#and i've seen it showing up more and more in rules and i'm Tired.

[eclipsecrowned]

If you could change one thing about rp on tumblr, what would it be? Why? // @queencvbra

The constant holier than thou 'the entire community should cater to me personally' schtick. It's been around forever, it's why this site got such a reputation for superfluous application of cancel culture, but I've noticed it seems to have risen from the dead lately.

People who think others should only write content that appeals to to their own lifestyle, people who think going into a collaborative hobby without regard for the limits or problems of their followers makes them a superior being, people who don't understand why some people might not be comfortable with all facets of a canon or even fanon, couching misogyny and biphobia in alleged support of other communities...

These are just examples I have seen more than once. Members of my community taking it for a personal attack if people write romantic/sexual dynamics or discuss their own personal lives on the dash. Those who believe that because they do not tag triggers or in any way 'cater' to the audience they expect to interact with they're somehow the ones victimized when people curate their experiences away from them. I've caught so much Hell just for saying I don't care for a major franchise and find the writing of canon stale at best and genuinely insulting at worst, and I am not the only one. People who believe all M/F is het and thus inferior, because like, why would an amazing awesome man ever want to stick his dick an inferior pussy?

I think too many people on this site have a stick up their ass about things that, and I say this with all due respect, do not matter outside of their own comfort. Unless the content is being written to actively harm, unless it is problematic content that out and out reflects the hateful or harmful beliefs of its author, unless people are genuinely at risk because the content exists, then block and move on. You should always block and move on if the content is anything less than that, and by the same card, stop acting so surprised if other people block and move on if you act like a self-righteous dickhead for forgetting this is a collaborative hobby that takes partners and their myriad views/experiences/comfort into account.

[allastoredeer]

THAT MOMENT YOU REALIZE ALASTOR IS ACTUALLY WAY SCARIER THAN WE GIVE HIM CREDIT FOR

So, in the throes of doing world-building for my Hazbin fics and analyzing characters and how they fit into Pentagram's political system, I realized not only how powerful Alastor actually is, but how fucking scary.

Now, yes, in the grand scheme of things, Alastor is far from the most powerful person in Hell. Far from it. The Royal Family (Lucifer, Lilith, and Charlie), and the Goetia are way above the Overlords. Our twinky, angsty, galaxy bird, Stolas, could 100% body Alastor. I'm sorry, Al. I love you, babe. But in terms of the hierarchal system, you and the other Overlords aren't influential to the rest of Hell, at all.

But, it's an entirely different story if we stick exclusively to the Pride Ring.

I'm not trying to do a big, essay-length analysis, that's a lot of work and I'm tired, so I'll try to make it as brief as possible.

We know three crucial things: 1) sinners aren't allowed to leave the Pride Ring, 2) they've built a semi-functional society for themselves that is exclusive to their specific ring (with a political system that they've molded just for them), and 3) sinners can't kill other sinners.

So, what we have here is a big piece of land stuffed with people who can't leave it, in a society they've built specifically for themselves, with an amassing population that is constantly growing because they have no way of dying/or killing each other. (Honestly, it's like Heaven was setting them up for an Exterminations - THOUGH I'VE ACTUALLY COME UP WITH A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT, COMPLETELY FANON BASED THEORY/WORLD BUILDING IDEA ABOUT HOW HELL HAD KEPT THE POPULATION DENSISTY CONTROLLED FOR THE MILLENIA OF COLLECTING HUMAN SOULS, HOW THE POPLUATION STILL GOT TOO LARGE AND THUS RESULTED IN THE EXTERMINATIONS, AND HOW IT WAS ROSIE WHO HAD A HUGE HAND IN IT ALL.

Anyway, back on topic, so the Overlords essentially control this Ring. We know Stolas lives in the Pride Ring (judging by the red sky we see when he's at his house), so its possible more Goetia live there too (and imps, and succubi; the Pride Ring is known for being the most diverse of the Rings), but we haven't seen any evidence of the Goetia, or any of the other Hellborn, interact or influencE Pentragram City in a political way--outside of the Goetia being above the Overlords in the hierarchal system). I headcanon that they do have some involvement in Pentagram City, as they do live there, but for the most part, the Pride Ring is left completely to the sinners and how they run things.

Lillith got involved, obviously (but she's been missing for years in the beginning of the show), Lucifer hasn't been involved for who knows how long, and Charlie obviously doesn't have a lot of sway, nor did she have any previous influence given how she's treated by the very people she rules over. Her status is known, but there's no actual respect for her or her title as the literal Princess of Hell.

The royal family may the the strongest beings in all of the 7 Rings, but outside of Lillith, it seems they had very little involvement (in Charlie's case) or interest (in Lucifer's case) in ingratiating themselves into Pentagram City.

The entire Ring is being run by the Overlords. They cannot leave it. The Pride Ring is their domain. This is their new home. This is their world.

And in this world, the Overlords are the top dogs.

So, Alastor is powerful just in the sense that he is one of the Overlords. Like them, he is essentially one of the rulers of their personal, caged-off little world. He has power and political sway. He joined the other Overlords for Carmilla's meeting, where they were going to discuss the aftermath of the Extermination and what they can do about the loss in the population (and thus, their power, given that owning souls is how they get it).

It's implied that this isn't the first time they've had meetings like this, and if they get together to discuss the best ways to recover from the Exterminations and make up for their mutual losses (literally working together when they could've all just been rivals trying to undermine the others to get more souls), who knows what else they've discussed in their efforts to keep Pentagram City running (especially considering that the best way to maintain their power IS by maintaining the city, it's people, and keeping it from falling apart at the seams. Taking care of the city is in their best interests - I use "taking care of" very, very loosely, considering this is still Hell and it's hardly the gold standard of utopia's). They're essentially a Board of Leadership with mutually shared power.

The Overlords have all the power. All the sway. In their established world, THEY are at the top of the food chain.

BUT then, you take into account that sinners can't kill each other (a rule that extends even to the Overlords), and that's when things get interesting.

In episode 4, "Masquerade" Valentino told Angel that he's "killed people for less" during the scene in the dressing room. But, in episode 2, after Valentino had torn apart one of Velvette's models, she wasn't upset in the way an Overlord would be if they lost someone under contract, especially considering that owning souls is what gives them power (and I assume that they own the souls of most, if not all, of the people they employ). She said that she can't sit and wait for "that bitch to pull herself back together," so, yeah, the implication is that sinners can literally be torn apart (even by the Overlords, who are the strongest among them) but won't die is immense. No matter what you do, a sinner will reform, or heal, or whatever, but they will come back.

So, consider, that there is only one person who's been able to kill sinners, permanently, and that person is Alastor.

Not only that, he killed Overlords.

In a realm where death is impossible, Alastor had cheated the system. And as far as we know, he's the only one who's been able to do it.

The only person I can think of who has something similar is Carmilla, but that's because she'd integrated angelic steel into her apparel. (Though, there's something to be said about her selling angelic weapons to the masses, as she is a manufacturer and distributor of them not only in Pentagram city, but all of the 7 Rings, (as Stryker had gotten his hands on a "Carmine blessing tipped rifle" to kill off Stolas, who's a Goetia), thus, sinners killing other sinners can still be possible, but that's only if they get you're hands on a weapon with angelic steel, or they're wealthy enough to buy onr, and I imagine Carmilla doesn't sell those cheap.

But Alastor didn't use angelic steel. He found a way to tear souls apart, where otherwise they were only able to be owned. Considering how terrified Husk (who is one of the most calm and collected people in the Hazbin crew; who had once been an Overlord, himself) was when AIastor threatened to do they same to him, like, that goes to show just how serious it is. He was literally full-body shaking. Ears-pinned back. Flight-fight-or freeze. Pressing himself down into the carpet.

We've never seen him like that at any other time during the show, even during the Extermination when they were all about to die.

Alastor's threat had scared him more than literally getting killed my an army of Exorcist's.

And like, yeah???? I get it????

That shit has to be terrifying. Not only for those that Alastor threatens, but for every single sinner in Pentagram City.

This random guy cheated the system, killed without any outside means, and if he can topple Overlords (the strongest and most powerful of them) almost over night, there's no saying what he can do to regular sinners. (Or what they think he can do, I have more thoughts surrounding whether Alastor would be able to tear apart a soul that is owned by someone else, but this is already getting long).

And, presumably, the only reason he stopped is because he decided to.

Like???? Do you guys understand what I'm saying???? For someone to have that kind of power??? In a system where that power SHOULD NOT be possible??? A power that gives him this massive advantage over everyone else???? That no one else can do???? And the only reason he doesn't use it is because he decides not to????

It's no wonder Alastor was so feared. Why he still is feared (by those who know of him at least LOL he has been gone for 7 years). And, like, yeah we see him be all creepy and scary during the show. We see him use his magic and grow into his demon form, and he is intimidating in that right, but I think the true horror of his character comes from this ability to kill the unkillable in a system where it never should've been possible in the first place.

That's where the true terror of the Radio Demon lies. That's where the visceral fear comes from. And it's why he's someone you wouldn't want to mess with, even for the other Overlords (especially for the other Overlords).

Like, it makes sense why he has such a massive ego. Why he thinks he can take on anyone. It's because he has. He's powerful, even by Overlord standards, and he knows it. And it makes further sense why him now being on a leash is making him unravel at the seams.

Am I making sense??? Is this all just meaningless rambling to you guys??? Idk! Idk. It's just been tumbling through my head, and it made me realize just how scary Alastor is, especially from an outside perspective.

I have SO many headcanons T.T I've done so much world-building, and I am have so much fucking fun. I feel like a kid in a sandbox. My brain hasn't stopped buzzing since this show came out.

Anyway, I'm off to outline more wips and work on the fics I'm writing. Happy Hazbin-ing to the rest of you.

[flanaganfilm]

howdy!! do you rewatch your own work? if so, how often? im wondering if it has the same "artist just sees faults with what they create" thing, or if youre able to appreciate past projects the way they deserve

I don't, typically... usually, by the time we're finished with post production, I've seen the thing so many times that I'm thrilled to stop watching it. I'm either sick of it, or just feeling like it doesn't belong to me anymore. There are other reasons, too - Hill House was a traumatic production for me, for example, I have a lot of complicated emotions woven into it, so I haven't felt ready to rewatch that one since before it aired. Maybe in a few more years.

Somewhat recently, I've revisited a few of the older movies with my eldest son, who is 13 now. He's basically as old as my career itself. We've watched Oculus, Hush, The Midnight Club (which he LOVED, proving it worked for our target audience) and Ouija: OOE together, and each of those screenings was a really cool experience. His reactions and questions were really fascinating, and I felt like I was able to see those movies anew through his eyes. That's the closest I've come to feeling like I was really seeing them, and that's only because so much time has gone by for those. I watched the Director's Cut of Doctor Sleep a few years back at the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park Colorado. It was part of a live NoSleep Podcast event, and that was the first time I'd seen that movie since it was released. It was also the first and only time I'd ever seen the Director's Cut with an audience. That was a really special screening and it meant a lot to me.

I haven't yet had the guts to revisit any of the TV series other than Midnight Club. As my kids get older, I'm sure I'll watch them all with them. The one I'm most excited to see is Midnight Mass, which remains my favorite of the shows. I haven't seen it since before it came out - I remember the last day of post on that show, watching down each episode with final mix and color. That's a series I wish I could actually watch like a viewer at home, and while I'll never truly be able to do that, I look forward to looking at it with some real distance.

There are a few of the older projects I'd be curious to watch now. I wonder how Absentia holds up - I was such a baby when we made that movie, and it's been so long. I imagine I could watch that today and have a really trippy experience. I also haven't revisited Before I Wake in a very long time, and I always really loved that script. The movie was a rough road, and my feelings were mixed by the time it finally found its finish line (Relativity Media really beat that one up), but that could also be a really interesting viewing experience at this stage of my career.

But generally, each of these movies is a journey, and once the journey is over it's tough to ever really go back. There's little point, and moving forward feels like a matter of survival. The "finished product" is only the tip of a large, deep, labyrinthian iceberg for me. It's impossible to only see what's on the surface, no matter how hard I try.

(Interesting side-note: The only exception I've found to this rule is The Life of Chuck. We just finished post production on the movie, and I've watched it dozens and dozens of times now - but I've never grown tired of it, not even a little bit. That movie is something special, and I am eager to watch it again - and again - and again. I don't know that I'll ever want distance from that one; in fact, watching it brings me a sense of joy, comfort, and safety.)

[deception-united]

Hello! Hope this ask finds you well 😄

Do you have a guide on how to incorporate dialogue into a story? I'm quite confused in this aspect, like, do I end every dialogue in a comma? (excluding questions and exclamations)

Also just writing things like, "he said, she cried, they snickered, John retorted, Jane whined" becomes tiring after a little while.

I've seen some authors just write dialogue without specifying who said it and the reader relies on context clues to decipher it.

All the rules on writing dialogue is perplexing and any guidance you have on this is much appreciated 🙏

Thank you!

Hi, thanks for asking and so sorry for the late reply! Seamlessly incorporating dialogue into your story is an essential aspect of storytelling that can really bring your characters to life.

Let's start with punctuation. Generally, you would use a comma to separate the dialogue tag from the spoken words; however, this isn't a strict rule. You can also use periods or other punctuation marks depending on the structure of your sentence. For example:

"Hello," he said. "Hello." He smiled. "But," he insisted, "I never actually saw her." "But—" He paused. "Never mind."

Regarding your concern about repetitive dialogue tags, you're absolutely right. Using "he said," "she cried," etc., repeatedly can become tiresome. It's good to mix it up and use a variety of dialogue tags, or even omit them altogether when it's clear who is speaking.

Using context clues to identify the speaker is a great technique. It adds a layer of engagement for the reader and can make the dialogue feel more natural. Here's an example:

"I can't believe you did that." The anger in her voice was palpable.

In this case, we don't need a dialogue tag because the context clues ("the anger in her voice") indicate who is speaking.

Here are a few more tips to help you navigate writing dialogue:

Use action beats: Instead of using dialogue tags, you can describe the actions of the characters to indicate who is speaking. For example:

John slammed his fist on the table. "I won't stand for this!"

Sarah wiped away a tear. "Please don't leave me."

Vary your dialogue tags: Instead of always using "said," try using different verbs that convey how the character is speaking, such as whispered, shouted, muttered, etc.

Omit dialogue tags when possible: If it's clear who is speaking based on the context—for instance, when two characters are talking back and forth—you can omit dialogue tags altogether.

Show, don't tell: Use dialogue to reveal character traits, emotions, and relationships between characters.

Read dialogue aloud: This can help you identify any awkward phrasing or unnatural-sounding dialogue.

Remember: writing dialogue, like any skill, will undoubtedly improve with practice and research. Don't be afraid to experiment and find what works best for your story. Happy writing!

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[fandomwritingbit]

Hi there cutiepie

Thought I'd jump in to request

I was thinking like Michael Afton X reader after a fighr reader sleeps on the couch (sfw)

Ofcourse if your comfy writing that!! I did read rules so I'm hoping for it to be okay. (Also reader can be either female or gender neutral I don't mind either so I'd leave it up to you to decide with what you prefer writing)

Anyways darling have a nice day and don't forget to eat (⁠ ⁠◜⁠‿⁠◝⁠ ⁠)⁠♡

Ee this request is cute as hell. No one's ever called me cutiepie before, got me blushing over here 😘 Thank you so much for such a lovely ask.

I hope this is alright, I can never judge if this kind of thing is actually decent lol.

Anywhooo, michael x gn reader - Sleeping on the sofa (sfw angst with fluff)

"What do you mean 'no'- it's your turn!" your boyfriend interrogated, he looked more than annoyed, mocking how you spoke the word no.

You snigger as reflex, a little taken aback at how angry he was already, you'd only just walked in the door. You let your shoulder bag slide off and on to the floor, shruging sarcastically, "Mike I called you and said I was going to be late - I've had Hell on at work - you really haven't made plans for dinner?!"

"It's your turn." He reiterates, taking his eyes off you as he realised that he probably was in the wrong, but stubbornness making him double down.

"You could have ordered something- you really expect me to cook right now?!" As you spoke, you approach your boyfriend irritated, holding your watch up for him to see, "It's half ten, Mike. Half fucking ten."

He scoffed, "So what am I-"

Keep reading

"Find something, Mike. I swear to God." you hiss. You have to walk away from him to stop this from escalating because if he keeps talking to you so entitled you're going to snap. Well, snap more than you just did.

Storming upstairs, you go in a shower which does nothing to calm you down. In fact it does the opposite, making you more heated, replaying the look of 'hard-done-by' on Michael's face. By the time you're done and hop out, you decide you can't even look at him, grabbing your pillows and a blanket off the bed.

He appears whilst you’re mid action, opening his mouth to say something but it dies in his throat when you throw him the dirtiest look he's ever seen. "Fine." he mutters, walking straight past you into the bathroom.

You make yourself a nest on the sofa downstairs, hoping Mike knows to keep away right now, and eventually fall asleep with some tv show blaring in the background.

~

Laid in your usually shared bed upstairs, Michael tosses and turns. He felt guilty. Which he supposed was just, really. You had a long day and he didn’t even ask you how it was, just went off on you, took his stress out on you. And now the hunger-fueled anger had subsided, he was sober to that and the guilt wouldn’t let him drift off. 

So he got up, didn’t bother putting a shirt on and went downstairs as quietly as he could, trying not to disturb your sleeping form snuggled on the sofa. But seeing you there, you looked so sweet, your brows not furrowed like they had been earlier, your mouth not pressed into that tired hard line, he smiled a little just at the view before going into the kitchen and getting a glass of water. 

You woke up to the tap running in the adjacent room, the sound obnoxiously loud in the quiet of the house, you peer over your blanket waiting for him to walk back in, “Really? I was-” you start, but he puts his hands up in surrender, one holding the glass. 

“Look I’m sorry... About waking you up but also… earlier, I don’t know why I-” 

 You cut him off, sitting up to talk properly.“You were being a prick, Mike.” It was hard to keep your tone as mean as you wanted it at seeing the sheepish look on his face. 

“I know, sorry.” 

You crack, his apologetic voice working. And so, you scooch back on the cushions, making some room for him and lifting up the blanket for him to get in. Instead he scoops you and all your belongings off the piece of furniture, somehow making it look easy, and bundles you in his arms. 

You giggle, his arms tickling you. Though to be honest you’re glad to not be arguing anymore, even more glad to be able to sleep in your own bed.

[meraxesmoon]

Ok, but... What exactly did alicent do wrong tho... Why do people hate her (in the show ppl calm down)

Her being married to viserys was ottos doing ... She didnt have a choice she was a girl who was manipulated by her own father...

Her attacking luke was because he maimed aemond... If my son lost an eye i wouldnt stop until the person who maimed him was dead

"but lucerys was a child" SO WAS AEMOND, and he has to live with the loss of an eye

And lucerys didnt even feel bad... He was laughing when the pig was served at the table at the feast years later

The only thing that you can get her with is not being a very good mother, that i accept but blaming her for defending HER SON... girl...

Now in the book...

I do think shes mother... She such a complex character shes flawed but understands her mistakes... Dont get me wrong she is still mean and vengefull to people she deems as enemies but she has more of a heart than cersei lannister (despite some people trying to say that she is the version of cersei in hotd)

Idk... Some people just see the targaryens as superior beings and skip over their faults because they have dragons and are cooler to watch

I do think rhaenyra is the heir to the throne... But that doesnt mean that she has to be likeable to someone... Or that team black is better because she has dragons... If they werent evenly matched the war wouldnt be one of the most memorable in weteros for years to come

Im sorry for the rant... But im just tired of every team black member calling her alicunt...like... Are you twelve?

Yeah, people like to call Rhaenyra this feminist in Westerosi history, but it's just not true (at least if you believe some of the accounts in the book). Rhaenyra stans are like very extreme about her, and as a joke, that's fine, but most of them are dead serious.

I recently saw a post on TikTok that said the Driftmark scene was just Rhaenyra being a victim, and that's the most chronically online thing I've seen in a while. If you really sit down and think about it, Alicent had every reason to snap. Like, I love Rhaenyra, but she really was getting away with murder. Like, she had three illegitimate children, obviously, and just expected everyone to act like they weren't bastards.

People also say that it doesn't matter that Rhaenyra's children are illegitimate because she's heir to the throne. That makes ZERO sense, especially if you think about how that's treason and against the laws of Westeros. Alicent has every reason to feel bitter and upset about Rhaenyra pulling wool over everyone's eyes.

As for Alicent in the book, I really like her as well. Unlike Alicent in the show, she is in a huge position of power. A lot of people don't realize that she ruled ten times longer than Rhaenyra and Aegon combined. She wasn't this small little pawn being used like she is in the show. I adore both versions, but book Alicent is such a boss ass bitch! Despite her coldness and brutal behavior towards the Blacks, Alicent loves her kids so much in the books. Like, she places her own crown on Helaena's head after Aegon is crowned, she has a lot of faith in her sons, and the fact that Helaena and her children visit Alicent visit her every night before bed definitely says something about how Alicent was with her children.

Alicent in the book is pretty young when she marries Viserys, not as young as in the show. I feel like she was still sort of a victim of Otto, even in the book, but she ends up taking power into her hands because she wants to protect her children.

Notice how the people who hate Alicent would like her a lot if she was in any other type of series. They just don't like her because she's going against Rhaenyra.

Targaryen supremacists are so fucking annoying! If Alicent were a Targaryen woman they wouldn't have a problem with her, and Visenya Targaryen is a prime example of their hypocrisy (she literally usurped Aegon's son lol).

I'm Alicent's biggest defender, and I'll stay that way <3

LIKE LOOK

SHE JUST WANTS TO PROTECT HER CHILDREN

[outoutdamnspark]

HH Lucifer Morningstar Headcanons - Angelic Anatomy

(I love this nerdy duck man. I would kill for him, I swear to fuck.)

Listen. I'm so tired of the Beautiful™️, Perfect™️, human-looking depictions of angels - give me the Be Not Afraid, weird as fuck angels. The more uncanny the better!

🍎BODY. Starting off, I know HH's animation style is very stylized (and quite beautifully so), but I'm gonna go ahead and say that no, he just Looks Like That™️. That waist? Snatched. Why would an angel have organs? He doesn't. Man is built like an apple core (because of course) in that he has some semblance of a rib cage and then a waist smaller than Dita Von Teese. He also has no ass. None. Sorry, I don't make the rules.

🍎HANDS. I would have said he legitimately only has three fingers (again, I know it's stylized), but there's actually a moment where he's animated with four; it's right at the start of 'Hell's Greatest Dad', while he's on his throne - so as much as I'd like him to have more fucked up hands, I'm going to say he does, in fact, have four fingers. HOWEVER! We've all seen how long his fingers were drawn for the fight against Adam, right? "Your first wife didn't seem to hate what I had to offer"? That. Long-ass fingers. Unnaturally so. This guy has inhuman, Del Toro-esque hands and no one can tell me otherwise. I'm thinking like Pale Man from Pan's Labyrinth levels of disproportionately long fingers, with almost spider-like joints and half-inch long talons. They probably click ever-so-slightly when he moves them. Just. Creepy hands. Love it. Also? I don't think those are gloves he's wearing; I think his hands are just black, and that there's a gradient all the way up his arms, ending a little higher past his elbows.

I saw a couple people saying they headcanon his hands/arms as actually being burnt from when he tried to reach back up to Heaven while falling from grace. I kind of like that idea, but I'm not sure just yet if I've assimilated it into my own personal headcanon. Heavily considering it, though...

🍎FACE. Again, why would an angel have humanoid features? Lucifer straight up has no nose. Or ears. But heck, let's take it further than that, even - why not say he has oversized eyes? (And yes, I totally believe his eyelids are just naturally purple, though I wouldn't put it past him to be into makeup, being the embodiment of the Sin of Pride and all.) He might have little snake-like slits where a nose should be, since we see him flare his nostrils in determination when Charlie is calling him, but other than that I imagine there's just a faint slope down the center of his face like we see with Sera.

As for his mouth, we all saw his canonically forked tongue but I need to overthink everything, so for the few seconds we see him stretch his lips wide enough to where his gums are visible? To me they look black. I'm thinking like. Black Mamba. The inside of Lucifer's mouth is just black, minus the red tongue and bone-white fangs.

🍎HOOVES. Look. I feel like I saw somewhere that it was confirmed Charlie has little hoovsies; she obviously got them from her dad. Lucifer wears boots, right? And if you look at them closely they're heeled - this guy 100% has digitigrade legs with hooves and he has to wear heeled boots to compensate for the way his legs/feet bend. Me, personally, I prefer the look of like, pig or cow hooves, because I like the idea of a more clawed-looking foot over a traditional goat hoof. Originally I headcanoned Lucifer as having something more akin to gargoyle feet, with two or three long, bird/raptor-like, taloned toes, but the idea of hooves has since heavily grown on me. I think they'd be the same gradient black-grey-white as his arms, too.

🍎HORNS. When we first got to see him with his horns fully out, I thought the black striping around the base of his horns was torn flesh with the red of his horns showing through. I respect the black stripes - those are cool - but I'm of the belief that if it can be made weirder, it should be. I will never unsee the base of his horns as having strips of torn, loose white flesh clinging to the keratin. Maybe he bleeds every time his horns come out, ripping through the skin like Wolverine's claws - maybe it's been so many years that he doesn't even feel it anymore, so used to the pain that he's numb to it now. Because seriously. What's more badass than watching an unearthly being rip themselves apart to reveal their true nature and not even flinch while doing so?

🍎EYES. Be Not Afraid, motherfucker. During the battle against the Exorcists and Adam in the final episode of season 1, we see that Lucifer has eyes on the inside of his tailcoat and on his bow tie. You cannot tell me he can't see with those. I will die on the hill that this man has a myriad of features he just. Doesn't show. (Like how Sera and Emily had a moment where their extra eyes appeared and then vanished again.) There are probably invisible eyes all over this guy, and also surrounding him, not even actually attached to him in any way. Extra eyes can manifest in his wings, on his face, on his clothes, in the air around him, you name it. And yes, he can see with all of them because they're all extensions of his being. Angels aren't physical entities, so it would makes sense that their "physical" attributes aren't bound to what humans perceive as normal limitation. Even Charlie hasn't seen his Actual Angelic Form. (Which is totally a duck-like celestial creature with six wings like in the flashback during 'More Than Anything.')

🍎UNCANNY, INHUMAN, ETHEREAL, FUCKED-UP, ELDRITCH, BIBLICALLY ACCURATE LUCIFER MORNINGSTAR PLEASE!

[ystrike1]

We Got Ourselves Stuck Inside an Adult Fantasy Novel - By Hyeyong (4/10)

Isekai trash only. You will not be able to comprehend this story unless you're already familiar with isekai and reincarnation plots. It does not care. All three protagonists are friends, and they take over a fantasy world together. Their greed and lust gets them nothing but praise and victory. The men have less personality than usual. Max trash.

We start out with a fangirl.

She wakes up as a heroine. I'm using the "real" names because this whole story is just roleplay. Siyeon does not care about her role as heroine. She only cares about hot faces and romance. She's been trying to convince her friends to read isekai for years and that's her whole personality.

She's the one who attracts the yandere prince.

She doesn't go alone. Her two best friends that are not interested in isekai come with her. There is no shame whatsoever here. All three women collectively do not care. They just decide to live life to the fullest as rich aristocratic ladies. Apparently none of them have children, friends or family. Nobody thinks about their past life unless it's a bad memory, because living in a fantasy world is soooo superior.

Yein is the hot villainess. She leaves for the countryside. She really struggled in the real world. She is a sadist. She's into extreme BDSM. She could never find a partner because she was never completely honest, and her male partners always left when she suddenly changed in the bedroom.

She buys a buff slave, and she makes him her submissive servant. It's hella toxic and she ignores every BDSM safety rule.

She is a high lady who can do whatever.

God even gives the three ladies phones, so they can chat.

Yein goes to the countryside because she doesn't...say it with me...care (about anything but BDSM)

Jiwon becomes the top aide for the prince. She loves money and she loves power. She sets Sihyeon up with the prince. She knows Sihyeon will be happy as a spoiled fantasy bride, and if the prince goes yandere....she can control the kingdom while he's busy locking her up.

It's funny, but nobody in universe is taking this seriously. It feels fake.

It's beyond parody.

Terris is a "Standard Yandere Prince ML"

Black hair. Red eyes. He killed his siblings to take the throne. He's strong, smart but not well liked because he's feared. He has few friends...you've met this man twenty times...or you don't get the meta joke and this story isn't for you.

Meta humor is annoying. Don't worry this won't get a high rating no matter what, because every page is a cheap laugh and the BDSM play is questionable.

He looks like this.

Please note this kind of appearance is a running joke in the OI Fandom. Lots of fans laugh at the factory produced ML's like this one, but it's a reaaaallllyyyy stale and tired joke.

The whole story is stale.

He kidnaps Sihyeon and he proposes because....because....um she likes him??? And he likes to be liked???

He is actually yandere we do get crazy scenes with him. He does give more power to Jiwon. Controlling Sihyeon becomes his new hobby.

The yandere scenes get consistently ruined by tired jokes it's a snorefest.

He thinks he's the number 1 mastermind but Jiwon is behind him pulling the strings.

....it all feels very safe and sassy.

Haha it's funny cuz of course a yandere that gets too obsessed would lose power lollll...

It gets old after like five chapters.

Sihyeon is in the gilded prison of her dreams. She's a social butterfly, so she makes lots of friends. She gets to wear the frilly dresses she has always admired. She's a noble adult woman, so after she marries she doesn't have to worry about her family much. They don't even show up. Terris never does anything unexpected and this is an "adult" book, so she has fun every day.

It's a happy and twisted ending.

All three women role play, drink, hang out and use handsome men forever.

I absolutely despise every single one of them.

They are the most unlikable protagonists I've seen this year.

[stuffymcstuffsworld]

Distraction

Nothing was more irritating to Kalego than being pulled away from his work. He did not like to procrastinate. It was not in his nature.

So you can imagine how he would act if someone purposefully pulled him away from his work without good reason. What pointless nonsense were they trying to drag him into? There was work to be done.

So when a certain impatient hellspawn ambushes him, suffice to say he's not happy. Insufferable greenhorn. How dare he drag him off for foolish activities!

They were here to mold the minds of the future generations, not play games! He should have gone home to grade those papers. At least then, he'd have peace and quiet.

He rubbed his temples in frustration. The energetic green imp is currently caught in one of ceberus's jaws. Having the nerve to look bashful!

"This behavior is unacceptable. How do you expect the student to respect you if you're constantly off causing mischief?" He scolds.

"Ah, but if I didn't, you would still be sitting behind your desk, Kalego-San! Your work ethic is amazing, but you really need to take breaks more. It's bad for your health to work too much!"

The older demon can feel the veins in his forehead twitching. Who did his junior think he was lecturing him on his own health? He was perfectly fine.

◇♧◇♧◇♧◇♧◇♧◇♧◇♧◇♧◇♧◇♧◇♧◇♧◇♧◇♧

It was rather late. Normally, he would never have so much to do, but a certain class full of brats caused him more paperwork than ever before. How troublesome.

He sighed and rubbed his tired eyes. A mug was set down at his desk. He huffed. "I know you're there. Come out."

Balam-San peaks out from behind a pillar. "I didn't mean to disturb. I just thought you could use a pick-me-up." The large demon says nervously.

"It's fine." Kalego sips the hell-grey tea. Almost wishing for something stronger for the headache his student cause him on a daily basis.

"This class seems to be giving you a run for your money." The dark-haired demon snorts at the comment. It's more like running him into an early grave.

"They're a bunch of ignorant brats who constantly disregard the rules." Setting down his mug, he stares up at the gargoyle. "Such a troublesome bunch."

"But doesn't that make it fun? I've never seen you smile so much over a classes results before." Balam-San says softly as he moves around his former classmate.

"That's a given." Kalego scoffs as Balam rubs his shoulders. "They're true demons. After all, they carve their own rules. They aren't followers. I'm teaching leaders." A small grin shows on his face.

"As expected of kalego-kun, you're enjoying this while making them work harder." Kalego leans back, resting his head against the back of his chair. "They'll survive. Those brats are like cockroaches."

[antimony-medusa]

Alright, one last post about this for the road.

Do you like Fandom Exchanges? Do you like Hurt/Comfort? Do you like MCYT? Are you 18? Is this too many questions?

WELCOME TO THIS POST ABOUT THE HURT/COMFORT EXCHANGE. PULL UP A CHAIR.

This, as I just learned earlier this month, is a massive multi-fandom exchange on the theme of hurt/comfort. It's open to both artists and writers, and the expecations is a fic of at least 1000 words, or a piece of artwork that is not on lined paper and is at minimum clean linework that is at least 500x500 pixels. And you have from 16 March to 13 May to work on your gift so like, thousands of time. So easy. You can do that in a weekend, right? So achievable.

Some details: this is a massive multifandom exchange, so like, NSFW is allowed, and that means you have to be 18 to sign up. Also as it's a massive multifandom exchange, the mods are not policing what shows up in the tag set (there are literally 620 fandoms listed, can you imagine policing that, no,) so you almost definitely will see stuff in the tag set that makes you go "huh," but that's when you get to go "boy people sure like some stuff", and then you move on and go on to the stuff you're actually writing.

Tag Set?

Glad you asked. Okay so big Ao3 exchanges normally work off a Tag Set. They run a preliminary section where people can submit relationships and characters etc to a massive list, and then once it comes to actual sign-up time, you are only able to select stuff that is in the tag set for your offers and requests. So nomination period (where we're in right now), is important if you want to join an exchange, cause it lets you make sure that the relationships you actually want to offer, and then write/draw, are available to you.

[ID: An image of what the tag set looks like right now, open to the RPF section which contains SMPs— Empires, Origins, 3rd Life, Dream SMP, Hermitcraft, and SMPEarth.]

Tell me more about those tags?

Okay so, a general exchange works by allowing people to Offer and Request what fandoms and characters they want to write, and then the algorithm matches people's Offers to Requests, so that that person who Requested TMNT art is matched with someone who Offered that yes, they want to draw the turtles.

Within this specific exchange, they go a bit more granular. You both specify the relationship, and because this is a Hurt/Comfort exchange, you specify who exactly is getting hurt.

[ID: photo of the tags set, showing Philza & Technoblade & Tommyinnit & Wilbur Soot (hurt tommyinnit). ]

I know the dash loves hurting tommy, I've seen your exchange sign ups. I nominated that tag for you all. Never say I don't do things for you.

I didn't even think about empires, but someone already put flower husbands in the tag set, here's your chance to whump Scott.

[ID: photo of the Empires SMP tags, showing fWhip & Jimmy Solidarity (hurt Jimmy), Scott Smajor & Jimmy Solidarity (hurt Scott), Scott Smajor/Jimmy Solidarity (hurt Scott)]

And then because this is a FREEFORM exchange, you specify what freeform you want, which is your actual prompt for the fic/art you want. Some examples of the freeforms.

[ID: freeform tags reading: Comfort via food or cooking, Comforted by an animal, Doctor A has to talk B through operating on A, Hugging a person who isn't used to recieving hugs, Human experimentation, Hurt A is too tired/ill to move; calls B to take them home, Retainer lovingly cared for by liege, Reunion after character who was presumed dead returns.]

There are so many freeforms. (Note that the "this is an 18+ exchange" and "this is a dl:dr exchange" rules apply, some of the freeforms are about major archive warnings.)

Yes yes, I know exchanges, why are you telling me this.

Okay so, I'm doing the exchange, and I really want to match on MCYT, so I'm trying to lure as many people as possible to join me. Come on you want to join me so bad. There's 3rd Life AND Empires AND Dream SMP AND Hermitcraft AND SMPEarth in the tag set.

Yes but why are you telling me NOW?

Ah, because the tag nominations closes tomorrow, the 24th, so if you want to get a tag into the tag set— as I type this Scarian isn't into the tag set, so, y'know— your chance is to GO GO GO NOW HERE IS THE LIST TO THE TAG SET CHECK OUT WHAT IS THERE AND NOMINATE YOUR BLORBOS.

https://archiveofourown.org/tag_sets/14131

Whew. Long post. Enjoy your dash I hope you're having a good day.

[philosophicalmisuse]

Victor from From and Autistic Coding in media

Just finished season 1 and a couple eps into season 2, enjoying it lots so far! Only spoilers for season 1 I think, maybe mild for season 2

Just seen a couple of people discuss Victor and Autism and neurodivergence in general and wanted to add my two cents

I reckon he's autistic-coded (and I think the distinction between is autistic and is autistic coded is important) -

- trouble socialising (esp with other adults, but having an easier time with kids - socialising well with people below and above ur peer group is fairly common)

- restricted interests (the peaches being the one thing he liked to eat jumped out to me - thought it was so sweet how donna made sure that he had some and that she was rationing them for him specifically, both so others wouldn't have them and so that he could have them regularly for as long as possible and genuinely took seriously how important it was and attempted to hold back other supplies in case they ran out to provide an alternative but was aware it likely wouldn't work - she looked at why he liked the peaches and accommodated his needs not just in terms of well this will keep him happy but in a caring way for him as a person, such a little thing but damn made me like donna so much)

- the visual language of how he's presented - wearing his (casual flannel) shirt buttoned all the way up to the neck and pants cuffed, just like how he did as a kid, holding onto an object from his childhood, posture that is overly "correct", slightly shambley walk, 'evasive' body language that avoids eye contact etc - ! important to specify here that I'm not saying all autistic people dress or move like this, I for one hate things touching my neck so you wouldn't catch me dead in a button up all the way to my neck, but this visual language/costuming/physicality is super common for male autistic-coded characters as a visual shorthand to express restrive patterns of behaviour/outsider from social norms of dress, so it jumped out at me right away. Two other examples that spring to mind are young Sheldon and elementary Sherlock Holmes

- the language/tonality he uses - often repetitive to express the rules while not always explaining why (example being when jade takes his violin and ransacks his room, he doesn't explain why jade shouldn't go into his room or how it made him feel, he visually shows distress and repeats the rule that jade violated, even when jade explains his pov - victor responds in his face to the comment I thought you were dead, seemingly understanding that that's reasonable, but it's not relevant to the rule as he isn't dead so he repeats the rule) - he's often fairly monotone/expressionless as well - I don't know how to explain this but some of his inflections/patterns of speech are very familiar to me in terms of how I and other autistic people I've met talk. There's something about how and where the voice goes up and down in a sentence that I can't really explain

- disliking change (eg. peaches)

And I'm sure there's more but these are the main ones I remember

NOW!!! onto my broader points

I have seen some people online argue that:

he's not autistic he's just traumatised

This is rational and I get it! He's presumably been alone since a very young age so not 'socialised', he's had to learn the rules of this place and stick to them or die and so on. The behaviours of cPTSD and asd have a large amount of overlap.

However, my first point would be that a traumatised autistic person (which is most autistic people tbh) look/act different from traumatised non-autistic people. Most autistic people that you meet are traumatised, and there's a lot of traumatised people who aren't autistic. Having cPTSD and having a trigger to a specific sound, for example, is different from having SPD and getting tired/stressed/having a meltdown from most sounds being too loud and your nervous system being unable to distinguish between a relevant loud noise and an irrelevant loud noise and giving you all noises at the same level and stimulating your nervous system to react to them the same, for example. In cPTSD your nervous system is likely also inflating lots of noises, because lots of noises were relevant to your survival in a traumatic environment - but in SPD (something many ASD people have and some argue may be a major facet of the disorder that has, until recently, been unhelpfully diminished in diagnostic resources) this would happen whether or not you were traumatised.

The collection of traits in the DSM is descriptive of a way of processing the world around you - and when people argue that Victor is autistic, they're saying that he is behaving in a way that appears to be characteristic of a certain combination of traits. Additionally, he was old enough to experience some socialisation, and had enough resources to experiment with other ways of dressing - there presumably have been other people that have come to the village over the years, as well. What I see in the character is a very traumatised autistic adult using patterns of behaviour that are explicitly autistic in order to survive in a terrible situation, HOWEVER I would argue that it doesn't matter very much

Regardless of whether he is or is not autistic (he's a fictional character and we can never have enough info to really know unless the characters or creators of the show explicitly say it, ofc) what is relevant in my opinion is that he is CODED to be autistic.

The way the character is presented is similar to a lot of tropes in media about how autistic characters are presented. Whether you think that the character in and of himself is or is not autistic, I think it's fair to say that the way he is characterised is similar to a lot of other male autisic-coded characters in media

WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?

It's important both in terms of how we analyse/interpret the specific media, and how this can impact social understanding of autism more broadly

First of all, it may tell us something about how Autism is portrayed in media. An autistic character in another piece of media who has not experienced the same levels of insane trauma in a horror setting is thought to behave similarly to a character who has experienced these things.

Secondly, it tells us about how the other characters in the world relate to Victor. Why do they instantly see him as being weird, when initially the only thing he does is simply have a conversation with a new resident? He's instantly seen as a threat by the dad, explicitly seen as weird by everyone else, where the young girl who murdered someone is seen as someone safe, and positive for taking care of the child and distracting them from the horrible new situation they find themselves in.

Honestly, he's initially presented as a sexual threat to both children - I've seen some ppl online refer to him as 'paedophilic'. Why is this?

I would argue it's because autistic traits, down to the way autistic people move and speak, are seen as inherently threatening and other. I don't even blame the people who do read him as predatory, as it's so common in media to be presented with people who look/behave like Victor ending up being creepy and weird. Autistic people are infantilised, seen engaging with children, and the audience is told they're weird - even the dad was so strongly hostile to Victor harmlessly talking to his child BEFORE he took him into the forest (something that I completely agree any parent would be reasonable for responding to extremely hostily). It was clear this was something Victor was used too as well.

This is a common trope. A weird, socially inept older person forms an unlikely friendship with an open-minded child - who is often discouraged from being friendly with this person, as they are viewed as sinister and a threat from adults in their life. This is used as a double-bluff - the real threat to the child is actually the young woman who the adults are fine with spending time with their child, as they view her as fundamentally non-threatening.

This enabled me, as a viewer, early on, to discount the information that was alluding to Victor being a threat - but its also a really frustrating trope, because it relies on the fact that audiences do see autistic patterns of behaviour/speech/movement as fundamentally other/threatening. Even if you subvert this trope by making the threat come from somewhere else, and tell the audience that really they're bad/foolish/wrong for thinking Victor was a threat, you're still using the same tropes that make real autistic people be viewed with suspicion simply for existing in the world. Victor is still portrayed as creepy, and still has to earn the protagonists trust in a way other characters don't. He, and other autistic coded characters, still start off in a deficit, at a negative, where other characters start off with a neutral or positive. This really does impact real life people as well!

Another trope that is used that is relevant is the 'weird' character having a special amount of knowledge about the problem at hand that other characters discount because of their weirdness (knowledge often initially only shared with an open-minded child character). This is so frustrating! I even remember this coming up in The Dressmaker, when the intellectually disabled character (I think? It was one of those very generalist disabled character presentations, to my knowledge) witnessed the crime but no-one thought to ask them who did it till the end, and initially presumed he had done it or something (I still enjoyed the movie tho). Its bizarre to me that none's asking Victor what he knows - he even expresses early on to the kid that noone listens to him or cares, from memory. I find this so frustrating, and is again really common - and is also a part of the othering of autistic coded characters - they're 'not of this world', but are part of both and none at the same time.

While this is something that many autistic people feel and experience, it's partially because we're ostracised from our peers because we're so 'weird', so it's really frustrating to see this replicated time and time again in fantasy, horror and thriller genres especially - it sort of reenforces a social standard that's causing the problem. Rather than create understanding and support the elimination of notions of 'weirdness', even if the character is important and initially creepy but not a threat, they're still not of this world. It's still reasonable to see them as weird, because they are weird. The characters are rational for responding to the autistic coded character as if there's something off, because there is - even if they're ultimately on the same side.

This also has real-world impacts. People discount likely threats in favour of fear of unfamiliar behaviour. For example, the whole predatory thing - autistic people are more likely to be victims of predatory behaviour, not perpetrators of it (for example, autistic women are 3x more likely to have been sexually assaulted than non-autistic women). However, there's these stereotypes in media where an autistic character is so weird that they're viewed as threatening - and, in some crime genre tropes, for example, the threat is confirmed. Even though most predators are stand up members of the community (compensating for their misdeeds via good acts) and people are surprised that they were perpetrators of horrific crimes - crime is often so horribly mundane - the media focuses on portrayals of mentally ill loners, utilising coding that is similar and sometimes the same as the coding of autistic characters. Not saying that no autistic person comments a crime of course, they demonstrably do, but utilising a media shorthand for violent/predatory criminals that is also used for autistic characters - as it is much more conforting for audiences to feel as if they would be able to tell from someone's weird behaviour if they're likely to be a threat - can have some really troubling real world consequences. Also not saying that no autistic coded character can possibly be portrayed as a villain - I really enjoyed Zac's plotline in Bones for example, especially the relationship that the two characters had - but it's the focus on these 'weird, socially inept' villians, over the far more common absolutely totally 'normal' person/family member/ local upstanding citizen that makes people disproportionately fear/stigmatise autistic ways of being

Then, other shows play off of this coding to 'subvert' it, reenforcing the connection along the way

All this being said, I really like Victor, I loved his relationship with Donna, and I'm really enjoying the show more broadly. However, I could defs see a lot of the narrative of s1 coming because of the shows use of autistic coded behaviours for Victor

I found it interesting that some fan theories have actually centred Victor's neurodivergence, and suggested that other characters are also neurodivergent and that might be why some of them are here/chosen - I find that interesting, especially because of the use of 'psychosis' in the show being a conduit for seemingly real voices of people who have passed away there

It will be interesting to see where they take it, and I'm excited to see what else happens in season 2 and even more excited for season 3 - but yeah, Victor is defs autistic coded, and some of those tropes do have negative knock-on consequences. Defs something that will impact my enjoyment of the show, depending on where they take it! It could be awesome and exciting and could be devastating or eye rolling etc but still excited to watch

[sparkle-skitty]

FANFIC PIECE/GLIMPSE

I spent a STUPID long time on just this ONE BIT here so I am showing it to everyone whether y'all like it or not

For the record, this is just a scrap from the fanfic I am writing (attempting to) and because I am not a linear writer*, everything here is subject to change if/when I get to stringing it all together more coherently. So basically, it's a demo.

I proofread it a few times, but it may not be perfect because I am tired and also was originally writing entirely third person instead of second person but found myself mentally scripting in second person - so if anything sounds wonky, I'm all ears!

(*Meaning, I do not write start to finish, I write exactly what I feel like writing regardless if it's chronologically next. The scenes are coming to me in patchwork!)

Anyway, click read more for the excerpt.

CW for: mentions of child abuse, mentions of bullying, very slight blood, very slight violence, emotional outbursts/shutdown (y/n is neurodivergent), dislike of children (again, y/n is neurodivergent), aaaand I'm not sure what else to tag so lemme know if something is needed

(For the record, y/n has some of me plus some other things I've seen with other neurodivergent people written into them so HOPEFULLY it sounds at least somewhat relatable to others in the community)

You nearly ran into one of the play structures, too interested in watching what was going on by the door to the Daycare. An adult was getting more and more agitated, while Sun held a child behind him, with unimpressed and shrugging daycare workers passing to leave as their shift had ended. The only one who had remained had been talking between the adult and Sun, but was now finally giving up with a very loud "ugh!", throwing her hands in the air as she turned away to clock out.

It was now out of sight, and you were quickly putting away the armful of toys you had carefully balanced against you into the trunks they belonged, in order to get back to the scene asap. Your Employee Fazwatch buzzed on your arm, at first making you growl "Ugh, now what?!" but your irritation evaporated as you realized it was a message from Moon.

"That adult is not one of the child's authorized pick-up persons."

Moon must have caught you staring through the cameras. You instinctively glanced up at where you knew the nearest one was, knowing likely Moon was staring back from his little cyberspace world in the Attendants' shared body. But you quickly turned heel and speed-walked over to Sun.

You were certainly frustrated that, once again, poor Sun had been left behind to deal with the remaining Daycare children alone, but you were more angry now that they had so purposefully let him take the fall for the rules and regulations that even Fazbear Entertainment had to follow by law.

"You'd think by now I'd be over this," you thought. "Not like I've never had a job before where everyone was only looking out for themselves." But you knew very well it was because it was Sun, your friend, the sweetest guy in the world (probably), that you took it so personally. And also, maybe a little because most of the workers still treated him like a mindless machine, aaand possibly because a child was involved in a potentially dangerous situation.

Okay, maybe it made a little sense to take it personally.

As you drew closer, you realized Sun's hold on the child wasn't to keep the child from going to the adult, but rather the opposite - to keep the adult from getting at the child. At every turn he was putting himself between the adult and the child, and the boy looked nervous to say the least.

Your anger suddenly sparked into a blaze of fury upon the sight. No matter how much your rational side tried to tell them that it could be only because the tone of the conversation was scaring the kid, your feral inner child was screaming for blood, having the scene be a bit too familiar and hitting too close to home.

Sun caught sight of you from the corner of his eye, and turned to look with relief that someone might be coming to rescue them, only to be a little taken aback by the absolute darkness that was emanating from your being. The dangerous glint in your eyes, the snarl that curved your lips, revealing teeth tightly ground together - it was something he hadn't yet seen from his new friend. But once you looked at him and you both locked eyes, he saw a metaphorical mask rapidly apply, especially as you noticed the man had finally looked to see what Sun had been gazing at.

The mask replaced the baleful expression with one far more bright, friendly, and chipper. Though the animatronic could see the cracks in the disguise himself, he knew it was practically impossible for any random person to see. He couldn't help but stiffen as you approached and settled beside them. He had only worked with you for a short time, but it seemed so out of character!

"Hi there!" you greeted, launching into your Customer Service Voice, enthusiastic with a great smile, your eyes crinkling. "Is there something I can do for you?"

The man waved his hand around in anger, "It's about time someone came, besides this damn robot!" Sun tensed at the word and the inflection, but stayed quiet, watching with interest at how you hadn't even flinched with the man's loud and sharp tone.

"I am so sorry about that, looks like we're the only two left in the Daycare right now! What can I help you with?"

"Tell this metal idiot to give me my nephew, will you? I'm already running late!"

You turned to Sun, smile never faltering. "Hey Sunny, is there a problem?" you asked openly.

Sun caught the hint and quickly replied, "This person has not been set as a designated guardian for this child in our system."

"Ah, well!" you turned back to the man glowering at the both of you. "I'm afraid that we can not legally allow you to take the child from the Daycare, sir. I'm terribly sorry, but I'm sure you can understand the reasoning here. Just imagine if those weren't the rules! Kids could be carted off by just any ol' person, even criminals and bad guys!"

As you spoke, you gestured - and even winked - with great enthusiasm. Your hyper-upbeat tone not once fell, but the language used was definitely a subtle accusation.

"I'm afraid you'll have to forgive my friend here, but that's the protocol!"

"I want a manager!" the man spluttered, now thoroughly furious.

"Oh!" you exclaimed, a hand going to your mouth before you tilted your head in a bow. "I'm terribly sorry, again, sir, but..." you then lifted both arms towards Sun, gesturing as if presenting him for the first time. "He IS the manager. It's his Daycare after all! He's the boss, the head honcho, the big cheese, emphasis on the big part," you quietly added to the end, tone now finally slipping to indicate the threat.

Sun couldn't help but also notice that you were doing your nervous trait of babbling and trying to joke. But he wasn't so sure this was anxiety or a matter of barely containing yourself.

"Please leave before we have to contact security," you said after a moment of silent fuming from the man, optimism now back but with an edge to it, giving firmness to the command. "If the rightful guardian or guardians can not come, they will have to contact us themselves to add you in. Otherwise, we will not be able to release this child to you."

The guy looked around a bit, grumbling and muttering angrily, before very suddenly lurching forward towards you. Sun's arm shot out automatically to snatch the man by the shirt, to stop him and lift him away, but to his shock you made your own automatic response of swiping at the man's face.

Blood swelled from parts of the claw marks on his stunned expression, but not enough blood to actually run. You had mostly gotten him to the side of his face as he had turned at the last second to look at Sun, traveling just a bit across his jaw and cheek.

The facade was dropped in an instant as you huffed and shook from the adrenaline, then shrieked, "TRY THAT AGAIN, I FUCKIN' DARE YA!"

"Language!" Sun quickly reprimanded you, glaring at you. You tore your gaze from the man's bewildered face to look at him, then looked away, snorting through your nose and folding your arms across your chest. He sighed in exasperation, knowing that sort of maneuver all too well from the children and, well, Moon.

"I am not a brat," Moon grumbled in his head.

"I didn't say anything!" Sun internally responded back.

You looked the man up and down, feet now off the ground as Sun held him firm, but he wasn't struggling. You snatched the radio out of your pocket and calmly made the call to security to remove the man from the premises.

Even as the man was escorted out, Sun's internal monitors showed your heart was still pounding away. But when you glanced at the child, your look softened to one of embarrassment, or shame? You knelt down next to him.

"Hey, sorry about that kiddo, that... must have been scary," you mumbled.

Your interactions with the children were always awkward. You had told Sun you hated kids, but on top of that also had no idea how to deal with them. Every time you were like a deer in the headlights, a newborn giraffe trying to learn to walk - unsteady, unsure, and bewildered by everything.

Sun had so far learned that you at least knew enough to be nice to the kids and to excuse yourself when it got to be too much, which was more than he could say for most of the daycare workers, which was ironic given that you were, well... a glorified janitor.

The child nodded, sniffling. There was a pause, and then the boy released Sun's pant leg and ran over to you, wrapping his little arms around you. You were surprised, then cringed.

"Um, there there..." you said, patting his back gently. To your horror, you realized he was still crying and sniffling. Sun watched with amusement as your face silently twisted into disgust. You looked up at him, pleading with him to get the child away somehow, but Sun shook his head, crossing his arms. This is now a punishment, he decided. He knew you wouldn't dare just shove the kid away.

------------------------------------

You were scrubbing at your shirt with several sanitary wipes. The snot might be gone by now, but you weren't sure and still felt unclean.

It seemed like it took forever for the child's actual guardians to show up, and Sun was not only doing the checkout, but also the report about what had happened.

You had allowed that child to tug your hands, hug you, and you even picked him up when he gestured so. Gross gross gross, little snotty kids were the worst. They had no sense of cleanliness or manners regarding germs. You shuddered at the thought of wondering if he even wiped himself, then flopped back into the security desk chair with a groan. To take your mind off your child-germophobia, you pulled out your phone and began a round of Candy Crush.

Your timeblindness caught you up again as you suddenly looked up to see Sun standing on the other side of the desk. He had his arms folded again, and wore a frown.

"That wasn't being a very good role-model, you know."

"Heck off, I'm not Daycare staff, so I don't--"

"Ah ah!" Sun cut you off, "You ARE Daycare staff, buster, even if it's just to clean, and as you so eloquently put it, I'm the boss here. And I say you need to be a better role model."

"Well personally I like their spunk," Moon snickered in his head. Sun ignored him.

There was a moment of silence between you two, before you shrugged nonchalantly. "Oh well."

Sun's eyebrow twitched with irritation. "Don't "oh well" me! You were cussing, AND you got physical with a customer--"

"Not a customer, just a dick."

"Language! Let's just hope you didn't teach the little one to solve our problems with anger and violence."

"Right, let's hope he never believes a grownup will stand up for him again in his life," you growled mockingly.

Sun was stunned, feeling frustration rise. He put his head in his hand and let out an exasperated sigh. "You can stand up for people without resorting to attacking others."

"Not always. Not every time." you answered lowly.

Sun noticed your heart rate was starting to climb again, and you were beginning to shake. Well, if there's one thing about this whole debacle that was a positive, it's the fact you make it so obvious when you're upset or angry.

"Let's calm down," he said soothingly. "This is just a discussion, you don't need to get angry--"

You stood bolt upright from your chair, your voice raising, "This isn't a discussion! You're chastising and-and-and down-talking and-and... belittling me! For defending myself! Because-because what? The kid might see it and-and think, oh man I-I-I should probably do something if someone... if someone just-just.... comes at me!" You were stammering and practically vibrating with the sudden spike in temper.

Sun leaned back with his hands up, a look of surprise on his face. "Woah, woah, woah! Hold on! I'm sorry if that's how I made you feel, but the rules--"

"DAMN THE RULES! The rules are out of order! Th-th-this whole court is out of order! Stupid! Fuck! AUGH!"

"Now that's enough--!" Sun cut himself off when you slammed your rear back into the chair and spun it, rolling it back in the process, and faced the wall. Hands crossed, face red, you slumped in anger and drew in on yourself.

Sun let the silence settle, giving you both time to relax, and for you to come out of your shut down. You pulled out your phone and started blasting aggressive music.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, he sighed wearily. "Y/n, please, I'm sorry," he started, voice calm but raised enough to hear over the music. "I am not trying to treat you less, I'm sorry I made you so angry..." he lifted his head up at a thought. "Wait... why are you so angry? You were furious before, too, when you were coming to check on us."

You didn't answer, but you had lowered your foot and were now bouncing your leg.

"Give it a minute," Moon spoke to Sun. He paused before continuing, a hint of a grin in his voice, "I have to say, it's interesting to see someone put themselves in time out."

"They've shut down, Moonie, you know what a shut down is."

Moon hummed. "They did choose to sit in a chair and face a wall, though."

"Can't you take this seriously?"

Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of wheels on the floor. You had gently kicked off from the wall and were now rolling comically slow towards them. You had lowered your music, and still had a pout, eyes downcast, and your arms crossed. You bumped into the desk without a word.

More silence. Sun waited patiently, shoving down the anxiety trying to creep its way up. Nope! Not gonna go there!

Eventually, you swallowed your pride and spoke up. "I'm... sorry," you began slowly. "I lost my cool. It's been a while since I've dealt with... the public... on a, mm, personal level. And I'm sorry I scared the little guy." As you spoke, you turned the chair to sit properly at the desk, placing your elbows on it and clasping your hands.

You then looked up at Sun, and glared. "I'm NOT sorry about standing up for him. As a general thing. Even if I did it wrong."

"I'm on their side." Moon stated matter-of-factually. "...And don't you dare think what I think you'll think of that."

"The only thing I think of that is that you're both a bad influence on each other."

Sun's shoulders slumped. Well, it's a start, at least. He can work with this.

"Again, I'm sorry too, the rules are a bit of a... erm, a big deal to me, to put it simply." Sun stood poised to offer his explanation, even though Moon suddenly turned sour at the mere idea of talking about... that.

Meanwhile, you furrowed your brows, looking down at the desk again. You were also battling with bringing up some vulnerability, and chewed your lip. He did ask, but is it too awkward to bring up now?

You took a deep breath, "Anyway... I lost my cool because... I..." your voice trailed off with a drawn-out croak, but Sun didn't interrupt or interject. It took a minute for you to build your courage again.

"Well... when I was... a kid," you spoke haltingly, taking your time in order to keep your voice and emotions level. "I was... bullied. A lot. Really badly. Just for being weird, I guess, I dunno... And, nobody helped me. So I just, took care of it myself. Or, well, tried to." You glanced back up at Sun, "That's... ssssorta why I had that, uh, kneejerk reaction, when that dude tried to- when he just- when he came at me like that."

Sun and Moon were both listening intently. It wasn't often their human coworkers would open up, and in particular, you had made yourself a bit of an anomaly with your unpredictable statements and odd behaviour - an anomaly that they had taken a liking to, admittedly. Maybe they just liked anomalous people, since it seemed to be a pattern.

"That... doesn't quite explain what made you angry in the first place, though..." Sun said softly, not wanting to accidentally spook you from talking it out.

You sat back, your chin tucked in and your eyes cast down, and crossed your arms. Sun feared he had in fact actually caused exactly what he was trying to avoid, but you spoke back up.

"Yeah... yeah... the bullies... the worst ones were adults."

Boom. Bombshell.

Sun and Moon would have exchanged shocked glances if they had the ability to. Oh yes, they were well aware that adults could be bullies to other adults, including animatronics, but to kids? Unthinkable! The very notion sent their protocols in a little tizzy.

"Teachers, mostly," you continued. You took a deep, shaking breath. "But... then there were, of course... family members. Specifically my parents. Especially when I started getting into fights, oh they hated that. I was an embarrassment to them for not being like..." you waved your hand around, attempting to find the word, emotions building and causing brainfog. "Y'know, uh, demure and-and delicate and sweet and pretty and... and all that sh- crap..."

You settled back into the desk chair, your arms now laid against the arms of the chair. You still didn't look up, and began idly picking and clawing at the ends of said armrests. You took careful, slow breaths, trying to keep from bursting into a fit of some sort - most likely a crying fit, if anything. It'd been a very, very long time since you'd actually talked about all of this, and for precisely this reason.

"So, um, you can imagine - I think you can anyway - the kinds of things they did to try and--"

"They... they what?! They thought THAT was more embarrassing than their child being bullied!?" Sun exclaimed, flabbergasted.

The suddenness of his interjection widened your eyes for a minute, then you gave a laugh - a hollow, awful giggle that was laced with all the anger, hurt, anxiety, and vulnerability you were feeling at the moment.

"Um, yeah!? Kids will be kids, after all," you sneered mockingly. Not at him, but at the past. "I was just overreacting and causing a scene, of course." You slumped into the chair so low you could have easily slid out. "Of course..." you muttered. Your outburst had been sufficient to release all that negative energy you'd been building.

"So um... yeah... that's why I was... prrrrobably more than a little ready to go feral on that guy... He just had that vibe, you know? You know the one."

[tatertato]

life series smp winners playlists part 2

we're back! for those who don't know, i'm putting together songs that i think fit each of the life series winners, and they're either songs i've seen work really really well in animatics already or songs that would probably work really well, but are less popular or not associated with this fandom (yet)

i'll be linking+listing them here as well as providing little snippets of explanation for why i think the song fits, but i don't feel like making actual spotify playlists or smth, so if anyone else wants to do that, be my guest.

i still had trouble finding good songs for some of them (this one especially)- if anyone seeing this has a good idea that i missed, lmk and i'll update these posts (no promises tho)

pt 1 (3L!Grian)

pt 3 (DL!Pearl)

Last Life: Scott

Boss Bitch - Doja Cat: alright, kickin it off strong! picked this song for the gaslight gatekeep girlboss energy and little else

Yeah, ain't tryna be cool like you Wobblin' around in your high-heeled shoes I'm clumsy, made friends with the floor Two for one, you know a bitch buy four And two left feet, you know I always drop (this line because of this post and this post alone)

I'm a bitch, I'm a boss I'm a bitch and a boss, I'ma shine like gloss (need i say more)

Said, I took it and I ran for it I won it then I stand on it (NEED I SAY MORE)

2. Two - Sleeping at Last: as i mentioned i had some trouble finding songs for scott since i dont watch his pov too often, so some of these are less exclusively last life and more just his character in general. that being said, i do feel like this still fits to an extent for LL!Scott

Sweetheart, you look a little tired When did you last eat? Come in and make yourself right at home Stay as long as you need (this is scott's total eldest sibling energy, always helping and trying to be friends before anything- ex: taking in cleo, being friendly to scar)

You know I'll take my heart clean apart if it helps yours beat (this applies more after last life, see: the many many many times he offers to sacrifice himself, but also the fact that he refuses to betray his friends as the boogeyman)

Like a force to be reckoned with A mighty ocean or a gentle kiss I will love you without any strings attached And what a privilege it is to love A great honour to hold you up (very representative of scott's trust and loyalty to his allies in every series, through both chaos and peace)

3. Constellations - The Oh Hellos: at first this one was only here for the star symbolism, but after listening to it a couple more times it does fit pretty well (also the oh hellos is very scottagecore)

'Cause like constellations a million years away Every good intention, every good intention Is interpolation, a line we drew in the array Looking for the faces Looking for the shapes in the silence (despite all his efforts to maintain alliances throughout the series, everything inevitably falls apart in the chaos of the finale)

Like constellations imploding in the night Everything is turning, everything is turning The shapes that you drew may change beneath a different light And everything you thought you knew Will fall apart, but you'll be all right (LL was really the only series in which they made a point to isolate the reds- in DL, there was always a pair, and alliances stayed solid despite name color in LimL and SL- but in LL, alliances could be torn apart so quickly, loyalties constantly changing which made it hard to trust others and that shows why scott's loyalty stood out)

4. How to Be a Heartbreaker - Marina and the Diamonds: this is another one that isn't exclusively LL, i just had to put one in abt scotts many ex's.

Rule number one is that you gotta have fun But, baby, when you're done, you gotta be the first to run Rule number two, just don't get attached to Somebody you could lose (i see these "rules" kind of as lessons learned from each season instead, like things he tells himself he'll do next time, but because of his loyal and caring nature, never can)

How to be a heartbreaker Boys they like the look of danger We'll get him falling for a stranger A player, singing I lo-lo-love you At least I think I do (really like i said, a play on the ex's)

5. The Garden - The Crane Wives: here it is, the obligatory crane wives song

Put your ear to my heart or set your teeth against my throat Give me something pretty to wear beneath my blood-stained clothes (something abt this line is just very scott to me)

Lay me down Pour the dirt into our bed Tell the crows They can have their pound of flesh The ghosts at the window echo all our quiet prayers When they come for us, they'll come with hammers and nails My darling, the devil knows my name My name My name (this comes from the things i've seen about how the watchers hate scott, the watchers here symbolized as "the crows" and "the devil")

6. A Terrible Ride - Lizard Boy: this one is an animatic recommendation! here's the animatic -also i think this is applies to most of the winners very angst

I used to be calm But now this ticking bomb is gonna go off (the way he goes after ren for revenge after pearl's death)

I fought and fought hard And I could've died But I got scarred A terrible ride Ride This game was not fun I thought it was right Because I won Was it worth the fight? Fight? (WATCH THE ANIMATIC)

Written in the starss This could have been ours (what can i say, im a sucker for the star symbolism)

and that's all for scott! DL!pearl coming soon!

[minthe-lover]

I think the only part about the criticism for LO I can't agree with entirely is the size proportion between Persephone and Hades. Like, I don't know why, but there has been a huge discourse about how these tall men dating short women are somehow groomers and creepers?

I agree Persephone is infantilized but leave the HEIGHT out of it. I'm around 4"6' - 4"9' dating a guy who is 6"2' and three years older than me and I'm getting really tired of the critique "tall man dating shorter than average woman = creepy predator". Persephone is absolutely written like a toddler throwing a tantrum but as a short woman who expresses her inner child a lot and happens to be dating a taller, older guy, I'm getting tired of people infantalizing women who are not the average height or boob size. (Yes I've seen antis scream that women who are flat chested are minor coded!)

I can understand where you coming from and like I mainly agree. Though the main problem that I have is more so her proportions not simply her height... there is a really good post on this that I just can't find cause tumblr is shit for searching about that. Plus how her height is talked about.

Also I agree, I really don't like when critics of people rely on any physical part of their appearance.. alot of it is just borderline body shaming and infantalizaing. Most of the shit people try to pull is just.. really dumb and is often just trying to hide how people try to sanitize the sexuality of women and remove their choices by adding just unnecessary rules.

As for with lore olympus it's again more so the proportions (if anyone finds that post please tell me) and how her height is often heavily sexualized and tied to how she's presented as 'small and innocent'. It's conversations like Zeus asking how they would have sex when she's so 'itty bitty'.

I feel like I'm not explaining this as best as possible haufke but my point is that in lore olympus persephone infantiliztion and sexualization is closely tied at least at the beginning of the story to her height in just.. a really weird way. It's a problem I have with like.. how most of persephone physical traits are presented. She isn't allowed to just be a short women.. she needs to be sexualized for it both by characters and the story, along with her big boobs and nativity etc etc.

I will say that it's definitely more a problem with the beginning of the story and shows up very little now but lo definitely tried to play into this wrong idea that short women are inherently more naive and childish to play up persephone infantiliztion.

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

New Rule: The Truth About Christmas | Real Time with Bill Maher

Finally, New Rule: Praise Jesus, it's a Christmas miracle. For the first time in the 21 year history of this show we are on in December, which gives me a chance to explain to everyone something I've always wanted to expound upon in this show.

You know that whole thing about Jesus being born on December 25th? Well it's a crock of shit. Now, this is not an attack on Jesus. Although, he was a nepo baby. But also a revolutionary philosopher with a beautiful message. As to whether he's a God, that's up to you.

But if the subject is "Gods born on December 25th," we have enough of those for an entire Jeopardy category.

He was the Egyptian god who took the form of a falcon. Who is Horus?

He is the god from ancient Persia born bearing a torch. Who is Mithra?

He is the Greek god of rebirth. Who is Adonis?

He was the fertility god in Cleopatra's time. Who is Osiris?

This Greek deity was known for having a good time. Who is Dionysis?

So you may be asking - those are all real by the way, I think that was the problem, they think I'm making this up but I'm not - why do all the gods want the same birthday? Well, because December 25th was a pagan holiday coming a few days after the shortest day of the year, when primitive peoples noticed that the days were starting to get longer again, and so a cause for celebration.

Cut to:

And that's the story of Christmas. A holiday I love by the way. The tree, the presents, the music, the Christmas memories with my sister and our cousins filling the bong with eggnog. It's the only time of the year it's okay to put alcohol in milk. Christmas is fun if you just accept it's pretend time. Like a Hollywood wedding.

Yes, I love Christmas and always have. Just don't try to make me take it seriously.

And that is what has been going on a lot lately here in America. We have a new Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, who says America is actually a Biblical Republic and that he's even got a flag picked out that hangs outside his office, and which also could be seen in the mob on January 6th. Mike also says, "the separation of church and state is a misnomer," and congresswoman Lauren Boebert concurs saying she's, "tired of this separation of church and state junk." So too Marjorie Taylor Green, who says, "I say it proudly, we should all be Christian nationalists."

Now I know it may seem like this is just a few crazies, but I gotta tell you, dumbass Republicans who believe horrible ideas are like ants: there's always more that you can't see.

And in in fact, these ideas are no longer the fringe. According to a recent survey, over half of Republicans are either adherents of Christian nationalism or sympathetic to it. And they agree with statements like: "The US government should declare America a Christian Nation," and "Being Christian is an important part of being truly American," and "God has called Christians to exercise dominion over all areas of American society."

I'm sorry but I don't want anyone exercising their dominion over me unless I pay them and we've established a safe-word.

Boebert says, "The church is supposed to direct the government. The government is not supposed to direct the church." Well, no and no. Neither one is supposed to direct the other. That's what separation of church and state means.

Republicans, Jesus fucking Christ. First you stop believing in democracy - Senator Mike Lee said it, among others. Trump lives the idea every day, and here we have the Speaker of the House saying it. And now Republicans also don't believe in the separation of church and state? Does anyone in that party remember what fucking country you're living in?

We're the place that stakes so much of our greatness on being the first to specifically prohibit having a state religion. There are dozens of countries that have an official religion. There's 13 where being an atheist is punishable by death. Four have "Islamic" right in the title of the country.

And maybe that warms the hearts of the TikTok crowd who lately have found heroes in Hamas and Osama Bin Laden. But that's not us. That's not what we do here. I get it you kids like to switch things up. But I can only handle one side at a time being ridiculous about religious fanaticism, and right now I've got my hands full with Mike Johnson.

Because Mike Johnson has the power to actually make laws. And I don't want my global warming policy decided by someone who is rooting for the end of the world so we can get on with the Rapture. And who once filed a legal brief before the Supreme Court arguing that what he called "deviant same sex intercourse" should be a crime. Even the lesbian stuff?

Mike thinks God personally chooses, raises up our leaders, which is a very dangerous thought, because then when you lose an election you think it's just another of God's tricks to test your faith. Like fossils. Mike says, "We began as a Christian nation." We didn't. Did you miss that day in home school, Mike? If you don't know that the pilgrims came here to get away from the Church of England then you don't know, literally, the first thing about our country. Mike says, being a Christian nation is, "our tradition," and, "it's who we are as a people."

It's not. We're the people who have a First Amendment which says, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion." And we have an Article Six which says, "no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office."

So, I take these people at their word when they say that they think we should be Christian nationalists. But then they have to take John Adams at his word when he wrote, "the government of the United States of America is not an any sense founded on the Christian religion."

But I still love Christmas!

--

Introduction The rising influence of Christian nationalism in some segments of American politics poses a major threat to the health of our democracy. Increasingly, the major battle lines of the culture war are being drawn between a right animated by a Christian nationalist worldview and Americans who embrace the country’s growing racial and religious diversity. This new PRRI/Brookings survey of more than 6,000 Americans takes a closer look at the underpinnings of Christian nationalism, providing new measures to estimate the proportion of Americans who adhere to and reject Christian nationalist ideology. The survey also examines how Christian nationalist views intersect with white identity, anti-Black sentiment, support of patriarchy, antisemitism, anti-Muslim sentiments, anti-immigrant attitudes, authoritarianism, and support for violence. Additionally, the survey explores the influence Christian nationalism has within our two primary political parties and major religious subgroups and what this reveals about the state of American democracy and the health of our society.

==

Freedom of religion and freedom from religion are the same thing.

[lady-rose-moon]

Growing Up || TS!Loki & Haven fic ||

A/N; it has been over a year since Haven Lokdottir was introduced into my writing. Since that time, I've grown and improved. What better way to show that than to show Haven's growth? I hope you enjoy ❤️ this is more of a WIP that I know I won't finish so I'm posting this <3

↣ MASTERLIST

Cabin in the Mountains || TS!Loki x Reader ||

It took a while to accept that time was moving quickly for you and Loki. Your small bungalow cabin in the mountains had been remodelled and now had a second floor to accommodate for Kore now in your lives. After Haven's jealousy and self-doubt had passed through family therapy, Kore suggested that she take the room upstairs so that Haven could have her old room back just for herself.

It had taken Haven another hundred years through therapy to accept that she wasn't being abandoned by her parents just because they had a new addition. It was purely the opposite, they had Kore to strengthen their family but young Haven hadn't seen it that way. Now, through therapy, Haven felt accepted in her family again.

However, it wasn't long after that, just three hundred years, that Haven announced that she was leaving. The kitchen was silent in the wake of her statement and the eldest child of Loki saw her father cry for a whole new reason.

"Papa," Haven whispered solemnly, walking toward her father and holding his cheek lovingly, showing him her best smile as she fought her own tears, "I am of age, I want to live on my own now, go to University perhaps! Rule the world if I could! I want to... live. Not that I haven't lived here - of course I have! It's just..."

Loki chuckled and pulled his daughter into his arms, running his hand down her back as he tried to stop his tears. "I know, petal," he whispered comfortingly, feeling her body shudder with unshed tears, "I grew up in a home so different to the life you wish to leave but if it is what you wish, I wish you well, my dear daughter."

The Goddess of Dreams pulled away to look at her father and finally shed her tears as she nodded her gratitude. "I promise to write to you," she whispered, looking between her mother and father with emotions that she used to hide, "and Kore too. Mayhap I shall come home soon enough, bored of the world."

Loki barked a laugh at that, shaking his head with soft emotion, "if you are anything like your mother, sweet goddess, you will never tire of the world."

It was two months later that Haven dropped her bags into her New York apartment. Loki's exile from America did not apply to his children as the US Government had no reason to judge them when their mother was considered an Avenger even if they were only legends now. However, his exile ended the moment Captain Rogers passed away a hundred years ago.

Already there was so much different from the peace of Haven's secluded life in the mountains of Norway. The cars on the streets were loud and the people were always in a hurry and Haven sometimes felt like she was suffocating when she was visiting.

Loki walked in with a few boxes floating behind him moments later and looked around the compact apartment with a soft breath. "A Princess of Asgard deserves better than a small block to live in," he grumbled, watching as his daughter brushed over the countertops of the kitchen and he sighed, "but will you be happy here?"

"I'm just starting out," Haven smiled at her father before walking into the equally tiny bedroom and biting her nail as she looked around, "it's just until I get more money to afford a better apartment or even a house!"

The God of Mischief frowned at his daughter, knowing that she had all the money she could ever want but chose to start out by herself. Instead of stating what he wanted to say, Loki took her into his arms and kissed her forehead with a gentle whisper, "you're so grown up, my princess."

Haven smiled up at her father and hugged him tight. "I'm going to miss you, dad, but I have to do this," she whispered before pulling away with a grin, turning back to her room and clicking her fingers making her furniture move into how she wanted it to be. With a delighted sigh, the girl jumped on her bed and laughed.

Loki wanted to follow her into her bedroom to assist but you gently laid your hand on his chest and whispered, "Thomas, let her decide, this is not our house. She's our girl."

The God of Mischief sighed and nodded, wrapping an arm around your waist before guiding you into the kitchen to begin unpacking the pans and glasses. "I'm... Not ready," Loki admitted, his hands fumbling with polishing a wine glass with Haven's name written beautifully on it, "I thought I would be but I'm not."

You softened and smiled, holding the nape of his neck and pressing a kiss to his lips, "you're ready, come on you're the great God of Mischief and the great inventor Thomas Sharpe! You are ready."

Loki smiled and shook his head, pressing a kiss to your forehead delicately, swaying side to side with you to an invisible tune as he processed the situation and took a deep breath. You were right, he was ready, he just didn't want to let her go.

@lokisgoodgirl @lokisninerealms @slpnbty2001 @jennyggggrrr @hahaha12123445 @ozymdias @holdmytesseract @itsybitchylittlewitchy @lovingchoices14 @xorpsbane @huntress-artemiss @muddyorbs @nerdy-fangirl-65 @lonadane @silverfire475 @chantsdemarins @iamsherlocked1479 @kittiowolf210 @just-someone11 @stupidthoughtsinwriting @loki-laufeyson-1054 @fictive-sl0th @coldnique @anukulee @eleniblue @asgards-princess-of-mischief