#dru builds

[dru-plays-starbound]

Spring Ice Cream Parlour

Up on 'Tante Rise, I'd heard of a new ice cream parlour opening just in time for the human holiday of 'Easter'. I'm told this is celebrated with chocolate, eggs and bunnies - so they've definitely decorated appropriately. The bunnies don't mind being petted and the eggshoot ice cream is delicious.

Happy easter, everyone!

Built for the 2024 Spring prompt "Eggshoot". Mods used: Foodie's Furniture, Nostalgic Greenery, Lepidia: Gloamfall, WW Furnishing, Prop Pack, Sakura objects, Congo Pet

I had intended for Congo to be in this, but the mischievous cat decided it wanted to be a teleporter cat instead. Ah well 😅️

Dru: Come back, darn cat. you're in the wrong build! Congo: Mrrow!

[thedragonagelesbian]

i need a fat grizzled bear of a brosca to sweep zevran off his feet. btw.

[le-velo-pour-dru]

One thing about me is that I actually love Odd Squad so so so much :3 ❤️

[zylev-blog]

Kryptonian Jack Fenton and a reveal gone right. Jack, who already bodies walls and treats red lights as suggestions, is one of the first people to avoid when going in public in Amity Park. Any newcomer learns this lesson straight from the start. After Dru-Zod’s attack and the releasing of Kryptonian prisoners, Batman/Bruce builds a device that senses Kryptonian DNA anywhere on the planet. They track down all of the missing prisoners, but for some odd reason, they’re getting three more hits in Illinois. Clark decides to go with Diana disguised by civilians and they learn all about the Fenton family. They learn more than they bargain to when they personally witness Jack picking a car up and throwing it at a ghost, then using the remains of that car to plug up the fire hydrant that broke during the fight and had been spewing water everywhere. (That didn’t even remotely solve the problem) Danny, as a human, dodges a blast from the ghost and uses his superspeed to grab a thermos from their house and return within seconds to ‘soup’ the ghost. The entire town ignores the superhuman acts of the Fentons, squaring the actions away as normal Fenton bullshit.

[raisedbythetv89]

Ok ooooook OK SO.

Spike was literally made for Buffy because he was made for and by Drusilla, and Buffy and Dru are the same person:

Innocent, kind-hearted young girls, with special gifts that cause them to carry more guilt/burden than others and they are used/abused/traumatized by angelus/angel, then neglected and abandoned, with Spike being there to pick up the pieces and nurture, care for, and love them the best he can to help them move past their angel trauma (which is actually an impossible task with Drusilla because of the sire aspect but isn’t with Buffy)

WHICH is why I believe William’s first act as a vampire was to try and save his mother. He was literally created to be Dru’s knight. Not only her protector but her healer. Which is why his first instinct when it should be all about blood lust is instead, to heal his mother who he still loves even as a vampire. I mean even Dru, a certified nutcase, is like you wanna do WHAT?!?! When Spike tells her his plan to save his mom😹

This is also why I believe angel trying to mold Spike into his image never really took or rather Spike was able to break free from it. Angel was created by darla for the intent of death, torment and destruction.

Spike was created to care for and love Dru. Which required an OBSCENE amount of patience, determination, humility, and love of a challenge. Which is why he was so intrigued by slayers, another seemingly impossible task - but the joy/fun was in the TRYING, the thrill of the unknown and the unpredictability of it all. Which are all the traits he needed to be there for both Dru and Buffy while also ensuring he never gives up on them as long as they want him there, and then some lol.

IM FREAKING OUT ABOUT THIS

Because also this is soooooo not where I planned on going with this but “I was made to love you” episode title is now drawing in the connection of, is this why Spike didn’t initially see the problem with the Buffy-Bot until he saw the reaction of Buffy herself who often acts as his moral compass as he relearns what is “good” after 100+ years living by vamp code because him AS A HUMAN, in his vulnerable, dejected and devastated state was killed and made into a vampire for the sole purpose of loving and caring for Drusilla selflessly, without regard for himself, much like the bots were!! So why would he see the harm in creating something like that for himself when no one was going to die in the process and it meant he could stop fixating in the real buffy? Both of which to a vamp who’s only been trying to live by human morals again for like 14 episodes vs 120 years with NO help just trial and erroring his way through becoming a white hat which his starting point is “I would like credit for not taking advantage of bleeding disaster victims” and “what do you mean building a shrine to show how deep my devotion is and chaining you up, offering to kill my ex, and forcing you to talk to me and admit your feelings aren’t the way to do this??” 😹😹😹 like he gets it so wrong, it’s comical in season 5 because he truly is so earnest about all of it because while yes it is all for a chance with Buffy, he genuinely wants to be better for her so he can earn that chance. As he says to Riley “a fellas gotta try” after saying he doesn’t think he has a chance with her.

He was an Eleanore who desperately needed his Chidi. Which Buffy is his moral compass but she ends up being a “let them fail/push them into the deep end” kind of guide. So he makes A LOT of mistakes along the way as many of us often do in general but especially those of us who were raised by abusive parents; who in our adulthood, have to learn to discern what is healthy vs abusive to be a good person to both yourself and others and be in actual healthy relationships with boundaries and respect with zero practical experience or good instincts to go on.

NONE of this excuses any harm that Spike causes at all. That is not the point of this to say “oh he didn’t really do bad”, no he did. Spike caused a lot of harm but this perspective that I’ve finally been able to put into words is why none of the harm ends up being a deal breaker for me and many spuffys because it puts his choices in the right perspective which is not that of a human even though he looks like one a lot of the time.

Spike pre-soul, making the mistakes he makes isn’t the same as a human or a vamp with a human soul making the mistakes because he doesn’t have his human soul motivating and informing the decisions he makes. It really mimics different cultures in a lot of ways as anya really demonstrates during her wedding with all her talk of demon culture and tradition (and her own struggles to assimilate into the human world again and she HAS a human soul and xander to help her) and the initiative being VERY n*zi coded and Riley being called a bigot because he is ignorant to much of demonology. So un-souled spike has a more potential for forgiveness of his mistakes than human soul havers because he is always genuinely TRYING to do right by Buffy even when he gets it horribly wrong. And the characters in the show always hold him accountable and make him feel TERRIBLE for the mistakes he makes.

Why does he have such potential for forgiveness you ask? The best example is to think of the concept of someone trying to assimilate themselves into a new culture. We can’t expect them to blend right in perfectly and get all the culture norms right, right away (again -anya-but also a real life example - when I travel in Italy and catch up with friends there I STILL always stumble and forget they’re always gonna go in for a double cheek kiss greeting - pre covid anyway - and I KNOW it’s a thing but if I’m out of practice it takes me a while to start greeting people that way again and it makes for some AWKWARD ENCOUNTERS until I get it down😹). It takes time, and normally guidance and patience from others that spike honestly doesn’t often have except in the form of being yelled at or beat up until he gets his soul. But his willingness to TRY anyways despite failure, rejection, ridicule and cruelty. How can I not love him?? He is me, I am him!! I was also met with so much unhelpful criticism and cruelty when I was just trying to learn and do a good job.

Both as someone who is autistic and didn’t know it for a lot of life; I too felt like I was blundering through without a guide or a rule book and I was sure I was making mistakes because people would get upset but I had NO help identifying what exactly I did wrong or what to do instead. So I knew I was messing up but had to keep guessing and trying anyway and getting it wrong again and again!

And as someone raised by an emotionally distant/abusive narcissist, navigating healthy relationships became even MORE difficult and I made a lot of bad choices along the way that landed me in some awful relationships much like what spike and Buffy devolve into towards the end of season 6 because both of them are up stream without a paddle when it comes to healthy relationships, healthy coping mechanisms, and communication. They know pain, avoidance, fighting, torment, and ecstasy from always living in extremes and life or death situations (notice Buffy struggles the most in the season with no threat of the apocalypse until the last two episodes - season 6 - which is SO common for people with trauma, you really fall apart when things are low stakes)

It’s why the tenderness and gentleness of season 7 means SO MUCH. Both of them experiencing these tiny pockets of true peace with each other after everything they’ve been through individually and together. Experiencing true peace like we see from them is one of the hardest things to accomplish if you have severe trauma.

I’m always really happy when I can digest these complex themes enough to communicate why I love them so much and why they’re so important to me. The fact that this show had so much in-fighting amongst the writers and misogynists trying to make spike pathetic and accidentally making him one of the most complex characters, plus episodes based specifically on neurodivergent/queer peoples’ traumatic coming of age experiences because the parallels are SO strong there no way they’re not lol. This all means I can probably spend the rest of my life dissecting the layers of this show and learning about myself in the process and always find something new 🙃🙃🙃 and clearly I love all aspects of spuffy so god damn much as they each embody a big part of my life experiences in so many beautiful yet tragic ways.

[alwaysakin]

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Fanfic Rec

Guys I have so much useless fanfic knowledge -- one of my friends asked me for a list of Buffy fics and this happened.

Non-Buffy Centric, One-Shot Fics

Potential Friend by srmcd1 - a cute little ficlet that looks at what might have happened if Jesse lived.

Age Difference by Amina - for all the Oz fans out there! A time-travelling Oz gives Buffy a new perspective on life and relationships. Slightly Angel-bashing.

All that I wanted was just to be haunted by you by chasingfictions - After the events of "The Body," Jenny's ghost bullies Giles into moving in with the Summers girls. This one made me BAWL.

Appropriate conduct by The_Eclectic_Bookworm - an increasingly angry series of memos between Principal Synder & Jenny, Giles, and the other teachers of Sunnydale High. Absolutely hilarious.

i belong to time, you belong to me by chasingfictions - Dru knows when she meets Spike, that he will fall in love with a slayer. She forgets, until she doesn't. Beautiful, poetic, and very Dru.

One Girl in All the World by zedpm - a trans!Buffy AU, where she was born in a boy's body and is still the slayer. A beautifully done AU, with Oz and (surprisingly! Riley) as particular standouts. Minor Spike/Buffy.

The Holy Grail of Buffy Fics: Long, With a Focus on an Ensemble Cast. Absolute Masterpieces.

hit rewind by untiljanuary - Hands down, the best Buffy fic I've ever read. Buffy (from some time in season 6, but unclear when), is sent back in time to season 3. What makes it so interesting is that it's from everyone else's perspective! The author writes Cordelia, Willow, Faith, Angel and Spike in particular so well. Lots of interesting character work, though the plot hasn't deviated too much from canon so far.

Ships: Buffy/Spike, Angel/Cordelia, Willow/Tara, Anya/Xander. The Buffy/Angel ends on mutual terms.

two roads diverged (and that has made all the difference) by RoseyPoseyPie - a Buffy season 5/Angel season 2 crossover. Hoping to escape Glory, the Scoobies end up in Pylea with the Fang Gang. This fic is absolutely hilarious (the scene where everyone gets high and drunk together is a notable standout). The author writes Anya, Lorne and Cordelia in particular super well. Dawn and Angel's dynamic is also amazing.

Ships: Buffy/Spike, Angel/Cordelia, Anya/Xander, Willow/Tara.

don't know how to stick around, but I wanna by chasingfictions - a series in an alternate universe where Faith, instead of going to prison, joins Angel Investigations. Very Fang Gang centric, but really builds up their family bond. Darla, Faith, and Wesley were stand outs to me in this.

Ships: eventual Faith/Buffy, and minor canon pairings. Faith briefly pursues other girls, including Darla.

Best Spuffy Centric Fic

wouldn't it be nice? by SummerFrost - an alternative universe, where the will-be-done spell in season 4 goes a little differently, and Spike and Buffy start a slow crawl towards friendship that becomes... something. So soft and sweet. Has two sequels, and the season 6 one in particular is WONDERFUL.

Every Letter That You Write Me by othellia - the obligatory fandom soulmate AU. Young Buffy is absolutely adorable in this one, and Spike and Buffy's relationship is bittersweet, raw, and believable.

Choices by lafillesauvage - An AU. After Season 5 of Angel, Spike becomes human. Angel does not. Buffy still chooses Angel, and these are the consequences. Slightly excessive Angel bashing, but the characterization of Buffy and Spike, and little notes like Buffy's relationship with Giles being slowly fixed and Willow getting a non-Kennedy girlfriend are great! Buffy/Angel with a happy Spike/Buffy ending.

The Darkling by OffYourBird - the iconic time travel Spuffy fic. Buffy goes back in time and meets Spike... in the 1970s. His slow path to redemption starts differently, with tons of interesting changes in the timeline. Be warned, this one is LONG and smutty. Shout out for making me believe Giles/Anya could work as a couple!

Inside Man by HollyDB - An Angel season 5 fic. Spike calls Buffy. This shows all the things that change when Buffy has a spy on the inside of the Fang Gang. Follows canon up until the last episode, but provides fun context.

Short, Cute Cangel Fics

give them all that they can drink by eagle_eyes. The one where Cordelia is ace. Amazingly written, and the Cangel relationship is so soft and believable.

Another Chance by NikitaDreams - After the events of Angel: the Series, Cordelia travels back in time. Focus on Cangel and Connor. Lots of cute family dynamics.

Halloween Happily Ever After by GeckoGirl89 - cute, mutual pining between Angel and Cordelia in season 3. Angst with a happy ending. Really highlights how oblivious Cangel were to each other's feelings.

[specialagentlokitty]

Spike x reader - you’re perfect

I was wondering if you could please do one of the vampire characters (your pick) X reader, where they catch the reader exposing their arm to sunlight. It's your pick whether they were depressed anf harming themselves, or they were trying to see if they can build up a tolerance to sunlight. - anon 💜

Looking at the bright rays of sunlight coming through the cracked roof of the factory, you titled your head a little bit, admiring it.

You didn’t mind being a vampire of course, but you did miss going outside during the day, you missed the warmth of the sunlight.

It was now your biggest enemy, it could destroy you in a matter of seconds.

Which is why you had been doing what you were doing, you walked over, making sure you were still hidden and you slowly raised your arm, sticking it into the sunlight.

You hissed slightly, your skin burned, smoking, and within a second it caught of fire and you pulled it back, pouring some water from the bottle of it.

Taking a few deep breaths, you reached your arm out again, doin the exact same thing.

Again, smoke began to rise but because you could catch fire you were pulled back and shoved away from the light.

“Are you insane?! What the bloody hell do you think you’re doing?!” Spike yelled.

He grabbed the bottle of water and your hand, pouring it over your arm, where your arm was badly burnt.

“Are you trying to get yourself killed?!”

“No…”

Spike dragged you across the factory and he sat you down on a table, ripping some fabric from a table cloth laying nearby he began to wrap it around your arm.

“Then what were you doing?”

You kept quiet, avoiding his gaze.

When he was finished tending to your burnt arm he placed a finger under your chin, tilting your head up towards him.

“Love? What were you doing?” He asked quietly.

“I.. I thought maybe I could book a tolerance to the sun…”

“You know that’s not how this whole vampire thing works, you’ve know this for over a hundred years. Why now?”

You glanced away, then looked back at him.

“I miss it all Spike… the sun… the warmth… I just want to be able to walk in it…”

Spike moved his hand to the side of your face, running his thumb along your cheek.

“I’m sorry I can’t help you, but I can’t let you keep risking yourself like this, I can’t let you keep putting yourself in harms ways.”

“I’m sorry…”

Spike chuckled a little bit, and he placed a kiss to your forehead, resting his forehead on it.

Bringing your hand up you brushed your knuckles along the side of his face, running your fingers through his head and closed your eyes.

“I know… but you can’t keep doing this to yourself love…”

“I just… I thought it was going to be the best thing ever… now I’m just… I’m tired of it all..”

Spike pulled away, and he looked at you with mixed emotions in his eyes.

“I know I may not exactly have the best track record, especially when it comes to choice in partners, I mean come on, Dru is psychotic at best, but I know that despite being a vampire, having no soul, you’re still just as gentle as somebody with one.”

Spike smiled at you, standing in front of you.

“You are everything and more than a vampire could ever be, hell, more than a vampire like me deserves. But you still love me all the same.”

“Of course I do…”

Spike smiled, leaning down to carefully kiss you, mindful not to hurt your already injured arm.

When he pulled away, he rested his forehead on yours once again, his nose brushing against yours.

“You’re royalty, you know that? Far above any of those dumb assholes out there.”

You laughed a little.

“Really?”

“Yes, to me you are.”

You beamed a little, wrapping your arms around him, burying your face in the crook of his neck.

He placed a hand on the back of your head, planting a kiss just behind your ear.

Spike closed his eyes, and he rested his cheek on your head, holding you closely and tightly.

Everything had always been so wrong, especially recently, but you weren’t. You were so right, so perfect, and he would rather be staked through the heart a million times before he let a single thing happen to you

[coffee-master]

Would Lloyd still get kidnapped by the snakes and Garmadon would have to help the Ninja ?

Would Nya find her true potential the same way Kai did ?

Yes, unfortunatelly Lloyd would get kidnapped and they need Garmadon.

How would Nya find her true potential?

Unlocking her true potential would be diffrent to Kai. They are two diffrent people who have other weaknesses.

So what's blocking Nya form unlocking her true potential?

Guilt Nya feels guilty towards Kai. She feels like she owns him something.

To explain everything when they were young Kai had to take care of Nya. During this time it wasn't easy for both of them, especially since Kai was still a child.

He had to find work, so he could provide money and food for both him and Nya. During her childhood Nya could often see Kai working very hard and often comming back home and immiediatelly going to bed, because he was so exhaused. He was always tired and on his hands she could always see wounds and scars from overhelming work.

After a while Kai also dropped out of school, because he couldn't work and study at the same time. It was simply too much for him, so he decided that, he'd only work instead.

Even though Nya wanted to do the same to support him, he refused and told her to go to school, so she would be well educated. He wanted her to have easier in the future.

During her childhood Kai was amazing brother, who cared deeply about her. He played with her, fixed her clothes, helped with simple stuff, bought or cooked meals and always smiled.

Even Kai's best efforts, he wasn't able to hide their poor situation and at some point Nya was able to notice. She was very cleaver girl.

Kai sacrificed so much for her.. His time, energy, health, childhood.

Seeing her brother sacrificing so much for her made Nya feel guilty, to the point when she started to ask herself if it would be easier for Kai if she wasn't there.

But the breaking point was when she noticed one time that Kai didn't eat anything on purpose so that it would be enough food for her.

Often their financial situation had ups and downs. I those times when there wasn't enough money for food, Kai lied to Nya that he had already eaten or wasn't hungry, so that she could eat.

But one time the brunette was able to catch him, drinking lots of water to numb the pain in his stomach.

This memory became deeply embedded in her mind and every time the situation in their home wasn't good, she started asking herself question.

Would it be better if I wasn't here? - If not me Kai wouldn't have to work that hard, to support two people. Maybe he'd still go to school. He wouldn't be so tired-

Nya just feels guilty.

She feels as if she's an albatross around Kai's neck. That she's holding him back or she isn't doing enough for him, as much as he for her.

Every time she got a present form her brother, she'd be excited because of it and then later sad, feeling like she doesn't deserve it.

But she didn't tell anything about this to Kai, thinking she'd make even more problems for him.

So she kept quiet.

Then suddenly there was a time, when Nya took a part in the technical competition and won. The brunette always loved building and at the teacher's urging, she applied. At first it was nice and funny experience for her, but then she recived a cash price for the first place.

That's when something new started. Nya won money and finnaly could help his brother.

In that moment she felt usefull, like she could help Kai and the fact that he was proud of her achievement made her even more motivated.

Nya started participing more in this competitions. She was determined and hard working.

To get some money she had to won first places. To achieve her goals she had to be the best.

If she wanted to be the best her projects had to be perfect, she told herself. There couldn't be any mistake.

Because when she was the best she could make a diffrence, she can help or even protect him.

Druing this time her guilt turned into light obsession over being the best, which had a big impact during her life as a ninja.

In the pilot when sceleton attacted Smiths Kai was kidnapped instead of Nya, because he kinda sacrificed himself.

Kai preffered that they'd take him instead of his dear sister. He'd do anything to protect her.

Meanwhile Nya was devastated, but also determined to get her brother back. That's why during her training with master Wu she was working very hard and became a ninja.

Later after she got Kai back they moved in.

Nya was actually very happy. They had new home and everything in abundance. She was very happy, because she could train with her new friends and Kai didn't need to work anymore.

Of course nothing would bring back his childhood and that time, but it was better than nothing. But at least now Kai could do anything he wanted and be safe.

But then as we know things started to get complicated and snakes appeared.

Kai & Lloyd's relationship improved and later Nya found out that Kai was Samurai X.

At first she was very mad, because she hated the man who stole her project, but then she felt confused.

Nya felt confused and angry, because why her brother had also to risk and fight for her? Why couldn't he just stop looking for her and simply enjoy his life?

Nya was angry, but once again left those thoughts only to herself.

And later we come to the (s01.ep10) when ninjas are going to safe Lloyd and go for the blade.

Kai didn't stay at the Bounty, because he wanted to make sure that his brother will be safe. So he went with the others.

During the missionin the end Llod, Nya & Kai are stuck in the vulcano and here Kai & Nya argue.

Kai: Nya c'mon we need to go! I've got Lloyd.

Nya: Then go! *still tries to take the blade*

Kai angry: Nya the whole place is going to errupt! Please take my hand!

Nya stubborn: I can do it myself!

Kai irritated: Why won’t you let me help you?!

Nya yell angrily: Because you’ve already done enough for me!

Kai confused: ..Nya what- What are you talking about?

Nya: *just realised what she had said and is terrified*

Nya: You sacrificed so much for me- If not me.. So let me just take care of you as you did for me!

Kai finally reasiling: Nya-

Nya desperately: Please, let me stop being your burden-!

Kai: You've never been!

Everyone: .....

Kai: Nya, you don't need to be the best or even good. You've always been enough for me-

Nya: Stop! If not me-!

Kai: Without you I wouldn't be here.

Nya shocked: ....

Kai: If not you, I wouldn't have strengh to fight. You were my motivation to keep going. Every time I felt like everything was breaking, you were the one that help me go through this- *smiles genuinely*

Nya: *smiles and takes his hand*

After that Nya found her true potential.

Nya played an important role in Kai's childhood, when their parents were gone.

If not she, he'd have been at his breaking point.

That little girl made him smile every time he felt bad and didn't make him feel lonely. Nya made him less scared and give him hope.

At that time he also made two promises:

I'll protect you at all cost.

I'll never leave you.

[Siblings elemental change AU]

First | More about AU | Previous | Next

[merakiui]

Fjajdisj foaming at the mouth clambering on all fours actually feral over dru AAAAAAAAA. It's insane how good you are at building emotion and tension and ajsbqujshs aghh every installment in this series is a national holiday for me..,,. I'll think about this in the shower and when I go to work and when I go grocery shopping and then I'll explode thank you so much mam

THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!! ♡(˃͈ દ ˂͈ ༶ ) I was very excited to write and post this chapter because it's a turning point in the story. It makes Reader realize she has to start working harder if she wants to find some way to survive before Jade learns she's not actually pregnant. D: and I got to finally introduce Marmoris!!!! I was waiting eagerly for this moment hehe.

I'm so happy you're enjoying the series and its updates!!! I hope to write more soon. There definitely won't be another unintentional hiatus like last time. ^^;;; that I can promise!!!

[jaimrennnn]

What we know of Jaime Rosales so far

He’s seventeen as of 2012 in TDA

He has an older brother Diego who most likely will become the next inquisitor

his favorite weapon is poison

According to Cristina in Lady midnight he hates studying and homework

he’s the more warrior like and fierce brother

he has a noticeable accent compared to Diego and Cristina

His most striking feature is his large brown eyes that are said to be sparkly with wicked long lashes.

There’s a strong possibility he has attended the Shadowhunter academy given in lady midnight that he was set to go to Idris or in QOAAD he asks Dru if she will attend the academy.

He’s noted to be fidgety sometimes

He’s known to disappear for a long period of times. (What’s this guy upto?)

He and Cristina would often set up targets in the institute garden to practice knife throwing skills which often scared visitors.

Interestingly he was set up to be the older brother but Cassie somehow scraped that idea and made him the younger sibling

he has a tattoo that reads la sangre sin fuego hierve. ‘’blood boils without fire" which signifies his passion and loyalty to his family

He’s set to be a main character in the wicked powers.

He’s mischievous, often likes to play devil’s advocate in games, is troublesome and often has Diego pick up his mess.

From the latest update in SOBH he’s currently lost in Faerie. Most details about his disappearance is unknown.

Cristina says he has the devil’s luck (possible foreshadowing of his Anti Hero arc 👀) imagine the angst, the betrayal, the build up, the plot and all the possibilities!!!!!!!! @cassandraclare you better do Justice to his character and storyline. He has the POTENTIAL‼️

There’s probably more feel free to add on. I’ve developed a new found interest in Jaime after a TDA reread💕

[julescarstairs]

An Ash Morgenstern Ramble: Brought To You By Me.

As of late I’ve been really pondering Ash Morgenstern’s character and why it is that his character seems so unpredictable. Don’t get me wrong, I love how complex his character seems — and, inevitably, how complex his character is going to be — but I kept thinking, surely there has to be a method to his madness, right? No, he isn’t just jumping ships Willy-nilly for the hell of it.

My theory is, and it’s going to sound really obvious, but hear me out: Ash Morgenstern does what will best benefit him, and him alone.

He is a strategist at heart, having learnt from some of the most malevolent, dagger-sharp minds of his family. Whilst it doesn’t look like it at first, Ash has ulterior motives for everything he does. Why did he kill Thule!Sebastian to save Emma from imminent danger? Because he had spent enough time in Thule to know it was a dying land. We can see in many scenes in QOAAD that he has a clear disdain for both his father and his ways of life, so naturally he would want out asap — if that means killing his Father to hitch a ride home, then so be it.

Another example is Ash’s bizarre relationship with Janus. We know that J-man is quite possibly the most significant father figure Ash has had in his life, but we also know that Ash is tired of being a bird in a cage, so to speak. Janus is keeping him in this cage as per the Queen’s orders. So, whilst Ash seems to be fully onboard with Janus’s intent to, you know, destroy the nephilim race as we know it — and continually denies any emotional attachment to Dru in the process (which nobody actually believes, by the way) — I’m frankly not sure that this is something Ash, himself, wants. I mean, his desire to see the fall of the nephilim in the normal world directly contrasts with his obvious disdain and boredom in Thule.

I think Ash is agreeing with his plans purely to please him. To build trust, even. If Ash can convince Janus that he is loyal and trustworthy enough, Janus might give him what he wants: freedom. He wants to see the world beyond Faerie. He wants to see the mortal realms. He wants to be where the people are (okay, Ariel.) He wants to see Drusilla again. Playing into Janus’s hand will give him that, though it may take a long time.

And honestly, I think Ash doing what will best benefit him at this point in time makes complete sense, because really, who has ever looked out for him? Who has ever considered what he wanted? The Seelie Queen probably only wanted him back because she was his to keep. Both the Unseelie King and Thule!Sebastian wanted to make him into a Weapon in two different ways — and, well, whilst Janus only wants to protect him, he obviously wants him to have a hand in bringing harm to the nephilim, which requires him to have him locked away from everyone. The only people who ever wanted to look out for Ash and what he wanted were compelled to do so by the enchantments put upon him.

Ash has to look after himself, because otherwise no one will — and when Dru comes into his life, protecting her will become a part of protecting him.

[dru-plays-starbound]

New Protectorate - in progress

As promised, some screenshots of the in-progress build of the New Protectorate.

There's a little more above - the Archive and the Shadow Delegate rooms - but my computer was starting to cry so I left it at this. Also none of the images have been neatened so they overlap, because it took me longer than I'd like to remember how to take lol-big screenies.

But it's there! and it's big! and I made that since Feb of last year!

And it's still not finished 🙃️😆️

[wispyatomica]

Good Vibes in a Mountain Side

My first time ever making a build in Starbound based on a build prompt. I went for Dru's Good Vibes prompt this time. I absolutely love dark aesthetics and modernized looks with a hint of sci-fi in there. All in all this build radiates good vibes for me. I hope it is enjoyed.

[le-velo-pour-dru]

Sorry I'm just thinking about that drawing of Sunspot I did, and it got me thinking about Ready Jet Go!... I'm gonna see if I still remember all the words to the theme song

Okay, here goes:

Jet Propulsion, that's his name

Jet Propulsion, he'll rocket to fame

When he arrived, he created a buzz, cause

There was no house, and then there was

He said, "People of Earth, you ain't seen nothin' yet!

I'm from Bortron-7, and my name is Jet!"

Jet Propulsion, that's his name

He looks like us, but he isn't the same

I'm a, a space-tripper and a galaxy crosser!

My parents brought me here in a flying saucer!

And just to prove it was a fact, he flew them out to space and back!

Jet Propulsion!

Jeeeet Prooopuuuulsioooon! (Ready, Jet, go!)

He showed up, and now it's a blast!

Looks like the future really got here fast!

Nice to meet ya, human race! Tell me all about the place!

Jet Propulsion! Jet Propulsion! Jet Propulsion!!! READY, JET, GO!

(Okay I'm gonna be honest I DIDN'T THINK I'D REMEMBER THE WHOLE THING FDHHFXGJCHJCG- It took some effort, and I did forget a few of the lines at the end for a while, BUT THEY CAME BACK TO ME!! 🤣)

[thevindicativevordan]

Do Jor-El and Lara *need* to be Kryptonian nobility?

Jor does.

Relationship between the Els and the Zods is based on the two families being close before Dru-Zod attempts his coup, and his former best friend foils his scheme and sends him to the Phantom Zone. Jor being the head scientist for the planet justifies why he gets to build and test rocket ships, despite the Science Council banning that line of research. Finally if you want the Fortress of Solitude to be Jor's/Kryptonian, that's not something a commoner is going to have on hand to give to their son. Jor-El being the equivalent of a noble in Kryptonian society makes more sense than him being some random scrub.

Lara however does not need to be a noble, and in fact I prefer the idea that she isn't one before marrying Jor.

I like the idea that part of the reason the Science Council doesn't take Jor-El's warnings seriously is because he's broken a lot of Kryptonian social mores. One of them being that he married someone from a lower "caste", namely Lara. I've mentioned before that I like the idea that Lara was a soldier, and pairing that with the reveal that she was from the lower castes of Krypton helps to make her more interesting to me. Gives her a different, perhaps more critical, perspective on Krypton, one that she might be able to share with Kal either through an AI of her own or through her son being able to see the cracks in Krypton's shiny exterior.

Another big reason to keep Kal's Kryptonian parents nobles is that it makes for a great contrast with the Kents. He was born to the elite of a highly advanced race, but was raised by poorer members of another race. Adds to the push and pull between Superman's nature vs. nurture themes and his struggle to balance his heritage with his upbringing. I personally am fond of the idea that the Els would not like the Kents and vice versa.

[spangelmybeloved]

Honestly, I might like Spuffy as a ship more if they'd handled season 5 differently.

Like. I get he's a soulless demon. He's gonna do creepy things. I get it.

What I don't get is this: why would Buffy ever go for Spike after everything he did (steal her underwear, build a sex robot of her, Crush--yeah, the entire episode Crush, etc).

Ok. Moving on from that.

I don't like Spike in season five.

There. I said it.

I really hate Crush with a burning passion (well, maybe not with a burning passion, but it's certainly lukewarm.) I can't say that about many BtVS episodes, even the usual suspects, like Bad Eggs, I don't hate, but I don't like crush. The only good thing about that episode is getting to see beloved Dru. Oh, and then there's the whole thing with the Buffybot. I don't hate the Buffybot, it's not her fault she was created the way she was. Why do I hate that little plotline? It feels like a gross violation of Buffy, and to be honest, the Buffybot wasn't programmed to be a girlfriend. She's programmed to be a sex toy who worships the ground Spike walks on. To be fair, some of that could have been Warren's programming, but it's hard to know. I would have been (only slightly) more comfy with the Buffybot if she was more of a girlfriend and less of a sex toy. And the sheer amount of people I see defending Spike for making the bot, talking about how it's romantic and shows that he loves her. Mmmkay. You're entitled to your opinion.

Don't get me wrong, I love Spike to death. But in S5 I kinda want to smack him sometimes.