#whenever you loved something you loved it in full; every piece of media you enjoyed was passed on with such appreciation

[neo-shitty]

spring day never latches on to a permanent face. it takes the form of the people i miss whom i have no way of reconnecting with. ever since i read that message in my inbox, it has taken the form of you, kesya.

[miraculouslbcnreactions]

On today‘s episode of „moments in the show that confuse me“, s5ep19 has a piece of dialogue that goes something like this

Marinette: (about how Gabe doesn’t approve of her) He thinks I‘m one of those fans who follows you around everywhere, showers you with gifts and knows all your (Adrien‘s) middle name days

Kagami: Isn‘t that what you used to do Marinette?

Marinette: Yeah but I did it out of love

This scene is so odd because it feels weirdly self-aware but at the same time it really isn‘t? To me it seems like the writers sort of admit that Marinette‘s crush was written like a celebrity crush, but then this doesn‘t go anywhere? It‘s basically just „it‘s the same as a celeb crush but it isn‘t actually🤪“

Like what kind of writing is this? I know I‘m again beimg nitpicky but hey I love hearing your thoughts on the show so do you have thoughgs on this?

I'm honored that you enjoy my rambled! And, yeah, I have a few thoughts on this one. To begin, here's the full quote for proper context:

Marinette: Oh, hey Kagami! How are you? Kagami: Hello, Marinette. I'm fine, thank you. Adrien: I'm sorry, Marinette, it's my fault. I just couldn't talk to my father. Marinette: No, don't apologize! It makes sense that you didn't make it work because that's you! I mean, not you, you but you, as in, not me. Your dad doesn't have a problem with you anymore, he's even become super cool, making you pancakes, giving you all the freedom you need. He's come such a long way and that's amazing. But he does have a problem with me. He feels worried and I would be too if I were him. He thinks I'm one of those fans who follows you everywhere, showers you with hand-knitted gifts and knows every single one of your middle name days. Kagami: Isn't that what you used to do, Marinette? Marinette: Yes... except no! I mean, yes, but I was doing it out of love and, besides, I've changed a lot. Kagami: You are correct. Marinette: Really? You think I've changed a lot? Kagami: No. Well, not that much. But you're right to want to talk to Adrien's father.

This is not a terrible piece of writing. There are pieces of media where this would be genuinely funny. I've previously talked about the fact that Marinette's crush on Adrien is written like a celebrity crush and not a crush on a real person or even a proper stalker obsession. In that post, I also discussed media that features a fan getting to date their celebrity idol:

Whenever stories do the thing where someone meets their celebrity crush and actually gets to know them, there's normally a noticeable shift in their behavior as the character mentally goes, "Oh shit, you're real now." They lose the freedom that came with this being a mere fantasy.

That is the type of story where this dialogue would be funny. A story where Marinette started out as a fan or former fan with an idealized view of Adrien, but ended up viewing him as a real person by the time they started dating. A story where her view of Adrien shifts, but the things she does to show affection don't because it's not exactly weird to want to know everything about your significant other or to want to shower them with gifts. The only concerning thing on the list Marinette gives is "following him everywhere", but she doesn't actually do that in the show, so we're going to ignore that one and focus on the actual problem here.

The problem is that Miraculous never gave Marinette a reality check. There is no point where dream Adrien vanishes to be replaced by real Adrien. The Adrien that she starts dating in season five appears to be everything that she's ever dreamed he would be. He is #boyfriendgoals where he only exists to make her happy. He never shows off his more annoying behavior (and let's be real, Chat Noir can be pretty annoying at times) or spouts any bad puns that make her roll her eyes in a mixture of annoyance and amusement. He is perfection and it's terrible. This is not how you write a solid romance. There's no learning about each others flaws or even meaningful personal growth for Marinette.

We spent four seasons watching her struggle to ask Adrien out only for the resolution to be that he asks her instead. She never has to overcome that personal hurdle. After that, her biggest struggle is being brave enough to tell her boyfriend that she loves him even though he has showered her with love and affection, proving that there is literally zero risk involved here. It's a deeply unbalanced relationship that feels totally unfair to Adrien.

To be fair, there are stories where the Marinette-can't-say-nice-things-to-Adrien plot point could work. However, they're stories where a lot of focus is given to Marinette's trauma and her journey to overcome it. Miraculous didn't do that. Marinette's trauma and Adrien's response to it are handled horribly by every metric because of course they are. This is a formula show that can't handle a plot like this with delicacy and grace.

There's also the issue that, for this plot to work, the romance needs to be way more balanced. We need to be shown why Marinette is an amazing partner for Adrien who just has an area where she's struggling. We need to want them to get past this trial and be together. As-is, it's impossible to support this relationship because there's no substance to it. They're barely even friends before they get together. I have no idea why I should want Adrien to struggle through helping Marinette or why I should want Marinette to work through her issues with Adrien. There are other fish in the sea! Now that the identities are out, she can go back to Luka who she had no issues with!

This all feels very badly written YA or New Adult drama and there's a reason that I don't read those! I don't enjoy wildly unhealthy couples whose main draw is their endless drama and baffling sexual tension. I want couples who I love but, at this point, I can't even summon mild enjoyment for the canon love square.

[radioisntdead]

I don't mean to be dramatic, but the degree to which I need to know what Velvette does to shy singer reader the next day verges on pathological.

Good evening my dear! You are so real for that, I hope you enjoy!

Don't go wasting your emotion

Velvette x reader

Warnings: Power inbalance, things get wonky at the end because I was sleep deprived while writing, kinda trying out a format no idea if that's obvious or not.

Part two to this

Song used

Velvette took pride in her accomplishments,

she had a strong hold on hell's fashion industry, she had a HUGE following on all social media platforms, she was the youngest overlord, she was the self-proclaimed backbone of the Vee's, if she wanted something she would get it.

And what was something she wanted?

You! How unfortunate, or fortunate depending how you look at it.

"I wasn't jealous before we met,"

After your little stunt of practically serenading her and teasing her with the act of an almost kiss, the Vee became rather enamored with you.

Imagine her delight when you came into work the next day fully prepared to get a sort of revenge on you, although you were in a complete different outfit then the one you wore the night before, gone was the striking red and pink two piece, you now wore a muted green cardigan, blouse and some business casual work pants, the complete opposite of the night before.

If she hadn't seen you that night she might've have a tough time believing it was you.

"Now, every woman I see is a potential threat,"

Velvette kept tabs on you throughout the morning waiting for the right moment to corner you.

Unfortunately the morning was busy since a certain moth that should've gotten taken out by exorcists ages ago had another temper tantrum and wrecked havoc upon her floor, tearing apart a few models.

And that meant it took longer then she would've liked to talk to you.

"And I'm possessive, it isn't nice,"

She was extra snippy with everyone who interacted with you, her poor assistant who just needed to give you a run down on what clothes to pack and transport to a shoot next week got absolutely flamed, a coworker that held the door open for you was almost fired, another coworker that accidentally tripped you and apologized was fired.

"You've heard me saying that smoking was my only vice,"

Finally right before the clock stuck noon she managed to catch you alone, you were at your desk writing something down.

"But now it isn't true,"

You let out a squeak as your chair, with you in it, was spun around.

Velvette stared down at you.

"Now everything is new,"

You were a complete and utter fool to think she wouldn't recognize you, and now you were paying the price for your foolery.

"And all I've learned has overturned,"

Cold panic filled you, immediately assuming she wanted to end your afterlife, you managed to duck under her arm, slide out of your chair and what I can only describe as a sad attempt at an army crawl mixed with an undignified shimmy but it got you free.

Temporarily anyways.

"I beg of you,"

Velvette quickly caught you pinning you against a wall, your eyes darted around as you felt her fingers gently hold your chin like you had done to her the night before.

"Don't go wasting your emotion,"

She leaned in.

"Lay all your love on me,"

And planted a kiss right on your pretty lips.

"It was like shooting a sitting duck,"

That kiss is what sealed your fate, because from that day Velvette began showing clear favoritism for you.

"A little small talk, a smile and baby I was stuck,"

Coming to visit you whenever she had free time, or on your breaks, demanding that you go on lunch dates with her.

"I still don't know what you've done with me,"

She somehow found your awkward demeanor to be rather charming, sure it would be nice for you to ditch the whole timid thing but that wasn't a deal breaker, perhaps within time you'd become that confident person she saw on stage that managed to completely and utterly enamour her full-time.

"A grown-up woman should never fall so easily,"

Velvette showed up for each and every one of your performances, causing a racket in order to show up if needed.

She personally designed clothes for you to wear during your club performances, making sure they fit you perfectly and that they were flexible enough that you could move around with ease.

"I feel a kind of fear,"

It sent tingles down her spine whenever you got on stage and switched from the timid little thing you were normally into someone beaming of pure confidence, she loved when you would blow kisses or anything of the like to her from your place on stage.

"When I don't have you near,"

She would film your shows and post them over her socials, often posting pictures of the two of you, particularly with her arm wrapped around you in some way, she quite liked having her arm wrapped around your waist.

"Unsatisfied, I skip my pride,"

Velvette would often take you out on all types of dates, her favorites were shopping ones, she could spoil you with anything your little heart so desired, or at least she could try too, you had a way of uno reversing her and paying for her instead.

Thank goodness you got paid for your little singing performances because you'd be screwed otherwise.

"I beg you dear,"

Was there a large power inbalance between the two of you, as not only an overlord and an average sinner but as Employee and Boss.

Yes, yes there was.

"Don't go wasting your emotion,"

But did Velvette care about that at all?

"Lay all your love on me,"

No she didn't give a shit.

But your coworkers did!

"Don't go sharing your devotion, lay all your love on me,"

You weren't naive towards the whispers and pointed or concerned looks directed towards you, you were pretty sure some of your co-workers and friends had a mock funeral for you.

Velvette quite liked you and she refused to let you leave.

"I've had a few little love affairs,"

Sure she had a couple of flings here and there, both when she was alive and after she died, but no one was quite like you, timid and awkward in the daylight and a shining ball of confidence in the night.

Like hell's version of Hannah Montana or a werewolf.

"They didn't last very long, and they've been pretty scarce,"

It went without saying that Velvette was a very jealous woman, she was never one for sharing

Not clothes, not items, and especially not you!

"I used to think that was sensible,"

Sure she technically shared things with the other Vee's like living space, utilities, employees that weren't you.

"It makes the truth even more incomprehensible,"

She didn't like that whenever you performed on stage others looked at you with such lust and desire that it would make the radio demon himself run away with disgust.

"'Cause everything is new,"

She made a point to post pictures of the two of you, together, usually with her hand, arm, leg or something of hers on top of you, just to show all of hell that you belonged to her.

She had you in her sinstagram bio and everything.

And she made you put her in your sinstagram bio despite you barely using the media.

"And everything is you,"

Brushing over that, Your relationship with her was filled with rather sweet moments.

"And all I've learned has overturned,"

She made matching outfits for the two of you, mostly tailoring to her own styles and colors as opposed to yours, it's not her fault she liked seeing you in her colors!

"What can I do,"

She practically moved you into the Vee's tower, making sure you were no more then a three minute walk away.

"Don't go wasting your emotion,"

Valentino once asked if he could borrow you for a film, saying that you could be a star, after all some people had a thing for dorks like you!

"Lay all your love on me,"

She ended up chasing him down with a fork.

"Don't go sharing your devotion,"

And ended up posting a few videos of his little temper tantrums much to Vox's chagrin, that was not good for the Vee's reputation!

"Lay all your love on me,"

But it did make a point to the other two Vees that you were off limits, Although Vox did try to get you to agree to sing a jingle for a product of his.

"Don't go wasting your emotion,"

You were back at that same club you managed to seduce Velvette at, singing another song you enjoyed while alive.

"Lay all your love on me,"

You wore a sparkling pink outfit, heart motifs were evident on it, Velvette stared at you from across the club with pride.

Look at you! Singing your heart out while wearing one of her outfits.

"Don't go sharing your devotion,"

You leaned against the mic stand, half lidded eyes on her.

"Lay all your love on me,"

She had taken to keeping a safe distance away from the stage during your performances, not wishing for a repeat of your nimble fingers under her chin as you sang to her.

She'd rather keep that in private.

"Don't go wasting your emotion,"

you blew a kiss at her.

"Lay all your love on me."

What Velvette wanted, she got.

And she got you, and you supposed you had her as well, who would've thought that performance of yours would've resulted in this?

Good evening folks! My apologies for this being delayed! I hope you enjoyed it! Also as the song was selected per the poll and this one won, y'all picked good because the other two of the other options were going to be angsty, anywho!

as per usual thank you for tuning in! Hope you tune in tomorrow for Wednesday angst with a certain Angel!

[threerattsinatrenchcoat]

2024 Writing Challenge Wrap Up

This year I wanted to put out a piece of writing—either a complete piece or a chapter—every week. My main goal was to quit getting stuck in editing hell. This is what I learned:

Writing for output gets you faster but it really highlights your weaknesses as a writer. I found myself reusing a lot of genres, themes, characters, sentence structure, etc, as a crutch to make the process easier. The worst was when I would simply list everything that happened in a scene, like a micromanaging script writer—she did x, he did y, she did z—without taking the time to prune it to the story I wanted to tell. (Funny enough, a friend sent me this article today that perfectly highlights what I'm trying to describe here. This past year my consumption of visual media definitely increased). I'd finish a piece and the word count would seem impressive, but those words didn't actually say anything. Quantity was reducing my quality.

Compared to my earlier writing, I also slipped into using more obvious/dull similes and metaphors. Every character started to speak and act the same, and instead of writing endings, I found myself just writing characters who simply "won" the plot.

Writing short stories combatted almost all of the above. It forced me to remove parts that were hiring the story and remember that I rarely needed the text to describe everything. The dialogue, characters actions and values, my audience's own brains would fill in the gaps. I think people even enjoy a bit of vagueness, especially with jokes; explaining the punchline doesn't make it funny. Letting people have that moment of "aha!" is more effective.

Sometimes I overcorrected—I've read a few older pieces where I'm like, "wait what just happened," but at least I didn't find myself skipping parts of the story.

Applying the concepts of "but it went wrong" and "they would not say that" also helped the above. When I caught myself just writing a list of all the things my characters did to win the plot, I would combat that by either having them fail or fuck up or both. My stories were way more fun/interesting when I figured out the line a character would not cross and then made their victory beyond that line, so they either had to cross the line or avoid it entirely. Example: in The Gang Goes to the Underdark, Zarys will not leave the shipment, even if it means leaving part of her team behind and traveling a very dangerous route, so she goes to ridiculous lengths to deliver it, including capturing minotaurs and walking straight into a trap.

Refusing to have characters act out of character made for more interesting stories, I think. After all, there's a reason I like these characters. (Shout out to @graysparrowao3 whose toxic Aradin/Rugan fics encouraged me to let people be more awful, and to everyone who stans villains). Whenever I had to have a character break "they would not say that" I tried to figure out a good why. Why would this unempathetic character be nice to someone? Maybe because they really love them… or maybe because they think they can get something out of it.

Writing is time consuming. I joked a few times about how I need to step away from the keyboard, my family misses me, but I work full time, go to the gym, volunteer and aim for 7 hours of sleep a night…and then was writing 10+ hours a week. For my pieces, I tried to note down how long they took because I think people devalue free things, but every made thing has a cost.

I can write through (almost) anything. I originally thought I would fail at this goal. Technically I did—4 things I wrote were never posted (projects fell through), and I was without power/cell/internet/water for weeks after a hurricane and while I did write, posting wasn't on my agenda. I also was wildly burnt out/grieving after the hurricane and found myself mechanically getting pieces out there, using the challenge as a way to implement some normalcy. But I posted most weeks and wrote something for every single one. I learned how to barrel through writer's block and how to say "good enough" for a deadline.

Avoiding burnout is a proactive, not a reactive, activity. I fully planned to abandon this challenge if I thought it was ruining my relationship with writing. However, really prioritizing other parts of my life did a lot to protect my relationship with writing, especially prioritizing exercise and my family/friends. Towards the end of the year I started writing less and less, mostly to pick back up other hobbies (gaming especially).

I can write characters, ships, kinks and stories that I don't care about. I did several exchanges/challenges this year because coming up with so much to write is hard. These exchanges meant that I wrote a bunch of stuff where I started the fic not giving a single flying fuck about the characters. Three of a Four Course Meal is an example—I picked it up on a pinch hit mostly because "vampire dinner party" was too hilarious a prompt to let it not be written. I'm not into robots, most of the mages, or Cal/Geraldus (or most of the couples I write, sorry! Like 90% of them are from talking to people online and being like "I like this person, I want to make them something") but I wrote each with the mindset of "I don't need to be into this, I just need to figure out how to write it." I think this helps a lot with output and with pushing yourself to write better. The advice to kill your darlings is also a lot easier when the piece doesn't start out as darling.

Stats:

I debated not including this because all that ^^^ is the real victory, but fuck it, I want to link fics, haha.

I posted over 300,000 words in 2024 (I started to do the math to remove all the words in collab chapter fics I didn't write and gave up) across 48 fics and 105 chapters, which for me is a massive quantity. Every single fic was a rare pair. I cracked several new tags on AO3—I'm probably most infamous for Dammon/Strange Ox, but I also did others, like Vorgoth/Rook, Guex & Pandirna and a bunch of Salazon tags. I also contributed to so many Elturian Refugee and Zhent tags. I'm still a little confused how there are only 43 works with Alfira/Lakrissa, but 4 of them are mine and 3 of those have Alfira/Lakrissa as the main couple. I'm doing my part!

My most popular fic for hits was Wine, Iron and Other Damnables. This was also one of the first I posted, closest to the "height" of activity in the fandom. It was my longest at 44,047 words. I recently reread it and it's not as snappy as my stuff ended up in the end, but it does have a lot of fun plays on words I'd like to return to.

My most kudos'd fic was Where There's Smoke. It was posted pretty soon after Veilguard came out and got a shout out on tiktok, which quadrupled its kudos in 3 days. Really a testament to how much the "when" you post matters; it's pretty standard Ratt smut but so much more popular than my other stuff! The word count was 2,988, although you can pick your pronouns and stuff so the word count is actually higher.

My least popular fic for hits is The Curse of a Promise. It's a rair pair, is WLW, it's SFW—basically everything people say won't get hits haha. But it's my little fic (878 words) and I love it. Least popular for kudos is Popper's Bag of Popping at 700 words, which I was a little surprised by. Maybe it's an issue with the tone not matching the subject? Either way, I'm glad it's no longer one of my Wyll fics.

My shortest fic was Perception at 141 words, and I'm honestly very fond of it!

What's next?

I plan to keep writing, but definitely not at the same output. I would really like to return to some of the creativity and wordplay I had in my original stuff, and I can't do that and put out as much material. I also really want to prioritize longer pieces again.

I'll probably step back from exchanges. It was pretty disheartening to work hard on something for someone and have the receiver comment "can't wait to read it" and then nothing. Or, you know, get literally nothing, not even a kudos. It's kind of soured my feelings toward exchanges. However, shout out to @commander-krios and @lolliputian for running several solid collabs/exchanges and the Zhentil keep for their round robins.

I would like to do a bit more art this year. I know practice generally makes improvement, and seeing how much other artists like @littleplasticrat and @redroomroaving have improved has made me want to get back at it. I cannot do a piece a week, though, haha. Maybe one a month, we'll see. I haven't decided.

Overall, though, I would like to spend less time online. I miss my family, I miss DnD, gaming, reading and hiking. There were things I delayed last year to meet this goal that no longer exist. I'm tired. Happy I did this, but tired.

Additional thoughts that didn't really fit anywhere:

I never expected to make friends during the challenge but I did. I made a lot of friends, and they're all driven, creative, ridiculous, intelligent, hilarious, honest, silly and so valuable to me. I really missed making things with people. I'm just so grateful to everyone I met.

I'm also grateful to all the people who tagged me in their end of the year posts, thank you so much. You're all very lovely

[coltrainbat]

What about chubbish and kind reader getting criticized for dating the world's sexiest man of 2022, she felt upset and cries. Chris felt angry at the people who doesn't know about his girlfriend

Sexist Girl Alive (Curvy!Reader)

A.N/WARNING: Screenshots are obvi fake, TW for fatphobia, slurs, people being mean ☹️ but happy ending, photos arent mine (mwah pinterest)

You smiled at the photo of you two, dressed up before a night out. Chris lips lovingly on your cheeks as you smiled happily. You thought you looked great in your new skin tight dress. Sure it showed a few insecurities but you hoped the black would hide it. Your makeup and hair was all done up and Chris couldn’t stop loving on you all night.

You chuckled at the sweet yet corny caption. He would never live it down - would he? You shook your head, grinning like an idiot. 

Fighting your better instinct, you went through the comments, chewing your thumb nail as you eyes laid on the key words:

“Fat” 

“Cow” 

“She takes up the whole mirror.” 

“It should be illegal for someone like her to wear a dress like that”

“Chris Evans is legally blind if he thinks she’s sexy”

You licked the taste of salty tears that had landed on your upper lip. You took a shaky breathe out as you quickly wiped away the tears that were forming. You felt pathetic, crying about what a bunch of nobody’s had to say about your body. They were jealous, they didn’t know you, they were protective of their internet boyfriend - your mind ran through all the reasons for such vile comments but that still didn’t stop the feeling of sadness and inadequacy that ran through you. 

That was until a wet little nose landed on your cheek, paw pushing the phone away from your face. 

“Would you look at that you found mama- baby what’s wrong?” Chris came in, catching your tear stained cheeks and red, watery eyes.

“The um… instagram you posted you-“ You were hiccuping, anxiously patting Dodgers coat. Too embarrassed to meet his eyes, firmly focused on the Instagram comments that were now blurry. 

“I didn’t post your nudes did I?!” His face full of concern that he had pulled another, much worse, social media blunder. 

“No.” You left out a shaky faux laugh 

“You left comments on and well some people aren’t very nice.” 

“Show me right now.” His jaw went tight and his expression changed to pure disgust and anger.

You handed him the phone, digging your face into Dodgers coat, drying your tears.

Chris’s eyes scanned the comments, jaw tightening as he grounded his teeth. 

“That’s it.” He throw the phone next him, making his way up in a frenzy.

“Chris it’s not a big deal I’m just emotional.”

“It is a fucking big deal.” He raised his voice now, running his hands through his hair in frustration. Chris wasn’t an angry person, rarely getting upset but when you were involved; people better run.

It perplexed him everyday how he thinks he landed the most beautiful woman in the world yet people want to pick apart something as stupid as your weight.

Chris wasn’t blind at all, he was  engrossed and obsessed with every curve, every roll, every stretch mark, every sag. He loved them all.

He couldn’t get enough of grabbing your belly whenever he could, even in public. His hand without fail always travelled from your waist to your pudge, slowly stroking the skin or the fabric - it relaxed him.

Or at home when he’d forgo your ass and instead just grab a roll and jiggle it in his hands, fuck, in his mind it was a bonus to your ass, more skin he could fondle and touch and enjoy, more ways to get a whole body ripple out of you.

Or in the morning before you’d wake up when he’d slowly trace your stretch marks, adoring the way they looked like tiger stripes he felt like they were a natural piece of art on your body.

The way your thighs would wrap tightly around his head, a built in pillow for him to rest on while he traced your body with his hands, following the natural trail created by your curves.

How every hug felt soft and warm as you pressed your plump body up against him, he would get so frustrated that he couldn’t grab every single part of you all at once and just squeeze but a hug was the closest thing.

He didn’t think pure beauty existed until he saw you for the first time, he remembers the way he jaw fell agape slightly and his eyes widened desperate to touch you, desperate to have you in his bed every night. 

You were his now and he wasn’t going to let some bullshit comments take that away from him.

To take the spark and light out of you, to push you down to a place where you felt you were anything but incredible.

You body wasn’t just a wonderland but the home for the soul in which he adored, his kind, intelligent, resilient, witty, outspoken, well read and highly cultured, drop dead gorgeous woman.

The purity of you being so authentically yourself was sacred to him and he was fiercely protective of you for that.

He dreaded the day the comments got too much and he cringed at the thought of you changing any part of the woman he met for some fucking comments. It wouldn’t happen. Not on his watch.

“You can’t just- you can’t fucking say those things about someone! I mean we go back 200 fucking years and there’s your body in fucking oil paintings around castles and here we are now where your accomplishments, your personality, your kindness, your fucking beauty is just completely shitted on.”

“I dealt with it way before I started dating you.” 

“Well it ends now.” He said crouching down in front of you as you sat curled into a ball on the couch. 

His eyes had softened and he was desperate for you to meet his. Wanting to assure you with everything he had that this meant nothing to him. 

“Baby you know I don’t agree with those comments right. Fuck, you remember how much I couldn’t keep my hands off you that night.”

“And every night before.” You snorted 

He gave you a soft smile, happy you were back to making jokes “Exactly.” 

“It’s my fault I should of turned comments off but we shouldn’t have to do that. I’m going to write something and that should be the end of it.” 

“We shouldn’t react that’s what they want.” You said wearily.

“In no world is that going to be said about you and I just sit back and let it happen. Absolutely not. Now come on, let’s get you in the bath.”

You sunk into the steaming water as the smell of lavender and rose filled your nose and muscles you didn’t realise you were tensing finally relaxed. Repeating mantras of self assurance in your head with the distant sound of Chris scurrying around the bedroom and his muffled voice on the phone. 

 Getting out and into your robe after an hour you made your way into the bedroom, finding an exhausted Chris waiting for you on the bed.

“Come here I wanna show you something.” He tapped the spot next to him, inviting you to snuggle against his chest as he got out his phone.

You rolled your eyes, sighing as you got comfortable. 

“Read.” He said sternly, putting his phone into your hand.

You brushed the tears forming in your eyes from happiness. Two things you could always count on with Chris is his ability to make you the happiest person alive and his passion. Combine them and you’re a babbling mess of gratitude and love. Pulling his head down towards you, peppering kisses all over his face and whispering thank you against his lips. 

“Don’t thank me come on now.”

“It was very well said.”

“Yeah well we won’t need this for awhile.” He grabbed his phone from you, throwing it down the bed as he fell off the edge, landing with a small thump.

“Come here sexy, I wanna love on my girl.” You giggled as his beard brushed against your neck as he left wet soppy kisses down your body, untieing your robe to get your unfiltered body in all its glory. 

Chris’s comments created a storm of support, bringing up a conversation of why a woman’s body is ever a topic of concern and the high expectations of male celebrity partners to look a certain way. 

And months down the line he still stood by them. Stating in an interview:

“I don’t think I have ever been more furious than when I read those comments. You know you have this beautiful, intelligent partner and you’re both in this happy little bubble of love and admiration and then these strangers, randoms on the internet just start attacking them for all the things you love about them. It’s like a kick in the gut. I felt so guilty like it was my fault because she didn’t ask to be famous or anything and it’s not easy to give that privacy and anonymity up to follow your heart but she did it anyways and all she was met with was horrible comments. Man, I was so scared that was going to be it for her and I’d never see her again. It just felt like people don’t realise that’s a real person, we are real people and if you wouldn’t say that to someone’s face then why comment it where they can see? She didn’t deserve that at all and I was going to do everything in my power to make sure it never happened again. She means the world to me, I’d do anything to protect her. I’m just lucky I get to wake up to her everyday and she’s this strong, resilient person who can’t be knocked down easily.”

[cloverdaisies]

MEDIA STUDIES: KIM SUNWOO

this document contains a letter to the pretty boy who sits quietly in the back of a poorly lit media studies classroom. ☆*:.｡.

song recommendation : photosynthesis- sunwoo

☆*:.｡. ☆*:.｡. .｡.:*☆☆*:.｡. .｡.:*☆o .｡.:*☆☆*:.｡. .｡.:*☆

LETTER ONE:

MONDAY 5TH JUNE 2007

hi pretty boy,

your sweet peach lips, and chocolate brown eyes seemed to have fell dull today. it irked me to ignore your sad state and pitiful expressions, despite having never interacted with you before now. you always sit at the back of the class, huddled as far back into the corner as humanly possible. you nervously chew on your pencil a lot and enjoy spinning the thinned wood between your two fingers. you smell of a woody-spicy accord every time you breeze past, a scent that is both unfamiliar yet powerful in evoking the warm explosion of butterflies and bees in my stomach.

your smile is full, bright and unavoidably noticeable as it spreads from ear to ear it’s a rare sight now since something in your timeline has shifted. you seem to be aching, in your oversized hoodies and frowned expressions - i wonder what had destroyed the beautiful boy who usually sits peacefully amid his own daydreams. Your voice was deep and smooth, one that could sing any woman to sleep, you looked like you drank black coffee and smoked cigarettes off your balcony every morning. your face screamed a palette of romance, you looked like the lead in a romance novel like the boy who rescues the princess in a fairytale-

“what are you writing?” the girl sat next to me cranes her neck over my page as she tries to read the contents of the page in front of me

“nothing to do with you clearly.” i retorted, scrumpling the page and discarding it in the small trash can towards the back of the class.

the bell sounded to mark the end of class, i left with a slight pink tint on my cheeks as i made short eye contact with the brown eyed boy at the back.

WEDNESDAY 7TH JUNE 2007

media was always a lesson that flew by pretty quickly, considering my only assignments were to analyze music videos and watch movies it wasn’t too difficult and time seemed to just fly by when i had little work to do.

whilst practicing my handwriting out of sheer boredom, i reached to take a sip of my iced caramel latte i’d bought from the local coffee shop shortly before class before i felt a small object hit the back of my head and then bounce back onto the floor next to my desk.

i looked behind me with a look of sheer confusion to see the pretty boy from the back of my class, who didn’t have a name to my knowledge, chuckle at me mischievously.

with a nervous and reluctant smile back, i picked up the scrumpled piece of note paper he pointed to beside me, his hands hidden in the cuffs of his grey hoodie.

in messy handwriting the paper wrote:

hi pretty girl,

thank you for the compliments, your bright eyes and blissful smile seem to have caught my eye too. but don’t be embarrassed i noticed you tend to go all pink in your cheeks and shakey whenever something mildly nerve-wrecking happens to you.

thank you for noticing i haven’t been doing well lately, it makes me feel better to have someone notice. do you wanna go get coffee later? i also noticed you buy one before class everyday.

add me to your contacts, my number is: ***************

btw my name is sunwoo, i’d love to know yours.

☆*:.｡.｡.:*☆☆*:.｡. .｡.:*☆☆*:.｡. .｡.:*☆

small lil fluff to aid your wednesday evening and hopefully make you feel a lil better !

please ask me some questions with the questions feature! i really wanna use it

sending my love always, wherever you are in the world <3

[hypezombies]

Stranger Things becoming so mainstream is simultaneously the best and the worst thing to happen to the show. The best cause the Duffers got the chance to bring to life the full vision and can expand on it as much as they want. And the worst because this way the audience is full of people who do not understand the show and are most likely gonna throw senseless critics at it, instead of anything actually good. And I'm not even talking about the zero media literacy. It's a HUGE issue in this fandom but it's not the only one.

The show has been advocating against bullying and conforming since the first season and the fandom is filled with people who act EXACTLY like the bullies in the show and shame others when they don't fit their standards of conformity. Believe it or not the Eddie Munson stans that everyone loves to make fun of are the real target audience of the show. Nerds, outcasts, people who like to engage in fandom culture, cosplay, analyse, theorize. Not the people who are used to consuming only shallow media that is meant to be taken for exactly what is shown and nothing more and who never had trouble fitting in in their lives. Not to mention the Eddie stans act exactly like people in every other fandom do, but most people who like Stranger Things have no idea of what normal fandoms are like and act superior for it too.

And shows, movies, books, fandoms and so on, are a form of escapism for so many people, but instead you can't even enjoy a piece of fanart, or character analysis, or whatever, without stumbling upon someone making fun of others simply for having a different view on something and, way worse, throwing homophobic, racist and ableist insults for this same reason. These are people who have always had everything catered to them and are too stuck in their view of the world to even realize that this show is not for them.

Troy was shoved to the ground and humiliated in front of the whole school for being homophobic and got a broken arm for being ableist. Similarly, Angela got her nose busted for being ableist. This is what the creators of the show think of garbage people like them. And instead we have people like some Mlvn shippers who are openly homophobic, racist and ableist to Bylers, simply because they don't like their little heteronormative, already seen a thousand times before, ship. And then they turn around and throw the senseless ableist and sexist accusations whenever someone doesn't agree with them on Mlvn being endgame or doesn't like them as a ship. This is the literal real life version of Angela making a presentation on Helen Keller, pretending to give a shit about disabled people, while bullying and humiliating El for her disabilities. And this is NOT me saying that you shouldn't ship Mlvn or stuff like that, this is me saying that that part of the fandom is more often than not the problem. And, again, it's because the majority of them are the people who always fit in and always have everything catered to them. It's not a coincidence that they are the ones not willing to even consider other possibilities.

And like, EVERY protagonist in the show is an outcast who doesn't fit in society's standards for one reason or another (let's ignore Steve for a moment). And while people who are like the protagonists get shamed in the fandom, they get rewarded in the show whenever they are themselves and don't try to conform.

The show reached an audience that was never in the mind of the creators, who are so used to always being the target of everything and are actively making the experience worse for everybody. And you just know they're most likely gonna say the dumbest shit when s5 comes out, instead of bringing any good criticism to the table, because they're incapable, or simply REFUSE to see the show and it's themes for what they are meant to

[blackfemmecharacterdependency]

BFCD Reviews by Nesha: Wicked Part One.

This is mostly commentary about my relationship with this body of work and not a run down of the production of the current iteration.

I think the idea that if you've loved Wicked for a long time that the new movie subtracts something from it is probably only a problem in the event that the only piece of Oz lore you've loved is the Broadway play.

I didn't have the means to see Wicked when it was initially a show and social media was not yet a daily part of lifestyle. I was EXCITED for a new take on things whenever the story came about, especially as a lover of dark fairy tales (and if you know me outside), the Wicked Witch herself, as an archetype.

I grew up on most frequently enjoying The Wiz on holidays, as a Black child, and The Wizard of Oz when it aired, as an American tradition. I read two Oz books in school, as a little bookworm, and rented Return to Oz from the public library a couple of times before it vanished and didn't get reoredered there. These stories my child's brain registered as "horror," and "horror" was of my favorite genres.

I lived for horror, fantasy, and sci fi. The lore of Oz gave me these. I enjoyed some musicals as a kid too, but Wicked, as a play, really did so many things for me as a strange, different, underappreciated teenager who loved all of the things that went into creating this enduring vision of Oz.

Revisiting the books later and seeing the author biase in the ways the stories were told made it an even more rewarding universe to expand with later voices and interpretations. Seeing a Blacker version in The Wiz, most frequently as a young person, then FINALLY, eventually seeing bits and pieces of the Broadway version and experiencing the book, and being able to interact with the media of Oz in a more evolved way as someone more in tune with politics, and by that time a theater loving kid with very limited access to stage theater.

Seeing Wicked the first time as a young adult, on video in full form, but not being able to even get the full experience, and STILL crying deeply from the storytelling and performances and the growth of Oz was an extremely important part of my life after years of consuming multiple versions of Oz and several horror, monstrous, *wicked* versions of a which who was a compelling villain for decades and also a compelling heroine. Depending on the times and who gets to tell the stories...

This new iteration of the chronicles of The Wicked Witch of the West, and these new contributions to the majesty of the Universe of Oz affected me VERY deeply as a lover and consumer of the Wicked musical. This movie didn't cheapen a thing for me, because I was always grateful for another look at a tale so old but so present. I always see a new portion as a pocket of the Oz universe that somebody else gets to make a part of their life like I did when I didn't have access to consuming a Broadway play like the internet and social media has given now.

And every Black Oz fangirl who has collected her portions for the mental patchwork of the Evolution of Oz now have grandiose nature of the magic that technicolor gave audiences that didn't include representation, and the heroine that The Wiz gave without the underbelly of the urban crime twist.

We have Elphaba on screen in all her social justice glory. We have AMAZING theater performers... Ariana Grande being a LONG TIME Wicked fan and being able to bring her love and her art together because she's had the commercial success to become a big star was touching to me. Cynthia Erivo, a woman I will never enjoy outside of her work, brought her skilled theater experience and her star factor performance to a role that has been here for the misfits for decades. Jonathan, an amazing theater guy who I was excited to see from the moment they announced it...

Like... if you love the theater aspect they gave it to you with the most important players AND they gave the girlies who will never see a Broadway stage visuals above and beyond.

I saw a little girl at the theater who had a fine time, but me:

The 43 year old woman with just as long of a relationship with Oz in a dozen different ways/ The Black woman who drove 4½ hours to watch The Wiz Live on TV with her siblings because we grew up on the movie and this was going to feature so many things I loved and wanted to experience with them despite living cities away; and drove even longer in holiday traffic to bring her youngest sibling (who she introduced to the original play as a little kid when she herself was a young adult), to see THIS movie in theaters as two now grown women who have loved Wicked, specifically since the olden days and bonded through musicals despite our age gap because I loved theater so much she picked it up and ran all the way through college involved in it. The lady whose ex took her to finally see Wicked, live, when they lived in Connecticut because she knew that she could afford it and I may have never seen it onstage with my own eyes, crying the entire experience, without meeting this person who granted me that...

For me, living my life with the Oz I knew, loved, sought out, watched transform, hated some, but still partook, and to lead to a box office production with both talent and grandeur... I was the young person filled with wonder, crying and breathing hard and being filled up with appreciation and gratitude that I get to be alive to see this portion of the Land of Oz.

The movie didn't let me down at all. Not one version of the me who has followed the yellow brick road since infancy. It gave me more.

[putschki1969]

【Exhibtion】 A Day of Cafés and Exhibitions 【Vlog】

Hello, this is Hikaru. Thank you for watching! This time, I am sharing a vlog about a day I spent with KEIKO-san who is also a former member of the same vocal group I belonged to🍀 ▼ Click here for KEIKO-san's Official YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@KEIKOOfficialYouTubeChannel

Even if it's a rather uneventful video, I would be happy if you could enjoy it just a little♪

※This video is not monetized. I am using footage from the exhibition for personal use in accordance with the guidelines.

If you are interested, please come and visit 🪄 ◆ “Disney Animation Immersive Experience”

Awww, it's so cute to hear Keiko whisper and laugh on the side even though we don't see her for most of the video. For anyone who is interested, they had coffee at Antico Caffé (Roppongi Hills). There's a little Q&A corner with Hikaru. Favourite hiragana? Her favourite hiragana are the cute looking ones like "no" and "a" because they have a round shape. What are her conversations about? Most of her conversations are just idle talk and updates on recent events. Keiko asks about their conversations together. Hikaru says that recently they have been seeing each other a lot (at least it seems like a lot to Hikaru), not like every week but whenever their schedules allow it. They have mostly been talking about things that happened at work and random private stuff, general girl topics. Hikaru mostly enjoys listening to other people talk. Reason that has kept her motivated to continue singing? Singing is her way of communication so it's very important to her. If she were to give someone a piece of clothing as present, what would it be? Hikaru feels pressured to answer this since she has such a fashionable person sitting next to her. She thinks it's best to go shopping together and let the other person pick something they like. If you know that person has a favourite brand or style, you could probably find something yourself but it's probably better to go together. Is there anything Anything she can to do now as solo artist which she wasn't allowed to do before? She can do social media now which is something they weren't really able to do before. If you were reborn, what kind of person would you want to be and which world would you like to be born into? She would like to live in a world full of magic, she wants to use magic and do stuff that she can't do in her current life. She would love to have some sort of healing power. Recent daily routine? Wake up, drink water, take supplements, brush teeth, wash face, do make-up, change into an outfit, go to the studio to sing, when she is at home she works on her iPad, edit videos, she doesn't really eat breakfast but she eats whenever her family decides to eat (she still lives with her family). Does she go to karaoke by herself? Yes, she does but not that often. But she prefers to sing at the studio.

[greetings-inferiors]

It’s actually insane to me how bad security breach was (or specifically how much I didn’t like it). Like before it help wanted was my favourite game in the series. The dreadbear dlc was fantastic and made me so hyped for the future of the franchise. The way they talked about the game and what it was made me fall in love with it before it was even out. My fnaf obsession was at an all time high, I could not have been more excited for it. Then it released and me and my best friend, the two biggest fnaf fans I know, designated the entire day to play it together, just like we did with help wanted and the dlc (potential reasons as to why hw is my favourite, the in jokes we made about it live on today). And you could feel the enthusiasm drain from us in real time. As we realised how lame the roaming animatronics were. As the frustration of the game slowly scraped the rose tint off our glasses. When I realised the time advancements were scripted instead of being in real time I felt a part of me die inside. The Monty boss fight would crash after a certain amount of time so we were forced to speed run it to try and advance. We beat the game and when the comic appeared we were both like “this is it?” When we tried to look up spoiler free ending walkthroughs, the fire exit ending just wouldn’t work no matter what we tried. I remember getting to the pizzeria sim location, my favourite Scott-original game, and I could feel the pit in my stomach swell. Finding candy cadet was awesome, but once we got past the empty hallways that were supposed to have endos, and the blob (which took a lot of trial and error), the afton fight started and I immediately threw in the towel. My friend was like “no come on we can do this” but was so frustrated by the fight which clearly wasn’t play tested at all. We stuck through it, praying that Roxy just didn’t come (an instant death sentence, because they never once hint at how to get rid of her, Freddy even has a voice line implying you can hide, which no you can’t she can see you even though she’s blind.) and hoping that Freddy didn’t randomly just kill you out of nowhere. We did it eventually, even after Roxy had been chasing us, and the cutscene just kind of ended. God. I am not kidding when I say that it was my least favourite piece of fnaf media. And I had read every book. Played every single troll game. I felt my love of the franchise die in real time. Even after Ruin, a genuinely fantastic game (because it’s a different game from security breach), and Help wanted 2, the sequel to help wanted, my favourite game in the franchise, and a good game in its own right, both games me and my best friend played on the day they released that we both enjoyed, it just wasn’t the same. We didn’t even finish help wanted 2, we got to the normal ending and phoned it in. Once we collected two plushies I was done and wanted to sleep. I’ve only seen the ending from astralspiff’s full series marathon. It looks fantastic. But I just don’t feel like even watching a video of it. I haven’t watched any of the really recent fnaf theories. It’s not the new presenter he’s fantastic. I just don’t really get excited by them anymore. I haven’t read any of the recent books. The movie was great, I guess. I’ll play into the pit, but it isn’t really out of wanting to. It’s out of obligation. Like I’m a fnaf fan, I should play fnaf games, right?

It is wild how drastically security breach killed my interest in the franchise. Fnaf was one of my core interests, one of the things like undertale or kingdom hearts where at any time I could talk about it for hours. One terrible, awful game was able to make it something that I get a bit interested in whenever a new one drops.

[liaromancewriter]

I know it may sound like I'm being paranoid, but I hope that Open Heart fans will follow into the steps of the It Lives fans and create their own Open Heart project on another platform. To me Snowed in and the other Shared Worlds stories were a proof that it could be done right by players who care about the cast.

I feel like Pixelberry is dying a slow and painful death. The app has been crashing. There are bugs and errors in almost every single chapter. The book passes were gone last time I checked. There have been layoffs. Storyloom, the whitewashed Chinese market app and the Choices store are down. Some of PB's writers seem to have deleted their socials. Every good story is permanently VIP-locked. The app is currently running but nostalgia for their old series and shameless smut. Am I the only one dreading the moment when we're no longer going to be able to replay Open Heart whenever life's kicking our butt? I have been dealing with depression for years. I'm embarrassed to admit, but OH is my comfort piece of media if that makes any sense.

I have seen this happen with Lovestruck and Storyscape. I feel like any day now the trilogy will be gone forever. It may be selfish, but I don't want the death of the app to be the end of the road. As much as I enjoy the fanfiction, it's projects like It Lives Within that can really unite the Open Heart fandom and breathe a new life into it. I got to interact with people who have never played Choices, but are familiar with ILW.

Maybe something like Open Heart: Through the Seasons anthology could work. A story in which each chapter is a self-contained storyline will make it possible to follow the cast's journey as they solve complicated medical cases and celebrate holidays or personal milestones together. Creating an overarching storyline is taxing, but a more episodic structure seems more manageable. Allowing the players to interact with 2/3 characters of their choice every chapter could give each character a moment to grow as a person in the same way that TRR did. It could also give a new home to any storyloom OH stories that could plausibly exist in the same universe.

I'm embarrassed to admit, but OH is my comfort piece of media if that makes any sense.

There is no shame in this! I do the same. I restarted the series recently and have been slowly reading each chapter because I want to prolong that feeling OH gives me (especially when I'm feeling down). I don't even like medical dramas for the most part, but I love this book.

A few years ago, there was a group that wanted to create an OH project like It Lives. I believe they spoke to that team to understand the requirements and legalities of creating a fan-made project. I joined the Discord server back then but nothing ever happened, and then those creators left the fandom. I'd love to see this happen too, but I don't know if there are many people left who'd want to put that much time and effort into it.

My original idea for Snowed In was very similar to what you proposed above. I was going to create multiple chapters, one with each LI. But creating one chapter took me forever, especially with multiple routes/branches. So, I can only imagine the workload of creating a full series or anthology.

I completely understand what you mean about fanfic. At the end of the day, fanfics are very specific to each creator's vision of the book, their MC and the relationships they believe in as opposed to the original canon which is a self-insert type of environment. While we still have a plot, a roadmap for the character relationships, LIs, etc., we feel in control of the story.

By the way, have you screen-recorded your playthroughs? I did mine last year. One for each chapter and specific scenes on their own if my choices are different from my main playthrough. It's not the same, but it's a great way to dive into your story whenever you want, and without worrying about keys.

[brighteststar707]

Yeah, it's been a long time! I've been doing alright, though! I'm kinda mostly waiting for my last school year to be over and find a job so I can earn money and slowly fix my life the way I want.^^"

The fandom is Blue Period! It's actually my next big focus after Mystic Messenger actually, I even found a character I consider my f/o from there! I got a special box with a sketchbook that is full of drawings and illustrations with really good quality! Since the fandom is not even active, there is stuff in this book that you won't find anywhere else, makes me feel good SMSMSM and one of the best parts is that it's in Japanese! So whenever I have progressed way more, I'll come back and read all the new juicy info and new scenarios I've never seen before, exciting!!!!

I also got some bookmarks and two keychains from there! Although I wasn't kinda happy with the shipping process, I'm still very happy I got them!!

Blue Period has also helped me a lot with my path with art, it has given me plenty of motivation and the main character has opened my eyes to so much about art, too! I felt so seen when he had the same thoughts and experiences as me, even if he does oil painting^^"

You can watch the anime or read the manga if it interests you! If you start with the anime, please check the manga out since there is so much more! If you do anything with art, it might give you motivation just like it did to me.

Learning the language can be fun but it is challenging, haha. They are many words that have different pronunciations and stuff I haven't seen in a language before. I found that listening to people speak makes me remember the words easier haha

I hope you are able to rest well, you're doing great, I reassure you! I'm also so happy I got to speak with you again, it really has been a lot of time, holyyyy!

I'm thinking of starting to use Tumblr when I get more Into art again but I'm still here, I still check some stuff every day when I can! <333

I understand that sentiment. So much changes once you're done with school. I'm rooting for this year to be an easy one for you!

Ooh, I've never heard of Blue Period before, but I looked up the premise and it sounds interesting! I will keep it in mind when I'm in the market for a new anime/manga!

It's so wonderful to be able to pull motivation from the media you enjoy, especially when it's a hobby like art or writing where it sometimes feels like you can hit a wall. Funnily enough, even though it has nothing to do with writing, Mysme is what pushed me to write more often and put more effort into it. It's thanks to these guys that I've been able to develop my skills as far as I have.

That merch sounds so nice! That sketchbook especially sounds really detailed and extra bonus that it's something you won't find elsewhere. It'll be fun to see what else it holds once you progress further in Japanese! Shame about the shipping issues with other merch pieces, but at least they made it to you!

I've had similar experiences learning languages. What I love is that each language says so much about the country's culture. I'm currently attempting to learn Italian, and while it has its difficult and awkward moments (I've messed up in front of locals more times than I can count), I love learning about the expressions and their meanings.

Thank you for your support, it means a lot! I'm taking time to catch my breath and to do the things I enjoy before life gets busy again.

[fadebolt]

I'm guessing this is about the character, and not the region, judging by the fact that you used 'him' instead of 'it' on the poll, and by the things said on the other reblogs. I could almost definitely do a full character analysis on the guy, but honestly, I don't feel like there would be of a point. The characterization of Five Pebbles has already discussed to death by the community, and I don't think I have anything to add, outside of maybe commenting on the readings of others.

And this poll isn't really about that, anyway. But instead, it's about how much we enjoyed him, as a character. And the fun thing about that is how there isn't a consistent metric for it. We all have our list of requirements, that need to be fulfilled, for us to fall in love with a character - and that list is completely different for each of us.

Mine is... certainly on the more unusual side, as I almost never get grabbed by the popular central characters, but instead, the one that really catches my eye is that one neat side character not many people cared about. (The most recent example would be Arcane, and how I wasn't overly invested in CaitVi, but got super excited whenever Singed showed up. And believe me, this happens in like, every piece of media I consume xd) But the weird part is that Rain World is the one thing that is completely exempt from this. Sure, with ships, I always had a preference towards the less popular ones - but if you're looking at just the singular characters, my favorites were actually the important central ones that most of the community also cared about.

Five Pebbles is undoubtedly on that list, and that is due to a combination of two things - the way he was framed, and the compelling, yet nuanced characterization. The game did a lot to make him seem godlike, and boy, does it work phenomenally! He's enormous. He's practically immortal. He's incredibly knowledgeable. He wields immense power. He talks in a very inhuman way, and makes it clear he sees you as someone who is beneath him in every way. And if you annoy him even just a little, he won't hesitate to just effortlessly kill you in a snap. The point is that this guy has an overwhelming presence, far above anything you've ever seen before, or since. And this only gets hammered in more, as you learn about the lore. As for the characterization, I'm gonna reiterate that I really don't have much to add, except for the fact that I personally found it quite compelling. The base game didn't show too much of him, but it did establish him as a bit of a flawed/morally grey figure. He's made mistakes, and is not exactly the most kindhearted fella, but he still wants the best for everyone, and is willing to assist both the Survivor/Monk in their mission for ascension, and the Hunter, in their quest to restore what's left of the group senior. Downpour did expand on him a bit, though a lot of what we've seen were things we could easily infer. Of course there were three things that stuck out - some of the pearl readings on Artificer's campaign, the sacrifice on Rivulet's, and the sheer extent of his collapse on Saint's. Some people understandably didn't like how the DLC humanized him, and heavily reduced how 'distant' or 'godlike' he felt. But honestly, I like that we got to peer into him a little more, and see what's beyond this outer layer that the base game presented us with. (And frankly, this is pretty much the direction I would have taken him, too..... okay, the Spearmaster outburst is something I almost definitely would have written differently, but that's about it) However, in spite of all of this, he... didn't really make it into the list of all-time favorite fictional characters - the kinds I would think about about on a daily basis, for multiple years. And why? I'm... not quite sure, actually. Because in theory, he should be up there. The only thing I could really note is how I don't think there's anything more I could add to him. Everything is already so well tied together. We got to see both the prelude, and the conclusion to his story, all the while his personality was completely fleshed out as well. And this is a really rare thing, actually. Usually, there are always some holes left to fill, but for Five Pebbles, I frankly don't see any. So I'd rather think about characters like Saint, who are practically nothing, but a bajillion holes, on top of a really intriguing premise (that's drastically oversimplifying it, but you get the point). But this is really not a bad thing, and is actually quite a breath of fresh air for me, after World of Warcraft's inconsistency, in regards to the execution of character conclusions, or the lore of Runeterra setting up a boatload of interesting things, only to never properly expand on them. Five Pebbles is how you do character writing right. And while you could argue that he lost a good chunk of what made him so memorable in the base game (even if you discount all the memes, and catboy stuff, and other fandom nonsense), what we got was a compelling, and absolutely devastating journey that undoubtedly stuck with me. So yeah. He deserves a 'love' for that. He technically ain't a brainrot of mine, but he doesn't need to be <3

maybe been done

Thoughts on Five Pebbles

[anathemafiction]

anna i love youu dont you worry your pretty brilliant little head the hype hasn't died at all❤️❤️I'm practicing restraint by not reading the extended demo so i can read all of it when the full game gets released haha but its difficult🤧idk if you've been asked this before but what are your favorite books? like real books.

It's very hard for me to pick a list of favorite books, I love so many of them! My interests and obsessions tend to shift over time, but looking back, some titles have always stayed with me. For different reasons and with different depths but these books, no matter how fresh they are in my mind, left an impression so I suppose these are my top 5.

I'll put them under a read me more because, by God, it got extremely long! 😄

In no particular order:

1984 

I love dystopian books, and out of the ones I've read, this is the one that I always come back to. It's not a feel good book - it's the very opposite. There are scenes in it that made me physically uncomfortable, scenes where I wanted to stop reading, and characters that deeply disturbed me. 

But that's exactly the point. It's a dark, harrowing tale where the main character isn't a hero, and it's a tale that perfectly encaptures what George Orwell lived through and witnessed. You can feel the claustrophobia, the control that Big Brother has on every single thought of his subjects, and the narrative is so well written that I felt afraid whenever Winston did something that he wasn't supposed to. I felt as paranoid as he did. 

Just a masterpiece of dystopia, and I can see why it's considered a classic. It's not a horror in the traditional sense, but what could be more terrifying than the totalitarian empire of Oceania?

One Hundred Years of Solitude

I'll admit: I've tried reading other works of Gabriel Márquez, but I didn't enjoy them very much. This one though... this one, I have a hard time putting into words why it marked me as it did. But damned, it really did. 

The story follows not a character but a family. We accompany the Buendía family from the first generation when they settle in Macondo, to the very last descendent. And we feel the years and time move forward while eerily, oddly, staying exactly the same. Time is not a line but a circle that is bound to repeat itself - fate acts on the grandpa in the same way it does on the grandson. And each person, each generation has its struggles and victories, but they're always connected to the ones who came before. It's so hard to put into words the fatalism of this tale and how it makes you feel - and think of your own history, your own family, your own culture. 

It's been a while since I last read it, and many details of the story are blurry in my mind, but I will never forget the ending. I remember I couldn't see the words, for tears were spilling out of my eyes and I could barely breathe because everything leading to that last page is a masterclass on how to write. I don't know how Márquez did it, but he wrote one of the best, maybe the best, endings I've ever read. 

The book is also a window into life in Latin America, for the town might be fictional but it's obviously influenced by Latin countries. The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende (another book that I love, but doesn't make the top 5 by a tiny margin) or, to be fair, any book by Allende, is the only other piece of media I can think of that gives such a raw and clear account of Latin America.

Memorial do Convento

José Saramago is my favorite author, I think I've read all his books, and let me tell you, it was very hard not to fill this list with his works. But if I must choose only one, then it's a no-brainer: it's this one.

The story follows the making of the Mafra monastery, a construction only made possible by the gold and diamonds the Portuguese crowd imported from our colonies in Brazil. It has both a macro scope - the monastery's construction - and a micro one; the love story of Baltazar and Blimunda, the novel's "protagonists".

Like pretty much all of Saramago's books, it deconstructs and critiques the rich's exploitation of the poor, the sacrifices and importance of free speech and freedom of thinking, and, especially, the corruption of the Church. All written in his unique style that always has me reading with a smirk on my face and endlessly in awe of the masterfulness Saramago has of the Portuguese language - there's no one like him. The man makes the Portuguese dictionary his personal toy. 

There's a chapter I particularly love. It's called The Epic of the Stone, on which a group of 600 men and 400 oxen carry an enormous stone from the quarry to Mafra - a journey that took 8 days and cost the lives of several men. This was done because the king wanted a beautiful balcony, and they didn't want to cut the stone into several, smaller parts - it had to be one big, magnificent piece. 

There's not a better metaphor for how the rich are built on the back of workers. For how, despite History saying that it was King João V who build the monastery, it was actually the hundreds of unnamed men who did it. 

I could go on and on about this book. It's beautiful and tragic and perfectly satirizes the darker side of not only my nation's history and government, but Europe at large.

The Lord of the Rings trilogy

I know, it's cheating, but I really can't separate the books! It's LOTR, on its whole, and I'd go as far as to throw in the Hobbit too because I adore it almost as much. 

To be honest... what can I say about them? I love, love, love fantasy - I've spent so many hours in my childhood devouring fantasy books - and of all the ones that I love, none can quite reach Middle Earth. It's magical. I have a hard time explaining it, Tolkien's work feels like home to me. 

I love the theme of perseverance, of believing even when you're in the darkest of nightmares. Of having hope that the sun will always rise, and if it doesn't, then you'll face death not without fear but refusing to lose yourself to desperation. 

An army of merciless, grotesque orcs is coming, and there's so little hope, but you still pick up the sword. It's a lesson that I try to take with me - maybe not apply it in such a dramatic way, of course, but in my own daily struggles and my fears. A little hobbit made it to Mordor, despite all the odds, despite all the pain - and he saved the world. 

Maybe there's some hope for me too?

The Graveyard Book

I... adore this book. If One Hundred Years of Solitude has the best ending I've read, then this book has the absolute best beginning. 

"There was a hand in the darkness, and it held a knife."

I'm getting chills from it. The book is a treasure, both in the way it's written and the story itself. It's whimsical and light, even as it touches subjects as heavy as mortality and what it means to be alive. The main character and all of the characters, even the villains, are so well written. I am a massive fan of Neil Gaiman, and I think this is one of his best works. 

This book is deceitfully simple, but it's one that I think about from time to time. Maybe because it's about themes that have always fascinated me - and I've always feared too. Life and death, seizing the moment, and, most importantly, the importance of moving on. I don't know, it's a story that I carry with me. 

[bestialchorus]

DATING YOUR ALT VAMPIRE GIRLFRIEND WOULD INCLUDE:

-Getting introduced to her as the new artist to join your go-to tattoo shop. You instantly felt a magnetic attraction to her, as if your inner soul demanded, no, needed, to step through the world behind those stunning eyes. As you admired your fresh tattoo, she almost out of no where appeared to your side and invited you to get a coffee with her then and there (you may have more than accepted, perhaps even stuttered a bit but she seemed to have found it endearing)

-Her apartment feeling like your second home. Everything from her large candle collection, family of plants, esoteric but tasteful design style bring you comfort.

-Her body not reflecting the inhuman strength she has, she often carries you to the bedroom bridal style and you’re always surprised of how little you weight to her.

-Feeling euphoria whenever she feeds on you during times of intimacy. You feel most connected to her then as it requires a high level of love and trust from both parties.

-Regardless of how long you date she always has a courting mentality and will find ways to both spoil you but also make you crave her (as if you needed anymore reasons). One day you come home from work and she’s waiting for you in her signature chair, wearing brand new lingerie (and red at that). She takes your stunned expression as a positive sign but still coyly asks, “it’s a bit much isn’t it? Perhaps I should return it to the store.” You almost short circuited then and there.

-You going on art exhibition dates as she has a passion and eye for all things visual. She loves holding on to your arm as you both admire a piece. She somehow knows the history of every piece you see.

-Her helping you study by promising a kiss for every question you get right and you suddenly feeling complete determination. By the end of the session you could be an ad for her favourite lipstick brand.

-Sitting on her roof’s apartment to stargaze and have deep discussions about the meaning of life and what it means to be alive. You quickly learn she’s a romanticist at heart.

-Her going full Gomez Addams every Valentine’s day for you. Somehow she finds a way to top herself every year.

-Her delicately running the edges of her fangs over you as she nips and kisses your flesh. She’ll repeat over and over again of how selfish you make her feel, how she craves you like no other, her beautiful language makes your head swim further.

-Her reading you some of her favourite poetry passages when you’re just lounging around together. It often ends with her getting caught up in the words while looking at you, chucking the book to the side and crashing her lips against yours. (Since you started dating her you’ve found a new respect for poetry for several reasons….)

-Her watching vampire media with you and often finding most depictions silly at first but always somehow becoming invested by the end of the narrative (and usually more than you for that matter).

-Her running the most extravagant and relaxing bubble baths for you to share. She loves washing your hair and lathering your skin with essential oils.

-Commonly going to a coffee shop together to finish up any work. You’re often finishing up homework while she’s sketching up a design for a client. Her espresso drink compliments your frappe. 

-One day, you’re sitting in her car and enjoying music like normal but something is off this time. Her eyes have been lingering on you, a mixture of mischief and something more behind her eyes. You almost feel like prey under a predator’s gaze and similarly have no where to run. Without even touching you, her intense gaze starts to make you dizzy and your cheeks warm. You finally see that signature smirk appear and without warning she lowers your seat back. She straddles you with ease and tilts her head as she looks down at you and licks her lips. She begins rubbing herself against you, making her intentions clear. She leans down to whisper against you ear, her voice already lost to lust, “do you want me to stop? We could-“ and something about the question makes something inside you snap. You shut her up but immediately gripping her behind and pushing her further against you. To this day, few sounds come close to her whimpers. 

[mcufox123]

Table 5

Summary: You are a 5-star chef. What happens when two avengers enter your restaurant. 

WandaxFemReader

AN: this is going to bea multichapter series. 

Warning: Slow burn 

I do not own any of the marvel characters.

Chapter 2. Chapter 3 Chapter4 Chapter5 Chapter6

Hiss. You heard as you dropped a piece of halibut into the frying pan. You had ten order fires for your famous white fish dish. You sauteed the veggies and spinach that went along with the dish. It was hot in the kitchen, but you kept your head down and just kept working. It was a busy Saturday night at the 5-star restaurant you worked at. the kitchen was on the floor so all its patrons could see you hard at work.

You loved your job. You threw everything you had into the prep work during the day and the excitement of 10 order fires at a time at night. You laid the plates out and set them up so all you had to do was place the fish on top. Your eyes never left your station to look at the patrons. With your rough hands that had suffered many burns and scars, you placed a dish on the table to be taken out when you looked up momentarily and was completely caught off guard.

You looked up to see one of the most beautiful women you had ever laid eyes on. Her reddish hair fell perfectly around her face which held the most beautiful emerald eyes. You watched as a tall man pulled out the chair for her as she went to sit down. Your trance was cut off by Bill asking if the dish was ready to be taken out. You nodded as you wiped your hands on your towel.

“Bill keep me updated on what table 5 orders.” You said giving him a stern look at turning to finish the other 9 halibuts on the stove. Every time you put another plate on the table your eyes went to her.

“You know we have two avengers in here tonight?” Bill asked as up put up another fish.

“We do?” you asked interest peaked, thoughts drifting from table 5 for a moment.

“Yeah, Vision and the Scarlett witch. Vision told the hostess that he was going to propose here tonight. They’re over at table 5.” You looked over and your stomach dropped. The women who you had stolen glances of was about to be engaged, not to mention she was one of the most powerful beings in the world.

You covered up your disappointment as you told Bill to keep you posted on their order. Ten minutes later he informed you that they ordered a fish and a steak.

“I’m going to run their platters; you keep an eye on the fish when I do.” You informed Gerry who was working at the station next to you. You plated the fish and waited for the steak. When both were ready you wiped your hands, brushed down your hair and made sure you looked somewhat presentable.

You grabbed the platters and made your way across the restaurant. The servers were eyeing you suspiciously. You never leave your station; the governor even came to dine at your restaurant and requested to see you and you turned him down choosing to continue to cook. The only other time you left your station was when your mom was in town and decided to eat at your restaurant. You set the meat in front of Vision eyeing him up. He looked like an alright guy. Then you turned and put the fish in front of the Scarlett Witch.

“I am Chef Y/N, welcome to Contento. I hope you enjoy your food and if you need anything I will be working right over there.” You said talking mostly to the women glancing at the man occasionally.

“Thank you, Chef Y/N.,” Vision said trying to get your eyes off his girlfriend. The beautiful women just kept smiling at you.

“Enjoy!” you said while backing away from the table. You made your way over to your station picking up where you left off with the fish you were cooking. You glanced up at table 5 when you put another dish up.

Vision was on one knee and the Scarlett Witch had her hand to her mouth. You could see him talking and you could see tears form in her eyes. You became extremely uncomfortable at that moment and seemed to hold your breath.

Vision stopped talking and you could see the woman shake her head no as he got up off the ground. Then an argument between the two seemed to start. Vision held his hand up before walking out of the restaurant as the woman sat back in her seat with her head in her hands.

She sat there for the rest of the night. She ordered the chocolate cake and a bottle of wine. All night while you were working you continued to glance at table 5 to see if she was there. Usually, you would tell the servers to kick people like that out but when your most trusted server asked if you wanted her out you shook your head no. You finished up for the night and cleaned up your station. Instead of doing your normal prep for the next day you decided to pour yourself a glass of wine. You watched as the woman continued to sit at table 5.

“Should I tell her to leave or just start wrapping up the night?” Bill asked you.

“Just start wrapping up, I’ll take care of her.” You assured him. You stood behind your station continuing to drink your glass of wine trying to figure out the woman who sat in your restaurant. The servers and staff finished up for the night and one by one waved at you as they left through the back door. You waved back and finally decided to make your way to table 5.

“You have officially been the customer to stay the longest at my restaurant.” You say walking over to table 5 with the bottle of your best wine and wine glass in hand. You take a seat across from her

“Oh, I am so sorry! I didn’t even realize. Wow where did everyone go?” she said looking around the restaurant now realizing it was empty.

“The restaurant officially closed an hour and a half ago and my staff just left about 10 minutes ago.” You informed her.

“Oh my gosh its midnight.” She said now finally looking at her phone then at the dishes on her table. “And I left a mess, I can clean this up just let me know where it goes.” She said while stacking glasses and trying to brush up the crumbs. You put your hands on tops of hers to stop her and feel warmth spread throughout your body. Your eyes meet and you gave her a little smile.

“It’s totally ok just leave it. You are more than welcome to stay; I saw what happened tonight. I just wanted to let you know that I will be over there cooking.” You said as you picked up your wine glass leaving the bottle behind.

“Would you mind if I came over there and watched?” she asked hesitantly. You glanced back and saw hopeful eyes.

“Not at all Scarlett Witch.” You saw her flinch at the name.

“Please, call me Wanda. Scarlett Witch is just for the media really.” You smile and nod. You pulled up a barstool where Bill usually stands on the other side of the station, while you grab some veggies to cut. You had decided to make your own dinner tonight instead of eating a bag of chips.

“What are you making?” she asks as she sits on the stool and watches you curiously.

“I’m not sure yet, but whatever it is it’ll be my dinner.” You said honestly.

“Come here.” She instructed you and you don’t know why but you listened. You made your way around the station and saw her stand up from her seat and pointed for you to sit. “You have been working all night, you let me stay way past close, and you gave me a $500 bottle of wine to drink. Get off your feet drink some wine and let me cook.” She informed as she made her way around to where you had been just seconds before.

“Thank you, not many people are willing to tell a head chef to chill.” You said to her. You watched her as she pulled her hair back and began to expertly cut the vegetables. “And you know your way with a knife, remind me not to cross you.” You chuckled.

“Well, I like to cook myself. I try to cook something new whenever I can. I started cooking when I was young with my family in Sokovia.” She said as her cutting slowed obviously lost in a memory.

“I can relate to that; I grew up in an Italian family. I started when I was old enough to hold a knife.” You said adding to the conversation.

The conversation continued to flow as she began to throw them in a sauce pan. She searched your station for her next ingredients. Usually no one was allowed to go through your station, but you were curious to see what she was making.

“So, I know it is absolutely none of my business but are you ok?” you asked full of concern. You saw her freeze her search on a momentary pause before she continued to look pretending as if she didn’t hear you. You decided to keep talking.

“I was almost engaged once. I have been in this industry since I was 15. I have thrown everything I have into becoming the best. Two years ago, I started dating this girl. We dated for a year even moved in together. She tried to rush everything, like she was trying to prove something to herself. So, when she proposed I had to decline. Instead, I moved out and opened this restaurant. Hurting people is hard but sometimes it’s for the best.” You said trying your best to comfort her.

She seemed very concentrated on the chicken she was now expertly filleting. “We weren’t in love love. He’s my best friend and we do everything together, but I was never attracted to him. When he asked me out, I said yes and now it’s been two years. All because I was scared, I would lose him if I didn’t. Now I ruined everything.” She said turning from you to put the chicken in the pan.

It was quiet for a minute before you heard a sniffle. She turned around wiping her eyes and trying to pull it together.

“I’m sorry I didn’t mean to unload all of this after crashing your night. I should probably just leave you be.” She said while wiping her hands on the towel and turning to leave your station.

“Hey its ok, you’re ok. I enjoy your company.” You said while reaching out for her hand. She turned and looked at you curiously.

“Why are you being so nice to me?” she said looking in your eyes for any trace of insincerity.

“I, I, I don’t know, but I feel like, like you can be good to me. That maybe you’re the one who can teach me something. What that is I have no idea, but I want to know.  And I want to do the same for you.” You said knowing that you probably sound like a mad idiot to this strange woman who you have only known for an hour.

She continued searching your face. “Your strange and bold. I like that.” She said while squeezing her hand before going back behind your station.

You sat back down and continued to watch the woman who piqued your interest continue to cook.