#some of it i really think is after effects of the two big crashes like with so much worry and uncertainty writing is HARD

[joutsummer]

.

[keferon]

Ooo Prowl deciding to snoop or bug the mecha scientists about how various ones work so that he can better figure out how to keep pilots from getting killed in the field, and Tarantulas being one of the only to actually show him the work plus talk possibilities once the mad scientist realizes that Prowl’s actually listening and genuinely paying attention.

Cue an increasing back and forth of Prowl coming by with new ideas for ways mecha abilities could be advanced for safety or protection, with Tarantulas consistently being the only one to figure out how to do the impossible work needed with their Earth materials (and scavenged Quintesson materials?).

Which then gets pushed even farther as Prowl gets more and more desperate with every death and puts himself front and center for Tarantulas to use as a test subject for their new ideas. Tarantulas’ questionable morals not seeing any problems with potentially dangerous or unstable upgrades bc the science is simply fascinating + Prowl really wants to do this clearly so who is he to refuse. Like Tarantulas is gonna make sure Prowl doesn’t die from such things, he likes having him around too much, but if the side effects are within a certain (dubiously safe) threshold then he’s not gonna exactly mitigate them all that much. (Upgrades for other mecha & pilots might be. A bit less safe comparatively. Tarantulas has a soft spot for Prowl and Prowl alone of course)

Eventually Tarantulas is bringing even more wild and dangerous ideas to the table, and bc of years of results and… companionship, one could say, between the two, Prowl is almost completely trusting with whatever Tarantulas brings to the table after only a quick (and maybe not entirely honest sometimes) rundown.

Which obviously has lead to an increasingly questionable state of Prowl’s general health. Not that Prowl would care as long as he’s able to pilot his mecha and do his job.

As well as increased isolation from many others somewhat encouraged by Tarantulas as Prowl focuses only on his pilot work and being around Tarantulas for brainstorming sessions or upgrades. Withdrawing from many around the base as a defensive measure so he doesn’t get overwhelmed if something goes horribly wrong out in the field- grief could get in the way of directing or helping others to safer situations after all. And this being the way things are for a long while.

Until a certain visored bot crashes into the tactician’s life.

OH MAN IMAGINE

Jazz doesn't want everyone to know that he is secretly tiny because he is shady and sneaky like that. But also his armor is too big to fit in corridors so he can't really follow Prowl everywhere. Including the labs~

So one day he decides that "fuck it I wanna know more" and hacks into security system to look though cameras footages right. And he finds the ones that placed in the labs and discovers the fucking HORROR that regularly happens there.

Bonus points if he doesn't realize that the reason Prowl does all this is kind of. him. Jazz.

He looks at Tarantulas and thinks there must be some kind of shady scheme involved. He thinks that Tarantulas is somehow forcing Prowl to go through this shit.

While the real reason is just. Prowl lost his previous partners. He doesn't want to lose the new one. He is afraid he wouldn't be good enough to keep Jazz alive and Tarantulas is very conveniently here reaching his hand and promising that "You can be better at protecting him and keeping him alive. Sure thing you can save him you just need to let me do a couple of tweaks and upgrades~"

[avelera]

thesis about the sea peoples you say? may i request an infodump about the sea peoples?

Heya!

So, basically in college (undergraduate) I got really obsessed with the questions around the Collapse of the Aegean Bronze Age, mostly because I wanted to set my big Magnum Opus historical fiction novel in that time, and the deeper I dug into the rabbit hole the more it appeared that no one, absolutely no one, actually knows why the civilizations around the Mediterranean all fell from a state of pretty sophisticated internationally-trading civilizations to literal Dark Ages (all except for Egypt which was substantially weakened and never really recovered), all at once around 1200-1100 BCE.

The Sea Peoples are the names of the only contemporary (Egyptian) account we have that names who might have been responsible if this collapse was due to an invasion. It's a popular theory because a viking-style invasion is a much sexier reason for a civilization to collapse so we all gather around it like moths to flame. But the thing is, there's a lot of contradictory evidence for and against and shading that hypothesis.

Suffice to say, literally no actually knows what happened and almost every answer comes up, "Some combination of these things, probably?"

But what makes the Collapse even more interesting from a modern perspective is that if there was a historical Trojan War (and I think there was) as fictionalized in the Iliad and the Odyssey (and Song of Achilles, for the Tumbrlistas), then it would have taken place within a generation of the entire civilization that launched the Trojan War crumbling to dust.

So like, if you're Telemachus, your dad Odysseus fights in the Trojan War, some even manage to get home, and then like... everything goes to shit. Catastrophically. And doesn't recover for 400 years.

Seriously, they lost the written word, like how to actually write things down and read them and it took 400 years to get it back. That's how fucked shit got during the Collapse of the Bronze Age.

So my thesis was asking: what if these two things were related? What if the Trojan War either led to the Collapse or it was part of the Collapse or it was a result of the Collapse? Because the timeline is so unknown and muddled that it really could be any of those and again, that's if the Trojan War isn't entirely fictional (which I don't think it is, but many academics disagree, it used to be a whole thing up until Schliemann dug it up, and many doubted it was ever a historical event even after that.)

Ok, so at the risk of writing 75 pages on this again, let me just say:

My conclusion (more of a hypothesis proposal ultimately since there are so many gaps in our knowledge) was that the Trojan War took place before the Collapse of the Bronze Age. But, it might have been launched in response to a wider breakdown in trades routes and resources, causing the Greeks to launch the campaign basically as a bid to replenish their own coffers because they were getting squeezed by what they didn't know was the first rumblings of a global domino effect.

Therefore, since taking out Troy didn't solve those larger trends and forces, they all went home and then got slammed by the REAL problem, which was all the people who had been displaced from further away by this rolling drought or invasion or whatever that was disrupting these delicate international trade routes.

But the Greeks might have been part of the Sea Peoples too! Our only record of the Sea Peoples is from the Egyptians in a highly propagandistic text which makes them sound like this big fearsome foe but that might have been because saying, "We slaughtered a bunch of desperate refugees at our border who were looking for shelter," didn't sound as cool. If the Greeks (or Achaeans or Ahhiyawa) got swept up in this slow-rolling collapse/displacement of people, then they absolutely could have been among those refugees who crashed against the shores of Egypt.

A lot of my evidence was based on looking at how Troy was sacked (it was stripped literally down the nails and there was a lot of evidence of a long-term siege, like what we read about in the Iliad) vs. how Mycenae (Agamemnon's city) or Pylos (King Nestor's city) was sacked, where they were burned and stuff was stolen but they weren't stripped, it looks more like a standard looting hit-and-run type thing. Which led me to believe that it was different turmoil that rocked Mycenae and Pylos than what led to the sacking of Troy, despite the fact these things happened within about 20 years of each other. (Helen being a made-up reason for a resource-driven war would only be the oldest trick in the book, as far as propaganda goes, after all.)

But really, the craziest detail I'll leave you with is: we just don't know! And then it gets weirder. Because the Hittites fell at the same time so the Hittites scholars say, "Nah, the Sea Peoples weren't Hittites, they were probably Greeks." And the GREEK scholars say, "It wasn't us, it was probably the Hittites or someone else. " and the EGYPTIAN scholars say, "Yeah it was someone north of Egypt, maybe the Hittites or the Greeks." and the LEVANT scholars say, "It wasn't from the Levant, we know what was going on there, it has to be from somewhere else."

Literally every single possible source of the Sea Peoples has the scholars who specialize in that location saying it's not them and it must be the guy next door.

It's maddening!

And then there's a big ol' gap around Bulgaria and the Black Sea because, oh yeah, the Soviet Union forbade archaeology in those areas to quash any local pride so those places that were behind the Iron Curtain are decades behind on scholarship that would allow them to say, "Oh hey, it was actually us! Yeah, the invaders came from Bulgaria and got pushed down by a famine." or something to that effect.

We also have some histories from the time saying that the Sons of Heracles returned not long after the Trojan War to lay Greece to waste! And it's really evocative and sounds like it fits what we've got of all these burned cities that happened right after Troy fell! Except that's in doubt now too!

The latest theory is that it was climate change that led to a massive drought. You can read about it in the latest and most popular book on the subject, 1177 BCE which I highly recommend because if it had existed when I wrote my thesis, I wouldn't have had to write it.

But I disagree with the conclusion! Or rather, I'm skeptical. Because very decade, the problems of the day have been hypothesized as being the cause of the Collapse. Like, in the 60s, there was a theory that maybe it was internal strife around a labor strike, like the French Revolution. And y'know when there's a world war, they think it's an invasion. And there was a theory that it was 'cuz of an earthquake (I think that one is nonsense, Mediterranean civilizations famously bounce back quickly from earthquakes.) And now that climate change is on our mind, I'm a little weary to see that it's the new theory because it feels way too much like we're just projecting our problems onto this giant question mark.

Was climate an aspect! I think so! I think it might have contributed to the break down in trade routes that made everyone in the Mediterranean really stressed out and hostile and warlike and led to a lot of displacement. I'm not sure if it's the only reason though and I think the book just kinda reiterates everyone else saying, "I think it was this but in the end, we just don't know, and it was probably a lot of things." which we've known for ages so it's just repeating all the same conclusions. *sigh*

... Like I said, I wrote my thesis on this so yeah, I could go on for a while lol.

[starlighthosh]

My favorite flavour - c.sc

Pairing: seungcheol x fem!reader

Warnings: fluff, a lot of smut, MDNI!!, switch!reader, switch!seungcheol, big dick!seungcheol, oral (m.receiving), unprotected sex (stay safe y’all), dirty talk, both very needy, breeding kink, degradation, swearing, a bit size kink, kinda voyeur, reader is a tease

Content: today you wanted to test how long it takes for Seungcheol to snap at your provocations. Sadly for him, the other members were around. But after taking the right opportunity, he finally gets what he’s been wanting.

You loved cherries. Everything inside your apartment was cherry scented. Your parfums, shampoo, lip balm, skin care, even your drinks. The fruity and sweet taste left you feral every time you smelled or tasted it. You also call yourself the ultimate cherry lover.

So now, it only makes sense that you also started dating a cherry. The biggest one ever, literally. And his name was Choi Seungcheol. Since you’ve met him, everything changed for you. Suddenly you weren’t that independent strong woman. Well, you still are, just not with him. The way his big beefy arms hug you while your head rests on his breathtaking chest. It all made you loose your mind step by step.

Oh and the sex, yes it was amazing. More than that even. The way he manhandles you in the position he wants you in. Whispering sweet nothings to you while fucking you into another timeline. Everything was perfect. You were his. Truly.

But you also had a different side to you. Most of the times Seungcheol was on top, treating you like his own playdoll. You loved it, of course. On some days though you just wanted to.. test his limits. And today was one of those.

You two planned on spending the day with the other members and also inviting them to your home afterwards. Not all of them agreed due to schedules, but you still had a lot of fun together.

Well, you did. Seungcheol looked like he was about to crash the fuck out. The whole day you’ve been teasing him with all kinds of stuff, knowing exactly what effect that has on him. From putting on his favorite red top and wearing the cherry parfume he bought you for your birthday (one of a lot of gifts), to secretly grinding on him, feeling the giant bulge against you ass. And all he could do was nuzzle into your back to hide his need from the other members.

“Hyung, are you okay?” Dino asked sitting next to him.

No he wasn’t. His face was burning red, eyes glassy and under the pillow a big fat cock waiting to be freed.

“Yeah” he said. Not even looking at Dino. But hold on. This is the perfect chance to finally making them leave.

“Actually, no” “no?” Dino looked at him with surprised concern. Seungcheol looked over to you and you knew exactly what he was thinking.

“No, I’m kinda feeling a bit sick right now. I think I need to get some rest” haha rest my ass. The following hour will have nothing to do with resting.

“Alright, then I think we should leave now. It’s also getting late. Come on guys” all of them stood up and hugged you a goodbye.

You didn’t even fully closed the door yet and suddenly you’re pressed against the wall. Seungcheols lips on yours, his body completely surrendering you. The kiss is filled with so much need, desperation and whimpering.

“You were really testing me today” Seungcheol breathed in between the make out session. “I wanted to see how much you can take before you snap and fuck me till I can’t walk anymore” “God, I fucking love you”

The next second you’re both split naked on the couch. You on top of him grinding down to his arousal. Seungcheol can’t help but moan while sucking on your nipples and marking your ass with his grip on you. “Baby, I can’t take it anymore. I need you so bad. Please” he looks up at you with furrowed eyebrows. “Oh, poor little baby. Then let me take care of you”

You slowly make your way down to him, kissing from his jaw down to his neckline, his abs, leaving wet kisses all over him till you reached his cock. It was red and covered with pre cum, glowing with arousal. And also, it was so so big. You could cum just by the sight of it.

With one more look up to his needy face, you take him in your mouth. Normally you start with just the tip, already filling up your whole mouth, but since you were feeling a little funny today, you took all of him. All at once. He let out a surprised moan, already trembling by your touch and the warmth of your mouth. “Fuck baby, you’re absolutely out of your mind”

You slowly start bopping your head, each bop getting faster certain to make him cum real fast, so you can finally taste that beautiful dick not just inside your mouth, but also in your dripping pussy. He certainly was so big, tears streamed down your face. But stopping? No, never. That dick was your favorite. If you could, you would suck him off every free second, just tasting the sweet juice that comes out of him. You could swear it also tasted like cherry. Your favorite flavour.

“Shit.. ah.. I-I’m gonna cum baby” his moans became progressively louder. The way his dick was twitching in your mouth and his grip in your hair became harder, told you he was close. So it was your time to make sure he feels every second of it. You went even faster, massaging his balls, moaning around his cock. Yeah, you were the only one that could make him feel like this.

It only took one more look up to him, catching his eyes and he came straight into your mouth. The room filled with his pretty moans and his whole body shaking. You continue sucking him, making sure you get every drip of liquor. After you finally free him, you take one of his hands and wipe off some cum in the corner of your mouth, sucking on his fingers. It just tasted so god damn good.

He kissed you again, tasting himself on your lips and he could cum again just from that. “Okay you had your fun, now it’s my turn to make you feel good” Seungcheol quickly moved you under him, still kissing you breathless. You felt his hard dick on your thigh, whimpering in need to finally feel him. “You want to feel this dick huh? You’re such a pathetic slut” you huffed at that. Wasn’t he the one moaning like a pathetic slut just a minute ago?

He positioned his tip at your entrance, teasing it a bit. “Fuck, you’re already so wet, just for me?” you hummed in agreement to that “Since you’ve been being so bratty today, I’m sure you can also take it all from the start”

He undertoned the last syllable with his dick thrusting balls deep into you. You screamed at the sudden stretch from his cock, feeling like you’re being ripped apart. Your walls clenching around him and your eyes shut by the pain and pleasure. He takes one hand and grabs your neck. Not too hard but still firm. “Look at me baby. Look into my eyes while I fuck the living shit out of you. Shit, you’re so tight”

You only manage to let out a whimper, still star struck by the feeling of his cock. He pulls out of you till his tip is only left inside you. And with one swift thrusts into you again. Another cry comes out of you. “Yeah, you’re such a whore for me” he says with a grin. He then starts to thrust into you in a rapidly rising rhythm. The pleasure you feel from it is immaculate. The room is now filled with your moans and cries and the skin to skin clapping.

“Cheollie, fuck me, make me yours and cum inside me” you manage to say in between your moans, barely above a whisper. That’s it for him, he does not need to hear that twice. His lips meet yours again in a messy kiss and he’s now going at a lightning speed. The grip on your neck getting tighter again. “Cum for me. Cum around my cock, I want to feel it”

He moves his free hand to your clit, rubbing it in slow circles. The additional pleasure makes you throw your head back into the pillow. Your cries becoming even louder. Seungcheol carefully watches the part where you two connect, listening to your beautiful sounds and the wet noises from your pussy. “That’s right, let the neighbors hear exactly how I make you feel” he said with a smug grin.

“cheol.. I’m gonna cum. Fuck I’m gonna cum” with one last moan of his name, you cum. Your whole body trembling, your head fallen back showing your neck to him. Cheol swears it’s the most beautiful sight for him ever. His hips stuttering for a second and his dick twitching inside of you, while still pounding the life out of you.

While you (tried to) calm down from your high, Seungcheols almost reached its breaking point. “I love you so much. You’re mine. Look at me when I cum inside of you. Look at how I fucking breed you” his voice thick with arousal, sweat drops dripping down on you and his eyes are filled with hunger and lust.

He thrusted into you a few more times and then also came right into you. His eyes never leaving yours, looking down at you with an opened mouth and furrowed eyebrows. His moans were quite literally music to your ears. But besides what you saw in front of you, the sensation of what’s happening inside you was immaculate. His hot cum filling you up, mixing together with your own.

He collapsed on top of you, still heavy breathing and buried deep inside you. Both of your cum leaking out of you, messing up the couch, but you didn’t cared. You both just layed there for a while, no one even moving an inch. His presence and body weight on top of you almost made you drift off into dreamland, but then Seungcheol moved. He pulled out of you with a low groan. His dick covered with your cum. He could bust again just by the sight of it.

“Come on. Let’s get you cleaned up and ready for bed” he reached out for you hand and pulled you up. Your lips connecting again in a soft but deep kiss, sending you spiraling. “I don’t think I can walk anymore” Cheol laughed at that. He carefully picked you up and brought you to the bathroom, where he continued to clean you up. Your sexy times were really intense, but the aftercare was even better. It just made you feel so cherished and loved.

You looked at him with big puppy eyes. “What’s wrong love?” he asked you, a bit concerned. “I love you Cheollie. Always” “I love you too y/n”. You both layed down in bed, after putting on some pyjamas. Lips meeting again as a goodnight, before you nuzzled into his chest surrounded by his arms. Lips curled into a soft smile while you fell asleep.

It wasn’t the cherries. It was him. He was your favorite flavour.

Authors note:

Remember, all the actions in this are purely created by me and not real. I hope you enjoyed it. Requests are open!

[ssparksflyy]

jason grace dating headcanons ໒꒱ ‧₊˚

pairing jason grace x daughter of hera!reader warnings none i think this ones pretty much all fluff unless your uncomfortable with marriage and children lol an i have a whole yap on how i think children of hera are created here if u wanna check it out cause im quite proud of it ꈍ◡ꈍ , requested !!

alexa play so high school by taylor swift pretty pls ‹𝟹

my bad just had to set the mood before i talked about THE CUTEST COUPLE EVERRRRRR

jason dating a daughter of hera would just be so like cliche classic romance that everybody longs for

a timeless love if you will

youd think that your parents arguments and bickers would have some sort of effect on your relationship but you just dont care LMFAO

well i mean like your relationship with your mother is probably pretty good and stable (you know, for a relationship with a greek god) and i truly do think that hera would be caring torwards her demigod children cause those are her kids and they dont have a stinky man for a father

but your parents really dont have much of an effect on your lives because your relationship is something you developed and worked on together, and it has nothing to do with them

you first met jason when he crash landed on the shore of chb with piper and leo, but didnt really speak to him at first

but he DEFINITELY wished you did

cause the second the crowd swarmed him and he locked eyes with you, oh boy

SMITTEN

actually standing there with his mouth open

he wouldve spoken to you sooner if he didnt feel like his insides were being flipped at the mere thought of you

but you did end up speaking literally the day before he left for his quest

you had moved over to his table during dinner to wish him luck and find out a bit more about this quest

but you ended up taking for the entire night, hitting it off immediately and ending the night with him walking you to your cabin door with the excuse of "my legs are dragging me in the wrong direction!"

and when he returned from his quest, you were the first person he talked to about it

he literally went into full detail just so he'd have an excuse to talk to you longer (but left out the part where leo threatened to dump him into the ocean if he didn't shut up about you)

i feel like during your whole 'friends but you it doesn't feel like your actual friends and you can kinda tell you both want something more' era, jason is definitely making all the efforts to extend the conversation, spend more time with you, and to get to know you better while youre the one dropping more subtle hints that you want something more (which have him staring at his wall at 3 am questioning EVERYTHING)

i hate to drag things on longer than the should but guys... you dont get together until AFTER the quest of the 7 (well 8 cause surprise shawtay! you spent months on a boat fighting the tension between you and jason ‹𝟹) and even then it takes a few months full of you dropping heavy hints, the contemplation to make the first move, and countless amounts of teasing from your friends for him to FINALLY ask you if you'd let him be your boyfriend

thankfully from there, things just began to flow easily :)

you went on dates pretty often, but at some point you stopped considering them to be dates because you spend so much time together and its a bit difficult to come up with something original in a summer camp

but once you eventually move out of chb (jason moved camps to be with you) and into your apartments (not shared cause we need some space), you both made sure you were both coming up with unique ideas and planned dates frequently :)

jason ends up working a job in finance (trust fund, 6'5, blue eyes), while you did... well wtv u want queen !!

honestly life further on out is so peaceful and simple between you two, any issues you face you always work them out together

communication is so big between you two likeeee

not even only if you get into arguments and stuff, but just like in general

you talk about everything, know everything about each other, the yap sesh never ends between you guys ‹𝟹

you probably dont move in together until after youre married, which honestly bro ... biggest occasion ever

i cant lie and be like 'oh you just did something peaceful in a garden with friends ‹𝟹' nah yall went ALL OUT

youve been dreaming about your wedding since you were a kid (it comes with the parentage bro) and jason views giving you a big wedding as a way to really express your love for each other (and he gets to spoil u hehe)

he goes all out to propose too btw, like asks your closest friends from camp what your ideal proposal is and goes through with it

but yea after marriage? your life becomes practically perfect with the beginning of your family and live together forever nd ever ‹𝟹

not to say stuff gets boring like ur kids? some of the most random childrento ever walk the earth like theres always SOMETHING happening with them

and you and jason dont allow yourselves to go boring either, you stay communicating and working out different ways to showcase your affection for each other

you guys stay really close with your friends and always have them over for dinner and such ‹𝟹 (GUYS THE SEVEN ARE FOUND FAMILY IDGAFFFFF)

but yeah you continue to live in your happily ever after little fairy tale for ever n ever n ever ‹𝟹

[two-entire-bits]

Some thoughts and notes from tonight's show!!!

Act 1:

- Henry is the horniest Two-Bit ever:

- He thrusted his pelvis into the hubcap when he first entered, and then Steve, Soda, and Ace all mocked him and mimed it

- He took a handful of gravel and thrusted his pelvis into his hand & threw the gravel so it looked like he was jacking off on each beat at the start of GGAH

- He also moaned when he was grinding against Soda

- And he was just throwin that pelvis AROUND during his solo

- "Two-Bit, you got the grease?" "I might!"

- ARAMIE'S GGAH RIFF WAS DELECTABLE

- I just noticed only now that it's scripted so the audience never applauds after both RITF's

- When everyone walks into the Curtis house, Ace said "hi Darrel" and he responded "hey baby"

- Ponyboy had the most "my brothers talking to me about girls but I'm gay" look I've EVER seen during the anne margaret bit

- TWO-BIT BLEW A KISS TO MARCIA IN FATDI

- I'm not sure if he does this every show, but Brent was hunched over in the kitchen during Great Expectations, so he was resting his head on his crossed arms on the table, and it made him look so small

- Daryl plays Johnny SO WELL he goes from 16 year old kid to tough greaser in the blink of an eye

- AND HIS VOICE IS JUST SO DAMN GOOD. GOD.

- He was also playing with the gravel when he was sitting in the tire

- When Dally moved to go after Johnny's parents, Daryl put his fists up like he was gonna fight him off

- When Bob tosses his flask to Paul, Ryo rumbled it SO BAD

- JOHNNY AND PONY MOVING TO SIT WITH CHERRY AND MARCIA WAS SO FUCKING FUNNY I've seen Trevi and Sky and Brody and Sky before but Brody and Daryl??? Fucking UNMATCHED

- the way Daryl IMMEDIATELY ran to Pony after Darry hit him

- They were. um. They looked. Very caring. Towards each other. During FAFT

- Daryl sang "walking around the park" instead of "walking through the park" in Run Run Brother

- Daryl looked at the blood on his hands near the end of Run Run Brother and AUGH

- He also looked SO scared when Pony moves away from him on the "train"

Act 2:

- Aramie said "why don't you ask those socs why the line got crossed" instead of "ask the socs"

- Ryo flubbed the "you should be as mad as me" line in JFT

- Johnny's head was in Ponyboy's lap before, throughout, and after Throwing in the Towel

- Aramie and Brent skipped some lines in the scene before TITT and Brent just slowly walked toward Aramie and stopped, paused, and then said a line and you could see him figuring out which line to restart with

- During Hoods Turned Heroes when Darry lifted up Ace, Milena smacked Brent's ass

- Daryl's hospital gown is a different colour than Sky's? It was like, a muted darkish pink

- At the start of the rumble, a Soc yelled either "GET THE FUCK OFF" or "GET THE FUCK UP" to Two-Bit or maybe it was Soda? They were downstage left and I was back house left I couldn't see much)

- God the way Soda held Pony after Johnny dies...

- Some water from the rumble got in Aramie's mic during Little Brother and it made him sound all hollow and far away and it was really cool! He eventually tapped his mic and the water fell off but it was a really interesting effect while it lasted

- There was a BIG ass crash backstage when Cherry visits the Curtises before the finale (I think. It was somewhere around there)

There's probably some other things I forgot/missed BUT IT WAS SOOO GOOD Y'ALL and a Ponyboy cosplayer in the first row got the book tonight!!!

Oh also at stage door Renni complimented my hair and my outfit (and then he said, and I quote: "the fit is fitting!!") & said more people should dress up like I do when they see theatre, and later when he waved from his dressing room window he pointed at me and I don't think I'm ever gonna recover from that actually

And The Board!:

[crooked-wasteland]

Sir Pentious and the Importance of Narrative Structure

There are some aspects of Hazbin Hotel that leave me genuinely blind-sided. Like standing on the sidewalk when you suddenly witness a catastrophic car crash only for someone on the other side of the road to get distracted from rubbernecking and cause a second collision . That is the only way I can describe the feeling I get whenever I think about how the series handled Sir Pentious.

I have never seen a show fumble such a big plot point, not once, but twice and in the same exact way. First in the episode where the characters are engaging in “trust exercises”; the narrative entirely neglects the cast of Husk, Pentious, Angel, and Nifty for a very rudimentary plot that feels straight out of season one Steven Universe for Vaggie and Charlie. Instead it skips to them returning to the roof as a group and Angel Dust carrying Pentious and that is the end of the series attempting to show this bond until the second to last episode. Which also just does nothing with the first opportunity to watch that assumed relationship actually come together.

We never saw them actually help each other during the Turf War, but there was an opportunity that would have worked even with zero changes to the rest of the series to rectify that fact and it would have only cost at most 90 seconds of screen time:

Just have these characters talk to each other and treat it like it means something.

And it’s not hard to figure the reasoning of the writers was to have the reveal that the side characters didn’t leave be the big cherry on top this episode’s happily ever after. Instead, it's a completely forgotten plot point that only keeps the audience from ever believing these characters cared about each other enough to mourn one of them being killed off in the most abrupt way.

Sir Pentious’ death was pathetic. The heroic buildup to him buying the others time is undercut by his actual uselessness. And that compounds the problem with the fact his death is an intentional joke, but simultaneously supposed to be an impactful character moment? That isn’t how you get an audience to laugh while crying.

The art of achieving that dram-ody effect is fundamentally based on two grounded principles: familiarity to the character and pacing. Building up to sadness is a process, and trying to achieve something as primal as sadness requires some surprisingly complicated setup. In an undeveloped prefrontal cortex, the brain is still hardwired to mirror as a form of empathy. It’s why so many young fans can say without irony that Pentious dying is “Sad”, because they are caught off guard by his sudden passing to then be inundated with the named characters crying and being sad. They are sad because the characters are sad, but there was no one crying for Pentious like the characters are, not without a psychologically concerning degree of parasocial attachment. It’s “Sad” as in its “disappointing”, but the animators intentionally attempt to highjack the wave of disappointment to convince a child audience that they are feeling a different kind of grief.

And it didn’t need to be anything special, even a cookie cutter “Power of friendship” scene would have still fixed that gap enough to at least allow for a course correction later on and presenting the characters as more fleshed out. If time constraints were really that large of an issue, setting yourself up to succeed by laying the foundation to fix these narrative gaps is the only way to rectify it. Especially with announcing an already pre-approved second season that the crew would have been parallel planning for and thus had knowledge on where to save certain aspects for later.

To be frank, this is why people remember Helluva Boss’ first season so favorably, but it ultimately suffered the opposite issue. Season 1 of HB had a better grasp of setting up plot points early and giving themselves enough space to keep people theorizing and allowing them the opportunity to adapt the characters and narrative dynamically. The whole allure of the series originally was anticipating the payoff for these “mysteries”. It is just that the series had no intention of utilizing those mysteries for any meaningful narrative and quickly killed them off to focus on a predictable and uninteresting ship.

And I am sorry to snatch those rose-tinted glasses, but the first season wasn’t good, we just had clear narrative gaps that felt intentional and anticipated a story/arc/effort where there was no intention behind the scenes to really dedicate any resources to it. And alternatively HH is being handled far less skillfully from the jump, so it attracts the audience that will dedicate themselves to it (children) without any expectations in regards to quality.

[senka-mesecine]

So, what if...and hear me out on this...the authorities got involved? The reader can either be a missing hiker Barnes took, someone he kidnapped, someone he rescued and whisked away, imprisoned with him up in the mountains. Doesn't matter. What's important is that the cops are hot on the trail of this missing person's case and it leads them to Barnes's cabin up in the hills after a year or maybe even two after you dropped off the radar. I don't know, but I just really enjoy the notion of people from outside reacting to Barnes' and the reader's relationship.

Bride Kidnapping in the Appalachians.

---

Robert Barnes x Reader.

---

― Kidnapping, which is forcibly taking a person against their will for the purposes of a felony, is usually a multi jurisdictional matter involving multiple agencies and usually involving the Feds. The classic kidnapping for ransom is pretty darn rare in the US these days actually.

It was 1973, after all.

Not in this neck of the woods, though.

In this particular neck of the woods laws were ageless, in effect, time having stopped moving in many a ways, or rather, if it moved it moved in a way it choose to move, winding around like a snake, all clever and elusive, having a mind of its own rendering whatever happened down there, in the towns, villages and settlements lining the foot of the mountain obsolete the further one moved up the top, beyond the barrier of the mists and the clouds and into the bosom of the evergreen mountains, Officer Jackson knew as much, having been born and growing up around The Smokies, being just as aware it was always a particular kind of people that chose to be isolated and lonesome in the wilderness; the hermits, the moonshiners, the smugglers, crazed hunting enthusiasts, folks up to no good and in this case, them Vietnam war Vets; the way people in the village located in the woodsy hamlet at the end of the junction road riddled with parked trailers, trucks and truckers taking a brief rest before hitting the highway, benches and the cars of so many campers leading up the hills spoke about Robert E. Lee Barnes like he was the damn Yeti or the Sasquatch — in strictly fantastical terms. Heck, even the asshole’s full name sounded fantastical and worthy of an eyebrow raise. Now, he’s heard folks give many a questionable name to their offspring ‘round these parts, but going as historical as this eluded even him. He scarcely believed the man was real until the Detective’s secretary, seated next to him grimly on the passenger’s seat pulled up this big fish’s service record and just looking at his picture caused him an unease not unlike looking a photographic evidence from the sense of a car crash would’ve.

One scarred, ugly ass motherfucker with dead, killer shark eyes.

A facial scar that sent a jot of phantom paint down Jackson’s own cheek.

If anyone was responsible for disappearing you?

It had to have been him.

The case so ridiculously one note, transparent and black and white it almost solved itself.

He, this Barnes figure, lived up there; the only one who lived up there, in fact.

 — Your trail was lost there approximately two years ago now.

Somehow, it clicked into place like a perfectly God-given puzzle piece.

This Barnes fella’ — he undoubtedly took you, had his fun as was to be expected from some anti social mountain dwelling type, stuffed you into several bags once he was sated, dug you into some overgrown, wild, muddy ditch; somewhere where only the wolves would roam over the soil of your unmarked tomb and called it a day. Jackson almost gulps wondering what a man like that does to some deluded little woman like you roaming these mountains with a backpack on her shoulders thinking she’s in charge of anything out here where everything that can go wrong will go wrong within the blink of an eye; if Jackson could have his way, in fact, he’d make roaming up the Appalachian trail illegal or at least put up signs that say ‘Enter at your own Risk’. Make it illegal for womenfolk, if nothing else. Pretty thing too; Jackson had your face from the missing posters committed to memory — the old case has been circulating in the newspaper for so long they could had to put something in the unfinished, now dusty report and putting something in the report meant going up there, into the mountains and actually looking at the situation, up close and personal; Detective Campbell clears his throat, search warrants and documents in a black leather briefcase on his lap, a navy blue rain jacket, a matching sweater, a white dress shirt and a tie underneath it all; the higher ups have been on his ass over the unresolved story for six months now; said it tampers with tourist prospects. Ain’ nobody gonna be climbing up that mountain anymore if a reputation for unsolved disappearances gets tied to it — nobody but the loonies who are drawn to the mystique of that sort of thing, but that wasn’t the type of crowd honest folk here wanted to attract anyway; so here they were, their vehicle jumping suddenly, the dusty trail becoming rocky, violently jolting up and stopping, disappearing behind the pine tree. Couldn’t keep driving even they wanted to. They would have to leave the car here and continue on foot. Any attempts to actually navigate this from behind a steering wheel would result in their engine falling out like a fistful of shit.. -"Well, reckon that’s it, Detective —"- Jackson remarks, shutting the motor off and removing the key. -”No driving up that monstrosity.”- He points the point of his nose vaguely, in front of them and the wilderness that enveloped the eternity of their front windshield; no road and all woodland — dark green, vast and wild. -"Should be some an odd mile up that steep slope; We can try our luck on foot."- He points only to look down, by instinct, at the choice of Campbell’s footwear; a pair of those hoytie-toytie half boots gentlemen around Nashville tended to peacock themselves in. Could do the job. Not ideally, though. -"Hope those are up to the challenge."- He asks, half in jest, halfway entirely serious, but by then, Campbell’s hand was already grabbing the interior handle of the car’s door, showing himself outside, adjusting his own jacket, making himself all official like while he was slamming the door behind him. Fair ‘nuff. Jackson was only tryin’ to be practical and sound of mind. Never understood city folk who refused to dress for the occasion.

-"What sort of man lives up here willingly anyway?"-

Campbell remarks, deep in thought, staring up, towards the ridge of the mountain.

Contemplating.

He didn’t really know how to answer that in simple terms.

What sort of man indeed.

Anyone who’s ever caught a glimpse of Barnes driving down into town to stock up every other month or so, Jackson supposed, would understand that this place fit him like a glove fits a hand.

-"Used to be an old mining town up those parts —"- 

Jackson rubs his fingers together, attempting to ward off the chill.

-"Coal, you see."-

He adds, walking around the car, joining Campbell in the act of sightseeing; scoping the territory out.

-"Didn’t even have no name — just a serial number."-

He explains things he’s heard others say, things that were fact, things re-constructed from memory; one thing being certain — he always believed there was basically something wrong with never naming a place where flesh and blood people once dwelled and made their hard earned work, toil and lives; like having a child and refusing to Christen it. Not unlike summoning the devil to one’s doorstep. No wonder the place went and got depopulated. Not that a Nashville boy like Detective Campbell would believe such superstitions and Jackson didn’t expect him to; he figured he just wanted to paint a picture. Try and portray the type of people that inhabited this place. -"Died out around the 30’s. Left nothing but a ghost settlement behind and the scattered bones of infrastructure once there was nothing to dig."-  He continued, the distant, echoing cry of the Loon bird interjecting with his speech, causing him to shiver. -"But, some folks sure are stubborn, keen to cut off their noses to spite their faces."- Jackson shakes his head, crossing his arms around his chest, settling deeper into his insulated puffer jacket for heat. -"When I was a kiddie himself, there was some five families still up there, ah, but that was a long time ago. Then, it was down to two. Then one."- He asses anecdotally, remembering it like it was yesterday; people refusing to move when the government made efforts to landgrab and clear out that side of the hills, shutting down mining shafts, clearing it off scattered, old equipment so hikers could move around uninterrupted; couldn’t say he blamed them for digging their heels in and standing their ground, refusing to be chased out of their homes built with the sweat and blood of their coal miner grandfathers. Even if the surrounding soil was said to be contaminated from all that digging. -"Now, last I heard, it’s that Barnes fella went as far as digging himself even further away from the mining facility — downright turnin’ hermit like he’s Grizzly Adams."- Jackson waves his head, vaguely, in the direction of the summit of the pine tree riddled mountain; they say there was a cabin up there and that he resided up there even when the whole damn place was six months under the blanket of snow, all roads, natural or otherwise cut off. Detective Campbell turns his scrutinizing, watchful eye from the precipice of the wilderness enveloped in a thin, scattering mist and looks knowingly at him, fishing a cigarette out one of those fancy pants cigarette boxes, pushing one into his mouth; this was a job for homegrown, country cops who knew their elbow from their assholes, not these slick, dandy Nashville birds, but Jackson was willing to take whatever and however was given to him.

On the subject of Barnes:

 -"So, he can’t be sane."- 

Campbell quips simply, tilting his head, giving his diagnosis with an air of absolute conviction.

Like the good sir believed a man’s close proximity to nature rendered him abnormal.

Jackson’s almost offended, being a backwoods kid himself.

Choosing to hide the ache of the jab.

Fucking city slicker.

-"He’s sure’s sumn’ frightenin’ to behold."-

Jackson retorts back, shrugging his shoulders, trying to joke and make light of the situation but being unable to deny the nervousness starting to seep into his pores as he watched the man flick his lighter, dragging in the smoke, letting it coil from his mouth; Thank Christ almighty they’ve been greenlit to bear arms. The devil himself couldn’t make him come up here and stand at the precipice of the steep, jagged, rocky path that led further into the forest with nothing but a warrant against someone who’s service record, for all intents and purposes, described him as a virtual killing machine who’s survived being shot in action anywhere from seven to nine times. Seemed almost Biblical. Mythical. Something a snake handling, Strychnine drinking Preacher would describe someone from the Good Book do during a Sunday sermon.

-"Cigarette?"-

Campbell offers, pushing the shiny box his way; one for the road.

-"Don’t mind if I do, sir!”-

Jackson reaches forward almost immediately relieved, glad he was given something to alleviate the growing trepidation in his nerves.

—

The fog only manages to thicken instead of dispersing around approximately ten o’clock.

Ten o’clock in the forenoon and the mist became as white as milk in certain places, drifting through the pine trees like smoke, saturating the visibility with a sense of something that could only be referred to as the fog of war and Jackson knew all about that term; he had men on his force who served — in Vietnam and Korea alike. Good men too. Well adjusted. Proper. He respected the veterans. Any man willing to put in the time to shed blood for his country was alright in his book, but something about this fella’ didn’t sit quite right with Jackson —- all this eerie silence, all this desolation, hell, he believed that if either of them dropped a needle right about now it would just about echo all across this mountain like fireworks going off  — with each step taken, a sensation that only settled in deeper and deeper into his belly like a heavy, heated anvil; a notion he had to begrudgingly agree with city slicker Campbell, not that he’d ever admit to outloud under pain of death — no saneminded, healthy person would ever choose to live here, in what was effectively a graveyard — the amount of old, rusty mining carts, steel beam pipes overgrown with moss and packing crates with lids that have collapsed in on themselves exposed to the elements that they’ve bypassed being something Jackson’s lost count of. At one point, what could’ve only been a diner in better times, now with bricked up windows and a heavy, metal lock on the door is one of the many attractions they bypass and Jackson semi-expected the ghost of a dead miner to saunter past them at the end of his shift and off for some egg and bacon, tip his working helmet charred black and greet them with a stout Howdy. 

An old ramshackle collection of overgrown sheds.

A rusty Ford pickup truck with the paint peeled off dotted with dried up bird excrement. A wooden house that had a tree growing through its dented roof; the foliage disappearing in the mist. A pheasant crossing their path in a haste, running from one bush to another, startling the living daylights out of them.

After a while the road that seemed like it was freshly walked upon, beaten in by the soles of a well worn set of boots clears out, devoid of the populated junk, leaving nothing but the woodland slope behind, moving upward, always upward and they genuinely use whatever was on hand, the occasional branch, shrubbery, boulder rock as makeshift armrests to avoid tumbling backwards and losing their balance, the occasional slip-up of their footwear scraping against the soil, sending pebbles flying back, towards the bosom of the abandoned colony behind them  — God never created such a wretched place. And this Barnes fella was downright spawned there or so his birth certificate claimed, every bit of information on this man sounding more fake than the previous, but somehow in his heart of hearts once the edge of the horizon breaks and what seemed like the top of a smoking chimney and a roof appears in the distance through the fog Jackson knew it was all true. Detective Campbell halts for a second, catching his breath in his hoytie toytie gentleman’s straight city asphalt walking shoes, taking in the sight, reaching the end of the road connecting to a clearing in the forest where a homestead stood — not at all a shabby affair to behold by the looks of it. Sheds, a path that led to it, a garden in the distance, some laundry drying on a string — heck, it even had a little fence. Funnily enough — even a singular electrical poll leading up to this very house — the last one, attached to the building like the end of the line and all civilization. A stack of wood for the stove as tall as a wall adjoined to the side of the house; the sound of thumping, muted by the mountain’s echo. There was someone at home. Cutting firewood, perhaps? He and Campbell give each other meaningful looks, proceeding further up the property, cautiously, leisurely, yet threading warily. It was like stumbling upon the lost land of Lilliput hidden behind the rainbow; still difficult to wrap one’s head around the notion a living person actually lived here, especially when taking into consideration the ghost settlement they had to pass through first; the fence squeaks a little as they open it, stepping into what was effectively a front porch, a man with his back turned, slick with sweat is the backyard working an axe, chopping stumps — skin rust colored and riddled with scars — he turns, just as leisurely as they’ve waltzed in and even if Jackson doesn’t see it, it’s like he feels, second-hand, the tension caught in Campell’s throat in spite of the confidence he puts up as a wall once the zig-zag scars of the man’s face are facing them even if from afar. Straightening out his form he looked like the type of thing you only hear old folks talk about showing up in the mountains, with no confirmation of anyone actually seeing it.

-"Robert E. Lee Barnes?"- 

Campbell calls out, questioning, holding his badge up. The man sets down his axe, lodging it into a stump, grabbing a rag and wiping his hands. Approaching them slowly, like he wasn’t at all in a hurry. Only when he’s close enough does Jackson notice he had a cigarette hanging from his mouth. He supposed he was too distracted by the scars to notice.

-"We’ve a search warrant for this property. Mind if we took a closer inspection of perimeters?"-

Campbell explains and Barnes’s mouth moves, almost in confirmation, mouthing a ‘eyup’. Never actually uttering it out loud, throwing his jaw out instead, eying the piece of paper. Jackson could almost swear the man looked halfway haughty, like…like he’s been expecting them. Might’ve even heard them too — ever since they parked the car at the foot of this rocky peak.

In any case, his file didn’t do him justice where appearances were concerned.

This had to have been the most singularly frightening man he’s ever seen up close.

 -"Sergeant, we’re looking for —"- 

Campbell starts verbally unfolding their reason for being here, Jackson’s hand instinctively flinching to go and reach for his firearm, never actually doing it, tensing up from the man’s deep abiding, self contented silence, only for the detective’s words to be cut off by the sounds of footsteps on a squeaking floorboard from inside translating to activity on the front porch once a smaller figure emerges from the shadowed darkness of the doorway’s threshold. A woman. The woman. Startled, and then partially surprised. Then smiling. It was you. You. -"Hello?"- You say, acknowledging them like a hostess would acknowledge her guests. What in the great big balls of fire — he and Campbell exchange looks for the second time, quickly, in a panicked haste, quickly regaining their footing; Campbell’s hands fly to his hips in a visible state of exasperation he couldn’t, no doubt, express any other way. -"Good day, ma’am; Detective Campbell and Officer Jackson; Care to identify yourself?"- The detective spits those words out cordially yet with the quickness of a firing bullet, Jackson’s eyes catching the gesture of your hand coming protectively over what was the swelling curve of a belly peeking from underneath you dress and before he could even register the thought and conclude what he was looking at a toddler scampers past your feet and then another, dragging itself, still not having learned to walk. Barnes’s head was so high up now from the sidelines one could only deem him unbearably proud.  -"Now, whose children are these?"- The Detective goddamn nearly stutters, caught entirely off guard, eying the younguns. -"Ours."- You chuckle, answering almost immediately, picking up the toddler and holding it in your arms with a little smile, then growing a glance at the offending mountain man who’s made himself decent in the meantime, putting on a shirt as oily greyish green as the rest of his outfit; something very army-like about the way he was dressed. Like he didn’t change much about his looks from the very day he was deployed to the very day he arrived back home. -"Mine and Bobby’s."- You add and that nickname, however inconspicuous, causes the hairs on the back of Jackson’s neck to stand. Bobby? Calling a man like that Bobby was like naming one of them bloodthirsty hellhound Pitbulls Baby.  -"Are you police officers?"- You ask downright sweetly, your gaze travelling between the Barnes fella and them like someone looking for comfort; Jackson immediately catches the detail and he knew Campbell did too. You fidget a little, hiccupping baby in your arms, stepping aside only slight, the passageway to the front door on the porch open to them --- welcoming. This was one surreal bitch of a situation. They didn't even expect to find you alive, least of all ---

-"Do you — do you want come inside?"-

You inquire, somewhat shy seeming, your eyes on Barnes once more.

-"Bobby, we should invite them inside."-

You try for courtesies and the man who hasn't set a word since they've arrived him nods only barely, behind them the entire time as you led the way forward with a small smile, children in tow, one in your belly, two around you --- Three in two years? A set of twins? What the fuck was going on here? How'd that even function? Barnes would've have to work overtime to...gosh almighty, he would've had to keep working at it one after the other, when you were barely healed and shit. That animal, Jackson thinks bitterly, seated at the man's own dining table, inside of the man's own kitchen, all brown wooden paneling and brown wooden colors. -"Now, Ma’am, we won't bore you long; I’ll cut right to the chase —"- Campbell begins, before he's even properly plopped down into his own chair, clearly impatient to start, wanting to get to the bottom of this real bad, Barnes seated at the head of the table, fishing a cigarette out of his pocket somewhere, your diligent hand there to wordlessly light it for him. This was...like some sort of circus or other; they came here searching for the carcass and the remains of an abduction victim and they found...a pliant wife playing house up here with this man who's very presence caused all the air to seep out from between the hold of a four wall kitchenette. Campbell starts opening his briefcase and it's only then that Jackson remembers to breathe properly. The Detective produces the necessary paper, flicking through his folders and files. -"You realize there’s been a whole hoo-ha and that your face has been in every newspaper for the past two years now? That you’ve been pronounced missing? That your hiking group —"- He throws his glance down on all the signed testimonials; some several of them in total, only to shrug it off curtly. —"Well, I won’t read out their names —"- He clears his throat, shrugging quickly. -"But, rather the point is that they reported you missing, on November 14th, 1971?"- He looks at you, no doubt searching your face for any and all confirmation as you set next to what you deemed your husband who's face was semi-enveloped in the haze of tobacco smoke curling and coiling around his face like a veil. Not a shred of fear on that one. Not a shred of fear. Robert Barnes looked like he was a man just about ready for a cookout, legs and thighs spread out under him on the chair that seemed too small for his form. Campbell doesn't like that, Jackson knew, so Campbell ups the ante --- there was a display vitrine of firearms and shotguns hanging off the kitchen wall. Repeating Winchesters and Carabiners. Jackson feels caught looking at them, Barnes noticing that he noticed.

The threat is vague but ever present.

-"That some of them speculated you dead or a victim of a serious crime?"-

His tone of voice was harsher now, accusatory, impatient.  

-"Now, there’s no law or regulation against a kidnapped person hiding from those searching for her, but I must say this is wholly unethical —"-

He begins, only to be cut off.

You chuckle, not unkindly.

 -"Sir, I’m not kidnapped."-

You correct.

 -"I’m married."-

You explain, the weight of that one word rendering this entire thing obselete.

 -"This is my husband."- 

You add, throwing a fond look at the quiet, shit-your-breeches frightening man beside you.

—

-"Now, what in the blazes is the whole shit here!? What sort of wild goose chase is this anyway!?"-

One marriage certificate later and two weddings bands being produces as confirmation, Campbell paces angrily on the back porch overlooking a tree lot of pines, hand running through his hair, tightly pushed together lips practically seething venom. -"Married!? She's married!?"- He whispers, wide eyed, lowering his voice even further like he was careful to ensure the walls didn't have ears. -"To him!?"- He almost mouths those words instead of uttering them out loud causing Jackson to shake his head, staring out into the misty, overcast woodlands embracing the back of the house like a mother's warm, green bosom. -"M’fraid we can’t arrest a man for puttin’ a ring on a woman’s finger and settlin’ down’n’ popping out a litter; not even out here."- He crosses his arms over his chest; shoot, he expected this situation to turn out in a million different ways but this one sure wasn't one of them; seems like all they did is butt into someone's home, disturbing their routine and shit. -"But, it’s a clear case of coercion! Hostage infatuated with the captor! "- Campbell pushes his face towards his own, pointing with his whole hand, vaguely towards the front of the house; yeah, figured this wouldn't look good on them papers --- hiker found over two years later, married to local loose screw weirdo, more on page six. Might just be bad for tourism and marketing and deter people from climbing up here. Or it could do merely well to inspire them to hike around these mountains lookin' for freshwater babes that'll coax them into the woods too and whisk them away to some forest wild hamlet somewhere, never to be seen again by no living eyes. Jackson chuckles into his own chin at the notion. -"He sits there, saying nothing. Just watches with those beady eyes."- Campbell paces, back and worth, back and forth, only to turn on his heel with a newfound, firm determination. He halts suddenly, shaking his index finger vehemently. -"I’m getting to the bottom of this."- He saunters hastily and it takes a near Herculean effort for Jackson to keep up, nearly running after him on the circular porch that wrapped around the whole house, following the Detective back into the house to at least be present and de-escalate from anything batshit happening; sure, he was here doing his job, but he sure as heck wasn't willing to die retrieving some crazy broad who's gone and tied the knot with some white trash with a chewed up face; that same man's eyes on them in an instant, already poised towards the threshold before they even cross it properly, staring them down from where he was seated at the table, your back turned towards the counter, minding the meal cooking on the stove. Instinctively, the Barnes fella stands up, some would say like a gentleman of courtesy, but Jackson knew, it was much rather like a man ready to pounce and fight. -"Now, don’t get up on my account, Mr. Barnes."- Campbell gives him leave with a hand raised, focusing his attention on you instead. Why, Jackson hasn't heard a thing out of this Sergeant Robert E. Lee's mouth since they've arrived, yet somehow, he figured they didn't have to hear anything out of him, almost like he said everything by merely being silent, more so when the Detective addresses you and the man's eyes get sharper, unblinking. You wipe your hands into your apron. Removing it and hanging it on a nearby chair.

-"Ma’am, would you mind if I had a private consultation with you; just a standard issue interview one on one. Maybe in of these little rooms here."- 

Wounded pride Campbell gestures and you follow.

—

The first thing that catches Jackson's attention are all the photos.

Framed pictures on the nightstand, the occasional one hanging on the wall, commodes lined with what seemed like pictures of a marriage, uniformed affairs of some circumstance, the birth of children or simply put --- just you; Campbell leaves the door of what he could only deduce was a bedroom half ajar, just enough for Jackson to stand on the threshold leaning against the frame with his arms crossed and to conclude that if this Barnes fella had a favorite thing in the world to look at it sure was reflected in the subject of the polaroid's picked to display. For all he was concerned, their business here was long since settled. He saw the way things were. Just a man loving on his woman, is all. But, the Detective? He persists. Sure a stubborn mule, that one. -"Now, is he keeping you here by force? Has force been used in your settling here? Maybe some sort of blackmail? A threat of violence? Against you or the children?"- Campbell leans his head down, neck bending in order for his eyes to be on an equal eyelevel with your own; a common interrogating tactic when playing the Good Cop; make the subject feel like they could trust whoever it was interviewing them. Bet the man's ego took a bruising; the fact that they'd climb down from here empty handed, looking the fools. Jackson could live with being a fool; he wasn't paid enough to be Elliott Ness-ing all over Appalachia. Not with that man still seated at the kitchen table, smoking, staring daggers at him from across the corridor, causing a chill to run down his spine. -"See, your hiking team seemed to have reasons to believe your disappearance was nefarious in nature and not a mere mishap."- Campbell says, pushing on once your silence yields no results and you look away, body language tense, putting up walls, staring through the veil of the lacey curtain keeping the shadows detained within the hallowed intimacy of the bedroom --- felt weird being here in the first place, just merely standing on this threshold now --- resembled standing on the precipice of a swampy creek populated by alligators, dangling a bleeding hand over the deathly still, green murky waters, tempting fate. Campbell's exasperated at your lack of cooperation, clicking his tongue in annoyance --- try as he may have, he was attempting to put words into your mouth but said words just wouldn't stick. -"Ma’am, I can’t do anything to help unless you’re honest with me and I understand a victim isn’t always willing to speak in front of —"-

-"I am no victim."-

You finally interject.

-"I hiked up here and I met a man."-

Adding immediately after, all matter-of-factly and straight to the point.

-"He offered me shelter. We fell in love. I stayed and never climbed down the mountain again. That’s the whole truth."-

You shrug, simply, nothing else to declare, hitting a verbal bullseye.

-"But why did you at no point attempt to get in contact with the local authorities? Try and go home?"- 

Detective Campbell looks at you square on.

You maintain his gaze firmly. Calmly.

-"This is my home."-

Is all you say.

All you needed to say anyhow, thought Jackson, happy he was going to leave here alive.

—

The march back to the parked police car is a strenuous one.

Peppered with hushed, venomous seething.

This time around, Campbell leading the way in spite of his ill suited footwear.

Trudging through dew drenched soil, the occasional twig snapping beneath him.

Almost like his ire guided him forward, past the tree line, the colony.

Down the steep, rocky pathway of the hill going down.

Fact was, Jackson could only barely keep up.

Hell hath no fury like a Detective who came all the way from Nashville for nothing.

-"Heard about bride kidnappings in the Caucasus, heard about bride kidnappings in the Stans, Africa, heard the VIkings doing it, heard the Comanche back in the days off and riding away with the women, even heard of it happening south of the border, but never in my life did I hear shit like this unfolding under my very nose!"-  

The man mutters in stride, more to himself than Jackson, huffing and puffing all the way to the vehicle still waiting for them where they've left it, the man practically yanking the car door open and throwing himself down on the seat, his ears practically red with what Jackson could only assume was anger breaking out of his pores like wild fire once he's plopped down next to the man, in front of the steering wheel, thanking his lucky stars the Barnes fella didn't stuff them and hang them over the mantlepiece and that it all wrapped up in a vaguely civilized manner. That they didn't have to reach for their guns at any point in time. Especially not with the displayed arsenal that guy had in his goddamned dining room. Nonetheless, the Detective's scowling, displeased mouth plops open, eyes outraged, nose pointing at something back in the forest from whence they came, through the curtain of mist.

-"Look."-

He extends his index finger accusingly and before Jackson could ever properly register which direction he should be looking at or what he was searching for exactly in the disorienting vista of wilderness the man was there, standing on a cliffside overlooking the dented valley where their car was situated, nestled into the bosom of the forest. Arms crossed behind his back, legs akimbo, Jackson was either hallucinating things or this man was actually...smiling. Down at them. -"Look at that redneck hillbilly asshole, taunting us. Knowing we can’t do shit against him."- Campbell was as infuriated as a caged bulldog, hand practically gripping his own knee as Jackson started pulling backwards with the car, slowly, trying not to hit some stray rock with his tire on his way back; the Barnes guy in the frame of their eyesight, scarred face distorting at the seams under the pressure of his lips unfurling, his pale eyes almost like a pair of hollows from this distance. Funny how a man could witness the most harrowingly scary image in his life and he still had to mundanely keep doing his job, maneuvering his vehicle backwards, trying to keep a cool head; truth was, Jackson could feel his legs shake on the pedals, goosebumps erupting all over his skin. If anything, this was a wordless sign relayed back to them through a singular action; Stay out of my territory. You'll wont set a foot out here again and I know it. I'm taunting you with. -"He’s really, honestly there with that shit-eating grin of his face. Piece of shit smug bastard."- Campbell murmurs icily as the mossy, ancient cliffside got smaller and smaller, further and further away from them, Barnes's presence no less strangling --- just standing there, watching them pull out what could effectively be the equivalent of his driveway. Jackson, for one, couldn't wait to be back at the Station sifting through boring old speeding violations, the odd case of vagrancy or petty theft at the local Piggly Wiggly. Was certainly infinitely less stressful. -"Best let sleepin’ dogs lie, chief."- He manages with the faintest bit of optimism, his voice shaking in his throat as he gives the steering wheel a sharp tug, turning away from the mountain and towards the dirt road, borderline overtaken with the desire to chuckle as he turned the car, driving away from this godforsaken, incomprehensible, baffling bit of back wood. And so he does, the tires thudding, bouncing and screeching on uneven, untamed terrain, but never was there a marrier sound to these old ears. -"I for one I am lookin’ forward to a steaming pitcher of coffee back at the office to wash off this whole road trip. Hope I never have to drive out here again, so hear me God."- He remarks hopefully, relieved like never before, the looming forest speeding away in a blur all around them like a fever dream he'd like to forget, glancing at the side review mirror next to him, reflecting the colossal, imposing cliffside back to him.

Barnes was no longer standing there.

The steep, jagged, green mountainside held an empty vigil at their departure.

The mist has cleared, replaced by a soft drizzle.

—

A week later, Jackson knew Campbell began typing away furiously, the itch stirring in him once again like a badly digested lunch, fingers working the typewriter loud enough for half of the Station to go echoing with the noise and causing him to be getting as far as the name of his report that was titled as follows; Bride Kidnappings in the Appalachians --- Jackson saw the man ruminating over the unwritten bit of document on a pristine, white piece of paper for a good half an hour or so, the secretary bringing him one cup of coffee and then another while he sat idly in his chair like he was at a loss for words or weighing his options in his mind --- whether it was wise to proceed or not; by the end of his shift and his last day at the smalltown Sheriff's department, he ripped the paper out just as discontent, crumpling it in his hands and throwing it in the nearby garbage bin, leaving for Nashville the next day, saying goodbye to nobody.

Never was Jackson more unburdened in life.

[asher-agere]

little Chuuya/CG Verlaine+nightmares? Chuuya DEFINITELY gets nightmares when regressed :(

So I already answered a request that’s literally this exact thing- I’ll try not to make this seem too repetitive? I’m not gonna like look back and reference the other one (<- Probably a lie). And just so it’s stated! Yes I’ve read Stormbringer. Yes I know Chuuya doesn’t dream. If you’re unable to play pretend without having issues for the duration of this post then just scroll

Little Chuuya with Nightmares + Caregiver Verlaine

⁺‧₊˚ ཐིੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻ੈ✩‧₊˚ཋྀ ˚₊‧⁺

⛦ Starting off with an age range! I think Chuuya regresses to 3-6! Though since nightmares are really scary and overwhelming they do tend to knock him down younger, so he’s usually stuck in the 3-4 age range after waking up, even if he denies it saying he’s a different age. Luckily Verlaine is learning not only how to tell when Chuuya’s lying, but why Chuuya lies. Knowing why a little one lies about something can help guide you to react appropriately

⛦ Chuuya is already a very bratty kiddo I think, especially with Verlaine as his caregiver. It’s just fun for him! And while he doesn’t truly hate Verlaine, he does learn to trust his brother over time, he also doesn’t forget everything Verlaine put him through. So yeah he’s a bit of a brat to make Verlaine’s life more difficult! This is only amplified by the nightmares. He hates bedtime, and when he’s successful at avoiding sleep he gets sooooo fussy and whiny… Absolutely loads himself on caffeine and sugar to stay awake, even more chaos poor Verlaine has to handle

⛦ I really love the visual of Verlaine having a rocking chair. On his own even, like he’ll just sit there and rock back and forth as he thinks. When taking care of a regressed Chuuya it comes in handy! He’ll swaddle Chuuya up and hold him tight, rocking them both on the chair as he hums a gentle tune. Forcing Chuuya to sit still will eventually get him to sleep, it’s not the best method because he usually falls asleep fussy which can influence nightmares even worse, but after Chuuya hasn’t let himself sleep in days Verlaine’s open to anything

⛦ The best way to get Chuuya to sleep comfortably is with a cozy movie! Laying in a pile of blankets on the floor, maybe a half formed fort around them. If they’re cuddling it’s because Chuuya initiated it, when Verlaine tries to initiate affection Chuuya hates it. Chuuya has a sippy cup of hot cocoa cause he’s not a baby he doesn’t need a dumb baby bottle or milk. But… Warm milk does help you sleep. So he gets hot cocoa! It’s a pretty good balance that’s usually effective! It does give him a tiny sugar rush but it’s short lived enough before the sugar crash that Verlaine considers it to be worth it

⛦ Nicknames before I get a chance to forget! I love love love caregivers calling their little ones words or phrases in their native language… And Verlaine is French… SO. There’s the most well known “Chéri” which means “Darling”. I also love “Mon Bonheur” which literally means “My Happiness” ”ʚ(´꒳`)ɞ“ He’ll also call Chuuya “Bébé” to joke around because that’s close enough to just being baby that Chuuya knows what it means and he strongly disagrees. Chuuya is mostly able to talk fine? But some big words are hard… He doesn’t baby talk! Just shortens things. So he’ll call Verlaine “Ve” a lot, or literally say “Paul” because it is such a stupid name (Ash saying this, I’m just making Chuuya express my hatred for Verlaine’s first name). And on the rare occasion if he’s extra tired and having a soft moment he’ll occasionally call Verlaine “Bro”! Verlaine’s heart melts each time without fail

⛦ After Chuuya wakes up from a nightmare there’s two paths to take. If Chuuya’s still regressed he’s likely a sobbing mess, then Verlaine will usually hold him right, rock him and mutter gentle praise, hopefully getting him to drift back off to sleep, usually they start a movie and Chuuya falls back asleep during it, never leaving Verlaine’s arms. But if Chuuya wakes up out of headspace he’s gonna try and dart out of there immediately, Verlaine just has to slow him down enough to calm the boys breathing, make sure he’s alright, and remind Chuuya to reach out to him and take care of himself

⛦ I think a lot of Chuuya’s nightmares are reliving horrors he’s gone through, Shirase’s betrayal, being experimented on in Stormbringer, corruption trying to take over his body, watching his car blow up the symbol that Dazai was gone, those types of things. It leads him down rabbit holes of what ifs, wondering how he could’ve been better. Which obviously is too much stress for a little guy! So I think if Chuuya insists on staying awake Verlaine would give him like activity sheets to keep his mind busy on stuff that’s safe to think about!

⛦ I feel like when Chuuya is pouting and avoiding sleeping he just uses his gravity powers and goes on the ceiling. He’d out of reach up there! No one can force him into anything! Except… Y’know. His big brother. That has the same ability as him. And can do the exact same thing. Verlaine just goes up there and sits with him! Just talking, trying to calm Chuuya down. If he notices the redhead getting sleepy then he tries coaxing him down so he won’t fall and hurt himself, but if Chuuya protests too much then Verlaine settles for just holding his hand or something so he can catch Chuuya with his own gravity powers

⁺‧₊˚ ཐིੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻ੈ✩‧₊˚ཋྀ ˚₊‧⁺

Will I ever truly return to frequent posting? Who knows… But I wrapped up my public school today! So hopefully more free time? I still have online schooling through the summer though so who knows…

[DNI ID: A box with a brown border, paw prints in the top left corner and Chuuya on the right side. Brown text reads “DNI if your blog isn’t child safe. I will block NSFW accounts” End ID]

[just-unknown-works]

Special Drabbles: Father’s Day edition

Ft. All TWST AUs

I was gonna do a Father’s Day drawing post with my TWST AUs but my brain and hand said no so instead you get a collection of Drabbles…of sorts…(?) for each instead. Sorry for spelling mistakes, grammar errors, or random words being where they shouldn’t be. I wrote this while sleep deprived and accidentally deleted my first draft making me have a slight mental breakdown before I decided to rewrite it. So it’s not perfect by any means.

Enjoy :)

Putting them under the cut since some are long.

TW(?): implied/referenced dead people (-Meet in our dreams- and -Haunted staff-), suicide is kinda mentioned/is brought up in -Magical Researcher- but nothing explicit.

If it bothers you just skip over those. Idk if there’s any others.

-Meet in our dreams AU-

Yuu: It’s Father’s Day already huh…?

Yuu: *turns towards altar in the corner of the room that houses two photos and two drawings*

Yuu: Happy Father’s Day dad…

Yuu: *tearing up*

*loud crash comes from outside*

Yuu: !!!

Yuu: What the-?

Yuu: *peers out window*

*insert Lilia standing like a gremlin*

Lilia: Yuu~! Aren’t you going to wish a happy Father’s Day to me?

*Lilia used puppy dog eyes*

Yuu: ????

*It’s not very effective*

Yuu: Lilia…you’re not my dad? Why would I wish you a happy Father’s Day?

Lilia: *offended dramatic gasp*

Lilia: How could you say that to your future father in law? I’m hurt

Lilia: *wipes fake tear*

Yuu: ????

Lilia: Well come on now we don’t have all day! And the reservation for brunch is soon. Let’s go!

Yuu: ????

Yuu: Okay I guess?

*Yuu went to brunch with the Diasomnia boys*

*Lilia was referring to Silver’s crush on Yuu when referring to himself as father in law*

*Lilia hopes the two will get married. That would be the greatest Father’s Day gift ever he thinks…that or grand kids*

-Lady of Savanaclaw AU-

Context: Cheka has a tradition where he tries to jump/surprise Leona every Father’s Day especially after Leona became a dad himself and his first kid couldn’t do it himself. This later evolved into a tradition where Leona then chases his actual children around the castle as they try to avoid punishment for helping/joining Cheka after Cheka leaves to visit his actual dad.

*the sun rises over the Sunset Savanna as 3 pairs of footsteps echo through the halls of the royal palace*

Cheka (in his 20s?): Okay…coast is clear.

Cheka: *turns towards the two kids behind him*

Cheka: Ready?

Vihaan and Kairo: *trying not to giggle*

Vihaan: Ready cuz!

Zara (Cheka’s daughter): *sneaking up behind Cheka with Leona in toe*

Zara: Happy Father’s Day dad!

Cheka: Wha-?!

*Zara jumps onto Cheka’s back causing him to tumble to the ground as Leona gives out an amused huff*

Leona: *laughs*

Leona: You kids really think you can surprise me? Well you’re not the only one who wants to surprise their dad today.

*Cheka gets up giving Zara a piggyback ride as Penelope and Nabil walk up to the group*

Cheka: Come on Unca! I’ll get you one of these days!

Leona: Yeah? Well why don’t you try “getting” your own old man (referring to Falena). I’m sure he’d love to see his kid and his grandkid today.

*Cheka adjusts his hold on Zara*

Cheka: Yeah well he’s not in the castle anymore, unlike you Unca Leona.

Cheka: But you’re right. I’m gonna head out to see him now. See you later!

*Cheka runs down the hallway as Zara giggles*

*as soon as they are out of sight Leona turns towards his own kids with both his hands up ready to pounce*

Vihaan and Kairo: !!!

Nabil: *pounces first and grabs Leona in a hug*

Nabil: *to his siblings* RUN!!!

Leona: !!!

Vihaan: Your sacrifice will not be in vain big brother!

Kairo: Thanks brother!

Vihaan and Kairo: *skedaddle in different directions*

Leona: *turns to Nabil*

Leona: Cheeky punk.

Penelope: *teasingly* I wonder where he gets that from.

Penelope: *walks over and ruffles Leona’s hair before giving him a kiss on the cheek*

Leona: *gives Nabil a bear hug before pawing him off to Penelope and running the way Kairo skedaddled*

Nabil: How long you think it’s gonna take ma?

Penelope: For Kairo? Couple of minutes since he’s still new to this. For Vihaan? Could go either way.

Nabil: Then to the dining hall it is!

*Nabil and Penelope link arms as they head to the dining hall*

*in the distance one can hear a squeal from Kairo before running footsteps are heard. One from a pair of children’s feet and another from a pair of adult feet. Before a booming laugh echos down the hallway*

Nabil: What a way to start the day huh?

-SchoenSpade stepbrothers AU-

Vil and Deuce: *sitting in Vil’s room*

Vil: *setting up a video call to Eric on his computer*

Eric: *picks up by the third ring*

Eric: There are my boys! How are you two?

Vil: Hello father. We are doing well how about you?

Eric: Same old same old. I’m assuming you called for a reason and I have a feeling I know what that reason was.

Deuce: *pulls out small confetti popper and pops it*

Vil: *coves his ears*

Deuce: Happy Father’s Day pops!

Vil: Loud….but yes happy Father’s Day father.

Eric: *chuckles*

Eric: Thank you boys. Now tell me about what’s going on in your lives. I think that’d be a pretty great gift. As well as a good way to pass the time before your mother and I’s dinner reservation.

*Vil gives an amused huff and begins to talk about his day as Deuce slips off to the kitchen to get a snack.*

*the boys basically talked his ear off until Dylla came in to collect Eric for dinner*

-Magical Researcher AU-

Yukina: *stares disdainfully at the calendar at the date as if it would go away if she stared at it long enough*

*it doesn’t*

Yukina: UGH! What’s the point of today if I don’t even know if he’s okay? If I don’t know if he’s even alive or not…? Please god, universe, whatever higher being there is…please don’t let him kill himself. I’ll find a way home…I will…

*Yukina huffs before pulling out her phone and looking through a photo album titled “family photos”*

*she then puts her head down on the table with another huff as she scrolls*

*behind her the door opens a bit to be slightly ajar as Grimm peeps through the door and its frame. He then closes the door and puts a gift box next to the door with a tag that says “you may not be a dad but you’re the only parent I have. Thanks for being a great dad.” He then walks away.*

-Noble Bell Yuu AU-

Yumiko: *barges into Rollo’s room*

Rollo: ?!

Yumiko: *shoves a gift box and a letter into Rollo’s chest*

Rollo: ?!

Yumiko: I know you’re not a dad but you act like one so here! Happy Father’s Day I guess!

Yumiko: *runs away*

Rollo: *looks down at the gifts in his hands and gives an amused huff and a smirk*

Rollo: Weirdo…

-Haunted Staff AU-

Yukio: *stares into space*

Yukio: I know who my dad is but I don’t see him that way…so…

Yukio: Happy Father’s Day mom…I hope you’re doing well…wherever you may be.

Yukio: …

Yukio: I’ll see you soon ma…just give me a bit more time.

[howlsofbloodhounds]

What do you think of the name Lunacy for Insanity it’s not much better but it sounds better and I think close friends of his call him Luna. I’m one of the people who like the idea of Killer and Lunacy as friends. They can both save, load, etc. Although I do think Killer would come out on top Lunacy doesn’t fight those he doesn’t think he could win in a fight against. Although, I do imagine a fight first broke out but after that they never really fight like that again I think they would fight one another for fun though. Killer goal to fix his soul to make himself Sans now also includes helping Lunacy with everything Gaster did to his mind and body from determination and the experiments. There both freaks I say this with love and I can just see the two traveling the multiverse getting up to whatever and then sometimes just crashing in random universes to take a break. I think they both would have some eating problems. Killer doesn’t want to eat at all and only does when it gets to the point in which it’s effecting him in battle. Lunacy because of his jaw doesn’t like eating solid food and puts all his meals in the blender regardless of what the meal is. Although he doesn’t partake much in food in the first places. I don’t think either really sleeps and when they do it’s not much so their up 24/7 doing whatever.

Insanity! Papyrus I like to call him Delirium. If Lunacy and Killer were friends I think Delirium would be the biggest road block between them. Cause, even as he is now even after all this time Killer loves his brother and every Papyrus he sees reminds him of his brother. I think he would want that find a way to help him either through death or just trying to make him a body. It would definitely be the big thing between them.

~Musical Anon

Hmmmm..they were a test subject, right? Perhaps they were originally given a code name that originally served as something dehumanizing, but perhaps he starts reclaiming it as their own with time.

Patient or Asset 0 is an obvious one, as well as 001 because Sans was the first who didn’t amalgamate. Maybe something like Subject DRS-016, which refers to a test subject, DRS meaning Determination Reformation Stasis, and 016 referring October 16, 2022 which is the date that the AU was transferred to UTF.

Perhaps Sans mentally thinks of himself as either Sans still or as whatever subject name he was given—but because he doesn’t really speak, hates loud noises, and their jaw is split—people tend to assign their own names and nicknames to them because he doesn’t often respond back and it takes extra effort and pain in order to do so.

Which not only runs the risk of his pain and the sound of his own voice aggravating and hurting him, but many do not have the patience to wait for them to get their words out or to decipher what he’s trying to say if they have difficulty with words.

Either physically because of his injured jaw and teeth, or because of his physically damaged skull and how that could effect his mental capabilities like organizing thoughts and speech, as well as his own difficulties with noise.

Which he could definitely have mixed emotions about if he’s able to understand this, and perhaps they’re not use to others putting in any extra effort to communicate with them and care about what they have to say.

I don’t know. Maybe people can leave a few suggestions somewhere and I can make it into a poll like I did for Deltaverse Frisk’s nickname.

[nyxscave]

On anxiety, academics and the mess that can build up silently over time (TL;DR in red at the bottom if you don't want to hear me yapping)

1. What the fuck happened

Hi, so; I've been missing for some time and it is kind of related to this, although not entirely. I'll try to post more, not only to keep this blog alive but to also try to keep myself sane. As to why:

Raging anxiety!!! Lots of it.

What happened for the entirety of last week was not something I've ever had experienced, and it freaked me out so bad. Heart doing some weird shit and a constant, constant weight on my chest plus half of my face tingling like I was having a stroke as a bonus. Not fun! At all!

I thought I was dying and yes, I know IN THEORY that anxiety can make you feel like that but it has never happened to me before. All of that is characteristic of an anxiety attack, yes, but it lasted days. A whole week of that without any respite. I just didn't freak out even more because I was spending all my free gpt-o4 writing what I was feeling and asking for-the-love-of-god if I was dying and needed to call the emergency.

(I'm all against AI for all of that, btw; but I was desperate and in the situation I'm in rn going to the hospital or looking for medical assistance is something to be done very, very sparringly, unfortunately)

It went away yesterday, although not completely. I'm still shaken up at times, but I'm functional. That's something I really need to be as I have a presentation to prepare and rehearse for next week. I'm really trying.

2. Why, why, why and WHY gods

Nothing in particular triggered it. I wasn't particularly anxious when it started, and I'm actually two months into a break from anything stressful - graduated in march, have two extra presentations for next week and then august but that's it; my master's classes only begin in august, too, and I was accepted into the program and have an advisor already.

Almost nothing to worry about, right? I've been through the wringer before and it surely was a lot more stressful than an almost-vacation. Come on.

And BOOM! A ONE-WEEK ANXIETY CRISIS FOR U BABY

I don't know why, actually. The best guess I have is that it built up from months and years of stress and shitty coping mechanisms that didn't have an immediate effect while I was really stressed - those all-nighters and anxieties that were so bad that didn't seem to pass even after the event was over - came down all at once, and not mentally, but physically.

What the mind can't handle, the body tries to, right?

3. Now ok what does that matter to you reading this

"Please take care of yourself" honestly doesn't seem too convincing and you can also think that "Oh, I am, I'm not even feeling that bad", but. BUT. That was a scare for me. A real big one. One that could have gone way worse, and one that still lingers. I'm using all of my limited energy to focus on being functional and finishing the bare minimum preparations for my presentation, but that's it. The rest is all going to trying to hold myself together.

Which you know what entails? Sun exposure, physical exercise and 9 hours of sleep. That's it. I literally can't do more self-care than that or I will explode and probably cry and sob until I can't even stand up from the headache the dehydration will give me.

But a TL;DR is that you can be silently anxious. Your mind can be working overtime in the background and you may not know past some really, really mild things (in my case, a slight pressure on my chest when I tried to meditate with my back straight, and that was there for so many years I though it was just a me thing).

Don't wait for the crash. Really, really don't wait for it to get that bad, because it can come out of nowhere. I am a healthy young adult, no chronic conditions in sight, no family history of cardiopathies or anything. And still, thinking that my mental health was good because "I'm not really an anxious person, I barely feel anything when things are stressful", my body crashed with all the weight my mind was just carrying in the background and not letting me feel properly because it's never "the time" to. I never have time to crash or to process my emotions gently. I didn't have time now, either; but it still happened, and I'm lucky it wasn't before anything too important.

So take care. Please.

And also know that if you feel like you're struggling even though your mind or body don't give external signals that things are bad, they can still be bad, and you have the right to take some time to yourself and just be kind and soft amidst all the productivity and results academics or work expect from you.

[thelemonsgod]

Okay, there’s like less than a handful of tfp x tfa crossovers, which are very cool! But hear me out, tf cyberverse x tf animated crossover

Idk if Cyberverse is tfc or tfcv :p

I really can’t get the crossover out of my head, but Cyberverse is the PERFECT tf version to be able to cross universes, and it has (tho not to other shows sadly) it may be that after I watched Cyberverse and is now my favorite show but there needs to be more content of it :((. That show makes me actively crazy and I will not hide it, to those who see my page it may not seem like it but- I haven’t even expressed how much I actually love it.

Anyway- to the crossover! I think specifically that Hot Rod and Deadend crash onto Detroit, and for this crossover universe background, the amazing group that is Quintession arc group could not save their universe, they had to flee on a Quintession ship, like those spare ones on the side ya know? They flee being able to damage the main ship enough to be unable to fly and travel dimensions- but since they never really have any knowledge on dimension travel and all that stuff, I mean Preceptor can only know so much, and so an accident happens and it opens a portal to another dimension-(woah! Who would have saw that coming?) and the two to fall in the portal before it closes are of course Hot Rod and Deadend.

Now, the two red dudes are in a completely different universe with only one having some knowledge of Earth. And I really like it when the toxic energon has negative effects on Hot Rod, he’s unable to transform, run for a long amount of time, and he burns to the touch. So technically only one of the two can go out and scout the place but Deadend has absolutely no knowledge of earth, so their both in a pickle. To solve this pickle case Hot Rod would teach Deadend the basics that he learned when he was on earth and when Deadend went out to scout he would keep coms with Hot Rod, even if he doesn’t want to.

Now, of course the tfa crew aren’t exactly hiding themselves and so Deadend is able to find them out quick, and learns additional knowledge about this world’s earth and told Hot Rod about it, who is sitting totally (not) patiently in an abandoned warehouse. And so they think that they could fly by totally unnoticed, or more so Hot Rod, and so they both go scouting. Deadend could go into more open areas where cars could drive while Hot Rod sneak around alleyways, mostly at night since he could blend in a little more.

Of course rumors go around of a black robot hiding in alleyways gain some attraction, more so in the internet so Sari finds out about it and shows it to the other Autobots. She shows an picture of two blurry blue eyes, Big foot kind of picture ya know? So the Autobots assume it’s a rouge robot of Sumdac idk if I want this to be after or before season 2, I wanna say after just for fun but idk haven’t really thought much of when. But the Autobots check it out, and Hot Rod being a used to have to work with his surrounds to not get killed doesn’t get caught by him until a rat stuck up on him, embarrassing I know. And so when the tfa crew find Hot Rod they see is Autobot symbol first and foremost and they ask him for his name, and Hot Rod mentally prepares himself to explain that the multiverse is real and he’s not from their world, because he thinks there is already a Hot Rod in this universe. Except he doesn’t have to because they move on without recognizing his name, he’s a little bummed out that him and Bumblebee aren’t friends in every universe.

And so once they find out he’s another Autobot they invite him to their place, and to ask other question and stuff like that. And since Hot Rod knows Deadend will be waiting for him and can’t com him out of the blue because what if Deadend is a well known name and he doesn’t want to completely destroy the Autobots trust, so he runs off or more sneak off because he doesn’t want to vomit on the side of the rode. When the Optimus turn back to tell the other to transform and roll out he realizes Hot Rod is gone. Optimus, Bulkhead, Prowl, and Sari think he’s just shy while Bumblebee and Ratchet are little suspicious of him.

Hot Rod told Deadend what happens, get called an idiot and they sit in silence for a bit. And Deadend decides that they could maybe see if the Autobots have anything useful to help them, see if they could get their hands on high tech communication or something of the sorts that if they modify it they could call Preceptor, or anyone else on their team… Mainly Preceptor tho. And Hot Rod doesn’t really like the idea of using the other Autobots, they do need something because they are just driving (or walking) aimlessly around the place. So he decides to he will hang out with them from time to time, not completely stay with them but just hangs out.

Now of course there are many things going around my head so I don’t have a solid story wrap around, most of my head is filled with interactions and reactions to some things. So I will share a few ideas that I have on replay:

Deadend and Hot Rod looking over the city from far away. Like, Hot rod finds Deadend on the edge of Lake Erie watching the sun go down, and he sits next to him. Just relaxing for a moment before Deadend speaks up to say how he hates the planet and how the creatures could the way they do and Hot Rod would share stories of his time of their earth terrifying or just dumb little things. And they would just sit side by side to each other talking away or not talking at all. Maybe the tfa crew would be behind them after finding out about Deadend and just watching them interact with each other, wondering what happened for those two to be friends.

Hot Rod messing with Sari. Hot Rod has knowledge of earth and the strange or funny things they do. One things would be roasting marshmallows, Sari would be cold and Hot Rod would say something like “Oh don’t humans out fire on a stick and heat themselves up with that” and when Sari is about to correct him he laughs says he’s messing with her and says he know they get a pile of sticks and heat themselves. Tho he’s not technically wrong on the fire sticks as sparklers do exist.

Along with the fire on the stick I think that’s how they find out Hot Rod name is quite literal. He grabs a stick from a tree and puts it up high as to get other stuff on fire and makes a small fire on the stick. The others are shocked on his creation of being able to make fire, and concern for his ability to control it, which is technically unnecessary because he as been around them for like a month now and he hasn’t cause fire around them. He’s responsible enough to know when to start a fire. I just think fire on a stick would be funny to give to a 9-year old, but I don’t think Hot Rod is that reckless, I mean he doesn’t even let the others touch me.

He doesn’t let the others touch him, no matter what. At first it goes unnoticed but when Bumblebee would try to fist bumb him he would back away. When Bulkhead would try wrap his arm around him he’s about two arms away. When Sari would try to hug him he would panic and back up, and letting Sari fall, which he felt really worried for her because he knows that injuries could happen when humans fall. The only one to ever touch Hot Rod is Deadend because he knows Deadend can handle it and he still craves the feeling of hugging someone.Clobber had thick metal and could hug him no problem the other experience a sting as when he first saw Preceptor when he got to the surface he hugged him and informed Hot Rod that him hugging him burns, sting. So Hot Rod doesn’t know how others will react when they touch him and he doesn’t like hurting someone unknowingly. I can’t decide if Bumblebee or Sari would be the first to experience the burning toxin.For Bee it will burn for sure, maybe even leave a mark, for Sari, oh she would get burn scars for sure, maybe go to the hospital maybe or they would have to take her to her father (idk she not human ToT) , it will be painful, that’s for sure for both.

Hot Rod nearly died and Deadend was nearly left alone. Those two are the only two who can understand each other without having to explain it. They both faced war, the invasion, the losing of all they know of. When they escaped the Quintession Deadend was unmovable for ages, Whirl and Clobber would be the two who would get him moving. He may not find Hot Rod as the best person to be stuck with, he isn’t exactly the worst either so he counts that as a win. If the only other person he knew that kept him sane, Deadend would not try to work harder to find the others. He would be stuck alone on a place he’s stuck on. After said event of Hot Rod nearly deactivation Deadend would have broken down right then and there, yelling how the Autobots are so selfless and that they need to start thinking about more than those around them, and at some point it would Deadend saying how Hot Rod already sacrificed himself for his friends and look how he ended up. And then I think that would lead up to them looking at the sunset together.

That could be sorta out of character for Deadend, but honestly wouldn’t losing all you had, friends, family (in this case the stunticons), everything make you hold onto the last things or people you have. For me it would

The tfa crew finding out about Deadend. HUGEEE distrust for Hot Rod there. This one I think they would like attack Deadend and maybe they say something like “Can’t run now con!” Or something around those lines but then Hot Rod would get in front of Deadend or attack one of the others so Deadend could escape. Feeling really guilty over it but felt he had to no other choice. Not one I thought of to much so it’s like very ehu.

Hot Rod has a gun. Imagine they are battling let’s sayy Blitzwing and suddenly BLOW! He gets shot out of nowhere, and they turn to see Hot Rod holding a gun. They immediately question where he got it and if he’s authorized to use it, but they go unanswered as Blitzwing rises up again. He try’s to not pull out his gun to often.

Hot Rod and Deadend are wayyy older than all of the tfa crew ages combine. Like, the Autoship landed on earth a few years before the astro hit, maybe a few billion. The war has been going long enough for their planet died when the All-spark was lost, which was a long while, like another billion of years and- They are older than earth itself, and I am not doing the math but they are probably the oldest Transformers group. The tfa group to them are sparklings, and they haven’t seen sparklings suchhh a long time. They are old, that’s all.

And that’s all I could muster up! For now- probably after posting this I will get a new 10 ideas or something. But Cyberverse means so much to me and deserves more love <3.

You could leave questions or art request for this crossover! Am happy to hear other’s thoughts :] some ppl can be more creative then I am so I would love to hear what others thoughts are.

Here’s Deadend and Hot Rod, underrated duo right here

[rabnerd28]

Addendum's and new observations I'd like to make from my last post about Paramount Cats now that it's out of previews. I will not cover the whole show, just new things I want to note. I was in the balcony this time so full stage view. I do think I preferred my first seat ultimately, but I was also going in with no surprises so that might have had an effect on my viewing experience.

Sillabub and Exotica are listed as dueling ballerinas not dueling sisters. I misremembered that one guys.

Macavity is listed as the magician for this show, but then he's crossed out and his picture is ripped off and replaced with Mistoffelees.

I've decided that Misto and Macavity are exes in this production...look there's so little room for headcanons in this version that I'm working with what I got.

I know Etcetera was on the cast list but I didn't see her on the projections at the beginning. I think they might have just not listed everyone.

Old Deuteronomy was there for Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats which I think they added in.

The man over there I'm pretty sure was in a different spot this time.

Did I mention in my last post how in sync everyone is during Naming of Cats?

Can 100% be sure it's Think of Me from Phantom that the "mice" sing during Gumbie Cat

So I've decided that their version of the Rum Tum Tugger is a bit mid. Nothing bad, it's just nothing we haven't seen before. Especially because I think that the family kinda constrained them from making him flirty with the jellicles. Though I'm still probably gonna make that it's own post.

Tugger himself is great though. I think the actor did a really good job. Was giving off whore energy the whole time and occasionally there would be moments where he and Munk would casually bicker, I loved it.

Bustopher Jones remains bad. It was a lot of fat jokes and the costume was not good. The only other thing of note is that I think they actually shortened the song. 0/10

Jellylorum started the show with a pearl necklace, and when she walks in during Mugojerrie and Rumpleteazer the two steal it.

Everyone in the number was singing in a slight accent. I can't quite place it, but I think it was a brooklyn accent. No New Jersey, but it still worked for me.

So when Old Deuteronomy arrives Misto points him out, with the twins and Cassandra next to him. Then Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer then respond followed by the group I mentioned in my last post doing standing at the front and starting the chorus. This means that the ones essentially pointing him out are all the characters not related to him, which I found very interesting.

I think Tugger has my favorite look, but I also really loved Electra's.

When Grizabella reaches out to touch Sillabub, this time both Bomba and Demeter appear. Demeter shoos away Sillabub while Bombalurina hisses at Grizabella.

I have nothing new to say till the Macavity with the reminder: I am lesbian.

Demeter gave Sillabub a little nuzzle. It was very cute.

I think Victoria looks up to Bomba as a big sister (even though she's technically got like 5 actually big sisters and Bomba's actually her niece) because she was coppying her in some parts of Macavity.

Last time I said that Misto was the only tom to join in on Macavity, but it turns out I was wrong. Pouncival was there too. Go other gay boy go!

Guys, I think Macavity fucking dies in this one. After he's lifted up and away there's a shadow that looks like a silhouette and a crash...yeah, he's dead.

Okay so I was tearing up when I saw Memory at the first show, but this time during "Journey to the Heaviside Layer" I was almost sobbing guys. Emily Rohm might be fighting Elaine Page for my top spot!

[mpregrapidpreg]

My (latest) Birth Story

I'm sorry it's been a while, this last birth really was something else...

So, just as a recap for people who may have missed a few things on this blog, I recently fell pregnant after some help from @spontaneous-birther. Steadily, from about the 8th of January, I found that my belly was growing, and quite quickly at that!! For the first time ever, it wasn't just belly growth I was feeling but I found my chest swelling into, well, breasts. Before I knew it, by the 18th, I was clearly big enough to pop, and my body knew that, hitting me with contractions which, might've been Braxton Hicks, but turns out, they weren't...

I went on a walk and very quickly found contractions getting closer and closer until they were about ten minutes apart. For a while, the contractions seemed to just hover around that point and, with Isabella's help, we kept checking if my ass was dilating at all (it wasn't), or if there was any sign of decent towards my genitals (there also wasn't).

One day of labouring like this passed. And then another. And another. This is definitely my own fault, but I was just planning on giving birth in the comfort of my own home, maybe with a little help but by the 23rd, I was still labouring with very little sign of progress. I hadn't slept and I was a bit delirious and very very adamant that no doctors should be called.

Where I live, they don't take kindly to cis men who fall pregnant, for a variety of reasons. Most people don't believe it's possible and, for those that do, there's they go straight to being worried about alien invasion. 😅 As such, hospitals were completely out of the question in my mind. The best Isabella thought we could do was contact an expert in magical pregnancy, someone from @pregnancy-librarium-roleplay.

After discussing the rituals I used to get pregnant, and how long I'd been labouring, they decided that there wasn't any time to be wasted and Isabella would have to deliver my baby. They concluded that there weren't any signs of dilation from the usual places because the embryo was implanted into me via my belly button, it was going to be a navel birth!

By this point, I was too exhausted to stand, but gravity was going to be the best help here so, shifting me onto my knees, I was made to lean my head onto Isabella's chest as she attempted to break my waters. I don't remember much clearly, but it was a really weird sensation. When I was feeling a contraction, she was told to try to widen my belly button as best as she could, pressing down into it and against the sides. It took a few attempts, but I distinctly recall feeling a gush of liquid maybe one or two very short moments of relief before the contractions I was already having intensified so much!!

The pain immediately pulled me away from my delirium as I started to push even though it achieved very little. We were both a bit panicked as the contractions were very quickly less than 5 minutes apart and lasted for easily more than a minute each. Before I pushing would be effective, the baby's head would need to be properly aligned with my navel, so Isabella was talked through how to turn the baby, pressing and squeezing my bump quite firmly in certain ways to shift them around. I was told that I needed to resist the urge to push until the baby was aligned or it would make Isabella's job more difficult, but I just couldn't. As each contraction crashed over me, I wailed and I pushed ineffectively, I think it took maybe two or three times as long to move the baby as it should have.

There was no time to waste when the head was aligned though and it just a few pushes, a head was stretching my belly button wide. Feeling the need for more space, I stopped leaning on Isabella and moved to my hands and knees. I tell you, the way I was grunting was the most primal thing you could hear!! But I just gave in to the instincts and pushed and pushed and FINALLY, my baby was born...

I've been so exhausted that I couldn't keep everyone up to date, and I'm so sorry for that!! I'm hoping to be back on my feet soon as I've got a work trip. But that does mean this blog will probably be going on hiatus for a little while from Thursday, I'll be back soon though, promise!

[oneatlatime]

The Guru

Happy 2024 everyone and welcome to the first time I managed to type 2024 without first typing 2023! Oh and also a write up of The Guru. That too.

Me too Iroh. Me too.

So Zuko is riding high on that post-crisis 'time to get my life together' buzz that, similar to 3 am life plans, should absolutely not be listened to. Wonder how long before he crashes and burns? There's literally 2 episodes left, so I'm guessing one and a half?

Poor Sokka. My boy's got anxiety.

I don't know if it's a monk thing, an airbender thing, an Avatar thing, or an Aang thing, but I envy his complete lack of nerves.

How is Appa ok with them splitting up for a week after JUST getting them back?

I paused in a funny place. Have bonk-eyed Appa.

I love them comparing heights. What do you want to bet that that guy on the right was one of the youngest allowed to go fight, and Sokka made a big deal about how they're almost the same age and surely that means he can go too, right?

A lot of these Southern Water Tribe people have dreads or braids. That's neat.

Bato's arm is still messed up. That's some good continuity.

I've found the source of Katara's cheek bones. I guess Sokka takes after his mum.

Ok I know this is a really emotional moment (and it is! Sokka's spent two seasons earning this!) but my brain fixated on the furs and briefly thought they were sky bison pelts.

"It's been a difficult week for me." This guy thinks the Kyoshi Warriors are there to provide him therapy. Someone please just crown the bear instead.

He just gave away literally every relevant plot point AND outlined how to make sure all these plot points don't succeed. Crown. The. Bear.

Maybe if these generals spent less time playing with their giant model Earth Kingdom and more time general-ing, the war wouldn't suck so much?

Pretty.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE the designs, the colour palette, the music, the sound design of this air temple. I love everything about it. If I had the chance to live anywhere in the Avatar universe, it would be here. Even in its ruined state it's such a refreshing contrast to the claustrophobia of Ba Sing Se. I can feel the freshness of the breeze through the screen.

"A spiritual brother of your people" an adult perspective on a near extinct culture! What a resource!

"and a personal friend of Monk Gyatso" an old as balls perspective. He's got to be at least 130.

Anthropology cul de sac time: this guy is so valuable as a resource on the Air Nomads. There's probably parts of Air Nomad culture that Aang can't ever accurately talk about, because he was a kid when he left, and there was almost certainly stuff that the adults kept to themselves, or only shared with the older Air Nomads. This Guru doesn't seem to be an Air Nomad himself, but there's a good chance that there is knowledge that he has, that Aang doesn't. Aang should be nerding out more about this. I'll do the nerding out for him.

Aang just breezes right by that Gyatso name drop like it's nothing. Huh.

Oh hey Toph. I'd forgotten she was in a box. Tweedle dum and Tweedle dumber really are quite the pair. What's their plan for keeping her fed and watered? Actually, these guys apparently don't know that maps exist, so it's probably never occurred to them that humans need sustenance. They'll rock up to the Bei Fong estate with corpse Toph and wonder why they aren't getting the reward money.

Mai gets called out in-universe for shopping at Hot Topic.

Ty Lee's buttering up of Azula is getting less and less subtle as the season progresses. It's a testament to Azula's lack of awareness that she's hasn't noticed that, and that Ty Lee can get away with it.

Azula's right that it's an extraordinary opportunity. The King gave them quite literally every piece of info required to overthrow his kingdom in a 25 second conversation. I can't blame her for taking advantage of such an easy win.

That's a very effective unimpressed face. And a very impressive beard.

It's funny to see a spiritual concept from the real world pop up in a show that includes things like bending and giant fish possession. The mention of Chakras kind of sticks out. They couldn't invent a Avatar universe version?

"Once you begin this process, you cannot stop until all seven are open." Well that doesn't feel like foreshadowing at all.

This episode should be called "Aang's self-care Journey." It's about time the kid had a me day that wasn't avoidance-based.

Fear: Losing Katara - makes sense. Losing control of his powers via fish possession - makes sense. The Fire Lord - makes sense. But the Blue Spirit? He helped. Doesn't make sense.

Guilt: Running away - makes sense, although I thought he'd worked through that with Katara in the storm. Nuking that idiot General's base - makes sense, but boy did he quite literally ask for it.

This guru is saying some wonderfully accurate, and realistic, things. I love that he's not taking the Katara route of denying anything is wrong. He's going for the acknowledge, then heal route. And yes, it's unfair of me to compare the emotional maturity of Katara to a century+ old spiritual expert.

I'm going to ruin the immersion here and point out that Sokka's dad's voice actor voiced a bunch of characters in season 1. He's doing an excellent job, but couldn't they get a unique voice for a character that's so important (albeit offscreen) to Sokka?

That's an incredibly roundabout way of avoiding pointing out that the Southern Water Tribe are active participants in a bloody war. Sure, we can show multiple characters with visible scarring from horrific burns, but heaven forbid we imply that the Southern Water Tribe sinks ships. The parameters for what is and isn't appropriate on this show sometimes make no sense.

"Aren't you listening? I said the rest of you men get ready for battle." He hasn't seen his boy in two years, but fifteen minutes in his company and he knows exactly what needs to be said and how. That's some top tier parenting. Dad of the year. Dad of the century. Only decent Dad in this show that isn't technically an uncle.

"Follow your passion Zuko, and life will reward you." Great advice for your eight year old audience. Also a great way to end up unemployed.

Positive Sokka creeped me out a few episodes ago. Now positive Zuko is freaking me out too.

Pretty.

Back to Chakras! Shame: Burning Katara - makes sense. But that's it? To have the inner peace of mind of a twelve year old who's somehow only ever done one thing that he's ashamed of.

Is there anyone in the earth kingdom who isn't stupid? Once again wondering at the network's standards. Visible burn injuries are fine, but Mai can't say 'Shut up." It's got to be Shush up. Although I do seem to recall of brief time in the early 2000s when Shut Up was treated as a curse on par with Shit or Fuck. Maybe that was just at my school.

Chakras again! Even for a show that often has an A, B, and C plot, this narrative is ping ponging around a bit much.

Grief: nothing major, just a whole nation. Makes a horrific amount of sense. but I don't buy that he can get over grieving the whole world as he knew it by thinking about his crush. That's way too high a pedestal for Katara to be placed on.

Lies: Not accepting he's the Avatar. Interesting that not accepting that he's the Avatar and not accepting that he's a firebender are two different problems.

I see you reusing the opening credits footage. Your blue filters can't fool me.

PRETTY

Illusion: So we're relearning what we learned in The Swamp. Aang's probably the person currently alive least likely to believe in the rigid separation of the nations anyway. This doesn't feel like an illusion he's subject to?

The way this episode dances between its narrative threads is so great. It's all woven in so beautifully. And this makes perfect sense! Toph's spent her life secretly doing things excellently that everyone says are completely beyond her capabilities. Life has taught her that the statement "you are not able to" doesn't apply. Of course immutable laws of bending physics are treated with the same respect as an adult telling the champion of the Earth Rumble that she's can't earthbend beyond breathing exercises. If you told her that humans can't fly, she'd figure out how within the week.

Plot collision incoming.

Interesting that Katara initially recognises Zuko by his voice rather than his scar.

I'm pretty sure that Zuko and Iroh don't know about the whole brainwashing thing, but wouldn't it be hilarious if Zuko introduced himself to Katara as Joo Dee, and his uncle Joo Dee, welcome to the Jasmine Dragon, can I take your order? That would throw Katara into one hell of a moral quandary.

Katara being framed as the solution for Chakra number four comes back to bite Aang, as she's the problem in Chakra number seven. I knew that pedestal was too high.

I've changed my mind. This episode should actually be called "Half a dozen reasons why everyone should just learn to keep their goddamn mouths shut already."

So is anyone going to let Zuko and Iroh know that they're now in immediate danger and need to leave, like, yesterday?

I think the Guru is going for the whole 'if you love them, let them go, and they'll come back to you' thing. Don't cling, in other words. But for the sake of the plot he's suddenly lost his ability to explain Chakras in a way that makes them seem like the logical thing to do. The only clunky bit of this episode so far.

May I introduce you to our Lord and Saviour Toph?

"I am the greatest earthbender in the world." Yes. Yep. Yeah. That's now a quantifiable fact, and it's correct. Look on ye mighty and despair. She's even got Bumi beat.

Earth Tongue Running is a bit wonky looking but it covers a crazy amount of distance.

What's the range on Toph's earth sense? Can she sense what direction Ba Sing Se is?

I hope those two idiots' horse bird is ok.

"You don't know how much this means to me dad." He does. Very much so.

Every word out of this guy's mouth is precision engineered to make Sokka feel like a million bucks and I for one think it's about time someone built him up. Also, seeing this makes me realise how few good parents there are in this show. It's a trope of kids' adventure shows that the parents fundamentally can't be there, but I also think it's a commentary on yet another thing that this war has messed up.

Hey look! Being a man is knowing where you're needed the most, and right now that's in Ba Sing Se, protecting your sister! I love narratives that tie their themes up with a pretty bow on top.

This is Azula laying a trap, right? Which means that Katara squealed to someone about the exact location of Iroh and Zuko's tea shop. Don't like the implications of that.

Photos taken seconds before disaster.

Final Thoughts

This episode was a lot! I mean that in a good way! But I felt a bit like the Maxell Blown Away Guy, the way I kept getting assaulted by yet another plot thread. Don't get me wrong, this isn't a criticism. I think the switching between plot threads and the amount of info in this episode worked 99% of the time. But I'm kind of in awe at the balancing act the writers pulled off and I'm sort of sitting here blinking a bit trying to fit all this stuff in my head. I'm probably going to forget half the stuff I wanted to talk about in this write up, so here goes nothing.

Given the Azula reveal in at the end of last episode, I thought that this would be the episode where the shit hits the fan. I was wrong. I'm glad I was wrong. An episode of set up is required and is nice breathing room, even an episode as busy as this. And I got to leave Ba Sing Se! But this does mean that next episode is going to be calamity after calamity.

Aang and his Chakras: I'm fascinated by this guru. I hope he comes back. That brings the total number of people who were alive before the war started up to three: Aang, Bumi, Guru Patik.

I'm impressed that the run through of the Chakras rarely felt like an info dump. The onion and banana juice thing didn't work for me, but I'm sure it worked for people in the target age bracket. Kids love burp jokes.

So many shows sprinkle in tragic backstories for flavour and then never have them influence the character in the present. It was a nice contrast to see a show take a whole episode to tell Aang "yeah all that sucked. It's ok to feel down about it. Here's how you move forward."

Sokka and his dad: Love it. Love it so much. I love seeing Sokka built up, and he definitely deserves it, but I wonder if this is the reward for a character arc well done, or the set up for a character arc that's about to start? Is his dad's praise his prize for crossing the finish line, or is it so he's built up with farther to fall?

I loved seeing more of the Southern Water Tribe. I loved the fashion. There's a lot of variety in accessories and variations on a few basic elements like those knee guard things. I loved their hairstyles. I loved how cozy and communal that command tent felt. I loved their ships. I wonder how often these guys work out, that they can make loading ramps that are presumably deployed and stashed out of the way frequently, out of whole logs rather than planks. I have a bone to pick with the child-friendly sea mine. But it provides a good set up for a dad joke, so I'll let it slide.

Zuko and Iroh: Of course the one time Zuko is allowed to be in a good place, it's so that he and Iroh both have farther to fall when the inevitable happens. Poor guy just can't catch a break. I'd be mad at Azula for the party crashing that I'm assuming she'll do next episode, but it's been established that Zuko has all nice things taken away from him as soon as he gets them, and I can't blame Azula for being a tool of the universe.

Azula & Long Feng: Azula's acting in Long Feng's prison cell was miles ahead of what Long Feng was doing in front of the Earth King, so I'm wondering if Long Feng has bitten off more than he can chew. Also: conspiring with the enemy to bring down your own city just so you can reinstall yourself as the power behind the throne that will presumably cease to exist as soon as the Fire Nation takes control? That is both treasonous beyond description and an incredible case of shooting yourself in the foot. What's Long Feng's plan here?

Toph and the Dunderheads: it says something about the consistency of Toph's characterisation from her introduction onwards that she breaks the universe this episode and my reaction was "that's neat." It's obviously a huge moment, but of course Toph can do that. Toph can do anything. More importantly, Toph knows that Toph can do anything, so Toph routinely does do anything, especially things she shouldn't be able to do. If you had asked me a few episodes back which character would be most likely to fundamentally redefine bending, I would have said Toph, since she's already fundamentally redefined bending with her earth sense sonar vision.

Also Toph just breaks stuff. Things that come into contact with her cease to function as intended and instead function as Toph requires. Look at the two idiots: both successful business owners, one also a successful hoodwinker of the richest family around. But they come into contact with Toph and their brains take an extended vacation.

Katara & the Generals: this plot was more like an extension of Azula's plot than its own standalone thing. You can't blame her for spilling the news about Zuko and Iroh to someone she honestly thought was Suki. Not much else to say about it, although it's cute that she asks for a table for two at the tea shop. Momo gets a chair!

I like that there's a theme this episode of things going wrong despite the best intentions. No one's acting maliciously here apart from the Antagonists. The Earth King is having an honest chat with people he thought were friends. Sokka vouched for people he honestly thought were the Kyoshi Warriors. Katara shares information about a presumed threat with people she honestly thought were her allies. You can quibble with the wisdom of some of these decisions, but there were all done with good intentions. The best laid plans of mice and men oft go awry and all that. It brings to mind that Star Trek quote about how you can do everything right and still lose. And this set up is going to hit harder when whatever goes wrong next episode happens. And something will go wrong. A few months ago I figured that the Season 2 finale would be a triumph, but all signs are pointing towards a tragedy instead.

This episode was visually stunning, the soundtrack in the Air Temple sections especially was very evocative, and I applaud the minds that could juggle that many plot threads at once without dropping any. This one is definitely going on my rewatch list.