#the halcyon fan fiction

[ewanmitchellcrumbs]

Sweeter Than This

Pairing: Billy Taylor (The Halcyon) x f!reader Warnings: Mentions of war and rationing, sexual inexperience, oral sex (f receiving), smut. Word count: ~3.1k

Summary: When Billy gifts her an orange, almost impossible to come by due to lack of exportation and rationing, he decides he wants to taste something sweeter than fruit. Based on this request.

Author's note: For @notasockpuppetaccount. No tag list - please follow @fics-by-ewanmitchellcrumbs and turn on post notifications. Community labels are for cops.

She sits down heavily on a chair in the staff quarters, sighing in relief at the rest she is finally able to give her aching feet and back.

It’s her first day at The Halcyon, one of London’s most prestigious hotels. Money has been tight at home since her father was drafted, and she���d enquired about work just about everywhere she could think of, in order to help her mother make ends meet.

She’d been surprised when The Halcyon had offered her a job as a maid, she had no prior experience and was certain they’d reject her. However, she supposes that in the midst of a war, beggars can’t be choosers, and they are likely as desperate as she is.

Her morning has been spent helping out Kate, a firm but friendly Irish girl, who has taught her how to turn down a bed and scrub a toilet until it gleams white and shiny again. It’s tiring work, the maze of rooms on every floor feels endless, and between being scolded for wrinkled sheets and improperly folded towels she is exhausted, grateful to retreat to the back room once she’s told she can take her lunch break.

Unwrapping the wax paper on the sandwich she’d packed earlier that morning, she wrinkles her nose in disgust. It no longer seems as appetising now that it’s been left to sit in her bag for hours.

She looks up as the door creaks open, a tall, young lad in a bell boy’s uniform walks in. He offers her a tight lipped smile by way of greeting, cheeks turning slightly pink as he moves to retrieve his own sandwich.

“You on your lunch as well?” She asks warmly. Having only spoken properly to Kate so far, she is eager to make friends.

“Yeah,” he says, gesturing towards the empty seat opposite hers at the table, “you mind if I, er…?”

“No, sit down,” she tells him, watching intently as he takes a seat and starts to unwrap his own food.

“Not seen you before,” he comments, looking up at her.

“First day,” she fiddles with the wax paper of her lunch, “I’m knackered.”

“Don’t I know it,” he says, loosening his cap and placing it upon the table. “Lost a guest’s dog this morning. Bloody thing slipped the lead when I tried to walk it.”

Her eyes widen in surprise, but she is unable to stifle the giggle that escapes her. At least someone is having a worse day than she is. “And I thought I had it bad scrubbing toilets.”

“You not eating that then?” He says, nodding towards her sandwich before taking a bite of his own.

She grimaces. “Fish paste. Not sure I can stomach it.”

He nods, talking around a mouthful of food, a habit she would ordinarily find disgusting, but she finds it doesn’t offend her when he does it. “Spam in mine. Mum makes ‘em. Same thing every day.” He swallows before he speaks again, with a slight raise of his eyebrows. “Tell you what, give me half of yours, I’ll give you half of mine. Less boring that way.”

“Yeah, alright,” she grins, sliding hers across to him. She watches as he takes half and then places the remaining part of his in the empty space.

“I’m Billy, by the way,” he tells her, the tips of his ears reddening, suddenly shy again.

“Thanks for the sandwich, Billy,” she says softly, before telling him her name.

They eat their lunch in comfortable silence, until finally it’s time to get back to work.

In the week that follows, her and Billy have lunch together every day, swapping sandwich halves and chatting about their days. The work is hard, but knowing she has a friend gives her something to look forward to, and she finds herself excited to go to work each day.

They talk about anything and everything, their hour-long break always feeling like it evaporates all too quickly. She tells him all about her dad fighting overseas against the Germans, and how she took her job at the Halcyon to bring home extra money for her mum, who’s currently doing factory work for the same reason. Billy tells her that he’ll be eighteen soon, and can’t wait to be drafted. His mum, Peggy, operates the switchboard at the hotel, his dad isn’t around anymore, so she relies on his help to look after his little sister, who he affectionately refers to as “the squirt”.

Shared lunch breaks evolve into after hours games of poker with the rest of the Halcyon staff. They crowd into the back room, sitting around the same table that her and Billy share lunch at, and play for cigarettes. 

She feels her skin grow hot as their knees brush together, unable to help the smile that tugs at her lips as she watches Billy’s brow furrow in confusion as he looks over his cards, a lit cigarette perched between his lips.

“You’re smoking your stake, Billy,” she says with a soft chuckle.

He looks sheepishly at her, plucking the cigarette from between his lips, before throwing his cards down onto the table with a sigh. “Doesn’t matter anyway, I’ve got all Jacks.”

“Billy!” Everyone groans around the table in frustration, chucking their own cards down.

She laughs heartily. He might have ruined the game, but it’s impossible to be angry at him when his big blue eyes go wide and his lips part in shock. 

Billy looks adorable when he’s worried, and it’s an expression he wears often; when he accidentally drops guests’ luggage down the stairs, the time he shuts a lady’s skirt in the lift doors, and especially when she leads him to the scullery, telling him there’s a surprise for him.

His concern quickly morphs into one of his trademark, tight smiles that indicate he’s feeling bashful, as head chef, George, flanked by the rest of the kitchen staff, carries out an enormous birthday cake lit with candles.

“You didn’t think you could hide it from us, did you, Billy?” George jokes, once the obligatory “happy birthday” song has been sung. “Eighteen today!”

She has her first taste of Champagne that day, each member of staff is given a class to toast to Billy. The bubbles tickle her nose, the taste is dry but not unpleasant upon her palate, yet it does nothing to dilute the bitterness that blooms heavy in her chest. 

Billy’s turned eighteen, he’ll be drafted any day now and she’ll lose her best friend. No more shared sandwiches, no more ruined games of poker, no more stolen moments in the housekeeping closet where they laugh uncontrollably over stupid jokes. She’s going to lose Billy, just as she’s lost her dad to this stupid war.

Her heartache is given a brief moment of respite when she looks over at him, also indulging in his first taste of Champagne, and sees the way his face contorts in disgust at the taste. He’s always able to make her smile, even when she doesn’t want to.

It’s only a week later that Billy’s letter arrives. Due to Peggy’s meddling, he won’t be going overseas, he’ll be stationed at the nearby army barracks helping to man the anti aircraft guns. She is secretly pleased that he won’t be too far away, despite his annoyance at his mum’s interference. She feels she could kiss Peggy, such is the depth of her gratitude for what she’s done, but she does her best to hide how pleased she is, comforting Billy, saying how sorry she is for him.

“Cheer up, it might never happen,” he says with a soft smile, as they stand in the hotel foyer. Billy wears his day clothes, having handed his uniform in at the end of his final shift at The Halcyon.

“Already has,” she replies sadly, her heart twinging as she looks up into the big, blue eyes she’s grown to adore.

“How d’you mean?” He asks, frowning slightly.

“You, going off to war,” she sighs, “I won’t see you again.”

“Don’t be daft,” he chuckles, “I’ll only be down the road.”

“You won’t have time for me, Billy.”

He swallows, averting his gaze briefly before meeting her eye once more. “I don’t like fish paste.”

“What?” She asks, squinting slightly, confused.

“I’ve spent the last six months eating fish paste sarnies, just so I’d have an excuse to spend my lunch break with you. Fish paste is disgusting, if I can stomach that then it’ll take more than a stupid war to keep me away from you.”

Her heart flutters, her vision turning misty as a wide smile spreads its way across her features. “Oh, Billy…” she whispers.

Her fingers flex uselessly at her sides, desperate to reach out to him, and she sees his do the same. An opposing, invisible force hangs heavy between them, filled with unspoken declarations, drawing them together and yet pushing them apart simultaneously, until finally they collide in a tight, all encompassing hug.

He smells of Brylcreem and tobacco, and she inhales deeply, committing his scent to memory. She doesn’t want to let go, yet she does, she has to.

Adjusting to life at The Halcyon without Billy around is difficult. Lunch breaks feel empty and lifeless, the poker nights are not the same.

Billy still visits, though his presence is not as frequent as it was before. He’s usually accompanied by his little sister, carrying her into the hotel on piggyback before going to see Peggy in the switchboard room.

To her delight, he makes a point of seeking her out each time. He looks handsome in his uniform, filled with a confidence he didn’t have before. Animatedly, he tells her all about the anti aircraft guns, enthusiastically mimicking the sounds they make, causing her to laugh.

On her eighteenth birthday, Billy turns up at the hotel, looking dapper as ever in his khaki green trousers and jacket. He pulls her into the housekeeping cupboard, shifting the bag he has on his shoulder awkwardly.

“Happy birthday,” he says to her, almost nervous sounding, “got you something.”

She gasps, as he produces a large orange from his bag, handing it to her. The skin is firm in her hands. It’s been a long time since she’s had any fruit that isn’t mock banana; rationing and the lack of imports due to the war mean that it’s produce that’s hard to come by. The hotel’s chief concierge routinely has to decline the requests of high profile guests that request fresh fruit as part of their room service. She turns the orange around in her hands looking at it reverently. 

“Where did you get this?” She stares up at him, wide-eyed. “Not even Feldman can get oranges!”

Billy shrugs, blushing slightly. “Oh, y’know, I’ve got my ways.”

“Thank you, Billy,” she says, voice filled with soft sincerity. An idea strikes her, excitement swirling in her stomach. “We should share it!”

“Really?” He asks hopefully.

“Yeah, unless…” she deflates as realisation of how busy he is now hits her, “you probably can’t get away, it’s a silly idea.” She shakes her head, embarrassment warming her flesh.

He steps forward, eager to reassure her. “No, I’ve got time, I can make time. I’ll come back tomorrow?”

She looks up at him, smiling brightly. “Yeah, that’d be nice.”

He nods, half turning towards the door. “Well, I should probably–”

“Billy?” She calls to him and he turns back, a look of question on his face, eyebrows raised slightly.

She surges forward, pressing her lips firmly against his cheek, kissing it, before she quickly pulls away again.

For a moment it looks as though Billy has stopped breathing as she watches him, her heart pounding in her chest. Finally, he exhales deeply, his face blushing bright red. He grins and she smiles back.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Billy.”

“Yeah…yeah, tomorrow,” he says, adjusting his bag on his shoulder again, before slipping out of the closet door.

He stays true to his promise and the following day they go to the back room, the same place where they have shared so many lunches. This time they sit beside each other, instead of on opposite sides of the table.

Carefully, she slices the orange into segments, giving half to Billy.

The fruit is fleshy and sweet as she bites into it, the tartness of the citrus causing her to emit a satisfied hum as she chews and swallows it.

She looks over at Billy, huffing a laugh as she watches the way the juice drips down his chin.

He looks back, frowning slightly. “What?”

“Come here, you’ve got…” she leans over, wiping the orange residue away with her thumb. Her movements slow, her hand lingering against his face as her eyes settle upon his.

It feels like time stops as their gaze locks, her breath catches in her throat. She is unsure of who moves first, but their lips are against each other, moving slowly at first, filled with uncertainty and inexperience.

He tastes sweet, and their mouths move with more enthusiasm, both able to taste orange upon each other.

They keep their foreheads pressed together once they part for air, both smiling softly.

“I’ve been wanting to do that since the day I met you,” he whispers.

Their relationship shifts from that moment. Billy is unable to take her on dates, can’t bring her flowers, his time at the barracks doesn’t allow for that. They have only a series of stolen moments in the hotel to share, sneaking into rooms which have yet to be made up to spend time together. 

It is all sweet kisses and warm cuddles, neither one of them ready to take the steps that go beyond that yet.

She lays against Billy’s chest on the unmade bed, his arm wrapped around her as the other moves his hand through her hair, stroking it. “Hate that I can’t take you out anywhere fancy,” he murmurs.

“I don’t need any of that,” she reassures him, “just you coming back to me alive is enough.”

“You deserve that though,” he insists, hugging her tighter to him, “when this war is over, I’m gonna take you out for dinner. We’ll get married, and we’ll have a house and fill it full of kids.”

Her chest fills with warmth as she grins up at him. “Yeah?”

“Yeah,” he says, eyes soft and filled with fondness as he looks at her, “because…well, because I love you.”

Her grin grows wider and she kisses him deeply, feeling the way the skin of his face flushes beneath her fingertips.

“I love you too,” she whispers as she pulls away.

Their dynamic shifts again after that, their cosy stolen mornings become more heated, their kisses more impassioned, every touch is charged with intent.

Where she felt uncertain and scared of what lies beyond innocent kissing before, she now feels only desire for Billy, but isn’t sure of how to communicate this with him.

He pulls away from her as they share a passionate embrace, trailing kisses over her neck. “Can I try something with you?” He whispers.

“What is it?” She asks, whining softly as he pulls away from her.

“Something that one of the lads at the barracks told me about,” he says, not meeting her eye, “it’s how he pleases his missus, thought you might like it.”

She laughs softly, nervously. “Okay, but what is it?”

He swallows thickly, turning scarlet. “Can I just show you? I’m embarrassed to say.”

She nods, eager to see what he’ll do.

“Lay back for me,” he instructs, and she does, watching him through hooded eyes.

Tentatively, he moves down the messy hotel bed, pushing the skirt of her maid’s uniform above her hips, revealing her knickers and stockings. He bites his lip at the sight, never having seen her in such a state of undress before.

She gasps, her eyes going wide, sudden fear filling her. “Billy, we can’t–”

“No, not that,” he’s quick to reassure her, “not until we’re…you’re ready.”

She breathes a sigh of relief, relaxing slightly.

“But…” his eyes flit up to hers, filled with uncertainty, “I do need to take your underwear off. Is that alright?”

She gulps. She’s scared, but also curious and excited, she wants to experience whatever it is that Billy has asked to try. “Yeah,” she says quietly, “yeah, that’s alright.”

Gently and slowly, his nimble fingers drag her knickers away from her body and down her legs, discarding them at the end of the bed.

She has the sudden urge to hide her face as he takes in the sight of her, pupils wide with lust. She is torn between wanting to look away and the desire to watch exactly what he’s doing as he carefully coaxes her legs apart.

“Tell me if you want me to stop,” he murmurs, “I-I’ve never done this before.”

She gasps as she feels his tongue move against her, hesitantly exploring her folds. The motion of his mouth between her legs is unsure at first, but as his tongue flicks over her pearl and she lets out a surprised moan of pleasure, Billy grows more confident.

He repeats the motion, causing her to squirm and mewl. It feels so intimate, she wants to pull away, filled with shame, to tell him it’s dirty and they shouldn’t be doing this, but at the same time, every time his tongue moves against that particular spot she never wants him to stop.

“God, you taste good,” he mumbles against her.

The movement of his tongue becomes more certain, determined and he laves at her, flicking against the spot that causes her to whimper and grip the bed sheets tightly.

She can feel a pressure building within her, intensifying with every sweep of Billy’s tongue, until finally as he groans against her, circling her bud once more, it reaches its apex and she shudders against him with a surprised cry, feeling boneless as warmth washes over her like the lapping waves of the sea.

“Oh, my god, Billy…'' She breathes heavily.

He lifts his face from between her thighs, a smile on his face, his chin coated in her juices just as it was when they’d shared the orange. She can’t resist the urge to tug him up towards her, kissing him hungrily.

They giggle against each other's lips, both of them breathless.

“I…er…need to clean myself up before I head back,” he tells her, his mouth forming a tight smile, the telltale sign of his shyness that she’s grown to love.

She follows his line of sight to the wet patch on the crotch of his uniform trousers and they both erupt into uncontrollable laughs.

Oh, Billy.

Part two | Series masterlist

[themmnetwork]

I'm wary of sharing my art here, however bad the part I actually contributed may be, due to the whole AI scraping thing going on. But if you want to read the newest #LegendsOfTheHalcyonEra, which is the last part of "Revelations" titled "Departure," you can find it at the following links:

The Mega Man Network (with cover art)

Archive Of Our Own

And if you can do some stuff to help beat Algorithm Man, like using some of his known weaknesses such as liking, sharing, what have you, I'd appreciate it.

[galadriel1010]

Why most of what you've heard about NaNoWriMo is wrong and why that matters.

So, word on the streets is that the NaNoWriMo organisation have driven the challenge into the ground since they took it over, and are now promoting generative AI as an acceptable way to win the challenge. If your eyebrows aren't raising at even part of that, buckle up

Let's start with the easy one. Was NaNoWriMo better before the organisation took it over? No. That's not a matter of opinion, it's just a matter of chronology. The NaNoWriMo organisation was founded as the Office of Letters and Light in 2005, by the people who started the event in 1999. There was no NaNoWriMo before the organisation. Hell, the organisation pre-dates a lot of the people complaining that it was better before it took over.

So straight up, there's a fairly blatant piece of misinformation that's going round as fact.

Is NaNoWriMo promoting AI to win? Also no, but with more of a hand waggle. The organisation's stance is, as it has been since I started doing it (2004, by the way, so you could argue that I do remember the pre-org days), is "Sure you can but why would you?" Back then you had to write your own algorithm, and quite frankly it was easier to write the novel. But the prizes were better back then. Once upon a time you could get a free bound proof copy of your novel and stuff. Now you just get bragging rights and 50% off Scrivener. So you can, but why would you?

Is NaNoWriMo sponsored by generative AI? Eh, sort of. One of their big sponsors is ProWritingAid, a fiction editing tool like Word's spell checker but with more tools and gizmos. It is AI, much like any spell checker, and like most spell checkers it is more A than I. It has some very useful bits, and some frustrating bits. It will not, however, write your novel for you. You have to do that yourself, and then it will suggest ways to improve it. Sometimes they are useful, sometimes they are very much not.

Why does all of this matter? Two reasons.

1. This idea (reminder, factually incorrect idea) has spread like wildfire, and fanned the flames of vitriolic harassment of the organisation's staff. At best it's just been unpleasant, at worst ableist and racist. The attitude of "If they don't want to be harassed, they shouldn't do things we disapprove of" is a familiar one that is bad enough when it's based on facts. When it's based on misinformation that no one can be bothered to do a 30 second check on, it's even worse.

2. 30 seconds. That's all it would take to go and check the NaNoWriMo sponsors page and see that there is no generative AI there. Or to go and read the Wikipedia page and follow the ship of Theseus and see that NaNoWriMo is the organisation. It's so easy. And people can't be bothered. And this at a time when we know that misinformation is rife and dangerous. If this passed your sniff test, what else have you passed on without checking?

We all need to get better at this. It was easy for me because I was there.gif. I remember those halcyon days. If I didn't, would I have nodded along? I hope not, but hope isn't enough. We've got to check.

[istherewifiinhell]

IS FLYING GENDERED?

On the masculine default, typifying gender in genre, and women as the other in the transformers cartoons.

question for the ages

once again i said back in the halcyon days of watching g1 (aka 5 months ago) i was like. Nooooo, decepticon is NOT a gender that's Silly. It's funny, but as a Read Of The Text, I thought it largely unneeded. (The concept came about, as a joke, involving dismissing the bad guys using the same language you would abt women (sexistly) that they're emotional [heh, flighty], vain, and shrill) after all. If in the 80s era there are 5 whole named/speaking woman tfs, its only ever gonna get better from here right? (<- booboo the fool)

anyway

Let's consider the axiom that the assumed default gender is male, that maleness is often seen as LACK of gender, and femaleness and gender variance are the PRESENCE of gender. In certain reasoning and worldviews, of course (See Androcentrism). Then add that, for transformers, the assumed default thing a transformer turns into, is car. (Autocentrism, if you will)

(The most general term for what a tf turns into is "Alt mode" as some of them are not vehicles at all. The other mode is "Robot Mode", whether its humanoid or not)

So I will be laying out why I believe the cartoon iterations support: non standard alt modes = non standard genders. This is in spite of the fact that FIRST lady tfs were all cars. Sleek cyber cars, but still. For whatever reason, (possibly, the reason for everything in tf, toys) they might as well not exist for how woman tf characters presence in the cartoons progressed over time.

And, to be clear, this is a reading of how these works of fiction are created, not a new unified bioessentialism but for robots aliens I'm proposing for like. In universe lore reasons. I hate that idea.

That said, alt modes in order of most to least gender: Spider, motorcycle, flying (in general, with rotors, jets), tank, and then FINALLY, car. (water and space crafts are already too marginal to rank, but they too can be assumed in relation to default maleness, AND that in making one a woman, would still qualify as othering her).

The NUMBER one reason for this is the bizarre need to have an ESTABLISHED woman tf character before making new ones. AS YOU MIGHT IMAGINE. With a g1 gender ratio something like.... (counting even the most marginal cases for the ladies) 9:120? (That's a rough count from a quick scanning of the tf wiki g1 char list) Shits dire out here.

The second is, ofc, character design based. cis people [stand in phrase for the hegemonic world view] are not okay, and their opinions about how tf gender must need be depicted visually is. uh? Im not a fan. Size and shape dimorphism in general is a given, and specifically having women tfs as far more humanoid and curvy in specific. Also general cartoon lady face syndrome but, whatever. I think there's exactly one character here who doesn't have "lips" or "lipstick" as a distinguishing factor. I'm so tired.

Third is generally, the idea of The Girl Of the Team. When there's The Girl, she often isn't JUST a normal character, who happens to be a girl. See, of course, the Smurtfette Principle. But in my view there's also a trend to give The Girl "special traits" on top of "Girl", maybe even to directly combat the idea that the Girl Character has no other traits? To stop this from being a General Primer on Woman in Media, my explanatory focus is things specific to the tf franchise.

(A phrase I use for thinking about normative modes [in general, not just the Alt ones] in within the tf universe is "unique transformerdom" or, even more clunkily, "A transformer of unique transformerdom". The excessive verbosity is amusing to me personally. All I mean by it is to have an umbrella term for any of the ways tfs can be made unique from their peers in the non allegorical realities of the fiction).

I could, and do, and greatly want to, speak about this AT LENGTH. But it keeps spiraling away from me. So I'll say for now were looking at ways a character is being depicted different from her peers, not because she is the only woman (which she likely is), but cause she's a different kind of transformer, AND if she's othered for it.

(IN SOME forms of the lore. Being a transformer woman, IS A UNIQUE KIND of transformer unto itself. Let's just say I hate it and move on)

Fourth, is the gender of villainy. There is much to be said about gender presentation of villains, the ways they are allowed to be aberrant. We will get to it. There is also all the tropes specific TO evil women, and the modes of villainy open TO female characters. But a general thing I think impacting the gender ratios of the factions is the how "Good" and "Evil" female characters are written. I'll generalize and call this the "Damsel vs Temptress" dichotomy. (See concepts like the Madonna-whore complex). Transformers, is by and large, an action franchise. Unless special reasons are made, characters who can impact the action– have more screen time, and likely more memorable, and iconic presences. A villainous woman can be unchaste, violent, aggressive. While a heroic woman, even if not a literal damsel are more likely to be in a support role. The secretaries of the action genre: medics and techs.

(Another factor is that tfs are giant robots, and the good guys are often friends with tiny squishy little humans. These make very good damsel fodder, and can be taking up the spots on the roster that might, in a different franchise, go to women. Additionally, while woman characters in transformers overall is an interesting topic. When I say tf women, I'm referring to ones that are in fictionally, transformers.)

SO, now understanding our points of attack/obstacles for getting woman into transformers. (Getting established, gendering the designed, uniqueness of existence, and general villainy). Lets go over those alt modes, and the characters that have em, in more detail.

Spiders

The "Beast Era" (1996) intro-ed the spider ofc. And what don't we have with this one. She's a villain, but shes also misunderstood, the era and design style let to these more organic shapes. And they used them to make sure she was very sexy. She's genre aware, she's quippy, she's an absolute icon. So naturally. She gets ported to other later shows. Which means we just have sexy spider ladies running around when everyone else is a fucking truck and shit.

Her own origin is, well think of her as a "Bride of Frankenstein" to the resident evil scientist, also a spider. She was designed for, and manipulated by him in multiple ways. Her protoform (A blank robot base), was supposed to be one of the good guys (a Maximal), but was reprogrammed into a bad guy (Predacon). Even then, she eventually joins them, for her own reasons. She's not even the first predacon to do so, the difference? Well the characters are a lot more NORMAL about his autonomy. Both of these characters stress that being a predacon is an identity they still see as important. But only the woman is told that really, she is was was always MEANT to be a maximal. And while that's true in a sense. There's also a plot were she's forced (by plot contrivance, not the other maximals) to get corrective robot surgery for it. And when they think she died from, everyone's more sad for her boyfriend than for her. Ouch.

The second spider, in the 2007 show, is now one in a world where she is the only "techno-organic" transformer, hence, she is spider, everyone else is a vehicle. Similar to the first, her narrative is very gendered, but less in the way were, like, I do literally think the first was was experiencing in universe sexism from other characters. Here, they really focus on the "techno vs organic" narrative, and the tragic circumstances on how that happened. In this case its just real world sexist writing.

THIRD SPIDER, (2010), instead of misunderstood and tragic evil, this ones just super mega likes to cause pain evil. She also occupies a strange place between the typic vehicular tfs, and the insecticons. This is because she has a helicopter alt mode, and her robot mode is just, a lady with spider characteristics. And, more than just a passing bug like similarity, she has the power to control the insecticons (you know, cause evil woman mind control). However, she doesn't fit in with them either, as the insecticons are at the most insect like they've ever been, in look, living in hives and that most don't even speak.

They may vary in exact character, relationship to the story's moral conflict, and design. But they stay comfortably established, dimorphised, flirty and flirting with villainy. And bonus points, always, for black widow spider trope.

SO. SPIDERS. Established: ✅️ Gendered designs: ✅️ (Extremely!) Unique: ✅️ Othered: ✅️ Villainy: ✅️

Motorcycles

Tooooo my knowledge the first bike lady was in 2004, and fairly minor, in the actual plot, but rest assured, they did go the previously established woman route, by being pink, though, which one shes named after varies by language. But neither were previously motorcycles. (And yes, there is also this problem of mixing together or swapping out one woman tf for another. As if we have the ladies to spare). Even though motorcycle men also exist, this one just stuck for a bit. Maybe something to do with Those Movies. I think the Gendered Existence of a motorcycle is pretty evident though, general sex appeal, being smaller, the mode of riding a motorcycle is different, more physical and intimate. Mainly this ranks so high for the level of grossness they can pack in. Just how objectifying it can be, particularly with two instances where the human rider is an annoying teen boy. Naturally, I've also never seen a male and female motorcycle in the same room, but the approach to design tends to be different. And yeah most of em are Arcee, who's first alt mode was cyber car, but it's not just her.

Established: ✅️ Gendered designs: ✅️ Unique: ✅️ Othered: Depends on iteration, I do NOT like the way one gets called "tough, for a two wheeler". Villainy: ❌(they wouldn't need to be motorcycles if they weren't making them the Special Girl Autobot, after all)

Flying

General: It just tends to stick out when your one girl is only flyer in the group, even she's otherwise tactfully done. Only flyer of the Maximals, a falcon, only flyer of the dinobots, a Pteranodon.

Rotors

I can barely even figure this one. Maybe it's just a general, aesthetics and use case of the actually vehicles, the associations? None of these ladies (and special case) are very connected otherwise. As previously mentioned, the spider helicopter. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

A big one for this is the preschool demo shows, which are rescue team focused. In the first one the only woman on the human response worker team pairs with the helicopter, they mention she does medical at times. The helicopter is male, like the other tfs. But also he's afraid of flying, and while not the first case of a flyer with a fear of heights, their personalities are, pretty different. As he's both fearful AND effeminate, fine as character traits go but, with the tone of humour used, marks him as Other.

In the second, Whirl (pointing to icon) becomes a girl for the first time, now with standard humanized face. I assume as move to keep with the previous show of having a girl one, as there's no human team mates. She's also the only one who really likes rescue school. Aaaand that's all know of her. What more do you want from me.

Helicopters: Unique: ✅️ Othered: ✅️ (milder than some)

But why'd I call this section rotors instead of helicopters? That would be because one of the latest Sole Female TF we just put in everything™ is a VTOL jet with rotors. She'll tend to be the only jet of her type, which is also smaller than the type of jet used for the villains.

And, of course, aside from alt mode, the thing that makes her stand out most in the cartoons? That she's very clearly a comics character. (I find the emphasize that she's "fan created" over done, as it only controlled minor aspects, and irrelevant cause tfs get completely overhauled in new versions all the time). From her design, which is a bit busier than most characters she stars with. And also uses Japanese aesthetic signifiers in ways that I think are a bit misappropriated and untactful. (VERY USamerican comics). Also, when she stars next to a guy, also from comics employing Japanese aesthetic, you can tell its not deployed in the same manner. (E.I she has hair and makeup, he has armor). Either way, her depictions have her either as badass sword lady on mission from god who's constantly getting hit on by an annoying guy. Or have her be from a different planet and has special telepathy.

Do we see how both her gender AND the cultural signifiers are having affects here? That the main woman tf in a series can be a literal alien even among our alien robots, with cultural signifiers they don't have?

Ratings Established: ✅️ (made the comics to cartoon jump) Gendered designs: ✅️ Unique: ✅️ Othered: ✅️ (SO SO EXTREMELY, using methods in fiction and real life)

Jets

I think my association of jets with tf gender is stronger, than some of the above examples, even if there's less reason to it. And why is that? Well, lets get socratic. Here's another question.

Is This All Starscream's Fault?

No. He's not real, he can't do things. But. His legacy as THE main stay transformers character that gets to subvert gender? Yeah. (Sure, the G1 autobots have their own effete, but he's not in every single cartoon they ever made now is he? Plus now that I think about it, he is a FLYING car...)

From the get, he's not a Man's man. He's shrill, he's manipulative and duplicitous, petty and emotional, cowardly and wheedling. He is, of course, the Perfect character. Now naturally, the 80s cartoon was not concerned with your paltry logics. Starscream and his ilk are the jets, but every decepticon can fly. The gun, the cassette player, the camera, the cassettes.

And each to a last, more masculine than he is. Vocally or behaviorally, physically. Every one of them fit the gender expectations more than he does. Even being a small time grunt, is a masculine trait, after all, more so than unchecked ambition. So its not femininity from flying, from jets. But direct relationship, reference, and descendancy from Starscream that makes it. I've yet to see female versions of Jet fire and or the aerialbots, for example.

So what to do when an effeminate male villain was less maltese falcon and more that man has effeminate hips? Well. We had to start getting his ass for being effeminate, explicitly. They made the female clone of him, which yeah, is an offensive joke stemming from the various The Gender Anxieties. (Transmisogyny, homophobia and sexism. General relation toxic masculinity. A heady mix of all and more).

But I mean. It's free girl tf... Once given a name in extra canon materials, she start's showing up in other things. Once you're in books, video games, comics, and most importantly, toys, you're real. And then eventually, her first non clone appearance in a cartoon, and how her presence shaped it.

That being, Cyberverse. Which is a cgi show, you need to know this for reasons of production. Making new models is expensive. This has always been the reason you just make recolours of Starscream and name them different things. Chicken or egg on this one, I don't know, But because CV has Slipstream, and the only difference between her and the generic "male" decepticon jet, is a more feminine face; Suddenly, any random decepticon goon can be a woman.

An absolutely revolutionary take for striving to populate a fictional world with gender parity. By at large it also means they're way more lady villains, and specifically flying model of villain. The show has other woman, but none who get the same androgynous body mold treatment.

Established: ✅️ Gendered designs: Mildly to NO. Unique: By design, no. Othered: Yes for the clone, and Screamer himself, I suppose. No, otherwise. Villainy: ✅️(That's, the whole idea)

Tanks

It needs to be said. Sometimes, when doing things that transgress a norm, anteing up is less subversive. This is another reason why gender variance, female agency and overt sexuality are more common traits of villains. When already defying strictures of society. What's one more.

That's Right. TANKS ARE THE BUTCH WOMAN OF TRANSFORMERS.

Alright. Let me back up. Strika is the stone cold knock out undefeated champ of lady tf designs that, actually has a reoccurring cartoon presence. She is, admittedly, only a reoccurring to minor character.

Her introduction is in another show with techno-organics, this one involved in the struggle between well, the techno and the organic. Strika as we see her, and as the design that will go on to be iterated, is not in her normal transformer body. She has been transferred into a 'vehicon' body. Without a preexisting essence contained in one, vehicons are not considered alive, in the way a transformer is. Visually, they lack the more human body plan, a standard face, feet and hand like appendages.

To further contrast Strika against the two techno-organic woman. Both of them are tall, and slender. Their softer organic shapes designed towards elegance or beauty, whatever your subjective opinion of that result might be. They both have romance subplots too. By the way. Or honestly one subplot and one main plot. Strika. In contrast. Is built like a brick shit house. Her face is. Minimal. And her goal: protecting her planet... by terminating the heroes.

Now, existing as a character that can be referenced for other media, and given the detail that she was a "Famous general", it's off to the races. She makes a wonderful big tank menace that can fill out a background shot, too.

Without her I hardly think we could have Clobber, also from CV. Who is. The true goat. The finest thing, the achievements of all we could ever hope for. A big fuck off woman, gender swapped from a previous male design with minimal faff, with now even more personality and show presence. Friends, wants, desires. Emotions. Thank God for Clobber, Thank Clobber for Clobber. Thank Randolph Heard and Mae Catt for Clobber.

Established: Depends if you want to count that Strika had so much swag they kept drawing/modeling her Gendered designs: FUCK NO Unique: ✅️ Othered: only originally Villainy: ✅️

Cars

So now you have the final piece of the puzzle. In transformers, Autobots are Cars. Yes, there are plenty of autobots that are NOT cars, and there are cars that are not Autobots. But they're exceptions, they're aberrances. They're unique. And Autobots are the norm. They oppose the Decepticons. Decepticons are Villains. And Decepticons can fly. Modal simplified binaries and false dichotomy abound!

And the thing about those original Autobot woman, the one's who largely did not influence all of this? They were cars, it's true, but not like how the men where cars. They've not been designed from transforming car toys, with a shellac of humanoid gender over top. Their designed in the way of human gender. With the car on top.

When the preexisting clause leads to the original designs to be revisited, which, has largely only happened in more recent years. They aren't car woman robots. The cars are literally not part of their bodies, they are additional. Instead of a unifying identity of a robot who is a car, its Arcee and her backpack. Parts of cars get grafted onto their petite lady bodies, and placed anywhere out of the way.

In order to make a transformer a woman, they have to give her a gender, not understanding that that's always been the case. And to give her a woman's gender, she's got to LOOK like a woman, not a transformer. And to look like a woman, she's got to act like a woman. She must be heroic but reactive instead of active, or else, villainous, conniving and or self centered. To be a woman, we must have some other previous woman to explain her presence, or else explain it anew with her unique, strange, or exotic origin. How could she ever be a woman if she simply, existed, looked average, talked average. How could she be a woman if her body is hunks of ungendered car. How can she be a woman if she's everything we expect a transformer to be.

A woman is transgressive, a woman is not normal. Autobots are normal. Autobots are heros. Autobots are men. And Autobots do not fly.

[samanthamarkle92]

Hey readers! New chapter up! Just fluff and some steamy stuff. Feel free to tag and reblog so others can find it! Shoutouts for: to: @johnnymactavishlover @johnnymactavish @redravenarts @nsharks @shadow0-1 @deadbranch @salbei-141 @thiswomanhasissues @loonyundead @codfanzine @cravingcoldoreocake123 @ilovehotchocolate @sofasoap @loneghostwolf @mistyresolve @islenthatur @bittersw33t-lotus @m0chac0ffee @fictional-men-have-my-heart @ghostslillady @ghosts-bandwagon @soapxmactavish @mactavishwritings @sleepyconfusedpotato @gamergirlbonestaskforce141riot @halcyone-of-the-sea @rileyslibrary @ghostkinnie @mctvsh @macravishedbymactavish @mistydeyes @cowyolks @ave661 @clownfishenthusiast @lunarw0rks @summermoonshine @lundenloves @glossysoap @cheezbites @xintothewoodswegox @sighmurderbot @wolfieisacat @1-ker0sene-1 @oniiloma @castleninja @ghostslittlegf @fastleopard1521 1 @saltofmercury @blingblong55

Chapter 9

They went back to Soap's flat three days later. Katie felt refreshed by the trip; getting away from the city was just what they needed.

 After they got home and cleaned up, they settled onto the couch, watching tv, cuddling together. Katie’s heart was beating faster than usual. She couldn’t seem to calm down. Soap observed her anxiously, biting his lower lip.

“Are you okay?” He asked cautiously.

“Hmm, yeah. Just nervous I guess,” she replied.

“Well, relax. There’s nothing to worry about, right?” He gave her a reassuring smile, squeezing her knee gently.

“Yeah...of course. I’m sorry,” she apologized. 

“It's okay.  I understand.” He assured her. He continued to hold her hand, tracing circles on the top of it with his thumb. 

“I just wanted to ask you.....was that night at the cabin just a one-time thing? ” She bit her bottom lip, glancing up shyly at him.

“Of course not. There will always be another time, if you want it.” He answered softly. She nodded slightly. His heart melted a little. He pulled her close again.

“What about us, though? What about forever? What if I have to move or change my name after the trial is over? What if you just up and leave because of a top secret mission and you never come back?”

“I can promise you, Katie. No matter what happens, I won't ever leave you. If there’s any way I can help you, let me know. I love you. That hasn’t changed. And I don’t plan on stopping loving you anytime soon.” He said, staring deeply into her eyes.

He leaned down and planted a gentle kiss on her lips. Her heart pounded faster as his lips brushed against hers. Her cheeks became warm. She felt her stomach tighten in nervousness as her hands trembled. He took them gently in his and  brought them to his mouth, kissing them gently. She smiled softly, resting her hands on his chest, feeling her heartbeat accelerate. He smiled, his breath fanning her lips. Their foreheads touched lightly, his hands still cupping her hands. She felt a rush of butterflies fill her stomach, and suddenly she was very aware of him. He pulled her close to him, letting her straddle his lap. She wrapped her legs around his waist, her eyes locked on his.

“Don't think I haven't noticed those sparks in your eyes.” he whispered huskily into her ear. His hands began to roam up and down her back, causing goosebumps to break out along her arms. Katie wrapped her arms around his neck, resting against his strong body. 

“Want to go to bed?” He asked.

“Can I get a shower first?” she asked teasingly.

“Okay, fine.” He laughed. He slid off the couch and led her to the bathroom. He helped her undress and step into the shower. She stepped under the warm spray, leaning back and closing her eyes as the hot water rained down on her. He stripped and got in with her, wrapping his arms around her waist.

“You're amazing.” He whispered in her ear.

“You are too.”

He leaned back a little and leaned in to give her a passionate kiss. Then, he pushed her back into the wall, locking her in between his arms.  The kiss was deep and intense. The hot water pelting their bodies was the only sound in the room.

Katie moaned softly as Johnny moved his mouth lower, trailing kisses along her neck. She ran her fingers through his damp hair, holding his head in place as he kissed her jawline. He ran his tongue along her collarbone, making her heart race. She felt herself becoming aroused. She lifted her hands to grasp his head and pull his face back towards hers. He met her lips, kissing them fervently and running his tongue in her mouth. She responded hungrily and returned his passion with equal intensity. He lowered himself and laid her back against the tile floor. He cleaned her body, turning the shower off as he finished. He slipped out of the shower quickly, wrapping a towel around his hips and looking at her with desire shining in his blue eyes. His eyes travelled from her feet to her face, lingering there for a second before he bent forward and kissed her deeply.

He left her naked on the floor and dried off, picking her up bridal style and wrapping a towel around her. They made their way to the bedroom and crawled into bed, lying side by side, his arm slung across her waist, her head on his chest. His fingers started moving gently through her blonde hair. After a while, her breathing slowed down. She ran her fingers over his hard torso, exploring the planes of his abs. He sighed. Her finger reached the top of his boxers, caressing the soft fabric.

“Oh god, Katie....stop,” he mumbled, pulling her closer, burying his nose in her neck, inhaling the fresh smell of her shampoo. Her fingers trailed over the ridges of his ribs.

“Steaming bloody Jesus, lass….you’re making me hard again.” He groaned.

She giggled and placed a trail of kisses along his chest. He rolled over on top of her, taking in her scent, inhaling deeply.

“Katie, I need you so badly right now.” He breathed, kissing her neck. “I’m shaking, just dying to touch you…” His voice was deep and tender. He trailed his lips down her neck, nuzzling her shoulder as he did so.

“Please,” she whimpered. He chuckled. She arched her back, allowing him better access to her skin. He sucked and nibbled on the spot below her ear, drawing a gasp from her.

“Oh God….” she breathed. His fingers played across her soft skin, caressing the fragile skin of her belly. His strong fingers went to the coarse hair of her pubic area, rubbing and teasing her sensitive flesh. She squirmed beneath him. His fingers found the fragile skin of her folds and stroked lightly. She gasped softly, arching her back. Her fingers gripped his shoulders tightly. He chuckled.

“Let me do this for you...let me feel you...let me make you feel all of the things you’ve been repressing for so long.” He said seductively. He positioned himself  between her legs, running his large hands up and down her thighs. She opened her legs wider for him. He leaned down, kissing her gently. Her breath came in short gasps. He parted her legs further and entered her, slowly. She cried out at the sudden invasion.

“Ahhh, Oh God….” She gasped.

“I’m here, Katie..I’m here…” He whispered, rocking rhythmically inside her, increasing the pace.

Her breaths quickened even more. He panted, pressing himself harder into her. He held her tight, rocking back and forth.

“Yes….yes….more….please….I’m ready……” She whined quietly. His movements increased, causing Katie to moan louder. Soon, the sensations were overwhelming. She could feel herself getting close. They came with the heat of the sun.

“Come…” he grunted, clenching tightly onto her. A loud roar filled the room, filling both of their hearts with euphoria. He collapsed on top of her, panting heavily. She lay in a daze for a few minutes after, trying to catch her breath. When she finally came down, John had her wrapped in his arms, playing with the ends of her hair. She gazed up at his face, tracing his cheekbones with her fingertips. He looked like some kind of god. She couldn't believe how beautiful and powerful he was.

He stared lovingly into her beautiful eyes. He leaned down and captured her lips with his own. 

“Stay here,” he said softly, getting up from the bed. He soaked up a washcloth in the sink,  wetting it with warm water and returning to the bed. He gently cleaned the sweat off her face, kissing her forehead. He continued to clean the rest of her body, cleaning every inch of the sticky sweat that had accumulated on her. When the whole mess was finally gone, he climbed back under the covers, snuggling next to her as she nestled into his warmth. He wrapped his arm around her, holding her close. Her head  rested against his shoulder.

 His lips pressed themselves firmly against the crown of her head. She curled her toes. She loved the fact that her body fit perfectly perfectly against his. Soap lifted her chin, running his thumb over jawline.

 He gazed deeply into her eyes. She blushed, meeting his gaze with uncertainty. His fingers gently stroked the tip of her nose. His eyes sparkled with love. She felt her heart swell. She knew they had to talk about everything, but right now all that mattered was being in each others arms. He kissed her forehead tenderly.

“Sleep now, lassie.” He smiled. He pressed one last sweet kiss on her forehead before placing her head on his chest once more. His arm tightened around her waist protectively, bringing her closer to him.

They fell asleep together on his warm and comfortable bed.

[dragon-dress-128]

Tumblr exclusive art dump of my characters!

I won’t take the time to explain them all right now, but I would like to set up individual bios for them at some point

I will say, my original series for all of them is now called Halcyon! That’ll be a longer back-burner project while I make other stories, like fan-fictions (that will incorporate alternate versions of these characters so y’all can get to know them better), and smaller tales within the Halcyon series

These designs may also be subject to change, based on a handful of things, including constructive criticism

[celebritydecks]

Ewan Mitchell

Ewan Mitchell

Ewan Mitchell: The Soaring and Versatile Actor Who Is Captivating Hearts

1. Introduction: Ewan Mitchell

Ewan Mitchell was born on 8 March, 1997 in Derby, England. He is a well-known and rising British television and movie personality, model and actor. He withholds all details pertaining to his parents, siblings and extended family. Her mother is a housewife, and her father is a modest business owner, according to media reports. He is a very intelligent and talented actor and many girls have crushes on him because of his incredible acting abilities and ideal jawline. His net worth is thought to be around $1.5 million, per media reports. Although he occasionally joined female actors on the red carpet, he never had a romantic connection. His dating status was never disclosed to the media in any detail.

2. Career

Ewan Mitchell has wanted to become a famous actor since he was a young child. The Central Junior Television Workshop in Nottingham served as his training ground.

Ewan Mitchell’s early acting career began with the short film “Stereotype.”Later, he appeared in the movies “Just Charlie” (2017) and “High life” (2018). He was cast in the Amazon Prime Video original movie ‘Saltburn‘.

The Halcyon, The Last Kingdom, World on Fire, and House of the Dragon roles played by Mitchell demonstrate his range as an actor.

On Television, In the 2017 historical drama “The Halcyon“, Mitchell made his acting debut as Billy Taylor, a young man who was having a hard time figuring out where he fit in.

His breakthrough performance was as Osferth, a Saxon warrior raised by Vikings, in the BBC Two and Netflix historical drama “The Last Kingdom“. Critics lauded Mitchell’s performance of Osferth. He was able to express the character’s both vulnerability and strength, as well as his strength as a warrior and loyalty to his companions.

He played Tom Bennett, a World War II-era British soldier, in “World on Fire“.Tom Bennett is a complicated person who is having a hard time accepting the horrors of war. His own demons, such as grief over his friend’s passing, are something else he is battling.The critics praised Mitchell’s performance of Bennett. He received honors for playing a young man who is attempting to find his place in the world even as everything around him is falling.

Mitchell played Billy Washington in the ITV crime drama “Trigger point” in 2022. Billy Washington is a troubled young guy who faces mental health issues. He has a history of doing drugs, being violent, and running into legal issues. Mitchell’s performance of Billy serves as a stark reminder of the debilitating effects that mental health issues can have on people and their families. He makes Billy seem more real and human by bringing a sense of reality and humanity to the part. As a result, Billy becomes more likable and lovable.

Mitchell started as Prince Aemond Targaryen later that year in the HBO fantasy series “House of Dragon“, which is a prequel to “Game of Thrones” and an adaptation of George R. R. Martin‘s fictional history novel “Fire and Blood“. He was praised by critics for his performance in the show. Aemond is the son of Prince Daemon Targaryen and Rhaenyra Targaryen. He is a skilled warrior and a natural leader.

3. Mitchell’s Potential to become a leading actor.

Mitchell is a fan favorite because of his talent for bringing complex characters to life, and his work will no doubt continue to wow audiences for years to come. He has spoken out for the value of diversity in the performing community. For other performers who wish to see more diversity in the field, he serves as an example. Mitchell is a gifted performer who has a promising career. In the future, he has the ability to break through as a major actor. He is a skilled actor who can take on a variety of parts. He is dedicated to his profession and constantly aspires to become a better artist.

[thirdreverie]

hello again!!! thank you so much for the tips, both the ones in the twitter thread and your own! they really made me consider things i never would have otherwise due to being a complete newbie to GMing (and also something of a newcomer to the superhero genre as a whole? maybe? i've been a fan of it for almost a year now, but i feel only i've barely looked at the rest of the iceberg lying beneath the waves lmao).

(i'm putting the rest under the cut because all of my players follow me on tumblr lol. @ my players there's nothing physically stopping you from clicking Keep Reading but also if you do so i WILL give you A Look)

so, about themes! my decision to play fast and loose with what they actually are is intentional; i'm Playing to Find Out just as much as everyone else, and i gotta leave myself some wiggle room in case my players take the story somewhere i didn't expect lol.

however, i like to think i've made up for it with the worldbuilding! my version of halcyon city was born when my boyfriend and i decided we wanted to play a one-to-one MASKS-inspired roleplay (MASKS: Resonance) and he put me on worldbuilding duty, and i've been so enamored with what i came up with to the point i decided to refine it some more and use it for an actual campaign instead. with the exception of the additional playbooks, i decided not to use any setting supplements yet since it's my first time GMing a MASKS campaign (MASKS: Showtime!)

i've always been a sucker for fictional metropolises which instill in you a sense of overwhelming awe and wonder, so i drew upon the things i liked for most of it. my primary inspirations were the titular Kurt Busiek's Astro City (the big, broad strokes; what is it like to live in a city which contains larger-than-life superhuman brawls on the regular while still having to work a nine-to-five?), No Straight Roads's Vinyl City (themed districts; might not be realistic in terms of real-life urban planning guidelines but i like 'em lmao), and a handful of superhero-genre indie works from itch.io (nailing down The Vibes™)

so now we have:

the Silver Screen District (movie theaters and luxurious establishments),

the Tokusatsu District (hangout spots for teenagers; inspired by the real-life akihabara district and full of intentionally bad japanese),

the Arcadia Academia District (schools, libraries, and the halcyon research institute),

the Gladiola District (affordable housing, healthcare, and public transport),

the Cosmos Commerce District (a commercial district once named the Cloudburst Commerce District but has since been renamed after Cosmos Corporation; WOOOOO CAPITALISM 🗣️🗣️🗣️🔥🔥🔥💯💯💯‼️‼️‼️💪💪💪),

the Metro Motorics District (an industrial district; contains halcyon harbor because phoenix academy doesn't exist here and i assume your main method of trading would be seafaring instead when like 25% of your city's inhabitants are capable of flight)

the Golden Justice District (law enforcement, public safety, and the halcyon prison complex; aegis headquarters operates under a front called "ancile pizzeria" here because i think i'm funny); and

the Sundown District (city slums and other undesirables; anything which goes against halcyon city's image as a shining beacon of heroism and progress)

each district comes with three starter locations and a more generic "streets" area, some of which have ties to the PCs and/or serve as possible future plot hooks. for starters, did you know the tokusatsu district is home to a location called the Hibiki Digital Popstar Theme Park, which is an amusement park themed around its roster of virtual idols including one whose name is Mirai Hatsuko? Yeah

i think i'm aiming for a good balance between Silly, Serious, and Sincere. one of my favorite parts of MASKS as presented in the core rulebook is how it strongly recommends committing to the bit always, except those bits are also bound to be really "stupid" (in a certain sense of the word) most of the time. as a writer, i LOVE it when a story which presents itself as silly and lighthearted turns out to contain surprising amounts of sincerity and depth while still retaining its zany character

the fun i derive from roleplaying comes from knowing other people are also enjoying what i'm bringing to the table, so i think MASKS is also perfect for me in that respect! i might have more experience adapting to what's thrown my way compared to throwing things at other people, but i think i can figure this out somehow?

but!!! i'm getting off-track!!! this isn't a post about my writing philosophies; it's a post about how Not-Normal i am about superheroes!!!

i've been thinking about making my own "desk of heroism" to contrast the preexisting desk of villainy? so if i ever need to summon a Random Unreasonable Adult to shout at the PCs or something, i can always just refer back to it. i was also thinking about the idea of making a halcyon city tourist guide written in-universe by a character who's a journalist before the campaign starts to show what halcyon's inhabitants think of where they live, but i'm not sure yet if i'll actually do it

i haven't thought about the framing yet, though! you've reminded me about that! as the name MASKS: Showtime! would imply, there's definitely an emphasis placed upon how the general public views the PCs and what roles the PCs themselves play (or think they play). my original plan was to just roll along with the comic book framing, but your idea is so much more interesting now that i think about it

i'm something of a theater kid in theory despite being a computer engineering student, and we're running this campaign on discord so it has to be compatible with being text-based somehow. maybe i'll combine the movie camera idea with something inspired by the playwriting format? shrugs

regardless, you've given me lots to think about. thank you again! i'll be sure to post about Showtime! on tumblr too if i ever find the time to and my players allow me to do so!

(p.s. i definitely did not let out a deranged cackle upon seeing the dino donut art like less than ten minutes after waking up and anyone who says otherwise is a liar. also i think present-time!true strike has harry du bois from Disco Elysium energy. do what you will with this knowledge)

hi!!! i just wanted to say i really love all of your MASKS stuff. i'm something of a newbie when it comes to the TTRPG community, but MASKS seems to be not very well-known and i think that's a real shame. i'm a huge fan of old-school superhero-adjacent stuff, especially the silver- and bronze-age ones!

by the way, i was wondering if you'd be willing to share some tips for a first-time GM? you don't have to if you'd rather not! i just figured i'd try asking since i was planning on GMing a MASKS campaign for some of my friends later, but despite my decade's worth of roleplaying experience i've never been in a TTRPG campaign nor a GM (or similar) role before

Thank you so much!! I was just lamenting about how I felt bad for the MASKS tag because it is now flooded with all my npc nonsense hahah so this is really nice to hear.

It's awesome you're planning on running a MASKS game for your friends!! There is an indispensable post on twitter I saw that has a LOT of great tips for running MASKS that I recommend checking out. But for my own personal tips that are just me things, here's what I got. Sorry it's gonna be extremely long-winded, it may take a few months to read through it.

(Note: I am also hugely into RP and probably put more into it than what is necessary, especially with MASKS which is meant to be able to be played out of the box. It was definitely not played out of the box in our case because I require a lot out of myself and everyone else to feel good about running something. if anyone else wants to continue seeing me as a normal human being please don't click the Keep Reading)

Since you're running it, make the world interesting to you. If the world runs around themes you're personally interested in then you'll have a much easier time coming up with answers on the fly. For me, themes I'm interested in that lend themselves well to a superhero world: money, power, family, celebrity, media, the 24 hour news cycle and the desensitization of violence. Because I'm interested in this stuff anyway, wrapping a world around them makes it much simpler for me to figure out how the world ticks and thus how the characters fit into it and how the world reacts to them, and I am DESPERATE to find out how the characters react to all the questions and expectations the world is imposing upon them.

Make sure your players have a good grasp of the tone of story so they can make characters that gel well within it. For me the tone is a lil more adult because I'm not personally into younger morality tale stories in tone, it's pretty grounded, and I think comedy and tragedy work hand in hand so I lean into them.

Talk. A lot. Talk about the characters, talk about the world. MASKS is fun because it's a LOT of talking and figuring out the narrative together. It's not a lot of crunchy mechanics, it's all around seeing how the characters react to the world narratively, all hurt and comfort and emotions which (for me) requires people to have a good grasp on their characters and the world. I like to give my players "homework" where I ask them a question involving their characters in some way like "what hero did your character look up to as a child?" so they get to come up with past heroes, or "How does your character feel about _____?" etc etc. The only fans are gonna be your table and fans love to talk so be the biggest fans of the PCs!!

Figure out your framing. I know in MASKS they suggest framing it like a comic book, and basically talking about the frames on screen. For me, because I'm more into movies and tv than comics, I frame it like that. So I have an active "camera" in play during sessions and will ask things like "would anyone like to grab the camera?" to encourage the players to put the character into a scene or "what does the audience see as the camera focuses in on your character in this emotional moment?" There is a LOT of playing up to the camera and framing the sessions as episodes of a show, so it's like, okay, you have several options but what is going to be interesting for the audience to see? I find this encourages the players to have their characters take bigger swings and feel comfortable letting us into how their character is feeling because it all looks GREAT on camera. The camera loves it. The PCs are the story after all.

Because I frame it a show, I also like to play individual ending songs over the "credits" at the end of each episode. So I asked my players to make playlists for their characters so if I feel an episode had a lot of emotional focus on one character in particular, I can play one of their songs at the end of the episode! I also made a general MASKS playlist with a bunch of songs from the era we set it in (2004) to pull from. It's a fun little addition that I really enjoy and that I hope makes it all feel more special.

The Dino Donut Effect: create landmarks in your world. (OK THIS IS GONNA BE LONG BUT WORK WITH ME HERE) They don't have to be locations, more solid landmarks of the story that the characters can refer back to and lean on to make the world feel more "real." I call it the Dino Donut Effect because in our world the thing that made everything click into place was talking out the backstory of one of the PC's figuring out they had the power negation ability. We were talking one night trying to figure it out; we wanted the character to fall out of a building and be caught by a flying superhero and accidentally turn off their powers, so they toss the kid to another flying supe whose powers also get turned off. But we were like... holy shit what is the height of a building needed that can handle this much action in the air without them hitting the ground in 3 seconds. So after a long night of talking about terminal velocity and looking at Splat Calculators we figured out the height of the building, and we needed them to crash into something that wouldn't fuckin kill them. The first suggestion was a truck full of bananas. Nah. We landed on a giant balloon that could take the impact. And the balloon became a giant T-Rex holding a donut that was the mascot of the city's beloved decades old donut shop Dino Donut. And so we decided that one of the two flying supes grabbed onto the kid and the other and flew into the giant balloon to try and keep them all alive, which destroyed the balloon, which was a city institution, and there was a crowd of children there that day that saw their friend Dino Donut die. Killed by a superhero. The balloon deflated loudly so it sounded like Dino Donut was screaming in agony. All the kids were traumatized (screaming crying throwing up), the city was furious because everyone loved Dino Donut, it was constantly in the news cycle, and it ruined the career of the supe that "killed Dino Donut." AND THEN THEY REPLACED THE DINO DONUT BALLOON WITH A LAME "UPDATED DESIGN" DINO DONUT STATUE which everyone hates and people consider to be a memorial to the old Dino Donut. ANYWAY, the Dino Donut effect is that now all the PCs have one single incident to refer back to that they all have feelings about. A couple of them were there that day and heard Dino Donut scream, one is now the protege of the disgraced superhero that killed Dino Donut so she feels uncomfortable talking about it, there's the kid that was saved that day but was sworn to secrecy by the supe so no one would find out about his power negation ability, and then there's the kid that wasn't there because she's an alien that just arrived to earth and now the kids have to explain the incident to her with all their varying opinions. Now the PCs' meeting spot is at a Dino Donut. Having this one solid incident that is both funny and kind of goes into the themes of the world has been an absolute treat. Creating "landmarks" like that in the world has done so much and now I'm like okay I'm gonna try to do this moving forward with any other thing I run.

anyway these are my extremely specific to me tips. my RP standards are kind of high which makes me a bit of a terror but also when the flowers bloom from it it feels GREAT. i'm not sure if this will help but hopefully there is something there that can be useful!

MASKS is fun and simple once you get the hang of it, though, so I'm sure whatever you do you and your players will have a lot of fun! especially if you're someone who is into RP which is the background I'm coming from too; MASKS is extremely narrative! i'll be looking in the tag for your game hehe

(The Day Dino Donut Died art by JD)

[ewanmitchellcrumbs]

Hold Me Steady

Pairing: Billy Taylor (The Halcyon) x f!reader Warnings: Dry humping. Word count: ~1.3k

Summary: Billy has a close encounter with one of the hotel's maids after agreeing to help her decorate the employee sitting space for Christmas.

Author's note: Day one of the Smuffmas prompts - "hand holding and dry humping". No tag list. Follow @fics-by-ewanmitchellcrumbs and turn on post notifications.

She struggles down the stairs into the employee sitting room, the beaten up, old cardboard box she carries hindering her view, meaning she has to pick her way carefully downwards, one step at a time.

Halfway down, a large set of hands grip the box from underneath, relieving her of her burden, and she’s met with the wide eyed curious stare of bellboy, Billy Taylor.

“I’ll take that for you,” he says, giving her one of his trademark tight lipped smiles, before walking it the rest of the way down for her.

“Thanks, Billy,” she tells him gratefully, sighing with relief. “You on break?”

“Yeah, got fifteen minutes left,” he responds, setting the box down next to a pile of stacked band equipment. “What’s in here then?”

“The foyer’s being decorated for Christmas,” she tells him, coming to stand beside him. “This stuff’s not good enough to go out, apparently. Can you believe Mr. Garland wants me to throw it away?!”

Billy crouches, tugging open the box, raising his eyebrows as he pulls out a length of threadbare silver tinsel. “I can, actually.”

She playfully swats him on the shoulder, taking the tinsel from him and weaving it through the iron bannister of the stairs. “Thought we could decorate the sitting room with it. Looks more festive already, don’t you think?”

Billy chuckles. “If it makes you ‘appy, then why not? Want some help?”

She smiles, feeling her skin heat up as he looks up at her from where he’s kneeling. “You’re on break, I can’t ask you to do that.”

“It’s not work if I actually want to do it,” he says with a shrug.

They grin at each other, and he continues to rummage through the box, pulling out cracked baubles and torn paper stars, as she surveys the small under the stairs space that the staff have to relax in.

“It’s weird to think I won’t be here next Christmas,” Billy muses, as he hands her decorations out of the box.

She looks away, focusing on running the colourful streamers through her fingers, doing her best to ignore the twinge of sadness that plucks painfully at her heartstrings. “Oh, yeah, you’ll be drafted, won’t you? I expect you’ll miss your mum’s figgy pudding.”

“I’d sooner have trench foot than eat mum’s figgy pudding, ‘orrible stuff.”

They laugh, and she allows herself a brief moment to admire the way Billy’s cheeks dimple and his eyes sparkle when he’s happy, before returning her focus to the decorations.

Within five minutes, the old piano in the corner is decked out in ragged paper streamers, the staircase’s iron bannister is woven with tinsel that’s seen better days, and a fruit bowl in the centre of the table contains the battered remains of tree ornaments of varying shapes and colours - a fitting centerpiece for the dowdy little space.

She steps back, admiring their work, eyeing the empty alcove above the brown leather sofa that’s tucked away against the back wall.

“Would be nice if we could hang this last piece of tinsel up there,” she muses, “not sure how we’d reach though.”

Billy steps behind her, looking with keen interest at the space she’s referring to. “I think there’s a step ladder in the storage room, wait here.”

He disappears out the back and a few moments later returns with a rickety wooden folding step ladder. It wobbles precariously as he unfolds it, setting it down near the sofa.

She draws in a nervous breath, brow furrowing as she looks at it. “Are you sure that’s safe?”

He presses his lips into a tight line, tugging at the hem of his uniform jacket. “Er…probably best if you go up, less chance of you breaking it. I can hold it steady.”

She hesitates for a few seconds, looking at it with uncertainty.

The final piece of tinsel above the alcove really would look nice.

“Okay, but promise you won’t let me fall?”

“Cross my heart,” he says, signing a cross over the left side of his chest.

She giggles, stepping forward and begins to climb up the ladder. It wobbles as she moves, making her breath hitch, until she feels Billy grab either side of it, holding it still. She climbs the rest of the way, pinning the last of the tinsel to the wall, allowing it to bow slightly in the middle.

It’s not until her hands are free that she realises the view that Billy must have, and brushes a palm over her skirt, making sure her backside is covered. She sees Billy turn scarlet in her peripheral vision, averting his gaze, and her heart flutters at the sight.

“Here, look, we missed something,” she hears Billy say, as she slowly starts to climb back down. She turns slightly, seeing him holding up mistletoe - a dried, long dead bunch of it, tied together with twine.

Butterflies flutter in her stomach at the sight. “That’s mistletoe, Billy…” She breathes quietly.

“Yeah…” he replies, chest heaving as he stares up at her.

A moment of silence passes between them as they gaze into each other’s eyes, until she leans down and presses a gentle kiss to his cheek.

Billy gasps, turning pink all the way to his ears, quickly stepping back, and she squeals, toppling forward as the ladder wobbles beneath her.

He is quick to drop the mistletoe, grasping her hands, allowing her weight to push him back into a seated position on the sofa, to prevent her from falling.

They both breathe heavily as she straddles his lap, their hands still clasped together, staring at each other with wide eyes.

“You saved me,” she whispers, “but you dropped the mistletoe.”

“You…you can still kiss me…if you’d like to?” He says hopefully.

She lets go of his hand, leaning in and pressing her lips to his. It’s soft at first, until his arm moves to wrap itself around her waist, pressing her close to him.

The kiss deepens, Billy groaning in approval as her tongue slips against his, their combined breaths hot and heavy against each other. She can feel his rapidly growing hardness through his trousers and grinds herself against it, as his hand slips beneath her skirt, the press of his fingertips feather light against the hem of her knickers through her tights.

There is nothing but the sound of the shared sticky click of their saliva as their mouths move together, and the creak of the leather sofa cushions as their hips push wantonly against each other. Desire sizzles in her blood, causing her core to throb with every press of his clothed length against her.

The sound of footsteps on the stairs leading down to the sitting room causes her to scramble from his lap, quickly smoothing down her maid’s uniform.

“Billy?” Calls out the voice of Feldman as he descends.

“Just on break, sir,” Billy calls back, standing and stealthily attempting to adjust himself.

“That ended ten minutes ago,” the older man says exasperatedly. “Come on, there are guests checking in upstairs with luggage that needs bringing to their rooms.”

Billy’s eyes dart around in panic, his cheeks flushing. “Sorry, sir, lost track of the time. Can I quickly go to the toilet first?”

Feldman sighs. “Make it quick.”

Billy nods, shooting her an apologetic look before walking quickly away.

She puts a hand over her mouth, stifling an embarrassed giggle, knowing exactly what he intends to do.

“What have you two been doing down here then?” Feldman asks her, eyeing her suspiciously.

She clears her throat, smoothing her hands over her uniform once more, hoping her flustered appearance doesn’t give too much away. “Putting up decorations, Mr. Feldman. Looks great, doesn’t it?” She asks with a smile.

His eyes narrow, distaste apparent on his face as his eyes sweep the room, before looking back at her. “Yes, if you say so.”

She stoops, picking the mistletoe up off the floor and tucking it away in her apron pocket. She has a spring in her step as goes back upstairs.

That will definitely come in handy later.

Part two || Series masterlist

[themmnetwork]

Hey, did you run through your daily ration of tweets? You could always read something else... like "Legends Of The Halcyon Era", an adventure set in the world of Mega Man Legends, on The Mega Man Network and Archive Of Our Own!

https://themmnetwork.com/category/legends-of-the-halcyon-era/

https://archiveofourown.org/series/3000390

[derpcakes]

Who wants to hear about a book that gave me psychic damage?

In Remi K. England’s 2022 YA novel The One True Me and You, worlds collide when a teen beauty pageant and a fan convention book the same hotel. Our main characters are Kay, a fanfic writer tentatively trying out they/them pronouns in the supportive, generally queer space among their fandom friends; and Teagan, a pageant contestant gunning for a much-needed scholarship and keeping her geeky tendencies and her lesbian identity firmly under wraps. The two meet when Teagan sneaks into a con event, and sparks fly. etc etc. It’s a rom com.

The fan convention is for a fictional story-within-a-story called The Great Game, a modern adaptation of the Sherlock Holmes canon. Kay narrates that it’s one of many, but it’s the best one out there: better than Elementary, and certainly better than the BBC one. Except, of course, it becomes fairly obvious that The Great Game is a fictionalised stand-in for the BBC’s Sherlock, and Kay’s fandom experience a stand-in for a very particular strain of Tumblr culture surrounding the series. Let me tell you seeing “JohnLock” shipping terminology on the page of a published book in the year of our lord 2022 made me a little dizzy.

The whole thing is so... SURREAL. Much of the novel’s depiction of fan practice feels like it harkens back to a just-bygone era, making it feel oddly detached from the flow of time. The vision of Scroll—a fictional blogging platform clearly meant as a stand-in for Tumblr—as a creative, queer-friendly fangirl paradise where everyone gushes about their ships and learns about social justice issues, feels deeply anchored in the culture and perception of the site from circa 2012 – 2016. 

Even the vision of “geeks” as social outcasts rather than, well, pretty mainstream, feels older too. Catchphrases like “witness me” and “BAMF” and “for the win” are pulled from an Internet lexicon of at least six or seven years ago and placed in the mouths of fictional teenagers ostensibly living in the present.

Even little details, like the characters brewing ship-themed tea blends, wearing vintage-style dresses printed with fandom references, talking about a bad episode as The One That Shall Not Be Named, someone “squee”ing at one point, even the construction of usernames… as someone who’s been on Tumblr for many years, watching Big Fandoms like Sherlock from the sidelines, it feels familiar, churning up memories from a dashboard of days gone by. 

Teagan, at one point, references a pageant from 2019, meaning the plot takes place at least a year after that. And yet, how can it, if it presents such a pre-DashCon image of online fan antics?

I almost wonder if this uncanny sensation could have been offset by making the novel a period piece, explicitly setting it in 2013 or 2014 and turning its nostalgic undertones into overtones: committing to creating a fictive time capsule of Tumblr and SuperWhoLock’s halcyon days. I wonder, too, if this manuscript was written closer to that heyday, and is (as can happen with the weird loops and timelines of a publishing career) only hitting shelves now—arriving on the scene when what was once a contemporary story now feels rather dated.

I don’t know that, though I do know from the acknowledgements that England intended The One True Me and You to be a cathartic, fun, wish-fulfillment story representing the queer fan experience they feel they missed out on in the ‘90s and early ‘00s. And as an outlet for that, I think the novel is wonderful, even if it’s rocketed me, personally, deeply into the uncanny valley. 

I wonder how it feels to read this as someone who was much deeper ingrained in Sherlock Tumblr? I wonder what the hell it feels like to read this as a modern teenager—the book’s intended audience!!

Years out from Sherlock’s pop cultural relevance, when its fandom has faded from the dashboard-dominance it once had, and when public perception of the series has generally soured and many people’s favourite piece of Sherlock-related media is ‘Sherlock is Garbage and Here’s Why’… can the wholesome and squeeful depiction of Sherlock-ish fandom in this book possibly resonate with any young people? I know marketing demographics aren’t always the best insight into a story’s inner workings, but I have to ask: who IS this for?

It’s not a bad book, and I don’t want this to be taken as a bad review of it. Sure, I found it to be weaker than England’s sci-fi novels: the prose is sometimes plain and leans on telling rather than showing in places, and it wraps up maybe too swiftly given the emotional weight of what happens in the climax. There’s also something to be said for how it’s vision of fandom as a queer paradise of acceptance where everyone is friends is... maybe a little overly-rosy. But if you’re in the mood for a short, cute, fluffy little queer romance between a pair of horny but endearing-enough teens, it will do the job. It will also rocket you back to a hyper-specific moment in fandom history with force that may or may not leave you with a neck injury.

[samanthamarkle92]

New chapter! Shout outs to: @johnnymactavishlover @johnnymactavish @redravenarts @nsharks @shadow0-1 @deadbranch @salbei-141 @thiswomanhasissues @loonyundead @codfanzine @mocha @cravingcoldoreocake123 @ilovehotchocolate @sofasoap @loneghostwolf @mistyresolve @islenthatur @bittersw33t-lotus @m0chac0ffee @fictional-men-have-my-heart @ghostslillady @ghosts-bandwagon @soapxmactavish @mactavishwritings @sleepyconfusedpotato @gamergirlbonestaskforce141riot @halcyone-of-the-sea @rileyslibrary @ghostkinnie @mctvsh @macravishedbymactavish @mistydeyes @cowyolks @ave661 @clownfishenthusiast @lunarw0rks @summermoonshine @lundenloves @glossysoap @cheezbites @xintothewoodswegox @sighmurderbot @wolfieisacat @1-ker0sene-1 @oniiloma @castleninja @ghostslittlegf @fastleopard1521 @saltofmercury @blingblong55

Note: the fan art is not mine, but I found it in Pinterest and could not find the original artist. If you know who they are, please let them know so I can give them credit and the pic was too perfect not to use for this scene!

Chapter 8

The following morning, Soap woke slowly and stared at the ceiling, watching Katie sleeping peacefully. He ran his fingertips through her hair, brushing it off her face. She looked even more angelic than normal when  asleep. He studied her features; every feature, every angle. The warm sunlight was coming through the window, highlighting the planes of her face in such a beautiful way. Her cheeks were rosy and pink, her full lips parted slightly as she breathed in and out.

‘I could watch her all day.’ He thought to himself, smiling softly as he traced the shape of her nose and chin. He kissed her lightly on the forehead. She stirred, and he pulled the coverlet on the bed over her naked shoulders, watching her as she slept peacefully.

‘I’d rather be here, cuddling with her all day than anywhere else in the world. This woman is my home...my heart.'

He gently placed a stray strand of hair behind her ear. He  leaned down to press a chaste kiss to her lips. She smiled in her sleep, snuggling deeper into the sheets.

“Hey, sleepyhead.” He chuckled. She opened one eye halfway.

“Mmmm….hi. What time is it?” she mumbled groggily.

“It's morning. Do you want  breakfast?”

She nodded her head quickly, rubbing her eyes as Soap pulled the covers off her. She threw on some clothes and followed him downstairs. They sat together eating a breakfast of cereal, toast, and orange juice. They had some tea on the deck, breathing in the clean forest air.

“Thank you for showing me this place,” she sighed, leaning into his shoulder.

“Anytime, sweetheart. I hope you enjoyed yourself.” He smiled, wrapping his arm around her shoulder.

Katie nodded, taking another sip of tea.

“I did! Thanks.”

“Did you want to see something else?”

“You promised to show me the standing stones in the woods.” She said, playing with his dog tags.

“Well, let's head out there now. It's still early.” Soap stood, holding out his hand to help her get up. They walked hand in hand, heading along the path leading deep into the woods. As they reached the riverbank, Soap stopped and picked a flower and put it in Katie's hair. She giggled, walking off the path to balance on a fallen log.

“Come on,” she called. Soap joined her, hopping down the bank and joining her by the water. He took her hands in his, helping her hop across the narrow stream. They walked along the edge of the river, looking around for animals. Soon the came to the clearing where the stone circle was. 

“Wow,” Katie uttered softly. Soap gazed at her fondly, admiring how captivated she seemed. He crouched down next to the stones, observing their intricate patterns. The mossy area was bathed in the early afternoon sunlight, creating a warm glow on the stones. It reminded him of how peaceful they were.

“Do you want to walk around?”

Katie nodded eagerly.

“Sure.”

They walked along the perimeter of the clearing, picking flowers as they walked along the riverbed. 

“When I was a boy, I’d always explore around here; my gran was superstitious, and tell me to be careful or else the fairies would get me. To be honest, I think it was just to keep me from getting lost. I think it was my adventurous side that made me want to join the army.” Soap smirked. Katie laughed lightly, gazing lovingly at him.

They wandered aimlessly around the clearing.

“This spot is beautiful,” she commented.

“Yeah, it is.” He agreed. Suddenly, they heard a strange noise. Turning towards the sound, they saw a large deer walking slowly across the river, looking curiously at them. It stopped at the edge of the stream and sniffed the ground before turning back and trotting away.

“Come on, let’s go down to the pond; I think the blackberry bushes might be ready for picking,” Soap suggested. 

“Good idea.”

They walked back to the small waterfall, enjoying the sun as it filtered into the lake. When they reached the bank, Soap bent down to pick a few berries, tossing them in his mouth one by one. Katie picked a burdock leaf to carry them.

“We can come back here later and bring a container for them.” Soap suggested. “We  can build 

 a fire, maybe watch the sunset. The stars are amazing out here;  they’re so bright you feel like you could touch them.” 

“Sounds wonderful.” She smiled brightly, grabbing his hand. He smiled down at her, squeezing it.

“Come on, let’s make our way back.” He led the way.

Back at the cabin, Soap helped Katie make some sandwiches. It was a quick lunch. Katie found herself looking at some family photos.

“Here’s my mum and dad, and this is my gran.” Soap said, pointing to each face. “Here’s me when I was younger.” He showed her a Polaroid of a kid with mud streaked over his face wielding a stick.

“What were you doing?” Katie said, laughing.

“I was pretending I was a warrior from the Highlands.” He grinned.

“Were you trying to look fierce?” she teased, poking his cheek.

He shrugged, grinning sheepishly.

“I don’t remember much of it....but I was pretty cool.”

She grinned, ruffling his hair.

“That you were.”

They finished makin g their sandwiches and packed them up, putting them in a picnic basket. They headed back to the cabin, sitting outside on the porch.

“I love this place.” Katie sighed happily.

“Me too.” He agreed.

They sat in silence for a while, wondering how long they could ignore the outside world while they were here in the safety of each other’s company. Finally, Katie broke the spell. She looked nervously at him.

“Soap...about last night…”

He sighed heavily, turning his gaze towards her.

“It was something special wasn't it?” he asked quietly.

“Yes it was.” She admitted. “I never knew you felt this way about someone.”

“Neither did I. And it scares the heck out of me.” He whispered. “It scares me that I might leave for a mission, and God-forbid die, leaving you alone.

 I don't know if I could live without you. But I'm not sure if I could bear to lose you. Not again...not after everything we've been through.”

“I wouldn’t ever wish that on you. You’ve given me so many things and no one has ever done anything like that. If you want to be happy; the military is your life. And it's your choice. And I respect it.”

Soap smiled and leaned forwards, capturing her lips in a gentle kiss. It was slow, tender and soft. He cupped her face and pressed his body closer into hers, his hands sliding upwards to cup her breasts, pulling her onto his lap. They cuddled for a while, heading back to the pond around dusk. Soap built a fire, and Katie waded in the shallows. Once the fire was burning, he walked over to her and kneeled down beside her, resting his elbows on his thighs as he watched her splash around in the water. His arms encircled her waist as she splashed him playfully. He kissed her neck, nuzzling it with his nose as his hands roamed her body. The stars came out, spread across the blue-black sky. 

“Wow! It's beautiful out here!  I can't believe I missed all the starry nights!” She turned around, laying her hands against his shoulders. Her fingers traced a pattern on his chest.

“Me neither, but it's nice to see them every once in a while,” he murmured, pressing his lips against hers again. He lay back on a blanket near the fire and she rested her head on his chest. A moment later, his arms wrapped tightly around her, holding her close to him.

The fire crackled merrily, casting dancing shadows across the darkening woods. Katie was quiet, her eyelids slowly dropping shut. Soap held her close to him, feeling sleep tugging on his consciousness. He gently stroked her hair. Eventually, her breathing evened out and she fell asleep, her body limp and relaxed against his.

His eyes remained open for awhile longer, watching the stars twinkle above him until he eventually closed them, letting sleep take him under its sweet embrace. They woke up close to midnight.

“Do you want to walk back to the cabin or stay here?” He asked, wrapping his hoodie around her. She yawned. 

“You know, I've never slept under the stars before, Johnny.”

“Then I guess we’ll stay here,” he said, tossing a few extra logs on the fire. He felt her fingers lace with his. She kissed his nose sweetly, then snuggled further into his side. He held her close, listening to the sounds of the forest, feeling content.

[vvienne]

SANGCHENG FIC RECS

flight of a one-winged dove by bloodletter

Talking at someone is only fun for so long. That's all being a sect leader is: talking and talking to people bound by courtesy to listen to you. It's so fucking dull. A relief, then, to face one’s equal, and no less an old friend who is inclined to interrupt you whenever you ramble. He likes it. It’s one of Jiang Cheng’s best qualities.

In the years after Guanyin Temple, Nie Huaisang attends to unfinished business.

whipped by reindeercolin

Jiang Cheng blinks. “Dammit, they do think you’re dating one of us! I hate it when Wei Wuxian is right.” “Excuse me?” Nie Huaisang gives him an incredulous look. “First of all, they think I’m dating you, and if anything, they’re getting more aggressive!”

(or, the one in which Jiang Cheng has too many relatives, not enough patience, goes through a brother-divorce and finds out he has a boyfriend - in that order, more or less.)

Ponder the Manner of Things by Pip (Moirail)

It's not that Jiang Cheng can't do a quadruple flip followed by a triple toeloop. It's that his mother seems to think that's still not good enough.

Jiang Cheng is grateful that Huaisang doesn’t have the same kind of family life that he does, all - messy with expectations and cravings for closeness and nothing but vague filial piety where love is meant to be.

a matter of time and organ donation by nev_longbottom

This is it. The call he’s been waiting for. His brother had ‘an accident’ or ‘died in his sleep’ or some other lie to cover up the murder.

“Please, Mingjue is missing. He got into one of his moods and he was gone when I came back from grocery shopping. He’s not answering his phone. I don’t know if he left or was kidnapped or if something else happened. Huaisang, please, if you’ve heard anything,” Meng Yao begs.

Nie Huaisang hunts his brother's killer.

no tip necessary by tattletold

With all the nervousness of a virgin in a whorehouse, Jiang Cheng closes the door behind himself and enters, sitting on the low seat across from the escort. The pretty young man keeps his face hidden behind the delicate fan, and Jiang Cheng thinks for a moment that he recognizes the design painted onto it now that he’s closer.

It’s only when he lowers the fan and opens his eyes, wide, does Jiang Cheng paralyze with realization.

They speak at the same time in equally horrified tones.

“Jiang Cheng?”

“Nie Huaisang?”

Your Place in the Family of Things by raisedbyhyenas

No matter what happens, no matter the circumstances, Wei Wuxian will always leave and Jiang Cheng will always get stuck trying to rebuild from whatever’s left.

*************

In which Jiang Cheng makes friends; gets a cat; begins to rebuild a relationship; and maybe, possibly, potentially, learns a little bit how to be happy.

sigh yourself to sleep by merthurlin

“Let me take care of you, A-Cheng.”

No one—no one has ever said that, not to Jiang Cheng. He wasn’t a very sickly child, true, but the few times he remembered being sick it was never—he had a-jie, and later on he had Wei Wuxian, for what it was worth, but he never—

halcyon days by serein

They're in a forest, it seems just the two of them.

"You have to be patient," Nie Huaisang says, "I once waited for three days to catch a sparrow."

"Three days?" Jiang Cheng replies, sceptical. He can't imagine Nie Huaisang having the attention span for that.

"It's not that hard," Nie Huaisang says, "if you know what they want, and find a way to get it for them."

[JC stumbles across an array and gets physically de-aged to be 16/17. NHS kindly offers his help to an old friend, but things... escalate.]

To Distraction by isozyme

It’s the third night of Yunmeng’s kite festival celebrations. Nie Huaisang has come visiting, eager to partake in the food, the arts, and Jiang Cheng.

-

Jiang Cheng wants to forget. Nie Huaisang has some new lube and wants to see if he can put his whole fist in somebody’s ass.

Lights, Camera, Kiss by MissMagus

When Nie Huaisang gets paired with straight porn star Jiang Cheng for a five-part series, he’s sure it will be an utter disaster. Until the cameras start rolling and their chemistry alights like wildfire.

(Or, the five times Nie Huaisang and Jiang Cheng have sex for their job, and the first time they have sex outside of it.)

Only the Shallow by hamburglar

When Nie Huaisang gets bored and convinces Jiang Cheng to make out with him, he’s probably not expecting to still be dealing with the guy 16 years later.

OR the story where Jiang Cheng goes into: the Cloud Recesses, denial, some bushes, the private porn library at the Unclean Realm, and subspace.

Blind for Love by manamune

Jiang Cheng is poisoned with an aphrodisiac and needs to orgasm repeatedly in order to flush it from his system.

The first person he thinks of going to for help is Nie Huaisang, who does what any good friend would do: he shoves his three decades worth of feelings for Jiang Cheng deep into the recesses of his mind, locks them up so he can pretend they don’t exist, and then fucks him so hard that he passes out.

Descending by lightningwaltz

“I want to… to not be embarrassed.”

“To not be embarrassed during what?”

“During sex.” There. Jiang Cheng can say it. “In general. Also with you right now.”

“Very good.”

“When did you become so authoritative?” Jiang Cheng wants to sound irked, but can’t quite manage anything beyond nervous curiosity.

dark water by Morgan (duckwhatduck)

There are words, somewhere, for this. Words that would put a shape to the thing that sits between them, would seal their understanding. There are words for sympathy, for friendship, for understanding, for that touch, for this feeling.

Jiang Cheng can feel them, somewhere, fluttering formless at the back of his throat, squirming under his ribcage, but he cannot grasp them. They swim beneath the surface, fish in muddy water - and like fish, they will dart away if he grabs for them incautiously, and leave him nothing but cold splashes and grit.

Or: Why talk about things when you could fuck about it instead?

never knew i was a dancer by isozyme

“What’s a stone butch and why aren’t they real?” Jiang Cheng asks, too buzzed to care too much about not being up on lesbian culture.

Huaisang pats Jiang Cheng on the no-man’s-land between her boobs and her shoulder. “You’re so useless, Jiang Cheng. A stone butch is a fictional hottie who doesn’t make you do any work at all, just wants to give head and fuck you stupid on her strap.”

“Fictional?” Jiang Cheng echoes, having - not a moment, per se, but sort of a problem where her thoughts are going too fast for her poor drunken brain to keep up with.

“Nobody actually wants to fuck a chick who’s too lazy to eat you out after,” Huaisang mumbles.

-

After leaving Wei Ying and Lan Zhan’s bachelorette party, Jiang Cheng and Nie Huaisang decide to experiment with some outdated stereotypical lesbian sex roles.

lights out by rynleaf

“Nie-zongzhu makes the most sense,” Sect Leader Yao nods sagely, to murmurs of assent across the Jin Sect’s gold gilded banquet hall. Jin Ling, clad in opulent robes that look somewhat comical on a boy of sixteen, inclines his head as his scribe makes a notation, and the noise rises as sect leaders pat themselves and each other on the back for a decision well made.

Jiang Cheng groans and downs his cup of wine in one go.

-

In which the Sect Leaders elect a new Chief Cultivator.

shadow eternal by rynleaf

“You want me to distract the Chief Cultivator from the Annual Cultivation Conference, so you and other sect leaders can… what. Sign contracts without adult supervision?”

“If Jiang-zongzhu is amenable,” Sect Leader Ouyang repeats with a nod.

Jiang Cheng pinches the bridge of his nose. The pressure he felt building behind his eyes all morning is swiftly coalescing into a bitch of a headache. “Just what do you all think I’m capable of?”

Sect Leader Ouyang bows with a cheerful smile. “We have utmost faith in Sandu Shengshou’s abilities.”

-

In which a night hunt ends in disaster, Jiang Cheng catches a glimpse of Nie Huaisang's heart, and feelings are discussed after a certain fashion.

Four Days in Lanling by halotolerant

Nie Huaisang looks at him. ‘You are confusing me, Clan Leader Jiang, perhaps I misunderstand, but…’

‘You didn’t misunderstand. You don’t misunderstand. You understand all of it.’ For six months Jiang Cheng has been mulling this over, and now with Nie Huaisang in front of him he can’t figure out if he most wants to knock him down or kneel at his feet. What he does is try and breathe. Clench his hands at his sides. ‘And now I am going to ask you to do something for me. You have to do something for me. You have to help Jin Ling.’

Lean for Love Forever by Pip (Moirail)

Having a crush on your roommate is really embarrassing, except that's apparently the opposite of a problem. Jiang Cheng can't deny that's pretty convenient.

Wei Ying holds it up, a series of straps and buckles and velcro and wow, really a lot of leather. It has absolutely no conceivable form beyond tangled.

Nie Huaisang opens the door at exactly the moment that Wei Ying holds the thing up to Jiang Cheng’s chest, as if he’s trying to imagine how exactly it would fit onto a person, and it falls into a tangled pile between them while they stare at Huaisang in mild mortification.

acquired momentum by mongrelmind

Had Madam Yu known that this is where her son would end up, she would have gouged his eyes out with her bracelet before he made the grave mistake of looking in the direction of Nie Huaisang.

-

in which Nie Huaisang has an art show, Jiang Cheng is begrudgingly topless*, and there are. Shenanigans.

*Nie Huaisang excluded.

[vbsvartalf]

Aha! It's my time to shine!

Firstly, I'd like to recommend "Wormwood: A Serialized Mystery" from way back in the halcyon days of 2007, it's about an occult doctor getting strange visions and going to a strange out of the way town with people who all have secrets. Sound familiar?

Another good one that's more recent is "Sed: La Advertencia" a Spanish language thriller about a water shortage in Mexico City, starring Tenoch Huerta of Wakanda Forever fame.

"Immunities" has been really fun too. I'm only a few episodes in but the premise is aliens take over the earth (maybe) by simply looking into people's eyes. Some are immune and have to find a way to resist.

"On a Dark, Cold Night" is a fantastic single narrator audio drama with lots of folk and gothic horror. There's an overarching narrative too, but I won't give that away to preserve spoilers.

"Edict Zero: FIS" is another older one, well 2010 if that's old, that's still ongoing. It's a sci-fi thriller that sees humanity on a new world, but one filled with the same old problems.

"Jarnsaxa Rising" is about the titular giantess, who happens to be the mother of Thor's children and Loki's cousin, being released from a curse into modern day.

"Children of the Stones" from the BBC is another fun one, I suppose it's somewhat based on the old show but as I only know the old show itself exists, I can't be too certain. However, it's creepy good folk horror and strange townfolk.

"Dear Bastard" is a favorite comedy of mine. The framing device is emails sent back and forth in a British flat between really, really passive aggressive Brits who really seem to hate everyone around them.

"Dark Ages" mixes work place comedy with high fantasy and somehow manages not to come off over-the-top dumb.

"The Secret Files of Morgan Knox" is an excellent occult detective show for anyone that's a fan of Malevolent, bonus it's written by (amongst others) Bo Bolander and Gabino Iglesies, two of my favorite horror/speculative fiction authors.

"Aftershocks" not to be confused with the similarly titled audio drama staring Sarah Wayne Callies, David Harbour, and Jeffery Dean Morgan, Aftershocks is about a girl who stays at a mental hospital and finds out dark secrets and other creepy things around the corners.

"Roswell B.C. (Before the Crash)" is a mix of sci-fi and hardboiled noir from a unique perspective.

"The Second Oil Age" has me hooked with only a few episodes so far, a mix of cyber punk and espionage thriller.

"Standard Docking Procedures" didn't last very long, but man in just a few episodes I fell in love. It's an episodic sci-fi comedy that asks about the dirty jobs of a space station.

"Olive Hill" is the story of two missing girls and the woman that goes in search of answers years later and digs up more than she bargains for (again, sound familiar?).

"Madison on the Air" is hilarious and combines old time radio shows and gives them a bit of a facelift with hilarious results.

"Apocalypse Songs" runs in the vein of the Black Tapes as a horror show that really, really tries to sound like it's real but nevertheless is very good and very compelling.

"The Path Down" is another I'm only an episode or two in but I'm really enjoying the every day sci-fi vibe to it. It's so slice of life that it's hard to remember sometimes it has people with super powers.

"Heads of Sierra Blanca" is another of those "horror that wants to sound like it's real" and it manages to make me nervous at times, it helps that Sierra Blanca is a real place less than an hours drive from where I live.

"The Pilgrimage Saga" is good sci-fi with a mix of comedy, drama, thriller, all the good stuff with the premise of determined survivors returning to earth after some sort of apocalyptic event drove everyone away.

"Next Stop" is the quintessential sitcom, minus being problematic and full of canned laughter.

"Saffron and Peri" is an urban fantasy that asks "what is it like to work in a supernatural university help desk" because we've all asked that question before.

"Boston Harbor Horror" is another go at the Lovecraftian horrors are running about in modern day and manages to tell a compelling story.

"Kaleidotrope: A Romantic Comedy" plays the tried and true radio host framing device but instead of weird horrors running amok it's random people texting in to work out their problems while the hosts play the "will they, won't they" game.

"The Monster Hunters" goes back to the 70s and all it's problematic features to tell a good supernatural horror comedy about a pair of, well, monster hunters.

Anyway, I think that's a good start, some obscure some not so

[scarletwitching]

Hi, I really like how informative and interesting your content is about Wanda, you have made me a big fan of hers. So I wanted to ask you, as a Wanda fan would you like Magneto to become her father again? or it would be better to develop her story with her parents D´Jango and Marya? or do you think both options could be possible? Thanks.

Yeah, I want Magneto to be her dad again, but my feelings are complicated. I didn't want the Natalya retcon when it happened. It was needlessly complicated to say actually her adoptive parents who were briefly her biological parents were actually her aunt and uncle and her mom is a witch and who is her dad and blah blah blah. It is not ideal.

...but now that it's here, I don't necessarily want them to throw it out either. I don't have any doubts about who I think her father should be. Her mother is another matter. There are good reasons to keep it as Natalya, and there are good reasons to change it back to Magda. There is no good reason to make them the same person, as some have suggested, and I think that would break my brain. (They're from different countries! They would speak different languages! Not all Romani people are the same!)

Maybe Wanda should be like that guy from The Expanse who has eight parents. I don't know.

It's just... Why did we have to have these retcons? Why did this happen? It was fine before. I need a Disney lawyer to come to my house and explain, slowly and thoroughly, what the goal was in changing characters' backstories in the comic books.

I miss the time when the most confusing "are they a mutant or not" character was Sam Wilson. Just writers arguing back and forth via fiction, "Falcon IS a mutant." "That was fake info. Falcon is NOT a mutant." Those were the halcyon days of comic book literature.

[celebritydecks]

Ewan Mitchell: The Soaring and Versatile Actor Who Is Captivating Hearts

1. Introduction: Ewan Mitchell

Ewan Mitchell was born on 8 March, 1997 in Derby, England. He is a well-known and rising British television and movie personality, model and actor. He withholds all details pertaining to his parents, siblings and extended family. Her mother is a housewife, and her father is a modest business owner, according to media reports. He is a very intelligent and talented actor and many girls have crushes on him because of his incredible acting abilities and ideal jawline. His net worth is thought to be around $1.5 million, per media reports. Although he occasionally joined female actors on the red carpet, he never had a romantic connection. His dating status was never disclosed to the media in any detail.

2. Career

Ewan Mitchell has wanted to become a famous actor since he was a young child. The Central Junior Television Workshop in Nottingham served as his training ground.

Ewan Mitchell’s early acting career began with the short film “Stereotype.”Later, he appeared in the movies “Just Charlie” (2017) and “High life” (2018). He was cast in the Amazon Prime Video original movie ‘Saltburn‘.

The Halcyon, The Last Kingdom, World on Fire, and House of the Dragon roles played by Mitchell demonstrate his range as an actor.

On Television, In the 2017 historical drama “The Halcyon“, Mitchell made his acting debut as Billy Taylor, a young man who was having a hard time figuring out where he fit in.

His breakthrough performance was as Osferth, a Saxon warrior raised by Vikings, in the BBC Two and Netflix historical drama “The Last Kingdom“. Critics lauded Mitchell’s performance of Osferth. He was able to express the character’s both vulnerability and strength, as well as his strength as a warrior and loyalty to his companions.

He played Tom Bennett, a World War II-era British soldier, in “World on Fire“.Tom Bennett is a complicated person who is having a hard time accepting the horrors of war. His own demons, such as grief over his friend’s passing, are something else he is battling.The critics praised Mitchell’s performance of Bennett. He received honors for playing a young man who is attempting to find his place in the world even as everything around him is falling.

Mitchell played Billy Washington in the ITV crime drama “Trigger point” in 2022. Billy Washington is a troubled young guy who faces mental health issues. He has a history of doing drugs, being violent, and running into legal issues. Mitchell’s performance of Billy serves as a stark reminder of the debilitating effects that mental health issues can have on people and their families. He makes Billy seem more real and human by bringing a sense of reality and humanity to the part. As a result, Billy becomes more likable and lovable.

Mitchell started as Prince Aemond Targaryen later that year in the HBO fantasy series “House of Dragon“, which is a prequel to “Game of Thrones” and an adaptation of George R. R. Martin‘s fictional history novel “Fire and Blood“. He was praised by critics for his performance in the show. Aemond is the son of Prince Daemon Targaryen and Rhaenyra Targaryen. He is a skilled warrior and a natural leader.

3. Mitchell’s Potential to become a leading actor.

Mitchell is a fan favorite because of his talent for bringing complex characters to life, and his work will no doubt continue to wow audiences for years to come. He has spoken out for the value of diversity in the performing community. For other performers who wish to see more diversity in the field, he serves as an example. Mitchell is a gifted performer who has a promising career. In the future, he has the ability to break through as a major actor. He is a skilled actor who can take on a variety of parts. He is dedicated to his profession and constantly aspires to become a better artist.