#IT'S PROBABLY JUST A COINCIDENCE BUT I JUST NOTICED THIS WHEN I WAS REREADING THE JOURNAL ENTRIES I AM GOING TO CRY

[risingsunresistance]

"...necron found himself reflecting on the journey thus far, looking back at where he started, he was amazed by how far he came" -until we meet again, skyblock's catacombs journal entries

"...that one day, we'll look back at where we started and be amazed by how far we've come" -the hypixel skyblock experience, technoblade

[lauraneedstochill]

“All yours” (modern!Aemond Targaryen, college au, part 1)

🔥 part 2: First time for everything

author’s note: the idea came out of NOWHERE. I reread my The Greens (modern!au) — and then this thing happened. to keep up with the tradition I’m posting it as it is (I may regret it when I wake up lmao), hopefully, some of you can enjoy this silliness! ✨ • Aemond doesn’t lose an eye but he still has a big scar (let’s pretend Luke missed by a couple of inches) • I originally said that he’d be into sports however I’m yet to pick a sport for him so the description is very vague (I’m open to suggestions!)

words: ~3000 (I TRIED to cut it short... but alas)

warnings: none, I think? they just swoon over each other (and a cheeky blond makes an appearance again ;)

⋙ It’s impossible not to know who Aemond Targaryen is when pretty much every girl on campus has a crush on him. The tall athletic guy with chiseled cheekbones and bright eyes who wins one tournament after another, manages to stay at the top of his classes but barely talks to anyone and has a handful of friends. Even the scar on the left side of his face — a faded red stripe from his temple and down to the cheek — only adds to his appeal although you suspect it’s mostly due to people not knowing how he got said scar. Come to think of it, there isn’t much to know about him at all: he’s not on social media, rarely goes to parties, stays out of trouble and doesn’t even like his pictures being taken. There is a certain charm to that mystery yet you also can’t help but respect his intelligence and perseverance. (And you may find him attractive, but that’s a given.)

⋙ You share a few classes with him, and he usually sits nearby although you think it’s purely a coincidence. He once gave you his pen when you forgot yours, and he also sometimes stands behind you in line for coffee in the nearby cafeteria but you never really interact. You catch him looking at you a couple of times and you don’t think much of it. You might’ve thrown a glance or two at him, too, since there’s no crime in that.

⋙ You get paired up for a project by mere chance: your best friend fell sick and his mate missed the class for whatever reason so you and Aemond are the only ones without a partner, and Mr. Harrold tells you to work together. Aemond approaches you when the class is over.

“Hi” — “Hi” you say in unison. There’s a glint of a smile on his lips, his eyes studying your face.

“I’ve got two training sessions today, can we maybe start tomorrow?” he suggests.

“Sure, tomorrow sounds fine,” you nod. “Meet me in the library at 3?”

You quickly discuss the books you’ll need, and he casually asks for your number so you could text him the details. While you’re typing it, you miss the grin that appears on his face. Truth be told, you’re too busy thinking of how good his arms look with his sleeves rolled up.

⋙ The next day, he’s only five minutes late. You don’t even notice, wrapped up in reading, until he rushes in, a tad disheveled and very apologetic. You are about to tell him it’s no big deal when you notice blood on his hand — or more so on his knuckles. He looks like he wants to avoid the subject but you are truly shocked at the sight.

“Should I worry about the other guy?” you muster a smile, looking him over with concern.

“He deserved it,” Aemond mumbles as he sits next to you, averting his gaze.

He goes to dig some books out of his bag when you take his hand — you do so without thinking, it almost comes out as a reflex. While you examine his bruised skin, Aemond pretty much forgets how to breathe.

“It’s not that bad but will swell up in the morning, so you need to apply some ice,” you tell him, fingers gently brushing over his. “Here, this is the next best thing I can think of,” you grab your cup of iced coffee and put it to his knuckles. When you glance up at Aemond, you see him looking at you with a stunned face expression, and you realize that you might’ve overstepped a little.

“I’m sorry, you probably already know what to do without my advice,” you move to pull back the cup, but he suddenly covers your hand with his other palm.

“Don’t,” he breathes out. “This feels nice.”

Within a few seconds, his cheeks turn red.

“The ice, I mean, you were right about applying the ice,” he corrects himself, and you can’t help but smile wider. The most popular guy on campus is blushing because you held his hand, and there’s something very endearing about this moment. Or maybe it’s just him.

You push that thought away and divert the conversation to your assigned project. He keeps his hand intertwined with yours for the rest of the evening, both of you acting like it’s no big deal.

⋙ The next time you see him, he brings you coffee, and somehow he guesses your order perfectly. You meet up a few times a week, and he makes sure to come in time. Always prepared and polite, he buys you coffee regularly and insists on carrying all your books. You now sit together in classes, he shares his secret Spotify account with you and you learn that you share a passion for reading. Aemond also gives you his hoodie when he notices that you’re cold on your way out of the library one evening. He pulls the hoodie up over his head and his T-shirt comes up, too, exposing his lower abdomen and the tight lines of his abs. You take a deep, long breath, pretending that you didn’t see a thing.

And sometimes his hands brush yours and his gaze lingers on your face. But it’s another thing you try not to think of.

⋙ He mentions in passing that his training will get more intense as the competition season begins. At this point, you’ve been meeting for a couple of weeks pretty regularly, and you feel a slight twinge in your heart at the realization that you’ll see him less often. What you don’t expect is for him to stand you up. At any other time, you might’ve cut him some slack, but it just so happened that you are in a really bad mood since the moment you woke up, and him not answering your texts only rile you up.

You are so annoyed, you come into the locker room with little to no hesitation. Most of the guys already left but you still hear a couple of them whistling at you, and you flip them off. Aemond just got out of the shower and when you see him, he already has his jeans on and stands next to his locker searching for a clean shirt.

“Dude, your girl looks pissed,” one of his mates comments, and Aemond gives him a perplexed look. And then he turns to see you, your eyes burning holes in him, and his face pales.

“Oh, fuck,” he mutters. “We were supposed to meet, weren’t we?”

“Yep,” you drawl with a frown, and his face falls even more.

He doesn’t have time to explain as you hear another whistle.

“Nice ass,” it’s Jeff, one of the frat boys who’s famous for not keeping his hands to himself. You are about to shut him off but when Jeff looks up at you, his smirk disappears.

“Woah, I didn’t know it was you!” he raises his hands in defense. “My apologies to your ass,” he glances behind your back, terrified. “...To you, I mean my apologies to you!” he backs off. “Hey, it was meant as a compliment, tell your boyfriend I’m not his punching bag!”

“You need to google what a compliment is, you idiot,” you scoff at him, and Jeff all but runs off.

The room is awkwardly quiet, and Aemond’s friends quickly get out, leaving you two alone. He barely has time to open his mouth before you press your hand to his chest, making him stumble back purely out of surprise.

“Care to explain what the hell was that?” you hiss at him, your gaze burning. “My boyfriend?!”

“I didn’t say that, he made an assumption,” Aemond clarifies.

“Jeff was the one you got into a fight with?” you suddenly figure out. “But why?”

“He was talking shit about you,” he says, clearly displeased.

“And you decided it was worth a fight? I could not care less if he — ”

“I do,” Aemond cuts you off. “And I think it was worth it,” he punctuates with so much certainty, it takes you aback.

In the next second, you realize that your hand is still on his bare chest — it’s warm and toned, his muscles tense under your touch — and you are standing very close to each other. It’s very, very hard not to think of.

“Um, thank you, I guess,” you step back with your gaze still on him. “I-I shouldn’t have barged in here, it wasn’t very —”

One of your legs bumps into a bench, your eyes widen — and you are about to trip over when Aemond catches you. With a blink of an eye, his hands are on your waist as he brings you closer again, and this time the distance between you two is even shorter. You involuntarily look at his lips and when you glance back up, you catch him looking at yours.

If he kisses you right now, you won’t mind. In fact, you will probably enjoy it. Probably a lot.

Aemond clears his throat and pulls back.

“I’m sorry that I stood you up, the coach didn’t let us rest for a minute,” he explains with a repentant tone. “I wanted to send you a text, I really did. And then it just went out of my head.”

“It’s fine, I get it,” you give him a wan smile. “You warned me that you would be busy.”

“Still, it was rude on my part,” he insists. “You have any plans for the evening? We can still go to the library, I’m all yours for today.”

The way he phrases it makes your heart skip a bit. You bite the inside of your cheek to concentrate.

“They closed earlier,” you sigh. “Something about updating the catalog.”

Aemond only thinks for a second.

“I, um... Live close by. Maybe you can come over? No one will bother us there,” his smile looks sheepish and unsure but there’s a hint of eagerness in his voice. And he is still very much half-naked.

“I happen to be completely free,” you say as your concentration goes out of the window.

⋙ Aemond apologizes again, profusely. He gives apologies in the locker room, on your way out, in the cab — and when you get out of the car and he opens his mouth again — you turn and firmly place your hand over it.

“I think I got it the first time,” you tell him, and he looks amused with your act.

You feel him smiling, his lips tickling your palm, and you move your fingers away as your cheeks heat up.

“Quite fierce, aren’t you,” he remarks.

You don’t notice a sidewalk curb but Aemond does — his hand finds yours when you are a moment away from stumbling again, and he tugs you closer. He doesn’t comment on it, asking you about your day instead. There are a few other parts of your body where you want him to put his hands on, you think.

⋙ His apartment is unexpectedly huge — four bedrooms and a living room, high ceilings and large windows, and you can’t hide your bewilderment. He half-heartedly explains that his dad left it to them after the divorce.

“Oh, so it’s not just yours,” you conclude, relieved. “Makes it look like less of a palace.”

“I have my own, actually,” he almost looks ashamed, and you find his modesty ever so adorable. “I’ve repainted the walls, and the place needs some air. So I’m crushing here at the moment.”

He tells you that his older brother Aegon mostly hangs out in his gallery, Helaena took a week off to visit her friends, and you already know that their youngest — Daeron — studies abroad.

“Mum recently moved in with her boyfriend,” Aemond nonchalantly adds while showing you to his room.

You realize that it’s just the two of you. The thought of it warms up the lower part of your body, anticipation tingling in your abdomen, but you do your best to keep it together.

Luckily, you get easily distracted by the beautiful interior, his sister’s plants and paintings, and rows of photos on the walls, and you try not to gawk at the surroundings. Aemond tries not to gawk at you. You both fail.

“Feel yourself at home, I’ll go look for my charger,” his hand grazes your back after he opens the door. Aemond leaves you standing but the feeling of his touch remains. You have to pinch yourself to get back to reality.

⋙ You see his bookshelf that stretches from one end of the room to the other, and excitement bubbles in your chest as you rush to take a closer look. There’s a plethora of books of all colors and genres, paperback and hardcover, and you energetically look through the rows filled with them. You reach for one of the books on the upper berth, standing on your tiptoes but it causes you to lose balance. The only reason you don’t fall flat on your back is because Aemond’s hand swiftly lands on your waist, steading you. He turns you around to him, and your faces are suddenly only inches apart.

“Are you always this clumsy?” he chuckles lightly, his breath fanning over your skin.

Only when you are around, apparently.

Aemond’s lips part, his brows raising, and he stares at you, surprised. And then you realize that you said it out loud. Before you get a chance to correct yourself, he lets out a laugh, and you feel your face flushing. You close your eyes in embarrassment, trying to steady your breath, and his laughter dies down. He firmly locks his hands around you.

“What’s on your mind?” Aemond murmurs after a minute of silence.

You, you, you. Fearing that there’s still a chance that you are misreading the situation, you vaguely respond:

“A lot of things,” but your voice comes out strained and quiet.

When you don’t hear him replying, you open your eyes — your gaze immediately meeting his. The warmth from his hands slips into your body.

“You know what I’m thinking about?” Aemond asks in a low tone, his eyes a shade darker in this lightning. You shake your head because talking seems like an actual challenge right now.

“Kissing you,” he confesses, maintaining eye contact.

You inhale sharply, a wave of relief washing over you. And then something else sparkles inside, tightening your chest, and the well-known burning sensation blossoms right under your navel.

“You should,” you tell Aemond, and it’s the only confirmation he needs.

He crashes his lips into yours with fervor, pulling your chest flush against his and knocking the breath from your lungs. His hand cups your face, guiding you even closer, his mouth greedy and intent with its every movement, and your head goes dizzy with longing. The kiss is both tender and heated, and you lose yourself in the moment, only thinking of how soft and supple his lips are, and how ineffably good they feel.

“I’ve wanted to do this for a while,” Aemond mumbles against your mouth.

“Only been a month,” you manage to say while his lips move from your jaw to your neck.

“Long before that,” his words burn the spot just below your ear, making you shiver. “Ever since you argued with Mr. Harrold that Zelda Fitzgerald wrote ‘The Great Gatsby’ and her husband was a total — hmm, how did you call him? Yeah, a total nitwit,” he cackles.

You glance at him with your mouth ajar:

“Aemond, that was last semester.”

“I didn’t know how to approach you,” he admits, abashed. “And I didn’t want it to be weird or to mess it up and — ”

You shut him off with another kiss, and he hums in satisfaction. His thumb softly rubs your cheek while he deepens the kiss, his mouth exploring yours. His other hand dares to move lower, squeezing your hip and making you sigh at the alacrity of his. It’s simultaneously overwhelming and not enough but he still holds back a little, not crossing the line just yet.

“Wow, can’t believe this is finally happening!”

You break the kiss, startled by someone’s voice. A blond guy is leaning on the door frame, a pair of glasses and a grin on his face. Aemond groans into your shoulder, his hands moving to your waist.

“It’s Y/N, right? I’m this dipshit’s brother,” he shamelessly walks closer and extends a hand. You reluctantly go for a handshake, but he plants a quick kiss on yours.

“Aegon,” Aemond says with a warning tone.

“Oh, don’t grumble at me, I’ve been listening to you talk about her for months,” his brother’s smile widens. “Now Hel owes me 50 bucks.”

“Why is that?” you squint at him.

“We made a bet. I said he’d grow a pair and ask you out before the year ends. Glad I was right,” he snickers.

“Well, technically...,” you can help but laugh.

“He still didn’t?” Aegon fakes a gasp. “I apologize on his behalf, I taught him better than that!”

“Can you please fuck off already?” Aemond glares at him, irritated, and Aegon rolls his eyes but takes the hint.

“Alright, I’ll leave you to it, kids,” he winks at you and walks away.

“I like him,” you exclaim.

“I don’t,” Aemond retorts and pulls you in for a kiss as soon as the door closes. “But I will let him win the bet.”

“Is that so?” you cock your head with a smile.

“Yeah,” he pauses, his face getting serious, and he almost looks scared while asking: “Will you go on a date with me?”

“I’d love to,” you agree without a second thought, and his lips twitch upward, making your heart swell with affection. “Where do you plan on taking me?”

“I’ve got a few ideas,” Aemond says cryptically, his eyes never leaving yours. “May be more than just one date,” he sounds both daring and pleading. You gently trace the line of his scar, and he relaxes at the movement.

“So you are all mine for a while, huh?” you joyfully assume, earning a laugh from him, and he leans in, his hand lovingly caressing your face.

“For as long as you’ll have me,” he whispers before closing the distance between your lips. ➡ part 2: First time for everything

• listen, I looked at his face and I thought there’s no way girls won’t find him attractive, with or without a scar. so yeah, this version of Aemond is more confident. I may do a second part? maybe more headcanons (love confessions, meeting his family, moving in together, etc.)

• I kinda want to write for Aegon, too... I mean, just look at the original photo and tell me he doesn’t seem like the sweetest fuckboy ever! tagging @greenowlfactif, @kyuupidwrites since you asked (I hope that’s fine 🥺)

✨ recent fic: “My first choice” (she’s Aegon’s bestie, inspired by “Little women”) 💌 my masterlist English is not my first language, so feel free to message me if you spot any major mistakes!

[hchollym]

Percy Weasley & the Weasley's Homophobia/Transphobia

I wrote about Percy having Oldest Daughter Syndrome in this post, but that got me thinking, and I realized something - out of all the Weasley siblings, Percy is the only one that doesn't fit into gender norms.

So I started going back and rereading to double check, and I was blown away by just how many traditionally feminine traits Percy has in the books that I didn't notice the first time I read them! 😱

It has me wondering if that was subconsciously - or purposely - a major contributor of why the Weasley children disliked Percy so much (given how homophobic/transphobic the Wizarding World is in general).

The Basics/Personality Traits

Percy doesn't play Quidditch (i.e. sports).

He enjoys Divination - a subject that is seen as silly by the popular characters & only people like Lavender and Parvati (i.e. "dumb" girls) enjoy it.

He's not great at chess: "He [Harry] suspected he wouldn’t have lost so badly if Percy hadn’t tried to help him so much." According to many studies, there is a stereotype that boys are better at playing chess than girls.

Percy is more organized and clean: ""Ron hasn't put all his new things in his trunk yet," said Percy, in a long-suffering voice. "He's dumped them on my bed."" This is a common stereotype for women, while men tend to be thought of as messier.

Descriptions/Word Choice

Percy is said to be, "fussy about rule-breaking and fond of bossing everyone around." Fussy and bossy are both sexist phrases that are commonly used to describe women who aren't accommodating enough.

Book 2 said, "Percy swelled in a manner that reminded Harry forcefully of Mrs. Weasley. “Get — away — from — there —” Percy said, striding toward them and starting to bustle them along, flapping his arms." It's not a coincidence that the other Weasley brothers are never compared to their mother.

In Book 4, it stated, "“Mr. Crouch!” said Percy breathlessly, sunk into a kind of halfbow that made him look like a hunchback. “Would you like a cup of tea?”" He is portrayed as being quite submissive and eager to please in his job (traits traditionally used to describe the ideal woman, particularly in the religious sectors).

Later in Book 4, there's this conversation: "“Maybe Percy’s poisoning him,” said Ron. “Probably thinks if Crouch snuffs it he’ll be made head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation.”" Poisoning is most often done by women, whereas men tend to kill someone in more aggressive ways.

His Job

Percy worked as an assistant/secretary to Mr. Crouch and then for the Minister of Magic - both of which are considered "women's jobs." This dates back to the Industrial Revolution, when more than 1.7 million women began working in this career, and it is still predominantly held by women (who make up almost 90% of secretaries and assistants).

Even his research was feminine:

“What are you working on?” said Harry. “A report for the Department of International Magical Cooperation,” said Percy smugly. “We’re trying to standardize cauldron thickness.

Cauldrons are generally associated with women because they were also used for cooking, and in paintings, it is almost always witches (women) depicted with cauldrons.

Then, there's this:

“I don’t reckon he’d come home if Dad didn’t make him. He’s obsessed. Just don’t get him onto the subject of his boss. According to Mr. Crouch . . . as I was saying to Mr. Crouch . . . Mr. Crouch is of the opinion . . . Mr. Crouch was telling me . . . They’ll be announcing their engagement any day now.”

A secretary falling in love with their boss and becoming obsessed... hmm, where have I heard this stereotype before? 🙄

Discipline

A research study on parental discipline found that, "“When it comes to disciplining the kids, there’s been a role reversal in the modern home,” the study concluded, with moms being more consistent in discipline than dads. The researchers found that dads are no longer the strict disciplinarians that they were in the ’50s and ’60s, and are more likely to let children get away with wrong behavior and less likely to talk through discipline issues with the kids.""

We certainly see that dynamic in the Weasley household with Molly & Arthur, and we continue that trend with most of the Weasley sons - Bill & Charlie definitely aren't disciplining anyone; they're the cool, "chill" brothers who contribute to the problem by smashing tables around in the air for fun.

Percy is the only one who disciplines the younger kids - especially at school and in the role of a prefect:

“Five points from Gryffindor!” Percy said tersely, fingering his prefect badge. “And I hope it teaches you a lesson! No more detective work, or I’ll write to Mum!”

&

Fred and George were going the wrong way about cheering her up. They were taking turns covering themselves with fur or boils and jumping out at her from behind statues. They only stopped when Percy, apoplectic with rage, told them he was going to write to Mrs. Weasley and tell her Ginny was having nightmares.

Lack of Humor

“Yeah, well, Percy wouldn’t want to work for anyone with a sense of humor, would he?” said Ron, now starting on a chocolate eclair. “Percy wouldn’t recognize a joke if it danced naked in front of him wearing Dobby’s tea cozy.”

It is repeated regularly throughout the books that Percy isn't funny and can't take a joke, which correlates to the sexist idea that women aren't funny (or that men are much funnier).

Mother-Hen Tendencies

Percy has so many instances of looking out for his siblings (or noticing when something is wrong) and worrying about them (i.e. fussing over them):

Her Pepperup potion worked instantly, though it left the drinker smoking at the ears for several hours afterward. Ginny Weasley, who had been looking pale, was bullied into taking some by Percy.

&

Dear Tom, Percy keeps telling me I’m pale and I’m not myself. I think he suspects me…

& After the Second Task in Book 4:

Percy seized Ron and was dragging him back to the bank (“Gerroff, Percy, I’m all right!”)

Compare this to Fleur's reaction only a few sentences later:

Fleur had broken free of Madame Maxime and was hugging her sister.

(In fact, Percy & Fleur share a lot of characteristics, but that's a topic for a different time.)

Relationships

Percy had a girlfriend, but he still broke the gender norms by writing love letters to her all summer and keeping a photograph of her. This type of romantic personality isn't stereotypically common of most teenage boys (especially in these books), but it is common of characters like Lavender, who bought Ron a gold necklace (and Ron was appalled at the idea of wearing it).

His Brothers

To compare, the only other Weasley brother who shows any traditionally feminine traits is Bill with his long hair (and I guess his one earring, but that became very popular among guys during the 80's/90's). This is a physical characteristic as opposed to an emotional/behavioral one, and Bill doesn't get any negative reaction, because he is masculine in every other way - He had a dangerous, exciting job for many years; he has a career working with money (74% of people working in finance are men); he married a much younger, attractive woman (think about Leonardo DiCaprio not dating women over the age of 25); and he had a completely heteronormative marriage.

To Summarize

Percy has an abundance of traditionally feminine characteristics in the books, as opposed to his brothers, who definitely do not. Given how society is in the Wizarding World, it is very likely that this contributed to his strained relationship with his family. 😥

[imaginespazzi]

Finallyyyyy, chapter 7. I was dying waiting for it and now I'm already dying waiting for the next so I guess this week will be filled with rereading and rereading the whole fic until chapter 8 comes. Anyways here we go, thoughts on this one:

-Drew. Oh boy. I'm assuming we won't see him in chapter 8 since it'll probably be composed mostly of the day at the bar. The morning, then the bar itself, who ends up in whose bed; and you'll most likely add a lil flashback to something somehow relevant since you've done that for every chapter except 4. But so reunion in chapter 9? or 10? I don't know but I wanna see him reunite with Azzi and meet Stephie. Apparently he was irritated at Paige's decision to go to the GSV, the Drew from 6 years ago probably would've loved and encouraged the idea, if he hadn't come up with it himself. I feel like the fact it irritated him instead shows he's learnt to live without Azzi and the Fudds now, but like Paige wonders if he has, might've still not fully forgiven her and Azzi for taking that away from him. As in, I think it took him a lot of time to adapt and if he's angry at Azzi, it's really only cause he spent so much time missing her, if that makes sense. So if/when we get their reunion scene, I'm expecting him to first be angry, maybe throwing certain questions at Azzi before breaking down. I wonder if Stephie knows who Drew is? That picture is on the stairwell clearly, but maybe she's never really noticed him. If not, I'm really excited to see her reaction to a boy she has no clue about, hugging and possibly crying in the arms of the woman who's probably a sort of sister/mother to him, her mother. Basically, I really want some Drew, Paige and Azzi scenes and Stephie's reaction to the dynamic of the 3; and some Drew and Stephie scenes.

-"But she doesn’t quite know this place, couldn’t tell you where to find the sugar or where the utensils were kept" this was just written beautifully in my opinion idk, just wanted to show some appreciation for it.

-"“They’ve all missed you, you know,” Tallulah says softly, “they try not to do it too much around Azzi but it’s always ‘oh Paige would’ve loved this’ or ‘did you catch that bucket Paige made last night’." They try not to do it too much around Azzi. I just wanted to add this because I think it sorta confirms my suspicions that they might however do it around Stephie. The first time I sent in some of my thoughts on this fic I mentioned how I don't think it's a coincidence Paige and Stephie share so much in common. Though I did say it's Azzi probably passing Paige-like things onto her daughter, I think Stephie's simply grown up in environments that scream "Paige". I think it's beautiful how much her and Azzi have affected everyone around them, not just eachother. But it's also scary because it is about the 2 of them at the end of the day and if they start living separate lives they take away a person important in others' lives too, as we see with Drew, or the Fudds like Tallulah pointed out. I just hope Stephie doesn't have to lose Paige, I know we're guaranteed a happy ending (or maybe that's what you want us to think) but I hope there's never even a small period of time where Stephie thinks she's lost Miss Buecks.

-"“you’re thinking about her mother huh?”" "“your daughter has you wrapped around her little finger huh?”" I'm just a bit shocked that Ruthie guessed she was thinking about the girl's mother, not father. I feel like people's first assumption is that you're straight, the majority of the world is, does Ruthie know Azzi and Stephie? Or does she know Paige? Was just wondering, I don't know, maybe her gaydar's just on point.

-"“No,” Azzi says at the same time as a profound “yes” leaves Paige’s mouth." Ok so nvm my past predictions Paige is still pulling and Azzi is still slightly pushing.

-"Olivia’s livid at Paige and Paige is livid at the stupid #Clézzi tag on tiktok." If they ended up breaking up but confirmed they were a thing you bet your ass you could never get me to use some other ship's #. "until suddenly she stumbles on a video captioned 'and at the end of the day she’ll still always be looking at her'." that's my video, future me posted that.

-"And she knows that if it was Azzi -she hates herself for even thinking this way- she wouldn’t walk away." it's giving me the same vibes as when she was telling Azzi how whilst on her date she kept thinking how Azzi wouldn't order what the girl ordered off the menu, how she would swat her hand away when she tried stealing something from her plate and end up giving it to her anyways, how they'd get yelled at at the movies for giggling too much, and how at the end she would've kissed her. Unfortunately for everyone else, I just think no one stands a chance, she's wrapped around Azzi's finger.

-"even if they were barely a shadow of what they used to be, it's only right that Azzi is still here." but it surprises me that on every flashback after their breakup they still seemed on completely good terms all these years, like why did they break up??? Just cause Azzi wasn't ready for marriage? I feel like something else happened in between but maybe not.

-"“we’re gonna do it together next time okay. You and me, we’re gonna be golden together.”" soo 2032 Olympics? Did they do it??? A year ago from the "present day" I feel like you plan on showing us a flashback in a future chapter but I'm dying to know!!!

Okk that's it thank you for blessing us with another amazing chapter as always and see how quick I was this time? -🪐

Please don't die friend I'd miss you :)

-Drew appearance soon but I'm not fully sure exactly when because idk if y'all have caught onto this yet, but I actually don't outline the whole story beyond just the beginning - middle - end, everything else is just ideas that I fit in when it feels right. The Drew from 6 years ago was a little boy who still held onto hope for his favorite love story. But with time, hope turned into irritation and missing Azzi turned into being angry at Azzi because sometimes that's the only way to deal with the hate. I'm very excited to write both Azzi-Drew and ofc Stephie-Drew.

-I remember that ask! Paige is so entwined into the Fudd's and Azzi's life that even 8 years later, you can still see the remnants of her in their life and that's what Stephie has grown up seeing so really it's not surprising that some of that imprinted onto her as she has a little bit of Paige in her.

-See this is my lovely fantasy world where straight isn't just the normal and I have no other explanation for it. Ruthie does not know Stephie or Azzi lol. I'd like to think 2033 we can avoid straight as the default lol

-I'm never shipping them with other people but as evidenced by some tweets in the last few days, I think other people absolute would ship clézzi lmao but pazzi truthers are still alive in 2033 despite the break up lol

-Unfortunately for everyone else, I just think no one stands a chance, she's wrapped around Azzi's finger. - yep exactly!

-I do love my flashbacks!

I'm very proud of you for how quick you were lmao!

[dominimoonbeam]

I was rereading the tattoo au, and i noticed something that is probably a coincidence and im looking too deep into it LMFAO BUT...

When Quinn’s friends came to the shop, one of them said “Riley said Quinn went to jail”, and then in the most recent chapter, one of Huxley’s teammates is called Riley.

Is it the same Riley, or am I just doing too much? 😭

O_O

Okay, I could have (and maybe should) play this off like it was absolutely a sneaky plan on my part and not just my brain recycling names buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut...

I had to go check the doc to see this! I can't believe I reused Riley in the same fic. It is not the same Riley! I swear! There are multiple jerks in this fic and I guess two of them are named Riley...

I love that you picked up on this, anon!! Thank you for the ask and for reading the fic!!

[cutter-kirby]

malevolent theory time!

in which I got too excited when the new episode was called ‘the deal’ and spent the entire runtime looking for vague hints at our favorite little force of chaos’ existence

alternatively: detective noel is probably connected to kayne in some way and I can’t prove it but I can point out fun little hints

-he’s referred to as the stranger until we learn his name, much like kayne. this isn’t actually evidence it's fairly normal but I wanted to point it out

-the second thing he says to arthur is that he’s "golden." much in the way kayne says "golden boy" and suchlike. HMMMMMM.

-maybe it’s just me but I get the vibe he knows exactly who arthur is. my first guess for who his character would be was a detective for parker’s death, but it fits kayne too

-noel in general is just Very kayne-like in his mannerisms. just the way he speaks and gestures (walking around a lot, snapping, sucking air through his teeth, "woah woah woah") and makes allusions and switches from topic to topic is just so kayne. also he has pet names like "darling" and "doll"

-"believe me, I know [Arkham]" okay buddy

-the way he's constantly trying to lead arthur to a conclusion and guiding him along with his plan is very kayne.

-he doesn't really react to arthur not knowing where the window is other than pointing it out, maybe to suggest he already knows about arthur's blindness but this could just be me overthinking it

-this is the big one:

don't think i really need to explain this. the fact that he says it "wryly," like an inside joke, just really makes it

-the way he says "shuffled off this mortal coil" is, again, him making allusions much like kayne would

-noticed this in my reread:

he uses john's words. he responds to john. it could be a coincidence, but still......

-experienced with the supernatural

-“I’m a friend” HM. HMMMMMMMM. at least not arthur's only friend anymore!! yippee!!!!

-this is weird:

-this is VERY KAYNECORE:

-to my knowledge "noel" means born on christmas. like a certain jesus christ who is present and accounted for!

all in all, whatever he ends up being, this guy is fucking weird. just to be clear i'm not totally convinced he IS kayne, but my best guess would be a pawn or a meat puppet. but he really could be whatever! let me know if anything else about him struck you as odd!!!

is this an actual substantial theory or complete confirmation bias!?????? you decide !!!!!!!!

[twdmusicboxmystery]

Social Media and When They Were Actually Filming in France

@galadrieljones:

Hey guys so I have something i want to point out based on some old social media discussions we had like a year ago.

@wdway, when you pointed out the discovery that Daryl is in Marseille in the sneak preview, that sounded familiar but I couldn’t remember why. I wanted to say that he had been in Marseille at some point, publicly, and that we even talked about it. So I searched back through our old conversations and I found one from like almost exactly a year ago, pertaining to him being in France, but we didn’t know why. It was before filming officially began for the DD spin-off (which was confirmed October 2022 in Paris). We were talking about a story he posted which showed the same poster in three different frames. This was the poster:

I determined that this art gallery, which was showing some of Norman’s photography (I think) was in the city of Arles. Arles struck a note when I looked back, because Arles is a town a bit north of Marseille, on the Rhone, near to the ruins we were discussing yesterday: the Pont du Gard and Château des Baux-de-Provence. The Old Water Mills are also near there.

So this means Norman was in Arles in July 2022, for an art show that went until September 2022. Arles is right near those ruins in the sneak peak and also about an hour or so north of Marseille.

Was he already filming?

Marseille isn’t near to Paris. Not like it would be a quick trip down there just to film some panoramic shots and shots of the town.

So there’s a bit more, circumstantial ofc, but when I went and reread our conversation, one of us mentioned that in the fb group ppl were seeming bummed because Emily wasn’t posting a lot lately. Ppl were worried about her and what was wrong. Ann also was pointing out that there were similarities at this time, between Norman and Emily’s posts. Coffee, the color red, table tops, etc. Norman was clearly in France. Ann you had guessed possibly he was there for something Diane was filming, and/or because he was filming episodes of Ride in Europe at the time. So I went to look back at Emily’s acct from that time period. It truly is a lot of dog content, an undated post of her on a boat, a post of her and her new boyfriend from July 4th (later-grammed at the end of August), etc

But she also posted this on August 15th, which is her in a hotel alone on her birthday:

Norman was liking a lot of these posts, btw. He didn’t like the birthday one though.

@wdway:

These are great. What a coincidence.

He posted this on July 26th, which was about three weeks after he was in Arles. It’s the Tuileries Garden in Paris. He’s not in it, so it doesn’t mean he’s there, but it’s just a lot

Emily didn’t post location-specific at all during this time period, not until mid-September, when she did a show in Nashville.

@galadrieljones:

And it was so noticable that we talked about it in the chat and the fb group noticed as well

This is my whole discovery and it’s absolutely nothing certain in any way lol but it just made me raise my eyebrows very high, like if Norman was already filming in Marseille at that time, then who’s to say she wasn’t filming something in Paris in December 2021? I know it’s a long way ahead, but her Paris posts all got likes from Norman. Also, where was she during those rogue weeks? Her instagram doesn’t say. So…probably nothing, but could also be something!

Also oh, when I look back at Emily’s posts in early 2021, they are like ALL location non-specific. I have no idea when she got back from Europe based on these posts. They’re all full of her star and weird vague sayings about looking forward to the future, and she also posted some old photoshoots of herself from 2014. Norman liked like all of these posts. He hasn't been liking any of her posts lately, btw. ANYWAY

SOrry, that should be early 2022

SO like after or during when she was in Paris

@wdway:

Clarify for me again, is this during the time before or after we knew there was going to be a spinoff. And secondly if the answer is yes, did we know at the time it was supposed to be set in Paris? I can't remember if the Paris announcement came at the same time as them announcing MMB wasn't going to be in it.

@galadrieljones:

When Norman was in France that first time in 2022, we already knew there would be a spin-off and that it would be set in France, but that’s all we knew. I think the spin-off was re-announced in April, after the debacle with Melissa leaving. They announced it would be in Europe/France and that Melissa was dropping out to take some time off. It was right near the end of filming for season 11

So… March 2022 - filming for season 11 wraps up, Emily is in Atlanta for Fandemic, Rick is in Atlanta, too. April 2022 - MMB drops out, spin-off is announced as being a European/France setting, Daryl-only. Gimple hints that there are clues related to the setting in WB

In October 2022, when filming apparently just began in Paris, that’s when Norman went on Kimmel and mentioned that he and Greg Nicotero had been in France scouting locations at some point, and he mentioned “blowing up the Louvre.”

@wdway:

The announcement in April of 22 you know they had to have known that Melissa was backing out way before that announcement. I mean I do remember them talking about scripts already being worked on.

@galadrieljones:

Yes, totally. And we began to wonder if they knew all the way back before filming for 10C, because the episode “Diverged” is so bizarre.

@wdway:

You know it was just a totally different take on that episode once you watch it knowing that she wasn't going to be in the spinoff, at least not initially it just plays differently.

@galadrieljones:

Also, just to keep pounding in the logistics (because I can’t help myself lol), World Beyond season 2 was filmed in Virginia during 2020. It premiered in October of 2021. This means the French coda was written and filmed all the way back in 2020?? Did they know then?

I mean they filmed 10C in 2020, right? Covid year? Diverged aired on 3/28/21.

Anyway, even if MMB pulled out after the French coda, it seems possible to me at this point that the spin-off, which was originally announced in the summer of 2020, was probably always going to take place in France.

(Which means they knew well before Emily was there at the end of 2021)

@wdway:

Even more so than the coda which was the very last scene in S2e10. In the first season of TWB the Paris makeover in the back of the truck. We initially thought it was about he Mona Lisa a painting by Da Vinci trying in with a Last Supper scene we associated with Daryl and Beth. With the announcement of the spin-off in Paris it took on a whole new meaning. So, when was Emily in Paris, was it around that time? She even took a picture of the Mona Lisa. She might have been doing a little filming just some shots not really scenes in Paris for the spin-off.

@wdway:

You somewhat answered my questions while I was typing, haha.

@galadrieljones:

Emily was in Paris at the very end of 2021. She posted herself in front of Christmas decorations. It then was unclear when exactly she got back.

Great minds can read each other it seems.

[the-lost-bleachfics]

More things I’ve noticed/thought about while rereading The Lost Agent arc:

Tsukishima comments to Orihime that her saying she won’t let him get away isn’t “interesting enough to turn into a book,” but he later ponders aloud what Ginjo would say if he went after Ichigo directly, perhaps suggesting he would find that interesting enough for this weirdly specific standard of his.

Riruka equates meeting Tsukishima to being saved by Ginjo, as the results of her and the others being not normal. Being saved (whatever that means to her) is explicitly a good thing, so what does that say about what Tsukishima was to the group? And it’s not because she was marked, either, as Ginjo being the only one marked is a plot point.

During Ginjo and Tsukishima’s battle (taking place after Ichigo’s training with Jackie), Ginjo gets cut in the eyebrow and it bleeds, later scarring. This is after we already saw that when Tsukishima cut Orihime, it left no wound on her. An otherwise minimal moment in the grand scheme of the arc, but it was a very subtle way to show Book of the End having two different effects, which Riruka somewhat explains when she’s cut by it later. (He does also cleave a metal door in half, undeniably physical damage, but when the question of his ability becomes if it’s memory-based or affecting the past itself, it’s hard to say if that’s the blade’s doing or the result of altering the door’s past. Y’know, as one does.)

Ginjo does have a beam attack prior to absorbing Ichigo’s Fullbring. It’s unclear what it’s made of in the manga.

Related, while it’s fairly commonly recognized that Ginjo’s bankai form is roughly the same as the form Ichigo attains (albeit incompletely) against Yhwach in the Horn of Salvation chapter, i.e. a complete integration of all his powers—the large blast Ginjo lets loose that Ichigo catches with his palm is consequently likely the same as Ichigo’s combined Getsuga and Gran Rey Cero.

I’ve talked on my main blog about the moon symbolism during the last beats of the arc, but it’s worth mentioning that the moon as one of the between sketches appears earlier, just before the chapter Loading to Lie. This is, of course, the chapter where Ichigo first enters Yukio’s game with Ginjo, who over the next few chapters seems to pull a fast one on him. If the moon is still Ginjo, the clouds moving to cover it reflect his false behavior here.

Might just be a coincidence, but when Ginjo first explains to Ichigo that there was a Deputy Soul Reaper before Ichigo, the image paired with it resembles Tsukishima’s memory of Ginjo while he was a Soul Reaper (chiefly the hairstyle).

Yukio and Aura joining forces in CFYOW is even more interesting than I realized, because Yukio describes part of his childhood as being “locked away in a room with everything inside it” due to his parents’ disdain for him. And Aura’s father, albeit out of overprotectiveness on the opposite end, did much the same to her. Though he deprived her of a lot materially, which probably prevented her from attaining a personal Fullbring, whereas Yukio’s undoubtedly formed out of that environment.

Tsukishima’s expression when he lunges toward Ichigo after Kugo’s death is grave and intense. When Rukia jumps in front of Ichigo to try to protect him, though, it becomes almost a delighted smile. Considering we know he’s truly going for the kill as Riruka says so, meaning Book of the End isn’t active to alter the past, I wonder if that excitement is an extension of what he feels when he breaks somebody using his ability. And if knowing someone Ichigo cares about was about to be injured or killed trying to save him first, he felt that psychological damage on top would be even more devastating revenge than just killing Ichigo without it. Which of course he wants, given who Ichigo has just taken away from him.

The scene near the end where Riruka wakes up in Urahara’s shop, Orihime lists Ginjo among the Fullbringers she was told they “couldn’t find.” Both Riruka and Ichigo know, however, that Ginjo’s whereabouts aren’t a mystery in the least—well, maybe where his soul ended up still is, but not the fact that it’d been separated from his body by death. It seems Ichigo (and probably Rukia since she was there too) chose to keep that from her, and Riruka’s reaction, before realizing Tsukishima’s absence in the list, might indicate she has realized this.

[theharrowing]

ALSO!!!!!!!! LET'S NOT LET SPOTIFY WRAPPED DISTRACT US FROM THE TASTY LITTLE TAEGI POV YOU POSTED I AM SCREAMING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! One of the questions I wanted to ask about Boy Blue involve Yoongi, and like...are there clues? Did we know?? Was there any sign??? Okay, that was three questions and not one haha. I might reread it again, because I was thrown for a loop with him. - 🗡️

DAGGERRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! EEEEE IM SO GLAD YOU'RE LIKING WHITE LIESSS!!!!

OKOKOK LISTEN: YES. KIND OF??? there were teeeeeeny tiiiiny clues.

step into my office...🚪🚶‍♀️ (Boy Blue spoilers below!)

IN THIS ESSAY, I WILL--

(i joke but this is going to be at least 500 words long...) i am very in the Boy Blue headspace right now. these observations are both of Yoongi being...kind of an obsessive weirdo like Tae, and really tiny things i hid about the two of them, as well as not so tiny things i did as these later arcs progressed...

Yoongi is immediately pretty flirtatious, even tho he admits that he knows mc and Tae have something going on. in chapter 27, the banter is really light, and he admits to noticing that mc wears purple a lot and is like "omg sorry that's so creepy" to more or less force mc to be like "hehe no it's fiiine."

although this is not a hint about Yoongi, we also see Taehyung instantly kinda suggest that there might be something between Yoongi and mc in chapter 28. and, if im not mistaken, he even outright suggests that they all three become something like they were with Hana "but better."

chapter 29, Yoongi is inviting mc out and commenting on how attractive Taehyung is, pretty much in the same breath haha. and then mc and Yoongi share their dance and his tone completely switches. Yoongi is being forward and a little pushy with mc, insisting on a kiss, trying to get into her apartment, insisting that she defines what she and Tae are so that he can figure out where his place in things are.

and idk if like Tae is already so many red flags in at this point that people mistook Yoongi's advances as being normal and romantic, but i feel like if he had any respect for her, he would not be behaving this way. that is......unless someone put him up to it....

chapter 30, Taehyung is mysteriously distant (again!) while Yoongi is inserting himself. coincidence? no. it's not. (but that will actually be revealed more in either a oneshot or in White Lies!)

when Yoongi panics and can't perform sexually with Tae in the room (31)...when we time skip ahead and Yoongi furiously fires a gun at Tae but conveniently misses (37), Yoongi can only get his dick hard for Tae (39). the man is CONFLICTED and probably has no idea what he wants because someone has been peeping a lot of nonsense into his ears behind the scenes and manipulating him.

Yoongi just blindly accepts mc telling him not to go to the police and rescue her. why? because he never intended to, anyway.

also in 37:

“Cat boy would never attack me, drug me, and try to erase my fucking memories!” you scream, sounding absolutely manic. Taehyung chuckles, shaking his head. “You don’t know that.”

also in 39, while Yoongi is crying and saying, "this wasn't supposed to happen," what he is really saying is, "it wasn't supposed to happen this way" aka "it was supposed to happen differently."

Yoongi instantly gives in and does not fight during the simulated drowning, knowing that it has to be his way out of the basement. he doesn't care about the burning and other stupid little torture acts because he enjoys pain (more about that in the future!) when they are high on MDMA, Yoongi is very sweet to Taehyung. and, listen, if Taehyung didn't intend for his phone and knife to be so easily found, they would not have been found.

the biggest thing tho, is that Yoongi was "unable to" kill Taehyung, who is also high on drugs, but he has no probably sneaking up on and finishing Namjoon, who is sober. (of course, we know the truth behind this one in the epilogue.)

Yoongi disappears during the final chapters, and he isn't spending time in his hometown as mc thought. when Yoongi is at the show in the final chapter and being cold to mc, he really does want to just move on from her and put much of the emotional whirlwind behind him. but, as we see, he can't stay away. but then he does find an out because rather than returning home in the same vehicle as mc he goes with...someone? but who? mc didn't go home to pack long enough for Yoongi to change clothes, curl up, and fall asleep. that photo had to have been taken some other time.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH wow i just spent a solid 20 minutes on this alklskdakdjakdhaksfsaf I REALLY LOVE THESE FOOLS, OK????

i feel like there are smaller details sprinkled throughout but this is all i could think of off the top of my head without actually rereading Boy Blue. if there is anything else you may have noticed or questioned tho, let me knowww!!!!!!!!!!!

[oscarpiastriwdc]

Hiii 🥰

I’ve just finished a reread (that I’ve started immediately after finishing it the first time) of standing at your door and omggg I’m obsessed !!! & I have some lore questions if I may🤲

1. How did Lewis react to George’s termination (apart from what we already know) - has his relationship with Toto/the team changed because of it?

2. I’ve seen you answered an ask about Gax trying to keep the relationship a secret but that it’s pretty much an open secret in the paddock - when and how does the public find out, and what are the reactions like (were there rumors before this or is it a complete surprise)?

3. Does Max really take just 1 year off, do they later race against each other? When does Baby No. 2 potentially come into the story?

Thank you so much for writing this, I can’t wait to hear more of your thoughts ❤️❤️❤️

HELLO!!!! oh these are fantastic lore questions thank you so much <3 here's (probably) way more information than you asked for

Lewis has talked about how the nature of being a professional athlete means you grow up later than some people might. In this verse, Lewis has reached the point where he's grown weary and tired of the whole system. He's been chewed up and spit out again by the system so many times that all he can see is the rotten core. On top of that, Lewis has a whole mess of feelings about the issue of carrier rights thanks to Nico. Nico's known he's a carrier since he was 12, Lewis found out when he was 16. Nico managed to keep his status a secret through his whole career and Lewis was the only person at Merc who knew. When the GPDA didn't pass the protections the first time around, all his feelings were caught up in keeping Nico's secret and, later, the championship battle. After Nico retired, he felt so guilty for how everything went down and George getting fired brought up the whole mess of feelings again. It's not the final straw, per se, but one of them. He's done with the whole circus and ready to move on. He distances himself from Toto bit by bit until he announces his retirement. The GPDA finally passing protections for pregnant drivers and the news of George's lawsuit settlement lets him feel like he can leave at peace.

The public knows George is pregnant/has a baby, but no one knows who the other father is. Speculation and rumors run rampant, but George pretty much goes into hiding, or at least is never seen with Virginia and/or Max once she's born. There's definitely a rumor that floats around that Max is the father but no one takes it seriously—everyone remembers what their relationship was like before George stopped driving and it's a laughable thought. When Max's leave gets announced, coinciding with George's return to F1, no one makes the connection at first. RBR refuses to share the reasons for Max's leave, and Virginia is never seen at the paddock with George. But Virginia is growing up and George and Max are worrying about making sure Virginia is spending time outside, so Max starts appearing with her around Monaco, face always hidden or covered, but the public notices and starts speculating that maybe she's George's baby. No one engages with the rumors, but they keep growing, eventually reaching the point that everyone knows, even if it's not officially confirmed. It doesn't get confirmed until Max returns to F1 and Virginia makes an appearance at the first race of the season with George's giant bambi eyes in the RBR hospitality.

Max LOVES the stay-at-home dad routine, but it also brings up a ton of Big Feelings regarding his future and his identity outside of racing and his relationship with his own parents and childhood. (I have part of a thing written about Max's Big Feelings while at home with Virginia, we'll see if that ever gets finished or posted lol). He was only planning to take one year off, but ends up taking two, wanting to wait until Virginia is a bit older and at a stage where she can travel with him and George to races. George is still racing and they race against each other for two seasons before George's body can't take driving anymore so he retires, while Max races for another season. At that point, Virginia is 6 and they're ready to have another baby—they decided to wait until they were both retired so Max and George can do the whole pregnancy together.

[cloud-somersault]

Hiii, I just listened to your podcast and just wanted to let you know how much I loved it!!! I absoluetly adore the constellations fic (obviously) and it´s so awesome to hear about all the behind the scenes thoughts at such lengths! Especially since you put soo much thought behind everything from which a lot probably goes unnoticed.

I´m not the best at media literacy and reading between the lines and stuff so hearing about all the "hidden" meanings and details in the character´s actions & progressions is so nice. I especially loved your explanations for the significance of abandonment, the differences of canon & your fic concerning characterization and MK´s character progression! Now when I go back and reread the fic I can pick up on all the little details you talked about, so thank you so much for that, it was so interesting to listen to!!!

Also fun fact: while I was listening to it, I was literally embroidering constellations on a birthday present for a friend. I only noticed that like halfway through but I think it´s a very funny coincidence. Anyway, I hope you have a wonderful day!!

aw, thank you for listening!! I'm glad you enjoyed! 😊😊😊😊it was actually pretty fun to like explain things and answer questions. I'm glad I could give more context and explain things. I'm also like that. Every time I read a book, I go look at articles and reviews to point out things that I missed or misinterpreted.

And that's great! There are quite a few little easter eggs from the beginning of the fic. There also might be some things that don't make sense. Some things in chapter 1 and 2 won't make as much sense now since chapter 3 and 4 happened. I was still ironing things out, but. I think I caught all of those things. LMFAO

and WOW what a coincidence!! constellations...everywhere..the power of the stars ✨🌟

thank you for sending this ask, it's so sweet! I hope you have a wonderful day/night, too!!!

[lennjamin-o7]

🌯🗡️ anon here! Ok I know I was here earlier but like as I said I've been rereading and like I'm being infected with even more brain rot. I was like too excited and I was worried I'd forget about it when the next update comes so I just decided I'd put the little detailed I noticed in here too because I just like NEED you to know that like I've noticed these little treats you've scattered in.

Ok so the first bit I noticed was Tech saying "I'm getting what I wanted so should I really question it?" that's gonna bite him in the ass so fucking viciously. Like yeah bro, you're gonna get that life of freedom in the woods you'll just get a whole new dad along with it and a change in title!

Oh also the smaller things with Phil that like mix in with like fae folklore!! I love them!! I am eating them up at the speed of light like the small things that get dotted in there. "You can call me Phil" instead of "my name is" since bro cant lie, him wording things differently / weird because because he doesn't wanna tell the truth but he also cant lie so he puts in little half truths. The honey stick!! bro loves honey (as most fae do) and then immediately popped in a tiny little deal with Tech.

Oh also the exchange when Tech first saw him by the cart, where like Phil was talking about the deal and stuff and saying that it's all gone to hell and like Tech tried reassure him with the pear bit and like taking what's left and then turning it into something to benefit him better. Tech might as well have just handed over the adoption papers and a pen for Phil unknowingly lmao

Oh and Tech like nearly slipping up a bunch with the names on top of like unknowingly giving the trophy hubby of the queen of fae like gifts and then happily accepting gifts in return! OH and Phils little ominous like responses when Tech mentions his family and then having lots of things to worry about!! Its all gold and I love it all!!

As well as Phil being like 'dont share my totally not magical cookies' while i like to imagine Tech already plotting giving one to Carl; I just have a feeling that Carls gonna be like a hidden big plot point or something, good for him tbh. Oh and like the crows turning up along with phil a bunch!

I also LOVE how naïve Tech is, like "huh this guy looks super familiar, I feel like I've heard about him before, oh only the queens husband really hangs around birch forests? shame I haven't bumped into him in this birch forest you've been hanging out in! That's a super cool crow I saw earlier, what a coincidence it is that these 'special' cookies you made me also have a crow on them! They're special because specifically YOU made them and you don't want me to share them? that's wild, thanks for the gift bro I really appreciate them! damn I'm super tired after you told me to go to sleep, guess I didn't realise how tired I was!" Like Tech when you finally connect the dots you're gonna be so upset with yourself lmao.

I love that it feels like super real too! Like when you already know Phil's a devious old man its so clear but like if you sit down and think about it from Techs perspective, its so clear that he just wouldn't connect those dots! Like bro Phil could've probably told me he was the queens hubby and I would've thought he was making a weird joke so like yeah ofc Tech wouldn't immediately clock that Phil is the queens hubby because why would he? he's just a strange guy who was stranded by the road!

Anyway I'm sorry for writing you like a bonus novel of my thoughts but like I am just gobbling all these little scraps of lore and worldbuilding up! I feel like a lot of readers will enjoy stuff and then never like tell the author like how fucking good that stuff is so I'm making up for all those people who will enjoy things and notice things but never say it! As always, have an even nicer day then the one I wished you had a few hours ago!

Never apologize for filling my inbox with brainrot. I love it 💚💚💚💚💚.

Techno is 13 and incredibly sheltered. He just wants to go out and look at some trees. Maybe some squirrels. Giant birds. The kid is not going to look the gift horse in the mouth, he just wants to SEE things. And yeah, definitely gonna come back to bite. The gift horse might have been a trojan horse. But he's having fun. He can't be bothered with being safe.

He can call him Phil until the time comes that he can call him Dad. Very simple. And yep, Phil does not lie. It is so fun writing a deceitful character who doesn't lie.

Honeystick idea came from my friend @l1m30. I was originally going to have Techno and the guards drink tea, but have Techno not like tea and just pour sooo much sugar in it. And then offer Phil some of his sugar instead of honey. But Limbo talked about eating honey sticks and I thought "😀 That's much better!" And yeah, Techno is agreeing to so many deals without realizing it. Phil is sneaky.

Oh yeah, Techno was just trying to comfort Phil. And he did. He just signed himself up to be PEARed with Phil for all eternity. The pair isn't perfect, but it still Jams well together. :D but yes, that whole part is fun to write. Techno is just thinking literally, Phil is complaining about the difficulties with the broken adoption system.

Yep. To be fair, he was only going to use their nicknames. But he is only supposed to use those WITH his family, not to others. It wouldn't have been catastrophic, but he HAS gotten in trouble for that before so he is a bit more careful.

Gift giving! Like a real family!! 😀 How much of yourself are you willing to give, Techno??

Oh, had Phil not said anything Carl would have ABSOLUTELY gotten a cookie delight. 100%. Carl is spoiled. He deserves to be spoiled. But Techno would have probably shared them with other people without that promise, and Phil gave those to TECHNO. No regifting.

I've tried very hard to make Phil's fae nature obvious for readers, but plausibly deniable for Techno. Like, c'mon, how many people are blonde with blue eyes? It doesn't mean anything. His ears are normal and he doesn't have wings! And so what if he is hanging around an unnatural forest! I am also going through an unnatural forest! And I'm not suspicious! And it was like 2am, I guess it makes sense I would be tired. I mean, Skeppy is over there drooling on Bad. Probably just didn’t notice. Sugar crash or something.

I loved every moment of this. Please do not apologize. I loved loved loved it.

[wuxiaphoenix]

Book Review: The Troubled Empire

The Troubled Empire: China in the Ming and Yuan Dynasties, by Timothy Brook. I’m giving this history five out of five, this is exactly the ground-level info I wanted on climate, culture, and the rest of the time period for my points of historical divergence in Colors of Another Sky. And I plan to look up other books and articles by this author. Especially Vermeer’s Hat and everything he wrote on Xu Guangqi. For one thing, this author not only has an extensive bibliography, he sorts it into primary and secondary sources, so you can go straight to the source or read a myriad of interpretations....

Ahem. This is a book Jason would have read, given it covers large chunks of the Little Ice Age in Asia. That gives me not just world-background, but character background. If I take this book as “what he knows”, I then have a good basis for what he’ll see looking around in this world’s present and notice that things are Not Quite Right.

As you can imagine, I have sticky-notes all over my copy. Not just for Jason. Chae would have lived through about a third of these events!

...But mostly because there is so much neat stuff.

A few examples. The author pays particular attention to Chinese records of dragons. Because they were written down as real history, and accounts tend to coincide with upset, upheaval, and all kinds of nasty weather hitting the Empire in both Yuan and Ming.

And we often hear of Chinese referring to places to get rich overseas as “Gold Mountain”. But apparently gold was actually the civilized way to refer to silver. Which was money. Money coming from Spain and Portugal by way of galleons from South America... yet at the time, at least until about 1630, there was just as much silver coming to China from Japan. Especially since Japan had gotten hold of the mercury amalgam process from foreign traders.

(Chae is probably several kinds of ticked about that. She’s a cultivator, from a tradition that now actually works; she knows how nasty cinnabar really is.)

Not to mention that in times when things were going well, and there were times even in the Little Ice Age that it was... there were markets for antiquities that, somehow, always had a few more antiques laying around to show wealthy collectors. To the point that some collectors found spotting the fakes to be part of their fun!

One of the facts I want to chew more on (which also agrees with bits of a book on William Adams, who was in Japan in late Ming) is the fact that mathematics, particularly geometry that helped shape maps, astrological calculations, and artillery fire, is one of the things China and Japan both found most impressive about European areas of knowledge. Hmm.

All told this book is fascinating. I’m definitely going to reread it, and it’s giving me lots of story fodder!

[haejjoon]

had an absolutely bonkers day at work SO i reread the 5th chapter and immediately!! crops watered skin moisturiser anxiety gone im feeling so good now woah...........

moments i absolutely adore: goro knowingly utilizing gap moe, goro imitating ryuji and ryuji laughing with it, goro unused to being bickered over by HIS FRIENDS, the neat-o explanation for changing clothes in the metaverse, robin & ryuji, goro being a nerd and also loving the praise he gets but not allowing himself to bask in it for long, AKIRA

my bby is here again ive missed him 🥺🥺🥺 i love how nicely him appearing ties into with THE FOOL, because he sorta is one yeah? it's like a little nod to the canon p5 (where thematically akira can be said to be the fool, gaining enlightment and spirituality via his bonds as the game progresses; but also where yaldabaoth is the fool confidant AND is the one behind akira in the swap au). it's also a little 👀👀👀 with how goro unlocks the fool confidant the moment akira comes into the picture, like it's not just the ryuji-ann-morgana group who are the fool confidant for goro, akira is a necessary element there as well. also is goro suspecting something with those CLANG CLANG chains and cards? is he tying them to specific people in his mind and will he (mistakenly) tie the fool to akira?

um also i love love love what you do with the text formatting in those BREAKETH THY CHAINS sequences, it's very cool! and when you change the text in there a little bit, like turning "chains of captivity" into "captive" and then evolving it into "you are held captive" like woah...... foreshadowing!!

then the entire sequence of goro trying to understand why does he hate akira so much. lmao omg "he's so annoying and his smile is not ugly at all and also his lashes are soooo long. god what a fucking dick" goro babe please skdjeindosndj im very curious as to who will be the first to understand and acknowledge their feelings to the other. goro or akira akira or goro. goro is emotionally constipated akira is babygirl murderer place your bets

and then!!! goro immediately becoming suspicious bc of akira's slip up. it's going to bite everyone in the ass of course we know that but i can just FEEL how narratively satisfying it will be when everyone will write goro's suspicions off, like "nah goro's just got a hateboner for him" like ahhhh goro you're so correct but your actions and biases have led you here the cliff of your own doing

and then sojiro scene. the entirety of it. goro scrambling to fall back on some tried and true approach except sojiro's having none of that because HE. GENUINELY. CARES. poor monamona that whole breakdown and crying must've been so awkward for him

thank you again!!! ill keep saying it every time haha sorry this got so long im just. loving your work so much. truly a labor of love <33 hope you have a good day!!

before i say anything else, tumblr user nugylienshyd your asks are probably the very highlight of my days. i get SO giddy whenever i see your username pop up. im sorry i coudln't get to you until just now it's been such a day but (cracks knuckles)

GORO UTILIZING GAP MOE WAS SUCH A THROWAWAY LINE I WONT LIE HSKGLSD i was trying to figure out how to have him explain the difference between Pleasant Boy and Aspiring Axe Murderer and then i went wait. there's a term for this. gap moe. goro imitating ryuji also made me ugly laugh as all hell when the idea popped up into my mind because he would do that, wouldn't he.

AKIRAAAAA i'm glad you noticed the formatting ehe <3 ive said this before and i'll say it again, people need to utilize formatting more in fics!!! just because you're using words to create art doesn't mean you can't add a visual aspect to it as well!!! THE FOOL coinciding with akira's sudden appearance will forever be high point for my pride. i'm super happy with it. i'm glad you liked it too <3 (also your point about the phantom thieves somehow being incomplete and then akira appearing right when the bond formed is a neat one. i didn't mean to make it that way but damn thats an idea [writes down])

goro being a hater is another thing people need to use more often. listen its cute when he's like "akira :) responded to my date request hehe ok time to go to kichijoji" but its CUTER when he goes "look at this pathetic loser. he agreed to go on a date with me after Just One Text. this troglodyte. this buffoon" (asked him out in the first place)

and about goro immediately noticing akira's slip up!!!! of course he would. his entire thing is being Clever after all <3 iv ealso mentioned this in the past but i always found it so weird that ryuji and ann somehow picked up on pancakes so quickly? like these two are canonically the dumb blondes of the group..... and ur telling me... that they not only paid enough attention to morgana/akechi's words (ryuji SPECIFICALLY, who doesn't even like the two all that much at that point in time) to make the pancakes connection, but they ALSO remembered it enough to recall it to every new thief that joined their party??? really???????

im glad you liked the sojiro scene. it was honestly and truly such a long time coming, and they kind of... needed it? it was the only way goro could understand where sojiro was coming from, at least to me. goro's instinctive reaction to any unnatural behaviors is to lash out until the other person goes away or fights right back--both of which would be beneficial to him, at least in his perspective, because the strange threat is gone and he's back in his safe, lonely bubble. it's also why he was so taken aback when sojiro just... took it. he didn't expect him to agree. he didn't know what to do when he did.

thank you for such a well thought out ask, man <3 i did see this earlier last night, but i was in such a funk the whole day i couldn't collect my thoughts enough to respond to it properly until now. i hope your day's going well too. until next time <3

[lavenoon]

Hello, I snuck some time to read and AHHHHH! So many little things that I love about all this! Robin does need that time to figure stuff out, even though it probably hurt them a lot to do it by themselves, and we see some of the consequences in the dream in Lingering Concern.

It's something I really love about them actually! They are really bold and reckless sometimes, and super confident, but the points in which they are insecure can be crushing to them. And it would make sense that usually they don't see the need to deal with those (or maybe even notice them) because of the nature of their job and how they were pretty isolated before the boys' arrival, but now they are hit with all the force of it and the fact that they do not handle it well at all after all. In the end, the three of them ended up unintentionally hurting each other, and all of them have their regrets, but they are on their way to mend it all now, at least!

I also liked how the accident Sun and Moon were in is sort of symbolic in a way! Things, literally and metaphorically, blew up in their faces, and sure, perhaps with enough time they could all heal by themselves, but it's together that they can achieve it faster. They all really needed to hear they hadn't made the other hate them.

I loved that Sun was quick to not let them keep apologizing and blaming themself by pointing out the funny coincidences XD Immediately letting his cheeky self show too haha! Also, really loved the "They are both me" line! Not only because it's a good way for Moon to make a point, but also I squinted a little wondering if perhaps it was a way to confirm about his particular worry. Asking if it's Robin or y/n whose more real, because he still was hurt by thinking Robin might actually not like him at all and the sweet neighbor got the "true" opinion on the matter. But now they all know! And even though there are more things to address, at least they can be assured that there's no need to run or hide and they can work on them together!

Amazing work as always, Luce!

HEHE glad you found the time!! <3

It certainly wasn't an ideal situation - but it was the way they had to figure it out. That's just how things are sometimes, and it's just the fallout they set themself up for, their only two pillars of support being who they need distance from to process!

And yup! Reminder to reread Lingering Concern, because now you guys have all the context! <3

Y/N was super isolated, and they didn't even think it's an issue - that's a lot of trust issues and loneliness they repressed, and it all comes back to hit them in the face when they go back to that after having close friends for the first time in years, plus the added anxiety about everything else! AU is just a long elaborate story that ends with "everyone gets a family" <3

AND YES YES THANK YOU I am so proud of the theme of the bomb - almost unreasonably, maybe. Shrapnel for the immediate reaction, Settling Dust for the slightly calmer outlook, Landmine for when things surprisingly get even worse, and then First Aid (where the actual bomb goes off) gets actual first aid - for all the emotional and physical consequences!

Sun was a tad more forgiving with Y/N - Moon got to be a little snappy, a bit harsher - but he didn't see them literally burst through the door and then collapse into tears of relief upon seeing him again. It's a big dose of reassurance, and for Sun that just means he really doesn't need to linger with all the guilt and regret. Of course they still talk - get some things out, clear up misunderstandings. But most importantly for him is the assurance that Y/N doesn't want them to leave. His anxiety is about the future.

Moon needed to hear that they do know him, that he knows them, and that he doesn't have to reassess all they went through together. Of course he's also worried about the future - but only because he's not sure he can trust the past. They address their specific worries, and Y/N gets the full dose of everything. Their boys won't leave, and they always cared <3

Glad it hit the spot! It was tons of fun writing it, or I wouldn't have gotten lost in the word count like that GFDHSJ

[twdmusicboxmystery]

My Re-Watch of Ghosts, Part 5

One last note, back to Carol as a chameleon. She is a chameleon, and I think she is in part chasing that rat in Diverged because the rat is, at least in part, representative of her. It exists in the walls, liminal spaces. It comes out, causes mayhem, then retreats. It’s not a coincidence the rat is in Daryl’s walls, as she does this to him most of all.

But I also think that the rat could represent Beth, because it also represents a hidden problem, something that lives in the walls and gnaws at your electrical wires, and you have no idea until suddenly one day the lights don’t come on. Beth is the rat scratching at the walls in Carol’s subconscious. This, too, is why we’re in Daryl’s house when this happens, because Beth is Daryl’s girl.

And I think that Carol and Beth, because of their unique connection in the coda, as not really being a part of the main timeline, and as the only two characters who are actually integrated into the Grady/CRM timeline, are uniquely connected to each other (and also to Rick, but not till later).

As I said before, I think you’re right, @twdmusicboxmystery, that Carol could be the one to find Beth, because she knows more than she realizes. She saw something at Grady that she possibly hasn’t accessed yet, due to trauma, memory loss, etc. She may have even received experimental treatment. We don’t know. But I think that as the unstuck character, she is the only one who could enter into Beth’s storyline and find her, because she inhabits these liminal spaces. But also like you said, because of who she is, and because of mistakes she’s made in the past, people, including Daryl, may not believe her.

When Jadis rescues Rick, she calls him a “B.” He’s then carried away by that helicopter. This is when he exits the A timeline and enters the B timeline. What ensues on the A timeline is then very chaotic and full of loss and change because it was supposed to be Rick’s, but he’s not there anymore. They have to find their way out. It’s just like, past its expiration date. All of them need to open their eyes and discover the CRM threat and in doing so learn or realize what the hell was actually going on all those years back in Atlanta and at Grady.

@twdmusicboxmystery

Love all of your thoughts! You have so many great connections and insights here. I hadn't thought to connect "I have eyes" to the blind theme. Or RJ sleeping and Judith's line to the resting theme. And all your insights on Carol are spot on! Love it!

@wdway:

This is absolutely wonderful. You gave me a lot to think about. And I've always had a hard time with Carol and how people are so blind to her misdeeds. You explained her character so well. It's like the analogy of the water glass So many people either see the glass half full or the glass half empty but the simple fact is it's half a glass of water.

You explain that with Carol she is right but her actions so many times are wrong. While I was reading as usual things kept popping in my head with a thought that I would mention them at the end but as usual when I got to the end I couldn't think of what I wanted to say. I will probably reread this later and come back tonight with some comments. I actually have a play date today!

@twdmusicboxmystery:

Oh, I meant to add something about the clove cigarette. That’s a great catch. I don’t think I ever would have noticed it. But it made me think of the cinnamon Daryl finds in the golf club and we see them both chewing on. I know cloves don’t = cinnamon, but I read up on clove cigarettes and they often have cinnamon and other spices in them. The two spices are also often used together or interchangeably.

Anyway, I don’t even have a super specific theory, other than it’s indicative of something about Beth. I’m the scene where he’s smoking it, as mentioned above, Carol is also wearing the pink bandage on her arm. So to me, the most obvious interpretation is simply that this “do you believe me” stuff between Carol and Daryl applies to Beth in some way.

@galadrieljones:

I totally see the connection. I totally saw a cinnamon stick which made me think of Still. And the fact it’s a clove cigarette is extremely notable because Daryl never smokes those. In fact like I said, after he comes back from the sanctuary he rarely smokes, tbh. It’s notable in Rendition when Pope asks him if he smokes because it seems like he hasn’t smoked in a while.

Cigarettes are showed as this commodity because Dwight has them. I just figured Negan’s guys took them during the raid, and then Daryl ran out. This makes me think about Pope and his lovely hand rolled cigarettes in his lovely leather case. I wonder where he got the tobacco? Not like it’s super hard to grow but when you’re busy raiding and pillaging it’s probably pretty hard to cultivate a tobacco crop.

Cinnamon is also an exotic ingredient which makes me think of the CRM. Daryl finds an old canister of cinnamon sticks at Pine Vista but if you wanted to actually have cinnamon you’d need to cultivate and probably import it from Asia, like Sri Lanka or Vietnam.