#truly fascinating hasn't changed a bit

[betweenthescarletmoon]

Random Thoughts on the Arcane Fandom about Jayce

this is gonna be a mess but I have nowhere else to talk about this.

I've recently noticed how Jayce Talis has been subjected to all kinds of sexualization since the drop of Act 2 of the second season. People have mentioned many times how trauma has made him "hot". A good and well-known example of this is Danny Motta's reaction to episode 5, where he said, "Holy shit, they made Jayce hot! [...] My dude went from looking like a Muppet to the king of Rohan, and all it took was a little bit of trauma."

This isn't entirely new for him? If people didn't hate Jayce back in S1, they ogled him in the scene where he works on the Forge shirtless, which IS kinda the point because the animators are making him very obviously attractive. But most importantly, he as a character has been reduced to his sexual or romantic relationships since the beginning of time.

It seems that S2 is a response to this in a way. His arc from the ending of S1, where he took responsibility of his actions out of guilt for the child he killed, was slightly set aside for Viktor. Well, ALL of his life, dreams, decisions, everything about him was eclipsed by Viktor's shadow because of the whole "all times, all possibilities" twist. He wasn't expected to show up as a Councilor in any of the meetings, and we must assume he quits at some point, but he surely hasn't resigned from his position by the time Viktor wakes up. Apart from that much needed scene between him and Cait, and the one where he attends the memorial (and is attacked by a vengeful mother), we don't see many of his decisions or what leads him to make them, other than Viktor. This is beautiful in a way because we can SEE how it is a trauma response to losing him. He is obsessive by nature, and he clings to what keeps him and his loved ones safe excessively, but I still had to do a bit of mental gymnastics as to why he went back on the second promise: to not build Hextech weapons again. (Hint: it has to do with the fact that VI saved him with HIS weapon, but it went so fast it's hard to process in the first watch.)

Now back to the sexualization problem. Every time I look up his name and trauma, or PTSD, 95% of the results are thirst edits on Tiktok about how hot he is. No joke. One of the more serious results is my own edit. Of course, a lot of people connect with his suffering without naming it as trauma, and that is great. My concern is that there has been so much focus on Jinx's trauma, Viktor's trauma, even Silco's trauma (which are all valid and fascinating to explore), but there's less attention for other characters who clearly show how their own traumatic experiences has shaped them. Vi, Caitlyn, and Jayce are some of the clearest examples of this, and they've experienced some truly heinous things in the show. Trauma cannot be compared, ever. But why is it that Jayce, who lived through an apocalypse that HE knows HE caused, and lives in complete isolation except the "company" of metal watchers, to the point that he loses touch with reality, and is changed so irrevocably that he loses the naivety and starry-eyed optimism that has always defined him...is seen as hot? And more importantly, why is it that there is very little attention to his experiences on that cave? Every scene between him and Viktor is uploaded in 1080 HD quality, but the scenes of him alone? Fighting to survive? Showing remarkable resilience in the face of his suffering? No, that's not as fun. Not a single one of those scenes is uploaded fully, and I have checked many times. (Some people have actually skipped those scenes to focus on Timebomb. I'm...)

I went online and looked up "why do people sexualize traumatized characters" because let's face it, it's real, it's interesting, and I cannot judge or else I am a hypocrite. Bucky Barnes, Loki, Ellie Williams, Dean Winchester, Vi herself, the list goes on much longer but I can't think of others off the top of my head. We connect with their suffering, and we are pulled by their experiences.

However, Jayce is such a complicated case because he is usually thought of as the greedy himbo that fumbled two baddies, or the confused bisexual, or the guy who lost it because of a situationship (much like Vi, who DID NOT lose it because of a failed romantic endeavor bfr). And then the plot goes and tells us, "Actually, yeah, his life outside of Viktor doesn't matter, he's not even supposed to be alive, because Viktor saved him. All of time is completely inextricable from Viktor." People hate meljay because she manipulated him and "trapped" him in a relationship or something, only to celebrate it when something suspiciously similar happens with the male romantic interest? I initially thought it was beautiful too, bc Soulmates, but man. Mage!Viktor really left the man he loved to rot in complete isolation, eating raw reptiles until throwing up, losing his mind. Say what you want about the allegory for Viktor's life, at least Viktor's isolation was metaphorical up until the Glorious Evolution.

Despite us being shown this, people make thirst edits of him in his black fit, and fighting with sexual tension with Viktor. I fear...that I am the only one who finds this tragic. The man forced to create a larger than life persona to sell his work and be seen as an attractive pawn of the system, has become the attractive pawn of the narrative. Viktor's narrative.

Perhaps Viktor was forgotten by the world. But Jayce's kind heart, and brave soul, were forgotten by us.

Just some thoughts to chew about my favorite character and my wish that more people focused on his arc with me

[d1gitalwitness]

i've been rewatching episodes of The Americans, and elizabeth jennings is truly one of the most fascinating (and misunderstood) characters on television. some little things about the pilot episode, which tells you everything you need to know about her.

elizabeth learnt from a young age to doubt her mother's love and that her feelings don't matter in the grander scheme of things (she doesn't value herself as much as she does the greater good). from the pilot, we are presented with a woman who was sexually assaulted by her kgb officer, but for the greater good, for what she can do for her people, she stayed in the kgb. she finished her training. this is what her mother (a woman who worked for the party) did when she sent elizabeth off to the united states - she buried her love for her daughter because their country needed help. to elizabeth, relationships are transactional, they are conditional on something - they always end. a bit of context from season three, a flashback of her mother being disgusted that her father ran from the war. he was a defector and a coward. he was no longer family. elizabeth saw firsthand what her worth is determined by. while she is deeply motivated to save her people from poverty and war, she is also, as zhukov has said, afraid of surrender. afraid of any show of cowardice. she will fight to the end, and this is what she does even as she is changed by her love for philip.

and then philip shows up. he has largely stayed true to the vows of their marriage, being a good father and husband. american dream, he is even enjoying it too much there. line dancing in the pilot, talking shit about defecting because he knows nothing good can come out of their profession. to elizabeth, she was a means to an end for philip. a prop in his dream of being an american husband, white picket fence. if not, he was a good soldier, serving their country like she has been doing. regardless, elizabeth cannot allow herself to believe that philip truly loves her because it goes against everything in her background, and more importantly, it goes against what she believes of herself (she doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things, she is a means to an end).

we see elizabeth's fundamental insecurity when she confesses to philip the reason why she felt attracted to gregory: "he was passionate ... about me." and it really took everything in her to even admit that such things matter. having someone who is passionate about you matters. this was heartbreaking and all for philip who was faithful to her even in this sham marriage. but this confession is even more damning for elizabeth who is telling philip, in a roundabout way, that she couldn't let herself believe that he genuinely cared about her. nobody has ever done, why should he?

but the image that gregory has of elizabeth is a woman who is uncompromising and strong and tough. he thinks philip will soften her up. elizabeth isn't so taken by this suggestion - she has had to be strong all her life, and back home, there is a man who would accept her even if she isn't so strong sometimes. philip proved to her as much when he killed timoshev, the man who sexually assaulted her. throughout the pilot episode, philip was baffled as to why elizabeth wanted to kill timoshev against the centre's orders. it was unlike her. but he didn't think much of it, until the fight in their garage when he was ready take on timoshev for hitting elizabeth when she says "philip, don't."

in that moment, you see philip realise something crucial about elizabeth, a side of her that he probably hasn't seen in their twenty years of marriage. this was personal. when the truth comes out, a flicker of panic flashes across elizabeth's face - somebody knows what happened to her. she wanted to kill timoshev for revenge, yes, but she also wanted to kill the proof of her vulnerability. for as long as timoshev was lying in her garage, elizabeth's heart was in her mouth. evidence of her humanity - her heart - was on her sleeves. her vulnerable heart, which was violently tucked away in russia, was spilling all over the neatly delineated walls of their american home. that cannot do for a good soldier.

so when timoshev publicly confesses, it didn't matter anymore. the secret is out, festering in her supposed fresh start. her other life, the real one, was out there in the open. elizabeth no longer needed to kill him. but philip, enraged by what timoshev has done, murders him. in the heat of the moment, what you do is who you are. philip could have taken timoshev to stan and be freed from a life of misery. but philip chose elizabeth above his american dream. philip chose elizabeth above himself, above his country, and against their orders to capture timoshev alive. philip saw her vulnerability and he told her, in actions, that he chooses her. for the first time, elizabeth realises that she matters to someone. someone was passionate about her - all of her, and not just the parts of her that have been turned into a weapon. this was an act of pure, unconditional love. this scares elizabeth, and it does for a long time, all the way to the series finale (she is constantly worried, throughout the series, that philip doubts how much she loves him because of her commitment to the cause. she also feels that she isn't deserving of his pure hearted love. more of that in another post.)

when philip was killing timoshev, the camera focuses on elizabeth's face. shock, surprise, and utter disbelief. later during the drive to dispose timoshev's body, immense tenderness in the way she looks at philip. a renewed love for the man who has stayed true to his vows even when she didn't. maybe, for the first time ever, elizabeth can let herself believe that someone was passionate not only about her dedication, but also her humanity. someone put her first above everything else. she can no longer tell herself that this was an arranged marriage and she was merely a means to an end to both philip's american dream and her country's cause - she mattered to philip in a very real way.

in 1x12, paige asks elizabeth whether she needed to see something in philip that wasn't there, a statement which recalls the sham nature of their marriage (that she needed to see philip as her husband as part of their cover, or that she needed to because she wanted to matter to someone). prior to this scene, philip, although he was already separated from elizabeth, offered to kill patterson because it was what she wanted. recalling this, elizabeth tells paige: "no, it was there." it wasn't because of elizabeth's own desires that she saw him as her husband, but that regardless of her feelings for philip, she is painfully aware that he would do anything for her, even if she didn't do the same in return. this is a show where philip and elizabeth's marks saw what they wanted reflected in the jennings - martha, for example, saw clark as an escape from the mind-numbing mundanity of her existence. it is why philip's clark is a wild man who likes it rough, and why this persona doesn't work with elizabeth (ref. 2x06). to a certain extent, even stan needed to see philip as his friend, because he had no one else, and through philip, he gets to redo fatherhood all over again with henry.

which brings us to this - everyone in elizabeth's life wanted something from her, but philip truly didn't. philip didn't need her to be his wife, but he loved her anyway. (a flashback in 1x04 shows a man, someone in the party committee, giving elizabeth and her mother canned food for something in return. it is implied that the man wanted to make them family. elizabeth's mother tells her never to trust anyone but herself.)

i've always thought that elizabeth is made stronger in her work because she knows there's someone she can go home to and be herself. no matter what she has done, no matter how ugly the job gets, there's someone who will always put her first. we see this love when philip waits up all night for her to come back home. or when he came back for her in the season one finale, knowing that even if he's captured, he'd be captured with her. in the end, philip's love for elizabeth matters more to her than him almost defecting. we see the stirrings of elizabeth's love for philip when she lies to her superior officer - not a trivial feat considering her loyalty to her country and the cause - to protect philip.

so elizabeth tells philip her real name. her family. her childhood. that is it. she offers philip her entire heart, trusting that he would handle it gently and delicately. the secret is out in the open. elizabeth, as the series has shown us right from the pilot, has a heart. it's caught up with a lot of pain and a lot of sorrow but it has always been there.

[searchforahero]

thinking about timjay siren AU on this fine saturday...

tim is a siren who is fascinated by the human world and frequently goes up to shore to watch the town. his favorite human in the whole wide world is a prince by the name of dick grayson. dick is the only human who has ever caught tim at the surface - when tim was tiny and not yet particularly agile, he managed to get stuck by some rocks and dick found him and helped him back into the water before he could be found by anyone who might hurt him.

after that dick visited when he had time but not frequently, until he disappeared entirely and tim didn't even see him wandering about town. he hears from the towns people that dick had moved to a neighbouring (landlocked) town for his schooling and tim is devastated.

this is until! king bruce brings home another son (jason) and dick starts visiting gotham (and in turn tim) again! tim is super grateful to jason for bringing dick back to gotham even if he never meets the guy and starts to watch him from time to time as well.

when jason dies the entire town mourns, including tim, not just for the fact that dick no longer comes around to see him, but also because he had come to love jason and the stories dick would tell about him in his own strange way.

tim only catches glimpses of dick and bruce after jason dies but he can tell how much his absence hurts them, and they never really truly recover.

fast forward a couple years and tim is swimming around a little bit off shore when he spots a new pirate ship he's yet to see, and when he breaches the surface to get a better look he hears the crew chanting for their captain jason to do some silly trick shot or the other with his guns. tim is sure it's just a coincidence, there's tons of people named jason out there, but the ship nags at him and it's sure to be interesting anyways, so he follows it until he gets a good look at the captain one day. sure enough, it's jason, changed, older, not as soft around the edges, but it's jason.

tim knows immediately that he has to get jason back to dick, but he hasn't seen dick in years and wouldn't know the first step in getting the word out to him. guilty over not being able to reunite the two, he decides that the least he can do is protect the ship. the waters have grown ever more dangerous since jason died, and tim has no way of knowing how prepared he is for the challenges ahead, so he tails along with the ship as much as possible.

he grows fond of the rest of the crew (especially roy... jayroytim you call for me...) as he follows them, and he longs to join in as they sing into the long hours of the night. unfortunately, tim knows that he can't reveal himself sailors have a terrible track record with siren encounters, and he's sure jason would see him as a threat the second his sharp teeth or strong tail were in his sights.

he's forced to reveal himself however, when one night a mighty storm hits and directs jason's ship, tearing at the boards, until a strike of lighting sets the ship ablaze and splits it open. by a stroke of luck, they happen to be close enough to a small island that tim is able to drag the pirates from the wreckage and to shore. many of them are injured, jason having gotten the brunt of it with a broken arm, but tim manages to save them all.

for the next week tim spends his days catching fish and dropping them off at shore for the pirates to eat, and each night jason calls out for their mysterious savior. tim is still scared of what the crew would do if he were to reveal himself, but he's been so lonely since dick left for bludhaven, and jason sounds so grateful...

he reveals himself eventually, waking up jason while the rest of the crew is asleep and shushing him with a clawed hand to the mouth when he almost screams. it is an incredibly bad first impression, jason definitely thinks he's about to get eaten. but tim manages to clear up the situation and jason realizes that tim is the one who saved them and so they end up chatting for a bit until jason gets too tired and goes back to sleep.

they become friends very quickly, helped along with how jason loves to drag out tim's sharp wit and tim loves the way jason tells stories and his love for his crew. jason is also very curious about how sirens live, and why tim hasn't tried to kill him yet (every time he brings it up tim is just like... do you want me to eat you? strangle you with my tail? rip your throat out with my claws? is that what you're angling for? and tim means to make fun of him for asking silly questions but jason just gets flustered and quiet).

when tim brings up the bruce and dick question jason gets very defensive and upset and while tim is desperate to reunite them, he feels tenuous enough in his position as is, and he knows the way to convince jason isn't to piss him off, so he lets it go.

eventually the rest of the outlaws notice jason sneaking off from their camp at night and send roy in to figure out what on earth jason is doing, and tim is very frightened when roy finds them at first, but as soon as thats over theyre getting on somehow perfectly and horribly, and jason is pretty sure the two of them are going to send him to an early grave.

once the crew has recovered enough, they start working on building a ship to return to town with and tim, scared to be left behind happily offers to help push and steer them.

when they get back to gotham and the outlaws start building their new real ship, jason includes a little pool so tim can be part of their crew <3 tim mostly just follows by behind them while they move around, but he likes to go up there to hang out with jason at night.

eventually they do circle back to the dick and bruce question, jason pretty much outright refuses to see bruce. but it becomes very clear very quickly that he's as desperate to see dick as tim is, possibly even more so, and tim eventually helps him build up the courage to seek dick out.

meanwhile tim and jason are falling terribly obviously in love, the rest of the crew wants them to get together so badly, but they're nervous, oblivious losers so they dont. theyre practically living together despite being a land and water creature respectively and they still refuse to believe the other could reciprocate.

they joke a lot about how tim should be their figurehead, until they eventually just go ahead and have one sculpted in his image. it might as well be a love confession.

[dee-in-the-box]

hello, thought about Dee again (absolute shocker, i know).

like...i think the reason i write her the way that i do (chaotic, feral, and odd autistic girl with a heart of gold) has to do with how i view her character as shown. in the games.

specifically, it's a mix of a few facts:

she, canonically, fought back as she was being murdered (this is fucking brought up TWICE) and i will never stop bringing this up because! i can't be the only one fascinated by that!!

she was raised by Jack for a little while (and it's implied that. Jack hasn't really changed much personality wise before and after he died), and you can't convince me that wouldn't do something to a kid's personality

she's like. really sassy and sarcastic. like, not even just her in the Flipside; im just gonna gesture vaguely towards the Marionn-Ending.

to elaborate:

just. this Dsaf 2 cutscene. we need to talk about this one more, tbh, because i think about it a lot (also, HENRY. HENRY BEING THE ONE TO CONFIRM THAT SHE FOUGHT BACK AND HE WAS GETTING DAVE FOR HELP). and of course, the classic "I didn't go down easily the first time, either!"

look. we don't know for How Long Dee was left alone with Jack while he raised her. it could've been for a couple of years, could've been a couple of weeks, we don't know. but even before Peter left...she'd still be living with Jack. all i'm saying is that. You Can't Tell Me That Wouldn't Have Affected Her Personality At Least A Little. as for what i mean by "it's implied Jack's base personality hasn't changed much": the only time Dee ever implies that Jack's really acting out of character is when you go through a Pure Evil Route in Dsaf 2 and then go back in time to do things Right. she talks about hearing Jack do horrible things, but seeming unable to truly believe that, implying that something about the Pure Evil Route is out of character for Jack, whether that be the route in it's entirety, or Jack's...worse moments is never made too clear, but something was off about it to her, to the point she refused to fully believe whatever she was told, and tried to get Jack to confirm/deny what happened.

pretty self explanatory; my girl's great at sarcasm, she's sassy, my favorite Dee quote is her going "Henry Miller? Acting malicious? Oh, how irregular!" also her whole thing in the Marionn-Ending in Dsaf 2. specifically the "why aren't you smiling?" bit. Get His Ass, Dee.

like! i don't mind most people's versions of Dee being a sweet six year old who only really got pissed off and all that after she died! i get it, tbh.

however, i just like my interpretation of her being a feral kid who also happens to be a sweetheart, who is both a Chaotic autistic kid as well as an "Odd"/Offputting one. like the kind of kid who'll stare at you from across the room but get uneasy being stared at. that kind (aka how i used to be...and kinda Still Am).

anyways, Dee My Beloved <3

[vincentvalenfine]

I've been debating on the wording of this for a while lol, um...What if Vincent had a partial transformation while sleeping with his partner? I'd assume he couldn't quite help what would happen.

(taking this as literal sleeping and not sexy times cause brain landed on that first ok lesgo)

Vincent has frequent and horrible nightmares. He had thought this would be a deterrent to you wanting to share a bed with him, and yet he still finds himself curled around you night after night, sometimes murmuring an apology in advance knowing he'll wake you at some point in the night. It's either the screaming, or the crying, or else the thrashing that by some miracle hasn't hurt you so far, but there's always a point at which you groggily turn over and hug his shaking body close while he tries not to think about the horrific memories still tormenting him.

He feels guilty about disrupting your sleep, but every time you manage to coax him into bed, to wrap himself around you once more.

This time the disruption is different.

As always you begin to rouse when the bed shakes, certain that Vincent is tossing about in his sleep again. He can take a minute or two before he actually wakes up at this point, so you sleepily wait for the sounds that let you know he's no longer asleep. For a little bit, nothing else happens, but as your eyes begin to slide shut again you're startled to a more alert state by a sudden, bone-deep growl.

"Mmm, Vincent...?"

You roll over on your side, open your eyes again, and freeze when met with yellow eyes instead of red.

Not much has changed - the pallor of his skin is almost truly corpse-like now, some of his hair sticks upward like a thorny crown... but the rest is still him. It's almost unnerving.

"Vincent?" you whisper again, feeling a brief pang of anxiety when his name draws no response. He isn't moving really in spite of the stare, it's almost like...

He's asleep still, and his rarely mentioned 'roommate' Chaos is simply peering through his eyes while it - he? - has the chance to do so. That's still unnerving, but there's no malice in the gaze, only what you think might be fascination. That's easier to deal with than something like Galian Beast wanting to fight at least.

Curiously, you reach over and gently brush back the messy hair draped over his shoulder. Chaos growls again but in a softer way... as if trying to purr instead. You brush your fingers through his hair slowly, and find yourself rewarded with another purr-growl. A sleepy smile tugs at your lips, and with a sigh those yellow eyes close, though his skin remains deathly pale for a few minutes more before that too subsides, and the messy hair returns to its more natural sort of spikiness.

In the morning you ask Vincent if he woke up at all last night; he shakes his head slowly, not seeming to believe his own answer but clearly unable to recall any period of consciousness. You consider telling him, then decide against it for now. He'd probably just stress out over Chaos possibly hurting you, though in your opinion it seems more likely that the creature was either curious... or lonely.

Either way, it didn't hurt you, and you don't think it will if this happens again.

[sillykitty9000]

Ready To Pay In Full by Teethies on AO3 is a masterpiece and I need to talk about it right now

Mild-moderate spoilers ahead + Cw: mention of sexual harassment and abusive power dynamics

First of all, how the fuck was THAT written in only 4 days? 10k words of beautifully thought out in-character plot? In 4 DAYS??? Good lord, that is incredible! Also, Teethies mentioned that this was their first time writing fanfiction? Unfair if you ask me. (/lht) It was wonderfully written, and I can not believe how much I enjoyed it.

Chapter 1: It opens beautifully. The descriptions are rich, and the characters are so real. Not only is Teethies's voice portrayed well throughout the story, but the characters' voices are seen wonderfully, too. It briefly, but not inconsistently, fills in the end of OUAW and sets the scene in a realistic way. It is admirable how Teethies can make both Kremy and Gideon in character even without having them speak; their body language shows expression without any semblance of "He did this, he moved there." I really enjoy how Teethies handles small details, like how Gideon’s hair leaves ashes on his new shirt; it's not necessary to the plot, but it gives the story so much more life. Gideon and Kremy feel real in the way they interact, and they are sweet in the way that only they can be. Vague flirty remarks just before moderate insults. Reading this feels like I'm listening to their campaign with how accurate these characters are. This whole chapter explores character history, especially Kremy’s, and it really goes in-depth as to why they each do the things they do. Again, they're all so in character that it feels like I'm really there. Even the subtle nonverbal reactions feel like the characters, and it's really sweet seeing Kremy and Gideon interact in the way they're so used to. Outside help brings them a bit closer, and it's a really nice way of showing how close they are, even if they aren't explicitly romantic. Again, I really appreciate how in-depth this story goes with Kremy’s history. I never really considered what his past before the Carnival but after his childhood would be like, but Teethies perfectly explains why Kremy is so powerful and how he knows so much about Garou. It really paints how Kremy behaves, and I loved every second of the first chapter.

Chapter 2: How this fic somehow IMPROVED upon their first chapter was something out of a dream. As someone who hasn't caught up on the campaign entirely, I don't know much about Mr. Garou, other than they owe him money, but Teethies does a wonderful job characterizing him in a way that feels canon and makes me understand the motivations of the characters through the story. Also, Teethies makes him a completely horrible person in a truly aggravating way. He is unredeemable, he is unlikable, and he is perfect for that. Not once was I thinking that he may change his ways, and it makes the morally questionable Kremy and Gideon seem like good people. It made me feel bad for them, and it made me enjoy their character just that much more. This chapter definitely favors the view of Gideon as opposed to the Kremy central story of the first chapter, and it really shows their differences. Kremy’s chapter was anxious. It was so obviously fearful, but it had the comforting figure of Gideon beside him. In this chapter, however, there is no comfort. Gideon is angry, he is concerned, and he has no one to turn to. He is supposed to be the protector, but he quickly learns how powerless he is in the face of Mr. Garou. Around here is where Mr. Garou gets really gross. Again, he is an unforgivable evil man, and Teethies portrays him as such. The way he talks to Gideon, but especially Kremy, makes me a bit sick. He is so cruel, and it makes you feel bad for all that Kremy has had to put up with. Gideon naturally responds with anger, but he then has suggestion cast over him. This part is actually fascinating to me because I've never considered how suggestion would work. I love how Teethies describes it as comforting magic because that really ties in to the wisdom mechanics of the game. Gideon could choose to disobey, but Kremy is mentally praising him and is so happy to see how well-behaved he is. He must be a bit scared to disobey because he feels that Kremy could leave at any point and never take him back, and that's where his wisdom fails him. He does not know that Kremy cares about him as much as he does, and that's why he submits so easily to suggestion. He does not want to lose Kremy over something like disobeying orders. We see again how badly Gideon does not want to lose Kremy at the end, where they find themselves in an argument over the entire scene with Remy Garou. It wonderfully breaks down their feelings into a soft scene, and it concludes a fantastic story.

This fanfiction was incredible from beginning to end, and it made me go through so many emotions at any given point. While there is romance, it is not the main focus which is fantastic. It really dives into the depths of each character and how they exist in their world, but also shows the inner workings of their minds without being too invasive. It was a fantastic read, and I highly recommend it.

[deadpresidents]

My inbox is filled with a ton of messages asking some form of this question, so here's what I would do it I was appointed the Pope of the Democratic Party and had the absolute power to shape what happens next.

First of all, I'd wait a few days until the news cycle is less of a hurricane. But once things calmed down a bit, I'd get a number of the past and present leaders of the party together to go visit President Biden and discuss the way forward. The best-case scenario would need the President to be on board with stepping aside, and I think that would require some serious conversations between Biden and his family and the party elders/leaders. The heavy-hitters would need to go see the President. I'd send President Obama and President Clinton and the other surviving past Democratic Presidential nominees: Al Gore, Hillary Clinton, and John Kerry. (Obviously, President Carter is still alive but he's 99 years old and in hospice care, so he wouldn't be involved.) They'd be joined by other Democratic heavyweights like Nancy Pelosi, Hakeem Jeffries, Chuck Schumer, Dick Durbin, Bernie Sanders, Jim Clyburn, etc.

It will be a difficult conversation because Joe Biden has spent his life wanting to be President of the United States, and he finally reached the pinnacle and nobody wants to give up that position if they don't have to. But I'd make sure they appeal to his sense of duty and patriotism -- the same things that led him to challenge Trump in 2020 when it seemed like Biden was finished with electoral politics in the wake of his son Beau's death. President Biden knows how dangerous Trump is and what this election truly means, and the Democratic leaders would need to hammer home the idea that while he was the person best able to defeat Trump in 2020, things have changed in the past four years and he's not that guy anymore.

In order for it to work, Biden would need to release his delegates and allow the Democratic National Convention to be an open convention. There are going to be many people and many reasonable arguments that Biden should endorse Kamala Harris since she is his Vice President. But the nominee would be chosen by the delegates to the Democratic Convention, so Biden couldn't just crown Harris as his heir. If he feels that she's the best choice to be the nominee and he feels a sense of loyalty to her, then I think Biden has to go further than stepping aside as the candidate. I think he would have to resign as President and allow Kamala Harris to assume the Presidency and go into the open convention as the incumbent President. That would give her a significant advantage and probably swing the nomination her way. But that's an even bigger thing to ask of President Biden, so I can't imagine being able to talk him into that. Even if he steps aside as the candidate, I think he's going to want to finish his term and he deserves that. I'm a longtime fan of Kamala Harris -- I campaigned with her for Barack Obama while she was still the DA in San Francisco. But I'm not sure she's the best candidate, either. Still, she will be in the mix and one of the favorites in an open convention.

I think an open convention would be really fascinating for people to see in 2024 since it hasn't really happened in 70+ years. It might be good for the Democratic Party and allow fresh candidates to come to the surface. I don't think there's any doubt Vice President Harris would be a candidate and it seems likely that California Governor Gavin Newsom and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer would be major possibilities. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and Maryland Governor Wes Moore are rising stars, but I don't think they have the name recognition to be the nominee this year. I really like Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and think he has all of the tools necessary to be a good President, but I'm not sure where he would stand nationally. I don't think Michelle Obama is a possibility. I know she's the dream candidate for a lot of people, but I don't think she likes politics and I don't think she has any interest in running. I think a real dark horse would be Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear. The only Democratic Presidential candidate to win Kentucky since 1980 was Bill Clinton. Beshear has won three statewide races in that very red state, and he won the most recent election in Kentucky by running as a pro-choice candidate defending a women's right to choose. I've seen Senator Raphael Warnock of Georgia mentioned, but I feel like his Senate seat is so important that he's needed there more than as President.

There are also two wild card candidates with such strong national name recognition that they would totally shake up the race. However, they'd also be controversial in many ways, but particularly because Biden would be stepping aside because of his age and these two candidates are roughly the same age as Trump. It would eliminate the argument of a fresh Democratic candidate taking Biden's place, but no one would question their experience or star power. The first one is a pretty obvious one: Hillary Clinton. I think she'd energize women voters even more than she did in 2016 because it would be a chance to get back at what happened that year. Plus, she did win the popular vote against Trump. I mean, it's a simple fact that more people voted for her in 2016 than the person that she lost to the election to. The other person also won the election that they "lost": Al Gore. I don't know if he'd do it, but you couldn't find a better advocate for fighting climate change as President than Al Gore. He's also been out of politics long enough that he might seem fresh, even if he's only two years younger than Trump. And it would be a great story -- redemption for the election that he lost at the Supreme Court rather than the ballot box.

I don't know who I would choose if I could pick the nominee, but I think an open convention would be healthy for democracy and for the Democrats. Either way, I think Biden would deserve the opportunity to save face by having him speak to the nation and explain that he is stepping aside as the nominee as an act of political courage and duty to a country facing an existential threat named Donald Trump. Let him talk about how proud he is of the things his Administration has accomplished and that he was able to stop Donald Trump once and by doing this, he is making sure America stops Donald Trump one last time. And guess what? Then he can do what I'm sure it is breaking his heart to not be able to do right now -- he can pardon his only surviving son because he'll be a lame-duck and won't have to worry about the political blowback.

[therealeagal]

Hades

You know, I've mentioned before that I don't care for certain genres of video games. It's because I'm a scrub who hates losing and a fake gamer who likes games that are easy, and in neither case have I the patience to Git Gud.

On the other hand, I've also mentioned that I am endlessly fascinated by Greek mythology because I'm a nerd. It's always interesting, if a bit over-exposed. How about a game about mythology other than the bloody Greeks and the Norse? I'm lookin' at you, Kratos.

I guess there was that one Hinduism game some years ago. What was it again? The dude with the multiple arms and the giant planet sized dude who tries to crush the hero with his finger. I think it started with an N...ok I found it. Asura's Wrath. I was way off.

Didn't get enough credit if you ask me.

If one were to make a game based on mythology, perhaps there's something from Africa that would make for an interesting concept. I don't know, I'm just spitballing. Preferably one that doesn't involve freaking Anansi, because he's overexposed too.

ANYWAY.

So I picked up Hades on the strength of being a nerd, not because I had a sudden change of heart viz a viz rogue-likes.

Cast in the role of protagonist, one Zagreus, son of Hades and (so he formerly believed) Nyx, respectively the god of the Underworld and the goddess of the night.

But some how that I forget, young Zaggy discovered that Nyx is not truly his mother. His true mother is actually named Persephone and that's a whole thing, but suffice it to say, she left the underworld at some point because reasons and hasn't been seen since.

Anyway, so then young Zaggy must fight his way out of the underworld in search of his mother. Along the way, he receives help from several of the gods who reside upon Mount Olympus, who are his uncles and assorted cousins as well as his grandmother (who doesn't know she's his grandmother. It's a very top secret hush hush sort of thing), Demeter.

Then middle middle middle, everyone lives happily ever after. Except not really because they're doing a sequel, but I'm sure that game will have everyone living happily ever after. Except for the Titans, I guess, but fuck them anyway.

====

So anyway, as to the gameplay, I was prepared for a slog, and mightily did I toil until - while searching the settings for the volume controls (it's a very loud game) I discovered a nifty little option in the settings menu called God Mode. Fake gamer that I am, I naturally took the opportunity to activate it, providing 20% damage reduction, which reduction would grow incrementally 'pon my inevitable death, capped at 80% and rarely did I turn it back off.

It really does make a world of difference. What once promised to be an unbearable slog was now instead an enjoyable game.

The deaths I still suffer on occasion (on account of being a fake gamer) still manage to advance the story 9 times out of 10, and always manage to entertain and at no point do I feel overwhelmed or frustrated by needless difficulty that the devs refuse to accomodate. Well, except when using the bow. I know it's supposed to be the strongest weapon, but I'm more of a button mash kinda gamer. Perils of being a filthy casual, I guess. Gimme Excalibur any day of the week.

The only thing missing is a sword beam and a Japanese highschooler who wants to be a hero.

That's a reference by the way. It shows that I am very clever. But it's an anime reference, which cancels out the cleverness and instead shows that I'm a jackass.

P.S. If you are offended by my use of God Mode, which invalidates everything that you - as a REAL gamer - went through to Git Gud, then please remember that I warned you several times throughout this post that I am both a filthy casual and a fake gamer, so... well, I won't tell you to eat all of the shit and then die, because I am a nice person, but I will think it. Really hard.

P.P.S. This is totally unrelated, but WHY DID THEY CHANGE THE WAY THAT POSTS ARE MADE? I HATE THIS FORMAT (is that the right word?). WHAT WAS WRONG WITH THE OLD WAY!? NEW IS BAD! CHANGE IS SCARY! ARGNOEHAOAFEHJKHSGDGSHGJKDHGJKDGHDK!

[moistvonlipwig]

top 5 most formative ships?

oh INTERESTING.....most formative. hm.....how to define most formative!

Elphaba/Glinda was, to my memory, one of the first ships I actually got invested in and read fanfiction for (if you've never read the fics of Frances aka Ridiculous Mavis then you are missing out!!!). I actually never saw the musical but I did listen to the soundtrack (I first got intrigued actually at summer theater camp when two girls sang "What Is This Feeling" for a talent show and I was like. Ummm. Anyone else get a bit of a gay vibe???) and I read the first two parts of the book and kind of skimmed the rest because the rest is a mess LOL sorry Greg. Nice to know that Ariana Grande & Kristin Chenoweth are Gelphie truthers as well, that wasn't on my bingo card for the movie's rollout.

Gen/Attolia aka maybe my favorite enemies-to-lovers ship ever??? I have a lot of nostalgia for the Queen's Thief books because I read them with my mom who was a huge QT fan and was active in the Sounis LJ community for the books and loved Gen/Attolia (she was a big shipper lol, she loved Spuffy too). So I've always felt very fond of them. I re-read the books recently since the sixth book came out and they just won my heart all over again. INVENTED enemies-to-lovers actually!!! No other YA fantasy romance is doing it like them. (Sidenote, I was going through the Sounis archives sometime last year looking for discussion on The Queen of Attolia and I found this fascinating take on one of the key Gen/Attolia scenes by a guest poster and then someone was like 'Wow, your takes are so cool, who are you?' and they were like 'Yeah haha I should make an account! But you can call me [my mom's LJ handle].' Like I was sitting there thinking wow, what a great Gen/Attolia take, and it was my mom's take!!!!! Truly, I was reaching across time and space to hear her thoughts on Queen's Thief shipping, and that is, I feel, what she would want.)

Utena/Anthy because Revolutionary Girl Utena was and is such a formative show for me and they're at the very center of it. Like. Aughhh. I don't even think I can talk about it I just need everyone who hasn't seen Utena to go watch Utena right now and then You Will See.

Angel/Cordelia because getting into Cordelia/Cangel fandom really did change my fannish life and, if I'm being honest, my intellectual life in general. I mean, I joined Tumblr specifically to follow a bunch of Cordelia fans and Cangel shippers, lol. And honestly, even though many (though not all!) of those people have left Tumblr, I owe a lot of the way I think about and analyze media to several of those people and their analyses of Buffy and Angel. (Fun fact about Cangel, I actually started shipping them after "Never Kill a Boy on the First Date" -- I did not enjoy Bangel and I thought Cangel would be more entertaining -- so you can imagine the feeling of delight and vindication I got when I looked up the Angel spin-off a while later and saw that he and Cordelia were going to end up falling in love.)

I think for this last one I'll say Seven of Nine and the Doctor from Star Trek Voyager -- I have no idea what I'd think of that ship now, since I haven't rewatched the show in so long, but I really liked them a lot as a kid (like Gelphie, it was one of the first ships I regularly read fanfic for). Their friendship-that-could've-been-a-romance was one of the elements that kept me emotionally engaged in thinking both about Voyager as it was and Voyager as it could've been. Voyager was one of the first shows that really made me think about how much I wanted to Fix It, and while D/7 wasn't the biggest part of that, it was one of the reasons that I cared enough to think about it, if that makes sense? And that impulse led me to thinking more deeply about Star Trek, and television, and what goes into telling a story in general.

[prettyboyhowl]

the gang goes to Barbie (drabble)

(when I thought about which movie the ROs would see between Barbie and Oppenheimer I quickly realised none would go for Oppenheimer lmao, so have a drabble)

You look down at Gil's footwear with a combination of disgust and awe. "I still can't believe you bought those. Are you even going to wear them after today?"

"Uh, hell yeah! It's gonna be me and my barbie pink Crocs all day every day." With a shit-eating grin, he flicks his pink sunglasses down over his eyes. "That's Kenergy, babyyy."

Nearby, Otto sports a similar pair of shades on top of her head. You all agreed to wear pink to see the movie, but she lacked the colour in her wardrobe and didn't want to buy a new outfit. Instead, in an effort to commit, she took an old plain white tee and scribbled on it with hot pink marker. The front says 'BARBIE', with a messy thick line underneath it, and there's a large 'B' on the back. She's wearing it with a pair of black cargo pants and boots.

In contrast, Lemon Sorbet truly went all out, showing up to your meeting spot outside the cinema in a pink suit. He bristles with energy, looking very excited and happy to be here.

Gil's not completely donned in pink, dressed in a hawaiian shirt and shorts, but he's a staunch competitor for 'most attention-grabbing' with his pink shades, the pink Crocs, and the flaming hot pink feather boa draped around his neck. Passers-by glance at him as they approach, then do double takes as they pass, the streets crowded with people on their way home from work. You stand in a bit to avoid blocking the sidewalk.

The most normal-looking one is actually Ernie, who, despite her commitment to the theme, hasn't changed much from usual. The elegant light pink jacket and skirt combo may be a little fancy for the cinema, but it's the kind of outfit she'd normally wear. She's standing off to the side, eyes sparkling as she takes a picture with a Barbie movie poster that's been put up on the outside wall of the cinema; framed and rimmed with lights to combat the darkness setting into the sky.

"Alright, let's go," Gil exclaims, gathering the group's attention. He begins to lead the way to the supermarket three doors down.

"Aren't we going into the cinema?" Ernestine asks.

"We're getting snacks first," you say with a smile.

Gil slows to take up the space on Ernestine's other side. "Right, see cinemas usually don't let you bring in your own food because they want you to buy their snacks, which are more expensive," he explains to the Otherworlder.

"Ohh," Ernestine nods understandingly. "So you save money by smuggling in things you get from the supermarket."

"Exactly!"

"Why don't you steal from the supermarket while you're at it?" There's not a hint of sarcasm or judgement to her tone, and when you scan her face you find her looking at you in genuine question.

"Uhh," your smile freezes, "that would be illegal." You swear they have laws in Faethairis; why do you always seem to be having this conversation with Ernie?

"You're breaking the cinema's rule, aren't you?" she points out.

"Yeaaah," Gil pulls a face, "but that's not the same as breaking a law. Potato, tomato, you know?"

Ernestine tilts her head. "Aren't you already breaking laws-"

She's cut off by loud laughter from Gil, who looks around to check no one was listening in. His voice pitches up nervously. "Whaaat, we have not done… anything of the sort."

"What are you three talking about?" Lemon Sorbet asks brightly, catching up from behind with Otto in tow.

Three different answers come simultaneously: "What snacks we want." "Law-breaking." "Nothing much."

Otto lifts a brow amusedly as Lemon Sorbet just smiles cheerily. "Ooh, I'm so excited for the movie," he confesses. "Aren't you, Otto?"

She shrugs non-committally. "Eh. Better this than the other one."

"To think of how far Barbie has come… " He lifts a finger. "You know, I was there when the first one was released. Fascinating, how things evolve." You can see the scholar in him ignite as he begins to get lost in reminiscence.

"Hey, we should all take a group photo later," Gil suggests as you all file into the supermarket, flooding the bright white aisles with a wave of pink.

"Can you stop pushing me?" "I'm not even touching you… ow!"

"Otto I think you need to stand a bit closer." "Yeah, people will think you're scared to be seen with us." "That's ridiculous." "Okay now you're too close."

"Are we smiling or doing funny faces?"

"Let's smile first."

"Okay wait is everyone in the frame?" You start the countdown. "Okay, 1, 2, 3…"

"Barbie!" "Margot Robbie." "Cheese!" "…"

*click*

[theroundbartable]

Hello again, Rai...Do you mind if I ask your top 5 (or top 10) favorite moments from any media that you love (books, anime/manga, tv series, movies, games, etc)? Thanks if you want to answer. Sorry if I ask too much and if I accidentally send this ask twice....

Hey there :)

I don't mind at all, thank you so much for leaving a message ^^ You did send this twice but that's alright, I didn't immediately answer it anyway. There is a lot more going on right now than I thought it would. And you don't need to feel like you're bothering me. ^^ This is what the ask box is for. I would disable it if I didn't want messages ^^

As to your question... I have some that left an impact on me and that even after 10+ years my cheese brain hasn't let slip through the cracks. But I don't really have favorites. They were simply favorites in the moment, so I'm listing them randomly. But they all did inspire me to write in one way or another. They are the reason why I'm here.

Harry Potter, the prisoner of Askaban. (disclaimer: I do not support JKR's views. I stand with the fandom.) In the scene when Sirius just invaded the Gryffindor tower and the students sleep in the Great Hall, Dumbledore says something that made me invested with fantasy and therefore writing and art. (I whatched it in German, so the translation is probably off.) "When we sleep, we venture into a world that belongs to us and only us. Maybe he's swimming in the deepest of oceans right now, or foating over the highest cloud."

How to train your dragon: The entire scene when Hiccs tries to befriend Toothless and he dances around that self drawn picture. I watched an entire youtube analysis on how the music was chosen. It's phenomenally fascinating and it's perhaps my favorite comfort movie. I can always watch the first movie (I don't care as much about the rest).

Elfenlied There is a scene in Elfenlied, the very first anime I watched consciously, when she breaks out of the facility. She's full of blood, she's still wearing the mask... This was the first time a scene inspired me to write a story. At the time I was 12 and wanted to make an original, but basically, this is the first media that truly made me write a whole novel. It sucked, but it's where I started.

BBC Merlin I want to say the entire fucking show, why else would I be here? I love everything in it but there is two scenes I adore to bits. A) "I think you're mad. I think you're all mad, people should marry for love, not convenience. And if Uther thinks an unhappy King makes for a better Kingdom, then he is wrong. Because you have a choice, as to how you do it." B) "How did you know this place was sacred?" M: It's obvious. A: Pretend it isn't. M: It's like... everything, the leafs, the ants, are vibrating. Full of life. Like everything is more than it seems."

Voltron legendary defender Yes, I am a Klancer. And I am of course referring to the Bonding moment. It changed my brain chemistry. :)

Fairy Tail You may not remember me from that long ago, but I used to write Gajevy fanfiction. And my favorite scene was the one when they were on that island for the S-Rank test and Gajeel ended up saving Levy. I loved how this ship grew from awkward to inevitable and I was there from the very beginning. Anyways, here the quote, again, from the top of my head because like I hell I look any of these up XD "It's hard to find someone small like you, so don't leave my side." This is all I can think of at the moment. Feel free to ask me more questions if you like ^^

[ravelqueen]

Since I only now finished the second season there is already quite a bit of meta available for the end and while I find a lot of it interesting and I'm not saying it's wrong (because who knows where Mr. Gaiman is hopefully taking us) I also think it's fascinating that at the core of a lot of theories seems to be the assumption that Aziraphale acted out of character in that last scene when I find he acted extremely like himself.

1) The decision to go back to heaven

Aziraphale has - different from Crowley - never been comfortable acting independently from heaven. He did it when he found it necessary (and later more comfortable along with the deal) but there's always been a very clear level of discomfort around it. Crowley was circumspect with his more virtuous actions because he was worried about the possible consequences - Aziraphale has always felt guilty, because what if he was really working against Her?

So him jumping at a chance to work with heaven presumably under his directives, under directives that would understand that you can't just e.g. exchange children, a more compassionate heaven makes total sense to me.

And sure he has to give up the comforts he's grown accustomed to - the food, the books, the variety humanity provides - but he's not selfish. He wasn't going to give them up only to make Armageddon possible, but he certainly is ready to sacrifice them for the greater good. As he tells Crowley: I can make things better.

2) Why does he believe Metatron?

Angels Don't Lie.

This season has hammered this idea home and good - sure they can obfuscate, they can leave out details, they can forget, but they don't lie.

And yes of course he himself is proof that they certainly can and nothing will happen, but I do think that he believes himself to be an abberation in this case and that the only reason he hasn't been punished is because Crowley is the only one that knows. And he's still mostly really bad at lying so I think he truly believes he'd be able to spot it - in a way even Aziraphale's first lie was extremely see-through but since angels don't lie they also don't know how to spot them in themselves.

(Plus i also think that since Aziraphale is one of the lower tier angels he's convinced that also gave him a pass.)

3) Asking Crowley to come back to heaven with him, knowing that would hurt him

Now the second part of that assumption is the crux, the most central part to why his actions are very much in character for Aziraphale, because does he know?

I don't think he does and all his actions during their flashbacks and interactions proves that at the heart of it he fully 100% believes that if he could, Crowley would jump at getting to undo his Fall.

Because to him Crowley is good and Crowley is Kind - and he's only forced to pretend he isn't because as a Demon he can't be. And he just wants Crowley to live happily, to be happy and for Aziraphale that means not being Fallen.

I don't think Aziraphale wants to change Crowley or that he spent 6000 years trying to fix him or anything toxic like that. But we see how he feels about the mere idea of Falling, how he acts when he's sure it's his time to go after Job - he's devastated, he's crying, he's desperate.

And it's not like Crowley is helping - Hell is hell and he never sugar coats that. And while Aziraphale had over the millenia gotten a few stern talking-to's, he's never been punished the way he had to watch Crowley he punished.

And on top of it all, he remembers Crowley pre-Fall, how happy, how joyful, how full of wonder and how he didn't have to hide any of this then. How he could just be this way without having to hide it away.

So i don't think he realises that Crowley's decision to be alone so he doesn't have to play along with Hell's schemes actually applies to the whole system.

And the reason he doesn't realise this is because at the heart of it, he believes in heaven. Despite everything, despite the cruelties he's seen and been done to him, he believes that there is something like the Ultimate Good, the place God's plan is truly realised and he believes that that place is Heaven. It's not the system's fault, it's the angels who made the decisions and even those aren't evil (because Angels Are Good) they are misguided or clueless or uneducated etc. Aziraphale clings to this world view and he always has done so - he's even in s2 adamant that Heaven Is Good and Hell Is Evil.

So of course he would want to be in charge, to change Heaven the way he always felt it should be.

And of course he'd want Crowley there; to an extent Crowley is his standard of who Angels/ Heaven should act/be - kinder than anyone no matter the circumstances.

So I do think his offer was heartfelt, was supposed to be their triumph as a couple, to be able to be part of a whole but also together, where they belong and where they can make things better for the humans they're both so fond of.

Even his reaction to Crowley disagreeing to go fits perfectly in what we know of him - we get pretty much the exact same reaction when Crowley refuses to help with Gabriel: a plea, an earnestly expressed desire to do it with Crowley but just as earnest obstinacy to go at it alone if Crowley doesn't want to join him.

So all in all while that last scene breaks my heart and makes me want to shake him it fits so well into the Aziraphale we've come to know that I can't find myself being mad at it.

[the-ellia-west]

You can rant all your incoherent ideas to me. So, whatcha thinking of? Stories? Characters? WIPS? Let’s hear ‘em! ✨

AHAHAHAHHAHAHH

YOU ASKED FOR THIS @goldencomet69

YOU'VE FALLEN FOR MY TRAP! (Thank you by the way, this made my day and was very kind! Love youu!!!)

Anyyyyywaaaaayyyyyyyyy

I'm going to talk about ALL THE STUFF I WANNA TALK ABOUT!!!! >:]

-------------------------------------------------

First - J&R to get it out of the way (My side WIP if y'all don't know)

So, I've decided I'm gonna kill off Morena because I want to ABSOLUTELY FUCKING WRECK JAK AGAIN

I got inspired from videos analyzing clips from some shows I watch, where the characters I love more than anything react to the death of their teammates and I never noticed it while watching and it's really fascinating.

But anyway, I'm stealing the idea. (I'm probably gonna have to watch that clip again)

So here's my plan:

Morena is a mother figure and secondary leader of the crew, and alongside Jak is the only other character who is of high class and uses formal speech when neutral around others.

They're also very similar in general, Top tier Sass, have lost family, Morena's always drinking Tea, Jak is always drinking alchohol. Morena always wears dresses, Jak always wears suits. They both enjoy civil conversation over small topics where there's no snide comments or dropping shade.

These two are the only pair who'd almost always polite to one another. They are on good terms.

Morena makes Jak tea in the mornings, and he cooks her breakfast in return.

These two enjoy each other's company as teammates and coworkers, trying to help and support each other in small ways even though they rarely ever get into deep personal conversation, mostly talking about work, herbs, flowers, other people, weather, drinks, ect.

Then Morena dies. I'm not sure how it's gonna happen yet, but It will. I'm gonna kill her off, just as Jak is starting to have slight hope for the future and getting better in his efforts to change.

But watching her die destroys EVERYTHING about his progress and sends him crashing right back to the start, with a few more shitty events cracking the base of the mountain and pushing him even further down.

This is Jak at his absolute lowest.

This is Jak after Eveny died, after he came home from the Cannibalism incident.

This is Jak where any hope he had for the future is dead.

Because Morena's death not only reminded Jak that death is an ever-present threat to those he loves, it also reminded him that he can be hurt, and it brought back every single memory of corpses and loss he has ever experienced.

After that, Eynalis takes him aside and tortures him.

A fire gets set on accident and threatens Pherun

Rose tries to cheer Jak up, and other works for a little while, but things go downhill again

Light bloody horror sequence which heavily involves Jak

Silas gets kidnapped and Jak is at the front lines to get him back, but volunteers to be the distraction of a fight that will obviously be lost by anyone, and fights a 1v8 against well-trained soldiers.

Then Magic activates again and he hurts Rose

Then I gave him a disease, (you'll pick up what it is when I show you)

Argument

Jak gets tortured again

They go on a mission where Jak almost loses Pherun and ends up killing someone to protect him

And he reaches his lowest a few days after that

There's a couple moments after Jak getting tortured the second time where Finn tries to get Rose and Jak to forgive one another.

They desperately want to, but both are too proud to admit how they truly feels, and the one time Rose tries, Jak is too out of it to pay attention and she gives up.

But when Jak reaches his lowest, Rose hasn't seen him all the previous day and goes to find him, that's when she sees what happened.

But spoilersssss!!! So y'all will have to wait!

If you haven't seen, you can check this WIP out over on @jakkon-and-rose-topic

Now some TCOT things :]

After Marril gets a bit of a break is gonna be the absolute sweetest and most mundane moment ever.

Because of his curse he hasn't been able to get any more sleep than about 4 hours every night. But when he gets a break, he wakes up late, for once in his life, not tired, and you know that kind of morning where you wake up with creases on your face and it feels like you just hit the restart button on life.

That's what happens after he gets rid of the curse, and putting the pieces together, he gets so hopeful he almost literally rips the fabric of the shirt he's wearing to see if it's gone.

And then after this point, another character comes in and he just hugs her, and starts crying because it's finally over.

Anyyyywayyyyyy I hoped you liked my rambling

@njnetails

[theloversengravedscripture]

"SONDER" -an original by me

"do you know the meaning?"

"Sonder' - the realization that each passerby has a life as vivid and complex as your own. It's profound."

 "Why that word, of all the possibilities?"

"because, no matter what you're going through, there's always someone going through worse, it really makes you think and feel grateful for what you have in the moment rather than being one to disregard things so easy"

 "Ah, I see. A poignant reminder amidst... complicated circumstances. You have a way of finding depth in simple things, don't you?"

"no matter how simple things seem on the surface, there's always more to it."

He's always known you to be introspective, but this tattoo, this word, it's like a window into your thoughts, your coping mechanisms.

 "You know, Ive always admired your perspective. It's... refreshing." He pauses, then asks softly, "Have you ever considered that maybe, just maybe, some people might be going through the same things as you?"

"never the same thing, but maybe a close situation, just as lightning never strikes the same place twice or how every snowflake is unique. nothing is ever the same for another person."

 "True, perhaps'similar' is a better word than'same'. Each snowflake may be unique, but they all fall in the same storm, right?"

"So, let me ask you this - if every person is going through their own unique storm, how do you think they cope?" 

"me personally, as I did, I'd get a tattoo, or bleach my hair. do something different, and take note of a new start for a new chapter"

 "A physical symbol of a new beginning, huh? I like that." "What if the person can't do something so... permanent? What other ways do you think they might find to cope?"

"well it really depends on the person, maybe something permanent isn't necessary, so you could always do something small like start a new hobby, I don't know, small changes can always help"

 "Small changes... that's profound, actually. "You have a unique way of breaking down complexity into simple, meaningful bits." 

"I like both the simplicity and complexities of life"

"Of course you do. You always did have a knack for finding beauty in both the mundane and the intricate.. What about people who can't find beauty in either, though?"

"then take the ugly, perceive it, and find a way to work with it."

"Turn the ugly into something workable... Now that's an interesting perspective.. But what if the ugly is too overwhelming?"

"whether you feel like you can get through it or not, you already are by thinking about it"

"So, even in the darkest of times, just the act of thinking about it means you're already coping, already finding a way to persevere."

"exactly."

"You know, it's ironic really. Here I am, trying to find answers, and you're telling me that the act of seeking those answers is already the solution." 

 "Almost poetic, isn't it?"

"if you really look into things, there's poetry written into everything"

"Poetry in the mundane, beauty in the ugly, meaning in the chaos...

You make it sound like life is one big metaphor, waiting to be deciphered." 

"that's how I see things, and I wish someone would see me the way I see the world sometimes.. I'd be nice to be the one being observed rather than the observer. I think it'd be less lonely so feel seen like that.. Maybe it's because I've never shared my perspective with someone who's truly listening and trying to understand. I don't know.."

 "Tell me something, then."

"what do you want to know?"

"Who are you, really?"

"...i don't know.., I've spent my life so busy analyzing everyone else. I don't think I've ever really analyzed myself."

"Well ..maybe that's what makes you interesting. You're this enigma who's figured everyone else out, but hasn't had time to figure herself out."

"...maybe I haven't put the time into analyzing myself because I've been secretly hoping someone else was doing that for me.. the same way I am for everyone else, the same way I would for them.."

"Isn't that a fascinating paradox?" "You, who sees right through every facade, hoping someone else might see through yours.-

-Tell me, If someone was analyzing you, what do you think they would find?"

[songvitko]

Deck the Halls of Your Social Media with a Festive Twist

Have you ever wanted to inject a little holiday cheer into your online persona? You know, add that extra bit of festivity that says, "Hey, I'm not just another profile in the digital sea"? As the snowflakes start to fall and the jingle bells ring, it's the perfect time to update your social media profile to reflect the joy of the season. This is where iFoto's Free Profile Picture Maker comes into the picture, quite literally.

Let me backtrack a bit. We've all been there, hasn't it felt like your social media profile pic could use a refresh? Maybe it's feeling a bit too 'same old, same old'. iFoto noticed this too, and they've crafted a solution that's as clever as it is simple. Their Free Profile Picture Maker isn't just a tool; it's your personal holiday stylist, waiting to help you create a picture-perfect avatar that's a festive treat for your friends and followers.

Imagine swapping out your everyday mug for a picture that captures the essence of Christmas. How would it feel to have your friends comment on your new, jolly profile pic, adorned with holiday themes and cheer? iFoto's magic isn't just in their ability to convert any photo, but in the way they've made it accessible to everyone. With a few clicks, you can go from the daily grind to a winter wonderland without even changing out of your pajamas.

I took the plunge myself and let me tell you, it's like stepping into a winter, with iFoto's Free Profile Picture Maker as my guide. It was fascinating to see how my plain old photo could be converted into something that felt like a warm embrace from Santa himself. The process was so intuitive; it felt like the software knew exactly what I needed before I did.

What's really neat about iFoto is the attention to detail. They didn't just throw some random snowflakes on my photo and call it a day. No, they've got themes galore, from classic Christmas trees to more whimsical frosty scenes. You can choose to go all out with a Santa hat or go for something subtler with a gentle snowfall effect. The level of customization is such that you can truly make it your own.

And here's a question: isn't it the little touches that make the holidays special? Just like wrapping the perfect gift or finding that one ornament that makes the tree complete, your social media profile pic can be that little touch that spreads some holiday cheer to your network. It's a small change, but one that can have a ripple effect, reminding everyone you're not just another profile, but a friend celebrating the season.

Now, you might be thinking, "But isn't this just for Christmas parties and holiday cards?" Well, that's where iFoto's Free Profile Picture Maker really shines. It's about more than just festive decor; it's about community. By updating your profile pic, you're joining a global celebration, a digital village that comes together every December to share in the joy of the season. It's a subtle nod to the fact that even in our increasingly digital world, we're still connected by shared moments and traditions.

And for those of you who might be worrying about the technical side, fear not. iFoto has made the Free Profile Picture Maker incredibly user-friendly. It's like having an artist at your fingertips, without the need for a degree in graphic design. They've essentially turned the of photo editing into a walk in the park, or should I say, a stroll through a winter wonderland.

So, as you gear up for the holiday festivities, don't overlook the opportunity to spruce up your online presence. With iFoto's Free Profile Picture Maker, you can spread joy and festivity with a simple click. This season, let your social media profile tell a story of merriment and cheer. After all, it's not every day you get to turn a regular photo into a symbol of the season's warmth and wonder.

[alyssalikestoreadbooks]

Payback's A Witch - Lana Harper

"Emmy Harlow is a witch but not a very powerful one—in part because she hasn't been home to the magical town of Thistle Grove in years. Her self-imposed exile has a lot to do with a complicated family history and a desire to forge her own way in the world, and only the very tiniest bit to do with Gareth Blackmoore, heir to the most powerful magical family in town and casual breaker of hearts and destroyer of dreams.

But when a spellcasting tournament that her family serves as arbiters for approaches, it turns out the pull of tradition (or the truly impressive parental guilt trip that comes with it) is strong enough to bring Emmy back. She's determined to do her familial duty; spend some quality time with her best friend, Linden Thorn; and get back to her real life in Chicago.

On her first night home, Emmy runs into Talia Avramov—an all-around badass adept in the darker magical arts—who is fresh off a bad breakup . . . with Gareth Blackmoore. Talia had let herself be charmed, only to discover that Gareth was also seeing Linden—unbeknownst to either of them. And now she and Linden want revenge. Only one question stands: Is Emmy in?

But most concerning of all: Why can't she stop thinking about the terrifyingly competent, devastatingly gorgeous, wickedly charming Talia Avramov?"

Read Date - October 2024

Length - 352 pages

Genre - Romance, Fantasy, LGBTQ+

Rating - 7/10

Stars - ★★★☆☆

Notes - I really like the start of this book! The way it establishes that Emmy lost her powers by leaving Thistle Grove is so interesting. It's giving Justin from Wizards Of Waverly Place if you know what I mean!! Her dad asking her to come back for traditions sake is the reason she's back in town, and she's linking back up with her old life. Talia and Emmy have such a good dynamic between each other, i just can't get enough of them. I hope they're end game. The plan to get revenge on Gareth for sleeping with Talia, Emmy, and Lin was a great set up for the plot of the book, and i generally just love the way this book is playing out. The way we get to see the different spells and magic throughout this book is so cool to me. They display it very well, especially during chapters 6-8. The tension between Emmy and her cousin was a great inclusion in the book. Her cousin wants to be the scion, but Emmy is. The girls fucking around with Gareth's mind is so funny and well deserved. The competition scenes are so fascinating to me and i can't pinpoint what exactly it reminds me of, but its so familiar. I love it. The tense moment with the Blackmoore's and Emmy being spoken through was also an interesting moment because it shows off more of how the magic works. its amazing how thought through this all is. The talk of ghosts and magic together is also amazing because i never considered that ghosts and other paranormal activity could be tied into witchiness activities. Talia and Emmy getting together in Chapter 13 was so sensual and i loved that they have cute aggression against each other. The ghosts catching them?? adorable. I love how hallmark this book is. Girl moves away from home, and comes back, finding love. Wanting to stay in her hometown. It's nice. I love the dynamic between Lin and Emmy. Theyre such perfect friends together, which is why Emmy leaving hurt the both of them. Emmy's magic coming back is sweet, and expected not gonna lie. Its obvious that she's going to want to stay in Thistle Grove. The dates that Talia and Emmy go on together have to much pizazz to it, and so much conversations happen with the two. The talks of how scared Talia is to lose her magic is poignant, because it talks about how you get comfortable with the life you live. Why would you want to change? Especially with magic? The tattoo scene was very nice and i like how intimate it was. Talia and Emmy almost getting caught having sex was crazy and at the same time, the fact that they DIDN'T get caught is also crazy like she was RIGHT THERE!! The plan to work together during the competition to take gareth down with their magic is awesome and i love hearing about all the magic. It's so well thought out, like i said before. All the spice scenes are so sensual and i love how they're written. It's desirable and you want to experience it and it's beautiful honestly. The fight between Talia and Emmy was a real moment that was bound to happen eventually, because Emmy and Talia are vaguely incompatible when it comes to their locations. Talia and Rowan trapping Gareth in a "bubble" so to speak was something i didn't expect. when they said magic i didnt realize there was some animation spells! The spell backfirng and infecting Talia was also shocking! I can't believe it hit her! Emmy took over for her, and in the end, wins the competition after getting her powers back. Emmy learning how the magic works (through the lake) is so fascinating because its never explained truly up until now, and the reveal that they're more powerful and important in the town is CRAAAZYYY. it makes perfect sense though! The entire time she's saying she left because theyre not powerful and nobody gaf but of course, they do matter. they are relevant. Emmy deciding to stay in Thistle Grove finally happened, and Talia said she'd go to chicago to visit Emmy when she has to travel there for work. The fact that her and Talia do get together in the end is so great for me because there was a moment where i thought they might tie it into a second book and not have them get together.