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linskywords · 4 years

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criminal-minds-fanfiction wrote a bunch of questions for authors that you’re supposed to let people ask you, buuuut I felt like answering all of them instead of doing my actual job this afternoon. 😄 Here we go:

1) How old were you when you first starting writing fanfiction?

Like 25 maybe? I started writing about a year after I started reading it. I had a fanfiction-deprived adolescence, y’all.

2) What fandoms do you write for and do you have a particular favourite if you write for more than one?

The hockey boys pulled me in years ago and they haven’t let me go. I do sometimes write other things: I almost always participate in Yuletide, and I’ve actually written a bunch of Animorphs fic under a different name (ask me if you want to see it!). Mostly hockey RPF, though.

3) Do you prefer writing OC’s or reader inserts? Explain your answer.

Haha neither. Well, I guess OC’s, if I had to choose -- I don’t read or write reader inserts. But I tend to keep OC’s for original fiction.

4) What is your favourite genre to write for?

I was very confused about fic having genres before I realized this was probably referring to the genre of the canon works. Um...sports. :D

5) If you had to choose a favourite out of all of your multi chaptered stories, which would it be and why?

Don’t make me choose my favorite child. Um, probably the first wolfverse story -- I don’t know if it’s the best one, but I’m very grateful to it for starting the ‘verse!

6) If you had to delete one of your stories and never speak of it again, which would it be and why?

None of them, if that’s an option. If I really had to choose...probably the Kirk/Spock fic I never finished even after uploading it to AO3 and promising to finish it this time. I still want to finish it!! But it would be the first to go.

7) When is your preferred time to write?

I don’t have a strong preference. Afternoon/evening. I like having multi-hour blocks, and I use the Forest app to keep me off my phone while I do it.

8) Where do you take your inspiration from?

Plot bunnies come from all over the place: random thoughts, memes, real-life conversations, suggestions from other fandom people. I tend to have a pretty strong “THIS IS A STORY I WANT TO WRITE” response when something grabs me the right way.

9) In your xxx fic, what’s your favourite scene that you wrote?

Haha this is probably why I’m not supposed to just answer all of these in order. XD I’ll answer for my current WIP: the scene where Geno kisses Sid for the first time. So soft. So angsty. 😈 (My own story has cursed me to love Geno. I am doomed.)

10) In your xxx fic, why did you decide to end it like that? Did you have an alternative ending in mind?

In general: I know how my stories are going to end when they start. Sometimes it does evolve a bit as I write. One thing I’d like to play with is including more of the main characters being together at the end of the story, instead of ending it at the moment when they get together; the latter makes sense from a tension perspective, but I’ve been finding when I read lately that I want more of the happy times at the end, so I’m going to try to move in that direction.

11) Have you ever amended a story due to criticisms you’ve received after posting it?

Only for typos, I think.

12) Who is your favourite character to write for? Why?

Ooooh. Either Patrick Kane or Jonathan Toews. There’s something so compelling to me about Patrick’s fanon voice. And every love interest in every original story I try to write is Jonny.

13) Who is your least favourite character to write for? Why?

I...don’t really write about characters I don’t like? I wish Auston Matthews would shave his mustache.

14) How did you come up with the title for the xxx? - You can ask about multiple stories.

About fifty percent of the titles I come up with are desperate scrambles because I’ve got nothing. The other fifty percent I have a perfect song lyric for from the start.

15) If you write OC’s, how do you decide on their names?

I only write OC’s in original fiction, but: I’ve been phonebanking lately, and I’ve been writing down all the good names I come across. The best so far is someone with the last name Quackenboss.

16) How did you come up with the idea for xxx?

MAGIC.

17) Post a line from a WIP that you’re working on.

Oh...oh no. Um.

“It doesn’t matter what he was thinking about. His knot popped; that’s the important thing.”

Some of you can probably guess what that’s about. :)

18) Do you have any abandoned WIP’s? What made you abandon them?

Mostly on my computer. I have a lot of beginnings of stories I haven’t finished yet; many of them I’ll probably go back to. I tend not to post things until I’m done or close to done with them. (That one Star Trek fic being an exception. Mea culpa.)

19) Are there any stories that you’ve written that you’d really love to do a sequel to?

YES. The 1988 timer one and the 1988 story where Patrick’s a girl who sneaks onto the Blackhawks in disguise. I’d love to do a Bennguin version of both of those.

20) Are there any stories that you wished you’d ended differently?

Hm. Some of them I think I rushed a little. More Than I Could Ever Promise, I think it needs a good old-fashioned battle scene in the mountains at the end to really round out the plot.

21) Tell me about another writer(s) who you admire? What is it about them that you admire?

Have I mentioned astolat? What, only two or three hundred times? I should mention her again, then. Give me that woman’s ability to plot. Inject it into my veins.

22) Do you have a story that you look back on and cringe when you reread it?

Haha. I often have slightly cringy moments in my old stories. You Made My Life an Adventure, I definitely didn’t really know what I was doing yet...

23) Do you prefer listening to music when you’re writing or do you need silence?

I usually listen to music.

24) How do you feel about writing smutty scenes?

Turned on.

25) Have you ever cried whilst writing a story?

Yes. The sequel to My Heart Forgets to Beat.

26) Which part of your xxx fic was the hardest to write?

The Sid/Geno wolfverse story I’m working on now is maybe the hardest thing I’ve ever written. The language barrier is such a new challenge for me.

27) Do you make a general outline for your stories or do you just go with the flow?

I don’t formally outline, but I tend to have a sense of the major plot beats. One reason I love writing fic is that the plot and world tend to be straightforward enough for that. I have a lot more trouble doing that with original fiction.

28) What is something you wished you’d known before you started posting fanfiction?

This will radically reduce the amount of time I spend writing original fiction.

29) Do you have a story that you feel doesn’t get as much love as you’d like?

Like You Have a Secret I think is less read than some of the others because it’s het, but I really love it. Similarly, some of my stories that are inspired by other works (Tangled, Doctor Who, The Giver) tend to be read less because people think they need to know the source material, when really I deviate from the source material so much it’s not important.

30) In contrast to 29 is there a story which gets lots of love which you kinda eye roll at?

Huh. Probably not. I’m definitely surprised when some stories take off -- Kinda Narrows It Down I wrote pretty quickly, on a whim, and I was surprised by the extent to which it resonated with people. Turns out lots of people think Tyler was coming out in that tweet. XD

31) Send me a fic recommendation and I’ll post it for my followers to see! (The asker is to send the rec not the answerer)

Ooh. Ignoring the terms of this question, but: I just read this TK/Patty story and loooved it. It’s a different take on werewolves than the one I use in wolfverse, and it’s super compelling:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/24029188

32) Are any of your characters based on real people?

Hahahahahaha. (I mean...less so than you might think.)

33) What’s the biggest compliment you’ve gotten?

I absolutely love it when people write screaming flaily responses to my fic. Also anytime anyone says that they’ve been having a tough time and my story was exactly what they needed. Maybe my favorite was the responses to More Than I Could Ever Promise that told me it read like a novel; that meant a lot to me right then.

34) What’s the harshest criticism you’ve gotten?

Fandom is amazing; people almost never give me concrit. I did have someone ask once if I randomly chose when to stop writing and just ended my stories there. I was pretty offended, since of course that’s not true at all, but I can see where they were coming from: my stories tend to wrap up after the characters get together, and sometimes there’s a lot of potential story left to tell at that point. But stories have to end sometime.

35) Do you share your story ideas with anyone else or do you keep them close to your chest?

I tend to share them! I find other people’s enthusiasm to be strongly motivating, and sometimes people have awesome suggestions I wouldn’t have thought of.

36) Can you give us a spoiler for one of your WIP’s?

Well, I only have the one. XD Sid...is about to have an important conversation with Mario.

37) What’s the funniest story you’ve written?

Ooh, I’m not sure I’m the write person to answer! No idea, really. My recent TK/Patty is probably pretty funny. Or maybe Quality Time, where Patrick doesn’t understand why he keeps losing track of time when he’s cuddling with Jonny. Anything with a super dumb protagonist, probably.

38) If you could collab with any other writer on here, who would it be? (Perhaps this question will inspire some collabs!) If you’re shy, don’t tag the blog, just name it.

Wow, I have no idea. I’ve never really written a story with someone, so I’m not sure how that would work. I want to say astolat again but honestly I’d be too intimidated.

...no, I’m gonna say astolat. Even if I made a fool of myself I think I would learn a ton.

39) Do you prefer first, second or third person?

Third. For some original stuff I like first person, but third feels right for the hockey boys.

40) Do people know you write fanfiction?

My close friends do. Most of my friends have the vague idea I write fic, but they don’t know my username or anything.

41) What’s you favourite minor character you’ve written?

Patrick Sharp. No question.

42) Song fic - What made you decide to use the song xxx for xxx.

I will legit listen to a new album with a doc open to write down promising lyrics. Titles are HARD, y’all.

43) Has anyone ever guessed the plot twist of one of your fics before you posted it?

I think people guessed where the Tangled fic was going. Though I also liked the guesses that it would be about Patrick’s mullet. XD I don’t really mind when people guess twists -- in the kind of story I write, it’s more about the experience of reading it than about surprise!

44) What is the last line you wrote?

“His parents have always been very respectful of any choices Sid’s wanted to make. They haven’t pried into his private life when he’s tried to set boundaries. But they’re wolves, and they know him a lot better than Jordy does. Sid isn’t going to be able to keep it a secret from them what he’s going through.”

...no guarantee it survives in that form. :D

45) What spurs you on during the writing process?

Getting the story out of my head and into reality! Spoon out that lake, baby.

I also do love the prospect of posting it for people to enjoy and respond to. It’s one of the reasons I find fic so much more rewarding than original fiction, where the timeline to a readership is so much longer.

46) I really loved your xxx fic. If you were ever to do a sequel, what do you think might happen in it?

Things, probably.

47) Here’s a fic title - insert a made up title. What would this story be about?

This exercise might be going off the rails a bit. (If anyone does want to pose this to me, feel free!)

48) What’s your favourite trope to write?

Ooh. Mutual pining. Friends to lovers. Werewolves. :D

49) Can you remember the first fic you read? What was it about?

The first fic I ever, ever read was a random Kirk/Spock one I found through google, and I was like “OMG IS THIS WHAT AROUSAL FEELS LIKE”

50) If you could write only angst, fluff or smut for the rest of your writing life, which would it be and why?

Oh man. Angst, as long as it can have a happy ending. But it just wouldn’t be the same without the smut.

#this was fun #i guess i should go back to work now #fic #fandom #ao3 #tropes #hockey rpf #writing #patrick kane #jonathan toews #sidney crosby #geno malkin #tyler seguin #probably some other people

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discoveringenterprise · 4 years

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“RYAN WHERE THE FUCK DID YOU GO?!” and other shit you might wonder

First off: I am so sorry for disappearing off of the face of the earth oh my god

Second off: I’m going on an indefinite hiatus as of Sundayish. Yes, you read that right, an indefinite hiatus. All the content on the blog will stay for our enjoyment, and I fully authorize use of my gifs anywhere and everywehre

Third off: if you’re struggling rn, shit gets better, PLEASE trust me on this.

TLDR of this post; I got better, so can you, and I’m heading out.

ENT GC: let me know if you want admin. Do what you want with the blog, and if you wanna make a new group chat, please do so since I won’t be around to add people.

How can I contact you/get your contact info before you go? Dallyn and Daphne have my contact info so if you ever need to reach me and I’m gone... yeah. Like I said, I’ll be heading out Sundayish, so I’ll periodically log in here if you wanna talk to me/get my info before I go.

What’s your actual name? That... that’s a long story, too. LMAO. Especially if you know me. DM me for the story if you know me.

Why are you leaving? So, as you guys know, I started college, which is completely and utterly whack. Everything is changed, everything is different and I have friends now? Like, WTF. I’ve been so wrapped up in work it took me forever to get on here after Dallyn texted me “your account got hacked” so... oops. I let everyone into the ent gc (oh my GOD i look back at that and have a love/hate relationship with it!) and let me know if you figure out a way to make admins on it??? I’m confused AF.

I’m going to be focusing off college and staying off Tumblr for a while. It was 2 am technically today and I was reading all my old posts like “jfc I was so depressed???” and now I’m just... not. I made friends, real friends, over the summer. People who understand and get it (and yes some of them are ent stans.)

Why did you disappear in May and why are you leaving again? Shortly put, and I don’t mean to sound mean, I made real friends. Real as in I will physically interact with them in real life (aka college friends). I kind of weaned off Tumblr slowly, and only kept going back for the ent gc (I LOVE YOU GUYS THOUGH!!!). And it kinda became a drag.

When I came back to Tumblr, it was like late January and early February. I’d just got out of the Instagram rping world and was so tempted to start one here, but I was scared and intimidated, and I’m glad I didn’t. Breaking off rp was the best thing I’d ever done for myself, and the best thing that this toxic girl ever did for me. My shitty mental health had been kinda dependent on this rp, it’s hard to explain, but I was being a jerk and kinda had been since freshman year with projecting my feelings onto my character’s and blurring the lines far too much between me and her. She was (and is!) still hella overpowered, hella perfect, and something that would absolutely never happen in canon.

Honestly, this whole situation was basically the lyrics to the song Clarity ft. Foxes by Zedd. I love that song, go give it a listen.

Point being, I got myself off of that once I realized. The problem had started in January 2017, ran through October 2017, and then took a hiatus until junior year but only started to really manifest itself in February 2019. And honestly, mainly when school started back, in September/October 2019 and lasted until January 4 when she and I had our last fight. (She messaged me again, later- here- and since making that post, we’ve ended things on neutral terms.)

So I came here. Tumblr. I’d been here in 2017 right after the OTHER rp ended, and I think Tumblr became my new outlet then, too. I was a baby in the middle of my freshman year then. And then there I was, coming full circle. As a senior in high school. I read all of my old posts about how I’d never make it, and there I was. I’d made it. The end of HS was in sight.

I straight up vibed through all of May. Now, I was slowly making friends in college already, but it only really took off in April and May, which is when I left. I focused more on those, building those connections. I loved you guys on Tumblr, I still do, but I was definitely going to meet these college friends. And as I pulled my head out of Tumblr, I got a job, an actual paying job , in June- and I was already gone.

As I looked back on my posts last night/this morning I was thinking “oh my GOD what the fuck” because jfc, Tumblr had turned into the place where I vented. And then as I got through the months, I became happier. The pandemic was around, duh, and I didn’t have as much school stressing me out, there wasn’t as much craziness around. I was free, I didn’t have people from high school to deal with, and I got better on my own.

YEAH, I was talking to a college guy. And yeah, that was nice, but it was more of a side thing. He was my friend, and he played me, but I learned to be myself. Learned to love Enterprise wildly and give absolutely no fucks.

And it is oh so nice to give zero fucks. It’s an amazing feeling. I hope everyone gets there someday. And yeah, I’ve had moments where people don’t like me, and moments where I’ve felt down, depressed. That’s not saying life is always perfect 100% of the time.

But what I’m trying to say is: it gets better. And to me, Tumblr was like a crutch. Sometimes you need it to help you stand, but when you think you always need it, and can stand on your own, that’s where the problem is. In May, I became confident enough to let the crutch go. And I’m thankful that I did that.

I still love you guys, everyone reading this post, the people that know me and are going to miss me. It’s not that I hate this website or anything- I just stopped using it as a crutch, you know?

Where can I read this crazy fanfic? DM me, haha. It’s the classic “self-insert but NOT a self-insert” fanfiction originating form a fifth grade idea, reformatted by my depressed fourteen-year-old self. And I wouldn’t change it for the world. Yes, it’s Star Trek.

I also have one for the girl’s relative, too, which IMO is much better. She’s less overpowered, more of a real human being.

So why mention the fanfic and RP? It’s weird; I’ve come full circle. I wanted to be this perfect girl, and then I planned how she’d finish her story (and I’m finishing it. I am, I promise, because she’s a part of me that I wouldn’t trade for anything). As I’ve taken a break from the E/AP-verse (my public nickname for it haha, someone found out here) I’ve realized again, I came full circle.

All I wanted back then was to be happy and I thought a guy would do it. Popularity, a bunch of friends, a “hot body” (btw FUCK BODY SHAMING and you’re all perfect) and all that BS that the media tells you. What really gives you happiness (or at least me)? Confidence. The fact that I know I have friends I can count on here. Yeah, a relationship is nice, but complete yourself before you get into one.

And when I planned my OC’s ending back in February, that’s what she got. She’s married in my head now, to her (and my!) perfect guy, but the important part is that she’s happy, and she’s herself before she got married. Before she got in her relationship.

So, yeah. I think that covers it. In all honesty, if you have more questions, send them to the ask box and I’ll tag them and all this as “ry’s goodbye” and update my nav page. It’s 12:39 AM so please excuse any typos!

Bye, guys. For now, at least.

I love you.

#ry's goodbye

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green-blooded-computer · 4 years

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A Guide to RPing on Tumblr

I’ve been getting a lot of questions lately, so here’s my complete walkthrough on how to create a Tumblr RP blog.

If you’d rather view on a Google Doc, here’s a link.

Enjoy.

Create Blog

Howdy, so the first thing you’ll have to do is click ‘register’ and make yourself a blog. You also have the choice of making a sideblog instead. I’m a person who likes to have this separated, so if you are only thinking of playing a couple characters, this might be the way to go for you. Here’s the difference between main/side blogs (taken from Tumblr’s help center):

Choose any url for now (we’ll talk about that later), and go to the next section.

Please note: When you make a new blog, it won’t show up in the search/people’s notifications for a bit of time (a day or so). Make sure you validate your email address asap.

Get xKit

If you haven’t installed xKit, I highly suggest it. Go to their blog here, and get it for Chrome, Firefox, Edge, or Opera.

What is it? A little toolkit to make Tumblr easier to use.

When you install it, it’ll pop up on your top bar thing next to the lightning bolt like this:

It’s that thing with the x’s on it.

When you click the x’s this pops up:

Brill.

You can click ‘Get Extensions’ at the bottom and basically choose whatever you want, but may I recommend the following:

1) Editable Reblogs allows you to edit reblogs. Right. This is good because when you are replying to RP threads they tend to get rather long. Some advice that was given to me when I started: when you add your reply, delete everything before your partner’s last reply. So you should have your partner’s post and your post and that’s all. You just click ‘reblog’ and it pops up like normal, except now there’s this little guy:

If you click that, it will make everything in your reblog box editable.

2) One-Click Postage gives you a little box if you hover over the reblog button. It lets you reblog, queue, draft, tag, and add replies right from that page. You can even choose which blog (main/side) you want it to go to. It looks like this:

The rest I will just say play around with! They are easy to add and take away.

Decide what kind of blog you want.

Multimuse Vs. Single muse:

Do you want to play one character or a bunch of them? If you choose one character, your blog icon and theme will presumably feature that character or something to do with them. If you choose to focus on one, you should have info about your character available on your blog somewhere. If you choose to have more than one muse, you’ll need a list of the characters you offer and some info about them.

When choosing a url for a multimuse, choose something that encompasses the spirit of you and your characters.

When choosing a url for a single muse, I go for quotes, nicknames, something about where they are from, what they like, their name, etc. Note: if you have dashes in your url (like mine @strings-have-been-cut) these won’t work with tags. People will have to turn them into separate words or one big word.

I do not have a multimuse, but I have seen them done all sorts of ways. Some people offer characters from all different fandoms, some are just one fandom, one genre, OCs, canons, a mixture...you can do what you like.

If your blog is not affiliated with any sort of organized game, this is referred to as ‘independent’ often shortened to ‘idie’.

Your blog description should mention which kind it is. For example: a sci-fi multimuse blog; a Star Trek OC blog; an indie Bill S. Preston Esq. from Bill and Ted RP blog. Details help sometimes.

Canon Character Vs. Original Character

If you decide to make a canon character, make sure you have it clear somewhere where they are from! Canon characters can be canon divergent (your own version), they can crossover into other fandoms, they can be exactly as they are in your favourite book/show/movie/podcast...each version of a canon is unique and lovely.

If you decide to make an original character, make sure you give plenty of info about them! You want to tell people what fandom they fit into or if they are fandomless. ‘About’ pages are really important for OCs because there is no fanbase for them (yet!).

What should be in your description?

When someone clicks your blog, they will first see a dash preview sort of thing. It shows a description and a small header, along with the posts you’ve made. This description also shows up somewhere on your actual blog and on the top of the page on mobile view. It’s a great spot to give all the info about your blog real quick. I always include the following:

What is it? (Independent Data from Star Trek RP blog)

Age restrictions (21+)

Who you will RP with (mutuals only is called ‘private’ and choosing who you follow back is called ‘selective’.)

Mun’s name (played by [insert your name])

Possibly a link to your about/rules for easy access on desktop and mobile. I’ll talk about this more below. I call this ‘navigation’, but it varies. Note: if you edit your icon/dash header, any html links seem to go away. I’ve needed to go back into the theme customizer and add them back in. To add a link to your description, go into your customizer, go to the description section, and add the html as follows:

So mine is: <a href=”https://data-all-in-one.carrd.co”>Indie Data from Star Trek blog.</a>

The description for my Data blog reads: ‘Indie Data from Star Trek RP blog. Click here for navigation. 21+. Private/selective. Played by Fool.

What should be on this blog?

In my experience, you need a couple of pages on your blog to get you started:

About the character - basically a biography

Rules - so people know what you are about

About the mun - so people can know about the person they are writing with

Possibly a link to your ‘ask memes’ tag - see below.

These can be organized however you like, but people tend to look for a few specific things.

About the Character

This should read like a biography. Back in the day, we used to call them ‘character apps’ and they had all your basic info about the character. Sometimes this section contains a subsection called ‘verses’ in which the mun spells out what universes they exist in. Say I had an AU where Data owns an arcade in San Francisco in the 80’s. I’d list that as one of his ‘verses’. This is extremely important for OCs, but very helpful for canons too.

Data has four: TNG era, TNG movie era, AU where he lives after Nemesis, AU where he’s around during Star Trek: Picard. I gave a little info about both.

Rules

Rules are usually organized into the things people are looking for before they start playing with you. Some good info to include:

Mun age

Your policy on adult content

How you deal with tagging triggers

Your policy on following back

Your policy on writing with mutuals vs. anyone

Do you allow personal blogs (non RP blogs) to follow you?

How fast do you reply?

How does your tagging system work?

How do you deal with shipping?

Here is a link to my usual Rules page for reference. Remember, it’s not wrong if it’s different than mine!

Note: People will look for how old you are. Many people in the RPC are adults, and they want to write with people their own age. If your age is not posted somewhere clearly, they may not follow you back.

About the Mun

This is really just a little blurb about you. Some people include their age here. Some people include links to their other blogs. Some people include their Discord info, as that’s really popular right now. It’s just nice to know who you are writing with.

It’s important to note that there are different ways to present all of these blogs. Some people have them as pages on their Tumblr blog itself, some people put all of this (Bio, About, Rules, etc) in a Google Doc and link it, some people use Carrd.co - there are a ton of ways. A friend of mine did this amazing post about some options out there. I personally go for Carrd.co, seeing as I am on mobile a lot and I find it very helpful, but it’s up to you.

Now I have a blog with all the info. How do I get started?

Well there are a few things you can do to get yourself out there.

Make yourself a promo. It’s basically an advertisement for your blog. If you aren’t good at graphics, you can head to an RP Resource blog and see if they have any you can use with their permission. You can also just post a picture with some info. For me, the info on this promo matches that of my blog description - I want people to know what I’m all about as soon as they look at it. Then you can tag for your appropriate fandom RP. Your mutuals will likely reblog to help spread the word. Yay.

Find a directory for your RPC by searching in the search. This will allow you to a) reblog your info and be listen in a place where people can find you and b) allow you to find others in your RPC in an organized way. Then you can go through, find people you think you’d like to follow, and follow them.

Make a starter or plotter call. This is, again, just a picture or graphic and some information about it. Here is one I made for Data specifically asking for Picard threads:

I asked for a specific universe and a specific character here. I also put all relative tags in case someone is just searching Tumblr (although I think it’s more for the people who follow me). Here’s a simpler one I made for B-4 that’s a lot more open.

They don’t have to be super fancy.

When people see a starter call, they can like your post. This is a quick an easy way to let you know they are interested in a thread.

4. Ask Memes. Asks are invaluable. There are whole blogs dedicated to ask memes that you can post to your blog, and these can be really easy ways for people to come up with plot ideas or just to read some of your writing. I always keep a link on my blog to everything tagged ‘ask meme’ so if people want to find a meme they have choices!

It seems like there’s a certain aesthetic on these new fangled RP blogs. Do I have to do that?

No! But you can, if you want. If you aren’t good at coding and graphics, there are a lot of RP resource sites that can help you. (Can I recommend this one?) It is nice to have things like a face claim, a nice looking promo, a cool theme, etc. but at the end of the day, we all just want to write and have fun.

Advice?

Look, I’ve only been RPing on Tumblr for a couple of months and I am by NO MEANS an expert. I have gotten all of this knowledge through the help of friends and nice strangers willing to answer questions for me. Here are a few things I have picked up:

Respect people’s rules - We are all shy and all have our own thing going on. If someone says they’re uncomfortable doing one thing, just like...don’t do it.

Talk to other people - Don’t ignore the mun! Unless they really want you to. It’s better to ask questions, compliment writing, talk about your plots and stuff...it’s so much harder than trying to figure out what the other person feels/wants.

Ask questions - I’m a 6th grade teacher, and I get a million and fuckton questions every minute usually. It’s been eye-opening, because now I’m all about asking questions about everything all the time. I think knowledge is amazing. People know all different things, and the most logical way to be a productive society is to share knowledge (that’s one of the main teachings of Surak) so ask some questions! Hell, ask me some questions! Reach out to someone who seems nice!

Okay, that’s all. Good luck!

#RPG #RPC #RP Resource #RP Guide

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jaimistoryteller · 5 years

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Last Line Tags & Writing Update

Hiya Folks

*chuckles* so I did three, that are queued up for posting, and I still have like 20 to go. I am taking it as a sign I am supposed to be writing. Now lets see if life lets me actually write!

I’ve been playing in my fandoms more than original works lately, as I tend to do that when things are stressful. After all, I don’t have to create the characters for fandom and keep the world organized, simply keep the story going, unlike original works where I wanna make sure my tales come out the best as possible.

That said, I am actually doing my normal NaNo goal this month: finish at least one already published WIP. I have no clue which one I will be working on. So if you all lovely peeps who read my stuff have an opinion, feel free to tell me!

My hope is to do my normal Nano goal this month, then for Nano actually work on Finding Home a bit more, if I can get things to even out enough that I am in the headspace to do so. Otherwise I will simply have two months of trying to finish fanfics.

Expect a lot of tags and sharing of others older stuff as I go through this. I will tag fandom peeps for fandom stuff, mostly, though not always and only ones that have responded to tags before. Unless you wanna tell me you’d like tagged. I’ll also be tagging writerblr peeps for last line stuff because it doesn’t matter what your last line was, do the writing (and yes that includes homework for those wondering).

Take care all, I hope to hear from anyone who has opinions on which WIPs I should try finishing.

Jaimi

PS. below the cut is a list of my current partially published WIPs

Bond

Playful Stress Relief - Q/James/Alec - Answers Verse - James has an idea for how to deal with Mason not wanting to eat.

Advent - Q/James/Alec - Moments in Another Life - Relationships change and evolve over time, most of which is expected, but sometimes it's the unexpected that are the most enjoyable changes.

Bond & Sherlock

Gotta do It Yourself - Q/James, Q/James/Alec implied - Stand Alone (so far) - Bond and Q get kidnapped on their way to a technology conference

Sherlock

Unusual Relationship - Jim M./Sebastian - Sunrise Cafe - Jim and Sebastian's relationship through the years

Letters and Cards - James S./John W. - Sunrise Cafe - John and James spend a year writing to each other rather than talking in person, though they exchange hellos when passing the letters.

Unexpected - Mycroft/Greg - Sunrise Cafe - Mycroft thinks he is going through menopause and is surprised to discover he is not.

Right Decision - Jim M./John W. - Family Decisions - It was the right decision, it had to be. His daughter would never be a mistake, but would the possibility of introducing her father be one?

Gift for John - Jim M./John W., Sherlock/Greg, Mycroft/Greg - Stand Alone - AO3 account locked - Sherlock comes up with a plan for stopping Jim, but it is a bit more than a Bit Not Good

Clandestine - Jim M./John W - Unexplained - After the Fall, John saves Jim’s life because he is damned if he will lose both of them

Oral Fixation - John W./Sebastian - Baker Street Polyamory - How John learned to be a dom and expanded his understanding of his sexuality

Baker Street Polyamory - Molly/Sherlock/Greg/Mycroft/John W. & all varations of those five - Baker Street Polyamory - Molly gets notified of a new law that has her turning to Sherlock for help, but she does not get the type of help she expects.

Atypical Traits - John W./Sebastian, John W./Sherlock, Jim M./Sebastian - Atypical - Every Guide who has ever tested John has determined he is a Sentinel, but John has a secret, one he prefers not to mention. While he was in the war he had a partner who knew his secret but after being shot he thought his partner had died. Sebastian had been the doctors partner for five years, well aware of the secret that John hid for he had one too, after John's death by a sniper he had gone off the deep end and got discharged from the military. What happens when the two discover that they really didn't die like they each thought the other had?

Trigun

Distraction - Meryl/Vash/Knives - Stand Alone - A look of Meryl, Vash and Knives relationship

Learning to Live - Meryl/Vash, Milly/Knives - Gunsmoke - Vash came back after the fight with Knives, and brought him with him, now can the four of them learn to live together as each person deals with their own emotions, the past, and the future. Mostly based off the anime, however there are a few manga snippets thrown in as well

Hobbit

Blessed - Biblo/Thorin, Kíli/Tauriel - Blessing - Bilbo rarely prays, he doesn't see the use, but sometimes, just sometimes when the situation is dire he does, and the results are staggering

Labyrinth

Powers that Be - Sarah/Jareth - Stand Alone - A horrible night leads to life altering circumstances for Sarah. Jareth finds himself with more things going on than expected in a relatively short period of time. Life in the Underground is never exactly what it seems, yet always is exactly that.

Changes - Sarah/Jareth - Stand Alone - In the time following her trip through the Labyrinth there was a lot of things different about Sarah, this is how she learns to use her new talents and grows into herself before deciding to face the Goblin King again.

Harry Potter

Choices - Lily/Severus, Severus/Hermione - Stand Alone (so far) - A twist on the idea of Time Travel, what happens if Hermione gets covered in time dust from the Time Room and uses a Time Turner to try and help in the war against Voldemort?

Welcome to the Punch

Phrases Said: the Rogue & the Detective - Max/Jacob - Tumblr Prompts - Different short stories about Jacob Sternwood and Max Lewinsky.

Welcome to the Punch & Kingsman

Souls Entwined - Jacob/Max, Harry/Eggsy - Matched and Kept - Things are forever changed for Max and Jacob after a chance encounter years before, and a discovery that changes everything.

Kingsman

Kingsman Academy - Harry/Eggsy - stand alone - All shifters are required to take lessons learning how to control their abilities. Harry is a teacher at Kingsman Academy where new shifters between 20 to 25 years of age go for their training, he is also a snow-leopard, one of the rarest varieties of shifter, so he is surprised when the newest student is a snow-leopard as well

Doctor Who

Daughter - Nine/Rose - stand alone - Rose gets a shock and the Doctor is overjoyed

The Pack Verse - Crossover Central

Seriously, crossover central as it currently has Sherlock, Bond, Marvel, and Star Trek so far, with other stories and cross overs in the notes but not yet out as I wanna finish the ones started first.

Trial & Error - Jace/Eric, Charlotte/Aidan - subcategory Watson Pack - The story of how Jace & Eric and Aidan & Charlotte work out their relationships.

Healing - Peter/Wade, Bucky/Steve, Bucky/Wade - subcategory Heroes Pack - Choices can have life altering affects as most superhumans can attest, so Peter and Steve are both aware of some of the effects that their choices in regards to their favorite assassins are going to have, some of the other effects are completely unexpected

#about me #Jaimi's Update #writing update #it's been a while since I did one of these

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beckyalbertalli · 5 years

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Interview with William C. Morris Award finalist Adib Khorram: the Bitmoji edition.

It’s that time of year again! I love my William C. Morris Award family, and I’m so overjoyed to welcome finalist Adib Khorram into the fold. I am head over heels for Adib’s debut, DARIUS THE GREAT IS NOT OKAY. It’s about the most endearing tea-drinking, soccer-playing, half-white, half-Persian, fictional nerd you’ve ever met. I’m not exaggerating when I say it’s one of my favorite books of all time - and outlets like TIME, Buzzfeed, Kirkus, Publisher’s Weekly, Entertainment Weekly, Cosmopolitan, the New York Times (and more) totally agree with me.

But the number one DARIUS fan? My Bitmoji. She’s actually kind of embarrassing about it. When I told her she’d be interviewing Adib’s bitmoji, she screamed. It was loud. I tried to talk her out of wearing her Adib fandom t-shirt to the interview, but.

Yeah.

So without further ado, let’s turn it over to the bitmojis!

Beckmoji: Huge congrats on being a finalist for the Morris Award! I’m ridiculously happy for you, and I can’t emphasize enough how well-deserved this is. Can you tell me about the moment you found out you were a finalist?

Adibmoji: I was actually doing the dishes when I got the phone call. I could tell it was [editor] Dana from my watch, so I dried off my hands and answered. And I’m kind of embarrassed to admit it but I kept washing dishes as we talked because I’m one of those people that doesn’t like to leave the dishes half-done; plus I had a school visit that afternoon so I wanted to finish them before I left. But we had a great chat and screamed together and it was awesome and wonderful and totally surprising.

Beckmoji: Darius has touched so many people’s hearts – I legit get DMs from people gushing about it, just because they know I’m a fan. I imagine it’s been the kind of year that can only truly be described in gifs. If you had to pick three that best capture your debut experience, what would they be?

Adibmoji: Debut year has been a whirlwind and amazing and I’ve been incredibly humbled by the response to Darius.

Adibmoji: Honestly a lot of the time it’s felt kind of surreal.

Adibmoji: But also it’s been an incredible amount of fun. I could not have predicted or asked for a better debut experience.

Beckmoji: Darius’s experience with depression hit so close to home for me, and I know I speak for many readers when I say that. What advice would you give to readers, especially teens like Darius, who may be living with depression?

Adibmoji: I always feel like advice is great when it works and terrible when it doesn’t. So instead I’d rather let readers know that even though it feels like depression can be this big, life-defining thing, it’s not. Depression is just one small part of their life, and not even the most interesting part.

Beckmoji: Darius’s friendship with Sohrab cuts so deep – their love for each other is palpable, and the rough moments between them are painfully real. I loved the exploration of all the ruptures and repairs that come with true friendship. What were your favorite moments to write about that friendship? What moments challenged you the most?

Adibmoji: I loved whenever I got the two of them on that rooftop and it felt like they were in their own little world. Those scenes were incredibly fulfilling to write. Probably the most challenging moment was the fight they have toward the end. I’ve never been great at writing fights, because I like it best when all my characters get along. So I had to dig really deep.

I feel like it’s human nature to lash out at the people we love most because we know (or at least hope) that they’re going to forgive us, and that’s what I was trying to get across. I hope I succeeded.

Beckmoji: I loved seeing Iran through the eyes of a biracial American kid with Persian/white roots. Were there any particular details that felt particularly important to include, either about Iran or about Darius's experience of being Persian?

Adibmoji: I really wanted to show that life is just life in Iran. So often other cultures get exoticized in media, and I wanted to push back against that. And, rather selfishly, I wanted to show Yazd, which is my dad’s hometown.

Beckmoji: I am a notorious exaggerator about crying during books - I actually rarely do – but I legit sobbed my eyes out near the end of Darius (it was during a conversation with his dad). Were there any parts of the book that made you emotional as you wrote them?

Adibmoji: The main ones were the scene where Darius says goodbye to his grandparents at the end, and the one with Darius and his dad on the rooftop. I came to the sobering realization during the writing process that I was closer in age to Darius’s parents than I was to Darius, and that really informed a lot of the scenes with his parents in general: I was thinking about what they were feeling, and what Darius was feeling, and what Darius thought they were feeling.

I once read that one of the characteristics of the teenage psyche is a tendency to react to the perceived motivations of the behavior, rather than the behavior itself, and that really stuck with me and informed Darius’s relationship with his dad.

Beckmoji: Are there any books that you would recommend for fans of Darius?

Adibmoji: The entire Simon-verse for starters! For readers seeking more Iranian-American stories, Arvin Ahmadi’s DOWN AND ACROSS, Abdi Nazemian’s THE AUTHENTICS, and literally anything by Sara Farizan (her latest is the stellar HERE TO STAY). Julian Winters’ RUNNING WITH LIONS for readers wanting a story about sports and inclusion and friends and love. For readers like Darius who love sci-fi and fantasy, Natalie C. Parker’s SEAFIRE, L. L. McKinney’s A BLADE SO BLACK, and Alex London’s BLACK WINGS BEATING. For cinnamon rolls dealing with family issues, it’s hard to beat Jandy Nelson’s I’LL GIVE YOU THE SUN or Benjamin Aliré Saenz’s ARISTOTLE & DANTE DISCOVER THE SECRETS OF THE UNIVERSE. And for all the nerds out there, keep your eyes peeled for Lana Wood Johnson’s 2019 debut, TECHNICALLY, YOU STARTED IT, a mistaken-identity romcom starring a pair of nerds who slowly fall in love over text messages.

And, because I can’t go five minutes without mentioning it, I am absolutely obsessed with Martha Wells’s THE MURDERBOT DIARIES, a series of adult sci-fi novellas that I’ve recommended to everyone in my life. They’re about a misanthropic cyborg who would rather watch soap operas but keeps getting forced into being a hero.

Beckmoji: What are three of your favorite moments from your whirlwind debut year?

Adibmoji: I’m kind of a weirdo and I love conventions, so going to BEA and being surrounded by ALL THE BOOKS was a real highlight. I also got to meet my agent and editor in real life for the first time; and you and I got to say hi again before we both got pulled in different directions; and I got to see New York City for the first time, which filled my theater-kid heart so full.

One time when we were in Austin for Texas Teen Book Festival, Heidi Heilig (author of FOR A MUSE OF FIRE, THE GIRL FROM EVERYWHERE, and THE SHIP BEYOND TIME, and an all-around amazing human being) led a group of us to the bat bridge to try and see the bats. But apparently we were too late in the season so we didn’t get to see the bat swarm. But we had a great adventure nonetheless.

After ALA, I had a late flight out, and Natalie C. Parker’s flight out got cancelled, so we ended up at the hotel bar after ALA, just talking about writing and family and our love of Star Trek.

One of the most amazing things about this whole journey has been all the friends I’ve made, especially with authors I admire. It’s kind of weird to go from being a fan to being a colleague, but it’s wonderful, too.

Beckmoji: And finally, please summarize Darius using only emojis.

Adibmoji:

In conclusion: should you buy this beautiful book and read it while drinking tea? Answer:

Huge thanks to Adib AND Adibmoji for giving such beautiful answers to these (fangirl ravings disguised as) questions.

#adib khorram #darius the great is not okay #morris award #interview

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putschki1969 · 5 years

Note

Hi Sarah-chan! O((^o^))O Thank you very much for replying my question regarding the girls voices! It was really helpful! (I was so sad to see how some people bash the girls voices T.T but I'll let it pass, I found very interesting things!). Thank you one more time! You're very kind! ~^u^~

Hi again!

Sorry for the late reply, it took a while to write this.

You are very welcome. I am glad I was able to be of some assistance at least. Like I said, I am not very knowledgeable when it comes to all the technical aspects of singing and music. That cpm thread I linked to is generally a great source of information because lots of people have been sharing their knowledge (although I am not sure how many of these so called “experts” are self-proclaimed and how many of them are actually well-versed in the matter). But yeah, those 50+ pages are also filled with a lot of bullshit unfortunately. I certainly do not appreciate all these random posts by people who feel the need to share their uneducated opinions. And I am definitely not a fan of people outright bashing Wakana’s voice. Under no circumstances that will ever be acceptable to me (not even when it is done under the guise of concern).

Once again, you are very welcome (♥ω♥ ) ~♪

Not 100% sure whether this message is from the same anon but I thought they fit together quite well so I decided to combine them in one post. If you are a different anon than the one from before, I am really sorry! I hope you still see my reply.

And yes, the forum isn’t exactly a pleasant place, most of the time the atmosphere is negative and borderline toxic. I try my best to stay away and I usually advise others to do the same.

**** Long rant ahead ****

People have told me again and again that I am overreacting, that the forum isn’t as bad as I make it out to be. People have accused me of looking at everything “through rose-tinted glasses”, of being “too sensitive”, of being “a snowflake” (a term I despise btw), of “playing Kalafina-police”, etc…There is nothing I haven’t heard before…

But honestly, people can call me whatever they want, I stand by my opinions. Contrary to popular belief, I have nothing against people expressing dislike, there is nothing wrong about critcism per se. I myself dislike a lot of things and I am certainly not always happy with every performance. For example, there has never been a performance of “ring your bell” that I truly liked. I usually like parts of it but generally I am really not a fan of the voice Wakana uses for the chorus. I am not scared to admit that and I will usually mention it in my reviews/reports. But do I choose to focus on a performance I didn’t like just to bash on it for the fun of it?? NO! I am acknowledging that it didn’t sound good (at least to me) but other than that I am simply accepting it as it is, I am shrugging it off in order to move on to something I actually enjoyed.

Unfortunately, I seem to be one of the very few people with this approach. Most fans focus on what they DON’T like and they choose to express their dislike in a very disrespectful manner.

For me, fandom has always been about fun, about celebrating the things I love, about highlighting the positive aspects, about respecting the things I love. Yes, there will always be lots of stuff to criticise (you can’t make everyone happy) but if I only ever focus on the negative stuff, if I am literally desperate to find something I can hate on, it takes all the fun away for me. I am over 30 now and I have been in many fandoms in my life. Fandoms have never been perfect of course but people definitely used to focus more on the positive things. Back in the day (ages ago) I spent YEARS in various big Star Trek and Stargate forums and I can’t say that I have ever come across the kind of hate that is omnipresent now across all fandoms. I feel like throughout the years fandoms have become increasingly more negative and it’s getting worse every year.

Don’t get me wrong, I understand why people love bashing and hating, it’s in the human nature to be like that. But personally I choose to hate on things I actually hate and not on things I claim to love. And should I realise that there is nothing left for me to love or that I am having a hard time finding things I can appreciate then I simply move on to find something else. I have enough negativity in my life as it is, if my fandom doesn’t give me joy, there is no need to waste my time with it.

Also, I have noticed that a lot of the negativity stems from a severe case of entitlement. It isn’t even any sort of valid criticism. Just people thinking they are “owed” something. They have all these expectations, they want THIS and they want THAT and if they don’t get it they get bitter and frustrated and start complaining. And the worst thing about it, those who feel most entitled, those who complain the loudest, it’s usually the ones that haven’t done a single thing in their life to support their favourite artist/musician/show/franchise/etc. Not saying that those who spend a fortune to uspport their faves are somehow more entitled than others but I think it showcases how hypocritical a lot of fans are.

Focusing on the negative aspects, bashing, hating, these things have become cool and trendy. It’s the negative stuff that generates most of the traffic online. People just eat it all up. They are like vultures, the nastier the content the better. It’s like people are getting off on seeing things they “claim” to love being torn apart into shreds by so called “critics”.

No one cares for all the good stuff anymore, I guess it’s too boring for most people. Everyone just takes the positive aspects for granted and they don’t think it’s necessary to mention them. OR people simply overlook them because they are too busy trying to find things they can complain about.

Just go to Youtube and compare the views on videos titled ”Why I love xyz” and “Why I hate xyz”. The hate videos get a ton more views and it’s not just that. The love videos are usually written off as crazy fan talk, not to be taken seriously, only to be ridiculed. On the other hand, hate videos are praised for their so called “honesty” and “objectiveness”, every single word is taken at face value, no one even thinks to question what is being said.

I hate this trend. It’s hard to find joy if everyone around you is dragging down something you love. Most of the time I can handle it because I make sure to keep my little corner of the fandom positive but yeah, sometimes it’s difficult.

Anyways, sorry, this got a little out of hand. I didn’t intend to go off on a tangent and write an essay about the changes in fandom. Not even sure what I was trying to say here. Guess I just wanted to rant a little. Over and out..

#Anonymous #kalafina #reply #wakana #keiko #hikaru #cpm #rant #fandom #fandoms

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verdigrisprowl · 6 years

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Jan 12 random movie night - Star Trek Discovery Ep 2 & 3

Tarantulas didn’t like it until they finally got to the science in episode 3.

More importantly: Prowl asked Soundwave if he happens to know what a “covenant” possessing historical and scientific data might be, Smokescreen mentioned he has one.

Soundwave.

Is.

Livid.

Naturally, they’re already plotting a way to get it from Smokescreen.

Yesterday ItsyBitsySpyers 9:46 pm *Soundwave's got it all set up again, this time with two cubes of random energon, metal, and crystal slivers at his side. Tarantulas already knows he has a mouth. It won't harm anything to lift his mask up juuuust enough to slip them under it.* Tarantulas 9:52 pm *tarantulas is gonna eye that array of snacks as he gets settled again* *he didn't bring anything, never remembers, never thinks to* ItsyBitsySpyers 9:54 pm *Soundwave points to the bar. Tarantulas is welcome to take some, if he wants.* Tarantulas 9:57 pm *is stuff just sitting out? otherwise he's actually got the politesse not to take* ItsyBitsySpyers 9:58 pm *There are things visible behind the bar itself, and Ravage is there. Besides, he pointed. It's fine.* [[Shall we?]] Tarantulas 9:59 pm *nnnnnnnah tarantulas hasn't ever talked with ravage so he's gonna pass on that* ...Is Prowl not coming? ItsyBitsySpyers 10:00 pm [[He started work today. Might be late. It is the nature of government jobs.]] Tarantulas 10:01 pm Today was his first day? *genuinely didn't know* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:01 pm [[...It should be. He was certain he saw paperwork to that effect...]] Tarantulas 10:02 pm Ah, well - I suppose that makes sense, then. *plans to comm him in like, ten minutes if he's not here* Might as well begin then, since he's seen it already, correct? ItsyBitsySpyers 10:03 pm [[He has. Very well; let us continue.]] Tarantulas 10:04 pm *gently floofs his fur and settles in* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:05 pm *Pats leg. Would Tarantulas care to be a spider or is he fine being himself?* Tarantulas 10:08 pm *brief snicker* Either way. Do /you/ have a preference? ItsyBitsySpyers 10:09 pm [[It /would/ be warmer for both of us. And,]] tiny bobble, [[he suspects he will lose the opportunity to Prowl should Prowl show up.]] ItsyBitsySpyers 10:12 pm [[The one who resists is a fool. They are fearsome individually. They would be more so together.]] Tarantulas 10:13 pm What opportunity? And *huff* I suppose so. The posturing and politics of all this is... not my favorite part. ItsyBitsySpyers 10:14 pm [[The stage must be set for the long drama to come. There will be science when it is finished.]] Tarantulas 10:16 pm Very well, very well. But they /could/ just give us a summary. ItsyBitsySpyers 10:17 pm [[He supposes so.]] [[He /was/ closer to these decisions for the duration of the war. That may be why it fascinates him more.]] FakeProwl 10:18 pm *appears* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:18 pm [[Ah. There, you see?]] Tarantulas 10:18 pm *jumps, floof* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:18 pm *Is accustomed to that by now. Mostly.* FakeProwl 10:19 pm Sorry I'm late. Work. *oh, that feels so good to say. "Sorry I'm late. Work."* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:19 pm [[It is good to have you. Do join us.]] FakeProwl 10:20 pm *is there room to sit between them?* Tarantulas 10:20 pm *not quite enough, he'll have to nudge them* FakeProwl 10:21 pm *he's not going to be rude and butt in. he'll stare at the not-quite-big-enough space to see if they decide to make it bigger for him. if not, he'll sit on the outside.* Tarantulas 10:22 pm *it's alright, as soon as tarantulas unfluffs he's jumping up to hug prowl anyhow, purring his name* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:22 pm *Soundwave will scoot to make the room* *...Providing Tarantulas doesn't bind him in a little cocoon and hug it all night.* FakeProwl 10:22 pm *oh! okay. hugs back.* *... hugs back very tightly.* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:25 pm ((god i love that shot)) Tarantulas 10:25 pm *oh! okay. hugs back tightly also, picks him up a bit* How was work, hmm? *is stepping back and sitting him and prowl down* (( also WAT FakeProwl 10:26 pm *oh! okay. is carried. lifts his knees up to either side of Tarantulas's thighs to make himself easier to carry.* FakeProwl 10:29 pm ((why does klingon always sound like they've got something in their mouths)) Tarantulas 10:29 pm (( marshmallows. too many marshmallows FakeProwl 10:29 pm ((Yes)) ItsyBitsySpyers 10:31 pm [[Is it classified...?]] *To Prowl.* *Obviously it isn't to him, he's still head of things, but Tarantulas is here, and all.* FakeProwl 10:31 pm Oh—no. Sorry, I was distracted. *he was surrounded by fluff and picked up.* FakeProwl 10:32 pm Just first-day orientation. Touring the headquarters, meeting all the teams. *ugh, second time prowl's seen this scene, and he still hates it.* Tarantulas 10:33 pm (( (whooshing) ItsyBitsySpyers 10:33 pm [[No unpleasant incidents?]] FakeProwl 10:35 pm None of any importance. It's obvious a great many of them don't trust or respect me, but for now they're willing to listen to me. Almost all of them were soldiers, they known how to follow the chain of command and I haven't given them a reason to mutiny. ItsyBitsySpyers 10:36 pm [[Good. He trusts you will inform him if that changes.]] Tarantulas 10:36 pm It won't. *happy churr* Prowl's already doing splendidly, I'm sure. FakeProwl 10:37 pm One mech in burglary called me "terrorist." I called him "bloodsucker" and that was the end of that. ItsyBitsySpyers 10:37 pm *Visible shaking. Oh, that is good to hear.* Tarantulas 10:37 pm Bloodsucker...? FakeProwl 10:38 pm He worked at a pink alchemy facility. ItsyBitsySpyers 10:38 pm [[Ah. The... meat energon.]] FakeProwl 10:38 pm Yes. Tarantulas 10:39 pm *snort* I see. FakeProwl 10:41 pm ... Upon watching it a second time, I am still convinced that her mutinous actions had absolutely no bearing on the beginning of the war. ItsyBitsySpyers 10:42 pm [[As is he. But scapegoats are handy.]] FakeProwl 10:42 pm Yes. Unfortunately. Tarantulas 10:43 pm *is patiently waiting for when things will actually get interesting for him* FakeProwl 10:44 pm *... wriggles around so he can sit sideways on Tarantulas's lap* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:44 pm [[Note to self. Avoid that species.]] FakeProwl 10:45 pm *okay. good.* Tarantulas 10:45 pm *snuggles in with arms around prowl - however his darling wants, of course* FakeProwl 10:46 pm *puts his feet in soundwave's lap* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:51 pm *Oh? He can do with this. The sensors in these probably map well enough to Prowl's physical legs and feet; he'll work on kneading and flexing what he can reach on the outside and rubbing what cables he can get to with his skinny fingers. Hopefully, a soothing reward for a fine first day.* FakeProwl 10:53 pm *Ooh. He'll take it.* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:54 pm *See, Tarantulas. You should have taken his lap offer earlier. Now you'll have to wait until tomorrow at least.* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:57 pm [[Suspicious Activities, clearly. Capitalized.]] Tarantulas 10:57 pm *is perked up now, ooh* FakeProwl 10:57 pm *long narrow fingers in his legs and fuzz all around his torso. he's going to melt.* ItsyBitsySpyers 11:00 pm *If he melts, can he at least notify Soundwave first so he can fetch a bucket? Melted metal's no easy thing to clean up once it dries.* Tarantulas 11:01 pm *silly soundwave, hard light can't melt* ItsyBitsySpyers 11:01 pm *True, true.* FakeProwl 11:02 pm *then prowl will boldly go where no holomatter has gone before* Tarantulas 11:03 pm *squint squint* ItsyBitsySpyers 11:07 pm *As his hands are busy, extrudes his feelers so he can clasp them. He wants to watch the next part a little closer than before.* Tarantulas 11:09 pm (( I LIKE THIS ItsyBitsySpyers 11:09 pm ((thought you might)) FakeProwl 11:09 pm ... He's too obnoxious for his intelligence to be enjoyable. He's arrogant, condescending, and impatient. Tarantulas 11:10 pm Pfft, most scientists are. FakeProwl 11:10 pm Most scientists are tolerably obnoxious. ItsyBitsySpyers 11:10 pm [[He is also angry. Some of it is forgivable.]] FakeProwl 11:10 pm I'll forgive him when and if he stops being intolerably obnoxious. Tarantulas 11:11 pm I must admit I find it strangely charming, hyeh. ItsyBitsySpyers 11:11 pm *Plucks some of the slivers out and slides them beneath the mask. Munch munch.* *And back to clasp.* FakeProwl 11:12 pm *... sssideglance* ItsyBitsySpyers 11:12 pm *Nothing much to see, sorry. There's just a tiny gap at the bottom.* FakeProwl 11:12 pm *hot.* Tarantulas 11:13 pm *mandibles fluttering excitedly* FakeProwl 11:14 pm *... also hot.* ItsyBitsySpyers 11:14 pm *Amuses himself while the beast runs by sticking a sliver up near the mandibles to see if they catch it on accident* Tarantulas 11:15 pm *u better believe his chelicerae reach out and snatch it* ItsyBitsySpyers 11:16 pm [[...He should show more of the Alien movies.]] *The scene reminds him of it.*

*Oooh. Fascinating. He'll have to do that again some time.* Tarantulas 11:16 pm *giggling* ItsyBitsySpyers 11:17 pm [[And the Alice human in her Wonderland.]] [[It is fantastically nonsensical.]] FakeProwl 11:17 pm How nonsensical? Tarantulas 11:17 pm It's a lovely and masterful piece of work, that's what. FakeProwl 11:18 pm ... I hope they can reconcile. Tarantulas 11:19 pm I rather like the tension their interactions bring. FakeProwl 11:20 pm *then Tarantulas has never experienced that kind of tension.* Tarantulas 11:20 pm *nnnnnope* ItsyBitsySpyers 11:21 pm [[Quite nonsensical. But intriguing. He suspects he would understand it better if he were more versed in human history.]]

[[...As for the tension, it is good to see it be on someone else's plate.]] ItsyBitsySpyers 11:22 pm *Watches Tarantulas' reaction to this.* Tarantulas 11:23 pm *the mandibles are still now* Tarantulas 11:25 pm Oh /please/, not the damn fortune cookies. Please tell me that won't become a theme. ItsyBitsySpyers 11:25 pm [[It isn't.]] FakeProwl 11:25 pm That's a cookie? Tarantulas 11:25 pm Good. Because they have /much/ better content to focus on now. FakeProwl 11:26 pm I thought it was a nut. Tarantulas 11:26 pm And yes, it's a fairly simple confectionery. (( i've made fortune cookies before heee FakeProwl 11:27 pm ... You can't learn that the "real world" doesn't adhere to logic from a fictional book. Books are not the "real world." And the real world ALWAYS adheres to logic. Tarantulas 11:28 pm *taps claws together* ItsyBitsySpyers 11:29 pm [[We have one more before we are caught up to Bevel's schedule, but we will have to fit it in tomorrow.]]

[[Books can /reflect/ the world.]] ((cause i could squeeze it in and only run 15 over but puff was talking sleep deprivation earlier so i don't wanna do that)) FakeProwl 11:30 pm If a book teaches a lesson of which one cannot find evidence in the real world, then that lesson is highly suspect. Tarantulas 11:30 pm I'm so /pleased/ they kept the specimen. The tissue distortion, it must be - *excited rambling to no one in particular* ItsyBitsySpyers 11:30 pm *Casually recording the rambling* FakeProwl 11:30 pm *same* Tarantulas 11:31 pm *he's off in his own world now, eventually pauses to think of something and just ends up silent, with a clawtip to his mandibles* ItsyBitsySpyers 11:32 pm *Looks to Prowl and bobs his helm, looks at Tarantulas, and back to Prowl. That is oddly precious, no?* FakeProwl 11:32 pm *EXTREMELY.* *do you see. do you see why he's so irresistible.* ItsyBitsySpyers 11:34 pm *He has been starting to pick up bits and pieces of it. Certain habits are more irritating than the others, but things like the scientific rambling and the lost silence are attractive enough.* ItsyBitsySpyers 11:35 pm *Lets go of the leg with one hand to hold one finger up - not high, just above Prowl's leg - and tap the air twice. Perhaps Prowl should conduct an experiment of his own and see what happens if he touches them right now?* FakeProwl 11:36 pm *... what, touch tarantulas's legs? he's already sitting on tarantulas's legs. or is prowl supposed to move his legs?* ItsyBitsySpyers 11:36 pm *Touch his /mandibles/.* *Points carefully in their direction without moving his hand overmuch.* FakeProwl 11:37 pm *yknow what, prowl's been fighting the urge for the past hour. why not?* *caaarefully reaches up. delicately taps.* Tarantulas 11:38 pm *yanno those cartoons where the characters startle and ripple up vertically in waves. that's tarantulas's mandibles and fur right now* ItsyBitsySpyers 11:38 pm *Huffing.* Tarantulas 11:39 pm *grasps at prowl's hand* W-what? Were you saying something? FakeProwl 11:39 pm *his face may be poker but his shoulders are trembling.* Ah—no. Sorry. ItsyBitsySpyers 11:40 pm *Pings Prowl gratitude and amusement.* FakeProwl 11:40 pm ... Although, on the subject of interesting specimens—I'm so sorry to hear you never got that snipe you requested. ItsyBitsySpyers 11:40 pm *Puts his hand back on the leg all innocent-like while listening. He never encouraged a thing, no sir.* FakeProwl 11:41 pm *... laces fingers through paw fuzz. ahh. good.* Tarantulas 11:41 pm *a split second, then a sudden snort-laugh* How did you even hear about that? ItsyBitsySpyers 11:41 pm [[...What do you want with a sharpshooter?]] Tarantulas 11:41 pm Maybe we ought to have Soundwave retrieve one, since Smokescreen couldn't. FakeProwl 11:42 pm Hff. No, no. He apparently saved your name on my comm frequency. I let him ramble. Tarantulas 11:42 pm *raised visor. wwwwhat else might he have heard* ItsyBitsySpyers 11:42 pm *Retrieve a sniper? Not his usual fare, but he supposes he could dig through his files. He knows a Bluestreak that's... well, they're touchy about his past, but they do owe him from several past favors...* FakeProwl 11:44 pm On a related note—do get that tranquilizer from him. We need the formula and the specifications for the injector. Kindly don't let him know I'm interested, he might just refuse out of spite. Or, worse—call me. Tarantulas 11:45 pm I wouldn't, of course not. Pft. Though I doubt he's about to find the tranquilizer anytime soon based on the state of his quarters. ...I might could... FakeProwl 11:45 pm Oh, he said he's getting Bumblebee to help clean it. ItsyBitsySpyers 11:46 pm [[Tranquilizer? One moment. He thought you were done planning to do things like sedation assassinations.]] FakeProwl 11:46 pm I am. It's formulated to take out Phase Sixers. It's a defense measure, that's all. ItsyBitsySpyers 11:47 pm [[Then the sniper is only on standby?]] Tarantulas 11:47 pm Oh no, a /snipe/. It's for an experiment. FakeProwl 11:47 pm ... The wh... Tarantulas, no! Tarantulas 11:47 pm *copious snickering* ItsyBitsySpyers 11:47 pm *Looking between them, more than a little confused.* FakeProwl 11:48 pm Snipe hunt. Sending someone on a "snipe hunt" means sending them on a fruitless search for something that isn't real. ItsyBitsySpyers 11:48 pm *Helm tilt. Proceeds to display at least a dozen varieties of the Earth bird called a snipe.* FakeProwl 11:48 pm Tarantulas asked Smokescreen to retrieve a creature that doesn't... Huh. Maybe it DOES exist. That's not what the phrase means, though. Tarantulas 11:49 pm That's the irony of it, hyeh. But I wouldn't say snipe hunts are fruitless. They certainly produce hilarity, that counts for something. FakeProwl 11:49 pm Really? Snipes are real? Tarantulas 11:50 pm Would you actually believe me if I said yes? *visor quirk* ItsyBitsySpyers 11:50 pm [[Smokescreen produces hilarity every time he attempts to process so much as a single thought.]] *Fuzzy-thought muttering.* FakeProwl 11:51 pm ... I honestly don't know. Well. One mech's hilarity is another mech's unceasing frustration. ItsyBitsySpyers 11:52 pm [[Oh, it's both.]] FakeProwl 11:52 pm ... Mm. *focuses on Soundwave* He mentioned something else of interest. I didn't recognize it, maybe you will. ItsyBitsySpyers 11:53 pm [[Unrelated to snipes and tranquilizers, he takes it? The latter being something he would like to hear more about soon.]] *Glance at Tarantulas. What are you planning to do with it in the defense preparation sense?* *Your wiggly-legged spidery mind is still somewhat of a mystery at times.* Tarantulas 11:54 pm *good, just as intended* FakeProwl 11:55 pm He's made reference a couple of times now—once to a Constructicon, once to me while he thought he was talking to Tarantulas—to possessing some sort of covenant? ItsyBitsySpyers 11:55 pm *SNAPS BACK TO PROWL*

[[What.]] Tarantulas 11:55 pm Oh, *hff* That. FakeProwl 11:56 pm He thinks it's important enough that it was worth mentioning while trying to convince Scavenger of how absolutely important he was, which is reason enough to think he might have been lying—but he also mentioned it to Tarantulas. Whatever it is, it apparently possesses historical data and something of scientific complexity? Admittedly, scientific complexity beyond Smokescreen's understanding, which likely isn't very complicated at all. He's from a universe like yours, have you heard of it? ItsyBitsySpyers 11:57 pm [[/Has he heard of--!?/]] ItsyBitsySpyers 11:58 pm *No. No. Calm the thoughts. Nice and still. Icy cold. Peace and tranquility.*

*Long, long vent. The kind you perform when you are attempting to hold on to your composure under very trying circumstances.* Tarantulas 11:58 pm *tarantulas is highly amused by this for whatever reason* FakeProwl 11:58 pm ... I take it you have. Today ItsyBitsySpyers 12:00 am *Gonna just. Clip his mask down.*

*This thought is slow and as crystal clear as someone else translating them can get.*

[[Do you mean to tell him that /boundlessly idiotic/ mech claims to have gotten his citrus-infested hands on the Covenant of Primus?]] Tarantulas 12:02 am Oh, no, it's not a claim. FakeProwl 12:02 am I take it it /is/ important. ItsyBitsySpyers 12:02 am *Holds a finger up. Hold on, Prowl.*

[[What do you mean, it's not a claim? How do you know?]] Tarantulas 12:03 am You tell me more about it and I'll tell you what I know. *visor smileeee* ItsyBitsySpyers 12:03 am [[Tell him what you know first and he will tell you twice what you would get the other way.]] Tarantulas 12:05 am *snickering* Very well. He's shown it to me and read from it for me upon request, a very small and selective excerpt though. ItsyBitsySpyers 12:06 am *Soundwave carefully extricates his hands from Prowl's legs and settles them on his own knee guards.* Tarantulas 12:06 am I have a raincheck on asking him more about whatever I like at any time, of course. ItsyBitsySpyers 12:06 am *This is good, because they squeak softly in protest seconds later.* FakeProwl 12:06 am *he thinks he should withdraw his legs. soundwave's having a moment.* ItsyBitsySpyers 12:06 am [[Please wait. He has recent footage to double-check.]] FakeProwl 12:07 am ... If you need knees to crush that can't actually be injured, mine are available. ItsyBitsySpyers 12:11 am *Places them back on Prowl's legs. He is not /crushing/ the avatar's knees - that would be unnecessarily cruel, what with the sense transfers and all - but they are definitely being held in a high tension grip.*

*Aaaaand now his armor is flared out just a tad.*

[[Smokescreen. Has. A Primal relic. /Smokescreen./]] *Little bit more.* [[The mech who thinks everyone is his friend, defines the word gullible with his presence, and has absolutely /no sense of discretion./]] FakeProwl 12:12 am What's the significance of this relic, exactly? ItsyBitsySpyers 12:12 am *Some days, he finds his oath sorely tested. This is one of the worst.* FakeProwl 12:13 am ... If you need, I can turn off my tactile receptors. ItsyBitsySpyers 12:13 am [[It belonged to Alpha Trion. Here, before his death, and before Shockwave lost it. He does not know the status of theirs. It is--]] *Pause.* [[Yes, please.]] FakeProwl 12:13 am *and off.* Go on. *to both the explaining and the squeezing.* Tarantulas 12:16 am *listening intently and with barely-constrained amusement* ItsyBitsySpyers 12:17 am *CRUNCH.*

[[It /was/ Alpha Trion's duty to act as an--]] *Glance to Tarantulas. Apparently Smokescreen was stupid enough to read to him from it and promise more. Might as well now.* [[As an unparalleled chronicler. Before he became invested in meddling with Orion Pax. The Covenant and Quill were his tools.]] ItsyBitsySpyers 12:19 am [[No ordinary mech may use the Quill and the Covenant is difficult for any mech to read. Shockwave gave him fragments of languages he has never even heard of before, taken from the earliest pages.]] FakeProwl 12:19 am *winces. he's going to just, not look at his legs, at all. he doesn't want to know.* So, it's what—the best history textbook on Cybertron? ItsyBitsySpyers 12:20 am [[You could say that.]]

@Prowl: [[And the best deposit of knowledge of the future.]] FakeProwl 12:21 am @Soundwave «Come again.» ItsyBitsySpyers 12:22 am @Prowl: [[It is a relic of the Primes. It contains information on what has not yet happened. The few segments that could be understood have all since passed.]] FakeProwl 12:22 am *... prowl wants to interface with it.* ItsyBitsySpyers 12:22 am *WHAT DO YOU THINK /HE/ WANTS TO DO* *...Among other things.* FakeProwl 12:23 am ... Hmm. An extremely valuable repository of knowledge, then. FakeProwl 12:24 am And a /moron's/ got it. Does he have a legal right to it? I'd think that, with something like that, there might be laws in place that declare it property of the public. ItsyBitsySpyers 12:25 am [[He has sought rumors of it and the Quill's locations since its loss.]] *And ached to be responsible for it should it be rediscovered.* [[That /that/ mech should be allowed to--]]

*He's having a realization.*

[[He's had it for weeks. The argument on the datanet--]] Tarantulas 12:25 am *tarantulas is sneaking a peek at prowl's knees, the crushing was distracting for some reason* ItsyBitsySpyers 12:26 am *Those holoknees are Gone, Tarantulas. Strength 8 and small points of pressure because thin fingers.* FakeProwl 12:26 am Argument? *he's kind of. got his head tipped up. so he can't see.* ItsyBitsySpyers 12:30 am [[Smokescreen taunted him with claims that he was unworthy of finding or maintaining the Covenant himself and said that he had secret knowledge of the rules surrounding its existence. He thought it was Smokescreen talking out of his aft with the usual immaturity...]] FakeProwl 12:31 am *sneers* It probably still IS talking out of his aft with immaturity. ItsyBitsySpyers 12:31 am [[Smokescreen has been /bringing it to movie nights,/ in fact. Knowing that it would slip under his radar because he didn't believe it possible. More taunting.]]

*More denting.* FakeProwl 12:32 am He worked for Alpha Trion. It was probably phased into one of his doors millions of years ago and he just now figured out how to get it out, and he thinks that this makes him "worthy" of it and privy to deep secrets about its nature. Tarantulas 12:32 am *staring at prowl's legs, but hums* I could steal it, you know. ItsyBitsySpyers 12:32 am *SNAP* *Your turn to be stared at, spide.* FakeProwl 12:33 am ... No. Hold on. Who has a right to it? What laws pertain to its ownership? Tarantulas 12:34 am Primus, I could probably ask him if I could borrow it and he'd lend it to me, laws aside. FakeProwl 12:35 am If he does, then that's fine. That's perfectly legal. ItsyBitsySpyers 12:35 am [[There are none - at least, not here. It was only a rumor until Shockwave acted on his theories, stormed the Hall, and took Alpha Trion prisoner. He only had it a short while, and...]] *Shakes his helm.* [[Nobody else has owned it. What laws could there be?]]

[[It shouldn't have to be borrowed. It shouldn't be given back to that rustbug at all.]] FakeProwl 12:36 am If there are no laws about it—then, as Alpha Trion's last student, he DOES have the strongest legal claim to it. ItsyBitsySpyers 12:37 am *UGH.* FakeProwl 12:37 am He doesn't deserve it, but he's got the right to it. Tarantulas 12:37 am Borrowed and conveniently lost, maybe? That's breaking no rules. FakeProwl 12:37 am That's stealing, Tarantulas. So buy it from him. Trick him into a disadvantageous trade. Whatever. But do it legally. ItsyBitsySpyers 12:38 am [[...The Quill. Does he have the Quill? Has he mentioned it to either of you?]] FakeProwl 12:38 am A moronic legal trade is still a legal trade. He hasn't mentioned a quill. Tarantulas 12:38 am *a shake of his helm* Unfortunately not, hyeh. ItsyBitsySpyers 12:39 am [[That is a small comfort.]]

*But only a small one. Who knows what he's reading to everyone?* FakeProwl 12:40 am *mutters* It's phased up his aft, maybe. ItsyBitsySpyers 12:41 am [[He wouldn't wish the company of Smokescreen's brain module on anyone.]] ItsyBitsySpyers 12:42 am *Vents, harsher this time.*

[[His helm aches.]] *Putting it mildly. He's about to have some kind of aneurysm or something. He knows it. Twenty-five million years of bullshit and this is finally the ruby on the slag cake.* [[He should - recharge.]] FakeProwl 12:43 am ... Do you want company? Tarantulas 12:43 am *if sw's actually gonna recharge tara will eat his... something* ItsyBitsySpyers 12:43 am [[Yes. Yes, he does.]]

*Tara can take the unfinished cube, if he wants it. Soundwave didn't get around to it. Too busy being entertained by Tarantulas' reaction to the Science.* FakeProwl 12:44 am *right. he'd probably better reset his legs, then.* ItsyBitsySpyers 12:44 am *Everything else here is off-limits for eating. Ask Bob the Insecticon. And that one Predacon. Chairs are forbidden snacks.* Tarantulas 12:45 am *oh booo. tarantulas was hoping he could snatch prowl up after this* *he'll take that cube, thanks* ItsyBitsySpyers 12:46 am *Moves to pull his hands free of the knees.*

*Does not move far.*

*Looks down.* [[...Hmm.]] FakeProwl 12:46 am *what's soundwave looking at? prowl already fixed his...* Oh! Sorry! *switches to normal hologram. poof, he's a ghost.* Tarantulas 12:47 am *shuddering with hushed snickers* ItsyBitsySpyers 12:47 am [[Thank you. That was... an unpleasant sight.]] *Also shuddering a little.* FakeProwl 12:48 am Sorry. *... now he's incorporeally on tarantulas's lap. he's going to catch some fur in his thighs if he goes back to solid* ItsyBitsySpyers 12:48 am [[He prefers to leave phase shifter messes to mechs who /don't deserve vital relics/.]] *Which is not to say he does, because he's often convinced he doesn't at all. But he damn sure believes Smokescreen doesn't.* FakeProwl 12:49 am *he's going to... just, flicker off and back on standing in front of the couch* Tarantulas 12:49 am You know, I could probably borrow that, too. The phase shifter, I mean. I don't know why I /haven't/ yet, actually. ItsyBitsySpyers 12:50 am *Anyway. He stands and nods to them both.*

[[He will be upstairs. Tarantulas, there is one more tomorrow. And no need to borrow it. Smokescreen owes him a use.]] Tarantulas 12:50 am *stretches out when prowl flickers off* FakeProwl 12:50 am Don't push your luck. By the sound of it, the covenant's more important. And don't borrow the covenant, either, until we come up with a proper plan to ensure he won't have a right to ask for it back. Tarantulas 12:51 am Of course not, I'm not that foolish. ItsyBitsySpyers 12:51 am *Fuzzy thought muttering again.* [[We could go to the Core and question Primus' life choices.]] Tarantulas 12:52 am *gets up and starts to waltz off with the cube* ItsyBitsySpyers 12:52 am *He knows better than that, though. Another nod to each, and a small bow for both for putting up with him - a thank-you ping for Tarantulas' confirmation as well - and he's trudging upstairs.* FakeProwl 12:53 am We have no evidence Primus had anything to do with it. It's more likely terrible luck. *follows after Soundwave* ItsyBitsySpyers 12:53 am *Terrible, horrible, awful, rotten luck of the most forsaken variety.* Tarantulas 12:54 am *bids them goodnight and is out - he'll try to comm prowl later, most likely*

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stereksummerexchange · 7 years

Text

Don't Have Sex, Because You Will Get Pregnant...And Die.

@kieren-fucking-walker - Hi, I’m sorry if this is too fluffy! BTW NO this is not mpreg/omega!verse! I just love mean girls!

by @jadorehale

Really, the best thing to ever happen to Beacon Hills High School was Stiles Stilinski. He was a star pupil. The very best in his class. Student of the Month year round. On the fast track to Harvard. And outshined all the other kids in his class with his pure awesomeness on a daily basis to the point where it was downright embarrassing. He didn’t want to jinx it but he was pretty much a shoo-in for valedictorian. Sorry, Lydia Martin! And he never caused any trouble at all. Not ever.

“DETENTION AGAIN, MR. STILINSKI!”

Did he mention he was every teacher’s darling?

Stiles stood at his locker after the last bell and frowned down at the all too familiar pink slip in his hand, questioning why the world was so unfair. Sure, most of these infractions were one-hundred percent his own doing, but in his defense, Harris had made two very implausible and inaccurate statements in the same class period, basically begging Stiles to make a mockery out of him in front of everyone. Stiles just hoped Harvard recognized what a scholarly and academically enriching extra-curricular activity detention could be.

“Seriously, another one?” A voice behind him said. A voice that Stiles had not been expecting seeing as he was the only one left in the hall. The voice also sounded highly amused when Stiles jumped and shrieked then whirled around in surprise.

“Jeez!” Stiles said, clutching his heart. “Can we make noises before we scare people to death? Heavy breathing! Tap dancing! Anything would be great!”

There wasn’t an ounce of guilt on Derek’s ridiculously handsome face and Stiles couldn’t even pretend to stay mad. He should be used to this by now. Derek liked to sneak up on him when he least expected it all the time. Which made sense seeing as he was Derek’s concubine. Sneaking around just happened to be a very essential part of their deep dark secret relationship.

The halls were empty but Stiles still checked to make sure they were safe. It was too risky if anyone saw them. Derek was the super popular basketball god and his social status would perish if he were to be associated with Stiles, the school’s biggest loser. Some would even liken it to the fall of Rome.

“Don’t you have practice?” Stiles asked, letting Derek press him up against the lockers anyway, his arms hanging loosely around Derek’s neck.

“I can skip it,” Derek murmured, nibbling on his ear.

“But it’s tryouts and you’re co-captain,” Stiles noted.

Derek lifted his head at that, pursing his lips. “You know, I’ve been meaning to quit basketball.”

Stiles leveled him a flat look. “You are not quitting basketball just so you can make out with me.”

“Why not?” Derek pouted, brushing the tips of their noses together. “I’ve decided that this is a much better use of my time.”

Stiles stopped arguing when Derek kissed him, easily persuaded by the softness on Derek’s mouth and the enticing feel of his rough stubble. It was startling how fast their kissing escalated these days. How they’d gone from modest and tame to something a lot more passionate and hungry. Stiles moaned when Derek deepened the kiss and slipped fingers under the hem of his shirt, his thumb rubbing circles into Stiles’ hipbone.

They weren’t supposed to still be doing this. When they hooked up at that party at the end of sophomore year, they’d agreed that it would only be for the summer and that they’d put an end to it once the school year started. But now, it was mid-November and they continued to be hot and heavy, which would only make things harder in the end when it was time to walk away.

“Hey! We talked about this!” Stiles squirmed when Derek started sucking on his neck. Something that would usually have Stiles rolling his eyes back into his head and melting into puddles on the floor. “No more hickeys. I can’t keep wearing scarves around my dad. He won’t stop laughing at me.”

Derek chuckled but captured his lips again, making Stiles forget about the scolding as he slipped closer and rolled his hips, wrenching a gasp from Stiles’ throat as they grinded against each other. A major situation was going down in Stiles’ pants and he needed to stop this before he made an absolute fool of himself.

“I’ve got detention,” Stiles said hoarsely and pulled away, shifting and adjusting himself to hide just how turned on he was. He spun back to his locker in a daze, grabbing his backpack and closed it as he ran his tongue over his swollen puffy lips.

When he was about to kiss Derek goodbye and leave, Derek stopped him and said, “Wait, I almost forgot why I came over here. What are you doing Friday night?”

“What I’m usually doing on Friday nights,” Stiles told him. “A whole lot of nothing.”

“Wanna come to my house and order pizza and watch Netflix or something?”

Stiles arched a brow. While they saw each other all the time, their version of hanging out usually meant making out in the back of Derek’s Camaro, or at the park, or behind the bleachers after a game, or in the boiler room after school. But going over to each other’s houses? Well…that was new.

“Er…um…” Stiles stumbled, shifting awkwardly from foot to foot. “Okay, I guess. Yeah. Sounds cool.”

“Really?” Derek’s eyes lit up with excitement, which made Stiles feel so much more at ease. Gagging from Derek’s reaction, it sounded like Derek had really wanted him to say yes, so maybe it wouldn’t be that weird.

Stiles nodded, smirking. “Yeah. Now that I think about it, I haven’t gotten around to asking about your TV tastes yet. It’ll be nice to get a peek at your Recently Watched.”

Derek scrunched his nose. “That’s a terrible innuendo.”

“That’s because it wasn’t an innuendo, you perv!” Stiles punched him in the shoulder.

“We’ll probably have the house to ourselves,” Derek mentioned. “Talia has her usual Friday night séance, and Reuben’s shaman invited him over for song and dance. And my little sister, Cora, won’t be home either. She’s organizing a legalize marijuana protest with a few other kids.”

“Talia and Reuben?” Stiles squinted his eyes.

“Those are my parents. We call them by their first names,” Derek explained. “My family is um…very liberal.”

“Sounds cool,” Stiles said and hummed when Derek kissed him again. “Hey, I thought I told you to scram. Go to practice, dude!”

“I’m going! I’m going!” Derek raised both his hands in the air in surrender then leaned over and dropped a peck on Stiles’ cheek before taking off down the hall.

Stiles watched him go, laughing, then hastily wiped the smile off his face when he heard other stragglers entering the hall. He slung his heavy backpack over his shoulder and began the grueling trek to the detention room to see what misery awaited him inside. However, when he entered the room, he was relieved to see Scott’s smiling face amongst the sea of infidels.

“I see you and Derek are still going at it,” Scott said as Stiles made his way to the back row and flopped down next to him.

Stiles scoffed. “You didn’t even see anything.”

“Hickey.” Scott pointed to a spot on Stiles’ neck.

“Goddammit!” Stiles smacked a hand over it. Looks like he couldn’t yet retire the scarves.

“Hey, you doing anything Friday night?” Scott asked. “If my mom doesn’t totally ground me after detention today by doing the whole ‘No More Stiles’ thing, you should come over and we can watch Netflix and order pizza.”

“Sorry, dude, can’t.” Stiles was getting out his small detention feast, which comprised of a bag of Cheetos, a pack Twizzlers, and a Capri-Sun. Being a delinquent never tasted so good. “I’m doing that with Derek.”

“WHAT?!”

His gaze snapped over to Scott and he furrowed his brows. “Derek invited me over to his house on Friday.”

“To do what?!”

“Order pizza…” Stiles said slower this time so that Scott would get it and wouldn’t interrupt his meal to ask Stiles to repeat himself again. “…And watch Netflix.”

Scott gaped. “What the fuck, dude!”

“What?” Stiles huffed and picked up his bag of cheetos, ripping them open.He couldn’t wait anymore. He hadn’t eaten much at lunch since it was Baked Chicken Tuesday and school cafeteria chicken was the worst. His stomach was growling, his blood sugar was low, and he needed this cheesy goodness.

“I’m your best friend! Why wouldn’t you tell me that you’re planning on losing your virginity this Friday?”

Stiles choked. No he actually choked. A cheeto went down the wrong pipe, lodging itself in his throat, and he pounded on his chest, coughing and hacking to get it out. Because death by artificially powdered orange stick? No, sir. Not today.

“What the hell, Scott,” Stiles wheezed, inhaling and exhaling sharply. “Where in ‘watching Netflix and ordering pizza’ did you get that I’m losing my virginity?”

“How do you still not get Netflix and Chill?!” Scott slapped a palm over his face then thumped his head down onto the desk.

Stiles took a sip of his Capri-Sun, in dire need of a sip after his near-death experience. “Maybe I need a better dictionary, but didn’t you just ask me over for pizza and Netflix. Does that mean you want to have sex with me too?”

“We’re best friends so the rule doesn’t apply. But when I’m with Allison, we never pay attention to the TV. And Derek isn’t your friend. He’s your…”

“Lord Knows,” Stiles supplied helpfully.

“And you and your Lord Knows are going to be laid out horizontally on the couch doing the do on Friday. Congratulations, brother!”

Scott lifted a hand for a high-five but Stiles waved him off dismissively. “That’s so dumb. We’re not doing that.”

“Are you sure?” Scott questioned.

Okay, so maybe he’d been thinking about it a lot lately. And by it, he meant losing his virginity. To Derek. Last year he’d been in such a rush to get rid of it, feeling like he was lagging behind his other classmates, even Scott. But the thing about him and Derek was that he really didn’t know what they were. Making out and sneaking around was fun but Stiles was at a real risk of getting his heart broken here. He knew Derek had already had sex before, with Paige or Kate and whoever. He knew that it wouldn’t be as big of a deal for him as it was for Stiles. But then again, he also really liked Derek and wasn’t able to picture being that way with anyone but him.

“Just make sure you bring condoms.” Scott winked at him. “We wouldn’t want you getting pregnant, right?”

“Ha. Ha.” Stiles rolled his eyes, cursing whoever told Scott that he was even a little bit funny.

Stiles spent the rest of the day thinking about sex. Which was really unfortunate when it came time for dinner with his dad later that night. He was being uncharacteristically quiet which was always cause for concern in the Stilinski household. He hadn’t even tried to fight his dad when he ignored the healthy and nutritious Brussel sprouts Stiles had made for him. He knew he should probably start acting chatty before his dad started in on the interrogations and began asking all these deeply personal and probing questions. But there was just so much on his mind.

“You know we can turn the heat up if you’re really that cold,” the Sheriff commented, gesturing towards the Slytherin-themed scarf tightly wound around Stiles’ neck.

“I’m thinking about having sex,” Stiles blurted, cheeks turning red as he stared down at his dinner plate and refused to look up.

“Oh,” the Sheriff said smoothly. “Is that what the scarves are about?”

“I’ve been covering up hickeys.” Stiles chanced a peek at him and tugged off the scarf, exposing the faint bruises littering his neck.

His dad’s eyes widened, mouth falling open. “Who is this girl?”

“Guy.”

The Sheriff snorted disbelievingly at first, rejecting the idea. But when he saw Stiles blinking back at him with a dead serious expression, his face sobered instantly.

“Wait. Really?”

A simple nod from Stiles seemed to settle the issue. His dad sank back in his chair as he soaked that information in then picked up his fork and popped a Brussel sprout into his mouth, blanching. And just like that, the moment passed with no big deals made. Which was awesome. When people asked him later in life how he came out to his dad, it was nice that he had this experience to share.

“What’s his name?” the Sheriff probed.

“Not telling you. Ever,” Stiles replied.

“How long have you been seeing him?”

“Since the summer.”

“And you’re ready to…” The Sheriff did something with his hands that didn’t look too representative of sex but more like he was conducting traffic.

“Yeah. I am.”

A corner of the Sheriff’s mouth quirked. “Are you gonna wear the scarves?”

As if now was the time for awful dad jokes.

“Oh my god! Would you forget about the scarf and give me some real pieces of fatherly advice!”

“What do you want from me? The birds and the bees? Do you really want me to have the awkward safe sex talk with you? I know how you like to research things. You’ve probably got that covered”

“Oh. Trust me. I do,” Stiles assured.

“Then all I have to say is that this is one of those things that you won’t know about until you experience it. You know my first time was with your mother and we—”

“Oh no! I don’t think I’ve ever want to hear about this!” Stiles quickly covered his ears.

“Then the only thing I’ve got to say is just be yourself.”

“I could’ve gotten that off the back of a box of Frosted Flakes, Dad!”

“I’m serious. You can’t be passive in something like this. Make sure you and this kid know where you both stand in your relationship and try not to step over each other’s boundaries.”

It was exactly the kind of advice that Stiles had been wanting to hear. Because he didn’t know where his and Derek’s relationship stood or if there was even a relationship between them to begin with. That was something he was going to have to be brave enough to find out. But Stiles was so ready for this. He was sure of that. Like his dad said, he just needed to be himself.

“Can you give me a heads up before it happens?” the Sheriff asked.

Stiles chewed on his bottom lip. “It’s happening this Friday.”

Inhaling deeply, The Sheriff took out his wallet from his pants pocket and pulled out a couple of bills, handing them over to Stiles. “Here,” he said. “To get the stuff on that list you’ve probably already made.”

“It’s not that long of a list,” Stiles told him, counting the bills and finding it to be way too much.

His dad shook his head. “Keep it anyway.”

Stiles smiled and reached out, squeezing his hand, happy that he’d come to his dad for this and that he hadn’t been disappointed. He knew most parents wouldn’t as cool about it but it was nice that his dad respected his choice and trusted Stiles to be safe.

“Well, now I feel so damn old,” the Sheriff whined, picking out the rest of his Brussel sprouts from his plate and pushing them to the side like a toddler. Stiles would indulge him just this once, but tomorrow there would be kale to pay for this. “You’re growing up too fast for me! Stop it!”

Stiles stood and walked around to give the old geezer a tight comforting hug. “Thanks dad. You’re the best.”

The week was flying by much faster than Stiles would’ve liked and with Friday quickly approaching, Stiles still had lots to do to prepare. Like, for instance, learning how to properly use a condom. Luckily for him, Coach Finstock would be teaching them how to roll one onto a banana in Health today. But what if Derek’s dick wasn’t banana shaped? Should he try practicing on other household fruits and vegetables just in case?

Being so preoccupied, Stiles had barely even gotten a chance to see a lot of Derek. He’d caught a few glimpses of him in the halls here and there, but they couldn’t acknowledge each other when there were too many people around. Stiles couldn’t lie; he was starting to miss him. Maybe he’d try tracking Derek down after Health. That is if he ever made it to Health because, like always, he was running super late to class.

Stiles sprinted down the empty halls, perilously close to tripping over his loose shoelaces, and veered around a corner with Coach Finstock’s room very much in sight. He paused to catch his breath, taking deep puffs of air in and out of his lungs, but before he could start jogging again, he was suddenly accosted.

“Holy shit!” Stiles squawked as Derek yanked him into an empty classroom. “What the fuck, dude! I thought I was being kidnapped!”

“You are.” Derek’s lips crashed down onto his and he crowded Stiles back against the door. “Wanna skip this period?”

“C—Can’t,” Stiles panted, shuddering as Derek’s teeth ran along his collarbone. “I’m late to Health and I don’t want to fall behind.”

“Coach won’t fail you,” Derek said and dropped a kiss on Stiles’ lips again before pulling away with a smirk. “And neither will I. Have a seat, Mr. Stilinski. Let’s go over today’s lesson.”

Snickering, Stiles walked over to a desk and sat, folding his hands in his lap and watching Derek attentively like the perfect student that he was.

Derek stood in front of the board and pulled down the world map. Picking up a wooden pointer, he cleared his throat and began indicating at random countries as he recited, “Sons of Scottland! I am William Wallace! He kills men by the hundreds. And if he were here, he’d consume the English with fireballs from his eyes and bolts of lightning from his arse!”

“Oh my god.” Stiles pressed a hand over his eyes, marveling at Derek’s perfect rendition of Coach Finstock. He was rather curious as to how Derek had managed to memorize all the lines from Braveheart.

“I see a whole army of my countrymen, here in defiance of tyranny! You’ve come to fight as free men and free men you are! What will you do with that freedom? Will you fight?”

“Please stop,” Stiles begged, unable to withstand such a high quantity of dorkiness. He smiled fondly as Derek rolled the map back up and picked up a piece of chalk to write on the board. “You know, you should never become a teacher. You’re so hot, everyone would be too distracted to pay attention.”

“Good thing I’m going to be an architect,” Derek told him as he drew a heart with their initials.

“What are you doing? You can’t draw that!”

“Why not?” Derek paused, looking over at him with a deep frown.

“Because!” Stiles huffed.

He stood and walked over, hastily grabbing an eraser and thoroughly buffing out any evidence of them ever being there. Derek should know better than to be so reckless. This was not the time to be risking exposure.

“Um…” Stiles chewed on his bottom lip as Derek peered closely at him. “I’ve really got to get to class and hit the books. I’ve got this project thing that’s worth most of my final grade.”

“Okay,” Derek said, although his face was marked with displeasure. “I’ll see you after school, then.”

“No, I don’t have detention today.”

“But you always have detention.”

“I’ve been on my best behavior lately.”

Derek snorted. “Even your best behavior isn’t good behavior.”

“Yeah, well, my thing,” Stiles said looking up at the clock. If he didn’t hustle, he was going to miss his only chance to wrestle a latex condom around a botanical fruit in the name of Beacon Hills High School’s stellar sexual education curriculum.

“Right, the thing…” Derek murmured.

“Yeah…” Stiles fidgeted, waiting on Derek to say something so that they weren’t just standing there looking at each other awkwardly. But Derek wouldn’t throw him a bone.

“Err…Okay…” Stiles waved and tripped backwards towards the door in a hurry. “Gotta go now. Bye!”

It was weird, but after that uncomfortable situation in the classroom, Stiles didn’t really hear much from Derek over the next couple of days. Which was definitely worrying. Derek said he was fine over text but Stiles could tell something was off. In fact, Stiles had been pretty pessimistic about the whole thing, positive Derek would cancel on him until he got a text from Derek on Friday after school with an address.

Rolling up to Derek’s place later that night in his jeep, Stiles was surprised to discover that Derek lived out in the middle of the woods. The area was isolated but it was quiet and peaceful and one could really connect with nature out there. But for Stiles who basically hated nature and its bugs the short walk from his car to the porch had him on high alert and scared for his life.

Nervously, Stiles rang Derek’s doorbell, eyes swinging around his surroundings in case an animal hopped out to attack him. He rang the bell again and shot Derek a text when a while had passed with no sign of anyone coming to answer the door. His hopes started getting crushed as more time passed with him standing out there alone in the dark. Maybe Derek just wasn’t home yet, or maybe he’d forgotten, or decided to ditch their plans last minute.

Regardless, Stiles wasn’t about to stand on Derek’s door step looking pathetic all night. With a dejected sigh, he turned to start down the stairs but froze when he heard odd rustling coming from a bush. This was the perfect place for a murder. It was so deserted out there that no one would hear his screams. But that didn’t stop Stiles from shrieking his fucking head off when something roared and sprang out from the bushes.

“Jesus Christ, Derek! What the fuck is the matter with you!!”

“Fuck yes!!!” Derek cackled and pumped a fist in the air victoriously. “I’ve been hiding in there for half an hour waiting to do that!”

“Why can’t you just say hello like a civilized being?” Stiles scowled.

Derek smirked, tugging Stiles towards him and planting a kiss on his mouth. “Hello, and welcome to my humble abode. By the way, there’s a giant spider on your shoulder.”

And for the second time that night, Stiles was shrieking at the top of his lungs. Derek, the asshole, didn’t even try to help him. He just disappeared through the front door, leaving Stiles to flail around in panic by himself. Stiles bravely flicked the spider off and followed Derek into the house quickly before he was subjected to another wilderness attacks.

Once safely inside, Stiles toed off his shoes and handed Derek his jacket, hesitantly looking around. Derek’s home was certainly not the traditional kind that Stiles had been expecting. A few words to describe the decor was trippy, psychedelic, and 1960’s bohemian. There were tons of vibrant colors, eclectic art, and beautiful tapestries.

Derek took his hand, lacing their fingers together, and led them into the living room. He had a mischievous smile on his face that instantly made Stiles suspicious. But all Stiles needed to do was walk into the room to understand why, and he immediately busted out laughing.

“Dude! You built a fort?!” Stiles’ jaw actually dropped.

“I told you! I want to be an architect!”

“Well, it’s very well made.” Stiles grinned, admiring the structure of the epic blanket fort Derek had built and decorated with lots of pillows and pretty string lights.

“Want a tour of the rest of the house?” Derek asked him.

“Sure!”

Stiles was curious if Derek had ever invited other people from school to his house and shown them all the hippie stuff his family was into. Not that Derek should be embarrassed of his family. Like at all. They raised chickens and grew their own organic vegetables, pushed to legalize marijuana and had no qualms about nudity. They also had an impressive compost pile and were clearly determined to save the planet. It sounded like an awesome way to grow up, and more importantly, Stiles was glad that Derek was sharing and that he was getting to see this other side of him.

“And this is my stash,” Derek said as they settled again under the fort in the living room. He shoved a large duffle bag that had the Beacon Hills High logo on it towards Stiles. “Talia has us on a strict raw food diet since before I can even remember. No processed foods allowed in the house ever. I can eat whatever I want outside but I’m still a vegetarian. I just have a rotten sweet tooth which means I have to sneak snacks into this hell hole. Now, I don’t share this with just anyone, so know that means you’re special.”

His entire face flushed in slight embarrassment. Honestly, he didn’t need buttering up. He was an easy lay and would put out without the sweet talk. Gripping a fistful of Derek’s sweatshirt, Stiles practically hauled him in, clambering into his lap and straddling his hips. He gave a rather instigating kiss, not wanting to beat around the bush about what they were there for.

Derek seemed super into it at first, returning Stiles’ kiss with fervor, trailing his hands along Stiles’ side, and releasing deep rumbles from his chest. But then he pulled away and plopped Stiles off to the side which was the total opposite of what Stiles wanted. This was definitely throwing a wrench in his plans.

“So, what do you want to watch?” Derek asked, glancing at Stiles expectantly as he grabbed his laptop and logged into Netflix.

Seemed like Derek was playing hard to get. Either that or he was purposely being obtuse. They ended up watching the pilot of Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Derek had never seen it before and Stiles loved introducing people to his favorite shows, living vicariously through them upon their first viewing. He’d definitely consider it a kink and was having way too much fun observing Derek’s reactions.

Once they were finished with that, Stiles went through some other shows Derek typically watched. It was mainly procedural dramas; boring stuff like CSI, Law & Order, and House. Stiles ribbed Derek about his ‘guilty pleasure’ of watching Crazy Ex-Girlfriends for ten whole minutes but after being forced to watch the first episode, Stiles was instantly hooked himself.

However, when Derek decided to let the second episode play, Stiles had to admit he was a little confused.

While it was fun just lying there munching on Derek’s super-secret snacks and introducing each other to new TV shows, he couldn’t help but wonder when they were finally going to ditch the clothes and fast-forward to the naked sexy times. Fed up with waiting, he scooted closer to Derek, awkwardly placing a hand on his knee hoping that Derek, the only one with experience in this department here, would get the hint and pioneer this ship. Oh captain, my captain!

Not surprisingly, the good old, trusty hand-on-the-thigh-trick worked. Derek paused the show and leaned in, placing the lightest of kisses onto Stiles’ lips with a bright smile. Then he turned his attention back to the computer, paying Stiles’ horniness no mind and doing nothing else.

Stiles wiped his sweaty palms against the legs of his jeans. He wasn’t sure what to do now. In all his detailed preparations, he never consulted a how-to guide on ways to subtly signal that you were totally down for sex. He knew Derek wasn’t asexual; they’d talked about it once. Maybe he just didn’t find Stiles hot. Which was a bummer because Stiles was insanely attracted to him.

“What’s wrong?”

Stiles snapped his eyes up from where he’d been fiddling his fingers in his lap. He pasted on a chipper smile and rapidly said, “Nothing.”

The lines on Derek’s forehead creased and he paused the show again, readjusting himself to get a better look at Stiles straightforward. “You mean, you’ve been acting weird all week because of nothing?”

“No.” Stiles stammered, unsure of what to say. “Yes?”

Derek’s face darkened and Stiles felt his heart skip a beat in his chest. God, this was all his fault. Why was he so damn awkward!

“C’mon. Let’s watch something else,” he tried and reached for the computer, but before he could, Derek was snapping it shut.

Stiles cringed internally as tensions mounted in the room. He couldn’t believe how badly he was messing this up. Did he really need to spill his dumb feelings all over the place and ruin everything? He had no idea what to say to fix this. How to make things go back to normal. All he could do now was prepare himself for whatever came next.

“You know…” Derek started with an unhappy sigh. “You can tell me if you don’t want to keep doing this. If you’re not that into me anymore or if it’s gotten too boring. I can take it.”

“W—What do you mean?” Stiles struggled to find his voice. “I— I don’t— Why would you think—I…I—”

“Well, you’re obviously embarrassed of me,” Derek stated. “I get it. I’m a dumb jock and you don’t want to be seen around me because of all your smart friend. It’s why we have to do all this sneaking around and why you never want anyone to see us at school. But Stiles, I can’t help that I’m popular and captain of the basketball team.”

“Woah, wait a minute…” Stiles stood up, clenching his jaw. “I’m the one that never wants us to be seen? I’m the one that’s too embarrassed to introduce you to my friends? Oh, that’s fucking rich! Because I’m always pulling you into empty classrooms and walking right past you in halls! And I’m definitely the one that invited you over here to ‘hang out and watch Netflix’ when I actually meant sex!”

How dare Derek try to make it seem like this was what Stiles wanted. “You know what, I’m so out of here! I really thought I wanted my first time to be with you, but clearly, we’re not on the same page. So let me spell it out for you. I want a relationship thing, not a fuck buddies thing! I’m sorry but I can’t be your dirty little secret anymore!”

Without looking back, Stiles stormed off towards the front door and hastily collected his things. He searched all his pockets for his car keys and jammed his feet into his shoes. He was determined not to get emotional in front of Derek. He wanted to go out like a badass.

Stiles twisted the knob to the front door and opened it, but before he could leave, Derek skidded into the foyer, his socks slippery against the hardwood floor, and slammed it closed.

The bastard grinned as he tried to pulled Stiles against him, wrapping an arm around Stiles’ waist and holding him tightly. “Hey, Stiles,” he chuckled. “Did we just have our first fight?”

“Let go of me, asswipe!” Stiles cried, shoving him off. He didn’t want Derek’s and his douchiness touching him right now. “You’re a fuckboy.”

“If you say so.” Derek shrugged and peered at Stiles inquisitively. “Where’d you get the idea that I only invited you over here tonight to have sex with you?”

Stiles dropped his gaze down to his shoes and he mumbled, “Scott said—”

Derek scoffed. “You still listen to Scott?”

“Yes he’s my best friend,” Stiles defended.

“He’s also a moron!” Derek heaved. “You’ve should’ve just come and talked to me first because Scott doesn’t know anything. We’re already in a ‘relationship thing’, Stiles. Or at least, I thought so…”

Stiles peeked up at Derek then, chewing on his bottom lip. Right away, Derek took that as a good sign and stepped closer, taking advantage of the small window, and pressing a kiss to Stiles’ forehead.

“I wouldn’t have invited you over if you weren’t important to me. I never invite anyone over because my parents are deranged, but I wanted to spend time with my boyfriend. I like spending time with him even though he talks too much for it to be normal and we should definitely get his head checked.”

Derek tapped his temple and laughed when Stiles swatted his hand away. His emotions had betrayed him and he felt his anger thawing, now being replaced by silly butterflies in his stomach at the mention of the word boyfriend. Giving up the act, he buried his face into Derek’s neck and clung to him now that all was forgiven.

Derek cleared his throat, murmuring into Stiles’ ear, “I’d be lying if I said sex hasn’t crossed my mind…You’re kind of gorgeous. But it’s not the most important thing right now and only when you’re ready.”

Stiles shuffled even closer and nuzzling deeper into Derek’s neck, immensely pleased when Derek’s arms locked around him. Not a lot of people got to say they had first boyfriends like Derek. Sweet, cuddly, pretty boys that built cute forts and watched romantic musical comedy dramas and were completely oblivious to blatant signs of wanting to initiate sex. But Stiles would never take this for granted.

“I wouldn’t play with your feelings or send you coded messages. So when I invite you over to watch Netflix, it’s because I really just want to watch Netflix with you. So…say something.”

Stiles lifted his head and stared into Derek’s breathtaking rainbow eyes. Inhaling deeply, he confessed, “All I’ve been thinking about this week is your dick.”

Derek fought a smirk. “Oh?

“And doing things to you that would probably get me arrested.”

“I won’t call the sheriff if you won’t.” Derek winked.

Stiles snickered, fluttering his lashes coyly. “How long do we have until your parents get back?”

“Séances can be lengthy,” Derek quipped. “Spirits are hard to get a hold of.”

“Good.” Stiles grinned and leaned in, humming happily when he pressed his lips to Derek’s once more. “That gives us plenty of time.”

When people asked him later in life how he’d lost his virginity, it was nice that he could say, “Under a blanket fort in Derek Hale’s living room while his parents were out. He’d tell them that it wasn’t weird or awkward at all. That Derek had shown him exactly what to do and had made him feel really good. That he knew he was loved. Special. And most importantly, that he’d followed his dad’s advice and hadn’t been passive in this. He knew where they booth stood and knew they had a promising future together.

“Oh my god! I did it! I finally did it! I cannot believe this! Dude, I just had sex!!”

“Yes, Stiles, I’m aware,” Derek said dryly as he balled Stiles’ shirt up and tossed it over to him, whacking him in the face. “I was there, remember? You didn’t do this alone.”

“Shh!” Stiles chided as he finished buttoning his pants, pulling the shirt over his head. “This is about me right now. Don’t ruin this for me!”

“Oh, Derek, honey suckle,” A sweet feminine voice called out. It was a lovely voice, so homely and nurturing and, motherly…and shit that must mean Derek’s parents were back.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. This was in no way the circumstance that Stiles had wished to meet his very first boyfriend’s parents in. Especially not after they’d…Fuck! Stiles scrambled back into the fort, frantically checking that he’d dressed himself okay and that nothing was on backwards or unzipped. He was pretty sure that most parents had x-ray vision. At least his dad did which was why Stiles could never get away with anything. What if Derek’s parents saw the sex on him or something and it ruined his chances forever to make a good first impression.

Stiles didn’t take a single breath the entire time they heard the footsteps approaching the entrance of the fort. Then he realized foolishly that while he was dressed perfectly fine, Derek had yet to put a shirt on. He was just about to say something to Derek, groping around for where Derek’s shirt could be when Derek just rolled out from under the fort and stood up to greet his parents half-fucking-naked.

It wouldn’t take much for Derek’s parents to put two-and-two together if Stiles got out of the fort now so he resigned himself to living there in hiding forever. Fucking Derek. Why did he have to be so brazen.

“Talia,” he heard Derek greeting his mother which, yeah, was a little weird. Stiles knew he could never his dad onboard with the whole calling your parents by their first names thing.

“What’s this, Derek?” Talia asked, her voice so whimsical and airy. “How lovely! I see you’ve been letting out your inner creative!”

He heard Derek snort before asking, “How was the séance?”

“Marvelous. Grandma Leanabel says hello,” Talia told him. “She wants us to bring you next time to talk about your love life. She said there’s a person you’ve been seeing in secret. Is that true?”

Of course, Stiles could not contain his gasp upon hearing that Derek’s maternal grandmother knew about their secret relationship. That was some really freaky paranormal shit and one could not blame him for being unable to hide his shock in the face of it. Unfortunately, that tiny, quiet, not at all dramatic gasp seemed to have given away Stiles’ exact location. Abort, Abort, Abort.

“Do you have someone here?” He heard another voice say, one that was much deeper than Derek’s, so he assumed was Derek’s father.

“No, Reuben” Derek said, barely putting any effort into the lie so of course his parents became skeptical.

“Who are you hiding in your little teepee, Derek?” Talia asked. When Derek didn’t respond, she demanded, “Get them out right now.”

Derek huffed, crouching down to the entrance of the fort to give Stiles a reassuring smile, coaxing him out of hiding like he was a scared animal. “It’s okay. They don’t care about anything normal parents should care about.”

Stiles took a deep breath in then exhaled, rolling out from under the fort and getting up on wobbly knees. He held his hand out blindly for a handshake, face burning as he stared down at the floor trying his best to mind his manners even though he honestly didn’t have any. “Uh hi… Mrs. Hale…Mr. Hale.”

Even though Derek had expressed to him multiple times that his parents were real-life hippies, Stiles hadn’t quite believed him up until this point. And now that he was seeing it for himself, he understood that there had been no exaggeration on Derek’s part. That his parents were most definitely eccentric.

One thing that came as a shock was just how much Derek looked like his mother, possessing her beautiful hazel eyes and gypsy-like features. Truthfully, she didn’t even look like she could be a mom, so youthful in her appearance. Derek’s father must be a very handsome man to have landed such a gorgeous wife. Although, Stiles wasn’t 100% sure of that because he couldn’t actually see much of Reuben Hale’s face. His long, shaggy light-brown hair and bushy beard covered everything and he looked like a giant hairball with super white teeth. Maybe Talia had fallen in love with his snappy fashion sense because he was definitely rocking those floral bellbottoms.

“No need to be so formal here, love,” Talia said, stepping forward and taking Stiles’ hand between her own. “It’s just Talia and Reuben. And you are?”

“Stiles,” he offered nervously, prepared to give his usual speech for the meaning behind his bizarre nickname.

Talia gasped, her eyes lighting up. “Oh, my, what a wonderfully original and creative name!!”

“Indeed!” Reuben chimed in, stroking his overgrown beard.

All in all, Derek’s parents were ridiculously nice people. Too nice even for the situation at hand. Stiles was just so relieved that Derek’s parents didn’t automatically hate him that he started rambling as they made small talk. Unlike most of the people who’ve ever had to endure Stiles’ ramblings, Talia and Reuben didn’t seem to mind, giving no signs that they were annoyed or wanting him to shut up and showing a real interest in Stiles and inquiring to know more about him.

They did as much small-talking as they could do before they reached the giant elephant in the room. Talia and Reuben wanted to know more about him and Derek. How they met. When they first knew they liked each other. Etc. etc.

A mortified blush crept up Stiles’ neck the more they asked and Talia grasped Stiles’ hand, saying, “Don’t be embarrassed, moon child. Making love is a natural and beautiful act that has only been derided by society and its ridiculous archaic definitions of the term ‘immorality.’ Not only does the word ‘virginity’ commodify individuals and deems them as damaged goods, but it also perpetuates a heteronormative myth that a penis must enter a vagina, which completely erases the experiences of queer and trans folk. I had hoped that there’d be more progressive teachings on this subject in schools but apparently not.”

She let go of Stiles’ hand with a gentle squeeze, flashing a receptive smile. “Basically, what I’m trying to say dear, is that it’s a load of bullshit. So, stop thinking about it so much.”

“Oh…um…cool,” Stiles spluttered, looking over at Derek just in time to catch him laughing at Stiles’ stunned response. Stiles couldn’t help it. The world would be a much better place if Talia Hale was president and all followed her wisdom.

Reuben asked, “So, did the two of you use protection? We wouldn’t want Stiles here getting pregnant, now would we?”

“Ha Ha. You’re so funny, Reuben,” Derek intoned dryly, rolling his eyes as Reuben laughed boisterously. It seemed hippie dads weren’t immune to awful dad jokes either. “Anyway, Stiles is going home now.”

“What! Why?” Talia frowned.

“Because I’m embarrassed of you guys and I don’t want you scarring him away,” Derek told them as he swiftly ushered Stiles towards the exit who stumbled ungracefully over his own feet.

“Oh, that again!” Talia scoffed. “Really, dear, when will you get over this. At least let me give him one of my handmade dreamcatchers! Wait right there!”

Derek dropped his head, pinching the bridge of his nose. Stiles had to smile a little at how easily frustrated Derek got with his way laid back and chill parents. He was feeling very honored that Derek had given him the chance to meet them and would definitely be getting Talia to show him all of Derek’s embarrassing baby pictures the next time he was over.

“Derek Andrew Hale!!” Talia called sharply from the other room.

Andrew. Derek’s middle name was Andrew. That was so cute! Derek didn’t seem to find it very cute though because as soon as he heard it, he immediately paled.

Talia came marching into the room again with the dreamcatcher and something else in her hand. She held it up to Derek, revealing his Beacon Hills duffle bag, and shouted, “What is all this, Derek! Have you been eating these poisonous treats? Candy?! Chips?! Have you not read of all the harmful artificial preservatives you are ingesting into your young sprouting body?!”

“Ugh, Talia!” Derek groaned, reaching for the duffle bag and scowling when she kept it away.

Talia looked over her shoulder and asked, “Reuben, what is it that those parents do in the movies where they lock their kids in their room for two weeks?”

“I’m not quite sure, dear,” Reuben said, tugging at his beard in thought. “I believe it’s called being grounded.”

“Yes, that!” Talia swung back to Derek, poking him in the chest with a stern finger. “That’s what you are, young man! Grounded! I’ll be discarding all of these!”

Turning to Stiles, Talia’s face melted into a bright and pleasant smile as she handed him his dreamcatcher and wrapped him up in a big hug. “So lovely meeting you, Stiles. Come back anytime you’d like.”

“Don’t worry, son,” Reuben whispered as Talia marched back out the room, giving Derek a comforting pat on the shoulder before following after his wife. “I’ll sneak them away when she’s not looking. I’ve just been dying for a Reese’s Pieces!!”

Once his parents were gone, Derek immediately took Stiles’ hand and physically dragged him out the house, likely with the purpose of keeping Stiles far, far away from his crazy hippie family. The front door swung shut hastily behind them and they both paused for a moment on the porch to take a deep breath and look up at the sky.

It’d been quite the eventful evening. One Stiles was sure to remember. And amidst all the nerves, confusion, and craziness, Stiles was pretty happy with how it turned out, wondering if Derek thought the same. He slipped closer to Derek who was glaring up at the sky, an agitated line formed between his brows, and decided to kiss that frown right off his face. Derek made no protests to this method and just pulled Stiles even closer, wrapping his arms around his waist.

“I’m sorry I got you in trouble,” Stiles murmured, fidgeting with his dreamcatcher as he leaned his forehead against Derek’s.

“It’s fine. She’ll probably forget what being grounded means again anyways so it’s not really affecting me.” Derek huffed. “I’ve just never seen her that mad.”

Stiles threw back his head and laughed loudly, gazing at Derek incredulously. “That was her mad? My Dad is ten times worse!” Stiles reneged, “Not that you’ll meet him. Ever.”

“No fair. You meet my insane parents. I get to meet your dad.”

“Fine,” Stiles sighed, not at all looking forward to it and, if Derek knew any better, he wouldn’t be looking forward to it either. “But be prepared for a tough interrogation and a light frisking.”

Derek smiled widely, leaning in for another kiss even though he knew Stiles needed to be getting into his car and racing back home to make curfew. He groaned, letting himself get lost in it for a bit before pulling away to be the responsible one. Derek followed him down the steps to the Jeep to say goodbye and when Stiles got in and started the car, Derek tapped on the window, indicating for Stiles to roll it down.

“Hey, on Monday, if I see you in the hallway and kiss you hello, is that okay?” Derek asked over the loud engine, leaning in through the window.

Stiles rolled his eyes as he clicked his seatbelt in. “Yes. That’s totally fine.”

“You won’t be embarrassed to be seen with a dumb jock?” Derek raised a brow.

“Maybe a little bit. This could seriously ruin my reputation, you know,” Stiles teased. “What about you? You embarrassed to be seen with a huge dork?”

“Nope. Never.” Derek said then cleared his throat to project his stern teacher voice. “I’ll see you Monday, Mr. Stilinski. And don’t be late, or detention for at least a year.”

Monday morning at school wasn’t different from any other Monday morning at school, only now their big secret was out. Stiles couldn’t even begin to explain how unbelievably good it felt to finally be able to make out with Derek in the halls without having to worry about who was around to see them. Sneaking around had been fun for a while but Stiles was more than ready to have them out in the open.

It was all so foreign at first. When Derek had tried to kiss Stiles hello in front of his friends, Stiles had almost punched him away out of old habit. But by mid-afternoon, they’d gotten the hang of it, at least enough to pressed up against Derek’s locker making out in a crowded hallway with their minds completely blank. They were able to take their time, move slow and unhurried instead of the anxious frenzied stolen kisses that they’d had before. It was bliss.

There was one downside to this new way of living, however. How the hell were they supposed to stop? Before, any random stranger walking by was an alarm to separate and scattering away from each other like headless chickens. But they no longer had to pay any mind to those concerns, so who’s to say that they couldn’t just lean up against Derek’s locker and make out all the livelong day? No one, that’s who.

“Stilinski! Hale! Break it up you two!” Coach Finstock hollered down the hall into a megaphone, causing them both to startle badly and jump apart.

Ah, so Coach Finstock had some usefulness after all.

“Too much of that can be a bad thing, you know!” Finstock shouted again into the megaphone as they gathered their things and headed off to class holding hands. “I’m just saying use proper precautions! We wouldn’t want Stilinski getting pregnant now, would we?!”

Nope, definitely. Wouldn’t want that.

#stereksummerexchange17 #sse17 #sterek #submission #fic

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daleisgreat · 5 years

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2018-19 TV Season Recap

Previous TV Season Recaps - (2013-14 | 2014-15 | 2015-16 | 2016-17 | 2017-18) 9-13-2019 Update: 2019 Summer TV Season Recap now online! Click here for recaps of latest seasons of GLOW, Veronica Mars & Jessica Jones! Greetings and welcome to my belated annual TV season recap! Got to this several weeks later than I wanted to, but glad to finally knock this out of the park! I will…attempt…to make this a little more concise than previous years so fingers crossed that I do not drone on forever! If you do have the time and want to check out my past year in TV breakdowns going back to 2013 please check out the links above! With that out of the way let us jump to the seasons of new TV I devoured from late summer/fall 2018 through spring 2019.

South Park – Like the past few seasons of South Park it features a season spanning arc, though it is not as prevalent as past seasons as the build up is for the town’s annual bike parade the kids are all stoked for. It was an interesting build up throughout to the payoff in the finale. A secondary, smaller season-spanning arc focusing on legalization of weed in South Park was a hokey plot thread to see touched on from time to time and had a payoff at the end I cracked up at. Other episodes were kind of a little lower fare than past seasons with the usual riffing on current events that South Park is known for with notable takes this season on the Roseanne Barr controversy conveyed through the return of Mr. Hankey and additionally ManBearPig making his deadly return and rampaging through South Park. Grade: B- The Conners – Previously known as Roseanne, but because of some ill-worded tweets from her last year lead to her removal of the show and being rebranded as The Conners. I am fine with how they wrote Roseanne out of the show by touching on her pill-addiction issues that were a focus in the first season. That said, I dug it more than its return season, primarily because the cast is gelling together far better now. Sarah Gilbert and Lecy Goransen both stepped up to fill the void with Barr's exit from the show. Darlene is the front and center star now, and she is nailing it holding the chaos at home down. It is good see DJ finally receive a marginal, but noticeable bump up in screen time this season after being an afterthought in a handful of episodes in the return season. I was glad to see an episode emphasize Dan dealing with Roseanne's storyline passing of the show. Also was fun to see cameos from recurring characters from the first run of the show throughout this season. Darlene finally gets a new gig at a newspaper and her boss there has tremendous chemistry with her character. A part of me still seems like that show is just not right with Roseanne not on there, but I understand why that is how it is and the cast is making the best out of a bad situation and are all bringing it with a pretty damn good second return season. Grade:B+

Orville – So I mentioned in last year’s TV recap I dropped off this show towards the end of the season because McFarlane’s humor felt a little too forced in an otherwise fine and occasionally pretty good modern take on Star Trek: The Next Generation. Eventually I revisited it and finished off last few episodes of the first season and I was glad I did because Orville stepped it up and dialed back McFarlane’s jokes and while still noticeable are better paced and not as nonstop as most of the first season was. The second season does a little cast swapping and position shifting around the Orville vessel much like the second season of TNG did. It leads to a better flowing second season with LaMarr now heading up engineering. I will miss Halston Sage’s kickass security character from the show, but Jessica Szohr proves to be a suitable replacement. Seeing the true nature of Isaac’s home planet was a two-part episode arc I will never forget that ranked near the top as my favorite TV all year and was highlighted by a huge CG-quality space dogfight of theatrical quality. As much as I loved this season there were still a couple head-scratcher episodes with one Bortus-themed episode that did not go over well with me, and another where Claire attempts to date Isaac in an intriguing arc, but eventually had a lackluster conclusion. Major props again to Seth McFarlane for restraining his humor which leads to the times when Seth does work in his jokes playing out far better and more memorable including a Twinkie joke ranking right up there with Twinkie references in UHF and Die Hard. Props also to Seth for portraying a pretty damn good captain too. Grade: A-

Castlevania - I cranked out both seasons of Netflix’s exclusive anime based on the hit videogame series at the beginning of this year. Both are really quick watches with the first season being four episodes and the second only eight episodes. I am not even going to attempt to elucidate the intricacies of the plot. Both seasons involve signature characters from the series such as Belmonts, Dracula and Alucard. Both seasons also have exquisite animation and all kinds of lusciously crafted gory medieval violence. I was not super huge into both seasons as the lore sometimes went right over my head, but both served as entertaining background noise to indulge. Grade: B Arrested Development - The second half of season five hit Netflix earlier this year. I consider it more-or-less season six since it launched about roughly a year after season five first started. It puts a nice bow on most of the Netflix-era arcs such as George Michael’s FakeBlock business, whether Joeb’s controversial magic trick really spelled the end of Tony Wonder, Michael’s repeated failed attempts at trying to save the family and yes it all wraps up with the breaking-ground ceremony for the Mexico/America border wall. For the most part I was a fan of this season although it is a victim of past Netflix-era seasons where they could not film with the entire ensemble cast present which leads to many odd camera angles and noticeable stand-ins present. I do not know if a future season is announced, but I am guessing not as this season had a nice sense of closure to it, and by that I mean in only the most pure, awkward nature possible that proved to be a worthy sendoff to Arrested Development. Grade: B+

Gotham - This was the fifth and final season of Gotham. FOX announced a year ahead of time they would be running a shortened final season of the show to give an opportunity to the creators and cast to wrap up all the story threads. Only problem was Gotham had a ton of threads and a huge cast. Season four’s theme was all about the ‘rise of the villain’ with Batman’s trademark wide range of antagonists coming into their own by season four. With the shortened season, several of those villains like Mr. Freeze and the…flamethrower girl do not appear whatsoever in the final seasons and some of my favorites like Poison Ivy and Zsasz are limited to only one or two episodes. Rest assured fan favorites Penguin and Riddler are featured throughout and both are awesome to follow along with in their constant love/hate relationship. This season-spanning arc features Gotham declared a DMZ and is ruled by gang warfare and Gordon is in charge of a resource-depleted Gotham PD constantly under siege throughout. Since the show presumably wrapped up three-to-five years early I understand the direction FOX went with having the final episode jump several years in the future so we can finally see Bruce Wayne’s destiny come to fruition and I loved the build to the memorable closing shot of the series. The final episode also has many other caps sealed to see how the rest of the fantastic cast evolved. While I could not help but get the feeling that this season was rushed, I felt the cast and crew did as best as they possibly could with the condensed season they were allotted to wrap it up. Grade: A- DC/CW ARROW-VERSE

Arrow - The seventh season of Arrow gets the distinction of being the only one of the four CW shows I started at their season premiere that I made it to the season finale of. Ollie’s compromise to serve time in jail at the end of season six had real consequences where he spends the first half of the season in prison and his journey to get out of there was an enticing ride that sees him making unlikely enemies and allies and having to go through the prison’s twisted underground fight club to stay in the warden’s good graces while Team Arrow looks through every nook and cranny to get his sentence repealed. I loved the flash forwards this season that focuses on the cast’s offspring coming together as future vigilantes to save Star City. The Arrow-verse crossover special this season, Elseworlds was another solid crossover and served as introducing the Batwoman character while CW primes up that show later this year. Seeing Barry and Oliver react to their introduction to Superman was priceless. The annual cameo of Tommy was the best yet this season, and I absolutely loved his final interaction with Oliver. The conclusion paved the way for what is announce to be Arrow’s final season debuting this fall. I was very saddened to hear one long-standing character will not be part of it, but loved the heartfelt way they were taken care of on the season finale.

Pen15 - This Hulu-exclusive show is a nostalgia trip for me. It focuses on two 13-year old girls in 1999 starting seventh grade. There is a lot of late-90s ‘extreme’ pop culture window dressing that I could not help but sink my teeth into since it is what I grew up with in high school. The episode dedicated to AOL Instant Messenger is spot-on and brought back so many memories. Pen15 focuses on all the craziness of middle school one could anticipate, including a few awkward pubescent encounters that got borderline uncomfortable to watch. For the most part though I am on board with following along with the adventures of Anna and Maya in future seasons. Grade: B+ Riverdale, Flash, Legends of Tomorrow - I dropped almost all of the CW shows I follow except for Arrow. Riverdale jumped the shark too many times this season and it seems like they are placing the Archie characters in some odd beast of a show that is a Warriors-Hunger Games-DnD hybrid that got progressively nuts-o by the week. I was initially on board with the new direction and twists on the Archie characters I grew up with, but as this seasons warred on it has gone off the deep end with a horrible intro thread that saw Archie in juvie and eventually on the run for the first half of the season and Veronica heading up a speakeasy underground at Pop’s. Without diving into too many spoilers I was not a fan of how Riverdale glorified certain things that rubbed me the wrong way and a few other characters overstayed their welcome who did not gel with the rest of the cast. The whole speakeasy scenes in the show never gelled, even with the new hard-edge drama this series has and finally when Cheryl ups and forms her Hunger Games tribute gang of archers was the line I finally went and threw my hands up and dropped Riverdale a few episodes after the winter break.

Flash was on a slow downward spiral of mediocrity past couple seasons and I could not take it anymore with new characters I could not get into and Flash looking like a buffoon every week. Chris Klein portrayed the season-long villain and I could not help but feel the producers had no idea how to implement him as he seemed like more of an afterthought. Legends of Tomorrow was my surprise favorite CW show last season, but this season gradually introduced a new character named Mona Wu that was a minor background annoyance at first, but grew into the major character to circle the season around and the character did not get any more affable and was still grating to endure and it also got to the point where I said no more! Like with Riverdale, I dropped both Flash and Legends of Tomorrow within a few episodes past their midseason break. Sorry CW, it is me, not you. Grade: Dropped MARVEL NETFLIX SERIES Punisher - People who know me, and if you have been following this blog long enough you know I am a huge Punisher fan, so obviously I am biased, but I still got to say I loved both seasons, and I will give the nudge slightly to season one. I loved the first setting the first few episodes of the second season takes place in to mix things up a bit from the other Marvel Netflix shows. The new love/hate sidekick, Amy took me awhile to warm up to, but I warmed up to her about halfway through and watching their relationship develop with Frank was a lot of fun and to see how some of their foreshadowing paid off later on in the season was pretty special. Curt's and Midani's interplay with Frank is still on the mark and they did not miss a beat in season two. The interplay with the therapist and Billy Russo could have been dialed back a little bit as I felt she was in one scene too many nearly every episode.

As with the first season, loved the action, loved the dialogue for nearly the entire cast and I thought they expertly handled the Punisher as a man of few words, but obviously they had to give him some dialogue to span an entire season, and Netflix got a ton out of his body language and cadence of the dialogue he does deliver throughout the season. I agree with many that John Berenthal is far and away the best actor to portray the Punisher, and I will forever remember all the little things he did to make him pop out and stand out among the rest as the way to play the Punisher. His final line of dialogue to close out the series is perfect! While I was saddened to see this get the inevitable cancellation announcement from Netflix along with the rest of its Marvel shows, I hope this one day gets picked up by Hulu or Disney+. Grade: A Iron Fist – I had no intentions of watching the second season of Iron Fist, but then I heard it got canned and after being a little optimistic for how he was portrayed in the episode of season two of Luke Cage he guest appeared in I decided to give it a shot. It is better than season one, but it still has a far way to go from being must-see. Finn Jones is far more entertaining this season as Danny Rand and is nowhere near as insufferable this season, although he does he have his moments on occasion. His Kun-Lun background is explored much more this season with some intriguing flashbacks. There is a new split personality character introduced this season who I became a big fan of by the end of the season. Ward and Joy are both more tolerable this season and by the end I was kind of won over by Ward with his whole NA/recovery arc. Davos returns as the main villain and with his background with Danny he winds up a more viable villain than Bakuto and the Hand. Also, no Hand this season!!!

The season loses points with me this season because Joy's arc was initially promising, but kind of falls apart by the end. Same with Colleen who was another character I was not big on, but won over this season...until the last couple of episodes anyway. Finally, Luke Cage’s Misty Knight is on several episodes of this season and I was never a fan of her before and she is equally unpleasing to endure here. If you got the time to kill and want to keep up with everything in the Marvel Netflix universe than I would say it is kind of barely worth it and is enough of a step up from the disastrous first season to check out. Grade: D+ (But a good D+ if there ever was a thing considering how big of an improvement this is from the first season) Daredevil - What a big step up from the disappointing previous season! Glad to see Kingpin as the forefront again as the antagonist this season and to see him go from prison to taking control of the reins of ‘Hell’s Kitchen’ again was a delight! Also a delight was the evolution of newcomer Dex to the show into a certain favorite Marvel character of mine. The way Daredevil handled Dex could not have been done any better. Coming out of the Defenders team up season, I loved the opening episodes focusing on Matt going into isolation as he recovered and gradually worked his way back into the fray. As with Punisher, all the action and fights here are masterfully choreographed and I was glued to the screen once a fight kicked off. I cannot think of a single person that is mis-casted since everyone delivers sublime performances. Karen and Foggy are awesome supporting characters and I loved their angles this season with more background into Foggy’s family struggles while trying to save the Nelson & Murdoch firm and Karen taking insane risks in her journalistic endeavors.

My highest praise is I think this is probably the sole Marvel Netflix season that could have went an extra episode or two because it felt like they kind of had to rush through a few scenes that felt a little condensed in the final episode. Another similarity Daredevil shared with Punisher is that it also unfortunately was cancelled by Netflix and I am super-bummed to see it go after this redemption season. Here is hoping it too gets picked up on another streaming service or maybe even by some stroke of luck both Daredevil and Punisher get incorporated into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. FINISH!!! That wraps up this past year’s worth of TV coverage. I tip my hat to you if you somehow managed to stick with me all this way through! I do not know if I will do my annual bonus summer TV viewing follow-up or not. I know Netflix still has to unload the last season of Jessica Jones, but I thought it would have dropped within the last few months so who knows when it will hit. I know season three of GLOW will hit Netflix this summer and that will jump instant viewing right away because of how much I enjoyed the last two seasons. I keep telling myself I need to do a one week trial of HBO Now to binge watch the final season of Game of Thrones and get caught up on Ballers so I might go down that well later this summer too. I am also tempted to do a trial of ESPN+ to watch that highly rated Love & Basketball docu-series and get caught on the last several 30 for 30s I am behind on. Got other suggestions for what I should watch this summer? Feel free to tweet them away to me @Gruel Past TV/Web Series Blogs 2013-14 TV Season Recap 2014-15 TV Season Recap 2015-16 TV Season Recap 2016-17 TV Season Recap 2017-18 TV Season Recap Adventures of Briscoe County Jr: The Complete Series Baseball: A Ken Burns series Angry Videogame Nerd Home Video Collections Mortal Kombat: Legacy - Season 1 | Season 2 OJ: Made in America: 30 for 30 RedvsBlue - Seasons 1-13 Roseanne – Seasons 1-9 Seinfeld Final Season Star Trek: Next Generation – Seasons 1-7 Superheroes: A Never-Ending Battle Superheroes: Pioneers of Television The Vietnam War: A Ken Burns series X-Men – The Animated Series: Volumes 4-5

#conners #roseanne #south park #tv/web series #orville #pen15 #Arrested Development #castlevania #Gotham #arrow #Flash #legends of tomorrow #riverdale #Iron Fist #punisher #Daredevil

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