#you remember when you read it and what the context of that time was?
Explore tagged Tumblr posts
felinalain · 2 days ago
Text
(read more is broken, tumblr whyyyy, so keeping this here for safekeeping)
Condense to: people see our relationship as deviant and dangerous, and the text seems to be suggesting that they’re right. And Eddie himself believes this enough that he’s willing to go kill the symbiote to stop its brain-eating adventures. At the very least, there’s a lot of self-loathing going on here.
BUT THEN
What starts as a big Rambo-style macho showdown between Eddie and the symbiote abruptly halts with Eddie recognizing that the symbiote is doing what it’s doing because it’s deprived of something it needs, that it left him and went on a rampage because he couldn’t love it enough (like in a literal, neurochemical sense), and offering reconciliation and a way to remedy the problem. (Idk, there’s probably some metaphor about internalized homophobia that can be drawn out there.) And then going from being ready to kill it to fighting a million guys to rescue it when it gets captured by evil scientists.
And the way Eddie and the symbiote get depicted in panels together totally changes from the crazy-eyes horror-lighting Eddie of the beginning and becomes very...tender.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
In fact, the way the whole city is drawn changes. Background characters have human faces again, and the exact same relationship that we’re encouraged to see as creepy and weird in the beginning is affirmed as good and right.
Tumblr media
We do a complete 180 and by the end of the comic we have this.
Tumblr media
This was written in 1996. While it’s never explicitly stated, it feels like it depicts the New York City of a just-slightly-earlier era. It’s the ruin of the 1970s fiscal crisis, in which New York was one of the first test cases for policies we now call neoliberalism and austerity. It’s the New York of the Tompkins Square riots, the crack epidemic, a Times Square full of seedy porn theaters. And of course, this is also the New York of the AIDS crisis, and of a very specific image of queer people, particularly queer men, as scary, sick and wrong.
And in this context you have a queer-coded love story in which the two partners are not only alive at the end but find a way to be happy and together on a healthier, more stable basis in which they better understand each others’ needs.
Like...it just hit me in a very particular way as a queer person of a certain age, who wasn’t really old enough to be politically aware in the ‘80s/early ’90s but definitely felt that shadow over the generation of queer folks slightly older than me, who were also the people who introduced me to New York City and remembered it before Times Square was a tourist Disneyland. I know I am hardly the first person to notice and remark on some of these things, but it just gave me a lot of feels, not just about the text which is GAY AS HELL, but about the context in which it was written.
(You can read all four issues of The Hunger for free here.)
fyeah reads venom: the hunger
I just read The Hunger, aka that Venom comic that had all that explicit romantic imagery in it back in the ‘90s, and it is wild. I have…many more feelings than expected.
Like, it starts out projecting this very specific flavor of destructive, misanthropic machismo that I associate with Taxi Driver (which, sure enough, get referenced in the comic). The underclass of NYC (of which Eddie is a part) are literally depicted as monsters and ghouls, and the relationship between Eddie and the symbiote has explicit romantic imagery attached to it, but that imagery is painted as demented and creepy.
Tumblr media
Add to this some pretty heavy queer subtext.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
(continued under the cut because long post is long)
Keep reading
332 notes · View notes
atleastpleasetelephone · 2 days ago
Note
Bde who has a really strong praise kink and gets turned on from it......
A/N: I've combined this request and one for soft dom reader with Elvis together into this story. Thanks for both! Also I love praise kink so I am weaaaaak for writing him like this. I went for 77 BDE for this one.
Good boy
Pairing: BDE x Older soft dom!Reader
Word count: 1.9K
TWs: Age gap (reader is 15 years older than Elvis), praise kink, use of mama in a sexual context, angst, Elvis cries, smut.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
You’re almost a little nervous tonight, though you’re not sure why. It’s not as if he’s going to see you, let alone pick you out of everyone in the crowd. He doesn’t know you’re here, how could he? You’d be surprised if he even remembered you, it’s been so long since you last saw one another. And in the meantime you’ve moved to Charlotte, which is where he’s playing the final date of his tour. You’ve seen a lot about him in the press, read a lot of unkind comments and looked at a lot of unflattering photos. He certainly looks different to the young man you met in Memphis, full of boyish enthusiasm, with his floppy hair and puppy dog eyes. But you look different too. You were in your mid-thirties then, and obviously you’re much older now. Life has been relatively kind, though you’re divorced and you never had any kids, you’ve kept your figure and your hair has greyed in streaks that almost make you look distinguished. Your best friend told you that you should dye it, women of your age dye their hair she’d said, but you don’t care. You’ve never been one for doing what women of your age are supposed to, or you’d never have dated a man 15 years your junior. And you wouldn’t be at a rock concert now. 
When you eventually find your seat you’re much nearer the front that you’d imagined, and when he comes out in a beautiful white jumpsuit with what looks like feathers embroidered on it you audibly gasp. From the moment the music starts and he starts to move you’re captivated, memories of your time together flooding back to you just watching those hips. During Love Me you watch women elbow their way to the stage for scarves and kisses, and suddenly your legs seem to be taking you out of your seat too. You don’t expect to get to the stage in time, or for him to see you, you’re just acting on impulse. It feels a little like he’s hypnotised you, and you don’t have any choice in the matter.
And then he sees you. To begin with, he just sees an attractive older lady, well put together, waves of dark brown hair streaked with white. But as he bends down to ask if you want a scarf or a kiss, there’s something familiar in your face, and he thinks he must’ve met you before. 
“Have we met, honey?” He asks, wrapping a scarf around your neck and using it to pull you towards him, since you’d been too stunned to answer his first question. 
Your brain eventually kicks into gear. “We’ve done more than that,” you whisper, letting him kiss you gently. 
“Is that so?” He’s still trying to place you, his brain is slower nowadays and he’s tired. So tired. But he keeps you there, in the hopes he’ll remember or you’ll tell him. 
“You were my good boy, back in Memphis.”
Elvis is relieved he’d kept the mic far away from you both when he hears those words. He’s hit by such a powerful wave of memory it almost knocks him onto his ass. He blinks rapidly and then stares right into your eyes and you see that he remembers you. He whispers your name softly, and you nod. 
“Don’t go anywhere after,” he says quickly, seeing the sea of women gathering around you. “Someone will get you.”
You spend the rest of the show in a daze, thinking about his lips, the way he looked at you, the words he whispered like a plea. Don’t go.
***
You don’t go and someone does come and get you, and then you’re jammed in the backseat of the car between Elvis and one of his goons. The journey is mercifully short, and he holds your hand the whole time, a little smile playing on his lips. You’re relieved when he takes you into his suite and dismisses everyone else. Standing there in the middle of the room, still in his jumpsuit and belt, he looks both beautiful and incredibly tired. He looks down at you and sighs softly. 
“I-I can’t believe it’s you.”
“I can’t believe you remembered me.”
“Are ya kiddin’? ‘Course I do.”
You smile at one another as you keep standing there, taking one another in. After a few moments you decide to take control. 
“Why don’t you get comfortable? Take those clothes off, have a shower.”
He hums and fiddles slightly with his sleeve. “Ummm, mama…”
Your smile grows at the pet name. “Go on, I’ll sit with you in the bathroom.”
His breath catches in his throat thinking about you seeing him the way he is now. “Ah… I…”
“You want to be a good boy for me?” You ask, your hand on his face as you look into his eyes.
For the first time in a while, Little Elvis stirs at your words. “Yes, mama,” he whispers. 
“Off you go then.”
He nods and walks slowly over to the bathroom. You set the water going and check the temperature, and then sit on the side of the bath as he undresses awkwardly. 
“Your show was so good,” you coo, and he looks up. 
“Really?”
“Mmm yes. And you looked so good in that suit.” 
He lets the jumpsuit fall to the floor and you catch a quick glimpse of his semi-erect dick in his little white stage pants before he obscures them with his hands. He blushes as he asks you if you really thought that. 
Standing up, you put your arms around his neck, tugging his head down so you can whisper in his ear. “Yes, and you look good enough to eat right now too.”
His adorable, bashful smile lights up his face and he kisses you quickly, impulsively. You feel blood rushing between your legs and you smile back at him again. “And if you’re good you can have everything you want.”
He barely suppresses a little moan at those words. Doing what you told him to was one of his favourite things, when he was young and just getting famous. The way you told him how good he was filled him with warmth. He bathed in your praise, all your affirming words and gentle touches, and right now it feels like it’s exactly what he needs, after this long and gruelling tour. Stepping into the perfectly warm shower, he sighs as he washes away the grime of the performance. He finds himself in your arms on the bed, cocooned in just a robe as your nails scratch his sideburns, digging in and making him almost purr. You’re wearing one of his pyjama tops, it’s long on you but you’ve taken your panties off and he knows your bare pussy is under there. He looks at your long legs on either side of him. 
“Mama, you’re so beautiful.”
You kiss his temple as you blush a little at the compliment. You’re not immune to praise either, even though it’s his thing. Knowing he still wants you after all this time is a little dizzying, knowing your age doesn’t matter to him, the time that’s passed since you last saw one another doesn’t matter either. 
You’d discovered his love of praise almost straight away. He was so young and eager to please, and you taught him how to please you in a thousand different ways. An enthusiastic learner, he loved you instructing him, moving his head and then telling him when he’d hit the perfect spot. And the way you spoke to him afterwards. That was probably his favourite part. He would get so hard just from licking you out and you telling him he was a good boy that sometimes he’d cum before you even touched him. 
“Thank you, baby. You wanna make mama feel good?”
He nods quickly, almost scrambling to turn around to face you. You giggle, and the sound makes you feel like a young woman again. Instructing him to lie on his belly, you carefully lift the top up, exposing yourself for him. He groans at the sight of you. He’s seen a lot of pussies by now, but he could still have remembered every inch of yours without looking, he’s mapped it out with his tongue so many times. He crawls closer and his big hands spread your thighs, open-mouthed kisses trailing down the insides of them, just the way you used to like. 
“Yes, baby. I love your kisses.”
He keeps kissing, between your legs now, making you moan. His thumbs spread your lips as he dives in, making out with your pussy like he used to make out with girls when he was young. 
“Oh. That tongue feels so good.”
His hard-on presses against the bed as he keeps going, tongue dipping inside you, nose nudging your clit. 
“Yes, baby!” 
Pleasure buzzes in your veins as he carries on, worshipping you and tasting you. You need a lot to get turned on these days, but he brings back so many memories that you can feel yourself giving in to it. Bathing in the feeling, enjoying the journey. 
Once he thinks he’s got you good and wet, he moves his attention to your clit and slides a long finger inside. 
“Oh!”
“Is it good, mama?” He mumbles against you. 
“So good, baby. Oh you’re so good for me. Fuck. You’re gonna make me cum so hard baby. All over your gorgeous face.”
Another finger slides in beside the first, and he curls them to hit the spot he remembers inside you as he continues to work your clit with his tongue. The way you’re talking to him is driving him crazy, his hips are rutting into the bed just like they used to. 
“Oh fuck… yes…” 
You grab his head, pulling his hair a little as you push him onto your clit harder, feeling yourself teeter on the edge of oblivion. And then you’re moaning, and everything disappears in a blinding flash of light as your orgasm slams into your body. 
He licks you through it, trying to still his hips and stay patient. Waiting for you to tell him he’s done a good job. 
“Oh, my good boy,” you sigh, desperately pulling him towards you. 
You rearrange so his back is against your chest again, your hand on his belly as your eyes close and you savour your dizzying high. 
“Am I still good for you, mama?” 
You slowly reopen your eyes and look down at him, his blue eyes brimming with tears. 
“So good, baby. Best I’ve ever had.”
He turns his head as he closes his eyes again and a tear escapes down his cheek. Your heart aches for him. You don’t have to ask to know that he’s tired, that this wasn’t the life he thought he’d have, that he's just fulfilling obligations now. 
“You want mama to make you cum, baby?”
“Yes please,” he whispers, eyes still closed. 
Reaching down, your hand snakes around him. His breath hitches at the feeling, and he moans the moment you start to move slowly, up and down. 
“You’re so perfect. So gorgeous. So sexy. So good at making me feel good. I love everything about you, baby.”
You tell him all that and more, softly into his ear as your hand works him. Another tear sneaks down his cheek as you touch him and praise him, the feeling in his chest overwhelming. When he finally cums he calls out your name, and more tears spill from his eyes. 
“I love you, mama,” he whispers. 
Wrapping him tightly in your body, you kiss his face. “I love you too, baby. I’m glad we found each other again.”
***
Taglist:
Please let me know if you want to be added or removed:
@vintagepresley @arg-xoxo @from-memphis-with-love @msamarican @blursedblegh @returntopresley @eapep @everythingelvispresley @i-r-i-n-a-a @sissylittlefeather @arrolyn1114 @jhoneybees @cattcb @polksaladava @lookingforrainbows @jkdaddy01 @ccab @epthedream69 @lustnhim @elvisslut @pomtherine @that-hotdog @ladelinee @angschrof @fairybloodsucker @deltafalax @makethemorning @elviswhore69 @ilovequeen978 @wildhorseinkansas @pocketfulofpresley @dkayfixates @iloveelvisss @kxnnxy @presleyhearted @lvrdollep @nebulamorada @iloveelvis2
72 notes · View notes
soupthatistohot · 10 hours ago
Text
BSD Stormbringer Manga Ch. 1: Chuuya as a "Dark Gem"
AKA: I got around to reading the first chapter of the Stormbringer manga and I Have Thoughts!
Tumblr media
A decent chunk of this first chapter is taken up by the gem trade being explained in-depth, which seems a bit... excessive. Even the translator noted as much in the version I read:
Tumblr media
It begs the question of why they spent so much time on this. At least part of the reason is to give the reader an idea of what Chuuya's current role in the Port Mafia entails, providing some necessary context (since timeline-wise the last we saw of him was in 15 and it's now roughly a year later). But I also think it's an extended metaphor for Chuuya as a person (spoilers for the rest of stormbringer ahead).
The part that really jumped out to me was this sequence of panels:
Tumblr media Tumblr media
The first two talk about "dark" gems and how they cannot enter the world of light, which is VERY reminiscent of Kouyou's rhetoric when talking about Kyouka (and herself, as she's projecting her trauma onto Kyouka):
Tumblr media
The third panel from SB also interests me as it claims that these gems are given a second chance, specifically through how the Port Mafia has reshaped them.
In 15, Mori says that only a diamond can polish another diamond, in reference to soukoku -- so I don't really think it's a large leap to make here that the "dark" gems here are a stand-in for Chuuya himself.
If you consider the connection to Kouyou's rhetoric, that follows because Chuuya is under her tutelage at this point in time, she's the one who oversees his work when he joins the PM and arguably one of the people he's closest to in the organization. There's a decent chance that she's told him similar things that she told Kyouka -- that they belong to the world of darkness and cannot be brought into the light.
This is further supported by the fact that one of the central focuses of Stormbringer is Chuuya's past. He has a "dark" past on multiple levels. The obvious being that he was kidnapped and experimented on to become a vessel for Arahabaki, his past is dark because its horrible. But also he doesn't remember his past at this point, so it's dark because it's literally shrouded in his memory -- his "origins unknown" to him.
And so, Chuuya is a dark gem (a black diamond, perhaps) that has been taken in by the Port Mafia. In doing so, he is no longer the street kid he used to be, scrounging to survive with his ragtag gang. Instead, he's been reshaped -- he wears suits now, he's a 16 y/o in charge of the gem trade -- he's been "given a second chance."
Tumblr media
So yeah, basically my interpretation of this is that the allusions to Chuuya's dark past are a kind of foreshadowing for not only what came before, but also what's to come throughout the course of Stormbringer. This story is very focused on the intermingling of past and present, as well as issues of identity and how it is shaped -- is Chuuya a human with free will, or can his existence be chalked up to being lines of code? What bearing does the past have on the present? This is all subtle set-up for these emerging themes.
PS: I don't have any in-depth analysis for this, but the imagery referencing Chuuya's time being experimented on and the clone is QUITE heavy-handed here at the beginning. I'm loving all the intentionality behind the art so far!
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
53 notes · View notes
internetgiraffekid1673 · 9 hours ago
Text
Some Fun Facts About the Wonderlandians from the EAH Books
Maddie and Kitty can hear the narrator, but Lizzie can't. This is because, as queen, it's Lizzie's job to be bossy and bring some order to the chaos of wonderland. She "reminds things what they are when they forget." No word one way or the other on the White Queen, but I'd assume she has a similar problem.
Kitty CAN hear the narrator but spends most of her time pretending not to because:
Kitty does not like being narrated. She actively conceals her thoughts and feelings from the narrator most of the time and they have to guess based on her actions. She does have some tells though, like how she's always thinking about cheese when she licks her lips and looks up. She's also far from infallible and leaves her thoughts exposed whenever she's distracted.
Kitty has also managed to scratch the narrator before, despite them being an invisible bodiless being.
When Kitty turns invisible, she goes to a place called "Between" which is some sort of shadowland behind reality. She describes it as "a little like running, a bit like dreaming, and a lot like swimming." There is no collision In Between---you can freely move through walls and objects---and no significant gravity, since you can float. It also enables you to fast travel (1 step In Between can equal around 50 steps in reality).
It does however, make you feel weird and sleepy if you stay there for too long, and Kitty has an uncle who actually spent so much time Between that he became a permanent shadow.
The Mad Hatter can see Kitty when she's In Between. Or rather, in the words of the narrator: "He's just mad enough to THINK he can, which turns out, is very nearly the same thing."
The White Queen has a poor understanding of linear time, since it isn't linear in Wonderland. Her voicemail message says "I'm busy, call back five minutes ago."
While all three wonderlandians experience intense culture shock, Maddie has it the worst. Kitty and Lizzie are both very aloof and don't really have friends (outside each other and perhaps Maddie), but Maddie is sweet and kind to everyone, and so she has the most chances to experience Ever After's very different idea of manners. For example, Maddie was convinced for years that everyone in Ever After had really bad table manners because nobody had ever started a food fight.
Lizzie has an incredible memory, especially for things she reads, and was able to memorize the entire script of a play within 24 hours.
Lizzie has a deck of playing cards that her mother gave her with advice on them instead of numbers. Lizzie lives or dies by this advice, even when it doesn't make much sense in context, until she goes through some character development.
Sleep magic doesn't work on Maddie because she's crazy enough that her brain assumes a) she is already asleep and reality is just her dreams or b) her dreams cause reality.
Lizzie can build anything out of cards. Literally anything, and almost immediately. It's magical. She's built an entire wall out of them before. I can't remember if she has, but she definitely could build a functional bridge out of them.
All 3 Wonderlandians consider Cedar Wood a friend (best friend in Maddie's case), and would fistfight people for her.
50 notes · View notes
literary-illuminati · 3 days ago
Text
2025 Book Review #4 – Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson
Tumblr media
In the time between first hearing about Malazan and finally reading this, I have seen its reputation peak as The Only Fantasy Series anyone online recommended (long since dethroned by Sanderson), get submerged in the backlash, and finally just seem to fade from discourse entirely. In that time, I have been relentlessly peer-pressured and bullied (affectionate) into giving this ten-book saga a chance. And so, as a project for 2025, I will be endeavouring to get through it. Gardens, if it doesn’t live up to the hype (an impossible ask, really), is at least a very entertaining and engaging piece of sprawling epic fantasy to start it off.
Set in a sprawling, ancient fantasy world Gardens of the Moon is (to generalize and simplify) about the attempts of the Malzan Empire to conquer Darujhistan, last and greatest of the Free Cities, before the simmering discontent among its inner provinces and much-abused legions erupts into full scale rebellion. It is also about the various gods and immortals involving themselves in those attempts, most obviously the immortal (basically) elven sorcerer-lord Anomander Rake and his private war against the empire, but also including between at least two entirely unrelated sets of ascendant demigods and their schemes. The story is told through a whole myriad of different points of view, at least half of whom are fighting for the position of ‘main character’ in the narrative structure.
This is very much Map Fantasy, both literally (there are in fact maps and lexicons included in my copy) and figuratively – which is to say, in both tone and the tropes its drawing upon this is very much Epic High Fantasy in the Tolkeinesque tradition. It is, I’m told, actually based in some way on the author’s D&D campaigns – and if I hadn’t been told, I would have guessed. I cannot remember the last time I read a story where the setting and Lore so obviously preceded and is considered by the author to be as or more important than the particular narrative currently being told with it. Very nearly every single character, setting and concept that’s introduced feels like it’s being re-introduced, having already been the centre of a whole story in their own right in some other book. Which does an excellent job of making the world really feel like it has history, but does also just start to get exhausting at a certain point, and makes keeping track of the actual stakes more than a little difficult.
I want to say I came into this story blind, but that’s not really correct – I knew nothing at all about the story, but I’ve had a friend telling my little tidbits about the lore and metaphysics for years now. This was probably incredibly helpful for my reading experience – even compared to the rest of the genre, this is a story absolutely in love with Proper Nouns, even for fairly traditional fantasy concepts and tropes. If you just go with the flow and let them wash over you until the context clues start piling up I think you’ll probably do okay? But I can’t lie and say already knowing what e.g. a tiste, jaghut or warren was when I started didn’t help.
With that proviso – the series’ whole imposing reputation as impossible dense and indecipherable feels very overblown to me? Even if the exact mechanics of magic and godhood are pretty opaque, (almost) everyone’s motivations and desires are pretty clear and I was never at all confused by what was actually happening on-page or (in the character/motivation sense) why. Aside from the sheer number of POVs and nested subplots, in narrative terms it seems like fairly conventional, traditional (if higher powered and more magic-heavy) epic fantasy. Though saying that, I actually cannot remember the last time I actually read another example of the genre (would Witch King count?), so maybe my memory’s a bit warped here.
The book honestly surpassed my expectations going into it – or better to say perhaps that I had worries that proved to be unfounded. I was anxious going in that this would just be 700 pages of exposition and table-setting for the actual story that would unfold over the other nine books. Thankfully, while there was some of that (Tattersail’s whole arc, especially) you very much do get a complete narrative with its own stakes, climax, and conclusion here. If this was a standalone book, I’d be slightly annoyed at all the extraneous tangents, but it would hardly feel like I’d wasted my time. Which is more than you can say for some series these days.
But not to damn with faint praise - reading the book, I do absolutely get at least some of where the reputation comes from. Everything about the world does just oozes with care and attention, the plots cohere and occasionally compel, there are a number of really incredibly memorable set-pieces, and I actually like a solid fraction of the POVs. It’s probably the best execution of epic fantasy I can remember reading.
The ensemble cast is I feel either the greatest strength or most fatal flaw of the book as a reading experience. I always love the cast-of-thousands feel, but when taken to this level I’m sure a lot of people find it alienating and confusing. Admittedly I probably loved it more than usual here because some of the characters most heavily signposted and weighed down with narrative significance as The Protagonists were also just by far the least interesting or compelling parts of the book (I’m sorry but I simply do not care about Whiskeyjack even slightly, even leaving aside how he spent the entire book making things strictly worse and breaking things for unclear benefit to anyone).
The book’s character writing is unfortunately uneven, at least as far as drives and motivations though. Sometimes it’s interesting and subtle, somethings it sensible but a bit baldly stated and tell-don’t-show, and sometimes it feels painfully obvious when revelations and changes of heart occur on the timetable of the plot rather than the reverse (Captain Paran’s sudden-but-total disillusionment with the empire and willingness to risk life and limb for vengeance on his former boss and join an armed rebellion felt especially thinly justified, for such a major character).
Thematically the book is very interested in tyranny and subjugation, though I’m not entirely sure it had anything much to say about them. The portrayal of the Malazan Empire as this horrible world-eating engine of domination is rather significantly undercut by half of the sympathetic POVs we have being agents or officers of it driven to defection/rebellion by a nefarious usurper trying to purge the old guard who made the empire great (I don’t think a single characters says a positive word about the Empress in the entire book? And her only two loyal agents are positioned as the most villainous actual characters in the whole book). It being so prominent gives the history of the setting an appealingly tragic cast, at least.
Anyway yeah, I have quibbles (far too many words spent on characters making vague pronouncements of undescribed plans, some characters/elements introduced in the climax without real foreshadowing or buildup, for a book with this many POVs it comes embarrassingly close to failing the Bechdel Test, etc) but all in all this quite a really fun read. Looking forward to starting the next one next month.
33 notes · View notes
fivescocoa · 3 days ago
Text
nothing i love more than handing people fics i love, i hope one of these soothes your being 💞💞 apologies for how excessively long this is
i've got 2 complete series to recommend
nine weddings and no funerals by @gluupor Words: 28,578 Chapters: 10/10 (fake dating andreil going to weddings together and having some of the best banter. this is so fluffy and happy and a super satisfying read)
Summary:
Neil's just been unceremoniously dumped by his longtime boyfriend before a busy wedding season where it seems like everyone he knows is tying the knot. Desperate not to look like a pathetic loser in front of his ex, he goes along with a plan to bring along a fake boyfriend to the weddings. Since neither Neil nor his date Andrew are interested in pursuing a relationship, there's no chance that anyone's feelings will be hurt. Surely nothing about this plan will backfire.
new horizons by mapjogger Words: 34,313 Chapters: 14/14 (a perfectly crafted AU where andrew is tasked with helping neil get back on his feet. the journey from them being strangers to having grown beautifully intertwined is so so warm. also their banter is great)
Summary:
Andrew, despite being a felon and general disappointment, is working as a delivery driver and managing to stay out of trouble. Nicky would be proud, except Andrew's boss is Ichirou Moriyama and his cargo isn't exactly legal-- but hey, it's a living. Not a great living, but a living nonetheless. One day, Ichirou offers Andrew a new job: become the driver and caretaker of his newest "asset", the injured son of a Baltimore associate. It's a nine month contract, with all expenses paid. Andrew could use the steady income, and he's had worse jobs before. He can do anything for nine months. Besides, it's not like he can actually refuse.
and now for a handful of oneshots
right side of rock bottom by @littlespoonevan Words: 20,019 Chapters: 1/1 (an oldie but a goodie. truly this fic shaped and expanded the way i view andreil. i was not the same coming outta thing fic its so healing)
Summary:
Neil thinks it might be the first time he’s taken a breath in days. He hadn’t realised it because he’d been so caught up in packing and saying goodbye to everyone but now that it’s over he remembers his self-imposed countdown was meant to be up by now. It’s the end of the school year and five months ago, he thought he’d be dead by now. Instead he has a team and a future and a home and Andrew. (The last two might be interchangeable.) * A little look into Neil and Andrew's relationship after The King's Men where they learn to touch, to talk and to trust.
staff recommendation by @wilsherejack Words: 3,151 Chapters: 1/1 (everything you can ask for outta a bookshop au. this fic nailed everything i adore abt bookworm!andrew)
Summary:
Andrew works at a bookstore. Neil stumbles in during a bad storm.
home by @cloudysonder Words: 2,995 Chapters: 1/1 (one of the best missing scene kinda fics. adds so much emotional context to the post baltimore vacation. not as heavy as you expect, neils lovey and incredibly grateful to be alive. its so good)
Summary:
Neil had never known family. He knew the definition of it in four different languages and knew the word for it in twice as many. He never understood it, and probably never would. But, looking out to what seemed like a sea of people in one room, looking into the eyes and the faces of people who would fight for him, people who he would fight for, and home, in the form of blonde hair and an uncaring stare that was a cocktail of both, he guessed that perhaps it would feel a little like this. --------------- Set in the cabin vacation after Baltimore; drunk, honest, sorta sappy Neil (it's Neil) realizing that he's come home, and hoping, for the first time in his life, to stay. Also: Drunk Neil is excellent at flirting, Andrew wants nothing, and they both give the Foxes heart attacks.
fireproof by @mostlymaudlin Words: 2,097 Chapters: 1/1 (i love some non-serious sickfic, when the characters arent like detrimentally ill just a lil under the weather. andrew doesn't feel good and gets clingy, but feels so in character about it. its so warm and gooey and good.)
Summary:
Andrew gets his flu shot.
blasted also by mostlymaudlin *Words: 2,357 Chapters: 1/1* (dialogue is so good in this, the cutest fic where andreil are silly little guys living their lives. theyre older and happy. very domestic)
Summary:
It’s the off-season. Andrew and Neil get high.
so kiss me by @rekikiri Words: 4,754 Chapters: 1/1 (throwing a curveball, this is jeaneil being forever partners. it's heavier than most of the others on this list because it takes place in the nest with raven!neil. but i would say this is the Fluffiest end of nest content and wonderfully captures the forever partner dynamic, whether you view it as platonic or romantic)
Summary:
“I wish I knew what it was like. At least, if I don’t make it, I won’t die wondering,” Jean admitted quietly, almost too quietly for Nathaniel to hear. He almost hoped that Nathaniel didn’t hear his confession because he was suddenly so embarrassed by his weakness. “What what is like?” Nathaniel asked. Jean didn’t answer right away, hoping that if he didn’t clarify that Nathaniel would drop it. He doesn’t, instead gently jostling Jean in his arms. “What is it?” “Kissing,” Jean finally said. “I saw Kevin and Thea kiss, and I just wish I could know what it was like.”
if i ask for fave aftg fic recs preferably on the softer side of the spectrum (but im not picky) would yall send some my way
108 notes · View notes
marypsue · 1 year ago
Text
I freely admit that this post is more propaganda to try to get people to consider using a book journal than me actually believing that People In General keep book journals, but consider: keeping a book journal.
34 notes · View notes
bigcats-birds-and-books · 5 months ago
Text
Tumblr media
Books of 2024: August Wrap-Up.
Hey, would you look at that, it's suddenly September! Rude and uncalled for. This month, I did a lot of knitting (two sets of gloves and two hats! gearing up for holiday season), and a LOT of writing (finished the first 16k draft of a scene, who???), and read uh. Some. I didn't finish a ton of books, but I did make it through what felt like a ton of pages.
Two-thirds of this month's reading were post-apocalyptic-community-oriented, on purpose, to feed into my current writing project, and that worked really well--either I'm very good at choosing books that match the vibe I need, or my ADHD brain is good at making connections, OR a little bit of column A, a little bit of column B. Photos and/or reviews linked below:
GHOST STATION (pages-out stand-in book pictured above, because I checked it out from the library after canceling my paperback pre-order, which was a good call) - ★★ This was very bad. Bad science, stupid incompetent characters, JUST enough neat worldbuilding to make it FRUSTRATING that this missed so hard. I'm bummed because I wanted to read DEAD SILENCE by this author, too, but I don't trust her now :(
ALWAYS COMING HOME - ★★★★½ Loved this!! Dense and chewy, and it required a lot of patience, but it was very rewarding and I'm really glad I read it. My absolute favorite passage was about scrub oaks, but I posted a few other highlights and tagged them as "le guin posting," if you're interested! If you like Le Guin and/or utopias and better futures and/or huge books that push what it means to Be A Novel, check this out for sure.
ARCHANGELS OF FUNK - ★★★½ So. I didn't realize that this was attached to a few other novels she's already written. And I read it cold (oops). Goodreads informed me that it was Book #2 of Cinnamon Jones, and review-diving indicated that REDWOOD AND WILDFIRE is also implicated in its worldbuilding, but that didn't stop me because I can't read. I would like to revisit this one after I've read those other two, I think, but!: The community and vibes and Making Art At The End Of The World were all immaculate, and the character names made me feel vindicated in some of my own naming conventions (seriously: there's an Indigo in this, and a Game-Boy, and Hawk, I can't make this shit up).
Under the Cut: A Note About ~*★Stars★*~
Historically, I have been Very Bad™ about assigning things Star Ratings, because it's so Vibes Heavy for me and therefore Contingent Upon my Whims. I am refining this as I figure out my wrap up posts (epiphany of this month: I don't like that stars are Odd, because that makes three the midpoint and things are rarely so truly mid for me)(I have hacked my way around this with a ½). Here is, generally, how I conceptualize stars:
★ - This was Bad. I would actively recommend that you do NOT read this one, no redeeming qualities whatsoever, not worth the slog. Save Yourself, It's Too Late For Me. Book goes in the garbage (donate bin).
★★ - This was Not Good. I would not recommend it, but it wasn't a total waste or wash--something in here held my interest/kept my attention/sparked some joy. I will not be rereading this ever. Save Yourself (Or Join Me In Suffering, That Seems Like A Cool Bonding Activity).
★★★ - This was Good/Fine/Okay/Meh. I don't care about this enough to recommend it one way or another. Perfectly serviceable book, held my interest, I probably enjoyed myself (or at least didn't actively loathe the reading). I don't have especially strong feelings. You probably don't need to save yourself from this one--if it sounds like your jam, give it a shot! Just didn't resonate with me particularly powerfully. I probably won't reread this unless I'm after something in particular.
★★★½ - I liked this! I'll probably recommend it if I know it matches someone's vibes or specific requests, but I didn't commit to a star rating on Goodreads. More likely to reread, but not guaranteed.
★★★★ - I really enjoyed this!! I would recommend it (sometimes with caveats about content warnings or such--I tend to like weird fucked up funny shit, and I don't have many hard readerly NO's). Not a perfect book for me by any means, but Very Good. This is something I would reread! Join me!!
★★★★★ - I LOVED THE SHIT OUT OF THIS, IT REWIRED MY BRAIN, WILL RECOMMEND TO ANYONE AND EVERYONE AT THE SLIGHTEST PROVOCATION (content warning caveats still apply--see 4-star disclaimer). Excellent book, I'll reread it regularly, I'll buy copies for all my friends, I'll try to convince all of Booklr to read it, PLEASE join me!!
12 notes · View notes
maxiwaxipads · 8 months ago
Text
Romarriche - “Your company is one of a kind… I would never lie to you. I would never say a half-truth or be quiet.” “What is it in your mind, Merold?” “Hearing your voice, complaint or not—it is music to me either way.” Merold - “If there is one constant in this world… Let it be you.” “You’re the cruelest and the kindest thing that happened to me.” “…If only you continued to look at me like that.” Romarriche - “…Merold?” Merold - “But~ It’s only a minor case of bad-mood-itis.” “So Romarriche, spoil me with a spar, will you?” Romarriche - “Merold.” Romarriche - “Look at me.” Merold - “…” Romarriche - “Is something… Wrong?” Merold - “Instead of a spar…” “I might want to lie down on your lap after all.”
#fragaria memories#merold#romarriche#i wont lie i only had the first line and wanted to write something with it#i was reading this novel and i wanted to write something romantic </3#im gonna babble here on my own so you're always free to skip the tags...#if i remember correctly romarriche and merold were made knights around the same time and I work on that context#i like to think their relationship was rocky at first at romarriche's side who didn't want to befriend merold#compared to merold who thought he finally had a friend his age that was also a knight of fragaria#it was romarriche who looked at merold with a perceived perfection and was compared to him#“...I'll get better and strong. I'll impress everyone so I don't have to hear it--his name repeating over and over again.”#merold who says “if only you continued to look at me like that...” refers back to the past when romarriche didn't think of him favorably#but i like the double meaning to it “please look me as you did before and look at me as you do now”#“cruelest” and “kindest” i was a reading a novel that also used those words so I kinda grabbed from that </3#its really a cute novel though#me reading fragaria memories theories to see if it can at least make sense#i like this but i dont like this at the same time wwww#what does it say about its characters? as a writer i want to care about that because no dialogue should be said without reason#i think this dialogue is perfection but what am i writing this for? who does it refer it? what does it refer to?#but at the end of the day i simply want to indulge myself#something that could sound good and personal and something that could make people who read this smile and myself smile#Merold - “Will you make the promise to never change?”#Romarriche - “Change... But change in what way?”#Merold - “...”#Merold - “Because I'm a knight who fears a lot of things...”#Merold - “And I care about the Romarriche I have now.”#it was never supposed to be detailed but look at me now... </3
13 notes · View notes
sysig · 10 months ago
Photo
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
Special Counseling (Patreon)
#Doodles#SCII#Damned#ZEX#DAX#These are especially funny to me because I remember when I first looked through the gallery and was Deeply Distressed at ZEX like this#I didn't know the context yet so the betrayal was uncomfortable! As intended but unexpected haha ♪#I love ZEX! Why would he do such a thing! Now I know <3 <3 And now I'm doing the same thing! Lol#The thought of ZEX never getting his own body again even for just a night even on the Institute's side ah it hurts#At least he'd finally have visual proof that it's Possible he never even saw Tanaka so for all he knows it was just another ''vision''#But of DAX <3 Of him getting his body back but turning on ZEX about it ough ♥ And the fallout!! Agh!!!#The setups the payoffs <3 <3 <3#I wrote a bit more for both scenarios actually - of DAX actually pointing a laser pistol at ZEX and threatening to kill him#Thus why ZEX is questioning him the next day - was that brainwashing or would you really do that??#ZEX of course wouldn't have flinched at the time - and DAX's motivation either way that this is a fate unbefitting of his Admiral#''He lowered his head feelers in a sympathetic way. 'I can hardly stand to watch you waste away in that form. If you would ask it of me...''#Weh ;;#Can you tell it's a bit inspired by We Do What is Necessary hehe <3#Which btw you've read right it's so good everyone needs to read it <3#Remind me to make a separate post about that one actually I had the oddest reread experience :3c Fascinating ✨#Anyhow lol#I actually like how I've written their next-day meetup after DAX returns to his senses more than I've drawn it hm :P#I think it's a specific line that sticks out to me - VUX communication through human bodies my beloved ;;♥#''He ran a hand down DAX's arm - a poor approximation of the gesture he was trying to emulate but he was sure DAX would understand.#They'd exchanged it enough times before.'' Hhhhhh ❤️💕💖💞💗 ;;/♥ I love them <3 <3#Also forehead touches and holding face and hands and jfdsalkfd the tenderness and loyalty aghhahgah <3#I really like the idea of VUX lacing fingers with each other as a kind of twining/head tendrils holding replacement ♥#The most intense one-eyed eye contact hehe <3
6 notes · View notes
edge-oftheworld · 5 months ago
Text
sometimes you’re having a normal day. then sometimes you meet someone who worked at norwest
2 notes · View notes
pochapal · 2 years ago
Note
Oh yeah, remember to do the Tea Parties and ??? chapters after each episode, they're important.
i have no clue what these things are so instead of thinking about this i will pretend that this information does not exist until the time when i would learn about it naturally. (not trying to be mean or anything but this is skirting very much into spoiler territory! things are more fun when i figure things out/approach them at my own pace and in my own time!)
8 notes · View notes
transbee · 2 months ago
Text
smtimes i worry the way i come off when talking ab Media and things like. story structure, themes, motifs, authorial intent etc etc etc comes across as pretentious but also the world needs more pretentious people. to be quite honest.
1 note · View note
probablyaseamonster · 8 months ago
Text
My paranoid ass, thinking I'm gonna get murdered at any time any time I go outside but even sometimes within the house, getting back into TMA because "nooo, it won't affect me" *pointedly doesn't listen to s1 episode 3 on rebinges*
Goes to the bathroom at 1 AM (the night is the only time I'm actively safe that's my excuse), housemate left the window open (not such an issue now that it's spring), *fucking distorted noise that seems logically to be emanating from a car but is NOT A FUCKING CAR SOUND IN ANY SETTING and also sounds stupidly fictional like a common SFX to boot*
"Ah, so this is when I get killed. They gonna frame this as a suicide aren't they. And goddamnit my hair is doing the anime mom thing I explicitly do Not want to be the fridged trope but I guess my protests were always ignored. I wonder if I have time to write up a will or if they're coming any second"
And being CHILL about that shit-?
1 note · View note
Text
Language Barriers
Based off the idea that Yuu doesn't speak the same language or have the same culture norms in their world!! Got inspired for once
Content Info: GN!, 4.6K words-ish, Fluff/Comedy, Platonic except in Kalim's, Aztec refs in Leonas, NSFW jokes in Heartslabyul, Staff being parents, Trey bullying
Characters: Mozus Trein, Divus Crewel, Dire Crowley, Ashton Vargas, Sam, Riddle Rosehearts, Trey Clover, Cater Diamond, Ace Trappola, Deuce Spade, Grim, Leona Kingscholar, Kalim al-Asim, Jamil Viper, Vil Schoenheit
***
***
Since your arrival in Twisted Wonderland, you have begun to grasp the language and culture of this world. For the most part, at least.
You remember as clear as day when you first arrived, the pure confusion of the Headmage and those around you. Words from your lips were pure gibberish to them. They stared at you like you were an anomaly— and they were right. You are one.
‘Glitchy’ is the term they have used to describe your voice. “It is as though the sound around you warps everytime you speak.” The Headmage— Crowley— said.
The man had given you a necklace alongside an old dorm he housed you in. It was a simple looking necklace. A small mirror charm dangles in the center of it. Subtle enough to not draw attention to it.
It wasn't just a necklace however. It was a translator, a universal one.
The ‘glitches’ from your mouth had stopped and became the strange sounds the natives here spoke. Still, the necklace is just a buffer. Just because you can understand them doesn't mean you know what they're saying.
You still do not know the slang, the culture, the phrases, the grammar. Words still slipped your mind. You swear all you can hear is gibberish at times– and honestly you don’t doubt it occasionally is when students want to mess with you. You still had a lot to learn and there have been many miscommunications along the way. All part of the journey you suppose.
The staff here weren't coddling at all but they were accommodating. They made it clear that they favored no student more than the other. (At least that's what they claim.) But they also understood that holding you to the same standard would be unfair.
Mozus Trein
Professor Mozus Trein was a blessing when it came to learning about this world. His history classes made understanding this place easier. Trein would even give you extra context with his lessons to help you understand the everyday things and universal knowledge that you are unaware of.
His standards for your essays were different. He was no less strict on you but he was reasonable. He could tell that you truly understood the concept and put effort into your papers despite the language barrier and he is not going to punish you for learning.
You would get your paper back with a high grade and a page of corrections with explanations for each one. Why this comma here wrong. Why this was the wrong conjugation of that word. How this sentence could be improved.
“Excuse me, Professor?” You test the words as you speak them, accent slipping out. Trein looks to you from his desk. "Yes?”
“This word here is marked as wrong, but I remember you saying ‘I before E except after C.’” You tilt the paper to him and the older man adjusts himself on seat.
“Let me see here…” Trein paused to read the paper, expert eyes scanning for any potential mistakes. “Ah I see, that word there is an exception. ‘Sovereign’ doesn't follow that rule.” He closed his eyes as he explained and you nodded in understanding.
“I see, so I just have to memorize it. Are there any other words like that?” You didn't like how Trein seemed to frown as he thought about it. He hadn't realized how many there were. “Yes there are. A lot more than I anticipated I’m afraid,” a sigh escapes his lips and he shakes his head.
“I will not hold this against your grade since you have been improving with each assignment. Little mistakes like this will be forgiven so long as they are not repeated. Allow me to adjust your grade accordingly.”
You tilted your head as your B+ went to an A-. A small smile decorates your features. Trein nods to you and hands you your paper back. “There you are then. On to you next class.” You turn to leave but are stopped by when he speaks again.
“You should be proud of yourself, Yuu. You are the hardest working student I've have ever had the pleasure of teaching.” You perked up and your smile grew as you were onto your next class.
Divus Crewel
Professor Divus Crewel’s classes were difficult for completely different reasons. Math and numbers were the same for the most part aside from some minor symbol changes. Word problems were the bane of your existence however. Thankfully Divus can see that you understand the math. He'll often pass you or only take half a point off if you use the wrong equation or misunderstand the question and such.
He also gave you a small private lesson about alchemy as well. Teaching you the basic terms and proper protocols that most students would have learned early in their education. He'd show how to differentiate the effects an ingredient would have by the prefixes of their names or symbols on the vial.
But most importantly he would help you socially. What you should dress like for certain events. The correct way to speak so you could sound like a native. Social cues.
And he would refuse to admit it but you were his prized pup over the rest. He may or may not have slipped you a few perfumes or clothing under the guise of “Crowley not providing enough” or “Taking stress off of you to do better in class.” You knew better though.
After all, how could he play off giving a coat similar to his? It was less flashy and more suited to your tastes. It wasn't obvious to anyone else that you matched him unless they really observed. Perfect to wear in his class.
He's always looking out for you. Making sure you are safe and secure. And should you get injured from another adventure, he is there with a potion in hand.
Dire Crowley
Crowley was the one that gave you the necklace and a place to stay. Though eccentric and a bit well… lazy, you couldn’t deny that this was a good display of his generosity. Even if he does make you work for it.
Crowley was a strange one. He'd gift you some magical object one day and then forget you exist the next. He’d help you with your paperwork for accommodations and then forget to approve of them.
One time he dropped off a stack of paperwork on you to do for him but still left you a huge comprehensive guide that teaches you how to do each one. On top of that there was even a translation card meant to help you. If he put this much effort into these papers he'd be done by now. You assume he made this so he can drop more on you in the future. You swear he mentioned he's doing this to you to ‘prepare you for when you become the new headmage— er headmaster.’ Yeah right.
He'd give you dangerous tasks then become overprotective if any boy dare get too close to you. He'd help with anything but only if you stroke his ego. Yet despite it all he was still, as much as you hated to admit it, generous.
Despite everything, he has taken you in instead of abandoning you in this world. You swear sometimes he acts like a dad to you… When its convenient.
He's so annoying but you can’t find it in your heart to truly hate him. He may get you in trouble, but the moment it becomes too dangerous he steps in without hesitation to protect you and gives you a huge lecture after.
You hope you learn enough of the language to properly scold him.
Ashton Vargas
“Is this really necessary?” You ask the coach in front who re-wraps your hands tightly. “Absolutely it is!” The Coach's booming voice resonates in you as he pats you on your back rather roughly. “Give me another punch.”
You swallow and raise your hands again. You hesitate. “Come on kid you aren't gonna leave a dent in me!” You swallow and swing at his stomach. Vargas was right, he doesn't even flinch as your arm practically vibrates.
“That was a good form! I almost felt it.” A great guffaw rumbles in his chest. “Again!” Another punch, he looks down approvingly.
“Not bad, not bad at all. I sense a lot of potential in you, kid. That's enough for today.” You breathe a sigh of relief as you wipe your brow and unwrap your hands.
“Seems my training regiment is working, you're getting stronger by the day. Still— this on its own isn't enough. You need protein, kid! Lots of it. And you know what a good source of protein is?”
You stare at him for a moment. “Those uh…” the word slips your mind. “Chicken… capsules…?”
“Bingo! But they're called Eggs here Yuu.” Ashton puts a hand on his hip and makes a fist. “You should start with a dozen eggs per day and increase from there. I know that headmage can't be relied on to pay you in time, so I personally will deliver some bulking meals myself!”
“... Why are you doing this for me?” Your voice comes out a bit quiet as you speak. Ashton looks at you for a minute. “Why? Because you’re my student and I want to see you succeed. You got some serious strength hidden in you, and it would br a shame to see it wasted. Besides…”
As he speaks he starts taking down those punchy things, sandbags, you think. “The students here are quite rowdy. I want you to be able to defend yourself, especially since you don't have magic. You have to rely on brawn, Yuu! And I will be the one to awaken it.”
Vargas strikes a pose for a moment before relaxing. “Before you go I need to teach you some vocabulary.”
“Vocabulary…?”
“About your muscles of course!” The coach sat you down for a moment as he went into kinesiology. Micros and macros. Bulking. He broke it all down for you while flexing his muscles to emphasize his points.
“Now off you go Yuu, meet me here same time tomorrow, got it?”
Sam
Sam is a cool dude. You interact with him a lot. He never had an issue when you were first learning to speak. In fact he'd help you find the products you described to him. Of course he'd try and convince you to buy the more premium products but that's just business.
He'd even offer you a gig or two. His shelves don't stock themselves and his shadow friends wouldn't mind some extra help. Just know they can be a bit mischievous. While you were working you'd even get a small employee discount.
Even though your language has gotten better, there is still the occasional mix up.
“Ah, prefect! What can I do for you?” Sam queried while leaning on the counter top, delighted to see one of his favorite customers. “I am looking for… um…” You froze. What was that word again??
“The… white liquid?” You watched as Sam racked his brain for what you meant. “An invisibility potion?”
“No no! It's like… a juice?”
“Ah! I got it! Coconut milk!” The man snapped his fingers and winked. He frowned a bit when you shook your head.
“Wait here.” The shadow man watched as you ventured into the small smack aisle in front of him. Soon you took a bag of beef jerky and pointed to the small symbol on it. “What is this animal called again?”
“That's a cow.”
“Yes! I need the juice from it! The cow juice! What is its name? I forgot.” you perked up and beamed at him, hoping he understood. It all clicked for Sam, and he let out a hearty laugh at the realization.
“Do you mean milk, perchance?”
“Yes! I knew it had that sound! I need milk!” Sam chuckled again and waves his hand, sending a small shadow to retrieve some. “By the way would you be down to do some work tonight?”
“Tonight? Yeah, I can always use some extra cash.” The prefect was always so easy going. Guess they had to be in a place like this.
“Good. I'll apply your discount right now then!”
Heartslabyul
Your favorite Heartslabyul members have invited you to join them. Another Unbirthday party was to be hosted and the stars aligned today for the whole deck to help with the baking. It felt nice to be with them. They were like a family in a way, being with them felt like home. Alongside baking, there was some cooking being done too.
“Geez you really do like your eggs, huh?” Cater asked the spade who stirred his chopsticks with precision. He is determined to make the perfect tornado omelet.
“Oh you have no idea.” Ace tsked. “Whenever we go out to a restaurant it's the only thing he orders.”
“Not true!” Deuce's interjection wasn't as strong as it usually is, much to focused on his creation. “Yeah only if they dont offer any.” Ace retorts.
“Grim, it is unsanitary to touch the batter,” Riddle breaks up the impending argument to chide the direbeast ‘helping’ him stir, “Trey how many egg yolks do I add?”
“Three. You sure got it Riddle?” Riddle pouts a bit. He knows he got a shell in the batter last time but he's trying! “I'll get it right this time, you can count on it.”
“Ooh, give the egg whites to Deuce if you aren't using them!” Deuce mutters a thank you to Cater as he finishes up his omelet. “Does anyone else want one?”
No’s resound across the kitchen aside from you and Grim which makes Deuce smile. “Alright, what kind do you want Yuu? I'm still unsure on what kind you prefer.” Deuce looks a little embarrassed at not knowing despite how long you've been friends.
Before anyone could tease Deuce, Trey asks the worst question he possibly could without knowing. “Actually how do you like your eggs in the morning, Yuu? I rarely see you eat breakfast in the cafeteria.”
You pause for a moment, the pan you were greasing slipping slightly. Then you chuckled. “That's very bold of you Trey, I never expected you of all people to say that… But judging by everyone else's reaction, I assume it doesn't mean anything here?”
“Oh? Does it mean something different where you from?” Riddle asks, looking over at you. “It does actually.” Cater looks up from his phone he was reading the recipe from, noticing your amused expression. “What else could possibly it mean though?” You hold in a laugh. Perhaps this wasn't the best time to bring it up but you can't help it.
“Is that so? I sure hope I didn't say anything offensive. What does it mean?” Poor Trey; he chuckles as he decorates one of the finished cakes not knowing the storm that's brewing.
“You essentially just propositioned me in front of everyone.” The whole kitchen is silent as they stare at you. Trey looks flustered and confused out of his mind as an abundance of frosting squirts out of the bag. “I… pardon?”
Ace speaks first “Huh?! How does that make sense?”
“Proposition? What does that mean?”
“Don't worry about it Grim.” says the diamond. “Still that seems far fetched, it's rude of you to mess with Trey like that you know!”
“I'm not lying! It's actually what it means!” Trey is adjusting his glasses now, embarrassment growing. Riddle looks horrified, trying to find his words. He's trying to rack his brain for a response before deciding to ask about it. His voice comes out a little hesitant and unsure. “Are eggs part of some sort of courtship in your world…?”
“Um… sort of..?” At your words Deuce pales. Ace takes this opportunity to be a little shit per usual. “Wow! Seems like you have a chance then, Deucy!”
“Oh shut it Ace! Wait, have I been propositioning you this whole time?!” His face is red and he's hiding in his hands. He has offered so many egg dishes over the years. Oh God he must have made you so uncomfortable— this isn't what an honor student would do!
“I still don't know what that means…” Grim grumbles.
“No no! Offering eggs is fine, it's just that particular phrase has very different connotations in my world.”
Ace is snickering at the whole situation, but especially at Deuce’s panic. He's also just as confused, however. Trey finally has the courage to speak. “Um, how exactly does that mean…” He trails off, defeated. “I'm sorry Yuu, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable…”
“You didn't. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to tease you too much…”
“Okay, but how exactly does that mean that?”
“Yeah I'm with Cater on this one…” Ace adds.
“Enlighten me.” Riddle puts his hands on his hips, morbid curiosity getting the better of him.
“So… When someone asks that they essentially mean to say they're gonna invite you to spend the night with them and cook you breakfast in the morning.” Trey looks even more embarrassed but so does Riddle.
“So it's a sleepover? That's it?” Grim asks just to be waived off by Cater again who vibrating with laughter.
“That's a pretty convoluted way of asking…” Deuce looks to the side, also a little flustered. “Yeah it makes no sense for me either, and I'm from that world, but that is what it means…”
“Wow so Trey really is bold!” Cater snickers as Ace joins in with a “I never knew you had it in you.”
“Enough with this vulgar talk!” Riddle commands, clearly demanding the conversation to be over.
“I am never gonna live this down aren't I?”
Leona Kingscholar
I am gonna nerd a lil abt aztec mythology rn and I'm not apologizing
Herbivore is what he called you. It was meant to be an insult but you never took offense. There is no other creature that fights harder than prey that is fighting for their life or backed into a corner. If anything it was a compliment. You've seen how hard they can fight.
Yet today Leona took the title further. “You are honestly like a little rabbit. All this confidence and attitude, yet harmless.” You raised a brow at him. “Thank you.”
Leona's eyes shift ever so slightly. “You're taking it as a compliment?” You tilt your head. “I assume rabbit in this world is synonymous with fragility here…? Odd. They're a symbol of warriors back in my world.”
“Is that so?” Leona speaks boredly, but he doesn't excuse himself or tell you to shut up. “Yeah, rabbits are these mighty warriors that are completely invincible. Children of one of the 5 sin gods too. Nothing can kill them. Centzon Tōtōchtin are no joke. Odd how they're considered weak here.”
You think for a moment. “But they are known to be constantly drunk all the time and play around, so I guess that could be an insult…” Leona just rubs his head. “Take it however you want…”
Kalim al-Asim
“Look at all the stars!” Kalim exclaims, pointing up at the sky. He lands his carpet along the sand dunes, eyes full of wonder. He then looks to you with bated breath, waiting for your reaction.
“It's beautiful…” You whisper, overlooking the patterns of stars decorating the night sky. It was straight out of a painting, vast and whimsical. Kalim was glowing at your happiness. “Aaah, I'm glad you like it! I was hoping you would!”
You lean back against the ground. Shooting stars dart across the sky along the twinkling lights in a beautiful display. Your eyes land on the moon, admiring how different it was from your own.
“The moon looks beautiful tonight, doesn't it?” You freeze for a moment. “Haha, careful saying that to people from my world Kalim, not that you'll be running into anyone else from there anytime soon…”
Kalim looks over to you, brows slightly furrowed. “Eh? What do you mean?” You look back up the moon again. “Saying ‘the moon looks beautiful tonight’ where I’m from means I love you.” There's a moment of silence as Kalim ponders.
“Well then the moon looks beautiful tonight! I love all of my friends!” Kalim grins at you, fist pumped to his chest.
“It's not like that, Kalim. It's for romantic feelings. Funny, since coming here I've had a lot of experiences that would be considered flirtatious in my word…” You laugh a bit before a small frown appears on your features but Kalim snaps you out if it.
“So what you're saying is… it's a love confession?” His eyes are glimmering, the moon reflecting on them beautifully.
“You got it.”
“Then the moon looks beautiful tonight.”
Jamil Viper
So in TWST the languages aren't called the same thing in our world but I couldn't figure out the language of the Scalding Sands so I made one up. Can be a psuedo-prequel to my other fic Missing Yuu. It can be read here!
“Your Arabic is so similar yet so different than my world's version” Jamil pauses his mumbling and hums in question. “Arabic?”
“It's a language where I'm from. It sounds very similar to yours. Like I swear it could be some sort of dialect of it.”
“Scaldic, you mean?” You nod looking over at him from where you lay in his bed. “Is that what it's called? It's a pretty language.” Jamil messes with the stereo in his room, taking out an old CD and browsing for another he wanted to show you. “Maybe once you get more comfortable in this language, I can teach you a bit.”
“That would be lovely, thanks Jamil” As the sounds of shuffling continue from his search and you absentmindedly mess with your necklace before sitting up. “Wait! I know!”
Jamil perks and turns to you, watching as you start to take off your necklace. “Here put this on, you've shown me so much music from your world, let me show you some from mine!”
You offer the necklace over, shaking it a little for encouragement. Jamil takes it gently and examines the necklace. He lifts up his hair and slips it on, feeling a warmth on his chest from where the mirror lay.
You speak, and Jamil braces against the weird feeling of the necklace warping your glitched gibberish from your throat into his native language. “Can you hear me?” The words echoed in his head a bit. He took a moment to fully process them as they reverberated in his head.
He almost replies in his native tongue, but the amulet compels him to speak another language. Your language.“Yes, I can.” He replies, slurring a bit as he feels his words echo and warp. Strange… he knows what he's saying but he can't understand it.
“You have an accent, well that makes sense…” You chuckle a bit as he sits beside you, taking a moment to adjust to the sensation. “I never thought about how the enchantments on these worked. I assumed that it would be instant. Is this what it's like for you?”
“Crowley said it would probably be different for me cause I'm not from this world. See why I ask you to repeat things all the time? … thanks for not getting too annoyed with that by the way.”
You tap away on your phone for a moment. “Here we go, I got some songs in Arabic for you, look.” Jamil watches you press play and takes in the music. It was ethereal, so different yet so similar to his worlds. Uncanny yet compelling. Then the lyrics start and he furrows his brows.
“It really is like Scaldic.” he replies, closing his eyes. “Its like if I focus hard enough I can hear it in my own language, but I cant.”
“See what I mean?” Jamil nods. “I think I'm picking up some words though, but there's no guarantee the meaning is the same.”
“Yeah it's how I feel all the time here… its frustrating at times. Oddly enough there are some words that stay the same, mostly food for example. Like mahalabia or horchata for example.”
“Huh, odd how that works…” the music coursing through his body invigorates him. He can imagine all the potential ways to move to this.
“Yeah. And it's the same dish too— well sort of. It tastes so similar yet so different. I miss my world's food, but I'm slowly forgetting the taste of it. Its just vauge memory.” Jamil peers over to the saddened expression on your face. He never even considered that part of being from another world.
“... How about we listen to your music while cooking, then? I'm sure we can make something that tastes like home.” Your face brightens. “That sounds nice.”
Vil Schoenheit
“Thank you for putting up with my accent, it must be annoying to deal with.” You sip on the tea he offered you, trying your best to abide by the manners in this world. Vil merely looked at you.
“It's not annoying at all. Your accent is fine just the way it is.” He almost seemed disappointed by the insinuation.
“Ah… Sorry I just saw that Epel’s usually not allowed to use his accent around you, so I assumed I shouldn't either.” Vil sighs.
“That's different. You have already proven yourself strong and beautiful enough to be who you are. Epel on the other hand needs to learn to accept himself for who he is first before he can truly be the person he wants to be. He must prove to me he can love himself as he is. If I hated accents, I wouldn't have let Rook speak in his."
“Ah I see… Thank you.” It wasn't everyday that you get praise from the Vil Schoenheit. “Your speech has improved, though I may point out there are some words you may need to work on. Your accent may make it sound like you are talking about something else entirely. Hmm…”
You hold your breath as he thinks. “I want you to grow into the best spudling you can be, so how about you take voice lessons from me?” Vil seems to smirk at your surprised expression. “From you..?”
Vil nods. “Yes. This way you can grow more confident in your speech and vocabulary. That voice of yours is beautiful, it just needs to be tuned.” You look at your tea then to him. “I accept.”
4K notes · View notes
prokopetz · 7 months ago
Text
I'm not gonna claim that most Tumblr polls are anything like rigorously structured, but I've seen a lot of folks rather smugly asserting that having a "not applicable" option that ends up dominating all other responses is evidence that the person who created the poll is incompetent, and y'all: under the specific circumstances in which these polls are constructed and distributed, that outcome is evidence of good poll design, not bad poll design. Yes, even when the "not applicable" responses outnumber all other responses ten to one. There are several reasons for that:
At the time of this posting, Tumblr polls have no "see response" button. The only ways to see a poll's distribution of responses are to wait for the poll to conclude, or to respond yourself – and not only are people on social media typically curious and impatient, many of them also know that there's no way they'll remember to check back later once the poll has concluded, so in practice, their opportunity to see the results is now or never. Adding a little note to the poll insisting that people who aren't part of the targeted demographic should refrain from voting isn't necessarily going to restrain that impulse. Indeed, it may end up encouraging folks who otherwise wouldn't have picked a random result-revealing response to do so, because fuck you, don't tell me what to do.
Many respondents genuinely won't realise they're not part of the targeted demographic until after they've voted. It doesn't matter how much text you add to contextualise the poll, because they'll read the poll first, and if they read the accompanying text at all, it's only after they've responded. Heck, a lot of folks don't even bother to read the question before responding to a poll; they just start going down the options and reflexively click the first one that seems like it might apply to them, then go back and read what was actually being asked (and complain in the notes if it turns out that they misunderstood). Even a well-meaning person can only comply with instructions they've actually read; for those folks, clicking the "not applicable" option is what compliance looks like.
Even folks who do fit your poll's targeted demographic can fall prey to the imp of the perverse. Giving the most accurate response rather than the most entertaining one can be a real struggle for a lot of folks; in scientific analysis of polling data, this is known as the "mischievous responder bias". In an informal setting like Tumblr, it's reasonable to suppose that the mischievous responder effect might be exaggerated compared to polls conducted in more formal contexts, and a well-designed poll is going to take that into account. A humorous "not applicable" option provides an escape by affording folks the freedom to screw around with the knowledge that they're not polluting useful data by doing so; in practice, the "I am a toaster" option is a mischievous response filter.
What this adds up to is that a poll where 90% of the responses hit the "not applicable" button is more likely to have yielded useful data than a poll with a narrow target audience where some unknown percentage of the responses represent folks not reading the instructions, clicking random options to see the results, and/or taking the piss.
3K notes · View notes