#which has made me very curious and interested in all the topics but no idea how to properly look into or research them

[if-loki-was-a-fox]

I don't supposed anyone has recommendations on like. good or classic types of non-fiction books on queerness and such? especially asexuality and aromanticism, but anything queer and adjacent is good too

I am very out of touch with what sorts of books people read and consider good resources or cornerstones of discussion, but want to get more into actually reading that kind of thing

[nishayuro]

Dr.Stone Stanley Snyder as a campus crush in High School

A/N: Another Stanley?!?!? My friend cosplayed high school Stan and I got this idea lmaoo. Also, late Valentine's day post

Fem!reader, use of she/her

Genre: Fluff, Crack-ish

Warning: Obsessive girls

Tall, Handsome, Athletic, Cool. The list of why almost every girl in their high school liked Stanley Snyder. He was eye candy, his voice was deep and attractive, he was smart and he was mysterious enough that it kept others on their toes. These were some of the many reasons why he was dubbed ��Campus Crush” by the students.

There were men who loathed him, envied him, and insulted him (though not to his face, they know he can pack a punch. Tried and tested.) Stanley didn't care, he wasn't the type to care about these things. His days revolved around guns, helping Xeno, and you.

You, who he's been in love with for years. You, who didn't care about those trivial things about him, you cared more about him as a person. You, who has seen his darkest days and still stayed. You, who he's been dating for about a year and a half now. No wonder his attention was all yours (and Xeno’s, but that's a bit different.)

Stanley never hid that he cared about you, he was obvious, and that angered a lot. To the others, you were just someone random, someone who wasn't special. You weren't any big name like captain of the cheer team, or queen bee and you weren't one of the popular kids. They hated that you had Stanley for yourself, they hated that he was head over heels for you. That should be them in your shoes, It's only right! You were a nobody and they couldn't accept their dashing prince to be claimed by some commoner in their eyes.

Valentine's day came, and like normal teenage girls with a crush, they decided to give stuff to Stanley. Expensive chocolates, random gifts that they think he’d like, and love letters confessing their undying love (or what Xeno likes to call, unyielding obsession.)

His locker was annoyingly filled to the brim with pink and red envelopes, this desk was overflowing with sweets and snacks. Girls were lingering outside his classroom just to get a glimpse of him. He hated the attention if he was being honest, he disliked being followed around, stopped every hour and confessed to or whatever.

Last valentines, he got more than 20 letters asking for him to meet them at the rooftop. A bit cliché, and honestly? not a very private area considering a shit ton of people bring others there too. He didn't read those letters, you and Xeno did, out loud for him too.

You three decided to hang out at Xeno’s place after school after convincing Stanley to not throw away the gifts. He met you with a questioning gaze, to which you replied with “Entertainment. It's gonna be a fun night!” The chocolates were sprawled across the floor, different brands and different flavors, some expensive and some home made. Cookies and cupcakes were set on a plate, Xeno and you were already beginning to eat them.

“So, why’d you want me to not throw away the gifts? I understand the food, but the letters?” Stanley asked, sitting on Xeno’s bed as you and the aspiring scientist were on the floor, surrounded by the letters. “Well, Xee and I were curious about them! We wanna see the type of stuff the girls write to you.” you replied, holding one letter. “Oh? and why? jealous are we, y/n?” Stan teased, a smirk on his painted lips. “Ha! As if, you barely acknowledge them. You’ve chased after me for years! I'm secure enough.” you answered, and that's true. You knew Stanley was the loyal type, he courted you for years before you answered him and made him your boyfriend. And he hasn't done anything that would warrant your jealousy.

“Good. But even you, Xee? this isn't exactly your topic of interest?” Stan answered, looking at his best friend curiously. “I'm currently researching the science of attraction. It's tied heavily to the body’s chemical reaction so I need data on it. What better way than reading through letters of unfiltered confessions by hormonal teenage girls?” Xeno answered swiftly.

“Ohh, ok let's start with this one… ‘Dear Stanley, since the day I first laid my eyes on you, I have fallen deeply in love with you. You are like the stars in the sky, shining heavily. Please give me a chance!’ “ you read out the letter from a sparkly pink envelope.

“Love at first sight, common. That happens when you see something you like, or in this case, someone attractive enough to like, and your body releases the happy hormones like Dopamine and Oxytocin, which gives the giddy and excited feeling.” Xeno explained.

“This one just reads ‘please meet me at the rooftop after class, xoxo’ “ You continued, going through the whole pile. “In total, you have received 54 love letters and 16 notes. 32 of which asked you to meet with them somewhere, mostly the school’s rooftop.” Xeno read out the tally he was keeping count.

“This excites you guys? reading nonsense given to me? At this point y/n, I'm kinda sad you don't feel jealous. You just gonna let them talk about your man like that?” Stan teased again, he was now laying on the bed, his phone on his stomach after scrolling through it while you read the letters.

“Eh, they can say all they want. In the end, you're still mine after all.” you smiled. “Plus, imagine a bunch of girls just waiting for you up at the rooftop only for you to be a no show? bet they are fighting over themselves now?” you chuckled. “If only we knew sooner, we could have installed hidden cameras and microphones there.” Xeno added.

Back to the present, he was still facing the same dilemma. Knowing what would happen today, you gave Stanley a big tote bag to put all the gifts in, which will be consumed by you and Xeno later today.

“Hey Stan~” a feminine voice spoke, he didn't bother looking at the direction, he knew who it was and what they wanted. He just laid his head on his arms and closed his eyes. “Stan? Stanleyyy!” the voice continued, now poking him. It was getting irritating, he looked up and glared at the person, making them flinch, but regained their posture immediately. “Hey~ I was wondering if you wanna go with me to this new dessert place downtown today” the girl asked, twirling her hair. “Nah, not interested.” Stan spoke, “Why? don't like sweets? that's fine, we can find somewhere else!” she exclaimed, hopeful. “No, I mean I ain't interested in going anywhere with you, or anyone else for that matter.” He answered sharply, leaving the girl confused.

“But why? It's Valentine's day!” she argued, “Yea exactly, which is why i’ll be spending it with my partner and not some random girl who won't stop bothering me.” Stan answered, annoyed at this point. “P-partner?” the girl was shocked. “Yea, partner. Y/N. You are either dense or just deny that fact. We aren't exactly a secret or private.” Stan replied. “Her?! Why her? you can do so much bett-” Stanley didn't even let her finish what she was saying when he signaled her to stop.

“Say one bad thing about them and you're done for. Scram.” Stan ordered, his voice sharp, leaving no room for discussion. The girl went back to her seat, almost in tears. The whole room witnessed it, how could they not? It was Stanley Snyder rejecting someone and revealing he has a partner. (To which Xeno replied with “Humans do love ignoring facts when it's not beneficial to them” when Stanley recalled this encounter later that day.)

News of this spread like wildfire. The girls who hated you back then because you were taking Stanley’s attention were for sure plotting your downfall now that Stanley himself confirmed your relationship. The glares sent your way were harsher than usual. But you didn't care, you kind of liked their anger.

Until you were cornered in the bathroom, typical American scenario. “Stay away from Snyder.” one of the girls said, you recognised her to be the school’s proclaimed queen bee or whatever, you didn't care. “oh? stay away from MY boyfriend?” you emphasized. “You bitch! you stole him from me!” She screamed at you, attempting to slap you, you caught her wrist in time. “Oh honey, he doesn't even know your name.” you answered, twisting her arm.

Her minions tried to hold you down, but you held them off of you (Stanley taught you self defense, you didn't realize you'd be using it on desperate popular girls trying to steal your lover.) “Why don't you leave me alone, and I don't tell Stan about this encounter and make him ignore y’all more than he already does, how does that sound, hmm?” you asked, holding the queen bee’s face in your hands. “Oh well, you don't get to choose. I'm not some soft, easily threatened person. Xeno is my best friend, I've been through more threatening things in my life.” you added, before walking out the door.

Later that day, you told Stan and Xeno about the encounter in the comfort room as you and Xeno opened letters. Stan was furious, they crossed the line. Xeno was already plotting revenge. You reassured them both that you handled it and will handle it in the future.

Stan decided to post something on his social media, which he rarely does. It was a photo of you two. With the caption, “Forever♥️ Hurt them and you're dead to me.”

Stan might have lots of eyes on him, but that means nothing to the man whose loyalty knows no bounds. His eyes are only on you. He knew he was yours since that day you shot that nerf bullet directly at his forehead when you were 10 years old.

Bonus scene:

“Due to us not being ready last year, I decided to be ready this year! I set up cameras and microphones on the rooftop. Though, I think the number of people who will still want to ‘meet you at the rooftop’ has lessened since the news of you two officially being together has spread.” Xeno announced, opening his laptop to open the camera feed.

To his surprise, there are still at least 20 girls up there. All glaring at each other and questioning why they're there. Everyone answered the same name, “Stanley Snyder”

“Babe, you should post a story about us right now. Pretend we're on a date or something. Watch their moods fall.” You said, an evil smile on your face.

“Well, c’mere then.” Stan beckoned you next to him on the bed, you crawled your way to his arms and wrapped yours around him. Stan took the photo as Xeno set up the TV to make it look like a movie date, which Stan took a photo of as well. “I’ll put ‘movie date with the loml’ with a cheesy song.” Stan said as you laughed. “Anddd, posted.” Stan announced, you three looking back at Xeno’s laptop and waiting for the girls’ reaction.

“Stanley posted?!” One of them said, opening the story. “Movie date with the love of my life…” one other read out. “We've stood up again!” another exclaimed, almost crying. “Stood up my ass, I didn't ask any of you to go there.” Stan muttered, with you and Xeno laughing. “Oh Stanley Snyder, you are a cruel cruel man.” You joked, giving your man a kiss.

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[wolfiesmoon]

Countless nights

Malleus x gn!reader

i felt like writing something super cute and lovey dovey and basic after listening to can't help falling in love by elvis presley so here we are lol😌🩷

this is nothing revolutionary that hasn't been done before just so much fluff you'll throw up a furball (made of fictional fluff) by the end

There are many a night which he spends thinking of you.

Lilia had told him about it, a long long time ago. How your chest would tighten, how your face would become warm, how your heart would flutter when gazing at the person you're in love with. But he never imagined that it could feel this amazing, this freeing, this beautiful.

There are many moments he thinks of on these nights...

You run up behind him, yelling the silly little nickname he's grown to love hearing fall from your lips.

He turns around, grinning at the sound of your voice. Truly, you are a sight for sore eyes. Your little furry companion is with you, too, dozing off in your arms.

"It's so nice to see you in the hallways for once." you realise that you mostly see him in front of your dorm when he randomly shows up. Because of that, you kinda forgot that he's also a student at the school and takes classes as well.

"Likewise. It's always a pleasure to see you." He didn't say anything presumptious, so why are you making that excited face all of a sudden? Now he feels giddy.

A silence falls between you.

"Ahaha... Um... I actually have no idea what to talk about... I kinda just ran to you after seeing you..." you admitted awkwardly.

That is... very comforting to hear. All you need is the sight of him to want to be by his side. The warm feeling spreading across his body is very welcome.

He wants to hear you say that sentence over and over, but greed is not a good quality to bear, so he'll settle with hearing it only once.

"Then I suppose you wouldn't mind listening to me talk? Do you happen to be partial to gargoyles?" He takes the opportunity to talk about the passion no one seems to share with him. He's fully expecting you to say no and change the topic, and he wouldn't blame you at all in some regard. He's well aware most humans don't take interest in something as specific as gargoyles.

"I never really thought much about them before. But sure, tell me about it." you actually look really interested, waiting for him to start.

He smiles.

Oh, he just can't help falling in love with you.

.

"Did you hear about that new ice cream place that opened in town recently?"

When you asked him if he could spare 2 hours of his day just for the two of you yesterday, he was certainly not expecting you to open with this.

"Lilia told me you like ice cream, and I was pretty curious about the taste myself." you wonder to yourself if there's any funny flavours you wouldn't find in the human world. If so, you're definitely trying them out.

"So, uhhh... wanna go try it with me?"

You don't even realise how happy you've just made him. He has to hold back the wide smile that threatens to spread across his face.

"Hahaha, you're so strange... Though I certainly wouldn't mind." You seriously just want to... hang out with him? What a pleasant surprise, indeed. It makes his heart beat with excitement.

"Let's go!" you start running down the hill to get to town, excited to share ice cream with him.

.

"Aw man, it's almost impossible to choose." you're contemplating between three different flavours at the moment.

"Shall I choose for you, then?" Malleus suggests. He already picked the flavour he wants and is waiting for you to make your choice. Not that he's annoyed by that. The longer you take, the more minutes he can spend by your side. How greedy of him.

"Go ahead." you sigh defeatedly. You're truly thankful he can put an end to the awkward situation of you just staring between 3 different flavours for like, 2 whole minutes now. You're creating a line behind you, no doubt.

"You should get the strawberry flavour." Malleus recalled a story of Lilia's in which he told him that strawberries are a symbol of love in a country he visited. He feels a bit cheeky, sneaking a subtle hint in like this.

"Uh, sure! I'll have one scoop of strawberry!" you raised an eyebrow slightly at his satisfied smile. Why is he smiling now, of all times?

If he's happy, you're happy, you suppose.

The two of you decided to walk around town while eating the ice cream. It was a nice change of scenery.

You were telling Malleus about a funny potionology mishap you had with Grim and Ace today when someone bumped into you, making you lose grip of the ice cream.

It fell splat on the ground, making it no longer edible.

"Oh come on..." you looked down at the wasted ice cream sadly. It was really good, too.

"I can return it to its original form, do not worry." Malleus suggested, already about to do it when you gently grabbed his wrist. His eyes widened slightly and a strange tightness enveloped his chest.

"No need. Just hanging out with you is enough. Enjoy the ice cream for the both of us." you're really fine with just watching him. He seems very happy when eating ice cream, which you can't get enough of.

"...If you wish." he felt his whole being warming up at your sweet words.

Oh, he just can't help falling in love with you.

.

"Child of man. What is the meaning of this?" his expression darkens when he sees your fingers wrapped in bandages.

"Of wha- Oh, you mean my bandages? It's, uhhh, a bit embarrasing. And also a suprise." you hid your hands behind your back, not wanting him to worry about them too much.

"Tell me." he looked quite scary in this moment, almost like he was ready to kill. Is he really that worried over it? It kinda makes you feel giddy.

"It'll ruin the surprise, I'm just saying." you shifted your weight from one foot to the other. His terrifying gaze didn't falter however, so you gave up.

"Roses are really important symbols in Briar valley, so I've heard. So I kinda wanted to give you a hand-picked rose boquet for your birthday tommorow, but I was dumb and didn't use gloves to de-thorn the roses. So that's why my hands look like this." you still felt a little bad ruining the surprise, but giving Malleus peace of mind is much more important.

"Oh... So it was that, I see." Malleus still witheld a somewhat cold, scary expression. He can't stand to see you hurt, in any way. And knowing it was all for him makes him feel even worse.

Still... you wanted to make him happy so much that you willingly hurt yourself to see it happen. Warmth rushes to his face at the thought of you handing the boquet to him. That's quite a common way of confessing love among humans, is it not?

He can't wait for his birthday all of a sudden.

On these nights, he just can't help falling in love with you.

[utilitycaster]

Forgive me if you've already been asked something on this topic, but I was curious about your opinions re: Laudna's epilogue. Specifically, about how her lifeforce and aging is now tied to Imogen's in a 'marriage' ceremony even though they've only been dating for a few weeks in-game. It felt like an extension of the flaws baked into her entire arc that Laudna bound her soul to yet another magical woman, and in a way that would discourage any conflict between her and said mage. Laudna's epilogue with Imogen being considered a 'happy ending' really hinges on the idea that those two each other's perfect matches

So this is an interesting approach! I have to admit: I don't find the choice to age to be particularly bad, nor discouraging of conflict. I think it just means that she'll live around as long as Imogen will, as a human woman. I think if they were to break up, or if Imogen were to meet an untimely end, it just means Laudna would still live to a typical human lifespan.

But this is an interesting point that I think I touched on briefly when interacting with that weirdo last night, which is that it really feels in the end that Laudna never has her own life. Hell, Liliana manages to more satisfyingly say "huh, I've spent my entire life from probably my early 20s to my 50s either effectively on the run and alone, I fell into the hands of a very powerful wizard who treated me as a vessel, I never really unlearned my brainwashing from that, and now that it's over I think I need to go out in the world and figure out who I am as a person because my entire adulthood was lost to that" and Laudna never does. Even the ritual to make her live a typical lifespan feels very much a having your cake and eating it too - it's always been interesting that Laudna made these sort of intermittently expressed overtures towards liking her weird gross undead state and that mechanically Marisha leaned into it beyond the rules of Hollow One but then she does not get the unwilling immortality because of yet another quite literal Deus Ex Machina. It feels like just one more case of this party getting to have it both ways, for free, without ever having to choose, and the dumbest people alive shrieking at me that what I find to be a desperate saccharine dying dream of an ending is happy and that because it is "happy" any criticism must be a personal failure (and then some other rando will weakly bust through like an incontinent kool-aid man to fart out how unfortunate it is people are so uncivil and unkind and attacking people's intelligence and morals this campaign, meaning, of course, me for existing while holding an opinion and not breaking down in tears and capitulating to everyone who comes on my posts, but not the people who come on my post and call me stupid and unfeeling, because they agree with those people, because campaign 3 appeals, as I've said many times, to the posers who can dish it out and not take it, and not to like, intelligent adults.)

I don't find this ending happy because it's so divorced from reality it feels like weightless nothing, in the end; that's my feeling on all the lack of consequences, actually - as one of my mutuals said, easy come, easy go. Laudna never has a story; she never lets herself out of her own cages to have a story. The only framing people can even come up with to make it happy is "she had TRAUMA and now she has an ENDING where she's left alone" and even then it's like. Personally my feeling on anyone who treats their trauma as the reason they are interesting should be made to retrace the steps of the Franklin Expedition, which will make them interesting and/or at least temporarily remove them from my vicinity. If being left alone to do nothing is happy, why aren't you guys giving me a happy ending.

I meant to be a bit more reserved in this answer, and I have a similar ask to get to as well but I think what I'm trying to express and slowly losing my mind over is that the people who like Campaign 3 and loudly defend it are increasingly quite literally not of an intellectual caliber or level of interpersonal empathy to even join in the discussion with those of us who found it lacking. It's like explaining quantum physics to toddlers. We find ourselves having to define words as basic as "conflict" and "consequence," and repeatedly, with eroding patience, explain "sometimes, I think it is interesting when bad things happen to pretend people, and it is boring when good things happen to pretend people, because they are pretend, and sometimes different people have different feelings, and that is okay! but you need to let people have different feelings. Someone saying they don't like the blue truck doesn't mean you can't like the blue truck! But you can't make them like the blue truck."

[truuskn]

As someone whose first interaction with Prowl was in the G1 cartoons, you absolutely get it. There needs to be more of Prowl written like that and not always delegated to being a prick.

first of all, i absolutely agree. secondly, actually, the situation with how the fandom sees prowl is very curious. and kinda unique? i may be wrong, but it seems to me as if his idw version has affected his character much more than other idw versions affected people's views on other characters. i'll explain that in a moment but let's start from afar :D

i think the version of prowl you meet for the first time can really make a big difference in how you see his character in the long run. i first met prowl through idw and it played tricks on me. you know, i actually like idw prowl, but i have 2 problems with him:

a) he's a poorly written character. the idea is good, i really think so, but the writers didn't do a good job. he has a lot of interesting moments, but if you look at him in the perspective of the whole story... nope. bad job. i'm not going to talk on this topic, i've seen discussions about this on tumblr more than once, so some wise people have already said it all for me a long time ago :D

b) he's... technically the only nasty, manipulative jerk prowl among his other variations? but his popularity makes it seem like all prowls have always been like that. and when i first started getting to know this franchise i thought so too... i thought he was like that everywhere and all the time

when i first started reading tf comics i only did it with knowledge of tfp, rid-15 and rescue bots and i immediately jumped right into mtmte. i didn't watch g1 or any other shows. i didn't understand who was who or what was going on. and i automatically started hating prowl, because, well, everybody hated him?? even comics characters?? i thought it was the right thing to do. i didn't know anything about him, but because of his image in the comics and fandom i just accepted that he was a prick, a bad guy, a bastard and hated him. and i didn't want to get to know him any further

so when i finally started watching g1 and especially reading marvel comics i was so surprised... what the?? who's that?? why is prowl like this?? and i didn't understand what was going on at all again. yeah, it took me some time to realise that in this fandom in different continuations sometimes the only similarity from the same character may be the name alone (tfa prowl, tfa elita, tfp arcee, yk)

so it was marvel comics that made me love prowl. this is my favorite version of him. i'll write more about him someday but in short i'm just in love with how loyal, faithful, hopeful and kind he is here, how he fights despair, how continues to move forward no matter what, how hardships bend but don't break him... ugh. so many good stuff with him. especially the exodus arc (i don't remember what it's officially called but it's the one with the op death, leader grimlock and withering cybertron). anyway, perfect prowl in my mind. without him i'd probably just forget about prowl and focus on other characters. so i really miss him being like this. and even tho rn i appreciate and love any version of him, i think he's interesting both as a calm, cold and collected person and as a ninja bot and as an asshole, etc, etc, but still. it took me a while to get into it and i don't think i was the only one. it's sad that idw image is hurting this character and his legacy. again, i still like this version of him, but i don't like this situation

so. i wish people would stop automatically attributing the same characterisation to him everywhere. for some reason i get the impression that prowl is the only one this happens to? megatron, for example, can be a gratuitously bad guy, a tragic villain, a redeemed hero (which i'll be honest i like in tfe but hate in idw) - and everyone is used to it. no one equates him to one characteristic, knowing that it can easily change, he's accepted differently. but for some reason it doesn't always work with prowl... anyway, i really hope we see more variety with prowl in the future. preferably in the direction of g1. i really like tfe and idw2 takes on him! and i'm very interested to see what he'll be like in skybound (well, if he ever appears there, haha)

[yrenesbrainrotss]

Hii! Can I request just general headcannons with Theodora(ena dream bbq) and the reader? They can be either platonic romantic, I just think she's super silly and I love her character a lot! Of course, I understand she may be difficult to write so no pressure!! Please and thank youu:))

A/N: Hellooo!!! Tysm for your request! I tried my best to think of a scenario that would fit Theodora since she barely has any screetime. I feel like i might have gone overboard with this request but i hope it’s good enough!

English is not my first language so please excuse any mistakes I might have made, it’s also my first time writing so bear with me🙏😭

♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱

~A fateful encounter~

..Before we get into it let us set a bit of a background….

The infamous genie of the Lonely door,able to fufil any wish and any desire one had. As curious as ever you wanted to find the supposed genie as well, wanting to wish for something that might help fill the helpless void of loneliness.

Luckily,after being ingested at the popular illegal event known as the “Purge Event” you managed to reach the bathroom in no time. Surrounded by an endless void and weird flashy masked creatures you managed to pull through your hangover and cross the river of souls. In front of you, in the darkness was a giant cyan bathroom. You closed your eyes for a moment and tried to calm your nerves.

After entering the bathroom and reaching a supposed “draw well” you used the rope to pull whatever was inside it.

To your surprise you had found yourself face to face with the all knowing genie. With her melodious voice she presented herself as “Theodora” and after she washed away all of your sins she asked about your most wanted desire.

Before you even parted your lips to speak she already knew. “You seek to quench that which separates you from anyone else. Your attempts at adapting have been fruitless and now you find yourself reaching for your last option.” Her singing rang through your ears,boring into your very soul, exposing the deepest parts of yourself.

She then went on a bit of a ramble about the loney life of a genie, how everyone only wants to see them for their wish-granting abilities.You however had an idea swirling in your mind. Maybe you could accompany her, she was just as unseen as you and maybe you could fill the void inside you without wasting your wish. Theodora was impressed with your suggestion but she didn’t refuse it one bit, in fact she encouraged you to stay by her side, claiming that you were most likely destined to cure her’s and your own solitude.

♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱

As time passed and the world inside the lonely door changed so has your relationship with Theodora. She seemed cold at first and a bit awkward. If not for the topic of the new creatures visiting the bathroom you barely had anything to talk about. However she would often ask you about your personal life and maybe interests of yours.After you replied she would only hum in approval and make herself unseen yet again until a new “sinner” arrived. You were also pretty clumsy yourself, whenever she would try and tell you about the last visitor of the bathroom you would often get distracted by her unusual way of speaking, or rather singing.

Overtime you bonded over small gossip or the newest fashion outside the bathroom. You even brought her small trinkets from outside which she greatly appreciated. As thanks she also gives you small gifts from her resting place. This became a mutual habit which neither of you spoke about.

You eventually are tasked with leading the wandering creatures searching for the genie to the well where Theodora resides.Sometimes the odd entities become hostile and its hard to keep a smile on when you are being berated for literally existing.

On these bad days Theodora always finds a way of punishing these entities for insulting you, whether it be a temporary ban from the bathroom or a hundred years of bad luck, she will not let anyone get away with such treatment towards you.

You ocasionally fall asleep,exhausted after leading numerous entities thro the bathroom,leaning against the edge of the well with Theodora’s gentle hands brushing your hair.Her fond gaze and soft hums allow you to forget any of your unpleasant thoughts that might be still plaguing your mind.

Whenever you need a word of advice or just a person to make you feel heard she is always there,supporting and offering solutions to any of your problems.

The first time you kissed her was on one of those bad days where you had enough of everyones hateful comments, you were just trying to help them! Frustrated you headed for the well Theodora was in, and once she revealed herself to you, you just grabbed her small form with both hands and pressed you lips against her almost flat but slightly soft face.She was pretty shocked but she knew that your attachment to her grew overtime, just as hers grew for you. Her eyes closed and she accepted your gesture, you on the other hand were quite embarrassed and would have stormed off if she wouldn’t have grabbed your wrist.

Since then “Theo” as you like to call her invites you into her well, a cozy place albeit a bit disorienting, to spend some time together. Eventually you don’t bother returning to your old home,too comfortable in her presence to ever want to leave.

Sometimes when you hang out in her “genie palace” you hold her in your lap,embracing her in both of your arms reminiscing over your small awkward moments from the past,and cringing at your past attempts at flirting.

[starsfic]

Shamura's Student

Summary: Shamura takes a student under their care, the first since Narinder was allowed to do his own studies. Requested by Shamura to share old notes (aka very curious) Narinder ends up hanging around Silk Cradle to understand the little lamb his sibling has taken such an interest in. ...five seconds into their meeting and he's pretty sure they're trying to flirt with him.

Family brunches had been a thing for over a thousand years by that point. Heket had declared that, after what was dubbed the “Resurrection Mess”, they would do it, and Shamura agreed. Rotating between Anura and Anchordeep every two weeks, the family would get together and eat Heket’s cooking (which Narinder honestly suspected was her main reason to demand this brunch, not the near sealing of him). Today, it was a variety of pancakes and toppings. Altogether, the event gave them time to just be siblings and share any news that fell through the cracks.

“Oh, I have also taken on a student.”

Such as that.

The table fell silent as all heads turned to Shamura. They placidly took a bite of their pancakes and chewed, staring at them all in a clear gesture of letting the news sink in. Which, to be fair, was sorely needed.

Shamura kept a court of scholars, but they had only really taught three people. Narinder and Heket, who had been babies when they came into their care, had grown up receiving lessons from them, with Forneus joining in after she was selected as his playmate. Narinder had continued past childhood, receiving extra lessons in subjects ranging from spellwork to crochet, until both felt he could continue on his own. Shamura had tried to teach Leshy, but…

Heket broke into his thoughts with “I thought that you had decided no more students.”

“Hey!” Leshy said, his mouth full of camellia pancakes. “I wasn’t that bad of a student!”

“I walked in to find the classroom on fire and both of you crying,” Narinder reminded him. Apparently, Shamura and Leshy were an ill-fated match in education. After that, Kallamar had taken over Leshy’s studies.

His little brother grumbled but closed his mouth when Shamura swallowed and then said “Chew with your mouth closed, Leshy,” They folded their hands together. “They’re a studious lamb, born of some weavers at the edge of Silk Cradle. I found them multiple times in my libraries and found myself impressed. I wished to tell you before you ran into them.”

Heket gave a polite bow of her head. “Thank you, sibling. I’m sure we look forward to meeting them.” There was a pause and then the table jangled, and Kallamar yelped before he nodded furiously.

Narinder bit back a snicker at the childish display, Leshy having no such restraint, before turning his mind to the supposed lamb. “You must see a lot in them for you to decide to take them as a student.” He sipped his catnip tea as Shamura blinked and then smiled.

“I do. Actually, Narinder, I was hoping to request some of your old notes. You explain certain concepts in a way that makes it easier to understand without a deep knowledge of the subject.”

Hm. He had to admit, his curiosity was perked the moment Shamura had brought up the topic. Maybe he would be able to get a look at the little lamb. “Alright, Mura,” he said. “Let me find them. When do you need them?”

“There is no rush, but I would like them next Monday.”

Alright then. Friday it was.

-_-

Lambert had no shame in admitting that they were a social climber.

Their family was sort of the black sheep of the family tree. Their mother had dreams of being a silk weaver and had insisted on moving out of the family farm in Darkwood to Silk Cradle. Unfortunately, she had not considered the fact that Silk Cradle, the main home of the spiders, would be awash with silk weavers.

Money of course came in, with the idea of a lamb silk weaver being novel, but novelty could only go so far in the competitive market. Lambert hated to admit it, but the simple scarves and rugs made from processed silk their mother created were hardly a shade to the elaborate and beautiful tapestries and other creations that the spiders, who had been born with the knowledge, could create. To boot, they didn’t live in the main heart of Silk Cradle, where the novelty could go farther.

From a young age, Lambert was determined to be better.

Education was the best way out. Sure, Silk Cradle was just as full of scholars as they were silk weavers, but education could take you anywhere. Lambert studied hard throughout school, earning top of their class. Scholarships were offered to take them to the capital, to Bishop Shamura’s city, and they didn’t hesitate to jump.

College was harder, and as they eased into academy it only got harder, but Lambert was determined.

Their work was made easier by the fact that they did love to learn, and the capital had the biggest libraries in the land, full of interesting topics from astronomy to zoology.

The libraries also had Bishop Shamura.

Lambert had run into them once, dressed in simple robes and revealing their true petite height, holding a stack of books and pondering some more in the archaeology section. Lambert hadn’t even recognized them until they asked if they could get past to reach a book and they stepped aside, the purple eye on the simple diadem they wore staring them down. Of course, they had apologized immediately, only for Shamura to gently reassure them it was alright.

They had assumed that would be the only time.

Then it happened again. And again. And again.

Slowly, it morphed from polite words to small talk to full-blown conversations. It bordered on the point that Lambert wondered if Bishop Shamura was seeking them out. The idea had been ridiculous, until last month.

Lambert had been talking about a project they were working on, about the evolution of silk weaving, with the bishop offering ideas and some research recommendations and then Shamura had made them an offer.

“You know, Lambert, you remind me of my brother. Like you, he loved to learn about everything- he still does, actually.” They picked up a book and flipped to a bookmarked page, each motion casual. “Our conversations have reminded me of when I used to teach him. I was wondering- would you consider becoming my personal student?”

It wasn’t like they could say no . Shamura was fascinating, and full of knowledge, more than they could ever learn. Plus, they were one of the bishops- no, not even just that, the head bishop. This was a huge step!

“I would be honored, my bishop.”

“Please, call me Shamura.”

Changes to their schedule were quickly made. Lambert got to keep some extracurricular classes, but their main classes were taught and led by Shamura, with special magic classes added in. The work got even harder, but it was practically nothing with their teacher guiding them.

It was a nice rhythm they settled into, especially today.

“I actually requested some old notes to be brought in by Monday,” Shamura said as Lambert began to pack up for the day. Their teacher apparently had a meeting with some traders- it wouldn’t be the first nor last time. “My brother also struggled with the base components of healing, and I think he does a better job at explaining certain things as he learned than I could.”

“I am sure you helped greatly!” Lambert said, aiming a sweet smile at their teacher.

Their teacher made an odd clicking noise that served as most arachnids’ laughter. “That’s what he said as well-”

“Bishop Shamura!” Hauras rushed into the room, the scorpion looking out of breath. “The merchants have arrived, but Midas has also shown up and is making a racket.”

The sigh that came out sounded like the bishop wanted to groan, but was not alone. “I…see,” Shamura walked out the door without another word, their scorpion servant quick to follow.

Lambert took the clear dismissal and finished packing up.

-_-

Narinder passed the packet of notes, yellowed by age, to Shamura’s secretary before asking where his sibling was. The secretary pointed him to one of his sibling’s various studies, where supposedly they were with Lambert .

Lambert. He was willing to guess that was the lamb’s name. 

Narinder gave her his thanks before leaving, allowing his body to twist and curl into his smaller form. Unless someone noticed the third eye, they would just assume he was a regular black cat, wandering the halls, possibly to the library.

Right as he approached the open door, Shamura walked out. Despite the fact he technically wasn’t doing anything wrong, Narinder found himself flattening against the wall. His sibling didn’t look his way, thankfully, instead rushing down the other way.

When he was sure they were gone, he pushed away from the wall.

At the same time, a small figure walked out of the room.

-_-

“You must be Shamura’s new student.”

Lambert jolted at the sudden voice. They hadn’t noticed the cat before he spoke, due to the overall gloom of Silk Cradle and making sure all their supplies were secure in their bag, but now they couldn’t help but notice him. 

He was striking in the hall, dressed in white and red robes, with finely groomed dark fur. What really caught Lambert’s attention was the third red eye, matching the crown that sat on his head. 

In a flash, they realized which brother Shamura had been referring to.

“Bishop Narinder!” They bowed quickly, trying to not let their mind race. After all, who expected Death himself to greet you? “It- it is an honor, truly, to meet you-”

“-I’m not the bishop.”

What.

-_-

What.

Narinder wasn’t sure why that was the first thing to come out of his mouth. He was wearing the Red Crown, after all. He could have easily asked them to not tell Shamura he was bothering them- he was certain his sibling would not mind him talking to them.

All of these were rational. Logical.

For some reason, he continued with the lie.

“I’m one of his priests.”

The lamb stared at him, looking him up and down. Narinder stared back and tried to will them into believing his insanity, feeling a beat of sweat roll down his back. Then, the lamb leaned against the wall, aiming a grin that felt…playful.

“I didn’t know the God of Death kept such cute priests.”

What.

No, seriously, what.

“Are you smart too?”

His entire being felt hot. Is this what his siblings felt whenever they got seduced by a pretty face? He no longer had the right to complain, not with those eyes staring him down like a lion playing with a mouse.

“Yes,” he croaked out. “I am. Otherwise, my bishop would get…annoyed.” Not exactly a lie, but not wrong either.

-_-

So, he was going to keep to the charade?

Lambert was pretty sure they weren’t supposed to be having fun like this, but usually, they would be busy at this time. Plus, it wasn’t a lie that, like the other bishops, Bishop Narinder had been granted with beauty.

They wondered how far they could push this. “Do you think you could tutor me?” they aksed blatantly. “I’m having some trouble with some of the ancient language concepts and I could really use some…” They leaned forward, watching the lower two eyes look away while the third remained locked on them. “ Help .”

They expected him to say no, claim some errand for the bishop, before running off.

“Alright.”

Except he didn’t.

“...uh, what?” Lambert scrambled to stand straight. “I mean, won’t you have things to do? The other priests are usually quite busy-”

“They serve Shamura, whose kingdom is much bigger and makes it impossible to juggle alone,” Narinder pointed out. “The cult of death, despite its reputation, is much smaller, and the bishop refuses to let others lead.” Ah, right. Shamura had mentioned once or twice that their brother was rather hands-on. “So, I have a wealth of free time.”

Lambert wanted to point out that, no, he didn’t since he was the bishop, but a stray thought poked their brain.

…being the student of two bishops would make their path upward much easier.

-_-

Those eyes darkened and they seemed to consider something.

Narinder’s curiosity had already landed him in hot water, but it tugged at him, demanding more. The lamb didn’t seem to notice his eye sparking as he activated his mind-reading ability.

…The student of the eldest bishop and the bishop of death? That will definitely help my status, especially if I become his confidante! Memories flooded forward of a haggard-looking sheep woman, her determination working her family into a rut. Even if I don’t stay in Silk Cradle, I’ll do great!

So they were a social climber. Narinder couldn’t bring himself to be annoyed. If he was in their shoes, he would do the same thing.

He wondered if Shamura saw the iron hiding underneath their innocence.

“So, when are you available?”

His curiosity begged to know what kind of blade it would form.

[aleksandracoffan]

i love to see your fanart of gai and lee, they are two of my favorite characters!! the way you draw everybody's hair is especially beautiful, it looks so soft💖

if you don't mind me asking, what made you start to ship baki x gai? i don't think i've ever seen this ship before! (when i saw your fanart, i went from😲 to 😏 lol. they look so good together)

Ah, thank you very much for your kind words! Drawing Guy and Lee's hair is a separate kind of meditation for me! Oh, bakigai was born completely by accident and spontaneously! One of my friends and I, who are already at odds with me at the moment, wrote a story about Gaara and Lee. However, we needed to describe in detail the relationship between Baki and Guy, and then we had a sudden idea - why not make Baki and Guy a couple? It was thanks to this that more and more art began to appear, and I really liked this pairing. I began to be more interested in both of them and began to prescribe headcannons that would perfectly interact with the original story. I like how they are opposite to each other, but they equally adore their students and are ready to do anything for them. I like that they have similar stories (my headcannons will follow). Guy has an unrequited love for Kakashi, from which he is not exactly suffering now, and Baki has an unrequited interest in the Fourth Kazekage. However, none of these lines could be fruitful for a relationship, so they both chose a path where they could put all their love into children.

I'm also curious how two Shinobi from completely different villages can look together and how their chemistry pushes them together, like sand waves hitting water. They probably quarreled with each other very often because of the different way of life in Suna and Konoha! However, over time, they learned to accept each other and other people's culture. On the topic of how Baki and Guy's relationship could have appeared, I have been wanting to make a list of headcannons for a long time, I really hope that this will happen soon

My old work is for inspiration You will be interested in this @rkaln

[ratsoncats]

I'm worried

Hi, I'm Gabe, I'm 19, and I live in the U.S.

I am a trans man. This is something that has been apparent to me for years now, and something I have suspected (or, in a way, hoped for) for most of my life. I have always felt a joy in aligning myself with the masculine as opposed to the feminine. There are countless personal experiences I could point to in order to show you how I know I'm trans. If you're curious, I could do that. But, for what I aim to say here, I don't think that is necessary. What's important to know is that I like living as a man, being seen as a man, and it burdens me with a deep discomfort and practical disgust to be perceived as anything but.

I've made a sort of peace with my body. My face isn't something I'd consider to be pretty and I keep my hair short. Baggy clothes cover my chest and the rest of my body well. Most days, no one has any idea that I'm trans and simply see me as some boy picking up a gallon of milk. I'm happy that that's the case; I know many others aren't as lucky. I still have my share of reservations about my body, though. I am perfectly fine with being short (to the extent that I even celebrate it), but my chest, my hips, and my thighs bring me dysphoria. (Genitals are a different story that I'd rather not get into on the internet with strangers.) These parts of me are usually easy to ignore, but when I focus on them for too long, sadness overtakes me. I don't want to look like this. I want to be flat, boxy, small. The image of myself in my head doesn't align with what I see in the mirror, and it drags me down.

Another part of me says that cisgender men can have bodies like this, too, and that I shouldn't feel like any less of a man because of it. A third part says that curvy and top-heavy trans men are still men all the same and that stressing over it won't bring any good. As much as it feels good to listen to these voices, I still long for my ideal body. I long because it's a personal desire of mine to look that way, plain and simple. I also long, however, to make day-to-day public life to go smoother. I want people to mistake me for a girl less and call me "sir" and "young man" more; I'd prefer my body to read as a more convenient physical shorthand for manhood.

So, for the sake of my comfort and continued enjoyment of my time on this earth, I'd like to change how my body looks. One way to achieve this would be through the use of testosterone, which, on top of rearranging the stores of fat in my body, would also provide me with the welcome bonus of increased facial and body hair. I am also very interested in receiving top surgery to make my chest more masculine. It lifts my mood just to think of what my body would be like after these treatments, even moreso to know that there is a real possibility that they could be done.

The current climate around trans topics worries me. All I want is to live comfortably, but discussions about criminalizing transness have me fearing the worst. I don't want to force anything onto anyone, to limit or in any way alter anyone's speech, insert myself someplace where I'm endangering others or putting them at a disadvantage, or publicly indulge in a fetish. I'm a simple man with simple desires of a flat chest and he/him pronouns, but there's an army formed against me and people with similar stories.

I'm an American. I believe in freedom. A deep respect for the freedom of speech is something my dad has instilled in me from a young age and that freedom is something I'm thankful for. I believe that if someone wants to say something, they should be able to, and that if someone wants to do something, given that it doesn't bring harm to anyone else (or their property, etc.), they should be able to do it.

There are gray areas that come with that idea, yes, but those are outside the scope of this discussion. What I want to address here are procedures that improve a person's quality of life, procedures like gender-affirming surgery. If this so-called "mutilation" is as bad as some would say, why are so many people happier for having undergone it? Should consenting adults really be kept from personal pursuits like top or bottom surgery? Cis people get cosmetic surgeries all the time, but I don't see the public uproar about those procedures being mutilation. I would also like to ask, what does it matter to you whether someone's genitals could cause or support a pregnancy? The decision to raise a child is a very personal one, and I don't think the general public's ideas need to hold much weight in a potential-parent-to-be's decision making process. If someone is okay with the fact that their body may not work as before and will have visible scars, I think they should be completely within their right to have a surgery or take hormones.

I'd like to revisit the topic of free speech. Someone speaking about their experiences and feelings in their body and about their gender should not be considered pornographic. The average conversation about trans people in no way serves to provide sexual stimulation. Topics regarding genitals and sex should not be confused with explicit content; sex ed is taught in schools, isn't it? Education on these topics is important for many reasons and can prevent unwanted, painful, and dangerous situations. Conversations about transness are simply a dialogue about people's experiences, often with the intention of educating their audience. Given that they aren't intended to get the audience off, they are not porn. People living their lives is not porn. Transness isn't porn.

It deeply concerns me to see people misconstruing what it means to be trans and trying to limits trans healthcare and voices. I have hope for the future, but recent discourse has buried that under a layer of anxieties.

I'm just a boy, sitting at his laptop, worrying about if he's going to have to live with B-cups for the next ten years of his life. Being vocal about issues like this is important. This is how change happens.

The conditions were just so that I decided it was about time I write this. This is my first time posting something like this, but I don't think it'll be my last. Let's keep this conversation going, and let's make this country and this world a place we're happy to call home.

[thefirstknife]

hey have you seen the lore tabs for the exotic ghost shell and ship in the super high levels of the season pass? if so what do you make of them. like, speaker is a new light, has a name starting with s, is dealing with vex, and speaks as if theyre part of humanity in the ship lore tab like that cant possibly be maya sundaresh right but im not sure what other candidates there could be since the episode is called echoes and is almost certainly going to involve the vex on nessus

I've seen them! There's also one on the sparrow of the same type. I genuinely have no idea. There's some clues in the tabs, but they're super hard to understand without context, but yes, I do believe this is Maya.

Spectrum Shell, Unbridled Iridescence sparrow, Polychroma ship. Putting them in this order, because of the number on the log. Each lore has a "personal log" with a number: 0002, 0025 and 0031.

It starts with a vague description that I don't think shows a new light or a Guardian at all:

It is strange to be awake, physically, after so long spent wandering.

This is very peculiar; it has the vibe of this person having existed in some other form before gaining physical form. Since we know we'll be dealing with the Vex and Maya, this immediately reminds me of Ishtar scientist simulations.

Following the number of the logs, there's "AS." The speaker explains what this means:

Keeping a log will help, at the very least to track the days. As will my silly little joke to make myself feel important, two days after the rebeginning of myself. Anno… me. I suppose.

This specifies that the "0002" is "two days" and the "AS" is a joke on the time designation: "anno" being "year" as when used for example in "anno domini" (year of our lord) or AD. Instead in this case it's the author's name which as you've noted begins with an S. This bit:

I ignored and abandoned the best person I knew. I feel foolish, empty. Daunted at the immensity and masochism of my own stupidity. It feels childish to admit I'd always assumed she would follow me.

... first made me consider it being Maya thinking of abandoning Chioma. Then "S" would be Sundaresh, and it would also fit with her being a simulation newly awake and finally physical, as would the rest of the information of the author being a scientist and knowing things from the Golden Age.

Also interesting from the first lore tab:

At least I am not alone here. My new ally more than makes up for the Vex's dreadful company. His disposition is calming, reassuring—a welcome voice when I need affirmation and guidance. And such a fascinating origin! Such astounding variance in biology and culture. I look forward to our continued partnership.

The author has some sort of an "ally" among all the Vex, someone with a "fascinating origin" and "astounding variance in biology and culture." I have no idea what this means. Possibly non-human? Or at least neo-human, so perhaps Awoken? If this is Maya, she would not know about the Awoken. I'm thinking Awoken because, if we're dealing with the Vex, there's a guy in there: Asher Mir. But I would NOT describe Asher as calming and reassuring. Another option is possibly Mithrax? If we're dealing with some Vex shenanigans, he might be involved.

The sparrow lore originally made me feel like it's Maya because of the topic of discussion; the science and philosophy of personhood and simulations. The author also mentions "pre-Veil contact philosophy" which implies the author has been there or is at least well-read on the topic, which suggests a connection to the Golden Age. Also:

Traversal through other states of being are possible, as proven by my own journey and ascension over my Vex...

"Proven by my own journey" also would imply Maya, but the addition of the ominous "my Vex" is strange. Is this a hint to the new plotline then? Maya ascending over the Vex and becoming capable of controlling them or just using them in some way? Wild. Curious addition in the next paragraph with "... Vex, even these older ones..." Older Vex? As in Precursors? Or something else? I am very intrigued.

The ship lore is somewhat concerning as the author talks about humanity's unwillingness to continue progressing:

My hypothesis is that it is a true technological leap that hinders us. Perhaps when humanity sees what can be accomplished using a force that can reshape the planet itself, they will feel secure enough to turn to science once again.

The author thinks we can use a "force that can reshape the planet itself" to continue the technological advancement of humanity. A what? Is this something to do with Nessus and the Vex abilities to terraform? Furthermore:

These are problems my Vex can alleviate. Why take risks with AI when a more straightforward force may be utilized to facilitate a civilization's rise? Related… research with my ally has proven the path forward. Radiolaria remains easiest; its individual minds are simply so small, although they are multitudinous their connections make it simple. Other larger, more complex minds prove difficult for the time being… But I am not unfamiliar with the rigor of practice. I will delight in trial and error.

Again with the "my Vex" and the implication that the Vex can be used for these advancements, specifically radiolaria. This also includes "research with my ally" which makes me want to discard Mithrax as an option because he would simply not be suggesting these things. But who knows about the radiolaria's effects on people and transformation? Well, Asher does. However, I don't think Asher would suggest this either? Like, he may have the research, but I don't think he would ever make any implication that this would be good.

This was my thought process reading these. There's a lot of context missing and I can't wait to get back to them after the Echoes starts. I'm definitely leaning on this being Maya and don't have any other theories for who it might be. If anything, then another Ishtar scientist, but I doubt it they would put anyone other than Maya or Chioma here and it doesn't sound like Chioma nor does she have the "S" as her name.

I have no other theories for the "ally" either; my only other thought is Praedyth, whom Maya and the scientists met at one point and he helped them escape (?) the network. That was the whole deal in Aspect lore book + what seems to have been implied with the Starcrossed ending. Praedyth would also know a lot about the Vex to help with research, but he would equally not be someone thinking using Vex for a technological leap is good. Interestingly enough, a D1 quest somewhat implied Praedyth was part of the Future War Cult, which adds another layer of his connection to Maya.

The most of what I'm getting from this is that Echoes is going to be really damn cool.

[sewellsheart]

Hi! Your BFF collage for Nate and Mallory made me very curious about them. What are their first impressions of each other (you mentioned a bit for Nate, but what did Mallory think about him?)? How does their friendship develop? No pressure to answer ♥️

Ahhhh thank you for asking about my girl, Seren !! This got so long I’m sorry in advance

Mallory and Nate are an interesting combo for sure. Mal is a pessimist, sarcastic, and rather apathetic at times, whereas Nate is obviously none of those things.

She tends to be suspicious of kind people, assuming they want something from her or are trying to get her guard down enough to take advantage of her. This is actually part of the reason that she immediately felt secure around Morgan, because she just laid it all out with her “I don’t want to be here and I don’t like you” attitude (which obviously didn’t last too long 🥰).

So meeting Nate, who was all bright smiles, open body language, and kind words put her on edge. She didn’t play nice with him, she made it clear she wasn’t happy any of them were there disrupting her case, and she wasn’t going to fall for his “sweetheart” facade. Until she started to realize that maybe it wasn’t a facade and she was being a dick for no reason (took a little bit for her to get to that point).

As for Nate’s impression of her, I think he pretty quickly came to understand how she operated. He didn’t take anything she said personally, especially because she wasn’t exactly wrong in being suspicious of them. Mallory shot Adam at Farris Wheelhouse, and if it weren’t for the fact that Adam didn’t have a wound, she probably would have kept pushing the topic until she heard what she knew was the truth.

They had a rough road until she was told they were vampires, and then hit another bump when Nate made that suggestion that she gets closer with Rebecca (or however that scene went, it’s been a minute haha). Mallory did not take kindly to his input there. All of my detectives have varying dynamics with Rebecca.

Iris is close with her, but has a lot of anxiety around the idea of her leaving for good.

Reina is just hurt. They’re not close, they probably won’t ever be close. She just wanted a mom and she never got that, so she’s angry in a “what did I do to deserve that” kind of way.

Sophie is very neutral about Rebecca, they’re not close, but there’s not necessarily any hurt or anger there. There’s potential for growth in their relationship.

But Mallory… oh she hates Rebecca. It’s a serious, bone deep hatred that doesn’t have a chance to leave. Mallory doesn’t want to be close with her, she wants Rebecca to stop trying to be close. If she never saw her again, she’d be perfectly fine with that. Unfortunately, that disdain has also extended to Rook, though it manifests differently. I’ll leave that for my deep dive on Mallory though.

The point here being, Nate prioritizes family, where Mal has never been prioritized by her family, so she couldn’t give a shit less about them either. So him suggesting she repair a relationship that she wasn’t the one to damage… She Did Not Like That.

I think the first time she starts to chill out and understand that Nate is just a well-meaning and genuinely kind person is that cafe scene in book 1, where he’s eating a muffin and making kissy noises at a dog 😭. That’s when she just has a moment of “oh, he’s actually just like that” and she starts doing the exact thing she swore she wouldn’t do: she lets her guard down. She stops being rude to him, stops being so quick to snap, and finds that she actually enjoys being around someone who is kind to her because he wants to be.

It’s really just up from there, by book 3 they’re very close. She hugs him in the hallway and preps breakfast with him; it’s the first time she’s had a friendship that’s just easy. Or any kind of relationship, really.

I said in the tags of her collage that Morgan brings out parts of her she’s kinda scared of showing, where Nate brings out the safe and comfortable. She feels safe in sharing her passions and hobbies with Nate, it allows her to display things she’s good at in good company. Cooking, baking, problem-solving, language-learning, debate—all of it can be shared with Nate. Morgan brings out emotions in her and that’s scary for someone who is honestly really traumatized but refuses to admit it.

Nate is a stable platonic companion that she’s been missing her entire life (I’m sorry to Tina but Mal does Not like her). Honestly, I think she challenges Nate in ways he appreciates (and he feels kinda special about how much she likes him, she’s the neighborhood feral that hisses at everyone except him 😭).

[fordtato]

So, I’ve been watching some of your Gravity Falls videos—-and by the way, they’re absolutely fantastic, and I love that you included complex and under-discussed topics through the lenses of aspecs and of masculinity—though one of the things that’s been most surprising that you’ve mentioned in passing a few times is the idea that Stan and Ford were specifically Jewish immigrants.

I’m curious if you could tell me more about that, especially because that possibility doesn’t sit well with me as a Jew, as if it’s true it would make Stan’s entire character an antisemitic stereotype (the greedy, deceptive Jew is one of the oldest antisemitic stereotypes out there) and would make the entire show harder to enjoy or even watch.

Sure, no problem (and thank you for watching my videos)! So, the Pines family is canonically Jewish (the series creator, Alex Hirsch, is himself Jewish and based them off his own family and has confirmed this, and we see a mezuzah at Stan and Ford’s childhood home). As far as them being immigrants, I don’t say that Stan and Ford themselves are immigrants, but that they are the children of immigrants, as it is implied in the supplemental material that their father (or at least their father’s family) migrated to the US, with a mention of a name-change on Ellis Island. 

As far as the antisemitic stereotypes, that is an area that I feel less comfortable weighing in on (as I myself am not Jewish). It is notable that the characters were written/created by a Jewish man, and I feel it would be inappropriate for me to weigh in too deeply on how a Jewish person writes Jewish characters (and Stan, notably, is also based off of one of Hirsch’s relatives.) In all discussions of good or bad representation (regardless of which marginalized group I’m considering), I think a solid rule of thumb when considering a stereotypical depiction, is that it is important to see if that is the only depiction of that group present, or if there is diversity within the diversity, so to speak. The entire Pines family, including Dipper, Mabel and Ford, are all Jewish, and they have a wide breadth of traits and loveable qualities and flaws. If all of these characters had harmful stereotypes associated with their traits, or if the only depiction of a character from a given group is a stereotype, that is what usually sets off red flags for me. This does NOT mean that stereotypical depictions are immune to criticism, because they absolutely are not, but I do think criticism can be murky on a case-to-case basis, especially when those traits are written by a writer of that background. 

That being said, I have seen it said by other Jewish fandom members that Stan Pines can be seen as a deconstruction of the stereotypical tropes you mention and I’ve always found that very interesting. What at first appears to be greed/money-obsession can actually be seen as a manifestation of his means of survival (leftover from when he was homeless as a teen), the trauma of being told as a young person that he would not be accepted without money, and also that he was working to pay off his brother’s mortgage while working to save him from the portal.

I hope this was helpful and that my answer here made sense. 

[deathnguts]

Pls…Go into HEAVY Detail about the Lestrange brothers I’m a very curious bastard…very curious 👀

((Sorry in advance for our difference in writing for these disasters but I’m gonna use this to explain my idea of them but know that I still think yours is very cool and interesting and I genuinely love it so))

Ok I think the best way for me to make words about this is to try and compare them to something. So I’m gonna be the only person to ever talk about Orion Black ever yet again and say with my full chest that Alphard and Orion were more twins than Rabastan and rodolphus the same way Rabastan and rodolphus were more brothers than Alphard and Orion. Lemme explain.

Alphard and Orion are not twins, technically. They were born ten months apart, so they didn’t share the womb but they are the same age. They look exactly the fucking same because of those mixed genes and they were expected to do the same things as the oldest heir blacks. Since they were both the same school year, neither was really treated like the older brother by the rest of the family which lead to them growing up pretty much in tandem to share the title. They were never perfect non-twins, like they didn’t only like each other or finish each other’s sentences or anything, to everyone watching it seemed they didn’t get along at all? Like Alphard was constantly teasing Orion and putting off all his work because he knew Orion would do it and Orion was easily flustered and complained all the time about all the work his brother made him do. But like… if they hated each other than why did they live in each other’s skin. Alphard literally never left Orion alone, he was always there and always had his arm slung around his brother’s shoulders or something. He said it was under the guise of ‘looking out for his little brother because he’s socially inept and has no friends’ and Orion would always just say ‘I’m not your little brother we’re the same age.’ Like there was a bunch of other things being said that he could be worrying about but he just chose to be a brat and that was pretty much their whole relationship. They stayed attached at the hip until Alphard was to be wed at around sixteen and that was the thing he refused to do (because he was gay) and Orion did not understand his firmness on the topic that was really just another duty in his eyes (because he was aroace) and that was the first real divide they had. They never had a divide before so they didn’t know what to do. Alphard wanted to run away, he asked his brother to come with because he didn’t know how to live without him, Orion said no. Alphard had his doubts about his brother valuing their relationship and himself over his family confirmed, Orion had his doubts that Alphard was a childish selfish brat confirmed. Alphard left and they never saw each other again.

Sorry for all the exposition but here’s where I put it to use!

Rodolphus and Rabastan are twins, technically. They shared the womb but were born on different days, Rodolphus first and then Rabastan two days later. (I imagine the pure bloods are very traditional in their treatment of pregnancy and probably have never even heard of a C section, if they baby’s not coming out then the mother just has to wait.) This proved to be a premonition for them as people because just like their birth, Rodolphus was handed off to their father while Rabastan stayed with mommy and got to experience her warmth for so much longer. Rodolphus came when expected with little fuss, Rabastan had to make his own scene and cause so much trouble for his mother in the process yet she continued to love him anyway. They have different birthdays. They are different people. They were raised differently because their mother wasn’t exactly all there and claimed that because her second son stayed with her in birth (forgoing how he nearly killed her doing so) that means he was hers despite him being a boy (traditionally the mother would take charge of the daughters and the father the sons once they come of age, but the Lestranges didn’t do that clearly) ((also cue that TikTok audio where the mother’s like ‘a boy would be the son of France, but you shall be mine’)) and their father didn’t really mind because he has his own son too. The couple weren’t in love but they didn’t hate each other, so they truly didn’t mind raising their children pretty much separately since they both had vastly different ideas of being parents. Rodolphus was raised to learn to be quiet and keep his head down because he went to work with father ever since he learned to stop crying all the time, Rabastan was raised as the center of his mother’s universe while acutely aware she was crazy because it didn’t exactly feel good to have her crazed attention at all times so he learned to act out as much as he wanted becaus he could get away with it and his mother deserved it in his eyes. They saw each other at dinner and were allowed to play whenever they wanted, which they took advantage of when they were young. Rabastan learned early on to resent their father because he was always the one who took rodolphus away, Rodolphus learned early on to resent their mother because she never even looked at him. But as they grew into their chosen parent’s faces, they learned to resent each other as well. (Again cue the TikTok audio for Rabastan that’s like ‘thank you, I look just like my mommy’)

By all accounts they weren’t twins. They stopped even really being brothers when they started hogwarts, if you looked at it a certain way. They lead entirely different lives, adorned completely different faces and roles, anyone who didn’t know them didn’t know they even knew each other. They weren’t like the black brothers where they fought in halls and made a spectacle out of being different, they weren’t like the black sisters who could ignore their differences like an elephant in a room and play pretend that they were sisters despite the looming threat of difference, the lestrange twins were just… nothing. Barely even twins, barely even brothers. They lived in the same dorm room (since I imagine that Slytherin isn’t as populated of a house of that of gryffindor and probably means there’s less kids per dorm, two or three but I usually lean towards two) and it was like all conversation was silenced when they were together. Rodolphus would read on his bed late enough into the night to witness Rabastan stumble through the door with the stink of stolen liquor on him and neither said anything. Rabastan would watch through a key hole as all his family but his mother learned to favor the ‘better brother’ and talk in hushed tones of what their mother’s boy was growing into with Rodolphus in the room and the quieter twin say nothing to deter them. Rodolphus resents Rabastan for having things people value in life that he never even considered having for himself (freedom, love, living in truth) but doesn’t mind enough to make a deal do it because, in truth, Rodolphus doesn’t want those things. The only reason he cares is because his brother them (like true siblings tend to do.) But Rabastan resents Rodolphus for having everything he’s always looked for but never had (praise, adoration, love from someone who wasn’t crazy) and he truly didn’t regret or hold back that resentment because when had he ever regretted or held back anything?

But the reason I chose ti compare the failed twins to the broken brothers is because everyone expected them ti have the opposite relationship. Pure blood twins should be closer than anything, close enough to cause unease in how they are when alone, their seperation should be a disaster. Pure blood brothers should be… quaint, at best. They don’t owe anything to each other, their lives will be completely separate once they marry and have to start fighting for the title of Heir. But it was the last generation’s Black Brothers that were close with the shaking falling out and the Lestrange Twins that were a never kindled fire. And they did follow in their older Black Brother counterparts foot steps in many ways as adults. Alphard broke himself off from the family but kept his own money and power, which he used to live for himself and look out for a younger pure blood child (Sirius) that he saw soemthing worth change in and knew others would seek to destroy. Rabastan distanced himself from the family but kept his own money and power, which he used to live for himself and look out for a younger pure blood child (Regulus) that he saw soemthing worth change in and knew others would seek to destroy. Orion dedicated himself to the role he knew he was born to play and did what he was told when he was told to, no feelings for fuss about it, and was revered as a business man for it but despised as a family man for the same. Rodolphus dedicated himself to the role he knew he was born to play and did what he was told when he was told to, no feelings for fuss about it, and was admired as a business man for it but almost mourned as a family man for the same because Rodolphus didn’t have a family, he just had a wife that he never spoke to.

But at the beginning I said that Rabastan and rodolphus were more brothers than Alphard and Orion as a teen of endearment for them, implying they did have that brotherly idea of each other, and where have I shown it? No where, so here it is now. Where Black siblings always seem to have some huge falling out with a lifetime of silence to follow, most families aren’t that dramatic. Sure Rabastan and Rodolphus were never eveyrthing to each other, but they were still family. When Rabastan feels he has no where else to turn and he can’t stand to look in his mother’s ever fading eyes, he goes to Rodolphus. And just like their school days, Rodolphus will hold his hair when he vomits and have a guest room prepared without a fuss at all. When Rodolphus is at a loss for a scene of people being just so hard for him to understand, unsure of what to do but sure he doesn’t like it at all, Rabastan takes it like he used to take Rodolphus’ veggies under the table. Most things Rodolphus doenst understand are easy enough to either explain or dispel completely by just being his dramatic self and getting people to fall into the line Rodolphus understands again.

Rabastan and Rodolphus don’t parallel one another like good twins, they parallel brothers that could have been better then them. And in some ways, they actually succeed at being the better family to each other. It’s just complicated, because when is family not?

[2rats1gogh]

Hi! I would like to know for you what would have been the fairest ending for the dance? I'm Team Neutral, yes, we exist,although some people say no and that we are undercover greens 🙄, I simply like to analyze both positions understand the motives behind a character based on their context🥲. I always see a lot of debate on this topic, I've seen team black constantly say that it's appropriate for the green line to disappear because they are usurpers and George punishes those who usurp...but...it can also be argued that Rhaenyra's heirs were usurping a broad list of legitimate Targaryens with more rights than them...they also consider it a "divine punishment" that she and her illegitimate children died for trying to place a boy with no real right to it on the throne? I find it quite curious to talk about the narrative punishing you when Rhaenyra and the Velaryon princes came out so badly. Honestly, for me the most fair and equitable ending since I think that both sides did things terribly wrong would have been to leave Aegon III as King (He's one of my favorite characters, I admit it) and Jaehaera as his Queen Consort. I think the dance has a more powerful message in this way, from a literary point of view I think it has much more impact, and I like Daenaera and the fact that she is Vaemond's granddaughter... it doesn't stop being funny 🥹, but those children were a reflection of the horrors that a war between relatives brings, they were never much in the spotlight of the conflict nor did they count much for their respective sides, so it would be poetic that they have to be the ones to take the Targaryen dynasty forward, of course along with the help of Viserys when he returned.

Have a nice afternoon!

Hi!!

I really like the pairing of Aegon III and Jaehaera and as much as I realize that they were both extremely traumatized children (Aegon’s father caused the death of Jaehaera’s twin brother and eventual madness of her mother and Aegon’s mother caused the death of Jaehaera’s other younger brother, but also Jaehaera’s father killed Aegon’s mother) I feel like with time they could’ve made it work.

I REALLY wish that Jaehaera would’ve stayed alive. It would’ve been tragic, but poetic. And even as team green, I actually don’t mind “Rhaenyra’s line surviving” because I think it should survive, but I also wish that Aegon’s didn’t die out. It saddens me so much that none of his children made it out alive, so I kinda hope that HotD changes the ending or whatever and Jaehaera lives.

I don’t mind Daenaera as a character but she doesn’t hit the same as Jaehaera. Her and Aegon could’ve been the poetic ending to this horrible war. Daenaera just doesn’t have the same impact, we barely even knew her. But Jaehaera was there all along.

Also, the children shouldn’t be blamed for the sins of their parents, which is why I think over time they could become closer. They are the only people who could understand each other’s pain, and forgive each other.

And again, it just makes sense. The war was useless, nobody won, and the two lines (green and black) were united. So that everyone gets their blood on the throne, Rhaenyra, Aegon, Alicent, Otto (and Daemon unfortunately). I don’t really care for Corlys, he never deserved that throne anyway, since he was such a misogynistic bitch about this whole inheritance thing that he preferred illegitimate children of his daughter-in-law rather than his very much legitimate granddaughters.

I don’t really mind the idea of Jaecaerys becoming king, I think he was a good guy overall, and him marrying Helaena could’ve been cool I guess, but the issue of Jaecaerys being illegitimate stays. And I never really liked them for some reason. And that whole thing about all three of Rhaenyra’s children with Harwin being doomed from the start is interesting imo, just like all Alicent’s children are doomed from the moment they are born.

Another, much more simpler solution to everything could’ve been Rhaenyra getting to become queen, but then naming Aegon his heir, instead of having children of her own, legitimate or not. That way she gets to be the ruler, and then her siblings continue her legacy. Everyone is happy or whatever.

But overall, I still think that given the way the Dance actually happens, I would much prefer for Jaehaera to stay alive and for her and Aegon III trying to make it work. It may take some time, but I feel like if given the opportunity they could’ve become something.

[roystory4]

PLEASEEE do talk extensively about tua's relationship with mira i'm so curious... i ❤️ complicated relationships with parenthood

augh thank you for asking!!

firstly i think it's important to remember the context for fallout's setting... it's fifty years in the future, yet culturally locked in the 1960s, which means tua is grappling with a lot of expectations for someone who is middle-aged and perceived as female, like the idea that she needs to get married and leave their job to have kids.

tua meanwhile has no goals to get married or have a family. but it IS important to note that this is somewhat a response to a lifetime of feeling ostracized for how she presents. they don't have any family, and being of mixed background means she has been made to feel untethered/unwanted. growing up aware of these things, there never seemed to be room for someone like them in that picture of the american dream, so tua never really learned to want it.

(sidebar but... they supplement whatever loneliness comes of that with her job, which obviously leads to a really unhealthy relationship with her concept of worth. but i digress)

there's also another layer in the fact that tua's mother left her and her father at a very young age, taking infant miriam with her to the west coast. as a child tua came away with the belief that they had done something wrong, that they were too difficult/complicated and their mother couldn't handle her, when in reality their mom was a young mom and didn't know what to do while being so far away from her extended family in mexico. so tua's relationship with motherhood is that, well, they don't want to be a mom because they'd mess it up and be imperfect and couldn't handle it. etc.

(in fact the whole point of the penultimate chapter of act i is that tua learning to love herself is fully realized by coming back to mira and loving her. spoilers lol)

something i especially hope people keep in mind with tua being of mixed background is that she inherently has a different relationship w the concept of gender identity, with concepts of femininity and masculinity, and before the war there is definitely this concept of motherhood that tua absolutely cannot relate to and despises and as consequence despises the expectation that she have children. THEN because tua was so out of touch w their own body from decades of dysphoria they also just did not realize the signs until miriam made them go to the doctor. the fact tua's detachment from her own body means she didn't know she was pregnant until like 3-4 months in is kind of Part Of The Whole Thing!!!!!!

after the war, when tua is allowed to dress the way they want to, present the way she wants to, and there are no expectations for them to live a certain life, she ends up more willing to take on the responsibility of raising mira. a couple years in they do not feel that level of vitriol, BUT they're definitely not interested in having more kids to be clear.

(which ok other sidebar: i will also say doing the research into writing act i helped my dysphoria out a lot too, so it became important to me to present pregnancy/childbirth from a gender neutral perspective and to avoid using any of the weird motherhood = womanhood themes you see a lot. i think by the end of writing act i i had fixed a few of my own personal biases and i find that was invaluable!!)

all in all i really tried to make tua's relationship w/ being pregnant and raising a child as nuanced as possible without falling into the usual tropes around the topic... ultimately tua sees mira as her sister's baby, and sees themself as mira's guardian and not necessarily her parent. because of this, while tua does make an effort to provide for/support mira as she grows up, tua is also just very emotionally distant and standoffish by nature. i wanted tua to feel more like an awkward uncle who is making an attempt to be parental but does not have any natural instincts for it. in the end, mira grows up far closer to nick than to tua - while at the same time ending up exactly like her... always distant, always moving, and always self-isolating.

there might be more to it than that.... but basically it IS complicated and i put a lot of work into avoiding making it seem like everything "clicks" for tua once they have mira when in reality she was so manic they walked across the glowing sea and fought a horde of feral ghouls barehanded. normal new mom things lol

[starlight-bread-blog]

I Watched The First Two Episodes of Hazbin Hotel

Overall I wasn't bored. It's a fun show from the little I've seen. I have thoughts and notes I'd like to give so here's how this is gonna go:

🔵 Is for things I liked/would like to be expanded upon in the show's future.

🔴 Is for things I disliked ranging from nitpicks and just general critisisms.

Whenever something about Angel Dust's trauma I will come up, I'll mark "————" at the beginning & ending so you can avoid the topic if you'd like.

So let's dive right in!<3

🔴 I am so confused. This is narrarated by Charlie. And her goal is to redeem sinners so they can enter Heaven to save their lives. But she also knows that Heaven doesn't kill sinners to stop over-population, it's just plain evil. So, what are we doing here again?

🔴 This is the first time her relationship with her father is mentioned in the show. And it's done though a joke made by Alastor in a commercial he made. (Also, how would he know about Charlie's "daddy issues"? This isn't common knowledge as far as I know).

————

🔴 WHAT THE FUCK? I'M SORRY. WHAT THE FUCK? I hate being this negative in the beginning but WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK. I don't want to discuss this line any more than the shock I felt while hearing it. Next.

————

🔴 Everyone already talked about how the camera work is crap and I agree. But here's an idea: If they wanted to make something grandiose, why not make a classic musical number that's completely unrealistic, and then make the reality of Hell clash with it?

🔴 This scene could be cut off mostly entirely. The point here is to show how awful Adam is, and the second the talking's over, we get a better song that does just that.

🔵 At first I was gonna make this a critisism, but all it did was making me ask questions, which is good in a first episode. This has me wondering about the characterization of Heaven and how it came to be. I can accept them being a shitty bureaucracy who only appear good, but this is some Saturday Morning Cartoon villian stuff. I'm very curious about this.

🔵 Niffty couldn't say her lines and just stared at the camera and was completely unaware of the fact that she did a shitty job. How come? I wonder what they'll do with it.

🔴 This is edited. The scene didn't go like this. We cut from the hotel to the Vees before we see Alastor's counter-attack. They cut to a really long section of the episode, in the middle of something that could be dealt with in a second. I wasn't as invested as I could have been in the introduction of the Vees, because I kept waiting to come back to Alastor.

🔵 I'd like to know why Charlie is so naive. Optimistic? Yeah, makes sense. But naive? Now that's interesting to know. She clearly goes outside and sees how sinners aren't the safest people (ie Happy Day in Hell), so you think that spending eternity with them would get her acquainted with the culture and make her adjust her behaviors. But she's still looking at the guy who just tried to kill her and goes "Oh, hello again". I'm dying to know why she's like that.

————

🔵 I see where this is going<3 Despite it all, Angel Dust clearly still loves acting. So when he'll escape Val, he'll show his theatrical side by improvising and acting for Charlie<3

🔵 Despite Angel Dust not adoring the hotel, it's very much a safe place for him. A safe the Vees, from Valentino. Now, someone who worked for them just a second before getting discovered, is in. Can't wait to see more of this.

————

🔵 I liked the rivalry of Alastor and Vox. I liked how Vox is this perfect big shot, yet crumbles about Alastor when he's barely trying. Definitely a highlight.

To Summarize...

🔴 6 negatives 🔵 6 positives

I enjoyed myself a fair bit. Most of the negatives are either nitpicks or won't matter in five eps. It had some flaws but it's a start.