#LONG SPEECH AHOY!!!!

[sugarpasteltmnt]

Hi, I'm someone who's interested in making a long-fic but just been struggling to do so. Alot of it just cause I really I'm not confident in my ability to write it well or that people will read it. Even though Neon Void was your first fic (I think) you managed to not only reach so many, but tell a story so deep and personal and moving that every time I re-read a snippet I find myself wanting to read a whole chapter.....and then the entire series.

If I can be so bold to ask, how did you do it? How did you take Neon Void and make it? What kept you from giving into the voices within and without that tell you to give up? How did you make sure the story was the best it could be. If you could go back, what would you do differently? What strategies would be best for someone who also wants to do a longfic?

Sorry if it's alot.

First, thank you so so much. It makes me super happy to hear that you thought it was moving and enjoy reading it!!

and don’t be sorry!! I’m super flattered that you wanted to ask me such a cool and thought provoking question!! Gunna hide most of this answer under a read-more as I get a little autobiographical, but in short:

You must be your own biggest fan

I’ll be honest— I had NO idea so many people would read my fic. The amount of positive feedback has blown me away and I couldn’t be more thankful for how nice the TMNT fandom has been to me (and my sister!!)

And you’re right! Neon Void WAS my first fic I ever published!! But I’ve been writing every day since I was a tween. I just love to write. But even then, I was nervous to post. No one except my closest friend had EVER read my writing before. I wasn’t sure if anyone would read it, or even like it since it was kind of a wacky premise.

But also in a way, it was okay if no one else read it, because I liked it. And that’s kind of the secret sauce to it all.

I have never, ever written anything this long before. Originally, TNV was going to be like, ten chapters max. I have no idea it would evolve into a nearly 30 chapter fic. And i think there were several factors that contributed to that.

First, I was utterly and totally obsessed with my own AU. When i started daydreaming about certain scenes over and over, i knew i had to write it. Being so invested in my own story was the biggest factor in actually finishing it. Which sounds so obvious, but the thing is I have a tendency to think of new AUs constantly. (Sometimes even daily.) The fact I kept revisiting this one was a sign that if i wanted to write it, now was the time.

Second, and this is piggybacking off of that last confession of always daydreaming new AUs, i knew i was on a personal timer. If i was going to do this, I had to make sure I did it. So i gave myself a goal of trying to post on a rough schedule to keep myself accountable.

(But remember!!!! It's just fanfiction!!! you never, ever have to put that kind of expectation on yourself! You don't need a posting schedule. You don't even need to finish. I personally pushed myself so hard to see it through because for years I told myself that if i was ever going to post fanfiction, i HAD to finish. It's okay if you don't!! I would never ask a writer or an artist to slog through something that doesn't bring them joy anymore. Because at the end of the day, fanfiction is meant to be fun!!)

BUT

Here's a bit of a confession. I didn't want to give up on it because it brought me a lot of joy during a rough year. I found myself sneaking on my phone at work to write a paragraph or two whenever I had the chance. I would think about it 24/7. I was in love with the story I was making up and looking forward to writing helped get through some not so Cowabunga times. I know posting your work is super intimidating-- and you might be tempted to stop-- but remember, if it makes you happy-- even for a while-- it's worth it. TNV was making my days a bit brighter even before I started posting it.

Which leads to my next confession-- and this is probably the biggest reason I was able to actually pull it off with a posting schedule:

I had already written 50%-60% of TNV before I even posted chapter 1.

And that was on purpose for several reasons. One, I was having so much fun planning easter eggs and planning long-term foreshadowing bits. Second, it was a test to see if this AU was really rotting my brain enough that I wanted to spend a lot of time writing it. By the time I had a lot written and scenes I was super eager to get to, I knew I wanted to post it. But having a bulk of it already written was a huge reassurance in trying to maintain my posting schedule. (But again, that was just my style! You can hit the ground running if you'd like, start and then pause for a while to figure things out-- whatever works best for you!!)

But even when i was insanely obsessed with my own AU, it still took a lot of time and energy to write. There will be times you will find yourself trudging through bridging scenes to get to the scenes you actually wanna write and it's sooooooooo haaaaaaaaard. BUT!!! It's worth it!!! Getting through it and seeing how it sets up the exciting part just right is soooooooo satisfying.

As for making sure the story was the best it could be??? I'm not sure!! Because there were definitely times I went whining to my sister and best friend about certain plot points or scenes, worried it wasn't good enough. There were a LOT of times a scene or idea just didn't feel right. Heck, a lot of chapters ended up in a different order than when I originally started writing!! The lesson I learned throughout the whole thing is that the original idea doesn't have to be absolute. Sometimes rearranging the scenes is just what you need!

But when i was REALLY struggling, I'd find myself referring back to the original source. It was what inspired a fanfic after all! Sometimes taking a step back and reevaluating each character's personality helped me shape the scene into something that felt better. Other times I had to step back and remind myself about what was actually important to the story. (Example: originally, I had no idea how to get Donnie to the hidden city by himself. At first I tried to think of some lore on the mask to give Donnie a reason to go investigating Void... but it didn't feel right. The mask wasn't important. Not even Void was the most important thing to Donnie at the time. Leo was. And that helped me sort of get rid of the loosey-goosey idea of giving a complicated back story to the mask that made the story feel muddled.)

But even then, I wasn't sure if certain moves were the best they could be! I was always worried (and continue to be) that I poured too much into descriptions, or spent too much time talking about emotions with too little action. Or that I overuse phrases. But so long as each chapter made me happy, I figured readers would enjoy them too.

If I could go back and do something different... I wouldn't have goofed with Leo's kraang parasite adaptation in Mad Dog Part 2: Prom. I was trying to make his parasite enter an obvious 'stage 2 boss battle' look, but later I realized I didn't like how I described it lol.

But!!! I will confess, I'm no saint-- when i started getting lovely comments, it helped pour gas on the fire to keep going. And that's why I'm so thankful for every comment or doodle or ask sent my way. You guys are amazing and helped me get the fire under my ass to keep going, even when things were really hard.

I know it sounds so corny and like a cop-out answer, but ultimately, it's YOUR personal investment in YOUR story that is the secret sauce!!! So long as your interested in it, it won't feel so impossible to write a long fic. There will be challenges (like there is with any project) but honestly?? If you're head over heels for your own story, it will be fun and fulfilling. Even if you don't finish-- so long as it made you happy, that's what matters the most. (Again, that's so cheesy... but just like Master Leonardo tells Leo, 'cheesiness makes the best pizza pies in life'.)

Thank you again so much for this fun ask-- and I believe in you! You've got this. Have fun, enjoy writing, and have confidence in your work, because it makes YOU happy, and that's the greatest thing a story could be.

[steddiealltheway]

Steve sighs as Robin cackles and opens the door to the break room to add yet another tally to the “You Suck” side of her whiteboard. He hopes she lingers for a bit so he can get a break from the constant reminder that yes, he does suck. But the stupid hat and sailor uniform is enough of a reminder already.

And okay, maybe he enjoys Robin’s company a little bit, so maybe he doesn’t want her to linger for too long.

But he���ll never tell her that. Not in a million years.

Out of the corner of his eye, he spots someone walk into the entrance and he turns to give his “ahoy there” speech that Robin refuses to utter a single word of. Only, he gets a little choked up when he realizes he knows the person.

Well, not exactly knows him. But it’s hard not to know of Eddie “The Freak” Munson. Especially if you go to high school with him and happen to be a jock, god forbid. Not that Steve ever disagreed with the things he said, although some of it went right over his head - okay, most of it did. But! All things said, Eddie had a habit of making himself known to people.

“Ahoy there!” Steve announces louder than intended. “Would you like to set sail on this ocean of flavor with me? I’ll be your captain.” He leaves out his name because what’s the point? It’s not like Eddie isn’t aware of his existence or at least his last name which sometimes made a feature in his tabletop speeches.

“Steve Harrington,” Eddie says for him, apparently knowing his first name. “I didn’t expect to see you here.” Surprisingly, it’s not said in complete distaste. In fact, Eddie is smiling widely at him, eyes roaming over the uniform and landing on the hat.

Steve sighs, “Trust me, I know. So, what can I get for you today?”

Eddie smiles wickedly and asks, “Why don’t we set sail on this ocean of flavor and you can show me around, captain?”

A blush creeps its way up Steve’s neck and begins to burn at his cheeks. Probably from the humiliation. Nevertheless, he points out each different flavor and goes into detail about what’s in each since Eddie seems to be enjoying the humiliation, but Steve doesn’t mind it too much since he feels like he’s getting his undivided attention. And something about that makes Steve feel… less sucky.

He glances up at the end of his speech about the last flavor and catches Eddie staring at him with a small smile on his face, more genuine than before.

“What?” Steve can’t help but ask.

Eddie shakes his head. “Nothing,” he says, but the lie is clear to both of them. “I’ll get the USS Butterscotch.”

Something about the flavor makes Steve hesitate.

“What?” Eddie asks this time, slightly defensive.

“Nothing,” Steve says with a shake of his head. “Cup or cone?”

Eddie laughs, “Come on, you can’t do that.”

“Do what?”

Eddie gestures at him. “Make that face and then pretend like you weren’t thinking anything.”

Steve raises his eyebrows at him. “And you can?”

Eddie’s mouth opens and closes a few times before he leans across the top of the glass dramatically and puts his head in his hands. “I’ll get a cone please.”

Something about the image makes Steve laugh as he grabs a cone and scoop, making the order for Eddie. "You know." he says, wishing the ice cream was the slightest bit softer, "I was expecting you to get something like death by chocolate or coffee."

"Why's that?" Eddie asks curiously.

Steve glances up at him and shrugs. “Those flavors are more…” he struggles to find the right word.

“Metal?” Eddie asks, sounding almost hopeful.

“Exactly.”

The smile on his face grows. “Well, I’m glad you see me as someone metal, Steve. But what, just because you’re a jock, I’m supposed to expect you to like some gross flavor like bubblegum?”

Steve frowns. “I like bubblegum ice cream.”

Eddie sighs and runs his hands over his face. “Of course you do.” He takes a moment to look over Steve again. “But looking at you now, I’d assume your favorite flavor would be the USS butterscotch.”

“Because of the stupid hat, right?” Steve asks as he drizzles extra caramel on the top of the cone.

“I think the hat is cute,” Eddie replies.

The comment sends Steve’s heart into a bit of a frenzy for a moment before he collects himself and hands the cone over in exchange for the bill in Eddie’s hand. He counts the change two times, trying to make sure he doesn’t make a mistake as a bunch of panicky thoughts go through his head. He hands the change over quickly but hesitates when Eddie stares at it and frowns. “Something wrong?” Steve asks.

Eddie glances up at the menu, down at his change, and takes a moment before saying, “Sorry, you just charged me for a single scoop when this is a double with an extra topping.”

Steve frowns and looks at the cone. “The topping is on the house, but that’s a single scoop.”

Eddie glances up at him and raises his eyebrows.

“A generous single scoop,” Steve corrects himself.

There’s a pause before Eddie’s smile widens, and the corners of his eyes crinkle up cutely. “I think i just found my new favorite ice cream place.”

Steve laughs, “Better than Linda’s Ice Cream Parlor?”

“Linda would call this a triple scoop and wouldn’t give me a topping but she would still make me pay the extra just for asking,” Eddie complains with a smile.

“Well, I would never do that to you.”

“Is that so?” Eddie asks, leaning forward a bit.

Steve’s eyes glance down at Eddie’s lips momentarily as he tries to come up with a response.

“Hey dingus, there was a horrible delivery you missed…” Robin trails off as she looks between the two, effectively ruining the moment.

“See you around, Harrington,” Eddie says with a wink, tongue darting out and gathering up a bit of white ice cream and letting it disappear into his mouth.

Steve feels a familiar heat in the pit of his stomach and nearly groans. Instead he hurriedly tells Robin, “I’m taking my break!” And effectively ignores the look she’s giving him.

Back in the break room, Steve walks up to the board and stares at it, glancing at the “You Rule” column and whispering, “Almost,” before sighing and putting his head in his hands.

He can’t believe that Eddie Munson is sending him into a sexuality crisis. Yet, he hopes he comes back often the rest of summer. And maybe he’ll finally be able to get that “You Rule” tally.

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Sorry if I asked I already asked but do you have anything on writing ‘pirate talk’?

Writing Notes: Pirate Talk

Our much-loved “pirate-ese” language bears little relation to the actual speech of 17th and 18th-century buccaneers.

In fact, evidence suggests that our modern impression of pirate speech is all down to Disney. Here’s why:

Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson’s adventure novel Treasure Island was published in 1883.

In 1950, the popular tale was adapted for Hollywood in what was Walt Disney’s first movie made with live actors only.

The movie starred Robert Newton as the fictional pirate Long John Silver.

Born in Dorset and educated in Cornwall, Newton based his pirate talk on his own native British West Country dialect.

His accent might not have been far off—the south west of England has long been associated with pirates because of its strong maritime heritage; notorious pirate Blackbeard was even said to have come from Bristol, in the heart of that area.

Newton’s iconic role as Long John Silver was so influential that a variation of his West Country English became the standard for portrayals of pirates on stage and in the cinema.

As historian Colin Woodard told the National Geographic in 2011, “Newton’s performance—full of ‘arrs,’ ‘shiver me timbers,’ and references to landlubbers—not only stole the show, it permanently shaped pop culture’s vision of how pirates looked, acted, and spoke.”

Pirates have been around for a very long time and come from many places across the globe. Julius Caesar fought them, and to this day, pirates are still taking ships off the coast of Somalia. Logic dictates that all these pirates would speak in many different ways.

In Hollywood, there exists only one way pirates talk:

With an exaggerated English West Country accent and a lisp.

"Piratespeak" is somewhat of an exaggerated parody of some English rural accents of the 16th century.

A "snapshot" of a moment in the language during the "Great Vowel Shift".

There are some who've argued the associating of rural English accents with seafaring folk be on account of Lord Nelson, whose contemporaries noted his heavy Norfolk accent.

But the standard "Poirate accent" sounds more like it be from the The West Country (Devon, Somerset, Dorset, Cornwall, Gloucestershire and Bristol), perhaps because of memories of famed Devon sailors like Sir Francis Drake and Sir Walter Raleigh. Treasure Island, which does indeed begin in that part of Englandnote , did popularise it.

It also has noticeable overlap with the distinctive "Ocracoke accent" spoken by some longtime residents of the Outer Banks of North Carolina, which were similarly frequented by sailors in the 18th century; it may or may not be a coincidence that Ocracoke Island was the site of Blackbeard's last stand against the British Navy.

Some Pirate & Seafaring Terminology

Ahoy! - Used from the 18th century to attract attention, for example, the sighting of a ship, but later to simply mean "hello there".

Avast! - In use from the 17th century, it was a command to stop a particular action like pulling on rigging to hoist a sail.

Bear Up - To keep the ship’s bow away from the wind. An expression that was then used to mean "remain cheerful".

Blackjacks - (also called bombards) Large drinking cups, originally made out of leather and stiffened with tar.

Crack On - To make good speed. The term derives from the cracking noise made by ropes and sails made taut by a strong wind.

Davy Jones’s Locker - A term for the “ocean’s bottom,” especially when regarded as the grave for all who perish at sea.

Down the Hatch - To put cargo through the hatch and into the hold. The expression was used as a toast when drinking alcohol.

Dredgie - In popular pirate tales, dredgies are the ghosts of traitor pirates who’ve met a nasty end at the hands of another pirate.

From the Seas - This was a typical pirate’s answer to the question "where are you from?" and was given to conceal their identity. It might also be given by pirate ships when entering a port for the same reason. In use from the 17th century.

Goose Without Gravy - A slang term to refer to a badly injured man who showed no sign of bleeding.

Grog - Often depicted as a potent potable popularly partaken by plunderers on the high seas. Grog may refer to any alcoholic liquor, but is often reserved for booze—usually rum—cut with water. The term came about thanks to English admiral Edward Vernon, who reputedly earned the nickname “Old Grog” because he often wore a cloak made from grogram (a coarse, loosely woven fabric made of silk or silk blended with mohair or wool). In Old Grog’s day, sailors in the Royal Navy were customarily given a daily ration of rum, but in 1740 the admiral, concerned about the health of his men, ordered that the rum should be diluted with water. The decision wasn’t very popular with the sailors, who supposedly dubbed the mixture “grog” after Vernon.

Hempen Jig - Hempen refers to something made from hemp, a plant with tough fibers excellent for making rope. In popular accounts of pirates, hempen halter is a hangman’s noose, and to dance the hempen jig means “to die by hanging.”

Hornswoggle - To swindle, cheat, hoodwink, or hoax.

Land Ho! - The cry uttered by a lookout on the first sight of land.

Salmagundi - A fancy meal of salmagundi might be served when celebrating a successful plunder: chopped meats (whatever was handy), anchovies, onions, oil—and cackle fruit (“chicken eggs” in pirate-speak). It’s a great word for “any mixture or miscellany.”

Scallywag - (or scalawag) An insult for any pirate deemed a “rascal.” Son of a biscuit-eater is “a son of solider or sailor,” with that biscuit-eater sounding an awful lot like it’s replacing a coarser word.

Shiver Me Timbers - Unlikely to have ever been uttered by an actual pirate. Instead, it is thought to have arisen from comedic literature as sailor-speak akin to “blow me down” or “by golly” or somesuch. In the 19th-century children’s novel Outward Bound, a character named Wilton is even humiliated (in brisk fashion) for attempting the phrase.

Talk Bilge - Meaning to talk nonsense. It derives from the filthy bilge water in the lower parts of a ship.

Where away? - A question meaning "in which direction?" and usually uttered in response to a lookout sighting land or another ship.

Yo-Ho-Ho - A fictional pirate expression with no particular meaning that first appears in Robert Louis Stevenson’s 1883 novel Treasure Island. It may derive from the phrase "Yeo heave ho" which mariners chanted while pulling on rigging.

Sources: 1 2 3 4 5 6 ⚜ More: References ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs

Writing Notes: Pirates

Words Related to Pirates

You can find more terms and information in the sources. Hope this helps with your writing!

[lunarriviera]

Personally, i think modu should've had more love/bedroom scenes between lwz and fd..needed to know more about their sex lives lol their dynamic is so fun 😄

i mean…i'm a brainless funü so ofc i'm gonna agree. and i know we would each give up a limb if pei su and weizhao would just hug.

AND YET! there's an healthy amount of well-written fanfic about the pornographic things they get up to; and also, i SO ADMIRE how priest handles it in the novel, operating as she does under the constraints of jjwxc and the constant threat of arrest, while also making millions and selling the rights to at least three live-actions. consider how much luo wenzhou gets away with, when it's only described elliptically? A LOT OKAY. HE GETS AWAY WITH A LOT.

it's like a brilliant work on paper—just a few lightly sketched lines and we can see the entire landscape. i will only mention two scenes here because they're my favorites, but, you know. spoilers ahoy!

first, think about that entire sex scene in book 5 where lwz holds fei du up against a door, interrogating him closely, and the reader barely gets a handful of words to put together what's actually going on. but once you realize, it's incendiary. lwz opens fei du's bathrobe with his teeth…does something that makes fei du's sentence break off with a hiss…touches him "somewhere that makes him stiffen all over," after which there's "clutching the tender flesh between his legs," followed by "grinding back and forth…" and then, dazzlingly, the entire act gets summarized with just two devastating words: "negative distance."

then, remember the scene in the drama where fei du and lu jia (du jia) sit in the car talking, and lu jia speaks about trauma, and never being normal again, and fei du gives his terrifying little "i am the abyss" speech? after that he drives lwz home, and this happens on the way:

lwz says a few things about the case, while fei du tries to figure out what's going on, since the last time he saw lwz they disagreed:

priest is oblique here, but the "scrounging hand" clearly starts out underneath fei du's shirt and winds up much lower down, since fei du suddenly has trouble driving. lwz is underslept and exhausted and working the worst case of his career but he's also shamelessly sensual, and completely in love, and all he wants right now is fei du in his mouth, and in the meantime he'll make do with the taste of his skin and his sweat. i'm sorry but is that not insanely hot, the first time i read "then lick his fingers" i think i melted. DRIVE FASTER. I'M STARVING. (plus there's so much contained in fei du's little: "...")

i simply think that mo du is overwhelmingly erotic while at the same time not crossing any censorship lines, technically. we already know she's a genius at plotting and characterization and prose style etc., but pipi's a genius at writing sex, too. she's more about deeply romantic eroticism than pornography, but even despite all that "fade to cat" we're left under no illusion about the ways in which zhoudu, who tried for so long to play it so cool, are now utterly and blatantly sexually obsessed with each other. and i think that's beautiful. :')

[lectern-fullcauldron]

the thing about joe hills, at least for me, is that once you're accustomed to Joe's streams, no other streaming style is compatible.

let me explain. Joe, last I heard, has over 4000 unread messages from people asking to be unbanned. the ban hammer falls heavy, the ban hammer falls firm.

the angriest I've ever heard Joe was during a section where he stopped playing minecraft to give an extended speech about the importance of no platforming facists, about recognising dogwhistles, and making sure the community he's built is protected from those that could harm it.

Joe mods his own streams - except on special occasions where he'll pay a moderator to look after chat when Joe is busy.

and because Joe is self modding, the stream often moves with chat. Joe reads what we say, and because he has both discord and YouTube chats (rip twitch chat), he'll read aloud messages for different chats to hear. and so you learn names in Joe's chat. you say howdy to regulars (or ahoy) and the chat moves slow enough to say howdy back.

there is no spamming in Joe Hills' chat. No all caps. No strings of emojis. Chat moves slowly, and legibly so that we can read and consider and talk to one another.

The rules are engraved on the doors to the chat, and we all know them, once we've been there long enough. And they're good rules. Incredibly good rules. people who break them are often timed out so that they can read the rules and consider where they messed up before trying again.

One rule I appreciate most is the one that bans mentions of like counts, or view counts. The stream ethos is to not get neurotic about numbers, to not make Joe neurotic about youtube metrics that make no financial impact.

I cannot be in a stream, now, where the streamer is obsessed with their view count, and says things like 'im not starting till we have five hundred likes on the stream or I have a hundred thousand subscribers.' I can't do it.

the Joe Hills community is the place I've felt most comfortable on the internet. It is a space that you can tell is over ten years in the making. Joe has consistently made choices about his YouTube career that conform to the ethics he voices.

His stream has no 'real' dynamic overlay so that people can know they don't have to commission graphics and music and alerts to be a successful streamer. He often has a microphone out of his office window so that we can hear the birds singing. His camera grows and the abacus beads clack whilst the beetlejhost suit waits just out of sight.

Joe Hills is filmed before a live streaming audience (that's us!)

[rei-ismyname]

Exceptional X-Men #9 review

"...You fight alone and I do not."

Ewing and Carnero are leading the pack by a considerable margin as Exceptional X-Men hits the climax of its second arc - face to face with Mister Sinister and his cloning ambitions. Kitty's attempt at normal is put on the shelf when Axo needs rescuing, so too is any conflict with Emma. THE POWER OF FRIENDSHIP! Full spoilers ahoy.

Exceptional X-Men has been called slow by some and those people are welcome to think what they like. Personally, I think a better word for it is purposeful. Open a random page of a comic book and you have a really good chance of landing on a supervillain fight - there's really no shortage of action going around. It's mandatory - there must be physical violence each issue. What is actually rare is dedicated character development. All the characters in this book are new*. The kids we've been getting to know over the last 8 issues, and the adults who are in a transitory period of life. They're relatable enough to get invested in, with universal motivations. They feel like people and the interpersonal dynamics are established. Similarly, when protagonists are constantly fending off multiple supervillains, robots, demons etc it becomes rote - just something that happens every issue with muted stakes. The rising tension has been cleverly woven in with plot and character beats, so the anticipation is palpable.

BUMP!

Taking the time to show why we should care is respecting the reader's intelligence. Front loading the character work and dynamics establishes room to challenge them, to pick up the pace when it's dramatically satisfying, trusting the reader to follow along - a monthly ongoing is as long haul as modern comics gets, and Exceptional knows what it's about. We know more about any one of these kids than all the Outliers put together. Everyone has had their soul laid bare - except Emma. She's carrying a lot of grief and now she has to show up for the kids by facing everything she'd rather not. Krakoa had a devil and his name is Sinister. The more things change, the more he stays the same. It takes confidence in your craft to only properly fight the team's first supervillain in issue 9. These are children after all and they're fragile, inexperienced. Just getting along is a challenge. The danger is that you need to stick the landing, of course.

Bronze and Melee had already figured out that this wasn't their friend when he melted in a coffee shop. They were pretty damn suss before that too. Their voices feel maybe a little too light-hearted considering the situation they're in, but the book has done the work. I can believe the comfort in higher stakes is a result of training, guidance, and growth.

Kitty is me about R-LDS

Alas, Kitty and Emma are on the fence there and make the very un-X-men decision to keep them out of supervillain battles. A demonstration of Kitty's oft forgotten genius computer skills is a big thumbs up, ditto for putting the S.X = Essex connection together. Her anger is fierce and rendered cinematically, shaking with rage as she puts it together then shifting to the simmering fury of action as she uses it for fuel. Sinister is exactly the kind of asshole who thinks he's smart enough for his bad pun addiction to not matter.

R-LDS can go fuck itself as a concept but the mention of it here is interesting. It's obviously not the issue at hand, Bobby you moron, but seeding that he heard about it from Rogue does a lot of work in a single speech bubble. The Alaska team has passed along some amount of information about it to Rogue, who Bobby heard it from (not Scott or Hank, curiously.) Emma doesn't sound surprised to hear it, so she's probably heard about it too but not from Bobby. It's not spelled out but of course these folks share intel with each other, especially on something as allegedly serious as R-LDS. That connectivity between long term friends isn't allowed on page but at least we get confirmation of a vibe test degree of communication. That's excellent, and it's not something any other book has done. I'd prefer to ignore the concept altogether and just make Magneto have 90 year old man syndrome or something, but if you're going to do it then fucking do it. Take it seriously, you know?

I've seen other interpretations on the RLDS mention in this issue - mainly treating it as confirmation, at least more than I do. I can see it; Kate's speculation on the Axo clone being made from 'bad Krakoan DNA stuff' gives some credence to R-LDS itself being accepted as a real thing and not just a theory excitedly cooked up by a scientifically obsolete Hank McCoy. I figure none of the characters discussing it are geneticists so a Watsonian reading would make their behaviour frantic speculation. A Doylist analysis recognises the laws of narrative economy - that you use precious finite page space as effectively as possible. The author has chosen to include R-LDS discussion here and now, so we're meant to treat it with a degree of significance. I don't believe that this mention confirms it either way, merely that the characters are aware of it and are using logic and vibes to puzzle out what's going on. Emma mysteriously collapses at the end, but the solicits suggest it's some kind of psychic fuckery. Could be both, of course, maybe I'm just hoping it's not. Mashing the Legacy virus and AvX power incontinence while shitting on Krakoa is a boring concept for me. Moving on...

Uh, X-Men assemble!

There's no magic age where you become ready to fight Mister Sinister but Melee/Bronze are not ready. Kitty and Emma wisely order them to stay behind, perhaps forgetting that neither of them would obey that edict regardless of age. Kitty especially was precocious as hell, finding her way into all sorts of trouble. She was a master stowaway, for instance, ending up in all sorts of places. They just want the kids to be safe, to live to adulthood, and they already have one of their charges in mortal peril. Pointedly ignoring Nina, whose queries about normalcy Kate left hanging. It's not something she's comfortable in confronting, ironically juxtaposed with charging into battle vs an immortal Victorian eugenicist. If she can't have normal for herself she's going to bend over backwards to give these kids the best chance at it.

It IS something Kate will have to confront, and in doing so own up to lies of omission. 'Normal' people might not be able to understand what you've been through, but they definitely won't if you don't let them in. As normcore as Nina seems, we don't actually know much about her. Kate has compartmentalized her relationship from her 'mutant life' - it can be a healthy dynamic (especially for their safety) but without opening up the relationship is dead in the water. The tension in admitting her fears, or that she's been treating her girlfriend as normalcy totem of ignorance, underpins her actions. It's a problem for later, though. She does freeze later mid-fight, paralyzed by trauma response, and I think she needs to admit that to herself. It's a very human thing to put up your walls and seek comfort/avoid difficulty, but nobody can do it alone.

This fucking jerkoff

I unironically love the Star Trek-ish technobabble. Nonsense words formed by smashing intuitive concepts together are generally easy to follow. Telepathy is already an ill-defined magic system, and many of the existing are insufficient. Dividing them into classes is mostly silly - alpha, beta, omega etc - just handwave it and show the results visually. I also enjoy that Bronze and Melee don't get involved due to defying their teachers, instead being lured there by an Iceman clone. A lot of the tension with teenagers is in their relationship with authority vs safety. Sinister is a thematically perfect choice from existing antagonists due to how he can subvert authority (and represents Krakoan trauma.)

It does raise the question of how Sinister was able to clone Bobby pretty much perfectly yet couldn't get close to Axo, but he has watched Bobby for years and would have had access to his DNA. Also, he had the ice clone bring them here so I assume he wanted them to come. The kids are a tactical liability right now anyway, splitting Kate's attention in general and getting frozen. Emma is trying to neutralize Sinister while freeing Axo and she needs Kate on board for that. It's nice to see being frozen as a risk of suffocation - Rogue was just fine for hours.

Kitty flat out freezes, suggesting repressing her trauma and guilt is really getting to her. She's not helpful to anyone just staring though so Emma shakes her out of it. The two women have shit to work through as well as interpersonal tension. Using solidarity and support to lift her up temporarily really works for me as a baseline. The issues are still there but they can deal with it later. Right now they need to work together to protect the kids by defeating Sinister. Bobby has his own battle but it's a clone without his experience. He's got this. Melee can phase and they've trained these kids, so they need to trust in that. Also, Sinister kicking Emma is hilarious.

Boom! Bobby comes through and smashes his clone to bits. His presence has had a bit of a question mark over it since he first arrived. I hope he gets a bit more development; he's a familiar character with less issues than Emma and Kate but he could use a little more page time. He really came into his own on Krakoa and embraced everything about himself, and granted - nobody has talked at length about their grief. I wonder how he'll deal when the dam breaks. The Hellfire Vigil is coming soon, maybe it'll happen there and be followed up here. Bronze and Melee do handle themselves well, phasing out of the ice holding hands. They didn't contribute much to the fight but there's growth there.

The fourth wall breaking has been incredibly effective so far and having Emma cut into Kitty's for support is a wonderful swerve. It lets Ewing have her cake and eat it - Kate's tension externalised and pushed through with support. Axo is right there too so she could have said it to his face. It's a bold stylistic choice, almost a flex. I love it.

Only once the entire team is fully in sync do they manage to turn the tables and shut Sinister up. His baroque ranting is a delight and it makes the denouement all the more moving. 'The Power of Friendship' is incredibly cliché when done poorly; it requires complete sincerity to pay off effectively. Borrowing Axo's strength is the kicker that makes it truly special, allowing a savoured victory in a held breath.

You can feel the jubilant exhaustion turn to crisis when Emma's ice cream headache turns out to be something more. She collapses, setting up a one on one psychic confrontation with Sinister and looping plot back into character as a stinger. Everything she's been holding back is a barrier to overcome and a weapon in the arsenal of the face of Krakoa's corruption and fall. I really look forward to it - Exceptional just slays. Solicits show Sophie dropping by at some point too, which makes me feel giddy. First, Sinister, then they can heal/have awkward conversations with their normcore girlfriend.

[to-fall-or-not-to-fall]

Best Stranger Things Quotes (imo)

Reply with ur favorites if I missed any!!!

“Yeah it’s me don’t cream your pants” -Steve Harrington

“Harrington’s got her. Don’t ya big boy? 😏” -Eddie Munson (bonus points for steddie quote!!!)

“Son of a bitch, you’re really no help at all” -Dustin Henderson

“You know who pauses Fast Times at 53 minutes 5 seconds? Someone who likes BOOBIES!!!” -Steve Harrington

“Ou-yay are-yay umb-day” -Robin Buckley

Followed by Steve: “Oh-ho-ho!!!” 💀

“My fingers are like arrows, my arms like iron, MY FEET LIKE SPEARS!” -Murray Bauman

“Mornings are for coffee and contemplation. COFFEE AND CONTEMPLATION FLO!!!” -Jim Hopper

“Can we play DND now?” -Will Byers

“I only have like $3.50, so it’s hard” -Mike Wheeler

“If I play do I get one of those cool T-shirts?” -Max Mayfield

Followed by Dustin: “she was being sarcastic”

“It’s forced conforming. That’s what’s KiLLiNg ThE KiDs” -Eddie Munson

“Can’t spell America without Erica” -(the iconic) Erica Sinclair

Followed by Dustin: “that is…oddly true”

“I piggybacked from a pizza dough freezer” -El

“Ahoy, ladies. Didn't see you there. Would you like to set sail on this ocean of flavor with me?” -Steve Harrington

“Oooh…I just got the chills. Oh yeah, from this milkshake, NOT your speech” -Erica Sinclair

“Don’t take it so personally. I hate most people.” -Jonathan Byers (relatable)

“This risotto is SHMACKIN’ dude” -Argyle

“Pass me the olive oil” -Jonathan Byers

Followed by Argyle: “That’s wine”

“We all die, my strange little child friend. It’s all a matter of how and when.” -Robin Buckley

“How many times do I have to be right on the money before you people actually trust me?” -Dustin Henderson

Followed by Steve and Eddie: “This kid’s gotta get his ego in check.” “It’s his tone, right?”

“I’m eleven you long haired FREAK” -Erica

“Got me stressed out it’s not even MY girlfriend.” -Argyle

“It’s finger-licking’ good” -Steve Harrington

“Totally tubular” -Lucas Sinclair

tl;dr it’s just a bunch of sass and random humor I totally understand if you didn’t read the whole thing cuz I wouldn’t either

[justmeinadaze]

Take It Out On Me Part 16 (Steddie X You)

Warning with some notes: Please enjoy this Steddie story that I desperately need right now.

Daddy Steve and Sir/Master Eddie and Sub Fem reader and all that implies (I regret nothing) SMUT, restraints, slight degrading, dirty talk, over stimulation, THE SCOOPS AHOY UNIFORM (yes daddy), Not a whole lot of ANGST (saving that for the next chapter :P), reader mentions diabetes in her family very briefly, expresses being stressed and asks Eddie to help her relieve it, FLUFF (a lot of it; just come cuddle me please and tell me you're proud of me. )

Word Count: 3315

Steve smirks over at the booth you’re sitting in at his store as you do your homework. He loves watching your face scrunch as you focus, biting the end of your pen while you’re thinking. He could seriously just stare at you all day if you would allow him to. What you didn’t know was he had actually spent a lot of his high school years doing that very thing. 

Like he had told Masie during your prom, he always found you attractive and not just physically. For those first years, you were always so quiet so when he saw you cracking up with Masie at the lunch table or making jokes with the other basketball girls, it made him swoon. That day he heard you shout at Carol junior year; he was so proud of you but at the same time angry with himself. Steve had also heard her picking on you beforehand and he didn’t say a word. He never did. 

You had told him a few months ago how he had been tightly wound at the time you two officially met and that was part of the reason. Beside the fact that his dad was always on his ass, the popular kids were pushing him, and he was struggling at school, he hated who had become. For a boy who liked to be in control, he seemed to have very little if any. 

That first night when Eddie insinuated that you hated him, it made Steve furious but at the situation. He didn’t want you to hate him. For a moment he thought he would never have a chance with you but then you kissed him, igniting a fire he had never felt before. Even if your relationship with him ended up being purely sexual he knew he’d do anything to take care of you and protect you.

“Hey. Take a break.”, he commanded as he slid a boat of your favorite ice cream in front of you and took a seat. Steve tenderly pushed some hair behind your ear and you exhaled as you leaned against his shoulder. 

“Thank you. I’m so exhausted. I can’t wait for the semester to be over.” 

After taking a bite of the snack he brought you, you offered him a spoon but he politely declined. 

“I have to stay in shape.”

“For who?”, you cackled. “Steve Harrington, first off you always look amazing. Second, you eat all that fruit back there. I see you!”

“He does.”, Robin grins as he playfully scowls at her.

“There’s nothing wrong with fruit.”

“A little bit yeah. Too much of it, no. Fruit is loaded with sugar. My uncle’s a diabetic and he can only have so much because it raises his levels.”

“I didn’t know that. Is that the uncle in New York?” 

“Yeah, I don’t talk about it much because usually I get the ‘Oh, you should really watch your weight’ speech even though most doctors do tests and find out I’m healthy.”

Steve reaches out to pet your head as you offer him your spoon again and this time he smiles as he takes an obnoxiously big bite. 

***

“Hey, sexy.”, Eddie grins as you enter the apartment and throw your bag against the wall. “Long day?” 

You heavily nod as you stride over to him and wrap your arms around his waist, happily sighing when he kisses your forehead. 

“May I ask you for a favor?”, you ask as you push your face into his chest.

“Of course, baby, anything.”

“Can you calm me down? I’m so stressed out and I just…don’t want to think about anything for a while.”

“I think I can do that. Do you want to wait for Steve or…”

“Hmmm…Daddy gets off in an hour. I’m sure you can find ways to fill the time until he gets home.”

Eddie chuckles as he leans back and cranes his neck to find your lips. “I definitely can. Come on, sweetheart. Let me help you relax.”

###########

A little over an hour later, Steve finally came through the door, kicking off his sneakers as he entered the apartment. 

“Took you long enough!”, Eddie cackled. “Get in here, Steven.”

The man rolled his eyes as he sauntered towards the bedroom preparing a sassy comment that completely left his brain when his eyes landed on the scene before him. The metalhead was sitting in a chair across from the bed in just his jeans holding the vibrating wand in his hand. You were restrained in the bed, him using belts as handcuffs again that chained you to the headboard. 

“Pretty girl asked for a little break so I just gave her some water and before I knew it she fell asleep. Perfect time for you to come home.”

“What, uh, what’s going on?”

“Y/N came home saying she needed some help releasing some stress. I asked her if she wanted to wait for Daddy and she said that I could fill the time however I chose until you got home.”, he wickedly grinned in the other man’s direction. “So out of curiosity, I wanted to know how many times I could make her cum before you got home. Right now, I’m at…12?” His fingers gesture towards the markings he had made on your tummy with a marker. “Yeah, 12.”

“We were talking and she kept saying how much she wanted to fuck you in that uniform.” Eddie rises from his chair and pats it for Steve to take. Hastily removing his pants, he climbed onto the bed and tenderly kissed up your body. “Princess, wake up. Daddy’s here.”

You groaned sleepily as you turned towards his voice and drowsily kissed his lips. 

“Hey, honey.”, Steve cooed as he leaned forward with his elbows on his knees. “I’m home. Has Master been helping you clear your brain?”

Eddie climbed up further, placing his own knees by your head as his hand reached out to pet you while you nodded. 

“Can you verbally answer me, babe?”

You purred like a cat as it stretches after a long nap. “Yes, Daddy. Sir has been taking real good care of me.”

They both moaned at your high-pitched tone as your eyes fully opened to find Eddie’s cock inches above your lips. Your tongue darted out to lick along one of his veins towards his balls. 

“Fuck me, sweetheart. Don’t move, ok? Just…keep that mouth open for me while I make you cum again while Daddy watches. If you…you be a good girl for me Daddy can fuck you in his uniform just like you want, angel.”

“Yes, Sir.” Obediently, you open your lips, flattening your tongue as he slides his length down your throat. His palms slide down your skin, stopping to play with your nipples as you whimper around him. You jump as he lightly smacks them, squeaking at the sudden feeling causing Steve to salivate at the sound as his own palm finds its way to the bulge in his shorts.

Eddie grins as his hip gradually thrust against your face, his fingers sliding further down to glide through your folds and breach your core. 

“Fuck, Harrington. She’s so fucking tight. I—jesus—I love how tight you get after you cum, princess.” As his digits work their magic inside of you, you whimper around his cock as he mewls above you. “That’s it. Good girl. J-just clear your mind and let go. Focus on—mmm—focus on my dick in the back of your throat. God, you feel so good.”

The sound of your slick fills the room as he trusts his fingers into you faster, his other hand behind your head gripping your hair and holding you still. When he felt your pussy clench around him, he stopped moving his hips and held you in place as your throat constricted around him. 

The moan that left his chest was enough to send you over the edge as you came again and he promptly pulled himself out of your mouth allowing you to feel your climax. 

A small chuckle escaped him as he kissed your forehead when you started to cry. 

“Color, baby?”

“G-g-green, Sir. I just…I love you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank—”

Breathily, you kept repeating your last sentence as Eddie reached above you to release you from the headboard. 

“I love you to, princess. You’re doing so good. Stevie, hand me that marker, please?” The man does what he asks and the metalhead marks another dash on your tummy before handing it back. “Are you ready to take my cock, sweetheart?”

“Please, Sir.”

“How are your wrists? Not to tight or cutting your skin, right?”, he asks as he positions you on all fours with your head facing Steve.

“No, Sir. Hi, Daddy.”, you grin drunkenly in his direction. 

“Hey, honey.” His hand reaches out tenderly brush your hair out of your face as you fall flat against the mattress while Eddie utilizes one of the belts to tie your hands behind your back. 

After widening your legs a bit more, his chest leans against you back as he grinds himself against you. 

“Do you trust me, baby? Do you trust me to take you however I want to?”

“Of course. I’m yours.”

He mewls into your ear at your words. “It’s been a while since we’ve heard you say that.”

Craning your neck, you kiss his cheek till he turns so his lips can meet yours. “I’m yours, baby. Yours and Daddy’s. Make me feel good, Master, please. F-fuck me hard till I—”

While you were speaking, Eddie slowly slid his cock into your entrance, erasing almost all thought from your mind as he stretched your tight walls open. He growled in his throat at the feeling and you watched as the metalhead disappeared and Master fully stepped forward in his eyes.

“Keep going, little one.” His lips traced your shoulder and your eyes rolled back as he pumped his hips roughly into yours. “I said…keep…going…”

“Mmm—I want you to fuck me till—ah—till I can’t walk straight. I want to f-feel you both for days.”

Leaning back on his knees, he gave you what you wanted while taking what was his. You tried to keep your eyes on Steve in front of you as he licked his palm and stroked his cock but you struggled as Eddie hit every sensitive spot deep inside of you.

Slowly descending to his knees, he laid his face down in front of your own as you turned your cheek to lay your head flat on the mattress. 

“How does it feel, baby girl?”

“S-so good, Daddy.”

“Yeah? Are you feeling less stressed?”

When you only nodded, Eddie’s palm came down hard on your behind. 

“Yes, yes Daddy.”

The metalhead abruptly pulled out, tugging on your ankles till you were fully flat against the bed. Placing his knees on either side of your thighs, he guided himself back into your cunt as both his strong, tattooed arms came into view. When his hips slammed into yours, you swear you see stars.

Eddie was so deep inside of you, punching all the right places with his thick cock you didn’t even hear Steve asking you questions until you felt the other man’s sweaty skin against your back and his hand loop around to grip your throat. 

“You’re not behaving, little girl.  Daddy asked you something.”

“I can’t…I didn’t…”

“I guess you don’t want to fuck him in his outfit after all.”

“I do, I do. Please…”

“It’s ok, Ed. Little baby is just drunk off your cock. Isn’t that right, honey?”

“Feels so good. So deep.”

“Is Master just too much for your pretty little pussy?”

“Please…I’m…”

Eddie’s hand released you to allow his arm to wrap around until your head was resting in the nook of his elbow. His breath warmed your ear as he rolled his hips hard and fast making the bed jostle underneath you. 

“Cum, princess. You can do it. Cum on my cock so I can fill you up, pretty girl. Goddamn…”

Your hands tugged against the belt while your lower half pushed back against him as you came. He grunted loudly and with a couple for hard thrusts released rope after rope of his seed into your body.

You both panted heavily as you continued to twitch underneath him.

“You…you did so good, sweetheart. Fuck. Do-do you need anything?”

“Can we unhook my arms for a little bit, please?”

Eddie smirked at your small voice as he lightly kissed your shoulder before climbing off you and unhooking the belt. When you rolled over onto your back Steve was waiting, delicately lifting you onto his lap as he leaned against the headboard. 

He smiled to himself when your damp forehead leaned against the side of his face as he ran his palms over your arms to massage out any pain you may be having. He paused for a moment when he heard your giggle.

“What are you laughing at, honey?”

“You smell like bananas.”

“To be fair, I have cut back after what you told me.” His grin grew as you nuzzled your nose into his neck. 

“It’s ok, Daddy. I like the way you smell.”

“Lay back, babe.”, he whispered. 

Doing what he commanded, you lay flat on your back with your head on the pillow as he reaches for the marker and draws another line next to the others. 

“Well look at you, little miss. One more and you’ll be at 15.” Your eyes flutter as you flash him a slanted sultry smile. “Are you ready for me?”

“Always, Daddy.”

Chuckling, he rolls till his body is on top of yours. Allowing you two space, Eddie moves to sit in the chair by the bed, watching as everything unfolds. 

“So, you want the whole uniform? Do I need the hat?”

“No.”, you giggle as you run your hands through his hair. “No hat.”

“Why do you like this outfit so much? All the other girls seem to think I look like a dork.”

The way you smile up at him makes his heart melt. No one had ever looked at them the way did; with so much love and adoration. You didn’t know but it scared Eddie a bit the first time he saw it. After your fight with Carol junior year when he brought you food, he had found you snooping around his room. When you asked about the photo of his family, your eyes reflected that adoration and his wall went up. 

The last woman who said she loved him abandoned him and for so long he was afraid of losing you. He thought maybe if he continued to be a prick and act like the tough scary bad boy then when you did leave it wouldn’t hurt so much. A part of him thought when you got back from New York, you wouldn’t want them anymore but when he slid into the classroom that morning and your big, beautiful eyes met his he knew. He knew you missed them as much as they had missed you. 

“I don’t know. You just look so sexy to me.” Your hands gently run down his chest, your fingers grazing that little bit of chest hair that peaks above his shirt. “Maybe it’s just you in it.”

Opening your legs wider, you allow him more access as he begins grinding his hips against yours. 

“We can test that theory. Let Munson try it on.”

“Steve Harrington, there isn’t enough money in the world you could pay me to put that uniform on.”

You both laugh as Steve reaches between your bodies to push down his shorts a bit more and grip his cock as he runs the tip through your folds. 

“Fuck. Always so warm.” His head falls beside yours and your pussy clenches as his needy pants heat up the skin on your neck. “How do you want Daddy, baby? Tell me. Tell me how you need it.”

“I just need you. Please, Daddy. Take what’s yours. I don’t care if it hurts.”

“Jesus Christ.”, he groaned, lifting his head to watch himself guide his hard length into your cunt. Your tight, sore walls clung to him like a vice and it was almost to much for even him. “Fuck. I don’t think I can be fucking gentle.”

Placing your palm on his cheek, you bring his lips to yours.

“Then don’t.”

He growled as Daddy fully took control and he collapsed against you thrusting roughly into you. Your hands clung to him tightly, pulling and yanking at his clothes as you caressed him anywhere you could reach. Pushing up on his arms, one of his legs slid your own higher up the mattress forcing him deeper into you making you mewl. Reaching for your wrists, he held them above your head as he pounded into you, his cock hitting your overstimulated sensitive spots that Eddie had stuck numerous times that evening with his own cock and fingers. 

“Open your eyes, baby girl. You—mmm—said you wanted to fuck me in this. You can’t see me when those beautiful eyes are closed.”

“Feels…so—fuck—good…”, you whined. Steve released your wrists as he leaned back onto his knees and lifted your legs over his shoulders.

“Cum, Y/N. Cum on my dick, baby.” His thumb reached down to play with your clit, making you cry out as your hand shot down to try and stop him. It was no use; he was stronger than you and all you did was egg him on as he rubbed your aching bundle of nerves faster. “Come on, honey! You can do it. Number 15. This is the last one! Make it count.”

Eddie bolted up from his chair to cover your mouth, muffling your scream as you came.

“Good girl! Yes, that’s our good girl.”

You barely heard his praises as your hooded eyes watched as his head hung and with a few more rough thrusts warmed your insides. You felt the cold tip of the marker glide the final tally on your stomach before two sets of lips tenderly kissed the sides of your throat. 

##########

A little while later your eyes slowly opened at the feel fingers caressing your face. 

“Hey. There she is. You doing alright, princess?” You nodded as you scoot your body closer to his. “Steve ran out to pick up some food really quick. He wanted to have everything ready for when you woke up and after we took a shower. He’s not as disgustingly sweaty as we are.” He grins when you laugh. “I wish I knew you before junior year. Sometimes I get jealous that Steve remembers you before we met.”

His comment fully wakes you up as your eyes search his. 

“You don’t remember seeing me at all?”

“No because I’m pretty sure if I had I would have pursued you as soon as I did. Do you remember me?”

Wrapping your arm around his waist, he sighs pleasantly as your fingers trace down his back. “I knew of you but I never believed what I heard. To be fair, my head was always down 99% of the time.” He smiles, nodding to himself. “Where did that come from, Eddie?”

His movements stop as he gives you his full attention.

“I don’t have a lot of people in my life that I love and trust. My life…has been rough…pretty much until I met you. I love you, Y/N and I’m so fucking proud of you. I know school has been stressing you out but you’re just rockin’ it, babe. I hope you realize that.”

Tilting forward you place your lips on his before pressing your face into his chest. 

“I do, Sir. Sometimes I just need to be reminded.” 

##########

Some people did ask for more tags but I think I forgot some. If I did let me know!

@manda-panda-monium @sherrylyn628 @eddiesguitarskills

@needylilgal022 @local-stoner-bitch @katethetank

@strangerfreak @sidthedollface2 @mandyjo8719

@bexreadstoomuch @chelebelletx @ima1986 @perdopascalslilbaby

@shayeddie @emsgoodthinkin @anaibis @wroteclassicaly

@fireeyes-on-teller-dixon-grimes @siriuslysmoking @raptorbait529

@miarosso @micheledawn1975 @paleidiot @mrsjellymunson

[axnewxera]

// I've been deep in thought the last few days about Rufus and his character. I just started this blog and I'm still fleshing out my muse in my head.

So. I'mma dump some of my headcanon on the character, and this WILL affect how I RP him and this WILL get long and ranty.

(I'm sorry if the format is wonky, I'm laying in bed on mobile. Also spoilers of pretty much all FF7 media ahoy)

In the original game (and arguably in different levels in other media since then), Rufus is definitely presented as a villain.

His big introduction in the original game has him giving off this big speech to the party about how his father was too soft on the world with propaganda and narrative control and intended to instead rule through fear and intimidation. He stages a public execution of our party members late in the game. He tries to take Cid's plane instead of reviving the space program. He sent Cait Sith to act as a Shinra spy on our party (or at least was aware of this, as the Turks actively follow Cait Sith's intel). He bankrolled Avalanche to essentially backstab his father! He's very manipulative and deceitful and you can never quite trust him!

But honestly..... Nothing he's actually done has me convinced that he was ever actually a bad guy.

Yes, he SAYS how bad he is when you first meet him in the original. He definitely seems to WANT to be the big villain of the series. But Sephiroth's greater threat to the planet aside... Rufus is just not that guy.

Is Shinra, Inc. evil? Oh hell yeah. Heidegger, Scarlet? Yup. Hojo? LOL

But almost IMMEDIATELY after becoming president, Rufus started suppressing Heidegger and (presumably) Scarlet. Heidegger seemed to be THE dude for President Shinra. The two were very much in alignment in their goals and methods. And Rufus lowers him by berating him and never taking him seriously. Not to mention the fact that he basically started an eco-terrorist group to get his heartless evil father gone.

Even though he starts off saying how little the common people mean to him, his goals from very early on are to protect the world from Sephiroth, and to spearhead the effort to find the Promised Land. Even his execution of Barrett and Tifa is an attempt to comfort the people (and, I suspect, to draw Cloud out of hiding) - but he never seems too upset that they escaped the attempt. Or that Cait Sith remains on the party after his usefulness as a spy was over.

He comes off as arrogant and tricky, he sure does some mean things... but his intentions are noble, and his known tendency to play both sides of any conflict - secretly funding Avalanche, secretly funding the World Regenesis Organization, whatever amazing shenanigans are going on in the remakes with Wutai and Viceroy Sarruf - has me doubting that the "evil" stuff like the execution were even intended to actually take place. He's pulling strings to get people where he wants them.

Rufus can't just SAY what he wants. Advent Children is a good example - his intentions are much more openly "good", but no one believes him and there's all this doubt and "What is he really up to?" that swirl around his character. When it counted, he seemed surprisingly honest, yet it just pushed Cloud away.

If he came out as the president of this huge evil corporation and laid out his noble intentions to the world, everyone would doubt him every step of the way and his plans would never get done. Not to mention the very likely possibility that Heidegger and Scarlet and whatever supporters President Shinra still had would stage some sort of coup against him in that event. He still has to be a Shinra. So he does it to play the game, give the world or sometimes our party a villain to unite against, and get things done.

I also think Rufus sees HIMSELF as a villain, even though his intentions are pure. He's a Shinra, after all, and was raised by his father to be this heartless embodiment of pride and corporation. All that lying and manipulating and double-dealing leaves a mark on the psyche. He is fully comfortable presenting himself as the villain because he believes that's who he is, but he disagrees with his father's goals and methods so much that he actively sabotages himself.

I'm not sure if any of this was the writers' actual intent or if it's just all my interpretation, buuuuuut that's the fun of RP right? Getting to dig deeper and assign your own spin on the character.

[chubby-aphrodite]

scooby doo and the gourmet ghost is unreasonably good for a movie with bobby flay in it as a corporate mandate. like you could take bobby flay (and the rest of the celebrity chef cameos) out entirely and the movie would be fine. better, even, because the celebrity chefs aren't very good voice actors.

unlike a lot of the scooby doo movies in the what's new era or the mystery inc era, gourmet ghost actually honest to god drops hints as to what's going on and rewards you for following along with it. very little is pulled completely out of its ass with regard to the plot. while it does pull the "obviously suspicious character who has a bone to pick with the guest of the week is a red herring" trope that so many of these movies do (see: curse of the speed demon, where's my mummy, happy halloween, aloha), it utilizes it well and clears him as a suspect early enough so that the plot doesn't dwell too long on an obvious diversion.

it also has more than one red herring for you to follow! they all make complete sense given how they're presented, so it's not an asspull where the reveal is "oh no this suspicious activity is actually something innocuous and we made the gang look like assholes harr harr harr." and the explanations for both the red herrings and the actual perpetrator are (mostly) grounded in reality; there's no helium filled monster suits or magic hypnotism or LSD gas or light projector holograms that magically work in all conditions or incredibly realistic life-like airbag dummies. (yes, these are all real examples; chill out, pirates ahoy, rock'n'roll mystery [although that one also just has actual magic in addition to the LSD gas], legend of the vampire, and curse of the speed demon. again.)

additionally, in a rare but good moment for modern scooby doo, the gang actually goes out and does research on the monster because it has a historical connection to the surrounding area! they actually investigate the mystery instead of just have things happen to them until they unmask the villain! and speaking of the villain, it has an actual creepy presence. its design is rather creepy and i praised it at one point for being wholly transplant-able into an actual horror movie; it doesn't speak at all, only making a shushing noise; and it freaks out electronics in its vicinity. there's no hammy speeches or screeching or laser sounds, it's just a good ol' creepy ghost.

the movie is actually really inexplicably good if you just ignore the celebrity chefs and mentally replace them with original characters who serve their exact roles. the only thing that even particularly pissed me off was that at one point velma says something like "fennel was traditionally used to ward of ghosts" which i feel like is a horrible game of telephone that started with "sage is sometimes used for spiritual cleansing/warding" because i couldn't find anything about fennel being associated with the supernatural aside from prometheus. garlic for vampires? sure, it even gets brought up when one of the celebrity chefs wears a garlic necklace to ward off the ghost. salt for demons? not mentioned, and honestly a missed opportunity. but fennel for ghosts? who pulled that out of their ass?

otherwise... it's good.

[aprillikesthings]

Queueing this post so it's impossible to connect it to the fic I just read because I don't want this to be personal

BUT PETTY VENT AHOY

I just (as of when I'm queuing this) finished a long fic that was GOOD

But in the second half or so of the fic the author starts basically comment-begging in all their author notes. And I'm a fic writer. I get it! Comments are LIFE.

But also? The writer in question doesn't reply to their comments. Like. Ever.

I left comments all over their fic anyway bc quite frankly it was GOOD

But FFS

IF YOU WANT COMMENTS REPLY TO SOME OF THEM.

Your reply doesn't have to be in-depth, god knows most of my replies are just "Thank you!"

But I know damn well there's fics where I didn't bother to comment (or didn't spend a lot of time on said comment) because I could tell the author never replies!

Don't get me wrong: if you're a well-known writer and your fic has two hundred comments within days of every chapter I can see only replying to some of them--I've had friends who struggled with that in other fandoms.

But not any of them? Ever????

Feedback goes both ways!

Your commenters do not want to be shouting into the void any more than you do.

You want comments! Readers want the author to interact with them! So interact with them!!

(My other usual speech on this topic: I know multiple cohabiting/married people who met their partner(s) via comment threads on fics, including myself. It's one of the best ways to make friends in your fandom(s) and possibly fall in love. I'm not joking.)

[wuffgang-ameowdeus-moozart]

Pineapple

-> Day 1: Scoops Ahoy!

"That's all? Tha-aaaaaah?"

A weed-smelling flour-covered finger wags in front of Steve's face, successfully distracting him from the conversation on the company phone with a paying customer on company time.

Maybe he would feel a bit bad about that if he gave a fuck.

"Stevie. How many times. You can't forget to pop the question."

"Oh fuuuuuuck." Steve tries to seem remorseful. Judging by Argyle's expression he is not successful.

He sighs and turns back to the phone. "Excuse me, sir, but I forgot to pop the question."

There is a short pause. "...pop the question?"

"Yes, I am afraid that otherwise it won't be possible to take your order."

"...alright?"

Steve nods to himself and takes a deep breath. It is going to be fine. Sure, by now he has been disappointed far too often to count - it is the price to pay for good weather and hot people he supposes. But something about that voice makes this particular dude seem trustworthy. Almost...familiar. Maybe...maybe he can dare to hope again? (Never mind that he has had that very same thought the last five times he miserably and pathetically lost)

"Sir, do you want pineapple on your pizza?"

"I. I asked for two Margheritas. Why-?"

"Okay, I will count that as a no. Perfect. Sir, I can confidently say that it was an absolute pleasure to talk to you. Thank you so much for choosing-"

Before Steve can finish the obligatory goodbye speech they are forced to give in the end of every call, the phone is swiftly removed from his hands.

"What did he want again?"

"Margherita."

"Alright, sir. Do you want some pineapples on your Manhattan?"

Steve shakes his head. "Wrong alcoholic beverage, dude. How much did you smoke?!"

"Whatever. My friend John here knows what I mean. Dontcha?"

"How-?"

"You can't just call every customer John."

"It is the eighth most common name in America. I'm bound to get it right sometime. Steven." And with that he goes back to the conversation they were actually being paid to hold.

There are some unintelligible sounds from the other end of the line and Argyle frowns. That is worrying. Argyle is the chilliest dude Steve has ever met. If Argyle is frowning, you know that something is seriously wrong.

His next words are not particularly reassuring, either. "You okay dude? Should I call like the ambulance or something?"

Steve swears his heart stops beating for a second. "What the fuck Argyle?! What is happen-?"

He is once again silenced by the same finger from before, this time pressed against his lips.

"Didn't your mama teach you to be quiet when someone is on the phone?"

Steve quietly but passionately shows his co-worker the middle finger. He then proceeds to start banging on the counter for no reason other than to be a menace. His hand hurts like a bitch but at least he is being obnoxious - not that Argyle seems to care. Or even notice. Fucking weed.

"Wait. Steve? Excuse me, your co-worker's surname wouldn't happen to be... Harrington? Right?"

Argyle pauses. Then Argyle smiles. Steve knows what that motherfucker is planning before he even has to open his mouth. He tries to wrestle the phone out of the other's grip but alas, Steve was cursed with an inferior height and is unable to do anything but helplessly watch as his downfall occurs.

"What would you be willing to exchange for that knowledge?"

Steve sighs and goes to take the whiteboard from the back. When Argyle first claimed that everyone would jump onto the opportunity to add extra pineapple onto their pizza, Steve had thought it was once again the weed talking. Who in their right mind would willingly add more pineapple on pizza?!

Apparently, a lot of people. He has long stopped being surprised when Argyle once again triumphantly tells him that they've got another tally for pineapple. Fucking California.

Twenty minutes later he is parking the Surfer Boy Pizza van on another stranger's driveway. Technically Surfer Boy Pizza encourages their delivery workers to go on motorcycle, but both Steve and Argyle lied on their interview and neither can actually drive one, so they always take the van.

Steve has seen a lot of things in his lifetime. Impossible and weird and otherworldly things. But nothing could have prepared him for what awaited him behind this particular door.

"Wow. You really are Steve Harrington."

...What.

"Jonathan Byers?! What the fuck are you doing here dude?" Very eloquent. Steve knows he must look extremely stupid right now, wordlessly opening and closing his mouth like a very confused fish. Where is smooth playboy Steve "The King" Harrington when you need him?

"Yeah. Just moved here with my family. Who would've thought that we both would end up in the same Cali corner."

"Almost like it was destiny."

An awkward pause ensues. Why the fuck did he say that?!

"You. You're looking good." Jonathan says in that earnest matter-of-fact way of his and Steve can't help but smile. He wouldn't be surprised if his cheeks were pink.

"You look like absolute shit", he answers. Because he is sleep deprived and shook and still a bit high and that is honestly a pretty accurate description of the boy in front of him. Unfortunately, it is also wholly inappropriate for the atmosphere they are currently building. "But don't worry! I like that in a man."

...

Maybe it wasn't a higher power that made Steve and Jonathan meet again after so many years, but someone must have done something for Jon to agree to go out with him after whatever the fuck that was. (not that he's complaining)

@stonathanweek

[conretewings]

The Spaces In Between

-A collection of short pieces primarily featuring interactions of my oc Rosemary and Vander, interwoven within the canon of the show, basically adding 'extra scenes'. Mild nsfw. Cw: death and descriptions of blood and injuries.

'Detour'

-Keeping his head down in a cocktail of shame, irritation and attempting to be inconspicuous, Claggor trailed dutifully behind Vander, the crowded, filthy, noisy streets buzzing with activity all around them. The hefty, clanking bag he had swung over one shoulder however, the bag that was becoming heavier by the minute, made that last part virtually impossible.

As the pair threaded their way through the chaos Claggor had the time, unfortunately, to sourly and with increasing worry muse over the predicament he and his siblings had found themselves in. Get in, grab what they could, and leave, no one the wiser; that had been the plan anyway. Now with half a building in rubble and the Enforcers on their tails, not to mention their dad absolutely furious, it was truly sinking in just how royally they had fucked up.

So absorbed was he in these thoughts it took him a minute to register they had turned down a side street that wasn't the way to Benzo's and wondered aloud, "Um...I thought you said..."

"We're takin' a detour." Vander said shortly, his tone making Claggor shut up again. Quickly the boy realized where they were headed, and felt his spirits rise, if only a fraction.

Approaching a building in slightly less disrepair then many of the others around it with a neatly welded sign that read 'Wares and Repairs', they pushed open the heavy door and were immediately greeted by both a chiming bell and the disorderly yet oddly welcoming mess of the shop.

Long rows of shelves were crammed with loose parts, organized by color and use, tables were covered with items for sale 'as is', and the huge counter that wrapped half way around the room was piled with papers and half-done smaller projects. Claggor inhaled deeply, always enjoying his visits here. Almost immediately a slim, middle-aged man with graying chestnut hair and a sly twinkle in his honey-brown eyes limped into view from around a corner, leaning heavily on his cane.

"Hello there! Wares and Repairs you break it we can probably fix it!"

The corner of Vander's mouth twitched upward, "'Ello Virgil. Ya know ya don't have to give us the speech every time."

Shrugging Virgil replied, "Branding, my friend. It's important," with a wince he shifted his weight then jerked a thumb toward a wide doorway in the back wall through which could be seen larger items and more tools, a knowing smirk on his face, "She's working on a steam pump engine. Go on," he then nodded at Claggor, "Ahoy there son. Helping your old man I see."

Claggor only stared at his boots with a vauge mumble of "Yeah..."

Saying thanks and promising to swing by again when he could, Vander motioned sharply for Claggor to follow, which he immediately did. The pair entered into a larger open garage-like space, a couple vehicles sitting in various states of repair and several worktables and toolboxes scattered about. A loud clanking and strings of curses could be heard from the opposite side of one of these tables upon which sat a clunky, rusting engine. A wrench flew to the side with another colorful expletive and Vander couldn't completely hide the bemused smile threatening to form.

"That thing givin' ya trouble Rosie?"

Instantly a woman popped into view, pushing her goggles up into her already messy chocolate-brown hair. Her hazel eyes alighted with joyful, if not a touch mischievous, sparkle and she stepped around the table, removing her gloves and slapping as much dirt and grease from her person as was feasible before coming up to pull Claggor into a hug, a gesture he gratefully welcomed-as well as a break from carrying the bag. Melting into her comfortably warm, firm embrace and catching that familiar smell of something floral mixed with metallic grease he felt some of the anxiety seep away.

"Hey Rosemary." he said, the sound muffled by his face being buried in her shoulder. Stepping back, she planted her hands on her hips, blowing a stray piece of hair from her face.

"Hello gentlemen. To what do I owe the pleasure?" Catching Vander's eye she gave a quick wink. The anger somewhat dulled, his brow rose a measure and he gave her a brief, knowing smile.

Claggor rolled his eyes clear to the rafters; he was not in the mood to deal with their insufferable flirting on top of everything else that day. Despite their thinking they were subtle, they were not.

Composing himself, Vander cleared his throat and lowered his voice.

"Assume you've heard?"

"About the hullabaloo up top, yeah," Rosemary dropped her tone as well, crossing her arms to lean against the table, "Been busy as all, but was out fetchin' a part when I heard some folks talkin'. Right mess ain't it? Stupid bastards, gonna bring the can-heads right to our doors. Can't see how some soggy brats managed to..."

Seeing Vander's expression cloud, her eyes wandered to Claggor, looking more and more miserably guilty and she hissed, "Bloody hell Clag! I'm sorry I-it was you lot?!"

"We tried to sneak in and out without anyone knowing but..." the boy swallowed loudly, "I'm not even sure what happened-it was all so fast like, one minute we were making a break for it then something blew up and..." he trailed off, at a loss for further explanation.

Quickly and in a harsh tone Vander turned to Rosemary and all but growled, "No one else learns of this, understand? Already hearing way too much chatter," he steadied himself and added, much softer, "Please."

"Of course..." she replied, fierce yet composed, "Not a word. No one 'n nothin's gonna harm these kids so long as I'm around."

In spite of the dire situation, Vander felt the familiar heat bloom in his heart at the fiery, almost motherly protectiveness in her expression. She loved his adopted pack of wayward pups almost as much as him, and for it, as well as many other things, he loved her. He ought to do something to properly thank her for all she'd done for them lately, he thought, hopefully soon.

Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair and continued, "I know, and I, we, thank ya. Would love to stay a bit, but we got other business to attend to."

Reluctantly Claggor hoisted his burden again and bid Rosemary a weary 'see ya'. He turned, starting to leave with Vander right behind, but the older man paused to turn back and clicked his fingers, "Ah, right-Rosie, swing by the Drop later; I got a tap that's actin' up."

"And what, ya can't fix it yourself?!" she scoffed, wagging a screwdriver at him, "What I get eh? I haven't forgotten ya still owe me for that last job!"

"You really turnin' down oh I dunno, free booze?" his mood lifted a bit by her presence he added with a dollop of his trademark charm, "And my company?"

She paused, her lower lip stuck out, "Oooh, you smooth bastard. Fine. I suppose I can bail you out again."

"Thanks Rosie. Patch 'er up and your drinks are on me."

A sly grin tugged at her mouth as she sashayed up to him, "On you, huh? Is that all?" She added in a low voice.

This time he hummed low in his throat, unable to mask his own smirk, "Let's see how well you fix it first."

Returning her earlier wink he spun on his heel and strode off, Rosemary's echoing laugh of 'challenge accepted!' trailing behind.

'Promise'

A warm breeze slithered past the window Vander gazed out, barely making a dent in the stuffy room as he watched over the late night goings-on in the streets below; his streets, the people's streets, the twisting darkened paths that made up their little carved out slice of home, filthy and hardscrabble as it were.

The same ones that were now threatened by the grandiose and ill-timed exploits of his own progeny.

He leaned on the frame, exhaling a cloud of sharp, bitter smoke, the embers of his pipe glowing brightly in the dark room, contemplating as he'd been all day and night what the blasted hell he was going to do to fix it.

A soft groan, sweet and annoyed all at once, cut through his thoughts, "Vander, come back to bed..."

He grinned, looking over his shoulder at the hand raised in a beckoning gesture. Turning he stepped across the small room and placed his pipe on a crooked nightstand before sinking onto the creaking old mattress.

"Miss me Rosie?"

Rosemary mumbled under her breath, sounding suspiciously like 'handsome asshole' before snuggling up to him.

His arm came up to wind around her, holding her close as his thumb rubbed absent-minded circles on her shoulder. They lay in comfortable silence for a time, absorbed in thought and the calming afterglow that still lingered, the squeak of the mattress if they shifted and the distant, muffled busying of the city the only sounds.

She trailed her fingers across his broad chest, tracing some of the faded scars and remembering the tales behind them. At length she murmured with a grin, "Well. Seems I fixed it pretty good."

She felt more so than heard his deep, rumbling chuckle, "Ya did alright."

Falling quiet again, Rosemary soon craned her neck to look up at him. His expression was distant, pensive, and she reached to rest her hand on his jawline.

"You good, Van?"

He groaned, rubbing his face, "Sorry, mind wandering...just thinkin' 'bout what to do, if there's anythin' I can do...ya know, with this whole mess."

Pushing herself up, she half crawled onto him so she was resting her folded arms on his chest and letting her legs drape lazily between his. He chuckled again, wrapping an arm across her back before his smile faded and he stared into nothing. Tilting her head, she gave him her best reassuring grin, though she too felt the worry eating at her mind.

"We'll work somethin' out. Actually..." she bit her lip, "Much as I don't care for you 'n Grayson's little tête-à-tête, I have to admit she's a level-headed, reasonable woman. I'm sure if ya talk to her-"

"Ah, yes we talked." Vander replied sullenly.

"...Oh." her gaze slid away, his face telling her all she needed to know on how it had gone.

"The topsiders need to feel safe, I'm told," he grumbled, voice dripping with bitter sarcasm, the irony lost to neither of them, "They need to find the responsible party to set things right," exhaling in a growl he continued, "So now my options are, throw my kids to the wolves, find some poor bastards to be a scapegoat, or let 'em tear our homes apart..." he draped a forearm over his eyes, "...I...I'm not sure what I can do, Rosie. And that's a feelin' I'm not keen on."

There was a brief pause before Rosemary scoffed, "Listen to ya. Me, me, me, I, I, I. Honestly. Sometimes ya don't get it, do ya?"

Vander moved his arm enough to gaze at her incredulously, "Come again love?"

"You always think ya have to shoulder every burden yourself, that ya have to carry all the weight alone," her head tilted and she soflty added, "You...know there's people who can and would help, right?"

"Yeah, I'm aware..." his expression darkened and he moved to sit up, Rosemary sliding off to let him.

Grabbing his pipe again and re-lighting it, he gazed off in morose contemplation. Rosemary awaited in equal quiet, being familiar with this and the man enough to know he he'd continue once he'd gathered his thoughts. After a measure he indeed replied in a somber tone, "...I also know the last time I brought others into it, when I relied on 'em to carry that weight, lot of folks died."

Her stomach and heart sank, knowing full well to what he was referring.

"You'll always blame yourself, and I can't heal those wounds. But this situation, this time Van please-" she sat up as well, leaning against his shoulder, fighting the crack in her voice, "...Let someone, let me help...you know I'd do anything for ya."

He didn't respond for a couple minutes, just letting the wisps of smoke curl and vanish into the air, adding another scent to the air already laced with musk and the bourbon they'd enjoyed. The empty bottle had gotten knocked onto the floor at some point and Vander poked it absently with a toe, not giving a damn that they were both still quite naked.

Glancing at her from the corner of his eye, he studied her patient, vaguely anxious expression, the crows feet she hated but he would kiss and tell her she was no less beautiful for in the same way she told him his graying hair made him no less handsome, crinkled with her faint frown. She loved him deeply, loved the kids like her own family, and would be more than happy to take a swing at hell itself with her largest wrench for them...

Heaving a sigh, he turned his head enough to meet her gaze, "That's the problem, Rosie. Ya would."

"What's that mean?" she huffed.

"Means you'd even be willin' to do somethin' reckless, or that could put ya in a bad spot," he snuffed out the pipe, "And that's exactly why I can't let ya get too involved. These are my kids and my problem. If there's somethin' you can do I'll be sure to let ya know."

Pulling away and turning to face him more, she crossed her arms, "Have I not helped patch 'em up? Dried their tears? Helped put 'em to bed? Tried to guide 'em? Scolded 'em for bein' lil' shits?...At this point they're practically my kids too."

Vander cracked a small, wistful smile, "True, ya got me there..." his expression clouded, "So, if... things go south, I need someone I can trust, that they trust, to be there for 'em."

Rosemary felt a cold punch to her gut with the implication and she reached to squeeze his hand, "Van don't talk like that..."

"I have to be prepared for every scenario...includin' the worst," he squeezed her hand in return, "I've...lost so much. So have they. Can't risk losing you too."

He was right, and she hated it. This wasn't a normal situation; major damage had happened, injuires were had, and top-side was out for blood. As much as she hated to even entertain the possibility, she knew this whole situation may well turn very ugly, very quickly.

Drawing a deep breath to calm her racing thoughts, Rosemary used one hand to turn his face toward hers, her features set in a determined line, "Fine. Then if all you'll let me do for now is this; I'll stay safe. And I swear, whatever happens, as long as I'm able, I will do whatever I can for you and those kids."

He gazed back at her in silence again, his steel-blue eyes unreadable and for a moment she thought she'd said something wrong-until he cupped the sides of her face in his large hands, capturing her mouth with his own in a first tender, then swiftly much more passionate pace, both falling back again into the bed together and lost to the rest of the world...

'QUESTION'

Something was terribly wrong.

Rosemary couldn't put a finger on it, but she'd felt a queasy, off-putting ache in her gut all day, like something somewhere was horribly amiss. In all honesty things really were amiss; between the whole hullabaloo with topside and their ramped up-and increasingly aggressive-presence in the Undercity, not to mention the growing undercurrent of general unease in recent weeks, she had every right to feel off.

But some instinct deep in her bones told her this was different.

Despite her best efforts she couldn't concentrate on her repair work, even slipping and scraping her arm with a tool, and after she was done yelling and cursing, patched herself up and tried to get back to work. She was leaning on a table and lost in thought again when she heard the distinctive beat of her brother's footsteps and scrape of his cane approach. One large hand landed gently on her shoulder.

"Birdie, what's eatin' at ya?" he wondered, with that slight cock of his head that indicated he had an inkling, but was giving her the choice to elaborate.

Turning, she let out the tense breath she'd been holding in and lightly flopped her forehead onto his collarbone, "I...got a real, real bad feelin' about today, Virgil. Like there's a storm brewin', but one that's gonna fuck things up somethin' awful and I'm...worried about..."

"Go find 'im."

Rosemary chuffed out a dry laugh, "That obvious yeah?"

"I'll hold down the fort." was his reply, with a sly grin that normally would have elicited a comeback-were it not for how she could see the unease in his own eyes.

-Rosemary picked her way through the damp streets, weaving in and out of crowds and side alleys, that anxiety rising with every step, eating at her thoughts and spurring her ever quicker until she was practically running. She hurried on, rounding a corner near her destination-then skidded to an abrupt halt when he appeared, rushing in the opposite direction past her.

"Vander!!" she shouted, and they whirled to face each other.

Immediately she knew she had been right; his breathing was rapid, eyes wide and frightened, his whole body tense as a wire. She darted to him, instinctively jumping into business mode, "What's going on?"

"Vi is-she's in trouble and I gotta get to her before she can do something stupid."

"What?! What happened?" Rosemary felt her stomach drop.

"If I'm right, and I know that girl, she's tryin' to fix things by turnin' herself in-tryin' to make amends to save everyone but I-I can't let her-"

"I'm going with you, c'mon let's-"

"No wait-" he grabbed her arm to stop her darting off, then steadied himself, drawing a deep, rapid breath then placed a hand on her face, "You wanted to help? Here's your chance."

She closed her hand over his, lacing her fingers around his, "What do you need?"

"Gather a bunch of folks together, you know who'd be best, and meet us over at Benzo's. Come prepared for a fight. Come prepared for...anything. I've got a really bad gut feelin' about today."

Her heart leapt. So he also had been noticing it. This was a bad omen, one that only reignited the rippling current of unease coursing through her. But right now she had to focus.

"I'm on it."

"Thank you. I...see ya soon"

He turned, starting to leave...and time seemed to slow. Her hand went to her pocket, to the small pouch she often carried, the one that contained two shiny silver rings she'd made herself-and she felt such a panicked stab, this time it was her that lunged to snatch his wrist and cried out, "Vander I-I don't-"

They froze, gazing at each other, both at a loss to articulate what exactly they were feeling; an oncoming dread, a pervasive, creeping intuition. Neither could bring themselves to say it, but both felt the same ominious cloud closing in, threatening to choke them as much as the noxious fumes from the mines.

Things were going to change today.

At such an impass the only thing they could think of, the only thing that made any sort of sense was not words, but action.

As one they roughly pulled each other in, lips crashing together, hands and arms tangled such that they were, as much as possible and for one more glorious moment, a single entity. They desperately inhaled one another's scent, their taste, the feel of their skin and hair, their sighs and soft moans, imprinting them to memory.

They broke away, foreheads pressed together, and Vander clutched her to himself, knowing he had to let go but drawing strength from her embrace, strength he feared he'd need, "Be careful..."

"You too..." tears threatening to form, heart breaking Rosemary shoved him away, breath ragged, "Go save your daughter..."

Vander clenched his fists and jaw, eyes wavering but he nodded and spun, starting to jog away. Her mind swirled and her breath came in gasps, hand again at her pocket-no it wasn't right this wasn't right this wasn't the time no no-but still she barked out, "VAN!"

He slowed, still moving away but looking expectantly at her and she laughed-by Janna she actually laughed, "When things settle down, I got a question for ya, somethin' real important okay? So make sure you get your handsome, pain in the ass self back!"

Vander called that he would. And then he was gone.

Rosemary stood rooted for a moment, feeling sick, fighting the screaming voice in her mind that said she'd never see him again, staring at the spot where he'd vanished and praying to all the powers that be he was right and she was wrong. She prayed to see his smug grin, to feel his strong arms around her, telling her she'd been worried for nothing, to hug Vi and him and the others.

But for the moment, she had a job to do. Taking off again, she headed to the bar to get the word out...

'BROKEN'

Chaos. Confusion. And the terrible, nauseating stench of blood.

The couple dozen strong crowd Rosemary had gathered from the Drop and nearby homes and businesses had made their way to Benzo's...only to find a horrific, heartbreaking scene. People screamed, people used to violence, gruesome mine injuries and disease, were taken aback by the sheer carnage splattered about, blood and gore painting the walls and ground like some sort of deranged, nightmare artwork. Someone found Ekko lingering around, looking dazed and red-eyed and swiftly pulled him into a hug and away somewhere relatively safer.

"What coulda done somethin' like this?!" was the common cry.

Meanwhile, Rosemary was sick, vomiting by a wall then choking back sobs upon seeing what had become of Benzo, her friend, though not close a man she'd known for years, torn up like an animal for slaughter. She even felt a stab of sympathy for Greyson; an Enforcer yes, but someone who had a shred of respect and humanity for the people of the Undercity.

Her panic that this wasn't over, that things were going to get much worse, pounded in her brain. Where was Vi where was Vander what was happening were they okay oh gods-

One man stepped inside the shop for a moment and returned with a sheet, likely being used as a dust cover and layed it over Benzo's body. No such gesture was afforded the topsiders.

There was a few moments of silence, the only funeral rites they were able to give right now.

Then they heard the distant explosion.

A couple of people pointed it out then everyone turned to see the pale wisps of blue smoke just visible above the fissure walls, and it was quickly decided they needed to follow it. After all, two unprecedented and strange events had to be connected, right?

Rosemary, managing to pull herself together, was one of the leaders of the crowd as they made their way towards the docks, toward the abandoned cannery-or, at least it was supposed to be-from which the phenomenon emanated.

All the while her anxiety clawed at her chest like a caged animal; what would they find? Did this have anything to do with the murderous scene behind them? With Vi or Vander? Were they walking into a trap? Were the other kids okay? They must be. They had to be. They all had to be.

The closer they got, the more they could see and hear; the curious smoke still wafted from the numerous holes in the building's roofing, but now also they could see the patches of flame beginning to lick the siding as well as small fires scattered about and the groans of the derelict structure as it was slowly consumed.

Rosemary gave the shouted order to fan out, comb the area and see what they could find before the Enforcers closed in. She and several others charged inside, but with the smoke and some putrid, acrid stench none could place threatening to overwhelm them they retreated to search the outside instead. Someone picked up a small vile of some kind of purple liquid but tossed it away upon a spilled portion burning their skin.

Her panic had actually begun to subside a little, despite the confusing and terrible scene around them; there had been no sign of Vi or Vander, and that gave her a shred of hope. They must be okay, they must still be in the Undercity, or somewhere nearby, probably laying low for the moment until things settled down it was understandable she hoped to help them grieve for Benzo and be there for everyone as she'd always done.

Hearing a blood-curdling, moaning scream mixed with shouts of panicked confusion brought that fear roaring back to the surface.

No...no no no no no no- her mind pleaded, and she scrambled, tripping over her own feet in a mad dash toward the cries, needing to know needing to see needing to be wrong-

Barreling around the corner, she saw another broken pile of wood and debris aflame...with an enormous figure sprawled motionless on the ground.

Rosemary's heart stopped. No...

A few people were gathered around, and upon seeing her one man paled, then shouted at a couple others nearby and pointed at her.

"Get her outta here-now! Don't let her any closer!"

Now her legs, which had been rigid and weak suddenly found themselves again and she lurched forward with a strangled cry, but two men caught her under the arms and swiftly dragged her off while she kicked and screamed in rage, in hopelessness, in despair, in heartbroken loss...

For although it was dark and rainy the fire was more than bright enough for her to see the broken, distorted body of the man she loved...

[samuraiko]

CR musings - Orym, Vax, and where the Hells go next (SPOILERS AHOY)

HERE BE SPOILERS

YOU KNOW THE DRILL

LOREM IPSUM

So after letting my brain mull over the most recent episode for a day or so, now I can finally write about it. This is, of course, just my OPINION on the subjects -- your mileage may vary.

ORYM

Yes, I legit cried for Orym at his new title, and his recognition by Keyleth for what he and the Hells have done. I was so happy for my favorite little cinnamon roll. I still think he's going to be struggling with his anger for a while because there's still SO much to be done, and he still feels so very small, but Keyleth's choice of title was an incredibly apt one.

Saviour Blade of the Tempest.

A marvelous callback to two episodes prior, where he begs her, "Allow me to be your blade, Tempest," in response to her intention to utterly destroy Ludinus and the Vanguard. But not just that - by calling him her Saviour Blade, she is reminding him that his job is to SAVE people, to PROTECT people, *NOT* just vengeance.

(I admit, I briefly wondered if she might name him the Shield of the Tempest, in memory of Derrig, but a shield is solely to protect. A sword can attack as well as defend - and that's what Keyleth needs right now.)

This coming on the heels of the 6-Sided Dive episode where Liam talks repeatedly about how Orym's 'bedrock' is crumbling, and how he feels so small and tries to shoulder so much of his burden by himself... to have the woman he refers to as "the boss lady," "our leader," "the Voice of the Tempest," and so on refer to HIM as HER FRIEND... oh, you could see it in the widening of Liam's eyes when Matt said that, he never expected to hear something like this.

(That WHOLE affirmation speech, Liam just sits there and you can see the hint of tears in his eyes. He NEVER looks away from Matt the entire time.)

So, yeah... when I mentioned in another post about wanting to see what he'll do to try and shore up that bedrock before it completely gives way, I think this is a solid step. But it's not over yet - not by a long shot.

VAX

The dark angel stuck in an orb... there's (apparently) been a lot of discussion/argument/whatever about what Vax is, and what it means about him being stuck in an orb, and what will happen if/when he's freed.

I look at Vax's role as something similar to Charon, Thanatos, or Hermes in Greek mythology - the psychopomps whose job it is to shepherd souls to the afterlife.

The MoR tells Vax (both in-stream and in LoVM) that her purpose (and now his) is to safeguard the moment where the soul transitions to whatever its new purpose may be - passage to the Astral Sea, to the realm of whatever deity has potential claim to that soul, or even to consecution, I would suppose. And the moment that Vax TRULY accepted that deal, he stopped being afraid - he was more at peace with himself, he saw his purpose and understood it. And even more than that, it made him so much more aware of the inherent need to live life and enjoy it while you have it.

--

My theory is that Vax being trapped in the orb is why resurrection magic doesn't work. Don't get me wrong - souls can still transition WITHOUT him - the MoR had no champion (as far as we know, lore-wise) between Purvan Suul and Vax, and yet people still died, and people could still be brought back. But presumably their souls were more vulnerable to outside influence.

And right now, the MoR (in addition to mourning) is doing everything she can to protect the moment the souls pass… but only in ONE direction (life > death > beyond), and whatever safeguarding of the tapestry that she can muster. She has no energy to spare to protect or facilitate that moment in the OTHER direction.

--

I also don't think that if/when Vax is freed, that's going to end his service to the Matron. That deal was PERMANENT - "you will return to me, my champion, evermore." I think MAYBE, *MAYBE* when Keyleth FINALLY dies and her soul passes on, the MoR might let Vax go so they can finally be together. But otherwise, nope - he is the Matron's.

NEXT STOP?

Part of this is me conspiracy-theorizing again, part of this is just my personal hopes. Again, your mileage may very.

I am HOPING that the Hells head straight to the Shattered Teeth, instead of faffing around trying to collect allies before they even know WTF is going on yet. They will have far more success trying to recruit people when they can provide concrete evidence of what they're doing, whom they're fighting, and SOMETHING REMOTELY APPROACHING a strategy on how to defeat him.

I'm not 100% saying I don't want them to go to the Menagerie Coast in search of Devexian because anything that helps FCG better understand his own capabilities could certainly help, but I DO NOT want them going to Nicodranas just so they can relieve C2's Greatest Hits. Send them to Port Zoon or something - where they will not run into Fjord, they will not run into Jester, they will not run into Yussa and Marion and the Brenattos... save all that for the live show.

Get them on a boat and heading toward the Shattered Teeth ASAP.

Also (here's the conspiracy-theorizing part) I think that Kathula is a possible language-shifted name for Cathmoira, the land-based half of Toramunda from ExU: CALAMITY. And the tree that Keyleth is talking about (Evontra'vir, the Great Tree of Atrophy) is almost certainly the tree that Laerryn Blight-ed. As far as the woman that Keyleth was talking about, I'm wondering if she's a member of the Ossended Host, one of the two prominent groups that inhabits/controls the islands of the Shattered Teeth.

(I also wonder if Keyleth is perhaps hoping that Jirana will help Orym deal with his grief over losing Will and Derrig the same way that Jirana helped her try to deal with losing Vax.)

--

I can't wait to see the next episode - give me Orym visiting the graves of Will and Derrig, give me Ashton and Orym's new outfits, give me Alma's reactions to her boy getting a promotion, give me more of Ashton's conversation with Thollo about the Hishari... I WANT MORE.

[marlequinncos]

I finally got caught up on The Magnus Protocol and I have some thoughts

Long post and spoilers ahoy!

Overall, I'm enjoying it, though I don't think it caught my attention the way the first eps of TMA did. I think that's due to the robotic voices giving the statements; I know they're meant to lack emotion as speech-to-text, but I do miss the more storytelling-type of way the statements were read in TMA.

Character-wise, I like all of the main crew. I think my favorite is Colin. And with Gwen's last name being Bouchard, I hope she's related to TMA OG!Elias, or the Elias of this universe who's hopefully also just a lil stoner dude.

The statements are interesting, though I find them less scary than TMA (probably due to the delivery). I think they'll get more involved and spooky though, especially due to all of the connections to TMA that are popping up.

Poor Sam has already committed the cardinal sin of curiosity/wanting to know more.

Celia has to be the Celia from TMA who was part of Georgie and Melanie's cult in season 5. The way she mentioned tape recorders, being buried alive, meat, etc. makes me think she's from the original universe. Plus she thought she recognized "Chester's" voice. And that same episode where she says that, Hilltop was mentioned, which is very sus.

I lost my shit when Gerry appeared (he's still goth and I will die on that hill), alongside GG/Grandma Gertrude. He sounded so happy, which on on hand made me happy (because that poor boy deserves it), but also makes me concerned that Jonny "I can't wait to kill again" Sims has something devious planned, like killing him off on-screen this time or something about the fact that he seemed almost too happy.

Georgie was mentioned so I hope we see her and Melanie and Basira! This also makes me wonder if we'll see Tim and Sasha in this universe too and I hope we do. Also if Michael Shelley (non-spaghetti boy version) appears, the writers will probably be able to hear me screaming all the way at the RQ offices in the UK.

(This is how Doorkeay/GerryMichael can still win.)

As for whether Jon and Martin are trapped in the computers, I'm not sure. I could see that being the case, but I do think it would be interesting if they weren't and there was some other reason why it has their voices (Web reasons?). That said, if it is them in the computers, then "Augustus" is definitely Jonah Magnus.

The email that Sam got from "John/Jon" is what led him to Gerry and Gertrude, right? Is it likely that that was from our beloved Archivist? Yes. But John/Jon is also one of the most common English names, so I wouldn't be surprised if it was someone else entirely. Perhaps even this universe's Jon Sims.

Last thought is that I don't think Smirke's Fourteen applies here. The statements we've gotten so far have all had some similarities (the violin being tied to The Slaughter, the movie being tied to The Eye, etc.) but there are enough differences that I don't think that original categorization will work. And besides, TMA established that the fourteen all overlap anyway, and trying to categorize them by human standards is futile. I saw that theory about the new entities being "desires" rather than "fears", but I'm not sure I buy that yet.

[scifimagpie]

9 lines 9 souls

@dyrewrites got me, so you know I gotta get you back! More from Monsters and Fools, the sequel to this book right here. SPOILERS AHOY.

***

Nathu’s been working on both an acceptance and a concession speech for hours—when we’ve seen him at all. I’ve lost track of him in the shuffle, so I don’t actually know what he’s up to, apart from the speeches.

Seems like the turnout’s been crazy good, though. People at least give a shit about the election, and were actually interested in and excited about it, so that’s apparently a good sign. Hasn’t exactly been an election in a long time—I think the last one was like, five years ago? More?

Oh man. This last couple of weeks has been so much. And now we find out whether all those events and all those pamphlets and door-knockings and neighbourhood outreach nights and town halls added up to anything more than a pile of Dust.

***

Tagging in! @miles-style @niqhtlord01 @grayh @qrjung @aalinaaaaaa @callahanscorner @asterhaze @mrbexwrites @purplehandshumanfeelings