#like pre hero days drama

[dontlookatmytmntcollection]

First I Love You

Bayverse TMNT × Fem!Reader

This is self indulgent garbage I have made to keep myself distracted.

It varies from Drama to Fluff to Angst and Pre established relationship to a fucking year into being official to Y/N to she/her. No spicy tho. Good luck lol

-Raphael-

It wasn't panic.

It wasn't. He felt excitement. Raphael was bursting with energy. Stomach in knots, head pounding, chest pushing and pulling oxygen as if it was hard.

It wasn't panic. Leo concluded the huddle with a nod. "Let's do this!"

"Turtle power!" The group shouted. Turtle and human alike branched off in different directions.

Raph looked over at you.

"Raph, I-"

"C'mon people, let's go!" Vern called.

Raph didn't know what to do, heart racing and blood surging. Making him jittery. He half-heartly ran after his brothers.

He couldn't help but glance back.

You had taken a step back closer to Vern. You were watching them go, frightened. He understood.

He could die or get taken away- this might be the last he would ever see any of these people ever again. Last time he would ever see you.

"You don't have to do that." You had laughed, smiling as he lifted your couch.

"You're not gonna do it." He teased, watching your dog fetch it's toy happily.

"It's an upper east side candy shop." Raph explained one night. "I know you like sweets."

You gave him the biggest puppy eyes, smile ear-to-ear, holding the snacks to your chest. "You're my hero."

God, had he wanted to kiss you. He almost did one time. Almost spilled his guts when you blinked tiredly up at him. The scales of his arm were imprints along your face. Marks a movie lengths worth in the making. They wouldn't fade for several minutes. It was so cute.

Your hand grabbed his once. Tugging him to the edge of the water, in an effort to show him something. Probably. He couldn't remember. He hid his shyness under the banter. Soaking up the feeling of your hand in his.

Raph couldn't stop thinking about you, anymore. He knew you felt something too. He was more than happy about that.

But it wasn't meant to be. He knew better.

"We can't do this." Raph had whispered two days ago. Pulling his hand away from your fingers. Pulling away from what had almost been a kiss. "It's wrong."

Something numb fell over your expression. Blocking him out. It broke his heart as you pulled your lips tight. Looking down and nodding. "Okay."

Raph had faced impossible odds before. But this was bigger. Scarier. He knew there was a chance he could never make it. A good one if this plan doesn't go well.

No.

He needed to do this.

His feet started to do their own thing.

"Raph?" Donnie called. Confused.

You turned back around, suddenly swallowed up in Raphael's shadow. "Raph, w-"

"I love you."

Her eyes widened, staring up at Raph.

"I'm fucking crazy about you." He whispered, terrified. "I fell in love with you, and I'm sorry I-"

"Raph-"

"You're the best thing to ever happen to me, and I've been wishing I could be the guy you deserve, but I'm not, so...so I just want you to know -"

"I-I love you too." She whispered, rushing forward.

Raph blinked. Relief overwhelming him before he could register what had been said.

"I love you so fucking much." His best friends small hands were quickly on his cheeks; the sensation like lightning on his scales.

It...probably wasn't the best kiss, in hindsight. He had done nothing but stare wide-eyed in disbelief as it happened, was happening, and happened.

She pulled back, her hands petting his face. His hands holding her head too. Her eye contact made his limbs go numb when she whispered, "Just come back to me, okay?"

Just come back to me.

"Uh...Okay."

She choked out a laugh, letting go of his face and pushing at his chest. "Now go get 'em tiger." It made Raph choke and smile back.

"Raph!" Leo shouted.

Ignoring Vern's expression of horror. Raph nodded to himself. "Okay." He said again. "Okay." He sprinted after his brothers on legs he couldn't feel, new energy driving him forward.

-Michelangelo-

You weren't naive.

You knew he wouldn't be accepted by most of your family. You knew that a few individuals might even be dangerous to Mikey and his family.

But the key word was most.

The newest generations, relatives your age, were much more accepting of many things. Within reason.

With your boyfriends...predicament- it took some extra effort on your part to set up a meeting of some kind. A meeting in which both parties had nowhere to go but through the uncomfortable interaction. With no room for reactive actions. No access to immediate exits, phones, or weapons-

Good thing you were dating an actual angle.

Mikey could work a room so easily, it overwhelmed you. He had your siblings charmed within seconds; cracking wise while the first gawking and terrified reactions were water off his shell.

Now, your boyfriends social circle was that much bigger.

One thing led to another. Weeks went by, then months. It's how you two ended up here. You on your siblings couch curled up with a book. Chaos all around you.

"Aaand...boo!" Mikey leapt out from behind the doorway.

"AHHahah!" One of your neices squeeled and ran away, hands covering her face.

"C'mere, you." Mikey growled, his smile just as wide as he dramatically stomped after the four kids, his hands perfect T-rex claws. His shadow easily swallowing them as they hurried away.

"Mikey, you can't eat them!" Your nephew wasn't older than five, but he chased after the giant turtle man as they rounded the couch you were sitting on.

Mikey tackled your nephew to the ground expertly, the boy roaring in delight; getting tickled ferociously.

"Ahhh! Stopp!!" The boy was desperately trying to worm away from your boyfriend. "That hurts!"

Mikey let go, and the boy continued to giggle as he caught his breath, struggling to get up.

"Ya a'right?" Mikey smiled.

"AHHH!" One neice came out of nowhere, pouncing on Mikey's arm.

"Oh NOO!" Mikey cried as he fell expertly over, making the little girl laugh. Your nephew screamed in triumph, jumping on his shoulders.

The other two saw the action, and pounced.

"We gotchu!!"

"Oh no, oh no!!" Mikey whined, struggling carefully for their entertainment as the kids climbed on top of him. He went limp, a gross sound in his thoat.

The kids squeeled, tiny hands slapping him playfully. "We know you're not dead, Mikey!"

He didn't reply.

Your neice shook his shoulder. "My-ee?"

"RAH!" Mikey jolted awake, and they all screamed and scrambled away.

"Get back here!" He called.

The kids scrambled to another room, leaving you and your boyfriend facing each other where he was kneeling on the carpet.

"How are you doing?" Mikey asked, still smiling. He had glitter stickers all over him. And marker ink was all over his shoulder.

Your heart had swelled, closing your throat and misting your eyes. He looked good like this. Happy.

"I love you." You muttered.

Mikey jolted, his eyes blowing wide. "...W-what?"

"I love you." You repeated with a smile, voice breaking.

Mikey's jaw dropped, his hands lifting a little from his knees. "We're- I-I-I love you-"

"UNGUARDD!"

A pool noodle slapped Mikey's head from behind.

You laughed.

-Donatello-

"All done." You whispered.

"Thank you."

You didn't look at him, setting down the needle and blood-soaked fabric.

You and Donnie were sheltered in the lab. Curtain drawn. He sat maskless and blind in his chair. Hands clasped between his spread knees.

He'd been quiet. Avoiding your gaze.

You stared at what would be a new scar on his face. Down his cheek and neck. You mourned the marring of some turtle stripes under his jaw.

Blood was crusted between scales around your messy stitches; and you slowly got to work of gently dabbing it away. One hand on his other cheek to keep him still.

You couldn't handle it alone anymore. Hurt that had weld up in your chest suddenly surged. Your voice began working again.

"Why didn't you tell me?" You whispered.

He didn't answer. But you felt a muscle clench under your fingers.

You bit your lip. Tears welling up at last.

Your proposal that fateful night hadn't been unique. At all. But the offer of another date night was ignored by him completely.

Ghosted. You had gone to April. Worried that something might have happened.

April's number apparently didn't exist anymore. Her face gone from her regular network. Nothing was said about it. As if you had made everything up.

You didn't have any other numbers. You didn't know where to find anyone. You'd begun to accept he had let you go. All of them. Suddenly. But they were gone, none the less.

You were not needed; and Donatello hadn't wanted you.

Then tonight, two hours ago; you'd received a mystery caller. Three times. Leo. Imploring. Needing more hands, because Donnie was down and out for the count. You had never heard the leaders voice like this.

Karai was now dead.

Everyone is home safe.

You felt tears finally spill down your cheeks. You pulled away, sniffing as you scrubbed harshly at your cheeks.

Donnie reacted to the sound as if shot.

"Y/N it wasn't -"

"You didn't tell me." You hissed. "That's all I need to know."

"It's not like that!" Donnie said urgently. "I couldn't -"

"I needed one text. N-not even that, just... something. Anything." You hissed. "I don't even ask for an explanation! Just saying it's unsafe to talk would have been more than enough. Y-you and I even have a safeword-!"

"I couldn't do that!" Donnie said. "They had tracked Splinter and April through our communications. My firewalls should have prevented the Foot from - I didn't - I didn't know, and I couldn't endanger another person I love the same way."

A person I love.

You gasped, chest heaving with built-up sobs. Physical pain struck you at his words. Shock. Denial. Two weeks. Nothing -

"You don't love me!" You choked. Insistant.

Donnie blinked, mouth dropping slightly open as he stared at you wide-eyed.

He took in a shaky breath. "Yes, I do."

You sobbed, squeezing your eyes shut as you scrubbed some tears away. "No, you don't, c'mon." It was the weakest you've ever sounded.

Donnie's hands snagged your elbows. Pulling you to face him so his hands could rest on either side of your head.

"You were in danger." His voice shook. "You were in so much danger - and I'd rather you think I left or was gone than ever - ever, see you hurt. Especially because I was too fucking s-stupid to protect you or my family."

You were silent. Staring at him like he was the last thing left alive.

He bit his lip, wet eyes sparkling with the most conviction you'd ever seen. "I love you so much. You're the best thing to ever happen to me, and I promised myself I would keep you safe, no matter what. If...If I could redo all of this, I wouldn't change anything." His voice broke. "It'll be different from now on, but...the thought of you somewhere out there hating me is better than the thought of you...not being here at all."

You hiccuped, face wet with renewed tears as you pushed forward. Kissing him.

-Leonardo-

Leo hadn't liked you at first. At all, really. Comes with the territory, you thought. You didn't blame him.

The trust built slowly every month. Half a year went by before you could easily call him your friend, and you were good friends.

The problem was that you had started crushing on him. Hard.

One night, Leo had stopped you; rain pouring down as he - very awkwardly...asking you out.

You could tell that he had been terrified. It made your smile that much wider. Because you were terrified too. Over the moon. Finally.

You later found out the guy had actually the corniest, cutest list of dates he had been hoping to take you on. All written in a neat, dorky list in one of his notebooks. When you confronted him - he couldn't meet your eyes he had been so embarrassed.

Leo had been the one to ask if he could kiss you.

You had fallen in love. Not quickly. But you had admitted to yourself - looking up into those pretty blue eyes - that you were crazy in love.

And yet...

Leo still hadn't taken off his mask.

You asked once. "Am I ever going to see you without it?"

"Hell no." He huffed at you while he set your house plant back down.

"Scared I might find out you're a turtle?" You scoffed. "I have some crazy news."

"Nice try, but that kind of show-" Leo reached above you to grab a cup, then pointed it at your smug grin. "Isn't for free. VIP only."

"I'm not a VIP girlfriend?" You were outraged.

The curiosity was always there. But you didn't push. You knew it would happen eventually.

That moment came a week later. When you ran your nails across his scalp.

You quickly did it a second time after his tiny noise of happy surprise. A gentle scratch. Only slight pressure to the green skin.

"What're you doing back there?" Leo twisted, peering up at you from where he sat on the floor infront of you.

You kept at it. Smiling as you switched between scratching and petting his scalp, adding a second hand. "Just touching you. That okay?"

Leo's eyes fluttered before he turned back to the TV. His shell between your knees.

As time passed, Leo's head lowered. His neck weakening. He obviously wasn't watching anymore.

"You okay?" You giggled quietly.

"Mm."

"C'mere." You pat your lap. "Turn around."

Leo did. He paused, facing you. You stared back, smiling before pressing a hard loud kiss to the side of his snout. Pushing his head slightly with its force, making him smile and laugh.

God, you loved that laugh.

Your hands opened and closed dramatically over his form as he slumped his head into your lap, curling up close. You nearly giggled at how large his head was as he rested his cheek on a thigh.

There was one problem....

"Hey," you whispered. "May I move the mask?"

Leo froze.

"I can work with it." You quickly said, cringing. "You're okay."

"No," Leo said. "No, it's okay. Hang on."

Your heart leapt into your throat in surprise. But you bit your lip. You didn't want to scare him as he sat up and used one hand to loosen the knot.

Leo pulled it off swiftly. Never looking at you.

You stared.

You had convinced yourself it wouldn't be a huge deal seeing his face. It was a small mask. How much could it really hide?

Apparently, a lot. You felt your brain adjust to the ridiculous fact that it had been unprepared to have so much green to look at.

Leo moved to lean back down. You stopped him. That's when he looked at you.

Leo's eyes hadn't changed a bit. You realized that they looked even more gorgeous like this.

You're heart squeezed.

You'd been dying to tell him. Now more than ever.

"Hi." You whispered, smiling and petting his cheeks.

"C'mon," Leo winced. "It's not..."

"Tell me it at least feels better off..." the backs of your fingers pet down his cheeks before you pushed your nails along each side of his head. Across his temples and then along his scalp again. "It sure looks better off."

His eyes rolled closed. He pushed further into the contact, a pretty groan slipping out.

He stayed there. Leaned a little bit forward as he sat on the floor. His head being pet and scratched from where you sat in front of him on the couch. You pressed a few kisses across brow and nose when you felt his weight going lax once more.

Then holding his jaw, you pressed your lips firmly against his forehead.

Leo signed.

This was it. Time to tell him. You took a deep breath.

"I love you." Leo whispered.

[dangermousie]

Pre-Joseon Sageuks: a Biased and Incomplete List

So, as promised way earlier, a post on pre-Joseon sageuks that I’ve either watched or plan to watch so am aware of them. I am sure there are others but here is what I got. Obviously my takes on them are subjective blah blah blah.

Jumong - arguably the Daddy of all Traditional Sageuks, this one ran for over 80 episodes and had insane ratings. It follows the rise of the mythical founder of Gogureyo tho it takes fantastical elements of his story and changes them for historically plausible ones. It’s very long and very meaty and politics/battle heavy and has a large cast of complex characters (including pretty nifty women and a LGBTQ supporting OTP) but it is anchored by the incredible performance of Song Il Gook as the titular character as he slowly but believably grows from nothing to a hero if at the cost of losing his marriage.

The King of Tears Lee Bang Won - this is basically a half and half beast as (you can tell by the title), it’s set in the last days of Goryeo and early days of Joseon. The time period covered is the same as in My Country and Six Flying Dragons, but this is the most traditional take of them all, even more so than 6FD. Not a single pretty face in the cast (tho Joo Sang Wook is a mighty fine man, emphasis on “man”), this is for the real fans of traditional sageuks. I enjoyed it a lot but if you want to check out pre-Joseon sageuks but have mainly watched youth sageuk stuff before, you should probably start with another drama on this list.

The Great Seer - set in the reign of King Gongmin, the last proper king of Goryeo (his son King U is technically the very last but there are questions as to his status), this is for those of you who want to watch Ji Sang in a sageuk. It’s centered around seers but don’t expect mysticism, this knuckles down to politics.

Shin Don - hi there, another story set in the reign of King Gongmin! From the title, you can tel it centers heavily on the powerful monk who ruled for the King at one point. This has been on my to-watch list forever because this appears to devote a decent chunk of its time to Gongmin X Noguk and I am dying for a proper drama for those two. This is from 2005 so if you do watch, keep that in mind in terms of visuals etc. That cast is lit!

Bicheonmu - this is sort of cheating because it’s pretty much set in China but it involves Koreans so. It’s a drama take on the same story told in a pretty awesome movie. Tragic love, battles, young Joo Jin Moo etc. i am very fond of it. This said, find and watch the Chinese version, Korean one was shredded.

The Iron Empress/Empress Cheon Chu - set in Goryeo, this was another of women ruler centric dramas that had a mini popularity peak in late 00s/early 10s (a trend I wish continued.) it got overshadowed by Queen Seonduk but by all accounts is a solid drama. It’s on my list but I haven’t watched it yet.

The King’s Daughter, Soo Baek Hyang - by the writer of The Rebel and My Dearest. Have I got your attention? Another woman centric ruler tale set in Baekje. Yes, there is a love story. That cast is great, to boot. I have started and liked what I’ve seen but got sidetracked. Need to get back to it. Before you look at the ep number and faint seeing the number 108, keep in mind that the eps are half an hour long so it’s an equivalent of a normal 54 ep sageuk so if you can watch eg Empress Ki, you are good with this.

My Country: The New Age - Lee Bang Won but make it gay. OK, I kid, sort of (not really) but this is smart and passionate and heartbreaking. If you want a wide scope or lots of politics, probably not a take for you (Six Flying Dragons is RIGHT there), but if you want an intense, emotional tale, come right in!

Six Flying Dragons - to me, this is THE drama about Lee Bang Won. It’s smart and emotional, deals with politics and has heart. It has a large cast of characters I got invested in, OTPs that will blow your mind etc etc.

Faith/The Great Doctor - if you are a fan of old school shoujo like Red River, Basara or Fushigi Yuugi, this or Moon Lovers are your best bet on this list. A time traveling tale with other fantasy elements about a modern day plastic surgeon who ends up being kidnapped into Goryeo during the early days of King Gongmin’s (hi!) reign by a tormented, oath bound warrior played by Lee Min Ho at his hottest (and playing historical General Choi Young. Do RPS at your pleasure), this one is one of my all time favorites.

Seodonyo/Ballad of Seo Dong - I am actually currently watching this one tho I haven’t been posting about it. Set in both Baekje and Silla, this is an angsty love story with a side of politics. It’s filmed in 2005 and looks accordingly but if you don’t mind dated visuals, this is pretty great!

Emperor of the Sea - set in Silla and Tang, this was a huge hit and deservedly so. Our protag is a slave and gladiator and a great naval hero. This is grim and smart and epic. It’s from 2004 so once again, if dated visuals are no-go, skip, but if you want a great story and performances, this has your name on it.

The Kingdom of the Winds - an epic cursed prince narrative, our ML (Song Il Gook at his sexiest) rises from abandoned prince and slave and abused assassin to general, royal and king, sparing time for an angsty delicious love story with an enemy princess. This has serious sageuk bits AND the best shoujo tropes in the business, plus enough whump to keep anyone happy.

Gye Baek - Lee Seo Jin, another sageuk stalwart, stars as the title character in this tale of a Baekje commoner, war slave and general. This is grim but glorious.

Soldier/God of War - this is a traditional war-centric sageuk and grim as hell. Another slave to general tale.

King Geun Chu Go - this is on my watch list; it’s about a warrior king of Baekje. Haven’t seen it but heard good things.

Ja Myung Go - smart and unrelentingly tragic, featuring Jang Ryeo Won and Jung Kyung Ho as doomed lovers and Park Min Young in an evil role, this is great and has deeply flawed characters in the very definition of doomed by the narrative tale.

Arthdal Chronicles - this is obviously a fantasy but the tale of prophesied twins, magical priestess, wars and mysticism is clearly set in a pre-Joseon in terms of aesthetics world.

Alchemy of Souls - like Arthdal this is pure fantasy but also like Arthdal, a lot of its styling is pre-Joseon so on this list it goes.

Moon Lovers/Scarlet Heart Ryeo - ok I think if people have heard of only one drama on this very long list, it’s probably this one. Modern time traveling heroine ending up during the reign of Goryeo’s King Taejo, in the middle of his sons’ fight for the throne, having an epic but doomed romance with shoujo catnip tortured bad boy Lee Jun Ki.

Shine or Go Crazy - if you want a more historical take on Moon Lovers succession fight but still with plenty of hotness, angst and doomed romance, come right in. This baby stars Jang Hyuk, so you know it’s bound to be good. I actually started it and enjoyed it but got sidetracked. Need to get back to it. Fun fact: while Moon Lovers was hugely popular internationally, domestically Shine or Go Crazy (they aired around the same time), did much better.

The Legend/The First King’s Four Gods - for a long time this was my favorite kdrama of all time and is still probably in my top 10. Ignore the odd first episode, the rest is perfection. Expensive and wonderfully written, this was Bae Yong Joon’s last drama before he retired to rest on his pile of money (if you are young, you probably don’t remember what a big deal he was, bigger than all the Hallyu stars nowadays put together. He basically was singlehandedly supporting the kdrama industry at one point), but what a worthy way to go out. It’s an epic Goguryeo fantasy tale of a prophesied prince coming into his own, with such amazing characters and relationships and OTPs and battles and points about destiny versus free will. It is everything and I kinda want to rewatch now.

The Blade and The Petal/Sword and Flower - ostensibly a star-crossed Gogureyo love story, this really is more about politics. It’s a mixed bag. The visuals are insane but Uhm Tae Woong, while always solid in modern dramas, is out of place in a sageuk (in QSD Kim Nam Gil stole his thunder; there is nobody to do so here but that doesn’t help him.)

Queen Seon Duk - probably the most famous entrant into female power sageuks, this was a mad hit and centered on the titular character’s rise to power and fight for the same with her female nemesis Mishil. If you want love stories, angsty fighter Bidam propelled Kim Nam Gil to stardom as he stole the leading man mantle from Uhm Tae Woong.

Empress Ki - currently rewatching this. It’s set in the waning days of Goryeo but takes place mainly in Yuan. Still, the FL is Korean and a lot of the story revolves around one of her suitors’, a deposed Korean king, attempts to get his land back. As you can tell by my rabid posts, this is a great drama - politics, romance (I ship FL and the Yuan emperor like mad), murder, dysfunction and everything good.

Hwarang - it’s so brain dead it might as well be a brain-eating amoeba in drama form but it did give us both Park Hyung Sik and Park Seo Joon before they made it big in drama world. It’s terrible tho, stay away.

River where the Moon Rises - I have such a love/hate relationship with this drama - I loved the beginning, with our tormented assassin heroine slowly being warmed by the loyal rustic ML with his own trauma. And then Ji Soo’s bullying scandal happened and he was replaced by Na In Woo, aka the actor I like least from any country in all my close to two decades of watching dramas. I tried but I simply couldn’t and I am still mad. This said, if you don’t share my NIW allergy, it’s probably worth a watch.

The Great King’s Dream - if you liked QSD and can’t get enough of the period but want an even more traditional tale, you can do worse than this drama. I liked what I saw but this baby is 70 eps and lacks Bidam so I peaced out. Maybe I will get back to it sometime, but probably not.

Jeong Do Jeon - as you can tell by the title, centers on JDJ and the last days of Goryeo. Not really my bag (time period been done plenty in other dramas and I don’t have that much interest in JDJ) but supposed to be solid.

My Only Love Song - a short silly mess but still probably better than River (which tells the same story) because it doesn’t have NIW.

King Gwanggaeto the Great - 92 eps. I can’t!

The King Loves - delicious love triangle (that goes ALL ways), angst, prettiness, a side of bodyguard romance. What’s not to love in this Goryeo tale?

ETA: this post was so long that when I tried to tag every drama I mentioned, tumblr told me you hit the tag limit of 30 tags no more tags for you. Oh well, sorry dramas that ended up I tagged!

[crimeboys]

monsterloot fic masterpost

multi-chapter

ignite the light: dsmp, canon divergence/reincarnation au/political drama, techno-centric sbi, where technoblade is new in town and everyone keeps trying to make his day worse (6/14 chapters)

the sun was sinking: dsmp, superhero au, tommy-centric crimeboys + discduo, where tommy has been taken by dream to become the best hero the city has ever seen but keeps having dreams about a man he doesn't know but could swear he does (4/?? chapters)

washed up: dsmp, modern au, wilbur-centric tntduo + crimeboys, where wilbur and tommy are washed up actors and quackity is wilbur's long-suffering agent trying to move them along (4/?? chapters)

ache performing apathy: dsmp, modern au, wilbur-centric sbi, where semi-estranged wilbur comes to his father for help without actually asking for it and finds a whole new family has been created in his place (1/?? chapters)

canon oneshot

it's nice to be wanted (2.8k): dsmp, pre-prison break, techno-centric peerpressureduo, where technoblade and michael meet for the first time

nothing is wrong, all of the time (3.8k): dsmp, exile snapshot, tommy-centric discduo, where dream shares a secret with tommy

26 going on 40 (4.7k): dsmp, post-inconsolable differences, wilbur-centric crimeboys, where wilbur has lost track of the days and tommy reminds him

your world and mine (1.7k): osmp, vaguely in s3, jack-centric rocketduo, where jack gets a wetsuit that lets him visit niki

crime and peace (1.8k): dsmp, post-inconsolable differences, wilbur-centric crimeboys, where wilbur and tommy have a not-so candid conversation about burgers

oh, how i want to be free (24.2k): dsmp, post-prison break timeloop, tubbo-centric cabinetduo + beeduo, where tubbo gets trapped in a timeloop and finds it's not all that different than before

the original and best (of men) (1.8k): dsmp, post-boundless sands, wilbur-centric crimeboys, where wilbur is in utah and haunted by the things he left behind

has the moon lost her memory? (4.4k): dsmp, post-nuke finale, crimeboys-centric crimeboys, where three guys visit a gas station and wilbur doesn't understand why tommy doesn't recognize him

best friends (1.6k): dsmp, post-prison break, tommy-centric clingyduo, where tommy visits a sick friend

a good pillow (3k): dsmp, post-prison break, techno-centric emerald duo, where steve is mad at technoblade and phil clowns him for it

our Love is God (354 words): dsmp, poem, wilbur-centric crimeboys, where wilbur haunts a body that is a country that is a brother

squeeze (3.2k): dsmp, post-inconsolable differences, wilbur-centric sand duo, where wilbur tells phil about leaving, tommy, and how those are connected

we're not getting better (1.6k): dsmp, post-tubbo apology, tommy-centric clingyduo, where tommy and tubbo discuss wilbur

moderation (8.1k): dsmp, post-boundless sands/the end of las nevadas, quackity-centric viceduo, where quackity thinks wilbur is dead and he and tommy decide to drink about it

in the middle (1k): dsmp, set vaguely before inconsolable differences, technoblade-centric bedrock bros, where technoblade and tommy find reconciliation through breakfast

buzz (1.4k): dsmp, set during burger arc before ho16, tubbo-centric cabinetduo, where tubbo and quackity talk about love

three-man operation (4.2k): dsmp, set vaguely sometime after bust, tommy-centric benchtrio, where tommy, tubbo, and ranboo decide to go sledding so of course a heist must occur first

(and burst) (4.1k): dsmp, post-boundless sands, continuation of “squeeze”, tommy-centric angelduo, where tommy talks to phil about wilbur leaving

au oneshot

they can't take the sky (4.2k): dsmp, zombie apocalypse au, wilbur-centric crimeboys + quirkyduo, where a paranoid wilbur struggles in the apocalypse and saves a couple of teenagers who return the favor

something like revival (10k): dsmp, modernish paranormal au, wilbur-centric crimeboys, where wilbur and tommy were friends one day brothers the next and now try to make a life in an apartment that may or may not be haunted

flying (3.6k): dsmp, circus au, tina-centric tinarose, where tina is in love with the circus flyer but knows that the job will always come first for hannah

everything you hid inside (23.6k): dsmp, modern + powers au, wilbur-centric sbi, where wilbur secretly has reality warping powers he refuses to use and then he gets deliriously sick

maybe the path is gory (whatever it takes) (6.4k): dsmp, zombie apocalypse au, quackity-centric las nevadas, where quackity will do whatever it takes to make las nevadas great

blood and cigarettes (10.9k): dsmp, vampire + fae au, wilbur-centric tntduo, where it is the 1800s and wilbur is trying to kill the local priest

close your eyes (4.2k): dsmp, hunger games au, wilbur-centric crimeboys, where wilbur tries to give tommy a moment of peace in the middle of the games

the brains of this operation (3k): dsmp, zombie apocalypse au, same universe as "they can't take the sky", tubbo-centric fireflyduo, where tubbo and dream discuss the ways they are similar

as my eyes shut (3.5k): dsmp, hannibal au, wilbur-centric tntduo, where wilbur is having a breakdown and makes impulsive decisions to gain some feeling of control

two guards (1.2k): dsmp, modern au, cabinetduo, where quackity and tubbo are hosting a funeral

the dark of our graves (4.2k): dsmp, hunger games au, same universe as “close your eyes”, wilbur-centric tntduo, where wilbur and quackity dig a grave

neither of us will be missed (23.4k): dsmp, modern minecraft/post-exile au, wilbur-centric crimeboys, where wilbur is a police officer investigating tommy innit for the murder of dream

break me, i am bread (15.3k): dsmp, royalty au, wilbur-centric tntduo, where wilbur is marrying sally, in love with quackity, and terrified of disappointing his father who doesn’t appear onscreen once

[world-of-wales]

I haven't seen the documentary (and I don't plan on it either) but from what I've read apparently Robert Jobson accused William of being jealous of Harry's success with Invictus Games, and they blamed Charles for not making enough effort to see Harry's kids yet having a close relationship with William's kids. And they played old interviews of Harry when he was promoting Spare and blaming William for everything. The documentary is supposed to be about Invictus yet they're just talking about the rift between Harry and William and blaming William for everything, even blaming William for not seeing Harry when he visited the UK after Charles cancer diagnosis. Also they were talking about how the slimmed down Monarchy is stressful for William without Harry and Meghan being there--trying to make it look like William needs Harry and Meghan. The documentary sounds like a smear campaign against William. I won't watch it.

So it is Robert jobson only. Someone mentioned this morning also that it was him, but yk, I'm not even surprised with the narrative he is going with. He's always been a master at stirring the pot, and most of these journos, including him, the so-called rr, are more Harry Fangirls than actual journalists. Like they are the ones Harry would be chatting to pre meghan when he was at the peak of 'hero harry' pr and hence was their media darling. It was quid pro quo basically, the press got their exclusive royal source. And in return Harry got shiny new articles and media for his image & pr.

Now, william, since then, has always been a press punching bag for all sorts of things. He didn't give then any access so they've always kind of took it out on him for trying to protect his own and his family's privacy. This is completely in line with the regular shit, jobson does. So not even surprised.

Also I don't think jobson would just go off script without the knowledge of Harry or his team like I mean....

Also this whole william was jelly theory is so bs like 🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️😭😭 I'm sure he's crying about it rn in his place as the heir and his family around him. Also bold of jobson to assume that william who helped set these games up so that his brother had a side project to look after is surely jealous of the games. And tbh what's there to be jealous about, I hate to say it but nobody cares about these games outside of the sux stans, nowadays atleast and it all comes back partly to the fact that the world has shifted on their thinking axis a little and partly because invictus has become more of a H&M show post their engagement and them leaving rather than it being about the veterans.

One reason a lot of people don't really care that much, and it's sad that they don't is because at a time where we are forced to see the humanitarian effects of war all across the world in various conflicts, people have become apathetic towards the army personnel and the veterans. Because for the average person they have become an extension to the problem. And I'm not saying this because I want to, my maternal grandfather's whole family has been serving in the Indian army or the other defense forces post indepence and before that my great grandfather fought in the WWII in the British Indian army. So I would like to think that i atleast to some level understand the problems military personnel have to go through. And what I'm saying about the anti military attitude these days is what the reality of the world is. Because of the problems created by world governments, most of the injured veterans do end up being ignored and looked at suspiciously. So while invictus, started off as a noble project, it's not just a pr mechanism for two people.

This is what I was talking about this morning. Invictus nowadays is not about veterans, it's about 2 individuals and I as an organization would think about atleast chatting to them and being like please don't extend the family drama to this.

[tokiro07]

In a recent interview, Eiichiro Oda said that he probably won't do any more manga after One Piece (or at least nothing huge) because the world he constructed for One Piece inadvertently allowed him to explore pretty much every type of story he wanted to: Mock Town was a Western, Egghead is both a sci-fi and a murder mystery, Thriller Bark was a horror, etc. He never did it, but Oda probably could have found a way to work in a high school drama or romantic comedy if he'd really wanted to. I would argue that's how the Hungry Days promotion came about, he probably wanted to see it explored at least a little bit but couldn't quite find a good excuse for it

Undead Unluck, as I think at least one of us has mentioned before, is very similar: it can be whatever it wants to be whenever it wants to be. A sci-fi horror against the emotion-eating aliens on the space station, a zombie apocalypse Western against Spoil, a wuxia against Feng, competitive gaming against Spring, sports against Void, and now of course the high school AU centered around Chikara; Undead Unluck can do it all! If we end up going into Lucy's mind and it becomes a swords and sorcery fantasy with Lucy captive in a castle by a dragonified Ruin, would any of you really be surprised? Would any of you even complain? I wouldn't, and in fact I hope it happens now. That'd be such a funny way to get both Ruin and Lucy back into the main story

I don't know if I've ever really talked about it before, but there are certain niches that Jump manga fill. I don't mean in the sense of genre like sports or gag manga, I mean more thematically. When My Hero Academia started, the consensus was that it was the "new Naruto," with its plucky underdog protagonist competing with a cruel and prodigious rival and a society that discredits him for the circumstances of his birth. Black Clover draws inspiration from a ton of big name manga, but Bleach is probably the one that it best resembles in the structure of its world (the Clover Kingdom resembles Soul Society, the Magic Knight squads resemble the Thirteen Court Squads, and the Grimoires are basically simplified Zanpakutou)

Over the years, I've seen many things take major inspiration from Naruto, Bleach, Dragon Ball, etc., but shockingly, there was a long stretch where I never saw anything try to emulate One Piece, at least not in a way that was particularly obvious. The closest was Toriko, creating wild and imaginative animals, plants, etc. the same way that One Piece creates its islands, but nothing had a cast that felt reminiscent to me

Interestingly, the first one that I noticed that felt like what I was looking for was Dr. Stone, and that only sunk in for me when Senku had his group build a boat and put up a sail with their own unique symbol. I realized in that moment that where Toriko had covered the spirit of adventure that One Piece had, Dr. Stone covered the spirit of friendship and togetherness: every time a dilemma came up, the solution was almost always finding a new ally and awakening their talents, applying them in a way that they'd never thought to before, or reconciling with an old enemy for the sake of progress. "My friends are here to do the things I can't, and I'm here to do what they can't." This is one of the core tenets of One Piece, and while it took me a while to notice, it was equally a part of Dr. Stone's core as well

Undead Unluck does something pretty similar, though not as overtly, since the cast don't really have neat roles like "navigator" or "doctor" or "chef;" instead, everyone has their areas of expertise that can be used in multiple situations, so the individuals best suited for each situation are carefully selected, and if none are available, the hunt begins for someone who is. I think this didn't sink in because it didn't become nearly as prevalent until after the timeloop, but in retrospect, the first half of the story was like the pre-timeskip Straw Hats', unprepared and unable to reach the world's ceiling when finally faced with it, only to come back stronger and wiser in their journey to come back together

Coupled with its ability to be (Chucky voice) genre-fluid, Undead Unluck has unexpectedly become in my opinion a more than worthy successor to One Piece's particular niche in Jump. I've had this thought for a while now, but I think that Undead Unluck might actually be a good glimpse into what One Piece would have been like if Oda had been able to stick to his original five-year plan. It isn't able to take nearly as much time to flesh out its world, but its streamlined approach elegantly allows us to get to know enough about the cast to be invested while still allowing attentive viewers to pick up on fine details. Where One Piece ballooned to be a 30-year venture because Oda kept having more ideas he wanted to share and angles he wanted to analyze, Undead Unluck seems to have a stronger clarity to its vision and commitment to ensuring that vision is realized ASAP without sacrificing any of the essentials. Neither approach is wrong, it's just good to see that there is in fact a world that exists where One Piece would have been able to be just as solidly executed even without entertaining every whim and flight of fancy that its author could dream of

Of course, One Piece is still going, and likely will be when Undead Unluck naturally concludes, so calling UU its successor is definitely a bit of an overstatement, but my main point is that I'm glad that we're starting to see authors who aren't afraid of sharing One Piece's niche, and more importantly are doing it in a way that's fairly subtle, but identifiable. It's an extremely comforting sign for the rapidly approaching post-One Piece world, and I can't wait to see what fills the coming power vacuum

[homomenhommes]

THIS DAY IN GAY HISTORY

based on: The White Crane Institute's 'Gay Wisdom', Gay Birthdays, Gay For Today, Famous GLBT, glbt-Gay Encylopedia, Today in Gay History, Wikipedia, and more … 17 March

In a notable book on Irish gay history Terrible Queer Creatures Brian Lacey presents some evidence that Saint Patrick may have had a long term intimate relationship with a man:"St. Patrick himself may have had a relationship tinged with homoeroticism. Tirechan, a late seventh century cleric who wrote about St. Patrick, tells the story of a man Patrick visited and converted to Christianity, who had a son to whom Patrick took a strong liking. Tirechan wrote that "he gave him the name Benignus, because he took Patrick's feet between his hands and would not sleep with his father and mother, but wept unless he would be allowed to sleep with Patrick." Patrick baptized the boy and made him his close lifelong companion, so much so that Benignus succeeded Patrick as bishop of Armagh."

Going backwards in his life, I have seen elsewhere a report* that after his escape from slavery and return to Britain, he supported himself by working for a time as a prostitute - yes, good old Patrick sold sexual favours.

Does this sound far fetched? Not if you consider the historical realities of the time. Patrick's home was in Roman Britain. Throughout the Empire, prostitution was an entirely acceptable way for men or women in desperate circumstances to make a living. Consider also his likely experience as a slave. In both Roman and Greek society, as well as elsewhere, it was assumed that one of the duties of a slave, particularly if young or attractive, was to provide sexual services on demand. Ireland was not under Roman rule, but there is no reason to suppose that the conditions of slavery were notably different. (Lacy shows in his book that in pre-christian Ireland same sex relationships were accepted and respected.)

There is another reason, though why we as queer Catholics should look to Patrick as a role model, regardless of his own sexual history, a reason which goes to the heart of his mission.

In Faith Beyond Resentment, theologian James Alison observes that in the Gospel story of the healing of the man possessed by demons, Jesus instruction to the man after healing was to "Go home," that is, back to the community which had tormented and rejected him, back to his persecutors.

This is what Patrick did. Having escaped from slavery and returned to his original home, he responded to what he saw as a call to return to the country of his captivity, to go back to the land of his tormentors - and convert them.

*In a comment to an earlier posting of this piece, theologian John McNeill has said that the book with this story was How The Irish Saved Civilization, by Thomas Cahill, who claims "Patrick paid for his passage back to Ireland by servicing the sailors on the boat."

1913 – People around the world know Clay Shaw (d.1974) as the only person ever tried for the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Most, however, do not know that he was a highly decorated war hero, a prominent New Orleans businessman, a French Quarter preservationist, a valued civic leader, and, from age sixteen, a successful playwright.

He was also a homosexual in a time and a place that viewed homosexuality as abhorrent, immoral, and criminal. In that society, gay people, particularly prominent citizens like Clay Shaw, were compelled to remain closeted and were extremely vulnerable.

When he was five he and his family moved to New Orleans. At Warren Easton High School, Shaw's one-act play "Submerged," which he wrote with a classmate, won a state playwriting contest. Seventy-five years later, it was still being produced by high school drama clubs.

When World War II began, Shaw enlisted as a private in the medical corps. Soon commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant, he was appointed to the staff of Brigadier General Charles O. Thrasher, directing supplies for the million men who crossed the English Channel in the D-Day invasion.

For his role in liberating France from the Nazi occupation, Shaw was awarded the Bronze Star and the Legion of Merit by the United States Army and the Croix de Guerre by the government of France.

Discharged from the Army in 1946, Major Shaw returned to New Orleans. Shaw was hired to launch the International Trade Mart, whose dual objectives were to sell American products abroad and to increase foreign trade into the Port of New Orleans.

At his retirement, the City of New Orleans awarded him its highest honor, the International Order of Merit, in appreciation of his many contributions to the city.

On November 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas. President Lyndon B. Johnson appointed a blue-ribbon committee to investigate the assassination and to report its findings to the American people. Headed by Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl Warren, it became known as the Warren Commission. The Commission concluded that Lee Harvey Oswald was the lone assassin, but a large portion of the population felt that they had not presented the whole story.

New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison saw in the Kennedy assassination his opportunity for fame. He announced that the Warren Commission had deliberately lied to the American people, purposefully covering up a conspiracy. Garrison proposed variously that the conspiracy was hatched by the C. I. A., the F. B. I., the military-industrial complex, Cuban Communists, and Lyndon Johnson and Texas oil barons.

But Garrison needed a theory that allowed him jurisdiction to prosecute, so he came up with the idea that the conspiracy was planned in New Orleans, and the assassination was a "homosexual thrill killing." He told a journalist, "They had the same motive as Loeb and Leopold when they murdered Bobbie Franks in Chicago."

On March 1, 1967, Jim Garrison arrested Clay Shaw and charged him with conspiring to assassinate President Kennedy. Garrison knew Shaw was gay, but the general public did not, though soon Shaw's homosexuality was exposed. The discreetly gay Shaw was soon described as a sadist as well as a homosexual.

The trial finally began in early 1969. Garrison produced witnesses who swore that they saw Shaw plotting to kill the President. As the trial progressed, however, it became clear these witnesses were nothing more than an odd assortment of crackpots and toadies whose stories were incompatible with each other.

The jury took less than an hour of deliberation to return with a verdict of not guilty. The date was March 1, 1969, exactly two years after Shaw's arrest.

Two days later Garrison re-arrested Shaw, this time charging him with perjury. It took another two years, and the last of Shaw's retirement savings, finally to get the United States Supreme Court to order Garrison to stop persecuting Clay Shaw. By this time Shaw's resources were depleted, and he had to return to work.

The strain of the five-year ordeal took its toll on Shaw's health. He died of lung cancer on August 14, 1974. He was 61 years old.

The experience of Shaw is a telling reminder of the vulnerability of closeted gay men and lesbians in the pre-Stonewall era. Precisely because of his homosexuality, Shaw made an inviting target for the machinations of a ruthless politician.

1938 – Rudolph Nureyev, Russian-born dancer and choreographer (d.1993); Nureyev became the most famous male dancer in the West before he was 30 — and the most publicized. His influence on the world of ballet changed the perception of male dancers; in his own productions of the classics the male roles received much more choreography. Another important influence was his crossing the borders between classical ballet and modern dance by performing both. Today it is normal for dancers to receive training in both styles, but Nureyev was originator, and the practice was much criticized in his day.

Nureyev by Richard Avedon

Famously well-endowed, his sexual life was the stuff of legend - the gay playboy of the western world. But he also enjoyed several long-term relationships - he spent the early 60s involved with an older Danish dancer named Eric Bruhn (1928-1986) but their relationship had suffered from something of a 'Star Is Born' nature as Nureyev's career rocketed and Bruhn became an alcoholic. In the 1970s, he had a long relationship with Wallace Potts, a director and archivist; and in 1978 he met a young dancer named Robert Tracy, who moved into his New York apartment and stayed for fourteen years until he was evicted, complaining that he had been treated `like a lackey'.

That he partied everywhere and was photographed partying everywhere was as clever a manipulation of the press as Diaghelev's successful attempts to get the public to focus on Nijinsky's considerable crotch. "We want Rudy," the fans screamed, "especially in the nudi!" It was all part of the show. So when Dave Kopay, an athlete of a different sort, casually mentioned in his best-selling autobiography that Nureyev visited Gay bars, no one particularly cared. The Celebrity Register had already printed the peculiar warning of an English friend: "I told Rudy he can be as naughty as he likes, but if he isn't more careful, they're going to find him... some morning in an alley in Soho, his head laid open with a lorry driver's spanner."

When HIV-AIDS appeared in France in about 1982, Nureyev took little notice. For several years he simply denied that anything was wrong with his health: when, about 1990, he became undeniably ill, he is said to have attributed these to other ailments. He tried several experimental treatments but they did not stop his deteriorating health. Towards the end of his life, as dancing became more and more agonizing, he resigned himself to small non-dancing roles. At the urging of Fonteyn, he had a short but successful conducting career, which was cut short due to health problems.

Eventually, he had to face the reality that he was dying and he won the admiration of many of his detractors by his courage during this period. The loss of his looks pained him, but he continued to struggle through public appearances. At his last appearance, a 1992 production of La Bayadere at the Palais Garnier, Nureyev received an emotional standing ovation. The French Culture Minister, Jack Lang, presented him with France's highest cultural award, the Commandeur de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. He died in Paris a few months later, aged 54.

1961 – Alexander Bard, born in Motala, Sweden, is a Swedish artist, music producer and philosopher.

Bard began his musical career in 1982 with the single "Life in a Goldfish Bowl" released under the name Baard, a synth-punk fusion project he had formed together with two female striptease dancers.

He has since claimed that he spent the Baard years living as a male prostitute in Amsterdam.

Bard later had some minor success as Barbie, which saw Bard in drag singing dance-oriented pop. After abandoning work on a second Barbie album, he formed Army Of Lovers with two of Barbie's entourage, Jean-Pierre Barda and La Camilla. Army Of Lovers had over 20 Pan-European hits, the biggest being "Crucified", "Obsession" and "Sexual Revolution", while their presence in the US and the UK was limited to repeated club chart successes. They released five studio albums, made over 20 high-camp music videos, and became phenomenally successful across Eastern Europe, before Bard disbanded the group in 1996.

Army Of Lovers have later earned a widespread iconic status in the gay culture, often referred to as a perfect example of the postmodern take on the ideals of camp.

Bard is a self-proclaimed bisexual libertine

1968 – Two drag queens known as "The Princess" and "The Duchess" held a St. Patrick's Day party at Griffith Park, a popular cruising spot and a frequent target of police activity in Los Angeles. More than 200 gay men socialized through the day to protest entrapmentand harassment by the LAPD.

1969 – Alexander McQueen, British fashion designer, born (d.2010). Born in the East End of London, the son of a taxi driver, McQueen started making dresses for his three sisters at a young age and announced his intention of becoming a fashion designer. McQueen left school at 16, landing himself an apprenticeship with Savile Row tailors Anderson and Shepherd, then working for Gieves & Hawkes and the famous theatrical costumiers Angels and Bermans.

Alexander McQueen's early runway collections developed his reputation for controversy and shock tactics (earning the title "enfant terrible" and "the hooligan of English fashion"), with trousers aptly named "bumsters", and a collection entitled "Highland Rape". It has also been claimed that he was on welfare and that he needed to change his name for his first show so that he could continue to receive benefits.

Some of Alexander McQueen's accomplishments include having been one of the youngest designers to achieve the title "British Designer of the Year", which he won three times between 1996 and 2003. He was also awarded the CBE, as well as being named International Designer of the Year at the Council of Fashion Designer Awards.

December 2000 saw a new partnership for McQueen with Gucci Group acquiring 51% of the company, and McQueen serving as Creative Director. Plans for expansion have included the opening of stores in London, Milan, and New York, and the launch of his perfumes Kingdom. January 2006 heralded the birth of McQ - Alexander McQueen - a denim based ready-to-wear line (womenswear, menswear and accessories).

In summer 2000 McQueen married his twenty-four-year-old lover George Forsyth, a documentary filmmaker. The ceremony, which took place in Ibiza on a yacht owned by a friend of supermodel Kate Moss (who was also bridesmaid), was covered by the press in much the same way as any other celebrity wedding. The relationship however did not last.

Alexander McQueen was found dead at his London home on 11 February 2010. McQueen hanged himself after taking a mix of cocaine, tranquillisers and sleeping pills. He was just 40 and days away from presenting a new collection in Paris.

1970 – Steven Fales is a classically trained playwright and actor who has gained broad recognition in both the theatre world gay community and the LDS community for his award-winning one-man play, Confessions of a Mormon Boy.

The first reading of Confessions was at the Sunstone Symposium in Salt Lake City in 2001. He has performed the play off-Broadway (under director Jack Hofsiss) and across the United States and internationally at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and London's West End. He uses his experiences to help others to reclaim spirituality and his work is his contribution to helping end spiritual abuse and violence in churches, mosques and synagogues. The book 'Confessions of a Mormon Boy: Behind the Scenes of the Off-Broadway Hit' was a Lambda Literary Award Finalist. Before becoming a solo artist he performed in Shakespeare and musicals in regional theatres across America.

'Confessions of a Mormon Boy' is Part One in 'The Mormon Boy Trilogy.' Part Two and Three are called 'Missionary Position' and 'Prodigal Dad.' Mormon-American Princess is his cabaret act and deals with the subject of narcissism. It premiered in San Francisco and has played Joe's Pub, New York City. Other solo shows include 'Conversations with Heavenly Mother: An Uncommon Diva', 'Joseph III', 'CULT!', and 'When All Else Fales.' He is a leader in the solo performance genre and is the founder of the Solo Performance Alliance.

Fales was born in Provo, Utah and raised in California and later Las Vegas, Nevada. He first trained at the Boston Conservatory on scholarship and after serving a two-year mission for the LDS Church in Portugal transferred to Brigham Young University where he received his BFA in musical theatre.

"Mormon Boy" chronicles Fales' heartbreaking journey from being a devoted, sixth-generation Mormon and father of two to coming out as gay and being excommunicated from his church.

He lives in Salt Lake City with his two children where he exports his work from the Rocky Mountains to Los Angeles, New York, and London. He is the former son-in-law of celebrated Mormon writer Carol Lynn Pearson and former husband of actor/writer/producer Emily Pearson.

Below he performs his song "Mormon Boy":

1970 – On this date the film-adaptation of Mart Crowley 's groundbreaking gay play, The Boys In The Band, premiered in New York City. 40 years later, a new documentary, Making The Boys about the making of this play and Mart Crowley's career opened in NYC.

"Making The Boys" is a new documentary about the history surrounding the groundbreaking play:The Boys in the Band. On the eve of the 40th anniversary of the Gay Rights Movement, the film explores the drama, struggle and enduring legacy of the first-ever gay play and subsequent Hollywood movie to successfully reach a mainstream audience.

Written by Mart Crowley, The Boys in the Band ran for over 1,000 performances off-Broadway and was later made into a feature film. It was one of the first pieces of popular entertainment that centered on a group of gay characters. Set in a New York apartment, The Boys in the Band is about a group of gay men getting together for a birthday party. The dialogue is biting and acerbic, and doesn't shy away from presenting characters that fall into stereotypes.

The most interesting thing about "Making The Boys" is that it isn't afraid to confront the controversy that has surrounded the play since its first performance in 1968. One of the subjects interviewed is the playwright Edward Albee, and he doesn't have that many positive things at all to say about the show. As the gay right movement built momentum during the 1970s, many began to resent negative portrayal of gays in the play and subsequent movie. Beloved by some for breaking new ground, and condemned by others for reinforcing gay stereotypes, The Boys in the Band sparked heated controversy that still exists four decades later

1972 – On this date John Waters' Pink Flamingoes was released. A star is born...Divine!

Gately (R) with Andrew Cowles

1976 – Stephen Gately (d.2009) first found fame as second lead vocalist with Irish vocal group Boyzone, who in the late 1990s were the most successful boyband in the UK, bridging the gap between Take That & Westlife.

Enjoying a string of number 1 singles and albums and successful tours, they were at the height of their fame when, in 1999, Stephen discovered that a national newspaper was planning to out him. He made the decision to tell his own story first and went public in The Sun newspaper - a brave choice in the, even now, surprisingly closeted world of pop music. Already out to friends, family and the other members of Boyzone, the fans attitude to their idol remained unchanged.

Stephen Gately had a short and relatively successful career as a solo artist, but being solo after Boyzone left him depressed and missing his bandmates. He eventually moved more succesfully into musical theatre, his roles including Joseph in Joseph & the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat and the child-catcher in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in London's West End.

At the time of his tabloid coming out Stephen Gately revealed that in 1998 he had started a relationship with Eloy de Jong, who had been in the Dutch boy band Caught in the Act. Stephen and Eloy split up in 2001, however.

After remaining single for a while, Stephen then started dating internet businessman Andrew Cowles, who had been introduced to him by Elton John and David Furnish.

Having only been dating each other for a matter of months, Stephen and Andrew held a commitment ceremony in a wedding chapel whilst on holiday in Las Vegas in 2003. On 19 March 2006 Stephen entered into a civil partnership with Andrew in a ceremony in London.

In 2007 after months of stories and rumours it was finally confirmed that Boyzone were to reform with the original lineup, making their debut reappearance for the BBC's Children In Need in November 2007. In 2008 the reformed Boyzone released a cover version of Tom Baxter's song Better, the video for which broke new ground by showing Gately with another man rather than the female models his straight bandmates apeared with, becoming probably the first mainstream pop video by a boyband to reflect the true sexuality of its members.

In October 2009 Stephen Gately was in Mallorca with husband Andrew, where they owned a holiday apartment. After going out for drinks on Saturday, 10 October the pair returned to their apartment with a man they had met in a club. Eventually Gately was left to sleep in the living room and was discovered in the early hours of the morning by their guest not moving and seated strangely; he immediately alerted Andrew Cowles that something was wrong. Stephen Gately was dead. His completely unexpected death at the age of 33 - and as his career with Boyzone was flourishing once again - came as a huge shock as the news quickly emerged.

A post mortem examination in Spain established that Gately died of natural causes.

[demifiendrsa]

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth | Story Trailer

Gameplay Trailer

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth will launch both physically and digitally for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC (Steam, Microsoft Store) on January 26, 2024 worldwide.

Overview

■ About

Two larger-than-life heroes, Ichiban Kasuga and Kazuma Kiryu are brought together by the hand of fate, or perhaps something more sinister… Live it up in Japan and explore all that Hawaii has to offer in an RPG adventure so big it spans the Pacific.

Epic Emotional Drama

Two larger-than-life heroes brought together by the hand of fate, or perhaps something more sinister…

Ichiban Kasuga, an unstoppable underdog who’s no stranger to crawling up from rock bottom, and Kazuma Kiryu, a broken man facing down his last days.

Best-in-Class RPG Action

Experience one-of-a-kind combat with dynamic, fast-paced RPG battles where the battlefield becomes your weapon, and anything goes. Adapt your party’s skills to the situation with outlandish jobs and customizations to strategically subdue enemies with over-the-top moves.

Infinite Adventure

Live it up in Japan and explore all that Hawaii has to offer in an adventure so big it spans the Pacific. Unforgettable moments await at every step of the journey with a unique mix of quests and activities to enjoy at your leisure.

Locations

Explore Yokohama’s Isezaki Ijincho and the series’ first overseas region, Hawaii!

Encounter new faces, create new bonds, and enjoy minigames in these immense and vibrant environments.

Cast

Ichiban Kasuga (portrayed by Kazuhiro Nakaya)

Kazuma Kiryu (portrayed by Takaya Kuroda)

Jo Sawashiro (portrayed by Shinichi Tsutsumi)

Yu Nanba (portrayed by Ken Yasuda)

Eiji Mitamura (portrayed by Ryo Narita)

Eric Tomizawa (portrayed by Satoru Iguchi)

Koichi Adachi (portrayed by Akio Otsuka)

Saeko Mukoda (portrayed by Sumire Uesaka)

Joon-gi Han (portrayed by Yuichi Nakamura)

Tianyou Zhao (portrayed by Nobuhiko Okamoto)

Chitose Fujinomiya (portrayed by Anju Inami)

Seonhee (portrayed by Hana Takeda)

Masumi Arakawa (portrayed by Kiichi Nakai)

Masataka Ebina (portrayed by Hiroki Hasegawa)

Dwight (portrayed by Danny Trejo)

Masataka Ebina (portrayed by Daniel Dae Kim)

■ Game Editions

Standard Edition ($69.99)

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth

Deluxe Edition ($84.99)

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth

Master Vacation Bundle

Ultimate Edition ($109.99)

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth game

Master Vacation Bundle

Assorted Outfit Bundle

Sujimon & Resort Bundle

Yakuza CD Collection Set

■ Pre-Order Bonus Content

Hero’s Booster Pack

This pack allows you to increase your party members’ level and job rank by 1.

Includes:

Leveling Set (Small) x 1

Gearworks Crafting Set (Small) x 1

Job Leveling Set (Small) x 1

* These consumable items grant enough EXP to raise a character’s level by 1 and enough Job EXP to raise the rank of the corresponding job by 1. * Please note that these items only grant as much EXP as needed and are therefore of greatest benefit when characters are their furthest from a level or rank up. * These items cannot be used by characters who have reached their maximum level or job rank.

Special Job Set

This set contains the special jobs of Linebacker and Tennis Ace.

Male Job: Linebacker will be available to all male party members.

Female Job: Tennis Ace will be available to all female party members.

* To unlock the Linebacker job, Kasuga’s Confidence must be level 6 or higher. * To unlock the Tennis Ace job, Kasuga’s Charisma must be level 6 or higher.

[phykios]

Review: "I Accidentally Vaporize My Pre-Algebra Teacher"

It was a long wait for the Black Sails reunion tour–but it was worth it!

Jokes aside, I first started to really get excited for Percy Jackson 2023 once I saw the news that Jonathan Steinberg had been tapped as showrunner. (This is the first weekly plug to go watch Black Sails if you haven’t, btw.) Despite a rough and rocky start, Black Sails surpassed the usual limits of a “boobs, blood and sex” costume drama and pivoted into some seriously excellent character-driven drama, and I’m hopeful that Percy Jackson can do the same. Awkward preamble completed, allow me to jump right into the good, the bad, and the as-yet-unquantifiable: 

(Because I know this fandom has a tendency to get, uh, wacky, let me preface this by saying that these are my opinions, and they are just opinions. Any comments on acting, writing, directing, etc., are not attacks on the people behind them, and should not be treated as such. I firmly believe critique is an act of love, and that the best reviews don’t change minds, but treat readers to another point of view instead.)

Percy Jackson opens in a dream. Slowly, against the backdrop of thunder and french horns, our hero emerges from the storm, walking slowly to the foreground. This dreamlike quality continues as we are treated to a minute and a half of flashback, the diegetic noises of the world muted in favor of Percy’s narration, and further into the beginnings of the adapted book content. Percy is, of course, immediately drawn to the statue of his namesake, but it’s a motivation more deeply underpinned by Sally, played by the frankly phenomenal Virginia Krull, before the warm, golden memory is rudely interrupted by the present, and the first real glimpse of the mythological world.

As Percy force-shoves Nancy Bobofit into a fountain (the CGI is pretty bad, honestly. But CGI has been bad everywhere, so I’ll let it slide), Megan Mullally’s Mrs. Dodds makes her grand, 30-second appearance. This little encounter–it feels like an overstatement to call it a “fight”–is over almost before it begins. I would have liked this scene to have a little more weight to it, given that it is the first encounter with the mythological world… but at the same time, I think the understated nature works in two ways: first, I am so, so glad to see something other than bog standard action flick fight, and second, the way she moves through the crowd without them noticing her adds to the feelings of isolation and “brokenness” that Percy struggles with. No one else even notices the monster making her way towards him. I think it’s a direction that speaks on multiple levels, recalling particularly the underlying theme of useless/abusive adults in the books. 

Which makes it all the sadder when Grover briefly turns on Percy and gets him expelled. I have to commend Aryan here for this scene–he’s clearly struggling with the decision to get Percy out of there, keeping him safe at the expense of their friendship. I really like how Aryan plays Grover’s more anxious side, but also as someone who can step up and push down his fear in order to do his job. It would have really been easy to play him as a one-note, terrified sidekick, and I’m glad Grover has some spine. 

And speaking of one note–Gabe. I understand why they downplay some of his more blatantly abusive aspects, and I think they make up for it with the surrounding shots, especially Percy sighing in the hallway as he hears him yelling, and Eddie the plumber apologizing for putting him in a mood, but I’m not sure I’m sold on it, yet. Right now, he doesn’t come off as someone who deserves death-by-Medusa-head, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they dial him up later on. 

Also, Virginia Krull is incredible. She was, far and away, my favorite performance of the premiere, particularly in the scene at Montauk. Krull’s Sally has the toughness that the books always implied, at least in the early days, but never really demonstrated until much later in the series, layered beneath an easy sweetness that makes it really, really easy to forgive her for keeping secrets. Ironically, Krull’s performance makes Gabe somewhat more palatable, as it seems like she can go toe-to-toe with him, instead of acting like a more stereotypically “docile” battered spouse. 

The Montauk scene is easily an episode highlight. Whether it’s Sally forcing out her unbelievable truth, or visibly crying while Percy pours his heart out to her about being broken, Walker and Krull are fantastic together, even in an exposition-heavy scene like this. 

I’m going to gloss over the drive and the Minotaur fight scene, because otherwise I’d just be repeating stuff I’ve already said, namely that Aryan and Krull are great actors, and the CGI is pretty ugly. Instead, I’ll just briefly touch on the fight–very well directed, and I appreciated that they were able to have both the visual of the sword with all its associated gravitas, and also the more visceral stabbing from the book–and point out that we end where we begin, in a hazy, dreamlike state, with the mysterious, shadowed figures of Chiron and the gang welcoming him to camp. 

This series feels different than a lot of TV. It definitely has a more cinematic feel, and the tone is much, much less jokey than I had feared. The books have a lot of humor to them, but ironically, the show leaning into the more “magical realism” which Riordan almost studiously avoids in the books helps to keep it balanced and un-cartoonish. Visually, I think the lighting is really emotionally effective, but only for the daytime, and suffers from the same “can’t light night”-ism that plagues modern television. Compare in particular Percy before and after Grover, Percy with his mother at the Met, and then the three of them running from the Minotaur at night. 

All in all, a really solid premiere. A little exposition-heavy, which is unfortunately something that carries over into the next one, but when it’s delivered with some excellent performances, it’s easy to overlook. 

Stray thoughts:

I need more Mythomagic. I need more Mythomagic

The marble statues are pretty ugly imo, but that might just be because I am currently spoiled for marble statues in my day-to-day

Percy and Grover swap sandwich fillings 🥺 Percy takes Grover’s lunchmeat

Sally bullfighting with Percy’s red coat… so good

Thalia’s tree with lightning crashing overhead!

Hopefully I can get the next review up tomorrow? And I’ll talk more about Walker in that one, along with some other thoughts on costume, set design, and other more technical stuff

[whimsyqueen]

what is Freytag's Triangle and why is it bad?

Oh you have opened a can of worms my friend @approximately20eggs I hope you’re ready

So everyone actually knows what Freytag’s triangle is in its most basic form (more response below the image because I’ve got thoughts):

It’s not like….. BAD, right? It’s just how Aristotle announced that you should set up a dramatic tragedy (based off of Oedipus the King) and everyone just kinda went “oh cool so that’s entirely what plot should be always and forever!” when like….. that works well and good for a dramatic tragedy, and CAN work for plot, but absolutely should not be how we base ALL PLOT in stories. And also, fiction transcends drama, does it not? We’ve like???? Moved past that???

Anyway, here’s a quote from Jane Alison’s Meander, Spiral, Explode that does an excellent job of explaining a lot of the feelings I’m trying to articulate:

“If you ask Google how to structure a story, your face will be hammered with pictures of arcs. And it is an elegant shape, especially when I translate arc to its natural form, a wave. Its rise and fall traces a motion we know in heartbeats, breaking surf, the sun passing overhead. There’s power in a wave, its sense of beginning, midpoint, and end: no wonder we fall into it in stories. But something that swells and tautens until climax, then collapses? Bit masculo-sexual, no? So many other patterns run through nature, tracing other deep motions in life. Why not draw on them, too?”

So yeah! It isn’t exactly that I think that Freytag’s triangle is bad, it’s just so western and so tired— and so many people are crafting such beautiful and interesting stories and it’s like…. Idk why are we listening to some dead white guy from thousands of years ago just because he was able to tell us how someone ELSE successfully constructed ONE story? Why do we not approach storytelling from a more individualistic point of view, because everyone is going to tell stories that speak to THEIR perspectives, so why not construct them in the way that best speaks to them instead of trying to force them into this pre-approved narrative structure?

It shits on like…. nonlinear storytelling, abstract storytelling, so many forms of storytelling that aren’t like the most basic Hero’s Journey of Storytelling (which also isn’t bad!!! IT HAS ITS PLACE!!) and I just think that if we were able to separate ourselves from that and not teach it as the end-all-be-all for people learning how to construct a plot!!

I can talk about this all day, this is truly just me barely skimming the surface of the matter, and if you’re interested in plot constructions that AREN’T arc/wave based, I can make an entire other post about that (and I’m MORE THAN HAPPY TO, this is literally what I’m going to school for!!)

I’m also gonna tag @faeriegutz and @moonscribbler bc they expressed interest in some of my grad school notes and this DEFINITELY falls under that category, and if you read this far and want more of my notes PLEASE let me know and I’d be happy to start tagging you in my posts like this!!

[themerlinlibrary]

TML Favourites Friday – Round-up Masterlist 2

A masterlist for the TML Favourites Friday round-up posts! [Sorted newest to oldest!]

[This list is updated as continuously as possible; if you find that it is lagging several weeks behind, feel free to poke us via an ask or a message.]

February 2024

Theme 1: Theme 2: Theme 3: Theme 4: Self-Rec Round:

January 2024

Theme 1: Favourite Merlin Bingo Fill 2023 Theme 2: Hero/Villain AU Theme 3: Academia AU Self-Rec Round: Longest Fic

◇◇◇

December 2023

Theme 1: Kid Fic Theme 2: Sibling Relationships Theme 3: Reunions Theme 4: Holiday Fic Self-Rec Round: Family Dynamics Bonus Round: Favourite of 2023

November 2023

Theme 1: Queer Themes Theme 2: Disability/Neurodiversity Theme 3: Mental Health Self-Rec Round: "We're Projecting, Babes"

October 2023

Theme 1: Ghosts Theme 2: Fae Theme 3: Horror Self-Rec Round: Whump

September 2023

Theme 1: Omegaverse Theme 2: Fairytale AU Theme 3: Sci-Fi AU Theme 4: Modern with Magic AU Self-Rec Round: World Building

August 2023

Theme 1: Love Spells/Potions Theme 2: Curses / Enchantments Theme 3: Creature Fics Self-Rec Round: Drama Scenes

July 2023

Theme 1: All-Time Favourite Theme 2: Soulmates Theme 3: Established Relationship Self-Rec Round: Favourite WIP

June 2023

Theme 1: Enemies to Lovers Theme 2: Friends to Lovers Theme 3: Slow Burn Theme 4: Fake Dating Self-Rec Round: Pride

May 2023

Theme 1: Gen Fics Theme 2: Roundtable BFFs Theme 3: Magic BFFs Self-Rec Round: Favourite Friendship(s)

April 2023

Theme 1: High School / College AU Theme 2: Roommate AU Theme 3: Sports / Olympics AU Self-Rec Round: Favourite Modern AU

March 2023

Theme 1: Spymaster Merlin Theme 2: Pre-Camelot / Pre-Merlin's Arrival Theme 3: Memories Theme 4: Arthur Returns Self-Rec Round: Oldest Favourite

February 2023

Theme 1: 50 to 100k Theme 2: over 100k Theme 3: Valentine's Day Self-Rec Round: Merlin Bingo Fills

January 2023

Theme 1: up to 10k Theme 2: 10 to 25k Theme 3: 25 to 50k Self-Rec Round: Shortest Fave

◇◇◇

December 2022

Theme 1: Angst Theme 2: Humour Theme 3: Hurt/Comfort Theme 4: Fluff Self-Rec Round: Favourite Ending

November 2022

Theme 1: Rated E Theme 2: Arranged Marriage Theme 3: First Date Self-Rec Round: Getting Together

October 2022

Theme 1: Rated G Theme 2: Rated T Theme 3: Rated M Self-Rec Round: Fics that deserved more love/attention

September 2022

Theme 1: Taverns and Feasts Theme 2: Quests and Missions Theme 3: Dragons Theme 4: Outsider POV Self-Rec Round: Original Character(s) | Favourite OC

August 2022

Theme 1: BAMF Merlin and/or Arthur Theme 2: BAMF Gwen and/or Morgana Theme 3: BAMF Knights of the Round Table Self-Rec Round: Action Scenes

July 2022

Theme 1: All Time Favourite Merlin Fic Theme 2: Druids Theme 3: Court Sorcerer Merlin Theme 4: Noble Merlin Self-Rec Round: Canon AU

What is Favourites Friday? – The Basics

a different theme is announced on Friday each week; FF recs must match the theme of the week

only one FF rec per person per week/theme; actually pick a favourite!

FF recs must be unique within that week/theme; no double-posting the same fic for one theme!

no self-recs during regular rounds

only self-recs during self-rec rounds (last Friday of each month)

If you want to never miss a FF rec, or would like to participate and share your own favourites; join us on the Discord TheMerlinLibrary!

About the FF round-up lists:

Recs are listed in the order they were posted on the Discord; the order does not imply any sort of ranking.

The pairing given in this list is the main pairing of each respective fic – please read the tags for any possible minor or side-pairings, as well as any potential warnings or triggers.

Pairings and Eras are given as tagged in each respective fic. (?) signifies that the tags were unclear and I do not know enough about the fic to fill the gaps.

Round-ups are compiled on the weekend of the week after the respective theme of the post (when the new theme has already been anounced), to avoid omitting potentially belated FF recs.

Since I am running FF alone, it is not always possible for me to have the round-up list up immediately – please be patient.

The weekly round-up is not a guarantee! It can only be posted for weeks when I have enough time on my hands to compile a list.

[sublimecatgalaxy]

@ncllywrites had a wonderful request so I figured I'd put in it an 'request' form to make it easy for me to fulfill :)

"billy x reader fic where the reader has this negative idea of billy bc she heard rumors that he was just a terrible person, but they end up being forced to spend time together for whatever reason. she gets to know the real him and they become friends or at least friendly."

Love this idea and I love the enemies to friends/lovers!

This is off canon, I repeat, not canon- goes completely off normal story line but I like it.

I have to specify because I hate being yelled at, this is not canon Billy. This is my own version of Billy so before anyone comes and attacks me, once again, THIS IS NOT CANON THIS IS MY OWN HEAD-CANON OF BILLY AND HIS CHARACTER, I am not excusing any of canon-Billy's actions or behaviors or beliefs.

"You can not leave me- I can not be responsible for him, Max." I plead, grasping at straws as the group refuses to listen to me. They give me a look before looking at the tightly sealed sauna door, but quickly decide to leave me to the wolves. I practically chase after them, following closely on Max's tail, all the way out the door as the whole group turns to me with a collective sigh, all exhausted from once again trying to save the world.

Being new to the whole secret Hawkins and the weird government involvement has not been the easiest thing to settle into. Finding out that everything around me has been a lie and everyone around me has been lying to me to protect me has been a difficult pill to swallow and it's only come withe more questions with every day that passes. I'm no hero like the rest of my friends are, I don't make quick decisions or put myself in harms way. I'm still having a difficult time believing this isn't just another one of the boys DnD storylines or some make believe game that they've roped me into play.

I'm in no means ready to help them save the world, let alone babysit the very man who's been causing majority of the drama over the last few days.

"We'll be gone for a bit, he'll be fine in the sauna." Max sighs, reaching out to take my hand in hers, giving it a tight squeeze in reassurance but I just feel myself panicking more. Her gaze flickers back and forth between mine as her lips pull up into a sad smile. "I know you hate him, but no one deserves this." She whispers, brows pulled together in anguish, and my chest pangs, watching the rest of the kids fizzle out of the room.

"He sort of deserves being possessed, Max." I whisper with a smart-ass smile, relieved at the laugh that leaves the pre-teen, her shoulders drooping in relief. "I'll sit with him but- fuck- please don't be long." I beg quietly, my eyes fluttering shut in frustration as she steps away from me, patting my shoulder before exiting the locker-room.

I turn slowly to look back at the small window on the door, knowing that Billy sits in there, not completely him but not completely gone. I've tried my best to wrap my head around the whole concept of the 'mind flayer' and after asking Will some questions, it's getting a bit clearer. But to picture Billy, someone I already have such a vivid image of in my head, I don't know how to approach babysitting him.

"Is anyone there?" Billy calls out, his voice groggy and cracked as if he's been yelling at the top of his lungs for hours. "Y/n, that you?" A chill runs down my spine at the sound of my name slipping past his lips. "Come on!" He shouts abruptly, a whimpered gasp escaping me at the sheer force of his voice, a voice that sounds nothing like his.

"Yeah, I'm here." I mutter, stepping up to the door to look down at him, watching the sweat drip down his forehead and onto the floor. He looks a bit relived at the sight of me, his head shaking in disbelief and he forces out a sigh.

"Why'd they leave you?" He asks, moving to lean against the wall, making no move to escape or manipulate his way out of his confines, his fingers tugging at the curls that sit atop his head.

"Sacrificial lamb, I guess." I chuckle, moving to rest my back against the door as I slide down to the floor. Tucking my knees to my chest, I allow my head to rest against the cool metal door, my eyes fluttering shut as I try desperately to slow my heart.

A few moments go by, quiet and peaceful almost as I listen to the frogs and bugs from outside the locker-room, watching the ripples of the water from outside reflect on the ceiling above me.

"I didn't want this to happen- if I knew-" Billy gasps suddenly, my eyes widening at his words that sound almost like guilt or something resembling an apology. My lips part in unspoken words, eyes locking on the ground as I shuffle my feet against the concrete. "I would've done better if I knew." He whispers, voice cracking a bit.

"Most people wouldn't be a shitty person if they knew of the karma coming their way." I scoff, not believing that the words that are leaving him are actually his words. The Billy I knew would've never apologized or held himself to any responsibility for hurting anyone.

So is this him, a new Billy? Or is this the mind-flayer actively trying to manipulate his way out of the sauna and into my own mind?

"Yeah-fuck. Are you seriously saying I deserve this?" He laughs tiredly and I briefly remember Max's words from earlier, my heart tugging painfully in my chest as my stomach swirls.

"No. You don't deserve it." I mutter, listening to the sigh of relief that leaves him. "But maybe if you survive, you'll have a change of heart on how you treat the people around you, like Max." I offer, allowing silence to consume us once more as he thinks on it. I can practically hear the gears turning in his mind from the other side of the door and for a second I actually think that he's fond of the idea.

"Think I'm capable of that?" He asks, a playful hint behind his voice but it's masked by sincerity, a heavy weight of sadness lacing his tone. Deciding to throw him a bone, I force a laugh before whispering.

"Not at all." He snorts, his head thumping against the door as a relieved smile takes over me, happy to have gotten past the awkward tension that I assumed would've taken hold of any conversation we would've shared.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, beautiful."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- Taglist: @bubblebuttwade @rafelover2405 @leslienjazzy @sorceresss @grxnde-dwt @alex–awesome–22 @bunnietoof @niyamar1e @serialghost @plantlungs @geniusohn @akaliltimmytim @lilaalouuxx @xshariex @elliotsbeigeguitar @elle4404 @lelieja @srhxpci @joselyn001 @taysirene @spinkspanther @thedivineuphoria @peter-maximoffs @tsukishimawhore @poohkie90 @szlaco @distantsighs @nstyles4299 @wolflover384 @givemefoodandlovesstuff @vane2828 @yeswhatever33 @amirrahfranson @vvaalleennttiinna @f-mu @yaspillz @jeyramarie @skylievin@abbybarnes17 @jointherebellion215 @visiondaddy @steezysimfinds @its-ya-gay-boi-luigi

@crunchytoenailsyum@glizzymcguirex @beth123lg @melovesmut @rafecameronswhore @ariianelle @write-from-the-heart @vampviolets@haylee-e@popehaywardssecretgf @honee-chai-tea @lokiandbuckywife @smoke-and-fire @officiallyunofficialperson@heyaitsklaudia@rosepetalsparks @bluetreecloud20 @scenesofobx @double-shot-of-tequila @1dluver13xx @colbysbrocks @iamasimpingh0e @smoke-and-fire386 @loveshineslikethesky @id-3-kbro @diorsitgirl @errorfound101-allideasburnedout @neverwillknowme18 @ellyskey @taylors-folk @loversjoy @myaloveee @thyris-is @lagataprrr @aaaaslaaaan @minjix @luvrosee @storytellingwitht

[miss-ingno]

Everything I Wrote In 2023

...or at least the bits I posted to Ao3 :D 21 works with a word count of 71,998 total! I'm honestly surprised, I thought it was much less considering how little I felt like writing between work and health issues sapping my energy.

I'll sort these alphabetically by fandoms and within the fandoms chronologically from first posted to last.

Assassin's Creed II Title: Return To Sender Ship: Claudia Auditore/Desmond Miles, Claudia Auditore & Ezio Auditore Words: 3.5k Tags: Epistolary, Time Travel, Marriage, POV Outsider (as in Outsider on the Time Traveller PoV), In-Universe Documents Summary: Over the years, Ezio and Claudia exchanged many letters. These are the ones concerning Claudia's husband, then-stranger, Desmond.

Deja Vu by Dreamcatcher (Music Video) Title: All Our Memories, They're Haunted Ship: Jiu/Yoohyeon Words: 1.1k Tags: Memories, Regret, Grief/Mourning, the Queen is dead; long live the Queen, Dark Yoohyeon, Murder Summary: There are no witnesses to her ascent. There is no one she trusts not to stab her in the back. Title: Our Love's A Curse Ship: Jiu/Yoohyeon Words: 833 Tags: Backstory, Happy with A Bad Ending, Off-screen Character Death, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Yoohyeon's descent into madness, Assassin Yoohyeon Summary: Yoohyeon worked hard to create a perfect world for Jiu and herself. But perfection isn't forever.

Detective L Title: Both Is Good Ship: Ben Jieming/Luo Fei/Qin Xiaoman Words: 1.5k Tags: Relationship Status: It's Complicated, Pre-Relationship, Developing Relationship, Background Case, Post-Canon, Pre-Poly, Polyamory Negotiations, Insecurity, lbr they all have their issues but they love each other for who they are and that's what's important Summary: The day before the police ball, Ben Jieming and Luo Fei discuss who should accompany Qin Xiaoman. Unbeknownst to them, she already made her choice.

Dimension 20 - Mentopolis Title: Where in Mentopolis are the Prefrontal P.I.s? Ship: Ensemble Words: 800 Tags: Logic Grid Puzzle, Worldbuilding, Post-Canon Summary: It’s the Grand Opening of Daniel Fucks’ new Emporium of Exquisite Pleasures, but none of the other Prefrontal P.I.s have shown up! However, through his criminal network, Daniel hears some rumours about what they’re each up to. Can you help him find them and drag them away from whatever they’re doing for this most important of all events?

Granting You A Dreamlike Life Title: The Hero Returns Ship: Hong Lan & Luo Fusheng, implied Duan Tianying/Luo Fusheng Words: 826 Tags: Late Canon Fix-It, Somebody Lives/Not Everyone Dies, PoV Tianying Summary: The first thing Hong Lan does as head of the Hong family is to order Luo Fusheng back home.

Grimm (TV) Title: Back In A Spell Ship: Sean Renard/Juliette Silverton, Nick Burkhardt/Juliette Silverton, pre-Nick Burkhardt/Sean Renard/Juliette Silverton Words: 7.2k Tags: Time Travel Fix-It, POV Juliette Silverton, former Hexenbiest Juliette, Nick is not a Grimm yet, Identity Reveal, Magic Revealed, Dinner Date with Ulterior Motives, Secrets Summary: Going back in time has a price. Juliette will make damn sure it was worth it. Title: Sting Of Love Ship: Nick Burkhardt/Monroe Words: 1k Tags: Kissing Slice of Life Action/Adventure Wesen of the Week Episode Style Summary: Monroe accompanies Nick on Grimm business.

Guardian (drama and novel) Title: Growing Pains Ship: Shen Wei/Zhao Yunlan & Da Qing Words: 2.5k Tags: Case Fic lite, Haixing-Dixing politics, set between Episode 4 and Episode 5, Early in Canon, Zhao Yunlan takes a bullet for a Dixingren Hurt Zhao Yunlan Protective Shen Wei (Guardian) Morality Summary: During their most recent case Zhao Yunlan's superiors put him in a difficult position: follow orders, or summon Heipaoshi to hand over the Dixingren? Title: Telenovela Ship: one-sided Zhao Yunlan/Zhu Hong, background Shen Wei/Zhao Yunlan Words: 315 Tags: Slice of Life, Zhu Hong gets to be snake-y, Pining, Denial Summary: Zhu Hong watches dramas in her free time. Title: In This, As In All Things (WIP) Ship: Shen Wei/Zhao Yunlan & Da Qing Words: 13k+ Tags: Time Travel Fix-It, Time Travel: Post-Canon to Pre-Canon, Secret Identity, Identity Shenanigans, Established Relationship, Family Issues Summary: Given the chance to right the wrongs of the past, Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei go back to before they met (again). But how much can they change faced with a very different SID than the one under Zhao Yunlan's lead? Title: Ruffling Feathers Ship: Zhu Hong & Da Qing & Ya Qing Words: 7.1k Tags: Post-Canon, Handwavey Fix-It, Yashou Politics, Case Fic, Zhu Hong and Da Qing team up to solve a theft, Yashou High Chief Zhu Hong, Yashou Worldbuilding, Mistakes Are Made, Zhu Hong is new to this job Summary: Zhu Hong is more than ready to delay her responsibilities for old times' sake when Da Qing approaches her about his missing bells. But the case takes them smack-dab into internal Yashou politics and Zhu Hong's mettle as High Chief is put to the test. Title: Two Of A Kind Ship: Ya Qing/Zhu Hong Words: 12.9k Tags: Time Travel Fix-It, Pre-Canon, Yashou Politics, Yashou Worldbuilding, Pre-Relationship, PoV Ya Qing, mentions of the Time Loop, Background Shen Wei/Zhao Yunlan, mentions of the canonical ending, Antagonist Ye Zun, BAMF Ya Qing Summary: Zhu Hong approaches Ya Qing with a warning from the future. Ya Qing is... intrigued despite herself. Title: Freezing Ship: Chu Shuzhi/Guo Changcheng/Ye Huo Words: 507 Tags: Character Study, Missing Scene, Episode 19 Summary: Stuck in the experimental lab, Chu Shuzhi has time to contemplate his newest companion. Title: Days of Splendour Ship: Shen Wei/Zhao Yunlan & Zhaodad & Zhaomom (novel) Words: 1.9k Tags: Wedding Planning, Wedding Fluff, Post-Canon Summary: Zhao Yunlan knows what he wants: Shen Wei, at his side, forever. Title: Happy Hour Ship: Shen Wei & Shen Wei's students, Shen Wei/Zhao Yunlan & SID Words: 975 Tags: Background Case, Shen Wei's terrible lies, undercover at a bar Summary: A criminal, a professor, and a cat walk into a bar. The professor's students did not expect to be part of the joke. Title: An Intimate Touch Ship: Shen Wei/Zhao Yunlan Words: 2.2k Tags: YOHE, Facial Shaving, Hair Brushing, Hair Braiding, Almost Kiss, Domestic Fluff Summary: Shen Wei helps Kunlun shave his beard. Title: Gossip Mango Ship: Shen Wei/Zhao Yunlan & Shen Wei's students Words: 1.9k Tags: Social Media, Episode Related (1-8), Canon Compliant, mentions of canon suicidal ideation and murders Summary: Not only does Dragon City university have a great and sophisticated study program for many different majors, it also has a flourishing social media site for students to discuss their studies social activities recent events.

Harry Potter Title: To Seek Knowledge Ship: Hermione Granger & Luna Lovegood & Ginny Weasley Words: 4.4k Tags: Female Friendship, Spell Theory, Bullying, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Hogwarts Second Year, Golden Trio (background) Summary: A precocious pre-teen on a quest for knowledge ends up changing the future. She even makes a friend or two on the way.

Naruto Title: Adventitious Ship: Haruno Sakura & Hatake Kakashi & Uchiha Sasuke & Uzumak Naruto Words: 5k Tags: Developing Friendships, set after the Wave mission but before the Chuunin Exams, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, in which Team 7 grows closer and Sasuke doesn't defect, Dai-nana-han | Team 7 Have Issues (don't worry they're working on it), Mission Fic (sort of), no literal geese were involved in the making of this fic, in which Team 7 accidentally topples several villains' plans Summary: To keep Team 7 busy, Kakashi-sensei sends his students on a wild goose chase. Much to his dismay, they actually find a golden goose.

长公主在上 | Zhǎng Gōng Zhǔ Zài Shàng Title: By Your Side Ship: Li Yunzhen/Gu Xuanqing, Li Yunzhen & Li Chenglin Words: 2k Tags: Post-Canon Court Politics Dom/sub Undertones Established Relationship Relationship Development Summary: After tricking the Chancellor into publicly rebelling, Li Yunzhen retires from politics.

[tracingpapier]

post-mecha sally au loredump ! long post warning :P

me being nerd about my au !! finally posting this lmao

SO it obviously takes place in pre-genesis wave continuity. obv the comics were kinda falling apart towards the end of the mecha sally arc (lawsuit hell etc etc) so i'm not the biggggest on how they were wrapping up that arc. this is more or less a big ol rewrite.

i think i would want the mecha sally arc to end with a big ol' super sonic battle... sal is an important character and i think the mecha arc deserves to go out with a big bang! (<- says the biased sally fan) so, i imagine eggman is pushing mecha sally to her absolute breaking point. he's got her supercharged on rings, but in a state that she just physically cannot keep up. this would give us some really cool visuals to work with; her robotic body just literally fraying and falling apart as she and sonic are fighting B). as much as he wants to, sonic can't afford to pull his punches. so the audience gets a really satisfying, no holding back fight. in his regular state, sal's really giving him a run for his money. it's looking like she's got him, despite being on the brink of just falling apart herself... but at the last second, he goes super! (someone airdrops him the chaos emeralds or something. work with me here) he's able to use his powers to subdue mecha sally/save the day etc.

after being returned to her organic form, sal takes everything really hard (yay drama!). she knows, logically, that she wasn't in control of her actions; she doesn't blame herself, per say, for her actions which she was roboticized. but being forced to watch herself hurt her friends against her will was still really traumatic nonetheless. additionally, she has to get used to living with her physical changes after being "upgraded" too (pardon the old ass art). it took her a bit of time to get used to the feeling of channelling ring energy, and also a bit of time to get the hang of summoning her ring blades at all.

she really struggles to look her friends in the eye afterwards. after things have returned to the status quo, she runs off for a bit herself and ends up staying with fiona, who, in this au, has broken off from scourge and the destrutix and minds her own business as an anti-hero/chaotic neutral character. the two have a rocky past, but have a really particular/peculiar bond. sal knows that she can turn to fiona without ever worrying about being judged for her actions.

after taking some time to recuperate and manage her emotional state, sal returns to mobotropolis to finally make amends with/reconnect with her old friends. she resolves to master her ring blades and to improve her fighting skills. her fighting style is super intense, very all-or-nothing. she gives it her all until she literally can't fight anymore. this kind of lends itself to her ring energy/power blades. she needs a constant supply of pure (ring) energy to keep them summoned, which she must have preemptively on hand, so any fights she gets into need to be resolved quickly.

sonic's the one who takes charge of her training. he's definitely one of the most powerful freedom fighters, but he's also the one she trusts the most. he's more than happy to help her (and just to have her back, frankly), but sometimes sparring with her can be a lot. especially when it reminds him so much of fighting her in her mechanized state.

sally resolves to herself that she'll never be captured and used as a pawn ever again. never again.

[tdalejandro]

Total Drama 9/11 2

This episode occurs in an alternate universe where Sierra was placed as a villain, and thus Alejandro was placed on the Heroes. But without Scott to bump into him, Alejandro is still in the robot. This episode takes the space of Moon Madness because I don't like it.

Heroes:

Zoey

Mike

Duncan

Cameron

Alejandro/Robot

Villains:

Gwen

Heather

Courtney

Sierra

Scott

"Alright campers, it's 9/11, and you know what that means!" Chris announces.

"What DOES it mean, Chris? Do you want us to crash planes into buildings for your stupid challenge, or something?" Heather asks, flailing her arms.

Chris stares blankly. 'Uhm, yes? Was that not clear?"

Heather stands, stunned.

"Today's episode is a homage to Season 2's 'Master of Disaster' challenge! Except this time, instead of natural disasters, they're manmade. And you're the man making them!" Chris continues. "In your teams, you will need to decide who will pilot the planes into those two towers!" Chris gestures to two cardboard cutouts emerging in Lake Wawanakwa, with an uncanny resemblance to the World Trade Centre towers that once stood mighty in a time long past.

"Easy. I'll do it." Duncan volunteers for the Heroes.

Zoey hesitates a bit, before cautiously putting her hand on Duncan's shoulder, which alarms him until he realizes who is approaching him.

"Are you sure the Robot shouldn't do it? I mean, it's not got a conscience... It's better it than you," Zoey says, with a tiny of worry.

Behind her, the faceless robot emits some sense of sadness. It's an indescribable feeling, like the sense you're being followed.

"Fat chance! I'm not being upstaged by scrap metal. Besides, its wheels couldn't accelerate on the pedals." Duncan bites back. "Besides, wouldn't want you doing it. You still need to work things out with Mike, and that means he's also out." He puts his hand on her hand that rests on his shoulder, and removed it with a smile.

"Yeah." Zoey replies. "Mike."

---

Zoey: Look, I still love Mike, but I feel like I've lost him the past few days. I feel like he's a completely different person. And Cam can't figure it out... What's a girl to do.

---

On the Villains team, there is surprisingly not as many volunteers. That is until you remember that any volunteer is volunteering to die.

"I can't do it! I'm going to be studying pre-law after summer! I've got a whole career ahead of me," Courtney hisses.

"Makes a difference from your whole shtick being a CIT, doesn't it! And why should it be me?" Heather bites.

Scott stands sheepishly, with conflicted emotions regarding both women.

"Did I say it needed to be you? Why not Gwen?" Courtney responds. "I mean, she's so self-destructive, you may as well do some good and destroy something for the good of all of us."

Gwen swallows and stands firm.

"No, I'm not doing it." Gwen confirms.

"And why not?" Heather asks.

"Because Sierra is doing it." Gwen replies.

"HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND?! Because I've not. What I mean is she's more of an asset of you, she knows the game, all you know is how to be a goth, sooo..." Heather says, feeling heated.

"Heh, thanks Heath..." Sierra shrugs.

"True, but you're forgetting one thing. She's exploded at point blank range of a plane once before. She did it, she survived it, we know for sure she won't die." Gwen responds. "And Sierra, this can bring your Total Drama experience full circle! This is how you can redeem yourself. You lost your chance of a million dollars and left Cody against the evil Alejandro and Heather all alone. But if you do this? Cody will for sure forgive you! It's the least you could do for him. I mean, if you didn't blow up the plane, he wouldn't have been ate by a shark, he might've even won the season!"

---

Gwen: Okay, that was evil. But it feels so good.

Sierra looks at the ground, then looks up. "Fine, I'll do it."

Sierra straps herself into the plane. Heather approaches with a sad luck.

"You don't need to do this."

"I know, but I'll survive. Chris is too cheap to buy jet fuel that'll melt steel beams."

Heather laughs. "See you on landing."

Duncan sits proudly in the plane, as Zoey approaches him.

"If Sierra can survive, so can you." Zoey reassures Duncan.

Duncan looks panicked. "It's not dying that scares me. It's losing you."

Zoey stares in shock. She pauses. "No. I need to think of Mike," she says, as she looks over towards Mal, who she is still unaware of. He is staring at the Villains team. "Even if he doesn't care about me..."

Duncan sits silently. "This is why I stepped up."

Mal, oblivious to Zoey and Duncan's conversation, notices it's Sierra of all people getting into the fighter jet.

---

Mal: Look, I don't do emotions. But I feel a kinship with Sierra. I feel like I can guide her through the darkness. She's capable of pure evil and I know it's not being nurtured on the villains team. This is why I need her in the merge. This is why I need her to stay on the ground.

---

Mal approaches Sierra's vehicle, trying to impersonate Mike. "Hey Sierra! Hope you have a great flight. Stay safe!"

Sierra raises her eyebrows. "Uh, yeah. I have everyone's records. I know you're not Mike."

"Uh, what are you on about? It's me!"

"Sure thing, Malvin."

"Don't call me that."

Sierra shrugs. "Okay, Mal. What do you want?'

"You have great potential to be a villain. You know everything about everyone and you're not embracing it! Join me in an alliance. Don't risk your life for your pathetic team. They're fake villains." Mal responds.

Sierra looks him up and down. "Yeah, no."

Mal facepalms, and begrudgingly gives her a mixtape.

"What's this?" Sierra asks.

"I wanted to give you this at merge, but there's a possibility you'll die today. So, here's some songs that make me think of you." Mal responds.

"You barely know me."

"But I understand you."

Sierra feels her chest flutter for a fleeting moment, and puts it in the cassette player of the plane.

"It better have Heathers on it." Sierra says, as she closes the window.

"What the fuck is a Heathers," Mal deflects.

"Ready... Set... Go!" Chris shouts. Sierra and Duncan race off at top speeds. Everyone realizes they could've sent their peers to their deaths. Chris is loving every second of this fucked up situation.

"It's neck and neck, who will win?! The first to hit a tower WINS!" Chris commentates.

Duncan's face is one that is hard to read. Anger, regret, sadness.

Sierra forgets she's actually competing, this is just second nature to her. However, she is curious about the mixtape.

She presses play.

"Can't we be Seventeen?

Is that so hard to do?

If you could let me in

I could be good with you."

Sierra tears up, and sings along.

"People hurt us, or they vanish

And you're right, that really blows

But we let go,

Take a deep breath

and go buy some summer clothes.

We'll go camping, play some poker

And we'll eat some chili fries

Maybe prom night

Maybe dancing,"

And with all her remaining energy, she sings the final otes perfectly, and accelerates at top speed towards the tower, overtaking Duncan:

"don't stop looking in my eyes, YOOOUUURRRRRR EEEEEYYYYYYEEEE-"

Sierra's plane hits the gap between the fake towers.

Boom.

The explosion is uneventful.

"I lined it with THAT much gunpowder for such an abysmal showing?"

"YOU DID WHAT?!" Screamed Courtney.

"Yeah, we couldn't use actual buildings so we just used gunpowder to replicate the explosion." Chris shrugs.

Cameron looks through his binoculars. "Uh guys, I can't see her. I think she was incinerated."

"Yeah, her headset's cut out. She's a goner." Chris says apathetically.

Mal looks on, upset, both fists clenched.

Despite the towers being smithereens, Duncan accelerates on, straight through the cloud of black smoke and Sierra's ashes.

"Uhm, Duncan, you can turn back. The challenge is done. You lost." Chris says through his mic.

"BEAT IT GRANDPA! This is over when I say it's over." And with that, Duncan flew off into the distance.

Chris listened in to his headset for an hour, until eventually he hears a large crashing sound before radio silence. "I guess that's Duncan out."

Zoey bursts out crying hysterically. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!" She collapsed to the ground, shaking, and painting the dead grass of Wawanakwa black from her runny eyeliner.

"Mike, aren't you gonna help her? ... Mike?" Cameron asks, unable to find Mal.

"Hey, Chris. The helicopter's missing." Chef prods Chris.

"Meh, we'll just scrap in the robot and use the funds and remaining budget for a new one." Chris responds.

"But that's not it, there was also this not-"

Suddenly, there's loud static from Chris' headset.

"This is Radio 7, broadcasting on all channels. A helicopter has hit the One World Trade Center, I repeat a helicopter has hit the One World Trade Center on the anniversary of 9/11."

"What was it?" Gwen asks.

"Oh, just 9/11 2." Chris reads the note. "I have no fucking idea what this means."

The note, written in red ink, says, "Our Love is God."

Epilogue:

Mal died. He flew the helicopter into the One World Trade Center. Everyone else is so confused why "Mike" would have done this. But not Sierra.

Sierra would've understood Mal's actions.

Total Drama All-Stars was cancelled not long after this. Camp Wawanakwa was used for therapy and relaxation by past Total Drama characters affected by the loss of Sierra, with many cast members staying in the hotel and Plays Des Losers.

In a room at the end of the corridor, a red-headed girl cries.

A red-headed boy knocks on the door.

"... Zoey. You need to get out." Scott enters.

"Why should I? Everyone I love dies." Zoey replies.

"Well, do you love me?" Scott asks.

Zoey bites her lip. "No."

"Well then, I can stay. I won't die, and you don't need to be alone." Scott sits next to her bed, which she is sat upon.

"Why do you care?" Zoey bites.

Scott looks to the floor, plucking the carpet. "Because I've lost everything once before. And it felt awful. And I think I could try and help you from going to the dark places I went."

"You're talking about the trauma chair, aren't you?" Zoey asks.

"Honestly? Yeah."

"See, everyone around me gets hurt."

"and yet I'm here."

Zoey looks at him for a moment. His profile illuminated by the corridor lighting. She forgot what he looked like, or people in general. It's been weeks since she's seen anyone.

"You really do care," Zoey gasps, and leans in for a kiss.

Scott is flabbergasted, but holds her closely and returns the kiss.

"I've always been so scared to tell you how I feel," Scott replies. "But I know things are very intense. So I'm gonna give you space."

"You're a bad boy just like Duncan. And you forgave me and look past all my flaws just like Mike. If I date you, it's like I'm dating Mike and Duncan!"

Scott's face dropped.

"You know where to find us, Zoey." With that, Scott stands up, leaves the room, closes it, and cries.

Zoey stares into the darkness. But it's okay, at least the person she hurt this time lived to tell the tale again.

But there's worse games to play.

I love the heatherra scraps. But of course it's malerra. You can't talk about 9/11 without talking about malerra. Anon, this was beautiful. From the malerra and doey into the drama and the sadness. I cried. I cried when Sierra died. And Mal's mixtape for her. My god. And then the scoey ending...

[flownwrong]

happy wincest wednesday (in advance, i'm actually thinking ahead for once)! I'm all about the crossovers this week: how do you think Sam and Dean's Disco Elysium stats work? They've obviously got a lot of points put in everywhere, what with all the hero stuff, but what do you think are their signature skills? Do they have any unique ones? Thoughts, thoughts <3

happy happy ww, z! thanks for the awesome question <3 (your previous one is still not forgotten btw!)

oh jeez! i can immediately see dean generally tending towards psych/phys, obv, and sam more confident with intellect/motorics (like lol e.g. i think it's more or less canon dean is a somewhat better shot, but that boy does Not know what composure even is, let alone savoir faire)

i do think they're fun custom builds though — sam is defoooo high up on volition scale, to the point it's my closest contender for signature, and suggestion—a deadly, borderline sociopathic combo, when you remember all that composure and rhetoric waiting in the wings. but with that much volition—he has a final say in what he is, always and ever, as demonstrated in swan song, the entirety of s9, the list is endless.

and no one can beat his endurance+pain threshold combo. we saw many try. it's just easier to hit him in a thinner spot (electrochemistry seems to be one. not much care over it, but also not much control. the rubys and lady tonis of the world see it plain as day. it won't make him open up to you, but it will work as a carrot for choice goals.)

dean, i imagine, lives life immersed in a conversation between half-light (isn't it fun to think of moc > demon dean pipeline as his natural half-light predisposition steadily getting maxed-out to the point it cancels out his psyche sensitivity?) and drama (which, in his case more of a genuine mutability + desire for connection and participation than a performative weapon. comes with the ability to see through it in others (ruby anyone?) and i'd go with it for signature.)

i believe all of this is modified by his high empathy turned endless feeling of responsibility, leaving half-light in more of a fear of abandonment+pessimism line of thought position than a deranged aggro position.

i'd also bet he's not bad on shivers (all those long drives in the impala, talking gently to the road!) and very much an esprit de corps guy when it comes to hunting teamwork, while sam is the resident encyclopedia king, not opposed to flexing the authority either.

all of this is just the usual framework where sam is immutable and dean is relatively easy to mold, but not easy to fundamentally change, whatever he might think about his own liabilities and failings, of course.

and a little of those unique skills, as a treat; i know DE fandom loves inventing those, which makes all the sense, we don't all live in harry's head, so.

i'd give dean the one called family business, haha. that would be john's voice in his head when it comes to all that hero responsibility paid for by own desires (it would have a field day with WIAWSNB dean or the pre-s6 family guy dean), hunting community (e.g. the whole bobby deal), taking in companions and friends to that end, occasionally finding himself in a mentor position later on. mostly unpleasant. always loses checks against anything sam-related.

sam, i'd go with boy king, lol. his natural ability to pick up and use supernatural skills that, when maxed out enough to mess with his volition, gave us the beauty of s4, let lucifer get hold of him to the degree he did in s7, and in later years made him suitable for trials and rowena's trust and occasional spellwork, but, from his point of view, is just kind of a nuisance, and a dangerous one at that. imagine what fun it would be to listen in on this tempting voice always suggesting he go back and flex those powers, it would be so easy to just—yeah.

(you said unique skills not cool skills!! unique fuckups are just more fun)

anyways. that's that. thanks again it was so much fun to think about!

[desiccatedwithering]

we live in troubled days (oh, my friend, we have the strangest ways) — ch 1/4?

(post-s3 || pre-Steddie || T || 3.1k || read on ao3) (stand alone, but you can read the prequel on ao3 or tumblr) (ch2 || ch3 || ch4)

“I fear I am in mortal danger, gentlemen,” Eddie announces gravely as he enters the garage, yanking the door shut behind him. He’s late for band practice, but he thinks it can be forgiven, considering the dire situation he finds himself in.

Gareth jolts upright. “Shit! Because of you know what?”

Eddie blinks, trying to figure out how Gareth knows about the probably-poisoned cake, before realizing the much more obvious conclusion he must’ve jumped to. “Oh! No, I’m not about to be gay bashed.” He starts to wave the concern off, then pauses halfway through the motion, frowning as he mulls it over. “At least, I don’t think that’s what’s happening, though I suppose I could be mistaken.”

“Then what…?”

“There is a terrible plot afoot. Possibly the greatest evil this land has to offer. The likes of which have never been seen before.” He pauses to make eye contact with each of his bandmates, then announces: “I’m going to be ritualistically sacrificed by the dark forces that control this town.”

Frank snorts. “That’s funny, since people are always accusing you of Satanism and—” He cuts himself off abruptly when he glances over and notices Eddie’s thunderous expression.

He bares his teeth. “I hope you still find the irony this delightful at my funeral, Francis.”

“Wait, pause,” Jeff says. “How much of this is Eddie Drama versus actual cause for concern?”

This is a term he has never encountered before, and he watches the three teens gathered before him with a deep-set suspicion. “Eddie Drama?” he repeats, narrowing his eyes at them.

Jeff winces and clamps his mouth shut. Frank avoids Eddie’s gaze with an ease borne of years of practice. But Gareth—brave, stupid little baby Gareth—plucks up the courage to explain: “You can sort of be dramatic about things.” Then, sensing the change in the air like an oncoming storm, he continues, practically yelping, “Not that it’s bad! It’s what makes your campaigns so awesome! It’s just… outside of D&D, it can be hard to know how… serious situations are.”

Eddie narrows his eyes even further—he can hardly see at this point, but he’s committed to the bit—as he considers this, the way a dragon might consider whether a party of fresh faced heroes was a big enough meal to be worth the trouble.

“I would never be over dramatic about my impending demise,” he says darkly.

Frank snorts again, a fatal and tragic mistake; Eddie snatches the drumsticks out of Gareth’s hand and launches one at him with an unerring accuracy that would make his gym teacher of yore bitch about how if he “just put in literally any effort at all,” he might pass the class with better than a D. But joke’s on them because a D is still passing, which is better than Eddie can say for several other far more important classes.

“Fuck!” Frank yelps. “Dude, I’m delicate!“

“Well you should’ve thought of that before you reveled in my nigh and untimely demise!”

“I didn’t even say anything!”

Jeff sets down his guitar with a sigh. “I feel like we’re not going to be having band practice today.”

Eddie briefly considers launching his second missile but decides to save it for now. Instead, he drops onto the couch like a Victorian woman experiencing any strong emotion. “You are all going to feel like shit when I turn up dead and you realize that I came to you, my only friends, seeking aid in my hour of need, only to be met with cruel mockery and baseless claims of hysteria.”

Jeff reaches out to pat his head consolingly, and Eddie snaps at his fingers, just barely missing.

“Don’t bite Jeff!” Frank scolds.

“I am going to be murdered, and no one cares!” Eddie wails. Somewhere in the world beyond the garage door, a dog starts to bark.

“Oh,” Jeff says, voice flat. “You’re actually serious.”

“Fucking obviously, Jeff,” Eddie snaps.

“Well, shit, dude! You should’ve started with that.”

Eddie’s eyelid twitches. He counts to ten. He shrieks, “I did start with that!”

His bandmates wince, hands belatedly moving to cover their ears. A second dog begins to bark.

“Have you gone to the police?” Frank—who he’s just decided is his least favorite—asks.

Eddie raises his brows and pointedly gestures to himself. “Also, the police are already in my killer’s pocket.”

Gareth cautiously pokes his knee. At Eddie’s baffled look, he explains, “Just wanted to make sure you weren’t a ghost we needed to avenge,” thus earning himself the place of favorite.

“Wait, go back. Why are we your only friends?” Jeff asks, apparently vying with Frank for least favorite. “What did the freshman do?”

“I fear they are complicit in the plot against my life. Though whether it be against their will, I know not. Perhaps they are being blackmailed. Perhaps they have been inducted into—or indoctrinated by—a cult in Hawkins. Whatever the case, I can no longer trust them.”

There’s a moment of heavy, loaded silence.

Frank clears his throat. “Ok, so do you want to, like… explain?”

Eddie rolls off the couch, gracefully landing directly on his face, then springs to his feet and grabs his backpack. He pulls out the tupperware and note, offering them out to the boys, who take them with the appropriate amount of caution.

“These items were left on my doorstep naught but a day ago. I trust they will elucidate the situation.”

“Ok, see this is why I think he’s full of shit. He only vomits a dictionary when he’s being melodramatic,” Jeff mutters to Frank.

Eddie magnanimously pretends not to have heard him.

After a moment of careful study, Gareth cautiously raises a hand. “Yeah, I’m gonna be honest. This doesn’t actually explain anything to me.”

“That is because you are just a wee bairn,” Eddie tells him cheerfully. “You were raised in times of peace and prosperity, free from the tyrannous rule of King Steve.”

“Uh, Billy was objectively worse, and—”

“Frank, you know how insane he is about Harrington. Don’t bother.”

“However!” Eddie continues, loudly. Because while it’s true that yes, Billy was worse than King Steve in literally every way, Billy is dead and Eddie is not yet dead, and he’d really rather keep it that way. Which means focusing on the biggest threat at the moment: Harrington. “Your elders have surely read the omens as I have. They know the terrible fate that awaits me.” He glances over expectantly, only to be met by two identical blank stares.

“It’s an invitation to a dinner, dude,” Jeff says.

“And a piece of pineapple upside-down cake,” Frank adds. “It kinda seems like you’re making a big deal out of nothing.”

“Maybe it’s poisoned?” Gareth suggests, sensing the imminent carnage and wisely changing sides.

Eddie points at Gareth. “Exactly! My tiny redheaded neighbor told me to watch out for poisons.”

“Max?" Jeff asks, eyebrows raised. “The girl who sometimes dates Lucas and is friends with the other freshmen? That neighbor?”

“Yes. Wait, hang on. Why do you know her name, and I don’t?”

Frank scoffs. “Because you’re terrible at listening sometimes.”

“Ok, rude—”

“She was just messing with you, man,” Jeff says over him. “I don’t think the boys would forgive her if she actually let you get poisoned. And I don’t think Harrington would try to poison you, since he’s friends with the kids for whatever unknowable reason, and they would be pissed at him if he hurt you. You know they worship you, dude.”

“Did you forget everything I just said about the freshmen being part of the plot?”

“Oh, so you’ll believe a random girl who tells you that a slice of cake is poisoned, but you won’t believe that the kids who’ve played with us for months like you and wouldn’t want you to get murdered?”

“It doesn’t matter whether the cake is poisoned! I mean it does, but—” Eddie shakes his head. “The point is that clearly I have been summoned to King Steve’s domain for nefarious and deadly purposes. I am to be sacrificed, likely to a god of youth or beauty or”—he shudders—“sports.”

“Ok, I’m no fan of Harrington,” Frank says, hands raised placatingly, “but it seems like you’re jumping to a lot of conclusions here.”

“I am doing nothing of the sort! I am merely stating the obvious. Facts which should be apparent to anyone brave enough to think for themselves. The deaths in this town are not freak accidents; they are premeditated and linked and can all be traced back to one man: King Steve, first of his name.”

Frank rolls his eyes. Jeff sighs. Gareth sneezes.

“Deny it all you want!” Eddie cries. “Call me a modern Cassandra, if you must. But know that my blood will be on your hands if you turn me away.”

“Dude, just.” Jeff pinches the bridge of his nose. “Just don’t go to the party?”

“And let some other hapless victim take my place? Let Harrington continue to roam free, stalking our streets, just waiting to strike again? No. He must be stopped. I had hoped that my three closest companions would be willing to aid me on my quest, but alas. I will be forced to go into the beast’s lair unarmed and ill-prepared and pray that my wits are quick enough to—”

“Oh my god,” Jeff cuts in. “If you explain why you think Harrington is a murderer—without the melodrama—I’ll help you.”

“You are no fun,” Eddie complains. “But fine; I’ll heed your request.”

“Dude,” Frank hisses.

Eddie shoots Jeff a sheepish grin. “Whoops. Anyway, as I said, all the deaths in town can be connected to Harrington, starting with Barbara Holland. I don’t know how deep this thing runs, whether other people are in on it, or if Harrington is just a run-of-the-mill serial killer. But whatever the case, I suspect daddy’s money and mommy’s flawless reputation in town are the reason why this shit keeps getting covered up and brushed aside.”

“Ew, please never say daddy and mommy like that again.”

“I will take your feedback under consideration, Frank. Yes, Gareth, I see you’ve raised your hand. Do you have a question?”

“When you say ‘all the deaths,’ who are you actually talking about? Cause there’ve been, like, a weird number of unnatural deaths around town recently.”

“Definitely Barbara Holland and Bob Newby. Probably Billy Hargrove. Possibly Heather Holloway and some to all of the other ‘mall fire’ victims.”

He receives three equally dubious looks.

“Barb and Bob fit the profile the best: not popular, some type of nerd, died in late autumn. A pattern which, I feel I must point out, I also fall into.”

“I feel I must point out that you’re actually still alive,” Jeff says drily.

Eddie waves a hand. “Details. As for Hargrove, that’s personal. There’s a vendetta there. Hargrove had taken his throne, taken his crown, punched his pretty face. Rather than his usual, premeditated, annual murder, this was a revenge killing, and it made Harrington sloppy.”

“A crime of passion,” Frank murmurs and nods, seemingly fully on board. One down, two to go.

“Perhaps the fire was to cover his tracks, and the other victims were helpless bystanders, in the wrong place at the wrong time. Collateral damage. Or perhaps some of them had also wronged Harrington at some point, and he decided to take them all out in one fell swoop. But the most pressing matter right now is the annual murder. The pattern he hopes to continue with yours truly as the victim.”

“Two isn’t actually enough to establish a pattern,” Gareth says, unhelpfully.

Eddie rolls his eyes. “Oh wow, get a load of this guy. Mr. I Can Actually Pass My Math Classes.”

“Ok, I don’t see why that’s a bad thing. Just because I’m on track to finish high school in literally half the time you’re taking—”

“So what, you want me to just lie back and get murdered, Gareth? Would that satisfy your need to establish a pattern?”

“No, I—”

Frank pats Gareth’s shoulder. “You should shut up.”

“But I— Yeah, ok.”

Eddie opens his mouth, ready to continue his explanation now that that pointless interruption is dealt with, but—

“You haven’t actually explained why you think Barbara and Bob were killed by Harrington.”

“My god, Jeff, if you three would stop interrupting every two seconds, I would’ve explained an hour ago. Don’t make that face at me; I don’t know how time works, and I don’t care to learn. Shut up.” Once Jeff’s face is quiet again, Eddie takes a deep breath. “Ok, so as I’ve been trying to explain for literal years at this point, Barb and Bob were both on the edge of Harrington’s social circle. Not so close that the sheep in town would think to draw a connection between their deaths and the golden boy, but close enough that he could observe his targets, make sure that they wouldn’t be missed too much. He— Jesus Christ, what now, Frank?”

“I’m all in, but, uh, didn’t Barb and Bob die the same year?”

“Fucking hell,” Eddie groans, flopping back onto the couch in despair.

After letting the three of them bicker for a moment, he heaves himself upright again and slashes his arms through the air. “Shut up!” he snaps, throwing the second drumstick at them; it doesn’t hit anyone, but they get the message. “Barb went missing in ‘83. If the official ‘chemical exposure’ story is to be believed, then she would’ve had to die also in ‘83. Because it would be fucking insane if she’d been lost in the woods for an entire year and then died from some freaky chemical. Like, no one could find her when she was alive, but the second she dies, they manage to track her down? Think before you ask questions.”

“Also, I’m pretty sure the news literally said that her death had been covered up for a year,” Jeff says.

“Yes, thank you, Jeff. Now, may I continue?” He waits for them to nod, then drags his hands down his face. “Ok. I’m cutting to the chase. Harrington knew Nancy Wheeler, who knew Barb. Harrington knew Will Byers, whose mother was dating Bob. Harrington knows freshmen, who know me. Questions? Concerns?”

“Yeah, I have one: What the fuck?”

“Thank you for your valuable input, Jeff. Anyone else? Yes, Frank? Try to do better this time.”

“Did Harrington know Will Byers?”

“I can’t believe I told you to do better, and you’ve asked another dumb question. Harrington’s alleged best friend before Buckley was Henderson, who is in turn best friends with Baby Byers. Or Harrington had that weird quasi-friendship with Byers the Elder in ‘84, before Jonathan stole his girlfriend. Take your pick. Either way, there’s a connection to the Byers and therefore Bob. Yes, Jeff?”

“It’s not autumn.”

“Thank you for that remarkable observation. Technically, it actually is autumn right now, but you’re right that the date of my murder will fall just after the solstice. Harrington’s messy summer murder spree made him cautious, so he postponed his annual murder by a bit over a month. It’s probably not tied to any sort of holiday, just a way to celebrate the dying of one year and the start of the next. Annual end-of-the-year-ish murder. My death still counts. Gareth?”

“Why would Wheeler date the man who murdered her best friend?”

“Jesus Christ, would it kill you guys to use your brains today? Obviously Wheeler didn’t know. She only found out in ‘84; that’s why they had that huge fight everyone was talking about at Tina’s Halloween party. Wheeler’s also the reason why the story broke. And she was either paid off or threatened or her lingering feelings for Harrington prevented her from spreading the news that he was the killer. Jeff?”

“Why do you know so many extremely specific details about Harrington from the last couple years? I thought you got over your crush on him in ‘82.”

“Wipe that smirk off your face and shut up. Gareth, got something worth my time?”

“Why you?”

“Finally a decent question. There are several possible answers. Obviously, he suspects that I, as trailer trash and a general nuisance, will not be missed in the eyes of the wider community. He might even think that no one would notice me missing, or he knows that Wayne could never afford to bring in independent, unbiased investigators. At least not ones that Harrington couldn’t bribe. As for why me specifically, perhaps he doesn’t like that I have befriended the freshmen. We know he is vain and narcissistic. Maybe he worries that he’ll lose his only remaining loyal followers if he does not remove me from the situation. Or—” Eddie steeples his fingers, gazing at each of his friends in turn, letting the anticipation build.

Right before they can snap at him to get on with it, he leans forward and continues, voice low, “Or, maybe more likely, the freshmen are in on it. They befriended me to make sure I was a suitable target. Their participation in Hellfire has been little more than a facade, a farce, a sham, a con.”

“You think the three freshmen—the freshmen, who, as I mentioned before, worship the ground you walk on—joined Hellfire to make sure you were a good person for Harrington to murder,” Jeff says flatly. His face plainly—rudely—says that he thinks Eddie is the stupidest man on earth.

Frank taps his chin. “Lucas is on the basketball team.”

“Thank you, Frank, for supporting me during this tragic, vulnerable time in my life.”

“Seriously, what are you on right now?” Jeff asks, crossing his arms. “Because this whole thing is completely deranged.”

“I’m not on drugs! And I’m not being deranged! This all makes perfect sense,” Eddie says, gesturing towards Frank emphatically when he nods. “See? Frank agrees with me. I could really use some backup for all this, you know. From all of you, rather than just Frank—no offense.”

Gareth scratches the side of his head. “Eddie, I love you, but Jeff might have a point. You kinda sound like my uncle right now. You know, the crazy one who believes that the moon landing was faked and never shuts up about it.”

“Are you seriously comparing me to a conspiracy theorist for being concerned for my safety?” Eddie asks, clutching an invisible string of pearls.

“Your safety?” Jeff squawks. “You’re accusing Harrington of being a murderer who plans to kill you. That’s objectively insane!”

“Ok, I get how it sounds,” Eddie admits, holding up his hands in surrender. “But the alternative is that Steve Harrington left an unpoisoned slice of cake on my doorstep and genuinely wants me to go to his Christmas party.”

“Oh, fuck, you’re gonna get murdered,” Jeff says.

(chapter 2 on ao3 or tumblr)