#buuuuut he definitely made choices!

[starburst-selfship]

I really hope no one here thinks I excuse every one of Miguel’s actions just because I love him. Like nuh uh he should’ve never done any of that to Miles?? The 15 y/o he projected onto?? I’m sayin this out of love but he needs his ass whooped in BTSV

[fortunekookie07]

I know I already posted this with a reblog, buuuuut it's gotten zero attention. I am aware that I am by far not the most popular writer, but I didn't think this story was awful either. I think maybe it's being blocked or something. Not sure. So take two! Please tell me your thoughts. They help me keep writing and improving.

Cereal IS a Soup

Zayne was still fast asleep by the time your eyes opened. His arm draped over your waist the comfort and safety you fell asleep to nearly every night. Carefully, you slowly roll over and watch his sleeping face. Ah, there it is, that little frown again. You reach up and smooth the wrinkle between his brows.

Moving closer, you kiss his nose before trying to leave his embrace. Now that you're awake, your bladder demands relief. As you try to move past his arm, it suddenly tightens, and he draws you closer into his chest. Then his morning groggy voice is in your ear. "Where do you think you're going?" He asks, voice deeper than usual, still rough from sleep.

"Bathroom", you say still trying to wiggle out of his arms. He holds you a moment longer and then finally releases you. You scramble out of bed, quickly untangling your legs from his and the mess you've made of the blankets.

After washing your hands you head to the kitchen to start some coffee. Glancing at the clock, you realize that it's late. Almost 10:30, Zayne hardly ever sleeps late. Usually he's up with the sun, not today. On his rare days off he does tend to sleep in. Just not this much. A few minutes later he's shuffling into the kitchen, looking more rested then usual.

He comes to stand beside you saying nothing as he waits for the coffee. Wordlessly you take his usual cup and pour the steaming liquid in and stir in cream and his four spoons of sugar. He likes his coffe sweet. As your handing him the cup he kisses your temple and then moves to the fridge. Having not been grocery shopping this week yet, choices are limited. It's definitely a cereal day.

You grab two bowls and spoons, and he grabs both kinds of cereal and milk. You grab the cheerios and pour some into your bowl, and wait for the milk. Zayne is just pouring the milk when he catches you staring at his bowl with that look on your face. He stops.

"Stop thinking whatever you're thinking." He says eyeing you like you're about to grow two heads. "Huh?" You say brilliantly not aware that, that tell tale silly look is on your face once again. Zayne has had many years to learn your expressions.

"You always have that look on your face when you're about to say something stupid just to annoy me. So cut it out..." You cut him off. "I love you." You say smiling innocently. He stares at you eyes narrowed as he pushes the milk towards you.

You grab it and start pouring before saying "Also, cereal qualifies as a soup." His spoon clatters on the table as he drops it and pinches the bridge of his nose. "I knew it." You giggle at him and start eating. "I mean think about it!" You start to elaborate on the qualifications of soup and the similarities of cereal. Zayne now has a full on face palm, his elbow on the table. "I married a five year old". He mutters earning more giggles from you as you finish off the rest of your bowl.

After setting your bowl in the sink you go over and poke his face, he looks up at you almost as if he expects something equally ridiculous to pop out of your mouth. Clearly he is regretting letting you get into that drunken, heated debate with a coworker the night before. How you got on the topic of soup is still a mystery to him.

You peck his cheek and say "cereal really should be considered soup. And I love you too." Zayne decides right then and there to never allow you to drink around anyone but him again. That should keep the shenanigans to a minimum. He pulls you down into his lap and says seriously, "cereal is not a soup and you're not allowed to drink with my coworkers anymore." He lightly pinches your lips together to keep you from protesting as he takes another sip of his coffee.

"No more silliness." He gives you that look before he releases your lips. You make a big show of rubbing your lips and pouting. "What do you want to do today?" He asks after a moment of silence. You think as you mind stars running with ideas, each one rejected the moment you realize you don't really want to leave the house today. "I just want to spend all day right by your side. I don't feel like going anywhere." He nods thoughtful as he considers the choices.

He wouldn't be opposed to just going right back to bed as long as you're right beside him. He always does sleep better with you tucked into his arms. He hooks his arm under your knees before standing. You look at him curiously as he makes his way back to the bedroom. "I wouldn't mind spending the day in bed. I just want to do nothing today." You smile perfectly content as he lays you down on the bed and then immediately follows.

After he's laying down and flipping the blankets back over you, he holds his arm out, and you immediately snuggle into his side, laying your head on his shoulder. After a few minutes of silence, you speak. "Zayne?" He hums in response. "I love you." His eyes open, and he looks down at you. "I love you too." He kisses your temple again and then squeezes you closer as you drift off to sleep. Content with your little slice of happiness.

****************************************************

This is what I came up with after reading a bit of dialog that love-and-deepspace-incorrect-quotes had thought up. As promised, it's packed with cheesyness. I hope you liked it!

[frango-maconheiro]

wow, wow, interaction.

also, there's a stupid meaningless ramble i made out of this incredible petpeeve of mine with EW x reader stuff and it's just down the cut sggkjdfjkk (it's fr just me being extremely salty)

Anyway, hello!

Haha, my curious and lonely ass really thought it was a clever idea to read 'eddsworld x reader' content because it spawned in my timeline.... thinking that maaaybe they actually got good at it and made not too ooc stuff (this is heeeeaavily on matt content)

Now, i am profoundly remorseful of that choice because when i wrote this hours ago woth no wifi, i was arguing with the air.

Like, i won't lie on this. EW x reader.. They have evolved, a loooot since those 2017 fanfics (why were the x yn fics from eddsworld all copy-paste back then???) actually, it really surprised me because i definitely don't have the most cool memories of such fanfics,, Buuuuut, they still have that STUPID FAVORITISM. IT'S SO DAMN APPARENT. YOU THINK WE CAN'T SEE IT???

i get madder from down this line, especially since i was veery hungry when writing this. That's why you should always stay fed, keeps you slightly happier.

nhamnhamnhamm, writes aaall cool stuff for edd, tom 'n tord... maybe with an ooc here and there, but enough to ignore,, but matt? Matt gets so ooc, he can be mistaken for an oc if no name is given.

like,,, did.. did we watch the same dude on screen? i know he was pretty neglected in content, but cmon, what is that?? He's practically a romance repellent with his stupidity (said affectionately)

it's the same 'pipipipopopo just a sweet mama's boy' and 'ooo, he's sooo romantic, look at how much of gentleman he is compared to otheeeers' and 'whaao he so silly ::3 *treats him as if he weren't an adult character' and so much more, all in this weird stereotype

I guess i'm just disappointed,,, all because he just, idk, still feels downright boring compared to how the other 3 are written in these kind of fanfics even thought it's 2024 already and not still 2017-2020 (don't even get me started on the weird fixation on making yn extremely specific which fr also makes me crawl away like a wet cat from EW reader interactive content, they don't even put tags of the gender, aaaaaargh).

y'all definitely have more content of him to write than just the saturation of him painting your nails, or going shopping, or acting like he's the center of the world 24/7, or making him the pure lil' angel, or having his memory issues being downplayed as him acting 'so silly lil' silly', i assure you.

When i tell you i got so invested in this useless anger i mean that i got compelled into writing down a bunch of matt x reader to try and give that man a cooler image,,, and i don't even see him that way (nor any of the characters.) , but GOD ARGHHHV I NEED JUSTICE FOR HIM.

i might be just a lil' hot headed while writing this whole stuff, but this bro got stripped out of BOTH his classic and his modern funky personality in 99% of these fanfics and nobody bats an eye, like, ever, unless they're another fan of the character. Free my ginger rat, pleeeeaaaaseee.

I need any weirdo, edgy, funky, unusual, vampire, zombie(heavily on you zombie matt my beloved), slasher, funny, whack matt written content that is not only interactive BUT friendly to all readers...

i don't even care what Matt is written, modern, or classic. Both types have their own weirdo charm, and i am willing to analyze them for a nice oneshot or spitball post.... where you don't get to a restaurant/picnic and receives flowers and it ends like that, without any more depth of such cute cliche fluff it is, and leaving you like you just licked off the scraps of a dessert from a plate given to you, so damn hungry 'n wishing you had eaten an actual dessert instead of whatever that was.

[creehd]

SURPRISE!! its me again, ive moved into your walls.

Now... *flips through notes* You said Shredder is a Yakuza boss, which is just a delectable choice, and i shant ever get over it--

--BUUUUUT because hes Yakuza, does that mean hes...covered in tattoos? 👁👁

I meeean, i can kinda see some tattoos in the reference you drew for him, but i think we might need a shirtless reference, fOR SCIENTIFIC REASONS OF COURSEEEEE, absolutely no other reason.

I definitely dont wanna just see that buff man shirtless hahah nooooo *heavy breathing*

BUT ON A NOT SIMPING NOTE--

What is the Turtle's living situation like??? Is it still in the sewers? Do Casey and April visit them there? How different is their home in the AU compared to the modern depictions? I cant imagine sewers in the 20's were to much different than sewers now, but im still very curious :]

Sorry for the never ending questions skajsksks

YES shredder does have tattoos! Alot of em are traditional Japanese dragon design ones, I will map out what his chest and back tats look like don't you worry-

AS FOR THE SEWER QUESTION IM GLAD YOU ASKEDDD I made the entire turtle lair in the sims bc of this ask SO here we are,

The entrance to the sewers is pretty basic, shoot off to 6 open rooms,

Splinters room!! He's a pretty solitary guy so he has a place for meditation and a cozy lil chair he falls asleep in constantly.

Here's the rec room/kitchen, Lotta areas for food making and eating, and a piano Mikey plays every now and again for everyone! They also have a dinky little TV set donnie managed to snag. (Infront the couch)

The dojo!! Pretty basic, this is where the boys do their training!

The bathroom/storage! Very rustic and stolen and or built by Donatello. Lotta extra stuff splinter brought over from japan and misc living stuff for the family.

Now for the boys rooms!!!

Leo and Donatello share a room, leo keeps model trains and tons of books donnie can't house on his side, he's also got several Japanese tapestries to keep in touch with his heritage. He also has alot of art deco posters, he enjoys the colors and movement of them. He also keeps track of scout badges he's collected, because while be can't BE a boyscout, he loves the idea of scouting and following that code of values.

Donnies side is much more technical. He tinkers and builds things while listening to the radio, he'll turn it on for both him and Leo while they do respective activities. He also has Japanese tapestries, mostly because when the boys were small splinter got them each their own, and he never took it down. He's got tons of books and maps, and more physics leaning posters.

On the other side of the sewer, Raphel and Mikey share a room, in the middle they have a Foosball table they both enjoy from time to time, but on raphs side, he's got a punching bag (go figure) and a stereo radio phonograph, along with a chest of his things, his favorite stuffed toy, some art deco posters and a painting Mikey made him, along with a portrait of Casey, and a cow skull. He's taken the tapestry splinter gave him down. Says it clashes with the rest.

And last but not least! Mikey has the brightest part of the sewer, he enjoys plants, and taking care of them, he says they add life to the home. Along with several paintings he's done and art deco posters he enjoys! He's got a desk for Journaling and an easel for his portraits. He's also got his Japanese tapestry hung, it gives him inspiration.

All and all, not too different from their modern counterparts! I tried to make my little diorama art project as time period accurate as I could, for the sims yknow, but I think I did a pretty good job expressing my vision (although there was a sewer grate I COULD NOT find for the life of me so I just pretended don't look at it too hard)

April and casey visit on occasion, after all the portrait of Casey was painted by mikey!! Raph just felt... sentimental about keeping it. April visits less, due to grime, but she cares about her friends and can look past it after a good shower.

AND DONT YOU WORRY- I'll make a shredder tattoo masterpost, he's not covered head to toe, but he's pretty well inked up..

I had fun working on this alot tho!! Never apologize ur giving me an excuse to post about my brain worms

Questions or suggestions??? ASK BOX IS OPENNNNN ASK ME ABOUT MY 20S AU

[squidthesquidd]

OHOHOHOHO YES YOU ARE ENABLING ME I NEED TO INFO DUMP!!!

first of all, yes they are small. not only was the gem that was supposed to form split in two, they were also in the ground for a veeerrrrrryyy long time. theyre overcooked like amethyst! which made them even smaller!

but you see, normally onyx’s are HUGE! roughly eleven feet tall :D if onyx’s were normal sized, ingo and emmet would have come out at barely two feet tall, but luckily theyre a bit taller at 4’6”

being compressed in the ground for so long also made them both extremely durable! onyx’s represent strength and protection, so not not only are the twins verrrrry difficult to poof, they can withstand extreme temperatures like garnet :D

Also, since we never see an onyx in steven universe, i like to think they were actually discontinued! with the dwindling natural materials it just wasn't beneficial to make these giant eleven foot gems that just stood guard at warp pads. so Emmet and Inggo emerged verrrry late like, extremely late. im thinking this au takes place around the time peridot becomes a little friend creature, so the timeline is:

gemwar: onyx discontinued, emmet and ingo forming

after gem war: 5,000 or so years later, emmet and ingo emerge. very small

before the series and while it's going: Emmet and ingo are discovered and made to be entertainment for important gem higher ups. i'm thinking this goes on for a few hundred years

bit after peri is part of the crystal gems: emmet and ingo escape to earth and meet the gems!

now, emmet and ingo don't have their signature big coats on homeworld, and instead wear something similar to pearls. bodysuit with a lil frilly thing :p cus just like pearls, they were basically just supposed to be decorations

Emmet and Ingo, early on in their life as toys, managed to steal a device they could use to get information. haha lmao gem internet

anyway, whenever they were able, they would research things using this device, and formed a particular interest in earth. they read about the crystal gems and life on earth and- get ready

TRAINS

upon discovering the existence of trains, on earth and other alien societies, they were obsessed. they would talk about them as often as they could, and accidentally incorporated train talk into their everyday vocabulary, which the gems around them thought was verry strange

eventually, the reason emmet and ingo decide to escape, is big sad :(. so basically, the twins were given to a gem who led a platoon of soldiers, and threw emmet and ingo into their room and told them they could do whatever they wanted with them. so, the soldiers decide to just fuck the boys up. reallly beat the shit outta them, and they actually manage to poof ingo, something that had never happened before. then they start shouting about trying to shatter ingo, and this obviously freaked the hell out of emmet. so Emmet grabs ingos gem, and because he’s just small as hell compared to all the other gems in the room, manages to slip through them and escape.

now he's on the run, and just trying to hide long enough for ingo to reform. when ingo eventually does, they decide their life on homeworld is definitely over so they either have the choice of being shattered, or stealing a ship and escaping. they of course decide that stealing a ship would be better :] they know the layout of the area pretty well, so they are able to get to where ships are stored pretty easily, the only problem is actually flying them, buuuuut because of the device they stole, they had basic knowledge of how to operate it. they were being attacked the whole time, but did manage to successfully fly off of homeworld!!!!

It takes a while, but they manage to make it to earth. they’re researching humans a bunch and decide to choose human names for themselves! because humans are just so cool! so thats where their names come from :D

around this time is a bit after peridots famous “calling yellow diamond a clod” moment, so when the gems see a homeworld ship entering the atmosphere, they immediately assume the worst. they attack it, and the ship crashes somewhere in the forest. In the crash, Emmets gem is cracked. no good. very bad :(

when the gems find the crash, and they see emmet and ingo inside, they immediately realize “these arent dangerous gems, these are just little guys. we just attacked a couple of little guys and now theyre crying. oh no :(“ cus they r just little guys!!! emmets gem is cracked and hes scared and ingo is holding him and crying his freaking eyes out cus his twin is hurt :((( and steven tries to get closer to heal emmet and ingo hisses at him like a damn little creature,, and steven has to explain that they didnt mean to hurt them and they just want help, and ingo is still suspicious, but he lets steven slap his spit on emmet

also i just realized i am just writing a fanfic here so i'm gonna stop before i write any more lmao (and ive just decided to write a whole actual fanfic about this so prepare urselves)

last thing im gonna talk about is their weapons cus i like what i came up with :]

I couldn't find a name for the weapon name, but it’s basically a giant deerhorn knife,,, like a batleth? yeah its like a reverse batleth :D so ingo and emmet each have a batleth, and when they fuse, their weapon becomes Giant frisbee saw of death

and thats what ive come up with so far! :D feel free to ask questions or suggest things for this au!!!!! pls!!! i read all ur tags!!!!

[beanbagbog]

tonight's tantrum:

i finally watched tokyo revengers season 2 and HOO BOY

angery and sadde.

so it's been a couple years since i watched the first season and i forgot some of it and had to watch a recap video 😭 it took forever for me to get around to continuing it bc 1. the new season wasn't on crunchyroll and 2. i am lazy :)

BUT when i started it back up last week it didn't take long for me to be really invested and omg. what. things got even wilder and i was not prepared lol. i had a lot of questions during the first season about how the time travel works and stuff (and i still think there are a lot of plot holes there) buuuuut this show is so entertaining that after a while you're just like ehhhh i'll allow it :)

so let's start with what didn't make me want to throw my remote at the screen 🤩

cheefu :0

one of my favorite characters in this part was chifuyu! i'm so glad takemichi finally has someone else on his side in the past who knows what's going on. also he's so supportive about everything and it's just really nice to see in the middle of all the mess 🙂‍↕️

also mitsuya in mom mode is everything

PRESH

also yuzuha was girlbossing all over the place

anyway yeah there was a lot of good stuff i'm just here to have a tantrum about THIS GUY

SCREAMING BARFING SCRATCHING (bad)

i felt so much rage with the stuff that happened to emma i was screeching at like 1 am in the morning... so much so that my brother asked me the next day if i was mad about something 💀 yes i was furious actually! like what is wrong with this kid?! aren't you like 14 or smth?! GO DO YOUR HOMEWORK!!!! same for all of them tbh... the show gets all serious and then you remember they're literal middle schoolers fighting to the death and for WHAT

these guys are the only realistic middle schoolers in this entire show 😭 okay anyway i was mad and sad and all that

please come back nattou </3

not worried about naoto tho he should be fine EVENTUALLY but omg the ending of this season was wild too. AND THE TRUCK PART!!! when i tell you my mouth was on the FLOOR for a good bit there. estupefacto. the irony of kisaki being taken down (via truck-kun) and finally being defeated but in such a gruesome way AND by being hit by a vehicle like he kept doing with the whole hina situation... i was just not expecting that. and it was so. icky. ow. like eughhhhh.

so. this brings us to the present, and i am so invested now... i might pick up the manga, which i don't usually do unless the next season's gonna take a while and i really wanna find out what happens. but i really see a lot of possibilities and ~scrumptious~ writing choices that can be made, what with trying to figure out how to go back further in time to save emma, baji, izana, and possibly kisaki as well?? maybe??? idk ANYWAY this has been the spark notes version of my thoughts on this whole thing bc i have SO much to say but! i love this show and it's definitely made a place for itself amongst my favorites with this most recent season, plot holes and all :0

kudos to you if you stuck through this word vomit!

gracias kenchines <3

[demonsfate]

I think what makes Jin interesting as a character is the fact that he possesses attributes that make him a good enough definition of an anti-hero, rather than just a tragic hero. His struggles throughout the story and his downfalls that display the darkness inside him, opposing to the good he carries inside as the protagonist (from T3 onwards minus T6 & T7) is adding up to that nicely. That's just my own impression of him though. A realistically flawed protagonist is still much better than a perfect protagonist with little to no flaws.

I think it would depend on people's definition of "antihero". Which, by the actual true definition, Jin is definitely an antihero. As antihero simply refers to any hero that lacks the conventional hero traits, which hhhuhhhhh... practically just translates to any hero that isn't perfect LMAO. If you peek at Wikipedia's "antihero" list - they literally lump Oscar the Grouch with Walter White. So yeah.

I never usually call Jin an "antihero" just because when I hear the word, my mind goes straight to characters like Venom, Magneto, or Harley Quinn... which I don't see Jin fitting the bill of those characters lol. Just how Kazuya is considered the antihero in the first Tekken - but for totally different reasons than you may see Jin as. Kazuya wanted to get rid of an evil (Heihachi) - buuuuut he wanted to do it for selfish reasons (out of his own trauma and own desire for power). Which, Jin did wanted to do similar for selfish reasons, as what kickstarted him wanting to kill Heihachi and Kazuya was betrayal and trauma as well. BUT, Jin also primarily had the world in mind, and people's well being - as he wanted to save the world from Heihachi and the devil gene.

Jin's biggest flaws (aside from being possessed by a devil - but we're talking about Jin's flaws on his own) was his antisocialness, his fury, suicidal tendencies, and his homicidal tendencies towards those who have wronged people and himself. Which, the latter is a question of morality that's been debated for ages. But if we look at many fictional heroes, usually killing, even for the greater good, is a no - no. Jin still, however, had a heart of gold. Despite being antisocial, Jin was still very supportive of other people; Jin may have been antisocial, but he wasn't cynical at all. Which is why I liked Jin's story a lot. Because he is a good man, and damn he tries to be a good man. But... he struggles with making the right choices. And I think a lot of us can relate with that. Because we're all not gonna be Superman in situations, we're often gonna struggle with making the right call because real life isn't so black and white when it comes to more complex situations. And like Jin, we're also gonna have flaws we have to work on, maybe like him - we lose our temper easily. Whatever. Jin's struggles and character was relatable (even tho some fail to see because he's not Overly Expressive) and it's why he doesn't work in T6. Because Jin crosses the line of being that Unconventional Hero, his actions became too antagonistic. And well... as I've explained many times before, just doesn't feel like Jin anymore in character.

So, yeah! I do agree even though I don't use the term often with Jin just because of the most popular examples associated with the term. But Jin is technically, indeed, an "antihero." It's why I loved Jin so much; his flaws were what made him interesting. He was a good man who may have been prone to mistakes compared to other Good People, and he doesn't always know what's the right thing to do. And plus as I call him many times on this blog, often a failboss! So, Jin always felt very realistic to me and I wish more people would see that, as well!

[starvingtongue]

from the lovely @braskide regarding this headcanon.

"i've always been curious: do you think tromell ( and generally the guado ) helped seymour because they felt like it was all they knew ( like concept of unity, sticking with the guado ) or do you think there was some sort of deeper devotion towards seymour that made them act accordingly? would the same have happened if it was jyscal?"

The Guado as a whole have a lot of loyalty and respect towards their leaders. At times, perhaps because of how closed off their culture is, it definitely borders, and probably crosses into, blind devoution at times. They don't seem to queston their leader much (aside from Jyscal's choice of wife, but I'll get to that), they trust that their leader will do the right thing to keep the Guado affairs in order. At the same time, the ways of the Guado are all the Guado knows. They've been a very closed culture for a very long time and Jyscal's involvement of Yevon & marriage to Anna was probably the first time they've had any outside involvement for a while (if ever). There's a deep devoution to their leaders there because that's all they've ever known. If Jyscal and Seymour had swapped places, or there'd been any other Guado in that position, the same things probably would've happened.

Buuuuut, I'm also going under the assumption that Tromell and the Guado didn't realise just how bad Seymour's mental state was. The Guado hadn't seen Seymour since he was 8 (so 19ish years), they had no idea what he was like personally. And despite his upbringing, Seymour was obviously very good at hiding just how narcissistic and manipulative he was to everyone, including the Guado. His mental state obviously deteriorated after his first, and after his subsequent deaths, but I can't imagine the Guado knew of Seymour's ulterior motives. In their eyes, they see someone working to bring together the Guado and the rest of Spira, someone who wants to bring the teachings of Yevon to them, and to bring in a new age to the Guado. Several of the Guado, not just Tromell, are singing Seymour's praises throughout the events of X, so they clearly believe in what he's doing.

Plus, I can't see Seymour telling any of the Guado what his plans were to become Sin, to murder the Ronso (not that I think this was planned anyway, I think they got in Seymour's way and got massacred for it), to kill everyone to bring 'peace' to Spira, none of it. The only part of Seymour's 'plan', if one could even call it that, that the Guado went along with was kidnapping Yuna, and I think the decimation of the Al Bhed was an unintended consequence of that.

The Guado went along with Seymour and what he did because of their blind devoution to their leaders and because it's all they've ever known.

[lucky-clover-gazette]

Shadow shakes his head. “You’re doing perfectly. I just don’t want this to be a bad memory for you.” Dreaming Vio startles at the comment. Is this a bad memory? He doesn’t think so, but his definition of ‘bad’ is far from conventional. That’s what months of corruption does to a person, he supposes. Shadow runs his hands down Vio’s waist and hips as the blonde pushes him against the headboard. Vio kisses him deep, almost as if sucking poison from a wound. Shadow’s eye widen as he watches strange patterns appear on his own skin. Dark purple veins run down his arms and neck, almost resembling the complex root system of a tree. They seem to almost be alive, the lines pulsing as Shadow kisses Vio harder. Vio whimpers, but doesn’t let go. The lines transfer from one body to another, tendrils of gloom creeping their way beneath the thin fabric of his blouse. It appears to weaken him further at first, and he loses the energy to kiss Shadow hard. He falls into the other man’s arms, his body jerking around every three seconds as if taking prolonged damage from the direct exposure.

— —

I think one of my favorite things about your writing is how you take so many concepts from other games in the Zelda series (like the gloom or the addition of the Hero’s Shade in this fic specifically) and use the elements given through canon but also add your own twist. I’m mostly curious what inspires you to use those things, and also how much more complex the systems might be than what we get from reading the character’s perspectives. I also just really like this scene and the concept of this fic as a whole; it’s definitely one of my most favorite things I’ve read :D (Also I’ve been meaning to ask if there’s any specific songs you’d tie to scenes in any of your fics or music you listen to while writing in general).

Anyways thank you! Hope you're having a good day!

thank you so much! i always appreciate your comments.

with other zelda things, it’s really kind of connected to my overall experience with the series. loz was an iceberg for me, like i started with botw, got really into it, started watching other people play the other games, read the twilight princess manga, got a wii u to play the oldies, and eventually just kinda randomly picked up the four swords manga almost a year ago. so i already had a lot of love for this series before writing four swords fic, and a lot of thoughts about the games. esp bc it’s not a nostalgia thing for me, i’ve approached zelda as an adult, i think my analysis of and connection to the media has been pretty “deep” or whatever. these stories mean a lot to me, and i’ve always been someone to take stories and their importance in my life seriously. botw in particular was a very healing experience for me at the time that i played it. that game holds a lot of philosophical and emotional meaning to me, and i get why others may not enjoy it, but as someone who has now played the other games, i still think it’s a master piece. my favorite game of all time, honestly, and totk was such a gift. it did so much right for me. it’s been delightful experiencing the series how i have.

i don’t love all of the choices made in terms of story and themes in loz, but there is a LOT to play with in fic. esp bc it’s a reincarnation type series, i don’t give a shit about the timeline, i just want to draw parallels and do clever interesting things. so a lot of the time i’ll have a vague idea of what i want to do with a story, and there will be a way to make connections, if only for my own enjoyment. i’m a strong believer that all art is derivative, but like, if you know the author loves it and is having fun, that only makes it better. it’s hard to pinpoint what i thought of and what was put in my mind by other things in the series, and honestly, i’m totally cool with that :)

i want to tread lightly talking about the gloom and corruption stuff in that specific fic because spoilers buuuuut the core concept of that part was just for it to be vaguely toxic and kinda … yknow… and i liked the idea of gloom/gloom hands being this confused force of harm and affection. honestly this whole fic is just me putting some very personal feelings and experiences on blast, and it’s been exhausting to write. i actually scrapped the final chapter and i’m rewriting it now, for the best!

hmmm i do connect my writing a lot to music but i think (?) you’ve seen my vidow playlist already! for the final chapter i’m doing a little bit of a tone shift and i’ve been listening a ton to the bottoms (movie) soundtrack. going for something more lively and active and cinematic, instead of two people being miserable. inserting a little dark humor too, closer to the og corruption but it’s chill au. while working on earlier chapters of corruption but it’s unchill i associated it with “eyes half open” by cinders, and (TOTK SPOILERS) i listened to the totk memory ost of rauru sealing ganon pretty much the entire time i wrote the chapter where vio kills green. been listening a lot to “pain” by king princess (also in bottoms, that movie is living rent free in my brain rn) while working on the final chapter.

hope this answers your questions! thanks so much for reading <3

[seventeenlovesthree]

On the subject of ships, fun facts about me: I like to make AUs where post-humous characters lived, and also like to make up backstories for random background character. So some of my headcanons/ships are really in the off-the-wall territory. The most obscure ship is probably Masami and Kae’s bio-son in an alternate timeline where he survived his illness x the girl standing at the front of the trio of middle schoolers who watched ImperialDramon take off in episode 39 (or was it 40?) of Zero Two.

That is indeed very interesting and definitely a way of shipping I haven't encountered too much so far!

I made these polls to get a general grip on fandom shipping preferences - sure, a lot of the choices will be very on the nose, but there will still be little gems hidden here and there! I personally prefer my ships to have some kind of canon foundation, buuuuut it's a lot of fun to look at how other people ship their ships! Especially when they have background stories for it and that's what makes this so exciting to me. I literally cannot wait till Monday to open my Excel sheet and get to business!

[dreamylyfe-x]

I always enjoy your takes on Shameless episodes, they're so spot on every time. I agree with you that Ian's handling of Mickey's grief in the beginning of the episode makes sense from a character stand point (Mickey might not be emotionally ready to be comforted, Ian didn't want Mickey to stray too far from the fact that Terry was a terrible father and person, etc) but I gotta say that it was a pretty bad choice from just a storytelling perspective. The fact that Mickey's crying didn't have much of an emotional impact on Ian made it so that it didn't have much of an emotional impact on me as a viewer. It was sad and I felt bad, but I think that the scene could have been made so much better by showing Ian as being hurt because his husband was hurt (we got this later in the episode which is why I think that scene worked better), instead of Ian giving Mickey weirded out looks and side-eyes. Idk I think that scene should have been more of a gut punch than it was (not helped by the background music, either). Ian could have set an emotional "example" for the viewer by being less stoic in the face of his husband sobbing. That would have made more sense to me just as a way to tell the story to us. I feel like Shameless still has good stories to tell but the WAY they're being told just falls so short, sometimes.

First of all, thank you for your kind words, anon. I truly do love talking about this show. 

I get your reaction, and it’s made me think a little more about what the show is going for. Like... It’s definitely not the traditional response to a grieving partner, as depicted on television. But neither is Mickey’s. 

I cannot tel you how little I EVER would have guessed that the next time we saw Mickey after his father’s death he’d be sitting on their bed ugly crying and I honestly love that choice so much. SO much. It’s so unusual that a show would let a male character -- particularly an alpha tough guy like Mickey -- be THIS emotional. This isn’t the red eyes while he holds Ian at the police station. It’s not him wiping tears away after Ian tells him he’s going into the army. I find the fact that Mickey is crying so openly and continuously to be as fascinating as it is to have Ian essentially giving him reasons not to cry like this. 

I think a lot of people read it as Ian giving MIckey what he needs and @pathoftheranger and @damngcoffee both made compelling posts about why Ian meets Mickey where he’s at. I am particularly moved by @damngcoffee point that the degree to which Mickey is crying is proof of how safe he feels. (Also shout out to @doodlevich and this post, which I DEEPLY relate to.) 

Looking at it the way you frame it -- where you had the experience of it lessening the scenes impact -- I can completely see what you mean about how it pulls you out of really empathizing with Mickey (which the music arguably wants to do, too) because Ian isn’t comforting him in a way we’re used to. Like beyond the actual characters and story, Ian’s comments are discordant. This isn’t how we usually see this dynamic presented. 

The scene reminded me of a very different scene from Ronan Farrow’s book Catch and Kill where he calls his partner from the back of a cab in despair, pours his heart out, and his partner responds with impatience and says “the only thing that has changed is that you haven’t slept in 24 hours.” -- that kind of brutal logic is absolutely something people do to each other, but it’s SO RARE we see that in fiction, from a character in Ian’s position. What we see is something more gentle and I think it’s so interesting that they didn’t do that. I also think it’s interesting that Cam doesn’t play the hard edge in the dialogue. He keeps his voice soft, even as he’s openly confused by this open display of emotion. Ian reaches out, touches Mickey, and stays in the conversation even after Mickey blames Terry’s murder on Ian. But this is not your normal depiction of grieving. 

Buuuuut. Ian and MIckey don’t do normal. So. 

I do think there’s value in seeing something that is so different from the average and maybe closer to the way couples would talk four days after the death of a nightmare parent (who has tried to murder both of them) but you are absolutely right that this scene isn’t a gut-punch in the way we might expect. We don’t get the moment of raw shock where Ian comforts Mickey -- but from a storytelling POV I think that scene belonged in 11x08. This episode is about grieving the underserving. And if we had more time, I’d want to see so much more of this particular dynamic, which I imagine is rooted in Ian’s concern about Mickey’s mental health. There is of course the echo of what happened to Ian after his mother died and how that undid him so totally, even though she was very much not a great mother to him. It makes sense to me that Ian would have an outsized concern about Mickey getting lost in his grief and wants to help him draw those lines -- Terry was awful. He doesn’t deserve your tears. I don’t want you to be in pain like this. 

None of that is text and this will always be where I get low-key frustrated, because I could watch a whole hour just about Mickey reacting to Terry’s death. Happily. But the show has a bunch of other characters and Frank’s an art thief now, so we aren’t going to get the detail I want. It’s also just very true that Ian isn’t the sort of person to deeply examine his motives. He just feels the discomfort of watching Mickey in pain and reacts. 

I love that he doesn’t back off. I love that Mickey doesn’t tell him to go to hell -- because he sure as hell would if that’s what he wanted. I love Mickey’s weepy “I know!” moments of agreement. I love that Mickey is completely baffled by how upset he is. Mostly I love that, at the end of the episode, when Mickey looks completely drained, Ian has his arm around him while he says his final goodbye to his bad dad. 

But we never, ever get enough Gallavich in these episodes for my taste. And I do wish we’d gotten just one more moment with them in 11x08.  

[thefunniestguy]

hmmMMmmm, any thoughts ab Simon and Marceline ? (Esp in ‘I Remember You’ since I’m thinking about that episode a lot)

OH MAN DEFINITELY ,,, let's seeeee,,,,,,

Hmm , !! First !!!! I think it's ,,, sooooooooo just so very in general how a part of the Ice King remembers Marceline !! I know the entire point of one of those scenes (which ,, mmmm made me uncomfortable , but not much i can do lol) was to show how little he remembers , but !!! in marceline's little song before "i remember you" mentions how they always find their way back to each other !! he find marceline over and over , no matter how hard she tries !!!! maybe a part of that is emotions on her part ? i don't think it's what was intended , but her singing "every time i move eventually you find me , and start hanging around" would be fun if she also meant that she couldn't forget simon - like , no matter where she was , she was reminded of him . buuuuut i know it most definitely means he literally would find her , make up "another lame excuse" to see her , and try and spend time with her . ANYWAY all that to say , i do think there's a part of the ice king who remembers marcy !! even if he doesn't have the memories , or the exact feelings , a part of him is trying so desperately to remember the feelings . unfortunately for both marceline and the viewer , he most likely gets those feelings confused with the other feeling he's been searching for for so long - love . which , like i said , uncomfortable <//3 /lh

this is going off track of "i remember you" but !! about young marcy and not-quite-as-old simon !!! i think their relationship is THE GREATEST ,,,,,,, ofc it's also very much tragic , but when i'm not thinking about what ends up happening , their relationship makes me kinda happy in a way !! in that world , neither of them had anything . the world had practically ended - they were living in a post-apocalyptic nuclear wasteland . simon lost his fiancee , marcy lost her mom . they were two lost and lonely people , both absolutely scared , both absolutely needing a friend !! it's just sweet ,,,, they both cared for each other so much :(( thinking of how hard simon tried to get marcy SOUP because he most definitely felt guilty that she got a cold thanks to his powers !! thinking of how long marcy held onto hambo , a gift that simon got her in an attempt to cheer her up !!! SIMON PRETENDING TO BE A TV , just having father-daughter-like bonding with her !!!!! then , the tragic bits of their relationship :((( like how hard simon tried to not let the crown take over , yet feeling like he had NO CHOICE but to put it on !! how else was he going to save marcy ?? not only was the crown calling to him , but he had to save marceline . she was all he had left in the world !! as far as he knew , it really was just him and her in the wreckage of the world !!! the remains of life were practically out to get them - it wasn't safe , and wasn't something he figured could be handled normally . he was willing to risk his sanity for marceline . and , when he realized how dangerous he was becoming , he left her . because he wanted to keep her safe , even if safe meant that she had to be away from him ,,,,

I , honestly don't know how to add to this , but thinking about "i remember you" again ,, the line in simon's letter / the song "i need to save you , but who's going to save me ?" has me SO mentally ill,,,,,,, the entirety of that letter shows how confused / desperate / even scared simon must have felt . he just needed to keep marcy safe , and he knew it'd tear at his sanity and he was probably terrifying of that !! but he was selfless , in my opinion , letting the crown take over in order to keep marceline safe . even if someone thinks "uhhhhh ok but he didn't NEED the crown to keep her safe !!" then maybe i dunno (looking at the scene w the zombies ,,,,,,, maybe not ,,) but that's ignoring the fact that simon's mind began deteriorating the moment he put on the crown . the crown "spoke to him." to him , he was doing what would save marcy , and i think that makes him selfless ! anyway also "please forgive me for whatever i do when i don't remember you" ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, he must have been so sad ,,,,,,, and scared :((( and guilty :(((((((((( this entire song man ,,,,,,,,,, i can't even get into the second verse , bc GOD it's just . man . "i can feel myself slipping away" "i swear it wasn't me , it was the crown" GOD . OH MY GOD . man . holy moly .

[geekghoul]

The consequences of Captain Carter i guess???

(spoilery maybe for What if, oh and Agent Carter)

 I don’t mean to be a debbie-downer but are we going to acknowledge how fucked Steve would have been without the super soldier serum? Like, we do recall how absolutely fucked his health was, right? I’m sorry but in a world with Captain Carter I don’t really think we’d get Steve for very long. I’m not trying to be a dick and I have definitely become biased by a few fics I’ve read.  

Like, I’m sorry but are you shitting me? How fucked was this kid??? You know what? I’m not sure I even have to ask seeing as ScreenRant has already made a bit of an examination. https://screenrant.com/captain-america-how-long-live-steve-rogers/

I’m sorry Peggs but the Watcher didn’t let you go back so you wouldn’t have to suffer seeing Steve wither away in his 40s or something. Is it bad that I’m concerned he wouldn’t have even outlived Sousa? Man, poor Bucky. If neither of them became the winter soldier well fuck my soul or something cause that would have hurt.

Ok, buut, Captain Carter was dropped back off where she came from which was the equivalent of the beginning of The Winter Soldier. And Imma be totally real for a moment in that I forgot how the episode ended. buuuuut, if we ignore that for a moment i think my point still stands. But if we go into the ramifications of that little revelation can we just agree to accept that if Steve did get turned into a winter soldier (which, im gonna be real, i dont think would make much sense) then Bucky had to have too. Period.........

But, like, if Steve was put under in some way for the last few decades. Well.. uh. I hope they didn’t make him wait too long? Like. I hope they got him pretty soon after Peggs vanished. No, not for his emotional well being, the more time he got with Bucky the better. No. Because the less irreparable damage could come to his internal functions. A pre-serum Steve with access to modern medicine is a Steve with a snowballs chance in hell. (Or should I say a capsicle? :)

Are you seriously trying to tell me that Peggy was 19 during Steves training/boot camp??? Or would it have been 18? Fuck off. No. Someone didn’t think something through.

heh heh heh. they only said someone was in the suit. not who. and yes, there were implications there but I’m going to elect not to care. It was Bucky. Bucky is the one they found with the suit. You know why? Because Steve’s health is fucked and I think he was on a countdown before he was too physically unfit to suit up as the, uh, whatever he was called. After becoming an invaluable member of the Howling Commandos and running a multitude of missions by Peggy and Steve’s side and being Steves right hand man he was the obvious choice to operate the machine when Steve became unfit. (whether it a permanent bedrest type of deal, a cold, or let’s make it tuberculosis so he can be the ashen victorian damsel) So Bucky took on the (wtf was it called?? uuuuuuhhh) HYDRA Stomper (i kinda hate that name) for X amount of time. But Bucks was still pretty new to the machine and he didn’t quite have Steve’s mind for worming his way out of trouble. So, when he was defeated on a mission and taken he couldn’t shake them. So, fast forward to the Lemurian Star and no, Steve wasn’t piloting the Stomper. It was Bucky. 

From here. Um, i never claimed to be a nice person. Steve dies at 38 with only the Howling Commandos by his side. He was never married. In 2014 or whatever Peggy finds the Stomper on the boat with the user inside. She assumes it’s Steve but it’s not. rip. After Bucks is successfully de-brainwashed by Shuri in Wakanda he and Peggy both get their own journeys as to how to accept their boyfriend’s loss. 

TA-DA

[panlight]

As someone who read Tuck Everlasting around the same time as they read Twilight, I totally saw the parallels and it was part of why I did romanticize vampirism. I had this impression that forever is worth it, if you have the right person(s) to spend it with. A little odd, I know, but that was how I saw it at the time

I can’t remember if I read it before or after Twilight. I feel like after, because I kept seeing comparisons being made and so then finally read it? I somehow missed it when I was a kid which was weird because I read A LOT and it was definitely up my alley in terms of subject matter (immortality? get that book into my hands)! 

The weird thing about me is that I’m all in for “vampirism/immortality sucks” but I also get quickly frustrated by characters who just . . . constantly complain about it and don’t do anything to even try to address the problem. I paradoxically want my vampires to be Sad but I also don’t want them to constantly wallow in it. I think that’s why Carlisle appeals to me--he’s clearly not like “yay vampirism!” but instead of spending forever in some English forest bemoaning his endless midnights he was like “well this sucks but maybe I can put it to good use somehow?” and became a doctor. He still feels guilty about turning the others and wrestles with the moral compromises he has to make living as an immortal vampire in a human world, but he’s contributing to society and attempting to make the best of ‘what he was given’ and that’s *chef’s kiss* exactly what I want. Hits all the right notes for me. Whereas I get kind of frustrated with the Edwards and Rosalies of vampire lit sometimes, and the Alices and Emmetts are a bit TOO easygoing and happy for me (buuuuut there’s also kind of an edge of darkness there because they have eaten people but don’t seem particularly bothered by it and THAT is interesting). And Vampire Bella just, sadly, bores me out of my mind because it’s all so blissful and easy for her. Not what I’m here for, sorry Bella. 

I also really love bittersweet endings, so Winnie choosing not to drink the water and live a mortal life worked for me in a way Bella’s perfect piece of forever didn’t. They’re obviously different characters with different priorities and motivations (although you could argue that Bella’s choice was even more morally fraught because she’s not only choosing to be immortal but signing up for bloodlust--that wasn’t part of the equation for Winnie) and it’s good there are books out there that address immortality with different endings so everyone can find the kind of story that resonates with them. 

[callme-chaos]

Tommy SMP (DSMP)

H-hello? How did you get in here? Tommy doesn’t usually let randoms in. Uhhhhh lemme just consult the list real quick. What’s your name?

Huh. Doesn’t sound familiar. Buuuuuuut there you are. On the list. What’s your purpose here then, pal?

A tour? Well, the person who usually does the tours is out in the moment… But I guess I could show you around. If you would like to follow me – yeah just ignore the holes and stuff. They’re just remnants of a couple of wars we’ve had.

What kind of wars? Bro, where have you been?

Not from around here? Evidently. Well, first there was the Disk Wars. You see, Dream had these cool disks but Tommy really wanted them, you know? And this is /Tommy SMP/ and not /Dream SMP/ after all so there was all that. Then there was this Quackity kid who tried to start a nation and Tommy didn’t really like the look of that. And so Tommy and this Ranboo guy decided to blow it all up – I don’t remember the details. You see, I’ve been away… uhhhh… travelling so I don’t really see too much of what goes on here. That and I seem to be forgetting a lot of things… I really should fix that-

Huh? You’re confused. Buddy – I haven’t even told you about the Egg yet!

Yeah! An Egg! I can show you it right now actually. Just follow me.

The vines? Yeah! They’re a nice shade of blue but they’re a real pain to cut down, you know? They just seem to grow back stronger. Now, just pop down this hole here – yeah just straight down.

Oh! Ah. I really should have warned you about the fall damage, huh? I’m sure we can pop into George’s bakery later and fix you up. Providing George is in his bakery… He stopped baking a while back.

Why? I don’t actually know. I’m not really too involved in the politics around here (travelling and all that) buuuuut I heard a rumour that him, Ranboo, Charlie Slimecicle and Technoblade have started like a secret club. Not sure exactly what they do but if Ranboo is involved it can’t be good. Anyways! Here’s the Egg. Don’t step too close though – I’ve heard it has some serious manipulative powers. Niki’s best friend Foolish got transformed by it the other day. She was quite upset. I think she runs a cult in the Egg’s honour with Ponk or something now. She’s nice but pretty scary when she wants to be, I’ll tell you that much.

The Egg is giving you weird vibes? Yeah. You and me both. The blue is giving me shivers actually. Shall we continue our tour elsewhere?

Next? Hmmmmm. I know! I’ll take you to Hannah’s castle and museum. They’re a great tourist spot! Follow me.

Yes we have a museum! History has been made here on the SMP, I’ll have you know. This SMP was founded by the Tommy Team made up of the hot-headed, dashingly attractive Fundy; the greatly popular, widely enjoyed Bad Boy Halo; and, of course, the 1000IQ man himself, TommyInnit. Though, Tommy… hasn’t been about much… lately… not since… you know…

Well, if you don’t know I hardly have the time to explain now! (I’ll maybe show you later if we have time…) Anyways! Here we are: Hannah’s museum. This miserable little dark room here is a recreation of L’Manberg’s Final Control Room. Back in the first L’Manberg verses Greater Tommy SMP war, L’Manberg’s founding fathers (Schlatt, Sapnap, President Quackity and Vice President Dream) were all betrayed by a member of their own battalion: Hannah-Rose. They were dark times, kid.

You want to know more about President Quackity and his right hand man Dream? Well, they were incredibly close – practically brothers. They both went through a lot together. Until Quackity finally blew up L’Manberg and was subsequently killed by his own father, Charlie Slimecicle.

I didn’t say they were dark times for nothing, you know? Dream took it harder than anyone. And Tommy took the opportunity to traumatise and manipulate the fella further. Tommy even managed to convince Dream’s best friend, Schlatt, that he was the root of all problems on the SMP.

We couldn’t believe it either. Dream did have one friend, Ranboo, for a while. But they ultimately disagreed on their ideas of justice and went their separate ways.

Sad times, indeed, kid. Anyways, where to next… Oh! Hello, Eret! How are you doing?

Ah. He’s busy. Off being cracked at bed wars I suspect.

What’s the big black building over there?

Uhhhhhhhh… Have you seen HBomb’s hotel? It’s great this time of year! Just this way, matey. Technically it belongs Dream but HBomb briefly took it over. There was some kind of dispute between the two guys – nobody here really takes HBomb that seriously. (Personally, I blame the ancient skin he still wears. Kid really needs an update, you know?)

That? Oh, I suppose you can still see some of the remnants. That used to be Punz’s UFO. Someone blew it up but I’m not entirely sure who…

How do I know it was blown up? Look, I’m just taking Quackity’s word for it.

He did die but then he was recently brought back to life. He spends most of his time with Dream outside Las Nevadas.

Las Nevadas is basically the Tommy SMP version of Las Vegas. It’s pretty cool actually – wanna check it out?

Cool! We’re actually heading in the right direction for that anyways. So, where are you from?

Yeah, I gathered you weren’t from around here but where are you actually from?

…Not gonna tell me? Fine. So be it. You sure are a mystery, huh?

I’m not flirting! I just- I… Ah! Look at that! We’re already here! It’s pretty dramatic, right?

You should see it at night. Everything lights up and it is magnificent.

It belongs to Wilbur. He’s the head honcho around here. He’s here alongside Puffy and Phil. Oh! Speak of the devil, if you squint a little bit you can see Phil down there now, bouncing around. He’s a cutie really – though his puns do get tiresome.

What do you mean “you don’t get tired of puns”?

…Are you human?

…What a terrifying answer. Okay! Moving on!

I’m aware that it’s one of the ugliest structures in existence – but you can’t blame Wilbur and Las Nevadas for /that/ abomination. That’s what Quackity and Dream installed last time they were here together.

I know it’s phallic but you don’t have to say that out loud! Come on, man, have a little class.

That up there? That’s Schlatt and Techno’s “cookie castle” as I like to call it. When Dream was exiled, Schlatt met Techno and they started getting really close. They’re everybody’s favourite couple now. I think it’s a friendship that will last a long time, you know? They seem to have a lot in common.

Like what? Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh They’re both American?

Look, if you know, you know.

Alright! Next – shall we have a change of scenery? Las Nevadas can get quite… heated, so perhaps we can give the snowy biome a visit, yeah? Now, when we get there it’s important to tread carefully: the forest is enchanted, practically everything there will eat you and, worst of all… Ranboo lives out there.

Ranboo? He’s a terrifying force of nature. I heard he slayed an entire army all by himself, owns a pet polar bear and he helped Tommy take down the entirety of L’Manberg. Ranboo and Tommy – they’re one formidable duo.

No no! There’s no need to be afraid! Apparently Ranboo’s arsonist days are over and he has his carer Charlie Slimecicle watching over him so he’s been relatively quiet recently. I like to think their neighbour Technoblade has been a good influence on them both.

Technoblade is a gentle soul. Poor kid just wants to make everyone happy, you know? I wish everyone was more like Technoblade sometimes – the world would be such a different place…

Nah, nobody can really sleep soundly – not when Antfrost and Purpled are still out there. The Eggpire and Las Nevadas never really rest when it comes to their members. Oh! But by far the worst person to come across – the real reason I haven’t slept in weeks on this server – is… Oh. Oh dear. I think I’ve summoned him. Walk this way – quickly! – and don’t make eye contact…

NO JACK I HAVE NO DESIRE TO WITNESS THE JACK MANIFOLD “GRIND” NOW PLEASE TAKE YOUR FILTH AND YOUR CAT-MAID OUTFIT AND GO BOTHER SAPNAP OR SKEPPY INSTEAD!

…Alright, no need to look at Jack like that.

Jack Manifold in a cat-maid- no. Don’t make me lock you up in Pandora’s Vault along with- uhhhhhh.

Forget I said that. Speaking of Skeppy, he built Schlatt and Techno a beautiful mansion around here somewhere-!

He also built an extraordinary diamond sculpture a while ago-

Please no.

…I guess you leave me no choice then, huh? I guess, I can show you the prison – but we have to be really, really careful, okay?

Who’s inside? Well…

I didn’t forget! It just… Tommy. Tommy is in the prison right now.

Well, of course I didn’t want to tell you! It doesn’t really look good on the server when the person its named after is locked up for life for doing unspeakable things.

No! I’m not gonna tell you what unspeakable things he did – it wouldn’t make them unspeakable then, would it?

…I don’t believe anyone else is in there, no. Why?

Ranboo? Nahhhhhh! Ha ha! What do you know, you silly goose! Well, before we go into the prison, we’ll have to get Puffy’s permission. She’s really strict about who she lets in and out of the prison and takes her role as prison warden very, very seriously. No one has ever died or been injured or brought back to life or wrongly imprisoned while the prison has been in her care.

What do you mean – “not convincing”? If you don’t trust my word, then that’s a /you/ problem.

…The prison is this way. Now, when we get in let me do all the talking… You know what? Perhaps you should stay outside. I’ll go in, talk to Puffy and try to get permission to go in – but I make no promises, understand?

…Alright, wait here.

…

…

…

Puffy said no.

No, it was a pretty definitive no actually. Wh-where are you going?

You can’t! Puffy hasn’t given you permission!

There’s nobody in there /to/ save. Tommy deserves to be in there-

There is nobody else in the prison!

You’re insane.

No, I won’t let you.

…

…I don’t think so, matey. Feel that sharp object between your shoulder blades?

I figured you did. That’s my sword. I am not afraid to push it through your chest if it means keeping you out of that prison. Understood? Now, step away from the prison.

Thank you.

…I think that concludes our tour. Perhaps it’s best you- oh! Karl is here! Karl Jacobs! Over here!

Yeah. He doesn’t talk ever but he’s still a great guy, you know?

Oi. Wave back. It would be rude not to wave back.

My name? Oh my goodness! I totally forgot to introduce myself! (Though, you never really asked until now anyways…)

It’s okay! I know I talk a lot – it can be difficult to get me to shut up sometimes – ha ha!

My name is Callahan.

[barry-j-blupjeans]

TAZ Balance Fic Recs

I’m making this 90% because I love these fics and the world needs to know and 10% because I need help finding them once I’ve read them. Let’s begin!! (I will not be tagging authors because I only know a few writers on this list, but if anyone else wants to tag them, feel free :>)

Refractory - Written by Nesswrites on Ao3 - Rated T 

Refractory adj. (rih-frack-tuh-ree) 1. Stubborn or unmanageable. 2. Resistant to a process or stimulus.

Kravitz, a young orthopedic surgeon, is thrust into what feels like a different reality when he meets psychiatric patient, Taako. In a strange flurry of events, he finds himself being drawn toward this man, spending more and more time in a department that he used to hate and becoming invested in a patient who isn't one of his own.

Taako, an in-denial anorexia patient, is forced into a long-term hospital stay by friends and family who worry about his waning health. When he meets an attractive doctor from another wing, he begins to wonder if maybe this was the star-crossed love that he was always destined for. At least, that's what hundreds of episodes of Grey's Anatomy taught him.

In other words, the hospital drama nobody wanted but everyone got

I just really love this fic, guys, there’s not a lot I can say. It’s well written

Bury the Lead - Written by marywhale on Ao3 - Rated T

Taako’s senior year at Neverwinter High could be going better. Faced with a choice between joining the school’s floundering newspaper or being expelled, he opts for a career in journalism.

Lucretia, the paper’s editor, kind of wishes he'd gone the other way.

As the first TAZ fic I ever read in my life, this was really good. Even if it wasn’t the first fic I ever read, I still would love it. It captivated me in a way I didn’t think fics could.

Seven Raptors - Written by DragonWrites on Ao3 - Rated M

In a distant plane, Fate brings together seven scientists and explorers, who set out to explore the unknown and find themselves on a mission to save all of existence.

In another, far harsher plane, Fate brings those same seven together again. But these Seven Birds have been shaped by a crueler, much less forgiving world. These Seven Raptors are the villains in their story.

And when the two flocks meet, each of the Seven Birds must come face to face with who they might have been--who they might still become--if they let the darkness consume them.

I’ve had an idea in my head for a while of the birds meeting themselves but on a different plane? And this fic makes that idea so much more than I ever thought it could be. The first chapter really drew me in and I read it all in one night (with help from insomnia).

More below the cut!!

Serendipity and it’s inconspicuous faults - Written by TasteofDeath of Ao3 - Rated G

The morning after Angus comes home with a sore tummy and a stomach bug, things are starting to get better.

Or, Angus’ fathers have a fun time loving their little boy and a not so fun time worrying about his health

This is absolutely the cutest fic I’ve ever read. It made me tear up but in the good way. Also everything by TasteofDeath is amazing, check them out.

From the blackest room - Written by FordRiverBlues - Rated M

The authorities on a new plane mistake Barry for an enemy spy. They want information he doesn't have. Barry just wants to survive.

What can I say, I like angst. I’ve spent long hours thinking about this fic. Barry is a comfort character of mine and apparently I love seeming my comfort characters going through hard stuff. It’s just a good fic, my dudes.

The Sweetest, Dorkiest Love - Written by ceilingfan5 - Rated G

Anxious about giving Taako the perfect Valentine's present, Kravitz trades Lup two weeks of night shifts so she'll teach him how to make chocolates. It doesn't go as planned, but love wins out anyway.

Okay listen. I just said I liked angst buuUUUT - Heck, this fic is so soft and I really love and it made me cry because they’re just so soft.

All the Things You Prayed For - Written by anonymousAlchemist and marywhale - Rated T

Taako's been dead for two years. Taako's been dead for seven decades. Depends how you count it.

Her brother is dead and Lup’s a whole lifetime into the future. It’s a brave new world out there and she’s trying not to think about it too hard. She gets the feeling that if she starts thinking, she won’t ever stop, and she can’t afford to be out of commission. She's the only Captain America the new century’s got.

Lup is Cap, Taako fell from a train, and eventually all ghosts come in from the cold. You guessed it—it's a TAZ/Marvel shakeup baby. We're bringing the party to you.

If you’ve been anywhere on tumblr, you’ve heard some mention of this fic and for good reason!! I’m not into any superhero stuff so it took a while to read it because I didn’t think I’d understand it. But honestly? You don’t need to know anything about any superhero to read this. It’s written excellently and I really like it.

It's Difficult To Learn About Yourself When You Didn't Know You Could - Written by Casual_Scribbles - No rating

He licks his lips, running his knuckle along the spiral binding of his notebook. “I was reading my Caleb Cleaveland books – some of the newer ones, where he's a teenager – and one of the characters that were introduced was, um, they’re nonbinary. And I- I've heard of that before, but I didn't know a lot about it, so I looked it up.” He looks up and Miss Lup is listening to him attentively, her ears perked up. She nods at him.

“And I found out- I thought it was just one thing, ma'am,” he feels bolder, having seen the encouragement on her face. “But it's not. It’s a lot- it's so many things, Miss Lup! And I was looking through them and I just- some of them felt really familiar. Like- like I knew exactly what the writer was trying to say and I-”

(They'd been more than familiar. They'd been-)

No. They weren’t his.

Angus struggles to come to terms with something new he learns about himself, but thankfully his family is there to support him.

Non-binary Angus!!! Non-binary Angus!!!!!!! That’s all I have to say!!! Read it!!!!

Back to Wonderland - Written by OhWowAltMal - Rated G

When lich twins Edward and Lydia pull a trick far too convincing for Taakos liking, he may have found himself panicking and making some rash decisions. Just a little, though.

He definitely doesn't break the umbrastaff in half, looking for his (real?) sister.

An alternative look at the live show in Orleans, and how it could have gone.

This idea was something I didn’t even think of but I love it so much?? Half of me wishes this is what really happened, but they write the characters so well that it feels like it did.

I Know I've Kissed You Before - Written by Desiree_Harding - Rated T

"He thinks, one day, that maybe what he’s been feeling is the urge to show Kravitz, really show him, how much Taako cares about him. To make it… official. That he’s not going anywhere. Because Kravitz doesn’t live off of implications like Taako does, and maybe Taako’s a little tired of making him translate.

Maybe Taako wants to do a little bit of the work for him, just once."

AKA The story of how Taako and Kravitz got married alone in their kitchen on Candlenights (on purpose they swear)

This??? Is incredible?? It’s a (long winded but worth it) process of Taakitz proposing. I have no words, truly.

Six Years - Written by WritingIsMyCoffee and zumbah_plumbah - Rated T

Six years ago, Taako was kicked out of culinary school for an altercation between him and his roommate, forever crushing his lifelong dream of becoming a chef.

Six years ago, Merle was fiddling with the ring on his finger that he no longer needed to wear.

Six years ago, Magnus was sitting beside a hospital bed and holding his wife's hand.

Now, Taako is burdened with the struggles of raising a ten year old. Merle is wondering whether or not he wants that ring to become an obligation. Magnus is struggling to overcome the grieving process. For the past six years, the three of them have been running away from their problems and the reasons that brought them to where they currently are. Now they will be forced to face the music and deal with what happened in the past in order to move on.

FUCK!!! Fuck this made me cry?? I really like it. I really really like it. It’s so raw and emotional. All the characters fit perfectly.

synecdoche - Written by androids_fighting93 - Rated M

Echoes of the seven of them stretch into infinity, and now there’s Kravitz, a parallel line that they keep crossing despite all physical laws. Taako can see how they are bound together, he and Lup and the rest of the crew, white shimmering cords that stretch between them, between himself and Kravitz, and every aspect of Kravitz and every aspect of the Raven Queen in every world, all existing simultaneously. The Light falling to countless worlds at once, the Hunger descending over it all, the same patterns into infinity and nothing to stop it except for a silver ship, a bright beacon, unique among it all. He can see all of it.

They’re hunted by two immensely powerful creatures now, the Hunger and the Raven Queen’s servant. It's too bad Taako can't seem to stay out of harm's way.

I read this again recently and it broke my heart all over again. The idea is wonderful, the writing is even better. Please go read this fic!!!