#this is how he gets his way in our system btw just looks at people and goes 'pleaze 🥺' and it works

[six-six-cicada]

when ur at a rlly low level but u still need 2 do ur job as a Skill or some shit idk

[sweetshire]

So, @silv-paru sent Sherlock Holmes for the character opinion bingo. thanks a bunch for this (and for your patience. my god, i’m answering this a week late. typical me behaviour). you’re a darling :D

Did you know, i used to tell these stories to my friends? they delighted in them AND i got a chance to sort of ramble on and on abt him and watson. it was a win-win, really. ah, those were the days! now i haven’t reblogged much of him this month at all. i miss him. I MISS HIM.

Onto the bingo: well. he’s The quintessence of gender™ to me. and i relate to him so so much. fav character of all time fr. i want to carry him in my pocket at all times & study him. like. do i want to BE him OR am i IN LOVE with him, ykwim? pssh who knows? certainly not me. uh-huh ‘a beast unleashed’ -does this refer to me or him? you choose. oh re: canon, i’m ignoring the part where holmes dies (or y’know, is dead for 3 years). that’s too angsty.

[cherllyio]

Li Jing has trapped Nüwa - A season 5 theory

Now I know, this sounds crazy, but dont worry it will all make sense when i show you my evidence for it:

Evidence number 1: How he has the power to do

Evidence number 2: How he has the right motivation to do so

Evidence number 3: Its is shown IN THE LEGO SETS

Evidence number 1: He has the power to do

First of all, Li Jings "Pagado" is weapon used to "trap" people inside of it(sort of like the calabash). He even used this in the original mytholgy against Nezha, when Nezha tried to kill him(Dont worry, i will make an analysis about them soon).

And we even see Li Jing! trap MK in the Pagado in the trailer! (Notice how MK is the only one being pulled forward, while the other are getting pushed back) (This was metioned in a breakdown here)

Second of all, we know this Pagado, is IMPORTANT, with how it placed in the direct middle of the season 5 poster. MK and the rest are even IN A PAGADO IN THIS POSTER. (picture of real life pagoda underneath)

Evidence number 2: He has the right motivation to do so

If we want to understand how Li Jing's motivations works, we first have to look at where he got his ideals from: The Celistial Realm.

Since season 4, we have all been made aware that the whole "Celistial realm system" isnt that great. The Jade Emperor being a prime example of this, as mentioned by Azure.

Azure: "But overtime it became clear for me, that The Jade Emperors only concern was kepping his subjects under his boot"

And if we actually start analyzing it further, we realize that The Celistials realms biggest flaw is that they focus too much on "Order".

Bassicaly: Everyone has their roles and needs to follow them, like how Nezha was so intense about his whole "protect the celistial realm" role. So much indeed, that it was WORTH MORE THAN HIS OWN LIFE.

So it would make sense that in this next season, we would get a direct antagonist(or even villian) who is FROM The Celistial Realm.

Because lets be real, even though MK and the rest are heroes, they dont really follow the celistial realms whole "order system".

They are so incredebly chaotic, that of course someone like Li Jing(whom seems very happy for "intrapping the chaotic", aka putting a circlet on Wukongs head) would not like our protagonists.

And with all this in mind, how would someone like Li Jing then react to Nüwa? Someone who seems to embrace the chaotic as not "something that needs to fixed", but as something that is vital for this world (a real philosophy in dualism btw).

Yea, Li Jing would not like someone like that.

Anyway last evidence:

Evidence Number 3: It is shown in the Lego sets:

The only time we have seen Nüwa in the lego sets was something called the "Celistial Pagoda"

Notice how Li Jing is IN that Lego sets, holding his Pagoda, that looks suspingly a lot like a smaller version of the big Pagado.

With all this in mind then....This is how i imagined it went down:

How Li Jing trapped Nüwa

Li Jing one day learned that the creation godess, Nüwa, was creating something called "The Harbinger of Chaos". He didnt know what it even was, but he DEFINITELY didnt like the sound of it.

Therefore, Li Jing goes to confront Nüwa, trapping her in the process, but... what about MK you might say?

Well as RV sketch theorised in their video: "What is MK", MK is acutally Broken/ not complete yet (hence why he is glitching, and also why his stone has that crack).

Therefore they also theorised that the reason that he isnt Broken/ not complete yet, is because that something happend to Nüwa while she was making him, leaving MK alone and unfinished.

He then, somehow, got brought to live, and found his way to Pigsy.

This then meaning, that if both our theories are correct, Li Jing was the one to trap Nüwa and leaving MK all alone on that mountain.

Li Jing might even have found MK's half finished stone and tried to DESTROY IT. And thinking that he finished the job, he just left it there (not knowing that MK is now the result of that).

Conclusion:

Li Jing not only ruins his own family, but also ruins other peoples(deities) families too!

[tkaulitzlvr]

hii! this request is based off of ur last one but can u pls do one where reader and tom are at a club or whatever and yn is the one getting rlly drunk and tom has to look after her 😭

love ur stuff btw baby, ur an awesome writer

TAKE CARE OF YOU - T. KAULITZ

synopsis: after you get a little more drunk than expected, it’s up to tom to take care of you - but you aren’t making it easy for him.

content: fluff

a/n: thankyou so much, i hope you like it!!

“baby, don’t you think you’ve had enough of that?” tom asks, reaching over and attempting to take the drink out of my hands. i quickly move away, shaking my head and putting the straw to my lips, the taste burning my throat as i swallow the liquid, the feeling only fuelling my excitement, a low buzz swelling my insides as all i want to do is smile.

the music pulses through my eardrums, lights flashing around the club as people messily dance to the beat whilst tom and i watch from a sofa tucked away in the corner, his arm loosely wrapped around my shoulder, his thumb stroking the bare skin, the spaghetti straps of my small black dress providing next to no coverage. our friends were somewhere within the crowd, tom not feeling like joining in, which meant that, much to my annoyance, i was stuck with him. he refused to leave my side the whole night, his protectiveness only increasing once i started to get a little tipsy.

i was now far beyond the point of being just a little bit hazy - i couldn’t even count how many drinks i’d had anymore, the alcohol pumping through my system the only thing on my mind, not considering tom’s growing worry as i become even more wasted.

“pleaseeee can we go dance?” i beg, looking upwards at him and trying my best to convince him, planting a small kiss on his neck as he sighs, looking downwards at me, shaking his head slowly.

“i don’t think that’s a good idea, you’ve had way too much to drink schatz. i’m only trying to look out for you.” he replies gently, placing a small kiss on my forehead and tightening his hold on me. my shaky hand reaches for the tray of shots in the middle of the table, grabbing whichever one was closest to me, not caring what was in it - i just wanted it in my system.

“love…” tom starts, trying to stop me from taking it, leaning forward and placing both his hands on my shoulders.

i move away from his touch, downing the liquid and feeling it run down my throat before he can stop me, shivering slightly at it’s bitter taste. “stop treating me…like a fucking kid tom. let me have a drink and just, loosen up a little for fucks sake.” i slur, my words harsh as i roll my eyes and turn to him, his face slightly hurt, lips parted.

“i’m just trying to take care of you liebe, stop fighting with me.” he replies calmly, attempting to pull me back into his embrace, leaning backwards into the sofa.

“i’m going to dance.” i mumble, standing up as my body sways slightly, showing how wasted i really am. not giving tom any time to try stop me, i quickly walk towards the dance floor, though i hear him calling my name, the music soon drowning out his voice once i near the crowd of drunken bodies, beginning to sway my hips to the music. a grin takes over my expression, my arms swaying freely in the air, the alcohol controlling my every move. my head throbs, my body becoming sweaty, yet i tune it out, focusing only on the music, until i feel two strong arms wrap their way around my waist, their hold slightly foreign.

i turn around, expecting to see tom, but the deep blue eyes that are staring into mine take me aback, my hands roughly trying to pull his grip off of my waist with little success, the alcohol taking away the small strength that i had.

“get the fuck off of me! are you crazy?” i say, trying to sound as sober as i can, but my words are almost incoherent, the guy chuckling at my struggles.

“don’t be like that. what’s a pretty girl like you doing here alone, hm?” he asks, his hold on me only tightening as i begin to feel like a complete idiot for not listening to tom. if i had just stayed with him and appreciated his efforts to keep me safe, then i wouldn’t be in this situation.

“i have a boyfriend fuck off-” i begin, but my voice is soon cut off by the guy being roughly pulled away from me, all too familiar black braids soon coming into my view.

“you ever touch my girlfriend again and i swear to fucking god i will kill you.” tom threatens, holding the guy’s shirt until he scoffs, letting him go and watching him walk away.

tom’s attention soon turns to me, pulling me closer to him, holding my shoulders whilst he frantically checks my body, looking for any signs that the guy had hurt me. his eyes are glassy, lips parted as ragged breaths escape from them, his hold on me strong, yet he makes sure to not hurt me, attempting to study my expression. all that is clear to see is that i am wasted, my eyes empty, not even completely processing what has just happened, my mind only longing to carry on dancing.

“are you okay baby? did he hurt you?” he asks, sighing in relief when i shake my head, quickly pulling my body into his, wrapping his arms tightly around my waist and refusing to let go.

“i’m fine tom, i promise.” i say, genuinely telling the truth.

“we’re leaving now. and don’t try fight me on it, okay?” he asserts, taking my hand in his and leading me out of the bar, my walking all over the place as the alcohol is still strong in my system.

despite what had just happened, i long to be back in there, tugging tom’s arm slightly, causing him to stop and turn around, waiting for me to speak.

“can we stay? just a little longer, please tom?” i plead, pulling him towards me slightly before he reaches the doors. his eyebrows furrow, confused at my question as if i had asked something completely crazy, because to him, i had.

“really? you want to stay, even after all that? you really are absolutely shitfaced.” he replied, lacing his fingers in mine once again. “we’re going home, it’s not safe for you to be here, not when you’re this drunk.”

“you’re so boring tom.” i mumble, having no choice but to leave with him, my body too weak to put up a fight, knowing that he would win and be able to carry me out of the club, which was an option too embarrassing for me to consider, even in this state.

“if wanting to keep my girlfriend safe makes me boring then fine, whatever baby.” tom sighs, opening the doors as the cold immediately hits me, the night bringing on a chilling breeze as the dress i am wearing gives me practically no warmth. i let go of tom’s hand, trying to warm myself up by wrapping my arms around my frame. tom picks up on this, taking off his oversized black jacket and slowly placing it on me, threading my arms through the material and holding my hand once again.

“better?” he asks.

i nod my head, not bothering to think of a quick remark, the throbbing in my head only increasing as the high i was on begins to wear off, leaving a nauseous feeling to spread in the bit of my stomach.

he guides me to his car, opening the door for me and gently placing me in the seat, reaching for the seatbelt and stretching it around my tired frame.

“you okay?” he asks, his hand resting on the end of my seat to hold himself up as his upper body hovers over me from putting my seatbelt on, his brown eyes looking into mine. i nod my head, and he smiles, pecking my lips slowly before bending down to climb out of the car, walking over to the drivers side and hopping in. his hand rests on my thigh, his thumb comfortingly grazing over the soft skin, his other on the wheel as he pulls out, driving home through the empty streets, the early hours of the morning dawning over us.

my eyes falling shut, on the brink of falling asleep, i feel a strong grip lift me from the car, tom using his hands to wrap my legs around his waist as he carries me inside. he slips my heels off whilst still holding me, my head resting on his shoulder. he takes his own shoes off, placing his keys on the table and walking us upstairs.

“tom?” i say, my words muffled into his t-shirt, his jacket still draped over me.

“hm?” he says, moving one of his hands to rub my back.

“i don’t feel too good.” i admit, feeling the urge to throw up as he gets the hint, carrying me into the bathroom and switching the light on. he quickly sets me down as i hunch over the toilet, finally releasing the alcohol from my system. he holds my hair in his hand in a makeshift ponytail, using the other hand to comfortingly rub my back.

“you’re okay, i’m here.” he whispers, bent down beside me as i practically throw my guts up, regret quickly taking over as i wish that i hadn’t drank as much as i did.

i lift my head upwards, feeling completely sober now, tom looking at me sympathetically. he opens his arms for me as i fall into them, wrapping my arms around his torso.

“i’m sorry.” i mumble into him.

“why are you sorry baby?” he asks, running his hands through my hair, brushing out the knots the best he can.

“you’ve had to take care of me the whole night and now i’ve just thrown up and it’s all my fault!” i complain, my eyes welling up as i find myself becoming strangely emotional.

“don’t be sorry my love, that’s what i’m here for.” he begins, planting a soft kiss on my forehead. “now let’s get you ready for bed, yeah? you must be exhausted.”

i nod my head as he pulls me upwards, walking me into our bedroom. i fall into bed, completely drained, not caring that my makeup is still on, or that i’m still in my dress. tom however, does, sitting on the edge of the bed and gently lifting me upwards.

“not yet, come on let’s get this off.” he says, pointing to my dress.

“you do it.” i mutter, too tired to even form complete sentence.

he nods, turning me around so that my back is facing him. his hand reaches for the zipper, pulling it downwards slowly, moving the straps off of my shoulders and getting up, grabbing one of his t-shirts and some fresh underwear for me. he pulls the dress off me and folds it neatly, putting it to the side.

“lift up.” he says, and i obey, allowing him to put his t-shirt on me. the material hangs from my frame, reaching my knees. he passes me my panties, and i put them on lethargically, my body almost passing out in exhaustion. tom gets up, saying nothing and walking to the bathroom, coming back with some makeup wipes.

“you go to sleep baby, i’ll do the rest.” he softly says as i fall backwards into the sheets, feeling him gently wipe the makeup from my face, making sure that he gets everything off, taking extra care to not apply too much pressure and hurt me. he puts the used makeup wipes in the trash, my body on the verge of falling asleep. he takes his clothes off, climbing into bed in his boxers and pulling me closer to him.

“thank you for taking care of me. i love you.” i whisper, my eyes still closed.

“i’ll always be here to look after you. even when you don’t want me to be.” he chuckles, kissing my forehead.

i smile, snuggling closer to him as he wraps his arms around my waist.

“goodnight schatz. i love you.” he says, his voice the last thing i hear before i fall asleep.

requests are open! keep sending them in!!

[zer0brainc3lls]

Newtmas headcanons pt2!

Newt and Thomas both read and they just sit in bed together reading all the time, ever so often gasping and going "you'll never guess what just happened-"

Newt is a chronic clothes THIEF. he doesn't buy baggy clothes because he will just go and steal Thomas's stuff 😭 "its not your shirt, its OUR shirt. big difference." "I BOUGHT IT?!" "AND I PICKED IT FOR YOU!" "YEAH I SEE WHY NOW"

Thomas would see little trinkets or flowers and just give it to Newt with little to no context except maybe "for you!" "i found this" Newt has kept every single one. he presses the flowers and keeps them in a book, the trinkets are in a box.

Newt got told by a doctor he should be using a cane, Newt refused but made the fatal mistake of complaining to Thomas about it.. Newt now has a cane decorated with stickers.

before Newt got the flare he had a weaker immune system then the other guys (aka they have really strong immune systems and his was just normal so everyone thought his was weak) but after he got the flare and got cured it ACTUALLY got weak, like a cold for someone else will have him in bed for days vomiting :( Thomas however almost never gets sick.. so he takes care of sick Newt OFTEN

Newt loves taking care of plants, Thomas cannot keep them alive.

Thomas is wearing shorts in the freezing cold, Newt is in multiple layers the moment the temperate gets even slightly cold

Newt is a flower crown/bracelet WARRIOR. Anytime Thomas comes home with flowers he found if he has enough Newt makes them into bracelets for Thomas to wear around (sometimes he makes crowns but he usually makes bracelets because it’s more practical for Thomas)

Thomas won’t take the bracelets off unless he’s showering/sleeping (so they don’t break) and will wear them till they have withered off

Thomas BEGGED Newt to teach him how to plait hair, once he got it down he plaits Newts hair for him

Thomas sometimes has a hard time focusing, and will sometimes not look at people while they are talking (not in a rude way!!) and Newt will just tap him on the shoulder if it’s someone else but if Thomas is “ignoring” HIM.. yk that move he did to frypan when he was looking at Teresa? Yeah. That gets Thomas’s attention alright 😭 example:

Newt: yeah so then-

Thomas: *staring off into the distance, fiddling with his hands deep in thought*

Newt: *rolls his eyes and grabs Thomas’s face and makes him look at him* y’know you’re s’pose to look at people when they talk to ya Tommy

Thomas: *red in the face* uhm- yeah you’re right- sorry what did you say hun?

(Newt knows this gets Thomas flustered btw. Uses it to his upmost advantage)

When Newt got the cure (I’m insane) he still suffered from the rare burst of anger/paranoia and on very very bad days hallucinations, since he was past the gone when he got the cure. No where near as bad to when he had the flare but still bad none the less, Thomas reassures him constantly and helps him calm down.

Being sick is a massiveee trigger for Newt. Fever, flu, vomiting you name it he’s on edge. Sometimes he gets in his own head and second guesses if he’s really cured but once again Thomas saves the day and is always there for him when he’s sick, staying home more to make sure he’s ok. (Writing a small fic about this btw!!!)

Newt is a back rub fanatic. Loves them. Receiving end or giving he does NOT care!! Thomas figured this out and whenever Newt is upset Thomas rubs his back

Fav kiss placements (giving and receiving):

Newt: gives cheek and neck kisses, loves receiving normal, forehead/hair kisses & neck kisses

Thomas: gives normal, just all over Newts face & neck kisses, loves receiving neck kisses and cheek kisses

More on neck kisses specifically there is a reason beside lust!! Its pulse points, reminds them that this is infact real and the other is ok :)

When they hold hands they sometimes check each others pulses out of habit, if in a uncomfortable scenario one will check the others and if it’s higher they gesture with a head nod if the other wants to leave

They both underestimate their own injuries, the other freaks out when the other is slightly sick/injured because in the scorch tiny cuts or the flu were very dangerous. Not much medicine or anything. Even in the safe haven, it’s a habit they won’t get rid of convinced it keeps them safe. They had a rule in the scorch that they had to tell the other if they were injuried since they own they themselves won’t see it as a big deal. Example:

*in the safe haven*

Thomas: hey Newt I got this cut on my hand today *shows palm, slight cut still bleeding*

Newt: *eyes widen in shock, grabbing Thomas’s hand careful not to touch the wound dragging him away*

Brenda: where are you going?!

Newt: to bandage it!! *tugs Thomas’s faster*

They do the whole deal. Cleaning, bandaging double checking etc :( poor boys

Newt tops, Thomas bottoms. No further questions!!

They are NOT picky eaters. At all. Plates fully clean, they do have favourites though

Newt: he loves sweet foods but also loves spicy food, adores pineapple with his whole heart

Thomas: loves salty food, not the biggest fan of spice. Loves carrots and apples though (the carrot one is canon I think)

Going on about food, they share food without question. Apple? Cut in half. Got a snack? Got extra for the other. The other still has food on their plate (very rare) the other will finish it off.

In the wicked facility whenever Thomas ever saw Newt besides sneaking out (rare af) sometimes they would purposely bump into each other just for an excuse to say hi, very very quickly whispering anything important before being ushered away

Sometimes, the others wouldn’t be there when Thomas snuck around so there were a handful of times it was just Thomas and Newt. Newt remembers this and told Thomas, Thomas however doesn’t and is very sad about it. :(

They have perfected lip reading to a tee. Having full on silent convos while everyone else is just like “really?! AGAIN?” Example:

*Newt and Thomas silently talking, gesturing a fuckton with there faces*

Minho: *whispers to Brenda* I’m slowly figuring out that lil shucking language they got going on

Brenda: *whispers back* how?!

They started learning in the scorch, since they rarely got a moment alone they would silently talk strategy. Slowly but surely it turned into silent flirting in the safe haven so Newt will just mouth something and and Thomas will go OUTLOUD “NEWT. NOT HERE!!” “Tommy they don’t know what I’m saying remember??” “… oh yeah”

Before they got together they got into heated arguments and even got slightly physical, all jokes of course but they would shove eachother around and grabbing each others shirts to “emphasise their point” (GAYYYY 🫵🫵🫵🫵)

Another long yap session, expect more. Also new lil fic on working on but do not threat!! I bet on losing dogs chapter 4 IS COMING OUT SOON. And I may write a short lil spin off of Thomas’s worst flare moments in his pov if yall would enjoy that. And soon one of my moots requested a Jeff x reader fic I usually don’t write those but that will be out soon too!!

[notsoattractivearenti]

Wanna Prove It? (Christian Pulisic x Fem!Reader)

WC: 800+

Warnings/Tags: pure fluff

A/N: a short one cuz i need to get it out of my system lol. he really is gonna be a great dad one day to our children cuz christian and babies = 🫠😍💗💗💗! btw no it's not dad!pulisic (y'all gotta wait until christmas 😋). anyway hope you guys enjoy and i’d love to hear your thoughts thru ask/reply/reblog 💗 apologies for any errors! feedbacks are highly appreciated 🤍 (ps: if you want to be added in my taglist just lmk!)

—

Christian and I are having a chill night in, and we spend most of the night laying on our couch with TV on. He gets up into the kitchen to get us some ice cream while I scroll through my Instagram feed on my phone – until I stumble across a video posted by USMNT of Matt Turner and Tim Ream answering a couple of "dad" questions. Just in time, Christian walks back into the living room holding a pint of ice cream and two spoons in his hands.

“Babe, have you seen the video USMNT just posted on Instagram?”

“What video?” He replies.

I show the post to him briefly as he sits back and puts the ice cream and spoons on the table in front of us.

“Oh it’s Matt and Tim! I thought it was another VW video I did!” He laughs. “ I haven’t seen it. Let me have a look.”

“Watch it until the end, I think you’re going to love it.” I suggest as I hand my phone and grab the ice cream.

He watches the short clip and makes some little comments during. He isn’t aware at the moment but from my point of view, excitement is written clearly on his face. There’s no denying he genuinely loves his national teammates (or as he usually calls them: buddies) – he does have some wonderful bonds with most of them.

“Yeah, I can see Joe and Brenden being terrific dads.” He agrees with one of Matt’s answers on the video.

“Wh- Aww, stop it.” Christian slightly blushes when Matt stated Christian would be a great dad and Tim agreed with it. “They’re so nice for saying that.”

“I do love their kids. They’re adorable and sweet!” He excitedly adds. “Also, who doesn’t love to hold babies!?”

“People who don’t like babies, I suppose.” I spontaneously answer him with a mouth full of ice cream – even though he doesn’t ask for one.

“Well, I think they are missing out on one of the best things in the world.” He comments back and it makes me chuckle.

I want to get more reaction from him so I ask him, “Do you think they’re right? That you’re going to be a great dad?”

“Uh…” He pauses. “Do you?”

“Hey, I asked you first!” I jokingly point my finger at him. “Don’t turn it back at me.”

“I mean, I hope I will…” He shyly hesitates. “But I don’t know. I don’t want to sound so cocky...”

“I know you will.” I wink at him.

His face suddenly turns pinkish red but his eyes lighten up so quickly.

“Y/N…”

“Say what you want Chris, but you know I’m right.” I try to convince him.

“Maybe…” Though he sounds unsure, he still agrees with me. “You know, I’m glad you think that way.”

With a spoon still in my mouth, I give him a little smile and nod my head. “Mmhm, you’re most welcome.”

The conversation ends there and we go back to finishing our pint of ice cream - or so I thought.

“You wanna prove it?” He breaks the brief silence.

“Huh.” I think I know what he’s implying but I’m not quite sure. “Prove what?”

“We can make a baby right now and prove I’m capable of being a great dad.” He smirks as he gently grabs my shoulder, pulls me closer then whispers in my ear, “We don’t need to wonder no more…”

Yup. That is exactly what I thought when he said “prove it”. Now it’s my face that turns so red and I nearly choke on my ice cream when he whispered so seductively. Oh, he surely knows how to get me good – what a cheeky man my boyfriend is!

“Christian Mate Pulisic!” I playfully gasp. “You can’t be serious!”

“Do I look like I’m kidding?” He laughs seeing me so visibly flushed. “I am just offering something you and I both want, sweetheart.”

“Why are you so sure I want it?”

“Well, I mean, you literally talked about always wanting to have babies on our first date, didn’t you?” He states. “You can’t deny it. I remember every word you said, Y/N.”

“And I remember I specifically said one day when I’m finally ready, Chris!” I clarify his statement before he continues. “I am totally not there yet.”

“Okay, but you do want babies right? So my offer still stands.” He moves his eyebrows up and down while giving me a cheeky grin.

“Oh…” I cover my face and shake my head. “Of course but not now, babe! Besides, if I get pregnant today, it’ll be like… A teen pregnancy!”

“You’re in your 20s, Y/N!” He cackles at my remark.

“Still! I feel like I’m way too young to have a baby. I’m still one myself!” I jokingly whine.

“My God, Y/N, you are a baby.” He says sarcastically. “I’m just messing with you, my love.”

“I know, Chris, I’m not dumb.”

“Don’t worry, no need to rush, yeah? We can definitely wait.” He kisses my forehead. “‘Cause you’re the only baby mama I want.”

—

taglist: @pulisicsgirl @neverinadream @swimmingismywholelife @chilwellspulisic @bracedes @lovelynikol16 @thoseboysinblue @lizzypotter14 @masonsrem @landoslover

[bioethicists]

hm i really hope that someone has said this better than me but the betterhelp ads (specifically the video ones, as the podcast ones tend to be less scripted) are such poignant examples of alienation + the role of 'go to therapy' in perpetuating that alienation. keep in mind that, if you personally found a therapist who is genuinely healing for you + that therapist happens to be through betterhelp- i'm genuinely happy for you + that experience does not invalidate anything i have to say below! (but jsyk they're trying to sell your shit to facebook lol)

starting strong w/ the fact that betterhelp is essentially the uber of therapy (aka using an independent contractor model which is harmful + predatory towards its providers), rushing in to fill the market on largely uninsured and/or uninformed ppl who want the ease of a concierge system without the cost + lacks a meaningful supervision system (which led to one gay man being recommended a conversion therapist when he asked for someone to help with his identity struggles, btw!). smarter people than me have written about the ways in which these trendy independent contractor apps strip people of labor rights, fail to provide adequate wages, + in the case of healthcare apps, increase digital surveillance + decrease accountability demanded from providers while exploiting the failure of the US healthcare system in order to churn a profit w/o actually creating sustainable, equitable change.

the betterhelp video ads all circle around a theme- a millennial starts talking about some form of emotional pain or worry, usually relatively standard existential worries ("do you ever think nothing has meaning?") or life worries ("i hate my job" "i think i'm gay"). their friends or the ppl around them respond blankly + coldly, looking at them like they're crazy. while i understand these ads are supposed to be tongue in cheek, they demonstrate the crushing reality of our alienation from one another- the solution to your friends responding to your evident pain with confusion + apathy is to confine that pain to a therapy session! nobody wants to hear your struggles or understands them- come generate profits for us by facetiming a newly graduated 24 year old who can barely make rent!

this theme fits well with what already put me off about betterhelp's marketing- their goal has never been to provide access to therapy for those who want it or to altruistically fill in some healthcare gap. their goal, bolstered by the rise in emotional suffering following, you know, the worldwide pandemic, is to generate + increase demand for therapy as a commodity. their earlier podcast ads focused on convincing others that therapy "isn't just for crazy ppl" + "everyone should be in therapy". regardless of if you personally agree with that statement, it should be evident that this is a blatant marketing tactic in which therapy is a commodity to be peddled, not an offer of support or healing. in fact, they're probably actively shying away from treating "crazy people", bcuz their flimsy support systems could not possibly handle an influx of ppl regularly in crisis or experiencing breaks with a common reality. their target audience is your average millennial under late capitalism + post COVID - anxious, lonely, vaguely depressed, unhappy with their jobs, worried + hopeless about their futures.

i'm not here to tell anyone not to get therapy. that's a personal decision + is none of my fucking business. it's about questioning the total alienation we feel from one another, such that pouring our heart our unexpectedly to a friend + being met with a blank stare is framed as "haha you need therapy" + not "it's crushing that this is how distant we are from one another". it's about a company noticing that (unfortunately very real) distance + fear of vulnerability + using that to direct our emotions into the confines of a business transaction under abusive labor conditions. it's about a world in which we are not engaging with one another emotionally (despite, or i guess bcuz of: widespread suffering, recent mass death, class warfare/untenable working conditions, increased pressure of fascist politics, generational trauma + abuse, etc etc). commodifying therapy isn't going to make that loneliness go away- it's going to normalize it.

[gh0stsp1d3r]

Could you do another story where Hobie Brown gets a death like Gwen Stacy (hobie brown x female reader btw)

THANK YOU AND I LOVE LOVEEEE YOUR STORIESSSSS 😻😻

I needed this angst. I don’t know if you meant like reader being the dead one or reader being like there to help him? So I just made the reader the dead one 😭 BUT OFC IM GLAD YOU LIKE MY STORIESS

Character death, angst, instead of the lizard it’s a symbiote

Death

Hobie has never handled death well. He’s gone through so much of it, his uncle, some random people on the street he couldn’t save, you.

Hobie doesn’t like to talk about it either, which is why not a lot of people knew. Except for Pavitr maybe, who was there to help him when he needed it.

Hobie could’ve saved you, it’s his biggest regret every single day not saving you.

He missed waking up next to you, or hearing your voice. The only way he remembered your voice was when he’d lay down at night, scrolling through his phone.

ding

Spider squad

Gwendy🥁- you guys up for a movie tomorrow?

Hobie swiped up on the notification, ignoring it for now.

Pav 👾- Sure, what movie?

He groaned in annoyance at the notifications and swiped up again. His phone was cheap and didn’t exactly have a do not disturb option or even a silence button.

Miles🤺- Sure (￣▽￣)

Gwendy🥁- Hobie?

Pav👾- He said he’s busy tomorrow):

He stopped swiping at the notifications and thanked Pavitr in his head.

He was lying, Pavitr would probably be in his universe any second now-

“Yo, Hobie!” He called out, knocking on the door to his boat.

Hobie groaned again, standing up and answering the door.

“Hey man, what’s up?” He said tiredly, leaning against the doorway with his arms folded.

“I was just wondering if you’re okay. You weren’t answering-“ he showed Hobie his phone an the messages.

“Oh, yeah, I was sleepin’. Sorry.”

Pavitr gave him an “are you serious?” look. He saw right through him.

“I’m fine.” He shrugged and opened the door more for Pavitr to come in. He stepped through the messy floor, avoiding the canned bottles and glass bottles of beer just thrown onto the ground.

“Hobie.. you need to clean up.”

—————————————————————-

After the whole cleaning his boat thing, Pavitr said he had to go and finally Hobie was left alone.

He changed out of his jeans, shirt and jacket, and quickly started to go back on his phone.

His fingers stopped when he stumbled onto a post.

“We miss you so much. It’s been one year tomorrow. You’ll be forever in our hearts.”

Underneath there was a picture of you smiling widely, Hobie standing next to you with his hands on your back, with a small smile, looking at you with his eyes full of love. Along with your friend and her boyfriend next to you both.

Scrolling down some more he came across a photo of just you two. You were both smiling, and then in the one under, kissing.

He stared at the photo for a while, smiling at it slightly. Then he remembered that you were gone. You could never come back. And he should have checked on you.

It was senior prom, Hobie rambled off in your ear about how much he hated these things.

“You’ll be fine, Hobs.” You put your hand on his.

“It’s not that, you know, the public school system is-“

“Underfunded and treats kids poorly, and is worse than a prison? It’s okay to be nervous.

He stayed silent for a moment.

“Yeah, you’re right. Who cares anyways? We’re gonna be the schools hottest couple." He said with a small smirk on his face, you smiled and kissed him.

“No kissing in my car!” Your friend joked, making you all laugh.

Once you reached the school, you all stepped out and went inside, paying of course.

After an hour you felt odd… you looked down at your arm and saw a liquid goo climbing up your arm.

“Hey, hobes, I’m gonna go to the bathroom.. okay?”

“Yeah.” He said, giving you a small kiss before you left.

A few minutes later, That’s when a giant creature ran towards them all, everyone screaming and yelling.

Hobie narrowed his eyes and quickly changed, and fought the creature. The creature growled at him, and almost seemed like it was trying to not fight him. The creature put its hands up, the color on it turning a gray.

Hobie furrowed his eyebrows, and stopped what he was doing.

For some time, you regained control over it, until it started to get angry. It wasn’t you, it was like it was controlling you. The creature said “Stop.” In a deep voice

You suddenly no longer had control, and the creature started to attack your boyfriend. you desperately pleaded against it.

A ton of cop cars and ambulances made loud noises, making the creature stop and turn, the noises of the cars rang out and hurt the creatures more sensitive ears.

The creature slithered away, your body going limp and falling to the ground, Hobie catching you first.

“Wh… no, no, no, no, no, no.” He quickly held you now, on the floor.

“Hobie.. it’s not my fault. Hobie-“ you grabbed onto his suit tightly, he shushed you.

“I believe you, love. Sh. It’s okay..” he mumbled. “Stay with me, yeah? I’ll get you home.” He said, as quiet and calm as possible.

You looked at him, with a small smile and your hand was now on his cheek. He leaned into it and smiled.

“I love you.” You mumbled quietly, and that caused his eyes to go wide. Your eyes started to close and Hobie slapped you lightly.

He cried out your name, and the cops caught him doing so.

They were about to shoot when he ran away, giving you one last glance.

He would never forget that day, or the days he spent without you. His graduation, when he bought this place, when he got invited to the spider society shortly after.

Hobie brown had always been bad with death, but especially bad with handling yours.

————-

Tag list:

@enviinotes @rayis-psychotic @korizzybee @animechick555 @stupid-ninja @rreasonablydumbb @xxqueen-of-horrorrxx @spidypunkk @criodzasn

@techta @1eonk @chipstermation6 @whosace16 @ @l-pandamatic-l

@spider-phoenix @zebralover @my-melo-gf @wiz-te-ria @tzuyuzzs @luvsaluv @mxkn

@deputy-videogamer @666kpopfan @jared-oranges @likelilac @jjkclub

@kitty-kei @blaxk-widow @hoesindifferentshows @lavsluvsu @lampylamperson @notbluees @sp0kyzz @arlipooh @freeingrebels @ken-zah @blustalker @cursedbitchboy @romanoffswoman

@chaoticevilbakugo @hobiebrainrot @anonima-2 @melda0m3

[villainsandvictimsalliance]

Let's talk about the insane idea promoted by the hero society that self-sacrificing and sadness is better than hurting others and feeling rage. Or in other words, how dying for other and repressing your feelings even if they destroy you is better than becoming violent and letting your rage affect the course of the daily basis.

For the hero society, submissive individuals were better. Depressed as in being unable to act was better. Passive behavior was better. It's easier to feel pity and hold some mourning for the victims before moving on as if nothing happened.

Take Deku. If he had died by suicide only a few would care. He was an unimportant quirkless kid with no real potential to be a hero. Or if he had died saving Bakugo he would have become a martyr, a quirkless kid who got to be a hero for a day before tragically dying. The end.

That is why Aizawa is mad with All Might when he sees Deku. He could have died in the UA entrance test, it was impressive but what about Deku's life. That's also what Recovery Girl told All Might in the UA Sport Festival. That's what Deku needed to learn when he started using kicks instead of punches. Self-sacrificing shouldn't be idolized by the hero society. Ultimately, it is murder in the hands of the authorities who enforce such idea.

Take the League of Villains.

Ugly victims don't get help.

⠀

Ask Tenko. Walking alone on a busy street, with blood on his hands and eyes totally lost. No one helped him. He was not a cute kid crying like Eri, he was monstrous like. His accident was not one caused by a victim. It was the abuse of his father and tje unfortunate awakening of his quirk that ended with him murdering his entire family.

If he had stayed sitting silently, unable to weep or talk or cry, he would have died and no one would have known. Society would be happy because there's no Shigaraki Tomura, right?

Touya died on a forest fire and life moved on. His dad became even more abusive and reached the number one spot on the hero charts. Like the past never happened.

Toga's neglected childhood pushed her to the point she exploded and drank the blood of someone, but because she was already a monster like looking child, she wad regarded as a danger and his parents erased her presence from their house. If she had died on the streets or gotten captured, people would just think "good, one less psycho, we can keep going with our days".

Visually, it's easier to sympathize with a crying victim full of sadness and wounds. Some animal instinct of who knows. I don't. BUT it's way harder to sympathize with someone who shows their hurt by being very disruptive, loud, angry, violent. Especially if they can't cry, singe people equals crying to regret or pain. If someone is unable to cry, there must be something wrong with them.

⠀

The League of Villains goal in the narrative at the beginning of bnha is less Stain-like (there are a few bad apples in the basket we need to purge and everything will be good again) and more of Shigaraki's own ideology: society is rotten to the bone, even the greatest of heroes is corrupted and the cycle of violence is being used by the hero society as an excuse to control the public.

Funny. It was not a lie. With Lady Nagant's story and even with Hawk's we were witnesses of how the hero society was indeed rotten. And we saw a few paragraphs above why All Might was part of the corruption, if with good intentions, but still an important part of it.

There are two main responses to trauma in bnha. The hero society prefers the one that doesn't make them look bad.

⠀

So, what's the kick?

What happened with the League of Villains would have happened eventually with any other group of individuals. It was a natural reaction to a failed system, one AFO took advantage of in order to further his plans.

There was the Meta Liberation Army, where many or his members were pro-heroes btw. There was the situation with Overhaul and the whole issue with the quirk repressing drug. You had Aoyama, the hospital full of kids Touya woke up to, etc.

In order for a change to happen, a reactive factor was needed. Individuals who were not afraid to threat the commodities of the population, their peace of mind, people willing to ne disturbing and people able to shake the hero society foundations. It's not coincidence that those individuals were the same victims who, after being passive for so long, decided peace was not an option.

Am I justifying the actions of the League and blaming everything on the heroes ? No, I'm not.

Killing is killing. Murder is murder. We're not going machiavelli on here and saying they had no other choice (both heroes and villains).

What I'm saying is that both sides were equally right and wrong. Many heroes and villains got used by bigger players in the game. Ultimately the fight started being between the institutions of power around the world and AFO. In Japan, it was the Hero Commission.

Like in any other war, many heroes and villains killed each other thinking it was the right thing to do in order to help society reach higher ground, get better, heal, be safe, whatever. Brainwashed for sure, loyal to a cause that's not loyal to them.

⠀

The kick is in balance.

You can't take the blame of other actions and punish yourself for it. You can't make others responsible of your own actions either. You shouldn't be putting your life above others and you shouldn't be putting their lives below you.

Learning to separate the responsibilities, to notice the shades in which anger and sadness mix, to be able to say "we all matter equally" and know it means a victim can be an abuser too and deserves help as much as they should be hold accountable for. These are the struggles of bnha.

Good communication to avoid mindless violence.

There's where Deku and Tomura meet, in the middle of those lines. There's where Shoto and Dabi meet, where Toga and Ochako meet.

The Messiahs vs The Judas, assigned a role to play by society, either die or be killed tragically. The moment they can shed of those roles and see each other as human beings, that's the moment things will start changing for good.

[littlefankingdom]

Instead of calling Bruce Wayne a capitalist, just say you have never read a Batman comic.

Or that you don't know words' meaning.

Bruce is a privileged white man, born rich and the heir to a fortune and a company. That doesn't make him a capitalist, that makes him a privileged man. Being a privileged rich man who owns a company in a capitalist society also doesn't make him a capitalist (it's the fucking meme again.) He has no power over this, he couldn't choose who he will be born as or where. He is a nepo baby, but that doesn't make him a capitalist.

The correct definition of a capitalist is: a person who uses their wealth to invest in trade and industry for profit in accordance with the principles of capitalism.

Bruce Wayne is literally famous for not doing that, because he invests his wealth in healthcare, housing, education... Literally anything Gotham needs and the gov cannot pay for. Literally nothing that he can make profit from. He doesn't care about profit AT ALL. Investing??? That's not in his vocabulary. And, btw, Bruce doesn't believe it should be a private company doing this. I'm going to use Future State: Dark Detective again, but in it, he states clearly that he thinks rich people should pay their big taxes instead of having lavishing lifestyles (he pays his, btw, and I'm sure he doesn't use the charity to pay less), and the gov should use this money to make everything better for others. And that's not the only time he says that stuff.

"But, if not capitalist, why Bruce keeps WE and money? Why doesn't he change the system?" For the latter, Bruce is one man, he cannot change the system on his own, but also, if he was able to change the evil capitalist way of the USA, the story would be over. It's just like how whatever he does, Gotham never gets better: the story would end. For the former, he keeps WE for two reasons. 1, it's his parents' legacy, that's explained multiple times, and he feels like he would disappoint them if he gives it up. 2, because he knows other rich people don't care and don't use their money for nobody but themselves, and if he gives WE up, all that money and power would end in the hands of an asshole. With him and his kids, he can trust that money to go to the people.

I don't have the energy to demonstrate again how Bruce hates rich people, just look up my posts about Bruce. I have used examples.

If you tell Bruce Wayne "The rich should be dry out, and their money should go to help people and make society better", he would say "Hell yes". That's that he CANONICALLY wants.

When you call Bruce Wayne capitalist, you are showing, at best, that you have so little reading comprehension skill that you cannot understand comic books, at worst, that you don't know shit about our economic and politic hellscape you lived in and the words you use.

Yes, this is because of that fucking panel from Boy Wonder where Ra's Al Ghul calls Bruce a capitalist dog.

[tyrantisterror]

No Small Feat Artwork Pt. 1 - The PCs

By request, I'm gonna show off some of the artwork for No Small Feat, a Midgaheim story my friends and I told through the TTRPG system Fabula Ultima. I drew a lot of characters and monsters for it, and my friends - in particular, @dragonzzilla, @scatha5, and @dinosaurana - helped line and color them so we'd have cute little sprites to use on our online battlemaps, which really helped sell the whole "we're playing an oldschool turn based RPG" vibe that Fabula Ultima's system is going for.

For the first batch, it makes sense to start with the heroes of the game. Since No Small Feat was a fairy tale pastiche, we worked hard as a group to make sure each PC felt like a fairy tale protagonist more than a stock fantasy hero - characters that, while not incapable of defending themselves, would be more suited to using trickery, guile, and in some cases, compassion to solve problems.

@scatha5 created Bright Eyes, a young noblewoman whose parents tried to marry her off to a much older man without consulting her, and chose to deal with that by leaving home, disguising herself as a peasant boy, and basically traveling the earth with her pet cat that was secret a Puk (i.e. a tiny dragon) named Longshanks.

@cerothenull created Charles, a minotaur living in the town Aesopton (some involved Midgaheim world-building for your pleasure: Aesopton, while located in the kingdom of Engelsex, was founded by soldiers from the Mediterran Empire who were left behind during one of the Empire's many failed Wars of Conquest. Without the resources needed to make the journey home, they just settled down in the country they failed to take over and lived humble lives, with their descendants identifying as people of Engelsex rather than Mediterra, though they kept many Mediterran customs). Charles began as a farmer who kept a good pomegranate orchard, but, thanks to some dubious advice from one of his neighbors, he got lost and found himself in a less obscure part of Engelsex, and spent most of the campaign trying to survive long enough to find a way home.

My friend Cene created Edmund Gilford, the son of two knights who died defending the King of Engelsex from an attempted coup, and who had to inherit their duties way too early. One day, while hunting with his servants, he went off on his own and was a bit rude to a woman in the woods, and wouldn't you know it he ended up turning into a big chimeric monster. Edmund began the story as arrogant, selfish, and antagonistic, but slowly grew to discover a more altruistic side to himself as the story progressed.

@dinosaurana created Montblanc, a nice fellow who also met a mysterious woman in the woods and happened to mention that he wanted to see more of the world. She gave him a book with an eyeball in it and tasked him with drawing at least 100 different monsters, which became a major component of how the whole campaign was structured (and why this art post has to be in so many parts). I believe dinosaurana pitched the character to me as "what if Newt Scamander didn't suck ass?" which is a damn solid pitch for my money. Montblanc also has a pet barnacle goose named Barnaby, and we all love Barnaby in this house.

Finally, @shadyserpent269 created Scrunt, a roughly human-sized dragon who was the wildcard in an already kind of chaotic party of weirdos, which is just what this fairy tale needed to cook with gas!

We'll end this with some art of Barnaby and Longshanks, so you can get a better look at them. Barnacle geese aren't chimeras, btw - they're just barnacles that, through magic, evolved to resemble geese in shape and size. They eat carrion!

[the-pea-and-the-sun]

okay uhh as a silence of the lambs fan i have some stuff to say abt silence of the lambs and red dragon (the book that silence of the lambs is a sequel to). this is specifically abt the books and not the movies because although the movie also has a "btw this author is not transphobic" disclaimer a lot of it was cut for the movie and when you look at the stuff in the book its more obvious why that disclaimer doesnt wash harris' hands of any transphobia that the story perpetuates. i read my library's copies of the books a couple times but dont have them with me so this is jus from my memory of how they went so. sorry if i get stuff wrong i jus kinda wanted to get these thoughts out. if you happen to have the book handy feel free to correct me on any details i get wrong

obviously buffalo bill is a grotesque transphobic caricature. you can tell that it occurred to thomas harris while writing that he came up with the idea of "evil serial killer skins women because he wants to become one!!" first and then after doing some basic research on transsexualism thought "ah some ppl might come away from this thinking (that i think) that all transsexuals are perverted monsters" and decided to remedy this by adding a psychiatrist character who works at a trans clinic and is a staunch protector of the rights and privacy of his patients. this gets in the way of jack crawford's investigation, who after being a complicated character in red dragon is now almost a one dimensional hero character. the psychiatrist and crawford eventually compromise on the basis that buffalo bill isn't a real transsexual (because if he was, than that would make transsexuals look bad). the reasoning (according to both harris and the psychiatrist character) that buffalo bill isn't a real transsexual is because he was denied treatment. if i remember correctly the reason buffalo bill was denied treatment was because he had a criminal record (?) but whatever the reason we're obviously meant to side with the point of compromise that crawford and the psychiatrist come to, that real transsexuals are "harmless and passive" people we should have compassion for and shouldnt be afraid of, and fake transsexuals are perverted monsters, and we can trust psychiatrist to differentiate real transsexuals from fake transsexuals.

this is the most sympathetic possible stance on transgender people that someone could take from silence of the lambs. but in reality, obviously a lot of people are not going to go out of their way to find out that thomas harris said that buffalo bill wasn't a "real transsexual", and are just going to come away from the story thinking that the psychiatrist was just a bureaucratic nuisance to our hero jack crawford whos trying to stop the crazed evil transsexual. since buffalo bill is the only person resembling a trans person that we see, thats the version people are going to remember. if clarice starling was transgender too, for example, itd be a lot easier to defend the idea that harris' writing isn't perpetuating transphobia because the audience would be sympathetic toward clarice starling, and since so much of a story with clarice starling as a cis woman is focused on her struggling against misogyny within the fbi, making her a trans woman would've made this a story about her struggling against transmisogyny, and that wouldve been the primary view of trans women that the audience would've walked away with: as hardworkers, as heroines and protagonists, and as victims of systemic misogyny. the "positive" view of transsexuals as "harmless and passive" would've gone along with the conflict that clarice starling already deals with, that shes weak and passive and incapable of doing her job at best, and dangerous and harmful at worst.

i dont want a silence of the lambs remake where clarice starling is transgender, i'm just saying that when you compare it to red dragon (the book where will graham is the detective), it actually becomes very telling that she isnt. in red dragon, the killer is written with a lot more sympathy than buffalo bill is written with in silence of the lambs, and instead of (not) being a transsexual, the killer in red dragon has a facial deformity. we hear about his childhood, how his mother abandoned him because of his deformity, how he was an continues to be mistreated by others. there's even a point in the story where the audience is rooting for him to reform, as he's actively fighting against the part of himself that wants to hurt people. he becomes ashamed of this part of himself and tries to repress it, but is ultimately unsuccessful.

this is all to say that my idea that silence of the lambs wouldn't have been such an egregious example of media perpetuating transphobic attitudes if clarice starling was transgender (and if buffalo bill was portrayed more sympathetically like the killer in red dragon) doesnt come from nowhere. because by the end of red dragon, will graham now has an acquired facial deformity. in red dragon, we're made to believe that a major reason if not the only reason the killer became who he is is because of society's mistreatment of people who have facial deformities. the depiction isn't perfect, but i think that there's almost no chance a person would come away from red dragon thinking that people with facial deformities are dangerous monsters. we've seen them as victims of bullying, as victims of child abuse, as people capable of falling in love, and, by the end, as our hero and protagonist who we've been rooting for for the entire duration of the story.

from red dragon to silence of the lambs we can see thomas harris have less sympathy to minorities who are made into villains by society, and more sympathy for the cops that arrest them. silence of the lambs just comes with the added lukewarm feminist take of "hey look! those cops can be women, too!". in red dragon, the police end up having zero net positive impact on the case whatsoever. we're looking at the story through the eyes of will graham, but he's explicity not fbi, and his precense in the story is him explcitiy being mistreated by the fbi to further jack crawford's means. will graham is there because crawford has managed to convince him that if he doesn't cooporate with the police, he'll be letting people die, but by the end of the story, the only thing will graham's presence in the fbi has contributed is the death of a reporter, and the endangering of will graham and his family. the difference in portrayal of the police in red dragon compared to silence of the lambs is stark. in silence of the lambs, the police do save people, but those who are uncooperative with the police almost prevent them from doing so. in silence of the lambs our pov detective is a policewoman, in red dragon our detective is a victim of the police, struggling with mental and physical health issues as a result of his time with them.

there's also something to be said about how the books only get worse in quality and more hateful of minorities and more in favor of cops from there, but i think thats kinda all i wanna say for now

[pleas3pretendimnothere]

Six more books this month! If I keep this up, I'll be barely able to meet my 52-books goal. The (short) Narnia books are my backup plan if I run out of time... Anyway, I read a lot of great stuff this month!

Piranesi

By Susanna Clarke - I've been looking forward to this read all year. Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell was my favorite book I read last year, and while Piranesi was not quite so huge and fantastical, it was still another outstanding project from Clarke. I loved this book.

Piranesi's best strength is the constant sense of foreboding. The narrator is childlike, his desires and endeavors so simple, they sometimes seem pathetic. Piranesi is naive but he isn't dumb. He seeks truth, and his naivete transforms a strange, cold, unwelcoming world into something magical, mysterious, and benevolent. This creates a peculiar sense of wrongness throughout the tale's beginning, and when truths slowly come to light, Clarke only further bends the reader's perception of Piranesi's world. Is it the world that is broken, or the men living within it?

The book somehow felt too simple, too quick, but nonetheless, I couldn't put it down. The main character is loveable, and the challenges he faced still haunt me. Even now, I get shudders, remembering the twists! Deeply psychological stuff! Everyone who loves a good mystery, maybe even horror, needs to read this one. BUY IT!

Sabriel

By Garth Nix - I'm a sucker for fantasy romance (very different from romantasy, btw). If the fantasy world is weird, and the romance is built from adventure and adversity, I'm game. This book...this is it...

LOVE Sabriel. Can't sing enough praises. We've got weird necromancy magic based on runes and a series of bells capable of varying archaic horrors. A weird fantasy world split in half. On one side, people are living in a happy and prosperous Ghibli world, on the other, they're fighting monsters and undead ghouls in a Souls game. There's a cat that is also a mind-devouring cosmic god. Cool. Then, children are thrown helplessly to the wilds as bait for bigger predators. It was Berserk, but for the girlies.

The romance was exactly what I like. Natural, built on friendship and trust, and low on the horniness scale (although Nix weirdly informs us that our male character is...cut....okay, I guess...). The adventure was dark and gruesome, as the central magic system is necromancy, so there was an unexpected element of horror in Sabriel. Nix pulls off a sinister sense of danger and risk that sustains itself from beginning to end. Characters die and are killed and brought back, and the ending! Bizarre, frightening, but endearing and clever. Loved it.

Cannot WAIT to pick up the sequels. This is my perfect book, no flaws, no notes. If you like sweeping romance and spooky fantasy, stuff like Howl's Moving Castle, BUY IT!

The Ship of the Dead

By Rick Riordan - I don't know how to review Riordan books. I don't know what to say. They're all carbon copies of each other with little distinct tweaks to an excellent formula. They're all good.

I mean it, I don't know what to say. The Magnus Chase series is good. Period. It's fun, it's weird, and this finale was especially dark. The dragon scenes were excellently scary! Throughout the rest of The Ship, I was laughing, I was gasping, I was having a wonderful ol' time. Period, no notes. Keep it up, Rick.

Don't sleep on these books, that's all. Read them, learn stuff, warm your heart, and repeat. Revolutionary series? No. But joyous and loveable? Absolutely. RENT IT!

Borne

By Jeff Vandermeer - I just ate so good this month. Sabriel was my perfect book, and so too is Borne. I am an insatiable devourer of dark romance. Thank you Jeff, god bless.

Weird is the best way to describe Vandermeer's projects. The Southern Reach trilogy played on evolution, madness, and legacy. It was freaky and exciting, and I knew after finishing it that I had to read more from Vandermeer. His mind is sometimes so impossible to comprehend. Borne came into my lap, and I zipped through it in no time. Why? Of course, because there's romance! I just can't put that shit down, I'm serious!!

This novel is quirky and silly at times, and then it quickly turns upsetting and dark at the drop of a hat. It's graphic and absurd, and the terror is masterfully written. Like Junji Ito, Vandermeer finds horror in the absurd. He takes a bear, a frightening predator, and says, what if it was really big? And it was flying? And it also used to be a normal man, but now its a fucked-up god? Silly, strange, but when written in the cosmic sense, as Vandermeer writes it, petrifying. The mundane becomes the macabre. Chef's kiss.

And a goopy, otherworldly, unfathomable monster? What if it was a child? What if it loved you, and you taught it to be kind, but it was still just a monster? Borne the character is so complex and fun and scary, and I think I won't ever to be able to forget how he made me laugh.

And I didn't even mention the romance, oh, the ROMANCE! Another perfect book. If you're into psychological horror and romance, this is for you. I'm talking fucked-up, NieR: Automata, SCP shit. Loved it so, SO much, BUY IT!

In the Time of the Butterflies

By Julia Alvarez - And now for something completely different! I read A Thousand Splendid Suns and told my friend I was a sucker for stories about the struggles of women in the world. She said, "Oh! I've got just the book for you!"

In the book's Afterword, Alvarez explains her intent to bring the struggles of the Dominican Republic to the English-speaking world. That English-speaking world is a bubble, after all, and it's a difficult one to penetrate. Growing up as an American, I knew almost nothing about the world south of America. I learned about Europe and China and North America, but I essentially thought South America was all one, big, same place. Africa, too. Of the Dominican Republic, even as an adult, I knew very little.

For that, I am most thankful to the book. Alvarez follows a fictionalized version of the Mirabal sisters, four sisters whom three of were martyred during the Era of Trujillo. While many of the events of book are dramatized, many surprising scenes are not. I was constantly fact-checking the events of this book, which lead to lots of time spent researching the history of the Dominican Republic. Before this read, I knew next to nothing about the country, and now, that's totally changed.

The book feels mournful from the start, as the reader knows these women are doomed. Nonetheless, each feels like a fully realized woman with personality and desires, hopes and sorrows. I only became emotional during the epilogue, when Alvarez details the impact of these four women following the murders. I genuinely felt I had watch three women die far, far too young, and I commend Alvarez for that.

Alvarez has accomplished a powerful, insightful novel about women and the Dominican Republic. The day of their death, I learned too, would become the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. That's kind of a big deal! It's a personal, emotional read, and I'd recommend it to any and all readers who want to understand a massive part of history in a quiet corner of the world. RENT IT!

Yumi and the Nightmare Painter

By Brandon Sanderson - I am no stranger to Sanderson's work, but I knew almost nothing about his four "Secret Project" novels. Of them, this one attracted me the most because romance + fantasy = yippee!! Unfortunately...I sort of hated this book.

I love the Mistborn series. Really enjoyed The Way of Kings and Elantris. Adored Warbreaker. Again, I am quite familiar with Sanderson's cosmere and his style of writing. Yumi was akin Sanderson's modern Mistborn books--fun, but lackluster. Where Alloy of Law and its sequels are campy, Yumi is just embarrassing. I was cringing SO MUCH at Sanderson's constant need to explain away all the mystery of this book! Mystery is good, I kept screaming! Ask Nix! I don't need an explanation for every little thing! When he wasn't explicitly saying, "Yes, we are definitely in fantasy anime Japan," he was covering for all the plot-holes that OBVIOUSLY weren't really plot-holes! Plot-holes I hadn't even considered, until his quirky narrator served them up to me out of nowhere! Why? I don't know! I don't know!!!

Don't get me started on the Japanese-cringe. It really felt like a mediocre, forgettable anime. At one point early on, Sanderson attempts to explain what MUST be Keigo, and...oof. So wrong, so misunderstood! And why attempt putting fantasy Korea into the mix when hardly any effort was made to do so? Why not make both Japanese fantasy? WHY?!

I'm getting angry just writing this. The book had a lot of potential to explore cool ideas; a nobody from a technologically-advanced society ends up in a position of import in a foreign land, where everyone thinks he's someone he isn't. The possibility for conflict was ripe. What if Painter thieved Yumi's body? What if he attempted to split their connection and seize control? His own body had been stolen and reshaped! Wouldn't he be disturbed, upset? I wanted some kind of betrayal, I wanted anger and agency, but instead, our two main characters are instantly peas in a pod! Everything's cool, all the time! Painter's secrets are small and unimpactful, and while the twist of Yumi's world WAS more worthwhile, it somehow lacked drama? How? The twist was huge, why didn't it feel huge! It was Broken Age and Your Name, but worse. If there were stakes, I didn't care about them!

To describe this book in one word, I'd say disappointing. Don't read this. Watch Your Name, play Broken Age, but just...just don't read this. Waste of my time! SKIP IT!

[henrysglock]

Hi! You said I could ask you questions if I had any (I’m sure you explain stuff I’m about to ask in other posts but I don’t have the time to go through alll of them rn SORRY IF IT FEELS REPETITIVE TO EXPLAIN)

So I read your big timeloop post (super super cool post btw LIKE OMGGG MY BRAIN IS BRRING) and you mentioned some stuff that I don’t rlly know about (guessing it’s TFS stuff) anyways! I wanna know what you’re talking about because I wanna make sure I fully understand everything you’re talking about. And I’m sure I could look some of this up but I’d prefer hearing your thoughts/personal takes on it because it helps me understand stuff better

Anyways I was wondering if you could explain more about “The Attack on Mr Newby” ? As well as tell me what we know about Brenners dad so far? you explained quite a bit of it in that post- I’m not sure if you covered it all, and sense Brenners dad seems to have to do quite a bit with his motives I wanna know as much as I can abt him

ALSO whose inmate 58361 and what purpose did they have in the story? Was it just someone Henry killed to appease the MF?

Okay yes!! Absolutely. Buckle in. So the attack on Mr. Newby was an event in The First Shadow. Patty and Henry are in the Creel attic using his powers to search for her mother. Midway through, the Mindflayer attacks and possesses Henry/puts him into a vision. Hearing Patty's distress, Mr. Newby comes up to help. He ends up being the target of Henry's powers (while he's possessed, much the same as it was with Prancer earlier on). Although Henry fights the Mindflayer off (with some help from Definitely Not Patty), Mr. Newby loses his eys and breaks several bones falling through the attic floor after he's dropped when the possession connection is severed. He later tells Patty, who was completely convinced that Henry did all of that of his own accord out of malice, that she has to save Henry from the Mindflayer because he was fighting it/it wasn't his fault at all.

All we know about Brenner's dad is that he was the captain of the USS Eldridge, which was the ship in the Philadelphia Experiment. It vanished into Dimension X when our Brenner turned 15 (October of 1943...yes, on our Brenner's birthday), and Captain Brenner was the sole survivor. He returned to our dimension with an altered blood type (the same weird blood type Henry has...which sounds like a development that came about when he went missing in a Nevada cave system about a year before moving to Hawkins, around the same time that he began having hallucinations and violent tendencies from the Mindflayer) that caused his body to reject all transfusions of normal blood types. We're not given a reason that the blood type changes after exposure to Dimension X, just that it happens. Captain Brenner told our Brenner everything he knew about Dimension X, and succumbed to his injuries shortly after. Evidently, our Brenner didn't like his father very much, given that Captain Brenner tells us that our Brenner told him he hates him. However, Captain Brenner's disappearance and death is, supposedly, our Brenner's motivation irt Henry and the lab kids: Finding someone who will let him into Dimension X so he can solve the mystery of what, exactly, happened to his father.

Inmate 58361 was a prisoner that Brenner brought in for Henry to "feed" on, since he surmised that Henry gains strength from killing Vecna-style after hearing about the animals. Henry refuses to hurt 58361, and Brenner makes a pitch at him about how animals can't consent to testing the way people in the prison system could. Fucked up, huh? Anyway, all this happens after Henry agrees to break out of HNL to meet Patty at the school play so they can run away from Brenner together. Henry, still resistant to Brenner's demands that he kill and worked up by Brenner's psychological tormenting (the hollering, the insults, the Everything), lashes out to escape. 58361 gets caught in the crossfire as Henry goes after Brenner and the guards (though mind you—Henry stops short of killing Brenner or the guards, despite EVERYTHING). 58361's eyes go, which we can see in the bloodstains on the sack over his head when the attack happens. This makes him super important, because it shows that Henry's natural killing style is not Vecna-style. It's actually far more similar to El's style that we see in ST1 with Connie and the lab goons, which has major implications about what we see in the massacre irt One's kill-style. tl;dr: 58361 was meant, by Brenner, to be a food sacrifice to the Mindflayer/Henry. Henry refuses to kill him, but ends up hurting him by accident while trying to free himself from the lab.

Whew. LOTS of stuff. Saw the play 4 times in person (and like 5 more times on tape...for legal reasons this is a joke) and it's STILL a lot to take in especially when it comes to fitting it into filmed canon.

[aita-blorbos]

AITA for throwing my creator’s other invention off a cliff and trying to beat him and his friends up all the time?

So I know that everyone’s going to immediately jump on me saying “You were both built by the same guy that makes you BROTHERS” but no absolutely not he’s NOT my brother I would never view him as that ever and I’m going to explain exactly why

My (12 M, physically 20) creator’s other invention “Zach” (70 M, physically 20) was built about 68 years before me when our inventor “Jonah” was in his thirties. Our inventor viewed Zach as his son and raised him like one, supposedly “loving him” and all that garbage.

When he was about 90, he supposedly “died” and erased all of Zach’s memories blah blah blah who cares

The point is that Jonah somehow didn’t actually die even though he thought he would and for some BS reasons got dragged out to a lighthouse way out in the ocean, where he built me.

Jonah built me to look as much like Zach as possible, called me Zach, and tried to make ME be exactly like him EVEN THOUGH I WASN’T. I was supposed to be just like him, and for the longest time, I idolized him for being so “perfect” because of the way our inventor talked about him.

After a VERY LONG TIME, Jonah eventually put me in the basement of the lighthouse and told me to stay there, and being the obedient kid I was, I did. And APPARENTLY while I was down there, ZACH CAME TO THE LIGHTHOUSE AND RESCUED JONAH, LEAVING ME BEHIND

I SPENT THE NEXT FIVE YEARS OF MY LIFE ALONE IN A LIGHTHOUSE WITH NO ONE THERE FOR ME AT ALL

After five years, though, some people broke in and saved me. I explained my life story to them, and they explained not only that Jonah ACTUALLY died now (thank ****), but a bunch of things about Zach and how he was their enemy

They helped me rebuild my rusted body and helped me get over my idolization of Zach, and then they even let me join their biking club where we were trying to bring back a guy who saved the club leader’s life and a bunch of other people’s, too!

They gave me a chance to prove that not only am I different person than Zach, but I’m BETTER than him. I’m more advanced, I’m higher quality, I’m cooler, smarter, more skilled, I’m more EVERYTHING than him!

He was an enemy of the club, and we ended up fighting a few times, and I eventually revealed that SURPRISE, I’M THE GUY YOU ABANDONED, YOU JERK

He acted like he had no idea who I was and tried to convince me to stop fighting him, but obviously I wasn’t going to fall for that. I said some cool snarky lines to get back at him a little- I even called myself his “brother” because I knew he would think of me as that and it would tug on his “goody-two shoes heartstrings” (like he’s ACTUALLY a good guy in any sense of the word)

Anyway the fight ended by me throwing him off a cliff and sneaking some spyware into his systems, just like the club leader told me to do (the last part, anyway. I’m the one who decided to throw him off a cliff because GOOD RIDDANCE)

But now all of the supposed “good guys” are apparently trying to convince me to “quit the evil biker gang” and join THEM, and it’s getting REALLY annoying, and like obviously I KNOW Zach can’t be a good guy, but with how victimized he and his friends are acting, I just need confirmation from people other than my friends that I’m doing the right thing fighting him. I KNOW I am, I just want to have other people confirm it.

So, AITA? (The answer is NTA btw)

[mediocre-noodle]

OKAY SO: headcanons

these can get kinda dark/angsty. seriously. however, its all discussional and only mentioned.

tw: suicidal thoughts/actions, mentioned suicides, mentioned depersonalization/derealization, mentioned self-sacrifices, “implied” depression (its canon atp—bc it is), spiraling, lack of preservation/being reckless due to suicidal thoughts (mentioned)

dont worry about the TWs aha— most of the time, he is fine. he is healing. he will get his happy not-ending. oh, why didnt i say ending? his existence won’t end… :]

remember how i said i made dallas in the middle of mcu hyperfix? i have mcu specific headcanons/interactions. not a lot but. yk. i also have a folder for “various multiverses” which is just fandoms + DSU (Dallas Striker Universe) i havent done a lot of expanding on

ANYWAYS ONTO THE HEADCANONS ->

bc of the differing time systems in each universe, dallas often asks for the date.

“—no, i knows its thursday, what’s the DATE. cool, cool— and the year?? we’re in 2018??!! holy shit, y’all are behind.” (context: mcu)

because dallas travels the multiverse, dallas IS aware of our earth. its called ‘the core’ (core universe) for short— needs a real universe name system. but this means theyre also aware that they are a character made by me. they think its cool but also existential crisis?? (they are kinda fond of me. i know i made it that way shhh i just want a brother figure)

dallas often has issues telling whats real

like MAJOR derealization and depersonalization issues/episodes. will breakdown, dissociate, have panic attack, etc

he often sacrifices himself or takes the blow or someone else because he knows he won’t die. it traumatizes everyone else though.

examples: (MCU) the snap so tony wouldn’t die (idk enough about natasha or bruce), (HTTYD) getting between toothless and hiccup faster so stoic didn’t die, taking bullets/blows/spells/etc.

when dallas’ body dies, it fades into particles like in genshin (without the weird falling thing) but hes still there. it can materialize again if dallas wants or not. if dallas exhausted himself too much , itll take a bit longer. most of the time, it takes maybe a min (because dallas normally dies during fights so he has to get back to help faster)

after his respawn, people will notice something… off about his body though. did he always have that scar? why are his eyes so bright?? why is his skin slightly glowing? the light around his head oddly looks like a halo if you focus.. huh. (other times, dallas might come back in full ascended form, 6 wings and covered in Eyes, fuckin cryptid bitch. scares the crap outta people who don’t expect the unexpected.)

teleport mechanic looks like black swan (hsr) except taht its gold and not wind(anemo) colored

yes dallas can shape shift yes dallas can sound like hatsune miku and mickey mouse and copy other peoples (and animals) voices PERFECTLY because he can physically change his larynx/voice box

recites memes in the exact way the original is

makes cosplays easier. and pranks.

imagine its pitch black and all you hear is: *dish shatters* *in the voice of shaggy* sHIT—

“*spongebob meme voice* 3 hours later” “oh, for fucks sake, dallas—“

gets sleep-deprived easy. cannot pull all-nighters— will kill someone. /hj

says odd shit when tired.

they say odd shit anyways but it gets worse/no filter when tired

dallas knows every language bc he’s old (multi-dimensional being. a cryptid.)

also interacting with the worlds They watch isnt common btw. dallas is just lonely. he has seraphina and aji but he wants to help the eyeless.

like you See everything!! congrats! you know how that mother cried for her son after he died and that dog whining in the shelter and that family on the streets and the party being thrown in this house and that kid is being adopted and theres another corrupt government and more human experimentation and look at that, capitalism is ruining this world too-

it gets to be too much sometimes. so he tries to fix things. it wont fix that world’s original timeline, but at least it’s something.

in the first few decades after his death when dallas’ mental health was fucking terrible— err The Worst ig bc he had to accept that he was dead and most his friends are basically dead or that he’d never get to see them again— he did attempt to take his life several times. it never worked because he physically cannot die (aka Stay Dead).

and whenever dallas hits a rough spot, he tends to get even more reckless and self-sacrificial than normal. (hes pretty reckless to begin w bc he cant die. better him than someone else, right?)

he acts happy and energetic, but he feels stuck in a never-ending spiral of Nothing and Everything. doing his job to guide the multiverse is hard when each universe is Fucked Up. he’s tired.

again again again and again do it again do it again /lyr / over and over and over and over and over and over /lyr

fun fact: i decided to give him peace so the first universe he went into after Ascending is Hermitcraft. its peaceful. he got a lot of healing done there. he visits often.

dallas striker is such a sad character dude WHY DO YOU DO THISSSSSSS

i mean at least hes getting better!!! he is healing!!!!

also the sleep thing is so real hes literally me