#weird that i used another they might be giants song

[wizards-and-t]

kiss me son of god (animatic)

[vimbry-moved]

*if you've heard a couple songs but don't really know much about them, or haven't listened in a long while, you can play!

update: the highest votes went to gudetama. but was it correct? here are the full titles and albums.

❌ "put your hand inside the puppet head" - they might be giants

the opening verse makes reference to leaving one's job and how "it's sad to say, you will romanticise all the things you've known before. it was not, not, not so great". according to flansburgh, "the lyric revolves around the idea that looking back on anything colors it in sentimentality".

❌ "I'll sink manhattan" - they'll need a crane (ep)/miscellaneous T

this is a flansburgh song, but linnell explained its meaning in a 1989 interview with NME as "a song about a guy who somehow figures out how to sink the island of manhattan just to kill his ex-lover, so it's his apology to the other people he's gonna kill in between. he's just gotta do it!"

❌ "meet james ensor" - john henry

it's about james ensor (belgium's famous painter).

❌ "wicked little critta" - mink car

from the tmbg unlimited collection: "forged in the crucible of an eastern massachusetts junior high, this song expresses the dreams, fears and hopes of a new england young adult" the lyrics seem to suggest said young adult fantasising about being a sports star alongside bobby orr and john havlicek while goofing off outside.

❌ "working undercover for the man" - mink car

from flansburgh: "it's more a meditation on the "mod squad" [a 1968 crime series about cool undercover detectives] than anything else. the idea of the narc just seems... like, those episodes of "dragnet" where they have the young undercover dress in a hippie suit."

✔️ "talent is an asset" - kimono my house

the lyrics illustrate an overly-cautious family shielding their very gifted child from others, to keep him studious and soak in all the glory, and is heavily implied to be little albert einstein through puns on relatives and relativity. it's not by them, tho. it's by the band sparks. it came 2nd, so I think many of you recognised it (or really wanted to see the results!)

❌ "bee of the bird of the moth" - the else

"this is a song about a creature called a hummingbird moth, which imitates another creature, which imitates yet another creature. it's completely fucked up, and can only be explained in song!" so they did.

❌ "2082" - join us

thewrap's review of the album describes this song as, "a science-fiction short story (...) a protagonist who travels into the future, finds himself hobbled but still unhappily alive all the way into the next millennium, and travels back to the title year to smother himself with a pillow in a mercy killing". fun!

❌ "call you mom" - nanobots

referred to by linnell as an "oedipus pan" song, the lyrics follow an unfortunate young man beginning a relationship with a woman, getting dumped due to his behaviour of treating her like a mother figure, then infantilising a possibly younger woman in a different relationship and in turn leaving her, who goes on to experience the same issues. fun! (altho, the final chorus actually still refers to her Mom leaving, not her dad, I got the details wrong there in the poll).

❌ "gudetama's busy days" - dial-a-song / my murdered remains

yes, that's a real song. quote flansburgh: "(...) it is really just about feeling isolated from the world, even if you are in a crowded place and manically trying to keep up with your life. the character of gudetama appealed to me because he is such a mopey sad sack."

❌ "marty beller mask" - album raises new and troubling questions

this is real, too! it's just about how marty beller was actually an alter ego of whitney houston the whole time. he's not, but wouldn't that be interesting. the song name-checks multiple of her own in the lyrics. it was temporarily retired out of respect following houston's death (4 months after its release), returning to live performances ten years later in 2022.

[marshvlovestv]

In honor of me having so much video game music downloaded on my phone that I ran out of storage and had to buy a new phone. My favorite track from each video game OST I have!

Bastion: Brusher Patrol (Such a bizarre clash of styles, I can't help but love this one. Shout-out to the part that sounds like Darren quietly scatting in the background.) (Also special shout-out to Build That Wall, probably my favorite vocal track in any Supergiant game)

Celeste: Scattered and Lost (I am such a normie for this choice but face it this track absolutely slaps.)

Chicory: A Colorful Tale: Song of the Wielders (I love how this song has actual lyrics but I still prefer to sing along with the Simlish version that Pizza and Chicory sing.)

The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood: Illusion (First of all I love how every character in this game has their own theme I go feral for that kind of thing. Kurielle is probably one of the characters who stood out to me the least but by god is her theme gorgeous. I love the vocals and how a later track includes a sneaky reprise.)

Cuphead: Dramatic Fanatic (Tap dancing :D)

There are literally thirty of these so I'm doing a read more

Death's Door: The Grey Crow (A heartbreaking boss fight scored with the appropriate amount of anguish)

Deltarune: Cyber Battle (This melody is so underrated and ya know what, so are the characters associated with it. Sweet Cap'n Cakes forever.)

Elsinore: Donne, The Boat Boy (I love this song because it's associated with Lady Guildenstern, aka the best character in gaming full stop, but it's also just a fun little sea shanty that I think they made up for this game so I love that. Also has a lyrical version.)

Evergate: Police (Okay so the level with the police drones is one of the more frustrating ones in the game but the music is hauntingly beautiful so I give it a pass)

Going Under: trust fall (Marv is easily one of the most hateable video game antagonists of all time but damn if his boss theme doesn't slap)

Hades: Last Words (The rolling and the tolling of the bells bells bells bells bells)

Harmony: The Fall of Reverie: Reverie Ascendant (Lena Raine does these medley tracks so good man)

Hollow Knight: Dung Defender (By far the catchiest song about poop on my entire phone)

Ikenfell: Rose Thorns (So the insanely long final boss fight against Oxley overshadowed Aeldra's boss fight in my memory for a long time, but when I watched another playthrough and bought the OST I realized "Oh her theme bops SO much harder than his ever could")

Inscryption: A Final Duel (A hardcore remix of The Scrybe of Magicks, aka one of the only melodic tracks on the album and therefore the one every YouTube video about Inscryption uses in the background. I prefer the epic version just a bit more because honestly that Magnificus setpiece is the best moment in the game)

Jimmy and the Pulsating Mass: Fun, Sunny Day (A fun and silly track as the title suggests, elevated even more by the context in which it plays in the game. The area music alternates between this and the more somber Rainy Sunday to illustrate that Jimmy mother is bipolar [very cute and silly game])

Omori: Bready Steady Go (Like the absolute dipshit I am I actually completely missed the optional Orange Oasis when I played this game myself. Every Let's Player finds it somehow, though, and when they fight the Unbread Twins I invariably stand up and dance along to the boss music.)

One Step from Eden: Perpetual Motion (It's just a good-ass track y'all)

Ori and the Blind Forest: Conundrum (In a soundtrack of sweeping orchestral pieces, this more subdued version of theme that only plays during one small puzzle section might seem a weird choice. But I've always really liked it)

Ori and the Will of the Wisps: Kwolok's Malaise (Kwolok's leitmotif is perfect for a giant frog and the boss remix takes it to it's logical conclusion)

Paradise Killer: Go! Go! Style (This track makes me feel like I'm having a sugar rush. The whole OST does actually but this one especially)

Pyre: Path to Glory (It's just got a really unique vibe to it. I like it)

Scarlet Hollow: Avery (Chill and really beautiful. Avery themself is kind of a sleeper character at this point but I can't wait for Brandon to remix their theme when they get assimilated into a giant plant monster)

Slay the Princess: The Princess (Okay full disclosure I've only played this game once so I don't have the full context for a lot of the tracks on this OST. Maybe hearing them alongside their respective princesses will make me like them more, but for now the title theme is too iconic to beat.)

Sounds of Sympathy (the OST for the game anthology Essays on Empathy): Zen and the Art of Transhumanism (In the Essays on Empathy documentary, fingerspit talked about how she prefers writing obscenely long tracks so the loop doesn't get annoying. Unfortunately for her my favorite track on this album is only three minutes long. It's a lovely little bop.)

Spiritfarer: Mind Palace (I played Spiritfarer before any of the character updates were released, so I didn't get Daria's mind palace sequences in my game. And I mean, they look very platforming-heavy so I'm okay with that, but god this is a gorgeous piece.)

Transistor: Impossible (I think this is Royce Bracket's boss theme? I don't know when any of the tracks on this OST specifically play in game. Regardless of all that this one gets me pumped.)

Unavowed: One Man's Power (I couldn't find a video of this one, but it's gentle saxophone solo that plays when Logan Brown is introduced. I think it fits is character really well and just sounds really nice)

Undertale: Death by Glamour (Best song for best character, enough said)

Wandersong: Moonscape (God knows this game gave me a lot of great options to pick from, but I settled on this one because it's so uplifting.)

[thelampisaflashlight]

The ghouls, but it's how I currently headcanon their personalities. Below the cut.

Aether: Overall, he's a giant goofball and loves a good night out with friends.

People tend to assign him a very "fatherly" role due to his appearance and his tendency to take care of his friends in little ways, but he certainly doesn't see that as strictly something a father, or any sort of guardian, would do.

Friends can take care of their friends and not be their parent!

That being said, if someone called him the "mom friend" he would wear it as a badge of honor, because that means his friends trust him.

Dewdrop: Comes off as a bit of a grump, though in an endearing sort of way.

Despite putting up a wall in front of others, when he's with his friends, he smiles easily and more often than he realizes. Very expressive when he's not trying to hide his emotions, and is known to be a bit of a crier when he's happy.

He's very used to people judging him based off of his appearance, for better or worse, so instead of dwelling on what others might think, he just does whatever he pleases.

Short hair, long hair, skirts, pants, dresses... The world is his oyster and he's here to tell people to "shuck" it.

Cumulus: Very independent and knows what she wants in life, actually getting it is another matter entirely.

She has a lot of interests and hobbies that she doesn't talk about a lot, because 1.) She's afraid people will judge her for them, and 2.) Sometimes enjoying something alone is the best way to experience it.

Due her her looks, she often finds herself being burdened with the problems of strangers who see her as easy to talk to/approachable, but this has lead to her learning a lot of... unfortunate/uncomfortable things about people she either just met or barely knows at all.

Although she's always happy to provide a listening ear to a person in need, she'd really rather just be able to eat her lunch in peace, thank you very much.

Sunshine: As curious and creative as the day is long.

She's always working on something new, be it music, art, or some other sort of craft, she's always got something in her hands... because, truthfully, she wouldn't know what to do with herself otherwise.

A very active, social creature, who feels the most alive around others, and when she's not? Well, that's why she has all those hobbies to keep her busy!

She has some self worth issues, and, if left alone for too long, will question whether or not she has value when she's not entertaining others.

A classic case of "Please check in on your funny friends." if there ever was one.

Swiss: Like if the weird uncle met another weird uncle and they got together and had a baby.

He's a charismatic sort who could light up a room with his smile alone... if only because they're so shiny. He's strange in cryptid sort of way, and, worse yet, he knows it.

Bold and adventurous, he's the sort that loves to take the lead, not for the fame or the glory, no. It's more so because he lives life by the rules of that one Cyndi Lauper song.

Ghouls just want to have fun, ya know?

However, in spite of this, he's not an extrovert. If anything, he's an introvert that's a bit too good at masking how much he's rather be at home right now. Ehn. C'est la vie.

Rain: Quiet, but not shy, no, and many a person has learned that the hard way.

Very fond of presenting himself as a demure, delicate gentlemanly sort, but he very much knows what he's doing when he's looking at you through his eyelashes and playing coy.

Still, there are times when his softer side is genuine, but that version of himself, the one that snorts when he laughs and gives the biggest, brightest smiles, is reserved for his friends.

He needs a lot of alone time, and it's clear when he hasn't gotten nearly enough.

When he's overwhelmed, he can be a bit abrasive, but he's always very open about when he's having a bad day or needs his space, so there's that at least.

Cirrus: The friend you go to when you've done something you don't want anyone else to know about, that helps you without asking too many questions.

The true ride or die.

A very blunt person who tells it like it is and doesn't sugarcoat things, even if a bit more tact would be appreciated.

She has a very broad sense of humor, and laughs easily at even the simplest of jokes, but, hey, farts are funny, okay?

Tends to be a bit bad at physically comforting others, and isn't sure how to initiate hugs.

Mountain: A lot of people see him as the calm, tranquil one, but he's also incredibly stubborn and uses beating the shit out of his drums as a healthy means of dealing with years of pent up frustrations and anger.

That's not to say he's always angry, but he does have a temper, and while he manages it well, he has been known to snap when pushed too far.

Very particular about who can be around him when he's having "quiet time" as some people have very different ideas of what that means.

Secretly thrives in chaos, and, because of this, is the perfect person to ask for help when shit has hit the fan.

Needs a nap, like, yesterday.

Aeon: Bright eyed and bushy tailed, and oh so ready to tear some shit up! But, also, like, only if that's okay? Please tell him it's okay.

No, really, he needs to be explicitly told he's allowed to do it.

He's confident in his skills as a musician, and he's not too worried about how he fits into the band, but socially? To be honest, he's not sure if he's doing anything right.

Has a bit of, "HEY, MOM! MOM! LOOK WHAT I'M DOING!" energy, but that's to be expected.

Not really a personality trait, but he can't say the word "macaroni" right.

Aurora: Like if the playlist you made when you were fourteen came back to haunt you as an adult, but in a good way?

She's so full of confidence and wonder, it's hard to believe that she can be so happy with everything going on in the world.

"Never a bad day." she'll say, even if the rain ruined her picnic, or someone's been mean to her.

Never a bad day.

Someone should really tell her it's okay to admit when something is wrong before squashing it all down causes her to break.

[radiance1]

ANOTHER FUCKING GAME AU BITCHES!!!!!

Or maybe not game but you get the idea, or don't. That works too.

Anyways.

Inspired by: These songs

Now stay with me, is this well thought out? NO!

But come along for the ride anyway!

Anyways.

So, Danny is mad bored and because he's mad bored it inevitably ends up both Sam and Tucker's problem. Not even DOOM can cure Danny's boredom surprisngly.

Meanwhile in the ghost zone:

Pariah Dark, taking out a tray of ecto-cookies in a kiss the cook apron with a tone of skulls on the design: My father senses are tickling.

Which leads to him just showing up out of bloody nowhere and dragging Danny + his friends off into the zone when he finds out Danny's bored as shit.

Pariah Dark: Wait for the cookies to cool, just got out the oven.

He says before going around to rummage in his treasury because he's sure he has at least something in there to stave off his adopted son's bordom.

If his countless priceless artifacts can't even do this, what's the use of keeping them?

A few minutes later as Danny is eating the surprisingly hella good cookies (Which is weird considered that his adopted dad was like, asleep for eons or whatever). Pariah walks back out with a very big, like big enough to touch the floor on him, cape.

He's happy to see Danny enjoying his cooking (Yes, he can cook Pandora nobody is going to almost die for a second time this time he got better and that was literally eons ago stop bringing that up-), but then gets on to what this cape is all about.

He got it about, a century after his coronation by an unnamed ghost, it quite literally just showed up in his castle one day with little to no explanation and he just went with it. Although he didn't use it much, he knows it has some amount of cosmic power in it, doesn't know what it does but its there.

He does know that its 100% safe though.

At least to beings of their level of power.

Though it might have some kind of effects on the regular living if exposed to for a long period of time. Probably, maybe.

He doesn't know, doesn't care.

So, he just drops it on Danny and takes a moment to see how he's just engulfed by the thing, before giving a hum in consideration and snapping his fingers, the thing shrinks but enough for Danny to actually be able to put it on, but still dragging a good distance of the floor behind him.

The cloak's outer appearance is a brilliant glowing white, while the inside looks as if space itself was woven within it.

When Danny put it on, it just felt, right. He couldn't explain it, but it just felt like it was always meant to end up in his hands. No matter if it looked like a toddler wearing his dad's clothes, he's willing to look past that.

Then he just, takes Danny to a very dead vat of space and tells him to have fun (Nothing there should be capable of harming Danny since he made sure of that even before having a child). Like, there's quite literally nothing there and Danny doesn't know what to do.

So, he just fucks around and finds out.

At least the cloak floats behind him as he flies around and looks really cool in space.

Meanwhile Sam and Tucker are just there, left behind, standing around with Pariah Dark. Waiting for Danny to come back.

....

......

Sam: Hey what if you-

Pariah: No.

Sam: I know magic...?

Pariah: Considering hum

Tucker: I have a scepter that can warp reality that was owned by my probably great ancestor.

Pariah: Considering hum increases in intensity

He ends up throwing them in there to, well, after Tucker got the scepter, reality manipulation to allow them to breath in space as a treat (And also for a semi-logic way for them to not die in space).

Danny fucked around and found out he can apparently make stars now.

The three then work together to create an entire solar system.

Danny, making the stars and then the motherfucking sun (with help from Pariah Dark).

Tucker, using his powers to make what is basically the rough drafts of various planets. I.e. just giant rocks. Then carefully using his powers tweak at their designs and make them actually bloody planets.

Sam? Sam just takes a look at one planet and goes: Yea, this would make a great earth.

And proceeded to make earth.

Like no shit, she just filled that shit with her magic and carefully created a working ecosystem and then the planet just, lived.

Is Sam's new world populated? Hahaha, no. Well technically it is, but really only by her and the other two on occasion.

Basically just one gigantic oversized garden.

Tucker set up a base on one of the moons (the one near Sam's planet) and somehow managed to get himself some wifi???? No one knows how he did it, and they aren't going to sit through his explanation.

Danny? Danny's just chilling bro. Most of the time he just kicks back and relaxes in the void of space, occasionally drifting past worlds and stars and sometimes sleeping too.

Basically, just one very big playground for the trio. Sam taking care of her planet garden, Tucker making the entire moon into his personal tech base, and Danny just drifting around in space doing spacing (hehe) out or sleeping.

Me: Oh? What is this? Is that a Dc content over there?

Dc content: rolls

Me: No Dc content! Don't roll into my Dp ideaaaa!!

Dc Content: Rolls into Dp idea

Me: Noooooooo.

Cut forward awhile in time and then a supervillain accidently pulls up into the trio's playground while running from the Justice League, accidently knocks into this random glowing thing in space and then escaped, Danny meanwhile gets rudely awakened and is so surprised the area around him gets enveloped with ice that the Justice League just has to, kinda, move above, below or around.

Which gave the villain good enough time to run.

Then that villain wandered too close to Tucker's moon base and almost got shot to death (Tucker why the fuck do you have space weaponry!?!??!) and then had to make a hasty landing on the nearby planet.

Which is what he wanted so like yea ok.

Same thing happened to the Justice League.

So now both the Supervillain and the Justice League have to navigate Sam's planet. Not knowing that they rudely (in the supervillains case) woke up the prince of the dead and alerted Tucker's moon base.

[virgil-my-emo-son]

One Business Card Lighter

Dukeceit Week Day 4, Hair/Teeth!

Dukeceit week is run by @imnotgrimimjustagrumpyreaper ! @dukeceitweek @dukeceit-week-2024

I feel like I kind of cheated with the prompt... this is a punk singer Remus x comp sci professor Janus fic LOL. I'm so happy with this AU and honestly I might expand on it in the future. I've been working on a giant paper about punk fashion history so I tried to get the punk stuff as accurate as possible! Listened to a lot of Sex Pistols during the writing of this fic!

Also there's a fnaf reference in here if anyone's a fnaf fan 👀

Enjoy!!

Ao3

Janus stood awkwardly at the back of the room, holding his old fashioned in one hand, the other fiddling idly with the twist of orange zest in the glass. His eyes, however, were undistracted, glued to the small stage at the front of the bar.

He came to Junior’s for their jazz nights on Thursdays. He knew all of the hits that the bands usually played, and he was always interested to hear their original work. Sometimes it made Janus question why the artist had picked up music in the first place, and sometimes it made him wonder why the hell they were playing in a tiny little bar in the middle of the city instead of in the stadium just across the river.

Janus was used to Thursday nights. He liked Thursday nights.

But tonight was a Friday, and Janus had never been to Junior’s on a Friday.

For one thing, it was far more crowded than he was used to, mostly college students who were either freshly 21 or had good-enough fake IDs. Janus stayed at the back of the room, leaning against the wall and sipping on his drink, taking his eyes off the stage for a moment to scan the crowd. It would be a little awkward running into one of his freshmen from Computer Science 170 at a bar.

Janus only taught one 100-level class this semester, so it was a little less likely he’d run into those students than the juniors and seniors from his software engineering courses. Those students might be legally allowed in Junior’s, but it wouldn’t make an interaction any less uncomfortable.

Janus looked back at the stage. For another thing, Fridays were not jazz nights.

Fridays were punk nights.

The band onstage was… the best word Janus could think of was outrageous. He didn’t mean it negatively, but there was no denying they were provocative.

The drummer and bassist both had long hair. The drummer’s was pulled back, revealing a sleeveless shirt covered in strategic rips and tears, while the bassist’s fell in dark curtains over his white T-shirt that Janus was pretty sure had an upside-down crucifix. The guitarist’s hair was spiked to heaven, and he wore a jacket covered with enough patches and pins that Janus couldn’t tell what the original fabric was, with a T-shirt beneath reading FUCK OFF.

But what really caught his attention was the singer.

He was short, but the presence with which he commanded the stage made him seem seven feet tall. He marched around the stage in beat up work boots and dark, ripped jeans. A few tears near his thigh were patched with safety pins, affixing them to a grey Sex Pistols T-shirt with the eyes of each of the band’s members scribbled out. His hair was a calico dye job of orange, a weird orangey blond Janus could only assume was the result of an attempt to bleach the orange out, and dark brunette in spots he’d missed with both the orange and the bleach.

He was striking, and Janus found himself unable to stop watching his tongue as he rolled the “r” in “antichrist” during a jerky rendition of “Anarchy in the UK.”

Suddenly, the singer looked up, making direct eye contact with Janus. He winked—Janus could’ve sworn directly at him—as he sang, “Don’t know what I want, but I know how to get it!”

Janus suddenly couldn’t look at him any longer, a blush heating up his face. He took a fortifying sip of his alcohol.

Janus stayed for the rest of the set, despite not knowing a single one of the songs they played or even whether they were covers or originals. The fact that he recognized “Anarchy in the UK” was only because of his friend Virgil’s high school punk phase, and even that was a small miracle.

That singer…

“Thank you for coming out tonight!” He yelled over the drummer doing a long roll on the snare. “My name is Remus and we’re Hair and Teeth and fuck the IRS and fuck the military and fuck you all!” He kicked his foot up as the drum roll concluded with a smash on the cymbal.

The crowd went crazy, cheering and clapping and yelling stuff Janus couldn’t quite make out. The band walked offstage, and Janus was sure he locked eyes with Remus as he threw a kiss over his shoulder and disappeared into the back room.

The bar began to empty out as the evening got later and later, and Janus found himself sitting on one of the barstools, chatting with the bartender. It wasn’t the usual Thursday bartender, rather, a man in a red satin shirt with a loud laugh. He was fun to talk to, but all Janus could think about was Remus.

“Say, do you know the band just playing?” Janus set down his glass, leaning a bit on the bar. He’d moved on from his cocktail to a series of low proof beers. His small house was within walking distance of Junior’s, but despite his high tolerance for alcohol, he didn’t want to get too drunk.

“I do.” The bartender smiled. “I know them very well.”

“In what sense?”

The bartender indicated his head at something over Janus’s shoulder. “My brother.”

Janus looked behind him to see the singer, Remus, walking up to the bar.

His chest leapt.

“Can I have something on the house?” Remus stood by the bar, leaning on it with his forearms.

“No.” The bartender raised a judgmental eyebrow. “What makes you think I’d do that?”

“I’m your baby brother, Roman! You love me!”

Roman rolled his eyes. “No free drinks.”

Remus turned to Janus. “He’s so annoying.” His eyes raked up and down Janus, and he desperately wished he’d taken the time to change into something other than the pinstriped button-up shirt and plaid slacks he’d taught in. “Are you going to a wedding?”

Janus blinked. “Pardon?”

“You’re dressed all fancy.” Remus gestured to his outfit.

“No wedding, I’m afraid. Came from work.”

“What’s work?” Remus’s head tilted. “Office job? You The Man we hated on for an hour during our set?”

Janus gave a short laugh. “Not really. I’m a professor at Sanders University, computer science.”

Remus mimed a yawn. “Computer science? Boring.”

“And you’re a musician full-time, I assume?” Janus gave him a quick once-over. “You look the part, Remus.”

“Thank you, I am!” Remus winked. “You already know my name, so what’s yours, handsome?”

“Stop flirting in front of me right now.” Roman interjected, pointing a finger at Remus. “I don’t need to hear this. Out.” His finger moved to the door.

“Fine.” Remus moved his hand to hover over Janus’s. “Can I take your hand, handsome?”

“Depends. Where are you taking it?” A grin twitched at Janus’s mouth.

“Out of this bar!” Roman called over his shoulder.

“Yes.” Janus looked back to Remus, smiling in earnest.

A twinkle in his eye, Remus grabbed his hand and pulled him out the door of Junior’s. The street outside was busy, one of the main roads in town, and the glow from the streetlamps and signs of other bars, restaurants, and shops lit everything up.

Remus leaned against the wall. “So, come here often?”

Janus laughed. “Yes, every Thursday, actually. They have good jazz.”

“Jazz? Yeah, you’d like jazz.” Remus nodded.

“Whatever does that mean?”

“You just look like you’d listen to jazz music.” Remus nodded to his whole figure. “So, then, why’d you come tonight?”

“I just had a… a feeling I should.” Janus looked down. “I think I made the right decision, though.”

“So do I, handsome. I never got your name.” Remus tilted his head again.

“Janus.”

“Last name?”

“Constance.”

“Janus Constance?”

“Janus Constance.”

“Mm.” Remus hummed. “Interesting.”

Janus fumbled in his pocket for a moment. “I should be going, but I… here’s my card. Call me.” He held out a business card.

“A business card at the bar is hilarious.” Remus took it. “You’re definitely a professor.”

“Did you think I was lying?”

“Well, now I know for sure.”

“Mm.” Janus was amused.

“I’ll call you.” Remus’s eyes twinkled. “Professor Constance.”

“Please.” Janus rolled his eyes. “It’s Janus.”

“Alright, Janus. I’ll call you.” Remus took Janus’s hand again and held it up to his mouth, giving it a short kiss before winking again and walking away. Janus was left blushing on the sidewalk, one business card lighter.

[ternfic]

Reboot

Chapter Six

“It’s so adorable! And cute!”

“Are you covering up some un-dark past?”

“Well well well! I thought ye were tough! Looks like the peg’s on the other leg!”

“Wait, is she secretly cutesy?”

Lucy couldn’t give them an answer as she fought not to hyperventilate. She could recall very clearly having her bangs bleached and dyed on a regular basis to keep the colorful highlights. Emmet had even gone with her a few times to see how it was done. “This isn’t my real hair!” she finally snapped, glaring in challenge at her friends. “My hair is naturally black! Can you guys seriously not remember my highlights fading?!”

“I dunno, Wyldstyle, that black sure looks like it’s washing right out,” Benny pointed out.

“They did something to it! Are you seriously going to trust someone you’ve known for barely an hour over someone you’ve known for five years?!”

“Pardon my language, but she’s a real grumpledumpuss,” the vampire huffed, earning a round of gasps. Lucy only gave him a flat glare.

“Take her for some music therapy,” the General commanded. “Then she’ll be ready to join our ceremony.”

Lucy struggled as she was marched to another section of the temple. “Just listen to the music, and let your mind go,” the vampire told her, just before she was shoved into a room and sealed in. She stared around as giant speakers lowered from the ceiling and almost immediately began blasting some catchy pop song, the bass thumping through her entire body.

“This song’s gonna get stuck inside your- this song’s gonna get stuck inside your- this song’s gonna stuck inside your head!”

“Oh you’ve gotta be kidding me,” she muttered, but soon the annoyance faded to horror as she could feel it working its way through her. It was burrowing into her brain, just as it threatened it would, slowly starting to pick at her less than happy memories. With a shriek she launched herself at one of the speakers, tearing it apart in seconds. She fashioned a pair of headphones from the debris to try to block out the insidious music before grabbing a long pole and using it to pry open another door. It shattered under the force of her fury.

On the other side was Unikitty, her fur its natural bubblegum pink for the first time in years. “Unikitty, let’s get out of here!”

“Wyldstyle, it’s fun! Sing along!”

The rest of the group joined them then, closing in on her as they tried to convince her to join in. Metalbeard had had a new body built for him, and Benny’s arm was seemingly restored- or was a very masterful prosthetic that mimicked his original perfectly. “What’s wrong with you?! You’re not acting like yourselves!”

“Don’t be a grumpledumpuss!” Unikitty teased.

“Don’t you see?! They are trying to change us!” She started to move with the music, and screamed her frustration. “Shoulder! Stay still!” she growled as she glanced around for a way out. If she tried to break out through the door, she’d be greeted by those weird robot guards and the General. She didn’t like those odds.

There! Up near the ceiling, an air duct! She jumped up onto the shuffling platforms, using them to launch herself upward and toward the duct, swinging inside with ease. She took a moment to breathe; it was considerably quieter inside. The feeling of those little fingers sifting through her brain had eased. She’d thought something weird was going on, but brainwashing?

Whatever that Queen might have sang at them about being ‘not evil’, her actions were certainly proving otherwise. This wasn’t just weird, this was downright sinister.

She crawled away from the rooms being blasted with music and kicked the grate out with perhaps more force than was really necessary, but the resulting clang! and looks of shock on the vampires' faces was more than worth it. She stalked up to the young man, snarl firmly in place.

“Where’s my ring,” she demanded.

“Ring?” came the puzzled response. “You didn’t have a ring-”

“The hell I didn’t!” Lucy exploded. “It was hammered copper with a wire-wrapped sapphire and I was wearing it on my left hand and you took it for ‘safe keeping’ before you shipped me off for those stupid ‘treatments’!” By now she’d grabbed his collar and was shaking him. Maybe putting the fear of The Man Upstairs into him would jog his memory.

A white-gloved fist flew toward her face and she jerked back, releasing her hold on the vampire to avoid getting hit. She glared at the General, and dodged a few more punches before finally managing to kick her away. The moment the opportunity presented itself, she sprinted for the exit, putting a fair bit of distance between it and herself before climbing up to hide among the crystal formations.

She watched from her vantage as the blocky guard-bots were deployed to look for her, but with no luck. It seemed they didn’t have flight capability like the General, and so couldn’t see her from the ground. Lucy smirked to herself. Apparently the General hadn’t thought the temple climbable. Eventually they gave up. Lucy crammed herself further into her hidey-hole in case the General herself came out to search, but it remained silent.

After a while she heard an announcement that the buses would be departing for the wedding soon, and she climbed back down to get a better view. She watched as the others were loaded onto a bus, the General herself taking Batman alone, for who knew what reason. Nothing good, she guessed.

Lucy watched with curiosity as a pair of Systarians in armor similar to the General’s approached her, conversed for several minutes, then saluted and left again. She wished she could have heard what they were saying. Just as she was debating creeping closer to sneak a ride out under one of the buses, a whisper caught her attention.

“Lucy!”

That… sounded like Emmet. She shook her head. She had to be hearing things.

“Lucy, over here!”

That was it. That song had gotten to her, and she'd officially lost her mind. She looked over anyway.

To her immense surprise, there stood Emmet, along with someone who looked like Bad Cop (if the sunglasses and scowl were anything to go by, at least) and another man she didn’t recognize but who looked somewhat like Emmet. The other two didn’t matter to her in that moment. Emmet was there.

[foggyparadisecandy]

TRANCE LIST

UPDATE: I have so many more trances that I abandoned keeping up this list. Use the tag #foggy trance to find them or

CLICK THIS LINK

Please like or - even better - reblog if you enjoy them!

Either way, please enjoy. I've had fun creating them.

** RAINBOW TRANCES **

These all work the same way - there is an effect and you are given a word that you can whisper quietly to trigger yourself.

There's something really fun in being able to trigger yourself to cause a sensation and I hope you take a chance to experience it. BLUE is my personal favorite.

GREEN - Bound with a trigger word. Relaxation trance.

RED - Arousal trance with a trigger word. Relaxation / focus induction.

BLUE- Feel good trance with a trigger word. Overload induction.

AQUA - Feel good relaxation trance. Relaxation induction.

ORANGE - Rather a silly trance with a trigger word. Confusion induction.

CLEAR - Not really a color - this will remove triggers and hypnotic effects. Conversational induction.

** STEAMY TRANCES **

I know most of you are perverts (I use that word in complete affection and not as an insult!) - that's why I love you all. So I hope you will find something in these.

SHOW ME isn't really a trance but I think it's fun, so I hope you take a minute to read it.

TOTES WHATEVER - kind of silly

CHERRY CRUSH - who doesn't like to obsess over Cherry Crush?

FRIENDLY CONVERSATION - oh, just go enjoy some mindless arousal. You might find yourself feeling horny afterwards. Who doesn't like feeling horny?

HAUNTING - Ok this one isn't very trancy but I'm leaving it here. It was inspired by Halsey's song "Haunting" - probably best to listen to that first.

OBEDIENCE IS PLEASURE - lots of people will talk about "obedience is pleasure" but do you really understand it and feel it? Fractionation / relaxation induction.

SNAP - Arousal can be yours with a snap if you want it. Straight persuasion.

GOOD GIRL - Do you want to feel like a GOOD GIRL?

DESIRE - You ever have a day where you just want to give in and be under someone else's control? Here's your chance. No real induction.

HANDS - Who's hands are they? Mine or yours? This is designed to make your hands turn you on. Slight confusion induction.

HORNY TRANCE - People seem to like roaming hands turning them horny so who am I to deny them? Story induction with fractionation.

CORE - Embrace your desires. Relaxation with slight confusion.

SPANKING - Sometimes pain is our friend and can help us relax.

AW HONEY - A real inspiring story about dirty little whores. No real induction.

SHOW ME - Light compulsion to show your boobs.

DUMBIFICATION AND BIMBOIFICATION - Just what it says.

OK DUMMY - Makes you anxious and nervous.

** RELAXATION TRANCES **

Ditch the stress of your day and feel good about yourself. Some of these are just plain old relaxation exercises and not very hypnotic. But they are each designed to make you feel good and happy.

I know most of you will only look at the steamy trances but take a break from being kinky for a few minutes and relax. :)

GIANT STONE TABLET - you ever notice something that was always there but you hadn't noticed it before. Weird how our brains work, isn't it?

REACHING A GOAL - obstacles? who needs them

WARM FUZZY BLANKET - lovely to wrap ourselves up in a nice fuzzy blanket, isn't it?

GLASS OF WATER - so nice to be a glass of water and filled slowly and steadily

FREE WILL - relaxation can be found down the well

LONG OR SHORT - relaxation, joy, bliss, happiness

RELAX - relaxation and happiness trance - I really like these

MATH - just some simple math and word play

OCEAN - relaxing trance

YODA TRANCE - Do or do not, there is no try. Pretty simple relaxation with a conversational induction.

LOVE TRANCE - Relaxation designed to help you find a source of infinite love. Relaxation induction.

WOODS - Relaxation trance. Relaxation induction.

JUST IMAGINE - Relaxation trance. Overload / relaxation induction.

RUN ON TRANCE - dang ... another feel good message. What's up with that? Not really an induction but more of a monotonous story.

MORAL - Feel good trance. Confusion / Overload induction.

LAZY - Feel good trance. Relaxation induction.

TRANQUILITY - Relaxation trance. Relaxation induction.

SO MANY PEOPLE - Relaxation trance and induction.

** GENERAL HYPNO TRANCES **

DRONE - want to be a drone? Gee ... who wouldn't?

DROP - would you like a drop trigger that makes you more susceptible to my trances?

RESISTANCE - Relaxation designed to reinforce the happiness of trancing and help people who might struggle a bit with trancing. Confusion induction.

[redstringraven]

For Cassia: 3, 8, 11! And for Nyxram: 1, 6, 11!

<:D!! AAAAA thank you so much!

Secret Ask List

-------------------- .: • CASSIA --------------------

3) what song describes your oc?

cassia is one of those ocs where the music i find for her playlist is almost all vibes and not really based on lyrics. it's the energy of the music, the way it makes you wanna move or bob or sing along. that being said: "rage" by hyper crush and "joyride" by kesha immediately make me think of her. lyrically, "i love it" by icona pop might be a good fit.

8) what hobbies does your oc have? what do they do to unwind?

cassia's major hobby is rollerskating! but she's also super into street art, and she enjoys beautifying her favorite areas of new york in a manner of silly or meaningful ways. when she's at home, she also enjoys random doodling--mostly ideas for graffiti or future street art--learning dances from her favorite music videos, and playing a variety of video games.

11) what was your inspiration for your oc?

i distinctly remember driving to my local movie trading company to see if they had any physical dvds for tmnt'03, and "girlfriend" by avril lavigne came on spotify shuffle. for whatever reason, i got the image of a pink-haired girl in rollerskates, and she wouldn't leave my head. cassia's my first tmnt oc, and i think she was always meant to be kind of like april in that she's a grounding presence in their otherwise chaotic lives. despite how high-energy and mischievous she is, she's extremely stable and does regularly go to therapy, which has made her more thoughtful and aware of others along with herself. her biggest conflicts come from being an out trans-girl in the 90s and early 2000s, but none of it is tied to her immediate family (her parents ADORE her). she is, for the most part, about as ''''average'''' a civilian in the tmnt'03 world as you can get. i dunno! i think i kind of just wanted to give them all another anchor of sorts, another safe haven. cassia's parents, oliver and esme, also become guardian figures to the turtles in a sense (especially mikey). esme loves to mother them.

-------------------- .: • NYXRAM ----------------------------

1) does your oc have a voice claim, if so who?

god yes. nyx's voice claim is shohreh aghdashloo. the moment i heard her as enforcer grayson in arcane, i pointed at the screen and muttered: "you". as someone who's very picky about these sorts of things i seriously feel like it was gift-wrapped to me. >xD shohreh also provides the voice for the dragon in damsel, which is a dumb as hell movie but i will continue to listen to it for the sake of hearing her talk.

6) if your oc is in a fantasy setting, what profession would they be in the modern day?

kind of a weird question, since 'modern day' implies that this is more a difference in time period? e-e;; i imagine she'd likely still have assassin roots, but. after the rebellion succeeds, the republic begins to rebuild, and the games are disbanded, nyxram takes it upon herself to use her family's "estate" as a sanctuary for the animals used in the games, since most of them can't be returned to their natural habitats due to injuries and/or being raised in captivity. so! i think a potential "modern day" or "human" profession for her might be owning and managing something like an old friends senior dogs sanctuary. providing housing, love, and comfort for older animals when most folks want younger pets, and ensuring that their last few years are happy and safe. she's taken so much life, so... it feels like giving back, in a way.

11) what was your inspiration for your oc?

@/plantdonut doesn't live with me (alas), but if she did, i would have turned to her during our '03 rewatch a few years ago and asked, bluntly, "why do all the triceratons gotta be dudes? where're my giant, amazon warrior dinosaurs?". and within a few days, i was practicing my hand at drawing triceratons, so i could make it so. my two major points of inspiration for nyx come from cassandra cain (2nd batgirl, pre-new52) and john wick. cassandra for being... basically born and bred to be the perfect assassin, only to have 'too much' compassion and love and guilt and go hero instead, and john wick for being a 'baba yaga' to anyone who knows his name. not the boogeyman, but the one you send to kill the boogeyman. the idea of a triceraton assassin was very cool to me, given that they're often a straight-forward, loud, and blunt force to face with little concern for being subtle. it also draws an interesting connection to her and the turtles; at some point nyx comments that despite their practice being tied to assassins such as herself, any blood on their hands comes from self-defense. in some ways, she envies them. but in many more, she doesn't. she's the sole survivor of her clutch, and the only one of her siblings to 'earn' a name. she was, in a way, a political move--a gift/tool offered to the prime leader to ensure that her parents had a connection to power and could continue their own work with protection from punishment. ...they just didn't expect for her to want something else. since the triceratons seem to have a handful of 'nods' and aesthetics pointing toward the roman empire, i named nyxram after the greek goddess 'nyx', the personification and substance of night. i also specifically use greek spelling with her, whereas her parents will have roman spelling of their names to further emphasize her 'otherness' from triceraton society as a whole.

[softbeebee]

Take A Chance

(Ellie Williams) (tlou2) (Fluff) |

Notes : Not proof read, but this is first time writing a full-on fanfic, use of y/n, or you meaning reader. I would love to hear some feedback about this as well, I love finding ways to improve my writing 😊

Ellie couldn't keep her eye off you each time she entered the little cosy grocery store you worked out. She worries she might be caught staring at you and sure has come close to nearly being caught, entering the store the occasional bustling crowds promptly coming through as she shifts her way through to find some products she needed. Ellie feels embarrassed, unable to speak a word to you unless you start raving with a mixture of shyness and confidence that stirs in the air as she spots you. Casually talking away, helping out another Jackson citizen which Ellie tries to causally stand around.

Today, having finally built up the ox of courage to be able to ask you out, you and Ellie's conversation having picked up these last few times, she popped in. Her emerald pool eyes glances around and wonders what to do, awaiting you are no longer kindly helping out the customer with which as soon as you are, she swoops over.

"Hey you, kind enough to uh help me out?" She nervously laughs, sighing as she anxiously runs her fingers through her hair half down. You stare at her, that glimmering smile across your face. "Of course, Ellie - what are you looking for?" You curiously ask, eyes glazing over the masculine nerves of a woman standing next to you. Ellie racks her brain, pausing hesitantly. "Soup?"

You weren't sure if she really needed soup yet, but you wouldn't ask any further, taking her to the section with the small selection of varying flavours of soup. "So how have you been?" Ellie attempts and fails to start any type of small talk, sighing under her breath as she sticks her sweaty palms inside of her jean pockets. "Good, had some time off and got to relax, so getting used to coming back after those days off." You smoothly reply, eyes meeting hers for a brief moment before her eyes dash away to glance at the ground.

"Sounds great then....." The most awkward small talk you could think stands there and seems unable to get any words out. You feel that tensions the jolting tensions which have between you two for however long. "How are you doing?" You ask, checking in since she knows Ellie's situation with her old man, Joel hasn't been any easier recently. "Surviving, good where I can though I learnt some new songs recently." Ellie nodded her head in a calm manner as she spoke, close to spitting it out.

Quietness between you two, thankfully not awkward silence, which would have made the auburn haired girl rush out and drop the idea entirely. Ellie can't give in, refusing to. "Sounds nice, maybe we could spend some time together and you can show me what you learnt."

Once more nodding as Ellie squeezed her hands in her jeans in hopes it releases stress and the back seated anxiety from her body. She didn't want to scare you off or weird you out, Ellie knew her reputation follows her due to duel minded people in Jackson who rumored about her ever so often. Although, she isn't sure how they can as Ellie isn't anything special just like any Jackson citizen with the immunity to the virus...Just totally a casual citizen, your hand rubs over the other playing with small silver ring wrapped around her finger.

"I'm just going to get this out - Would you like to go on a date with me sometime soon? I thought about Friday this Friday as I know the store closes early." The bandaid swiftly ripped off, Ellie's eyes meet yours. You were slightly taller, but that was something she kind of liked about you apart from many other things such as your kindness, humour, confidence, selfless nature, etc. If she could Ellie could list it all and ramble lovingly about you as despite everything she has gained giant crush on you as dorky as it sounds it was the truth.

Biting on her lip, racing thoughts in her mind as you stand stunned by the sudden question and the giaenormous question of being asked out. Admittedly you had been waiting to either do it yourself or if there was a chance to allow Ellie to do it herself, though Ellie beat you to it and such relief washes over you having not to pretend you want to hold her hand, kiss her, amongst other things.

"Took you long enough- !" A nervous laugh escapes out during this, Ellie surprised and flustered look instantly glancing at the floor starting to realise how obvious it must of been for you as Ellie's nature wasn't so subtle or often things went over her head which is embarrassing as she has been flirted with without realising till its too late though thankful you were patient with this aspect of herself.

She feels her freckled cheeks becoming rosy and warm from the embarrassed blush covering her face, such an oblivious dork. "But, I would love to go on a date with you on Friday." That response made her smile widen across her face, both of your eyes meeting the others with gleeful glimmer going about your eye. "Great - Great then! I thought maybe we could watch a movie and I could make us something to eat for dinner. How does that sound?" Ellie didn't want to come off to strong so thought the idea of chilled out date would be the best idea for your first date.

That bright smile across your face said it all, clear eye contact with smaller masculine woman. Her heart was flying across the room in graceful yet merry fashion, but tries to seen cool and composed on the exterior. "Ellie that sounds wonderful, pick me up here at 6pm?" Which Ellie non-verbally agrees to that just before her bossy manager comes along stubborn and frustrated as usual Ellie unsure how you put up with his attitude. "I got to go, just know I'll meet you outside on Friday. Don't get in any trouble, okay?" You playfully tease, stepping away as Ellie stands there.

Excitement brewing inside of her, about to burst into fireworks as she grabs some soup cans merely a few and then buying then and carrying them in a bag as she headed out though not before spotting you once more and waves goodbye to you sweetly yet in awkward fashion just as she heads back out with a confidence boost in her step though hunched shoulders as she exited. What a date it will be, Ellie thrilled to see you on Friday.

[jammys-pkmn-irl-hub]

Welcome! You can call me "Jam" (he/him); I run a bunch of Pokémon IRL blogs and at this point accepted that I'm probably gonna make more! So to prevent the ever-growing list of blogs I have to add to pinned posts, I've now made a hub blog.

Aside from making a listn I'm probably gonna also like. Use this blog to talk about lore stuff that's hard to mention in-character? And maybe even post some off-screen fics that I didn't finish at the time I meant to post them. So consider giving this blog a follow if you. Actually like my work for some reason lmao.

I'm gonna categorize this so:

"Glass Moon" Characters

Most of my characters fall under the same universe that I call the "Glass Moon Lore", because I like to joke that their anime theme song would be the "Glass Moon Dance" by The Vanished People. All of these characters are tied to each other in one way or another, and even tied to characters written by other people! More on that in a different post

Those characters are:

- @profchamomile - Paldea's new regional professor! Looking into ways to make Pokémon care more accessible so trainers in disadvantaged situations may still make sure their pokemon's needs are being met! Will they live up to the expectations that come with replacing the professors that built a literal time machine? Or will their worst fears come to life when the ghosts of their deep dark past come back to haunt them- I mean what?

- @porygon-supremacy - A hacker who totally doesn't care about people, and a mother of four weird pokemon children. Tries her best to be secretive, but her porygons have other plans. If what you hear of her work life concerns you... Well, you might be onto something.

- @anomaly-sanctum - a pokemon sanctuary specializing in the kind of pokemon that other sanctuaries can't. Legendaries, ultra beasts, artificial, you name it. May or may not be run by a former terrorist

- @kidresearcherindigo - Just a normal student of Naranja-Uva academy who loves their friends and family and expresses that in making them laugh! Sure they figured refer to their family as their "pack" and that family largely consists of zoroarks. Sure they may or may not have been to Area Zero. Sure they may or may not have saved the world from team plasma back when they lived in Unova. But they're TOTALLY normal and NOT traumatized!

- @bright-sun-porygon - One of porygon-supremacy's weird pokemon children; a happy-go-lucky porygon2 who wants nothing more than to put a smile on the face of everyone they meet! Their ultimate goals are to bring their loved ones together, get the human learning experience by becoming a student at naranja-uva, and becoming your friend!

Individual Lore Blogs

- @paradox-destroyer - what would happen if Arven couldn't save Mabosstiff? You get an edgy, troubled teenager forced to help a giant lizard get their powers back!

- @area-zero-era-navigator - another Arven blog, but this time he's an AI! Watch as he struggles to navigate human emotion as he's forced to process some of the most difficult emotions of all, such as grief, fear, love, among others

- @witheredcosmos no one special, really. Just a galarian man suffering from an unfortunate position. Certainly has no affiliation Former Chairman Rose or anything... Nevermind the fact that his blog was made a day after the former Chairman's death was announced.

That's it for now; more will be added, I'm sure because when I get an idea it holds me hostage for several nights

My activity tends to fluctuate a lot depending on which plot I'm most hyperfixated with. But interaction is always welcome on any one of them; even if I haven't posted on that blog in a while.

Also follows are from @jammerman64 but shhhhhhhhh don't tell my mutuals on main (/lh)

Feel free to send asks about my characters too if you're curious about anything!

[samueldays]

A friend recommended Deadworld Isekai to me the other day. To damn it with faint praise: it was good enough that I finished reading all three volumes, and the author has a solid grasp of spelling and grammar.

It has the usual LitRPG problem of re-reifying abstractions to produce weird round-trip-translation nonsense that has become the heart of the LitRPG genre, one of the most finely polished turds in the world.

The thing that stood out to me as the most 'fixable' problem, though, was the fake suspense and the fake threat. Oh no, the protagonist is in over his head, however will he survive? Oh no, the protagonist is on the verge of death, what asspull deus ex machina is going to save him now?

The cast is too small and the premise too specialized for there to be a serious threat of replacing Matt as protagonist, and once you've introduced CRPG Healing you can't threaten injury short of death, so I roll my eyes at every new danger, confident he'll be perfectly fine (and powered up!) a chapter later.

I want to contrast this with Lord of the Rings, which looms over the wider fantasy genre so much that it gets taken for granted, and I sometimes see people thinking of it in terms of the popular cliches that were copied the most. But I feel it's pretty good about threatening Frodo, and that's less copied.

At some point in The Return of the King, the reader has seen Gandalf die and Boromir die and the Fellowship broken, and then parts of the Fellowship met new cool people, and then those cool people started dying too, with Theoden bravely dead on the battlefield and Denethor horribly dead in attempted murder-suicide.

It starts to look like Frodo might die, IMO, it's genuinely plausible that Tolkien will kill off another major character at this point. The deaths are mounting, Frodo's psyche is fraying, and the savvy reader sees Sam is right there to take over if Frodo dies. The main protagonist will probably still survive because that's how stories go, but it's not all that obvious.

It looks like death when Frodo is stung by giant spider and carried off by orcs, but it's much less of a deus ex machina to hear that the spider was using paralytic venom to save a meal for later. Frodo isn't getting a sudden powerup or new ally, it's just a spider being a spider.

With no magic healing, several magic items lost, and Frodo increasingly traumatized, the quest gets closer to Mount Doom. Here Frodo puts on the Ring, which is not how these stories normally go! No heroic last-minute surge of willpower. Frodo is sick and tired, looks at the Ring of Power, and decides that in fact, he would like Power for himself.

Gollum bites Frodo's finger off, falls into the lava, and the Ring is destroyed nonetheless. Tolkien again makes it look like Frodo might really die in the resulting volcanic eruption, now that his importance to the story is over and the Ring is destroyed and the rest looks like cleanup from the army marching on Mordor in the other plot thread.

But the book isn't over yet. If you're reading Lord of the Rings in print, you can feel there's another hundred pages left to go at this point. Frodo is saved, Aragorn is crowned, our heroes are victorious, there's celebrations and marriages and vacations and songs.

Then Frodo heads home at long, long last and finds Saruman got there first and started polluting the Shire.

The last surprise is that Saruman dies really fast. The rest of the book is appendices. What, you expected a hundred pages of Frodo fighting the Shire Wizard War? Nope, we're done here! Also Frodo has to leave, Sam takes over at the very last. It's a good series of plot twists, without being a plot swerve.

[stannyramirez]

𝓑𝓐𝓡𝓑𝓘𝓔 sentence starters part 𝟏/?

Since the beginning of time, since the first little girl existed, there have been dolls.

Yes, Barbie changed everything.

All of these women are Barbie, and Barbie is all of these women.

She might have started out as just a lady in a bathing suit, but she became so much more.

She has her own money, her own house, her own car, her own career.

Because Barbie can be anything, women can be anything.

Girls grow into women who can achieve everything and anything they set their mind to.

Thanks to Barbie, all problems of feminism and equal rights have been solved.

At least, that’s what the Barbies think.

Who am I to burst their bubble?

She was discontinued by Mattel because a pregnant doll is just too weird.

Barbie has another big day ahead of her.

Turn to the Barbie next to you, tell her how much you love her! Compliment her!

How come you’re so amazing?

No comment! *laughter* No, seriously, no comment.

I worked very hard, so... I deserve it.

This makes me emotional, and I’m expressing it.

I have no difficulty holding both logic and feeling at the same time. And it does not diminish my powers. It expands them.

Yay! Space!

Barbie has a great day every day, but Ken only has a great day if Barbie looks at him. I got us both ice creams! Hey, Barbie! Check me out!

Oh, hey, Barbie. How much of that did you see?

We saw the whole thing.

Let’s get you up on your feet.

You are so strong.

Ah, looks like this beach was a little too much beach for you.

If I wasn’t severely injured, I would beach you off right now.

I’ll beach off with you any day.

Hold my ice cream.

Alright, Ken, you’re on. Let’s beach off.

Anyone who wants to beach him off has to beach me off first.

I will beach both of you off at the same time.

But you don’t even know how to beach yourself off, how are you going to beach both of us off? That doesn’t make sense.

Nobody’s gonna beach anyone off!

Barbie, hold my hand!

Stay with me, Barbie!

Shredding waves is much more dangerous than people realize.

You’re very brave, Ken.

You know, surfer’s not even my job. And it is not lifeguard, which is a common misconception.

It is actually my job... it’s just beach.

And what a good job you do at beach.

Hey Barbie, can I come to your house tonight?

I don’t have anything big planned. Just a giant blowout party with all the Barbies and planned choreography and a bespoke song. You should stop by!

So cool.

Bet you can’t do a flip like that, Ken.

Gosh, this night is just perfect! You look so beautiful, Barbie!

Thanks, I feel so beautiful! This is the best day ever!

It is the best day ever. And so was yesterday, and so is tomorrow, and so is the day after tomorrow, and even Wednesday, and every day from now until forever!

Do you guys ever think about dying?

I don’t know why I just said that.

I’m just dying to dance.

You can go now.

I thought I might stay over tonight.

Oh, but, I don’t want you here.

This is my dreamhouse. It’s Barbie’s dreamhouse. It’s not Ken’s dreamhouse, right?

Oh, ah-ha-ha, right as always.

Hurry up, the president’s here!

Every night is girls’ night.

Good night, Barbies! I’m definitely not thinking about death anymore!

Ooh, girl, you okay?

Barbie doesn’t get embarrassed!

I don’t even have context for this, but... my feet, my heels are on the ground.

I’m no longer on tip-toes.

I know I’m Stereotypical Barbie and therefore don’t form conjectures concerning the causality of adjacent unfolding events, but some things have been happening that might be related.

*Gasp* You’re malfunctioning!

What? No! I’m just... I’m -- am I?

I’ve never seen this kind of malfunction before, it’s usually just hair related.

You know, you’re gonna have to visit Weird Barbie.

I have never had to visit Weird Barbie.

That’s because you’ve never malfunctioned.

I heard that she used to be the most beautiful Barbie of all, but then someone played with her too hard in the real world.

And now she’s fated to an eternity of making other Barbies perfect while falling more and more into disrepair herself.

That and we all call her Weird Barbie both behind her back and also to her face.

She’s so weird! Why is she always in the splits?

Hey. What’s cookin’ good lookin’?

Welcome. Welcome to my weird house.

Sorry about the dog crap. What can I do ya for?

I just had to come see you about my feet.

You’re Stereotypical Barbie, right?

That Ken of yours, he is one nice looking little protein pop.

I’d like to see what kind of nude blob he’s packing under those jeans.

A really fun game of volleyball... thoughts of death.

Maybe some thoughts of death?

I’ve heard of this. Of course, I didn’t think it was possible, but it’s real.

Ah! You’ve done it! You’ve opened a portal.

I didn’t open a portal!

If you wanna be Stereotypical Barbie perfect again, baby girl, you gotta go fix it, or you’re gonna keep going funny.

And then you’re gonna get sad and mushy and complicated.

You have to go to the real world, and you have to find the girl who’s playing with you.

We’re all being played with, babe.

There’s the girl and the doll, and never the twain shall cross.

The twain is crossing?

Her thoughts and feelings and humanness are interfering with your dollness.

Why would she be sad? We fixed everything so that all women in the real world can be happy and powerful.

I don’t know, but if you ask me, you had something to do with this, too.

It takes two to rip a portal.

I’ve only ever wanted for everything to stay exactly as it is.

Well be that as it may, the two of you are becoming inextricably intertwined. And you gotta help her to help yourself.

So, what’ll it be, then? You can go back to your real life and forget any of this ever happened, or you can know the truth about the universe. The choice is now yours.

Mm, babe, listen, you have to want to know.

I’m not Adventure Barbie, I’m Stereotypical Barbie. I’m like the Barbie you think of when someone says think of a Barbie. That’s me!

You’re a bummer. That’s a bummer.

Okay. I’m ready to forget now.

No! You’re doing this one. I just gave you a choice so you would feel some sense of control.

So, there is no option one?

You have to fix the rip yourself. Don’t blame me, blame Mattel. They make the rules.

Fine, get cellulite, I don’t care.

Weird, I know. Best if you don’t think about it too much.

If you do not find her and fix things, what’s ugly will become uglier and what’s weird will become weirder.

I guess she’s going without you.

She literally asked me, and I was like, ‘I’d prefer to stay here’.

I bet you’re scared. And I bet she doesn’t even want you to go.

Well you bet both those things incorrectly, and I bet in the opposite direction.

I just don’t wanna leave! I’m trying to find reasons not to leave!

I’ll be back in no time with perfect feet, and we’ll forget that this ever happened!

You’ll get to see all the good work we’ve done to fix the world!

I bet every woman will say ‘thank you’ and give you a really big hug.

Bye, Barbie! Good luck in reality.

Please get out.

I can’t. I made a double bet with Ken, and you can’t make me look uncool in front of Ken.

Barbie... what if there’s beach? You’ll need someone who’s a professional in that.

And so Barbie and Ken set off on their adventure to the Real World.

[tyranasauruslex]

do you think rome has ever made a mixtape songs for lukas when he gets bored?

Roman takings tips from those early 2000's Cosmo "How To Impress Your Man" lists. I actually see Lukas as the mixtape guru - he'd make Roman his own Spotify playlist.

Bored Roman would wander around the house and send Lukas multiple voice notes about the stuff he finds:

"What's this green stuff in your fridge? It looks gross. Eww... it tastes like grass. Why are you eating grass? There's nothing normal in your fridge by the way... even your bread is weird. What is Limpa? Ohh ok that actually tastes nice... Eww pickled fish. Your country is weird. I ate all your bread by the way."

"Your mom called so I told her you abandoned me to work... she's gonna send me baby Lukas pictures via email. I might put them on insta... I haven't decided yet... Oh my god you look like a baby giant... Your poor mom having to shove you out of her vagina. Ok you're actually kind of cute for a baby giant with your little knitted hat on... Aww baby Lukas at the zoo... ha, that giraffe must be related to you. All my baby pictures are with the nanny... or with Shiv looking like a bald egg. Thats depressing."

"We should go to that new Italian on the upper East side... I called and they said they'd do plain pasta for you... only if you want to though. You probably have boring work stuff to do or Tom will want to take you to show off. I can just go with Shiv and listen to her complain about how the baby ripped apart her vagina for the millionth time. Having a baby sounds gross but at least Lilly is cute... and small, not a baby giant like you were. I'll just take Lilly to the Italian. Babies can eat pasta, right?"

"Just so you know I've taken one of your sweaters cus I can't work out the heating system. Why are your arms so long? Like, how to you even operate them? Ohh this kinda cosy... you'll have to buy another one because I'm keeping this one. I'm in your closet by the way and it's giving serial killer. Nobody is that organised. Or neat. I bet if you decided to murder me this is where you'd hide my body. Or you'd stitch me up inside a bear carcass. Ohh cool... you have the shirt I wore when I first stayed over. You're such a dork. But in, like, a cool way and FUCK! Don't worry I'm not dead, I just tripped over one of your massive shoes. Is that how you came to the US? Via shoe-boat? You know, cus your Mister Viking and stuff... Ok, so I have a question... Are your stupidly big feet an indication of how big other stuff is? Cus it kind of feels that way when you cuddle me but... actually forget I asked that. I'm just gonna delete this..."

"You're asleep when I'm sending you this but I think you need to know how much you look like a dead body when you sleep. Here... I'm sending you photographic evidence... Why don't you make any noise? Like at all? You keep telling me I say a bunch of random shit in my sleep and... oh you moved. I'm gonna whisper from now on... Wait, what if you're actually dead? I'd get the blame and end up in fucking prison being molested by the guards. I can't go to prison so I'd have to dismember you in the bathroom or something. Also thank you for not being mean about the whole dick to shoe ratio... and for the drawing. Cus you know i've never really... well, anyway it makes it less scary even if you can't draw for shit. I'm just going to pet your hair for a bit cus I know you like that... Oh fuck I woke you up!"

[wickedsrest-rp]

Welcome to our WRW! We do these weekly to provide plot drops, challenges, and highlight starters. Anyone is welcome to use these bullet points. Let us know if you want us to include one of your setting-related plots in here for next week by sending us a bullet point!

Is that a giant beak? Our current plot of the week sees the town invaded by… weird little guys. And they sure brought their friends.

Look out for our seasonal Fall event coming this weekend!

Someone noticed that one of the maps posted Downtown has a small offshore island on it -- unnamed -- that isn't on any other map. Maybe someone should verify if that little island is out there... and what's on it, if it exists.

Birdsong is heard across town each morning, which is a lovely thing. Except one flock is actually singing songs... about Felix Mendoza. They might even by spying on Felix because they seem to know a lot, down to how Felix thinks. Weird! But such lovely music. The Grit Pit is considering catching some of the birds and using them to hype up the crowd before Felix's matches.

Someone found a small cave with beautiful bioluminescent mushrooms filling it wall to wall. Tourists are excited to go see it. That sounds like a fun, safe way to spend a day. Probably?

Complete challenges and claim prizes!. You can read more about how they work and what prizes are available here. Bonus challenges are an opportunity to earn an extra point per week but are harder or weirder.

This week’s challenge:

On dash, have your character talk about a rumor they heard.

Bonus challenge:

Have your character intentionally start a rumor about another character.

Maggie is hoping the September rain will bring some extra excitement to her life.

Hey party animals, where's the best place to go for all your fun loving needs? Xó would like suggestions.

Mateo is looking for trouble and wants to bring you along! Are you brave enough?

Do you love snow globes? Do you want a free one that is definitely not cursed? Contact Felix today!

Teagan is ready for fall and that hot cocoa that comes with it.

The police may be looking into this so if you want to check out some shady items Siobhan has for grabs I would hurry.

Kieran refuses to not have a brat summer birthday theme this year!

There's a new bar coming to town and Teddy is looking for some people to work for them. Make sure you message them if you need a well paying job!

Isa must have missed that last post because she's looking for a new job herself. Who's hiring?

[portellini]

Deastra X Heimdall - Song quote

"Love's gonna get you killed, but pride is gonna be the death of you and you and me. (and you and you and you and me) - PRIDE. , Kendrick Lamar

Message: No warnings, chill fic. Testing the waters with this one. Deastra is the OC I made for GOW x reader fics, I linked the character info sheet below.

//

Word Count: 1.8k ish

Vibes While Writing: ultimate sped-up playlist for actual hot ppl

//

-> Deastra / y/n character info if something is confusing: https://www.tumblr.com/tia-00l/736839705205817344/deastra-gow-oc?source=share

//

Heimdalls" POV

Again, she's waiting by the hallway, waiting for her "giant" brother to finish with the All-father, my father. Never does she move, and yet I'm still required to watch her even though any of these drunken dim-witted gods could handle her easily. But no, Father insists that I watch her, for the sake of keeping her out of the business he has with that weird boy. So, for another reckless and loud night in the Mess Hall, I pretend to read one of Bragi's many scriptures while endlessly watching this fake god, and my gaze never falters.

"Hail ye jerk!" Oh, what is it now? I hiss to myself. An Aesir who's drunk out of their mind approaches me. "Might I ask what made the All-Father's son such a pain in everyone's ass!" He starts to slug towards me, and I move out of the way while grabbing his face and throwing him in the other direction. The drunk bumps into more drunks and now they're all fighting each other. I scoff and look back to the fake god. "..." Oh shit, where did she go?

Deastra's POV

"And thanks to that lovely drunken Aesir, I smoothly escaped that puppy's gaze." Ever since we arrived in Asgard, I realized that I never fully explored this new realm. I stretch out my arms to the sky, Tonight is the night I fully explore. I look around and wonder where I am. "Oh shoot," I think to myself. I am a bit lost. This Asgardian city isn't too hard to navigate, but I can't help but find this place repetitive to look at. The only thing that really catches my attention is what's beyond those walls. So that is where I'll go. Except I don't know how to get back to the lift, I used my shadow jump a bit too much and ended up in a random shadow beside someone's house.

"KRAA!" A sound of birds catches my attention and I look up. I see a murder of crows resting on top of a house. "Maybe I should do the same as them," I say to myself. Without voicing another thought I shadow jump to the roof of that house disturbing the crows and they fly away. "Maybe I should've chosen another roof," I whisper while looking around for the wall's lift. I squat down and look through a circle made with my fingers. I find it aaannndd I need to get close to the Mess Hall again. That's going to be a problem for me, the poor pup probably noticed I'm gone already. Sigh, I hope the murder scattering wasn't too obvious.

"Oooh it was quite obvious, Sunshine." I look up and see Heimdall towering over me. "Oh shit, how nice to see you here." I grin at Heimdall and he replies with a neverending glare. His face shows slight confusion and annoyance, am I thinking of something weird? Well, I am happy to see him, I just realized I can get him to be my guide.

"Since you're here already-", "No" Heimdall hisses. "I didn't even finish what I was going to say!" "You didn't need to," Heimdall crosses his arms and his glare intensifies. I stand up and avert my gaze from his. I can't help but be nervous. Maybe I should make a run for the lift right now? Can he stop me? Probably. "Don't bother running, you won't make it." Heimdall cocks his head. "How do you know that?" I jokingly say still avoiding his gaze. Oh wait, he has foresight, wait, does he read minds or intent? I forget. I should be more attentive around here.

"Does half of your brain not work?" Heimdall suddenly spits. "Don't think I trust you or think of you as a docile being to the All-Father. It's just what you say is literally what you think, and there's no ill intent." Heimdall steps closer to me and leans towards me. "What really goes on in that brain of yours?" His hand grabs my jaw and makes me face him. Our eyes interlock and he glares into my eyes once more.

I grow uneasy, not from the lack of distance between us, but the lack of awareness I have of his abilities. How far can he see in my mind? He scoffs and pulls his hand from my face. He steps back and turns his back to me.

"Tell me, do you see yourself as the unwanted child in your family." Heimdall looks back at me with a stupid grin on his face. "With what I saw, I can certainly confirm it." I wince at his comment. Never have I doubted the bond I have with my family, but the thought of being unwanted is something I can't get rid of, no matter how silly it might be. Father and Atreus have grown closer throughout the years, and their bond is special. Never have they done anything to make me think ill of my position as their family, it's just a thought that intrudes my peace at times. I notice that Heimdall has turned back to me and his expression is filled with amusement. He sees deeper in my mind than I can realize, rather, he sees the layer of my thoughts that I choose to reject.

"Quit it," I say. "Haha, no, I don't think I will." His grin widens. "Kratos thinks of you as a constant reminder of his past. YOU were there with him in that other world." Heimdall draws closer to me again and bends down to meet my face with his. His eyes pierce mine. "And I suppose it doesn't help that his regrets with his old family resurface with your presence." Heimdall tilts his head, not breaking eye contact. "Your so-called father will never feel for you as deeply as he does for that boy, and you know that." Heimdall stands back to his full height and peers down at me.

I smile back at the god before me. Sure, what he said bothered me for a moment and I began to feel bad for myself again. But what he said was only things that I've thought before. To add, those are my thoughts, not the truth. "I will admit that revelation of yours did hurt to hear," I say while I place my hand on my chest. "But at least if how I felt was true, I wouldn't turn into this realm's greatest jerk." My smile widens and I shadow-jump to an open field that headed towards the lift up the wall. Heimdall most likely saw this coming as he arrived there shortly after I jumped.

"Oh please, what did you mean by that?" Heimdall coos. "I am the Herald of Ragnarok, I am the one he seeks council within nearly every situation!" He continues to spaz about the many feats that would make him feel that Odin loved him truly as his son. "Out of all my brothers, I am the most competent and smartest!" I started to dull out his voice in my head, which was something he noticed right away and did not like.

Heimdall's hand pulls my shoulder making me spin around and face him. I've been in his situation with Kratos when his revenge was his sole priority. I've been with Kratos when he regretted his actions and I did begin to remind him of all his pains. I was in Heimdall's position of having a father who had no true want for you. Although, after he granted my life once more, he gave me his blood and even Faye's as a way of becoming their child, he changed and I was no longer unwanted. Even with Atreus's birth, I was never treated any differently. So thinking I was unwanted in my family is only a pain from the past that still haunts me.

"You know nothing of my intent or the feelings my father has for me!" Heimdall's voice is seething with annoyance. Did he read my monologue just now? The god's face twists. "I do the All-Father's bidding because I must protect Asgard and him. I don't do this because I'm trying to gain his attention like a needy mutt." That's not at all what I thought, did that slip from his mind?

"I may not have the same ability to read intent and thoughts as you, but I can read people to an extent." This time I step closer to the Aesir god in front of me and rest my hands on my hips. "The twisted, disgusting, despicable, and ruthless feelings that old man has towards his sons are vile. He treated Atreus much better than he probably ever did to you and your brothers right?" Heimdall's eyes twitch. "I don't have any ill intent towards anyone here just yet, because the ones I do have issues with are dead, and I frankly don't want any more bloodshed. To be completely honest with you, I pity the hell out of you, and you probably hate that." Heimdall steps closer to me, his eyes dark. "Don't speak another word." I back off once he says this, I don't mean to anger the people of this realm, let alone Odin's most favored tool.

I'm sure this ass in front of me is capable of love. Except the only thing he does love is maybe that Gulltopr thing and Odin. His familial love for Odin will never be reciprocated. I hate how much I relate to this thing. I can't help to think about it either.

"Do not believe that we are similar in any way." He hisses. "Being tasked to watch you has proven to be a pain. You've only been here for one day and I have grown to feel sick of you." Heimdall turns towards the Mess Hall. "You are a rare truthful but infuriating being that I no longer want to deal with. I can truly see there is no actual threat to you being here, so I don't need to bother with you right now." Heimdall storms off. Before he leaves, I can't help but blurt one last thing.

"HEY!" I shout out.

Surprisingly he stops in his tracks. "Your love for Odin is gonna get you killed, but pride is gonna be the death of you and me." Heimdall turns his head to me, his face filled with annoyance. "And what do you mean by that?" My mind is blank, I don't know, I just said it. "No idea actually, don't dwell too much on it golden boy," I say to him with the intent of peacefully ending what feud we just had. I recall what I was doing, going to the wall. I begin to trek to the lift once more, forgetting about Heimdall who hasn't looked away from me. The gods of this realm are much more tolerable than the ones I knew in my previous existence. I genuinely hope to co-exist with these gods, even Heimdall.

//

Note: Do y'all like it if I color code who talks? Or only if I do it partially.