#everyone on this site has been so incredibly kind to me

[i-drop-level-one-loot]

Hey everyone! I hope your holidays are progressing ✨ fabulously ✨

I hope you're getting everything you wanted, because you deserve it.

Update on my belly adopted kitten, I learned that he likes showers! He climbed in with me and demanded that I hold him like a baby while I was under the water ❤️ so goofy

I'm also looking for tips and critiques on my writing so that I can improve my stories and hopefully engage with more readers! I'm a sensitive, dramatic baby, I will cry, but this is my permission (and request) for help ❤️

[ghost-with-a-teacup]

Okay okay, hear me out.

A bantery sort of annoying best friend trope with Miguel O'Hara. Like, hes stubborn, but reader is just as stubborn and hard headed. So like, on a mission Miguel is like "Why werent you paying attention?" and SpiderPerson!Reader is like "You're a very distracting man." And then like, the classic upside down Spiderman kiss. Apologies if this is a mess, the brainrot is real.

𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠

Pairing: Miguel O'Hara x Reader

Warnings: None, just some good ol' fluff paired alongside some classic best friends to lovers. You know the dealio :3

It wasn’t easy being best friends with Miguel O’Hara.

He was stubborn, stoic, annoying, always thought he was right, and incredibly grumpy (almost all the time! It must be exhausting) amongst many other things. But all those things made him who he was, alongside the kindness and care he has for everyone, hidden behind that Spider-Society leader guise.

It wasn’t easy, but he was your best friend just as you were his. Your favourite person amongst the millions of people on this planet, and the billions upon trillions of people in the multiverse.

But it was even more difficult when you had the biggest raging crush on him. You felt like a little teenager, lost in the vastness of your own heart that quickly grew more and more fond of the person you loved with each day that passed.

Your feelings made you act silly and lovesick (and you knew damn well he noticed, he just never said anything about it), but they weren’t going anywhere for the time being so here they stayed.

They weren’t too great during missions though.

~

“Hey, Miguel~,” you say, sidling up to him with a stupid grin on your face. He stops you with a palm on your face, not allowing you to get too close.

“Ugh, what-?” he says, pulling his hand back in disgust. “Did you just lick me?!”

“Don’t put your hand in front of my face then, you should know by now the consequences of that,” you say with a tsk, before bursting into laughter at his expression.

“Unfortunately,” he sighs, rubbing it onto your suit. “Are you ready?”

“Ready for what?” you say, pretending to be confused.

“What do you mean what- The mission? Are you ready for the mission we’re supposed to be going on in the next minute,” he huffs incredulously.

“Obviously, Miguel,” you snort. “How long have we been doing this job? Have you so little faith in me?” you ask.

“Yes,” he deadpans, and you gasp.

“How dare you?” you say, pressing a hand to your chest in offence.

“You are the most dramatic person I know,” he says, glancing over toward you as he programs the watch to the universe you were both headed to.

“You love me,” you say in turn.

“Unfortunately,” he says, and you grin widely.

“Awwww, Miguel~,” you say, pulling him into a hug that he hesitantly returns (though you knew he loved hugs, he would just rather die than admit it).

“Alright, alright,” he says pulling away. “Focus up, we need to be on our A-game for this guy.”

“Aye, aye, captain! Lead the way,” you say, and he rolls his eyes but can’t quite conceal the smile on his face at your antics before his mask reforms on his face.

Together you both make your way through the portal, getting transported past thousands of worlds in mere seconds before arriving at the one with the anomaly.

“Oh, cool~,” you say with a childlike wonder. Around you is a world that looked like it came straight out of a painting, everything looking almost acrylic in nature and beauty.

“You saw this in the briefing,” he says to you but looks around himself with a sort of wonder.

“A picture on a screen is entirely different from seeing something like this in real life, Miguel,” you retort, still looking around in awe. Looking down at your own form, your costume was blended in splotches of your iconic colours, like you had walked right out of a portrait.

He doesn’t say anything to that, instead patting your head once before walking away toward the mission site.

“C’mon. The faster we finish up, the sooner we can head back. We can have a movie night back at my place, yeah?” he says, and you perk up immediately before running after him.

“That sounds perfect, ‘cause I baked too many cookies that I don’t know what to do with,” you say embarrassed, knowing full well that you had baked them for him. He always did love your baking.

You notice the side of his mask shifts upward slightly, a telltale sign that he was happy even with the mask concealing most of his expressions but you don’t say anything, only smiling softly to yourself.

“Lyla, do a full sweep of the building before we head in. I don’t want any surprises,” he calls out, and the AI pops up immediately.

“Ugh, so bossy,” she says, and you snort.

“You could say that again,” you say in turn, while Miguel only sighs.

“Are you two done insulting me yet?” he says, and you turn to face him, walking backwards as you do.

“Never!” you say, before you’re snatched off of the ground with a yelp. He calls out your name, immediately swinging in after you.

“NOT COOL DUDE,” you shout to the villain who had his tentacles wrapped around your waist, dangling you upside down as she stuck to the ceiling. “Shouldn’t you be in the sea, doing…whatever octopuses do?”

“This seems a lot more fun,” the villain says, her voice a gurgling sort of low tone that sounds much more ominous than it should.

You shoot your webs out onto the ceiling, trying to pull yourself up and out of her grasp to no avail, her hold too strong.

Bit by bit her hold continued to tighten, inhibiting your ability to breathe.

“H-hey, we can talk about this right?” you gasp out, but before you know it Miguel was flying up toward you.

He looked so serious and intent on getting you out, his muscles flexing as he held on to his webbing.

Quite frankly, it was hot.

So hot that you failed to notice that Miguel had smacked you out of the villain’s grasp, expecting you to swing yourself out. Instead, you fall to the floor with a thud and a loud groan. It wasn’t a far fall, and all your limbs were still intact but the wind that was already limited in your lungs was smacked out of you, and the ground was definitely going to leave a bruise.

“FOCUS!” he shouts to you, sending another punch to the villain’s face to knock her off balance. That luckily snaps you out of your reverie as you stand back onto your feet, swinging up to help him out.

You use your webbing to pull the tentacles off of the wall, meanwhile, Miguel acts as a distraction so she can’t focus on the fact that she’s being brought down to the ground where a trap lay for her to land in.

Bit by bit more tentacles become loose, and with one last hit from Miguel she falls to the floor with a scream, the force field raising around her immediately.

“You won’t get away with this!” she says angrily, but you only smirk, swinging down to her level.

“Doesn’t seem like there’s much you can do in this position, can you? Don’t worry, we won’t keep you for long. You’ll be back in your universe in no time~” you say, opening up a portal straight into the holding room for the other anomalies and pushing her in.

“Bye!” you say simply before the portal closes, taking her with it.

Then, the building is quiet, and you wince as you feel Miguel’s imposing aura behind you. Grasping your shoulder, he whirls you around as he looks at you exasperatedly.

"Why the hell weren’t you paying attention?" he asks you, arms moving animatedly as they usually do.

“In my defence…you didn’t notice her coming either,” you say.

“That’s not an excuse! You have your Spidey-sense, you have an instinct that tells you when you’re in danger,” he says, pinching the bridge of his nose. “And that fall, what was that? You saw me coming, why are you so distracted today?” he says with a sigh.

“Well, you’re a very distracting man,” you mumble, and his eyes widen slightly under his mask before it dissipates, leaving only his handsome face behind. You pull off your mask in turn, only staring into his eyes.

He stares back before sighing.

“Are you hurt?” he says, his eyes running over your body scanning for any injuries.

“I’ve taken worse hits than that, you know,” you say in turn, your face heating up slightly.

“An injury is an injury regardless of how bad it is,” he says, walking around you to make sure nothing is out of place.

“Jeez, you should take your own advice Mr. ‘I don’t need to go to the infirmary ever’” you huff.

“That’s different,” he retorts.

“It’s really not.”

“It is.”

“It’s not.”

“I’m not gonna argue with you right now,” he rolls his eyes.

“Oh c’mon, you know that’s your favourite pastime,” you smirk.

“It’s not.”

“Don’t lie to yourself, it is.”

“I only tell the truth, it’s not.”

“You say that, but here you are arguing with me again,” you grin, and he groans.

“Regardless, you did good today,” he says after a moment.

“I always do good, what do you mean,” and he looks at you incredulously.

“Can you just allow me to compliment you?”

You just shrug.

“Ehhhh, I struggle to accept compliments because deep down I’m incredibly insecure and can’t make myself believe that I can do well, let alone have other people think that so…yeah!”

“…we’ll talk about this later,” he says, patting your shoulder (the tiniest bit awkwardly, which made you almost laugh considering how long you two have known each other).

“So, since you think I ‘did good’ today, what’s my reward?” you ask expectantly, the corner of your mouth quirked up. He hums for a moment before slinging his webs onto the ceiling, swinging himself up so that he hung upside-down.

“C’mere,” he says, and you look at him confused.

“What on Earth are you doing?” you say.

“Can you just listen to me for once and come here?” he says exasperatedly, so you relent and walk so you’re about a foot away from him.

“Closer,” he says, and you step closer hesitantly, the proximity making you nervous. He only huffs, reaching out to grasp onto your arm so you’re standing face to face.

The hand on your arm reaches up, softly placing itself on your cheek as you let out a little gasp. His eyes bore into yours, and you get lost in the swirling crimson and gold.

“Is this alright?” he says softly, his breath fanning across your face. You felt your heartbeat pick up as the warmth of his hand pressed into your cheek gently. You can’t do anything but nod.

His lips press into yours, slightly chapped but soft as he kissed you softly.

You had never felt anything so right.

“What was that for?” you whisper as he pulls away after a few seconds that felt like an eternity condensed into a single moment.

He snorts softly before swinging back onto his feet, pulling you into his chest with a hug.

“I know you have feelings for me,” he says, and your body tenses for a moment at the blatant comment.

“I-” you start, but he interjects calmly.

“Hasn’t it been obvious that I have feelings for you too?” he asks as he pulls away, cupping your cheeks in both his hands.

“I, I thought it was just because I was your best friend,” you say as all those little moments you’ve had over the years play through your head. It makes him laugh softly, oh how you loved that laugh.

“You’re painfully oblivious sometimes, you know,” he says, but the fondness is evident in his voice.

“Can you kiss me again?” you ask, a tad bit flustered but you already missed the feeling of his lips on yours.

He smiles down at you before kissing you tenderly, fingers tangling through your hair as your hand rests on his chest, feeling his racing heart.

Finally, you felt complete.

~

~

“I didn’t know you were so soft,” you giggle as you return back to HQ.

“I am not soft,” he says almost offendedly, but the corner of his lip is quirked up the tiniest bit. “Though if I was, it would only be for you.”

Taglist: @beiroviski, @scaraza, @blueoorchid, @remuslupinwifee, @local-mr-frog, @johfaam0, @rawegggohan, @honeycriess, @alexenoirex, @chimpkinnuggies, @rqdior, @banana—belle, @notasadgirlipromise, @6billionyearsold, @gods-perfectidiot, @ieatmunson, @honeii-puff, @wh0re4zaynmalik, @toplinehyunjin, @ohworm-writes

A/N: Two updates in one day? That's wild, haha. Am I writing this because I saw this prompt and I myself am in love with my best friend? Absolutely, but hey! Coping mechanisms, am I right :)

[geopsych]

re: the tumblr ai stuff, please don’t wipe your blog!! your blog has been so important to me and many others as a place of authentic light and beauty and i would hate to lose it forever 💕

there is a way to download the contents of a tumblr blog (it’s in settings, i don’t remember rn, but i’ll find it if you need it) maybe you could upload to another site or a personal site?

i know this is very serious, and i hate how we are unwillingly contributing to synthetic art, but the world would be poorer for me without your pictures <3

Thank you. Your words mean a lot to me.

This is a dilemma for me. I have loved doing this blog and going out to look for pictures and interesting things to bring here has given me motivation and meaning through years of struggle with depression and several kinds of grief. Going out to look for pictures has put me in situations where I have seen incredible beauty, much of which I never really managed to capture. Also, the many warm and kind messages I've received from people all over the world have given me heart and made me feel less meaningless as a person and more connected. Sometimes I've been criticized for buying the checkmarks and giving money to Tumblr but I wanted to do what I could because Tumblr has been my one happy and safe place online. But now this. To me AI in relation to creativity is just a way for well-to-do but untalented people, the proverbial tech bros, to profit from other people's hard work and creativity. It has no redeeming value in relation to creativity and is actively harmful to artists of all kinds. <trying to figure out how to put a read more link here> I don't even count myself among the real creatives, artists and writers and others who have worked hard and put years into honing their crafts, into learning to translate their hearts and unique spirits into their creative expression. I just see beautiful things and take pictures of them. But it would still make me sick to see AI works based on my pictures, on these times and places that have meant so much to me. Recently I saw a set of cat 'photos' on here that everyone was reblogging and exclaiming over but that to me seemed to just be AI art that was more convincing than most. As time goes on more and more output of AI is going to be almost indistinguishable from real works and unscrupulous people will pass them off as real, getting credit for what was actually created by others. Whether they profit from them becomes almost irrelevant at that point because what's worse is that we will have less and less sense of what is real. And as some have pointed out AI will now also be scraping from AI, muddying the waters further from here on in. This is an apocalypse of sorts, an apocalypse of creativity, ultimately likely to kill the joy of artistic endeavor for many who would otherwise produced brilliant, beautiful, funny, and/or shockingly original things. I'm still parsing and dissecting my thoughts and feelings about what Tumblr has done and how to react. Staying and leaving my blog up feels like consent. I am not confident in the integrity of anyone connected with scraping sites for AI. I'm not convinced that a little toggle in settings is going to make much of a difference in the long run. On the other hand I like posting here and I have received enough messages over the years to know that my blog is a positive influence on some lives. I was looking forward to May and June and posting pictures of the incredible beauty of eastern Pennsylvania in those months. And I was planning on making a side blog for posting some poetry I've been working on. It will break my heart to leave.

I haven't decided yet. Believe it or not this whole thing has given me awful physical symptoms. I'll let you know when I decide. Thank you again for your kind and lovely note!

[itsxcowboyrocksteady]

Please don't be mean to me about this 😅 It's a sincere request and I still love that everyone is having fun with all of this.

I mean no shade or nastiness towards the people who write these things or are into these things, and I'm not trying to be the fun police. Do you and have fun! But, like...

Can I get some tiefling fanfic that doesn't talk about their "sensitive horns" or how they "purr"?

The horns thing moreso. It takes me right out of it every time. Which sucks because there are so many awesome fics out there, that wind up doing this thing, and then my brain kind of checks out.

As a fanfic writer, myself, I get that fics are usually written primarily for the writer, and I totally appreciate that fact. And as such, I'd honestly just write it, myself (like I did for the lack of Dwight Fairfield {Dead by Daylight} stuff) instead of asking the community at large, but I'm so burnt out I haven't been able to work on anything on my current list, and I've been living off of the incredibly talented people writing for Rolan and Zevlor in particular. Seriously, you are all so wonderful and your work has been a bright spot for me right now during a majorly difficult time I've been going through ❤️

Although I read someone on a different site say that tiefling horns could be viewed like goat horns because devils and goats are so often associated with each other, their horns seem to be a lot more like ram horns. This is an important distinction because goat horns have important nerves inside of the horn, whereas rams don't.

If a goat breaks a horn, not only is it incredibly painful, but they can bleed out and die. Rams, not so much.

Tieflings are shown to not only have broken horns (i.e. Karlach) in both D&D and BG3, but filing the horns down is also an option tieflings can take... Which means that there aren't nerves inside of the horn. If there were, at best, something like that would be unimaginably painful. At worst, they could die from it. And considering tiefling children can straight up break off a horn and grow it back, it's even more highly unlikely that that's the case.

If there aren't nerves in the horn, they can't feel it if you stroke the horn, or graze it with your fingers, etc.

I know we all wanna write steamy sex scenes and such—and, again, because tone is so often lost in text, I don't mean this as something mean or eye-rolly—but not everything needs to be an erogenous zone. Besides, horns can still be grabbed and used as handlebars! That's super sexy!!!

As for the purring, or other Infernal traits that get written similarly, like I said, that's way less a thing for me. But they're not Tabaxi and were originally made from humans whose blood and bodies were altered by making deals with Asmodeus. It's why tieflings can only be born of two tieflings, a human and a tiefling, or two humans with infernal blood.

Again, if you're into this, or write this, I'm not trying to tell you to stop lmao. It's just that this is everywhere and I'd like some variety that takes these things into account 😅

[dean-winchester-is-a-warrior]

The Dangers of Hope Ch. 2

Series Summary: When Y/N shows up at Camp Chitaqua with her little girl in tow, her bloodshot eyes leave no doubt that she's infected. Or is she? Everything Dean has come to know for certain over the last five hellish years, is about to be challenged.

Pairings/Characters in the series: Endverse!Dean x Reader, Emma (OFC), Castiel, Sam Winchester, Lucifer, Michael, Zachariah, Risa, Johnston (OMC), Patrick (OMC), Theresa (OFC),other survivors and soldiers.

Series Explicit 18 +/Warnings: Show level violence, some gore, angst, smut, fluff all the usual for a series of mine. ❤️ Endverse!Dean (that's a warning for his anger and callousness as well as his extreme hotness. 😁) Each chapter will have their own specific warnings.

Chapter Warnings: Not too much. A mention of recurring nightmares, some talk of fears.

Word Count: 4,240

A/N: So, I've had this idea for quite a while. Basically since I watched The Last of Us. I loved Pedro in the role of Joel, but I kept thinking how incredible Jensen would have been. Which then made me think of how amazing he was as Endverse!Dean which then led me to this idea. Lol! I've stolen the premise of Ellie's storyline from TLOU, but made her a grown up, a reader insert, and a love interest for Dean.

If you've never seen TLOU, don't worry - you don't need to have seen it to understand this story. 😊

I've taken some liberties with the Endverse in my story, changed a few things from canon, but kept lots of things too.

I sincerely hope you enjoy the story. It will be ten chapters and I will do my very best to post one chapter every weekend. ❤️

A/N 2: Thank you SO much to everyone who was so kind and gave such a lovely reception to the first chapter of the series. I hope you enjoy this new chapter too! ❤️

Series Master List || Tag Lists

The dividers used here were created by @saradika .

The big, wide log cabin seemed so completely empty after Dean Winchester left, as though his presence alone was what had filled it.

The blue-eyed man - Castiel - ran after him quickly, shouting an order to a guard outside to let no one go in. 

So Y/N sat completely still, listening to the muffled sounds of camp life happening on the other side of the pine walls. Her exhausted brain was trying to comprehend what had happened, trying to piece it all together.

The first person she'd encountered had been the woman, Risa. She and another soldier had been guarding the border of the camp when Y/N and Emma finally stumbled out of the forest.

Y/N was fairly certain she would have been shot on site if Emma hadn't been there. Instead, their hesitation gave her the chance to swear up and down that, despite appearances, she wasn't a Croat.

The two soldiers had eye-balled each other and Risa had finally told the other guard to stay at the outpost. 

“The Boss is still out on the raid. I'm taking them to Castiel.”

She'd pulled the heavy chains and manacles out of the guard post shack, and brought Y/N, cuffed and bound, to see Castiel. She’d met with him in the big cabin, tying Y/N to the table and then explaining things to him. He'd seemed a bit out of it at first, but then seemed to sober up quickly when Risa explained the situation to him a second time. Then he examined Y/N and made her tell him the story again. His face got progressively more dumbstruck as she spoke.

When he was informed that the Boss was back, he'd told Risa to take Emma away somewhere safe while they all talked.

Now, in the big, lonely cabin Y/N had to shake her head. She’d been so certain, in the end, that she was going to die. But Dean had walked away and left her breathing.

Just another miracle that somehow kept her alive for one more day.

The evening wore on and the light began to disappear, leaving only a dusky blue twilight inside the cabin. She didn't like the night time and the dark. It was a fear that had started with the poltergeist when she was sixteen - when every time she turned off the light and closed her eyes, something evil emerged to cause her pain and terrorize her in the dark.

Before long, the very last of the twilight left the room, and unknown, unkind darkness loomed all around her, and she began to feel the panic rising. But suddenly, just before it could take hold completely, Dean strode through the door, carrying a bright lantern that banished the dark. She breathed a sigh of relief, thankful to see him in spite of everything.

He moved to stand directly in front of her, almost exactly where he stood when he’d elected not to shoot her. She looked up at him and gave a slight smile, not knowing what else she could do. Then she thought to ask the question foremost on her mind.

“Can I see Emma? I'd like her to know I'm safe.”

“No.” He said, shooting down the request without hesitation. He moved over to a metal folding chair that sat at the end of one of the tables and pointed at it.

“I'm gonna sit right here, all night, not sleeping. And if you so much as twitch? I promise I'll put you down.”

Y/N still couldn't help but appreciate the light he'd brought in for her, and the fact that she was still breathing, so she gave another half smile. “Okey dokey.”

He looked briefly taken aback by her response before his scowl returned. He plunked himself down on the chair and folded his arms across his chest, sitting up ramrod straight. It didn't look very comfortable.

But then, her spot on the hard floor, chained to the table, wasn't all that comfy either. But she decided she was grateful that the length of the chain allowed her to comfortably move her arms around. That was something.

She leaned back against the wide metal leg of the table and tried to relax. But soon her active mind was wandering and she stole a glance at Dean, wondering about how very different he was now. Of course twelve years was a long time in the best of circumstances. Twelve years spent fighting monsters and battling through an apocalypse was bound to change a person. 

As she stared at him he turned his head and caught her at it outright. She blushed slightly and decided to cover with a question. “Can I see Emma tomorrow?”

“No.” Dean said before going back to staring at the far wall.

His outright refusal was frustrating. But she worried that arguing with him might be considered “twitching”, so she kept her mouth closed.

The silence stretched out again and made Y/N antsy. She was used to Emma’s little-girl-babbling, her singing, and just her general five-year-old noisiness. The camp was mostly silent on the other side of the wall as well, only the crickets could be heard, playing their creaky songs.

Her eyes once again settled on the only interesting thing in the room, Dean. She tried to be less obvious about staring this time, but realized she’d failed when he spoke harshly without looking in her direction.

“Why are you staring at me?” His voice was full of annoyance.

“I’m not.” She said quickly and unconvincingly.

He finally looked at her and his face was cold and angry. She remembered that he used to have a really bright, beautiful smile. 

“Why can’t I see Emma?” She asked, aware she was probably pushing buttons she shouldn't.

Dean ignored her and slowly looked away again. Y/N huffed out an angry puff of air and despite her worries about riling him, decided to argue. “She’s my daughter. I just want to make sure she’s okay, and let her know that I’m okay too.”

He remained silent and Y/N’s voice became desperate. “Please!”

Dean swung his head back to look at her angrily. “Look, I’m probably going to end up shooting you. When that happens, do you want her to have to go through all of it again? Or worse, have her sitting in the room when you turn and I have to take you out?”

Y/N felt a lump form in her throat, but she shook her head. “No.” She said softly.

Dean lifted his hand and then dropped it, looking away again. “So okay. Then shut up about it.”

Y/N was only a little offended and sighed slowly. After being quiet for a minute she spoke with another frustrated sigh. 

“Okay, but do we just have to sit here? This is boring.” Her eyes lit up slightly. “We could play twenty questions.”

Dean looked back at her and his expression was finally registering as something other than angry or blank. He obviously thought she was nuts. 

She shrugged. “Just to pass the time.” When he just continued to stare, she shook her head. “No? How ‘bout the alphabet game?”

Dean’s perplexed expression fell back into his usual scowl but Y/N trudged on anyway. “The alphabet game is where you pick a subject, like countries of the world, or 80s action movies or something, and then go back and forth, each having to come up with something that matches the next letter. Like if I said ‘Action Jackson’, you’d say…’Beverly Hills Cop’, then I’d say-”

“Shut. Up.” Dean said succinctly. His mossy green eyes were dark, and quiet frustration oozed out of him.

Y/N slumped back against the table leg. “Sorry. I talk when I'm nervous, and when I’m bored. So, it’s a double whammy here. Hence the motor mouth.”

“Go to sleep.” Dean said in a clipped tone.

“I have too much adrenaline for sleep. I WAS almost shot today, after all.”

Dean’s jaw clenched before he looked away from her again and leaned back slightly in the chair. “If you don’t shut up and go to sleep I may change my mind about the ‘almost’ part.” 

Y/N bit her lip trying to suppress a giggle as exhaustion and adrenaline combined with her twisted sense of humor. The result was a loud snort that had Dean once again looking at her like she was nuts.

She smiled at him, wishing he’d smile back, and shared the movie quote that was tickling her funny bone. 

“Good night, Westley. Good work, sleep well. I’ll most likely kill you in the morning.”

When Dean just stared at her silently, she shook her head. “Princess Bride? No? It’s a classic.” 

She swore she saw his hand move towards the holster on his thigh and she raised her hands in surrender. “Okay. Sorry. I’ll be quiet now.”

Dean stared a while longer at her and she wondered if he really was contemplating shooting her, until he finally looked away and settled himself more comfortably in the chair.

She sighed. It was gonna be a long night.

***

Y/N was floating down a river in a little canoe. Emma was sitting across from her and talking to her, though she was still a baby. 

“We’re lost, Mommy.” She said and Y/N shook her head. She had to keep her baby safe and that included keeping her safe from the truth.

“No we’re okay, baby.” Y/N said as the river got choppy and sharp rocks jutted out, waiting for them around every bend. They careened straight towards one, and Y/N could do nothing to steer the canoe around it; the one oar she had was mostly turning her in circles. They smashed into the rocks and the boat began filling with water.

“Mommy, the water is coming up.” Said Baby Emma. “We’re gonna drown.”

“No, we won’t baby. I won’t let us.”

Y/N tried to scoop the water out with her hands, but it was just too fast. They were sinking. Y/N grabbed for Emma but the baby began to float away. 

“Emma!” Y/N called out to her daughter as she floated farther and farther away. But even though she was almost a mile away, Y/N could still hear her little voice right in her ear.

“You lost me, mommy. I can’t come back, I’m lost.”

“No! I didn’t!” Y/N cried out, jerking awake.

The cabin had sunshine pouring in through the east-facing windows. It was morning, she was alive, and so was Emma, she reassured herself, she was just out somewhere in the camp. Her recurring nightmare could be left in the shadows. She took a deep breath and looked over at Dean. He was staring intensely at her. She raised her hands.

“Sorry, not ‘twitching’, just a bad dream.”

Dean still didn’t blink. It was unnerving. “Did you really not sleep at all?” Y/N asked.

“Said I wouldn’t.”

Y/N took in his posture in the chair, straight and alert; he’d barely moved an inch all night. It made her smile and shake her head.

“Huh.”

Dean’s scowl was firmly in place. “What?” He questioned.

Y/N shrugged. “No, nothing. It’s just good to see that things haven’t changed much, after all.”

Dean scoffed. “Woman, everything in the world has changed.” He looked away from her. “And it just keeps changing every day.”

“Maybe,” Y/N conceded. “But yet here you are, all these years later, and you’re still protecting people.” 

His head swung back towards her and he seemed offended. “What the hell are you talking about?”

Y/N lifted a manacled wrist and gestured beyond the cabin. “You sat up all night, in what I can only assume to be the world’s most uncomfortable chair, to make sure that everyone in the camp was safe from a potential monster.” She shrugged again. “Because you’re still protecting people.”

“That is not what this is.” Dean said angrily, and Y/N raised an eyebrow.

“No?”

“No.” Dean reiterated. “I am the leader of this camp, and leaders do their own dirty work. If you turn, I’m gonna be the one to shoot you.”

“To save your soldiers having to do it.” Y/N said with a nod. 

“No!” Dean barked. It surprised her that he was so angry about what she was saying. It was obvious to her. The hunter she’d known may have turned into a soldier, may have gotten a little harder, but from everything she’d seen, he was still Dean Winchester underneath.

His face was a snarl now, though. “Look, I don’t want you thinking I’m some kind of benevolent nursemaid here.” Dean tried to explain. “Everyone in camp has jobs, has their roles. It’s how we’ve all survived so far. My role is to keep the camp guarded. And I do that so everyone else can perform their roles. It’s simply a matter of survival. If you turn into a Croat and start killing folks, that lowers our numbers, makes us all more vulnerable. That’s all this is. So don’t go thinking I’m some kind of bleeding heart. When the time comes, I will take you down.”

Y/N nodded slowly. “Okay.” She said calmly. She didn’t really believe a word of it. But she wouldn’t argue with his need to make her see him as deadly. 

“I mean it. I won’t hesitate.” Dean said coldly.

“But,” Y/N looked at him and gave a small smile, “you already did. Hesitate, I mean.”

Dean’s jaw ticked. “Are you taunting me?” His voice was low and very menacing. 

Y/N raised her hands, making the chains rattle. “No!” She denied vehemently. “I’m not taunting you, I’m thanking you. That hesitation saved my life.”

Dean’s glare was hot and angry. “Well, like I told you, things change real quick these days, so don’t tempt me.”

He turned away from her again and Y/N lowered her hands. His attitude was not what she’d expected. He honestly seemed insulted that she’d implied that he was a good man who made it his mission to keep people safe.

Silence descended again, until Y/N began shifting around, noisily rattling her chains. 

“Stay still.” Dean barked without looking at her.

“I can’t.” Y/N said, slightly embarrassed. “I…I have to…pee.”

Dean turned to look at her for a moment and then shrugged. “Go ahead.” 

Y/N’s face scrunched up in disgust. “Ew.” When Dean made no move to rectify the situation, she let out an annoyed huff. “Do you at least have a bucket?”

Dean continued to stare at her for a long time, before calling out. “Johnston!”

A thin man holding a rifle stepped in the door. He’d clearly been standing just outside. “Yes sir?”

“I need your help with the latrine.”

“Sir?” The young man’s face was confused and Y/N snorted out a laugh. 

Dean shot her a dirty look. “Shut up.” He ordered. She bit her lip to stifle her smile. 

He turned back to the soldier. “With her, Johnston.” He said, pointing at Y/N. “I need help taking her to the latrines. I’m gonna hold her chains, so I need you to keep a gun on her.”

“Oh!” The man was clearly very relieved. “Yes sir.”

Dean stood up and took a key from the inside pocket of his green canvas jacket, bending to unlock the padlock that kept Y/N attached to the table. He pulled her to her feet and she stumbled into him, her legs being slightly wobbly and asleep from her uncomfortable position.

“Sorry.” She said, suddenly shy as she stood so near him. She looked up into his face and was slightly mesmerized by his shining emerald eyes and the dusting of freckles on his cheeks. He really was remarkably beautiful, moreso today than when he’d come to save her all those years ago.

Dean just grunted and stepped back, holding her thick chains in his big hand easily. He took the lead, his long strides forcing her to jog along behind him or risk being dragged all the way.

The camp was still just waking up and she could smell coffee brewing around the campfires where people sat sleepily rubbing their eyes and then popping them wide open as the strange procession passed by them. She tried to smile at them, but the fear on their faces made her remember her bloodshot eyes, and she lowered her head. They probably thought their leader had gone crazy, dragging a Croat around on a leash.

After a few minutes of walking they reached a row of outhouses, plain but well built. Dean pointed to the one on the end of the row and Y/N went in. She stopped just inside the door, looking back at Dean.

“Are you going to let go of the chain?”

“No.”

She frowned and waved her hand at the wooden door. “I can’t close the door if the chain is in the way.”

Dean just shrugged in answer.

Y/N’s face was imploring. “Come on.”

Dean said nothing.

Y/N gritted her teeth. “Well could you at least look the other way?”

“No.”

Y/N rolled her eyes and let out a little growl of frustration. “For pete’s sake, I am in chains, and you’re holding on to them! Where the hell am I gonna go if you look away for a minute?”

Dean stared at her a moment longer before finally, begrudgingly, turning his head. 

“Thanks.” Y/N mumbled, trying to pull the door over as far as it would go with the chain stopping it. 

When she was finished, she came out with pink cheeks. There was no way both men hadn’t heard her peeing. There were definitely some real indignities involved in people thinking you were a monster.

When they got back to the cabin, Dean was locking Y/N back up to the table, crouched down beside her, when her stomach rumbled from hunger. He ignored it, double checking her manacles before walking out and leaving Johnston watching over her with his rifle.

A few minutes later though, a young girl, probably no more than thirteen, came in with a bowl of oatmeal and some canned oranges. She also had a cold glass of water on the tray and Y/N groaned out loud. She hadn’t realized how thirsty she was until she saw it there. Her groan seemed to startle the girl who was approaching Y/N with considerable trepidation.

Y/N tried smiling again, knowing there was nothing she could do to change her bloodshot eyes, but hoping she could still show kindness in them. 

“Hi.” She said softly. “My name is Y/N, what’s yours?”

“Theresa.” The girl said, as she came a little closer. “Boss told mom to make you some breakfast and she sent me to bring it.”

Y/N nodded. “Thank you so much. It smells delicious. Tell your mother I said thank you as well.”

Theresa nodded back and finally came up beside her to set the tray within reach on the floor. Then she scuttled away quickly and Y/N tucked into the food. The oatmeal was slightly stale and plain with nothing to go in it, but it was warm and filling and the oranges were sweet and juicy despite their slightly tinny taste. It was the best meal she’d had in well over a week and she was grateful to Dean, the man who didn’t care about anyone, for providing it for her.

She hoped Emma was eating well this morning too, and that she was somehow coping with everything. She closed her eyes and tried to send her daughter strength.

The next few days passed much in the same way. Dean would watch her every night, assuring her that he was watching for any signs she was turning. But a couple days in, she woke up in the night to see his head slumped onto his chest, exhaustion finally winning out over any remaining fears he had of her changing.

On her fifth morning, Dean was locking her back up to the table after a visit to the latrines (during which he now allowed her to take the chain in with her and shut the door), when he swore and grabbed onto her right hand. He pushed the manacle up further on her arm and examined her wrist where it had been rubbed raw on the underside.

“What the fuck? Why didn’t you tell me you were hurt?”

Y/N shrugged. “Didn’t hurt that much, and I figured you wouldn’t care, you know, if you were still figuring on shooting me.” She said with a teasing smile.

Dean gave her his usual dirty look. “Yeah well, I wouldn’t want you to die of sepsis before I get the chance.”

He called to Patrick whose turn it was to guard the cabin for that morning. When the red-headed man stepped inside, Dean told him to bring a first aid kit from the medical tent. When Patrick left, Dean pulled another key from inside his jacket and unlocked the manacle on Y/N’s right hand.

Her arm felt strange without the extra weight of the manacle and chain. Dean checked her other wrist, satisfied that she only had the one wound. When Patrick returned with the first aid kit, Dean began cleaning the raw spot on Y/N’s grubby skin. 

As he worked, Theresa came in with Y/N’s breakfast. She pulled up short when she saw Dean there, since he was usually gone by the time she came in. Y/N tried to encourage her forward. 

“Thank you, Theresa. Don’t worry, your boss is just fixing up a scratch on my wrist. You can still bring breakfast over.”

The girl hesitated before moving over to Y/N and setting the tray on the floor. “Have you seen Emma today?” Y/N asked. 

Most of the time, she tried desperately not to think about what her daughter was going through. If she were to dwell on it too long it would drive her mad. As it was, the nightmare of watching Emma float away from her, was coming two or three times a night now.

The girl looked afraid to answer with Dean there and kept glancing over at him, clearly nervous. “It’s okay.” Y/N reassured her again. “Please, how is she?” Y/N asked, aware that desperation laced her voice.

Theresa looked up at Y/N, her big brown eyes far too wise for a thirteen year old girl.

“Sad.” She said simply before standing and scurrying out of the room.

Y/N felt like a knife was twisting in her gut. She closed her eyes and tried to stop her tears from falling, but simply couldn’t. Two fat tears fell down her cheeks as she stared into her lap. Without saying anything, Dean tied a bandage around her injured wrist before tying more gauze around her uninjured left wrist, protecting it from the rough metal.

He cleaned up the first aid kit and left without a word. It was a few minutes before Y/N realized he hadn’t re-manacled her right wrist.

All that day it felt as though a heavy stone sat in her stomach. She barely touched her breakfast (an egg and some sliced fried potatoes) and didn’t have a bite of lunch. She felt terrible wasting the food and insisted Patrick eat it. It tasted like ash to her and she simply couldn’t swallow. All she could think about was Emma and how she was hurting.

Her ability to compartmentalize her pain and fear was breaking down as worry and heartbreak took over everything. 

That evening, Dean showed up earlier than usual. He walked right up to her and, kneeling beside her, unlocked her other manacle so that she was free of the chains at last. She gave him a quizzical look.

“What are you doing?”

Dean shrugged. “It’s been nearly a week that you’ve been here and almost two weeks since you got bit.” His usual scowl was highlighted by confusion in his green gaze. “I don’t know what the hell is going on here, but it seems increasingly unlikely that you’re gonna start foaming at the mouth any time soon, so…”

He stood up and moved away, nodding to someone outside. Risa stepped through the door and behind her, holding her hand, was Emma.

Y/N gave out a loud cry of surprise, too many emotions flooding her at once to articulate any actual words. She tried to leap to her feet, but ended up stumbling back to her knees as Emma launched herself at her.

“Mommy!” Emma’s tears and sobs soon choked anymore words out of her as well. 

Y/N wrapped her daughter up tightly in her arms. “Oh, baby, baby!” She buried her face in her daughter's long hair, squeezing her too hard, she knew, but she couldn’t help it. She’d been so terrified she’d never get a chance to hold her again, so she savored the moment briefly before turning her head to where Dean was standing by the door.

Her throat was choked, but she pushed the words out. “Thank you. Thank you.” It was all she could say.

Dean didn’t respond and just walked out the door.

Jensen RPF and Any/All Characters: @lyarr24 @lacilou @deans-spinster-witch @globetrotter28 @suckitands33 @akshi8278 @evznackles @jackles010378 @impala67rollingthroughtown @krazykelly @candy-coated-misery0731 @envyaurora95 @spnwoman @deans-baby-momma

Dean Fics Only: @roonthelittlespoon920 @slamminmine @zepskies @deangirl96

Any/All Fics Regardless of Character or Fandom: @kazsrm67 @slut-for-evans-stan @sexyvixen7 @nancymcl @waywardcheshire

Everything Incl. Fan Edits: @k-slla @leigh70 @eevvvaa @kickingitwithkirk @foxyjwls007 @notinthislife50 @roseblue373 @mishkatelwarriorgoddess @avanatural @mrsjenniferwinchester @all-alone-he-turns-to-stone

[mrmeowski]

˚✦𝐁𝐮𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐫'𝐬 𝐃𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭✦˚

Synopsis: You were eagerly arranging a surprise birthday party for your beloved royal butler, Barbatos. As the momentous day arrived, you sought the assistance of the demon brothers to make it a memorable occasion for him. He had always been there for you, providing direction and support when needed. So, you wanted to express your appreciation in a major way.

CW: Suggestive

Pairing/s: Barbatos x GN.Reader

Word Count: 0.6k

○♡Barbatos' Gift♡○

You awoke with a smile playing on your lips, excited about the day ahead of you. You've been organizing the event for several weeks! After all, the devil butler who stole your heart deserved nothing but an unforgettable and perfect day.

The day was spent preparing with the demon brothers: Lucifer ensured that the preparations went smoothly; Mammon supported you with ideas, albeit most of them were quite... strange to say the least; Levi had brought in his skills in digital design for decorations—to everyone's surprise, but he's mainly doing it for you; Satan had a collection of rare books he thought the butler might enjoy; Asmo had someone make a lavish birthday outfit for your lover; Beel offered to help with the catering along with Belphie, but the latter is mostly there to keep his twin from eating everything.

Even with the eldest on the lookout for mischief, things were a little hectic, which is unavoidable when seven brothers gather together. The Purgatory residents also helped make the pastries—except Solomon, you did not want to kill Barbatos with his biohazard dishes. You ensured that everything was going along as planned and that every aspect was excellent and to his satisfaction.

As the sun began to fall, the space changed into a spectacular party site. The decorations shone, the aroma of great food filled the air, and everyone was dressed to impress. When the birthday boy entered the room with a cloth covering his eyes, he was taken aback when he saw his new surroundings.

"Happy birthday, Barbatos!" All shouted in unison.

His usually controlled face shattered, giving way to a warm smile as he took in the scene. You felt a sense of pride rush over you; after all, you had arranged this for him. The brothers helped, but you pushed them into it. Although this is not his first birthday celebration, it is undoubtedly one of the most memorable.

"Did you... made all of this?" You nodded bashfully as he took your hand.

"The brothers and angels helped as well, shouldn't take all of the credit." He hummed delightfully, his smile never wavering.

Throughout the evening, laughter and joy filled the air. Barbatos was touched by the effort his friends as well as yours had put into his celebration. As the night wore on, he found himself alone with you.

"I hope you enjoyed your birthday, Barb." His eyes twinkled as he looked at you.

"This has been a truly remarkable day, my dear. You've all made me feel incredibly cherished." Your heart throbbed at his words.

"I'm glad! But there's one more thing I have for you~" You handed him a small, wrapped gift, separate from the one you gave him earlier.

He smiled softly as he began unwrapping it, soon in his plan, was a carefully crafted pocket watch with an engraved message that held a special meaning between you and him.

"I..." He slid a gloved thumb over the smooth surface of the pocket watch, "I cannot express how grateful I am for this.. wonderful celebration," he looked like a kid as he spoke, "Your effort touched my heart deeply, my dear."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it, Barb!" You smiled proudly.

"But..." There was a sudden shift in his tone and it garnered your attention, "there's still something I want to give you in return for your kindness today..." He reached out to your chin, lifting it up.

"...What is it?" You were quite unsure what he was doing but when he leaned in, his lips brushing against your ear, you had an idea.

"My gratitude, it's only expressed in a way that only you will witness," The suggestive undertone in his voice made your breath stuck in your throat. "Only you will feel..." He closed the gap between you, capturing your lips in a passionate kiss.

The world seemed to fade away as you lost yourselves in the intoxicating sensations. As your lips parted, his eyes held a soldering intensity.

"Don't think I'll just let you off that easily..." His lips traced along your jaw. "The true celebration only just began."

Request» Masterlist»

*•.𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐄𝐍𝐃.•*

[turnstileskyline]

fall river massachusetts late 1892-1893 dash simulator

🥃 remember1794 Follow

lmaoo of course l*zz*e was a member of the temperance movement….. broads like that are always the worst

📿 godbeliever Follow

and??? are you saying that being against the overconsumption of alcohol is somehow akin to being a brutal murderer?????

🥃 remember1794 Follow

yes

🪓 bordenupdates

dont bother engaging with remember1794 his entire blog is posts about the whisky rebellion of 1794 or about how much he hates women

#notborden

7,394 notes

👒 gibsons-a-girl Follow

look all im saying is that miss lizzie is unmarried and hasn’t had ANY suitors… and maggie is unwed too. im just saying!

👞 shoeshiningisawomansduty Follow

im so tired of you sapphists projecting your filthy disease onto everyone. no one cares.

👒 gibsons-a-girl Follow

thats not what your mother said to me last night

👒 gibsons-a-girl Follow

wait why is your blog just photographs of mens footwear

#wild ass site

1,808 notes

❄️ alaskafan Follow

i think the uncle did it bc what the fuck kind of middle name is vinnicum

❄️ alaskafan Follow

AND hes a butcher ? might as well write murderer on his head lmaoooooooo

❄️ alaskafan Follow

bordenupdates just vagueposted about me

#hope this is ok to rb op bc LMAO

9 notes

🐋 righttowhale Follow

ever since the 1850s big petroleum has been working to destroy the whaling industry, backed by the naturalists who find a problem with the hunting of whales, despite there being an abundance of the beasts in the sea! do not reject whaling – trust when whale experts say that these creatures will never be at a serious risk, don't fall for the propaganda of big petroleum

⚓️ sunkenmen

what the fuck are you talking about. did a whale kill your parents or something.

🐋 righttowhale Follow

yes, actually.

⚓️ sunkenmen

. sorry

#sorry for your loss but your politics suck

94,726 notes

📿 godbeliever Follow

i don't believe that women are capable of a crime so brutal. even when judith slayed holofernes, she did so by the guiding of God. her actions were virtuous in nature. women, being of the fairer sex, who serve God as lizzie does are not capable of a murder so foul. jezebel was able to do as she did because she spurned Him.

👒 gibsons-a-girl Follow

stop lumping sapphist lizzie defenders with these freaks.

#this discourse has been incredible #anyway block godbeliever

3,552 notes

🕯 literate-lover-19

the adventures of sherlock holmes my beloved

2 notes

🧺 thepoppypamphleteer Follow

theres nothing wrong an opium reliance.

🧺 thepoppypamphleteer Follow

i always wanted to fuck her

437 notes

🧵 spindlecity

does anyone wanna take me to the columbia exposition :( i know its in illinois but still

0 notes

[variousqueerthings]

omg dude (gn) you got into due south? I've followed you for a long time bc mash, I love it when people I know from other fandoms get into my most beloved stuff <3 check out @ds30below btw if you're interested, it's an anniversary fest I run with a lof of fun stuff etc etc! and have funnnnn it's such a great show!

helloooooooo

yes, a bunch of mutuals have been going wild over it for a hot sec and it was Time!

I'm on episode 3 (not counting the pilot) and I have a lot of initial Thoughts to bring over from the discord onto this illustrious site, so i will use this ask as An Excuse:

Frasier is really introduced as an Archetype of masculinity, which is almost immediately subverted by his being completely without machismo -- his machismo is so in the negative that he goes around and becomes this Ideal of masculinity instead

the fact that his ethos is kindness, but it's not necessarily guileless. it is selfless in that he's not necessarily expecting to get returns on it all the time, but it's also -- to him -- often truly the most effective means to an end: if you're kind to others, people will often become kinder. this can be useful in the shortterm (if you give this kid a nice sandwich and don't threaten him with jail time and help him out a bit, he'll try to help with a case...) and in the longterm (this kid will stay in school and have a better future ahead of him, hopefully)

(i will get to ray btw, need to just get all the frasier thoughts out first)

frasier really embodies autistic swag. he takes things incredibly literally, he follows scripts (in this case, The Mountie Script, and also within that some kinda Code Of Gallantry), he's an incredible people-reader of the "autistic savant" type arguably (except there's more to him so the savant trope doesn't quite hold, which is good), his relationship with his dog Diefenbaker, the fact that although he is nigh-effortlessly kind of charming (because he's clark kent vibes!!! he's charming in a way as if he stepped out of a novel set 100 years ago in which kissing women's hands was the norm) he doesn't really make close friendships easily, because there's an Otherness to him that keeps him at a distance to others (except ray. WE WILL GET TO RAY STAY TUNED)

speaking of Distance, a lot of the aroaceness i've read into him so far (and we're literally only three episodes in!!!) really does feel like his autism is triggered by come-ons in the "this is not in my script!" kind of way. his charm is tripped up by the obvious step of "charming man is charming, I will shoot my shot," it's happened several times and every time he tries to extricate himself in the most awkward way possible. can't go on a date, you see. i have.. a dog. and no phone. um. ok. bye.

lot of thoughts on his hero-worship of his absent father and how much of his script comes from wanting to make his father proud

frasier also tastes things a lot of the time and ray thinks it's gross and i think that's something too. the doctor (doctor who) autism coded

OKAY TIME FOR RAY

he reminds me. of gonzo. he has the same transmasc swag. as gonzo. his shirts. his ties. that fuckn. OVERSIZED SO OVERSIZED MASSIVE STUPID JACKET. he's transmasc swag/fail coded in the same way as gonzo. he is gonzo

ray spends so much time in the beginning admonishing frasier for his consistent kindness to others, and the thing is. The Thing Is. he met frasier and (barring the immediate impression) decided to nearly immediately invite him to a massive family dinner. then he saved him from a bomb and got himself hospitalised. then he followed him to canada to help him. and that's only in the pilot! ray is so kind to frasier constantly. he's such an abrasive man to pretty much everyone except to frasier from day one

when frasier asked him to get a special pass for his wolf and at the end of the episode he did, and frasier was like: "i only asked you once and you got it 🥺" "of course i did, you asked me for it 😍"

just. nigh. constantly. kind. to. him. currently frasier's in hospital because he got stabbed and we had ray running to see him, forcing his way into his room, comforting him, sir you make fun of the way all the girls fall at his feet (and how frasier never notices) I think you are one of the girls!

MY MAN GOT HIM FLOWERS WHILE HE WAS IN HOSPITAL JUST BECAUSE??????? SIR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (he also makes him take aspirin, he's giving real caretaker in this episode)

so far we know less about ray than about frasier, but im glad the show has him be mouthy, sarcastic, pessimistic, but he's not cruel or callous -- arguably he wants frasier in his life in order to challenge him on his cynical worldview, he's nourished and inspired by frasier's approach towards the world as much as everyone else

misc: I really like that the world being presented isn't necessarily kind, but the main characters (ray learning to be softer via frasier) are kind as a response. it's got some Coolness Factor Shorthand stuff going on ofc, but it is fundamentally a story about facing a relatively realistic world with kindness in order to make it better

I'm sad eric schweig was only in the pilot but the main thrust of the show does take place in chicago i guuuuuuuesss. his role in that pilot was great though, a lot of interesting stuff about taking away frasier's rose-coloured lens of the world, and especially canada, but he also gets what's his at the end, so he's not just there to "offer advice" (although there is a bit of that trope for sure, especially as he doesn't seem to have a name). great character, if I write fic where they go to canada he's definitely gonna be in there!

me and @gjdraws were talking about how ray clearly likes spoiling frasier -- he's the one with the money, he gets him the wolf licence, brings him flowers in hospital, carries aspirin for him.... I'm just saying we were robbed of a "ray takes frasier shopping and there's a montage" bit, considering how frasier only has two fuckn outfits in the first few episodes. who took him shopping??? there's no way he went on his own steam. that was ray all the way! private runway show

[atxxokirina]

'Make You Mine Again' (18+)

Lo'ak x fem Omatikayan reader

contains: SMUTTY SMUT, mention of cheating, lo'ak (somewhat) gaslighting reader, dom lo'ak, p in v, wall fuck, creampie, squirt. lmk if i missed anything!

plot: you dump lo'ak after discovering he cheated on you. he feels terrible about his fuck up, so he comes over to make it up to you.. to make you his again.

Your boyfriend, Lo'ak was one of the best hunters you knew. He'd exelled at just about everything. Aiming arrows, throwing his bola, spears, axes— and his accuracy when it came to the variety of knives he owned was truly incredible. The only thing Lo'ak continuously failed at was timing.

"Ready, aim, shoot!" Jake shouts at his warrior crew. The bunch shoot in unison, arrows flying at their targets. "Tsu'mong, Áyena, Neteyam, great forms! Chest relaxed with confident shoulders. I love to see it." He claps. Jake makes his way to Lo'ak's distressed arrow, eyeing how it landed just below everyone else's. He bends down, plucking the arrow out of the tree.

Jake stands up to look at his son. Holding intense eye contact with him. "Everyone.. dismissed." Lo'ak knew he was to stay, just by the way his father was glaring at him. You watched from above the trees, feeling a sad ache forming in your heart as you watched Lo'ak bow down his head in shame. As the group of hunters walk away from the site, you wave to Lo'ak. He holds back a grin, vaugely nodding up at you.

"You already know what I'm gonna say, boy." Jake growls as he points at Lo'ak. "Hunting retreat is in 2 days. Get your timing straight or you're not goin' with us! That understood?"

"Yes, sir.." Lo'ak replies, voice low. "Good. Now go, dismissed." Jake grunts as Lo'ak picks up his arrow and walks away. Your eyes follow him. You drop down from the tree you sat in, landing right behind him. "Hey! You okay?" He turns around. “I’m alright." He sighs.

It just feels like I’m never good enough for him..” His tone is strained, eyes casted down on the ground. “I try my absolute hardest- I think I’m doing everything right, but then he gets upset anyway. I just don’t know what to say. This stupid retreat is dumb anyway.” He shrugs, shaking his head. "And did you see the way everyone looked at me when he called me out?"

You frown, tilting your head and rubbing his shoulder. "Yeah baby, I saw.." you sighed. "Look, it's okay. You've been doing great. I watch you everyday, and you know practice makes perfect." You speak as you cling to his arm, walking alongside him. "Remember how hard it was for you to throw your bola at first? And now look at you, you're great at it."

His expression softens at the mention, earning a genuine smile. “Yeah, I guess you’ve got a point. Just gotta keep at it.” He walks with you, holding your hand. “Thanks, y/n." You smile, resting your head on his shoulder. "Mhm, of course. You know I got you, what kind of a girlfriend would I be if-"

"Lo'ak!" An somewhat familiar voice calls after your boyfriend, you shoot your head around to see- his.. ex? She was around the same height as you, shorter hair, braids tied back. "Áyena? Hey, what's up, what are you doing here?" Lo'ak instantly unclasped your hand as if he didn't want her to see. He walks up to the girl and gives her a handshake that soon turned into a hug. Your arms fold, tilting your head as a disgusted expression forms on your face. You scoff, watching as his manerisims completely changed.

"Hm, I hear Jake has been giving you a hard time during training," She starts. "I could give you some, pointers later on.." She flashes a shit eating grin at you, snaking her hand up to his neck. Lo'ak pushes her hand away, he mumbles "Not here" under his breath, hoping you wouldn't hear, but you still caught it.

You folded your arms in disbelief, shaking your head. "Wow.." You're at a loss for words, Lo'ak snaps out of whatever trance he was in and turns around to you. "Later, Lo.." Áyena speaks in a shallow tone, winking as she left.

“She’s just a friend..” He says after a moment, his voice quiet. He doesn’t even look at you while he speaks. "Didn't even have to ask you, huh?" He now looks at you, face screwed in guilt. "A friend, my ass. That shit she pulled speaks for itself." You huff in annoyance, walking away from him. He follows behind you “What, you don’t trust me?” Lo'ak asks, coming off overly defensive. He knows he's been found out, but of course, he won't go down without a fight. Even if he is in wrong.

You ignore him and continue strutting away, knowing that this will only agitate you more. "It was just a hug. Just listen to me, fuck!" He says from behind you, irritation growing as you give him the cold shoulder. Nothing he's saying is adding up.

Just a hug? Fuck that. You saw the way he looked at her. You knew that lust filled look, and just the thought of him going behind your back entrances your body with rage. "You know what? Fuck you, I'm leaving." He speaks huskily. It made no sense how he was getting so upset over this. He was the one who cheated on you, not the other way around.

"No, you're not!" You pull his arm and turn him around. "Tell me the fucking truth, Lo'ak! Did you fuck her? Huh?" You raise your voice at him, anger building by the minute. His face twitches, eyes stuttering to look at you. "I know that look, so just tell me. Don't fucking lie." You demand.

He yanks his arm back to escape your hold. “Áyena is my friend.” He growls, scowling. “Nothing happened.” He adds quickly. He’s so clearly lying to you, and doing a very poor job of it.

"Lo'ak. If you lie to me one more time.. you'll regret it. You, and her. I swear." You step closer, whispering a threat in his ear.

Lo’ak took you seriously this time. His expression softens in fear. He takes a breath, looking straight into your eyes, but can’t maintain the look for long, your expression is too intimidating. He looks to side, a heavy sigh falling out of his mouth as he slumps. “Fine..” You look at him, expecting the unvarnished truth this time. "Okay.. It's complicated, but-"

"It's not complicated. Did you fuck her, or not?" Your voice is stern. "Yes.. I did- fuck her." He finally admits. You sharply inhale, closing your eyes for a moment and collecting your thoughts. He looks at you with saddened eyes, worrying about what your next reaction might be.

"We're done." Just saying those words made your heart crumble. You loved Lo'ak so much, a part of you wished to forgive him. To let it all go, pretend that nothing ever happened, but you couldn't live like this, you couldn't do that to yourself.

"Y/n, I-I'm so sorry!" He sniffles, tears rolling down his face. “Tell me what you want from me,” Lo’ak please. “I’ll do whatever you want” He’s desperate to show he’s sorry. So much so that he kneels before you. “I love you, I want to be with you forever, how can I make this right?” He cries, his words broken with desperation. "Please, don’t leave. Please.."

You have to admit, he looks pathetic like this, but your heart still aches for him.

'I can't do this to myself.' you remind your consciousness.

"I'm sorry.. I can't. I'm sorry." You fight back an ocean of tears, shifting your view away from his as you back away. Ignoring the calls of your name. Your heart feels as if it's been shattered.

The walk back to your hut was silent and lonely. You tried to distract yourself from the terrible experience you've had tonight. Focusing on the rustling leaves, Fkio chirping, and bioluminescent flowers moving with the wind.

｡⁠*☆ﾟ⁠+

It's been 3 days since the breakup. You've been cooped up in your hut since then, only leaving during the dead of the night, to collect food for the next day, or bathing in the nearest cave.

You wake up in the middle of the night. Feeling groggy and exhausted. You prayed to Eywa that you'd feel even a sliver of relief, but alas, your heart is still heavy. Sitting up and throwing your blanket off your body, you sigh. After a few moments, you notice the silhouette standing in your doorway. You gasp. "What the fuck.." You whisper, standing up while your tail stays alert, flicking as the figure stays still.

The moonlight shines on the person's back, their shadow now coming into full sight. You face drops once you realize who it is, body becoming weak at the sight. "Lo'ak..?" You speak in a hushed tone. His tall form steps closer to you, pulling you close by your waist."Y/n, baby.. I'm so sorry." He's now peering down at you. Your eyes are filled with such sadness, but you avoid looking at him. No, you won't give him that satisfaction. "You need to leave.."

"Give me one more chance.." he leans his head down, giving your neck a soft kiss. You stand still, silently refusing to give in. "C'mon.." He abruptly wraps his hand around your neck, catching you off guard.

You rumble a tiny whine. But he doesn't stop his lips, infact, they only grow more intimate against your neck. Lo'ak snakes his hand to your breasts, squeezing them as he inhales a moan. "Let me make you feel good.. just.." His breath fans against your neck, you shudder. "One more chance.. I know you miss me, don't you mama?"

You felt a puddle of heat growing in your loincloth, you hated how easily wet this got you. But you couldn't lie. You did miss him. His touch, his strong arms, and the way he fucked you. "N-no.." You breathe out, fighting his eyes again. Lo'ak notices and catches your chin, forcing you to look at him.

He maintains eye contact. Undressing you with his eyes. He pulls you into a kiss. Tounge immediately slipping in your mouth, as if it's making up for lost time. Your hands wrap around his neck as you fall into the kiss, jumping onto him, legs tight around his waist.

Lo'ak grips your ass, squeezing it. He pushes you into the wall, a surprised wince comes from you. You look at him, silently pleading with your eyes.

Please, take me.

That look was all he needed. He scrambles to untie his loincloth, hard cock springing out. Veins are protruding, aching like your heart. Lo'ak moves your loincloth to the side, met with your glistening slick. "So fucking wet for me.." He huffs. Aligning his cock up to your pussy, teasing your clit while he's at it. You whimper at the friction. Without warning, he pushes himself into you.

A strained moan comes from you, he smirks with a breath. He pumps into your tight cunt, pace quick and determined. "Shit.. so tight for me," He grunts under his breath, rutting into you like no tomorrow. You squint your eyes shut, suppressing your moans. They come out as chopped breaths.

"Nah, don't hide from me baby, just- fuck.. let go for me." He tells you, hitting your sweet spot with every thrust. You refuse, eyebrows narrow as you fight your body. "Really?" He laughs at you, now snapping his hips into you relentlessly. "Ah!" You finally moan, feeling him deeper than before. Lo'ak looks down at your pussy, watching your liquids mix with his, he notices the buldge in your stomach.

"Mnphh.. Lo'aaak!" You moan out, throwing your head back in pleasure. "Fuck, Lo'ak!" Your chest rises and falls, feeling your climax build. His head lifts at the moan of his name, hips stuttering. He's close too. You feel it. Feel his cock twitching inside.

"That's right, say my name baby.." As your back arches, your boobs bounce in his face. He rips your top off, swiftly bringing his lips to your hard nipples. Licking circles around the bud, his hand meets with your clit, rubbing up and down, angling his hips up, cock kissing your cervix.

"Haah- oh, Eywa! Right thereee, please don't stop! I'm s-so close!!" You pant and whimper. "Gonna cum!"

"M-Me too! Fuck, hold on baby. Not yet." He groans. Grinding his hips into yours, you both moan in ecstasy. Lo'ak feels your walls clench around him. "Cum at the same time. You're gonna wait for me, aren't you? Gonna be a good girl?"

"Uh huh, y-yesss!" You babble, eyes rolling back as you pant. "Tight pussy's choking me.. oh, fuck." Lo'ak tries to focus on your movements, closing him eyes.

Squeeze and release.

Squeeze and release.

Squeeze and release.

He feels the blood rushing to his cock, pupils wide as that familiar feeling builds inside of him. You feel it too, how his cock is begging for a release. You look at him. "Please, I need to cum. Please, please please pleaseee.." Your weak moans just turn him on more.

"Almost baby, almost.." He says, remaining eyes shut. You whine, not sure if you can hold back much longer. "Mmm.. ngghh, I can't, I can't-"

"Shit, now! Cum now baby, cum all over my cock!" His abrupt demand cuts you off. You obey in an instant, finally relaxing your body as your clear liquid spurts out onto him. "Fuuuck!" You cry.

His thick and warms load floods your womb, getting his last thrusts in as he moans above you. One last grunt comes from him before he pulls out.

You're completely winded. "Hey, you okay?" He asks with concern, setting you down. Your body is limp, mind empty but you respond with a low sound. "Mhmm.."

He lifts you up, placing you back on your cot, seeing how he fucked you right back to sleep made him laugh to himself.

"So glad I could make you mine again.." Lo'ak lowly whispers, softly kissing your plump lips and exiting your tent before the sun begins to rise.

[gentlebeardsbarngrill]

02/20/2024 Daily OFMD Recap

TLDR; Cast&CrewSightings;SambaSchutteBTS;RhysDarbyCameo; DavidJenkins/RuiboQian; SaveOFMDCrew IG; Articles; Analysis & Trends; LoveNotes;DailyDarby/Tonight'sTaika;

== Cast & Crew Sightings ==

= Samba Schute Feat Rhys Darby =

Srcs: Samba's Instagram

Videos on Tumblr:

Steard Video - @kiwistede

Merstede Video - @kiwistede

Videos on IG:

Steard Video

Merstede Video

And just to distract all of you again: gif courtesy of @bizarrelittlemew

== Rhys Darby ==

The Our Flag Means Death Fan Page on Facebook was kind enough to get a Cameo for the crew! This one features all things to visit if you're heading to Aotearoa! It's quite a large file so tumblr won't let me upload it so please visit: their site (where you can download the video) or on facebook!

The admin on the page was also kind enough to give us some links to the places he talks about in the video! Thanks friends!

Te Henga Walkway

Kemeu, New Zealand

Te Rimu Tahi Ponsonby

Aoraki Mount Cook National Park

Fiordland National Park

Franz Josef Glacier

Lake Tekapo

Punakaiki

Piopiotahi

== David Jenkins / Ruibo Qian ==

Hey! We got some proof of life from Chaos Dad on Samba's BTS, and a bit of love from Ruibo!

＝＝ Fan Spotlight ＝＝

February Love Collage Fest! So I am very behind on these so I'm going to share a few a day to try and catch up on these awesome collages our dear crewmember WanderingNomad @wndrngnomad on Twitter made!

Today's: Feb 20: Ra Vincent!

Feb 1 : Samba Schutte

== Save OFMD Crew IG Calendar ==

Over on Instagram the SaveOFMD Crew is keeping engagement up with "Crossover Cruesday", suggesting lots of fun ofmd crossovers (including Jurassic Park!) Feel free to check them out on their stories!

Tomorrow's engagement is #WrongWednesday!

== Analysis & Trends ==

So much data regarding OFMD's rank on Max. Thank you @adoptourcrew for this awesome analysis!

FULL EPISODE: https://t.co/HFVLQgm1Um

＝Trends＝

Huh, I wonder why RHYS could be trending today?

Thanks to @iamadequate1 for catching that #OurFlagMeansDeath was trending! A lot higher than the last few days too.

==Articles==

All The Shows Canceled In 2024 On TV & Streaming (So Far)

13 TV Shows Have Been Canceled in 2024 (Including 2 Netflix Series, 4 HBO Shows & More)

== Love Notes ==

Can I just take a moment here to tell you how very proud I am of you lovelies? Like seriously, you are being so supportive and sweet towards each other. You've been sending out love and positivity and sexy things to make everyone feel better and gah I just, every time I flip through this site/cross platform I am so incredibly moved. You all are the absolute best, and I'm so very grateful to be a part of this wonderful group of misfits. I'm sure I've said this recently, but IM SAYING IT AGAIN BECAUSE I FUCKING MEAN IT. Okay sorry for the caps, but for real I love you guys (gn), you make me smile and laugh every single day and I just you make the world such a better place to be in. I hope you know just how much you matter and what an amazing job you're doing making this community great. And I just wanted to add some additional love notes from @bethdrawsthings on IG because she always has things I want to say too. Goodnight or Goodday lovelies, I can't wait to see what shenanigans and love we get up to tomorrow <3

= Daily Darby / Tonight's Taika =

ALRIGHT, alright. You might think I'm lazy in choosing the gif everyone has seen but I just can't let you leave this post without seeing it again. Plus it fits with a taika gif, I love.

Taika gif courtesy @meluli!

Rhys gif courtesy of @bizarrelittlemew right here on tumblr!

And bonus Taika cause it's #TaikaTuesday, and I feel like it follows the theme... after...whatever happens after the gifs above. @blakbonnet Ty once again for this lovely gifset <3<3<3 It's HD and Gorgeous and you rock my socks off.

[meichenxi]

attempting to read things in japanese as a chinese learner is so funny. it's the funniest thing. all of the incredibly formal ancient chinese vocabulary and a hugely different word order and utterly incomprehensible (to me) hiragana and katakana. I cannot help reading the kanji in chinese and they are beacons of formalised archaic light in a shining sea of darkness.

take this headline from a japanese news site:

生活環境の変化 認知機能への影響は？ 被災地で調査始まる!

to me. as a chinese reader. this is like:

live environment の change cognition function への influence? suffer disaster earth で survey commencethまる!

it's predictably much easier for me as a chinese reader to read the news and other things with a lot of kanji - I can almost understand this! I wouldn't have realised it was a question without the question mark in the first sentence, but otherwise, it makes a fair amount of sense: do changes in the living environment affection cognitive function? investigation begins in a disaster-hit area.

but it's more than that. it feels SO old-timey. I've read elsewhere by learners of chinese that learning japanese isn't always straightforward because the kanji aren't the ones used in modern day chinese for the equivalent meaning, the meaning has changed, they have used a character that's been simplified in a different way or is far closer to the traditional character - and so on. but I think if you have a solid grasp of chinese characters, maybe like 3000, from glancing through this news site - the vast majority of kanji are familiar to me. it's just that something they don't mean exactly what you'd expect.

like (and this is from google translate; I do not speak any japanese whatsoever, I just choose this sentence to illustrate a point, it MAY be wrong):

'today I must study japanese' > 今日は日本語を勉強しなきゃ

as a chinese learner, it reads like:

upon this dayはjapaneseをforce myself reluctantly しなきゃ!

a few things about this which would tell me where to put my effort if all I wanted to do were read japanese and I didn't care about speaking:

今日 > 'today' > hilariously formal

は and を as particles I know from the very limited study I've done of japanese previously

勉強 > 'study' > this is deeply amusing to me. in chinese this means to force yourself to do something or to try really, really hard or to do something reluctantly. as in, 'do it if you can, but don't force yourself'. hilarious. 10/10

しなきゃ> well I'm guessing this is the auxiliary verb or some kind of conjugation. THIS is where I think I'd have to put the effort in, if I wanted to just learn to read japanese - speedrun verbs and adjective conjugations and other 'grammatical' bits and pieces that float around the kanji and determine what exactly is going on.

since I only need japanese for academic purposes (potentially for a masters), part of me is tempted to just...open up a pop-up dictionary, and go through news sites and note down all of the grammar stuff I don't know. this is not a particularly WISE way of learning, but if I wanted I guess I could also do more 'normal' learning for active production and listening alongside it. reading the news at the same time as learning how to count to ten. it's quite a funny experience. or perhaps I could just learn japanese FROM chinese as I've wondered about before and then start at the same level (ish) as everyone else who already can read most kanji to some degree. hmm

[reimenaashelyee]

Creator's Guide to Comics Devices: November 2023 Update

The first newsletter since launch came out a few days ago! It summarises all the updates I've made in November, which includes 2 (!) new devices, a sub-device, and other site changes.

Subscribe to the newsletter to get these updates direct to your email.

New Devices:

Aside

A short comment that sits outside of a balloon or character that is not perceived by anyone except the comment maker and the reader. An aside may come from the author, usually placed outside of the panel or near the edges. (Page with examples)

Topper

A secondary row of panels or single panel that goes 'on top' of the main comic. They are typically removable and non-essential, and usually contain the comic's title. (Page with examples)

Sub-device

Markers in Code Switch

Languages are assigned flags, pictographs or other iconographic symbols. (Page with examples)

News from the Curator and Site Changelog

I'm delighted over how well-received the library has been -- thank you to everyone who has shared, commented and provided feedback! I really appreciate the enthusiasm and generosity. <3 As a comics creator taking my first formal steps into the arena of comics studies, there is still a lot to do and to read for the library. Even with 63 devices catalogued, it's only still the beginning! 

From the Interwebs

‘The Creator’s Guide to Comics Devices’ Is the First of Its Kind, an Incredible Resource for Comics Creators & Readers Alike (The Mary Sue, Joan Zahra Dark) Lovely roundup from my fellow Cartoonist Cooperative co-founder Joan setting the historical context for Comics Devices and why an accessible resource is like this is due.  

Kibbles n Bits (Comics Beat, Heidi MacDonald) An enthusiastic feature of the library in Heidi's roundup.

Shout Outs

Thank you to Ritesh, Tan Juan Gee, Samantha Philipps, Blue Dellinquanti, Ted Anderson and Hannah Pallister for their contributions. (I really need to get that credits/curator's notes page set up. That's this month's to-do) Once again, thank you to the Sequential Artists Workshop Teaching Fellowship for supporting the development of the library this month.

Updates to the Site (Nov 2023)

Added the Store page and dedicated a subsection for it on the homepage, if only to direct people to the already-existing zine that’s currently distributed by Sequential Artists Workshop and myself. I might use that page to hold things like signing up for workshops and panels if they ever happen. Added the Newsletter page so it’s easier to link to across the site and elsewhere. Opened up the page that displays all the devices on one page. Added ‘Contribution’ ‘Newsletter’ ‘All Devices’ to the sidebar. Fixed the 404 page. It suggests the Site Map for advice. Finally opened the Links page! Check out all the resources in there! Thank you to folks who have submitted feedback/contribution! I have added new example pages for Harmonious Juxtaposition/Time & Space/Pictorial Lettering/Colour Coding and a longer definition for Map Panel. Added two new devices – Aside and Topper. Added ‘Markers’ and ‘Balloon Styles’ as a subdevice to Code Switch. Finally set up the Gallery page: this is where comics pages featuring the relevant device will be catalogued. Now for the slow work of filling up the galleries…..

New in Store: The Comics Devices Quick Reference Zine Before the website launched, I produced this zine as a promotional thing + quick reference. This is a 12-page zine showcasing the devices in this library as of 2023 (not including the Topper and Aside). Perfect for students, teachers and anyone who needs a quick, in-person reference if there's no wi-fi available. Sequential Artists Workshop is selling copies for North Americans in their online store. Folks in Australia, New Zealand and Malaysia can directly contact me to get a copy. An ebook version is on the way. I will announce it via newsletter.

[nanjokei]

further guidance for newcomers coming from reddit

hi arriving redditors. here are some things i don't see most posts mention. this is for people who conquered the baby steps of joining the site. i think they're pretty important! also me clarifying on some stuff i've seen people word very vaguely consistently in their guides

under the cut because it's a chunky set of bullet points! with a few that also discuss how to keep yourself in a safe and fun browsing environment for yourself and others (mostly quality of life)

if you have any questions either send me an ask (anonymously is ok too) or reply to the post

you can enable a custom theme that shows on the web in your blog settings, if you so wish (blog settings > visibility) and then (custom theme toggle to on) this is the classic tumblr experience, but it's ok to want to hide your blog from the public. however you won't be able to link stuff on your blog to people without tumblr accounts

you can find custom tumblr themes by searching resource blogs like theme hunter or just in the tags in general (like "tumblr theme" or just "theme" and see where the other tags you may find to refine your search takes you)

tumblr is currently trying to enact changes to appeal to "new users" that make the website less friendly to its current inhabitants, such as fucking with quality of life and muscle memory and even stuff integral to the culture of the site. if you see people complaining, i highly advise against going "this sounds kind of nothingburger" and assisting in sending tickets to support the drive against such changes

there is a 250 post per day limit. you probably won't hit it though.. maybe? but people used to make post limit blogs (seperate email) for that. but that is for heavy usage users.

you can make as many sideblogs as you want. you are free to divulge whether or not it's you. of course use common sense to gauge whether or not it matters. but side blogs can be anything: maybe you want to categorize things, maybe you wanna make one into a huge fan page/blog for a specific hobby/celeb/show/game/etc, maybe a quieter space, maybe posts you feel don't belong on your blog, maybe even a blog where you reblog resources to exclusively. the possibilities are endless! (maybe not for porn, it's a little harder to skirt by these days even with muh community labels)

a lot of posts are incredibly vague about whether or not you can leave comments on reblogs. i think it truly depends. for example, if it's praise for artwork, i feel like it is truly best left in the tags. the artist can see it still! it shows up in their notifs when you reblog. in comparison, when it comes to funny text posts and pictures, you can comment as you like, but consider TPO (time place occasion). it helps to check the notes (comments only filter) to see if the quip or comment you wanna make has already been made or if OP made further comments later. again, it's a call to use your judgement and everyone has a different tolerance for this kind of thing

i see many people or perhaps most came from LGBTQ+ centric subreddits so i am surprised i'm not seeing this mentioned often: there are unfortunately a lot of terfs here. please stay safe. install shinigami eyes and engage in blocking sprees whenever possible.

in account settings, not blog settings, there is a section called "content you see". it has filtered tags and filtered post content. the difference is filtered tags is specifically for tags, for example, if you want to hide a certain show you don't like, you can have the site apply a peek-a-boo filter on it (this content contains #TAG, as in click to view). you ask, what if the person on my dash doesn't tag it as that? that's fine! it also takes into account the original poster's tags. the OP didn't tag it? then filtered post content might help. MIGHT. it's pretty helpful and unlike twitter's mute list, as far as my experience, it is not broken. for example, if you write [SHOW NAME THAT YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE] in plain letters (with aliases as seperate entries just to be safe) it will filter any post that has the words in the body of the post. pretty useful! use this to curate your dash further or even filter out triggers.

speaking of tags. a lot of people are also vague about this. i'll say it clearly. you can add whatever tags you want to a reblog. there's no limit (aside from character lim per tag)! there's no social faux pas, unless you're being backhanded at someone's creative work, like reblogging just to dunk on it or going "i like the art but not the character" etc. when it comes to your own posts, try to avoid tagging irrelevant tags (for example, if you're making a lot of posts that are tangentially about cardcaptor sakura, think about if it belongs in the tag or not. think of it as whether or not it deserves an OC flair on reddit). again, people's tolerance differs, but especially on older media and slow tags people do not appreciate random tangential text posts (for example "i wanna watch ccs!" and nothing else)

in terms of culture, tumblr has a weird balance between "you can ask for context" and "lurk for 10,000 moar years". i would not know myself. i've been here for 12+ years *shrug* you'll have to gauge it for yourself. most things you can google "[tumblr user] callout" and figure out from there LOL (yes that's usually what happens). i DO encourage trying to garner it from context, especially for terms.

due to the looser moderation(?) on here, LGBTQ+ and other minorities use their own discretion reclaim slurs freely. join in, or put the slurs in your filters. it's fine not to join in as that's your personal comfort, but this is a heads up that the culture is like this since i'm not sure how the moderation is in places like r/196 are. (sorry i used reddit for entirely different things ><)

DO NOT TAG D0NATION POSTS WITH #D0NATION OR ANY OTHER VARIATION. this is SO important. it's best not to tag donation posts AT ALL. tumblr internally flags them and suppresses the post. just reblog silently (d0nate if you can) and move on (censoring just in case lol)

search is useless for finding specific posts. give up before you even try. your best bets are google, asking for help on the dashboard, or just hoping it shows up on your dashboard one day (it probs will, maybe not immediately when you need it though)

i called old tags "slow" but not dead earlier: tags Do Not Die (though some just kind of randomly get wiped or lose posts, idk, it is some post-2018 indexing weirdness) so you can find fanart and posts from 2012 and it's ok to reblog! the essence of tumblr is the continued circulation of people's creations

please do not repost screenshots of tumblr posts unless they are no longer accessible (reblogs locked for example) 😭 i am seeing this happen already. this is the one thing from reddit you're gonna have to let go of. twitter and other place screenshots are OK (probably, some people don't like them). but don't let your page look like one of those r/(etc) post aggregate bots on twitter is what i'm saying. once you explore a tag enough times you'll know what is usually appropriate to post (usually derivative meme templates are OK, but don't overdo it (tho this just falls under "dont spam") (also this is MY personal preference, so if the climate of the tag houses a lot of memes, go ahead!)

in general reposting content that isn't your's is kinda eh. especially reposting people's art without explicit permission. there are art reposters who in the modern day usually ask for permission, of course there are internet spelunkers who repost content from old web and dead sites. there's a lot of nuance, but i highly discourage reposting things you didn't make yourself unless it's stuff like official art and whatnot. photography and other stuff from other people, use your judgement. and as an aside i know "stolen memes" are r/196 and other meme subreddit cultures but it's not exactly appreciated here and i feel like if the reposting gets out of hand tumblr users might get real tired of it. the humor isn't really the same here in that sense, i suggest posting them in a sideblog that archives such things so they aren't lost and/or keeping them in your community tags. ofc no one can stop you!! but the whole highly derivative fried meme thing is very reddit. the culture could not be more different even if we are similar in many ways. i mean this in the nicest way possible >_< if you're not sure, DON'T REPOST.

this is just advice from me, but when liveblogging a show, it's nice to tag it with a unique tag, such as #[your name/nick] plays [game]. i find it's ok to tag series name to some posts that are more substantial, people are happy to see others enjoy what they love, but using a unique tag also helps people track YOUR liveblog since they may save the tag to look at :)

put your age or whether or not you're an adult somewhere where people can see, (and your pronouns too or lackthereof). whether or not if it's on your bio, or an about page, or a carrd. please. it's a matter of curation and safety. some people don't wanna follow minors by accident and vice versa, just as a means to curate their space

people write alt text and image descriptions in the post bodies pretty often. yes it's built into tumblr, but either some people forget or the feature... refuses to work that time. yes it's BROKEN. if you feel like you can contribute alt text for an image in an adequate fashion, go ahead!

try not to reblog people's personal posts. asking people never hurts!

you can restrict non-followers from replying to your posts, or turn off replies all together. as far as i know it's not possible for seperate posts unfortunately, just a blog-wide toggle. when replying to someone specifically, be sure to @ them so they can see it!

for a long time, only the first 5 tags you used in an original post mattered. a lot of people still repeat this, but in my experience this seems to have... changed?? i can't say for sure, but my posts appear in tags beyond the first five. just to be sure, tag the most relevant things first! (or not, if you have your own strategy LOL)

you're free to not tag trigger warnings (it's nice to do it for others tho especially if they ask) but please tag flashing images as such. #epilepsy warning, #flashing, #flashing image, #flashing, etc.

REPORT BOT BLOGS. it blocks them for you anyway. just blocking doesn't do anything for anyone

you can add other people to a sideblog to make it a group blog. this is how blogs with mods work, or even collectives, it has a lot of uses in general so have fun with it! be wary it requires getting someone's email so be safe about that and try to do it with people you trust.

this is advice from me since i noticed after publishing this post that a lot of reddit users don't tag things. you don't have to btw!! but my advice that brightens up the website: if you reblog cool art, writing, music or photography (taken by OP) and you like it a lot, i highly recommend leaving compliments in the tags. we live in an age where creative creation is increasingly unappreciated and people are quiet silent— creators get no feedback therefore no encouragememt to keep creating. this is more like a personal plea, but like to reblog ratios have become DIRE. people are apathetic and scared to interact with people's creations even though on here they are actively ecouraged to. if you like art or fic etc i even more highly recommend you reblog it. likes don't do anything! reblogs = more eyes on it. let's support each other's creative endeavors 🩷

don't fall for the trap of trying to make tumblr into reddit, or trying to recreate the feeling of a subreddit. it's not gonna work. try to adapt. it's easier said than done but lol. rome wasn't built in a day. operate your blog like your own space rather than trying to recreate a hub. the tolerance for trying to change tumblr culture is super low and a lot of people who are much meaner than me will probably try to bully the idea into the ground. and people DO get mean. (like playground namecalling, but people have no reservations about it, so it's stuff that would probably get you banned on reddit)

if your post gets traction and the note notifications annoy you, deleting the original post will make the notifs stop coming. a lot of people reblog the post to keep it on their blog then delete the original to effectively "mute" the notifications permanently.

[paintingwhiteceilings]

❃Seventeen and buying concert tickets❃

a/n: Sooooo apparently, my first post has been doing really well. I came home from visiting my friends over the weekend, only to find out that it has over an 100 notes???? Thank you to everyone who has been liking and reblogging it. I genuinely didn't expect so many people to enjoy, or even see, it, and I feel so incredibly grateful :')

Anyway, I stumbled upon Scoups trying to buy their own concert tickets and thought it would make for a fun prompt. Enjoy!

Scoups/Seungcheol: 7/10

❀ What deity has he disrespected to be suffering this much? When he promised some of his friends to get them tickets as well, he did so out of the assumption that good karma would aid him in increasing his odds of getting good seats. Isn’t that how karma is supposed to work; you do a good deed and get rewarded?

❀ For some reason, the entire website seems to be working against him. He has an abysmal position in the queue, giving him a false sense of hope in obtaining tickets. After he finally is let in, the website seems to continuously glitch. The only reason that he ultimately gets to pick out decent seats is because he spends an absurd amount of money on them.

❀ No, it truly can’t be a higher power toying with him… Instead, he blames himself for picking the wrong location, date and zone. Somehow, he even manages to misplace his credit card, resulting in him having to turn his room upside down. He is about to completely lose it before discovering that he accidentally placed his keyboard on top of it.

❀ After struggling a ton, he finally manages to get decent tickets, ageing at least ten years in the process. Give him some time and space; he needs to properly process the entire experience. Maybe it is time to pay for an exorcist.

Jeonghan 1000000/10

❀ God has favourites, and it shows. Jeonghan decides to get concert tickets on a whim, pulling out his phone to check whether they are still available. Somehow, precisely at that moment, the tickets go on sale, making him first in the queue.

❀ He doesn’t really understand what Coups is complaining about. He has the seats he wants with a perfect view of the stage. The site runs smoothly, and he is able to buy the tickets without it buffering even once. He doesn’t even have to remind his friends to transfer him the money, either. They did it beforehand.

❀ Even worse, after he successfully purchased the tickets, he decides to never buy tickets for himself ever again. Why would he do it himself when he could ask his friends to do it for him instead? It gives him an additional ten minutes to nap. His ticket buying luck will become a memory, a legend that all those buying tickets tell each other.

❀ Is that Coups crying in the corner?

Joshua 8/10

❀ You have heard of chick-magnets, and now I present to you, Mr Hong, a ticket-magnet. Joshua has no interest in ticket buying. Rather than spending those hours sitting behind a computer, he could be enjoying one of his thousand hobbies instead. Joshua could’ve made at least four bracelets and watched a full season of anime in the same time span. Why worry over Maroon 5 tickets when he can sing Sunday Morning himself.

❀ Instead, his friends end up giving him their spare tickets whenever someone cancels. Over the years, he has gone to a wide arrange of concerts. It is kind of impressive. One time he went to both a classical and a heavy metal concert on the same day. It gave him whiplash; he almost started a mosh pit as the third movement played.

❀ Considering that Joshua never checks his phone, he wouldn’t even be aware of what concerts are happening. Not that it really matters. Somehow, he will end up going anyway. All concert tickets lead to Hong Jisoo.

Jun 2/10

❀ Have you ever tried buying tickets in a language that is not your native tongue? No? Well, let me tell you, it is hard. Jun has been staring at the screen for the past five minutes, trying to figure out the fine print. He is having a hard time deciphering the very legal and formal Korean.

❀ He is pretty sure that he is misinterpreting half of it; it seems rather odd for a concert ticket site to be talking about saving the cows when he is looking at insurance options. It truly is weird. Still, Jun cannot help but be a bit concerned about the cows.

❀ Before he is able to buy the tickets, he runs out of time. He had tried to call his members, but he should’ve figured that him reading the confusing Korean out loud would result in a weird narrative telephone game where the members have to guess the word from his shaky pronunciation. At least it made for a fun new game for GoSe.

❀ Fortunately, he is favourite child number 1, and the other members have zero faith in him being able to buy his own ticket. They made sure to get him one whilst he was calling with them. Of course, they gasslight him into thinking that, by some miracle, he had managed to buy the ticket himself. They don’t want to hurt his feelings.

Hoshi/Soonyoung: -100000000000/10

❀ I should probably add more zeros, but that would ruin the aesthetics. Hoshi's problems already start upon him trying to turn on the computer. No matter how often he smashes the power button, it does not respond. He thinks he broke it, but in reality, Hoshi doesn't understand the concept of a charger. Nobody told him that computers need energy to function.

❀ When Wonwoo told him that the computer needed to be fed, trying to explain the concept of charging and electricity, Hoshi tried giving it a piece of his fried chicken. He left it there for a full hour, but it didn’t eat it. Hoshi thinks the laptop might be mad at him for letting it starve for so long. Someone, please help this man; he is crying.

❀ Maybe instead of using his computer, he can use his phone to buy tickets. Oh, wait, no. He tried showering with his phone because he thought it was waterproof. Why did he think it was waterproof? Nobody knows. He has put it in rice to see whether it will turn on again. The others haven’t told him yet that it is hopelessly fried; they don’t want him to get another phone only to ruin it within seconds.

Wonwoo 100000000/10

❀ With his gaming set-up and ridiculously fast internet, Wonwoo makes ticket buying look like a sci-fi film. To the untrained eye, watching Wonwoo buying tickets might seem rather boring. To those more experienced, his skills at clicking on the right things at the exact right time are insane. Internally, he has an entire dramatic inner monologue when he does, recounting his months of research on how to optimize ticket buying.

❀ It has become a game for him; he has an insane track record for buying the best seats, and at this point, he does it more so for the thrill. He resells them to the members, increasing the price a bit as he does. He doesn’t tell them, of course; it makes them feel indebted to him, owing him a favour he can cash in during GoSe, whilst he, unbeknownst to them, is making a decent profit. Truly, he is hitting two birds with one stone.

❀ It is only after Wonwoo uses his hard-earned money to buy five extra computers to further optimize the buying of tickets that the other members begin getting concerned. They ultimately decide to hold an intervention for him, explaining that his obsession with ticket buying is borderline unhealthy. So far, he is doing well. He hasn't bought a single concert ticket since the intervention.

Woozi/Jihoon: 9/10

❀ Concert tickets seem to magically appear on his doorstep, paired with letters full of admiration. Woozi has no idea how they got there. Whenever an artist is going on tour, the tickets seem to materialize out of thin air without fail. He fails to realize that by being the legendary producer Woozi, THE Lee Jihoon, everyone wants him at their concert. He truly is a humble king.

❀ To be honest, he doesn’t really want to go. Unless it happens to be Bruno Mars, he would rather stay indoors, focusing on his own music. He decides to give all the free tickets to Joshua, figuring that it would be a waste to throw the tickets out. However, he stopped giving Joshua the free tickets after he discovered that Joshua was pretending to be him. Not that anyone believed him, but still, Woozi no longer wanted to be associated with the guy who was shamelessly dancing around, executing the cringiest of dance moves.

❀ On the one hand, it did somewhat work. The artists have stopped inviting Woozi to every single concert that they hold, afraid to get his insane friend instead. Joshua, to this day, claims that it was all part of his plan.

DK/Seokmin: 1/10 but 1000/10 for the vibes

❀ DK is truly trying his best to get tickets for the concert he wants to go to. He has invited all his friends over to buy the tickets together. Everyone brings their own laptop to increase their chances of getting good seats. However, by the end of the night, it has kind of turned into a bit of a party.

❀ Initially, DK put on a playlist to decrease the tension and stress that everyone was feeling. That being said, as time passed, the tickets were kind of forgotten as it turned more and more into a karaoke session. Suddenly more and more people seemed to appear, somehow hearing of this dope party that was being held at DK’s. DK surely didn’t invite them, but the more, the merrier, right? He can’t help but feel like he is forgetting something as the night progresses, but it must probably not be that important.

❀ It hits him only the morning after. It is not completely hopeless, though. When DK goes online to share his funny anecdote with other fellow fans, he inevitably ends up charming someone who has a spare ticket. They end up inviting him along because, well, we all could use some little DK in our life.

Mingyu: 7.5/10

❀ He thinks he is really good at finding resell tickets for cheap. What he doesn’t know, however, is that everyone takes one good look at his profile pic and decides to risk it all. Unknowingly, Mingyu has broken up a lot of friendships with his posts innocently asking whether anyone has a ticket to spare.

❀ He has no idea that concerts are essentially all dates. The other person always treats him so nicely. They get him food, flowers and give him so many compliments. Honestly, he doesn’t understand how people can be so pessimistic about the world. Look at how many wonderful people are in it, treating him so kindly.

❀ Unfortunately for those who intend the concert to be a date and the start of a new relationship, he is too oblivious to see it as such. At the end of the concert, he will simply shake their hand and thank them for the fun night, never to contact them ever again. Still, nobody gets truly upset about the outcome. His obliviousness is kind of charming.

The8/Minghao: 5/10

❀ It is all up to faith. Does he understand the Korean on the website? No. As a result, Minghao has decided to make peace with whatever comes out of the ticket buying experience. He has meditated quite a bit before the tickets go on sale, trying to tell himself that it won’t bother him if he doesn’t get the tickets. He is cool, calm and collected.

❀ He makes all his decisions based on a coin flip. Is he struggling to choose between two zones? Coin flip. Should he click the first or second option for insurance? Coin flip. He has a very pretty dice that he can roll for the choices with multiple options. In other words, Minghao puts his trust completely in the universe so that he doesn’t have to admit that he has no idea what he is doing. Honestly, the method allows him to, at the very least, make quick decisions regardless of the outcome. Consequentially, he outspeeds everyone else on the website.

❀ Does it work? Half of the time. Sometimes the universe seems to be favouring him, giving him incredible seats. Other times he is sitting in the nosebleeds, squinting at the stage as he is trying to make out the artist. He comforts himself with the thought that he is there for the music, not the visual experience.

Seungkwan: 9/10

❀ Welcome to Seungkwan’s military mission to get concert tickets. Drill Sergeant Boo has decided that he will be assembling the best team to get the concert tickets he desires, and there will be nothing stopping him. Not only did he insist on everyone meeting up at the place with the best Wi-Fi, but he also made an entire overview of the best zones and seats, including information on which seats tend to sell out the fastest.

❀ He has set five alarms for when the tickets go on sale, and if anyone dares to goof off, they will meet an early grave. This is a life-or-death situation! Sergeant Boo has no time for those that slack off or test his patience. If you are not taking this seriously, you do not deserve to see Adele in concert.

❀ Let’s just hope that he gets his tickets through regular ticket sales because if not, he will set up an intelligence mission in order to find out as much tea as he can on someone to blackmail them into handing over their tickets. Is it legal? Not really, no, but all is fair in love and war or when Beyoncé tickets are on the line.

Vernon 8/10

❀ Getting tickets is really no problem for Vernon. All he has to do is connect himself to the internet. He is an AI/NPC, after all. It is incredibly easy; all he has to do is hack into the system and get the tickets before they even go on sale.

❀ Okay, okay, all jokes aside, Vernon, with his refined music taste, mostly attends obscure bands. He is not even snobby about it; he genuinely enjoys their experimental music. Most of the time, the band's tickets do not sell out because the band is, well, questionable at best. Wait, you have not heard of Order of the Metaphysical Rat? They are really good! What about the Tree Rioting Bishops? No? Well, he had a blast at their last concert; you should totally join next time.

❀ Occasionally, he stumbles onto real gems, bands that are on the up-and-coming and about to blow up. He somehow manages to attend their concert at the right time, and when he checks the tickets the next year, they've tripled in price.

❀ However, more often than not, the concerts he attends are an… experience. Dancing Politics truly was something special with their remixing of political speeches, and his ears are still ringing from the Screaming Orchestra. He doesn't understand why none of the other members want to join him.

Dino/Chan: -1000/10

❀ He is incredibly determined to get the tickets, but Dino has a massive problem: he is a boomer at heart. He is not hip and happening and has no idea how this whole process of buying tickets works. What do you mean that they do not physically mail concert tickets any more?

❀ To be honest, he was kind of hoping one of the other members would take him instead. This whole concept of the internet is truly beyond him. He literally just figured out how the landline works; he blinked twice, and suddenly there is something called the internet.

❀ Somehow, in his attempt to get tickets, he clicks on the wrong thing, and now his computer has crashed. He has no idea how he managed it, but it is refusing to respond. So now he's paying for a hefty bill to get his computer fixed instead of the tickets.

❀ It gets even worse when he trusts a Nigerian Prince emailing him that he has some tickets to resell. Yeah… Dino gets scammed out of a lot of money. It is safe to say that the other members have decided that he no longer gets to shop online.

masterlist

[mulders-too-large-shirt]

s3 episode 18 thoughts

was thinking about my evening scullynmulder time all day… and here we are <3

to be honest, i'm not sure how i feel about this episode. it was just kind of okay for me. nothing to make me loathe it (well- one thing that made me angry, but it was small, and i'll talk about it), but nothing too compelling for me plot-wise. that being said, sometimes hearing an alternate viewpoint can change my mind, or i'll put together pieces later that didn't connect right away while watching, and the light in which i view an episode can change. so no hard and fast rulings here.

i’m reading the episode description, and it seems to be about archaeological digs, and sacred items being transported where they shouldn’t be!! this is actually something i feel really strongly about!!!

(in fact, i had to cut a LOT of this episode recap down because i kept going on about anthropological ethics... then i straight up realized i needed to stfu <3)

we begin!

we are in ecuador, at a dig site. oh, a pot! and pottery shards. how exciting! someone is yelling about something they found, and everyone comes to look. i do not speak spanish but i think they are saying that this thing is a bad sign? shoutout to cognates and closed captions, two of my bestest friends

it has since started snowing since they found this thing, which dr. roosevelt proclaims to be an amaru, which is a bold sign. there is a skull in there.

anyway, the archaeologists are saying that the body of a female shaman is sacred, and that it cannot be disturbed. and i would say, yes of course! but dr. roosevelt is not chill like me, and says they aren’t disturbing her, but saving her. okay, so this is the sort of thing that has sadly been incredibly common in real life, disregard for Indigenous opinions on the treatment of their ancestors by so-called academics claiming to fight for history. he orders the archaeologists to pack it up despite their insistence that it isn’t a good idea.

a shaman appears on the mountains in the snow... which is not an auspicious sign, i would imagine.

so this dr. roosevelt is listening to his classical music while the archaeologists from the dig are conducting a ceremony with the mountain shaman. they are sipping from a spoon and passing it around. ah, it is a hallucinogen. things get all green vision-y.

something is coming… A BIG CAT!!! HAS EATEN DR. ROOSEVELT!!!!!! JAGUAR BE UPON YE!!!!!!!

deserved.

intro time. how i have come to love this pair and their blurry lil spooky scenes…. <3 

so now we are at the boston museum of natural history. a guard is about with a flashlight in the dark and i think he sees some blood?? YES LOTS OF BLOOD. literally so much blood omfg. and then behind all the blood is the amaru!!!

is it agents time? is it agents time? YAAAAAS AGENTS TIME!!!! they are investigating. and someone scully is talking to thinks that the murder victim- craig- was killed because of the project he was working on. 

OH! scully has a letter in her hands from the Secona demanding the return of their artifacts. yes yes! i hope the museum does the right thing at this urging (even though i know deep down they will not)

“it was among the antiquities we rescued last month”, says someone from the museum <- ohhhh you're going to jail for that self-righteous language. scully catches onto the “rescued” description. they claim that the area was going to undergo construction. um so i would ask why reburying it in a place slightly to the left where it wasn't going to get smashed by a pipeline wasn't considered as an option, and why we jumped straight to giving it to some dudes in boston.

mulder asks about the curse, which he is apparently well-versed in. the jaguar spirit will attack those who disturb the bones of the woman shaman. but this guy says he will NOT return the remains. a stubborn fool... 

a phd candidate helps them look at the urn, and mulder rightfully points out that if someone messed with his bones, he would also want a curse to be placed upon them. which is tea.

the phd candidate's name is mona, and she agrees that this should have been left in the ground, that craig didn’t know about the danger he was in, and she is aware of SEVERAL letters of protest. she reveals that Dr. Bilac, who was the liaison to the tribe, either resigned or was forced out by the head of the project, depending on who you ask, because he believed that “the Secona have the right to determine the fate of their ancestral remains” AS HE SHOULD!!

going to this guy’s house. he was at the dig. and frankly, i do think he is very attractive. but he seems a bit... out of it, to put it nicely. 

his house is full of artifacts and images of artifacts. he’s asking scully "who told you i was involved", and scully says mona. okay... i think it wasn’t really secret knowledge??? no need to be so defensive!

he clarifies that he objected when he felt dr. roosevelt went too far. and he says “you don’t want to know what i think happened” so mulder sits RIGHT NEXT TO HIM and clarifies that yes, yes they really would. i was sensing some undertones there.

dr. bilac says "i think whatever happened is going to keep happening until the bones are returned" <- a reasonable deduction.

he says their investigation is a waste of time. scully seems to think he is “the suspect”, suggesting that he would kill for his cause. she describes his politics as radical but... they really aren’t.

(and this was the part i mentioned objecting to in the beginning, her referring to "his politics" like that. however, i am reminded that some scientists, historians, and anthropologists genuinely take this position- that ancestral remains ought to be studied, wishes of their communities be damned- and therefore it is not entirely out of character for her to think like that, but it is something we'd get in a heated fight about)

and mulder does that thing where he puts his hand on her back. don’t think i missed that!!!!

they’re bickering about what really happened and i'm thinking, well no one knows yet, maybe it WAS a jaguar spirit.

OH! mona is on the phone saying someone is lying. and someone else is listening in. it’s dr. lewton who is eavesdropping. mona was on the phone with dr. bilac!!! so what was he lying to the agents about?!?

so lewton is saying that they have a responsibility to history and that they were doing the right thing and to ignore “the politics”... again with the politics comment. this is real-world rhetoric here that some people actually believe, but isn’t there something despicable about asking for respect for people's ancestors being called “politics”?

OH! dr. lewton is threatening mona's career…… oh! okay so he might be evil.

NO, THE DOOR CREAKS OPEN. MONA NO!! 

oh it’s just a dog :) his name is sugar :) yay i was scared for nothing :) hiii sugar ur really cute!

dr. lewton in the car. car isn’t starting!!!! that’s suspicious…. that’s weird…. he lifts up the hood. and we hear a heavy breathing and see stuff from a blurry green point of view....

the hood is full of BLOOD??? which he touches btw... NASTY! but what is even nastier is the dragging and screaming and ripping we hear now going on to him... and thus is the end of dr. lewton

(hmm are they gonna say bilac is transforming into the jaguar? and that’s why we heard a man breathing?? <- no they will not, past me, but it was a compelling guess)

scully plucks a dead rat from inside the car. “label that”, she says to a police officer, placing it in a bag. “as what?” “partial rat body part” <- i don’t know why this is making me cry laughing 

mona is being questioned. she lies and says lewton didn’t mention dr. bilac last night. LIAR. anyway! scully gives her her card and says to give her a call if anything comes to mind

mulder in the woods with the police. and the green vision-y thing sees him!!! from in a tree!!!

but then scully comes in bearing news of rats in the museum and in his car. she thinks mona knows something and is trying to protect bilac. which is also what i am thinking. perhaps scully's entrance saved mulder from the green visioned being pouncing upon him.

GASP! a drop of blood falls upon mulder’s face whilst still in the woods, and he thinks it’s rain. she wipes it off and looks up to find… ENTRAILS IN A TREE!!!!!! icky.

and is there tenderness in wiping a strange blood from an unknown source off of your partner's face while they kneel in the woods? yes.

mona is at dr. bilac’s place. he isn’t answering. oh, she calls him “lonnie”... so are they chill or something? anyway, he doesn’t seem to be in there.

EXCEPT HE IS! he was in the dark and yelled at her for trying to touch the windows. behaving like a vampire.

he has no reaction to learning that dr. lewton is dead, but he sure is sweaty and gaunt. he said he told mona not to come. aggressively.

OH! he has the stuff on the floor he had taken with the tribe with the shared spoon at the start of the episode. which he calls “vine of the soul”. she knows what that means- yaje- and does NOT like that. she grabs it and tells him he is sick and needs help. but he yells at her to get out :( and she is crying :( why are you hurting her....

AUTOPSY TIME ft. doctor scully!!! it’s a human intestine. LMAOOOO she found sunflower seeds in it and mulder says he is “a man of taste” 

oh! she says it looks like rats did the biting. love when she says unsettling stuff like that.

phone call time now. it’s mona calling scully. she’s crying at the museum, and the dog is barking as she says she feels she isn’t alone. scully deploys mulder to the scene.

there is a box that says teso dos bichos which is the name of the episode. google says it translates to "i have two bugs" but i don't fully believe that. anyway, as she goes to touch the urn the dog keeps barking. it’s a very very cute dog. 

she hears something going wild in the bathroom. like an earthquake in the toilets. and the toilets are full of RATS who are climbing OUT AT HER AND SHE SCREAMS AND YES ME TOO I AM ALSO SCREAMING????

scully at dr. bilac’s house. very tense music is playing and his door is wide open!!! she finds the bowls of the stuff while mulder is at the museum looking for mona or any sort of clues. 

mulder bumps onto the security guard, who tries to take him to mona. pls don't hurt my girl i'm rooting for her to get that phd.

scully is reading from dr. bilac’s journal, which describes a jaguar climbing from the trees, and mulder thinks well maybe that is how the intestines got up there, but she says he’s been tripping. two things can be true!! 

she says he has been invoking the curse. but as she says this, mulder rounds a corner and sees a LOT of blood. he enters the bathroom with a flourish of his gun. and finds dr. bilac! who only says “she’s dead” 

they bring him in for questioning- very suspicious for him to be in the bloody bathroom- but he claims he doesn’t know where mona is. 

oh, very very tense exchange. “i did not kill her” “then why do you have blood on your clothes?” scully is NOT messing around

he claims he was afraid for mona and tried to keep her away from this. she says point blank that he did it, but he is like no, you are dealing with a spirit. and he doesn’t know where her body is. 

mulder is troubled. he notices that all the toilets overflowed. oh! the rats were still in there. “rats. in every toilet” <- very serious show we are dealing with 

NO!!! mona's dog died :( the dog ate a cat that ate a rat that ate poison. mulder thinks this is suspicious. she says a lot of old buildings have rats. again, two things can be true!

he thinks the rats were trying to escape. and SOMEHOW bilac is gone. mulder seems to think that perhaps bilac animorphed into a rat? or he was dragged down into some old tunnels. because they did find blood!!!

tunnel time tunnel time! he tries the ladies first card but it does not work. oooh spooky dark tunnel. 

there is a creature down here!!!! with the green vision!!! a cat hisses. i mean if there are a lot of rats this is a banger place to be a cat but i’m still suspicious.

they follow a rat deeper into the tunnels and find a door. scully goes in the door but mulder went the other way. WHY DID HE DO THAT!!! NEVER SEPARATE IN THE TUNNELS.

mulder is looking at a rat. cute little dude. then calls for scully. HE HAS FOUND ALL OF THE BODIES!!! AND THEY HAVE BEEN GNAWED EEEW 

and the green vision thing sees them! oh! it is a cat. but just a little one. not a big scary one. 

OH!! a LOT OF CATS!!

NO!!! they are GETTING HER!!! LIKE SO MANY CATS!!!! and there is blood pouring from her face. despite this she finds bilac who is very dead. 

a large army of cats is trying to break in while they try to get out. he pulls her up and guides her out. 

aww her face is all scratched up :( pls test her for rabies this is soooo evil!!!

oh! the ecuadorian ambassador is coming to collect the urn. so success but at what cost.

mulder wraps up the episode. the archaeologists are reburying the urn. we see the shaman’s eyes go all green like the cats did!!!

so it was her doing the stuff!!! well. she needed to be returned home.

collecting my thoughts on the matter. 

well, first off, an ecuadorian jaguar spirit turning into a mass of wild rats and cats in boston is so funny so let’s establish that. 

second of all. i’m always hesitant to comment upon episodes that use indigenous people and beliefs as a plot point/scary thing of the week. so i’m going to have to admit i don’t know enough to comment on that. 

what i can comment upon is the very real trafficking of antiquities, destruction of archaeological sites, and above all, blatant insensitivity of academics historically thinking they are “saving” what they are plundering. it is a very real thing. and i talked about it a LOT more in the original draft of this but realized i ought to spare you. dm for reading recs tho

overall, i thought the episode was okay. i wasn’t really sure what they were doing with bilac, but i guess he was summoning the curse? but it kept going after he died. so i’m a little unclear on the rules of the curse here tbh. 

honestly not enough scully and mulder time for me, which is why it wasn't really a stand out to me, even if i thought the concept was fascinating.

but sometimes my opinions change and i'm open to hearing thoughts on the matter slash things i missed! like i'm still not fully getting the episode title so pls feel free to explain that.

[al-the-remix]

Random fandom thoughts/feelings

The reblog button is turned off on this post but I think it's another incredibly important one to be thinking about. I enjoy their framing of how the profit economy of other social media sites has been bleeding into fandom spaces on both tumblr, and like this post focuses on, Ao3. It's something that I've been noticing more and more and it really rubs me the wrong way and I feel like OP's post words it perfectly in a way I've been struggling to express.

This sort of connects the previous post I reblogged on the topic talking about how fandom is not a good in road for becoming internet famous.

A facet of this that's really bamboozled me recently is that I feel like i've been seeing more and more of is the idea that a singular person has a right to call "dibs" on a specific piece of media. Which is honestly totally fucking wild to me and if I'm being totally frank kind of dumb.

Every single one of us who interacts with fandom and by extent and IP is flirting with copy right law, the consequences of which everyone should be extremely familiar with by now with the fall of LJ and various lawsuits by authors, dmca notices, etc.

We have all heard the adage "there's no such thing as an original idea"; the idea that everything we create is the amalgamation of all the things that influence us, good and bad.

This is totally normal and good, actually.

For example, if I and another person both watch a TV show, see a production photograph that we really like and decide to draw it and post them one after the other it would be considered extremely bad behaviour to then turn around and make a big stink about how someone else had the gall to turn around and draw the same thing that I did. We can all look at a picture, video, lyrics to a song, become inspired and create something wildly different based on our tastes and influences--but we also are equally, if not more so, likely to create something nearly identical to our peers, especially in a fandom space where ideas are concentrated and we are all consuming each other's thoughts, opinions, and creations. More than once I've come up with an idea for a fic or a drawing that someone else had had a nearly identical execution of without us communicating or viewing each other's work. That's just the way the human brain works, we're hard wired to make connections in a fairly similar way.

You do not have a right to call dibs on any one photograph, clip of video, song lyrics or any other bit of media you might consume.

This stands for artists, writers, gif makers, AMV creators, and any other way you choose to express your love of fandom creatively.

If you are really hard pressed to focus on the numbers and work at being ~influential~ the burden is on you to distinguish yourself creatively.

There's a reason why not being able to see follower counts is so important to the way fandom and tumblr functions. The concept of ~small creators~ and ~big creators~ or BNF or whatever are all burdens you place on yourselves. No one is taking anything away from you by engaging with the same bit of media you are in a similar way. We all have a right to express ourselves creatively and emotionally through any snippet of media that sparks our interest. You do not get to "own it" just because you happened to pump something out first. There are no creative "dibs". This isn't even some sort of "fandom" etiquette thing that has gone thus unspoken. It's a strange possessive thing that I've seen crop up more and more as the idea of being a capital "C" Creator brain rots people's minds and atrophies their ability to be creative.

Sort of on a tangent, but I have a bunch of other personal random thoughts about how this push to be prolific stagnates fandom, but these are more complicated for me and I'm not as clear on how I want to express them. On one had I am completely on board with the "there is no such thing as cringe" mindset and that everyone has a right to create whatever super indulgent thing they want to without having to suffer people being snobby about it. But, on the other hand I feel very strongly that the cycle of people seeing one trope or characterization being repeated repeated over and over and gaining popularity, reading only that--writing only that--leading others to also only consume that, really stymies creativity and makes it harder to grow the fandom if people that are trying to enter aren't into That One Thing, while also ostracizing people who are already in the fandom that aren't into That One Thing. I strongly believe that people's tastes are at least 70% just what they're exposed to, and obviously not everyone is going to be into whatever weird niche concept they're exposed to through fandom, but the more they are the more opportunity they have to expand that horizon. I don't know how many times I've gotten a version of the "I wasn't sure I would like this but I gave it a shot and it turns out I really love it!" and how good that feels and how much I wish other people were emboldened to do the same instead of being so wrapped up in how their work may or may not be received.

This is mostly a subjective thing though, so it's less cut and dry. Like for example, I really struggle with engaging with transgender fic despite being transgender myself because of the way most AFAB fic is written to the point where I avoid it now almost entirely. Which, frankly, really fucking sucks but also I will be the first person to fight for other's ability to write transgender characters wether they appeal my personal feelings and taste or not.

Anyway, this is one of the reasons I'm so protective of fandom community events, especially ones that employ aspects of the fandom gift economy such as exchanges. There are one of the few wholly un self-centred places left where the focus is on gifting someone something they will love and giving back to the fandom at large by flooding it with art and opportunities appreciation and engagement with each other. It is not supposed to be an opportunity for you to think about yourself and "getting something good" in return or using it a convenient deadline. It also offers you an opportunity to engage with fic tropes and genres that you've never considered writing or reading before.

TL;DR if you've found yourself recently squabbling over how many notes your gifs, art, writing, etc. has been getting compared to other people instead of focusing on forging community ties and your own creative expression, I'm sorry to say you're doing it wrong.