#the idea of a robot showing up in dreams was so funny to me in the beginning

[paper-lilypie]

You were the one who made Foxy and Moon a stable, happy, simply beautiful couple and destroyed that. Now suffer with us poking you with a stick while you do anything, the stick is us saying that Foxy is totally supporting us to help Moon. I don't regret commenting on this in the first place before going for a nap, now, tell me, how about we up the ante to Foxy even showing up in Y/N or Moon's dreams just to say goodbye and wish them luck in their new life, one last hug, a pat on the back to push them forward, and the next day there is simply no sadness because they are recovered and this is the closure Foxy wanted, they have moved on from this. Now Y/N and Moon will watch a pirate movie and enjoy it with no bad memories, just two people hugging, surrounded by little kids, commenting on the things the characters do and laughing when they share a blanket on the couch and just fight over it and stop paying attention to the movie, maybe there will be a pillow fight even. This is all Moon wanted with Foxy, a happy ending, but he didn't get it, however Foxy wanted a happy one for Moon even if it wasn't with him and now he can rest in peace. They are on the moon and nothing can bring them down.

[spinchip]

Zane peeks over Dot’s shoulder where she’s curled up on the couch reading a book. “What are you reading?”

It’s a testament to how normalized being haunted is for her when she doesn’t even flinch. She glances over at him before dog-earing the page and putting her book down. She glances around the room to make sure no one is within ear-shot, “Romance book. Princess is kidnapped, a knight goes to save her, the wizard who kidnapped her falls in love with her- Oh, the Knight is also in love with her. Classic love triangle.” She shrugs before pinning him with a playfully pointed glare, “Nice of you to show up. It was my turn to make dinner tonight y'know, And everyone is always raving about your cooking. I could have used your help!”

He has the good graces to look apologetic, “How long have I been gone for this time?” he asks.

“Just one day.” she reassures him, “Not too long.”

“Ah, good.” He murmurs.

“Hey, you’ve never told me- where do you go?” Tilting her head, she clarifies, “Like when you vanish for days at a time. Where do you disappear off to?”

He feigns sitting on the arm of the couch. He can’t actually interact with the physical world in any way, but it makes him feel more grounded to pretend, “I do not know.” He admits, “Someplace dark and quiet… similar to the space between dreams.”

“So it’s like you're sleeping?”

“Not quite. I can still sleep, like during the times when you need your privacy. That is different from this.” he thinks on it for a moment, “I can sleep in that place, too. So I am awake when I am pulled there.”

She makes a humming noise, “Do you think it’s a place in Ninjago?”

“It is a possibility.” he frowns, “I cannot be sure.”

She worries her fingers over the edge of the knee joint on her prosthetic, “Are you sure it’s a good idea to keep everything a secret from the others?”

She watches him deflate a little, his whole body slumping in a soul-deep sadness, “I do not want to keep this from the others, but it is necessary. These black out episodes are proof of that… I am not stable. Whatever is keeping me here may not be permanent, and from our research so far there is no way to bring me back. Telling the others may just be giving them false hope.”

“Yeah…” she sighs, “If I told them you were still around and then you vanished for good, it'd be like you died all over again.”

“That is one way to put it.” He smiles grimly.

There’s a pause, “It’s hard for me too.” She admits softly. “I mean, not so much now because I’m used to you going MIA… but you were gone for a whole week once, and I was afraid you were gone. What if I can't find a way to bring you back before you’re stuck in that place forever?”

“Dot,” He says gently, placing a hand on top of her own. There’s no sensation on her skin, it’s like he’s not even touching her at all, “I chose this when I destroyed the overlord. Whatever happens is not your fault. I am at peace with my actions.” He reassures her.

“I just… can’t imagine life without you anymore, y’know?”

“I would miss you too.” He pats her hand just to do it, “I believe we will find an answer, and if we do not then that is just how it was meant to be. You will have ice… even if my presence is gone, I will always be with you.”

“You’re a big sap when you want to be.” She sniffs, rubbing at her eye.

“I am actually a regular sized robot.” he informs her with a snarks grin.

She shakes her head, “A regular sized robot who is not funny.”

“Of course not. I have not turned on my funny switch.”

“Your what?”

[z3ny44]

Spoilers for Fionna and Cake Finale Double Episode Post

-Alright, episode 9 started of with a scare! That nightmare really seemed real for a second, and Marshall looked like Shoko when she fell into the radioactive river....

Thank god it was a dream honestly, but the main even of this episode... The Lich begging for Golb to acknowledge his achievements, his success in ending all life on his reality, only to be denied of any form of gratification and to be stripped of his own reason and turned into a tetris block...

I really liked this bit, I think Fionna and Cake had the best moments of Lich alongside his speech in the Citadel episode. His expression, his posture, his rage alongside his struggle... How can a character so inherently impossible to kill, be absolutely finished by no more than a look from the one whom he called his scholar.

Also Simon kicked him that's funny,, poor Jerry

And Now, from the 1000+ years Ooo, we get to see Shermy and Beth again! They are vandalizing Gibbon's kingdom, that, in case you don't remember or don't know, he's the son of Charlie (Jake's daughter that played Card Wars)

I really like 1000+ years Ooo. In a way its cozy but at the same time uncanny cuz you really don't know anyone... (I mean Marcy and PB are canonically alive but still they only appear in the Come Along with Me Intro) I wish it was a miniseries itself!!! Simon got TP'd to Shermy's head and still is trying to find a crown. They went to the library which is now ruled by the paper guys, and a robot in a turtle shell? uh,,, okay?

And yeah basically the Scarab is back cuz Ellis P freed them,,, bruh.

-LAST EPISODE FFS PAWN SWAN IS CANON WOOO

Okay but in all seriousness, the episode continued F&C dealing with the Scarab, and they just threw him all the guys that he imprisoned, which shows us what we already had a feeling since he caught Kheirosiphon: the Scarab just caught outlaw, independently if they are good or bad, most of these guys are reformed and have started a new life... he's just so shitty... like, look at these little Big guy :')

Anyways, to get done with the F&C story, basically Prismo tp's the Peppermint tank, alongside with Jay, little Destiny and BABY FINN!! WHICH IS HUGE?! Finn is going to grow up in Fionna's universe, and if the series continues, we might even see a normal world grew up Finn (with grew up I mean like 15, lol) ALSO WE SEE TIFFANY

Simon's side on the other hand,,, jeez I feel like I was synced with Simon in a way that I never really acknowledged Betty's sacrifice... She really did put everything on the side to be with Simon, and for his happiness.... not that it went by unnoticed, but it bugs me to think... what if they did it differently? What if he went on the trip with Betty... I mean to be fair we have the answer... he dies to vampires a couple years after, but how was the time he spent with Betty? What did they change? How did they change and grew even if it did not last forever....

and if you think that this was the part that hit the hardest... buddy..

Yeah,,, I think Betty isn't even there anymore, this was a goodbye... It wasn't explained but I think it was implied that she is gone... That Golb is back to his normal form... i don't know if this will have repercussions in the future? Maybe reform Lich and fuse with him?! I'm just throwing random ideas at this point.

-Final Opinion: This series was amazing, I'm always happy to have more Adventure Time content, it being my main artistic inspiration makes it so much more fantastic to see new characters, places and stories. It was definitely the best mini series so far. The funniest, the most interesting, and the prettiest visually. The epilogue was so heartwarming, Fionna being able to talk with Simon via sms, he's having therapy with Minerva, and PRISMO! Prismo now has the Scarab with him in the Time Room, they are going to make stories together hehe.

(also there was a frame in which prismo's head was flipped? idk if it was an error wtf)

[interusdoesstuff]

Had a dream last night that Elon Musk was trying to show off a new robot he build (that idiot definitely didn't build shit). In the middle of the big showcase, the robot came out as non binary. Elon got so pissed at this that he summoned the local techpriest cult to pray the woke mind virus out of them. The techpriests came busting through the wall in what I think was the ghostbusters car painted red. A stupid amount of techpriest came flooding out the car like a gaggle of clowns and screamed something to the effect of "you can't be non binary you're a fucking robot". The robot just shrugged, pointed at Elon and replied "this motherfucker likes AI" before flying into the sky. The techpriest eyes all started glowing red, their heads swivelled round to face Elon and they all began screeching "Mine" like the seagulls from finding nemo. I woke up as they all started stomping on on him like that one part of Jojo's part 5.

No idea what any of this means but it was funny to me at least.

[desultory-novice]

I find it hilarious that kirby doesn't know how to read or write. Yet he completely understands the concept of money and how it works!

So... I had a lot to say about the "Kirby can't read" thing?!?

See, this struck me last time I saw someone bring up Kirby can't read as proof Kirby is a very young child. (1) Speaking broadly, we as a species tie age/intelligence to reading level, which, by my reckoning, is a holdover of the school system. (:cough: That or callous systems of oppression to deny various people rights based on things like money, land, freedom, gender, religion, race, etc :cough:)

A Kirby who can't read must be a Kirby who hasn't gone to school!

But wait... ..."School??"

[continued below...w/ pictures!]

-

Is there even "school" in Dream Land? Waddle Dees seem to get put to work serving the king or guarding treasure or swinging happily across train tracks ("Oh my god, he's got airpods in! He can't hear us!") pretty much from the moment they make their first "Wanya!" In fact, Wise Waddle Dee seems to have become "wise" because...he found a book? Now, he was able to read it, but how long did it take him?? Can the other Waddle Dees read? Was Delivery Waddle Dee (?) taught to read by Wise Waddle Dee? How long did it take them to acquire this skill? They've all been there for X amount of time...

If Dream Land and Popstar as a whole has no mandatory schooling -public, private, or otherwise - can we really judge intelligence or age based on the same things we judge them on in the real world?

Another thing that made me question the logic of age = schooling was, amusingly enough, deciding to finally check out a rather FAMOUS episode of the anime...

A shame that the, erm, "feel good" ending leaves a bitter taste in the mouth now.

Anyway, the reason I went to watch the whole thing in the original Japanese was because I spotted something of interest and had to confirm it for myself...

King Dedede (at least in the anime) can't read either!

Now, Anime King Dedede also has cartoon human teeth (?) drives a ridiculously sized car everywhere, and abuses his gay snail second-in-command for "comedy" + a lot of other things we very much doubt of our beloved game Dedede. He's also portrayed as comically dumb. A little sad that the anime uses lack of literacy as an indicator that "Oh, look! He's embarrassingly stupid!" (That whole episode was Escargoon's fault. Not that I blame him, given the way Dedede treats him, but you really couldn't have just read the book aloud?!)

Anyway - because I'm me and I love to overanalyze insignificant or discarded tidbits and try to find clever ways to re-apply them in various canon - I thought about this and considered, "Yes, indeed! Why WOULD Dream Land have traditional schooling?! Why would anyone without a specific interest in books have any need develop the skill of reading in this world?" What is there TO read, even?

(Helpful road signs? All visual!)

My interpretation, at least, is that game Dedede is intelligent, if flawed. Still, he builds robots! He's good at chess! But these "smart" things are no indication he's good at reading or writing.

The note sent to Kirby in Kirby Fighters 2? We don't know Dedede wrote that. Meta Knight, who can read (...or so we assume?!?! Maybe That Book Meta Knight Was Reading on the Knoll in the Opening Cutscene for Return to Dream Land and Return to Dream Land Deluxe is a picture book!) might have written it for the two of them. Although... this puts another funny, twisty idea in my head!

We gather that, regardless of Kirby's need to read, Kirby has terrible handwriting, as implied by Kirby and the Forgotten Land. (Planet Robobot as well as various merch shows us that Kirby's not all that good at art, either.) Which is excusable, since they're writing with little nubs! Meta Knight has nubs too, but he covers them with (magical?) gloves that somehow give them better grip??

With these pseudo-hands, Meta Knight MUST be better at both letter writing and art than Kirby! Except... do we know that for sure...?

I point you to a certain Star Allies picture where Meta Knight's mirror duplicate, Dark Meta Knight, is drawing peacefully alongside Adeleine, Ribbon, and Daroach. Adeleine aside, the rest are, y'know, decent! ...Except Dark Meta Knight, who is TERRIBLE. Maybe even worse than Kirby! But...if Dark Meta Knight draws as badly as Kirby, and Dark Meta Knight is Meta Knight's mirror world duplicate...

Do you see where I'm going with this...?

(I blew out all my art skills on Apologies. Take this Kirby Meta Knight tier scribble...)

Just imagine, King Dedede boldly dictating the duo's letter of challenge to Meta Knight for the knight to write down... horribly! And King Dedede, who can't read, has no idea it's written in "Nub Scratch," nods happily that their "flawless" letter should be sent to Kirby immediately! Meta Knight, who cares about his image, does not clue him in to the truth. Neither does Kirby, who couldn't read it even if it were legible. Meta Knight's bad handwriting remains a secret that goes with him to his probably very cool-looking grave!

...

As for how money fits into the low-literacy world of Kirby, it's not hard to imagine King Dedede being responsible for that! The man loves his shinies! Assuming he wasn't born with a king's robe and crown on him, we have to accept that he dressed himself that way because he likes it! He likes being/looking wealthy and in charge. He likes gold. Maybe not as much as a certain rat, but enough.

And what is a kingdom without its own currency? ...Or maybe all those treasures in the Great Cave Offensive came with price tags and Kirby's just dutifully reporting the numbers to us?

--

(1)Young/Child Kirby is fine, btw! Honestly, some more modern content, like the concert, have been skewing in a young Kirby direction, with Kirby needing to take a nap in the middle of the show due to how late it was. As an old school fan, I still prefer my Kirby to be something unfathomably old (yet forever young at heart) or something cosmic beyond our mortal concept of age while still somehow able to be a friend to all... but that's a Dess-Lore thing!

(2) Of course, Kirby (and by association, Meta Knight) aren't natives to Popstar - Kirby being a wanderer carried on a Spring Breeze - thus, Dream Land's lack of an education system wouldn't affect whether the two know how to read or write. But I believe the same "Why does reading matter on their planet of origin?" / "Why would they have such a system?" COULD apply to them as well.

...For the humor of it, if nothing else!

[alectricblue]

Saw this tag game on another post and thought I'd do it (idk if I've done it before, maybe something similar, but my answers will be different anyway)

1. Were you named after anyone?

Nope My chosen name (Allister) however, is from a youtuber who has a very cool name and I stole it (Alasdair Beckett-King, very funny videos and he has great hair too). I adapted it a bit so people in Spain would at least have an idea of how to pronounce it at first glance (hopefully) It has nothing to do with any Crowley (which I did not realize was a thing until recently), tho for a bit I named myself AJ like Good Omens Crowley, but I don't like how it sounds in Spanish...

2. When was the last time you cried?

Last month probably

3. Do you have kids?

No. And I don't want any. I don't dislike them, but it's not for me

4. What sports do you play/have you played?

Judo, karate and football (the indoors kind). All as a kid/teen. Now my brother and I walk every week day and go up and down stairs (when we remember...) One day I want to try to go to a gym to get some muscle, but not too much, just a bit of definition. Also, I'd enjoy doing rock climbing, but not competitive climbing or anything like that

5. Do you use sarcasm?

Sometimes

6. What's the first thing you notice about people?

Irl: the way they move their face and hands when they speak, which then I subconsciously use to recognize people, bc I'm a bit face blind Online: the way they choose to express themselves

7. What's your eye color?

Gray/light blue on the outside and artichoke green/lime on the inside

8. Scary movies or happy endings?

I like both, but I'd rather watch a happy ending. For scary things I prefer to watch Markiplier's scary games videos

9. Any talents?

I'm VERY good at jigsaw puzzles

10. Where were you born?

East of Spain, by some of the best Mediterranean coasts 😁. I enjoy it here, but one day I'd like to live in the UK, at least for a bit, I think I'd like it there

11. What are your hobbies?

Listening to music, singing, making art (crafting, building, drawing, painting, writing, ...), watching media (shows, panel shows, youtube, twitch), video games (rhythm/dancing, platformer, puzzle... Also minecraft, powerwash sim, potion craft...), going for walks, exercise, learning languages (especially English) If I had any good ones close, I'd go to theatres and museums too. And, if I had money, I'd travel. I'm also slowly learning about taking care of plants

12. Do you have any pets?

Not yet. I'd love to have dogs, cats, frogs, snakes... or anything really. I love animals. But I think cats and frogs would be the best fit for me, considering my personality and current lifestyle I've always wanted a dog, but I've only had a turtle and a hamster

13. How tall are you?

1.63m or 5’3”

14. Favorite subject in school?

Biology and technology

15. Dream job?

Anything that pays me enough to be independent and let me do all my hobbies Although, if I ever have the patience, base skill, and required mental fortitude, I'd go for general robotics and/or prop making (for film and/or theatre)

No pressure tags in no particular order (I tried to tag as many people as I could, but apparently there's a tag limit 😅):

@swamp-communism @they-thespian666 @strongsuits @skelesona @shinekittenace @yeetmewithachainsaw @rockium-z @gordonzola-ramen @vampireopossum @libraryfag @frostytheduck @tetostar @xyrnys @normalscientist @dolltwink @anxi0usgh0st05 @piersgender

@mettatonsass @sinfulauthor @flaretheidiot @sneebles-mcgee @pivotallemonade @aroace-genderfluid-snake @monstrousmaws @satanic-leaf @virtualunease @villowrose @handrazedsun @ceiltheoutcast @atroph1k @entropy-sea-system @abby-cat99928 @maroroque @galaxgay

@realyfroggyfrog @angrysheep @llamaflower @ultrabean @sea-salt-sky @queerestqueertoeverqueer @crowleys-queen @foolishlovers @cassieno @crowleys-hips @argylepiratewd @trianglebird4 @sugarplumanderson @underlilithswings21 @crowleys-bentley-and-plants @healingmyinnerteen

and anyone else that sees this, consider yourself tagged!

[phuljari]

incoming rant: the robotification of women

teri baaton mein aisa uljha jiya (2024) is among the latest movies in the genre of science fiction romance. it reminded me of an old itv show bahu hamari rajnikant (2016) , while i wasn't an avid watcher of the latter, i knew of it's existence. why did it remind of that particular sitcom? well, mainly because of the comedy. but it also reminded me of similar themes in english movies like ex machina (2015), wifelike (2022), archive (2020) and her (2013), which is surely a bit far fetched considering that in her, the ai never had a body. only a voice.

here, i think it's impertinent to also acknowledge male robots in indian cinema, like chitti from robot/enthiran (2010) and g.one from ra.one (2011) even though he wasn't an actual robot? i don't know if he classifies as one. so let's say, non-human, programming-based male entity (nhpbme). similar to samantha in her, a non-human, programming-based female entity (nhpbfe).

so yes, while male robots and nhpbme do exist in the sci-fi romance genre, it's the comparatively larger robotification of women that feeds the male gaze, and the patriarchy by an extention— which is ultimately problematic.

coming to the movie that i actually want to discuss, kriti sanon's sifra, in tbmauj, is the perfect lover, perfect bahu. why? she knows everything aaru (shahid kapoor) likes and wants. she has no chik-chik or tantrums like other girls. she can make cuisines from all around the world, can access everything on the internet quickly. she has perfect skin, perfect hair. probably doesn't age too. she is the dream girl of a typical man. she doesn't have her own opinions or problems, she serves him and him alone. no family of hers to care about, she can care about his family and their needs. the female gendering here acts like objectification.

the worst part of this movie was that it didn't do anything? since it was a comedy, it didn't delve deeper into the nuances of increasing technological reliance that humans have. i think it was probably meant as a warning— when sifra malfunctions and starts executing tasks that were deleted. but even at that, it fails because urmila's (dimple kapadia) company (so intelligently named) e-robots/robotex (something stupid like that), ends up launching her along with few other robots. only adds a dialogue which meant that you need to handle these robots responsibly. then, what was the point of all the testing they tried to do? placing her in different environments like india, when they don't really end up rethinking the whole idea or putting in more safety features? of course, there's no deeper meaning here. indian comedies don't really have subtext.

but it's perpetuates the same old concept of subservient women. rule-followers and caregivers. an image etched in stone. why do women ask– what do men want? men want this, an ideal version. have always wanted. fuelled by the unrealistic p*rn depictions. do they ever think what women want? aaru so casually tells off his friend who has a wife to look at how pathetic his own life is. he defends sifra's un-emotional response to a situation by attacking his friend's relationship asking if human women are any better?

it reminded me of wifelike (2022) where female robots are curated according to a person's need, a replication of their dead spouse. to love them, to serve them, to help them come out of grief. it's so funny to me how in tbmauj, sifra is shown to retain her feelings, getting jealous when aaru interacts with another woman despite getting reprogrammed; compared to how in wifelike, the robotic version of the human it was based on, always ended up leaving the husband because the human version never loved him.

isn't it interesting how female robots instantly get sexualised, and are depicted doing things that one would never ask their girlfriend or wife to do? these robots happily perform roles that are stereotypically feminine, wife-like. they're invented to put aside their feelings (if they have them) to take care of their human partners'. sifra cooks perfect food, emphasized by how many time aaru fired his maid for not cooking things the way he likes it. she probably doesn't have mood swings from periods because she's a robot. she doesn't eat, doesn't get out of shape. and most importantly, she doesn't age (cue: i'll get old but your lovers stay my age). as if the expectations from women aren't enough, that they're required to age gracefully, or best option— not age at all.

if you still don't get it, let me remind you how siri and alexa also end up on the same side of gender spectrum— female.

so the message is, guys, don't give up on your dream girl! you'll surely find a robot that satisfies all your needs! 🙄

men want perfect women, but women can't be robots. let's stop perpetuating the same image and setting unrealistic standards. real humans have real problems, deal with them.

[egg-emperor]

Eggman's evil is so entertaining. He manages to be badass and have a whimsical/childish flair at the same time. The dude has a giant amusement park of doom and destroys his enemies with cute candy-colored animal robots( GUNs military bots were not match for them lmao) ! I really love how he uses his childishness as a strength!

Yess it is!! 🥰

I love how being a manchild is officially considered one of Eggman's character flaws and it shows in how he'll have big explosive tantrums when he fails, will cross his arms, thump things, and stamp his feet when he doesn't get what he wants/can't do something his way, and how he acts like a rude selfish brat, feels entitled to everything from attention to ruling the entire world and demands it and will take it by force. It's always super funny to me

But then at the same time, his childishness can be a part of his what makes him so charming and fun and can be a quality. Because he's so passionate about his theme parks, carnivals, and circuses, he has toy-like robots he puts in funny outfits with fun colors, cute animal robots with clever creative designs, and shows a playful silly cheekiness in some of his evil as much as he can be serious and menacing too. I adore seeing how much fun he has!

I enjoy how he has childlike giddiness and glee and very excitable boisterous behavior for an old man. And how he takes things meant to be innocent fun for children like theme parks, carnivals, circuses, toys, etc and makes them extremely dangerous and disturbing, designed to kill and that's his twisted idea of fun. And his cute robots are made to destroy and kill and can be powered thanks to the cruelty of trapping and shoving poor critters into them!

Having dark disturbing truths behind those fun happy cute things and malicious intent in his actions that can be sugarcoated by all of it as people can easily be fooled and deceived by it is very fun and adds so many layers to his villainy and impact when he still manages to be a serious deadly destructive threat. It makes you love it and be entertained by it but also realize how deeply messed up it is if you're paying attention. It's so fascinating!

Much like how he's egotistical and narcissistic, his childishness also has a big part in his personality, interests, behaviors, actions, and motivations too. He's not himself without it. I can't understand those who want him to grow and develop out of it when it adds so much to his charm. And it's not like he's any less of an intelligent genius that's very skilled and powerful and capable of having the master plan and can't be serious, dark, and threatening too.

The way he can do both at once is great. It adds so much to how messed up and disturbing he is when he can dress up depraved evil in ways that seem cute, colorful, and fun. And how he can be a seriously dangerous threat and cause globally catastrophic atrocities and be so evil and cruel and fucked up, while also being underestimated for seeming so silly, crazy, and childish too, which adds impact and surprise to how dark and fucked up he can get.

His childishness can be presented as a character flaw and other characters will judge him for it but at the same time, it can be one of his greatest strengths in the way it adds to how charming and entertaining he is, and it gives the evil he's still very capable of even more impact! He's passionate, imaginative, creative, dreams big and enjoys having fun but goes about it in the evilest most messed up of ways, fully aware and intending it and loving it.

He doesn't need to grow up, it's not like he isn't still smart and capable of being serious, powerful, skilled, and a very real threat at the same time because it goes hand in hand and is balanced out perfectly with him. He doesn't ever need to let that spark of youth in him die, he doesn't give a fuck what people say about his tastes and interests, he does what he wants and what he loves and has a blast and that's all that matters to him. It's so awesome I love iiit 💜💕

[helenaheissner]

Love During Robot Fighting Time: Chapter 7

Hello, lovelies! Hope y'all are doing well :)

Don't forget you can read three chapters ahead on this story, twenty chapters ahead on "A Dream of Summer Rain", and two chapters ahead on "Magical Girl Exorcist Squad", by becoming a paid subscriber on my Substack or my Patreon!

Thank you so much for your continued support of my work! Every little bit helps me to keep going :)

And now, back to our regularly scheduled nerdy romcom shenanigans!

***

Faith

I kept time with the metronome as I pirouetted around my living room. I’d decided early on in my transition that I wanted to be more graceful, and ballet had seemed like a good way to accomplish that while staying in shape. Murder on the feet, but so worth it- I was, if nothing else, of a marginal amateur level of talent, which was all I was asking for. So, each night, I donned my workout garb, moved the orange couch and brown coffee table a few feet so they pressed against the back wall, rolled up the white carpet that normally covered the linoleum floor, and put on the metronome and danced around the living room.

The tumblers clicked on the lock, and my front door opened to reveal my handsome, dashing, wonderful roommate and best friend entering the apartment. 

I broke out of my pose and grabbed my towel off of the couch, blotting my sweaty face. “Hey!”

“Hi,” he said, taking off his suit jacket and sticking it in the coat closet that indented our apartment just to the left of the front door, hanging it alongside his leather jacket and my white overcoat.

“How’s it going?” I asked, switching off my metronome and pushing the couch and coffee table back into their normal positions in front of the plasma screen television.

“Oh, you know, it’s going,” Zeke said. “You have a good workout?”

“Yeah!” I said, trying my best to show off my winning smile. My orange sports bra and black tutu may not have been the most conventional ballet attire, but it did show off my abs, something I was very eager to do now that I had them. 

Dancing didn’t just help me get in shape and feel that sweet, sweet gender euphoria, either- it gave me a great opportunity to be alone with my thoughts and actually THINK them. And that evening, I’d come to two conclusions: one, my friendship and working relationship with Zeke was too important to risk destroying by asking him to be my boyfriend out of the blue, at least not when I had no idea if he felt the same way as I did; two, I wanted him to make the first move. Maybe I was old-fashioned, but the idea of the guy being the one to escalate the relationship from non-romantic to romantic really appealed to me. Plus, if I put out hints that I liked him, was a bit more flirty and forward than usual, and he slowly cottoned on to what I was getting at and then asked me out, then it would all be perfect. And if he didn’t pick up on the hints, or just wasn’t interested, I had plausible deniability. It was an immaculate plan, totally fool-proof. 

I put a hand on my hip and leaned forward to show off my modest boobs and toned abs and smooth legs. “How do I look?”

“Like you just worked out?” Zeke said, aiming for the fridge and retrieving his jug of cranberry juice. He reached into the liquor cabinet after that and pulled out the flask of vodka, then poured himself a shot of it mixed with a glass of cranberry juice. 

‘ Oh. Right. I was sweaty and gross. “Good point. I should hit the shower. After that, wanna hang out?”

“Sure, sure,” he said, nursing his drink, swirling it around in his hands, staring at the wall. 

“You okay, Zeke?” I asked, tilting my head. 

“Hm? Yeah, yeah, I’m fine,” he said as he pulled his phone out of his pocket, looked at the screen, and chuckled. 

“What’s so funny?”

“Nothing,” he said. “Sorry, I’m just a little tired.”

“Oh?” I said. “What were you off doing? I never got a chance to ask you before you left.”

“Oh, just hanging out with a friend.”

“Who?”

“Calloway,” he said. 

My eyes narrowed. “I’m sorry, what?”

He took a long sip of his drink. “What?”

“Why were you hanging out with him?” I said, folding my arms over my chest and shrinking in on myself a bit. 

“Calloway texted me asking if I wanted to watch Gundam. I said yes, because I’m tired of all the weird hostility between us. And because I like Gundam,” Zeke said simply. “Honestly, Calloway is pretty cool outside of the ring.”

“Oh,” I said, taking a step back. “Fair enough. I… You can do what you want, but I’m probably not gonna hang out with him any time soon. You know that, right?”

“I mean, you two actually have more in common then you might think-”

“I… Am not crazy about that comparison, but if you say so, sure,” I said, taking another step back, pivoting left from the kitchen towards the hallway that led to the rest of our apartment. Finally, I turned around and went for the bathroom. “Glad you had fun, though. Seriously. You can never have too many friends. I’m gonna hop in the shower now.”

“Sounds good, Faithy,” he said, and he flashed that smile, and for a second everything was fine.

Everything was fine, fine, fine, fine, FINE. 

I showered, put my hair up in a towel, and wrapped a bathrobe around myself as I stepped out into the living room, where I found Zeke texting again while smiling that smile of his. The one that I knew wasn’t for me and me alone, but that I… 

No, stop that, Faith, he doesn’t owe you anything, I thought. He’s a person, and he can make his own decisions about what he does with his free time. 

Zeke and I wound up watching an old film noir that night, but I barely paid attention, and he was texting the entire time, smiling and chuckling every time his phone buzzed from a new message. I didn’t need to ask who it was.

***

The week went by normally, all things considered. Zeke and I worked on Dai Guren during the days, hung out and watched movies at night. Nothing was wrong, per se, but he was just always texting, and whenever I asked who he was talking to, he had the same answer:

Calloway. 

The one thing I found odd was that, despite the two clearly being close friends now (apparently), he always referred to Calloway by his last name. Never his first. And yeah, sometimes guys just did that, even with close friends, but even when he’d thought I was a guy Zeke called me by my first name. 

I tried to just keep it, keep him, out of my mind. Who Zeke spent his free time with was his business, and everyone needs more than one friend. I mean, I only needed one, but other people, yeah, they require multiple outlets for social engagement. And if Zeke and I were gonna start dating- which was not a guarantee, obviously, just something I’d really really really like to happen- then he would need a new platonic best friend. And I may not have been crazy about Keith Calloway, but hey, Zeke could do worse. Could be Olivia. 

Olivia. I had to go up against her in less than a week. I wasn’t crazy about that, but if nothing else, it might be a bit cathartic to defeat her. 

On Thursday morning, the day before our match, I decided to do a bit of shopping. I’d just gotten my monthly stipend from my parents- they were still a little iffy on the whole trans thing, still occasionally misgendered me and then immediately corrected themselves but got annoyed at me when I tired to correct them. But they were trying, and that was the important part. And hey, when both your folks are in the Army Corps of Engineers, wanting to build fighting robots for money is far from the worst thing you can do with your early twenties. I’ll get a real job someday- right now, though, I’m still figuring myself out. No reason I can’t do something I love while I do that. 

Zeke was passed out on the living room couch clutching his beloved baby seal plushie, Lacus. I jotted down where I was going and when I intended to be back on a sticky note and put it on his forehead. He didn’t wake up- the man slept like a rock, it was almost impressive- and I headed out. 

I cruised down Lincoln in the Star-Rocket Racer, weaving in and out of traffic as I headed for Venice. The best shops were in Santa Monica, but the more affordable and more trans-friendly ones tended to be in Venice. The air was warm with early-summer heat, the sky was clear and blue for miles, and the narrow street was uncrowded thanks to the just-shy-of-midday hours. The salty smell of the nearby ocean wafted through the air on a gentle, cooling seabreeze, and the clean street packed with shops and storefronts nearly sparkled in the sunlight. I wore my favorite off-white sleeveless sundress with a sunflower pattern, along with strappy wedge-heel sandals, a wide-brimmed black sun-hat, and a string of pearls around my neck that my mom had gifted me as a coming out present. I’d gone for a natural makeup look that day, subtle eyes and pink lipstick and just enough foundation to cover up my razor burn. My black cat purse was slung over my shoulder as I sauntered down the street, humming an Olivia Rodrigo song as I looked in the store windows. 

At the end of the street, I found a shop called ‘Surf Turf Apparel.’ Palm trees enclosed both sides of the brick store, and in the window was the most adorable green swing dress with white polka dots I’d ever seen. It looked a bit big for me (pros and cons of being hilariously short- thanks, hilariously short parents), but I could at least ask if they had anything more in my size. If not… I dunno, I could try shortening it myself. I’d always wanted to learn how to sew. 

I stepped inside and looked around- they had a lot of great dresses in here! Every style and color and fabric I could name, and plenty I couldn’t, hung from mannequins, harkening to eras as far back as the 1950s. At least one dress was there to represent each decade in the history of American fashion, standing proudly amidst the more standard beach apparel and SO MANY GORGEOUS HATS! I’d never been more in love with a shop this quickly! They had everything!

From the back of the store came an unnaturally high voice, what sounded like someone putting on a traditional female tone, perhaps someone, like me, who didn’t naturally speak in a feminine register. “Hi there!”

Poor thing- I’d gotten a bit better since I’d started doing vocal exercises on the daily. Maybe I could give her a few pointers. 

I looked at the source of the voice as she continued speaking, “Welcome to Surf Turf Apparel! How may I…”

The voice trailed off as I looked at the person behind the counter. We made eye contact. Prolonged eye contact. Prolonged, unblinking, silent eye contact. It was incredibly awkward. But when someone you low-key hated surprised you in a manner this thorough, it was hard not to be speechless and equally hard to look away. 

Calloway stood behind the wooden counter wearing a short-sleeved v-neck burgundy blouse, a golden butterfly necklace, and a full face of makeup- dark eyeshadow and red lipstick and very bold mascara. Her light brown hair was put up in a high but loose ponytail, with freshly-curled ringlets dancing about loosely on the sides of her face. Her eyebrows looked like they’d been freshly tweezed that very morning. It made her face look… Softer. Less aggressive. All of it together honestly made her look like a totally different person.

Was it ‘her?’ Should I be using ‘her’ for her? I should ask. 

But that would require me to do something with my mouth besides let it hang open in shock. Calloway, for her part, still wasn’t saying anything or blinking either. I think I understood now why Zeke had been exclusively using her last name around me. 

A tall, middle-aged woman (MILF, my brain automatically screamed) with long platinum hair, clad in a yellow A-line maxi-dress and flat white sandals, walked out from the back of the shop and said, “Close your mouth, Katie. Flies will nest. Also, you have a customer.”

“Hey, Mom, can I take my ten?” Calloway asked. 

“Sure. You want me to handle this one?” her evident mother asked. 

“Actually, Faith and I know each other, and we need to have a little talk.”

I was too shocked to react to this, too shocked to even do anything when Calloway… Katie, apparently… Grabbed me by the arm and shepherded me outside and into the alleyway next to what was APPARENTLY her family’s shop. Because of course it freaking was. 

“Okay,” I started, “So-”

“I’m not trans!” Calloway said, in that practiced high pitched voice of hers. 

I blinked. “Uh-huh. Right.”

“You don’t believe me.”

“I shouldn’t say.”

“Why not?”

“Because it’s not something you should have other people confirm for you,” I said. “And because I think all this speaks for itself, so if you’re too blind to see it, then that ain’t my fault.”

She raised a finger, then lowered it and looked at the ground. “That’s a fair point.”

“So,” I said, arms folded together. Her eyes were instantly drawn to my chest, at which point I looked down and realized the fold was putting my cleavage on display. I tucked my arms away behind my back hurriedly. “Anyway. Was there anything else you wanted to say to me, or was it really just that?”

Calloway… Katie, or maybe it was still Keith on some level (hard to say with eggs this dense), exhaled audibly and said, “I need you to keep this to yourself.”

“Yeah, of course,” I said with a nonchalant shrug. 

“I mean it, Watanabe! I- wait, seriously, just like that?”

“Yeah, just like that,” I said, struggling to keep the monotone out of my voice. “Look, everything else that’s happened between us aside, I am not just gonna out somebody because of spite. I mean seriously, what kind of asshole do you take me for?”

She looked at me blankly, unblinking once more. 

My eyes narrowed. “Oh my God, what kind of asshole do you take me for?!”

She let her mouth hang open for ten agonizingly long seconds before saying, “Is that a rhetorical question?”

“It was, yeah. But now it’s not!” 

“I don’t think you’re an asshole! Okay, there! I said it. I just… Didn’t think you were gonna do me any favors because… Last time we talked, I… And you…”

I heaved a beleaguered sigh. “I… Uh, so about that-”

“I’m sorry for antagonizing you last season!” she suddenly shouted, stepping forward, grabbing my hands and squeezing them inside her own. 

My pulse quickened and my jaw dropped. What the heck was going on?

She kept going: “I just… I liked playing to the crowd. I get way too into it, though, and I forgot what’s fun and hammy for me might be obnoxious and overbearing to other people. I’m sorry. I should have talked to you about this, to your whole team about this, last year, instead of going after you every time I was on camera. I’m sorry.” 

She looked like she was on the verge of tears, sincerity and hope and despair radiating out from her very soul. Her blue eyes sparkled in the sunlight, her long lashes mesmerizing as she opened and closed her eyes rapidly. I could feel my face going red. Was I… 

No, no. She was cute in a freshly-hatched way, sure, but I wasn’t attracted to her- it was just aesthetic appreciation. 

“I forgive you,” I said, squeezing her hands back. “And I’m sorry for blowing up at you. I was… In a bad place. I’d just come out, and my girlfriend dumped me on the spot because of it.”

“Oh my God!” she said, finally releasing my hands from her grasp and putting them on her hips. Outraged painted over her face. “That’s horrible! That’s why she’s on a different team this year?!”

“Yup.”

“What a bitch!”

“Please don’t say that about my ex, I still care about her,” I said flatly. 

“Right! Right, sorry. I just…”

“You get carried away sometimes. I get it.”

“And you’re going up against her this week?” 

“Yup,” I said. “First match of the night, no less.”

“Ooof,” Katie said. I figured I should just call her that- seemed safest. “I’m going up against Haverfield and Ansible.”

“Ugh, I hate that guy,” I said. 

“Big same.”

“Kick his ass for me?” I asked.

She stood at attention and gave a salute, of the kind so formal it would make my parents proud. “Gotta make things up to you somehow.”

“Hey come on, I didn’t mean it like that-”

“Yeah, but I do,” Katie said. “I’m tired of being the jerk. But if I’m going up against another jerk… Well, I’ll feel less bad about it. Also, I… I wanna be friends with Zeke. And since you two are besties… Well, you and I should probably learn to coexist.”

I smiled. She was so… Sincere, so earnest. It was really surprising. She was also much cuter like this, so that probably helped disarm me a bit. “Fair enough! To co-existence.”

“Here, here!” she said, extending a hand. 

We shook, and I’ll admit, I was taken aback by how firm her grip was. She was definitely intense, definitely a lot, but… Maybe she and I could be friends.

***

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[ultra-raging-ghost]

I love homestuck stuff where spurb is actually treated like a game XD

The idea of glitching a universe creation sim is so funny to me like...yeah why not! Just launch someone into enemies at high enough speeds to insta kill them!!

Also spreading ayhalo propaganda by saying that bad should totally give a kiss of life to Pierre to wake his dream self up.

Pierre is all smug about it and bad is just muttering about how he was just being a good teammate.

AGREEEEE AGREEEEEE i absolutely love it so much, i especially love the clientside/playerside aspects of it because it gives us really funny scenarios where bad's waiting and murdering a bunch of enemies while pierre uses inspect element or some shit to make hitboxes show up or alter player data. In all honesty if he knows about being a robot i could see him plugging himself into the computer to project himself into it, kinda like a hologram? But it would appear as if he's just there when viewing from his computer screen! It would be such an interesting dynamic i love it so much

[surveillance-0011]

I am over here cracking up over Mux and Giblets and whatever their deal is... I'd love to hear more if u wanna share

ah thank you... it is a very tentative undeveloped idea so i don't have too much but here's what i have + brainstorming in real time

I think it's funny bc it's like. There's the musk-grimes similarities of weird dysfunctional silicon valley romance just without the music making but there's also kind of a jessica-roger rabbit component. Kind of. ever so slightly, probably the closest you can get with the most esoteric of space biology.

Idk where this happens on the timeline. Certainly before HOL but it has to be after Giblets starts to do the Sort of Stuff He Does but before it gets to its worst + he starts getting as paranoid as he is when we see him.

Also I am assuming Giblets had a wife before hand? Something something timeline I think Giblets had Krimothy before Mux but maybe not?? And idk where the Krubis incident fits in w/ this either.

Unless they met + dated way way back as a little fling at the start of their careers or in college or something. but then it's not as funny. There'd be the awkward ex situation then but what really intrigues me is the G3 and every Muxxalon employee looking on in horror as these two start holdin hands and being mushy as all hell

totally infatuated with each other the sort of couple that's sickeningly sweet they give off the vibes of high school sweethearts who have to be held back from making out in the hallways.

Mux is attracted to the mystique of it all. A super genius scientist AND a gang member? She is living the booktok plot of her dreams!

Meanwhile Giblets appreciates her power/status but is also just very infatuated like in general. And he loves how much she loves him. Pretty woman... thinks he's handsome... and he gets to show off how smart he is yay!!

So he shows off and waxes poetic and she swoons and meanwhile she goes and Girlbosses and dotes on him and he's over the moon about it. They love coming up with awful "genius" ideas together and dreaming of the day they rule the galaxy together

And they like seeing the other obliterate merks/muxxalon employees

And... yeah that's the positives, mostly just the novelty and the wow factor.

Between the both of them being... the sort of people they are... corrupt controlling selfish cruel and out of touch... etc etc etc... they do clash a lot. A lot of fighting then kiss and make up sort of situations...

Im just imagining that "pronouns suck" "nooo baby this isn't your heart!!" tweet but Mux is complaining about translator microbes or something and Gibs starts crytyping abt it

Gibs was totally ok with her screwing Gurgula's packages over tho

Far enough into their relationship there's another major fallout on twitter every other week because Mux and Giblets are at it again everyone!!! Grab yer popcorn!!!

The logic these two run on is almost on the same level but everyone else is fucking flabbergasted.

Everyone watching is like. Please break up. divorce. now. Or maybe it is better if you stay and keep each other in this situation.

Krubis has GOT to be their biggest fucking hater or maybe he is just. Trying to not acknowledge that this is happening bc it rises his blood pressure to concerning levels. Or so that he wouldn't say something dumb and end up in Gurgula's situation. Assuming this is before the whole. Sleeping with his wife convincing her to divorce him marrying her then killing her in an experiment thing.

Douglas thinks the whole thing is funny as fuck totally reading twitter over like the morning paper laughing his ass off.

Totally had a kid or pet or robot/lab grown creation with a stupid fucking name. I mean if Krimothy is their kid then maybe Krimothy is a stupid alien name but I love the idea of him being like. A kid and already aware of how fucked this whole situation is

Actually that's sad. That's not funny I don't love that at all. Krim honey I'm so sorry. His mom probably got custody so at least he's watching from afar.

And I think even in their worst moments they do actually. Get each other. In the end I think they understand each other's way of thinking more than others do. In their better moments they might be able to reel each other in...

Like to get a bit serious both seem like the sort of people who Cannot Help But Fuck Up. Mostly bc they don't care about most others but themselves and their pride. But while Mux is very enthralled by the glamor of living wealthily and all her nice ideas Giblets obsesses over science and how he can maintain safety and some semblance of happiness by sabotaging that of others... and I feel there'd have some moment where it. Clicks that they have this in common.

And they do appreciate each others lil quirks! He likes her Elden Ring builds... she likes the way he talks...

I'm assuming the breaking point would be Mux trying to take credit for something Giblets did or Giblets overstepping in his... Gibletness. Somehow. And then she'd feel disrespected by it. Or maybe their horoscopes said they'd break up.

Giblets is a whole can of worms. Because he's smart academically but near socially incapable and prone to spiraling into these. Fucked up self serving actions that ruin lives and shit. He has the mentality of a fucking Fargo character. So I feel it'd probably be his fault the most in the end

ig if there's anything heartwarming about this it would be that since Giblets doesn't mention Mux during that little speech they ended on good enough terms or were able to reconcile down the line to some extent? At the very least he felt sure she would not try to kill him.

I think it was messy for a while though. Custody over Goimpy Schoimpy Peanut Rendezvous 2000 was a bitch. Everyone was relieved when they actually started being cool w/ each other again or at least decided to leave each other alone.

I should make a little list of every like. Mux-Giblets situation but I will have to brainstorm all the new lows they'd be able 2 reach...

oh my god remember the whole thing with azealia banks. what was that. there's totally like. some adjacent shebang that went down with mux gib and. idk someone else.

[eaglefairy]

This is more like it! I finally have more to write about than just "we did sidequests"!

Started with a bang today, as Tranquil Morax locked on and started a battle immediately upon loading the game. I was expecting to hear the Sword Valley theme and nearly jumped out of my skin at instant You Will Know Our Names

Not sure if I've mentioned it before, but my roommate has quite the abysmal talent for the platforming in this game. Mechonis Field has many edges just perfect for falling (or accidentally jumping...) off of so our progress is going slowly, to say the least

Ok confession time: I've only ever used sword drones on Fiora, so I had no idea what shield drones or gun drones did. Shield on just Fiora is...cool? I guess?? It happened to be useful in exactly the battle we tried it out in (Hush Chop moment) but we both agreed that we wouldn't use it again

Then we tried gun drones and now my roommate won't use anything else

I wasn't actually looking at the screen when she did it, so all I heard was a truly massive number of hit sounds and my roommate's gleeful cackling. (She showed it to me again and I can agree that it is in fact spectacular)

First-ever use of a fall defence gem recorded when my roommate (extremely fall-prone in-game as discussed) went down the great battle scar for items

31 H ETHER FRAMES

oh this is a mess. This is just terrible.

So to explain: joysticks are funny like that in when you're shopping, it's very easy to nudge a direction and buy the maximum number of equipment pieces when you meant to buy just one. So that was 1 million+ gold down the drain

And of course selling back to the shop does not give you what you paid for it so I was like "just reset, it autosaved when you discovered the machina refuge"

Well first she loaded the last manual save again as opposed to the last autosave, so there was that minor heart attack again

Upon loading the autosave we found ourselves...at the great battle scar. Not at the refuge. Apparently it doesn't autosave when you discover that secret area?

Well no problem, we can just go back. Two steps taken and Sharla is sailing off the edge of the Mechonis. I die laughing forever

My roommate's takeaway from the Sharla flashback cutscenes is that Reyn isn't Gadolt, he's better than Gadolt

Oh good news she's completely forgotten who Zanza is. Egil mentioned him in the chapter 14 intro cutscenes and she literally said "who's that?"

This is the point where Alvis first brings up the true Monado stuff while Shulk is dreaming in Memory Space and I can tell she didn't quite know what to think of it. She was definitely startled by Zanza being "the progenitor of the Homs"

What intrigued me though is the implication that Vanea might not actually know the truth about Zanza and Arglas. Of course, it's likely she's being purposely obtuse so as not to overload the party with information while they still don't trust her (or so that the writers don't give the game away to the audience too early)

Vanea's design is absolutely throwing my roommate off. (I am long since used to the robot titties so it doesn't faze me anymore. and it's definitely not worse than anything in the second game!)

And we finished the night by doing a little affinity grinding to get Sharla and Fiora and Fiora and Melia up to pink (but not, unfortunately, Sharla and Melia) and a little colony 6 reconstruction. Overall a very productive day!

[hot-take-tournament]

Thank you so much for putting this together, it was really fun to do. These are the best answers I could come up with:

1. In ‘what the hair’ I believe it’s Gothel in the dream sequence right? Thats such a cool way to open a show I think, it really draws to you. But it is incredibly confusing if you didn’t watch ‘before ever after’ first

2. I think in the first opening it’s 3, I’m not sure about the other two. If I’m being honest the first season is my favourite.

3. A music box is laid out and when rapunzel plays it it activates the atomatons hidden in the gift boxes.

4. Okay that’s one’s really hard, I know for a fact Varian has blue eyes and I’m pretty sure Monty does, but I really can’t hunk of anyone else. Rapunzels are Green, Eugene and Lance’s are both brown. I don’t know, Faith? Maybe Frederick but I think his are green.

5. The one in the right I think

6. If I remember correctly, which is highly unlikely, Rapunzel starts the song so I’m going to guess Eugene finishes it as a part of the little back and forth they have. I’m more of a ‘nothing less to loose guy myself’, so I don’t actually remember that song much.

7. I think it’s in ‘Once a handmaiden’, but I could be wrong. That episode is really good for a number or reasons, but there’s something really funny about Varian canonically inventing a gun, good for him.

8. The left one?

9. Happily ever after, I know it’s a reprise of the first song in the ‘Before ever after& short movie but I’m not sure if it’s called something slightly different

I really struggled with most of these, clearly I’m a fake fan </3 it’s fine I tried my best, at least this makes good practice for when I do eventually have to go up against the devil to avoid eternal damnation.

It was really fun though :D thank you for putting this together it was super cool. (Not to be that really annoying guy but I do highly recommend TTS it is a very fun watch)

Also slightly related fun face Zachary Levi plays Rocky in the the new chicken run movie and you can really tell. He uses the same line deliver as he does with Eugene it’s pretty funny to compare the two characters.

it's no problem at all, one of the best parts of this blog for me is being able to learn about everyone's special interests!

besides, considering how much experience i have in combing the internet to research fandoms i'm unfamiliar with (mostly so i can make bad puns), it was kinda fun for me to try and put that ridiculously niche skill to the test under time pressure

though... in retrospect i maaaay have accidentally made some of the questions completely impossible

(also, i know i answered your asks out of order, it sounds weird but the genuine reason is that because of the times you sent asks i was worried you were losing sleep over the stress of not knowing whether your asks were anonymous or not)

anyway, here are the answers:

1. you're totally right, it's Gothel who speaks first - no one else has a line until the 2-minute mark, they just kind of make noises at each other. i know they did it because it's a dream sequence, but it's still inexplicably funny if you pay attention to it, it reminds me of final fantasy

i did watch the first episode in full to get an idea of what this show was about, and i do have a lot of questions - tangled was one of the only two disney princess films i watched when i was a kid and i still don't really understand how her hair has grown back or who cassandra is (she seems nice though)

2. yeah in hindsight this one is basically impossible to get from memory, and when i wrote it i didn't even realise that there were different animations for the later seasons

the first one has 7, the second has 4 (i think?), and the third has 3, though it's really hard to tell

3. i actually got that wrong, i thought the music box turned into the robot, but you're right, it activates the parts hidden in the presents that then assemble themselves

4. people make fun of disney for their disdain for green eyes, rapunzel is the only disney princess who has them

excluding tangled, i can't even think of two human disney characters with green eyes period

well apparently they decided to overcompensate by making it so that almost no tangled characters have blue eyes, and honestly it's kind of hilarious

even characters who had blue eyes in the movie had their eye colour switched to green for the series

i was only able to pick out five because i noticed the trend and started actively looking for it - and even then, it was like finding a shiny pokemon anytime someone with blue eyes appeared on screen

so the fact that you were able to think of five off the top of your head is crazy impressive

he does - so do varian, frederic, faith and monty, so that's five

5. the mirror is the one on the left

the one on the right is actually based on the broken plate from breaking bad

6. eugene sings last, i have no idea what the context of the song is though

i actually was originally going to use 'nothing left to lose' but i changed it like five minutes before the timer ran out because i realised there were a lot of questions about cassandra, she's just in every clip

7. yeah, it's 'once a handmaiden', i think once her imaginary british friend pulls the cloak off it never comes back

i may have got this one from the wiki

8. the yellow eye is her(?) right eye

9. you're right, it is just a reprise of the first song from before ever after

(though i found out just now that disney's official songlist technically calls it 'life after happily ever after', which is dumb, so i'm going to ignore it)

so, overall i don't think anyone can accuse you of being a fake fan, you definitely got most of them

still, i'm glad you enjoyed it <3

[riddlerosehearts]

🐍 same, there were many things i did not enjoy about HoO but leo is one of the highlights i will always treasure from it. in fact I made my OC just so I could make them be friends with him bc it's like an old childhood dream of mine 😭 it's several years late but i will do it anyway. have u ever made any pjo ocs?

I read your post and i agree with you so much!! EN did jamil so dirty and just the few changes they made to his lines flipped the entire dynamic between him and kalim and basically completely erased how tragic and difficult their situation is, and portrayed jamil as basically just someone throwing a fit over something easily changeable when it isn't. I play on JP so I was so surprised to see the changes EN made, it sucked seeing so many ppl hate my fav

oh nooo yeah if both riddle and jamil are in the athena cabin i have no clue who'd become the head counselor... this is so hard, if only we could have more than one :(. Kalim'd def be in a different cabin at least, but just him being around camp would make it so much harder for jamil to be himself, it hurts my heart. there are so many ways you can write this and it all has so much angst potential. on the other hand you're so right abt the missed leo nico friendship bc i always intuitively felt they could've be good friends without knowing why, but your analysis puts everything into words and makes me even sadder we had such a missed opportunity... like cmon rick....

idia labwear groovy but nico is actually so funny - nico ominously approaching cats with his hands out like the grabbing emoji when nobody is looking and completely unaware how scared the cats feel, meanwhile all he wants is to spend some time with kitty before the chain sneezing sets in

I love your ideas abt the outfits I think they fit super well!! if i get around to doodling the characters in a twst au i'd like to reference your ideas if that's okay with you! They'd both probably attempt to wear the uniforms as a full set in the beginning then decide it's way too much of a hassle/feels too stiff (totally not an excuse to want to draw them in the full outfit), then begin modifying things so it felt more like themselves, though at least I think they both would like the ignihyde uniforms better than the other dorms, igni's seems more casual and practical than the other ones imo. for some reason i feel like the savanaclaw colours would look good on leo, i just picture yellow being a nice colour on him - but leo in savanaclaw would just be like him stuck with a ton of jocks feeling confused why he's even there lool

also imagine leo meeting ortho, he'd be so fascinated that something like ortho was possible and be inspired to make a robot of his own (twst festus origin story?) idk if there's a robotics club but i could see that being leo's club of choice, nico maybe board games... which means he'd meet idia and azul omg, what do you think?

sorry it took me a bit a longer to answer this time. i haven't!! i don't make OCs super often in general, i don't even really have one for twst haha, but i love seeing all the creativity other people put into their OCs.

yeah exactly!! i do keep up with the JP main story updates and have read most of the JP events through fan translations, but i started by playing on EN. and i feel really lucky that i recognized the words for master and servant and could tell they were mistranslating some things, because i can imagine that otherwise i would've come out of it hating jamil for "betraying" kalim too. instead i loved him and was a little annoyed with kalim until book 5 showed more of his growth. i don't ship jamil and kalim but i do love both of them and it's sad that the complexity of their dynamic got watered down so much... i will note, though, that the app is rated E10+ on the google play store and 4+ on the iOS app store, so my guess is that higher-ups at disney thought the actual story wasn't kid-friendly enough.

something else to keep in mind with athena kids that i actually sort of forgot about until recently, is that they're all claimed from birth and therefore are pursued by monsters from birth :( and then also the fact that athena is a virgin goddess who just sort of gives babies to people who might not have been prepared to have one... i bet that would make things so much rougher for riddle and jamil. some other ideas i had are that if jamil's parent was a minor god, it could be nemesis (goddess of revenge) or terpsichore (muse of dance). and for kalim, if his parent was an olympian it would be either dionysus or apollo and if it was a minor god it'd be tyche (goddess of luck and fortune). like you said, there's so many different ways i could see their story going in an AU like this and they'd all be so angsty.

if you wanna see more analysis on how nico and leo fit together there's some stuff i've reblogged from others in my valdangelo tag! not all of it is necessarily romantic, i just basically use that for anything about the two of them--and a lot of the reasons why people like the ship are reasons why they'd work platonically as well. but yeah one of my biggest criticisms of HoO is how even though i like all the new characters for the most part, i feel like their relationships to each other were largely defined by romance (and i don't just mean the actual couples, but also the frank-hazel-leo love triangle for example) and a lot of potential was missed because of that!

oh yeah go for it!! feel free to use pretty much any of these ideas we've been brainstorming as basis for your own headcanons and stuff, i don't mind at all. and like i've been saying, if you did draw anything for this AU i'd love to see it. i can definitely see that about leo and nico both trying on the full uniform and then quickly deciding not to bother with it anymore lol. i imagined them both not wearing the tie because i just think nico wouldn't really want to and that leo might not even know how to tie one AFSKJGHDF. do you think leo would add any other accessories or personalization to his school uniform? also, i was thinking, i totally agree that they'd both like the ignihyde uniform, especially nico because it resembles the bulky jackets he normally likes to wear! but i wonder what nico would wear for a dorm uniform if he transferred to ramshackle... according to one of silver's voice lines at least, they canonically don't have one, so maybe he'd just wear, like, a my chemical romance shirt and call that a uniform lol. or keep his ignihyde uniform and confuse everyone.

omg, i love the thought of leo meeting ortho and being inspired to make festus because of him. he'd definitely be so fascinated by everything ortho could do. as for the clubs, i saved this excellent post about NRC's clubs for reference a while back, and since no other existing clubs were mentioned in either of the camp vargas events, i assume that that's all of them. but afaik there's nothing that says leo couldn't start a robotics club, and i'm sure there'd be people willing to join! out of the existing clubs i can totally see nico being in the board game club, i think that'd be a lot of fun for him.

[mysteryhackin]

Time for Week 3 of @forduary: Insomnia! This poor guy cannot catch a break. Go to sleep, Ford, I swear you'll be happier in the long run!

Ford Pines doesn't sleep. But when Fiddleford forces him to overcome his insomnia, he has a bizarre dream starring someone he hasn't seen in years.

Fiddleford blinked as he tried to process his roommate’s announcement.  “You… you just wrote an entire dissertation on genetic anomalies in six months?”  He blinked again.  “In addition to finishing up your final year of undergrad?”

Ford grinned, the familiar buzz of too little sleep making his smile slightly too big.  “Well, it has been something I’ve been researching my entire life,” he said modestly.  “And it’s not like Backupsmore’s regular curricula took that much time to complete.”

Fiddleford shook his head.  “Yeah, of course.  But… golly, Stanford, when was the last time you got more’n a few hours of sleep?”

Ford waved a hand impatiently.  “I get enough.”

There was a snort from Fiddleford.  “Yeah, sure.  For some dadgummed foolish definition of ‘enough’.  Or is it the word ‘sleep’ that you’re applyin’ a new meanin’ to?”

A smile appeared on Ford’s face.  “I appreciate your concern.  But I’m fine.” 

But of course that would be the time Ford’s body decided to betray him, and he let out a giant yawn.

“Uh huh,” Fiddleford said skeptically, crossing his arms.  The he sighed.  “Look, Stanford, you can’t keep doing this to yourself.  You of all people should know how the human body functions.  Your brain can only do so much with the way you’ve been pushin’ yourself…”  He sat down on a chair and looked straight at Ford.  “You’re at least gonna take spring break off…” he stopped when he saw Ford’s excited smile.  “Oh Stanford…” he said sadly.

“Don’t be like that Fiddleford,” Stanford said cheerfully.  “What good is sleep anyway?

Fiddleford rolled his eyes.  “I know you were in those physiology classes same as me, and you know the answer to that question.” He took a deep breath.  “Stanford, have you ever thought about getting your insomnia checked out?”

“Insomnia?”  Ford scoffed.  “Fiddleford, please, this is being driven.  I can quit whenever I want!”  He started laughing, only vaguely aware the phrase wasn’t nearly as funny as he thought it was.  He turned back to his work, jotting down ideas on what to study next.

“Stanford?” Fiddleford interrupted a few minutes later. 

“Yes, Fiddleford?” Stanford asked, not taking his eyes away from a Sagan article.

“Did I ever show you the new robot I was workin’ on?  It’s supposed to help with insomnia.”

Ford put down his pen with a sigh and started to turn around.  “Fiddleford, I told you it’s not-”

Ford blinked as he moved his head up from his desk.  Did he fall asleep?  It seemed unlike him; he still had plenty of hours to go before he could turn in for the night.

“And so then he tells me that the deal’s off, and I should just leave town while I can.  Can you believe that?”  

A voice Ford hadn’t heard in years made him freeze, and he slowly turned around in his chair to see himself sitting across from him on his bed, waiting for his response.  No, not himself.  The young man sitting on his bed looked like him- that is, if he dressed like he had been caught in a windstorm in a polyester factory.  His open collared shirt revealed a glimmering chain, but Ford’s keen eye noted the green skin near the chain where the fake gold paint had rubbed off.  And to top it all off, it looked like something had died on his upper lip, and Ford only knew it was a moustache because he it matched perfectly with his shaggy brown hair.

“Stanley?” he asked incredulously.  “What are you doing here?”

“What am I doing…” his twin brother focused on him with a frown.  “Wait- Ford?”  Many expressions passed Stan’s face, and Ford wasn’t sure he liked some of them.  “You look awful.”

Ford widened his eyes in shock, then indignation.  “I look awful?  What about you?  I don’t know how people can hear you speak, your clothes are so loud.  I mean,” he smirked.  “Not that that’s a bad thing.”

Stan burst out laughing.  “You’re just jealous of my silver tongue,”

“Well, better that than your fake gold chain,” Ford teased.  He felt so…light.  There was something nagging at him- something that wasn’t right about all this, but he brushed it off. 

“It’ll be a real gold chain soon, just you wait,” Stan answered with a big smile.  But Ford had known him long enough to recognize that his smile was also tinged with stress- as if Stan were barely holding on.  “I got a great tip on the next big thing- I just hafta pay back a few guys an I’ll be livin’ on easy street in no time!” He frowned as if he was trying to remember something.  “Of course, I had a meeting with them tonight…” he trailed off, and stood up from the bed.

Now that Ford had gotten over the shock of seeing his brother and the tackiness of his clothing, he noticed the dark circles under his brother’s eyes, along with a weariness that seemed far out of place for their young age. 

But before he could say anything, Stan had his arm around Ford’s shoulders and a conspiratorial grin.  “But what about you, Poindexter?  I bet you’re making all your professors swoon over your genius, huh?”

Ford laughed.  “Of course!” He said.  “I’m graduating a year early and already have been accepted into a fascinating Ph.D program!  I’m trying to get as many Ph.Ds as I can before my scholarship runs out!”

“Hang on, hang on,” Stan used his free hand to pinch the bridge of his nose.  “You push yourself to the brink to finish school early, just so you can do even more school?”  He shook his head, but gave his brother a grin.  “You’re more of a knucklehead than I ever was!”  Then his face turned to concern.  “But really Sixer, you look like you haven’t gotten enough sleep in a while… what are they doin’ to you out there?”

Ford smiled wryly.  “Not enough,” he said.  “I have to work twice as hard here than I would have at…” he paused, then backed out of Stanley’s hold.  “West Coast Tech.”  His voice was hollow as he met his brother’s eyes.  “You’re the reason I’m not there!”

“What are you talking-” Stan stopped short, and his face grew hard.  “And it’s your fault I’m hangin’ by a thread out here- you got me kicked out before I could even save up enough to take care of myself!”  He crouched down as if getting ready for a fight, and Ford mirrored his position.

They stood glaring at each other, the air thick with anger daring the other to make a move.

Then Ford blinked as another fact hit him, and he stood straight up.  “But Stanley… what are you doing here?  In my dorm room?”

Stanley stood up as well, confused.  “Well, I, uh…” he rubbed the back of his head.  “I mean I haven’t been gettin’ a lotta sleep lately, and then… I did meet with Johhny’s guys… yeah, and they took me out to an alley and-” his face grew white.  “Knocked me out. Or… or worse. Ford,” he made eye contact with his brother.  “Are we dead?”

Ford swallowed.  “Don’t… don’t be ridiculous, Stanley,” he said.  “I haven’t been sleeping a lot either- who has time for that anyway, right?  And right before I saw you, Fiddleford said something about…” he squinted his eyes, trying to remember.  “A cure for insomnia, and then... I saw you!  So this is just some weird, bizarre dream!  I mean,” he laughed nervously.  “We hate each other, right?  Why would you be visiting me at school?”

Stan somewhat deflated.  “Yeah, you’re right.  I shoulda figured you were a dream,” he said.

Ford laughed.  “No, Stanley, you’re the dream.”

Stan looked at Ford suspiciously.  “Exactly what a dream would say.”

“Fair enough,” Ford responded with a chuckle.  “All right.  Let’s assume that this is some sort of shared dream.” His eyes lit up at the thought, and a quick glance at Stan showed the same expression. “Wouldn’t that be amazing!  A shared dream brought on by… lack of sleep and an unnatural way of getting to sleep!  Or maybe our connection as-” he stopped.

Their connection.  How Stan would always be excited for him, always support him, and how he would do the same-

Except when they needed each other the most.

No.  He wasn’t going to let some artificially induced dream make him feel guilty for something that wasn’t even his fault.  Stanley always was going to get kicked out, and he was fine- despite always getting into trouble, he always made it out.  He was probably living it up in Atlantic City or Las Vegas or somewhere more exotic, surrounded by money and girls, just like he always dreamed…

“All right,” he said briskly.  “Only one way to prove this is real.  Call me when you wake up.  Ma has my phone number, and if you call, we’ll know this is real,” he looked at his brother- a dream version of his brother, he corrected himself- but Stan still looked glum.

“What will you say if I call?” Stan asked.  He paused for a long while, then finally said, “Will you forgive me?”

Ford froze.  Would he forgive Stanley?  For ruining his life?  For putting his own selfish desires ahead of Ford’s goals? 

For being angry at Ford for breaking the promise they made their whole lives…?

He shook his head in annoyance, angered once again that this stupid dream was having such a ridiculous effect on him.  Well, he wasn’t going to play that game anymore.  “You’ll just have to call to find out,” he said to his dream-brother. 

Stan nodded.  “Yeah, that’s what I thought.  Well,” he took a deep breath and once more plastered on that giant smile, all the weariness and worry disappearing from his face.  “It’s been great, but, uh…” he saw something behind Ford and smirked. “I’ll let you get back to your seven-eyed women, you weirdo.”  He turned around and disappeared.

“Seven-eyed…” Ford whirled around and seemed to catch something out of the corner of his eye-

And he startled awake.

“Mphw,” he said, then cleared his throat and tried again.  “What time is it?”

“It’s two pm on Saturday,” came Fiddleford’s cheerful voice.  “Glad you finally got some shuteye.”

Ford stretched and realized he had a headache.  “What did you do to me?” he asked.

“Hit you upside the head with a toaster,” Fiddleford answered casually.

“I thought you said you had a robot-”

“Sometimes the best bots have the simplest mechanics,” he noted with a satisfied grin.  “An’ I ain’t apologizin’- it was for your own good.”

“Please consult me next time before doing something you think is for my own good,” Ford said wryly, slowly standing up to fight the stiffness in his body.

“Can’t promise that!” was the response.  “I’ll bet you feel better now, though, doncha?”

As full consciousness finally returned to Ford, he pondered his odd dream.  Now that he could compare reality, he knew he hadn’t really been talking to his brother, but it had felt so real in the moment.  Why was that?  Did it have something to do with his insomnia?  How Fiddleford knocked him out?  And why would he dream about his broth… someone he hadn’t thought of for years?

“I do feel better, actually!” Ford said, an excited grin growing on his face.  “I know what to do my next thesis on-Lucid Dreaming!”  He grabbed his coat, ignoring his friend’s exasperated sigh, and ran out the door, excited to have something new to discover.

The only thing to interrupt his investigation during all of spring break was the phone ringing the next day, but since no one was on the other end Ford happily went back to his research, ignoring the small empty hole inside of him.

[themculibrary]

Fics Written In 2017 Masterlist

accidentally need you (ao3) - biblionerd07 steve/bucky T, 4k

Summary: Steve and Bucky broke up, but they're still friends. They just happen to keep going on dates and sleeping together. It's not a thing. (Except it is.)

an exchange of voices in repetition (ao3) - sandyk pepper/tony M, 4k

Summary: Pepper hadn’t really thought about the difficulties of planning a wedding around all the rest of her life.

Bagels and Bandaids and Bad Guys and Breakfast (ao3) - florahart clint/phil M, 7k

Summary: Clint owns a bakery/coffee shop, and he needs the following: an accountant, an occasional medic, and for those assholes in the track suits to just gtfo.

Phil shows up looking for part time work just in time to meet some of those needs. And maybe some other needs too.

Come on and Get Your Kicks (ao3) - Dira Sudis (dsudis) steve/tony E, 8k

Summary: "At the end of the day, you just want to be my pretty little girl, is that it?"

Steve surged up to wrap his arms around Tony, kissing him with the kind of filthy fervor that Steve usually reserved for you could have died or I haven't had an orgasm in 36 hours.

So, all right then. Hypothesis confirmed.

Complimentary Colors (ao3) - zenkitty555 stephen/tony M, 32k

Summary: Tony Stark is learning how to let go and live a little after giving his all for so long. Stephen Strange is still trying to balance all of his duties and find some time for himself. When Tony has to give him some bad news, the two start to realize that they may be able to help one another out in a few different ways.

Don't Let Me Down (Got a Lot Going On Right Now) (ao3) - sheron steve/tony G, 5k

Summary: A failed chemistry experiment in the lab means Tony has to take off his gauntlet. In front of Steve. Who has never seen him without it before.

Down to Zero (ao3) - Sineala steve/tony, peter/johnny T, 18k

Summary: After a battle against the Controller goes awry, Steve is bewildered and guilt-ridden when Tony begins to treat him exactly the same as he treats everyone else.

Five Dates Bucky Didn't Realize He Was On (And the One That He Planned Himself) (ao3) - icywind bucky/clint T, 11k

Summary: To say that Bucky was surprised when Clint kissed him was an understatement. But it was nothing compared to the shock he felt when he learned they'd been dating for months without him realizing it.

Clint gets whisked away for a mission before they have time to talk and Bucky is left to figure things out on his own - hindsight being 20/20 he can't help but wonder how he missed things the first go around.

Head Over Feet (ao3) - Robin_tCJ steve/tony E, 56k

Summary: It had sounded like a good idea at the time. Tony Stark, genius and heir to the Stark fortune, didn't expect to fall in love with the kind, handsome soldier he'd picked up at a bar that he had only gotten into because of a particularly well-crafted fake ID. He didn't expect to spend the best week of his life with a funny, wonderful artist who would be shipping off to war in only days.

And he definitely didn't expect that soldier to die before they could even try to build something.

He tries to move on with his life and find a way to feel whole, but after one too many disappointments, Tony gives up on the idea of happiness altogether.

Of course, then he finds himself on a street in New York, covered in coffee and having the shock of his life.

How We Met (ao3) - FestiveFerret steve/tony E, 41k

Summary: Life was pretty simple for Tony - work on his graduate thesis, hang out with his robotics projects in his unusual apartment, and fuck people for money. At least, it was simple until he met Steve Rogers.

In Dreams (Everything Makes Sense) (ao3) - msermesth steve/tony T, 41k

Summary: Or, it only took a group hallucination for Bucky to find his team and Steve and Tony to find each other.

Just Far Enough (ao3) - TheSopherfly bucky/steve/tony M, 50k

Summary: Tony couldn’t honestly remember how long it had been like this. Probably since the day he’d called T’Challa and offered his help. At first it had just been compulsive self-denial: you can’t eat until you’ve drafted your opening remarks, until you’ve finished your research, until you’ve rewritten every last colon and comma and apostrophe in those Accords so that everyone can come home.

Those goals had been realistic. Lately, they’d become impossible. Until everyone forgives you. Until you forgive yourself. Until you make up for every bad thing you’ve ever caused.

He was fine. He was coasting in a dangerous place, but he was fine. He wasn't taking it too far - just far enough.

Kinda Magical (ao3) - Em_Jaye darcy/steve G, 29k

Summary: Darcy loves her bakery. She loves way the right treat and a cup of coffee can turn someone's day around, she loves her employees, and she really loves when Charlotte Rogers comes to try the macarons, dragging her handsome, single father behind her.

Kiss Me Thru The Phone (ao3) - 27dragons, tisfan bucky/tony E, 7k

Summary: Trolling Steve seems like a good idea, right up until Bucky’s really, really into the pretend phone sex…

But… seems like maybe Tony’s into it, too…

Mark XXX (ao3) - Robin_tCJ steve/tony/iron man (armour) E, 4k

Summary: Oh, look, another filthy, filthy threesome porn. This time, it's Steve/Tony/Iron Man Armour. No plot, mostly porn with a little bit of cracky humour. It's dirty, and I'm sorry.

No I'm not. I'm not sorry. You know what, you're all down here in the muck with me.

Mutually Assured Infatuation (ao3) - Meatball42 steve/tony G, 3k

Summary: When Steve gifts Tony a teddy bear to help him get better after he’s injured on a mission, Tony decides he can’t let it stand.

Neighbor Alligator (ao3) - inkbert bucky/darcy N/R, 67k

Summary: Bucky Barnes discovers the gorgeous dame next door, and also that she thinks he's the worst neighbor ever. He sets out to clear his name and suddenly his life of therapy appointments and workouts includes competitive pizza making classes, maintaining favorite customer status at the coffee shop down the street, more thrift stores than he ever wanted to know about, and somewhere along the way he loses his heart. Too bad Darcy isn't willing to let go of the whole 'worst neighbor' thing.

Once a Loser, Always a Loser (ao3) - sameuspegasus T, 11k

Summary: Why can no one else see what Flash sees when he looks at Peter? They're so blinded by his puppy-dog eyes and his brilliant brain that they don't notice the things that Peter does. The lying. The neglect of commitments. The secrets and disappearances and attention-seeking claims of being mentored by a tech genius. But Flash notices. And tries to tell people.

AKA Flash bullies Peter because he's jealous

Past Imperfect (ao3) - Neverever steve/tony T, 7k

Summary: Present day Tony tells Steve that Steve wouldn't like the college version of Tony.

An alternative Steve, living in a dystopian future, is sent back to the past to stop the death of a young Tony Stark at MIT. He doesn't know what he's going to find but he's going to try his best to save Tony.

We're Dating (ao3) - Whothefuckyduckyisbucky steve/tony G, 6k

Summary: Tony thinks they're dating. They totally are. Someone should tell Steve. Set after The avengers movie. In the 1940's male friendships were a lot more affectionate, so Steve doesn't always get that the affection Tony shows him isn't platonic.

Worth His Weight (ao3) - chubbychoco steve/tony E, 8k

Summary: King Stark has been offered a rare and valuable gift - a virgin slave, trained but untouched, for him to use in any way he sees fit. But despite the awful rumors surrounding his reign, he may not be as horrible as Steve has heard.