#this is my saving grace atm.

[cappucosmico]

going to kill myself over the state of my wallet rn

[ambalambs]

[landfilloftrash]

Woe; parental units of this cleric go brrr

[penrose-quinn]

I am going through it so I'm gonna take a break from tumblr for awhile

[themyscirah]

Started a post comparing the Messner-Loebs Flash and WW runs and their successes and failures (imo) in portraying certain themes and their similarities to each other but it started getting long and im a very slow tumblr post writer so that's a meta for another day. I do have what I think are well formed opinions on this and I'm fresh off of reading both runs so you guys are not allowed to let me forget abt writing this all up okay. Okay.

[bread-tab]

part of my security industry research has involved realizing that if i'm going to even *touch* that field, then ethically speaking i need to get real fricking familiar with the needs, rights, struggles, and effective-methods-of-helping my local homeless people first.

(or unhoused people, or transients, or whatever i'm supposed to call them. of all the panhandlers, scruffy travelers and homeless-looking people i've talked to on the street, i've never thought to ask "what's the politically correct thing to call you in broad generalizations about this life circumstance." feckin ay)

there's a shocking amount of security guard body cam footage on youtube—

(which is not shocking to me in the sense that people will do that—of course they will—but it seems like terrible opsec and/or a privacy violation. or at least something you'd have under an NDA. and you'd think people that work security would be more discreet. but then, you don't hear about the discreet ones... *sigh* whatever. people post it)

—and a significant portion of that boils down to "someone was sleeping here and i had to tell them to leave."

(granted the ones i watched were very down to earth and gentle-but-firm about it. better than unleashing Scared Karen into a dank apartment stairwell or calling the cops. but still.)

which idk about you but i don't think that's a point in favor of the profession. feels kinda bleak and sad and icky! i'm just also not sure if there's a better alternative, specifically, for someone acting legally as the agent of a private property owner. that's... The Problem.

[nocturnal-birb]

Whenever Rika's glasses fog up due to some warm drink or a cup of noodles and Copia happens to catch that, he'd giggle and think it's cute

..meanwhile Rika struggles to eat noodles cause of it

[unsuredreamer]

Savior

Bridget Hearts 🩷 x fem reader

it's so shit I'm so sorry, but i feel like every idea just flees out of my head atm 🥲

"I will destroy you!" Uliana roared, preparing herself to run after Bridget. Eating too many flamingo feathers had its side effects, and it was about time she found out that when someone says 'don't do it' you simply listen.

It enraged you. She was so stupid, yet everyone feared her. How so? You'd never understand why they didn't stand up to her. What would she do? Run after you? It was all she was capable of, after all.

You needed to put a stop to her dumb frantics, so you stepped up with your dagger, holding it close to her neck.

"Oooo, we dont wanna do that, do we?" You grinned, basically threatening her with death. It was exciting, thrilling. Being just a step away from getting rid of someone, having that power over them. Being in a possession of their life thread, having the scissors steady in your hand. It was amusing to you. The goosebump on your skin shows from the rush you felt deep inside.

The dagger you held so close it was pinning her skin, making a slight dent. Her breath on hold. "I suggest you step away from our princess of hearts or you'll make an excellent sushi tonight, darling." You mirrored her peers' shocked expressions. None of them daring to step up to you. You were feared amongst them, being slightly older than the rest of the students, and kind of crazy too. It had its advantages having your twisted history behind.

"Marinated octopus. How does it sound?" Or would you like something last season? Shrimp pasta?" You smiled ominously, pricking the sharp end deeper in her neck, almost making it bleed. You could sense the blade cutting her first skin, making her immediately stumble back.

"You- You're mad!" She managed to yell out, holding her fresh wound before she took her turn, walking away, or should you say, basically running away. Your graceful dagger flew after her pinning itself right beside her head, trimming her friends hair in the process.

"Might be, just a little bit" you giggled, making the blade return to you with a swift wave of your hand. Turning yourself to the other group, you fixed your button-up shirt. Red and Chloe standing in awe at how well mannered you seemed even though you almost committed murder right in front of their eyes. Red thanking you internally for saving her mother. "But aren't we all?" You grinned, your cheshire cat-like smile making everyone around you blush. You were charming, to say the least, although it was not thanks to your name. "Look at that," you pouted, pointing at the shattered plate in front of you. "She wasted such good cupcakes. What a shame"

"Don't worry, Y/n, i think I have enough for everyone!" Bridget smiled brightly. "Thank you for your savior service" She bowed jokingly, giving you one of her famous smiles in return.

"And look at you cupcake, How could anyone not like you?" You waved your hands in the air, making her broken belongings whole again. Holding it our for her. "This plate was too pretty to be broken. Dont let yourself be broken, beautiful, " you winked before dissappearing into thin air. Red and Chloe blinking a couple of times to check if they saw right.

"Woah, who was that? Hot, sexy and amusing?" Red spoke up, getting a glare in return from both Bridget and Chloe. "I'm just saing" the girl threw her arms in the air in a defensive manner.

"That was Y/n. We don't really know much about her" Bridget dreamily explained, holding her beautifully decorated plate close to her chest.

"Only that she's done some horrible stuff. And she's kinda insane" Ella blabbered, rolling the cupcake trolley.

"It was for good!. And she's right, we're all mad here" Bridget butt in, snapping herself out of her daydreams.

" If you can call cutting someone's lim-"

"Ella, they don't have to know that" bridget laughed nervously, taking another plate from her trolley "She's not that bad how they make her out to be-here you go-" The pink haired princess walked around giving out more of her delicious cupcakes. "She is actually so nice-"

"She commits crime at least 3 times a week, and her go-to 'entertaining' hobby is watching people stumble and fall over this tree root" Ella butt in pointing at the object.

"But, she paints me pink roses and brings me many different ingredients for my sweets. Isn't that nice?" Bridget hummed, making red and chloe look at themselves

"Do you think what i think?" Red whispered to her fellow 'friend', the other just nodding her head.

-

"You know, I think you should ask Bridget out for castlecoming" Red blurted out while walking after/stalking you around the school.

"Yeah? Why is that so?" You giggled, holding a book about baking. You were currently at the library, just trying to make your way to the comfy corner made specifically for residents of the library. Unfortunately, you couldn't use it if you weren't reading a book of some sort. Hence why you took ahold of whatever, with intentions of taking a nap in the place.

"Well, you seem to be liking her, aaaand she seems to be liking you too" You laughed, you loved being in these kinds of situations.

"Well loves, what made you think I like this princess?" You looked up from your book, you let's be real, were not paying attention to. The question made them rethink everything.

"You-She-em" Chloe tried, but nothing made sense

"I guess she's alright" You grinned at their troubled expressions.

Princess of hearts was more than alright. She was everything and nothing at the same time. She was the air you breathed and the hard ground you walked on. She is like the ocean breeze early in the morning, the sunbeams lightly musking your face and the cold water splashing your body. She lit up the whole room with her bright eyes and cute smile. Like a walk through a rainy forest, she made you content and calm. Her delicate and soft features fairly contrast to your strong ones. It made you only more drawn to her.

"Wouldn't you want to take her out?"

"You're very persistent. interesting" you hummed "And why would I do that, Red my love?" You flew up from your comfortable place, spinning around doing flips. Red grimacing at the nickname, Chloe glaring at you "Chill Charming" The snort you let out made chloe burst out one of her own "I will take your mommy to the dance Red. Don't want her turning out evil, do we?"

"How do you-?"

"Well, I might have or have not overheard you twoooo, talking maybee" You flew circling them both, extra dragging your words making them annoyed "Aboouut an evil Queen who likes to behead people, whom also happened to be your mom and she sentenced your mom to death" You grinned spitting it all out in one breath "Crazy little woman"

"So now you know"

"Yeah, that's what I said. Are you deaf darling?" She was ready to jump you but got stopped by Chloe, thankfully. "I'm going, my children. I have to make a proposal for your mom now, do i?"

"Only my mom not hers!"

"Of course!" You laughed, dissappearing in the frame.

-

"Hello Bridget" You whispered into her ear appearing behind her. Your lips musking her skin. she stopped breathing for a hot second, staring intensively at her notebook. A beautiful yours heart shaped necklace with lots of cards and sweets drawn on the page. Her slender manicured fingers held onto a pencil, touching up some lines. "That is amazingly jaw-dropping." You kept on whispering

"Thank you" She whispered out herself, turning her head to the side. Her lips almost touching yours in the process. Her big brown eyes dropping down to your lips, then back up to your own enchanting ones.

"You know if you want to kiss me, you just have to ask" You leaned closer, bumping your noses together, giving her your biggest grin possible.

"What if i do?" Her sudden confidence made you stumble a bit back, but her quick grip on your collar dragged you in closer "...want to kiss you" she breathed out into your lips. you felt every bone in your body snap.

"Then we might just have to do that" You looked down on her lips, almost closing the blank space between you two if it weren't for the sudden yank of your shirt from the back.

"Please don't do that here" Red grimaced, secretly smirking when she saw you on the ground.

"Party pooper!" You floated up placing yourself between two girls. "Ohh, such a sunshine!" You threw your arm around Ella, the girl too stiff to shrug it off.

"Whatever"

"Sooooo, Ella tell me how's it going with little prince Charming" You grinned against her cheek, she blushed hard at the mention of him

"Did he ask you to the castle coming yet?" Bridget asked excitedly, almost pushing you off the bench.

"He did, but I'm not going. i think i made my point clear-"

"Oh c'monnnn. At least he asked you" Bridget pouted "I wish someone would ask me" the girl dragged, looking down on her drawing, popping her head on her palm. Red looked at you, raising her eyebrows.

"Cupcake" with just a single word everyone was looking at you, not a bit of your confidence faltering away. With a wave of your hand a pink rose appeared, well developed with only a single thorn and two leafs. "Could I take you to castle coming?" you asked in all seriousness, presenting her the rose. Her eyes widened at your gesture.

"Well, there weren't any roses for me, surely," Ella grinned, wiggling her eyebrows at the other girls.

"So what do you say, princess?" She threw her arms around your neck, engulfing you in a tight hug.

"Hell yes! I'd love it, actually. " She smiled widely, giving you a kiss on the cheek. You felt the blood rushing in you. You loved the feeling of her lips on you, her touch. She was so soft, like a pillow. So delicate. It made you want more.

You never thought about the princess of hearts that way. Actuallyy you did, once or twice. But before that, she was always just there. Just someone you'd defend before Uliana and her crew. Someone who did cool card tricks and someone who was so easily prank-able. But you wouldn't dare. She was good-hearted, almost perfect. No one was that pure, and still, here she was, pure as the driven snow. A pretty girl there was no denying. You've never imagined what her touch would feel like if it lingered on you a bit more than a few seconds. Or if she's keeping any secrets, she had to, right?

-

"You know Bridget, you look absolutely gorgeous" You smiled, not sarcastically, a true genuine smile you haven't done for years. It made her blush for the millionth time this evening.

Your hands were resting on her small waist, hers on your shoulders, making her fingers intertwine on your neck. Slowly swaying your bodies together in the rythm of the music. Not your thing completely, but her presence changed it entirely. It was probably the last song of the night, leaving only a few couples in the ballroom. But you both had such great fun you wouldn't wish on heavens to go home right now. Just being here with her was the right place, and you felt it deep inside.

"Thank you" Was all she made out "Thank you for taking me here" She laid her head on your chest, placing you both even closer.

"No worries. I could do it a million times if it meant getting to spend time with you. My heart" you swayed both of you slowly, the song never ending.

"I loved tonight, I'm glad im here with you. I hope we'll be able to spend more time together" She looked up at you, her big brown eyes staring closely and longingly. Your heart is beating rapidly in your chest. You placed your hand in her hair, grabbing the back of her head.

"Of course we will. I'm making sure of that" Her eyes lit up, brightening the whole room for you. You were absolutely in awe, speechless. She had never looked better. The dim lights only making her singular features pop more. No one will ever look better than her.. At least you won't be looking at them. You've got your only one star, your moon. She was not yours, but she will be. "Can I kiss you?" The sudden question did not startle her in fact she did not mutter a word. A single nod with a smile was all that it took.

You will be her savior forevermore

[staytinyville]

Towards the Light Masterlist (2K Followers Special)

↣ Summary: You’ve lived eight different lives, all of which they couldn’t save you. Now they will do all they can to keep you alive and within their arms. 

↣ Characters/Pairing: Fallen Angel!Ateez x Reader

↣ Genre: Mature

↣ AU/Trope info: Fallen Angel!Au, Reincarnation!Au

↣ Word Count: N/A

↣ Warnings: Topics of suicide in one of the one-shots, mental illness, violence, marital abuse and violence, murder, smut (More warnings apply within each chapter)

↣ A/N: This was just one of the few stories I was inspired to write after my concert. It was one of the greatest things I got the chance of experiencing and I am so excited to see them again. I don’t know when but I am hoping to. Tell me what were your favorite parts of the concert!

Staytinyville’s Permanent Taglist

↣ Affiliates: @cultofdionysusnet , @cromernet , @monsterfvckersunited , @pirateeznet , @k-labels , @k-vanity

↣ Special Thanks: Thank you @saradika-graphics for the amazing banners! Please go check her out if you have specific banners in mind. She is great!

Was there really someone watching over you? Someone who would protect you from any harm? The idea that someone–something–would drop everything just to see you live another day, was beyond comprehensible. Was their love for you so powerful they would ruin their grace for you?

**

You could remember the time when things seemed to have changed within your soul. It had been when your family was slaughtered within your home by the invaders. Or could it have been when you had gotten sick and landed in the hospital? No, it must have been when you proverked those men to attack you. No–No–

There were so many things that led you to be confused when you truly felt like things were taking a turn. You weren’t too sure what was real and what was just a story you might have heard. You couldn’t even decide if you were a real person living in the modern day world. The only thing that kept you going was the fact that others still acknowledged you at one point or another. 

You didn’t live in a village. Didn’t live in Victorian era London. You for sure weren’t married. 

You lived on the 12th floor of a high rise building. You had a fridge that held all the food you would eat for the week. You had a fat cat that owlishly blinked at you from its perch on the window every time you came in frazzled from work. You had a plant in a pot that would sometimes smell from the water you had given it the day before. 

No–No. You lived in modern day times where genocide was a war crime. Where medicine was now able to contract a sickness you might have. Where women had more voice than ever before. 

Where looking over the side of a building caused for concern from your peers because suicide was not something to be taken lightly. 

It was modern day times, and yet you still always thought about the past. 

You weren’t a skeptic but you were a paranoid person for some reason. You felt like you were being watched for years–even going as far as seeking help for schizophrenia. But your paranoia never changed, however your feelings did. 

You grew used to looking behind your shoulder in hopes of catching whoever was looking at you. Feeling the shivers go down your spine as someone gets too close. But the moment you let your guard down, that was when the dreams started. 

One by one you saw them each in your dreams–each more different then the last. But still always watching you.

1960s - Jongho - October 1

1910s - Wooyoung - October 5

1880s - Mingi - October 9

1830s - San - October 13

1740s - Yeosang - October 17

1700s - Yunho - October 21

1690s - Seonghwa - October 25

1620s - Hongjoong - October 29

2024 - ATEEZ - October 31

Be sure to apply to my Masterlist on Google docs if you would like to be tagged in the series. I was gonna do Kinktober but bro I didn’t catch up quickly. I don’t have time because I’m going on vacation in October so yeah. My smut writing is trash atm bro. I can’t

[umbrella-academy-hcs]

Don't know if your still taking requests but I need to tell someone this bc idk if it's been done before and I'm itching to tell somebody

I have a personal headcannon that grace actually let all of the hargreeves kids choose their own names instead of giving them names herself because their orignal mothers didn't even get time to name them, and Reginald just didn't care enough he only cared about the number. grace and pogo encouraging them as they grew up to choose the name THEY wanted to use for themselves Five simply choosing not to use one other then the number because he already felt comfortable with that and everyone being completely chill with viktor coming out because they already chose their own names anyway who cares if you changed it now can we get back to saving the world please (sorry if the point about viktor sounds odd I'm a trans guy but don't wanna offend anyone)

I think that's all I gotta say I can't think of anything else to add atm but thank you for reading this if you see it I appreciate people viewing my rambling)

Actually yeah! I have the same hc! Its just always made sense to me that they picked their own names bc otherwise Grace would have chosen a name for Five, Five just never found a name that felt right and then he was flung into an apocalypse where it didn't really matter anymore so by the time he was around people again he was just Five and he didn't feel like being anything else

[gunkbaby]

Nothing against shuuneki/tsukikane as a ship but i have a pretty strong gripe with the argument about it being ‘literally canon’

from the perspective of Shuu and Shuu alone, you could say that shuuneki is canon (r we still allowed to call it shuuneki? That’s what I’ve always known it as, but i see most ppl nowadays call it tsukikane more??? ) because I wholeheartedly believe that Shuu loved Kaneki. Both romantically and in other ways. I’d need to hear very solid reasoning as to why anyone would think against this idea before i use the word ‘homophobic’ but anyways.

the argument that Kaneki was also into Shuu in that way, and that his opinion of Shuu ever extended beyond the graces of close friendship, is sort of where my issue with the ‘literally canon’ statement is.

I think it sort of ignores the development in Shuu’s character. How he goes from being very obsessive, co-dependent, limerent, (etc) over Kaneki, and the damage this causes him. I know and have seen that for a lot of Shuuneki fans that this limerence draws them to the ship, and i totally get that. I am drawn to Shuu because in part of that obsessiveness - cue obligatory mention of me projecting my BPD onto Shuu - and he’s been so much of a comfort for me because of that, in a way that has saved my life on multiple occasions. So I totally understand why people are drawn to the ship - the ship itself is nothing I have an issue with.

But I think that this idea that Shuuneki is canon misses the mark quite a bit. I think in a tldr of my thoughts on Kaneki’s feelings - Kaneki comes to genuinely care for Shuu, and I think his love of Shuu only extends to a platonic relationship. Maybe my opinion will change of that upon a re-read, though. I’ve seen it cited like years ago, that things like Kaneki thinking Shuu looked like a model, or that Kaneki’s initial nerves around Shuu are evidence of romantic or sexual feelings. I think this is kind of a null argument - Kaneki isn’t exactly a confident or outwardly extroverted person at that point in the manga, whereas Shuu is quite abrasive and loud. Kaneki has also been warned about Shuu, and was sort of set to get into the Ghoul Restaurant via Shuu from Itori - so him being nervous is definitely not evidence of inherent attraction. Kaneki thinking Shuu looks like a model too? I mean, it didn’t feel like a charged thought of his to me. This could maybe be an argument more for queerness in Kaneki - but I don’t know enough to speak on that. Both characters are nuanced so there’s a lot more I could say here - and by proxy more arguments against me, I suppose.

But my point is: i don’t believe Kaneki being nervous about Shuu is indicative of him being attracted to Shuu. I sort of think this argument kind of also damages Shuu’s arc in the whole story. Shuu’s growth, to me, hinges a lot on that he wants Kaneki - it is the inability to have this, the fact that this is denied to him, and the myriad reasons as to why this is, that leads to his self-destruction, rebirth and regrowth. Shuu’s coming to understand Kaneki as something more than he had initially thought - as something other than food - also comes into this, and I do believe that’s part of why he was so devastated. Like I said, I believe that Shuu loved Kaneki very passionately, and I won’t deny that he was attracted to him - but it is one-sided. (In canon, at least - idc what shippers are doing, have ur fun, this isn’t about that.)

idk if that makes any sense - im a mess mentally atm - but i hope my point is kind of clear? I think the ‘shuuneki canon’ argument is only really valid if you are viewing it as Shuu canonically is in love with Kaneki - I don’t see Kaneki as ever seeing him as more than friends.

[charliemwrites]

hi charlie:) omg ur dog johntent (i absolutely adore that word btw) is my saving grace atm, im super sick and ive just been scrolling through ur works for hours ghghhfuhgt, AHHHH ur brain is so wrinkly 💞💞 make sure to drink water!! -🎄🎄anon

Hi, 🎄🎄!! I’m sorry you’ve been sick. I hope the Johntent (I can’t believe this is catching on) helps you feel better ❤️

[jklovesfandoms]

Hi! In preparation for writing my own Lautskity fic I was making a playlist for them, and I thought I would ask if you had any songs that you thought really fit?

(Also I love your writing, you're really cool okbye)

Hi! Sorry for the very late response, I'm in a show atm. And thank you!!

I don't super listen to music outside of musicals, but there's a few songs that I personally think are very connected to Lautskity!

1: Something Stupid by Frank Sinatra (hence why it was my first lyric fic for them)

2: Meteor Shower by Cavetown (they would totally get each other things in the others' favorite colors, and every single one of them would give up everything including themselves in order to save the other two)

3: Fool by Cavetown (if you're wanting to get angsty about it)

4: Pigeon by Cavetown (again, if you're wanting angst, especially in a Steph shoots Pete universe)

5: Heather by Conan Gray (I personally view it as Grace longing for Pete and Steph, so again again, leaning into the angst here)

But yeah! Once again, I pretty much exclusively listen to Hatchetfield and Ride The Cyclone, but Cavetown is like the only other artist I listen to, lol.

And also I apparently just like making them angsty, I'm pretty sure that it's a legal requirement!

[fizzingwizard]

My favorite things ever created for Lupin III were Mine Fujiko's Lie, and The Woman Called Mine Fujiko

Not because I don't love the fun, energetic, quirky vibe of the classic series. Not because I prefer Fujiko to the boys (though I do adore her).

For me, The Woman Called Mine Fujiko resurrected not just Fujiko, but every female character written by a man who assumed he knew what makes women tick - or didn't care whether he knew, and just wanted to write her that way.

In the classic series, Fujiko's both a strong, dangerous woman who regularly betrays Lupin, yet she's also a helpless damsel in distress who needs Lupin to save her. How much she is of either depends on the writer and the story. Her saving grace is that, even back then, there was already more than just a sense that Lupin enjoyed getting outmaneuvered by her. They were the kind of perfect rivals who make the fan girls drool when it's two men, and start to see secret romantic longing in every look. Lupin and Fujiko really were rivals in love, but instead of making them more interesting, it hurt them. It made Lupin seem stupid, and it made Fujiko seem cold, heartless, selfish, and arrogant. What's more, because the story always favored Lupin and the boys' POV, we rarely ever got a glimpse of what Fujiko thought or felt - so fans were free to attribute to her whatever motivations they wanted. And fans, when it comes to beautiful, treacherous women, aren't very open-minded, let alone forgiving.

So The Woman Called Mine Fujiko was desperately needed. It somehow managed to pull Fujiko out of the grip of the male gaze without turning her into some kind of angel. It subverted the whole "she turned out like this because she was damaged as a child," by making us think that's what happened to her and then making it all a lie. She's still a criminal. She still betrays and uses people and is less spiritual and more practical about taking life than the romantics Jigen and Goemon (and often Lupin) are. And the underlying message was, it really doesn't matter what made Fujiko. She's a woman, and she's free to do what she wants. Even if it's bad. If we admire Lupin, we really have no business hating Fujiko. (Specific episodes can make most anyone hate her, but that should be chalked up to bad writing and low respect for characterization. This is, after all, fiction.) And, we learn, Lupin isn't in love with Fujiko just because she's beautiful and dangerous. He's also in love with her because he loves freedom, and freedom is Mine Fujiko.

In Mine Fujiko's Lie, we once again get this amazing, nuanced Fujiko who subverts tropes as neatly as she high kicks in heels. Her antagonist is a warped version of herself, a master manipulator who doesn't realize how he's manipulated by others, whose freedom comes with his first taste of desire - and which ultimately leads to his destruction. Nothing ventured, nothing gained - or lost. In her usual style, Fujiko defeats him by seducing and betraying him. While the art avoids the gore of Jigen's and Goemon's episodes, the eroticism highlights Fujiko's body's softness and vulnerability in a way that makes her seem desperate but determined as she uses psychological manipulation to win over sheer male power. Thematically, yeah, she's still talking about love and sex. But there's something existential about the way she talks, something deep that digs into the human psyche.

And the reframing of Fujiko's skill as psychology rather than seduction is only part of what's modern and liberating. The other is her relationship with the little boy (whose name I can't recall atm :P). We're primed to think (or dread) that Fujiko is about to tap into her latent maternal instincts. She's a woman, so of course she won't be able to resist a motherless child! And, as un-Fujiko-like as that would be, the alternative - her stealing the boy's only chance at a healthy life along with stranding him as an orphan - was too distasteful to hope for. The story string us along, making us think it'll be one, it'll be the other... and then, in the end, she's neither drawn into motherly sentiment, nor does she turn out to be utterly irredeemably (the usual fate of women who don't perform femininity in an acceptable way). She gets what she wants and the boy gets what he needs. He probably won't have stellar memories of her - and she's still far, far from an angel. But she's worked the job the way that she wants to work it, with resourcefulness and independence. Unlike her helpless charge, or her helpless antagonist. It's telling that this is the only movie of the three in this series which results in a direct kill (of the main antagonist, I mean). If there's anything Fujiko can't stand, it's helplessness. She's going to survive. She doesn't wax romantic about what it means to be a warrior. Someone came for her, she gave as good as she got - that's Fujiko. And yet, though she can't afford to be weak, she isn't so hard that she can't fall asleep on Lupin's shoulder.

I needed both of these stories to love Lupin III. Without them, I don't think I'd be able to look at it as anything more than a boy's fantasy. Fujiko's gotten some better development and overall treatment in some of the more recent anime series - but I will say that I was really disappointed in her in season six, because I felt she was rewritten to be more like ScarJo's Black Widow than anyone who could function as Lupin's rival and lover at once.

rabbit trail: The bit in Goemon's Blood Spray, where Fujiko walks off because Goemon's self-punishment is too ridiculous to watch, and Jigen and Lupin are all "This is how men are," about it, gets a mixed reaction from me. On the one hand, I tend to feel like Fujiko, that as confused yet determined as Goemon was, him killing himself through training is just wasteful. As is his friends letting him, because that's what he wants and he's got a warrior's spirit and yadda yadda. But on the other, my real issue is claiming this is a gender difference. It's glorifying the warrior philosophy yet again, when in the real world strong, war-hardened men run from battle every day, not because they aren't real warriors, but because they have sense. Live to die another day. (Which, incidentally, is what happens for Goemon, because he survives the training.) IMO Fujiko left because she's practical. Goemon did what he did because he's spiritual. Jigen didn't understand him, but went along with him anyway, because Jigen is emotional. And Lupin did understand him and deliberately didn't get in his way because he's a mix of little bits of all the other characters.

[fellsilver]

I was going to make this all polished, but it’s more convenient for me to post from my phone atm. Baseline thoughts on the other Chosen where Gale and the orb are concerned. This will apply to my Laeral and Elm.ins.ter. I am very open to being flexible on this. It just gives me a base to work with, but if anyone wants to discus an alternative, I’m down. Parting note that I’m not including supporting quotations atm, but if anyone wants me to dig them up, I will.

My reasoning is based on:

The current Mys.tra is an amalgamation of Mystr.yl, prev!Mys.tra, and Midnight!Mys.tra. Mys.try.l died when Karsus tried to usurp her power. Midnight!Mys.tra died when Cyric murdered Her and Shar attempted to usurp control of the Weave. Mys.tra knows She exists in a cycle where someone will always try to usurp Her, and She will die and be reborn constantly.

Prev!Mys.tra we know went through many Chosen who failed to meet Her standards, including ones who tried to usurp Her or Azuth. We also know prev!Mys.tra took steps to ensure the Seven would have enough conflict with each other and others to limit their ambitions, and Midnight!Mys.tra admitted to being frightened of Elm.ins.ter and took back some of what Her predecessor shared with them.

Mys.tra has become more paranoid and secretive after the Spellplague. Getting murdered in your own home does that to you. She keeps much from Her Chosen — more than She ever did before — and requires them to keep information from each other.

Gale was able to quarantine himself in his tower in Waterdeep. It’s clearly well-known he fell from grace, but as far as we know, no one sought him and he didn’t seek anyone else.

It’s implied Mys.tra was controlling communication between Gale and the other Chosen. At the very least, She seems to have been closely watching.

My take on the situation:

Based on what Gale says, I theorize that being one of My.stra’s Chosen at the time he found the orb both damned and saved him. Her Chosen are unique in that each holds a portion of her “essential power” that they cannot use and that cannot be taken from them by force — even by Mys.tra. I posit that the orb sought to devour that piece of power but could not. Hence the parasitic bond it formed instead, staved off by the dweomers from enchanted objects.

Normally, when a Chosen dies, that essential power is released and slowly reabsorbed by Mys.tra. I posit that, if the orb had gotten ahold of it, it would have consumed it, and it would have been lost to Mys.tra forever. This is why She’s so desperate to see Gale die — in addition to how such an object scares Her after the Spellplague (and Karsus’ original attempt to use it).

So where the other Chosen are concerned:

Though they knew Gale was no longer one of them, they didn’t know why. Mys.tra told them nothing of the orb.

She enforced a quarantine, forbidding Her Chosen from coming within proximity of Gale. She feared the orb might hop to them if they did. This is why Elm.ins.ter only sent a simulacrum even when delivering the Goddess’ mandate.

She did not forbid them from contacting Gale by other means. Doing so would undoubtedly make them too curious to keep from investigating — or pique someone else’s curiosity. This is also why nothing was done about Gale living in Waterdeep: too suspicious. Better to let people speculate he’s simply fallen short of Her standards / couldn’t take the pressure. She did, however, closely monitor and manipulate any contact they had.

Lael and El were hesitant to contact Gale because they cared about him. Other Chosen who’d gone rogue had to be hunted and slain. That wasn’t immediately the case with Gale, and they didn’t want that to become the case. The less they knew about his situation, the closer they followed Mys.tra’s mandate, the smaller the chance they’d have to put him down.

You also have to consider that the life of a Chosen is a life without even a moment of rest. Literally. We know Lael and El had other major events to attend during the year preceding BG3. (We also know Lael’s power was greatly diminished for part of that year, and that the Chosen in general aren’t as powerful as they used to be.) If they rocked the boat where Gale was concerned, they’d risk a crisis of some sort. At any given moment, they have a dozen on their plate.

That having been said —

Neither would ignore Gale or Tara if they reached out first, and it’s very like both of them to do some investigations from afar or through agents. Pair of nosy meddlers. Lael would especially send Dove and Syluné (both Weave ghosts) to discreetly look in on Gale’s tower. What they discover — if anything— I leave to individual plotting.

El has been around the block too many times to give too much blind aid, but they’re clearly not without love and sympathy for Gale still. Depending on what’s asked and what they know, they may help.

Lael is more of a bleeding heart in this regard and has been sick of grief for centuries. She is more likely to give aid blindly — though still within reason. If Gale or Tara, while researching their options, go to Lael for sources or, while hunting for enchanted items, ask her for direction — she is likely to do so as long as she can reasonably assume it won’t endanger Waterdeep.

Both of them are willing to play fast and loose with or even defy divine mandates if they deem the cause great enough. Just as a note.

[ewanmitchellcrumbs]

Howdy- I know you’re off atm and that’s valid!

Just came to say I only started on the HOTD tumblr fandom train today and idk what’s going on but I’ve never experienced this gif on such a real genuine level before:

Idk what’s going on but opinions are just that. Opinions. If you don’t like it, don’t read it. Move on w your life.

Anyway, hope you’re well ❤️

Hello! I have never followed anyone back with such alarming immediacy - your Negan profile pic is like cat nip to me, hahaha.

Thank you for the kind message - I am not really here, just clearing through my inbox, so it doesn’t pile up. I’ll be back properly in a couple of weeks!

HotD Tumblr fandom is a hot mess, but drama tends to blow through quickly. Please don’t let it put you off participating! Ignore the bullshit and enjoy the art, gifs and fics. Were it not for the insanely talented people of this fandom then I’d have packed it in a long time ago - one of this fandom’s saving graces is that the majority of the people involved are all really bloody good at what they do!

Hope you’re well 💕