#even for fiction that feels...far fetched

[fideidefenswhore]

[Henry] had asked Lady Shelton whether Mary [was] persisting in her obstinancy. Hearing that she was, Henry became certain that she was being encouraged by secret communication from Katharine. Lady Shelton thought the only possible messenger was Mary's chamber woman. In this she was correct. The maid had been smuggling letters in and out. She was dismissed, as was Mary's confessor, to be replaced by one whom Chapuys characterised as 'Lutheran'.

The King’s Pearl: Henry VIII & His Daughter Mary, Melita Thomas

[jellykyunnie]

˗ˏˋ Historical Au: Slave!Jinwoo x Noble!Reader ◛⑅˚ ༘ ♡ ˎˊ˗

ₓ˚. ୭ ˚○◦˚𝕊𝕦𝕟𝕘 𝕁𝕚𝕟𝕨𝕠𝕠˚◦○˚ ୧ .˚ₓ

・┆✦ Entry : 036 ✦ ┆・

‼️[ TW: Slavery, Violence, Yandere Jinwoo, Familial Abuse, strong language. Please don't read this fic if it is triggering or uncomfortable for you. I do not condone slavery nor do encourage such acts. This is simply a work of fiction ]

‧₊˚ ☁️⋅ Cai Bot Link ♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.

╰┈➤ ❝ [ Devotion or Obsession? ] ¡! ❞

"A gift for you, my dear child" Your father mused as an 18 year old teenager, tattered and chained, was dragged to the floor and forced to kneel in-front of you Jinwoo looked up at you with expressionless gray eyes, his face was covered in dirt and his shirt was extremely filthy. "Hi." Jinwoo greeted you humbly.

"Father!" You shrieked, flicking the fabrics of your dress as you hurriedly knelt towards the slave and tried to support his limp figure.

He was hardly even concious with his bleary and sleepy eyes, his clothes are covered in grime and dirt as his face was dusted with blood and something else. He looked not much older nor younger than you, and yet all this man was made of was skin and bones.

"Why so upset, my dear?" Your father sneers, humming as he swirls a glass of wine in his his hand. "It's your birthday after all. Daddy thought that should be gifted, no?"

"But I didn't ask for a slave or anything at all!" You protest, only to be met by a domineering glare that instantly made you close your mouth.

"Be grateful, you goddamn pig" He bites, making you feel even more terrified than you already were. "If it weren't for the fact your fucking wench of a mother making a goddamn fuss before dying you wouldn't be here. The least you could do is accept whatever the fact I give you"

He calms down, continuing "That child was only a few silver coins. If you dont want him I could always give him to your sisters or work him to death."

"N-no!" You protest immediately, shivering at the thought of what your father might decide to do. "I-I'll keep him... I'll take care of him."

"There's a good girl," He chuckles, "Start with the imprinting."

You gulp, anxiously looking at Jinwoo who was tired beside you, he looked like he just wanted to to be done with everything.

"Your... Uhm..." His eyes would sweep towards you with an empty grey gaze. "Name?"

"Jinwoo." He says shortly.

"Alright, uhm, Jinwoo..." You hold your palm out. "It'll tickle, I have't done this before s-so—"

"It's fine." He cuts you off, stretching his scarred left hand towards yours and pressing it together.

You tremble at the touch, not of disgust— But instead you were nervous. If you screw this up, you might get another beating or worse,... Something might happen to Jinwoo.

So with the little mana you hold; you started pouring energy out as a soft gentle light comes as the brilliant and pretty things somehow turned into pitch black and purple shadows— Twisting and churning before attaching themselves to both of your ring fingers.

Jinwoo seemed unamused, but your father certainly was.

"Now, get out of my sight" Your father simply said after recovering from the spectacle. "Your sisters are about to arrive, you bring a sour expression to their wonderful faces, so leave"

You could only respond with a polite bow as you helped Jinwoo up to his feet and guided him out of the main house.

There wasn't even a carriage prepared for the both of you as you silently walked towards the far west inside a forest and then finally arriving at a crude but somehow decent looking manor.

Jinwoo watched and followed you as you guided him to a dusty bedroom and sat him down before fetching a small chest with ointments and bandages. Though his gaze was still empty, he was looking at you with curiosity, wondering why exactly you're doing this.

"I'm your slave," Jinwoo breaks the silence. "Aren't you supposed to leave this to your servants?"

"Hahah... Sorry." You apologize, making him quirk up an eyebrow. "Your master is pathetic, I have no servant in my name."

He doesn't question that situation, instead asking; "Then why do it yourself? I can patch myself up just fine."

"Maybe... Because I feel guilty?" You fidget, applying ointment on him after wiping his arm. "It's my... Birthday and yet because of it you're here. I'm sorry."

"Don't." He simply said, not meeting your eyes as he looks out to the distant skies. outside your broken window. "It's not your fault. And besides, here is better than just wherever."

The silence ensues, nothing much being said any further as you directed Jinwoo to an empty room. He was given a decent place to sleep in. It was odd, since this bedroom seemed more comfortable compared to yours that was even more shabby and dusty.

⋅ ˚ ₊ ‧ ଳ ‧ ₊ ˚ ⋅ ⋆ ౨ৎ ˚ ⟡ ˖ ࣪

It an odd situation, not once did you have ever treat Jinwoo as a slave, you were often on your own in your little garden at the backyard and farming vegetables for both of you to eat.

Jinwoo actively avoided you for quite a while, before deciding that since he lives with you and is technically leeching off of you— He might as well be useful.

And in those days where he helped you, the walls that Jinwoo had built around himself crumbled the more time passed by.

For a while, he was happy, you were happy.

You were both happy.

That was until you had to attend a gathering with your family that had abandoned you.

Of course, you had to dress in your shabby and outdated dress, to which everyone in the ballroom responds with mockery and spite. Jinwoo expected it, sure he's mad, but there's nothing he could do since he is nothing more but a damn slave who cant even defend his own master.

With heads hung low like cowards, the both of you decided to just stay in a corner and be as far away from any and all interactions. It went well for the first hour.

Admiring the brilliant lights and listening to wonderful music around you. Nobility is truly such a beautiful thing, golden plates, silver spoons, brilliant and gleaming jewels stitched into fine fabrics made by highly respectable and sought after tailors.

Jinwoo wanted to admire the scene with you, he truly did.

After all, he spent most of his days being dragged through the mud, his body being flogged over and over just for the fun of a drunk knight, or worse— Hard labour with only a piece of bread you can barely chew on due to how hard it is.

Compared to the grueling days he spent sleeping on the dirt, compared to the devastation he had as he cradled his dearly beloved little sister's corpse when she died of starvation— The sight of these luxurious tiles is mercy upon his pitiful soul.

...

Jinwoo's face drained of it's colours as he watches your elder sister yell at you for simply trying to greet her. A simple greet.

That was all it took for you to be on your knees frantically saying sorry with your voice as humble and as quiet as it can be.

He felt so hopeless, so frozen as he sees your pretty face scrunch in grief at your own actions that isnt even in the wrong in the first place.

So why must you kneel? Why must you humiliate yourself like this?

They stare at you with those sly eyes, as if finding your misery a source of entertainment. Sneers and chuckles would come with each insult being thrown your way.

Was it your fault you were born as the bastard child of the duke when it was your father who willingly went to brothels and slept with multiple women. It was only your mother who stepped up confidently to demand your father to take you in despite the fact that she is currently dying of birth complications. Your mother did all of that just so you could live a comfortable life.

And instead here you were, being punished over something you didn't do.

Isn't family supposed to love eachohter? Jinwoo loved his baby sister so much. So why is he watching another older sibling throw wine at their own blood just for breathing?

Jinwoo felt so... Devastated, his dear companion, his master. His own master— Is being ridiculed right in front of him.

The person he was sold to, the person who took care of him—

"Don't touch him, eonnie!" You scream, throwing yourself right in front of Jinwoo despite the fact you're already soaking wet from the wine splattered all over your pretty face and your already ruined dress. "Please, he's innocent. He's imprinted to me, but he shouldn't receive any punishment. We'll go, eonnie, we'll go. Please don't touch him."

You're protecting him.

That bastard woman would have continued her assault if it werent for her dear father stopping her and saying it's a waste of time dealing with a bunch of lowlifes.

Thus, the two of you were escorted— No, thrown out the main palace.

Jinwoo followed behind you towards the path of your shabby manor, and as the blowing wind caressed your skins,... You broke down.

"Sorry, sorry, Jinwoo." You sob as the man threw his arms around you. "I'm sorry, it was my fault, you shouldn't have seen that. I'm so sorry, Jinwoo. I really am. Please forgive me. Don't be mad at me.

"Why are you asking me those questions?" He asks, his soft voice barely even able to control his trembling voice. "You're my owner, shouldn't I be begging for forgiveness?"

"No, no," You sob even louder.

And Jinwoo couldn't do anything else but comfort you.

⋅ ˚ ₊ ‧ ଳ ‧ ₊ ˚ ⋅ ⋆ ౨ৎ ˚ ⟡ ˖ ࣪

Jinwoo didnt know how, but he managed to put you into sleep right after taking you home. He delivered some spare clothes to you for you to change in. He tucked you in under the shabby blankets and watched over you.

His gaze was stuck on you, contemplating deeply while guilt slowly clawed at his heart.

Tap, Tap, Tap.

"You'll get her killed." A voice suddenly says, and Jinwoo shot up, blocking his arm in front of you as you slept.

"Who—"

"Shut up"

The voice suddenly came from behind him, and when Jinwoo looked back— He could see a pair of purple eyes glaring at him. He can't quite see the face of the man, it was too pitch black and the moon isnt out tonight. He tried grabbing the vase on the sidetable but something had stopped him.

He can't quite tell, but it was as if the air itself is holding him back as those wicked and purple eyes glanced at him from the darkness right beside your sleeping form.

"You really think a damn vase can scare off an intruder?" The man scoffs. "You're pathetic."

"Who are you?" Jinwoo asks again, struggling to move as quiet murmurs surrounded him.

"Some guy" He answers.

"You must be one of those—"

"Ssh." The purple eyes gaze up at him again. "You'll wake the princess up with your voice."

Jinwoo shut his mouth, biting down on his lip as once again he felt so utterly hopeless. Not to mention the air around the stranger was absolutely wicked and somehow... Demonic? Otherwordly?

It was a feeling akin to staring at the abyss, the unkown that makes your skin crawl and itch.

That man is dangerous.

Dangerous But Not Hostile.

"That sister of hers," The man starts, his voice a little tense. "Will get her killed in a few years."

"Excuse me?"

"She'll die, and her blood will be on you, Jinwoo" He grits his teeth. "Just like your sister's who died from starvation, just like your mother who died from sickness, just like your father who died in your arms saving you from a bandit— Her blood will be on your hands just like theirs that is already on you."

"....."

"So quiet, now, huh? You're crying?" He sneers, the voice suddenly coming from behind him. "Crying wont do you any good, you fucking idiot."

"So what exactly do you want me to do?" Jinwoo yells, struggling as he tried to face the man. "I'm not strong, I'm built like a twig. I'm trying, okay? But I'm just a slave. This house is goddamn shabby, I've been trying to fix everything but it's lacking. I can barely even help in the farm, not to mention it's almost winter soon and if she wont die by that bitch's hands then she'll die because of this house! What the hell do you think I can do? I'm trying here and nothing is working!"

"...."

Of course he doesn't want to be in this situation either. Who does? He already lost his family, his blood, his precious kin— All gone and he couldnt do anything about. It was a hopeless situation. Of course, he tried getting a job in the capital since you let him roam as he pleases. He tried some odd jobs, several of them ranging from ordinary helper jobs to cleaning shoes to selling newspapers; nothing is working.

He lost his family because of his weakness, and because of that same weakness he'll loose you too.

"Hypothetically, you are given a guide to becoming extremely strong to protect her but in the process you loose your sanity along the way as well as your emotions" The voice says, his footsteps echoing in the quiet room as he walked around Jinwoo like a ghost. "How far are you willing to go?"

"Farther than the limit."

"Even if you lose your limbs along the way?"

"Yes."

"Even if you get mauled by beasts?"

"Yes."

"Even if you go mad by the power you'll soon hold?"

"Yes."

"Even if you must become a murderer?"

"Yes."

"I'll do it."

"I'll do it all for her sake."

"Good" The voice hums, satisfied.

Jinwoo starts feeling dizzy, his legs giving in as he felt himself collapse on something soft.

"Protect her." The stranger's tone becomes gentle. "Where I failed to do so, be better than me. Devote yourself to her. Protect the heart that is more precious than anything in this world. Even if you go through hell, you must protect her. You must love her. Give her all the adoration you can ever give. Because I couldn't protect my princess. So don't make the same mistake."

⋅ ˚ ₊ ‧ ଳ ‧ ₊ ˚ ⋅ ⋆ ౨ৎ ˚ ⟡ ˖ ࣪

Jinwoo had received the system from that night ever since. He had been busy from then on, often going out in the day and coming back in the evenings tired but somehow... A little different.

He'd go on long trips sometimes, which you honestly didn't mind so long as he promises to come home.

Soon enough, that same lanky, 18 year old boy— Is suddenly a head taller than you that you physically have to strain your neck just so you can meet with him eye-to-eye. Jinwoo had become from a lanky boy to a different person in just a blink of an eye in a matter of months.

Each long week he disappears; he comes back even more mature and lax in his demeanour. The next thing you knew, Jinwoo enrolled himself as a hunter.

You're proud of him, of course you are.

That's your Jinwoo.

Your precious, precious and sweet Jinwoo who always stuck by your side even if you are a noble who had no servant to her name and a manor fit to be deemed as a haunted home.

The wealth would soon come pouring in with each succesful hunt Jinwoo goes through. And the more powerful his bounties were, the more famous he became. The money he accumulated directly went into rebuilding the shabby manor into an opulent home worthy of a duke's daughter. Your filthy, ragged dresses were replaced by finely crafted fabrics. Your neck and ears would be adorned in the meek but captivating jewelry.

Of course, he still had that title of slave over his head but weirdly enough... Jinwoo seemed to carry it as a badge of honor.

Why?

Because he was yours.

What he is, is yours.

Naturally, jealous eyes come your way as the your dear hunter is now the most sought after. Who wouldn't want him anyway? Tall, handsome, a hunter— He is the embodiment of what is lusted for with a man.

And yet he never once bat an eye to those arrogant nobles who offered him the finest of fine wealth could ever give.

Love letters from all over the kingdom pine for your precious Jinwoo.

And yet he still chose you.

Those steely grey eyes of him would solely be for you and you only.

He looked a you like you are his precious goddess.

You Jinwoo is so... So Innocent and lovely.

Even as he held your father's severed head on his hand.

Even as a pool of blood puddled beneath his feet. Even as his grey orbs have turned purple. Even as the opulent pearl tiles reflected his maddened figure.

Your Jinwoo is just so... So lovely.

His heart, oh, his heart belonged to you. His innocent, pretty little master who looks up at him with a bewildered but awestruck gaze— He knew you weren't mad.

"I did it all for you, princess" Jinwoo would coo, cupping your face and swiping his thumb affectionately over cheek. "They were trying to make you cry again. We can't have that"

He whispers, leaning down to kiss your forehead. "After all, I am yours. We're already binded by a contract. Even if it didn't exist I'd still choose the same choice I have made now."

He holds up his hand, pressing his palm against yours as the tattooes rings on your ring fingers glowed purple.

"See? Even our mark is like wedding rings" He intertwines your fingers together before bringing it up to his lips and kissing the mark on you. "It's okay. It's okay. This is for your own good."

"This is all for your sake, my precious god."

"This bloodbath is an offering for you."

꒰ A/N: idk what I made nor do I wanna know. The plot is all over the place wheeze. I'm quaking at writer's block. I should not write for Jinwoo until I get the energy back. I'm so mindblocked with him maybe it's because I cant draw fanart of him atm. ahhhhhhhhhh ꒱

ʚ(੭´͈ ᐜ `͈)੭ .｡✧･ﾟ: ~♡ —! stories written by kyunnie; translations, reposts, plagiarism are strictly forbidden.

[03jyh23]

— i haven't kissed you yet today || choi san

genre: fluff

trigger warnings: none

words: 900

reminder: what you’re about to read is purely fiction, so let’s keep it separate from reality.

!minors do not interact!

— hi there! this request was in my inbox for an unholy amount of time. currently, i need some breather from all the angst im working on and i decided to give this request a shot! hope my lovely anon will enjoy this small piece of work!

love, monika. ♡

if you enjoyed this post, i’d be so grateful for a little love – a like, reblog or comment would truly make my day!

You were lying on your bed, the soft comforter providing a comforting warmth. The setting sunbathed the bedroom in a beautiful golden light. It was a lazy day, with your activities limited to fetching food or using the bathroom while binge-watching your new favorite series. In recent weeks San's schedule become incredibly hectic due to his idol responsibilities, leaving him little time for his boyfriend duties. He had left home early today again, and you were somewhat upset that he hadn't woken you up to say goodbye. Picking up your phone, you contemplated sending a message, but decided against it, not wanting to add to his already overwhelming responsibilities. Instead, you nestled deeper into the comforter. After several hours of continuous watching, even the most interesting series could lose its charm. So, you decided it was time to close your laptop and give your eyes a much-needed rest. You twisted and turned, trying to find that perfect spot. The bedroom was silent, save for the occasional rustling of the sheets. The golden hues of the setting sun had long faded, replaced by the soft glow of the moonlight seeping through the window. 

Awoken by the noise of unlocking doors, you were in a half-asleep, half-awake state. You clung to your comforter, pulling it closer to your body in a futile attempt to stay asleep. Its weight seemed to keep you in your dreams, but reality kept intruding. You heard the rustle of fabric as San removed his jacket, the sound a testament to the long day he must have had. Following that, the muted thud of his bag hitting the floor echoed in the quiet room. A few heartbeats later, the soft patter of his steps grew louder as he approached the bedroom. Soon after, you heard his footsteps getting louder as he came towards the bedroom. The bed dipped slightly under his weight as he slid in beside you. You could feel the warmth radiating from your boyfriend, his scent filled your nostrils, combining his faded cologne and a faint hint of sweat. 

"Baby?" San murmured, his fingers brushing a stray strand of hair away from your face. "Are you awake?" he asked gently, trying not to startle you. Despite your best efforts to remain asleep, the sound of his voice pulled you towards consciousness. You hummed in response, still unwilling to open your eyes. He chuckled softly at your response. "I'm sorry I came home late," he whispered, his voice laced with guilt. 

You shrugged lightly, turning your face to him. "It's okay," you mumbled, your voice muffled by the comforter. "I'm just glad you're home." He smiled in the darkness, pulling you closer. His arms wrapped around you, providing a warmth far better than any comforter. 

San leaned closer, his face just inches from yours. "You know," he said, his playful voice filled with affection, "I haven't kissed you yet today." 

Your heart fluttered at his words, a warmth spreading through your chest. You chuckled softly, looking into his eyes. "Well, we can't have that, can we?" you replied, barely a whisper against the intimate silence. With a gentle, almost shy smile, San closed the small distance between you, his lips meeting yours in a sweet, lingering kiss. It was the kind of kiss that made time seem to slow down, each moment lingering in the sweet love between you. "Better?" you asked, your voice barely above a whisper. 

"Much better," he replied, his thumb tracing a soft line along your jaw. "But I think I need one more, just to be sure." 

You chuckled softly, your heart swelling with love for the man beside you. "Well, if you insist," you teased, your lips finding his once more. It was just you and San, wrapped up in each other, sharing a perfect moment. It was a reminder of why you loved him so much, and why, despite the hectic schedules, you wouldn't change a thing. 

San pulled you in closer, your head now resting on his chest. You could hear the steady rhythm of his heart beating, a comforting lullaby in the quiet room. He kissed the top of your head, his lips lingering for longer than usual. "Goodnight, baby," he whispered, his voice filled with warmth and affection. As the whisper left his lips, you felt a sense of calm envelope you. The day's stress seemed to melt away with your boyfriend's comforting presence. A soft sigh escaped you, content as you drifted to sleep, nestled securely against him. San's hand gently ran through your hair, the action absent-minded yet filled with affection. It was a simple gesture, one that he probably wasn't even aware of, but it spoke volumes about his feelings for you. It was these moments, the quiet, intimate exchanges when it was just the two of you, that made everything worth it. You knew that no matter how hectic life got, you'd always have these moments to look forward to - the quiet nights spent in each other's arms, the shared laughter and whispered words of love. As you drifted off into a peaceful slumber, you knew that despite the challenges, there was nowhere else you'd rather be. 

[yanderes-galore]

Hi would it be alright if I request yandere Leo (Rottmnt ) with a reader who got sucked into the show /movie and tries to help the gang deal with villains/kraangs please if that’s alright with you please 💗

also good luck with your request and make sure you take breaks ! 💗💗

short story or hcs please (can reader be female please if possible ) I’m fine with platonic or romantic 🥰

I haven't done much Isekai stuff but... let me spill my thoughts ^^; I'll try to do female for you.

Yandere! ROTTMNT! Leonardo with Isekai! Darling

Pairing: Platonic/Romantic

Possible Trigger Warnings: Female Darling, Obsession, Overprotective behavior, Possessive behavior, Manipulation, Clingy behavior, Stalking, Kidnapping, Delusional behavior, Forced companionship/relationship.

The whole experience would be... disorienting for you.

Especially if you're isekai'd into the world as you are.

No training, no powers, you'd be so damn vulnerable.

You're in a world of mutants and crime with no real way to defend yourself.

I imagine by the time you get in the world, it's after the movie.

They're all older now, still playing hero to defeat enemy mutants and keeping order in the city.

At first you wander this fictional version of New York... confused.

You aren't quite sure where to go—?

You're not only trying to find out why you're here, but what to do to survive.

Somewhere during your journey you no doubt meet the turtles.

Or if not all of them, at least Leo.

Leo, now a little less cocky and bratty than his younger self, encounters you when rounding up some criminals.

At first he thinks you're someone who was being attacked by said criminals, just a young woman in New York whom he just saved.

So, with a charming yet playful smile, he comes over to you while leaning on his sword.

"Hey! You're welcome, by the way? I just saved your butt. Feel free to call me your hero~!"

Seeing one of your favorite characters up close... intimidates you a bit, actually.

Leo no doubt notices your stare, chuckling.

"Sheesh, lady... you act like you've never seen a Mutant before. Do you even know how often we've saved the city—? You from here?"

Leo then pauses, grinning more as he leans forward.

"Ohhh~ Or maybe you like what you see, huh?"

Leo just means to be playful, still having a bit of an ego even now.

This is your first encounter with Leo, who offered you help upon seeing how lost you looked.

Leo no doubt wants to help since you lack fighting skills.

Since, let's be honest, unless you took fighting classes in real life... you're defenseless here.

So, the good news is Leo is eager to help.

The bad news about having Leo be so close comes up later when he starts acting weird.

Leo would no doubt suggest you take a hotel room, although hesitates when he sees you have no money.

Your lack of personal belongings confuses him, he may even feel a bit bad.

Explaining your situation is a whole different story.

He struggles to believe you for a moment.

But... he and his brothers have their experience with other dimensions, aliens, mutants...

He most likely accepts your origin as it isn't too far-fetched.

"Wow... you really are lost. Seems like you need help... good thing I'm here, yeah?"

Leo doesn't focus on getting to know you until he knows you have somewhere to stay.

He can't let a mysterious woman like you just roam, right?

It most likely starts as a hotel room, then he allows you to meet his family later.

When he sees you situated, Leo then starts asking more about you.

You struggle but tell him how his world is a TV show in your world, that you've been invested in his journey.

He finds it odd at first... yet you inflate his ego when you say he was one of your favorites.

"Ohh, so you like me, huh? How sweet... even if it is a little bit odd."

What he says is ironic considering what he ends up doing later.

You start your time in this world relatively defenseless.

But as you get to know Leo, perhaps even meet his family, you learn to adapt.

You're taught self-defense with the others and even make friends.

In return for somewhere to stay, you promise to help them take on villains.

It's... fun when you get used to it.

Yet you know you want to get home soon... this isn't a dream... you really did come here somehow.

Leo, the first to know your past, forgets about this too.

He was actually quite... used to you.

Attached, even.

Throughout the months he felt you belonged here.

He loves to hang out with you... He likes impressing you.

The idea that he's your favorite makes him happy.

You're well protected by him and his brothers... even when you're taught to defend yourself he follows you everywhere...

Both in sight and out of sight.

He's only snapped out of his fantasies when Raphael or Donatello remind him that you do have a home, right?

You can't stay here forever....

Even April suggests they all find a way to get you home, after all, you must miss your own family....

The thought makes Leo clench his fists.

He... doesn't like the thought of you leaving.

When you leave... Will he forget about you...?

Will... Will they all forget about you?

Regardless of the type of feelings, Leo is devastated at the thought of losing you like this.

You miss your family...?

Aren't... Aren't they your family now?

Do you even want to leave?

In theory, if you could get to their world somehow, there's a way back.

The others are willing to help you out.

But, surprisingly to you, Leo keeps looking for ways to keep you all off track.

Even though he's older now, he still acts like an entitled brat at times.

He's willing to sabotage your attempts to go home if it means you stay with him.

There's countless times he tries to convince you to stay.

"Hey... are you sure you want to go home...? You... may not see us again, y'know... well... like this, I mean—"

You're always adamant on going home.

You liked your time here, but you'd rather go home.

It's way less dangerous there, anyways.

I don't doubt Leo would drop his maturity to go to extreme measures.

Perhaps he realizes he can't keep you willingly.

He hates to do it... but force may be necessary now....

His own family don't believe his reasons.

The young woman should go home... not be kept in a dimension where she could be in danger.

Leo is alone in his endeavors, sneaking up on you during your journey before dragging you away.

He's careful when knocking you out before running off to find somewhere to hide you.

Once he does, he restrains you and waits.

His family doesn't care what he thinks... that's fine... he doesn't want to share anyways.

When you wake up, he's sitting beside you cross-legged in some abandoned warehouse within New York.

He explains to you his reasons for not letting you go when you wake.

He loves you, he's attached, he's scared to lose you...

The confession no doubt scares you into shock.

He expresses distaste that his family was so determined to make you leave.

They must've wanted you gone... but he doesn't.

Now you'll never leave him...

Now you'll always need him... after all, isn't he your favorite?

"You're better off here, right? Now you'll never leave me.... I'm still your favorite, right? I think you're my favorite...."

[ealvara7]

Something that has always interested me a lot about Musicaljuice specifically is trying to figure out who or what exactly he is.

Let me try to explain...

In the movie, the rules of the Netherworld imply that everyone who has passed away was once a human at some point in time, Beetlejuice included.

While we still don't know much about Moviejuice's past, we at least have an idea that he is a several-hundred-year-old ghost with demonic powers.

While I would consider Moviejuice to be more of a demon in terms of power, I would definitely consider Toonjuice to be more of a demon overall (as in both power and physicality).

The Neitherworld was designed in a way where while the associations of death are occasionally there, it acts more like an alternate realm of otherworldly creatures rather than a full on realm of the dead. Most likely done to make the show more appropriate for its target audience. This makes Toonjuice feel more like a creature as a result.

And then... there's Musicaljuice - a consolidation of both ideas merged in a way that gets... kind of confusing?

We at least know that in the musical, Beetlejuice has never lived in the past, thanks to The Whole "Being Dead" Thing. That would mean that Musicaljuice is a bit more adjacent to Toonjuice, in this case.

This now just begs the question - What exactly makes a demon in the musical?

From this point onward, I will be getting into more non-canon/theoretical territory-

In the earlier stages of the musical, Juno was originally going to be called "Mrs. Shoggoth". A shoggoth is a fictional monster in the Cthulhu Mythos.

If you follow the idea that Juno and Beetlejuice's last name is always intended to be Shoggoth, and that it implies that they're Loveraftian-like creatures in some way, then this adds a whole new layer of interesting...

Lovecraft's monsters were described as creatures unlike anything a human being has ever seen. Creatures beyond our comprehension. If this is the case, then what does that make the Shoggoths...? Where did they even come from?

I don't think we'll ever know for sure what exactly Beetlejuice is intended to be in the musical, unless... y'know, they decide to expand upon it via some form of post-musical media? Like a cartoon?

Right now, the idea that Beetlejuice and Juno are these strange, unknown beings genuinely intrigues me.

From everything I have found so far, it wouldn't be far fetched to believe that Beetlejuice, the way that we know him, is only a masquerade of his true form.

A strange, unknown creature hiding under a human-like skin.

At least... that is my headcanon.

[pharawee]

Maybe it's because I don't mind unhappy or open endings, or maybe it's because I had no expectations whatsoever beyond being entertained, or maybe it's because I enjoy detective fiction a lot...

But I genuinely liked Spare Me Your Mercy beginning to end. I enjoyed the characters and the presentations of their struggles, flaws and convictions, and I also don't think that it's a mark of bad writing or narrative structuring when characters are unbending and stand by said convictions. I like how the outcome was inevitable pretty much from the beginning because every character was on a set trajectory. And I also liked how the "big bad" was unveiled/dealt with way before the show was over because Boss was never the real obstacle anyway.

Spare Me Your Mercy was never going to be a romantic thriller driven by character development, and personally I feel it's a bit unfair to judge the show by the standards of a completely different genre. To me it was a morality tale/crime thriller and imo it did a very good job in that regard. Plus, if you take Thai censorship laws/conventions into account it was never going to openly support Kan's approach to euthanasia. It was always going to end with the status quo being upheld. They went about as far as they could, given that this is a mainstream production aired nationally on television. I actually find it very refreshing that they tackled this topic at all, and I really appreciate that they were incredibly nuanced throughout all of it, from the inclusion of a living will (which is indeed a topic that surprisingly few people even know about) to the monk's approach, but also how it showed that loved ones too have every right and the room to disagree.

Because euthanasia shouldn't ever an easy topic. It should be discussed, always, even in countries like Switzerland and the Netherlands where it's already legal.

(This is also ultimately why I sided with Tiu/Wasan instead of Kan because, yeah, Kan did consensually ease the suffering of a lot of people and we as the audience know that he has the highest of moral standards - which is exactly why it's better to channel all of this into starting the democratic process of legalising it. Kan meant well, and maybe Kan was right, but you only need to look to Orn and Boss to see how easy these things go off the rails. Hell, even Kan slipped when he shot Boss in the back, and you can't justify that one at all.)

Plus, in the end I do think that Kan manipulated Wasan as much (or imo even more) as it was the other way around. To me a relationship based on so many fundamental lies was never going to be possible - which also explains the dissonance in their (romantic) behaviour. Attraction is easy (which is why I don't think it's far-fetched at all that they fell for each other) but sometimes love alone just isn't enough.

I won't begrudge anyone their dislike of the show or its characters. I think it's very valid especially given the sensitive nature of what euthanasia should and shouldn't be. It's just that I read so many disappointed and negative takes on the ending of the show in the past 24 hours that I wanted to add my own - and like I said, personally I enjoyed myself a lot (even if it's of course not a perfect show and there certainly are some details that feel very hamfisted and even harmful and stereotypical). To me, it's a well-made and narratively sound piece of television with interesting characters and an entertaining story, and I'm glad we finally got a good genre BL offering in the form of queer detective fiction.

[thevanillerose]

MOTEL | JAMES SUNDERLAND x READER | SILENT HILL 2

~ WRITING COMMISSIONS ~ ~ PATREON ~ ~ KO-FI ~ ~ NOVELS ~

Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. I do not own anything except my own writing. All properties belong to their respective creators.

A/N: Return of sad green jacket man. Compared to the last fic I uploaded about him, this one is written more with the new Jame/Game in mind. Who & which I also really like, even if the OG is still top. As soon as the characters were canonically hanging out in a motel my mind started whirring (surprisingly, SFW!).

It wasn’t your typical sort of place.

The last time you had been in Silent Hill, you’d stayed at the hotel by the lake. Your memories of that time were still fuzzy and hazy, in a way where you struggled to pin down what had been real or not. But you certainly remembered that place…you had gone there when you were very young.

The whole town was different now. Almost entirely different in some ways. Sad and ruined and…scary.

Real, true monsters lurked outside, stalking haphazardly in their rubbery skin suits, spitting up bile and acid in jets against the already filthy, broken sidewalks. 

So the first opportunity for some rest, or something that at least came close to it, was a welcome one. A sleazy motel like this wouldn’t have usually been on your radar at all, but beggars really couldn’t be choosers when they ran the risk of being torn to shreds the very moment they stepped outside…

You weren’t alone though. As you stepped into the musty, abandoned room, bed still made, sheets still pressed, you felt his taller presence by your side, lingering near the door for a minute as he assessed the space.

“I don’t like the feeling here…we shouldn’t stay for long…”

James. He was the first person you had actually come across in hours of wandering this place. Usually, if you’d happened across such a tortured looking man on his own here, you’d have steered clear, leaving him to his business. But once again, with monsters around, you were left with fewer options.

Besides, he had protected you this far. He was better at staving off the enemies than you could ever hope to be, and at this stage you probably owed him your life. You hoped he wouldn’t ask anything of you though, particularly in a place like this.

However, when you looked at him, deliberately keeping his distance and just peering through the blinds now and then on the other side of the room, to check outside and see if there were still monsters around, you didn’t feel such a sense of danger. Maybe you were just being naïve but…he didn’t seem like a bad guy.

He just seemed lost, and sad. If you weren’t so baffled as to the real reason you had ended up here in the first place, you might have been sad too. Perhaps you had a reason to be. You only wished you knew for sure, you wished the fog in your mind would clear just as much as you wished it would dissipate from the ruined town that surrounded you.

He certainly had his own good reason though. His wife, already dead, had somehow sent him a letter. He had come here to find her, to find out the truth, ‘foolishly’ in some opinions, but ‘hopefully’ in yours. If monsters really existed (which they certainly seemed to, at this point), then was it really so far-fetched that ghosts could too?

“It’s okay, I won’t be long. I just needed to rest for a moment.” you told him, easing yourself onto the edge of the bed, feeling your fingertips brushing the thin layer of old dust that had settled atop the frayed, faded sheets. 

James looked up at you, with those sad green eyes that made him look so much like a little puppy dog that had been caught in a rain shower. Those same eyes flickered down to your ankle, where the throbbing sensation lingered, and where the purplish blue bruise had already begun to form.

“Is your ankle doing okay?” he asked you, and with a sheepish nod, you reached down to pull off your shoe. But as soon as your digits brushed the skin, you winced and inhaled sharply, not quite able to pull your shoe off without some serious effort. 

Hesitating momentarily, James then pulled away from the tattered wallpaper and approached you, crouching down so he was level with where you were sitting: “May I?” Eyes widening slightly, you nodded slowly again, and watched, feeling your heart pounding a little bit as he reached down and gently worked your shoe off, tugging your sock down. It made you cringe with pain again, gripping the sheets tightly. But you were mostly thinking about how hard your heart was hammering inside your ribcage.

Christ…he has a wife, for goodness’ sake…

You couldn’t help it though. As he examined your ankle, and helped you bring it up onto the mattress so you could prop it against a pillow and hopefully help the swelling go down, you were acutely aware of how this was a man who you were already quite attracted to.

Sure, maybe it was a desperation for any sort of human connection in this nightmare of a town that you felt like you could never leave. But perhaps too, it was genuine.

And, was it really such a sin? If Mary was really dead, then-

No. Don’t think like that, don’t disrespect her like that.

Anyway…he seemed to only really care about her. No use in getting your hopes up when it was already clear he had a woman he loved, and perhaps, a woman he would continue to love forever, regardless of whether she was really alive or not.

“We can stay here for a little bit, until the pain gets better. But I really don’t think we should stay too long.” James said, and walked back over to the window, peering through the blinds again with a narrowed gaze, “I wouldn’t put it past them to try and break in if they find out we’re here.”

And facing a bunch of those demons inside a cramped little motel room wouldn’t be ideal, he was certainly right to be anxious. Laying back against the pillows, you gave a hum of agreement. “I’m sure I’ll be fine. All I did was trip up a bit-” And almost plummet between two apartment buildings, mind you. “-I’ll be okay after a few minutes.”

You watched him, as he still seemed to be lingering quite deliberately at a distance from you. Now you were both grown adults, mature enough to understand that just because you had made a stop in a place like this, it didn’t mean it had to lead to anything. But James still seemed wary that he might frighten you into thinking that was something he wanted.

After all, neither of you really knew each other. You probably had plenty of reasons to be suspicious of him, and why he was really in this town. Hell, he somewhat wondered it himself. What was he really doing here?

It was funny though. You had already convinced yourself that James would never want anybody but his late wife, an assumption you’d understandably come to given his dedication to coming to this hellhole, trying to find a woman who was meant to be dead already, putting himself through a literal nightmare in the process. Yet, it wasn’t the case.

James was actually quite drawn to you himself. And while he didn’t want to push his luck in any regard, while he genuinely did want you to feel safe around him, he was just, well…very grateful for your company.

Of all the people he could have been shackled to, obliged to escort in a torturous place like this, it sure beat being stuck with someone like Angela or Eddie, by miles. He found them both to be pretty unpleasant, but you…you were anything but.

Sweet and shy and polite. Vulnerable in a way that made him want to make sure nothing bad could touch you. He’d certainly do his best to achieve that, for as long as you would allow him to be around you. Hopefully, until the end. Until he found what he came for.

…But. …That was just the thing…wasn’t it?

Until I find what I came for.

Mary. He knew he had to. Now that you were in the picture though, he worried that things had just become a lot more complicated.  Yet, as he stole a glance at you laying there on the bed, staring up wearily at the cracked plaster of the ceiling, he wondered if maybe that really mattered.

You had called it ‘hopeful’, his reasoning for coming here. You hadn’t treated him like an idiot.

But perhaps what he was truly ‘hopeful’ for...had changed, as soon as he met you.

“...James?” You sat up a touch, closing one eye with the effort to avoid hurting your foot more as you propped your torso on your elbows. After a moment of contemplation, you pet the spot on the bed beside you a couple of times, seeing the surprise spread on his face. “It’s alright if you want to take a rest too, I…I don’t mind. Maybe you should.”

…Maybe I should…

James felt torn about it. He sincerely wondered if he wasn’t making a huge mistake right now.

Yet, he also wondered, if maybe he wasn’t worrying too much.

He was so tired. The spot beside you felt more inviting than anything he could recall.

It’s fine. We’re not going to do anything. Not even in a place like this.

After convincing himself internally, he walked over and slipped his military jacket off his shoulders, in only his gray shirt beneath it. Hanging it on the back of one of the dust-laden chairs in the old room, he tentatively took his spot next to you.

You felt his weight pressing on the bed, pulling you ever so slightly towards him. He was bigger and stronger than you, but you didn’t feel afraid of him. Only afraid of, well, making him afraid.

Because I don’t want him to think I… …I mean it’s not like that would ever happen anyway…

…Right?

As the man laid back against the bedding, and took in the same unsavory view of the ceiling as you were, the two of you were in silence. 

Resting, but with so many unspoken words.

Like my writing? I can write for you! Check out my WRITING COMMISSIONS!

[biblioflyer]

Being right doesn’t mean you get to kill everyone else.

I’ve seen some griping that the writers of X-Men ‘97 “did Magneto dirty” by first showing how human / mutant coexistence was a delusion only to have Magnus go full genocidal tyrant. I think this, like the exchange between Rogue and Captain America has nuances that aren’t being appreciated, but I’ll grant the point that the demographic disparity and the destructive capabilities of the setting ensure that it doesn’t take broad support by non-mutants to enact a pogrom. Even before the revelation of Bastion, the idea of an attempt to kill as many mutants in one place as physically possible and ruin the illusion of safety wasn’t that far fetched: with or without the support and sanction of major world governments.

That Magneto would respond to the Genosha massacre with disproportionate force, and let’s call it what it is: killing humanity including quite a lot of mutants, is not the writers turning on Magneto. It’s who Magneto is in the animated series and at the moment in comic lore it’s based on. Who Magneto is is a mutant supremacist. Separation from Sapiens was never just about safety. Magneto wanted to build a parallel culture. Not for the sake of creating a culture and the beauty of creative endeavors but because of mutant chauvinism.

Because the setting is what it is, Charles the assimilationist is doomed. If the rubric for success is mutant safety and equality across the board, then it’s simply unachievable because tiny cabals of madmen can cobble together salvaged alien tech, secrets from the future, and knock off Stark tech to unleash horror that is obscenely difficult to prevent and doesn’t require widespread societal consent.

Charles chooses not to blame the people just trying to live day to day for the actions of hate filled mad scientists and lynchers.

Magneto blames the masses for not recognizing and stopping the threat in their midst, sees their inaction as complicity, and even if they are blameless then they are camouflage within which existential threats to mutants conceal themselves and if Magneto has to burn down the whole village or planet to deny genocidal schemers their cover, that’s what he’ll do. He’ll kill as many non-mutants as it takes to feel safe because he did not value their lives prior to Genosha, did not feel they valued mutant lives, and he has always viewed mutant lives as more valuable. Genosha ratcheted that up to genocidal rage.

Revolutionary, terrorist, oppressed, and oppressor are not static categories. Real life figures and fictional characters can slide between them very easily because monsters can make valid points and victims can do monstrous things. A correct observation about society doesn’t justify the monster’s darkest desires and suffering doesn’t make evil deeds justified.

That’s the point. That’s always been the point of X-Men. It’s not cops and robbers, bigots vs good people, it’s the struggle of everyone not to judge everyone else by the worst thing a member of the other group has ever done. Magneto and Bastion are the faces of giving in to rage and fear. Succumbing to the easy moral certainty of collective punishment and of the rationalizations provided by their respective supremacies. They always were. Even when they were making sense. Especially when they were making sense.

Epilogue: (Tolerance is Extinction pt 3 spoilers)

It’s never too late though to step off the path of the tyrant. Better early but late is better than never.

[trans-axolotl]

" “In the year 2024….” read the headline of an editor’s message in a 1970 issue of The Presidio, a publication out of the Iowa State Penitentiary. Even for people in prison, whose primary currency is time itself, the date felt far-fetched. Something so distant, it was more the setting of a science fiction novel than of a real-life possibility. Al Ware, the paper’s incarcerated editor, had just experienced the solar eclipse of the century, though Iowa was outside the range of the total eclipse. He whimsically mused on whether he’d be around for the next one—if he meant alive or still in prison is up for interpretation.

People travel for hundreds and thousands of miles to view total eclipses and consistently have difficulty describing the experience fully with just words. But even a partial eclipse can be a stunning spectacle. For those in prison, whose lives are often drudgery punctuated by fleeting moments of fear, being able to experience something collectively with people beyond the walls is the type of reprieve that buoys the psyche for quite some time.

I sat in prison for the partial eclipse of 2017. A far cry from how Florida prisons handled a total eclipse in 1970, the Federal Bureau of Prisons decided a dusk-like darkening of the sky was a security threat that warranted a total lock-down. Never mind that for half the year the sun set at dinner time, and we were allowed to continue going about our business, jogging on the rec yard, grabbing a book from the library, and just generally moving about the compound. Perhaps some nefarious actors would use the few minutes of diminished daylight in the middle of the day to orchestrate a prison break, or perhaps the reverse, introduce contraband.

It felt like my life came to a screeching halt the moment I was arrested. No longer did I feel like I was living, an active verb, I was merely existing. If I vanished off the face of the Earth, not a single thing would change in the world, so minimal was my presence, so isolated was my life. Headlines flashed across the television screens, one of my only tethers to the outside world. Floods in Houston, fires in California, a mass shooting in Miami. It was as if these events were happening in some other world, one to which I only had the narrowest window...

...And with that, she led us outside. She didn’t ask where the colander had come from, and I did not tell. Its round holes somehow cast crescent shadows, illuminating the laws of physics. The sky darkened but nothing like dusk, a bizarre energy filling the air—or perhaps it was the abject fear that I was risking time in the hole to watch odd-shaped shadows dance on the ground, unable to even look at the eclipse directly.

For days to come, we tried to explain to our friends what it felt like, what those colander hole shadows looked like. It was simply too difficult to describe.

Whether Al Ware is still around to see this eclipse—he would be eighty-two—is unknown. What is known is that at least a few hundred people that experienced the total solar eclipse from prison in the United States in 1970 are still in prison. The next total solar eclipse that can be seen from the contiguous US won’t be until 2044—and unless that’s your release date, I’m sure it feels just as abstract as 2024 felt to the men at the Iowa State Penitentiary back in 1970."

- Watching an Eclipse from Prison, by Morgan Godvin

[numberonetacostan]

I am thinking about tacomic kissing and making out so often because they are so dumb. Taco sometimes come in and gently kisses mic's palms if she isn't doing alright. I think they are both clingy as hell, they are both to an extend at least, afraid of being separated again some way or another. They just got the other back and I think it isn't too far-fetched to think they'd be stuck by each other's side despite everything because of course they are they missed each other way too much to let each other go as easily, they kiss and hold each other and yet they do not confess until later on. Everyone KNOWS they are in love with each other because its just so fucking obvious and knife + soap are sick as hell of their annoying ass pining. I do not enjoy much when people portray mic as a lesbian casanova because that's not really it girl is a loser, but I do think she'd be flirty with taco because taco is just SO fucking easy to fluster, she is no lesbian casanova its just pretty easy for you to come in and sweep taco off her feet because well she's taco and taco is as girlfailure as she gets. She tries to look away as mic tries to catch her attention because ''tac'....I'm looking pretty for you today won't you look at me at least :C'' and taco feels like dying because mic is so cute and pretty and she needs to explode right now. I don't think taco confesses first but I think she may consider it after she realizes that PICKLE- and even the s3 newbies picked up on their weird romantic tension. Sorry I live for pickle teasing taco about tacomic because you know very well he would and he is able to get away with it because he is pickle. When questioned by him + knife about how she feels about mic taco immediately denies her feelings saying how mic was simply her ''bussiness partner'' and both of them being able to see through her bullshit. pickle and knife are around and when they ask her about it she keeps repeating it like a broken record and pickle goes ''yeah that's why you sleep with her every single night and use her clothes instead of yours.'' AND HE IS THE ONLY ONE ABLE TO DO THIS WITHOUT TACO ATTACKING HIM. After he says that taco immediately comes in and uses a vacuum cleaner on knife because the poor woman is embarassed as fuck and pickle is not even fazed by it he lets her have it this once while knife is yelling at him for not helping LOL

Hi Kiara!!!!^^ Welcome back, and thank you for sending in an ask!!! :D

I love it when they kissies!!!!! I do not engage in such behavior myself, but it's real nice when my fictional favorites do, yeah!!!! I like to think that Taco and Mic made out in the gemory cave. Don't ask me when or how that would work within the episode. I just think it's neat. They're such a mess <3.

Uhh yes please gentle hands kisses when Mic is upset!!! That's so sweet augh Mic thrives on physical affection I think. Which would only contribute to their clinginess!!! Taco is more afraid of losing Mic after what happened in episode 14, but after the finale Mic is also clingy. I mean, the whole cast gets a least a little clingy after that, of course they would too, yeah? But yeah, they'd definitely stick together!!! :D Mic, like I said, thrives on physical affection I think and is in general a rather physical person from what we've seen. And Taco!!!! Alone in the woods for a decade or so very touch/affection starved as I've said before. And Knife and Soap would be so damn sick of their pining and dancing around each other, those two goobers take their dang time!!!!

Oh yeah, I don't think Mic is that smooth. She could have her moments, like anyone, and she'd be more confident flirting than Taco, but overall she's no casanova. I see her as more of a teasing sort of flirter anyways, yeah? Taco has experienced barely any attention at all in years. Much less positive attention!!! She is so very easy to embarrass and fluster especially since Mic is complimenting her. Not a persona or a scheme, but her!!!! Taco has self-image issues up the wazoo, any small compliment would make taco.exe stop working!!!

I'm not sure if Pickle would be teasing Taco since I don't particularly see them getting to that level of comfort around each other, at least for quite some time post-finale, but I could see Soap or Knife being able to get away with it because they're Mic's close friends and Taco is Going To Be A Good Friend and Not Commit Violence even when she Really Wants To because it would upset Mic. Taco vacuuming Knife in retaliation is Technically Not Violence, at least she'd argue so, and him getting vacuumed would be so funny that Mic would just laugh it off as long as she doesn't do it again.

[homestuckreplay]

Bob and George Replay

(page 346-352)

Welcome back to Bob and George Replay, the project I have been conducting faithfully for the past year. Following the exciting time travel plot and entry into the world of Mega Man 2 that was teased last week, the action takes a back seat in these strips as we gear up for the anniversary special. In universe, the characters are pausing before Mega Man goes to save the world to have a party. Even if it’s almost always contrived due to outside circumstances (the author buying time before a holiday or not having any ideas for the day, etc) I do think it’s a strength of the strip that we see these characters in their downtime moments, when they’re hanging out and doing day to day activities, simply because that’s so rare in media.

Unsurprisingly, there’s a mention of ice cream (p.346), because there’s no way these characters would throw a party without ice cream. Dr Light also mentions Guinness (p.346) and beer generally (p.351), possibly the first mention of alcohol in the strip, which could be setting up for a joke where Mega Man has to enter the second game while drunk or hungover. It’s a shame that Dr Light is asking the strip’s only female character to fetch him said Guinness, and while it fits with him as a character, I don’t think it’s effective as she’s not even in that strip to criticize him.

Roll and Proto Man’s coffee break (p.347-8) is similar to their previous interactions (p.23, 82), except that in those, the pair were interrupted by outside circumstances, and this time by a realization. To be honest, as they’re standing around not saying anything, I wouldn’t be surprised if Roll didn’t fake a ‘sudden and dramatic realization’ of something she already knew wasn’t really a big deal, just to get out of an awkward sibling interaction.

Bass being trapped in the past is resolved offscreen using Mega Man’s time machine (p.349). I think it’s a shame we didn’t get to see this story play out – I don’t think it’s necessary to have every character together for the anniversary, and I actually think it’d be interesting tension if the characters were all celebrating, but slightly weighed down by the guilt that bass is being held captive by Dr. Wily. This could’ve been achieved without playing the whole storyline out if the Mega Man ‘from about ten minutes in the future’ who initiated the rescue (p.350) had instead been from a few hours in the future, but sadly this didn’t happen – there’s somehow an impatience and an urgency to this story even when it’s buying time.

Page 351 has the characters ‘all set’ for a party, in a strip with its panels collapsed into a single long image. There’s sadly no scenery – a table of drinks and ice cream would’ve been a nice touch – but the most important thing here is that everyone non-villain character introduced so far has been invited, including Mega Man X who hasn’t even been invented yet, except for the Author. It’s very polite of the author to accept this and not gatecrash the party. There’s a lot to say here about how authors interact with their own fiction; I’ve talked to writers who don’t feel a strong sense of control over their work or characters, and assign agency to the characters in making story decisions while they as authors are more like facilitators. I think Bob and George has already poked at this idea a little bit, and is in a good place to explore it further in future.

On the anniversary itself, Bob and George gets its first animated strip, complete with lens flare and the characters jumping out to surprise the author. I always get jumpscared by N4-T3’s sudden changes in size strip to strip, but hey, if I was a shapeshifter demon I would do it too. I gotta say, there’s a strong argument that the party should be held by the author in honor of the characters, who have provided thre comic’s appeal and made its success possible. I also think there’s another temporal question raised here, as the characters say ‘Happy 1st Anniversary’ (p.352), but it definitely hasn’t been a year in-universe since the comic started as so many strips happen in sequence over minutes. These characters are aware of two simultaneous timelines that they’re living in which are paced wildly differently, which has gotta be a strange existence.

Anez has promised a week of animated comics to celebrate the anniversary, not just this one – these will probably be anniversary focused before the new plot kicks off the week after. However, Anez developing his gifmaking skills could be great for the strip as a whole, with the possibility for an occasional animated comic at critical plot moments. He’s clearly dedicated to the craft and to the strip going forward, and I’m excited to see where the story goes in Year 2, now that the comic has a much stronger creative direction.

[dichenlachmandaily]

(Warning: This article contains spoilers for "Severance" Season Two.)

Season Two of "Severance" wrapped with a gripping finale that's left fans buzzing over Mark S.'s decision.

In a stunning twist, Adam Scott's character chooses to remain on Lumon's severed floor with Helly R. (Britt Lower), instead of escaping with his beloved wife, Gemma (Dichen Lachman).

What it all means is anyone's guess. Unfortunately, what becomes of the trio — and answers to the show's many other lingering questions — will have to wait until Season Three, which has been confirmed, but has yet to receive a release date.

In the meantime, Lachman, who plays the tortured Gemma (or Ms. Casey, if you will), sat down with TODAY.com to talk about innies, the reality of working with Ben Stiller and if she got to interact with the show's real breakout stars: the goats.

Not knowing the 'Severance' plot

According to Lachman, many of the show's pivotal plot points, including the fact that Gemma's innie husband, Mark S., was spending his work days tweaking her consciousness, were as much of a surprise to her as they were to fans.

"I didn't actually know that that was what Mark was doing on the computer until very, very late. I think even after Season One had ended. It had been months and months and months until I had that information," Lachman tells TODAY.com of the major "Severance" revelation.

Was it a challenge not to know?

"Sometimes it's challenging, but on this show, I really feel like they've always been very open telling me what I needed to know in order to do my job," Lachman explains, saying that even though parts of the "Severance" plot were kept under wraps, she trusted that it was all part of the process.

"I feel like I'm a big believer in just trusting the universe to some degree," she adds. "If this is the group of people, this is the way they work, that creates this beautiful magic, then just surrender to it and go with the flow."

On why she thinks 'Severance' is 'relatable'

While the "Severance" concept of living a completely separate work and home life is pure fiction, the idea of having different versions of ourselves isn't far-fetched at all.

"I think that so many people relate to having duality and having different parts of themselves that they want to live," says Lachman.

"It's that desire when you are in a job that you feel isn't fulfilling you, or you're in a relationship that isn't fulfilling you, parts of yourself start dividing and you want to explore other things, or other things draw your attention. That's why it's so relatable," she explains.

People can have many different facets and interests, including Lachman.

"I definitely have lots of different innies," she says. "I have the gardener innie, the cook innie, the mom innie, the work innie. I feel like I compartmentalize myself into so many different versions of myself and so many different things give me joy, and I put my 100% focus into that."

Before working with Ben Stiller, she was a fan

Ben Stiller, star of comedies like "Zoolander" and "Meet the Parents," serves as executive producer and primary director of "Severance," and Lachman says working with the Hollywood veteran has been nothing short of "thrilling."

"There's this excitement that Ben has when he's directing," she says.

She calls Stiller's passion and dedication to "Severance" inspiring and because of that, "it elevates everyone's work around him" — including hers.

"His energy makes me want to be better. It makes me want to be the best I can be, the most committed I can be, and just give it everything I’ve got. And I found it one of the highlights of my careers to work with him," she says.

Even before she worked with Stiller in "Severance," Lachman says she was a fan.

"'Reality Bites' was my favorite movie growing up. I grew up, not in America, and I was just dying to get a Big Gulp from a 7-Eleven. It was like one of those things that I just felt like would make me so cool,” she says of the 1994 movie.

"(Stiller is) legendary, and it is a little bit of a transition to just get over that entertainment deity-like person and then realize you’re actually working together to achieve the same goal," Lachman explains.

Beyond that? "He's wonderful at just making you feel comfortable. And as an actor, directing an actor, there’s a level of empathy there that I haven’t experienced before. So I feel just so grateful that I had that opportunity."

On getting 'headbutted' by a goat

Of all the plot twists and head trips on "Severance," it's the goats that have arguably sparked the most conversation, making them the show's biggest breakout celebrities.

When asked if she got the chance to interact with Emile or any of the other “Mammalians Nurturable," Lachman says despite wanting to pet them, she didn't have much interaction.

"The others had an opportunity to work with the goats. I, sadly, only got to sort of wave to them from afar, but they're so cute," she says.

Perhaps it was for the best because according to the "Severance" actor, her past experience with the animals hasn't always been great.

"I did once, in a very old movie, get headbutted by a goat. That wasn't on film, but I have worked with goats before and they can be quite diva-ish."

[pinksmonkey]

The Ultimate Byler Evidence/Analysis List (Part 2)

If you missed part 1, here it is: Part 1

100. They Are In Love

101. Songs Associated With Mike And Will

102. We've Seen This Plot Too Many Times

103. Byler Isn't Far-Fetched

104. Byler Endgame Makes So Much Sense

105. Pocketgate

106. Hosegate

107. Love This Detail

108. Phallic Imagery In Season 4

109. I Didn't Notice The Queercoding

110. So Unserious

111. It's Supposed To Be About Love

112. How You Doing?

113. Mike Is Not Into Girls

114. Mike And Lucas Parallel

115. Not Love At First Sight

116. Mike Is Protective Of Will

117. To Illustrate How Weird This Shot Is

118. Yeah, Imagine

119. Still Dizzy

120. The Biggest Byler Proof For Me

121. These Scenes Happened Less Than 5 Minutes Apart

122. Mike Is More Attentive To Will Than Any Other Character

123. Oh, Love At First Sight

124. They Said I Love You

125. Byler And Heartstopper Parallels

126. I've Been Chasing After Some Other Kid

127. Jancy And Byler

128. Mike Feels Like He's Not Worthy In His Relationship

129. Why So Many People Complain About Mike's Character

130. That Boy Is In Love

131. Mike's Attention To Will And El

132. Mike's Self Acceptance

133. Mike's Playlist Is 10x Gayer Than Will's

134. No Homo Though

135. This Masterpiece

136. Mike's Guilt

137. El's Superhero Identity

138. It's Time To Switch Things Up

139. Why Byler If No Byler?

140. Mike's Playlist In A Bisexual Interpretation

141. Will's Playlist Analysis

142. Mike's Love Drives The Story

143. Will Deserves Love

144. From Anti-Byler To Pro-Byler

145. Mike And Locker Rooms/Bathrooms

146. Genuine Question About The Cabin Scene

147. Mike Literally Blinded Himself

148. It's Not Even Subtle

149. The Best Thing I've Ever Done

150. Will Deserves Better?

151. Will's Feelings For Mike Are Crucial To The Plot

152. Will's Love Is Beautiful

153. It's A Pattern

154. Mike Is Deliberately Queercoded

155. We're Friends

156. The Writers And Their Sense Of Humor

157. They Still Don't Understand Personal Space

158. There's No Point To The California Storyline If Not Byler

159. Let's Start A New Party, You And Me

160. Mike's Insecurities

161. They Told Us Exactly What's Going On With Mike

162. Find Someone Who Looks At You Like This

163. Heartstopper Parallel

164. Lettergate, Younger Mike To Older Mike

165. Everyone Is Disappointed

166. I've Been So Lost Without You

167. Mike's Gayest Scene

168. Reactions To Hugs And Kisses

169. No Platonic Explanation

170. They Have To Be Joking

171. Lighting Analysis

172. Hidden Expressions

173. The Papa Script

174. Refuting Anti-Byler Points

175. El Likes The Idea Of A Boyfriend

176. Are We Watching The Same Show?

177. I'm Not The Only One In Love With My Best Friend

178. Mike Is So Hopeless

179. Will You Be Like My Brother?

180. Bedroom Decor

181. Will Doesn't Want "Better"

182. Best Friends

183. The Truth About Hosegate and Lover's Lake

184. Talking About Fictional Teens and Sexuality

185. The Culture of Bylerism

186. Mike's Sexuality Is Tied To The Narrative

187. Not Production Errors

188. Good Writing And Bad Writing

189. Shared Shoes And More (Possible S5 Spoilers)

190. Smalltown Boy Coded

191. Trying To Act Normal

192. It's Called Foreshadowing

193. More To Their Relationship Than Friendship

194. Refuse To Believe This Was Unintentional

195. There Has To Be An Important Reason

196. Byler Rain Fight Vs Mileven Breakup

197. The Eyewitness And Dawson's Creek Parallels, Too Gay To Be Straight

And unfortunately Tumblr will only let me add 100 links per post, so when I've posted part 3 of this list, I'll link it here: Part 3

[thecrimsonreddoor]

But plenty of his observations are confirmed by the text.Like the ''a single feeding killing the victm'' vs ''long courtship killing the victim'', the pool of blood, his method of killing wipes out vampires...

They are not, even within the fiction of the text. You can make that interpretation if you want and see Vordenburg vindicated but why?

''a single feeding killing the victim'' – Laura (and with that we) never sees that, there are accounts of ghostly visions and deaths shortly thereafter, but even as Carmilla feeds on Laura, Laura does not “see” her every night. (why trust Vordenburg’s explanation here?)

Furthermore what Carmilla eludes to with her talks and courtship is that she wants to turn Laura, “you and I are one forever” “you must come with me” “loving/hating me through death and after.” etc.

“his method of killing wipes out vampires” It doesn’t. The novella makes it a point that Carmilla vanishes and is never seen again, the moment Laura witnesses Carmilla defending herself with supernatural strength against the General, not when the men do their thing the next day.

Laura never witnesses the opening of the grave (she is as always belittled and purposely kept in the dark), she learns it from a copy of the report of the Imperial Commission. If we take the “vampire hunter” Vordenburg is a conman interpretation, its not hard to speculate that it was somewhat staged by Vordenburg and then embellished by the men - self aggrandizing, feeling important etc in front of the emperor was the poison that forged the report, this isn’t even far-fetched given the setting and how for example Spielsdorf behaves at the ball with Carmilla’s mother. An interpretation which is not contradicted by the text at all.

You can read the novella and purposely take the interpretation which favors the people who constantly belittle Laura and are shown to be wrong on occasion, but why would you?

[haveyouseenthisskeleton]

Skeleton and S/O are facetiming and all of a sudden S/O falls into the backrooms. They're still on call. How do the skellies react?

Undertale Sans - He slightly panics and immediately tries to hack your phone to have your coordinates so he can teleport and fetch you. He's quite distressed when it says you're pretty much nowhere. He tries to keep his cool and guides you through the backrooms, but you can tell he's really stressed for you right now.

Undertale Papyrus - "UH. MAYBE YOU FOUND ANOTHER UNDERGROUND? I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT'S GOING ON." He's as confused as you are, as you're trying to both figure out what happened. When you're getting chased by some weird monster though Papyrus is just screaming, while running to Sans to ask him to use his dumb science-fiction knowledge to do something for once in his life.

Underswap Sans - Wait for him, he's coming! He was about to join you when you fell into the Backrooms. A few minutes later, he jumps in the hole to go with you. ... Now what. Yeah, he kinda didn't think that far, sorry. Guess you both have to find a way out now. Somehow.

Underswap Papyrus - He's clearly having a panic attack as your anxiety is growing. You have to both watch your surroundings and remind Honey to not faint of stress because you really need him right now. Honey is just crying and telling you to not die, unable to use his brain to find help. His mind is blank, he doesn't know what to do.

Underfell Sans - At first he laughed, thinking you just fell a dumb hole, but when you show him you're in a weird place with no way to go out, he's not laughing anymore and becomes quite anxious, because he has no way to reach you. He calls Edge and both of them come to investigate the place you disappeared. They eventually fall in, a few hours after you, and run to find you and protect you. This is a tense day.

Underfell Papyrus - He's not feeling well, and he's angry at himself because he couldn't protect you. Now you're somewhere he can't reach, chased by some weird monster that wants to kill you and he's powerless to do anything. He breaks down in Alphys' lab, as his brother and the scientist are trying to find a way to bring you back. That's not his best day.

Horrortale Sans and Papyrus - You're struggling to keep Oak's focus on the phone so he can guide you and comfort you while you are freaking out, but it's getting hard as screens tend to give Oak's headaches after a while. You keep reminding him to go ask Willow for help, and you're quite relieved when you finally see Willow's face and explain to him everything that happened. Toriel comes to fetch you after a while, dragging the monster that chased you by the ear and lecturing it to death. She then forced it to apologize to you and to show them where the exit is. Don't mess with the Queen of monsters. You're quite impressed.

Swapfell Sans - Welp. That's out of his jurisdiction. All the creepy noises around you are making him very uncomfortable. He doesn't want to abandon you down here, but at the same time, he doesn't want you to bring whatever is chasing you on the Surface and back home you know? He's not sure if he wants to help you or not. If you jumpscare him with that monster again, he's hanging up.

Swapfell Papyrus - He's not taking it seriously, thinking you're playing some prank on him. He must say, though, it's realistic. Even the chasing, with that horrible monster trying to eat you. He's eating popcorn while you're screaming hysterically, yelling at him to do something to save you. Yeah, suuuure. Saving you. From some parallel world or something. He can pretend to be a Ghostbuster if you want. You never wanted to kill him more than in this moment.

Fellswap Gold Sans - Leave him ten minutes. He goes to join you and just seconds before the monster kills you, Wine jumps at its face and starts to beat him up with bones, claws and big blasters like an angry animal. That will make it pass the envy to mess with his S/O! You think you can just touch his family without consequences? You're dead! You're screaming the whole time, scared that idiot might get killed because that monster is three times his size. But Wine doesn't care.

Fellswap Gold Papyrus - He cries and starts to prepare your burial. You're still on the phone and can hear the whole thing, screaming hysterically to stop messing with you and call Wine before you find the exit to come to beat his sad ass up!

[azurem]

https://www.tumblr.com/azurem/777146970304397312/im-pretty-sure-that-if-any-of-yall-sent-random?source=share

Bet

neencephalon

Kay, neencephalon relates to "the more recent part of the brain in the evolutionary development of animals, including the cerebral cortex and its related structures ". Nightmare (or, at least Passive) was known as someone who enjoyed knowing how the world functioned, so it wouldn't be that far fetched to say that he would also study human biology as well.

I feel he'd yap to Ink about most phylogenetic stuff the moment he feels the information is relevant; feeling smug as Ink just has no idea what he's talking about. He likes feeling superior to Ink because he believes that must be the natural order of things (for if he's not over Ink then he's underneath. He's proud enough to not like the idea).

I believe this also marks a clear difference on just the type of knowledge Ink and Nightmare have. While Nightmare would be interested in the in-verse (he wants to know how his fictional world works, not knowing it's fictional) Ink would be rather interested in the outer-verse; the thoughts behind the creations of the multiverse as a whole. Ink would understand instinctively a lot of common tropes and the like while Nightmare would be knowledgeable on why they work.

Ink canonically learns astrophysics but I feel he just wouldn't be that interested in world workings mainly because they're fluid depending on the AUs; it makes no sense to learn about them because this info isn't even set in a single universe (for it can be changed even in-verse without creator interference; new things are discovered yadda yadda) not to mention multiple AUs (biology works differently) so he wouldn't get the point. Very overview vs analysis I think.

Nonetheless, I do think that he'd listen to Nightmare because this is still knowledge and worldbuilding that someone put work into. And if Nightmare looks excited whenever he asks questions, then who is he to pop his bubble?