#ITS LITERALLY THE JACK OF ALL TRADES

[enlighten3d]

(this is literally just an appreciation post for the watcher trope because its one of my favourite things of all time.)

listen ik the whole watcher thing gets quite a bit of hate in this fandom for being so overused, but personally i love it. i love it so much. just because of how versatile it is. i mean, just scroll through the watcher grian tag on ao3, and youll see hundreds of different interpretations of the same beings!

some have wings, some are humanoid, some are decidedly not, some are really fucking evil, some are just misunderstood, some actually do good, some are literal gods, some are just a group of people, some are like a cult, some are just random mysterious fuckers, some are just the explanation for anything weird, some are engaged in gang warfare with the listeners, etc etc etc ETC !!!!! so many different things, so many different narratives, based off one thing!!!

i have like four unfinished watcher!grian fics in my gdocs right now. i will probably not finish all of them. but sometimes i just think about how even between those four fics, the interpretations are so DIFFERENT. so, so, different. but its all from the same thing! the same vague concept from an 6-7 year old smp!! isnt that fucking amazing? what we, the fandom have done with it, and how far weve bent it, and just.

the whole watcher thing is one of my favourite bits of ANY fandom i have ever seen. the sheer creativity of fandom really does surprise me sometimes.

[largepeachicedtea]

are our foundations destined to keep crumbling just 'cause we started this with zero innocence?

[doodlebloo]

Austin and Ally au (without the romance) cTommy is Austin cRanboo is Ally cTubbo is Trish and Dez combined into one

[twigstarpikachutroll22]

Craving fan songs for the Wayward Children series.

[offside-the-lines]

tell me who i run to (if not you) | anthony beauvillier

"The first sip is joy, the second is gladness, the third is serenity, the fourth is madness, the fifth is ecstasy." - Jack Kerouac

Summary In July of 2023, Evie looked at a list of cities in North America and rolled a die. Just like that, she packed up her life and moved to Chicago, a fresh start. The 2023-24 NHL season started well for Tito; he did not expect the call on November 28th telling him that he was being traded. To the worst team in the league. And just like that. 10 months after being ripped from his home, he had to pack up and move again. To an unfamiliar city, and to unfamiliar faces. Which is why, when Tito and Evie ran into each other, quite literally, on Christmas morning, they both latched on to a familiar face. Over the next few months, they became close friends. They didn’t talk about the nights shared in Chicago clubs.  They didn’t need to. Because they're just friends.  Right?

This is a completed fic split into episodes for easier reading. It was written for @bqstqnbruin as part of the Winter Fic Exchange 2k24 hosted by @wyattjohnston.

Episode 1. Blue Christmas (4.9k) Episode 2. I. Winter (4.4k) Episode 3. Pal-entine's Day (4.8k) Episode 4. Four-leaf Clover (5.5k) Episode 5. Evie's Birthday 🌶️ (5.6k) Episode 6. II. Spring (4.8k) Episode 7. Not Goodbye 🌶️🌶️ (5.4k) Episode 8. III. Summer (4.8k) Episode 9. Tito's Birthday (4.2k)

Read it in full (44.5k)

🎵 Series Playlist 🎶

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Under the cut: author's notes, tropes, warnings & disclaimer, fun tidbits, chapter summaries

Author's Notes: This fic was written for @bqstqnbruin as part of the Winter Fic Exchange 2k24 hosted by @wyattjohnston. It got so out of control long so quickly. I genuinely had so much fun writing this, it's basically my magnum opus; if you look closely, I think you can probably see my soul in there somewhere. I would like to thank @devilssacrament, @wyattjohnston, and @forgottenflowers for being my editors, holding my hand and keeping me sane in this. Also, thanks to @swissboyhisch, and @imperatorrrrr for being a sounding board for ideas . All of your help and support has meant so much to me. You are all just the fucking best, I am sorry this has been my entire personality for the past month, I will probably return to normal soon. Probably...

Tropes: a gut-wrenching mix of angst and fluff with a happy ending, slow burn friends to lover (tbh, idiots to lovers let's be real), alternating POVs

Warnings: alcohol (one instance of alcohol poisoning by side character), mature content bordering on smut (mostly occurring in clubs/public), references to a toxic past relationship. Disclaimer: This series is set in Chicago but does not mention the name of the team based there. Only other Chicago players mentioned by name are: Nick Foligno, Jason Dickinson and Connor Bedard. Other notes: NHL players featured Mat Barzal (a heavily featured supporting character/bestie) and brief mentions of Zach Hyman and Matt Martin. Assume that Tito and Evie are always speaking in French with each other.

Face claim for Evie (if you want one, but you can imagine whoever you like): Adeline Rudolph

Fun Tidbits: Original Character (she/her) called Genevieve Gignac or Evie (pronounced eh-vee) is the oldest sibling of Tito's juniors teammate and friend Brandon Gignac. Along with their other sibling Wiliam, they grew up in Montreal. Evie had been living in Toronto for six years, before moving to Chicago in the summer before the fic starts. I did way too much research so a lot of the little facts are true. Nicknames: (ma) chouette (shoo-wet): owl (mon) chou/chouchou (shoo): in practice, honey, sugar, baby, sweetheart // by definition, my cabbage or my profiterole/cream puff (depends who you ask) Solours (soul-oars): the Québécois name for the yellow Care Bear with the smiling sun on its belly Solou’ (soul-oo): a diminutive Evie decides to use

Cook, Cook, drink your tea, But save some in the pot for me. We'll watch the tea leaves in our cup When our drink is all sipped up. Happiness or fortune great, What will our future be? -- "Afternoon Tea at Pittock Mansion" by R.Z. Berry

Episode Synopses:

Blue Christmas Evie and Tito are both starting life anew in Chicago. It's an unfamiliar city with unfamiliar faces. They're both alone on Christmas. Maybe it's fate that brings them together. Jason and Alandra Dickinson are already smelling smoke from this fire.

I. Winter Tito injures his wrist in the first game of 2024, he’s out for 6-8 weeks and then his car breaks down. He thinks maybe he’s cursed. Evie becomes a shoulder to lean on. Barzy gets suspicious.

Pal-entine’s Day Tito returns her kindness by being a shoulder Evie can lean on when she is having a hard time after all-star break. She tells him it’s anxiety about work. He brings her a box of pastries and they cuddle on the couch all day; he doesn’t realize it’s Valentine’s Day. Later, a hook-up goes very wrong.

Four-leaf Clover Tito’s been playing again, and during his first stretch of away games begins to miss home. Well, Evie’s home anyway. When he sees her in the bar, he can’t help but show it. Barzy calls him out on his lies.

Evie’s Birthday Sometimes the music moves you. Sometimes the bass pounding in your chest makes you do things you wouldn’t do. Fuck it, it’s your birthday. That’s what Evie tells herself anyway. There are gifts given, but there are also secrets kept. 

II. Spring Tito tries to tell her— he does— It’s just he needs to find the right time, and something keeps coming up. Evie’s honest with herself. But does that even matter? Mat decides maybe it is his time to intervene.

Not Goodbye Evie realizes that her time is running out. To do what? She doesn’t know. But she has one last night to find out. That is until— Well. It’s too late now. Tito flies home and wonders if that will be the worst mistake of his life.

III. Summer They try to get on with their summers as if nothing is wrong, convincing no one. How long will it take them to realize they can’t keep pretending like everything’s fine? And who will finally take the leap of faith?

Tito’s Birthday Tito receives the best birthday present he has ever gotten: the girl he loves standing at his parent’s front door. It was never destiny or fate; it can only be by choice. And they’ll choose each other every time. Eventually, anyway.

Requests (open) | Masterlist & Who I Write For | Join My Taglist

[drysdalesworld]

masterlist ੈ✩‧₊˚

this is my masterlist for this blog! my first blog is @normspellsman if you want to check out my other works! <3

will include hockey & percy jackson related works

request guidelines! <3

♡ = fluff | ☹︎ = angst / no comfort | ✧ = comfort | ♢ = suggestive content | ♠︎ = other | ❦ = requested | ❀ = popular

HOCKEY

Anaheim Ducks —

Trevor Zegras

Imagines:

none!

Blurbs:

none!

Headcanons:

none!

Social Media:

none!

New Jersey Devils —

Nico Hischier

Imagines:

none!

Blurbs:

none!

Headcanons:

none!

Social Media:

none!

Luke Hughes

Imagines:

none!

Blurbs:

none!

Headcanons:

none!

Social Media:

puppy love

Jack Hughes

Imagines:

none!

Blurbs:

none!

Headcanons:

none!

Social Media:

none!

Philadelphia Flyers —

Jamie Drysdale

Imagines:

(pre-trade) always trust the match maker (jamie’s version), part two — ♡ | ☹︎ (ish) | ✧

jamie drysdale x fem!reader ➡︎ in which trevor zegras is the ultimate match maker and proves it to you after your last failed relationship.

sneak peek!

Blurbs:

of puppies & jealousy ( ❦)

Headcanons:

none!

Social Media:

ducks, ducks, ducks (pre trade)

completely serious

to the moon & back

summer lovin’

beautiful girl

Montreal Canadiens

Cole Caufield

Imagines:

none!

Blurbs:

none!

Headcanons:

none!

Social Media:

none!

Kirby Dach

Imagines:

nothing but trouble — ♡ | ☹︎ | ✧

kirby dach x fem!xhekaj!reader ➡︎ in which arber finds out about you & kirby’s relationship. he isn’t very pleased to say the least.

Blurbs:

none!

Headcanons:

none!

Social Media:

none!

Vancouver Canucks

Quinn Hughes

Imagines:

none!

Blurbs:

orange peel theory

Headcanons:

none!

Social Media:

quinn girlie

UMICH

Luca Fantilli

Imagines:

always trust the match maker (luca’s version) — ♡ | ☹︎ (ish) | ✧

luca fantilli x fem!reader ➡︎ in which rutger mcgroarty is the ultimate match maker and proves it to you after your last failed relationship.

Blurbs:

“wait, let me get mark!” ➡︎ luca reacting to the tiktok voicemail prank and somehow getting mark involved.

Headcanons:

none!

Social Media:

my lover — ❦

ALL

Headcanons:

them with a highly energetic child

them with a shy & quiet child — ❦

them with a laboring s/o — ❦

Percy Jackson Universe

Percy Jackson

Imagines:

the sun & it’s shadow — ♡ | ☹︎

percy jackson x platonic!fem!nike!reader ➡︎ the sun needs a shadow, a protégé to continue it’s legacy within it’s presence. the sun can live without its shadow, but it’s shadow cannot live without its sun.

Blurbs:

none!

Headcanons:

“why are you hanging halfway out your window?” ( ❦ ) ➡︎ in which percy, thalia, & nico catch reader sneaking out to see their partner.

Social Media:

sixteen candles

Clarisse La Rue

Imagines:

none!

Blurbs:

none!

Headcanons:

none!

Social Media:

terrorizing & love notes

Luke Castellan

Imagines:

work song — ♡ | ☹︎

luke castellan x fem!nike!reader ➡︎ luke would do anything for you, even give up his years long vengeance plan the minute you ask.

Blurbs:

none!

Headcanons:

none!

Social Media:

none!

Fic Recommendations! <3

Hockey:

you’d know — j. drysdale

author: @ohmyeyesmyeyes

had a smile on my face the entire time i was reading this work. it’s so cute & made me giggle 🎀

hey, i can be your boyfriend! — n. hischier

author: @theemporium

the fake dating trope is my literal weakness & never fails to make go absolutely feral. i loved how nico was super respectful of reader yet didn’t let jackson & his shit slide at all. the scene where nico picks reader up after the football/soccer game literally had me foaming at the mouth. their works never fail to make me feel some type of way i swear 💓

PJO:

[numberonecodwomenfan]

im going crazy thinking about my idea for a cod women roller derby au

i play roller derby and i literally just finished practice so its fresh in my brain rn

also theyre all on the same team because i want them to be besties ok

laswell is the captain of the glam grenades (yes i know the name is corny, derby team names usually are lmaoo), and her wife coaches the corresponding junior team. laswell’s derby name is watcher, and her number is 01. she usually plays as a blocker, but she’ll pivot sometimes.

farah is almost solely a jammer. her derby name is farah scare-‘em (which again, i know its corny but all derby names are 😭). she’s a speed DEMON, and she’s insane at jumps. if she’s jamming against you, you’re barely even gonna land a hit on her. she’s jumping around on her toe stops and squeezing around blockers like she’s dancing. alex goes to all of the team’s practices and bouts, and he’s practically drooling the whole time like “holy shit thats my badass girlfriend”

valeria is usually a pivot. her name is slammin’ scorpion (referencing that one line where alejandro calls her a scorpion 🤭), and when i say slammin, i mean it. shes one of those blockers that gets penalties constantly. she is VICIOUS. she send jammers flying when she hits them. she has a lot of pent up anger, ok? god forbid a woman has hobbies.

roze is a blocker for sure. she’s sturdy as hell and it takes a lot to take her down. her derby name is ragin’ roze and shes a bad bitchhhh!!! i like to think shes pretty tall, so sneaking around her is a no go with those long legs. she also seems like the type to manhandle her teammates a lot. like if the jammer is moving to the opposite side, shes yelling “out!” and just yanking the other blockers over.

callisto is a blocker too. she prefers to play as a point because she’s a control freak, and while she trusts her teammates, she prefers to be able to see the jammer. this is a really stupid joke but i think it would be funny if her derby name was lady liberty because she’s from france and moved to the US lmaoo

i feel like stiletto’s derby name would just be stiletto. its cool enough on its own lmao. she also gives blocker to me, and i feel like shes the type to get penalties a lot and then get insubordination penalties for giving the refs sass.

nova feels like a jack of all trades to me. i think her derby name would be nova, and i feel like she would be one of those players that just throws caution to the wind and charges in with no hesitation.

kleo is greek and i also imagine her to be pretty tall, so i think her derby name would be something like amazon lol. i feel like shed be a pretty aggressive blocker. she is NOT letting that jammer past, so much so that she sometimes gets stop block penalties.

uhh yeah thats all the brainrot i have lmao. i might draw them 😏😏

[yorkle-gort]

Batman to me isn't the best at everything, though he is a VERY Capable Jack of all trades type. He should be like 3rd best at most things giving him a lot of Versatility without making him Perfect.

I also think his sidekicks should surpass him in their Specialty, for example

Dick: I think of him as a better leader than bruce (who is an anti-social freak), having been "leader" of the titans from a young age, as well as being the first Hero from his generation.

Barbara: i think the Oracle roll fits her better than Batgirl, and by extension she should be better than bruce at Hacking/Reserch etc.

Jason: some people think hes better at bruce than fighting, i disagree, i think he should be better at The chess game than bruce, plans and schemes, this is based on the fact he came up with a very elaborate plan to fuck with B. In under the red hood

Tim: Tim is the detective, from how he became robin it should be obvious, this one is pretty consistently agreed on

Cass: THIS one is the fighter, its her whole thing, being shivas kid, the way she was raised etc. also i think her "Orphan" title is lame, she should be batgirl.

The next few i haven't figured out yet

Steph: maybe she could be an inverse of Jason, where shes good at "Spoiling" other people's plans/schemes idk

Damian: literally no clue, but to be fair ive never really vibed with his character, leave suggestions.

Duke: Seems like it should be something to do with idk inspiring people or like being a symbol of hope or something, again seeking ideas?

[dynamite-derek]

Sea of Stars: The best game you played as a child that released in 2023

When I was in middle school, I have vivid memories of playing Chrono Trigger. I rented it from my local video store, a poor man's family video. It even had a tanning bed, as was the style at the time. I sat in front of my grandmother's mid-size CRT television and was amazed at just about everything I saw. The beautiful pixel art, the various set pieces, the story, the music. Everything. My inner monologue for about a month after experiencing Chrono Trigger for the first time was using "thees" and "thous" a lot like Frog did in that localization. He was the best character so the way he spoke was the best way to speak. Simple as that.

Often times games try to ape Chrono Trigger because my experience with it is hardly a unique one. Most of the time, I feel these games miss the mark or fall short of it. They tease you with the "Chrono Trigger" but it more hits on some highlights that Chrono Trigger had instead of making an actual good game that can stand on its own merits. The example that comes most prominently to mind is "I Am Setsuna," a game I once wrote about on this blog. It's a game that mindlessly tries to take what makes Chrono Trigger a good game and slaps it onto something else. A soulless product developed by a company with a soulless name (Tokyo RPG Factory.)

My brother has been pestering me to play Sea of Stars for months now. Yet the specter of products like "I Am Setsuna" prevented me from making the jump for a long time. Yes, aesthetically, it played the part...but if I were to go back in time and rent this game from the fake Hollywood Video and play this on the mid-size CRT at my grandmother's house, would it capture my imagination? Would it stand on its own?

Yes.

On the surface, Sea of Stars looks like it's trying to be Chrono Trigger. They have the combo attacks, they have the wacky cast of characters from a variety of different backgrounds, the overworld and spritework looks pretty close and the music...well, the music can often feel like it was lifted straight from that very SNES game. But there's more to it than that. Quite literally. Sea of Stars doesn't just try to mimic the style of one beloved RPG, it lifts from several and becomes something of a Jack of all retro turn based trades.

The combat uses timed hits like Super Mario RPG - a system that's extremely easy to wrap your mind around but is extremely adept at keeping the player's attention. You can't just take your mind off of the game once you hit 'attack.' It also has the ability to change your characters in combat, which gives the game something of a Final Fantasy X (it's odd that a 20+ year old game is the 'newest' thing mentioned here) feeling. Sometimes a spot will call for a poison user, sometimes it will call for your warrior cook, sometimes it will call for your moon user. It's simple, but it makes each encounter feel unique and engaging. It also uses something akin to a limit break system, as seen in various Final Fantasy titles. Everybody gets an elaborate ultimate attack. When is the right time to use it? Even more variables tossed into a fairly easy-to-use system.

It's not just in the gameplay either. One of the big mistakes video game companies make when making 'new' retro games is that they cram too much story into the game. Don't get me wrong, stuff like Final Fantasy IV, Lunar Silver Star Story and Chrono Trigger have plenty of story, but go back and play those games and then go play Final Fantasy VII. The amount of dialogue and dedication to storytelling is next level compared to what you get in SNES games. Older RPGs have a smattering of world building and story but that is bolstered by the gameplay. Sea of Stars is similar in this regard. It does not have 'too much' story, it has about as much as you would see in an SNES RPG. It leaves something to the imagination. Not every last detail of the world is explained, you're left with a sense of wonder.

When I first heard the term 'solstice warrior,' I grimaced. It sounded so lame, like something out of a kid's cartoon. And yet, it is tackled with sincerity. They don't go out of their way to tell you every aspect of what goes into making these warriors, they keep things very simple and straight forward. It just feels authentic. By the end of the game I wanted to learn more about this world and these characters, I did not feel like everything had been spelled out in game and there was something left to discover. Even a post-game twist felt like something a kid would tell you at school and you'd just roll your eyes and say 'yeah fucking right Ned, I'm sure collecting all 60 conch shells will do that.'

My discovery with this game is that in order to create a 'love letter' to a genre, you need to focus on more than one game. It needs to just focus on lots of things. I am Setsuna feels like a shallow clone of Chrono Trigger. Sea of Stars feels like a game that saw great elements from a lot of other great games and came to its own conclusions by throwing those things together. I fully believe a middle school aged Derek would have been glued to his Grandma's CRT for a month straight playing this game. It's the highest compliment that I can pay this game. It's not better than Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy VI or Earthbound. But it still stands on its own and it is fantastic.

[sunbrightheart]

ACOTAR MEN AND THE SPORTS I THINK THEY WOULD PLAY:

note: this is all up for interpretation, so feel free to list your suggestions in the comments !!

rhysand: definitely a big shot baseball player. can imagine him in the traditional pinstriped yankees uniform. real smug bastard on the field, mind-fuck strategist.

cassian: is a beast at heavy weight sports, but this man cannot run to save his life. prefers more stationary sports like boxing and wrestling. competes in weightlifting events for fun.

azriel: only participates in team sports if cassian and rhysand are playing, but i think he would thrive in individual or one-on-one sports. martial arts like bjj (brazilian jiu-jitsu) and judo are his best.

tamlin: this man screams front row prop. say your thoughts and prayers because he will quite literally go beast mode and bulldoze you over. always getting carded and warnings because he can’t reign in his temper.

lucien: now call me biased but lucien is a jack of all trades. he dabbles in all sorts of sports, mostly of which are unconventional, and is really good at them once he puts his mind to it. that being said i would say he plays a mix of track and field, lacrosse and volleyball. occasionally does archery and swimming.

tarquin: any and all water sports and baby tarquin is undefeated. loves waterpolo and competitive swimming.

varian: wind-surfing, for sure. i would also say rowing; amren especially loves his arms.

helion: is definitely a former rugby jock. a literal powerhouse on and off the field. those thunder thighs be THIGHING. also dabbles in shot put because i feel like he would unironically be really good at it.

thesan: he gives me major badminton vibes. i dont know why, but just racket sports in general??????

kallias: any and all winter sports and kallias is there. a pro at ice hockey and speed skating. likes to do duo figure skating with viviane.

beron: is literally one of those middle age, upper middle class white men who spend all their free time at the country club, sipping on top shelf whiskey and abusing the clubs workers. probably plays golf and tennis, croquet too but hes too prideful and thinks its for old people.

[bodiedbyteecosplays]

* Not so hidden talent on Karaku / Urogi’s part.*

Hiiiiiii I’m back with some more Hantengu clone headcanons! We are gonna tap into these talents that I don’t know why they hide 🫤 anyways, I hope y’all enjoy!

Modern! Hantengu clones in Hidden Talents!

SEKIDO

• So this angery bby is heeelllllaaa good at playing the electric guitar & piano… I’m talking years of experience since he was a young lad.

• He started playing when he was around 5-6 years old ( mind you, he’s about to be 28 ) so that’s 20+years.

• It’s not that he’s ashamed of it but surprisingly, he gets nervous playing in front of other people (other than his brothers/ parents).

• His brothers tell him that he should upload videos of him playing online and he absolutely refuses.

• He has a Red electric guitar and a big piano in his living room and he often plays when he is alone.

KARAKU

• Mr. Pleasure himself is an EXTREMELY talented dancer & he’s damn proud of it.

• He’s been dancing since he could remember to walk. His mom would always call him happy feet.

• Went viral doing a dance to Beyoncé’s song Already & Urogi was the one recording and hyping him up (UROGI IS CANONICALLY A HYPE MAN AND I CALL IT)

• Ever since then, he’s made both a TikTok & YouTube account and post shorts of him dancing or doing challenges.

• SPEAKING OF!! Every TikTok/internet challenge there is Karaku has done and absolutely ✨Slayed✨ it.

• Mans is just unstoppable when he dances.

AIZETSU

• Hear me out, AIZETSU IS A TAAALLLEENNTTEDD SINGER.

• WHEEEWWWW!!! Voice of an ANGEL!

• Another brother that has been singing since he was a child.

• The first time his brothers heard him sing, they were literally STUNNED. I mean imaging Urogi & Karaku being SPEECHLESS. HELLOOOO?!?!

• His Voice is so buttery smooth & DID I MENTION HE CAN HIT HIGH NOTES TOO. He ALSO has Perfect Pitch ( Wiki definition will be linked in for more context)

• He was singing “To be Loved” by Adele by himself in his car when it came on the radio and was taken aback by his own vocal abilities.

• Mans needs to expose his talents but like Sekido, he gets increasingly nervous singing in front of others.

• His Brothers want him to come out of his shell sooooo bad!

UROGI

• Mans is literally a Jack of all trades.

• No seriously, He can sing, dance, play all kinds of instruments and he also does gymnastics (SAVE SOME TALENTS FOR THE REST OF US, DUDE)

• He literally flaunts it too but isn’t the douchey type. Very willing to teach others if willing.

• He’s been into gymnastics since he was 4 and would always get funny looks because he’s a guy doing it but the way this man just exudes joy when he does it captures people in awe.

• He started getting into singing and playing instruments in middle school. He knows how to play Trumpet, Saxophone, Tuba, Marimba, Piano, Guitar, Drums, Violin, and etc. His singing voice is up there with his brother Aizetsu and he also has Perfect pitch as well.

• He got into dancing with Karaku in later/recent years and frequently does videos with him as well. Urogi is prettyyyy Great at dancing too. He also incorporates dance moves into his gymnastic routines he makes up.

I Tag: @hakujisstuff / @ch3rriiii-bunn , @its-freaking-jordan , @i-karaku-swear-i-dont-smoke-weed | @doesfairieshavetails @yunaarts @doumaverse

For more context on Absolute Pitch/ Perfect Pitch:

[laidback-thrills]

EDIT: THIS IS SLIGHTLY OUTDATED. More coming soon.

Hello all!

I've been meaning to talk more in depth about this!!! I put a "read more" bc this is a little long and I don't wanna clog up the tag.

BUT

DSAF CULT AU!!!

My DSAF Cult AU is very canon divergent.

Dave Miller is a fledgeling demon who was once a young nephilim. He remembers very little about his past, but something horrible has made him what he is now.

He has a full, actual Enochian name, but people tend to throw up and shit and die when they hear it, so he chose to go by "Dave" because "It's common! I'm a normal, common guy!", but also because he trusted and loved someone like a father.

His demonic sigil and general telltale symbol is the extremely long sacrificial dagger driven into his skull. No matter what form he takes, he will have it. It can be taken out for a short period of time before Dave begins to have trouble staying corporeal.

Now literally borne with a total inability to feel remorse for his actions, he is a sick and twisted monster that does not know how to control his own extremely horrifying powers. He requires a conduit to channel them, lest he explode.

He was all alone in the world. A freak, even when "disguised" as a human. (He's purple for fuck's sake, he smells like rot and he's scaring people!). Connection eluded him, although it was all he ever wanted, even as a horrifyingly malicious entity. It's very much a similar situation to regular DSAF - he was "abandoned", and now forever seeks

Until some idiot.

Jack Kennedy was a desperate man with a missing family and no future. He was addicted to every kind of substance, heavily in debt, and crushingly isolated.

After uncovering some interesting literature from his shitty Fazbender's Pepperonerie job, he decided that he was desperate enough to follow the instructions in the grimoire. Nothing to lose anymore, and a big goal to achieve. A skeptic as he was, he did not expect the ritual to work, but when it did, it completely changed his world.

Jack did not immediately make a contract with Dave, out of pure shock and wariness, but the fucker stuck around anyway. He was offered a deal and spent a while debating it.

Eventually, it went through.

Jack was granted a demonic boon. Power, money, pleasures of the world, and a chance to put them back together. In return, he traded his body and soul for Dave's services.

The process was painful.

An agonizing death, and a transformation. Dave's sigil burned into his back, and all at once, he was rotten and orange.

Then, the demon ate his soul.

Dave benefits greatly from the exchange too (baby's first contract). He gets a lot of power from it. It keeps him anchored. Gives him something to do. Someone interesting to play with. Company at last, and it's someone that can't run away from him!

Jack is Dave's saint. They are intrinsically bound. Jack is the first person to ever form a contract with Dave— Blackjack is caged inside of Dave, alive and warm, providing him with abilities and power he didn't have before. The Black Dog is loyal to its original master, however, and attempts to return to him. As a result, the soul more or less keeps them tethered. They physically cannot stray too far from eachother.

Post-contract, now armed with the knowledge that more souls = more power, and wanting to actually put a use to their power, they get to work!

With supernatural persuasion and a great gambling streak, Jack gets his start in Nevada. There, they build their empire off of the backs of desperate gamblers who put their soul on the line. Hungry, lonely men, hookers, the desperate and the naïve...all are errant souls that Father Jack will lead right on home.

Dave requires fresh blood for any spell, but demands child sacrifices to perform large spells, but that is quite alright. With the influx of followers, children are not too hard to come by. The death of a toddler, and an unholy miracle is performed— Jack's precious little flock has a home, a commune tucked into the desert.

(It isn't DSAF without a little toddler stranglin'!)

Jack and Dave- they get them good. Victims, converts- they're promised security, "God is dead, but we've got the power to help you!" Father Jack's a friendly and convincing fella, it seems, and after all...his Gospel is very legitimate- why have just faith when you can see your new God? When that doesn't work, there's always fear. Don't believe his word? Why, they'll show you horrors of which you've never seen! Father Kennedy's fun loving, but he's a soulless bastard, and he's not shy about putting the fear of all things unholy into his flock.

Of course, once the sinners are deep enough, it's too late to escape. Father Kennedy has some dirt on them. This lovely community is built on violence, after all, and Father knows exactly what they did to get here, and exactly what they've said at confessional. That, and...who does not fear the erratic demon?

At the commune, the "church" is hidden away in the labyrinthine basement of an invaded Freddy's location. (The management seems...more than willing...) The Pepperonerie is a front, concealing profits and deaths from the government. The Priest and the Demon wash their money, wash their hands, and serve unsuspecting guests pizza with a healthy dollop of propaganda.

When they aren't terrorizing their followers, however, Dave and Jack spend their time together. It is with mixed enjoyment. They find new purpose in each other. Commit horrible atrocities and live it up in V E G A S, baby! They're...gasp...starting to crush on each other? They're also sexily trying to kill each other just a little bit.

"I hate this purple motherfucker...but I want to kiss him on his hot mouth..."

Important note shoehorned in—

Jack does not worship Dave traditionally, the way the other followers do. He does not fear him at all. He recognizes Dave for what he is- a lonely, desperate fool. As far as they go, the demon is on his leash, not the other way around. He only prays when he needs something, in the very beginning. As their relationship advances however, and they commit atrocities that would make mankind pale, Jack becomes a very religious man. Not because he is afraid or respects him as any kind of authority (he does not respect him period), but because he is Really Gay. The way he prays is devout and hungry. Only in prayer can Jack manage to say what he means.

Actually, Dave ends up more worshipping *Jack* more than Jack worships him. It's turned on its head. Dave is sooo down bad and in love, he'll do anything. Anything at all for his priest, his clementine. His obsession is very much comparable to canon. He haunts Jack and everything that he does. Jack is never alone, never truly, because a dark looming purple shadow will always follow him. He steals his things and vies for his attention at all times of the day, because he is so wrapped around Jack's orange finger it's stupid...

"Jump." "How high?!"

Peace, quiet and privacy is an extinct concept to Jack, unfortunately.

TLDR; They're horrible to eachother but are in love and their hands are drenched in the blood of children (as usual) but now it has a gay worshipping undertone.

This is not everything, of course. Next time I talk, i'll delve more into the serious and rather toxic side of their relationship but this is just some stuff i've managed to crank out! Sorry if it's all over the place! I have one billion thoughts. Feel free to ask any questions, too, I'll do my best to answer. There will be more soon.

[erinsintra]

Part Two: Brazilian idioms and expressions that I think are cool

Here's the first one, in case you missed it.

"Com o cu virado pra Lua" (With [their] ass pointed at the Moon) - A particularly talented or lucky person.

"Broxante" (No direct translation) - The adjective broxa - as well as the verb broxar - refers to a man who can't get hard in order to have sex; I think the most accurate translation would be "impotent". Broxante refers to something - a movie, a book, a date, an event - that was continuosly hyped up, only for it to be a huge disappointment on arrival.

"Amigo da onça" ("Jaguar's friend") - A fake or unfaithul friend. Originates from a tale where two men are being chased by a jaguar, and the first man says running is pointless because the creature will eventually catch them. The second man answers "I don't have to run faster than the jaguar, I only have to run faster than you."

"O que é um peido pra quem tá todo cagado?" ("What is a fart for someone who shat themselves?") - What is another problem for someone who's already at rock bottom?

"De boas intenções o Inferno tá cheio" - ("Hell is full of good intentions") - We should judge others by their actions, and not by the purpose of them, for even some of the nastiest people in history believed they fought for a good cause.

"Arrombado/a" - In the literal sense, arrombado describes a door that has been forcefully opened with brute force. It has since then been used to refer to a man (or woman) who has had so much anal sex that their private hole is now a gaping abyss. With that disgusting mental image aside, the term is nowadays used to refer to particularly unpleasant people, like the English word "asshole".

"Maria vai-com-as-outras" ("Goes-with-the-flow Maria") - Someone with no strong opinions of their own, who only follows whatever cause people tell them to.

"Na seca" "(Drought period") - Someone who hasn't had sex in a long while.

"Quem ignora buraco é o governo" (Only the government ignores a hole" - in reference to Brazil's poorly maintained roads) - It doesn't matter if they're a man or woman, rich or poor, pretty or ugly. If they're willing to sleep with you, go for it!

"Diga-me com quem andas e direi quem tu és" ("Tell me with whom you walk and I shall tell you who you are") - We are a product of our surroundings, and so we should avoid associating ourselves with bad people.

"Rapadura é doce, mas não é mole não" ("Rapadura [Brazilian dessert] is sweet, but not soft") - Life is good, but it ain't easy.

"Quem tem boca vai a Roma" (One with a mouth can travel to Rome) - Being charismatic can get you anywhere.

"Maria mijona" ("Pissing Maria") - A girl with a particularly bad fashion style, usually nerdy-looking.

"Uma andorinha sozinha não faz verão" ("A swallow on its own is no summer") - Sometimes you can't do everything by yourself, and it's okay to ask for help.

"Pau pra toda obra" ("Wood for the whole construction") - Someone who's good at everything. The English equivalent would be the saying "Jack of all trades, master of none; but better than a master of one."

"Procurar sarna pra se coçar" ("Too look for a mosquito bite to scratch") - Nitpicking something to be mad at.

"Todo dia saem de casa um otário e um esperto. Quando eles se encontram, dá negócio." - Every day, a dumbass and a smartass come out of their house. Whenever they meet, business happens. A sentence used to explain why some people waste their money on pointless things - and why other people sell them in the first place. Like the TikTok NPC thing.

[justa-moth]

this is an incredibly niche thing that will appeal to maybe like one other jrwi fan, but:

what crew i think various riptide characters would be on if they were tech theatre kids

because why not :]

Jay: - oh Set Crew for SURE dude - shes the head carpenter - she knows how to use every tool in the shop - she's the one helping the newbies learn said tools - she'll yell at you to be safe but also do the worlds most unsafe things - she probably gets thrown on fly rail alot and is bitter about it because she'd rather move stuff on stage

Chip: - Set - Now he might not be great at it - but he would just really enjoy using the power tools - (and Jay would be on his ass about it constantly because he is Not safe like at ALL) - he probably gets put on like the super heavy set piece for a scene change and will do nothing but complain about it

Gillion: - ok this one was hard - i dont think hes set crew - but i do think hes usually been crowned the official Heavy Set Piece Mover - just because hes the theatres resident Strong Man - honestly i think he's scared of most of the power tools tbh jhkfsdjhk - he's probably just general stage crew, aka just the jack of all trades guy that any of the crews can use if they need an extra hand - (however he never helps any of the crews that require like a steady hand, like makeup, costume, or props, just bc of how big and clunky he is hjkfsdjkh)

Queen: - probably props or makeup/costume - theyre utterly terrified of ANY power tools and will avoid the shop like the PLAGUE - she probably really enjoy just sitting and working on small details for props while they blare music - (she is also the person in the theatre with the BEST music tastes, literally the best rehearsal playlist) - you look away from queen for maybe an hour and he will come back with the most intricate and beautifully designed prop - and it ends up having maybe 5 seconds of screen time and will have to get deconstructed once shows over

Gryffon: - okay so he's the guy that everyone thought would be the resident strong man when he joined the theatre. - and while technically he is, this poor man finds a way to break fucking anything - working on a set piece? it will crumble when he walks in the room. - working on lighting? they lamps will explode - he's the murphys law man. if anything could go wrong, it Will if he's in the room - its gotten to the point where every show the theatre does a ritual to the Theatre Gods in hopes that gryffon's powers of Pure Destruction may be nullified long enough for them to actually get shit done - he probably just gets put on fly rail because thats the only thing he hasn't managed to break

Alphonze: - Lighting / Sound for SURE - i would trust this man to operate the board - he's literally a god at programming cues, hes always on time - he cuts the mic out the SECOND the actor leaves the stage, he gets mic problems fixed INSTANTLY - if somethings wrong with a light, he IMMEDITAELY knows how to fix it - he is essentially the Antichrist to gryffon's destructive power - its the Theatre Superstition that if Alphonze and Gryffon are in the same room for too long it'll cause a singularity

Lizzie: - Set or maybe even Stage Manager - she's probably stage manager, but like only hangs out with techies - because being in the room with the cast and their songs for too long makes her just actually wanna die - shes super chill, but then tech week hits and she means BUISNESS - her ass gets things DONE - they could be in any stage of the creative process, and lizzie will find a way to speedrun it in the best and most efficient way possible

Caspian: - Makeup / Costume - like i imagine him helping people do their makeup in the dressing rooms before show - he would also be that one poor head costume manager helping the main character with the worlds most stressful quick change - or the poor mf who has to speed safety pin someones clothes together because it ripped mid performance

Marshal John: - literally THE set guy, aside from Jay - you need something heavy moved quickly? get john - power tools broken? get john - literally any problem that could easily be solved by a Big Strong Man? john. - he, like gillion, is the other Resident Strong Guy - however all prop people know to never get NEAR him, because this poor man has a way of literally just breathing on a prop and causing it to shatter - he's just big and clunky and can't handle delicate things

Drey and Finn: - the resident Uncles of the theatre - they don't work there - but theyre there to support their Kids TM - drey probably donates random pieces of furniture to the set department - and finn makes BANGER meals for the crew when it gets closer to performance - and they work like 12+ hours without eating - finn will MAKE SURE these poor kids get their nutriants

Earl: - in the same vein, he's also just one of the resident Uncles - once before a performance earl didn't make them juice - and literally Everything went wrong - so now everyone is convinced that Earl's juice is Magical and Blessed - and if the theatre doesn't get blessed by his juice, everyone fears for their life - Earl uses this to his advantage, and will actively threaten people to drink his juice by saying like "if you don't drink this i'll make sure that chandelier breaks right before the finale!!" - and the poor set crew kids just start SWEATING

[gunkreads]

Wheel of Time: what’s the deal with sniffing (e.g. Hurin)? Is it a Talent that doesn’t rely on being able to channel?

I'm far from a lore expert for Wheel of Time, so I can't really give you an actual explanation. My milieu is less "How does the world of WoT work?" and more "Why is the world of WoT written the way it's written?"

The short version is that I don't know the answer. The (incredibly) long version, hidden under a cut so anyone who knows for sure and wants to answer doesn't have to reblog misinfo, is:

I'm not an expert in historical folklore, but one thing I do know from learning a very small bit about things like Arthuriana and the Edda (Scandanavian written folklore) is that sometimes, there's a Guy Who Can Do That. Frequently, there are a lot of Guys Who Can Do That, "that" being some special talent (or Talent, in the case of WoT) that's unique to them. Sometimes it's a hunter being able to completely, literally disappear in an empty field in broad daylight; sometimes it's a fisherman being able to pilot a dinghy through 12-foot seas; sometimes it's a farmer being able to snap his fingers at a pack of wolves and send them running. A lot of these talents are related to trade, with the heavy implication that the person was born with a bit of talent and has honed that talent to a superhuman degree over a lifetime's experience.

Sound familiar? The general concept behind Hurin's sniffing talent is the same. This guy was presumably born with (or developed at an early age) an exceptionally good sense of smell. Maybe he could tell when his baby sibling was about to get sick by the smell of their breath; maybe he could tell what was for dinner before he got home. Something like that.

Jordan pulled a lot of the main continent's cultures from real-life European folklore and history. Part of the world's strength is the way Jordan mixes-and-matches different cultures such that no WoT country is really equivalent to any real-life country. However, the streak of European-centric mythology present in the story is hard to ignore and foolish to downplay.

Now that I've established that, I'll start "answering" you, as much as this is a non-answer.

Channeling is MAGIC magic. It's something from nothing, ignores the first law of thermodynamics, allows for control of physical forces through supernatural means. Sure, there's a strong basis of physics themes suffusing the magic system, but it's fundamentally still magic.

Hurin's sniffing is a talent. Sure, it's a Talent, too, but fundamentally, it's just a talent. Something he's naturally good at that he's honed. Some people just have more sensitive noses than others. Remember, now, that this world is not our own, however much effort Jordan made to make that plausible. The talent of "having a good nose" can be elevated above its maximum capacity in real life. Did you ever watch action cartoons as a kid? Like Teen Titans, PowerPuff Girls, Samurai Jack? You know how they can kind of just jump off 5-story buildings with no problem? Sure, it's a conceit of the genre, but it's not explicitly magical, they're just very special.

Hurin falls into that category of "just very special". For the purposes of the story, he's "a very skilled tracker" and "an impetus for Perrin to further question his identity". The mechanism by which he tracks--superhuman ability to smell--is not a magical thing. It's just WoT's version of Batman surviving getting thrown into asphalt hard enough to crater it. Some people can do that in this world. Most people can't, but some people can.

It's also important to juxtapose Hurin's talent within the Borderlander, and specifically Shienaran, social system. The Borderlanders are all about utility and vigilance. Hurin is practically a walking, talking early-warning system. If the wind is bearing southwest, he can probably smell Trollocs before they hit Tarwin's Gap. He is valued at such a high level, and his talents are held up on such a pedestal, because he's part of a culture that values individual utility above all else. If you can do something that nobody else can, you're doing it as much as possible, full stop. He isn't forced to do this--he's just a member of a culture that's defined by hard work and individual contribution to the cause (of safety and being a bulwark against the Blight). He'd be a rebel, and in Shienaran eyes a coward, if he didn't dedicate his life to honing this talent that can be used to aid his countrymen.

So my short answer is "Hurin's sense of smell has nothing to do with channeling". Having superhuman abilities and being able to touch the True Source are two separate things. There's a lot of overlap, sure, but there are people (like Hurin and Perrin, to different degrees) who are just Guys Who Can Do That. This is one of Jordan's ways of illustrating that there's "special" and there's "SPECIAL"; Hurin is the former, while most of the protagonists are the latter. Hurin could be the protagonist of a less-expansive fantasy story. He's got one single talent that fundamentally sets him apart from his companions.

The purpose this serves in the story is twofold. For one, it's using Jordan's favorite way of deepening his world: creating unsolvable or incompletely-solvable mysteries. For two, it creates an important contrast against the main characters, who are special in much more extensive and concrete ways. It shrinks the gap between the main cast and the average person by establishing that, before the Emond's Field kids were released into the world, there were people who were already special or skilled beyond the average. Shit, look at Juilin! Look at Bayle! Look at Aludra! Look at Thom! These people are exceptional in some way before they meet the protagonist; it's pretty clearly established that that's why the ta'veren pull reels them in. These are people for whom there is a right place and right time, because they're exceptional. There are problems they're uniquely (or at least especially) equipped to solve. It doesn't make much sense for a ta'veren to have a one-in-a-million chance run-in with a thoroughly average person that has zero meaningful effect on their life. By god this is making me think about Gawyn so fucking hard. I won't digress that hard.

So Hurin exists in the story because he's a little bit special, and he only exists to be a little bit special.

The hole in this is that you could argue that literally everything in the WoT universe is channeling. The Wheel of Time is turned by the power from the True Source, so literally everything in the Pattern is fueled by the True Source and is therefore a result of some application of the Source. Of course, that's not what Channeling means--it's specifically a person accessing and manipulating the True Source--but there's still a connection, sorta.

JUST LIKE THE FUCKING PIPE

Again, I don't actually know this. I'm just putting together some conclusions based on what I remember and focusing more on the "why" than the "how".

[gamerbearmira]

bh6 au bh6 au bh6 au!!! AHUAHSF but heya, hope you're doing well, and we dont have a specific name for this au yet, mayhaps we can find one but yesyes bh6 au!! (i am going insane /lh) me is attempting to write rn hehe <3

BH6 AU💪💪💪

It’s so cool, me and the asker have been working on it <333 instead of gifts, they specialize in certain tech and stuff 🗿

Basically Pedro is there. And it’s Antonio’s presentation at the college (he’s still 5, they’re all prodigies and presented at 5, except Mirabel who presented a little later cause she hadn’t decided her science concentration yet 😭😭). Anyway, Pedro sacrifices himself to save Señora Guzmán and boom died.

Alma hid the project he was gonna show the family that he was working on for a long time: Baymax. Basically Mirabel and the grandkids find him and he’s chill, helping them grieve and stuff. The pressure for this au is Alma taking Pedro’s saying “someone has to help” as the family needed to use their tech and intelligence around the city to help other people. And never expand on their tech. Always the same thing.

Anyway, here’s their sciences (all the Madrigals, including the husbands + Alma and Oedro are like. Literal prodigies, mostly in science, but other stuff 🤧):

Fields of Study:

pedro - robotics

alma - forensic engineering

-------

julieta - health sciences

agustin - language and literature

pepa - meteorology

felix - sociology and music

bruno - physics

-------

isabela - botany

dolores - acoustics

luisa - kinesiology

camilo - neuroscience

mirabel - psychology

antonio - zoology

—————

There’s so much more about this au but like. That’s the gist of it <333 if you guys have any ideas LET US KNOWWWWW ‼️‼️‼️ the adults actually later becomes hero’s and funnily enough they’re all hiding it from each other and Alma is entirely clueless 😭😭

Well, the grandkids become super cool heros and obviously Baymax is there (I didn’t draw him YET 💀) and here are their designs <333 COLOR COMING TO TUMBKR DASH NEAR YOU📸📸

Here’s their tech and stuff:

Isabela, maybe something similar to Honey Lemon, but she uses the chemicals of different plants that has different (non lethal) effects? She throws pollen pods like honey lemon does and whatever plants she makes all disappear after a certain amount of time or something, oh and her vines she uses to swing ofc, they're very durable. CARBON FIBER VINES ❗❗

Dolores, maybe she uses soundwaves and sounds in general, and uses something similar to a giant megaphone and speaks; does a lot of knockback.

Luisa, I feel like she would have attachable enhancements, kinda like gauntlets and boots that allow her to further utilize her strength and stamina etc etc

Camilo, maybe his tech tricks the mind, lots of illusions and stuff, and he definitely has a camouflage suit, so he's good for stealth and sneaking up on enemies. He might also go beyond from just people, might even have animals and objects too since its really illusion (mayhaps an upgrade later down the line in their endeavor) Ohhh, a upgrade would be really good and show how he (and the others) develop his tech further

Mirabel’s tech works with Baymax, so it's pretty similar to Hiro's, though I think she would be a jack of all trades as well. Also mentioned in what i wrote that she has a bag of tech goodies (inspired by her good ol bag in canon and also that one ask i saw about her magic bag)

Antonio, like I said before, uses robot animals. He builds them and sends then out, controlling them maybe via a headset similar to the microbots, and the animals have cameras so he can see what they see. I think maybe when he builds P.A.R.C.E (the giant robot jaguar; a.k.a Precision Automated Robotic Companion Entity) the other grandkids will let him go out to battle. Also lets him be at the final battle.

Still working on the adults 🤭🤭🤭