#its ok we can have a polycule

[jerichothejester]

Wanting to make Bill x oc/Self insert art is so crazy especially with aus of Bill because I feel so bad like that MF is still attached to Ford WTF AM I GONNA DO

[durgewyll]

i took lae'zel into my party in act 3 along with shadowheart and wyll. and for some reason their flirt banter triggered and ajax was just 🧍‍♀️ listening to wyll openly flirt with lae and shart in quick succession

[thebunis-steamed]

life is being a pain right now so I'm going to redirect my frustrations into complaining about the appletv murderbot show

spoilers ahead

my biggest gripe is that gurathin has been transformed into a pillow sniffing creep. hands down this represents everything wrong with the adaptation - the way it has worn down the anti-corporate message and the radical idea of a future that preservation aux represents

i get it, ok? i have my own blorbos that are scummy and flawed. but the whole point of presaux is that they are a radical vision of our future (care for its people, compassion as culture, resource sharing, universal care provided by leadership, etc.) that is successful! the story isn't about them fighting to establish that success! they've succeeded, and the reason the presaux team is kind of naive in book one is because some of them have never known anything different. they've had the privilege to be soft. all systems red is their first exposure to the corporation rim. pillow-sniffing gurathin is such an affront because gurathin the ex-corporate left for something better and he found that better thing! he doesn't want to be part of toxic corporate society! and though he can be an asshole and is very suspicious and, yes, assumes the worst of murderbot -- he is at his heart good! he lives the presaux ideals because he chose them and he can now afford to do so. and you know what would be unacceptable on presaux? SNEAKING INTO SOMEONE'S ROOM WHILE THEY ARE OUT AND SNIFFING THEIR PILLOW. uuuuuu i'm so riled up. book gurathin would hate appletv gurathin!

the tv show seems to think minor violations are funny like the pillow sniffing, and mensah standing there and talking to murderbot while it's naked and being repaired, and leebeebee forcing an awkward kiss on murderbot's chin. the amount of people who have found that last one funny!! hey did you know that despite being enslaved and forced to live a life of violence and constant violations of agency and self, the books don't contain a scene of sexual/romantic violence against murderbot? did you know this was the one area that murderbot was not depicted as being violated in? (an argument can be made for murderbot being forced to monitor clients in intimate moments as a form of sexual violation against it but at least that is not a violation enacted on its physical body) but haha, it's soooo funny to see it frozen with an uncomfortable expression on its face, right?

on that note, it felt regressive to introduce a messy throuple subplot when polycules are just a normal fact of life in the books, not just in the hippie dippy presaux crew but throughout corporation rim.

i also have a minor gripe with the scene where presaux picks murderbot because it's the cheapest option. i just feel like this is another small way to undermine the concept of a successful radical society. presaux has money! their objection to a secunit was ethical not monetary! they could afford the bond on mensah!

anyway apple's agenda is to tell us that humans suck, it's not the fault of corporations and capitalism, and people who believe in more are naive hypocritical hippies who are just as violating as everyone else. that's what we get when a major corporation adapts anti-corporate media!

(there are aspects of the adaptation I have been enjoying but this is not the post for that)

[stardustdiiving]

Okay so going through the Rukkhadevata tag and saw one of your posts so I NEED to know: what is up with the International Teyvat Immortal Yuri Polycule. Spare no detail I'm ravenous here.

I FORGOT IVE MENTIONED FTHE ITIYP (international teyvat immortal yuri polycule’) ON THIS BLOG HELP

Massive tangent of thoughts below the cut (warning it gets kind of out of hand)

OK see. there’s less a concrete vision with this and more that I think it’s just really funny to start running with the fact Genshin is not above just canonizing lore where unexpected combinations immortal characters may know each other. Genshin in general just likes to pair up fascinating combinations of characters (like, in events and such) in a way where it gives a lot of immortal yuri crackshipping this funny sort of Canon Plausibility that’s really entertaining, especially when you start piling a lot of really specific layers of ship lore on top of each other.

To give an example: Ganyu and Yae Miko canonically know each other. This is immediately compelling. Like, okay sure both of you have been around so long as active participants in your respect nations it’s not unbelievable you guys got to know each other eventually but this raises alot of questions. How and when did you both meet. What does this mean for your respective social circles?

If you add yuri to this situation I feel you naturally have to start asking questions like “do the other Liyue adepti know about this” and “how do the Other Adepti feel about Yae Miko” which means inevitably you’re going to have to consider things like “would Cloud Retainer sit down and tell Yae Miko if she breaks Ganyu’s heart because it turns out she was just using her to cope with the fact she’s depressed Ei blocked her on Facebook after Makoto died she will peck Yae Miko within an inch of her life”. You additionally have to consider Yae Miko’s stances on any other yuri happening in the Liyue adeptus social circle. Like does Yae Miko know Guizhong and Madame Ping were gay. Does she know Does she know this. What does she think about it? Did she ever get involved for fun because Yae Miko feels like someone who probably would just be personally familiar with every immortal lesbian in Tyevat? Consequently, what do the Liyue adeptus sapphics think of Yae Miko’s weird introverted jock wife.

These are all really important things to consider. I think Ganyu and Ei would stand in the corner of a party awkwardly drinking wine because Yae Miko temporarily left them alone and Ei would be like “ummm. Thank you for….Keeping Miko company while I was In the Plane of Euthymia, Miss Ganyu” at the exact same time Ganyu is like “I’m so so sorry for going on a picnic date with your wife 231 years ago i thought you guys were Divorced and wanted to help her out because she seemed really depressed. also don’t tell her I could tell she was depressed or she’ll get scared of the emotional intimacy and explode”

And then you can just start building off of things from there. Like its canonical lore that after Egeria died in battle during the Cataclysm Rukkhadevata used her consciousness to stop the flow of Abyssal corruption in the Girdle of the Sands. this, too, can be yuri if you think about it. Who is going to stop you. The original 7 were all friends and Venti and Zhongli spent their first on screen interaction flirting at the dinner table so much they nearly gave Xiao a panic attack during the 2023 lantern rite. I feel it’s just not realistic to assume they were the only archon couple happening. We need to consider that maybe the in-game dendro/hydro bloom reaction is really good because Egeria and Rukkhadevata kissed at least once

And with Rukkhadevata being involved in this you really have to consider that any yuri you do with her curses Nahida by association. In my mind’s eye there’s a situation where the archons all meet up for the first time and Nahida and Ei are trying really hard to socialize and then Ei offhandedly drops the nuclear bomb of information referencing the fact Nahida’s previous self before she lost her memory and became like 7 years old dated her sister and Nahida’s like….what. And Ei’s like ah yes it was quite the situation. very funny. Barbados tried to get me to help you both hit it off bc he thought it would be funny but this stressed me out so I hid behind Yae Miko until it was over. And Nahida is just haunted by this information and has to go home and deal lethal amounts of psychic damage to Wanderer by informing him her previous self dated his dead aunt. The far reaching consequences of things like this are kind of compelling to me.

Im running out of steam answering this but I trust you kind of see the vision here. I just need like alot of the immortal women in teyvat to all know each other and have like an intricate web of who’s casually kind of dated/dating who that causes 20 layers of situations because of the impact it has on their respective social circles. Yae Miko is probably relevant for like 90% of it because tbh she’s probably on a first name basis with every immortal sapphic in teyvat and responsible for introducing half of them to each other . Shes organizing tea parties for them or something. Imagine this

[cookieshipshowdown]

my good pal manyminded sent this blog to me so i must submit my favourite polyship for review: Whatever this is (mysticsugar is there too i just made this before the es update) (cacao is sitting to the side, romance repulsed style)

i can define the colors of the lines but honestly its more fun without context

OMORI PFP !!! Anyways

This is so intriguing to me just on principle of timekeeper being here. I want to say grey is either dislike or intrigue and I'm not sure which is funnier. Red is love/crush probably, black is The Nightmare Polycule, green is friends-

Wait are these just the ovenbreak colors. Hang on.

THIS IS POSSIBLY FUNNIER IF IT'S THE OVENBREAK RELATIONSHIPS COLORS. WE BALL (Yellow is admiration, I don't think purple or black exist on the chart so uhhh. Idk about those)

Oh wait I think the purple are soulmates/soulsharing fuckery. Ok

Also if it IS the ovenbreak colors. The Ancients not trusting each other is possibly the best part about this. They're fucked up <3

Starting top right and moving to bottom left!!

Eternal Sugar and Pitaya bonding over their shared love for Hollyberry. My OT3 forever. Sugarberry other half, no surprise there, happy that Pitaya is included on the chart and everything. Such an interesting guy, my Pitaya <3

Admiration and tension between GC and Sugar is kinda par for the course? Like think about it. Stasis hell for all your subjects. Wings. Desperately holding on to the people you care about and not letting them leave you (dying in GC's case, getting out of the paradise in ES's case). I should do a character analysis of GC sometime. Maybe.

Rivalry between The Girlies. I think it's friendly rivalry, like they looooove competing in things. It's enrichment. Let them blow up a house and then rebuild it. They all take turns making dinner and burn down a kitchen at least thrice a week.

Holly holding admiration for WL guys. Guys. Admiring her for not running away and facing her problems head on. Lily admiring Holly for not giving up and continuing to be loud and laughing despite The Horrors. "I wish I could be like you"-type beat from both of them. They think that the other handle their problems so so well. I'm insane. No one listen to me.

Silent Salt and White Lily. The sheer. AUUUGH I have over them. They aren't even out. This is so far into AU territory but I'm so far gone. The knight and their lady. They need to make charm bracelets for each other this is very important to me

LILY AND VANILLA. GUYS EVERYONE SHUT UP I NEED TO YAP ABOUT PURELILY. No it's not "childhood friends to lovers" no it's not "I'll always come back for you" no it's not "Thank you for being there when no one else was" IT'S NOT !! Pure Vanilla falling in love with the idea of Lily, finding out that she never really was who he thought she was. I think that that's why the fandom mischaracterizes her so often!!!! Because quite a bit of our information about WL up until the silver kingdom update was THROUGH PV. And PV does not understand her to the extent he thinks or says he does!! She shares the dream of peace for Earthbread! Of happiness for all cookies!! Pure Vanilla saw this beautiful, smart, amazing cookie in the library and holds her up in a pedestal in his mind because that is Who Lily Is to him. When Dark Enchantress rises, that pedestal shatters. Because the person in front of him is not his friend, is not the White Lily in his mind -- the Lily in his mind would not stoop so low as to rip Earthbread apart (but he can't understand, doesn't understand, how this has always been a part of her; just one that has never been brought to the surface in such a potent way before) and he CANNOT reconcile the two in his mind. When Lily wakes up in the Silver Kingdom update. Can you IMAGINE how PV feels. Overjoyed. This cookie that he admires, this perfect cookie who he's known all his life, is still alive. Never mind that he doesn't know her favorite color, favorite food. Never mind that Lily seems more withdrawn. You would think that he goes to comfort her, but GINGERBRAVE STEPS IN. It's GingerBrave and co. that invite her to join in the festivities. PV only comes up once GingerBrave has started to make her feel better. Can you IMAGINE how Lily feels, disoriented and seeing her friend after 50-odd years. Conflicted. She knows what Dark Enchantress has been up to, to some extent. She doesn't fully disagree with the reasonings -- just with the methods done to achieve DE's goals. She was always a part of Lily. WHEN SHE SAYS "OUR PATHS DO NOT ALIGN" GUYS. THE VISCERAL REACTION (/pos) THAT WENT THROUGH ME. White Lily sees what PV refuses to; if PV cannot pull himself out of his head and see her, REALLY see her, than their relationship cannot continue. That's all there is to it. She isn't perfect, and he needs to learn that.

ANYWAYS. Yikes I yapped. Silent Salt and PV holding admiration I want to say is Salt having respect for him. This guy has managed the stress on his shoulders so well. Predictions for Salt's arc incoming btw !! I feel like they, as the Virtue of Solidarity, had so much pressure to keep people together, to be there as a rock of support for people to bring their worries to. Always the comforter, never the comforted. That's why I think SilentLily works so well. Mutual agreement of worth. White "Just your presence is enough for me" Lily Cookie and Silent "You are always going to be enough for me" Salt Cookie. They cannot believe that they are worth anything if they aren't helping someone, so they believe it for each other. But THAT'S why I think Salt corrupted -- the stress of all that and never being able to tell anyone was too much for them. (Again with the too much. Bashes fist on the ground.)

Rivalry between Salt and Smilk because they have some sort of something going on. I feel like they're the embodiment of "I suffer so much every day and for what. girlish whimsy" "girl you have something more sinister going on" <- that. that is them in a nutshell. Am i making ANY SENSE or have I lost the plot. The knight and their jester. They keep koi fish in a pond to stare at for hours while talking about everything and nothing. Smilk was the closest Salt got to feeling like someone cared about them before they corrupted but then, well. Smilk stopped coming to their weekly chats. The silence was so, so loud. And then the tree happened, and now they're trying to figure out where they stand with each other now.

Tension between Timekeeper and Salt is the funniest outcome. Timekeeper on this chart in general is HYSTERICAL. She's such a bitch I love her.

OKAY NIGHTMARE POLYCULE (BLACK LINES) TIME.

TIMEMILK. MY GUILTY PLEASURE RAREPAIR. They hate each other sooooooo much guys. The worst fucking dynamic on the planet -- two annoying bitches who never shut up <3 They THRIVE on violence and shenanigans. Anyone within a 5-mile radius WILL feel a deep sense of dread until they've been formally pranked by the two. They both go to the bar and wail about how much they hate GingerBrave and co. because "FUCK THAT STUPID CRUMBLY BALD-LOOKING BLUE EYES WEIRDASS FUCKER". And then they take a shot, grimace, and call for another. The alcohol doesn't taste good, and it takes unholy levels of it for either of them to get drunk, but it's more for the experience of yelling about all the people you can't stand than anything.

SDVN I already yapped about so I'll spare you all. This time.

The DE/WL/PV triangle is such a hot mess. SUUUUUCH a hot mess. The HOTTEST mess.

Pure Vanilla and Dark Enchantress is such an interesting concept based on the above rant about PureLily. Here, there ARE no pretenses. He sees her for what she is; someone who found out a horrible truth, couldn't stand it, and dealt with it in the only way she knew how. She's done awful things, and really, he shouldn't even be trying to forgive or redeem her, and yet. Here he is, doing the same thing he did with smilk. And on DE's side, she sees someone who is only now just starting to understand her, and it frustrates her to no end. Who is he to have the right to get to know her? How dare he try to claim that her vessel is someone so weak? He had his chance, and he fumbled it. But Lily asked her to try, so try she will. LilyEnchant. Do I have the capacity to keep this small, because I fear if I get started, this will just turn into "Loaf yaps about WL and DE and character foils" instead of "polls about cookie ships!!" (like this isn't already happening. denial is wonderful, everyone.) I'll keep it small because this post is already big as-is. They, more than anyone else, more than any Beast or Ancient, understand each other on a fundamental level that is nigh impossible to achieve. This is what Smilk wanted, with PV. With TR. That's why the admiration for DE is there. Lily is so incredibly sorry for all that DE has gone through. DE sees it as pity for the longest time, and Lily always says that it's never been pity, and never will be. She knows herself, and she knows that she could never pity DE. Eventually, DE recognizes the empathy, the compassion, the love and self-loathing in equal measure. They both blame themselves for various things, and they both empathize with the other. "I'm sorry you had to go through that," they whisper to themselves when they think the other doesn't notice. "I'll be better. For you," they promise. They ignore the thoughts of killing the other, of taking back the life they once shared, of becoming just one being; either Lily, or Enchantress. There's room enough for both of them, and that space grows more and more with every day, every improvement. It's self-love on the most literal level, and they are happy to continue along this path.

Anyways. Those are! My thoughts! :3

[tokusho]

if this does perhaps trigger you or go against your guidelines please ignore this, but mayhaps I request a fic where it’s a beach day for the tf141 + reader and the reader doesn’t go in the water because of their hidden scars they have on their arms and they don’t show it until their buttoned up beach sweater falls a bit and it shows them their scarred arms?

Oh no it doesnt trigger me or go against my guidelines! Thank you so much for the request I really appreciate it!❤️

I’m sorry for the wait btw I’ve been busy with work but I really hope you still enjoy this story anon!

TW: unspecified scars on arms, low self esteem

Poly!TF141 x GN!Reader

A little bit of angst but mainly fluffy💗

Nicknames used: mo graidh, love, doll

For the first time in forever everyone’s leave of absence is at the same time. Your excited ready to rest after such a long hard op and so is the rest of the team. Despite your protest everyone has decided to go to the beach for a whole day.

As you sit on the beach you make sure your light jacket stays in place not wanting it to slip off. The heat is unbearable even while finding shelter under a colorful umbrella. You sit on an old scratchy beach towel watching your loved ones frolic in the waves.

You’re a new part of the polycule with them and it’s your first time ever being in a polygamous relationship. They’ve never seen the long gashes on your arms knowing they will only find them disgusting. Even though they have scars it makes them so much more sexy, for you though they were ugly splotches of damaged skin.

Johnny comes out of the water soaked to the bone, his mohawk plastered to the side of his face. His smile is brighter than the sun as he trudges through sand to your beach towel haven.

“Mo gràdh what are ye doin under tha’ umbrella? I don’ wan’ ye ta miss out on all tha fun”

“I’m just not really in the mood to swim today”, you say bashfully not wanting to say the true reason.

Johnny leans in a little closer his eyebrows furrowed and his eyes softening.

“Are yeh sure? Its steamin’ hot outside an’ I don’ wan’ yeh to get sick. If theres a reason ye can tell me ah wont tell a soul”

You look at him your heart pounding in your chest anxious to tell him the truth, ready for the weight on your shoulders to be lifted.

“I’ve been anxious about-“

Out of nowhere a ball hits Johnny square in the head. Your train of thought is completely derailed as Johnny’s face hits the sand.

“Oh my god! Johnny are you ok?”

You look around to see Kyle cringing at the scene with Ghost next to him and John on the other side of a net.

“Sorry mate didn’t mean to hit you!”, Kyle yells out.

Johnny pops up with a grimace on his face, your resolve dissolves after.

“What were ya saying after a very rude interruption?”

You laugh half heartedly, “just don’t worry about it, lets join them yeah?” It just isnt the right time, it’ll happen eventually right?

You stand up grabbing onto Johnnys arm and yank him up to his feet. You grab the volley ball and toss it Ghost happily.

After a long time of playing the sun is beating down on you. The heat is smothering and the sweat accumulating under your hoodie is making you go mad. They don’t seem like they are close to stopping and you don’t want to ruin the fun so you keep pushing yourself to the utter limit.

“Hey can we take a break for a moment, I just want to have a quick drink”

“Of course ye can love its not like we’re gonna yell at ye for it. How about we all take a break then we’ll start back up again, “John says with a wide smile

The others nod in agreement their skin flushed and their hair soaked with sweat. The water bottle is your holy grail, you chug it like theres no tomorrow. Once your done you crumple it up feeling only a little bit better but it doesnt gove you relief. The fabric clings to you and no matter how much water or wind there is, it wont give you relief like taking it off.

You don’t see that behind you, they are worried for you. With brows furrowed and hushed whispers they send Ghost to get to the bottom of this.

As you sit in the sand grabbing another water bottle you feel a hand on your shoulder. Its heavy and calloused but it gives you some peace.

“Love y’need to take off the jacket”, Ghost says quietly.

His hands gently wrap around the jacket pulling it down your shoulders. Despite you not wanting him to see you dont have the energy to push him away. His hands gently coax your arms from the sleeves, you flush in shame of the scars on your arms.

Ghost looks you in the eyes and you brace yourself for yelling, laughing, just something horrible to happen.

Instead you feel his hand gentle on your arms his thumbs running over the scars. His brown eyes are soft despite the furrow in his brow.

“Why didn’t you show us earlier?”, his voice as soft as it can be.

Your eyes start to water, looking away you wipe your tears and say quietly, “I-I thought you all wouldnt want me, I thought y-you would think I was ugly with all these scars”

You sniffle holding back the tears, Ghost pulls you in for a deep hug letting you spill your tears.

“Your absolutely beautiful hon we wouldn’t want you any other way scarred or unscarred”

As you burrow your head into his neck he waves the team over to help comfort you. The team sits kn the large towel around you concerned for your wellbeing. Kyle sits next to you, his hand smoothing over your back.

“hey, you doin ok babe? Whats wrong?”

You only burrow further into Ghost not wanting to say it. He sighs rubbing your neck as he quietly says, “She has a couple scars on her arms an’ she thinks shes not good looking”

Johnny immediately pops up outraged at you thinking your not the most beautiful person walking on this earth. A glare from Ghost and Price shuts him up before he said anything stupid.

“I-I’m sorry, I’m sorry for hiding this from you guys. I was scared that if you saw me like this you wouldnt want me anymore”

Kyle keeps rubbing your back leans towards your ear, “Hon listen to me, you are the most beautiful person we’ve ever met. We would never want you in our life and we would never ever judge you for your scars”

You lift your head from Ghosts neck sniffling and rubbing the tears from your eyes, “Really?”

“Yes really love, I mean we all have scars. Johnny has one from fighting from a chicken and losing”

“AH DIDNAE LOSE AH WAS BEIN MAULED AN’ SURVIVED!”, Johnny yells angrily.

Despite your insecurities you laugh at his outburst, seeing your bright smile Johnny calms down a little more punching Kyle in the arm jokingly.

All of you sit together talking about the scars on each of your bodies and it makes you feel less insecure and more close to your boyfriends.

John stands up with sweat on his brow, “the sun is still beating down on us I think I’m gonna take a swim”

He reaches his hand to you with a soft smile on his face, “Wanna join us doll”

You look up at him unsure before taking his hand being lifted from the sand and saying happily, “alright sounds like fun”

The boys jump off the towel heading towards the ocean dragging you in.

[kittenpower05]

LIVE REACTIONS TO DRAWTECTIVES S3 just a handful of comments

York learned how to read. Shocking nobody as we all knew it would happen. I'm so proud of him

PORK. Pork with a lest and birt. What more can I say. Get it trending.

I was so skeptical on pork but then the render came in and I'm vibing with it SO hard. Like yeah you go York !!! So fitting for midnight alley as well (whatever that means)

Gma getting more fem as the series progresses <3 i love them so much <3

ROSE OPENING UP ABOUT HER SCAR IM GOING TO SCREAM

THAT LITTLE ROLEPLAY.ABOUT YORK LEARNING TO READ. that healed me. Its so punk to. Learn independence and. Let your friends be friends. To support you. I think.

THEY LIVE TOGETHERRRRR THEY LIVE TOGETHER!!! I dont know if I personally ship drawtective polycule but MASSIVE win for those who do. For myself this is massive. whether it's romantic or platonic I eat that right up I love that for them

"Everyone is dressed for a different occasion" hell yeah they are and I love them for it

"You have friends?" "What?? Yes!"

EUGIIIIIIINE EUGINE IS SLAYING LETS GO ok im looking at it more what the HELL are you wearing but YOURE STILL PULLING IT OFF

WAIT THE FUCK YOU MEAN "WHO ARE YOU GUYS"

Anyways I'm normal. I'm so normal. I love this series so much already these people have come right on time to fill a hyperfixation slot

[diristine]

What are your top SCP tale recommendations? Just based on what you personally liked <3

APOLOGIES FOR TAKING SO LONG WITH THIS!!!

So, for my top tale recommendations? This is very biased as a Glass, Clef, and Robert enjoyer, but I’m going to give a few tales that can help introduce dynamics and often overlooked aspects of the characters in my personal opinion!

An Apple A Day… (Glass does his job, and we will all cry at the end)

SCP-5434 (Not a tale I know, but its a very interesting anomaly and we get to see proper characterization of this man doing his job. It’s actually wonderful)

djkaktus’ proposal III (A 001 proposal, it is very well written and it gives you another idea as to why the O5s are what they are. It’s truly an interesting tale and if you manage to make the long read, theres a surprise character for you to find)

hawaiian shirts (Clef, Found Family, bro still cares)

So leave yourself alone. (ATTEMPTED SUICIDE WARNING, Clef, found family.)

Father of Lies (What if Clef was merely a concept to be passed on between agents?)

Number One With A Bullet (Another Clef tale, one where he kinda does his job and you can tell. He cares more than people give him credit for)

Icky & Ichabod (Agent Ukelele, also gives us an idea of how fucked up Lilly has him. How he’s desperate to hide his relationship with her, it’s one of the few Ukelele tales out there but it does it’s job well.)

Who’s Afraid of A Red Starfish En Blues? (Robert Carter, it’s specifically the Black Diamond Billions canon but I love him okay)

Eat Your Food! (Robert Carter, Iris Dark & Chrysophilus “Skitter” Marshall. I absolutely adore the relationships and characterization found in this really silly tale, you get to know all three heirs. While I’m not usually an Iris fan, in here? I absolutely adore her)

Happiness Can’t Come From Assignments (A Chrysophilius tale and he is baby and deserves so much better ok)

A Pound of Flesh, A Piece of Meat (A Ruprecht Carter and Percival Darke tale, and where my personal hc that all the founders of MC&D are in a complex ex polycule came from)

Now, heres some series/canons/hubs that I do recommend as well!! If you want to dive deeper into where I pull inspiration from nowadays, and these are honestly just great and wonderfully written series that I feel should be read.

Ressurection (A Canon Hub, that focuses namely on Clef and Alpha-9. Honestly for recommending tales I could have put most of the tales in this canon in there. In fact a few are from this canon, its my favorite iteration of Alto Clef and the one that mine is based off of!!)

Wills & Ways (A Marshall, Carter, and Dark series, only 4-5 short tales long. Its found easily in their GOI hub. It’s a good basis to go on if you want to dabble your knowledge of the players at hand. This is where a lot of my own MC&D things are based out of. The lack of information made it super fun to interpret what goes on)

The Black Lotus Series (Its a tale series thats hidden in the Orneroi Collective Hub, and it has bits and pieces of a darker side of Glass we usually never see. Bits and pieces of my Glass are constructed from this series)

Black Diamond Billions (It’s a canon hub thats just surrounding MC&D, what makes it very fun and interesting is how the characters are portrayed. Its very different than how my versions of the heirs and their parents are, however, it is so well written and I truly adore it. I honestly intend on drawing more inspiration/things from this hub as well as Wills & Ways)

The GOC Casefile Series (Ive never read it, but @clefrot enjoys it so I think its a series people should read. Including myself)

Now for a few honorable mentions that aren’t pivotal to anything that simply make me giggle!

Clef Goes to the DMV

LTE-7433-Goodrick-Kringle— “Serial Teleporting Ursine”

12 angry penguins

Scenes from a Comprehensive Clusterfuck

Therapy for the Lizerd

Mary Sue Who

Micky D’s

[tulipanthousa]

ok this question is completely sfw but references the NSFW group chat dynamic, so it goes here to be safe

do the group chat polycule members have a term for each other's kids? niece/nephew/nibling kinda implies they're related, and they aren't each other's direct children so son/daughter/child doesn't feel quite right either, but the amount of involvement between the parents (especially between rosleep) feels like a bit more than just "my friend's kids"

you landed on a whole rabbit hole ive been fruitlessly digging but basically - youre correct, and english has developed words like 'metamour' in the context of polyamory but has yet to develop any words for, for example "parents polycule member who is not my parent" or "child of my paramour/non-primary partner"

you actually get similar problems moving languages. in english, the term for 'fathers sister' and 'mother's sister' are the same, aunt, but in chinese theyre different words, and different depending even on which aunt and said aunts birth order. so there is precedent in humans for very specific terms like this if not english

so. we know it CAN be done, and with the way ive set up nymph social structure in canon, there is no way that *nymphs* dont have such words, even disregarding other kinds of fae. so i have a backchannel to wholesale invent them if i need to, and i came up with one - "Mimahl" shortened to Mala (or 'maya' in baby talk) for 'parents partner/paramour who is not my parent'. roughly translated from its various germanic components, it means 'with my parent'

the main issue is that if i make them up i have to explain them, and if theyre fae words i have to explain them in-text to the humans who dont know them. so it still doesnt answer the question of what the humans would call each other naturally, and i also have to explain or handwave or carefully close my eyes and ignore the asks about why the fae are all speaking english in the first place but still have their own words like this

you see my many many dilemmas. so ive been rotating this. if you know of any poly people whove already come up with such words, do point me in their direction! in the meantime im gonna continue to fiddle old high german compound words to try and solve it aksjdhkh

[essegigi]

Wrote down some more specific Murderbot thoughts, now that I've seen the first two eps again.

I do think adaptations are fascinating, and I can appreciate changes made for the sake of a different medium. As usual there's some changes I don't like, some I do.

Overall: I enjoy it enough to be excited to see where it's going next! Definitely not close to how much I enjoyed the books, but that's a very high bar anyways. I think as a show on its own it's pretty good so far. Still early, there's a lot that depends on how they grow the seeds they've planted.

Spoilers below!

At the very beginning, where mb names itself... an element I really enjoyed in ASR was how "murderbot" was used more as a condescending self-descriptor, and learning the context is also a real "oof" moment. The naming scene in the show makes me cringe every time, even if it doesn't contradict the show itself.

I guess first the two scenes I dislike the most, but aren't necessarily bad within the context of the show itself

Related, the scene where it imagines killing the PresAux team. I think for obvious reasons. Book mb would never :/ but I think the writers for the show took the "could have become a mass murderer" thing too literally and that really colors how they're portraying mb. So, within the show canon, still fits. I just hate it 😔

Sad they changed the scene with Mensah checking in on mb in the cubicle, it had almost none of the elements that I loved about it in the book... I feel like the writers just took very different things from the book than I did.

Things I don't necessarily hate but am unsure of so far:

I'm nervous about where the polycule thing is going... I'm hoping they still have a chance to make it clear that polyamory is the standard and not some unusual thing. ...I'm also like mb and don't really care to watch relationship drama, but I'm not surprised they're adding some

I know some of the PresAux team have made some questionable decisions so far, but I'm hoping it's to set up the arc of them learning to trust mb and follow its advice. Mensah has been the worst victim of this so far, that scouting mission was a little baffling in terms of logic. But PresAux haven't been in that kind of danger before, and I'm hoping their arc in upcoming episodes is clear in that regard.

The use of Sanctuary Moon dialogue to calm Arada... and itself 🥲 hoping they continue showing how much mb uses its shows to help navigate social situations, it's an element in the book but this is the perfect chance to show it clearly.

That awkward pronoun moment...Gurathin is technically right but the way they set it up makes it feel like it's just him refusing to acknowledge mb as a person, and that doesn't signal to the audience that he's in the right. The most clear way to settle it would be for mb to state its pronouns but uh... that doesn't seem like something it would do unless it had to, like if they bring the feed name/pronouns from later books in early. I think most likely scenario is they just consistently use it/its for the rest of the season.

I hope they bring up more about its organic parts, so many articles and interviews keep using "robot" and "ai"...it's not, really. But even Gurathin used "ai" to describe it. (Related, while it would have been cool if it had more visibly non-human parts, that's not really a deal breaker for me and if it means they could spend more time and money on the other effects instead, so be it.)

Things they changed to fit the medium that I really enjoyed:

Ok Sanctuary Moon in general, yeah. Also love how they could stick more recognizable actors in it without taking you out, bc... it's a show and yes, they're actors 😆

Gurathin getting to be more of an asshole :3 I know not everyone likes that change, but I do think it works well in this medium. In the book, we get the sense that mb has exaggerated things a bit, Gurathin is much less forceful, especially so early on. But!!! One, it's fun to see those two go head to head, and I'm especially excited for when mb doesn't have to hide its rogue status anymore. The sass will be amazing, I'm sure. Two, are very clearly setting up Gurathin as a parallel to mb, especially with whatever Company trauma they've added to his backstory. They're also very clear about his motivations and how much he cares for his team, he's not just being a jerk because he can be. I think it's a fun dynamic and I'm excited to see where it goes. (Also Gurathin being a bigger jerk now means more potential guilt later which can also be fun :3 )

"Gura" ? Adorable. "Gugu" ?!? Amazing. Yes please give the most socially awkward human cute nicknames. I love it.

Minor, but Ratthi's "who's this?" when mb enters without its armor. Great moment in the book, though a little silly bc... who else would it be? 😅 Made so much sense to update it to the more flirty delivery they went with. Yes...flirty is not ideal but PresAux doesn't know mb yet. They don't know what boundaries they're crossing. We know it's awkward. They still need to learn.

Other good stuff:

Alexander Skarsgård's facial expressions. Extreme sometimes? I mean...yeah. The whole point is mb isn't used to having to regulate its expressions behind the helmet. It's supposed to be awkward and he delivers. (Also another element that has room to change as we go)

The visuals! They're so good. Creatures, locales. Costumes are great, I really like the SecUnit suit design. The helmet is very dehumanizing, which is perfect.

Ratthi is perfect, Arada is pure sunshine, and I really like a lot of Bharadwaj's actor's choices, her delivery is just so natural and believable

[rottenpumpkin13]

Ok, one of those amazing prank shenanigans but it’s the Firsts and Zack, but they are all pulling an elaborate prank on Hojo for Seph’s birthday <3

The "Sephiroth's Wedding" Prank

Lazard is sitting at his desk while Sephiroth dials up Hojo's phone number for him. Angeal, Genesis and Zack are all standing around, watching as the phone starts ringing. Lazard presses it to his ear and waits for Hojo to pick up. On the fifth ring, the professor's grating voice answers.

Hojo: Professor Hojo speaking.

Lazard: Good evening, this is James from Bloomwood Event Planning. I'm calling on behalf of Sephiroth to confirm your presence at the wedding next weekend.

*There's a pause, Sephiroth has to slap his hand over his mouth to contain his snort*

Hojo: I beg your pardon? What are you on about, you imbecile? How dare you disturb me while I am working.

Lazard: You heard me correctly, sir. You were sent an invitation a month ago, and I'm calling to confirm your invite.

Hojo: My invite to what?

Lazard: Sephiroth's wedding, of course.

*There's another long pause. Zack has to leave Lazard's side so that he doesn't make any noise*

Hojo: Clearly there has been a mistake. There is no possibility that Sephiroth would ever waste his time on marriage, let alone copulate and breed with another being without my expressed approval.

Lazard: Am I to understand that you won't be in attendance? Is that what I should tell the couple?

Hojo: What couple?

Lazard: Ah, forgive me. The correct term is polycule.

Hojo:

*There's another incredibly long pause, Genesis is quietly laughing while Angeal shushes him*

Lazard: Sir? Sir, are you still there?

Hojo: Which individuals are involved in this⏤in this⏤filth?

Lazard: Why, Sephiroth is set to marry Genesis Rhapsodos and Angeal Hewley, of course.

Hojo:

Lazard: They're a very happy trio⏤

Hojo: How could he do this to me?

Lazard: Sir⏤

Hojo: His apparent attraction towards the same sex is useless on its own, but Hollander's brats!?

Lazard: Professor⏤

Hojo: It was the visibly homosexual one with the red coat who coerced him, wasn't it?

*Genesis sinks and curls into a ball on the floor, Sephiroth is in tears as he covers his mouth, Angeal is in the corner laughing, and Zack is grinning as he listens intently*

Lazard: I can assure you that they are very much in love, Professor. I'm fortunate enough o have gained their trust, making me privy to the extent of their dynamic.

*Sephiroth is quickly writing it all down for Lazard to read*

Hojo: You don't say.

Lazard: Yes, Angeal claims that Sephiroth is a very obedient and perfectly submissive partner.

Hojo: WHAT?

Lazard: He and Genesis take very good care of him. The last time they swung by my office to discuss some last-minute details, Sephiroth was on a leash.

Hojo:

Lazard: Sir, are you there?

Hojo: I'M HAVING A HEART ATTACK.

*Genesis, still on the ground, grabs Sephiroth's leg and makes Sephiroth lose it. He crouches to the ground too, laughing under the desk*

Lazard: Do you need me to call for emergency services?

Hojo: THIS ISN'T HIM. SUCH A POSITION IS BENEATH HIM. I DID NOT MAKE HIM TO TAKE ON SUCH AN APPALLING ROLE.

Lazard: No, no, I'm positive that it was him. They were here with their son.

Hojo: THEIR WHAT? WHO? THEY HAVE A CHILD? HOW?

*Zack starts frantically pointing at himself*

Lazard: Oh, you haven't heard? They formally adopted Angeal's mentee, Zack, and are now his parents.

*There's a loud sound of something falling from the other end, along with a commotion as multiple voices of lab technicians start speaking at the same time*

Lazard: Professor? Professor Hojo?

*The line goes dead*

Sephiroth: I think we killed him.

[rosenbergamot]

really cant believe (yes i can) that mumscarian solidified their polycule in s9 solely to fuck with doc like can u imagine being mumbo and ur two closest friends, both of whom u have been harbouring these bubbling feelings for, suddenly ask u to join them. out of NOWHERE. because of an OOPSIE. a little FUCKY WUCKY

like these are feelings that u have been tamping down for YEARS, because even though u have had ur moments with them, sometimes it feels like nothing compared to what u know theyve gone through when u havent been there. sometimes the weight of sand and cactus and poppies and lilacs is so heavy on them that u can almost visualize it as crowns on both of their heads. the silences between them are underscored with an unknowable tension, and u want to be able to know so badly, but u werent there when it all began; even if u were there for two of the other ones, u still have no way of KNOWING and thats what kills u. so u never confess. u keep it to urself. they can never feel the same.

and then the two of them blow up docs tunnel bore and suddenly one random day theyre on ur front step with these stupid hippie outfits and theyve got one in ur size and they look at u so earnestly but so mischievously and it feels like this is the moment its all been leading up to. they blink their pathetic eyes at u and they say “hi mumbo we did a fucky wucky would u pleade join our polycule so that we can kill docm77 for realsies this time also btw this is a compeltely genuine invitation we really both love u and havent been able to tell u because ur autistic swagger is both blindingly beautiful and strangely awkwardly intimidating” and u just have to be like “…..yeah ok. sure.” and then u spend the next few weeks having the wildest sloppiest gay sex of ur life in crowded tents and getting dirt under ur nails and doing ecstasy while docs alerts remind u of the whole purpose of it, and even if that should feel strange and bittersweet, theres still such genuine joy u all feel together, and then when its over ur like “alright so this was a bit right?” and theyre like “god no ur stuck with us forever” and thus u are now officially in a relationship.

and it was all because of docm77. like. what. does he know. does docm77 know that he invented polyamory

[the-golden-ghost]

if you ever felt like making a reclist of weird old movies i would be delighted

HELL YEAH I DO!!

Disclaimer 1: I'm not a cinephile, I haven't seen that many movies, this isn't an all-time-favorites list, it's just a list of recent watches that I a). enjoyed and b). had some degree of weird or wackiness to them. They're also all easily available online. Quality and widely-known appeal were not accounted for so there's going to be a mix of classics and absolutely bottom-of-the-barrel drivel. I like it that way :)

Disclaimer 2: I'll put content warnings but if I forgot something in any of these I apologize. Some of these I watched many months ago and don't remember super well.

A Midsummer Night's Dream (1909): Starting off strong here cheating by putting a wacky, amateur, short-form Shakespeare adaptation instead of a "real" movie. The effects are not good. Everyone's off the shits. Nobody knew how a camera worked yet. Titania and Oberon are inexplicably lesbians. Puck is also a woman. I don't know why they made any of these choices but I'm here for them. It's about 25 minutes long and available on its wikipedia page. (Cw: none I can recall)

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920): The German Expressionism movie ever. It's got angles, conmen, illusion, breaks with reality, and Conrad Veidt in a box. Plot: There's a guy in a box! Wow that's weird! Why are all these murders happening? (this is a very strange movie. Just sit back and enjoy :) ) Runtime is around an hour, available on wikipedia and it used to be on Tubi but I don't know if it's there now. Probably on the Internet Archive as well. (Cw: asylums and "madness" tropes)

The Frozen North (1922): Buster Keaton Kills A Man among a bunch of other things. Short-form slapstick comedy of the 1920s, it's around 20 minutes and was actually a parody of Westerns of the time (A Northern...?) Available on its wikipedia page. (Cw: nothing intense, a bit of dark humor involving genre tropes like womanizing, domestic violence and murder)

The Man Who Laughs (1928): Ok sneaking this one on even though I've loved it for years but hey. It's got everything! It's got sad clowns! It's got disabled romance! It's got gothic overtones! It's got Conrad Veidt! It's got a dog named Homo! It's got guys in really stupid wigs! Plot: Sad clown with a permanent smile etched onto his face turns out to be the long-lost son of a duke, drama ensues. I think this one's on the Internet Archive but it's public domain so it's probably everywhere. (Cw: some negative anti-Romani racial stereotypes)

The Lady Vanishes (1938): What happens when you're a young woman on a train going to meet your fiance and the sweet old lady traveling with you suddenly disappears without a trace? AND there's an international spy ring? AND no one saw the woman or believes she's real? AND there's a shady magician? AND you have to team up with the friendly local street musician to help solve the mystery? Directed by Alfred Hitchcock in his early weird years. Very fun. :) Available on Tubi. (Cw: not much? Some British xenophobic tropes I guess)

Talk of the Town (1942): Imagine if you will, you are an escaped convict on death row. Now imagine you hide out in the home of a legal officer practicing to become a Supreme Court judge. Now imagine you call your childhood friend and get her to pose as the judge's secretary while you can pretend to be his gardener. Cottagecore polycule romance ensues AND! We heavily critique the US Justice System! And Cary Grant is there so it being kinda gay was NOT accidental (or subverted!) Seriously the movie ever. They were really pulling out all the stops on this one. Available on the Internet Archive. (Cw: None? Maybe some mild sexism?)

The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946): This is the one I was talking about last night. A diner owner's wife and the new handyman start an affair, try to kill the husband a bunch of times, stuff just goes awry in about every possible way stuff can go awry in this situation. And they get away with it! No they don't! Yes they do! Plot beats happening so fast you're like "what the hell is going on" every 8 seconds for 2 hours. Toxic romance of the century. Available on Tubi. (Cw: Some dated romance tropes that come off weird in the modern day (think "Baby It's Cold Outside" discourse), murder, some violence, animal death, suicide, some ableism)

The Third Man (1949): Guy goes to Geneva to visit his childhood friend who was recently hit by a car and killed on impact. Two men were officially reported to have been at the scene but eyewitnesses say there was... A Third Man. *dramatic zither music plays* Available on Tubi. (Cw: war, death, child death (mentioned), drug trafficking)

Sunset Boulevard (1950): A disillusioned Hollywood screenwriter moves into an old house from the Silent Film Era and runs into an aging actress who has locked herself away from the world in an attempt to hold onto the glory of her past no matter what the cost. The quintessential "what if a noir was gothic horror/dark romance" movie which is hard to pull off but damned if they didn't! Available on the Internet Archive. (Cw: Suicide, murder, mental illness)

The Thing From Another World (1951): An early example of sci-fi horror, this is the movie that inspired John Carpenter's The Thing. This one and all the others on the list to come (with one exception) are B-movies, so now we're getting into the lower-budget fun movies section :) A bunch of scientists are trapped up in Alaska and there's... wait for it... A Thing. From Another World. (Plant guy running around eating the scientists.) Also if you watch the non-TV-cut version there's rope bondage kink. We love a spicy B monster movie! Available on Tubi. (Cw: Death, animal death, peril and isolation as a major theme. It's definitely not as graphic as its 80s counterpart)

Kansas City Confidential (1952): Four men rob a bank - the catch? They're all anonymous, masked, and take off to different countries after the heist. However the friendly neighborhood florist who was framed for the job decides to infiltrate the crime and clear his name. Variously includes guys sweating, guys trying to kill each other, guys side-eyeing each other across the bar of a Mexican resort, guys looking like they're trying to have sex cause the director got his wires crossed, and smoking. SO much smoking. Available on the Internet Archive. (Cw: Death, police brutality, and violence, this one actually got criticized for being too graphic when it came out. Pretty mild by today's standards, but still a bit more intense than most of the others on this list.)

Please Murder Me! (1956): Guy who is having an affair with his friend's wife kills his friend and then it turns out: well I shan't say but a bunch of stuff happens of the "SURE why not I guess!" variety. Angela Lansbury is there and way too good for this film. This one's about an hour long and REALLY bad I mean like abysmally bad. GREAT watch if you want to watch something that's an hour long and dogshit, and sometimes? You really do. Available on Tubi. (Cw: Nothing that's not in the title!)

Nightmare (1956): ANOTHER really terrible (affectionate) one, this one's about a musician who dreams he killed some people and then wakes up and realizes: he actually DID kill those people! Or did he? Longer than an hour but not by much. Edward G. Robinson is there. There's a sex/seduction scene thrown in for literally no reason. Gets really Twilight-Zone-y a few times. Genuinely what is going on? We don't know. I don't even think the writers know. Available on Tubi. (Cw: Death, insanity/loss of reality, I think there was mentions of domestic violence but I haven't seen this one in a while)

Sweet Smell of Success (1957): The homoerotic satirical noir film of your nightmares. VERY cutting, very on the nose, very unsettling. (This is the non B-movie one I mentioned earlier.) A powerful and wealthy political reporter convinces one of his cohorts to do a job for him: Get his little sister's boyfriend out of the way. Why? Don't ask. Available on the Internet Archive. (Cw: incestuous abuse, sexual abuse in general, emotional manipulation, violence, suicide)

Guns, Girls, and Gangsters (1959): Another "hour long and absolute dogshit" one. It's got robbery, 1950s attempts at sex appeal, ham radios, cottagecore lesbians (but not really cause again it was the late 50s but. C'mon), Lee Van Cleef, a convoluted plot with a sniper, Christmas decorations, and an infomercial for armored cars. It sucks in the best kinds of ways. Available on the Internet Archive. (Cw: Mentions of domestic violence, one minor character was kinda a racist/xenophobic stereotype, death and violence)

[dungeonclown]

quickie doodle of my all time OTP in a scene from my newest fanfic chapter eeek

my dream for if we get ASO season 2 (which i feel like. cmon theres no way we're not gonna get it. right... RIGHT.... shakes and screams) is for these two to become More Than Barrys. if there is a romance plot and they end up with any other character (outside of a big polycule, listen) i might implode into dust and sludge.

i mean like. the Last Of Their Kind clone (minus nyne but its fine hes hanging out) and The Last Of Their Kind android.... they are already the closest of friends that friends can be.... idk if murph and emily are into having characters entangled in relationships w other PCs but listen i think u guys can make ur characters be married too. as a little treat. theyre just the best .... and they should kiss...... and hold hands........ theyre so close to doing that already. ok thats all byeee

[caligvlasaqvarivm]

ok im not going to tag this but i need you guys to know that my endgame ships for eridan and karkat are

eridan ♦️ karkat

eridan ♥️ roxy

roxy ♦️ calliope

eridan ♠️ calliope

karkat ♥️ calliope

i call it "the polycule only a blood player could love" and although it manages to be perfectly healthy, from the outside, everyone looks like they're cheating on everyone else. nepeta is staring at it going ":33 < dodged a fucking bullet!!!"

Eridan ♦️ Karkat

the ship with the most canon backing. this ship needs to be true before all other ships can be true because it keeps the two of them normal enough to have a shot at romancing anybody else. nobody realized they were pale for each other for an embarrasingly long time because their regular day to day conversations feature slurs and death threats. sometimes looks pitch or flushed from the outside because karkat is a mess who can't stop yelling at people he's trying to romance in the red quads, and because eridan gets really needy sometimes.

Eridan ♥️ Roxy

They get together within five minutes of knowing each other and, despite Rose's protests, never ever break up. Eridan is into cute, pink, bubbly, nice girls, and Roxy is into eccentric troubled princes. Not to mention she fucking loves wizards, and Eridan is a wizard, and that they're both hipsters who use rifles. Also Eridan is weird as hell and Roxy thinks he's hilarious for it. Despite the fact that he puts on this unpleasant, nasty act, he'll pretty much do anything Roxy tells him to, and she likes that. She thinks he has himbo energy. Everyone else thinks she's deranged. Like girl that guy is an insane murderer. Girl he will not stop saying slurs

also their specific abilities are diametrically opposed in an interesting way? prince of hope = can destroy anything he believes he can destroy, rogue of void = can create anything by stealing away its nonexistence. neat!

Roxy ♦️ Calliope

since they aren't trolls and don't need to calm each other down, it's not really a proper moirallegiance, but they're bffffffs and the kinds of silly fun-loving gals who would call their friendship a moirallegiance even if it doesn't have the biological components or serve the social function of one. Two girls that just love each other.

Eridan ♠️ Calliope

biologically, cherubs only engage in pitch romances and are attracted to other cherubs that remind them of the other half they lost in predomination. what i'm saying is that calliope - unfortunately for her - has brother issues. initially put off by eridan's superficial similarities to caliborn - his bluster, his riflekind, his insane logic and thick skull, and how damn often he talks about murder - as they get to know each other, the feeling becomes mutual. eridan is generally totally ok with outright hostility, but calliope's faux-nice smugness when taunting an opponent would drive him nuts, as would the earnestness with which she approaches magic (what kind of POSER needs to RELOAD their WAND), and in general, i think he'd take her genuine well-wishes toward other people as a personal affront, a la "i didn't ever need anybody to look after me!"

they somehow have a 50/50 win ratio at the board games they play, which drives calliope nuts. "believing in your pieces" is not a valid chess strategy!!!!!!!!!

also i think it's fun and thematic, the angel killer and the cherub, whose adult form features hope-shaped wings.

Karkat ♥️ Calliope

We know two things from his crush on terezi: the first is that karkat is into clever, cunning gals, and the second is that he's really fucking messy, the kind of guy who would tell his flushed crush to "set the table on his bone bulge for their candle light hate date." Fortunately, or unfortunately??? for calliope, the fact that he will scream obscenities at her is kind of what she's into. everybody, please, a moment of silence for calliope, who somehow manages to have worse taste in men than roxy.

but yeah more seriously, karkat has a big and loving heart, and so does calliope, while calliope maintains a cleverness and intellect that karkat would be into.

normally, it would be a huge problem for your moirail to be pitch for your matesprit, and we have that both ways here. however, a few factors are mitigating that here. first, eridan will always prioritize karkat or roxy over calliope when they're around. this actually does kind of piss her off, although she feels annoyed that it does. second, calliope is generally mature enough to compartmentalize. third, karkat WILL auspicetize if they aren't careful, and nobody wants that. and fourth, everybody wants to keep roxy happy.

but yeah everyone else watching it is like. are you guys okay? blink if you need help

ofc ship what you want to ship this is not at all me telling you what you should be into. im just saying that these ships have been calculated for Maximum Funnyness, which as we know, is the only objective measure for what makes a good homestuck ship

[bonnibelleangelica]

What I’ve Learnt From Each of My Stories

In my experience, the faster you learn, the faster you hate your past work. There’s a steep curve in most things, which must be one of the reasons beginners give up on new endeavours so much. In those first few months, you might double, triple and quadruple your skill if you actively try to, which unfortunately means that you’re guaranteed to look back in horror at every mistake you used to make with such confidence. It’s a good sign, trust me.

So now, I will humble myself and reveal to you all the shit that keeps me up at night as I take you through my writing journey.

The Very Beginning- Miraculous Ladybug

Bad bad bad. Omg it was so bad. No grammar, no spellchecking, the tackiest sex scenes in the world written by a girl who thought hickeys were a badge of honor, someone should have euthanised me.

~Take Aways~

-Have sex before you write about it, everyone can tell

-Stop making everything so over-the-top ~sexy~, no one talks like that all the time

-Write about adults you weirdo (i was 14 to be fair)

The Real Beginning- RWBY: We’re All So Happy For You

This story was written out of love and rage. Ruby drinking that tea changed my life (literally) but wow was the season bad. I know they had budget problems towards the end, but honestly, it was the worst time to start a whole new plotline when we were kinda in the middle of something back home. It would have made a good movie tho...

~Take Aways~

-Sentence length needs to vary, don’t get stuck in a rhythm

-Paragraphs can cover a lot of ground, not everything has to be dialogue

-You don’t need to write every second of the day out, let time pass offscreen

-You kinda have a thing for RK Jaune x Ruby but I won’t tell anyone

Oh... You Like That? RWBY: The Oneshots

I like sex, in case you couldn’t tell. Well... sex is actually pretty mid, but THINKING about sex is fun. And it sells. People tend to like Ruby being innocent and dumb, but thats G R O S S so I made her secretly kinky and also a legal adult. This vibe will continue for a while.

~Take Aways~

-Sex is weird to write, mostly because it's repetitive. Don’t get caught up in the... ehm ‘ins and outs’ of it. We all know what's happening, focus on thought processes and sensory detail over action.

-Jaune and Ruby are a niche pairing, but readable fanfiction is rare so you aren’t totally screwed

-I don’t like saying dirty words, apparently. We all know I’ve written insane shit so idk wtf my problem is. Dont worry, it’ll end up being a good thing

Oneshots, But There’s More Than One! RWBY: Privacy

Look at that! My most popular story. What started out as an attempt to find somewhere for Ruby and Jaune to be alone together, turned into a polycule beyond my control.

~Take Aways~

-I’m impatient. Slowburns are allergic to me. He calls her baby five minutes into the story but ok

-3,000 words per chapter is a sweet spot. Some of those chapters were 8 THOUSAND words and they got the same amount of hits and comments anyway. Break them up, get paid twice.

-If you do one thing people dont like, they’ll bring it up forEVER.

-Sometimes, sacrificing a story to the people and asking for their wishes and desires teaches you a lot about not only your audience, but also what they consider to be your strengths. Don’t bend to their will, but maybe give public opinion some of your time for stories that don’t matter too much.

They Were Just Supposed to Fuck on an Island- RWBY: Time Together

That’s right, my initial concept for this crowd favourite was just beach sex for 20 years. For the record, that did NOT last.

~Take Aways~

-Still impatient, but I did manage to hold strong and keep them apart for 3 whole chapters!

-Slowburning that gets you death threats is simple: Make them sleep together in their underwear and skinny dip in the moonlight. Then have them genuinely say that its platonic. So many death threats...

-Sex gets boring eventually. Tying an emotion to it gives you much more to work with. For example: the birthday sex they have in front of the fire was my attempt at the most romantic fuck I could imagine at the time

-While writing this, I developed a new style of smut writing that I found to be much more comfortable and didnt cheapen my stories as much. No fade to blacks, but i still avoided direct, grotesk language in favour of implication and subtlty.

Again, This Was Supposed to be Sex in a Club- RWBY: Caught Red-Handed

This one is my Roman Empire. I’m very proud of the trap I set for my readers and WOW did I piss some people off. Whoopsies...

~Take Aways~

-USE GRAMMERLY ffs omg, you dyslexic fuck

-be careful giving anime self insert characters flaws, the weebs will come for your throat

-speaking of flaws, this was actually really helpful for getting rid of my fear of ‘ruining’ my characters. When you face it head-on, give them reasons to get worse and look for meaningful redeeming action for them to take, people will forgive a lot.

-writing from a different characters perspective is game-changing for understanding them

-only people who like your work hate it as viciously as this. If it was pure garbage, they wouldn't be here at Chapter 20 with the rest of us :)

In the end, write whatever you want, it’s free and you don't owe anyone anything. Use this freedom to find your voice, figure out what you hate, make your mistakes, get all that sluttiness out of your system and come out knowing exactly what you want to write.

Good Luck XoX