#how does it end

[foldingfittedsheets]

In my dream last night I woke up in a massive facility. It was hard to discern the exact culture but it was like if Judaism and Chinese culture smashed into each other. I was told this was a breeding facility to reawaken the famous historical figures of this culture. It was a known fact that they reincarnated every 35 cycles of 36- there was a math formula, I forget. They reincarnated regularly.

They believed I was their figurehead, a woman who led them during times of crisis.

I was taken on a tour. I saw half grown creatures and fetuses in tubes, all experiments to better society. I felt lucky to be walking around. I was shown scenes of elaborate clay dolls dressed and arranged to display historic moments. This is the Betrayer I was told, the other half of my pair who would inevitably betray me. In the scene his cheeks were bright red and he was surrounded by women.

Later I got to meet his incarnation, a tall lad with a joyous smile and wild dark hair. I was shy but he was gregarious and friendly. We spent time together every day. I loved him, not romantically, but without reservation. One day while out walking together we passed by a huge open room full of musicians. The music reminded me of ATLA but with some odd notes and changes.

I was so enthralled, I stopped to stare. The music was beautiful but the people were busy with recording devices and I didn’t want to interrupt. But my friend grabbed my arm and hauled me in, swinging me in a dance until I stopped caring about being a bother and just danced with him, both of us laughing and delighted. And the musicians were happy too, delighted to please us, their very important people who were still growing up.

Another scene later was waking up in darkness and the head of security being in my room. She led me down the hall and to a secret desk where she pointed at an alphabet arrayed on the desk. She didn’t want a puppet figurehead. She wanted a leader. She began to tutor me in secret to learn the things a leader must know.

Later I remember sitting in a panel of judges looking down at a woman who wore my face. The director was forcing her to abase herself, to grovel and I snarled, wanting to defend her. My friend wrapped his arms around me, holding me close while he whispered in my ear that that’s what the director wanted. The girl was led away sobbing. We never saw her again.

I slowly gathered power to myself, trying not to tip off the head of the facility to my rebellion. But one day I couldn’t find my lovely friend, my other half. Someone trusted whispered “His cheeks are beginning to turn red.”

I began tearing through the facility screaming as he was nowhere to be found until finally I tore open a paper door and there he was at a low table, surrounded by anxiously smiling women plying him with drink.

I shrieked and launched toward him, and he slowly fell backward as I came close. His cheeks were red with poison, he didn’t move again. I raged and wept on his unmoving neck and the director entered.

“He betrayed you,” she informed me.

“You betrayed me,” I countered and rose to rip her apart with my bare hands.

And then I woke up the end.

[evenlis]

My best friend tells me, "Just let it go." Words that make me blanche. How can I do that? I stitched you into me, embroidered flowers and seas. Turned us into a tapestry, It came to, with such ease. Etched upon my heart... To undo,I'd have to rip myself apart.

- Evenlis

[tsmerch]

The Tortured Poets Department Standard Digital Album + "How Did It End? (Live From Stockholm)"

$4.99

[meimeiherokitten]

You ever really fall in love with a fic but the author abruptly stops posting and you're not only pining for the story to finish but you're worried for an author that you don't know because why would they abandon like that? Could it be they ran out of ideas? Did something happen to them for good or bad? Is there a way to check without sounding like Annie Wilkes?

[betty-haze]

I was trying to figure out why the part in how does it end about sitting in a tree felt familiar and realised ITS BECAUSE ITS A TAKE ON THE KIDS CHANT where it's like "taylor & joe sitting in a tree k.i.s.s.i.n.g...

That's just so fucking sad to me because the next part goes first comes love, then comes marriage, then comes a baby in a golden carriage... and that just never happened for them so instead they're d.y.i.n.g

[masquerain-with-a-mask]

I had a dream I was reading a really good fic and my mom woke me up before I could finish reading it this is the worst day of my life

[mysideofthemirror]

~Snap~

You snap your fingers as your lips curl in that impish smirk that you know makes him weak in the knees.

"Down boy."

The shiver that runs down your spine as he quickly drops to his knees is exquisite, such an obedient pet, and so well trained.

"Come here," you lift those well manicured nails and snap them again with another impish grin. The little wiggle forced upon him as he crawled across the ground, getting closer to the hallowed ground upon which you sit. It brought a warmth to your core, a desire.

And then he was there at your feet. Waiting obediently as he strains to look at the ground, the rustle of your skirt making him squirm in place. Such a good boy waiting for his next command, to reward him or to tease him?

You lift your fingers once more to snap, his fate resting on your next command.

[stealingpotatoes]

the illness post is still getting notes (???!! <3) and that means people are still telling me to get better soon, which is really nice but im gonna be too powerful if i get any better

[davidjordanphoenix]

All the parts of the journey have to happen. You can't lock yourself in the exciting climax or the peaceful resolution or the quiet calm before the storm.

The story has to play all its parts, sometimes in order, sometimes not. You don't get to control what part of the story you are in. You can only control how you are writing it.

[crystallized-cheese]

PAPYRUS! HE SMELLS LIKE THE MOON.

[evenlis]

I always thought, even if the world turned on me, I would be fine because I had you.

What do I do when it's you who is against me now? How do I cope with it? Who do i rely on now, you were my friend, my voice and my heart... Do I reinvent or learn to live without them?

- Evenlis

A Thousand Letters I Never Sent You

[drfranklangdon]

Genuine question. How does one finish a fic? Asking for a friend…

[mooreaux]

Love Undying

[betty-haze]

I was trying to figure out why the part in how does it end about sitting in a tree felt familiar and realised ITS BECAUSE ITS A TAKE ON THE KIDS CHANT where it's like "taylor & joe sitting in a tree k.i.s.s.i.n.g...

That's just so fucking sad to me because the next part goes first comes love, then comes marriage, then comes a baby in a golden carriage... and that just never happened for them so instead they're d.y.i.n.g

[egophiliac]

2025 is the year of the DRAGON SLIPPERS

[bean-spring]

Hot take and not to be a killjoy or the shipping police but people treating Viktor or Jinx's aroace headcanons as if they were canon is not the revolutionary take people think it is.

Headcanons are always all right but we have to acknowledge that they are somehow damaging when they apply to stereotypes. It might not be the case for everyone but most of the time people unconsciously assume that disability/mental illness=asexuality. These headcanons erase the freedom of attraction from people who are already seen as unable to have sexual/romantic experiences/desires, when it's completely untrue and harmful.

You can headcanon Viktor and Jinx as aroace, but I have seen people changing their minds once Viktor is no longer disabled (s2 with all of his other forms) and Jinx is no longer as mentally ill (alternate universe Powder). And it speaks wonders of how people see these characters.

"I never thought about Jinx being able to feel romantic/sexual attraction until s2!" To believe she's actually only capable of that when she's not "damaged" is incredibly disturbing. Especially since Jinx has always had a bit of a flirty personality too.

"I've always seen Viktor as asexual, I don't know why!" That's fine. You can headcanon him as ace. But I believe there is a reason behind it, most of the time, if for some inexplicable reason the "vibes" of the disabled character are making you think he's ace.

I say all of this being aroaspec myself, by the way. Headcanon all you want but going to people's posts commenting how "it's weird for you that they have romantic/sexual plots when they're clearly aroace" is not a win at all. It's a headcanon, after all, and it should be treated as such, and that's fine. But it also is damaging to spread stereotypes like these.

Of course the disabled character is asexual. Of course the mentally ill character is aromantic. It's not as revolutionary as you might think, tbh.

Fandom is not activism and it's all right to have any headcanons you want BUT some of them are filled with damaging stuff and perhaps we should look into ourselves more before treating these assumptions as something canon.