#they're both grieving something fierce

[finemealprompt]

DP x DC Prompt #27

When Dick's parent's fell, his first thought was, "This can't be happening." His second thought was, "What's going to happen to me and my brother now?"

The answer? His brother was older than him, much older. Old enough that he could stay with the circus. But Dick? Dick couldn't stay with Danny. He was too young.

So Bruce Wayne took him in, offered to take Danny in too. Dick begged his brother to join him, but Danny didn't. He smiled at Dick, ruffled his hair, and told him he'd be waiting at the circus for when Dick returned. Promised to send postcards and letters.

Then he was gone. And Dick never returned to the circus.

[waitineedaname]

I've decided to finally compile all my daemon au thoughts into one post instead of just flooding my friends' dms with them! I doubt I'll ever managed to actually write a fic for it because there's no way I can pull together a coherent enough plot so it would just be a series of vaguely connected vignettes, BUT. it's on my brain always.

Shen Qingqiu has a red-crowned crane. She felt Shen Jiu die when Shen Yuan transmigrated, and she was NOT PLEASED, which definitely puts a damper on their relationship at first, though she begrudgingly plays along with Shen Yuan assuming the role of Shen Qingqiu because the alternative is death and she will NOT let this fool's incompetence kill her. She eventually comes around to him, but she generally has Shen Jiu's rather acerbic and distrustful personality

Luo Binghe's daemon is unsettled at the beginning because he's still a kid. He usually chooses smaller, easier to hide forms when they're out in public, only choosing bigger forms when they're alone. Eventually, as he becomes more comfortable with Shen Qingqiu, he starts coming out of his shell more and exploring more forms around him -- a lamb bleating at his heels, a little lion cub tumbling around the Bamboo House's private training grounds. On one notable occasion he took on a crane form as an attempt to get in SQQ's daemon's good graces. She did not appreciate it.

He doesn't settle until the Endless Abyss. In PIDW, Bingge's daemon settled as a chow chow, a dog that looks soft and fluffy but is prone to, uh. aggression issues. In SVSSS, Bingmei's daemon settles as a Tibetan mastiff, an absolute unit of a dog that LOOKS intimidating, but is really just very protective

Shang Qinghua has a yellow-throated marten daemon! This is, notably, not the daemon the original goods had. Since he transmigrated as a baby, the original goods' daemon hadn't settled and was Also a baby, so he didn't end up with a grown adult's fully settled daemon like Shen Yuan did. Martens look very cute and nonthreatening, but they are fierce predators and will take down animals much larger than them! He usually keeps her hidden in his robes, but she wiggled out to screech at him to GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE when things started going wrong at the Immortal Alliance Conference, and her having a different form is what clued SQQ in that SQH might also be a transmigrator

Liu Qingge has a snow leopard and Yue Qingyuan has an Asian black bear. These daemons were chosen because Tibetan mastiffs were kept to protect monks from snow leopards and bears lol

Plot stuff under the cut!

SQQ's daemon is aware of the System, and therefore gets to learn things about SQQ's fate in the original novel. she is Not Pleased.

She remains reserved and guarded for a while, but it's hard to resist Shen Yuan's persistent charm, so she does warm up to him eventually. She's not wild about being touched, but she'll occasionally allow him to pet her feathers. She's also not wild about letting That Little Beast live in the Bamboo House, but she quickly learns Shen Yuan is just as stubborn as her A-Jiu was, so she allows it if only as a chance to keep a closer (suspicious) eye on Binghe

They definitely get much closer after the Immortal Alliance Conference, because she can tell just how much SQQ is grieving, and it pains her too. At this point, she's started seeing him as Her Person and not just a bodysnatcher

When they run into Binghe and his daemon again at Jinlan City, they both get to enjoy remembering the graphic descriptions of how in PIDW, Binghe's daemon had ripped SQQ's daemon's wings off as part of his torture. And oh fuck, his daemon settled as something even BIGGER this time?? Look at those jaws!!! Clearly the thump thump thump of his tail wagging against the floor at the sight of them is because he's excited to get his revenge. Definitely not because he's excited to see them again

On rare occasions, daemons of powerful cultivators can survive beyond the death of their person, usually only if the daemon is particularly strongwilled. She survived Shen Jiu's death once already. She's certain she could survive until SQQ gets into the back-up mushroom body. They thought it would only be a few minutes. They didn't expect it to take five years.

She is absolutely catatonic with grief during those five years. Binghe takes her survival as proof that Shizun's soul must have survived, certainly he will be able to bring him back if his daemon is still alive. He treats her with the utmost respect, the same way he treats SQQ's corpse. He never touches her directly since he knows she hates being touched. She never spoke much to him before, but now she doesn't even speak at all. She just curls up on the bed where he keeps the body, resting her head on Shen Qingqiu's chest

When Plantzun does finally show up and chaos ensues with the corpse hot potato, she confirms any of Binghe's suspicions about Shen Qingqiu's identity by swooping into the fray to peck angrily at the familiar stranger, some life and vitality finally returned to her and she scolds him for taking FIVE YEARS?? SHE NEVER WOULD HAVE AGREED TO THIS IF SHE'D KNOWN IT WOULD TAKE FIVE YEARS, HOW DARE HE. Shen Qingqiu is first so relieved to see her, and then terrified because she immediately broke his cover

After everything settles and the plot concludes and bingqiu get their happy ended, Binghe's daemon becomes SUCH a lapdog. Clingy rescue dog made of velcro type of vibe. They have to get a big enough bed to fit two grown men and a 150 pound dog. He LOVES Shizun headpats. SQQ's daemon does not ever join these cuddle sessions, but she always keeps an eye on them from her nest of pillows across the room because like hell is she ever letting Shen Qingqiu out of her sight again

[lionheartedmusings]

i will never not be endlessly fascinated with pomme and q!bad's dynamic, especially now after the egg disappearance, purgatory, and returning to the island.

because pomme's adoption wasn't this huge emotional moment or him stepping in for someone who wasn't there, their bond was built out of time and care and love, to the point that it was just the next natural step in their relationship. even after that, it took a while for pomme to call q!bad dad because she was nervous and wanted it to be at the right time -- q!bad was aware of it too, because when she did call him dad for the first time he melted, took a photo of the sign, and made it not a big deal per se but acknowledged that it was a meaningful moment between them. then they moved on and kept going as usual.

their time together is cherished and not an afterthought -- yes, when her french parents are on pomme will always do the rounds with them! of course, she wants to spend time with them! q!bad's time with her is after, and they both know that in an inherently healthy and comforting way. it's their schedule, and even if she's with q!bad and one of her other parents log on off stream she'll go to hang out and q!bad only *once* interrupted that time, and it was to ask for her opinion on footage when he thought someone was in his house.

pomme is also both a mini-bad in a lot of ways inherently, and his absolute antithesis. they both share vicious anger when those they love are endangered, are fiercely protective and paranoid, are planners and worries to a fault... i don't think pomme would be surprised to hear what her dad did in purgatory at all, even if it would make her sad. that's where they're not similar at all: pomme is vengeful too, don't get me wrong, she's an eye for an eye girlie *but* she has a level of restraint that q!bad doesn't, and a moral compass that actually sees right and wrong vs. something i care about and something i don't. q!bad has been anchored by pomme before, brought to heel so to speak, in a way that needed no convincing because there's a level of trust there that's inherent.

and yet pomme knows and q!bad has acknowledged that dapper is his priority -- not in terms of love, never that, but still a priority. and that's just okay. pomme knows she's loved, she knows her dad adores her and she also knows that she has other parents that love her whereas ultimately dapper doesn't. she knows her mom q!baghera would prioritise her, and so would q!antoine, and q!aypierre, and q!etoiles -- it's okay that q!bad doesn't because he's looking out for her brother and she loves her brother more than anything.

the one thing that's interesting to me about their dynamic is the fact that pomme is loud and proud about being q!bad's daughter and has expressed frustration that people don't know / acknowledge her as his kid, but q!bad is almost reluctant to say she's his more often than not.

i can count on one hand the times he's corrected someone when they mention only dapper, or added that pomme is his too... and yet in private to him it's always dapper and pomme. he grieved them both in their time away, left pomme a message, checked her room too. he sang her happy birthday and got her the flowers she likes. he lost it when the eggs went missing not at seeing dapper's empty bed, but pomme's. he, in the throes of his memory loss and confusion, proudly said "this has got to be pomme's, this is exactly how my daughter would organise things" about the egg rooms.

there's a duality there that is fascinating and confusing and seems... purposeful on q!bad's behalf in a way i truly can't figure out entirely.

maybe he's trying to protect her, to distance himself from her in the rest of the island's minds so if something goes wrong she can be safe in a way he knows dapper could never be -- after all, elquackity didn't take pomme, he had no idea she was his.

i guess it's all about love, anyway.

[msfbgraves]

The first Godfather movie is on Y*utube for free now! I rewatched it and it was just as great as I remember, so on to Part 2. But then I went on redd*t to check out some Godfather threads, and was disappointed to see so much discourse on who was hotter, Apollonia or Kay. And why there is so much hate against Kay, mainly because she is “too feminist” and “educated”, doesn’t “obey or support” Michael, and that she’s not as beautiful as Apollonia. All in all a disappointing experience. I didn’t see any male characters reduced to how handsome they were or were not : /

Let me help you there, then, Nonnie - of course Michael was destined to become the new Don - he is far prettier than Fredo, Sonny or Connie. And Vito was prettier than Don Fanucci all along! 😎

All this "Kay isn't good enough for Michael" discourse - he pursued her. Both in film 1 and 3. And the only time I felt Kay was weak, was when she said yes when he returned. Imagine, here is your war hero boyfriend who says he wants a clean American life... and then he shoots two people, leaves the country, ghosts you for a year, tells you he has become a career criminal and then proposes marriage. She should have said no, she really isn't open to this, but is this man, who she knows has people killed with no repercussions, a man she can refuse? As little as Vitelli could really refuse Michael's request to court Apollonia. The first thing Michael says to him is: "If you don't do what I want, I will kill you, and what I want is meet your daughter."

But alright maybe love isn't rational. Maybe they loved each other still. Kay really wasn't suited to mob life and that is on Michael. He knew who she was and it didn't matter, he wanted her. He had barely a clue who Apollonia was, her with no English and he with broken Italian. It didn't matter, he wanted her. Kay would have been perfect for Michael Corleone, aspiring senator, which is what he was when they met. But he didn't care Kay was not suited for who he was now. Why didn't he grieve Apollonia and find another mob wife? Why didn't he remarry after their divorce? Even when he proposes Kay is already reluctant and Michael pushes and pushes and pushes. She must represent something he actually does want, still.

But it's always the woman's fault when relationships don't work out, isn't it? No Kay wasn't a good mob wife. She didn't want to be one. She got out with her children - that is something Michael never managed. And Apollonia is something many men imagine they want, but when they have it, they get bored. I am not saying Apollonia wasn't intelligent, but if you get told to completely erase yourself into motherhood, which means you can't offer more than comfort and sex - that's not enough for a lot of people. And it's not like these women wouldn't have had more to offer but everytime they try they get shut down. And what you get then is Carmella, which may have suited Vito - that man who craved domesticity above all else - but even Sonny and Michael needed more input from her than she could give. So Michael fell for the total opposite. And maybe Apollonia was a fierce presence who might have become to Michael what Connie became, but we can't know. We don't know what she and Michael talked about. We know she was very beautiful and made Michael laugh, and she may or may not have had a slight independent streak. That's it.

I feel that they might have worked because they clicked emotionally and Apollonia knew the life. But Michael didn't look for someone like her again. He looked for Kay, again and again and again.

If she doesn't suit him - and no, she doesn't suit a Don - Michael should try to figure out what itch he was trying to scratch with her. Oh, and that obedience shit - in my experience, boys who go on about that are deeply insecure about something. They couldn't get a well trained dog to obey them, let alone a person!

All these men who think they're owed power while being unwilling to do what they'd have to to obtain it, always want women to fawn. Men who have what it takes to gain power, should they aspire to, usually spend time honing a skill. They rarely throw their weight around putting others down. No matter where they start, the bottom or the top - they put the work in. Michael did, Sonny did, and Fredo mostly complained. As much as we see anyway. If Fredo had done a good job with what he was given, or would have found himself an opportunity, he would have won Michael's respect. Not position,but respect, like Tom. Instead Fredo demanded respect for his position as an older brother.

That's the type of man who whines about having women obey him.

[luna-rainbow]

Thanks again for answering my ask and sorry to bombard you with these.

I absolutely agree with you about Bucky and Zemo on TFatWS. This might be long as I have so many thoughts about this. The series seems to fail to understand T'Calla wasn't just someone who helped Bucky although he was of course. He was his friend. The movies don't get everything right with Bucky but I think Bucky and T'Calla's relationship is one of the high points. We don't see them much but when you do you can tell Bucky respected T'Calla immensely and not just because he's a King. He seems to be really genuinely fond of Shuri as well, asking her to call him Bucky instead of the formal Sargeant Barnes.

I know I said it before, but the Wakandans are his friends/his protectors/his adoptive family. He is not just some white guy with colonialist arrogance who expects favours from the African State. If anything its the other way around- he fought because he felt he owed T'Calla and his family a debt.

As such- I do not think he would ever have helped the person who killed T'Callas father. Yes he didn't know T'Chaka, but that is his friend's father. Its like if he found out someone killed Steve's mother and worked with them. Like slapping his friend in the face, and I can't see him doing that.

Also, finally can we talk about how the show robbed us of the emotional impact of T'Challa's death on Bucky? He's sad about Steve leaving but I firmly believe would have grieved for T'Calla too. He's lost not one but two of his best friends within a very short space of time, so he's got grief alongside all his other problems to deal with. Don't know how that man managed to stay sane. Well relatively sane and didn't have a complete breakdown.

Thanks for all the asks!

I love the idea that T'Challa and Bucky had a strong bond. I agree I think Ryan Coogler intended in that short post-credit scene to show that Wakandans have accepted Bucky as part of the family.

The kids are peering down curiously at him as he sleeps, and he doesn't startle, nor does he startle them when he wakes. There's a high degree of mutual trust there. He lives in their community, not in a boxed off high tech room like the one where he was put to sleep. They dressed him in their ethnic clothing and colour-coded it to match Steve. Someone tied (and probably combed) his hair for him when he didn't have a prosthesis. Someone has folded a blue shawl and tied it into a pretty sling to protect the stump of his arm. This is the image of a guy that was being well looked after -- not just in an impersonal, we gotta keep him alive kind of way, but in a what can we do to make his life better kind of way, and if that isn't some sort of family I don't know what is.

I mean...compare with this costume...that looks like some random sweatshirt from some sports brand worn backwards with the extra fabric pinned and pulled over tautly over his right shoulder, complete with the soft elastic cuffs and the weird neckline. Coogler put more effort into a 30 second cameo than TFATWS did for one of Bucky's most emotionally poignant scenes in a series where he's the main character. Sorry I'm never going to pass on an opportunity to shit on the series.

And like yeah, while I don't ship T'Challa and Bucky (I really like T'Challa with Nakia in the MCU), I think they're an underrated dynamic. They strike me as somewhat similar in temperament? Both peace-loving, respectful and compassionate guys, who have a strong sense of loyalty and a fierce streak when someone they love is hurt. And both Bucky and T'Challa are older brothers to younger sisters, and they both have that oldest kid sense of weary responsibility. And for someone who was broken out of 70 years of brainwashing by being reminded of a promise he made, Bucky clearly has a strong sense of loyalty and responsibility.

So yeah, it makes no sense to me that Bucky would actively do something so personally hurtful, so disloyal and irresponsible to T'Challa, without adequate justification.

As for the mourning, yeah. At the time they didn't know how Coogler was planning to write T'Challa out of the story, so that might be why the mourning wasn't in there. To be honest, Bucky's feelings about Steve was handled poorly too. As I've mentioned before, the series avoids actually addressing how Steve's departure played out. Sam and Bucky are sad about Steve's absence, but never talk about the hurtful way Endgame!Steve abandoned both of them, which is far more emotionally relevant. They talk about him as though he had died in a noble sacrifice, not dumped the world on them and went to mess up someone else's timeline.

[doyouknowthemossinman]

I accidentally manufactured a royal family in HollowClan. so. here's them <3 elaboration below the cut

so here we start with the woman, the myth, the legend, Gorgespeck! she's not a founding member of the clan, but joined on Moon 11 so i often mistake her for a Clan Founder. A medicine cat with ambitions for family, she just kept. finding. kittens. She only kept 5 of them herself tho. She found Mossymouse, Shardsplash, and Yewdapple abandoned by their twoleg within the same moon of joining the Clan, and then had half-Clan kits Rainbowjay and Sprucekit. She died of old age after many moons of service to HollowClan.

Jumping ahead a little because her bloodline is shorter, we have Rainbowjay! Sprucekit is here too. (She died from being carried off by a hawk at 6 moons old.) Rainbowjay was a loyal HollowClan warrior, if a bit average. She died giving birth to her only son, Rootpelt, who she had with Spiderstrike. (I didn't want to draw mates because holy hell that would be a lot.)

Rootpelt's only personality trait is having a million cousins thanks to both his parents' littermates: Mossymouse on his mother's side and both of Spiderstrike's siblings. The man has a total of 0 siblings and 17 cousins.

Speaking of which.... THE MAIN EVENT. THE ADOPTER EXTRAORDINAIRE.

Mossymouse!... and her siblings Yewdapple and Shardsplash. Taken in as 5-moon-old kits, these guys really made names for themselves in the Clan. Well, Mossymouse did, anyway. Yewdapple was carried away by a hawk at age 23 and Shadsplash suffered the same fate at age 48. Mossymouse herself died on patrol at age 89.

In the meantime, Mossymouse was finding children left, right, and center! She was very involved in her kits' lives, even mentoring her daughter Hazyfeather. Being mentored by kin was something that tended to carry through the rest of the bloodline as well, as aunts and uncles mentored their nieces and nephews.

Shardsplash did mentor Coniferwhisker during her warrior apprenticeship, before she was forced to retire due to her paralyzation. After spending a moon feeling quite useless, Coniferwhisker took up the mantle as one of HollowClan's mediators. She is still able to do her work with help and exercise from the medicine cats, and she trains her apprentices well.

Hazyfeather was very close with her family, going on to give lives to her stepfather Ripplestar and her brother Mousestar. Icyseeker did much the same, being mentored by Ripplestar and then giving him a life. Kitehowl was mentored by the previous leader, Ibisstar, and went on to be a fierce warrior. The three sisters died to poison and yellowcough, respectively.

Oh, Mousemask. He never felt like he deserved the title of leader at all, and the guilt was doubled when he received lives from all three of his dead sisters. When pressed to choose a new deputy, he panicked, and chose his younger adopted sister, Patchrumble. He later stepped down from leader due to the stress and his age, wishing to spend the rest of his life with his mate, medicine cat Driftshade. He has one kit, an experienced warrior named Flickerfox.

Mossymouse became mates with Ripplesnow, later Ripplestar, and decided that he was allowed to share custody of the second litter that she found.

This litter was found by Mossymouse as newborns, and as such, they've never known any world outside the Clans as their older siblings might have.

Claypaw and Patchpaw were close during their apprenticeship, and Patchpaw went into deep grieving when Claypaw was killed on patrol. The grief hardened her, and she honestly swore off being as openly close with her brothers after that. Luckily, lesbians exist, and she now has a small family as leader of HollowClan, with her mate Honeyheart and adopted daughter Cinderpaw.

Pebbledapple's boldness mixed with Smokechaser's arrogance make for a dangerous combination. They get along by causing trouble, as brothers do. They're honestly lucky that they have the respect of their Clanmates to fall back on.

Mossymouse's third and fourth litters were small and short-lived, unfortunately. Cragstripe was a newborn found by the Clan, like his older siblings. He had a long apprenticeship due to the death of his first mentor, so Mousemask finished his training. He was a serious, no-nonsense warrior. He drowned alongside a Clanmate while on patrol.

Highfeather and Kestrelstripe were abandoned by another Clan, and their scent was well-disguised enough that HollowClan couldn't tell who had left them on their border. Kestrelstripe was mentored by Patchrumble, and the two grew close both as sisters and as teacher and student. She was honored for her kindness as her graduation ceremony, and went on to be a masterful teacher and lorekeeper in the Clan. She was found dead on the PythonClan border at age 41.

Highfeather was trained by one of the Clan's founders, Pantherfeather, in the ways of a mediator. She was distraught at her sister's death, and the next moon, set out to find answers. She presumably went in PythonClan's direction, but HollowClan never found her body, nor heard a peep about her from any PythonClan warrior.

This family could be so much bigger if I also wanted to include cats that Ripplestar adopted but Mossymouse did not. (because he did that. he had 3 kits with a cat from another clan before he became mates with mossymouse) not to mention, Spiderstrike has an entire side of her family that could be royalty as well, with her siblings having half-Clan kits of their own.

as a bonus for making it all the way through this post, you get.... a screenshot of rootpelt's 17 cousins!

[brainyxbat]

Chapter 17: Alubarna Grieves! The Fierce Captain Karoo

(episode 113)

"Vivi-chan is in danger!" Sanji realized. "Usopp, you go help Chopper."

"Chopper?"

"Get to the southeast gate!" He began running down the road. Usopp weakly tried to walk, but fell back down.

"Usopp-kun!" Venus knelt down to him in concern.

"Vivi-chan, hang in there a little longer, until I get there!" He jumped away from an onslaught of arrows that seemingly came out of nowhere.

They turned out to be from the royal army. "It's a rebel soldier! They're here!"

Sanji hid behind a crate. "Rebel soldier? Me?"

At his other side, the rebel army approached. "Ah, it's a royal soldier! Shoot him!"

He really was mad now. "Hey now, I'm neither rebel army, or royal army!" When they shot, he kicked their guns into the sky. "I'm on the side of the ladies!"

Meanwhile, at the southeast gate, Chopper stood on the sand, now in muscle point. "They've disappeared, all too quickly." He glanced around cautiously. "Where are Mr. 4, and Ms. Merry Christmas?" Suddenly, something began tunneling towards him, so he leaped away. But sinkholes appeared in the sand, prompting him to dodge each one. "W-what is this?" He panted. "Just who are these guys?"

A woman's taunting laughter rang from one of the holes. "Who are you? You talk as though you know everything. Let me introduce you to our number-4 batter." From another hole, a round man in green with short, blond hair rose up, wielding a baseball bat that appeared to be made of iron.

"Number-four... batter?" The man swung his bat around threateningly. 'Whatever I can do... right now, I should just do whatever I can do. I am... I am a pirate!'

"Die!" Ms. Merry Christmas suddenly burst out in front of him. She was a portly woman with a white shirt, a necktie resembling a Christmas tree, purple-lensed sunglasses, and an afro of burgundy curls.

-

"Stop!!" Vivi screamed over Karoo's battle cry, as he was reaching his limit.

"Now!" On Venus' command, the two ducks knocked Bon Clay back with a kick to the noggin, and a headbutt to his stomach. "Yes!" She cheered.

"Y-you guys," Vivi stammered in surprise.

"Nice work, Captain Karoo," Sanji praised, "You're the man." He quacked weakly in response.

"Sanji-san! Venus-san!"

"You guys can stand down too." They saluted. "You have a rebellion to stop, right, Vivi-chan?" She smiled at that, as he adjusted his necktie. "I'll take care of him." He turned to their opponent. "Are you the ridiculous transforming man?"

"That's him, all right," Venus glared ahead.

"You stay out of my way. Who are you?!"

"Go on."

"Hey, I remember you, girlie!" Bon Clay taunted Venus.

"I'm flattered," She deadpanned, "Now give those goggles back!"

He laughed, and stood on his toes, to keep them out of the short girl's reach. "Just try it, little Swanny!" She growled with fury.

Vivi nodded, and turned to the ducks. "Look after Karoo." They saluted, and carried him away.

"Venus-chan, go with Vivi-chan."

"Fat chance. I'm not a weakling like Nami; I have a Devil Fruit, remember?" She manifested an energy ball for emphasis. "She'll be fine."

Bon Clay yelled out in anger, as Vivi ran off. "She's getting away! You gotta be kidding me! You two get to die!"

"Just try it," Venus glared, quoting him.

"Why don't I start by having you return our sharpshooter's..." He held his leg back with his own. "Prized goggles to me?"

"What?"

"I won't be done in like he was."

"You're in league with Straw Hat? Well then, are you the fabled Mr. Prince?"

"Nope." He let his shades drop to the ground. "My name is Sanji. I'm a first-class cook of the sea."

"A cook?" Bon Clay quirked his brow. "I happen to be a super-first-class one myself. Cooks shouldn't defy underworld organizations!"

"That underworld organization bit goes for both of us," Sanji retorted, "I'm a cook, and a pirate."

Bon Clay scoffed, and smirked. "An eye for an eye, is that it?"

Sanji confidently puffed some smoke. "That's what it is. You keep your hands off of this country."

-

Meanwhile, at the west block, Zoro was having a stare-down with two other agents; a dark-skinned muscular man, and a tall woman with puffy, dark blue curls. "Go! Go! Zoro!" Nami urged, with their ducks close by. "What are you waiting for?! Hurry up, and pound them!"

"You guys shut up, and go hide somewhere!" Zoro ordered, before smirking at his adversaries. "Would you guys make this fun for me?" He prepared to draw a sword, as the two approached him.

"Go, Zoro! This is the only virtue you've got, right?!" Strangely, they walked right past him. "Hurry up, and finish off... those..." Nami trailed off nervously. "Ugly-looking..."

Zoro turned back. "What do you think you're doing? Huh?!"

"First rule of the guide to killing: Eliminate the weaker targets first."

"Let us show you how a pro works," The woman smirked.

Nami glanced around in a panic, before pointing to herself. "M-me? J-just a minute!" She held her hands up. "There's no meaning in getting rid of me. My face and style might be outstanding, but I've got no skills. I'm a non-combatant."

"Didn't we just say so?" The woman retorted. "Starting by getting rid of such is the fastest way to work."

Nami nervously patted her head. "Well, sure! Of course, you're right. I'd do the same myself."

Zoro watched with a sweatdrop, as she ran off with a scream of terror. "I told you to shut up, and hide somewhere."

-

Down southeast, Usopp peeked over some ruins on the sand for signs of Chopper, or any Baroque Works agents. "This is the southeast gate that Sanji meant, right? It looks like the fight is over. Where is Chopper?" He saw a familiar, furry body laying face-up ahead. "Chopper!" He ran over, and began nudging him. "Hey, Chopper! Wake up! Hey! Come on!"

His eyes squinted open. "Usopp, thank goodness you're all right."

"Don't be silly! Are you all right?"

Chopper sat himself up. "It's nothing serious."

"So..." Usopp glanced around the sinkhole-littered area, "This is what remains after the Mr. 4 pair left, is it? And here, I came to help you out! That's too bad. I, the champion of the seas, the world's greatest hero, Captain Usopp-sama, wanted to show off my fighting prowess!"

"They're still around here, somewhere. Be careful."

"What?!" Usopp ducked down behind him. "Tell me that part first!" They looked around the area cautiously, before the ruins were totaled by a mysterious, exploding force. "What on Earth is that?! Nobody's even there!"

"They're under the ground," Chopper clarified, "Ms. Merry Christmas is a mole-woman, thanks to the Mole-Mole Fruit."

"A mole-woman?"

"The other one, Mr. 4, is a 4th-batter, together with his dog."

"Huh? That doesn't make any sense at all. What do you mean?"

Chopper whipped around at a loud sneeze. "Here it comes! Look out!" He leaped away from a baseball, with Usopp following. Another narrowly missed the latter, before exploding away from them like the first. Chopper coughed from the cloud of dust. "Are you okay, Usopp?"

He cautiously pushed himself up. "That was close! You saved me! Thanks. What exactly was that, just now?"

"Like I said, Mr. 4 is a 4th-batter, together with his dog."

"And I said, that doesn't make any sense at all."

"Ah, it's him!"

Usopp turned, and saw an ashen yellow dog standing before them, appearing to be ailed by a cold. "A dog?" Strangely, other than its head and legs, it was shaped like a gun! "What is that?!"

Chopper tensed up when it was about to sneeze again. "O-oh no!"

"W-what?!" The dog released another baseball from its mouth. "What?!"

"Here it comes!"

"Again?!"

They leaped away, but Mr. 4 popped out of the nearest hole, and whacked it with his bat; and it was heading for Usopp! "You have to run far away, Usopp!" He ducked down in a panic, but wound up getting hit! "Usopp!" He ran to the injured sniper. "Are you all right, Usopp?!" He used one hand to prop his head up.

"Like I said, what exactly was that?"

"It's a time bomb. It explodes, even if it doesn't hit anything. They can calculate the time it will take, and then hit them. Or to put it the other way, they don't explode until their time is up, so I thought I could catch the bomb up, and throw it back at them, but that ball is as heavy as a wrecking ball, and isn't the sort of thing you can catch. To be able to hit it with a bat, especially at the speed that he does, Mr. 4's strength is extraordinary."

Mr. 4 stood by the bottom half of a wall, and laid his bat against it, sending the portion crumbling in seconds. "Huh...?" Usopp gawked.

"Lassoo!" He called for the dog in a slow-sounding voice.

"Just how many tons is that bat he swings around?" Usopp shuddered.

"La-!"

"Hey, Mr. 4! Mr. 4!" Ms. Merry Christmas whacked his head with a wooden plank. "You bastard, you! You 'tard, you! What are you just standing around for?! Let them have it, already!" Opposite of her partner, her speech rate was much faster, and more energetic. "Come on, and let them have it! Get on with it, and let them have it! Go on, and let them have it! Let them have it! Come on, get on, get on! Have it, you... you... "Ba!" You, "Ba!""

"There she is!" Chopper pointed out. "The mole-woman!"

"She's a mole!"

"I haven't even transformed yet, "ba"! You "ba"!"

A fearful Usopp let himself fall limp in the doctor's hand. "Chopper, you'll have to take it from here. Bury my body at sea when I'm gone, would you?"

"You just got done saying you came to help me, you dumb jerk!"

Usopp pressed his nose to Chopper's. "Now, look, what is that dog-looking thing over there?! You expect me to fight against a mysterious life form as inexplicable as that thing?! I'm a human! Get it?!"

"I'm a human too!"

"Fool! You're a monster!"

"What about you, with that long nose?!"

"You shut up, bluenose!"

"Now you've said it, long nose!"

"Is this any situation for you to be arguing like that? Eh?" Ms. Merry Christmas scolded.

They turned, and panicked like they were caught in trouble by their parent, before jumping to their feet, and bowing respectfully. "Sorry about that."

"His name is Lassoo. He's a gun that ate a dachshund model of the mutt-mutt fruit."

"A gun?!" Chopper exclaimed. "Are you saying that a gun ate a Devil Fruit?"

"It's a new technique in the Grand Line. Even things are able to eat Devil Fruit."

"Ha! Don't be ridiculous!" A skeptical Usopp retorted. "If he was originally a gun, how could he move? A Devil Fruit doesn't have a will of its own! And how does a gun eat something in the first place?!"

"Shut up! What good will it do for you to learn that, if you're going to die here anyway?! Something can't help it if it moves, you know, you "ba"! "Ba"! "Ba"! Isn't that right, Mr. 4?" He nodded in response, while petting Lassoo. "Listen up. You guys can't escape this place anymore. Not that you've entered our territory. You'll enjoy this; the territory's name is "Molehill, Block 4.""

Usopp tensed up when her hands turned into clawed paws, and her face grew a snout. "S-she's turning into a mole-woman!" When the transformation was complete, everyone was silent for a moment. "A penguin?"

"I'm a mole, I tell you! You "ba"!"

She dove down, and began tunneling under their feet. "She went underground!" Usopp exclaimed, before he and Chopper cautiously looked around the area. "All right, now's my chance!" When she didn't pop up, he ran for his life.

"Wait!"

"You can take it from here!"

Chopper panicked when Lassoo emerged, and shot a bomb at Usopp. "Watch out!" He turned, and froze dead in his tracks, letting the ball fly right past him. "It missed!"

"A curveball?!"

Mr. 4 surfaced, and hit it back to him, though it narrowly missed again, flying into the air. "No! It's above you, Usopp! Fly ball!"

"Ha, no big deal!" He tried to play it off. "I guess their cleanup batter can't even hit .100, huh?" He jogged for the stairs. "I can avoid this one with my eyes closed!"

Chopper watched the ball land, then start spinning in place. "Spin!" It flew off again, straight towards Usopp! "Look out behind you!"

"If he was just 4th up, he wouldn't be called Mr. 4!"

Usopp turned, but it was too late for him to dodge; he was hit straight on!

[shrinkthisviolet]

🐱 for Morgan!

If they're a light or heavy sleeper:

A little lighter than before but still on the heavy-sleeper side. Barry has never understood how superheroing didn’t drastically change that…but he’s glad that it means she won’t be pulling all-nighters. Probably.

(She totally does, she just doesn’t tell him 😂)

What they would do if they won the lottery right now:

If she had all that money…honestly, she already has so much, so she’d probably put it into her savings with the rest of it. While Barry and Harry both continue to try to educate her on financial literacy 😂 (Eowells, “incidentally”, did not teach her this 💀)

If they have a special item that they couldn't bear to lose:

At the moment, no. But post-s2, Tina will give her things that used to belong to Harritess…including their old camcorder. It’s bittersweet, since they ofc call her “Jesse” in those videos, but…it’s something 🥺

One negative personality trait of theirs:

She has a very hard time trusting people—always, to some degree, but especially post-s1. Even with those she loves, she’ll question how sincere they really are, what the last straw will be to finally drive them away, will often annoy them until she finds their limit. Those who aren’t as attached to her as Team Flash or James (aka newer friends) might be put off by this…and at times, they are! It’s why she doesn’t have a lot of friends outside of Team Flash—just James, Danica, and Yolanda…and for the latter two, she keeps parts of herself hidden to keep from scaring them off and tries to take them at their word even when she’s inclined to say “are you sure” a dozen times.

It’s why Caitlin snapping at Morgan in s2 is particularly rough for Morgan—Caitlin apologizes later, and also post-s2 when she fully acknowledges that Morgan was right about Hunter, but…although she wants to, Morgan can’t forget it. It’s only been a year since Eowells, and she hasn’t even started the therapy necessary to process all of that…and despite not being intentionally malicious, Caitlin still tried to dismiss the signs Morgan saw in Hunter—someone Morgan saw as dangerous.

Their favorite 70s song:

Definitely Dancing Queen by ABBA! I Will Survive by Gloria Gaynor is her second-favorite 💞

(ABBA is her favorite 70s artist overall. They’ve made music in other decades ofc but she loves their 70s songs best)

The color(s) associated with their zodiac:

She’s a Libra, so blue, pastel pink, pistachio green, lavender, peach orange. At least from what I’ve been able to find 😅

Their favorite comedy movie:

Megamind! It’s still one of her favorite movies ever

About one person they've lost:

Her biological parents, Harrison and Tess, whom she knows nothing about 😭 that’s two people, but still. It causes a lot of guilt post-s1 when she has to reckon with grieving people she barely knows…wondering if she even has that right.

A quote I associate with them:

“Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear.”

If they're a lover or a fighter:

She’s a fighter by nature who nevertheless loves very deeply and fiercely when trust is solid 💞

oc ask game!

[bookwyrminspiration]

which is worse, twilight or 50 shades of grey

Oh 100% 50 shades. I might have a bias given the twilight special interest, but I think even without my bias 50 shades is infinitely worse. It's literally like. twilight but without the vampires (and much hornier). like??? why would you not want the vampires!! if you're gonna write something horny vampires are so much fun for that

I will concede perhaps if you read 50 shades without having read twilight, it might fare better in your mind. but I have read twilight, and all I can see when reading 50 shades is how reliant it is on Twilight. It has the same characters (though some of them are a little switched/altered), but it also literally has the same plot.

In both, MC (Bella, Anastasia) meets a man who she's very attracted to (Edward, Christian) but is telling her to stay away from him, turns out he has a dark secret (is a vampire, is a sadist), they fall in love anyways. They break up after one book, leaving everyone shells of themselves until they get back together. They're being stalked by an unstable grieving individual who may hurt them (Victoria, Leila), MC is threatened to do something (come to a location, give money) because an individual important to them has been kidnapped (Renee, Mia). MC accidentally gets pregnant and Love Interest reacts poorly/isn't happy about it, but MC is fiercely protecting of unborn child.

I just. It's like when writing 50 shades EL James had a checklist of twilight plot points she was going through for her own novels. Which is like...yeah, you can do that, but the story doesn't stand on its own then. Like it's a little much at this point

And some of the qualities transferred over from one setting to another just...don't work the same. Like the post I made earlier about how Christian's anger and threats don't hit the same because he's literally just human. Yes, he's struggled with anger, but he's still human. Edward's a vampire. He can make much more important and impactful threats, and the threat of being near him is much more potent than being a sadist.

Anyway, point is I think, even taking into account my bias, that twilight's better. Because the characters and plot used in both were designed for Twilight. Everything fits and flows better, AND it's got vampires and werewolves. But this is only my opinion, so others may disagree :)

[alyssalikestoreadbooks]

The Simplicity Of Cider - Amy Reichert

"Focused and unassuming fifth generation cider-maker Sanna Lund has one desire: to live a simple, quiet life on her family’s apple orchard in Door County, Wisconsin. Although her business is struggling, Sanna remains fiercely devoted to the orchard, despite her brother’s attempts to convince their aging father to sell the land.

Single dad Isaac Banks has spent years trying to shield his son Sebastian from his troubled mother. Fleeing heartbreak at home, Isaac packed up their lives and the two headed out on an adventure, driving across the country. Chance—or fate—led them straight to Sanna’s orchard.

Isaac’s helping hands are much appreciated at the apple farm, even more when Sanna’s father is injured in an accident. As Sanna’s formerly simple life becomes increasingly complicated, she finds solace in unexpected places—friendship with young Sebastian and something more deliciously complex with Isaac—until an outside threat infiltrates the farm."

Read Date - May 2025

Length - 336 pages

Genre - Romance, Chick Lit, Magical Realism

Rating -

Stars - ★★★☆☆

Notes - I like that this book starts out with the family going to Wisconsin together. i LOVE wisconsin. I have family from a village in Wisconsin and i consider it my home, even as it continues to change without me being there. this book just instantly brings me back. we didn't grow up on an orchard (it was a dairy farm) but i can see the similarities. i love how the magical elements are woven into the beginning of this novel. they can TASTE the color of apples. Isaac choosing not to tell Bass about his mothers death is HARD. and Isaac crushing on Sanna is just... trauma imo. at this stage, at least. i love that Isaac is taking over their social medias. it's a good plot point. the reveal that Isaacs wife died of an overdose wasn't something i was expecting. it's a hard topic people don't like to touch on. Sanna's father falling and getting injured was a twist i liked, it made sense given his age and it's just shit that happens in life. Anders trying to convince them to sell the orchard is so crazy to me. like who are you and why do you GAF all of a sudden? seeing Sanna connect with Bass more is sweet! I like to imagine a world where she can raise him, but i know that'll be hard when Bass doesn't even know his mothers dead yet and his fathers already moving on. he will NOT process that well. the mystery that someone is targeting the orchard is really enthralling for me. Is it Anders? Is it the guy i cant remember the name of but she rejected him? it's clearly someone who knows about the Looms. was it her dad? i don't know why i think it's him but i do. the fire happening is just proof it WASN'T her dad actually. i don't think he's physically able enough to do that in his state he's in currently. but SOMEBODY is and that leaves one culprit. aside from this, Bass found out about his mothers death and it's crushing. despite this, i actually find issue with Sanna's behavior (as i do in almost ever novel recently: see TSHOEH review) but i have a problem with this woman who doesn't even like kids warming up to this one and then imprinting her own past traumas onto him, while actively alienating him from his father. who would it have harmed had he learned a few months later? it's not his fault that his ex-wifes family didn't plan the funeral in a time when her family was ALL ready to grieve, and instead ignored someone seeking space from a loss. they're both hurting, and instead of hearing each other out, her mother locked him and his son out of a rightful grieving process. on seeing their mom for the last time. on saying goodbye. all the thing Sanna is upset about. none of these things are things Isaac can control without taking away his agency in grieving in his own manner. it takes away his right to mourn away from people. it almost shames him for finding love again, despite the fact that he wasn't ready to talk about it. Sanna holds this against him as if he lied, as if he had no reason to conceal his pain. he wasn't READY. and it feels wrong to have Bass siding solely with Sanna when he should be adapting to the new future he's GOING to experience whether she likes it or not-- him living with his father and without his mother. despite everything, Sanna and Isaac make up, and Bass gets to get an explanation from his father. the website that Isaac made is BLOWING UP and getting hella customers at the farm which might just save the orchard. and Sanna and Isaac do still love each other which i dont HATE dont get me wrong, i just feel like it's be nice is Amy wrote a book where the characters DIDNT hate each other because the romance is so perfect and fluffy and sweet you just want it to be the entire book. Ava investing in Sanna's cider business is really sweet. she's just trying to make up for what she did to her kids. Isaac taking a job in Wisconsin and staying with Sanna was an adorable ending. the actual ending being a bread apple recipe is SO COOL and on brand. i didn't hate this book despite everything i've said here, i think it was actually a nice spring read (that was meant to be a fall read) but who cares!?

[eldritchxembers]

Walking through the picturesque streets of Cardinal Hill, you find Aristotle ‘Aris’ McIntyre-Locke, the 29 year old tattoo artist originally from Cardinal Hill, WA Living alongside them in such a small town, you know that they're charismatic and self-sacrificing, but what you might not know is that they are a witch, and that they’re hiding something… ― Jayden Revri, bisexual, man, and he/him.

Aristotle “Aris�� McIntyre-Locke

Age: 29 // 06.06.19xx

Hometown: Cardinal Hill / Portland, Maine

Occupation: Tattoo Artist (Specializing in black/grey and negative space tattoos; magical tattoos that interact with his powers)

Personality: Charismatic, flirty, stubborn, protective, and loyal. A mix of rebellion and empathy.

Early Life

Aris was born to 19-year-old Keyelin Locke in Cardinal Hill, a small, tight-knit town with a penchant for knowing everything about everyone in town -- or at least it seemed that way. Keyelin was a free-spirited, troubled young woman who struggled with addiction, gambling, and came from a family known for crime and trouble.

She loved her son in her own chaotic way, but she could barely take care of herself much less him - she moved the two of them to Maine when he was ten years old in an effort to start over -- but her sobriety didn't last. By the time he was 12, his mother died of an overdose, leaving Aris to fend for himself for three days before anyone found him. The trauma of her death, coupled with his deep love for her despite her flaws, meant that Aris never grieved properly and has never viewed his mother as imperfect. In his mind, he could have done more to take care of her. 

Foster Care and Adoption

After his mother’s death, Aris entered the foster care system. He cycled through multiple homes, where he rebelled against authority figures, ran away, and clashed with caregivers who tried to impose structure without understanding him. Even when he was placed with his eventual adopted family, he couldn’t let down his walls. While he bonded with Copper and Hypatia, he had a feeling that the parents would eventually give up on him — like everyone else. Even when he was 14 and desperately wanted to accept them as parents, he didn’t trust them. They were a constant presence in his life - and they accepted that he wouldn’t call them dad or father — but he did call them Optimus and Obi-wan, which carried meaning and weight all their own. 

By 15, he had run away to follow the Grateful Dead on tour, a month-long adventure that ended with one of his foster dads coming to bring him home. 

At 17, Aris allowed his parents to adopt him. They provided the unconditional love and guidance, giving him the tools to heal while embracing his individuality. Aris grew close to them, and when he was adopted, he hyphenated his last name to honor both them and his late mother.

Career

Aris found his calling in tattoo artistry, a profession that allowed him to channel his creativity and emotions into something tangible. He became known for his skill in black/grey designs, as well as for his use of negative space and subtle details. Clients often come to him for deeply personal work, knowing he’ll take the time to listen to their stories and weave them into his designs.

Family Dynamics

Aris is fiercely protective of his younger adoptive brother, Copper. Copper’s fragility reminds Aris of his late mother, which both terrifies him and strengthens his resolve to shield his brother from harm. 

Despite his rebellious streak, Aris maintains a close bond with his dads, Optimus and Obi-Wan, who have always supported him through his highs and lows. The playful nicknames they gave each other—Optimus for the steady, reliable protector, Obi-Wan for the wise and slightly mischievous guide, and Aris as “Bee” or “Sky”—highlight their relationships. 

Return to Cardinal Hill

At 29, Aris returned to Cardinal Hill to care for Copper and to reunite with his childhood best friend, Tabitha, with whom he has exchanged letters since he was ten years old. Tabitha remains one of the few people who understands him on a deeper level, and their bond is an anchor for him in the midst of his personal struggles.

Back in Cardinal Hill, Aris is more grounded than he was in his youth but still carries the rebellious spark that defines him. He works as a tattoo artist in a small studio near his home, pouring his heart and magic into his craft. 

[keithal]

Do you have any supernatural fic recs?

ANON. i have been waiting since 2019 for someone to ask me this. prepare to regret this decision (FYI: i'm taking all these recs & following notes from my public bookmarks on ao3, which you can find here. i'm cutting the notes short, so if u don't mind spoiler-y drawn-out comments, check that out too if u want!)

deancas focused:

A Reasonable Amount of Trouble by xylodemon -> an spn au where dean is a p.i. and a hunter on the side, cas is still an angel, and they get caught up in a plot that's a mix of seasons 4, 6, 8, and 9. this was my introduction to spn and deancas. the characterization is flawless and the prose is beautiful (very cs pacat-esque). the plot is crafted with close attention to detail and the pacing is perfect

the point of our being by noviembre -> a post-s15 fix-it that takes place immediately after the penultimate episode. noviembre is undoubtedly my favorite spn writer of all time. one of the best dean voices i've ever come across. this ties up the narrative threads into a beautiful, sound, satisfying ending, and both destiel & saileen survive. despite the odds, they're happy.

i projected onto dean winchester when i was twelve years old and now im making it your problem by alittleduck (amidsizedfrog) -> another post-finale fix it. and, to date, the funniest thing i've ever read. every fic in this series has a good balance between scenes that make u laugh so hard u hurt ur throat and Scenes That Make You Want To Gurgle Cement.

So Says The Sword by komodobits -> a s4 au and a fandom classic for a reason. if u haven't read this, i'm of the firm belief it's best to go in as blind as possible. but definitely keep this verse in the back of ur mind while reading: "Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father" (matthew 10:29)

sir this is a wendy's by noviembre -> yall remember when misha collins said that a modern au deancas would be like if a wendy's janitor and the president of the usa fell in love? well noviembre took that seriously and now we're here. and u should all be thankful bc it's somehow the single funniest and most romantic thing i've ever read

the pie isn’t a metaphor (it’s just pie) by noviembre -> post-finale s15 domestic deancas fic that's the emotional equivalent of drinking tea and lying under a warm weighted blanket. it makes me so happy and i think abt it every time i eat a pastry. i just sit there chewing like “dean and cas are eating fresh pie in their kitchen” and it puts a smile on my face.

Muscle Memory by komodobits -> a "50 first dates" au that i think abt every single day. i'm not joking. it's so sad and touching and sweet and unexpectedly funny, and no one writes deancas like komodobits. it just FEELS so them and i'm obsessed w it.

Strandlines by aeli_kindara -> au where s4 cas meets stanford-era dean. dean's voice and characterization is incredibly in-character with the early seasons and his voice doesn't falter once. and of course castiel! robotic s4 cas with this tremendous power and this fierce yet wavering loyalty to heaven that eventually focuses solely on dean! likewise, his character is spot-on and i enjoyed reading from his pov immensely.

[podfic] right hand on his rife, swore it on the bible by be_brave13 for quensty, floorsirens -> u can't possibly expect me NOT to include this. YES my friend and i wrote the fic but be_brave13's love and appreciation for it makes it feel like a completely separate work. my favorite podfic (and gift) of all time so i implore u to give it a listen.

something suddenly everywhere by noviembre -> the finest post-s15 fix-it of all time. cas is in the empty, they've defeated god, jack is gone, and all that's left is sam, eileen, dean, a bunker, and trying to move on. i know i already said that but this is the same author so it still counts! i cried, i laughed, i grieved, i jumped from excitement. it's a rollercoaster of emotions. it should be put behind a velvet rope at a museum so we can all gather around and clap.

To Boldly Go by 8daysuntiltheapocalypseiguess -> au where dean writes star trek fanfiction. it follows him from the beginning of the show to the older seasons and is told entirely thru his fic summaries, reader commentary, and livejournal dms. warning that it is unfinished, but it's a masterpiece

saileen focused:

Loveletter (Dear Eileen) by voynichs (Xenerik) -> a short and beautiful meditation about love and eileen from sam's pov. it's only 300 words but it feels like 15k. definitely at the top of my fave saileen fics of all time. when i first read it i stayed up until 2 am crying abt it

Livin' on a Prayer by Dredfulhapiness -> EILEEN MEETING EARLY SEASONS DEAN AND SAM I'M SCREAMING. do u understand how this could've changed the timeline but, more importantly, me as a person. eileen there when dean and sam were trying to find a way out of the deal, there when everything happened with ruby, there for dean's resurrection, there before they met cas, there after sam dies and dean retires and cas goes m.i.a. and DEALING with the aftermath of a foiled apocolypse. everyone hates the winchesters but the winchesters are gone and all that's left is eileen to deal with the brunt of it.

With Hands Clasped by Xenerik -> a handful of snippets from the eileen wedding that explores gender and religion and love so beautifully. i haven't been able to read it completely yet, but i can tell this is going to be another saileen fave.

other pairings/no pairings

The Love Story of the Runner Up by Margo_Kim -> told from the perspective of a guy cas had a brief affair with as a semi-drunken story he tells a friend in a bar. it's technically deancas but since cas's relationship with another man takes main focus, i elected to put it here.

Ten Years by Margo_Kim -> a bela talbot character study and the best i've been able to find, no contest. *rowena voice* good girls are pathetic here's to evil skanks <3

The Archangel Gabriel Is Dead by seizethefire -> fics that have half a million kudos in my mind. it's about how and why rafael comes to think that god is dead. it expertly explores the familial relationship between gabriel, lucifer, michael, and rafael. it's devastating and beautiful in equal measure. definitely a personal favorite and one i think everyone should read

put them in a box somewhere by amidsizedfrog -> a mary & dean fic told from mary's pov from before she died. a gut-wrenching story about performative/toxic masculinity and internalized homophobia and mothers.

lastly, if ur interested, i also write spn fic >:) which u can find by clicking here. happy reading!

[cornertheculprit]

thoughts about moe’s (or acro’s I can’t remember) comparison of nick and Franziska in 2-3?

OKAY IT TOOK ME A SECOND BUT I FOUND IT:

Acro: Mr. Wright. I just realized who you remind me of... You're just like this prosecutor.

Phoenix: W-W-W-W-WHAT!?

Acro: You and the prosecutor have the same glint in your eyes.

Phoenix: Y-You're joking, right!? You think I'm like that whip carrying demon!?

Acro: Whoa... No need to get so hostile about it. You two may view things from very different perspectives... for now. But you both see the world through the same color-tinted glasses. I know because when I look at people, their eyes are the only things I can believe in.

Maya: Hmm... Nick and Von Karma, huh...

honestly given the context i think acro's assumption makes perfect sense. you gotta remember that this takes place in aa2 before edgeworth was revealed to be alive—and this was before he even transmitted the message to franziska (presumably through gumshoe?) to do a surprise search on acro's room. at this point in the game, phoenix and franziska are both still incredibly volatile when it comes to edgeworth's disappearance, and they are both people who looked for someone to blame and found it: franziska blamed phoenix, and went after him in edgeworth's name for destroying his perfect record. phoenix blamed edgeworth himself for seemingly being so prideful that he just up and left (i know it's fun for angst purposes in fanon to think that phoenix assumed edgeworth was dead, but phoenix himself says that wasn't the case—both phoenix AND franziska had some idea that edgeworth was alive. they were just angry at him for leaving). more than that, throughout the entirety of jfa so far, phoenix and franziska have been taking it out on each OTHER. if their unusally angry court confrontations (to the point where there was even a scene where the judge asked them to clarify something and neither of them said anything. they just fucking GLARED at each other until the topic moved on) weren't evidence enough, there are some moments where phoenix will deliberately refuse to engage with franziska at all. for example, in turnabout big top, here's what happens if you try to present something to franziska after the Disastrous Conversation About Edgeworth:

Maya: What about this? OWWW!! She hit me again.

Phoenix: Maybe you should hold off on the wild goose chases.

it's not even phoenix that tries to present anything, it's maya. and also throughout all these cases in jfa, phoenix is snappy and bitey and ANGRY in the same way that franziska is. the amount of people who comment on the "scary look" phoenix wears is NUTS. here's a prime example of it:

Phoenix: Why didn't you say so in your testimony earlier!?

Gumshoe: Uh... You're kinda scary today, you know, pal?

Judge: Come now, Mr. Wright... There is no need for that kind of attitude in my court...

Phoenix: ...

Judge: A-Alright. Just, please stop glaring at me like that...

phoenix may not have a whip, but he DOES have an expression fierce enough to get people quailing where they stand.

overall, i think acro's comparison of phoenix and franziska was pretty damn accurate, especially given what's happening in the game. they're angry because they're both grieving edgeworth's disappearance, and because of that, they ARE kind of viewing the world through the same color-tinted glasses. but honestly i think a case could be argued for aa1 and aa3 and their similarities as well.

[ma-lark-ey]

feels imperative for me to tell y'all I mostly read this chapter in my sociology class #college.

Also note that numbered comments footnoted from the text are comments actually on the word doc I left while reading that I deemed funniest enough to share with the world so

Chapter 4:

Up until then they were fighting like cats and dogs. Now look at them. They're practically trading friendship bracelets and I couldn't fit a crowbar between them if it'd save my life."[1] "But why?" Neil asked. "Andrew hates Kevin's obsession with Exy." "The day they start making sense to you, let me know," Nicky said, moving so Neil could get a drink. "I gave up trying to sort it all out weeks ago. You could ask, but neither of them will answer. But as long as I'm doling out advice? Stop staring at Kevin so much. You're making me fear for your life over here." "What do you mean?" "Andrew is scary territorial of him. He punched me the first time I said I'd like to get Kevin too wasted to be straight." Nicky pointed at his face, presumably where Andrew had decked him. "So yeah, I'm going to crush on safer targets until Andrew gets bored of him. That means you, since Matt's taken and I don't hate myself enough to try Seth. Congrats." "Can you take the creepy down a level?" Aaron asked. "What?" Nicky asked. "He said he doesn't swing, so obviously he needs a push." "I don't need a push," Neil said. "I'm fine on my own."

[1] Not meager besties, not lovers, not a QPR, not brothers, but a secret undiscovered fifth thing.

"Nicky's scheming to rape Neil," Aaron said. "There are a couple flaws in his plan he needs to work out first, but he'll get there sooner or later."[1] "You're such an asshole," Nicky said as he started for the door. "Wow, Nicky," Andrew said. "You start early." "Can you really blame me?" Nicky glanced back at Neil as he said it. He only took his eyes off Andrew for a second, but that was long enough for Andrew to lunge at him.

[1] I can’t with these fuckers. in all seriousness, having read a good chunk of TRK at this point and also Andrew having no further context than Aaron's one out of pocket joke. He's justified here, actually. I support him. It is BATSHIT without that context though.

Neil wondered if Andrew's medicine would let him grieve, or if he'd laugh at Nicky's funeral too. Then he wondered if a sober Andrew would act any different

^^ elaborating on this in the endnotes

"You're only a year older than I am." Two, really, but he wasn't about to tell them he'd lied about both his birthday and his age.

I refuse to accept that. No way Kevin's only twenty. Surely he's like. twenty-two at the youngest.

"You could at least try," Kevin said. Andrew thought about it, then said, "I could, couldn't I? Maybe next time!"

And now, for your chapterly conversation that's really just hate-flirting;

"Get off my racquet." "Make me?" Andrew said, spreading his arms in invitation. "Try, anyway." "Don't tempt me." "Such fierce words from such a little creature," Andrew said. "You're not very bright. Typical of a jock." "Hypocrite," Neil said.

Andrew. You want to fuck him so bad it makes you look stupid.

Wymack tossed the coffee to him. Neil caught it instinctively, but he couldn't hold onto it. It bounced off the floor at his feet and the lid popped off to spill grinds everywhere. Wymack stalked toward Neil with a snarled, "You idiot." Retreating from a furious older man was so instinctive Neil didn't realize he'd flinched until Wymack froze. Wymack's face went almost dangerously blank and Neil dropped his gaze. He was careful not to look away from Wymack entirely. He needed to see when Wymack started moving again. He waited for Wymack to say something. After an endless, brittle silence, he realized Wymack wouldn't speak until he did. "Today was my mistake," Neil said quietly. "It won't happen a second time." Wymack didn't answer. He didn't come closer, either. At length he pointed at the ground in front of him. "Come here. No," he said when Neil started to reach for the mess at his feet. "Leave it...Look at me," Wymack said. "Right now." Neil dragged his stare up from Wymack's chest to his face. Wymack's expression was still too blank for Neil to feel safe, but he knew better than to look away again. "I want you to understand something," Wymack said. "I am a loud, grouchy old man. I like to yell and throw things. But I don't throw punches unless some punk is dumb enough to try me first. I have never, ever hit someone without provocation, and I'm sure as hell not going to start with you. You hear me?" Neil didn't believe him, but he said, "Yes, Coach."

^^^ elaboration in the endnotes x2

Kevin was more demanding of himself than he was of anyone around him. He set his standards impossibly high and tried for them with everything he had, and he didn't understand why others wouldn't do the same.

^^^ so much to say on him in the endnotes

"Is that your slow attempt at suicide or do you actually have sheathes built into those?" Neil asked. "Yes." "That's not the one you tried to cut Nicky with. How many knives do you carry?" "Enough,"

sober Andrew is literally the funniest bitch in this series and he's not even trying to be funny.

Also Neil how do you know which knife Andrew used on Nicky. Gay behaviour.

"Kevin says you'll be a champion. Four years and you'll go pro. Five years and you'll be Court. He promised Coach. He promised the school board. He argued until they signed off on you...Curious that a man with so much potential, who has so much fun, who could 'be something' wouldn't want any of it. Why is that?"

^^^ all thoughts on Kevin are going in the endnotes there's too many

"You are a conundrum," Andrew said. "Thank you." "No, thank you," Andrew said as he slipped past Neil without a look back. "I need a new toy to play with."[1] "I'm not a toy."[2] "I guess we'll see."

[1] is this say yes to the dress or say yes to slut jesus christ Andrew WHAT. [2] Neil: "I'm not gay!" bbg then what in the homosexual was that?

don't look back, don't slow down, and don't trust anyone. Be anyone but himself, and never be anyone for too long.

^^^ so many things to say on Neil's mom in the end notes.

He hadn't cried when the flames caught, and he hadn't flinched when he pulled her cooling bones out. He filled her backpack with everything that was left of her, carried her two miles down the beach, and buried her as deep as he could. By the time he found the highway again he was numb with shock

He was nothing and no one, and he always would be. Court wasn't for people like him.[1]

[1] Neil , bbg, your mom ALSO was abusive do you realise this please say yes. Neil the lesser of two evils is still evil.

"and I—I can't go back there. I can't, I can't, I won't, I—I have to go. I have to go. I should go now, before he has to come for me. Maybe he'll forgive me if I go back. If I make him hunt me down any more than I have already he'll kill me for sure." "Shut up," Wymack said. "You're not going anywhere." "I can't tell Riko no!" "Then don't say a word," Wymack said. "Keep your mouth shut and let me and Andrew do the talking.

Kevin. I want to study you like a bug.

"Jean," Kevin cut in. "I have to call Jean. I have to hear him say it."

I don't know who Jean is, imma be so fr, but I do know he's getting his own book?? and I also know he's a fan favorite apparently?? maybe I blocked him out of my memory somehow but I read all of the TRK I'm like, 90% sure and I dont remember him?

TBCH I have no idea how much of this series I've already read it is brain soup. the other night I was explaining it to my roommate and went 'OH and I forgot to mention, that Andrew guy? He's actually spending about 90% of the book on like, court mandated crack because he almost killed four people. No yeah, it's kind of not a big plot point beyond the fact he's loopy as hell most of the time." and she stared at me like I lost my mind (I had)

"But he broke his hand in a skiing accident," Neil said. "Bullshit," Wymack said. "It wasn't an accident...it wasn't the first time Riko or Moriyama laid a hand on him. It was just the first time Kevin was smart enough to pack his bags and walk away. So much for family, hm?" "I don't believe in family." "Neither do I."

My Dadmack agenda is making some slayful fanfic ideas in my head.

"Kevin only had the strength to leave because Riko destroyed his hand. That was finally one injustice too many. Because of that I'd like to think Kevin would defy Tetsuji, but it's just as likely we'd never see him with a racquet again. But the day Kevin stops playing forever is the day he dies. He has nothing else. He wasn't raised to have anything else. Do you understand? We cannot lose to the Ravens this year. Kevin won't survive it."

then everything else I've noted for this chapter is the family goss of the Moriyama-Josten whatever the fuck is happening here.

notes:

first, let's talk about Kev, baby.

Kevin Day is such an interesting character because he's a very different portrayal of abuse victim response than usually put in these kinds of media. Kevin doesn't let people except for Andrew and Riko push him around--- Andrew out of respect, and Riko for obvious reasons. Despite being conditioned to be a follower, Kevin IS a leader. He thrives in leadership positions. As much as Andrew has a leash on him, he has a leash on Andrew.

I think it's very clever characterization on Sakavic's part for the first time Kevin's facade of level-headed, pissed off teach coach to slip away into what he really is--- a terrified survivor who's partially in hiding--- being in the location Neil is starting to consider his home turf, whether intentional or unintentional, allows Neil to feel a bit closer to Wymack as well as humanize Kevin to him. By Kevin, unbeatable and unshakeable, Mr. Stonecold Kevin, to feel comfortable having this kind of emotional breakdown in Wymack's house, Neil sees that this person is respected and trusted by someone he at least respects.

Wymack's handling of the situation I also think is rather good. Kevin wouldn't respond to something soft and vulnerable, like Neil did. Kevin doesn't care for gentleness at all, the firm and demanding nature Wymack offers him in this moment heavily resembles what I figure Andrew would do in the situation (if sober), who is very much a comfort to Kevin.

Furthermore, Neil & Wymack's interaction over the coffee beans is something I think about so extremely often.

Neil thinks he's this big macho aloof guy, and he definitely tries to come across as such. But he's really... Not. He's kind of like an ornery cat, like yeah you could be intimidating maybe, but you're really just a baby, ain't ya? I mean, he succeeds better with the team, but he never tries very hard to hold his persona over Wymack, and whether that's his fight or flight response or a subconscious comfortability with Coach is impossible to tell.

I mean, all in all Neil is kind of just a pathetic skrunkle. Like, sorry kid, you failed at intimidation school. It's clear of the team by his aloof persona. I appreciate Neil's effort to be cool, it's just not fooling anyone. All of them can tell that Neil is honestly a pretty timid person, very quiet, very docile. Which leads me to...

His MOTHER. Listen I understand this woman was doing the best she could but if her and me are EVER in the same room I am throwing hands. It is ON SIGHT.

Now. I'm gonna chill. However, even if the way she raised Neil was for his safety and his benefit, it was abusive in every sense of the word. One of the first things Neil says in this book is that his mother would beat him senseless is she saw him playing Exy. Insane words, Neil. And I also recognize this woman had some serious issues of her own she needed to work through, like... Lord. Just. So much to unpack with her.

That being said, I want someone to BEAT some self-worth into Neil and I know that ain't gonna happen so.

I'm sure there was something else I wanted to touch on but I have no more thoughts so this is what you've got. On to chapter five.

Lark Liveblogs Literature Part ???: All For The Game Series - Nora Sakavic

I'm doing something a little bit different with this one! In the business of full disclosure, I read TFC (and about a chapter of TRK) in April this year, decided "I can't mcfucking do this" and then gave up. And then didn't stop thinking about Neil Josten for the next eight months and now we're BACK. So, instead of properly 'liveblogging,' unlike most first-reads I do, I'm actually annotating this one because it's too good to NOT.

That means I have a customized (so totally legal mhm) word doc, highlight/unline privileges, and audacity.

Here's what I knew before I read back in April (stolen from my beta version of this post);

Andrew Minyard: Gay(?), funniest bitch alive if Tumblr brackets are to be trusted. Murderer? Has Boyfriend???

Sports. Maybe. Yes? sports.

Drugs are involved. Somehow.

Now, here's where I am going in now;

Ranking the Foxes goes; Neil, Aaron, Dan, Kevin, Andrew, Renee, Matt, Nicky

I have no idea how exy works, I do don't plan on figuring it out.

Do not remember if I read TRK but what I remember happening is far too much to be just the 230 page doc that is TFC so I MUST HAVE right?

Do know his real name's Nathaniel because I did read that scene reveal and get JUMPSCARED by my brother's name.

How this is going to work is that I'm going to put in my annotations for each chapter. Enjoy!

Chapter 1:

"You can't be serious." "Very serious, and very out of time,"

"were a team of talented rejects and junkies because Wymack only recruited athletes from broken homes...nice in theory, but it meant his players were fractured isolationists who couldn't get along long enough to get through a game."

"God damn it, Minyard. This is why we can't have nice things."[1] "Oh, Coach," someone said over Neil's head. "If he was nice, he wouldn't be any use to us, would he?" "He's no use to us if you break him." "You'd rather I let him go? Put a band-aid on him and he'll be good as new."[2]

[1] This is why we can’t have nice things, darling. Because you break them. I have to take them away

[2] Andrew I’ll kiss you

"blond and five feet even"[1]

blond? wrong. five foot even? correct.

"They were champions, and Neil was a jumble of lies and dead-ends."[1]

[1] Neil your self-loathing is showing

"It's not a good idea." "Your opinion has been duly noted and dismissed,"

"It was proof he existed, same as this game they both played. Kevin was proof Neil was real."

"It's about second chances, Neil. Second, third, fourth, whatever, as long as you get at least one more than what anyone else wanted to give you." Neil had heard Wymack referred to as an idealistic idiot by more than one person, but it was hard to listen to him and not believe that he was sincere

"It sounded like a dream; it tasted like damnation"

notes:

nothing much to say on chapter one--- it's a standard introductory chapter to a contemporary(ish) novel.

Wymack sets up the series' key theme with his line, "It's about second chances, Neil. Second, third, fourth, whatever, as long as you get at least one more than what anyone else wanted to give you."

Kevin's demeanor in this chapter is very similar to the Kevin we see up until Raven's come into play--- He's very good at acting very standoffish and tough.

The shift in Kevin when Riko comes into play was actually so dramatic I didn't recognize him here, I was afeared

some of the quotes I've added here are obviously because I thought they were funny exchanges--- others are me English Majoring(tm), and others are just me marking plot, characterization, facts, etc.

admittedly what i've put here is about half of what is actually highlighted/underlined in my doc.

I want to study the dynamic between Neil & Wymack under a microscpe

[sirijanu-redux]

so there's a lot to unpack in canon, fanon, and whatever the hell is happening in the comics about Azula Firenation.

It's kinda funny/sad that a lot of people read her self perception as who she Is, whereas....take any comparably abused 14yo girl, maybe not at the scale of literal princess and military general but you get what I mean, and the general consensus of grown ups without american protestant christian brainworms is that. Maybe. The amount she hates herself is not indicative of who or what she is? Azula's portrayed with an ego and arrogance but that's not mutually exclusive with the net negative self esteem she displays both in the breakdown pre coronation, and at the beach, and honestly in how hard she goes on her plans like with the drill into ba sing se.

Anyway.

If she were blonde, people would 100% treat her differently, they would hopefully take her 'sexier' adultified traits such as the lower raspy voice and character art and identify it as a symptom of growing up Too Fast, and being a defense mechanism instead of just Who She Is.

If she were amab, people would more likely see her as driven to survive rather than driven to please her father.

Lots to unpack, but something that shows up in AtLA for me is that character's self perception is a huge part of how they're portrayed (Toph as awesome and fierce in score and setting, Katara's moving back and forth between nurturer and grieving daughter, Aang's light attitude, how Zuko is framed through his own story). And yeah, that's basic storytelling obviously, and that they're literal children has something to do with it so the depth shown is limited that way.

Jet, when we're shown scenes in his point of view, is extraordinarily justice focused and rightfully suspicious of outsiders, and preeeetty age typical re 14yo girls. When we see him from others' perspectives, or the narrator/Aang blend, he's lashing out and scummy and so on. Which is all a pretty standard dichotomy for a western teenage dude.

Azula sees herself as the monster fandom claims she is, but step back and be a grown up for two seconds. She's a fucked up 14yo girl, give her a constructive hobby and understanding peers and she'll be fine*, she's not some evil seductress queen

[thefallenangelsgang]

I think I found the man I would have married if I didn't know I was queer...

There's this feeling I get in my chest when I see him. I've realized it's nostalgia and a painful longing for something I've never known. We have this rapport together. We always have even though I've known him for less than 4 years. He's just so sweet and wonderful. And a great person. We've got the same jokey humor and niche interests (he is way into sword fighting, I was a star wars nerd as a kid and knew all the lightsaber forms. We're both musically inclined, love acting, both know a little too much about FNAF that everyone kinda goes WTF when we talk about it. Him because he took a dumb bet that he has to beat all of the games, me because my brother never stops watching game theory.) We can tease each other and randomly wail on each other with our fists without it triggering any of our collective trauma. Yeah he's a dumbass sometimes. I have to tell at him to do stuff and not to do stuff. But he's a teenaged boy. They're all impulsive dumbasses.

We refer to each other as husband and wife after we did a musical where our characters played parental roles to the Lead Male. And even after almost a year we still joke that we need to get our divorce papers filed. And now we're playing two characters getting engaged in the Senior Class Play. And he's gonna be my first kiss because of it.

And I know for certain if I wasn't very much not into men I would be 100% into him

Who am I kidding! I'd be head over heels for him!

But I'm not. I never will be.

And I keep thinking "Thank God I knew I was ace and gay before I met him." Because if I didn't... Boy if I didn't.

If I was the perfect little small town Christian like my old church and school want me to be. I'd image we would be dating. And I imagine we'd have been already dating for a while by now. And I'd be rethinking my career to stay close to him while he goes to school for surveying. And fuck, maybe we'd end up like our characters from the play. Young and engaged and stuck in our shit hole tiny ass hometown. And I know right then is when it would click.

I don't love him romantically. I don't even find him all that attractive either. I'd realize I'd dread having sex. And I would feel like something is deeply wrong with me. And the church would too.

But there isn't. There never was, never has, never would be anything wrong with me being a Genderqueer Asexual Lesbian. And there isn't anything wrong with me loving him platonically. I'm just sad because I've met someone who would be the love of my life under different circumstances. Because for all I know it could be another 17 years before I actually meet them. 

I've always loved and loved fiercely. But now I understand why heartache comes with love. And why loving so flippantly can be dangerous. Will I continue to love everyone in my life frankly? Yes. Will heartache stop me? No.

Just be gentle with your heart and everyone else's. Allow it to grieve. But let it feel joy too. And childlike wonder. Life isn't all that bad. I promise.