#and I know he does a bunch of other stuff

[miidsch]

had to lay down my thoughts about their designs before making more art of them <- said as if I won't be changing these designs in like the next drawing

also misc thoughts that I didn't add in the pics:

Outside of the Dark World, Tenna's body loses all the wackiness and becomes a regular robot

Mettaton had to rely on himself to get his robot body ready and he learnt a bunch of stuff about robotics/mechanics/engineering, so he helps Tenna with his body issues. which are a lot due to the fact that he's Old And Rusty ™

Is Mettaton's body a mecha? Does his ghost form posses the robot body? idk whichever I feel like it in the moment

You can see the fuel disappear as he uses it up and he becomes more tired the less of it there is

Mettaton's ghost is the size of Spamton

Mettaton forgets about the side buttons on Tenna's head and will often press them accidentally when he cups his head

On the other hand Spamton will press on purpose them to mess up with him

I know people often draw Spamton as a puppet but I imagine him as kind of fleshy? which Mettaton and Tenna really like because. you know. steel-cold robot body

I really don't know what else to say about Spamton's design he's just really fucked up looking

[occamstfs]

Bumming A Smoke

Harold bumps into the wrong crowd. Forced to have a one on one with their boss Jonny, the world he knows seems almost alien. Though none of that stuff seems as worthwhile as the cig lolling in his mouth.

Last of the novel TF’s from that poll! Reality and mental changes are the headline, hope you enjoy this smoke heavy story of a man becoming a greased up grunt! -Occam

Harold was on the way home from a fairly uneventful afternoon with some friends. Just a quick catch up, knocking out a few mimosas and offering a middling performance at some brunchy bar trivia. The secretary reflects on what a delightful time he had as he strolls down the well-trod streets towards his home. 

He thinks about unbuttoning a button or two, but that wouldn’t be very well, gotta look presentable in case he bumps into a coworker hm? He knows a few of them live nearby. Still, it was quite nice to cut back for a time with his old friends, shame he can’t do so more often.

As Harold’s distracted for some time putting his too brief good times to memory, contemplative smile on his face, he doesn’t notice as he happens upon a crew of people that seem to have spilled straight from an old genre movie. Clad in enough shiny leather to cloth a bear bar with rigid pompadours and other stylized hairdos coated in enough grease or wax to coat a few motorcycles.

Never has there been a worse time for the ever-observant businessman to zone out or lose himself to distraction. Unfortunately, for the man so used to having control of his calm and quiet life, it is at precisely this time that he bumps into who else but the ringleader of this bizarre crew.

“Woah woah woah there baby, gotta watch where yer goin yeah?” Immediately the man’s coarse hands are on his shoulders, Harold doesn’t know whether to be bothered more by the cloud of cigarette smoke pouring from the crew around him or the must-be filthy mitts now sullying his pristine jacket. He offers a courteous nod to apologize, but the man’s grip doesn’t loosen.

His performative smile twitches which only causes his assault’s grin to grow wider. As he moves his smooth hands to tap the man’s arms, he hears jeers begin to fly forth from the crew that has begun to surround the pair of them. “Gonna let a square walk all over yas?” “Lettem have it Jonny Boy!” “Get Beeeent ya asshole”

Before his hand can make contact with the man’s leather covered arm, Jonny releases Harold and steps back, arms raised in a faultless surrender. His eyes are closed peaceably but a coy smirk remains the foremost expression on his face, “Ay now ay now, we don’t mean youse any harm there chief. Let’s you and me have a little chat eh? After all, was you who stepped all into my biz after alls. Love to show youse around, break some bread.”

Harold does a double take, looking around for some hidden camera as this situation simply must be some kind of prank show or something. It has to be! He’d be laughing himself were he not surrounded by men staring at him with such scorn. It’s beyond the pale. Still, he has the stark feeling that Jonny’s words were not an ask so much as an order. Telling himself it would be impolite to flee, despite alarms beginning to blare, he acquiesces.

Harold offers a hand for this ‘Jonny Boy’ to shake, forcing a smile back on his face, “Of course uhm, sir? I certainly meant no ill will towards yourself nor your crew. If you would, please accept my humblest of apologies.” From his first word snickers begin to echo from the rowdy bunch around him, Jonny’s eyes reopen and there’s something behind his congenial expression. Something predatory.

Nevertheless, the boss takes the hand offered. Harold squirms under the rough scratch of Jonny’s callouses, his grip more than a match for the most performatively aggressive handshakes he’s endured during his time at work. He stays firm and waits for Jonny to give, which he does after some time, leaving Harold’s hand only slightly worse for wear, some ash or grease having clearly been left on his hitherto clean palm. 

“Ah! Soz about that Mr?” 

“Harold. Now if you don’t mind-” having now been truly inconvenienced, his patience begins to wear thin and he makes to leave. Before he even takes his first step he is assailed once more by their leader, his heavy arm now forcibly atop Harold’s shoulders, “Ah ah ah- Not quite ye Mista Harold. Youse gotta do a little more than that to make it up to us. Wha’s life without song ‘n dance?”

He begins to lead Harold through his crew, in the opposite direction of home. At one point some particularly brutish member brandishes a switchblade which the polished man flinches away from. After a moment the bovine man clicks it open to reveal a comb and guffaws at Harold’s cowardice before using it to puff up his pompadour. “Ahh Now Harry, can I call ya Harry? Can’t let ol’ Bruise getcha like that. Youse should know that by now eh? Anyways, as I was sayin…”

Only now hearing Jonny fast talk him so thoroughly does he realize just how he’s being strung along. Palming his wallet in his pocket to ensure he’s not been pickpocketed, focused on his intact billfold he’s none the wiser as his suit jacket has somehow flown from his shoulders. Instead he sighs in relief that his pocket change remains safe. Then Jonny’s words sink in, what does he mean I should know!? I don’t know any of these freaks!?

He begins listening to the boss’ words, unaware that even arguing with them to himself gives his assertions space within his head. All the while Jonny continues assailing his memories. Small suggestions that Harold knows not to be true, or are they? Quick and vacuous sentences blur into a vague humming in Harold’s ear. It’s like static. He feels it begin to fill his head like cotton, all the while Jonny’s intentions have begun to affect the polished man’s appearance. Harold is far too distracted by his ongoing suggestions and hazarded explanations to notice how the fabric of his shirt begins to shift.

Expensive linen blends give way to a working man’s cotton shirt, slightly stained under the pits and elsewhere from being worn in a life actually lived outside of an air conditioned suite. The few buttons he intended to leave open earlier pop off to expose his pale, nigh-hairless chest as he follows Jonny in perfect step. His pants lack the flair of white collar life and grow rougher. 

“So I says to her- Well Harry you know what I says eh?” Harold opens eyes that had been clenched shut to hopefully ease the throbbing headache continuing to increase. Before he can correct the, by all intents, gang leader on both his name and reality, he freezes up as the world he sees before him is not one he recognizes. Beyond that, it’s not one that’s possible. His hand flies to his mouth as he sees color begin to drain from the world.

Looking down to discover his changed outfit, he rubs his eyes with a fury to try and undo whatever shock to his senses has caused this. He scarcely notices the scratch of his shirt against his chest or how his pants sit differently on his waist as his pale skin shifts grey. If he strains he can just make out the red of a stop sign, the blue of the sky, but with each passing moment the world feels more black and white.

Then he turns to stare at the man whose arm remains draped across his shoulders, head now tilted despite an expression that belies not a single drop of surprise at Harold’s shock, “Everything alright buddy?” Harold desperately tries to understand what’s going on, what happened to his vision, to his clothes. But then as he shakily takes in the calm man who must be doing this to him.

Try as he might to focus his anger and fear to demand an explanation. The cigarette bobbing in Jonny’s mouth acts as a hypnotist’s pendulum, demanding his attention. Suddenly concern fades as only one thought, one desperate need fills his mind. 

Man, I could use a smoke. His mouth waters with a urge he’s never felt before, yet one more compelling than hunger or thirst. He craves the grit of smoke filling his mouth, the burn racing down his lungs. His mouth falls open in wanting as he smells the trail of smoke wafting from Jonny’s still lit cigarette.

Just before he reaches to his own pocket, not knowing what he’ll discover in these pants still continuing their impossible change- Feeling them pull upward as suspenders stretch under his larger collar, some shred of self returns and he remembers clear as day, he’s not a smoker. After a beat he finally finds the will to throw Jonny’s arm free from his shoulders, “You needta-” 

He clears his throat as his voice resounds deeper, harsher. After a moment to collect himself he resumes with his usual orderly affectation, words only slightly tinged coarse, “Look. I already apologized for bumpin’ into ya- Gragh! For bumping into you. I don’t know what drug you’ve clearly laced me with but you need to fix it, and fast-”

Jonny throws a hand across his chest miming hurt. Taking a long drag of his cigarette, he leans in close to Harold before opening his mouth and letting the smoke spill over the man’s face, slowly rising as he speaks “Now there Harry, how could youse say sucha thing about yer ol’ pal Jonny knowin all too well that youse an’ me don’ do nunathat stuff.” 

Harold can scarcely hear the man speak as his smoke flies true, sending pangs of need coursing through the man now fighting a losing battle with a mind being rewritten. His old reality of files and reports is suddenly less real than the monochrome world before him. His mouth still hanging open, he can’t help but notice how close his lips are to Jonny’s. The stink of his smoky breath and the cheap mints he always has stashed in his jacket to poorly cover his tracks.

Harold's eyes go blank as he just stands there breathing in the smoke. Jonny takes a few more puffs, more for Harold than himself of course, shooting curls of smoke straight into his face, each one clearly shifting his mind and memories. Not only that, as they rise past his glazed eyes, they sneak through the once thinning mop of hair on his head and endeavor to puff it higher. 

As each further wisp of smoke graces his hair, his blonde coif thickens and begins to rise. Feeling something shifting on his head, his hands instinctively go to style, readjust, ensure that he’s looking as fresh as ever. Under his glazed eyes his clothes change in response, everyday wear and tear making the attention given to his perfect hair all the more noticeable.

There’s no outward tell besides his smile growing wider as Jonny puts a cigarette in his mouth and lights it. Closing his eyes as he takes his first, long drag of a cigarette he feels the smoke fill his lungs sweeter than air. From then on each beat of his thrumming heart accelerates the erosion of his past self. No longer does his being labelled Harry even bother him. As if he’d go by Harold- name for a square if ever heard one. not that he blames his ma, course.

Feeling wind blow against his uncovered biceps he frowns as he takes the cigarette from his mouth. Paying no mind to the calloused hands that evermore move without the grace they once commanded, dark hairs coating them almost as heavily as grease stains. While he can’t quite understand why seeing his arms in the open air is odd, he does see firm new muscle beginning to be built under his skin. 

Delighting in strength he has both never had and always wielded, Harry flexes and grunts as his biceps peak higher with every new pose and slight adjustment. He feels his sleeves grow more and more taut as his shirt struggles to expand quick enough to match his still racing growth. His chest fills the front of his shirt, threatening to expose his surely built midriff as his tuck strains. 

So preoccupied is he with putting on his show of strength as his thighs bulk larger and his ass grows unmissable in his tight jeans, that he forgets about the cigarette dangling in between two stained fingers. Under Jonny’s watchful eye, he eventually rushes into a pose far too hastily and sends his cigarette straight to the ground. Bouncing off his shoes he gasps, worried that he scuffed his shoes before stamping the lit thing out. 

There’s not a thought in his mind as he does so. What should he care about littering? Everyone else’s doin’ it these days anyway. His eyes narrow slightly at the idea of these days, as if he had lived any other kind of days. Gears turning slow enough as to not be moving at all the new greaser’s eyes return that thoughtless glaze as his mouth falls ajar once more.

Then he feels a single lock of hair fall out of line before Harry’s grease stained hands quickly force it back into place with a comb that quite resembles one he was threatened with not too long ago. Ah Bruiser- He can’t help but smirk as he remembers his best pal. The other muscle in Jonny’s crew. Jonny’s crew?

As if that were the missing puzzle piece he’d been looking for, Harry jolts up, almost falling over as he’s not used to his new strength. “Boss! Have uhhhh, youse seen my jacket anywheres?” Harry could never hope to understand the thoughts that must be going through his boss’ head. He stares dumbly at the boss, waiting for whatever his orders are to be.

To the observing eye Harry now lacks, Jonny is Clearly sizing him up like a piece of meat, determining then and there what part Harry’s to play in their crew. He laughs at one point, realizing the similarities in the brute before him and the office Clyde that let his crew walk all over him. Anyway, it’s easy enough to see what role the muscled up man’ll do for him.

Content, Harry nods and reaches into the back seat of a hot rod behind him and hoists up a large leather jacket. Harry smirks as the sight brings him no small amount of joy. Powerful as they may be, his meaty arms yearned to be covered by that jacket, by his jacket. His rough hands go to catch it before it’s even in the air.

Nothing matters to him more than the jacket his boss holds. The jacket soaring to him. The jacket clenched in his hands. The scent fills him with surety. Comforts him like an old blanket, like a world he’ll never return to.

It fits like a second skin, Harry wastes no time in throwing it back on his shoulders. Truly a perfect fit, as it always has been. He stretches and moans as he hears the leather squeak and groan from his movement. Finally he feels complete. Anxieties of a life now gone and a world far too complicated disappear as Harry sighs, releasing tension he didn’t even know he was carrying from his newly built shoulders.

Then his eyes open as Jonny struts over, barely able to throw an arm around his new brute. Harry smirks as nothing feels more correct than being at his boss’ right hand side. He speaks up, his slow plodding voice music to Jonny’s ears, “So uhhhh, what’re we gettin’ up to tuh-day boss?” 

Jonny pats the man on the back, “Doncha worry yer pretty little head ‘bout that Harry. Gotsa few ideas kickin’ around but first- as ever, I’m thinkin our gang could use some more members.” Harry’s heart pumps in his thicker chest at the idea. That sounds perfect. Guess that’s why Jonny’s the boss man!

[scaredshadowsswap]

Y’know what, my SCP interest was dying but I work under this guy who would just…be such a perfect researcher.

He shows up to work either in a full suit or hawaiian shirt, but he always wears crocs with his outfit. He’s sexist and only employs 3 women and one of them is a secretary (which sucks a little bc I’m a girl and he frequently overlooks and underestimates me) but I’m genuinely so fascinated by his behavior?

He built a rail gun out of spare parts from pieces of stuff from our lab. He owns more than 3 houses and drives this ugly cybertruck. One day he was bored in the lab so he (He’s the BOSS btw, like in charge of every single one of us) filled a bunch of balloons with hydrogen and set them on fire. He wears expensive, gaudy watches and I’m pretty sure my lab has never once been in OSHA compliance but he just pays the fines and doesn’t fix the problems, and the place that supplies our funding doesn’t care because we are successful?

I hate to be like “This guy reminds me of Clef”, but I don’t think it’s possible to work in a lab with someone more like Clef. Like I heard a rumor that this guy has open-carried in the lab once because he came in on his day off to grab something and forgot about it. Like they say about Clef: most of the stuff you hear is bullshit. The other stuff is also bullshit, but maybe has a tinge of truth to it. The amount of stories I’ve heard about this man could be its own blog but it does get me through long days to hear this man yelling down the hall about something stupid he’s gonna do or something stupid he wants someone else to do for him.

Also someone I know IRL follows me now so they’ll know who I’m talking about; just know that I’m not sure how much is true and what isn’t but if u were into SCP this would make perfect sense because idk who I’m even working for

[faramirsonofgondor]

AU where a few weeks after Bruce takes in Dick (before Dick finds out about Bruce being Batman) he introduces Dick to the Star Wars movies. Dick quickly becomes enamored with Yoda, the tiny gremlin who cackles and talks weirdly and does a bunch of weird shit all the time. Dick is partially using this obsession to distract from his grief, but also he thinks Yoda is just really fucking dope. He builds a hidden shrine to Yoda in his room and whenever he’s having trouble with something he just says some weird shit like “Seek wisdom, I must” before running off to the shrine to think. Bruce follows him one day and is just like “wtf??? do i need to get an exorcist???�� before Alfred reminds him that he’s a grown man running around in a bat costume.

When Dick finds out Bruce is Batman he insists on going out as Yoda, to which Bruce explains copyrighting and stuff. Dick eventually settles on going out as Robin, but his costume is like a mini version of Bruce’s except it’s the color of Yoda’s skin with a red cape, and claws attached to the hands and feet. Initially people find it funny but then they are very quickly terrified of the gremlin roaming the streets. Like sure a grown man in a bat costume who only grunts and beats up criminals is kinda scary. But a very obvious child who looks like he’s wearing Yoda’s skin, who talks like Yoda, does a bunch of fancy flips and cackles loudly, who also beats the shit out of criminals?? Fucking horrific.

Eventually a few months into their partnership, Bruce insists that Dick get a new suit because Batman is supposed to be intimidating one (he tells Dick it’s because of copyright issues). The first Robin suit is mostly forgotten, stashed away somewhere no one should ever find it. There no photos, not a shred of evidence that it ever existed beyond the few who remember it.

Then Bruce gets stuck in time, and Dick has to take on the mantle of Batman. Dick thinks he’s doing an okay job but it seems like criminals are becoming less and less afraid of him, which isn’t very helpful. Dick knows it’s probably because he can’t exactly shut off his “peppy” personality but he can’t think of any solutions. One day Damian makes some remark about how if Dick can’t even scare common criminals then he doesn’t deserve to be Batman. To Damian’s surprise, Dick agrees and suggests they swap mantles. Dick, on the other hand, has had what he believes is his most ingenius idea. Damian gets a bat suit fitted to his measurements, and waits patiently for Dick to come out in his newly fitted Robin suit. He is horrified by green monstrosity Dick walks out in. His escrima are now a dark brown - meant to look like Yoda’s staff.

“What is this, Grayson???”

“The original Robin suit, of course.”

Eventually they set out for patrol, though it takes a lot of time to convince Damian that Dick wasn’t lying about it being the original suit. Damian isn’t sure this tactic will work in scaring criminals and insists Dick needs a new suit. Dick gently shushes him with a “Quiet, You Will Be.” They finally come across a rogue, only for the criminal in question to start sprinting away with horrified screeches as the goons scattered fearfully. Dick chases them with a cackle, leaving Damian to deal with the goons, who immediately beg Damian to arrest them so long as they don’t have to deal with “that thing”. Damian decides not to protest about the suit anymore. Somehow Gotham’s crime rate drops 350% by the time Bruce returns. The rest of the Batfam is perplexed but nobody will say a word about it, not even the criminals. All they get is a relieved “thank god” from the rogues when the Batfam returns to their normal suits.

[a-flaming-idiot]

Something I've always thought about, with the fact Megatron doesn't have a singular locked in alt-mode someone like Optimus Prime or Starscream does. Which alt mode do people like out of the ones we've received? Which one fits him the best and you'd want to see in canon more?

You got his original gun/cannon mode from g1. He also had a jet in stuff like Cybertron, Byaverse, and Prime. Then his tank mode which they seem to have settled into for the most part. But he also has been a twin rotor helicopter in Animated and Earthspark. And then some other stuff like a being a huge multichanger in Robots In Disguise or becoming a truck a few times in Bayverse.

Megatron just has a bunch of alt-modes and I wanna know people's favorites.

[what-is-my-life-lmao]

I hope you’re okay!!! Take your time with this, no rush at all!!

Fic (or Headcanon, I don’t mind either way) with Cheated x Hero? Per chance?

Hiiii I'm fine no need to worry!! Thank you for caring about me you're really nice <3 (god I just realized how fake this sounds after typing it I swear I appreciate your concern I just don't know how to express it)

Hero x Cheated general headcanons

Chronic People-pleaser x professional hater, I see the appeal

I headcanon that in a post-construct au, Hero would end up in a leader role, and while he'd like helping his flock, it would probably burn him out quickly, and he'd end up neglecting himself

Cheated sees this and goes "dude stop letting everyone walk over you" and makes him take a nap

Hero seeing Cheated's anger going out of control and helping him calm down, letting Cheated rant to him about what's bothering him

Cheated and Hero playing some kind of competitive game and Cheated keeps losing and usually he'd already have flipped the table in rage but the way Hero looks every time he wins makes him feel butterflies in his stomach and he can't even be mad (then Cheated finally wins and he's super happy and then he sees Hero being way more exited than all the times he's won and it makes his chest all warm and fluffy)

Cheated tries to help Hero have more of a spine (Hero might not be as spineless as someone like Broken, but I feel like it would still help him to learn to hold some healthy grudges)

For activities they'd do together, I think they'd prefer more mellow stuff, like binging some tv show (if they have a tv), cuddling in one of their beds/nests, or maybe just going on walks together, watching the birds fly, on that note.....

SURPRISE MINI FIC YAYYY

"Hey, are you free?"

Hero blinked in surprise, he'd just finished helping Hunted and Skeptic patch up Contrarian after falling off of the roof (he doesn't know how he got up there in the first place, but he's learnt better than to question Contra's ways), only to come face to face with Cheated the second he left Hunted's room.

"Oh, yeah, what's up?"

"Want to go to a walk? I found a pretty neat place yesterday, and you could use a break- and don't you fucking say you don't."

Hero looked away in embarrassment at that, he knows damn well Cheated doesn't like it when he doesn't take care of himself, so he's trying to work on it, and a walk with him does sound nice right now

"Sure, where are we going?" he says noticing that Cheated is wearing a backpack, which probably means that they'll be gone for a while

"I remember back at the construct you said you wanted to look at birds, and I found a clearing in the forest where you can see a bunch of them very easily"

"Wh- you remembered that??" He felt his cheeks flush, honestly he himself had forgotten about that comment he'd made, too preoccupied with settling in in their new home, and helping the others with their issues while also dealing with his own issues, and- okay he's starting to see why Cheated always insists he takes breaks, "I mean- it was just a silly thought- you didn't have to take it so seriously"

Cheated sighed in annoyance, "you wanna go birdwatching, right?"

...He did, a lot, "yes"

"Then we're going, the others won't get themselves killed if you're not looking at them for a few hours"

"I'm not so sure about that." But nevertheless he followed him outside

...

Cheated was right, the clearing truly was beautiful, and he could already see a few birds flying around while they got settled down, Hero looked up to the sky as he sat down next to his- was boyfriend the right word? He couldn't really say, they hadn't talked about it, but they spent more time together than most of the others on the flock, these walks they went to could be considered dates and he really, really liked Cheated, but did he like him in that way? And more importantly, did Cheated feel the same?

A hand was waved on his face, "Hey, Earth to Hero, you with me?"

"Ah! Yes, sorry, I got stuck in my head for a bit there, what were you saying?"

Cheated passed him his backpack, now open, letting him see what Cheated had packed in, there were binoculars, a notebook, a book about bird species, and some snacks and drinks inside.

"Woah, you really came prepared, huh?" he opened the bird book and looking through its pages.

Cheated opened up a chocolate bar and took a bite off it, "well duh! We're going birdwatching aren't we?"

The way Cheated smiled at him was way better than any birds they could find

[nerdyfangirlmel]

Spoilers for acotar… Personally, I started realizing tamlin sucked when I kept wanting him to fight for her and he never did.

Like it sucks to be in a relationship or want someone and then realize they won’t fight for you. It’s the worst feeling. Boy did not put the same energy into that relationship that feyre did. Not when it mattered.

[hanzajesthanza]

the training montage in crossroads re-ignited a headcanon i had of geralt waking up and doing gymnastics, performing kickflips and mid-air spins around on a fencepost outside an hour before sunrise to ‘limber up,’ and bleary-eyed dandelion wrapping himself up in a blanket to be like "heyyy... what the hell are you doing 💖"

[batsplat]

do you have a favorite bit of motogp gossip that you either want to know is it’s true, or you just enjoy as a stand alone piece, no need for further investigation?

one of those where I initially stared at and like. lost all motogp knowledge in my brain. and then stuff did come back to me. this is all very much low hanging fruit and I'll add to it when I remember more interesting/quirky ones. BUT here are some things I want to know:

y'know how casey randomly suggests in his autobiography that valentino was sabotaged in the 2006 title decider? so, personally, I don't really buy this, because 'why' and also 'casey girl you are SO paranoid' - though, sure, if given the option I'd like to double check if valentino had a dud tyre (completely plausible) and also if somebody really deliberately gave him one (?? casey idk about this one). but what I'm REALLY curious about is... there's a change in his autobiography?? like I've seen this book excerpt float around online and the text is different from what's in my book!! mine's from the paperback version so I assume there may have been some edits for that, so that would make it the newer version... but like. this is a real editorial change. check this out:

version posted on the internet, from the hard cover edition???

version in my book, first paragraph is the same

But as soon as the lights went out Valentino was in trouble. I was one of six riders to pass him on the first lap and if you watch the footage you can see how much he is struggling to even keep up with us. His rear and front tyres were just not working together and on lap five the front inexplicably folded and he went down, right behind me. I couldn't help but wonder how he could be having such problems with his tyres. Could he really have been stitched up? It seemed so improbable, but I remember watching that race back in the motorhome that evening and thinking, Welcome to my world, mate.

this isn't 'gossip' because I haven't found anyone else who has spotted this, but like? that's a substantive change? if my one really is the newer one? ...?

let's set aside the fascinating insight you get into casey's knotty and at times bizarre valentino rossi complex with him adding the line "welcome to my world, mate" (oh my god. please just take him to dinner. I will crowd fund this I literally just need to be able to listen in. casey come on CALL him I NEED you to do the dinner thing, YOU suggested it not me). like we're not going to even touch that. but if my version really is the updated one, then he's kinda softened his stance, no?? "convinced he was stitched up" to "could he really have been stitched up"

what happened?? who wanted this change? casey? an editor? did dorna give casey a call? did some poor bloke from pr have to politely ask whether casey could please not state in his autobiography that the most popular rider ever had had a title stolen from him by the establishment?

(casey was talking about valentino's stolen tenth BEFORE it was popular. he did it even before valentino did, bless)

"there are a lot of commercial interests in the sport" also didn't make the jump to the 'new version', mind you. did Big America get to casey

come on you guys have to admit this is an odd change?? does nobody else thing this is weird??

okay fine moving on

Did Valentino Literally Curse Sete

(like. not literally as in did he curse curse sete, literally as in did he say it)

(though if he did literally literally curse curse sete, I suppose I'd also like to know that bit)

the commentators in 2003 brno say so and I'm inclined to believe them, but I need to double check whether sete and valentino really were partying on ibiza together right after that very painful valentino loss at the sachsenring. such a fascinating little detail, that's not something post-2004 valentino does I reckon

I mean, look, obviously a bunch of things from that time period I want to have fact checked. including valentino's friend hearing sete say in late 2003 that valentino wasn't going to be smiling so much after joining yamaha. classic bit of gossip, did it actually happen though

I've referenced this a few times before, but y'know how valentino said that marc's manager alzamora told him after sepang 2015 that marc had been angry at valentino for killing his title charge? I just want. to know. if this conversation actually happened. I don't think valentino would pluck a lie like that out of thin air, especially something so specific about somebody on marc's team, and he has known alzamora for decades but like. maybe almazora just said something valentino misinterpreted? I just find this such a bonkers thing from alzamora if it's true that I would like it confirmed for my own sanity, you know?

yeah look I would like to know if marc really did get casey kicked out of honda, obviously I've discussed this before and it's very he said she said but yeah it'd be fun to know the truth

this is literally peak gossip because I can't find a source for it but I swear a journalist did say it: the rumour is that marc blocked joan mir from joining honda in 2019. like, I'm only including this because I was explicitly asked for gossip as I just cannot find where it was said... but it is something that is. out there. and... again, just curious. like I buy it, but also it could be bullshit!

on a similar note, did he ever make clear to honda he didn't want either vinales or rinsy on his team circa 2016? was it just a vibe in the paddock or was this an actual demand from marc?

speaking of!! the whole thing about alzamora basically rigging the moto3 teammate situation between rinsy and alex marquez to ensure the latter won the title that year. what was that all about, how far did they go there

switching to valentino now. this doesn't quite fit the remit of the question because it IS something I've investigated. and my conclusion is basically a big *shrug*

did valentino block casey from joining yamaha in either 2005 or 2006, and did he attempt to block jorge?

there are completely contradictory sources on the timeline here that do make me feel like there's a chance yamaha was just fucking with casey at the very least in 2006 and valentino had fuck all to do with it, which a recent interview from casey did actually hint at too... he made it sound like maybe yamaha was just using him to try to drive down the price of another rider (which would then presumably be jorge)

I just want to know! and the thing is, it was a matter of open paddock discussion that valentino blocked casey (jorge explicitly references it in in 2007), but something doesn't quite add up between what jorge, casey, colin edwards, articles from the time and lin jarvis have said on the subject! my current pet theory is that valentino blocked casey in 2005 from joining the satellite yamaha team in 2006 (weirdly casey doesn't really imply valentino was responsible for this one in his autobiography, but whatever) but NOT in 2006 (casey does imply valentino was responsible here, you see my problem). and yamaha was fucking around with all four of valentino, casey, jorge and edwards in late 2006/2007. but. yeah. I have unanswered questions

the entire 'alex marquez blocked from yamaha' situation.... again. something is off there. you know the story from late last year about how he was blocked in 2019 from joining the petronas team in 2021? this completely threw me, because there was an entirely different story about this YEARS back in 2018!! I initially assumed the two stories were about the same event, but it can't have been! one's him being blocked in 2019 for 2021, one's him being blocked in 2018 for 2019

from the descriptions of both there's also no confusing them. the 2018 story has to be about the 2018 contract cycle because that's quite literally when it was published, and the 2023 story has to be about the 2019 contract cycle because it explicitly references the space fabio would create by moving to the factory team for 2021, which obviously wouldn't make sense before fabio's actual rookie season. like they have to be about different stories

and in that same 2018 story, marc said that back in 2016 lin jarvis told him no marquez would be joining yamaha:

again, this was in 2018!!

plus, he did say back in 2016 that he'd spoken to jarvis, which kinda backs up this is a conversation that did happen and marc isn't just misremembering the timeline/lying (the notion of marc joining yamaha in 2017 is fantastic, what an absolutely horrendous idea):

now what marc says in 2018 about his conversation with lin jarvis is very similar to petronas yamaha boss razali saying in 2023 that he'd been told by yamaha no marquez was allowed at yamaha. suggests that this is a thing that did happen!!

but again... razali was told that in 2019... after marc had already been told the same thing three years before that, and the exact same deal had already been blocked one year earlier... does nobody else think this is weird?? like, I'm not saying yamaha hq covered themselves in glory here, but is it not a little strange the satellite yamaha squad had basically almost signed a contract with the younger marquez again without checking in with yamaha, just ONE YEAR after this same contract had already been blocked???

again this isn't actually gossip because I'm apparently the only person going ?? about this but I'll say it: ??

kinda been annoying me since december last year, like I know it doesn't matter but I'm just curious about it! why's nobody else talking about the 2018 story!

idk my best guess here is that petronas yamaha was faffing about and playing weird games with the factory team, that the deal was never as likely to happen as they made it sound to the marquez camp. zero proof, that's me spreading rumours yeah... time to create some of my own unfounded gossip

(also of course I'm curious if valentino did have any actual involvement in this. like if lin jarvis was telling marc this in the year of our lord 2016, I'm assuming valentino didn't have to explicitly say to jarvis that 'inviting marc to the team for 2017' wasn't exactly high on his christmas wish list. it is interesting that marc frames it as jarvis making this about. like. all the marquez's way back in 2016, and again, would this really have been on valentino's radar at the time? that feels a bit...? alex marquez was thirteenth in that moto2 season? would certainly be very... thorough for valentino to already have had that particular talk with jarvis)

(mind u there's a fun moment in a 2019 presser where valentino is sitting between the two marquez brothers and the younger marquez is being asked about his contract situation, the implication being he'd had a motogp deal and no longer had a motogp deal. and he's answering and marc's doing his freak stare and valentino is Right There sitting between them... I <3 mess)

man did valentino actually ever fucking block anyone from joining his manufacturer #notmygoat. I still think he didn't know about jorge until the deal was basically done, had nothing to do with the younger marquez, at most blocked casey the one time but then yamaha wasn't actually seriously intending on signing casey in 2006 and was just using it as a play in their jorge negotiations, which.... idk. bit disappointing if true icl. I hope he blocked someone, I'll say it

(also. okay. I don't want to sound awful here because I do have a lot of sympathy for baby!casey but. ignoring the morality for a second, I do LOVE the idea that valentino blocked casey from getting a satellite yamaha seat fresh off his 250cc runner up season because it would conclusively prove valentino did ABSOLUTELY rate casey!! like he didn't even want casey to come close to being his teammate!! not even a sniff at his data!!) (genuinely this is the rumour I'm choosing to believe, I know there's a chance valentino didn't successfully block anyone and was just a complete flop but I want the 2005 one to be true. it really adds something to the rivalry idk... like ugh valentino saw how dangerous casey was proper early when much of the paddock wasn't yet convinced... cute)

moving on

there was a rumour in 2015 that valentino approached dani after aragon to complain about how sturdy his defence was, like moaning about denying him points and shit. now, there's exactly one article about this in marca that is the sole origin point for the rumour, and it says that valentino also interrupted a honda party after phillip island to complain to marc. this does not match up at all with anything either marc or valentino have said since then - and would mean you have to believe that marc wasn't actually blindsided by that presser... also feels a bit unlikely we would have heard NOTHING from any other source if vale was really gatecrashing a honda party

of course, neither dani nor valentino have spoken about this supposed post-aragon 2015 meeting either, not even when dani was kinda accusing valentino of hypocrisy during sepang 2015, but I suppose you could say maybe dani's just not the type of guy to bring it up again. however.... I do reckon occam's razor kinda applies here and if one of these stories is bullshit then they probably both are, plus it's not like marca is exactly a neutral source. still would love to be certain!! instinctively I don't really think that's valentino's style at all, but of course it'd be intriguing if the story were true because it'd be a sign of how 2015 kinda messed with him. but I still feel 2015 is more about him falling back on past tools he'd mostly discarded - rather than, like, acting wildly out of character, which again... well, this brings us back to how that kind of behaviour isn't really valentino's style. basically, I don't buy it, but that's kinda why I am so curious about it? because I feel like it would be really interesting and quirky if he had actually done that. does this make any sense

speaking of, again this doesn't really count because I did kinda investigate it last year.... but you know when valentino in that podcast referenced a conversation with marc around the time of sepang 2015, where marc stared blankly at him? I have a hunch about when that conversation happened, want to know if it's right. this also isn't really 'gossip' because this is a conversation I'm having with myself but

y'know when bez was injured on the ranch late-ish last year? a bunch of journalists pointed out how hush hush they were about what actually happened to bez - like they repeatedly drew attention to that because god knows THEY love some gossip lol. which probably means nothing, but I'm curious what the journalists' theory here is, like do they think it was an embarrassing injury?? OR. look. I suppose the conspiracy theory would be that pecco caused it (obviously accidentally!!) and everyone at the ranch knew it'd be a terrible look if they admitted that because of the whole title fight situation. call me casey stoner because those dots are not real and definitely have not been connected

okay, you know how there were rumours in the spanish tabloids bez said some real ugly stuff to marc at valencia last year, and bez didn't directly address it but freaked a little and did a sort of blanket denial that he'd said anything that bad? I don't actually think he did tbh, but again. would just like to check!

while we're already on bez, there was one report that the switch to aprilia was partly motivated by marc to factory ducati. again, not entirely sure I buy that this would factor into his thinking beyond the obvious 'this means the route to that factory ducati seat looks even more closed than it already did' angle'.... it's very much down my list of priorities but I'd quickly confirm/deny it if given the chance yeah

that's all for now lol

[wildsaltair]

goodnight everyone I am traveling to the secret gardens in my mind where Maximus is alive and in love with me

[art--harridan]

[Image description: A digital drawing of Paul Hackett from the film After Hours. The piece is landscape, but the bold dark blue background has a lot of empty space, with Paul confined to the right side. The piece is drawn upwards of his shoulders. He has a exhausted and apathetic expression on his face, with his head tilted to one side slightly. His skin is coloured with exaggerated tones, with dark purple shadows circling his eyes. He is covered in a white plaster dust, which congregates on his disheveled hair and suit jacket. Behind him, there's an askew streetlight, which has a glaring red light at the top. It is the brightest part of the piece, and is drawn with spikes of red protruding from the lighter light yellow in the middle. To the left of this, there's the phrase "stop him!", written out like it is on his wanted poster. The lineart is a very dark navy colour, although it veers redder on Paul. It has stark shadows but also sections of softer, more textured shading.]

Inktober - Day 8 (Hike)

Film - After Hours (Martin Scorsese, 1985)

[liquidstar]

a friend who'd wait :)

[not-poignant]

when did you start shipping ef and gary in FFS? like was there a particular scene that you wrote that made you go ".... actually...." or did the idea just enter your brain and refuse to let go?

It was chapter two, actually!

My beta and I hardcore shipped them, and then I had to aggressively sideline it so I could focus on keeping their relationship professional, and also so that I could focus on Arden as the love interest!

But yeah, I think my interest actually started earlier, but I have it in writing with Silvia in a chat in chapter 2, because we were both going feral about it, lmao. A combination of 'omg but what if' followed by 'stop stop stop I can't', both of us together in a delightful circle :D

After that it was like, we knew it was there for a later story. When I knew I was solid in the ending of Falling Falling Stars I started letting myself think about it again (though not in that story, but for Underline). I actually think FFS Gary would be terribly incompatible with FFS Efnisien lmao.

[recurring-polynya]

Sorry for kurobasposting in your inbox, but now that (I assume) you've met all the Generation of Miracles, I need to know if your favorite is still Murasakibara. Also, we talk so much about squad dynamics in Bleach, I can't help but think about team dynamics too, like Touou gave me such Squad 11 vibes, and it made me wonder which team you liked best (and if any of them reminded you of Squad 6👀). Also, in a Bleach Sports scenario, do you think kouhai Renji would be devastated when team captain/senpai Byakuya graduates and passes the mantle onto him? I'm imagining a Portions for Foxes kind of AU where Renji agonizes about leading a team, but Rukia lowkey fantasies about how hot he'd look doing it. Think about the pep talks he'd give!!!!!!!! OK I'm done.

No apologies necessary! I am very happy to talk about Kurobas!! I don't talk about it nearly as much as I have thoughts about it, because nearly all my thoughts are tied up around How Much Bleach It Is, because its insane basketball-themed powers system was so incredibly Bleach-structured, and even though the main cast was not very Bleachy at all, so many of their random opponents were just straight up Bleach characters.

Who is my favorite Miracle? I cannot answer this question. I hate them all. They are all my favorite. To me, the Generation of Miracles exists on some plane orthogonal to "liking" or "not liking." Each and every one of them is an Entity, and I am obsessed with them.

Kise is the most human of them. He works so hard and loves basketball so much. He was late to the GoM and to me, there's this degree of sadness that he deserved to have a better time. Also, he wants to be friends with everyone so badly and they are so mean to him. "I would be friends with you, Kise," I say to myself, and then I remember that he's a model and it's like, "You know what? Never mind."

Midorima is 100%, unapologetically himself all of the time, and I respect that, but also: he's terrible. My opinions on him oscillate wildly. I do think he deserves his skill level more than anyone else on the GoM. I want to push him down the stairs.

I am a really simple person: I like character who work hard. I can never love Aomine because he does not go to practice and does not show up for games on time. On the other hand, he is electric on the court, he's the funnest player to watch, by far. I also enjoy his Color Commentary the best. He has merged so completely with Grimmjow in my mind that when I was watching TYBW last week, I was like "why is Aomine here?" and then the next time I watched KNB and he yelled "If you don't beat Rakuzan, I'll kill you!" at Kuroko, I was like "thanks, Grimmjow." I think he has a really toxic relationship with basketball, and should probably quit and do something else instead.

Murasakibara is so precious to me because I love him in a way I have never loved another character. He doesn't work hard, either, but he also Doesn't Want To Be Here and is making it everyone else's problem. I cannot justify it in the least, but I get unreasonably excited whenever he shows up. I actually screamed out loud when he put his hair up in a ponytail.

Akashi might be the greatest anime villain of all time, and that counts Aizen. The scope of his villainy was small, but he brought his A+++ game to it. My favorite Akashi moment was when he was being defeated by the power of friendship and he cured his own multiple personality disorder during a time-out and came back with his own, even better version of the power of friendship. I mean, I hate him, obviously. He has ruined so many people's basketball experience for basically no reason whatsoever. Poster child for eating the rich.

It's hard to like any team better than Seirin because every player on Seirin is a banger, and their teamwork is second to none. I don't think there were any other teams that I liked the full bench as much as Seirin.

I think the match against Yousen was my favorite, maybe because I just love a good defense. I am obsessed with the way Kimuro was just like "Friendship with Kagami ended, uh, uh, Murasakibara is my new best friend!!" Why are they always hanging out???

Shuutoku is Squad Six, I am sorry to say. It just is. Legacy team with long history of consistent greatness. Midorima is Byakuya if Byakuya was raised as a human teen instead of the most important person in Soul Society, and also he got into astrology for some reason. Takao is not really anything like Renji, but his rapport with Midorima is extremely Byakuya-Renji coded. The Sky Direct Three Point shot was one of the high points of the entire series for me, and I think Renji would have cried actual tears if he watched that episode. (He would refuse to pull Byakuya around in a little cart, tho)

I also kinda like Kaijou, but maybe it's just because Kasamatsu was my favorite non-Seirin, non-GoM side character by a long shot. Maybe it's because he works so hard and feels so hard and takes being captain as such a responsibility. Maybe it's his knee socks.

I would not have called the Touou - Squad 11 connection, although I can see it. Imayoshi was Basketball Gin, to me, and Sakurai was Basketball Rikichi.

I adore the scenario you outlined where Renji goes through the entire five stages of grief because Senpai is Furthering his Education. A real Bleach-KNB fusion (Orihime no Basuke) would have to focus on the Karakura kids, but Renji and Byakuya's team would be their first rival team, the one that you get to cheer for later on as the series progresses. Rukia would have transferred from Renji and Byakuya's school to Karakura High and would coach Ichigo and Orihime's team, which would make such good emotional tension.

Bonus answer to the question you didn't ask: Kiyoshi - Hyuuga - Riko OT3.

[dimiclaudeblaigan]

nah but like

they're "seiros lapdogs" because they're fighting back against the people who attacked them completely unprovoked??? also because it so happens that thales is at garreg mach so they have to go there to reclaim the area to defeat him???

i just hate this because it's just perpetuating things about faerghus and its people that just aren't true. it frames it like they jumped into the war willingly for the church and that they're only here for the church. like nah buddy, it's not faerghus' fault you're out here fighting to protect thales and ludwig.

it also is batshit to me how he and leopold are fighting to stop faerghus from advancing but like... they know what's happening to the empire and that edelgard isn't even calling the shots anymore, yet they still stupidly fight for the very person who is literally razing their country and burning their villages. they know the empire is in shambles and that the kingdom isn't targeting them and is specifically aiming for gm to get it back from who? thales; who, mind, at this point is in his real form and not posing as arundel anymore. everything is laid out plainly, but they still act like faerghus is the bad guy.

but yeah, okay. faerghus BaD for defending themselves, fighting back, finding out who is behind all the puppeteering and heading to take him out. sure, that makes them seiros lapdogs. like what are you, an agarthan mouthpiece??? may as well be like yeah you go retreat and leave you agarthan lapdog. if they don't realize it's Someone Else in charge of course, then ludwig lapdog works fine too.

and it sucks because other than this shit, i like waldemar just fine as a character. it's just like, it feels like they forced someone to have to stick in that final faerghus BaD insult before the grand finale so they just randomly picked someone to remind us that faerghus is Always Wrong as long as they continue to fight back and prevent being attacked in the future.

waldemar here is just basically ag caspar. fighting and risking his life for thales, who is destroying the empire and basically holding the emperor hostage. if the writing here had any decent plot points, they would've all stopped and have been like hey wait, shouldn't we be fighting to get our emperor back? why are we stopping these guys from killing the people who are destroying this country?

and like, they literally went from siding with ludwig during the insurrection to siding with edelgard in this timeline to... jumping immediately back to ludwig as soon as he was at the top of the food chain (thales notwithstanding). as soon as the person in charge changes, they jump ship immediately; then of course get mad that the people they attacked are coming after them... and fighting them as they defend the very people who are letting adrestia become a literal, physical ruin.

it really just tells me that these people don't care about adrestia itself, but status, power and wealth. they don't care about the country itself as long as they're doing well. that's like, the only thing i can get from still fighting with/for ludwig/thales. the fact that they just fight for ludwig again as soon as edelgard is out of commission is also pretty gross to me. they have no loyalty at all.

and it's like, i want to like waldermar and leopold, but they come across as just selfish, entitled and only there for their own asses to be covered. and i get that - that is a realistic take on politicians, but the fact that the game regularly loops back around to faerghus BaD despite that and despite portraying these people as opportunistically selfish is like... what are they even trying to write??

[neolxzr]

sorry back on my aira bullshit it sucks that a character who is mixed race becomes the one written as racist it sucks so bad (another reason why I latched onto aira is bc I'm also mixed)

cryn if I ever rewrite the aira scenes or put my own spin on them I will be in your asks immediately with em

PLEASE DO i would love to read it. ive honestly thought about doing something like that before but never had the confidence to so i would love love to see your interpretation

it really does suck. and like i wont give akira or happyele that much credit the handling of him being mixed race is a little lackluster honestly but its still there and part of his character so it sucks that he ended up being the one that they write that way. it also like. doesnt really make sense considering alkaloid's theming as all being people who are marginalized in different ways