#and I'll probably write them soon

[lagosbratzdoll]

thinking thoughts

I have quite a few thoughts about Alicent Hightower, both the book and show versions of her character. Her actions remind me of the hyper-religious women in my own life, and while I sympathize with her somewhat in the show, I find her character cruel and callous. In the book, however, I respected her agency and choices, even if she annoyed me at times.

That being said, my main issues with the House of the Dragon show are the mistreatment of Laena, Leanor and Alicent's indecisiveness and lack of backbone. Rhaenyra's accusation that Alicent had been hiding behind her righteousness was spot-on. I'm sorry that Aemond lost his eye, but I do not think that the appropriate response will ever be knowingly removing the eye of a six-year-old boy. 

Alicent declares war against Rhaenyra because she believes she didn't tell her the whole truth about the pleasure house incident with Daemon. I wonder why she'd think she's entitled to anything from Rhaenyra, much less the truth.  She broke her trust and they are barely friends. While we know that Otto pressured her into going into Viserys' room, Rhaenyra does not, and in her mind, her best friend married her father only six months after her mother's death. Rather than trying to understand where Rhaenyra is coming from, Alicent breaks her trust once more and declares war.

Alicent ignores the violence her older son inflicts on his younger siblings, and she marries her 13-year-old daughter to her own violent rapist son.  Additionally, Alicent emotionally abuses her stepdaughter/friend for no apparent reason and aligns herself with an incel/murderer/oathbreaker, a kin slayer and a rapist despite going on and on about Rhaenyra's lack of morals. She knowingly crowns her violent rapist son, who she'd told was no son of hers, literally one episode ago.

[s2pdoktopus]

A comic thingy of @wallatile-qvibbler's "Fall for a Shooting Star" for what feels like three of us SakaTaka enjoyers <3

[theflyingfeeling]

...😭

[cerise-on-top]

saw you write for madness so i’m new! if its alright could i req sanford and deimos comforting their s/o after a breakdown?

if i req again i’ll probably be ⚡️ anon if it’s not taken. tysm + love ur writing!

Hey there! Yes you can! I hope I did the request justice! And no, I don't think that emoji is taken yet!

Sanford and Deimos Comforting Their S/O After a Breakdown

Sanford: The moment he sees you crying he’s rushing over to you to aid you in any way he can, crouching down to seem less intimidating and putting a hand on your shoulder to show you he’s there for you. He’s going to ask you a rushed and concerned “What’s wrong?” before intently listening to anything you have to say. Sanford will likely pull you into a tight hug. It won’t be crushing, he’ll actively try to be more gentle than that, but it will be tight enough for some air to leave your lungs. If you’re about to fall apart then he’ll hold you together. Although he knows that the worst of the worst might be over already, he’ll still hold you tight and be quiet for a moment, hoping that that will help you at least a little bit. Sanford isn’t one for distractions if he knows he can help you, so he’ll ask you what’s wrong and how he may be able to help you in that moment. If he’s unable to help you in any way shape or form he might feel as though he’s failed you if it’s particularly bad, but if you just need some cheering up then he’ll try. He’s very big on cuddling, so he’d love to hold you and cheer you up like that, if you allow it. However, if you’re not big on physical touch or just don’t want to be touched too much in that moment, then, once it’s not as obvious anymore that you broke down, he’ll go on a walk with you. The scenery may not be particularly nice, but it’s better than sitting around and doing nothing. He can be rather chatty, plus he’s a trustworthy guy, so you can tell him about anything you need to get off your chest. He’ll listen, he’ll give you advice, he’ll seek out revenge for you, anything you need. Will even cook a homemade meal for you if it cheers you up, and he’s a pretty good cook.

Deimos: He, too, will rush to your side and ask you what happened, if you need anything and if he can help you. Deimos’ approach to helping you consists of cheering you up by distracting you. He knows a few good jokes he can crack that might get you to smile, but he’s not opposed to listening to you either if you need it. Doesn’t have too much good advice to give that isn’t needlessly violent or chaotic, so you’re better off going to Sanford for that one. However, he’ll do what he can to get you to smile again. Hell, if you want, he’ll pay for some fast food as well. Fast food is always good and appropriate in his eyes, so why wouldn’t it be for you? Some good food always cheers him up when he’s upset, might work for you as well. He’s not the best with words in more dire situations, but he tries, although he really won’t know what to say. Yes, he prefers listening in those situations, even if he can be a real chatterbox otherwise. If his jokes don’t get you to smile, then his brain short circuits and he goes quiet. He actually goes more serious then as well. You can then proceed to talk to him about all that serious stuff and he’ll respond honestly. Might even open up about some of his own struggles to show you you’re not alone, that he can relate to you, if your struggles are similar. He’s really not trying to diminish your struggles, just wants to show you he cares. You will likely end up with an impromptu therapy session together where you both talk about your issues, but you will likely grow closer as a result. If he knows you’re okay with it, then he’ll wrap his arm around your shoulder and pull you closer to him so that your head rests on his shoulder. You should really rest up for the day, he’ll make sure that tomorrow is a brighter, nicer place for you.

[dootznbootz]

With how I'm planning my fics, since Menelaus and Agamemnon spend some years at Tyndarius' palace, I kind of have them all be childhood friends in a way before Agamemnon and Menelaus take back their kingdom (Aga is around 19, Menelaus 15 when they leave. 5-6 years later they get married.) With how their marriages work out when talking about "Old times", Odysseus is the "odd one out" as he was the only one who didn't grow up alongside them. The poor guy is left out.

Odysseus: "Wait, why is everyone laughing? What does that mean? I don't get it." Penelope: "Well you see-" Goes on about a silly story but the inside joke is dumb. "...You probably would've had to have been there to get it" Odysseus:

[deepseacolors]

Branching Line

@spr-ingo April, Day 3 (ft. The Parent Trap AU Nobody Asked For)

... There's no sense belaboring the point. I'm the epitome of the Slowpoke meme.

ANYway! I came up with this concept a... year? two years ago? And this felt like a good excuse to play with it.

I actually got it mostly done on time, but got too embarrassed to post it because it felt like an odd AU... but then I posted that OTHER AU for May 3rd's prompt, which is a way way weirder premise, so now I don't feel quite as silly! It's still not completely finished, but it's close enough and I'm tired of looking at it!

Anyway! Onwards!

----

Though it is early summer, Bertha and Ingo arrive at the Canalave docks early enough in the day that they beat the worst of both the heat and the crowd.

Nonetheless, she grips his hand and keeps him close as they move towards the boat that will take him to Johto. At nine years old, he’s still small enough that he could easily be swept away in the clamor, and the last thing either of them want is for him to miss his ride and lose his spot at summer camp.

Ingo himself is absolutely buzzing with excitement and nerves alike, clutching her hand like a lifeline. They had done all they could to prepare for today, for his first big trip alone; but all the preparation in the world likely means little compared to the wide open world before him now.

It certainly means little to Bertha.

But this trip will be good for him, she tells herself. And for her as well. He’s almost at the right age to leave on his own Gym run, and a few weeks away from home in a structured environment will help him adjust to the idea of a longer journey when the time comes.

And it likely doesn’t hurt that he’ll get to spend those weeks next to one of the world’s most advanced railway systems.

The only times he’s ever been up close and personal with his beloved locomotives were during vacations to other regions, which are sadly few and far between when a single mother must budget for not only a growing boy, but also the seven Pokemon between them.

So when she caught wind of a summer camp in Johto taking place near the Magnet Train’s railyard which touted it’s own railway program… Well, what else could she do but start saving up?

The look on Ingo’s face when she showed him the brochure made it worth every penny and then some.

At the moment, he is tapping an uneven rhythm on the handle of his rolling luggage, eyes taking in all the hustle and bustle of the growing crowd. He’s already on edge, and it’s only going to get busier. If he gets wound up now, she’ll never get him grounded.

Best to get him talking, then.

“What do you think, Ingo? Are you excited?”

Ingo is pulled from his thoughts at the sound of her voice, and beams up at her (not so far up as he used to, though—it won’t be long now until he surpasses her height. A bittersweet thought).

“Yes, I am!” He exclaims. The volume is enough to net them a few stares and annoyed glances, but Bertha pays them no mind.

Ingo, however, flushes when he notices the looks. He hunches his shoulders a bit and looks down, suddenly seeming to find his shoes very interesting.

Bertha squeezes his hand. When he looks back at her, she gives him a warm smile. “It seems that they have a lot of fun things planned. I’ll want to hear all about it when you get home!”

Ingo relaxes a little, and squeezes her hand in turn. “Of course, Mother!” He says, at a more even volume this time. He stops, letting go of his suitcase and reaching into his pocket for the brochure, now soft and wrinkled despite his best efforts.

He points at the bulleted list on the back. “There are many fascinating activities planned for us! Such as…”

Bertha is already very familiar with the camp’s itinerary; even if Ingo hadn’t chattered excitedly about it every night at dinner, she herself had done plenty of research before ever bringing it up.

But as Ingo regales her with all that information and more, she finds that his enthusiasm is as infectious as ever.

--

Reviewing the itinerary does the trick. Now much calmer, Ingo carefully replaces the brochure in his pocket. But when he goes back to pick up his bag, he seems taken aback by an unexpected weight. “What? It feels heaver now than it did a few minutes ago...”

Something inside the bag shifts.

Ah, so that’s it.

Bertha covers her grin with one hand. “Whatever could be the matter, Ingo?” She asks, not able to fully hide the laughter in her voice.

Ingo sighs, heavy and dramatic, kneeling down and unzipping his bag. Neither of them are surprised when a pair of pointed purple ears immediately poke out.

“Gligar,” Ingo scolds, crossing his arms and giving his best stern look at the little bat. “We have already discussed this.”

Gligar pins his ears back and tries to dig further into Ingo’s bag. He must have gotten impatient when he felt them pause and tried to pop out of his smuggled Poke Ball to get a better idea of what was happening.

“Ah, no--!” Ingo dives in to fish out his errant Pokemon. “Do not move things around! I already packed them just right!”

After a struggle, Ingo stands, holding Gligar aloft. Very seriously, he tells him, “You know I am only allowed one Pokemon on this trip. I understand that you are unhappy,” he yields, when Gligar starts to pout, “and I am truly sorry. But those are the rules we must abide by. You have to stay home with Mother and everyone else.”

Gligar scowls, and points a claw at Ingo’s belt, where a lone Poke Ball rests. It wiggles a little, but it’s occupant wisely decides to stay out of the discussion.

Ingo sighs. “This is also something we have discussed.” He sets Gligar down on the ground, and kneels in front of him. “We drew straws, remember? And since Litwick emerged victorious, she is the one who will accompany me on this trip.”

Gligar hisses softly, turning away. Bertha has to cover her mouth again to suppress a laugh at the little bat’s petulant expression.

For now, she opts to simply stands back and watch. If Ingo intends to become a successful Pokemon Trainer—and she knows with all her heart that he will—then managing a Pokemon’s difficult temperament is one of the challenges he will have to overcome.

Still, though. She’s watching the time, in case she and her own Gliscor need to cut the negotiation short with some motherly intervention.

Ingo’s own expression is not quite as amusing as his little Gligar’s. His lips turn downward even more than usual, and his brows knit together.

“Gligar,” he says, and his solemn tone is enough to catch his Pokemon’s attention again, “I promise that I am not playing favorites.” Ingo leans down a little, to be on a more even level with his Pokemon. “How about this? The next time I go on a trip and I only am allowed to take one Pokemon, you can be the one who accompanies me. Okay?”

Pinning his ears back again, Gligar seems to consider this. After a long few moments, he sulkily nods his assent.

Ingo’s shoulders slump in relief. “Thank you for your understanding, Gligar.” He reaches a hand out, and when Gligar doesn’t pull away, rubs the smooth chitin between his ears. “I promise, I will only be gone for a few weeks. You will hardly notice!”

Privately, Bertha doubts that. She herself is already dreading returning to the apartment, certain it will be too large and too quiet without her precious child.

(One of her precious children. The other--)

(--She can’t think of that now. Not when she’s about to see Ingo off, bound for another region, headed so far from home. Even if it’s only for a little while.)

For now, Bertha says, “he’s right, Gligar. I promise, we’ll have a lot of fun together at home!”

Gligar regards her and Ingo with open doubt, huffing.

Well, it was worth a shot.

Ingo glances up at her for just a moment, before waving Gligar over. “Actually, Gligar, there is something else I want to tell you.” He looks up at Bertha seriously. “But I am afraid it must be a secret between the two of us. May we have a moment of privacy, Mother?”

With a soft laugh and an “oh, of course! Excuse me, you two,” Bertha steps a few feet away, keeping her back turned to the young trainer and his even younger Pokemon. She is the very picture of minding her own business, don’t mind her.

Ingo nods, satisfied with her distance, and waves Gligar closer.

Gligar, ever curious, forgets his bitterness for the moment and approaches.

“Now, Gligar, I have a very important job for you to perform while I am away from home,” Ingo whispers, solemn, leaning down once again to his level. “It is incredibly vital, and you are the only one I can trust with this task.”

Interest piqued, Gligar’s ears perk up, and he leans up into Ingo’s space.

“While Litwick and I are away, I need you to look after Mother, okay?” Ingo’s already-serious expression is downright grave now. “I am concerned about leaving her alone while I am in Johto, so I hope that I will be able to count on you and the others to watch out for her in my stead until our return. Can you do that?”

Gligar’s eyes widen at the gravity of this request, before he nods enthusiastically and salutes as best he can.

Ingo straightens up and returns his salute, crisp and practiced. “Thank you, Gligar! I will be counting on you, so please do your best!”

(Several feet away, Bertha is covering her face with both hands. It’s taking everything in her power not to melt on the spot.

Despite his best efforts, her darling son’s volume control still leaves much to be desired.)

[BOAT CALLS FOR BOARDING; Ingo kisses Gligar goodbye, hands him to Bertha, and kisses her goodbye before rushing to board.

He hesitates, looking back to Bertha, suddenly overcome with nerves. Bertha knows what’s happening, and waves encouragingly.

Ingo gathers his courage and boards.]

[byanyan]

finally going through my likes to collect all the asks i've wanted to reply to since fucking april to add them into my drafts

i'm. i'm trying to at least start getting my shit together here. i've felt the strong urge to give writing a shot since yesterday, so. i'm gonna see about potentially doing some tonight? maybe?? still teetering on the edge of falling into Bad Thoughts when i let my mind wander too far, so idk how long the attempt will last or if it'll be successful, but.

[honeydots]

I would like some teasers about that Xander - Soleil father-daughter support fic please 💖

HEHEHE that'd be my pleasure~~!! i'll put a couple things under the cut c:

the fanart nattie drew for me is from their c-support!! the gist of it is that xander's employing a similar punishment to soleil as he did to laslow for excessive flirting :3 but as they're working in xander's office, they both end up falling asleep, hence the little scene in the art <3

the rest of the support is about soleil lying through her teeth about how she totally isn't flirting anymore so she doesn't get in trouble again, and xander completely seeing through her lie and doing a dad-thing of trying to make her come clean herself instead of directly calling her out !!

[redr0sewrites]

YALLL sorry ive been so inactive lately school + mental health is lowkey kicking my ass, but i promise i'll be more active soon!!! im prob gonna get at least two things done by this weekend, so stay tuned for that ✨ and since summer is coming i'll be a lot more active then too!!!

[icewindandboringhorror]

recent things

[justashamwithwastedpotential]

Fishing with Grandpa (kinda)

This gif of Lance playing with his daughter was so cute, I wanted to make some art of some of my farmer’s kids. Then I decided against it because I’m lazy and ended up making this silly little gif of Luna and Kent instead. 

Luna always seems so excited to go fishing with her granddad. Kent thinks it’s weird they never seem to catch anything though...

[yeonban]

Sorry for the static silence on here, I think I might've lost some marbles

[fridayyy-13th]

i really need to stop staying up late when my intrusive thoughts come up again, they always get worse at night. i wanted to do some writing, but i procrastinated too long and now i feel too bad and when i tried, i couldn't focus. so i'm gonna try and go to bed.

[lieutenantselnia]

I finally finished and handed in my thesis on Friday and it felt like such an incredible relief😭 I think I haven't felt so at peace in literal months because it was constantly looming over me but I felt too paralysed with fear to start writing. BUT that's finally over now! I still need to do my final exam now but that's only in October. Also I've started my master's degree programme on Thursday (at the same university that's why I could start despite not actually having my bachelor's degree yet) and I'm actually already looking forward to my classes :D

I feel like it really affected my mental wellbeing during that time though and especially in the last few months I found it much harder to keep in contact with online friends or even just go on social media, I got overwhelmed much more easily and it just felt too exhausting :( I lowkey feel bad for all the self ship postings and art and fanfics that I missed😭 So please, take this as a free pass to come into my inbox and gush about your f/o(s)! I'd love to hear about them🫶

[stillresolved]

hi, hope you've been doing okay.

i'm almost done with renovations, but this being said, while i'll probably be coming back in the next week or so, i just want to let you know that moving forward, activity will be perpetually slow, if not sporadic. i'm also going to just focus on the threads and dynamics that feel the most nourishing to me. hope you can understand.

[dawntheduckrb]

I'll stop posting wips eventually but it's been five days since I've said anything and I don't want anyone to think I'm dead/dying/stuck in a ditch and withering away, so here's 10% of the reason I disappeared (the duck is stuck in rendering hell) (and my little baby laptop is screaming at me every time I open up this file)

I might still be mostly lurking for a little bit so please be patient with me in the meantime 🙏🙏