#because what better way to motivate me than telling me that an idea is cursed djlkasjdklsa

[delightfullyquirkydoodles]

Okay, buckle up, friends and neighbours, because it's time for:

THE DOOPLISS DISSERTATION

(Obviously, you should take all of this with a HUGE chunk of salt, since I'm not only an internet-poisoned fandom blogger, but also a former English major with a penchant for over-reading.

Still, I spent a long time writing this, so I'd appreciate it if you gave it a read.)

So before we talk about Doopliss himself, I feel like we should talk about Creepy Steeple, since a lot of the topics I'm going to be touching on relate to the actual building.

Neither the original Gamecube version nor the Switch remake really bothers to explain what Creepy Steeple actually is.

None of Goombella's tattles say anything about the building's intended purpose. The name vaguely implies that it's a church of some kind -- in Japanese, it's called Odoron Jiin, or "Astonishing Temple" -- but that's still not very helpful.

Still, for the purposes of this analysis, I'm going to assume that it's meant to be a church.

This brings me to the Steeple's stained glass window, which shows a scary-looking Doopliss standing over some piranha plants.

From a design standpoint, I'm guessing that this detail was added to give the location a spooky vibe, but from an in-universe perspective, the implications are wild.

Like, who designed this? How long ago? And why? What the heck is it supposed to represent?

Unsurprisingly, the game offers no real answers, but I have a couple of theories.

The first is that the people of Twilight Town (or their ancestors, or something) created the window in Doopliss's honor.

Stained glass windows often depict saints or angels, so maybe the Twilighters used to worship him? Like, maybe Creepy Steeple was once dedicated to him and then, for whatever reason, the worshippers decided to leave?

It's not super likely, but I didn't want to rule out any possibilities. This is a weird freaking temple. Literally anything is possible, as far as I'm concerned.

My second theory is that Doopliss designed the window himself. He seems like a guy with a lot of spare time, so it's not too much of a stretch to say that he came up with the idea and then spent weeks building it by hand.

He could have also bullied the Boos into constructing it for him. I dunno. I just have this mental image of him pulling pranks on them and generally being a nuisance until they caved.

The bottom line is someone wanted to Doopliss's face to be front and center. And if that someone is Doopliss himself, then hoo boy, there is a lot to unpack here.

Maybe I'm projecting, but it feels like Doopliss is wrestling with some major self-esteem issues.

Despite being an incredibly powerful shapeshifter who somehow cursed an entire town, he seems very childish. He spends all his time watching TV and coming up with new jokes. He throws tantrums when he loses. He wears a party hat, of all things.

Based on that, I'd say that he's probably starved for attention. He's probably pretty lonely living in Creepy Steeple all by himself (doubly so if my theory about the Twilighters is correct).

I'd even go so far as to say that his scheme to turn the Twilighters into pigs is motivated by this need for attention. I mean, what better way to get people to notice you than to cause a town-wide panic?

I feel like the disguises he uses over the course of the main story also support this theory.

Though Mario, Zip Toad and Professor Frankly are quite different from one another, they all have one important thing in common: they're famous. Mario's a world-renowned adventurer, Zip Toad is a well-known actor and Frankly is a tenured professor whose students love him.

Doopliss even alludes to this after stealing Mario's body, telling him, "You're so popular around here! I just love being you!"

By transforming into beloved figures, Doopliss can get the attention he craves.

I also think that this is why he joined the Shadow Sirens. Sure, Beldam abuses him almost as badly as she abused Vivian, but at least she notices him. That's better than nothing.

The most conclusive piece of textual evidence is found in the epilogue. In her letter to Mario, Goombella explains that Doopliss has joined Flurrie on-stage in her production of "Paper Mario".

Obviously his shapeshifting abilities make the play a lot more realistic, but why would he bother participating in it at all? This guy was a villain for most of the game. Why would he suddenly decide to join up with one of his enemies?

Because, as far as I can tell, he's not a villain. Just a guy who's sick of being ignored.

I dunno. Doopliss's motivations have never been super clear, but I feel like there's more to him than meets the eye.

If you have any thoughts or ideas of your own, feel free to comment. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this.

[factual-fantasy]

28 ASKS! :DD THANK YOU!! 🍪

@spiritflower-galaxy (Thank you! :DD)

WAIT HANG ON NO NO--

I'm not getting into cookie run! I don't play the games or know any of the lore. Nor am I particularly motivated to really learn much about it on my own time..

I want to clarify that I just really liked the art style! <:D All the colors and themed characters,, it looked really fun! So I scraped together all the knowledge I needed to make some characters for it and then stopped there..

Now I'm not against people rambling in my ask box and doing all the lore research for me.. 👀💅.. just saying that I'm not going out of my way to learn the cookie run lore on my own time- <XDD

(Post in question)

I didn't have a name in mind for him, no.. :(( though he might be named something moth related. If I could access my files- I would have shown you that he was meant to have moth wings! :00

@youlikwjazz004

I haven't seen chapter 3 or any of the angst about it.. <:( sorry!

@taizarack (Post in question)

XDD She really is a goblin. And because she is the most powerful member of the group, no one can really tell her no-

Daww, thank you!! :DD

@drawingdragon7

I've thought about that! :0 I just never got around to drawing it <XDD 💔 Some kind of leather pads that they tie to his feet. Kind'a like cursed horseshoes <XDD

Thank you so much!! 🥰🥰 I wish the same for you!! :}}

.. well? Does she taste good? :0 I imagine a cookie with tomato and meat in it wouldn't taste the best-- XDD

:DDD Thank you! :}}

XD Everything is a 10/10 to her!

@catpop12343

:DD THANK YOU! I'm glad you like what you see! :}}}

@couchwow

I love the art style! And wow, Bluey?? Bingo?? Who let you two into the radiation cabinet?-- XDD /pos

Idk if they would necessarily.. bond.? Over their similar traumas?.. but perhaps there would be a level of understanding between them.

Like, if Papyrus has these strange specific fears or habits due to his trauma. No one would know how to handle it, or understand it better than Jevil could.

....Maybe that's exactly what you meant by bonding over their trauma and I'm just dumb-- <XDD

And how easy it was to dispose of them. Thats haunting XD

(Post in question)

Thank you! :D And aw, what a shame. I had a lot of fun with that movie :(

@raptor1312

XD Well I'm not into the games exactly-- but thank you! I'm very glad to hear that you like my OCs!! :DDD

(Post in question)

Aw, I'm really sorry actually. I felt the same way in the end. I felt like having this really creepy and twisted story with Papyrus as the focus was interesting and fun!.. But not giving him any kind of salvation.? That made it not fun anymore. It was just plain sad. :(

And don't worry about the "possible" part. Its totally canon now XD Papyrus canonically gets yoinked from his sad AU and finds peace with his new friends. :)

As for Seam and Jevil, its.. complicated.

They kiiind'a keep him at arms length..? And its mostly due to the trauma they associate with him and the fact they feel so bad for having abandoned him. They just don't know what to say..

But of course, Papyrus has such a big heart. He fully understands that they're not super comfortable around him just yet. So he kindly gives them space and avoids the subject around them.

Not to worry though. Eventually the tension will dissolve and he will build true friendships with the both of them. :)

@chickenheadguy

Its nice to not have to do any of the research myself I tell you what! XDD

@citrusfruitman

XDD Ok so the story with that is-- in my Sister Location AU I'm thinking that William Afton is using his circus as a front to go from town to town murdering kids..

What I mean about Funtime Freddy being safe to hug "for now".. is that I haven't fully decided if I want William to murder kids by having the animatronics snatch them up.. Ooorr if he just uses them/the circus as one big lure and distraction and does all the murdering himself.

So far I kiiind'a like the idea that the animatronics are innocent and aren't used as tools to murder kids. But that could change. So Freddy is safe to hug!.. For now.. :)

If they somehow ended up there they'd probably just hide in the shadows. If it seems safe and they can find food? They'll stay a while! :}

(Post in question)

Same here! Ngl I was expecting a negative response to those drawings. Considering how insane the movie is- Glad I'm not the only one who had fun with the movie or at least saw its potential! :D

@butshesgotthespirit

:DDD THANK YOU!!! I'm so glad you like how I reimagined them!! :}}

XD I remember that ask, I shall respond to this one with the same images!

"But you haven’t seen my face before..

…right….?"

(WOW these drawings are old. Bibi isn't even there! <XD💔)

@oliepoki

I wish I actually had anything to tell you XD those 3 characters are a bit underdeveloped--

So far though I've planned that Urchin and Cuttlefish are besties. Think Bratty and Catty from Undertale..? I had plans for Cuttlefish to be an experienced pirate that came from another crew. She somehow became indebted to Seafoam and by the time she paid her debt.. she was really attached to the crew. So she stuck around.

Though with her personality being sly and crafty.. I would expect her to find a way to slip through the crew fingers and escape instead of paying her debt. Soooo that backstory might be given to another character or at least has to be altered in some way..

For Spider Crab I'm playing around with the idea that he is the crews medic. Also I think him, Louis and Octo would be friends. I can see Louis always dragging Spider into doing fun activities with the rest of the crew XD Also Him and Octo are close becuase they both understand/respect each others space... that and Octo isn't loud and obnoxious like Louis is XDD

That's unfortunately all the info those characters have atm.. thank you for taking interest in them though! :DD It makes me very smile :}}

GASP!! :000 THANK YOU SO MUCH!! :}}} Right back at you!! :DD 👉👉✨✨✨

[iamnmbr3]

I always viewed the Malfoy family dynamic as something very complex, and I'm sorry if you talked about this before but considering canon events without Cursed Child, I was wondering if you they would accept a possible drarry relationship.

Thank you so much for your patience waiting for an answer to this ask. You raise a really interesting question and I wanted to sit down and write out a good answer.

First of all, you had me at "considering canon events without Cursed Child" lol. Every time I remember that people were paid cash money dollars to write that atrocity and then actually put their names on it I get so mad. Imagine getting PAID to write a followup for a beloved series and not even bothering to read it. Because I know I can't prove it but I feel so sure that the two dudes who wrote it just skimmed the wiki. And even if viewed as it's own thing it's so bad an lazy and just ugh. Anyway, that's not what this ask is about. I just had to rant about how much I hate CC for a minute.

I definitely think the Malfoy family dynamic is very complex - and would only grow more complex in a postwar world where Draco canonically changed his views and rejected what his parents taught him (and probably largely still believed in...even if they would know better than to admit it out loud.) I think Lucius was definitely glad by the end that Voldemort got defeated, but not because he gave up his blood supremacist views (though I'm sure he professed to have changed his ways...not that anyone bought it this time). This divergence in ideology would probably lead to some tension. Especially between Lucius and Draco since Draco would probably come to have an increasingly negative view of his father's actions and might also blame him for a lot of what their family ended up going through.

When it comes to their reaction to drarry I think the first factor to consider is what their views of a same sex relationship would be. If we assume a HP world where that's fine, then the only issue is how they would react to Harry. In that case I think they probably are less than thrilled and more than a little suspicious (although Narcissa did canonically expect Harry to know where Draco was and if he was alive so actually maybe she at least wouldn't doubt Harry's motives as much as we might expect). Certainly Draco's relationship with Harry is advantageous so I think they wouldn't complain too much. Not to mention I think Narcissa's entire life focus is on Draco's safety and happiness so if he's happy she's happy.

Now, if we take the lack of visibility of any canon gay characters and the fact that unmarried characters like Alphard (or Sirius or Muriel Prewett for that matter) seem to live a "confirmed bachelor" coded lifestyle as evidence that wizarding society's regressive social values include deeply engrained societal homophobia then we also have to deal with what Lucius and Narcissa would think of Draco being with a man. In that case obviously it would be a much bigger shock and they would have a much more difficult time coming to terms with it. Of course, Draco might also not tell them in that case, but if we imagine a world where attitudes are starting to change he would eventually tell them if/when the relationship went public. They'd have a harder time coming to terms with it and might never fully be comfortable with it - especially Lucius who I think values the Malfoy name and image a bit more and also seems to care about Draco a bit more as idea - as the Heir TM - than as a person.

Again though, I go back to how we could plausibly argue that during the Manor scene Narcissa figured out just how much her son cares about Harry - to the point that she possibly dragged him away from the fight because she was afraid he would do something rash. And she asks Harry in the forest where Draco is and if he is alive - because she expects that Draco would have gone to find Harry and that Harry will know where he is and what his status is. I wonder if she actually thought something was going on between them. I mean, even VOLDEMORT knew something was up. Perhaps when she lied to save Harry it wasn't just to get to Draco but also to protect someone she knew her son loved. Anyway, given all this, I think she loves her son and I think she would accept him for who he is and that would include accepting who he loved, even if it was a love she had been taught was wrong. And I don't think she would tolerate Lucius openly mistreating Draco even if their relationship became rockier as a result. (Not to mention the last thing Lucius wants to do is get on the wrong side of The Chosen One TM given that his position in a postwar world would be precious enough already).

[alpaca-clouds]

Why I loathe CoD Hector

Something I really wanted to write a proper blog on, is Hector. I answered on another blog on this before, and wrote a shorter thing about this before. But I really wanted to write something on its own. Because I will once again iterate: While Hector in the animated series definitely gets to finish out his character arc, he works a lot better as a character than his game counterpart. And that even though the game came out at the time, where Castlevania tried to go more for storytelling.

Yet, there is this thing, and that mostly comes from it still being an old action-centric game... How the need of making the main characters of action games until sometime in the 2010s into the stoic kind kinda made them worse characters.

I said it before: The Castlevania games for the longest part never really were that interested in telling characterdriven stories and focused more on the gameplay. Which is very much fine. But even when they tried to include more story, for the most part they still keep the brutish, stoic protagonist. Even Alucard, despite looking like a beautiful princess, is very much the stoic male protagonist. This is just a thing with action media that was going on for way too long. Sure, even stoic characters could make for good fan interpretation in stuff like fanfics, it often is an issue that the media itself does not want to actually explore the characters emotions.

Or, to make it fairly clear: This has very much to do with this idea of toxic masculinity. A lot of old action media (not only games, but also movies and such) will not allow male action heroes to show emotional vulnerability, because that would be unmasculine in the eyes of the writers. Which then boils the characters down onto the supposedly "masculine" emotions, like anger and the urge for revenge.

And this is kinda where we get to Curse of Darkness.

We have this whole backstory through the manga, that goes into Hector's background and all that. While I will say that here I prefer the animated version, too, I will fully admit that this is just a subjective thing (I like that the animated version draws some clearer cultural aspects into it, while also giving Hector the agency of killing his abusers, rather than having it happen as an accident), because I definitely can see why people would prefer the manga version.

Where this ends, however, is already at the moment when Hector joins Dracula. Yes, I will fully admit that I am not a big fan of game!Dracula in general, though I will not go into the why here. He works as a game villain, I will admit that, though.

No, what I dislike about Hector's story with Dracula is more the: "And he becomes like the best forgemaster. Like he is so amazing and so strong, and did we tell you how amazing he is?" It goes too much into the power fantasy to me. While I get that the game canon heavily drew on this idea of the main conflict between Hector and Isaac being one of jealousy... I will just say, that a conflict of jealousy is actually so much more boring than a conflict of ideals. And the backstory by far had enough going on there to make it a conflict of ideals, as Hector did still - like in the animated version - not like the idea of killing thousands. Which could have been used for a lot of conflict, but... yeah.

I will still say, that for the most part, the backstory works. While I roll my eyes already at everything with Rosaly, because Rosaly is very much the incanation of the trope where this pure hearted girl saves the soul of the corrupted man (I don't know how this trope is called, but it is for sure a trope), it does work so far.

No, where Hector as a game character stops working is... at the game. Or rather in the moment that Rosaly does do the thing that she as the sole female character in this entire fucking story has to do: She dies so that her death can motivate Hector. And that is to me where game Hector as a character does stop working.

They could have given Hector any motivation to face off against Isaac. They had put up more than enough story fragments in the manga that they could have build from. They could have made it that Isaac wanted to go for revenge and before he could do it, Hector tried to go in there to protect the people he had now learned to love. They could have made it that Isaac tried to ressurect Dracula. They could have made it that Isaac tried to continue Dracula's work until Hector decided that he could not let his former friend do this, because Hector now knows better. There could have been several interesting and good motivations.

But no. Instead they went with: "Girl dead. Boy sad. Boy angry. Boy wants revenge." The fuck?! This is just so bad in terms of storytelling. It is just the refrigerated woman trope, in its most lazy iteration.

They could have given Hector an interesting motivation and conflict. But no, instead they went for revenge. Ugh.

But that was not enough for the writers of this game. Ooooooh no. If it was just that, I would still hate it, but I would be fine with it. Because let's face it, a lot of games use the "revenge for loved ones" trope. Sure, this game is not using it in the most creative way, and it could have done a lot better from the backstory that was set up in other media, but... It is fine. This is fine.

What is not fine however is Julia. I hate Julia. I hate everything about her as a concept.

And again, mind you. I absolutely would not have a problem with Julia if she was just "some girl" or just "Isaac's sister". Then Julia would be fine. It would even be fine if Hector caught feelings for her, even though I would once again roll my eyes at this.

No, what makes Julia so offensive is the fact that she looks and sounds like Rosaly. Meaning, that she explicitly, not just implicitly exists to be a replacement for Rosaly. And that just makes it all so, so badly written.

Worst of all: This gets never explained. Julia just is Rosaly's doppelganger. Just because... Well, because the writers of this game wanted to have their cake and eat it too. They wanted to motivate Hector by revenge for a dead girl, but also wanted to have him end with the girl. And it is just... misogynic writing. I am sorry.

It portrays women as "things" that can be easily replaced. And I hate this so, so much. It is the reason why, even though CoD might not be the worst game in the series, it is by far the one I loathe the most.

And they could have so easily done it differently. Either by not motivating Hector through Revenge in the first place, or by just making Julia a different person from Rosaly. Make her strikingly different and then have Hector fall for Julia. That would have been fine. Just this: "I broke one doll, but I will just get a replacement" thing that game has going is... horrible.

And yes, additionally I will say that another reason why I do prefer the animated version of Hector is, that he is not the stoic kind of character, but he is actually fairly vulnerable. He is a bit of an idiot who easily fall for people. He definitely does not get to have his power fantasy. But it is exactly this that I like. Because it is a story we usually do not get with male characters.

The story of Hector in the animated series is very much a story that would have usually been given to a female character. And I adore this fact. I adore how they switched the gender stereotypes around for this.

Yes, I am well aware that some fans of the games hated this, too. But I honestly have to say: Look, the game characters might have some minor differences, but all in all they all fall under the stereotype of the stoic action protagonist. Yeah, the series needed to switch this around a bit, because it would have gotten boring otherwise.

And frankly. I am sooooo sick of protagonists being all stoic all the time. Give us some variety. It won't kill these characters to smile from time to time... Or, you know, be vunerable.

[mamuzzy-creates-stuff]

E for ALL the ships! Please (:

E - Do you have any favorite headcanons for this ship?

For ALL THE SHIPS!!! You really gave me a homework, love <3 But I really enjoyed writing this little compilation.

Let's see...

-- OrdoMaze --

My favorite thing about them is how they try to understand each other's functioning and motivations in life and usually this leads to conversations that can result in passionate arguments or potential fist fights and then hatesex.

Books are usually a topic they usually don't agree.

Maze is rigid in a way that he wants to feel the accomplishment that he worked very hard for a specific reward or something that is not obtainable in a military, such as: books. Eventually, the free-books available are not enough and sometimes he wants to read something other than dry information from the Jedi archive (free library pass from General Zey).

"Pirate it, then." Ordo shrugs, he doesn't understand why Maze is doing ethical dilemma over getting stuff he needs.

And then Ordo will never hear the end of it how artists, writers, content creators are working hard to tell their story, and is it harming for the creative industry to "just pirate" while not being compensated for it.

"I pirate it for you? So you won't have to feel bad for not compensating them because only I was involved in the... crime" Ordo offers, a sincere gesture to make his boyfriend happy.

Ordo will never hear the end of it but also won't understand the contradictions why morals and being a law-abiding citizen are even question here, when Maze works illegally in a low-level pub as a dishwasher with fake id and has a secret bank account so he would be able to properly pay for his books.

-- OrdoEcho --

Ordo is devastated that he can't express his love toward Echo through sharing food, because Echo is picky as fuck when it's about edibles created by natborns. So he keeps red ration bars - Echo's favorite one-, in his snack-pouches so he can surprise Echo with it~

-- OrdoEchoMaze --

Ordo and Maze is that kind of couple who are getting together and breaking up every two weeks. Maze started dating Echo when they were in this break up period and Maze decided that maybe he deserves better, more understanding and sensitive boyfriend (meaning, not the Ordo-kind of sensitive). Ordo almost killed Echo in jealousy.

-- FoxFives --

Fox and Fives' favorite datenight is going gambling, cheating their way though the games and get away with it, rewarding themselves with greasy junk food at Coruscant's low-level street carnivals, kissing in public to freak out people who think they are twins, and then soaking in naked in a public bathhouse.

-- FoxThorn --

This is an AU were Commander Fox joins later the Guard, reassigned from the fronts. And some eldritch occurences are involved too.

While Thorn was in sleeping-coma, he wasn't sleeping entirely. He heard Fox's every words who was thinking loudly while sitting at his bed or walking around the room. Fox needed someone to talk who wasn't hostile to him and who is better company for that than someone who can't mouth back?

I like the idea that Fox either shared the ideas how he will break this curse on Thorn. But sometimes he just shared that he misses the frontlines, he misses his men, he misses when he was actually knew what he was doing.

-- TEcho --

Tech and Echo first meeting was actually happened much earlier. Tech followed an interesting bug into the ventshaft, which in the end, collapsed under him and he landed in the mess hall, more precisely, in Echo's lap. (yeah. I know. I know. cheesy as fuck shut up) Echo immediately fell in love with this weird guy who protected the bug with all his life.

-- KalWalon --

Kal is shortking and Walon uses this as an advantage when he wants to piss off Kal. He actually has to bend down a bit if he wants a kiss from him.

"Beg."

"What now?"

"Beg for that kiss."

Walon realized too late that it wasn't the usual "Kal is deaf from all those explosions"-what. Kal headbutted Walon on the chin.

[ae-neon]

Okay I'm rereading some beginning chapters of acotar and Feyre says Alis and the two other servants look human/high fae. Like humans with pointed ears. Specifically described Alis as a brown haired woman.

It's probably the glamour, but a very interesting take on it.

Also Tamlin "plops" down into his chair as a horse sized beast AND THEN shifts back to high fae form??? 😭 Sarah what are you talking about?

Credit tho, this is probably the best Feyre is written. Smart, observant, thinking - still panicked but not making stupid mistakes. And kinda funny, she thinks Tamlin is wearing the mask in solidarity with Lucien since Lucien probably wants to hide his scar.

Lucien is a bit weird? In retrospect, he knows about the curse, about the sentries going despite Tamlin's reluctance but he's acting like Tamlin traded Andras's life for Feyre's?

Also sjm's manipulative writing. At no point has Tamlin done anything to save Feyre or earn her trust but she mentally starts switching from captor to saviour out of nowhere. It's only chapter 5 or 6. Be serious. She hasn't even been there a day and she's saying the humans were wrong about Prythian.

Alis and the other two servants cut Feyre's hair, why? Also Alis telling Feyre to take Lucien down a peg lol.

Alis says Feyre will be safe at the mercy of their master and just before she left the dining room Feyre saw Lucien bow to Tamlin as well as be talked down from throwing Feyre out. How does she not know he's the High Lord?

Lucien to Tamlin: you have zero rizz, my boy

Also Lucien: "we're not going to bite." Teeth gleaming in a way that suggested otherwise. Cassian stole this man's whole flow 🙄

Not Tamlin saying it's an honour for a human to be served by a High Fae, stfu.

“You look … better than before.”

Was that a compliment? I could have sworn Lucien gave Tamlin an encouraging nod.

“And your hair is … clean.”

HAHAHAHA

(Lucien muttered, “So typically human.”) racism.

Lucien was seriously upset about Andras. That hurts.

Tamlin immediately assures Feyre that he's helped her family with income. It's chapter 7. The tension is sucked out of the situation and Feyre's motivation to leave is nullified by the author. That's kinda bad writing. Narratively it makes sense for Tamlin to use this against her trying to escape tho.

Tamlin has magic ropes? Hands? That can just hold Feyre in place?

Feyre: he's lying. Also Feyre: faeries can't lie.

“Why be so generous?” Lucien gave me a look that suggested he had no idea

They literally just finished making sure she wasn't in love with anyone back home so she could fall for Tamlin easier. So Lucien knows exactly why???

Feyre misses sleeping next to her sisters 🥺

Nesta must be stretching her legs and smiling at the extra room. She was probably content imagining me in the belly of a faerie—probably using the news as a chance to be fussed over by the villagers.

She legitimately doesn't know anything about Nesta.

...maybe the villagers would turn on my family, not wanting to be associated with people tied with Prythian, and run them out of town.

acotar Feyre would punch acomaf Feyre in the mouth

"Your hair is … clean. A pathetic compliment." 😭😭😭

(“What in the bottomless depths of the Cauldron is—”) so you're telling me sjm actually used to use real lore and incorporate it into worldbuilding. Wow. Like this is such a good line and flows so naturally from an upset Alis because of course that is how fae see the world.

I couldn’t bring myself to look at my slightly uptilted eyes. I knew I’d see Nesta or my mother looking back at me.

I’d sometimes wondered if that was why my sister had insulted me about my looks. I was a far cry from ugly, but…

I bore too much of the people we’d hated and loved for Nesta to stand it. For me to stand it, too.

The dynamic between Nesta, Feyre and the ghost of their mother could have been one of the realist, rawest elements of this series...

[mikeellee]

Hi Mikellee

I remember you mentioned you watched a little of JJK.

What do you think of the Yuji & Sukuna Dynamic?

And how would you compare it to the dynamic (or lack of) to Shig & Izu?

Do you think Izu & Shig Dynamic taking a centre stage would have improved MHA?

Hi @kite2013

I feel you ask to the wrong person as I dont watch JJK but I do get spoilers here and there and I do think is better than MHA (to be fair, anything is better than MHA even the basic of basic shonen "MC wants to be the big boss" type of story where is all white and black mentality works better than MHA)

But I feel I can answer your question. BTW, @bibibbon can answer better about JJK as I have a rough understanding of the world of JJK.

You know, I vividly remember people saying how MHA is a subversion, they are absolute wrong...as it is not a subversion, just plain incompetence...Now, Yuji and Sakuna IS, to my understanding, a subversion of "monster who is sealed on MC and becames friends with it"

Naruto is a famous exemple of this trope. I like Naruto and Kurama´s relationship. I even plain in explore this in a naruto wip I´m working on slow snail peace...

At first, you really think Sakuna and Yuji would be like that...and I remember seeing fans who fall for that line of thought...and BOOM, Sakuna IS evil. Sakuna IS a monster.

There´s no friendship or love in him.

I dig that.

I don´t fully know his past...I think I saw someone on twitter mentioning he WAS once human but became smth else or always born this way. I don´t know...But I like the idea he embrace his monstosity.

Shig aka Mr. Sexyman is............................Nothing. Sure. he does bad stuff but he does without a purpose. Sakuna has a purpose even if you are to tell me "He wants to destroy all Japan" (I think he wants to kill a lot of people and create a new cursed kingdom, I may be wrong) I would still say ...his purpose make sense, there´s no big baddie who manipulated him ...nor "weeping child" behind him.

Sakuna IS pure evil.

A perfect anthisis for Yuji.

Mr. Sexyman (I call him like that bc is all Shig has...he is hot, and nothing else) has insane amount of paralels with Izu and........................Useless as the author doesn´t know, rather, didn´t know what to do with it.

Shig´s motivation also makes no sense. IN CANON HE, HIMSELF, admitted how all this destruction doesn´t fix his heart. WORDS THAT ARE FROM HIS LIPS. (Well, I think he said it in his thoughts, but the feeling remains)

Shig has no introspection. SAME AS IZU.

Shig wants to destroy all and everything and WE HAVE NO IDEA WHY.

Sakuna doing that because he is evil works for me because he embraces his monstrous side.

Shig is just a human...

Also, Shig´s motivations or plans make no sense...it feels half of the time he is not doing anything and the plot has to fall on his lap.

Izu and Mr. Sexyman have no dynamic! NOTHING.

Antis who used to come at me or other shigadeku saying we are gross for shipping "BROTHERS" (Bare with me for a moment) are delulu bc Shiga and Izu doesn´t even have that. DFO IS NOT CANON. IZU NEVER MEET SHIG BEFORE THEUA INVASION AND THE MALL DATE...AND AGAIN, THEY AREN'T RELATED.

They are virtual strangers...

Shig is obsessed with Izu...but is so lazy to do anything (which is a big fail for a villain...as you know, villains are notorious for giving a huge fuck about their heroes)

Izu also show 0 interst in shig (don´t blame him here but it´s odd...everything in Shig should have got his attention ASAP. He should have been more curious)

They have no dynamic...so for their dynamic to take center stage...Hori would need to create one. It´s impossible as he dislikes Izu and Shig, but assuming someone else wrote it...the dynamic should be in two forms (if I was the one writing)

Mr. Sexyman wants to be saved and teams up with Izu as they come to an agreement. Working together to kill afo for good.

Mr. Sexyman manages to corrupt Izu to the dark side (afo hijacking shig never happened thanks to izu) and well, Izu is appreciated and Shig is no longer under afo´s eyes.

Those are my options...and I would pick the second one bc WOW the heroes mistreated Izu so much, A1 too.

[abigail-pent]

My friend read Torah this morning, and it was the portion with Cain and Abel, and we were talking about it just now. And of course since I've got TLT brainrot, I'm thinking about Cain and Abel in the context of Cainabeth and Abella/Ianthe and Coronabeth. Some thoughts:

Cain was the one who had the idea to make a sacrifice; but the implication of the text (per my friend) is that the sacrifice he made wasn't "good enough," because he wasn't sacrificing the best of the land.

Abel, by contrast, does sacrifice the best of his portion (the animals) and this is why his sacrifice is accepted.

Cain is essentially told "better luck next time," at which point he kills his brother and hides this. G-d asks him "where is your brother, his blood cries out to me" and Cain says "am I my brother's keeper?" and he is forever cursed because of the blood he sheds.

Since I'm hearing this story again with Ianthe and Corona in mind, my read on the Cain and Abel story has now become: when G-d tells Cain to do better next time, to make sacrifices that are worthy, and specifically to sacrifice the best of what he has, Cain asks himself, "what's the best of what I have?" and the answer is "my brother, Abel." this is of course a deeply misguided Lyctor-ish kind of thought, and like the Lyctors in TLT, this act fucks up his sense of self -- so he hides, but cannot escape the curse that this murder puts on him.

Interestingly, in the text it isn't clear that it's G-d who curses Cain. G-d tells Cain that he shall be more cursed than the ground, and Cain blames G-d for putting this curse on him. The curse is that he won't be able to use his gift anymore -- he was a tiller of the soil and the curse is that he won't be good at that anymore. So he has to wander the earth. And in the text, when G-d puts a mark on Cain it's so people will know not to kill Cain. I hadn't paid this much attention to the text before but it's actually pretty easy to see a read in which the mark of Cain is not a curse, but an amulet protecting him from the consequences of his actions.

So... who is who, in TLT? On the one hand, seems clear to say Cainabeth -> Coronabeth and Abella -> Ianthe. Ianthe makes a sacrifice (Babs) which is accepted, so she can ascend. Corona makes a kind of sacrifice (pretending to be a necromancer all her life even though what she wants is to be a cavalier; asking her sister to "take [her]" instead of Babs) and it is not accepted; she doesn't become the furnace of her sister's Lyctorhood. And if that's the read, then if this parallel is actually going to play out in its entirety, Corona will kill Ianthe. But is she her sister's keeper? Ianthe is definitely Corona's keeper; we see that over and over again. We see it in Harrow's letters; we see it in the way she has been covering for Corona for her whole life; we see it in the fact that Ianthe says in Nona that she has a plan for "us to be us" again. Corona is not exactly Ianthe's keeper; she's definitely submissive where Ianthe is dominant; she does betray Ianthe to Blood of Eden, but she's so grateful to Palamedes for not hurting Ianthe, and just over and over we see that she doesn't want harm to come to her sister. Her values and actions are in conflict with the empire that Ianthe has come to symbolize, but it isn't at all clear that Ianthe isn't trying to subvert the empire from within, so they may not be working at cross purposes at all. Corona is not not Ianthe's keeper, and she does feel responsibility towards her.

On the other hand, the order of the names in the GTN end matter suggests Cainabeth -> Ianthe and Abella -> Corona. After all, of the two, it feels clear to me that Ianthe has to be the "worse twin." I just don't know if there's scope for Ianthe to kill Corona. As spectacularly awful as she is, Corona is the one person who's consistently important to her. G-d is not (she didn't say the prayer, her motivation to ascend is ultimate power and pictures of her face). But at the same time -- her sacrifice of Babs is certainly not her sacrificing the cavalier that's most important to her. Really, Ianthe's sacrifice is a lot more like Cain's sacrifice than it is Abel's. She refused to give up the best of what she had, instead giving up Babs -- nobody cares about Babs -- whereas Corona absolutely does give up the best of what she has. She literally gave Ianthe her whole life, and Ianthe didn't even want it. (ooh bonus Corona/Gideon parallel, I've got chills.) Corona's sacrifice is worthy in the way Abel's sacrifice was worthy; it hasn't been accepted yet, but who's to say that it won't be? What throne will she mount? Will someone bind her down?

A lot of this question -- who is Cain and who is Abel -- comes down to asking, who is G-d in the Locked Tomb? John claims the title, but he has all of his power because Alecto chose him; so isn't Alecto actually G-d here? Isn't Alecto the figure who could accept or reject a sacrifice in this tale? Or put a mark on someone to protect them from being killed? (Is the Lyctoral eye-switch a form of the mark of Cain? I think so.)

Also a lot of this question could be answered if you just assume that what we're looking at is a subversion of the Cain and Abel story and not a straight retelling. And I think we're more likely to be dealing with a subversion; in which case probably neither twin will kill the other.

I do think everything that follows after the murder feels extremely Locked Tomb. Being cursed to wander the earth, or the universe (Blood of Eden); having to give up the skill that made you you (HTN I'm looking directly at you); G-d putting a mark on you that makes you unkillable (Kiriona Gaia hello). The elements are extremely there.

so... not clear I've come any closer to unraveling the mysteries. but it's been fun anyway. good Shabbos, hope you enjoyed this little drash.

[watchoutforthefanfics]

achievement unlocked 🔓 (part six) || Streamer AU! Reddie (IT)

Part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

AVAILABLE ON AO3

Inspiration: this prompt + BIRDS OF A FEATHER by Billie Eilish

Summary: Richie liked to play video games, and by some stroke of luck, it became his job. Being primarily known as Trashmouth on stream, he found his own little group of streamer friends and they became intertwined: The Losers Club. It never did feel quite complete, though. Well, until, he got his very own backseat gamer in chat.

TWs: everything with Eddie's Mom, hurt/comfort, vague mention of toxic relationships, low self-worth, self depreciation, a little angst (it gets better), loneliness, child neglect, imposter syndrome, cursing, and shameless flirting.

[[A/N: The boys have a very important conversation. This one is a hit for me personally. Like in romance, plot, and feelings. Enjoy :))]]

Richie hasn't heard from him in a like a week and a half.

He saw that he read his message, and kind of felt a little like rotting away in bed. Like maybe he needed a month off, could he ask for that? Would his fans understand?

He was the kind of person to second guess everything he'd ever done, including the streams themselves. Like had he said something wrong? Came on too strong? The worst part was he didn't know.

Well, until Bev told him.

"Chat asked if he was your boyfriend," she'd said after Richie confided in her, "-I don't know if it has anything to do with it, but they did."

Richie was staring up at his ceiling, it was early in the morning. He knew that, too early. If he had to guess, it was around 2 or 3. He hadn't entirely been sleeping well recently (due to a lot of things some pretty obvious and others not), so this wasn't abnormal. Not really. There was something in him that was chastising himself, mostly because he had been stupid ('too clingy' his mind chimed in a voice he knew from a long time ago), and the other half was curious. So fucking curious.

That was the thing about Richie Tozier, he was a fucking curious guy. Maybe it was eating play-doh in kindergarten, or daring a boy to kiss him because it might feel more right than a girl did. He was brave, in a sort of stupid way. Or at least that's what he thought.

Stanley would probably say he's impulsive, but at the same time fearless. He always made sure to tell him that he was probably the bravest person he knew. Ever maybe. Richie didn't believe it but he thought about it a lot. Thought maybe he could believe it one day, or use it as motivation.

Right now, it felt a little like motivation.

He kinda moved on autopilot, just blindly grabbing his phone (it was 2 am going on 3), and opening Instagram. His fingers moving of their own accord. He was always good at just doing-

trashmouth.tozier ✔️

is the idea of dating me so fucking bad ?

He thought initially, that he'd be mortified. That he'd be scared to fully chase him away, but something in him steeled. Something a little like bravery (if he was honest), but Richie wasn't really thinking of that then. All he wanted to know was why. Even though the reason might curl up into his chest and squeeze his heart so tight that it fucking breaks. Or add to a list of what he thinks is wrong with himself, maybe make him feel shitty beyond belief because he had really fucking liked him-

He had to know.

It was just in his blood. Maybe he could fix it for the next person, or just not do it anymore-

e.kaspbrak

It's not that, Richie.

You're a fucking great guy.

trashmouth.tozier ✔️

right

u just ghosted me for funsies

e.kaspbrak

I'm being serious.

I didn't mean to ghost you. That's not what I wanted to happen.

trashmouth.tozier ✔️

well it did

u actively did it

how can u not mean to do that ?

e.kaspbrak

It just happened!

I got fucking scared, okay?

trashmouth.tozier ✔️

is it me ?

I just want to know

did I fuck it up ?

e.kaspbrak

Richie it's not you.

Something in him wanted to believe him. But it didn't make any sense. That wasn't... It never worked out for him-

trashmouth.tozier ✔️

it's always me eds

always

so what did I do

e.kaspbrak

It's not you.

trashmouth.tozier ✔️

it is

it has to be

I always fuck up

His fingers were still moving, another text on the edge of his fingertips. He was typing, and it was all coming out-

e.kaspbrak

Can I call you?

Richie's lips fell into a frown, and something in his stomach tightened. Old memories of "I wanted to do this in person" flickering through his head. Here it was. The talk. The talk of "You're too much" and "This won't work" and "You're too clingy"-

trashmouth.tozier ✔️

eds just say it to me through text

I don't need a phone call

I know what u r going to say

e.kaspbrak

Don't just assume shit.

You don't know what I'm going to say, Richie.

trashmouth.tozier ✔️

I do

I've been through this before

just end it eds

just tell me that it was never what I thought it was

or maybe what I thought it could be

e.kaspbrak

I'm not doing that.

Can I call you?

trashmouth.tozier ✔️

tell me what's wrong with me

is it talking too much?

is it being too clingy?

just tell me so I can fix it

e.kaspbrak

There's nothing wrong with you Rich.

Please, just let me call you.

I'll explain fucking everything.

Richie paused, trying to calm the burning of his eyes and the lodge in his throat. He really didn't want to fucking cry over someone again. He just got too attached. Like he always does.

He needs to listen to Steve, the guy always said that he needs to have a reality check sometimes. "It's okay to feel attached to someone, Richie," he'd said once, "-but you need to know when you're going a little too far. When you might hurt yourself." At the time, Richie just waved it off because he hadn't had to worry about it, at all. It had been ages since his last boyfriend and at the time, there were no potential people even near him. But now, here he was, fucked over... again. He just couldn't believe-

e.kaspbrak

Fuck it.

Before Richie could move to text anything at all, his screen changed and a cheery little tune echoed through the air. He felt a little frozen, staring at it.

e.kaspbrak is calling

His phone was vibrating in his hands, as he continued to stare -it looked a little like his glasses were smudged, but he was pretty sure it was just his eyes (blurry with tears). It took everything in him not to fold, the green button was right there, the option to hear him out laid out on the table, right in front of him. And Richie wanted it so fucking bad-

He answered.

All the breath in his chest halted, hitched at the silence. Like if he breathed, Eddie would see him. Know he was there. Even though he'd already answered it, which pretty much guaranteed that he knew-

"Richie?"

Here's the thing, right, so Richie never really thinks about consequences. Like the fact that, in answering the phone, he would hear Eddie's voice for the first time. And it might very well be cute, very cute. Or maybe hot, he couldn't decide. So, in the grand scheme of things, this was not good for him. Eddie was going to reject him, and all he could think about was that he had a cute voice.

"Rich, can you hear me?" The voice piped up again, and Richie recognized something then in the tone -worry. Eddie was worried. (He got it a lot to be fair.) A few emotions fluttered through him at that moment, some stuck on the way he said his name. Richie wanted to commit it to memory, change his ringtone-

"I know you're there, dipshit. So, fucking answer me."

Richie took a second, exhaling a breath, but still saying, "Eds?"

It might've come out cracked and a little wet, but Richie hoped to god Eddie couldn't tell. It would be worse if he felt bad while he was rejecting me. If I was fucking crying and that made him hesitate-

"Yeah," he spoke, softer -a little in disbelief, "-yeah. I'm here."

Richie closed his eyes for a second, trying to picture Eddie (who he only saw in Instagram posts) speaking with this voice. Like he was right in front of him, he wanted to see what it would look like. He hoped he shriveled his nose up in a cute way when something smelled bad, or he bit the inside of his cheek to hide a smile-

Focus, Richie, his mind chimed, we think he's literally ending things (were they even a thing?) and you're fawning over him. What the fuck.

"I am too," Richie added -awkwardly.

"Well, fucking obviously," Eddie spoke, near instinctively (something in Richie swirled that they slotted so naturally together), "-I called you."

"To say what exactly?" Richie offered up carefully (for himself or Eddie, he didn't really know).

There was a heavy sort of silence then, the kind that splayed across his shoulders at like 3 am when he couldn't sleep. The terrible kind, the uncomfortable kind. If he was any sort of self-reflective, he would probably say that explains why he talks so much because he's afraid of the silence-

"Do you remember when Mike called you?" Eddie asked, voice low, "-And... And how he talked about my Mom?"

Richie replied, quietly (trying not to break this moment), "Yeah, I do."

"I wanna-" he started, before faltering and letting out a big breath, "-I wanna tell you about her."

"Eds," Richie interrupted, "-You don't have to do all this. You can just say-"

"Just shut the fuck up for once," Eddie exhaled, exasperated, "-Let me talk."

Before he could stop himself, he chimed back with a louder voice, hand coming to naturally salute, "Sir, yes, sir!"

The little laugh that Eddie choked out nearly sent Richie into cardiac arrest. His brain buzzed to a low static hum, and heart squeezed in his chest. This was so fucked. Maybe he should just hang up-

"You're such an asshole," Eddie commented, laughing a little through it again (kinda like he was trying to hide it though). Richie wanted to make him full-body laugh so hard that it made his skin fucking burn. He had the urge to keep trying. Desperately keep trying. Because if this was the last time, he really wanted to hear it. He might die never having heard it, how the hell was he supposed to do that?

And then, he started.

"I grew up with Mike and Ben," Eddie explained, "-in the middle of fucking nowhere Maine."

Richie almost said 'I know', but he could tell this was very sensitive. There were boundaries, and he understood them.

He kept going, words slowly making their way out of his lips, "My Dad died when I was really little. No one knew it was coming, especially not Mom. And I was too young to know him, I think, but I still missed him... a lot."

Something in Richie's chest faltered. Was he really going to end it? Because this really didn't fucking sound like i-

"All I remember is that he was sick like out of fucking nowhere, and he died too quick to figure it out," Eddie breathed out, "-and I think that's probably where my Mom started."

"Started what?" It slipped out before he could stop it, and he immediately recanted, "-Shit, sorry, I didn't-"

"Relax, dick," he responded, laughing a little (it made Richie's head swirl, more) again, "-I think it helps. Hearing you, I think it helps."

Richie had no fucking clue what to say to that. His voice? Comforting? Was he dreaming right now-

Before he could get into it too much, Eddie continued, asking, "Have you ever heard of Munchausen Syndrome by proxy?"

Richie paused a second, thinking.

"I think-" he started, trying to map out the path in his head, "-I think so. That's the uh... shit where you think you're sick but you're not, right?"

"Munchausen Syndrome is," Eddie confirmed, "-but by proxy is doing it to someone else. Like..." he swallowed heavily, "-Like your own kid."

Richie's lips fell into a frown, "Eds, if you don't wanna talk about this, you don't have to. Seriously, it's okay. I don't have to know-"

"I want to," he interrupted, swiftly, "-I wouldn't fucking tell you if I didn't want to, Richie."

He fell a little silent for a second (he wants to tell me), and quietly responded, "Okay."

"My Mom... Because of Dad's death, or maybe she was always this way I'm not really fucking sure," Eddie explained further, "-She started thinking I was sick all the time. That I... That every time I left the house I could get sick. That I would get sick."

Richie just listened.

"She hammered it into my head so hard that I used to carry around a fanny pack full of medical supplies-"

"Cute," Richie said, involuntarily.

Eddie laughed again, but this time it was more of a giggle. The soft warm kind that made Richie want to frolic through meadows or curl up in a ball under the warmth, enjoy it. It shot something through him that he could make him laugh at all. He'd always loved making people laugh, but Eddie? He thinks he's been waiting on one particular laugh his entire fucking life.

"I seriously think you need to get your head checked," Eddie finally responded, and somehow Richie could tell he was smiling, "-Were you fucking dropped as a baby? Multiple times?"

"As much as I would love to answer your question, Spaghetti," Richie responded, in a prim proper voice, "-I am not at liberty to know. You see, dear Eduardo, when I was mayhaps dropped, I would've been a baby-"

"Eduardo?" Eddie commented, and Richie could nearly see him scrunch up his nose in disgust.

"First you say, don't call me Eddie dickweed," Richie lists off, "-then you say that's not my name, I don't like it, they're stupid-"

"They are stupid, dickweed," he replied, "-but I like them. For some weird fucking reason."

Richie felt his heart flutter in his chest, before asking, "How does that make sense?"

"You're stupid," Eddie added -a little too nonchalantly, "-and I like you."

God, he was so fucking gay. Incredibly gay. Beyond comprehension. It was in his blood. Which one of his parents gave him the gay gene-

Richie sputtered out, awkwardly, "I like you too, Eds."

Eddie didn't say anything for a second. And Richie thought maybe he wasn't going to.

"Good," Eddie spoke, awkward too, but very, very headstrong. It was with a lot of conviction, so much so that if Eddie said anything in that tone, Richie would probably believe it was fucking law.

And then, it shifted right back into place.

"Before you fucking distracted me," Eddie chastised, "-what was I talking about?"

"Your little fanny pack," Richie was quite literally still picturing it in his head, actually.

He could almost tell Eddie wanted to say something about it, but he decidedly didn't.

"Right," he said instead, and Richie could hear him shift -could feel the nerves build up in him (somehow he had the urge to soothe), "-my Mom made me scared of everything. She wouldn't let me leave the fucking house, ever, she home-schooled me, and I had no fucking friends. And on top of it all, I was okay with it because she framed the world as this big, bad place that could only hurt me. She even made me take pills, placebos, I used to call them gazebos when I was too young to understand it-"

"Cute," Richie said again -that time maybe a little voluntarily, before clarifying, "-not the Mom thing, but the... the gazebo thing."

Eddie laughed again, just a little tiny one (Richie could barely catch it), "Are you just gonna say that about fucking everything that I do?"

"I dunno," Richie teased, "-You are pretty cute, Eds."

"You're such a dick, trashmouth."

"That's my name, don't wear it out," Richie chimed instinctively.

There was a pause after that, playfulness dissipating in the air. It made Richie want to squirm a little. He was never too good at seriousness. Never. Hence the jokes while Eddie was talking (although, he was pretty sure bringing him back from the edge was the main reason). It felt a little like he was trying to think of what to say next, or if he wanted to say it at all.

"She made me into a fucking health freak," he explained -abruptly, "-I worry about every possibility of sickness in the book, I carry germ-x around with me in my pocket-"

"Is that why you knew about the lack of sleep shit, and-" Richie questioned, "-why you wanted me to eat something else?"

"Yeah," Eddie answered -frankly.

"So you were just worried about me?" Richie clarified, carefully.

"Well, yeah, but-"

Richie's heart skipped a beat in his chest. Maybe he really wasn't going to end things. Whatever they were.

"-that whole thing on stream, it reminded me of my Mom," Eddie clarified, and Richie could nearly hear the nerves crawling up his throat again, "-and I promised myself that I wouldn't be controlling of people I care about like she was. And then I, and then I did it. To you of all people-"

"Eds."

"-I was just like her. I told you what to do-"

"Eds-"

"-And I know that's how trauma shit works for whatever, you get used to the cycle-"

"Eds-"

"-But I promised myself, promised. And then I did it to you, the person I think I care about the most in the world-"

He had to process that one a second, but still moved forward, "Eds-"

"-And I was like my Mom to you. I was neurotic like I always am-"

"Eddie, baby, breathe," Richie spoke, loud in a gentle sort of way, but low enough to not bother the neighbors, "-You're gonna pop a fucking blood vessel, or maybe send yourself into a heart attack. And to be honest, I really don't want you to die."

There was silence on the other side of the line, but if he focused enough, he could hear frantic breaths (not as fast as they once were, but still).

"Do it with me. In," Richie started, and he could hear Eddie sucking in a breath, "-out. In, out-"

They continued like that, for longer than Richie expected to. But he didn't have a problem with it, all he really wanted was for Eddie to calm down. To bring him back down to earth, no matter how long it took. A little like it was what he was built for, and in another life, he'd been doing it for a lot longer. It felt natural.

He waited until he couldn't quite hear his breaths so loud anymore. Until it seemed comfortingly quiet.

"You okay?" Richie spoke -gently, waiting a moment.

There was just a second of silence.

"Yes, yeah," he seemed to swallow, "-I'm okay. Thank you."

"You don't have to thank me," Richie replied nearly instant, impulsive (brave maybe), "-like fucking ever, Eds."

Eddie was slow to respond, "Why not?"

He swallowed, hesitating (don't scare him away), but there was something else. Eddie had just been so genuine, who was he to hold back?

"You're like my favorite person," he added, laughing nervously but entirely genuine.

"Seriously?"

"Of course, yeah," Richie laughed, "-I know I talk a lot of shit, but not now. And-"

Eddie didn't say anything.

"-You're not your Mom, Eds. That... On the stream, you were just worried about me. If I didn't want to listen, I could've said no. I'm not that much of a bitch."

There was a silence, and Richie wondered for a minute if he said too much. It only lasted a second.

"Who told you that shit about yourself?"

"What?" Richie questioned -a little startled.

"Earlier," Eddie clarified, somewhat frustrated (Richie was not sure where exactly it came from), "-all that shit about you talking too much and being too clingy. Or... Or that it was always your fault?"

"I, um," Richie started, a little lost, "-old boyfriends and like... high-school bullies? But, uh, mostly old boyfriends."

"Old boyfriends?" Eddie stressed out -something fierce in his tone, "-Are you serious?"

"Uh, yeah," Richie responded -blankly.

"What kind of fucking dicks are you dating?" Eddie asked -seemingly genuinely.

"Shitty ones," Richie laughed a little nervously -deflecting, "-I guess I'm kinda used to like closeted guys, or like, the ones who don't really want to be seen with m-"

"What the fuck?"

"Yeah, I-" Richie swallowed, "-I have this thing about uh, affection. If they give it to me... I'm pretty desperate for it, so I just... I just take it where I can get it, I guess."

"You have to fucking know you deserve better than that, Rich," Eddie breathed out -voice unshakable, "-you have to."

Richie pressed his lips together for a moment, letting the words swim across his skin. He never really believed it, never, but it was gaining on him. From everyone, he got the same thing. You deserve better. And it really was so hard to believe-

"My parents don't give a fuck about me," he spoke suddenly, laughing wetly, "-they haven't like my whole life."

"Richie..."

"My sister, Maggie-" he sniffled, wiping at his eyes, "-she's the golden child, all honors, and she's on her way to be a fucking doctor. I told them I was a Twitch streamer, an official one, and all they gave me was a text. They didn't even fucking call me-"

"Richie."

"-I mean you fucking have a child, you make a human being, and then just ditch them? Because the second one is better? Who the fuck does that shit?"

"Nobody worth shit," Eddie affirmed, tone heavy with frustration.

"That's-" Richie swallowed, "-Steve, my therapist, says that's where my whole affection and attention thing comes from. That I just want it so bad because I never got it growing up. It's why I'm so... much."

"Rich, that's not bad," Eddie interrupted, something biting in his tone (Richie could tell it wasn't at him, not really), "-You're saying that like it's fucking bad."

"Eds, come on," he laughed incredulously, "-you know that I can be way too much. I'm... I'm a lot. You call me out on that shit-"

"Richie, fucking listen to me-" he stressed, and Richie felt his lips snap shut, "-I call you out on stupid shit, and you do say stupid shit-"

Richie laughed a little.

"-But, you're not too much. At least not to me," Eddie continued, sturdy (so sturdy it shook through his bones),"-and frankly anyone who says anything else is a dumbass and not fucking important."

"Eds," he tried but it was weak.

"And stop fucking talking about yourself like that," Eddie continued, and Richie felt a little like his heart might explode, "-you're one of fucking kind, Rich. I have never met a person like you, and that makes you fucking special."

Richie took a shaky breath in, and felt something twist in his chest.

"And the people who don't see that," Eddie continued, firmly, "-can also go fuck themselves."

"Thanks, Eds," he replied, a little breathless. He didn't know what else to say.

"You don't have to thank me," Eddie repeated, "-like fucking ever."

Richie smiled a little, laughing. He couldn't believe where he was at the moment. Or what he was hearing. At all. Even still, his mouth moved.

"So you're not," he just started talking, "-you're not ending it."

"You're such a dipshit," Eddie chimed in response, and he could tell he was smiling again, "-It, hasn't even started."

"Fair point," Richie commented.

And then, there was a pause. Like there was some hesitation.

"I wouldn't mind it," he finally said.

Richie furrowed his eyebrows, "Mind what?"

Eddie took a deep breath, and kind of muttered, "If it started."

Richie's heart lept into his throat.

"Like," Eddie cleared his throat, "-Like, um, fucking talking... or whatever-"

"Talking?" Richie grinned so big that it physically hurt a little, "-What are we sixteen? Do you want to go official? Put a little EK in my bio with a little heart-"

"Fuck you," he interjected, and Richie could almost tell he was flustered, "-I take it back."

"No takebacksies, sorry Spaghetti," Richie chimed back -still smiling, "-You opened the door, I get to shut it."

"Do you want to?" Eddie suddenly asked, quieter.

"Want to what?" Richie questioned, genuinely confused by the tone shift.

"Shut the door."

Richie grinned possibly brighter. He felt like he could launch into the sun and burn alive, and still be pretty happy. Joyous. He could frolic in a meadow, holding his arms out, and fall back into the flowers. All while Natasha Bedingfield's Unwritten boomed through the air.

"No, Eds," he could tell that you could hear his smile (he hoped Eddie could), "-I'm leaving that thing wide fucking open. I'd open it more if I could actually-"

"Okay, I get it," Eddie laughed, and Richie felt something in him twirl. Cheesily.

And then, there was another pause.

"Are we okay?" Richie asked, carefully.

"Yeah," Eddie answered -unflinchingly, "-better than okay."

Richie wanted to throw his pillow across the room, and kick his feet, and write in his diary (if he had one) or maybe doodle little hearts in the margins of it-

"One more thing, actually," Eddie interrupted his thought process.

"Yeah, Eds?"

"Do you remember your exes' Instagrams?"

Richie barked out a laugh, and he fell into laughter for a few seconds, "Seriously?"

"What?" Eddie was completely serious (it only made Richie laugh harder), "-They need to be fucking put in their place."

"Eds, my hero," he stressed out in a higher-pitched voice (like a damsel).

"You're such a shithead," Eddie was laughing again, and adding on, "-and I'm serious. Send them to me."

Richie laughed again and felt something flutter in his chest. He's not ending it. God, he's not ending it-

"I know, Eds, I know."

[wutheringmights]

So, I read Lightlark by Alex Aster, and of course it's bad! I was there when the drama surrounding this book first happened. I read crow-caller's review! I knew what I was getting into.

That being said, a part of me was half-convinced that the badness of this book was over hyped. There was no way such a perfect shit storm of bad writing could actually occur. Something had to have been over exaggerated.

And... nah. It's perfectly hyped. The plot is nonsensical. The characters are nothing. It's reads like the first draft where the author is just throwing spaghetti at the wall to just get through the ordeal, only to never revise in order to weave in foreshadowing or fix plot holes.

The really infuriating thing is that a once-a-century death game populated by the heirs of various kingdoms in a bid to prevent their kingdoms from being cursed is a really fun idea. From that description alone, I already got a billion plot and character ideas. Lightlark doesn't even do it's core concept well. Fuck, the core concept isn't even there. But the book is so infamous that no one can take the idea and do something with it without being known as a Lightlark ripoff.

Every time I read a bad book, I try to use it as an opportunity to reflect on my own writing and see where I can improve. Lightlark is an interesting case in that the prose isn't 100% terrible. Some of the imagery so pretty effective, and you can tell that Aster has written something before this. Where it's not effective is when Aster tried a motif or image and didn't succeed. I have more sympathy for this than I should since there are plenty of times I have gotten too over ambitious with my imagery and ended up writing a big stinker.

That's not to excuse the sun being a "yolky thing," though. That's a really bad piece of imagery turned into foreshadowing, and for that reason alone, it's used constantly. Ugh.

But the imagery isn't my real concern. It's the overwriting. Aster has no faith that the reader can remember anything about the plot or stakes, and will have Isla restate plot points and her motivations endlessly. It's really infuriating having to wade through it while trying to get through the plot.

But that form of overwriting is also something I do. On one hand, I do this because CTB chapters release weeks apart and things from two years ago suddenly become relevant; I lean towards trying to remind the readers of old information so that they don't get confused in the moment. On the other hand, a lot of this overwriting is evidence of me trying to work out a plot point as I am writing it; sometimes, something doesn't make sense to me until I've written out the evidence to support it.

I need to get better at editing these moments out so that scenes are less cluttered and readers are less infuriated.

But, yeah. I read Lightlark. It wasn't really worth my time, but it was still better than Sasha Alsberg's Breaking Time. 1 out of 5 stars.

[reunionatdawn]

My Analysis of the Best Paired Endings in 3H (Part 14: Marianne/Lorenz)

Marianne: Back then, I felt that my life served no purpose and that I was nothing more than a burden. In truth, I was begging the goddess to take me to her. That was my daily prayer.

The Crest of the Beast is associated with The Devil arcana. It can signify depression and also be a sign of feeling trapped or restricted, as though outside forces beyond your control are restricting you, leaving you feeling powerless and victimized.

Unless recruited, Marianne was the only student to not appear outside of her home route post-timeskip. Some have speculated that she took her own life, which I suspect is true. It was likely the promise of a class reunion that kept her going those five years. And if Byleth is not part of the class, the house leader will not make the promise. There were only a few people during the academy phase that Marianne connected with strongly enough that they would motivate her to live long enough to see them again at the Millennium Festival.

Marianne: What do you believe determines a person's value? Sylvain: I like to think it's a person's smile. Marianne: Huh? Their smile? Sylvain: A smile, it tells you who someone is. Are they fake or sincere? It also makes you feel stronger when you smile.

While Hilda and Marianne became close friends, that didn't happen until the war arc. During the academy arc, there were only three characters who made a strong connection to Marianne, enough to make her sincerely smile. The first was Byleth. At the Goddess Tower, we can assume she was making a wish to die. But you gain Support points with her if you tell her that your wish is only to see her smile.

Dimitri: Ah, a smile and a laugh. Coming from you, that's a rarity. This must be my lucky day. Marianne: I just find the idea amusing. It's strange to think that someone like you could have anything in common with me. Dimitri: Is it so terrible a thought? Marianne: No, no. It's not that. It actually makes me happy. As though there's finally someone who understands how I truly feel…

Second was Dimitri. Byleth's arc was about awakening her humanity after living as the Ashen Demon, and helping Dimitri become human again, too. While Byleth could understand his capacity for depravity more than anyone, I think Marianne was probably able to understand his survivor's guilt best. If you're playing as Male Byleth, then I think Marianne is by far the best wife for him. Other than Female Byleth, he seemed to have the strongest connection with her because they both felt like cursed beasts.

Marianne: Please, Dimitri. Promise you'll live through this war and long after. I don't know what I'd do with myself if we lost you… Dimitri: As long as you are carrying on, I have yet another reason to carry on myself. I promise to the goddess of Fódlan that I will never give you cause to despair.

Dimitri longed for female companionship. He can marry his childhood friend Ingrid, his BL classmates, and even his old mentor Catherine. But Marianne was the only other non-Byleth wife to give him a reason to live and vice versa.

Lorenz: But perhaps it is for the best that your beauty not be revealed to all the world. Yes, it is certainly better that only I, Lorenz Hellman Gloucester, can appreciate your true magnificence! And on that note, I bid you farewell! Marianne: What a strange person… But being called beautiful just the way I am? That was nice to hear.

The final one was Lorenz. I believe the writers probably based this ship on Beauty and the Beast directly. Marianne could even talk to animals like a Disney princess.

If he could learn to love another, and earn her love in return by the time the last petal fell, then the spell would be broken. If not, he would be doomed to remain a beast for all time. As the years passed, he fell into despair, and lost all hope, for who could ever learn to love a beast?

The "Survivor of the Curse" felt totally worthless because of her bloodline. She spent her whole life avoiding other others due to her shame of her Crest. She needed hope that she could love and be loved in return in order to survive.

Catherine: That's not to say lineage counts for nothing. It just doesn't count as much as how you live your life, and what you live for. Or, let's say I was descended from some noble house. Would that change how you treat me? Lorenz: Yes, it would. To treat you differently from the commonfolk would only be appropriate.

The "Noble of the Red Rose" was pretty much like the Disney prince. Arrogant and judging people on their status and outer appearance. He would invite girls to dinner just to evaluate them. His character arc was about learning that lineage is not the defining factor in someone's worth and that true beauty is found within.

Lorenz: I have always sought to embody the ideal of nobility. That, at least, is a goal I continue to stand by. But now I know that bloodline alone is not sufficient to gauge a person's worth.

The Crest of Gloucester is associated with The Hermit arcana. The Hermit card in Tarot is a card of introspection, soul searching, analysis, and self-reflection. It denotes that this is not a time of socializing or action but of peace and solitude. And a hermit like Marianne was his preferred dining companion.

Marianne: I've been keeping this from you for a while. It's… It's about my Crest. It's just terrible. I— Lorenz: Please, that's quite enough! You're trembling. If uttering this secret hurts you, then I have no desire to hear it. Your smile is a greater gift to me than any truth. Whatever you have hitherto concealed, I am certain it is essential to you. And I do wish to know it. But not until the day arrives when you can tell me with a smile on your face. I am not the sort of man to prize my own knowledge over others' happiness, you know. Besides. The mystery is part of your charm. Marianne: Hehehe! You're funny, Lorenz… Lorenz: There! That's what I mean! Your beauty has always captivated, but that smile truly warms my heart!

It was cute how Lorenz grew to value Marianne's inner beauty the most and accepted her the way she was. He didn't even want to know about her Crest until she could tell him with a smile. It showed how much he'd grown as a person.

Marianne: But now I fear the idea of dying and being left alone. I have friends who accept me for who I am now, in spite of my Crest. And I have you watching over me. I've finally learned to accept the kindness and warmth of others. It's because of you, Professor. Because of you, I've decided to live.

In Houses, Marianne tells Byleth that they are the reason she decided to live because they taught her how to accept the kindness of others.

Marianne: For so much of my life, I didn't care if I lived or died, and yet… And yet when I saw you there beside me, I realized I did care. I wanted to live. Lorenz: And that is good enough. Such instincts are only natural. You needn't try to justify it to yourself, or anyone else.

In Hopes, Lorenz actually fulfills Byleth's role of being the one who helps Marianne feel like she wants to live. So, this ship definitely felt tailor-made for both of their character arcs and the writers liked it.

Marianne: This is the first time I've smiled in so long…and I have your kindness to thank for that. Lorenz: As I've said, you are perfect just as you are. But I suppose I can take a little credit! Yes, your radiant smile shall illuminate all the world! With me by your side, you will not be able to help it! Marianne: Hehehe! I'm looking forward to that.

Marianne was sent to the academy to marry a powerful nobleman, but unlike many of the other girls, that is something that can bring her happiness. She didn't have any big dreams that she'd have to sacrifice to marry a noble and she genuinely liked Lorenz.

Lorenz & Marianne After becoming the new head of House Gloucester, Lorenz initially focused on the recovery of his own territory before energetically engaging in the governance of all of Fódlan. Having earned recognition as a skilled politician, he suddenly announced his own marriage. His partner was Marianne, the adopted daughter of Count Edmund. Having learned about estate management from her shrewd foster father, she also became involved in the domestic affairs of Fódlan with Lorenz after their marriage. Particularly, she achieved significant success in promoting dairy farming, leading them to be praised as the "parents of cattle and horses." It is said that Lorenz was not pleased with being referred to by that nickname.

Lorenz's dream was for his name to go down in history, and he does achieve a great deal acting in the governance of all Fódlan. In this ending, he has a much different nickname than he probably imagined for himself, but I'm sure it made Marianne smile because her life work benefited the animals that she loved so much.

[imminent-danger-came]

I can't wait for the S4 finale episodes to solidify MK as monkie. Maybe we get a scene with MK's war form and Azure going "...fuck."

Also good mentor Sun Wukong moment where he apologizes because he has no idea what's going on but he's pretty sure it's fault and he manages to calm MK from war form.

ME TOO. The way MK being a monkey has been playing out is so thematically delicious for MK as a character. IT'S GOT IT ALL. His identity being literally shattered, all roads leading "to pain", being "just like Wukong", his self-worth being lower than it's ever been—as an MK fan, it does not get any better than this let me tell you.

I've discussed here and here why I think MK's creation is 100% Wukong's doing (or at the least partly his doing) and that he knew about MK's origins the whole time, but dear anon, you and I agree that Wukong will have his good mentor moment.

The end of 3x14 was a good start, but Wukong has hurt MK, and this is something MK has never confronted/discussed with Wukong himself. Mei did so on his behalf in 3x10, and Curse MK did so in 4x07, but we haven't had MK really and truly express himself to Monkey King directly (more on that later). So now we've had 4 seasons and 3 specials worth of building and unresolved tension, and you can see MK's hurt bubbling beneath the surface.

In the Revenge of the Spider Queen special, Sun Wukong unknowingly made MK feel like he couldn't help. Like he "couldn't do anything on his own". He—in a way—abandoned MK at the beginning of s2, "leaving him to figure out everything on his own". He wasn't honest or upfront to MK or the rest of the gang about his half-formed plan to defeat the Lady Bone Demon. Honestly, even expecting MK to face Demon Bull King on his own was...a debatable choice. Yes, fighting demons just like that was how Sun Wukong learned (it also being what he did in JTTW), but that doesn't mean that's what MK needs. Plenty of characters have pointed out that Wukong is a terrible mentor (Macaque in 2x07, Pigsy in 2x10, Mei in 3x10, SWK himself in 3x14), and I'm inclined to agree.

This isn't to say that Wukong doesn't already have any good mentor moments, or that he doesn't care about and love MK (he truly does), but he's flawed. Wukong's choices and mistakes have affected MK, and now MK doesn't want to hurt the people he loves in the same way Wukong has hurt him:

Curse MK: "We’re just like Wukong. A fraud! A trickster! Destructive! Why would our legacy be any different? Actually, no no- the chaos and destruction we’ll bring upon the world will make Wukong’s past look like nothing."

(4x07 Pitiful Creatures)

-

MK: “And the most messed up thing is, I- I never even realized, never even questioned who I am, or where I come from, or why, or- Until I know what I am, what my destiny is? I can’t risk hurting the people I care about—the one’s I have left.”

(4x08 The Brotherhood)

-

And oh, is it BEAUTIFUL irony. The 4x08 scene I listed above is a direct parallel to SWK in 3x10. MK, in one sense, doesn't know anything about himself, yet he knows everything he needs to: he's exactly like Wukong, fated to "hurt the people who care about [him] the most". After all, that's exactly what just happened. MK, desperate to save Monkey King from Azure Lion, gave into his anger and frustration and went full on monkey demon. His goal was to free his beloved mentor from his prison, yet it only led to Wukong's scroll piece getting sliced in half.

And so, motivated by fear, MK in 4x08 does the exact same thing Wukong does to him at the end of 3x10: MK runs off, MK leaves (JUST like he does in 2x05, 2x10, and the entirety of s3). This causes the people who care about him to worry, inadvertently hurting them in the process. And, oh, is it SO GOOD. LBD was right, there is no running, destiny will always catch up.

[The rest of the meta will be under the cut!]

MK ran away because he didn't want to hurt anyone more, which is the exact reason Wukong ran away at the end of s3 and even disappeared for hundreds of years:

MK: "*sigh* You think Monkey King ever felt like this? Maybe that's why he stayed up on this mountain, just having a good time with you guys. You know cause- cause he knew he'd be out of the way where he couldn't hurt anyone he cared about." (4x09 Roast of the Monkie Kids)

Wukong wanted to stop hurting MK, to keep him out of his fights, so he ran away from MK and towards his own demise. Doing things alone has never worked out for anyone in this show, and ultimately, Wukong only ended up hurting MK more. It's tragedy at it's finest.

If you'd like another punch in the gut, this 4x01 scene is particularly great for doing that:

MK, staring into his reflection, compares himself to Monkey King—seeing every bad trait in himself and none of the good. "We're just like Wukong." MK believes he's a fraud, tricking all the good in his life into being there.

Curse MK: "You can see it, can't you? This is your fate. Your friends will turn on you, seeing you for the monster you will become. They will destroy you, harbinger of chaos. It's just like the Lady Bone Demon said—despite your efforts, all you'll ever do is cause pain and suffering." (4x07 Pitiful Creatures)

So, let's finally go back to MK having never confronted Wukong.

There are already plenty of reasons for MK to feel hurt, but now we've only added to the pile with MK's past, and how Monkey King hid it from him. The end of 4x08 already parallels 3x10 in so many lovely ways, however, I believe we are due for a second 3x10 parallel.

Mei: "You knew. All along you knew I had this THING inside of me. And you hid it from ALL of us! Why? What were you afraid of, that you were going to have to TEAR me apart to get your precious Samadhi fire!?" (3x10 The Samadhi Fire)

This scene alone is paralleled to with MK and Curse MK in 4x07. It's another piece of evidence for the fact that Sun Wukong definitely knew about MK, but it's ALSO evidence for MK finally confronting Wukong after the truth comes out. Just like Monkey King knew about the ring inside Mei, he also knew about MK. Just like Mei snapped and revealed all of her pent up anger towards Sun Wukong, MK will do the same thing.

I don't particularly know what war form is, but I have heard a cry in my notes of people like me who want to see MK go berserk, and I am hear to provide evidence for those people of that likely happening. Let's look at the couple of times we've already seen MK flicker into monkey demon form:

(I hope you enjoyed my "Scary MK Moments" compilation.)

MK's cracking the ground around him, he's flickering, he's even catching some of his friends in the sheer force he's emanating. When MK becomes a Monkey Demon, it's never treated as a good thing narrative-wise. The first time MK fully enters this form it's at the end of 4x07 when he defeats the curse, which then directly causes Wukong to become trapped in the scroll and Azure to free Peng and Yellowtusk. The next time MK goes full on Monkey Wukong's scroll piece get's cut in two. Both times, MK doesn't feel in total control.

In fact, MK choosing NOT to indulge in his monkey demon form is met with much more success:

Macaque: "You don’t want to fight Azure because people might get hurt, you don’t want to not fight him because people might get hurt--so do something else! Only you get to decide who you are kiddo." (4x10 The Jade Emperor)

And then that's what MK does, he chooses not to fight and instead steals back Wukong's scroll piece. His choice to save and protect the people he cares about rather than to fight back is the right one—he even runs away with his loved ones rather than without them. But even then, MK has to choose to resist his Monkey form:

It's all very in line with "harbinger of chaos" and how we could ever get to a point his friends would ever turn on him.

At the end of 3x10, Mei herself goes out of control—but MK refuses to let her go or abandon her. Instead he runs directly towards the fire, reaching for his friend, successfully bringing Mei back to herself. I 100% believe that Mei will do the same thing for MK. At the end of 4x08, we even see her start to make that same reach:

But MK leaves before she's able to.

This makes me think it will happen later, and that we'll get to hear her say "We can figure this out together!", as done previously many times.

I imagine it playing out something like this: MK goes into SWK's scroll piece to fix it from the inside, going through Wukong's memories along the way. MK comes across Wukong's memory of his creation—this is when things take a turn for the worse, as MK slips into Monkey Demon form and confronts the real Wukong about it (this scene would be a lovely parallel to 3x10 and Samadhi fire Mei). Wukong—meaning well—says the wrong things/reveals information that only makes everything worse. This pushes MK to go fully berserk and instigates the Sun Wukong V MK fight of my dreams. Their fight causes the two to break out of the scroll, giving Mei the opportunity to calm MK down.

Wukong being Wukong, is going to want to make it up to MK. With everything now out in the open, I think he's going to be able to do exactly that, and we'll get our good mentor moment.

[punkpandapatrixk]

🛼Strange Motivation—Timeless Tarot Guidance for 🐞🐍⛲🐝ALL SIGNS

With the elements/signs of the zodiac, you can freely use your Sun, Moon, Rising/Ascendant, or even your Stellium (❗️)

[Back to Masterlist]

People are motivated by all kinds of unique motives. Some are motivated by things others would perceive as shallow or wrong or unimportant; but who are they to judge, really, when each of us, our own lives are afflicted with the ebb and flow of strange desires?

We are all free beings who can do whatever the fuck we want. We’re always learning and growing anyway. As you are free to pursue your own dream Life, so others are free to pursue theirs in their own ways. The more you mature carrying this mantra, the more you are at peace with all people’s strange motivations.

If you see something you don’t like or can’t agree with? You’ll know intuitively to remove yourself from the situation/environment. You have the freedom to ignore things that aren’t in alignment with your own value system without being aggressive. Live and let live; everyone’s really just trying to create a Life they can love💖

☆♪°・. energetic intro ☆♪°・.

Punk Astro Guidance is a timeless☘️reading, but this one has the backup energies of both New Moon in Gemini in May and Solar Eclipse in Scorpio in October, because, why not? The season tells me so. You know Gemini is a creative whacko~🤡and Scorpio is a psychopath who tends to be drawn to all kinds of strange and taboo interests~👹

Don’t rely too much on logic; just trust in your magick!

Strange Motivation for 🐞Fire Signs – Red Magus (Edward Kelly)

Your natural gifts, depending how you use them and who sees you use them, can be either a curse or a blessing. Original talents that are far and between get misunderstood a lot; some people may even be frightened by your abilities. But if you devote your Art to the improvement of your environment, sooner than later everybody is gonna kneel and thank you.

🐏Aries – Ace of Wands

A fitting card for Aries. You are a powerhouse of originality. Your passion alone moves the world and alters it for the better. If only you would devote yourself to finishing whatever the fuck you’ve started, hon🤡But hey, you’re talented at many things, so as long as you remain devoted to pursuing your honest passions and developing your skills around those core passions, there’s no way you’re not making it big in the world. Because you’re passionate and earnest, one way or another, a way is always gonna be available for your access. You’re supported and protected by your Higher Self like that.

Given the backup energy of this reading, Gemini and Scorpio; this is an interesting blend of being chill about shit whilst at the same time, passionately and seriously devoted to your personal interests. What motivates you in this world? What keeps you going? Honestly, being Aries means you can only follow an idea or inspiration that is faithful to the song of your Soul. Following the crowd is only gonna send you to misery. You don’t follow the trend, fuck that, you ARE the trend! You were born into this world with powerful magic and manifesting abilities, you just need to direct those powers wisely. Invest only in things that matter to your Soul. It’s something personal. You don’t follow nobody.

Like a pied piper, you’re the leader of a crowd. But where are you leading your people? Hopefully you study enough and become so skilful that nobody’s manipulative temptations get to corrupt the purity of your intentions. You’re meant to be of service to your community by rising from ashes and waking up to your own personal power. Grab your CROWN; you’re going places~

🦁Leo – King of Pentacles Rx

Of all the Fire signs, Leo is the most logical thanks to its fixed quality. But this card in reverse is saying that sometimes trying to be too logical can make you a bully instead. And you’re being a bully, in a sense, mostly to yourself. You can be really hard on yourself and then that behaviour bleeds into your communication style with others. Of course, we all know you expect to be respected, to be seen as someone strong and capable, so that others wouldn’t mess with you. You demand to be respected, but in maintaining that outlook, you could be inviting strife and drama instead.

That said, when you find this reading, try to sit back with a nice cup of tea or something, and then tap into the more intuitive side of your being. Ask yourself what you essentially wish to see manifest in your reality right now. What is causing you stress and distress? You may find that a lot of the critical opinions and cruel desires in your mind were just implanted by your environment. Because you grew up with brash people, you thought you needed to also be like that so as not to lose. Now is the time to start wanting a different reality altogether.

You’re currently very supported in dreaming a better reality. Remember: all kinds of change in the physical begin with dreams and visions. Carefully select your thoughts and be determined to delete harsh thoughts that aren’t serving a compassionate reality for yourself. Maintain that vision and protect your manifestation. Anything or anybody that causes tension or slows down your dreams, they can go. Or, you can decide to ignore and move the fuck on. You’ve got this!

🎠Sagittarius – King of Wands

OMG this is so funny; the first thing that comes to mind is: have you ever thought of being a mentor to somebody? Well, Sagittarius is indeed the philosopher and teacher of the zodiac, but OK, maybe not everybody wants to be a teacher or a university professor. In that case, this is just saying that you may want to be under the mentorship of someone else. Maybe you have a role model online and want to emulate their lifestyle or communication style or anything else? That can do, too. You can begin with copying, emulating someone you admire until you develop your own colour. That’s how a lot of people achieve greatness, so there’s no shame in that. Why else would we have celebs to look up to?

As you turn your Life for the better, so you become a beacon of Light for another. And then, without meaning to, you become a celeb for other people who want to emulate you. Those who see your light and want to shine like that. You achieve all of this by sheer passion, you know. There’s something extremely magical about earnest passions, you know? Just by being honestly yourself you’re serving your community.

Other than that, you may also want to pursue higher education. I’m seeing it’s crucial if you wish to be an expert at something important to you. Law if you want to defend justice and protect the innocent, for example. I feel like whatever you’re focusing on right now, you need higher knowledge and expertise to be able to deliver your point of view in a respectable manner.

Oracle Guidance for Fire Signs🔻❤️

Access full reading + cards on Patreon🌸

☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・.

Strange Motivation for 🐍Earth Signs – Silver Geographer (Francis Drake)

Earth signs are known to be quite straightforward when it comes to using logic, but not necessarily so when conveying feelings. As such, you may, from time to time, lack the ability to wholeheartedly listen to what someone else is trying to communicate to you, especially when feelings are at the heart of the matter. Thing is… as you avoid the discomfort of hearing people talk about feelings, you may just lose a chance to build better network LMAO

🐂Taurus – 5 of Wands

Amongst peeps who are versed in astrology, Taurus doesn’t always have a likeable reputation due to its unwillingness to be flexible. However, I hope you are aware of this yourself that you’re blessed with so much creativity and a kickass sense of humour. Taurus rules the throat and the 2nd House, what do you think that’s all about? Communication, original expression, wealth amassment, and the limelight. Taurus consciousness has the desire to be seen and applauded for all that it has to offer the world. The word ‘entertainment’ comes to mind.

You like to entertain people and just make friends—at your own pace. Yeah, sometimes you fall into arguments with people, which may have made you think being around people is draining. But from a higher perspective, that usually happens when you refuse to look at another person’s reason, priority, or point of view. That’s selfish on your end, if you have the humility to admit that.

The main focus of this reading for you, right now, is the motivation to learn to be gentler, more flexible with the way you communicate with other people. Think about this from a more intuitive perspective: can you imagine your immediate reality becoming that much more pleasant and friendly if everyone dropped their defences and started to communicate more honestly? More than you realise, a lot of people actually want to be genuine friends with you; you’ve just got to develop humble self-reproach so you stop thinking people are out here trying to personally attack you.

🧘🏻‍♀️Virgo – Ace of Cups

You’ve been praying for a renewal to take place in your Life, especially in the emotional realm. It seems you’ve been dealing with harsh people who aren’t exactly patient themselves, so you get really tired of dealing with them. Although you may want to cut all ties with them, there’s currently a message to be a bit more patient right now. With yourself, hon. Endure the situation and rise above petty arguments; maintain your cool without sacrificing your integrity, or dignity. In due time, you will be glad you persisted. Why?

Because during that time you endured the bullshit situation, you grew up. You become emotionally stronger and now you’re unshakable. Any kind of bullshit behaviour thrown your way, you’ll know how to handle with grace. That’s literally the strongest mental capacity indeed! You’re currently in the midst of creating a good future for yourself.

Listen and observe how others behave. You don’t have to resort to arguments; let them say what they need to say, and keep the records, and one day you’ll have plenty of materials to use against those who have oppressed you. Huehuehuehue~ Patience is key; cuz Karma hits like a bitch.

🐐Capricorn – Queen of Cups Rx

Some aspects of your Life need to undergo massive transformations, expressly and expediently! Why? Because the cosmic energies of Love are trying to enter your Life! It’s coming real fast, so you’d better make space for it. Like… imagine you’re buying a grand piano, it’s arriving in two days, now you’ve got to rearrange your living room or library to welcome this darn huge piano, aight? You may even need to throw away useless stuff to make space for this precious new item. You get the picture🪗

But, if you have an emotional attachment to whatever should belong in the garbage, you’re gonna have a difficult transition. That said, I’d like to remind you that whatever the Universe is trying to remove from your reality is something (or someone) vibrating lower than pure Love with a capital L. Cosmic energies of Love, patience, grace and kindness are trying to enter your Life. That means a new Reality that respects your divinity is dawning. So don’t be afraid of letting go your emotional attachments to garbage😬

Your cup still has some stale wine in it. Trust me you don’t wanna finish that just because you think you have to. Have the courage to throw that away and refill your cup with fresh, better quality wine, and savour the fact you’ve done marvellously well to deserve that new wine. Be motivated by Love, my friend. If there is Love, respect comes naturally.

Oracle Guidance for Earth Signs🔻💚

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Strange Motivation for ⛲Air Signs – Gold Astronomer (John Dee)

Being all about intelligence, Air signs could develop the strange motivation to brave all kinds of challenges. It excites you when you can prove yourself capable of resolving complex issues. But when you are faced with roadblocks at every turn, maybe those obstacles are there to remind you that this isn’t your Divine Path…? Be careful your drive and motivation aren’t dictated by what you think you should pursue based on other people’s standards or expectations.

👯Gemini – Ace of Swords Rx

You’re usually someone who comes up with creative, brilliant ideas on a heartbeat. But right now you’re lacking inspiration. Perhaps because the old priorities aren’t exciting anymore. You feel like Life has been pretty much the same; you feel like a hamster running on a wheel; and your space is so small it’s literally suffocating you. Your brain is both tired and bored. You need new hobbies and new learning grounds—nope, not new obsessions; that sort of thing doesn’t last, you know.

If you’re only beginning to ponder what sort of exciting intellectual pursuit you should devote yourself to, first, be in silence. I know not everybody is into this thing called meditation, but you’ve got to try this silencing of the mind so you hear your heart. Meditation doesn’t have to look like what you think it looks like; as long as you’re able to calm your nerves down and breathe slowly, you’re on the right track.

The thing here is that you’re often into new hobbies that don’t last because you’re pursuing something shallow. You could be the most Gemini person on Earth but I’m sure even you have some depth to you. You ain’t just your Gemini, right? What about other things like your Moon? North Node? 5th and 10th Houses? Surely those placements can tell you what creative endeavour you could potentially enjoy for a long, long time~?

⚖️Libra – 6 of Wands

Have you ever truly pondered what it means to be of service to the world? Narrow minded people might say, ‘Who the fuck wants to be a servant?’ but those are only the people who don’t understand that they themselves are part of a bigger community. As one person serves a community, fulfils their role in society, and so on everybody does the same, so society functions well. By utilising skills and expertise that have been honed by dedicated hard work and study, everybody essentially becomes a hero to their own community. But all of this is mere philosophy because at the end of the day, most people are too stupid and too selfish to know how to maintain a good society.

But how about you personally? Are you ever motivated by this altruistic philosophy? Do you envision a better world where people are a tad less stupid and self-destructive? If you resonate with this reading, you’re currently being awakened by your team of Spirit Guides to realise this vision. They’re reconnecting you to the more spiritual aspect of your drive for success. Being spiritual doesn’t necessarily mean you have to like crystals and herbal teas, OK?

A lot of inherently spiritual people are also in the business sector of society; changing the way businesses are done in a more humane and respectful way. Also in the entertainment industry, also in IT. You get the picture. So anyway, you were born into this world carrying seeds of manifestation that are potentially world-changing. Do you even remember what your mission is?

🏺Aquarius – 9 of Cups

Wow, look at all of that light in both your cards. The magician oracle (Gold Astronomer) also depicts a shooting star. It’s like saying, as an Aquarius, you’re a genius who’s supposedly always inspired by your divine connection to the Cosmos. A lot of people fail to mention that Aquarius is also an extremely spiritual sign—I mean, come on, you’re literally second to last in the zodiac wheel. You’re just as spiritual as Pisces; but your personal expression of spirituality is just different (very Aquarian quality) from most other signs. These words, ‘don’t rely too much on logic, just trust in your magick’ are totally for you in this reading.

If you decide to be guided (your path lighted) more by your intuition, you’ll be so much more content emotionally. You will feel a sense of independence that isn’t necessarily aloof or detached from the rest of your community. I know that feels important to you because no matter how icy cold you can be, you do care about people. You have this innate desire to be there as a source of hope/inspiration for others. You want to be a Light for others. But people either drain you or bore you to death because they’re too pathetic in many ways LMAO

So, if this truly matters to you, I’d say you need to be motivated by emotional independence. Kinda sounds weird. But this is essentially about cultivating a caring heart, a tender compassion for others whilst not being personally attached to them. If you don’t do this, Aquarius tends to end up being aloof or detached after feeling disappointed in other people’s behaviours. In the long run, that ain’t very healthy~

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Strange Motivation for 🐝Water Signs – Silver Alchemist (Ramon Llull)

If you know the story of Ramon Llull, it’s quite fascinating how his penchant for studying occult knowledge made him open for persecution; however, due to his saintly demeanour, he was spared the Church’s bloodthirsty attention😏Water signs tend to observe too acutely the unfairness revolving this world, and this often leads to a breakage of the heart… or the character. Those who can’t afford turning cruel are heartbroken constantly; those who can’t afford a constant heartbreak are turned to cruelty.

🦀Cancer – 3 of Pentacles Rx

It’s often been said that Cancer peeps need to constantly shield themselves from the negativity of other people. It’s especially true if Cancer is your Ascendant. I guess it’s because Cancer is the baby of the Water signs; it explains why this consciousness gets easily confused in the stream of other people’s negative ideas. Humans are social beings as they say, but if a Cancer-dominant person doesn’t set healthy and respectful boundaries, they may just get walked all over by other strong-willed characters. Being strong-willed doesn’t always translate into kindly behaviours, you know. A lot of negative-minded people are brash! And they can be extremely determined in the negative way they view the world.

You, as a Cancer-dominant person, must be proactive in shielding yourself from such influences. A lot of Cancers aren’t aware of this of themselves and they become lost in the stream of the world’s negativity and bitterness, and then, somehow someway, we all know Cancer Sun peeps as the most hated people due to their sharp tongue and unfiltered nastiness. Well Cancer, are you sure that nastiness is originally yours or what?

If you aren’t conscious of your surroundings, the environment you’re always in, you’re just gonna be a jackass without realising other people made you that way. Cancer is the mother of the zodiac; don’t be so weak that other people’s company turns you into a monster instead.

🦂Scorpio – 4 of Cups Rx

You’ve been deep in thoughts and dreams, but no matter how colourful the dreams appear to be, you feel bored and stuck in your everyday reality. It is because you’re currently being directed by your Higher Self to look to new avenues of creativity. This may mean changing jobs or starting a passion project you’ve been wanting to do. The time is now if you really wish to change your circumstances for the better. The longer you endure the stagnation the deeper you fall into depression. So don’t allow that to happen; it might be a real struggle to get out of that phase later. Have the courage to weather changes and challenges NOW.

Because, if you’re worried about failure or the possibility to seeing yourself having taken the wrong step… you’re wrong. There is a lot of abundance in store for you if you make the change or take the challenge. Abundance may not necessarily mean a rainfall of money immediately, but it can mean a gradual sense of liberation and calm. Being able to breathe fresh air after swimming all the way up from the dark bottom of the ocean.

Whatever you choose to do from this moment onwards, as long as you remain courageous and positive of mind, real gladness and happiness is yours for the taking. If you struggle a lot with negative expectations or fears, and you worry such thoughts might ruin your manifestation, I’d suggest subliminals for a positive self-concept. Your material abundance may be coming in slowly, but as long as you’re able to breathe calmly, that’s a good start~

🎏Pisces – 7 of Wands

Pisces or 12th House dominant people are usually spiritual even if each person’s spirituality looks different from what’s traditionally viewed as spiritual. There is a need to always be in communion with your Higher Self, team of Spirit Guides, or any other nature elementals, which may be considered gods or deities in many cultures, to maintain your sense of direction in this Human world. Whew, that’s a long ass sentence but please grasp that. You have a constant need to immerse yourself in the unseen forces that govern this Planet’s events as well as the lives of the creatures living on it. When you’re out of touch, you become confused and overwhelmed by all these things called ‘duty’.

In the Human world, people abide by so many restrictive rules and are expected to fulfil duties that aren’t even paying respect to the sheer dignity of being alive. Psst paying for housing and electricity is just one blatant example of this disrespect for people’s most fundamental dignity. If you allow yourself to be so absorbed into the rigidity of rules and regulations imposed by those psychopaths that govern Human societies, sooner than later you’ll turn yourself into a cold, detached and aloof puppet incapable of sparing kindness for other people.

Then you just become a tool for maintaining the whole world’s ugly status quo. Know that a lot of the world’s psychos and serial killers tend to have strong Aquarius and Pisces placements, hon. Pisces is the world’s most powerful healer and energy transmuter, but if you lose yourself to the Matrix, you’re done. Please just go back to God and renew your contract.

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[Back to Masterlist]

[psychewritesbs]

Hello, there's something I've always been confused about, when Gojo said that Megumi is a "trump card that his father was saving against the Zenin clan" what exactly did he mean by that? Was that a mistranslation or Gojo simply being manipulative? Cause if not, I may have missed some backstory or something cause Toji never gave off the impression he had any ulterior motive when he sold Megumi off to the Zenins, save for believing his son would be better off with the Zenins than with him. He was pretty straightforward with it so it confuses me where Gojo got the whole trump card idea?

HOLA!

HMMMMMM..... so I digged around for a Japanese raw for chapter 79 but couldn't find one, so I can't confirm what kanji is used in the original text. So we're sort of left with the actual idiom used by Viz--trump card.

This requires mental gymnastics under the cut...

While the idiom is predominately associated with having an advantage over someone else, the idiom seems to have multiple meanings that go beyond "something used to gain an advantage, sometimes a dishonest one."

i.e., Urban Dictionary tells us that a trump card can also be "the final resort but often the easiest way out [or] your most powerful option in succeeding at anything in life."

These ultimately have similar meanings but frame the idiom in a slightly different way.

In fact, I rather like the second definition as I feel like it fits the context a bit better considering Toji's relationship with the Zenin clan and how he saw himself as hopeless.

If we dissect the panel above, we can assume that what Toji is really saying here is "yeah I know I suck and that I am the black sheep of the family because I don't have cursed energy and all y'all looked down on me, but Megumi is not like me. He's everything that is good about me."

Ok that last bit was heavy hc but, idk... it fits the whole theme and Toji naming him Blessing, etc.

Also, this panel always breaks my heart because of the way Toji perceives himself.

Anyways. You can look at Megumi being Toji's "most powerful option in succeeding at anything in life" since he saw Megumi as someone who, unlike him, had potential.

So I think that rather than thinking of Megumi as a trump card he used to gain a dishonest advantage over the Zenin, Toji saw Megumi as one last bet he made, one last attempt at succeeding at something, anything.

BUT, it could also just mean that Toji saw himself as gaining an advantage over the Zenin because he sold Megumi to them, but he only ever did it for Megumi's sake. So in that sense, joke is on the Zenin for paying an insane amount of money to get said kid. So basically, Toji gets paid and Megumi's place in the clan is secured.

ALSO, your ask totally reminded me that there's one other character with a trump card.

Interesting how both Megumi and Toji are both held back by their trump cards.

In Toji's case because he sees himself as hopeless thanks to his upbringing.

In Megumi's case, he too sees himself as hopeless (or at least unable to tame Maho without dying), but also because he thinks sacrificing himself is the best he can do when on a pinch.

Thanks for dropping by anon, I hope this helped!

[miqoquest]

Season Two Ahki: The Adventurer

(Uh, this was done by my friend Raiko who has way more filters than I do. Bless.)

I've been reworking my character for a bit because she felt a little lost and I was brand new to the lore and the game so there was some inconsistencies with her backstory and themes. So this post is solely for me to map out a course of where I want Ahki to go. Honestly, I really highly suggest roleplayers do this with their characters to help tighten their focus. Sometimes venue and social RP, while fun, can make your character feel a bit "lost" so it's always good to keep little stepping stones planned ahead for your character so that they always have goals and motivations and feel real and sound interesting and... You get it. This is not a complete fleshed out backstory of who Ahki is, just a roadmap.

Quick Changes and Retcons

I didn't have a tight idea on Ahki's family and witch coven. I originally thought I'd trace them back to the Mhachi as a descendant splinter group. The Halloween Events hint at these groups existing. But, it just ended up being really convoluted so instead of the Mhachi, I switched the coven to be part of the Lambs of Dalamud which better compliments the Black Shroud and Keeper of the Moon lore.

By roleplaying, Ahki managed to find a mentor to teach her Shugendo which is why she has the robes and all. It turned her into a weeb, which was funny, but I'm scaling that back to fit her more original concept as a Cottagecore, Cute Shroud Witch. The mentorship isn't going away, the roleplay isn't going away, what she learned isn't going away. Ahki will just begin to apply and mesh those philosophies with her witchy skills she grew up with.

I want a proper witch look for Ahki. I don't quite have the glam for that yet. I also don't think she's earned it yet. She's going to ditch the Shugenja robes and opt in for a more casual, humbled and down-to-earth adventurer look for now.

Were Season One Ahki's goals completed?

Escape the Shroud from her Evil Family. Yes.

Get stronger to one day come back to her home and save her family from the evil voidsent pacts that curse them. In Progress.

Find friends and family and find a stable, healthy foundation to learn and grow??? Yes.

This was one of the reasons why playing her was starting to feel a bit lost on me. Her goals were vague because it was a starting point, I was brand new to the game, I didn't know the lore, I didn't know anybody. So I kept it very simple. Now that I have found more structure and have made those friends and RP connections, its time that Ahki have a mind of her own and have her own goals. She doesn't need to lean on people for help anymore. While she still preparing to save her family, she has that foundation to support herself now.

She...

...Is learning Shugendo and other Eastern disciplines to get a better understanding of magic and the world around her. She's not completely devoted to Shugendo, but her faith has been expanded and she has a more powerful connection to the spirits around her.

...Moved to the Mist in Limsa Lominsa to work for the Dalmascan Adventurer's Guild, Babylon. She lives there, has been gaining experience through guild leves, makes potions for adventurers, and has picked up a handful of handy skills.

Season Two Goals

Ahki needs to do more witchcraft and magic. I've been dropping the ball on this one. She just needs to be more witchy and druidy.

Ahki wants to learn more offensive techniques and learn how to fight to not only save her family in the future but to help her adventuring friends and defend the helpless! "I'm a healer, but..."

I want her to be helping out as an Adventurer a lot more. Before she was a little apathetic to wanting to go on adventures (she just wanted to save her family) but now she's grown used to it and has found that she has a bigger purpose in life.

Ahki should start a small business in potions?! A little side-hustle? This could make her a quest-giver and she can tell people to collect ingredients for her in the most hostile of territories.

I want her to defeat her evil family soon. There is a big "What Now?" moment once that goal is finished that should propel her into a more interesting character and that will bring us Season Three Ahki! (...Maybe Witch Ahki?)

Ahki in "season two" is still learning and honing her skills, but she's becoming more a capable and competent adventurer. I started roleplaying Ahki back in mid-February so that makes Ahki only 6 months old! Not bad. Maybe I'll check in 6 months from now and do this again and see where she's at.

[randomoranges]

been having some complicated feelings with my writing. it’s been hard to find the motivation to write. en tout cas. had this idea since last year. it’s very short but whatever. it’s a thing that is done instead of another incomplete project.

Y fait chaud dans l’métro/It’s Getting Hot in Here

 Étienne opens the door to his class after hearing the familiar toc-toc toc toc and before he can even say anything, Edward breezes by and makes his way towards the couch in the back of the class, where he lets himself fall on it with a groan. Étienne locks the door behind him and follows him back to the couch, already amused by his antics.

“It is so fucking hot. I’m drenched and it’s barely noon.” Edward bemoans. He pulls away his shirt to attempt to get a breeze going, but it doesn’t seem to do much. Étienne takes pity on him and heaves one of the two fans towards him. It may only push hot air around, but it’s better than nothing. “How hot is it in here anyways?” He asks as a distraction, while Étienne brings over the second fan, getting some sort of wind tunnel going around him.

“Twenty-eight degrees and seventy-two percent humidity.” He reads off from CO2 reader on the wall.

Edward groans and curses at the same time. “It’s thirty-one up in mine. It’s a boiler. It honestly feels like there’s a wall of heat.”

Étienne gives him a sympathetic pat on the back and joins him on the couch. Even though he has a higher tolerance for the heat, even he has to admit that this is ridiculous.

“I swear to God, if you even attempt to sit any closer to me or cuddle, I will push you away and then melt on this couch.” Edward warns and Étienne knows better than to do any of that, so he stays where he is and opens the lunchbox Edward had brought along. He rummages through it and takes out the carrots before nibbling on one. He’s not hungry – the heat always cuts his appetite but he makes an effort before Edward can call him out on it.

“You know, when I first moved to this godforsaken city, I thought people who had air conditioners were exaggerating and weak.” Edward says as he tears into one of the sandwiches from the lunchbox.

Étienne chuckles, remembering hearing such a comment. He also remembers Edward insisting on putting a unit in their bedroom when they moved in together, but he makes no mention of it, “And now?”

“And now I wonder why this godforsaken government hasn’t started putting them in these old as hell schools.”

“Because they’re too comfortable in their air-conditioned offices and out of touch with reality.” Their own principal and most of the administrative staff in the school has a unit in their office. They don’t obviously, because it would be too complicated or too costly, or some other bullshit excuse. But, it’s okay if the kids and the staff suffer day in and day out. Not that it has any effect on them, really. Or the kids. Or their concentration.

Edward looks at him and manages a stifled laugh. “You know, I think that even without the air-conditioning and the heatwave they’d still be out of touch with reality.” He takes a long swig of water and tries to peel himself away from the back of the couch. “For the record, I also thought you were out of touch with reality when you suggested we get a pool.”

Étienne recalls that conversation fondly. He’d held his bit and eventually, Edward had come around. Now, it almost seems as though Edward gets more use out of the pool than he does.

“And now?” Étienne prods gently.

“Now I think you were gifted with future vision and you knew in what a miserable state I’d be in, languishing in this suppressive heat.”

“You’re welcome,” He teases. “I gather you’ll be going for a swim when we get home?”

“You bet your ass I am. Hell, I might just even jump in fully clothed. Or not. It’s all up for debate.”

“I look forward to seeing what you decide.” Étienne tells him from the lip of his own water bottle.  

FIN