#is this... a helpful explanation? does it clarify anything for you?

[brookstolemybrand]

Apparently people are arguing about this line on Twitter:

なァ!!

エルバフはお前の事いらなそうだし!!

おれにとっちゃ面白ェし!!

何かあったらブッ飛ばすし!!

The problem with this line is that the last part is really vague.

An overly literal translation would be like this;

Hey!! It seems that Elbaph doesn't need/want you!! And to me you're amusing/interesting!! And if something happens (if something goes wrong), I'll beat up [someone]"

So that last sentence is missing the target of the beating. This is a normal thing Japanese does, because it's such a highly context dependent language

Generally speaking when the object is left out in Japanese, it's a previously mentioned person or someone who is obvious from context. In this case, structurally, it would make sense to assume that the object is "you", because no one else has been mentioned (unless you count Elbaph I suppose)

But the problem is that this is phrased as a list of reasons, using the し (shi) particle. So this is phrased as Luffy trying to convince Loki to join his crew and listing all the pros.

Maybe Luffy really does think that Loki would find "I'm gonna beat you up!!!" a compelling argument, he is kind of a goofy guy, maybe that's the joke

But it IS a fucking bizarre thing to say

Also it could also refer to everybody else who's present too, it could be "if you agree to join my crew then I'll beat up anyone who tries to stop you from joining" or something like that

Or it could even mean both things at the same time, who the hell knows, maybe Luffy is just declaring he's gonna beat up anyone who causes trouble in this arrangement

Viz translates it like this:

Stephen clearly assumed that this is supposed to be a straightforward argument presented to Loki, which makes sense and is the most neutral interpretation in my opinion

TCB translated it like this:

TCB for some reason ignores the "you" in the first sentence and aims the line at Hajrudin, I guess? Or just everyone in general??

Luffy saying he'll beat up Loki if he tries anything does make more sense from this angle but it is also just an incorrect translation either way, since he clearly addresses Loki

In both cases you can tell the translators were really trying to make sense of it, since the original is so vague. It doesn't help that it's just "if something happens", which can be translated as "if something goes wrong", but it doesn't actually specify what would go wrong and for whom, which makes it really hard to tell what he means

You could also argue that maybe the first argument is aimed at Loki but the rest is aimed at Hajrudin? I guess? Or maybe the point is that the first argument is for Loki, the second one is for Zoro and Sanji, and the third one is for Hajrudin?

(This analysis is really getting complicated now...)

But the point is, the official translation is not wrong, but it might also not be what Oda intended, and I for one can't tell what Oda intended

I mean, I'm not an expert in Japanese, and maybe there is some piece of context that I'm missing that would clarify it beyond any doubt, but as far as I know, this line could be interpreted both ways

I would like to warn against uncritically trusting people who very confidently say that they know what it means without giving any arguments or explanations, because I saw someone on Twitter who just kept saying "this is **incorrect**" without explaining their reasoning at all

[erstwhilesparrow]

I just saw that post you reblogged about archiving MCYT stuff - is there a particular reason stuff disappears so often? (That's very cool people are putting in so much effort to preserve it, though; big respect to that tbh)

reyni! :D okay i should be clear upfront that some of my information may be incomplete here because (1) i don't have twitter and (2) i'm not directly involved in any mcyt archival efforts. also putting this under a cut because it's long and i do need to reference recent events involving abuse and sexual assault:

despite mcyt = minecraft youtube(r), a lot of stuff relevant to mcyt happens like. exclusively on stream? really, really ~plot-critical or deeply characterizing stuff happens on stream sometimes and never makes it into a youtube video! and on twitch at least, unless you explicitly set it to save your vods, twitch will just delete them after a certain number of days. i don't know exactly how this works if you stream on youtube but also my impression is that a significant majority of people are not streaming on youtube anyway. since fairly early in my time in mcyt fandoms, there's been concern about creators not saving their own vods, and on top of that, sometimes you save a vod and it gets taken down anyway for copyright infringement (playing copyrighted music, the creator themself asked for it to be removed, etc). so like. as baseline, there's a sense of inherent ephemerality to the medium. that post i reblogged is explicitly pushing back against the description of mcyt vods as "a constantly burning library of alexandria," and in light of the evidence that follows i agree (and also am a little weepy about the efforts people make to save these things), but that sense doesn't come from nowhere, you know?

speaking of that post though, i suspect this archival stuff is coming up More now because it's been a rough couple of weeks in mcyt fandom. several really influential creators in the space were recently outed as being abusive or predatory in a way that's caught a lot of attention, and many people in response have been (understandably!) deleting their fanworks or otherwise distancing or removing themselves from mcyt fandom. i want to be clear, i know stuff gets deleted all the time in fanspaces -- the internet is kind of just Like That in terms of how easy it is to lose things -- and it's incredibly fair to go "no, even if there was a strong distinction between character and creator this leaves a sour taste in my mouth and i'm not doing this anymore." i don't want to pretend that no one has ever deleted a fanwork outside of mcyt spaces, and i don't want to insinuate that it's bad to vocally revoke your support of those creators -- those people have done awful things and generally failed to meaningfully apologize or take accountability, and it is worth remembering and saying so. but to give you a sense of numbers: antimony-medusa does monthly stats on mcyt fic on ao3, and dsmp, which even after it's kind of died off has seen monthly increases in the range of hundreds of new fic per month, saw a decrease of roughly 800 fics. other fandoms have similarly seen decreases, and video blogging rpf, which ao3 treats as an umbrella for basically all mcyt stuff, saw an increase of 51, as compared to last month's increase of (approximately) 3500. and that's just fic -- there's also a rich trove of animatics, fanvids, fanart, etc that i don't have any numbers for, but i've seen people talking about deleting those, too, you know? you see how people might be worried about what we are losing.

at this point i think your question is answered, but if you'll forgive some baseless speculation here, i wonder to what extent mcyt is also. complicated by how closely character and creator can sit? i don't know how other people feel, but there is a difference to me between "i've written fic about This Person Specifically (or, arguably, their streamer persona which may be somewhat divorced from the Real Life Human Being Behind The Screen)" and "i've written fic about a character this person plays." i dunno, there's a sense to me of the flimsiness of the line between creator and character and then also of the line between creator and fandom that i think makes it harder to be like "okay, i am doing my own thing, separate from the creator, so i'm going to keep my stuff public even if i don't stand by it 100% anymore." i remember when i first joined mcyt fandom, there was a period of time people were really worried that the creators were actively on ao3, or that fans would try to send their fanfic directly to the creators. i thought to myself, "well, if anyone Tries Shit with my work, i will simply delete all my relevant accounts and disappear." that's... not really a back-up plan that i feel good about these days, but. you know. it's been a thing, if not always for the same reasons, and i do understand the impulse.

[cinnamonest]

I'm not looking to start shit so I'm not linking it or anything, but you may have seen a recent anti-dark-content post circulating with a lot of notes making rounds in the x reader sphere and while I have nothing against people posting their feelings in their own private spaces, every time I see these kinds of posts there's a lot of misinformation that gets regurgitated in the reblogs/replies and I saw what looked like a battlezone in the replies, so.

I know posts like that can be very jarring and affects people like my readers, so to combat misinformation/shaming for anyone who saw it, I'm going to share some of my information on combatting fandom puritanism/misogyny/kinkshaming in its most common forms.

The most important fact, if you read nothing else, is this:

Most women have rape fantasies.

62% to be exact. I think the most pervasive myth on this content is that consumers are "weird" for it, when the numbers don't indicate that. You're in the majority!

The vast majority of people who have rape fantasies do not put them into practice in real life. A variety of factors can determine whether or not they do, particularly specific psychiatric disorders. (X)

To specifically address common harmful and pervasive myths:

the "go to therapy!" line

Generally any academic or professional resource will immediately tell you that consuming and engaging in "dark" fantasies is accepted and encouraged by mainstream psychiatry and part of the professional education for psychiatrists. (This also used to be pretty well-known until like the last 5 years or so, not sure why that changed.)

Here are some particularly insightful resources:

1) This article by Dr. David Wahl, in my opinion, hands-down does the best job of simply and thoroughly explaining why these fantasies occur and why couples practice CNC, as well as the fact that they are both harmless, psychologically beneficial to those with them, and not at all correlated to real-life rape.

2) Dr. Claudia Six has some of the best and most thorough material out there on the subject, specifically explaining why this is taught in mainstream academia psychology and how it is incredibly helpful to rape victims (X).

3) Lisa Diamond is a professional who focuses on this subject a lot, and was featured in the documentary "The Dilemma of Desire," in which she specifically focuses on how these fantasies are not correlated to real-life desires. (X)

4) Dr. Casey Lyle has specifically talked a lot on his socials about how fantasies, even in men/the perspective of the offender, do not correlate to actual risk of offending.

5) This article is not by a professional, but from the perspective of a survivor discussing how it is beneficial to survivors.

the "why would you want that?" line

The idea that fictional tastes = what you want to happen to you in real life is actually of misogynistic origin. I don't want to seek out or add links on this one, but if you're really curious, you can research about how the idea that "women read rape fiction, that means they secretly want rape!" was originally a classic "red pill"/MGTOW/4chan talking point that made its way into mainstream dialogue and thus the public mind in the last 15 years or so due to the incel epidemic popularizing those communities.

the "it's only valid for survivors then!" line

On one hand, yes it's very important to acknowledge that trauma victims use it to cope, however I feel that over-emphasizing that gives the impression that non-victims should be excluded from consumption of dark content, so to clarify, it's a very valid means for all women. Many women who have not personally experienced rape still fantasize about it, and that's fine.

The full explanation as to why this is true for many of them would be lengthy (and addressed in the aforementioned Dilemma of Desire documentary), but in the simplest terms, nonconsensual sex is the only context in which patriarchal society permits women to have sex at all without feeling guilt. For many women, particularly those in more heavily misogynistic or religious cultures, these fantasies are appealing because the idea of consensual sex may give them feelings of shame, guilt, "sin," etc. These fantasies allow them to experience the feeling of being desired without guilt of participation.

No society on earth is free of the psychological grip that cultural misogyny has on women, and shaming women for adapting to the conditions they are forced to exist under is as harmful as the misogyny that causes it itself.

ALL women experience a form of psychological trauma inherent to female childhood and female adolescence in a patriarchal world, and that is just as valid as coping with individual traumatic events.

Good resources on the subject of why women have these fantasies and how they are helpful in general:

(X) (X)

The "what you consume will make you do it in real life!" myth

Although the resources above already address this, it's important to establish why this myth is so prevalent and what its origins are.

The idea that consuming media with dark themes leads to or indicates desires to replicate those acts is a residual element of two major events:

1) Puritan revival culture, popularized in the US and UK in the 90s and 2000s (also known as "Satanic Panic"). A major facet of this movement was TV megachurch preachers making money off of exploiting well-meaning but paranoid parents into believing that your child playing Dungeons and Dragons or Pokemon would make them future serial killers and lure them into satanic cults. (X)

2) at the tail end of this, it was cemented in the public mind as a cultural ripple aftershock of the Columbine shooting, where this sentiment became popularized as the general public blamed violent video games like Doom and "dark" music like Marilyn Manson (whose life was temporarily completely upended by the events and took him years to recover/be safe from) for the 1999 shooting. This event had MASSIVE permanent and global effects in all sorts of ways that the public often underestimates the sheer scope of, notably that it solidified, prolonged, and, in the minds of many, "proved" the paranoias of the preexisting Satanic Panic. (X) This established a precedent, leading to virtually any major horrible event being blamed on the perpetrator's media consumption, including murder and sex crimes.

What this myth ignores in the cases it references (the slenderman stabbings, columbine, sasebo slashing, batman shooting, etc) is two crucial facts: that hundreds of millions of people consume the same media with no negative effects (helpful effects even), and that in every single case cited as "evidence" to the claim, the perpetrator had a preexisting psychiatric condition correlated to acts of violence (which usually went ignored, downplayed and even accelerated/worsened by those around them rather than the help they needed).

Sorry for the wall of text, but I feel an ethical obligation to combat this kind of misinformation, and I hope these resources are helpful for those who may be negatively affected by common misunderstandings.

You are not abnormal or wrong for the fictional content you consume or the fantasies you have!

[revelboo]

Give us Tfp Ratchet and my life is yours Revel 🙏 he'd be such a sap for Valentine's Day I just know it

Belatedly finishing up the Valentine’s requests since I crashed last night and there’s even more this morning. Once I get those done, I’ll go back to my story updates

Valentine’s Oneshot- Ratchet

TFP Ratchet x Reader

• Walking past where the kids are clustered on the couch, he frowns watching Miko cutting up red paper. ‘I mean, it needs to look mature,’ Jack is muttering. ‘Valentine’s is a card company scam anyway,’ Miko counters, sticking the little red shape she’d cut out in Raf’s hair, the boy frowning at her. Does he even want to know what they’re up to? “What exactly are you three doing?” Ratchet asks out of morbid curiosity. Grimacing when they all start talking at once. Jack has a crush. A machination of the evil corporate machine. Candy and flowers. Love. Their rambling explanations not really clarifying much. What he does get is that it’s a human holiday for lovers where gifts are exchanged. And that he has nothing for you, his expression twisting. ‘Hey, I can help!’ Miko yells, jumping up and- he doesn’t like that grin at all.

• Humming to yourself as you cook in the modified kitchen Fowler had begrudgingly requisitioned and the bots had integrated into the base, your head lifts when you hear peds. Turning, you cover your mouth laughing. Not expecting a mass displaced Ratchet or the fact that he’s plastered in tape and crude paper hearts. “Miko attack you?” You ask, turning off the stove eye and setting the skillet aside. “Look at you all festive, doc.”

• “I didn’t make a gift,” he mutters, venting tiredly. “So I’m apparently the gift.” Lips twitching into a wry smile when you reach out to tap a little paper shape over his spark. “Miko claims they’re hearts, but I can attest that human hearts don’t look like this.” You’re smiling up at him, though to make warmth spread through his spark. Especially when you laugh again. Feels guilty for not finding you something proper, something that shows how much he cares for you. Needs you. “Do I get a present?”

• Imperiously crooking a finger at him to bend down, you cup his face in your hands and go up on tiptoe, mouth warm and unhurried against his. Leaning your head against his, those eyes look up at him making heat and need spill through him. “You have to wait until after dinner for your present,” you whisper. Hand gripping your hip, he tugs you more firmly against him to make you laugh.

• Looping your arms around his neck, you let him lift you and wrap your legs around his waist. His mouth hungrily claiming yours again. “Ew. There’s kids present.” Miko’s voice startles you, face heating guiltily when you look up. It’s not like you were actually doing anything, but you’re still mortified at being caught tangled in Ratchet making out. Hear Ratchet growl under his breath, optics narrowing as Miko walks past both of you to snitch a cookie from the jar on the counter. ‘Do you mind?’ Ratchet snarls when she just leans against the cabinet to eat it. Openly staring and you snort as the medic vents in frustration and reluctantly lets you down. But you’ll make it up to him later. You’d gone shopping.

[abyssalzones]

can you tell us about your interpretation of the better world universe!!!! especially curious how stan/mystery trio works into it

hell yesssss I definitely can. ABW is maybe my favorite niche gf thing and probably the only "AU" I care about but that may be due to the fact that it's an AU that exists in the canon and we know so little about it. so it has an established foundation that you're left to fill in the details with yourself... it's like a poke bowl to me. you can put anything in there

and since I felt like it here's a bonus pic of them living their best lives pestering ford

[explanation-y stuff under ze cut because I got very longwinded]

as for specifics of how I see everything working out, there's a few key points that establish why things happened differently from canon, the most important being:

Stan agrees to hide journal #3 somewhere

Ford reunites with fiddleford and they begin working together again

both of these are already confirmed in canon, the first being the most obvious "schism" between timelines. literally everything in ABW is the way it is because stan made a different decision. kind of crazy in terms of its implications: I feel like that moment in the basement is a really good example of how stan gets so few opportunities to shape her own life (while ford is in the picture...) because of her role as the 'black sheep' twin. it's not exactly a premeditated decision to push ford into the portal, it's her acting on feelings that have been bubbling unaddressed under the surface for 10-something years at that point, and only then does she have any sort of power over the "narrative" of both her life and the story itself, something that from her pov has been ford's story. and in the canon timeline, she says no.

so like, what the hell made her say yes in ABW's timeline? this question kind of haunts me because I feel like it has to be entirely dependent on what the inside of stan's head looked like at the time. it's possible something influenced her, but overall I think it's more interesting if ford did and said all the exact same things up until this point and it really was entirely dependent on stan's decision internally.

so stan says yes, goes on a big trip to the other side of the world somehow, and buries journal 3 somewhere probably never to be found again. yay! but, uh, going on a trip like ford was suggesting would... take weeks. that would leave ford alone again. and not to have my established thoughts informed by new material or anything but bill did give him 72 hours.

so, next order of business: how in the fuck would ford convince fiddleford to rejoin him??? I'm unsure between journal 3 and tbob's information how ford may have tried to reach out to him but it seems like fiddleford was pretty adamant about staying away from that guy, out of guilt or fear of bill/the portal or both. I don't think logically it would just be a matter of ford calling him enough times or finding out where he lives- and I think that's kind of getting away from the point of why ABW is the way it is too. if stan is suddenly making decisions that are influencing ford's life, I think it would be similarly interesting if fiddleford also possessed some unique autonomy in this scenario.

aka I think ford got fucked up badly (possibly involving losing an eye) and fiddleford found him half-dead while trying to burn his house down. [mabel voice] romance!

to clarify: I don't think fiddleford is obligated to take care of ford. a major part of him leaving the project was finally making the decision to leave a situation that was hurting him, that he'd been staying in entirely because he still cared about ford and felt on some level he could still help him (which gets broken with "I don't need you!") and I think that's a very reasonable decision on his part. but I also do have to think about all the times ford has been "the hero" in situations where fiddleford ends up hurt and helpless because of something traumatizing. I think it'd be fascinating to see that reversed and have fiddleford actively making the difficult, messy decision to take care of that guy even when they're on miserable terms. and so begins like a solid week of these two desperately trying to look out for eachother in a nightmare scenario where one of them probably needs to go to a hospital + keeps getting possessed off and on and the other is going through the worst addiction/withdrawal cycle of his life irt the memory gun. yay! (part of the reason this even works To Me also is heavily informed by the lack of secrets: if fiddleford is actively dressing that guy's wounds he can't really keep it all to himself anymore. crushingly intimate perhaps...)

stan gets back eventually. such is the context of this pic

from there it's a nebulous grab-bag of things I think could happen up to the foundation of the institute.

how do all three of these incredibly fucked up individuals get along? well they don't but then they do.

how do they get bill out of ford's head without performing amateur brain surgery? idk. my best guess is a fiddleford and stan bonding trip into ford's mindscape that potentially helps answer the first question. possibly utilizing the memory gun. shrugs.

what's up with that one picture you drew of parallel fidds holding the memory gun up to ford's head? well. okay that one might or might not be something that actually happened but the idea was just that ford is coping badly with a few specific things and I liked the idea of fiddleford "holding onto" something for him to remember and work through later when he's ready to deal with it, it's an interesting reversal of how he's normally more of a memory sink.

from the point in canon about them stabilizing the portal so that bill can't use it to get into their dimension anymore onward, I think it just becomes a matter of them living the lives they could've always had in canon without realizing it. hence "a better world." some cool tidbits I like to think about:

stan gets to transition much earlier (late 1990's perhaps?) and probably starts going by "lee" instead

she's also the institute's CMO and is mostly in it for going on business trips abroad with ford. and the money. obviously.

the institute probably also legitimately changes the world on a sociopolitical scale outside of just interdimensional travel since their research renders them uniquely untouchable and all three of them are trans (I'm cartoon logic-ing a little bit here just let me have this one)

ford is the eccentric bill nye esque face of the company, fiddleford is the backbone. that isn't to say ford doesn't do anything as I think he'd always moreso be in it for the science than the fame (though it is nice to be more than comfortable financially) but it's an open secret fiddleford keeps tabs on literally everything, he's still very security-oriented.

the northwest family now has a more prominent ongoing rivalry with the pines family that could be very funny to think about. they've taken all the LOGGING JOBS with their damn SCIENCE

part of the reason I thought ford should lose an eye is because I think having him wear an eyepatch would be a neat way to parallel stan's "role" as mr. mystery visually! stan wears an eyepatch for no legitimate reason to keep up appearances as a schlocky tourist trap host, but it also alludes to her being more than she seems under the surface. ford's eyepatch does sort of have a legitimate reason to exist, but he also could just wear his glass eye and it would probably be less "conspicuous." he chooses the eyepatch instead because it's part of his image as Stanford Pines, Founder of Oddology, and because it keeps him safe. there's also a little residual scarring there from damage to his eyelid/tarsal plate which could easily represent him hiding the more "damaged" aspects of himself under his successes. ouch.

I'm unsure if ford and stan would ever feel comfortable getting back in touch with their parents. I know a lot of people go that route with fan material but I don't think they should have to. I think they're much happier now having healed the rift between them on their own and getting to live successful lives for themselves, rather than to prove something to their father.

that being said I do think fiddleford gets in touch with emma-may and his son again and they end up on better terms with time and a Lot of effort. tate's family is now composed of his father, mother, "uncle" ford (in the ye olde gay closeted sense of referring to your dad's partner as an uncle), and auntie lee, and I like to think they go out on trips to the lake together often :]

also ford and fiddleford tie the knot unofficially (in the eyes of the government anyway) in 1990. owed to stan somehow getting "ordained" as a rabbi. don't ask me how.

the pines twins start visiting the institute from a younger age than they do irt visiting stan in the show-- but they're only permitted to come along on heavily-supervised interdimensional excursions once they turn 12. cue antics!

anyway, hopefully this extremely longwinded and loosely structured mess helped answer your question. I like ABW sooo so so much you guys

[bwobgames]

No houses, ghost or ghouls could ever compare to the absolute terror a loose orange cat could make.

While he is not the one to perpetuate stereotypes, Mozilla is a bit of a … rowdy boy.

He’s a complete sweetheart! Most of the time. When he’s not zooming around the house.

He needs to find him quick, before he has to cover up for another criminal.

Surely he will see the social situation he’s in and behave, right?

Will he be his angle or his debil?

“Agh, I should’ve given him the full dose. He probably woke up and managed to get out.”

Although… there’s something fishy about that statement.

If Firefox was hungry or wanted to get out, he would meow first, then initiate a daring escape, but Oliver didn’t hear anything.

And how could he escape? There doesn’t seem to be any signs of scratches or bite marks around the lock, nor anywhere outside the carrier.

Did his cat become a genius overnight and found out a way to unlatch the lock without leaving any marks?

Actually, new hypothesis. Perhaps he did meow, but Ángel woke up instead and fed him. Thus, a sleepy Ángel could’ve left the hatch badly closed, therefore, feline malice occurs.

That’s the only logical explanation. Even if there’s no signs of Mozilla being fed.

In any case, better catch that orange menace soon, before he terrorizes the poor people. Then he shall interrogate it.

He follows a trail of cat hair, passing the entrance and into the little dining area.

“FIREFOX”

He screams. In his head. With agony.

He sees nothing but a tragedy, as it seems that his devil spawn raided the place.

His dad was right. He should’ve enlisted that cat in the military. To give him discipline.

He sees broken glass, spilled beans and a random half of a fish. Where did he get fish?!

He hurriedly cleans up the broken glass and everything else spilled on the floor. He arranges the glasses, so it doesn’t look like one is missing.

He’s so glad Dominion is inactive. His neighbors were right, he does attract crime.

While cleaning, he notices something on the wall.

A knife set. There’s one missing.

Mozilla… with a knife. God help us all.

But seeing as he doesn’t have any thumbs, it’s more likely a misplaced object by a worker.

Even if his detective intuition says otherwise. Or is it painful memories?

In any case, neither houses nor ghosts need knives. That he knows of.

He quickly makes a mental note of where the emergency brake is.

As he leaves the no longer crime scene, the cat hair trail becomes scattered. He is now stuck on the corridor, leadless and catless.

Until.

“Huh?”

Young Sebastian seems to have mastered the art of guitar dual wielding.

“Ah! You’re Sebastian, yes? What are you doing out here so late?”

“Oh, I found this guitar. I think the mustache kid left it there. But uh, I don’t really want to wake him up…”

“Owen tends to do that. Here, I’ll give it to him in the morning”

“Thanks, uh. Guy”

“I’m Private Detective Oliver Beebo. As the prophecy foretold”

He has now learned that he gets way less misunderstandings when he clarifies the “Private” part. The last bit is from Vivi.

“Private detective? I didn’t know that job still existed. Or that it was profitable”

“Haha, takes lots of effort and self publicity, but it manages”

“Wait, have you been investigating or something?”

“Ah, no. I’m actually looking for my cat. Have you seen an orange creature of evil intent around?”

“A cat? That would explain some things.”

A witness. Oh no.

“I think I heard scratching from the bathrooms, it scared me half to death. Ah, but it was like, an hour or so ago”

So he has been causing trouble. Man. But still, a lead is a lead. If Firefox was in the bathrooms around an hour ago- Wait, does that mean…?

“Have you been awake for long?”

“I haven’t slept yet”

“Wha- Sebastian, that’s not healthy. I get you’re young, but at some point your body will not accept it.”

“Haha, I know. I’m not as young as you think”

“It’s just… been reminiscing. About things”

“What type of things. If you don’t mind me asking”

If you dont mind it being used as information for any house hunting needs.

“Something about this train has been making me feel… nostalgic. I guess.”

“My mother used to tell me all kinds of stories about the trains she used to take”

“Ah, I get it. My grandma used to live near a station, too. I remember laughing at the surprised chickens when the train passed”

“You got chickens?”

“No, no, I’m from the south, and my family worked in the farms.”

“Like, owners of the farms?”

“No? As workers”

“Huh. Sorry it’s just… everyone else is so fancy looking. Ah, I don’t mean to offend I just-“

“I also hang around rich people. It’s interesting to see someone else like me”

“You mean, your friends?”

“Them too but like, others as well”

“My mom worked as a maid, well, “house assistant” or something, but she was literally a maid.”

“At some point we were having a lot of trouble with the rain in our house, so the family she was working for offered us to move in with them”

“So, in a way, I’ve always been around rich people, while living the life of a normal average person”

“At some point though, mom got sick. The family gave her support for medical bills but, she succumbed”

Oh. By “Nostalgia” Sebastian meant Grieving

Wait, this is dangerous.

“I’m so sorry. Was it… COVID?”

“What? No, no. This was a while ago.”

“The family offered me to take her place, but I wanted to study.”

“So, as a token of friendship, I guess. They rent me one of their apartments in a building they own. With a slight discount”

“That’s nice of them, I think. At that point, they probably saw you as their own son”

“That’s… that’s something I been having trouble with”

“My mother never stopped working, even while sick. She also barely had any time to herself, seeing as the family had her at all hours of the day.

She said she liked working there, that the family was kind.

But I could see her swollen feet, only resting at night.

I could see us sitting on another table for lunch.

I could see us being invited to vacations, only for her to be working once more.

Would it really have been okay if she ever said ‘No’ to them? Would she have risked it?

My mother’s illness got worse by stress.”

“I… I guess I’m not sure how to feel.

This place made all those memories return tenfold. All this talk about ghosts makes me think that… Maybe I could see her again”

“Sorry, you seem like a guy who knows things, but I shouldn’t use you as a therapist or a discord vent channel.”

He seems to be going through a lot, and not even counting his dead friend! No wonder he hasn’t slept.

“While your mother had, certainly a sacrificed life, she was honorable.”

“Wow, you really talk like a southern guy”

“Shush, what I’m trying to say is that, she loved you. She would want you to remember the good times with her, not the times she struggled”

“And having those memories, even if looking back becomes painful, is a beautiful thing”

“They were here, They were alive and they were beautiful. And as long as you keep those memories, they will live on”

“…You are a wise guy.”

“I would be even wiser if I could follow my own advice. But my own loss is a bit too fresh yet”

“I get that… I spent like a week just clutching her guitar and crying”

“Is that hers?”

“No, no. This fancy thing is a gift from Fede. Mom was the one who taught me how to play, though”

He gets an idea

“Do you know anything from Los Bunkers?”

<PREV START NEXT>

[deerspherestudios]

Hello fireflies!

I've been debating this for a while now, and after some helpful discussion with trusted members from the community, I've decided to make it official. As of today, Mushroom Oasis now has an official age rating of 16+ due to the content warnings listed (and not listed) above.

To clarify:

THERE IS NO EXPLICIT OR GRAPHIC CONTENT DEPICTED. THERE WILL BE NO NSFW/18+ SCENES.

DOES HOWEVER, CONTAIN DARKER THEMES UNSUITABLE FOR A YOUNGER AUDIENCE (especially tropes within the yandere genre)

I hope everyone can respect my decision on this matter, thank you.

Longer explanation for the age rating change under the cut:

Edit: Since some have been asking, the age rating is a precaution more than anything else. I just can't guarantee players younger than 16 can consume these kinds of content responsibly. And with the growing popularity, I feel like a proper rating is better than a list of trigger warnings.

So to ease my mind that I'm not exposing young kids to themes commonly found in yandere media (such as stalking/manipulation/violence/drugging/etc) 16+ is a safeguard for that. I'm just looking out for myself and others as MO continues to develop.

I don't wanna bend my own rules by saying "if you think you can responsibly play Mushroom Oasis, you're fine." That is up to your discretion. Just stay safe out there.

Take care, fireflies! ❤️🍄

[noodlesarecheese]

So Watcher is launching a Dropout (it's not called Dropout but they're clearly using the same template format platform thing idk what it's called, and the same pricing structure), and the reaction so far has been wildly different than what I remember from Dropout's launch. I was curious about why that was or if I was just misremembering the Dropout launch, so I went back to the Dropout launch video to compare them and I think I can see where some of the difference is coming from.

If you want to make the comparison yourself: Watcher's Video, Dropout's Video.

I wanna clarify first though that this isn't a knock against Watcher or the fans who are reacting one way or another or anything like that, I genuinely am just fascinated with how different the reactions are to what seems to be the same business decision. This also isn't a 'wow watcher sucks and dropout is so much better' I'm just using them for comparison because they did the same thing with different results. ALSO this isn't about the business decision itself, just the presentation! Disclaimers out of the way, here's the analysis.

Title and Thumbnail So the Watcher.tv announcement video is titled "Goodbye Youtube" and the thumbnail is Ryan, Shane, and Steven sitting on a couch looking serious, with a dark background. That really makes it seem like they're quitting (which, ok, they are quitting youtube but not quitting quitting). Viewers are already primed to be upset, and it's easier to go from upset to angry than upset to excited, curious, or neutral.

Compare to the dropout announcement video: "How the Internet is Ruining Comedy" - inline with other collegehumor video titles, might make you curious. Thumbnail - Big News! with Sam smiling and a bright background. We know its big news, but he looks happy, and the exclamation point let's us know they want us to be excited. Viewers are primed to be curious and excited.

Tone The Watcher announcement has 2 main tones. The first half is very sentimental, almost sad or wistful at times, and while there are parts that veer into pride at achievements, it's mostly bittersweet and sentimental. The second half is a bit more uplifting, but still quite serious. It reminded me of a tech announcement, like when they introduce the new iphone or something like that. Very professional, sleek, and serious, which isn't automatically a bad thing! But I do think that's not the vibe a decently-sized chunk of the audience expected or wanted. Many people watch Watcher for the cast's dynamic with each other, humor, and the more relaxed/conversational/friendly feel that most of the series have.

Compare to dropout - excited and comedic tone. Still professional, but also fits the expectations of the viewers. People watch collegehumor for the humor (it was in the name, after all). They also poke a bit of fun at themselves, which lightens the mood, shows self-awareness, and alleviates some of the bad feelings about paywalling.

Focus The Watcher announcement focuses a lot on the creative journey of the cast and company, as well as how this move will benefit them. Which isn't a bad thing, that's actually quite interesting! The problem here, I think, is actually more about what isn't here - a solid explanation of how this will also benefit the viewers and why the viewers should be excited. There's a brief description of one new show, and the promise that existing shows will get an upgrade, but we weren't given many specific details about how they'll be improved, and there's only one new show to tempt us into subscribing. Some people will be excited for that, some people won't, and some people will be excited but not enough to subscribe. Having 2 or 3 series (even if it's 1 fleshed out plus a few teasers of what's in production or what is being planned) plus some more details about how existing shows will be improved would've helped. Without that, it really does seem like it'll just be the same stuff viewers were getting for free, but now paywalled, rather than new and exciting stuff. That makes a big difference. I think with the fans not getting as much focus, this also led to some (accidental, I hope) hurt feelings. Based on what I've seen from fan reactions, all the talk about hitting the peak of what they can do on youtube and wanting more, translated for many people to 'youtube isn't enough' which became 'you (the current viewers) aren't enough.' Which I don't think was their intent! But I also don't think fans are wrong for feeling hurt by that.

Compare to dropout: They clearly explain how the move will benefit fans, and reassure viewers that existing content will stay where it is, and only new content will be behind the paywall. (Watcher clarified this too, but in a comment. It's not in the video itself, which is a huge problem.) They include clips of several new (at the time) series that would be premiering on dropout, including things that specifically could not be made on youtube (due to weed, violence, and sexual humor), so the reason for the shift is clear to the audience.

Advertisers Both videos contain the sentiment that being monetarily successful on youtube means working to appease the advertisers, and that over time what the advertisers want and what the creators want drifts further and further apart, putting strain on the creators.

However, I think the message gets lost a bit in the Watcher vid. Instead, it leaves viewers with the idea that the main problem is just ads are annoying instead of advertisers putting constraints on content. I'm not even sure what the specific constraints are for watcher, because they didn't give any examples. And the focus on ads being annoying leaves viewers frustrated because people typically either don't mind ads or they already have an ad blocker.

Timing and Size Okay, this isn't exactly about presentation, but it is still a factor that impacts perception so I'm tackling it. And I'm actually going to do dropout first. CollegeHumor launched dropout in September 2018. Pre-pandemic, but also pre-Sam Reich as CEO. The company was still owned by IAC. It was a Company, and while it wasn't huge it wasn't tiny either. So launching dropout was a Company Decision, a Business Strategy. Some people were upset about, but it wasn't a personal betrayal (generally, anyways). If I remember correctly, this was also not a high point for the company. They kinda needed dropout to do well to keep things running smoothly (which is why they shut it down and sold it to Sam just 1 1/2ish years later), so the sudden shift made sense.

Watcher Entertainment is a company, but it doesn't feel like one. Ryan, Shane, and Steven own and operate things, but they're also the faces, and they're youtubers. Which makes every business decision they make feel more personal to viewers, especially those who have been watching for a long time. They've also seemingly been doing well on youtube, which makes it more difficult for viewers to understand why the sudden change is happening now. They do talk a bit about it, about the company expanding and wanting to do things that advertisers don't like (which I've already covered). However, mostly the choice to start a streaming platform is framed as 'the next big step' without much clarification on why it's the next big step. Plus, it's post-pandemic, and a lot of people are still struggling financially with the ripple effects of that. Yes, $6 isn't a wild amount of money, but there have been some months where $5 absolutely meant the difference between paying all my bills or not, and I know I'm not the only one. This, coupled with a lack of clarity about why exactly they're doing this, leads to fans feeling hurt, betrayed, bitter, and frustrated.

Now, presentation and framing isn't everything. No matter how perfect your announcement is, some people are still going to be upset. It's a big change, of course people will be upset! But I do think a more careful presentation would've alleviated some of the hurt and anger that fans are feeling. While I do think a lot of the reaction we're seeing is due to the decision, I think (based on what I've seen) that some of it is also based on the poor communication in the video itself, and that could've been avoided!

So I'm gonna get a little speculative and describe what I would've done. In this hypothetical, they've decided to launch the streaming service and brought me on just for the announcement.

Firstly, switch the title out. If they're married to Goodbye Youtube then add a (and hello...?) after so it's at least obvious they aren't fully quitting. The dark color scheme of the thumbnail fits their regular vibe, but they want everyone to be excited so they should look excited. Next, let's lighten the tone up. Being proud of what they've done so far is great, but we don't need the sentimental music and bittersweetness. Remember, the goal is to get viewers excited about what come's next - so let's focus on what actually comes next! Talk about specific show plans and mention why they wouldn't work on youtube. Then, take some time to reassure the fans. Predict a few likely worries and address them in the video. Acknowledge that it's a big change, that it will take time to get used to, and that not everyone will be onboard, and let the fans know that it's ok if they aren't onboard.

Like I said, this wouldn't fix everything. There are a few differences in between dropout and watcher that don't have anything to do with presentation. Dropout launched with primarily new shows rather than new seasons of existing shows, and they continued uploading to youtube relatively regularly in addition to the content behind the paywall, which I do think went a long way to keeping fans happy. At this point it's unclear if watcher will do either of those or not. But, while I don't think it would fix everything, I do think improved communication in the announcement would've helped.

[jcxbliss]

“im so tired cheol”

Pairing - Choi Seungcheol x Female Reader

Genre - Idol AU, Established Relationship, Comfort, Slight Angst

Synopsis - HEADLINE - Seventeen’s leader accidental leak of relationship with a non idol!

Tag 🏷️- @hipsdofangirl

Seungcheol was deep into practice when his phone buzzed incessantly on the side of the stage. The noise of his notifications was so persistent that it became impossible to ignore. Between takes, Hoshi noticed the commotion and walked over, his brows furrowing with concern.

“Hyung, your phone’s going crazy,” Hoshi said, tapping Seungcheol on the shoulder and holding out the device. “Check it out.”

Seungcheol glanced at the screen and saw a cascade of notifications, most of them from his Instagram. His heart sank as he saw the comments flooding in, many of them harsh and critical. He quickly scrolled through the feed, his eyes widening when he saw the photo of you two, which had clearly struck a nerve with fans.

“This isn’t good,” Seungcheol muttered, his voice tense. “I didn’t mean for this to happen.”

Hoshi looked over Seungcheol’s shoulder, his expression turning serious. “You need to handle this. Do you want me to help with anything?”

Seungcheol took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. “Yeah, thanks. I need to address this right away. I didn’t realize how big of a reaction this would cause.”

As practice continued, Seungcheol’s mind was preoccupied with the situation. He managed to complete his schedule, but his thoughts were consumed by the need to fix the mess he’d inadvertently created. He quickly made his way to the locker room, where he found a quiet corner to compose a thoughtful response.

Meanwhile, Hoshi stayed by his side, offering support. “We’ve got your back,” he said, giving Seungcheol a reassuring pat on the back. “You’re not alone in this.”

Seungcheol appreciated the gesture but was focused on crafting a message that would clarify the situation and address the concerns of his fans. His fingers flew over the keyboard as he carefully drafted an explanation, aiming to resolve the issue and express his gratitude for the support of his fanbase.

After posting the message, Seungcheol took a moment to collect his thoughts. He turned to Hoshi with a sigh of relief. “I’ve explained everything and apologized for the mix-up. I hope this helps.”

Hoshi nodded. “It will. You’ve handled it well. Just take it easy for now and let things settle.”

As Seungcheol left the practice room, he felt a wave of exhaustion. He knew that a simple address to the situation wouldn’t solve things quickly but that wasn’t his concern.

When Seungcheol finally made it home after a long day of practice and dealing with the fallout from his Instagram post, he walked through the front door and called out for you. “Hey, I’m back! Are you here?”

There was no immediate response, so he moved through the apartment, eventually finding you in the bedroom. You were sitting on the bed, your laptop open in front of you, scrolling through the comments. Seungcheol’s heart sank when he saw the expression on your face—pained and overwhelmed.

“Hey, I thought I told you not to look at those comments,” Seungcheol said gently, sitting down beside you. “I’m really sorry about all this.”

You looked up, eyes red and voice tinged with frustration. “I tried to stay away, but I just couldn’t. Look at this!” You pointed at the screen, reading aloud some of the hateful comments.

“‘Who does she think she is, thinking she can be with Seungcheol?’” you read with a tremor in your voice. “And ‘She’s just a distraction, not even worth the time!’”

Seungcheol’s expression grew more pained as he listened. “I know those comments are hurtful, but you shouldn’t take them to heart. They’re just people who don’t know us.”

You shook your head, tears welling up. “It’s not that easy. Seeing things like ‘She doesn’t belong in his world’ and ‘Seungcheol can do better’ makes me feel like I’m a problem. Like I’m messing up your life.”

“No, that’s not true at all,” Seungcheol said firmly, taking your hand. “These comments are just noise. They don’t reflect who you are or what you mean to me. I made a mistake, and I’m sorry. But you and I, we’re okay. We’re stronger than this.”

You pulled your hand away, feeling a mix of frustration and sadness. “I just wish people could understand that we’re real people, not just characters in their fantasy. It’s hard to ignore the hate.”

Seungcheol moved closer, wrapping his arm around you in a comforting embrace. “I understand, and I wish I could make it all go away. But you’re not alone in this. We’ll get through it together. I’ll do whatever it takes to make things right and show everyone that you’re important to me.”

You leaned into him, taking a deep breath as you tried to calm the storm inside. “I just want to believe that, Seungcheol. I really do.”

“We’ll make sure of it,” he said softly. “I’ll keep fighting for us, and I’ll make sure people know how much you mean to me. Let’s focus on each other and move past this. Together.”

Seungcheol held you tightly, his embrace offering solace amid the turmoil. After a few moments, he gently pulled back, his gaze meeting yours with unwavering determination.

“Let’s take a break from all of this,” he suggested, his voice gentle but firm. “We need to step away from the negativity and do something that makes us both happy.”

You hesitated but saw the earnest look in his eyes. “What do you have in mind?”

Seungcheol’s face brightened with a smile. “How about a cozy night in? We could order your favorite food, watch a movie, and just relax. It’ll be a chance to focus on the good stuff.

You nodded, feeling a small lift in your spirits at the thought of spending a quiet, stress-free evening together. “That sounds nice.”

Seungcheol stood up and began to make calls to order dinner. As he chatted with the delivery service, you took the opportunity to close your laptop and try to shake off the heaviness of the day. When Seungcheol returned to the bedroom, he had a bright smile and a couple of movie options in hand.

“I’ve got our food on the way,” he said. “And I picked out a few movies we can watch. Anything in particular you’re in the mood for?”

You looked at the movie choices he held up and smiled for the first time that evening. “How about that rom-com we both love? It’ll be nice to have a bit of fun.”

Seungcheol’s face lit up with relief. “Perfect choice. I’ll set everything up while we wait for dinner.”

As he prepared the space for your movie night, you watched him with appreciation. The warmth and thoughtfulness he brought to the evening were a stark contrast to the harshness of the comments you’d read. The atmosphere slowly shifted from tension to comfort as you both settled into the cozy setup he’d created.

When the food arrived, you both dug in, laughing and chatting about light-hearted topics. Seungcheol kept the mood upbeat, sharing funny stories from practice and playfully teasing you about your movie preferences.

As the movie played, you felt a sense of normalcy return. The negativity of the day began to fade into the background, replaced by the simple joy of being with Seungcheol. His unwavering support and the effort he put into making you feel better were a reminder of his deep care and commitment.

By the end of the night, you felt a renewed sense of peace. Seungcheol turned to you as the credits rolled, his expression soft and sincere. “Thank you for spending the evening with me. I know it’s been tough, but I hope tonight helped a bit.”

You nodded, your heart warmed by his presence. “It did. I needed this more than you know. Thank you for being here and for everything you’ve done.”

Seungcheol kissed your forehead gently. “We’ll get through this together. I promise. And remember, no matter what, you’re never alone.”

……….

The following days brought a gradual but steady improvement. Seungcheol remained by your side, his support unwavering as you navigated the aftermath of the controversy. His thoughtful gestures and constant reassurance made a significant difference, helping you regain your sense of normalcy.

One morning, as you both enjoyed a leisurely breakfast together, Seungcheol broke the comfortable silence with a more serious tone. “I’ve been thinking. How about we plan a short getaway? A change of scenery might help us both recharge and take a break from everything.”

You looked up from your coffee, intrigued by the idea. “That sounds like a great idea. Where were you thinking of going?”

Seungcheol grinned. “I was thinking of a cozy cabin in the mountains. Somewhere we can disconnect from the world and just focus on each other.”

The thought of escaping to a peaceful retreat was exactly what you needed. “That sounds perfect. When do we leave?”

Seungcheol’s eyes sparkled with excitement. “How about this weekend? I’ll handle all the arrangements, and we can just enjoy ourselves.”

As the weekend approached, Seungcheol was a whirlwind of activity, packing and preparing everything for the trip. You could see the effort he was putting into making it a special experience, and it lifted your spirits to see him so engaged in creating a positive environment for both of you.

When the day of the trip arrived, you both set off for the mountains. The drive was filled with laughter and light conversation, a refreshing change from the tension of recent days. As you arrived at the cabin, its charm and tranquility immediately began to work their magic.

The cabin was nestled in a picturesque spot, surrounded by towering pine trees and overlooking a serene lake. The interior was cozy and inviting, with a crackling fireplace and large windows that framed the stunning views outside.

Seungcheol unpacked with enthusiasm, making sure everything was perfect for your stay. Once everything was set, you both decided to take a walk around the property, breathing in the fresh, crisp air and enjoying the peaceful surroundings.

As you walked hand-in-hand along a winding trail, Seungcheol turned to you with a smile. “This place is amazing, isn’t it? I’m really glad we came.”

You nodded, feeling the stress of the past weeks start to melt away. “It really is. Thank you for making this happen. It’s exactly what I needed.”

Seungcheol squeezed your hand gently. “I just wanted to remind you that no matter what happens, we have each other. And we can always find moments like this to escape and recharge.”

That evening, as you both sat by the fire, enjoying a simple, homemade dinner, you felt a deep sense of contentment. The challenges you had faced were still there, but they seemed distant now, overshadowed by the warmth and support you shared with Seungcheol.

As the fire crackled and the night grew quieter, Seungcheol pulled you closer, his arm around you. “We’ll face whatever comes our way, but right now, let’s just enjoy this moment. Together.”

You leaned into him, feeling the comfort of his presence. “I couldn’t ask for anything more. Thank you for everything.”

With the peaceful backdrop of the mountains and the love you shared, the getaway became a cherished escape, reminding both of you of the strength and solace you found in each other.

……………………………………………………………………………….

authors note - hello! I just wanted to write a simple and short story of Seungcheol since I have neglecting my other pieces 🫶 thank you!!

[rebeliz7]

We have to stop meeting like this

Natasha Romanoff x Doctor Reader 

Request: Can you do Natasha x non avenger/reader where reader is very possessive and protective over her wife “Listen pal. There are two things I need from you. Number 1 is get away from my wife and number 2 is stay the hell away from my wife.” Natasha finds her wife’s treats very amusing, considering she’s the black widow and can more than well take care of herself.

Word Count: 2255

…

You’re about to leave the hospital, your shift having just ended, when your phone rings. 

You see Steve’s name on the screen, and your heart stops for a second before you slide a trembling finger across the screen to answer. 

“You need to come in.” He says after murmuring a soft greeting, and you immediately become terrified. 

“Steve, is she - ”

“She’s okay.” He hurries to explain, probably realizing his mistake. “She’s fine, she’s a little beaten up, but she’s fine.”

“She’s alive.” You assure yourself, before taking a deep breath, and gathering your things. “Give me fifteen minutes.”

…

The moment you get to the Compound you know that Steve was more than vague in his explanation, because you walk into the most chaotic state you’ve ever seen the Avengers in. 

Thor is speaking loudly, his voice booming and making the windows shake lightly while Tony rubs his temples, trying to soothe a certain headache. Sam is nursing a bleeding arm on the couch, and he looks pissed as he raises his voice at Tony too. 

Steve, on the other hand, seems to be trying to keep everyone in check while Wanda and Carol sit on the nearest couch looking exhausted. No one notices you at first.

“Good evening, Doctor.” Scratch that, Friday notices you, and suddenly everyone else does too. They all fall silent the moment they see you, and when no one opens their mouth you rush down the hallway to the med-bay, terrified all over again. 

“Wait up.” Someone calls behind you.

“What the hell happened out there?” You ask over your shoulder, and you realize that everyone is coming with you. 

“You know we can’t tell you what happened.” Steve says calmly, and you turn around abruptly causing him to  stumble trying to catch himself before running into you.

You notice that his brow is bleeding from a small cut, and his suit has a tear on its chest, and he looks exhausted. 

“I don’t want the details of the mission, Steve. I meant what happened to my wife.” You clarify, and he looks to his left as he swallows, and then nods. 

“Bullet wound.” He says, and you close your eyes as you take a deep breath. Then you turn around, and resume walking.

You know how secretive Natasha’s work is, and you understand the risks. She’s an Avenger, and protecting the world is her job. Injuries are, at this point, just a professional hazard for her. 

Still, she’s your wife, and over the years you’ve only become more protective of her instead of more accustomed to the inevitability of these kinds of calls. 

“She should have waited.” You hear Tony say, as you round a corner. 

“Yeah, and you were a load of help.” Sam says sarcastically, and you begin to pay closer attention to their conversation. 

“More help than you, that’s for sure. Getting yourself shot the second you showed up.” Tony snarks back, getting angrier by the second.

“You put us all in danger by going for that computer, Stark.” Thor says, and the steel in his voice is terrifying to hear. “You are not a team player.”

“Newsflash, beach boy.” Tony starts, just as you reach the med-bay. “We need that computer if we want to put an end to this nightmare.”

“That’s enough.” Carol says, and even you straighten up at hearing her command. “Not now.”

The second you spot your wife you rush to her side, while simultaneously assessing the situation with a critical eye. Her waist is patched up, and you breathe a little easier when you realize that the bullet must have not hit anything vital. She’s being hydrated intravenously, and they’ve administered an antibiotic. Other than that, she just seems to be sleeping. 

You know she heals faster than a regular person, but you can’t help but feel as scared as you do every time that she comes home with a bruise, let alone a bullet wound. She’s not invincible, despite the world’s beliefs. 

You take a moment to look at her before you press your lips softly to her temple, and pull up the sheets to cover up to her chin. You pick up her chart next. 

The bullet went through and through just like you thought. They just had to patch her up, the wound was already healing when they brought her in. 

“She should have waited.” Tony says again, and you pick up on the fear lacing his tone. Natasha and Tony go way back, you know he’s her oldest friend among the Avengers, and he wouldn’t put her in danger deliberately.

So whatever’s happened, you rest easy at knowing that he had her back. He always does.  

“That’s enough, Stark.” Carol speaks again, her voice is steel  now, and it scares you slightly. “You can try to justify what happened out there all you want, but we all know the truth. We all heard what you said. We all know that it was you who gave Natasha the go-ahead. So stop. Nat is on this bed because of you. Own it.”

The silence that falls upon the room is deafening, and your confusion only increases the moment Natasha opens her eyes. 

“Jesus, Danvers! You’re being way too harsh.” Your wife rasps with humor in her tone. You know she’s okay, but that still doesn’t stop you from leaning down to kiss her lips the moment she’s done speaking. “Who called my wife?” She asks, her hand cupping your face as you comb her hair back with your fingers before kissing her again. 

“We gotta stop meeting like this.” You joke, and she scrunches up her nose. 

“You think you’re funny.” She says, her thumb caressing your cheek.

“Yeah, well. You married me.” You shrug, and she smiles up at you. 

However, your joy at having your wife in one piece is quickly snatched away when you can feel the rising tension among her team again. 

“We can talk about this later.” Steve says, as you sit down on the edge of the mattress, your wife’s hand in yours as you both turn your attention to her friends. 

“Of course.” Tony says, but you can hear the sarcasm in his voice, and so can everyone else. 

“Tony, come on. We’ll talk about it later.” Wanda insists, her hand on his forearm, but he’s quick to shake her hand off, and step closer to the bed, his eyes firmly locked on your wife. 

“You were an idiot!” He points a finger at Nat, and it’s your turn to frown. 

“Tony.” Sam, and Carol try to stop him but he continues to advance on your wife anyway. 

“What the hell are you talking about?” You wife asks as you slowly stand up. 

“That’s enough, Tony. Come on, man.” Steve intervenes, but Tony ignores him, his eyes still trained on your wife.

“Aren’t you supposed to be the master spy? The brains of this bunch, besides me?” He shouts, his anger sparking your own, and you find yourself pushing him back before he can take another step closer to Natasha. 

“Listen  here, pal.” You growl, as he stumbles back a couple of steps. “There are two things I need from you right now. One: Stop yelling at my wife, and Two: Stay the hell away from her. Got it?”

“Seriously?” He raises an eyebrow at you, and you step closer, daring him to try you. He may be Iron Man, and a dear friend, but you’re Natasha’s wife, and he’ll have to respect that. 

You glare until he takes a step back in response, still frowning. He looks at Nat over your shoulder, and you hear her snicker. 

“I’d listen to her, Tony.” She tells him, and you can hear the amusement in her voice. She’s not angry, or hurt, despite Tony’s frustrations. 

“Is anyone seeing this?” He asks, his index finger pointing at your chest, as he looks at everyone else in this room. 

“Come on, man.” Steve sighs again, and you catch Carol smirking, as Wanda rounds the bed to get closer to Natasha. 

When Tony looks at you again you can see the regret in his eyes as clear as day. You don’t know what happened out there, but you don’t blame him for your wife being on this bed. Natasha doesn’t take uncalculated risks, at least not since you two got married. Whatever decision she made during their mission was her own, you’re certain of that. 

“How about a shower, and a nap?” You tell him, your hand on his arm now, and he lets out a deep breath. He looks exhausted, and he’s a dear friend of yours too. You need him rested, and taken care of before he attempts to speak to Natasha again. “Come back later, we’ll be here all night.”

“Yeah.” He nods, and he leaves quickly, leaving you surrounded by equally exhausted superheros. 

“How do you do that?” Sam asks you, as Carol and Steve walk closer to the bed too. 

“Do what?” You ask him, feigning ignorance.

“You know what.” He says, and Carol is laughing when you turn around. 

“What’s so funny?” You wife asks her as you sit on the mattress, and begin running your fingers through her hair again. You smile to yourself as the Avengers gather around your wife’s bed. 

“Nothing, really.” Carol shakes her head, and your wife frowns, fixes Carol with a glare that only makes the Captain laugh harder as she turns around, and makes for the door. 

“Don’t say it.” Sam shakes his head, also amused and you’re tempted to laugh at the look on their faces but you limit yourself to watching the interaction. 

“What?!” Your wife insists. 

“Well, your wife is a lot scarier than you these days.” Carol shrugs, one foot in the hallway already, and Sam hides his laughter behind a very fake coughing fit. 

“And that’s funny why?” Your wife asks, and Steve shakes his head, finally smiling. 

“You’re the Black Widow.” Carol deadpans, and your wife glares harder. 

“It is kinda true.” Wanda says, nodding her head, and your wife huffs in disbelief this time. 

“Children, the bunch of you.” You call them, as you stand up again to put an end to their teasing. Natasha really does need to rest, as do all of them. “Go, take showers please. And eat something.” 

“Yes, ma’am.” Steve says with humor in his voice, and you roll your eyes as you practically push him out of the room.

When they’re gone, you close the door before taking off your jacket, and heels.

“What are you doing?” Your wife asks with a smile, even while she scoots over on the mattress, already making room for you. 

You get in bed with her, your arms wrapping around her middle as she presses her lips to your temple, and hugs you tight. 

“You need a shower too.” You tell her after a little while, and she pinches your arm as she laughs.

“Rude.” She says, but you’re quick to kiss her lips. 

“Babe, I love you. But you’re all sweaty and gross right now.” 

“I was shot!” She reminds you, and you hum in response. 

“No need to remind me.” 

“I’m sorry.” She apologizes. “I got distracted for just one second.”

“What happened?” You ask her.

“There was this really cute tabby-cat, and he was right in the middle of - ”

“Hold on.” You interrupt her, your hand in the air. “Please tell me that you didn’t get shot because of a cat, Natasha.”

The silence that you’re met with is answer enough, but she looks absolutely adorable as she grimaces, and pulls back a few inches from you. But that’s exactly who she is, isn’t it? She’s the kind of person that would get shot because she was trying to protect someone… or in this case a cat. 

“You really are scary.” She tells you, and you roll your eyes again. You know she likes cats but this is just ridiculous. 

“I swear!” You huff, and she hugs you closer, her lips pressing sweet kisses on your shoulder again. “Do they know why you got shot?”

“Wanda does.” She says with a smile. 

“That girl is always helping you when you’re reckless.”

“That’s why I love her.” Natasha smiles wider this time, and her wandering lips continue to press kisses along your neck, your jaw. 

“If you think you’re getting lucky while you’re lying on a bed after getting shot because you saved a cat, think again.” You tell her with a pointed look and she lets out a disappointed breath, a smile on her face as she presses one last kiss on the corner of your lips.

“You need to tell Tony that. He thinks you got shot because of him.” You tell her quietly.

“I know.” She sighs, and you can see how tired she feels. 

“Thanks for defending me.” She says after a few minutes of lying in silence. 

“Anytime.” You grin cheekily at her, and she presses one last kiss on your cheek before getting more comfortable. 

You both know that she doesn’t need you standing up for her. She could have handled Tony on her own, and she can take her teammates teasing. They all know how far to push after all. She is the Black Widow. 

But ‘Black Widow’, ‘ex-assassin’, ‘deadliest woman alive’ or not she’s still your wife, and the love of your life and you will always, always stand up for her. 

… 

[cal-daisies-and-briars]

🔬🔬🔬🔬🔬🔬🔬🔬🔬🔬🔬🔬🔬🔬🔬🔬🔬🔬🔬🔬🔬🔬🔬🔬🔬🔬🔬🔬🔬🔬🔬🔬🔬🔬

HUSBAND! BROTHER! Eddie understandably wary!

YEAH THANK YOU!

102 for 🔬:

---

“It’s not because of Nico,” Dad clarifies. “Listen, Chris, your grandparents… They have different ideas about how to parent than I do, okay? It was always a fight when you were younger. When Buck and I decided to have another kid, I set a boundary for myself. No more of that fight. We’re raising him our way, and we aren’t taking critiques. And you know what? I think he’s a pretty happy kid.”

He is a happy kid. Buck and Dad are doing a great job with him. They’re great parents. That’s not the question here.

“I just don’t understand why that means you have to sleep in a hotel,” Chris sighs. “We could all have a nice family visit.”

Dad gives Chris a sad sort of smile. 

“I’m just going to ask that you respect my boundaries on this one, okay?”

And what the hell is Chris supposed to say to that? He’s just going to have to figure out a new strategy. 

iv.

It’s Nico’s first flight. 

Chris doesn’t really know if he remembers his own first flight. It was probably the same route. Or maybe the reverse. Los Angeles to El Paso, El Paso to Los Angeles. All Chris really remembers was his dad telling him he’d be safe, and Chris believed him. And he was. He has never had a negative plane experience in his life. 

Nico is not so easily convinced. 

“How does it fly?” He asks on their drive to the airport. He’s carrying a toy jet model in his hands, running it back and forth in front of the car window. 

“It’s physics, buddy,” Dad says from the front passenger seat. “A lot of scientists and engineers work really hard to make sure it has the right build and engine to keep it in the air.”

Chris isn’t sure what, if anything, that means to a four year-old. Regardless, Nico nods sagely. 

“Do the wings flap?” He asks. 

“Flap?” Dad asks.

“Like a bird,” Buck supplies, understanding Nico’s train of thought. “No, buddy. They don’t need to flap.”

“What if the plane is too heavy?” Nico asks.

“Don’t worry about it, Nico,” Dad says. “They are really careful to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

Nico frowns. “So we won’t fall?”

“No, honey,” Dad says. “We won’t fall.”

“Promise?” Nico asks. “Promise we won’t fall?”

“Well,” Buck jumps in.

“Buck…” Dad warns.

“I don’t want to lie!” 

“Wow,” Chris says, looking up from his phone to chime in. “Really, Buck?”

“What?” Nico asks. “What’s wrong? We’re going to fall!”

“No!” Dad assures him. “No, Nico, we aren’t going to fall.”

“Promise?” Nico asks.

They’ve come full circle. Chris is going to get dizzy.

“Nico, I promise I wouldn’t take you on a plane if I thought it was going to crash,” Buck says. 

“Crash?” Nico gasps. 

“What do you think happens when a plane falls from the sky?” Chris mumbles under his breath.

“Not helpful, Christopher,” Dad scolds. 

“I don’t want to crash!” Nico whines. 

“Buddy,” Buck says. “There is a one in eleven million chance of a plane crashing, okay? That’s such a small chance. Dad and I would never put you and Chris on a plane if we thought it would fall. But plane crashes do happen sometimes.” 

Dad sighs. “We’re going to be just fine, Nico.”

“Good thing we made that explanation so simple,” Chris says.

“Well, Christopher, the chances of being hit by a tsunami at the beach are next to none, and yet…” Buck says. 

“You have a point,” Chris admits. 

“What’s a soo-nammy?” Nico asks.

Dad groans.

[foxxyboxy11]

Accepting you don’t have to try or owe anyone anything.

In today’s economy many people including myself feel as though we have to try extremely hard to get something that we want. When in actuality, we don’t. It takes no effort for the universe or our consciousness to give us what we want. Society has made us feel as though we owe it something or have to burn ourselves out just to be happy.

🐚🐚🐚🐚🐚🐚🐚🐚🐚🐚🐚🐚🐚🐚🐚🐚🐚🐚

Depending on who you ask or where you go you will get different answers on how to shift and effort. I’ve seen people say you need to put in a ton of effort to shift, and I’ve seen people say you need no effort to shift. Who’s right? In truth both can give you the same results. Putting in more effort can be like adding sprinkles to your cake. You don’t need it but some people like sprinkles.

So if you don’t want sprinkles or all this extra stuff, how do you get over those thoughts of feeling like you haven’t done enough or need to do stuff to be happy? On paper it’s easy, but I’m telling you now it can take time and it will be a bit hard.

🪼🪼🪼🪼🪼🪼🪼🪼🪼🪼🪼🪼🪼🪼🪼🪼🪼🪼

There are a few ways to help get rid of these thoughts and feelings, or at least turn them into background noise. Now remember I am not a professional nor do I know how to get rid of your thoughts personally. But these things have helped me personally, so take this wirh a few grains of salt and feel free to altar these to your liking.

Persistant affirmations have helped me the most.

~Here are a few I have used

~I have done enough

~I am worthy of being happy

~It takes no effort to shift or manifest

~I am okay

~I am safe

~I do not owe anyone anything

~Society’s standards do not affect my ability to shift

~I do not need to put effort into my shifts

~I am worthy of manifesting and shifting

~It does not burden my consciousness or the universe for me to shift

~I am not a burden

🪸🪸🪸🪸🪸🪸🪸🪸🪸🪸🪸🪸🪸🪸🪸🪸🪸🪸

Catching yourself in these thoughts helps a lot. When you catch yourself thinking these thoughts, remind yourself that you don’t have to try or put in effort. Either with the affirmations above or simply moving past the thoughts.

If you start to say “well everyone has to work for what they want” true, but not to the extent you may be working yourself. Saying what you want is the effort you need to put in. And nothing else.

Telling your subconscious what you want is it. They handle the rest for us, and it doesn’t not burden them or take any effort for them.

I hope this helps. I apologize if something I have written is not clear or confusing. If so, comment or send me an ask and I will do my best to clarify. This post turned into more of a comfort one than an explanation one. However I write with the idea that the people who are reading this feel as though they have tried everything. I am not good at writing stuff for beginners or people new to shifting lol.

I love you all so much!! And thank you for 50 followers ❤️❤️

[mistydeyes]

miss americana: gaz edition

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series summary: The 141 has varying thoughts about Americans which range from finding them wildly entertaining to thinking they’re the worst people on earth. However you challenge their perspectives when you meet them. Something about you makes them feel a little more patriotic ;)

summary: When you finally move to the UK, there are a few things that confuse you and Gaz is more than happy to help out! From realizing cars are not automatic to the different colloquialisms, he enjoys clarifying the differences in culture.

pairing: Kyle "Gaz" Garrick x American!Reader

warnings: none

a/n: FINALLY something that I don’t have to do research on because I’m from the US🦅🎆 I have other parts planned to this as well!

also these are 100% inspired by all the questions I ask @lundenloves, she entertains my constant surprise and shock lol

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Whenever you go out with Gaz you ask him to “translate” for you.

When you first walked the rainy London streets with Gaz, you felt like a toddler with all of your questions. "Why does that stationary store have a sale on condoms?" you asked, confused, as you directed his attention to the sign that displayed a sale on rubbers. "You mean erasers?" he corrected, laughing. Next was when you saw a store you liked and immediately directed him inside, saying you needed pants. Despite how cute you looked while shopping, he had to correct you saying they were trousers and that pants had a very different meaning. Finally, the most egregious example was when you went to a restaurant and ordered biscuits to accompany your savory dish of soup. Once the waiter laughed in response, you looked at Gaz confused. "A biscuit is not like what you get in the Southern US, it's more of a cookie," he explained as you flushed with embarrassment. You would have to do some research next time and consult your British tour guide.

You’re an absolute menace when he goes to the grocery store or what he calls the grocers. You will go up and down the aisles, picking up whatever you fancy.

"Where are those chocolate oranges?" you demanded as you went down the aisle with Gaz. He pushed the cart, or trolley as he called it, which was already filled with a variety of snacks. Anything that looked distinctly British and that you knew you couldn't get at home, went in the cart. He had to hold you back from getting biscuits and crumpets. "Do you think we're having a tea party?" he joked as you waddled back with your selection. "Can we?" you asked, excitedly, and Gaz knew you were going to spend another 30 minutes in the tea aisle. "Let's just find you some Terry's and then we can consider getting tea," he corrected and you pulled the cart rapidly ahead. "I'm going to buy a whole orchard of those oranges."

Later on, you did buy a bushel worth of oranges and Gaz gently rubbed your stomach after you ate two entire ones. "They're just so good," you mumbled before you regretted the lactose coursing through your digestives.

Sometimes you’ll entertain him with distinctly American experiences.

"Did I ever tell you I was going to join a sorority in college?" you mused as you sat on the couch. He looked down at you before replying. "A what?" he questioned and you laughed. "You're telling me you've never heard of Greek life!" you exclaimed as he shook his head. You sat up for this fun explanation. "Essentially, if you're a girl you join a sorority and you spend like 4 days meeting the sister, trying to get them to like you, and then you're given a bid," you explained, he nodded as if this wasn't a foreign concept to him. "Then you all gather, usually in a football stadium or field, and they call your name as well as the sorority you're in and you run towards them." At that, he looked in horror. "It sounds cultish," he remarked and you lightly punched his arm. "It's cute! Everyone dresses up in different themes like 'Las Vegas' or 'Teddy Bears'," you smiled but he still shook his head, "it's the hazing that's cultish."

You will always insist on driving but Gaz remembers the one time he let you drive.

"Kyle, just let me drive!" you exclaimed as he beat you to the car door. In all honesty, you were a little used to being on the passenger side back at home but nevertheless, you were annoyed at his constant insistence at driving. "No," he simply said, "need I remind you what happened last time." The minute he said that you remembered the first time he tried to let you drive. First, you were surprised it was a stick shift rather than an automatic but it was nothing to worry about. It took you a few streets to get used to the changing gears but Gaz still had confidence in you. It wasn't until you pulled into a shopping center and started driving on the wrong side of the road that he made you park and take over. "It wasn't that bad!" you exclaimed, buckling into the passenger seat. "Love, my life flashed before my eyes."

He’ll make fun of you when you order coffee with a smile and try to make a friendly conversation with the barista.

As you entered the coffee shop, you were easily the happiest one there. It was 7 am and even Gaz wasn't as cheery as you are. "Good morning, how are you?" you smiled at the young barista. She returned your smile and eased her tired shoulders. "I'm doing alright, what are you having today?" she replied and you took a minute to think. “Just a cup of coffee for him,” you replied, pointing at Gaz. You pondered for a minute as you strained to look at the signs. "What do you think is good here?" you questioned and her eyes lit up as she began to list the options. "If you're looking for coffee, a cortado is my favorite, but I personally recommend trying our tea," she recommended and you nodded. "Hmm I'll take both," you cheerily replied, watching as she typed in your order. When you pulled out your wallet, you looked around curiously and the barista noticed your hesitation. "Is there anything else I can get you?" she asked before you looked up at her. "You don't have a tip jar here?" you wondered and she let out a laugh. "We don't, more of an American thing," she answered and you frowned slightly. You let her know to keep the change and waited patiently for your order at the end of the coffee bar. "You're too cute sometimes," Gaz said, kissing your forehead gently. He made sure to get a picture of you with your two cups, captioning it, "They finally got their cuppa!"

He helps you navigate the surprisingly easy currency and pricing system.

“Kyle I need more,” you corrected as he handed you a handful of notes. You had gone souvenir shopping in London but forgotten your wallet at his flat. “What do you mean, that’s enough,” he replied as he flipped over the postcards to check if he did his math correctly. “What about the tax? You forgot about that,” you said triumphantly and he laughed in response. “Oh this is one of your American things,” he said, his new favorite term to use, “Love, you pay what’s on the sticker.” Cue your shocked face as you couldn’t fathom the moment of anticipation as your items were rung up at home. On the ride home, you were sure to explain to Gaz the ins and outs of the different taxes including that there was no clothing tax in Minnesota, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Vermont. “I cannot believe you don’t know how much you’re paying when you go up to the till,” he remarked, shaking his head in dismay. “The what?”

There are some disagreements on the meaning of different words (especially ones that you both share but mean two completely different things).

On a rare day, the entire 141 was free, and Gaz decided to introduce you to them. You returned back from the grocers and were surprised when Gaz began preparing a late lunch. “We’re not going to eat at the bar?” you asked, noticing him turning the stove on. “No, no they don’t have food there,” he corrected as your face turned to confusion, “what do you think the bar is?” Upon your explanation of an American bar with cheap drinks and greasy food, Gaz laughed and kissed your cheek gently. “If you want to go to a pub, I can just let them know the change of plans. There’s plenty around,” he responded and went to put the items back in the fridge.

When you arrived at the lively pub, Gaz made sure to sit you next to Soap so you could listen better to his thick accent. While you appreciated the gesture, the Scotsman still spoke a mile a minute. Despite your initial uneasiness, you soon fell into lively conversation and entertained everyone with your stories from college and things you found differently in the UK. "I think the time zone was the biggest issue," you said in response to Ghost's question about your transition to living abroad, "although, the lack of ceiling fans was interesting." They all laughed in response before Gaz interjected. "Tell them about when you ordered a baked potato," he joked and your eyes immediately lit up before you went into a long conversation about your experience. As everyone laughed at your bewilderment at the lack of serving the side with bacon, cheese, and sour cream, Gaz looked at you fondly, his favorite American.

[shappoxs]

I openly accept any corrections, especially from actual Lucanis fans or demisexuals. If you disagree with anything I say this point onwards, please tell me!

The way Lucanis went from "bisexual disaster " to "panromantic demisexual" after the game came out feels weird (Both are direct quotes about Lucanis from Mary Kirby). Before I get into this I'd like to clarify, neither is a problem, Lucanis being demisexual in a vacuum is not what I take issue with.

But it feels like another excuse. Being demisexual means something it's not just another word for inexperienced or hesitant. If Lucanis is demisexual why does he fall for Neve or Rook nearly just as fast as any other companion does and why does he never acknowledge that?

There are many hints that he's never dated before (not sure if it's ever outrught stated), and again, he is shown to be hesitant... but nothing uniquely in the direction of demisexuality.

This game clearly isn't afraid of using real terms (it has an entire codex going over different non-binary labels), so why is this where they draw the line? Why does Lucanis never acknowledge the fact that he requires a deep connection before he feels certain things?

I've seen people call Krem from DA:I bad trans representation because he's never called transgender, which I respectfully disagree with. Still, Krem is explicitly trans and then Lucanis's demisexual coding is just... pulling away before you can kiss? It doesn't help that the scene happens after something that would definitely explain why Lucanis would need to clear his head.

That's also paired with the fact we do get told constantly that he's traumatised and he mentions having little faith in people prior to his romance (at least with Neve). This isn't to say he can't be demisexual, not at all, but there's always an explanation for his behaviour that people would think of before demisexuality and there's no effort put in to otherwise lead us to it.

For a game that is on the nose about everything, I find it hard to give them the benefit of the doubt that this was the one thing they handled with subtlety.

Best case scenario, Mark Kirby was just trying to... I don't know, set up expectations to defy them? Worst case scenario, this is just another case of someone from Bioware lying to us about this damn game.

[lfcforever]

THEORY FOR EP10 OF YELLOWJACKETS

Okay, so starting off I wanna show this photo :

I’ve had this theory for a couple weeks now, and I didn’t want to say anything because it does sound kinda far fetched BUT, as the season progresses and we are yet to have seen this scene be played into the show, I believe this has a link to Lottie’s death.

I would like to clarify I don’t think this ‘killed’ Lottie, because that’d quite literally be impossible considering it’s the teen timeline LMAO.

We’ve seen before with characters that they see something before they die (or someone per say):

Natalie - Javi, teen Nat, Teen Lottie.

Jackie - all of the Yellowjackets, and the cabin guy.

Van - Teen Van.

I know teen Van kinda doesn’t count considering it was more of a thing of ‘about to die’ rather than actually dying, but I think it does count to some extent since she was/is on the edge of it happening.

Laure-Lee is also set to make a return in ep10, alongside the explanation of Lottie’s death, which would make sense for her to be one of the people Lottie see’s before she dies.

Why is this relevant?

Laura-Lee and Lottie share a scene in season 1 where they go to the lake and Laura-Lee performs an impromptu ‘baptism’ on Lottie.

In the picture above it appears to be a similar setting to that scene, but this time with Shauna and Lottie.

Therefore I believe that there could be some kind of ‘vision’ per say as Lottie is dying where she sees Laura-Lee and Shauna in a sort of split sequence as she dies.

We’ve already seen Lottie and Shauna’s relationship, and rocky as it may be, Lottie does care about Shauna and she does try to help her, regardless of if Shauna pushes her away. It’s clear Shauna’s left an imprint on Lottie’s life, and seeing the last scene in ep8 where Shauna speaks up after Lottie would further define Lottie’s ‘fascination’ with Shauna, in my subjective opinion.

Of course, we already know of Lottie and Laura-lees relationship, and the effect of continues to have on Lottie years later, so that already makes sense as to why she would be there. And I can’t really think of any explanation as to why else Laura-Lee would appear.

Lastly, I can’t imagine any more scenes of Lottie and Shauna in the teen time line happening in this particular setting as we see winter approaching, so it’s fair to assume they wouldn’t enter the lake whilst it’s that cold.

Or they could, idfk with this lot, they really love to barter with their lives for no fucking reason 😭

I know it’s far-fetched but it’s been in my mind for a while now and I thought I’d just get it all out.

Anyways, please tell me what you guys think of this, I’d love to hear your own opinions!!

[takaraphoenix]

Polympians Event!

Clarifying right off the gate: This does NOT mean exclusively Percy x poly Olympians, it means any god/Percy ship.

EDIT: I made a sideblog for the event: @polympians-event

EDIT 2: Here's the link to the AO3 collection!

What is the Polympians Event?

What I have in mind is an open event for any and all god/Percy ships. You ship Percy with only one god? Fill the prompts with only that ship! You sail many different god/Percy ships? Fill each prompt with a different ship, if you want! A full Percy/Olympians poly ship, OT3 or any poly constellation? Primordial gods, titans or non-Olympian gods? Any god(s)/Percy ship goes!

I've seen, in recent years, that god/Percy ships have gained quite some traction and I love that, so much. But while there are bigger ships that do have their own events, there are also the tiny rarepairs that don't get these chances, and even with the bigger ones, not everyone has the time/energy to participate in all their ships' events. So one blanket event, where the biggest of god/Percy ships and the rarest of god/Percy ships are equally welcome.

Are there rules to this?

Yes, but only the most basic. No ship bashing or harassment of other participants. The event is open to all god/Percy ships, which means people will participate with your NOTPs too. Don't like them? Don't read them. Instead, focus on the new content to your own ships! If you can't be a civil, normal person about this, then this event isn't for you.

Whether you want to write smut or not is entirely up to you, but you ought to tag appropriately!

What's the plan?

I chose the dates of the Lightning Thief quest for this event! Meaning it will run from May 28th (Percy waking up at CHB) to June 21st (Percy returning the Master Bolt and Helmet).

That length works out well for there to be 12 prompts, and you would have two days to post each prompt, plus an additional 13th prompt on the last day, to keep with the theme of the Olympians.

I'll get an AO3 collection started to which you can submit your entries on AO3 and, if there would be interest in it, I could start a sideblog specifically for this event to which entries (with proper ship tags so you can filter out your NOTPs) will be reblogged as a signal boost.

What are the prompts?

May 28th/29th: Roman

May 30th/31st: wedding/marriage

June 1st/2nd: The sea does not like to be restrained

June 3rd/4th: family focus

June 5th/6th: jealous/possessive [god]

June 7th/8th: role-swap AU (god!Percy/demigod![god])

June 9th/10th: Modern AU/no powers

June 11th/12th: metamorphosis/shapechange

June 13th/14th: godly gifts

June 15th/16th: Aphrodite ships it

June 17th/18th: Percy accepts godhood

June 19th/20th: yearning/pining

June 21st: Mythology

And because I'm bad at phrasing short prompts, here some explanations on what I had in mind with them, though you are of course free to interpret them in whatever manner you read them!

Roman: could mean the Roman aspect of the god, a Roman!Percy AU, or whatever else you want to make of it!

family focus: Are Percy and the god married with children of their own? Percy as step-parent to campers? The god meeting Sally, Paul and/or Tyson?

metamorphosis/shapechange: the gods have a track-record of turning people into animals or plants. Does this mean full animal, or catboy/other hybrid? Is this angst or fluff?

godly gifts: magic powers granted to Percy, or literal physical gifts to court, or something else?

Aphrodite ships it: Aphrodite as wing-woman, hyping and helping, can also very much include Aphrodite/Percy since she would be her own biggest shipper

Mythology: could be a mythological AU where Percy takes on a role from the past, or specific elements of a tale that recur, anything

Let me know if you're interested so I know I won't be hosting this just for myself!