#like... without feeling guilty

[terr4ance]

I have a terrible habit of not reading the books I own, so I am going to post here on tumblr to force myself to act. I am like 130 pages from the end of game of thrones, 1/3 of the way through brave new world, halfway through rethinking suicide, and very near the beginning of my late granddad's memoire. I want to finish game of thrones this week, and get further through brave new world. I will do this. this will definitely work. I never make false promises as far as goals are concerned I promise...

[tapakah0]

Joining yeye23

[koszmarnybudyn]

They should totally make out

[hedgehog-moss]

Jour de brume

[heich0e]

au in which touya ends up having to watch natsuo put his hands all over you because you took something offered to you at a sketchy warehouse party that has you panting and whimpering and burning up and his own hot hands can't provide you any comfort but his little brother's cool-quirked touch can

[carlyraejepsans]

hibiscia!!! Sorry if youve explained before but is there something specific about reset-remember fics that you hate? I don't really like them either but for me it's just because I feel like a lot of authors type sans in very ooc ways

They're completely antithetical to Sans' character arc for the sake of cheap and easy angst. The nature of his brand of cosmic horror isn't in reliving his life again and again, that's Flowey's. Sans knows OF the anomaly, knows that it's manipulating time and knows it's a threat to the entire universe, but he doesn't know how or why, because he doesn't remember.

And that's crucial! him being mostly in the dark in spite of the MANY warning signs about us... because it's in that doubt that he remains hopeful. YES we could potentially end the world... but what if we don't? yes we have unimaginable power over everyone else and we can bring back time, but what if we're just.... sad? he needs that gap in his knowledge so he can take a leap of faith across it, it's his entire character arc in the pacifist run. sans THINKS he's given up, he wants to have given up, he chose to do it because there's a comfort in that. in contenting yourself with good food and bad laughs. there's peace. but he hasn't given up, not really. on himself? maybe. but not in us.

there's no way to have that arc if he remembers resets.

[uncanny-tranny]

I've talked before about how the way people treat suicide can be unintentionally devastating to the suicidal person, but I don't think I really ever said how to avoid that.

Speaking about suicide in how selfish it "is" ("think about how you'll transfer your pain to your loved ones!") might seem like a way to put logical sense into the suicidal person, but, honestly? It runs the risk of massively increasing their shame and guilt about being suicidal. Suicide is not inherently a revenge fantasy or a way to "get back" at someone's loved ones, so when the suicidal person is treated like a criminal of a "crime" they haven't even committed yet, you can imagine how unhelpful that can become.

Instead, if you want to point out how cherished your person is, frame their relationships as something they can keep fostering.

"Your cat will miss you :(!!!!" becomes "you and your cat seem close, right? I'm sure it's beautiful having a close friend like that!" and maybe include ways that they and their cat are close and meaningful to each other, tailored to that relationship.

That's only one example, but when you shift the focus away from why that person should repent and feel guilty for being suicidal, you can instead focus on why they would live for that reason. See how you can frame that as a positive? Whatever is keeping that person tethered should never be used as a bludgeon, I think, because then you're taking away why they're living, the positivity of why they are here. Whatever they are here for should be remembered often and honoured.

[puppyeared]

i feel like im not making any sense but does anyone else feel like there are stories that let u run with them and ones that spell everything out for you

[stagefoureddiediaz]

So I don’t think Gerrard knows about BT - we’ve only been shown him acknowledging (in a derogatory way) that Tommy is gay. But while buck was in the scene, so too was Chim and nothing was indicated about Bucks sexuality - so I don’t think Gerrard knows he’s bi.

So what if we get Buck and Eddie being all flirty work husbands and Gerrard sees them behaving as they always have and he tries to call Eddie out for being inappropriate and gay in the firehouse. Eddie just takes it but Buck isn’t having any of it (slashing his neck at Buck to cut it out and let it drop) and tries to defend Eddie. Gerrard gets mad at the insubordination and calls a line up - where he proceeds to go for Eddie with the wild orange packet. - calling him both racist and homophobic slurs (in a way that’s not quite over the line enough to get himself fired because he might be hideous but he’s not stupid) hence Bucks clenched fists as he can’t say or do anything.

[knickknacksandallthat]

I don't know if I've seen this said yet, and maybe no one else other than me is thinking it, but here goes:

I can't wait to read Nora's The Sunshine Court. TSC is a lovely gift from an author ten years later, and she has every right to do with her characters as she wishes. They are hers, and we'll be lucky to see her vision of the characters she created a decade ago.

But it's also true that we have ten years of fandom making up for lost time. Ten years of running with the tiniest crumbs of canon to weave tales and art of Jean Moreau, Jeremy Knox, and the Trojans. So regardless if Nora makes Jerejean frenemies, platonic, romantic, or other - please don't remove your works just because they don't fit canon anymore.

There are tons of lovely fics, art pieces, podcasts and more out there about the romantic entanglements of Jerejean, Kevjean, Keremy, Kerejean, Laila/Dermott and more. There are multiple stories of growth and friendship and healing between Jean and Jeremy. Of reconciliation and forgiveness and discovery between Jean and Kevin. Of angst and loss and bittersweet dissonance between Kevin and Jean. Of found family and freedom and coming together despite your differences between Jean and the Trojans.

They are still good, they are still worthy, and they are still someone's favorite. Don't squash your creativity or become ashamed if your take on Jean, Jeremy, or the Trojans was different than what Nora pictured. You explored and created something wonderful in a time when there was no canon to follow. You should be proud of what you wrote (or drew or recorded). Just remember there were tons of folks out there that enjoyed them right along with you and would be greatly disappointed if you removed them just because you thought no one would appreciate them anymore.

Much love, AFTG fans ❤️ Let's all enjoy what Nora and TSC has to offer while still supporting each other. Promise we can do both 😉

[kozh-lucium]

“What is he dreaming of?”

Professor Gale trying to pull an all nighter to grade the exams, but it’s so boring he fall asleep.

And of course, the consequences…

[giotanner]

Who is the Wayne household butler's favorite "adopted grandson"? I know we joke about it a lot, but even in the canon we can see several times how Alfred is closer to Jason Todd. I want to be clear this is not to belittle the others, he really loves them. But just as every parent will always have that child most like them, so too Alfred finds in Jason that little child most like him. A street child hungry to acculturate, he hangs on the butler's words because he sees him as a worker compared to the billionaire Bruce Wayne so Jason slowly approaches and learns. Because Jason Todd takes it all as a new chance, a new chance for redemption and learns what it means to have passions and hobbies. And Bruce is there, but where Bruce is not then Butler comes: rules of bon ton, quotes from classic books, ethnic foods and anecdotes from the war and adventures in London.

That child then broke down and so many things fell out of place, maybe Jason just doesn't have all those memories. But the muscle memory and his favorite things remain. So maybe someday you might find him crouched on a rooftop intent on reading the paperback version of Northanger Abbey after cold-cocking three Black Mask goons at the docks.

[starry-bi-sky]

Names, Marbles, and Fae-vors - More Lore on my Changeling Danny Au

In my last post I talked about the Infinite Realms and the three different planes existing inside it - the Long Far, Home to the Ancients and Celestial Beings. The Fey Wilds, Home of the Fey and other such Mythological Constructs. And the Ghost Zone, Home to the Mortal Spirits. - as well as three of the different ways beings inside the Infinite Realms can travel between planes; the Lake Portals, the Cave Tunnels, and the Starflare Currents. The Lake Portals and the Cave Tunnels don't have an official term for them yet, but I'll come up with something :).

In this post we'll be talking about some of the abilities of the fey! Specifically the things they're most popularly known for: their name stealing and etiquette thing.

For those who are not as well-versed in Fey Lore, or need a refresher, (and because I just want to yap infodump), one of the first rules you learn when interacting with the Fey is that you never, ever, say "thank you" or "I'm sorry" to them! Which is crazy, because they're really big on etiquette and being polite to each other, which is why one of their epithets is "the Good Neighbor/s". So why should you not say two phrases most commonly used when being polite to someone?

There are two big reasons for this, and the reason I'll be focusing on for this au is because, to the Fey, saying "Thank You" is acknowledgement of a debt that's owed to them. It turns the action or gift into something transactional, and results in a verbal contract that the receiver must then repay later down the line -- and whatever point in time, and with whatever the Fey they are indebted to sees fit. Whether that be food, valuables, or your firstborn child.

The other big reason is because some Fey just think it's rude, and view "thank you" as something that dilutes their act of kindness, and/or implies that they are there to serve you. One of the best summarizations I've seen for fey is that they're bros; they're doing this because they think you're friends -- or something similar to the sort. It's deeply insulting to do all these nice things for a friend, only for that friend to reveal that they don't view you the same way at all.

It's for similar reasons that you also shouldn't say, "I'm sorry" either, except instead of repaying a gift, you are now making reparations for a wrong you have done. A misdeed must be repaid in full, now how are you going to make it up to them? And also because well, I imagine that if saying "thank you" is seen as rude, "I'm sorry" is the exact same way because it dilutes the act.

If you're in a situation where you must say "thank you" or "i'm sorry" there are ways to get around it. "I'm grateful", "you're too kind", "I apologize", or "I feel regret" are just some examples I saw used.

NOW! How is this used in my Changeling AU? The Fey work by these same rules, the only difference is that I've added a physical aspect to it! If Fey are capable of stealing the abstract and turning the incorporeal corporeal, then lets run with it!

"Thank Yous" and "I'm Sorrys" are debts, and Fey can magically bound you into a verbal contract with that alone. However, it's not uncommon -- and actually pretty standard -- for Fey to weave the excess magic of that debt into something physical. They create these delicate-looking, iridescent threads that they then weave into their hair for decoration. And in some areas of the Fey Wilds, use it as a way to show off wealth and/or their own wit.

Ever heard of Fairy Hair? Yeah, same concept.

Debt Threads, as I am temporarily calling them, are thin and airy, and not that much thicker than gossamer. Since it's a debt that is intended to eventually be paid back, it's not practical -- nor is it seen as such -- to use the threads for anything more than temporary cosmetics. As a result, they're usually used for decorating the hair, but some crafty fey use their threads to decorate other appendages, or as form of makeup. Despite their dainty appearance, the threads are actually very sturdy and can only be unweaved by the Fey that created it.

You can, technically, take back your debt thread. However, the threads are made using excess magic of the debt, and not made of the magic of the debt itself, which is why it's so thin and airy. So if you do manage to get it, congrats! All you've got is some pretty string and a pissed off feyrie whose hair you probably just yanked out.

Danny's managed to accrue a few "debts" before he realizes he's a fey, mostly from his friends and sister -- although there are a few from his parents, and some from the other student body from when he was unknowingly and instinctually doing Fey Bullshit. As a result, he starts forcing Sam and Tucker and Jazz to stop thanking him for things, and typically makes them repay him through petty, menial stuff. Like getting him food, or buying him a small but relatively inexpensive trinket he's been eyeing for a while. Never usually anything super important - it's his own way of apologizing for indebting them to him in the first place.

As for his parents... well, he'll hold onto those debts for now. Having a way to magically get them off his back with no questions asked is a boon he's pretty willing to keep close to his chest, and no amount of persuasion will convince him otherwise. Sorry Jazz, Fey side wins out on this one. As for some of the students he's got, Danny manages to psych himself up and release some of them from their contracts without repayment -- even if it makes his bones itch.

AND NOW THE NAMES! You never give a Fey your name because they say everything literally. "Can I have your name?" is a literal question -- they are asking for your name, and thus ownership over you. The other thing is that Names have power, if a fey knows your Full Name they can make you do things for them -- however it goes both ways so you could do the same thing if you learn a Fey's name.

Knowing a Name and owning a Name are two different things, with owning a Name being, naturally, more dangerous as you are basically submitting yourself to permanent indentured servitude, among other things. Knowing a Name can be risky because it results in being more susceptible to fey charms, enchantments, and requests.

But! I digress! Just like how Thank Yous and I'm Sorrys can be turned into a physical object, so can Names! This is not obligatory, nor is it recommended to do often because unlike debt threads, these can be taken back, but it happens!

Names can be trapped in these little, colorful glass-like orbs -- marbles, they're marbles/pearls. They can be trapped in what are basically magic marbles, and just like debt threads, be used for decoration. They're more versatile though, and are used for different things since unlike debt threads, the pearls are meant to be permanent! They make beautiful jewelry, since the pearls come in various different colors depending on the person it once belonged to, and the intent behind its creation.

The marbles have a hard outer shell, with the cores having a fluid, shimmery appearance. Look up liquid core dice, and Name Marbles have a similar appearance, just more... ethereal, with different shades of the same color swirling inside. Not two pearls look the same, and even ones that have similar colors or appearances have subtle differences in them that are imperceptible to the mortal eye. Some pearls look like the deepest trenches of the ocean, blacks and dark blues swirling around each other as flecks of bioluminescence float inside. While others look like a lilac winter sunset, with hand-held purples bleeding into pink and gold.

Convincing Danny to return the Names he's gotten is harder than convincing him to absolve the debts. It takes a lot more psyching up on his part to actually do it, and more verbal coaxing and negotiating on his friends' part. Because on an instinctual fey level, those names are rightfully his. For all intents and purposes, he was given those names freely and without reservation, and so to be told that he has to return what were essentially gifts to him is... deeply distressing.

Lots of cognitive dissonance there. His human-raised brain and morals know why he needs to give them back, and he feels bad for owning them. But his new changeling-baby fey-brain is deeply upset at the prospect, and is a liittle bit stronger than the once-human part of him. He rapidly becomes overwhelmed when trying to convince himself to return the Names. He does, eventually, end up doing it, but he's unwillingly upset the whole time.

[twinsyy]

(spoilers for xiao’s backstory and 4.5 archon quest of furina under the cut)

i like to play around different ways the actual sentient world of teyvat is affected by it being a video game to the player

besides the concept of teyvat having existed already before the arrival of the player (creator or not), i also like the possibility of nothing having actually progressed before you loaded the game

i was talking about the first time you control the traveller in my last post. and briefly hinted about paimon not being robotic until traveller was being possessed by the player

which made me think of the concept of everything they have done was just coded into their memory

that they remember memories that just spawned in their head. the history of their relationships with others they have built or lost having never happened. no history, just manifested and determined for them

the reason simply being because you wanted to play a game

their lives were formed for them. so then they wonder, what does this say about their livelihood?

does xiangling actually have a passion for cooking?

has xiao actually lost his friends to time that allowed them to be consumed by darkness? that has caused him great grief and changed him forever?

furina acting as a farce god. doom clouding in her mind to not break character for the sake of all of fontaine. was it just programmed into her to have endured being worn down like that for 500 years?

has the traveller visited other worlds, or were they told they have?

they praise you for being an angelic guide. gracing them with your presence. blessing them with power incomparable to anything in teyvat

they swear that they cannot exist without you. their words rooted from devotion. their adoration blinding them that they may actually be right

[moeblob]

OC again gomen ... (her name is Yuma)

[1driedpersimmon]

At Journey’s end what can you do but start another!