#they could still stand to communicate a little better sometimes but we might get there one day

[detective-and-dreamer]

Answering that question about Nora and her feelings on mysterious people reminded me of something I was thinking about recently: the responses you'd get for asking her and Emory what do you like about each other? Not that I think they would give most people a genuine emotional response, but we'll ignore that.

Because on a superficial level, they do not seem well-matched to most people. Not in social or economic status, not in general interests (they're a zailor and she hates the Zee, for fuck's sake), not in temperament.

For Nora, it's the fact that Emory is exactly what he seems to be: a kind, clever, fierce person who does whatever he can to keep his loved ones happy and at least somewhat safe. She had become so used to unraveling dozens of little layers of pretense and then finding that there was just...nothing underneath. A game that started out fun and ended in disappointment. So many shallow friends and lovers, most of whom wouldn't go out of their way for her even if she would do the same for them. She can and does have a good time with Emory, but she can also trust them to be there when things are hard and to let her discuss her negative emotions without fear of pity or judgment (even if she does feel bad for dragging them into all of her Nemesis-related mess). Sometimes she thinks she can even see what he loves about zailing - she also enjoys her relative freedom and finds happiness and excitement in her work.

Emory is thrilled by Nora. He never would have imagined that being roped into acting as a detective's sidekick for a few days would end up being so exciting, let alone lead him to making one of the best friends he's ever had. They may be pretty laid-back for the most part, but they do love the adrenaline rush of a hunt or a fight, and running around with her often provides that. And then they found that she brings the same intensity to just about everything else, including the way she cares about people. He was admittedly wary of her prying, but even when she figured him out, it didn't bother her for a moment that he was raised by criminals (and sometimes still is one himself). She's passionate, she's encouraging, she's generous with her time and resources. Even when she's reckless and gets herself hurt or lost, she always makes her way back to them, and she's as much a safe haven for them as they are for her - someone they can always come home to.

Basically, they understand each other, and even when they don't, they don't try to change each other. That gets them past any differences they have.

[mischiefmaker615]

You're So Dark (1 of 2)

Inspiration: Arctic Monkeys - "You're So Dark" Song

Requester: @kathren1sky-blog

Summary: Someone seems to have taken notice of you.. more than you expected..

Note: Happy Spooky Season! 

Rating: R

“your out of the dress code again.’’

You cast a glance over your shoulder at your supervisor who kept walking, knowing it was an endless battle where you would just keep showing up with your black makeup on. Right down to your choker that stayed comfortably tight around your neck, you told yourself they should be grateful you even bothered putting on the SHIELD uniform on today.

Halloween was upon you all, just at the end of this week and you thought there was nothing wrong with getting into the spirit things.. even if you were the only one celebrating. Then again.. you practically celebrated every day..

You took walks in cemeteries, isolated with your dark romance books and rocked the black ‘everything’ look no matter what occasion. What was wrong with you? You weren’t sure how to answer that when people asked, though they didn’t stay long for an answer. Not many people talked to you at work- anywhere.. they might assume you looked like you didn’t want to be bothered. Needless to say, that didn’t stop the eyes that would stare, one sharper than the others while you worked about in your environment- oblivious and innocent.

Loki often roamed around the tower in silence, sometimes reading outside his room on a good day. You thought his mysterious and quiet side was an invitation to find something in common, but whenever you would work up the guts to even think about approaching, he vanished. Yes, he was real. Yet seemed to not stay long whenever you were around.

Perhaps he thought you were weird, like the rest. His taste in company was rather picky. Hella picky. At least it didn’t mess with your usual ‘lone self’ routine. Quite recently you caught him at work, roaming around still and looking down his nose while some agents babbled on about a job we all knew he wasn’t going to accept. At least looking like he was trying bought him time here before Fury would realize he could care less about paying off his ‘community service.’

‘’trick or treat’’ one of your coworkers snickered past you, earning a glare while you did your best to be as polite in the work place as possible.

‘’fuck off.’’ Failed.

Maybe it was better to not talk to anyone, they seemed to be all the same anyway and you enjoyed your secluded cubical where you didn’t seem to get bothered.. that is, until you turned the corner.

You stopped short to find Loki lounging in your roller chair, ankles crossed while a lazy arm roamed around your items you had on the desk- décor and trinkets you somehow got away with by your bosses whom looked the other way as long as you did a good job.

‘’to my understanding, you humans don’t tend to take an interest in the remains once flesh has been removed. Shall I locate the trash bin?” Loki asked innocently, his eyes not even looking up at you while he turned your raven skull in his hand curiously.

‘’no-!’’ you gasped, stopping yourself short once his teasing eyes flicked up at you, making you glare and try to lower your voice as you stepped more into your cube, having to stand since a certain someone was in your chair. ‘’it’s décor.. safe to keep.’’

‘’and your interested in things like this?” he asked, not a tone of judgement in his voice while his eyes seemed to study you, mainly below your neck as you crossed your arms, somehow the choker feeling a little bit tighter.

‘’well.. yes- why waste something that won’t deteriorate? Any fascination of- no- never mind.. can I help you?” you shake your head, trying to figure out why he was here and not babble like an idiot. He probably didn’t care about all this anyway and would think your weird just like all the rest if you kept talking.

‘’you could very much help me darling,’’ he smirked as he set the skull down and uncrossed his legs, manspreading while his fingers laced together in front of him. ‘’but I’m sure we have to keep things professional around here.’’

You blinked at him, trying to take in what was happening right now. Did he just.. suggest an innuendo? The man who seemed to vanish every time you were around and yet here he was, in your chair, messing with your stuff and suggesting something sexual? ‘’..I don’t underst-‘’

‘’of course you don’t, not by word from mouth darling. Yet I’m sure you would perfectly understand it if it was written down.’’ He smirked and stood up, his height making itself highly aware while you tilted your eyes up at him.

‘’I’m.. sorry-‘’

‘’you enjoy books darling, is that correct? I’ve come to offer you an opportunity to gaze upon a selection of mine that may poke your interest.’’ He said calmly, his eyes almost finding themselves distracted as your arms tightened in their fold against your chest, the material somehow getting itch the more he stared while you opened your mouth to make an attempt to guess what he was talking about.

‘’are you talking about.. bo-‘’

‘’books.’’

‘’books! Of course!’’ you laughed sheepishly, your social awkwardness dripping out as you rubbed the back of your neck. Of course he wasn’t talking about anything sexual- Loki was well known to be stuck behind a book,.. but.. ‘’how do you know I enjoy books?”

‘’the quiet Midgardians tend to find themselves partaking in activities that send them anywhere else but here. Due to the fact that we also share the same living arrangements at the Iron Idiot’s domain, I figured.. we might as well get along.’’

By gods.. was he reaching out to try to be friends? You? Him? your brow raised more, waiting as if for the punchline where he would then turn this into a joke, leave like the rest and allow you to inherit the title ‘weird’ all over again. The more you watched him, the longer a conversation about books felt weird- because of you.

‘’er- sure!’’ you said almost to excitedly while your eyes dropped to the ground, your hands meeting in front of you to play with your sleeves while you started over. ‘’-I get off at 5:00, I’ll meet you at 6:00?”

‘’I would guess you know where my chambers are?” he hummed.

‘’yes.’’ You cut yourself short, hoping it wasn’t weird you knew where it was considering it was a big tower but you shifted in your stance and looked up, just to find Loki had gotten closer, making your eternal insides jump.

‘’then I shall see you at 6:00, I do hope you find something that.. matches your interests..’’ his voice got lower, looking down his nose at you while the tip of your shoes practically touched his. ‘’Y/N.’’

‘’hm?- oh yes of course.. I’m sure I can find something..’’ you said quickly, hating the fact you thought your name had been a question rather than him finishing his current sentence. Geez why were you like this.. no wonder you kept to yourself. But the amused look in his eyes seemed to ease you out of the pain while you tilted your head more up at him.

‘’Y/N?” he hummed, his voice almost at a whisper, almost as if he were testing your name on his tongue.

‘’yes?-‘’

‘’might I get by?” he smirked, clearly amused at your eternal suffering in this moment as your eyes rounded and quickly moved to the side, your body sideways to let him slide while your cheeks reddened.

‘’of course.. sorry-‘’

You heard an exhale of a chuckle as he turned his body every so slightly to pass by you, his side still managing to rub against yours, almost lingering before he disappeared out of your cubical.

You were so grateful you judged the chair correctly while you plopped down into it without looking, your brain obviously racing at what had just happened right now.

‘’6:00..’’ you whispered, almost having small doubts whether it was a good idea or not before your eyes moved back to the computer screen.

~

Somehow walking past a cemetery seemed a lot more comforting than the walk down the halls towards Loki’s room. Were you being rude? He was reaching out- in his own sort of way- to try to make friends and here you were wanting to retreat in your dark and secluded territory of your bedroom. You loved books, it obviously gained his interest compared to what the others had to offer- which he seemed to already dismiss considering it was the other Avengers in the tower. The strange thing about it was.. you don’t remember bringing your books out of your room to really give Loki an opportunity to know you loved them.. how did he know?

No going back now, you lifted your eyes to find you stood right outside his door. After having taken a quick shower, the choker was back on your neck- ripped jeans with fishnets beneath them and a black, oversize sweater. There was no goal here, it was all purely comfort and an outfit most people didn’t try to understand while they looked down their nose and called you goth.

You.. supposed? You liked particular things, you’ve always considering yourself different, but you weren’t sure if there was quite a label out there for you. You were just.. you. And you seemed to have peeked the interest somehow from a particular god of mischief whose door opened just as you had raised a hand to knock.

‘’right on time darling, I quite admire that.’’ Loki purred, a sly smile on his lips as his eyes dipped below your neck to take you in, eventually coming back up to meet your eyes. ‘’do come in.’’

A small part of the brain in these situations will always nag you, telling you no or reconsider- second guess. Most people choose to ignore it, which meant a small part of you fit in with the others and chose to step in without hesitation.

No sooner did the door close was when you felt a slender hand make contact with mild harshness in your ass, causing you to yelp more in surprise and quicken a step forward before you spun around to face Loki.

His hands clasped behind his back, looking rather proud of himself while he smirked at your wide-eyed face.

‘’what the hell??”

‘’don’t tell me you didn’t enjoy that darling, you don’t exactly hide your sexual wants.’’ He chuckled, his voice seductively low while he took a step forward.

You instinctually took a step back, your hands raised to hover by your chest, almost as if ready to strike out if needed while your tried to muster up rage that never came. ‘’what are you- you have no right to do something like that!”

‘’what do you wish for me to do darling? Apologize?” he asked with such innocence, he almost seemed to shrug while he spoke. ‘’I regret nothing, and I dare say you want me to do it again..’’ with another step forward, you took a step back, feeling the redness on your cheeks while a mild sting reminded you of the not-so-long-ago events.

‘’t-that’s not why I came here-‘’

‘’ah, so you wish to make another appointment so we could do such things?’’ he teased and waved a hand to indicate behind you, making you glance to what he was referring at before you felt him press to your side, an arm wrapping around your shoulder to guide you himself. ‘’the books I spoke of are right over here, I’m sure you’ll find quite the selection- some you most likely have already indulged in. your Midgardian literature has quite an interesting taste’’ he told you simply, acting as if everything were normal while your body tensed and for some reason, let him guide you to the library along the wall.

It was huge- from bottom to ceiling there were books! Of course someone his height probably didn’t need a ladder but you probably would struggle getting something from the top while your eyes lifted to scan them all. You felt him slowly step away, taking a stance behind you while your eyes tried to focus ahead, feeling his hand slide away from your side, taking his time until his finger tips eventually vanished as well.

‘’you have.. quite the collection..’’ you offered, hoping to begin the journey away from what had just happened while you practically felt his eyes on you from behind.

‘’I’m sure you recognize a few, go on, take a better look..’’ you felt his hand return to your lower back, your feet jumping to take the initiative to get closer rather than wait for him to push. Something was going on.. something not right..

He was always quite, kept to himself and observant.. any conversation you did seem to catch amongst souls were very short, dry and boring. He clearly had no interest in talking with anyone- but right now, it seemed like he was hinting.. wanting.. waiting..

His hand slowly removed itself again, taking its time until his finger tips ghosted under your sweater before moving to his side again. ‘okay okay- just pick a book, be polite and be gone’ your mind told you, making your eyes search and scan quickly until your eyes fell upon a familiar title.

Maid to Honor.

Your eyes squinted, feeling yourself lean a little bit more while your hand rose to ghost over the spins of the books. Your head tilted every so slightly to read sideways while your eyes moved to read more.

Tears of a Mermaid.

You blinked. No.. there was no way.. it was a coincidence.. just to be sure, your eyes skipped a few books and landed on another on a different shelf, only to widen at yet another familiar title.

Ghost.

‘’these.. these are..’’

‘’yours, my love.’’ Loki smiled, having joined your side with his hands clasped behind his back while he scanned the books as well. ‘’each, and every one. Of course.. I took the liberty to convert your shorter stories- the one shots, if you so call them? Into more individual books.’’ He waved his hand more up the shelf, having you raise your eyes in horror to find thinner books but still with the same titles what read ‘Doctor, Love Potion, Sex Pollen, Dark Angel.’

You quickly took a step away, eyes widen while Loki tilted his head, watching you over his shoulder while you shook your head and gazed at the bookcase. ‘’no- no these aren’t-‘’

‘’come now darling, you are a brilliant writer, do not shorten your rights for credit’’ Loki chuckled and turned more to face you, waving a hand behind him at the books that seemed to mock your eyes. ‘’I will not be selling these, if that is what worries you. I simply just prefer it’s raw form rather than.. digital. However, I do check now and again encase your.. naughty mind comes up with anything else..’’ he smirked and you shook your head.

‘’I don’t know what your talking ab-‘’

‘’Y/Username? Ring any bells darling? Clarification is useless to be anyway, I can sense your denial as easily as a lie.’’ Loki chuckled, sighing as his eyes then began to roam again, undressing you with his eyes practically where you hugged your arms.

‘’you’re so dark.. and you’re so mysterious..’’ he whispered, a sly smile spreading over his lips as his eyes flicked up at yours again. ‘’or perhaps to everyone else. I quite find your mind.. alluring..’’

You weren’t going to waste time trying to convince him that wasn’t you. It was a lie anyway.. NO ONE on this damn green earth knew of your secret hobby, our pass time, your escape onto the internet where you wrote.. wrote about anyone you found attractive, any scenario you imaged being in or perhaps trying out some day.. but you nearly wanted to die when you had forgotten about a few stories you let star the famous Loki Laufeyson.

‘’it w-was a long time ago-‘’

‘’how long darling? You act as if you haven’t touched these novels in ages. No matter, I can tell you exactly the last time I’ve starred in your little.. fantasies..’’ he smirked and turned his back to you, a single finger gliding amongst the spines while you backed yourself up while he wasn’t looking towards the door. ‘’ah- this one,’’ he smirked and pulled out a smaller book, slipping a single page while his eyes scanned. ‘’it would seem it is not updated, taking place with my little encounter with your city New York.’’ He read, seeming to chotted a few notes down where he was reading.

Your hand reached behind you, keeping your eyes on him while he was distracted while your hand tried the door handle. ‘fuck- locked..’

‘’fuck, indeed.’’ Loki chuckled, the snap of the book getting your attention and having your attention back on him as he raised his eyes over to you. ‘’a word you so often like to use, under more meanings than one..’’

‘’stay out of my head..’’ you glared and he chuckled, turning his back with no concern while he put the book back in its proper place. ‘’oh darling, I recently discovered you like me being in your head..’’

‘’and upon my discovery just now, if your last publishing was when I starred in New York, dare I say your writing attractions revolved when I was.. cruel..’’ he smirked, eyes lazily turning back to you with no rush at all.

‘’it’s just writing- it doesn’t mean anything in real life- half those stories were merely requests by other people’s inter-‘’

‘’not all of them.’’ He interrupted with a finger pointing towards the ceiling, somehow silencing you.

‘’I’m quite flattered by this.. little community. Yet I have a point I truly need to clarify which you stated just now.’’ He said carefully, his hands behind his back once again while he took dangerous steps towards you. ‘’you said writing doesn’t mean anything in real life, that is where you are wrong.’’

You gave him an odd look, mixed with a warning as he drew near, feeling yourself press up against the locked door with your heart racing. What did he want.. why did he care.. were you truly some sick little fuck that inserted people into stories just for fun times? Was it a consent thing?

‘’when I struck your tight little ass, I could practically smell the arousal that sparked from you- deny it as you may.. that gorgeous little collar of yours- in which I would love to switch out for one of mine, just indicated you relish in the pressure it brings and tells me you enjoy being choked..’’ he rose a hand at this, making you flinch a little with your head turning to the side as if he was going to do just that, only to find him resting is flat against the door beside your head.

‘’you wish for people to leave you alone in this world only because you relish in the sweet escape of a book.. as most of us do, even I find myself guilty of the same thing. However, one day you found out why read when you could create your own worlds? Make anything happen? Anything possible? You dream of things to form into reality, but because you cant, this.. fan fiction, is the closest you can ever get to it.. and by such, you intertwine your real life between the very lines you type on the screen..’’ he smirked, his voice dangerously low to a whisper while his other hand moved to caress your side, his thumb ghosting under your sweater while he studied your reactions. ‘’you find me attractive.. my attention has neglected you so you find yourself pulling me into your fantasies..’’

His soft whispers could almost be heard beside your ear, your eyes wide as denial began to fade away and the cold truth causing you to shiver. You turned your face back to look at him, the tip of your nose almost brushing up against his while his eyes slowly dipped to look at your lips.

‘’but the best part of all this darling.. is all you had to do.. was ask..’’ 

PART TWO

~DM a song for your own Musical Mischief one shot! 

~Fan Fiction books/one shots were Cameos of my work that you can find on my Masterlist :) thank you for your support! 

Tag List: @foxherder13 @asgards-princess-of-mischief @fire-in-her-veinz @nervouseden

[originallandlockedmariner]

I’m nothing special.

I’m just flawed and weak as the next person. I let my emotions get the best of me at times. I’m not perfect. I read old messages looking for clues. I listen to old playlists of sad songs when I’m sad. I swear too much. Drink too much. I can be selfish and impatient. I’m a sarcastic asshole for alarmingly long periods of the day. I regret choices I’ve made, words I’ve said in anger, people I’ve let down. I’m no role model. Wow, there’s an understatement. But every day I own my shit. I’m accountable and humble. Every day, I try to just be a little bit better than yesterday. Becoming who you are is a life long journey, baby step after setback after stumble after lesson learned. Forever forward. Green and growing as they say.

I wake up and look at those four framed sentences. “Be impeccable with your word. Don’t take anything personally. Don’t make assumptions. Always do your best.” Simple and yet powerful.

Every day, I’m trying to see things differently. Gain perspective. Embrace not taking every single thing personally. Getting cut off in traffic, not personal. Waiting forever in line for coffee, not personal. It is an uphill climb getting comfortable with the concept that nothing others’ do is directly because of you or to upset you. People do what they do because of themselves. That’s it. Even when they treat you awfully or take you for granted, it has more to do with what’s going on with them than you. *insert lecture about Attribution Error.

As for assumptions, I kinda have a PhD in that field. Never met a situation, never had a conversation, never waited for a text, that I couldn’t attach an assumption to. Assumptions are generally born from misunderstanding and a fear of asking questions. Fear of what might be said. We lack courage to inquire so instead we stand back and fill the void with the worst. Draw from our past pain and create a narrative. I’m trying to break that cycle. Ask more questions. Communicate. Be clear and upfront. I can no longer assume others know what I mean or want and then get upset when they don’t act accordingly. It’s unfair to them and only serves to hurt me in the process.

I’m making integrity part of my daily practice. Speaking with integrity. Actions with integrity. And above all, avoiding the trappings of believing my own landslide of bullshit, being my own worst enemy, and justifying every blunder. Be better. Sidestep gossip and small talk. Apologize when you hurt someone. Accept that you’ll be wrong sometimes. Or in my case, a lot. Do what you say you’ll do. Character isn’t built upon what you said you’d do, but what you rolled up your sleeves and actually did.

As for always doing my best, I’m still figuring out what that animal looks like. I strive to be helpful, but sometimes when you’re always available, they take you for granted, not because they are selfish or unkind, but because they think you’ll always stay. Let them miss you for a while. This goes against everything I am but makes sense. I’ve also learned that there is no shame in being broken and anxious and sad. Be whatever you are right now. No need to make excuses or try to minimize the hurt, deny the confusion. You cannot learn about yourself if at first you aren’t frustrated and confused, the hard questions are born from this. You cannot heal without first being damaged. So be broken and anxious and sad. Cope however you need to; as long as you need to, for there is no instruction manual for this, we all make it up as we go along. Day by day and more often, minute by minute. So as for my best, I guess it is just knowing that when I put my head on the pillow, I gave all that I could, was kinder than I needed to be, inspired a few, and made sure the garage door is closed.

I’m nothing special. But I didn’t lose my shit on the drive into work, didn’t assume sporadic texts were anything but a busy day, and a couple people told me that they are grateful for me - so I’m gonna just go ahead and chalk today up as a win.

@originallandlockedmariner

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

AITA for thinking I'm not TA?

I (16 afab) and my sister (14F) have a kind of weird relationship. I love her a ton and would stand up for her in any situation, but she gets on my nerves and I get on hers and sometimes it feels like I can't say anything around her without it turning into a whole thing (Ex: she discounts my opinions because of how I'm on my phone a lot, she takes random shit I say and doesn't let it go, and a favorite line of hers is "well you're the one who [bla bla bla]".). And sometimes she brings up our past, and there's nothing I can say to go against that! I just feel so frustrated sometimes because I wish I could be friends with her, and I don't know if she still holds things against me because we never communicate, or maybe she just doesn't love me like I love her. Like, I'm ride or die for her. Even though we butt heads in every conversation!!!!!!!!

Context: When we were younger, around my primary school age (2nd grade to 5th) (oh and i skipped a grade if that means anything) I had severe behavioral problems as a result of brain inflammation. Honestly, I still don't know a ton about my medical history from then, because the reason for my behavior seems to change every time I ask my mom. And I can't really self-diagnose because I think my brain's either blocked out all of that unconsciously or just?? didn't remember?? I was actually really awful. I treated everyone like crap, especially my little sister. I was physically violent and really shitty in general.

However, I do not remember any of this. I try to justify feeling detachment for any kind of responsibility by saying that I was really young, had no control over my impulses (ADHD + autism + weird?? brain sickness??) and that that person doesn't feel like me anymore, since all my memories from that time are third-hand. I feel like that's shitty though!! because my actions obviously affected my little sister. And my mom doesn't really believe in therapy since it didn't work for me when I was younger (maybe because I hated my therapist but idk) and my sister kind of explodes when I try to work with her, so I don't know how to fix things. My family is wildly dysfunctional (we're better than we used to be I think) and I want to get along with people. But I also think I might have a toxic personality trait like thinking I'm always in the right!! I don't want to be that kind of person.

TLDR; weird relationship with my little sister that I avoid responsibility for in my brain.

What are these acronyms?

[solaslow74]

time to wrap up character introductions! these will be the final three of my seven olnf mcs, to be featured in my olnf week submissions. feels like just yesterday we began this journey… which is strange, because it was actually, like, a few days ago.

without further ado, let’s bring this one home!

When Andrea Mitchell first arrived in Golden Grove, she was rude, judgmental, and generally unpleasant to be around. A deep anxiety around other people led her to push away those who might otherwise have been friends. Most pursuits she took interest in, like music or art, were abandoned quickly. After all, she knew she couldn’t keep up with others- why try?

But that’s the thing about kids- they grow up. Andi never woke up one day and decided to be someone new, but things shifted over her early teenage years. Day by day, a little kinder, a little slower to judge and berate, a little quicker to accept and love. Attribute it to personal effort, the good examples she had around her, or both- Andi changed, like leaves in the autumn.

The anxiety never left her, but she did get better at identifying and coping with it. She can still be shy and a bit awkward, but no longer does she lash out at others to deal with her inner struggles. In fact, thinking of the way she used to be is a real point of embarrassment now. Sometimes she worries that she already threw away her chance at the life she wants.

But, of course, Andi’s story is only beginning, and she’ll have to learn that she has to embrace her present, not dwell on the past or stress about the future. She may have let potential friendships and hobbies slip her by before, but now she’s set on a new course, reaching for the life she wants with everything she’s got.

To Tamarack Baumann and Qiu Lin, Andi is just a neighbor. But things are changing.

Don't let Jin Morgan's large stature fool you- he's as harmless as they come. Timid as a mouse, Jin goes through life cautiously. Few can convince this blue-haired boy to do anything more daring than stay inside and study; he’d rather keep his adventures confined on a screen or between pages of a book.

Lots of things come easily to Jin, like schoolwork or playing music. But reading people can be much harder than reading musical notes, and while he’s endlessly polite, making friends is tough for Jin. His sweet and funny side takes time to emerge, and many don’t ever see it.

But if anyone can consistently get Jin out of his shell, it’s his next-door neighbor, Tamarack. She certainly made an impactful first impression when they first met as fellow newcomers to Golden Grove. Her striking personality drew in the shy boy as much as it intimidated him, and the friendship that blossomed between them became something that both can count on, through the good times and the bad.

The future can be daunting to Jin; it’s a big world out there, and growing up means new responsibilities just as much as it means new opportunities. But the tight-knit community of Golden Grove is here to support him, and he’ll surely find his place in it as the seasons change.

Golden Grove is a rather ordinary town, and Acorn Road is a rather ordinary place. You’d be forgiven for thinking that its young new arrival is an ordinary kid. You’d also be dead wrong, because there’s nobody quite like Celosia Valus.

They’ve known that since they could talk in complete sentences. Demonstrating it to everyone else, including Mother- that’s a work in progress.

Celosia is prideful, snarky, and all around something of a brat. Their priority is attaining a life of luxury, success, and adoration, and they’ll step over others to do it. They must work the hardest, be the best, to achieve their ambitions, whether that’s in school, dance, or social circles. And while everyone is a potential rival to Celosia, one person stands out- Qiu Lin.

Pretty, athletic, and popular- Qiu seems to have everything Celosia wants, and that just won’t stand. Not if they have any say in it. Celosia’s gonna one-up their insufferably cool neighbor, you can count on it.

The only thing standing in their way is the big, fat crush that they’ve accidentally developed.

and for those keeping count at home… that’s 7 out of 7! a lot of mcs, perhaps, but i just couldn’t bear to leave any of em out (not even rowan)

thanks for comin along with me and meeting this silly bunch. feel free to ask questions or tell me about your own mcs, as usual! but as for me, i’ve got olnf submissions to write >:)

take it easy yall!

[captainsophiestark]

Hades and Persephone

Wanda Maximoff x Reader

Masterlist - Join My Taglist!

Written as an early bonus round of my Year of Olympians, inspired by @dawn-petrichor-world​ who wanted to see one for Hades! This is a pretty loose interpretation of my own Hades prompt tbh, but the vibes were there and I stand by it.

Fandom: Marvel

Prompt: Hades; the underworld (sort of), the Hades and Persephone myth (also sort of)

Summary: Y/N grew up with Pietro and Wanda, and has been in love with Wanda for most of their life. They never said anything, however, especially not after losing Pietro and watching Wanda fall for someone else. Now, however, five years after the Snap (and five years after the reader retreated from the world), Wong shows up to get Y/N's help because Wanda's about to move on the Sanctum as The Scarlet Witch, and Y/N might be the only one who can stop her.

Word Count: 4,242

Category: Angst, Fluff

Putting work into an AI program without permission is illegal. You do not have my permission. Do not do it.

I took a deep breath, the fresh air and the smell of all my flowers relaxing me like it always did. The sun shone down on me and all my lovely plants, and the soft sound of the ocean crashing on the beach just a few feet from me helped add to the air of serenity.

An air that was currently being blown apart by a certain sorcerer I hadn't seen in a few years.

"What are you doing here, Strange?" I asked, keeping my eyes closed and not turning from my spot, legs crossed as I sat peacefully amongst my plants. I was still pretty sure this was an illusion, and no matter how annoying I found the sorcerer, I didn't want the dream shattered before it had to be. "I've gotten pretty good at chasing off ghosts like you, so consider your next action carefully."

"What makes you think I'm not real?" came the familiar voice of my former friend. I scoffed, a sharp pang shooting through my chest. I knew better than to answer. Borderline-corporeal memories like him had haunted me for at least a year after the Snap, despite how hard I worked to get past them. Even once I'd mostly gotten rid of them, they still showed up every so often.

They were pretty objectively bad for me, which is why I'd worked so hard to stop imagining them as often as I did. Still, they were some of the last remnants of all the friends I'd lost in the Snap, so sometimes, I found it hard to want to make them leave.

"I know for a fact that you're dead and gone, Strange," I said, sighing heavily. I shouldn't be responding, but this was one of those times I couldn't stop myself. "Along with some other people I can't seem to stop missing."

"Like Wanda Maximoff?"

My eyes snapped open, the sharp pang in my chest turning into a massive, painful knife. I'd grown up with Wanda Maximoff, and her brother Pietro. Pietro had been my best friend, and Wanda had been the love of my life. We'd gone through hell together in the hands of Hydra, which is where I'd gotten my significant nature powers. We'd joined the Avengers, and under the urgings of Pietro, I'd been working up the courage to confess my feelings for his sister. And then Pietro had died.

Wanda and I both had our worlds rocked by the loss, and instead of coming together over it, we grew further apart. She found love with the Vision, a new superhero the Avengers had picked up around the same time they'd picked us up, and even though I wanted to be happy for her, I couldn't help feeling like I'd lost her too.

And then, I really did lose her. After Wanda disappeared in the Snap, along with most of the other people I'd gotten close to, I almost broke. I needed to get somewhere that I could heal, and to do that, I needed to leave the superhero world behind me. So, I did.

With Wong's help (since Strange was gone), I faked my death and disappeared. Maybe a little dramatic, but at that point, I was in survival mode. Ever since, I'd been here, on a remote island with a small community who knew nothing about me as a global superhero, and nothing about what I'd lost. By some miracle, it seemed to be the only village on Earth unaffected by the snap, which is why Wong recommended it to me when he agreed to help with my plan. For the past five years, I'd been healing and living peacefully in my new community, adjusting to my new world and finding things to help ground me.

The number one thing that threatened that sense of grounding continued to be memories of Wanda, my lost soulmate. And if this Strange hallucination was trying to bring her up, I knew I really needed to block him out and shut him down before he could ruin all the progress I'd made.

I didn't respond to Strange's question about Wanda. I kept my eyes shut and breathed deeply, focusing on blocking out the presence behind me.

"Y/N?"

I took another breath in, focusing on the beautiful smell of all my flowers around me and feeling my connection to them.

"Y/N. Wanda needs your help."

I breathed out through my nose, a little more harshly than I necessarily wanted to. "You are not real. And I am not letting you rule my life."

I heard not-Strange sigh from behind me, and then a second later, I was falling.

My eyes flew open but all I could see around me was darkness. Then, a circular light opened below me, and before I could brace myself I landed hard on the deck I'd been sitting on moments before, at the feet of Doctor Stephen Strange.

None of my hallucinations had ever been able to do that.

"I don't have time to beat around the bush on this one, Y/N. Wong told me where I could find you. I need your help." Slowly, I tilted my head back to look up at Strange. The real Strange. He didn't look even a little bit guilty about the bruises he'd definitely given me, which was the final clue that told me he was completely real, and not an idealized version I'd made up in my mind. "Wanda needs your help."

With those few words, I was on my feet in an instant. If Strange was back... then somehow, that probably meant...

"You better explain yourself right the hell now, Strange," I said, trying to stay calm despite all the emotions rushing through me as I looked at my friend. My plants grew and moved around me, an expression of the explosion I was trying to keep on lockdown.

"Stark and crew managed to reverse the snap," he said. "We all came back about a year ago, but everyone thought you were dead, so no one came to tell you."

The world shifted under my feet. I swayed, a few of my plants growing to my aid and helping to keep me standing. It only got worse as Strange continued, filling me in on the events of the last year.

As I already knew, Vision was truly dead, not Snap-dead, which meant he hadn't come back with everyone else. Wanda had apparently lost it since she'd come back, taking an entire town hostage in her effort to deal with her grief. And now, in an effort to get to her children who she'd conjured in a magical new reality that apparently actually existed in every universe except ours, she was going after a teen named America who had the power to travel between timelines.

"As you already know, she's one of the most powerful people in the world," finished Strange. "And right now, she's getting more than a little scary in her determination to use any means necessary to get what she wants."

"And you're sure she's going to... hurt this America kid? To kill her?" I asked, hearing the shake in my own voice. My world had been shattered in the past few minutes, but if what Strange said was true (and he had no reason to lie to me), we didn't have a moment to waste while I tried to deal with it.

"I'm sure," he said. "She can't be allowed to go into another universe. Extended crossover between them has, apparently, catastrophic effects. So America can't give her what she wants. In order for Wanda to take it, she has to kill America. And she's made it clear that's exactly what she's planning to do."

I closed my eyes and took a long, deep breath in before slowly blowing it out. I couldn't believe Wanda would really do something like that, but at the same time, I knew how close I came to almost breaking when I lost her, after losing Pietro and feeling so, so alone. She'd lost everyone.

"Alright, let's do this," I said, opening my eyes and looking at Strange again. "Use your magic and take me to her."

"I'm bringing you to Kamar-Taj," he said as he began the process of opening a sling portal. "We're fortifying the Sanctum against Wanda to protect America. You're our first option, I'm our second, and the defenders of Kamar-Taj are our third."

I frowned. "I hope you know I'm not going to help you fight Wanda, Strange."

"If everything goes according to plan, it won't come to that."

Before I could ask anything else, he stepped through the portal and straight into the heart of Kamar-Taj. I followed him, sparing one glance over my shoulder for the lovely little place I'd called home for the past five years.

Hopefully, it wouldn't be too long before I was back, ideally with Wanda in-tow.

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

After a hello and hug with Wong and a quick introduction to America, there was nothing left for me to do but wait. Strange and everyone else kept building up their fortifications, all while I stood on one of the balconies and watched for Wanda to appear.

I started to think she wouldn't come. That Strange had blown things horribly out of proportion, and that Wanda wasn't anywhere near the scary, dangerous place he'd said she was in. And then, just when I was going to march into the courtyard and tell Strange he'd overreacted (and that I was going to find Wanda myself), a storm encircled Kamar-Taj.

"Y/L/N!" hollered Strange from the courtyard. "Get down here!"

"On my way!"

Despite my words, I stayed at the balcony for a second longer, watching as Wanda rose out of the clouds and smoke crackling around her. I'd never seen her use her powers like this, although I wasn't surprised she had the ability. She'd always been the strongest of us, and it was a little aweing to see.

Once I snapped out of my initial shock, I took off like a shot for the courtyard. I passed groups of sorcerers waiting to fight back if the worst should happen, then made it outside to where Strange waited in the middle of the courtyard, surrounded by other defenses.

"Alright, I'll magnify your voice," he said as I came to a stop beside him. "You just talk."

"What? Strange, what do you want me to say?"

"I don't care. Just whatever you think will be enough-"

Before he could finish his instructions, Wanda's voice came booming over the sanctum instead. Her eyes scanned the defenders and eventually landed on Wong on the balcony, without seeing me or Strange.

"Surrender America Chavez to me now, and I'll leave without harming any of you," she said. My heart sped up a bit at the realization that Strange was right; she was here for a fight, and clearly willing to go through Strange and all our other friends to get what we wanted. "You have two minutes, and then the Scarlet Witch will do what must be done."

"Wanda..." I breathed, staring up at the love of my life. Apparently Strange had cast his magnification spell without me noticing, because as soon as the breathy word left my mouth, her head snapped around to look at me.

We made eye contact, and the world stopped spinning. My heart hammered in my chest as the rest of the people around us, all the sorcerers readying for a fight, completely disappeared. All that mattered was the woman before me, staring at me like she couldn't quite believe I was real.

Which, I suppose, was fair, since I had faked my death.

After a few seconds, slowly, Wanda started floating towards the ground. She looked shocked and maybe even a little devastated, and as she got closer and closer to the ground (and to my reach), I started coming back to reality.

"Open the gates," I said, talking to Strange without taking my eyes off of Wanda. My voice didn't boom across the courtyard, so I assumed he must have dropped the magnification spell.

"Y/N, I can't do that-"

"I said, OPEN the GATES," I said, whirling to face him at last. He just stared back at me, clearly unmoved.

"We fortified this whole place to keep her out, I'm not just going to-"

I didn't let him finish his sentence before I took off for the gates in a dead sprint. Wanda had just dipped out of sight in her slow float towards the ground. None of the guards moved to stop me, probably because they didn't think I'd be able to get out without a little Mystic Arts magic of my own.

They had no idea who they were dealing with.

As I approached the gate, I lifted my arms like I'd done so many times before leaving the Avengers, dragging up any and all plants around the gate as I did. They grew and grew and grew, and then, with a forceful flick of my wrist, they slammed into the gate, half-knocking it off its hinges. I pulled my arms back hard, towards my body and then past and behind me even as I kept running, and the plants responded, finishing the task of ripping off the door completely.

I heard scattered gasps and cries of outrage, but I ignored them all as I kept running. Within a few more seconds, I made it outside the sanctum of Kamar-Taj, just as Wanda touched down a few feet ahead of me.

I stopped running, opting for a calmer, more cautious approach now. I could hear the sorcerers working to put the gates back behind me, but I blocked them all out. Wanda stood before me, staring at me like she wasn't quite sure what to do with herself. I gave her a small smile and started cautiously walking towards her.

Flowers broke through the ground beneath my feet, giving me a soft, beautiful path to Wanda. A few of the flowers grew up around her ankles, softly grounding her to the world and to me (at least, I hoped it would).

I came to a stop a few inches in front of Wanda, and despite the incredible, powerful rage she'd been in when I'd first seen her, she now looked completely deflated. She started at me, apparently too stunned to speak as I slowly reached out and took her hands in mine, then at last met her green eyes.

"Wanda," I breathed, a slow smile creeping onto my face despite the current situation. After five long years, she was standing in front of me again. It was real.

"Y/N..." she finally said, speaking for the first time since she'd seen me. Her grip tightened slightly on my hands, but she didn't drop them or step away, which I took as a good sign. "How is this possible? Is this... real?"

She raised an eyebrow and looked a little more critically at our joined hands before looking over her shoulder at Strange. Her awe had started to wear off, and I could tell she was rapidly starting to believe this was some kind of hallucination.

"Wan... I swear to you, it's real. I'm real."

"How can I be sure of that?" she asked, her voice taking on a new, more scary and angry quality to it. "How can I know you're real?"

"I have a visceral memory and a scar nobody else but you and Piet have ever seen from your seventeenth birthday when you thought it would be a good idea to surprise Pietro with a birthday cake so we snuck into the back of that combination bakery and butcher's shop and-"

"Okay! Okay, I... I believe you," she said, a small smile at last tugging at the edges of her lips. She held my hands more softly and tenderly now than she had before, and even tugged me a little closer to her. "But that just brings us back to... how?"

I sighed, then started explaining everything to her, bit by bit. What it felt like to lose her, and how it broke me. How I decided to leave, and how I'd done such a good job of it I hadn't known the people had come back from the Snap until a few hours ago.

"But Wanda, I swear, if I'd known a second sooner I would've come racing back to you. I'm so sorry it took me so long to find you again," I said, squeezing her hands for extra emphasis. She'd looked away from me towards the beginning of my story, staring at the flowers that continued to bloom around us, presumably trying to process all the new information. I stayed silent once my story finished, waiting for her response.

"I missed you, Y/N," she said at last, pulling me in for a tight hug. I wrapped my arms around her, feeling a weight off my shoulders as we held each other close. After a moment, however, I felt her tense, and I couldn't help thinking it had something to do with Strange and all his people gathering behind me.

"Wanda..." I whispered, pulling back to look at her and simultaneously willing a wall of flowers up behind me, to help hide Wanda from the stress of the situation. She kept her hands resting on my waist as I reached up to take her face in my hands. "Focus on me."

Slowly, she did, her eyes sliding from the people behind us and back to meet mine. She looked on the verge of breaking, but I did my best to anchor her here, instead of wherever her mind was threatening to run off to.

"Wanda. Tell me what's happening."

"I have to find my boys. They exist in every universe but this one, I... I have to find them."

I nodded slowly. Strange had told me as much, but I'd rather hear it from Wanda than anyone else.

"Are you completely sure they're not here? No version of them whatsoever?" I asked. She nodded slowly, seeming less stable with every movement. I stroked my thumb along her cheek, and it seemed to help a little. "How do you know?"

Wanda hesitated for half a second, then met my eyes with a renewed strength and confidence, in me as much as herself.

"I consulted the Dark Hold."

"The what? Wanda, tell me you're not talking about that crazy witchy book we heard legends about, that we heard Hydra scientists whispering about like it could kill them at the mere mention of its name?"

"The very same."

I closed my eyes and sighed, honestly unable to help myself. When I opened them again, Wanda didn't seem any less discouraged, but she was also clearly waiting for me to say something else. We were in this together now, one way or another.

"Wanda... do you still have the book?"

In answer, she took one hand off my hip and conjured the book in thin air. I stared at it, tempted to reach for it and huck it as far away from her as I could get it, but I resisted.

"Can I make a suggestion, then?" I asked. Wanda looked a little hesitant, but nodded all the same. "Okay, you have to promise to hear me all the way out."

"This feels like the time you convinced me to steal our asshole neighbor's truck for a joyride under the guise of our own version of justice..." she said, raising an eyebrow at me. I laughed and grinned back, slipping one of my own arms around Wanda's waist and pulling her a bit closer to me.

"Yeah, it does feel kind of like that," I said. She rolled her eyes, but I caught her with a smile on her face all the same. "Alright, here's what I'm thinking: What if you give the Dark Hold to the Mystic Arts people?"

"Y/N-!" Wanda looked outraged and started to take a step back, but I held a little tighter to her waist and held up my other hand to show I meant no harm.

"Wan, you promised! I just think, based on everything we heard about that thing... it might not be a bad idea to try looking without the influence of the Dark Hold. You and I can search the world for them, or for any trace of them or how we might bring them to be, independent of that thing's influence."

"...And if we fail?" she asked. The hesitation was enough to give me hope that she might actually be slightly open to my suggestion.

"If we fail, I'll help you do what it takes to get to them," I replied. Wanda raised an eyebrow, so I continued. "Preferably by peaceful, negotiating means. But... otherwise by any means necessary."

Now both eyebrows shot up. Wanda looked at me for a few minutes, but didn't break my stare. I held it confidently. She was the love of my life; I had faith that my strategy would prevail, but if it didn't, I was more than willing to go to the ends of the Earth for and with her.

"Why would you do that for me?" she finally asked. I couldn't help huffing a laugh as I looked away, before looking back to Wanda again.

"Do you seriously need me to explain the reason? I love you." Wanda blinked a few times, so I continued. "I've loved you our entire lives, Wanda. You're my best friend and... and you're the love of my life."

She just stared at me for a few beats, and I felt awkward enough that I spoke again.

"Of course, I don't expect you to feel the same way, and I'm sorry if I-"

I stopped short when Wanda's free hand moved from my waist to carefully caress my cheek. Her expression softened into a loving, sympathetic look I'd seen her give me a few times, but this one somehow felt a little different. She leaned in, and I didn't move an inch as she placed the softest, lightest kiss to my lips before pulling back, a warmer expression than I'd seen all day on her face.

"I love you too," she said, giving me a soft smile. One of the first I'd seen from her in a long, long time. "I'll always love you."

I smiled back at her, butterflies and fireworks exploding in my chest. I knew she was still healing, so I didn't push anything, just gave her a little squeeze with the hand still around her waist. After another second, she held the Dark Hold out to me. Carefully, I took it out of her hand, then took a step backwards. Wanda nodded to me, communicating without words that she'd wait, and I turned around.

By now, the flowers I'd started sprouting for privacy had grown into a full wall of vines. With a few gestures from my one raised free hand, I gave myself a path to the Sanctum walls. As soon as it opened, everyone within the Sanctum froze and stared at me. Strange stood in the front, Wong just to his side, everyone else waiting right behind for them to break through the vines. Every single one of them looked ready to fight.

"What's wrong with all of you?" I asked, walking forward calmly and confidently. Strange tensed, but didn't make a move to attack.

"You need to be careful with that book, Y/N," he said, tension in every word and line of his body. I rolled my eyes.

"Obviously. Which is why I'm bringing it to you. You do remember that you're the ones that brought me here, right?"

Strange looked confused as I came to a stop in front of him, then shoved the book into his chest. He took it all the same, and Wong gave me a small smile as I walked back a step.

"Wanda and I are going to leave," I announced, raising my voice to address the Sanctum at large. "We're going to go spend some time figuring things out. And absolutely no one is going to follow us."

The vines tightened a little around the Sanctum walls at my word. I held both hands down by my hips, fingers splayed out, controlling the vines and making sure everyone in that Sanctum remembered just how powerful I was. After a few moments, I felt Wanda approaching from behind me. I reached back and she took my hand, and with a little magic from her, we levitated into the air, my vines and her storm fading back to normalcy around the Sanctum as we left.

I could see the slight fear on the faces of Wong and especially Strange as we headed off together. They were worried, and maybe rightfully so, that they'd just created an even bigger threat by reuniting me and Wanda.

But I loved her, more than anyone else in the world. It would take some time, for both of us, to figure things out. But I knew in my heart that our love could and would overcome every single other hurdle that came our way, for the rest of our lives.

We'd both lost everything and everyone we'd ever cared about. Now that we'd found our way back to each other again, nothing would ever tear us apart. We'd face the world and then some, together.

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

Taglist: @valkyriepirate​

[davekat-sucks]

This is was supposed to be a simple ask but it ended up getting long because of there being too many question and discussions but barely any answers so sorry about that.

On the topic of WhatPumpkin sometimes we all have to wonder what the fuck is going on behind the scenes, the latest news we got werent that much and it felt more of a like "Hey guys we are still alive dont forget about us" situation and it doesnt help that we cant really get any info because of how the only guy that Im atleast aware that works on it and is online is James and although I have no source because it was months ago, when beyond canon came back I remember him getting asked about Hiveswap and i dont remember if he answered it on the blog or on a reddit qna but he had said he cant really do much about it because hes just the music guy on that department and not an director or writer and he probably cannot say whats going on if hes aware of even the minimum because of NDAs and you know the situation is weird when not even the new director for post canon can do nothing about it or doesnt know what the fuck is going on over there either (i believe its more of the former).

On the same topic Hussie jumping the ship in my opinion feels like such an awful move in a moral and community sense, he hires fucked up people and ends up going through development hell and instead of trying to fix it he just runs away and gives someone else the work. He becasically invited destruction to that place by not doing background checks and shit and now everyone else but him has to suffer for it. I wonder if WhatPumpkin will close business after they finish Hiveswap (if they even manage to finish it) or if their writting quality wont be bad if they try to do Hauntswitch now.

I also sometimes wonder if Hauntswitch was made first maybe things could have been better. Think about it:

It happens on the Human World and you play as a cool kid looking troll and that could open the doors for a lot of potential to explore more about the Earth on the Homestuck universe and its conspiracy theories and also give us more video game parody mechanics.

The whole conspiracy theory Jude had that iirc had even the USA presidents connect to may be right considering the easter egg that shows some sort of cultists standing outside the mansion we see on the background and watching the events unfold.

We would get more answers for whatever the fuck those creatures that attacked the manor where.

another good dog best friend to fill the bec shaped hole in our soul <:

Exploration of what SkaiaLabs exactly does.

Overall sounding like an awesome story itself, a alien coming to earth and fighting a cult related to the presidents with a human companion. Especially considering how Dammek sounds like hes an asshole and also because of how trolls are usually violent could lead to interesting interactions.

I might be wrong and biased though but I feel like that concept could attract more outsiders than Hiveswap could ever wish to do. And hopefully thats it and that I wont waste almost an hour of my life rambling about this stuff (for my own sake because i feel like i could have spent my time better but i also need to post this somewhere and i dont use social media most of the time and when i do its usually to see fanart, memes and overall discussion of my fav franchises) but I probably will in the future.

It's cool with this ask. You brought up many good points here.

Yes, the question about Hiveswap was asked in a Q&A back in October 30th, 2023 from James Roach here (Archive ver for backup). The news about development should be something more like how Toby does with the Deltarune newsletter. Monthly, maybe do a special event ARG thing that gives insight of what's coming up, or anything like that. Though even with that, it might be probably too little too late since we are at 11 years since the Kickstarter had funded. Probably doesn't help since 2 million dollars was wasted, it's a mystery how the game is still being worked on if the original Kickstarter money that was given to them, had been used up. What is WhatPumpkin's new source of income then? Do they have a second job they aren't telling us about? Are they using part of that Patreon money from Beyond Canon since technically there are some that work within Hiveswap too like James? Then there's the fact Hussie not only wasted the money, but basically left the Kickstarter project he started in the first place. He may own it and be credited as the creator, but he won't be involved in the future Acts and Hauntswitch. I'm surprised nobody is pissed at him for scamming them out of 2 million dollars. Do people not care if the original person who hosted it left? Especially with the truth come to light thanks to Gio's research on this. I wouldn't be surprised if WhatPumpkin does shut down because they couldn't gain the sales needed after releasing Hiveswap Act 3. People will probably wonder if even buying stuff from Topatoco would help or not with HS merch like the prints slowly resurfacing. Drawing in the crowds from old and new to play the game will be tough. I wouldn't be surprised if Hauntswitch was first made in mind before Hiveswap. Dammek even had a 3D model ready too.

Likely back when it was still a 3D game, we would control briefly but then after the cutscene of them being transported to the other planet, we would then have to take control of Dammek, have him meet Jude to possibly have him find a way to help him back home, and the pair would adventure on Earth itself for the rest of the game to find out about the monsters and the cult. Dammek's paranoid nature would play off Jude's conspiracy theory pretty well as it has the two involved looking deep into the mystery. I wouldn't be surprised if something about the cult would eventually tie in to his home planet and the rebellion as a final grand twist. An idea like that sounds more interesting than some girl getting lost on an alien planet and was roped into some rebellion that she has no reason to be part of besides being concerned for a friend.

[siflshonen]

Which aspects of Katsuki's personality are his honne and which are his tatemae? And which traits overlap? Could you elaborate on that?

In my opinion, almost all the things he does are both, but they are also...not. This is kinda what makes it fun, I think.

Maybe somewhere between DvK 1 and the remediation arc, I'm fairly certain his crappiest pettiness has all been absolutely truthful and honest, but the exaggerated application of it to create a specific impression has been a ploy. I'm pretty sure that it's mentioned explicitly that Katsuki likes people to assume he's dumb and brash before doing something clever so he gets them off guard, and this is kind of like that. It's better for him if others think they know his motive and are framing it as totally petty and selfish. It's not untrue, but it's not the whole truth.

Katsuki also prefers to get his point across in as few words as possible, so if you don't catch a second implication or a ham-fisted double-meaning ("I" and "we" can be ambiguous, so any statements by the end of the manga that are, like, "I'm gonna help Deku!" OR "We [as in all of 1-A, of which Bakugo is now comfortable identifying as a part of]'re gonna help Deku!" are both true at the same time), the message probably wasn't meant for you in the first place.

The most consistent trait I'd say Katsuki always has is sensitivity. He's an extremely sensitive little git, so the biggest shows of his true, unfiltered self always get me because it's when his cup runneth over so much that he can’t put any kind of spin on it: His eyes while captured by the sludge villain (upon reflection, this might be the single most important panel of the manga, actually), him totally failing to grapple with and communicate his feelings to Izuku at the end of chapter 1 (this is a bad example - instead of saying thank you or crying like a little twerp, he totally tried to front it like he didn't need Deku's help, which was about as see-through as a piece of cellophane. Idiot. Still a great moment, though), crying outside the school after DvK1 ("I'll beat you all!" Sure, kid), the moment he hits Izuku in the face during their exam against All Might (there's no freaky smile in this moment - he just freezes and hits him in unbridled anger), the end of the Sports Festival when Todoroki is knocked out - he grabs Todoroki's shirt and is about to have a breakdown (did you know this is my second-favorite moment? Did you know that the US fandom's assumptions about Katsuki's motives in this moment made me want to start beating them to death with my bare hands? Did you know I walked away from this series after that because I couldn't stand how little emotional intelligence people have in the US? Were it not for the laws of this land, I would have killed you, western BNHA fandom), DvK2...

Katsuki's emotions are big. They are probably bigger than he is, honestly. Deku's are, too, and so are several other characters, but that doesn't negate my statement.

I'm of the opinion that Katsuki throughout most of the manga, though not so much after these most recent (404 and up) chapters, is actually quite shy about anything that isn't kicking someone's ass or showing off an ability he knows he can perform well. So, sure, he can perform when ass-kicking just fine, but during interviews or simple conversations with his classmates, he clams up and/or just acts like a total bullshitter delinquent as a cover. He's a sensitive little baby and needed to be treated as such just as much as he needed to be told he could be a little shit sometimes and get his ass beat into the dirt! Both were required!

[rosanna-writer]

Our Song - A Gwynriel Songfic

Just a short songfic based on Taylor Swift's "Our Song" for Day Two of Gwyn Appreciation Week - Song Association

Originally I didn't have anything planned for today but the song came on at work, and I thought it would be fun to write something a little meta :)

The full fic is below the cut!

@gwynweekofficial

I was ridin' shotgun with my hair undone

In the front seat of his car

On yet another night that Gwyn and Azriel couldn't sleep, she found herself in his arms in the skies above Velaris. It happened less frequently now, but there were still nights like this, and they'd taken to flying once they'd given both up on attempting to sleep. The cool night air sometimes did them more good than trying and failing to rest.

He's got a one-hand feel on the steering wheel

The other on my heart

There was nowhere Gwyn would rather be than curled up against Azriel's chest with the city spread out beneath them. Even when they placed bets about how much free fall she could take before she screamed or if Az would beat his fastest time from one end of the city to the other, this felt like the safest place in the world.

I look around, turn the radio down

He says, "Baby, is something wrong?"

Tonight, though, they just made lazy loops around the city in companionable to silence. Gwyn might be able to draw Azriel out better than anyone else, but she didn't always need to.

After a while, Az glanced down at her and said, "Everything alright?"

I say, "Nothing, I was just thinkin' how we don't have a song"

And he says

It was, and Gwyn knew he'd know if it wasn't, but it was in his nature to confirm everything, not to make assumptions. Azriel didn't leave things to chance.

"Completely fine," she said, giving him a smile. "I was just thinking that for all the singing we do, it's a bit strange we don't have a song, isn't it?"

Our song is the slamming screen door

Sneakin' out late, tapping on your window

"It's probably for the best. Anything distinctive is predictable and easy to track."

Gwyn rolled her eyes and wondered if there was anything in the world he couldn't relate back to espionage. "Azriel. Not everything in life is about being sneaky."

When we're on the phone, and you talk real slow

'Cause it's late, and your mama don't know

"Not everything. But quite a lot."

His voice was deadpan, but Gwyn could read Azriel well enough to spot the barest hint of a smile on his face. He knew what he was doing, being pedantic just to rile her up a bit.

And Gwyn wouldn't give him the satisfaction of rising to the bait.

Instead, she just changed the subject and said, "Now that I think about it though, I wonder if you could use music to pass coded messages."

Azriel hummed thoughtfully, and Gwyn could feel it rumble in his chest. "A bit difficult to communicate much detail when there's only seven notes in a scale to work with, though."

If he wanted pedantic tonight, he'd get pedantic. Gwyn smiled.

"Actually there are twelve in a chromatic scale."

"That's still less than half the letters in the alphabet. My point still stands."

Our song is the way you laugh

The first date, "Man, I didn't kiss her, and I should have"

That was enough to consider it a draw. They lapsed back into comfortable silence and watched the city fly by underneath them.

Eventually Gwyn—completely incapable of letting anything go as always—said, "We really should have a song, though. And for the record, telling me having a song is predictable might be the least romantic thing you've ever said to me."

"Don't worry, I'm sure I'll outdo myself soon."

Gwyn laughed at that, then rested her head on the space between Azriel's head and shoulder. It fit perfectly, as if she was made to be there.

"There aren't a lot of things that are more important than being sneaky, but that laugh is one of them, you know," Azriel added softly.

Gwyn didn't have a sarcastic response for that, just kissed him.

And when I got home, 'fore I said, "Amen"

Asking God if he could play it again

They didn't stay out much longer than that. The flight had done its job, tiring Azriel out enough to catch a few hours of sleep. Gwyn wasn't quite so lucky, but sleepless nights weren't as bad when she spent them curled up against his side, one wing covering her like an extra blanket. While she listened to him breathe, she hummed to herself quietly and got lost in thought about music theory and cryptology.

I was walkin' up the front porch steps after everything that day

Had gone all wrong and been trampled on

The next day, Gwyn was not nearly as content. After only a couple hours of sleep, training the next morning was miserable. She couldn't bring herself to skip it. Instead, she gritted her teeth and forced herself to keep going, even though she lost three sparring matches in a row and failed to block countless hits she should have dodged.

No one asked what was wrong—the bags under her eyes were answer enough.

And lost and thrown away

Got to the hallway, well on my way to my lovin' bed

It had been a horribly long day, and Gwyn had pushed herself to get through all of it. Azriel considered telling her to rest, but he knew Gwyn—she'd only dig her heels in more if he did.

So instead, he made sure to be home first, ready to take care of Gwyn when the exhaustion finally overtook her and she collapsed into bed.

I almost didn't notice all the roses

And the note that said

And just as he predicted, she took one look at the carefully tabbed and annotated book he'd left on the nightstand for her and decided she'd open it when she'd gotten some sleep. The vase of roses next to it made her smile though.

Azriel was patient. He could wait until Gwyn had rested up enough to find the note he'd left explaining that he'd annotated the songbook for her because there was no obvious choice of which song should be theirs.

He'd rather just give them all to her.

I've heard every album, listened to the radio

Waited for something to come along

That was as good as our song

After flipping through the entire book together, Gwyn and Azriel agreed there wasn't a single song that felt quite right. Gwyn was beyond caring—it was the best gift she'd ever received.

But still, the next day, she'd returned to the library and gotten her hands on every book about music theory and codebreaking that she could find. She was on a mission.

I was ridin' shotgun with my hair undone

In the front seat of his car

Gwyn and Azriel had a few more weeks of peace before insomnia struck again. Gwyn had her nose stuck in the library books she was still making her way through when Azriel said he couldn't sleep either. He suggested flying again, and she never turned that down.

Gwyn sang softly to herself as they flew. She almost didn't realize she was doing it until Azriel joined in.

I grabbed a pen and an old napkin

And I wrote down our song

Something about the sound of their voices together unknotted the problem. When they got back home, she didn't come to bed, just cracked open the notebook full of staff paper and grabbed a pen.

Azriel might have thought that music was an impractical means of encoding information, but Gwyn was sure that with a few tweaks, her system would work.

And there was no song that was sweeter than "I told you so."

[goldenpinof]

I'd love to chime in on the wad talk if I may!

I think you saying that you're generally not a big fan of theatre makes a lot of sense as to why for you it didn't necessarily have to be a stage show. I work in live events and I absolutely adore theatre and such so to me it made a huge difference that it was a live show rather than a video. Which is why I think the blanket statement of 'it could have been a video' doesn't work, because the experience of the show is so subjective, especially with the topics Dan talks about. It might not be the most innovative show but I def think the emotional aspect for me and many others was the way it was because it was live and you could experience the energy of the room. That's not something that can be translated to video, simply because it's not the same medium and a certain layer of what the show's about get's lost if you change it! I think it will be interesting to see how different the experience will be now that we will have the recording of it tomorrow, I can imagine for some it might be the same as it was in person, but I also think for other people it might not be the same and both are totally valid! I think Dan choosing the live stage show over a video does deserve to be noted tho, because there is a level of vulnerability and honest that comes with speaking to people directly and in person that gets lost when you have a video and that was a very deliberate choice. He's always done his work with the security layer of the camera and youtube and him choosing not do this, when sharing so much with us in wad I think matters.

just my little thoughts from someone who adores theatre and live comedy and everything else that's 'in person'!

"the energy of the room" aka people around you, not only Dan. Dan likes getting live feedback, so i get why we went on tour. i still think that his show can be easily adapted into a video based on what i remember.

i think there's a difference between working with the audience and getting a reaction from the audience. and since wad is so heavily scripted it was the latter. he wasn't working with us, he was getting a reaction and moving on to the next bit. which is fine, it's not a stand-up. but a lot depended on how the audience was perceiving jokes and audience's ability to include itself in the show. Warsaw, for example, was very loud, and since the venue was small, people could hear each other and it made the whole experience a bit crazy. like, the fun was coming from both sides, so it was never boring. we were responding as a union to the things Dan was saying (e.g. communism and later putin), but also some people were yelling relevant jokes in response to Dan, thus making everyone laugh. in Berlin, i had a completely different experience audience-wise. the venue was much bigger, we couldn't really hear each other, thus no jokes coming from the seats that could bounce off of what Dan was saying. he was interacting only with the first 5-ish rows, and everyone else was just watching. we could still scream shit for the bit, but it didn't really matter. god, big venues were such a miss during wad, imo. BUT the show itself was better in Berlin because some things were improvised and the stage was bigger so he could move more. i'll try to explain what i mean by "the show could be a video". adjust the bits where we "choose" something by screaming and it's a video. it's him showing us shots and talking. and no matter what we scream or if we scream at all, the show would go on. no matter if the joke lands or not. he has a script and he follows it. sometimes he removes parts of it depending on the venue (aka the cubes, asking people to twist his hand and use the gavel), he also can remove parts if something goes wrong aka the bubbles. a lot of audience participation can be removed. and without it he would still have a lot to show and say. and this could be a video because the script doesn't heavily depend on the audience participation. if the show was more improvised that would be a different conversation. if you think that this show couldn't be a video because of the audience then it's your experience with the audience more than with the show. have a mid audience and remove some bits and that's a video. it's not a bad thing, idk why people are mad at me. the show is not bad, it's just not for everyone. i'm also curious how people will see the filmed version of wad. both those who saw it live and those who never saw it. people who weren't at the venues aren't gonna participate, so it's a different experience. some things will depend on the editing, but i would love to hear people's opinions on the show itself. we all love Dan and wish him success. i'm a dannie through and through ffs, he shines on stage, i'm not arguing with that. seeing him live is better because of how he enjoys being there. and seeing so many phannies in one place making each other giggle worth buying a ticket. but i'm interested to see reviews on the show.

[pentition]

Sometimes I feel like a character like Pen has almost too much potential for a game like mtas. There is only so much you can do with him in that setting otherwise they game might get too complicated. Although I'd love a game in the my time universe as complex as bg3 i doubt that will ever be a thing. But Pen would have been perfect for such a game.

I feel you on this, tbh. I've seen a lot of characters be 'too big' for whatever story/media they were in and not given the proper attention they should have had.

However, I do think because of that, it had spawned some amazing things from within the community. Potential and imagination go hand in hand so well! So even if Pathea drops the ball down the line, at least there's that.

What I love about the My Time series is it kind of gives me that same vibe that Adventure Time initially did. Colorful, silly, never taking itself too seriously - but there's still a serious plot going on and still serious things with the characters. Pathea doesn't lean into that seriousness or horror elements like the show did, but it could certainly stand to do so at any time and it wouldn't feel strange, imo.

We already have strong talking points in the series. Humanity's history (war, technological growth, fallout), artificial intelligence, the apocalypse and what it did to humanity and everything else that got mutated from it, nonhuman sentient species (both as enemies and those we think to be enemies, like Geeglers). The Church of Light usually is where most of the seriousness surrounds, due to why it was established and their beliefs revolving around the fear of history repeating itself if humanity is left unchecked.

Then on a character level, we get serious themes like with Gust and Ginger. Or, of course, Pen. To bring it back to the main topic, haha. But I can see if Pathea wanted to add a little more seriousness to their games as the series progresses, it would work just fine and they wouldn't lose anything. All the ingredients are there and I didn't even list them all.

I fully agree that Pen's potential is more than what MTaS could allow for, which is sad. And it's also why I would have loved a DLC/expansion for Sandrock to continue with him. But I also understand he's being reserved for a future installment, which is also exciting. I hope by the time he returns to the series, they have figured out a way to maximize his potential better. It may not be in full, but I'm hoping the reception (both players that adore him and players that don't) is all taken into account for him and his development.

And yes. I would LOSE IT to have a My Time game with BG3 levels of detail. Pen would be so incredible in that type of game. The character who joins the party, you roll your eyes at his one-liners in combat and don't take him seriousness until sometimes arises that makes you reevaluate him in your party. Then you realize you don't actually know the guy. He's just loud when others are looking his way but somehow oddly quiet and to himself when it comes to sharing anything of depth. It would be so cool to unravel the mystery of Pen is that type of game.

Also in a My Time game. The good news is, Pathea does learn from their games and audience feedback. It may not be perfect, ofc, but I'm hoping that continues to track and they take Pen more seriously as a character. I hope 'fans not being disappointed' isn't for fans who hate him and want Logan (and Howlett) avenged - but for people who like his character already.

Which I think is an important thing. People who like his character already. It's something to keep in mind if you're someone/a team that relies on the audience's opinions or alters content based on audience opinion. To be fair, I love it half the time. Cause at the same time, when it's not evenly fair across the board it's not the greatest feeling for fans that are left out.

But man, now you really go me thinking of Pen in a BG3 style game.

[myopicry]

I live somewhere I could likely get hurt. I am chronically ill, so need to take care of myself. I have been attacked by a man who thought he was a woman. He turned a whole group of people against me when I said I hold strong feminist values. I have decidedly leftist, progressive political beliefs, & have been a lifelong ally of LGBT people. I can’t wait until this delusional phase is over & I may feel safe again among friends, some of whom are now trans ideologues.

it is such an unfortunate fact that we live in a reality where people will still demonize and attack women for feminist beliefs. anon, I'm so sorry that happened to you. it also is quite a sad thing that especially in leftist spaces, despite the importance that people put on acceptance, compassion, and speaking your mind, there is still such a heavy level of scrutiny and a focus more and more on the optics of your politics and how they fit in with the crowd versus what kind of actual, tangible allyship you act on. furthermore, it's so so tough in progressive and leftist spaces to know that the friends you've made might completely drop you if you disagree specifically on this one issue of gender, just because all analysis and critique of gender ideology is likened to irredeemable hate, even when there are real issues in the ideology and community that should be pointed out for the betterment of everyone!

if it's any help, I would recommend that you always make sure you prioritize your own safety. it's obviously very important to stand by your beliefs and morals, and generally it's a good idea to be truthful to your friends. but sometimes, strategic lying is just kind of necessary to keep yourself safe! don't feel pressured to ever put yourself at risk because of your beliefs, and it's also okay to not be totally honest with friends and people in your social support network if you know they're mistakenly going to generalize what you say, especially if it could put you in danger. plus, as a woman, people are much harsher on any perceived "lapses" in a performance of agreeability, so from my perspective, I think it's good to keep a little distance from people who would care too much over "gender thought crimes" and don't let them get you into a vulnerable place with your beliefs.

there's an advantage in holding some part of your mind in private, and it sucks so much that in these spaces it can be hard to be yourself and trust people who should care about you and support you as a friend, but yeah, sometimes all you can do is protect yourself and wait it out until the popular opinions shift. of course, it's also good if you can find some outlet for your real beliefs and even find some semblance of community where you can engage in them, or whatever works for you (this is what this blog is for me !! essentially a coping mechanism for the fact I can't endlessly blab about my grievances with gender ideology in real life)

and just overall, anon, I hope you do find friends that will support you first and foremost and not be swayed by the pushing of popular ideology! I wish all the best for you and hope no more danger or harm comes your way. and of course, thank you for visiting my inbox, I believe in hearing people's testimonials, and finding a space to vent your frustrations is incredibly important as well. I can't promise to always have an amazing/enlightening/etc. response to every ask, I've always been just a little bit shit at comforting people in a rough spot because I myself can get quite cynical about the world, but I will try my best to offer some advice, or at least just a listening ear for anyone who wants to speak ♡♡♡

[desultory-novice]

Been awhile since I had seen your stuff, and I really enjoy what you’ve been coming up with! Glad to see you’re having fun

(Also, how did you start here, so to speak? I would love to be an active creator in the kirblr community, but since I just lurk and rb because I don’t have the energy/confidence to create, I just feel like an unwelcome stalker LOL. Sorry if this is too much!)

Oh, gosh, thank you so much! I'm a little impressed at how things have turned out after barely two years(?) here myself!

I don't know if my methods could ever work for anyone else as they do me, as I attribute a lot of "this" to serendipity but...

...It seems to me I really took off after opening my inbox up to doing detailed ask memes about the characters. Again, this was kind of luck on my part because I spoke very lovingly (albeit truthfully!) about a few mega popular characters, which caused two of their fandom BNFs to kindly reblog my posts, and that sent a bunch more asks for the WHOLE rest of the Kirby cast my way!

I'm sorry to say, it does take a lot of energy though. But I do get the struggle, as I'm often exhausted by life/lots of jobs. However, if you can find any sort of mental "trick" to keep yourself going, you might discover you have more energy than you think inside you!

(Me, I'm very visual, and I keep a collection of my favorite fanart on hand. If I think I've exhausted myself on a character/ran out of ideas of things to talk about, I'll browse through my personal "gallery" and it will help me to remember characters/events/interesting points.)

As to the matter of confidence, you've probably heard the whole "fake it to you make it" bit and to a degree, at least, it's true. I've had a couple of posts where I've flooded the tags with things like "OMG this is so bad and I'm so sorry!" or "I had no time to work on this and it shows~" or "if this sucks it's because life is crushing my soul and I just want to sleep for a thousand years..." annnnnd unfortunately...

...even if it's how you're feeling At The Time, those things can make people feel like they're intruding into your space by liking or reblogging it. It's like, if you're telling us something so personal and private, maybe you really only want to hear from a friend right now, and not a stranger...? What I've done is I've told myself it's okay to write out those low self-esteem thoughts elsewhere but try to let the people who are here for the art/images/videos/writing/discussions just enjoy your art/images/videos/writing/discussions.

If you've got something to get off your chest, don't feel like you have to hold it inside, but don't hold your audience captive either.

(Also, something else fun about this: if you cast out positivity, you may find that it comes back to you, and when you look again at that thing you shared, it was NOT as "awful" as you thought.)

Now, a lot of that was about "external" confidence or what you display. As for internal confidence, that's... kind of a constant struggle. We all -- and by all, I I mean even famous published creators -- have times when we think our work isn't good enough. Annnd...

...Well, it isn't always great. But the fact that something isn't great now (even if it's the absolute best we can do at the time) doesn't mean we have no skill at something! We all have to start somewhere. And sometimes "somewhere" is a piece of art or writing or theory or humorous content that only 1-2 people think is "...Eh, not bad."

My first "hit it big" piece? My "Moon's Haunted" Kirby meme? Ohhh man, I can't STAND to look at now! I redrew it a few months back and if I were to redraw it today, it'd look better still, probably. The key is that I tried (...and that I meme-posted when the game was going viral >.> ) and I think that shone through??

(...It might be silly, but there IS a Nintendo Direct tomorrow. Probably no Kirby news, as I assume Vanpool's closure will bring an end to us getting multiple Kirby titles a year, but if you really want to try and take that ^ path, you can always get up early/stay up late and ready yourself to post commentary on any news!)

That doesn't just go for art, but writing/theories/HC as well. I myself find it a little sad when someone starts on a post and then will just trail off with "...lol I dunno, didn't think about it that hard."

"Don't say that, person on the internet," I cry! Do you realize how much information is at your fingertips right now? You can google for things even if you only know it as "that thing in that one movie about the fruit." You can watch a Youtube video in 5 minutes explaining the mechanics of something you've never seen or ever hope to do before! You can even watch a Youtube playthrough of a Kirby thing you forgot instead of saying "You forgot!" Don't know how to draw cloaks? Pinterest has millions of references! Don't like Pinterest? Just google "cloaks, Pinterest" and click on the images tab and you will never have to log into that accursed site! It just takes WANTING to.

Though sometimes, I think people write that out of embarrassment? Maybe they DID think about it but they don't think anyone would be interested? Or maybe they really didn't think about X or Y but didn't want to feel like they were neglecting anybody and that something is better than nothing. Which it is, but LOVE is even more important!

...And love, especially in a fandom space, can be ~complicated~

Like I mentioned above, I'm LUCKY that my top favorite characters also come close to topping the rest of "the fandom's" list. But as I've said before, I love every character in Kirby. Even the ones-people-want-to-throw-off-a-bridge-into-a-waste-treatment-plant..

And if I'd started off my tumblr as a "The Susie Haltmann Appreciation Blog!" as opposed to my actual "Hey I'm Completely Obsessed About Marx and Magolor and I Think About Them All The Time (...but I also like the Haltmanns from a story perspective for their heartrending tragedy that hits close to home for me...) Blog" I don't know if we'd be having this conversation right now. ^^;

(It doesn't just have to be all about controversy/"discourse" related stuff either. I could have started a "Daily Sillydillo" blog and had to retire it in a month due to low levels of interaction. The concept of fandom favorites might not be very egalitarian, when every character deserves to have their story enjoyed, but sometimes, strong love can make up for the lack of eyes on a thing. Occasionally ^^)

...Anyway, you might not have the energy, at least not all the time, and confidence might be a little low right now too, but you love Kirby, right? You have passion for it? Passion can get you a lot! And also, there's a few methods of interaction that, for personal reasons, I could not choose that have done wonders for everyone else!

For example, I have some old, unhealed trauma about OCs, but there's a whole hu~ge section of Kirblr that loves OCs and, as far as I've seen (??) tries to be really supportive about them?

Lastly, I can guarantee you, you are NOT a stalker and anyone who thinks being a "quiet supportive fan" equates to being a stalker should consider moving away from thinking of themselves and/or others in that negative way. You have stalked nobody! You have only shown an active interest in others! That is a POSITIVE thing!

And on that note, you're definitely not unwelcome either! Especially if you're one of the precious, wonderful people out there who reblog lots! If you want to get your toes wet, why not test the waters and build your confidence in this space by adding some of your thoughts onto your reblogs? You could build a rep/connections that way!

TLDR, sometimes gaining an audience/a space is a magic trick that no one knows the secret to. Other times, it is the result of months and months and months of hard, lonesome persistence.

The best advice I can give you is advice I would give myself:

-Be kind if you can, if you cannot, then be understanding -Demonstrate care about your interests and those of others -Forgive yourself for being at the beginning of your journey

-Enthusiasm, sincerity, and love are warm lights in this world of ours that can, at times, seem so dim and dreary. Light a little lantern for yourself and remember to laugh loud with joy that life is also so amazingly, ridiculously magical and before you know it, others will find their way to your light to add their lantern to yours!

[badassbutterfly1987]

*laughs in helpless delight* Well, we were just talking about the "Holland stabbing via trap" scenario and you got "mugging" on your Bingo, which *close enough* Here is your excuse to write, should you be inclined ;)

(pre-canon, injury, Holland + Vortalis, pre-relationship

prompt: mugging)

The girl was young, maybe eight or nine years of age. Big brown eyes looking up at him. She held out a small silver bracelet. “My sister’s hurt. Help her, please.”

He hesitated. It was late in the evening, close to sunset. He was closer to the Shal than the Kosik; at least in the latter he had a better chance of trusting in his old community. Even so.

Holland remembered being this young with Alox. He remembered being alone after that as well. She was just a child. He could heal most injuries. “Alright, show me where she is.”

The girl scampered away and he followed a few paces behind. They ducked into an alleyway, out of sight of the main street.

Then she scrambled through a small hole in the wall, slipping out of sight. The trick registered just before he saw the men approaching from the other end and heard the scuff of shoes behind him.

Perhaps he should have been angry at the setup or at least shocked, but instead all he felt was disappointed as he reached for his magic.

...

Had it been a more typical mugging, Holland might have been willing to toss over the handful of coins he had with him. But of course, they wanted his blood and his power. He limped away once his attackers either ran off or were left crumpled on the ground; not dead but beaten enough to be discouraged from further attacks.

He had been outnumbered. One of them had had a garrote and had managed to slip it around his neck in an attempt to silence any blood spells; his throat still ached. Blood dripped down his side even with a hand applying pressure. Worst of all, the fight had drained his magic.

An Antari always looked like a threat or a target but he was even more aware of it now. It was getting dark and shelter was far away. Little surprise that some lurkers were always nearby, perhaps waiting to see what kind of fight he could still offer. They’d tear him apart if they could; if he was lucky, they’d kill him quickly before harvesting what they could. Vortalis would be disappointed if his potential weapon went out like that.

That was an option, Holland realized. Even though they’d stuck to meetings at the Scorched Bone, Vortalis had mentioned the current location of his headquarters in the Shal. It wasn’t too far away. He just had to take the gamble that Vortalis or one of his followers wouldn’t use the opportunity to hurt him; perhaps they would conclude a dead Antari would be more useful.

There was only one way to find out.

...

Sometimes Lane questioned his life choices. Like the fact that he followed a man obsessed with becoming king. Like the fact that they were trying to charm an Antari who was still playing coy about his allegiance, as if Vor’s mission didn’t depend on absolute mutual loyalty. Or the fact that aforementioned Antari was banging on their front door like a madman and Vortalis said sure, why not let him in?

But this was the path Lane had chosen so he opened the goddamned door. The Antari didn’t even bother to say hello first. “Where is Vortalis?”

“Inside,” he said curtly. “Were you followed and how many?”

“I wasn’t counting. Possibly enough to kill me.” Even though the Antari tried to stand tall, it was clear he was exhausted and bleeding. He looked about as threatening as a half-drowned rat; unless he was very good at acting pathetic, he wasn’t here as an assassin.

There was probably a mob of unknown size on his tail. Gods, the things he did for his future king.

"Just get in here."

...

“You know, Holland, when I said you could visit, I didn’t mean come with a blood trail behind you,” Vortalis said lightly.

It spoke to the Antari’s exhaustion that he let Vor wrap an arm around his waist to keep him on his feet as they made their way to a couch.

“It wasn’t my intention,” he said quietly. “I won’t be a bother for more than a night.”

“Oh you aren’t a bother. This would make for the most exciting thing to happen tonight.” Vortalis wasn’t opposed to a fight; it would make for a good break from staring at castle floorplans. He fetched a roll of bandages from the nearest drawer. “Remove your shirt so I can see how bad the damage is.”

Holland didn’t move from where he sat. “I can bandage my own wounds.”

Gaining Holland’s trust was much like appealing to a hungry street cat expecting violence. Which meant slow steps of constantly reiterating that he wasn’t an enemy. Vortalis handed the supplies over. “I’ll be in the room across the hall if you need anything. Try to get some rest.”

“What’s the catch?” Holland gripped the bandage tightly.

Agreeing to kill the king for him would be appreciated but Vortalis knew to play nice. “Try not to start a fight with one of my friends. We can talk more in the morning.”

[manofmanymons]

not really a vent this time but more like some silly, needlessly personal ramblings

I love that my mom has come around to the whole lesbian thing. She was never really opposed to it per se, but she definitely had problems processing and understanding it. For the longest time she would kinda use gender ambiguous terms when talking about romance. Like "your future partner," or "whatever kind of person you end up with"

And to be fair, I could end up with someone who uses they/them or even he/him pronouns. She's not wrong exactly. But the way she said it always made it seem like she wasn't convinced I won't fall for a man someday, y'know? Even when I first came out, her reaction wasn't "I'm surprised you like women," it was more like,,,"I always knew you were queer, but I figured you wouldn't care about gender." She simultaneously never had a problem with the idea that I could love a woman, but couldn't accept that I would never be with a man. And it confused me a lot. To this day I don't really understand what was goin on in that head of hers.

I do know that she stopped with the gender ambiguous language, though. She'll say future girlfriend or wife now. It makes me happy, it really does.

Not sure how to explain to her that I still might not end up with anyone at all anyways. Any time I try to say I'm not really interested in romance, she says it's because I haven't met the right person yet. Classic "you'll know it when you feel it" response.

There are reasons that are more directly sexuality based for why I think I'm better off single. I'm pretty sure I'm demiromantic or something, seeing as I'm 22 and I can literally count the number of crushes I've had in my entire life on one hand. Talking to my friends, it sounds like there's some certain feeling, some natural desire for romantic love that I don't have and can't fathom. Y'know it's not something I ever wanted or fantasized about. I used to get confused when friends sent videos of couples doing stuff and said "this makes me feel so single," because I didn't get why we couldn't just do the same thing. I never really got what they meant when they said it wouldn't be the same. It'd be fun and we love each other, what does it matter that we aren't dating?

There are reasons that are a little more,,,let's say mental health based. I'm bad at communicating and setting boundaries. I swore I'd never snap at someone for upsetting me by doing something I never told them upsets me, and I haven't! I hate people who assume you just "know better" without them ever telling you, and I personally think I've done a bang up job not being one of them. That being said, I can still never quite bring myself to tell someone I like that they're bothering me. I'm also easily bothered by things I know shouldn't bother me. Things I feel would be completely unreasonable to ask someone not to do. So instead I sit there being angry and miserable and wishing I was alone. Even with lifelong friends who have promised they won't get mad if I ever ask them to stop doing something and would even prefer if I did because they love me and can't stand the idea of making life harder on me, I just can't do it.

Most of the reasons tie into what I meant by things that shouldn't bother me. I can't stand sudden noises or movements. I hate sharp sounds and any sound that can be described as "wet." There are places I can't stand being touched. Not even inappropriate ones, either. If someone ever touches my neck, knee, foot, elbow, or wrist, even by accident, it's like a kill switch that makes me irrationally angry. Sometimes the sensation lingers and I end up hurting myself trying to scrub at my skin until the feeling goes away. It used to scare my parents. I have a lot of scars because of it. I hate how whispering sounds. I can't stand the feeling of anyone being close behind me. The sound that kissing makes grosses me out and also makes me irrationally angry. I can only be around other people for so long before I go insane. Even the people I love the most who bother me the least, I've got like a 3 day limit on before it's like "okay great fucking go away now please." Not that I'd ever phrase it like that.

I hate people who chew too loud, laugh too hard at things that aren't funny, or make that icky pop sound when they drink through straws. I hate people who scream when they're excited.

How can I look at someone and tell them "don't laugh like that," "stop eating weird," "please don't clap without saying you're going to first"

It just feels like I've got a million and one obstacles I've gotta overcome before I could be in a healthy relationship, and I don't even want one. But you try to explain that and all ya get in response is "you'll get it when you're older." It was annoying enough when I was a teen, but now that I'm an adult it's like yo how much older exactly am I supposed to get? People I went to high school with are married with kids and you're telling me I'm STILL just too young to understand???

[wellntruly]

M*A*S*H - Season 4, misc. notes

Burying a lot of um, my feelings, in the notes section, lately. I do have this thing sometimes with a TV show where we go through a change, and it’s like taking away the way something was lands a hammer blow on a whole mass of unexpressed feelings I’d built up about it, and finally shatters them into SOME WORDS. That post that’s like, being wine drunk is like, I am ready to write back now. I am ready to write back now.

Episode write-ups here, this here:

— — —

10 points to whoever had the idea that Hawkeye would be fully clothed and sopping wet, literally standing there like a cat in the rain, at the moment he learns Trapper is gone.

Oh so he just said, Radar—kiss him for me. Oh my god Hawk I’d be fraying at the seams. WHAT’S BETTER, that there was something more between them, hidden in plain sight under the most unhinged cover of all time, Everyone Already Expects Us To Act Like This, or that there wasn’t yet, that this will be it, a swift peck from Radar on your cheek and something you'll wonder forever. Whew I don’t know!

Wait, this man’s name is literally BJ Hunnicutt? Wow. 10 points again.

BJ, mildly, being shot at: “I think I hate this.” Me, mildly, heart warming: “You’re gonna be great.”

Uh oh. This relaysh is gonna be a different kind of….oh this is gonna fuck me up in new ways.

He’s in no way doing this on purpose, which I think is fascinating in itself actually, for what it seems to say about the environment of war and sort of like, what your heart might do to survive, but the barrage of impressions and sensations Hawkeye hits BJ with in his first few hours in Korea could practically not be better designed for BJ to go zero to 60 in an afternoon on feeling wildly intimate with him. To the point that when we revisit the scene of Frank being like I will mold him!, you’re just like oh honey, he is already lost to you!

Here is what BJ Hunnicutt encountered, in sequence, upon stepping foot onto Korea:

a kind of handsomely bedraggled lanky fellow doctor in frayed fatigues tossing off glib one-liners while still visibly smarting from having just had his best friend unceremoniously torn from his side

within ten minutes, he has bundled you into a bar and quipped he’ll only get married once someone gets him pregnant, drunk two scotch & waters, revealed he’s just lost his commander officer too, lied to a colonel, said he was a vampire, and stolen a jeep

you rattle off down the road with this little corporal behind the wheel

with no rehearsal or briefing, you perform an improv scene with him and the corporal in what you gather to be Act 2 of an ongoing short play called Befuddled the Military Police Sentry

you careen to a stop and try to save two farm girls from a minefield

you careen to a stop again, and change a tire together while being shot at

you careen to a stop a third time amid a small unit of soldiers, this time while being shelled

you practice battlefield medicine next to him for the first time in your life, get sick, and he steadies your waist and forehead as you heave into the dry grass

he bundles you off into a second bar, sits there like an unbothered anchor of blackened comic calm as a chaotic scuffle rolls around you, makes the existential toast, “Ours is not to question why, ours is not to let ‘em die,” and gets you absolutely clobbered on sake and beer

you fall back into the jeep together and he laughingly gathers you into his lap

you are In Love

this man has just been directly involved in 50 feelings you’ve never felt before, not all of them good!, but damn if they aren’t powerful

Ferret Face doesn’t stand a chance

They keep saying it’s 1952. Buddy, it was 1952 years ago.

How do they keep managing to find boyfriends taller than Alan Alda, 6 foot 2

Alright, a) of all I just said aloud to my computer “Give me…celeb heights dot com,” insane behavior, but can report that the wonderful obsessives of that online community cannot get over ragging him on his “loose” “slouchy” and “atrocious” posture, but do think Alda truly was 6’2” at his peak and just inexplicably surrounded by three different 6’3+’s over the run of M*A*S*H. Incredible. Meanwhile the corporals are all like, my dad’s size. What was going on over there.

Wait, REALLY?! His nickname is Radar because he has premonitions?? I thought it was just because of his crackerjack hearing with the choppers! WAIT SHIT I’m just realizing: HOW HE ALWAYS KNOW WHAT HIS COLONEL WANTS TO SAY. OH fuck oh fuck oh fuck I did not know this was all RELATED, oh thank you for this wow.

[Breathing out] Hooooo, Hawkeye & BJ’s relationship is so different… There’s both more need and more tentativeness there, from Hawk. Which fiiiiiguuures. And BJ, god BJ… So drawn to him and so careful. Recognizing something in the hanging air in their tent, this ghost whose bed he lies in, lying awake staring at the canvas ceiling and wondering if he did the same, if he listened to his sleeping breathing just like this. Haha dang, sorry sorry

No wait not done no wait no wait— Who has the old photos to show BJ. Pointing out Henry Blake in a group shot, and then going, "[Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy voice] Ah, here they are—the inseparables :),” and handing him one of Trapper & Hawkeye laughing in each other's arms.

Potter: “Whoa, at ease, son, at ease.” Radar: “Thank you sir, maybe later.” Hawkeye & BJ, tumbling in: “Colonel, about the sniping—” Potter: “We’re doing all we can, I’m working at my desk and Radar is scared.” Uhm I love him

Unclear chicken or the egg situation here but Larry Linville’s performance has become basically just a caricature of himself and I am suff-er-ing. Frank used to at least be kinda fun awful!

I simply cannot see a way how the directorial adage “never work with animals or children” is not related to how we just got two Alda directed episodes in a row, with: animals and children, respectively. Did he not know. Did they know he didn’t know. Or, is this him being like, I Will Prove…!

BEEJ. Beej?? Well let’s see if that sticks.

Father Mulcahy just having a genuine theology discussion about Judas with the man calling himself Jesus Christ, bless

One thing I think is intriguing is how much Sid clearly loves Hawkeye. His ideal patient. Hawkeye is so verbal and presentational that he’d come up with the most interesting ways to describe what’s wrong that Sid’s ever heard, and then he’ll get to try to help. Honestly, I look at Sidney Freedman and I think, there’s our off-ramp. Someday, you two are gonna have to have a talk.

“Ah, this mad gay nightlife.” Yeah..

Wait a second. BJ’s wife’s name is….Peg? sensible_chuckle.gif, 20 points

BJ just grinning at Radar in only the most slightly and cutely wolfish way and going “You could have been my wife :),” yell. Y’know the question was always there whether BJ was flirting with men just as a way to bond with Hawkeye, Flirts With Men, but he’s not even there to appreciate this, this is really just you being you, huh. Wonderful. We got another one.

(God okay—Hawkeye writing these weird letters to Trapper that he never responds to but he keeps sending them, just like a one-sided conversation, like after a triple shift in surgery and Trapper would be lying on his bed too exhausted to speak and Hawkeye lying next to him too exhausted to stop, and Trapper’s home with his wife & kids and reading these diaristic stream-of-conscious scrawls with these stray lines like “the thing about BJ—I think he’s one of us,” and feeling five kinds of strange & nervy, bouncing his leg with the worn postcard in the pocket that he wrote on the plane and hasn’t sent that just says, “Did Radar deliver my message”)

BJ’s dog is named Waggle Hunnicutt

Madly in love with the reveal that Klinger is canonically Lebanese. Yossarian energy doubling.

“Thank you Radar, that tomato juice was the oyster’s ice skates.” Excuse me Sherman

The sexual harassment…effervescent.

Oh now we’re speaking Arabic!!

Potter: “He even made Klinger cry.” BJ: “The cad.” Potter: “Told him his platform shoes made him look like a tramp.” Everyone: [clicks disapprovingly]

Oho! Timeline klaxon! By episode 18 of season 4, Potter has been there “a few months.” Hawkeye has meanwhile been there “a hundred years.” Very good meta joke here.

Frank just called BJ a “dizzy simp.” Wow that kinda crushes actually.

I know why someone just honks outside, but I’ll show up on set for free to let you know that Hawkeye stumbles out of that farmhouse to see yes, Radar behind the wheel of a jeep, and gathering his bag out of the backseat: BJ. And then it just goes:

Hawkeye: “Well aren’t you a sight for sore head.” BJ, moving toward his jaw gently: “Ah. You got yourself knocked up pretty good, huh.” Hawkeye, toss at 25% usual strength: “And I’m pregnant??” BJ, half-distractedly murmuring as he starts peering at his eyes: “Well, give us time.” Hawkeye: [startled pleased dazey grin, quieting as BJ begins to carefully feel his fingers through his hair] BJ: [saves that right temple for last] Hawkeye: [it hurts] But, BJ, smiling: “Good news: you aren’t half-cracked.” Hawkeye: “Try telling that to them.”

And then we fini.

“Maybe Oedipus wrecked it for me” is A PUN SO GOOD

I can't even get into all the ‘Amok Time’ level cause & effect shenanigans in this episode

Alda and Farrell as these desperate pleading weaklings in Frank’s version of the Rashomom are killing me. I'm still giggling. “We can’t do it, Frank!”

BABYFACE. Wow I sure would like to see if that one sticks, Beej. Hah oh my god if I get to call them Beej & Babyface I’m gonna lose my mind.

I gotta say, I gotta say: spending more money on action and extras to track someone getting injured, treated at an aid station, loaded onto a chopper, and then brought into the MASH unit, was worth it. That hits.

Somehow just occurred to me Radar seeming so much younger and softer could be a direct result of his father figure being killed.

Wow this is a whole new key for you, Benjamin Franklin Pierce!

This new nurse: “What does BJ stand for?” Hawkeye: “Praaactically anything.” What’s fun is this is a joke about blow jobs and also his convictions. And also I STILL DON’T KNOW IF THIS IS BENJAMIN AND BENJAMIN.

I love her vocal fry. It’s so hot, I don't know!

Actually swear I had the thought recently, what if they ever did a sort of Demme close up? Would I die? Thanks for seeing me, M*A*S*H

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