#;; the ones that love us never truly leave us // promo

[lukolabrainrot]

This is going to be long, I am sorry.

So, recent posts, we are all talking about them, assuming things, trying to find 5 differences and all that, but certain comments sparked a thought in me which I would like to share. What if we all are looking into timeline in the wrong way? Now I would need someone with an actual knowledge of how this promo contracts works to confirm or correct or entirely contradict my little theory. Is there a general timeframe in a contract during which L would have been supposed to post about this hotel or is a truly specifically established day? Now hold that thought, I would like to explain why this theory even came into my head and it’s a bit lengthy.

I think we all notices certain patterns and features in behavior of some less pleasant individuals in L close social circle. And even though we don’t have any concrete proof we have some pretty damning evidence that something went wrong post Part 2 premiere and more importantly during the “happiest” Italian gateway in relation to those particular individuals. We can see it clearly in their behavior during and post that, in pictures as well as drastic behavioral pattern changes. Not going to elaborate on this we have all been here during that and there are more than enough of in depth analysis on various platforms, this lovely blog including.

One such evidence which makes me pretty certain that something happened is actually N herself. There were many, many ways to post about her close friends’ birthday, but she specifically chose those pictures and that phrasing. She could have even just post those cute pictures with some other words, but no, she mentioned paparazzi and friends protecting friends. Along with someone mentioning L leaving two days earlier than his friends (not a 100% fact I concur but definitely possible), this makes me believe he truly learned something to shake those relationships, perhaps some kind of betrayal? And we know that N is protective of people in her life, even as just a friend if he shared the situation with her, I can totally see her wishing to throw some shade on people who put in jeopardy her friends’ safety and privacy. (I would have done exactly the same thing) N just coincidentally had a very convenient, easily deniable way to do just that.

Now I truly do believe that likes on SM mean nothing, just from my personal perspective. We also know that L followed and liked J posts on SM for a while even after a break up. This situation though seems different, A is different. I saw someone make a comment that L likes seem almost like a little reminder to A that he still can see what she is doing, we all know SM games she enjoyed playing promoting their supposed intimacy. At that time I dismissed it because it seemed too far fetched, but what if not? I mean, if he finally comprehended her shadiness, as well as some other people’s, what if he finally sees the bigger picture?

And after this essay finally comes my timeline idea. What if it was not A who posted before L, but he who posted after her? Now read that again. When she just posted a day before L, everyone immediately assumed that it looks like Cypress, and that even though she tries to make it look like someone tall is filming her, something didn’t seem quite right, ergo A playing games again. And is it not strange that her first hazy but more or less direct hint at him being in her life still, came after N and L had some interaction on SM (her posting him, and him liking her post for KS), as well as whole JD situation taking attention away from her? What if L saw it and decided to use his promo to clarify any assumptions. “I am in Spain and I am alone,” he connected it to Bridgeton and made sure to emphasize that he is there by himself. This, of course, is just my little theory. The reason I even came up with it is because I never saw similarities in those pictures myself, and I think L expected people to realize that. Which is why he posted another balcony pic after people started commenting on similarities to As’ post, with one towel, one cup, one person. Now I am not trying to be purposely obtuse or in denial, I genuinely do not see anything beyond passing similarities that can be found in many Mediterranean resorts. And if you look closely at the balcony pictures that most seem to be basing their views on, I suggest you look again. Truly. At picture of L in a cap standing in front of balcony with greenery, take some eye measurements. We know he is approximately 185cm high, the greenery is somewhat at his hip area, A is shorter than L but even still that greenery would not be almost reaching her breasts. But as I said, just my opinion, my observation.

.

[lemotmo]

hi i was wondering if you and ali could answer this question for me. you've said that S7 made you very very sure that Buddie is happening. May I ask what moment in S7 cemented it for you? For me it was when Eddie said the biggest chekovs gun in TV History "this changes nothing between us" because we all know in any TV show known to man that when someone says that line it's the biggest lie in the world and that everything is going to change between them.

Well...

For me it's not really 'a moment' Nonny. It's more like a series of 'moments' that made me sit up and pay attention.

It started in the first episode when Buck told Eddie he broke up with Nathalia. That scene in the locker room was very interesting. Then Eddie asked Buck to talk to Chris for having multiple girlfriends. It clearly shows the trust he has in him and also how he sees him as a co-parent.

Then, in 7x04 everything revolved around Eddie. Yes, Tommy kissed Buck at the end, but even he wasn't sure if Buck really wanted his attention or Eddie's attention.

Then Buck and Tommy go out on a date and who shows up? Eddie with his then girlfriend Marisol. Then, once again, Buck makes everything about Eddie when he talks to Maddie how he's lying to Eddie. Maddie has obviously clocked him by now. She knows very well that Buck has some mixed emotions about Eddie.

And that Buddie coming out scene? Neither of them seemed overly happy with the other man's answers, even if -on the surface- they were the right answers at the right time. I fully agree with you Nonny, that 'This changes nothing between us' was very loaded and basically said: YES! This changes everything!

Then we had the bachelor party scenes where Eddie is the only one truly showing up for Buck. This episode had the wildest Buddie scenes ever. And when Tommy finally shows up? They have Buck kiss Tommy where no one can see them. The soot on his face is how Buck comes out. There is no big kiss or a declaration in front of the family, just some soot. Once again Tommy isn't included in Buck's story. He is just there as a means to an end so that Buck can come out of the closet.

There is that sea monkey/Catholic guilt 'talk' between Buck and Eddie as well. I literally sat up when Eddie started talking about his Catholic guilt. This is something he has never talked about before, but the show obviously wanted to introduce it for his character. They used Marisol as a plot device to awaken something in Eddie that wasn't there before. To what purpose? We'll see that in season 8.

Then there was the scene in Eddie's kitchen after Buck bumped into Kim. He was supposed to meet up with Tommy, but instead he goes to Eddie and they have a soft and vulnerable conversation. Buck admits that he's worried about Eddie.

In the last episode Eddie confides in Buck and asks him to talk to Chris again, just like in the beginning of the season. Buck is there, every single step of the way, supporting Eddie where he can. That's love.

So yeah, all of the above in combination with interviews, social media posts, promo... is what finally made me believe that they might actually go the Buddie-route.

I'm even more certain about it today than I was at the end of season 7. Literally everything is pointing in the direction of queer Eddie and eventual Buddie. I don't see what else all this could be about. So yeah, I'm 99% there already. For that last percent I'll have to wait for season 8 to air. 🤞🤞🤞

I'll leave this in the Ali's corner tag to see if Ali feels up to answering this question as well. But please keep in mind that she already has her own ask box to answer and trust me, it keeps her very busy. 😋 I'll also leave this in the Ali's nonnies tag. Maybe she has already answered a question in the same vein.

[myyoungroyalsblog]

Red, White and Royal Blue fic rec part 2 (part 1)

*Note: I have a lot of unfinished fics in my subscriptions but since there are over 120+ fics there from other fandoms too I won’t be able to add those, when they are finished I’ll do another post in the future!

*Also couldn't find some of these writers here on tumblr, if you know tell me and I’ll add their @ beside it!

MULTI-CHAPTER

Things I Cannot Accept

18 chapters, 69.703 words

By @sprigsofviolets AU where Ellen lost the election in 2016 and Henry and Alex reconnect in 2019. Super cute and interesting story, with a lot of fluff and angst, amazingly written!

Captious (calculated to confuse, entrap or entangle in argument)

3 chapters, 14.256 words

Blind date AU... Well... Sort of... You'll know when you read it hehe but honestly so so sweet with a bit of angst but so much fluff!

My Only Wish (This Year)

7 chapters, 26.374 words

By @dracowillhearaboutthis AU where Henry marries a woman and has two daughters, set 10 years later and Alex and Henry reconnect, and maybe a romance blooms... Of course it does lol very cute kid fic (with a bit of angst too) but still lots of fluff!

Comfort Crowd

8 chapters, 12.098 words

To all the boys I've loved before AU, I don't like the film but since I'm such a sucker for these two of course I read it and got obsessed with it afajsgshsvsg

And they call it—

2 chapters, 10.148 words

By @clottedcreamfudge AU where Alex can talk to animals, so when Henry needs a dog sitter he goes to Alex, and he and David obviously talk about Henry. So funny and fluffy, guaranteed to make you smile!

(do i really have to tell you) how he brought me back to life?

7 chapters, 38.498 words

By @coffeecatsme High school AU where Henry gets kicked out by Mary and lives with Alex's family. A whole lot of angst and a whole lot of fluff, just a superb story!

I'm Taking A Ride With My Best Friend

23 chapters, 79.302 words

By @cultofsappho The Last of Us AU where Henry is immune and Alex helps him get to the fireflies in hopes to create a vaccine. If you've watched the tv show or played the game, you know how this goes lol could not recommend it enough, so much angsty but has fluffy moments too! And the writing is impeccable

i'd lie

6 chapters, 18.058 words

AU where Alex and June move to England with thier mum and have the Fox family as their neighbours, we see the super six throughout the years and how Henry lies might not work anymore... If you want angst, this is the fic for you

ONE SHOT

talk too much

3.307 words

By @lazybug16 Alex has his wisdom teeth removed and Henry takes care of him, just fluff fluff fluff, super adorable (yes self promo because I'm very proud of this fic, I love it)

I trace your constellations

13.498 words

Soulmates, coffee shops and demi Henry AU, just pure flirting and fluff, suuuuuuper cute read!

Never Truly Leave

2.443 words

By @clottedcreamfudge Catherine finds a letter that Arthur wrote... To Alex. We cry alongside Alex as he reads it; very emotional, it will make you cry, and fall in love with these characters all over again, could not recommend enough

you knew the entire time (you knew that i'm a mastermind)

8.239 words

By @coffeecatsme Uni and autistic Henry AU, we see Alex and Henry fall in love. Fluffy but also a bit of angst, you just want to protect Henry and tell him everything is going to be okay

starry eyes sparking up my darkest nights

16.367 words

By @coffeecatsme Hugh school AU where Arthur is also alive and becomes like a second father to Alex. Very very sweet with a bit if angst as well, you'll love it and might have a few happy tears towards the end

learning to love (without it having to hurt)

4.861 words

AU where they aren't famous and they are roommates. We see Henry figure out his asexuality and Alex be there for him, and them getting together of course :) very very sweet read!

The last letter

2.173 words

By @floatingaway4 They are in the afterlife, at peace. This weiter managed to combine angst and fluff at the exact same time and I don't know how they did it, it will make you ugly happy cry!

Fourty-Four Days

8.675 words

They are living in the Brownstone when Henry needs to go to europe for the shelters and Alex to California for a campaign, and they end up not seeing each other for 44 days, and it's too much. Angsty but then fluffy, it just hurts seeing them miss each other so so much

take me out, and take me home

11.837 words

Roommates AU and we see Alex get some feelings, only friendly feelings of course... Really cute story and ending!

i’d take the bomb in your head and disarm it

22.392 words

By @evanbuvkley roommates AU and friends to angsty friends to lovers afahsgsjshdj so much angst that you might cry but a bit of fluff too (happy ending don't worry) such an engaging story, very well executed

and I wrote down our song

6.072 words

AU where Alex is a musician and Henry isn't a prince and they meet at a bar where Alex is performing. Super cute and we see how they fall in love and grow and it's just full of joy!

Group therapy

3.243 words

By @stutteringpeach AU where Ellen is Henrys therapist and he is dating Alex and talks to Ellen about their relationship, without knowing that it's actually his boyfriends mum... They "meet" at a family cook out and its honestly hilarious lmao you will not stop laughing

[antiromanticbaby]

♡ Yandere Lucifer Headcanons - His Everything ♡

♡ .❝ 𝐇𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠. ❞

𝗣𝗥𝗜𝗗𝗘 /prʌɪd/ a feeling of deep pleasure or satisfaction derived from one's own achievements, the achievements of those with whom one is closely associated, or from qualities or possessions that are widely admired.

♡ .❝ 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐨, 𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠. ❞

Yandere Lucifer; who hated himself for falling in love. He respected love, but not when it came to him. To him, it was showing weakness. The avatar of pride couldn't handle that, no way. You had to pay.

Yandere Lucifer; who truly did love you, but had a hard time showing his affection. After all, it was no secret that he had fell deep and hard in the black hole called love, but he just wasn't sure when it came to showing it.

Yandere Lucifer; who didn't have time to spare, but had money. So he showered you with gifts. At first, they were anonymous and bit by bit began showing his name. Roses, demonus, cursed records, human stuff, clothing, jewelry, even chocolate. He had read about those, so he would give those.

Yandere Lucifer; who, bit by bit, decided that he wanted you around more than you already were. Decided that no one was worthy enough of your attention. Prideful as always, he was the only one worthy of you. And you had to choose him, because he was the best. Because there was no other option aside from him. Your neighbor? Moved away. Your classmate in RAD? Had to go to a lower layer for family matters. His brothers? No time for them, you had to come to his office first.

Yandere Lucifer; who loved to show off. Be it directly or indirectly. The ways he shows off would vary from doing small deeds for you, or just pushing you to your limit. Lucifer just loves experimenting on your fragile human body. Now now don’t go saying you’re a tough guy, we all know none of that is able to compare to Lucifer when it comes to power.

Yandere Lucifer; who was very strict on rules and began punishing you for the smallest of mistakes. He would always make sure to give you pesky punishments for forgetting each of them. The mistakes varying from using the wrong fork or spoon to trying to run away from him. His punishments? Sometimes he would just ask for a harmless kiss, but sometimes his sadistic side would show more. Lucifer, afterall, could be a great tease. And who knows what else?

Yandere Lucifer; who, bit by bit, began isolating you and taking away your everything. You were banned from using your D.D.D, then banned from leaving The House of Lamentation, and then banned from leaving his sight.

Yandere Lucifer; who loved to crush your pride, shatter you to pieces and build you back up like his doll. And he would never swallow his own pride, he would only crush yours.

Yandere Lucifer; who took away your everything, and then became your everything.

Yandere Lucifer; who believes he had nothing before you, and now he has everything.

♡ .❝ 𝐎𝐡 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐞 𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮.❞

Check it out! [cursed records] [sweet dreams] [heavenless] [roses] Yandere Obey Me Headcanons: [Lucifer(you're here)] [Mammon] [Leviathan] [Asmodeus] [wip] Shameless self promo: Find out who your yandere lover from Obey Me is in this quiz

[thoughts-on-bangtan]

VMIN ARE IN LOVE VMIN ARE MARRIED VMIN ARE IN LOVE VMIN ARE MARRIED VMIN ARE IN LOVE VMIN ARE MARRIED VMIN ARE IN LOVE VMIN ARE MARRIED VMIN ARE IN LOVE VMIN ARE MARRIED VMIN ARE IN LOVE VMIN ARE MARRIED VMIN ARE IN LOVE VMIN ARE MARRIED VMIN ARE IN LOVE VMIN ARE MARRIED VMIN ARE IN LOVE VMIN ARE MARRIED

Oh Anon you're so real for this. Honestly anyone who dared claim 'vmin divorce' should be sued because what we got to see today? There was never any talk of divorce, ever, if anything there was a vow renewal haha

When we heard that Tae would have a fan meeting as part of his Layover promo, we joked around about how cute it'd be if Jimin would come as special guest but ultimately dismissed the idea. We didn't want to get our hopes up concluding that likely there would be no guest or it could be someone else. So imagine our endless surprise when suddenly pictures and videos hit the TL on twt showing Jimin up on stage with Tae. No joke, I nearly dropped my phone and then thought there's no way, I had to be seeing things. I mean, I was but my eyes were not lying to me. Introduced as his best friend.

So not only did Tae's fan meeting give us Tae performing and having fun with ARMY, it also gave us Tae having fun with Jimin with ARMY. Jimin also spoke about how while preparing for today, Tae called him and asked him if he'd want to come so he'd asked if that would be okay, but in the end, he came as quickly as he could. And isn't that the sweetest thing? Having your first solo fan meeting and having your soulmate right there by your side to experience this with?

Please do check out this video of Jimin coming up on stage and Tae being so happy, it seemed like he didn't know what to do with himself and all this emotions so he smacked Jimin's ass, after Jimin cutely smiled at him, and then pulled him closer by the hip. Very vmin behaviour. Somebody hold me because I might combust.

Speaking of pulling people closer, we also got at least two endlessly adorable vmin hugs that had us yelling as well. The way Jimin closed his eyes? I cannot even.

Tae and Jimin also played games with ARMYs, including one person who came dressed as Bart Simpson saying they did it simply because it hoped it would make Tae happy and smile. How sweet is that? That's the kind of things Tae deserves, ARMYs showing him just how much they love and appreciate him because truly, look at him and tell me how anyone can dislike him. They did challenges and played ping pong and even danced, including Tae and Jimin dancing to Go Go with Jimin looking at Tae as though knowing that Tae is their choreography memory king and obviously he remembered every step. And we also got this sweet moment of Jimin caressing Tae's head.

We also had Tae announcing unplanned things like them going to Running Men together as well as this:

Mandakkoo translation on twt: Tae: first of all...me and jiminie..will work on a much cooler song..... Jimin: ..if you're like this then u Really have to do itㅋㅋ he just keep- talking bout things like this y'knowㅋㅋ u really Have to do it then... Tae: ..alright!

Which was brought upon by Tae and Jimin spontaneously singing Friends together with them finally singing the You Are My Soulmate line together, being cute AF while doing so, and making everyone cry in the process of it all. Earlier Tae also had Jimin sit down and sang him happy birthday along with ARMY as surprise. So cute!

How could these devastatingly cute smiles ever lie? Also the manager smiling at them, awww.

In the end, after their second super cute hug, with their arms still around each other, they sat down on the stage with their backs toward the audience so they could take a picture with ARMY to commemorate this day.

And just as Jimin was leaving the stage, Tae called out his name and shyly did a cute heart pose for him and got a heart back.

Generally there were just so many cute little moments that, after a year of comparatively barely any vmin, reaffirmed the fact that just because we don't see it, that doesn't mean it isn't there, as in, just because vmin don't constantly tell us about them hanging out or talking or doing something, that doesn't mean they don't still do that. Like that Jeju trip from which Tae posted pictures on his IG with Jimin and JK. If Tae didn't tell us, we wouldn't have ever known that this trip happened. Tae and Jimin were and still very much are soulmates, the vibe when they interact and look at each other so filled with mutual adoration and this soft spot they have for one another, and their bond is just as strong and beautiful as it was and will always be. As Tae said in the BTS book, Jimin is someone he can't live without and, from their TV appearance in 2021, Jimin is the person he likes the most.

But speaking of Tae liking Jimin the most and whatnot, I thought this anon message we got yesterday also fit in with this quite well:

From Anon: Did you see taehyung once again showed jimin a piece of art, this time jimin as an elf? Imagine being the fbi agent responsible for monitoring taehyung's phone and everyday you go like ''here we go again'' when taehyung pulls up 10+ jimin fanart tabs again

For those of you who might've missed it, during his birthday live Jimin shared what looks like an AI piece of art depicting Jimin as elf in a fantasy setting. He said Tae was the one who showed it to him and it made him giggle so much! Later as part of his public birthday wishes to Jimin, Tae posted another piece of AI art of Jimin this time as hunter/warrior also in a fantasy setting. This makes this the second and third time we've heard and seen Tae spend time on Jimin fan art since the moon tattoo on Jimin's back was also inspired by a piece of Jimin fan art that Tae had sent to him saying how cool it looked.

There were also a few silly little theories about what if Tae made those fantasy AI Jimin's himself, since some time ago he'd asked about a program or something to do this, but if that's what happened, who knows, but the thought is very Tae.

So yeah, after a long time without vmin, today was a day that just kept on giving and I hope Tae and Jimin got to have that drink they mentioned they would get together after the fan meeting. What a day to be a vminnie, wow.

Lastly there was this twt that I very much agreed with so I thought I'd share, it said: the way taehyung is so overjoyed that jimin is here with him? if he was any more giddy in love i’m positive he would’ve kissed jimin there and then

What a mood.

[cha-melodius]

Self-Promo Saturday

Tagged by @orchidscript to list 5 works I'm proud of, doing this before Saturday gives up the ghost. The first four of these were pretty much a given; the fifth could have been many fics, but in the end I went with the figure skating AU that I feel like hits so many good notes between heart and humor and romance.

Please Don't Let Me Be So Understood (firstprince, E, 20k)

After one too many fights at work, Henry and Alex are assigned mandatory reconciliation therapy by their boss. Except the therapist thinks they're there for couples therapy... and surely, a bet on who will break first makes more sense than actually correcting her, right?

Nova, Baby (firstprince, E, 66k)

CIA agent Alex Claremont-Diaz and MI6 agent Henry Fox-Mountchristen don’t exactly get along, but that doesn’t keep their respective agencies from insisting they work together as partners. Then a mission in Colombia changes everything, and their relationship begins to shift and grow into something that neither of them ever expected… and something that could have deadly consequences.

Love is a Losing Game (napollya, E, 102k)

An AU set in the world of competitve chess tournaments during the late 1960s. When secret, late-night training matches between sworn rivals turn into something more, both men are forced to confront what is truly important to them.

A Good Man Is Hard To Find (lokius, M, 81k)

Getting caught eventually was probably inevitable. Mobius showing up at the prison with a job offer courtesy of the CIA? Well, that was pretty much the last thing that Loki expected. Soon he finds himself in a situation he never could have imagined: using skills honed over a life of crime in service of a government agency, all the while trying to balance his new job with his extremely inconvenient feelings for the only person who trusts him. When, after months of successful missions, he unwillingly becomes a pawn in a plot that has deadly consequences, that trust is put to the test—but he’ll be damned if he’s going to let Mobius down.

White Knuckles (napollya, M, 45k)

An Olympic Figure Skating AU. Featuring secret training sessions, falling in love with the last person you should, and learning how to lose control.

Please feel free to make this self-promo sunday, or monday, or whenever @three-drink-amy @14carrotghoul @historicallysam @myheartalivewrites @sherryvalli @kiwiana-writes @rmd-writes @iboatedhere @leaves-of-laurelin @tintagel-or-cockleshells @loki-is-my-kink-awakening @mirilyawrites @cricketnationrise @nontoxic-writes

[destinyc1020]

Vanessa comes off as attention seeking. She barely spoke about Austin after the split. Not until Elvis was released and his career took off. She starts being petty and leaving emoji's about his accent, knowing people are watching. She's been in the industry a long time, she's not stupid. Two years later, Austin has another huge movie out, here she is again making comments about him. It's intentional at this point. Austin is more relevant than she is in 2024. She hates it.

You're right, she said not nary a peep for two years after their breakup until "Elvis" started having promo. 👀 I understand it's hard seeing your ex everywhere, but c'mon....

You're not the only one who's noticed this either lol. Other fans have picked up on it too lol. 😅

In fact, I was just telling another Anon just an hour or two ago that at this point, with Vanessa, I sort of feel like it's GOT to be one of three things:

1. Hurt feelings/Sour grapes/Resentment,

2. Using his name for clout or attention, OR

3. Unfinished business/Still have underlying feelings 🤷🏾‍♀️

Or, maybe it's all three at the same time ROTFL 🤣 I have no clue lol.

All I know is that when you're truly moved on from a situation, you're not having to talk about your ex all the time. In fact, it's a RED flag to me if I go out on a date with a guy, and he's talking badly about his ex gf. 👀 Even if he's saying how "oh you're sooo much better than my ex gf, because you're so understanding and loving and etc.....", my spidey senses IMMEDIATELY go up, I cross that guy off my list, and I make a mental note: "Okaaaay....sounds like YOU'RE not over your ex girlfriend!!" NEXT!!!

The point isn't that he's saying all of these nice things about you in comparison to his ex, the point is the fact that he's still needing to bring up the ex in the first place. Major red flag imo. In fact, at this point, I almost feel bad for Cole.... 👀

She can talk about Cole w/out involving Austin. But when she talks about Cole, it's almost like she's trying so harrrrd to show why he's the one, and Austin was not.

I'll never forget that time when Austin was doing his SNL show, and that SAME night that he was hosting SNL, Vanessa posted a clip from SNL to her IG stories that involved Jennifer Coolidge (Austin wasn't in that skit at all lol), but I was just like, GIRL.... lol 🤣 It does seem attention-seeking at this point.

Like I said, if she were SINGLE it would be one thing, but the fact that she's MARRIED doing this stuff makes me go, "hmmm.....". 🤔

I'd be saying this about anyone who was still triggered by or talking about their ex 4 YEARS after a breakup lol.

[snowbellewells]

Self Promo Sunday: "I Put A Spell On You (Because You're Mine)"

This mini-MC really belongs more with the October/spooky postings probably, but I wanted to get it in before I started with my November and Thanksgiving re-runs. I've always been pleased with how this late season 4 canon divergent fic turned out, and I'm trying to gain it a little more love and a few more eyes to see it. It was written right after the 4b episode "Sympathy for the DeVil" (so 4x17? 4x18?) and picks up pretty much where that episode left off. My idea for how the Darkness would lure Emma, and even how it would manifest, was way different than the way the show took it, so this is now definitely canon divergent from that point. If you read this again, or if you're seeing it for the first time, I hope you'll enjoy!

Summary: He's been watching the changes for weeks now, worrying about her well-being and the demons she's fighting... When it all goes crazy, will he be able to help her step back from the brink? (A 4B chaptered story, taking off somewhere near 4x18, and carrying on from there. CS, obviously and all the way)

***Also available from the beginning on AO3 or ff.net, if either of those are your preference...***

by: @snowbellewells

i. darkness creeps in

The deepening purplish circles under her eyes have been growing ever more pronounced, worrying him for weeks now. She is both anxious and jittery, yet bone-weary and weighed down by the cares upon her shoulders. Emma Swan surely thinks that she has hidden her stress and fatigue well, but to one who knows her (and he does know her – as well as she will allow anyone to) the strain is beginning to show.

When they part ways at night now, she tilts her face up to his, grinning a warm, secretive smile and awaiting his gentle kiss, and he tucks her hair behind her ear, cradles her cheek in his hand, profoundly happy to steal a few moments alone with her. Yet, he also finds himself near to biting a hole in his tongue to keep back his words of caution for her, his fear that she is pushing herself too hard, too far, too soon. He cannot risk driving a wedge between them or making her run – not now. She is already keeping her distance from her parents, no longer staying with them in the loft. He has gone back to his ship since the Jolly’s return to him, and so has offered her the use of his room at Granny’s – paid for the month in doubloons that the old woman bit to check for authenticity, then grinned conspiratorially, accepted, and ferretted away in some hidden pocket of her skirts. However, he wonders if Emma paces the floor all night, or haunts the library seeking answers with an equally sleepless Belle, or simply drives aimlessly for hours; whatever it is she does, he can plainly see that she is not resting.

Killian Jones is not a man afraid of much on this wide earth’s surface, but Emma turning her back on him now and walking away is a haunting phantasm that never truly leaves his mind. And it is no longer simply the pain he knows he will feel, but the fact that she needs his support more than ever. He is more afraid for her safety and her sanity than he has ever been, and he does not know what method to try.

Those worries and fears all come to a head as he skids to the edge of the cliff face, behind a stunned, crushed-looking Mary Margaret and David, where he can clearly see Emma and Henry clinging tightly to one another frantically; panting, near tears, and much too close to the drop-off, but at first glance seeming whole and unharmed. He does not know where the rotten banshee who tried taking Henry has gotten to, has missed the entire showdown due to what he knows must have been Gold’s trickery and machination with the shell and Henry’s voice. He wanted to be there and have his Swan’s back, but he feels intense relief to see that she seems to have done just fine on her own.

A rush of air brushes along his skin as Regina charges up behind him, nearly bowling them all over as she calls out her son’s name in a voice harsh with desperation, clearly having been slowed by a similar deception to the one which fooled him. Killian merely steps back so that she can see her boy has been saved and reach him.

It is only as Regina falls to her knees on Henry’s other side, pulls him into her arms, and Emma shifts back slightly, that he is hit by a jolt of fear upon getting a good first look at her face. The reddened irritation beneath her lovely eyes has taken on an even more pronounced hue, making her look angry and more than a bit unhinged. He takes a weak step forward, wishing to soothe, to comfort…but then she leans to peer over the edge. Killian realizes in a flash that Cruella must have gone off the precipice, that the villainess is truly finished, no longer a threat. However, he is frozen in place, a chill of foreboding running down his spine, when Emma turns in his direction once more.

Her gaze is unfocused, not resting on any of them, but turned inward as if contemplating what she thinks of Cruella’s demise. Killian’s heart does not truly splinter until he sees a small, ill-suited little grin of satisfaction sneak over Emma’s lips…almost as if she is pleased with what she has done.

And he knows. Knows with the sinking certainty of one who has crawled back out of the pit and still clearly remembers the darkness’ pull, that something inside of his beautiful Emma has turned. A bit of his Savior’s shining, bright light has gone out.

Tagging a few who might enjoy: @searchingwardrobes @kmomof4 @jennjenn615 @whimsicallyenchantedrose @laschatzi @jrob64 @apiratewhopines @hollyethecurious @artistic-writer @winterbaby89 @teamhook @revanmeetra87 @resident-of-storybrooke @scientificapricot @tomeandflickcorner @ohmakemeahercules @stahlop @anmylica @justanother-unluckysoul @sotangledupinit @booksteaandtoomuchtv @xsajx @lfh1226-linda @jonesfandomfanatic @motherkatereloyshipper @eastwesthomeisbest @xarandomdreamx @kazoosandfannypacks @spartanguard @therooksshiningknight @tiganasummertree @optomisticgirl @elizabeethan @the-darkdragonfly @donteattheappleshook @drowned-dreamer @goforlaunchcee @shireness-says @ineffablecolors

[lol-jackles]

https://twitter.com/therealKripke/status/1731809842044526709

I would just like to add that I was in post today, working on a Season 4 scene that miiiiiiight be the batshit craziest thing we've ever done? Like I truly can't believe we got away with it. #TheBoys #TheBoysTV

At this point I am begging them to use literally anything besides "you're not ready" or "craziest scene/episode/season EvA!!" for their promo. Like, is there NOTHING about the actual show to talk about? This happened with the promo last season too - it was all about how this was the cRaZiEsT season yet, herogasm was going to be the CrAzIeSt episode yet, the whole season was going to be the cRaZiEsT one ever, SB was going to be the WORST big bad ever!! They told us nothing about the content of the show other than how crazy it was going to be. Then it never lived up to the hype.

There was also this:

https://twitter.com/TheBoysTV/status/1731796424239776225

Now that the S4 teaser is out, let's recap what we know, shall we? -- Homelander is standing trial and taking a splatter paint class. One of those statements is true. -- Butcher has six months to live, and still knows about that virus being cooked at Godolkin. -- Neuman is closer than ever to changing her title from "Congresswoman" to "VP." -- Sage and Firecracker are two of the most dangerous supes you'll ever meet, and let's just leave it at that for now. -- Deep hasn't changed one fuckin bit. -- MM is still the team's rock, just with less beard. Somehow, Noir has returned.

Is this Sage and Firecracker situation going to be another SB situation? We were told how SB was the worst supe basically... ever, then he was easily distracted by drugs and grannies - not exactly the worst villain to exist even in that universe.

Link and Link.

Kripke: You're not ready!!

Fans: Bro you've been saying this every year.

Kripke: It's so crazy I can't believe I'm getting away with it!!

Amazon: We cut the scene of Homelander aggressively pleasuring himself and the super prostitutes from Herogasm. You're not getting away with squat.

Kripke: You're REALY not ready!

The Boys PR: Jeezbus Kripke get a thesaurus. Okay fans, here's the bullet list refresher for season 3 and two more Solider Boy-lite supes!

Fans: Firecracker hooks up with Homelander, right?

The Boys PR: What? No that's not.....

Fans: We meet Homelander's son in season 1, then Homelander's love interest in season 2, then Homelander's father in season 3. So unless Firecracker took the same anti-aging V as Solider Boy did and she's actually his mum, she's his next love interest.

The Boys PR: Why does Kripke think you all are dumb noobs?

Kripke: SEriousLY it's gonna be batshit crazy!

Fans: Bro who know that's not code for Batman, quit it.

[romanstheory]

Complete a Solo Sikoa One Shot

Warnings: fluff, heavy make out , interrupted sex

Word Count: 846

18+

** TW Mention Of Death **

Solo has been my best friend for years, more than I can count. We’ve been by each other’s side through everything the world has had to throw at us. A few months ago, my grandmother passed away. She meant the world to me, besides Solo she was my only safe space. No judgment, she was soft, and kind. I remember the day so clearly, my grandmother wanted to pass away at home with the people she loved most around. I held her hand while he held me tightly, sort of like he was trying to protect me from the inevitable pain that would come from what would happen next. His brothers and cousin Jimmy, Jey, and Roman sat in the living room in silence heads bowed while Solo and I sat at her bedside for hours. The air was full of sadness as I watched the woman I loved so much drift further and further into eternal rest. He never left my side, before then and after he has always been fiercely loyal to me. The following weeks and days I would sit on her back porch staring into the woods, waiting on her to come back. He visited every day, and if he couldn’t he called.

Months later we’ve both been drafted to smackdown, he with his family joining the bloodline, and me with my edgy persona. The new storyline is for me to become an ally to the bloodline due to my friendship with Solo, we had a mixed tag team back in NXT. Tonight is the night! The Bloodline is doing their promo when out comes Drew McIntyre and Madcap Moss accompanied by Liv Morgan. They make their way to the ring to pick a fight with The Bloodline when my entrance music begins blaring through the arena. Out I walk and enter the ring. The crowd is both confused and loving every second of what is happening. “Now now now” I begin with a smirk on my face “What do you two need with someone like her?” I say looking Liv up and down. “I mean truly none of you are impressive, but her?” I cackle. Liv gets into my face and I mush her away “I’m not one for talking, but I know that I’m ready to hand you this asswhooping liv” I begin “But let’s make this more interesting. Your two dancing monkeys and you against me and which ever two of these men they choose”.

The challenge is accepted! Drew, Madcap, and Liv vs Solo, Jimmy, and myself. Blows were exchanged but ultimately my team won leaving Liv and her team laid out around the ring. Roman sits ringside nodding in approval of me, insinuating that I had just become their ally. After a long night of travel the next morning at breakfast I rave to solo about the night before. “Yeah it really was dope” Solo says smiling. I couldn’t help but look at him and feel something, I mean I could be with him every single day and still look at him in amazement every time I see him. I can tell he loves the way my eyes light up when I see him. He makes my knees weak and my heart flutter a little when he wraps me into a big long hug. We head up to my hotel room, he always refused to let me take my own bags down to the car or even to let hotel staff do it. “I think I need to tell you something” i say “But I just don’t want to make things weird”

He stops what he’s doing and looks at me “After everything we’ve been through? We solid don’t worry about it” He responds with a chuckle. I take a deep breath and my cheeks go red “You make me really happy” I begin “You make me feel like I’m the only person that matters. My heart feels full when you’re around and no matter how broken I am you see me as perfect. Solo…… I-“ He interrupts me my planting a kiss on my lips. It felt as though we melted into each other, like all of this time and all of these years were leading to this very moment right here. He slowly pulls away “I love you too” He says softly. His body hovers over mine while I softly grab his face, leading us into another passionate kiss. Our lips smacking together while our tongues battled back and fourth. My body became warm with lust while his hands slid Nader my shirt.

It felt as if our bodies were becoming one. My hands explored his solid frame while our lips continued to wrestle. I reach for his belt buckle, tugging at it when we hear a bang at the door. “Come on Uce we gotta be out of here in 5” The voice says from the other side. Solo and I look at each other and laugh while we collect ourselves and he grabs my bags. “Maybe next time” He says with a wink.

[tachineko]

what're ur fave BLS of the year so far?

Looks like it's that time of the year? As gif-makers and content creators here in Tumblr BL some of us are in charge of recapping our favorite BL's this year. So far I need 10 but I only have 5 that I truly loved this year.

Kinnporsche

It's no surprise why this is number one. I watched it while I had COVID and also during long COVID and grew attached with the cast during post-show. It's probably one of the first time's I've seen a BL go full-on with production and plot. I was hooked with everything Kinnporsche during the middle of the year and even planned saving some money for their fan-meet when they went here. Truly, a star studded cast and an amazing plot that builds up for another season.

2. Blueming

Now this was something else. Never had I ever had a BL encapsulate what I was currently feeling like Blueming. The feeling of feeling lost and having to leave the past self despite being a part of you after all these years. Blueming spoke to me because I was feeling the same things that the plot was currently revolving. The feeling of finding one's self, one's comfort with others and one's acceptance of past selves. Love Blueming and can't wait for season two.

3. Semantic Error

Shameless self promo for my own gifs. Semantic Error was something sweet and not as intense as the last two that I really enjoyed. One of the BL's that I know that dips into the romantic BL's but not much of emphasis on others. I love Jaechan and Seoham. Post-show and airing I was always so fond of those two. Kinda sad that Park Seoham didn't have a chance to promote it all the way with Jaechan due to military enlistment. Regardless, I love this short sweet series and I love the chemistry between the two actors.

4. Old Fashion Cupcake

Here's what I never thought I could forget in BL settings. Middle aged men! I can't believe no one has come up with this but here it is and it is beautiful. Aging and never having to bask in the glory of experiencing things, especially "feminine" things, and finding it towards the love of your fellow co-worker. OFC is heartwarming and it shows that even in later ages we can experiences loneliness in matters that are not limited within love.

5. Triage

Here's the most underrated of them all. The reason being that AISPLAY (the company who is distributing this series) is barring it from international audiences and only allowing it to be viewed 2 days after it is aired. Then the channel deletes the video. Thus, making it hard to watch legally. It's a shame that this isn't as well gif-ed or talked about in the community. It's about a doctor who constantly tries to save his patient and falls in love with him as he tries to find ways to save his life. It's criminal how underrated this is. But, if you're not the kind to watch one hour episodes 12 times then I suppose just look at the gifs here at Tumblr. I hope they redistribute this somewhere accessible for everyone in the future.

Overall, there were alot of BL's this year. And currently they're still pumping out more. But as many as they currently are, I have to give props to these five for having an amazing story, cast and production.

[freneticfloetry]

fic rec friday fun

So wanted to get some hiatus rec lists going and encourage some self promo in my friends so how about sharing your top fics no matter how big or small - give us the links to your wonderful words with the Most hits/Most kudos/Most comments/Most bookmarks /Most words/Least words

My Works List's answer to everything but Most and Least Words is the same fic, because for whatever reason it is a runaway train, so I'm going to use that for the first and the second spots for everything else. Kisses to @carlos-in-glasses for the tag.

Most Hits: Ashes and Flame (Every You and Every Me) (Hunger Games Trilogy) Peeta comes home, still unsure what the word means. I finished Mockingjay about eleven o'clock one night and stayed up way too late just to write this. It was a fever bunny. I still have no idea how people are still finding and reading this fic, but I have such a fondness for it to this day.

Most Kudos: Lost in Translation (The Losers) Jensen's given a Spanish side mission, and learns more than he thought he would. Sometimes in song. Once upon a time, a friend and I made a pact to write a different NYR fic for unfilled Yuletide prompts every week for a year. That lasted exactly two weeks, because I couldn’t write short to save my life, but I had two of my favorite fic experiences ever as a result. This was the second. I always love getting to play in the brains of characters with the kind of snarky stream-of-consciousness voice Jake Jensen has, and writing this was a blast.

Most Comments: scenes from an unfinished story (told by the lost and found) (The Magicians) The summary is a story on its own, so I'll just say: it's a Queliot Hollywood AU featuring Eliot the Actor and Quentin the Aspiring Writer (who, for the moment, is a PA), based on, of all things, Win a Date with Tad Hamilton. It was my Magicians Happy Ever After Big Bang, and it holds a special place in my heart for a multitude of reasons, but the holy trinity of those is that it was my first real foray into AU territory, it was the proudest I've ever been in my structure and storytelling abilities, and it gave me some of the best friends I'll ever have.

Most Bookmarks: Deck the Halls with Daddy Issues (MCU) Tony Stark doesn't do Christmas. But Steve loves Christmas, and he loves Steve, and he's going to try. (Which still doesn't mean he'll be any good at it.) Third in line here, since the second was already on the list. This was an Avengers movie spec written for the cap_ironman exchange, back in the days before the movie was actually released and squashed every Steve/Tony inkling I've ever had. I also completely forgot about it, in the madness of Yuletide that year, got a reminder email from the mods, said "no no, it's almost done!" when I hadn't written a word, and vomited this onto the page in a six-hour all-nighter. Still, it makes me smile.

Most Words: Past Perfect Future Tense (The Magicians) It happened. That they'd asked themselves how, when it's literally the least important part of this, he can chalk up to shock or shortsightedness or his own sheer stupidity. It's the why that actually matters, and he thinks he knows the answer to that. So the real question… is how to make it happen again. My monster Magicians WIP. I've nicknamed it Cerberus. Plotting this thing just about broke my brain, with all its time travel shenanigans, and the forecasted chapter count has almost doubled since I started, but I still love the idea and get excited just thinking about it. Soon, my precious.

Least Words: So Have I For You (Firefly) Discipline only carries you so far, lies are never good enough to truly fool yourself, and pride goeth before a fall. She's never been trained for this. Y'all, I used to write short fic. Granted this is about fifteen years old, but still. It is a full and complete story in less than 600 words. Where has that girl gone? This is just a little look at Inara, as she prepares to leave Serenity, and all the reasons why she has to.

I think everybody's pretty much been tagged, but just in case: @hoko-onchi-writes, @mixtapestar, @rubickk7, you're it.

[bearlyloved]

18+  .Indie    .    Mutuals    Only.   FANDOMLESS OC, MAMABEAR,  by  S𝔞v𝔟𝔢𝔞𝔯    .    Established    1st    of    December   2021

Highly    Selective    &   sometimes   very intense themes      .    Crossover    &    OC    friendly

 main original verses & verses  include;  ORIGINAL MAIN VERSES , AU VERSES & CROSSOVER VERSES & HUMAN VERSES

EXPLORING: aerial arts/circus, vintage dolls & the 1950s

OTHER BLOGS INCLUDE: @funbonded & @moralpuppet

CARRD . PROMO .

dash bio/dash rules undercut for more please see my carrd

tw: terminal illness & child death 

˗ˏˋ ♡ dash bio Mamabear was created by Arthur Velvetine, a middle aged man who was desperate to give his dying daughter, Sarah Velvetine, the female role model she never had growing up. Everyday Sarah's terminal condition slowly got worse and her father made it his mission to fill her last years with love and happiness. After years poor Sarah didn't make it, leaving Mamabear's creator distraught and unable to look at his creation. She was then passed from household to household until the RUSHTOWN CIRCUS  found her. There she would learn to be a professional trapeze artist. Mamabear has always been romantacized by those she comes across, she has never truly felt love. She was only ever useful to others. She still seeks to find herself and be treated just as others are. Still craves to be seen as something other than an object. Even though she adores being a trapeze/aerial artist, the celebrity side of things has only amplified the objectification of her being. She longs that one day people will see beneath the faux fur and stuffing.

˗ˏˋ ♡ dash rules ♡ One. FIRST AND FOREMOST. General rp etiquette applies. / I am not my OC. Likewise I do not condone or romanticise any of the darker themes explored on this blog.  Two. DNI / I don't engage with people who are problematic or present problematic behaviour such as proshipping/pedophilia/ or you are a terf/ableist/racist or you show any kind of hate to anyone like that . If you see me interacting with someone problematic likely I haven't been informed yet and shall deal with it accordingly as soon as I am informed. I don't support anyone who does any of that nasty behavior and I never will and if you know you engage in such behaviors then please refrain from interacting with me. You're not welcome. Likewise don't bring drama onto my blog. If you see someone problematic here just message me privately. I won't be reblogging callouts. Three.  FOLLOWING. I'm selective. If I haven't followed back please don't take it personally. If we are mutuals and you decide to unfollow then soft block please otherwise I will see you on my Dash and still think we are mutuals and I don't really want to have to browse a list of followers to check every time I go to interact. Four. DON'T STEAL MY OC OR MY GRAPHICS. Some art used on the blog is my own others have been so lovingly created by chainsxwsmile, ryuniiis, candyeco and machopie Five.  TRIGGERS Warnings for you: This blog can be very gorey I also require you to be 18+ for this reason. Please do not follow if you're a minor. death, abuse, terminal illness Six. SHIPPING only romantically with muses who are also anthros/dolls/toys. Mamabear is also a lesbian please respect this.

[cwarscars-a]

@ubcs asked ; [ continuation of this ask ]

DEAR READER. what is a piece of advice your character would give to a loved one. is this advice they follow themselves?

be proud, be strong, be brave.

heidegger would advocate for someone to be proud of who they are and fierce with it. this is a man who admires strength and enjoys a challenge. he likes the bold & the brave. whether they're an enemy or not - he enjoys people who are willing to stand up for themselves.

it's one of the reasons why he's such a prick to his soldiers - they're all weak. none of them challenge him, none dare get fierce or firm or brave and to heidegger - that sickens him. take his interaction with barret as an example - barret snaps back, takes the piss and heidegger smiles. he loves it. he's obviously entertained by somebody willing to fight back & appreciates power. so, i think if he were to give advice - it would be advice that tells people to be strong. no matter their adversaries.

HITS DIFFERENT. what is something that deeply resonates with your character? it could be a song, a quote, a piece of art, or any other form of inspiration.

oh no, not this question. *whips out my war movies* slngslkdngsd. honestly, the quotes i use in my pinned / blog / promo are big inspirations for me. respectively, from platoon & apocalypse now.

the platoon quote is by sgt barnes - a guy who is /just/ like heidegger. fierce, in charge. kind of an underhanded prick who aims to get the job done and is straight-up brutal. he says -

Now, I got no fight with any man who does what he’s told, but when he don’t, the machine breaks down. And when the machine breaks down, we break down. And I ain’t gonna allow that in any of you. Not one.

this quote - to me - sums up what heidegger is all about. it's that genuine idea of doing right by oneself and morals / company. like, it's that idea that suggests anyone not 'for' the actions in question - are 'against' them. it's the suggestion that heidegger isn't a man who sees himself as a villain. he sees himself as genuinely in the right.

the other quote is from apocalypse now & is from col kurtz, who really, is quite an opposite character to someone like heid -

I watched a snail crawl along the edge of a straight razor. That's my dream. That's my nightmare: crawling, slithering, along the edge of a straight razor and surviving.

horrifying imagery aside - i love this quote. i love everything about it. to me - it symbolises the mundanity / willingness of going towards ones death. blindly moving through inevitability - the snail is moving along the thing that's killing it; no emotion, no reaction. it just keeps going. it's his dream, because the snail doesn't give a single solitary fuck. it's his nightmare because it's horrifying. it's upsetting. the thought of willingly dying for nothing - of accepting ones death so easily? is that brave or stupid? sadness or truly being content? to have no fear of death - is that admirable? to be so brave as to blindly march toward it? is that stupid?

i relate it to heidegger because although i see him as this pigheaded, arrogant man. i also see him as somebody who has been through hell. he has seen more bloodshed than a normal human could process - he's made both a friend and enemy of death. i feel so passionatly about his inner thoughts and feelings regarding death. he is, as the meme says, both sickened and curious by death.

YOU’RE LOSING ME. has your character ever felt disconnected from their emotions or struggled to maintain relationships? how do they handle these challenges?

yes. 1000%. aside from the previously mentioned things regarding his trauma as a young man / losing his wife & kids ( when they decided to leave him ). i essentially write his before crisis self as a man in just one big alienating spiral.

in truth - i never played before crisis. i read all about it and i watched heidegger's segments but they're very brief. he is terrible and screws around with the turks & almost gets president shinra killed. so, i started headcanoning that - with this being so soon since he came back from the front line of wutai - that he'd become an alcoholic and that drinking on the job, wasn't uncommon.

the way i write him during this time is someone who is just entirely out of touch. he's drunk 90% of the time and has alienated a lot of people who may have once even liked him. his relationship with everybody sours during this time & once again, shinra has to save him from himself. ( shinra constantly saves him because heidegger is useful to him ). i think the disconnect during this time was huge because -

he'd lost everything.

he could no longer fight. a bloodknight - deprived of battle! he no longer had his daughters to dote on, or his wife to cheat on ( ouch ). he was just rendered another public figure. a man with medals and pride, sure but - what else? he'd go home to a lonely house. he'd drink to stave off nightmares.

during this time, he was at his possibly most disconnected as an older man. and, in truth, he only got lonelier.

but heidegger being heidegger, he turned that loneliness into pure hatred & anger.

[bthearst]

update #2.

NaNoWrimo, BookTwitter, Rejections -- oh my!

THIS IS A LONG ONE.

It's been a doozy of a month with the beginning of the holidays, nighttime knocking on my frosty bedroom window by 4:30pm, and the ongoing decline of the accursed bird app. The days keep coming and they don't stop coming.

Starting off this post with a celebration of the devastating total of 20k words achieved on this year's Nano project. It's only devastating because, as a completionist, seeing goals left unmet is the equivalent of taking 10d6 damage to the soul. Last year saw the birth of The Unbinding, with 50k written in November and another 20k added at the beginning of December to round up its first draft. I thought that with that manuscript currently being queried, I would be able to tackle a fresh new story, and this was my first mistake which turned into a necessary lesson, one I've been fighting for the last three weeks.

You see, The Unbinding is the first project that I have ever seriously committed to publishing through traditional means. I've been writing for upwards of 15 years and it wasn't until summer of 2021 that I came to accept that I could, and should, hold myself to the same esteem that I hold my favorite writers to. This meant that I would be buckling down, rewriting, and revising a story I truly fell in love with. Revising is like pulling teeth for me, so I established myself as a one-and-done type of person from the get-go. Outline and outline well, leave no scene unscrutinized. This meant I had a pretty solid base, an impenetrable one, when I began last year's Nano. So, five drafts in (five!), I decided that this was as good as the manuscript was getting. I called it a day, participated in two whole Twitter pitch events, and sent out my first query batch.

Every writer is different. I've read about writers pitching third drafts, fourth, tenth, twentieth, and landing agents. After all, the amount of revising that goes into a book is never-ending. After all, by the time some agents get back to you, you'll be another two revisions in.

This is hubris speaking. Don't you fucking listen to it.

I set this manuscript aside for three whole months. Had it sent to beta readers go through it while I focused on other things. And it was all well and good until I realized that nothing -- nothing -- that I put down on this year's Nano felt right. Every word felt rushed, wrong, empty, and while yes sometimes this is what it's like to write a first draft, I realized that I just wasn't having fun with it. The story may be good, but I was fighting something else inside my head that I didn't want to acknowledge, and that's that The Unbinding wasn't ready. I was tackling a new project and 'abandoning' something that held me in a vice grip for the better part of ten months.

"But, Mitch," you say, "if it wasn't ready, why the hell did you start querying it?!" One word (Or two, depending on how you look at it.): BookTwitter.

Twitter is the internet's hub for writers trying to break out into the scene. You have your users who post daily prompts for writers to QRT with their nifty little graphics and fun snippets of their epics, promos left and right, follow chains, the whole shebang. It's a place where young authors build a readership based off engagement and the wringing of the algorithm.

I am not a Twitter person. Sure I've been using the app in tandem with Tumblr since 2011, but I've never been savvy at it. Good lord did I try to be savvy though, engaging with said games and graphics but alas, I'm also not a graphic designer so my moodboards weren't as stunning as those WIP spotlights with 200+ notes.

That being said, I plucked a handful of books during my year-long foray into that side of the internet. It's a great platform to find diverse books by diverse authors, but it's also a place that is oversaturated with everything. Advice from querying writers, authors prepping for their debuts, agents searching for manuscripts, all going by at rapid speeds. The dreaded "this is what's selling so if you want to sell your manuscript you need to jump on it RIGHT NOW or else you'll miss your window".

So I did. Queer Gothics are in right now, I saw an opportunity, and I took it. Even when the story felt like it needed work, I went for it. I wanted to be in with the cool kids, wanted to make friends with all these hip zoomers clawing their way into tradpub. I focused so much on it that I lost sight of what truly mattered-- writing the story I need to write. Writing is rewriting, after all. I wasn't sick and tired of looking at this manuscript. In fact, I was still excited to work on it, make it into the best thing it could possibly be.

Since the whole Musky Man debacle started going down, I decided to simply cut back on my Twitter usage. It was making me miserable for a variety of reasons, but mainly because it isn't just for writing or the laughs. There's no way to curate that damn place, so one tweet will be about this cool new book that I would want to preorder and the next is about mass shootings and the government sanctioned genocide of trans people. As a trans QPOC, I literally cannot continue to split what little brain power I can spare towards creativity between doomscrolling and trying to squeeze myself into zoomer spaces.

I'm a writer. A cave-dwelling hermit. I am not designed to market myself, I do not have an algorithm-based software in my brain that enables me to build engagement, to grow my follower number on Twitter so that when agents ask me to link my profile on their query tracker submissions they can look at it and go "oh yes we can get a best-seller upon launch on these numbers alone!" It's exhausting. I'm an adult who's constantly fighting for their life, to make ends meet, to keep a roof over my head, to not spiral into depression every time I see another gut-wrenching article. There aren't enough hours in the day for me to blast on social media while also trying to write a damn book.

Shit's fucked, lads. I wish I had an answer to this. I don't. All I can do is step away, recalibrate, buckle down on creating, and start swinging again.

In short, The Unbinding is facing a major rewrite. Restructuring the plot for many a reason. Of the ten queries I sent out, I've gotten three rejections, and the jury's still out on the other seven.

I'm actually not discouraged by said rejections, either. There's this feeling of accomplishment that comes with every one I receive, an opportunity to learn, the understanding that I'm here, that I've done it, that I have something to put out in the world. It's daunting, terrifying, exhausting, but goddamn am I enjoying the ride. With any luck I won't get any full manuscript requests now that I've decided to go back in, but if it does happen, I'll just be completely honest with them.

I'm also fairly certain that my query packet was a hot fucking mess because I'm not joking when I say I have no idea what I'm doing. Beta readers? Critiques? Nah. I'm rawdogging this shit (for now).

BUT ALL OF THIS ASIDE---

The Wilds (first longer-ish play) has been workshopped and is currently in its second draft. What was meant to be a one-act has grown to a considerable length, but we're going with the flow and seeing where it takes us.

The Untitled Folk Horror story is still in the pre-drafting stage. I'm knee-deep in research, found some good sources while learning that my researcher badge on campus has finally been revoked thanks to me graduating last May, so things are getting a little harder to find. Who knew it would be this hard to find anything about a colonized culture from its own people rather than their colonizers, especially when two whole powers did their best to destroy everything during their invasions? Hurr.

So yeah. This concludes this very long post. Went to the library today to pick up a book I had placed on hold, ended up walking out with three whole books. Said book is What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher, and depending on if the mood strikes, I'll write a little review on it on here!

Cheers.

[meraki-yao]

I'm so happy and supportive of Nick and what he's doing with these projects ❤️ he's a ray of sunshine but that hurt feeling of not having had this with rwrb will never go away. I'm missing a piece that I can't replace with anything else. I was waiting for that film for so long and then (for the right reasons, I know) I couldn't have anything promo, premiere and sometimes the feeling is that it didn't even exist and I see everyone moving on and I suffer too because Taylor still hasn't been able to live all of this. And I want to cry and feeling stupid for this and I see on Twitter that people who feel what I feel are insulted by Nick fans and called haters and I feel out of touch.

Dear, trust me when I say I know the feeling.

Something that I came to terms with these couple of months is that happiness and sadness can co-exist. A lot of us are feeling the same way as you are, so you're not alone.

But if this helps at all, the people who stay are the ones who truly got the movie, and sometimes it's not a matter of leaving the fandom, it's simply being busier with irl life (the movie came out in summer)

Also, love, please get off Twitter. It's not a good place to be. Fandom is supposedly to be enjoyable and escapism. Under the condition that you're not actively hurting others, your main objective in fandoms is too have fun. If going on Twitter and seeing toxic solo stans of Nick makes you feel bad, please turn away, and now those people are kind of pathetic if they truly hate on a project and person for reasons that don't stand. On top of that, please remember that those people don't speak for Nick, and are living in their own delusion. Time will come where they are smacked in the face with the contrary, as it has several times already.

I'm still really optimistic that we're gonna get more content at some point in the future, be it the myriad of deleted scenes or a sequel, so please hold on to that hope and hang on a little longer. In the meantime, please keep yourself surrounded by people who you feel comfortable with, who share your genuine love for the movie.