#which is my guess for what’s gonna happen

[docholligay]

So for all of you who think nothing matters:

We have a local, I guess I'll call it an events complex. It's where concerts and the fair go. It's owned by the city.

When Trump started the whole ICE thing, our commissioner sent a letter to the local representatives, telling them they could use it as a detention center for illegal immigrants. Our event center. Where the 4H kids show their fuckin' lambs.

"The fuck you will" was the resounding reply.

So, when I talk about coalition-building, and working with people you do not agree with or maybe even like, this is what I'm talking about. There was an immediate and vocal show of disapproval, from all sides. We all contacted people we knew would dislike this, REGARDLESS OF HOW THEY FELT ABOUT ANYTHING ELSE. The meeting was packed with people yelling at the commissioners. Of all political stripes. Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, Prairie Populist, Independent.

Some were, of course, the tumblr-style arguments about inherent humanity, but--I think more compellingly if you're actually trying to put the pressure on--there were questions of, 'How are we gonna get paid?" "Are you aware of how, as the only event center for more than two hours, much fuckin money this brings into the community? ANd that immigrants of all types make up less than 2% of the population of the entire state?(my argument), "Do we trust the government to pay us?", "Isn't there a fuckin' empty prison in [town about an hour from here]? Are you just being a kiss-ass?' (offered up by a man I know to be very conservative indeed. BUT HE DID NOT WANT OUR SPACE USED FOR THIS) and, an argument that was so good I was infuriated I didn't come up with it, "DO you think the bank is gonna want to be known as the sponsor of "National bank Detention Center?" (Which caught on and the bank had to offer up a letter saying how they hoped the commissioners would use the event center as intended.)

They folded. A letter came out a few days ago from the manager of the event center, saying it was decided that the events center would rescind the offer, as "more acceptable alternatives could be found." They blinked.

That's the thing. All that happened is that a bunch of people got mad an went to ONE TWO HOUR MEETING. It changed everything.

SHOW. UP.

[anomaliex]

Collection of headcanons not elaborate enough for own word vomit post:

- I don't think Kristen can swim. She has the vibes of someone who never learned as a kid and now it's too late to bring up without being embarrassed. (Also I thought about what would happen if she fell in water — mechanically she's wearing heavy armor, would Brennan just let her swim since she's in universe only in a tracksuit or would she sink without a sufficient strength check? Idk, but that's how I got to the no swimming conclusion.)

- insanely weird hc to have but i think Fabian shaves his arm hair. Also like legs and arm pits i guess but the way more unusual and therefore notable thing is arms. This guy kills any body and facial hair on sight. Like no one has ever seen him with as much as stubble outside of Cathilda or the Bad Kids when they were sleeping over. Why? Idk he just prefers that, no deeper reason. I do think elves generally have less body hair but here his human genes come through so he has to shave. Or get it lasered away I guess. You can do that right?? He's rich. Maybe he'd do it.

- also Fabian's depth perception is dog shit. Using his crossbow is less impressive because Fandrangor is simply a better weapon and his flourishes and manoeuvres rely on melee combat, I know, but to me it's also just that he's better at hitting things real close to him.

- Riz is the kinda guy to have chronic migraines and think it's fine. "Everyone has headaches sometimes and I do sleep a lot less than I should ahaha" (the amount of coffee he drinks is barely saving him from the horrors.)

- Adaine also gets a lot of migraines in what I think are more. Passive non specific visions? Like a gut feeling that's always correct and also makes her body hate her. The proper visions are comparable to absence seizures I think? Like I don't wanna say it's that because it's magic but the process is kind of the same in the sense that she's out for like ten to thirty seconds and it can really suck

- I also think Adaine has synaesthesia! I can't really put this into words well so I'm not even gonna try, but she perceives certain sounds and/or colours at times where there shouldn't be sounds and/or colours. I think those associations also to an extend help in drawing connections between less specific visions and real life.

- we know Gorgug has a drumset in his room I think it's electronic. But like not in a normal way like we have them irl it's some insane artificer shit that would justify so much more noise complaints than a regular one and also could probably have its own pyrotechnics idfk. It's fully a safety hazard but it doesn't even rank on the top 10 of worst things to have in your house that is a TREE that the Thistlesprings casually own.

- I think either Fig or Kristen would be the shortest medium creature type Bad Kid. Like obviously Riz is four feet tall max but he's in a whole different category lmao

- Fig sometimes puts little braids in Jawbone's fur and he happily lets her. He only properly adopted Adaine and Fig has more than enough dads, but he does still act as sort of a paternal figure to her (and every other kid ((which in this case includes Ragh but maybe not Aelwyn)) in mordred manor because he's just a caring guy and it's hard not to grow attached) so that's their pseudo daddy-daughter bonding

- Fabian doesn't like, hate Gilear as much as he used to? Like he still has his moments but overall he thinks he's a good guy and absolutely has the "well I can shit on him but I'm gonna kill this other guy who did. How dare you make fun of my Mama's beloved??" mindset. But uhm he tries to make Gilear work out with him so he can "stop being death fodder". Gilear is a commoner and everyone else in Seacaster Manor absolutely is not and like he likes it and he loves these people but he does kind of live in hell. His wife? Could kill him. His step son? Could kill him. The maid? Could kill him. The dog slash motor cycle?? Could kill him. One hit. Also the entire current Seacaster household are dexterity based fighters they're all so graceful and skilled he's fully just a guy that spills every drink ever on himself

- I think the Hangman loves Cathilda because she gives good chin scritchies (hound form obviously lol) Generally he tends to mirror Fabian's attitude towards people anyway so he's always liked her, but once he started being a hound more she started petting him and giving him treats and he is smitten

- Gorgug (and sometimes Ragh or Ayda) play extreme fetch with the Hangman. Like I need to stress that he's not just a big dog he's large enough to be a mount, which means he'd have to be the size of a horse. Maybe a small horse sure but that's still a horse-sized dog. I think his mini looks fairly big but in my heart he's bigger. So yeah fetch with him (which they mainly do because they want him to feel comfortable in both forms because he's so good) is really big sticks. Like not logs or anything but sticks the average person can't huck all that far. Fabian casts enhance ability on himself so he can also do it, lol. The wonders of multiclassing into bard.

- I think the only Bad Kids who never use makeup are Riz and Kristen. Gorgug doesn't do it every day and not that much but he uses eyeliner sometimes. Fig's makeup is the most noticeable and usually very fun.

- Gorgug has kissed Ragh at least twice. So at least one time after the prom thing. I don't mean this in a ship way I mean this in I look at Gorgug and then I look at Ragh and I go yeah these guys have shared at least one tender bro kiss. I mean I think Gorgug is the kinda guy that would kiss all of his friends if they wanted to because it's not that big of a deal to him and he loves them but not everyone is comfortable w/ that lol. He and Kristen kiss each other on the cheek though, I think (this does not mean he wants to see her naked in public please put your clothes back on Kristen??)

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Now don't throw tomatoes at me but I'm actually really excited to finally see malleus again— I've always loved malleus since we met him in the story, but I'm also sooo curious about what's gonna happen next,, I'm wondering the obvious thing, about whether or not we might get a parralel scenario like what happened with the KoD and silver will have to "slay" malleus or at least be the one to land a killing blow, but I also saw a really interesting post focusing on how magic is a manifestation of dreams and deep desires and imagination,,,, in that case, I may (VERY delusionally) hope that Yuu finally gets to be a major part of the story for once??? Even reading the novels, there HAS to be something bigger for yuu— while the idea of crowley simply being an incompetent airhead is fun and more comfortable, haven't you thought that meybe he pulled them into this world deliberately??

All to say, what if at some point, Yuu somehow manifests magic in a very dire moment ?? You know lol?? Agh idk. I just want yuu to finally make impactful choices but that IS too much to ask, as far as we can see for now,,, (but hey, that part leading up to ace getting is UM, and the convo between him and yuu,,, it *does* give one a sliver of hope, doesn't it? :') )

Don't worry, no tomato throwing here! 😅 I may not care for certain characters, but I’m not going to shame anyone that does. You’re free to think however you want about Malleus!

dbjsvsJcwhj My personal feelings about him aside, I am actually glad he’s finally relevant to the main story again. He’s missed out on so much of his own book OTL In the time he’s been gone, the fandom has been left to speculate about both his and Lilia’s potential death flags. I really doubt Twst will have the balls to kill off one of them, but it would be cool to at least see Silver delivering the final blow to knock some sense into (not necessarily kill) OB Malleus.

Yes, it’s true that Silver states in the recent update that magic was originally considered “a miracle borne of strong desires from the heart.” But 💦 I don’t think that means Yuu would randomly manifest magic in the final fight?? It feels more like a “let’s save the day with the power of friendship” to me, but I could of course be wrong.

I understand being frustrated that Yuu’s participation in the main story seems to fluctuate a lot, with most of their activity being books 3, 4, and segments of 1, 6, and 7. That’s not much, especially considering how long books 6 and 7 are. Sometimes (even in events) it feels like Yuu is barely there, as most dialogue options don’t involve different reactions from the characters. Even Yuu's quest to find a way home is barely addressed or taken seriously until early in book 7. Yuu hasn't gotten "real" development unless you count them realizing their Disney dreams are prophetic in book 5, taking the initiative to save Grim in book 6, and that dialogue option about them being worried they're not contributing + the related convo with Ace in book 7. All very short moments in the grand scheme of things. And honestly, I think that makes sense for the kind of character Yuu is. A blank slate, a self-insert, an outsider that's easy to exposit information to, someone with which to view the story, characters, and world through. Yuu is primarily there to be the POV character, the lenses, the camera that we see Twst through. They're not really meant to be a traditional "main character". It's possible that Twst gives them a slightly bigger role at the very end (especially with what went down in the dream in book 7), but I doubt it will be a huge triumphant moment where they and they alone save the day or deal the final blow in a crazy act of self-sacrifice. Twst has always been a story that puts the NRC boys first, while Yuu is the observer.

I've noticed that the complaint of Yuu not doing a lot in the story comes mainly from English speaking fans?? And I guess that makes sense, given how western culture tends to emphasize independence and standing out. They want Yuu to reflect that. They want to be the ones to make a difference. I don't even remember ever seeing these same comments from the Japanese speaking fans; it's definitely a less common sentiment for them. The Japanese fans seem pretty content with Yuu being an observer and taking on more of a minor or supporting role. Again, this fits in with what I understand of many eastern cultures. They're demurer, not wanting to stand out too much from the crowd and instead prioritizing group harmony. Very interesting cultural difference to note!

It's a common theory (with many variants) that Crowley intentionally summoned Yuu to Twisted Wonderland for his own nefarious motives. People found him pretty sus right away due to how he seems to not put in any real time or effort into investigating a way to send Yuu home. Plus, there's that ominous opening monologue of his to consider. However, I don't think he summoned Yuu because of their (potential) great magical capabilities. The Mirror of Darkness tells us that it doesn't sense a shred of magic in Yuu, and Leona smells zero magic on them (though that could be because it hasn't technically manifested yet, as some fans claim).

The idea is that Yuu is supposed to be plain. They are supposed to be magicless. Why? To humble the NRC students and to show them that asserting yourself violently or with great magical power ISN'T the way to go. To show them value in strategizing (which Yuu does in the prologue by helping Grim aim at the ghosts), of camaraderie. What does it say about the story's themes if Yuu, the person who is supposed to be showing them the worth of mundane things, is suddenly... "secretly ultra-strong, actually/“just like you guys” (even if it's only a temporary hope-fueled magic)? It might contradict what has already been set up. It also breaks the self-insert appeal of Yuu, since developing magic would also mean Yuu would later have to further develop things like proficiency in magic, best/worst subjects, and an unique magic/signature spell... meaning Yuu HAS to become better "defined", thus losing their blank slate nature. This would surely upset some fans who deeply project onto Yuu, have a Yuusona, etc.

Yuu can still make an impact on the characters and the world--and they have, judging by how much closer the boys are with each other--without having to be The Most Special One or like everyone else. I think it undermines what Yuu has already managed to achieve to say that they haven't made an impactful choice at ANY point in the main story when I believe they definitely have. Yuu made the choice to sign the contract with Azul. Yuu made the choice to approach Malleus. Yuu made the choice to go against Crowley's orders and go retrieve Grim from S.T.Y.X. Yuu made the choice to get Leona’s help with the contracts. Yuu made the choice to stand with Adeuce against Riddle in book 1. Yuu made the choice to let the VDC/SDC tribe train at Ramshackle. Yuu has done a lot, and all without needing to seize the spotlight or to do anything big and flashy. I don't think Yuu needs to be big and flashy. There is pride to be had in simplicity and being humble too. There is pride in representing the 90% of humans in Twisted Wonderland that are ordinary and without magic.

(An aside: so if Yuu wasn’t able to manifest magic in many other extreme instances, does that mean their desire to save Grim in book 6 wasn’t “enough”? That their desire to save Ramshackle, their one and only home in this world, wasn’t “enough”? It implies that Yuu didn’t wish hard enough for these other things they clearly care about and want.)

I think a good way to give Yuu a decent role while staying true to their design as a blank slate would be for Twst to really lean into the whole "beast tamer" aspect that was introduced all the way back in the prologue. This would work well with their deep connection to Grim as well. Assuming that Grim ends up being the final OB... We could easily have the NRC students and staff on the ropes, Malleus at his wit's end after exhausting himself with his own OB, a rampaging Grim about to end it all. And then... one lone figure shakily rises from the rubble and confronts Grim. One human. Magicless, defenseless. A human lost in an unfamiliar world, a human who believes they're useless and don't contribute much. A human who is always in need of being protected by others. But not anymore. This time, it's Yuu's turn to protect what they love--their friends, this world they've come to love, Grim. Ace and Deuce yelling at Yuu to not be stupid, to get back--but Yuu just advances, calling out to Grim and begging him to stop. And maybe it's Yuu's wish that rallies everyone and/or gets OB Grim to hesitate. That's when they can strike. Is that corny? Yeah. Does it sound like the ending to a Disney film? Sure. But it still grants Yuu, a magicless human that is supposed to be there to teach everyone about friendship, cooperation, and humility, their big moment to shine. The best of both worlds, I'd say.

[insomniadreamzz]

Our Family Part 3

Part 1 https://www.tumblr.com/insomniadreamzz/772098495309070336/ok-ok-ok-following-the-pregnancy-storyline-lets

Part 2 https://www.tumblr.com/insomniadreamzz/773579527173668864/hey-im-absolutely-obsessed-with-your-series-about

G!P Jinx x Fem!Reader

In this part I am gonna add two requests I got. First is morning wood with G!P Jinx and second request is Vi meeting her niece.

Mentions of smut, fluff, G!P

You woke up the next morning in the arms of your lover, still sleepy as you nuzzled closer into her chest. Last night was amazing and you still couldn’t believe how lucky you were. Jinx probably thinking the same as her arms tightened around you, pulling you closer into her embrace. „Good morning my love.“ You heard her mumble as she nuzzled into your hair, loving her sleepy voice. It really was attractive.

„Good Morning Jinx.“ You said but still you didn’t make a move to get up, you even got more closer, feeling her bulge press against you which made you chuckle. „I guess your friend down there says good morning too huh?“ You teased, making her grumble in a sleepy way as she turned on her back. „Yeah…that’s called morning wood if you didn’t know that by now.“ Jinx said and you chuckled even more. Of course you knew what it was and that it was normal. „It will go away don’t worry.“ She added, still having her eyes closed but you couldn’t help but feel turned on by the view of it poking against the bed sheets. You were still naked since last night after you both just fell asleep after you shared some intimacy with each other.

You couldn’t help but reach down for her cock, grabbing it and moving your hand gently up and down, stroking her cock. „Mhhn…what are you doing?“ She asked, still sleepy, not sure how to react yet. Of course she loved your touch but she wasn’t prepared to wake up like that. „I am helping you getting rid of it. What else?“ You giggled, removing the bed sheets to have a better look and you loved it so much.

The little sleepy moans and messy hair, it just had a special effect on you, feeling your crotch tingle. „Ughh…baby…“ She whined and all you could do was smirk, biting down on your lower lip before adjusting yourself on top of her. „It’s okay, just relax my love.“ You whispered close to her ear, making shivers go down her spine, both of you moaning as you let her slip in. There was nothing better than starting the day with slow, sleepy morning sex, moving your hips as you rode her. Your lips found hers, kissing each other deeply, Jinx’s hands grabbing your hips, helping you with your movements.

It didn’t take long for both of you to reach your orgasm since you were very sensitive this morning, you felt your whole body shiver as her warm cum filled you up, clenching around her cock. Soft moaning escaping your lips in between soft kisses. „I love you…“ You mumbled against her lips, making Jinx smile into the kiss. „I love you too.“

// later that day //

„Why are you dragging me to your hideout? Is that another kind of your pranks? I really don’t have time for that shit I hope you know that?“ Vi groaned as she followed Jinx, still not trusting her fully after everything that happened in the past, knowing her sister loved to make ‚explosive‘ jokes. Little did Vi know, this time she had a beautiful surprise for her.

„I told you before you will see what I have to show you I won’t tell you.“ Jinx said as she ignored Vi and kept on walking happily, they both being interrupted by Isha greeting Vi with a little hug as she rushed to her, hugging her leg.

„Oh hey Isha.“ Vi greeted the little one with a smile. Their relationship got better by time. Isha slowly learned by time that she should not be scared of Vi and since you and Jinx adopted her, Vi became like a aunt figure to the girl. That Vi actually had a non adopted niece, was the surprise Jinx wanted to show her. The pink haired woman noticed that Isha was excited but she let Jinx show her the little surprise and kept herself quiet in the background.

You were sitting in the couch in Jinx’s hideout, having your baby in your arms which was peacefully asleep, snapping your head up when you heard their voices, chuckling to yourself as you heard them argue again. „Some things never change…“ You mumble to yourself. The second Vi saw you, she froze in place, her gaze immediately fixed on the little, fragile thing in your arms. „Is that…yours?“ She spoke softly and Jinx gave her the widest smile possible, nodding proudly. „Yep! I made that with my girlfriend. That’s your niece!“ She cheered happily, being her usual quirky self, the total opposite of Vi.

„You can come closer, I am sure we don’t bite.“ You mentioned as you smiled happily, Vi approaching you slowly until she stood right in front of you. „Woah I-…I didn’t know…how did you both do that? I mean-…didn’t you need help?“ Vi clearly felt bad for not being there for Jinx and you during all of that, first the pregnancy then birth. She felt guilty for being busy all the time up in Piltover with Caitlyn and not noticing what was going in down here in Zaun.

„Oh come on sis! It’s okay we know you were busy and had a lot of things to do up there. Me and my girlfriend made it without help. I mean-…okay Singed helped with the birth part but yea.“ The blue haired woman said before pushing Vi closer to you and made her sit on the couch next to you. „Jinx is right. There is nothing to feel guilty about. We both know about your responsibilities up there and that you want to be there for Caitlyn. Jinx would do the same for me.“ You mentioned with a soft smile, there was no hate in this moment, only peace.

„So? You wanna hold little Powder?“ You asked, Vi glancing up at you before looking at the baby again. „P-Powder?“ She asked with a little shaky voice, Jinx immediately nodding. „Yea! We decided to name her Powder. So we finally connect the name with something beautiful…especially me.“ Jinx’s voice got lower mid sentence, clearly feeling emotional about that.

„I mean…sure I want to hold her. If I am allowed to…“ Vi felt emotional as well, she didn’t expect this at all, to see her little niece, to even have a niece. Of course she had Isha which was like a niece to her already but this was something else. It was her sisters real own child.

You shifted a little bit closer before carefully handing Vi the baby and the moment she held Powder, the always tough looking woman shed tears of happiness. „Hello my beautiful little niece…“ She whispered, admiring her like she never saw something so beautiful before. Jinx sat down next to you with Isha crawling up into her lap. The picture all of you created was beautiful, the whole family was there now.

You felt your girlfriends arm wrap around your waist, all of your eyes focused on the baby as you smiled like crazy.

„You better take good care of your little sis Isha.“ Vi said with a chuckle, her heart breaking at some point when she remembered what she did to Jinx when they were younger. „Always stay with your sis and never let her down.“ She mentioned, more tears running down her cheeks. „And you little Pow…thank you for being here. For making this family whole. I promise I will be a good auntie for you and Caitlyn too.“ She continued, making your eyes water as well.

„Vi…it’s okay please don’t feel guilty anymore for what once had been.“ Jinx broke her silence as she stood up, Isha already gone into her playing corner, drawing something on a piece of paper. „We all do mistakes in our life, purposely or not. Things like that happen, I learned that we can all be better. Thanks to my girlfriend, I learned that I can be good as well and not only causing chaos.“ Jinx looked at you for a second as she mentioned you before walking towards her sister, wrapping her arms around Vi‘s neck to hug her, you watching the scene with a happy smile, wiping your happy tears away.

„We can still be a happy little family can we?“ You mentioned, Vi and Jinx nodding in response.

Your emotional little moment got interrupted by Isha rushing towards you again, showing her drawing of Vi, Jinx, Powder, you and herself on it and a lot of hearts on it, making all of you chuckle and appreciating the little girls work.

No matter if Piltover or Zaun. The conflicts between those two nations have come to an end after everything that happened in the past. Sometimes you and Jinx visited Vi and Caitlyn up in Piltover and sometimes they visited you in Zaun. And the most beautiful part for you was seeing how Jinx’s personality had changed. Of course she had her moments but most of the time she was calmer when she was around you or the kids. You noticed she discovered happiness for the first time in so long and finally arrived where she always wanted to be. In a life where she didn’t have to suffer.

…

(Little fluff bonus)

Little footsteps echoed through the room, you and Jinx being all cuddled up in bed, barely noticing what was about come next. Isha and Powder crawled up into your bed and each of them hugged you both, making you wake up with a little soft groan, followed by chuckles.

„Ah there they are, little shark attack huh?“ Jinx mumbled with a little laugh, opening her eyes to see how both of your little ones had joined you. Powder could already crawl and with Isha‘s help it wasn’t hard for her to get up here in bed as well.

„Ugh yea this will continue for a long while I guess.“ You chuckle as well, especially when you opened your eyes to look at sleepy Jinx having Powders little hands squishing her cheeks, you couldn’t hold your laughter back at the cute and funny sight.

„What’s so funny?“ Jinx said, sticking her tongue out at you. „Nothing. I think she likes squishing you though.“ You replied with a laugh before Isha did the same to you which made both of you laugh in the end.

Both of you suddenly froze in place as Powder fumbled with Jinx‘s open long hair and tried to say something. Everything went silent and you finally heard it. She said mama, she literally called Jinx mama and you couldn’t help but cry in happiness. „Yes Pow I am your mama.“ Jinx smiled widely, hugging the little one and placing kisses on her cheek. „And I love you so so much.“ She continued, you having Isha cuddled up into your side, she fell asleep again since it was early in the morning. You sniffed softly, watching the cute scene before you. „That’s her first word…I am so happy. Yes we are your mamas.“ You mentioned.

Both of you were so happy, no one of you could describe it into words.

[alacants]

Ok you might not be interested in this but you seem to be the tennisblr discourse person and your takes are so great so feel free not to answer haha - but I feel like this fandom collectively is sleeping on the potential of Novak/Carlos? Something about this Fedal baby appearing when all Novak's real rivals are gone who is openly affectionate with Nole like neither of them were. & the pain of Carlos losing matches he's expected to win very publicly to him all the time & getting criticised for falling for Novak's "mind games" (lol) but still not making any effort to stay away from him. And all the titan/titanito stuff IDK it compels me

kdlfjakldjf idk if i would describe my niche in the ecosystem in such maximal terms but. flattery will get you everywhere.

most importantly, you are RIGHT. there is massive potential here, in both their on-court history and their off-court dynamic. in fact there's so much material that i'm struggling to shape my thoughts into a coherent answer SORRY IN ADVANCE. ← need to stop acting like this isn't the norm.

ok first of all. rpf aside, this rivalry is fascinating because carlos alcaraz is doing more than anyone else around to validate novak's current day stature as a tennis player. and novak's at the stage of his career where you start to think about your legacy not just in the wider world but within tennis—how will you be remembered and talked about by those who inherit the sport from you. 

roger federer is the very, very obvious measuring stick. take this video (obligatory zverev & kyrgios warning). in a vacuum you'd never know who barely played half these guys versus who was out there making mincemeat of them on the regular while also holding every record known to man. such minced meat that those achievements aren't necessarily seen as a success for you so much as a referendum on them. 

and then along comes carlos alcaraz. and for reasons fair or unfair, tennis fans are so hungry for his arrival. they want to a new star, they want to see him dominate, and they want it to look exciting. and some tennis fans, in particular, would love to see novak djokovic get washed. 

which at first is what looks like is gonna happen. carlos wins his first wimbledon final at novak's expense. the emperor's been toppled, ding dong the witch is dead—and then cincinnati. then wimbledon again, and not even close, he's really for real dead, this time it's gonna take—and then the olympics. which is the first major final loss carlos has ever experienced, tears and all. and then the australian open, where carlos has set his sights loudly and uncompromisingly on the title and the career slam and the record. only guess what. not yet. 

and now novak is indisputably part of carlos' narrative, an active agent in a living breathing rivalry with a flesh-and-blood player instead of ghosts and record books. everyone says carlos alcaraz is the real thing. and that means that so, still, is novak. 

(meanwhile, in the space of 12 months jannik sinner happened. but i can't get into that or this post will REALLY get out of control.)

that's on court. where carlos plays not like rafa but like roger, and there's no way novak doesn't see that. ("spanish never die" notwithstanding.) off court, it's like falling into a mirrorverse. carlos isn't just willing to share the spotlight he's eager to have company. he is singlehandedly trying to yank the player he's identified as his closest peer up there on the same level with him well before anyone else gets it. and he thinks novak is one of the greats.

like yeah man WHAT IF time-traveling roger federer actually loved you. here's round two with a certified tennis genius who doesn't resent you and everything you represent and does laugh at your jokes and respect your achievements and speak in glowing terms about how you play tennis. it's gotta feel good, right?

and yet. not good enough to stop novak from doing what he has to do to win.

there's something similar yet very finely distinct about novak and carlos as top players and people persons. i'm boiling it down to, for novak it's being friends won't stop my talent and for carlos it's my talent shouldn't stop us from being friends. (i would say that's also roger coded, except imo roger's initial take, in the mid-00s, was that his talent very well MIGHT stop you from being friends and that's okay, he doesn't hold it against you. <3) in both cases, the feelings are genuine, and so is the confidence. 

novak's always wanted to be liked. he's the funny guy, he wants to make people laugh, he wants to be friends, but he is absolutely and totally unwilling to compromise the things that might make it easier to keep those friends. given a choice, he will always choose being the best. and if someone, or someones—especially someones—doesn't like him, well. for better or worse, he's learned to feed on it. this is no different. friendship and respect and affection and praise are not going to stop novak from using every tool at his disposal to win. every bit of understanding he's gained about his opponent as a person and a player. 

(my take on this is not actually negative by the way. if you're a professional athlete it's your responsibility to use those tools and to play the person as well as the player. also coming to the mind games sport and complaining about the mind games is like going to the circus and complaining about the clowns.)

i think that ao qf moment was so telling—the moment carlos was faux-limping and looking over at novak's bench with this sort of injured confusion like, why are you doing this to me. betrayed dog vibes to the max. the comments afterward as well. the tear was very real, but the reaction says a lot. like welcome to the novak djokovic experience kid! bff phrased it as "the phenomenon of accepting novak djokovic's overtures of friendship and inadvertently letting him into your psyche just enough for him to fuck with you the next time you play. he should talk to rafa about it." this isn't the only interpretation, but it sure is a tasty one.

and yet. carlos is demonstrably a lover not a hater. i would bet anything that—especially with the injury details out there—it's not going to change anything even if, like, IT SHOULD. there is this bit in anon's fic one is silver and the other gold, which is one of my favorite carlos & novak dynamics: Carlos wants to hate him. It would be easier; everything would be easier if he could hate all the people he's supposed to, for "proper competitive mindset" or whatever. But as usual, he just doesn't have it in him.

idk i think there is a ton of fascinating stuff to dig into wrt regret and cycles and second chances and novak's impending mortality and the nature of genius. i do think it's ultimately doomed but it's still really interesting. 

(or alternatively i mean. maybe the impending mortality DOES make the difference. maybe novak does get out of the time loop! like, i am most personally compelled by all of the above with the invisible presence of andy murray haunting the narrative BUT there is a pretty funny romcom alternative with novak's friend (!!!) and coach andy murray immediately clocking what's up and being like nole please don't get your heart broken by a twenty-one year old, which, HEY novak's been around the block a few times he's not gonna do something stupid… <- he is absolutely gonna do something stupid.)

[rekino2114]

I've got a few Lacey requests, if you don't mind! Could you do either: 6. or 20. for Jay with a male reader 12. for Lacey with an equally insecure transfemme reader. You can do any or none of them if you like! Thank you for considering!

Jay being your secret admirer

Pairing:Jay x male reader

A/n:Sorry, I don't write for trans readers just because I'm not trans myself and don't think I could write them well. Hope you still enjoy this. Also, I did this because I wanted to start writing for Jay and Maisie too to celebrate the lacey games trailer. Also, all of my lacey posts will take place in the same au where all of the main girls are dating their own version of y/n cause they need love.

Lately, you've been receiving some weird things on your doorstep. It's nothing creepy, quite the opposite, in fact, it's very romantic things.

It's mostly love letters in which the mysterious sender writes about how much they admire you and love everything about you. They describe everything about you in details and compliments.

The letters are always signed "your secret admirer" and are often accompanied by flowers, your favorite type nonetheless.

While the content isn't creepy in on itself, the fact that your dear friend Lacey had a similar experience with a stalker, which she thankfully managed to get out of, made you uneasy to accept the letters as actual love notes so you decided to talk to your friends about it.

"You have a secret admirer? Dude That's so cool"

"Is it? It kinda makes me uncomfortable"

"O-oh does it?"

"Yeah i mean, remember what happened to Lacey?"

"......yeah"

"It's not that bad, thankfully but still"

"Don't worry if you're ever in danger just tell us, we can help you"

"Thanks girls, you're the best"

"Don't mention it, it's the least we could do"

You all fist bumped each other and then you started talking with Jay, which seemed uncharacteristically nervous

"Hey Jay, wanna go skating today I know-"

"N-no it's fine I'll just hang out with Lacey and Maisie"

You looked at her a bit suspiciously but shrugged and left, saying goodbye to everyone. Jay breathed a sigh of relief seeing you go away, since she probably couldn't have kept a straight face anymore around her crush, but quickly got worried again as she saw her friends approaching her with teasing smirks on their faces

"Soooo when are you gonna tell him?"

"Eh? W-what are you talking about dude, I don't have to tell h-him a-anything"

"..............."

".....is it that obvious?"

"I mean........."

"It's a miracle he didn't find out yet"

".....y-yeah"

"Why didn't you just confess?"

"You have any idea how hard it is? I was sweating just writing the letter"

"But why? I'm sure he loves you too, you two basically always hang out"

"I don't think so, he probably thinks of me as just a friend"

"Why do you think so?"

"I mean I'm not girly like you two I don't think he-"

"Stop it there, Jay, you're amazing in your own way, and if y/n really loved you, then he'll do it because of who you are"

"Oh.....thanks lacey...i-i didn't expect you to say that"

"O-oh thank you, m-my partner says stuff like these all the time to me so......it just stuck I guess"

"Well did you hear her? Go and get your man, it's even valentine's day so it's perfect"

"Yeah! Thanks dudes!"

Jay said goodbye to her friends and quickly skated away to pick up another bouquet of your favorite flowers and one of the letters she had already written, then rang the doorbell to your house and took a deep breath to calm herself as she saw the door opening

"Hm? Jay? What's with......the....flowers"

"Hey dude, i-i mean y/n, so yeah I'm your secret admirer, please don't think I'm weird I wasn't stalking you or anything I just really know your face, a-and was too scared to confess. I want you to know that everything I said in the letters was true, I really, really like you.....a-and so....wanna be my boyfriend?"

"......I'd love to"

".....wait seriously?"

"Of course, I love you too Jay, I never confessed cause I thought you only thought of me as a friend"

"Really dude!? Me too! I thought I was way too boyish to be your type"

"What are you saying? I love tomboys and you especially"

"Really?"

"Yeah, you're so cool, I love how boyish you are if anything, it makes you special and so I love that"

"W-wow that's great! So are we like a thing or something now?"

You smiled and hugged her, making her blush, then proceeded to kiss her on the lips. She loved your lips so much that she couldn't help but feel disappointed when you pulled back

"Does that answer your question?"

"D-definitely"

"OK so now wanna go skate? As a couple"

"Sure thing dude! I bet it feels so much better than skating as just friends"

"I'm sure it does"

[veravertigo]

possibilites for pangili return

so I wanted to put into words what I think might happen when Pili returns I could be so wrong but whtvr. Add on any other guesses u guys have btw!! • option one: (me being optimistic((desperate))) Pili comes back as the same character and apologizes to Pangi and my pangili heart is healed and everything is right in the world again and they go on a murder spree and triple threat rules the world!!!!!! • option two: Pili comes back as the same character with a memory wipe and doesn’t remember his past life at all

• option three: Pili comes back as the same character completely intact but pretends to be new/have amnesia

• option four: Pili comes back as a completely new character (I think I’d cry ngl)

• option five: Pili comes back the same but Pangi’s mad about not getting a book and Pili won’t apologize or smth similar so they break up (feels semi unlikely because Pangi misses Pili so much and is probably just gonna be glad he’s back and vise versa w Pili)

• option six: Pangi gets corrupted/killed/changed drastically before Pili comes back and we go from there (possibly bc he’s messing with the crystals but idk how likely this one is)

there’s definitely more possibilities and idk which I’m actually expecting I just wanted to make some guess >_< lmk if you guys have guesses as well I just wanted to discuss what we all think is next lol

[northlight14]

A PSA to non asexual arcane fans!

Ok with the recent announcement that Viktor is asexual, as an asexual myself who has Viktor as their favourite character, I wanna get some shit out the way. There’s a good chance I’m gonna stop interacting with the arcane fandom because of this announcement because every time I’ve seen a character be confirmed asexual there’s always just this influx of acephobia and misinformation which makes it impossible for me to even interact with the fandom and feel safe. So throwing this at y’all and then we’ll see what happens. However, I do not speak for the whole of the asexual community so some aces may disagree with me and that’s ok, as long as y’all aren’t rude we can have a discussion (or you can just scroll or block me, whatevs🤷)

Asexual and aromantic are not the same thing. This is something the creator clearly doesn’t know since he used Viktor’s asexuality as a rebuttal against Jayvik which makes zero fucking sense but sure. So asexuals can still date and aromantics and still have sex. Some like myself are both but that’s not always the case

“Asexuality is a spectrum! Some asexuals still have sex!” is not the good excuse you think it is to depict asexuals in sexually explicit situations. Every time I see this paired with this excuse, the character is very obviously just made to be allosexual in the fanwork. Either stick to sexualising the allosexual characters or do your research on sex neutral/favourable asexuals and represent them properly. Otherwise what you’re doing is no different to writing a fic where a canonically lesbian character has sex with a man

“Asexuality is a spectrum! People can be demisexual or greysexual!” If the character was demisexual or greysexual, the creator would have said. But they didn’t. They said they were asexual. You changing the label doesn’t make you inclusive, it makes you acephobic

Viktor being announced as asexual only after the show was released and it being in rebuttal to a gay ship where the writer clearly doesn’t know what it actually means to be asexual isn’t the win for ace representation some might first think. Asexuals deserve explicit representation by people who bother to learn how to represent us properly

Having the only asexual character also be the character who’s storyline focuses on disability, something that people already infantalise also isn’t the win people might try and make it out to be. Disabled people are frequently denied sexuality and it is part of the way they are infantalised in western society. So having Viktor be disabled and also be the only asexual character feels a bit iffy to me. Obviously there are disabled people who are ace and I don’t want to diminish that experience either. And there would be ways to explore that in a more nuanced way but that’s not what happened. And frankly it would be so easy to avoid this by just having more than one ace character so it doesn’t feel like a trait exclusive to disabled people but sure go off I guess

A lot of you only give a shit about QPR’s (queer platonic relationships) so that you have an excuse to ship aromantic characters. Granted, I’m so in favour of QPR Jayvik because their relationship explicitly goes beyond what we consider standard for a platonic relationship, even if it’s canonically not romantic. But I’m bringing this up anyway because a lot of the time in fandom and society in general, QPR’s are seen as a way to make the aromantic character more “palatable” to the allo’s and shippers. And as someone in a QPR, that idea honestly feels both insulting but is also so damaging to the aro community as a whole. Loveless aromantics exist, some aromantics who do feel other forms of love still don’t want a QPR. Some like myself were/are indifferent and some like my partner really want/ed one. Not all of us are the same

Might’ve missed some stuff but yeah. Any acephobia will be deleted but I’m happy to have civil conversations and answer questions. Ultimately I just want a fandom to actually listen to ace people for once but I know that won’t happen. Still, I wanted to at least say my peace

[rockyourwrld]

Nikki and fem reader are dating and he gets jealous of her and a guns n roses member during a party, yk how it ends 🤭

JEALOUS

the after-party was guaranteed to be crazy if motley crue was throwing it tons of sex, drugs and booze, any and everything. no matter where you looked something had to be happening.

in one corner there were rockstars getting it on with groupies, in another was party goers sniffing up white snow, and then there was Me and Nikki. well there was Vince and Sharise, Tommy with a random chick, and Mick... he's somewhere around here.

I was sitting next to Nikki on one of the leather couches, his arm was wrapped around me, tight. it brought security for some reason, like he didn't want to let me go.

his eyes tell a different story when they get stuck on some random hooker he hasn't even talked to, let alone meet. suddenly we need another round of drinks which takes 10 minutes.

I know he's not fucking her, at least not with his dick but it still hurts just a bit. I usually stay and hang out with Sharise when this happens because he always comes back to me eventually.

But this time I didn't want to be a sitting duck, if he was gonna go talk and finger bang some stranger what's the harm in me going to talk to some guy I find attractive?

I went to the kitchen to get something strong, something that will really get me going. Nikki was nowhere in sight, bummer. I grabbed a glass and started to pour myself some whiskey when I felt a gentle tap on my shoulder.

he had jet black curly hair, a sharp jaw, and a potent smell of cigarettes and cologne. wasn't too tall, at least not as tall as Nikki.

"I hope this isn't too out of line but you're absolutely gorgeous, are you here with anyone?" he had a soft, raspy voice. definitely not what I expected from him but it's still good.

"thank you, I'm uh here with motley crue." I pointed towards the corner where we were all sitting, Tommy was practically eating that girl's face off by now.

his face scrunches at the sight "oh yeah, crazy band" he looks back over at me, finally taking his glasses off. his eyes were very attractive, could almost get lost in them.

he extended his hand towards me "I'm slash, and you are?"

" it's y/n, nice to meet you slash"

once me and slash started talking I completely forgot about Nikki, he wasn't around asking for my attention anyways. Slash barely knew me for a whole 15 minutes and had seemed more interested in me than Nikki had in the past 10 months.

everything was going good, me and slash were chatting it up, he started getting a little touchy which I didn't mind. until I felt what I thought to be Nikki's presence, which was only confirmed when a pair of rough hands wrapped around my waist from behind me.

he nuzzled his head into my neck before leaving a few gentle kisses.

"do you want to introduce me to your friend?" he mumbled softly.

Nikki always got his way, whether it was with me or someone else he always got it. he could fuck hundreds of girls but if I dared to touch a guy..

I put my hands on his "you don't want to do that yourself?"

I feel him smile against my neck before getting both of us up and on our feet, his arms still wrapped around me.

"come on we gotta go" he begins to guide me out.

I give a quick smirk at slash "see you next time, yeah?"

he nods slightly, raising his cigarette before laying down on the couch. one leg thrown over, the other planted on the ground.

x

the ride home was long and dreadful, he barely said anything, just looked at me, smirk, and look back at the road. when I asked he would just shake his head and mumble a simple "nothing."

I just turned my head away from him and looked out the window, I hated guessing games. so I wasn't gonna play.

we got home and I was first out of the car, I wanted to be inside and in my bed as soon as possible. Nikki takes note of this, grabbing his house keys he bolts past me up the stairs, not forgetting to slap my ass on the way up, proceeds to dangle his keys and unlock the door.

I give a sarcastic smile "okay you win"

he smirks and opens the door

"after you" he's always been a gentleman no matter the situation, the emotion or the reaction. I'll give him that.

I walked through the door and he closed it fast and hard, I turned around a bit shocked when he suddenly pushed his lips into mine roughly.

his hands wrap around my neck, his thumbs brushing against my jaw slightly. then he abruptly pulled away, I looked at him confused. wasn't he just upset a minute ago?

"you know you're my baby right? no matter how many guys try to get you, you're still mine baby" he pulls me back in, kissing and sucking at my neck., his hands rest on my waist.

"I hate seeing you with other guys but fuck it is hot" he let's out in a mumble.

his hands start lifting my dress slowly, such a tease. his kisses start to move down from my neck, he starts kissing my chest before coming back up to meet my lips.

"seeing how you'll let them think they've got a chance, they think they can actually get you? shit it's fucking wicked how you work y/n"

he starts guiding me to the couch, of course the couch..the bed can't be his favorite place. he lays me down before climbing on top of me, his knee between my legs, his hands around my waist holding me down.

"let me show you what they can't do for you."

[egophiliac]

now that I can think semi-coherently again...whooooo's ready for Friday WEEHOO

[front-facing-pokemon]

[fartholder]

personally i think the first thing that would happen after entering the Fade Prison is solas would have a panic attack

[devilsskettle]

The X trilogy + "psycho-biddy" influences

[tulipsnflowers]

More than a game~

So... About balling those Beasties..

[sledge-in-space]

John Seed is a comfort character for some people. Folks like to ship him with their deputies or craft redemption arcs for him.

There's nothing wrong with that, obviously.

But I just can't wrap my head around it.

There's nothing comforting about the way John Seed treated Joey Hudson. I don't understand why the ordeal she went through doesn't seem to matter to fans of his.

She was bait for the rookie deputy and nothing more, because she wasn't going to give in and join the cult.

He terrorized Joey and the rest of Fall's End, stooping to the lowest, most inhumane levels to get his way. Some even theorize that he hurt the "sinners" in his care just because he wanted to, for malicious, sadistic reasons that didn't have anything to do with the cult. At worst, some people go as far as to speculate that he raped Joey.

It's easy to see why someone might come to that conclusion. The way he acts is deplorable and he makes everything feel extremely personal, sometimes in ways that can be interpreted as sexually charged. He'll do anything in order to get his way because "no" is antithetical to him. He regularly flies off the handle, so much so that Joseph is threatening to cast him out. All the touching and getting right up in the player's face is so uncomfortable and obsessive (which is the point, but I digress).

So why does he get to be redeemed and venerated by fans? Don't his actions warrant consequences?

Are people willing to let him off the hook because he's attractive? Because he had a horrible, abusive childhood? Obviously he's got a lot more lore than most of the cast. Is that something people are interested in exploring for him over other characters?

I'm not trying to come after anyone personally. There's nothing wrong with liking villains and Jacob, Faith, and Joseph have also done terrible things to innocent people.

Which is like, fine. It's a video game.

And I know that John, like Joey, is a victim of Ubisoft's choppy, inconsistent writing and storytelling. Things got changed and swapped and cut during development that got us to where we are, with the story we have. Flaws and all, not like it was ever going to be perfect.

But in my opinion, I feel like the adoration for John does a huge disservice to Joey. People make thirsty edits of him while she's literally tied up behind him. It's tasteless and makes the optics of her situation look even creepier.

Her pain has largely been ignored for as long as the game has existed. I can't for the life of me figure out why.

[pseudophan]

gonna be so sad when tonight is the first preshow space with good audio and i'm asleep because i have a psych appointment tomorrow