#on a different note though i kind of like the ambiguity of it all. leaves a lot open to interpretation which is fun

[iratusmus]

honestly its a real shame we didnt get to explore moebius as a concept more because it has like an incredible amount of potential to be a really interesting deconstruction of the "alternate universe where all the moralities are FLIPPED!!!" type of stories. like i was talking about it with @/goosewhisker and she brought up a bunch of super interesting points like. okay see the main question that most of this springs off of is... what, exactly, is the relationship between mobius and moebius.

i think its really worthwhile to go ahead and put in this question ian answered on his now-defunct forum that has frankly haunted me ever since i first found it. i've transcripted it below for easier reading.

"Question #4 wrote: When we talk about anti-Mobius, is this an evil version of Mobius really? They seem flipped around, but Knuckles, for example, is a good guy really in either dimension, and anti-Sonic… well, there's some potent foreshadowing in #172. But if anti-Mobius isn't an evil Mobius, in what sense is it the anti-Mobius?" In terms of Anti-Knuckles, at the time he was the antithesis. Knuckles at that point was still a nebulous hero - distrusting, hermit-like, and ultimately heroic in that he helped against the greater evil. Anti-Knuckles also was very open and telling about himself and his world, the exact opposite of Knuckles who sequestered himself away and generally kept everything to himself. Our Knuckles has grown to be more open, trusting, helpful, and truly heroic. One would assume the Anti-Knuckles wouldn't be nearly as approachable nowadays. I think calling the Antiverse the "evil Mobius" is too easy. Originally that's exactly what it was, but as its slowly built up over the years there's more to it. Mobius is a world under one dark cloud as the Eggman Empire seeks to conquer everything. Despite this there are pockets of hope, of heroism, and selflessness that fight back. On Anti-Mobius, the one beacon of hope is Dr. Kintobor's hospital and what he's managed to rescue in the Great Forest. The world is in a perpetual state of chaos as pockets of selfishness, ruthlessness, and misery sustain each other. Mobius is an example of hope enduring despite all odds. Anti-Mobius is a sad look at inevitable doom. I'll have much more to say on this later on.

so as ian himself says, moebius is no longer just the "evil mobius", but at the same time it can't really escape the shackles of being the inverse of prime mobius (see: knuckles vs anti-knuckles). so is this connection one way? do the inhabitants of moebius truly have any free will, or are they simply bound to be the opposite of their mainline counterparts?

i think scourge is definitely an interesting way of exploring this concept. as a character he's concepted on the idea of somebody who hates the idea of being considered a derivative of somebody else. he's not his own person - he's simply a discount version of the "real" him. his identity isn't his own. in his desperation to become anything that isnt sonic, ironically he ends up leaning into... well. still being a derivative of sonic. namely, what he is. anti-sonic. so even in his attempt to break free of the place that the universe has assigned him as a "sonic", he ultimately becomes exactly that.

does he really have free will, or is he simply confined to his lot in life? alternatively, is it that his natural inclinations/personality/choices are exactly that of his assigned place, which is how he ended up as the "anti-sonic" in the first place?

there's also another aspect to consider here - zonic says that scourge's "mutation" has made him "something of a wild card in the grand scheme of things". a line which is... never explained. but fascinates me nonetheless.

what is scourge's mutation, then? is it the master emerald incident, or is it that he rejected(?) his assigned place in the universe? if its the latter, then what does that mean for the rest of moebius, who have all followed in his footsteps (willing or not) to take on new, personal identities that are allegedly separate from their mobian counterparts?

buns' joining of kintobor is also definitely worth mentioning here - at the point that she switches sides, bunnie is still an unwavering freedom fighter. morally, both the mobian and moebian are on the same side. given that after the antoine incident, bunnie was going to join eggman's side to get legionized, what does that mean for the moebius/mobius connection?

is it possible that when scourge made them all take on new identities, he made the connection twofold? can changes in a moebian now affect their mobius counterpart? ironically, again, could scourge's attempt to break the ties between mobius and moebius only brought them closer together, now that both sides could potentially affect each other?

on a different meta note, i really would've liked to see more of moebius just because like... if mobius is a world where people are generally default "good", then is moebius a world where people are generally default "evil"? are they literally set up to fail because of the world they were created into?

frankly, going back to ian's commentary on moebius posted earlier... its no wonder that scourge (+ by extension the rest of the ss) ended up like that. the entire thing is so screwed from top to bottom and i wouldve killed to see it explored more.

[museandwords]

we don't gotta be in love (bucky barnes)

Warnings: A/B/O dynamics, dubcon (reader is a bartering chip), arranged marriage, blood, implied age difference, virginity loss, wedding night, rough sex, Bucky is an animal, reader is Tony Stark’s daughter, alludes to Bucky beings powerful man of ambiguous design, alternate universe, breeding kink, big dick kink, Bucky is in love with her but she hates him, it’s not a fairy tale, it’s primal and it’s kind of messy.

Author’s note: this is just….pure filth, send me to jail, don’t tell my therapist.

continuation is right here

MINORS DNI! 18+ ONLY

—

You, sweet, angelic, siren-like you. All wrapped up in a delicate lacy bra, a white ribbon in your hair, and your legs spread wide enough for Bucky to slot in between them.

Your glistening pussy was on full-display, tight and pink and soaked. Virginal and leaking slick as you lay there. You’re nervous, though you keep a brave face on as you present.

Your fiery eyes look up to meet his. You’re nervous and you’re scared. He's so big. His thick shaft dwarfs your folds as he rubs it along your seam.

You squirm, not sure what else to do. "Bucky…It's too big, it's not going to fit…" You whine at your new husband softly.

Bucky's gaze lingers on your delicate form, taking in the sight of his precious little Omega before him. He teases the tip of his thick member along your slick folds again and again, reveling in the way you quiver at the contact.

Your innocence and vulnerability only serve to stoke the primal desire within him. His intense blue eyes darken with hunger, your sweet scent of arousal enveloping him.

His large hand grips your chin firmly, tilting your head up to meet his gaze with eyes filled with determination.

"Shh, princess. Trust me," he growls softly, his voice a gravelly reassurance as his other hand snakes between your thighs, spreading your lips further to accommodate his size.

"You can take it, baby girl. You were made for me," he murmurs, the authoritative tone in his voice leaving no room for argument as he lines himself up with your entrance.

With a swift thrust, he enters you, the stretch causing you to gasp and tense against him. Bucky's restraint slips slightly at the sensation of your tight warmth surrounding him, but he reigns himself in, not wanting to overwhelm you. He holds still, allowing you to adjust to his size, his own need for you almost unbearable.

"See, you can take it," He reassures you, his hand moving up to cup your cheek tenderly as he begins to move, setting a steady pace that promises to fill you completely. He watches your reactions closely, his own control a thin veneer over his desire to claim you completely.

And just like that, Bucky made you his.

You should be afraid of this Alpha, this beast of a man who claims your virginity like he's entitled to it.

You want to hate him.

But how can you?

Your whole world is zoned in completely to where he's breaching you. He's so thick, his length seems to never end, and your back arches as you’re forced to take all of him.

It's like you can feel him in your stomach. You let out a high pitched whimper, and your thighs tighten around his waist.

As your eyes screw shut and you grip on his bicep for purchase.

Your virgin blood coats Bucky's cock, and it stains the white veil you still had on as he begins to fuck into you with a steady pace.

"I—…Bucky, I can't breathe…." You gasp, so genuine, soft and whimpery.

With your desperate plea for air, your voice tinged with a mix of fear and desire, Bucky's eyes bore into you, a glint of possessiveness shining through.

"You belong to me now, little wife," He growled, his voice husky and commanding, a mix of roughness and control.

Feeling your innocence and resistance only fueled Bucky's primal desires. He relished in the challenge, the conquest of your body like a prize waiting to be won.

As Bucky's relentless thrusting claimed you, your gasps, so pure and vulnerable, only served to fuel his aggression.

Bucky's grip tightened, his strength overpowering as he took what he wanted, his hips moving with a fierce determination. The room was consumed by the intoxicating scent of your arousal, mixing and mingling as your bodies became one.

Your eyes are screwed shut as you’re forced to take all of it again and again, the feeling of being so full is an adjustment, you hated how quickly you were coming to relish in it.

His arms come up to hook beneath the crease of your thighs and he begins to fold your body into a more submissive position. Your body curls and your eyes fly open, your glassy gaze meeting stormy blue as you can't help but let out a whiney moan from the sensation. The sight of you, vulnerable and yielding, stirs something within him, a hellish urge to devour, claim, push you to your limits as he delves deeper inside your velvety warmth.

You’re quick to realize whether you like it or not; you belong to him, for better or for worse. You go from a Stark girl to a Barnes wife. Tony Stark gave you to this beast of a man. And he takes it. Bucky takes all you have and consumes you.

Like an animal fucking for purpose rather than pleasure.

Your hand flies to the creaking mattress as you grip the sheets, your breasts bounce with each thrust and you begin to let out harsh pants that match each thrust in.

"Bucky…" You whine through gritted teeth as the pain begins to subside and the friction from the drag of his cock inside begins to feel good.

Bucky growls low in his throat as he moves within your eager, wet heat. The sound of your mingled pleasure filling the dimly lit room. His powerful thrusts are relentless. The scent of your arousal, sweet and heady, fills the space around you, driving Bucky wild with desire.

You want to hate this man. You want to hate him with all that you are because you were forced to marry him, to be his wife.

But the way he fucks into you has you confused, your brain more focused on how this Alpha takes your body so well, so dominantly and rough that it makes your pussy throb and your heart swell. It’s so ridiculous, so fucked up in your mind you can’t seem to bridge the gap.

With one particular thrust, Bucky's tip kisses your cervix, and you let out an involuntary scream from the sensation. Your manicured nails dig into the sheets, nearly shredding them as he picks up the intensity and drills harder into you.

You take it, you moan and you whine and you whimper and your tight warmth sucks his cock in, hungry for it now that you have it.

You’re overwhelmed from all the sensations, the way he's biting and sucking and licking your flesh, the way his pubic bone grinds against your clit and the way his cock stuffs you so perfectly that he rubs against your g-spot and cervix every time.

Tears begin to form in your eyes, a sign of your increased pleasure as your mouth falls open, Bucky forcing moans from your lips with each thrust in.

You know the purpose of this, you know what his instincts are telling him to do.

Reproduce. Claim. Mate.

"You're…trying….to get me pregnant…." You gasp out in realization as Bucky's hips slam into yours. You mewl, your body blossoming for him as he continues to drill into your tight wet heat.

Feeling you tighten around him, reacting to his every thrust, sent a dark thrill through him. It was as if something wild and feral prowled just beneath the surface of his skin, urging him to give in to his most basic alpha instincts.

He didn't speak, but his actions painted his intentions vividly.

You should fight, you should kick and punch and try to get this man off of you because you do not want his babies.

But your primal, baser brain won't allow you.

Because it's thriving off the Alpha presence, the possibility of pleasing your mate is more important.

The knot at the base of his cock began to swell, a signal of his impending release. As Bucky pushes his knot inside, your whole body tenses, and you begin to tremble as your pussy clenches impossibly tight around him. With a guttural growl, Bucky's body tensed, his hips stilling as he spilled his essence deep inside of you, each pulse of his release a sick twisted mark of ownership. You could feel the warmth spreading within you.

You let out a muted scream, and suddenly you’re shattering all over his cock.

Slick pools as you reach your climax, your walls constricting rhythmically around him as you grind your hips down — and involuntary action of pleasure as you ride it out. You can feel Bucky twitching inside of you, the swell of his knot keeping you locked together to ensure that they are in optimal condition to conceive, his need to give you a baby overriding any other thought in his mind.

You pant, your body is sweaty and weak as you finally begin to come down to earth.

You look at your Alpha, glowing eyes in the dark of night as you try to read him.

"Are you all calm now?" You ask, in a bratty tone.

Looking down at you, Bucky observed you with a mixture of possessiveness and satisfaction. He likes the challenge in your gaze.

Despite your bratty demeanor, Bucky found himself oddly pleased by your feistiness, a flicker of a smile playing on his lips.

"Yes, my little wife, all calm now," Bucky drawled, his gravelly voice tinged with satisfaction.

[sovereignjojoz]

Distraction

Pairing: smoke/Tomas x reader, I don’t even know if I can tag this Bi-Han x reader because it’s not, but just know Bi-Han has complex ambiguous feelings towards the reader that even I don’t know?????

Summary: The grandmaster disapproves of smokes lover for some reason unbeknownst to them, so he tells them to end it. Two endings.

Warnings: angst but there’s also a separate comforting ending, one mention that reader wears a dress, self-loathing reader in the angst part.

Notes - this was going to be more angsty originally I just couldn’t picture a meaner scenario, because smoke is too nice so I just lessened the angst to something bittersweet (cry) (I want to write something gut wrenching) anyways might write something for syzoth/Bi-han next idk. Requests are always open!!

Bi-Han, the ever stoic Sub-Zero, found himself in an unexpected dilemma, and it was all Tomas’ fault.

Or more specifically your fault.

Recently, Tomas had gotten a lover. Although some may think otherwise the grandmaster was not adverse to such things so long as they didn’t become a distraction.

You were a distraction.

You couldn't be more different from the warriors of their clan. You were like a breath of warmth in the icy corridors of the Lin Kuei compound, bubbly, kind-hearted, and devoid of combat prowess, you stood out like a flower in a field of snow.

While smoke was smitten with your gentle nature and somewhat naivety, Bi-Han couldn't shake off his disapproval.

Your unfiltered presence felt like a disruption to the disciplined order of their lives, a stark contrast to the solemn silence that usually enveloped the Lin Kuei.

Even now he could hear Tomas trying to hush up the sound of muffled laughter and giggles from the other side of the compound, was a place of komat and violence really a place for laughter to make home?

The grandmaster often tried to keep his distance as a result hoping that the incompatibility of you in their lifestyle would become increasingly clear, yet it had been months and it seemed as though you had no intention to leave Tomas’ side.

He didn’t understand what Tomas saw in you, of course your exterior beauty was clear to all (although Tomas wasn’t one to judge on appearance alone) but you were a non fighter. Bi-Han likened your presence to a fragile glass sculpture delicately balanced on the edge of a precipice, it was as though you needed a box to protect you from the harshness of the compound as it seemed as though a mere wispre could shatter your delicacy - and they were never one for whispering.

Perhaps Tomas could be considered the box you sought out, a sanctuary where you could retreat from the harshness of the world and cocoon yourself in layers of protection, so not to mar your fragile heart.

Yet was Tomas considered capable? Many occasions he’d returned home bloodied and bruised, wracking your heart with grief where you should have been finding solace. Sniffles and sobs lined the walls of the corridors while smoke tried his best to be comforting. He knew how this song and dance played out, a few forlorn touches whilst being patched up then the distress would cease (and in its place came the sound of affection).

Such a cycle will be futile for the one who is considered soft hearted, would it not? With enough pressure even resilience can shatter.

He supposed that was the good thing with his younger brother, he never put pressure on you which is why you were always able to be somewhat resilient and converse freely with him.

He was a firsthand witness to this many times and coincidentally one of those many times he overheard you two freely conversing was currently taking place.

“Tomas please don’t,” you begged loudly, and pouted willing him to look you in the eye.

When it came to many things Tomas was strong willed, but you were his one exception, you’d leave him inexplicably weak “pretty, you know I have to, water is quite literally gushing out of the chamber you stay in.” He countered as he pulled you along behind him.

You made a dismissive gesture with your hand, “But you know that is no issue to me, in fact it will just be like sleeping on a water bed.”

Tomas chuckled heartily, “you’re funny you know baby. Okay then it’s not an issue with you but it is an issue with me, can’t have you getting sick.”

You tried to hold him in place by hugging him, “my immune systems is top notch you know!” But he just threw you over his shoulder with ease and continued walking. “Besides can’t I just sleep with you?”

He felt your smaller fists pound on his back urging him to let you down, it was akin to a marshmallow pounding on wood. “You know I would love that but the grandmaster forbid us from sharing a room because of last time.”

You rested your face on his head sighing, “it was your fault, you were the one who squealed.”

He pinched your hip lightly, although it was enough to make you involuntarily yelp. “Let’s not forget who bit me.”

“Hey you knowingly signed up for that when we started dating.”

He flashed you a smile as he threw you down on the couch and brought out an imaginary key to lock you up with.

You gasped betrayed, “I know I know, ‘m sorry! I didn’t want to have to resort to this but your presence is too captivating, just give me three minutes my angel then I’m all yours.”

You relented beckoning him to go on so you could brood whilst you waited for him, the grand master watched this whole debacle go down and decided to make his presence known.

His presence startled you leading you to jump up upon his entrance, “good evening grandmaster.” You palmed at your dress in a state of nervousness.

The tall male eyed you up and down, “where is Tomas.”

“Smokey-” a disapproving frown crept onto his face, you cleared your throat, uncomfortable, “Tomas just left.”

He clicked his tongue, annoyed. “Yes that is evident, to where.”

You bit your bottom lip “he, um, went to the bedroom to fix a broken tap.”

His eyes flickered to you, a harsh glare almost making you want to flinch, “everything in the lin kuei compound is made to perfection, how did it break.”

You took a couple steps back as his proximity slightly intimidated you, “we shared a bath together a-and I must have splashed around to much, I’m really sorry grandmaster please don’t blame smok-”

“Enough.” His glare was enough to silence your nervous rambling. “Sit. I’m going to speak to Tomas, do not disturb us.”

It seemed as though you wanted to say something but you held yourself back deciding to sit down like he instructed you (good choice).

When Tomas heard footsteps approaching he initially thought nothing of it, thinking you had tired of being by your lonesome and wanted his attention again.

Then he heard the heaviness to the footsteps, those weren’t your delicate footsteps.

He used his vestment to wipe the sweat off his brow before answering the door.

“Grandmaster.” Tomas greeted.

Bi-Jan forced his own entry into the room, locking the door behind them, tension hanging thick in the air.

Smoke tried to read his expression his but it was unreadable, although it seemed like a form of inevitable confrontation was about to occur based on the face he was currently making.

“Is there anything-?”

“You are becoming reckless Tomas.”

Smoke furrowed his brows in confusion, he had no idea what the grandmaster was referring to. “What?”

“You broke a tap.”

Tomas rubbed his nape sheepishly, “technically you could say that, but I’ve already fixed it.”

Bi-han stepped closer to smoke, “It is beyond unacceptable.”

“It was a mistake.”

“Do we tolerate mistakes?”

Smoke had a lingering suspicion this issue ran deeper than the tap, of course Bi-Han would be displeased about his broken tap however he seemed to snappy for the issue to just be about the tap.

“We don’t but [name] didn’t mean to-?”

“Answer.”

“No?”

“Yet irregardless of that you did not show up to morning training.” A look of recognition flashed across smokes face, “as your grandmaster that will not be tolerated. You must end your relationship with [name].”

A look of disbelief overcame Tomas’ face. “What? Where is this coming from, why would I do that?” He asked, hurt seeped in his voice.

Bi-Han pinched the bridge of his nose and exhaled, “[name] is a distraction and a liability, if [name] were here now your focus would slip and you would struggle to focus on anything else evidently shown by the way you missed morning training.”

“That was my own decision.” Tomas answered defending you from Bi-Hans criticism, “[name] only asked if I would join, I was the one who said yes full well knowing about the training. If anyone is to blame it’s me.”

“It doesn’t matter Tomas. The fact you even said yes proves how far gone you are. [name] is not a warrior nor a medic but a weakness, an attachment to you that makes you vulnerable and puts us all at risk.”

Tomas’ jaw clenched in frustration, “Grandmaster please excuse me but you have no right to judge. You do not understand what you are talking about, [name] is not my weakness.”

“You are being selfish in your pursuits Tomas. Perhaps if she were a warrior there would be room negotiate but someone so tenuous is pitiful.”

“Then forgive me for being selfish grandmaster but I will not relent.” Tomas turned sharply on his heel to exit the room.

Angsty ending

“You will. If you dare to disobey me then take your stuff with you because you will no longer reside here.”

Tomas stopped in his tracks, his hand shakily hovering over the door knob.

He knew he had no more room to argue but he wanted to, more so than ever since it was a battle between his head and his heart.

Tomas threw his head back, exhaling angrily through his nostrils, then he pulled opened the door brashly and stormed out.

He rubbed his hand over his eyes, cursing under his breath.

“Smokey?” He saw your head appear into his view from around the corner, “is everything alright?”

“Yeah.”

“Are you sure?” You wrapped your arms tightly around his middle hoping to comfort him, “you seem tense?”

Smoke said nothing and just pulled you close with a desperate longing that was almost too tight. There's a sense of safety in the closeness as your breaths synchronise with his. You frowned pitifully and pulled his head down to your shoulder, gently caressing his hair.

“It’s okay.” You kissed his cheek.

“It’s not.”

“You can tell me what’s the matter?”

He lifted his head up trying to maintain his composed mask, “Bi-Han wants us to break up.”

Your shock lead your grip to loosen on him however he reacted quickly putting it back where it once was.

“Oh.”

He ran a hand through his ashen hair, “don’t worry, we’re not breaking up I’ll just deal with the consequences.” He spoke attempting to give you a reassuring smile but it came out more wry.

It was quite hard to process your current emotions but you were trying your best, “what are the consequences?”

“I’m out.”

Shock painted your face, “you can’t do that this is your whole life, you love it here.”

He brought your hand to his face, “I also love you.”

“I know.” You sniffled and tried your best to wipe the unruly tears that slipped out of the corner of your eyes.

You sighed. “He hates me, right? I must have done something again and now he’s had enough of me, it’s all my fault, I-I’m so stupid-!” You hit your head twice before smoke caught your hands and held them together tightly.

“stop it.”

Despite your hands being bound, you got past him and manage to wrap your hands around his blade, “what if I just cut my hair or if I talk less, I’ll change whatever he wants, I’ll study everything and become more proper…I’ll do anything to make him like me more for you-” smoke tuned out the rest of what was being discussed as he felt you trying to pull the blade towards your hair, he knew irrationality was getting to you. You tried your best to overpower him yet you knew it wouldn’t be possible, he was a warrior you were nothing.

The blade flicked out of your hand and made a small gash on your cheek, but the wound stung more from your saline tears than the actual sharpness of the blade.

His thumb wiped the blood and tears off of your soft skin, “it’s okay, you’ll be alright and I don’t care what he think I like you how you are, I never want you to change.”

“Well that would be good if the grandmaster didn’t hate current me that you love. Why does he hate me, he probably has a good reason anyway…All I want is to be with you…nothing else. but I’m not going to hold you back regardless.”

Smoke purses his lips. He had no answer for you, he couldn’t quite wrap his head around what the grandmasters peculiarity with you was or where this sudden snap came from, he didn’t want to doubt his grandmaster but he felt like there was more to this so called ‘dislike’ if he could even call it that.

His head was a mess.

“There is no good reason.” He didn’t answer your question, instead he just pulled you close into his embrace.

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault Tomas.”

“Yeah but still, it’s not fair. You shouldn’t doubt yourself like this thinking it’s your fault and our relationship shouldn’t be ending. Period. I should be able to do something but…If only things could have been different.” Or the grandmaster could have understood instead of being an arrogant ‘know-it-all’, “then…” the words died out on his tongue.

Your lips sadly turned upwards as you stroked his cheek, “but they’re not so there’s no time for lamenting, so I guess this is goodbye Smokey.”

As you took your hand away from his cheek he immediately felt the loss of warmth, replaced with a coolness he didn’t think he’d ever be forced to get used to.

But at least his heart was ignited one last time seeing you smile, even if it was in sadness and not long lasting, it would be a while before he let that smoke fizzle out.

“Goodbye sweetheart.”

Comforting ending

Before you were even aware of what was happening to you, a tug of your hand was pulling you forward leaving you stumbling to catch up with your feet.

“Tomas? Where are we going?”

He continued walking at a brisk pace, not stopping till you were outside the compound, “just for a walk, need to let some steam off.”

“You need to cool off some smoke?” You joked laughing at your pun.

That managed to crack a small smile from him, “and Bi-Han wants this to end,” he muttered under his breath.

You tilted your head at him in a curious manner, “what?”

He stopped beneath a tree, decorated with soft glistening snow on top of the wooden branches. He tuned towards you and squished your cheeks together before giving you a soft kiss. “Don’t worry.”

“Okay!”

You couldn’t figure out what it was but he was heavily concentrated on something in the distance right now, his face was clouded by a far a way look till he abruptly turned to face you. “Hey, do you want to get married?”

You gasped surprised, “really? You’d marry me!”

Smoke grinned enthusiastically, “would I? Of course I would!”

You jumped on him to excited to contain yourself making him stumble backwards before he steadied himself and you, “okay! It would probably only take me like two days to find a dress and we could just go down and sign the documents unless you wanted to have a big official thing but I’m not sure how that would-”

He pinched your lips while laughing to silence your rambling, “how about now?”

“But we have nothing I-!”

He cut you off once more, “we don’t need anything, just us, it will make it special! sure it will be informal but only us two will get it!”

“Here look,” he grabbed your smaller hands in his larger coarse hands, “[name], may I be forever yours.”

“Yes, you may Tomas.”

He grinned and pulled his face towards you, giving you a tender and lasting smooch. “Now we’re married!”

“You hit him lightly on his shoulder, “you were meant to wait for me to repeat it!”

He pulled you down to the floor, making you sit on his lap, “M sorry, ‘m sorry! I couldn’t wait.”

You sighed content, laying your head on top of his muscular shoulder, “it’s okay, you have forever to make it up to me.”

His lips curled upwards as he rested his head on top of yours.

Yeah, forever sounds nice.

[laufire]

I watched under the red hood recently so maybe 🔥 + Jason in it?

nice 😃

first of all, in order to discuse this, I need to establish the Really Big Changes between that movie and comics canon because... yeah, they're huge lol.

in the comics, Bruce and Jason's relationship had been fracturing in his last days as robin, because Bruce suspect Jason of pushing a rapist with diplomatic immunity from a balcony (the comic leaves this ambiguous. I prefer it this way). with terrible timing, Jason finds out that the mother that raised him wasn't his biological mother, so he sets out on a search for new family. after a whole international quest, he finds her... and she gives him up to the Joker in order to cover her *check's notes* embezzling crimes. the rest is history.

Jason is not brought back by the Lazarus Pit (and Ra's certainly wanted nothing to do with him lol). he awakes one day on his coffin because of comic-typical nonsense (alternate version of superman punched the world?? and it "set things right" because Jason was never "meant" to die). he digs his way out, gets hit by a car, gets taken to a hospital, stays in a comma, awakens but ~catatonic, escapes and wanders the streets stealing and sharing food with the homeless... then a league ally finds him, Talia al Ghul is informed, and takes Jason under her wing. when he's not healing fast enough for Ra's tastes and he wants to take Jason a way to the farm, Talia throws him into the Pit without Ra's permision.

in their final confrontation, Bruce is far less calm and doesn't throw the batarang to Jason's hand: he throws it to his neck, with potential lethal force, to fully stop him. then the Joker blows things up. it's kind of implied that Jason dies, but maybe the same magic (there's a purple light thingy?) took effect, so he eventually returns to annoy Dick in New York and briefly turn into a tentacled monster. that's not relevant here though.

oh, and Black Mask didn't need to free the Joker. he was already chilling in some amusement park, as he does. while Batman did... eh. who knows.

there are other, less important changes. because comics are weird and quirky and inherently hard to adapt in a way general audiences will take seriously. a very funny one is that the assassin Jason kills when he and Bruce are fighting side by side calls himself Captain Nazi.

okay so. I have MIXED FEELINGS about the film, precisely because of these changes (well, minus the Captain Nazi one, but that is REALLY funny of Jason, imo). I like it a lot... but I'm also bummed it removes Talia's importance... and that it backs the post-death narrative pushed by DC that Jason died because he was "reckless"/eagerly violent as Robin... the changes pertaining Bruce... and most of all, Jason's resurrection (again, I get it's comics-weird. But I really like the digging-out-of-one's-grave's motif!! and it could've easily been left ambiguous - the characters in the comics have no idea of why Jason came back, so. it could remain a mystery!).

and as I said, re: Bruce. sometimes I'm annoyed because the changes seem designed to make Bruce seem less... objectionable lol. other times I'm curious because the changes because they suggest a very different person in some key ways that spark my imagination in fic-related ways. depends on the day!

but overall it's a good film and a more than competent adaptation, that REALLY showcases my perfect son who never did anything wrong in his life xD, that portrays him as competent (very important to me), and that hits just the right spot when it comes to all my Jason and Bruce-Jason FEELS. and teeny tiny robin!Jason was adorable.

(I'm very happy the fandom outgrew its phase of fancasting Jensen Ackles as Jason though. what a travesty).

Send Me a 🔥+ a Topic, and I’ll Tell You My Honest Opinion About It

[emeraldspiral]

So I finally finished watching a Let's Play of FFVII Rebirth, shockingly without The Algorithm recommending me anything that spoils the ending, and in the spirit of that I'm putting my thoughts on the ending below a cut.

So going into it my thought was that Aerith's death is such an iconic moment in video game history and so integral to the plot it'd be insane to have her survive just for the sake of fan wish fulfillment. But it begs the question of what the point was of introducing the idea of defying fate and changing the story if you can't change the one thing everyone spent decades trying to avoid or undo. I think early on my thought was that the best course of action that would respect the integrity of the original story would be to have Aerith still die, but then change the ending of the final game so she comes back after it's all over. That way you still get your dark middle chapter/second act setback, and you don't undermine the original story, but you're still actually doing something with the concept of defying fate and pleasing the fans who always wanted to save Aerith. In a way it's even better to have Aerith come back in the end because it fits with the elements of Christian mythology present in the story. If Aerith is the Jesus to Sephiroth's anti-Christ and Jenova's Devil, then why shouldn't the one thing that changes about this story be her getting resurrected in the end?

The way things played out in Rebirth, I still think this is likely the case. Being the dark middle chapter, of course it had to start us off thinking that because Team Avalanche scored that victory against the Whispers in the first act, things could turn out different. But the point of the second act is to take you down from the high note the first act left us on, which it does by showing us that maybe you can't fight fate after all. First we found out the Whispers were still around. Then we found out definitively that Wedge was killed after seemingly escaping his original fate. You get Cid and the Tiny Bronco under totally different circumstances, yet the plane still crashes and becomes a boat. Cait Sith leaves the party after betraying the group rather than blackmailing his way into staying with them, but he still ends up sacrificing himself at the Temple of the Ancients anyway. Near the end in the Zack timeline, it seems like there's a split where he either chooses to get medicine for Cloud over saving Biggs, or goes to save Biggs, only for Biggs to still die anyway in both timelines. If you were asking what the point was of saying you could defy fate in the first game if the second game was just going to say you can't after all, it was to get your hopes up on purpose so that when Aerith ultimately ends up dying again, it feels just as fresh and shocking as it did the first time around rather than something players are simply resigned to as an inevitability.

As for the ambiguity about the situation, I've seen some people suggest that the Aerith we see at the end is Jenova in disguise, a figment of Cloud's imagination, a ghost that only he can see, or a version of her from another timeline where she didn't die. I haven't heard anything quite like the theory I'm starting to formulate though.

So my hot take is that whatever's going on with Sephiroth is also going on with Aerith. We know Sephiroth already fell into the lifestream once, with Jenova's head, and that his whole plan was to get in there again so he could become a god, but when Aerith died she ended up there and used her magic to stop meteor. We know that Sephiroth did still worm his way in there though, because it was his tainting of the lifestream that caused the geostigma in Advent Children, which Aerith purified after he was defeated again.

So I think to some extent Sephiroth and Aerith both ascended to a kind of godhood by becoming one with the lifestream, and it's because of this that they were able to transcend the barriers between worlds and see through time. That's why they both had foreknowledge of future events. In Rebirth, we learn that Sephiroth exists as the same being simultaneously across different worlds via the final boss battle. In other words, he is omniscient and omnipresent. I believe Aerith was as well in the beginning of Remake, but by the end, she was separated from the rest of the omniscient Aerith collective, and lost her foreknowledge of the future and awareness of alternate timelines. Near the end of Rebirth however, she starts to reconnect with her other selves from developing her Cetra powers and Sephiroth creating tears in the fabric of reality. Regaining her foreknowledge of future events allowed her to accept the inevitability of her death and try to ease Cloud's guilt over it, and at the moment she was meant to die, she became fully absorbed back into her omnipresent self. Maybe there's still a version of her who did survive after all, who's separated from the others since her death was what led to her entering the lifestream and ascending to godhood. But that's not the Aerith who fights with Cloud and sees him off at the end. Whenever we see Aerith after her death, that's the omnipresent goddess Aerith. The reason only Cloud can see her is because Aerith touched his face as she lay dying, passing on some of her omniscient awareness to him, just as she did with Marlene.

The reason why in the original FFVII Aerith stayed dead was because Sephiroth wasn't fully defeated yet. But now that his omnipresent self has gone back in time to try to change his fate she has an opportunity to wipe him out of existence from every reality. Only when he's completely eradicated will her business with him finally be done, and she can be free to return from the lifestream.

[claraswritings]

Skin of the Night

Pairing: Peter Ballard x female reader

Warnings: erm,, Peter kills someone…, spoilers, language,Peter being instantly obsessed Joe Goldberg style. Ambiguous ending ie you can imagine it went the show way or not if you like.

Notes: I have never written anything like this before so this is me trying something different. This is not proof read so I will correct any spelling or grammar mistakes later.

Peter had never seen you here before, he was sure of it. He would have remembered you. You had to be new to town.

You were pretty, dressed in simple blue jeans and an oversized tee shirt and the strap of your bag hung loosely over your shoulder. You weren’t craving attention but you captured his anyway… it wasn’t your looks, no, although you were beautiful, it was how you held yourself.

Your expression was soft as you smiled at him like he was an old friend. You were different. Although there were not many, the visitors to Hawkins Lab were usually apprehensive, cautious even. They’d walk around on edge like the kids were dangerous animals and like the orderlies were the zoo keepers. Not you though. You’re kind, Peter could tell.

“Hi,” you spoke. You had a nice voice, Peter noticed.

“Hi,” he repeated your greeting, making sure to keep his tone calm and friendly. He wanted you to trust him.

You introduced yourself.

“I’m here to see my uncle Martin…sorry, Dr.Brenner,”

Peter blinked a little surprised by your statement. That was unexpected. Dr.Brenner was a ruthless man so when he’d heard the doctor mention his niece, he’d expected someone…well, he hadn’t been expecting you. You seemed kind, friendly and everything the doctor was not.

Did you know what went on at the laboratory? Did you know how cruel your uncle could be? How he treated the children, how he’d treated him.

No, Peter decided. You wouldn’t. You’d never approve. Brenner must be lying to you. Peter felt angry for you and the urge to tell him the truth boiled in his veins but he’d have to wait. He’d gain your trust, then he’d tell you everything.

“How lovely, I’ll let him know,” Peter covered his surprise well. “Please take a seat,”

***

Not wanting to leave the room, for fear he’d miss something about you. Peter had pretended to be organising paperwork whilst you spoke with your uncle. He was memorising everything he could about you, gathering information and collecting any and every detail he could, mentally noting it all so he could use it to win you over later.

Much to Brenner’s annoyance, you made attempts to include Peter in the conversation. You’d turn to him, smile tweaking at the corners and ask for his thoughts and Brenner would purse his lips tight and stare him down until he finished talking.

The thought of you knowing it was pissing off Brenner and doing it anyway thrilled Peter. He hoped desperately that was the case. You had to have caught the looks Brenner was giving Peter. Peter could have savoured it all afternoon, oh if only… but your next words brought that to a screeching halt.

“I gotta go, Uncle Martin, I’m meeting Harry,” you smiled at your uncle as you stood up and shrugged your small coat back on over your shoulders. “He’s taking me to see some new movie at the drive in”

Peter concealed the urge to instantly look your way and instead focused on the papers he’d been looking at so hard that the words started to blur and the pages started to crease under the tension. Harry? Who was he. There was no ring on your finger so that ruled out a husband. Brenner had only ever mentioned his niece, never a nephew so it chances of it being a brother were low. A boyfriend would complicate things.

“Okay sweetheart, come see your uncle again soon, won’t you?” Brenner smiled at you “Have fun with Harry,”

“Of course,” you smiled before turning “Bye, Peter, it was nice to meet you,” you waved at him and he couldn’t help but notice how geniune you sounded, like you actually meant it.

From other people, those words would be a simple sentiment, a token gesture said in the way most people would say hello to a co-worker or ask how someone’s day was… but you, you seemed like you actually had enjoyed meeting him. How he hoped he’d see you again soon.

“Bye,” he repeated your name as he relaxed his grip instantly . “Anything you need, I’ll be right here,” he gave you a friendly smile and returned your wave. On your next visit, he would not be caught off guard next time. He’d make sure of it.

**

The first thing Peter did was go to your home whilst you were out with whoever Harry was.

He had your address from the visitors form and given that visitors to Hawkins Lab were few and far between, it was easy to determine which was yours. Being allowed to leave the lab for short periods was the smallest of freedoms and he had to be make the most of it and be quick before Brenner realised where he was.

Of course he was still powerless with this ridiculous Soteria tracking device in his neck, he was left with the rather rudimentary method of unlocking your door with a lock pick.

How helpful it would be to see your fears so he could protect you from them, and your desires, so he could give them to you. Peter made a note to himself to step up his plan involving getting the girl he’d been making progress with, 011, to remove it. He had been planning on escaping by any means necessary once it was removed but now… now getting you was the top priority. Maybe you could escape with him and the girl, You could help them expose Brenners whole scheme. Once you knew the truth, you’d never see him the same way.

As the satisfying click signalled the door to your home had been opened, Peter slipped the lock pick back into his coat pocket, stepped in and shut the door behind him carefully and began surveying his surroundings.

He started with the lounge. It was neat and homely, cosy even. No sign of another man, which was good as it made one thing clear…that whoever Harry was to you, it was nothing serious. A record player sat on your coffee table, and a small television with a shelf filled with videos above it. He skimmed the titles and was intrigued to see nearly all of them were horrors, thrillers with dark and gloomy covers along with the occasional science fiction. Peter had little time for movies with work, but the morbidity of the name intrigued him and well, if you were interested in these…things, he’d make time.

There was a desk drawer, double locked, and despite much wiggling with the lock pick. It did not budge. Peter cursed Brenner and squeezed hard at the spot on his neck where the Soteria lay, willing it to come out, wishing for the day he had his powers back. Whatever was in there, you’d protected it more than your front door so it had to be important. With a few deep breaths, Peter attempted to calm the rage in his veins and reminded himself he would head back once his abilities were restored, or by then, maybe you’d tell him.

He moved into your bedroom next with a curious eye. Your bed was made with plenty of scatter pillows and a throw , the lamp on your bedside table accompanied with a candle and a well worn book. He thumbed through it, the name and the author now ingrained in his mind. Peter opened your large closet and went through some of your clothes, the variety standing out to him as he pictured his clothes next to yours. Given that he spent most of his days in the confines of the lab, he did not have a variety of outfits like you did. A few shirts and jeans and a old jacket was the extent that he had. Maybe you’d help him pick out more once he was truly free. The idea set his heart racing in a way he’d never felt before.

He could almost imagine you were there, if he closed his eyes, he could picture he was with you, lying on your couch, him resting back on you as you stroked his hair or in bed, kissing your soft lips, tracing your cheekbones and marking your neck or walking with you through Hawkins, hand in hand, you leaning in on his arm.

For Peter, it was pointless interacting with most other people. They were dull, routine, all the same but you, you were so… so special. You had to be, it was the only explanation Peter could think of as to why he was so drawn to you.

***

Peter left your place soon after and returned to his duties, making sure the children were fed and in their beds before he fixed the Rainbow Room and headed to one of the offices to monitor the cameras set up. The phone, as if on cue, rang only moments after he’d sat down.

“Hi Peter,” it was you. You’d remembered his name, he savoured the thought of taking up space in your brain. You sounded a little breathless and relived to hear him.

“Hello, how lovely to hear from you again, are you okay?” He had to conceal how happy he was that you were calling. It was almost too good to be true.

“Oh my god this is going to sound so stupid…,” you paused and Peter desperately wanted to press you to continue, to say what was unsaid, “look, erm, can I come back? I’ll bring you food? I promise, is there anything you want in particular?”

“Of course you can,” he reassured you “As I said, anything you need I’ll be right here, and I’ll trust your judgement on the food,”

As the phone hit the receiver with a click, he leant back. You. In his company. It was sooner than he could have hoped.

**

“Hi,” you said, as he opened the door, “Can I come in? I’m freezing and I don’t know anyone else here,” Your hair was a little damp and your small jacket was rain soaked. In one hand, your car keys and in the other, a bag of take out. Peter took it from you to allow you a free hand. You looked beautiful. All he wanted was to take care of you and keep you warm. The mascara you’d had on had run a little but your lipstick was still fresh. Had you reapplied it for him?

The thought of you, slightly rain soaked but still applying lipstick for his benefit caused a shiver of anticipation down his back.

“Of course,” he nodded “You look cold. Come with me, I’ll make you a hot drink, and we can have the food you brought,”

“That would be amazing. Thank you Peter,”

He lead you down the corridors until you reached his living quarters. Brenner was insistent on all staff remaining on site overnight so provided the facilities. It was basic, the lounge, the kitchen and the bedroom all one room, plain coloured magnolia walls, a beige carpet and stainless steel counters with a small bathroom off to the side.

He busied himself making you a drink and unpacking the food, whilst you took a seat. The image of you, in his quarters made his heart rate quicken. He wondered what you’d do if he told you he wanted you right then and there but no, he had to be smart, startling you would not work in his plan to win you over.

“You stay here?” You sounded surprised. Clearly your uncle didn’t tell you everything.

“Yes,” Peter stirred, hoping you would mistake his careful words for genuine concern “the children…he…looks after, they’re… they need support and technically I’m never off the clock,” He turned to you, placing the steaming mug beside you, his own in the other hand. “Not that I mind. Most of them just need a friend,”

“Yeah, I bet… I know that feeling,”

Peters head quirked at your words. Good, he thought to himself upon hearing your reply was a canid display of vulnerability. Were you suggesting he could be that friend? He’d show you he could be so much more.

“Don’t we all,” Peter tilted his head at you. “It can be lonely for people like us… them,” He let the deliberate ‘us’ slip before correcting himself “the kids are all very special,”

“I think it’s sweet how you look out for them,” you leant imagine to take a sip, sleeves pulled over your hands, your lips leaving a red lipstick mark on the plain white of his mug. “I’m sure they appreciate it, you doing as much as you can…it must be hard for them… being so sick…that plus the experimental treatments and being away from their family… they’re lucky to have you,”

Ah. So that was the line Brenner was feeding you. He was looking after the children, keeping them safe, curing them. Is that what he told himself? The chip in Peter’s neck seemed to burn deeper against his skin as he fought the urge to reach into the drawer for the dull butter knife and attempt to cut it out. It wouldn’t be successful of course, Peter knew. He’d tried.

He thought about if you’d scream, if you’d be sad at the image of him bloody and bruised, would you stay at his side, would you call for Brenner?

“Peter?” Your concerned tone brought him back to present you, looking at him, brow slightly furrowed. “Are you okay?”

Yes, Peter knew it. You were different, Peter had grown sick, exhausted even, of other people. The human race in general seemed so…boring and so pointless. And yet as his eyes met yours, he saw you were entirely focused on him and he felt his gaze soften. You were the one person in this world worth it all. His exception to his rule that humanity was completely pointless.

“Yes,” Peter placated you, before taking his spot opposite you against the counter and taking a drink from his own mug and sitting your plates down.

“I was just distracted… i was thinking about one of the children, she’s a good kid, so smart…I think she will be…the most successful…treatment of them all,” he stressed the word treatment, hoping you’d catch on to how the lab was doing anything but.

You beamed at him. “That’s amazing! Hopefully I can meet her one day when she’s better,”

“Oh I think she’d like that very much. We both would”

***

You spent the evening talking, eventually moving from the counter to sit at the pine coffee table. Peter couldn’t help but realise it was the first conversation he’d had with an adult wherein he didn’t feel under a microscope or waiting for him to perform like a circus freak.

“How was your…day with… Harry, was it?” Peter didn’t want to acknowledge the other man by name but he needed you to know he listened to you and remembered. This way he could gauge if Harry was a concern.

Peter watched your expression change. You itched the side of your neck in a manner that suggested you were not so pleased with Harry.

“Not very well, he wants to go out again in a few days…but I’m not sure…”

What a relief. He thought to himself. Peter had never met Harry but he didn’t need to. It was obvious you should be with him. You were funny, clever and witty and Harry was not right for you.

“Is…that not something you’d like,”

“We went to dinner which was nice then a movie, which…wasn’t really for me…but I picked dinner so he picked the movie, only fair. I don’t think we’re going to work out but I’ll probably see him once more to be sure,”

“That doesn’t seem fair to me,” Peter leant in “I’d let you…I mean…my date pick both,”. The flicker across your features did not go unnoticed. Where you thinking of him with you on a date, imagining it was him with you instead of Harry wishing you’d gone out with Peter instead.

“What would you’ve liked to see instead,” he asked you. He knew regardless of the answer, he’d pretend he knew of it, and sit through it. It would be easy to enjoy anything that got him closer to his goal of having you.

“Don’t laugh at me,” you were already smiling at him, your hand half concealing your mouth

“Don’t be silly, I would never,” Peter grinned widely at you, hoping it would encourage you into sharing. He wanted to reach across and squeeze your hand to reassure you that you were safe with him.

“I really like horrors…I wanted to see The Amityville Horror,”

Peter opted to play coy, he’d heard about it. Some of the other staff had been discussing it and given the story, it had piqued his interest.

“Is that the one about the family that move into the cursed house?” A smile tweaked at his lips.

“I heard good things about that one…I wanted to see the Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” Peter said. It was a small lie. He’d never bothered but he remembered it as one of the videos you had at home. “But I never got around to seeing it,”

“Oh!” Your eyes lit up and you suddenly sat up, a new lease of life behind your words “I LOVE that one,” the excitement in your voice was contagious. “It’s one of the best, I have it on video,“

“Is it scary?” Peter asked. “I heard it was,” he pressed further wanting to know if you scared easy.

“I mean yeah but like in a good way?” You enthused. “I’m a bit fascinated with creepy stuff like that,”

“Oh are you?” Peter’s tone dropped a little as his smile spread. He wondered if you knew about “the Creel murders” Maybe you did…maybe you liked the story sold to the masses about the house allegedly driving Victor Creel crazy and him killing his children and wife, maybe you did know about it. Maybe you liked the idea of it so much you’d buy into a horror with a similar story. There was something so alluring about that, Peter could help but hope that was the case.

“You’re laughing at me,” you protested and playfully pushed his arm as if you were old friends.

“No,” Peter tilted his head “I’m just surprised but I like that… that you’re into weird movies, maybe we can watch it together,”

“Yes! That would so good,” You suddenly you shifted and leant over closer to him, his words encouraging you “God you must think I’m so morbid, but truth be told, I can’t get enough of all that creepy stuff,” your voice dropped. “I used to tell the other kids stories at school and one of them cried, I felt a bit bad but it was kinda funny,”

A laugh came from your throat. This side of you was different, but he liked it. It made him want you even more.

***

Two weeks had passed since his first solo conversation with you and Peter had spent the time stepping up his efforts each and every time you visited. When you’d bid your uncle goodbye, you’d squeeze Peters arm on the way out. It had become a silent gesture to mean you’d met him at his quarters.

It had not gone unappreciated as it seemed each time you went to his quarters, you’d stay later and later. It wasn’t quite in the romantic way Peter had hoped but it was getting closer. Lingering touches, a longing glance here and there. You had to feel it too.

The last time you’d visited, he had a gift ready. He’d bought you a video. It was another horror that he’d purchased from a store in town, he’d told the sales assistant what you liked from what he remembered in your home and selected one he didn’t think you had.

As per your routine, you squeezed his arm, your touch once again sent the heat of your fingers through the fabric of his shirt, and he excused himself quickly to meet you down there.

“… I have something for you,” you’d barely turned into the corridor when he’d used this as an excuse to take your arm and lead you into the room. “Here, close your eyes now,” he spoke to you gently, clicking the latch on the door and his heart soared when you complied. If he had his powers, he could do anything right here with you completely off guard. He wouldn’t. Peter would never hurt you of course.

“The man in the store said it’s good. I don’t know if you’ve seen it,” he reached for your arms, held your hands out being careful to linger his fingers over yours as he pressed the gift into them.

Upon opening your eyes and looking over his choice for you, the smile you gave him was worth any risk. Peter would kill for that smile. Gladly.

“Thank you Peter, I haven’t seen this one,” you held on to it tightly “I wanted to but I never…I never got the chance, maybe we can watch it together,”

“I’d like that,” Peter reached down and brushed your hair back “One day we will.”

Your eyes met his and it was like you communicated to him in that moment that whatever this was…it was mutual. He knew it. You felt the same.

“Oh shit,” your eyes fell on the clock “I forgot I was meeting Harry,”

“You’re… you’re seeing him again?” Peter hesitated. “I thought things weren’t going well,”

You shrugged. “I mean, they’re not but…I figure I’ll give him one last chance,”

Peter once more reached for your hand “You’re too sweet,” he smiled. “I like that about you but be careful he doesn’t take you for granted,”

“Thank you for looking out for me, Peter,” you pressed up on your toes and kissed his cheek.

As Peter watched you go, this made one thing clear. Harry had to go.

**

The next day he’d managed to convince 011 to remove his tracker and he put the last step of his plan into action. He’d promised to he’d help her escape that evening but that he had something to take care of first.

As he stood outside of the other man’s house, he took a breath, in and out. Peter knew he couldn’t kill him the second he opened the door, however tempting that would be. He needed to do it inside.

“Harry, is it?” Peter asked the moment the door was opened. Harry, was about his height, light brown hair, broad shouldered and dressed in a black leather jacket “I’m Peter, we have a mutual friend, can I come in?”

“Sorry, man I’m just,”

Sensing Harry was about to block the door, Peter quickly put pressure on it, causing Harry to lose his grip and allowing Peter to slip in to the property. Harry turned to face him, closing the door. Good, closed meant no witnesses.

“[Name]. the girl you went out with. You’re not going to see her again,” Peter stalked further into the hallway taking care to keep his voice calm and in the same tone he used for the children. “I don’t think it’s good…you hanging around her,”

His eyes focused on a painting on the wall as he wondered if Harry had anyone to miss him.

“You’re not her boyfriend, man why do you care?” Harry was defensive “She can do whatever she likes,”

“I’m not her boyfriend, not yet but…she’s for me now,” Peter turned back to the other man.

Harry’s eyes narrowed at Peter. “What the fuck are you talking about, freak, get out of here, I have to get ready for work,”

Peter had hoped it would come to this. He smiled politely and made as if he was going to head for the door, but paused.

Harry had barely taken three steps up before he stopped, held in place unable to move further.

“What the fuck is happening… are you doing this,” There was a slight tinge of panic in Harry’s voice as he realised he was locked into place on the third stair, unable to progress further.

“Oh Harry, you should have listened,” Peter’s voice darkened and the sudden change caught Harry off guard. He rested one hand on the door knob “I gave you an easy out,”

“What are you tal-…” The other man wouldn’t be given the chance to end his sentence.

With merely a look over his shoulder, Peter cut him off, Harry had fallen to the floor with his leg bent up under his back into a heap at the bottom of the stairs.

“You should be careful, It’s icy outside,” Peter stated before tilting his head and exiting out into the cold. “You could slip,”

Harry let out a strained strangled scream before the sound of his last words were cut out by his head twisted uncomfortably backwards.

Peter could imagine the headlines now. He’d slipped and fallen.

***

Confident with his restored powers, he returned to the lab. As he moved from room to room, he set about incapacitating the other orderlies, snapping necks with a stare and an extended arm. Peter was careful, he couldn’t risk being caught not before he could get to Brenners office and take care of him once and for all.

He could hear Brenner in the office from down the hall, so he made his way carefully to the door and entered, however when he saw inside the office, he froze. It wasn’t Brenner. It was you. Arms rifling through files and paper work scattered around you. You dropped the documents you were holding

“What… are you doing,” Peter stated. He could see your eyes run over him and subconsciously he checked his nose for blood.

“Something is going on at this lab,” you stood up “He’s experimenting on the kids, they’re not sick, they’re, like, telekinetic,” you paused “I don’t…I don’t quite know how it all works but…,”

Peter bit his lip considering the confession you’d just given him “You…you know?”

“Well I’ve had my suspicions for a while…it’s why I came here, the girl you were telling me about… we can help her, we can help them,”

You leant up and pressed a kiss to his lips and in an instant his hands were on your hips, pulling you tightly against him. The kiss was everything he’d imagined and so much more. He almost never wanted it to end.

“You think I don’t know,” you smirked at him, arms linked around the back of his neck, before you moved a hand to where the Soteria had been. “It’s gone,” you smiled as Peter inhaled sharply as you traced the scar where his inhibitor once resided and only exhaled when you kissed him once more, and moved your hands into his hair.

“You said it yourself, you’re never really off the clock,” Peter felt his shoulders ease as you kissed him again “It’s okay, Peter,” you kissed him once more. “I’m with you, I’m on your side, they won’t hurt you again,”

You pulled away for a moment before.

Peter didn’t want to help all of them, just the girl. He’d find her, 011, then you’d leave. The other kids would be an unfortunate casualty, the three of you being the only survivors. Yes. It would be perfect.

“Okay, get out of the building through the staff exit, I’ll get the girl, have the car running,” he ran a hand through his hair. “We’ll have a fresh start,” he instructed.

You gave him another kiss before you headed to the door.

“Don’t be too long,” your voice lingered

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” he gave you a smile, it was true, now that he had you, he had no intentions of ever letting you go.

[skywalking-through-life]

20 Questions Writer Meme

I was tagged by @60sec400 ! Thanks friend, this is such a fun thing to be tagged in! 🥳

1. How many works do you have on ao3?

13! I've only been posting for a little over a year, so I'm pretty pleased with that.

2. What's your total ao3 word count?

111,651 words! Another number I'm really, really pleased with. I had a tentative goal of trying to publish 100k words between September 2022-September 2023, and I met it! 🥳

3. What fandoms do you write for?

At the moment just Percy Jackson, though I have written for a bunch of fandoms over the years - Harry Potter as a kid, Star Wars pretty much always, some Tamora Pierce, etc etc etc - I just never posted any of it publically until this past year, lol.

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

'Is it blasphemy if he's my dad?' (2,517)

'some have entertained angels unaware' (1,462)

'it's how you swing it' (1,177)

'more things in heaven and earth' (1,054)

'a thin barrier between two worlds' (1,021)

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Yes! I am so incredibly grateful that people take the time to leave me comments that it feels like the least I can do to respond kindly to them. Sometimes I get so busy that it can take me a few weeks to get to them, but I always respond to every initial comment that someone chooses to leave me! I also try to continue to respond to folks who want to have a conversation about plot, or characterization, or what might be coming next, but I don't always continue those conversations indefinitely. So I encourage those folks to come talk to me here! ☺️

6. What's the fic you wrote that has the angstiest ending?

I tend to not write angsty endings, lol, because I make myself too sad if I don't end a story on a hopeful, or at least more ambiguous, note. But that being said, I guess it would probably be 'to sleep, perchance to dream?' That ended on an anxious note, since it was a prelude to a dangerous moment.

7. What's the fic you wrote that has the happiest ending?

I hope that almost all of my fics have happy-ish endings, lol! But if I had to pick...the most clear-cut happy endings are probably in 'some have entertained angels unaware' and 'come wash my war paint away.' They are two VERY different types of happy endings though, one meant more ah, euphemistically. 💀💀💀)

8. Do you get hate on fics?

So far, no. I've had a few comments where folks have let me know that they've disagreed with creative decisions that I've made, and even though those can sometimes sting a little bit, that's more of a 'me and my overly sensitive soul' problem than anything else. It definitely hasn't been hateful! I admit, I sort of live in fear for the day when I get my first one, since I don't imagine I'll be able to avoid haters altogether. Especially because I have some very, very dark fics planned, that are going to tackle some pretty ugly topics. 😬

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Yes, lol, something that has honestly really taken me by surprise, since I never thought I'd write it! So far I've only written very sweet and fairly vanillla canon compliant percabeth smut - and one very experimental fic where Aphrodite essentially propositions Annabeth (and also Percy, through Annabeth 💀) - but I actually have a lot of plans to write more, lol! I have a sequel to 'to burn and to boil' in the works, and 3-5 smutty wips at least, in outline form. It's mainly percabeth, though a few are potentially percabeth + friends. 💀

10. Do you write crossovers?

No, not yet, but I'm open to the right idea! I love a good crossover.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

I don't think so? I've had folks write fics inspired by mine, but they have used the 'inspired by' feature in ao3 and tagged me. Which I find incredibly flattering, so I welcome that! 💙

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

I don't think so? If you want to do that though, please feel free! I'd love it if you let me know, but you don't have to. 💙

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

No, but I'd LOVE to! I think collabs are so interesting, and I'm curious to see how my writing practices/style/etc. would mesh with someone else's. So if anyone wants to do that, let me know! I'm not 100% sure I currently have the time, but I'd love to chat about it.

14. What's your all-time favorite ship?

Oh God, this one is REALLY hard! I think it might actually be a tie between Percabeth and Luke×Mara, from the Star Wars Legends-verse. They are the two that have made me feral for the longest, because I fell into the brainrot for them both when I was about 12 or so? And now I'm 30, so, lol. 💀I'm not currently writing Star Wars because PJO has me in a chokehold, but whenever that loosens, I'll probably try posting some of my many, many Luke×Mara ideas.

15. What's a wip you want to finish, but don't think you ever will?

I really want to finish all of my wips, and AM actively moving towards that goal, but I have one that I am really, really nervous to finish and post, because it's SO DAMN dark. The working title is 'still half-perfect,' and it is a mash up of a fic I tried and failed to write while sick with COVID - some of whose plot points I reused for world-building - and a majorly fucked up dream I had earlier this year. I think it's going to be a compelling story, but I also think I will get hate comments if I post it, because it is SO DAMN dark. So I'm still working on my courage with that one.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Folks pretty regularly tell me that my characterization is really good, and I've gotten some amazing comments saying that my works really feel like a part of the PJO world! I cherish those. 😍 I've also been told my descriptions and imagery are evocative, and that my technical writing skills are good. I tend to think that I am good at contextualizing and synthesizing information, and am pretty good at foreshadowing!

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Sticking to any type of writing schedule, RIP. 😭 My ADHD genuinely makes it so hard for me to predict when I'm going to be able to focus long enough to make progress, and I haven't developed really any disciplines that help. I also think I am inclined to be too wordy, and I have spent a long time trying to work on being clear and concise. And, I'm definitely just very sensitive about my writing! I get sort of panicky if folks tell me they don't like what I've written, cause I feel like I've let them down/am a failure/other unhelpful and untrue things that I know about myself that am working on.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

I'm open to it, but most of my language skills aren't really good enough to entertain the possibility, lol. I could probably finagle something in Spanish, but I'd be leery of using others without help.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Harry Potter, LMAO. I was maybe...10? the first time I decided to try to write fic, obsessed with HP, and the results were both very short and very hilarious. It was also handwritten in a Lisa Frank notebook that I am certain that I no longer have. 😂 But definitely PJO after that!

20. Favorite fic you've written?

This is a hard one, because I don't publish fic I'm not satisfied with? I like all my fics for different reasons! I think that some of my best writing is in 'to burn and to boil,' but that's such a weird, horny story that I know most people probably won't read it. 😂 But probably the story I am most happy with all around- plot, dialogue, pacing, tone, characterization, etc - is 'some have entertained angels unaware.' I genuinely, truly, love that story, and I re-read it whenever I'm trying to get myself back in the writing groove. 💙

Thanks glockness! 💙🫂💙 This was super fun! Let me know if you have any questions, y'all! I'll tag @ashilrak ❤️

[garden-ghoul]

Happy Gushiwensday Shabbes! We've got a new poet tonight, one Fan Chengda of Song. Here's his poem to the tune of Drunk Senseless.

All the crows had taken flight and disappeared. Stars flickered in the mulberry river above, clouded with green mist. I lit incense and pulled my sleeping mat under the shelter of quiet boughs. The shadows of flowers and faint woodwind wove together under the high flaxen moon. Gentle breeze played pipes soft as snowfall, played three times, before the wind built to a wail-- my hair tangled around me, scarf snapping like a banner. With this cold filling my northern window I'll sleep deeply when I return to the red city, smiling.

Original text and notes under the cut.

醉落魄·栖乌飞绝

栖乌飞绝。绛河绿雾星明灭。烧香曳簟眠清樾。花影吹笙，满地淡黄月。 好风碎竹声如雪。昭华三弄临风咽。鬓丝撩乱纶巾折。凉满北窗，休共软红说。

Y'all, this poem is CRYPTIC. Mr Fan has clothed everything in five kinds of sidelong metaphor, and I hope my translation reflects some of that ambiguity and cipherment, though I did a lot to try to clarify how the lines connect to each other.

mulberry river --- 绛 red-purple, presumably referring to the color of the interstellar dust. I'm not totally sure about the green mist but it's very evocative.

pipes --- specifically 笙 sheng, a very cool looking instrument. In this poem Fan Chengda uses several different epithets for the sheng, including 昭华 ("clearly magnificent") and 碎竹 ("bamboo cut into sections").

My hair... like a banner --- excellently evocative line 鬓丝撩乱纶巾折 "my hair confused/dazzled me, twisting cloth snapping." I've added "like a banner" for clarity.

the red city --- Baike alleges that "soft red dust" is an epithet for Beijing, which was the capital city at the time, specifically when referring to court officials. I've kept the color rather than referring to it by name because I like the echoes of the sky colors at the beginning of the poem.

smiling --- Laurence did some great detective work based on the rhyme scheme of this poem! 说 would be more commonly read as shuo or shui: to speak, think, or persuade. However, if you're looking for a word that fits the rhyme scheme, it's read as yue, delighted. I was charmed and puzzled by the choice to put it at the end of the line---there's grammars going on here---so I chose to leave it there in my translation.

[invested-in-your-future]

How would you write Ruby then?

That's the easiest one yet because that's something I have been thinking about since V3 ended.

If I were to to summarize Ruby after V3 ended in one word, it would be "Haunted".

As the V3 progressed and slowly but surely everything went out of control, we saw Ruby and foundations of both her idealism and escapism be genuinely shaken. I have written about it before, really

Basically as rewrite starts, you have Ruby in quite a chaotic state. She's haunted by what happened to Pyrrha and what happened to Penny and at the same time all the other terrible things through her life are also closing in like her vague memories of what happened to her mother.

The fact that her relationship with Yang is "a bit" strained also doesn't help. Yang has always been supportive and cared for Ruby, often at the cost of herself, but now? Now Yang is hurting and she's in no place to do that. One could see it even in V3 finale - their interactions are bit awkward now as Yang is a LOT worse at masking her hurt than Ruby is. So, needless to say, Ruby leaves home on a pretty bad note as far as conversations with Yang go, their final farewell being something that haunts both her and Yang going forward.

So you have Ruby who is unsure of her path, haunted by the terrible tragedies that befell her and also feels like she's been kind of cut off from her support net - relationship with Yang is strained, Weiss left for Atlas before Ruby woke up and Blake just outright disappeared.

As her journey goes on, Ruby is dealing with conflicting feelings - she still wants to be a hero, but she also finds herself willing to do whatever is necessary to protect the people she cares about and also she absolutely wants to make Cinder pay. One would expect for her to find some solace with Jaune going through grief too, but unlike in the show, rewrite Jaune handles grief differently - he finds peace in his memories of Pyrrha and, just like Pyrrha would have wanted, is in the middle of of trying to figure out what he wants to do with his life and what kind of person he truly wants to be beyond all the fake bravado and knightly nonsense he tried to do before. Nora and Ren are dealing with grief too, but also returning to Mistral adds a whole another layer of worries and past memories for them because there's quite a bit left unsaid between them in regards to their own personal past tragedies.

So even though Ruby is traveling with Jaune, Nora and Ren, at the same time she's also someone who is traversing a dark forest all alone.

She still smiles and she still acts like everything is fine as much as she can, but on the inside she's terrified. Various moments from her life come back as dreams and sometimes they can make it pretty ambiguous on what is real and what is not amidst all the anxiety and panic attacks. Also, especially during stressful situations, Ruby finds it a lot harder to handle her emotions now (because she repressed a LOT of negativity before and what happened kind of broke the dam and you can't just "unbreak" it). She's a lot more prone to displaying anger or acting reckless. Her outfit is in a bit more of disrepair and her weapon is damaged from fighting that way.

Meanwhile, the world doesn't wait - with the transmit system being gone, there's a world war brewing as mistrust grows between nations and also in the corners of the world, dark things are slowly awakening. Oh yeah and also certain girl with a pointy umbrella seems to have dedicated her life in chasing her down and making her life hell.

How does Ruby deal with where she's at right now as far as life goes? How does she handle possible tragedies in her future? Where will she be emotionally when one day team RWBY actually meet again? I think its pretty interesting angle to take.

Thematically Ruby, as protagonist, is the microcosm version of the whole setting and the whole narrative itself, so it makes sense that both the larger world and the protagonist herself would be in a state of terrifying unknown, dealing with grief and lingering sense of dread from everything they experienced.

Each RWBY character is handling Fall of Beacon differently - Ruby finds herself falling apart, Weiss finds her conviction and belief renewed as she views everything around her in a different light, Blake needs to face her past and Yang is picking up the pieces of her life and trying to build some kind of meaning out of them.

[morphogenetic]

Mediaposting 2023, #35: Banana Fish (anime)

[said while vibrating very quickly and typing out like 20 different bullet points] i like this series a normal amount

okay so. non-spoiler thoughts:

step 1 YOU SHOULD READ/WATCH THIS. it does have content warnings for literally everything you can possibly think of as needing a common content warning (drug abuse, sexual assault, racism, and thats absolutely just the tip of the iceberg) but my fucking god. no wonder it's been such an influential piece of media on literally every jp anime/manga crime story (especially the BL ones) written since

for a series that is literally one of the early genesis points of BL as a genre i was ABSOLUTELY expecting more actual BL than was in this LOL. not that i'm really upset, bc honestly i really like the way that ash and eiji's relationship is written in a shoujo-y "they obviously care about each other a lot but it's not going to be outright romance" kind of way. bc like, honestly? that makes it way more emotionally satisfying (and devastating). i think it would actually make less sense if anything more happened In the story (though more happening in the epilogue wouldnt hurt LOL)

how the FUCK was this published in a shoujo magazine

the time period change to modern day from the mid-80's has both helped and hindered this series bc like. on one hand. much easier to do everything with a phone. also the update to shorter's character design was excellent,10/10 no notes. on the other hand. the Everything About It makes it so obvious that it was written to be a product of its time.

speaking of ^ ash turning from A Guy Who Knows How To Use A Computer into a hacking genius is so. why. i mean you can update it for sure but Why Like This

god i wish this had more room to breathe sometimes bc the exposition goes WILDLY fast sometimes. why did they try and do 19 volumes in 24 episodes. the 39 episodes that the director wanted would have been so nice to have

that said: the emotional moments that i actually give a shit about and that make up the core of the weight of the story are given what they deserve. at least up to volume 5 they are. gestures at ep 9? and 22 with a pained smile

i literally could write an essay about why it works so well as a spin on the american-style gangster story even while it definitely has flaws. and how its influenced so many fucking things. my god.

it has flaws for SURE but the rest is so good that i don't care. which is rare for me (gestures at nirvanai/neo twewy being other examples)

spoiler thoughts under the cut (like full-very-ending-of-series spoilers) but YEAH UH I LIKE THIS THING CAN YOU TELL BY HOW MUCH I WROTE ABOUT IT.

it does kind of annoy me that literally all of the canon-MLM (probably gay but you know) guys are horrible people lol. like wow love how the gay predator stereotype is on full display here. feeeeels baaaaad. i know i know asheiji homoeroticism i am ON THAT TRAIN

however yut-lung being feminine out of a wish to carry on his dead mom's legacy is kind of a slay. ive seen people go "ugh it sucks that one of the villains is a feminine man' but while he is definitely not a good person hes one of the less terrible villains, just like. as a person. hes also a teenager in shitty circumstances just with way more power and sway

here's the part where I admit that I was spoiled on the ending so it didn't hit as hard for me OOPS. however. the anime DOES leave it open-ended and it fucking irritates me that anime-only people are like "boo i hate the ending bc ash dies!!!" when it is LITERALLY AMBIGUOUS. i have heard that the manga is less ambiguous about it but :') oh well. anime-onlys what are you doing

speaking of ^ i actually like the ending. like i think a lot of people who absolutely hate it must not have a lot of familiarity with gangster movies as a genre bc it is a genre convention that the Main Gangster dies in the end. granted this was a hayes code thing which the manga definitely did not have to do LOL but its definitely supposed to feel unfair bc ash's damn LIFE is unfair.

however i'm glad the anime makes the ending ambiguous bc that feels like a more fitting end. like ash's life was always in limbo, considering what he was doing, so making his life in limbo at the end too? Good. Yes. Do That

the fucking. everything with shorter and the sa-yo-na-ra bit. i die. that shit is so emotionally painful

i know this sounds weird but i kind of wish they dragged out the "what the hell does banana fish mean" thing a LIIIITTLE longer but by that i mean like, halfway point of the series. like they could have used a little more time to figure out what it is. also that would have let shorter live a little longer ay lmao that said this criticism also almost definitely applies to the manga soooo. you know

[thesumlax]

Time to post some more of those kooky creatures my subconsious produces at night!

***

The first pic is dedicated to a a single dream that yielded an entire sketch page, focused on a new batch of Pokemon being reviewed by @bogleech (this is how I usually learn about new Pokemon).

1) A spiky worm that attacks by rotating its body like a drill. The review noted that it had two beta versions with much spookier faces.

2) Kind of like if Mudkip was designed by a very different artist. Also had a beta version with empty dark holes for eyes.

3) An upside down bunny head with ear-paws, a propeller made of leaves and a straw tail... yeah, that`s how I remember it. It could evolve into either 4) or 5).

6) An obligatory "sexy" one.

7) and 8) - don`t remember much about these ones, not even their colors. (Edit: just realized that 8 looks kinda ambiguous - that is indeed a mouth on its forehead.)

9) Apparently the plot of these dream Pokemon games got pretty weird too - according to the reviews, at the end of the previous game the main villain turned into this lobopodian creature and just walked away, so the fans were expecting the newest instalment to explain this shit.

10) This was seen on the same night, but I`m not sure if it`s connected to the Pokemon stuff in any way. Not even sure what this thing really looked like, all I know is that it wanted some help taking samples of its bodily fluids with these trocar-like implements.

***

The second image is simply a collection of various unrelated dreams of varying age. Unfortunately, I only remember the colors for some of them. 1) and 2) are presumably variations of the same dream mechanoid. In both cases the "mouth" is where the pilot enters. This is a very old dream that I completely forgot and then recently remembered upon stumbling on a sketch of these things.

3) This little cartoon plesiosauroid was the protagonist of a very long and strange dream plot. He lived on a tropical island, but after being absent for a while he found it taken over by a bizarre jail resembling a steampunk mechanical garden. After getting through its complicated gate mechanisms and going down a large escalator he found a seemingly normal mall, though with some areas closed off and requiring authorization. Going further underground, he ended up in a place resembling some old Russian police/government offices, or something like that. The deepest level consisted of catacombs populated by neon green zombie celebrities. I don`t really remember what the little dude and his human friend were doing there, but I think that in order to remove the jail from the island they would have to be imprisoned here first.

4) Crab chicken. That`s all.

5) This dream was set in a world populated by many tribes of strange critters. These walking fish heads were the protagonist tribe looking for a new home. Some of the other tribes they encountered were: rather generic wingless dragon-things, brightly colored Dumbo hippos (6), and these dino-birds (7) which had various beak shapes and could be both bipedal and quadrupedal.

8) Some dwarf-like mole-men, or maybe mole-like dwarves. They lived in fear of an "earth dragon" (9, not to scale - it would be at least twice as tall as the little guys) which had a terrifying ability to control them with its song. The "dragon" was actually the female of their species, and while she was unfortunately cannibalistic, she also created the caves they lived in with her acidic spit and powerful claws.

10) I think this goat is a wizard and also a ghost.

11) This dream was about a new game mode revealed for Overwatch 2, in which you play as Reinhardt in a strange, colorful, organic-looking alien environment, seraching for these glowing blue blobs in order to smash them with his hammer (made more difficult by the hammer being invisible for some reason). This alien world Reinhardt was lost in had its own sentient species (12 - yes, they literally look like pieces of cloth) willing to help him, and some fauna (13) that got in his way. I believe this is the second dream I had which offered a way to make Overwatch much more interesting!

14) And we`ll end on this hypnagogic image of some weird-ass horse. For some reason my hypnagogic flashes produce much more bizarre imagery than actual dreams.

[nellynee]

Trollstopia Blindblogging: episode 9a:  Glitter Rush

This episode wasn’t actively harmful like that one Cloud guy episode. But given how contradictory in tone towards lore it was from minute one it was just kinda painful to watch. I mean it was funny and cute in a mindless way, but frustrating from a lore perspective. I give it a 2/5 and will leave it on “perfectly ok”

Wait how they be out of Glitter? The only indication of where glitter comes from for us is the Glitter Trolls. So I’ve always built around the idea that Glitter is a biological byproduct of Trolls. and thus in theory the only bottleneck comes from potential production speed...

“Uh oh that doesn’t sound good at all” Everyone gives Lownote a disbelieving look (note I’ve place Funk firmly in the lowest tier of Glitter producers, beat out only by Techno in that their own production is nearly nonexistent having been traded mostly for biolumincence. And that Glitter tends to be a luxury reserved for upper class performers and more a want than need, so I LOVED that) 

Glitter pits?

See this is what I mean. Is glitter a biological byproduct or a natural resource? You can’t have it both ways. I feel like I’m gonna hate this from a world building perspective. 

This is OBSENCE

Trick or treat???? TROLLS HAVE HALOWEEN?

Like someone in headquarters is not paying attention to this script. The holiday shorts are specifically crafted to be as ambiguous on time of year and denomination with vague holiday handwavy cheer for vibes without pinning that kind of stuff in universe and then HOLOWEEN. I am.... two, two minutes in and I’m already wincing hard at the crumbling jenga tower of worldbuilding this episode is trying to take a sledghammer to. I might have to throw the whole thing out in my brain after we are done

Fuckin SYNTH

I was so excited for like 2 seconds because I thought they were going to try some Techno specific glow alternative to glitter but the joke was just that Synth is a himbo and you know I’m good with that.

Taking a second to appreciate how TINY those birds have to be. Like fingernail sized. 

HOLLY TO THE RESCUE! god I love her. She’s a jacked up, Cracked up Poppy.

Poppy’s little celebratory clap at Holly’s “Go big or go huge” is so cute

The TNP (tri-nitro-partypopper-een) pun is cute but

I hate the Glitter lore. I mean I can work around it. I’ve already got a few ideas (The Troll based glitter and the ground based glitter might be totally different things that are hard to differentiate by sight alone and act very similar, Glitter can be Troll based and they are basically using the Troll corpse equivalent of crude oil and Holly’s science isn’t right....) But the face that multiple someones looked at this and didn’t get an inkling of how messy this looks combined with the Glitter Troll lore is worrying

Ok but the TNP just making a whole ass mine with the sign and tracks pre built is pretty funny

Are they in Lonesome Flats or Country Corral? I’m assuming Country Corral, and that they are using the pools as indicators of where to mine because deposits in any mineral are all about location but it would be nice to know if they needed to go all the way back to Country territory or not

ok other kinds of trolls so assuming Country Corral

Is their hair glowing or is that an animation error? I mean we know the Pop Trolls can make their hair glow from mimicking fire from the first movie but this is important

Smidge’s “OHMYGOD” when the divining rod pulled her away absolutly shook me that’s so funny

(the divining rod irked me a little though. Country is getting piled on with stereotypes as jokes as apposed to lore and it’s starting to feel a little icky. There’s inspiration and then there “how many south jokes can we fit in this tribe?”

Fools glitter - it don’t stick to you’re skin for three days like it outa

As noted above, This is more indicative of crude oil. Which makes sense because South. But also insinuates that dug up glitter is indeed Troll corpses

I really appreciate Megan Hilty’s ability to keep a southern twang and try to Country up what is clearly a Pop song

Pfffft ok the loop-de-loop making the magma catch up with them is funny

Just thinking about the movies, and how magma/lava is already an established thing with it’s own look and texture that definitely wasn’t glitter

On a different note Poppy you aren’t allowed to examine you’re faults without addressing them it’s still appreciated though

That made no sense. Was that supposed to be water? It looked like more glitter, but they were out? and water doesn’t act like that.... I’m gonna assume it was water and leave it alone

The bull horns return tho!!!!

I figured they’d leave the hot magma rock alone until it cooled and process that logically but I’ll take a TNT joke

[lightdancer1]

As I've said before, the only difference with my Sandman stories and those Gaiman wrote are that I switch the protagonist:

I use Death as the protagonist instead of Dream, but it's the same cosmology and the overall history is much the same. Gaiman is on record as noting that the same events told from Desire's perspective would have Desire as the hero and Dream as the villain, though I still have problems connecting that with the things Desire actually does in these stories and how you'd turn that into heroism unless we're using the Allan Moore/Mark Millar definition of both actions and their ultimate outcomes.

Death of the Endless is not Dream of the Endless, Death of the Endless also canonically is beyond the ancient rules of the other Endless. This hasn't been specified in the show, as yet, but since so much else is the same with the comics except in a few cases I'm running with it for the sake of the Netflix shows and providing both good reasons for why she ultimately didn't intervene (including repeatedly going to Destiny to be sure if she did she wouldn't create a tremendous mess and Destiny doing his ambiguous 'did he shape events or did his words get taken as fate' thing) and ways where things could have gone wrong if she did because, surprise surprise, she's not a superhero or a trained fighter and going into a hostile situation against people able to hold one such being intact can boomerang badly on another.

She is also established as the most human (which I extend due to setting my stories in the broader DCU for my own reasons to being the most like all life in the DCU, and they would all see her as one of them if they did) of the Endless. As such the main motif that drives her is distinct from Dream, who is caught between various facets of duty, personal life, and the gaps between them.

Death is Life as well as Death and her great frustration is that being the most like mortals leaves her the odd one out among beings like her, with psychological and other barriers nearly insuperable to breach, and where she's also too inhuman to get along with human (insert equivalent turn of phrase for every other sapient species in the broader cosmology).

One careful rule that I follow with all of this is noting that Death is human-like, not human. She will seem human enough until something abruptly happens that serves as a note that no, she's not human, she never was.....and she's fully aware of that fact. Which is one reason for playing with all the different iterations of 'being stuck as one thing and almost that but never quite it gets the full version and handles it far better than the rest of her siblings but unfortunately the universe doesn't allow for this particular thing to stick' as a storyline.

It's also why other Endless appear in the ways they do.

Tales that would switch the protagonist to any of the other Endless would likewise be able to keep the setting fully intact, without changing anything else, and merely switching the kinds of stories it would be. Desire and Despair are the obvious ones, but a Delirium-centric set of stories as a kind of surrealistic Beatnik-style tale of a wandering eldritch entity who's an adorable sister who's a coherent (more or less) seer around her family and casually Wishmastering mortals for LULZ would be just as truthful a perspective flip.

With the youngest Endless in turn defined by being treated as a child when she isn't one and being the most dangerous of all the Endless to cross for being a multiversal reality-warper without any control of her powers or understanding of why turning a person into a glass statue for shits and giggles might be seen as wrong or disturbing.

Literally any and all of the other Endless work like this, I just like Death the most so I use her as the protagonist to explore both perspective flips and how flexible the cosmology and overall narratives of Sandman as a setting actually is.

[shingor777-blog]

Design Agency Journey #003

Today we finally took our proposal for an online meeting, it was cold outside but indoors we had an in-depth conversation and wrap up and left with many meaningful and nuanced ideas, I have to say that we are all very thoughtful and independent thinkers, as Mary says: "Go and learn from your peers. " For the first time in a long time I felt the enthusiasm and motivation to fully engage with the project and here is how it went:

I have to say that it is only through discussion that one can see what one does not see and prevent oneself from falling into the "IKEA effect", i.e. exclusivity and narcissism. There wasn't really much discussion about the feedback on my proposal, but an important point was raised: some of the design techniques we choose can actually unconsciously evoke associations with specific things that may or may not be relevant to what you are trying to communicate. In my case, because I don't know AE, I chose to use pixel-art software for the graphic and kinetic presentation of the concept, and to everyone's eyes, the system seems to have a 'game feel', like a VI for a part of a game. The "pixel" symbol has been deeply associated with games from the very beginning: Mario Bros, Pac-Man, Alien Invaders, all associated with the pixel style. However, this doesn't really have much to do with the 'edge' we're trying to convey, and it's easy to be ambiguous. I deeply agree with this and have documented it.

Reiki's proposal: Reiki's proposal appealed to me and I liked the idea of the 'gap surrounded by solids' as a starting point for the graphic design, even though it looked too much like the Sprite logo (laughs). I also suggested that Reiki remove the text from behind the graphic, as there is more potential for extension from a communication point of view by keeping only the abstract graphic.

Jiamei's proposal: Jiamei has clearly put a lot of effort into this, as it has come up with several shapes at once that are linked to different symbols, such as the stacked stone, the labyrinth, the Klein bottle, etc. I liked her explanation of the labyrinth: "The labyrinth exists not as an obstacle to the wall, but as a "path" through negative space, in which the void is the channel for finding meaning."

I took issue with the idea of "stacking stones": "stacking stones" has a strong meditative connotation and is generally used as a symbol by meditation tutorial apps, which can easily lead to ambiguity.

Jenni's proposal: Jenni provided great ideas and gave a lot of references and design techniques that could be used in the future. She mentioned the artist Xu Bing's exhibition, the metaphor of the camera, some kinetic artistic expressions. Some meaningful questions were also raised: what would a page look like with just the margins visible? Could we perhaps use this idea to design an interactive installation that allows the viewer to experience the reversal of this 'way of seeing'?

Baoyi's proposal: Baoyi also had an interesting idea based on the typographic sense of margin: the space we usually take notes in the margins of a book is actually a kind of commentary separated from the text. This instantly opened my mind: perhaps this represents a kind of "transcendence"? A narrative perspective beyond that of the author, a text that breaks the fourth wall? What does it mean?

After a comprehensive discussion, we found that we all had something in common in our ideas: a focus on "change", a deliberate "neglect" of the "mainstream", the "centre". The use of negative space in design" and "the possibility of exploring from the edge again".

We therefore set the goal of the second round of proposals: to focus on the "negative space" approach to design, with the aim of abstracting as much as possible from irrelevant cultural symbols, leaving room for future diverse projects.

The meeting ended. "It wasn't as easy as I thought it would be, both in terms of group work and in terms of mastering and developing the concept!" , I thought to myself, but I have a whole new way of thinking about the next design". This enthusiasm made me hoof it to the next round…

[lauvra]

30 August 2020 I want someone to tear me apart, I want to be in danger. Shred my skin from muscle tissue, off the bone. Rip me up and waste me, discard me. I wait for you while hoping for the mercy of my own embrace. I shake but the temperature is fine. This is what I have to look forward to. Absolute madness, the twisted love only I can provide myself. I am and was; alone. Some thing or many warmth's within me feel so far away. I don’t feel like the woman I was sure to become. Nurturing and loving, helping anyone was done with ease, a genuine drive for me. I don’t know when or if I’ll be a decent person or whether anyone will look at me through the lens of a loving gaze again. I’ve been questioned consistently to such an invasive degree that I am ruined. I want to run. There’s no retribution to be had for either of us. You don’t view me as someone who is good, now I don’t either. You deny it. I was never afraid of love before this. You ripped away my goodness, but didn’t believe it was in your hands. You took away my light by not believing in it. Tinkerbell was shackled to the faith of others, now I understand. 11:55pm 4 September 2020 'The right people hear you differently’ - I feel the truth of that statement in my bones. I just took a shower in the dark, let the warm water run over like a temporary blessing. We’ve both wrestled knives from one another, we only harm ourselves but leave deep cuts in each other. I walk away from this distorted, I’ve been so poorly understood. Every single day I set the intention for myself to do no harm to the other. Just don’t bring up anything that could begin an argument – or rather; don’t do anything to hurt this person, then surely they will not be hurt right? Every day the peace is short-lived. I always felt so shitty about myself growing up, embarrassed, less-than. Our furniture came from op shops, we had to steam clean the dog scent out of our new sofa but I remember being proud of it anyway. It wasn’t our rental houses or second-hand possessions, the shame was in the way my parents spoke to one another – or didn’t. The way they looked at each other – or didn’t. That is where the deficit in riches lay in my family home, that’s what made me poor. I don’t want to let material possessions define my worth, but I love this apartment we found together. The fireplace brought elegance and charm to the single-apartment, now it’s stained, chipped and cheapened. This cannot go on. These notebooks feel toxic, though I wish I’d written more consistently. I think if every negative word was noted and dated, moving on may be easier. But I wanted this to work, so I stayed quiet, forgave things, asked for forgiveness and glossed over all the worst times in our relationship. I miss my free-range mind. I wish I was more poetic, more ambiguous in my expression. That I could write some strange soulful poem or story about a bunch of random people, entwine my true feelings and thoughts inside and share my secrets with the world under the anonymity of a deceitful narrative device. I don’t care that you threw the coffee table against the wall. But you may as well have thrown me. 8:04pm 28 May 2021 Friday What would my ideal self be? I used to want to be kind. I admit I want an impressive vocabulary, to be interesting to talk to. I want wisdom. ‘A wise man once said nothing.’ I don’t want to be a slave to any unhealthy habit or to anyone. No music is really hitting at the moment. This is that lull period for me between loves that becomes unbearable historically. I don’t want to feel the things I felt with past partners / lovers again though. I’ve guarded myself and it’s appropriate for me to keep it up until my ego is back in check. Space to paint, draw and write To take photos / create collages To enhance my sketching skills and learn disciplined techniques To have and uphold healthy dietary parameters To resolve shadow work To learn healthy boundaries without isolating myself

26 July 2021 10:12am Chimeric 1.      hoped for but illusory or impossible to achieve. "the notion of tolerance is a chimeric dream" I looked away in case it was you, I kept my head down just in case it wasn’t.

How many more words does a girl need to write to cover this most basic premise? I am tired of trying to reconfigure my toxic thoughts into holistic ones. My feelings aren’t the responsibility of anybody but me, this guy is a product of blah blah blah you make me want to die. The nerve of you to have been so careless with my love, I never commit to anyone, to anything. I’m still committed to you, but you aren’t even real. I never give those deepest of my affections over. I want to pave a new way toward the future with your blood and bones mixed into the asphalt. Surely nobody has wanted to harm me the way you did so easily. I am so much less whole of a human being than I was before you claimed to love me.

How the fuck am I supposed to move on?

I wonder the odds two people could overcome if they each really wanted to be together badly enough. I love to imagine it. I want to know because I want to create a mythical place where I can be with the one I love, even though it seems irreparable. I know you’re out there some place and you’re laughing, cleansed by relief and free. I wonder if I offered anything.

11:05pm 16 August 2021 Today the Government announced another extension on our lockdown and a 9pm curfew. Pussy Riot to challenge Putins rule. A 7-point-something category earthquake in Haiti. Taliban takes over Kabul. American government confirms aliens exist. If anything can happen, why can’t we? 

19 August 2021 I couldn’t escape it, everything I did or didn’t do was about this whole other person. This other person who was almost entirely absent, only present as an abstraction. A complete obstruction. I judged myself through his eyes, always observing myself in a way I’d perceive his judgment. For months I tried to limit my interactions with people, by necessity. My paranoia chewed me up. Everybody was in on some sick joke I was the butt of. An inexplicable rage became me whenever I saw familiar faces on the street. Whether they were his friends or simply faces I’d seen on the same days I’d ever seen his. I couldn’t look at certain products on the grocery store shelf, he was contained even in familiar labels. Such was his reach.

Can I radically love this person without expectation and from a safe distance forever?

Every person you allow into your life grants you access to a wide other world, I can’t imagine dating someone who wouldn’t try to sever all my previous and potential connections thus severing my ties to the many worlds available. I’d rather stay alone. Who you keep around you will affect you at a core level regardless of how tough you think you are and regardless of how strong you really are. Even if you can intellectually separate who you are from the trauma within this person that breeds their suspicion of others, you will become overrun eventually by these thoughts so that they may as well be your own. A plant with toxic vines will grow within you that was sown by someone else’s doubt.

[mayihavethisdanse]

Dugouts & Deathclaws??

This was pretty inevitable, wasn't it.

Individual images on my Twitter (tanaleth_tweets); alignment chart & analysis under the cut!

Disclaimer: YMMV on any of these interpretations. I tried to avoid repetition and the temptation to multiclass, which is why I limited the number of characters to the base game. (Strong fought Cait for the Barbarian slot and lost.)

I also stuck to core D&D 5E archetypes and backgrounds… except where I didn’t. Call it my Chaotic streak.

Acknowledgements: Hat tip to @bigbraincel for a lot of these ideas (like warlock Deacon). Thanks also to @theggning, @minuteminx, @third-rail-vip, and everyone else who's mulled this over with me on Discord.

Alignment chart

All the characters I drew, plus a few extras:

Why the little arrows: a lot of the characters’ arcs or core conflicts could be represented as a tension between squares on the alignment chart. Not all of the characters are comfortable in their alignments or even destined to remain static where I placed them.

Character breakdown

A couple more notes on alignment in general:

As I'm using it here, alignment is first and foremost a roleplaying tool that guides a character’s choices and actions. FO4 has a great cast of companions with really rich characterization—richer, I think, than fans sometimes give it credit for.

The lack of clear-cut LG and CE characters among the companions is notable and I think it reflects the writing's deliberate tilt to ambiguity and shades of gray. You could argue for CE among the raiders, etc., but the Fallout universe really isn't one that lends itself to LG characters. It’s very hard for a character to be both Good and Lawful in a world where institutions are all basically corrupt.

It's not entirely crapsack either, though; there’s reason for hope and there’s goodness and resilience among all the muck. Very few people or even factions are all good or all bad. (Except the Legion. All my homies hate the Legion.)

Once again: YMMV! Even where canon agrees on a character’s actions, you might interpret their motivations differently or weight the consequences differently. It’s all for fun. (Please don’t leave me nasty notes. That is not a Good action.)

Also, can I just say that formatting this kind of post for Tumblr is a pain in the butt. Tumblr is Chaotic Evil.

Lawful Evil - X6-88

Pretty much a textbook example of this alignment. X6 is driven by loyalty to authority in a way that many of the other Evil-aligned characters aren’t (e.g. Gage, who I’d put as comfortably Neutral Evil).

Equally driven by a desire for order, but less willing to commit atrocities for it is Danse.

Lawful Neutral - Danse

Danse aspires to be a Good guy—he tries really hard to be one—but when we meet him, we see him actively suppressing his own, more humane instincts in service of the ideals of the Brotherhood.

Here are some possible adjectives describing lawful neutral characters: reliable, responsible, truthful, orderly, loyal, respectful of authority, regular, structured, rigid, neat, methodical, and precise. (source)

Yep. That’s him.

Chaotic Neutral - Hancock, Cait, MacCready

Cait and Mac are solidly Chaotic Neutral. Cait is a little further south on the Good/Evil axis, but neither of them are bad people: their focus is on them and theirs. Survival first, everything else second. A very Neutral attitude.

This one is going to be controversial, since I think a lot of people read him as Chaotic Good, but I’d put Hancock over the border into Neutral too. I think his intentions are good, but he does a little too much stabby-stabby and overlooks a little too much gang violence to be Good; really, his character is all about the contradiction between his ideals and his (in)actions.

Actually, Danse and Hancock are good foils for each other. They're almost polar opposites on the law/chaos axis, but in terms of morality land at about the same place: both want to be good guys, but—at least when we meet them in FO4—neither of them are doing what they would need to to be Good guys.

But someone else is, and that's...

Chaotic Good - Deacon

Deacon was a really interesting character to ponder. I actually suspect his original or “natural” alignment is something closer to True Neutral… but he’s dragged himself into Chaotic Good by virtue of his actions and his desire to atone for past mistakes. (Looking at it in that light, when we meet him in FO4, he’s still “balancing out” that dip into Evil in his youth. Aiming for a lifetime average of Neutral??)

Neutral Good - Preston, Curie, Codsworth, Nick, Piper

The busiest square in the chart!

Within it, Nick and Piper lean Lawful and Chaotic respectively, but I’d argue that they both still fall within the bounds of Neutral Good. Piper opposes authority because it’s corrupt, not because she believes in fighting authority for its own sake; Nick supports order in general but also recognizes the potential for the abuse of power.

Codsworth might be a little lower on the Good/Evil axis than the others, I think (some of his commentary is hilariously/alarmingly violent) but overall, he’s pretty committed to being a good bot.

Preston and Curie are comfortably Neutral Good, in my reading. Both are very concerned with doing good and improving the world; both will defy an unjust law but also disapprove of unnecessary shenanigans.

And last but not least, on an alignment chart all his own:

Good Boy - Dogmeat

You know it's true. ૮ ・ﻌ・ა