#it’s also so you belong with me stamped like be so for real

[thelovelybitten]

travis kelce —> stan marsh

taylor swift —> wendy testaburger

tell me I’m wrong—I dare you

[catfern]

cowboy!ellie headcanons

pairing: ellie williams x afab!reader

music: roses are falling - orville peck

word count: 1.2k

warnings: fingering (briefly), drunk sex-ish, guns??, yearning and just sappy shit mainly im in a vulnerable state

an: this is shit brainrot bc i've played too much rdr2 and i want ellie to let me ride her cowgirl style. this took me for-fucking-ever because i got acrylics and dropped my wpm from 108 to 67. also if i put out a poll asking what fic to post next would people vote

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

✷ cowboy!ellie having the most pornographic, velvet-laced southern accent known to man. drawling out words in a whisper, that reassured wit sitting in her throat with a lopsided smirk. she’s such a tease, knowing how it gets to you, that ‘c’mon, sweetheart, you gonna make me wait f’you?’ after she trots ahead, glancing back at you under the wide brim of her hat. please, trying to make eye contact with ellie after a long day of riding (ifykyk), seeing just a glance of the veins in her neck, beads of sweat sitting in the little crevices as she leans down to her saddle bag. god, her hands!! and she looks at you, that knowing impatience and ‘okay there, darlin’?, and you can’t look at her, your head swimming and drowning in the molasses of her voice and too focused on the up, down, up, down, up trot of your horse.

✷ setting up camp for the night, bed mats a good distance away from each other, and you wake up, fire dying, moon high, and ellie is still awake, hands covered in dirt and ash and rust from her old revolver that she cleans too occasionally. the gentle scratch of charcoal on parchment, her body hunched over, protective like a creature, and when you call out to her, she TOSSES her journal into the dirt like it burned to touch. if the moon wasn’t so faint, you’d see the uncharacteristic blush fleeting across her cheeks, but too quickly, she tells you to go back to sleep, she’s just staying up to take care of the fire. you listen in a haze, and ellie tears out the five, maybe 6 pages?? of rough sketches, harsh lines etching out your body, your smile, your eyes, and stamps them into the cooling embers of the campfire.

✷ if we’re talking historically accurate cowboys, ellie is definitely the type to believe in dinosaurs!! it’s this new, fresh, science fad and everybody laughs at her for it, cause omg?? giant lizards?? nah!! but ellie is so adamant, reading every paper and pamphlet on the subject that she can get her hands on (assuming she can even read lets be so real), and she’ll tell you about it! small, reluctant meanders from more important topics, at first, but you’re kind and you listen to words either of you barely understand, and sure it’s a little bit boring, but she’s happy, and for some reason she makes it incredibly dynamic, crash coursing you on lizards that evolved (a buzz word in all her pamphlets) into BIGGER lizards.

✷ cowboy!ellie, the horse whisperer. she doesn’t teach you to ride, but you’ve never had a way with horses, cantankerous and rough, so you need a lil bit of assistance. ellie will take the lead, letting you rock behind her on your horse, your arms draped around her like common occurrence, and she’ll turn, ‘see? be gentle, she’ll listen. you’re a team, y’know?’

✷ ‘she just likes you more than me.’

✷ her laugh is boisterous, loud, it sounds like it belongs amongst the hills and caverns, like wind against rocks, ‘no one likes me more than you, flower.’

✷ one day, you’re just passing through a small town, nothing more than a few shops and scattered farm houses, and ellie spies an outlaw poster, poorly tacked to the community bulletin board. it’s her, badly sketched, sure. her chin is way too big, nose a bit askew, but it’s definitely her. and you laugh as she presses you frantically, ‘i don’t really look like this? do i?’ and it’s got some ridiculous nickname that definitely over-inflates her ego, ‘ellie 'longshot’ williams (no one has called her that ever) that she’ll parade it around like a medal

✷ ‘aw, love, do you need some help shootin’? don’t call me long shot for nothin’.’

✷ you’d get a bit vulgar, a bit defensive because, yeah, maybe ellie is actually good at shooting, and you could benefit from her teaching. but that fucking nickname, lording over your head with that lilt in her voice, and the childish, goading smile, you’d tell her to shove it somewhere the sun don’t shine and just pray luck guides your bullet.

✷ your now-so-serious scowl eats at her, so ellie has to swallow her boyish pride and shut up, simply falling behind you. gently tapping your shin with her boot to get you to adjust your stance, her hands stretching out over yours to feel out the barrel of the foreign pistol. they’re rough, calloused, unmade for this sort of gentle gesture, but you welcome the heat that they give. with a soft push and pull, like a tide she moves your fingers, your hands, to hold the gun well. her voice is a whisper as she instructs, ‘don’t hold it so loosely. stronger grip helps aim.’ 

✷ she’s shaking in her boots. a moment like this, tender, with you is scarcely shared. the closeness burns her chest as she feels you breathe against her, skittish but assured, ellie’s finger snaking around yours to settle on the trigger. you go to fire, and the recoil sends you backwards in a shock, ellie having to move her hands from the gun to your waist to keep you steady. you laugh something coarse, leaning back into her without a thought. adrenaline intimacy.

✷ ‘okay, maybe y’need a few more lessons before you get it right.’ it’s a selfish thought, but it cements ellie in that moment, with you just in her reach, and her revolver. she’d clean it for you.

✷ cowboy!ellie doing stupid shit, like taking longer detours to show you the scenery, the stretching fields and great mountain waterfalls, stopping to pick wildflowers (she’s a sap), or taking the extra care to saddle up your horse for you, securing the girth and not letting you touch it because ‘i don’t need you slippin’ on me.’ she takes care of you, out on the road, it’s not an official thing, but you’re off limits.

✷ ellie is kind, but sex with her isn’t. the first time, she’s terribly drunk, playing away her night in a saloon, at a poker table (she’s losing), and you’re sat at the bar, wearing that, and it’s violently throwing her off her game, so she decides to make it known that your presence is an interruption. dragging you upstairs, she’s unkind. ‘you’re not helping my luck, looking like that.’

✷ ‘how do you need me, then?’

✷ she tastes like cigarette smoke, and bourbon, and she smells like the sleek of rain on dry dirt, and feeling her all over you is intoxicating, rough. she’s quick, her lips aren’t soft but rather, a grating possession on your skin, a feeling that swallows you, melts you down in the heat of her hands. she swears, a lot, it sounds like disbelief but really, it’s a bribe. a prayer. ‘dear god, give me this, let me have this, and i will be devout.’ it’s primal, something uncontrollable. drunk, it’s worse. she loses herself in the haze, becomes complete disregard, her fingers inside you without hearing you, just feeling you. lost in you and she keeps pounding into you simply because she’s enraptured by the feeling of you clenching around her.

[headchefshcs]

can you maybe make something abt rock zombie branch?

PopS1ut // Rock Zombie Branch x Pop!GN!Reader

Barb decides to have some extra fun, turning to the new Rock Branch and makes him fuck you in front of everyone.

NSFW undercut Minors DNI, They/Them pronouns used

You were standing right at the front of the stage when Barb says this, and Branch takes no time grabbing you with his hair and holds you up while he’s fucking you. Your dick/pussy can be seen as well as he fucks you. “Make daddy proud, popslut” he sneers as he’s holding you up with his hair.

He has one of his hands either in your mouth or on ur chest, playing and abusing it. When he cums/makes you cum he makes sure everyone can see it. He then places his free hand, gathering the fluids and putting it to your mouth. “suck them clean slut”, in which you oblige, seeing as you can’t do anything else. You feel absolutely humiliated having your friends see you being used, but at the same time deep down you enjoyed it.

You don’t turn into a rock zombie Barb lets you stay a pop troll just just as a personal pet for Zombie Branch. It doesn’t take long for you to gladly become his lil fuck poptoy, always have your head on his thighs. You’re always full, either a toy or his cum and looking brain dead all nice and cute with your collar. He only refers to you as “pet” or “popslut”, while he has you call him master/daddy/sir. “What’s my real name again… well master calls me popslut and he’s always right…”

He slut shames you all the time, though you’re not paying attention, too busy sucking him off to hear anything he’s saying. He makes you get a tramp stamp saying “Popslut” or “Branches Popslut” he also make you get a piercing on you pussy/dick. He has you wear either black collar with spikes or a nice pink one that goes with your pop look, to humiliate you even more. You’re nothing more than a popslut . On your collar it just says “Return to Branch” or “Branch’s cock sleeve”

He loves to humiliate you but at the same time wants everyone to know who you belong to. He’ll often makes you sit on his dick in public or have you suck on his dick while he’s relaxing on a couch. While other times he lets people use you, saying “come fuck the only popslut left”. After letting numerous Rock Trolls go through you he’ll fucks you senseless, all while shaming you saying “yeah that’s right. There’s only one dick that can turn you into this much of a little whore and make you feel this good”

When you’ve been bad such as going around sucking and fucking others without Branches permission he has a few ways of punishing you. You’ll try to beg for him to forgive you but nooo if you don’t wanna be his pop slut you can be someone else’s.

He’ll have have you so close but he just stops like “ah ah ah.. not until I hear you fucking scream and beg”. In which he has you sobbing and begging for him. Or he makes watch him fuck someone else, all while telling you to not touch yourself. "see this is what GOOD sluts who know their place and know how to behave get treated" “run around and get as much dick as you like but your not gonna get one that’s as good as mine”

After that you don’t go to anyone else if your given the chance. Branch just smirks like “yeah that’s fucking right. You know who you belong to.”. After which he’ll treat you with a “reward” and eat you out, all while making you moan out “thank you master/daddy/sir” “There’s only one dick that can turn you into this much of a little whore”

[colourstreakgryffin]

If u still write for Haikyuu, I have this little yan!Sugawara x fem!reader concept: Reader is a new 1-2nd year at Karasuno who got dared to disguise as a boy and join the boys volleyball team as a dare but actually got in, so now she has to keep up her disguise until graduation. For some reason, the other boys dont realize and just think Reader is a really feminine dude with a manbun💀 (reader never cut her hair)

One time, Sugawara just accidently finds out reader's gender because he came over to her house once and reader PANICS. Like "OHMYGODPLEASEDONTTELLANYONEATSCHOOLABOUTHISISWEARI'LLDOLITERALLYANYTHING-" readers thinks shes cooked as hell basically (she kinda is)

(I'm sorry if this is too much, what I just wrote is a whole fanfic 💀)

Oh. Right! Okay, normal love(what I got from your follow-up). I do not like when the request is written for me but you know what. I really like this concept, it’s got so many Mulan vibes and I’m gonna do it! Thank you for the Haikyuu request, I haven’t written for Haikyuu in such a long time

Koshi Sugawara- Red-Handed

Koshi Sugawara has really been suspicious of you since the first time you entered the Gymnasium… you proclaim you’re a boy, you do… look like one, no real feminine body parts so that’s a good sign but you’re also kinda curvy, kinda delicate and have a long man-bun. Well, he can’t really talk much about man buns… Asahi

However, he always felt like there was more with you than meets the eye, it is a feeling stirring in his gut for such a long time now yet it laid dormant for as long, out of how nonsensical it truly is. He just knew it, he just didn’t want to speak up

That’d just be plain rude

This day flies by as every other day, Koshi watching over and working with both Ukai and Daichi to watch over the second and first years of the volleyball club. Hinata and Kageyama eagerly but competitively throwing spikes and hits to each other over the court and the net. Tsukishima just listening to his dear friend, Yamaguchi‘s comments. Nishinoya and Tanaka making quite the big deal over Kiyoko giving them wet towels whilst basically worshipping her every breath, during the break the whole team are taking… but where are you?

Koshi wanted to explore where you are and find out why you always hid away after each break but he is way too polite and well-mannered to dare make his own big deal over you so whilst he watches you arrive back to the court… he thinks you’re odd, always thinks you’re odd. Such a feminine curvy ‘man’ you are, he wonders why but he doesn’t want to press on it too much

After a few more hours, the club finally closes off for the day and as every member begins to clean off, Koshi’s eyes naturally begun to smoothly follow you once more he is done packing up the team’s uniforms, whose is helping Tanaka put away the net on the net set into the storage closet

How weird… but not that important

Koshi is the last member of the club to leave, taking over specific maintaining and cleaning duties off the Coaches and Managers so they can get home and rest sooner, he always wishes to help them as they work so hard for him and the team. His footsteps lightly tap and skid on the slippery wood plane floor of the school’s infamous gymnasium

The keys jiggling loudly in his pant pockets as he checks over the private locker room, going a double check to ensure that no sensitive belongings or important items are left behind and well, yes. There was something… something of yours, your personal club jacket, spotted from the corner of his eyes at your changing locker

Koshi cannot just leave this behind as he picks it up smoothly, his thumbs tracing over the silky soft black fabric and reading over your last name stamped on the back. It’s not even just that, he can feel something harder in the pocket and finds out it’s your phone, making the need to give it back to you more urgent

He does know your address, as all personal information is written down then hidden away by Kiyoko for any possible emergencies. Since you’re also a member of the team, your number and address is dotted down like the rest, including himself

He knows it’s immortal to snoop through confidential information for unnecessary reasons but he doesn’t see it as anymore good to simply leave this possession in the gymnasium where it could possibly be taken by another Club’s members or a faculty member

Koshi, after a few seconds of deep thought and his eyes glued to the folded cellphone his hand is holding through the black club jacket’s pocket, decides that he must personally head to your home and deliver your valuable item himself as he doesn’t want to bother any of your friends nor any of his own teammates to drop it

Setting off on a grave trip to your place after pushing through his own moral thoughts screaming at him to just take your phone number and call you and tell you to come pick up your jacket holding your valuable phone, he can’t bring himself to do so as he locks up the gym slowly and steadily as well as with not even a loud breath leaving him. It’ll be okay

That’s all he tells himself

Koshi, after an almost painful walk with how heavy his heart is over his guilt and shame… he doesn’t know how long this trip took but he didn’t necessarily care, his hands and arms almost possessively clung on the jacket to ensure he won’t lose any little piece of it. He may be a bit suspicious off you but you’re a good kid at the end of the day

He reached a rather pretty looking house in the ordinary neighbourhood of this pretty little town calls theirs, bracing forward with an explanation buried in the wired nerves of his brain and edging on the tip of his tongue. Stopping right before the door, Koshi politely knocks

Knock. Knock. Knock. Knock

Then silence falls upon himself and the already quiet household for a few long uncomfortable seconds until it swings open and his eyes widen in surprise… that… is you. This pretty girly girl before him, looks so much like you and the way she flinches and her hand tightens on the doorknob. He has a feeling it may just be you

The new member of the Volleyball club, the ‘boy’ whose man bun could give Asahi a run for his money. However, Koshi shoves it aside for now, suspecting it may just be a sister of yours and he is not one to create unwanted drama so he politely cracks a pretty smile and offers the jacket before saying

“Here, ma’am. This is for your brother”

You, going to pretend like you aren’t the boy who joined the club, takes the jacket and makes your voice as sweet and girly as possible to try deflect off your own awful deep impression of a male voice when you’re doing this longtime stupid dare at the club. Answering with a thank you, your mother ruins everything by merely saying

“Dokusha, honey! When you’re done at the door, come to the table! It’s time for dinner!”

That’s all Koshi needed to hear and all the locked away supscious he had, are rising from the deep soiled ground to explore… you’re a girl? Well, he kinda assumed so but he also hoped he was just tripping but he isn’t and he couldn’t be more… offended

It didn’t take long for you to begin panicking, like properly panicking as your mother didn’t even know what was truly going on from the kitchen in her peacefully cheerful oblivious little world. With a flustered face and much shame and regret and a weight of million apologises and begs for forgiveness, you begin mindlessly crying out

“OHMYGODPLEASEDONTTELLANYONEATSCHOOLABOUTTHISISWEARILLDOLITERALLYANYTHINGSUGAWARA-SAN!IWASDAREDTOATTENDTHECLUBBY MYFRIENDS,I’MSORRY!”

Koshi is quite mad at what he has found this very second as you spill out all your guts through begs for him to spare you, the truth about the ‘boy’ he had many suspicions on for such a while yet had always respected by never speaking on. You’re not a boy at all. You lied right to his face?! All for some dumb little dare from some friends! You don’t need to do this! You committed a minor case of fraud, something very immorally wrong

Whilst he is furious, he isn’t heartless

He gets that children like you make dumb mistakes. He makes dumb mistakes… a lot and he won’t throw the book at you for this, even if it’s wrong. He just will give you a long LONG lecture about why this is bad, to never do it again and work to try get you onto the girls’ Volleyball team. If you’re that interested in Volleyball

Koshi eventually manages to find his voice again after examining every part of you with his sharp eyes to remind himself once more that this is real, maintaining his usual composure and poise in a flash, as to not scare you off. He’s mad but he does kinda understand where you come from

“Dokusha… after dinner, do you have a minute to talk? We… need to discuss a number of things”

[youthereader]

Near Zero preview.

summary: Brought into be part of the Manhattan Project, your old physics professor sees you in a new light.

a/n: Though based on real life characters, this is J. Robert Oppenheimer as played by Cillian Murphy, a fictional character.

This is my first time writing reader fic, so please be kind! I've had this swimming around in my head for the last couple months and finally decided to get started. Big thanks to @indulgence-be-thy-name for encouraging me. I also could not have done this without the constant inspiration of @stargazingfangirl18 whose stories first got me interested in reading reader fic. ❤️

rating: eventually E (no smut in this preview)

When you see him now, he’s so different to the last time, but he’s unmistakably the same man. Now, he wears a broad hat and carries a pipe as he approaches you in the empty room.

“I was wondering when you would show up,” he says, and his smile opens him up completely.

He extends a hand as you rise to meet him. Your things are being sorted thoroughly somewhere out back, but you still hold onto your coat and matching pocketbook. Los Alamos feels like another world, so remote that you hadn’t expected the town to be built here, with roads and people swarming. It is a living, breathing thing you’ve somehow managed to stumble into, it feels.

“Dr. Oppenheimer,” you reply, shaking his hand. “I didn’t know if you were meeting me.”

“Wouldn’t want to miss it,” he replies, though he sounds distracted. “What do you know?”

Hardly any pleasantries, which you expected. In the years of knowing him, Dr. Oppenheimer didn’t get to know you as your professor, and certainly not as anything else outside of the classroom. You had not subscribed to the Cult of Oppie, and not necessarily out of choice.

Though there were women studying theoretical and experimental physics, they were few and far between. Since leaving high school, you had understood that to be taken seriously, you could not act like a man. The few friends you had in high school often teased you about your lack of grace, your ability to be covered in chalk dust at any given time, and your unwavering standoffish nature.

You belong in a think tank, but not on a podium proclaiming these theories. You could work in a team, which was why you supposed your name came up for this.

“My country needs me,” you reply.

He smiles again, somewhat smaller. His eyes survey you a beat longer and you swallow, picturing your hair windswept and unruly from the train journey. You might smell of sweat, you hadn’t showered since yesterday and came straight here when you let yourself known to security.

“And your country will be glad to have you. Have a seat.”

He gestures to a desk and chair, waiting for you to sit. The silence stretches and you feel his eyes on you. You’re wearing your best dress and your nails match your lipstick. Though you were given little context about being summoned here, it felt like a job interview from the telegram you received a few days ago.

The last time he saw you, you dressed like someone that didn’t care about making a good impression.

To stamp down any nerves, you pluck your cigarettes case from your pocketbook, fishing one out. A lit match appears as you put a cigarette between your lips, Dr. Oppenheimer’s hand cupping the flame as you lean in.

“Mm, thank you,” you murmur. You exhale, watching as he pulls back, extinguishing it with a short puff of air.

He stares down at the burnt-out match for a couple seconds before he looks back at you again, his brows furrowing.

“This opportunity means reaching beyond what we have before scientifically,” he says, and you take another pull from your cigarette.

You speak around your smoke. “This is to do with Nazi weapons, isn’t it.”

“They split the atom,” he replies, and you nod. “And since you’re here, it means you’ve been cleared to be part of our great endeavour.”

The ‘our’ would be ‘his’ to a lot of people. You know better, having seen the hundreds of people outside.

“I need like-minded people,” he says.

You rub the tip of your thumb and forefinger together absently, frowning. You were the first to admit that you had very little in your life besides your work, and that hadn’t been plentiful since war broke out. Belatedly, it occurs to you that he’s referring to your intelligence.

“What could I contribute? I wasn’t one of your best.”

“You were,” he amends, lowering his voice a little. “You just didn’t participate outside of a school building. You were invited.”

Your eyes swing to meet his and you recall that Oppie reputation, that he was a womanizer underneath the genius. It never meant to be aimed towards you, that charm. Or so you assumed.

“I’m not the type to enjoy crowds,” you reply. “It’s character flaw of mine.”

You were speaking just like your parents, the ones that had not encouraged you to pursue academia. Being a homemaker, someone with a reliable husband was what they wanted for you.

“Would you have come, if I asked you to, personally?” he asks.

His question throws you, and you stammer out: “N-now, or back then?”

“I asked for you both times,” he says.

For the first time, you blush. Hoping he ignores this, you smoke some more to clear your head. You had almost forgotten about his ability to make you flustered.

“If you asked me to come to a class party personally, I would have said yes,” you admit.

You dare to glance his way again, stomach flipping. So much for being a more polished version of yourself, you’re back to being mousey and strange under those intense eyes.

“That’s a pity,” he murmurs. “But I’m glad you’re here now.”

A/N: If you've enjoyed this so far, let me know! Thank you for reading. 🖤

[moneyque]

— monique mitchell, task OO3: p1.

𝙿𝙰𝚁𝚃 𝟷: 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝙱𝙰𝚂𝙸𝙲𝚂

What is your full name?

Monique Ella Mitchell.

Where and when were you born?

May 23rd, 2000 in Canarsie, Brooklyn.

Who are/were your parents? (Know their names, occupations, personalities, etc.)

Michael Mitchell is an infamous drug distributor who owns several clubs throughout New York City. He can be described as stoic, over-protective, and intimidating. Monica Mitchell was a registered nurse before she passed away but was described as nurturing, loyal, and had a lot of sass & cheek.

Do you have any siblings? What are/were they like?

Monique is an only child.

Where do you live now, and with whom? Describe the place and the person/people.

Monique lives in her penthouse condo in Los Angeles, California by herself.

What is your occupation?

Monique is currently a socialite, influencer and a model.

Write a full physical description of yourself. You might want to consider factors such as: height, weight, race, hair and eye color, style of dress, and any tattoos, scars, or distinguishing marks.

Standing at 5’4 and a half, Monique has dark brown eyes as well as dark brown hair that runs past her shoulders. She identifies as black, race-wise, and weighs around 145 lbs. She has numerous tattoos scattered around her upper body— a symbol on the back of her neck, ‘MUSE’ underneath her collarbone, her ex-boyfriend’s name tracing her ear, & another small tribute to her former relationship on her hip, ‘get money or get lost’ on her forearm, the outline of a diamond on her finger, and ‘new york’ on her left hand. Her style of dress is definitely trendy/ahead of the trend, fly, anything and everything designer, flashy, revealing, and anything to show off her curvy figure.

To which social class do you belong?

She belongs to the upper class.

Do you have any allergies, diseases, or other physical weaknesses?

None.

Are you right- or left-handed?

Monique is right-handed.

What does your voice sound like?

Monique has a distinct New York accent mixed with her somewhat high-pitched tone.

What words and/or phrases do you use very frequently?

‘Stop playing with me.’ ‘Ode.’ ‘Girl.’ ‘Cute.’ ‘Weird.’ ‘Real.’ ‘Likeee.’

What do you have in your pockets?

Dior Addict Lip Maximizer in the color ‘Holographic Pink’ with a matching compact mirror to go with it.

Do you have any quirks, strange mannerisms, annoying habits, or other defining characteristics?

Monique has a habit of flipping her hair or touching it. She also rolls her eyes constantly throughout a conversation and is overall very expressive with her facial features to a fault. Monique is very vain, so any time she gets a chance to look at herself or admire herself, she takes it. Monique makes it a point not to wear the same purse/handbag two days in a row. Another defining characteristic about her would be the color pink being incorporated into every single aspect of her life in almost a childish manner.

𝙿𝙰𝚁𝚃 𝟸: 𝙶𝚁𝙾𝚆𝙸𝙽𝙶 𝚄𝙿

How would you describe your childhood in general?

Monique’s early childhood was a rough start for her. At the time, her father was still dealing with the loss of his wife/her mother as well as being a dope boy on the corner trying to bring in a steady income for his new born daughter. Initially, they struggled, living in the projects, surviving off of food stamps and a necessity-only lifestyle. Despite that, Michael always made sure Monique never wanted for anything. So, the transition from the projects to their penthouse in Brooklyn in her late adolescent years was somewhat smooth for her.

What is your earliest memory?

Monique’s earliest memory would be opening presents on Christmas at Sakari’s house, where she celebrated with both Sakari and Josiah’s family. Her father had just gifted her a Barbie DreamHouse, which sparked up her love for the doll/franchise.

How much schooling have you had?

Monique has been in school her entire life up until now, the highest point she reached being her B.S in Business and B.A Communication.

Did you enjoy school?

The only aspect Monique enjoyed about school was meeting up with her friends, or hanging out with them afterwards. She viewed school as mandatory and experienced a lot of pressure from her father to be a straight A/B+ student throughout her years in school.

Where did you learn most of your skills and other abilities?

Monique learned a lot from her best friend Josiah, as far as street smarts, gang life, and how to make money.

While growing up, did you have any role models? If so, describe them.

Monique’s father was her biggest role model. As well as Josiah. She also considered Barbie a role model to her, in the sense that she was perfect, very feminine, had it all, and could be whatever she wanted.

While growing up, how did you get along with the other members of your family?

Monique got along with her dad very well, he was one of her best friends up until she reached high school. Which is when she started to take note of how overbearing, overprotective, controlling, and stubborn he was, which ultimately led her down the path of deceit and dishonesty.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

Monique wanted to be rich.

As a child, what were your favorite activities?

As a young girl, Monique loved gymnastics, exploring the city and watching classic movies with her dad.

As a child, what kinds of personality traits did you display?

Monique displayed traits of resilience, sass, being outspoken, very saddity, and very adventurous.

As a child, were you popular? Who were your friends, and what were they like?

Monique was popular amongst her peers, throughout her childhood, mainly because she was always in the latest, had the best clothing, and appeared to live a lavish lifestyle. However, she always kept her friend group short. Her main friends were Josiah Reeves and Sakari Vaughn, but they grew to be like family to her. She kept very few close friends in school and mainly hung around the older crowd that she was introduced to.

When and with whom was your first kiss?

Her first kiss was from one of the boys in her neighborhood at the age of six.

Are you a virgin? If not, when and with whom did you lose your virginity?

Monique isn’t a virgin. She lost her virginity to her first boyfriend when she was 15.

𝙿𝙰𝚁𝚃 𝟹: 𝙿𝙰𝚂𝚃 𝙸𝙽𝙵𝙻𝚄𝙴𝙽𝙲𝙴𝚂

What do you consider the most important event of your life so far?

Monique considers moving out of the projects the most important event in her life so far.

Who has had the most influence on you?

Herself.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Monique considers establishing herself as a brand, a household name and being able to make money off of just being herself one of her greatest achievements.

What is your greatest regret?

Monique has no regrets.

What is the most evil thing you have ever done?

Monique sold her ex-boyfriend’s social security number and pushed a girl down a flight of stairs causing her to sprain her wrist.

Do you have a criminal record of any kind?

Monique has been to jail for stabbing a woman in the arm, but her father got her record expunged.

When was the time you were the most frightened?

Monique was most frightened during her first car accident during a speed race.

What is the most embarrassing thing ever to happen to you?

Her ex boyfriend’s mom walked in on them having sex when she was 16.

If you could change one thing from your past, what would it be, and why?

Monique would change how fast she grew up. Monique feels like she rushed into being a grown up, and faced harsh realities very early on. She feels as though she didn’t get to experience ignorance and innocence for long.

What is your best memory?

When her dad bought her a G Wagon, her first car, when she was seventeen.

What is your worst memory?

Being in school and finding out her best friend had gotten shot, and was in critical condition at the time.

𝙿𝙰𝚁𝚃 𝟺: 𝙱𝙴𝙻𝙸𝙴𝙵𝚂 & 𝙾𝙿𝙸𝙽𝙸𝙾𝙽𝚂

Are you basically optimistic or pessimistic?

Monique tends to lean towards the pessimistic side, even though she’s working on it, she finds it easier to see and expect the worst.

What is your greatest fear?

Monique’s greatest fear is her father passing away and letting her guard down and then being hurt by someone she loves or trusts.

What are your religious views?

Monique isn’t spiritual at all but believes in God.

What are your political views?

Monique shares liberal political views.

What are your views on sex?

Monique sees sex as something somewhat sacred to her but fun. She doesn’t have sex with just anyone, she’s very calculated with whom she shares her body but she’s also accepting of people who think differently when it comes to sex, and sex work in general.

Are you able to kill? Under what circumstances do you find killing to be acceptable or unacceptable?

Monique isn’t a killer but when she’s pushed to the limit, it’s no telling what she’ll do or is capable of doing. Killing is acceptable when it’s to protect one’s self or someone else, and is unacceptable when it’s senseless.

In your opinion, what is the most evil thing any human being could do?

The most evil thing a human being could do is maliciously harm the harmless.

Do you believe in the existence of soul mates and/or true love?

Monique does believe in true love and soulmates.

What do you believe makes a successful life?

To Monique, having a successful life is accomplishing what they want/set their mind on and acquiring wealth while doing so.

How honest are you about your thoughts and feelings (i.e. do you hide your true self from others, and in what way)?

Monique is usually very honest with how she feels or thinks, especially if she feels like she has the right to be or is justified in her thought process. If she has any doubts in her mind, she’ll keep it to herself and deliberate amongst her trusted friends and loved ones before communicating it.

Do you have any biases or prejudices?

Monique is biased & prejudice against men, in general.

Is there anything you absolutely refuse to do under any circumstances? Why do you refuse to do it?

Monique absolutely refuses to do anything that 100% comprises her self-respect or whatever she considers beneath her. She holds herself to a certain standard and any time that standard or boundary is pushed, she’s quick to attack the situation or retreat.

Who or what, if anything, would you die for (or otherwise go to extremes for)?

Monique would die for her father, only.

𝙿𝙰𝚁𝚃 𝟻: 𝚁𝙴𝙻𝙰𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽𝚂𝙷𝙸𝙿𝚂 𝚆/ 𝙾𝚃𝙷𝙴𝚁𝚂

In general, how do you treat others (politely, rudely, by keeping them at a distance, etc.)? Does your treatment of them change depending on how well you know them, and if so, how?

Monique is very standoffish and keeps everyone at a distance but still is polite/kind and considers herself approachable. Her treatment of them changes depending on how she perceives them, if they are friends or closer, or if she wants to get to know them romantically/financially.

Who is the most important person in your life, and why?

The most important person in Monique’s life is her father because time after time again, he’s proven to be the most genuine, solid and stable person in her life.

Who is the person you respect the most, and why?

Monique respects her father the most, because of all the things he has risked and done for her to be where she’s at today. He could’ve just given up after his wife/her mother passed and stayed stagnant, and hindered her, but he’s put everything on the line to make sure she had what she wanted at all times and nothing/no one could supersede that.

Who are your friends? Do you have a best friend? Describe these people.

Monique’s friends are Asiah Porter, Josiah Reeves, and Sakari Vaughn. She views Josiah as her best friend.

Josiah is an older brother figure in Monique’s life, the second man in her life who took care of her, protected her and introduced her to the street life, fast money, and everything she’s known growing up. Monique sees Josiah as selfless, reliable, solid and loyal.

Sakari is the older sister figure in her life who’s always stuck by her side growing up. Sakari and Monique share similar home situations and upbringings which only brought them closer, as well as their fathers being close friends, and former business partners. Monique would describe Sakari as nurturing, soft-spoken, and not quick to express how she really feels.

Asiah Porter is Monique’s former roommate, she met Asiah through Sakari and once Monique moved to L.A., they formed a strong bond. Monique views Asiah as her partner in crime and a listening ear whenever she needs one. To Monique, Asiah is often the voice of reason, has juvenile tendencies, and is very friendly.

Do you have a spouse or significant other? If so, describe this person.

Monique is single.

Have you ever been in love? If so, describe what happened.

Monique has been in love three times. The first time was with her first boyfriend, rapper Artist Dubose, who she dated for five years consecutively and thought she was going to spend her life with but they broke up due to both sides taking things too far and being disrespectful. The second time was with an on and off again situationship that ended up becoming more serious than she had originally intended it to be. She realized she was in love as she broke things off with him, due to internal issues. Lastly, Monique was in love with her ex-boyfriend of nine months, which also started off as harmless but eventually turned into something deeper. However, towards the end of the relationship, fights broke out that revealed issues with their relationship, resulting in her ending things with him.

What do you look for in a potential lover?

Monique looks for a provider, someone who's consistent, with a charming personality. Someone who shares similar traits to her father, someone who will defend her blindly whenever need be, someone who will cherish, reassure her, and exercise patience with her and not give up on her. She also looks to see if they trick.

How close are you to your family?

Monique is extremely close with her father, being that he’s the only family she’s ever really known or had. Monique is familiar with her mother’s side of the family but doesn’t have a close bond with them due to them not being as fond of her father and his occupation.

Have you started your own family? If so, describe them. If not, do you want to? Why or why not?

Monique hasn’t started a family and doesn’t wish to at the moment, simply because she’s currently too selfish to have kids at the moment. Pregnancy scares her.

Who would you turn to if you were in desperate need of help?

Monique would turn to her father or her best friend.

Do you trust anyone to protect you? Who, and why?

Monique trusts her father or Josiah just because they have shown her things in the past that make her feel comfortable with them doing so. Her father’s shielded and protected her, her entire life, treating her as if she was fragile and Josiah has fought for her many times before.

If you died or went missing, who would miss you?

Monique believes the entire world would miss her.

Who is the person you despise the most, and why?

Monique despises her entire block list, and people who don’t like her in general because she feels as though they’ve picked unnecessary problems with her.

Do you tend to argue with people, or avoid conflict?

Monique would 100% argue with someone and by no means avoids conflict.

Do you tend to take on leadership roles in social situations?

Monique leads herself in social situations, she wouldn’t try to control the crowd unless she’s being paid to host. Amongst her ‘peers’, she does her own thing or keeps her distance.

Do you like interacting with large groups of people? Why or why not?

Monique doesn’t mind interacting with large groups of people, she’s used to entertaining a large crowd because of her social position what she does for work, and who she is. She doesn’t necessarily like being around a lot of people, and if she had the choice, she’d stay by herself.

Do you care what others think of you?

Monique cares about how she's perceived, not necessarily about what others think of her. This means she cares about the impression she gives and the vibe she projects, but she doesn't necessarily care about how people personally interpret it.

@la-resources

[cyanide-latte]

i think you said you'd do these yourself? so

💬 for chrysanthos and/or wrq :)

SOME YEARS AGO...

Startled silence has a sound all its own, and it pounds in his ears as he stares, confused. Surely he heard wrong.

He laughs, because his mother has often done so and he's seen her laughter defuse tense situations. He laughs now because what he's just been told is so absurd, there's simply no better response. And also, perhaps he laughs because somewhere in his gut there is an unpleasant twist that might herald panic.

"Okay okay, ha-ha, very funny, you're a riot," he says, tone indulgent to a joke and his voice hitching a notch higher than usual. "But for real, where am I going?"

The void-like eyes of the mask-face in the Dark Mirror narrow at him, but there's only one true answer, right? Surely there has to be. He's a Shroud, he's supposed to be in Ignihyde. Their family has ALWAYS been Ignihyde. There's no possible way he could be anything else, it just doesn't make sense.

"The nature of your soul is benevolent, Chrysanthos Shroud," the Dark Mirror says, its tone pointed, unwavering and highly unamused. "You belong in Octavinelle. My pronouncement is not a jest or in error."

He feels his arms go limp at his sides as the brittle smile slides off his face and whispers erupt in the Hall. He knows what they're all whispering about because it's exactly the thing he can't believe is happening. A Shroud, end up in a dorm other than Ignihyde? And not just any dorm at that.

The Sea Witch? his flailing mind wonders in his stunned confusion. Why the Sea Witch?

The Headmage steps in with a polite little cough, vague words of reassurance he can't process through the whirlwind in his head, and gently shoos him away from the Dark Mirror so the next student can be seen, pushing him in the direction of his fellow freshmen who were also sorted into Octavinelle. He stares at them, and they stare back, perplexed and wary. He looks back towards the small gaggle of newly-minted of Ignihyde freshmen, and sees his own bewilderment mirrored on their faces. He can't help but feel like he's let them down, somehow.

What about Mom and Dad? he thinks, then almost as quickly dismisses the question. His mom will reassure him; she'll see the best of the situation immediately and make him feel better. And his dad may not be as easy to predict, but he's confident his dad won't be disappointed in him.

Still, he feels disappointed in himself. Something inside him stings with hurt. Somehow he isn't good enough, isn't diligent enough, to belong to the legacy of the King of the Underworld, like the rest of his family.

And maybe...beneath all of that there's a prickle of fear. A prickle of fear he stamps down, refusing to admit the existence of. But the more he tries to deny it, the stronger it gets, growing roots in his mind and his heart.

This is not the path he expected to be set on, and he did not choose it. So then why has it chosen him...?

He thinks of the statue of the Sea Witch near the front gates, and wonders, not for the last time, What do you want with me?

—————

Been waiting to do something with this! Since Chrysanthos got sorted into Octavinelle when he first started at NRC years ago, the entire moment was a shock for him, and set up a long three years of struggling to understand himself.

Thank you for the ask!

Taglist: @ramshacklerumble @tixdixl @simons-twsted-children @inmateofthemind @elenauaurs @blithesharem @thehollowwriter @rainesol @theleechyskrunkly (let me know if you want to be added to the taglist!)

[raytorosaurus]

I have seen maybe half a season of TUA and didn’t read the comics so let me tell you seeing those panels where Vanya is yelling “We belong on that stage” (and in reference to herself and her taller blonde bass-playing brother) drawn in profile with literally Gerard’s haircut and outfit was a big shock to the system. I never even considered that he’d inserted elements of himself and his bandmates into TUA except for a bunch of weird edits people made comparing how much Aiden Gallagher looks like Frank but now I feel like I really need to read it.

im really looking forward to rereading all of the comics after this semester's over because i haven't done that since volume 3's run ended and i'll definitely make more coherent posts about it then but like. it's really really interesting to compare to all of gerard's other art because he is just...so distinctively him, even across different mediums and genres. tua and mcr and hesitant alien and kjna and his visual art etc etc etc like his artistic fingerprint is stamped so boldly and unapologetically all over them and that's something i really love about him. like his art, love it or hate it, is sooooo genuine always. even when he's purposely imitating other artists, he's very consciously doing it in his own voice, putting his own spin on it.

when i say tua and mcr are completely separate projects i mean it - i don't think one should only ever be discussed in relation to/in the context of the other - and, above all, tua is certainly not like...autobiographical, or a direct representation of real people/events. it's led by gerard but it has a different creative team than mcr does and that really shows as well - i definitely wanna talk ant this when i have more time but part of the reason im not sold on conweap as an album is because it's too umbrella academy - it's really evident that gerard was working on both of them at the same time, and letting one influence the other too directly. mcr's a band, not a Gerard Project, and umbrella academy is largely a duo (w gabriel bá), so they can't just be transplanted onto each other yk.

anyway I'm rambling but all this to say - tua isn't meant to be "about" mcr any more than bullets is "about" 9/11. but gerard's life was changed and shaped by his experiences in the music scene throughout his life, by dropping everything and living as a penniless artist, by becoming suddenly (in)famous, and that really shines through in tua. he says he drew inspiration from touring band life to write a dysfunctional family, and the dehumanising effects of fame and attention, and of being categorised and scrutinised on a private or public level, are huge themes - as is addiction, mental health, complicated grief.

like...i actually got into mcr through the tua comics lmaooo. i read volume 1 because of wonderful @blackmoldmp3 talking about it and immediately said oh. i need more from this dude's brain right now. and i was soooo not disappointed haha. i really am obsessed with quite a lot of the things gerard is also obsessed with as an artist. the particular themes and imagery and scenarios he's fixated on are really very consistent throughout everything he does - only the way they're discussed or portrayed does change over time. i don't rly subscribe to the idea of gleaning specifics abt artists' personal lives from their works because, beside all else, it just does them a huge disservice (that's my number one gripe with the popular talking pounts around hes alien and frank's solo work in particular; however "confessional" you wanna read art as, it's still art that was created with skill and intent.)

anyway that's way off topic dkfnfj. what i do love about this kind of thing is looking at distinct creations in the context of the rest of an artist's body of work. like...yeah, gerard's said there's a lot of mikey in klaus. has dressed similarly to vanya and the kraken and the seance at times etc etc. has compared himself to the rumor, because she's the one he relates to most. puts a lot of his familiar ideology surrounding music and performance into vanya. puts angry teenage vanya in a shitty punk band with her disillusioned teenage brother on bass, and puts a classical music prodigy in a punk band as an excellent guitarist, writing songs about killing the president etc etc. i could go on! because these things are just scattered everywhere through the comic, just like all of gerard thematic and aesthetic and ideologic fingerprints.

so what's reallyyy interesting to me is looking at umbrella academy as something gerard wrote on the road with mcr across multiple years. volume one was released while the tbp world tour was ongoing, and volume two only a few months after. the progression of parade -> tua -> conweap -> danger days is SOOOO fascinating to me, especially because one of the things that really works about danger days imo is the way it kind of shakes off some of the tua-style gritty cynicism and returns to mcr's defiant, extravagant theatricality. if you go through tua with a fine-tooth comb you'll definitely find the most direct comparisons to conweap, in terms of mcr. the way dd approaches the themes it has in common with tua is just.....so different, and so so mcr. and then you can see the at times self-referential development on those things in hesitant alien - AND THEN VOLUME 3 COMES AROUND AND LIKE. AUUUGGGGHHHHH the change and growth there is SO apparent. btw i don't mean "growth" "progression" etc in this post to mean "improving" - i just mean change and development in a neutral sense, bc it's so interesting to see it laid out there in an artist's body of work. but like. man it makes me crazeeee actually the way gerard picked tua back up....almost certainly around the same time mcr started discussing a potential reunion. and the way that foundations revisits and reconceptualises mcr's existing catalogue is paralleled in the way vol 3 of tua is, like...........like there's so much life lived there, between those things. gerard's even said he's changed his plan for the ending (if we ever see it 🥲) because he has more compassion for his own characters now and doesn't want to see them broken down for good. he says he's gotten better at listening to other people - for starters, he's a lot more conscious of his own subconscious racism/whiteness that came through at times in the original run and has expressed regret for that (namely, the entire main cast being white, with a couple of side characters being uncomfortably stereotyped).

but just like. augh. im not gonna lie man i have no idea what i've just typed im sorry it's probably so rambly bc I'm so dizzy rn and definitely am not gonna proofread it or whatever skdjfj but. I LOVE ART! I LOVE ARTISTS! I LOVE DIVING DEEP INTO AN ARTIST'S BODY OF WORK AND WATCHING THEM REINVENT THEMSELF AND/OR DOUBLE DOWN ON THEMSELF (SOMETIMES FOR BETTER, SOMETIMES FOR WORSE). obvs this fandom genuinely does have a big issue with invasive/un-self-aware parasocial behaviour but there's a difference between that and like. getting obsessed with a particular artist. that's so normal and in fact necessary to life imo. i think every artist literally has to have ppl like that i can't imagine any other way to live it's just a specific type of human connection at a distance baby. don't get me wrong tho i also wanna chew on his thigh. anyway.

my god. how did i get here what even was your question. tua. yes it's crazy. it's not for everyone for sure but it has enough of the shit that makes me crazzzzyyyyy that it got me into mcr which made me crazierrrr so. yes i can recommend. especially if ur like me and lovvvve stories that are a little bit fractured by design. that dance around big parts of the story, where there's as much significance in an absence or in a tiny background detail than there is in any dialogue or action scene. most of the criticism i see of tua is about the pacing but like. to my tastes it's a really great use of the comic medium yk? lmk if you want content warnings or something there are plenty skdjfj.

[throwaway-yandere]

To whoever may read this letter,

I hope you are having a good Irodori Festival! I know I am. Learning about the different Kasen has been a very fun so far, and I hope to learn even more!

Ah, but these last couple of days have been pretty rough. The current season has a nasty cough going around which I seem to have caught. My nose is also constantly running, which means I have a pack of tissues with me at all times.

Hopefully, you stay safe and healthy during this festival! Maybe if I figure out who you are we can meet up! (When I'm not sick, anyways...)

-Honey on a Stick 🐝

cw: none, no yandere whatsoever, but the letter is so phcking irredeemable for plot reasons hAHHAHAHAH- (and also, this brainrot is the reason why I thought of this event lmao. wanted to write something with this premise after playing the recent windblume festival.) congrats, Honey, you're the first one who received a non-yokai letter. but at what cost, really?

From this yandere genshin secret pen pal event

✥ YOU GOT A LETTER FROM YOUR SECRET PEN PAL!!!

"What on earth is this letter? Is this even a letter? Why did you use nearly half of the stickers you bought from the Irodori booths? Just what is this?! Why is there a crumpled dead leaf here with a wet stamp? Hold on. Did you just stamp a dead leaf and taped it?!? You BIG LUMMOX.”

“This, my friend, is how professionals press leaves on a parchment.”

Tighnari’s ears dropped, horrified. 

“Cyno, is this how little you think of us forest rangers? You are ruining the reputation of my subordinates— why did you even insert a dead leaf here? No, wait, genuine question: what are you hoping to achieve? Is this for aesthetic purposes or are you trying to inflict your pen pal with The Withering?”

“Relax, my dear ranger, Blue Eyes White Dragon—”

“Stop calling me that!”

“Big Ears here knows what he’s doing.”

“Well, I sure hope Big Ears knows he’s doing a terrible job 'cause this letter looks like it belongs in the biodegradable trashbin,” Tighnari groaned. “You’re supposed to press flowers, not damn weeds.”

“… Oh, that didn’t occur to me.”

“Seriously?!”

After visiting Mondstadt together, Big Ears' "subordinates", which include "Blue Eyes White Dragon, the TCG master," and "Fructose, the amateur alchemist," have chosen to travel to Inazuma after listening to Tighnari's advice. As expected, they were rather out of place during the festivities. They were unaware that they would be attending another festival shortly after Sumeru's events, but fortunately, Thoma was keen to make them feel at home. The "Fixer" claimed that he experiences homesickness as well and said, "why not join the Pen Pal or Yokai event to be distracted for at least a little while?”

Unfortunately, Cyno is more than dedicated to his new and self-proclaimed title.

“I’m going to MURDER you.”

“Hmm.”

“Don’t you laugh at me, Cyno!”

“Who is Cyno? My real name is Nyco, the Best Sumeru Forest Ranger—”

“Oh, shut up already!” Tighnari groaned, pinching his forehead. "Give me that damn letter—”

"Language."

"Collei is with Sayu—"

"You mean Fructose is with Sayu."

"Cyno."

Cyno cleared his throat.

"Fine. Inspect my letter to your heart's content."

Tighnari snatched the literal (and brittle) leaflet from Cyno's hand. He examined the contents, his gaze filled with scrutiny. 

"Oh, your poor pen pal... Already sick and this letter is about to make them feel worse."

"Big Ears is plenty charismatic, isn't he?"

"No, he isn't."

"My jokes there are my best ones."

"Your best joke is my worst joke, and you're proud of that?"

"Honey will like it."

"If they did, I'm taking Collei and leaving you here in Inazuma."

"Understood. Come back once I have pollen in love with Honey. I'll invite you to our wedding," Cyno joked. An untrained ear would've missed the teasing lilt of his voice, and Tighnari had more than enough experience to know when his friend is in a light mood.

Tighnari did not sigh nor groan. He had come to terms that his best friend is hopeless. Instead, he handed Cyno back his letter, visibly disgusted.

"Take this back. I'm gonna go ahead and write a eulogy for my deceased Mahamatra friend. Be right back."

"You mean Bee right back?"

"OH MY— ENOUGH, BIG EARS— I MEAN, CYNO!!!"

Cyno chuckled softly to himself as Tighnaru stomped away, ears up in the air as though he can't bottle up his frustrations anymore. 

As Tighnari left, Cyno looked at the letter he received again, smiling.

"Honey, we'll be home soon. We haven't met yet but welcome to the family. I have a hunch that Fructose is going to adore you..."

"..."

"No, Collei is going to love you."

[shastafirecracker]

For previous context, see @mydetheturk‘s post about Vash fearing Knives & the violation of Vash’s autonomy, and the followup Stampede-specific post by @pancake-breakfast about that Vash‘s relationship with guns.

Now for my ramblings, which are ALL SPOILERS ALL THE TIME for all versions of Trigun but particularly the manga - so please be mindful if you’re doing book club and don’t want to know things before you get to them!!

ETA I made a couple of edits because I didn’t realize I copy pasted the pre-proofreading version of my doc, lol my brain is fried like an egg (it’s feels-like-110F outside rn)

So I tagblogged before but I'll own my shit this time: I wanna talk about Vash-as-gun. Vash's three guns move from external to his body (revolver) to implanted foreign object in his body (gun arm) to literally part of his cellular structure (angel arm). His reluctance to reveal each one steps up in magnitude. His angel arm is the primary reason he sees himself as monstrous.

Pancake’s analysis of Stampede is fantastic and I just want to loop in the other two versions because I have had the brainrot for decades and adore them all. First, it's really interesting to me that what pancake said about Knives giving or creating the conditions for all of his weapons is also explicitly true of the 98 anime but not of the original source material - it seems like adaptations really like to source Vash's access to weapons and/or ability to use weapons back to his brother, "the violent one," positioning Vash as almost ontologically nonviolent. But I want to look at Maximum for a minute because the difference there is absolutely fascinating to me.

In 98 and Stampede, Vash shoots Knives with a gun Knives gave him. In Maximum, the flashback where he loses his arm, Vash simply picks up a gun that was nearby - specifically a gun that belonged to a human who was brutalizing him, and whom Knives had just murdered in order to rescue Vash from harm. Vash doesn't need to be handed a tool of violence; he doesn't have that moment that he has in both 98 and Stamp where he looks at it in shock, as if he'd never considered touching such a thing. No Vash is easy to anger, but Maximum Vash is the only one, upon feeling extreme anger, to immediately turn to the nearest option for retaliation. In Max we also never see how Vash got The revolver - it isn't special, it doesn't have a backstory or a secret extra purpose, it's just a gun. Just a gun that Vash has trained himself to be very, very skilled at using, presumably one in a long line of guns he has trained with.

Something I was talking about on Discord recently with some folks is that Maximum Vash is extremely willing to hurt people. He does not kill, but he does not shy away from committing violent acts, and it is much more clear through the artwork and expressions that when he shoots people, it fucking hurts them. 98 Vash retains his willingness to shoot basically anyone, but sanitizes it somewhat - his shots to the shoulders, hands, legs, etc all just get an "augh!" voice beat and someone falling over. Obviously there's real-world reasons (rating, distribution, animation style) for the lack of blood and for simplifying artwork; this is not a criticism. 98 is more cartoonish all around and I adore it and want to squish its little cheeks. BUT, back on topic: in the cases of both 98 and Maximum, we see Vash very willing to shoot people nonlethally, to subdue them - but nonlethal gunshot wounds are still an extreme physical trauma! Everyone Vash shoots suffers for it. They will have pain, possibly surgery, they'll need recovery time, they'll need medicines that might be limited in availability, they may lose function in parts of their bodies. Maximum I think invites the reader the most explicitly to think about these things, as a couple of times we see goons post-fighting-Vash in hospitals (right? I think that's true).

Stampede is fascinating in that it's chosen to make almost all of Vash's nonlethal, subduing combat moves based around using his gun as a cudgel. He smacks people unconscious all the time. And that's not to say that concussions don't have their own long term consequences, but his unwillingness to pull the trigger is part of that whole this-is-a-younger-Vash thing. I do wonder how much more willing to fire he will be in season 2. Anyway.

I'm going to gloss past his prosthetic for the moment because I haven't fully formulated my thoughts about it yet - something something body horror, something something self destructive choices made while depressed, the use of grindhouse aesthetic, the complex set of social dynamic & psychological differences between open carry and concealed carry, idk idk more other thinky thoughts I haven't thought yet.

I want to return to the angel arm though because the thing I restrained myself from saying in the book club tag due to spoilers is that: this is a gun only Knives and Vash can fire. For the first ~massive number of pages of the manga, only Knives ever fires an angel arm, and he always only fires Vash's angel arm. Knives is also perfectly capable of summoning the same sort of vast destructive potential, though in the manga his takes the form of giant blades instead of a gun (whooooole other post about bringing a gun to a swordfight & vice versa, please refer to volume 14 of Maximum). But he desires to access Vash's destructive potential instead of his own. Knives' motivations are also a whole other post. The point I wanted to make was this:

Vash voluntarily fires his own angel arm ONCE, as far as I can recall. Correct me if I'm wrong. But the only time he fully generates the arm under his own power, in his right mind, of his own volition, is to escape the Ark. He has just emerged from the most oppressive and gruesome violation of his bodily autonomy he's ever experienced and, as far as we know, ever will. He has no other weapons available to him, barely even any clothes: all he has access to is his body, so he uses it. Knives shows clear shock and rage, potentially at Vash using a power Knives has come to feel belongs to Knives. Shock and rage at Vash reclaiming not only his body but the part of his biological identity that Knives knows Vash has been trying to excise for their whole lives. This may be the single most psychologically impactful moment of defiance towards Knives that Vash has ever shown, except for one other, which I will get to.

Not only does Vash fire the arm, he displays a shocking mastery of it. Somehow by putting him in a pressure cooker for months Knives has turned coal to diamond here: Vash went from unable to access his own latent power to, from then on, exhibiting comfort and even finesse with using it. He generates the arm on the Ark oriented to fire at Knives, and then effortlessly reverses the orientation to fire behind himself to make an emergency exit. Later, when Vash accesses his power again, he is able to use tiny, controlled bursts of it to not only destroy things but to load other objects (bullets) with unreleased power which he can activate at his choosing. That is a truly bonkers shift in skill and I love how the manga underplays it, because Vash so rarely says anything about how he feels about his own relationship with power, so you have to take these readings from his actions.

The other impactful moment of defiance I mentioned above is related to that total mastery of the angel arm/gate: Vash ultimately brings his trio of guns full circle by imparting the inherent quality of himself-as-gun into the most external of his guns, the original revolver. [Tangent: It's a neat visual in Stampede that they had him making gate bullets in the final showdown in episode 12, but I kind of dislike its placement in the narrative, because to me Vash's gate-bullets from the very end of the manga are a powerful symbol of his journey through his abilities. Maybe Stampede is suggesting that being plugged into the matrix and like, turning inside out through his gate or whatever in ep 11 did the same thing as the pressure cooker of the Ark in the manga, idk, we need season 2.] He makes the gate bullets for his final fight with Knives for perfectly valid strategic reasons (total control over his energy expenditure so he doesn't risk burning out by miscalculating mid-fight) but beyond strategy, there's just the fact that he's truly spitting in Knives' face by putting Plant/Gate power into a human tool. In Knives' eyes, the tool of their oppressors.

Vash melds the tool of the self with the tool of the oppressor to defy both. To prove that power is just power, it's all malleable and interchangeable, and that what matters is what you choose to do with it. Vash epitomizes "guns don't kill people, people do." (Another tangent to say that I'm not expressing my personal beliefs here; I'm sketching out stuff I'm reading into the narrative of a story, not writing a manifesto. Character study doesn't mean agreeing with or lauding everything a character stands for.)

Anyway. Vash's ultimate victory comes from two distinct ways that he chooses to use his inhumanity: first, he externalizes his destructive potential by placing it into a human-made, nonliving tool - essentially, finally able to excise from himself the part of being a Plant that had always felt monstrous to him. Second, he finally fully internalizes the part of being a Plant that he had rejected out of fear and self-disgust: intergenerational communication. He wins by talking to his sisters. He wins by allowing his selfhood to be subsumed by the collective and by trusting his own kind to love him and listen to him and not try to take away his hard-fought sense of self (all things that Knives did to him multiple times). His sisters listen to him and then they let him return to himself. I don't think he'd ever felt safe talking to them before - maybe guilty and scared, that by so thoroughly rejecting his own species, they would reject him right back. Along with the trauma reactions Knives caused, of course.

I think that's all I had at the moment about Vash-as-gun in the manga... I might return some time to the prosthetic, or go back to the other versions for more thinky noodling. But yeah! More meta plz! Delicious Trigun meta in the year of our lord 2k 23 absolutely unbelievable, we are feasting well.

[paula-of-christ]

I feel defeated. I know this sounds pathetic, but I kind of wish I was d*ead right now or at least I feel like I don’t belong to Christianity anymore like what’s the point. One of the things I worried about after finding God was that I have tattoos and I knew at the time like it didn’t matter and well honestly I saw and still see so many people getting saved who have loads and I know God doesn’t look at outwards but the heart, and more recently it gave me such joy to see kat von d being saved. That being said, I just came across a video of a priest idk maybe an orthodox priest on YouTube speaking on how it’s completely wrong and how awful it is etc and then the comments sections was filled with people saying how disgusting it looks on women and legit any confidence I had just vanished and I feel like a piece of dirt who has no right to call herself Christian lol I honestly feel like no matter how much I run after God or feel peace about everything and let go I see stuff like this and feel like I should give up like

I'd be interested to know why the priest said something like that. While frivolous tattoos are wrong to get, because it's disrespecting the body, Christianity has a very long history of tattooing. Off the top of my head, a traditional pilgrimage activity to Jerusalem is getting a tattoo of a cross, or some other Christian symbol. As well, in Croatia, the tattooing of young girls was common practice as a sign of their Catholic faith, and as a way to stop them from being taken as sex slaves. These often had Christian elements of crosses.

I posted it a few days ago but I'll link it again of this man (Shayne Smith) converting to Catholicism, and feeling accepted by Catholics despite his appearance having many tattoos, several of them on his face [time stamp starting at 38:45, but honestly all of it is so good I encourage you to listen to the whole thing].

I think perhaps a lesson to be learned, is that when you're online, and you see something upsetting, it's best to just keep scrolling/move on. It is pretty much never worth it to look at or to comment on things. I personally like the look of tattoos, and think that if they mean something to a person, that it's completely fine. Both of my bridesmaids had visible tattoos at my wedding, and I know one of the guys I had on my side has a tattoo (wasn't visible because tuxes cover a lot more). I don't personally have them because they are expensive and my husband doesn't care for them, and his opinion on how I look is the only one that matters.

That's also something, unless those people in those comments are people you are trying to date or get to know in a romantic sense, their opinions on women having tattoos is completely irrelevant. Even then, those types of people aren't who you should be looking to be in fellowship with, because if they are that negative on a random youtube short, they probably aren't all that pleasant in real life either.

As an example since my husband doesn't care for tattoos, if I did go and get one, it wouldn't make him less attracted to me. The people that are so against tattoos on women, are reducing those women to how they look, rather than the quality of their character. You can easily be a very high quality person and have tattoos, those things are not mutually exclusive.

As just an end note, I'll leave you with Fr. Mike Schmitz on tattoos. He even got one himself.

[scoutxbaker]

( daisy edgar jones, 26, cis woman, she/her ) — Look who it is! If you take a look at our database, you’ll find that SCOUT BAKER is a GEOGRAPHER/CARTOGRAPHER that works in SECTOR 1. According to the file, they’re a mutant with the power of EARTH MANIPULATION. That must be why they’re ENERGETIC and IMPULSIVE. If you ask me, they remind me of plants growing between cracks in the earth,. They are affiliated with NOBODY.

basic information:

character name: Scout Baker

nickname (s): Baker

face claim: Daisy Edgar Jones

mutation status: Mutant

birthday: June 30th

sexuality: Bisexual

moral alignment: Chaotic Good

occupation: Geographer/Cartographer

work sector: Sector 1

affiliation: None

3 positive traits: Energetic, Loyal, Independent

3 negative traits: Impulsive, Sarcastic, Closed

biography (optional): An orphan discovered on the outskirts of Sol City, Scout was often hard to miss. She was scrappy, gangly, and scrawny, running around looking for a new adventure every chance she got. It easily gave everyone around her a heart attack. Even as she grew, that draw for life on the wild side never quite left her, despite the tragedy she experienced as a fresh eighteen year-old. But, don't open that can of worms! Stamp that out immediately, in fact! A genuine sweetheart, although sassy and sarcastic, Scout's hard not to love. But, stay tuned for more on my chaotic cutie!

questionnaire:

how do they feel about living in sol city? have they always lived there or did they travel from another settlement? Scout has always lived in Sol City. She doesn't know anything different, and isn't sure she wants to know anything else. It may not be much, but it's home. And, as willing as she is to take the leap on adventure, she's not sure she's prepared to take on an entire new settlement anytime in the near future.

do they trust the council’s leadership? why or why not? She's not quite naive enough to believe that the council has her best interests at heart. Growing up having to essentially fend for herself as the resident Sol City orphan was enough to make her somewhat distrustful of the council's ability to lead. While she's in no headspace to entertain the option of overthrowing them, she would likely turn the other way if she were to hear something... compromising.

if they chose their sector and profession, why did they make that choice? if they didn’t, why not? were they happy with their assignment or not? Currency! Money makes the world go 'round! It can be exchanged for goods and services! But, in a much more real sense, Scout adores learning about the world before the meteor. It's always fascinated her so much. Any chance to go out and see the wastelands, run across a small little hint that there was something or someone here before her, lights up her entire day.

what’s one object that they always keep on their person? An aged leather bracelet with small silver beads. It was found on her as a baby, and she's attached the belief that it belonged to her parents. While she's not sure if it's true, it gives her a sense of calm to believe it.

(mutant only section)

what is your character’s ability (or abilities)? Earth Manipulation

are they gen i or gen ii? Gen ii

what can your character do? what are their strengths? Geo-telekinesis: she posses the ability to control, move, and make pieces of earth projectiles as needed. She has also managed to learn to create earth shields by raising the earth up to cover her when needed. create earthquakes/ground rupturing: This can only be done in contact with earth, but she is able to manifest the shaking and splitting of earth. However, this exerts an extreme amount of energy, and she would only use this in a dire circumstance. earth detection: can sense the presence of earth and other "earthen" elements and possibly gain detailed understanding about the earth they are sensing, including the amount/size of the earth they are sensing and whether it is hidden.

what can’t they do? what are their weaknesses? She is not capable of creating earth, she can't control artificial solids, any kind of protection she creates with earth can be eroded. Also, standing at the very tall height of 5'4, and still being a bean pole of a human (mutant?) she's only able to control so much with her level of strength.

is there anything else you’d like to specify about them? can and will use her powers in the wastelands every chance she gets!!!

[salvadorbonaparte]

If this is too broad of a question you can ignore it but do you have any tips for someone who wanted to travel to Spain for the first time? (especially for someone who doesn't travel much but really wants to start lol)

Hi :) Well I can try and you can of course DM me if you have follow up questions. So far I've only been to 5 of the regions of Spain but I hope to visit more. I think Spain is definitely "beginner friendly" and you shouldn't have any problems travelling there as long as you treat the people with respect (general rule for everywhere tbh)

I think the most important tip is to go to the part of Spain that interests you the most, not what you get told to visit. Every region of Spain is unique and is the perfect destination for someone out there. Just because most people travel to the same couple cities, beaches and islands doesn't mean you have to. And if you do, because some of the places are really popular for a reason, consider travelling in the off season to escape the mass tourism. I also often think that it really depends on the kind of climate you enjoy or want to avoid. The south gets considerably warmer than the north, inland you have dry heat while the coast and especially Barcelona can get quite humid. Galicia is more wet and rainy (think Ireland but warmer).

Are you more interested in a beach vacation? A city trip? Do you like mountains or volcanoes? Is there a specific part of Spanish culture, history or cuisine you're interested in? Do you like parties? Do you hate mass tourism and want to see something off the beaten path? Do you want to combine your trip with Portugal?

Some other more general trips during a trip: you can definitely use public transport like buses, metros or trains to get around. Siesta is real and you will find shops closing for a couple hours at noon, yes even in winter in the north when they don't really have a "reason" to. A lot of shops and attractions don't open before 10am but will be open quite late, sometimes until 8pm or even 10pm. When it comes to parties, they don't really start until the middle of the night and can last until breakfast. When it comes to meals, it's normal to have a late breakfast, eat lunch at 3pm and eat dinner at 10pm. The timing varies, for some it's even later, and it takes at least a couple days to get used to it but when you do it's great. It's normal to talk for hours during/after a meal too. Some of my Spanish friends have had a lunch conversation last so long they started making dinner during it. Most restaurants close to popular tourist destinations are tourist traps, especially if they have bilingual menus or people standing outside chatting you up. In case you also travel to Portugal or fly to Portugal and cross the border (sometimes it's cheaper), remember they're in different time zones. Big tourist attractions anywhere in the world also always have pickpockets, so remember to keep your belongings safe. You'll see a lot of tobacco stores (estancos) and they're actually quite practical if you want to send postcards to friends and family because they almost always sell stamps.

This is all I can think of at the moment, but feel free to DM me to chat more about this :)

[greenerteacups]

From what I've seen online, the major consensus amongst HP fans is that Cursed Child is NOT canon ( and many simply pretend it doesn't exist). I remember when it first came out and was being promoted, both the stage show and the published script, and everyone was really excited for new HP material... until we realised that it just... wasn't canon... at all. Yeah, the idea of Voldemort as presented in the HP novels having any sort of romantic relationship with Bellatrix and having a child is simply ridiculous and certainly just exists as a way for him to have a secret child for reasons of the wacky plot... it's very tween fanfic and also very Disney channel sequel (like the og villains all having kids we never heard about is totally a real Disney channel thing).

I remember it being very clear at the time that it came out that any "pointers" or "ideas" JKR provided to the actual writer of CC must've been the very barest of bones, the tiniest of shards perhaps, because it simply read like a sort of AU fanfiction written by the most casual of fans... which, as I understand, it really was. At the time when it came out, it was pretty clear that she had very little to do with actually writing it, though I suppose more was made later of her 'involvement' to legitimise it. I heard since that someone asked her if it should be considered canon, and she said yes? Not sure how this interaction actually went down as I don't particularly care to look into it (since nothing will change my mind that the AU of CC makes no sense within the context of HP canon and lore and it was probably some kind of marketing tactic in support of the stage play) but as she clearly didn't actually write CC herself and it contradicts many things from the books she did write, I'm pretty happy to continue ignoring its existence.

What do you think of Fantastic Beasts in comparison? Personally, I put Fantastic Beasts in a separate category where I can kind of accept aspects of it as canon expansions of the lore and worldbuilding... I can see JKR's style clearly and the inconsistencies with timelines and certain characters being in places and times they shouldn't be don't bother me as much as the straight up character assassination we see in CC. To put it another way, I think CC feels like it belongs to a totally different IP and was written by a different author (because it was) while FB definitely still exists in Rowling's wizarding world, it's just the timeline is kinda off.

this is interesting context. I think she kind of has to say yes to that question in context, because like... who's going to shill out £150 to see some random dude's AU fanfiction play (if it isn't even good)? of course, JKR's stamp isn't nothing, but even she can't weld extra content into the canon by declaring it so. i see TCC like church ephemera: i'm sure SOMEONE finds it interesting or relevant to what we're doing here, but that doesn't mean it's part of the Bible.

i feel the same way about fantastic beasts, but to a lesser extent. i actually enjoyed the first fantastic beasts movie, i thought it was playful and charming and (with the exception of the dumb polyjuice plot) the perfect way to revive harry potter as a storytelling vehicle. like, yeah, it fucked up by trying to go too big too soon, but if you can remove one (1) subplot or narrative thread and have a solid movie, then as a writer, you've still done okay.

Fantastic Beasts also annoys me because it does feel like harry potter, in terms of tone and mouthfeel. it's got the sauce. it just heinously drops the ball in later installations. in particular, it starts getting nervous about holding the audience's attention and throws stuff in that just wouldn't make it in a natural, organic script — most of the shit from the original series is contrived and ill-suited to the dramatic tenor set by Movie About Funny Man Collecting Magical Animals. (e.g. going back to hogwarts? leta lestrange's secret white father revengeplot triple-rugpull? human nagini?? secret undead dumbledore brother raised by american evangelicals???). i like the idea of it very much. i'm honestly drawn to it as a creative space, because unlike TCC, there is potential there. it's just badly abused.

[bcofl0ve]

kaia gerber bookclub brief - cleo wade episode

(as a kaia fan these summaries will be more kaia centric than guest centric, if you guys would prefer me do more summarizing of things the guests say lmk!)

beginning bit with just kaia, says she's excited to try the prerecording thing because it takes away the pressure of being live/timed/cut off (austin i am ounce again asking you to fix y'alls router!!!!!!)

nooo kaia don't say you dogear your books nooo (it's okay i do too)

the way she says "hi!"to cleo at the 1:46 mark is SO cute i'm gonna trim it down later and post she's so baby girl

lauren dern is who introduced kaia to cleo

first question was asking cleo how she's found her voice in her writing- which kaia prefaced by saying she feels intimidated by poetry.

cleo brought up mary oliver and kaia mentioned that she also really liked her

kaia saying she researched by reading past interviews cleo has done was a real cute moment wah she's such a sweetie

i assume this was filmed a while ago bc of the following:

"i had a friend say to me the other day- i'd rushed home from a really long flight and it was her birthday and i rushed to a dinner and i was so tired but i was like i need to show up for everyone this is what i have to do. and she goes- she was turning 28 (so this was ayo then? the flight i assume coming back from paris)- "i can't wait till you turn 28 and you text me and you say i'm tired i don't feel like coming i love you." she's like- i'll be so proud of you."

realizing midway through that was about ayo made me read it in her voice typing it LOL friend of the year!!! she truly seems like such a great gal

next question is about forgiveness and remembering love even when it's hard. really liked cleo's answer to this essentially saying that everything can be seasonal f you look at it a certain way and to embrace the nature of things.

kaia saying friendship breakups are harder than relationship breakups and that they feel like open wounds that live in us...soooooo real.

skipped typing the 3rd question oops but it was about showing love to yourself

4th question: how do we move forward from [unhealthy] things we've learned especially from our family dynamics

cleo mentioned being obsessed with a guy in her twenties and kaia's little exhale laugh (17:42 time stamp) made me giggle...#real i'm obsessed with him too dw!

topic is moving to social media, kaia says she tries not to go on it very often

5th question is about what social media has done to people's empathy.

while i listen to cleo: there's a few jump cuts and i can't help but be a little nosey about what was maybe edited out but i think that nosiness defeats the purpose of what they're talking about rn so maybe i shouldn't say that haha

kaia said it's reflective of how she's doing when she chooses to obsess over the one negative comment as opposed to the positive ones. bby ):

"i think social media has made it so these thoughts that we convince ourselves no one else would ever notice about us are written for everyone to see"

i'm glad she has her comments off for herself but man it makes me sad that she sees the nasty shit people say else where.

generally speaking listening to this niche of talk from celebrities is always so interesting in that i'm like wow so true! while at the same time typing this on a gossip blog and in a very big way being a "part of the problem". much to think about.

cleo talked a lot about people thinking celebrities belong to them and kaia very much echoed all of that

kaia circled back to the positives of social media and talked about the march for our lives. as someone who has on and off worked with march that made me smile! jaya, laura dern's daughter occasionally goes to events too lol i have friends that have met her.

okay now we're getting to the blurb that she posted on Instagram so i feel like summarizing that would be kinda redundant haha

but kaia holding her book open with her hair like this is sooo princess belle core.

i like this format a lot better than the instagram lives tbh

for some reason it's easier for me to pay attention?

little end bit with just kaia. her little thank you to the viewers was so youtube vlogger core but in a very endearing way. okay miss youtuber!!!

and that's it! excited for the revamp of book club that seems to be in the making and the future of it. you can tell that kaia loves doing it and i like listening to her!

[loominggaia]

how long have folkvar and evangaline been at war? followup question: what exactly is evengaline's plan for folkvar IF they beat them? complete enslavement of the non-commoner population? total dissolution? a slap on the wrist? it hit me that while the two nations are at war, there seems to be a taybiya effect going on where the alternative of folkvar not existing would cause a lot of problems for evangaline in the long run

Folkvar was officially recognized as a Great Kingdom somewhere around the year 4500. It was created by escaped slaves and refugees from Evangeline Kingdom, meaning it has been at war since its beginning. These two kingdoms have been at war for over a thousand years...and counting!

Most of the current Folkvaran territories once belonged to Evangeline. Ex-Evangelite rebel groups took them over and claimed them as part of Folkvar Kingdom. (This is very similar to what Etios Nation did with Matuzu's territories, and in fact it was the rise of Etios Nation that inspired the ex-Evangelite rebels to form Folkvar Kingdom in the first place!)

Evangeline Kingdom just wants its territories back. Of course a lot of time has passed since then, and now these cities are populated by loyal Folkvarans who will need to be dealt with.

Evangeline Kingdom plans to strategically take their cities back one at a time, dealing with the population in chunks. Folkvaran fae and gaians will be executed or re-enslaved. Folkvaran commoners will be executed or assimilated as Evangelite citizens.

There is a world of difference between Taybiyans and Folkvarans. Most obviously, Taybiya is an independent city with no kingdom attached to it. It's rather small and it doesn't have a stable government, so it isn't acknowledged by the World Athenaeum as a world power. Taybiya lacks basic utilities and civic services like police department, sewage system, schools, etc. No one chooses to live in Taybiya, it's a place you end up because you're unfit to live in the surrounding kingdoms for whatever reason. It acts as a reservoir for criminals, the disturbed, the feral, and the cursed to flow into.

Meanwhile Folkvar Kingdom is officially recognized as a Great Kingdom, it has a stable and very powerful government with its own military, and it participates in global trade. It follows World Law, meaning its citizens are entitled to basic schooling and access to utilities like clean water and sanitation services.

Evangeline Kingdom doesn't want to disturb Taybiya because if it does, swarms of poor, uneducated, violent criminals will pour out of the ruins and wreak havoc in Evangelite territory. Poking Taybiya is like poking a hornet's nest. There is no honey to be gained; all you get is a bunch of pissed off hornets.

Folkvar Kingdom is like a bumblebee hive. If you poke it, yeah, there will be some bees to contend with. But there is also valuable honey (land, slaves, and resources) to be gained, so it's worth Evangeline's time to harass them. Most Folkvaran citizens are at least somewhat educated and many share cultural similarities with the Evangelites, as many Folkvaran families have roots as Evangelites back when this territory belonged to them. Assimilating a Folkvaran into Evangelite culture would be much easier than assimilating a Taybiyan.

Taybiya is also not a threat to Evangeline as long as it's not provoked. This city just sits there and generates slave-fodder for Evangeline's economy while costing Evangeline nothing, so it's actually beneficial for them to leave it alone.

Folkvar, on the other hand, is actively attacking Evangeline. Constantly. It's a real threat that needs to be beaten back on a daily basis, so its in Evangeline's best interest to stamp it out completely.

I hope that makes sense!

*

Questions/Comments?

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