#I'm so feed up this is an 1 problem so leave the track alone

[waru-chan8]

I know F1 people is mad about the track limits and all that. But fuck of. Gravel traps? Do you the Red Bull Ring it’s a shared track? Do you know how dangerous are those for the riders?

So if you are feed up with all the problems with the track limits just pick another track. The Red Bull Ring is already dangerous enough for MotoGP guys to add more gravel on it.

And I don’t care that the track could allow to put and take out the ravel trap for F1 or before a MotoGP event because we all know they won’t do it.

So for once, just do something that won’t drag or kill riders and put displays on those fancy and fucking expensive car. Or kill switches to kill the engine. We don’t need to get more riders injured because those fucking cars can’t be keep inside the track limits.

For once in your life, remember you are not the only one using the track and just move around with what other series have

[ink-sans-au-protector]

“Calling all error and ink fans” screams the speaker “Team error vs team ink”. Ink sighs worrying about the game ahead “Ink you okay,” asks Dream “You sure homie” says Fresh his sunglasses saying you ok “yeah I’m ok” says Ink “Team Ink and team Error come down to the arena” screams the speaker “all right dudes” says fresh using his weelies to zoom down to the arena to prepare for the laser game “right” says ink. The lobby is filled with weapons and traps when Fresh and the gang get there, error and his team is taking all the good weapons “Hey you can’t do that at least leave some weapons” yells Dream “Oh dear brother you forget first picks you” says nightmare “guys look 80s themed laser weapons” yells fresh “yeah let’s wait for the laser game to fight” says ink grabbing a “disco bomb” and “silly string shooter”.

“All right folks we have been having some problems with people not following the rules of no magic so we have made the areane with a magic editor so it makes all your attacks lasers themed so at the start of three spread out and then when the bell dongs start,” says the host “You got it,” says cross “And error no soul control or you're out immediately,” says host “fine,” says error “and ink and fresh no fusion till it’s 1 vs 2,” says the host “Ok homie,” says fresh “ok 1,2,3” screams the host everyone scatters hiding and reading up their weapons dong dong “all right guys let’s meet at the start,” says ink “you do know this is open to everyone in the game,” says error “oh,” says ink summoning a gaster blaster to ride and find his team “well I'm going anyways,” says ink picking up fresh and flying to dream “me to broski,” says fresh unconvincingly while dream gets on “ok if we’re going to fall into this trap I’m going too,” says dream climbing onto the gaster balster. “oh shit” says nightmare “hi bitz” says fresh shooting down nightmare “that’s why you don’t cuse” says fresh jumping on his own gaster blaster “nightmare nightmare” yells error “cross cross” “their gone error” syas ink behind him “and just to make things fun dream k!lled himself 1 v 2 you know what that means” “no no not him” says error “yep hey fresh you ready” says ink “yep” says fresh jumping down, making ink and fresh turn into fresh ink “hi you miss me” asks fresh ink *https://open.spotify.com/track/1Ykscd0Y8ryzvB5sg9JyXn?si=51690afe299c4140* “ready to have bad time” asks fresh ink “fuck” says error running away “oh no you don’t” says fresh ink summoning a gaste blaster as tall as the empierer state building shooting it and winning the game. “gg” says fresh “all right i’m going to watch are bitties game” says ink “same” says error “I wanna see if he’ll do as bad as me” they both leave together “yeah i got to go home and feed my bitty” says cross leaving dream and nightmare alone “seems like you learned kiling without mercy you just shot me 20000 times even though i died” says nightmare “the game goes on data it knew one shot wouldn’t kill you so easily so it made it where it needs 1000 shots i just needed to make sure the job was done” replies dream “i’m goona join ink and error to make sure they don’t kill each other” leaving nightmare alone.

When Dream gets there ink and Error are making out “What the fuck” yells Dream “Oh hi dream,” says Ink while Error is blushing and wanting to kill himself “Why the fuck were you kissing you know what never mind I’m just here to pick my bitty,” says dream “ok,” says ink letting dream pass “you wanna pick up are bitties and head to my house,” asks ink “won’t the bitties hear,” asks error “nah they’ll be too busy doing the same thing they won’t hear,” says ink “what,” says error “what you didn’t know that every time you drop bitty error off to do your job they do well what we’ve been doing” asks ink “Uh no,” says Error "yeah they've been playing Uno and fighting over it" says ink "what I thought they were uh you dancing in the bed sheets" says error "oh you dirty minded-” ink burfs ink up “I didn't know I was dealing with an lust?error" says ink "I will take offense to that" says error not realy liking the lusttale “dad” yells bitty ink runing from error about to kill him “son” yells ink grabing him “control your bitty error” says ink “son what did ink do” asks error “he barfed over my pupet i made for him” yells error trying to attack bitty ink “but i can’t help it i barf when i get to much emotionall i realy loved it” yells bitty ink holding a ink covered swap papryus “oh i forgot” says bitty error and stop attacking “ did you when dad” asks bitty ink “yeah you should have seen the look on errors face when fresh took over my body and said read to haave a radical bad time, how bout you did you win” says ink laughing “i uh” says bitty ink gitting cut off by bitty error “he got destroyed frist one out i thought the best au protecter would teach his son better” say bitty error slyly “at least one of us won” says error jokingly “omg the tension between you to is so thick” says lust sans out of know where “and why don’t you like my au” pointing to error “error error error error error error error” says error “i’m going home” says ink “me to” says error “see you next year” yells ink.

The end

I'm going to redo this maybe next year

[wgblair]

for you: runescape lore! for blaire: saradominists, and also mahjarrat (I want to see them shred Sabe’s family lmao)

God damn runescape lore.

1.) That its gone through AT LEAST 2 major retcons, I hate when writers throw out entire pieces of lore and write new stuff, I know that the og God lore wasn't actually very good but I am fundamentally a person that hates change. Think of a way to write around your stuff or expand on it. Recontextualize! Throwing it out is cheating!

2.) That so much of it is behind massive level and prerec restrictions to even see it in game, not to mention the limited time events. (not sure how unpopular this one is but shhh)

3.) I hate the official discord, put it in the game you cowards, also sometimes the shit they "confirm" is blatantly contradicted by things that are actually in the game but you know older than the past 5 or so years.

4.) I'm tired of the super serious deadly world ending quests which feels like all they were feeding us for a while now, of all the most recent quests the ones I liked the most were Heart Stealer and Chef's Assistant. Like I just wanna have some fun low stakes interactions with established characters for once. It kind of loses the impact when Every quest is about the literal fate of the entire world again.

5.) Contrary to my above position I wish they would stop dropping threads to not pick them up for literal years at a time. Like I don't even care about most of the signature heroes but if they were going to be so damn important that you had a big story arc planned at least finish the damn thing.

Now for Blaire. . .

Saradomonists

1.) Acting like their way is the only right and good way all the damn time, not only are they usually the ones who caused problems in the first place they have the egos to act like everyone else should have just done what they said and so really its their fault.

2.) Assuming everyone who isn't outwardly Zamarokian is also a Saradomonist. No, just no.

3.) Ruining the color blue.

4.) Not being any fun. And also being complete snitches while they're at it >:/

5.) Biggest hypocrites on the planet, most annoying people to work with.

Bonus: They don't season their food, you heard it here first.

Mahjarrat (careful what you wish for lol)

1.) Condescending! I get it! Basically all of them are old as dirt! That doesn't mean that they're right all the time and I'm tired of being talked down to when they come to me for help!

2.) Emotionally constipated. There I said it. And its true, not accepting critiques at this time.

3.) You can't leave them alone for a day before they've either plotted to backstab literally everyone or they've convinced themselves everyone they've ever met is out to get them. So two-faced they're convinced everyone is.

4.) Egotistical, I'm starting to lose track of how many Mahjarrats have convinced themselves that they're my biggest threat or greatest ally. I'm going to give myself a headache from all the eyerolling at this point.

5.) Rude! Rude and fucking mean and for no reason!! Even when I'm trying to help them!!! Even when all I've ever done is try to help!!! Sick of it, done with it, and not putting up with it anymore.

[fangirl-ramblings]

Pairing: Arthur Morgan x gn!reader

Summary: A return trip from Annesburg is about to change your life forever

Word count: 1520

Notes: CW: vague descriptions of wounds | Unsure how to tag this right now, Amensia Plot | Unbetaed [Any feedback is appreciated]

Tags for: @husbandits.

I was so excited when I saw that I was assigned to be your Secret Santa this year (even if i do still have a request I need to fulfill for you 🙈) I loved each item on your wishlist, but this one really jumped out at me.

"okay, so there was a post going around like last year i think where arthur had gotten amnesia and the reader took him in, and honestly i haven't been able to get it out of my head these past few months for some reason"

I couldn't find the original post you referred to, but a rough idea started to form in my head...The only problem is, this idea is so much bigger than the stories I usually write and I was starting to run out of time to get it posted for in time for the @rdr-secret-santa event (as you well know, I'm a slow writer) so...please accept my humble offering of the first chapter while I try chip away at the remaining parts.

The Best Kept Memories

[working title]

Chapter 1: Late 1899 [Oct/Nov]

All this commotion was frustrating to say the least; you'd arrived in Annesburg late yesterday afternoon, ready to pick up the supplies you'd needed to stock your cabin up with before the weather turned back into the harsh winter the Grizzlies were famous for. Despite arriving in town a good 30 mins before the train carrying your supplies from Saint Dennis was due in at the station, an hour later you were still standing on the platform waiting for it to suddenly come rumbling down the tracks.

   "All the trains have been delayed you know" A local busybody informed you.

   "Yeah, I kinda gathered," you politely replied - not really wanting to be drawn into conversation...too bad the older lady didn’t get the message.

   "Talk is…" she leaned in close, as if she was sharing confidential intel that only you were to know about, "a bunch of degenerates living not too far from here, decided to rob one of the earlier trains coming up from city." 

You found yourself rolling your eyes internally upon hearing this; you were aware the Murfree Brood were a sadistic bunch of murdering bastards, but from what you previously heard about them, they could barely care for and ride their horses, let alone plan to board and rob a moving train.

"Terrible affair I heard, seems they managed to make it all the way up towards Bacchus Bridge before…" she stopped mid-conversation, not because she ran out of gossip to share with you but she had noticed that the tracks began to rumble and the sound of a train's whistle could be heard approaching the station.

   "Well, looks like the delay is finally over," you commented, pointing out the obvious.

  "Oh do excuse me will you." You sighed with relief as you watched the woman move a little down the way, heading towards the train's engine to see if the driver had any updates of the goings on in Saint Dennis to share with her.

By the time you'd finished loading your wagon up, you were exhausted and couldn't face the thought of driving home through Roanoke Ridge in the dark, especially if the Murfree Brood were still loitering about. Looking down the main street you saw the local hotel had some vacancies and made the impulsive decision to spend the night in one of the rooms there, ready to feel refreshed in time for your morning ride home.

While it seemed like a very good idea at the time, you soon realised you'd made a huge mistake. After waking up and having a quick wash before getting dressed, you made your way back outside to find the most peculiar sight. The mining town of Annesburg, usually full of workers with dirt covered faces, wandering about in their equally filthy overalls, was now overrun by well dressed men in suits. 

   "They say they're Pinkertons." You overheard the gossiping woman that you encountered the previous night, telling her newly captive audience. "One of them told me personally that there was a gunfight up near Beaver Hollow."

   "Well Eunice, I heard talk there was reports of those hooligans that they're after, fleeing into the night and the 'Pinkertons' had to chase them all over the Ridge well into the early hours of the morning," another lady informed her, looking super smug that she'd been able to provide some information that her friend wasn't already privy too.

   "Well either way, several roads around the area have been blocked off by the men in suits." Eunice huffed before walking off, looking for a less informed person to chat too.

Shaking your head, you dismissed their talk as nothing but idle gossip and jumped up on your wagon, ready to head back home along one of the roads leading South.

   "This road is closed," the well-suited man hissed as you approached the roadblock with your wagon. "I suggest you find another route."

   "It wasn’t closed yesterday when I rode into town, any chance you could let me go past just this once?" you protested, not really knowing why you were bothering. His stony face told you this was not a man who had much compassion for others, but wanting to get back home before the storm brewing on the East side of the Lannahechee river rolled in, you persisted, "I can be home within the hour if you let me past, whereas the other route will take me twice as long - not to mention those treacherous mountain roads I'd be forced to travel along."

   "I said, find...another...way" he growled at you, clenching his teeth as he emphasised each word.

   "Fine," you sighed as you reversed your wagon and drove along the road heading north.

Even though this route would take you the better part of the day to get home, you didn't mind so much as you could take the time to enjoy the beautiful scenery of this part of the country, especially the area around the huge mountain that rudely stood directly in front of you.

Taking a left hand turn to finally head southwards; you trundled along, lost in a world of your own as you admired the red wildflowers that grew in abundance here. Making a mental note to maybe pick some up on your next visit up here, so you could liven your cabin up, you were shocked when your horse suddenly reared up, whinnying a distressed shrill.

   "Hey now Ponos, what's to do with you?" you asked gently, hopping down off your wagon to assess the area around you. There was nothing obvious that you could see in the road, but out of the corner of your eye you noticed a flock of scavenger birds circling over something that must be hidden out of sight behind the giant rock to your right.

   "Trust you to be scared of a half-eaten animal" you chuckled as you patted Ponos' neck in an effort to calm him down. A beautiful Chestnut coloured Belgian Draft, you'd named him after the Greek God of hard labour & toil and while you couldn’t fault his excellent work ethic and seemingly unlimited stamina, you soon realised why the stable owner had offered you such a cheap price for him all those years ago; this giant of a horse was easily spooked by the smallest of things.

After reaching up to grab your gun from underneath your seat, you started walking over to the most likely spot to investigate. If it was a fresh kill you had enough space on your wagon to throw the carcass on and take it home to make a nice meal or two out of.

Approaching the overgrowth behind the rock, the birds squawked and scattered when they realised that you were about to steal the meal they had their eyes on. Getting closer, you noticed a heaped mound laying there. Your mouth started to water as you realised whatever this was, it was certainly likely to be bigger than a rabbit and therefore would provide several tasty meals over the next few days. Using the barrel of your rifle, you cautiously moved apart the long grass, almost dropping your gun as you finally saw what was previously hidden.

Looking like death personified this was certainly no animal, but a seriously injured man. His poor face, gaunt, bloody and bruised. Judging by the shallow, laboured breaths you could see him trying to take, he was still alive - but only just.

   "Sir? Sir? Can you hear me?" You asked, not really expecting a response but the almost corpse groaned and weakly nodded in response.

You glanced back at the grey clouds that had followed you on your journey from Annesburg, before looking back at this wretched soul. What was it your old pa used to tell you?

   'There's never any harm in being a good Samaritan to those that need your help.'

Realising that you could never let yourself walk away and leave a healthy man to be stranded in a storm, let alone an almost dead one to succumb from his wounds, you quickly set your gun aside and placed his arms around your neck. Summoning all the strength you had, you somehow managed to pick the sandy-haired man up and manoeuvre him onto the back of your wagon. 

   "I live a short ride away, you’re welcome to rest there until you get your strength back up.” Unravelling a few pelts you had stored with the rest of your cargo, you tossed them over the injured man to help try to keep him warm.

   "Sorry it's not very comfy but I guess it beats lying there in the cold waiting for the cruel embrace of death," you explained whilst taking out a carrot from your satchel to feed Ponos, in the hope he had gotten over his fear and was willing to continue your journey back home, “Tell me, do you have a name sir?”

Jumping back into the driver’s seat, you looked back over your shoulder, only to find your passenger had passed out.

[picturejasper20]

Malachite Character Analysis

(Warning: Mention and analysis of a very toxic relationship.)

¨These two are really bad for each other. Malachite was formed through extortion and deception and held together out of revenge. Malachite is the worst relationship imaginable.¨

Malachite was a character that was introduced in Season 1 finale "Jailbreak" after Jasper and Lapis Lazuli decided to fuse together to defeat the Crystal gems.

In this post i'm going to examine Malachite as a fusion and what she tells us about Jasper and Lapis and their relationship.

Lapis Lazuli´s and Jasper´s backstory:

First let's talk a bit about Jasper's and Lapis´ past:

Steven first found Lapis trapped in a Gem mirror, after spending some time with her, he decided to free her and later healed her gem so she could return to Homeworld by using her magic water wings.

In the episode ¨Same Old World¨ (Season 3) Lapis tells to Steven her backstory about how she got trapped in that mirror.

¨It was thousands of years ago. I was only meant to visit for a short time, but I got caught in the middle of the war. It was awful. I tried to run, but... I was picked up by a Homeworld soldier and confused for a Crystal Gem, and used as a tool.¨

Lapis talks about what happened to her as it was an accident, a terrible tragedy in which there´s not only one person she can blame for all her problems. In a way, she´s potrayed as victim of the Gem war, she was on Earth for a visit and then she was meant to leave.

She was treated as a prisoner from gems who were supposed to be on her side, used as a tool and left behind on Earth like her life was nothing.

¨It soon became clear that there was no hope in stopping the rebellion. All of the Homeworld Gems fled, and all the panic of escaping Earth, I was left behind. And there I stayed. Freedom in my sight, but out of reach for ages, until I was found.¨

Then she spend thousands of year trapped in that mirror, alone, with no one to talk to, with her gem cracked on top of that. Anyone stuck in that situation who quickly became insane and would definely not be the same person that used to be before the traumatic event.

It´s not suprising Lapis was so angry when Steven free her from that mirror. While she didn´t want to get revenge on the Crystal gems she still had a lot of anger and frustration buried deep inside her.

As for Jasper, her backstory differs greatly from Lapis´:

Jasper was born in the middle of the gem war in the Beta Kindergarten, in less than a few hours she took more than 80+ Crystal gems impressing many Homeworld gems due to her strengh.

She was considered a gem role model in Homeworld, she was an example of what a quartz soldier should be. The issue was that depiste being highly respected by her peers, she couldn´t get out of her mind that she still was a gem that came from the worst kindergarten on Earth.

According to Peridot on ¨Beta¨ most gems born in the Beta Kirdengarten came out flawed or defective in some way. This was because Homeworld rushed the place during the war to get more gems. 

Jasper was one of the few gems that came out ¨right¨ to the point she could be considered a superquartz soldier by Homeworld´s standards.

However not matter how much praised she got, Jasper thought there was something with her because of her origins. This made her develop an  obsession with proving her power and getting more and more self-destructive as time passed.

¨Jasper is a bully in the truest sense. Deep down, she's afraid there's something wrong with her, so she has to feed her ego. She has to put other Gems down to stay on top. Who she is and where she's from gnaws at her all the time. She has a fantastic reputation, she's considered the greatest Quartz soldier produced on Earth, and that might impress other Gems, but it will never be good enough for her.¨

¨Because she loves honor, fighting, making her mark, and winning the battle, she'll actually go against her programming a little bit just to be the winner. So she can be self-destructive at times. She is tragically obsessed with proving her superiority.¨

Why is all this important? Well, it´s essential to know where these characters are coming from to understand why they decided to be Malachite in first place and why they were a recipe for disaster the moment that Jasper asked Lapis to fuse with her.

On one hand you have a gem that was spent thousands of years trapped against her will and carries a lot on anger and trauma inside her. On the other hand the other gem also has war trauma, it's very self-destructive and thinks she's horrible. Mix these two together and what you get is a unstable fusion made of hate and revenge.

Malachite as a metaphor for Jasper´s and Lapis´ relationship

Now that i have talked about their past. I going examine the scene in which they fuse into Malachite in "Jailbreak" and what the fusion tells us about their relationship.

After being defeated by Garnet (a fusion) Jasper decides to find someone she could also fuse with to win against the Crystal gems.

She spot Lapis Lazuli and grabs her before she can escape flying. She convinces Lapis to fuse with her to get revenge on Crystal gems. She reminds her how they used her and how they are traitors to Homeworld.

¨These Gems, they're traitors to their Homeworld. They kept you prisoner. They used you.¨

It's worth of pointing out that Jasper never tries to "force" Lapis into fusing with her in this scene. She tries using her, true, but she waits until Lapis accepts and gives her hand.

Now, Jasper could care less about Lapis in this scene. For her, she was only just a tool to get revenge on the Crystal gems and Rose Quartz. There wasn't any "trust" between the two.

As for Lapis, she tried escaping from Jasper first but after realising that she was about to being used again by someone who had kept her prisoner in the ship she snapped and decided to stop being treated like an object for once.

Moments later after they fused into Malachite, Lapis took control of the fusion's water powers and chained her down, dragging her into the bottow of the ocean.

¨I'm done being everyone's prisoner. Now you're my prisoner! And I'm never letting you go! Let's stay on this miserable planet... together!¨

As Lapis stated, she was done of being everyone's prisioner, she was tired of being treated like a tool by everyone. Control in her own life was something was constanly taken away from her. So by trapping Malachite (and herself) meant that was able to make choices again.

As for Jasper, i already mentioned that she only wanted Lapis to become more powerful. Jasper is a gem that shown to be obssesed with winning and fighting. She doesn't accept defeat easily and the more she loses, more self-destructive she gets.

In "Chilled tid" Steven gets a glimpse of what Malachite's mind looked like: Lapis and Jasper were fighting over the control of the fusion. They both were completely exhausted and beaten.

There's a visual methaphor about how they are both chained to Malachite in this dream sequence. This is very much like how it's really difficult to get out of a toxic/codependent relationship and how one feels trapped with no hope of getting out of it.

Another interesting detail is when Jasper takes control, all she's able to say is "YOU! YOU! YOU!¨ to Steven. It shows how crazy she gets when can't win a battle and how her mind deteriorates in the process.

The episode "Alone at the Sea" explores their relationship even further by showing which their main motivations were and how it affect them both.

First of all, the reason of why Lapis didn't want to be near the ocean again it's because it remind her of time she used to be fused with Jasper:

"Look, Lapis, I know you spent a really long time fused with Jasper at the bottom of the ocean, but you're not Malachite anymore.And water is a part of who you are. You can't let one bad experience take that away from you."

During the boat trip Lapis keeps blaming herself for the events of Ocean gem and Malachite:

"It's my fault. I'm the one to blame."

"I'm terrible! I did horrible things! I-I broke your dad's leg. I stole Earth's ocean! Go on! Tell me I'm wrong!"

She describes herself as "terrible". She thinks she don't deserve the kindness that Steven has giving her during all this time.

Lapis is a character who usually stuggles with change in the series. She thinks she won't be able to revover from her trauma, that she can't grow and become a better person.

She also mentions to him how she can't help but think of when she used to be Malachite.

"I'm really trying to enjoy it out here, but... I can't stop thinking about being fused as Malachite, how I used all my strength to hold her down in the ocean, and how I was always battling against Jasper to keep her bound to me."

"But it's not like that anymore. You don't have to be with Jasper."

"That's not it. I... I miss her."

"What?!"

"We were fused for so long."

This implies that after spending so much together Jasper and Lapis became codependent of each other. Steven, who was still a teenager in this scene, couldn't fully get grasp of why his friend who missed being in a terrible situation like that.

And Lapis was not the only one that felt like this.

When Jasper shows up, she shows she has been missing Lapis as well and she has been tracking her to find her.

In a very rare moment that would look out of character for her Jasper kneels down and begs for Lapis to be Malachite again.

¨Let's be Malachite again.¨  

Keep in mind that until know Jasper has always been potrayed as someone who would do anything it takes to win. She's tough gem soldier who isn't afraid of her enemies. She's strong,cocky and agressive. So why did she ask to be Malachite again?

"I was wrong about fusion. You made me understand! Malachite was bigger and stronger than both of us! We could fly!"

She emphazises Malachite's power when they were fused. How strong and powerful she was.

This makes sense considering the factthat Jasper thinks of herself as "horrible" and "defective". She has a huge inferiority complex that comes from how Earth gems are perceived on Homeworld.

So, being Malachite made her feel "complete" and cover up her insecurities and personal issues.

"It'll be better this time. I've changed. You've changed me. I'm the only one who can handle your kind of power."

She tries to convince Lapis by saying how she's the only one that can "handle" her powers. This shows again how self-destructive Jasper can be as she was willing to go through that pain again just to feel powerful.

Another reason, i think, it's because she partially blames herself for Pink Diamond'd shattering. She probably wanted to be punished for her "failure" or wanted someone who she could follow again much like she started calling Steven "My diamond" in "Homeworld Bound".

As for Lapis, there are a few reasons she had her doubts of being Malachite again:

1) The fusion was a way for her to gain control back on her own life. She was tired of being tricked and used by everyone that she wanted to take her anger on someone.

"I was terrible to you. I liked taking everything out on you. I needed to, I-I hated you. It was bad!"

Lapis wanted someone to go through the same pain she had to endure for thousands of years. And that someone could have anyone. She choosed Jasper as she was the closest one to her in "Jailbreak".

When she was separated, she felt she suddenly lost that great amount of power that the fusion gave to her. She lost that "control" she had.

2) During "Alone at the sea" she describes herself many times as terrible and how she doesn't deserve the boat trip. She keeps blaming herself from her actions and how she can't get better.

Jasper even calls Lapis a monster in a moment, stating they very much alike:

"You can't lie to me. I've seen what you're capable of. I thought I was a brute, but you... you're a monster."

Lapis wanted to go back to be Malachite since she thought it was what someone as terrible as her deserved. She thought she couldn't grow into good person. Gems terrible as her and Jasper were meant to be together.

But Lapis knew better than getting trapped in that fusion again.

"NO! ""What we had wasn't healthy. I never want to feel like I felt with you. Never again! So just, go!"

In the end she refused to fuse with Jasper and realised how toxic their relationship was. It was a terrible experience and something she didn't want to take part in ever again.

Malachite as a character

Being fusion who is supposed to represent an very toxic relationship, Malachite is potrayed as very agressive, unstable and sadistic. She´s quite unpredictable since her actitude depends of who it´s taking control of her.

When her eyes are ¨cat shaped¨ it usually means that Jasper is the one controlling her. If her eyes are wide and open, it indicates Lapis is the one in control.

It´s difficult to affirm Malachite ever had her own personality at all,as her components were always fighting over her power and she was a mere tool from the moment she was ¨born¨.

¨A fusion like theirs is unstable, bound together by anger and mistrust. If that bond snaps, their anger will take over, and destroy.¨  

She ends up being a pretty tragic character as her whole existence was filled by hatred and suffering to the point she didn´t know anything else. Unlike other characters from Steven universe she wasn´t given the chance to redeem herself.

It´s interesting how Malachite in ¨Super Watermelon Island¨ kept exchaching between ¨we¨ and ¨I¨ to talk about herself. This indicates again that she wasn´t fully her own person.

If Lapis and Jasper were to fuse again after having worked through their issues, Malachite would be a more stable and less agressive fusion. But that´s very unlikely to happen since it was a terrifying experience for both of them.

In conclusion: Malachite is character with tons of metaphors that talks a lot about Lapis and Jasper and who they are as people. She serves to show how toxic some relationships can get when there is a lack of basic trust and understanding and is created by mutual hatred. It´s an example of how complicated relationships can be and how a person it´s really more complex they appear to be.

[imaginethathaikyuu]

HI EM I hereby formally submit a request for the following scenario: Kuroo witnesses a woman being harassed on the street late at night by a pushy dude and gets the guy to step away (6'2 of volleyboy muscle is pretty intimidating tbh), and then comforts the girl in his own Kuroo way as he escorts her home or something. AAAAAH I'm so excited for this one!!! Love you

i wil write anything for u pip just say the word. love u bby!!!!!

-

Tetsurou was not happy. Because his shitty boss kept him at his dumb job for way later in this awful night than he was scheduled for - and now, it was nearing 1 AM while he was on a chilly walk home. With no jacket, to top it all off. 

But that was all in the past, and he didn’t care about it anymore - there were more important things on his mind.

Specifically, that thing was the reason he hated having to stay at work so late. In the alleyway he uses as a shortcut to get home lived a stray cat who he knew would be waiting for him and his food scraps he had. 

He wasn’t sure where this cat came from, but it had turned up about two weeks ago. And Tetsurou fell in love on sight. She was a black cat with eyes so green they seemed to shine, and she was so sweet he swore he’d get a cavity just from looking at her. 

She had warmed up to him a lot since he started bringing her food from his workplace - a small bar and grill just three blocks away. And he even made sure to research which foods are safe for cats, and found a long list of vegetables he was excited to test her on pallet. 

On the menu today was grilled chicken and steamed broccoli. Last night she didn’t even touch the peas he brought her, and she seemed to like chicken more than tuna. 

That cat was the only thing keeping him walking - he wanted to collapse on the sidewalk, but he couldn’t. Kuroo had a mouth to feed. 

He ended up jogging to get there quickly, passing a few people and managing to not bump into anyone - he was too proud of his usual clumsy self for that feat. 

He started whistling as soon as he got into the small, dimly lit alley, and she peeked her head out from behind a trash can to find him. And then she ran to him excitedly; he knelt down to pet her soft head and she purred at his touch. 

“Sorry I’m late,” he told her. “But I brought your dinner!” 

He opened the take out box and sat it in front of her, and she ate it keenly. Tetsurou watched her like a proud father. 

“Not so fast, you goofball, I don’t know the cat heimlich maneuver.” 

He had yet to give her a name in hopes of not becoming too attached, but he wasn’t kidding himself - this stray had a claw in his heart, and he’d only known her for two weeks. He’d spent that time trying to scrape together the $350 for his apartment’s pet deposit - and trying to justify paying that much money to keep a cat. 

He was still $100 short, and he was hating himself for not taking her to a shelter, but he wasn’t sure if he could part with her. Besides, he’s sure that tomorrow night, he’d get at least a hundred in tips from waiting tables - and then he’d officially be a cat owner. 

Would he also go hungry for a week? Possibly - but at least he’d be going hungry while owning a cat. 

“Look, you’re not going to be living out here for long,” he said, “soon enough you’ll be living with me in my bachelor pad. Maybe I should name you now...” 

He decided that was definitely a good idea and tried his best to come up with a good name, but his deep thought was interrupted by someone joining him in the alleyway. The cat scurried away at the sound of a woman’s strained voice - and Kuroo turned around at the sound of man’s. 

“Can you please leave me alone?” 

“I told you I’ll go if you just talk to me!” 

And then, he decided this night may have just gotten shittier. 

You’d be inclined to agree with that, having just made the poor decision of walking down an alley while someone you’d only describe as a pure creep was following you. 

Not for long, though, because you stopped in your tracks when the creep grabbed your arm and pulled you towards him - and fuck, holy fuck, you were fucked. 

“Hey!” 

Another voice echoed through the empty street; then, another person was in your view. 

A different man - tall, messy hair, tired eyes - was looking at you and said, “Do you know him?” and when you shook your head, the stranger’s grip was ripped from your arm. 

Tetsurou really didn’t enjoy getting into other people’s business - he hated aggressive confrontation, and he was just too awkward for it, quite frankly. But he could hear the stress in your voice - and he knew he had to step in on this. 

Working at a bar, he’d seen situations like this countless times: sleazy men who think they can corner a woman into getting what they want out of them, putting their hands on girls who want nothing to do with them, doing worse to a woman just because they think they can. 

But those men definitely wouldn’t get away with pulling stunts like those if Tetsurou was around. 

He got between you and the guy, making sure you were safe behind him - the man obviously didn’t like that. “Dude, come on -” 

“Don’t call me dude.” 

The creep rolled his eyes. “Just mind your own business, man.” 

“No,” Tetsurou replied.  

“I found her first.” He sounded like a child talking about a toy. “Get your own.”

“I’m not trying to get anything,” Tetsurou spat, “but you’re about to get a fist to your nose if you don’t get the hell out of here - and if I catch you following girls into alleys again I’ll make sure you regret it.”

Tetsurou knew that if he wasn’t 6’2”and broad shouldered he’d never get away with saying things like this. Regardless of his looks, he was not the kind of guy to throw punches. Except when the situation called for it, of course. 

“Whatever. She’s probably a bitch anyway.” He stumbled away after that, allowing Tetsurou and yourself to sigh out of relief. 

You felt like you had just dodged a major bullet - that could have ended very differently if you weren’t lucky enough to run into someone willing to help you.

And now you were finally able to catch your breath - that man followed you for nearly three blocks, and you had to walk pretty fast to keep your distance. Not to mention when he grabbed you, it did more than take your breath away - it knocked your lungs into your stomach. 

Yet again, Tetsurou needed his new friend to wipe away the bad memories of the night. After whistling, she walked out slowly, suspiciously. 

“Come on, it’s okay,” Tetsurou cooed. “The shitty guy is gone. Finish your food.” 

You were immediately confused, thinking he was talking to you until you turned around to find him looking down at a cat. 

“Um… thank you,” you said after clearing your throat. Why did you feel so awkward? “I really appreciate you helping me with that.” 

“No problem. Are you okay?” 

“Yeah, yeah - I’m fine…” Awkward. “...What’s your name?” 

You introduced yourselves - and he introduced his furry friend. 

“She’s nameless, for now,” he told you, “but maybe you can help me come up with a name, Y/N.” 

“I’m not sure.” You knelt down to pet her - she was unexpectedly soft. “I’d have to think about it.” 

“Me too,” he sighed. “I usually go when she’s finished eating - and it looks like she’s done now.” 

“Do you feed her every night?” 

He could feel his cheeks heating up and he wasn’t sure why, but he felt embarrassed to admit, “Yeah, uh… I bring her food from the restaurant I work at.” 

“That’s sweet,” you replied, giving him a cute smile. 

“Thank you, I try. Now - can you get home okay?” 

You’d been asking yourself that since you walked into this alley. “Uh, I…” 

“Okay, better question, which direction are you walking?” 

You silently pointed in the direction towards the street behind you, where you entered the alley. 

And Tetsurou had a decision to make - he could let you go alone, leaving your safety up to the gods while being a questionable human being, or he could lie, tell you his route is the same way, and walk with you - ensuring your safety, and maybe getting to know you a bit more on the way. 

He should be honest - but he’d be lying to himself if he said he didn’t want to see more of your cute smile. 

“Do you want to walk together?” 

You nodded graciously, happy that he made the offer. 

“Good - we can discuss cat names on the way.” 

Not only did you talk about names, but he also made sure to tell you to get pepper spray to protect yourself with - and ask for your number as politely as possible when he got you home.

[scripttorture]

So, I have a plotbunny where what happens to the MC functionally = partial(?) Solitary Confinement, but it's a little odd so I'd like your thoughts to see if I'm on a realistic track? MC (16yo girl) voluntarily agrees to "give her life" to a supernatural being to save her mother. However, classic Fairy Logic applies - she THINKS she'll die or disappear, but it's actually "you must devotedly guard this isolated magical place". What this amounts to is a situation I'll detail in more Asks...?(1/7)

2/7) So, MC thinks then that she'll be obligated to do this forever/rest of her life, in order to save/protect her mother. She's compassionate/strongly attached to her loved ones, so keeping BOTH her parents from suffering from what would happen to Mom is "worth it" to her (note: effectively there is also another "her" who is their kid. The parents don't realize a "version" of her is doing this, so they're blissfully ignorant too). This gives her a Purpose automatically, but it definitely (...)(3/7) changes what she thought she was resigned to. The (humanoid) entity she's serving does spend time with her each day, including gentle touch, and leaves its familiars (two very friendly big cats) with her always, but it does leave her by herself for long periods (hours at a time), and she is forbidden from leaving without permission and even when one of her friends winds up finding the place, she's not allowed to admit to them it's really her/have proper contact with them. However (...)(4/7) Shortly after that, she is told that it was never intended to be permanent - it was for "a year and a day" - a test, which she's just passed. So, she is abruptly told she can/should "go home", when she thought she would be there indefinitely. She winds up with a version of her family who have lost their version of her. They know she's an alt-universe version, but to them, she's so similar to their kid, and anyway, "biologically her twin", that they feel emotionally attached to her (...)(5/7) + they empathize with/feel responsible for her, especially as she's still so young + they're horrified to learn she was apparently "alone" (or at least without her loved ones/normal contact) for so long. They immediately accept her as their kid, and she can't help but see them as the "same" people, so she's drawn to the idea of being adopted/with them but, obviously the whole thing is kind of traumatic and weird for her - and this is what I'm wanting to run by you? So far, I have her (...)(6/7) struggling to adjust to the sudden shift in routines (they try to send her back to normal school, which feels "noisy" and "chaotic" to her; she puts up with it b/c she "has to", but winds up "spacey and distracted" [dissociating] during some of her classes, and struggles with focus on academic material); being twitchy/hypervigilant (she reduces her anxiety by always plotting physical exits and practicing kata every morning/evening); having poor sleep/trouble falling asleep/nightmares (...)(7/7) + suffering anxiety/self-doubt, questioning whether these versions of her loved ones really accept her or if they just feel obligated to pretend/secretly internally reject her or worse, see her as a daily reminder of the girl they lost and feeling pain that they're hiding from her. She also tries to pretend nothing is wrong when they ask how she's doing out of worry, b/c she doesn't want to "burden" anybody. Plausible - yes/no/maybe? (Also - sorry for the length of this, wow)

I actually really likelong asks. They tend to mean I have all the detail I need to give a proper,helpful answer. (They are a little intimidating but so satisfying once answered).Sorry it took so long to get this answered.

 You’ve got a reallyinteresting scenario here and I think generally speaking it’s really plausible.

 I always link to Shalev’sSourcebook when solitary comes up because it’s a brilliant free resource.

 All of the thingsyou’ve hit on are possible symptoms of prolonged (ie over a week) solitaryconfinement. And they’re symptoms that can persist for a very long time afterrelease.

 She should also showthese symptoms while she’s insolitary. You could write it asthough she had these symptoms but didn’t consciously notice most of them whileshe was acting as a guard. If she was spending most of her time alone or withanimals she might not necessarily have processed her dissociation, anxiety orhypervigilance as unusual.

 People aren’t alwaysaware of the symptoms they have. Sometimes it takes interaction with others torealise that what’s happening isn’t ‘normal’. She may also have seen her symptoms as normal for her situation and expected them to stop instantly if she ever got out.

 If the only human-likeinteraction she has is with a mythological creature (that from the sound ofthings doesn’t think or act like a human) well then she could potentially go ayear without realising these are symptoms. She’d feel them and she’d feel‘bad’, but she might not have the words to express them or think of them assomething that’s caused by her circumstances.

 The interaction she haswith her ‘captor’ sounds as though it’s mostly positive and never violent. Thatwould help her hugely.

 The main negative factor is her going throughthis thinking that she’ll be stuck there forever. It sounds as though she madepeace with that and accepted her fate. So suddenly being jerked out of thatsituation would be a helluva shock. And that would impact her symptoms.

 Overall I think you’vegot a very solid scenario here, but there are two things I’d suggest adding toit.

 The first is physicalsymptoms. Solitary does have a set of physical symptoms some of which may becaused by prison conditions but some are harder to pin down. The eye sightproblems Shalev lists may be causedby the conditions in the average solitary cell, which isn’t similar to her situation. But the headaches, joint aches and insomniaare harder to pin down. They could be applicable to her situation and thephysical symptoms of solitary confinement/isolation are rarely discussed infiction.

 The second thing ismemory problems. Difficulty concentrating and learning are common in torturevictims and can persist for years after torture. I’d expect a noticeable dropin her grades if she returned to school. I’d also expect her to find learningand remembering information from her classes more difficult, and for that to befrustrating and perhaps stressful.

 It’s the kind of thingthat feeds into a victim’s negative feelings about themselves, whether they‘belong’ in their community and their self worth. And since you seem to befocusing on that through her other mental health problems I think includingmemory problems could add to your story.

 It sounds a lot likeyou’re exploring the social isolation victims can feel, or at least as thoughthe story could be heading there. I think that’s great because it’s notsomething we generally see in fiction. At least not from theinside. 

Instead social isolation tends to be something victims are blamed for:either because their symptoms are deemed socially unacceptable (and thereforetheir fault) or because they’re not ‘trying hard enough’ to interact. The wayyou’ve used her symptoms to show whyshe feels out of place and how that can lead to further isolation is reallyvery good. And probably true to a lot of people’s experiences.

 Some further points youmight want to consider-

 How well known is thissort of magic in your setting? If your character doesn’t have to constantlyexplain what happened to her and if this sort of situation happens often enoughthat she’s believed that will helpher recovery a lot. But it will probably also affect how the people around herinteract with her. Do kids at school pester her, point her out in thecorridors, or want her to recount every detail of her ordeal?

 Would the kind ofsacrifice you character made be regarded as exceptional, or would it be anexpected/proper show of familial devotion?

 Would the people aroundher make any kind of allowances for her behaviour/experience? For example ifshe finds school noisy and chaotic would the other children talk more quietlyif she asked? If they do makeallowances would she be grateful or resent them as a reminder that she’s‘different’ and doesn’t fit in.

 Arethere any other people who might have experienced something similar? Could shecommunicate with them? Mental illness is usually pretty scary but it’s a LOTscarier if you can’t recognise what’s happening to you. Being able tocommunicate with someone who could tell her that the anxiety, the hypervigilance,the (possible) memory problems are normalwould help her immensely. It would put these symptoms into context and enableher to recognise them as symptomsrather than something fundamentally ‘broken’ about herself.

 Beingable to exchange coping strategies can also be hugely beneficial.

 This is also going tobe hugely stressful for her parents who are probably trying very hard tosupport her, but may not know exactly what to do. My own family has generallybeen pretty shit about mental health so I have rather more examples of thingsthat don’t help than things that do.

 One ‘normal’ thing thatstands out which could potentially have a huge negative effect is how theyrespond to her falling grades and the way she’s struggling at school.Approaching it as though she’s not working hard or trying could be hugelydamaging and feed into her doubts and anxiety.

 I hope that helps.Generally I think it sounds like you’re doing really well. :)

Disclaimer

[douglasconstruction]

7 Things I'm Totally Obsessed with This Month (August 2017 Edition)

These are thoughts, the artwork, the news stories, the tools, the food, the conversations, and whatever else we just can't get out of our heads this month.       

1. The Astronomical Event: The 2017 Solar Eclipse

A lot of people are talking about this today. Consider me among them. My house is only 45 minutes from the "path of totality," which means two things - 1) the epicenter of the event is extremely physically close and accessible (with planning) and 2) what I would have seen from my front yard is 99.3% of the real deal. Is that good enough?

In most situations, I'd say — yeah, 99.3% is as much as you can ask for. And you can avoid the crowds, the hassles, and the traffic jams. But, in this case, that .7% makes all the difference.

So, we headed out on Sunday, to Madras, Oregon, the premier place identified by experts to see the eclipse. (Dead center in the path of totality, and the least chance of clouds or other weather to obscure the sky.) Madras, where NASA itself decided to host its event. Madras, where teams of scientists from all over the the world set up their equipment to monitor the event.

Madras, which is accessible only by two-lane mountain pass state routes that were guaranteed to clog with traffic.

I'll share the details with you if you want. Email me. Yes, it was crowded, but not unbearably. Yes, I stood in line for an hour to use the filthiest portable bathroom I've ever been in. Yes, the traffic on the way out was truly ridiculous (though we arrived there with no problems). Yes, the volunteers running the thing had no idea what they were doing. Yes, my neck still hurts from sleeping in the car. 

But — and I have no other way of saying it — it was completely amazing and totally worth every, dust-covered second. The people their became a real community, they helped each other out, they bonded, they shared their supplies, telescopes, and food and water. I had a completely enjoyable hour long conversation while waiting for that bathroom with folks from all over the west. And. the. moon. covered. up. the. sun. entirely. for. more. than. two. minutes.

It came. Just like they said it would. The light was insane. The shadows unreal. I stared directly at the sun at 10:20 in the morning, and it was among the most beautiful things I've ever seen. 

The older I get, the more I struggle with the calculus about going to big, crowded events. Is that concert really worth $50 a ticket, plus fees? Do I really want to stand on my feet for six hours through two opening bands and not have the headliners start until after 11:00pm, meaning I don't get to bed until at least one or two on a work night?

But, when I go. I never regret it. I don't remember the traffic jams. I remember the event that I signed up to see. The eclipse reminded me that when I say yes, I always think it's worth it. 

Photo: Andy Whale/Courtesy of Faber & Faber

2. The Interview: Billy Bragg in conversation with Terry Gross

Here's my take on Billy Bragg before listening to this: I like him. He's really important to a certain lineage of roots music that I'm particularly interested in. I'm glad he's out there. He's had a thirty-plus year career and I'm familiar with some of his music, but I certainly haven't heard most of his catalog.

Here's my take on Billy Bragg after listening to this: Billy Bragg is the most fascinating, well-spoken musician of all time, and I should listen to him non-stop.

I exaggerate, but just a bit. The truth is: this is a great forty-five minute conversation. Bragg is incredibly evocative with his language, but always approachable and easy to listen to. Terry Gross is obviously charmed by him, and she's at her best when she lets her guard down a bit, and allows herself to become a bit giddy. 

Worth a listen, even if your not a huge fan of either Fresh Air or Billy Bragg. It's simply great audio, period. 

3. The Film: Beatriz at Dinner

This thing truly blew me away. It's one of the most interesting movies I've seen this year. 

Not a line in this movie is wasted. There's so much control present in the filmmaking here. Everything is intentional, purposeful, and contributes to the desired tone. Every actor delivers every single line exactly the way they should. Hayek and Lithgow get the biggest lines, but Connie Britton and Amy Landecker manage to pull up both a creepy/disgusting and yet sympathetic vibe that totally blew me away.

The reviews seem to think it's "pretty good," though users don't seem to give it as high praise of the critics. It might be because it was released the same year as "Get Out" They're great companion pieces, for sure.

Maybe it's because I've seen all of Miguel Arteta's previous movies, and liked them. I think Mike White is a particularly interesting screenwriter. Maybe it's because I was on a really nice date night with my wife, on our first evening out alone after having had house guests for nearly a month. It might have even been the two particularly good Oregon beers I sipped during the run time. But I really, really loved this as a piece of filmmaking, and an avenue for serious performers to be great. I think you should see it too.

Honorable mention: I watched Nocturnal Animals last night. I think it's pretty great, and worth a watch. It's streaming now on HBO if you have access. 

4. The Recipe: Big's Smoked Chicken

This is the dish I have been craving all summer. I made it early in the season, and many times since, and I'm certain it will become a go-to when having friends over for a grill night.

It's from a local Portland restaurant, that I have not been to, because, tragically, the building that housed it experienced an electrical fire a riff on Alabama-style barbecue chicken, meaning it comes with a white, mayo-based sauce which sounds crazy, but it amazing as it caramelizes and blackens over high heat at the last minute. (Mayo, is, basically just oil and eggs, so not that nuts.) I've made some adjustments to make it simpler to prepare on the regular in smaller batches. I'll use whatever fruitwood or hickory smoking woods I have on hand. I don't always do the Fresno pepper sauce, though I do like it, and sometimes I'll just brine or use a simpler rub to make it happen faster. 

But - it's good stuff, and anyone who eats meat will love this, we promise. Throw in a couple extra thighs or leg quarters to make sure you have plenty of leftovers to go with the sauce. 

5. The Podcast: Slate's Hit Parade

Here's why Hit Parade from Chris Molanphy is my podcast of summer: it's the exact right length. It gives you only as much details as you need to dig deep and understand what's happening, and spares you unnecessary details.

What is it? It's a look at music chart history, and an exploration of the cultural context that surround pop music hits: four, so far. 

Here's what I don't like about it: it's hard to find. Technically, I think it lives in Slate's Culture Gabfest feed once a month, but it doesn't show up in my SlatePlus version, so I have to remember to look for it and manually track it down. It's worth it, but the info here is good enough to warrant its own URL. 

Here are the episodes so far. Please start in order, even though you don't think you can listen to forty minutes on UB40. You can.

6. The Chart: The Ultimate Single Malt Scotch Flavor Map

I love summer, like a lot. But when the weather starts to crisp and the days shorten a bit, I'll be plenty okay. I have my fall traditions, but the one I'm looking forward to the most is my annual indulgence bottle of whiskey purchase.

I actually don't spend much on liquor. People think I'm some connesieur, but I think I really just have an interest in learning. I like higher end stuff, but I really don't drink enough to justify the spending. I have a few sub $25 staples that I keep around, and that's usually it. 

But each October, I do treat myself to one $80 or $100 bottle to enjoy as the leaves change, and before the craziness of the holidays hit, and this graphic on Vinepair totally helps me understand why I like what I do. You better believe I'll be consulting it before I bust out the credit card. (Considering that Talisker 18...but it goes for $165 here. Maybe I should see if I can find a glass first. Anyone have any experience with it?)

7. The Good for You Habit: Stretching

I'm hesitant to give any sort of medical advice here, but I do want to share: this month, I have visited the chiropractor for the first time. I wanted to learn proper stretching technique to tackle specific issues, and its completely changed my life. I had no idea how few of my muscles I was using to support my back, and how limited the two activities I do most - road biking and working at a desk - keep me cramped up from the top of my head to the base of my feet. 

If you've never been, and your health insurance will make it affordable, I really do encourage you to try it. It's not just about cracking and adjusting, it's about learning lifestyle changes to keep you flexible for as long into life as possible. I'm sold. 

  Tagged:

Good Read by Source