#idk story time I guess

[mightymargaretofanjou]

Sometimes I really like that academia can be an adventure and doesn’t always have to feel like a Standard Adult Job and then sometimes I just sit there with my mouth wide open like what. Why is this profession so weird.

Like this one time I went on a research trip to this library in western Mass that I thought would be in a small city because it was literally called the American Institute for the discipline in question, v official. Nope. Middle of nowhere. The last mile or so was a single lane road with No Trespassing signs every few yards and I truly thought someone was gonna come out of the trees ranting and raving at me to go home until the area opened up into first this huge stone mansion with turrets and vampire film energy and then the actual library that was much more…understated.

The whole trip had strange vibes mostly because I was in the basement of the place the whole time and some guy just appeared from behind the bookshelves at one point and we had multiple interactions that felt like hallucinations. But the thing that really got me was after I’d finished my couple days of research I asked one of the resident researchers who was there what the big mansion was about because I thought it might be a museum or something I could explore. And this man looks me dead in the eye and goes “oh, no, that’s where we live.” Uhhhh apparently all of the researchers for the institute that was in charge of the library lived in that building together. Which is sort of normal by academic standards I guess???? There are definitely plenty of research programs that offer on campus housing. But also imagine in any other profession telling someone “oh yeah, I live in the castle-esque manor directly next to my workplace with four of my coworkers.” And I suddenly understood how we’ve gotten the media rap of eclectic weirdos. I really feel like there’s a novel plot in there somewhere or maybe a serious conversation about work-life balance and coworker interactions but what an insane career field to be in I want to dive in and never leave.

[lazylittledragon]

ok someone please correct me if i'm wrong but am i weird for thinking those 'audiobooks don't count as reading' posts are ableist as fuck????

[collophora]

TBB cadets ideas

[bunnieswithknives]

hey in ur peri animatic: (https://youtu.be/OCqlRuDaXYU?si=K52WDu_vw9rg7chz) that I have been permanently obsessed over since today and have watched about 20 times by now so much that I have drawn & posted stuff based on it what was that partial bug form peri had?

I haven’t watched either of the show btw so if it’s explained in the show please tell me plsssss

OK, SO the bug thing is not technically canon to the series. It's based on my own headcanons for fairy biology, but i do have justifications for it!! Fairies have very strong shape-shifting abilities, so it would make sense that the form they show to humans isn't necessarily their true form(not to mention extreme that mimicry is very common in insects). And you want to know the visible traits almost every fairy has in common? Being very small with Insect-like wings.

The fact that their humanoid form isn't their true form in actually confirmed in the show! Cosmo and Wanda are revealed to look like biblically accurate pseudo-angels in the museum episode. (I say pseudo angels because the Flaming Sword of Eden is only debatably sentient and I don't think is considered an angel. Ophanim are also debatably not angels because they don't have wings (sorry for the angel tangent I like angels))

So wouldn't their true forms be angelic then? Well, yes. But I like bugs so. Also I have more headcanons to justify myself. I like to think that they have both a true-true form (incomprehensible to the human brain, probably exists mostly in a dimension invisible to us, that looks how we imagine biblically accurate angels), and a fairy form (which is visible to humans but is naturally very insect like and tends to scare people). So, in order to interact with humans, they have to learn to shapeshift into a humanoid form but will occasionally slip if they get too relaxed/aren't careful, hence the mandibles coming out when he yawns!

The reason they struggle so much more with human forms than the animals or objects they typically turn into is that, well, they aren't trying to convince those animals or objects. The more human they try to look, the harder it is to keep up convincingly. If you turn into a really uncanny squirrel, only other squirrels will notice. If you turn into a really uncanny human, they form a lynch mob and burn you at the stake.

[ropes3amthoughts]

I know people are just joking when they say stuff like “Mithrun is an old grandpa he doesn’t know he can’t say those words anymore he doesn’t know they don’t have any book tokens anymore” because of these extras below:

and whatever but like it honestly drives me kind of crazy. Like can we look at this for a second.

He was the lord of the dungeon for five years. Then he was being rehabilitated for TWENTY YEARS. That’s not super long for elves, that’s like four years for us, but that’s still a long time. And then he was the captain for another fourteen years, but he didn’t have any desire other than getting revenge on the demon.

Mithrun hasn’t really been properly socialized for a total of FORTY YEARS, which is like eight years for elves. He was totally shut off from the world, then he was rehabilitated, and then he was with the Canaries on a onetrack mindset to go after the demon. Mithrun was doing bad, he was recovering, and then he was better enough to be the captain of the Canaries again, but he was still not “better.” In all that time, the world didn’t wait for him when he was at his low point. It didn’t wait for him when he was spending all that time recovering. And by the time it’s near the end of the story where these comics take place he’s just been so far detached from the world. Like he’s most likely never tried to go buy a book token after becoming a dungeon lord. He’s most likely never talked to people and learned the new slang of the time, he’s never been caught up which words are good versus outdated. Mithrun is technically better enough to be captain, he’s better enough to have reintegrated into society, but he’s not quite adjusted yet. He’s been out for so many years suffering under the hands of the demon and scraping his way through recovery and trying to work to get to the demon that by the time he’s stopped and done stuff like gift exchanges or whatever many aspects of the world are vastly different from what he remembers. I think that’s a lot like a lot of people in real life too who have similar experiences. People in mental health centers or hospitals who spends even just months recovering can miss out on so much.

Does this make any sense? It’s kind of late so I don’t really know what I’m saying and I’m probably repeating myself but like Mithrun was at a low point and then he was recovering for so long!!!! And then when he’s reintegrated back into the world it’s changed without him!!!! He’s not some racist old man!!! The world just kept on turning when he was struggling and how is he even supposed to deal with that? Like he doesn’t have much desire but everybody is so upset with him for not knowing things like outdated terms or using cash because he didn’t know there were no more book tokens and he just can’t have known that because he literally wasn’t in a state to keep up with all of the stuff like that and now everything is different and maybe he doesn’t care because he has no desire to but like aghhhhhhhhhhhh sob sob sniffle oughhhhh 😭😭😭😭 Mithrun 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 imagine I’m shaking him back and forth that’s how I feel right now oughhhhh

[tea-cat-arts]

I simply think this fandom doesn't give Wei Wuxian enough credit for the various ways in which he saved Lan Wangji

[bunniebi]

outfits for the infamous ROs ^-^ (except O, Seb, E and LA... </3 but maybe in the future)

[beaulesbian]

The Terror 1.09

[aq2003]

so sorry for his loss at the social interaction but this has gotta be one of the funniest fucking stories he's ever told

[puppyeared]

mascot

[fictionadventurer]

I think I have accidentally become very protective of the story of Snow White.

[buqbite]

it's kinda fascinating to me how welt has been "at the end of his life" for like. several decades by now. he goes on and on about how old and weary he is and how "his job is done" and his story is over but- oh wait i just realized i can phrase this in a very funny way- he's kind of sorta immortal now because he got the herrscher core back, so he's really just stuck in the epilogue for all eternity

[vulpixisananimal]

Intermission

(There was something satisfying about the feeling of your boots hitting soft earth. Maybe it was the crunch of dry leaves and twigs. Maybe it was the occasional stone you'd kick down the road. Or maybe it was simply the satisfaction the family who walked behind you wouldn't be tripping over a particularly unsafe branch.)

(You were all on the road again.)

(It was a couple days since you all left Jouvente, things had moved fast once you recovered. Isabeau was getting sick of the place, and Mirabelle was itching to go on another adventure.)

("But where do we go next?" "How do we get there?" "What about Siffrins health?" "What ABOUT my health?" And these were just the questions asked out loud. Is Siffrin really ok? Are his headmates ok? Who caused this whole mess with mind craft? Can we trust Ramos?)

(Ramos. . .)

(The day before you all left Ramos accepted your offer to join. Said that they're going to pause the Defender training and go home. Since you all were headed there, Ramos was joining you. You still didn't know how to feel about that. Your family's opinion was split too.)

(Mirabelle was sceptical, but wanted to give them a chance. Isabeau insisted they're a good person. Odile was as wary as you were, and Nille thought they were alright. Bonnie said they were a "crabbing idiot" and left it at that. That made you smile.)

(So, that's where you were now. Leading the pack just like before. You, Mira, Isa, Ramos, Odile, Bonnie, and Nille in that order. Your group was getting sizable.)

"What do you think, Sif?" (You hear Mira call from behind.)

"Huh?" (You turn.) "Sorry, was zoning out."

"That's ok!" (she smiles.) "I was just asking if here's a good place to stop!"

(You shrug.) "I can go a few minutes more."

"Can you?" (She asked suspiciously.)

"I can! Look! I'm still fine from-" (You turned back to the road ahead and stopped. Holding up an arm.)

(There was a figure in the middle of the road, on the ground.)

(Mirabelle stopped, having long ago learned when you spotted something dangerous or peculiar. Isabeau on the other hand was as oblivious as ever and was walking right past you. You grab his arm.)

"Whuh-? What's-"

"You really suck at follow the leader." (you say, sticking your tongue out.)

"What is it, Sif?" (Mira asks, now looking ahead.) "Is that. . ."

"I'll check. All sneaky like, just in case~" (You start creeping towards the figure, careful and quietly, the loud clump clump of your boots before becoming nothing but a faded dream. You were good at this.)

(Step, step, step. . . It got clearer what the figure was as you got closer, lump of clothes? Someone in a lump of clothes, someone passed out! Oh! When you get to its side, you wave your family over. No danger.)

(Mira was there first and knelt down besides the stranger.) "O-oh! Oh no is, is it alright?"

(Next was Isa, going to check for a pulse and breathing.) "Well it's not dead? Just passed out."

"Does it not have a pack? Perhaps it was robbed." (Odile comments.) "After all, it's a long walk from the next rest."

(You shook your head.) "I didn't see one."

"No wounds or anything either." (Isa tapped his chin.)

"Maybe it. . . Didn't have one?" (Ramos comments from the sidelines.)

"Who'd be traveling without food and water?" (Nille kneels down, taking off her pack.) "Here, I'll give it some of mine."

"So kind Petronille." (Mira smiled.) "I'll try waking it up first."

(Mirabelle put a hand to the strangers heart, then up to its forhead. After a moment, the strangers yawned, eyes still closed, and smiled.)

"Good morning!!" (It says.)

"O-oh!" (Mira said surprised.) "U-uh, Good morning? Really it's good evening now, b-but!!"

"Are you alive?" (Bonnie asked, bluntly.)

(The stranger sat up.) "Oh! Yes! Yes I'm alive! Haha, I was just taking a nap! I think."

"You think?" (Said Odile, suspicious.)

"Yep!" (The stranger rubbed its head.) "Oh, oooooh stars what was I doing agaaaaain."

(Your ears perk up, stars? Ramos glanced over at you, and then asked.) "Are you, from that Island?"

"Huh?" (It looks up.) "Am I. . Oh! Oh! Oh that Island! I dunno, maybe." (It shrugs, and smiles.)

"Here, drink water." (Nille passes her water to it, it chugs it down.) "Try not to choke on it."

(The stranger coughes, and giggles.) "T-thank you! Haha! Oh right! I'm Jinn! (it/its)!"

(You all introduce yourselves. Huh, how'd we know it's pronouns already?)

(Don't question it.)

"I guess now is a good time to set up camp then!" (Mira says.) "T-that is if you're ok with it Jinn!"

"Oh! Oh no that'd be great!!" (It smiled. Did it ever open its eyes?) "I love meeting new people!! And I'm in no hurry!!"

>>>

"It's ready!!!"

(Bonnie yelled from the makeshift fire pit you helped prepare. Bonbon, Nille, and that stranger Jinn were all making a tasty dish while the rest of you were setting up. Everyone had a tent except you. You liked sleeping under the stars. Jinn was the same way, aparently.)

(You were very hungry.)

(Aaaaaaand who's fault was that~)

(You roll your eye. How could you forget, your favorite annoying star had shown up while making Isas tent. Listen, you THOUGHT you were fine.)

(You can think a lot of things Stardust~)

(You shake your head as you stepped over to the fire- WAIT-)

"IS THAT-"

(Bonnie held up a plate to you triumphantly.) "MALANGA!!! FRITTERS!!!"

(YES!!!)

(YES YES PLEASE STARS YES.)

(You take the plate from Bonnie and ruffle their hair.) "Thank you SO MUCH!!"

"Hehe!" (They were smiling so big and wide.)

(Stardust if you don't start eating RIGHT NOW-)

(Oh you didn't even wait a SECOND. You were scarfing down your food so fast. Yummy!!! Oh so so SO SO GOOD!!!)

"S-slow down Sif!" (Isa says, worried.) "I don't want you to choke!!"

"No I wanna see how far they'll go." (Nille counters.)

(You take bite after bite, finishing your food waaaay before anyone else. You put down your plate.)

". . . You 'aight, Siffy?" (Nille asks.)

(You burp.)

"Eeeewwwww"

"HAH!"

"Hehe"

"Manners, Siffrin!"

(You smile, and sink down in your cloak a little.) "S-sorry, it was really really good."

"Really? I couldn't tell." (Odile says sarcasticly. You all have a laugh at that.)

(Conversation ensues, mostly around Jinn. Who it was, where it was going, why it was passed out. The answer for all of them was the same:)

"I dunno." (It shrugged.) "I'm just going, forgot where I came from, forgot where I'm going."

"Doesn't that, worry you?" (Asks Ramos.)

"Haha, nope!" (It smiles.) "I end up where I end up, The Universe guides."

"And all we can do is follow." (You mumble, stupid Universe.) "So you remember that, at least."

"Of course!" (It tilts its head.) "I don't think I could ever forget that!"

(You shook your head.) "Well the Universe owes me after everything it put me through."

(You glance at Jinn, it looks, sad. It speaks up.) "W-well, you never really know what, what's going on with The Universe, right?"

"So?" (You question.)

"T-there, could have been some reason, o-or. . ." (It trails off and looks back down at its food. Looking at your friends, the awkwardness had spread. They knew what you had been through, and that The Universe was connected to it.)

(Stardust please, we nearly ended the world~)

(You sigh.) "It's fine. Done now, isn't it?"

"G-guess so. . ."

(. . . There's a long, uncomfortable pause before Mirabelle finds a way to break it.) "O-oh! Uh, I wanted to ask about The Universe, actually."

(Jinn perks up, looking happy as can be again.) "Oh!! What is it??"

(Mira rubs her hands together, nervous.) "W-well, I know it hurts to talk about, litteraly, but what does that phrase mean?"

"The Universe Guides? We Follow?" (Jinn replies.) "Just as it sounds! Everything happens for a reason! We learn to live with any hand we're dealt, adapt to difficulties, to rules or, or. . ."

"Or memories forgotten." (You say. Jinn nods.)

(. . . Why were your thoughts coming so easily when it came to home?)

"O-oh. . ." (Mira ponders for a second.) "It, sounds like a very strict God, if you can only follow what it guides."

"Yes and no?" (Jinn thinks for a moment.) "The Universe guides, yes, but how you take the path is up to you! To get from here to the ocean, you could follow the road, or go through the woods, or fly above them! It's about adaption! I guess it is more rigid than Change, though."

"O-oh r-right!" (Mirabelle nods excitedly.) "And!! Change tells us to seek change in ourselves, but lets us find our own way!! B-but also Change is. . W-well. ."

"A lazy God?" (Jinn giggles.) "That's ok! Change is nice!"

(You don't say? You note the earrings, one wish, one change.)

(What a strange person.)

>>>

(You wake up.)

(Why were you awake? Why were you around? It was midnight. No, probably far past midnight.)

(You can hear music.)

(You sit up. You were in your sleeping bag. That's right, you all were traveling again. It was a miracle you didn't need to front while you were on the road, you hated it. The sun. The dirt. The noises. The Heat. Ugh.)

(You look around. Everyone else's tents were set up. You could hear snores from some of them. There was another sleeping bag layed out nearby. It was empty. Who's was that again?)

(That was the stranger.)

(Ah. The stranger. It was less a memory of what happened, more just the knowledge that it did, in fact, happen. Jinn. Stranger. Islander. Where did it go? Wander off?)

(No, no you could see it. It was lying in the middle of the road. You got up, and walked over. The music got louder.)

(It didn't acknowledge your presence. It was staring up at the sky. You raise a hand-)

Nice night, isn't it?

(Your hand freezes. It spoke to you. You open your mouth, you ask how it did that.)

Lie down with me, it's a nice night.

(You hesitate, considering the now much more intimidating stranger. You decide to join it.)

(You ask-)

Relax. We have all night.

(You hush up, annoyed, and stare up at the skies. The night sky.)

(The Stars where alive, tonight. Alive and beating like hearts. You want to hold them. Grip them until they-)

That's not very nice.

(You wince. Do you mind?)

Sorry, but it's hard not to overhear your conversation.

(. . .)

Come now, there's two of you, aren't there?

(There is. You were in denial still, weren't you. That would mean you're not in control. . .)

(We're actors. Aren't we?)

(You huff. To you, maybe.)

What's your names?

(You wince again. Not used to it. Your name is Mal Du Pays.)

Vaugardian dialect meaning "Homesickness." Well not exactly Vaugardian but we don't have time explain all that. What a tragic name, do you like it?

(. . .)

. . . What about your friend?

(Name?)

Yes! You must have a name, right?

(. . . I don't really have one. Not yet, at least.)

(You need a name. Choose one.)

Now now Mal, give them some time. A names a big thing!

(I, don't know. I didn't think-)

Here!

(You look to your side. The stranger was holding something in it's hand. You take it, it was. . . A small stone? The stranger had one, and put it in it's ear.)

Go on, like I do.

(. . . You put the stone into your ear.)

(You hear music.)

Nice, isn't it?

(It was nice, the music sounded familiar, but you couldn't place it. You breathe in. . . And out. . .)

(. . . Lost one was what you called yourself, if you needed to acknowledge a self.)

Lost one?

(You don't want that name. . . . You'll go with Null.)

Null?

(A nothing.)

But you're not nothing! You're speaking to me now, aren't you?

(Perhaps. . . But you want that name. There's a phantom memory, of a play, one of the characters was called that, Null, a nothing.)

I know that play! Well, not exactly a play, but it's still a story! Swordsman with the gift of clairvoyance looking for a past he doesn't remember. Like you!

(You nod, it sounded familiar, it was familiar.)

I just hope your story ends better than his.

(You turn back to the stranger, it's smiling at you. There's stars in it's eyes.)

. . . Do you like the music?

(Yes. Yes you do. You both do. You look back to the sky. It helped you focus. Find yourself. You could count the stars, you could even remember the constellations.)

(You weren't being bothered by the hard ground beneath you.)

(You finally felt like the play had stopped for intermission.)

(You feel. . . Content.)

Do you want a pair?

(You do, you really do.)

Then you know what to do.

(. . . You did.)

(You look to the night, and wait. It might have been minutes, hours. You watched, until you saw a small streak of light slice the sky in two. You close your eyes.)

(Music to help you focus. Music to help you focus. Music to help you focus. . .)

(. . .)

(You open your eyes. Why did we do that? Why did we do that?)

(Why did you lie down next to a stranger, you didn't Even know who it was! You sit up. This wasn't right, there was something wrong. You turn to the stranger. You open your mouth.)

(Who. Are. You?)

Oh! Sorry, I should have introduced myself! I'm-

(You. You stare at the stranger. You knew that word. Your. Your hand is shaking. Your breath, quickening. You, you.)

(You're-)

You should go to sleep.

>>>

"'Friiiiiiin."

(You are being shaken awake.) "Mmmmrrrmmg five minuuuuutes...."

(Whoever's shaking you stops for a moment. Then you feel a very small body jump on you.)

"GWUH--"

"WAKE UP 'FRIN!!!"

(You clear the sleep from your eyes. Bonbon was waking you up. You were sleeping in the middle of the road, your sleeping bag was nowhere near you.)

"Uh, hhhheyy."

"Sleepwalking?" (They ask smugly.) "Ground taste good or something?"

"Haha! No I, I dunno actually!"

(You get up and dust yourself off. What WERE you doing last night? You don't remember. Maybe someone else does. Bonnie goes back to camp, your family is packing up.)

(. . . Jinn is nowhere to be seen. It must have left early in the morning.)

(You feel something in your hand. You open it.)

(A pair of small stones, there's the engraving of a crescent moon on them.)

(. . . Weird.)

[sandwichsapphic]

did he. did he just slap bertie’s ass?

[raiiny-bay]

made this & then realized i wanted to make something else instead

[intotheelliwoods]

Oh yeah, thanks everyone for being patient with me! 2AL is still going to be on hiatus until about mid-may as a warning! 🙏You are all the best!