#theyre about to become inside dogs.

[lokh]

dog just came in with half his mouth swollen??????????????

[healingheartdogs]

People who don't know dog body language who have pushy sketchy dogs are so awful to be around. I told our housemates that their dog Klaus doesn't like me when we went out to watch the eclipse earlier today because I didn't want to go in the fenced yard with him out and they were like "oh no he's fine don't worry." When he saw me he charged up to the fence, high flagged tail, snorting and barking and jumping at the fence and they still were like "oh he's friendly, he just wants to smell you, see his tail is wagging". Like my dude... tail wagging does not mean friendly, and what about the noises he's making rn sounds friendly to you?

Selene's sister grabbed him and I thought she was going to take him inside because she acted like she was going to, but instead she stopped halfway and just held him back while I came into the yard and then let him go to run up and sniff me, which he had very stiff body language the entire time he did so. For a while after that he ignored me because of the kids calling him away and was chill, but still kept coming over and sniffing me occasionally and was very tense each time so I just tried to stay calm and sweet talk him and didn't try to touch him to help defuse the situation.

Then I walked a little away from the group to point out a plant in the yard to Selene's mom which was a mistake because once I was out of the little circle we were standing in he started body blocking me, tense face, stiff body, whale eyeing, and then jumping at me and barking. They tried to call him away and were like "oh he's just trying to get you to play, sorry he's so demanding of attention." I started trying to walk toward the gate to leave because he very much was NOT trying to get me to play and I did not feel confident in their ability to control him, and he immediately did it again. And again they tried to call him away. And I got maybe another two steps before he turned right back around and did it again. And they called him away again saying he was just trying to play. Rinse and repeat for a total of like six times of him body blocking me, tense and whale eyeing, and then jumping at me and barking. All while they're just laughing like "Sorry, Klaus just really loves playing". Dudes your dog is actually behaving aggressively toward me right now, please get control over him so I can leave he is NOT TRYING TO PLAY WITH ME.

This is the second time I've been invited into the yard while Klaus was out and the first time they kept telling me the same thing but he was actually following me around growling at me then and they were still like "oh it's just cuz he doesn't know you yet, he'll warm up to you, he's friendly". YOUR DOG IS SKETCHY. I DONT WANT TO INTERACT WITH HIM. HE DOESN'T LIKE ME. PLEASE JUST PUT HIM INSIDE WHEN I'M IN THE YARD WITH Y'ALL. And PLEASE learn some dog body language because nothing about his right now says "friendly" at all!!!!! Not even a little!!!! TAIL WAGGING DOES NOT MEAN FRIENDLY, ESPECIALLY A HIGH FLAGGED TAIL.

[i-cant-sing]

This is going to be interesting fr, like how much differently do your Theodore treat the reader if they were childhood friends

Yesss, but like imagine Theodore being a platonic yandere for his childhood bestie Y/n. He knows you inside out and knows every struggle you've been through, all your secrets, even the ones you've never disclosed to him (yes, he was outside your window on October 12th, 2008 when you didnt come to school because you were "sick" as you had told him but had actually started your period).

Imagine just how overprotective he is, and he's so mean about it too. Its in his nature. He's glaring at you as you tell him that he had no right to beat up your date just because that man had his arm around your waist because you were okay with it. Ofc he just rolls his eyes and tells you that you're too stupid to know what guys are actually like, that you dont know about the "locker room talk" and he's just trying to keep you safe from pervs but ofc youre too "dense" to see it. You could've thought that he might be doing it because he's interested in you like that, but no, he violently cringes at the mere suggestion of your friends that you two fight like a married couple, not to mention how he treats you more like a sibling than your own. Bullying you constantly, messing up your hair, putting you in headlocks as often as he could, kicking the back of your knees to watch you flop on the ground, anything he could do to annoy you.

But he's also very helpful, yknow? He pretends like he couldnt give a rats ass about your existence but will just scoff and yank your assignment from your hands and complete it. Working on your college essay? He reads it, insults you at how stupid it is, then write one for you in one sitting, actually writing about your personal experiences that moves the admission officers to fucking tears at the pure raw emotion it draws out of them. About to leave for a date and you ripped your dress? Signs to you that this is just universe telling you to ditch the guy but then one look at your sad face and he's pulling out an emergency needle kit from his pocket and sewing it up. He'll think of another way to end your date <3

Theodore is also very possessive of you. Even as kids, he would throw sand in other kids eyes just so that theyre too busy crying to approach you and try to play with you. In highschool, he's already built like a transformer and with him having this mean look on his face, people definitely hesitated to approach you, especially when you have this brooding man standing behind you, intimidating everyone who dared to step within 5 feet of you. Now that you two are adults, and Theo is still working as a spy, he would use his skills to take out people that become a little to important to you.

I feel like Theo isn't an animal person, he is definitely not a people person, but he also doesn't care much for pets and it's not even cause his work doesn't allow him to care for pets properly but I still think that he would get a dog trained specifically to keep you out of danger. Or more particularly, keep you in home and bark (and bite/mutilate) anyone who is not him. So if you got a date, make sure he's not picking you up from home.

Definitely definitely finds a way to make you move in with him, if not live next to him. Of course, he has a different place where he keeps his work stuff and gear hidden, but he needs to live with you for his own sanity. And even though he has trackers hidden all over your clothes and belongings, he still likes to ask you where you are, what you're upto, etc, just to see if you'd lie to him. And if you do, be prepared for a very pissed off Theo who is just huffing and puffing all day because how dare you not trust him, your best friend???? Offensive.

But also, when he finds out that someone, anyone made you cry, or even is causing you to stress out, guess who's pulling out their murder gloves?

[himbos-hotline]

Baby au outline: AKA I have shrunken your favourite wresters! send me asks please

under the cut cuz its BIG

Madelyn "Maddie" Orton

AGE: 5

Adopted by triple H/shawn micheals after Her, Randy and Seth's biological parents die in a car accident

autistic and dyslexic

If she has to have her hair up, she will have it in different colour ribbons

None of her clothes fit her- either cuz theyre a size too big or Randy's handmedowns

Finn Balor:

AGE: 6

Biological child of Leona and Finntan Balor

A child of chaos- its a fight to keep his clothes on most days

constantly covered in bruises from his midadventures

isnt allowed near plastic food or things that smell like food

likes to be labelled as irish

has once stuck lego up his nose

Samuel "Sami" Zayn:

AGE: 5

Edge and Christians child

Offical Generico translater

Doesnt sleep enough for a child

Pokes people when he introduces them to Generico

Believes the young bucks are a collective and cannot tell them apart

Likes apple slices

always has his hands in his mouth

Generico:

AGE: 4

Looked after by Excalibur

Speaks in small vague spanish phrases- only Sami and Danhansen can understad it other babblings

believes that Maddie and moxs coats are magic due to them hiding their hands

sleeps up on top of tables

the quiet kid- nobody sees or hears him enter or leave a room, maddie makes jokes that he flies

never seen without his lucha mask

Likes to sleep in the art room

Kevin Owens:

AGE: 7

parented by Chris Jericho [this was funny to me and sibling]

doesnt really like to share anything he has

That kinda bully who would push you in the mud but then when nobodys looking help you up

Also responds to bear

likes to stand on the slide and scream at people

Malakai Black:

AGE: 6

parents are AJ lee [we needed someone, there no thought behind this]

Speaks very clearly for a child- knows a lot about many things

A bit of a creepy cursed child

Likes to paint and sleeps in the art room under tables

wild child whose missing a tooth

is somehow a calm child around the others, gets upset when things go really wrong

Aleksandra "Aleks" Page

Age: 5

Parents are Micheal and Orla Page

Does not like naps because she has constant energy. The child will not chill tf out and we love her. 

Does bendy shit, gymnastics kid. 

Becomes convinced that she and Adam Page are related because they have the same last name.

Polish-British

tries to drink her weight in juice boxes

Likes outside time and nothing will stop her

Balor:

AGE: 7 1/2

Parented by Brody King

nobody actually knows where he came from

has little devil horn hair that will never flattern down ever

always warm but always wears his little leather jacket

Says concerning things for children

Randall "Randy" Keith Orton:

AGE: 10

adopted by Shawn/Triple H

Hangs out with the "big kids"

Eats bugs and tries to get Maddie to do the same- thinks it makes him look cool

over protective big brother

has anger issues

likes to jump off things

Seth Rollins:

AGE: 4

The youngest orton child

has asthma

doesnt eat bugs but does jump off tall things

Him and Mox were in the same care home-

seth always asks if him and mox are still friends

literally the pickest child

shawn dresses him

has unlimited power, the LOUDEST CHILD EVER!

bites his nails

keeps asking his dads for a dog

Jonathon "Jon" Moxley:

AGE: 5

Fostered and later adopted by William Regal

Allergic to cats but pretends that he isnt

always covered in bandaids

isnt excited about joining a new nursery school

Regal teaches him originami

Calls regal dad

gets nosebleeds and is way to calm about it and thus has a change of clothes with him always

plays in the mud

has ADHD

wears his shirts inside out and mismatched socks

rides his bike fast with stabalizers

totallyg gets braces when hes older

never feels cold

likes frogs

Rhea Ripley:

AGE: 8

daughter of lita

is tall for her age

likes hanging out with the big kids

has her ears peirced

spooky child and likes to talk to malakai

Darby Allin:

AGE: 4

son of sting

paints his face with the poster paints

learns to skateboard

is artsy and crafty

breaks his arm by the first chapter leaping off things

Adam Page:

AGE: 4 [nearly 5]

lives with his "auntie" beth pheonix" on a farm

little farm guy

carries around his horsie plushie

has resting sad face

quiet and anxious and shy

compares kenny to a lamb at least once

wears patterened clothes

Maxwell Jacob Freidman:

AGE: 4

has an asshole personality that streches way past his height

the not nice bully

has hayfever and hates it

likes singing and choir

refuses to play with the other kids

wears his scarf all the time and refuses to take it off

has ADHD

Matthew "Matt" Jackson and Nicholas "Nick" Jackson:

AGES: 7 and 5

sold as set do not seperate- do everything together

Matt needs special food due to glucose and lactose intolerent

Matt wears braces

theyre both autistic

Matt gets the zoomies

Nick likes birds

Matt doesnt mind being called matthew, Nick hates being called nicholas

Nick is a haunted child

Matt likes shoes, nick loves birds

Nick falls over a lot

Kenneth "Kenny" Omega:

AGE: 7

A little older than Matthew

Don Callis kid

abused by don and shows reactions related to that [cries if he thinks hes in trouble, flinches if someone moves too quickly, has issues with wetting himself and bed wetting]

has a tiny ponytail

friends with the baby bucks

little and blond and curly

has a bunny rabbit that he loves more then anything

jealous that the older kids have a gaming system

Edward ‘Eddie’ Kingston:

Age: 9

Parent: Mick Foley

Is friends with Bear because they’re both tiny and filled with rage

Tiny new york accent

Friends with Mox. 

Raccoon blanket.

The kid that wants to see injuries and gross stuff because it’s cool !

Always wears a backwards hat

Plays baseball

Wheeler Yuta:

Age: 2

Parented by William Regal, baby brother of Jon moxley

He is the baby of the entire group. 

Is really left at the daycare because his dad needs to work.

Does Not speak, like at all.

Communicates through noises

Can Laugh and giggle and make sounds like screaming and crying

Maddie teaches him sign language 

Toddlers around and finds the world very very cool

Shares a blanket with his foster brother Mox 

Has his own little blanket to cuddle with.

Daniel "Danhausen" Hausen:

AGE: 6

son of excalibur

plays dolls with mlp with hangman

also friends with little darby

always calls kids by their full names ir makes up their own not quite right names

understands what generico is saying all the time

keeps his baby teeth as well as other kids teeth on him

has once eaten an entire stick

Likes magic

Hook:

AGE: 3

Son of Taz

chip addiction

doesnt know what to do with danhausens avances of friendship

just really fucking loves dinos man!

Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows:

AGES: Luke 8 | Karl 7

two half of a whole idiot

Karl has esxma

Charles "Chuck" Taylor:

AGE: 9

Raised by tony schiavone

yes he knows the shoes share his name, he KNOWS!

breaks his ankle at the bucks birthday party

also tall for his age and hates it

looses his name- comes in every week with a new one

Trenton "Trent" Baretta:

AGE: 8

Sues son

gets convinced once that he also looses his name

mamas boy

chucks next door neighbour

the dunce of the group

Orange Julias "Orange" Cassidy:

AGE: 4

Also raised by excalibur

the chillest toddler ever

wears sunglasses all the time

Adam Cole toddler! Adam cole tot [maybe an evolution of the character]

AGE: 5

Raised by RJ city and Claudio castiagnoli

Pagent queen

IS NOT A BABY

likes the swings

always cold

Jungle boy:

AGE: 3

raised by edge and christian

ALSO really loves dinos- carries around a "wrestling dinosaur" called luchasauras that he SWEARS is alive

likes classical music

climbs trees and just falls out of them and never takes fall damage

Julia Hart:

AGE: 2

Raised by brody king

also a haunted child

does cheerleading

likes wearing her big hat

[yourturntofnaf]

Stitchline Adaptation

oh boy, a post I didn't think I'd be making.

going into fnaf week, I was pretty strongly opposed to both frightsgames and talesgames. hell, even VIP made me confident in tales not being canon. two things, however, made me step down on all of it.

1. the scott interview. obviously he didnt confirm anything about book canonicity, but him explaining how security breach didn't tell his story correctly and he's been working to correct that paints a good argument for tales being written for clarification purposes, maybe even beyond being hints to the games lore.

2. into the pit games. goddamit. let me just say, i love this game. aesthetically its awesome, the easter eggs are great, I love the story, everything is perfect. but following this, I have a hard time believing that the stitchline stories are completely seperate from the games.

the use of minigames to display frights stories was beyond what I was expecting this game to have. when I firsr saw them, my brain jumped to a few different solutions.

- these are just easter eggs as its an anniversary game looking to showcase the whole franchise

- these are in universe games of in universe books, aligning with frightsfiction

- this is meant to support stitchline games

now each of these have their issues for me.

these minigames are pretty damn complex to simply be an easter egg. it's not something simple like a poster appearing, they are full fledged mini games. too much for me to write off as just a reference.

I would be less open to this being frightsfiction if the way of accessing them weren't so strange. if it was just getting them in the arcade, that would feel pretty direct in stating they're simply games, but thats not the case. also, there's nothing else in the franchise suggesting these books exist as just that.

finally, these games are simply different than the actual books. theyre recognizable as being their respective stories, but have different details.

so if all of these don't work, what does it mean? I'm honestly not certain in it, but this is what I've come up with.

it relies on this: the minigames are different, but have the same major beats.

in to be beautiful the story, eleanor grants a girls wish of becoming "beautiful" piece by piece using a pendant. by the end, it's revealed eleanor was slowly killing the girl to take her appearance. to be beautiful mini game has eleanor, the girl, and the pendant; along with the concept of making her beautiful piece by piece. theres a difference in the ordering, however, as eleanor only gives the girl the pendant at the end. in the game, it even looks like the necklace is what kills her.

in count the ways story, a goth kid obsessed with death is trapped inside of funtine freddy, where she is listed off the ways she can die. the story ends with freddy killing her. in the minigame, bonbon is pictured (but never mentioned in the story). still, the major characters and story are there.

finally, in fetch the story a dog animatronic falsely reads instructions of the high school boy main character, ending in fetch harming other people. in the minigame, fetch is in a fazbear location and eventually mauls a boy. this minigame is clearly the most different from it's story predecessor. hell, the main character doesn't even look like greg from the book. but there's important context that I think explains this:

scott wants the next game to be based off of fetch. ITP ends with "CU", the text fetch sends at the end of his story.

so we have 3 stories turned into minigames. all 3 are stitchline related. all 3 have the same major characters, major message, but different details and methods. the one thats most different is due to get a full length game. the game this is in is also a story based full length game that has the same characters, same plot points, but majorly different methods.

going off the scott interview, he wrote a shorter story of each book, and then the writers over doubled it in length. this leaves a whole lot of room for difference in what scott was thinking and what was written. and following security breach, he seems to be far more clear in what the games are supposed to say.

I think, after months of denying it, that the events of stitchline take place in the games. but I dont think the story version is the exact recount. over time, I think we are going to get game versions of these stories that explain how it happens for the in-game universe. the important characters and concepts are all here, but details are updated to fit more cleanly into the games timeline. some changes are small (such as clarifying bonbons presence in CTW), and others are major. the ones that will see the most major changes are likely the book-title stories, hence why the fetch minigame is such a drastic change and why it'll likely get a full game.

I think secret of the mimic will create a similar situation for the tales stories, although I'm leaning towards all of those stories being canon rather than something like mimicline.

I also feel a similar intent was behind VIP. the constant mention of the pizzaplex entering a stage of renovation cant help but make me think it's meant to explain why the main pizzaplex in tales is structurally different than that of security breach.

to summarize my rant, my running take from here (until SOTM comes out and inevitably changes the lore again) is the concept that the stitchline stories are overall canon, but are in the process of being adapted into the games to accurately fit in. I believe fnaf is in a stage of clarification over what was previously believed or outright implied to fit the modern story.

[qprsmackdown]

Lapis Lazuli and Peridot (Steven Universe) vs The Fellowship Of The Ring (LOTR)

Negative comments about either qpr in the notes will be blocked. This includes saying that either party is not a qpr. We are here to have fun. It does not matter whether a qpr is "canonically" platonic, romantic, or otherwise. I do not want to hear about why you think a relationship isn't a qpr.

Propaganda (under the cut)

Lapis and Peridot

I would like to apologize for any spelling errors/run on sentences here. I’m rambling out of excitement :]

Peridot and Lapis have the most QPP energy I’ve ever seen and I’m not too sure how to describe it. Peridot is canonically aroace and Peridot and Lapis become very close after becoming roommates (they lived in a barn) and Peridot was absolutely relieved to see Lapis return from space.

When they both had to live together Peridot did everything she could to try to make Lapis comfortable (did she fail? Yeah, but she still tried her best) and Peridot even gave Lapis a tape recorder similar to the one she had received as a gift from Steven when she was trying to get used to being on Earth.

They respect each other and make inside jokes about how they used to be villains! They made a bunch of art and put it in their barn and called it “meep morps”! They have a sentient pumpkin dog (named “Pumpkin”)! Lapis and Peridot aren’t canonically QPPs, but if someone told me that they were I’d believe it without proof.

The Fellowship

look i didnt think abt this until i saw the ask but ur sosososo right. they just. they support each other through everything and they learn together and grow together and even when they have to split up they remember each other always. theyre from such different places but they sill stick together and love each other and they arent afraid to show it.

THEY ARE SO QUEERPLATONICALLY IN LOVE YOU DONT UNDERSTAND . MY LIL GUYS MY SILLIES theyre friends who kiss each other and i think thats great. they stick together to the end and they form such strong bonds that it transcends even the powers of Sauron and dwarf-elf hatred and they all love one another and THYERE SO AUGHGHGHGHGH eats drywall. Please. -🦊

[kavehpilled]

im gonna go insane about chuuya + skk in general and this song under the cut…i apologize

Okay cirice is a song that was originally written to develop an inside image of abusive relationships and especially how cults lure people in and they dont realize it until the very end. This includes things like the cycle of luring someone in, becoming aggressive, and trying to undo the damage by pretending to sound remorseful. Sounds familiar??? (Port mafia)

skylia @kaiserkisser has a SHIT ton of good posts about this kind of thing especially regarding the port mafia so i highly recommend checking out some of their reblogs if youre interested in seeing more. In regards to one of their reblogs, i saw a post the other say that detailed how the port mafia “teachers” or mentors will always end up abusing their trainees the way they knew how to be trained. mori treated dazai the way he knew how to be treated, dazai treated akutagawa like less than human because thats all hes ever viewed himself as, and akutagawa gives kyouka insane amounts of praise because thats all he desired, but he doesnt know how to treat her like a normal kid because HE never got to be a normal kid.

this is where chuuya comes in. Chuuya didnt have any “mentors” besides kouyou and possibly mori. He was shoved directly into being the sheep’s leader when he was around 15 years old and hasn’t known anything besides that. dazai eventually treated him like his dog due to his ability being so easy to manipulate and when chuuya’s ability IS used, he essentially becomes animalistic and can only be controlled by dazai. cirice (the song) fits this dynamic so well as it talks about an abusive, almost cult-like relationship similar to the cult of the band ghost. at his core, dazai is a manipulative and cunning individual who cares about his partner but it took a while for him to actually do so. chuuya is trusting and loyal just like a dog, which is why this fits literally perfectly. (lyric analysis below :3)

for the opener of the song, i interpret this as chuuya’s ability being the “rumble” and his poem that he recites being the “calling” but this is up to interpretation!! I dont have a lot to say about this verse

the first two lines HEAVILY remind me of stormbringer and how chuuya dealt with his feelings of doubting the fact that he was even human. These particular lines almost feel like dazai is reminding him he’s human even though he has an entire demon inside of him that he cant control. “I can feel the thunder” to me, is dazai recognizing that chuuya values himself differently with stormbringer and his ability (and that he’s most likely going to take advantage of this later but whatevs). “I can see through the scars inside you” is almost like chuuya validating that dazai is also human too, that the abuse mori has put him through that he has reflected onto others doesnt entirely define him as a person

“You and i see eye to eye” is a VERY impactful and heavy line as chuuya and dazai have always been one in the same. partners, soukoku, soulmates, whatever it is theyre paired together and are essentially inseparable. despite their abilities being different and circumstances being different their struggles with humanity are almost identical. “Now there is nothing between us” alludes to the power that dazai has over chuuya in battle, particularly when he lets his ability take control without restraint. Their “merge” is eternal because chuuya will forever only be able to use his ability with dazai’s help, and dazai will always find power over chuuya because of that. “Cant you see that you’re lost without me?” Is another power-based line where dazai is most likely viewing himself as better than chuuya because he typically uses him as a tool with his ability, but only when said ability is being used. He’s manipulative in the sense where he cares about him but not FOR him and will always use him as a ruse for the things he needs. (the rest of the song has repeating lyrics so i didnt include them so i hope this made sense :) )

[ourlordapollo]

Okay well. Behold the products of the MvK brain rot that has consumed me these past few days.

(It's 3 oneshots.)

Hey it's about your straw villain. Yeah, a freak with ADHD hyperfixated on him and turned him into a twink. Yeah, they twinkified him. Yeah and theyre not sorry. No yeah you heard that right, they twinkified your straw villain. If it's any consolation, if you look really closely, you can see the monster he's destined to become.

Anyway @musashi thanks for the karma brainrot. It shows up a bit at the end there.

Rambling: Okay so the first oneshot is thematically distinct from the other two. The other two are all Twinkfred and some OCs.

Can't believe I have to say this but some of the characters in this work of fiction express views that I do not agree with and say things that aren't true. If that very concept blows your mind, this is not the fic for you.

Lastly, this is kind of a disjointed mess rn but I have an idea for a longer, more cohesive narrative i just don't have time for that kind of commitment rn. This is not the last of Twinkfred.

Content Warnings: one (1) very brief mention of hypothetical physical abuse, one (1) scene of not-upsetting dubcon kissing & grinding, alcohol use, non-graphic depiction of at-home ear piercing

1.

Tea soaks into the napkins where Phoenix presses them down. It must be scalding him; it's still steaming, but he doesn't flinch. Not like Miles, who does nothing but flinch. It's not usually so obvious: a sharp glare, an unkind word. It doesn't usually produce a physical result.

"I'm sorry, Miles," Phoenix says, and his gaze moves from the damp napkins to Miles' eyes and Miles does not flinch. Does not allow it. Phoenix swallows. "Did..." The weight of his hesitation is so heavy that Miles knows what's coming next, the desperate cry for connection he's trained himself to anticipate and ignore. "Did he ever hit you?"

Slowly, Miles shakes his head.

—

Von Karma's hand has already begun to swell, the skin around the puncture wounds turning deep blue. His sharp cry still hangs in the air, heavy with the raspy authority he uses when training his dogs. Walther licks his palm and von Karma lets him, stilling his shaking hand.

But Miles sees, just for a moment.

"Sir?" Miles doesn't bother asking if he's alright. The answer to that will always be a stern 'of course.'

"Speak, Miles Edgeworth."

"Why..." Even the question feels unimaginably cruel, but Miles persists. "Why didn't you hit him?"

Von Karma raises an eyebrow. "Do you think I should have hit Walther?"

"No, sir. But I know that other people hit their dogs when they misbehave." He'd seen it, a little swat on the rear of a dog that yapped at passing cars, an open-palm strike to a dog that pulled on the lead.

"We're not 'other people'," Manfred replies, eyes flashing. His voice makes it clear exactly what he thinks of 'other people.' What Miles should think of them, too. "Do you know what happens when you strike a dog?"

"No, sir."

"You make it afraid."

He pauses, and Miles repeats the word: "Afraid."

"A fearful dog doesn't think. A fearful dog acts without concern for anything but its own immediate safety. It lashes out in irrational panic, mindlessly attacking anything that moves." Von Karma's eyes are far away. "It undermines itself. It destroys. I do not raise frightened dogs."

"I understand, sir," Miles says, trying not to let his voice quiver.

Von Karma looks right through him. "Good," he says, exhaling. "That is good, Miles."

And by his sides, his hands shake.

2.

The neon lights blot out the stars, which is just as well, because Fredi navigates by them tonight, the blinking and the flashing. The music calls to him, the driving thud of deliverance on the promise he'd made to himself.

Berlin would be different.

Clouds of cigarette smoke hang low over the group of people— his people— lingering by the gaping mouth of the club. He goes right in. No identification, no pause. He just walks in.

The music crawls inside him and vibrates under his skin and a thousand bodies move in tandem, rocking him deeper and deeper into their midst.

The lights flash, illuminating intertwined couples of all genders, wearing all sorts of clothing. All the things he'd promised himself. But still, his heart stops when he sees two men pressed close, their lips locked. What would Father and Mother say?

Hands find him, anchor on his hips. He reaches out reflexively and catches the incoming kiss with parted lips. His back hits the wall. The stranger's tongue is cold against Fredi's own, his palms hot under Fredi's waistband. The strangers thigh slots in between Fredi's, touching him— he freezes.

Everything stops, just for a moment.

In the colored lights, Fredi catches a look of annoyance as the stranger pulls back. "You have to say something if you don't want it," he spits, and staggers off.

The crushing weight of his failure dims the lights in Fredi's eyes— he'd done it wrong. Everyone here seemed to know how already, how to drink and dance. How to be queer.

His hands curl into fists but the stranger is long gone.

He's found again, later, by a bedraggled group who have created their own little atmosphere inside the club.

"How old are you?" someone shouts in his ear

"19," he lies.

This new person grabs his hand and drags him out a side door, where the air cools his skin and the music pulses with less violence.

"Let me ask you that again. How old are you, really?"

"I'm short for my age," Fredi says, glaring.

"17 at the oldest," says another member of the little group, and laughs. "What's your name?"

"Fredi." There's a pause, and he adds, "Fredi von Karma."

More laughter. She smiles. "Not your stage name, sweetheart."

"I like the sound of that," titters a third person. "Von Karma."

Fredi would roll his eyes if he wasn't so used to this conversation. Their family history had not been well-documented, and Father had never uncovered the reasoning for the strange name. "Did you want something?"

"Let us introduce ourselves first!" says the one who had first spoken to him. "Let's be polite, yes? My name is Timo. This is Maren, Zissi, and Wolf."

Wolf howls. Fredi only raises his eyebrows.

He stays quiet for a moment, examining them. Wolf and Timo wear earrings in their right earlobes. Maren and Zissi hold hands, their nails short and rounded. They all wear bright colors, Wolf's shirt unbuttoned low to reveal leather straps forming an X across his chest.

"What do you think?" Timo asks, flexing. Zissi laughs and leans over Maren to swat at him, her pupils impossibly wide.

"What do you want?" Fredi counters.

Timo's jovial manner drops. "To check on you, honestly. When you see a new face, a young face like yours..."

"With lipstick on his cheek," Maren adds.

"I'm fine," Fredi says at once.

"Where are you staying tonight?" Timo counters. "With Mama and Papa?"

Despite all his plans, Fredi hesitates for a second too long. And he'd made plans; he had a little money. It would be easy enough for someone like him to find a job and he'd always been frugal.

"Ah, Fredi, Fredi." Timo slings an arm around him, blowing whiskey-scented breath across his cheek. "Don't think we don't know what this is. You're a long way from Bavaria, you know."

"I know," says Fredi, looking from face to face. They really don't seem to mean him any ill; Wolf is dancing to the beat, Maren and Zissi are kissing.

"I'm just saying, we have a couch you can sleep on. We'll even feed you if you ask nicely."

Fredi swallows. His plan... His perfect plan. He'd spent so long picturing it, his little slice of paradise in Berlin.

His little slice of perfection.

But reality looms with sharper edges, slicing his fantasy to ribbons. He doesn't know what he's doing. He's young and alone in an unfamiliar city, and these people (his people!) have chosen to be kind to him.

Fredi looks at the hoop flashing in Timo's right ear. "I accept."

3.

Zissi says, "Do you know what 'karma' means?"

"Lean your head on my chest" Timo says.

Fredi's head touches down just below Timo's collar bone. Vodka cools his earlobe. "It doesn't mean anything," he says. "There's no such place as 'Karma.'"

"Someone hasn't studied the Eastern religions," Zissi says, like she hadn't dropped out of university after less than a year.

Still, heat flares in Fredi's chest and he spits fire before he can even think of controlling it. "Why should I have?" And how dare she try to make him feel inferior? He has no reason to know anything about Asia.

His reasoning kicks in a second later and he catches her eye and softens his expression.

"This will feel cold," Timo murmurs, pressing ice to Fredi's earlobe.

"Karma is the sword of justice," Zissi says. "That which goes around comes around."

"Like the flu?" Fredi says drily.

"Very funny." Zissi rolls her eyes. "Timo, stab him."

A great pressure and a great release bore in and out of Fredi's numbed earlobe, then an uncomfortable wiggling sensation. A part of his body that had never been touched before is now open to the world.

It is the first piece of metal to pierce Fredi's flesh, but it won't be the last.

"You're sure you want both ears?" Timo asks. "The right ear is the gay ear."

"Both my ears are gay ears," Fredi retorts. It's not quite true, but he's found it's easier to just be one thing at a time. He was straight in Gersthofen; he is gay in Berlin.

"Fine," Timo sighs. "Flip over, then."

Fredi keeps his neck stiff so his ear doesn't press into Timo's chest. The cycle begins again: ice, vodka, ice, vodka. "What do you mean by justice?" he asks to keep his mind off the throbbing pain.

"The things you do, the actions you take, they have a way of finding their way back to you," Zissi explains. "Bad things will happen to bad people and vice versa."

It's a funny coincidence, that some typographical error could align so neatly with Fredi's path. He will be a lawyer and school starts soon. "Karma is the sword of justice," he repeats contemplatively.

The needle drives into his ear.

He barely feels it.

Karma is the sword of justice.

You could make a religion out of that.

[lacystar]

there is an apartment somewhere. and there are 3 people who live inside but rarely at the same time.

technically 4-- George doesn't pay rent though and stays on the couch. its supposed to be a "temporary solution" but he just sleeps the days away or plays video games or watches tv but nobody really has the heart to kick him out.

its not very fancy or anything bc well half of them are in school and don't make a lot of money. there are some custom pieces of furniture from their friend foolish who's a builder of many trades and gave them side tables as housewarming gifts. there are cute posters of cartoons on the wall (from Karl) mixed with dumb anime (from sapnap) and unflattering pictures of them and their friends and family guy memes (from George and quackity alike). the furniture is passed down, thrifted, dumpster-dived and completely mismatches and there is an air mattress on the ground of the bedroom without a frame-- theyre trying to get a proper mattress by Christmas . its usually dirty with unwashed dishes and sheets used as curtains and empty cans over the floor but its home.

karl is finishing his last year of college for journalism with a minor in history. he wants to own a library or bookstore someday. most of the crammed books in the apartment are his, and even fewer have been read. he likes to buy novels and not read them. he wants to seem like he reads. he wants to do a lot of things. Between classes he sits at the college library desk for 7 hours and does nothing since students don't know how to use the library, and gets his minimum wage.

the books that aren't Karls are law books and they're quackity's, and they /are/ read and thoroughly dog eared and tabbed and written in. q is a law student and a dedicated one at that. disciplined mentally but not emotionally. he's either silent and focused and pissed off or laughing. he will become a lawyer some day and will buy Karl his library, and they'll own a second home in Vegas for vacationing.

sapnap wakes up earlier than he'd like to goes to the gym for hours. he isn't in college. he likes to protect people and he likes to fight. he doesn't want to go into the military or the police force because that sounds dumb and like hell, and it's too late for a sports scholarship. he's not sure what he wants to do with his life yet, but he wants to stay with Karl and quackity and maybe even George. he works out, breaks at the nearby subway for a disappointing lunch, then goes back and works as a hired personal trainer and gets flirted with a lot. he flirts back but only to get paid more. He does other odd-labor jobs for cash when he can. and when he's not there, he's the homebody motivating George to do anything and doing the dishes when it gets to be too much and forcing himself to make the bed for them and cooking and cooking and COOKING which he doesn't mind because he's good at that. he'd become a chef but he doesn't want to cook for random people-- only for his family.

quackitys classes take him deep into the evening- studying takes him longer into the night (he can't study in the apartment-- too many distractions and too many arguments about distractions). Karl goes to classes too, and then work, but then shops around and spends all the money he just earned on whatever sparkly thing catches his eye, he doesn't come back until sunset. sapnap is up and out the earliest, but back around 3 to meal prep. they miss each other most of the day and Karl comes back ready to chatter and eat and doesn't see how poorly George is doing because sapnap's convinced him to get dressed right before Karl comes home, and Karl shows off all the new things he's bought and sapnap smiles and nods and tries not to think about rent coming up. and they eat in front of the tv and Karl stays up way too late because he's put off homework while sapnap sets aside a portion of dinner for quackity because he knows he won't be back until after everyone else is asleep. and quackity comes back around 12 AM exhausted and Karl, who's about to go to bed after finally forcing himself through a paper, asks him how his day was and offers to keep him company while he eats, and quackity says for him to go to bed-- he's already not gonna get enough sleep before class at this rate-- and Karl promises him he'll drink a monster and that he's fine. and Karl snacks and they have a second dinner, quiet while George sleeps on the couch (not that they'd wake them if they shouted, though, to be honest). and then either Karl or q will nod off at the table and the other will usher them to bed, depending on the night. and then for a few hours the house will be empty until sap nap's up early enough to prepare everyone breakfast before he leaves for the gym again.

and there are weekends where they laugh and stay up all night and play games and watch movies and invite Tina from a few units down over to chill with them and they have fun and it isn't until Sunday that they start to Dread again. the monotony of not knowing when the future will finally decide to happen.

but for a few hours each night on their shitty airmatress and covered in blankets, they all get to be together every day, asleep on sapnaps chest, hand in Karl's hair, lips against quackity's cold fingers. because no matter what happens, the future will always always be each other. and thats enough

[crevicedwelling]

i sent in an ask awhile ago about what bugs would tolerate handling and you suggested mealworms/beetles and i looked them up and it seems like it will be pretty simple! but im not sure i trust all these guides especially since theyre mostly about keeping them for food. do you know a dedicated site to bug pet care? i need to know what substrate would be healthiest for them and which moisture sources theyll like the most. also since theyre supposed to be kept cool and dark and i live in california, would the inside of a cabinet be a good place for them to spend most of their time? i would leave it slightly open for air flow but it gets way hot and its the coolest darkest spot i can think of. im deeply deeply excited 2 meet them. i think the best part of keeping a bug is that they arent there to keep you company or be pet or dressed up or whatever, its all about taking something that would have a hard dangerous life in the wild and basically putting it in bug heaven with the caveat that you get to stare at it through glass a lot. its mutualistic in that way so i want my bugs to be the happiest and healthiest they can be. keep up my end of the bargain lol

cool temps is only if you want mealworms to last a long time and slow their pupation for feeding them to reptiles. if you are keeping them as pets, warmth is fine for growth!

I don’t know if any decent places with a pet mealworm caresheet vs feeder, so I’ll just summarize what I think will work here. for Tenebrio molitor, the yellow mealworm:

get a large tub or tank (lid optional but should be very ventilated—screen or cutouts work best) and fill to 2” or more with grain-based substrate like bran, oatmeal, or chicken feed and put some mealworms in it. put a piece of cardboard egg carton on top; you’re done!

they will eat pieces of pretty much any vegetable or fruit for moisture and extra nutrients—see what works with the scraps from your own meals. humidity is not a concern as long as there is moisture food to eat. take care to not wet the substrate too much which will support mold and mites, so with a small population of mealworms some carrot chunks or potato or 1/4 of an apple core will work well. remove treats as they get eaten, desiccate, or mold, and replace with fresh ones. feed them more treats as they breed. dry dog food or high protein chicken feed are often accepted as protein treats, and while there isn’t really a limit on how much you can feed them just a little should be enough. adults eat the same food as larvae.

heathy mealworm larvae should be plump and firm to the touch. soft, “C” shaped mealworms that do not move are getting ready to pupate. pupae start white and soft, become yellowish and hard, and then the brown limbs of the developing adult become visible through the exoskeleton and the adult will eclose. adults hatch white and sclerotize to red and finally dark black. they’ll lay eggs in the substrate or in the fibers of the egg carton. black, shrivelled mealworm larvae and pupae are dead and should be removed.

cannibalism can be a concern when protein and moisture are low, so keep on top of the supplemental food. having a sifter or sieve to sort out mealworms works well when changing substrates, as the lower levels will be mostly dusty dry frass (poop) once the upper levels of substrate are eaten. the powdery dusty frass may be of allergenic concern, and is gross to breathe in so do your sifting outdoors if possible or in a room you can vacuum.

you can also try keeping mealworm larvae on a mixture of barely moist coconut husk bedding, leaf litter, and rotten wood, offering small amounts of grains and vegetables as they eat it. this substrate is less edible but they can still grow on it, although the humidity may mean mites and mold which are both gross. superworms (Zophobas atratus) can thrive on this style of keeping since they eat more (less mold) and digest wood better. they’re quite a bit bigger and can make a worse stink, but otherwise care is very similar. they do fine on grain substrate too, but will need more moisture food.

[pinkmoondoll9shihtzu]

pinkmoonmutual i think i have come to u about my adoring fixations on older men before. I woke up from a dream where I was hanging out with this guy I really like and it was so wonderful and perfect and exactly what I want from him....a very nice dream to have, and it fits into what ive been working on recently which is human relationships and figuring out what I want and how to have it... its difficult for me because I love people SO MUCH often after a very short amount of time, this is especially true of older people because I crave sibling affection I didn't get growing up but it happens with people my own age too. and ah idk I'm never sure how to express it to people because love and intensity are things most people only want and expect from romantic attraction. and I'm not opposed to that but especially with older men this becomes difficult because the people I love are not interested in dating people 10 years younger than them and really it would be inappropriate (this guy was my professor! not gonna happen!) and i just end up feeling really creepy and weird and not knowing what to do with this huge adoration and affection inside me. so tricky I really wish you could just be /in love/ with someone and tell them and have them see it as a nice thing and not me trying to get sex or romantic commitment from them. i wish i was a little dog so i could just curl up at his feet and have it be simple. guuuuhhhhhhhh honestly i just wanted to tell you about my crush. I only knew this guy for like a month and a half so its a bit silly but hes so pretty and smart and cool and really inspired me to live and pushed me in the direction im currently going. its just tricky tricky im probably over complicating it but do you think there's more to love than the relationships that people in our world expect? I love people like theyre a god TT .. even talking about it here feels vapid compared to how it is for me. anyway nice dream thanks universe and i hope the pinkmoonworld is nice today <3

i understand u <3 it is a vary nice day in pinkmoonworld thanku for the wish~~~i know this dilemma tho sigh , my thoughts below..

i always felt like my admiration of people was extreme & consuming , i still do to a certain extent its a big part of the reason WHY i became a bit withdrawn like i struggle w how attached i get to others. i dont want to ask for anything in return but i feel shame when people find me creepy lol. And even then, that shame isnt rly the reason i've become untrusting with my heart, cold ppl r the least of my worries, i understand them.. moreso it's dangerous for me when i encounter someone who recognizes i am This Way & instead of being plainly disinterested or aloof they consciously decide to Use my affections in a sinister manner for their own advantage. that's what's mainly caused me to bcome distant even tho i want to love those ppl too.

so despite distance i still need some outlet for these loveful feelings so i guess i've spent the past 5-ish years working on ways to be overly compassionate in a safer manner.. And a big part of that is that i rly find the purest form of love to be platonic love, when theres not really any expectations or prize for being close to someone yet u still are, that kind of love speaks the deepest to me. and it's funny because really shortly after i surrendered my quest for romantic love, like completely surrendered , is when i met SLIMBO, and thru my efforts to be a really good friend to them we ended up falling sooooooo deeply sincerely in love like nothing i;ve ever known. if we had rushed into a relationship idk if it wld be the same , like having it slowly blossom over the course of a few years w no pressure, it's the foundation upon which we could be SO deeply sure we would always be together.

So the way u speak of loving ur crush, i'd say, just continue to act kindly towards him and everyone else u encounter, with no expectations of them.. people really need this like i think everyone needs to know what it feels like to experience a True Friend a selfless friend. it's rare! i rarely meet anyone who i feel doesn't want *something* from me that i cant give them. and i dont even want to hold that against them! im just saying, what U feel is rare so u should embrace it. allow yourself to exude love as much as u can and that frequency will return to u, just like how it did for me and slimbo...And other friends ive made along the way ^_^ Follow you heart.. maybe he's older but who knows what could happen. i've dated ppl 10 years older than me cus i have always acted like grandpa. sometimes ppl will just see u for ur soul.

and maybe ur dream is pointing u in a right direction, idk, i confessed my love to slimbo a few days after having a dream that we held hands. Ofc we had been friends for 2 years by this point so the time felt right, not every dreams mean u should confess, but i feel like having a sweet dream such as that can be a sort of telepathic experience sometimes.. show a connection between you and him on the astral plane. Take time to enjoy life n enjoy having a crush too cus it can be really fun to feel that crazy over someone :] thats my thoughts.....good luck with your heart, PMD9 out !

[qprsmackdown]

Propaganda (under the readmore)

MK and Mei

have u seen them

theyre so sillies

they r the silliest fucking goobers the world has ever seen. they've talked each other down from mental breakdowns where they were hovering off the ground eyes glowing with power. they r life partners forever they r the hero and the fucking warrior except unlike all the other hero/warrior pairs in the show (it's a motif) mk and mei would never abandon each other. also when the idea of them becoming romantically involved came up mk started hurling

Lovable little scamps

Lapis and Peridot

I would like to apologize for any spelling errors/run on sentences here. I’m rambling out of excitement :]

Peridot and Lapis have the most QPP energy I’ve ever seen and I’m not too sure how to describe it. Peridot is canonically aroace and Peridot and Lapis become very close after becoming roommates (they lived in a barn) and Peridot was absolutely relieved to see Lapis return from space.

When they both had to live together Peridot did everything she could to try to make Lapis comfortable (did she fail? Yeah, but she still tried her best) and Peridot even gave Lapis a tape recorder similar to the one she had received as a gift from Steven when she was trying to get used to being on Earth.

They respect each other and make inside jokes about how they used to be villains! They made a bunch of art and put it in their barn and called it “meep morps”! They have a sentient pumpkin dog (named “Pumpkin”)! Lapis and Peridot aren’t canonically QPPs, but if someone told me that they were I’d believe it without proof.

[vanmarkham]

assorted vents

the fun thing about having a dog w extreme separation anxiety (vanya) is that everyone becomes experts on it when u tell them. theyre just like 'oh yeah well just leave her alone' or 'its probably because you enable it' or 'i had a dog like that and we just gave them trazadone and all was well c:'

like okay well my dog lost a tooth while on trazadone bc she was so willing to hurt herself to get to me after being left alone. one time she ripped up the carpet entirely from our guest room! the vet said they can tell her anxiety is bad because of the way the enamel on her teeth are eroding (bc she will chew metal to escape if left alone)

"maybe u should crate train her"

she is fucking crate trained. she sleeps in her crate of her own volition all the time. if i or someone else am in her line of sight she doesnt mind being closed in. but EVEN on near maximum dose of trazadone, she destroyed the inside of a ruffland kennel

sry but no, just leaving her isnt gonna work!! shes now on prozac and im dreading returning to doing daily exposure training bc it fucking sucks

anyway its soooo embarrassing to get invited to something and then theyre like 'ohh ur partner should come too c: double date!' and then i have to be like 'oh. well... then vanya is also coming so we need to find a dog friendly option' bc i need like two days notice to leave her alone for any amount of time to ensure it goes smoothly

[hannahlovesluca]

hey hey! i saw you were doing ninisani matchups and i wanna request one pretty please 👉🏻👈🏻 if not then that’s okay!

Gender: Female

Pronouns: she/her

Sexuality: I am straight, basic like that but boobies are hot.

Zodiac: Pisces. the fish.

Appearance: I am 5’4 and have pretty long hair that reaches my waist, it’s brown but the inside part of my hair is dyed purple currently, it was pink until a few days ago! I also have big boobies, they are my pride and joy, my personal stress balls (heh balls). I am fair skinned i’d say, my eyes are HUGE bro it’s a jumpscare, they’re also green so that makes it so funny when i look at someone with fully opened eyes randomly. the way i dress is very random because one day i will be looking like an angsty teen and the other day i will be looking like a business woman, but i do put too much effort into the way i look.

MBTI: I AM IN ENFJ and i do take the test every year, that’s what i get

Personality: Dude if it wasn’t obvious by now i am literally like a little too extroverted. I ADORE being around people, in fact i find it to be so easy to just make a random conversation with anyone on the street. If i think someone looks cool i will go talk to them and become friends, literally collecting them friends like pokémon. I am known to have a pretty flirty and booming personality. I can get pretty annoying due to how loud and energetic I am, i would call you at 3 in the morning to tell you that i beat my record in Hades. I do tend to have a short temper when it comes to incompetence and to people who are clearly two faced or just full of shit, i would say i am pretty good at reading a person as well :) if you yell at me i will cry tho so dont BUT FOR THE MOST PART I AM A DELIGHT (i love dogs and cats as well 👉🏻👈🏻)

Likes: MUSIC, IKEA FISH it’s so good and melts in your mouth omfg the haddock is everything. Trying new things, horror movies even though i am a coward, r-r-r-roblox👉🏻👈🏻 , AND WAFFLES.

Dislikes: PEOPLE CHEWING LOUDLY OMFG PLEASE JUST SHUT UP BEFORE I SHOVE MY FOOT DOWN YOUR THEOAT PLEASE, people who beat around the bush.

Love Language: basic yes but it’s physical touch, receiving and giving. But i would also say words of affirmation for giving as well :))

EXTRAS: I can fluently speak four languages. I will also always announce when i am going to pee. why? not sure 👩‍🦯

(you’re so cute ily mwah mwah all the love 😩🫶🏻🫶🏻 i hope your day is going great pookie bear 👉🏻👈🏻)

i pair you with…

Doppio Dropscythe!

hear me out…

• you and doppi mesh so well together!

• you’re genuinely like the same person

• honestly the man didnt even know what coochie was so he probably doesnt know what roblox is but he’ll play it if you ask (but he’ll be making you play Bug Fables)

• tbf i didnt know what coochie meant either but like… english is my sl….

• LMAO HE’LL PROBABLY CHEW REALLY LOUD ON PURPOSE JUST TO ANNOY YOU THIS LITTLE SHITHEAD

• “what are you talking about Y/N?” he says, still chewing. “i’m just eating!”

• i hear his voice saying that…

• HE LOVES YOUR EYES

• THEYRE SO PRETTY THEYRE SO UGHHHHHHHHHHH

• god he goes insane just thinking ab you hes so smitten

• i hc that it takes a lot for pio-chan to fall in love, but once he does, hes forever smitten

RUNNERS UP: Shu Yamino, Luca Kaneshiro

[itsbenedict]

ok so im reading through Almost Nowhere and i have Complaints about it's structure and wanted to vent but also not to the point of actually commenting on the thing itself. (its a Well-made story. this all comes from a place of admiration/love for the thing so i didnt want to put it in a public tag)

So after seeing you reblog the ending announcement i started reading it. current spot is chapter xxi, or sylvie vs hector's forces. (is sylvie just a jadesprite expy. is hector just a Dirk/Dave. is that what is going on. ugh it figures. anyway.)

pros: premise fills that timeline bullshit appetite, and has some fascinating evolutions of its timeline and the puzzle therein. the actual setup and climax of the Annes escape story was very exciting, and the notebooks are a fascinating conceit. and the entire story could be summarized as "hey aliens put everyone in mini The Matrix realities and people gotta figure out how to deal with that/escape?" which is a pretty good premise. the Annes were my favorite part.

cons:

due to being about timeline bullshit and specifically miscommunication causing disaster, it also is incredibly hard to parse even when it's trying to be clear. i get the multiple narrator conceit, and i get that Azad is glued to a thesaurus, but it feels like its getting in it's own way way more often than not. Its doing the "im using the more complicated word to sound smart rather than be accurate or communicate my message" thing, and its hard to parse how much of that is purposeful. I found it exhausting after a few hundred pages.

as time loops are a core aspect of the story, most of the characters feel like they have very little actual impact or agency on the plot. they're protagonists as designated, but grant and cordelia do very little of note- where i am now Grant's basically just a guy to get explained at and he got addicted to a sub-reality game for a while. he is important because sylvie is his dog, but beyond pining for Azad and getting things explained to him, Grant doesnt feel like he Does anything

however Grant is still my favorite character because he's the only one who actually says "what the fuck are you talking about, explain it better" which the entire text desperately needs.

its gotten to the point that the text's own coy obfuscation of itself has made me disconnect from caring about the characters- and that's Poisonous.

the story makes its Stakes either too big or too small. its either about a characters self doubts or its about finding a way to escape a reality by killing it's god. but theres very little in-between, or focuses on how one relates to the other. its hard to care when the stakes are too high (unrelateable), and its hard to care when theyre too low for too long (character feels whiny and passive).

its best done in the Annes story- her personal turmoil over her incredibly bizarre circumstances leading to resentment and action- killing her father-god- were united and flowed into each other. usually an escalation of stakes is accompanied by development of character. but beyond the Annes, i feel like there are no characters who have developed. theres no proactivity that feels like itll actually change things. its just characters that have been acted upon (not-entertaining). (and i get that time loop bullshit makes that point hard but its also sapping the enjoyment of reading the overall story itself and needs to be addressed.)

at this point i feel like the plot has become concerned with it's own telling, which is arguably what's actually happening- everything is being written because timeloop bullshit demands it and everyone caught inside is powerless to struggle against it, including the audience- but im not finding it entertaining anymore. I want to care about the characters more, but the text is reinforcing it's own disassociation-themes to the point where its getting unfun to read.

to be fair- i did read up to where i am over the course of two days, which is a Lot to take in at once. even on release this wasnt a story thats binge-friendly and im probably bouncing off of it's weirdness because i havent had time to digest it. However it's fascinating in its setups- in the questions it asks and the puzzles of the world, its just failing to provide characters that match. and maybe it has, and has just been presented deliberately obtusely and i missed the point- (which is an in-text theme! But also I can't explore that theme if the audience's participation is lost so it still is a Bad Thing!) which i would also argue is a Problem, not a success.

anyway anyway Flower that Bloomed Nowhere slaps and its mystery structure serves as a great device to convey the otherwise Intricate worldbuilding (and i like how said worldbuilding is usually introduced only as it has context to a Motive or as a Clue because it makes said worldbuilding feel meaningful which is nice) and im excited to see what happens next hope you have a good day byeeeee

hm- well, uh, i think a pretty good chunk of AN's readership is in my general orbit on here, so you're gonna get roughly the same effect as putting it in the tag, but-

i mean, the thing with AN is that... the main thing you're down on it for is sort of the whole game it's playing. first it introduces a concept in a bizarre, flowery, obfuscatory way that's playing around with language- and then it does that again, and again, from various angles, with different sorts of obfuscation, so you slowly get a picture of the concept through a sort of blind-men-and-the-elephant process. that's the fun of it, that's the game, doing a deep dive on the presentational tomfoolery to try and figure out what's going on before it just tells you.

that's what Grant's there for- he says "what the fuck are you talking about, explain it better", after it's already gone a few rounds of deliberately not explaining it clearly, and given you a chance to chew on it and try and piece it together for yourself. he's the answer key at the end of the puzzle, the way the story signposts "okay, so by this point you should pretty much Get this concept".

if you're just blasting through it to try to absorb the content as directly as possible, i can see the way the story presents itself kind of working against you, yeah. it's not trying to be obtuse for no reason- it's being obtuse because the process of grappling with the obtuse is the main selling point. if you don't like doing that, if it just bugs you when the story won't just say what it wants to say, yeah, it's not gonna be a good fit.

i kind of agree that some of the character arcs seem a little weak- like, i'm not entirely positive what Cordelia's doing here? what the point of her is? and- oh, god, don't tell Cordelia i said that, that's exactly what the poor thing doesn't need to hear.

but i think that's a product of... like, these aren't all supposed to be protagonists of a story. they're primarily lenses into the story, different perspectives on what's happening. they're part of the mechanics of the game, sources of new narration to use as part of the puzzle. grant doesn't really do anything, in-story, sure- but he's extremely active in nailing down concepts.

"the plot has become concerned with it's own telling"- yep. that's what it's doing. it's kind of always been doing that. personally, i like that!

i might have a bias here due to... having been following it on a serial basis for years since chapter 1? like, that's a format that lends itself well to the way the story wants to be engaged with, the slow and meticulous reading that leaves lots of time for contemplation. i'm not sure if i can evaluate how well that all works archivally- whether this is just a matter of differing preferences in how to consume fiction, or if structurally it's somehow encouraging a shallower reading that it doesn't reward as much.

[cephiwyrm]

please please please share all of your ocs!!

HELLO YES I WILL??? there was one i was specifically vague posting about in the one reblog which i will NOT but i will share something funny abt him

my ex made a cardboard cut out of him, hated him so much they STABBED HIM and then mailed me the arm, and of course i still own it. ANYWAYS! pulling these from my main toyhouse (i have an ugly watermark i am so sorry) let the rambling begin (extremely long i am so sorry LMAO)

(cutely pulls up a piece of art) alright this is my cherry pop story! they are 3 cryptid / unnatural monster type hunters in a universe that is pretty much exactly like earth 1:1 except it was cats and dogs that became the main dominant species. the main character (aka just the one we see through her POV theyre all main characters to me.sniff) is Annie! she is a quiet and get it done type of character, besides working the 9 to 5 monster hunting job, she really likes games (this takes place in the 2000s btw) and is interested in how mechanical stuff works! also she is a trans icon :)

next is Peyton! shes she nerdy, figure it out type. probably the one in the group the most interested in what they're actually being paid to do; also one of the first ones to notice what is actually going on. she mainly enjoys going out and fucking around with her skateboard and shes a little sillay gal

last but not least in cherry pop is Micah! hes the brawns and usually helps with doing physical objectives, and also just catching the monsters in general if need be. first one to come to conclusions, even if they are SEVERELY wrong. he is captain of the swim team and wishes to go to a bigger college one day (they are in a small town)

OK NEXT !! AFTER PARTY they are some of my oldest ocs (not OLDEST oldest but def. there) and their story is a little all over the place since its with me and my friends and we havent gotten into it recently (its basically a masquerade type kill scenario) all their art is a little old but this is Okano! at a very young age, her father died and she was able to take over a very well off company. Well she doesn't make huge decisions by herself at the moment, she shows great opportunity in the future. she is very distrusting because of it though, and takes a while to warm up to people.

next is kaga! (one next to peyton) shes a little silly gal, shes very reckless and kind of doesn't care about danger shes in it for the thrill. absolutelu kills it being a roller blader, but also just likes walking around with no shoes on. also ! she works in a tattoo shop :)))

now realizing i have a lot of. trio characters huh. anyways! heres kiki. no ur not getting a genuine image bebcause she iisss so baby...... anyways; she is a french vlogger! she loves exploring the world and showing it to her growing number of people. also has a small AU inside of stardew valley :) shes obsessed with seagulls as well

ok realizing i have too many ocs and i dont want this to be like two million word post (30+ on my main and more not even on TH) so ill end off with my TTRPG charas :) this is Milo my druid aarakocra for DnD! on like the second session he got struck by lightining and got a god that way. When he was just a litol baby he wandered off from his home and into a forest where his brother, an elf named Leo, went up to his soon to be mentor/father figure Crechir like CAN WE PLEASE KEEP HIM PELASEEEEEE and may or may not have lied about his entire home burning to the ground later on he found a little gold dragon which when touching different objects changed colour; and was named skittle. little funny thing about skittle was everytime a gold coin was fed, he would grow just a little bit. even more later on, he was sent an ominous message about his birth home about how his mother had died and he was the next chieftan and so he had to go do some special trials in order to become one! he also went to the hell casino and since crechir gave him chips he was able to get an amulet that lets him shift between his two forms, treefolk and birdfolk

and finally, this is Ash for MOTW! she is a twin in a small town in canamerica (canada and america fused because our irl party is in both) due to being a twin, she was born with some spooky (haha her class) powers, and will send her twin Ali memes via telapathy. unfortunately being a teen with powers, she is also kind of very angsty and prone to some bursts of outrage. besides that, she has a very strong interest in wood carving, while her twin loves to hunt crytids, due to the strangeness of their town they have to deal with it every once in a while! they have a pet snake belovingly named banana (or boenana. shes a boa constrictor) and is honestly a teen that is addicated to her phone

ty for reading if you did!! i fucking LOVE MY OCS. SO MUCH. I WILL GO ON AND ON ABOUT THEM UNTIL I RUN OUT OF THEIR ACTUAL STORY