#the relationship with dandy is up to interpretation

[sickwhispers]

Hello 👋, can I just hang out with pebble, I honestly just want to pet him he's too cute🥺

ROCKY DAYCARE

Pairing: Pebble + reader (mentions of co-parenting with dandy)

Relationship: platonic/familial

Warning: none!

Type: drabble/one-shot

"Go fetch!" You watch his little legs run after the ball, carrying him faster then you had ever seen before as he eventually catches up it. It was always nice being able to relax like this. The floor was calm. No sounds being echoed through the corridors connecting each room, no twisteds attempting to gouge out every little sliver of ichor holding you together.

You almost laugh at the way pebble spins around the ball, running in circles and almost tripping over it at some point. He yips a few times, tail wagging rapidly as he nudges the ball with his head. And, after a few seconds of ring around the rosie, he begins to nudge the ball back over to you.

"Oh? You want me to throw it again?" A small shock of pain shot through your arm, reminding you of the past thirty minutes you spent playing fetch. But, despite that, you didn't want to stop. Part of you couldn't help but dwell on the thought of just how lucky you were to be alive, sitting comfortably against a beanbag with pebble barking in your direction.

And so, as pebble nudged the ball closer to you, you picked it up once more.

"You miss playing fetch, don't you pebble?" The smile on your face widened for a second, looking down at pebble who had began nuzzling his head against your leg. It was something you had seen him do many times before, and each time you rewarded his good behavior with a little scratch under his chin. "Does dandy not give you enough attention? Poor thing... that's why I'm the better parent. I give you all the love in the world, don't i?"

"Bwoof!" Was the only reply you has gotten, along side his tiny body rubbing against your leg once more. You took it as an agreement.

"Maybe we should let dandy agree on letting me have you for the week. Weekends are just not enough for us, right pebble?" You throw the ball off into the distance once more. The object flying into a wall before bouncing off it and landing right back onto the floor. And, just like last time, you watched as pebble chased after it. "C'mon, boy! Bring it back!"

Another yip was heard before pebble began sprinting in your direction, nudging the ball along the way with his snout. He'd lose track of it a few times, the ball rolling off to the side. But, like the smart pet rock he is, he'd bring it right back.

"Oh my goodness! Look at you go!" You clapped, chuckling slightly at the scene before you. And, just for a little extra praise for his good behavior, you let your hand glide over the top side of his head, feeling the rough, rocky extrieror against your palm. He seemed to love it, spinning around in a circle like he always does before bumping himself onto your hand.

And, just like always, he soon found himself cradled in your arms after a long day. His eyes shut as he buried himself deeper into the crook of your arm, allowing himself to snuggle against you. You only hoped tomorrow would be just as peaceful.

[theneighborhoodwatch]

thoughts on the Eddie scene from the end of the commercial reel? :D

HAHA oh man. okay while i'm waiting on the results of that poll, i might as well answer this. thoughts under the cut:

so, this may be me being optimistic, but i actually don't think this is indicative of eddie being permadead or anything, and not just because i think it'd be kinda cheap to kill a character off this early into the story before we even got to really know them. rather, i think this is a pretty straightforward explanation for eddie's absence from the homewarming recordings: he spent most of the day in his office waiting to be called on, only got invited to the homewarming party once everyone else had wrapped up their shenanigans, and proceeded to disassociate so hard that he was borderline catatonic when frank managed to draw his attention away from whatever he saw when he looked beyond the veil - and it's implied that frank was the only (or at least, the first) person to notice his acute distress in the first place. in short, eddie's presence throughout the entire holiday of homewarming ended up being so inconsequential either way that he might as well have not even been worth mentioning. of course, if he is missing by the next update then like. egg on my face. but that's how i see it for now.

so, is The Void that eddie found himself in when he first opened his eyes real? i mean, certainly on some level, it must be. either it's the truth of the neighbors' world or it is simply true for home, since they were the only other entity there - and since home is at the center of their world, well...... . as for what the void represents - i feel like that's something we'll only have a clearer picture of once another character finds themselves in The Bullshit, but i can hazard a few guesses, the first and most obvious being that it's eddie accidentally piercing the veil by being just a little too OOC for the universe's liking, i.e. "silly mailman, you're the resident workaholic! you're not actually supposed to relax, that's just so this special can end!" the second interpretation - and one that i like just a bit more, if i'm being honest - is that it's a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy, or that distress over a deviation from the status quo makes one more susceptible to The Horrors.

hear me out: we know from the previous show scenes in the commercial reel that feeling useless or unneeded by way of having no work to do is a really easy way to get under eddie's skin, and his agitation over that was still lingering when sally invited him to the homewarming party. he's optimistic, yes - but very cautiously so. he's not used to it. something still feels a little wrong, which presents a prime opportunity for Something (home?) to wrap their arm around his shoulder and go, "buddy, you have no fucking idea." i remember reading a post that went something like "if a person goes from 1 to 100 seemingly out of nowhere, chances are they were at a 99 for a really long time, and they were just either hiding it or didn't even realize it." i think it's something like that. Something - home? wally? one of those two acting on the other's behalf? - sees this dissatisfaction, and in it, finds an opportunity to Make Them See. Make Them Understand.

something else i can't stop thinking about is that final shot of frank at the end. on the one hand, yes, it is very sweet how frank is willing to break away from formality if it means making sure that eddie's alright. on the other hand, though.... that shot of frank feels very idolizing to me. in the sea of red, frank is the one remnant of when things were fine and dandy for eddie just a few minutes before. he's in the center of the shot, and for that split second, arguably the center of eddie's world. they're even haloed by light, like an angel. again, whether they're in a properly established relationship by this point or if this is the beginning of their relationship turning from a playful flirtationship to something deeper, it's sweet to think that this is how eddie sees frank - as a refuge from The Bullshit. but i have to wonder... is eddie prepared for the possibility (or inevitability, rather) that one day, it'll be frank in that chair? given how frank likes things "just so," how is eddie going to react if, say, frank decides that the best way to ensure eddie's safety/wellbeing is to stay away from him? Many Questions Here.

[remembers that i suggested lower one's eyes as eddie's answer to frank's esperar pra ver once] [remembers that lower one's eyes is about a judas analogue being in love with a jesus analogue] [coughs up blood]

on that note, i know some folks think that at least some parts of "bug-a-bye and goodnight" are about eddie because "that's not the kind of thing you say about a bug!!!" but the thing about that is. it might not be what you would say about a bug. but it is absolutely what frank would say about a bug.

ok i'm done. For Now.

[whiskersz]

Hey there! I saw your requests were open so I was wondering if you could do a Vox x fem!Reader who loves cuddling? I don't mind if it's headcanons or a ficlet, whatever floats your boat! Thank you!

Hey!! Yes, I could gladly do that! Still learning how to write Vox, so apologies if this isn’t in character. It’s simply how I see him! Anyhow, do have a nice reading session <3

₊˚ ‿︵‿︵‿︵୨୧ · · ♡ · · ୨୧‿︵‿︵‿︵ ˚₊

Vox x Cuddly! Fem! Reader

✩Despite what one would initially think, Vox is not averse to affection; when he’s not in a bad mood due to the other Vees or Alastor, he’s pretty level headed and as such he’s willing to accept intimacy. He expects it from you, his lovely girlfriend, after all, since you’re quite the cuddle bug.

✩ He doesn’t talk much during cuddles, opting to just hold you and let you speak if you’re in the mood to. He mostly hums as a response and smiles when you nuzzle your face into his neck, thinking of how cute your face must look like all squished up. This is also due to him thinking that it's kind of awkward to talk during intimate moments, so if he does expect it to be a short snarky remark.

✩If you want to cuddle him while he’s working, sure! He will let you do that, as long as nobody is watching. Some PDA is okay for him, but this much flusters him, admittedly. He’ll use one hand to do whatever is needed and the other will periodically reach into your hair and massage your scalp, or hold onto your waist and squeeze it slightly. He finds it quite endearing that you enjoy this activity so much, and it takes him nothing to accommodate you.

✩If you want to be the small spoon during cuddles in bed or on the couch, that’s his preferred position. He’ll wrap his arms around you protectively as that’s all you need to feel to know that he’s there with you. His screen head is a bit awkward to cuddle with...but through the years he’s figured out ways to not make it difficult to cuddle.

✩If you want to be the big spoon however, he’ll be a bit embarrassed at first; it’ll need a bit of adjusting but he’s not totally opposed to it, actually he quite enjoys it during a hard and tiring day at work. He fully thinks that he deserves to be taken care of like this. If you bring this up in public though, again, he will be flustered and deny it as professionally as he can.

✩The only issue with Vox and cuddling is that he doesn’t love doing it for too long, either because he’s busy or because he simply gets bored and the positions are a bit uncomfortable after a while, so unless you spice it up with kisses and such he will either let go of you and leave or get out of your grasp with ease, depending on who’s cuddling who. If you act sad because of this he will pinch your cheek and tell you to wait until later, as he’s got quite some work to do now.

✩If you’re only cuddly with Vox, that’s all fine and dandy by him. If you’re cuddly with other people as well though, such as your friends, he’s going to get jealous. He knows very well that for it to be a healthy relationship you two would need to talk about this calmly, but part of him wants to just blow up at the thought that you could enjoy cuddles with somebody else. Are his not enough? Maybe the time you spend cuddling is what’s not enough; he can’t do much about it though, he’s a busy man and he simply doesn’t enjoy too much affection in one go. Still, he’ll squeeze you extra tight next time you go up to him and ask to cuddle, and remind you that you’re his – this could be interpreted in different ways, but I quite simply meant with his words!  -.

[aceofroses-queenofstars]

I think there should be more asexual takes on Aziraphale/Crowley. In the book it mentions that angels (and subsequently demons) are sexless unless they really make an effort, which one can interpret through a gender lens and a sexuality lens. I see a lot of posts/fics/media about them hooking up as a way of making up/solidifying their relationship, and while that's perfectly fine and dandy, I have no issues with that, I wish there was more media with an emphasis on non-sexual intimacy being the change in their relationship. They've grown physically closer throughout s2, are starting to become more free with touch, as they individually grow closer to confessing. I think a kiss, a hand-hold, an intentional hand-hold or any other form of touch could be just as impactful in solidifying their relationship. Especially when combined with the conversations they so desperately need to have.

As an asexual person reading/watching Good Omens, I enjoyed understanding Aziraphale and Crowley through an asexual lens, and I hope to see more fan media that explores these characters and their relationship through that lens.

[ghostsandfools]

Genuinely how the fuck is Dandy and Astro’s relationship healthy.

Qwel confirmed on discord that (although moonflower isn’t canon) Dandy x Astro isn’t a toxic ship. But like… How though?

How is Dandy running the entire ichor operation and NOT being abusive towards Astro in some way? A nontoxic relationship would imply no lying, no manipulation, no abuse whatsoever. HOW.

That means Astro would HAVE to know right?????? RIGHT????

I mean, he says in game that he and Dandy don’t talk ‘as much’ but I think if I found out my partner was corrupting our friends into twisted monsters I’d file a restraining order.

Not only that but twisted Astro exists!! Was that consensual????????? Was Dandy like “honey can I feed you ichor pls” AND ASTRO JUST AGREED???????

Now there are multiple way to interpret this.

A - Dandy is not actually the one behind the ichor operation. Maybe a human (DELILAH 👁️👁️) gave him ichor, which ended up corrupting his brain. So Dandy himself isn’t totally evil, he just got fucked up on drugs

B - Astro does know everything. He knows about twisted Dandy (implied from his requirements to buy him), he knows about ichor, and in the end he cuts off Dandy before their relationship has the chance to become toxic.

C - ASTRO VILLAIN ARC??????

This confuses me beyond belief but it actually makes me quite happy. As much as I love toxic yaoi, I also love healthy moonflower they’re so cute AAAAAAA

edit: I JUST REALIZED THIS SOUNDS LIKE HATE, I PROMISE IM NOT HATING-

[blubun0309]

I was thinking about Dandy's 'IMBI' fanfic suddenly, when a thought hit me: Why are the brother's given the senses that they are? Why is Mikey sight, Raph hearing, and Donnie touch?

I think it's subjective, and you can interpret it in any way you deem right, I just wanna put my two cents in. Of course, there's no way of me knowing if this is accurate to Dandy's vision or not, but let me know your own thoughts!

Let's go in order, shall we?

MIKEY

I think Mikey may have been the most difficult to crack, simply because I had no idea what it could represent for his and Leo's relationship. But then I realized, it's not about him and Leo, it's about him and everyone else.

Mikey's the youngest, he's the "baby", the little one, the happy go lucky 'everything's gonna be okay!' guy. His personality paired with his age makes his family baby him or chalk up his reactions to certain situations as him being naive.

But not Leo. Leo treated him like an equal, he's the annoying older brother Mikey looks up to and admires and wants to be like. To Mikey, Leo is his badass, awesome big brother, the only one who he feels doesn't baby him.

So with Leo out of the picture, who's gonna believe him when he says he's seeing the ghost of his presumably dead brother? No one. Because he's "naive".

And they don't believe him, so he and Leo have to PROVE that Leo's alive. And only THEN do they believe it. And, as happy as he is that they can now work on fixing Leo, it still hurts. Because they don't trust him, even though he's so strong as so capable and always razzes his tazz in the coolest ways, they don't trust him, because he's young and "in denial".

Also, Mikey and Leo are probably the most chaotic duo, so them being together so much due to everything previously stated is SO fun. Their interactions are immaculate.

Don't get me wrong, I don't think Raph and Donnie are fully at fault here. Considering Leo's circumstances, Mikey was very reckless during the car chase scene, and it made Leo's situation get worse a bit. However, they need Mikey. And Mikey and Leo have an undeniable advantage with Leo being able to walk through walls and warn them for any danger through Mikey. They want a second chance, to make things right, but Donnie and Raph still said no.

I don't blame anyone though, because it's more that their circumstance is difficult and no one knows what to do, what is right or wrong.

Mikey was given that second chance, though. His brother's recognized they needed him. They wanted to bench only Leo, but that blue boy wasn't staying behind no matter what lmao. Which leads us to...

RAPH

Raph's was a bit tricky but also incredibly obvious (I don't know how that works, just roll with it).

Raph and Leo aren't the best at communicating. They end up yelling at each other most of the time. Even with the curse, they still argued through Mikey.

And Leo breaking his promise to Raph on staying behind made Raph even MORE upset. Leo could have dissapeared, he could've been GONE forever, all because he was reckless and followed them despite promising he wouldn't.

But, Raph has to admit, without Leo, they would've been SO lost in that cave, and it was ultimately a good thing that he joined them, but it was still so scary. Who knows what could have gone wrong. He isn't mad at Leo, per se, he's just mad at the circumstances. He wants to keep Leo safe, because Leo is his brother. He's almost lost Leo TWICE, he wasn't going to risk actually losing him again. He didn't WANT to risk it. It's hard to keep Leo, hell, all his brother's safe when what's safe and what's right don't align.

As the eldest, he has to make that call, and it scares him. Leo keeps putting his own well-being down, he keeps putting himself in danger for them, and it scares Raph. It scares all of them.

Raph is frustrated, he lashes out, he hurts his brother's feelings when he only wants to keep him safe. He cares so much for Leo, and he wants what's best for him more than anything, but when Leo doesn't cooperate, it frustrates him.

They have a well needed talk about it, though, and it's very beautiful. Because Leo had just had a talk with Mikey about the exact same thing, about putting oneself in danger without thinking of the consequences, and he understands how Raph feels about it now. Regardless, Raph says he's proud of him, for doing the right thing, and he is.

Raph wants Leo to understand his perspective, how he feels, and once Leo does, it makes things so much easier.

DONNIE

Donnie's is pretty straight forward and DEFINITELY the easiest to understand (at least for me) but, basically...yeah it's because Donnie doesn't like touch, but I have more!

But yes, Donnie is touch repulsed. The best indicator of such is in the movie when Raph has to make it clear that he wasn't giving a hug, it was a rescue. There's more examples but you get the gist. However, there are plenty of times in the show when Donnie is shown being physically affectionate, which leads me to believe it's something that depends on his feelings during any given moment. If he feels like it, he'll be affectionate. And, you know, having his brother almost die and now be a ghost of sorts...yeah, he's not feeling great. Which is why I LOVE him being given touch. Throughout this whole fic, Leo is HEAVILY touch-starved. Bro's a GHOST, of course he is. And now Donnie is placed in a position in which he is quite literally his touch-starved brother's ONLY source of physical affection.

He and Leo had been very distant up until that point due to being unable to, you know, interact at all, and adding the fact that Donnie, in an emotionally bad state, doesn’t like physical affection when it's sudden or in general, it's incredibly interesting to give Donnie the one sense that he's uncomfortable with. He feels bad, because Leo wants to FEEL him and hug him, but he's not in a mental state to reciprocate. He shuts down when he's stressed. That scene where he shakes off Leo's hand after threatening the fire element. Augh, chills, literal chills.

Also. I dunno, but if my ghost brother who I've only known is a ghost for a little while, was suddenly able to touch me without me being able to see it coming...yeah I would be pretty freaked out too.

Also, I think the scene where Raph hugs Donnie is very interesting, because to Leo, it means that Donnie is okay with physical touch, as long as it's not HIM. Now, both feel bad. Donnie for not being able to reciprocate Leo's...(I don't want to say 'adances' because it sound weird but I've got nothing else), and Leo for, in his mind, being 'selfish' for wanting Donnie's affection.

This whole time, Leo was gone for Donnie. Mikey could see him, Raph could hear him, but him and Leo had no way of communicating by themselves.

Which makes that scene where they finally communicate and hug SO much more impactful. When Leo hugs him first, it showed Donnie that Leo wasn't gone, he was here, with him, and he wasn't mad at him. And then Leo got a hug back, he finally, FINALLY got one after two weeks of not being able to touch anything or anyone.

And now, Donnie isn't uncomfortable with Leo's touch. Because now he not only understands that Leo desperately needs affection and he's his only way of getting it, but also Leo isn't gone. He's here, and Donnie will hold him if it means he won't dissapear again. Gosh, I love me some Disaster Twins.

I think IMBI does an incredible job at really laying out all the brother's feelings and relationships with each other in such a beautiful way. Oh my god I love fanfiction.

[thatkoiboi]

What are some of your favorite character relationships/dynamics in TMNT, and why? Is there anything that you particularly like seeing explored with them in fan works (art, writing, comics, etc)?

Hi!

I don't really ship anyone from TMNT and it is SO HARD to pick favorite dynamics without listing them ALL, but to mention a few:

Leo and Donnie

Disaster Twins are just so fun to watch. I love how they are competitive with one other but have such soft spots towards each other. They seem to just get each other and know the other's limits. I especially love how the fandom has interpretted their dynamic. Y'all, half the time I'm over here sobbing in the corner. They are so sibling behavior. It's special to have someone you are close to understand you so well. <3

Donnie and April

✨️THE SASS QUEENS!✨️ I like to call them Banana Pancakes duo. They are just so sassy towards each other. It shows how comfortable they are with each other. I believe April is good for Donnie by calling him out and helping him with emotions, and Donnie is good for April by just being her best friend. She really needed one. Also, I love how they are always protective of each other. (This also just gives siblings.) They seem to get along very well, and I think they are very grateful for each other. <3

Mikey and Donnie

PB&J Duo are just adorable. (they remind me of my sister and me, especially when we were younger) I just love their dynamic! Donnie is so protective and supportive of Mikey. All the turtles have such a soft spot for Mikey, but something about Donnie and Mikey just warm my heart. I like how Mikey is like Donnie's little shadow and also helps him with emotions. I feel like Mikey genuinely just enjoys Donnie's company, and whether Donnie will admit it or not he enjoys being around Mikey as well. <3

Raph and Mikey

Sunset Duo gives me all the feels. I believe whenever Raph is emotionally unstable, Mikey is there for him. And whenever Mikey needs someone strong, Raph is there to lift him up. Raph is like the foundation of home, and Mikey is the hearth. They care about each other so much, but also in order to grow they need to learn how to be more independent. It is hard having to be less reliant on someone you love, but you get to learn more about yourself as an individual. That doesn't mean you love that person any less. <3

~•~

I love fanfiction revolving around all of them when it comes to longer stories. (I May Be Invisible, But I Still Look Good by Dandy on ao3 has MY HEART! 💙 I recommend you read it if you haven't!) It's fun to watch how they work as a team and to see how their personalities/talents contribute. It is also nice to get those one-on-one moments. Of course, comics and fanart are my primary source of substance. Om nom nom.

Although, I would say Turtle Tots is my favorite form of TMNT. I love exploring ideas of when they were little.

Thank you for asking, this was fun!

[dwreader]

I gotta say I'm shocked that people are saying Louis doesn't feel anything for Armand. That producer whos not Rolin Jones said Louis is falling in love with Armand while Lestat manfiests to pass judgment on him.

tbh i think there is an ambiguity which i mentioned before in my femme fatale post! femme fatales have historically been maligned for being evil manipulative heartless self-serving women often times bc they are subjugated by a powerful man and use the only power they have to achieve their aims. you can certainly interpret some of them as being completely unemotionally manipulative, they're just not the ones that interest me personally.

i think louis's motivations are complex because the situation demands it. he cannot just let himself fall head over heels in love with armand without caution bc in the previous episode armand nearly killed him and has the power to kill him & claudia at any given moment. in ep2 and for most of ep3, they clearly have a real connection and are falling for each other. like the flirtatious chemistry and lust are leaping off the screen idk i feel like you have to be blind not to recognize it but once we get to the end of ep3... the danger is now intermingled with the love/lust. they can no longer be ignored like when louis was still pretending his maker was bruce and everything was fine & dandy for him and claudia. once armand has that power over him, it makes the relationship murkier and murkier. you can't put the genie back in the bottle and revert to their "wholesome" dating phase. and the more dangerous the relationship is, the more it reminds him of lestat and all the red flags he's seeing again. i dont think its unintentional that dreamstat shows up in the bedroom when armand starts pressuring louis about companionship. cause lestat did the same thing to him in 1x01 when louis also wasn't ready (albeit in a very different way). in the museum, dreamstat shows up when armand is "apologizing" yet at the same time flexing his powers and going vintage lioncourt.

and it parallels the same consent questions btwn lestat and louis in s1 where they had a genuine courtship/romance but when push came to shove, the moment louis was forced to make the choice to actually be with lestat and accept his proposal, it was after a show of brutal violence and murder and lestat literally having killed the only friend louis had in the world. then he spends the rest of s1 wondering about paul as well. love & horror co-exist and the horror was for love. its been a very jessica chastain coded week.

[tartagliaxx]

。DISTANCE MAKES THE HEART FONDER 

━━ INCLUDES: alhaitham, cyno, tighnari

━━ SUMMARY: some feelings are felt but left unspoken, or things that the characters do to ease the longing that resides in their heart caused by the distance between you two

━━ CONTAINS: established relationships, long-distance romance

。ALHAITHAM — “ scribe of the akademiya ”

The room he rented for his temporary stay at Port Ormos was rather bare. Not like it mattered, of course. The scribe of the Akademiya cared not for frivolous details. As long as he had what he needed, he was fine and dandy. Today, all he needed was a book and a pen. Alhaitham leans back, the chair creaking subtly under his weight. A glance at the setting sun was all it needed to illicit a small sound somewhere between a groan and a sigh. Though not the kind to whine about what life serves him, a near non-existent flicker of desire had him gripping his pen tighter, eyebrows furrowing deeply as his stoic expression morphed into one of annoyance.

Closing his eyes, he counted to three and breathed in the small pauses in between. Just like that, his composed demeanor returned and he once again sat up straight. In his desk was one of the books Kaveh pointedly refers to as “literature acquired through the scribe’s abuse of authority,” something Alhaitham only rolls his eyes at. There was nothing wrong with simply making use of the resources readily available to him given his esteemed position. Honestly, the mere thought of his roommate made his blood boil and the only reason he has yet to kick him out to the streets was that you had laughed and told him to hold on for a little longer. You were too empathetic for your own good sometimes, but perhaps, that which you possess which he does not is what had attracted him to you in the first place.

His mind swims at the thought of you — of how you’d steal his coat to snuggle into as you lounged around the couch, eyeing either one of his books lying around or nursing a cup of tea that he had brewed for you before he busied himself with whatever. With that thought, Alhaitham’s lips twisted uncharacteristically into a minuscule smile, the kind that would require much effort to see. That expression left not even for a second as his pen scratched onto the surface of the paper, ink pooling to form words at the corner of the page. Definitions, clarifications, guide questions, interpretations, and finally, on the last page, a small envelope — a letter, to be precise, that contained a short recount of what he could afford to tell you about his days far from you. There was no flair, and certainly no drama. If you, its eventual receiver, were to compare it with anything, you’d associate it with an eyewitness report for one of the crimes the Matra are investigating. Still, you had once told him offhandedly that knowing about how his day went made you feel as if he was with you and conversing lightly over candlelit dinners. In truth, the scribe found the act to be a waste of time but because it’s for you, he had room to make exceptions. After all, where was the lie in saying that even miles apart, Alhaitham thinks of you quite fondly — finding a unique sense of satisfaction in sharing all that he owns, including his prized intellect and his scarce affection with you?

With that, he decides to call it a night; withdrawing from the desk and leaving behind the book that was ready to be shipped off to Sumeru City first thing in the morning.

。CYNO — “ the general mahamatra ”

His feet dug into the fine grains of sand with each trudge forward. 

The desert has always been quiet at night, save for the howling wind that sounded eerie to the ears of the inexperienced. It was precisely because of this that he prefers moving out when darkness has painted the land with dark shadows and solitude. Then, he could hear everything: The shuffling of the scorpions, the small squeaks of the birds perched on the trees, and most importantly, the scared breathing and mumbling of his prey.

The General Mahamatra was feared by the citizens of Sumeru and for good reason too. He shows no mercy, face remaining cold and detached even after a scholar expresses their motivations for whatever fallacy they have committed. Stress, coercion, vengeance; he has heard it all but never has his heart been swayed. The weight of their sins had always been placed on the scale and they have always lost against that of his principles. Such is the judgment of the Matra, such is the fairness of Cyno, and such is the blade that sliced through the heavy air as the reason for his sudden departure from the city was finally apprehended.

It had taken longer than he would’ve liked and Cyno, who has finally had the room to breathe and release the tension that lingered in his shoulders, sat down in the makeshift camp of the now-unconscious scholar. The trek back to Caravan Ribbat would take long and he was not that heartless to force the weak-looking man on his feet just to serve as the next target for unfriendly Eremite groups. There are many dangers in the desert and frankly, it was a miracle the scholar made it this far unscathed. 

Still, that meant that he’ll have to camp away from home for the night and Cyno’s heart leaned towards irritation. Never had he had any qualms against being away from his lodging on the outskirts of Sumeru City but now was different. Instead of silence and the untrustworthy shadows, what awaits him is perhaps, a spread of his favorite foods and fruits illuminated by the warm kitchen light and your radiant and welcoming smile. You are waiting, Cyno sighs as his eyes moved towards the clear night sky of the desert. You — his star, the brightest one he had the pleasure of witnessing. Here, sheltered only by a feeble-looking tent, the General Mahamatra finds himself longing to bask under your light, eyes twinkling as you retell stories of how your day went filled with the tiny, insignificant details that he misses when he’s away. He longs for you: body, mind, and soul, and his face says it all if you had the gall to stare that long.

Cyno’s gaze never wavered from the sky, not even as clouds pass by and covered what had been the object of his attention. He bides his time seeking the brightest star that just falls short of beating your illuminance in his heart. Perhaps that will ease the ache he feels, maybe even remove the tingle in his fingers that crave to feel your skin and warmth once more.

From afar, the General Mahamatra is as serene as he could be and so is the lullaby he hums quietly — your favorite, and the one he had sung before to urge you to sleep when you and he ventured the same lands together.

。TIGHNARI — “ forest watcher of the avidya forest ”

The forest watcher was a busybody, that much is a fact for everyone who has heard his name. Between lecturing reckless adventurers and mushroom-addicted merchants, clearing Withering Zones, writing down patrol schedules, and caring for the sick and injured, it was a surprise that Tighnari had time to breathe and do what normal people do. If he were to be honest, however, he’d say that he prefers it this way. Being busy keeps him away from straying thoughts, and having his entire mental faculties required by tasks at hand makes it impossible for him to dwell in the past where you and he rest under the shade of the towering trees in Avidya Forest, whispering secret conversations that the world has not the clearance to hear.

Yes, the forest watcher does prefer it this way, but his ears and tail are ever more honest than he will ever be.

Collei was a smart girl and she knew better than to mention the languid swish of her master’s appendage ever since he watched you leave for an urgent task in Bimarstan. His eyes never left your form not until he could no longer see you from the distance — not even a dot. She also never commented on the flick his ears do when one of their colleagues bemoaned the lack of your presence. It was rather amusing and dare she say it, cute, at first but as time went on and Tighnari appeared more and more on edge, Collei found herself feeling sympathetic instead.

It was during the night when Tighnari has nothing else to do that he catches himself sighing, a pout slowly forming as he twisted and turned in his bed to no avail. His ears droop and as if shocked by the act himself, he immediately sits up rigidly with an embarrassed hue tainting his skin. It was so out of character for him to feel so needy and clingy that he could almost imagine the teasing grin you’ll wear if you were to ever catch him like this. Shaking his head with a mumbled string of curses, the forest watcher knew that there is no hope of catching any sleep that night so he instead takes the notepad by his bedside and prepares to go outside. Now, he’d advise against this on normal occasions but this was him and he’d argue that no one knew the forest better than he does so it should be fine. He doesn’t plan on staying out for long anyway.

Before long the sun was rising and in just a few hours, the forest watchers would wake to start their morning patrol. Tighnari barely made it back without being caught cradling an assortment of flowers in his arms. For research, he’d determined to say if inquired about but anyone who had a mind of their own would spot the lie quite easily. And truly, even if they didn’t exercise their mind at all, one sight of Tighnari carefully preserving the Kalpalata Lotus he gathered was enough of a clue. It takes not a genius to connect the dots between the flora and the way he’d teasingly call you his lotus or some other variety when he’s feeling mischievous enough to fluster you to oblivion.

But again, like some unwritten rule, don’t comment on the new decorations you have in your room when you arrive back. Though unsaid, each flower stands for each sleepless night, and having that thought to warm you up is much better than the hour-long lecture you’d have to endure should you use his affection against him.

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[kings-highway]

Hi King!!! I absolutely adore your fics my dude, I found your trapped in the wilderness fic like a year or two back, forgot about it, and then found your Daichi time travel fic. So you can imagine my delighted surprise when I looked at your ao3 account and found out this was the same author! I was like “0o0, I KNOW YOU!! :D” Suffice to say I love your Haikyuu fics they are an absolute gem to read (Time Enough to Risk it All and Paranormality are my personal faves)

I had a question for you, similar to a previous ask you got about tips on writing? Not general tips mind you, I’m trying to write a Haikyuu fanfic myself starring Oikawa, and I wanted to know if you had any writing tips regarding character writing specifically? Like, in regards to getting into a character’s head and how that influences the POV? I’m probably going to have multiple POVs in different chapters, but I don’t want to run into the old trap of, “These are two separate characters but they sound like the same person” y’know? Also want to make sure I’m avoiding OOC territory, while taking any potential plot developments and how that would change a character into account. And I know you’re good at that, all your interpretations of the Haikyuu cast feel distinct yet true to the characters at their core!

aaaaaaaaaa oh my god thank you so much 😭 I'm very glad you've liked my silly stories so much. I will do my best to provide advice for your question here...

**Keeping Characters In Character - this is VERY fanfic specific!!**

[obv. writing original work requires strong character voice but the question and this response is super focused on characters that you have source material to work with]

1. my immediate first thought, and the thing I default to the most, is **Pay Attention To How Other Characters Talk About Them** yes, its all fine and dandy to go off and say "oh theyve got these secret other side-" because yeah!! they probably do!! everyone is multiple people depending on the circumstance!! but the way other characters talk about them or act around them really will define how your character is behaving, because it shows how they are *choosing* to behave (and what can be seen from the outside) Paying attention to the relative relationships of these characters describing them matter too. Here are examples (all from Haikyuu) of how I do this:

1. Daichi

[in early season 1, when Daichi gets mad at the duo, Suga and Tanaka both start trying to fuck off out of scene in preparation; similarly, both Suga and Tanaka try to hide their secret practice from him.] = People are generally afraid of him, or aware that getting yelled at is on the table, but he's predictable. They both start acting afraid BEFORE he gets angry because they are familiar with his patterns. [Suga and Asahi comment on it feeling weird when he's nice to them, and he snaps at them to say he could be mean instead.] = His casual conversational tone isn't very complimentary. Since we dont see him being overtly mean, I asssume this means he is on the quieter side, probably very reserved, and typically speaks up to correct someone or direct and take control of a conversation. Being overtly nice is seen as a deviation is his conversational habits. [Noya acts very distinctly interested and pleased when he learns Daichi has given him a cool nickname] = People hold a lot of respect for him. Given the previous details, we can assume this is at least in part due to him often withholding such praise, but also we can use it to temper the previous notes. His "meanness" is not coming across as malice, but rather something worth respecting or justified in some way.

Application in Writing: Dialogue should be direct and consistent, use shorter sentences and have him think before he speaks. He finds annoyance and anger easier to express and will likely withhold affectionate conversations from everyone regardless of closeness of friendship level. While he comes across mean, he is not insulting, belittling or cruel, and since people have significant respect for him, he likely avoids situations that would make him look foolish, and will probably be the last to join in on the fun.

QUICKER EXAMPLES:

2. Suga [Every character describes Suga as nice and kind, there is no "bad review" of him.] = No matter his opinion of someone, Suga will use kind, gentle language with them and avoid giving them a reason to dislike him.

3. Oikawa [Iwaizumi, in voice over, says something to the effect of: "despite how he might seem, Oikawa is actually a pretty goofy guy."] = While not given the opportunity often, Oikawa is playful, unserious and silly - the word "goofy" is important to note. Its not funny. Comedians are funny. Dogs with long floopy ears are "goofy" - However he either intentionally or unintentionally chooses not to behave this way often. Either way, he has distinct "sides" to him that can be identified. However, his natural state is far more goofy than we give him credit for, so he will likely be the first to crack jokes, laugh at dumb things, or general want to lighten the mood. He doesnt like things to be gloomy and may actively resist that kind of conversation or situation.

4. Leon calling Ushijima a "super volleyball idiot" says way more about his behaviour off the court than anything Ushijima ever did. Oikawa and Kageyama and Hinata and Atsumu get to be monsters but no, Leon says its the term "we" are most "satisfied with". Did they pitch other names? They do not take Ushijima seriously at all. So his terrifying persona is probably very superficial. None of the team has ever had an actually bad experience with him, and he is very consistent in his likes and desires: probably doesnt have a (conversationally) confrontational bone in his body. "We could call him a monster but nah, he's too fucking weird for that." Like what more of a character study do you need!! Leon STOP.

This is dragging on longer than I want it to. I apologize. I could have more to say on the matter but to sum it up quick:

People, humans, are multifaceted, but ultimately are most defined by how they are remembered, and how they choose to present themselves to the world. This is will affect that "voice" that you're worried about sounding the same. Ultimately, all your characters will be the same. Everyone is insecure, everyone wants to be seen as attractive, everyone things theyre not good enough, everyone worries their lover will grow tired of them, everyone thinks they are the only person to have ever felt that way. The change, that voice, is how they want everyone else to look at them.

Using the previous notes, we can answer the question: "Oh my god, You look really good today!!" 4 ways. Internally, they're all very happy to receive a compliment because they wore a new shirt and they weren't sure it looked good. Externally...

Daichi: "Oh. Thank you."

Suga: "Ohh, Thank you! That's so sweet of you to say."

Oikawa: "I look really good today? Did I not yesterday? Ah, just messing with you - I know I looked good yesterday."

Ushijima: "I do? Good."

LAST TANGENT:

if you are NATIVE ENGLISH and youre writing fanfiction for NON-ENGLISH SHOW. IDC if youre a subtitles purist, WATCH IT IN ENGLISH. being able to (in your native language) use the characters voice in your head to read dialogue makes a world of difference. I DONT CARE if you can head Sugas Japanese VA perfectly - UNLESS YOU SPEAK JAPANESE IT WONT HELP.

Whenever I'm struggling with writing Sugawara, or a l think he's OOC, I just mentally replay the soundbite from the dub of him going "Good Grief!" like a goddamn oeanuts character and then its like "oh yeah. he's back. i know how to write him now."

I have a few of these little soundbite grounding things for some of them. Its REALLY helpful to be able hear the characters voices saying the lines (sorry if youre deaf..) and if you CANT (and you normally can) then maybe the dialogue is ooc.

WAIT ONE MORE TANGENT:

"King, you've only talked about dialogue??? what about-" Dialogue controls actions!!! if you can get a characters conversational tone and linguistic habits down, you'll have NO ISSUES keeping their physical habits in check.

thus concludes another advice corner. i am working on the other questions atm but i have limited time and cannot do more than 1 after work without my brain melting so :)

thanks for reading :) happy writing

xx

[thelesbianpoirot]

I’ve never watched Poirot. Is he gay?

Nah, not explicitly in canon, he's a celibate dandy with effeminate persnickety qualities that makes it really easy to say he's gay. Gay coded or just foppish is up to interpretation. I am pretty sure he's a virgin, because Ariadne Oliver a fictional friend of Poirot, a funny self insert for Agatha Christy is a mystery novelist that gets mad when people try to adapt her work and give her male detective character Sven a female love interest because she has never thought about him having sex, relationships or getting married to a woman. He is shown attracted to the Russian Royality/Thief Countess Vera Rossakoff, He is so attracted to the woman in the veiled woman that he robs a house for her and in his youth he was in love with a woman named Virginie who he solved a case for. None of these romantic feelings ever amounted to a relationship and he died unmarried, but loved by friends and allies. His longest standing relationship/friendship is with Arthur Hastings a kind sweet dumb bog standard English man that assists with cases by being Poirot's Watson, being a sounding board for his genius, and or encouraging him and helping him to understand English society as an outsider. Sometimes a muscle? Poirot won't run after a crook but Hastings was in the army. He's much younger in the books so his naiveté makes more sense, I think Poirot is several years his senor, but in the Tv Show, his actor is a year older than David Suchet. They are shipped by a few people and I support it, I think the old men should love each other. Hastings gets married but returns to Poirot after his wife dies, Poirot kills a man for him. Way off topic, he's gay in my heart, Agatha prefers him sexless and chaste, with small hits that he appreciates a classy enigmatic woman.

[theerurishipper]

I still remember when s5 bible leaked and in it, the ending stated : "Marinette will lied to Adrien about his father and she will use his amok to change his perspective toward his father." Or something along the line since I forgot the exact line.

And people were like "Lmao, there's no way she will do that. She knows Gabriel is a bad father."

Except now it's trully happened and people saying "She did it for him, out of love!" And "Even if she did give him command, "be yourself" isn't a bad command anyway" as if the idea of someone giving other a command isn't inherently wrong. Not a suggestion or motivation, it is a command! She has no business to control Adrien's life, even more so since she only know a surface level about his life.

Just because Adrien said "Only Marinette understand me" doesn't necessarily means she trully understand him, especially when she barely talk to him prior dating and her understanding of him is mostly from the magazine (and I bet a groupie group).

I don't think the bible mentions anything about Marinette using the Amok. I just read it through right now and it doesn't mention anything about the Amok, so it's up to personal interpretation. Personally, I don't believe Marinette used it, but the scene itself is rather ambiguous on that front. And the show is so broken in its view of the morality of using a mind control device on a fellow human that I wouldn't be surprised if it was revealed that she had done it.

But if people who believe that she did it are defending that decision, that's fucked up. There's no justification for controlling someone's mind like that without their consent. If she wanted to help him be himself, she could let him figure himself out on his own terms and support him, or she could, you know, ask him if he would like her to help him that way. At the very least, doing it with his full and willing consent is better than essentially violating his autonomy and free will.

Marinette does know that Gabriel is a bad father. She may not know the extent of it, perhaps, but she does know that he locked his son up for years and controlled his mind with a magic ring for years, and she still makes the choice to respect Gabriel's wish and lie to Adrien. There is no justification for this, I'm sorry. There just isn't. "Doing it out of love," is the most pitiful and frankly ridiculous excuse there is. Gabriel was also abusing Adrien "out of love." That doesn't make what he did any less horrible.

And you're right that Marinette doesn't understand or know Adrien that well. The show likes to tell us that she understands him like no other and that he feels free with her and all that BS, but it doesn't show us that. What it does show us is that Marinette does not have a clue that Adrien isn't perfection personified until Risk, after which she never put in the effort to get to know him as a person ever again. Instead, he chose to pursue her and literally felt obligated to change himself for her sake. Which is like, fucked up, cause his narrative is about learning that he doesn't have to change himself for other people and he's explicitly trying to be the perfect guy who asks nothing of Marinette for her, and the show pretends this is all fine and dandy.

This is a very unhealthy relationship, even more so now that Marinette is gaslighting Adrien into loving his abuser. This is super fucked up.

And for those who believe this will be dealt with in the future, the bible does have this to say:

So much for that lmao.

Thank you for your ask!

[thirteens-earring]

[ In Anne Pollock’s essay “Queering Endocrine Disruption,” she writes about a pair of male ibises whose homosexual relationship has been attributed to mercury pollution in their habitat. The essay’s text is published alongside a photograph of two male ibises having a jaunty walk on the beach. Pollock writes, “I want to read these birds strolling on the beach without any chicks as being intoxicated…Being intoxicated is an ambivalent state: impaired, yes, but also released from responsibility in particular ways that can be both dangerous and pleasurable” (185).

It’s a contentious argument. Are the ibises victims of environmental destruction or two simple dandies, drunk on mercury and childlessness? Both interpretations fall into the trap of anthropomorphization or at least assuming the birds feel anything at all. Either the birds are experiencing queer suffering or they are experiencing queer joy. Even if the birds could speak, it is unlikely they’d be able to articulate the difference. Do you think you’re more miserable now than you would have been, had the mercury not poisoned you? And does your homosexual lovebird feel the same way?

At my medical check-up, the doctor asks me if I’m enjoying the hormone therapy.

WELL, I say, THERE’S A PANDEMIC, SO I’M NOT REALLY ENJOYING ANYTHING.

“Give it time,” he says, as if I have anything else to give. ]

Felix Lecocq, Mosquito: A Memoir (2022)

[thefisherqueen]

Sherlock Holmes' The hound of the Baskervilles, chapter XII - Death on the moor

Let's see if I can catch up the three remaining chapters this weekend :) First note - Doyle and titles continue their fraught relationship. A bit of a spoiler, this chapter's title, did you not think so, my good sir? Anyway, let's get started! Whose death will it be?? For a moment or two I sat breathless, hardly able to believe my ears. Then my senses and my voice came back to me, while a crushing weight of responsibility seemed in an instant to be lifted from my soul. That cold, incisive, ironical voice could belong to but one man in all the world. “Holmes!” I cried—“Holmes!” “Come out,” said he, “and please be careful with the revolver.” I stooped under the rude lintel, and there he sat upon a stone outside, his gray eyes dancing with amusement as they fell upon my astonished features. Always delightful to read about Watson being thoroughly astonished by Holmes. Doyle's writing is also so good here - I can hear exactly how that voice must sound, see that sparkle in those gray eyes before me

He was thin and worn, but clear and alert, his keen face bronzed by the sun and roughened by the wind. In his tweed suit and cloth cap he looked like any other tourist upon the moor, and he had contrived, with that cat-like love of personal cleanliness which was one of his characteristics, that his chin should be as smooth and his linen as perfect as if he were in Baker Street. Cat-like Holmes :) :) Holmes' poor errand boy must beside food also been hauling back and forth a whole assortment of dirty/clean clothes, shaving kits and other toiletteries, plus a mirror. No other way Holmes could have stayed that clean in a leaky hut without electricity or plumbing upon the rainy, boggy, chilly moor. Gods he's quite a dandy, isn't he? If you seriously desire to deceive me you must change your tobacconist; for when I see the stub of a cigarette marked Bradley, Oxford Street, I know that my friend Watson is in the neighbourhood. You will see it there beside the path. Smoking is Not Stealthy! Feeling vindicated that Watson was caught that way

“I did not know who you were, but I was determined to find out.” “Excellent, Watson! And how did you localize me? You saw me, perhaps, on the night of the convict hunt, when I was so imprudent as to allow the moon to rise behind me?” I know perfectly well that Holmes here means that he shouldn't have stood between Watson and the moon, of course, but his specific phrasing still made me laugh. Like Holmes could have prevented the moon from rising by simply not allowing it xD

I thought that you were in Baker Street working out that case of blackmailing.” “That was what I wished you to think.” “Then you use me, and yet do not trust me!” I cried with some bitterness. “I think that I have deserved better at your hands, Holmes.” “My dear fellow, you have been invaluable to me in this as in many other cases, and I beg that you will forgive me if I have seemed to play a trick upon you. In truth, it was partly for your own sake that I did it, and it was my appreciation of the danger which you ran which led me to come down and examine the matter for myself. Watson's understandable frustration at not being Told Things by Holmes goes on. "I only lied to you to keep you safe" is still not an ok excuse, Holmes. Treat your Watson better! I'm really curious for interpretations about this continuing source of tension between them. Myself, I think that Holmes acts too controlling out of fear, convinced that it is his responsibility only to keep his dearest ones safe and that telling Watson things would mean to needlessly worry and endanger him. And it's only much later in canon (for example, in The illustrious client) that Holmes becomes better at also letting Watson carry a part of that responsibility. If you look at it from a Doylist standpoint, however, that tendency of Holmes to not tell Watson things serves very well to keep Watson - and thus the reader - partly ignorant

“But why keep me in the dark?” “For you to know could not have helped us, and might possibly have led to my discovery. You would have wished to tell me something, or in your kindness you would have brought me out some comfort or other, and so an unnecessary risk would be run.  Oh, Holmes. You care so much, but man, you need to let go (*having way too many feelings about this*)

Holmes took a bundle of papers from his pocket. “Here are your reports, my dear fellow, and very well thumbed, I assure you. I made excellent arrangements, and they are only delayed one day upon their way. I must compliment you exceedingly upon the zeal and the intelligence which you have shown over an extraordinarily difficult case.” I was still rather raw over the deception which had been practised upon me, but the warmth of Holmes's praise drove my anger from my mind. I felt also in my heart that he was right in what he said and that it was really best for our purpose that I should not have known that he was upon the moor. Oh my, this chapter just keeps hitting me straight in the feels. Here's another example of Watson being just as sensitive to Holmes' praise and approval as the other way around, and I also want to hug him, because that sensitivity (I believe stemming from deep insecurity) also makes him rather too forgiving of some of Holmes' faults. Disaster men, the two of them (I love them so much)

“I am giving you some information now, in return for all that you have given me. The lady who has passed here as Miss Stapleton is in reality his wife.” “Good heavens, Holmes! Are you sure of what you say? How could he have permitted Sir Henry to fall in love with her?” “Sir Henry's falling in love could do no harm to anyone except Sir Henry. He took particular care that Sir Henry did not make love to her, as you have yourself observed.” OMG. That is a marvelous (and much less disturbing) explanation for the incest-like vibes of those two

All my unspoken instincts, my vague suspicions, suddenly took shape and centred upon the naturalist. In that impassive, colourless man, with his straw hat and his butterfly-net, I seemed to see something terrible—a creature of infinite patience and craft, with a smiling face and a murderous heart. “It is he, then, who is our enemy—it is he who dogged us in London?” “So I read the riddle.” “And the warning—it must have come from her!” “Exactly.” So it really is Stapleton. I can't say I'm totally surprised - it was evident that Something was up with him - but still, well played, Doyle. You really succeeded in making that man seem harmless and adorable and at the same time too obvious to be the main villain. So, Stapleton murdered Charles Baskerville (either directly or indirectly) and is plotting something similar, I assume, for sir Henry. My joking suspicion of him hiding a huge hound who obeys him somewhere (in that mire perhaps?) might be true after all. Still wondering about his motive. It's obvious he's in need of money after that school debatacle, but how that money would get to him, I don't understand yet. I'm somewhat dissapointed that his wife seems to vaguely try to conteract her husband's plans. I have a fondness for evil couples - it's a welcome change from the often heavily aromantic-coded villain

He was once a schoolmaster in the north of England. Now, there is no one more easy to trace than a schoolmaster. There are scholastic agencies by which one may identify any man who has been in the profession. A little investigation showed me that a school had come to grief under atrocious circumstances, and that the man who had owned it—the name was different—had disappeared with his wife. The descriptions agreed. When I learned that the missing man was devoted to entomology the identification was complete. This would make a lot of sense, and I'm annoyed at myself for not thinking 'research and check this man's history'. Distracted by the adorable moth-chasing, I guess

“If this woman is in truth his wife, where does Mrs. Laura Lyons come in?” I asked. Watson asking the good questions

Your interview with the lady has cleared the situation very much. I did not know about a projected divorce between herself and her husband. In that case, regarding Stapleton as an unmarried man, she counted no doubt upon becoming his wife.” “And when she is undeceived?” “Why, then we may find the lady of service. Hell yeah, undeceive her. This really clears up a lot - also that her unknown source of support was Stapleton - and I'm so glad that despite the 'faults in her beauty' she seems innocent of the plot

Another day—two at the most—and I have my case complete, but until then guard your charge as closely as ever a fond mother watched her ailing child. Your mission to-day has justified itself, and yet I could almost wish that you had not left his side. Hark!” A terrible scream—a prolonged yell of horror and anguish—burst out of the silence of the moor. That frightful cry turned the blood to ice in my veins. Poor Watson! Everything went so well for him - a succesful investigation, being reunited with Holmes, them almost completely solving the case - and then, bam, this happens. Quick guess before I know who is dead: the convict. Perhaps he was in the wrong place, at the wrong time. Or else Barrymore perhaps? Don't think there are others who would risk to be out on the moor at night

Holmes had sprung to his feet, and I saw his dark, athletic outline at the door of the hut, his shoulders stooping, his head thrust forward, his face peering into the darkness. 'dark, athletic outline' Watson is unable to stop fawning over his returned Holmes even in this moment

“Where is it?” Holmes whispered; and I knew from the thrill of his voice that he, the man of iron, was shaken to the soul. “Where is it, Watson?” Holmes being terrified does things to my heart

“He has beaten us, Watson. We are too late.” “No, no, surely not!” “Fool that I was to hold my hand. And you, Watson, see what comes of abandoning your charge! But, by Heaven, if the worst has happened, we'll avenge him!” Holmes' very cold and rational reaction to tragedy: 1) blame himself 2) blame watson 3) swear revenge Maybe first find out what happened, Holmes? (it IS a very realistic and human reaction. Just amused at yet another counterexample of the Man Without Feelings)

Not a whisper, not a rustle, rose now from the dark figure over which we stooped. Holmes laid his hand upon him, and held it up again, with an exclamation of horror. The gleam of the match which he struck shone upon his clotted fingers and upon the ghastly pool which widened slowly from the crushed skull of the victim. And it shone upon something else which turned our hearts sick and faint within us—the body of Sir Henry Baskerville! Oh dear. Did not expect it would be sir Henry himself. You idiot, you were not supposed to go out, especially not alone in the dark. I suppose he went in search of Watson - which is just tragic

“I am more to blame than you, Watson. In order to have my case well rounded and complete, I have thrown away the life of my client. It is the greatest blow which has befallen me in my career. But how could I know—how could l know—that he would risk his life alone upon the moor in the face of all my warnings?” Glad to see some rational thought slipping back in. There's only so much one can do - some people just refuse to be saved, I guess

“We must send for help, Holmes! We cannot carry him all the way to the Hall. Good heavens, are you mad?” He had uttered a cry and bent over the body. Now he was dancing and laughing and wringing my hand. Could this be my stern, self-contained friend? These were hidden fires, indeed! “A beard! A beard! The man has a beard!” “A beard?” “It is not the baronet—it is—why, it is my neighbour, the convict!” Damn, Doyle is about to give me whiplash. So my first guess was correct after all - it was the convict who's dead. Maybe he was given Henry's suit by Barrymore and his wife for his flight? (still a little fucked up of Holmes to laugh but I guess it can be forgiven in these circumstances)

Then in an instant it was all clear to me. I remembered how the baronet had told me that he had handed his old wardrobe to Barrymore. Barrymore had passed it on in order to help Selden in his escape. Boots, shirt, cap—it was all Sir Henry's. Might have told us that detail earlier, Watson

“Then the clothes have been the poor devil's death,” said he. “It is clear enough that the hound has been laid on from some article of Sir Henry's—the boot which was abstracted in the hotel, in all probability—and so ran this man down. And that's another little mystery solved - that of the stolen boots. Not for the footsteps, but for the scent

“Who—who's this?” he stammered. “It is Selden, the man who escaped from Princetown.” Stapleton turned a ghastly face upon us, but by a supreme effort he had overcome his amazement and his disappointment. He looked sharply from Holmes to me. “Dear me! What a very shocking affair! How did he die?” Almost feeling bad for Stapleton here. His murder plan turned out to have murdered the wrong person, and he can't even be properly upset about it, but has to act all shocked and innocent before Holmes and Watson

By the way”—his eyes darted again from my face to Holmes's—“did you hear anything else besides a cry?” “No,” said Holmes; “did you?” “No.” “What do you mean, then?” “Oh, you know the stories that the peasants tell about a phantom hound, and so on. It is said to be heard at night upon the moor. I was wondering if there were any evidence of such a sound to-night. Cracking up at the unsubtle way here that Stapleton is trying to find out how much Holmes and Watson know Resisting Stapleton's offer of hospitality, Holmes and I set off to Baskerville Hall, leaving the naturalist to return alone. Looking back we saw the figure moving slowly away over the broad moor, and behind him that one black smudge on the silvered slope which showed where the man was lying who had come so horribly to his end. Am fascinated sometimes by what is considered a horrible death. I'm sure this man's last minutes must have been hell, running in terror - but at least the actually fall was a quick death, and from my point of view vastly preferable to death by hanging, which was standard death penalty at the time and place this book was written (can you tell I have a fear for choking?)

Well, this sure was a ride! I'm going to take a while to recover and then going on with the next chapter

[loony-n-moony]

Midoriya Should've Stayed Quirkless.

So i haven't been active in the MHA fandom for quite some time, but nostalgia brought me back to it. And along my nostalgia-fueled binge I've noticed a lot more stuff narrative wise that i kinda wanted to talk about.

That being, of course, that Midoriya (i'll be calling him Deku since it's easier) should NEVER have gotten a quirk.

The narrative theme that MHA pushes (or wants to push i should say), is that "anyone can be a hero" which would be fine and dandy if Deku's entire existence didn't destroy that. What do I mean? I'll tell you.

Literally the very first thing we find out about the world is that quirks are given to 80% of the population, and that little 20% group of "quirkless" people are pretty much shat on in every way, as demonstrated by Bakugou and the entirety of Deku's flashbacks. He's seen as a failure and a wannabe, his mother breaks down sobbing after they get news of his lack of quirk, and he's in utter shambles as well. Despite being able to get into UA on grades alone, it's believed he'll never make it far, and that he simply doesn't have the means to do so. Sound familiar? It should if you're disabled.

Deku is disabled in an allegorical sense, and he honestly doesn't make a bad allegory. It can be interpreted as either physical disability, or neurodivergency due to the broadness of what "quirklessness" entails, along with his overall personality. Things seem to be looking up in this sense, and it would pretty intriguing to see how this kid with no powers makes it by in a school with superpowered kids. Or it would, I should say.

The entire allegory along with the theme completely falls in on itself because Deku, after receiving a speech about how "anyone can be a hero! Even quirkless kids like you!" Immediately becomes allegorically abled a couple scenes later. The entire message becomes completely void after this, as Deku loses pretty much what made his character interesting to begin with.

"But if he did stay quirkless, how would the story even progress?!" I hear you ask, and i can answer that.

See, I am of the opinion that the story would’ve been ten times more interesting had Deku never gotten a quirk. I mean- c’mon. We have Batman don’t we? Sure, we have plenty of characters with downright useless quirks that have made it into UA, so why wouldn’t Deku be the same?

Simple! Just have Deku be the first to join the hero class. A quirkless kid getting by on nothing but his brains and downright insane attunement with his surroundings? And maybe some gadgets from his buddies over at the gear classes? That sounds awesome as fuck! Not to mention nearly all of his relationships with the characters become way more interesting.

Bakugou instead of being threatened by his fantastic new power, instead is witnessing the kid who he bullied for years on end completely dominate any competition thrown his way, and grow his skills at an incredible rate. Not only does he feel threatened, but he’s being proven wrong. Quirkless kids can be heroes. And they can be better than him. Now who doesn’t love a good bully getting their just desserts? And in what is arguably far more satisfying and empowering than just, “Wow Deku has better powers than me”. It also makes his sports arc moment with Todoroki feel far more satisfying as well.

“It’s your power not his” feels strangely more impactful when you realize Deku had to get his “power” from the ground up. He used what he had to get by, despite everyone saying he was nothing. It’s not Bakugou’s, it’s not his parents, and it’s not Allmight’s, it’s his.

Speaking of Allmight, where would he even fit in all this nonsense? Well, who said he had to give Deku a quirk to be his mentor? It was already pre-established that Allmight was thinking of giving Mirio his quirk. If we could have Allmight have already given his quirk to Mirio, it would not only give us a foreshadow of his character, but also give Allmight a reason for Deku to not have his quirk. Allmight used to be quirkless himself, so seeing a little boy in a similar position to himself when he was younger, and wanting to give that kid the chance to prosper for who he is? Not only is that super sweet, but honestly makes Allmight look like a better person.

There were so many ways in which the story could continue as we see it with the omission of Deku’s quirk. And I’m my eyes, a far more satisfying and empowering story that keeps its narrative.

[runningatypufullspeed]

@vostokmcclellan you have no clue what you have just unleashed within me. You reap what you sow. You have asked, and you shall DEFINITELY receive

Intoduction to C,honny jash 🔥🔥🔥 (no way fire... like from *gets shot)

CLAPS HANDS TOGETHER OKAY. OKAY. so chonny jash is this really cool singer guy song cover man on YouTube he makes some really good goddamn music and if you like tally hall, will wood, lemon demon (all other alternative/indie music creators and bands) then you MIGHT like him.

I think his most popular work/the work that gets most people invested into his music in the first place would be his album CCCC (chonny’s charming chaos compendium) which is a cover album consisting of songs that were originally from tally hall before jash took the lyrics and the music and like. Molded it to fit his ocs. That’s the best way I can describe it.

The three main characters of this album would be Heart, Mind, and Soul, and people (including me) GO ABSOLUTELY NUTS OVER THEM jash’s writing and singing and like general music skills are so good if you want to get into this album I’d seriously consider checking out his mind electric video first (the twelve minute one, it has 3 songs in total and they all do a pretty good job of introducing all three characters respectively).

Not only is the music like REALLY FUCKING GOOD the entire. Differentiation between sepereate characters based off of jash's artistic skills thing + motifs/symbolism for each one is extremely well thought out and the relationships between the three of these guys are CRAZY and TOXIC and RIVETING and bottom line SUPER GODDAMN RELATABLE to the vast majority of those in his audience. I would definitely recommend it if you enjoy concept albums/piecing together a story based off of several songs for me it was certainly an arduous process but BOY was it rewarding.

The lore/message itself is mostly up to listener interpretation but I personally like to think of that album as being centered around how valuable self acceptance is, how important communication and understanding and empathy is in a relationship, learning to break free from the bars that society cages one within, and just general dealings/causations of psychological turmoil. I think that what I like the MOST about CCCC tho is how lax/free you can be with your interpretations. it allows a LOT of space for creative liberty and overall message variation, and I like that. I like that very much.

OH and if you enjoy witty lyricism/enjoy having a bunch of allusions that you can rabbit-hole yourself into then you’ll probably like chonny jash . His stuff is like a puzzle but in video/music form. Anyway chonny jash changed my life I think everybody should listen to and look at the lyrics of one of his songs at least once in their life this shit is so good

Tergun 🤤

AND . AND TRIGUN. TRIGUN ISN’T A VIDEO GAME it’S a space western anime. Well OKAY it was originally a manga from the 90s that got adapted into an anime in the late 90s and then ANOTHER newer anime in 2023 so it’s actually just a broad term for these 3 pieces of media .

This is very general btw and while all adaptations go about it in different ways all of them center around the same plot; humans completely NERFED earth so they sent out these ships in order to find another habitable planet, and this mission is called “project seeds”. Aboard these ships are a bunch of humans put into cold sleep but OBVIOUSLY they can’t survive without resources, so alongside the cold sleep people are these human-made organisms called “Plants” who produce the necessities + more that humans need to survive.

Still with me? Ok So everything’s all fine and dandy, but then suddenly due to an event that I cannot disclose because of spoiler related reasons these ships CRASH on a deserted sandy desolate planet, and the remaining humans are then forced to survive solely off of the remaining plants (since all the technology from the spacefaring age was lost in the crash).

Now that the worldbuilding stuff’s outta the way, the main character is this dude named Vash the Stampede who is constantly being chased and hunted down because of this CRAZY bounty he’s got on his head and this is where . The main themes of Trigun start to shine through. It’s about morality and the lives of other people, about the cycles of abuse that lead to why people do certain things and it dives quite deep into the psychological and philosophical aspects ESPECIALLY since this is like a “kill or be killed” world and the main character ALWAYS chooses NOT to kill, no matter what.

I started out with watching the newest adaptation (Trigun stampede) but there’s no right or wrong order to consume the three medias, so start with whichever one you’d like ,,,, assuming you do want to start watching it, anyway.

Judging from what little i know about ur interests, I think trigun would be more up your alley BUT ALSO chonny jash is so good ESPECIALLY CCCC AND ESPECIALLY IF YOU ENJOY A SMALLER AMOUNT OF CHARACTERS COUGH COUGH COUGH but it's ultimately up to you, this is all assuming you'd wanna delve into anything in the first place. anyway yeah rant over . 👍