#but i am open to romantic as well it just needs a lot more plotting

[inkbagel]

Okay I gotta ask: who’s Clancy?

I’ve been listening to a little bit more twenty one pilots lately just because I found a couple songs I like and I noticed the name pop up in Paladin Straits.

Is this a real person? Is there lore behind the songs? I’m dying to know, tell me their secrets /nf

OKOKOK OMGG OK SO

Clancy is a fictional character, idk if there’s actually a name for the lore other than the tøp lore but he’s from there

The guy on the left is Josh Dun/The Torchbearer, and the guy on the right is Tyler Joseph/Clancy.

Clancys the mc in the story and the Torchbearer is his kind of romantically coded best friend who’s also the leader of the Banditos! A rebel(?) group that lives outside the city of Dema.

If you go to twenty one pilots channel on yt, they have a playlist with every major lore video (but there’s plenty of extra stuff outside of that playlist that you can find on the Wikipedia, plus a livestream they did in-universe which is v pretty I love it dearly I have a link if you ever want it)

The whole story is a mediphor for battling with mental health, and tells it really well!! It’s really impressive.

The basic plot of the story is Clancy is a citizen of Dema, a large depressing city in the gorgeous fictional continent of Trench. The city is controlled by the Nine Bishops who enforce their religion upon its citizens (which is essentially telling everyone to be depressed and kill themselves) so they can “seize them” (bc the bishops can control dead bodies)

The city is nearly impossible to escape thanks to a giant concrete wall, but Clancy has escaped multiple times. Outside the wall he meets up with the Banditos (led by the torchbearer) and just kinda lives with them and is happy and loved and everything good. But Nico (the leader of the nine bishops) keeps dragging him back into Dema.

At some point Clancy becomes well known in the city for being one of like three people to escape, (and also for having a website dedicated to spreading propaganda but that part of the story gets confusing and no one really understands what happens to Clancy there) and the bishops decide to use this to their advantage by giving Clancy pink hair and pronouns and forcing him to be an entertainer.

(Side note during this arc Clancy started to flat out hallucinate the torchbearer bc he was so lonely which I think is really cute he missed his best friend so much)

Eventually Clancy escapes bc Nico is betrayed by another bishop, Keons, and gets washed up onto an island called Voldsoy where he meets the Neds!

(They look like this I couldn’t find a picture from the actual story and am too lazy to go screenshot it myself)

The neds give him the gift of their antlers which allow Clancy to control bodies the same way bishops do!

Another side note, the REAL torchbearer has the Jesus-like power of controlling Clancy’s hallucination to “guide” Clancy to places he needs to go (he guided Clancy to the Neds and also guided him back to the Banditos later)

After Clancy meets back up with the banditos (and more importantly the torchbearer), they all prepare for a final battle with the bishops and go fight them. This is where for the bajillionth time the lore gets confusing.

This happened in the finale which btw, right before releasing the video, Tyler Joseph (lead singer) said “let me ask you, do you think this is the end?” Bc this most recent album was supposed to be the finale to the story but now he’s acting cryptic about it? So a lot of people are torn on if we’re getting more lore or not (I think we definitely are esp after what they’re doing with the world tour)

But basically in the finale all the Banditos fought the Bishop controlled zombies outside the walls of Dema so Clancy could sneak in undetected and take out the bishops, and he takes down most of them but right at the last second Nico grabs Clancy by the neck and starts talking to him and then Clancy opens his eyes to stare Nico down and send a message that he’s not afraid of him anymore and the screen cuts to black.

Once again this is supposed to be the end of the lore. A lot of ppl are assuming Clancy is dead rn but now that the tøp world tour started there’s more lore involving different characters writing letters to each other. This is so far unrelated aside from the fact that they all talk about Clancy inspiring them to take action.

All the albums after Vessel are based on the story. They’re supposed to all be in the pov of Clancy (ofc) and if you look closely at the lyrics you can catch a lot of extra lore.

Blurryface is what Nico calls himself, Trench is the name of the pretty continent they live in, Scaled and icy is an enneagram for “Clancy is dead” (which in their Christmas single they said was propaganda) and also a play on the saying “scaled back and isolated” (bc it’s the album where Clancy is kidnapped and alone) and finally Clancy, the “finale”. It’s a really cool story.

There’s a ton of extra details I left out like the significance of the color yellow but yea that’s the main story and who Clancy is :) my siblings and I have been digging up all the lore the past month and with each new tidbit I get a little more fixated on this weird cat guy hope you like this unprompted infodump

[wuffgang-ameowdeus-moozart]

Aren't you tired of forced romances with no chemistry that only take away from the actually interesting plot? Don't you just want media where romance isn't portrayed as being superior and more important than (queer)platonic relationships?

Well, my exhausted aro ass is too, so here are a few tricks and wisdoms I've gathered over my years of being a-spec (which is all of them) on how to avoid romance (in media) in a very allonormative society 💚🤍🩶🖤

(this is a rec list btw. no I am not shitting on the shows that I tagged, quite the opposite)

1. Middle Grade

I get if you aren't really into that, because it is kind of annoying to be pointed to literal children's literature when all you want is a story that isn't constantly being interrupted by describing the main guy's heated eyes for the twentieth time.

However.

It is true that in middle grade, friendship is always more important than romance. Because, let's face it. Making two eleven year old characters kiss is kinda weird. So even if there is a romance, it isn't very prominent and treated more like friendship and/or a puppy crush. Plus some stories get surprisingly dark?!?!

Examples

- Howl's Moving Castle (Diana Wynne Jones), technically a romance in the end, but mostly focused on found family, shenanigans, and finding your own value

- House of Many Ways (DWJ). Yes, again. I really like her books okay? They always have something so fantastical and whimsical about them. This is my other favorite book by her and it has literally no romance at all. Plus a hmc cameo that is so fun !!

- Coraline (Neil Gaiman). Maybe this is cheating because I never actually read it. However. a) the movie traumatized me. b) Wybie was added to the movie, he doesn't exist in the book, so if "power of friendship" isn't your thing this will be great. Probably vibes over plot.

Flyte (Angie Sage). Technically this is the second book, but I never read the first one and still understood everything. Once again, no romance at all. A fun read, which can get surprisingly dark at times.

2. Short Story Collections

Once again, I get it if it isn't your thing. Short stories are - as the name reveals - short. Which means: no worldbuilding, very limited narrator, open ending, no time to really get attached to characters, etc.

But.

The cool thing about collections, is that they always have a certain theme. And as long as the theme is not romance, romance will not be the focus. Even if there is a romantic relationship, it will be used to explore this theme since there simply isn't time for anything else.

Examples:

Life Ceremony (Sayaka Murata) This is the book that actually made me figure out: hey! I do actually like short stories !! The main theme is basically about being different and it plays a lot with body horror and the perception of your own body in contrast with how society sees it. There is even a story about two women who platonically live together and raised multiple children!

Canterbury Classics: Classic Tales of Horror (introduction by Ernest Hilbert). As the name suggests, this is a collection of horror short stories, featuring well-known authors such as Bram Stoker, Edgar Allan Poe or Charlotte Perkins Gilman. As these are classic old tales, the language is a bit complicated at times and you can read them for free on Gutenberg. However, the book is very very pretty and the introduction is very interesting (Origins of the genre, specific tropes and monsters, etc.)

3. Podcasts

PODCASTS!!! If you follow me, you are probably already aware of those. However, in case you don't, let me introduce you to the wonderful world of Audiodramas.

The cool thing about Podcasts is that pretty much anyone can do it. All you need is an idea, a mic, a lot of motivation, and you're pretty much set to go. No producers or publishers you need to get approval from. So it is only natural that this medium is filled to the brim with queer creators. Basically every character is somewhat queer. It's awesome.

Examples:

- The Silt Verses. I adore TSV. I listened to the first season like, four times. (the second one is good too but OH MY GOD THE FIRST ONE). And one of the main characters is canonically and explicitly aro!! Sister Carpenter, I love you with my whole being. And the great thing is, it is very clear that the writers love her, too!! There is a lot (like a LOT) of body horror so it isn't for everybody. But if you think you can handle it I really recommend it. (Plus, not any romance plotlines at all !!)

- Wolf 359. This is one of the older ones and it is really good. It's a bunch of restless and very unwell people stuck in a spaceship under the unforgiving rule of capitalism. However bad you imagine it, I can assure you it is worse. But the really cool thing is that there literally isn't any romance at all. Like, there are great m/f friendships but they never even hint towards a romance. Some people are so unused to that that they literally ship the main dude with the fucking robot AI. (don't worry, not an actual romance plot).

- Girl in space. I am sure you will be absolutely shook to know that this one also takes place in space. It is about a girl. In space. Shocking, I know. Except that she has been on her own for well over a year when suddenly a fleet of strange ships arrive and kidnap her. There is also a very asshole-y robot. And questions about what makes us human. And found family!! And a goat. And cheese. Just go listen to it okay. This is also one of the shortest ones of the list, so maybe a good start.

- Malevolent. I have to confess that I personally am not a huge fan of this one? Like the premise is really cool - a detective who wakes up blind and with a demon in his head who can see through the detectives eyes. What the fuck?, you may ask yourself. So does Arthur Lester. Mysteries and other dimensions and a whole lot of pain ensues. Harlan is undeniably an awesome VA and a great writer, but his stories just seem a bit too repetitive to me? Nonetheless I know of lots of people who enjoy it a lot. Trying to define the relationship between Arthur and John (his demon) is perhaps the biggest mystery of them all. (Jk. there are multiple murders and stuff. they've really got other priorities)

- Middle:Below. This is another short one and probably the least famous of this list? It's about this funky lil dude with a ghost roommate and a cat who can talk (.....or can it?). There is a m/f friendship but it never turns into a romance (wow it is possible!!). They all go on adventures on the dimension between life and death. Despite the description, this is literally just a comedy. A bit spooky at best. Reminds me a bit of scarier kids cartoons like gravity falls.

4. "Gay" movies/series in countries with homophobic censorship

Now you may think, "hey that seems like a bit of an asshole move!". And you would be 100% correct in thinking that.

However.

It does also mean that the main relationship of the story can never be explicitly romantic. They can allude to it, they can try to show it. But they can never confirm. So it is very easy to interpret them as having a QPR. (because tbh I don't think I've ever seen one on television.)

Examples:

The Untamed. Look. I am aware that the first episode is so fucking atrocious, all right? And no, the CGI does in fact never get better. And sometimes the translated subtitles are a bit awkward. But I swear that it is so good. Trust me on this one, okay? Just make it through the first ep. It's a wild ride. Lan Zhan I love you. (However the book it is based on (written by a woman) depicts them being in an explicitly romantic relationship, with lots of very inaccurate and badly researched smut, so the fandom pretty much sees them as exclusively romantic.)

- Word of Honor. Very much in the same vein as The Untamed. Except that the first episode is less horrible. And the one dude has a very fruity fan. And they also raise a kid together. And the costumes of the villains are really fun!! I actually never finished this one tbh. I know that the book it is based on has one very extremely terrible ableist plot point, but I don't know if that made it into the show since I never got that far

The Devil Judge. The last two were fantasy, this one is a dystopia. Very tense and interesting. There is a romantic subplot (typical childhood friend vs bad boy love triangle), but he rejects the childhood friend and they can't exactly show him and the "bad boy" (who is actually a judge. and also kinda his sugar daddy) as explicitly romantic for the reason above. They also live in the same house and cook together and take care of a child together. Can totally recommend.

Assassination Classroom. A bunch of students have to kill their teacher who is an alien. that's literally the plot. I cried so hard at the finale. Nagisa and Karma have MASSIVE vibes and you can't convince me otherwise. (There is a romantic subplot that does end in a kiss, but they agree to continue as friends since those were..... extenuating circumstances. The dude very clearly is not into her). Nagisa also very aro-spec coded imo.

5. "Straightbaiting" Anime

Sometimes Anime does this thing (which I personally find very hilarious) where a boy and a girl will have no other romantic involvements or love interests while growing closer and closer, but never get together. A bit like reverse queerbaiting.

Examples:

- Fairy Tail. The ultimate power is friendship anime. That is all you need to know. (I should also perhaps warn you that the end of the last arc (and the sequel series, but we don't talk about that) are huge letdowns. Like the buildup? So good. But....welp. If that doesn't bother you too much and the idea to have a group of people be the main character instead of one person only, this may be the series for you. Just do yourself a favor and skip all the filler arcs

Soul Eater. I really love the vibes of this one. Once again, most of the fandom likes depicting them as explicitly romantic, but they never canonically are. It also reminds me a bit of creepy children cartoons. It is also where the superior fictional school exists, Devon. Frankenstein teaches there (the dude, not the monster). People transform into badass weapons. Nobody can convince me that Make Albarn is not a trans woman. However the ending deviates a bit from the manga, and I personally think the anime one is a bit worse

Noragami. This one will always hold a special place in my heart because it was the first anime I really watched. This one also has people who transform into weapons, but the vibes are very different. It goes a bit more into Japanese folklore in case that interests you.

Bonus: Canonically Aro/Heavily Aro-Coded Characters

They were not anywhere above because the stories they are in didn't really fit any of the categories. But they exist!

Wolf (Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts). I adore Wolf. There is also barely any romance. Like, it will seem like it at first, but don't worry, it's only straightbaiting. There is a romance subplot but it's very brief and very much in the background. Overall very good aro show 👍

Isaac (Heartstopper) Very queer show, very high likelihood that you already know of it. The series per se is very romance focused, but as far as I've heard the a-spec rep in S2 is really good

Georgia (Loveless). Actually never read it. But, well. Title pretty self-explanatory dare I say. By the same author as Heartstopper (Alice Oseman)

Chance/Chris and Shadow/Ryan (woe.begone) Are explicitly in a QPR together !! they are also probably the healthiest couple in the podcast lol

Henry Clerval (Frankenstein). Henry is the "a couple of besties!!" to Victor's "we look like a couple <3"

Barbie (Barbie 2023) If you've seen it you know what I mean.

Jo Marsh (Little Women). I never read the book, but Jo in the 2019 movie??? very sus.

I would also recommend checking out Japanese books! I personally think they are much better at writing romance than the western people lol. It's more about knowing each other and sharing your views of the world, thus changing each other and leaving a mark forever, even if the relationship ends. (studio ghibli romance vibes). My favorite Japanese book doesn't have an English translation :(

aber an alle Deutsch-Sprecher*innen: Die Katzen von Shinjuku (Durian Sukegawa) -> og title: Shinjuku no Neko

Can't think of anything else right now, but please leave some of your own recommendations! Hope this helps ^^

[alovesongtheywrote]

holy crap girl… nightmare academia, i just wanna smush them into a locked room together AHHHHH

♥ Summary: oh man, you're not the only one. in this chapter of nightmare academia, morgan and garcia hijack a prank. [Prof!Spencer Reid x GN-Prof!Reader]

♥ Warnings: none?

♥ A/N: careful babes, the plot's getting closer

♥ Word Count: 1402

Series Masterlist

♥♥♥

“BABY GIRL, YOU’RE NOT GONNA BELIEVE THIS!” Morgan exclaimed as he burst into Garcia’s Batcave.  He probably wasn’t loud enough to warrant all-caps, but he was definitely excited enough to warrant all-caps, and that’s why Garcia spun around in her chair, preemptive excitement building up inside of her.

“What is it?  Is someone dead?  Is someone pregnant?  Are you pregnant?  Am I gonna be a god-mom?  Again?”

“What?  No.  Guess who I just got off the phone with.”

“Savannah?  JJ?  Hotch?  Blake?  Reid?”

“Well, it's none of those, but you’re close enough with that last one, so I’m just gonna give it to you,” Morgan leaned in, showing Penelope his phone screen as she clapped her hands together in excitement.  Your name was the first one in the call log.

Garcia’s perfectly glossed lips popped open, “Is that-!?  Is that Spencer’s-!?”

“And are they-!?”

“They are just as perfect for him as we suspected, if not more.”

“Wh- well, why did they call, what did they want?”

“Well, first, they wanted information on the rabies case, which I thought was weird until-”

Penelope cut him off with a gasp, “He’s using horrific case facts to keep them at a distance!”

“Something like that?  Apparently, he’s using horrific case facts for quote-unquote, vengeance. The lovebirds aren't as romantic as we thought.”

"Is it a case of enemies to lovers?"

Morgan paused, raising an eyebrow, "I'm gonna need you to elaborate, baby girl."

"You know! Enemies to lovers! The romantic trope where they go from bitter enemies to the most adorable of spouses! Oh, that is right out of a rom-com!”

"Whatever you say, doll," Morgan continued, “But I'm pretty sure there aren't a lot of rom-coms that involve rabies in any capacity."

"That's because you haven't seen enough of them. Anyway, tell me more about the call! What happened next!"

"Well, initially, they told me they were a criminal justice student, but they made the mistake of using their real name.”

“What did you do!?”

“I played along with it until I asked them where they’d heard about the case- they folded fast, but I assured them that when it comes to Reid, I am the prank master.”

Garcia kept a smile on her face, even though she knew her friend was technically wrong, “I mean… technically you’re not.  He beat you with that screaming thing, on the plane.  Remember?”

“Oh yes, I remember.  I also remember that you had a lil’ something to do with that, which means, Reid cheated and I am the prank master.”

“Well, technically I am the prank mistress- but whatever, it’s all digressions, what happened next?”

“Well, I volunteered to be a part of their next prank.”

“Which is?”

“Stealing all of pretty boy’s mugs and rigging the cabinet they’re stored in to scream at him every time it opens.”

“Ah, so this is revenge for both of you.”

“Perhaps,” Morgan’s smile betrayed the truth.

“I love it.  There’s just one thing- Morgan, my lovely, do you have the technical knowledge to make that happen?”

“Well, I’ve definitely got the physical knowledge.  Cabinets are easy, the mechanical parts are all in the bag- but we do need a little assistance from you.”

“From moi?” Penelope gasped, though it sounded like she had been expecting this outcome.  Mostly because she had.

“We need a little bit of programming work that the genius won’t see coming.  So, are you in?” 

“Now that, gorgeous, sounds like a conspiracy.  I’m in.”

Garcia spun in her chair, turning back to face her monitor before immediately turning back to face Morgan, “For the record, we will be sabotaging this plan so that it backfires on both of them and makes them fall in love, oui?”

“Baby girl, would I have come to you if that wasn’t the plan?”

“You would not, and that is precisely why I love you.”

-

You did your best not to sing the Mission Impossible theme as you carried out your part of the prank.  You failed.  The theme just came out of you as you took the mugs two by two from Reid’s office and into yours.  

Once you’d stolen Reid’s horde of mugs, you set the trap in place.  You had to be incredibly careful.  Derek Morgan’s instructions had been very specific, and you followed them to the letter.  While you wouldn’t usually work with the FBI, this was a special case.  This was necessary.

And lord, was your little mechanism a beautiful one.  You gave it a quick test, closing the cabinet door before swinging it open again- once the dulcet sounds of screaming met your ears, you slammed it shut again.

You’d done so just in time.  

“Professor (L/N), I’m not sure if you’re aware, but this isn’t your office.”

“I’m not aware of anything, Reid- I mean, we’ve been over this, honey, I’m fucking stupid.  Y’know, I’m starting to worry about that eidetic memory of yours.”

“Don’t,” he stepped into the office, standing with you behind the desk, “It’s none of your concern.”

The two of you stood there for a moment, close enough that you could almost feel his breath across your lips.  If you wanted to, you could reach out and touch his chest- you could fuck with his perpetually crooked tie, but god, why would you?

It was clear that he was waiting for you to move.  When you actually did move out of his way, it shocked him.

He kept his eyes on you, watching wearily as you wandered through the small box of his office.  You examined every book and every doctorate the room had to offer- and he never stopped looking.  He expected you to say something, do something, or hurt him superficially with a mean comment or a dumb prank, but you didn’t do anything.

With his focus still on you, Reid opened the mug cabinet.

Screams filled the room.  Spencer jumped back, smacking into one of his bookshelves before sliding halfway down the wall.  He took several books down with him, knocking them to the ground as his slender fingers grasped helplessly for purchase somewhere.  

Your laughter echoed in his ears, a grating, awful, beautiful sound mixed in with the clatter of falling objects.  He could feel his heart pounding in his chest.  Adrenaline filled each and every one of his limbs.

He was going to kill you for this.  

“(L/N)!” he yelled out your name, struggling to pull himself up from his half-bent position.  You’d never heard him sound so angry- and you couldn’t stop laughing.

“Are you-” you wheezed, “Are you okay?”

“No!  Come here and help me up!”

There he was- his voice took on a higher pitch, signalling his indignation.  You walked over, offering him a hand up.  Of course, he immediately pulled you down to his level.  You both collapsed to the floor, you with a screech and Reid with a triumphant cry.  

He sat against the bookshelf, a little dishevelled but overall okay.  You just gave up, lying on the floor with your head inches from Reid’s thigh.  The mechanism in the cabinet kept screaming in the background.

“So, how’d you pull this one off?” Spencer asked, speaking over your laughter.

“Made a couple of calls.  Got in touch with the FBI.  I’d tell you more, but I’d have to kill you.”

"Wow, you contacted the FBI about me? I must really bother you, doctor."

"Not in the slightest. You're a minor nuisance at best."

“I'm sure. So, did Morgan help you with this?  Did Garcia?”

“Maybe both of them. Maybe a little bit.”

Spencer sighed, “You are all terrible.”

“I wish I could say I was sorry.”

The two of you stayed there on the ground for a moment, just listening to the sound of screaming.  Then, the sound changed- smooth saxophone emanated from the cabinet.  You recognized that melody.  Was that?  No, it couldn’t be-

“Is that Careless Whisper?”

You and Reid stayed frozen on the floor.  The voice of George Michael spilled over you, barely covering the awkward silence.  Eventually, you sat up and shut the cabinet.  The song didn’t stop.  You bit your lip, and when you spoke again it was through clenched teeth.

“Do- do your friends want us to fuck?”

“I hate to say it, but… I think they do,” he paused for a moment, “Hey, (L/N)?  Where are my mugs?”

♥ Tags: @icarusignite, @usuallyunlikelyfox, @maraudersforlife2005, @fictionalcomforts

[mapoeggplant]

skip to loafer chapter 53 // spoilers

the analogy of between a crab and falling in love: what’s hidding in between all the sand that shima hides himself in?

this chapter kinda encapsulates a lot of unresolved plots and bring back things that were discussed before, as a way to, little by little, start to close shima’s arc on understanding his feelings. and, for my happiness (and for a lot of you guys reading me, i supposed), we finally had a confirmation that shima doesn’t quite understand or can’t even separate his feelings inside him, all because of his history with rejection, broken family, and the coldness of the ones around him. the boy, who tries to grasp his sandy feelings, who stubbornly kept slipping between his fingers, is finally dipping his toes in the ocean.

what mukai and shima discussed at the sauna is very important for a lot of things. not only for the present narrative, but for a context in general about how skip to loafer deals with feelings and love. instead of approaching a safe solution and going for the “she was the one who could save him”, takamatsu-senpai chose to go through the more complicated and bumpier road: she started to make her own characters question the idea of romantic love that was shoved down their (and ours) throat since they were born. 

is not that shima doesn’t love mitsumi — he just doesn’t understand the concept of romantic feelings or how everything “ends” with it (it was interesting to me how he said “ends”, the never-ending idea that romantic love is the final goal. it never “starts anything; it’s always “the end” of things). for him, everything falls in the same blurry and messed up category and end as easily as it started. however now, after years and years of being shutten down and used for people’s own selfish desires, shima is finally free to think and act for himself. but we don’t learn to swim at the bottom of the ocean: we need to start at the beach.

mukai telling shima that he’s often shutting people down and pushing people away without noticing was there for two main reasons, in my opinion: one, show a little more about mukai himself and his own feelings in relation to shima, a friend that he holds dear and wants to see opening up a little more, warming himself towards others; and two, to make shima start to question “what am i doing to the people that care about me?”. this is a trigger that sensei used to bring back a lot of important moments between shima and mitsumi and connect the dots inside his head. what i didn’t expect was that she would such beautiful analogy: a crab.

by swimming around their past, shima starts to ask himself: how does mitsumi feels about me. it’s funny how, even after all that conversation with mukai, he didn’t start with the obvious and questioned himself. he was thinking about her — about the other. what brough him back to his own heart was the girl herself, without both even realizing it.

grabbing the crab in the middle of it is the safest option. you’re protecting yourself of a possibility of being hurt and are able to maintain a safe distance from all the dangerous attributes of the crab. by always staying in the middle of his own feelings and never really going for the claws of his own mind, shima maintained his safety and “never got hurt” (and here i strictly mean hurt by his own ghosts, who he tried to deny instead of facing it). i mean, if he doesn’t move, they won’t be able to attack him. if he stays protected, there won’t be a necessity of changing what you know so well.

but…there’s always a first time, right? and i don’t mean this only for the act of holding a crab: this might be shima’s not only first time doing so, but also the first time he ever felt something different for someone — something more. something he never met before. 

and mitsumi, on the other hand, appear serene on his eyes. she did have her first time already — and was bitten by the crab. she was the one who put herself out there and risked being hurt. and, unfortunately, he was the one who made this happen. 

by shima’s reaction (the full-on blush), it’s easy to interpretate that he had some kind of realization and that…well...yeah it involves the crab. and mukai. and mitsumi. and the beach. and the ocean. and the sand, that he could never grasp before. what did he realize? he himself isn’t sure, as he tells mukai (“how was the crab?” “i don’t know). and, well, how can someone who has never seen a crab be so sure that what they are seeing is, in fact, a crab?

sensei made it clear, with all the words, with mukai being a sensei for a day: shima is, for the first time in his life, having to deal with a feeling that’s completely new and scary for him. romantic love isn’t easy. for a kid who grew watching his own understanding of romantic love (his parents) be so broken and twisted, romantic love is something that can only cause harm. so no, it’s not that he doesn’t understand love per se: he just doesn’t know how to approach it within himself. it’s up to him, now, if he's going to sing his hands in the sand and find the answer for all the questions he’s dealing with. 

as for my last words, what i want to remind everyone: no, it won’t be resolved so fast. not next chapter and, maybe, nor the next. i mean, why should it be? love, be it platonic or not, isn’t something to be forced out of someone. it’s something that requires more than a simple “yes or no”, something that doesn’t grow overnight. none of them are wrong. mitsumi never imposed something on him, she only did what her heart told her to do. shima never wanted to hurt her in some way — in fact, this is one of his biggest fears, up to now. they both are trying to understand themselves, the world, and the universe. they are in the apices of their teenage years, in the apices of committing mistakes for dumb reasons and for sealing peace with simplicity. they all have lot of different crabs with lot of different meanings hiding inside their particular beaches. it’s up to them if they are going to start digging it or not. 

and, as always, thank you thank you so much for reading what i have to say and my crazy rambling. i hope that we can now start a great discussion about it 💛 oh and people!! don't be afraid of talking to your crab — sometimes they know more bout us than ourselves 🦀

🌻 this analyze was originally posted on my twitter

[that-ari-blogger]

A Gift (Labyrinth Runners)

One thing about The Owl House that fascinates me is its relationships. The series is about complexity, and so the relationships function a lot like the characters. They have tropes they appear to fit into but are more intricate upon closer inspection.

Labyrinth Runners is an episode that highlights this specifically, to the point where the theme shows up in almost every single shot.

Let me explain.

SPOILERS AHEAD: (The Owl House, One Piece, Lord Of The Rings)

Let’s start with the opening scene. Gus makes a friend, except that friendship is built on a manipulation, then he makes a real friend in Willow. We have a bad relationship, and a good relationship established, and that recurring motif/Chekhov’s gun that is the breathing thing.

We also have our perspective character, who is neurodivergent. Now, despite being neurodivergent myself, I am about as far from an expert as you can get, but I can see myself in Gus.

This actually relates to the themes mentioned above, because in my experience, neurodivergence affects how a person interacts with people. It makes interpersonal skills less intuitive, and as such, makes relationships more complicated to navigate.

There is a cannon event amongst neurodivergent folk of catastrophically misreading a room and having that memory burned into your brain. That’s what I mean here.

I am not going to go into depth on this reading of Gus and how it impacts individual scenes, purely because I don’t know enough and don’t know what is neurodivergence and what is just me projecting. I am more complex than the label, and judging by what show I’m analysing, I would hazard a guess that Gus is as well. But again, I can barely identify that the term fits us both, I don’t know what is and isn’t part of that.

If someone does know more, please enlighten me in the replies and reblogs and stuff.

Anyway, the episode then begins in earnest, and let’s just highlight a few small elements before we get into anything big.

Bump and the illusions professor immediately move between the fake coven head and Edric. Their relationship with each other is displayed by how quickly they both make the exact same decision, and the fact that they move in tandem. They are co-ordinated, they have a history, and they have a shared set of values.

They also show of their connection to their students here. This is the law of the Boiling Isles, these teachers do not know about the Day of Unity’s true purpose yet, and yet they are willing to risk confronting an emperor for their student without having to think about it.

Meanwhile, the wall in Gus’ room features a ton of photographs, none of which are of a single person. Even the “BANNED” images relate to each other to become one image. They feel like one photograph cut up rather than three separate images. The memories meanwhile are all about Gus’ relationship with Willow, Luz, and Matt.

For the record, this episode gives credit to the Gus x Matt and Viney x Skara ships, and I would like to step in with all the authority that my pretentiousness affords me and claim the former of those two for the romantic aces. I am genuinely going to come back to this idea later.

Focusing on the actual plot of the episode, I don’t need to point out that Adrien is a foil for Gus, but I think how that operates is fascinating.

Both intentionally present themselves as different to how they truly act, and both wield illusions. But even in these details, the characters diverge wildly.

Gus presents himself as more confident than he actually is, constantly making himself appear tough, or clever, or whatever the situation demands. When he meets Hunter again, for example, he is immediately no nonsense in a way that he really shouldn’t be considering the Golden Guard’s reputation.

But you will notice, all he is doing is matching Hunter’s intensity beat for beat. When Hunter dials it back a bit, Gus backs off as well. It’s a prey behaviour, like a frog puffing out it’s chest to seem bigger.

Adrien presents himself as an underdog when he infiltrates Hexside, and reveals himself to be oozing confidence on a level that makes me want to clarify something.

This man isn’t brave, he’s an eejit. He gets challenged multiple times in this episode and doesn’t take it seriously, which leads to his downfall. His confidence is built on a lie.

I love that he just has a coffee at all times, that fits the director vibe so unbelievably well.

Then there is the thematic parallels, and this is where we get theme inception as the episode loops in on itself. The relationship between Gus an Adrien is defined most of all by their different relationships with others and each other.

With Gus, we have seen how important people are to him. He compares himself to others, he is unquestionably the team support.

With Adrien, however, we are introduced to this man berating everyone under his command. The illusion was perfect, the captain’s performance was flawless in my opinion, and yet Adrien wasn’t satisfied. He sees himself as infallible and can’t be bothered to even guide those under him.

I also want to point out that I have acted on stage, and I am studying to go into filmmaking, so I do recognise Adrien’s style of direction as something I have encountered in real life.

Adrien is the type of person who, if this operation had gone well, would have turned on a dime and very publicly cried about how much he knew the people under him cared, and even bought him flowers. He had a vision, and he wasn’t sure they could achieve it, but the performers surpassed expectations under his careful guidance. You know he's talking out of his arse, but he wants to convince the audience, not you.

Me? Petty? Nonsense.

"Oh yeah?' "Yeah" I'm sorry, that is the best line and line read in the series. I am not accepting debate on this subject. I am right.

At this point, we need to talk about Bump, of all people. Because authority is a type of dynamic that The Owl House has been playing with for a while.

The series is inspired by One Piece, for which every villain factors into the idea of abuse of authority. So naturally, The Owl House has featured the same idea presented through Faust, Bump, and now Adrien. These are people who use their authority for personal gain, but that’s not what authority is.

According to One Piece, and Lord of the Rings, authority does have a place. There are kings and pirates, but it’s a duty, not just a position.

In One Piece, the role of a captain is the leader, the person who has the spirit to push on forwards, the person who will protect everyone when the time comes. Luffy is the captain because it is his dream, but because these people are loyal to him, rather than the other way around.

This keeps coming back. Authority comes from loyalty. If you just have someone who claims leadership, they have nothing. This happens in Drum Island specifically, when the king Wapol is contrasted with Dalton. Wapol claimed authority and expected everyone to bow to him, Dalton was chosen by the people to be king.

For Lord of the Rings, it is important to understand that Tolkien was a soldier who fought in the First World War, so his grasp of authority is slightly different to what you might expect. I’ve mentioned this before, but in Lord of the Rings, there is only one perfect king, and he doesn’t have a kingdom, he has a sword.

Every monarch in Lord of the Rings biffs it in some way shape or form, except for Aragorn. The power to do what you want corrupts here, and when a king forgets his purpose, that being to lead and protect his people, his kingdom fails.

Remember, a soldier wrote this book. The top role of those who are in charge of Middle Earth is to protect those who they look after. It is not a position of power; it is a position of service.

In The Owl House, Bump’s primary role at all times is the defence of his students. Once again, he doesn’t know about the day of unity’s true purpose. He is just casually willing to stand infront of agents of the highest authority on the Isles and call them out on their bollocks.

Linking back to when I mentioned the ships. I declared that I had authority, but there was nothing actually there. Bump has asserted his role as a protector and leader, and when questioned, his response was to show off his team. This man is a leader because he is trusted and respected, not for any other reason.

That idea of authority comes back in a minour way at the end of the episode, when the Captain gets given power and immediately turns it on Severine, who is fed up and quits.

Hunter works out how to navigate the labyrinth rediculously quickly. He's not immune to magic, but he's got skills, even on the worst week of his life. So far.

Which brings me to Hunter, who exists in this context of Gus, and that breathing technique. The friendship between these two has been extensively documented, but I want to highlight the breathing technique in contrast to the Captain.

People reciprocate what they have been shown. The Captain was only shown power as a cudgel and used it that way when he got it. Gus, meanwhile, was shown how to recover from a panic attack by Willow, which he then passed along to Hunter, who gave it back later on. It’s a demonstration of healthy friendships giving back and re-enforcing themselves, but there is something incredibly meta about the gesture.

This is the moment The Owl House establishes a relationship with you, the reader. Specifically, that of a friend who will help you out when things get tough. The technique is called box-breathing, at least in circles I’m in, and it genuinely works as a method of getting through panic attacks.

If you feel rough, you can think about this, and you can use it. The episode has shown you how it works, and even given you something to laugh about to take your mind off your stress. It’s a gift, and it feels like something the writers were taught and wanted to pass on to their audience.

I like to think that this episode has helped a few people on a very personal level.

Final Thoughts

This episode does present me with a rare opportunity. The voice actor who played Adrien, Noshir Dalal, has a Tumblr. Which means, I can ask a question to him directly.

So, @noshirdalal, what was the process behind this character, especially the voice? Were you given a specific brief for everything? Or were you given free reign to do whatever you wanted? Or somewhere in the middle?

Anyway, next week is Oh Titan, Where Art Thou, so stick around if that interests you.

Previous - Next

[ripplestitchskein]

I’ve seen a couple posts about this topic so I wanted to throw my hat in the ring. Or at least make my position clear.

I do not think that Stolas needs to be with other people, be that Vassago, Better Than Blitz guy, or someone else. I do not believe he needs to have more sexual or romantic relationship experiences with someone other than Blitz for his character arc or to learn how to be a better partner for Blitz or any of that. I intensely dislike the idea that a character or person has to have a bunch of different experiences to know what they actually want in general or as like some kind of life skill building exercise to obtain enough experience points to “earn” the person they want. I don’t think it’s necessary for Blitz either, he can see Stolas moving on and away and want to work to change without a third party as the catalyst. There’s just a lot of weirdness around these concepts in general. Like the fixation on “healthy” relationships is odd to me, it’s definitely a newer fandom thing, and it has a lot of implications for neurodivergent people I’m not going to unpack here. So yeah.

I’ve also already made it clear that I definitely don’t want Stolas to lose his desire for romance. He doesn’t need to get more realistic expectations or be more grounded in his relationships. I would be extremely disappointed if that was the ultimate takeaway for his character as I feel his desire for romance is a really central part of him and I don’t need the messaging to be about “realistic” romance.

However. The story has opted to hint at the possibility of Stolas *possibly* moving on with someone else, and Viv has implied Vassago is that possibility, so a lot of my speculations or theorizing follow that potential plot line or I try to theorize ways Vassago could fill a role in a platonic capacity while Blitz might think it’s more than it is etc. We still don’t know what role he’ll fill so it is only speculation but it is natural to wonder if it’s a love triangle or misunderstanding in that vein since the nature of the conflict is romantic.

That’s not to say that they can’t do interesting or compelling things with a love triangle plot line, I also don’t buy into the idea that cliched or tropey plot lines can’t be done well, they very well could. I love tropes. I got the watch the same shows over and over and over and listen to the same songs on repeat, read nothing but fan fiction which is basically just remixes of the shows I’m watching over and over brand of autism so I’m all for some cliche romance tropes.

So all this to say there is a difference between lining your theories and speculations up with a particular direction, and furthering discussions about those ideas if it seems like the show is going that way without explicitly endorsing the concept while still having an open mind to see what they ultimately will do with that concept. It may not be that people are yearning for or personally even wanting Stolas to have a rebound relationship but more they are setting their expectations up for that possibility since it is a common story thread.

That’s also not to say people who do want those types of stories are wrong for wanting them. There are compelling ways to write love triangles, just like we’ve seen them handle miscommunication, another often loathed trope. I’m just giving whatever they serve a chance and seeing where it goes. I am very much of the mindset that if I am enjoying what is happening, even if it’s cliche or not the direction I would have gone if I were in charge, then I’ll settle in for the ride. At the moment I trust the writing, I am having a blast with these characters and their issues and the ways things can play out and bending and twisting them into different scenarios. I trust the crumbs they’ve laid along the way and I’m interested to see how it ultimately plays out.

From a personal self indulgence level though I do like jealousy in fiction, I like yearning and angst and misunderstandings and messy things that aren’t desirable in reality, that aren’t even realistic and these cliches do open up for a lot of that. It CAN be done well. Fiction does not need to be clean and wholesome and “healthy”. Characters can do crazy shit real people can’t. I don’t watch shows or read fiction for realism. I do require happy endings though so as I’ve said all along if it seems like they aren’t going a direction I’ll enjoy I’m fine saying “okay, that was fun but I’m getting off the ride now, have fun you guys”.

[chronicbeans]

I'm currently looking at Lucifer and wondering how exactly he's going to develop in the whole plot of Hazbin. Not necessarily PLOT development (example: getting past Lilith, getting closer to Charlie, etc.), more like personality traits that are either going to be revealed or developed overtime.

(Okay this got a lot longer than I expected, so um... here's a read more lol. I guess this is a sort of character development inference...?)

I really like the idea that every character in Hazbin has good and bad traits, despite being in Heaven or Hell. For example, we have Angel Dust. He's a nice person, but he does have problems opening up to people (understandable given his past), as well as giving into bad vices and pushing people away. So, we've seen Lucifer's tendencies of neglecting to connect with others, but being a good person and genuinely wanting connections, especially with his daughter.

HOWEVER, I am interested in whether or not they are going to do anything with the fact that he is the Sin of Pride. I've seen a few mention how the other Sins we've seen are a bit of the opposite of their sin. Ozzie is the Sin of Lust, but unlike how a lot of people would probably view the embodiment of lust, he values consent and can make genuine romantic connections. Queen Bee is Gluttony, but does care that people at her party do not overindulge to the point that they get hurt.

However, for many of the Sins so far, they do engage with their sins in their own way. Ozzie still does indulge in lust, just while caring for every party's consent (thank God he's not a Valentino. We love that for Ozzie). Queen Bee does indulge in vices like drinking and partying to what could be seen as a negative extent, with what seems to be her limit being that no one gets hurt. Otherwise, it seems to be fair game for her.

So, for Lucifer, I'm loving how we all see him as a total Smol Bean. So far, he is a total Smol Bean. However, I'm totally anticipating SOMETHING that might be like... a bombshell for our depressed blorbo's character. Specifically, that something may be a few prideful/narcissistic tendencies coming through. Like him trying to get more attention on himself, now that he's finally taken a step out of his workshop and gotten some attention from not only his daughter, but her friends.

He may not be like "YO I'M FUCKING AWESOME GUYS LOOK AT ME" sorta prideful, but maybe more of a "Guys I'm so awful and I feel horrible and I have so many problems give me comfort" sorta... well, not really prideful, but more so manipulative and attention seeking. Possibly without even knowing it, either, considering how him and Charlie seem similar in being well meaning so far. So, if he does development a sort of manipulative tendency in order to get attention towards him, he may not even realize that's what is happening. He might just think "I feel bad and have to complain. After all, I know my family and her friends can help cheer me up!"

I think it'd be pretty interesting, at least. Like, so far, Lucifer is the complete opposite of what you'd expect the Sin of Pride to be. He's depressed, self-conscious, and has probably been isolating himself from everybody that COULD give him attention for years. However, much like the other Sins are still the embodiment of what they represent, he's still the Sin of Pride. He probably still engages, or will develop ways to engage in traits you'd see in pride. So, him using his pre-existing traits, whether unintentionally or not, to get attention would be interesting to see. It'd still keep a lot of his character together while showing that he can still have flaws that are unlikeable. (It'd probably also put into perspective Charlie's line about him only really when he's bored or needs Charlie to do something. Like, it could be that he just isn't good at talking to people, including Charlie, but it could also be linked to his identity as the Sin of Pride if his personality does go this route).

[kjthenbee]

I know a lot of us are upset about Nandermo not becoming canon at the end of this season (I am too), but I’m honestly not surprised by this. I could tell from the beginning and as the season went on that they were still not at a place where that could happen naturally and realistically, especially with the secret Guillermo had been keeping the entire season.

My sincere hope is that for season 6, now that Guillermo knows that he doesn’t truly want to be a vampire but that he cares about the vamps and wants to stay with them, especially with Nandor, he’s going to have to reevaluate his relationship with them and his “master”.

What’s the point in serving Nandor anymore if it’s not with the goal of becoming a vampire? We know he was doing it this season to keep up appearances (and because he didn’t want to leave him), but now, everyone knows that he doesn’t want to be a vampire.

Just like Nandor said, he’s going to need to figure out what he really wants. And I think we all know what that is.

I think with this conflict of Guillermo’s being resolved, as well as the intentional choice by the writers to show just how much Nandor cares for and knows everything about Guillermo, better than he even knows himself, is going to open the door for a romantic relationship to be seriously considered by both of them.

However, this means the conflict next season could likely be not only them actually acknowledging their romantic feelings, but navigating how a romantic relationship between them could even work as a vampire and a human, because this means Guillermo will grow old and die eventually. Of course, this would be devastating to Nandor, which may be a barrier to him telling Guillermo how he really feels.

Perhaps eventually Guillermo will be ready to become a vampire, and Nandor will actually be the one to do it, which would make it a special and intimate thing in contrast to the messy and hasty way it was done with Derek (because we now know Guillermo was absolutely not ready to be a vamp). Who knows.

I do have some concerns about how this potential plot line could be handled by the writers, because one of my main criticisms of WWDITS in general has always been its reluctance to stick to its plot decisions as well as to allow characters to have genuinely wholesome or serious moments without a joke being tacked on at the end. Nandor and Guillermo are usually the characters that are allowed to have these moments, but I was pleasantly surprised to see that all of the vamps were allowed to have them to some degree this season. This gives me more hope for next season.

I’m sure our expectations will still be subverted somehow, because that is 100% what the writers are going for, especially with the way Nandermo went last season and the way the plot line of Guillermo’s secret was handled this season.

Honestly, after what OFMD, GO, and even the endings of WWDITS S3 & S4 have put me through, I was surprised but pretty satisfied with the genuinely happy ending we got with for S5, and I’m glad we didn’t end on a painful cliffhanger.

[thyme-in-a-bubble]

Writing anon #1 here with a few questions! As usual please don’t reply if you don’t want to. :)

What kind of character would you suggest writing for? Characters I’m currently interested in or characters I know more about? Perhaps a mix? I’m a little afraid that if I write for the characters I’m currently fixated on I’ll lose interest in them for awhile. For example, I’m currently interested in Daredevil but I know more about the Avengers because I hyperfixated on them in high school.

Where/how do you find inspiration and motivation to write? 

Do you think someone could write a relationship without having experienced it themselves? (Like a romantic relationship) I would assume it would just take a lot of research and editing to make sure it’s fairly realistic. Just like when you writing something else you don’t have experience in (like writing a character being a doctor or barista if you don’t have experience with that.)

Like the second anon I have a lot of trouble with outlining and plots. I usually get an idea I would love to write but have no idea what to do with it. Like how to get to the idea/scene or where to go from it. I really should try actually outlining and taking my time. I also really need to get my brain to understand that drafts are okay and normal. (I struggle with perfectionism, but I’m working on it.)

I realize now how number three might come across. I am an adult not a minor. I just had an extremely sheltered life growing up and have spent the few years I’ve been an adult dealing with a few things that are out of my control. So I haven’t had a romantic relationship of my own, I have read a ton of x reader fanfics and watched a lot of romcoms. And number four isn’t a question. :) Thank you so much in advance!

I'd say write for someone you like, someone you're comfortable with, and if you don't feel like you know enough about them to begin writing then that's easily fixed! rewatch/reread/re-whatever the thing that they're from and pay extra close attention, do it however many times you'd like, take notes. wiki's about the characters can also be super helpful for a ton of those little facts. but at the end of the day, write for whoever you like, whoever will be super fun to write for, whoever will make you excited to write. also you don't have to just choose one or even be stuck if you ever wanna move on, you make up the rules.

inspiration? i find that everywhere. sure, a movie is an easy thing to get my mind hooked on a fantasy, but most of my stories have just come to me in very mundane things. I've leaned into my own life experiences for a lot of sad stories (also used it as a therapeutic tool). there is literally inspiration everywhere, you just gotta open your eyes and see it. that weird tree right outside your window? that could be enough inspiration to begin a whole book. and as for motivation? well, first of all I really enjoy the whole process, so that helps a ton. I'm also autistic and have very good concentration, so I can easily just disappear completely into my wip. I'm also really good at just having it in my routine, sitting down and writing when I have the most energy for it. when I'm working on something very long, that's when it can become harder to keep that flame alive, but I think I've worked out a good rhythm to keep it going and not loose the drive to work on it: first of all, a detailed outline and notes. making a proper routine with it, though also not beating yourself up if it's a bad day and you only reread the last page 50 times, but don't actually write anything new. I also try my best to stay in the world while I work on it. like for when i'm not sitting and actively writing it, then I listen to music that fits the theme or watch movies or shows that have the vibe.

I think that truly depends on the person. some people can and some people can't. I personally don't write about too many subjects I don't have experience in (though still some like for example murder and some of the jobs the characters have, but my imagination can get me far enough to make me comfortable tackling those subjects). so yeah, that's so individual whether someone can do that well or not.

from my understanding of you from the very limited interactions we've had, I'd say that it'll probably continue to be difficult while you're not getting enough sleep for your brain to function properly as well as some other stressful things I could imagine is also going on and perhaps is the cause of the sleep issues. a few things that helps my perfectionism is to say that this draft will only be read by me and no one else, to say that this is only a silly little fanfiction just for the lols and not a fancy leather-bound novel, and also to aim for it simply to be finished and not for it to be perfect. and sometimes when it comes to beginning, you'll just have to jump straight in with the attitude of an imaginative and playful child. also sitting down and being like "okay, I'm not allowed to do anything other then come up with a story. I'm allowed to sit here, look around at my surroundings, and push through the boredom till my brain comes up with a story to entertain me". don't be afraid of slowing down and embracing the stillness, that's always where my best stuff comes from. and plot stuff? that is a huge subject and I'm not sure what advice could be beneficial for you. it's one of those things where learning about it on a technical level can be helpful, but only to get the sense into your bones and then throwing those rules and patterns out of the window like they never existed to begin with and just letting the flow of the story lead you.

[nice-and-accurate-ramblings]

⚠️WARNING: Spoilers for Good Omens Season 2 Episode 6 below the cut!

DO NOT CLICK BELOW THE CUT IF YOU DON’T WANT SPOILERS! I’m live-blogging this because I need emotional support apparently

Eight battery operated candles,,, no more open flames in the bookshop I see

“It all looked so simple in Jane Austen :(” Aziraphale have I mentioned that I love you

JANE AUSTEN DIAMOND ROBBERY IS A STORY I STILL VERY MUCH NEED

Bees :)

Oh god Angel Crowley look is infinitely worse in context for some reason

SOCKS AND SANDALS CROWLEY. REALLY.

WHAT IS THAT WALK, I-

Maggie has BALLS and I love her

MAGGIE STAY BEHIND THE THRESHOLD PLEASE

Shax I am going to fight you

MAGGIE I FUCKING LOVE YOU

oh no

Oh no

That was an invitation

This is vampire rules isn’t it

Fuck

OH no

never thought I would be happy to see that circle light up

“You can all leave now and nobody will be hurt” “you’ll be hurt”

Hey uh. Did the theme song change? That guitar riff is new?

Wait yeah things have DEFINITELY changed in the theme song, unless I’m crazy I don’t think the Bentley drove through the theater before?

SOMETHING IS UP IN THE DOWN THEME SONG

Crowley is so fuckin smug lmao

Crowley has adopted Muriel hasn’t he

“I don’t have clearance. You’d have to be a throne or a dominion or above.” Crowley just opened the fucking file. “I haven’t always been a demon, and they never change their passwords.” COOL COOL COOL COOL COOL GUESS ITS TIME TO REVISIT THAT ASK ABOUT THE HIERARCHY OF HEAVEN

Aziraphale really said siege warfare o_o

“Does what you say make sense in your head?” Nina I love you

MOTHERFUCKERS IT WAS AN ARMAGEDDON PLOT!! I WAS RIGHT!! … and wrong, Gabriel was a dissenter!!

Gabriel is a major asshole but he is uh. An asshole opposed to Armageddon: The Sequel

NINA AND MAGGIE YOU BADASSES

“Why all the fire extinguishers?” I AM CRYING

Oh no. Saraquel is sharp o_o

Oh my god they were coworkers

He is Crowley’s emotional support Angel and it happens to be mutual thank you very much 🙄

Nina and Maggie my beloveds

What the fuck happened for Gabriel to be against Armageddon, I need to know

FOR IT TO HAPPEN TWICE

Was Crowley- WAS THAT TALKING ABOUT SATAN OR ABOUT SOMETHING ELSE

“Junior recording Angel, 38th class” congrats Muriel, you’re no longer the lowest ranking Angel in heaven!

THE BOX!!

He’s letting them throw books, they’re desperate, Crowley HURRY

Okay so his memory was in the matchbox that was in the box but fell out?

IS THAT A HALO?

AZIRAPHALE HAS A HALO!!!

oh that. That killed a lot of demons.

Yes I believe you did in fact just start a war. Holy shit.

HE BLEW UP HIS HALO. Well fuck.

“Apparently if we do a miracle together it all works a bit too well” yes hm you two do work very well together don’t you 👀

SO THAT’S WHAT THE FLY IS!! CROWLEY YOU ARE HECKIN SMART

This is some ineffable bureaucracy if I’ve ever seen it

Everyday playing in the background 👀

WELL. THIS IS INTERESTING.

bobbing my head along to Everyday with Gabriel and Beelzebub :)

OKAY I DIDN’T. EXPECT THIS. BUT I AM ENJOYING IT VERY MUCH.

“I JUST FOUND SOMETHING THAT MATTERED MORE TO ME THAN CHOOSING SIDES” OKAY. OKAY YEAH. MHM YUP YES OKAH YES

I am going insane.

I was not expecting these two to get together before azicrow

IT IS VERY QUIET AND GENTLE AND ROMANTIC INDEED

The Metatron is a surprise homie

OKAY. SO CROWLEY APPARENTLY JUST. KNEW THE METATRON. AZIRAPHALE IS ALL AWED BUT CROWLEY IS LIKE “OH YEAH. YOU.” The Angel Crowley lore deepens

Don’t call Muriel dim >:(

“We need a little us time” 👀

HE’S CLEANING UP THE BOOK SHOP FOR HIM I AM CRYING

NINA CALLING MAGGIE ANGEL- I AM GOING TO COMBUST. HELLLP

oh my god if they just convinced Crowley to have an honest conversation

Metatron. What was that. Stay the fuck away from them. Mind your fucking business.

Muriel was given The Crow Road :)

AZIRAPHALE LET HIM TALK

No.

No. Noooo no no no no.

OUR SIDE AZIRAPHALE. OUR FUCKING SIDE.

Don’t you dare. What happened to the “I regret nothing” on your playlist.

YOU DON’T WANT TO GO BACK TO HEAVEN.

I SWEAR, DON’T DO THIS

TO-

I-

“Well obviously you said no to hell, you’re the bad guys!” WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU’RE?! WHAT HAPPENED TO OUR OWN SIDE?!?!?!

I’m going to simply pass away now.

Stop. STOP. HE WAS SO HONEST AND THIS IS- CROWLEY IS CRYING AND IM CRYING AND

nooo not the glasses 😭😭😭😭😭

No nightengales,,, we could’ve been us

“I forgive you” cool cool cool cool cool cool cool I have been stabbed in the chest

The second coming?!?!?! Fuck

NOT HIM TURNING OFF “A NIGHTINGALE SANG IN BARKLEY SQUARE”

I am unwell

I am going to need so much fanfic after this

I WAS JOKING WHEN I SAID I WAS LIVE-BLOGGING FOR MORAL SUPPORT

HOW LONG UNTIL SEASON THREE 😭😭😭😭

[sugar-satin]

All Info Regarding Roleplay!

→ Writing Style

Preferred Point of View:

I use third person limited only! I know my characters actions and thoughts and internal feelings, but I do not like when my roleplay partner takes over my oc! Please do not think or act for my character as I won't do that for you either! (This does not apply to us ooc if you are the type to send content because you think it's very my-oc etc.!)

Narrative Tone:

I use a lot of terms and slang that are improper depending on the character I am writing, but for the most part I try to maintain a romantic and whimsical tone. I prefer airy, lofty, flowery uses of words when the scene calls for it! And I'm perfectly fine with a simple, brisk, response as well (if warranted).

Pacing:

Slow burn is my favorite element of roleplay! Feeling like you're waiting for the latest new episode of your favorite show to drop is half the fun of a good plot! I am the type of roleplayer who does not mind making a server for our roleplay, therefore if you start to get bored of the "canon" plot we can start another slow burn that's new, or even create a rushed romance, in the form of an au!!

Detail Level:

I'm very detailed and I don't expect that of any of my rp partners consistently! I would absolutely love if you were, but I am not picky whatsoever! Please just make sure the parts that truly count in our story are accurately detailed and written, so that I can give you a proper thought out reply that makes us both happy!

Dialogue Style:

I tend to write as much as I can! I'm flexible depending on my partner. I've been on a roleplay hiatus for quite some time, so I'm currently getting used to roleplaying with people again. I never stopped writing however, so my hopes is I'll get back to where I was! Typically I can give multi-paragraph responses, when I have the time and privacy I can push the Discord character limit- double it even! But if my partner needs less and less detail, we can arrange for it instantly! Just communicate:)

→ Roleplay Dynamics:

Preferred Roleplay Type:

I stick to 1x1 pairings, because of the tendency to crave that romantic energy in the plot, but that doesn't limit me to creating intense detail for our 1x1! I focus on one pairing, but I put more focus on detail and add many side characters that become canon to the character of choice.

Posting Frequency:

I'm a student in the Midwest, and I'm at school from 8am to 3pm CST! HOWEVER, I am nearly completed and I have 2 hours of break combined up there when I'm bored! Class can sometimes move slow, and I'll have time to communicate ooc with you of course! Once I'm home, I have a lack of schoolwork so I've very attentive to replies towards 3:30pm CST until around 11:30pm/12am!!

Communication Style OOC:

This is important! When we chat I'll be asking for the password to make sure you read this part ^^ Keep reading did it! Please note that I prefer to have rp partners that really get into the plot of our two characters! If we can't have some small talk here and there ooc, AT LEAST about our characters, I don't think we'll be a good match! I'm not forcing you to be my friend, but we have to have some platonic chemistry to write together and enjoy it! Bonus points the password is star if we have our own server (for channels to put ooc, headcanons, memes, future plot ideas, fcs, etc)

→ Content

Content Boundaries:

I will not play any minor with an adult vice versa! I also refuse to roleplay anything medieval, seeing as I have zero experience. I don't like playing fantasy creatures aside from the typical, I'm willing to hear you out but please don't be upset if I don't want to! I'm open to dead dove, just no minors PLEASE.

Trigger Warnings/Topics to Avoid:

I love angst and realness, I have no real triggers or topics to avoid! If you have any triggers or topics I should avoid please make sure you have them listed!!

Romance and Relationships:

I can play mxm pairings and mxf pairings! For men I have a hard time writing more shy/timid/'cute' characters and they're typically flawed (not overly), rougher, men. In mxf pairings I will only write the female character, and I can flesh out the character more compared to her male counterpart. Please do not ask me to play outside of these pairing preferences!

→ Collaboration Preferences:

Plot Development:

I welcome collaborative, pre-planned, and improvisational! We can create it together, one of us can provide one (we can always tweak it), or we can see where things go! I would very much prefer the first two though!!!

Character Development:

If you have an oc ready that is perfectly fine but please know that I am back after a hiatus and I only have a few that I'm currently working on!! I will ask if you have a preference for faceclaim type, but know I prefer realistic faceclaims! I welcome anime and drawn OCs but I don't like picrews. Like I enjoy them for funsies but please don't use soley a picrew.

World-Building:

Please try to be descriptive with how you envision the scene playing out!! I l-o-v-e taking time to build up the world our characters live in. Even if it's just "modern day [insert obtainable real place]", I want to know what the people in that place are like, the goers on the sidewalk, what the scene looks like in detail when it rains, the way the pavement is cracked or not, I DON'T CARE just be descriptive.

Preferred Level of Planning (e.g., detailed plotting, minimal planning):

Both make me equally as happy!!! I'm very fast to come up with plots off the top of my head if needed, I just need to know if you'd like to avoid "dead dove " content and your preference for cliches or not!!!!

→ Technical Preferences:

Platform for Roleplay:

I only use Discord for roleplay! Add me at cemeterydoggy <3 Cold adds and dms are welcomed here.

Language and Grammar Expectations:

Please use capitals and punctuation, correct any mistakes I genuinely cannot understand. I'm really not like anal about any of this, of course just... I don't know... don't do *this* I'm not character ai.

→ Additional Information:

Experience Level:

I'm 20 and I'm fairly confident I've been "roleplaying" since I was like 12 - I will not lie. In middle school I was a beginner, in the beginning of highschool I was plotting and writing ALL the time, and by the end of highschool I had no more time to... and a MASSIVE loss of motivation. I stopped writing OCs and plots, but I never stopped writing.

Interests Outside of Roleplay:

Rick and Morty, BBC Sherlock, Romance Books, Writing, Poetry, Video Essays, Icebergs, Deep Dives, Podcasts, Gardening, Cooking/Baking (from scratch), Bread Baking, Marine Biology, Paleontology, Zoology.

Any Special Requests/Requirements:

I'd like to say that I'm a little socially awkward because I'm neurodivergent, but my experience is still there. I can give you detail and a story I just need my partners to be a little patient and easy going (preferably not dry).

[godstrayed]

before you interact please read the post! / mutuals only.

hello! it’s that time again i try to sell myself as a potential writing partner. i have written these in the past and been successful in occasionally finding roleplay partners who are interested in the same sorts of things as me. so i am looking for people who want to world build with me. i really like discussing plots, headcanons, and anything that can make me understand your muse better! i love sharing memes, drabbles, not roleplaying linearly and tossing around multiple threads! i don't need many people to write with but i really prefer to have a handful of people who i know well, am invested in their muses/feel super comfortable with my knowledge of their muses & pingpong my annoying ideas at them easily.

i tend to write lengthier things but i am okay with any length as long as it’s not one-liners! i also have zero interest in writing with someone who i will only have one thread with and never speak to again. 💀 i just rather focus on threads that will grow outside of just one single reaction! i like to think i am pretty easy to toss shit around with but i am a little shy so sometimes it takes a while for the ball to start rolling but once it is i am full-sending that shit.

so if you’re interested please GIVE THIS A LIKE and I WILL APPROACH YOU after i check out your muses/rules, if i haven't gotten around to it already! i am 100% gonna write the starter for whatever we come up with! i just ask if i take the time to write the starter that you reply to it at least once. failure to do so will result in me soft blocking since it happens so often and is super discouraging (and a waste of my time tbh). that might seem harsh but we could always write together when you do have the time or availability to reply.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT ME: can call me nic! 29. cst. they/them. selective. slow replies due to work and other responsibilities. willing to make new muses for people if i really like an idea/plot! emphasis on slow activity! please keep in mind that i take a whole lot of time sometimes.

THINGS I REALLY LIKE: pacific rim, the 100, the walking dead, baldur's gate 3, queens gambit, any apocalyptic setting, harry potter series, alice in borderlands, video games, league of legends, any mcu movie, x-men series, fantasy shows/games, fairies, hunger game series, graceling & demon slayer.

TYPES OF AUS: any type of apocalypse setting, fantasy, crime aus, soulmates au, period/era verses, dystopian, slice of life, mythological, anything with werewolves, royal aus, vigilantes, & mutant aus.

VIBES: angst (tbh most of my blog is angst), fluff, horror, cliches, tropes welcome, & the occasional smut when it fits the mood.

CHARACTERIZATION: i exist in extremities. i like writing really bad villains with zero remorse or softer characters with a more righteous morality. i enjoy writing against almost everything. i am open to exploring most things and you can find out more extensively my habits through my rules.

open to any type of relationship: family/friendship/romantic/enemies. doesn’t have to be romantic. however, if it is – i always write with anyone so gender/fc/etc doesn’t every bother me. write who you want to!

be prepared to: communicate, toss around ideas, explore plots & dynamics, share your interests with me as well, & be adored / have your muse(s) adored by me & mine.

  links: muses & laws. memes. verses. wanted plots.

[caleb-in-the-cockpit]

FLIGHT INSTRUCTIONS

Hiya!

This is a gimmick / rp blog for Caleb from Love and Deepspace! It's not official or at all actually associated with the game, just a silly little thing to contribute to the community!

RULES FOR TAKEOFF

Please remember that there is a person behind this blog. As a result, replies may take some time, or there may be some inconsistencies, things like that. Please be kind.

Admin is 21+, HOWEVER!! I am not yet comfortable writing NSFW content. Caleb may get a bit flirty, and things may be a bit suggestive, but if it gets past Admin's comfort zone, then it will more than likely be a fade to black.

Explicit NSFW asks will be deleted, as well as any that have triggering topics. Please remember that my posts are public, and we don't know who will see them. I will do my best to tag things accordingly, and please don't hesitate to ask me to tag something you need!

I will default to gender neutral pronouns unless otherwise stated

You are more than welcome to tag me in things, and can send me DMs too! Just let me know if they're in or out of character, so I can reply accordingly! You can just pop in to say hi, or if you want to plot some!

DO NOT FEED MY WRITING INTO AI!

This rules post will be updated as necessary, so check it every so often!

My asks are OPEN, and anons are ON! Anyone is welcome to interact, canon character, oc, or just yourself!

I will do my best to match your writing style

I do accept emoji anons! I'll list them down below! :D

Please specify whether you want the interaction with Caleb to be romantic or platonic! I know that there's a lot of people who hope that he becomes a romancable love interest, but I also know that there's people who are uncomfortable with that dynamic. So please make sure to clarify what kind of dynamic you're after.

IMPORTANT TAGS

Aesthetic posts are going to be tagged " Scrapbook ; Aesthetic "

Out of Character / Admin posts are " OOC ; Admin "

Prompts / Games are " Bonding Exercise ; Prompts "

TAKEN ANONS

🧼🥭

[bropunzeling]

11, 22, 37!

11 Three tropes that are fine but overrated

oh gosh hmm. some of these are gonna come across as hypocritical lmao and also insert a healthy dose of "for me specifically" but: (1) i think soulbond/soulmark tropes can be done well, but mid executions of the trope focus a lot on ~finding~ the person rather than interrogating what it means to have bonds or marks or things of that nature, and leave a lot of interesting nuances about choice and free will and conflict between romantic relationships and other things you might want (career, friendship, autonomy, etc) on the table. i wish more takes on the trope let it be messy! (2) hurt/comfort done well is really fun but when people are just like. aggressively making their little guy sad and pathetic and a poor little meow meow whose never done anything wrong it gets grating. i love a sad guy but i prefer when they're sad because of shit they did to themselves instead of external factors. (3) curtain fic/established relationship stuff can be fun sometimes but like. there still needs to be a smidgen of conflict or growth or change or a shift for me to be interested. there has to be a point imo! even when i write my silly self-indulgent post-fic time stamps its important to me that there's a point to it beyond just "im love them" (though im DO love them)

22 What is it about watching the same two idiots falling in love over and over again?

i think the thing is, there can always be a new dimension to how these two idiots fall in love!!! every story is an opportunity to get at some new nugget of like, how people are, or what it is to be vulnerable and open and willing to risk heartache. with two different people you have so many opportunities to look at different shades and facets of their character. especially with rpf where real life events can shape characterization in real time. The Trade opened up a whole new dimension of matthew that creates new angles to investigate matthew&leon and what it means to fall in love with someone thousands of miles away and who you see even less (or, someday, for my break up/make up agenda)! jamie getting dealt to philly opens up new ways to poke at the jamie/trevor relationship by adding distance and tragedy and the potential of falling for other people! even picking a new trope or time period is just so fun for being like, now how would they be under THESE circumstances? also like, i LOVE flip-flopping who gets to be down bad immediately and who is oblivious because it's not only a fun creative challenge but also just opens up new worlds. idk! there's so many possibilities and so many facets to explore and to me that's delightful.

37 Do you research before writing or while you write? Is it fun or boring for you?

id say i do some up front, just to nail down the broad beats of the story and to minimize how much reworking i have to do later on (or for period type fics, to make sure that i dont introduce plot points that simply cant have happened in that time frame!), and some i do as i go -- for example, for a while there i just HAD the battles of alberta in 21-22 down pat because i was using them so often to shape story beats, but the games in between i had to look up as i went. i also am constantly pulling from new articles or features that offer new bits of characterization i want to use. tbh with the current wip i DO feel very wobbly because i don't have my normal anchors of the schedule/have to make things up, which is simultaneously freeing and hard because it's so much easier for me to write about sports games that really happened than the fake ones im constructing for the narratives 😂. but yeah id say mostly i research as i go!

[cypheroo]

Info you may need! ~♡

(Now including my masterlist!)

Ask box : Open for requests/questions!

Before sending in a request please do keep in mind what I am and what I am not willing to write. Other then that let your requests run wild! It can be as basic or as complex as you'd like! Also all requests will be looked at as gender neutral unless specified otherwise!

You can request one of three things! A character match up, a full fanfic, or a buncha little headcannons!

Ask box info continued!

1. Requesting a matchup! (open!)

when requesting a match up please let me know what series you want the match up from, if you want a romantic or platonic match up, and your pronouns.

Try to let me know things like your pronouns, your likes and dislikes, your personality, etc! Any info you'd like to share! Please don't share insanely personal info as your safety is also important!

2. Requesting a fic! (open!)

Tell me the series/characters you'd like! Specifically, I'd ask you to request one character when wanting a fic as I'll be putting a lot more effort into the fic and wouldn't enjoy writing the same plot over and over again!

Please understand that I can't promise the fic I write will be perfectly what you imagined! I really would love to write exactly what you'd like but that's not totally possible!

3. Requesting headcannons (open!)

Headcannons work around the same as fic except I don't mind you requesting more character’s (ex : I'd like general relationship headcannons for all three of the love and deepspace boys separately! ) the amount of character’s is up to you all I ask is that you make it reasonable! With headcannons your also able to be a bit more specific!

Fandoms I write for!

Most aphmau series

One piece

Death note

Food fantasy

Love and deepspace

Resident evil

Some final fantasy games

Free!

Blooming Panic

Our Life

legend of zelda

Others as well, I'm open to a lot of fandoms lol, just ask.

What I will and won't write.

Will write!

Fluff

Angst

Hurt comfort

Non gendered terms for reader

multiple parts / series if asked!

Won't write!

ANYTHING SEXUAL.

Yandere

Abuse (only exception is when talking about the past)

Rape

Assault

Heavy gore

Before you interact!

I'd like to note that I am 17 and still a minor where I live!

This is a safe space for anyone who enjoys x reader content, if you don't enjoy it that's fine! Just move on!

I am not OK with any racism, sexism, or any other hateful content. I will never condone it as well.

I love talking to people! Please interact if you enjoy any of the fandoms I'm in! PLEASE BE MY MUTUAL IM BEGGING!

Other info!

I've been writing for a few years now and I love making anything others will love!

Keep in mind I am only on my phone so it may look bad on pc! I'm sorry!

I also work a lot (going to collage soon!). Writing is a pass time!

I use all pronouns and don't mind you calling me whatever your comfortable with!

MASTERLIST

Love and deepspace

To Change | Zayne fic!

Aphmau mystreet

Family? Fuck No. | Garroth fic!

MYSTEET MATCHUP | Katelyn and Laurence! matchup and headcannons!

Differing Tastes | Zane fic!

Aphmau Diaries

The Rose on The Sill | Zane Ro’meave fic!

A Private Celebration | Garroth fic!

The Stories never told before | Garroth fic!

I'll forever see you | Garroth fic!

How they care | Laurence and Garroth small fic and headcannons!

Morning Confessions | Laurence fic!

Relationship headcannons for Laurence and Garroth! headcannons!

MCD MATCHUP! | Katelyn and Laurence! matchup and headcannons!

MCD MATCHUP! | Usopp and Jeffory! Matchup and headcannons!

One Piece

ONE PIECE MATCHUP! | Usopp and Jeffory! matchup and headcannons!

Food Fantasy

That one time you protected me | Sanma, Bamboo Rice, and Coffee fic!

Ouran highschool host club

I've Seen You Before | Mori fic!

Nanbaka prison

The King of Hearts | UNO headcannons!

Jujutsu Kaisen

Let me Fall for you While we're at it? | Yuji fic!

JJK MATCHUP! | yuji! matchup and headcannons!

[rphunter]

Hi all! I’m on the hunt for some new partners (not replacing anyone of course) that are interested in angsty, romantic and, of course, dramatic plots. Aside from that though, I am 26 which means all of my partners NEED to be 18+. Also, another lil request if possible: I just moved to the PST and would love some partners over here or who are at least awake during these hours, not a requirement tho!

We can discuss rules, limits and triggers privately if we decide to move forward. Also, when it comes to ooc chatter I don’t mind fangirling or general chit chat, but what does bother me is holding conversations for days on end with no replies or no mention of replies. I find making friends through roleplay a bit awkward so if it happens organically I’m here for it, but I don’t want it to be forced. I hope that doesn’t make me sound harsh.

Right now I’m specifically on the hunt for four fandoms/pairings: Criminal Minds, Stranger Things, MCU & Teen Wolf.

In Criminal Minds I’d be looking for someone to play Spencer Reid opposite of my character, Olivia Chandler. Olivia is a Gale Weathers type if you know Scream at all, but FAR less of a bitch. I think there’s a lot of longevity for this pair as Olivia is afraid of commitment whereas I see Spencer just hesitant when it comes to romance at all, especially if we set this after Maeve. There’s a lot to her backstory that I think could make for an interesting twist a little further along, but we could do different cases and such and it would be fun!

While I haven’t watched S4 of Stranger Things yet (atp I’m just waiting for S5 to rewatch all of it lol), I know most of what happens, but this plot would take place more of s2-s3 and maybe in an AU space s4. I’d be playing an original character, Nancy and Mike’s troubled cousin from New York, and would want to pair her alongside Billy Hargrove. I think they’re ‘fuck this small town’ attitudes would work well along with other things.

In the MCU I’m looking for someone to play as Loki. Don’t fret if you’re not completely caught up on the more recent marvel projects, as the plot(s) I’m looking for would take place preferably pre-Thor. Pre-thor would be lighthearted until we potentially see Loki discover his true heritage and what that means. What does it mean to him? What does it mean to a girl he’s grown up with (my character)? What does it mean to those around him? Themes like that! I’m totally open to other ideas as well and will definitely send you info on my oc when we connect, but this is the basic plot I have in my head rn!

As for Teen Wolf, I’d love for someone to play Derek Hale against my canon-divergent version of Paige Krasikeva. For those who don’t remember, Paige was teenage Derek’s girlfriend who was scratched by an alpha and Derek had to kill himself. In my version, Derek thinks he killed her but Peter brought her back to life and sent her off with her parents who moved. Now she’s back in season 3A as an adult music teacher at the high school with no memories of Derek or werewolves.

If any of this sounds interesting, let me know or add me on discord toxicdeliquency#7795

.