#instead ill tell a pun

[ooctosquid]

Happy birthday to the punny'est guy alive. May each new year treat you kindly

[yi3248]

chat what do u do if ur captain suddenly sighs disappointedly while you're presenting

[quinn-pop]

Mayta Knight 14-16

14 - Fancy

this came out awkward but see. kirby’s imitating dedede. mk’s surprised to realize he’s been thought of (“what do you mean people care about my feelings lol”)

15 - Wings

had no ideas for this but i really like using wings as body language and all that so. wing hug it is

16 - Desserts

[ratgrinders]

anyways ivy embra post because on god if she wont get the scenes in canon ill imagine it myself

Ivy and Oisin were friends in middle school. Oisin was still scrawny and hadn't had his growth spurt yet and Ivy hadn't yet gotten her braces taken off. They meet each other in some group project or club or whatever, the setting doesn't matter, but what happens is you have these two children with the inherent shittiness of middle schoolers who maybe haven't had the easiest time making friends because their passive aggressiveness is too aggressive, their barbs not hidden. And they act the same way with this new, kind of nerdy looking stranger they meet and find a kindred spirit. All of a sudden you're 12/13 years old with an outlet for all the shittalking about your classmates you want. You stick together like glue, it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks of you two because they all fuckin suck anyway, and you finally found someone who isn't a wuss and can give as good as they take.

Oisin gets better at hiding it though, being raised by a long family line of evil dragons who have had to hide their connections in plain sight will do that to you. Ivy never lost that edge around her though.

The first day of classes Freshman Year at the Aguefort Adventuring Academy, Oisin's met with this group of randos, they seem competent enough, the tall sad one seems nice enough if a bit of a pushover and the small one with the ponytail seems to have her entire academic career planned out already. She's intent on the name the High Five Heroes, it's a pun, get it? Because there's five of them. But Oisin won't go anywhere without his best friend. He pulls Ivy over, and Ivy isn't having the best luck finding a party (she insults them saying why would she want to join a party with any of these losers anyway, when they're put off by one pointed comment too many). Oisin tells the others they could do well with a fighter, that they're sticking together. The tall one, the gnome, and the kobold don't seem to mind (or don't care), but the halfling seems to have swallowed a lemon. "Well, there's six of us now which throws off the entire point of the name, but that's fine! I don't care!" (she's stubborn and doesn't want to change it).

Ivy and Kipperlilly clash CONSTANTLY. Kipperlilly's specific brand of Type A nerdiness and uptightness clashes horrifically with Ivy's specific attitude of not giving a fuck and chronic need to get under people's skin. And yet, Kipperlilly's barely concealed rage and passive aggression leads that same realization Ivy had back in middle school, of having finally found a kindred spirit. If there's two things Kipperlilly and Ivy have in common, it's their initial impression driving most people away, and their need to externalize this jealousy and bad feelings as hatred and disdain for others. They LOVE gossiping. Ivy's always down to be a hater.

Corsica Jones, the fighter teacher, sees Ivy come in on the first day of classes, bow in hand, and is immediately reminded of the sister she lost, who is still missing. Every time she trains Ivy on her stance, on basic hand-to-hand, she's reminded of the times she taught her sister the very same things. She's worried, because Ivy always seems so closed off and not very engaged, so full of rage. Unfortunately Corsica's attempts to reach out and forge a connection are stopped in their infancy when instead the barbarian teacher takes an interest in her. "Well, at least she has support from someone on the faculty, even if it isn't me."

It's Oisin that kills her. They always go off as a pair anyway, and Oisin may have been acting off recently but who is she to judge a bit of anger. But a quick stab to the back, one Choice later, and all Ivy can think about is rage.

After the Mountains of Chaos, Ivy's disdain becomes Venomous. Suddenly its not fun gossip but outright Hatred, its saying words maximized for cruelty directly to the person's face, because there's a kind of sick vindication in hurting the people who rejected you for so long, even if they may not deserve it. She and Kipperlilly don't get along anymore, snide comments and petty jabs devolving into screaming matches and insults. She proposes the name Rat Grinders with Oisin, because her stubbornness at refusing to change the name isn't endearing anymore, and there are six of them, did you oppose me joining the party that badly? It's a bit funny to see her so worked up over a stupid party name, that kind of earnest childish straightforwardness of the High Five Heroes makes her gag. The Rat Grinders is a funny inside joke, and Ivy is not comfortable engaging anymore without that layer of irony. For some reason, it doesn't feel good in the same way to hurt Kipperlilly like this, it just leave a knot of frustration that rankles in her stomach, because why does she care so much??

When Lucy dies, she doesn't remember much. She remembers the realization at the choice she'd made, and the rage that followed. Afterwards, though, was a deep all consuming bitterness. Of course she wasn't coming back, little miss goody two shoes never had any intentions of following through and left the rest of us with the fallout. She never expected otherwise, and she refuses to mourn someone who did not give enough of a shit about them to come back. She doesn't think about how Lucy helped her bleach her hair, how she braided Lucy's in return. How Lucy's birthday was coming up and she bought her new clothes, how that bag will stay unopened in her room now.

When she dies on the floor of her high school gymnasium, desperately defending every callous insult she's made with her dying breath, her last moments are spent locking eyes with her best friend, who is looking on in horror. She thinks back to a similar scenario, last year, when that same friend saw her dying and did nothing. She thinks back to them in seventh grade, trading childish insults without any real weight. And then she doesn't think anything at all.

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

I've been thinking about this for a while. May I request Kerian battling a "snow on Mt. Silver" Reader? Reader was the strongest trainer at Blueberry academy and champion of the BB league until they willingly handed off the title to Drayton and climbed to the highest point in the polar biome to wait for a strong challenger. Kerian, upon becoming champion, gets wind of them and decides to battle them. Things go bad quickly as reader is a ghost/corpse. Kerian does get rescued but is traumatized.

Oh this is a GOOD concept,,,give him that near-death trauma waaaaay before he even learns about terapagos

Also ik the weather conditions in the terarium are all simulated, but let's just say it malfunctioned and resulted in an actual blizzard at the very peak of the polar biome that killed reader + their Pokémon off (yet no one knows this)

......

"Have you heard from [y/n] lately, Drayton?"

"Nope. Last time I checked, they're still chilling at the Polar Biome peak, waiting for a "worthy challenger"."

"Was that pun intended?"

"...maybe, haha. But y'know, I kinda miss seeing their face around campus. I mean..they were our club's first champion, and to this day I still don't know why they handed the title over to me and bailed on-"

"Hold on, there was a champion before you and...you didn't even fight them for the title? No wonder I was able to beat you so easily."

"Oh great, just the person I hoped to see." With a dry chuckle, Drayton turned his head only slightly upon seeing Kieran approaching the clubroom's table with a deep scowl, eyes bleak.

Of course, the new champion of BB Academy believed he had every right to barge into the Elite Four's conversations--given he was having a bit of a "power trip" ever since gaining the title yesterday.

But the dragon trainer elected to ignore him, instead turning back to the others. "Anyways..I'm sure [y/n]'s already moved onto better things. No way could they still be up there after all that weird stuff happened with the weather."

"You mean..the time there was an actual blizzard in the terarium??" Lacey gasped, before shaking her head and making an "x" pose. "Bzzzt. Nope. Impossible. They sent a search and rescue team in case anyone in the outdoor classroom got stranded up there. And they didn't find a soul!"

"Yeah!" Crispin nodded in agreement. "I get they were the strongest trainer in this entire school, but why would they risk-?"

"I'm sorry, they're the strongest? Why am I only hearing about this [y/n] now?"

With a small yelp, he turned to the purple-haired boy. "Wah!! I-I totally forgot you were here, sorry.." He mumbled, slightly cowering under his harsh gaze. "Obviously you're the strongest! [Y/n]'s not important..d-don't worry about them. They're history-"

"But you all seem pretty convinced they're still here." Kieran's eyebrows furrowed as he stared at the group. "And you just told me where I might find them." He clenched his fists, already shaking with anticipation.

"Easy there, champ.." Drayton huffed in annoyance. "It's only a rumor that they're still hanging around. They weren't much of a talker, so we have no clue where they are. Could be in another region for all we know."

"..........."

"Don't tell me....you're thinking about charging up that mountain all by yourself to see if they're there, are you? That's suicide."

"I have to agree with Drayton." Amarys nodded. "The staff is still trying to determine the cause of the anomalous weather patterns. We aren't banned from venturing up there, but until they can find a solution, it's ill-advised."

"Exactly!" Lacey joined in. "I heard one of the rescue team members had to get treated for frostbite. And it wasn't from some ice-type Pokémon, but the blizzard itself. This is serious, Kieran!"

"....I'll be fine. Your scare tactics won't work on me."

"Huh?! But we're not-"

"Enough. I'm gonna go find them myself, seeing as you're all too cowardly to do so." The champion sneered. "If a worthy challenger is what they're after, then I'll give them one. I'll let them know there's a new champion in town..and that he's the strongest trainer in this academy. Not them."

With that, he turned on his heel and left the room, mumbling under his breath things that made the four feel uneasy.

"How pathetic. The Elite Four..scared of a little snow and ice? Whatever. I'll show them. I'll show [y/n]. I'll show them ALL..."

After the doors slammed shut behind him, they felt the tension still lingering in the air--as did every other club member who was hanging out on the sofas and by the BP computer.

"Man." Drayton broke the silence, sitting up to stretch his arms. "That kid catches wind of some random stranger who's just a little stronger than him, and boom. He's obsessed. Hope he doesn't get himself killed up there."

"Should one of us go after him?" Lacey muttered in concern, her gaze not leaving the doors.

"I-I think that would make him angrier.." Crispin shook his head. "He's got an Incineroar, so maybe it'll keep him toasty."

"That is true. He could also either confirm or deny [y/n]'s presence atop that mountain." Amarys spoke up. "I only hope he properly prepares himself for the long journey..and that no other weather anomalies arise.."

..........

"They weren't kidding..i-it's freezing...but we're doing this, Incineroar."

"Cinn.." Huffing, the Heel Pokémon remained beside its trainer as the two made their ascension towards the summit. They couldn't see any rest spots nor healing centers below them due to the snowfall being so heavy.

Even the teraglobe was barely visible.

Yet Kieran was persistent as ever in his goal, keeping his jacket zipped up and Incineroar close to him. He didn't care about the fact his hands were already growing numb, nor the cold biting at his legs leaving them weak.

He was the new champion. He had to let everyone in this school know and defeat whoever could threaten the position he worked so hard to achieve.

If not [Florian/Juliana]..then it was you.

You're someone he's never even met, but knowing you were the very first BB League champion and had a big-enough ego to come up here and wait for a strong challenger...was something he couldn't turn a blind eye to.

No.

Not if he wanted to be the best in this entire school and eliminate any competition.

Absolutely nothing was gonna stop him.

Not even the fact that his Incineroar's flames were struggling to stay alive, gradually exhausting the feline as it struggled to keep up. It began having chills itself, although it knew better than to disobey its trainer when he demanded to keep the fire going.

Surely it can tough it out for him, right?

After what seemed like an eternity, Kieran finally reached the top of the mountain and saw you: the lone figure waiting for them both. Much of the snowfall had already cleared up allowing him to see you in a cap that concealed your eyes and a BB Academy uniform.

You were looking at something up in the sky, until you heard the sounds of shuffling and turned around, looking down with surprise at the challenger.

This kid...came up all this way to see you? Impressive.

His Incineroar looked a little worse for wear, the flames around its belt dying out, yet it stuck close to its trainer's side as he stared at you with a cold hard gaze.

"Are you [y/n], former BB League Champion?" He questioned.

"........."

"Not much of a talker, huh? Guess they were right. I'm Kieran, or better yet..Champion Kieran."

Although you barely gave a response aside from a slight tilt of your head, he just smirked. "Yeah, you heard me. I'm the new champion and president of the League Club, not that dumb dragon tamer. Because unlike him, I worked hard to earn this title. I don't wait around for things to be handed to me on a silver platter."

".........."

"You think being champion is a joke? Something you can just pawn off to somebody when you get bored of it?"

"........."

"I thought so. That means you never deserved the title to begin with.." He scoffed, irritated by your silence. "Anyway, they said you were the strongest, but I'm here to change that!" Pointing up at you, he shouted over the wind. "You wanted a worthy opponent..well HERE I AM!!! Incineroar, Porygon-Z...show them the power of a true BB League Champion!!"

He took out his Virutal Pokémon's pokeball, ready to send it into battle.

But it didn't come out after he tossed it to the ground.

"...huh?" Confused, Kieran picked up the pokeball, wondering why it wasn't opening. Then he noticed frost coating the button, practically icing it over entirely. "No, no, no.....what is this?!"

For some reason it was jammed, and he discovered that all the other pokeballs in his bag were like that, too, rendering them inaccessible.

But how?

It shouldn't be possible for all of them to freeze simultaneously...their insulation should be top-tier.

Brushing off his worries, he glared at you. "Whatever. I can win a single-battle, too! I've developed strategies for this. Incineroar, it's all up to you now"

Nodding, the Heel Pokémon cracked its knuckles and stepped forward. But as it looked at you, it began shivering all of the sudden, feeling a drastic drop in temperature as the flames on its belt struggled still.

It wasn't just the weather giving it chills..but you.

Something about you just seemed...off, but it couldn't exactly tell its trainer what that was. Nor would he probably care.

Whether it liked it or not, it had to win this battle.

Wordlessly, you stepped down so you could fight on equal ground and took out a single pokeball. It was covered in frost, with much of the red paint faded, and it looked awfully damaged--especially the button.

Yet somehow it was functional as you sent out your first Pokémon.

And the sight of it was so grisly, Kieran felt genuinely nauseated, unable to do anything except stare in shock.

"Wh...What the..."

It appeared as a sickly frostbit creature, with its colors dull and empty sockets in place of its eyes. Not to mention the heavy wounds littering its body, which seemed fresh. It's like you ran out of healing items and never bothered to look for any more.

And its cry was pained.

Considering how much Kieran himself loved and treasured Pokémon, he was gravely concerned and had second thoughts about fighting one in such a horrible state...

But that little voice in his head told him that refusing to fight your team would make him look weak. You'd probably think he was weak for backing down.

And he refused to do that.

Why was he suddenly so afraid? You were only trying to scare him, just like everybody else...and he was fed up with that.

He came this far. He had to finish this.

"You...think your Pokémon can battle in that condition? Looks like they can barely stand." His eyebrows furrowed. "No matter. Once I beat you, I'll take them off your ha-"

"Struggle."

A hoarse whisper escaped your lips, stunning him as he realized you could actually speak. But then your Pokémon suddenly threw itself at Incineroar, attacking and taking a good deal of recoil damage as it fainted soon afterwards.

Or rather...

It simply dropped to the ground and ceased all motions, with you making no move to recall them. Instead you just sent out your next party member.

Kieran tried not to think about why they did that, and just scoffed at your strategy. "Really? This is what the "strongest" trainer is capable of? I expected better..I'll beat you in no time at all."

Yet you didn't seem fazed by anything he said, as you commanded your Pokémon to use Struggle, too.....and every other one after that did the same thing.

What frustrated him the most was how they all managed to outspeed Incineroar, forcing it to endure every hit without getting a chance to retaliate. It felt so unfair, and he couldn't do anything except sit and watch, feeling his blood boiling more with each passing second.

He didn't know why you exhausted all of your team's moves, why you wouldn't give him a chance to strike back....or why you're even up here at all and allowed them to get this bad.

But he knew one thing.

He wanted to get off this mountain soon.

The snowfall was growing heavier again, the howling wind picking up as the temperature kept dropping.

"Stop! Just stop for a second!!" He snapped as you readied your final pokeball. All you did was pause and stare at him. "You haven't given me a chance to attack yet! And I'm locked out my pokeballs...this isn't fair! You're cheating!!"

"..it's almost over."

He tensed, wondering why you spoke those words so ominously. But he took that as an insult and scowled. "For me? No...it's almost over for you. You're down to your last Pokémon..and I still have all of mine. I'm putting an end to this pathetic "struggle strategy" of yours right now."

".........."

"What a joke this was. Everyone says you were the strongest trainer..but you're just another obstacle in my way."

Hearing that saddened you a little, almost making you regret what you're about to subject this hapless champion to next...but you will end this one way or another.

You couldn't tolerate his arrogance any longer.

Your final Pokémon's appearance completely wiped the smug look on Kieran's face, as his eyes widened upon seeing a Pikachu in the most horrific condition--one that didn't look anything like the others on your team.

Its fur was totally white with a layer of frost coating it; and it was missing a leg, ear, and part of its tail...as though something had torn and chewed at various sections of its body. And its wounds exposed its muscle and bones, yet somehow it was still able to stand on its own.

But the most terrifying thing was its lack of a cutesy smile typical to its species. Instead there was this creepy grin stretching from ear-to-nonexistent-ear. And it just stared at him with those pitch black eyes, giggling.

His hands shook with genuine fear, before he rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't hallucinating.

Yet both of you were still there when he looked, ready for battle.

Suddenly he didn't feel so high and mighty right now. His heart pounded and his throat felt dry, eyes stinging from the cold.

He felt as though he wasn't supposed to be here.

He shouldn't be here.

He didn't want to do this anymore.

He wanted to go home.

It was so cold...

But he needed to finish this.

"I-Incineroar, use-"

"Pain Split."

'Wait...Pikachu can learn that?!' His eyes widened in shock, but at the same time he was relieved you finally did something new-

Only for your Pikachu to screech and attack his Pokémon with that move, biting into its arm and causing the latter to roar in agony. He could only watch, horrified as blood splattered all across the snow.

By the time he managed to recall Incineroar, it had already fainted from the attack.

However your Pikachu did, too, laying among the other bodies of your Pokémon...who he now realized were in fact deceased. He could barely see them since the snow covered most of them.

But the morbid images would never leave his head.

He still didn't understand.

What have you become?

What are you?

"It's over."

Looking up, Kieran screamed upon seeing your uniform now covered in blood, the frostbite having eaten away at most of your flesh. You looked like some zombie, with exposed bones and hollowed eyes much like your Pokémon--gazing at him with that same sadness they held.

Now it finally hit him.

All this time, he wasn't battling some BB League ex-champion. He was battling the victim of that weather malfunction the four were talking about.

The one who never made it down this mountain alive.

You were already dead...and wanted him to suffer the same fate as you.

He blinked, and you were suddenly in front of him, grabbing the front of his jacket with two hands and staring at him. And all he could do was stare back in terror, unable to look away.

"Destiny B-"

"NO!! NO!! STOP!!! GET AWAY FROM ME!!!!!" Screaming as loud as he could, he lost all composure as he tried pushing you off of him, hitting your jaw and dislocating the bone.

You dropped him to the ground, and he sobbed, wrapping his arms over his head as he begged you to leave him be.

"L-Let me go home, please pleasepleaseplease-"

"Kieran?!!!"

With a sharp gasp, he looked up to hear the voice of Lacey, before seeing her, Carmine, and the other Elite Four members rushing towards him. They were all bundled-up, with Crispin's Magmortar and Heat Rotom keeping them warm.

"It's [y/n]!!" He shouted, pointing to where you stood. "Th-They..they're right there!!"

The group stopped, appearing confused as they looked all around, seeing nothing but snow.

"Wh-Why are you all standing around?!"

"Kieran..there's no one here except us." Crispin muttered.

".....huh?" Blinking, he looked back and realized you have disappeared entirely, not leaving behind a single trace of your presence. There weren't any blood or footprints in the snow, nor any frozen bodies of Pokémon lying in it.

It's like he was battling a hallucination all along.

But it felt so real..

"But I....I-I..."

"Only you would be insane enough to risk your life coming up here," Carmine huffed, kneeling down. But as soon as she saw the true terror in her little brother's eyes, her heart sank..wondering what he witnessed. "Kiki..?"

"...i-it was them...[y/n]..." He mumbled shakily, his arm still stuck in a pointing position. Tears streaked down his face, the cold wind making his cheeks sting like hell. "Th-They were right here..and...and they...they tried to-"

"Listen, I get you really wanted to meet them and battle them...but they're not here. They're long gone. Now c'mon. We need to get you off this stupid mountain." Picking him up was no problem for Carmine, given how he was light as a feather. He just clung to her, allowing himself to be carried on her back.

The four were astonished that he actually made the journey up here, with Drayton wondering if he was really that desperate to battle you that he came up here, realized you weren't around, and just...made up a scenario in which he wins anyways.

Instead, the poor kid seemed traumatized by whatever he saw...or believed he saw.

After making it safely down the mountain and getting treated--alongside his Incineroar--Kieran's detailed account of what happened led to another rescue team heading up the summit, just in case they may have missed something.

They had fire types and ground type tirelessly shoveling through the snow, digging in the exact spot where he battled you, but there were no signs of you anywhere.

Even so..he refused to believe it, and still had reoccurring nightmares of that encounter and how it might've ended if the others didn't show up in time.

Soon enough he got back on-track to training his Pokémon and becoming stronger everyday, but other trainers noticed how carefully he treaded throughout the Polar Biome..

And how he avoided going anywhere near the tallest mountain in that zone.

For he believed you were still up there, waiting for him.

[angel-hawthorne]

No, you're seeing the consequences of adults actively choosing to hit children. Every damn time someone bitches and moans about people not being "disciplined", they're quick to blame those who don’t spank for a laundry list of societal ills. Their genius idea is to hit kids even more instead of addressing the root problems. A lot of these youngsters have received a "good ol fashioned beating" once or more than that, and it still didn't do anything.

"I'm not saying you should abuse [children], but..." stop right there, that's exactly what you're suggesting. What exactly do you mean by proper discipline? Or as this person ever so wonderfully puts it "good ol slap on the wrist"? Ah, it's occasionally hitting the young when they say or do things that offends your fragile sensibilities. Adults in positions of power often get away with pulling all manner of fuckshit stunts under the guise of “discipline”. At this point, y'all sound no different from the domineering religious men who think hitting their wives will make them behave aka "Christian Domestic Discipline". Y'all didn't turn out fine at all. Just grew up to be violent bullies and/or enablers.

You hit them once, and it makes you, the adult, feel powerful. Getting that temporary feel-good rush of being in control. That's all it ever does - grant temporary compliance and relief. What will you do then if that one time with the initial amount of physical force doesn't work? Amp up the dosage (pain intensity) until you achieve that same feel-good high? If that keeps up, then these consequences will result: child goes no contact in the future, end up with a # of mental health issues, the child dies from their injuries (or removed from custody if they survive), and the caregiver gets slapped with legal repercussions. No pun intended. In extreme cases, the child will kill their parents/guardians for their own safety when there's no other alternatives.

Funny how it’s only the adults who care about splitting hairs over differences. A child’s brain doesn’t know, nor does it give a shit about “differences” you adults arbitrate. Their brains don’t stop to think “it’s only a smacking, so turn off your fight/flight/fawn/freeze response and halt the cortisol production”.

"Let me tell you, we only did it once." I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but your sample size of 1 anecdote does not trump decades worth of empirical evidence. Correlation doesn't imply causation. Plenty of children got that "one time deal", and they learned to repeat the same behaviors without getting caught. Last time I checked, discipline isn't something you DO to people. Just because you were raised to believe that assault is okay, doesn't mean others feel the same way. I'd recommend looking up survivorship bias and appeal to tradition fallacy.

This non-parent thanks you for coming to my Parenting Opinion Ted Talk.

[calciumcryptid]

We Are Episode Thirteen Thoughts:

Fai, Mick, Matthew, and Beer content (someone save Beer please)!

The Subject of Kluen: As someone who tells people I have a crush on them right away, Kluen being transparent with Peem was nice to see. He has been a green flag in general, and I do quite like him even if he entered a losing race. Love how his jokes came across as awkward instead of ill-intentioned.

More Demiromantic Q! The evidence keeps growing with each episode. I'm starting to think I might have to separate my essay by episode or it might be a little too scattered.

Honestly, I was the least interested in ChainPun because I thought the twist was they were already together, so I was thrown a curveball when Chain said Pun should turn his cupid arrows on himself. I've seen some people's theories tossed around, and I think the new one I subscribe to is Chain confessed his feelings for Pun but Pun either misunderstood or put him on hold due to not wanting to change their friend group's dynamic.

QToey being so cute it was distracting. I'm glad Toey got the chance to tell Q he was the one who inspired him to go into art. I have a lot of thoughts about their dynamic, but a lot of those thoughts also tie back into demiromantic Q so I guess I should really continue my essay.

The misunderstanding plot not really existing. Like it did, but We Are is good at making it's episode to episode plots watchable and solvable without feeling unnecessary.

Full transparency, I'm not quite sure I completely vibe with the 'fought with my parents so I couldn't pick you up' plot point. Not because I found it stupid, but because I feel like I didn't understand why Phum couldn't pick Peem up. Did the argument really last that long or did Phum simply not want to show up on a sour note (which would be valid!)? Felt like a little further explanation could have done it some good.

PhumPeem are officially dating! This show is three for four in confession scenes that make sense for the characters involved, and three for four in first confession attempts vs second confession attempts (though technically TanFang's confession success was in its first attempt). Glad Peem didn't accept the affections of cocky Phum but nervous Phum.

I still refuse to believe Series!Phum is a top.

[ghost-of-a-system]

hi, we are autistic and also have aphantasia and alexithymia.

and we where wondering what you guys do when you don't know who's fronting, like that limbo of bodily autopilot where nothings going on inside the head and we all just blend together into an incoherent mess

we can't tell if someone new is fronting or if we think we are faking it again.

thanks

hey, thanks for reaching out! im not sure if we have alexithymia; we dont know much about it. but we do have aphantasia and autism, so ill try my best.

i think its an autism thing, but we mask a whole heck of a lot around basically... everyone but each other. if you or someone else is unsure what i mean by "masking", its basically just altering (no pun intended...) your behavior in order to outwardly appear "normal" to other people. pretty sure it can be both manually done or subconsciously. its usually subconscious for us personally. but for us, this "persona" we mask as is kinda hard and unnecessary to describe, but the point would be that it isnt really similar to any of our alters. we also do a lot of mirroring others, as in, involuntarily copying their personalities, speech patterns, etc., which plays into our masking.

when we are blurry or more "on autopilot" as you described, we tend to revert to this even more. since there isnt a distinct enough alter around to, at the very least, hog our train of thought, our brain just defaults to that masking persona. but this still happens a lot when we do know whos fronting; they subconsciously mask/mirror so much so that their identity becomes indistinguishable to even them. in all honesty, this usually doesnt go away until we either are alone again or something triggers someone specific out (sorta snapping us out of the masking for a bit). sometimes the someone specific is even who was fronting before good ol masking took over; it just kind of grounds them to their actual self instead.

overall it just makes it impossible for us to tell when we are just genuinely blurry or just masking to the max. we usually just default to assuming that were blurry until enough clarity kicks in to say otherwise.

as far as the "thinking it could be a new alter" thing, we definitely relate to that too. we kinda have a whole, system in place (no pun intended...?) to help with that. when it comes to masking, particularly mirroring, we typically mirror other people/characters/etc. to the point that we genuinely feel like a new person. oftentimes to the point that we feel like we are them. many times in the past its so intense that it puts us under the impression that theres a new person to add to the bunch.

i think one of us has talked about it in the past here, but im too lazy to go fishing for it. basically, we might log it, like in our simply plural, usually. keeping the profile on private and just logging that this potential new guy is fronting. we usually give it a week or two to see if they ever front again or if we can still 'feel their presence' later on, in simple terms. for us, majority of the time theyre gone, 'cause they never existed to begin with. but thats just because we mirror so much and so intensely, not sure if thats something other systems can relate to. we also just arent a large system, and while it isnt uncommon for us to split, its even less common that they stick around past a week or two.

its a weird cycle. but it doesnt mean youre faking or anything. just one of the weird ways things mix, especially being a system and having something like autism. they dont always function separately, at least in our experience.

[antheiantics]

ENTJ Behaviours - Everyday things the Internet analysis don't tell you about - weirdly specific edition

Loud loud laugh. The type of laugh to make you go under the table. Happens roughly 2-3 times a day.

Shouting for no apparent reason.

Zoomies, yes, zoomies around the house.

Zoomies in talking - The point is to get it out fast and furious and go on with the day. Spoiler alert: 80% of the time I have to repeat myself, because people didn't understand my point delivered in Eminem speed. I'm fine, we're fine, it's fine.

Constantly forgetting people don't have the ability to understand with just one, maximum three words. Exception: INTX

Hating to be late and arriving early. Completing several tasks while waiting.

Having absolutely no tolerance on people who are late. Holding a grudge about it. Waiting for the day to just leave so the other person learns from it.

Abrupt style changes that shock people - going from casual business to grunge fairycore, not realising that people get confused with the vibe.

ENTJ procrastination is a thing - it's just procrastinating by doing other smaller tasks instead of doing the big looming one.

Being confident all the time except in a specific moment in which it's required to.

Ordering food at McDonald's because your extroverted friends were "too shy" to.

Waiting for those same friends to say "hi" to the entire planet while you try to look confident, pretty and approachable.

Being invited in the conversation in the span of one minute and hitting it off for the next 10 minutes.

Walking fast.

The boulevard is the runway and y'all are just peasants interrupting the strut.

Making detailed plans about being a successful company owner in 10 years, but forgetting to take in the sheets the next day. Short-term goals - a strong point, if forced. Day to day to-do list - not a strong point at all, unless written down (most of the time confident enough to remember our own tasks) (most of the time we forget to do several of them, or postpone them to shove three more that we planned to do after two weeks, but oh well, an opportunity arose - extremely specific, might not apply)

Patience. Monstruos amounts of it. Miranda Priestly was just fed up after so many years in the industry and I can see why.

Pet peeves are inefficiency and people who repeat the same mistake over three times, after it was explained to them by multiple people.

Strong opinions. Controversy. How are y'all dealing with Cruella (Emma Stone) and Elizabeth Bennett (Pride and Prejudice) mix, type of person? Genuinely curious. Not asking for a friend.

As for the ENTJ men reading this - do you have like a list or diagram, with all the people that manage to keep up with your Stewie Griffin (South Park) , Kaz Brekker (Six of Crows) tendency to "invest" and Thranduil(The Hobbit/LOTR) type of beauty and pride, and how long is it? Again, genuinely curious.

Wrote the origins of criticism and invented self-criticism in the process, because emotional liability got invented roughly around the same time and apparently it was "too much" *side glances INFPs*

Crying only out of helplessness (not if you can help it, ofc) and anger.

Fan of stupid puns (extremely evident)

Might unintentionally ghost people or leave them on seen, because they messaged you while your brains were working overtime (happens too often)

Caffeine doesn't work, but it's a ritual of pleasure, not to be missed, unless the day is bound to finish in prison. Same could be said if you take tea instead of coffee.

Relaxing by watching documentaries about successful people.

De-stressing by drinking wine with that one close friend that you see once a month due to busy schedules and talking about life.

That close friend also happens to be the closest one to IxxJ type and thoroughly listens while we explain the nature of emotions and why we think that the normal emotion we felt is a terminal illness.

Flirting is a way of surviving not a way of life. Take it as you wish.

Inspecting and dissecting your crushes so you know what you're dealing with. Most of the time we "un-crush" them with a snap of our fingers.

Sometimes we "just go with it" and end in a semi-casual situationship.

When they tell you we are confident and undisturbed by flirting, they're probably lying or not competent enough about speaking on real (not psychology explained) life. We do. It's just not obvious. INTJs, INTPs and ENFJs might not agree, because they somehow just know.

Getting hurt over minimal details people mentions about us throughout a conversation but being unaffected by "the big ones".

Which is hilarious because we're major "big picture" people - details are the things we see last. Sometimes, we don't even bother to inspect them.

ENTJ: Ah, ah, okay, bye-

Other people: No, wait! There's-

ENTJ: I pretty much got it, bye-

P.S. "Pretty much go it." or "I'm gonna wing it.", but make it organised, are probably catch phrases by now. No matter what people tell you that's a major trait of XXXJ people.

When I told you we invented criticism, I forgot to mention we also helped ESTJ and INTJ invent sarcasm.

[princess-of-purple-prose]

Wifeplot #XXX: The Bell Of True Origins

The PIDW origin story (heh) of the pivotal artifact of my Scum Villain fic "on all my dying days (I swear)"!!! This is quite long, so the rest is under the cut <3

The Plot: The Bell of True Origins is a small bronze bell which, when rung, reverts the user in form to what they looked like when they experienced a turning point in their life, and brings them back to their current self once rung again

Specifically, it casts a mental manipulation spell on the user to subconsciously create a self-perpetuated illusion of that past self. This means that the illusion might not be a perfect recreation-- the illusion might be better-looking or thinner than they really were at that point. Or, if you're, say, Yue Qingyuan reconstructing what you felt like while qi deviating to death in a cave, even bloodier!

The Wife: Li Shuangjie is a non-cultivator whose younger twin sister (Shuangjue-- you can throw rocks at me for the name puns now) was killed was by some villainous rogue cultivator many years ago, and she's been hunting for revenge since

MANY years ago. Lsj is, at the LEAST, in her thirties, but I've been imagining her in her mid fifties. Battle between Airplane and pidw fans' perceptions of older women vs mine akdkfk

Lsj narrows in on this villain, finally, at just the time Bingge happens to roll into town. She befriends Bingge at an inn pub (he's undercover as a regular guy and is doing spywork for himself or something, idk). They hit it off, and Bingge is intrigued by how lsj clearly has something going on, though she won't share what. Lsj is drawn to him too, but she's too on-edge and too focused about being on the cusp of achieving vengeance to fall for his flirtations. (Yet)

Lsj comes across the Bell of True Origins-- I'm imagining an unscrupulous merchant pawning it off to her without explaining what it does besides it nominally being a cultivation tool-- and it reverts her to the dashing twentysomething year old she'd been when her sister was murdered

Lsj can't risk ringing the bell again, because to her knowledge this just deaged her by full decades, and she can't afford blipping herself out of existence, not now. But her efforts to find that shitty merchant again are unsuccessful, so her plan is now ruined; the rogue cultivator wouldn't have recognized her at her real age, but he'll definitely recognize her current appearance. She's devastated, and she goes back to that pub in abject shock and despair, at a loss for what else to do

Lsj meets Bingge again, who immediately recognizes her despite her looking oh so different, and she breaks down and confesses everything. Bingge valiantly swears to carry out her revenge instead, to lsj's astonishment

He indeed kills the villain and returns to lsj at her room in the inn (I'd say with the guy's severed head, but idk if Airplane can write romance like that)

At this point lsj has of course fallen madly in love with Bingge, and she tearfully tells him that he's done her a great service and there is nothing she can do to repay him

Obviously, Bingge proceeds to reveal that he's the Junshang and hits her with a few devastating come-ons, but lsj protests that this isn't her ~true~ self and he couldn't possibly want the real her

Bingge somehow produces the Bell of True Origins (he definitely murdered the guy who gave it to her) and solemnly tells her how it works, giving her the chance to use it on herself again

After great and serious contemplation, lsj decides to keep her young hot body, in the name of reliving the life she could not while hunting for her sister's murderer. She and Bingge immediately have sex. End of arc <333

This is widely seen as one of the more feminist wife acquisitions solely bc lsj is a milf and Bingge, gasp, even generously gave her the opportunity to keep looking the part!!!

Peerless Cucumber, of course, furiously reviled the arc for the ill-defined effects and unreasonable strength of the artifact, for stealing lsj's chance at the final blow against the man who ruined her life, and for lsj's personality doing a 180 as soon as she turned young again. But he did appreciate that Bingge and lsj actually spoke like companions before the arc devolved to papapa, and he thought her reasoning to stay young was actually pretty decent, even if it was obviously another sign of Airplane's lack of integrity 🙄

There was so much fanart and fanfiction about what the bell would do to Bingge. Hahahaha.

[fandom-junk-drawer]

The Witcher Headcanon (Modern AU) - Stomach Troubles: Bonus Scene

Jaskier wishes he was a Witcher right now. Wishes he had a Witcher's strong stomach. Maybe then he wouldn't be so uncomfortable. He sure as h*ll wouldn't be laid out on Madeleine's couch, feeling sick to his stomach instead of being at the studio working on their music.

He had started feeling ill a few hours after coming back from the restaruant they had stopped at for lunch. His stomach felt...nasty. He couldn't describe it any other way. He'd figured it was just over full and would feel better after a few hours.

He'd certainly felt better after blasting that huge air biscuit in Madeleine's car on the way back.

Jaskier *very serious*: "Madeleine, we need to talk. It's...it's important."

Madeleine *suddenly nervous*: "Okay...I'm listening."

Jaskier: "Maddy, there's something I've been needing to tell you for a long time..."

Madeleine *getting more nervous*: "What it it?"

Jaskier *sounding tearful*: "I'm really sorry, Maddy!"

Madeleine *confused*: "Jaskier, what do you-!"

Jaskier: *leans to one side and rips a** like a sick elephant*

Madeleine: * horrified and disgusted screaming*

Jaskier: *cackling maniacally while fending off a hail of poorly aimed slaps*

Madeleine somehow didn't rear end the car in front of her, and she was eventually able to get the windows down.

Jaskier groaned quietly as the intermittent queasines returned. It brought that gross hot/cold feeling with it. He hadn't mentioned it to Madeleine, who had been hovering over him since he had first started looking ill after getting back. He felt like he was sweating, but he wasn't, at least not really. He felt shaky, yet his hands were steady when he held them out. Hmm... He got up and slowly and carefully wandered to the kitchen, telling his bandmate that he was going to make some ginger tea.

He thought he was going to start feeling better after sh*tting his guts out in the bathroom about half an hour later, but his hopes had been dashed. Now he felt achy and weak on top of everything else. He tried to assauge Madeleine's worry with some jokes. Most of them involved puns and jokes about ar*eholes.

It worked, because now Madeleine looked more annoyed than worried.

"Enough already, I'm really worried about you!"

"I could moan your name on the next stomach cramp, if it would make you less worried!"

"You need to stop!"

Jaskier was starting to relax a little too. He'd been worried that he was going to end up camping out on the toilet, but so far, he'd gotten no more warning rumbles from his guts. Good. He really didn't want to end up accidentally sh*tting on Madeleine's furniture, or carpet. And he didn't really feel like moving anyway.

He just wished the d*mn nausea and belly cramps would go the f**k away. He was worried, but he didn't want to pull Yennefer away from her work just for an upset stomach. Again. He should try to wait it out. That always worked before.

Madeleine rested her hand on his chest as she saw him close his eyes briefly and swallow hard as another wave of nausea hit.

She could feel his heart beating rapidly under her hand. He felt a little warm, too, especially around his stomach...

"Maybe I should call Yen..."

"No," Jaskier said, squeezing her hand, "I'll be alright." He moved around a little, trying to ease the bloated feeling in his belly. It felt like his acid reflux was flaring up. F***ing great.

"Are you sure, Jask?"

"Yeah, I think I'll, " he paused to swallow thickly, "I'll try to sleep for a bit."

Madeleine frowned worriedly, but got him as comfortable as she could, then covered him with the light throw blanket from her reading chair.

Jaskier drifted in and out of sleep, bobbing uncomfortably on the waves of heaving nausea and painful pressure in his belly. He huddled deeper under the blanket, feeling over warm, but chilled at the same time.

He abruptly felt his stomach spasm and was overcome by an intense wave of urgency.

F**k-!

He had just enough time to drag himself on to his side with a desperate whimper of "Maddy-!", before his stomach heaved painfully, and he threw up over the side of the couch.

Madeleine dropped the book she had been reading and leapt out of her chair, grabbing at him to keep him from falling off the couch as his stomach forcefully emptied itself onto the carpet.

She kept an arm around him, rubbing his back until he stopped dry heaving.

"F-f**k, am sorry, Maddy," Jaskier croaked, shaking as Madeleine laid him back down on the couch after getting him some water. "It's all over the carpet!"

"I'm not worried about the carpet, you muppet!" Madeleine said, pressing her hand to his cheek. She could feel the fever, see the glassiness in his eyes. His hair was damp, and his shirt dark with sweat.

"I'm calling Yen."

Jaskier had just nodded. That sounded like a good idea. He had Madeleine help him to the bathroom so he wouldn't make another mess for her to have to clean up.

He dropped to his knees and leaned tiredly over the bowl, shivering and sweating. His head hurt, he was cold, and his stomach kept clenching threateningly. He swallowed thickly and tried to breathe slowly through his nose. He tried to ignore his rapid heartbeat.

He was hugging the toilet when Yennefer and Geralt arrived a few minutes later. He was only vaguely aware of them coming in, being too focused on the way his stomach felt.

He shivered and moaned weakly when he felt a cold hand touch the back of his neck, then rub up and down his back as he started dry heaving.

He groaned, head spinning as large hands scooped him up as if he weighed nothing and carried him out of the room.

"Lay him down here," he heard Yennefer say, and seconds later, he was deposited on Madeleine's bed.

"I said lay him down, not dump him on the bed like you're dropping a side of beef!"

"Yes you did! I saw him f***ing bounce!"

"Don't you tell me to 'calm down-!'"

Jaskier reached up and weakly gripped Yennefer's hand, whimpering "Y-yEn..."

Yennefer forgot all about Geralt the second she heard that Voice Crack. "I'm here, Songbird!", she said, running her fingers through Jaskier's sweat damp hair. "Let me look at you,"

Yennefer pushed his shirt up and lightly pressed her hands around on his belly, making soft shushing sounds as he shifted and whined.

"Sorry, dear heart," she murmured when he flinched and swallowed hard at the pain caused by the light pressure.

"This will make you feel better for a little bit, darling," she said and stroked her hand down his stomach. She saw him shudder in relief as the spell temporarily wiped the nausea and pain away. Yennefer pulled his shirt back down and pulled the blanket up, stroking his cheek as his eyes drifted shut.

"It's just food poisoning and his acid reflux," she said quietly to Geralt and Madeleine as they left the room to let Jaskier rest.

"I told him not to eat the Firecracker prawns because they tasted off, AND they were too spicy but noOoOo," Madeleine said, exhasperated, "he had to go back three times, Yen! Three f***ing times!"

"And let me guess, it looked like he used the plate to scoop the food out of the buffet tray every time?" Yennefer asked as she used her magic to clean up Madeleine's carpet.

"Yes! It's like he hears "all you can eat" and takes it as a personal challenge! And when he likes the way something tastes, he just keeps f***ing eating it!"

"It must be a guy thing." Yennefer said, glancing at Geralt, who shifted uncomfortably and suddenly found his fingernails profoundly interesting.

The mood of the room shifted to something more relaxed. "I've got something in my bag that should help," Yennefer said, "We'll treat the nausea and acid reflux first, then the food poisoning."

Geralt cradled Jaskier, tapping his cheek to rouse him when the first potion was ready. The feverish bard opened bleary eyes, shivering and turning in Geralt's arms to try to snuggle against him.

"Hey, Jask, wake up," Geralt murmured, trying to sit him up, "Come on, Yen's got something for your stomach." Jaskier moaned softly in pain and held his stomach, trying to roll back towards Geralt. Yennefer's spell had worn off, and his belly was killing him. The last thing he wanted to do was put something in it.

"Come on, Julek, it will settle your stomach," Yennefer coaxed him, hand gently rubbing his painful belly. "It's just a little bottle, only a few swallows... Thats it, love, drink it slowly."

The first potion stayed down, and Jaskier sipped at the second potion until he finished it. He shifted uncomfortably in Geralt's arms, the small amount of liquid he'd drank making his fevered stomach feel bloated. He breathed a sigh of relief when the feeling passed moments later.

Geralt laid him back down and tucked him in. Madeleine brought his blankie from his bag and he gathered it to his chest, mumbling a woozy thank you before closing fever bright eyes and falling asleep.

He vomited later that night. His fever had spiked, and he'd rolled right over and vomited all over Geralt, who had been sleeping on the floor next to the bed. The Witcher had been mildly traumatized.

Geralt had been asleep when his brain registered a wet sounding belch, followed by a cough of a very liquid sounding nature, and before his brain could process what those sounds meant, a wave of stinking hot stomach slurry slopped all over his face. He's sat bolt upright and vomited from both the smell and the slimy texture.

Inspite of the seriousness of the situation, Yennefer and Madeleine hadn't been able to keep from giggling. Geralt had looked so confused and disgusted, sitting in the middle of the mess, and had said in a very small, lost sounding voice, "I frew up..."

The mess had been cleaned up, and Geralt had gotten Jaskier and himself into the tub to clean off and get Jaskier cooled down. The bard had shivered and weakly whimpered over and over that he was cold.

Yennefer had decided that they should take Jaskier home so he wouldn't ruin Madeleine's house.

Madeleine helped them get Jaskier settled in the big bed in the van, then kissed his over-warm cheek and whispered to him to feel better soon. Geralt promised to call her in the morning to let her know how he was doing.

Yennefer gave him a second dose of the potion, and gave him something to help with the fever, then they drove home and camped out in the driveway.

Jaskier woke up the next morning in cozy dimmness. He felt tired and wrung out, and achy, and confused. This wasn't Maddy's living room... A hand brushed his hair back and rested on his forehead, then cupped his cheek.

"Maddy...?" Jaskier slurred thickly and turned to kiss the palm she had pressed to his cheek.

"It's me," Geralt's voice rumbled from the dimmness.

"Aww, f**k!" Jaskier said in a exhausted grumble, covering his confusion with feigned dissapointment.

"What, you were hoping for a good morning kiss?"

"Maybe."

Geralt leaned down and planted a kiss on Jaskier's forehead.

"What, no tongue?"

Geralt leaned down and licked his forehead.

"A**ehole! Gods, your breath stinks!"

Geralt huffed a long breath on him.

"YeEcChHH!" *gagging noises* "Smells like rancid a**!"

"Can you two shut up? I'm trying to sleep!," Yennefer gumbled with a yawn as she sat up on the other side of Jaskier. "Your fever's broken. That's a relief," she said, running her hand through Jaskier's hair. "You feeling better?"

"Yeah, I just feel kind of shaky, and sore." he replied, rubbing at his stomach. "Wait, why the h*ll am I naked??"

"You don't remember? We spent all night having wild kinky sex and then you passed out." Geralt said.

Jaskier looked at Yennefer, and she didn't even need the mental link to feel the anxiety. "Did we really....?" he quavered.

"No, you w*nker!" Yennefer snapped, pausing to throw a pillow at Geralt. "You decided to eat three f***ing plates of greasy, spicy, expired prawns, give yourself food poisoning, then uneat everything all over Madeleine's house! You're naked because you blew groceries all over yourself and Geralt when your fever spiked. We left you starkers so you wouldn't overheat after we got you cleaned up."

Jaskier was quiet as he listened. Yeah, he remembered now. He'd really put his friends through h*ll, hadn't he? He knew there was something he needed to do.

"I need to apologize to you," he said, bundling the blanket around himself as he struggled to sit up, arms trembling from the effort. He winced as his still slightly bloated guts protested.

Yennefer's tone softened and she moved closer to him, putting an arm around him to help. "You don't need to apologize, dear heart, it happens."

"No, I do... I owe you --both of you-- an apology." he muttered, leaning into her, wincing at the uncomfortable pressure in his lower abdomen.

"Why the f**k do you need to apologize?"

"Because...I'm sorry..."

"Sorry for what?"

Seconds later, the van was filledwith a noise that sounded like a balloon being forcefully deflated, followed immediately by the sounds of gagging, screaming, and Jaskier's cackling.

[e-adlirez]

Why are you this ick about the friendship things in the books? I mean, for a book series that aimed for preschooler shouldn't it be expected for the books to have a lot of corny messages about friendship and love? Like, I feel like you gave way too many expectations for a silly kid series

Okay yeah that's fair, maybe my expectations for the series is holding the bar a bit high, and it might just be a me thing (I could never get into MLP for the life of me)

But hear me okay

The reason I don't like the power of friendship being mentioned in the books is because it clashes with what I've seen of the series so far.

See one thing the books did very well was allow you to imagine that the girls are grown-ass adults in university. They are very good at selling the bit that the girls are adults, without infodumping the crap out of it. For the best look into how this is done, see graphic novels 1-4, as well as the main books that were done in the older artstyle. The way the books are written allows you to really believe these girls as grown adults-- there are occasions where the books' age sticks out a bit... too much, but most times, it's smooth sailing, and the girls are very believable as adults.

Case and point: I got into the books when I was eight years old, and one thing I appreciated and still appreciate about the older books is the fact that the immersion is on-point. The books are rated 6-10, but only in terms of the language level (it's short and easy to read is what I'm saying). The plots of the books are well-written, and most importantly, the books do not treat you like a kid as you're reading. You'd be surprised how valuable that is nowadays,,,

Even the friendship bits in the older books worked hard to sell the bit in a way that it fits with how the stories are written, which is very grounded and realistic, actually (minus the cheese puns):

The girls gave Thea a fancy jade and called her "the keeper of our friendship"? Friendship bracelet logic, which is a very valid logic. Colette's cousin mentions the girls' friendship? Well yeah, it makes sense in that scene because she's hosting a fashion walk, and the girls literally carried and were kinda the reason why Julie's finals project wasn't completely scrapped; that part where the friendship bit is mentioned is literally the perfect moment for a cheesy-ass speech. (There's a really good one in non-English Shipwreck too but that's a story for a whole 'nother day.) The way the plots are written is very down-to-earth and grounded, and the inclusions of the friendship bits back then reflect this. This was the way the bar was set for me, and thus it's how I judge the later books.

As the series progressed, things got more explicit with the age range. Nothing atrocious, but you could tell things were getting more and more openly kid-friendly. You know it's progressed when more than a handful of people mistake them for being highschoolers instead of grown-ass adults in university.

There is still action, and there is still adventure and shenanigans that you get fully immersed in, but if you're like me, you would be happily immersed in the adventure, trying to solve the mystery alongside the girls, but also hoping and praying to your holy deity of choice that a friendship bit doesn't come up in the year of our Lord 2024.

Only to die inside when it is brought up and the delivery sounds so blatantly sugary it can give you a cavity. The kind that hurts to see stick out like the sorest thumb.

So yeah, my standards might be high, but my standards are high because I've seen the series reach that bar before, and I know they can do it again. I am mentally ill for this franchise dammit /affectionate

[pechaberriesandsoju]

Ngl, I love the mlp horror/infection aus that are becoming popular on here and tiktok, and it's lowkey making me wanna make a pony insert cause I wanna be friends with the mane 6 and stuff but like, and I'm probably gonna ramble about this so uh read more again,

If I was gonna make an infection au I think I'd use/do amount of hope each character has instead of sanity cause losing hope can fuck up and mess with a character's drive to keep going. But the sanity stuff kinda....feels bad to me. Like there's a layer of ableism to it that others are overlooking.

Like yeah "ooooh losing your mind is scary cause horror tells us that it is" but like we have to also keep in mind that horror tends to make that whole "if you're not sane or mentally healthy you're dangerous to everyone" trope a lot about mental illness.

But losing hope is scarier to me cause over time, you're gradually losing your will to keep fighting and worrying about your safety and your will to live, and what do you do when you lose all hope? You give up and give in and let the danger take you. That's scarier to me.

I hope (not a pun, I swear) I'm making sense with what I'm saying. I'm not policing others or trying to say we need to change this for everyone, but I'm just throwing in my two cents on the matter is all.

[wardenswateringhole]

ASK ME ANYTHING: INTRODUCING ARSON!

Additional Information:

Likes

Flowers (only in nature)

Piano

Firm or crunchy food

Laughing

Cuddling

Dislikes

Violence

Soft runny foods

Seeing his friends struggling

Glitter

Hot Weather

Is a giggly bitch. He can keep a straight face for a long time but once the dam breaks it's hard to make it stop. He gets the giggles like nobody's business.

Likes puns. Loves to see the eye rolls and groans of those that don't. Guilty pleasure for him.

Like fruity cock tails or “girly drinks”. Doesn't mind being buzzed, but despises the feeling of being full on drunk.

Has never taken any kind of recreational drug.

Patience of a saint. Very rarely raises his voice. Immediately feels bad afterward.

Will bend over backwards for those around him. Often times at his own detriment. Needs to be reminded it's okay to be selfish and to take care of himself first.

LOVES LOVES LOVES HUGS!!!

Loves being loved on in general. Treat him like a giant stuffed toy. He will be in pure bliss.

Exercises not to keep fit but as a meditative activity. Moving around helps him think.

Favorite scent is fresh linen.

Has a hard time with confrontation when it comes to defending himself. Not a physical fighter at all. Will use his size and natural intimidation to attempt to defend his friends though.

Whimsy likes to steal things and cause mischief. He shampoos her in coconut scented soap to so he can tell if she's the guilty party as a sniff.

Whimsy likes to also store things in her fluff. If you've lost something, it's most likely in her fluff hoard. She has a special love of keys.

His dad had hoped to have him take over the breeding business as he saw Arson's docile nature as perfect for handling fire types. Fully accepted it when Arson expressed he didn't want to take over. His sister took over instead.

Was born in Alola but moved to Unova as a teen. Still has his dad and older sister in Alola. Mother died from illness not too long before he moved.

Had tried to play piano professionally at various establishments. Made good money and was well enjoyed but felt like playing for money took the enjoyment out of it for him. Plays only for his own fulfillment now.

Had an abusive ex. They took full advantage of his docile nature. They would get drunk and hit and yell at him. Not a fan of the smell of beer as a result. The sound of a drink can opening sometimes makes him jump. Doesn't like to talk about it for being made fun of about it in the past.

Was rescued from his abusive relationship by a private detective his sister had hired. They were kind enough to let him bunk with them until he got back on his feet. They treat each other as siblings as a result of being together so long. She still comes by his place and work to check up on him.

His Team

Whimsicott – Whimsy

Arcanine – Kelvin IV

Luvdisc – Kissy

Ampharos – Joule

Absol - Edge

Krookodile - Dill

((I feel in a slump lately and need something fun to get me going. Ask him anything you like.))

[trappedinthenarrative]

It's a shame that the show, by way of saying it's fond farewell to the show (of which we are rightfully fond) instead of focusing on the end of the story, we got a "happy" goodbye where it's pops forever and you are never ever sad. The ending, if read as "happy" (which I believe to be the intended reading) undermines the message of the show: that Americana, and highschool, and the 50s, and nostalgia are not good - they are harmful and maintain the straight white patriarchal status quo. This whole season saw that struggle play out because by removing the horror element that was so prominent in the first 6 seasons, the 50s version of Riverdale does come across as the "happy" and "wholesome" version. Societal ills are played straight (pun not intended) instead of being couched in lush metaphor and extensive subtext, in a way that tells the false narrative that progress is a straight line forward (something that the show itself disproves!).

However, if one views the end through that horror lens, it becomes more cohesive in its narrative. There are two ways about this: the first is the haunted house model, in which the house loves you so much it swallows you whole and you cannot leave even in death; the second is a bit more obscure - the pops diner we see is not heaven, but rather, hell. Betty was once denied access to heaven, so who's to say she wasn't denied again? I know highschool forever sounds rather hellish to me.

Regardless, while the ending fell a little flat, I'll still remember Riverdale as a fantastic television show, and I'm happy it existed! It was weird and funny and bizarre and very very earnest. Goodbye Riverdale :')

[blackjackkent]

OHO, there he is, the man himself! DRIBBLES THE CLOWN! *airhorn*

Everyone has been talking this guy up so this show had better be incredible.

(Spoilers: It is not.)

"Buddy the dog is my very best friend! Do you know why?"

"Why?" comes a shout from the crowd.

"Because with him, anything is paw-sible! Wa-hey!"

Oof. XD

"Gods, I hate clowns," Shadowheart mumbles unhappily. "I'm not even sure clowns like clowns."

Hector, as usual, really just isn't sure what to make of all this. There's an even bigger crowd here than in the rest of the circus, as well as a loud, incessant oompah/organ grinder version of "Down By The River" playing in the background, and it's really just kind of A Lot.

But he is not rude, so he will not take the option here to heckle the clown.

(There's also a [BALDURIAN] option here - Relax and enjoy the show - it's been forever since you've seen Dribbles perform. Which is cute. :D But doesn't work for Hector, as I don't think they were getting out of the monastery to see clown shows.)

Simply watch.

"Did you hear about the scarecrow who lost a fight? He got the *stuffing* kicked out of him! Wa-hey!"

Ooooof. XD I love a good pun, but this is rough. The camera cut back to Hector watching with a completely blank expression and it was honestly hysterical.

"Oh, you're all such good friends," the clown goes on brightly. "I've had a wonderful time, but I have to go..."

There's a chorus of groans from the children in the audience.

Dribbles grins. "Oh, well, if you INSIST! How about a magic trick? But first - I need a volunteer with nerves of steel and the heart of a lion!"

His eyes scan the crowd. "Who will it be? Who..."

His gaze comes to a halt on Hector... and stays there.

Narrator: The hair on the back of your neck raises as a shiver passes through you.

"You!" Dribbles cries, pointing at Hector. "My special assistant! Come on up!"

Hector recoils just slightly. He has zero interest in being on a stage in front of all these people, and he doesn't know what would possibly be expected of him at such a show. Magic trick in the world he lives in could mean anything from sleight-of-hand to a fireball. And something feels... off about the way the man is looking at him.

[ROGUE][INSIGHT] This clown's looking at you funny. What's his deal?

(failed - 25 DC; even with advantage this was a longshot XD )

Narrator: You stare, but glean no ill-intent from the clown. Perhaps the makeup just threw you off.

"Come now, don't be a Cowardly Connie! Perhaps you need a little encouragement!" He gestures to the crowd, who all begin to applaud and cheer. "Now, up up, double sharp! Or poor Buddy here might think you don't like him!"

Hector is feeling more and more uncomfortable by the moment, but Karlach gives him a soft nudge at the small of his back. She's grinning, still thoroughly excited by the whole experience. And, as usual, that smile can make him do anything. He closes his eyes for a moment, centering himself, pushing away the feelings of discomfort, embarrassment, and overstimulation, until he is calm and inwardly quiet.

Approach the stage.

Hector is not enjoying himself. XD

"A round of applause for the stalwart heart!" the clown cries jovially.

He waits for Hector to make his way up onto the stage and then goes on, "Now - I always tell children that they're special. That each and every one of them is unique. Tell me - what makes you special?"

Hector might not be wise in the ways of the world, but he can tell when he's being condescended to. But he tries to ignore the man's tone and instead focuses on Karlach watching him from the audience, that wide, excited grin on her face.

"My courage," he says. "I do something even if it scares me."

Like this, for instance.

The clown grins mockingly, waving his arms. "Boring, boring! Anyone can do that." His grin widens. "You, my friend, are the most special person in the circus - in all of Baldur's Gate! Does anyone know why?"

"Why?!" screams a child in the audience.

Dribbles turns to face him head on, and Hector feels that sudden chill again at the base of his spine. "You're special, my friend," the clown says, with a sudden uncomfortable edge. "Because I have a message - just for you."

His eyes narrow and his smile cuts his face in half, all malice and no humor now.

"Praise the Absolute."

Narrator: [PERCEPTION] You sense something behind you. Instinct takes over.

Hector dodges sharply to one side just in time as the blink dog leaps at him. He hears Karlach curse from the audience and then the clown draws between him and the audience, a heavy and lethal-looking hammer in one hand.

"I knew there was something about this place I didn't like," Hector mutters to himself.