#yes this is wildly niche

[opalseedsys]

hey crona from soul eater fictives and kinnies !!

you deserve joy and to b cared for btw!!

it came free w ur existence and nobody can take that away from u!!

ok bye have a good day :) <3

( - a crona fictive :) )

[dingdangit]

question for sam reich: is being hot a prerequisite for working at dropout, or is it part of the benefits package? bc statistically this shouldn't be possible.

[spigutti]

I don’t know about you guys but I love following people who have comepletely different fandoms than me. Like I have no clue what you’re talking about but yes! I love your scrimblo! I never know what your talking about but I love your passion and your art !! 

[marzipanandminutiae]

Maybe I’m wildly misunderstanding what people who like the dark academia aesthetic are going for but I always thought the aesthetic was specifically about romanticizing those universities in England (or Europe in general) that were founded in like 1736 and the main building was originally a castle that belonged to the family that founded it or something like that. Obviously that’s a very niche university environment but I never thought that fans of the aesthetic thought that every single university looks like that. My university was built in the 70s and looks like a small town’s airport so I understand the appeal of escapism in pretending that you go to university in a marble building that has a secret library or something. I’m not criticizing your post btw I agree with you i guess I understood the purpose of the aesthetic wrong. I thought they just liked the old money aesthetic of those schools, not that they believed you’re not truly academic if your school doesn’t look like an ancient university in Prague.

So, yes, that is where the term came from

my issue with it is that they don't seem to know any other term for aesthetics they happen to have seen in a fancy university, anymore and totally unrelated things get slapped with the "dark academia" label

Oxford doesn't look like that because that's an ~academia aesthetic~. it looks like that because those were popular architectural styles of whenever X building was constructed. you are going to see those styles in other places! that doesn't make like...an 18th century commercial building "dark academia!"

like I've seen the term applied in completely random and incomprehensible ways. a marble bust is Dark Academia? HOW? is it in a university? or is it in an art museum where people are there to look at it, not to study it? is it in Mr. Darcy's house, where that classification makes even less sense? why is it somehow Academia when no Academia is in evidence?

an Art Deco theatre lobby. no joke. saw that tagged "dark academia." it could not have been more clearly a theatre lobby. I asked OP why they called it that, and they said it was just "the vibe." academia is not a vibe!!!! the word has a definition and the definition has nothing to do with aesthetics!!!!

my favorite movie, Crimson Peak, gets slapped with the DA label a lot. because...I don't know; there are ghosts and books in the same building? the heroine is a writer, sure, but absolutely none of it takes place in an institution of public scholarship or higher learning. there's a publisher's office, a doctor's office, and a private library in a house (that doesn't even get used for its intended purpose beyond a single scene). that's it. it's a pretty standard Victwardian Gothic.

the term DOES have function as a fictional genre; it describes a story pretty well. what happens? Dark Stuff. where? Academia. okay, I'm intrigued. but for aesthetics? no meaning or use at all, IMO

so I know they're not saying that ALL universities look like that. they're somehow saying that EVERYTHING that looks like that is University. which annoys me

(I also think "old money aesthetic" is more TikTok brainrot. I work a lot of museum benefits with old money people. they dress in many different ways, very few of them like a Kennedy vacationing on the Cape in 1965. just say "preppy" if that's what you mean!)

(and as with Dark Academia, it leads to a lot of things that have nothing whatsoever to do with the oldness of one's money getting labeled that way. which is annoying.)

[margridarnauds]

It's frustrating being a medievalist who doesn't do like. What people think of when they hear the word "medievalist" because I see so many posts on here where it's like "this looks wildly untrue from what I know about my own niche part of this field but I don't know enough about the middle ages to dispute it....yes, even with two degrees in it."

[theflashjaygarrick]

One thing I keep thinking about is because superhero comics are simultaneously niche and cultural icons, the general public understanding of characters can be starkly different to the actual medium. Often this is harmless fun but it can be a problem considering arcs about female and minority characters often suffer in the realm of reprints and adaptations, and therefore never have the same impact on the public consciousness. And I think this explains the erasure of Oracle.

Yes, Killing Joke was misogynistic as hell and as a massive Barbara fan I have serious issues with it. But then what Kim Yale and John Ostrander did with Oracle in year one was moving, beautiful and undeniably feminist. I'm not disabled but I got serious chills reading the story and it is honestly one of my favourite comics. From there she grew to become a staple in the DC universe and helped launch the wildly successful Birds of Prey superhero team.

And she was a disabled hero who was psychologically complex and kickass in a fight. She also was seen as an attractive woman who had love interests like Dick Grayson. She got to train the next generation of Batgirls. As Oracle Babs thrived.

Not to mention according to Scott Peterson's article on DC women kicking ass, the creative team at the time were seeing an overwhelming positive response to Oracle from people who saw themselves on the pages of a superhero comic for the first time thanks to Babs:

"we were the ones getting the mail from disabled fans. We were the ones reading letters about how much Oracle meant to them, how much it meant to see someone in a situation so much like their own, someone who by then had been come such an important part of the DCU, treated with respect and admiration by not only Superman and Black Canary, but by the Batman, a guy who treated pretty much no one with respect." (Scott Peterson, 2011)

But if you look at the mainstream perception, her success is less obvious.

Batgirl has always struggled in adaptations, and Oracle even more so. The versions of Oracle that have been translated onto film and TV haven't caught in public imagination in the same way, to the point she was straight up cut out of the recent Birds of Prey film.

Not to mention Killing Joke is one of the most iconic Batman stories of all time that not only has been reprinted countless times but was one of the select few comic arcs to be adapted into animation. Contrarily, Oracle Year One was reprinted in English once after the original date: the Batgirl 50 years celebration. This collection is expensive and not something you would buy without considerable investment in the Batgirls. It certainly isn't one that would show up if you google 'best batman comics'.

If you see this you understand why people marginally invested in DC mythos considered her return to batgirl was seen by some as a feminist move, rather than an ableist one. Gone were her years of development, one of the most powerful information brokers in DC, and two other beloved Batgirls. And the real insult: killing joke was still canon. Yes, they kept the misogynistic violence and ditched the disability rep and the character growth. And that is despite the fact Killing Joke was made to be part of an else world, not main continuity.

[suzukiblu]

/stares in hyperfixation

Let's see, we've got . . . Kon, Match, Tim, Kara, Billy, Damian, Serling, Greta, Jason, Black Zero, Jazz, Dani, Tucker, Val, MANY AUs/fic-related arts, random rarepairs and wildly niche concepts, and every possible excuse to show off Kon's tits and fluster Tim, not necessarily simultaneously but not necessarily NOT simultaneously.

I have . . . so many unfinished art WIPs right now. So, so many. Behold my works, ye mighty, and despair.

I JUST WANNA ACTUALLY FINISH THINGS, BUT JFC HOW AM I EVEN SUPPOSED TO FRIGGIN' PICK. 😂

[zoeykallus]

Hi Zoe! I hope you’re doing well and thank you for taking the time to read this. I was thinking, what if a similar situation happened like in ‘the crossing’ where fem reader gets stuck hanging on the ledge (could be for a different reason that they are hanging there) and they can’t swim? And for a bit more drama, almost drown but their Batcher s/o saves them? Thanks again for taking time to read this! 🙏

Aloha!

A nice idea! Let me see what I can do with that 😊

Bad Batch x Reader HCs - Hero Of The Day

Angst/Comfort/Reader Almost Drowning/Strong Language/Fluff

________________________

The mine that Cid bought is a disaster. Ipsium is difficult to mine here, and not exactly in large quantities. You are determined to be helpful, leave the others behind and find a niche where you can find and mine high quality Ipsium. However, you have to climb over a deep abyss which's end you can't see, to do your work.

________________________

Crosshair

"There you are. What are you doing?"

You roll your eyes but ask him with a smile, "What does it look like I'm doing, sweetie?"

He looks at you, seeing you propped up against the walls in awkward posture, working over a pit.

"Looking like a suicide attempt," he says dryly, looking down into the depths that eventually fade into blackness, not revealing its contents, "Come out of there."

"I know what I'm doing," you say stubbornly, reapplying your tool.

"I don't care, I want you to get out of there", he growls impatiently, and is already about to climb into the alcove with you.

A little annoyed, you say, "I'm almost done, Cross."

You shift your weight a little to look at him as he climbs toward you. As you do, a small piece of rock gives way under your right foot. You jerkily lose your footing and fall into the darkness, passing his hastily, in panic, outstretched hand.

His heart makes an unpleasant leap as you fall into the depths with a scream just past his fingers. "Fucking hell!" he exclaims as he leaps after you at the same moment, heart racing wildly. Crosshair's thoughts flip over at the speed of light in the seconds it takes him to fall, expecting to hit hard rock and break all his bones, or even land on your corpse, but instead icy spring water suddenly envelops him, an underground river in a cave system. The current is incredibly strong, and he is immediately swept along. He rolls up to protect his body from possible collisions with rocks. He has his eyes open, but he can't see anything, it's all so impenetrable black, only now and then a light seems to come from somewhere that he can't place. Crosshair remembers that you can't swim, so even if the river calmed down at one point, you would probably drown if he didn't find you, the thought sets his mind on fire. With an undertow, he suddenly descends, the river emptying into a small underground lake. Hastily he struggles to the surface, coughs and looks around urgently. The cave he has landed in is riddled with fluorescent crystals that bathe the room in a ghostly, pale blue light. Then he hears someone fidgeting in the water, turns to the soundscape and just sees you go under. Crosshair doesn't think, he quickly dives in your direction, gets a hold of you and struggles with you back to the surface and finally to shore.

You cough violently, trying to get the water out of your lungs. He helps you turn onto your side and holds you gently, his hands still shaky from the waning adrenaline. When you stop coughing, he says sternly, "Why can't you listen to me for once?" "It wasn't my fault, you distracted me," you protest. He rolls his eyes. "Oh please." "Yes you did" He turns you around to face him again and looks at you piercingly. "Guilt aside, how do you feel? Are you hurt?" You think for a moment and finally say, "Shaky, but unhurt, I think". With a sigh, he leans his forehead against yours. "You're going to give me a heart attack someday".

Wrecker

He is scared to the bone and terrified of the depths he is looking into as he looks down.

"You really shouldn't be climbing around here, my dear."

"I'm almost done," you say focused, handing him another tube you've filled with Ipsium.

Wrecker accepts it and stows it away carefully, then watches you again, frowning nervously.

"At least let me get a rope to secure you with, just in case".

You sigh softly and say, "Wrecker, sweetie, I'll be done in a minute".

He sighs as well and says seriously, "That really makes me nervous to see you doing gymnastics there"

"I'm not doing gymnastics, I'm mining Ipsium" you correct him laughing softly.

"You know what I mean," he grumbles unwillingly.

"This is the last one," you say, handing him another tube.

Wrecker tucks it away and says with relief, "Good, then give me your hand, so I can-"

He interrupts himself as you suddenly slip and disappear from his sight with a scream before he can reach his arm out to you. Wrecker's chest tightens, he squeezes himself into the small alcove and looks down. Everything inside of him is struggling in wild panic, and yet he jumps after you, not knowing what awaits him down there.

You are in panic as the cold water closes around you, but even worse is the suction that the current has. Resistance is futile, you are swept away with the water masses, again and again your head is underwater, no matter how much you pedal and try to resist the suction. You swallow water while fighting against drowning.

It's like a horror roller coaster ride, with the continuous fear of death and the masses of water pulling you along like a toy ball. Then you plunge once more into the depths and the torrent of water no longer tears at you, but you struggle to the surface in panic. In your mind, you curse never having learned to swim.

The shore is not far away and yet it is much too far for you, as you have no idea how to reach it. Then you hear a scream and someone else falls into the small lake you are in.

You cough and try to call his name, but you keep swallowing water. Still, he spots you and as his strong hands reach for you, a wave of relief washes over you, causing you to burst into tears.

Wrecker pulls you to shore, you see him in the light of the glowing crystals in the cave you landed in. He takes off his helmet and drops it, grabbing your face and talking soothingly to you.

It takes a moment for you to calm down in his arms and cough up the water.

"Are you hurt?" you hear him ask gently.

Shakily, you answer, "I don't think so."

He squeezes you lovingly, softly with relief, and says, "Let's never do that again."

Echo

"Do you really think this is a good idea?" he asks critically when he spots you in the alcove.

You fill the next tube and say, "This ipsium is much purer than what we found in the other mine."

Echo frowns and says, "But it's much more dangerous to mine. You've seen that there's a deep abyss below you?"

"Yes, I'm aware of that, Echo."

He sighs and accepts the next tube from you.

"I don't like this, I should do this".

You look at him and say softly, "Echo, this is even more dangerous for you and your prosthetics than it is for me"

He grumbles softly to himself, but doesn't contradict you.

As you hand him another tube, he says impatiently, "Okay, that's more than enough, now get out of there"

With a sigh and a roll of your eyes, you finally give in to him, hand him your tools and begin to turn in the alcove to climb out, careful not to fall. Echo immediately reaches out and grabs your wrist as soon as you are within reach. The timing is perfect, because at the same moment you slip on the rock and lose your footing.

Echo immediately drops backwards to pull you towards him with his weight. You land above him with your heart pounding, his hand still tight around your wrist. You both breathe heavily, startled.

Then his eyes narrow critically as you look at each other.

"I told you it was dangerous, if I hadn't been there you would have fallen," he grumbles.

You're still all startled, the echo of the shock still in your bones, so you don't answer him right away.

"I don't even want to imagine what would have happened if I hadn't been there," he says a little softer when he sees the look on your face.

You collect yourself and finally say nudgily, "We have the Ipsium, don't we?"

He sighs and lowers his head back.

"You are missing the point here."

You kiss his chin and he looks back at you.

"You're going to be my downfall one day, one way or another" Echo says with a wry smile.

"Don't say such dark things," you reply, kissing his chin again.

AC: I left out the water in Echo's part because I wasn't sure how well Echo could swim with the prosthetics.

Hunter

"Why am I not surprised?"

You hear Hunter's voice and look cautiously over your shoulder in his direction. He looks critically at your position in the small alcove above the abyss. You can tell he doesn't like what he sees. He seems worried.

You smile, unperturbed, and tell him, "Don't worry, I'm almost done."

He sighs softly and says, "Okay, but be careful."

"I always am," you say lightly, cheerfully.

You are so happy that you can contribute something to your mission. But Hunter raises his eyebrows critically at your comment and says, "Oh yeah?"

You laugh softly and ask, "What's that supposed to mean?"

Again you hear Hunter sigh, then he says, "Nothing, sweetie, just be careful."

You fill the last tube, handing him the tube as well as your tools before you set about climbing back. He has climbed halfway into the alcove to help you as you lose your footing as one of the rocks crumbles beneath your feet. You slump down, Hunter getting hold of the sleeve of your jacket, but not your arm. The fabric tears noisily and you still fall.

Heart racing, Hunter stares in disbelief for a second or two at the torn piece of fabric in his clenched hand in panic. Then he looks down into the blackness where you have disappeared screaming and are now silent.

Thoughts are racing through your head, and yet none of them form properly as you fight in absolute panic against the icy masses of water that are sweeping you along. Again and again you swallow water, get it into your nose, into your lungs. Your head keeps coming up above the water, but you don't get a chance to catch your breath, because the next moment you're being pulled down again by the current.

Then you fall, and there's this feeling in your stomach as if you're on a roller coaster going downhill, or miss a step while climbing stairs, before you hit the surface of the water again and sink into it.

You struggle to the surface in a panic, your legs are so tense they feel like they are cramping. You can barely keep your face above the water, wriggling, coughing and unable to think clearly.

Then you feel something wrapping around the middle of your body. A new wave of panic rises in you. You are not familiar with this planet, you are somewhere deep in a river in a cave system, who knows what lives down here. The memory of your first encounter with a Dianoga is still very vivid in your mind. You begin to scream and wriggle, trying to free yourself.

It takes you a moment to hear Hunter's voice.

"Easy, love, easy."

You hyperventilate, shaking in his grip, trying to clear your head, and only very slowly does the realization sink in that you are about to be rescued. You start to cry as he pulls you ashore.

"It's okay, sweetheart, you're safe, it's going to be okay," he says gently, finally pulling you out of the water.

Hunter takes off the helmet and sets it down on the ground next to you, then he bends over you kneeling next to you, takes off his gloves and gently strokes your face.

"Hey, it's me, everything's fine, we made it through".

When you finally calm down, he says in gentle admonition, "I told you to be careful."

You blink looking at him, ashamed, but also grateful and still completely lost for words. You fall around his neck and cling to him, eliciting a surprised, "Oh?!" from him.

Hunter gently wraps his arms around you, kisses your cheek, and says with a soft, quiet laugh, "You didn't think I was just going to let you disappear like that."

Tech

"I appreciate your efforts, but you're taking quite a risk," he says critically, taking a closer look at your position as you squat there in the alcove above the chasm, mining Ipsium.

"I'll be careful," you assure him, "Besides, I'm almost done, my beloved."

He smiles, he loves it when you call him that, warmth rises in his cheeks every time. But his face immediately turns serious again.

"Please just don't fall"

"Are you really that worried about me?" you ask, amused.

Tech adjusts his goggles with his index finger while still keeping an eye on you and says, "First and foremost, yes. But secondly, I'd have to jump in after you if you fell, we don't know what's down there, so I'm not necessarily eager to do that."

You frown in surprise.

"You'd jump after me?"

"Of course," Tech says without hesitation.

You smile at him, "My hero."

Tech blinks a little shyly to the side, and you can see his ears turn red.

"Anytime, my dear" he finally says, a bit bashfully.

You finally hand him the last tube with a smile then the tool before you set about climbing out of the alcove when a piece of the rock unexpectedly breaks away from under you, and you fall down with a jolt.

Tech rushes forward, still trying to grab you, but his hand narrowly misses yours. He doesn't think for long, as he said before, he jumps right after you, even though all his organs seem to knot up at the same moment.

It's so cold, so dark, and you're completely helpless in the torrent of water. Panic floods your mind like the water overflows your body. You fight hard against drowning, against the current, but it seems futile.

It seems to take an eternity and yet, all of a sudden, you fall. You are still in the water, but there is no current anymore. Panic-stricken, you struggle to the surface of the water and try to hold yourself up.

It's not quite so dark anymore, the cave you landed in is riddled with glowing crystals. Actually a very beautiful sight, but right now you have absolutely no eyes for it, you just don't want to drown.

"Hold still," you suddenly hear Tech's voice and against your panic, you do exactly what he says, trusting him without hesitation.

You feel his arm around you, and the next moment you are pulled by him to the shore of the underground lake. You shiver all over, not only because you are wet, and it is cold down here, but also because the adrenaline is starting to wear off.

Hearing Tech coughing next to you, you look at him.

"I'm sorry," you say meekly.

He moves closer to you, puts an arm around you, and drops beside you, exhausted.

"It's okay," he says a little breathlessly, "We're still alive, my love."

You blink, look at him and say, deeply moved, "You really jumped in after me".

Tech nods slowly.

"Of course. Why would I say that if I wasn't willing to do it?"

You say quietly, "That's still two different things for most"

"Not for me," he says with conviction.

You smile gratefully at him, full of deep affection for this wonderful man.

"I love you," you say softly.

You see his cheeks blush slightly before he says softly, "I love you too," and his lips touch yours.

Ko-Fi (If you feel like giving me some coffee)

@rintheemolion

@andyoufollowyourheart @clone-whore-99

@brynhildrmimi @kaliel2310

@misogirl828 @tech-deck

@meshla-madalene

@chxpsi

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@hated-by-me

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@starwarsnerd111

[moonchild-in-blue]

gonna ask 'cause this is such a specific combination of things- if you could pick one sleep token song to rec to each bts member, what would you choose (and why, if you're up for it)?

Oh my goodness, this may the best question I have ever received ever in my whole life. THANK YOU SO MUCH WOW, YOUR BRAIN AMAZES ME 💙 Sleep Token ARMYS, what a powerful combo 💜

It really is such a niche combination!! I took this SO SERIOUSLY too 💀 Let me know what you think!! Also, who's your bias? Mine's Hoseok 🥹🌈💚🌞

(Under the cut because long!)

Okay, so I chose these based off what they are usually into, and their vibes (does that make sense?). Some of them were very difficult to nail down (Hoseok and Jimin especially), but I think this is fine.

Namjoon - Take Aim / Vore / High Water

Okay, this eas actually the last one I did, but I'm putting them in oficial order. These three songs are WILDLY different, yes, and don't look very "Namjoon", sure, but! Hear me out!

Lyrically-wise, I believe Namjoon would absolutely LOVE these. The man is a poet, cmon now. These have some gorgeous lyricism and symbolism that I think he'd really appreciate. Sound-wise they are also very unique, but somehow feel like him?

Out of the 7, Joon is the one that has put out the most solo music (including collabs) and the most varied too (in comparison with Yoongi for example, who has also put out A LOT of music, but has a very distinct sound - especially under the Agust D name), so the variety in sound feels right.

Honourable mention to Give because YEAH, it feels like something straight out of Mono.

Jin - Euclid / TNDNBTG

Do you see the vision? I'm thinking about Epiphany and lowkey it fits? The piano, the kinda-hopeful-kinda-melancholic themes? There's something very angelic about it that just fits him so so well.

I actually almost went with Telomeres for him too so there's that.

Yoongi - Bloodsport / Ascensionism / Atlantic

If there's anyone who would be into Sleep Token is Yoongi. Him and Vessel are basically the same person in different fonts. But these three are the most "Yoongi-coded" to me. Gorgeous piano? Check. Interesting song changes/rap? Double check. Heartbreaking sad wet cat lyrics? Triple check. Ascensionism especially is very Agust D, don't you think?

Honourable mention to the Hey-Ya cover and Drag Me Under because those are so so Yoongi to me.

Hoseok - Granite / DYWTYLM

No because I KNOW my man would be shaking his non-existent ass to Granite (Dark Signs too actually). If there's a nice beat, he's all over it. And DYWTYLM - not only is it funky musically-speaking (which is a j-hope staple), I quite like the interpretation of Vessel singing this to himself (in a mirror).

That duality of "Smile back at me // My reflection won't smile back at me like i know it should" SCREAMS Hoseok to me (especially after Jack In The Box came out). We're so used to referring to him as the sunshine boy, and seeing him all smiles and brighter than the sun itself, when in reality there's a lot more in there. We've finally began to see more of him, and I think that inner monologue is just perfect for him.

(can you tell I'm biased? Lmaooo)

Jimin - Sugar / The Summoning

Tell me Sugar isn't such a Jimin song. Think about Lie and Filter and Muse and TELL ME Sugar isn't made for Jimin. I dare you. The Summoning too, it's a bit out of pocket but it feels right somehow? Yeah.

Taehyung - When The Bough Breaks / Aqua Regia

Here's the thing. We know Tae likes jazz, and music that is soulful, smooth, nostalgic. And both of these seem right up his alley. I believe he'd really like the Aqua Regia piano.

Jungkook - Missing Limbs / Like That

He's always been the hopeless romantic boy 🥹 All the ballads he has covered?? Yeah, I think Missing Limbs would be a nice song for him. Alternatively, Fields of Elation would be good too? Idk, something about baby Vessel's voice back then that reminds me of JK. The falsettos probably.

(I just remembered and actually - Like That is fire and it feels like something he'd like).

[notoverjoyed]

Blame the Cat

I'm not late, I swear. Anyway here's the last of my Phic Phight fics, for the honorable @five-rivers

Prompt: For centuries, the cult has anticipated the glorious rise and return of Lord Phantom. That time is at hand. All they need to bring him fully into the mortal world is the perfect sacrifice: Danny Fenton.

Summary: A story in which Danny really needs to stop getting in trouble on purpose.

Ivan Petrovitch wouldn’t normally field calls from mayors of small American towns, even those as wealthy as Vlad Masters. After all, an individual like that is unlikely to have a legitimate interest in his own illegitimate business. Facilitating the sale of endangered fish is a rather niche profession. None the less, he did a cursory internet search of the man. Nothing caught his eye until he saw an image of the man.

It wasn’t Vlad himself that caught his eye, however. The photo depicted the Mayor, a man in a suit with long grey hair in a low ponytail, standing in front of a large building. Ivan wasn’t looking at the mayor, his eye was instead drawn to the boy whose shoulders Vlad had his arm around in a fatherly fashion. The boy looked uncomfortable, and familiar.

He had to check to be sure, but his soul was certain; This boy was the key.

You see, selling endangered fish was just Ivan’s profession. It was how he made a living, not his calling. It was his more esoteric interests that gained that honor. Ivan was a member of an international group of individuals dedicated to the study an veneration of a figure most thought mythical, if they knew he existed at all. And this boy looked almost exactly like him. A change in hair and eye color, and the boy would be identical.

In the past decades, this group had toyed with the idea of summoning this being, a god really, to the mortal plane. This would serve the purpose of bringing the being closer to his disciples so that they may worship him more closely, and make requests of him more directly. He was told to have incredible powers, and many sought to be rewarded for their faith.

With that goal in mind, many of the groups members began to develop various strategies to summon their god. The ritual and material needed in each plan varied wildly, but most agreed that one thing was essential. A sacrifice.

Ivan read the caption to the photo. ‘Mayor Vlad Masters (left) accompanied by his godson Daniel Fenton (right) celebrating the renovation of Amity Park’s historic City Hall building on Wednesday.’

“Daniel Fenton,” Ivan murmured. Yes, he’d have to send a message to the group. They would see if there were any members in this ‘Amity Park’ that could investigate further. In the meantime, perhaps he should give Mr. Master’s a call. Far greater things than money could come of working with him.

. . .

Okay, so Danny probably shouldn’t be letting this guy lead him away from the main crowd at Vlad’s party to. He also shouldn’t have accepted the drink of sparking juice the guy handed him. He was pretty sure that he was all but immune to most poisons at this point, but it was still bad practice.

And he definitely shouldn’t have played along with this guy’s attempt to get him out of the ballroom by acting woozy and disoriented. Sue him, he wanted to see where this was going.

“It looks like the poor boy must have gotten the sparkling wine rather than the juice, it’s a bit strong isn’t it,” he heard the man say as he led him Danny toward one of the doors near the kitchen. He pulled out a key and unlocked it before dragging Danny through.

If this Ivan dude was interested in him in that way, then Danny could easily kick they guys ass, get him arrested, and ruin Vlad’s party in the process. If he interested in Danny in some other way, then Danny would still take the option to get away from the fruitloop’s flirting with his mom.

On the other side of the was a short hallway with only two doors: an all gender restroom, and an elevator. Ivan tugged a staggering Danny toward the elevator.

‘Door number two it is,’ He thought to himself, almost sad about losing the opportunity to make Vlad look bad.

Once he got Danny in the elevator and leaning against one wall, Ivan pressed the button marked B. The doors closed, and the elevator went down.

. . .

“Danny?” Tucker said again. “Danny! Sam, where’s Danny.”

“I’m sorry, I have to go to the restroom,” he heard Sam say through the Fenton phones. She must be extricating herself from her parent’s friends. He waited a few minutes to give her time to get away, then Sam responded.”

“Last I saw he was talking to Vlad and Vlad’s shady business partner.”

“Is he still with Vlad?”

“Vlad’s hitting on Mrs. Fenton again. Alone though. Danny and the other guy are . . .” She paused, and he guessed she was looking around the ballroom. “Nowhere,” she finally said.

Tucker took a moment to activate the tracker function he’d added to the Fenton phones. Sam’s had her firmly in the North corner of the ballroom, while Danny’s had him outside it entirely.

“Not nowhere, actually. Tracker has him in what I think is a staff passage. Can you take a look.”

“And miss this wonderful party?” She said sarcastically. “Yeah, give me a couple minutes.”

She made her way across the ballroom at Tucker’s direction and found the staff exit he was talking about. The door was unlocked, so she just walked through.

“Is Danny in the bathroom?” she said, mostly to herself. There were nicer bathrooms in the main hallway, so unless he needed to transform there’d be no reason for him to go this out of the way.

“You can check, but I don’t think so. Danny’s tracker went offline. What else is over there?”

“An elevator,” she said, then realized what that meant. “So he’s underground?”

“That would explain the Fenton phones cutting out,” he said. Despite being made to withstand unholy amounts of radiation, a few feet of concrete could block the Fenton phones’ signal entirely.

Tucker was about to suggest that she follow him down, when Sam spoke.

“Where are the stairs?” she asked.

“Why not just follow him down?”

“Because he was probably taken down by that Ivan guy. Who knows what this elevator opens up to? I need a back way.”

“Point. There should be a staircase near the front entrance. That should lead to the parking garage in the basement.”

“This place has a parking garage?” Sam asked, and Tucker could hear the noise of the party resume as she walked through the ballroom.

“I know, right?”

. . .

He could hardly contain his excitement. Weeks of planning had let to this moment. First, convincing the other higher ups of his theory, then sucking up to that insipid mayor, and finally getting local members in place to perform the ritual. And now here Ivan was, sacrifice in tow, ready to usher the being he has so long venerated into the mortal world. And perhaps, gain his favor.

The elevator dinged and the doors opened. What was normally an inky expanse of darkness was lit by dozens of candles. They might normally have lit the underground parking garage with bright LEDs, but the designers of this particular ritual insisted on keeping things traditional.

“Here he is, the man of the hour!” a voice said excitedly. It was one of the locals. Apparently this town had the fasted growing group membership in North America. In the world really.

“I’m Nolan,” the local man said as he began to usher Ivan and the boy further into the garage.

“A pleasure.” Ivan said.

Nolan gestured toward a large circle drawn on the ground with a smaller circle inside of it. Intricate symbols were drawn between the two circles. Several other people meandered about, setting up candles, talking in hushed tones, or just gawking at Ivan and the boy.

“Just put him right here.” Nolan said, indicating the inner circle. Ivan set the boy, now fully unconscious, carefully on the concrete floor.

“Oh lord he is perfect,” Nolan said. Before Ivan could respond, he continued.

“When Phantom first came to our town I knew we had been blessed by our god to see his form in this world. But he always disappeared before we could speak with him.”

Ivan stood stoically, but scoffed inwardly. He’d heard about this heretic offshoot of the group claiming to see their god in the mortal world. They would have been barred from the international group if they weren’t the single largest source of new members.

“And to think, someone from outside the country would discover what we had overlooked this whole time. The perfect sacrifice for our god. A mortal, human, host.”

For a moment, Ivan thought he heard a muffled snort coming from the boy, but when he looked down at him the boy was a still as ever. He dismissed the thought, then walked over to one of the supporting pillars of the garage and leaned against it. Just a little while longer until his god arrived, and Ivan planned to become his most favored disciple.

. . .

Sam’s phone lit the way as she took the stairs in twos and threes going down to the basement. It was hard with the shoes her mother had made her wear for this party, but she couldn’t waste the breath to curse. It had been mere minutes since Danny’s tracker went offline, but she was almost down to the basement.

‘There,’ she thought, and stumbled to a stop in front of the door. Panting a little, she checked in one last time.

“Tucker, can you hear me?”

His response came laced with static, but was still understandable.

“Yeah, but not for long. You got what you need.”

Sam pulled a Fenton wrist-ray from the pocket of her dress.

“Always,” she said, and she opened the door.

She turned off her phone’s flashlight and lit her path by the light of the screen. It was harder to see, but less noticeable as she walked into the basement. It looks like Tucker was right. The floor, ceiling, and supporting pillars were all the same gray concrete you’d find in a parking garage. You could even see the lines marking out parking spots, faint as they were through the dust.

There were footprints in the dust, two pairs. Sam sucked in a breath then slowly followed the footsteps, keeping an ear out for anything suspicious. Soon she started to hear the faint noise of people moving around and talking, and see two figures silhouetted against a faint light.

She drew up close to the pair and was about to do something violent when she heard a voice gasp out.

“Danny!”

“Jazz?” Sam hissed out. What was she doing here?

. . .

It was all Danny could do not to bust out laughing. This group didn’t seem to really know what they wanted. They wanted to sacrifice him, to summon himself. Or to have him possess himself, it was hard to tell.

He kinda wanted to see what else they wanted, but he didn’t like the look of those symbols. Just because they didn’t seem to know what they were doing doesn’t mean they wouldn’t do something. He was just about to make himself invisible the moment everyone looked away and hang out to see everyone panic, when he heard a familiar voice. Two voices, actually.

‘Jazz? And Sam? What are they doing here?’ He opened his eyes just enough to see.

Apparently he wasn’t the only one that had heard them. Vlad’s creepy business partner shouted, “Who’s there,” and someone make a high pitched squeak. A flashlight shined at the noise and illuminated three figures.

He could see Sam, Jazz, and Jazz’s friend Spike. Spike had his hands clasped over his mouth, making it obvious where the squeak had come from.

‘Crap,’ Danny thought,’So much for ghosting out of here.’ Spike was looking right at him.

Everyone froze for a moment. Danny held his breath, ready to intervene if necessary, secret identity be damned.

Then Jazz looked at Danny, and seemed to come to a decision. She bolted back toward the stairs, dragging the other two with her. Danny felt a little betrayed for a moment. Was she going to leave him to be sacrificed! Then he realized; she was drawing their attention and giving him an opportunity to go ghost in private.

Everyone started chasing the three teens, so Danny took his chance. He went invisible and changed into phantom, leaving the magic summoning circle. He didn’t go after everyone else though. Instead he went to the elevator he came down in and broke a few important looking wires and cables. He didn’t want anyone to think of beating the three teens by taking the fast way up.

. . .

Sam, Danny, and Jazz met on the steps of the ballroom. Spike had gone home. Apparently he managed to snap a picture of Danny lying in the summoning circle with the old-school film camera he had on him and wanted to develop it tonight. Something about how it was perfect for his project.

Jazz had just finished lecturing Danny on his stupid decision to play along with the guy about to sacrifice him, and Sam had Tucker on speakerphone ready to talk about what just happened.

“So you and Jazz barricaded the door to the stairs,” Tucker said.

“Yep,” Sam replied.

“And Danny killed the elevator?”

“Yep,” Sam said again.

“So Vlad’s creepy business partner is trapped with his creepy cult in the creepy basement of City Hall.”

“You’re three for three.”

“Well that’s convenient,” Tucker says. Danny frowns.

“Why?” he says.

“Because those FBI guys are coming to investigate him.”

As if on cue, a black sedan pulls up to the curb in front of City Hall. Three men come out and start up the steps. The first two are unfamiliar, but Sam seems to recognize them.

“Its the FBI,” she whispers. “You can tell by the shoes.”

All three of them continue up the stairs, and the third one glares a Danny before following the others. The third guy is a GIW agent working under cover at the regional FBI office. They’ve had dealings.

Besides the last guy, none of them spare the three teens a glance as they disappear into City Hall.

“Ooookay,” Jazz says as the door shut behind the men.

“I almost feel sorry for him,” Tucker says

“Who, that Ivan guy? I don’t,” Danny says.

“Did we ever learn why Vlad was working with him?” Sam asked.

“Oh yeah, remember how this guy’s deal is that rare fish?’ Tucker said.

“Yeah.”

“And remember how you told Vlad to get a cat?”

“Ugh, yeah, and he named it after my mom.” Danny made a gagging noise in the back of his throat.

“Well I checked his google history and it was all searches about how to get your picky eater of a cat to eat, then searches of this rare fish . . .,” Tucker trailed of meaningfully.

“You’re serious?” Sam asked with raised eyebrows.

“So it’s all the cat’s fault?” Danny said.

Sam scoffed. “Not the cat’s fault Vlad’s crazy” Neither Danny nor Tucker could refute that.

[olderthannetfic]

Lots of both anons and commenters now saying "oh, I'm sure it's sad when a BNF deletes a wildly popular fic, but no one will notice little old me deleting that silly thing I wrote ages ago".

You're wrong, you're missing the point. Fewer people will notice the loss of a less popular fic, but that doesn't make it any less meaningful to the handful of readers who enjoyed it, and doesn't make it any less important a part of fandom for future historians.

If anything, your fic is probably less popular because it fills a smaller niche; if you're not writing for a rarepair or small fandom, it's likely your writing style or characterization or tone is different in a way that specifically appeals to a small number of readers who can't find it anywhere else.

Your silly little thing from ages ago is important for the very fact that it is tiny and less popular. Even if it's not your best work, even if it's riddled with typos and overall pretty bad. Yes, even that fic, the one you're embarrassed of. It means something to someone. And if it doesn't right now it will mean something to someone who finds it ten or one hundred years from now, and it deserves to exist and be preserved in an archive for that one person who hasn't found it yet.

--

[loadednachosao3]

what I make is WILDLY inconsistent from month to month, which is inconvenient, so it needs to be planned around. I could make $600 or $8k depending on the customers, my health, whether or not I made any content for passive sales recently... my average when you take into account my best customer is about $200/hr, but if I were to just talk to a rando on the phone instead of fucking around with my whale, my rate has me earning about $120/hr. that doesn't include anything extra, like tributes (tips, basically), content buys, or things like that.

that also doesn't mean I WILL make that much just by being signed on. I could wait for hours for a 2-minute call, or I could talk for 3 hours to the same guy and rake in bank. it all depends.

for me, with the niches I've picked, it comes pretty naturally. I've always been a very sexual person, so this career progression wasn't too difficult for me! the hardest part is making sure at the start to learn all the common scams so you can stop yourself from falling for them.

and BOUNDARIES! especially for people who have been socialized not to "rock the boat," it can be difficult to enforce them at first. but you need to be able to do that in this business! even if you market as submissive, stand firm!

but as far as the actual work goes... some guys are more difficult than others because their kinks aren't as familiar to me, or they're really picky, or I need to be tuned the fuck in the entire time... usually though, it's a lot of being mean, laughing at their tiny dicks, and taunting them with my body, which is easy peasy by now!

ok, I guess I lied a bit... when you're independent, there's also the matter of things like marketing, graphic design, audiovisual editing... the clerical work is a SLOG! so be aware if you try to go into it that that's what you're in for. it's a job like any other, so it's not a total breeze!

TAXES TOO!! you have to do them on your own, or get a sex worker-friendly accountant (lots will turn you down if you do 18+ work). so set aside 30% for that (or however much for your area)!

as for its similarities to 1-800-SALAMANCA, I actually based a lot of the content off of my real experiences! I modeled early Nacho off of some of my most annoying customers, lmao. the stubbornness, the hanging up without saying bye, the "you're the Dom, aren't you supposed to tell me my own kinks without me giving you any info???" bullshit, deleting and remaking the account... a little bit of a vent story there, LOL!

now, I don't have as glamorous a career as Lalo, nor do I have nearly as many finsubs. but I've done my fair share of findom before, so Lalo's personality is sort of a mixture of my persona and how I'd imagine him as a character to act! also, the site they use is named the way it is because it's a parody of the site I mainly work on, lmao. but with improved functionality.

I got into it because I had health issues that caused me to quit my vanilla job. I tried to be a freelance writer for a while... what a mistake! I should have gotten right into sex work, then maybe I wouldn't have had to piss through all my savings. I just figured, I like sex, camgirls make money, I'm hot... why not?

alas, camming was a LOT more work than I was expecting, especially with a physical disability! I found out through camming that phone sex was still a thing, and got into that instead. whew! much better! I also create content to sell on several sites. that's good for passive income, which is great on bad days!

as for whether I'd recommend it... I'd say yes, but with caveats. you have to be a certain type of person: firm with boundaries, decently creative, strong stomach, resilient to negative comments and insults directed toward both your body and personality, strong sense of marketing and design (or willing to learn), and the drive to keep going even when it's slow.

what you do NOT have to be: conventionally attractive, allosexual, a nymphomaniac, non-monogamous, white, skinny, cis, big-boobed, attracted to men, completely confident with your body, a total master of everything, into every kink. of course, having some or all of these things will certainly help you (hello privilege), but ANYONE of any sex, gender, color or creed can do this! trust me: there are men attracted to EVERY type of person. and they WILL pay to get what they want (your attention/content).

so I'd say go for it if you think you'd like it, but DO. YOUR. RESEARCH. FIRST! lots of it! you're NOT going to make it big selling feet pics on onlyfans as a total newbie. you CAN make a decent (or amazing) living off of it if you have dedication, creativity, patience, and time, though!

thanks for the thorough questions! let me know if you guys have more!

[becca4leafclover]

IM STUPID I FIGURED OUT WHATS BOTHERING ME ABOUT A MINECRAFT MOVIE

IT NEEDS TO BE A MINECRAFT TV SHOW!

the problem with it being a Minecraft Movie is that movies are a lot more widespread and generalized. There's too much of an audience that will watch the Minecraft Movie, and they're going to be incredibly critical of it because of the way Minecraft works being rather odd to people who dont know it (and there's probably a LOT of people who don't know it, because while Minecraft is the #1 sold game of all time, it's also still a game most people over 30 don't know because its out of their generations.)

If they make a "realistic" Minecraft Movie, they're going to lose their actual playerbase though, because we want Block Game! Yes Jason Mamoa looks like Steve but I think players would riot if there was a live-action Minecraft Movie. But if they make it blocky animation or something, that's too stylized to realistically appeal to the greater audience. Disney 3D animation is one thing, the people and world and items all being made of cubes I think is too much of a stretch.

There's also the method of storytelling- Minecraft, as a game, has no plot. THAT'S THE ENTIRE SELLING POINT OF THE GAME! Any stories told within Minecraft are usually made with interpretations of the player, and often use ideas or mechanics not in the vanilla game (whether that is characters, builds, mods, or just the story itself not following the rules of the game)

And with this I think of Minecraft: Story Mode. Because that game literally was an early prototype of how this can all go.

Now don't get me wrong, I love MCSM! It's what got me into fandom in the first place and everything has gone downhill from there /lh. But the fact is, that 1. the storytelling was, well not the greatest, and 2. it's major plots all revolved with things that are straight up impossible in vanilla Minecraft. (The Witherstorm still is one of the coolest forces of destruction I've ever seen, but imagine THAT being summonable in the Block Game without mods? no way.) Not to mention the portal halls and world hopping, the specially enchanted flint and steel? Or don't get me started on what MCSM S2 was- if there's too much straying from the base game, the nicher the mechanics and genre get, and the more and more portions of the Minecraft playerbase you lose.

So whoever is producing this Minecraft Movie, kind of has to choose which audience they're going to cater to and which they're going to lose: the general greater movie-watching audience, who are probably only willing to tolerate a more "realistic" movie style or typical storytelling experience, or actual Minecraft fans in the blocky format and the general weirdness of telling a story in Minecraft.

BUT!

A Minecraft TV Show can EASILY solve this conflict of genre!

MINECRAFT YOUTUBE AND MINECRAFT ROLEPLAY LITERALLY ALREADY EXIST!

These are wildly successful! When I'm describing Starlighter I literally tell people I help to make a TV show in Minecraft! This is not new! (The entire reason I got thinking about this was a photo of a fan meeting Aphmau, MumboJumbo, Valkrae, and a few more MCYTs I don't remember, in New Zealand where supposedly the Minecraft Movie is being filmed).

Making an official Minecraft TV Show, whether its on Netlfix or Cartoon Network or something else, narrows down the audience they're having to appeal to to an audience that ALREADY ENJOYS NICHE AND STYLIZED THINGS! Cause this can just be treated as a cartoon! I think of Tangled: The Series or the Big Hero 6 TV show that have their big original original format where the characters are introduced have their serious story, but these cartoons are allowed to be more stylized and silly (and yes ofc they have their serious plot but it's not the same as the formality of their full movies) or even The Owl House that had a darker, more grotesque (not in a bad way) style, but was still wildly successful because the audience for it was already prepared for weird new styles and worlds and don't mind (in fact I think a lot PREFER) unique storytelling styles like what Minecraft kind of needs!

I dont know where I'm going with this I just finally cracked the code of why I can't bring myself to be excited about the Minecraft Movie when I think it's going to be doomed, and it's because it's in the wrong format for what it needs. I can't believe they're reinventing the wheel with this JUST MAKE IT AN ANIMATED TV SHOW MCYT IS LITERALLY RIGHT THERE...

[girlfriendsofthegalaxy]

tuesday again 10/17/2023

started explaining why this one is a little lighter than last week's gallery wall behemoth bc of a uhhhh kind of dire week, personally and professionally speaking, but then realized when fic authors do that in front of chapters i don't actually care or require an excuse from them, im just delighted to have a new chapter.

listening

this is a deeply cheesy little folk song but the lyrics "man you name it and if we ain’t got it: we’ll get it" gave me a sensible chuckle.

now for a moment to expound upon houston: they truly have imported every possible food service establishment. the two chains i miss most from jersey, jersey mikes submarine sandwiches and 7-11 gas stations, are both here. i get that this is the fifth largest metro area in the US or whatever but both of these companies are SO niche. absolutely bonkers. spotify.

i think this started autoplaying after a playlist inspired by f/allout: new v/egas came on??

-

reading

i originally had a very mean-spirited graf about the utility of a pool in northwestern massachusetts and the kind of person who can comfortably lose $31k, but it is genuinely awful that there are no rules around zelle. that money goes into a black fucking hole and there's no way to get it back, which is not the case for any other kind of recognized money except cryptocurrency

Did we confront Gary Kruglitz [the pool contractor]? Yes we did. We marched right into his office and grilled him hard until he defeated us with a simple and probing question: What's a zelle? It defied belief, we quickly realized, that a man who had been trapped in technological amber since the Nixon era was running a cyberscam designed to come between us and our money out of an AOL account.

-

watching

Van Helsing (2004, dir. Sommers). this movie is horrible. this movie is terrific. i don't have anything to say about this movie bc i was distracted by equal opportunity tits and asses the entire time. the time of the “Kate Beckinsale in a corset” movie genre is long over but GOD. watched with my sister bc it's leaving tubi soon

playing

one week i will have the energy to try New Thing but until i do it’s genshin. there's a poetry event that has terribly boring minigames, but the story quest has finally tied a bow on a piece of folkore we came across in the very first release so that was fun!

wrapping up some stuff in sumeru bc im running out of map pins, this game has done one of the things i hate most: progress-locking one extremely long and tedious collectible hunt (the music gates) behind another extremely long and tedious collectible hunt (the robots locked in the vines). the next time i see one of those little fucking budget koroks i am going to drop kick it into the sun. what the fuck is the circumference of teyvat anyway. it feels like we have explored so little of this planet's surface

i have graphics turned down pretty low bc of performance issues on my elderly laptop and this is still such a remarkably pretty game. look at this big estuary leading off into the distance

-

making

i wildly overextended myself this week, partially bc im trying to take advantage of this brief post-covid heightened immunity. lot of dinners. lot of late nights. on top of that BOTH of my siblings were in town for unrelated professional reasons this week :) no overlap so we did not have a nice fambly dinner :( but did have pretty okay separate dinners :) if they could learn to fucking communicate their trave plans and the number of peope that will be showing up at my home that would also be pretty okay >:(

one of the party games i played this week asked the question “what could you give a 40-minute PowerPoint presentation on” and i started saying facts about the downfall of the penn central railroad and they very nicely let me continue saying facts about the downfall of the penn central railroad, the largest bankruptcy in US history until ENRON, until the round timer went off.

i have some thoughts about Train Guys and how it's very easy to fall into being a Train Guy, bc there's a very easy template to follow, and there's a lot of Train Guy content, and have i been doing this bc i actually like trains, or bc it's easy to listen to Well There's Your Problem on repeat bc it's familiar and comforting, or do i just really really really fucking hate flying?

who could possibly say.

mackintosh update: allowed herself to be scooped up by my brother (who she met at christmas and loves) but did NOT allow herself to be pet by the strangers in his company. did hang out in the middle of the floor observing tho. a regular little extroverted socialite!

[fozmeadows]

friend: explain the thing you're into

me: so the thing is, these guys all get tracked into it super young, right? like, a few of them start later, but that's comparatively rare, and they train together for years away from their families - away from their home countries, even - under the auspices of organizations that often double as schools, although there's not a lot of oversight, which sadly often leads to cultures of abuse and silence even at the junior levels. they get put through physically grueling training and are wildly undersocialised outside their own niche, because they're all living in each others' pockets, studying and training and working together, and even as kids, they're being taught how to live in the media spotlight once they're older. they make really close friendships, but it's often hard when their friends don't make it professionally or end up with rival organizations, because the fans can be really shitty about seeing them interact in public. they don't get a lot of autonomy around contracts - some are downright horrific - and there's a very real sense in which your organization owns you; and if you get branded a troublemaker for talking about abuse or bad conditions, you can kiss your career goodbye. you're meant to suck it up and keep going through injuries and stress that would lay a normal person out for a fortnight, but despite all this pressure, they really love what they do, and the bonds they form with their groupmates is often at the level of found family. unfortunately, there's a culture of homophobia baked into both the industry and the older fanbase, so globally, there's only one or two pros who are actually out as queer, but the homosociality of it alone gives very queer vibes, and that's before you factor in the enforced proximity, the difficulties in dating, the intricate rituals - it's just a lot, but if you know what to look for, you can pick up what some of them are putting down; though of course, inevitably, you'll end up hearing about shitty straight dudes who've been treating women awfully, too. also, because these guys come from all over the world, but with a majority still from one or two places, you end up with colourism and xenophobia in the fanbase and organizations, which sucks, but at the same time, you get these guys who are bilingual, even trilingual, reaching out to newcomers from their own countries to support them across organizations, with this cultural mixing on a big public stage that you don't often see elsewhere. and outside of their main performances, there's all these behind the scenes shows and interviews where you really get to know them as people, and it sucks that so many of them are considered too old for the industry when they're in their early thirties - the youth focus is a problem - but at the same time, a lot end up retiring early because their contracts run out or the organization flops or due to injuries, and it's like - obviously, there's a lot of problems! but there's something so compelling about it, you know, it just really makes me excited to see how the culture is changing every year - small steps, but significant ones.

friend: are you talking about ice hockey or k-pop

me: ...

me: yes.

[chrononautintraining]

All right! Fine! I’m in! Can you recommend me your favorite fic in the non-hobbit fandom that you post about a lot? I’m not familiar with it all so a fic that explains canon a little more than an a total AU would be best

No biggie if you don’t want to recommend any hahaha just send me on my way with a ‘no’

Yes! Join us! You must be referring to The Untamed, which is a Chinese drama based on a web novel translated into English under the name The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation. It has a lot to recommend it to Hobbit fans! Swords! Legendary monsters! Do you like that scene in the Fellowship of the Ring where the hobbits stumble across the ancient tomb and are almost laid to rest by a barrow-wight, but come out with the Numenorean blades? I have good news about both leveling up weaponry in graveyards and ancient tombs!

If your preferred way to enter a fandom is a fic rec, I have to say A Narrow Bridge by JoLaSalle and FrameofMind is my current favorite. It's a Fix-it-AU that tells most of the early canon through flash back scenes while diverging wildly. I'd say it goes into even more detail than canon about how some aspects of cultivation and demonic cultivation works. Moreover, it has a *lot* to appeal to Hobbit fans. "How do you feel about pastoral novels?" she asked knowingly. Please enjoy two devoted, justice-loving idiots growing radishes in a graveyard, zero feet apart because they are in love.

Okay, so A Narrow Bridge is 700 thousand words. A big part of the appeal of this fandom is how many incredibly writers go for sprawling, epic AUs. There is a library here waiting, if you find you like the blorbos. That said, if you're looking for something a little shorter:

Short and Sexy - if this is what you like in a fandom, my friend, this one has a tremendous amount of well written, niche smut.

River-to-the-Sea Sure by Deastar is ~7k words of heat. This fic is A/B/O, which is not usually my thing. So believe me when I say that it is both extremely sexy and genuinely virtuous. It captures the characters of our main leads and their usual dynamic very well. Interestingly, this is the first in a series of A/B/O Bingo by the author, which somehow manages to keep Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian in perfect character no matter their "dynamic". But the dynamic illustrated in this story is the one you meet with most often.

But the rose was awake all night for your sake knowing your promise to me by x_los is ~8k of magical lovemaking. Very magical. Using tentacles of resentful energy...

Midlength Mysteries - my understanding of the genre is that the typical format involves two cultivators traveling together to investigate supernatural mysteries. Here are some of those.

And I will Call You Home by Spodume 42k of a post-canon investigation into some mysterious deaths. This is an interesting example of the ways the monsters in cultivation novels differ from traditional western Dragons In Need of Slaying, ala Smaug. At its core, this is two investigators working a problem, and one very smart protagonist coming up with an answer. Also, the investigators are in love. Love is the answer.

Vagabond by xantissa is 65k of something similar, equally good, with added undertones of gay culture in ancient china. I really adore this one, but maybe read one or two other stories first so the climax has its full impact.

Look Not With the Eyes by Spodume 28k Classic tropes, truly classic mythological creature, absolutely adorable. Is it kind of cheating to recommend two by the same author? Maybe. Do I low key think you should just start with this one? Yes. Two men travel to investigate a mystery. After a strange encounter, they find that everyone they meet falls instantly in love with one of them. The other is totally not extremely jealous, but works hard to solve the mystery and fix this serious problem.

And once you're in deep, hit me up again! I have a million AUs to recommend.