#dear god I hope this helped

[zer0point5ive]

lawrence handing amanda his phone for the tenth time that day because he can’t decipher adams texts. soo real to me honestly

[enhanced-operatives-division]

Junicrane/Starstruck Ramble

I will not be brief, all under the cut

To clear some things right off the bat:

No corpse, no proof with Juniper. Obligatory this is set in a canon where he's alive and adjacent to the agency in some way.

Reggie & Juniper are just gay to me, but I don't mind any interpretation of their sexuality

The games are set in 1967/68 to me (based on a couple bits in game) which is before it was legal to be gay in America at least (1971), which is relevant to how I interpret canon as being somewhat grounded in reality, despite unrealistic elements.

This is just an insane amount of headcanons/elements of and AU all culminated into one post. I will talk about some headcanons like they're just facts because they are established in my head, and it saves me over explaining literally everything, however I will explain some parts a little bit for clarity.

Alright. Actual beginning of the ramble:

Juniper is a character to me who had gotten so lost in his job as an actor and a social presence that in the end his whole life revolved around that 'role'. Because of this, by the time he's put into the situation where he's around the Agency, he basically knows nothing about himself, though he doesn't realise at first. Furthermore, what little identity he had has changed in so many ways. He's no longer a beloved famous actor in the prominence of public light, he's legally dead and he tarnished his career just before he was supposed to die, with the bonus of that making him lose the majority of his estate. From that, he also has horrific facial scarring from the electrical burns from literally having his face fried. I believe a friend of mine made a post about this a while ago (I also think they were the first to think it up also), but, to me, Juniper has a permanent trimmer in his right arm (aka his dominant hand) from the electrical current and it is messing with his nervous system.

All in all, he's not doing great, but he's too proud to admit that he's not doing great, because if anything, what's left of his ego is all he has as a defense since he's deep in unfamiliar water.

Before ending up around the agency (I have multiple interpretations of this, so I'm just going to bring it up generally), he'd never actually seen Reggie, and his only impression of him is a single voicemail, which was his only reference he had to later impersonate him. Juniper probably has very little feelings other than the ones he projects onto him because of Phoenix and that, at the very least, he's physically attracted to Reggie to some degree (that's like the beginning of how everything else would tumble into place in this sort of interpretation at least).

And on Crane's side? His feelings towards Juniper are probably very intense and muddled. On the one hand, he adores musical theatre, and that's his now ex-favourite actor. The thought of just casually being around him blows the bit of fanboy in him away at first because THAT'S the GUY, plus the inklings of a celebrity crush which still poke at him. And then there's the rational side of him, which knows Juniper has committed absolute atrocities on the side of Zoraxis, and hates him for that. Then there's how much Juniper comes off as an asshole at first because he refuses to cooperate with anything the Agency tried to put in place. He finds Juniper endlessly frustrating, and yet he's stuck working with him since, afterall, he's the one who knows the Agency's history with Juniper the best. I imagine him acting a lot like how he does IEYTD 1 around Juniper.

At this point, I'm just describing the pitch for a romcom.

I think the start of their relationship with one another largely started with Juniper trying to wind Crane up. It was a way of getting his attention, and I don't think Juniper knows why he's so dead set on that at first, because I don't think he realises he has a crush on 'this grump' at first. (I think that's actually the fun part about these two, because it's almost like a role reversal of the celebrity crush dynamic. This ex-big name actor has a TERRIBLE crush on an average joe and it is KILLING HIM.) But of course the Agency keeps them together because Juniper is at least conversing with Crane, so it's a start.

Through one way or another, they actually get talking casually, at least mildly at first. It takes Juniper a long time to fully deconstruct the wall he's built, and the thing is, Crane isn't the one trying to deconstruct it, at least at first, because yeah, Juniper realises if he wants Reggie to actually like him in any way, he can't keep winding him up. So they talk. Small talk at first, something rhythmic and almost easy to keep to a script. And over time that turns into actual conversations. Genuine ones in which Reggie rips out the occasional one of his jokes which Juniper is endlessly endeared about. The way he smiles just before he makes them, like he wants to chuckle at what he's about to say before he says it. That's probably when Juniper realised that he does have some vague crush on him, and that it wasn't going away.

This is what kickstarts John I can't-buy-you-things-to-impress-you-so-acts-of-service-it-is Juniper to do little things for him. It mostly starts off as him trying to make Reggie his tea how he likes it. However, the nerve damage in his arm makes that hard, as the weight of the kettle and trying to pour is hard all of a sudden. And he refuses to accept that, so he tries for a very long while. Long enough that Crane would go to investigate what was going on. And when he does see Juniper leaning over a cup with the kettle as he uneasily tries to pour it, and when Crane asks Juniper responds so matter-of-fact that his intention is nothing but genuine. And it catches Reggie off guard because Juniper hadn't done anything like that up to that point, and his very apparent vulnerability is so clearly on show.

It shifts something between them.

From that point on, conversations are longer, more familiar. Both of their attitudes soften, and Reggie makes more jokes. Juniper learns how to better use his left hand while strengthening his right back to a point where it could be used again. Slowly, they're both spending time with one another not because they have to, but just because they can. Little bits at first, not too far outside what they already were doing, but those little bits turned into long bits to a point where the other person's company was genuinely desirable.

As time passes, Juniper probably realises that he doesn't genuinely know much about himself or what hobbies he's into, because he never really had the time when he got big, and his home life in his youth wasn't bad, but it wasn't picturesque. I think Reggie would pick up on it, and absolutely try to introduce him to some things he's into. Some things stick, other things don't (corn husking very much stays Reggie's passion, and John will go with him sometimes because it's him, but it's not something he strongly cares for). Crane introduces him to a lot of music, and it's something that becomes a staple between them, with tracks they listen to more than others (tragically, I know relatively little about 60s music so I couldn't really say what). Occasionally they dance, never anything intense, think slow dancing, but the closeness is nice.

Through all of it, Juniper is battling the worst crush of his life, and he can't stand it, because I think he struggles to read people since he doesn't have anything like a script or a director to refer back to, so he has no idea if Reggie likes him back or if he's just desperate for that to be true. I think because of that any sort of confession between them would be incredibly raw, not only because of the time they live in making it hard for them to be truthful about how they love, but because it's a complete show of Juniper who's worked to be this better person. I don't exactly know how that would go, mainly because I don't have one set version of their dynamic, this post is just a generalisation of main consistent points.

Reggie does like him back, because he's gotten used to Juniper being just this guy, not a figure in the public eye, not a Zoraxis lackey, and not any sort of Agency operative (despite being under their care to some degree). He's someone he genuinely cares for, because they've given one another the time of day to learn one another, and I think because Reggie was a field agent, he was a lot better at reading Juniper than Juniper was at reading him. Eventually Juniper's company becomes something he could see around him for the rest of his life, and I think he accepts that he likes Juniper a lot more gracefully.

I think any affection directed at Juniper would at first be met with him feeling a little muddled. Reggie was a very physically affectionate person when he could be, and sure the initial flirting with one another came with the occasional little touches, but everything now was so deeply intentional. I also don't think Juniper would almost ever get over the novelty of being able to kiss him, or many other gestures, because it made the fact that they were together so very real, and it was great. I do think it comes easier to Reggie, and it's a big way of showing how much he cares, so it's important for Juniper to try and show it back because he knows how much it means to the other.

I like the idea of them eventually living with one another, too. I think Juniper would have always had a quiet little daydream of sorts where he does just live a domestic quiet life, and he can with Reggie (well, as close as they can get between the Agency and Zoraxis always being at odds), and he loves that, and he loves him, and it's immense.

I think they cook for one another a lot, it helps Juniper work on his dexterity in a controlled environment, which means a lot because it's a huge point of insecurity (that and his scars). He does improve, and Crane is proud of that and shows it and it's great. I also think they'd probably cook together too, because they can deal with being in the kitchen together and they work well with one another. It's probably a good way for them to unwind because over time they can do it in relative silence.

As I said before, I also think music is a staple in their household, and that Reggie listens to things on vinyl almost all of the time because he likes the background noise. Sometimes Juniper will catch him chuntering along to the music which he finds endlessly endearing. I wouldn't put it past his dramatic ass to also join in to fluster Reggie, but I also don't think Reggie would mind that terribly because Juniper has listened to the music enough to know the lyrics, and that's huge to him.

I don't think they are without rough patches, no relationship is, but I think the good part about them is that they're willing to talk about it (... eventually). They're used to long conversations, and while they're often less fun conversations, they're needed and they know that, and it works out.

Alright. I think I'm done for now. I haven't mentioned everything, but this definitely got the worst of it out of my system. If you ever want to hear any specific thoughts my ask box is open but other than that, behold my general dynamic for these two which has been festering in my head for years. I think they're great

[roxynugget]

Guys, please, Tango doesn't consider himself a builder in the same way Michelangelo might not consider himself a painter* (see tags). You can accept you're very good at two things, and still consider yourself better at one over the other. It's not negative talk when he calls himself a redstone guy.

[badolmen]

Tips to keeping sane when staying informed about an active genocide

Share hope

Fact check sources; especially the ones that confirm your worst fears or darkest desires

Share hope

Bear witness to the horror, but let the despair pass through you. do not let it consume you

Share hope

Participate in organized activities offline: protests, art or book clubs, vigils, etc.

Share hope

Read and listen to stories of life Before, and imagine the peace and joy of life After

Share hope

[waters-and-the-wilde]

okay at some point they have GOT to give us Nureyev being just. profoundly mature about it whenever Diamond comes up. he doesn't have to feel that way he can be as prissy about it on this inside as he wants because feelings are complicated and we know he's a petty jealous little man but I wanna see him behave himself and be so brave about it despite those feelings bc for the love of god somebody needs to show Juno what 'acknowledging past relationships with grace because they provide context and understanding to the circumstances that shaped your partner as a person, and allowing them to cherish that because you know it won't overshadow your current relationship' looks like

[queenie-blackthorn]

kill yourself

tried n failed like almost exactly three months ago so yk youre late to the party 👍🎉😘

[eidolons-stuff]

it has been perhaps 2 weeks since i first watched Wednesday. In those 2 weeks, i have finished the series 4 times, changed my entire tiktok fyp to be of wenclair, consumed nothing but bts of the making of wednesday and almost had a breakdown when i read somewhere that s2 might not be done until 2024/25. I have also successfully gotten one of my friends obsessed with wenclair and wish to create a cult of wenclair obsessed, mentally ill teens. Just regular obsession things

[qazastra]

i neeeeeed a haircut

how much should I chop

[emperorhyperi0n]

OK SO: after analyzing the new ad for Gotchard's card packs, I made a list of all the various cards that we get to see in the ad itself, and boy howdy are there a lot of em.

So far, I've managed to spy 31 individual cards out of the pack. Out of the cards, I've noticed six types (namely People, Vehicles, Bugs, "Modern Stuff", Plants, and Animals) with what is most likely ten cards for each category. That makes it so that we've seen half of them already, which is a pretty good number for us considering we haven't even seen the guy in action yet.

For this, I've listed the individual cards in each category, starting with the ones with the most seen. Each card is listed with Name, Theme, and Number Ranking (including the golden-foil "10" cards as well.) And yes, that does mean I had to squint-read the names from the cards.

Anyways, list time:

Blue Cards - People

Boorippa / Dancer (1)

Dokirimajin / Stage Magician (2)

Doctorkozo / Doctor (3)

Pilets / Pirate (4)

WrestlerG / Wrestler (5)

Sasukemaru / Ninja (6)

Bulletbanng / Cowboy (7)

Apparebushido / Samurai (8)

Kartudos / ...astronaut? (9)

X Wizard / Wizard (10)

Purple Cards - Vehicles

Spygle / Bicycle (1)

Skegons / Skateboard (2)

Hiikescue / Fire-Truck (3)

Gekiocopter / Helicopter (4)

Deepmariner / Submarine (5)

Madwheel / Car (6)

Golddash / Bike (7)

Gutsshovel / Bulldozer (8)

Steamliner / Train (9)

Exceedfighter / Jet (10)

Orange Cards - Bugs

Hopper1 / Grasshopper (1)

Pikahotaru / Firefly (2)

Gengenchoucho / Moth (3)

Antrooper / Ant (5)

Kaiserbee / Bee (8)

Kamantis / Mantis (9)

Beetlx / Beetle (10)

Green Cards - Plants

Burninghero / Chili Peppers (2)

Venomdake / Mushroom (5)

Grey Cards - Modern Stuff

Snaphone / Phone (8)

Red Cards - Animals

Ganywhale / Whale (9)

So far, we just need the other nine Cards of Animals and Modern Stuff, eight Plant Cards, and three Bug Cards. If there's any I missed, please let me know in the notes! I'll probably make a post about Gotchard's combinations in the morning.

[jackwolfes]

What would you give as advice for writing a character study/ a more emotions-driven fic, rather than a plot heavy one? Love ur writing!!🌼

so i really need a strong sense of narrative if i'm going to get anything written, and the fics i find easiest to write are the ones where there is a VERY clear progression from a to b to c. having spoken to other writers i know lots of people struggle with character studies precisely because they feel a bit loose around the edges and wishy-washy, so my key piece of advice if you're wanting to do emotions driven fics and struggling would be: get that baby a plot! by which i mean a suuuper clear narrative. like, it doesn't need to be a long-form fic level of plot, but i find i can do fics like these well when the sense of narrative is super prominent

just personally, this is my process for planning these sorts of fics:

1: figure out what specific thing you're looking to "study" (re: character study)

this is the ✨ idea phase ✨ which i'm sure you've got down but taking time to dig into what one focal point is really really helpful for me

2: pick out the very very broad narrative beats

by this i mean like. where are you starting. where do you want them to get to. what needs to happen to get them from point a to point b (alt: what is happening to them along this journey and how do they react to it)

example - in pain-share soulmate au it was like, hyper chronological? so i went "they are children > they are in ketterdam pre-meeting > they are on the heist > they are dating", which went in lockstep with "they dont know they're soulmates > they know they're soulmates". but in something like my will solace depression fic it was very much a journey of "he is sad + depressed > he is less sad + starting towards healing"

i say this because like. just generally but with these fics especially it really helps to have some idea of where you're going and what you actually want the characters to get out of this? there's nothing wrong with legit just writing random interconnected scenes but if you want a holstic sense of development and resolution i personally think you need at least some form of actual narrative

3.1: figure out what you think they would feel about your first focal point and what needs to happen for them to feel it to the utmost extent

when i'm writing character studies i always start by thinking very basically about how they would react emotionally to something related to the fic's focal point, and then figure out what situations would bring that feeling out in a way that feels narratively compelling (ie the most intense way, the most difficult way, the way that would most damage their relationships, etc).

example - jesper as a character is someone that does not dwell even slightly on any negative emotion he feels. if he were in a situation where someone were to try and make him to confront how he actually feels about a situation he would laugh it off until someone were to quite literally force him to introspect, at which case i think he'd react volatilely in some form because that's what happens when you ignore your feelings and this boy's been doing that for a while.

(which is what happens in the books, frankly, but is also effectively the plot of my arranged marriage au. no i'm not still salty about the person that said it had no emotional resolution, why do you ask)

but yeah once you know how a character would feel about the focal point more broadly you can figure out what specific situations would provide opportunity to show examples of those reactions: what would push their buttons just enough to build up to a largescale blow out; what external scenarios would make them really start feeling those negative emotions in earnest; what would be the straw that broke the camel's back.

so: "in a fic dealing with xyz, this character would feel abc and THIS sort of scenario would bring that out"

3.2: figure out what you want to write and what they would feel about it

it should surprise no one that i am a VERY self indulgent writer but after i work out what situations would be necessary to show enough of the focal point i'm trying to write about i pad it out with like. the fun stuff. ie this is where i cram in alllllll the shit i just really wanna write (usually angst, sometimes sex, often both) and figure out how the thing i'm studying would manifest for a character in that scenario.

example - in dead jesper au i like, REALLY wanted to write wylan trying to sleep with someone else and jesper watching as a ghost, bc they're both very jealous characters and that was narratively interesting, and also i like writing sad people thinking sex will fix them when it in fact won't. ergo, make jesper watch wylan try and fail to move on from his death by trying and failing to fuck someone else and explore how grief plays out for both of them.

so: "i want to write xyz scenes and scenarios and will figure out what emotional reaction they would cause"

points 3.1 and 3.2 kinda end up happening at the same time for me but i feel like it can be easier to start with the first one (what the characters would/need to feel) to like, block out the narrative, at which point you can fill in all the fun self-indulgent bullshit

4: write write write and hope for the best quite frankly

---

tl;dr -

figure out what one thing you want to explore

figure out some sort of overarching/broad narrative

figure out how your characters would feel in Situations TM and then push those Situations TM to the max

figure out what you really want to write and include that because life is short and fic writing is for including self indulgent fucker

pray to the writing gods and do your best

[rainbow-sparks]

omg lesbians :0

[smileyg0th]

tell me why some “dumbed down” kinder detransed version of the host’s ex just showed up in the headspace? she’s like some sort of manifestation of his fears but they’re apparently insys dating again.. like a week or two after said ex abandoned the host 🙁 genuinely if any systems could explain id absolutely love that i’m so sad

[the-tiniest-demigod]

oh my god it is actually so bad today

[multiwreckedmess]

Oral Exploration

I’m trying something different for my “to all the dicks I’ve sucked before” series because i just have to post it i keep wanting to edit and THIS IS ABOUT JUST WRITING NO EDITS.

We got Seonghwa. And it is my belief that he would be more into pleasing you than receiving pleasure. Not that all the other guys wouldn’t also be into it but uh.

Well man is a certified pussy fiend have you SEEN his tongue tricks?

Only real “warning” is oral (f.receiving) but no pronouns are used. It’s a really short drabble. again because this is suppose to HELP my writers block not CAUSE it.

When he wants you, he wants you. Classic Aries streak showing its full strength, Seonghwa hoists you up against a wall, legs slung over his shoulders while he eats you out. Part of him loves how reliant you are on him in this position, the other part of him just doesn’t want to get his pants dirty. Either way what really drives him wild is when he feels your calves tighten against his back, pulling him closer into your cunt.

Even with you above him he’s in control, you’re at his mercy. No matter how hard you plead with him that you feel unstable, that if you cum you’ll fall he’ll keep holding you up there. He knows he won’t let you fall. He knows the perceived danger makes you cum harder than usual and boy does he take advantage of that. Counter to his impulse to not mess up his clothes, he loves the mess that is dripping down his chin and spread across your thighs by the time he’s done with you. For you, it’s a small miracle, feeling your body relax into each wave of orgasm instead of gripping and fighting. Seonghwa doesn’t let you down until he feels your body slack and give in. Only then does he let you down gently, pulling a small handkerchief from his pocket to wipe you both off.

[phil-of-the-phuture]

I used to have this best friend who literally was like right out of a novel and the best friend a person could engage ever.

But for like a couple weeks. And then they’d suck. And be like a pretty shitty, disrespectful, and rude person for liken a month or two.

Then you get your bestie back! The person who understands you at your worst and still pushes you to be better! Who supports your creativity and drive and goals!

But that’s over after another couple weeks. Or maybe it becomes too much.

Suddenly you’re 5 years into a friendship that demands all your energy from you and you’ve forgotten you once had energy in the first place. You’ll think to yourself, the good times are worth the bad ones. The bad ones could be much worse. All you have to do is ignore your phone for a few weeks and talk to your other friends. It’s not like your dad who screams atrocities at you when you read too many books. It’s not so bad.

But then it is so bad. Their attitude is affecting your job and your relationships outside of them. You’re crying in the bathroom because you don’t want to go to a bar with them but they won’t let you say no. You want to let it go and brush it all under the rug so badly. More than anything. But you can no longer wait for the good part. It won’t be enough to make up for it anymore. So you end it.

Thats it. Thats the whole story. Even if you think you are fully cognizant of what a toxic relationship looks like you can still be a frog sitting in a hot tub.

[orcelito]

It's a little funny. I spend so much time compartmentalizing that I convince myself I'm totally fine, of course, all the time.

But when I was filling out the questionnaire before my therapy appointment yesterday, it was like

.... OK yea maybe I have some problems

Also this one 😂😂😂