#this could have gone on to become a whole different better show. but oh well we'll just simply contend to smth enjoyable only

[the-silliest-lad]

Seen a lot of people pointing out the difference between when Haymitch refers to Lenore Dove as “My Girl” compared to when Snow refers to Lucy Gray as “My Girl,” and I wanted to just compile some quotes that stuck out to me when I reread Ballad after reading through Sunrise.

“In some ways, it had been better to have her locked up in the Capitol, where he always had a general idea of what she was doing.” (Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, pg. 410)

For Snow, having Lucy Gray in the Capitol Zoo - a place that he knew not only made her feel trapped and uncomfortable, but also afraid, where she was starved and treated like nothing more than an animal - was a method of control. So much worse could’ve happened to her, helpless against the Capitol. He knew where she was, and could go to her whenever he pleased. He had a sense of control over her actions, something we are shown as critical to who he is. It’s why he hated the Mockingjays, because they could not be controlled. Having her free in District 12 (as free as she can be that is) worries him, constantly making him doubt her loyalty to him, despite the fact she’s prove again and again that she cares for and trusts him.

Never released. That was a lie, theirs or possibly hers. A gift she gave me so I wouldn’t worry about her, only myself. And it worked. But now I know that she has been absolutely helpless, completely at their mercy, this whole time why I sabotaged their arena. Confined. Starved. Tortured. Raped. Murdered.” (Sunrise on the Reaping, pg. 348)

Haymitch’s first instinct after first finding out Lenore Dove was in prison and then after finding out she was never released is panic. He knows that not only does being caged make her uncomfortable, as she was never someone made to be put in captivity, but also the immediate fear for her. He thinks of what the peacekeepers and the Capitol could have done to her while he was in the arena. Lenore Dove is someone who stands up for what she believes, even to a fault. But being in a Capitol run building while Haymitch was actively working to destroy the arena?? That could’ve gone so incredibly wrong. The point is that his first concern was for her safety, and the only reason he wasn’t worried about her for that specifically while in the arena was for the exact reason he said: Lenore Dove didn’t want him to worry about her, just worry about surviving.

If this was Lucy Gray’s song, he wanted to pay careful attention so he could say something nice about it tomorrow […] Oh, a ghost story. Ugh. Boo. So ridiculous. Well, he’d try hard to love it when he saw the Covey tomorrow. […] What a dreadful song.” (Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, pg. 425-427)

The parts of this quote that I took out all had to do with him criticizing her song, which I think just further shows how dismissive he is. He isn’t listening in order to engage with her specifically, or connect with the Covey, he’s listening out of obligation, because Maude Ivory specifically picked this song so he’d know “his girl’s�� song. The moment he becomes bored of it, deciding it’s a ghost story and not worth his time, criticizing it for how foolish and superstitious it all is, he disengages. Snow doesn’t retain the song at all, just how he felt listening to it. For all people point out how he reacted to “Pure as Driven Snow” and how that must be proof of his love for Lucy Gray, that’s the only song he ever holds any value to. And it has nothing to do with the work she put in writing it, the word choice and how it relates to all the little moments they’ve had since the games, how she says she trusts him - it all has to do with the fact it’s about him, and not Billy Taupe or some old Covey ballad. The moment that ceases to be the case, he no longer cares.

“I hear her voice singing a piece of her poem, her name song. I know every word of the song, since I learned it for Lenore Dove’s birthday last December.[…] I sang it to her in an old house by the lake in front of a fire. We were toasting marshmallows and we’d skipped school, which we both caught hell for later. She said it was her favorite gift ever…” (Sunrise on the Reaping, pg. 54)

Haymitch memorized Lenore Dove’s entire ballad for her birthday, and still knows it even after the fact. This was a gesture that Lenore Dove says is better than anything she could’ve been given. Music is so important to the Covey, as it’s where they get their names from, but also it’s such a major part of their lives. Lucy Gray refers to them as performers and musicians by trade. Music is their livelihood throughout Ballad, and with the Covey being banned from playing in public and being fully banned from certain songs. Haymitch learning Lenore Dove’s name song is so meaningful towards their relationship. It’s the thing that brings him comfort when he’s truly afraid or upset. Lenore Dove is the one that keeps him going throughout the games. Lenore Dove’s gift to him, the flint striker, for his birthday is the thing that kept him alive in the games - and even if he hadn’t gone into the arena, it would’ve been incredibly useful as a resource to his family in district 12. Both of their gifts to each other showed how well they know each other, but also that they gave each other tools to survive. Haymitch gave Lenore Dove music, and Lenore Dove gave Haymitch the means to burn that arena down.

“‘Bet I know a thing or two about your dove.’

‘Like what?’

‘Like she’s delightful to look at, swishes around in bright colors, and sings like a mockingjay. You love her. And oh, how she seems to love you. Except sometimes you wonder, because her plans don’t include you at all.’” (Sunrise on the Reaping, pg. 129).

The difference in relationships between Snow/Lucy Gray and Haymitch/Lenore Dove is so clear when you put them side by side. Even in the end, Snow still sees Lucy Gray as the 16 year old girl who ran away into the woods and was never seen again all those years ago, while Haymitch sees Lenore Dove grow old with him, loving her just as much as he did when he lost her to Snow. Snow sought to control Lucy Gray, while Haymitch loved Lenore Dove for how uncontrollable she was, even when it scared him to death. Snow’s “love” for Lucy Gray comes from a need for control and obsession, while Haymitch truly loves Lenore Dove, every part of her. When Snow says “Except sometimes you wonder, because her plans don’t include you at all.” Haymitch doesn’t really understand what he means, because the only plans Lenore Dove keeps from him are her rebel acts, because she knows what happened to his dad. But also, Lucy Gray’s plans did include Snow. She originally wasn’t going to run away with him, just going to go on her own, but the moment he took interest she was willing to go with him. It was his own actions that made her leave. It wasn’t Lucy Gray’s disappearance that broke Snow, it was never Lucy Gray at all. It was the Snow name, the views instilled by the authority in his life, by his own view of what he deserves, and the deep need for control that broke him. It’s why he hates Mockingjays and underdogs, and Lucy Gray was both of those things. It was because Haymitch loved Lenore Dove in a way that Snow never loved Lucy Gray that Snow was able to use her against him.

[rinbylin]

-

YOU HAVE TO GIVE UP BEING YOUR FATHER'S DAUGHTER. YOU HAVE TO RESIST FROM BECOMING ANOTHER MAN'S WIFE. YOU BELIEVED THAT ALL YOU HAD TO DO WAS WALK AWAY TO BE YOURSELF. YOU THOUGHT YOU WERE GOING TO BE FREE BUT YOU WERE NEVER REALLY GOING TO GET AWAY FROM YOUR FATHER. YOU BELIEVED THAT THE ONLY WAY OUT IS TO KILL HIM BUT YOU'LL NEVER GET TO HIM. YOUR FATHER AND (potential) HUSBAND ARE IN COLLUSION. A FATHER AND A HUSBAND ARE THE SAME. YOU'LL NEVER BE FREE.

夫权的背后是关起门来的父权... 你再孤勇奋战也会被拉回泥潭里。

(SOCIETY IF THE WHOLE SHOW WAS EPISODE 18 aaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh)

[nisuna]

Are my reoccurring kinks becoming more and more evident hmmm I wonder

But anyway, let's just say I finally got inspired over the weekend 🤫😉

<3masterlist<3

Strictly 18+ MDNI

TW: stepcest, doggy, bj, camgirl!reader x yuji, different positions; use of good girl, nii-chan, whore once; creampie, consensual filming, sex tape, sex stream, mentions of ass fucking, spanking, yuji's an ass man through and through, he's crazy strong as always<3

You never got along with your parents, but you liked your brother very much, he was always there for you so you missed him a lot when he moved out and just tried to survive day by day, but as soon as you turned 18 you packed your bags and moved in with him.

He was a bit confused when he first saw you at his doorstep but he understood. Things are hard at home. So you've been living together for a few years now and everything was going well. You could even hide your little secret from him this whole time. You always made sure that he wasn't at home before you started your stream. Until you didn't one day. You swore he told you that he'll be gone for the night, probably at some friend's party you didn't really pay attention. You even went down to see him off and told him to have fun.

"You guys wanna see my brother fuck me? Oh god he always fucks me so good I wish you guys could see that!", you sighed and continued "You should see his arms, god I bet he could fuck me while standing. And his fingers are so thick and long he can reach much deeper, better than my tiny ones." you splayed your fingers out while you took a sip of your drink. Immediately a couple donations came in either begging or saying ME NEXT.

You chuckled to yourself, "Alright alright, I'll try to ask him, but he's very camera shy guys I'm sorry.", you pouted at the camera. As you proceeded to chat and pick out some toys for today you unfortunately failed to notice the door opening and your brother lean against the door frame

"You fucking minx", he thought to himself. When he first heard his friends talk about a new hot camgirl they found he didn't pay much attention. But when they eventually got him to look his jaw dropped as he quickly snatched the laptop from his friends.

"Eeyy not fair we saw her first!", they protested, but Yuji was having none of it. That's definitely you and that's defintely your room in HIS house. So that's why you always want him out of the house especially on weekends. Is that the reason you wanted to move in with him so quickly, to slut yourself out? What happened to his sweet little sister, maybe he shouldn't have moved out so soon. He felt guilty for leaving you alone he, felt like wasn't a good enough brother for you to resort to something like that-

"Aww I wish you guys could see my my brother he's soo big it just doesn't feel the same without him", you whined while drilling yourself with a dildo. You have got to be shitting me.

"Yeah she talks about him all the time I wonder what he looks like. Chat always goes crazy whenever she mentions him."

Yuji thanked the heavens that they haven't met you yet. God have you mentioned his name before please no.

"Want me to moan his name? Guuyyss he's shy, but because of all of those donations I'll make an exception this once." you winked and went on with your little show, "Yeah you're so good oh god Yu-", nope not doing that, he thought while he slammed the laptop shut.

"HEY party pooper she was about to say his name and be careful that shit was expensive."

"Yeah sorry."

So that's when he set up his plan to catch you in the act. He pretended to leave like usual, but as soon as he heard you run up the stairs he snuck back in and got ready to pounce.

"Y-yuji what are you doing here", you choked as you tried to cover yourself with whatever was laying around.

"Me? You're asking me what I'm doing in MY house?"

"No.. I mean aren't you supposed to be at that party..", you trailed off.

"You wish huh.", he sighed, walking in and closing the door behind him.

You didn't know what to do with yourself as you felt him get closer to you. As soon as you reached out to turn off the camera he stopped you.

"What are you-"

"Don't play coy now, lets go do what we alway do right?"

You were dumbfounded. Huh.

"Cmon, put that mouth to good use."

So that's how you ended up here with your step-brothers cock down your throat while he was filming your face. He had an iron grop on your hair, almost suffocating you with the way he was moving. He was not only bulky and buff body wise but his cock definitely wasn't lacking.

yn's footstool: how do we even stand a chance if he looks like that and he's your standard?? no womder you always talk about him

yn's cumdump: whoa that's better than when she's sucking the dildo

yn's doormat: cumshot cumshot cumshot cumshot bukake

feetluvr77: whoa i can see it in her throat

"C'mon put on a show they are loving it. This is what you've always wanted to do right?", he pulled you off his dick making you cough and suck in a deep breath. Oh you felt so fucked out already, eye make-up smeared and he hasn't even started yet.

"Cmon lay down, 'm gonna fuck you like you always tell them I do." As soon as you laid down on your back he pulled you close and pushed right in without a warning. Your eyes shot open as you tried to muffle a moan.

"Oh that was a good shot, keep it up."

You were so so embarrassed but all of that faded when he started to move, making your eyes roll back and tongue loll out. You always knew he was big, seeing him without a shirt around the house was nothing new but seeing him right now while he was drilling his cock into you it just hit different.

"Yn?"

"Hmm?", you mewled through teary eyes.

"Play with yourself, don't just lay there this is work afterall right?"

You groaned but still reached over to roll your hardened nipples between your fingers and looking directly into the camera.

"That's it, that's a good girl.", he praised while squeezing your thigh and keeping a steady rhythm. "God I can see myself in your tummy, you're so tiny."

Donations were through the roof right now, flooding your ears with requests and remarks.

"Oh, someone said do a peace sign!"

Definitely not-

"Don't be like that, give the people what they want." and with a particularly hard thrust he had you throwing your head back while reluctantly holding up two of your fingers.

"Now smiiileee for the camera. Good girl~"

Oh this was so embarrassing, but it was starting to get you off so you played along. His rhythm faltered for a bit before pulling out and turning you over to your stomach with one arm. He really was strong you always forgot.

"Now, on all fours gotta give them a view of that perfect ass.", you obeyed, turning around and giving the audience the deepest arch you could manage.

"Oh yeah thats it"

After zooming right in to where you two were connected, he went to town. There was already a white ring frothing at his base. God how has he never noticed your ass before, that thing's huge and in this position your waist to hip ration looked ridiculous. His huge hand just looked perfect when spreading and spanking your cheeks. Careful or he'll cum in a few strokes.

He felt like you were reaching your limit, so he pushed even further.

"Fucking whore wants to get railed by her brother. You should've just told me you wanted me to fuck you. You didn't have to lie to your audience, I would have fucked good everyday if you said so sooner.", between his words he spanked your reddening asscheeks and god you were getting close. What you didn't expect though, was for him to spit on your ass and massage it over your puckering rim.

"Stay tuned for next stream, I'll fuck her ass."

"Nooo~", you whined reaching back  only for him to grab your arm and force it against your back.

"Don't lie to me, we all know you want everything stuffed don't we, guys?"

Yn's cumsock: Hell yeah!

Feetluvr77: "Make her call you nii-chan or some shit"

You tried to muffle your sobs in the pillow below you, but Yuji had other plans. Before you could react he pulled your back flush against his hard chest kissing and licking down the expanse of your neck while flipping the camera and getting a nice view of your smeared fucked out face.

"For old time's sake tell your nii-chan how good he's making you feel, what do you say? If you do you're allowed to cum, alright?"

He felt you hesitate in his hold.

"Hey what's wrong? You were always soo", thrust, "cute when you called me nii-chan when you were little, what happened to you? Gotta get my cute and obedient little sister back.", a particularly hard thrust almost made you topple over, but his strong grip held you up without a problem.

"Ah- no it's embarrassing..", you moaned at his mean thrusts.

"Say it or you won't cum."

He's as annoying as ever, but you couldn't hold back anymore.

"Feels good, yeah so so good nii-chan thank you. Please can I cum I'm such a good little sister right? Letting you use me however you like please~~"

"Yeah? Good job. Now play with your clit and cream on my cock.", he groaned into your ear and you thanked the heavens. Your hand immediately went to play at your sensitive nub. And with his praises and mean thrusts in his strong hold you felt yourself come undone. Luckily he got the money shot of your blown out eyes and gaping mouth right on camera.

"Thaaaat's it good~", he mused fucking you through your high and holding your limp body before stuffing you to the brim and filling you up as well. "You better take it all, 'm gonna make ya nice and plump."

After he sent you down he pointed the camera at your exposed cunt. "Now push some of it out" when he didn't get any reaction from you he gave you a spank and that did the trick as you felt his cum drip out of you and down your leg, "oh yeah that's it look at that guys." You could see how proud he was by his smug grin and you had to stop yourself from rolling your eyes at the camera.

"Any last words?", he questioned while he saw your huffing form as he directed the camera to your face.

Feetluvr77: God I never came this quick and much holy shit best stream so far

A couple comments came as you were saying your goodbyes and with a wave and kiss the camera was turned off. As soon as Yuji laid it back on your desk and was about to comment, a pillow came flying his way, almost knocking him over.

"Ayoo what was that for??"

"Shut up!! Why did you do that?"

"What do you mean? You liked it didn't you?"

You definitely couldn't argue with that, so you just huffed and tried to cover yourself with your blanket. He felt a little panicked at that and went to sit by your side.

"It was okay right? That we did it on camera I mean."

"Yeah it's fine that's what I do. I've always wanted to invite someone over to do it, but I never expected it to be you.." you trailed off not daring to look at him.

"Ohoo, but you always talk about me don't you? Why did you not just ask me?"

"Because it's weird asking my step-brother to have sex with me, it's that cringe step bro porn trope I didn't think you'd be interested in that. And what if someone recognizes you isn't that weird?", you looked at him, cheeks still pink.

"No, we can do it again, I don't mind. Actually I kinda-", he trailed off and you felt a little hopeful only to be let down. "Depending on my cut of course. By the way how much do you even make and will I see some of that for my hard work?"

You groaned and tried to shove him away, but he's built like a wall and didn't even budge.

"I do make quite a lot" when you told him the exact number his eyes shot open.

"That much a month??"

"Per week most of the time."

"What? Then why the hell do you even still live with me?", he was dumbfounded.

"I don't know, it's comfortable and I like being around you I guess.", you said honestly, he was not only easy on the eyes but actually really kind and helpful most of the time.

"Unbelievable, but fine by me" he chuckled shaking his head but came right back, "soooo when do we do it again and what do we do? Also I gotta practice my camera work. I have a lot on my mind, how about-"

Before he could finish you slapped a hand over his mouth and let out a drawn out sigh. Oh boy this will be more work than you anticipated.

-------

Feel free to send me your Hot Takes as well ^^

[yvesssssssss]

Omg I loved it thank you so much pookie but can you do a part 2 where like nagumos favourite character was either Natalie cause she didn't fully like the Cannibalism or lottie and his reaction to them dying? (I love you please don't go bald😰)

Nagumo Yoichi Watches Yellowjackets Part 2

Hope you like the second part! I hope this is accurate.🥹

Part 1

The night continued, and Nagumo was still reeling from the shocking cannibalism scene. However, the show was far from over, and despite the trauma, he had become strangely invested.

But the real emotional rollercoaster began when he finally chose a favorite character.

"Alright, alright. I gotta admit, I’m really into Natalie. She’s tough, she doesn’t give in to the whole ‘cannibal’ thing, and she’s got that whole anti-hero vibe. She’s smart, sarcastic, and she’s clearly got layers." Nagumo stretched out, grinning. "Yeah, she's my girl."

You gave him a teasing smile. "Oh, really? You sure? Not Lottie?"

Nagumo paused, looking at you as if you’d just suggested he marry a spoon. "Lottie’s got her moments. But she’s way too cult-y for me. I need someone with more bite."

You snorted, not able to stop yourself. "Yeah, that’s Natalie, alright."

Nagumo nodded enthusiastically. "Exactly! She's the one who’s got it figured out."

But then came the episode where Natalie meets her tragic end.

Nagumo’s face shifted from excitement to confusion to absolute disbelief as the scene unfolded. Natalie, his tough-as-nails survivor… gone.

He blinked several times, trying to process what he had just seen.

"Did she—did she just die? Did I just… did they just kill Natalie?! What?!" Nagumo’s voice was a mix of shock and frustration. He turned to you, eyes wide, looking like you’d betrayed him personally. "Why didn’t you warn me about this?!"

You raised an eyebrow. "Did you think everyone was going to make it out okay?"

Nagumo threw his hands up, a dramatic flair taking over. "I just wanted a girl who doesn’t go full cannibal mode! Is that too much to ask?!" He slumped back into the couch, looking at the screen like it had personally wronged him. "Why are all the good ones getting killed off? First, we’ve got plane crashes, then murder, and now… this?"

You laughed at his over-the-top reaction, but then he turned to you, giving a sad little pout.

"Okay, but Lottie... she’s got potential. Maybe she’ll survive!"

A few episodes later, Lottie’s storyline took an even darker turn.

Nagumo sat forward, hands gripping the armrest, eyes glued to the screen. "She’s really… she’s really doing this whole ‘let’s start a cult’ thing, huh? I don’t know about this, babe."

You smirked. "You really think she’s gonna make it out now?"

Just as you finished speaking, Lottie was taken out in the most shocking way possible, and Nagumo’s jaw dropped.

"Wait, WHAT?! No! No, no, no, no, NO!" he yelled, startling you with his outburst. "First Natalie, now Lottie?! What is this show?!" He leaned back in his seat, throwing his hands up again. "I’m starting to think this whole show’s a conspiracy to break my heart."

You laughed again, enjoying the chaos he was experiencing. "Hey, at least you know I have good taste in shows."

Nagumo crossed his arms, sulking. "Yeah, well, at least I know not to get too attached to anyone anymore." He pouted dramatically. "You see, sweetheart? This is why I only watch shows with happy endings. I’m the only one left standing."

You rolled your eyes. "You sure about that? You’ve got a lot of snacks, Yoichi. Pretty sure the next one to go is you."

He flinched. "No, no, no. I’m built different. I can survive anything… except, maybe, this show."

And just when you thought his dramatic reactions were over, he turned to you one last time, a determined glint in his eyes.

"No matter how chaotic this gets, I’m sticking around," he said with a smirk. "After all, who else could handle this mess with you better than me?"

With that, you both sank into the couch together, Nagumo clutching a pillow for dear life as you dove deeper into the chaos that was Yellowjackets. The emotional rollercoaster? Not even close to over, but at least he knew he had someone by his side who wasn’t going to eat him… yet.

[nix-illustrating]

Something incredible to me in Beast is just how... wrong Dazai was so often (and, by concequence, Gin). And how he was wrong in a very opposite was from og!Dazai's thinking.

Getting the memories from og!Dazai gave him many advantages, but it also held him back when it came to actually seeing the other people around him. Especially Atsushi and Akutagawa. He was convinced about being born good or evil and innate natures, which is something the story disproves time and time again.

In his mind, it didn't matter that he'd groomed Atsushi for almost five years into being the white reaper. It didn't matter that he killed himself infront of him after making himself the central point of Atsushi's frail sanity. It didn't matter that he fired Atsushi from his one remaining purpose. Why? Because Atsushi was "born good" in his mind because he was good in the original world and therefore any evilness groomed into him would be easily undone without any lasting consequences in his mind.

If he saw Atsushi being reformed slowly by Mori, he'd get to the wrong conclusion. He'd attribute it to nature rather than to Mori being able to rehabilitate him.

And this also shows in his treatment of Akutagawa. He thinks of Akutagawa as being inherently bad because he was in the mafia originally. The whole story is him being victim to confirmation biases when it comes to him and, because of that, the same happens to Gin. His idea with Akutagawa was never, at least to my understanding, to make him into a good man of the Agency, but rather have the ADA hold him under their care to unleash against threats. He didn't believe Akutagawa could become a proper ADA member (because he wasn't originally) but believed that the Agency would take him in anyway (because they took in Dazai and Kyouka in the original universe) and keep him from lashing out unless there was an enemy ahead of him.

And Gin gets fed this belief. It's why she doesn't talk like there will be a point in which Akutagawa might be reformed into a good person. Or that what he needed was to learn to calm down and organize his priorities. She believes he cannot change because that's what Dazai has taught her. Akutagawa's objective by the end of Beas isn't finding her anymore because he needs to better himself for himself and to prove Gin wrong. Not to reach her expectations or demands, but to prove her wrong, to show he is capable of change.

And, surprisingly enough, it's Atsushi who has the best take about Akutagawa in the final chapters, even though in Akutagawa's mind all of their judgements were put as if the same. From Atsushi's words, at least, Akutagawa is described as someone who is bad, who can't understand or separate violence from their objectives and who'll prioritize the violent option above even his objective, but he never expresses the opinion or feeling that that's his nature or he was born, likely because Atsushi know better than anyone how much someone can change or be changed. Atsushi doesn't think Akutagawa is a good person, but doesn't see him as someone incapable of becoming one (which does have some beautiful implications of SSKK always being able to understand esch other better than other can, even if they don't react or deal with the knowledge all that well).

And Dazai in the original universe thinks a lot more like Beast Atsushi than Beast Dazai (I could write a whole novel about the similarities between Original Dazai and Beast Atushi, because oh my god are they interesting). He doesn't believe in good and evil as something inher of someone nor does he see good and evil as concepts that are set in stone, but rather something personal to individuals. It's why I think even if Dazai was sent back in time to the exact point Beast Dazai received the memories, he would have gone through a completely different route when it came to changing the outcome of things. But also because he's changed since leaving the PM and it doesn't seem like Beast Dazai ever really grew up after getting the memories, he stayed both childish and a child.

[ryuzakistoe]

The Red String (Isagi Yoichi x Fem!reader)

fluff, fem!reader, some mentions of the bllk plot

a/n: I absolutely love the red string theory I think its so beautiful 🤧❤️

The red string theory is a beautiful concept often used to symbolize fate, indicating that there is someone out there connected to you by the same string.

No matter where they are, whether they are at opposite ends of the world, in different states, or right beside you, eventually, your lives, hearts, and souls will become connected by an invisible red string, binding your destinies together. It is a wondrous and beautiful thing.

It's truly one of the most enchanting ways to become intertwined with someone, becoming a unified whole, fully aware that from now on, your lives will be forever connected. The belief of that truly fascinated you.

Well, it did fascinate you.

Here you were, resting by a bench at a nearby park, mulling over the recently shocking events.

Your boyfriend—well now ex-boyfriend, decided to break up with you as it was ‘for the best’,

How could it have gone to this conclusion? Was it something you did that upset him?

You could've sworn that your relationship with him was healthy, while he himself proved it was not.

It was pretty idiotic of you to believe in the 'red string' theory and expect it to come true, especially when you thought he was the one.

This only existed in fairytales, you should've known better.

As you were overwhelmed by all the negative thoughts and sadness, you seemed to be oblivious to the presence that was now walking up to you.

“Hey, you okay?”

You quickly whipped your head up to the source of that voice as you were met with a boy who seemed around the same age as you in a white, soccer tracksuit. It also looked like there were fresh tears in his eyes…or were you imagining it?

“Yeah, yeah, I'm fine,” you mumbled as you wiped the warm tears with your sleeve. You felt embarrassed to be showing your tears in front of a stranger you just met.

“You sure? Wanna talk about it..?”

~~~🌷~~~

You couldn't believe it. What suddenly overcame you to vent all your emotions and thoughts onto this boy?

Though you couldn't lie…it did feel good to let all these emotions out.

“Wow…sorry ‘bout that. He seems like a real ass.” isagi spoke as he listened to your rants.

"Yeah…it was out of nowhere—oh sorry for unloading all of this on you out of the blue. I just realized you probably have a lot on your shoulders already." You apologize, feeling a wave of guilt.

Isagi shook his head, “Nah its alright. What I went through can't even compare to what you just endured.” Isagi spoke.

Feeling a bit curious, you decided to ask, “Really? What happened?”

Isagi let out a quiet sigh as he replied, “Well, I lost a pretty important football match.” isagi mumbled as he awkwardly scratched the back of his neck.

“You're right, that can't even compare to mine.” you joked as a small chuckle slipped past your lips.

Isagi’s gaze shifted towards you before he also let out a small laugh.

Something about that laugh of yours…was somehow alluring to Isagi.

The sight of your smile and the sound of your laughter seemed to suit your face much better than the frown you wearing earlier. That's what Isagi believed.

You looked beautiful—gorgeous even.

After the laughter subsided, isagi decided to speak up, “well, that match did determine if I was going to nationals or not.” he uttered.

“Oh uh Really? Sorry about making that joke then— i take it back..” you muttered, feeling the guilt once more.

Isagi chuckled dryly and reassured you that everything was fine, saying, “mm no, no, no—its fine really.”

With a nod, you spoke, “oh alright then.” Although, despite his words, you still felt a lingering sense of guilt.

The conversation soon drifted into silence as the both of you just sat there.

Surprisingly, the atmosphere wasn't awkward, it was comfortable—relaxing even.

After a couple of seconds Isagi decided to break the comfortable silence between you, “Well then, its best if i get going. Its already getting late. You should head home too.”

You gazed up into the sky as you took in the scene. The sun was almost dipped beneath the earth as the sky morphed into layers of orange, red, and yellow.

“mhm alright, It is in fact getting late.” You smiled as you stood up from the bench.

“Yeah, make sure you get home safe uh….” Isagi trailed off as he realized he never got your name.

“Y/n. Y/n L/n.” You replied, finishing Isagi’s sentence.

“Isagi Yoichi.” He hummed as he also recalled he never told you his name.

Isagi said his goodbyes and began to leave, but then he abruptly turned back. "Oh, wait L/n!" he called out.

“hm?” You hummed as you turned your body around to face him as your name was called out.

“If you ever need to talk to someone again, ill be here! In this same spot at the same time!” He offered.

You smiled, “okay! Ill keep that in mind Isagi!” You replied back as you sent him a wave before walking away.

Maybe you’ll consider that offer.

~~~🌷~~~

After some careful contemplation, you made the decision to return to that exact location.

There was something about Isagi Yoichi that lured you in. You felt a strong desire to learn more about him.

So there you were, waiting on the same bench at the time he said he would visit.

He hadn't arrived yet, so you decided to wait a little, assuming he was running late.

…

Time ticked by and he still wasn't here. Did he stand you up? Did he lie?

No, he doesnt seem like that type of guy to do that. Although…they do say to not judge a book by its cover.

What if he's actually a bad guy? What if he joked about all of this? What if he never truly cared about your problems? What if-

“Oh hey L/n! Sorry I was a bit late. Had soccer practice.” Isagi chuckled as he hurried over to you.

Huh, guess all your ‘what-ifs’ were really just ‘what-ifs’

He really did keep his word.

You sent a smile down his way as he also returned your smile with a warm one.

“Thats okay Isagi.” you spoke as he took a seat next to you.

…

The conversation between the both of you was rather enjoyable.

Both you and Isagi found the both of you conversing about your hobbies, dreams, likes, dislikes, etc.

You and Isagi grew to learn more about each other as the hours passed.

You learnt about Isagi’s passion for football meanwhile Isagi learned about your passion for becoming successful in life.

You became more attracted to Isagi, as Isagi became more attracted to you.

Isagi would treasure every smile you gave when he made a subtle joke or showed interest, and you would do the same.

You would treasure the way his face converted into pure happiness as he talked about football and other hobbies he enjoyed.

You found it…cute.

“So L/n, what school do you go to?” Isagi asked as this sudden question popped up in his head.

”Oh I actually go to Ichinan High School” you responded.

Isagi’s eyes widened in shock and excitement as he also coincidently went to that same school.

“Really?! No way! I go to that same school too!” Isagi grinned as his eyes lit up in delight and eagerness.

"Really?! How come I never see you around then?" you asked, feeling a surge of excitement upon learning that he also attended the same school.

“Uh well… I really don't know.” Isagi sheepishly grinned as he rubbed the back of his neck.

You giggled at his excuse and aloofness as you found his answer somewhat funny and dumb.

That sight of your smile—Isagi loved that.

He couldn't recall when he started to feel himself craving your smile.

But every time you did, all he knew was that it made him feel all warm inside. He loved that feeling.

If Isagi could, he would want to keep that smile plastered on your face all the time. But for now, all he could do was cause that smile to form on your delicate face.

“Hey L/n, what classes do you have? I could try to meet up with you.” Isagi smiled as he was internally thrilled.

After telling him your schedule, Isagi started planning out where and when to meet you in the hallways or classes.

“Yeah that could work.” you nodded as you both agreed where to meet.

~~~🌷~~~

Every day, you and Isagi began to hang out in school.

He would walk you to class and walk with you to the cafeteria. He would basically walk you anywhere he could. Although Isagi would be late to most of his classes.

But it was worth it if it meant Isagi could be near your presence and smile at all times.

Day by day, both of yours and Isagi’s feelings for each other would grow stronger and increase significantly over time.

Even the slightest physical touch would send you both into a blushing mess.

This went on for weeks until Isagi got sent a letter about a soccer program from “Blue Lock”

…

“When are you leaving?” you asked, feeling upset at the thought of Isagi leaving you.

“In couple days.” he sighed as he placed the letter down.

Isagi couldn't help but feel overwhelmed with a sense of pity and guilt by the look on your face at the idea of him disappearing for a while. And by a while, I mean months.

“Listen Y/n, if you don't want me to go then I won't-”

“No Yoichi. I want you to go. I want you to pursue your dream.” you sadly smiled as you cut him off.

Isagi asked with a hint of uncertainty, carefully studying your expression for any signs of doubt or hesitation. “Are you sure?”

“Im sure.” you nodded as you held your smile.

Isagi's face lit up with a warm smile as he wrapped his arms around you in a tight, heartfelt hug. "Thanks, Y/n," he said, his voice filled with genuine gratitude.

You reciprocated his hug as a you felt a few tears trickle down your face and onto his shoulder.

“I'm gonna miss you Yoichi,” you muttered into his shoulder as he held you tightly.

“I'm going to miss you too Y/n,” Isagi quietly whispered as he rested his head on top of yours.

~~~🌷~~~

The day came sooner then expected as Isagi was preparing to leave.

"The bus will be arriving soon, huh?" you said, attempting to engage in casual conversation with Isagi.

“Yeah in a couple minutes.” Isagi nodded as he looked at his phone.

The tension in the air became awkward as the both of you stared at each other, your eyes reflecting the sorrow you held.

“Y/n…if you really don't want me too-”

“No Yoichi. I want you too.” you spoke sternly as you cut him off once more.

Isagi smiled at your words as the bus soon arrived.

As the bus came to a halt, Isagi faced you once more, “Y/n, when I come back, I'll become the best in the world. That's a promise.” he confidently grinned.

“You better keep that promise.” you chuckled as you watched him board the bus.

As Isagi was heading inside, his next actions and words left you in a state of shock, catching you off guard with his intentions.

“I love you Y/n.” Isagi smiled as he gave you a quick kiss on the lips and boarded the bus.

You were startled by his words as you watched the doors close, your eyes widening in surprise.

Did you hear that right? Did that really just happen?

Isagi glanced at you through the window and couldn't help but let out a small laugh at your reaction.

You looked adorable is what Isagi thought.

The bus soon left as it was heading to its destination.

What the hell.

You slowly brought your fingers to your face as you softly touched your lips.

Warm.

Your lips were warm.

Now, you knew you weren't just hallucinating or imagining it. It happened. It actually happened.

He kissed you.

Not to mention he even said he “loves you.”

You couldn't help but feel a bit upset but excited and happy by these actions.

Happy by the fact he confessed his love for you but sad that you didn't get the chance to tell him how you felt.

Well, now you had an idea: the next time you see him, you would get back at him.

“Damn you Yoichi…” you smiled.

~~~🌷~~~

A couple months passed as it was announced Blue Lock was versing U-20.

Now this was a match you definitely wanted to see.

After all, Isagi would be there. But also, they would be up against U-20, where THE Sae Itoshi would be playing.

You wanted to see if Isagi really improved and kept his promise. And, of course, that could only be proven if the U-20 was defeated.

…

The crowd erupted into roars and cheers as both teams emerged onto the field.

Your eyes immediately scan for a familiar patch of dark blue hair, and once you find him, you notice that he looks more…serious.

Well, I mean who would be serious in a match like this?

Starting off, the U-20 seems to have taken the lead as Blue Lock starts to fall behind.

Soon enough Blue Lock catches up.

You couldn't help but scream with the crowd. This was more exciting than you had anticipated. The final outcome of the game left you feeling anxious. You really hoped Blue Lock would win.

And win they did, with none other than Isagi Yoichi scoring the final goal.

The crowd erupted into cheers as you screamed along with them, overwhelmed with joy.

After the crowd dispersed, you chose to remain in order to meet with Isagi.

After a couple of minutes, you see him emerging from the building. His eyes light up once he sees your figure up ahead.

“Y/n!” Isagi yelled as he ran up to you and embraced you in a tight hug, lifting you off the ground while spinning you around in his arms.

“Im so proud of you Yoichi!” You exclaimed as he spun you around before finally placing you down.

“Did you see that goal Y/n?!” Isagi excitedly spoke as the sparkles in his eyes never faded.

“Mhm! I did Yoichi! You’re amazing!” You nodded, your grin never faltering.

Isagi held a looks of longing in his eyes as he embraced you in yet another hug.

“I missed you so much Y/n.” He whispered as he held you close.

“I missed you too Yoichi.” you breathed out as he held you tightly.

Isagi reluctantly let go before a small blush coated his cheeks.

He looked off to the side before quietly mumbling, “So…did you think about it…?”

You raised an eyebrow at him before finally realizing what he meant.

“Oh, you meant that day at the bus?” You asked as you saw Isagi nervously nod.

…

“Sorry Yoichi…”

Hearing those words made Isagi’s heart drop; it felt like his insides were being twisted.

Did you not feel the same way?

Isagi stood motionless as his face paled. He felt himself grow cold as he replayed your words. Was this really happening?

He stood on the brink of tears for what seemed like an eternity before finally managing to utter a few words, "I understand, Y/n..."

Immediately regretting your actions you began to tell him the truth.

“No no no—i was just playing Yoichi! I feel the same way! I was just getting back at you after what you did on the bus!” You quickly spoke as you began to reassure him.

Isagi released a deep, heavy sigh, feeling a wave of relief wash over him. It turned out that it was all just a playful joke.

Isagi enveloped you in another hug, relief evident in his voice as he spoke, "Thank goodness, Y/n. I was genuinely terrified. You have no idea."

"Yoichi, I'm truly sorry! I promise, I only did it to get back at you," you exclaimed quickly as Isagi let go of the hug and flicked your forehead.

You let out a groan as you held your forehead, “Yoichi what the hell?!”

“I love you Y/n.”

You paused.

The unexpected comment caught you off guard, especially considering he had just playfully flicked your forehead.

Although you didnt hesitate as you replied back.

“I love you too Yoichi.”

~~~🌷~~~

It’s been many years now as you were now living your life with Isagi Yoichi.

In his presence, you experience an unparalleled level of joy that you have never felt before.

He was your other half.

Your Yin and Yang.

Your soulmate.

But you like to believe that it was he who was at the end of the other string.

You were certain that he was the one you were destined to be with. There was no doubt in your mind about it.

The red string intertwined your destinies, uniting the two of you in an unbreakable bond.

Perhaps you were meant to meet him on that bench.

Perhaps you were meant to befriend him.

Perhaps you were meant to fall in love with him.

Either way, the string served as a powerful symbol, intricately weaving your paths together, as if it were written in the stars that your fates were entwined.

The two of you are nothing without each other.

The two of you were meant to be together.

At least, thats what the red string elicited.

a/n: this was rushed omg and I couldn't find a song to match as well😢

HES SO ADORABLE THOOO OMGGGG

[thewickedbohemian]

Thoughts on a High Potential that felt a whole lot like an Elsbeth episode (but that's not the sole reason why it beat out last week's for new favorite)

Feels like we're starting this episode at the climax of a far different story (so what's the twist)

Stay chaotic Morgan

she does not match

Talk about bigwig guest stars (including Keith David, are we going to have a Broadway star trend here too)

ah the typical "case from the boss's past" trope

little flashback and little Ava on the drums potential foreshadow for her being art-smart?

feeling Morgan/Soto parallels that should make the shippers blush

are we foreshadowing Morgan making a similar decision the right way

so she's using the desk and I love the way this sequence is being done here

thematic-ass needle drop again

Morgan, they have maids, that's why they're so clean

That outfit's better

Who wants to bet if he didn't go down the stairs he went down the laundry chute

So Morgan's doing a cross between a Derek Morgan and a Shawn Spencer

called it

still haven't explained who

and here we have the first little infodump

and again Daphne and Oz hold down the fort this is getting a little infuriating

Karadec being status-quo-guy

who's that chick and why the camera crew

brought a dummy to play Murder Mythbusters

would no one have changed the plate in ten years

why is it always security cameras (and they're lying)

theory --- confirmed!

bravo Daphne standing up to true crime chick who feels like she belongs on Elsbeth (and A+ persuasion check)

oh hi potential suspects

talk about family drama

cue flashback and hi Hodgins's actor (another Bones connection) who I had to recognize by voice and of course he's doing the flashback-vic role

I'm gonna kill you doesn't always mean literally

a little bit of rashomon going on here

uh oh here comes Melon

did you really see him or just someone in his robe

I wouldn't trust that tea but I trust Soto would know if it's dangerous

Barry feels like the non-conspiracy-theorist version of if Hodgins touched the Apple Of Discord

too many stories, who's right

Morgan helping everyone (including the viewers) make sense of it all

Selena feeling like Morgan right now

I told you

not the kid I thought it'd be but I did kinda think it might be him at some point (this episode's such a damn tangled web)

kids always know (are we speaking from experience)

how I figured it might have gone down

commercial-y infodump-y thing

brave but at least he's showing remorse (and I feel like that's a Morgan parallel with mom sticking up)

it was in defense of someone so he might get an even lighter sentence

promo-ready lineup shot

I know she talked to Karadec too during it but don't think I didn't notice the romantic needle drop start up when she and Soto were having a moment (and talking of Elsbeth parallels if I had a nickel for every 2020s procedural where the ADHD-ass consultant lady with a love of bright colors had great could-be-read-as-potential-for-romantic chemistry with a slightly-more-straight-laced-but-that's-not-saying-much female Cop Of Color with curly black hair who had a kinda-shaky professional relationship with her black captain I'd have two nickels which isn't a lot but it's weird all that shit happened twice). Sure she has good chemistry with Karadec too but I feel potential for sparks between so many of the mains I kinda sometimes rotate in my head the idea of Major Crimes polycule

nice to see a canonically-not-well-off character reusing clothes over a show and that jacket's slightly becoming iconic

[t0ast-ghost]

Okay so I’m back on my bullshit (watching the original series for the first time) I’ll just start by giving a brief look at episode 4 and then a much longer look at episode 5.

Episode 4 (Where No Man Has Gone Before):

- where the fuck is Bones, I miss him :((

- please let Spock wear blue, cool colours suit him

- there’s a moment when Elizabeth is defending Gary and the whole room looks at her like “damn you got the whole room laughing”

- guys wait, just hit him with a rock, seriously

- “Nobody but us chickens doctor” - Kirk

- Scotty on da bridge

- there’s something about Star Trek and their psychiatrists always being women or being weaker, I wanna see a psychiatrist who is super buff and trained. Like you better process your feelings and seek help (I guess Ezri is more tough, but I still think her character is not well done)

- I bet those contacts hurt and were blinding. Like evil dead contacts were super thick and hurt and that was in the 80s, this is the 60s so those could not have been comfortable

- I like when things just appear/disappear in this show

- Kirk won’t hesitate to punch a bitch

- “I felt for him too” that’s such a big moment, Spock admitting that to Kirk

Episode 5 (The Naked Time):

My knowledge of this episode comes from the second episode of next generation so…

- damn those suits are orange

- “he was taking a shower fully clothed” mind your damn business

- OMG LEONARD MCCOY!

- “And as for my anatomy being different from yours, I am delighted.” DAMN GET HIM

- I think they may be flirting ur honour

- WHAT?!? Is that allowed??? I mean uhm…

- OMG ITS GEORGE TAKEI

- that blood is pink.. oops he’s dead now

- Bones sitting on tables/horizontal surfaces like this compilation

- uhm why’s he circle him like that tho

- “I want the impossible checked out too” WHAT, STOP BULLYING HIM!!!

- falling

- more falling

- YEAH KIRK YOUD BETTER BE SORRY DONT GET MAD AT YOUR CREW!!!

- oh wait is that nurse chapel?!? I haven’t seen strange new worlds (other than the lower decks episode) but I know chapel has a relationship with Spock

- I like how fucking emotional Spock actually is. Like I know he’s under the control of the virus in this episode but he shows so many emotions anyway. I love him.

- “I am in control of my emotions” sure bbygirl

- but in more seriousness this scene is amazing

- Sulu: let’s out the most pained terrifying scream

Bones: ._.

- “hey can I get a sip of that water” “it’s not water” “oh vodka I like your style” “it’s a complex chain of molecules that acts like alcohol when it enters the bloodstream” “what” “it’s sweat alcohol, pussy” (bones when explaining how the virus works)

- “Jim when I feel friendship for you, I’m ashamed” how do I- how am I- what do I do with that line

- James Kirk not afraid to slap a bitch

- SPOCK NOT AFRAID TO SLAP A BITCH BACK

- “SINNER REPENT” just write REDRUM stfu

- BONES Was it necessary to RIP HIS SHIRT???

- “are you alright James?” SIR CALM DOWN SPOCK CALM YOURSELF

- it is funny how immediately after both Spock and McCoy are right by Kirk’s side

- “time warp” ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW MENTIONED

- and they decided not to become time travellers

Okie dokie, if ya got this far, thanks! I’m enjoying watching through this and I like sharing it with all of you. Follow for more I guess?

the first episode thoughts

And all the other episodes thoughts

My Star Trek experience has been all over the place lol (next generation to lower decks to ds9 to aos and now arriving at tos (yeah I know it’s terrible I watched aos first but KARL URBAN))

[cookinguptales]

Out of curiosity, do you have any theories for why the bizarre narrative shift wwdits had circa late s4 happened?

I've gotten some uh. Pretty intense anons for saying what I'm about to say, for some reason, but sure, yeah. I'll talk about it. This will be pretty long because I haven't written wwdits meta in a long time, but. Oh well.

For s4 specifically... There's something that Anoop Desai, the actor who plays the Djinn, said in an interview once that I thought was really interesting. He said that they initially only wanted him to be in a few episodes of s4 and told him they'd go from there. As we all know, he ended up doing a great job with the part, the Djinn ended up becoming wildly popular, and the role was expanded.

But when you think about it... a lot of things in the back half of s4 only happened because the Djinn was around, right? The wish for Marwa to like whatever Nandor liked (and its subsequent issues), the wish for Marwa to become a Freddie clone... Those can only happen the way they did because the Djinn's wishes were available as a plot device. It's entirely possible that they were going to happen anyway, just another way, but... I don't think it's really going too far to say that there had to be rewrites of late season s4 in order to incorporate the Djinn, and we just have no way of knowing how extensive those rewrites turned out to be.

I think certain aspects of the end of s4 still had to have been there (a boyfriend for Guillermo, the wedding going poorly) but the exact way that things played out? Well, it did kind of smack of last-minute rewrites to me. We know there was also a lot of confusion about episode order, too, with the wedding seeming to have been originally placed closer to the end of the season... (Based on slates seen on IG.)

So... it really does make you wonder if things might have gone very differently if not for the Djinn's presence. I always kind of felt like I got monkey pawed because I love the Djinn, I really wanted him to be around longer, but then... oof.

s4 was kind of bewildering because it had some truly wonderful episodes, but there was a sense that they were building up to something that just never happened. A lot of themes, like Guillermo learning he can't lie to his loved ones and still keep a strong relationship with them, were really emphasized only to be dropped when they should have been very important with Freddie and all of s5.

Even what I'd argue was the most successful part of s4, the relationship between Laszlo and Colin, was really kind of unceremoniously dumped in s5.

I feel like s4 was where we really started to see a lack of payoff in long-running arcs. s2 was really the last time a season finale cliffhanger had much of any impact on the long-term events of the show (and s3 was when there was a showrunner change, so that could partially be why) and I think that fans were hoping that we'd still see those long-term arcs for characters, especially when s3 on seemed to focus more on characterization and relationship-building.

But what's actually ended up happening is that we constantly get these build-ups that either fizzle out, go nowhere, or worse, get retconned altogether. There's been a real lack of canon consistency the last few seasons, and what felt like small momentary lapses in consistency (like Nandor suddenly being better at hypnotism than Laszlo when the opposite was true in s2) suddenly felt much more dire when fundamental character changes seemed to happen with characters like Guillermo.

I've noticed a real divide between s1-s2 Guillermo and s3, s4, and s5 Guillermo, with him starting to get... almost Flanderized, honestly, with his whole uwu I could never hurt anyone thing. It seems to get worse every season, and this last season making it canon that he feels no guilt towards killing vampires but could ~never~ kill a human (despite being totally blase about it in early seasons) really seems to turn the whole conceit that he loves supernatural creatures (and can't meaningfully connect with humans due to his social otheredness) on its head. Personally, I'd consider that a core aspect of not only Guillermo's characterization but the overarching themes of the show, so it really kind of shocked me.

(In other words, I'm not actually disappointed that he didn't become a vampire. I always kind of thought that was how things were going to happen. But to make it be because he's too gentle?? Because he values human life over vampire lives??? Oof! That lack of character consistency is rough!)

I guess... the reason why I thought the end of s4 was rough was the rewrites. It really did feel rushed, and often themes/characters/relationships seemed to be chucked out in favor of jokes that weren't even all that funny. But I think the overall quality dip (imo) of the last season and a half are due to larger problems. There's a lack of commitment to things established in early seasons that I find troubling, and a total inability to commit to the arcs they're writing now, too.

It's odd. I feel like the first two seasons were more episodic and were less concerned with big arcs, but they still pulled off slowly growing character changes well -- Guillermo finding out he's a slayer especially. Since the showrunner change, they've been much more ambitious about characters, relationships, and long-running arcs -- but they never seem to stick the damn landing! They're aiming higher (building expectations) and landing lower. Which is a bad combination.

So then you have s5, which kind of feels like a culmination of all this. Characterization choices that don't always make sense, season-long arcs that don't go fucking anywhere and ignore previous canon (Laszlo was particularly egregious here), important characterization moments being thrown out in favor of jokes that no one fucking liked. (God, those fucking hybrid creatures.) And in the end, they again refuse to commit and instead send things back to a status quo, now made even shittier because they've closed off a narrative path.

I would hope that this season finale would mean something and we'd see the characters dealing with everything it brings up for the next season, but that didn't fucking happen the last two times, so... I have low hopes. I'd love to be proven wrong, but. I do feel very tired.

Finally... In retrospect, I actually think the death knell came very early on in s4. It was the time jump. Instead of really dealing with the way that any of these characters would have to function with the set-up they created in s3, they skipped all that. I'm not sure Guillermo ever really made that much sense after that, especially, and I think it's because they simply didn't think about what that year would mean to him very much. In interviews, we've seen that Harvey had to make up a lot of backstory himself, we've seen that Harvey and Al independently came up with two very different backstories for how Guillermo and Freddie met and how long they knew each other, we know that the writers often didn't really seem to know what Guillermo was doing in London...

Like. I hate to say it, but that's lazy writing. A time skip doesn't have to be lazy writing, but it often is. It's often used to skip the hard work of getting from characters from A to B, and the only way to do one well is to still know what happened during it. But once they did that, we started to increasingly get these [scene (and characterization) missing here] periods that really brought down the momentum every single time.

So... I guess I think that's been the overarching problem. Rewrites, a lack of loyalty to early canon and worse, a lack of loyalty to the stories they're writing now. If they're not invested in the story arcs they're making, why should we get invested? The way that the whole Laszlo and Colin thing was barely ever mentioned again in s5 was egregious. It was treated as lasting trauma in s4 and then Laszlo seemed totally fine in s5, even going so far as to have sex with the man he'd seen as his son like... two weeks before. For a while, we kept thinking that his weird behavior towards Guillermo was a form of transference, but that never really amounted to anything, either. I think we were just putting too much faith in the writers, maybe.

I guess, in the end, that's probably the biggest problem of all. The writers did some really amazing stuff in the first three seasons. They had a lot of long cons, so to speak, and it was hugely fun to see those pay off. We came to trust the writers, and now we keep thinking that these confusing plot arcs are just one more long con.

But they're not.

So we just get annoyed and let down every single time because we keep expecting payoffs that never come anymore, and in the end we just get kinda bitter.

That's just my two cents, anyway. And it really is still possible to turn things around! But uh. There's not much more time to do it. lmao

Fingers crossed, I guess. (But not around the vampires.)

[starheirxero]

I'M BACK- I WAS GONE FOR A HOT SECOND, BUT YOU AINT GONNA GET RID OF ME THAT EASILY-

Not gonna lie, I was waiting for shit to hit the fan, until I was gonna go on a rant- This maaay not have been the best idea-

THERE'S SO MUCH GOING ON NOW- I AM EMOTIONAL ABOUT IT- I AM IN LOVE, I AM IN SHAMBLES- I WANT THIS SHOW TO RIP MY HEART OUT AND STOMP ON IT-

God, I am so intrigued to see where this is going! The character arcs get better day by day!

First of all, there's Eclipse- He keeps dissappearing for rather long periods of time, and anytime he comes back, he is just a little bit different. A little more docile, a little more half-hearted in his rudeness. A little more compassionate to help.

He's changing, becoming better, while still being Eclipse. All because he was shown a little kindness. All because there is someone who won't give up on him. Someone, who's love and care is unconditional, who looks beyond the surface, beyond snarky remarks and insults.

And God, Earth's words. It doesn't matter who he is, or will be. It doesn't matter, if he chooses to be Eclipse, or decides to rip this part of him apart and leave it behind. It doesn't matter, which name he will use, or what he'll look like. Because she sees him. He is the one who helped her, and who she bonded to. He's the one she cares for. There could be a day, where he decides, that he's not Eclipse. There could be a day, where he chooses a different name. She will have his back, because he's still the person she befriended.

The metaphors, the love. My heart….

But theres also the parallel to Moon. Because Eclipse is everything bad to Moon. The uncaring villain. Yet now they are changing roles. Eclipse is starting to care, and he is helping, in his own cryptic way. Meanwhile, Moon is slowly loosing it, becoming even more hostile and aggressive compared to old Moon.

Moon's descent is so tragic.

Moon is the big brother, the family's protector.

His love for his family is part of his system's very core.

When he beat Eclipse, he swore to protect them with his life.

His family is his purpose. The machine inside of him, begging for a task, has found purpose in keeping harm away, in keeping them safe and sound.

He is constantly focusing on making sure they're fine, obsessing over it, worrying beyond belief.

And now Solar is dead. His brother, a part of his family, is gone.

Moon failed his purpose. He failed in protecting his loved one. And he's driving himself insane over it, trying desperately to reverse it.

He hallucinates, afraid of loosing the rest of them.

He keeps belittling himself, comparing himself to old Moon.

Because he failed. But he will not fail again. He will bring Solar back, even if it's the last thing he does.

And he keeps his family oblivious. They cannot know, they don't need to. They'd try to stop him, and Moon cant allow it. Plus, ignorance is bliss. He will bring their brother back. In the meantime, he just needs to keep his siblings safe and sound, out of harm's way.

But he's also hurting them. Sun is worried. He knows his twin better than anyone, and knows something is wrong.

And Earth, oh Earth… She's now doubting not just herself, but others as well.

Moon is affecting his loved ones without realizing it.

And of course, there's Bloodmoon. Bloodmoon, who apologized to his brother, for not saving him. Bloodmoon, who ripped a bomb from his head, not caring about the pain.

Bloodmoon, who now has to refer to himself as "I" instead of "we".

He is so lost without his brother. He depended on him, always being guided. And now he's alone, and lost.

All he can think about now is revenge, even going to Ruin for help…

THEY MAKE ME SO I'LL, EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM/silly-

-Stardust

I KNOWWWW THE SHOWS HAVE JUST BEEN BACK-TO-BACK PUTTING OUT VIDEOS TO BLAST ME ACROSS THE ROOM ITS SO HSKABDKSND,D

ECLIPSE'S WHOLE DEAL YESYESYES!!!! Oh my stars everything with him has been soso exciting to me I can't EVENNN!!! AND WITH EARTH AUGHHH DON'T EVEN GET ME STARTED I'M SO EMOTIONAL ABOUT THEIR DYNAMICCC 😭 EXACTLY AS YOU PUT IT. The metaphors the love... the themes the messages!!!! EXPLODES.

AND THE PARALLELS WITH MOON OMS THAT DIDN'T EVEN OCCUR TO ME. THEY'RE SWITCHING ROLES..... I'm almost positive you can tie that to like, What Made Them act the way they are too yk. Smth about how loss(of identity, of a family member) makes them bitter and angry and cruel but even just the slightest bit of care and love(from a brother, from an unlikely friend) can switch things up...

OR SOMETHING I'm saying I See Your Vision and I'm so. AUGH. Everything with him lately has been so many layers of devastating :( This family is in got dayum SHAMBLES right now!! 😭

AND BLOODMOON I KNOWWWW I KNOW I HE'S BEEN BREAKING MY HEART LATELY. Watching him correct his "we" to "i" genuinely had me on the FLOOR. AND YEAH NOW HE'S ALSO HELLBENT BY HIS OWN GRIEF AND HE'S BACK WITH RUIN AND I'M AUAAHAGGAFGGGFRRRAAAA EXPLODES FOR 1 MILLION YEARS

[kuekyuuq]

Fanfic Crossover Prompt?

I noticed there are way too few Clexa and Supercorp Crossover Fics...

Just hear me out, k?

Supergirl /DCTV has established parallel worlds and plenty (accidental) ways to end up in an alternative world. Time travel is also very much established (kinda sorta in both shows)

The 100 canonically even has aliens (but this would be better!)

Each ship has a "blue-eyed blonde that came from the sky (from a more scientifically advanced world)" and an "ambitious and revolutionary green('ish)-eyed brunette in a powerful position"

...with the blondes being artistically inclined and the brunettes educated strategists

Lena and Lexa may have a secret hand-shake over the whole "love is weakness" mantra (or just cooly blank-faced share a nod of mutual understanding)

Kara's cousin is named Clark and Lena's brother is named Lex (Clexa: "Oh, are they close?" - SC: "...well, they are constantly at each other's throats?")

Nia would be very confusing - especially if she's still alive, bc seeing her may give Lena a mini heart-attack

Jackson may also look vaguely familiar to Kara...

(Charlotte would prolly already be "gone"...)

There is fun to be had with the character dynamics, Lexa and Kara being the heart-eyes ones, Clarke and Lena (whilst just as infatuated) try to play things cool

Lena would have a field day with the night blood (actually, she'd need a fix to survive in the radioactive world of The 100, unless she has a magical solution at hand)

Kara could single-handedly fix the 2nd Praimfaya situation (with some guidance by Lena)

Raven and Lena prolly would hit it off rather well

by the power of fanfic even the age difference between the characters can be either reduced or ignored

or Lena and Kara become sort of mentors / advisors to Heda and Wanheda

Lexa having a sparring session with "Olympics level fencer" Lena

Kara and Clarke ooh'ing and aaah'ing at Earth's nature together

Kara getting roped into beer-pong and owning it even without using her powers, not for her skills but bc she can't get drunk

Clexa may even help a canonically supposedly "best friends" Supercorp to "see the light" (Clexa: "Uhm, guys? That is not really what best friends are for...")

Play with Lena struggling in the forest or prove herself to be actually pretty apt in her survival skills

Lena coming into Polis being all like "I can fix this up. Someone give me some paper. Kara, time to flex those muscles of yours."

Kara "accidentally" sneezing too hard and freeze-breath scaring the daylights out of Titus before baldie can screw things up

Katie Lena in a more medieval leathery get-up!!!!

Kara on a horsey!! (or floating next to the group riding, cooing at the animals)

Both Kara and Lena having experience with "adults" and their schemes and politics messing things up, spot signs early and help Clexa take care of Pike et others...

Eventually (after saving their world) Lena finding the energy signatures below polis of the portal-thingy, figuring the puzzle out in 3.7 seconds and rewiring it to send them back home...

...and so. much. more!

But, really, it can go anyway you'd like:

Fun and light, or more serious and angsty; a whole fix-it for The 100 or set anywhen you want, pre-Kara's identity reveal (s3'ish?) or post-finale (witch!Lena ?); innocent or smut; SC just being the "little helpers" or ultimate heroes; lovey-dovey or tension-filled Clexa; powering down Kara somehow or just letting her be her super-charged self; a short adventure or a novel-sized tale...

Please, dear authors, feel inspired! ö.ö

[fiorimaya]

JanPepper Week: Day One - The Beginning

@janpepperweek Oh gosh... I'm sorry for how late this is. Going to do my best to have something for all the prompts by October! ALSO I know what Janice said in the show about, you know... how she got Floyd LOL but I'm not going to use that (because I just don't know how LOL) but anyways... hope you all enjoy :)

The board-house full of Muppets was busy and loud as per usual, though the thoughts swirling through Janice's mind seemed much louder. All of it was becoming a bit too much for her, so she made her way to the roof and sat down, looking up at the sky as the sun set and painted the sky so many pretty colors. She took a deep breath; only sound she heard being the traffic on the interstate in the distance. This was "her place". Well, her and Floyd's. They had started going up there to the roof all the time just to talk. It had started just over a month earlier when Janice found herself in a rather difficult situation. She was in a band and one of her bandmates had been given another title: her ex. She and Zoot had tried to make it work, but it just didn't work out that way. The Muppet Show was nearing its second season and the last thing Janice wanted was for things to be awkward. Would the band's performances be awkward? And what about the At the Dance sketches in which Kermit had paired her with Zoot?

Her and Zoot had both kept showing up to band rehearsals, and even then, they still spoke to each other. It just felt different. It was weird. Janice didn't like that, and she was sure Zoot didn't like it either. They were close for the longest time; long before anything romantic started between them. Thankfully, it had gotten much better over the last month and a half. The awkwardness was slowly fading, and they were both thankful. But now... new thoughts spun in Janice's mind.

Floyd was always there to listen to her feelings during the whole thing that was happening with her and Zoot. Right there on the roof where she sat was where it always happened. Not only would Floyd listen, but he made Janice feel heard. He made her feel calm. He made her feel less alone. She truly believed that just him being there for her made the whole situation so much more bearable for her. She felt safe with him; and when she really thought about it, she realized no one else had ever made her feel that way. Not even Zoot.

There was just something about the way Floyd talked to her, looked at her, that made her heart skip a beat. She had known Floyd even before she knew the others in the band. She saw him all the time, yet somehow, she wanted to see him even more. She thought that she was in love with Zoot, but she was feeling something now for Floyd that made her doubt that "in love" was exactly what she had felt for Zoot. She cared about Zoot, of course she did. But with Floyd it was just different. It was more.

What would he, like, even see in me anyways? She thought to herself. And wouldn't it be too soon anyways? Like, Zoot and I haven't even been broken up for two months yet.

She sighed and looked up at the sky above her. It was getting darker now, and the stars were lightly twinkling despite the sun not being fully set yet. She knew Floyd would be here soon, looking for her once he noticed she wasn't with the others while they prepared for dinner. As if her thoughts sent him a cue, she heard the door open and felt his presence beside of her.

"Hey Jan. You okay?" He asked her, something off in his voice.

She turned her attention to him then. "Fer sure. Are you?"

He looked down and didn't answer. "Sorry it took me a bit. I noticed you were gone and started to come up but Teeth wanted to talk."

Had something happened between him and Teeth? She shifted so that she could face him, one leg curled under her and the other left dangling off the edge of the roof. "Is everything okay? Did something, like, happen?"

He kept his gaze down and let out a breath. "We just, uh, got into a bit of an argument."

Janice's mouth gaped. "An argument? About what?"

Floyd let out another breath that sounded more like a bit of a laugh this time. Finally, he looked at her. "You."

Janice was taken aback. "Me? Like, why?"

Floyd looked down again, blushing slightly. He knew he could tell her, that she wouldn't be upset with him for it. Because talking about anything and anything at all was just natural for them. It always had been. "He, uh... he caught on and noticed that I, uh, y'know... like you."

Janice just stared at him, not sure exactly what to say at first. Was he saying what she thought he was saying?

"Like... like me?" She finally got a few words out.

Floyd laughed his usual laugh then. "Yeah, Jan. I like you. Y'know, like that. He's just worried if something did ever happen between us like that, what it would mean for the band. Given your history with Zoot and all that."

That made Janice wonder if Teeth had caught on to her having feelings for Floyd, too.

Floyd continued. "I mean, I don't want things to be even more awkward for you and Zoot again after you two are finally getting back to a good, uh, not awkward place. But I just wanted you to know that I do like you a lot, Janice. And... I wanna be with you. I actually have for quite some time now."

Janice felt her cheeks getting warm as she tried to fight a giggle at how cute his rambling was. She couldn't remember him ever doing it before. She had to bite her lip as his rambling continued.

"And I understand if you don't feel the same or you're not ready or if you're, y'know, done with band members or-"

"Floyd, stop," she cut him off, her giggle finally escaping her lips. He looked over at her again, and she rested a hand on his shoulder. "I-I do like you," she smiled. "Y'know, like that."

"You do?" He blinked a few times.

"Fer sure," she nodded. "And I wanna be with you too, Floyd."

Floyd looked at her in disbelief, and then let out a happy laugh. "So... we're a thing now?"

"I'd like to be," Janice coyly told him.

"And Zoot?"

"We'll figure that out later," she told him, wrapping her arms around him. He returned the hug, her face against his chest. She smiled more. "I'm sure everything will like, turn out fine. All I know is I like, wanna be with you no matter what."

Floyd nodded, even though she couldn't see from her position. He gently pressed a kiss into the top of her head and sighed happily. "I feel the same exact way, Jan."

[ohmeadows]

with the experience you have now, what is something you usually do when you feel the creative block so bad that it makes you want to drop all your writing during an indeterminate period of time? (Not considering talking to someone because i don't have friends with the same interests as me)

Lately i have been writing consistently but now i am in a point between the overwhelming need to keep creating and the suffocating need to just stop. the last time this happened not a single word was written in over a year xd

oh and im so in love with your writing btw <3

thank you and i'm sorry to hear you're struggling with a creative block, i know the feeling all too well. (there's a span of years between 2013 and 2016 where i didn't write at all.)

while a little break does do good, i know the threshold to getting back to it becomes so high it feels insurmountable. but it sounds like you need to replenish the well, as i like to call it. think of your writing as a well you draw from, and it needs a steady supply of water to be able to sustain you dipping into it for the power and inspiration to keep going. feeding it involves engaging in texts in a different way. for me, that's reading, and a lot. i sometimes feel so parched i have to steamroll thru ten books before i feel like i have it balanced again.

i've made some posts beforehand on how to approach reading as a writer (wish i'd tagged them better), but it boils down to:

make lists of beautiful words and sentences that you like; could you emulate them? could you write them in your style?

how do the writers pull off the tricks you struggle with? for me this is knowing when to just move the scene along, or how to showcase that time has passed. (i did a whole study on this from my fave books and it boiled down to just writing "A day later/Weeks down the line/Three months passed before she/It didn't take more than forty-five minutes to get across town but it felt like moving backwards through time" which was fun to learn)

just reading for fun. cannot be understated. sometimes you just need to be pulled into a story and feel too dazzled to stop and think to be reminded of how delicious writing feels

and yes, this goes for mangas, comics, scripts, movies, tv shows, even game writing imo (visual novels are great fun for how they do dialogue and emotional appeal).

another thing to not lose touch with the writing as a practice but maybe take a little breather from the project is to start a journal. i like this one a lot personally, there's the concept of morning pages where you get up in the morning and write three pages without stopping or overthinking.

this leads into automatic writing, which is about setting a timer (25 mins is a good one i feel, but even 15-10-5 does wonders) and while it ticks, you have to keep writing. yes, even if all you write is the same word over and over, or your thoughts as they come to you. this is a key component exercise at all writing schools i've ever gone to. personally i like to "guide it" so to speak with a prompt, be it a word (Lust, Rose, Name, Echo) or a full sentence ("She didn't like where this was going.") or an image. what this exercise teaches you is to shorten the distance between hand putting the words down and your thoughts as they process and come to you, as well as embracing writing messy and ugly and shitty because you can always come back and fix a half-assed page, but you can't do anything with a blank one.

third and final thing: movement. go outside. look around. if you can, get moving, take in the surroundings. there's no expectation on you to write anything from this, just let the movement and your thoughts be it. whenever i hit creative rut, i go for a walk. the first half hour my brain is quiet and annoyed. then things start moving in there as well. i'll walk all the way down to the sea and look at the waves and back home and process an idea from it. (i do keep the notes app on my phone readily available for this, but a notebook or receipt or post-it notes also work fine.)

like all art, writing is a practice and the actual act of writing is maybe 20-30% of what it is. nourish the well and it will nourish you back.

+ for what it's worth, i also often try to edge in rest days where i don't write. at least two a week. be gentle and forgiving on yourself.

[hellsitesonlybookclub]

The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka

Full book available here

[The novella is short, but the chapters themselves are too long to post all at once, so I'm breaking them in half for convenience]

Chapter I (part 1/2)

One morning, when Gregor Samsa woke from troubled dreams, he found himself transformed in his bed into a horrible vermin. He lay on his armour-like back, and if he lifted his head a little he could see his brown belly, slightly domed and divided by arches into stiff sections. The bedding was hardly able to cover it and seemed ready to slide off any moment. His many legs, pitifully thin compared with the size of the rest of him, waved about helplessly as he looked.

“What’s happened to me?” he thought. It wasn’t a dream. His room, a proper human room although a little too small, lay peacefully between its four familiar walls. A collection of textile samples lay spread out on the table—Samsa was a travelling salesman—and above it there hung a picture that he had recently cut out of an illustrated magazine and housed in a nice, gilded frame. It showed a lady fitted out with a fur hat and fur boa who sat upright, raising a heavy fur muff that covered the whole of her lower arm towards the viewer.

Gregor then turned to look out the window at the dull weather. Drops of rain could be heard hitting the pane, which made him feel quite sad. “How about if I sleep a little bit longer and forget all this nonsense”, he thought, but that was something he was unable to do because he was used to sleeping on his right, and in his present state couldn’t get into that position. However hard he threw himself onto his right, he always rolled back to where he was. He must have tried it a hundred times, shut his eyes so that he wouldn’t have to look at the floundering legs, and only stopped when he began to feel a mild, dull pain there that he had never felt before.

“Oh, God”, he thought, “what a strenuous career it is that I’ve chosen! Travelling day in and day out. Doing business like this takes much more effort than doing your own business at home, and on top of that there’s the curse of travelling, worries about making train connections, bad and irregular food, contact with different people all the time so that you can never get to know anyone or become friendly with them. It can all go to Hell!” He felt a slight itch up on his belly; pushed himself slowly up on his back towards the headboard so that he could lift his head better; found where the itch was, and saw that it was covered with lots of little white spots which he didn’t know what to make of; and when he tried to feel the place with one of his legs he drew it quickly back because as soon as he touched it he was overcome by a cold shudder.

He slid back into his former position. “Getting up early all the time”, he thought, “it makes you stupid. You’ve got to get enough sleep. Other travelling salesmen live a life of luxury. For instance, whenever I go back to the guest house during the morning to copy out the contract, these gentlemen are always still sitting there eating their breakfasts. I ought to just try that with my boss; I’d get kicked out on the spot. But who knows, maybe that would be the best thing for me. If I didn’t have my parents to think about I’d have given in my notice a long time ago, I’d have gone up to the boss and told him just what I think, tell him everything I would, let him know just what I feel. He’d fall right off his desk! And it’s a funny sort of business to be sitting up there at your desk, talking down at your subordinates from up there, especially when you have to go right up close because the boss is hard of hearing. Well, there’s still some hope; once I’ve got the money together to pay off my parents’ debt to him—another five or six years I suppose—that’s definitely what I’ll do. That’s when I’ll make the big change. First of all though, I’ve got to get up, my train leaves at five.”

And he looked over at the alarm clock, ticking on the chest of drawers. “God in Heaven!” he thought. It was half past six and the hands were quietly moving forwards, it was even later than half past, more like quarter to seven. Had the alarm clock not rung? He could see from the bed that it had been set for four o’clock as it should have been; it certainly must have rung. Yes, but was it possible to quietly sleep through that furniture-rattling noise? True, he had not slept peacefully, but probably all the more deeply because of that. What should he do now? The next train went at seven; if he were to catch that he would have to rush like mad and the collection of samples was still not packed, and he did not at all feel particularly fresh and lively. And even if he did catch the train he would not avoid his boss’s anger as the office assistant would have been there to see the five o’clock train go, he would have put in his report about Gregor’s not being there a long time ago. The office assistant was the boss’s man, spineless, and with no understanding. What about if he reported sick? But that would be extremely strained and suspicious as in five years of service Gregor had never once yet been ill. His boss would certainly come round with the doctor from the medical insurance company, accuse his parents of having a lazy son, and accept the doctor’s recommendation not to make any claim as the doctor believed that no-one was ever ill but that many were workshy. And what’s more, would he have been entirely wrong in this case? Gregor did in fact, apart from excessive sleepiness after sleeping for so long, feel completely well and even felt much hungrier than usual.

He was still hurriedly thinking all this through, unable to decide to get out of the bed, when the clock struck quarter to seven. There was a cautious knock at the door near his head. “Gregor”, somebody called—it was his mother—“it’s quarter to seven. Didn’t you want to go somewhere?” That gentle voice! Gregor was shocked when he heard his own voice answering, it could hardly be recognised as the voice he had had before. As if from deep inside him, there was a painful and uncontrollable squeaking mixed in with it, the words could be made out at first but then there was a sort of echo which made them unclear, leaving the hearer unsure whether he had heard properly or not. Gregor had wanted to give a full answer and explain everything, but in the circumstances contented himself with saying: “Yes, mother, yes, thank-you, I’m getting up now.” The change in Gregor’s voice probably could not be noticed outside through the wooden door, as his mother was satisfied with this explanation and shuffled away. But this short conversation made the other members of the family aware that Gregor, against their expectations was still at home, and soon his father came knocking at one of the side doors, gently, but with his fist. “Gregor, Gregor”, he called, “what’s wrong?” And after a short while he called again with a warning deepness in his voice: “Gregor! Gregor!” At the other side door his sister came plaintively: “Gregor? Aren’t you well? Do you need anything?” Gregor answered to both sides: “I’m ready, now”, making an effort to remove all the strangeness from his voice by enunciating very carefully and putting long pauses between each, individual word. His father went back to his breakfast, but his sister whispered: “Gregor, open the door, I beg of you.” Gregor, however, had no thought of opening the door, and instead congratulated himself for his cautious habit, acquired from his travelling, of locking all doors at night even when he was at home.

The first thing he wanted to do was to get up in peace without being disturbed, to get dressed, and most of all to have his breakfast. Only then would he consider what to do next, as he was well aware that he would not bring his thoughts to any sensible conclusions by lying in bed. He remembered that he had often felt a slight pain in bed, perhaps caused by lying awkwardly, but that had always turned out to be pure imagination and he wondered how his imaginings would slowly resolve themselves today. He did not have the slightest doubt that the change in his voice was nothing more than the first sign of a serious cold, which was an occupational hazard for travelling salesmen.

It was a simple matter to throw off the covers; he only had to blow himself up a little and they fell off by themselves. But it became difficult after that, especially as he was so exceptionally broad. He would have used his arms and his hands to push himself up; but instead of them he only had all those little legs continuously moving in different directions, and which he was moreover unable to control. If he wanted to bend one of them, then that was the first one that would stretch itself out; and if he finally managed to do what he wanted with that leg, all the others seemed to be set free and would move about painfully. “This is something that can’t be done in bed”, Gregor said to himself, “so don’t keep trying to do it”.

The first thing he wanted to do was get the lower part of his body out of the bed, but he had never seen this lower part, and could not imagine what it looked like; it turned out to be too hard to move; it went so slowly; and finally, almost in a frenzy, when he carelessly shoved himself forwards with all the force he could gather, he chose the wrong direction, hit hard against the lower bedpost, and learned from the burning pain he felt that the lower part of his body might well, at present, be the most sensitive.

So then he tried to get the top part of his body out of the bed first, carefully turning his head to the side. This he managed quite easily, and despite its breadth and its weight, the bulk of his body eventually followed slowly in the direction of the head. But when he had at last got his head out of the bed and into the fresh air it occurred to him that if he let himself fall it would be a miracle if his head were not injured, so he became afraid to carry on pushing himself forward the same way. And he could not knock himself out now at any price; better to stay in bed than lose consciousness.

It took just as much effort to get back to where he had been earlier, but when he lay there sighing, and was once more watching his legs as they struggled against each other even harder than before, if that was possible, he could think of no way of bringing peace and order to this chaos. He told himself once more that it was not possible for him to stay in bed and that the most sensible thing to do would be to get free of it in whatever way he could at whatever sacrifice. At the same time, though, he did not forget to remind himself that calm consideration was much better than rushing to desperate conclusions. At times like this he would direct his eyes to the window and look out as clearly as he could, but unfortunately, even the other side of the narrow street was enveloped in morning fog and the view had little confidence or cheer to offer him. “Seven o’clock, already”, he said to himself when the clock struck again, “seven o’clock, and there’s still a fog like this.” And he lay there quietly a while longer, breathing lightly as if he perhaps expected the total stillness to bring things back to their real and natural state.

But then he said to himself: “Before it strikes quarter past seven I’ll definitely have to have got properly out of bed. And by then somebody will have come round from work to ask what’s happened to me as well, as they open up at work before seven o’clock.” And so he set himself to the task of swinging the entire length of his body out of the bed all at the same time. If he succeeded in falling out of bed in this way and kept his head raised as he did so he could probably avoid injuring it. His back seemed to be quite hard, and probably nothing would happen to it falling onto the carpet. His main concern was for the loud noise he was bound to make, and which even through all the doors would probably raise concern if not alarm. But it was something that had to be risked.

When Gregor was already sticking half way out of the bed—the new method was more of a game than an effort, all he had to do was rock back and forth—it occurred to him how simple everything would be if somebody came to help him. Two strong people—he had his father and the maid in mind—would have been more than enough; they would only have to push their arms under the dome of his back, peel him away from the bed, bend down with the load and then be patient and careful as he swang over onto the floor, where, hopefully, the little legs would find a use. Should he really call for help though, even apart from the fact that all the doors were locked? Despite all the difficulty he was in, he could not suppress a smile at this thought.

After a while he had already moved so far across that it would have been hard for him to keep his balance if he rocked too hard. The time was now ten past seven and he would have to make a final decision very soon. Then there was a ring at the door of the flat. “That’ll be someone from work”, he said to himself, and froze very still, although his little legs only became all the more lively as they danced around. For a moment everything remained quiet. “They’re not opening the door”, Gregor said to himself, caught in some nonsensical hope. But then of course, the maid’s firm steps went to the door as ever and opened it. Gregor only needed to hear the visitor’s first words of greeting and he knew who it was—the chief clerk himself. Why did Gregor have to be the only one condemned to work for a company where they immediately became highly suspicious at the slightest shortcoming? Were all employees, every one of them, louts, was there not one of them who was faithful and devoted who would go so mad with pangs of conscience that he couldn’t get out of bed if he didn’t spend at least a couple of hours in the morning on company business? Was it really not enough to let one of the trainees make enquiries—assuming enquiries were even necessary—did the chief clerk have to come himself, and did they have to show the whole, innocent family that this was so suspicious that only the chief clerk could be trusted to have the wisdom to investigate it? And more because these thoughts had made him upset than through any proper decision, he swang himself with all his force out of the bed. There was a loud thump, but it wasn’t really a loud noise. His fall was softened a little by the carpet, and Gregor’s back was also more elastic than he had thought, which made the sound muffled and not too noticeable. He had not held his head carefully enough, though, and hit it as he fell; annoyed and in pain, he turned it and rubbed it against the carpet.

“Something’s fallen down in there”, said the chief clerk in the room on the left. Gregor tried to imagine whether something of the sort that had happened to him today could ever happen to the chief clerk too; you had to concede that it was possible. But as if in gruff reply to this question, the chief clerk’s firm footsteps in his highly polished boots could now be heard in the adjoining room. From the room on his right, Gregor’s sister whispered to him to let him know: “Gregor, the chief clerk is here.” “Yes, I know”, said Gregor to himself; but without daring to raise his voice loud enough for his sister to hear him.

“Gregor”, said his father now from the room to his left, “the chief clerk has come round and wants to know why you didn’t leave on the early train. We don’t know what to say to him. And anyway, he wants to speak to you personally. So please open up this door. I’m sure he’ll be good enough to forgive the untidiness of your room.” Then the chief clerk called “Good morning, Mr. Samsa”. “He isn’t well”, said his mother to the chief clerk, while his father continued to speak through the door. “He isn’t well, please believe me. Why else would Gregor have missed a train! The lad only ever thinks about the business. It nearly makes me cross the way he never goes out in the evenings; he’s been in town for a week now but stayed home every evening. He sits with us in the kitchen and just reads the paper or studies train timetables. His idea of relaxation is working with his fretsaw. He’s made a little frame, for instance, it only took him two or three evenings, you’ll be amazed how nice it is; it’s hanging up in his room; you’ll see it as soon as Gregor opens the door. Anyway, I’m glad you’re here; we wouldn’t have been able to get Gregor to open the door by ourselves; he’s so stubborn; and I’m sure he isn’t well, he said this morning that he is, but he isn’t.” “I’ll be there in a moment”, said Gregor slowly and thoughtfully, but without moving so that he would not miss any word of the conversation. “Well I can’t think of any other way of explaining it, Mrs. Samsa”, said the chief clerk, “I hope it’s nothing serious. But on the other hand, I must say that if we people in commerce ever become slightly unwell then, fortunately or unfortunately as you like, we simply have to overcome it because of business considerations.” “Can the chief clerk come in to see you now then?”, asked his father impatiently, knocking at the door again. “No”, said Gregor. In the room on his right there followed a painful silence; in the room on his left his sister began to cry.

So why did his sister not go and join the others? She had probably only just got up and had not even begun to get dressed. And why was she crying? Was it because he had not got up, and had not let the chief clerk in, because he was in danger of losing his job and if that happened his boss would once more pursue their parents with the same demands as before? There was no need to worry about things like that yet. Gregor was still there and had not the slightest intention of abandoning his family. For the time being he just lay there on the carpet, and no-one who knew the condition he was in would seriously have expected him to let the chief clerk in. It was only a minor discourtesy, and a suitable excuse could easily be found for it later on, it was not something for which Gregor could be sacked on the spot. And it seemed to Gregor much more sensible to leave him now in peace instead of disturbing him with talking at him and crying. But the others didn’t know what was happening, they were worried, that would excuse their behaviour.

[coruscantiprincess]

📚

Okay, so one I've idea I have running around in my head is a time travel fic, where sometime after the events of ROTS Obi-Wan finds himself waking about the time just before Qui-Gon finally takes him as his padawan. But Obi-Wan decides that since he has this chance he is going to do everything in his power to really help Anakin and with the Force to guide him he decides not to be a Jedi and telling Qui-Gon that he would see him on Naboo. He leaves and finds work and saves as much money as he can (It's seventeen years I think before the POM and about 8 before Anakin is born. Not 100% sure my math is right.) he goes to Tatooine probably around when Anakin is 4 or 5. He would have Gone sooner, but he had to make sure he would have enough money to free both Anakin and Shmi.

He somehow arranges with Watto for Qui-Gon to get the parts he will need in the future.

He does end up telling Shmi some of the truth as to why he came, but I don't know how much. They all move to Naboo and Obi-wan and Anakin become like brothers. (Obi-Wan accidentally call Shmi Mom at some point and she loves it.)

Obi-Wan does teach Anakin some things about the Force. One thing I came up with is that He teaches Anakin to meditate while fixing droids, because the force helps him realized that Anakin focuses better when his hands our busy. He also let Anakin fly his ship. He is trying really hard to help Anakin learn to let go, but he has Shmi to help and a better environment which helps. (Oh, maybe he should get Anakin a pet.)

Well the time for the whole invasion is coming and by this point they have moved next door to Padme's family (Obi-Wan didn't know they lived there.) and have become friends with them. They know Padme a little bit, but not well since she's been busy with her campaign and then becoming Queen.

Anyway, just before the invasion Obi-Wan tells Anakin a little more about his past, (Anakin may have known there was something about Obi-Wan's past he wasn't sharing, but he never pressed to know what it was.) mostly that he traveled through time and is trying to stop bad things from happening again and he'll explain more later, but right now they have to go hide in the swamps.

Qui-Gon is sent to Naboo and Obi-Wan's words keep coming to the forefront of his mind, but he gets the Queen off plant without encountering Obi-Wan and then on Tatooine Watto tells him the part is already paid for and he is really confused.

When he is sent back to Naboo with the Queen he thinks about Obi-Wan's words again and is not surprised when Obi-Wan shows up in the swamp with a kid (Okay, so maybe the kid is a surprise.) Padme knows Obi-Wan and Anakin a bit and is happy to have their help. (Shmi stayed in hiding at Obi-Wan's request. She probably joins the camp later once they've made peace with the Gungans.)

Obi-Wan did build himself a lightsaber at some point because he want's to save Qui-Gon since he's fought Mual so much now he is prepared.

He makes sure Anakin can take out the blockade and saves Qui-Gon making sure Mual is truly dead.

They save Naboo and Qui-Gon offers to let Anakin become a Jedi.

Obi-Wan tells him it's his choice, but makes sure Anakin understands what it means to be a Jedi. In the end Anakin decides to stay with Obi-Wan and his mother.

Obi-Wan began to train him more in the ways of the Force and tells him more about the past and the Sith and how Palpatine is one and he is the person they are trying to stop.

Because of this Palpatine can never get his claws into Anakin because Anakin doesn't trust him.

I'm a little foggy on details now, but I know that Obi-Wan and Anakin get to know Padme more and stay in touch. I think if Anakin ever did have a crush on her it didn't last because he had a different environment and she saw him grow up and kept seeing him as little boy she first meet and then as a brother. (I could chance this later,) I've also thought about her falling for Obi-Wan (Which would take him by surprise) I don't know that is up in the air.

The war still happens and Obi-Wan Anakin still fight in it but not as generals or anything cause they are not Jedi, but they are always ready to help with relief missions.

Somehow they defeat Palpatine, but I don't know how yet.

Sorry this is so long, I didn't realize how many words my daydreaming would take up.

Put "📘" or some other version of a book emoji into my inbox and I'll explain the plot of a fanfiction that I haven't written but daydream about.

[im-1hater]

Me after being gone for months: hey…how y’all doing….

Anyways I’m finally out of school so now I have the time and energy to feel like posting :3

And Ig the best way is threw 3 years difference in my art !

This is the original photo (very crappy Ik)

My first attempt…. It’s something. I think this was one of the few I didn’t trace ( when I was first starting out and didn’t post anything ofc) so I think this might’ve been my first time free handing it with just the reference photo. I do remember being proud of how I did the water effect after watching a TikTok teaching me how to do it with on of the brushes 😭. This was on my first tablet so I don’t remember the exact time but it was about 3-4 hours on a random day in May in 2021 4/10 I remember showing this to my mom being very proud.

Oh boy…I can’t tell if this one or the one before is better. Well for one her head is HUGE like bigger than her ass big 😭🙏🏽. Speaking of her ass, I do not know why it looks like her buttcheek is dislocated? Like I think I tried make it look like her swim suit was tight on her body but it looks like her bottoms are 3 sizes too small. her hand and water got way worse too.. But I will say I definitely have a lot more shading and added more detail to the hair. The shading is decent albeit a bit boring but good enough. I also added color to the line art which is a nice touch. Could use some lighting besides the one coming from the sky. Also on my first tablet so I think this one was about 6 hours on a random the in May in 2022. 3/10 showed this to both my mom AND older brother 💀

Erm- I think I skipped a year or two? Either I got the years wrong or smth so I’ll need to get my hands on my old tablet lol. First, the water. I actually drew it instead of using the brushes in procreate which was definitely a better choice and payed off in the long run. And the sky is actually not just one solid bright blue that burns ur eye holes! And the clouds actually look like clouds and just not like cotton balls the same size. And it looks like I also figured out the different modes and effects I can use on the sky and water. I’m actually really proud of the background cause I literally never do a background. Also Momo brought the right size swimsuit this time! I drew the whole body instead of drawing the body as well as the clothes at the same time. I stylized my shading a lot more with the textured brushes I used. Also those knots she uses to keep her swimsuit look 100 percent better. And i used some line weight to make it way less boring than before. I put her head in a way more interesting angle. I also like how I went to one eyelash to many eyelashes to 0 of them💀. Also that hand! So much better and much more detail. Hands have become one of my favorite things to draw tehee. I fell like this is all over the place but I added some reflective lights from the water which was definitely a good choice and something missing in my previous works. I also gave her a more happy/ playful expression rather than that confused one I kept giving her. Like she doesn’t know how she freaking got there. Now one think I improved the most was….THAT HAIR! I decided “hmm, how about i actually try and put effort to the hair” and then it turned out pretty good at least I think. I added some lighting but not too much cause there is already so much. This took about 11 hours which is pretty impressive since I did this in two separate sittings. I showed this to my sister and she asked why she was a mustache cause of that line I drew coming from her nose and I can’t unsee it now 😭 11/10