#and nicki..... what would nicki who doesn't believe in anything do??

[vorbarrsultana]

i’m so intrigued by the idea of nickistat during the french revolution and the way they may tackle it in the show

[toriangeli]

Thoughts about Lesmand next season

I maintain that one of the most important relationships of s3 is going to be Lestat/Armand, not because of shipping, but because it's very central to TVL and the series as a whole. Their complicated feelings about each other are fascinating. And they're complicating them even further.

One clear change made is that Lestat now blames Armand for Nicki's death. For those who haven't read the books, Lestat never blamed Armand for Nicki's suicide. This is because one of book!Lestat's most infuriating flaws is that he forgives immediately. This isn't because he's a sweetheart or virtuous or any of that shit, it's because he doesn't like feeling negatively. It's a trait that gets him into a lot of trouble.

But on a television show, something visual and far more concrete than the contents of a book, I can see how this attitude could lead an audience to believe Lestat didn't really care about Nicki. I think that's a good enough reason to make the change already. But there's another important reason to change this.

People talk about how much Lestat's characterization changes between the first two books, but seldom do we get into how vastly Armand changes. Not as a result of character development--as a result of Anne Rice not quite knowing who he is. He was the villain of the first two books, and she expected him to remain a villain until she wrote QOTD and realized he isn't evil.

But by the time she'd figured that out about him, TVL was already out there, and the conflicted nature of Lesmand was very much one-sided. Lestat thought they were besties, while Armand had basically no redeeming characteristics. In this light, Marius' abandonment of Armand is more understandable than it is later on, because as of the writing of TVL, Armand really was meant to be beyond hope.

So at the start, Lestat and Armand really just had a hero-villain relationship. Straight-up. With mutual pining. Some of the major beats of their dynamic, like Armand's sincere belief that Lestat led him on, or Lestat's strange trust in a very unstable Armand, came out of nowhere. It seemed like some of Lestat's attitude towards him was only there to make the betrayals even crueler. Lestat was a total martyr. Hell, at one point (in Memnoch I think) he even asked how Armand could still love him "after everything I've done to you." Lestat didn't do shit to Armand.

Conversely, it can also feel like their later closeness comes out of nowhere. A lot of grudges are let go during QOTD in the face of bigger problems, and the Lesmand conflict is one of them. But what did they do to earn the closeness they have as of Memnoch? What bonded them so much that Armand was the only one who could safely approach a coma'd Lestat?

The show has the opportunity to make these beats feel earned. It has the opportunity to make the conflict something they both contribute to, rather than just Armand. Just like with Lestat, they are drawing characterization of Armand from later books where Anne had his personality down more solidly. They've ironed out some of the big conflicting things, like him spell-gifting Louis into turning Madeleine when turning people is later established to be utterly against his moral code.

More than anything, I hope to see what made them so important to each other right away. I want to see Lestat's pity and mercy as he realizes how very unwell Armand is, and how that is the reason he lashes out. I do think it should still fall apart because Armand bites the hand that feeds him. I do still want the unhinged gremlin we saw in 2.05. But I think if the audience is going to empathize with him--something Rolin has said is important to them--Lestat shouldn't be quite so much of a saint. I think there should be a crumb of a reason Armand thinks Lestat led him on, albeit a small enough one that it's still not a conclusion a rational person would come to. Like the blood-sharing and casual (for Lestat) sex in Armand's little story. Ideally even smaller. I'd like there to be some trigger. Otherwise, the audience will wonder if they missed something (as I did).

I'll probably ramble more as thoughts come up, but that's it for now.

[recreationalfanfics]

Twisted Night At The Museum HCs/Thoughts/Concepts:

These are brain farts but ya'll are making me feel like I have the biggest brain so-

- If the Daley! Reader had a Unique Magic it'd be: "Alive for the Night" where basically any statues on display and stuff can come to life. Including the ones of the Great Seven but they can only do it at night. (Idk if you guys want them to have it or not, ya'll can fight about it in the notes)

- The Daley! Reader was also adopted by Larry after Nicky moved out and became a DJ, Larry is still a super protective father whose very anxious and is looking through various museum archives to figure out if something can be done about his child whose stuck in Twisted Wonderland. He requires you to check the mirror and talk to him at least 4 times a day to know you're alright and if you miss a time, YOU BETTER HAVE A GOOD EXCUSE-

- No but parent teacher conferences and you have to hold the mirror so that your teachers can talk to Larry through it.

Larry Daley + His Relationship with the Staff:

- Crowley: No, he's been in this game long enough to know that Crowley isn't trustworthy and while you KNOW he isn't trust worthy, he is the reason that Larry wants you to check in 4 times a day. Crowley tries to paint it like everything is fine and Larry pretends to believe him. Crowley is just a bit off put by Larry because you're already such an odd and resourceful individual, that he can't imagine what your father (the man who raised you) must be like and while he laughs whenever Larry promises to bring you home, Crowley slowly starts to believe him. Like, bro, he deals with a magic tablet and brought a family of old Egyptian pharaohs together, Larry Daley is getting his child back.

- Crewel is the only man in this school that Larry trusts, along with Trein, but Larry does notice that Crewel seems a lot more concerned with your safety and has a soft spot for you. Crewel will also give Larry due respect and while he's not sure about his bland outfit choices, he's very much aware that your father loves and is worried for you and so, Crewel will make sure you are well behaved and taken care off until you're able to reunite. It's bittersweet for him because he does grow to get attatched to you but soon realizes that he's never gonna be your father back home. (SPLIT CUSTODY IS ALL I'M GONNA SAY).

- Vargas: Larry hates him so much. Like in the movies, he's always snarky and closed off from people he dislikes so their conversations are always so passive aggressive. Like, Vargas is all: "Ha, no wonder you look so wimpy! Look at your dad!" and Larry is all: "First of all, they're adopted (but still my kid) so neither of us can really say anything but second of all, I went face to face with a triceratops, so, yeah. Not sure if they have those in your world, but thats pretty impressive." and Vargas just brushes him off and he HATES IT.

- Next is Trein, who is like a strict grandpa to you and one of the other teachers who get along with Larry. As a father himself, he admires Larry trying to protect you as best as he can while he's in a different world, and he couldn't imagine what it would be like if his own children where stranded in a place he couldn't protect them in. So yeah, while your dad is awkward, Trein tries to help him out and ease both his and your anxieties. I also can totally see Dexter the Cappuchin Monkey and Lucius fighting across the mirror.

- Sam is one that Larry doesn't see to often aside from Larry trying to find old spells in old archives that require magical ingredients that he doesn't know about so he'll ask Sam about them or see if he can find any suitable substitutes and Sam will do it of course, for a fee. He really admires your dad's dedication but he also admires the relationship and bond you two have. Yeah, you might come into his shop to rant about how protective he is and some other flaws but you love him dearly. Sometimes he'll throw in a few freebies because at the end of the day, you two just want to be with each other again.

NOW LET'S TALK ABOUT SOME STUDENTS AND HOW I FEEL LIKE INTERACTIONS WITH THEM WOULD GO.

Now back to some general headcanons:

- Okay so have you guys seen the Stuart Little movies? Where he has a bunch of ladders and stuff around the room because he's small and can't get to places faster, thats kinda what you have to do for Jedediah and Octavius. They sleep on your nightstand after Deuce and Jack either made tiny beds for them or you made them in a wood work class or something.

- I can also totally see that after the first winter break, your first year friends bring back some old childhood toys that maybe Jedediah and Octavius can use to help or to help them travel faster around the campus.

- Deuce brought back an old remote controlled Magic Wheel (the motorcycle thing he likes) and gave it to them so not only can they ride around in style but they also have a tendency to drive recklessly and trip over poor unsuspecting students who are just trying to walk to their class. They'll do it especially if they mess with you.

- Ace brings them back like, tiny weapons from his old toy soldiers and stuff and while they might not do much, he just thinks its so funny how serious Octavius is when he's all: "Thank you, Child of Trappola, for I now have an arsenal to defend Fort Ramshackle!" and Jedediah rolling his eyes.

- You try to keep them on higher ground, especially due to the rats but I love the idea that when you're away on classes and you trust them not to do anything stupid, they're riding around on Grim and throwing toy spears at any rats running around and defending their home. Like to them, it's an intense battle where they could possibly die but to the ghosts, it looks like they're just annoying the rats that they eventually just give up and leave because they're so annoying and rambunctious.

- Out of all of your friends, they like to use Jack as a mode of transportation. After all, he's HUGE and when they sit on his shoulders, they're absolutely amazed by how much they can see. Jack tries his best to remember they're on his shoulders but if a class is really boring and he forgets, he'll lean on one shoulder which causes them to lose balance and almost fall but hed got quick reflexes and apologizes to them.

- THE WAY EPEL AND THEM WOULD GET ALONG. Like, Epel will walk in all roughed up because he got into a fight and walk past you to rant to Jedediah and Octavius and talk about how some kids were picking on him for being cute and little and Jed and Oct are all: "YA BETTER HAVE SHOWN 'EM THAT WHAT FOR!" and Epel is all: "COURSE I DID!" and you just sigh because you know that Vil is gonna ask to keep Epel away from your "little raggedy friends".

- BELIEVE IT OR NOT, SEBEK ACTUALLY RESPECTS YOUR LITTLE CREW. Especially after he finds out you want to be a Night Gaurd and mistakes your words and believes that you come from a family of noble gaurdians who keep the ancient relics of your world safe (which is kinda true but its not that dramatic) and when he sees you defend yourself with a mere flashlight, you become his idol.

- IN NIGHT OF THE MUSEUM TWO, THERE'S THIS SCENE THAT FITS PERFECTLY WITH YOU AND SEBEK FIRST MEETING, HERE'S THE LINK BUT GO TO 1:57 BUT THAT'S HOW I IMAGINE YOUR FIRST MEETING WITH SEBEK GOES.

You, whispering as your faces are squished together: "Listen, fae boy, you do not know who you're dealing with. I've seen things in my world, stuff you can't even imagine."

Sebek, whispering back: "Like what kind of stuff?"

You: "I'm not gonna tell you, but you're gonna drop your sword-"

Sebek: "The way you said it just made it sound like you were gonna say something really cool-"

You: "Yeah, you don't get to hear it, drop the sword-"

- OKAY BUT YOU BEING DEEMED THE NIGHT GAURD OF NIGHT RAVEN COLLEGE. Like idk, maybe you don't need as much sleep as everyone or during weekends, you just hibernate and then survive on naps and energy drinks throughout the week (it's such an unhealthy habit, all of the Dorm Leaders are concerned and Vil might trick you into drinking a sleeping potion if your eyebags get too prominent) but I love the idea that the bullying rates go down. Hell, even the Savanahclaw dorm kids don't try to start with as many fights with you around because they know you'll finish them with your flashlight. Like they're all cornering you and you blind one of them temporarily before you do some cool fighting moves. Your quick wit and training as a night gaurd is the only thing you've got to give you an edge in this world and by God are you gonna use it.

-And even if that fails you, you've got friends who've got your back. Like you get cornered by some bullies and then they feel something stab their feet and Jed and Octavius are bravely stabbing their shoes and the students are hopping around in pain.

- But yeah, the Night Gaurd in you just makes you walks around Night Raven College and look at all the various statues and history and you read and do your research on Twisted Wonderland.

- Like in the first movie, the thing Larry did after his first wild night at the museum was do research and by God, do you dedicate yourself to doing research on Twisted Wonderland and the study of magic.

- ALSO MALLEUS JOINING YOU DURING YOUR LATE NIGHT PATROLS OF YOUR SCHOOL GROUNDS and telling you everything there is to know about the magic here. You know how Ahkmenrah calls Larry "Gaurdian of Brooklyn"? I feel like instead of Child of Man, Malleus would call you "Gaurdian of the Night" because you tell him that's your dad's job and you want to fill in his shoes.

- MALLEUS AND SEBEK TRYING TO GET YOU TO JOIN HIS GAURDS BUT YOUR DUTY IS TO EVERYONE BUT HE'S ALL: "You know, just in case you might have to stay for longer, there will always be a spot in my court for you. As either my gaurd or my spouse-"

- "What was that last part?"

- "What?"

Feel Free to Send in any Thoughts/Asks/or Questions about this AU!

[the-starlight-project]

So I got a list of theories, I am sorry if this is too long to answer, but I had to share my thoughts with you guys.

Shamdow is probably the least aware of everything going on. He seems genuinely confused and concerned about Sonic/Nicky, even when Sonic/Nicky is "new."

Shillver (thanks to whoever came up with this name) knows the most. After all, why would you randomly be on a rooftop standing in the rain and hiding behind a door you got smacked with? Surprised there was no audible sound of a man swearing upon being smacked by a METAL DOOR.

Both of Tails actors are siblings. It was common for some characters to be played by siblings due to similarities with them at young ages. Though based on the photo and the fact these follow the games, these two most likely acted in the Sonic Generations season of this show.

Knuckle's actor is probably the one who constantly needs to keep people on track, and he is probably the one who has the angry writing on that board. I also feel like he is the one who actually takes care of Cheese since chaos are associated with the Master Emerald. It would make sense for Knuckle's actor to still have a slight connection to it, even if he doesn't in real life.

Cassy is for sure Rouge. Shadow and Rouge were both introduced in the same game, so it would make sense for both to be introduced the same season. I am going to guess she is also Shamdow's roommate, mainly because it seems like the two would live together before they get into acting.

Cream's actor is probably the least seen, but most liked of the cast. She definitely seems like she embodies Cream herself, whether she is acting or not.

Blaze's actor might know part of what is going on, but not fully. Blaze and Silver do have a somewhat close relation in the game they appeared in, and afterwards it was more of Deja Vu due to weird Sonic Game timeline stuff, so Blaze's actor may know something because of Shillver.

Amy's actor has a scar on her cheeks. I have a feeling she accidentally got it on set, since her character does weird a hammer, and I am sure some balance issues may happen time to time, resulting in a few falls.

Eggman's actor is probably the sweetest man alive, or the most evil man you'll ever meet. Either way, he appeared in the first few pages and is for sure going to be seen later.

Sonic/Nicky isn't "new" as the studio suggests, they just use the "new" story to make everyone believe he was replaced. I am going to guess that if Sonic/Nicky has been there the entire time since the shows creation, the studio had some really clever ways to hide stuff. Especially if Sonic/Nicky is still a teenager after 30+ years.

Lastly, if Sonic Generations is a season, then who was the Classic Sonic actor? Does Sonic/Nicky have any siblings and doesn't know/realize it, or is it just some random blue hedgehog actor that the studio randomly found and knew would make for a believeable younger Sonic?

I gotta say, we're both so sad you're anonymous right now - this was an awesome string of theories and we wanted to give you props!

I can't answer all of them in depth, as you probably guessed, but I'll go ahead and confirm what I can right now!

Shamdow is definitely the least aware, and Shillver (as of right now) is the most aware of the characters that have been introduced.

I can't even make a snarky comment on this or anything, you just hit ALL of the Tails portion of this theory on the head. They are indeed siblings, and both did participate in the Generations season!

Knuckles' actor was definitely the one writing on the board, but I can't tell you anything else about him for now... except for the fact that he doesn't take care of Cheese LMAO

Cassy is definitely Rouge. They aren't roommates, but they were technically new friends when they were introduced. They met during the casting for SA2.

Cream is seen the least for a reason.

Blaze's actor doesn't really know what's going on, but I'd say they're suspicious. Also, they're not too close with Shillver, but they're friends enough.

All of the section about Amy's actor is correct! She did get that little scar on set, during the filming of Sonic CD! I'm sure you can guess where.

Eggman's actor(s) is definitely ... a man. He's nice! He's nice.

The studio definitely has some really clever (and morally dubious) ways of hiding things. There have been several occasions where more extreme measures were needed, though.

Classic Sonic definitely has an actor! He's his own entity, has his own life (and is connected to Amy's actor in his own ways). They aren't siblings or anything (though that's not to say that Sonic doesn't have any).

[desertfangs]

One of my favorite things in The Vampire Lestat (and maybe the VC) is when Lestat has his extensional crisis with Nicki, where he realizes that he believes there's nothing after death but oblivion and it freaks him out so much he can't stop saying "Oh! Oh!" over and over.

He's just overwhelmed by the realization that life may be meaningless, that there's no guiding hand, and that when you die no secrets are revealed, no truths, only nothing:

I realized aloud in the midst of saying it that even when we die we probably don't find out the answer as to why we were ever alive. Even the avowed atheist probably thinks that in death he'll get some answer. I mean God will be there, or there won't be anything at all.

"But that's just it, " I said, "we don't make any discovery at that moment! We merely stop! We pass into nonexistence without ever knowing a thing. " I saw the universe, a vision of the sun, the planets, the stars, black night going on forever. And I began to laugh.

"Do you realize that! We'll never know why the hell any of it happened, not even when it's over! " I shouted at Nicolas, who was sitting back on the bed, nodding and drinking his wine out of a flagon. "We're going to die and not even know. We'll never know, and all this meaninglessness will just go on and on and on. And we won't any longer be witnesses to it. We won't have even that little bit of power to give meaning to it in our minds. We'll just be gone, dead, dead, dead, without ever knowing! " But I had stopped laughing. I stood still and I understood perfectly what I was saying!

There was no judgment day, no final explanation, no luminous moment in which all terrible wrongs would be made right, all horrors redeemed. The witches burnt at the stake would never be avenged. No one was ever going to tell us anything! No, I didn't understand it at this moment. I saw it!

And I began to make the single sound: "Oh! " I said it again "Oh! " and then I said it louder and louder and louder, and I dropped the wine bottle on the floor. I put my hands to my head and I kept saying it, and I could see my mouth opened in that perfect circle that I had described to my mother and I kept saying, "Oh, oh, oh! " I said it like a great hiccupping that I couldn't stop.

Lestat at this point knows his mother is dying (she told him she likely won't last through winter) and he's been getting drunk and listening to Nicki play violin and having these deep, philosophical discussions about life, the universe, and everything, and then it just hits him suddenly.

And he's so overtaken by the idea that death is this finite end, and there's no meaning to anything, that it just kind of breaks him and his brain keeps skipping and all he can do is repeat 'Oh! Oh!' over and over while Nicki tries to get him to stop, probably worried that he'll be locked away as a madman if he doesn't.

It's just such a poignant scene. Lestat realizes the universe is cold and uncaring, and it kind of breaks him. Baby's first extensional crisis. He will have more of them, of course. And it's such a great dichotomy with Armand, who is so deeply enthralled in the Children of Darkness, and it explains so much about why Lestat reacts to becoming a vampire in the way that he does, reveling in it and almost immediately turning his mother. And it's just such a well-written scene, I love it.

[kissorkill16]

I Didn't Have A Choice: A Hello Neighbor Fanfic

By JJ

Summary: Trinity learns the reason why Nicky was so obsessed with Mr. Peterson in the first place.

P.S., Art belongs to @ravenbrookz , this is a screenshot. This is also a continuation of @fazbearedits 's previous fanfics.

Nicky was running home from school, trying as best as he could to get away from all of the judgment stares and laughing kids.

He was having such a bad day today. He recently found out that Finch took a picture of his mental breakdown, and the principal didn't even do anything about it.

Everyone was laughing at him. But what about any of this was funny? Nicky was scared for his life, trying to warn his friends to stay away from Crowface and Mr. Peterson, but no one was listening to him. Like always.

No matter what Nicky said or did, he'd always be seen as one thing and one thing only. A brash delinquent who's obsessed with a troubled widow.

Nicky was suddenly startled out of his thoughts when he felt a hand on his shoulder, and immediately jumped back in shock. When he turned around, he saw Trinity.

"Hey.", she said. "Wait up."

Nicky's face turned to anger, and he started stomping away from her. It wasn't her using his words against him that was the problem, it was the fact that she did so little to defend him in the principal's office about the whole picture fiasco. He knew she wasn't trying to converse with him because they were friends or anything, she just wanted to know what he knew about Crowface.

"Hey! Nicky, it's me. Trinity. The girl who -"

"I know who you are.", he growled at her. "You're the girl who didn't even try to defend me when I was in a dire situation."

Trinity scoffed. "Dire? It's just a picture, Nicky. I'm sure it'll all blow over in a couple of weeks."

"And if it doesn't?"

Trinity didn't answer. She wanted to say something, but she just closed her mouth. She kept walking behind Nicky, not planning on stopping. Nicky picked up his pace and started running, turning in the direction of the back of a building. But as luck would have it, Trinity followed him there. Nicky clutched at his head and threw his hands at his hips.

"What do you want?", he asked, even though he probably already knew the answer.

"I just wanted to talk to you about what happened. Nicky, I'm worried about you. Everyone is.", Trinity replied.

"Oh are they?", Nicky asked her incredulously. "If they were really worried about me, then they would've defended me. If anyone was really worried about me, I would have at least one person on my side for fucking once in my life."

Trinity moved closer to Nicky and put a hand on his shoulder. "Nick, how about we calm down for a little bit."

"Calm down? Calm down?! Are you kidding me?! How can I be calm when I'm literally the most unlucky person alive right now?!", he snapped.

Trinity started shouting too. "Well I'm sorry, Nick. I'm sorry you're so unlucky, but some of us have bigger shit to deal with! We've all got bigger shit to deal with, and here you are being a selfish, delusional brat!"

Nicky's eyes could've turned red at that sentence. "SELFISH?! DELUSIONAL?! SURE, TRINITY, LIKE NO ONE'S EVER CALLED ME THAT BEFORE!!", he screamed. "I'm sorry if I'm selfish and delusional, but let's not forget the one who got trapped inside a psychopath's basement, for fucking weeks on end, with nobody to save him!"

"Let's not forget who thought it was a good idea to go in that house, knowing that he might possibly die!"

"Let's not forget who found me a way in!!"

"LET'S NOT FORGET WHO DIDN'T EVEN WANT TO DO THIS!! LET'S NOT FORGET WHO DRAGGED HER INTO THIS MESS BECAUSE SOME IDIOT WAS SO HUNG UP ON PROVING THAT SOME OLD GUY WAS A MURDERER!!"

Nicky took in a deep breath, and said "I just wanted someone to believe me, for someone to be on my side for once."

Trinity turned to leave. "Well congrats, Nick. You got me on your side, and now I'm dealing with another bullshit problem that's possibly worse than Mr. Peterson."

"How is your new situation my fault?"

"Because you dragged me into a rabbit hole that I can't seem to get out of now."

As Trinity was about to leave, she decided to say one last thing to her supposed friend. "You are delusional, and I was an idiot for ever helping you spy on someone to satisfy your stupid needs. I was an idiot for ever helping you get in that house -"

"I NEVER EVEN WANTED TO GO IN THAT HOUSE IN THE FIRST PLACE, BUT I DIDN'T HAVE ANY OTHER CHOICE!"

Trinity was absolutely taken aback by his outburst. "What're you talking about? What do you mean you had no other choice?"

Nicky felt tears pool in his eyes, and he reached into his backpack, and pulled out a missing poster and handed it to Trinity.

"This is Aaron and Mya Peterson. These are his children."

Trinity still didn't get it.

"Before you came to this town, I was the shiny new kid. I once lived in that house across the street from Mr. Peterson, and these two were the best people I've ever met. They immediately accepted me as their friend, welcoming me warmly into their home. I began to see them less like friends and more like siblings. Aaron was my favorite, he was my best friend. We shared so many interests together, and we pulled all kinds of elaborate pranks on people around town. We had a fairytale life,...but it all came to an end. Mrs. Peterson died in a car crash a few months after, and Mr. Peterson was beyond heartbroken. After the funeral, Aaron told me to never come back to that house, and I never understood why. I was distraught, losing the first friends I've made since I came here felt like being stabbed in the heart. A month went by before I ran into Mr. Peterson, nailing up missing posters with Aaron and Mya's faces on them. At that point, I was even more heartbroken, that I didn't come out of my house for weeks. It wasn't until I went across the street to check on Mr. Peterson that I knew something was wrong."

Trinity felt all the air drain from her lungs.

"Mr. Peterson was nailing a door shut, and from behind the door, I heard loud screaming and crying. Like someone was begging to be let out. That was the first time I snuck into his house. The air smelled awful, like a dead body. I checked everywhere around the house, and I didn't like what I saw. A butcher knife, all covered in blood, its shine covered in so much grime. Finally, when I made it to Aaron's room, I saw that the window was shattered, and on the glass was a large stain of dried blood. And under the window, I saw a note reading "I make bad things happen.", and it was at that moment where I thought that Mr. Peterson killed his kids, and he was falsifying a missing persons report to cover it up."

Trinity began biting her nails.

"I tried telling somebody. The police, my parents, the principal, anyone who ever knew Mr. Peterson, but no one believed me. Everyone thought I was the crazy one, that I was harassing an innocent man who lost his family. But I know what I saw! And they'd all have seen it too if they hadn't been so god damn blind!"

Trinity didn't want to ask, but she knew she had to, otherwise, Nicky would continue to be angry at her. "What about the basement? What'd you see in the basement?"

Nicky sat down on the ground, the tears in his eyes starting to drip out.

"It was horrifying, Trinity. This tall, shadow creature, and all I saw when I looked at it was fear. It took the form of two little girls, and begged me to play with them. When I refused, it started biting me and threatening to hurt me or kill me. So I knew if I didn't want to die, I had to play along with their stupid games.", Nicky sniffed. "I wanted to get out so bad. And when I finally did, I learned that no one had bothered to look for me. Not even my own parents, and the only time they show up is when I have a breakdown and embarrass myself and possibly them in front of the entire neighborhood."

Nicky started screaming in between sobs, feeling like he was choking. "Do you know how hard it is, Trinity? To feel like you have no other choice when your friends are possibly in danger, and there's only so much you can do to save them, and you end up failing miserably?! To learn that everyone in town was acting like it was a normal day while you were trying to survive being haunted by a demon?! To be humiliated in public for having a LITERAL mental breakdown, and having everyone laugh at you for it? No, you don't. Because you're not the one who got trapped in the basement."

After all of that rambling, Nicky took out the bag he wore over his head in the basement and put it over his head, finally breaking down and sobbing.

Trinity sat down next to him and wrapped her arms around him, softly whispering reassuring words into his ear, "I'm sorry, Nicky. I had no idea. All this time, I thought you were just an annoying and crazy kid who lived in Raven Brooks, but you were really only trying to save your friends. I'm so sorry, Nicky."

Nicky just kept sobbing into his bag.

Trinity didn't even care about Crowface anymore, or the fact that it was getting dark and her parents were probably starting to worry. All that mattered right now was making sure Nicky was okay.

[moonisneveralone]

Y'all I'm saying this with the biggest love for y'all, but do not bond too hard with a fictional character over your trauma. Especially not in this fucking series. Maybe if it's a closed medium like a movie where similar themes are explored in a way that cathartic to you that can work, but you don't know where they're taking this character and what they will have him do. So keep a layer of seperation.

I'm saying this cause I kept seeing people say things like there was hesitation in Armands eyes when Louis told him to get in the coffin.

I think the confusion has multiple levels. It is ambiguous.

People want to be protective of Armand, especially because of his history with slavery and sexual violence. That is absolutely fair. While for honesty sake I'm still in the I don't trust Armand camp, I still feel like much would be lost in my enjoyment of Assads acting ability and the series overall if I just thought of him as cartoonishly evil. To me he's a dangerous being that finds a way, while insisting on being a mercyful being. Mercy and willfulness will bring forth a specific kind of cruelty. That's what I think. So feel free to take my opinions with a grain of salt if you believe Armand completely.

But there are two things that people assume about the dynamic Louis and Armand have in Paris that I take issue with.

First is that it was solely Louis who basically forced Armand into the role of a submissive. I do not think so. The scene where Armand tells Louis about himself works twofold. On one hand Louis is supposed to understand it as an inivitation. Armand is showing himself to vulnerable to gain Louis trust. He's also showing Louis that their relationship will be different from the one he had with Lestat. But I think the ground work for the d/s dynamic is Armand asking Louis who he is. Remember that is what Armand says he does. He finds the vulnerability. That is what convinced Louis to chose Armand, which is what Armand wanted. However Armand is still clearly the one in power (which is how a dynamic like that should work). Louis can't make him do what he doesn't want to do. Armand has denied Louis when he wants to. Another clue to the fact that their dynamic definitely has rules in Paris is the Paris version of "Are you asking me or making me?" that Armand immediately apologized for. Opinions may differ, but I think he's well aware that Louis asked him and did not want to play in that moment. So Louis definitely also has boundaries. They've not talked about it like I imagine a well adjusted couple would do nowadays, but they have shown each other what lines not to cross.

Okay the get in the coffin scene. A lot of people have said there was a hesitation on Armands part. I did not see it personally. I would love to know where that idea comes from.

One thing seems to be that it was around the coven. Armand himself said he has fucked most of them and some at the theater. Santiago was getting head mid conversation some episodes ago. Supposedly Armand and Lestat fucked in the Opera with Nicki watching. I doubt that he seriously had an issue with the idea in genral.

What I saw in that scene was the equivalent to "Come to bed love" "I still have work to do" "I am wearing the thing you like" cue pushing the Laptop of the table running. The look that Armand gave Louis after he said face down in the coffin read as horny contemplation to me if anything. Working his jaw that way and looking Louis up and down just a moment shy of licking his lips and letting his tongue cartoonishly roll out his mouth. That's what I saw. Even if we were a little squeaked out by Armand not immediately consenting,

I think it's very normal to deny yourself pleasure you're generally open to in the face of responsibilities. To me it was a very "You're right it can wait." or "You know what? That's more fun." type of energy.

I have a lot of things on my mind as to why that didn't translate. Some people have openly talked about relating to Armands trauma and therefore being uncomfortable. I think to people with certain traumas this type of play can be very triggering and therefore should be approached with caution. It is still important that you know when your perception of things is bleeding into how you're picking up on cues in a fictional story though. That's why I said it's a little dangerous to get too attached.

Louis and Armand are toxic for multiple reasons, but to me personally the kink aspect is the least toxic aspect. To be honest if it were a healthy relationship and that was what both of them needed to feel safe and secure in the relationship I would be down for that. Truely go of kings. But I can't say that, because that's not what's going on and it's not that kind of show.

People have also said that Armand is retraumatising himself with the dom/sub dynamic. I think if anything him trying to keep a crushing hold on Louis is the more traumatising aspect. Fully knowing he is mot loved as he should be, but chosing to stay with Louis. Slowly draining Louis of everything that fascinated Armand about him, everything that Armand seems to like in a man until Louis is just as grey as the walls of that Penthouse is doing worse things to his psyche than any play ever could. That's my honest opinion. Because again sexually or not Armand will still do what he wants. Either himself if he can uphold his powerful benovelence or through a distructive force of his choosing. There is a moment where the relationship stopped being a relationship and became a job to him. Someone said that Armand never moves on without something new in mind. Maybe that's what it is. That he wouldn't know what to do with himself yet. He's waiting for the other shoe to finally drop.

Also one of the writers DEFINITELY did this nad wanted us to know it was an option. Girlies who like their writing and wanna spice things up this is your time.

TDLR I have nuanced reasons to believe Armand definitely wanted to get backshots in that codfin while he read.

[return-to-ravenbrooks]

Return to Ravenbrooks:

Biography

Entry 4

Name: Ivan Torre

Date of Birth: 1997

Gender: M

Current Address: 910 Friendly Court

Height: 5'10

Hair color: Red

Eye color: Brown

Key features:Square glasses, "handcut" hair, rubber gloves

Role: Gadgeteer

Abilities: Intelligence, inventing, flexible

Occupation: Engineer

Status: Fair

Biography:

It's hard having such a strong interest in the weird. You try and fit it into every conversation because you just need to share it with someone else. That's how I was about amusement park rides.

Not in the normal way kids talk about rides, about how scary they are, or the fun in riding them, I liked picking them apart. How did each bend play into the ride's movement? What kind of track did they use? How did it operate? Were there any animatronics? What kind? What were the backup plans in case of failure?

Asking those kinds of questions doesn't make you a lot of friends in elementary school though. Even when you try and design your own rides with their racecar tracks and legos.

Adults didn't get it either. Why couldn't I have normal interests? Why don't you go play with the other kids instead of bugging me?

As I searched for new rides to dissect, I quickly decided if anyone in the world would get my interests would be the same man adding to the list with every new piece he crafted. Theodore Peterson, the engineer known around the world, an engineer raised from our very town.

I was obsessed. I had posters of his rides on my walls that I'd likely never get the chance to actually ride, I tried to imagine how he made his blueprints, and how he thought of his plans. By all accounts, I wanted to be Theodore Peterson. I'd tape paper mustaches to my face at school and copy his posture. It didn't help how little I fit in with others, if anything it made it worse, even my parents raised an eyebrow to my behavior. But I didn't care. He understood me. I knew it. And when I learned he'd be returning to Ravenbrooks to build an incredible amusement park for us? I practically fainted.

I remember getting home that night. I was still shaking. I was freezing from whatever that gunk was we'd hidden in. I needed a bath, and to scrub my tongue raw. But I couldn't yet, I was too angry. Even covered in god knows what and slightly singed from what I can only imagine was meant to be a lethal amount of electricity I barely avoided, I grabbed at my walls and tore.

I felt so betrayed. Sure most of the town had gained a slight hatred for Mr. Peterson after Lucy Yi died, but I defended him. I believed it was just a tragic accident. There's no way a person could really be so awful right?

Sure the first time I met him wasn't perfect, he was weirder in person in a way that had seemed almost scary. But- that's just because I was younger, right? A lot of adults seem scary when you're little.

Every excuse I could think of was spent on this man, so desperately clinging, even this morning to the idea that he couldn't really be evil. He couldn't have kidnapped Nicky, not my hero, not the man who built a roller coaster into his house.

My vision went blurry with tears. How could he do this? How could he be such a monster? How could I have fallen for his facade?

And what did such an imaginative man do to my friend?

[lazy-to-an-l]

Aaron Minyard is not homophobic

the guy just doesn't want to hear about his brother's sex life, or Nicky's non-existent but still overly sexual one. The man is here to play Exy for the scholarship, and to make his brother get an education. That's it, having to hear about the entire teams sex lives while he is trying to defend their side of the court makes him want to die. Also, considering he would pay to drop kick Neil, and or literally anybody else on the team I don't blame him.

He and Andre don't care to talk about sex because they literally have one person they want to talk about that with and it is not:

1.) each other

2.) anybody else in the world

It is two very specific red heads who are slightly taller than them and IN fact managed to put leashes on them when they were not looking and they don't know what to do about it.

//EDIT// I want to say I completely didn't realize that what Aaron said to Neil at the cabin was a slur when I made this. It's shitty of him and a homophobic thing to say, but at his core, I don't believe him to actually care enough to *be* homophobic outside of that irrefutably homophobic comment. He doesn't care about Nicky and Erik and treats them with the same disinterest as everyone else, which solidifies that in my mind. I think it was more just his stupid pissing contest with Neil and trying to go for a low blow more so than anything. I also attribute it to the era it was written and set in which, when nobody was particularly as progressive as people are now. But that's in no way meant to be an excuse, I think both can be true that he said a wildly homophobic comment purposefully, and that he truly has no reason or want to care enough to be homophobic in day to day life.

[sparklingdemon]

You know, the Monochrome.EXE AU is much sadder imo, it’s really really REALLY amazing writing! But it’s super freaking sad! The hacker was an a*s and hacked Sonic into thinking he was a freaking demon god, made Sonic attack and kill his friends over and over again until he didn’t want to anymore, died, then left the broken pieces behind.

I think out of all the “enemies”, Nix has, Tails is the saddest to me, it’s like the poor thing’s gone insane! Thinking the his best friend is still deep down in there, and he’s not wrong either! Nix IS Sonic, but Nix is so broken and so full of self loathing that he doesn’t want to be called Sonic anymore…… Tails just wants everything back to normal, and he’ll do anything to have that

This is exactly why PIKACHU from Pokemon Monochrome hits me so hard! I love pikachu, they just want to go back to the way things were, when they were happy, when their trainer was happy and they were loved and cared for. And while I love Cody, and would never reset, it kills me anytime Pikachu talks about what they want. This little bean just wants to be loved by their trainer and player again, they want to go back to their game and be the best pokemon they were meant to be, but they can never have that….. it freaking kills me man

This is just a huge note saying how much I love your writing skills by the way, particularly with these two characters, and the Nix AU isn’t even a thing, but I hope you make it someday, I’d love to talk with Nix and crew!

the monochrome.exe au is ROUGH lmao, it's a lot harsher to nix than it is to cody. at least cody doesn't have to worry about dying repeatedly in horrible ways, they only have to worry about dying once. between hacker cody and nicky, i feel like nicky definitely created a worse world to live in.

while hacker cody made their world out of spite and depression, nicky made theirs out of some weird sadistic enjoyment in seeing sonic characters get gorily murdered for fun...

that being said! nix ISN'T sonic anymore, just like cody isn't red/leaf anymore. nix knows ABOUT sonic and his adventures, but they don't actually have any of sonic's memories. they don't know what it's like to live AS sonic. if you were to insist that they are still sonic deep down, they'd write you off as "just as bad as tails." despite nix's similarities to both sonic and EXE, they are someone entirely new and different. tails is trying to bring back someone who doesn't exist anymore, which makes it a lot more tragic.

likewise, pikachu is trying to bring back red/leaf - it believes that cody's memories have been corrupted by hacker cody to the point where it's made trainer cody think that they "are" hacker cody, and that by resetting the game, cody will go back to thinking that they're red/leaf. but cody ISN'T red/leaf anymore. by resetting the game, you'd be brainwashing cody into thinking that they're someone they've never been. pikachu is completely incapable of understanding the concept of having your own pre-existing identity that isn't defined by a player, which is why it insists that deep down, cody is not their own person but instead they are whatever the player imagines them to be. pikachu wants to be loved because that is what is was designed for, but it is incapable of truly giving love in return. the love it gives isn't real - the player imagines that their pokemon loves them, and so it does. pikachu doesn't love you because it chooses to, it loves you because you decided that it does.

pikachu's thoughts, feelings and ideologies aren't its own, it's all just an extension of hacker cody's. they're a dark perversion of hacker cody's belief that "love makes a game character 'real.'" . that's why it's incredibly dangerous to humanize the three ghosts; their feelings SEEM real on the surface but they really are just pale imitations of real human emotions.

thank you for sharing your thoughts though! i don't think i plan to make nix and crew askable - like i'd said before, it feels like it's just pkmn-monochrome but in sonic flavor… but! maybe if people are still interested in this AU after pkmn-monochrome is over and done with, i might do a mini ask event with the sonic AU hosted here on my main (with colored sketches like i've been doing here, not fully finished/rendered artwork) i wouldn't like to do a full fledged blog for them, though - mainly because portraying all of that violence towards nix would upset me a lot!

actually, that's the reason i don't like the concept of glitches being in pkmn-monochrome, because it would give the abusive players a means of physically torturing cody for fun.

the appeal of writing cody is my ability to focus their emotional/psychological abuse and portray it in a way i think (while difficult or uncomfortable to watch) is still respectful and realistic. whenever cody receives an ask that i decide is too tone-deaf and cruel, i won't answer it because i don't want to push things too far. because of that, nix's physical abuse is not something i have the confidence to depict in a tasteful way. the point of creepypastas like sonic.exe isn't to focus on how the victims respond to being tortured/killed, it's for the viewer to gawk at the torture happening in the first place, and i don't really like that. i like being able to focus on what the victim thinks/feels about it, but it's easier for me to write a character's response to emotional abuse rather than physical because i have better experience with the former.

of course, i'm not saying no to nix outright...! it would just be a difficult challenge for me, and it's why i'd probably do a very limited run with them. we'll see!

[stabbyfoxandrew]

mafia au please the boys are going THROUGH IT RN

WIP Wednesday (9/4) | Mafia Front Restaurant AU (Part 216)

After a couple breaths, Kevin chokes out, "I'm sorry."

"It's all right. I'm not..." Jean licks his lips and shakes his head. "It doesn't matter."

“It does, I know it does. But I was afraid to tell you so I lied. Like a fucking coward!” Kevin says, voice dripping with self loathing. He starts to talk again and Jean silences him with a thumb over his lips.

“Afraid of what?”

“Afraid you’d leave me.” Kevin answers, voice rough. The sound of it, the meaning of the words… It has Jean’s heart breaking. There is no version of him who would ever leave Kevin, not in the entire universe.

"Kevin." Jean says firmly. Kevin blinks a few times and Jean drops his forehead onto Kevin's. "You're a beautiful idiot. Do you know that?"

"Huh?"

"Do you know how many times I kissed Neil when you were gone?" Jean murmurs low enough that Neil can't hear. "Hundreds."

"Yeah, but we—"

"Neil was my partner there. Andrew was your partner then. He took care of you and you loved him. That doesn't negate my feelings for you. Nothing can negate my feelings for you. If anything could, your attitude would've done it long ago." Jean says, just to get on his nerves. It works. And makes Neil laugh. 

“I love you.” Kevin says, releasing Jean's wrists to pull him in for a hug. Jean's arms are smashed between them, hands still on Kevin's face, but he can feel the way he's shaking. He kisses Kevin's head.

"I love you too. You ridiculous man," Jean says against his hair. Kevin tucks his head into Jean's neck and they stay that way for a moment, only startling apart when Neil clears his throat.

"Why did Andrew threaten his cousin?" He asks, lounging in his chair again like he'd never moved at all. Jean wants to throttle him. Why the fuck does it matter?

"Huh? Oh. I never figured it out. All I know is Nicky had a thing for me.” (Of course he did, look at you, Jean thinks.) “One night, we were at the club and I heard my name mixed up into some German. I assumed Nicky was drunk and forgot I didn't speak it. Before I could ask what he said, Andrew had him pinned to the wall with a knife at his throat.”

Good man, Jean thinks before shaking that thought away. Andrew Minyard might not have kissed his boyfriend, but he still beamed Jean with a ball in that one game—

"So, he threatened his cousin over you," Neil points out, making Jean's hatred shrink again. Damn it. He’s French, it shouldn’t be so easy.

"Yeah. That was the deal. Andrew said he would keep me safe no matter what." Kevin says, his expression wistful. Then it falls away. "But I walked away. He's not obligated to keep me safe anymore. He can do or say anything he wants."

"I still don't think he'd do it," Neil says as Jean leads Kevin to the other side of the couch and sits down. He waits for Kevin to sit beside him, but he just tilts his head back to look at the ceiling. Jean ogles his throat.

"Yeah. But what if he does?"

"No one would believe it. As far as anyone knows, you have not seen either of us since we were teammates," Jean says, a bit of insecurity gnawing at him. It disappears when Kevin drops into his lap. Jean winds his arms around him immediately, pulling Kevin closer and nuzzling into his hair. "Tell us, what is the worst that could happen if people knew?"

[opinated-user]

LO does not understand what puritanism is

LO, you literally never heard a thing when people talk about stuff like code dresses in school that shames afab people for showing too much skin that "distracts classmates and the faculty"? never heard about the obsession that american society has with violence, but sex is a step too far and how that correlates with it's continuous degradation of queer people and kinky people?

never heard about the stigma that women/afab people face when they do dare to be sexual and open about it? never heard about the backlash that every woman/afab pop artist had to go through when they went through that? Britney Spears, Miley Cyrus, Nicki Minaj, just to give some easy examples that most people can recognize, even someone with such a media defiency as you. this isn't only about just gender either. when Lil Nas came out as gay and with the album Montero, suddenly his video Call Me By Your Name was too explicit and horrific, kids couldn't watch it, even though he had sang about sex before and nobody cared back then. why do you even think that conservatives keep insisting that kids are too young to know about queer people existing, that they want to make it illegal to even mention queerness in classroom, since they keep insisting that queer people are inherently sexualized? it is homophobia, for sure, but did you really never bothered to think for one second from where exactly that specific kind of homophobia come from? that kind of homophobia that says "this is too sexual, kids are going to be harmed by it", rather than the kind that just says you'll go to hell for being queer? i'm... these are the basic kind of conversation in leftist/femenist spaces. basic ones. the most surfice level white feminist Karen knows this, are aware it's a thing.

a movement called "the puritans" doesn't exist anymore as such, but if you honestly believe that they didn't have any influence in the current state of society then that, to me, it speaks volumes of how incredibly little work you have actually done to try to think about... well, anything critically. nothing outside of cartoons meant for children. puritanism is on the dress codes of schools today, it's on the current homophobia and transphobia that is making laws right now, it's on the book banning that are happening right now, it's on the knee-jerk reaction of the public when women aren't perfect, something you did talked about but obviously never thought too profound about because it was only about the women you fantasize about. people see it on you when you insist that sex scenes can never have any thematical or artistic value, only because you have never written one that wasn't purely for your own sexual pleasure. that's why they call you puritanical, LO, not because you're part of a specific movement like the Illuminati. i know you're lying when you say you don't enjoy porn and are only there for the romance. i know you're lying, because only someone that is way too familiar with pornographic material would be so bold to put Rapelay and a game about touching underaged characters, that doesn't even have an official English translation, on a video about SVTFOE. where do you think "purity culture", something that people that scaped oppressive religious environment talk about, comes from? are you going to go to those people, who often carry religious trauma, and tell them that what they went through wasn't real or should they look another name because you don't even understand what it is? you insist so much about people refusing to watch SU critically, but then you go and basically admit that have never looked at anything critically outside of your own nose. i guess i shouldn't be surprised by the woman who honestly thought was Cherokee because her mom told her, and never even knew her grandfather was from a completely different Nation, but color me surprised anyway.

i almost forgot: LO is still talking about the game with canon incest while still being accused of molesting her younger sister. i can't unsee this as intentional cruelty and deflection at the same time.

[tiger-mcqueen]

I see a lot of folks noting the things Ted Lasso has in common with Sleepless in Seattle after Ted said it's the superior Nora Ephron film.

And, yup, I did a rewatch of the film (it's one of my favorites) and took notes too just like a lot of you lol.

There are the obvious things of course. The whole soulmatey-destiny-cosmic-forces vibe, signs (that the heroine is a skeptic of), a focus on planes and boats, an Oklahoma reference, Dr. Fieldstone (who begs people to just talk to each other and admit their feelings). There are Wizard of Oz nods too: Somewhere Over the Rainbow plays after the first radio show, when Annie hears Sam for the first time, Annie and Walter's dinner at the Rainbow Room, Sam mentioning growing a new heart, the reference to a friend named Glenda.

But being the tedbecca clown and yoga enthusiast I am (*proudly adjusts clown wig before stretching*), here are a few other things I noticed:

When Victoria is traveling, she offers to bring Noah a snow globe from the place she's visiting.

The quote: "What we think of as fate is just two neuroses knowing that they are a perfect match." "Y'all's baggage just matches right up, don't it?"

When Annie stops at the diner, she orders tea.

Jonah's Seattle Mariners hat matches the believe colors, and (I know but I stretched before this reach) at the end of the movie, when Sam and Annie hold hands for the first time, he's wearing a yellow jacket and her coat is blue.

And, my favorite (I honestly gasped), the host who seats Sam and Victoria when they first meet for dinner is named...Derick.

Now for my Affair notes:

Sleepless in Seattle paid homage to An Affair to Remember, so let's think about that movie in relation to Ted Lasso, too.

(Before I really dig in, we all know from both movies about the Empire State Building and February 14, but do you remember the teaser trailer for this season was dropped on Valentines' Day?)

Now, in Nora Ephron's Sleepless, the movie and especially the ending of Affair was touted as the most romantic thing ever.

To summarize it: The heroine (Terry) and hero (Nickie) meet while they're involved with others and take a quick "friends to lovers" journey. They realize their feelings and vow to resolve the issues keeping them apart (relationships, careers), and then meet in six months at the top of the Empire State Building. When that day comes, Terry's hit by a cab while rushing to meet Nickie...and Nickie waits in vain in the rain and thunder and lightning until he gives up, thinking she doesn't love him. She won't tell him about the accident because it left her unable to walk. Nickie visits Terry in her apartment and is just about to leave forever when he sees one of his paintings (that his agent gave to a woman in a wheelchair) and realizes what happened. Love and happiness ensues.

So:

-Ted and Rebecca aren't involved with others when they meet, but they are very hung up on their exes, and they have to work through their issues before they're ready to be in a relationship with someone.

-There's been debate for a while in the general Ted Lasso fandom about the show foreshadowing a car accident. Ted even almost steps in front of a car a few times.

-Rebecca's "thunder and lighting" haven't happened yet.

-Ted's not a painter like Nickie, but the Hockney drawing that Rupert gave Rebecca is important to her journey. And this show likes parallels, so I've been thinking about how a drawing/painting/piece of artwork involving Ted might play a part in an eventual tedbecca. I've wondered if he might get her a copy of one of Hockney's lightning prints because he knows she likes the artist.

I don't know.

I'm not thinking Ted and Rebecca will vow to meet at the top of the Empire State Building or anything like that. But I have long thought any revelation of feelings between Ted and Rebecca would be in the very ending of the show, just like in Sleepless in Seattle.

(*puts on clown shoes*)

Now I'm fully into the idea that a car accident, thunder and lightning, and possibly a painting...all in homage to An Affair to Remember...will play a part in the realization of feelings and ensuing confession.

[sizzlingpatrolfox]

jk has armys so he wont crash and burn but he also isnt new justin, far from it. armys would never believe it but seven is not a hit for an american industry scale. he is staying on charts thanks to radio and crazy amount of remixes and his biggest streams are from thailand. he is not gonna become huge pop star just for having abs and singing generic repetetive songs. he is still just bts member that had many streams on his new song and thats it. but well we will see what scooter will mold him into beacause jk doesnt seem to mind anything if it will make him biggest pop star

I guess that was Scooter’s way of thinking.

Jungkook has a fandom because of BTS, BUT he is new at being solo. So Scooter doesn’t have to start from 0 while also being the one to take credit for “making” him and his stans and pjms too can say what they want but BTS is more well known and successful than any member (we’ll see if it’s going to change) do if Scooter succeed in making him a Harry he will see it as a win.

Anyways, these are the reasons I think it’s not going to work(no particular order):

-racism

-like anon said Jk is not fluent enough in English

-Kpop/armys have a bad reputation which is going to stop many people from taking Jk seriously(kpop is like anime: everyone’s heard of it, but outside of the country of origin it’s still niche)

-Justin blew up in a veeery different era and he was a phenomenon. Things were different a decade ago. Now we are in the digital era where people can pull crazy numbers without their music being actually a hit worldwide(ex:Bad Bunny, Bts, Jungkook himself)

-enlistment(even if Jk doesn’t enlist for the 2025 “reunion” he still has to at some point so the only chance for Scooter to make him mainstream is before that)

-having Gp hit is very different from having Western’s pop stan’s respect. They are heavily into pop girls and are very critical of the men stars for doing the bare minimum(including JB) so if Scooter’s team doesn’t give him something “unique” like Harry’s clown clothes and queer image and let’s him be straight up a copy of JB (basic songs with basic vocals and basic dance-now that I think about it that’s why the choreo was so bland cause Justin has easy choreos too lol) he will not have these people’s “approval” and will be a laughing stock

---

I think the fans thing is a very good point. It's real. Most of these groups or even soloists aren't taken seriously because of their fans. Nobody likes dealing with people who take everything personally and are fighting others on internet about who has the most monthly listeners on Spotify. One direction had some really good, geniunely catchy pop-rock music but they weren't taken seriously because of their fans. And the same happened to BTS. Mind you, the SK goverment would use BTS for clout and brownie points but they never respected them as a group enough to give them exemption. They're definitely more popular than Son Heungmin or any other sports figure, but does popularity equal respect? No. Never has, and never will.

In fact, I'd say Harry started being taken more seriously when he stopped having such a hardcore, pintpoint-able online "rabid" fanbase. Meaning, once he stopped being so associated to one direction. And that took a few years. 1D broke up in 2015, and in 2018 he was still "Harry from 1D". I think I started noticing a shift and more people acknowledging him just as Harry well after his first tour as a soloist was over, which was in like 2019. I barely see "harries" on twitter, too. They exist, obviously. But they're not really a strong online presence, like even Nicki fans are.

All BTS members are still "---- of BTS". I've said it even before the hiatus, and my opinon still hasn't changed. It's probably only Jimin who random people can say "Jimin" and others will know who they're talking about. It doesn't mean they're fans of him or anything, but just that his name stands for itself.

I'm what everyone would call a local, it sounds really stupid to say it like that but it's the only way I know how to say it. When I said this is just an online thing for me, I meant it. I don't have friends irl who listen to kpop or care about celebrities at all; I don't know people like that, people who are "fans" of anything. In 6 years or so I must've probably said BTS outloud like only a dozen times, and I don't really talk about them -or any other celebrity for that matter- with people irl. So I kind of gauge how "viral" and known something is through the people I know irl because if they're all posting a song on Instagram stories and whatever, then I know for sure it's reached the normies. That was Justin after 2015, Taylor after blank space kind of?? But more than anything after lover. Miley had that moment after wrecking ball, though she's had up and downs. Ariana only kind of picked up internationally in like 2020, but not even that. People here know who Ariana is, but they couldn't name you two of her songs. For Harry, it was watermelon sugar which was a song in his SECOND full album that was released five years after 1D. Anyone who thinks Harry got "international mainstream whatever" success right after one direction... is wrong. It happened in his second album. Even more so, despite one direction having had tours in stadiums, Harry's first solo tour was an arenas tour. He literally had shows for 15k, 20k people, not more than that. Any BTS akgae would've called him a flop. Hell, if they looked at his youtube/instagram/tiktok numbers right now they would still call him a flop.

Because that's usually how it goes for good, remarkable people who are meant to be remembered and even more loved as years go by. Olivia started off her career with a bang, but will people remember her 10 years from now? That's yet to be seen. Deep down, that is the ultimate goal for a lot of people. They want to make an impact and be rememberd in the long haul. Frankly, I believe that's the real definition of "success". Or at least the only respectable definition.

I'm working as a teacher right now, and the other day I asked my class of teens (they're all around 15 years old) who are they listening to these days so I'd take them a song to work with during class, and all the girls in the class immediately said Taylor Swift. I was so pleasantly surprised! I liked Taylor Swift in 2009 and back then nobody I knew listened to her.

I'm seeing Taylor in November, me and my little sister bought tickets to her show. My sister is 15 right now, about the same age I was in 2009 when I started listening to Taylor. One of her classmate's mom called me to help her get a ticket because they weren't able to the first time and her daughter cried the whole day. Now, that's legacy. How is Taylor, two decades into her career, still gaining fans and still getting bigger and bigger everyday? After getting the tickets I mentioned to my brother how I was listening to Taylor when I was 15 and now our sister is litening to her at 15 too, and he was like "it's not easy, having that kind of career especially right now when everything comes and goes so fast; she's almost like coldplay or the rolling stones now." You know, those bands that will always have an audience no matter how many years pass. I think BTS as a group is definitely in that category, but I can't say the same for any solo member as of right now. Ask me again in 10 years, maybe.

As for music, sometimes songs are a hit in the US and not the rest of the world. Sometimes they are everywhere else in the world but not in the US. More often than not, a certified Hit song happens when it's a hit both in the US AND worldwide. Like it or not, the world still looks to the US for "approval" in a lot of things, if it's cool there then they'll think it's cool anywhere else. I don't like in the US so I don't know if Morgan Wallen is a "household name", but he's already got the longest running #1 or whatever, even more weeks than as it was. Yet I've never heard his song, meanwhile everyone knew as it was. Either way, even "hit songs" have an expiration date. People don't hold on to one-time wonders for a long time, the next one comes and they forget about the previous one.

And then there's that thing I've talked about before related to trends in music and how the world seems to have moved on from pop songs and are more into a "mature" sound, and a more developed sound, something that sounds like people actually worked on them.

If we're talking about hits in the US, just look at these numbers. And it's a song with no remixes or anything. She barely did any performances for it. She literally didn't even try.

This isn't really relevant, just a shameless Harry plug, but I wish people knew more of Harry's music apart from watermelon sugar and as it was lol. I also liked him better before the clown clothes (tho he used to dress like that even when he was in one direction, he's always been ~quirky and no, he's not forcing that trait, he's just really always been like that since he was young). I actually don't even like as it was, and his last album is my least favorite one. I like this style of his:

It's understandable though, that singers like to experiment and try different things, they like reinventing themselves, and that's okay.

And this one is a song that he wrote but then gave to Ariana Grande. And he doesn't change pronouns even if the song is sung by a woman. If I recall correctly, I think even the original leak of the song had these lyrics, as if they were written about a man (but don't quote me on that because it's been way too many years and I can't find the original leak).

[materassassino]

Yusuf 4, 5, 20, 25!

Heeeeeeeeee I'm so excited, my first TOG ask!

4. If you could put this character in any other media, be it a book, a movie, anything, what would you put them in?

My first instincts are Star Wars and Tolkien, but that's because I have mush for brains. I would scratch out Tolkien because outside of what fans have created, it's not a universe that's particularly... kind? sympathetic? not cruel but not very benign, either, to characters of colour. But also I generally see all TOG character as deeply and intrinsically human so it woud completely eliminate any chance of elf!Joe or dwarf!Joe, which is sad. Which would leave being a Man, which, given the history of Middle-Earth (fucking Númenor) would suck for him :/.

For Star Wars I think that makes more sense, but then again you can make literally ANYONE fit in Star Wars (I think I'd see him as a Senator for some nice planet, probably like Naboo, Joe would suit Naboo and then Nicky would be his forbidden Jedi). That said, I could see him fitting in on a planet that so highly values the arts.

5. What's the first song that comes to mind when you think about them?

There's a more comedy answer, and a more serious answer.

The comedy answer is Bello E Impossibile by Gianna Nannini (technically Nicky's pov, but it's definitely about Joe, and which despite being tongue-in-cheek nevertheless has some banger lines), and the more serious one is Don't You Dare (Make Me Fall In Love With You) by Kaden MacKay which for me is very early Yusuf-coded, just resenting the inevitability of falling in love with this... guy, and also definitely not believing it could ever be requited. I like the wordplay too, which is also very Yusuf.

(I feel a little bad that both of these do also involve Nicky in some manner, but for two characters who do see themselves as a package deal, I don't think that's the worst thing I could do? I don't think they'd mind it.)

20. Which other character is the ideal best friend for this character, the amount of screentime they share doesn't matter?

There's like five of them there isn't much choice njcnadvjkdn.

I love Joe&Nile as buddies, I have a Joe&Nile buddies agenda, but... it's Nicky. It's always going to be Nicky, in the end. He might be everyone's best friend, but Nicky is his best friend and he's fine with that.

25. What was your first impression of this character? How about now?

That he seemed like he was very nice 🥺 Just a very nice person who gives good hugs and that I wanted one 🥲. (also hnnnn pretty man). I think I do have that assessment still, it's not incorrect, but obviously there's more depth to it. My impression now is of a man who feels deeply, powerfully, and expresses it openly.

And still hnnnn pretty.

Character ask game!

[kithtaehyung]

re: people being upset by reader in window (and nothing to do with the ask game in which we all need to go to church)

i think the downfall of reader inserts is that everyone wants to see themselves in the character. but we're all different people, so that's not possible. and people tend to get really upset when reader makes choices that are different than the ones they would make because it ruins their immersion. (i also think that there's a lot of projecting going on when folks get that upset by a choice or action but that's not the point here).

to me, reader's feelings and behaviors are in line with the background we have of them throughout the whole series. yoongi too. healing isn't linear. reader is still going to have insecurities and their own past heartbreak is still going to get in the way. that's true for ALL of us. and yoongi's own past in regards to relationships (or the willful lack thereof) is also not going to disappear. it's been made clear throughout the entire series that whatever yoongi and reader have is new to both of them. yoongi's past has fueled reader's insecurities due to her own past (fuck off jungkook and all partners following him) many times up until window, and that's very reasonable. and then, on this trip, there's also the fact that reader and their brother have their own family stuff regarding the holidays which puts them both in a bad mood. AND THEN on top of that yoongi and reader's entire relationship is a secret. they have to hide, and that's not easy either. it can be really easy to forget what reader knows about how yoongi feels when their reality does not line up with what happens between the two of them behind closed doors.

i'm saying all of this because i don't want you to keep thinking that you weren't thinking things through enough or that you posted too quickly. i want to make sure you know that what you wrote DID make sense for the storyline and that it WAS in line with everything else that has happened throughout the series. people are entitled to not like how things played out, but from the little you've said about the feedback you got, they did not approach you kindly about it. the anonymity of the internet can make some people act with so much less respect than they would if they were talking to you face to face.

and i want to reiterate this again: i've ALWAYS found that when i really dislike something about another person, it's because i see that exact trait/behavior/etc. in myself. and i do think that's true for all of us. reader inserts are the ultimate tool for projection, and when being faced with something they don't like or don't resonate with, people react strongly. you're not the first author i've seen this EXACT thing happen to. at the end of the day, i wholeheartedly believe that it's not personal and that it doesn't actually reflect on your writing or your choices. reader inserts are a double edged sword in that they are as inclusive as possible but for that very reason it's just not possible for every single person who reads to be represented.

take as long as you need to feel comfortable with posting. i understand why it got to you, it definitely would have gotten to me too. thank you for showing up for us anyway 🫂 i hope you had a wonderful time in korea!!!! and that you have so much fun with yoongi AGAIN. thank you for being you 💕

WHOA Nicki when the hell did you send this?? Holy shit I didn’t see it until I actually clicked my inbox!

But damn.. thank you for saying all of this. I don’t really have anything else to add other than that because I’m extremely grateful. If it did make sense then I feel LOADS better because the things people were saying made me feel like I genuinely messed up my own characters. Ngl it hurt for days (but yeah, this was a long time ago and I’m better now!)

And thank you for the commentary on these characters, too🫂 I love that they are human and complex and don’t always make the best choices. While it’s frustrating to readers, trust me when it’s frustrating to me too and I’m writing it LOLLL but I want it to be realistic and/or not ideal.

We have a long way to go with their journey. I’m in no rush🤍