#does anyone remember free in this day and era?

[purplecelestial-buddy]

Today I learned that "Makoharu" can either be:

• A persona 5 ship entailing Makoto Niijima and Haru Okumura.

Or

• A free! ship entailing Makoto Tachibana and Haruka Nanase.

And I think that's beautiful. Truly, the ultimate ship.

[lunarxcity]

Why you? (Part IV to Why me?)

azriel x rhys' sister! reader

angst/eventual comfort (Now Azriel is in his healing era, don't worry he does suffer in this chapter so prepare for the azriel angst. You can't be in a healthy relationship when you are mentally at your worst and lashing out at everyone around you and Azriel is learning this the hard way.)

Summary: When you walk in on Azriel and Elain the mating bond snaps leading you to flee to Autumn with Eris so you can be free of Azriel. Your absence causes Azriel to come to some drastic realisations, but is it already too late and has your time in Autumn led to you moving on?

Parts I, II, and III if you missed them!

-

They say that misery breeds loneliness, or was it misery likes company, either way Azriel couldn't remember how it went but he knew he felt miserable and alone.

You were gone and Rhys had banned him from seeing Elain, even though it didn't matter. He couldn't even look at her without feeling crushing guilt. Guilt for considering killing your friend for the sole reason of him wanting to fight for his mate, which any honorable fae male would have done. Guilt for possibly driving you out from the Night Court. Guilt for dragging Elain into this and then ignoring her.

To say that Azriel has been a mess would be an understatement. After needing to sleep in your bed to calm himself down the night you left, he hasn't had a decent night's sleep. At this point, his dark circles had dark circles, he hadn't shaved, and he has basically been on autopilot for the past 3 months.

Him and Rhys hadn't been on good terms for the first month, but he came around and apologised for the way he spoke to him. They were civil, but Azriel didn't know how he could be close with him again after what he said. If you were there you would have played the peacekeeper, telling him what to say and scolding Rhys for his lack of sensitivity. He thinks about you more than he would care to admit, which is saying something because he's been admitting it a lot lately.

The first 2 weeks were so rough for Azriel that he threw himself into his work, not talking to anyone and even missing his training which he can't recall having ever done. He walked into the training ring and first thing Cassian did when he saw him for the first time since the night you left was laugh and say, "Oh brother, you look a bit rough for wear. You have obviously had better days."

Azriel didn't say anything. His face was set in the same straight-faced look that he had been wearing every day. He just walked up to Cassian and began fighting him. You would think that missing 2 weeks of training out of the hundreds of years wouldn't make a difference, but he had lost every single sparring match between him and Cassian. You would have loved to see it, you probably would have been on the sidelines laughing saying that Azriel needed to be humbled with his snowball fight record. His thoughts strayed to you and he was immediately snapped out of it by Cassian landing a blow on his right jaw sending Azriel to the ground."

"You seem distracted brother. I am always here if you want to talk." He holds his hand out as a truce, but Azriel doesn't take it. He was upset and in pain and feeling a flurry of emotions that he didn't know how to deal with. He picked himself up and told Cassian, "I appreciate it brother, but I don't need you or Nesta or Rhys trying to fix me." Granted he realised he was being a bit dramatic, but his adrenaline was high and didn't know how to deal with what he was feeling, let alone what he was feeling.

Azriel turns his back on Cassian, beginning to storm off from the training ring. "You think she would want you to suffer in Silence? To keep hurting everyone else because you're trying to outrun your problems? " Azriel stilled. "If she cared enough, she wouldn't have left. Why should I care about myself when she is so repulsed by me that she would prefer an enemy of the Night Court's company over mine?" His voice was ice that sending shivers down Cassians spine, this was the feared Spymaster of the Night Court speaking, not his brother.

"For someone who's job it is to collect information, you truly do not know anything." Cassian shook his head and took off into the sky before Azriel could say anything.

Great now that's two of his brother's that he's not on great terms with. Things with Cassian continued to be tense and since he was also on Rocky grounds with Rhys, things had become a bit awkward with Feyre and Nesta. Yes they were polite and would invite him to things and he would still have his weekly coffee with Nesta, but things were a lot more tense since they couldn't even bring up their mates.

No one in the inner circle would bring you up, not to Azriel at least. He knew they talked about you and Azriel, both in friendly hangouts he wasn't invited to and the family dinners that he had been dodging. He knew that they probably had a lot to say when the insomnia had gotten so bad that he needed to take residence in your room. He doesn't know the exact details because the shadows have been withholding information from him too. Just what he needed another person who had an issue with him, this one actually being part of him.

At this point he was on the best terms with Amren which actually started an unlikely friendship. He must have looked so pathetic for Amren to invite him over for tea. It started with talks of the prison, which then led to the inner circle, which then led to inner workings of the Night Court. Tea with Amren became a normal ordeal, she didn't treat him differently and was the same blunt Amren she's always been. It was a good distraction.

He wore the gloves you had gifted him regularly, even if his hands weren't bothering him, he liked the sense of comfort he felt when he wore them. He still felt a mix of emotions when he thinks about your departure, he's angry with you for leaving him here like this, sad because he feels like you have given up on him, and most of all feeling like he's an idiot because all he wants is for you to come home. To come back to him.

Rhys had assigned him on his first mission, a recon mission in the Dawn Court. Azriel had begged to go to the Autumn Court, to at least check on you and make sure you're okay, but Rhys immediately shut him down every time. It's a two week long mission and he was ready to go. The blade you gave him for Solstice had been left in your desk, since Azriel moved to your room. It was too special to him to risk damaging it, so he left it there but he feels like he wouldn't be doing your gift justice if he didn't wear it on his mission.

At this point it had been about 6 weeks without you. He took the blade from the sheath you had also had made for him and inspected it. The silver metal shone in the sunlight, and the blade was the thinnest and sharpest he had ever seen. Outside the silver edge of the blade there was a clear outlining that went all the way around the edges of the blade. He assumed this was the blood bind, so Azriel took the blade and sliced his left hand. The blood weld and the blade absorbed it, the clear lining turned red with blood and once it had decided that was enough blood spilled to activate the blood bond, the red turned into a shimmering black.

Azriel admired and then sheathed the blade. He turned and looked at himself in the mirror and almost jumped at the sight. He truly did look terrible, the beauty of the blade you had crafted for him a contrast over his current ragged state. Your blade. That you had made for him.

Azriel knew he hadn't been the greatest friend lately. He skipped the things you guys would usually do to try and get to know Elain better, his reasoning being you guys have already spent so much time together and would have so much more. He wishes he could go back in time and deck himself for even thinking that. He misses your coffee runs. He misses pranking Rhys with you. He misses laughing with you at Cassian being well Cassian. He misses your laugh.

He doesn't even need you there, he would take whatever small part of you he can and would happily thank the Mother for even allowing him that small respite. He's coming to realise that in the midst of his cruel and miserable existence, you had been the one ray of light in his life and that when the Mother decides that it's his time and he's nothing more than stardust scattered across the universe or the Mother decides to take her revenge for the sins he's committed in this life that it's the sound of your laugh that would carry him away. If the Mother was good she would allow him the luxury of scattering you with him, but ashes are plentiful and he only needs a single ember.

In the silence of your room, haunted by the ghost of your absence Azriel breaks. Tears stream down his face for the second time in this very spot and realizes that something needs to change, that he needs to change.

When Azriel returns from his mission, he knocks on Cassian's door. Cassian opens the door, his face is straight and devoid of his usual smile. "Are you finally ready to talk or am I going to have to kick your ass again and watch you storm off and brood some more." Azriel begins to feel shy, it is not a feeling that is common to him nor one he likes. This was already very hard for him, but he also forgot that Cassian was Cassian and he wouldn't allow him to walk in like nothing happened. Azriel knods and looks at Cassian with determination in his eyes, "I'm ready." Cassian matches his seriousness and then breaks down in laughter and brings Azriel into a bone-crushing hug. "I'VE MISSED YOU BROTHER." Azriel normally would have tried to get out of it, but he needed this.

Azriel sat down and told Cassian his problems. All of them. They started mid-day and didn't end until passed out after sunrise. He told him about feeling worthless and left out. He told him about you and how he doesn't know what he did or how to fix it but does know he's going insane like this. He talked about Rhys and how that whole situation had really affected him, Cassian had no idea and was so upset that he left for an hour or two and came back bloodied. 15 minutes later Nesta came in and brought him bandages and ice while telling him good job for putting Rhys in his place.

This became regular for Azriel. Him and Cassian would talk out all his problems one by one and he would actually try to do something to fix them. Cassian talked with Madja, and Azriel was now seeing her regularly as she claimed that "illnesses of the mind must be given the same level of attention as illnesses of the body." He started showing up to family dinners again. He apologised to Elain and told her that he couldn't go on with what they were doing because he wasn't in a place for anything right now and could barely deal with himself. She understood and was happy he was finally getting the help he needed. He told her not to wait for him and that it would be better for them to remain friends and she agreed.

Azriel began doing things for himself. He went to your guys' favourite bakery on the regular. He started reading all the books you had left on your shelf. He even started playing piano again, a hobby he had long forgotten, but only remembered because found his old compositions stuffed in a book on your shelf. He had no clue how you got them, he thought they were all thrown away, but nonetheless he was glad to have them.

Things were looking up for Azriel. The only thing bothering him was that he still didn't have you here or know why you left. No one would tell him anything and they would all shut down around him when you were brought up. Conversations would quiet, and topics would be changed. This confirmed the suspicion he had from the beginning, the reason you left was directly concerned with him.

While he was getting better, Azriel did have his ups and downs. His biggest down was the realisation that you had been writing to every single person except for him and Elain. The shadows had finally decided to start talking to him again and the first thing they had told him is that they caught your scent in the house. He flew like a madman from the other side of Velaris, getting there in record time. He searched for your scent, desperate to see you, when he found a handful of envelopes, all with your name and scrawl. The ink was a dark red and the lines were too thin to be from any of your writing tools. You must be using Eris' then.

This bothered Azriel so much he almost forgot the reason why he was holding these letters. He looked at who they were addressed to and saw every single Inner Circle member had received a letter but him and Elain. He put the letters back on the desk and waited to see if anyone would bring them up. Nothing. His shadows began to update him of their arrivals. You had been regularly corresponding with them and not him. Azriel was crushed.

Nevertheless, he continued with his routine. He saw Madja regularly, became close with his family again, and began to actually do things for himself. The process was difficult and so incredibly hard, especially for someone who had been bottling things up for as long as he had.

He's even been visiting his estate lately to see his mother, as she lives on his property. He avoids her when he isn't doing well, she's been exposed to many cruelties over the span of her long life she doesn't need to deal with more. Talking with his mother has really helped. Her warm smile could brighten any day. He's missed her lately. He has a bad habit of putting the ones that he cares the most about on the back burner, but he's working on it.

It's been 3 months since you left and Azriel is finally feeling better. He was at his weekly session with Madja. It was going really well actually, well it was going really well until she causally says, "And how do you feel about a certain princess' return to the Night Court?" She asked almost sounding like a child teasing their friend in front of their crush. Azriel didn't even pick up on it. His shadows stilled and his eyes went wide. You were coming back? Back to the Night Court? Back to him?

Madja looks at him confused. She tilts her head, "You didn't know?" He shakes his head no. He lets out a breath he didn't even know he was holding and goes, "No I had no idea. I'm still the only one she hasn't spoken to." His tone bitter, but he caught himself and asked, "When is she getting back?" He hopes she'll just forget about his mini outburst just a second ago.

Madja looks surprised and Azriel is even more surprised at her confusion. She has sat here for the past few weeks hearing about him complain about your lack of communication with him, shouldn't she know that he knows nothing of this?

Madja goes, "You do know you have little shadow spies that listen in to all of your conversations?" Good to see that age hasn't dulled her sense of humour. How did he forget about that? Azriel shakes his head and goes,"Fair enough Madja."

She gives him a pitying look and sighs, "She'll come back. As far as your relationship goes, I would recommend talking it out in person. You both obviously have a lot on your minds, your relationship won't be able to move progress until you address this." Madja leans forward, like she's about to tell him a secret. "Now knowing both of you for so long, I can assure you that you guys will be fine. You're fond of each other and your biggest fear is losing each other, it's going to take a lot more than this to ruin you relationship."

Azriel looks at her agape. While this was fairly common knowledge, no one had actually sat him down and told him this. He assumed that you guys were fond of each other in the way he was fond of each of the inner circle members. Now that the dynamics of the inner circle shifted, they were all pairing up and finding their person. While you had always been close to Rhys, Azriel was the one you had usually ended up pairing up with in the end. Azriel had never come to this realisation, his entire life, he had been yearning for someone to pick him, only to drive away the one person who did.

Madja looks at him and he swears she can read his mind. She shakes her head and starts, "You were ready to die for her Azriel, when she was going to be clipped. You put yourself under the mercy of the old high lord for hundreds of years to ensure her safety and you're going to let your relationship fall apart because of what? A misunderstanding?"

Azriel stills, the conversation had escalated very quickly, leaving him speechless. He can't jump to conclusions before he even knew your side. He would talk to you and everything would be okay. It was just one big misunderstanding. It had to be.

He takes a deep breath and revels in his new found peace and clarity. The Azriel of a weeks ago would have angrily stormed off, lashing out at whatever unfortunate victim would check on him to make sure he's okay, but he's getting better now. He isn't anywhere near perfect, he is the same Azriel, but he hopes that when you get back he will be someone that is deserving to have you in their life without taking you for granted.

He takes a deep breath in and out. "Okay. When is the soonest I can speak with her?"

Part V

-

note: Azriel self-help arc time! Yes he did suffer for a bit and yes he will suffer a lot more so don't you worry, but I do think he deserves a little respite. He's coming to his senses... slowly. Thank you all for the support on this series I know we've hit a bit of a slow point in the storyline but there will be the reunion in the next episode which will be explosive one way or another so keep an eye out for that. Until next time loves!

note note: I probably will stop putting out chapters at this speed because I want to actually be able to edit them and the next parts are really important to the story and I do want to get it right :)

taglist: @alimarie1105 @chaosabroad @bbontenswhhore @tele86 @ashblooddragons @circe143 @i-am-infinite @princesssunderworld @thestartitaness @tiffany-xx @cpfantasybooks @lucia-valentinaa @jennigsonl @ivy-34 @firefly-forest @k-homosapien @coeurdeveea @cherryjain17 @bckynatt @becstersworld @rcarbo1 @gojospearlycim @atluky

[deeplyshalllow]

Classic Fiyeraba fic recommendations

So, with the new movie coming out, I've seen a lot of requests here for people to write Fiyeraba particularly happy Shiz era stuff, and like guys, guys, I did not spend my formative teen years in the Wicked fanfiction.net section for people to act like the amazing fics there don't even exist.

So here is my list of the fics and authors so great that I remember it over a decade later

Obviously, given we have never had a situation before where people know act 1 but not act 2, there will be spoilers and act 2 stuff in a bunch of these, but please check them out.

(a few of the authors I know are still around tumblr I've tagged, but feel free to tell me if you want me to take it off).

Authors in no particular order:

Tiggy the Hopeless Romantic - Honestly just read anything this woman wrote, I think if anyone said Fiyeraba fanfic this would be the first name I think of - bonus that a lot of the stuff is easily digestible fluffy oneshots

Merina Thropp @merinathropp on Tumblr - Writes beautifully, I remember getting very excited when she uploaded new fic. I particularly remember her Fiyero's Shiz era twitter fic and her extended As Long As You're Mine fic

HC247 @a-partofthenarrative on Tumblr - Writes such lovely fluff and I think double digits on alaym fics! Particularly remember her Once Upon a Kiss series and Masquerade. She mostly writes POTO stuff now but I see occasionally get an alert in my inbox from her.

alinaandalion - another fantastic Fiyeraba writer (god there are so many) I particularly remember her for her A Drop in the Bucket series, which are a lovely series of Fiyeraba oneshots.

CrazyBeagle - one of the people on the Wicked section who has made the transition to real life friend. But I knew her for her fics before we became friends. To Feel is post musical fic which is a lovely realistic continuation of Fiyeraba's journey. Unlimited is a modern retelling of Wicked which I really enjoy though I have been told multiple times it will never be updated no matter how much I threaten.

Scandalacious Intentions @scandalaciousintentions on Tumblr - Candy is the other Wicked friend who has become an irl friend (and I am most certainly the only person who still calls her Candy). She is much better known for her Tonks/Lupin stuff, but I always loved what she wrote for Wicked. Witchy Woman was her first Wicked fic I still very much enjoy it.

Girlscout4ever wrote ever so beautifully. Cheap Rented Room is such a fantastic expanded ALAYM.

ElphabaROCKS - wrote a lot of very good Fiyeraba fluff

Vinkanwildflowerqueen @vinkunwildflowerqueen on Tumblr - I imagine a lot of you know her already as she is still writing! She writes a lot of very good Fiyeraba au fics

Fermantoso - one of the funniest writers in the section! Chasing Elphie is the one I remember best, au but funny and sweet.

Danderson - slightly more bookverse than a lot of the other writers here but still great fics!

Kaylle - There are Nights, is always the one people (including me) remember as it's one of the most beautiful pieces of fanfiction on the Wicked section, but all of her work is lovely.

Lost Ozian - Well known for her humour, The Fiyero User Manual springs immediately to mind, my favourite is actually her serious au fic Different

Me - debated whether to add this, but I was also part of the section back in the day, and I know people enjoyed my fics too, though God knows I've improve my writing in the last decade and a half - in terms of Fiyeraba my strongest were probably A Moment and Living. Perfect Together is unquestionably the best fic I wrote for Wicked, although it's more Flinda.

Individual Fics:

Like a Swan on a Lake - this fic was actually well after my time but I happened to read it and I love love love it! AU of Fiyero if both girls defied gravity together and it does such a good job of showing his intelligence

Broccoli - I remember this one being very sweet Shiz era Fiyeraba

According to Plan - funny fic, fun twist ending

Sincerely, an annoyed Shiz student - not strickly Fiyeraba but you should read it. It is a very fun parody.

It's a long way to fall - This was actually the fic I created a fanfic account for, because I hadn't realised you could anonymous review! A fun arranged marriage AU

Please, please add to this list if you have other recs, mine are about 10 years out of date. Also apologies if I've missed any out as there's so many good ones and it is 2am.

[hoosbandewan]

No matter who someone votes for does not make them a bad person. If someone votes differently than you and you find that as a reason to not support them then you are part of the problem. I'm thankfully open-minded and glad I can have Democrat and Republican friends and we can all still be friends even with different beliefs and opinions. I don't understand how anyone can have that mindset.... You want Peace and love but are the first ones to throw someone under the bus if they think differently than you do.

And using Ewan to push your thoughts is shameful

Having friends on both sides of the aisle is fine. Having a difference in opinions is fine. I think it can be incredibly damaging for people to get caught in an echo chamber and be surrounded only by people who share their same viewpoint. And the fact that we can all have our own thoughts and opinions is what makes a free country like the U.S. so wonderful.

I even know a good number of Republicans and conservative-leaning people who didn't and wouldn't vote for Trump. And, you see, that's the difference.

Voting for Trump.

You cannot, in good conscience, look me in the eye and tell me that casting a vote for Donald Trump makes you a good person. I could have forgiven a Trump vote in 2016, but not in 2020 and certainly not in 2024.

Trump attempted to overturn a democratic election and was indicted for it. And on that day, he voiced support for the Capitol rioters who wanted to hang his vice president for failing to reject the electoral votes that proved Biden's win.

Trump nominated Supreme Court justices to overturn Roe v. Wade, a move that has already killed women and will continue killing people. In Texas alone, the maternal death rate rose by 56% between 2019 and 2022, the year that Roe was overturned. Since the reversal, the infant mortality rate has risen by 7% nationally - and by 13% in Texas alone.

Trump is unapologetically and unabashedly racist, displaying repeated and disturbing rhetoric aimed at immigrants, Mexicans, black Americans, Haitians, Muslims, and more. In his first term, he instituted new procedural barriers to prevent immigrants from seeking asylum in America. He put migrant children in cages. He has unjustly called for the death penalty for numerous people of color - remember the Central Park 5?

Trump has threatened to deploy the military and law enforcement to target his political opponents and left-leaning Americans.

Trump rolled back almost 100 policies focused on clean air, water, wildlife, and toxic chemicals in an era when mitigating climate change is more important than ever. And he plans on gutting even more.

Trump is a convicted felon with 34 felony counts under his belt.

Trump has shown time and time again that his views and policies align with fascist ideals. He wants very, very badly to turn the U.S. democracy into an authoritarian regime.

And if this isn't enough, Trump has been endorsed by the KKK since his 2016 campaign. He's the golden child of white supremacists and white nationalists everywhere.

So, yeah. If this is your guy, I don't want fucking anything to do with you.

I am so sick and tired of Trump supporters crying about peace and love and civility and "oh, but where are the tolerant left?" when they turn right around and vote for Donald Trump.

You don’t get to hold abhorrent views and beliefs and then be friends with us. You don’t get to be friendly to our faces all while supporting a man who wants us dead or oppressed. You can't profess to love your fellow Americans if you are condemning them.

I don't want to hang out with racists and fascists. Because if you choose to support and vote for a racist, fascist, misogynistic, dangerous person, then that makes you one, too.

[peachysunrize]

SMOTHER | chapter 1

Summary: Every moment she spends in his presence makes her shake with anger, now more than ever with holding his hand in hers, bowing their heads to the king as the law changes. She would look back at her younger self, see the resentment she held for him in her eyes, and she still holds that hatred towards him, if not more, if not worse.

Aemond Targaryen returns to King’s Landing after three years from the end of the war he became the hero of, meeting his niece once again, and their tale begins.

Warnings: mentions of Winter fever, Aegon’s injuries, alcohol consumption (which isn’t weird given the era lmao), English isn’t my first language<3

Taglist: fill this form to be added to the taglist!

Notes: full chapter is uploaded on ao3!

“Princess,” the knight bows his head, opening the door to the King’s solar, “Your father awaits you.”

  “Thank you, Ser Marston,” she smiles at him, stepping inside the dimly lit room, greeting the Maester and the maids as they move from one corner to another, hands full with salves and fresh bandages for the king.

  She moves graciously among them, a simple hello here and there while she steps in front of the sheer curtains around her father’s bed. Pushing them aside, she smiles warily at him, finding him already prepped up on the mountain of feather pillows with clean clothes hiding the scars from the world.

  “Good morrow, my sweet,” Aegon says, groaning as he reaches for her hand, gently running the pad of his burned fingers over her soft, smooth skin, “What a lovely way to start my day.”

  “Lovely way indeed,” she cups his hand in hers, grazing the edge of the burned skin with her finger. “You look much better, Father. The new ointment from the free cities is doing miracles on your wounds.”

  “Yes, the wounds are healing, but the scars will remain. No one would like to see a king so hideous,” Aegon says, coughing slightly.

  “You are not hideous, Father,” she gently reminds him, leaning to bring the cup of wine to his lips. “These scars are the proof of Targaryen blood. They are making songs of that, they call you ‘The man who danced in the flames of the beasts and survived ’. I quite like it.”

  “Aegon the Magnanimous has a much better ring to it than this—“ he waves his hand, a teasing tone hidden under his words.

  She knows him well enough to know when he’s trying to be funny; this time, it isn’t one of those. Her father’s pain is never-ending; it’s always present, and it surges deep into his bones. His flesh smells of a dead boar, and the scent of the ointment does not help to cover all of it.

  He is in pain, more so than anyone, and it breaks her heart.

  “Tell me,” Aegon says, pulling her out of her thoughts with a gentle squeeze of his hand, “How is your sister? I’ve heard she is growing to like her chambers.”

  “Sweet Jaehaera… she is learning to like it. Her quiet moments have increased, but fear not, Father; she is well and content,” Saera explains, her calm tone soothing Aegon’s worries. For a second, she remembers how she always read for him until he stopped withering in pain; her voice always puts him at ease. “She accompanies me and Lord Hand to the court sometimes. She likes to observe, listen, and ponder in silence.”

  “A quality you have too,” Aegon smiles, looking at his daughter with nothing but adoration, “Taken after your mother you have. She was the same; quiet yet beautiful.”

  “You will never get tired of calling her beautiful, will you?” She laughs softly, reaching to gently stroke Aegon’s scarred head, leaning down to press a kiss on his forehead before she resumes talking, “I do not think you are at fault, though. She was the epitome of beauty.”

  “That she was,” he chuckles, coughing suddenly when his voice gets stuck in his throat. He tries to stifle them, but the more he coughs, the worse they get. The sound makes her tremble slightly in fear before she looks at his nightstand and finds a pitcher of wine. Saera, with shaky hands, reaches for the jar and the glass, pouring the red liquid for her father before helping him sit up to drink.

  “No–“ Aegon coughs a few times more, grabbing Saera’s arm tightly as he doubles over and the rough movements of his chest get the better of his body, trying to whisper the word between the coughs, “Water.”

  “Yes, water—“ she stands up frantically, putting the wine on the table before looking around the room to find a servant coming inside the chambers with a tray of food and a goblet of water next to the plates. Saera walks towards the servant quickly, playing with her rings until she reaches her, gently taking the cup in her hands before rushing back to Aegon, frowning slightly as she sits next to him and brings the edge of the cup to his chapped lips.

  “Thank you,” Aegon exhales deeply, finally calming down from the coughs, holding her wrist gently to lower the cup, closing his eyes to enjoy the few moments of peace he can get. “Sweet girl, we must talk.”

  “I reckoned something must have happened to put you in such distress,” Saera sighs, tracing her finger over the veins on the back of her father’s hand, looking out of the window. “I have heard whispers among the ladies and lords; some are… worrisome. But the council is what I believe you wish to discuss. The lords are anxious about the future, Master of Coins more than anyone.”

  “Jason the fucking cunt—“

  “Father!” She chuckles, looking back at Aegon with a soft smile that turns into a huge grin when he rolls his eyes at her, exhaling sharply as his scars start itching but Saera stops him from doing anything to make the pain worse, “Do not do something that’ll make your condition more unbearable, please.”

  “Alright,” Aegon closes his eyes, taking a deep breath before he resumes talking, “There are matters that need urgent attention, my little dragon, and I believe you have the power to help us through it.”

  “I would be more than willing to help you, Father. I have done it for the past year; held an Audience with the common folks, held your small council. I could have been your Hand if only you were not so obsessed with Lord Stark.”

  “Ah, Cregan, he has been with us since the war ended,” he sighs again, this time his attention solely on her. “I wish to discuss something of very importance with you. There are many concerns about my successor.”

  “I know, I’ve heard,” Saera replies, rubbing her neck with her free hand, trying her best not to let her worries bubble up to the surface. “There are some concerns about the future of our house. I do not blame them, you see. It is indeed important to carry on the legacy and traditions, as much as I would hate to say so.”

  “You have an heir, Father—“

  “Yes, I have you—“

READ THE FULL CHAPTER HERE!!!!!

[hjhikari]

Crossman Zero (this game does not exist)

But good news everyone: since fandom is one big bowl of free real estate soup, and so by the miraculous power of the mind’s true desire, the story of the Megaman Zero Crossover parody goes something like this: ↓

- Crossman Zero: The Story

The year was 20XX, after a century of fighting for creations to exist in peace, Ink mysteriously disappeared one day after having last been seen near a sea port AU.

Meanwhile without Ink’s intervention, Cross had fallen into an existential crisis, ruminating over whether he would be capable of falling into the destructive legacy left behind by his creator, and one day impulsively sealed himself away into a magic nest for maximum rest, so he may sleep away his sorrows over the next 100 years.

The multiverse fell into chaos soon after, with powerful beings rising to power to fill the void Ink left behind. In the face of an imminent crisis caused by creation magic shortage, Dream suddenly found himself unable to use magic and on the run from xGaster, with xGaster finally completing his vision for a utopia, where only canonized and elite creations were given protection from the unpredictable dangers of the multiverse. Dream, accompanied by a tiny black octopus-like creature latching on his shoulder looking suspiciously like a tiny Nightmare, stumbles across Cross’s sad hiding spot, now only whispered like rumors in the wind.

“Cross, please wake up! I know you’re in there.” Dream cried out to him, “The multiverse is in big trouble! Nobody can use magic, and I know you’re our only hope in defeating xGaster!” But Cross’s nest was entirely too comfortable and safe, and he really did not want to wake up from his cocoon to face the harsh reality of the outside world.

Seeing a morose Dream unable to rouse Cross, the tiny Nightmare parched on Dream’s shoulder steeled its resolve, and valiantly launched itself into Cross’s face with a wet slop, latching onto his eyes, nose and mouth with every ounce of strength present in a tiny goopy amoeba, to Dream’s grave concern. “Nightmare!!! Nooooooo!!! Don’t risk yourself like this!!! What if he thinks you’re food and eat you?”

“What the Hhhfh—Mngnfgh?!“, Cross shot up instantly, swatting at his face and struggling to tear the abomination faceplant off of him, but tiny Nightmare was determined, latching on to all of Cross’s orifices with every single one of its tiny tentacles.

After rounds of battle where Cross had punched himself a non-zero number of times (with Dream not sure who to help), Cross had finally understood that struggling and running away from his problems (today) was useless. He has had enough of tentacle suffering lessons in one day, so he reluctantly decided to wake up once and for all, to help Dream out of the trouble he and the multiverse had found themselves in at last.

————

Meanwhile, it turned out Ink had just wanted to take a day off without telling anyone at first, but after chasing what he thought was just an ordinary ice cream truck, he accidentally got himself locked into the back of a cargo ship, which inexplicably had been destined to sail out to the crevices of isolated pocket dimensions over the next 100 years. After realizing his mistake, Ink simply went, “Well I guess it can’t be helped,” and decided to continue with his impromptu vacation, oblivious to the rest of the multiverse burning down without him, thanks to his best friend xGaster.

However as it turns out, the ship’s cargo had been full of antique video game cartridges, collected across space-time. After a long time of them being locked away, they had become imbued with powerful digital magic manifested by those who obsessively enjoyed them. By being basked in its magic presence for months, Ink was surprised to find him donning a brand new outfit that looks like he walked right out of a 16-bit era video game.

Ink eventually remembered he had never even attempted to open a portal to escape before assuming he was trapped forever, and was surprised that it was actually working,…to some extend. Because upon closer inspection, it’s clear it wasn’t a traversable portal and Ink can only see through it, unable to go to the other side. But he was surprised to see on other side was Cross…! And what appears to be an army of tiny Nightmares, trying to thwart what can only be described as a gigantic iron golem, with Dream caught helplessly between its claws. None of them was using magic for some reason, albeit Cross was doing much better than both Dream and all the Tinymares combined, trying his best with a makeshift pipe weapon, guard training and his unholy strength of being able to lift a whole bus on demand.

The other side all gasped simultaneously upon seeing the imagery of Ink, a ghostly 16-bit apparition staring at them from a monitor-like portal.

“Ink? Is that you? Where the hell have you been? it’s been literally a whole year!” Dream shouted at the fuzzy portal transmission and struggled, but the iron golem gripped onto him tighter. “The world had been thrown into chaos while you were gone, not to mention Cross had put himself into a depression coma!”

“Dream wait! It’s possible this is just another overwrite trick from xGaster to distract us.” Cross dodged another blow from the golem as another Tinymare disintegrated into a pitiful goopy pile upon impact. “Nobody from AU worlds has had access to creation magic for a while from the energy crisis. And see? He looks nothing like the Ink we know.”

“Oh my god!!!! You guys can see me?!” Ink has never felt so ecstatic, and in an instant, with his unrivalled ability in thinking thoughts off on a tangent, immediately figures it all out. “I cannot believe this. xGaster must be at it again trying to create a canon-only utopia while I was away! But don’t worry guys, I’ve got it all figured out.” Ink rushed back to the cargo pile, rummaging until he found a game cartridge radiating a powerful magical intent. “I can’t get myself across right now, but it’s dangerous to go on alone. Take this!”

The magical essence followed Ink’s will across the portal, and upon touching down, instantly transforming into the coolest beam saber Cross had ever laid his eyelights upon, with blue neon hue glowing from its magic, mesmerizing him. Could it have been used by a powerful legendary battle hero…?

“I feel like I know this sword for some reason.” Cross gave the sword a once-over, contemplating. “It kind of makes me want to carry a head full of luscious golden mane, and letting it flow in the wind elegantly for some reason,…but it could just be my imagination.”

“No more waxing poetics now Cross, the golem!!!” Dream shouts from the distance. He struggles again in the golem’s claws, to no prevail at freeing himself. The sword settled into Cross’s hands as if it were made for him to hold, and with a single practised swing, the golem was sliced clean into two pieces, its grip on Dream going lax, crashing to the ground.

The magical beam saber, as if responding to its new owner’s resolve, now shining with a bright red hue. Cross appears to grow three times cooler as he turns back to give Ink’s mirage a thumbs up, whom looked sagely pleased at what they had pulled off together.

“Great! It looks like everything’s fine now.” With the situation satisfactorily resolved, Ink gave Cross a triumphant smile back through the portal, but Dream was not amused, having just been rendered a helpless damsel for most of the encounter. After pulling himself out of the scrap metal pile, the splatters of tiny Nightmares having melded back into their original shapes, now latching onto Dream to heal his damages.

“No, it’s not fine? Ink, where the heck have you been?” Dream has the most annoyed expression on his face, his shoulders slumping from exhaustion. “Things are not okay here actually. The multiverse had been on fire, I had to babysit an army of tiny creatures that looks like my brother which is too much to explain now, and,” He points, “it was a miracle we managed to find Cross hiding himself to fix himself, in a ditch.”

“Hey, it was a very comfortable ditch, thank you very much.” Cross huffed with indignation. “Ugh, but I can’t believe I allowed my mental well being to become joined at the hipbone with Ink…, when all I needed was for someone to kick my ass.” He facepalmed from second hand embarrassment for himself and Ink, despite feeling theoretically happy to see Ink alive and possibly,…well.

“Never mind that, what in the world happened to you?” Cross continued. “Is that another outfit change? You look like you’ve walked straight out of a cyberspace AU.”

“Yeah, I guess this place’s magic did a number on me,” Ink looked around the cargo case he’s stuck in, and back down at himself, “It looks like the magic was manifested from the intent of someone who obsessively enjoyed playing lots of video games. But also check it out!” He gestures back at Cross, “You’re also looking pretty cool yourself right now, you know?”

Confused, Cross looked down at himself, and was surprised to find his own outfit had changed to something similar to what Ink is wearing. It seems like the moment he took the coolest beam saber in existence into his own hand, it also made him look very cool by extension…almost like a cool protagonist from a video game that he couldn’t quite put the bones of his fingers around. Cross felt his face heat up from suddenly becoming too cool for his inadequate feelings to handle.

“Oh, god damn it. Just when I’ve gotten over the royal guard outfit…” Cross tries to hold himself together from having an inner battle with his first hand embarrassment. “I guess, if we really are going to save the multiverse looking like we were cosplaying some video game characters, then I’ll have no choice but to do it.”

Seizing the opportunity while Cross was distracted, Ink continued. “Let me make it up to you guys by helping out from here, since it looks like there’s plenty of creation magic to spare from where I am. And…,maybe you can find a way to get me out of here too?” Ink attempts to put on his best sheepish smile. “I feel like I’m trapped in someone’s personal cyberspace locker or something. Like a backroom away from reality, if you will. It’s getting sorta old and uncomfortable. And very paintless.”

“Ink I have no idea what you meant or what you’re trying to tell us, but realistically we have no choice now but to continue forward.” Dream finally picked himself up from the metal scrap pile and dusted himself off. “There’s no time to waste. Looking like video game characters or not, we have to stop xGaster before it’s too late, for the sake of all creations, canon or otherwise! Now who’s with me?”

So with one resigned and one enthusiastic cheer later, Cross, Ink, Dream, and an army of tiny Nightmares reluctantly set out on this strange adventure that they all really wish they did not sign up for. If only they could predict the ominous shenanigans that awaits them in the future…

——— * You find a scrunched up piece of dirty paper abandoned on the ground after the kerfuffle had cleared. Unfurling it reveals an author’s note:

“To whoever finds this, congratulations on bearing witnessing to this highly specific universe’s existence, a fruit of torment bore upon the author’s soul until a “Game Night” UTMV fanzine called in seeking for the gamer’s Crossover, and by the gods who was I to hold them back? Don’t let the apples of your dream be dreams, they say (turn them into skeletons instead). But like a Flash in the Dark, time is limited in this universe and all good times must end, the curtains must fall, so this is our goodbye.

..…or….this is according to what they say. What do you two think?”

[rubydubydoo122]

could you talk more about fanon vs canon tim drake? i havent gotten too far into the comics yet but have seen a lot of him (mis?)characterized by others

Just a preface, I'm not gonna crucify any Tim fans who find themselves writing these tropes, because it is fandom, and everyone's allowed their own interpretations of the character, I'm just personally not a fan of these takes on Tim because in my mind they just don't make sense for the character. If anyone has differing opinions, feel free to (politely) explain them to me, because I'm happy to hear them.

Ok, so much like Fanon Dick Grayson, there are two versions of fanon Tim Drake.

There's version A.) where where he's one minor inconvienience away from becoming a supervillain (I understand where this one comes from and I don't HATE it) and there's version B.) where he was criminally neglected as a kid and is infantalized (This version of Tim I Loathe)

I'll start with version A. I see where it comes from. Mainly the Red Robin 2009 run, but we have to remember that Tim was grieving pretty much everyone close to him during that era. He was being self destructive because of that grief, and yeah, grief changes a person, but Tim is the type of character who would still turn out good despite all the hurt handed to him. Oh! But Gun Batman-- Tim actively chose against being that. He would rather kill himself than let himself become a version of Batman who went against everything Batman stood for. I know there are multiple storylines where Tim meets and evil future version of himself, but those versions would constantly be like a weight on him to be good. All in all, if I had to choose between the fanon Tim Drakes, I would choose villain Tim Drake, as long as it's done in more of a character-study way rather than a 'He deserves to go evil, as a treat' because it's an interesting take with the right motives.

Now onto Version B. Loser Tim Drake. The reason I Loathe this version of Tim is because it usually involves Characters Assassination of the characters around him. Ok, so do I agree that Tim Drake was somewhat neglected? Yes. But goddamit, the way I see Jack and Janet portrayed, you would think that they were running from the feds or something. They were good people, just bad parents. Maybe a little immature to raise a child, but it wasn't to the point where they would probably need to call CPS. Neglect isn't black and white, and the Drakes fell into that grey-- which I personally believe to be a lighter shade. You do have to remember that a lot of Tim's introduction was written in the 90's where parenting styles were a lot different compared to Today. Still, they sent him to boarding school, meaning they made sure that some form of adult was taking care of Tim AND a lot of people try to make Jack Drake out to be the villain for stopping Tim from being Robin, and blackmailing Bruce for it, but... It's What Any Sane Parent Would Do? I'm 18, but I know if I ever had a kid, and then fell into a coma and then woke up and found out that my Kid was fighting crime in one of the most CRIME RIDDEN CITIES alongside my middle-aged neighbor who dresses up like a furry I WOULD CALL THE FUCKING COPS. But enough about the Drakes. Because not only does Loser Tim Drake assassinate their character, but why is 17 year old Tim the victim when it comes to 10 year old Damian-- "Oh he tried to kill him' They're both trained by assassins. They're both trained. They're both Trained. Why Is a Junior/Senior in high school hurt by the actions of a 5th grader. I have a similar age gap with my younger brother. We have had pretty brutal fights and the next day we're fine. I'm not going to get into "Attack on Titans Tower AUs" but I will say this, Every Time I Start To Read One Of Those, I Lose Half Of My Hair Because of How Bad the Characterization Of Both Jason And Tim are. Please, Read, The, Comic. Jason Wasn't Trying To Kill Tim. If He Was, Tim would Be Dead. ANd Tim was Snarking Jason Through The Entire Confrontation. Lastly, Why Has DICK 'BAMF' GRAYSON TURNED INTO TIM"S NUMBER ONE OP????!!!! DIck IS LITERALLY TiM's ChiLDHOOD HEro!!!!! NoT BAtMAN, DICK GRAYSON. And like, not only that, Dick and Tim are the most brotherly. I'm Begging, Please go read a 90's comic. Why is it, the only time I see Dicks Manipulative side in fanon, It's in opposition to Tim? I bet it's bc of Teen Titans Go. I bet the only Tim and Dick interaction they've seen is TTG Robin going "No BOdy cARes AbOuT TiM DrAke"

Sorry that ended up becoming rant-y, and less objective. Since actually reading comics, fanon Tim Drake gets on my nerves.

[bluelectricblu]

Waitwaitwait the terror as one of the many many failed voyages thru the pale in the dolorian era. One of the voyages found revachol sure but what about the rest of them? So so many people flung out into the wild pale yonder and so few of them make it. Find the northwest passage for the glory of god and Victoria. Find something, anything, that shows we are not alone in this universe surrounded by endless pale for the glory of Dolores and Irene. We will throw as many of you into this as it takes. A ship isolated and alone with all hands slowly losing their minds and very beings. One by one by one they disappear. Does anyone remember a Billy…? Billy Orren? Maybe even they find themselves, for a moment, locked in ice, free of the pale, temporarily. But they can’t move from it and the fog circles around them waiting to close in. And it will close in. Francis drinks himself to amnesia. Jopson helps him as they try to solve the disappearances that keep occurring but their minds just keep slipping… they just keep having thoughts that are not their own… jfj leans on the gunwhale of Erebus and watches Francis rush around down on the ice. More than Dolores loves us, he thinks to himself, and wonders how Francis’ lungs manage to hide the light that must be bursting from them with how much he loves and is loved. In the evenings Crozier will nurse his head in the wardroom while Jopson fusses over him and helps him process the days events. Though his mind, too, is slipping—is slipping the right word? It feels almost as though it is expanding. Crozier will look up at him with a wry sort of smile and ask “and how did you get so capable, Mr. Jopson?” and Jopson will feel an itch in his throat when there is no recognition in Crozier’s eyes when he tells him, “A good captain taught me discipline, sir.”

Silna is not with them on this horrible horrible boat I would not do that to her. But I think maybe of her and her father in Katla, and they don’t know yet what Irene and Dolores have done, but they look out into the wild pale yonder, and they feel in the ebbs and flows of the world that something is going to change. They live their lives and they work and laugh and interact with one another but still they look south, not yet knowing that soon Irene the Navigator will burst through the Pale with her ships and her trade and the glowing lungs of Dolores filling her sails, but they feel it. A shift in the wind. The Dolorian colonizing force is on its way, and here they sit, right atop Mundi, waiting to be “discovered.” Francis gets warnings of danger and destruction and death ringing in his mind, apocalyptic visions… Silna gets these visions, too. Maybe, even, they get the same visions. Omens of apocalypse everywhere they look. Nothing can be done to stop it.

[puckpocketed]

hello i was tagged by @18minutemajor for WIP Wednesday. it is not Wednesday but i am also not a cop so . here we gooo!!!!!!! tagging my esteemed colleagues (very politely and with no pressure!!!):

@neonfretra @oensible @sorrellegiance @moregraceful @stereax

@wheelsnipecelebrini

@korshrimpski (EDIT: it won’t?? let me tag you. unless these are on separate lines <3)

what's in-progress in your life <3 writing? art? recipe? skill acquisition?

if any crafty people see this - if ANYONE sees this - and would like to join in, feel free and consider yourself tagged <3 (and tag me back so i can see your stuff!!!) link to 18minutemajor's post if yall curious :3 my VERY long wip dump + ramblings under the cut!

its christmas soon and i like to paint gifts for my friends + and i'm finally revisiting my anime/lineart/inking era (here you are K!! my lineart past, present, and future!! <3) so here are some things i've been working on/coming back to/MAY NEVER FINISH: hockey related:

this is juraj slafkovsky and his dinky little middle part which he can absolutely learn to style into something a little less dinky but never does. i am so charmed by him. i imagine he just rocks it because his pretty privilege supersedes dinky middle parts . LMAO!!

here is Sasuke from my Naruto Hockey AU. I am a little stuck on jersey mockups lol. here he is. our haunted little 1OA who is absolutely normal and regular about his captain (LOUD incorrect buzzer):

personal oc art

wanna know some puckpocketed deep lore? i've never been one to make OCs. i was just not a very creative kid tbh. spent all my time drawing sailor moon instead. i still go back to her sometimes because she is one of my favourite shapes in the WORLD!!

in my 20s i took up playing d&d because of the. uh. plague. <3 and got pretty close to having OCs!! those count right? anyway. here is my tavern-wench-turned-wizard!!! i think i painted this 2 years ago? <- put dates on your works guys it saves lives. her name is Mel (short for Melins (pronounced like melons. on account of her knockers. can you tell i never grew out of my 12 yr old booby/cock joke era?) i revisited Mel recently and have started painting her in earnest again!! :3

I briefly dated someone who was very into streetwear and fashion, and I fell down a techwear/gorpcore/cyberpunk rabbit hole for a couple days out of curiosity. i remember literally zero salient info on any of it except the broad strokes of silhouetting and Vibes. what i emerged with, however, was a ?? sorta OC?? im not sure what to call them. they dont rly have a name or gender. I did this little sheet ages ago + the aborted attempt at a portrait later:

Here are my most recent explorations (i have been doing SOOOO much art. <3) which include:

unfinished character sheet + chibi art. I played with their jacket (much more structured/square/tailored thing) and added a lotta random buckles and belts. i took textiles class years ago and have a little experience in garment construction. and i know for a fact this thing does not make any sense. it hurts me to look at a little bit LMAO so i've paused it while i go draft patterns (badly. i was never good at drafting. i think i may have to break out my scrap fabric stash and hand sew a real life mock-up. HELP!)

here is me having fun with them and imagining them as some kind of cyber-fisherman. the best part of every game is the fishing mini-game to me. i love fishing mini-games so much. I made their hair really big because i wanted them to have big unwieldy hair and the vibes told me i should add more movement to the piece aside from the fishing line. I messed with their jacket AGAIN because i can't stop thinking about what kinda jacket they'd wear. gorp-core ? idk. it sure is something!

gifts for my friends :3

back in my weeb era for real YAYYYY!!! up til now i'd been making hockey art using a zero pressure sensitivity pen brush because i simply did NOT want to deal with that. it is and has always been a barrier to me making art that uses line art. <3 easing my way back into it though!

I used to paint gifts for my friends and then get them printed into lil posters and mount them on nice backing :3 i am now ready and back to painting.

Here is my girlbestie's OC. just a rough pose sketch. i think im pretty unsatisfied with the gesture of the head/hand. i wanted to include her gun in some way. i fear i may have to rework the pose entirely <3

For the genshin girlies.. here are some of my friends fave characters.

Yelan - this one i started many holidays ago and put on the backburner because the colouring was wigging me out. you can see where i started rendering stuff + got sidetracked and started on something else (the crystal choker IM LAUGHING @ past me...)

Ayaka - I reaaally like what i did here with the perspective + foreshortening. I don't know if the pose or expression is in-character or not, but i had fun :3 got stunlocked looking at references of genshin weapons so this is where i left off:

if you made it all the way down here hi... <3 ice hockey really cracked the ketchup bottle open for me when it comes to making art again. i love the communities i've found, and i'm inspired by every artist on here every day. thanks for being so cool + have a great day :)

[oldiesstationlover11607]

Hello. What’s up? It’s me. Anonymous. You’re good old pal (okay I’ll stop). The Josh drum lesson fic was so cute btw! Gosh I wish I had writing talent. Btw, I’m not sure if you want me to pick an emoji to identify as or if you will pick it, but feel free to assign me one if you want.

So………I had another request………but it’s Tyler this time…..kinda.

Could you do a angsty one shot from when Clancy is in Dema and is forced to make propaganda (Scaled and Icy era. Look, I like Tyler with pink hair okay). He meets the reader (how? It’s up to you. Makeup artist, manager of some sort, etc.). They bond, he tells her in secret about life outside the walls and stuff and sort of gets her on the Bandito’s side. After he escapes (as seen in Saturday), she expects him to somehow get in contact with her again and help her escape Dema, but he never does.

You could end it there or maybe flash forward to the events of Paladin Strait and do something with that, it’s up to you. Thanks for always taking my silly ideas to the next level and making me smile with your work.

Number 16 Cotton Candy - Clancy x Reader

Relationship: Tyler Joseph/Clancy × Fem!Reader

Warnings: Violence, anything related to Dema or the Trench story that's generally triggering

Word Count: 1813 (it’s a big one!)

Summary: Check the request!

PART 2

A/N: I’ll give you the 💛 emoji for the yellow banditos! And you’re definitely not alone anon, I freaking love pink hair Tyler (I have a whole pinterest board section dedicated to SAI and Ty’s pink hair) :)

I’d never expected to be working on ‘Good Day Dema’. My family had a long history with the bishops, working for them that is. I remember when the letter came, asking me to be the talent manager for the next season. This ranged from making sure makeup and hair was done to keeping talent company before the show. Except, they didn’t tell me the talent was Clancy, the Clancy. We’d spent a couple days together, me running him through the show, him not saying a single word but listening to all instructions. He’d learnt the choreography, every step and change for the show, but not spoken a single word to anyone but the bishops when asked. I was escorted to a light blue door in the hallway of the soundstage building. 

“He’s in there. You’ll be dying his hair number 16 cotton candy and ensuring he’s ready to film,” one of the assistants said. 

“Thanks,” I smiled sheepishly before walking inside and closing the door. Clancy sat in the corner of the room, his blank eyes staring me down. I nodded over to the chair. He rose to his feet, quietly wandered over and sat in front of me. I’d heard things about him, how he’d escaped into Trench, and was dragged back here. I’d also listened to the new album ‘Scaled and Icy’, a complete 360 from the themes of his letters–not that we were allowed to be reading them. 

“It looks like they’re wanting number 16 Cotton Candy. We’ll have to bleach it,” I said, grabbing the bleach and color from the cabinet, “You good with that?” His eyes darted up to me. 

“You’re asking me?” he asked, his brows furrowed. His voice sounded exactly how it did on the record, except tired. I tried to hide my surprise that he’d responded at all. I nodded. 

“Of course I am. It’s your hair.” Deep down I knew I shouldn’t have been talking to him like this. I was being paid to ensure he looked exactly how the bishops wanted him to, not asking his opinion. 

“Why don’t you just do your job and we can both get this over with?” he spoke with sarcasm dripping from each word. I nodded and got to work with the bleach. The room was quiet except for the radio which was playing SAI on repeat–it was up to Shy Away. 

“I’m sorry about what you’ve had to go through,” I mumbled, completely unsure if I was overstepping a boundary. 

“That’s the price of attempting to escape,” he shrugged and I nodded knowingly. “Have you ever dyed your hair?” he asked, watching me place the foils on his head. 

“Once before. It was a hotter pink, back when we were still allowed to have coloured hair. Do you remember that?”

He nodded. “Yeah I do. My friends were the reason they banned it. They dyed it yellow.” Everyone in Dema knew yellow was a color of rebellion, the color of the banditos (if you even believed in them). Wearing it was almost an instant detainment, or worse. 

“Ah, I remember that,” I smiled softly, remembering the story on the news. “So the bleach is going to take about 30 minutes and then we can do the color. I’ll stay here though, there’s not much for me to do.” The song on the radio switched to Never Take It. “It must be weird to hear your own voice on the radio,” I commented, glad that I was a manager rather than a talent.  

“Yeah, it kinda is. Especially since it’s full of the bishops’ propaganda rather than my own thoughts.” I had a feeling the changes in theme were related to the bishops. “It’s hard to be creative when they’ve got you locked up and use you for entertainment.” The sigh that escaped his chapped lips revealed a level of exhaustion only he knew. 

“Your letters are so different from this,” I spoke, knowing I’d crossed a line and couldn’t go back. He turned around to face me, a confused look on his face.

“You’ve read my letters? How? They’re not allowed in the city.”

“They passed by me when they were first here.” The letters were initially spread from house to house before the bishops found and burned them all. 

“And… what did you think?” I couldn’t tell why he was asking this. What his intentions were. But I could tell he was trying to piece something together. 

“You have a lot to say about our lives here,” I paused before adding, “and Trench. It didn’t end well for you to end up here though.” 

“That’s because I believe everyone deserves to know the truth, whether or not I’m taken back here and used for propaganda is irrelevant. People need to know the truth.” He was ambitious, I’d give him that. I removed the foils and washed his hair before starting with the pink. I grabbed some gloves, mixed the color and started applying it evenly. “You know, you’re pretty for a Dema girl,” he remarked. 

“Does that mean bandito girls are prettier?” I laughed. He shrugged, clearly showing his perspective. “I’m surprised you’ve still got a sense of humor after everything you’ve been through.” His face dropped slightly at that. It was clear that despite being held in a prisoners’ cell this whole time he still had the spark that made him Clancy. It had to be hard but he still had it. 

“I mean it Y/N, you’re pretty… but you should try to leave this place. Out there in Trench everything is different. The colors, the freedom, the creativity. You’ll never want to come back.” His eyes were full of hope. It was clear he was the right person to lead the rebellion. 

“I–I can’t… I’ve got a life here, Clancy,” I sighed. I wanted to, I did. But if he was caught and sent back here then there was no chance I’d even make it out of the walls. He nodded knowingly. 

“I understand. Just know there is always a place for you at the camp.” I finished up his color, washed the dye off in the sink, and styled it for the show. We continued talking about Trench and the banditos, what life was like out there. I reminded him that the bishops wanted a performance for the annual assemblage, slightly disappointed that I hadn’t been invited to manage him. Once his hair was finished and makeup done I turned the chair around. A soft smile grew on his face. 

“I like it. Thank you,” he got up and pulled me in an embrace. His hair smelt of the shampoo I’d used, vanilla. 

“You’re welcome. I’ve got your jacket over here,” I reached to the side and picked it up, the brown fabric soft against my hands. He turned around as I helped him into it. What he did next surprised me. His hands reached up to cup my face. His forehead leant against mine, a few tears escaping his eyes before turning into sobs, his face scrunching up. “Hey, hey, you’re okay,” I hushed, trying to calm him down. 

“I’m scared Y/N,” he stuttered. His eyes darted left and right, searching for something. I tried my best to reassure him that it was okay. 

“You don’t need to be,” I lied. He had every right to be scared. At any minute the bishops could kill and seize his vessel. It was then that I made the decision to kiss him. It was a quick kiss, an unsure one. 

“Oh so now you decide to do that,” he chuckled before pulling me close and walking us back till we hit the wall. Our bodies pressed together, breathing heavily as our lips danced. I could feel the thud of his heartbeat, terrified of the consequences if we were caught. The song on the radio switched to Redecorate, my favorite on the record. I ran my fingers through his coloured hair before pulling away. 

“You’re going to get called on soon,” I said, knowing that I’d likely never seen him again after today. 

“Ok,” he nodded. “I need you to know that this,” he gestured between us, “wasn’t just for the sake of today. I like you Y/N, there’s something special about you.” There was a loud knock on the door and we stepped away from each other. 

“Are you nearly done in there?” the assistant's voice chirped from outside. 

“Yep, we need about 10 more minutes and he’ll be ready to perform!” I shouted back. I could hear her footsteps leave. 

“I like you too, Clancy,” I hummed, once I knew we were alone again. 

“If I ever get out, just know I’ll come back for you. I promise, I’ll get you out,” he vowed. I embraced him and pressed my lips to his one last time before escorting him out to the soundstage. 

“Good luck out there,” I tried desperately to not cry, saying goodbye for the last time. 

Two years later the bishops had released a search notice for Clancy. The submarine that the annual assemblage had been held on sank due to “an unknown number of errors on board.” It took everything in me not to believe he was dead. The bishops insisted he wasn’t and what would they gain from lying about their enemy’s death? I was sure he would reach out, tell me he was okay, but it was radio silence. I’d removed myself from Good Day Dema’s set and spent all my time in my room. It was the same thing every day, work. Working to please the bishops and brainwash the entire city that Vialism was the only way. Except for one night, exactly one year after the notice was issued, three years since I’d heard anything from Clancy. I was reading through a new manuscript for the show and making notes for the new episode. The air in the room went still, I wasn’t alone. A man with curly brown hair with the underside dyed red stood by the door. He was wearing a black vest and a bandana with ‘torchbearer’ written on it. It had scared the shit out of me.

“I know you,” I stood up, “you’re Clancy’s friend.”

“Indeed I am,” his expression remained blank, a calm and stoic leader—exactly how Clancy had described him. I couldn’t decide whether to hug him or kill him.

“He’s alive?”

Torchbearer nodded. A wave of relief flooded over me.

“We request your presence at the town hall tonight. Please do your best to come. I was directly asked to ensure you attend.”

I was going to see him. Clancy had survived. He was coming back. Coming back for me. I was getting out of here. I was going to get to hold him again.

Except it wasn’t him. He’d seized a boy and pretended to be there. Clancy wasn’t even in Trench.

//

Hope you liked it 💛! I’m definitely open to writing a part two but not sure where it would go… keep requesting tho bc ur requests brighten my day!

[feministsouthpark]

South Park Filler Guide - Season 9

Link for Seasons  1   2   3   4   5   6   7 8

My analysis will have spoilers, if you’re a first time viewer, just scroll to the bottom and read the list and only read full text if you are familiar with the content of the show already! S9E1 Mr. Garrison's Fancy New Vagina is CANON

For the first scene of course, you just can't miss that one! Since that's the one scene that holds the event that shifts a character's story arc! That's right, I'm talking about Mr. Slave. His loved one changes in ways he can't comprehend. S9E2 Die Hippie, Die is FILLER

No events carry over. S9E3 Wing is FILLER

No events carry over. Does anyone else have déjà vu? S9E4 Best Friends Forever is CANON

We see Satan moving on from Saddam. His new boyfriend is Kevin, and the Heaven team has a lot of upgrades as well. S9E5 The Losing Edge is CANON

I bet this is confusing for someone who doesn't instinctively remember You're Getting Old anytime this episode starts playing. Yes, this is an important part of the Randy storyline. S9E6 The Death of Eric Cartman is FILLER

You could tell me about how funny or heartwarming and inspiring this episode is. But for my purposes it's just a day of the boys ignoring Eric. S9E7 Erection Day is FILLER

Our annual Jimmy episode! Although I can't imagine many people upset over this one getting shafted. S9E8 Two Days Before The Day After Tomorrow is FILLER

Stan and Eric make a great duo. Or do they? Canon followers will never find out. S9E9 Marjorine is CANON

Mostly because of Heidi Turner's proper introduction and her parents as well. However I love including Farmer Fred's episodes, and I hope I can include most of them, even if some are already unlikely. S9E10 Follow The Egg! is CANON

This one is for the relationships. Stan and Wendy get development for the first time since "Raisins". Mr. Slave moves on from Herbert aaaand Heidi Turner gets a team-up with Eric? S9E11 Ginger Kids is CANON

The ginger kids organization will return in a major way. Also, some interesting in-series lore about Kyle's and Eric's genes. S9E12 Trapped in the Closet is CANON

This is a big one in meta-storytelling, since Tom Cruise did later try to sue South Park (and an episode was made around that case), while Isaac Hayes, the voice of Chef also left because of this episode (and an episode was around that case). S9E13 Free Willzyx is CANON

Ok, there's three episodes in a row that will play an important part in 201, so it's safe to say Trey got really inspired by this era. S9E14 Bloody Mary is FILLER

This one is a character-study of Randy and Stan. It works, and all the specifics to their relationship is here, the events though are again, self-contained.

SPOILER-FREE RUNDOWN

Again, CANON means you should watch it, FILLER means you can skip it. S9E1 Mr. Garrison's Fancy New Vagina is CANON S9E2 Die Hippie, Die is FILLER S9E3 Wing is FILLER S9E4 Best Friends Forever is CANON S9E5 The Losing Edge is CANON S9E6 The Death of Eric Cartman is FILLER S9E7 Erection Day is FILLER S9E8 Two Days Before The Day After Tomorrow is FILLER S9E9 Marjorine is CANON S9E10 Follow The Egg! is CANON S9E11 Ginger Kids is CANON S9E12 Trapped in the Closet is CANON S9E13 Free Willzyx is CANON S9E14 Bloody Mary is FILLER

CANON counter:

S1: 9 out of 13  S2: 3 out of 18  S3: 6 out of 18  S4: 10 out of 17  S5: 8 out of 14  S6: 11 out of 17 S7: 6 out of 15 S8: 4 out of 14 S9: 8 out of 14

Overall: 65 out of 140

[scaryspears]

Kira and Sonya: Headcanon

WARNING: I'M GONNA GO ON A LONG RANT

The somewhat forgotten character of Mortal Kombat. Kira is a product of her time, the Midway era. Love or hate her, there was potential. Kira is evidently a blend of Sonya and Kano, yet there is zero explanation for why. So, it's time to make a giant headcanon.

Kira and Sonya were trained by the same master, if we're going with the Midway era of everyone knowing Kung Fu or some other Asian Martial Art. Like any old teacher with morals, she sprouted about the good stuff and being fair. Kira was like a YN, she didn't care about all that. She's not learning martial arts to protect or defend, but to harm (growing up with bad people probably influenced this, creating a similarity with Skarlet) for her own self gain. Once this became more evident, especially with her bad attitude, and rebellious nature that reeks of fatherless behaviour. Sonya recognises this, and tells off Kira for having that mentality. In her mind she's looking out for Kira, but Kira takes it as a personal insult, and starts to believe Sonya looks down on "people like her".

On one fateful training match, Kira is pitted against Sonya. Kira's only ambition was to win, and to deliver a pain to Sonya that made her wish she never opened her mouth. That's not what happens, though. Sonya lays her flat on her ass, and Kira's ego is crushed. Every time she sees Sonya she starts to feel hate instead of just annoyance and frustration.

We find a revelation of why Kira was attending Kung Fu lessons in the first place. She wants to become an underground fighter, or already is an underground fighter making ends meet. She decides to forget the whole "fight fair" thing and bring a weapon with her, which may or may not be against the rules. She wins, of course. The only thing that Kira could remember is how great it felt to succeed, no matter how dirty the method was. This is where Kabal recruits her, seeing a power and cruelty he is eager to raise like his own (Kabal's a dad now).

Kira becomes obsessed, vowing to one day prove Sonya wrong. As much as she hates Sonya, she seeks something from her. Approval? Respect? It's something she doesn't focus too much on, otherwise she'd have to confront herself.

She joins the black dragon under Kabal's guidance, and Kano even teaches her a few things. Unlike Sonya, she doesn't value relations nor does she grow attached to anyone.

She's pretending loyalty to the black dragon, but as soon as Kano gets close to Sonya, Kira will not hesitate to take the opportunity for herself.

Sonya and Kira are much like Kitana and Mileena. One is original, and a highly respected person, with the other one being a cracked reflection. There is Chaos and Order, but Kira is the resistance against Order. Born from Order, but influenced by the love of Chaos.

It's pretty simple. Order, Chaos and Resistance, with resistance being a toss and turn of both, choosing one element to serve the other: Like using Chaos to bring Order, or using Order to bring Chaos.

Jax (Order), Kano (Chaos), Johnny (Resistance against Chaos)

Sub-Zero (Order), Sektor (Chaos) Frost (Resistance against Order)

Sonya (Order), Kabal (Chaos), Kira (Resistance against Order)

The sad part is, Sonya doesn't think of Kira once, while Sonya lives rent free in Kira's mind.

[ladylooch]

I like Emma's independence/ free spirit and how strong she is but she is very stubborn sometimes and she thinks she is always right. Is there a situation where she is wrong and she has to apologize to Timo?

Lio’s first away tournament comes when Timo is out of town. Emma is completely on her own in this new, hockey mom era. Timo will be home the night they leave, but he is staying home to recover. He has a few injuries lingering and they both agreed he should rest and recover instead of driving to upstate New York. 

On the phone the night before they leave, Timo and Emma are talking about what is left to pack.

“I think just his hockey stuff is all that needs to be finished.” Emma murmurs, looking at the door where the bags are packed. 

“Don’t forget his skates are sitting in the mudroom after I sharpened them at the rink.”

“I know. I walk by them every day.” She rolls her eyes. 

“He isn’t going to remember them, so you’re going to have to triple check they are in the bag after he packs it.”

“Yes, T. I know.” She insists again, annoyed that he is micromanaging her parenting from Detroit. 

“Just trying to be helpful.”

“Doesn’t feel that way.” She snips. 

“Okay. You obviously have it under control.” Timo retreats, stretching his neck from side to side. “How did Livy do with dinner tonight?” He changes the subject.

But the next morning, Emma and Lio both wake up late. They are behind schedule getting on the road and Emma completely spaces on checking Lio’s bag before he throws it into the trunk.

“Let’s go!” Emma urges Lio into the car. How did she sleep through three alarms!?

They make it to the tournament just in time to check into the hotel, then head to the rink. Once they arrive at the rink, Lio looks into his bag, realizing he doesn’t have his skates.

“Mama!” He runs out to the lobby, interrupting where Emma is talking to another hockey mom. “Where are my skates?”

“What do you mean?” Emma asks. “You packed your bag, bubba.” 

“They aren’t in my bag.” 

Emma clearly sees herself walking by them this morning, in the mudroom, not thinking twice about how they should be in her hand when she shuts the door. Okay, shit. 

She pulls her phone out, beginning to type in sporting goods stores. There is one ten minutes down the road that looks to sell hockey equipment. She grabs her keys, then tells Lio to get back into the locker room to finish getting ready what he can. As she turns out of the parking lot of the rink towards the store, she calls her husband.

“Hi baby.” He greets her.

“Hi! Um, what brand of skates does Lio have? And do you know what size?’

“Why…?” Timo asks, sounding concerned. 

“Um,  we forgot his skates at home.” Timo immediately snorts. “Yeah I know. But I am heading to a hockey store so I can buy new ones-“

“No. You can’t do that to him. They won’t be formed to his feet. He will be miserable all game and in a ton of pain.” 

“Is it really that bad?”

“Asks the woman who assured me she wouldn’t forget said skates in the mudroom last night? Maybe you could start listening to me, babe.” 

“I’m… T, I don’t know what to do. He can’t play if he doesn’t have skates.” Emma says quietly.

“Someone is going to have to bring you his skates.”

“We are three hours from home.”

“Lex?”

“I’m not going to ask her to do that with two kids while she is pregnant.” 

“He is better off not playing than being put into brand new skates. I can bring them up tomorrow morning.” 

So that is what happens. 

Lio sits out the first game, sobbing to Emma the whole time about how awful it is he can’t be out there with his teammates. Emma feels terrible, apologizing to anyone who will listen about her stumble. Why was she so stubborn when Timo told her to triple check for the skates? Why didn’t she thank him for the reminder and put them in his bag right then? 

The next day, Timo comes up to the tournament, early, with their daughter in toe who was done being with their nanny. Lio has two games today and if they win, his team will head to the championship game tomorrow afternoon. Timo strolls into the rink a half hour before game time with Livy next to him, She has a Starbucks cup filled with lukewarm hot chocolate. Her blue eyes are focused on the top, making sure nothing spills as her little Uggs slap the floor. Timo has Lio’s skates in one hand and a Starbucks carrier in the other. Two coffee mugs and a large water are in it.

“Daddy!” Lio yells, watching his hero grin at him. 

“Go get ready.” Timo says immediately, handing the skates over to his son.

“Can you tie my skates?” 

“You can do it, buddy.” Timo insists. As cute as it is to do for him, Emma can’t tie Lio’s skates, so it’s best Lio does it himself and learns the right way to tighten the laces for what he needs. Emma is silent, watching her husband’s approach. She feels so small and dumb.

“I’m so sorry.” She blurts immediately, gnawing on her lip. Liv hugs Emma’s leg with one arm. Emma puts her hand onto her pink hat in greeting. “We were late. I didn’t check. I’m sorry. You were right. I should have gotten up right away and did it.”

“It’s okay. There is a lot going on when I’m not home.” Emma nods, taking the coffee from him. 

“Thank you for saving some of the weekend. I know you wanted to stay home and sleep.” 

“It’s okay. Livy and I had a fun road trip together.” He pats their daughter’s hair. His arm comes up, wrapping around his wife’s shoulders to pull her into his body. He kisses her head, then accepts her still very apologetic smooch. He smiles, kissing her nose before speaking again. “All good.” He assures. His perfect wife is perfectly good at beating herself up for any misstep. Fear of failure is a deep insecurity that drives her need to be right. It’s not his job to shame her for that. It’s his job to soothe those parts of her when he can while she works on it.

“I love you.” She whispers.

“I love you too, mama.” He stares into her eyes, waiting to see the crinkle of disappointment smooth away from her forehead. It isn’t going away fast enough for him, so he leans down, kissing her lips, working his tongue between them to devour her mouth.

“Yuck.” Liv says, stepping away from being squished by her parents as Timo brings his wife deeper into his body. He holds her where he protrudes behind his zipper. Emma’s subtle moan doesn’t help. 

“Timo!” Lio’s coach, Eddie, comes out of the rink, grinning at seeing the professional hockey player at an away tournament. “Can you come in before the game and hype the boys up?” Timo looks up, keeping Emma pressed tight into his arousal as he nods. She rest her forehead on his chest.

“Sure. Like 15 minutes?” Timo asks as he runs both his hands up to rest at the middle of Emma’s back.

“Sounds good!” Timo waits for him to walk away, then sets his blue gaze back on his wife.

“What’s my reward for saving the day?”

“Blowie in the hotel bathroom while the kids are asleep?” Timo’s head knocks back and he laughs loudly at the ceiling.

“You know the way to my heart, baby.” He leaves an arm around her shoulders. Emma brings her fingers up, lacing them together on her collar bone. She kisses along his knuckles. They watch Liv run around with another little sister from the team until Timo heads into the locker room for his pregame speech. 

[akirakirxaa]

FFXIVWrite Prompt 15: Free Day

Rating: G

Word Count: 699

Summary: Akira is intrigued by Emet-Selch. Fray does not approve. [Takes place in ShB, just after Y'shtola is rescued from the Lifestream.]

[Master Post]

“Now, we mustn't keep your friends waiting,” the Ascian that had become something of her shadow motioned for her to go on, clearly intent that their conversation was over.

It should be. She shouldn’t want to talk to him. Emet-Selch had been nothing but rude and insulting and clearly just waiting for them to fail and…

And yet, he saved Y’shtola. And yet, he had stayed his hand when it was clear, to Akira’s eyes at least, that he could easily strike them all down and get back to the Rejoining he so desired. And yet there was some annoying little part of her heart that wanted to hear him out, to understand why. Why he followed her everywhere as if he had nowhere better to be, nothing better to do. She had dealt with her share of Ascians at this point, but this one…this one seemed so very different. He complained endlessly about prodding questions, and yet when she asked them, he was more than happy to talk. He complained about the Light, but he remained on the First. And the way he looked at her.

It was like he was expecting something of her, more than his task of containing the light. Like there was something she was missing, and he was waiting for her to remember it at any minute. Maybe she was; she had forgotten so much of her life that it wouldn’t surprise her. But somehow she doubted she would have anything in her lost memories that had anything to do with the founding father of Garlemald or Ascians for that matter.

She realized she had been standing there in the forest’s shade, staring after the Scions, for more than a few heartbeats, only brought back to her senses by an exasperated sigh as the Ascian had begun to walk away.

“Emet-Selch.”

He stopped, turned back to her, and she knew it was not lost on him that she had used his name, rather than ‘Ascian’ or some other less kind term. She fought with her words for several moments. What could she possibly say? Akira was still reeling from first thinking she’d lost another friend and now the relief that she had been wrong.

“…Thank you.” It felt flat, the understatement of the era. She should have more, say more, something that expressed how much it really and truly meant to her to have Y’shtola returned to her, but what words were there that could express it? But when she chanced a glance up at him, he had fixed her with a soft smile the like he did not favor her with in the company of anyone else.

“You’re welcome, Hero,” he murmured, quietly enough that if any of the Scions turned back to look for her they would not hear, and she gave an awkward nod before hurrying after her friends. Akira was almost back to Fanow proper when another voice accosted her.

“That was kind of him,” the smokey apparition that wore her face, Fray, stood off to the side, leaning against a tree. Akira knew no one else would see the embodiment of her own esteem, and so resisted the urge to turn to her, less the people of Fanow think she’d gone off the deep end.

“I don’t think Ascians do ‘kind’,” Akira countered quietly. “He only did it to gain our trust. He said as much.”

“And yet you’re so willing to give it, aren’t you, ‘Hero’,” Fray’s voice, her own voice, mocked her lightly. Akira knew better than to think Fray was trying to hurt her, but…

Was there any denying the way her face flushed at the reminder of the nickname?

“Keep your enemies close,” Akira countered. “I just want to make sure that—“

“Make sure what? What are you planning to do when he stabs you in the back? You do know he’s going to, sooner or later.”

“Of course I do. He’s an Ascian; it’d be foolish to expect any different.”

“Then why do you expect different?” Fray’s piercing yellow eyes, the one thing that marked her as different from Akira, bored into her and Akira’s face hardened.

“I don’t. I never will.”

[ancanosaur]

Does anyone else remember how weirdly toxic the MK Fandom was around MKx era? Becuase I do.

Those like handful of blogs that were just getting into beef with random Kano fans and their whole thing was "Kanno is a peice of shit! And so are you for liking this fictional antagonist!!!" I remember a few who put anti-Kano in thier description of their blog and it was just a hobby to shame people for drawing Kano fanart or liking the character in any way. (And a small revival with mk11 since they made him fuzzy for that game lmao)

Weird uncomfortable age gap shipping... That whole thing about that one artist that drew Cassie cage/subzero stuff and a shit ton of people were like "uh, he's friends with her dad and is like 52. So that's kinda weird." But then it also turned into a headcanon argument bc people were like "yeah subzero definitely watched Cassie cage grow up and he was a part of her childhood." Wich is so funny looking back at it bc there was no need for people to theorise anything about the characters relationship any further than what is Canon for it to be weird.

That fucking Sektor fan who just casually wrote headcanons about Sektor being a huge fucking racist for no goddamn reason?????!?!??? The headcanon specifically was about how they ship him and Cyrax and how Sektor calls him slurs and physically, mentally, and sexually abuses him as part of thier romantic relationship????????????? And they even gave examples of the horribly racist things he says to him¿¿¿? And that Cyrax was just okay with it??? And ended the post with like " I love my evil little man 🥰" No trigger warnings on the post either and when they were critiqued for it they were like "it's realistic and it's just my personal headcanons and you don't have to agree. Sektor is my comfort character and this is just how i see him." -type shit. (Deeper lore about said person. I actually interacted with them way before the headcanon thing. They approached me wanting to rp and they were so controlling they were basically just telling me what to do the whole time. super rude and impatient. So they just suckedl lol.)

Art blogs getting wierd asks that requested them to draw the fem characters in what was very obviously kink art but the asker would ask it in a way to trick the artist into making free fetish art for them. I got so many requests back in the day to "could you draw mileena for me :) but with her jaw wired shut? :)" or "could you draw kitana wereing a new pair of flip flops for me? That would make my day." like ????? Vague to the point of its sus but there were alot of minors in the fandom at the time including myself, i was in highschool at the time. but I was raised on deviantart so I could smell a wierd fetish from a mile away. But I did see other young artists fulfill these requests and several of them completely unaware that they were drawing kink art. Kink art is cool. But not when you're tricking minors into drawing it for you for free. (There was this mileena anon that was the most common one and I swear it was the same dude bc it was always something to do with with her getting her jaw wired shut, her getting bracess, or some other hardware being attached to her jaw/teeth.)

Selfshippers/heteroshippers being like "I know Kung Jin is the only Canon gay character in this very cis het and hyper masculine video game franchise- but im gonna ship him with my girl oc :) becuase he isn't real and it's not wierd to just pick the only gay one :) out of a huge line of big muscle men to choose from :) to ship with :) my female girl she/her lady with a vagina self insert :) or ship him with Cassie :) bc they are friends and should date :) I know he likes men :) and erasing that part of him :) erases :) a big part of his character :) and character arc :) but he would look cute :) kissing girls :) bc im :) girl :) and so is Cassie cage :) and my oc :) - is what I remember.

2015/16 really was a time for the fandom.

[solstitios]

yoooo! i'm rocket (she/her) and this is my manic pixie boy... man... pyro? idiot? callum, who is absolutely named after calum hood from 5sos i have a few pages up for him at the moment but this post may be better served regarding initial interesting in plotting! i do prefer d*scord for plotting just an fyi; feel free to like this post and i'll send you a dm to connect! ♡

tw: mentions of domestic/physical/familial abuse, accidental death

yes he DID forget how to speak korean when he got to ansong. yes he spent a week literally not being able to understand/read anything around him (this would be a fun plot for anyone who has a muse who speaks eng!) and i don't know how he did it. but one day he woke up and he could just suddenly understand everything again so he's ok now

is from sydney but doesn't remember that now. there's a picture of the sydney opera house on one of his mementos

came from a household with a very strict father and mother with little backbone; as the older son he was always being pressured to be amazing by his dad and would get hit when he didn't meet his father's standards (and then really started acting out as a result, but we'll get to that)

SUPER IMPORTANT TO KNOW: callum has a sister who is 2 years younger named callie and they were super close and i would love if someone brought her to the rp hello 2nd muse idea for y'all !!!

so once his dad really started laying on the trauma lol, callum began his rebellious era — literally just saying fuck all to his grades at school, hanging out with shitty people, getting involved with things he really shouldn't have

got arrested at 17 the spring before his high school graduation, father knew people in the city to get them to let him off with a smack on the wrist but nearly got his ass beat

father banished him to go live with his uncle in korea for the next decade. had a really hard time adjusting at first because his korean sucked. did some odd jobs, tutored english, wanted to be a cop but he couldn't because he wasn't technically a citizen so he actually started training to willingly enlist in the korean military

this happening while he was visiting aus for his bday: he just turned 27 this august so right before his frontal cortex stopped growing he thought it would be a great idea to set off illegal fireworks while was rly drunk with his friends... yeah ok buddy. ends up, i shit you not, "dumb ways to die" accidentally k*lls himself AND HIS SISTER with the fireworks striking them both. i swear this was more tragic when i was first conceptualizing him but writing this out now it's so stupid fjkdhfjkgf

except now on the bright side, he's dead but gets to be a firefighter! oh the irony

persona

personality wise he's like a pretty cool dude. fun to chill with. really likes fires. is calm and cool and that friend that always knows the right thing to say except he's got a lot of demons in him that keep him in his head a lot but is so frustrated because he can't even figure out what the demons are. loves his job. super into fitness and staying in shape. makes lists for everything. slightly neurotic. really wants to get a dog. left-handed. may come across as hard to read at times. nolan fanboy. good taste in memes but bad tiktok taste. only dresses in black/gray/neutrals outside of his work uniform. surprisingly makes banger charcuterie boards

tl;dr

childhood traumatized man accidentally k*lls himself and his sister

potential plots

someone who goes to the same boxing gym as him and maybe they have beef about something pretty juvenile? LMAO

one of your kitchen appliances catches on fire and you're too scared/embarrassed to call 119 so instead you run down to the third floor and make callum handle it instead

someone to go with him to one of the events posted on the community bulletin!!!

for females: callum meets you for the first time and when he does he gets deja vu. he feels like he's met you before (it's all his subconscious trying to push out his memory of his sister callie)

for males: someone younger he treats like an older brother (again, his subconscious longing for his sister)