, overall flow, and so on. It's still essentially the same story, but in a way that feels fresh. Hualian in particular have exactly the same dynamic as before. MXTX added extra scenes between them, including very sweet and tender domestic stuff haha! There's also a few new lines of spicier dialogue to go along with some of the scenes that already existed in the original.

5.) So what is considered canonical? Both, in a way. MXTX has stated that she's happy if fans can enjoy both at once, and that we're free to pick-and-choose as we wish. Personally, while there are many things I prefer from the original, the revised version is something closer to MXTX's true vision for the novel. So I feel that holds a little bit of weight there, too.

6.) Will the manhua/donghua be adapting any of the newly revised content? So far that seems unlikely. The revised version facelifts a lot from the early parts of the story, which is stuff these adaptations have already covered. It would be hard to change things down the line now. At most they could add some of the extra dialogue or such, but we'll see if that's the case. For now, we simply don't know and shouldn't count on it. If you'd still like an adaptation of the revised, please absolutely check out the audio drama! It's easily become my personal fave adaptation of the story, and is made by a small but very passionate team who are close to MXTX. Thus, it's quite faithful and does the source material such justice! <3

[konigsblog]

I have a somewhat important question (idk if you’ve answered it yet)!! how how do you think cod characters are? It’s a real question bc people fight sm over it :/

i don't actually think that cod characters are into hard kinks, slapping, ect... although i post concepts and ideas with that theme, it's not accurate to my portrayal of their sex life. i view majority of them as vanilla, and all my posts about them and rough kinks/sex is just a concept and a fantasy.

HOW I VIEW THE COD CHARACTERS SEX LIFE - my personal opinion.

characters: price, ghost, gaz, soap, könig, horangi, alejandro and rudy. ↑ not my photos above.

PRICE is straight up vanilla, nothing wrong with that at all!!! missionary and grunts through laboured breathing. praise every now and then to encourage you that it's alright, very sweet and smells of vanilla and cedarwood.

...

GHOST isn't as slow as price, i think. i think he'd have faster thrusts and actually pretty silent. will praise and encourage you though, to keep you confident. a firm grip. definitely not into any hard kinks, nothing that'll hurt you as he believes sex should be pleasurable and not painful.

...

GAZ and doggy still sticks with me. i do also still think he prefers anal, he's just an ass man. slow thrusts, deep and desperate though. kisses you and gives you hickeys and love bites. groans and moans through pants.

...

SOAP is probably the fastest out of the 141. i feel like he'd experiment but wouldn't push you, nor himself to do something that you, or he doesn't like. frantic and hard thrusts as he teases you playfully, unable to keep it serious. kisses you all over afterwards though.

...

KÖNIG is fastest out of kortac. he seems like he'd say, ‘i'll make it fit.’ and fuck you ruthlessly to get you familiar with the feeling. 100% will not force you and always looks out for any warning of discomfort throughout it, immediately stopping and sitting down beside you to talk about it and how to improve. definitely more needy after deployment, but overall seems like he prefers faster sex. (not rougher sex)

...

HORANGI seems like he'd also experiment as he doesn't seem as old as price or ghost (i'm not sure of his age.) nothing too kinky, but spices it up here and there. humilation? praising? i honestly don't know, but i do think he'd be similar to gaz, and also könig. maybe a mixture between the both as i don't have a lot to say about it, other than he'd be teasing and rougher after deployment.

...

ALEJANDRO has a medium pace. similar to price in that he's pretty vanilla, but a rougher side of him coming out when he's especially needy. i'd say faster than price, more vanilla than soap, he seems like he'd praise you, kissing and marking your neck and gets you all hot and bothered. probably plays with your pussy while fucking you, and a lot of curses in spanish as he cums.

...

RUDY is similar to gaz and price, a mixture. vanilla but always down to experiment, as long as it doesn't break any boundaries, or if it seems like something he's not willing to do. makes love instead of fucking, kisses you all over and tells you that you're doing well for him. maybe a little of alejandro as well, a slightly rougher side of his usual sex life coming out, never after deployment though as all he wants to do is love you.

...

a/n: the reason i'm posting this is because i've seen a lot of people complaining about the cod community and the things they post, specifically about people who post dark content. i'm gonna say this once, and only once; if you don't like something, don't look at it. don't read, watch, anything, it's clearly not your thing and there's no reason to send hate to other people for liking certain things. no one's saying this is how characters act, it could be something they're into. maybe they like ghost and a gun kink, does that automatically mean ghost has a gun kink? of course not, its a concept, a fictional character, an idea.

this is my own blog, and i'm not going to let someone dictate what i post because it makes them uncomfortable. i am not responsible for what you read, you chose to read it, which is controlled by you.

TLDR: stop sending creators hate because of a concept, it's not their portrayal, it's a concept. don't read stuff you don't like, that's you're responsibility.

[cripplecharacters]

In general, how would you approach writing nonhuman/feral characters with disabilities? How would you balance the symptoms animals usually show vs human symptoms, experiences and available accomodations?

I'm considering giving my Warrior Cats character with TBI-induced blindness (yes, I know, these books are awful about disability rep and yet I can't help but get attached) a guide animal of some sort, but... in real life blind cats can get by just fine using their whiskers, and though realism isn't a concern here, I'm worried that'll come across as nonsensical. However, I'm personally uncomfortable with writing yet another blind character that doesn't need mobility aids despite not being able to distinguish objects from one another "properly". He may not be totally blind, but I feel like I'd be contributing to the misconceptions surrounding my own condition that way. Thoughts?

Thank you for your ask! In real life animals, including cats, have been known to assign themselves as a guide for a blind packmate, usually walking on the side with less vision to help with navigation. Sometimes an animal of another species will act as a guide, but only if they’re bonded. This also occurs more often in domesticated animals, so if you don’t want the guide to be another cat you could do something like a dog, chicken or rat (though I’d imagine the last two would be hard to keep in a cat pack!).

You could also have your character able to move around unassisted in familiar areas that he is often in, but need assistance in unfamiliar areas.

As for writing your character, I’d say research how his injury affects his other senses. Touch, smell, hearing and limb movement can be affected by a traumatic brain injury, and it would definitely affect your character's ability to get around.

As of now, this blog unfortunately doesn’t have any blind mods (applications are still open as of posting this). However, you can check out other blogs for more information on blindness, such as BlindBeta, AskABlindPerson, and Mimzy-Writing-Online.

Have a lovely day!

Mod Rot

Hi!

When talking about TBI induced blindness, you have to keep in mind that it's different from ocular blindness. The brain-based type of blindness is called CVI, or Cortical Visual Impairment, and it's very common!

(Note: I have done a lot of research on CVI, but I don't have it myself. I heavily encourage you to check the blogs that Rot mentioned!)

A CVI will often have different symptoms than ocular blindness. For example, the character's field of view could be severely limited - the left (or right, or top, or bottom...) half of their vision could be non-existent, and the other half could be what is sometimes described as "incomprehensible". It could also present in infinitely different ways from that, as it can be very diverse!

CVI is often fluid and the person (or cat) can function very differently depending on the circumstances like fatigue or stress or even the weather. If he's having a horrible day he will be able to understand the visual input less than when he's doing fantastic.

With CVI, it's important to remember that visual acuity generally won't be the main problem, but the brain's comprehension of the image is. This is where cat-available accommodations can hopefully come in.

Showing him experiencing visual fatigue and how he deals with it could be one of them! During his kitty activities he could prefer to have them spaced out so that he only sees one at a time and makes it easier for his brain to comprehend without tiring him out. A cluttered environment would probably only make it worse, so you can have him make sure that everything is nice and in its place. He could also take longer to recognize new objects or cats.

If he has, for example, very limited field of vision, then he could have his kitty house (I don't know how warrior cats work I'm trying my best here) arranged so that it would work for him; i.e. everything being on a specific height.

I also very much agree with Rot that he should have more symptoms than just blindness! One example of a brain-based cat disability could be cerebellar hypoplasia; it can't be caused by a TBI, but it causes ataxia which can be a result of a TBI (mildly complicated, sorry). Either way you can use it as a reference to visualize how your character could move!

I hope this helps! I really appreciate the effort of trying to include disability accommodations in a character who's a forest cat.

mod Sasza

[citrusinicake]

Day 2 :: Zombie Apocalypse

full text below

do you have any idea how fucking hard it is to be a zombie in this economy? you just go out there trying to have a bite to eat so you go up to some randos and they just start SHOOTING YOU! like straight up just SHOOTING YOU! like what the hell man? i mean i know im trying to rip your brains out and shit but cant you let a guy just fucking eat???? speaking of, this guy's brain tastes weird like im pretty sure its at least fifty percent plastic, maybe even a hundred percent i don't know. was he your boyfriend or something? does this mean you're single? wanna go out sometime? you're annoying as shit but i like that in a man, keeps you on your toes y'know? keeps you humble as well like you just wake up in bed one day and go "oh god this is the guy im dating and i don't even want to break up with him or anything what the hell's wrong with me," which i think is a pretty important thing to have-- at least for me 'cause im awesome as shit and if i don't have that sort of anchor i'll probably lke turn into god or something and i dont wanna be god. not out of self-esteem issues or anything, just out of principle 'cause i think that everyone should have a fair chance at killing me which not gonna lie is pretty easy but that's besides the point, the point is that i think anyone who wants to be god is fucking stupid and should just fucking die. like, hello??? who the hell do you think you are rying to reign above other people? are you stupid? are you dumb? hello? anyways, if you wanna know more about what i think of this i post a lot on r/atheism, im user u/waffleontopp-- wait , do i have to explain reddit to you? 'cause you seem more like a tumblrina to me, honestly reddit's pretty similar to tumblr so you won't have a lot of trouble figuring it out on your own but don't be shocked ifbyou see cock and balls on there since porn isn't banned there unlike tumblr. how's that whole thing treating you by the way? must be tough not seeing some girl's boobs every once in a while-- wait are you gay or bi? must be tough not seeing some guy's boobs every once in a while, that won't be problem if you start dating me though. haha just kidding, my chest is basically concave now after a survivor beat me repeatedly with a baseball bat so ive got like negative double D's now. oh but i do know this one guygirlthing whose boobs are out basically 24/7 who likes to hang out with me and this other guy so maybe that'll make up for it. they're not zombies and im pretty sure they didnt get infected so you don't have to worry about that but they miiiight have rabies or something im not sure to be honest so maybe watch out for that instead. if youre wondering why two non-infected humans are hanging out with a zombie then we're in the same boat, might have something to do with the possible rabies i mentioned earlier. also if they tell you that im their pet zombie that is simply not true, if anything it's the other way around, they're my pet guard dogs and they do basically anything i say even if it kills them. or at least i wish it would kill them, they're way too hardy in my opinion, i need them to die so i can eat their brains-- oh but then i'll have to do manual labor. hmm, on second thought, they can stay actually i don't wanna deal with all that. normally i dont even do my own kills nowadays, i just leave a trap or get the other two to do it for me, you guys just caught me offguard which is lowkey embarassing but trust me i am a huge, like Huge alpha sigma gamma male and would totally dominate everyone else around me. but not in a god way of course, just in a lone sigma alpha gamma wolf kinda way like those anime wolf furry drawings. you know the ones. and like im not a furry but not gonna lie they totally popped off with those

[rainydayathogwarts]

How they react when you tell him you're in the mood - Percy Weasley

this is a small series I'll be uploading. I'll post each character on its own, but the character i'll be writing this for are: Harry, Ron, Percy, Oliver, Remus, Sirius, James.

percy! is the type to go absolutely red in the face, because despite your long relationship, neither of you have ever dragged the other out of a room just for sex. It always just happens to take place when you're both alone in his dorm talking about something or the other. So when you've both just finished your last class of the day and you're finally sat together in the library, the last thing he expects you to do is lean over to him and tell him how much you want him. So of course, he goes red in the face and starts stuttering, telling you "We're in the library, can't you wait until we're back in my dorm?"

Knowing him, you'd be in the library for hours, and as much as that one sentence got him hard, he would always be a perfectionist over his grades. That's why you move so you're sitting next to him, lip bit and eyes pleading, making sure he sees the way you purposefully squeeze your thighs. A hand comes down on your thigh, under your skirt, and he gently caresses you there, momentarily considering breaking a few school rules. But he can't bring himself to do it, and next thing you know he's packing his books up and leading you back to his dorm.

His rucksack is on the floor as soon as the door shuts and he's reaching up into your skirt to get rid of your panties while you unbuckle his belt, and he keeps pushing you backwards until you end up in his bathroom. He doesn't even kiss you before turning you around and bending you over the counter, making eye contact with you through the mirror. He starts pressing kisses on your neck and asks you to take off your shirt while he teases your entrance with his dick. He flips your skirt up so he can get the perfect view of your ass and his hands are on it the entire time but looks up at the mirror to see the look on your face when he starts thrusting into you. And he will not be gentle either - he goes hard and fast, in a way that'll probably leave bruises on your hips from repeatedly hitting the marble counter.

Of course though, he only comes after you do, and rides out both your orgasms, only stopping when you reach behind you to kiss him. He pulls out, gives you a passionate kiss, and tells you how good you did before running a bath for you.

[lokh]

#maybe laios has to have his own awakening <-- I'd be very much interested in hearing what that might look like to you 👀 Shuro pining and stressing over it is the easiest thing to imagine, but I struggle a bit with imagining what Laios' perspective on romance is and his romantic interest in general

OK SO....... realistically i think his view on romance in canon is probably closer to how even though we know his passion is monsters we KNOW he wants to eat monsters So Fucking bad...... his favorite food is still cheesecake. yknow?????? but it's not his Passion.... he mentions having a fiance (somewhat as a point of pride iirc?) but having to break it off when he left his hometown. if he Does experience romantic/sexual attraction then it's kind of secondary to everything else going on with him (see also the succubus thing)... ive always kind of assumed that for him, at the very least before ditching town, that getting married was just a thing you did (were supposed to do) and while he wasn't opposed to it, maybe even interested in it, clearly he doesn't seem to care enough to seek it out afterwards. AS an aroace person i want to believe he's on the aroace spectrum adfvccvvbhb..... aro spec non ace laios is interesting too though.....

BASICALLY it's not a huge concern of his BUT. the question of marriage and succession WILL come up post canon. unfortunately he might not be able to take such a lackadaisical attitude about Who he gets with now that he's such a big deal.... but then again, he's got that rebellious streak and seems pretty good at making situations work in his favor. like who's Really gonna be able to stop him if he decides he wants to marry some guy from the eastern archipelago......

I think he might need an awakening in the sense that taking the view that he's kind of assumed that marriage is just a thing that'll happen to him at some point, he's probably never considered getting with a guy. it's just never crossed his mind. but we know he's open minded and willing to take on-board new ideas...... its less a huge awakening than an Oh! i see i get it moment wjnshdhxbx. actually i can imagine the idea being floated to him and he kinda goes hmmmmmm i don't really get it (for me) but ok i guess. then someone going (perhaps out of pity for an already pining shuro) ok but now imagine you and shuro being that close and him going AH! now I get it.

we know that laios cares deeply about the people close to him but it's hard for us to imagine him romantically and that's probably true for the people around him also tbh. i think no matter how you spin it (that he's aroace but decides to have a relationship anyway, or that he does experience any attraction) that perception will always hold and there might be the concern of does he Really get it though irt a relationship (in this case laishuro). I also think that if he does decide on a relationship with someone he cares about that he WILL care deeply he just might not show it in like. any overtly romantic way...

i will say that part of that perception of him being incapable of romance and sexual attraction, im concerned is because of him also being well. pretty autistic lmao. which is obviously not fair. but romance has never been a huge focal point in dungeon meshi much the same way it isn't really for laios, but it's still there nonetheless....

it's possible also that he has a bigger interest in romance and sex than is apparent but because of how Social it is that he simply won't pursue it. he's aware of his lack of social ability and is pretty insular with his social group (iirc this is kabrus perception of him?) so I dont think it's unreasonable to believe he might have decided it wasn't worth the effort to seek it out. but with someone who's Already a friend and you've already made all the possible social gaffes with and they haven't left despite that..........

[the-family-business-83]

Species Decipit

Part 1 | Masterlist WIP

Fandom: Supernatural

Summary: The Winchester brothers were once good friends with Sarah. She was a good hunter, and made pretty good company too. But after running into the Men of Letters, things changed drastically for the trio.

Type: Series

Characters: Dean Winchester, Sam Winchester, OFC Sarah Rogers (probably more that'll be introduced later on)

Genre: Angst, action, slight fluff, possible smut but not yet

Warnings: If you haven't seen the whole show, this series contains spoilers for seasons 11-12.

There will be mentions of blood and violence, and alcohol use. There will also be a fair amount of cussing, but not more than what's in the show. If those aren't your thing though, read at your own risk. Some parts of this series may contain more of these subjects than others. Also, fair warning, this gets very angsty, like a lot of angst, so be prepared.

Word count: 3,493

Send me an ask to let me know if you wanna be added/removed from the taglist!

Beta: I don't know their Tumblr tag but @Outofnowhere82 on Discord, a member of the @spnfanficpond, helped me with this one

A/N: I posted this on Wattpad first, it was posted with the title "Everybody Wants to be My Enemy" (Link here) but I decided to change it a little and post it here too. I think I like this one better so I hope you guys enjoy this angst-coaster ride 🥰

The moment she pulled the key from her pocket and slotted it into the keyhole of the heavy iron door, Sarah had to take a moment just to breathe in. The walk up after sliding out of her car was one that felt like she'd been on auto-pilot, as her mind was already wandering through the surreality of being back here again. How many times had she come in, and yet this time would be among one of the only–if not the only–that she did so without the two lumbering flannel-clad brothers Winchester flanking her sides; the only time she'd come here without knowing that they'd probably be waiting beyond that door, for her to come in or to open it for her.

But as she closed her eyes for a brief second, she shook the thoughts away and turned the key over to unlock the mechanism, and pulled it out only when she heard the familiar click to grant her access. Descending down the small winding staircase, she made it to the second and final door to go inside, which she pushed open after another quick unlock with the key, and stepped inside as she tucked said key into one of her pockets a moment later. Her gaze shifted throughout the room, her cerulean hues not being able to see much in the pitch dark. Sarah pulled a flashlight out of the duffle bag on her shoulder, and clicked it on as she carefully made her way down the stairs to find the power box. She tried to ignore the sinking feeling she had at the fact that the place was not only dark but also so quiet she probably could have heard a faucet leaking in the shower room halfway across the bunker. It was stupid wishful thinking but some part of her had hoped that maybe, just maybe they were home… but they weren't, and she told herself to grow up because it was stupid to have hoped for in the first place.

Once she found the power box, the blonde flicked her eyes over the different switches for a moment, before pushing the correct ones up to turn everything on. In the blink of an eye, everything in the war room lit up, followed by the library, and in the hallways that lead out of the war room. For a moment, it was almost soothing, because she was reminded of the first time she'd come here seeing the place all lit up in all its true glory. She still remembered Sam explaining what the place was, where things were, and the house rules. Which of course, Dean had chimed in for that last part, no surprise there. But the memory, fleeting as it came, made the tall huntress smile faintly in reminiscence. It was such a simpler time, compared to now.

When her mind came back to reality a second later, Sarah cleared her throat and clicked off her flashlight, putting it away as she took a right and started heading down the hallway towards where the rooms were. She was headed for her own room, so she could set her things down at least, but curiosity got the better of her when she passed by familiar number 11; Dean's room. She's already gone past it but something made her stop, and backtrack to the door where she turned and clenched her jaw as if it would hold back the wave of guilt that threatened to come forward. She shouldn't have come back here, it was hard enough to be finding her footing right now without those men, and the place may have been home once but now it just reminded her of the things she'd done. Yet somehow she couldn't stop herself as she pushed the door open further from where it was slightly open just a crack.

Fumbling her hand along the wall on the inside of the room, she flipped the light switch on. She didn't know what she was really expecting, but she wasn't sure she was prepared to see it still in the same shape as it had been the last time she'd seen it. Wall decorated with all Dean's weapons as per usual, a crate filled with vinyl records right next to his record player just as he liked it, his desk still a mess that had a system of Dean's own devising…. And most of all the bed of all things was still half-assed in the process of making it. It made her shake her head slightly but whether it was out of familiar amusement or sadness would be up for debate. She made her way over to the record player then, and set her bag on the chair before selecting a Rolling Stones album. The needle was set on its surface a moment later as the blonde set it up, and she turned up the volume a bit while the classic crackling switched to the first notes of "You Can't Always Get What You Want". Admittedly, as she heard it start she almost switched it to a different track, or just a new vinyl entirely, but instead she snorted a sort of scoff at the cruel irony and picked up her bag again as she left the room with the door open so she could hear it continuing to play.

Sarah deposited her bag into her room next, because it happened to be on the way in-between Dean's and Sam's room, always had been. And she didn't even bother with unpacking yet, just leaving her bag on her bed as she ran some cold water to splash on her face with the sink that was in there. It took her a moment to just, settle, because readjusting to what she used to call home was a big step for her, truth be told. But as she hummed along to the song drifting from Dean's bedroom, the tall huntress did actually take it upon herself to trek down the hall further to Sam's room, hands in her pockets as she walked. And what she found was an empty room, bare of decorations, in contrast to his brother's. But the other difference was that it was still neat as ever; neatly made bed, tidy coat rack, not a thing out of place. Unless you counted the few books that were sprawled across that very same neatly made bed, with a small stack living on the desk beside his laptop from whenever the last time he'd used them was. It was a sad sight, as familiar as it was. She was so used to finding the man busying between one book to another in here, whenever he wasn't stationed in the library to do the exact same thing. She didn't spend as much time in that room however; she ended up turning away with a deep breath in and shut the door behind herself, clicking the light off on her way.

Like riding a bike, she found the kitchen with no problem, and bumped the light on with her elbow as she was mid-way through pulling her shoulder-length hair into a messy bun. Once that was done, she went straight for the fridge to find herself a beer….if there even was any still. She didn't trust any of the food in there honestly, not with how long it had been. So she didn't think much of any of it or how it looked as she shut the door a moment later and instead searched out the bottle of Jack she'd always kept in one of the cabinets for safekeeping. Glad it was still in its same hiding spot, Sarah took to finding herself a glass a moment later, poured some liquor into it and took a long sip. But she damn near dropped it when she heard a very deep, very familiar voice as she froze, thankful that the bottle was already on the counter. She hadn't even heard him come in but that voice sure alerted her to his presence, followed by the feeling of metal against her henley covered spine.

"Don't move a muscle, bitch." His voice was hard, gravely with how low his tone was despite being just loud enough to catch her attention. His signature etched silver Colt M1911 with ivory grips was up and aimed square at her as he pressed it against the middle of her back, and if looks alone could kill, Dean's stoney features probably would have. Sarah wasn't normally on the receiving end of such looks, but she'd seen them before, and she didn't need to look at him to feel it on her now, just knowing he was glaring holes into the back of her skull. The weary woman didn't say anything at first, too stunned to really know what to say and not daring to move with how Dean looked. So there was a moment of utter silence between the two, one that was thick enough to be cut with a knife.

"I'm gonna start asking questions and so help me I better get nothing but straight answers from you." He didn't have to tell her why for her to know what would happen if she didn't. Swallowing hard, she simply nodded, and let him go on. "Why the hell are you here? Did your new, fancy boss send you?"

She didn't know how to describe it, but there was a part of her that grimaced when he said it like that, and yet another part of her couldn't help being pissed underneath whatever showed on the surface. "No. As far as they know I'm dead now. I plan to keep it that way."

"Right. So you just decided to come in for a visit, is that it?" He didn't sound any happier than before, in fact if it was possible he almost sounded a little more pissed. The truth was the last he'd seen her, they were on opposing sides and Dean still couldn't get past it. As far as he knew she was still the Brits' lackey, and in his eyes she was lucky he didn't shoot her on sight. "I'm only gonna ask one more time. Why. Are. You. Here?"

Breathing in deeply she turned just a little more to face him better, and in the same motion pulled the gun swiftly from his hands as she clicked out the cartridge before tossing it onto the counter. She didn't get a word in, at least not much beyond an 'I was-', before she had to duck as a heavy right hook was coming her way. She was quick to move with his hits, keeping up decently as they scuffled there in the kitchen but he played dirty by chucking a towel in her face to disorient her and proceeded to sweep her legs from under her. Going down with a grunt as she hit the hard tile floor; before she knew it she was wrapped up by the man as he knelt beside her, his arms expertly around her neck in a headlock as she tried to squirm and free herself.

Unaware for the moment, Sam came into the bunker right about then, dumping his things on the war room table for now because he'd noticed with the lack of a response from his brother with the conversation he'd tried to start, that Dean wasn't in sight, and frowned as he looked around. "Hey, dude- where'd you go? Dean??" He waited another moment or so before he started down one of the halls and calling out louder for him to hopefully hear. "Dean! Hey, where are you man?"

Still there had been no response. Giving a tired sigh, the taller Winchester ran a hand through his hair, about to give up. But that was when he caught, albeit faintly, scuffling from the kitchen, before a few metallic clangs of things clashing, and that put the male into alert mode as he then pulled his pistol out and began jogging for the kitchen as he followed the direction of the sounds. "Dean?! Dean!!"

By the time Sam got there, Sarah was fighting just to stay conscious, because there was nothing within her immediate reach that she could really use, and even if she wasn't short, Dean was still bigger than her and so it was hard to fight him off. "De- Dean- lis'n- pl'se- I'm not he- to hur- I jus-" the huntress tried to choke out against the strong forearm squeezed against her windpipe. She hadn't even noticed Sam arriving, as she was too focused on keeping her vision focused and trying to get oxygen–both of which she was definitely failing at with how the bigger man holding her made it impossible to get enough air in no matter how hard she kicked and fought.

"Dean, what is-" and this time, Sam was the one to cut himself off, because he recognized the blonde right away even in that situation. And he almost, almost shot her right there because of how he'd come into this. But the pacifist buried in him urged him not to, at least for now, so instead he readjusted his aim to be towards her thigh, grazing just enough to not be too fatal but also enough to catch attention and keep her from running very far. "Dean! Hey, let her go!"

At first all Dean gave his brother was a hard look, because the idea was insane. She'd tried to kill them before, or at least fed them to the lions in a way, and he really fucking hoped his brother wasn't trying to forgive her for all of that. But Sam's voice came again, urging him. "Dean, c'mon. She can't get away like that, you can let her go."

Finally, with a split second of debating, Dean let her go with a grumble, and stood up as he went to grab his gun and reload it before aiming it on Sarah once more.

Had she the lung capacity, Sarah would have screamed when her leg was shot like that. But she didn't, and so no sound left her unless you count the squeak that briefly croaked out at it, with her eyes scrunching shut to grit through the pain. Even still, she fought to keep herself conscious, and when she was finally released? She fell to her side, one arm weakly propping herself up while the other massaged her throat as she coughed, trying to regain air to lessen the stars in her blotted vision. After a moment, she finally leaned herself up against the island as she just worked on catching her breath, a hand squeezed against her thigh where the bullet had hit her to help stem the bleeding. It was already staining her jeans a dark red, leaving traces on the tiles where it dripped slightly. It wasn't much but it was enough that with the momentary deprivation of oxygen in tandem with the bloodloss—and her own….less than ideal health state—she was already feeling a bit dizzy and fighting to stay awake. She closed her eyes just for a moment against the pain, as if somehow she could will it all away and maybe when she opened them again, this would all have been her imagination so they could start over.

"Now what happened here?" Sam was the first to break the very brief lull of silence, excluding Sarah's coughing, and he glanced to his brother for a moment, arching a brow.

Sarah paused for a moment to settle herself, breathing in first before answering. "I just wanted to come home. There's no reason, there's no scheme, nothing… I'm just trying to get a handle on myself again, that's all. I didn't think you were here, the lights were off and no one seemed to be around." She obliged him with her answer, albeit weakly, despite how she tried not to sound or look it. But Sarah never had been the best at hiding her emotions on her face, or at least not with people who knew her well. In fact, probably the only time she was perfect at it was when the Brits had her under their thumb. But she doubted Sam would believe a word she said, let alone Dean. The look of distrust never once left the older Winchester's features, and once she'd answered, there was even a small squint. She knew all too well that meant he was debating whether to even give her a sliver of trust to believe her story. "Look, Dean, I-"

"Save it. I don't want the pity story you're cooking up there. I want you out of my kitchen and out the damn door. Because so help me, if I see your face in here again-" his voice, which had raised a little to cut the blonde off, was interrupted by his brother as he shot a look at Dean. Never once did Dean's attention leave her though. "Dean, slow down a sec. How'd she even get in?- how'd you get in?" The taller male's gaze shifted to Sarah with the second question, brows furrowed as he tried to work out the equation in his mind.

In any normal circumstance the woman would have been not just relieved but also glad to see the other brother, but any glimpse of those feelings was squashed by the fact that his reaction damn near mirrored Dean's. "I…I still had a key. Look, like I said neither of you were even home when I got here, I thought-" But she cut herself off there, licking her lips and clearing her throat as she quickly changed her words from 'I thought you were really gone' to: "I thought the place was empty, I just needed a place to…find my own head."

"Plenty of motels, coulda bunked down anywhere. Why here?" Dean's response came without skipping a beat. And Sarah had to try not to wince at the coldness in his voice.

That stung. More than she wanted to admit. She knew she'd done….horrible things, she knew that and so in a way she didn't blame him. But that didn't make it hurt any less to hear that from him. "Because this is home. This is square number one for me, I thought it would help-"

This time it was Sam who cut in, mulling over her words. "Help what, exactly? And why should we believe a word from you?"

"You don't wanna believe me, fine. I don't give a rat's ass. But if you're gonna shoot me, shoot me. If you really wanna hear jackshit from me? Stop reaming my ass out and take it or leave it." She sounded frustrated that time, wearily so, and likely because of the pain in her leg for the most part. Fumbling for the towel that had been dropped on the floor, she tugged it over and used it to tie around her thigh because her hand was not only getting tired but also not doing the best job of applying pressure, the blood already beginning to ooze out between her fingers. She grimaced through the sting of pain it shot through her leg, before resting her head back against the island once she'd finished the task and letting her eyes slide closed.

Dean shared a glance with his brother, jaw muscles clenched and gaze asking the silent question of 'your call, what's it gonna be?' because if it was up to him, he was ready to unload a clip in her. Sam was the one giving her any kind of leg to stand on here, so whatever sliver of the emerald eyed man that was giving her even a fraction of a chance, that was the part that was letting Sam make the call.

The taller male took that silent message, and glanced towards Sarah once more, a brief squint flashing through his eyes as he considered the options. "Alright, start talking then. From the beginning, no crap, tell us what happened since you left to work with the Brits."

This was going to be….a long ass night. She knew it would be. Though she supposed it would have been anyway, regardless of whether it went this way or not; the only difference in this version was that they were really still alive, and Sarah wasn't sure if that was more of a relief than it was pain. It was complicated. Whatever the case though, the tired huntress sighed, albeit shallowly due to her current state, but as pained as she was to do so she nodded with eyes closed as if to hide away from the two towering men while she tried to recall. Soon though her mind seemed to fail her, fading into simple darkness as the sounds around her dimmed out. Seconds turned into minutes, without her even realizing, as she stayed like that, unconscious to anything happening around her.

Taglist: @ageekchiclife @babypieandwhiskey @buckys-zomdoll @canadianspnhunter @cas-backwards-tie @castieltrash1 @deanscarlett @deanwanddamons @ellewritesfix05 @emilyshurley @emoryhemsworth @firefly-in-darkness @idreamofhazel @idreamofplaid @kalesrebellion @katelyn--renee @kayteonline @kickingitwithkirk @lucibae-is-dancing-in-hell @manawhaat @melbelle45 @mrswhozeewhatsis @mysaintsasinner @mysupernaturalfics @notnaturalanahi @plaidstiel-wormstache @sinceriouslyamellpadalecki @supernatural-jackles @there-must-be-a-lock @thing-you-do-with-that-thing @trend90s @waywardjoy @whispersandwhiskerburn @akshi8278 @fuiabarcelos @ssonia13

[leclerced]

soft sweet domesticity with max. idk. i feel like if his wife wanted some cute farm animals he couldn’t say no? and I do feel like he’d like the whole homegrown aspect of it once he got used to it?? basically lumberjack max but his wife convinced him farm animals were a good idea. have fun hiking!!

-

🩰

kjnkjefhkfh i read this otw to my hike and its all i was thinking ab for awhile!! there's not like... land in monaco right? it's so small i just know there's not acres of land up for grabs. they'd have to move outside the city i think.

max lives in a fancy little penthouse when they meet, and they continue living there for awhile after marriage or whatever, but she's always made it clear that she wants land. so it's not a surprise when she's talking about wanting a yard, a garden, etc. max pretty easily is like, "yeah, that's actually a good idea! kids like running around in yards and stuff.. yeah lets get a house!"

takes awhile, but within a few months they find somewhere perfect for them. not too much land, but it's already got a huge garden that just needs some tender loving care. she spends all her time outside pulling weeds and planting new native plants that'll flourish. at first, max doesn't really care for gardening. he doesn't like the dirt under his nails or the bugs flying at his face. so, the first few weeks, she's doing it herself. he half expects her to give up on it, but it's her new passion.

max catches her struggling to carry heavy bags of soil and he's like, "let me do the heavy lifting! you're probably so tired right now, you've been doing this all day? every day?" and insists on helping with everything after that. it's both of their homes, he should be helping with makin it pretty too. he's moving paving stones, carrying bags of soil, pushing the wheelbarrow around the yard for her. they have a veggie garden and start everything from seed, starting them indoors and moving them outside once they've sprouted. as soon as they're planted outside, though, she's complaining about the bugs eating all her plants. posts in a subreddit for gardening and someone recommends chicken to keep pests away, and she immediately starts dropping hints to max.

soon enough, there's a new chicken coop and half a dozen hens running around the yard, protecting their garden. the plants are fairly protected after that, and she babies the chickens just like max does the cats. he thinks it's silly, "schat, those are working animals. you don't have to name them." but within a few weeks, he's buying worms online to give to the chickens as treats.

after like a decade of marriage they have a full farm and eat all their own fruits and veggies and max has no fucking clue when they got cows?? but there are two cows in their own section of the yard, for some fucking reason.

[vidreview]

some thoughts on Action Button Reviews

[originally posted december 22nd 2023]

ANONYMOUS ASK: Not a recommendation because I know you've already seen it, but I remember you (this being like a year ago) calling Tim Rogers' action button reviews boku no natsuyasami something along the lines of "a triumphant demonstration of what's possible in the video essay medium". I was wondering if you could elaborate, provided it hasn't been too long. I recognise I'm blasting you from the past here lol. It was one of the few hours-long video essays that I didn't mind sitting through, though I'm still not sure it quite justifies its length. Tim's delivery helps significantly there, in a way that reminds me of Caleb Gamman's casual/improvised-feeling but thoroughly scripted shtick.

oh i still think Tim Rogers is hands down the best in the biz. i've watched the Action Button reviews multiple times, i've got a davinci resolve project with all his videos in, studied them under a microscope and taken lots of notes. i think his work absolutely does justify the length, because rather than trying to say Everything There Is To Say about a game, he instead focuses on digging into the game's relationship with his own hyperspecific subjectivity. i don't know how else to describe the Action Button reviews except as literary media criticism, using incredibly in-depth analysis as a jumping off point for discussing how these games shape us and the culture, the role they occupy at various stages of our life, and how who we are at any given moment is just as important to our opinion of a game as the game itself. sooner or later i want to do a full-on VIDREV on his stuff, probably in video essay form, but consider this a first draft overview of why i find his work so special.

there's little things. despite the length of his videos, he never fails to get to The Point (his term for the thesis statement) within five minutes of starting the essay proper. he is a talented and quick-witted tour guide, funny and clever and philosophically ponderous all at once. his work is clearly designed to reward multiple viewings, yet never fails to feel complete on a first watch. he writes with a precision of language that'll knock your socks off if you let it, especially if you're willing to go with him on his seemingly non sequitur tangents. but it goes a lot deeper than that.

i just don't think anyone else is putting nearly as much time, effort, and thought into the moment to moment particulate matter of his video essays than Tim Rogers. there are a ton of little mistakes that quite a few essayists make as a result of only doing one or two complete editing passes, or otherwise not sitting down and watching their video start to finish at multiple points in post-production. things like bad audio mixing, cut-off breaths and sounds that ought to be removed, stray frames from footage creating accidental jump cuts, flubbed line deliveries, misaligned overlay elements, sloppy compositing, the list goes on. it's no great sin to make these mistakes, mind-- no one's being commissioned, most essayists aren't professional editors, there's no quality control or review board or institutional best practices. it's the difference between giving the kitchen a quick once over with a rag and getting on your hands and knees to scrub every stain with a toothbrush. most people don't have the time it takes to do the latter, aren't getting paid enough, and the returns on putting the effort in are impossible to measure and therefore, practically speaking, nonexistent.

but as someone who tries to put that kind of work in (not always successfully), i can always tell when another essayist has done the same. longform video essays in aggregate tend to be messy, under-structured, rambling; they often arise out of an essayist's desire to say everything they could possibly say on a subject. not only is this an impossible task, it makes for a pretty dull viewing experience to boot. what i find so impressive about Tim Rogers' work is that despite their length, his videos are relentlessly structured. the attention to fine details in the moment-to-moment edit across the whole runtime is astonishing; that the script itself is so internally integrated never fails to make me furious (with professional envy). he always has a lot to say, not all of which is strictly speaking essential to the analysis, but nothing ever feels so indulgent that it drags the rest of the essay down in my estimation. he often repeats information, but he does so very strategically and in a way that's meant to help the viewer follow a thread from start to finish. i also think his presentation style goes a long way towards hiding how much effort he puts in, how relentlessly curated these things actually are in spite of their length. he's talked extensively about how much he cuts from these videos (most prominently is story 5 from the Cyberpunk 2077 review, which went from over an hour in length at first draft to, eventually, just over a minute), how he watches them back over and over and constantly makes fine adjustments. that work won't be apparent to everyone watching, but it's exceedingly apparent to me.

and then there's the cherry on top of it all, which is the fact that the Action Button reviews are constructed as being part of "seasons" that have a planned thematic throughline. taken as a whole, season 1 is a completely unique work of literary metacritical nonfiction, a series of six reviews (Final Fantasy VII Remake -> The Last of Us -> DOOM -> Pac-Man -> Tokimeki Memorial -> Cyberpunk 2077) that use specific games to talk about trends in game design, trends in gamer culture, the history of games development, all through an astonishingly earnest and open autobiographical document of Tim Rogers' own professional and personal life, which is given particular weight by his astonishing capacity for near perfect recall from early childhood. they are the clear result of a life spent thinking about and writing about and talking about games in between all the rest of his life, neither of which was ever truly separate. i know i'm throwing around a lot of superlatives here, but i really do adore these essays. i think a lot of folks doing longform games reviews try to achieve a sort of technical objectivity, limiting the scope of their analysis to strictly what's in the game (and often only that which involves numbers, leaving any narrative or thematic components to a brief aside at the very end). the Action Button method should fall into that category, and yet Rogers himself uses its technical objectivity as an anchor around which flows an endless and unquantifiable ocean of subjectivity, where game mechanics and thematic elements mix forever. each subsequent review drops a new anchor, and thus begins to compose a map whose purpose is as much a matter of self-reflection as it is pure education or analysis.

but i really do think it's with the first (and so far only) episode of season 2, his review of Boku no Natsuyasumi, that you can really see the cunning of what he's been up to all along. i often find myself thinking about his reflections on returning to Kansas ("it took me back to a place i had never never been"), on why people rewatch movies and replay games ("our memory only records the cold parts"), on the futility of trying to recapture the past ("places don't remember us"), on the screaming terror of our own looming mortality ("meanwhile our shattering animals"). i just know those quotes off the top of my head, man, that's how deep in it i am. the Boku no Natsuyasumi review is a masterpiece, and the ways it breaks from the style and approach of season 1's reviews only strengthens the choices he made in season 1, because suddenly we realize that they were choices. that's the artfulness of this series, in my opinion: it starts as, seemingly, a relatively bog-standard "i'm going to review some video games and make some jokes and tell some stories along the way" type joint, but slowly reveals to you essay by essay just how little of this project was automatic, unconsidered, arbitrary, and that its aims were never so miniscule as "tell you why a video game is good". there are themes running throughout the entire series, repeated phrases and ideas, theories of mind and play that build in the subtext, accruing like memories, subtly building mass until you look back and realize that what seemed like a random selection of topics was, in truth, premeditated with a conspiracist's attention to detail.

and yet despite all this high-minded gobbledygook, these videos are relentlessly watchable and entertaining. i don't always agree with his takes (i was particularly frustrated that his exploration of "every cyberpunk game" omitted the flood of relevant titles that came the indie sphere over the last decade, like Cloudpunk and Read Only Memories), but they're not the kinds of disagreements that would make me sour on his work overall, and anyway the experience is so much more valuable than something as rote and immaterial as an opinion. there's so much more i could say (and inevitably will say, someday), but there you go, that's a rough gloss on what i like about the Action Button reviews.

[voltstone]

A YELLOW DRESS FORGOTTEN | TWDG Retelling (Remastered - 2024) MASTER CONTENT POST

Hello! (And hello again to the TWDG fandom. At least, to anyone who remembers this fic.)

I'm VoltageStone. Still a shit uploader. I'm trying, and yes, this is one of the fics that has been in the works for...way too long, but at the same time..., glad I waited for my writing to get better?

This, quite simply, is my love-letter to the games, and to my Clementine. It's the one story I've wanted to get right, time and time again.

Especially since the comics have come out. Even though I've come to the conclusion that the comics are divorced from the games, because it's only one person's Clementine (and an...interesting interpretation of her at that), the comics did pull me away from the games for a little bit there.

But now I'm back. And I do intend to get to Season 4 this time. To finish this.

It'll take time, but I do feel ready now. I really have wanted to write out my Clementine's story, and have something that I can read back on rather than whatever Skybound's doing.

And honestly? While most of this is a self-indulgence thing, and it's because I'm bleeding my heart out here...

I do want more people to write about their Clementines. Cuz like... Maybe if there's enough people doing it, writing about their experiences, and not just the character as a whole... We'd get more enrichment from TWDG as a whole.

For anyone who wants to add on or talk about this, or follow along without having to subscribe to me, this fic will have its own tag (#aydf fic). So. If you're interested in just this, that'll be the place. :D

Anyway, now, for this specific update, this is a master post like the one I did for LYCOS (Wenclair fic). This isn't marked dead dove, but it is still a very...gritty fic. And it has a lot of very heavy themes.

It's a dark fic for different reasons, but a lot of the same. AYDF is what got me into writing gore, body & psychological horror, and the like. That being said, it's...also just a different beast.

Largely because I'm building off of what's in the games, so dead dove doesn't feel as appropriate for this.

Still. Might as well make a post here about its content. Any updates I do will be linked back to this.

So, for those who read this story before, I hope you enjoy, and thanks for sticking around through the years.

To any newcomers, to TWDG or other readers from other fics, I hope you enjoy. :)

-- -- --

Walkers. Muertos. Deadheads. Lurkers... The dead which roamed, they wore many names. Monster was yet another one. Though, Clementine knew most monsters didn't decay. Their hearts still throbbed. Their eyes, still with color. The monsters, still with words to asphyxiate.  Because she was one herself: a monster with fire in her breath, and eyes that burned her own Hell. She drank for her life. She drank to forget.

A thank-you to Telltale, a love-letter to Clementine as a character, and a passion project writing out my Clementine's story. Made by my blood, sweat, tears, and probably also mucous from the tears, but it's sanitized, I promise.

AO3 | FFnet | Wattpad | Quotev | RoyalRoad

Fic Layout:

Ep1 | Between S2 & S3. Ep2-5 | S3. Ep1.5 (Interlude) | S1, Between S1 & S2, Between S2 & S3. Ep6 | Between S2 & S3, Between S3 & S4. Ep7 | Between S3 & S4, S4. Ep8-15 | S4.

General Warnings:

Catharsis, Gore, Extreme/Graphic Violence, Fights, Murder, Horror, Body Horror, Angst, Trauma, a very Cynically Religious Clementine, Raider!Clementine, TWDG retelling (aka, a lot of the dialogue and canon-events will be here, or rewritten), (some, not a lot) Sexual Content (because it's a "growing up" thing not a horny thing, I promise, …and maybe sorta a little bit of how BPD and attachment issues do things), Violentine, a lot of homoeroticism, they are touch starved, Some fairytale symbolism, Louis will be protected and grow tf up.

Mental Health:

Alcoholism, Gambling Addiction, Addiction, Withdrawal, Relapse, Suicide Attempt(s), PTSD, Guilt, Survivor's Guilt, Rehabilitation, Psychosis, Child abuse, Parentification, and how that basically fucks Clementine in the head like a lot, and then A.J too because cycles and trauma, Borderline Personality Disorder, Trauma Trauma Trauma, and you'll never guess, a Clementine who really really really needs help and at least one (1) actual breathing adult in her life.

Oh which reminds me.

Finding guidance in adults who are already very much dead, and please Clementine, would you just bury the corpse?

…okay that's verging on dead dove, but if the game (almost) has an 8-year-old eat a dude's leg, and then a bigger dude get his head smooshed by a salt lick (which tastes gross, I dunno), I think it's still safe.

In Summary:

...okay I may have written a Carver's Clementine by accident bUT it was an ACCIDENT. My hand slipped. She's not evil, just a little demented some days, and bitter on the better ones.

I am half-joking. My hand didn't slip.

She does make the comic's Clementine look like an angel, though. So. There's that.

Anyway, if it's not clear, the tldr is this is my playthrough, and thusly my canon Clementine, just with the story tailored for indulgence and narrative reasons. Cuz. …alcoholism. …and stuff.

Not a great person. Very troubled. But you know. Tis how addiction works.

Hope you enjoy. :) If you see my blood, sweat and tears stained in the writing, no you didn't.

[tea-132]

[CINDERELLA BOY BEACH BOY ARC SPOILERS !!!!!]

(Pls turn away if you havent read the recent beachboy arc (ep 31))

A little self indulgent fic/prediction i think will happen in the next episode

Now i dont usually write fics like this and preffer to illustrate more but if i illustrate this whole thing its gona take a whole while so :,))

Anyways its sort of my first time posting a short fic like this, i didnt really have a structure or anything so pls go easy on me :,)

(though constructive critiscm is welcomed)

----------------------------------------------------

They were getting along just fine before so why did things have to end up this way?

Maybe Buddy was right- maybe he was too innocent and trusting

But he really did want to give Buddy a chance. But he definitely blew it.

That jerk.

He really thinks he can act all smug after doing that saying "he taught him a lesson". Heh maybe that kick will teach *him* a lesson.

This story will end soon anyway when Deacon gets here. Hah wonder if he can even leave Buddy on the island alone. Thats what he gets for betraying his trust-

Yet- that face Buddy had- maybe he actually regrets it?

What if he's being forced by the ex libris to do this?

Oh well doesn't matter

Its not his problem-

He has his own problems to worry about-

----------------------------------------------------

Wonder when Deacon will come? And wonder how he's holding up? Probably better than Chase is doing at the moment..

Chase laid his face on his palm as the tropical island breeze and gentle sway of the waves soothed his heart a bit. His eyes felt dry after all the crying, not only is he going to come to Deacon with a scarred face, but also a puffed up one.

That'll be embarassing. This is all Buddy's fault..

Speaking of Buddy for some reason Chase swore he saw something move just now. Oh no not him again.

With his voice a bit shaky he answered with a crack in his voice "What the heck do you want now? ...jerk."

Buddy just stood there still with the spear in his hand. His bangs slightly concealed his eyes but it wasnt too hard to figure out the grim expression on his face.

Then he got closer to Chase raising his spear.

"H-hey!! Dont you think you damaged my skin enough?! Back off Buddy!" (Do you want another kick to your face or wha 💀)

With no time to run all he could do is shield himself with his arms and close his eyes.

*Thunk*

"Huh?" He felt around and didnt feel like he got stabbed anywhere... then..?

"Here."

He saw green but then his vision focused. Buddy was quite literally shoving a coconut in his face.

"... you can have it.. if you want." He said in a quiet subtle tone. Looking away, as if a child was trying to give some sort of "apology gift".

Chase looked at Buddy with wide eyes, bewildered at the goth's actions once again.

As much as he wanted to deny the coconut from this jerk. He just cant pass up the oppurtunity for a free, finally opened coconut he's been trying to get all this time.

"....thanks" Chase takes the coconut from his hands.

And Buddy hesitantly sits next to him.

"Dont think a coconut can fix the scar on my face you know?" He said in an angry tone

"You know when you get out of the books the scar wont be there anymore right?"

"Yeah but it still hurts you jerk!"

Then there was silence between the two again. Chase angrily but obviously enjoying his coconut.

Then Buddy says something about his lore and it goes on from there jdbdjdbdj

Ok thats all the predictions i have for now 😭 i dont think im gona finish this unless i get more ideas or smth 😭

But tysm for reading till the end! Jsbdj hope you guys enjoyed this lil thing i did

Dunno if im gona do more of these but who knows- ill most likely do more drawings though-