#okay I definitely want to make more fake stories within my story

[resetting37]

The shows and franchises of Evelow

@darby-draws asked

I was recently thinking about some of my OCs being more fantasy nerdy vs scifi nerdy and it got me thinking about what type of genres and media your main OCs might like? for one, just in general scifi shows or horror movies or long fantasy books. But I was also thinking, with your own world its not as easy to say they the big obvious genre staples like LOTR or Star Trek for example... but does your world have similar Really Popular things like that.

Things like: Is there a really long running tv series thats had multiple iterations, like star trek that any of your OCs grew up with and have Big Opinions on? Fantasy epic multiple movies 3 hours each to tell the story? Would any of your OCs enjoy binging that over a long weekend for fun?

Thank you for the question !! I was going to make more faux posters of some shows that could exist in Evelow, but I'd rather just go ahead and talk about the topic. More could come in the future, we'll see. I'll also add in the character opinions. (sorry in advance if this gets long.)

So Evelow doesn't have the huge library of stories that we have. Mostly due to limitations, as Evelow's shows and movies are filmed in Evelow, and though it's a big civilization, it's not quite the same scope our present day world has. They'll have maybe one or two blockbusters a year, while most movies are indie or low budget. TV shows, however, are given more budget. Though there's not really enough on the screen for characters to be too picky in their genres, so I'll just present some vague ones.

Here are some popular shows/franchises:

Paranormal Paradise

Brother and Sister duo are on a secret unit that deal with the unexplained or the paranormal, as the title suggests. Pair that with sunsets and synth wave music, and you have a show that's currently on their third season.

This one is fairly popular with Evelonians. Out of my ocs, Kat thinks it's fun and while she's "team Una" (the name of the sister character), she finds the monsters designs the best part of the show. Cora thinks she's ridiculous, as she's "definitely team Kotori" (the brother.)

Kat eventually gets Morgan into it, but Morgan isn't the least bit interested in the "fandom" aspects, like head canons or introducing more recurring characters.

The show isn't really considered nerdy, but it's a popular one.

Feast of Legacies

This one is older in relevance to the current timeline, probably aired when my characters were kids and thus has more impact. (though probably not "age appropriate", kids still liked the fun outfits and action scenes) It was a dark fantasy show about a barbaric bounty hunter that was super campy and violent.

Future spin offs have since grew with the times or made things more serious, and those can be popular too. Ivar has even acted in one of the movies too, as a nod to his arena persona lol. Characters from the show come up a lot in halloween costumes and cosplays.

Morgan and Advik probably rewatch this one again as adults. "It still holds up, guys !"

•

I don't think space stories take up a lot of space (haha) in Evelow's culture, though there are some given that there are always going to be people fascinated by it, even if we don't know much !

They have a popular anthology show called "Planetary Politics" where each season involves a different planet and a story arc surrounding a different group of characters. The show can be experimental, with many seasons involving people in makeup and costumes, even a season fully animated (sorry they couldn't find any people who could successfully play the part of space jellyfish)

Advik and Ian used to watch this show together all the time, but since then Audrey has also taken a liking to it.

•

There's a good amount of horror movies roaming around Evelow, I'd say one of the biggest franchises is Tartar-us (Though the first movie that was released many years ago was called 'Under Deck')

It's campy, it's gory, and a staple in every horror enthusiast's library (except for the esteemed ones who think this franchise should have died a long time ago.)

here's Zack arguing to Ian it's the greatest movie of all time.

(though looking at this makes me realize that outer space play enough of a role in pop culture to be featured in spinoffs in movies such as the 'pirates' franchise for kids.)

•

I want to give my characters at least one more fantasy genre to have in their world, but I'll come up with more ideas later. I also feel like I've barely answered the original question ??? So I'll at least do that with my main cast

Audrey didn't grow up with movies unless they were brought over from other cities. Her town of Dile mostly had theatre and books. She liked heroes journeys, or stories with fantastical elements.

Advik loves both fantasy and sci fi. I'd say he likes fantasy more since he's much pickier about his sci fi. (He doesn't like stuff that tries to play it like it could happen in the world. I think HE'D be one of the few people really into space stuff.)

Katsumi likes more grounded stories. She doesn't care about world building if the character writing is bad. She loves style, but not if it's devoid of anything else. Also, if she has to see inaccurate costume design one more time, she swears...

Zack prefers sci fi over fantasy, since the former leaves room for potential horror elements. (since that's his actual favorite genre.)

Avery prefers fantasy over sci fi, since the stories tend to be more conventional and the costume designs are better. (She's much less picky than Kat in that department.)

"What's the difference, they're all movies" - Morgan. (She hates labeling things into genres.)

[fixyourwritinghabits]

How to Tell If That Post of Advice Is AI Bullshit

Right, I wasn't going to write more on this, but every time I block an obvious AI-driven blog, five more clutter up the tags. So this is my current (April 2024) advice on how to spot AI posts passing themselves off as useful writing advice.

No Personality - Look up a long-running writing blog, you'll notice most people try to make their posts engaging and coming from a personal perspective. We do this because we're writers and, well, we want to convey a sense of ourselves to our readers. A lot of AI posts are straight-forward - no sense of an actual person writing them, no variation in tone or text.

No Examples - No attempts to show how pieces of advice would work in a story, or cite a work where you could see it in action. An AI post might tell you to describe a person by highlighting two or three features, and that's great, but it's hard to figure out how that works without an example.

Short, Unhelpful Definitions - A lot of what I've seen amount to two or three-sentence listicles. 'When you want to write foreshadowing, include a hint of what you want foreshadowed in an earlier chapter.' Cool beans, could've figured that out myself.

SEO/AI Prompt Language Included - I've seen way too many posts start with "this post is about..." or "now we will discuss..." or "in this post we will..." in every single blog. This language is meant to catch a search engine or is ChatGPT reframing the prompt question. It's not a natural way of writing a post for the average tumblr user.

Oddly Clinical Language - Right, I'm calling out that post that tried to give advice on writing gay characters that called us "homosexuals" the entire time. That's a generative machine trying to stay within certain parameters, not an actual person who knows that's not a word you'd use unless you were trying to be insulting or dunking on your own gay ass in the funniest way possible.

Too Perfect - Most generative AI does not make mistakes (this is how many a student gets caught trying to use it to cheat). You can find ways to make it sound more natural and have it make mistakes, but that takes time and effort, and neither of those are really a factor in these posts. They also tend to have really polished graphics and use the same format every time.

Maximized Tags (That Are Pointless) - Anyone who uses more than 10 one-word tags is a cop. Okay, fine, I'm joking, but there's a minimal amount of tags that are actually useful when promoting a post. More tags are not going to get a post noticed by the algorithm, there is no algorithm. Not everyone has to use their tags to make snarky comments, but if your tags look like a spambot, I'm gonna assume you're a spambot.

No Reblogs From The Rest of Writblr - I'm always finding new Writblr folks who have been around for awhile, but every real person I've seen reblogs posts from other people. We've all got other stuff to do, I'm writing this blog to help others and so are they, the whole point of tumblr is to pass along something you think is great.

While you'll probably see some variation in the future - as people get wise to obviously generated text, they'll try to make it look less generated - but overall, there's still going to be tells to when something is fake.

I don't have any real advice for what to do about this (other than block those blogs, which is what I do). Like most AI bullshit, I suspect most of these blogs are just another grift, attempting to build large follower counts to leverage or sell something to in the future. They may progress past these tattletale features, but I'm still going to block them when I see them. I don't see any value in writing advice compiled from the work of better writers who put the effort in when I can just go find those writers myself.

[lilacbunnygirl]

BLACK CAT LUCK

tattoo artist geto x uni student reader

❝ i had kept my feelings hidden within me for years. The girl i loved was my best friend’s niece. she was someone anyone would want to have, but she was off-limits. if there was something even more off-limits, it was her best friend. chaos itself, a walking troublemaker. damn, i hated that brat. she was definitely not part of the life i had planned, but i think the plan she had for me was different. she wasn’t even aware of the situation she had dragged me into. i was playing with fire: hot, sinful, and dangerous. she might have thought i would be scared, but i have always liked to play with fire. may god help me, because i don’t remember wanting anything this much before… ❞

➵ tropes: age gap relationship (12 years gap also geto is older than the reader), enemies to lovers, fake dating, forbidden love, uni life, forced proximity, grumpy geto x troublemaker reader, traumatic pasts, a little slowburn, angst,angst and more angst, hate sex, love triangle, one-sided pining, soulmates, no attachment rule, she felt first he felt hardest (obsession level), best friend’s uncle’s bestfriend (i think i created a new trope ┏( ͡❛ ͜ʖ ͡❛)┛)

➵ note from author: okay so hello everyone. this fic is going to be my first story. i’m a bit excited. i’ve been thinking about this story for a while now. i finally gathered all my courage and decided to write it here. anyway, before going too far, there are some things i need to warn you about. first of all, this story will contain adult content. it is only for 18+ audience. additionally, the story will include topics such as sexual content, trauma, mental and physical abuse, suicidal thoughts, etc. if these themes make you uncomfortable, i recommend not reading it. lastly, i posted this as a teaser. i haven’t started writing the chapters yet. i will upload the first chapter as soon as possible. i hope everyone enjoys it. sending you lots of love <33 lilacbunnygirl

➵ chapters:

✩ chapter 1

✩ chapter 2

(suguru geto art by @reynisxxsimart )

@lilacbunnygirl don’t copy and translate my story

[henrysglock]

Finally, More NINA Puzzle Pieces

DISTRESSED NOISES!! WE GOT NINA CRUMBS!! AND IT'S DRIVING ME INSANE!!

IT HAS THE CAMERA!!! AT LEAST ONE VERSION OF REALITY HAS THE CAMERA!!!!!

Okay so remember when I pointed this out about the NINA discrepancies in El's 4.05 entrance, and how there were at least 22 different iterations of events?

Specifically this glaring difference between reality (tapes) and the rest of the 4.05 entrance (labeled 3 and 8)?

The presence of a camera in a UD-ified version of HNL tells us that the bottom row of images straight up cannot physically exist in one cohesive reality.

Which is to say—Anything that does not have the camera is 100%, definitely, concretely not based in the UD's reality/those versions without the camera are either fake or set in a different reality.

If you've been following along this past year and a half, this is not news to you; it's just confirmation of what we already knew.

It does, however, means that none of this was based in reality:

We already kind of knew that, based on the props changing so much within the Rainbow Room each time/Henry's changing hair/etc, but the confirmation goes crazy insane. We love to see it.

After the first entrance to NINA/after we see the footage of the version with the camera, we don't see a non-camera version again. Any non-camera versions seem to disappear. This means whatever simulation El's stuck in, it's adaptive. It learns, with a propensity for making itself immersive by molding itself to to the subject's understanding of reality.

However, what fucks me up is that all of these are, then, set in the same "reality":

Which means the new ST5 UD-ified HNL, the physical camera footage of 1979, Henry's electrocution, Blood Hands El, El running to the Rainbow Room, and Brenner running to the Rainbow Room are all supposedly set in "reality".

That's not possible, though. The electrocution scene cannot have existed in reality/could not possibly be a memory, because 14 year old El is barely tall enough to see in. 1979 El would not have been tall enough to have seen interaction:

This means that none of NINA is reliable. Period. Even the things that appear to be set in reality are unreliable re: what actually happened in 1979.

Whatever NINA runs on, it's adaptive and manipulative. It's like c.ai, if c.ai was actually AI. Whatever it is, it takes El's experiences both in the lab and outside the lab and combines them to form entirely new scenarios that never really happened (see: Blade Runner 2049 and the manipulated/mash-up memories shenanigans). El has been told she's reliving memories. That is not the case. None of what she's seeing is reliable. It's like when a movie says it's based on a true story.

This fits with what I said about the monologue never having existed at all and NINA being an immersive empathogenic drug trip that pulls from El's outside memories. It also fits with my draft about the Mindflayer ties between Shadow-NINA in the VR, TFS, and NINA in ST4, and my speculation in that same draft about a) NINA specifically running on the Mindflayer, and b) the Mindflayer using familiar humanoid avatars to gain sympathy and coerce its target into joining it.

We see this kind of behavior in Patty in her garnering sympathy from Henry and then insisting that she and Henry run away together to find her mother in the Stardust Casino...regardless of the fact that Henry is still flayed. We see it again in our "Couldn't Possibly Exist" Henry as he garners sympathy from El and then tells El to join him. And then we see it again in Shadow Brenner using the NINA-like maze to learn about Henry as a means to try and coerce him into joining him. It's a continuing theme.

Both Patty and "Henry" want Henry and El, respectively, to accept their offer and leave with them. Both Henry and El reject that offer in exactly the same way:

In my speculative opinion, we see a resurgence of this particular dual-yeeting in Billy and Heather.

Henry in the VR, as we know, has a dubious ending re: escaping the simulation.

This exists in contrast to the other version of NINA Henry, who, much like TFS Henry with Patty, is insistent that El run away without him.

When I say that we have multiple guys, this is what I mean. Their motivations are entirely different. One of these men in NINA is not Henry. It's someone or something masquerading as him. If I had to speculate, I would say that it stems from the Mindflayer and its possible presence in NINA...Especially given the similarities between NINA and the Russian prison, wherein they have a trapped form of the Mindflayer:

In short—Every day it seems more likely that whatever El fought in the massacre was not Henry. It's like I said way way back last year: there's someone else in there with her. Multiple someone-elses, even.

It also seems, if I had to speculate, that rejecting the Mindflayer avatar is what gives El her powers back. This means it may also be what "changed" about One, as mentioned in the plinko scene.

This all also backs what I speculated way back in the day about the blood transfusions being related to immunity against the Mindflayer, either finding it, triggering it, or building it. It seems to function like getting a live vaccine: you're given dose of the live virus, and your body fights it off. In fighting off the Mindflayer, it's entirely possible that the process triggers latent powers in those who have them. Those who don't have the basis for latent powers eventually succumb (see: Will, Billy, the Flayed). Brenner, with NINA, may have been giving El the equivalent of a booster shot.

[m1ssunderstanding]

Understanding Lennon McCartney Rewatch Part 4.1

This is embarrassing but I'm actually so obsessed with the first five minutes of this episode that I've got it bookmarked in my YouTube account. It's just so perfect!

“Say you don't looooove him, my salamander. Then why did you neeeeeeed him? Ono don't answer.” He genuinely thinks need and love are the same and I really hope he's got therapy for that messed up mindset by now.

Officially honored as the most successful musical composer and recording artist of all time. That damn well better be mentioned in his movie. And people still don't take him seriously. But also. John definitely smashed his TV.

I'm screaming. I love Linda the promoter so fucking much!! Interviewer: I knew a lot of your records had went gold and platinum and– Linda: a lot of them? All of them! Ugh I wish she was still with him now.

And then THIS! “What really happened between you and John?” As the first notes to “I Will Survive” play. It's too good. Everyone has to go watch that bit right now.

Linda coming in for the kill again with her fake posh accent: critics? Critics? Oooooh! … They're always three years behind.

Look at him (to the tune Bitch by Meredeth Brooks) he's a whore, he's a father, he's a star, he's a success, he's a lover he's smug, he's laughing, he's having fun, he's working hard. He's everything.

Interviewing Wings concert goers and this one girl goes, "oh I just got off on all of it" and another one goes “It was great, i came twice!” Literally it should've been me!!!!

The McCartneys are seriously such a big family. And it's been Paul's responsibility since was about 21, really, to make sure they're all okay financially. That Francie story of him crumbling in the street in Liverpool haunts me.

"Why shouldn't they go to the same school as everyone else goes to?" State schools should be the only legal schools btw.

I love what the creator does to contextualize their songs by pairing them with other contemporary footage. It makes it much easier for me to understand why something like “arrow through me” (which I love but none of the people I've shown it to do) would've been so popular.

Oh here we go again. Just show us the marriage certificate already.

Cackling at the contrast between “Old Siam Sir” which is one of my all time fav rockers and footage of the Stones being cringe AF and Dylan being so beyond done he's basically dead.

Oh. Okay. And then they slap us in the face with John's poor baby late 70s demo voice crooning, “Don't want your looooove. Anymore.” “I die each time I hear your name.” I'm fine. It's fine. I'm just vomiting my guts out because I'm sick. That's why.

The pairing of “Mr H Atom” with Paul's would've-been drag show is genius, but what is that clip of some sort of trial stuck in there? If anyone knows, please inform me. (16:15)

John sounds so sad talking about the “endless search for . . . Scotland . . . Within an hour of New York.” I can't help thinking of the Mull of Kintyre. But John was also the one who turned Paul on to Scotland in the first place, ≈always waxing poetic about the heather and the hills≈.

Sean is so adorable. Reminds me of my little guy a bit actually.

Why do I always want to tell Paul to be nice to John? John is worse to him. Idk maybe because John's pain is more visible.

[lemonnsss]

Moral of the Story pt.2

Warnings: cheating, illusions to sex, angst, not BETA'D we die like men.

A/N: It's finally here! Sorry for making y'all wait two extra weeks, enjoy!

Chapters: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

Taglist: @vicmc624, @mostlymarvelgirl, @yvonneeeee, @beetlejuicesupremacy, @moonlightreader649, @whattheduckisupkyle, @chrisevans-realwife, @nekoannie-chan, @mrsbarnes32557038, @imyourbratzdoll

Word count: 1.2k

Within a few days, I'd moved across the country. Even though anyone from Xavier's could fly over without warning, I thought it would be good for me. I wanted to escape Jean and the heartache she brought with her. Jean had everything. I had left, she had Logan, and I'm sure she would find a way to manipulate Scott again. Just like always done.

Given the circumstances, I wasn't looking forward to my return as a teacher. I had worked as a secretary for a lawyer through college to be able to pay for tuition, and I decided that would be my best bet.

I sat in my bed at the hotel, craning my neck at my laptop screen. Finding a job here was a lot harder than I had anticipated. After a few hours, I had finally found a decent opening. It was a higher-level position at a conglomerate major enough for even me to have heard of. I suppose it's not shocking how much the former CEO is always in the news. A fact that makes sense with the understanding that almost every eligible lady threw herself at him and, oh, how could I forget, one of his board members and most trusted advisors had tried to kill him. Twice. 

I set up the meeting for the day after tomorrow, fearing that the next day would be filled with an intense migraine, a common side-effect of driving past 2 A.M. trying to make it to California in the shortest time possible. I got up, placed my computer on the provided desk, plugged it in, and begrudgingly moved to the bathroom to get ready for bed.

The next day came, and for the second time this week, I'd been right in the type of way I loathe. When I got up, I could barely move, my muscles aching after spending the past few days stuck in my car, only taking a few long breaks to get some rest and about a half dozen times each day for food, drinks, and the restroom. Changing into something comfortable, I left my hotel room. The search for a decent coffee shop now beginning.

After about half an hour, I found a place that looked decent enough. I walked in, and it felt like all eyes were on me. The feel of burning gazes, the sudden urge to make myself as small as possible, and the waves of dread crashing down on me. My symptoms of anxiety. An all too familiar feeling. I looked up at the menu, order already in mind. 

 “Hi! I’ll get a hazelnut latte with almond milk if you have it. Oh, and it says on the menu that there’s a white chocolate scone. I’ll have one of those as well.”

 “Okay, an almond-hazel-latte with a white scone. Who’s it for?”

 “Uh, Kyrie.”

 “Okay, Kai. Someone’ll call when your order’s done.”

 “Okay, thank y-“

 “Please, go find a seat.”

I backed away awkwardly. Slightly raising my arms, hands up in thumbs up. I walked away, putting my arms down, looking for a table to work at.

To no surprise, most tables were empty. For those occupied, their occupants were dressed in semi-professional attire, almost definitely catching up before going to work; the separation between their lives and my own shifted into something all the more evident. 

After about ten minutes, a barista called for the fake name I had given them. I got up and grabbed my order.

I sat at a table away from the windows and took out my laptop. I opened my email, checking for any new correspondents, to see almost 200 new emails, over half of which were from Logan and the other teachers of Xaviers. I went to Logan's profile, blocked him, and used the search bar to delete his previous messages. I don't need to read the pity speech of someone who doesn't value me as even a human being.

I scrolled through and saw an email from Scott, an unusual occurrence for him. I clicked to open it but didn't get the chance to read it, the screech of someone pulling at the table's other chair making it exceptionally difficult.

“Why are you- why did you sit down?”

 “I’m hiding from my bodyguard who is very determined to stay aware of my whereabouts. Even if he thinks it’s me sitting with you. He won’t interrupt our conversation. So, what's a pretty thing like you doing in a place like this?" said a man with dark brown hair in an expensive-looking suit, "You're new around here aren't you?"

Great. Preppy, rich white guy hiding from his bodyguard, the horror. I laid my head on my hand and took a sip of my coffee.

 "And how would you know if I was? My attitude, my dress, perhaps an unusual drained look plastered on my face." A cheeky tone in my voice. It didn't matter if I was exhausted; this could be fun.

 "I was going to say your accent, but sure, let's go with one of those."

 "What do I get?" I took a bite of my scone. It wasn't as good as I had hoped but not far from what I had expected.

 "I'm sorry, pardon?" Moved his torso to face me.

 "What do I get if I don't rat you out?"

"You get a conversation with me, not something afforded to most." He leaned back.

The door rings. A bigger man in a suit with short, curly hair, a goatee, and sunglasses walks in. The man in front of me gives me a slightly urgent stare.

"I want a favor. Anything, anytime. Within reason, of course."

"Okay, fine; that works for me, just well, you know help." His voice was now a low whisper.

"Pleasure doing business with you," I say as I grab him by the tie, pulling him into a kiss. After a few seconds, I pull away slightly. I glanced around the room, my eyes landing on his supposed bodyguard. The man in question was looking the other way, an almost abashed look on his face.

"Wow, I was not expecting that."

"I'd recommend getting used to it, sweetheart."

His bodyguard took a final look around the room, figuring his client was somewhere else. Just as he entered he left, without a single word.

Hearing the door close he leaned back stretching almost, "So, what do you want? Money, political support, a fun time maybe. I mean with the kiss you gave me I would think the last of which."

"I'll pass. I just moved here, and I need a job. So, If my interview tomorrow goes to shit, your company or whatever you do is the backup now. Congrats!" My voice was now full of sarcasm. 

"Hand me your phone, now. Don't be shy." I opened and closed my hand repeatedly to affirm my statement. 

"Pushy, are we?" He sat up lightly and pulled out the latest iPhone. I should have expected that. I grabbed it and slid the lock screen open.

"Really? You don't have a password? Mr.," I paused with the new knowledge of who this man was, "Mr. Stark. Know what? I'll call in that favor right about now."

[novelmonger]

1-4 & 10-12 for The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep, 9-15 for FMA, 1 & 16-18 for Anne of Green Gables, 8-12 for Half-Magic, and 1, 3, 19, and 20 for The Little Riders, please?

The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep by H.G. Parry

what got you into this story?

My dear friend @rainintheevening recommended it to me, and I'm so glad she did! I wasn't even 20 pages in before I looked up from the page and went, "Ohoho, this book was definitely written for me!"

2. describe it in one or two sentences.

Charley Sutherland has always had the ability to read characters out of books and into real life. But when Uriah Heep, the villain from David Copperfield, begins to cause trouble, his older brother (who is perfectly ordinary in every way) will have to go to great lengths to help him out of his predicament.

3. quickly list 3 things you like about the story!

IT'S ABOUT BROTHERS

IT'S A BOOK ABOUT BOOKS

It started to look like the ending was going to be tragic, BUT IT WASN'T I CRYYYYYYYYYY T^T

4. assign this story a hyper-specific genre name, e.g. "inspirational religious semi-horror sci-fi western" (yes, that's Trigun)

Speculative literary brother fiction crossover thriller

10. if you made an amv about this, what song would you set it to?

"Brother" by Kodaline

I mean, would you look at these lyrics?

Oh brother, we'll go deeper than the ink Beneath the skin of our tattoos Though we don't share the same blood You're my brother and I love you that's the truth

;aldksj;sdkfl;sdkfldslkfj TT___TT

11. if you were put in the main character's position, how well would that go for you on a scale of 1-5?

Umm...maybe like a 4? Rob is a very normal kind of guy, and while I'm not a lawyer like him, most of the things he does are fairly ordinary, all things considered. (Well, it's not an ordinary situation at all, but I mean he doesn't have hidden magic or anything.) There's nothing particularly special about him except the lengths he's willing to go to for his brother. And I'd like to think I would do the same for my siblings if need be.

12. assuming your loved ones would be there, would you want to live in the world of the story?

YES. A world where I could potentially meet my favorite characters from beloved stories? Yeah, okay, some of the more unsavory characters show up too, but...like...I could have tea with Dumbledore. I could share crunchings and munchings with Gurgi. I could hang out with Pippi Longstocking! Maybe I could even give Kaladin Stormblessed a hug :')

Full Metal Alchemist by Hiromu Arakawa

9. give the most UNHELPFUL and/or SILLY summary possible.

A fake human uses a double amputee, a tin can, a war criminal, a butcher, and some old guy to try to become God. He fails because he didn't brush up on meteorology enough.

10. if you made an amv about this, what song would you set it to?

Funny you should ask, because I've got several ideas floating around in my head that I could actually make a reality if I just sat down and took the time! The first AMV idea I ever got, years and years ago, was one set to "Memories" by Within Temptation.

11. if you were put in the main character's position, how well would that go for you on a scale of 1-5?

Lol. 1. I would die immediately. I don't have a head for numbers or science, so I would probably be horrible at alchemy. Even if I somehow got clap-alchemy from the Truth (though how I'd be able to manage human transmutation to get that far is anyone's guess), I would fail miserably to do the things Ed does, because I am very flabby and weak and cowardly. Also I don't think I would have the gumption to do half the things he does, like pushing through the pain of automail surgery. Yeah, sorry, the world is doomed if I'm put in Ed's place.

12. assuming your loved ones would be there, would you want to live in the world of the story?

As much as I adore this story, I think I'd actually say no. There's so much danger and war on every side, and I don't much fancy the thought of losing my soul to a whirling vortex (even if my soul does get put back!). I've already laid out how I wouldn't be an alchemist, so there wouldn't even be that to compensate. Maybe I'd visit after it's no longer a fascist military state, though.

13. tell me an out-of-context piece of worldbuilding or lore!

Did you know that Amestris was the wife of Artaxerxes, king of Persia?

14. how likely do you think this story is to break a reader's heart? If you're not done with the story, just guess.

I'm biased, but I think it's pretty much guaranteed. If your heart doesn't break at least a little bit at a certain little girl and her dog, I'm not sure you have one. And there are so many other parts where I cried really hard, not least at the ending of the first anime. All I wanted to do after I finished it the first time was lie in my bed, staring at the ceiling and trying to figure out how to carry on with my life ^^'

15. what time are you most likely to be found reading/watching this story? (time of year, time of day, season of life, whatever makes sense to you)

ALL DAY ALL THE TIME.

Lol, that would have been my answer in my teenage years, but admittedly my attention has strayed to other fandoms more recently. I'm still down to read/watch FMA anytime at the drop of a hat, but these days I'm most likely to dip back into it this time of year, because I always try to have something to post for FMA Day on October 3rd. (Which reminds me, I need to get cracking on that D:)

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

what got you into this story?

I guess you could call it peer pressure, kinda? I just kept hearing people praising it over the years, until finally I decided I should probably see what all the fuss was about, rather than just writing it off as Not For Me because I decided that back when I was eight or something. And once I did start reading, it didn't take long for Anne to win me over ^_^

16. do you think this story has broad appeal, or is it meant for a very specific audience? if it's more "niche", what kind of person would most enjoy this story?

I do think it has broad appeal, though I'd still say it's not for everybody. Clearly, Baby Novie decided it wasn't for her because there wasn't enough high adventure in it. I think most people would be able to find something relatable or at least enjoyable about it, but some people might need to wait until they're mature enough to appreciate its merits ;)

17. compare this story to your usual tastes. how does it differ from what you've already enjoyed?

I usually prefer books with more fantastical elements in them, or at least adventuring, and that was especially true when I tried to read this book as a kid. I will certainly read the occasional historical fiction about ordinary, everyday ups and downs, but even so, I'm usually more inclined to reach for something like Austen or Dickens that has a more complicated, twisty-turny plot.

18. compare this story to your usual tastes. what parts of it are exactly the kind of thing you've always loved?

I'm actually kind of surprised this was never assigned for school, because it feels a lot like the kind of book I read a lot, and probably one I would have enjoyed more than some of the other stuff we had to read. If I'd only made the connection that it takes place around the same time as the Mandie books, I probably would have really latched onto it (even though Anne isn't about mysteries), because that was my bread and butter for several years as a kid. And Anne of Green Gables would have been much less embarrassing to return to as an adult ^^' Another element that is common to many stories I love is how friendship is treasured so highly.

Half Magic by Edward Eager

8. what questions are or were you most excited to learn the answers to while experiencing the story for the first time?

Oh man, it's been so long since the first time I read this book, I can't really remember. Especially because I was never really an "active reader" as a kid. I never stopped to ask questions, I just inhaled stories, and whatever happened in it, that was how it obviously had to be ^^' And by now, I've read the book so many times I know it back to front, and there aren't really any more questions that I care about.

At a guess, though, I might have wondered where the talisman came from and where I could get one :P

9. give the most UNHELPFUL and/or SILLY summary possible.

This book teaches you about fractions :)

10. if you made an amv about this, what song would you set it to?

Uhhhh...I really don't know. Probably some kind of instrumental track, maybe piano? And it would just be a montage of the whole story, I think.

11. if you were put in the main character's position, how well would that go for you on a scale of 1-5?

I'd say a 4 or a 5. I'd like to think I'd do pretty well at remembering not to say "I wish" out loud as much as they do, but that's never how these things go. But most of the times I say that, it's usually just things like "I wish I could remember..." or "I wish I knew why..." And I don't see how the consequences of that kind of accidental wish could be too dire XD

12. assuming your loved ones would be there, would you want to live in the world of the story?

A THOUSAND TIMES YES. How many times did I daydream about what my siblings and I would do if we got a wish-granting adventure like in the books? It might be a little annoying to have to put up with 1920s America or whenever it's supposed to be, but...wish-granting talisman. Come on.

The Little Riders by Margaretha Shemin

what got you into this story?

This was assigned for school. I don't remember when exactly that was, but I think it was a read-aloud rather than one I read to myself, so maybe first or second grade? And I just remember it being one of the books that stood out to me amongst all the others.

3. quickly list 3 things you like about the story!

It offers a unique perspective on WWII, humanizing the Nazi soldiers when most of the time, we're all content to just think of them as nothing but monsters.

It's tense and exciting - will the soldier find the little riders?!

Illustrated by Peter Spier, a staple of my childhood picture books!

19. pitch an idea for a sequel or spinoff novel for this story!

What about a parallel story about the soldier's family? What was their experience like during the war?

20. what's the WORST thing about this story, in your opinion? (feel free to be positive, e.g. "it's not longer", if you want!)

Okay, yes, I could definitely do with a longer version of this book. I would have liked more exploration of Johanna's experience of being an American girl growing up in Holland with her grandparents. Did she have culture shock at first? Does she feel more at home in Holland now? For the lack of exploration they do into her unique situation, I almost think it would have been better to just have her be a Dutch girl who's lived in Holland all her life. The extra details of her father being in the U.S. Navy kind of feels superfluous.

Story Ask Game

[sam-loves-seb]

larry fucking seaver sounds like a hillarious fic to read and mama's boy gives off angsty vibes...at least for me

anyway I'd love to know more about them! I'm literally addicted to ur fics🤭

omg hi hello thank u for asking about my worksinthedocs post 💙 you're so sweet, i'm so glad you like my silly little stories

i'll tell you more about them under the cut

larry fucking seaver:

this one is a vignette style fic where it's just little scenes of mickey having to explain his life to larry and/or larry trying to help him in any way he can and mickey begrudgingly accepting it. like, it starts with larry driving mickey to the gallagher house after he gets released, and mickey has to explain to him that it's his boyfriend's house

(i'll give u a longer snippet of this one since i don't have much for the next one)

“So,” Larry pipes up just as some pop song on the car radio fades into a commercial. “It says here that…” He taps on the screen of his phone, reading something from where it sits in its little air vent clip on holder. “1955 South Trumbull is your address on file.” Larry glances over at Mickey. “Is that where we’re going today?” Larry fucking Seaver—of course he gets stuck with a goodie two shoes parole officer. Nothing could ever be easy, right? Mickey’s had parole officers before, most of them assholes, so he knows how to deal with the jerks, and the hard asses, and the fake tough guy routine he was expecting to get. Instead, he gets—whatever the fuck this guy is, and he doesn’t really know what to do with that. But that’s a thought for another time, because right now they’re passing under the L and turning into his old neighborhood, and the thought of going back to the house he was raised in makes his fucking skin crawl. “No. I don’t…” he trails off, the words dying on his tongue. He doesn’t want to go back, doesn’t want to face anyone or anything that might still be lingering between those walls, but he can’t say that. Not out loud, and definitely not to this walking pep talk of a parole officer he just met five minutes ago. “I don’t live there anymore.” “Not a problem, Mr. Milkovich—not a problem at all,” Larry reassures him, tapping his phone screen again after he comes to a stop at a red light. “I’ll just make a note in your file here… Okay! So—where to then?” Mickey hesitates. “North Wallace,” he says. “Take a left up here.” Larry lifts his hands from his phone with a small shrug, nodding to himself as he follows Mickey’s directions. “Okay.” They drive past Trumbull and Mickey doesn’t so much as turn his head to look down it. “Is this your house we’re heading to?” Larry asks, not skeptical, but… curious. Mickey sighs through his nose. “No.” “A relative?” Larry prompts, putting his blinker on and glancing over at Mickey again. “Or a friend, maybe?” And honestly, Mickey kind of hates this question, because this short answer would be yes—friend, lover, family, Ian’s been all of that to him and more for as long as Mickey can remember—but that’s not really the sort of answer Larry’s looking for, and Mickey doubts he could try and explain all that even if it was. He knows he never actually lived in the Gallagher house, not officially, not even technically, all those years ago, but right now that’s the only place Mickey wants to be. He doesn’t give two shits about the house, only cares about what’s inside—specifically, the tall redhead that still sleeps in the same twin-size bed he’s had since the fourth grade. Because the first thing most parolees do when they get out is go home, and, well—Ian Gallagher is the only real home that Mickey’s ever known. That’s a lot to reveal to a parole officer within the first hour of knowing him, Mickey thinks, but he figures he’s going to be seeing a lot of this guy, so he might as well be honest. Might as well get it all out in the open now. Mickey bites at the dry skin on his lip for a second before he finally says, “Boyfriend.” Larry doesn’t say anything. He blinks, then looks over at Mickey for a second too long. “It’s my boyfriend’s place,” Mickey says again, nails pressing into his palms as his hands curl into loose fists. “Well, his family’s. I guess.” For a moment it’s quiet, the only sounds coming from the steady flow of the air conditioning and some boyband singing on the radio. Mickey swallows. Larry taps his fingers against the steering wheel. “Huh,” Larry says mostly to himself. Then, a little louder, “Okay.” Mickey’s jaw visibly relaxes, and his shoulders drop a few inches as they pull onto North Wallace. The corner of Larry’s mouth quirks up into a grin. Mickey notices.

there's lots of other little scenes too (some i've written, some i haven't yet), like larry getting mickey the job at old army, mickey telling larry he and ian broke up--then telling him they're engaged, larry wanting to see pictures from the wedding, mickey and ian starting the weed security business and how that works with their parole, etc. etc.

but yeah. that's larry fucking seaver.

mama's boy:

this one is newer and still in an outline phase but it's not super angsty?? like it is, but it has a happy ending

it's basically a what if story, like what if: mickey's mom didn't die, she just left when they were kids. what if she's still out there somewhere, and sometime post-canon she's finally clean and sober and wondering about the kids she left behind all those years ago so she's slowly tracking them down one by one, and she shows up at apartment 218 one day to find a tall redhead answering the door that allegedly belongs to her son.

and mickey looks like he's seen a ghost, because he just assumed she fucked off and died somewhere outside of chicago, and that's why she never came back. but now she's here. in their apartment.

and she's telling him that his roommate seems nice and mickey's brain is still trying to process the fact that his mom is alive and sitting on his goddamn couch and she knows absolutely nothing about him.

so he tells her.

and it takes a while for mickey to loosen up around her, but ian is so excited for him, for both of them, because he knows what it's like to lose a mother--one that leaves--and as much as he hated monica, he loved her too, and he misses her more than he cares to admit

so he's not going to let his husband throw away a chance to have his mom in his life. not until he knows her a little bit first.

idk i just thought it was a neat idea, so. we'll see where i go with that one.

thanks for the ask! if anyone wants to know more about any of the fics in my worksinthedocs list, feel free to send me an ask 💙

[ask-the-totally-real-peppino]

Quick Info

Current Location: Peppino's Pizza (By the forest outside the building)

Available for Asks

Primary: Fake Peppino (Goes by 'Pep')

Secondary: Brick (the Rat),

Read the story from the beginning here!: [https://ask-the-totally-real-peppino.tumblr.com/tagged/story%20post/chrono]

Read the intermission from the beginning here!: [https://ask-the-totally-real-peppino.tumblr.com/tagged/intermission%20post/chrono]

Read the bonus story posts here! (Bonus story posts are self-contained stories, typically celebrating a special occasion or showing a past/future event, that occur within the canon of the story, but are not direct continuations of the main plot line.): [https://ask-the-totally-real-peppino.tumblr.com/tagged/bonus%20story%20post/chrono]

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Reference Pit

(References for all characters that have appeared, regardless if they are available for asks or not. These are also tagged as 'reference' for easy finding.)

Pep (Fake Peppino) - (Toyhou.se Version)

Peppino Spaghetti (ref pending)

Gustavo (ref pending)

Brick the Rat (ref pending)

??? (ref pending)

Bean (the mod)

Fake Bean (the fake mod)

Clone OCs (Toyhou.se Link)

~~~

Hello, and welcome to my ask blog! Primarily featuring Fake Peppino, but many of the other Pizza Tower characters and definitely some OCs will appear here too!

This is post-game, so spoilers are abound! Also, due to the nature of Fake Peppino, there will be a lot of body horror, ranging from mainly mild to occasionally severe! (More on content warnings below!)

~~~

Rules

M!A (Magic Anons) are allowed! This can range from sending small gifts to transforming characters for a set amount of posts!

Fanart is a-okay! Please try to represent the character the best you can, and ask before making significant design changes (such as a 'Genderbend' or 'Species Swap')

Please ask beforehand, if you would like to dub my work! And please be sure to credit and link back to me!

No Sexual Content in asks (The occasional innuendo/suggestive joke is fine)

No sending or tagging me in RP starters (this is not an RP blog and I do not RP in private either!)

No spam, such as repeated messages, reblog bait/ask chains etc

Please do not repost, trace or edit my art (unless given written permission)

Please do not use my art/characters in A.I. chatbots etc

Please do not tag my art as 'kin/me' (Nothing against kin! Just my art is very personal to me)

Please be patient! I am only one person, and I am doing this for fun!

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Content Warnings

While I intend for this blog to mostly be fluffy and silly fun, I do want to explore some potentially squicky topics, so here is a list!

Common, will not be tagged: Mild Body Horror (ie Pep's goopy skin etc), Scars, Foul Language, Depictions of Panic Attacks/Meltdowns, Use of Caps and Glitched/Zalgo text

Uncommon, will be tagged: Eye Strain, Alcohol Use, Smoking (mostly regular cigarettes, but maybe weed too), Partial Nudity (bare chests mostly), Emetophobia/Vomit, Blood, Violence, Moderate to Severe Body Horror, War (via Peppino flashbacks), Guns, Self-Harm, Suicidal Thoughts, Implied Gore, Implied Cannibalism, Implied Death

Rare, will be tagged, and under a read-more cut: Suggestive jokes, On Screen Gore, On Screen Cannibalism, On Screen Death

Not a content warning, but make a lot of OOC posts bc I have a lot of thoughts! These will all be tagged with 'ooc post', if you don't wanna see them! (But some do have lore in themmmm)

~~~

About Mun

Hi! You guys can call me Bean, Ben or Ruben! I use they/them, and I’m 28. Pizza Tower has taken over my little brain, and so I made this blog to be a bit silly with my favourite character, Fake Peppino~

Main Blog: @smalltimidbean-reblogs (semi-active) (Follows are from this blog!)

Art Blog: @smalltimidbean (active)

[soragawanaeru]

NEXOCEMBER 2023 DRABBLE - DAY O3 : MONSTERS

Welcome back to my NEXOCEMBER attempt, yeah. So about monster... I think about Grey Knight because that really interest me. I maybe had some misunderstanding for Grey Knight, but I swear it's because of my slow brain responses. I'll try to getting it as close as canon with my understanding. But I tell you this is not about a real monster, but... Other type of it. (SPOILER : It's your own mind and life, wooo yeahhh)

And IDC if you saw word human for this story, because think that as anthromorphing bla bla.

Like usual, English is not my main, not beta read. Set after Season 4 but have some flashbacks during S1 - S3 because I want to. But this time I gave some warning because this is quite dark story and have questionable contents. READ THE END NOTES TO UNDERSTAND WHY I MAKE THIS.

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TW // Suicidal-ish Thoughts, Depression Interpretation

If you feel one of that, please contact a professional help, because your life is precious. ^^

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⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

CW or TW (?) // FAKE WEAPON, FAKE BLOOD, FAKE ALL

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

Clay Moorington was human, according to his appearance. Hair, face, body, arms, legs, that's human had. Clay was determined, selfless, desired for honor and justice, would sacrifice just to help everyone in need, smart, hardworking, and destined to be a leader. He's definited as perfect type of human, he's almost flawless, in both appearance and mannerism according to almost Knighton people who knew him. But according to Clay himself, he didn't know at all. If he's a human or a living monster.

At first he thought himself like that, he's a human, had dreams to be the knight to protect Knighton, he had role into that and played that desperately. But according to time, it just like... Confusing. He had human appearance, but he acted like a robot (or puppet ?) sometimes--repetitive, monotone, and endless. But it's okay, he just did that, he didn't mind, if that was the best choice.

But the more he did, the more confusing Clay thought about himself. His mind sometimes were poisoned with some negative thoughts like a fringed iris flower, ate him whole, and sometimes a force in his mind begged him to stop eating his dreams.

Clay felt like fighting lava monsters or stone monsters was quite nothing than the monsters in his mind, non-existent yet really controlled him. He didn't know why but that's... Awful.

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After he turned into stone, Clay couldn't feel anything. Only stabbing coldness, and the noise of the voices in the city just echoes within his head. He sometimes ask the gaps in-between his 'dreams' that where should he go now, it seems like there's no prospect of recovery anymore.

After being alive again but as living statue that struck by Monstrox' thunder, his mind is hazy, only remembered that 'He must obey Monstrox' order and purge the one who defy him' like that. Just like a puppet in a damn theatre, controlled to be used for someone's benefit.

Sometimes he can heard voices that sounded like him sobbing, that Clay Moorington was there and begged to be noticed out. But nobody could hear or even understand that. Like his mind was falling deeper and became the gloomy water of the big ocean.

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When he finally regained some conciousness, he felt endless throb in his head, his soul was like everyone's -- in the bitter suffering. He felt less human anymore, even stated himself -- a human named Clay Moorington was no more, only a monstrous living statue named Grey Knight. That conclude something -- he fell deeper into despair and anger, he was no longer belong to Knighton anymore.

After he regained his human form and realised he had magic power, everyone could say that Clay was glad that he's back to his usual. But reality said the opposite, that's the irony. As each day passed, whenever Clay saw himself in the mirror, he asked himself that was he ugly and fear really vanquished into his spine.

When everyone asked 'How are you? How it is going?' or 'Oi you, how are things?' like that, Clay just smiled politely and said he was fine, just for people did not ask anything about him anymore.

Ah, he just want to turned back like before, to be himself. He mumbled, "I want to be alive," but in his mind said that he didn't want to be alive anymore, but whatever it was he really just... Lived like that, written in a Bible that named DNA. He's tired of salvating because he didn't believe in salvation anymore.

As time goes, he surrendered and blamed that was truly his fault. He had enough but he had no courage to run away. That's typical type of story.

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What the worst is, every aspect in Clay's inside was not human. He once had a stone heart, and he wanted to disinfect it in alcohol to sleep. If the world is a damn theatre, then he must have a role even to fulfill his emptiness of his heart. Each breathing felt like the air grabbed his throat every night.

When he found out that he's part of the wizardy and was the son of Ruina Stoneheart -- the witch that he hated so much, it suffocated him more, reality caved in his lungs. He felt like monsters, the ghost that behaves like a human from wanting a smile. He felt empty and hard to breathe each day passed by.

.

He felt sorry for deceiving everyone -- Macy, Lance, Axl, Aaron, Merlok, Ava, Robin, and many more, that he couldn't live up properly according to everyone's expectations because of course, he didn't know how to fight properly. Also he also felt sorry for not telling them, that's kinda sad. But suffering was the bond for his life. He was eaten by his own wrath and he asked himself, why it still hurts, everything.

If this was the price that he must pay, why Clay felt that was too much cruelty for him. His mind screamed, to gave him name to called by because he didn't know anymore if he was Clay Moorington or Grey Knight anymore.

After all he just wanted a future, to end his self-made theatre and one day, he could open his eyes and found the light that sure exist in 25:00 someday. He just wanted to let it end quickly and live in that moment that happened now, that's all.

┗━━━━━━༻❁༺━━━━━━┛

Do you know that I got inspirations by PROJECT SEKAI commisioned songs? Samsa (ZAMUZA) by Teniwoha, NOMAD by Keina Suda, Theatre (ENGEKI) by Nanou. Also a VOCALOID song like GEHENNA by Wotaku. IDK why, but yeah, I recommend you to listen them and find what the song talked about.

I just want to say that monsters not only from physical, but monsters can exist in our mind, and ironically, that happens to me. Sorry, but from this, do you think I need therapy? Reason why I used Clay here because when I saw Clay's progress for each series, I started to question myself, how's Clay mental state actually? Like how he looked stable and what the hell happened when he was struck by Monstrox and turned into Grey Knight etc. And wooo... Why I put my depression there?!

(And also, Clay is my fav in NK and I like to torture my fav into suffering if I make any fic so sorry)

Anyway, feedback always welcomed because I wanna know how it was. (Because I know this is absurd OMG)

[aita-blorbos]

AITA FOR TELLING MY "FRIEND" THAT GODS DEAL WITH LOTS OF PROBLEMS AND SHE SCREWED HERSELF FOR GOING ALONG WITH HIM?

Okay so, I (M, Age Unimportant), am "friends" with this "non-human" girl (F, 20's? 25? Look, I don't actually know. She's an adult like me, but when you're a God it's weird. And time moves differently for us) that I'm going to call "Key".

Key and I met when I was falsely accused of a crime, and kicked out of the Gods' Plane into the mortal world of A. (Full world name abbreviated so she doesn't find this). She could tell I was a lesser God when we met. I couldn't read her at first, but, she promised to help me.

In clearing my name, I learned more about Key and a bit of her story. Now, see, this is where she fucked up.

Key used to be "trapped" in The Demon's Plane. Gods can travel between the two planes, but risk losing their divinity the longer they stay within The Demon's Plane. I say "trapped" because she's still basically human and a human can theoretically leave either plane whenever they want. It's way easier to walk out of The Gods' Plane but she could've left whenever. Anyway. She worked for Him (M AGE UNKNOWN? OLD. Probably as old as The Old Dormant Gods), and, because of that, assumed that I was going to do something for her in return. I wasn't. Because all demons offer shady deals. That's literally in their nature. I'm going to call Him... "Fake" for ease of translation. Fake contracted Key to do all his dirty work while he took over The Demons' Plane and assumed Kinghood. That's not important.

When I told Key I wouldn't help her because this wasn't a deal, and that I don't make deals with demons she got extremely mad. Stating she wasn't a demon, and that, she risked herself to help save me.

Now, I know this isn't true because, I'm the lesser God of Death. I would've known if she was going to die. Something's wrong with Key in that she can't die? I don't know why. She never told me.

This entire thing (me not helping her) has culminated in us fighting often. I like to visit my followers in the form of a bird (I can't say which, I would give myself away). But K always manages to find me and we fight. I will admit, I can get carried away with fighting her but more than once she has gotten me dangerously close to a point where she would truly physically harm me.

One of these fights recently had us yelling. And, in the heat of the moment I told her that she needed to stop whining to ME about how Fake kidnapped and tricked her as a child, and kept her prisoner. I told her that lots of people of A suffer, probably even more than her. And besides, us Gods can't help every person who's in a bit of trouble because of their own actions.

She got extremely mad at this and told me that "It wasn't [her] fault. [She] was a child with no one else to turn too, and Fake's demons tricked her and Fake fed her lies." She went on to tell me (as she was hitting me by the way) that she knew the Gods were afraid of the power Fake was gaining.

There's supposed to be a balance between us and them and supposedly Fake has been killing other demons and lesser Godlike beings for centuries now. I don't believe Key because I would've definitely heard about this as death is my domain.

She told me the Gods lie, they lied to try to kill me, and that they should've saved her. So I finally had enough and snapped at her and told her that she needs to suck it up. And that she isn't some special chosen one or anything and that us Gods have a lot on our plates too. She never had to listen to Fake, or to His henchmen or whatever Fake is supposedly doing "down there". I told her she's just a dumb human and that she could've "saved herself" as a kid and just not listened. It's easy to just not listen to demons. You can always tell they're lying.

She won't speak to me now, and, after this fight she left me with a very nasty wound to my stomach that took days to properly heal. The last time I saw her she hit me hard enough with her cane that I, momentarily blacked out. When I came too, she was gone.

I know I'm not the asshole because us Gods do have our own problems to deal with and she got herself into this. But, I figured I should ask because that's what you humans do.

[anxiety-thyme]

First Friday fic night is here again!

For a refresher you can see what this is about here. Last month was Snow White With the Red Hair .

In last month's poll you degenerates voted for Real Slow Burn - 100k words or more. I should've known. Since we are focused on fic type we are going to hit a few different fandoms.

Voting for next month's topic at the end!

I had a couple of requirements for myself when choosing fics this month otherwise I wouldn't have known where to start and the list would be too long. It's already really long tbh.

The 100K word count had to be for the single fic - not for a series.

The wordcount had to actually be above 100k. No cheating with those 98K fics.

The ship had to be a main part of the story, not an afterthought.

No more than two fics per fandom.

I have to have read it more than once. <- I'm aware of what this says about me. I'm the degenerate actually.

If you've read some of the fics I've posted previously you might have picked up on the very specific vibe in most of what I recommend. Yes, I am just now realizing it and no I don't want to talk about it. Yes maybe a hug wouldn't hurt. We actually have a few that won't leave you emotionally damaged this month!

I thought I'd start with some fandoms we haven't hit yet. As always mind the tags. There is definitely smut.

My Hero Academia

Pairing: Todoroki/Bakugou I'll admit, I was unsure whether to include any MHA since the fandom can be A. Lot. especially when ships are involved. That said, I live in my own little corner of the internet and there are some phenomenal writers hidden away if you go look for it.

The lights are all out (its a big big city), by shaekspeares

"Izuku leaves for America for six months; Shouto fights his way into the Top 5 Hero Rank, takes out Godzilla, reconnects with a criminal, adopts a cat, and has several belated emotional crises (not necessarily in that order). He might also be in love with Bakugou, but that's another problem altogether.

Izuku probably shouldn't leave him to his own devices anymore."

I enjoy everything shaekspeares writes in the fandom. Their prose is beautiful and their work feels fully rested within the universe while telling compelling and emotional stories.

Candy Canes and Christmas Crackers, by bigdorkenergy

“So….your huge family somehow all think that you have a long term boyfriend and are insisting that you bring him to your week long Christmas family reunion?” Despite his efforts the end of his question raised in pitch as Kirishma swallowed down a giggle.

“How does that even happen?” Kaminari added popping some of the hashbrowns Bakugou made into his mouth.

_

OR your classic holiday romcom where Bakugou needs a fake boyfriend to bring home for Christmas and Todoroki is willing to take that bullet."

I'm not big on Christmas fics. Not for any particular reason I don't think? But, I am a big sucker for fake dating fics. This is adorable and so pure as these two do the whole friends to lovers thing.

Okay. Are you ready for this?

BBC Sherlock

(I know, right?? What is this 2012??)

Pairing: Sherlock/Watson

Performance In a Leading Role, by Mad_Lori

"Sherlock Holmes is an Oscar winner in the midst of a career slump. John Watson is an Everyman actor trapped in the rom-com ghetto. When they are cast as a gay couple in a new independent drama, will they surprise each other? Will their on-screen romance make its way into the real world?"

I know I've said this a few times, but I don't read a lot of true AUs but of course there are always exceptions. This is done so well that I don't think you have to be in the fandom or know anything about the characters at all and you would still enjoy it. The slow build from distain to love is really well done.

Community

Paring: Annie/Jeff (don't @me) I know Community isn't everyone's thing but there is some great fic out there just sayin'

It's Always Open Season on Princesses, Elsiesnuffin

"Annie is given the opportunity to do some travelling over the summer after her second year at Greendale."

This is very Roman Holiday-esque. It's a fun romp through Italy while Jeff figures his shit out. Jeff figuring his shit out is my bias. Also, is that a fanfiction.net link I see? 👀

Attack on Titan

pairing: Erwin/Levi

Small Mercies, by Calacreda

"Levi misses Erwin in the margin between sleeping and waking. He thinks about Erwin when he steps out of a hot bath into cold air. He imagines Erwin’s new life, his new vocation, his new family, when the seasons change, or when he blows the candles out, or now, as the sun sets. The only space he does so is a space of a threshold. It does not feel good or bad. It does not feel happy or sad. Levi realises now, however, that this is not the same as it feeling nothing."

Six years after the War ends and they part ways, Levi finds himself at Erwin's door again."

I cannot express how beautiful this is. I've read it so many times and I still cry each time. Levi feels so raw and real as someone who has never really known family and doesn't have the words to put to what he wants and how he feels.

Tiny Anthem, by onthearrow

"Levi swore to Erwin he would kill the Beast Titan. But how can he follow such an order when it's Erwin himself he pulls from its nape?"

Okay, imagine that you have spent years recovering from the grief of losing someone you loved, healing from a toxic relationship, learning to be comfortable in your skin, taking on a role you never asked for and fighting to create a space for yourself in the world. Got it? Now imagine the person you were grieving turns out to not be dead. And also, they don't know who you are. Oh and they have been brainwashed by the enemy. That feels good, right?

I am embarrassed by how many times I've read this. Every time a new chapter came out I would start from the beginning again. I finally promised myself 5 chapters ago that I wasn't allowed to start all over from the beginning until the final chapter comes out. It should be soooon.

Teen Wolf

pairing: Stiles/Derek

Home, by TheTypeWriterGirl

"January seventh. Seven days since the start of 2015, and seven days since his father’s death.

The bastard, he thinks bitterly. The past year Derek Hale had made it blatantly obvious that he hated his scrawny guts, taking every given opportunity to shove him up against a wall, growl threats in his ears and roll his eyes whenever he stepped into the room, muttering some snide comment about how spastic or idiotic he was.

So why did he fucking volunteer to take him in?"

Here is the thing. Not only is this fantastic, but the companion piece that is about Derek and Stiles' parents is also good. I didn't think I'd be able to read a fic about parents who are almost non-existent in the show without the characters from the show in it. I did here and I couldn't put it down.

The Hollow Moon, by thepsychicclam

"It's the summer after Stiles' first year of college, and he's working a crappy job and dealing with nightmares and anxiety - but he's okay, he swears. He makes it through most days without too much trouble. Then, a certain werewolf comes back into town. Which Stiles doesn't care about, nope, not at all.

After two and a half years, Derek returns to Beacon Hills with his small Pack. Though he tried to move on, something just kept drawing him back to Beacon Hills, he's just not sure what. Now, he figures he can start building something like a life - but he keeps getting distracted by Stiles Stilinski of all people."

I know this makes me awful but I'm a sucker for post Nogitsune Stiles. Nightmares? Yes. Disassociation from reality? Bring it. Add in a dash of Derek recognizing what he's going through and I'm there.

There are two fandoms missing that I would have loved to include however:

Snow White With the Red Hair: There are only 2 100+ Obiyuki fics on AO3 so they didn't feel in the spirit of this month's recommendations.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Let's be real most of what I have bookmarked is just straight up porn and not terribly long. That said, there is one really good story that I love but when I went back and looked at the word count turns out it is only like 50K words?

Tell me how much you like them on a scale of Abba to shoulder cat!

Do you like looking at fics by themes or do you prefer by fandom? Let me know.

[air-rising]

Much of that article had the right message but completely the wrong messenger. It’s not just Arsenal fans who don’t like the writer he’s kinda notorious on woso Twitter for his anti-big club bias esp against Chelsea. He deliberately picks fights with fanbases and has made personal attacks when he’s been called out for factual errors in his work. Not a shining example of online behaviour himself. Looks like the article will be re-worked and republished at some point in the future so hopefully we will still get the relevant insight without the sections containing his personal axe to grind

But the thing is, everyone has biases; some more pronounced as others, whilst some are able to be at their most objective regardless of who they support. The thing is that he and the players he directly quoted made valuable, indisputable points, hence the reactions.

The thing is, even if an angel fell to earth and wrote that article, the parties who found it outrageous would still sooner die (deny) than acknowledge they have led and encouraged problematic behaviors.

The priority now shifts to bring the messenger’s character into disrepute than ever have to call what they’ve done for what it truly is. It’s “plane spotting but just for this one group of people so I know their layover and itinerary”, “running into footballers at this coffee shop/brunch/dinner spot that I know they frequent”, “footballer did not like someone’s post on 11:25:34 so she’s definitely bitter”, “casually sitting within earshot of a footballer’s parent on purpose”, and not stalking. “I was nice to their face, showered them with gifts when I flew to another country to meet them after the game, but they don’t know the things I’ve said on my tumblr. It’s hard to search so that makes it okay”, “my fave footballer’s relationship didn’t go in the direction I wanted so I’m gonna get offended, create some fake profiles, and twist some stories to fit my narrative”, “I deleted it before anyone saw”, and not abuse or libel. Using AI, “I’m gonna police footballer couples for showing attraction toward each other whilst fantasizing this footballer were mine, and fetishizing her too”, and not objectification. It’s “I showed up to your team’s hotel unannounced at 5am, shivering for an autograph but they only spent 1.5 seconds with me”, “I’ll throw shit at a footballer because she’s not looking my way”, “Footballers didn’t clap at us fans after they did their literal job, which is play 90 minutes, win or lose”, and not entitlement.

Discrediting any author distracts from the point, and ultimately having to admit how big of a creep they are.

[bilbao-song]

Can you share some of those screenshots from your jeff collection??

djdkfkdkd i mean!!!! sure lmao. this will include nine billion screenshots so i’ll put it behind a read more or whatever (also sorry this took so long but i had to kind of sort through these/make selections/shittily censor names of people who aren’t like. celebrities in their own right)

some notes just so no one can clown on me: most of these are from random internet people; i have a bunch of articles as well but the screenshots here are mmmmostly coming from the comments i’ve managed to hoard over the last few years. i lurk in facebook groups on my fake account and whenever i’m not providing my unsolicited input and dissolving pointless fights between strangers i am screenshotting cute shit. anyway, many (most?) of the non-article anecdotes are ppl who i am like, BASICALLY certain are telling the truth. but there are a few where it’s like…idk. they’re all harmless enough that believing it won’t hurt anyone even if it’s not true lmao but as a general rule yeah yeah yeah people can say whatever they want on the internet, etc., whatever. that’s ur disclaimer

i'm also ANNOYED bc there were a few more i would have liked to include here but apparently i'm not as organized as i thought

anyway!!! yeah half of these are just people talking about meeting him lmao but there are a few things from articles andddd idk. Other Things. but without further ado!!!:

adorable

this guy (in the above screenshot which i didn’t crop properly sjckdkfls) is from the band starbuck, so no shitty censoring for him. there was another thing where he elaborated on the whole story but i may not have screenshotted it? :(

this one just killed me tbh

^ this one is MEAN but also like. cute. poor baby. Random People were like, debating whether or not this is true but i have no idea who this person's Source was so. the world may never know

this whole article is just some silly goose material

okay and the following are ones that come from like. trusted sources lmao

^these two are by the same woman who comments occasionally. it's extremely cute bc she kind of adores him i think. same

this lady tells this story plus a few other lil things pretty often. she's always like "my mother thought he was a lovely boy and he was." my heart. ur mom had good taste

^ THIS ONE in these last two is a confirmed Friend and talks about him a lot. i have so many thoughts re: the first thing but i’m not sure how to articulate that

this one isn't that entertaining but i just thought it was sweet lmao. people were fighting with each other within the group (so like. the usual basically) and i think he kinda misunderstood what was happening. understandable bc half of the people in there seem to be recreationally insufferable. but! oh well very Cute

anyway!! there's definitely more but i don't want to spam too much and some things i just haven't saved unfortunately :( there have been like. multiple stories of ppl hunting him down at his house in the 80s and talking to him for extended periods of time (that sounds sooo unsafe tbh but then again i'm biased bc i will hide if someone rings my doorbell and nobody even knows who i am). those were all very cute and even though that’s kind of a lowkey stalker vibe it does make me like, hmmmm would’ve been nice to be born earlier!

also i have one thing where somebody was like...sharing a post card he apparently sent to their now-deceased relative in the 70s. it was sooo cute but i feel kind of weird about reposting it (even tho it was shared publicly tbh...) but if anyone's eager to see it let me know and i'll send it privately. there are a FEW things of that nature where i'm just like 'this is cute but posting it would seem Weird'

anyway! i hope that was sufficient :^)

[constant-and-immovable]

Do you have any nonfiction book recs about pirates (specific people or pirates in general?)

Okay so I kept meaning to make a Long And Serious list of recs with this one, however I keep not doing that (sorry), but I can say the basics:

Under the Black Flag by David Cordingly is usually suggested as THE pirate history book. It covers a lot of ground, going deeper with a few of the big names, and how they tied into their era. He tends to waver back and forth between admiration and trying to go "well these men were actually bad people." The opening chapters also get into pirate literary and cinematic history, which is great, especially for someone new to nonfiction on the subject.

The Republic of Pirates by Colin Woodard is excellent too, and he covers the 101 needed to know where in history you are, but still, having a background in the Ongoing Fiasco that was Charles I to Queen Anne and the Fiasco of George I of England makes it a lot better. It's firmly rooted in the Caribbean Golden Age of Piracy, and never outright says that these men were among first to organize and more or less (if only temporarily) succeed in separating from Great Britain, but it shows it. Truth stranger than fiction and all that. It's definitely a zoomed-in look, and probably better read after Under the Black Flag

The Last Days of Blackbeard by Kevin Duffas. Okay, so this really isn't a requirement, but it's a requirement in my heart. Genuinely. It sounds like bullshit. Blackbeard wasn't from England, but from North Carolina, and he and his loyal men were highly involved with the governor who knew Exactly what they were doing, who purposeful structured rumors and myths about himself to keep the British away. It sounds fake. It sounds like a conspiracy theory. As my friend ninjagiry said, "I want to believe but where are your citations?" Kevin brought the receipts. Sometimes, literally, receipts. By the time I spent a week walking in these men's footsteps and hearing from Duffas among others, I was made convert. I

AVOID:

The Life and Tryals of the Gentleman Pirate, Major Stede Bonnet by Jeremy Moss. Written by a lawyer with no background in historiography or history writing, it's written like an undergrad book report that relies far too heavily on the first two titles I listed, name dropping them several times within the text or outright summarizing sections. I read this about six months before the show aired hoping to learn something new, and I did Not. There's a reason that this was self published and not picked up by a major imprint.

Why We Love Pirates by Rebbeca Simon It's not actually about why we love pirates, the author tacked on some tired and over discussed remarks about pirate stories and pirate movies and pirate popular culture to fluff up her dissertation synopsis about how the trials and execution of Captain Kidd are what lead to the immense public interest, fascination, and even admiration of (specifically) the Caribbean pirates. However, whoever edited this one missed several egregious errors in the first couple chapters. My thought is: if I, someone who is NOT a historian, caught these mistakes, what would a historian find? I want to use this book's research on Kidd, but I don't think I should trust it. I was so excited for this one too.

Avoid anything that relies heavily on Captain Johnson's Historie of Pyrates. Not exactly a solid source.

I haven't finished Born to Be Hanged yet, which is a new release this year, focusing on a small group of pirates hired by an Indigenous leader to rescue his daughter and several other women from their community from slavery and sexual abuse at the hands of the Spanish, but I'm wildly hype for it. After years, years of having to hear "these people were actually bad! you can't like them! if you're going to read about them I will tell you they're all evil and bad every page!" its refreshing to encounter "well, its not all that cut and dry, or that morally black and white."

[tentacledtherapist]

Lisa,

Perhaps the 'your' goes unspoken? (I, too, am teasing you!)

The "Wild West" is such a bizarre concept, as someone deeply into history, the actual "Wild West" was such a short lived thing, but to be fair, still took up a decent chunk of our country's history (considering it is only about 250 years old so about 1/5 of the time spent as a legitimate country). I have (distant, estranged) family out in the South West, which to me is the only place the Wild West still sort of lives on. The Gold Rush itself is such a strange cultural clash in and of itself. Both eras really feel like a gross misrepresentation of what they were actually like, but also such a huge part of American Heritage. (You can blame old Westerns for that!) Having one of the little towns in the East is definitely weird, especially since its literally the New England Area. This place is a frigid wasteland, so seeing the cold sand and empty fake western town makes it feel REALLY haunted. On days where it functions normally it's still a fun little attraction (weirdly themed mini golf included) but if I could visit it when its closed, I would, just to explore it a little more in depth. (It doesn't help someone actually got shot for real there, but thats another story.)

I agree about your tastes, I enjoy things that delve into the human psyche, the human nature, especially darker aspects, but even more so the light within the darker aspects. One of my favorite things are the Ethical Vampire or the Ethical Werewolf conundrums. The idea that your darkness, a darkness normally hidden within humans, is forced to the forefront and in a nearly uncontrollable manner. And having someone love you regardless, these raw things that traditionally humans and society have told you are inherently evil and wrong or sick are, not necessarily okay, but are not unlovable. There is such a beauty in that. And even if it doesn't surround a love story, the individuals will to stay strong and protect their morals and their humanity...? Its beautiful.

I also love the Friendly Ghost dynamic as well, it pairs well with death and the maiden, but it has more to it to me than that. Its that continuation of love and caring after death. Where passing on was maybe wholly possible but the ghost's love of humanity keeps them around. Or even just a ghost, a powerless thing, desperately trying to help those who cannot be helped. The idea of a bystander who wants nothing more than to tell you it is okay but cannot speak a word? I love that.

- (Your) Creature

P.s.: I would bap you back but tumblr won't let me put an image in the ask :(

🐈‍⬛🐾🐾🐾

creech,

i can totally blame old westerns for the romanticization of that whole era. every other street or building in my town is named for some western movie star and there’s museums for them everywhere? it’s a little overwhelming if you’re not used to it. every older person in town sort of Worships these movie stars and the culture of ‘The Wild West.’ like,,, we live in suburbia. there is nothing wild here. your house has a white picket fence and you get freaked out at a Chicken. and all this is ignoring the whitewashing of ‘the wild west’ but that’s a whole different thing that i’m sure you’re aware of—

i like new england, though. maybe my perspective is skewed ‘cause i’ve only visited and never lived there long term, but i like the older styles of architecture that’s a lot of places, and i like the (relative) abundance of public transport? and i’m perpetually Warm so the concept of living somewhere cooler long term is appealing, i guess? the desert of the west coast and the humidity of the southeast are both Sweltering

anyway,

i think the little weird finds are always the most fun? even if they’re creepy in the off season. we have christmas and winter themed parks here and they’re really weird to see in 125 degree heat in the middle of summer too? though… i don’t know if anyone got shot at any of those places—

as for the ‘tropes’ you brought up:

yes yes yes yes yes!!!!

ethical darkness, ethical inhumanity, all of it is such a fantastic way to explore what really is humanity! it’s not exactly an example of the trope, but i read this book last year that was about cannibalism? which is a great start to this tangent— anyway, it was About Cannibalism, but really it was more about how connection to others is inherently going to cause damage to the other, but to go without connection will cause destruction of the self? humans can’t exist with others without rubbing up against each other in all the wrong ways at times, and so often we give up parts to fit with the people we want to keep with us? the connection sustains us and we take those parts of other people and use them to help us grow? if you’ve ever adopted some silly turn of phrase a friend says frequently, isn’t that just a form of consumption of them?

but, to deprive yourself of that connection because you don’t want to hurt anyone, because you can’t stand the darkness and the mistakes and the inevitable hurt that comes from being a human and taking parts of others, you just turn that urge inwards and end up cannibalizing yourself?

again, not exactly the perfect fit for that trope, but one i found fascinating and kept revisiting.

the book was called “bones and all” and i highly recommend it if you can stomach some really visceral descriptions of cannibalism and stuff. i think they made the book into a movie somewhat recently, but it has an actor i don’t really love in it so i haven’t seen it

- Your Lisa