#all-purpose writing tag

[stuckinapril]

I genuinely love not having a crush like I’m not over here feeling physically sick over some mid guy being dry to me I’m literally chilling

[rhobi]

The Audi

Homeplanet: Aodilea (Frontier) Habitat: Temperate Coastal Lifespan: ??? Diet: Mesocarnivore (50-70% meat consumption)

Evolving from ancient oceanic odontocetes off the northwestern coastline of the Frontier supercontinent, the Audi are gentle giants and reknowned for their pride, curiosity, and hospitality. Audi have exceptional hearing and tactile awareness to offset their incredibly poor eyesight that gets worse the older (and larger) they get. They also sport a handsome melon to assist in their own form of echolocation, a frequency too low for the human ear to parse. Species with more delicate hearing have often complained of Audi cities being the one of the most audibly overstimulating experiences due to this rumble being incessantly present.

Audi lack any form of dymorphism, as every individual has the capabilities to become pregnant and induce pregnancy.

More about the Audi life cycle under the cut.

The Audi are (assumedly) the longest-living species of sentient lifeforms in the Laurelai Galaxy. It is difficult to pinpoint age in any Audi due to their complete lack of any calendar system; Audi view time as constantly moving forward instead of cyclically repeating, and age records were never anything of value.

Because of their lack of birth dates, Audi categorize their lives into phases. Their first official phase is childhood, with their lack of an 'infant' category caused by the species having two fetal incubation periods: the first organic and the second synthetic. Audi give birth incredibly prematurely due to their narrow pelvic gap, and, to prevent damage and even death to the parent, birth is induced within a two-to-three month time period. Full fetal growth is achieved at ten to eleven months, with the second incubation period done with the asisstance of advanced medical technology that simulates a natural womb. Due to this technology, Audi's infant mortality rate went from 80% down to 25% with three out of four Audi infants reaching childhood.

The second phase is adulthood. What criteria needs to be met for this phase is up to speculation, as Audi seem keen on keeping that information private. What can be assumed is that it's personal for every Audi, and every Audi reaches adulthood at different times. Height ranges anywhere from 6'8" (203cm) to 9'11" (302cm) on average, with older individuals being on the taller end due to Audi constantly (albeit slowly) growing their entire lives.

The final phase is She, a coveted example of Audi excellence and potential. Reaching the phase of She takes an impossible amount of time and physical growth. Every She, of which there are currently six, has a leadership role, ranging from cultural preservation and the arts to science and engineering, with each She taking a 'mastery' of one of these core values of Audi society. An interesting note is that every She is referred to as 'She', making it difficult for outsiders to deduce which of the six She is being referenced. She cap out the Audi height range at an even 10' (304cm), though why this is considered maximum height or how they suppress growth past this point is still being studied.

[silverwhittlingknife]

So you're a go to source for all things Dick&Tim bros and you tend to write primarily from Dick's POV. So, odd question, but if you were to summarize their relationship from his POV in FIVE panels which panels would you pick? Keeping in mind that one specific aspect of their relationship that you love needs to be clearly represented by each panel (loyalty, trust etc). I hope this is a fun challenge and not an annoying question so if you don't want to answer that's cool! Have a wonderful day!

No more talk. The same thoughts run through two minds... (SotB 29) / You're my equal. My closest ally. (RR 1) / I can't stop thinking how much I rely on him. (GoG 3)

25 Feelings Dick Has About Tim

This was such a kind ask & a cool challenge which I totally failed; here are TWENTY-five panels of Dick's POV on Tim sdfdsfds Look, I got carried away! Marcia and Cindy! The boys!!

OKAY SO BEFORE I GET TO THE PANELS A FEW NOTES:

WARNING THAT THERE ARE SOME NEGATIVE EMOTIONS IN HERE because I love conflict but but but you gotta remember those are not the final word!! They are complicated people and sometimes they get mad at each other BUT ultimately their relationship is so hugely important in both their lives & they love each other and rely on each other so much -!!! <3

Also I have CONCLUDING THOUGHTS at the end about what Dick's POV leaves out (mostly: a lot of Dick defending & protecting & supporting Tim, which Dick does instinctively but isn't very self-aware about most of the time)

I have loosely organized my list into 5^5 format (5 categories with 5 examples each!), so if you want to skip to a relevant one, here are the categories!!

Below the cut:

I hate him and find him infuriating (#1-5)

On second thought, he's endearing & fun (#6-10)

Grief is complicated & he's all tangled up in mine (#11-15)

I love him & think highly of him (#16-20)

I rely on him & though it's hard for me, I trust him (#21-25)

I hate him and find him infuriating (#1 - 5)

1) He thinks he’s so smart and can psychoanalyze me and Bruce, but he doesn’t know me at all, he should get lost (New Titans 61)

2) He thinks he’s so smart and can psychoanalyze Bruce but he doesn’t know Bruce at all, he should get lost (Gotham Knights 26)

3) He is so nosy about stuff that is MY business (Robin 0)

4) He sounds like an insincere suck-up half the time... but okay, fine, if you push him he's got a sense of humor about it (New Titans 65)

5) I'm sure he's a better vigilante than me. It's my fault for being a failure, but I resent him anyway. (Nightwing 9 - Dick's having a nightmare)

On second thought, he's kinda endearing (#6-10)

6) He worries too much and gets anxious so easily, but it makes him fun to tease (Robin 67)

7) I'm not that competitive - okay, so maybe I'm a little competitive, I gotta make sure he doesn't get a swelled head (Prodigal)

8) I'm supposed to be his favorite! It is not cool for him to be fanboying over my not-girlfriend's not-boyfriend!! (Birds of Prey 19)

9) We have fun together. I can kick back and relax when it's just the two of us. Plus I get to boss him around a bit. (Prodigal)

10) He’s always trying to reassure me, and I guess it's a little comforting, but also he doesn’t really get it. Or me. He makes excuses that he shouldn't, because he doesn't understand that I suck. (Nightwing 64)

Grief is complicated and he's all tangled up in mine (#11 - 15)

11) He reminds me of everything I try not to think about. Sometimes the memories are so strong it hurts to look at him. (Batman 441)

12) WHY IS HE BEING IMPOSSIBLE ALL OF A SUDDEN??? THIS IS SO FRUSTRATING (Nightwing 139)

13) We're the same. He says all the things I don't let myself think about. It's like arguing with myself. (Nightwing 139)

14) He thinks he gets to tell me what to do but he doesn’t, fuck him (Battle for the Cowl)

15) Life sucks, so what. I sucked it up so he should too (RR 1)

I love him and think highly of him (#16 - 20)

16) He’s the closest thing to a brother I’ll ever have.  If someone hurts him I will hurt them harder. (Nightwing 6)

17) I can't handle the idea of losing him. (Nightwing 97)

17) He’s so good and I’m not. I'm afraid I’m bad for him. (Nightwing 110)

18) He’s better than me, and it’s kind of a relief because I know no matter what he’ll be okay. (Gates of Gotham 3)

19) In my head he’s the responsible one.  (Gotham Knights 10)

I rely on him, and though it's hard for me, I trust him (#20-25)

20) I know I have to trust him but I'm afraid he'll make the wrong choices and get hurt (Nightwing 139)

21) I'm sure I know what he should do because I see myself in him - not that I can take my own advice, but he should (Blackest Night 3)

22) I trust him.  When I’m losing my grip on things, he pulls me back. (Gotham Knights 10)

23) I want him to trust me (Red Robin 12)

24) He can tell when I'm lying. Sometimes he sees my weaknesses better than I wish he did. (Detective Comics 874)

25) He’s always there when I need him. (Teen Titans / Outsiders Secret Files)

Final rambling thoughts:

TIM: Uhh, okay, so I'm just skimming this list - do you really trust me? you're not just saying that? - but anyway, I'm confused because you left some stuff out? Like some stuff that's kinda important? DICK: No? I think I got everything? TIM (starts counting on his fingers): The time I was having a bad day but then I called you. The time I got captured by Two-Face but then you saved me. The time I fell off a train but then you saved me. The time I fell off a building but then you saved me. The time I fell off a different building - DICK: I feel like you're trying to make some kind of point but I'm not sure what it could be.

SO THE THING IS, I put 25 panels in here and not a single one has Dick catching Tim when he’s falling!!! But I think that's a central motif of their relationship from Tim’s POV, not Dick’s. I love Dick, but in some ways I think he is spectacularly un-self-aware.

And I think he especially has a lot of blind spots about Tim. He kinda intermittently gets that Tim admires him, and he enjoys it in a playful I-get-to-boss-you-around way. But Dick tends to consistently underestimate all of his own good qualities & skills, and he meets Tim at a point in his life when he's especially down on himself & his abilities. And so he's unable to see his own influence on Tim, & therefore unable to fully understand a lot of Tim's priorities and loyalties and motivations, because you can't actually understand Tim without understanding Dick's impact on him. There's a fascinating moment in Bruce Wayne: Murderer when Dick's completely blindsided & upset to discover that Tim doesn't entirely trust Bruce, even though this has been a definitive fact of Tim's whole thing ever since he showed up with his Batman needs Robin theory, and Barbara has to actively remind Dick of the obvious-to-everyone-except-Dick fact that a lot of Tim's loyalty is to Dick, and Tim loves Bruce but feels free to be more wary of him. (And to give Bruce credit: this is not something he ever begrudges.) But anyway Babs points this out, and Dick manages to sorta process it for about five seconds, but he cannot actually accept it into his worldview so instead he discards it at the speed of light and goes off and has an argument with Tim instead sdfsfdsf

All of Dick's virtues - Dick's kindness at the circus and Dick's determination to fight through grief and Dick's rigid sense of morals and Dick's vigilante skills and every time Dick has ever backed Tim up or listened to him or protected him or saved him from something or just been casually kind to a stranger in Tim's presence etc etc etc - all these things loom really large in Tim's mental story of Who Dick Is, and What Dick And Tim's Relationship Is. Tim meets Dick before he meets Bruce, trusts Dick more than Bruce, aspires to be Robin instead of Batman. And so in Tim's default version of the story, Dick is the super-special and admirable hero and Tim is... nobody in particular, a tagalong outsider who's barely managing to be a hero, not part of Dick and Bruce's family and not part of their story, who, if he's VERY LUCKY and tries REALLY HARD, might be able to fight his way to proving himself and offering something to Dick that Dick will value, if Dick doesn't get fed up with him first.

But that's not Dick's version of the story!!!

Dick's version of the story is almost the exact opposite, a story where Dick's an outcast failure black sheep who's screwing up everything he tries, and meanwhile Tim is The Sudden New Perfect Robin Who's Better Than Me And Probably Bruce Loves Him More And Probably They Gossip About What A Loser I Am, mixed with a complicated edge of Tim Thinks He's So Smart But He Doesn't Know Me/Us At All. Dick gets much more attached to Tim over time, and Tim gets unnervingly better at the know-it-all psychoanalysis so then Dick gets to have complicated feelings about him being right instead of just annoyance at him for being wrong, plus Dick's relationship with Bruce improves a lot, so Tim stops feeling so threatening. But Dick never fundamentally changes his basic theory of their relationship in which Tim is highly impressive and capable, and Dick is not so much.

And so asking Dick about Tim is kinda like if you asked George Bailey to tell you about Harry Bailey in It's A Wonderful Life; like, you'll be there for five hours while he tells you how great Harry is, and how accomplished Harry is, and how he doesn't really get how or why Harry does the things he does, and maybe George does feel a little resentful or jealous sometimes, but that pales in comparison to all his admiration and trust for Harry who he loves so much, who's better than him in so many ways, and he's not gonna openly gripe but secretly he can't help but feel sometimes like he's such a failure in comparison to Harry, a perfect person who emerged fully formed from Zeus's head with all the virtues and also all the accomplishments, etc. etc. etc. --

-- and he will not actually remember the part where he changed and saved Harry's whole entire life unless you literally send him to an alternate timeline in order to force him to remember it. <3

[mishy-mashy]

Bruce is actually really attractive, and I have enough reasoning to make a list

He's:

Tall (. Tall enough to hit his head on the vault doorframe)

Long-legged

Has a straight nose bridge

Has high cheekbones (more noticeable in 2nd pic below)

Has a strong jawline

Sharp eyes, but they aren't small (plus eyebags if you're into that)

Overall, he has strong, attractive facial features

Has broad, refined shoulders. You can tell he works out (or he did, when he was alive)

Even has a thick, muscly neck

He has MUSCLE. Is SCULPTED. NOICE. VERY NOICE. (nice arms. Nice shoulders. Nice neck. Nice legs. Nice butt-)

(There are actually panels where you can see some of his muscles. Other than those already shown here, he's got bricky thighs-

-and in the panels where we first get his name dropped, he's got those shoulder blades too-)

The one time we see him smile, and he actually has a scary one

Has small, kinda sharp pupils, and his eyes remind me of a cat. We only ever saw him tense or defensive, so his resting/listening face is really cute

Other than the physical appearance stuff, he also:

Takes shit without batting an eye (patience, knowing it's just how Kudo is, etc)

Kudo being all "Cut the crap Bruce and give it to me straight", after Bruce tests his blood and is rightfully Concerned because they just faced AFO

Put up with Kudo's experimenting and testing over Yoichi's transferable Factor

Did ya'll see the look on Kudo's face when he realized he had Yoichi's Factor/will? Kudo was going to start in nonsense and Bruce just dealt with that.

Also something I noticed when looking back at the images here; Bruce has bandages on his arms in the void. But not when he faced AFO in the sewers.

Were he and Kudo cutting their arms open in their experimenting over Yoichi's theory? Is this why Kudo has two gauntlets instead of his one? Why we never see his bare arms in the void? That he always keeps his arms down so there's no slip?

Is smart enough to run blood tests, plus has enough common sense to pick Shinomori as his successor

He picked a guy who avoids society, has an Ability to detect danger so he can always stay away from AFO, is also a coward so he's never going to go throw himself into danger, even without knowing instinctively he stands no chance, etc.

Meanwhile, Kudo chose Bruce, who he played Hot Potato Yoichi with; but he did also trust Bruce, and put the only pure combative Ability in OFA through Bruce.

These two made their choices based on what they valued and saw the Factor needed.

Is logical, analytical, and calm.

He tried advising Midoriya on their Abilities in One For All, especially his own.

Midoriya then tried ignoring him about using Fa Jin for the first time, but found he was right, thinking: "Dammit!! I had [Lady Nagant] right where I wanted her, but... ugh! The Third was right. My parallel Quirk processes are all screwed up!" (ch. 314).

Plus, when Midoriya fixed his processing mistakes, Bruce was analyzing the way he reached his new conclusion. Pure facts, no bias, very calm, just saying it as it was.

We never see him panic. When he's caught by surprise in the sewers by AFO, Kudo, and Yoichi's little bubble event, he immediately reacts. He doesn't falter, he just knows he has to do something right now.

Was more willing to listen than Kudo to Yoichi's beckon, and probably was just following Kudo's rejection of Midoriya

While we don't see Kudo's face, we see Bruce's eyes when Yoichi calls on his heroes. Bruce was more open and receptive, or at least more impacted.

Bruce was also the one to start talking, while Kudo just kept quiet.

He actually communicates a lot

When Yoichi called them to support Midoriya, Bruce started talking to paint a picture of why they thought the way they did, so Yoichi understood where they were coming from.

(Though he seems to beat about the bush sometimes, since Kudo spoke up to be direct on how they couldn't just put their trust in some starry-eyed teenager. Plus, when Kudo tells him to just tell him what's wrong [double Factors])

When Midoriya first used Fa Jin against Nagant, Bruce came out just to tell him he knew what he was trying, but that Midoriya wasn't ready; and Midoriya found he was right. Midoriya just didn't want to listen to him then.

He asks Kudo for clarification after finding Kudo had two Factors in him after the sewer incident ("Just to be sure, All For One didn't touch you, right?") Kudo knew him well enough to go "stop beating around the bush and tell me", so Bruce was probably gonna start with questions, theories, and trying to understand everything in general, before saying "yeah you have two Factors. Don't know why".

Is strong-willed and loyal.

He followed Kudo, even to death, carrying on the cause he started until it ended with him.

Plus, when talking about how AFO needs a strong will to override OFA's own, we first see Bruce, Kudo, and Yoichi.

AFO couldn't steal OFA because the will was too strong for him, and that was back during Banjo's time. Since Shinomori never actually tried opposing AFO and just hid, we can assume the first Three (Yoichi, Kudo, Bruce) already had an accumulation of strong willpower that made OFA un-stealable. Those three are a strong enough foundation, and the main wills, that the other users just become bonuses.

Kudo, also saying that Midoriya needs allies with the same will and drive as him... hey Kudo, you're talking about yourself and your old allies, aren't you? That's why you look at Yoichi and Bruce when you say this.

Not only is Bruce attractive, but he's got good character. THE END.

[kaladinkholins]

(concept art of young taigen - source ; art credit: @abigaillarson)

i cannot get over this concept art of young taigen. god.

just look at this angry bratty boy, too many feelings that he doesnt know what to do with! an abused 9 year old kid in poverty always playing with sticks in the dirt, obsessed with greatness and dreaming to escape his decrepit village—and he does!

he does escape. he runs away. this angry little boy, all claws and teeth and biting words uttered with a lisp, going on the run into a world he's never seen before until he makes his way to kyoto. and knowing him he probably forced his way in to be accepted by the dojo, growling and kicking even as he's thrown out, back into the streets, too stubborn to take no for an answer and never knowing when to give up.

taigen calls mizu a dog, weak, an orphan, a scrawny street urchin. but i can't help but think that he feels so bold to use those words because he had them spat at him too.

because taigen had the idea of "this is how the world is" beat into him from birth. he learned quickly that if you couldn't beat the world you could join it. but that meant losing your way, your values, your principles. and isn't that what true honour is? not just titles and status and glory?

we don't get to see what taigen, as a child surrounded by peers encouraging and goading him on, would've actually done if that meteor hadn't fallen right in front of them at that very moment. would he have really tried to throw that stone on mizu, killing her? we don't know.

but we do see what taigen (his true self, with no one around) does, when presented with the same opportunity. when mizu passes out in front of him, unconscious and near death, vulnerable, the path to restoring his honour lays itself out for him on a silver platter. and he wants to take it, wants to kill mizu, to claim what is his and return to kyoto and get back everything he'd worked tooth and nail for. he feels like it's what he should do. but he doesn't.

and later, again he is presented with the chance to betray mizu, likely offered by heiji shindo to get his rank reinstated within the shindo dojo. and again, taigen doesn't take it. he refuses. "stupidly loyal," fowler calls him later. loyal, like a dog.

because now, pulled away from the sneering looks and jeering words of people around him, telling him that this is what the world is, taigen had met ringo and mizu, two outcasts who refuse to follow a predetermined path to greatness. and so inside something blooms in him. something like hope. a chance to live in a world that doesn't kick you down every chance it gets, to live in a world where genuine kindness and and love and friendship and even weakness is possible, allowed to simply exist without fear.

because he'd been running away from the very idea of it the whole time. when he ran from kohama, he never looked back, never wanted to remember what it was like to be a child, afraid and hungry and angry and hurting, without the words to make sense of it, desperately wishing for something. something more. he doesn't know what. but he hears stories of great swordsmen and decides, yes, this must be it. this is what i want: glory, greatness. the twisted seed gets planted and thrives in this barren land.

and when he returns to kohama with mizu and ringo, he at last is forced to stop running. he must face the child within him again, and he tells that child to put down the stones in his hand, tells him to stop barking at anything that moves or looks at him wrong.

the child drops the stone, and taigen buys dumplings instead, gives them to mizu. the child within him, wide-eyed at the prospect of friendship, moves him to pick up a hammer and toss it to mizu. he's smiling inside even as he does it; giggling like a kid hiding a silly prank. as soon as mizu drops the hammer after him, he leaps at her, tackling her to the ground and they wrestle and laugh unbridled like two children playing while the adults aren't around to barge in and yell at them.

and then his gaze catches on mizu's lips, he stares into mizu's eyes, a sparkling blue, inviting like the open sea in good weather.

it's a man's desire that takes hold then, the child in him sinking away again, and he curses himself for it, because it ruins the moment.

everything goes to shit from there, and then it's back to being a man, back to putting on his grown-up's armour to play hero.

it fails. the shogun dies. fowler's beatings reopen all the wounds left by heiji shindo's torture. "honour is meaningless," mizu tells him. "nothing comes from being a samurai but death."

the words follow him, and he follows the words.

as everything burns down, he runs, leaving the fire behind him, and sees akemi, as well as the verdure of spring behind her, calling him. he does not hesitate then to hold his hand out to her, inviting her to come with him. "i don't want to be great," he says. "i just want to be happy."

what is happiness to him? perhaps he doesn't know it yet, or perhaps he does. but really, i believe happiness is what the child in him always wanted but never received. happiness is a home.

[ghostieagere]

this is partially inspired by @tinymoon-beam's regressed french rain ficlet (as well as all her other french rain fics !!!) so please go check those out, she's a really incredible writer <3

also just a general disclaimer that french is not my first language, i am very much still learning !!! some of the weird grammar/spelling things are to mirror the way i write the english-speaking regressed ghouls, but if you spot any other mistakes then i welcome gentle corrections <3

cw: regressed rain, regressed aeon, caregiver dewdrop, french rain, language confusion, rain not understanding english, aeon not understanding french, multilingual dew, a few tears of frustration but it's all okay in the end

~

“Arrête!” (Stop!) Rain’s raised voice catches Dew’s attention. He looks up from his book to see Aeon giggling as they nudge their finger against Rain’s tower of blocks. The tower wobbles as Aeon nudges it again, threatening to fall.

“Arrête, arrête!” (Stop, stop!) Rain cries again, trying to push Aeon away and save his tower.

Dew puts his book down. “Aeon, bubs?” The little quintessence ghoul looks up at the sound of their name. “I don’t think Rainy likes you messing with his tower, okay? He’s telling you to stop.”

Aeon pouts. “If I don’ un’ers’and him, how ‘m I supposed to know?” Their question prompts the both of them to look over at the little water ghoul, his gaze shifting between them, his brow furrowed in confusion.

“Je compren’ pas, Papa,” (I don't understand, papa) he says, voice small as tears well in his eyes.

Dew stands from the couch and makes his way over to the two little ghouls on the floor. He crouches in front of Rain and holds his hands out near his face, letting Rain lean into his touch on his own time. When he does, Dew smooths his thumbs over Rain’s cheeks, wiping away the single tear that fell in his confusion. “Ça va, mon cœur?” (Are you alright, my heart?)

Rain nods. “Ouais, ça va.” (Yeah, i'm okay) He sniffles as he speaks, but with Dew’s warm hands on his face wicking away the sadness, he seems to be feeling a lot better.

Across the other side of the block tower, Aeon whines. “I don’ un’ers’and, Dada.” Dew has to bite back a smile at how similar Rain and Aeon are, even if neither of them are quite aware of it at the moment.

He walks around to the other side of the tower and sits next to Aeon, holding out his hand for the little quintessence ghoul to take a hold of if they want. “You don’t have to understand, little star,” he reminds them. “You just have to–”

“I jus’ have to be kiiiiiiind,” they finish for him, drawing out the ‘i’ in ‘kind’ as they struggle to pronounce it.

Dew smiles widely. “That’s exactly right, Ae! Such a good memory you’ve got there, bub. Well done.”

Aeon grins back up at Dew, beginning to rock side to side in happiness from the praise as they turn their attention away from Dew and Rain and back to their own pile of blocks in front of them.

Once Dew is sure Aeon is completely absorbed in their play, he turns back to Rain, finding the water ghoul looking completely lost by the lack of French all over again. “Rain, t’as compris?” (Rain, did you understand?)

Rain looks over at Dew and shakes his head. “Non, j’ai pas compris. Desolé…” (No, I didn't understand. Sorry...) He looks back down at the ground, embarrassed.

“Non, non, mon cœur,” (No, no, my heart) Dew consoles him, holding his arms out in an offer for Rain to crawl over to him and be held. “C’est pas grave.” (It's not serious) They both hum happily as Rain settles himself in Dew’s lap, rubbing his cheek against the fire ghoul’s shirt and purring contentedly at the warmth of Dew’s body heat. “J’ai dit à Aeon qu’iel devait être gentil avec tu et ton tour,” (I told Aeon that they needed to be kind with you and your tower) he explains, smiling when he feels Rain smile against him as he understands the words Dew is saying. Dew continues to explain what he said to Aeon about understanding and being kind, and when he asks the same question of Rain, he gets a very enthusiastic “Je dois être gentiiiiiiil” (I need to be kiiiiiiiind) in response, the little water ghoul dragging out the ‘i’ in the exact same way as Aeon did.

“Très bien, Rainy,” (Very good, Rainy) Dew encourages. “C’était parfait!’ (That was perfect!)

Rain giggles softly and claps his hands as well as he can while he’s squished up against Dew’s chest.

“Est-ce que tu veux jouer avec Aeon maintenant? Ou tu veux rester là pour le moment?” (Do you want to play with Aeon now? Or do you want to stay here for the moment?)

Rain hums while he thinks through his choices. Dew can practically guess what the little water ghoul is thinking. If he plays with Aeon, they can make more block towers together and it’ll be tricky to understand each other, but it will still be so much fun. Or if he stays with Dew, he’ll be comfy and cosy with his Papa, but he won’t get to play with his friend. After a long while, Rain buries his face further into Dew’s shirt. “Là,” (Here) he says, voice muffled in the fabric.

“Tu restes là?” (You want to stay here?)

Rain nods.

“D’accord, bon choix, mon petit chou.” (Okay, good choice, my little darling) Dew rubs Rain’s back comfortingly as he speaks, watching Aeon over the little water ghoul’s head. They seem more than happy playing with their block and chatting away to themselves for the moment, but regardless, Dew’s glad Rain’s made the choice to stay with him because it means he’ll be able to interact with Aeon much more easily if they come to ask him something.

“Et– Et– Et après,” (And– And– And after) Rain starts, looking up at Dew with big, hopeful eyes. “Après, p– peut-être que je peux jouer avec Aeon?” (After, m– maybe I can play with Aeon?)

Dew nods down at them enthusiastically and feels his smile widen at the idea of his two little ones playing together without conflict. “Ouais, bien sûr, Rain.” (Yeah, of course, Rain)

The little water ghoul wriggles happily in his lap, letting out a very, very quiet “Youpi!” (Yippee!)

At the quiet celebration, Aeon looks up from their stack of blocks. “Wha’s happening, Dada? Why Rainy so happy?” They ask earnestly.

Dew redirects his attention to Aeon and quickly gives them a recap of the conversation in English. “Rain is going to stay here in my lap for a bit, and afterwards, he thinks he might come and play with you and the blocks again, okay?”

Aeon gasps, mouth wide open and eyes practically shining in excitement when they hear their playmate might be joining them again soon. “Rainy gonna come an’ pray again?”

“Yeah, bubba!” Dew responds, grinning. “Rainy might come and play with you soon!”

“Yippee!” Aeon shouts, giggling and smiling widely. “I like prayin’ wif Rainy.”

Dew watches them play for a few more moments before turning back down to the little water ghoul in his lap. “Tu as entendu ça, Rainy?” (Did you hear that, Rainy?) Dew asks, leaning down to talk directly into Rain’s ear. “Iel aime bien jouer avec toi.” (They really like playing with you)

It takes a while for Rain to reply, which makes Dew think he might be close to falling asleep if he hasn’t already, but eventually, Rain responds very quietly, his sleep-laced words muffled against Dew’s shirt. “J'aime bien jouer avec toi aussi, Aeon…” (I really like playing with you too, Aeon...)

[chiropteracupola]

granby + iskierka + keynes

[crystallizsch]

“Hey, Yuu. Whatcha looking at?”

Grim asked as he sat at the foot of their bed.

A bunch of polaroid photos were strewn across the mattress.

They were probably taken using the ghost camera.

Yuu had been going around and taking photos with everyone this past week.

It wasn't weird at first because they do this anyway.

But for some reason, this time they were really adamant about it.

Now it looks like they've put them all together in one place, organizing them by dorm.

Heartslabyul

"So. I've got Riddle, Ace, Deuce, Cater, Trey..."

Savanaclaw

"—Leona, Jack, Ruggie..."

Octavinelle

"—Azul, Jade, Floyd..."

Scarabia

"—Kalim, Jamil..."

Pomefiore

"—Vil, Epel, Rook..."

Ignihyde

"—Idia, Ortho..."

Diasomnia

"—Malleus, Lilia, Silver, Sebek..."

Ramshackle

"And finally..."

"—The one that we took earlier! Me and my hench-human. Myahaha!”

Yes. Grim's hench-human.

Everyone’s here.

Yuu picked up the photo of them and Grim.

They had a sad smile on their face as they looked at it.

"Why're you suddenly taking photos with everyone anyway?"

"Oh... no reason. I just wanted to. Just in case."

(close-ups: heartslabyul • savanaclaw • octavinelle • scarabia • pomefiore • ignihyde • diasomnia • grim)

[codacheetah]

5 for the isat ask game!

5 - What's your favorite optional event?

VERY TOUGH ONE TO ANSWER. I'm gonna go right ahead and disqualify twohats bc it's a predictable answer. If I had to choose just one though I think it'd probably be the sus event. It really got my goat on my first playthrough bc I didn't realize you had to do it in ACT 4. If I remember correctly I think sus is the only optional event locked to ACT 4??? Now that I've actually done it though I'm quite fond of it.

Sus event is one that you really have to go out of your way to do. It kind of reminds me of the True Ending in SASASAP but More and I'm sure that's intentional. Like the requirements for sus quest necessitate that you're going to do it, if not the loop before ACT 5, very soon before it. You have to know pretty much everything about Time Craft and Wish Craft already, so whatever you're doing in the loops now is basically taking out any optional stuff before you hit the end. You have to pretty thoroughly remember how the script goes just so you know all the best ways to break it. I feel like if the True Ending route is Loop going through the motions so many times that they can't deal with holding their facade together any longer, the sus route is Siffrin waving a big red flag around for help. There's just no way you're going to stumble into sus without preplanning what to do to rack up your points and make Odile aware of how Wish Craft works.

So I think it's interesting how much Siffrin pushes back against Odile trying to figure him out. It's a pattern of behavior that I am well aware of where you're desperately going "HELP ME" but you're not willing to accept it when it's offered to you.

Siffrin spends an entire loop screwing everything up, to a point that's frankly kind of egregious even by Late Stage Timeloopers standards, and then they can't reckon with the consequences of it. I don't think sus event is as intentional of a cry for help for Siffrin as it is the player, mind you. But I do think it's. Very tragic. Yeah of course "it's too late" in the sense that Siffrin's about to talk to Euphie and the whole journey will end, but moreso it's that by the time that Odile can piece together all the information necessary to figure Siffrin out, Siffrin is just far too deeply entrenched in his self hatred and fear of abandonment to be dug out. I think if Odile could somehow figure it out in, like, early ACT 3, or if Isabeau was just a bit more pushy in getting Siffrin to do a feelings talk, maybe they'd actually be able to reach Siffrin a little. But they're always just a little too late, every single time.

I think the fact that you start really getting a bunch of weird points in ACT 3 gives this event a lot of buildup. For potential dozens of loops you'll see Odile brush against the truth of the situation, and then just barely miss. By the time she figures it out, it's too late. Explodes

Expounded upon slightly more in tags bc I don't like typing in post bodies I feel like a fish on land. eek

[taz-writes]

here's a hot take for today

the narrative function of sex is the same as the narrative function of fight scenes is the same as the narrative function of songs in a musical

no i will not explain

[netflixhyperfixations]

I’m sorry daniel but maybe you could have stopped the simulation if you tried to seduce eyk

[brother-emperors]

caius trebonius :) I posted this a few days ago, deleted it, posted it to twitter, and now I’m reposting it here! what a circle

anyway, trebonius! sometime in his legate years, but maybe not! what the hell is a timeline*. I will be changing up his face scars until I settle on a good origin comic for them

*I’ve spent the last two days creating a sourcebook on trebonius. I did not intend to do this, I just wanted to check something really quick for a scene I was writing and got mad that his wikipedia page didn’t cite any ancient sources. what was originally 4 pages of notes is now closer to 50 pages. I’m in hell, time has no meaning, I will stab caesar myself

[briviting]

idk my bff rose

[ectonurites]

Uhhhh very late miwip wednesday? it is thursday.

I've had this au—Will as Robin, El as Batgirl, Mike as Spoiler + a few more Hawkins characters as Bats but I'll leave the rest a mystery for now—rattling around in my brain for like a week, and I don't know if I'll ever actually write out the full longfic idea I have for it, but I'll at least post snippets and some doodles 👍

Text under the cut if the images are hard to read hehe:

—

“I know I did it to you when we first met,” the sound of boots hitting the rooftop echoes behind him, “But it’s really not proper vigilante etiquette to take off someone else’s mask.” 

Mike whips around to face him—Robin, The Boy Wonder. While he’s figured out who the new Batgirl is, he hasn’t got a clue about this guy. Unless maybe it’s not just El—maybe all the Bats are connected to the lab? Robin could be a number, too.

He stares at the other boy, lost in thought, not sure what to say. 

When it must fully register that his comment isn’t getting a response, Robin shrugs and retracts his grapple, clicking it into place on his utility belt as he steps closer out of the shadows.

Mike quickly puts his mask back on, just for something to do with his hands, something to interrupt his gawking at least for a second. When he looks again, there’s now a layer between them—flimsy blue fabric that makes it a little less clear that he’s still staring. 

But how could he not? The two of them have only really met twice—when Robin had tackled him not realizing The Spoiler is a new hero not a villain, and when Robin had come to his window the following night telling him to hang up his cape. So really, this is the first time Mike can stop and take him in without some sense of urgency bleeding into the situation. The first time he can just… look.

His mask is a deep green leather molded into a sort of beak, and despite leaving a decent amount of his face uncovered, it conceals what could really be identifying—his eyes, his nose, parts of his cheeks. His warm smile is visible though, and Mike can’t help that his eyes are drawn to it. It’s just the part of his face I can see, he tells himself, but maybe that’s not the only reason. 

Robin runs a gloved hand through his gelled-back hair, a chestnut brown that Mike bets would glisten in sunlight. But Robin isn’t someone you see during the day. Bats only come out at night in Hawkins, even ones who wear bright colors. Red, yellow, and green—he’s like a traffic light.

Only now while glancing up and down as he crosses the rooftop, does Mike really register how small a guy Robin is, noticeably shorter than Mike himself. But regardless, he still moves with confidence, it makes his presence seem larger somehow—wise beyond his years.

[merakiui]

Helloo i just came to your blog and found the whole apocalypes au interesting 👀

I dont understand much of the au concept tjo so mind enlightening me? ^^ i wanna see more of it akskaosn

The basic concept is that the world is in disarray and has fallen into an apocalypse due to the effects of blot on mages/magical creatures producing more Overblots than ever before, which has forced those living in this new world to adapt and evolve in order to survive. This means building strong, sturdy compounds and using any means necessary to stay afloat (moral compasses are very skewed and corrupt in this au). Additionally, since women are now seen as a precious resource, they are kept within the compounds for the sake of reproduction. There are seven major compounds: Heartslabyul, Savanaclaw, Octavinelle, Scarabia, Pomefiore, Ignihyde, and Diasomnia, all with their own sets of regulations, traditions, and ways of living. Noble Bell is technically a compound of its own, with Rollo as the leader, and RSA also counts as a compound. But we haven't touched much on both yet!

I will link all of the discussions that have taken place with this au so that you can read more! :D

✧ dorm compounds

✧ bride selection (idia & azul)

✧ information about the husband selection

✧ bride selection (jade)

✧ husband selection (floyd)

✧ husband selection (malleus)

✧ mute bride (azul)

✧ darling who avoids bride selections

✧ husband floyd

✧ gentle non-con with riddle

✧ riddle (un)willingly sharing darling with azul

[im-an-anthusiast]

Almost Sweet

A sickening something crawls down my throat,

And I don’t know why, but I just won’t choke

It’s always been there, despite what I thought

And now all of this feels like a bad joke

I’m seeing invisible ciphers

Thing that isn’t there, an unwritten verse

I’m hearing inaudible whispers

Only I perceive them – is this my curse?

I’m so hungry that I can’t eat

It’s all so bitter it’s almost sweet

It’s just barely not there, like I dreamed it

And it’s so damn bitter, it’s almost sweet

A sickening something crawls up my throat

It makes me spit, gag, and it makes me choke

Saw it coming, but it’s worse than I thought

It is the punchline, to this twisted joke

I’ve got a bad feeling – about nothing

But also – about every single thing

Delusions make me sick to my stomach

But the truth is something I can’t stomach

I am untouched, and yet, I have been hit

It’s all so bitter it’s almost sweet

It’s just barely there – I didn’t dream it

And it’s so damn bitter, it’s almost sweet

A sickening something, stuck in my throat

After all this time, it still makes me choke

All of this is clearly not what I sought

I wish all of this was just some dumb joke

My head is in the clouds – stormy and gray

But my feet – rooted in the soil and clay

And that pressure, it pains me greatly

Why can’t things, for once, go, oh, so gently?

I’m new to this town, but I know this street

It’s all so bitter it's almost sweet

Is it really there? What if I dreamed it?

It’s so damn bitter it’s almost sweet