#putting a spoiler warning tag just in case if there are people who are new to the game

[emberstoriesandtales]

Antonia and Romeo from Lies are definitely still alive!

Flag is made by @yourfaveisdefinitelyalive

[dudeitiskarev]

Maybe Someday | Spencer Reid ☑️

Pairing: Spencer Reid x female reader

Summary: A case brought you back to Spencer, and this time, he won’t let you slip away—a Spencer Reid mini series.

Rating: mature

Tags/warnings: spoilers for season 4 and 5; childhood friends (who don’t remember each other much bc ✨childhood trauma✨); hurt/comfort; eventual fluff; set right after ‘Memoriam’ + some rewrite of the episode; canon typical violence; suicide; reader is HIV+; pregnancies; abortion; panic attacks; reader’s past is tragic; dual POV (but mostly Spencer’s); a birthday; jealousy; suggestive content; no use of y/n; not beta read + English is not my first language so yikes

Word count: 23k

Author’s note: so I’ve been working on this story for more than two years. I was always back to it, adding little things and re reading it and polishing it. I somehow managed to put everything together and give it an ending and I’m really proud of it! so it deserves to be read by more people than just me. Also, I thought it was very fitting for @imagining-in-the-margins monthly challenge of February ‘New Beginnings’ 🥰 This is my first time writing Spencer so beware of that BUT I’d love to know what you think! Mwahhhh

MAIN MASTERLIST | SPENCER MASTERLIST

INDEX

Chapter one

Chapter two

Chapter three

Chapter four

Chapter five

Chapter six

Chapter seven

Chapter eight

Chapter nine

[ramblers-lets-get-ramblin]

Ninety-Nine Days- Dieter Bravo x OFC

Main Masterlist | Dieter Bravo Masterlist

Pairing: Dieter Bravo x Unnamed OFC

Summary: Dieter Bravo pays his estranged wife a visit after leaving rehab.

Rating: M for mature MDNI 18+

Word Count: 2481

Warnings: TAGS CONTAIN SPOILERS: drug abuse and addiction, major angst, character death

Author's Note: I literally have no excuse for this. I'm so sorry. I had a thought in the shower and ran with it. shout-out to @pedgito for beta reading and basking in the sadness with me!

graphic made by me!

Dieter steps out of the building into the blistering Arizona heat. He slides his sunglasses onto his face and lights a cigarette. It's a dry heat, they always say. “Dry heat my ass,” Dieter thinks. Humidity doesn't matter when it's a hundred and seventeen. Garbage cans and car headlights are melting to the ground. Ground so hot you can fry an egg on it. 

He blows smoke out of his mouth and nose, thankful this rehab place didn't prohibit them like the last one. Ninety days without his smokes doesn't do anyone any good. A black Escalade pulls up to the curb and Dieter leaves the relative shade of the building overhang and the sun warms his face and neck immediately. The driver exits the SUV and grabs Dieter's rolling suitcase. “Mr. Bravo,” he nods. Dieter grumbles a reply and opens the back door himself, desperate to escape the oppressive heat. 

He slides in and the blast of air from the car's a.c is a blissful relief. His shirt sticks to his skin and the black leather of the seat. He slams the door and rolls the window down, flicking the ash off of his cigarette. James, his publicist, is occupying the other middle row seat. He's tapping furiously on his phone and doesn't even seem to notice Dieter. 

The driver closes the gate and slips into the front seat. “Is the air cool enough, Mr. Bravo?” He asks, meeting Dieter's eyes in the rearview. 

“Yeah, it's fine. Thanks,” Dieter replies. He slips his wired earbuds from his pocket and plugs them into his phone. Lou Reed's voice fills his ears and he lays his head back on the seat and smokes all the way to the airport. 

He and James make small talk on the plane while Dieter's leg shakes with nerves. He's been gone for three months. Did the City of Angels forget about him? Did she? A nearly identical black SUV collects them from LAX. They pass by her neighborhood on the way to his. Dieter looks over even though her house isn't visible from the main road. James places a hand on his shoulder, startling him. 

“You can't see her, you know.” Dieter nods in agreement but doesn't say anything. He knows he can't see her. But the thing about being rich and famous is that Dieter can do anything he wants. He shouldn't, though. It wouldn't be good for either of them. She's probably been home for a week or two. The rehab she went to was in Maine, but she was able to go before Dieter could get away. He had to wrap up filming, and neither the studio nor his people were willing to put it off for three months. Wonder what they would have done if I died? 

James rattles off a laundry list of obligations Dieter has to fulfill. Promotional interviews for the film, a meeting with a filmmaker who wants Dee to be the lead in his new movie, even a podcast. All Dee really wants to do is crawl into his bed and never come out. Not unless she's there to drag him out. Dieter doesn't listen too intently, his assistant handles his schedule, after all. He just goes where he's told. Wears what he's told. Stands where he's told. Says what he's told. 

He's got three Oscars in a case at his too-big house that let him, and everyone else, know that he's made it. He doesn't need to do this shit anymore. He's got more money than he knows what to do with, even with the alimony payments to two ex-wives. Soon to be three. He could just quit. Sell his Sherman Oaks mansion and move into her modest two-story suburban house. The house he bought for her when she moved out over a year ago. The same house he overdosed on the floor of three months ago. The memory of the bitter taste of activated charcoal fills his mouth. It wasn't his first rodeo with overdoing it. It likely wouldn't be his last.

“Did she sign the papers?” He asks James. James doesn't answer right away and that tells Dieter everything he needs to know. She's the one who left. Why won't she sign the fucking papers? He knows why, though. The same reason the first thing he wanted to do the second his plane touched down was rush over to her house. They might not be good for each other, but they love each other. Love isn't enough anymore , she had told him. But she still won't sign the divorce papers. She still won't let him go. Dieter doesn't want to let go. Toxic, the kids call it.  

“I'll have the lawyer send them again,” he tells him. Dieter thanks the driver and waves to James. Finally, he's home. 

He enters his house and it is finally quiet. He hasn't had many moments alone in the last three months. There were doctors and nurses first. Then there were police and reporters and James and his agent. More doctors and roommates. Other junkies. Every fucking person in the whole state of California. Every person except the one he wanted to see. He lugs his suitcase up to his room and drops it on the floor. He begins stipping his clothing away, dropping it on the floor while walking to the bathroom. The walk in shower has a digital display that controls everything from an exact water temperature down to the lights. Dieter punches the button for his saved specifics and turns to the mirror while he waits for the water to heat. 

He hardly recognizes the man looking back at him. His body looks much healthier than it did before he went in. His skin has returned to a normal color after months of being pale and clammy. He's softer around the middle he notices with a sharp poke into his gut. The bags under his eyes are gone and his once hollow cheeks have filled out. The wonders of three meals a day, he supposes. The mirror begins to fog and Dieter runs his hand through his messy curls before opening the glass door and stepping into the shower. 

He goes through his routine pretty quickly. Shampoo twice and let the conditioner sit for five minutes. Gives his natural curls a fluffy appearance. He soaps his body thoroughly, eager to wash the medicinal smell of the rehab center and the sweat from himself. Once he's finished, he plants one hand on the wall and curls the fingers of the other around his cock. He gives himself a few tugs and tries to work himself up. Just like every other time over the last three months, nothing happens. Not even a twitch. 

“Fuck!” He shouts, smacking his open hand against the tile. A sharp pain radiates up to his wrist and pisses him off even more. He hasn't come once in ninety days. Ninety-nine actually. He was hoping it was just the lack of privacy. Clearly, that wasn't the issue. He yanks the door open and shoves his finger onto the button on the shower control panel, shutting it off. 

The entire time he’s getting dressed, the whole time he’s sifting through papers on his desk, he tells himself that it's just business. He just wants to get the papers signed, get this chapter of his book closed. He knows it isn’t true, not even that deep in his mind. But that’s what he needs to tell himself. He knows how fucked up it is to go over there, to go see her. To drag her back into his shit. Ninety-nine days without the sound of her laugh, the feel of her fingers running through his hair. Ninety-nine days without the sound of her moaning in his ear or the velvet of her cunt wrapped around his cock. 

He curses himself as he gets in his car. He sticks the keys into the ignition but hesitates before turning the engine over. He hits the button that opens the gate to his property and every second it takes to open is another second he has to question his decision. He hits every red light along the way, which he oughta take as a sign. A sign to turn around, go home and forget this stupid ass idea. But he doesn’t. 

His car idles at the curb, and Dieter stares at his hands on the wheel. This is a bad idea, he tells himself. Probably the worst idea he’s ever had. She’s probably fine without him. Piecing her life together. A life that doesn’t include Dieter. “Fuck it,” he says aloud, turning off the car. “She’s my fucking wife.” He’s not ready to give up on her, on them. He grabs the envelope from the passenger seat and slams the door behind him. The grass is a little overgrown and starting to yellow in the late July heat. When he gets to the door he raises his hand, takes a deep breath and knocks. When the door opens, Dieter quickly realizes he had it all wrong. This is why James didn’t want him to come over here. 

“Hey, Dee,” She says and Dieter’s eyes widen in shock. It’s clear that whatever she’s been up to, she didn’t spend the last three months in rehab. Since it wasn’t a court ordered stay, there was nothing stopping her from leaving any time she wanted. Since they already had Dieter’s money whether she stayed or not, they weren’t very bothered when she left. Especially when they filled that bed with someone else’s money. 

“Hey, baby.” Dieter takes in her disheveled appearance. Her eyes are bloodshot and sunken in. She’s wearing a ratty old band tee of Dieter’s, The Replacements, and it hangs off her too slim frame. There are scars from old tracks in the crooks of her elbows. Fresh ones run alongside them. “Can I come in?” She opens the door all the way and steps to the side. Dieter walks into the house and is struck by the smell of food that’s been sitting out just a tad too long and stale cigarettes. She closes the door behind her and follows Dieter into the living room. 

“If I had known you were gonna drop by I woulda cleaned up a little.” She gathers laundry from the couch and deposits it into the chair, making a space for Dieter to sit. “I thought after James told you I left rehab you wouldn’t wanna see me again.”

“He didn’t tell me.” Dieter clears his throat and pulls the papers out of the envelope. “We need to get this taken care of, baby.” She sighs and wipes a stray tear from her cheek. She reaches for them but he snatches his hand back. “You don’t have to sign them, ya know.” 

“What do you mean?” She picks at the hem of her shirt. His shirt.  

“You could always come home,’ he offers quietly. He doesn’t meet her eyes for fear of what he might find there. She might not want to come home. “I’ll call James. We can get you into another rehab, have you there by tomorrow if you want.” She doesn’t answer so he continues. “Then when you finish treatment, you can just come home. We’ll sell this shithole and move forward. Together. ” 

She’s quiet for a long time. Too long. Dieter reaches his hand out and this time she takes the papers. She looks at them for a long moment but when Dee reaches for the pen in his shirt pocket she surprises him by tearing them in half. “Let’s go home.” Dieter stands from the couch and wraps his arm around the small of her back. He pulls her close and captures her lips in a kiss. She returns it with the same fervor she always did. Like she wanted to swallow him whole. Dieter grabs her by the hand and tugs her towards the bedroom.

“Let’s get you changed and get the fuck outta here,” he declares. When they make it to the bedroom she drops Dieter’s hand and heads to her nightstand. 

“Before we go,” she begins, “how about one last one? For the road?” She holds up a baggie full of white powder. Dieter opens his mouth to protest but she doesn’t let him speak. “I swear baby, this will be the last time. I’ll go to rehab tomorrow for however long you want,” she promises. “Then I'll come home to you and we’ll never have to be apart again.” 

Dieter’s eyes flick between his wife’s face and the baggie pinched between her fingers. He shouldn’t. He can’t. The last call was such a close one. “I don’t know if that’s such a good idea, baby.” Nobody knows better than Dieter the siren call of that first hit after a drought. But it’s been ninety-nine days. 

“I just bought this, an hour before you got here. It’s good shit, new shit. I already spent the money, baby. Let’s not waste it.” Dieter sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose, sitting on the edge of the bed. “It’ll be like old times,” she promises, climbing into his lap. Dieter’s cock twitches in his pants. The erection he was chasing earlier in the shower finally makes an appearance and Dieter groans when she grinds down on his growing bulge. “One last hurrah, and then we’ll be good. I’ll be good. I’ll be so good for you, baby.” She bites the skin just below his jaw. His favorite place. Her favorite place.  

“Fuck, baby,” he whispers against her lips. He can feel his self control melting away. Tomorrow will be a hundred days. Dieter hasn’t been a hundred days sober his entire adult life. His will is slipping through his fingers and then it’s gone. All it took was a tug on a zipper for him to cave. “Fuck it, set it up.” She stands from his lap and removes her shirt, his shirt, and drops it to the floor. Clad only in a pair of panties, she bends and rummages through the nightstand drawer. Dieter tugs off his jeans and kicks off his shoes. Finally, everything he wants is within reach. He has ninety-nine days sober, he can start fresh tomorrow. 

“Oscar winner Dieter Bravo has died today at the age of forty-five, TMZ reports. He was found unresponsive in the home of his estranged wife this evening by his publicist. There was another person in the home, also confirmed deceased. No identity has been made, but reports suggest that it may have been Mr. Bravo’s wife. Mr. Bravo was released this morning from a treatment center in Phoenix, where he was recovering from a drug overdose three months ago. Friends and fans alike are taking to social media to mourn the troubled but beloved star.” 

[flipppyflopp]

OKAY OKAY I LOVE YOUR NEVERLAND AU SO MUCH OH MY GOSH?? I ACROLLED THROUGH ALL THE POSTS (I didn't wanna spam like but gosh they all were so good)

I remember seeing something about Ortho being tagged so I'm curious... How does Ortho play into all this?

I’m glad you like the AU so much! It’s tied as my fav au alongside Sebcroc because I just love the depth to this au. I love getting questions about my Neverland AU because I have so many thoughts and ideas that I’m eager to reveal!

But at last someone is finally brave enough to ask about Ortho…I’ll put a warning in case some people want to wait for Ignihyde’s official introduction piece for my au.

⚠️Spoilers for Ignihyde’s Role in Neverland AU⚠️

So Idia and Ortho serve as the Keepers of Neverland, which I like to think of as a mix of a Peter Pan and Overseer kinda role. Their job is to maintain the order of Neverland and relationships between the different groups occupying Neverland, like the fairies, mermaids, wanderers, etc. Usually this takes the form of a monthly meeting between the leaders of the various groups at the heart of Neverland, a hollow volcano where Ortho and Idia reside. (There’s a convenient river that leads to the volcano that allows the mermaids to attend the meetings)

Ortho was always more adventurous and curious than his brother and he often talked with the prince of mermaids, Vil, and the fairies of Pixie Hollow, including the prince of the nocturnal fae, Malleus. He enjoyed dragging his brother around with him, especially to hear tales about the mysterious mainland. Ortho asks his brother if they could visit the mainland and Idia isn’t so sure since the last Keeper told him some foreboding words before passing on about how Neverland would become his prison. He puts this unease aside and decides to put his brother’s happiness first, which leads to them attempting to fly away from Neverland towards the mainland.

As they fly high in the sky with Neverland growing smaller behind them, they are both suddenly struck with great pain. Before their eyes their bodies begin to disintegrate into stardust. Idia can only watch in horror as Ortho uses the last of his strength to push him back towards Neverland. Idia tries to grab his brother, but he can only burn into his memory the sight of Ortho disappearing right in front of him.

Ortho becomes the second star to the right, the beacon of light that leads to Neverland. Idia then withdraws and neglects his duties allowing conflicts and tensions between the various groups. He builds a new Ortho out of lost things, but it’s not the same…it will never be the same. Neverland took his brother and he will not forget that.

What will Idia do? Who knows…well I do, but you all will have to wait till I reveal his master plan later down the road. For now, take this silly Ortho doodle to lift the mood after the depressing backstory reveal:

[weast-of-eden]

Hi,

I was wondering if you have any recs for longer fics? You seem cool btw, I'm surprised I haven't come across your account before <3

(I hope this isn't annoying, and feel free to ignore me if it is)

Hi!!! ok well if i seemed cool my five unnecessary exclamation marks probably relieved you of that idea. BUT it’s always nice to meet new people and give some recs!! i have some here if you want to try these out:

The Case of the Stolen Doctor by flawedamythyst 47k | Rated T | For Archive Users Only Summary: Moriarty kidnaps Watson. Notes: I would check the tags before I read this one, but it's soooo good. I can't give anything away but basically moriarty realizes watson is holmes' weak spot, and uses him for leverage. also there's a literal Paget-style drawing at one point in the text that looks amazingly real and i'm blown away every time i read it.

The Quiet Disciple by ApprenticeofDoyle 33k | Rated M Summary: "There have only been two times in my life where I have regretted putting my adventures with Holmes to paper. Both of these instances occurred on the same case, nearly two weeks ago, and leveled such an impact that I have questioned whether or not I could continue—in good conscience, and for either of our sakes." November, 1894. A case in Kent goes dreadfully awry, and forces Holmes and Watson to admit feelings long nurtured and long concealed. Notes: AU of the golden pince-nez, this fic hits me right in the feels. especially at the end when [REDACTED] and then [REDACTED] [REDACTED]. (spoilers, srry)

Forbidden Fire by rudbeckia 71k | Rated E Summary: It’s 1870, September, and John Watson has earned a scholarship place at a boarding school just outside of London. He has just a few months to get his education up to the standard he needs to pass the matriculation exams for medical school. As luck would have it, he’s paired with a boy called Holmes who is just as lonely as he is. Together, they negotiate a harsh school life, solve a spate of petty thefts and, in so doing, uncover a much bigger crime involving extortion, embezzlement and blackmail. And all this whilst falling in love. Notes: ok please look at the warnings before reading this one too, the story is definitely a little heavy but this is such a good AU. boarding school meet-cute, rugby, watson in a kilt, school dances, and mini-lestrade.

I hope at least one of these is your glass of tea!! (tplosh reference lol) and nice to meet you :]

[fauzhee10069]

TGCF Thought: My Difficulty in shipping BEEFLEAF

!!Major spoiler for non-novel reader!! TL;DR available at the bottom of the post.

⚠️ Warning!! for beefleaf shippers who do not wish to read any negative thought about this ship, just ignore my post. Believe in your ability to scroll down!

Asking to remove the tags will automatically referred to this post. 

Clicking (...) -> block saves you more time than typing a complain in my ask box.

Beefleaf is a highly popular fan-ship besides fengqing and when I’m not actively hate or against it (as I don’t like gatekeeping), there are several factors that make it difficult for me to accept them as a pairing and these factors are greatly influenced by the canon material itself.

Initially, Shi Qingxuan and He Xuan were besties, this notion made fans’ natural attraction to take their relationship further as a pairing. The canon source implies that them being besties is perceived more from Shi Qingxuan's point of view.

He Xuan's initial motivation for infiltrating Heavenly Court was to investigate the cause of his tragic fate. Later, after he found the source/cause, he was getting closer to Shi Qingxuan on his mission of revenge.

Over the course of their relationship as besties, it is a feint on He Xuan’s behalf. MXTX goes even further that she told us: He Xuan has great talent on acting (Yin Yu’s flashback and iirc interview).

Flashforward to Black Water arc, He Xuan’s main target for his revenge is Shi Wudu because he is the active player. The revelation greatly shock Shi Qingxuan who was greatly unaware of this. Even more regretfully, He Xuan never expected Shi Qingxuan's innocence. So while he was acting as his bestie, He Xuan had been harboring the same hatred for both brothers.

To the point that he wished Shi Qingxuan's innocence is a lie (“tell me this is not true!!”), this becomes a great dilemma for He Xuan. Until several times he refused to believe that Shi Qingxuan did not know anything about this switching fate.

So doesn't that mean He Xuan loves Shi Qingxuan?

Not necessarily, because you don’t have to be romantically in love for having moral standards not to condemn innocent people.

Let's put ourselves on He Xuan’s shoes; for decades (hundreds of years in their case) you actively pretended to be his best friend while thinking of getting revenge on him one day. You have harbored and nurtured such feelings for years, is it easy to just let them go?

Oh, you’re innocent? Then I forgive you (understandably, have a nice day)

If you think so, then you are underestimating He Xuan's feelings, pains and what he has been through all these years.

Now, moving on Shi Qingxuan; for someone you trust as bestfriend and suddenly he frankly reveals his secret that all this time he has held grudges and hates you. Even though deep down you know you're innocent, you will still feel hurt, confused, and blame yourself.

Thinking him as your trusted friend for all the time who suddenly says that "I actually hate you"/”we’re not friends” is a shocking moment for anyone (which also happened to Xie Lian & Mu Qing in the 33 gods & auspicious land flashback).

The conflict in the Black Water arc is very deep:

Shi Wudu doesn't want punishment to befall his brother because he knows that he is innocent.

Shi Qingxuan also felt guilty for He Xuan's suffering even though he just knows it at that time, because it was undeniable that his fortune had belonged to someone else.

He Xuan refuses to believe that Shi Qingxuan is innocent, as he has always harbored hatred for the two of them and used to watching Shi Qingxuan enjoying the life and fortune that rightfully belong to He Xuan all along.

So the conclusion of this conflict is; He Xuan killed Shi Wudu and abandoned Shi Qingxuan.

Yeah, beefleaf shippers, you can’t get He Xuan to just forgive Shi Qingxuan all together and let them be the new pair of Water-Wind masters or Earth-Wind masters.

He Xuan still stripped Shi Qingxuan’s divinity and abandoneddisgraced him as beggar as he wants Shi Qingxuan to feel the suffering that he went through before.

And Shi Qingxuan (who even though you repeatedly said he is innocent and don’t deserves it) willingly accepts his new fate.

Another MXTX’s interview even said that Shi Qingxuan doesn't want his damaged limbs to be restored (which of course really saddens me as I love Shi Qingxuan as a character too but), this further strengthens that Shi Qingxuan feels guilty and does not deserve his fortune and divinity and he accepts the loss of them which were not his in the first place.

We may disagree with this outcome, but this is what those two characters (beefleaf) decided.

Now these two canon breakdowns that:

He Xuan is straight since he had female fiancée at some point in the past.

Albeit his godhood allowed him to be genderfluid, Shi Qingxuan is more comfortable as a man than woman as we can see during Paradise Manor infiltration arc, he switched back into his male form despite still dressed up as a maid and he would be more powerful in female form because in this timeline he was still active as the wind master (not losing his godhood yet).

The problem of ‘beefleaf’ portrayal

As I said at the beginning that I don't like gatekeeping, I also don't necessarily dislike beefleaf as a pairing.

But so far I'm having a hard time liking this couple due to their portrayal of most of the fans which is mostly uhm… problematic.

Most fans like to belittle He Xuan’s revenge and put He Xuan feelings & sufferings aside.

They progress that during He Xuan's act of being Shi Qingxuan's best friend, He Xuan has fallen in love with Shi Qingxuan.

They made He Xuan abandon his revenge journey just like that.

Bearing in mind that He Xuan's revenge is not merely to relieve his anger, but also as an act of filial piety to his family who had also become victims of fate switching carried out by Shi Wudu.

That is the meaning of the scene where He Xuan brings Shi Wudu's head to his family's urns as an offering, in Black Water arc.

The Black Water arc generally still happens with Shi Wudu’s still paying for his sin, but as for Shi Qingxuan, beefleaf shippers are back on the route: “oh, you’re innocent? Then I forgive you” aka. understandably, have a nice day.

No, it doesn’t work like that.

What make He Xuan forgive Shi Qingxuan so easily just because he supposedly falls in love with him?

Shippers might put the revelation of Shi Qingxuan’s innocence early, before the Black Water arc was supposed to happen, so that He Xuan can forgive Shi Qingxuan much early.

Worse that he just falls in love without knowing Shi Qingxuan’s innocence first.

But this creates further problems when He Xuan has to punish Shi Wudu, Shi Qingxuan's beloved older brother.

“I love you, I forgive you, but I have to kill your brother.” You expect that Shi Qingxuan will just nod off?

Okay maybe not kill him but… natural reaction from Shi Qingxuan would be begging for forgiveness, or at least leniency on his brother.

Or worse, wishing that He Xuan to just abandon his revenge, which again, you belittle his pain.

You can't just simply choose: your lover or your dearest sibling? This will put Shi Qingxuan in a great dilemma. Which might be good for a drama, but very complicate to make it a happy ending.

Most stories like this actually end in tragedy.

Another take is by having Shi Qingxuan and Shi Wudu embroiled in family quarrel, which generally ends with Shi Wudu ready to take the punishment. However it generally also ends with He Xuan granting leniency.

“Well, he needs to pay for his sin, but I won’t kill him” like a husband comforting his distressed wife.

But for God’s sake, this is about He Xuan!! Not Shi Qingxuan!

He Xuan is the one who has the right to determine for himself how he will resolve his conflict with Shi Wudu, how much Shi Wudu will pay for his deed, he is the one who has suffered all this time, he is the main victim of this goddamn fate switching!!

And again, you belittle He Xuan’s suffering, of him losing his fortune, of him losing his divinity, of him losing his family!

Even worst that some fans babytrapping him and Shi Qingxuan!!

Yeah, they’re having baby, so He Xuan is not going to abandon Shi Qingxuan (and their unborn child) just like that (as in the canon).

“I have to take care of them, I can’t fail them/let them down, let's put aside this grudge for a moment for their sake…”

You belittle the tragedy of Black Water arc MXTX carefully made.

TL;DR beefleaf portrayals are mostly hardly believable, that’s what makes me hard to be convinced with their love story.

How can ‘beefleaf’ work better?

Let Black Water arc happens as in canon.

Therefore you value and acknowledge He Xuan’s past, his pain and his journey of revenge as it is.

And leave Shi Qingxuan with his current state post Black Water arc.

Therefore you respect his decision and acceptance.

Their romance does not happen in canon.

Doesn’t mean that their romance couldn't happen post-canon.

Their progress can be started from the post-ending. He Xuan has finished his revenge, has started to extinguish his hatred, has started to move on, to make peace with the past.

After his heart calmed down, make it a moment where his heart starts to ache for Shi Qingxuan, wondering what he is doing, thinking back whether they could start over.

As for Shi Qingxuan, it's very likely that he wants to avoid He Xuan at the moment. No matter how innocent he is, he had lived a life that was He Xuan's right, so his guilt won't just go away, he would be uncomfortable to face He Xuan.

This would be possible if it is He Xuan who opened his heart first. In the moment of their first meeting post Black Water arc, let Shi Qingxuan know that He Xuan has made peace with his past, that he is ready to move on, that he forgives Shi Qingxuan, offering Shi Qingxuan to let’s start over once again.

Let it happens slow, slow burn is beautiful.

Perhaps, Shi Qingxuan is ultimately willing to get his limbs restored.

And no babytrapping for God’s sake, let that happens after they truly reconcile.

Because that's the only thing I can see how beefleaf truly works.

So TL;DR you're free to ship beefleaf, but please make their progress more believable. Don't ditch/simplify the Black Water arc. Understand He Xuan's character & situation better. Don't underestimate his problem just for the sake of fluffiness. I'm looking forward for beefleaf content post-canon without excluding the after effect of Black Water arc and have them learn to cope it.

THE END

PS: If you still want Shi Wudu to somehow survive, do it.

But think about how to do it without putting aside He Xuan's pains and suffering as the main victim of his fate switching.

PPS: I’ll give you a free pass for ignoring Black Water arc if you write modern AU beefleaf.

[lucky-clover-gazette]

captive prince book 1 highlights & annotations

chapter 6

indented text is from the book. some quotes have commentary, some do not. some comments are serious, and some are definitely not. most of them will only make sense to people who have read the series. and, like, there are spoilers. so please read the books first if you're interested!

also: part of the reason i'm doing such a close reading is to study cs pacat's style, especially in terms of how she does romance and erotica. there are "craft notes" that might seem weird, like i'm being redundant or restating something rather than analyzing, but those are more things that i want to remember/take away from the writing!

i'm going to tag these longer posts with "sam reads capri" in case anyone wants to read them all at once.

this is a google doc i wrote with overall content warnings for the captive prince series. it's not perfect, but i do think it's important to include.

‘In case he found me pleasing, I was being trained for the Prince.’ ‘Were you?’ said Damen, with some interest. ‘Because of my colouring. You can’t see it in this light, but in daylight, my hair is almost blond.’ ‘I can see it in this light,’ said Damen. He could hear the approval saturating his own voice. He felt it shift the dynamic between them. He might as well have said, Good boy.

damen likes blondes moment #5, ft. damen’s vague slavery apologism. booooooooo

He should be in Akielos, where his training would be fêted and prized.

damen that’s fucked up. i know you don’t know that, but it is and you’ll figure it out

‘You were made for better masters than these. You deserve someone who appreciates your worth.’

context: slavery, in all forms, is wrong. the narrative knows this. damen does not.

It wasn’t possible that something like this was going to happen—that this court was so depraved that a mercenary could rape a royal slave a scant distance from the gathered court.

some really interesting questions about consent here. can sex under slavery be consensual? i say no. if a person does not have free will, they cannot freely give consent. 

but there is the sex scene between laurent and damen in book 2. that’s on damen’s last night of technically belonging to laurent—however, they both acknowledge that he really was never a slave, by training or behavior, and damen was given many opportunities to leave prior. so to me, it is very much consensual.

anyway, when damen suggests that the sex akielions have with palace slaves is consensual, it’s like… eh, no, i don’t think so. it’s still noncon, just with extra hidden steps and attempted justifications, as opposed to the blunt and unapologetic debauchery of vere (although i will note that in vere, the pets are not slaves, which damen seems to often ignore/forget). the slaves have been essentially trained their whole lives to always consent. that within itself is a violation of their human rights, and means that their verbal consent doesn’t even matter. basically: damen’s moral outrage here is justified, but it also exposes a massive blind spot in his perspective.

Without access to income from his various estates, Laurent’s retinue was substantially diminished and his spending curtailed.

this is so funny to me. laurent has to cancel several streaming service subscriptions because he’s losing income. no more hulu for you, broke boy

There had to be something he could do. There was nothing he could do.

lemony snicket-ass line

Very deliberately, he knelt, and bowed his head, and lowered his eyes to the floor. For a moment, it was so quiet that he could hear the flames from the torches fluttering in the air. ‘This is new,’ said Laurent.

‘Let me guess. You want me to take off your chains. Or reduce your guard. Or put you in a room where the doors and windows are unbarred. Don’t waste your breath.’

context: laurent still cannot conceive of damen being a noble or selfless person

‘Am I supposed to believe you care about their welfare? How exactly would they be treated better in Akielos? It is your barbaric society that forced them into slavery, not mine. I would not have thought it possible to train the will out of a man, but you have managed it. Congratulations. Your show of compassion rings false.’

he’s right! and it’s definitely notable that this comes from laurent, whose strong will is one of his defining characteristics. he feels more disdain for the complete depersonalization of akielion slaves, than for the contractual torment of pets in vere.

laurent and submission do not mix well, ideologically or in practice. when he chooses to be submissive, it’s in order to feel more in control. it’s like what amma says in sharp objects by gillian flynn: “sometimes if you let people do things to you, you’re really doing it to them.” akielion slaves have been conditioned not to question what they’re told to do, and that to laurent is probably more evil than forcing someone who knows that they don’t want something to do it anyway.

‘I don’t know if that is usual practice in this place, but good men don’t torture slaves in Akielos. Slaves are trained to obey in all things, but their submission is a pact: they give up free will in exchange for perfect treatment.’

i know his heart is in the right place, but maybe a pact involving a total loss of free will is just… not good under any conditions?

‘To abuse someone who cannot resist—isn’t that monstrous?’

oof. laurent trauma dramatic irony moment

Finally, Laurent said, ‘You overestimate my influence over my uncle.’ Damen began to speak, but Laurent cut him off. ‘No. I—’ Laurent’s golden brows had drawn slightly together, as though he had encountered something that did not make sense. ‘You would really sacrifice your pride over the fate of a handful of slaves?’ He had worn the same look on his face at the ring; he was gazing at Damen as though he was searching for an answer to an unexpected problem. ‘Why?’

context: this reminds me of the way that laurent offered to help nicaise and then realized he couldn’t, because his uncle has too much power over them both. he’s going through the same logical process here re: fulfilling damen’s request. he’s also confused as to why damen has made the request at all at all, because he still sees damen as selfish and immoral, while his request is undeniably selfless and moral. just like earlier, laurent pragmatically asks—“why?”

‘Because I am stuck here in this cage and I have no other way to help them.’

this is how laurent feels about nicaise. fuuuuuck

‘You think this is a trick,’ said Damen. He could see from the assessing look on Laurent’s face that he was right.

context: damen doesn’t realize it, but the fact that laurent is even looking into this is a total win. he is, in a very slight and cautious way, giving damen’s perspective serious consideration.

‘Something amuses you?’ Laurent. ‘What would I have to gain from—’ Damen broke off. ‘I don’t know how to convince you. You don’t do anything without a dozen motives. You lie even to your own uncle. This is country of deviousness and deception.’ ‘Whereas pure Akielos is free of treachery? The heir dies on the same night as the King and it is merely coincidence that smiles on Kastor?’

THIS CONVERSATION IS SO GOOD. both of their kingdoms suck. they’re both helpless and suffering as princes, and they could both make things better as kings. especially if they worked together! this has been here from the very start, it’s SO fucking good. the slow burn isn’t just romantic and sexual, it’s, like, intellectual. ideological. philosophical. amazing.

‘After you left,’ the guard said, ‘he got a visit from Govart.’ Laurent turned back to Damen, blue eyes like ice. ‘No,’ said Damen, knowing Laurent believed this now to be some scheme of his uncle’s. ‘It’s not what you think.’

context: they’re both acting reasonably here based on the information they’ve been given. the coincidence just sucks. damn uncle

[visionsofmagic]

𓇻 day 4 of  fic days [masterlist] 𓇻

◜  love under cold skin. [connor x f!reader]   ◞  

― video game: detroit: become human

― summary: you were a human who was working with hank anderson and you didn't like androids at all but when connor came into your life, you realized how they had humanity too and you were determined to show this to connor too.

― wc: 2.3k

― warnings&tags: fluff, spoilers from the game, events happens before and after eden club, gun, angsty, touching, no kissing, closeness. that’s all I guess. enjoy! <3

° × ° × ° × ° × ° × ° × ° × ° × ° × ° × ° × ° × ° × ° × ° × ° × ° × ° × °

  it was a cold night at detroit, chilling down the odd feelings you had on your chest about the new famous android who was working on the department with you and hank anderson, one of the people you loved to keep as company – as a close friend.

this specific android had a beautiful name you liked to say aloud unlike in the first times you two met to accomplish the mission of finding deviants killed, escaped or harmed their owners. owners – what a disgusting term you began to find with your close relationships with androids as the cases’ number has increased. neither liking androids nor finding them as enemies of your kind made you had a simple look to them; just some individuals – maybe they had souls like humans did, maybe the whole situation caused because of some errors in their data as most believed – as you had to believe due to being one of the officers who chased them. finding it odd how they had sent an android to chase them with you, it was logical since androids knew other androids better, having same mechanism in mind and soul – if they had one really.

this was something you thought in your first times in the cases, having a dilemma whether to believe those deviants who spoke to you, wanting you to save them not putting them in prisons. then, with time, maybe because of having connor – that famous android in the department, who got your heart and soul without even knowing it, on your side. he was the main reason for you to begin thinking about androids’ conditions completely and in a further aspect. you could see what connor did to both of you and hank anderson, making you question whether to keep up with the cases or not, prisoning androids who couldn’t get help from anyone except their own kinds.

“connor –“ you said from where you stood; lying to your car that stood in front of eden club, the place where a murder case occurred that included androids since the club has put androids for sale – for intimate sections which you found disgusting because being a captain – a civil looking one, you had both good and bad connections in the city and you knew very well people who came here did bad things to androids – even beating them, breaking them, and worse. they did those things believing androids did not have functions to feel any of them. however, the cases showed how they really felt lots of things that made them turn into deviants and having this knowledge made you gain a certain empathy towards deviants. how could they not try to escape from the disaster life they had under the wings of people who called themselves as their owners but had bad intentions. if they really had souls, if they really were like humans – even if they didn’t have, they were deserving their own rights which they were fighting for.

“yes, y/n?” you heard connor’s gentle voice, making your mind to shut down and only focus on him. he was so innocent – acting like a soldier who only cared for his missions came from upper hands but you wanted to show him how this all was wrong – how he could feel like these deviants and how it wasn’t something bad. it wasn’t. having a soul – this was what he deserved like every android out there. you needed him to feel because of the pure love you had right now, only for him.

“what are you feeling?” it was an odd question, indeed it was, but you wanted to ask it only to see how he would react.

connor’s brown eyes stopped working for a second before moving fast as he looked to your face and his surroundings while lying onto the surface of car beside you, keeping a certain distant to not to disturb you; what a gentleman. his led turned to yellow for a second before staying as blue.

“I can’t feel, y/n,” he said, sounding innocent still. “you know it. androids do not feel anything.”

“they do not or they should not, hmm?” you asked, walking slowly ‘till you stood in front of him, not so close not so distant. connor straighted his posture, not lying onto the car. he made you realized how small you were compare to him. cute.

“what are you referring to, captain?” he liked to call with your first name and as captain, always, and you liked how each of them sounded so cute coming out of his mouth.

shrugging, you said, “I just wanted to decide whether androids are not be able to feel in reality or they just – should not do it – to prevent outcomes that having feelings bring within it.” you pointed out the eden club, “like those ones in there; not to put in a prison just for feeling – like humans do.”

connor looked so confused of your sudden questions. you indeed asked them some odd questions before this case but they never intended to point out your thoughts about androids. you had to avoid questioning what you were doing as they suggested but it was so hard to since your liking of connor was turning to loving one without your control. every day you asked yourself how you could love an android – a forbidden sin in your time but here you were, looking at connor’s both attractive and cute face, watching your own reflection on his brown eyes that directed to your face, making you blush.

“do you believe to deviants?” he asked, sounding curious about your thoughts.

“I don’t know, really,” you said, sighing, “this whole thing is so – complicated. I even don’t know how to feel about them. I just know that their conditions making me feel emphatic and sad because they only seek for rights they deserve.” holding your head, you sighed again.

connor’s hand touched your arm gently, making you turn to him as he was watching you in concern. “are you okay captain?”

you nodded, smiling to ensure him more. you touched his shoulder, trusting the friendship you two had now – which you wanted to turn into something more. squeezzing his shoulder, you said, “I am okay, connor. don’t worry about me.”

his eyes looked at your hand to your eyes again as his led turned to yellow from blue suddenly, staying like a few seconds as yellow. you wondered what that meant. you only knew their led turned to red when they became deviants. maybe you should befriend with another android to ask about this.

hank finally cut your long lasted eye contact which made you melt down because of the beauty connor has held. “cut the act and just move already. I don’t intend to spend my entire night in here.”

smirking, you turned to hank, taking your hand back from connor’s shoulder as his hand left your arm. “and I thought what we missed tonight; the beautiful complaint of lieutenant anderson.”

“ha ha, y/n.” he said, pointing out the club, “let’s move.”

and with that, a long night which would make you realize something more with the rest of team because of the following events in the eden club.

° ° °

the world seemed upside down. the gun hank was holding on his hand, directed to connor who was staying still – not having any specific emotion on his face, and you – trying to make hank put the gun down.

“hank!” you shouted to him, “put the gun down. don’t make this any worse than it already has.”

hank smirked, turning to you for a moment to say, “it can not be any worse than this y/n.” then, turning to connor again who looked at your concerned face with a – sad look in his face as you believed.

“tell me connor,” hank said, “are you afraid of death?”

what hank was doing was a horrible thing but the question he asked was also something you wondered after connor spared two deviants in the eden club at previous hours of the night which caused hank to drove to the bridge of the city, to clear both his and your mind as well as connor’s who looked so – lost, making you feel concerned and sad about him, wanting to help him. believing hank’s father figure more, you allowed him to talk with connor first but now he was holding a gun and it wasn’t helping at all.

before connor could give an answer to hank’s question, your body and soul acted before your mind could comprehend, standing in front of the connor, making hank’s gun directed to you.

hank looked shocked because of your sudden brave and unexpected move and connor’s hand placed on your arms to make you move but you stood still, talking to hank with a determined manner. “shoot if you want hank, but not him.”

“y/n –“ connor’s concerned voice made your heart ache but you stood like that, not giving any fear away.

“what are you doing?” hank asked, sounding both angry and confused. “you’re protecting him? you know he can’t die.”

“yet he doesn’t deserve to die.” you smiled as hank’s determination to shoot connor was decreasing its power with your speech. “me or him, it doesn’t matter – it doesn’t make a difference. we are the same.”

that made hank looked surprised again but only for a slight moment. you knew he thought and felt the same as you do; it didn’t matter to shoot you or connor, in the end, it meant killing someone – a human, not an android even if connor was denying it still with all of his personality. while looking at hank’s face, connor’s hands tightened its grip as his cold breath hit your ear, making your body shake with delight. “y/n, please,” he said, sounding very concerned than before, “I don’t want you to get harm because of me.”

he was so innocent. the world didn’t deserve him at all. cyberlife didn’t deserve an innocent soul like him. and you determined to show this to connor. you promised that you would show it to him – making him realize how he had a soul – a really good one and he could show it – have it, not fearing of becoming a deviant because in the end, all of the androids deserved it beginning with connor.

hank looked at connor, to you, and to connor again. deciding finally, he put his gun down, saying, “see you tomorrow.” to you, and leaving your side as he made his way to his car.

the moment he left, you turned to connor whose hands stood remain ‘till your turn which made you feel so wonderful to feel him more, in a gentle way like always.

“connor,” you said, touching his cheek as his eyes focused on your face, jumping a little due to the touch you gave to him, especially from this close for the first time. “are you okay?” you asked, genuine in your voice.

furrowing, he asked in return, “are you really okay?” he sighed, “you shouldn’t do it. even if hank shot me, I would come back. cyberlife would transfer my –“

“connor,” you said, caressing his cheek. “don’t think like this. coming back to life again doesn’t mean you deserve to die. no, not at all. you deserve to live. you deserve to feel.”

you smiled delicately while connor was trying to understand you more with each word you expressed, “I know what dilemma you have now and I am here to help. hank is here too even if he acts – well, rude sometimes. he and I care about you.”

“you –“ connor tried to say, “you care about me?”

nodding to him, so certain, you said, “of course connor. we care about you – I care about you.” your hand on his cheek moved from there to his neck as the other one placed on his left shoulder, hugging him, feeling him so close – pure euphoria. “so, don’t get into danger like that again because I feel so – sad. you wouldn’t want me be sad, would you?”

hugging you back after a certain time, he said to your ear, “no, I wouldn’t.”

smiling to yourself widely enough to make your mouth hurt, knowing he couldn’t see, the fact that connor had humanity – a soul under his skin as well hit you. it wasn’t an impossible case, no, it was something would happen very soon – maybe sooner than you thought thanks to your support for him.

leaving him finally, you nodded, “then, we agreed.”

connor nodded too, not speaking aloud but from the sparkles he had on his brown eyes, you could see how happy he was – how good he was at the moment, having you and hank on his side. mostly, you, of course as you realized with his delicate touches on your face, the first time he touched you so closely – not you touching him, but he touching you with his own willingness.

“connor –“ a low sigh escaped from your lips, sounding like a low moan of his name, giving your face the color of red due to being ashamed.

“I am not afraid of death, y/n,” he said, looking at every feature of your face, making you blush more. “but I believe I am afraid of losing – you.” a confess from him that made your world turn upside down once again but in a wonderful way this time. as your heart beats were running from one after, fast enough to make you leave breathless, connor added to his heart warming speech, “I can die for a thousand time only to prevent yours. so, never do that again.”

smiling happily, you nodded even though your mind couldn’t believe what just happened.

“deal connor.”

he smiled like you did, a charming one. “deal y/n.”

the end. 🧃

[thatoneaceinthecorner]

RQG Art Masterpost

Hey guys! So recently I've had a wave of notes on some of my old rqg art, and a few new followers. I got really nostalgic about rqg and decided I wanted an easier way to access my rqg-related art (other than the dumpster fire that is tumblr's tagging system), and I wanted other people who are just finding my art to have an easy way of looking at the rest, if they want to. So I dug through everything and made a masterpost! This post contains links to all the rqg art I've ever posted on tumblr, as well as a couple images that I couldn't find the original posts for, despite all the digging. It's loosely organized, emphasis on loosely, but I hope it should be fun to look through if anyone ever feels like it. Spoiler warning for the whole show, just in case anyone new isn’t done with their first listen. There's also stuff in here that's pretty old and that I don't necessarily love anymore, but seeing how my skills progressed over time is still pretty neat. This is a long post, so I've put all the links under the cut. Enjoy!

My top three pieces and why they're my favorites

General:

Shoin's sketch of London

RQG Inktober: Scars

Resurrection Ritual in the Ursan Village

Zolf Smith, cleric of what comes next (comic)

Alex's horrible Barret Monster with knife arms

Ada and Tesla in their lab with the Babbage brain

"Why didn't you do more" (it's all your fault comic)

Blue-veined arm in Other London

Zolf and Azu hear the hivemind

Sasha and Cicero leave Rome behind them

Apophis in human form

Party camping outside the Garden of Yerlik

Kantu!! Because I thought they were cute

Also these two drawings, the ones I couldn't find the original posts for. Azu giving Hamid a piggy-back, and a really old drawing of Azu in Carter's mind museum.

Sasha Racket:

Sasha hangs out with gargoyles (and sphinxes)

Sasha portrait

Goodbye, Brock

Goodbye, Grizzop

If Grizzop had lived and helped raised Sasha's kids

Sasha deserves bat wings, as a treat

"I so wish you could meet them"

My very first drawing of Sasha, post-Kafka fight

Wilde:

Wilde masterpost (yes he has his own)

"We're all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars"

His brain might've popped

Wilde looking pretty (plus bonus shitpost sketch)

"Oh Wilde, you must have been so scared"

Wilde with blue veins

Wilde gets his magic back (first time I ever drew him)

Zoscar:

Wild and Zolf in the rain, epilogue

"We've got this" "Yeah, we've got this" aka Parallels

Breath of Life

Wilde's first death

Peace and comfort (for once)

Actually some more peace and comfort

And a little more

Aaand back to some angst

RQG Zine Art:

The End of the World As We Know It

How Little He Matters

Rome Is Where the Heart Is

Animatics/Animations/Videos:

Hamimatic - Immature

Zolf is the sand guardian, guardian of the sand

Wilde and Zolf in the rain but animated this time

Sasha protecting Wilde in Paris

Time lapse of some of the "Breath of Life" drawing

Ben Meredith quoting Jenna Marbles (starring Toothbrush Zolf)

Doodles, sketches, and requests:

Messy busts of the whole party (plus Wilde, obviously)

Azu and Grizzop outfit/deity swap

Never wake a sleeping Barnes (comic)

Toothbrush Zolf

Azu caring for undead Sasha

Ada mourning Babbage AU

Fun sketch page of various PCs

Domestic Zolf and Wilde

Canon-compliant under-dressed Zolf (look he's posing like the coppertone baby from that one brand of sunscreen, i thought it was funny)

Sasha and Wilde bonding time

If Sasha and Cel met each other

Sasha and Zolf, amputee buddies

Wilde in a flower crown (Everyone Liked That)

More domestic Zolf and Wilde

Sasha playing with Hamid's twin brothers

Sasha looking after Grizzop's kids

Zolf and Wilde hugging

Sasha and Skraak, dynamic duo

Barnes and Carter hugging

Kobold in the kitchen with Zolf

Ada holding down the fort

Happy Hamid

Cel and Grag

Wilde and Hamid high-five

[adultish-momma]

Shiny New Toy

An alternate, smarter, and most importantly, a funner way to deal with the Leech twins in Book 3.

Warnings: Beyond potential Book 3 spoilers, I really didn't think I'd have to put any warnings down for this fic. But nope, now I need to make it clear that there is a bit, a very small bit, of blood and violence. It's fairly vague, but I still want to make sure people are aware.

A/N: I was brainstorming ideas for the fics I have planned, I named this one, and then it just... unfolded in front of me. Man, I don't even feel like I wrote it. Floyd and Yuu took control of my body and now we all get to bear witness to the results. I'm not even mad, it barely follows my original plan, but the vibes I wanted to convey came across so all in all, success.

Psst. I'm tagging @dandelionwhisp because I know you're coming back soon and I want you to have a present waiting for you, as a reward for surviving such a long flight. Hope you enjoy it!

Something barrelled into the twins, spinning the two eels away from each other. Neither Leech brother had been prepared for the attack, as this came from behind them. Floyd was first to reorientate himself, snapping his attention back to the first years with a furious growl. Whatever was stupid enough to hit him circled his opponents once, twice, and then came to a stop next to the little seal.

It seems as if everyone present paused to assess the newcomer. Well, not exactly new per se, because they were pretty sure that was Yuu. Like, at least 90 percent sure the Ramshackle Prefect had joined the fray.

Grim seems to have thought it would be best to confirm it, just in case.

"Oi! Henchhuman! Is that you? Since when do you have a tail!?"

"You like it?" they asked, giggling despite the tense situation. "I think the colors turned out so pretty." They did a quick twirl in place, letting the sunlight filtering through the coral sea catch on their new bronze scales. They noticed the Leech twins watching them, specifically a certain eelmer's eyes fixated on the reflecting light of their tail. They didn't even try to hide the smug grin that slipped on their face.

Looks like this plan might work after all.

"Oya, what a surprise this is". Jade as always, has a tight lid on his emotions and reactions. The only telling part about him is that sleazy smile he has, the one where his mouth is open just enough to see his razor-sharp teeth.

"Shriiiimmmpppyyy", Floyd whines, an undercurrent of something dangerous in his voice. "Who knew you could be so cute and shiny! Makes me want to give you a big ole squeeze!" His signature sing-song lilt betrays how eerily still he has become. For someone always in motion, fidgeting and shuffling when bored and animated when excited, the merman has become tense in his stillness. Like a coil before it snaps.

Like a predator ready to pounce. He just needs a small push.

"Well I figured if there was a potion that can turn you boys human and give you legs," Yuu begins, nearly simpering, a spark in their eyes that Jade recognizes. "Then there must be a potion that could turn me into a mer and give me fins." The Prefect gives another flick of their new tail, and Jade can see his brother inch a little closer.

Yuu notices the movement as well. They might not have serrated teeth like the eels, or the same malice in their smile as Azul, but even the little group of freshmen agree that the grin they flash Floyd is downright shark-like.

"So if you want to squeeze me, you're gonna have to catch me first".

Before anybody else can react, Yuu swims off, away from the museum, speeding like a bullet shot from a gun. Jade reaches out to stop his brother, but he's only able to graze the end of his tail, Floyd chasing after the Prefect. The calmer twin sighs heavily, moving to follow, but is shocked for the second time today when a magic attack actually manages to hit him.

"Ha! Take that you overgrown sushi! The Great Grim has more of that where it came from!"

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

There had been a few close calls already if the superficial scratches near their flukes were anything to go by. For his part, Floyd couldn't decide if this was the most fun he had in a while, or if this was the most frustrating thing he'd done in ages. The Prefect was newer to their fins, a strong swimmer for sure but nowhere near as fast as Floyd. But they were smaller than the natural merman, darting into coral tunnels that he just couldn't fit through. What was supposed to be a straightforward chase has turned into a convoluted game of hide-n-seek.

At least Floyd wasn't the only one laughing in delight.

This was incredibly fun for Yuu. They'd always been comfortable in the water, a strong swimmer naturally. And while they could let loose athletically on land back at NRC, nothing is ever as comfortable and exhilarating as racing through the water. So distracting Floyd had turned into a near cathartic experience, the first time since waking up in this world where they truly felt like they could just be.

Plus, they're pretty sure being a merperson is ticking off some childhood dream checklist.

"Gotcha Shrimpy!" Eventually, Floyd had been able to grab them, causing a startled scream to escape their lips and a manic cackle to escape his. "That was so much fun! But now I can squeeze you as hard and as long as I want since I wo-on"

"Alright" they agree, a little breathless as he begins to wind his tail around them, just tight enough to border discomfort. "That's fair. You did win our game of chase."

"Hahaha!" The eel lets out another series of excited laughs, accompanied by a sharp squeeze. "You're so cute if you thought you could beat me".

Despite wanting this, despite planning every part of this undersea excursion, including letting Floyd capture them, Yuu can't help but stiffen at the feeling of his very sharp, very dangerous, teeth dragging across their neck.

"Jade's always been the patient hunter" Floyd chuckles, reveling in the Prefect's discomfort. "But I've always been more active when catching prey."

One of his clawed hands ghosts down their body to where scales just begin to crop up, the delicate things glinting bronze and copper under his inspection. Suddenly, the human-turned-mer feels a sharp tearing sensation, watching as a small trickle of blood floats into the water surrounding them. Floyd holds up the scale he stole, a lazy smile on his lips and wide, dilated eyes.

"And admittedly Shrimpy, I've always been a sucker for shiny things."

"I thought so. Hey, speaking of Jade, I wonder how many hits the guys have landed on your brother now that he can't rely on your Unique Magic." Floyd stiffens, tightening around Yuu enough to force the air out of their lungs. But then he loosens, more than likely aiming to untangle himself to go help his brother. But the Prefect suddenly latches onto him, winding their arms tight around his body and locking their arms behind his back. Where his tail had uncoiled around them, now that wrap their tail around him, trapping him for just a few minutes longer.

"Poor Jade, abandoned by his brother because you just couldn't resist a new shiny toy." Floyd snarls, gnashing his teeth at the Prefect, but they just laugh, squeezing his tail a little tighter.

"Little Shrimpy tricked you!~ You fell for it hook, line, and sinker."

[emma-frxst]

The Implicit Demand For Proof (13)

Series masterlist

Pairing: Detective David Loki x reader

Summary: you, a forensic psychologist, get called in on a high priority child abduction case in Conyers, PA. What happens when you catch feelings for the mysterious detective Loki?

Warnings: spoilers for the movie, movie level violence, slight change of events, language.

A/N- omg you guys!!!! Only one more chapter after this and the series will be complete! I’m yelling! But fret not dear friends!! If you love our fave detective and forensic psychologist!Reader, I’m going to be writing a continuation of this series! My new fic Choking on Circumstances will be out soon! Check my masterlist for more deets! (Saying deets like I’m in the mid 2000s) if you want more Loki content feel free to send me a request and check my masterlist for other Loki content ;)

Reblogs and comments help me the most! Let me know your thoughts, even if it’s only a keysmash. Let me know if you want or off the tag list. Thanks for reading, commenting, and supporting me!

-

“Hey guys let us have a look.” Rich from forensics said as you followed him into Bob Taylor’s back yard.

The two people digging backed off so you three could see.

“Two kids size department store mannequins with the heads caved in.

I just talked to our lab guys they told me all the blood we sampled from the plastic containers? Pigs blood.”

“Shit.” You remarked in disbelief. You had seen some shit but this was on your top 10 list of creepy things for sure.

You followed Rich and Loki inside the home, loki stopping to hold the door open for you. Ah so chivalry still isn’t dead.

You offered him a quiet “thanks.”

You and Loki followed him into the kitchen.

“It’s like he’s play acting. Case in-point: except for the few items ID’d by the Dovers and the Birches..All the kids clothes that we found still have the tags on them them.”

You were right- you were fucking right.

Queue ego boost in 3..2..1.

“And that maze book that we found- he made it. Photocopies. Pictures form this book we found in the attic. Ex FBI agent wrote that.” Rich explained as you and Loki leaned in over his shoulder.

“Finding the invisible man.” Loki read.

You hid your shit- eating grin by putting your hand to your face and resting it there. You were right. You knew it, and now Loki had his precious evidence to back it up. You had been quiet all morning, chalk it up to exhaustion or frustration with Loki -either would be a good excuse.

“OK, so he read the book and decided he was taken by the invisible Man. Now he’s doing his best imitation, right?”

“Yeah, he was doing his best imitation..killed himself last night.”

“How’d he do that? I thought he was in custody?”

Loki sauntered away from the counter at which you and Rich were standing, avoiding the question.

He looked at the scribbles on the kitchen wall.

“That means you were right, (l/n), holy shit. Tell him- tell Rich what you told me last night.”

Oh so now he wants to hear your theory? Where was his enthusiasm last night?

“My theory, now proved right, is he’s taking credit for someone else’s work.” You explained. “That he’s too disorganized for something of this scale. Couldn’t take one kid, let alone two.”

“Well, Dr. (l/n), I’d say the evidence definitely proves you right. The girls are still out there. Just keep knocking on doors and looking in windows.”

Before you could get another word in Loki was speaking again.

“Hey Taylor drew this.” Loki said pulling out the piece of paper. “Its a map to the bodies. It’s a map to the bodies! We found the same design on a pendant we pulled off the corpse the other day. There’s a connection. There’s a connection okay?”

“The connection is that it’s the last maze in the book. I did it, it’s unsolvable. There’s no way out. Your corpse is another wanna be who read the book. “ Rich said dismissively.

You walked away from where the two were standing, running your hand along the kitchen wall. A cold chill ran down your spine, Taylor’s home was disturbing to say the least, and yet you found yourself wishing that he could’ve gotten the psychological help he needed.

“but-but- How did Bob Taylor get those clothes? How did- how did- how did the parents positively ID those clothes?!” Loki questioned, now yelling.

“That I can’t reconcile.” He said, walking into the living area.

You leaned against the wall, crossing your arms. The question still stood- how did the parents identify the clothes? You’d been racking your brain all night to find a answer. You didn’t have one. Yet.

You looked at Loki and you knew that look; you could see the cogs in his brain turning.

He pulled out his notebook. You leaned in beside him to see what he was doing.

He flipped a few pages back.

In the house

window

-Open?

You both looked at each other and had the same revelation.

“The window!” You said in unison.

“The piece of clothing Keller Dover ID’d was a sock. One sock.” Loki said, holding up his index finger. “Maybe- maybe there’s evidence still there!”

“Let’s go” you said, heading for the car, David on your heels.

While en route to the Dover residence, Loki kept stealing glances at you.

You stared out the window, pretending not to notice.

“You can say it.” He blurted out.

“Say what?”

Either she was naïve, or someone who didn’t hold grudges. And Loki knew she wasn’t naïve.

“You can say ‘ I told you so.’ “

“Loki-“ you huffed.

“Look uh- I’m uh, I’m sorry. For last night.” He blurted out.

“I appreciate the apology, Loki.” You said. “I know we’re under a lot of stress and this case hasn’t made a whole lotta sense, But I want you to know that I’m not the type to say ‘I told you so’. It’s not helpful. To anyone.”

Loki stayed silent for a few moments for fear of feelings gushing out of him like a raging river. She was so nice and understanding and empathetic. He wasn’t used to others acting so kindly towards him.

“I really am sorry, (y/n), yesterday I was so caught up in thinking Bob’s suicide was my fault and that I had royally fucked up our only chance to find the girls.. I thought all hope was lost. When you offered me hope, I just couldn’t believe it.”

“Thank you for sharing, Loki. I know it’s not easy to let others in.” You said, satisfied to get a genuine emotional response from the man.

Loki smirked as he thought to himself.

She said that as if she’s not the reason I’m opening up. I’ve known O’Malley, Rich, and Chemelnski for years and ain’t never opened up to them. I don’t know what’s gotten in to me..well I do actually…it’s her.. her presence is..comforting.

“You should know that It was highly likely that Bob Taylor would have spiraled and become suicidal anyways or would have eventually gained confidence to actually kidnap someone.” You explained, hoping to ease Loki’s burden.

Loki glanced at you once again with an unreadable expression.

“Yesterday Keller Dover told me this was all my fault. That I wasted too much time watching him. It’s not Taylor I feel guilty about. It’s the girls.”

“We’ll find them.” You reassured him.

“You think they’re alive?”

You shrugged your shoulders “we can hope.”

The car pulled to a screeching halt in front of the Dover’s house.

Loki bolted out of the car and around to the back of the house. You not far behind.

Loki then jumped over the chain link fence with ease, and you followed, albeit a bit less graceful than the detective. All the days you spent doing nothing but office work were catching up with you.

You and Loki began to search the area, you looked for footprints, clothing fibers, anything that suggested Bob had been there.

There, in the mud, was your confirmation.

Footprints. You counted yourself lucky that they were still there, it had been wet and rainy the past week so the yard was muddy and slick.

Loki knelt down to the ground under the window, his eyes frantically searching the area.

He was a bit of a mess with strands of hair hanging down around his face and his five o clock shadow peeking through. He was so attractive it was almost unreal.

“Look!” Loki said, crouching down to dig in the bush.

Loki held up Anna Dover’s matching sock with a pen.

Your eyes grew wide. “Well, I’ll be damned.” You said, crouching down next to him.

You were perplexed as how Bob pulled this off without being seen.

“Hell, if Keller Dover was out and about doing God knows what and Grace Dover has been hopped-up on sleeping pills this whole time, he may have been able to slip in undetected.” You stated.

“Yeah.” Loki agreed.

“You got an evidence bag?” He asked.

“Fresh out.” You replied. You prided yourself on being prepared. But that didn’t mean you stashed evidence bags in your pockets.

“Got some in the trunk, also a camera to document the footprints.”

“Got it, I’ll grab them.” You said searching for a gate or break in the fence. Apparently the Dover’s didn’t believe in a gate of sorts, so you had no choice but to hop the fence again.

After retrieving the items from the trunk, you handed them to Loki before jumping back over the fence.

You hoisted yourself over the metal chain link, but the slick leaves and mud got the better of you as your feet were swept out from under you.

But just before you hit the ground, a pair of very strong arms caught you.

“I got you.” Loki spoke softly, bringing you back to a standing position.

“Thanks.” You replied, locking eyes with the detective.

Once again you and Loki found yourselves in very close proximity to one another, his hands were not leaving your body and you certainly were not complaining.

Out of pure instinct, you reached up to brush the fallen strands of hair from David’s eyes.

He immediately grew stiff at your touch, shocked at the sudden intimate gesture.

He took a step back, releasing his grasp on you. Though he instantly regretted it after seeing the look of rejection on your face.

He internally cursed himself…first time someone touched him like that in years and he freaked out.

Stupid

“Uh..” he stuttered, “sorry…I- uh..we should get back. Get a definitive match on these footprints.”

You awkwardly cleared your throat.

“No, yeah, we should.” You agreed, the barely noticeable waiver in your voice was like a punch straight to Loki’s gut.

He wanted to explain..It’s not you, it’s me. It’s my trauma, my past. I’m sorry. I want nothing more than to kiss you right now. But I’m scared.

But he stayed silent. And so did (y/n).

.

Back at the station, Loki was in the forensics lab with Rich comparing the footprints.

“Yeah they’re definitely a match.” Rich said confidently. “It’s the exact same shoe Taylor was wearing when night shift processed the scene in the interrogation room.”

“Alright, thanks”. Loki said and turned to leave.

“You should tell her how you feel.”

Loki stopped in his tracks.

“What?”

“(L/N)..you should tell her.”

Loki always prided himself on being able to hide his feelings, to push them down so far they didn’t show, but apparently he wasn’t as good at it as he thought.

“Wha-how did you know-?”

“Loki, I’ve known you for a long time.” Rich said. “It’s the way you look at her.”

“And how am I looking at her?” Loki hissed, putting his hands on his hips.

“Without the same scowl you have with everyone else.”

Okay maybe Rich was onto something. “But..but she’s going home to DC when the case is over. I-“

“Yeah. That’s exactly that’s why you should do something about it now. Washington DC is not that far from here; couple hours drive at most. She obviously cares about you, and besides…It’s about time you had something more than work in your life.”

Loki walked off without saying anything, too busy pondering the wise words Rich had given him.

Maybe he was right. Loki hadn’t felt this way towards anyone in ages. He had two chances to kiss her and fumbled each one. Keller Dovers’ words about wasting time echoed in his mind. With a sudden surge of confidence, Loki decided right then and there that he was done wasting time.

-

-loki only tags: @spideyrights @sataninsatin @go-commander-kim @severuined @romancries @eclecticfashionbookszipper @fagen @sizzlingcloudmentality @kissyabish

[milfglupshitto]

what actually is malevolent? i see you talk about it a lot but i don’t actually know :o

ah okay! copying from a pitch I sent to someone else: it’s a lovecraft-inspired fictional horror audio drama set in 1930s massachusetts that begins with a man who wakes up with no memories, no vision, and a voice in his head. the show follows him and the voice (which can see out of his eyes) as they try and figure out what is happening and what to do next. I have also pitched it as “what if venom couldn’t do any of that cool shit but got shot/stabbed/mortally wounded just as often”. I really think the premise is such a clever way of utilizing the indescribability of eldritch horror and the audio-only podcast format. being as it is a horror show, I heavily recommend checking both the general and episode-specific content warnings which are available on the website, though I will say as a professional coward that with the help of the full and extensive transcripts I rarely got scared while catching up. the “strong arguments” warning for the show in general is so true btw these bitches fight!!! they’re both losers also never be fooled into thinking that either is cool. being vague in case you decide to listen but it’s very much a story about caring for someone at their worst and finding the strength to stumble on together hand in unloveable hand (LMAO. you may find this funny later) and figuring out how to trust someone before and after you know what they are.

okay now that I’ve put the fucking star wars title crawl of description in your notifications, there’s absolutely no pressure at all to listen to it! but if you do I will tag all further non-vague posts as spoilers (which I already do for posts made about the latest episodes). oh yeah there’s a new ep every month or so usually around 45 minutes long (we’re currently in s4). OH and I don’t remember how I knew this it might be in the episode blurbs or something but it’s just one guy who does all the voices. and also patrons can vote on some of the decisions that the protagonist makes (which is why after some emotionally fraught episodes you may see people saying that democracy was a mistake). both of these things are probably stated somewhere on the site but a friend of mine who started listening recently got to a later season without knowing the patron thing (which really adds to some scenes) so I’m saying it now! I hope this was maybe somewhat helpful and if you have further questions I’m happy to answer them!

[gachagen]

The Horror of falling in love-Heart Devourer Analysis

Spoiler Warning: I do indeed talk about everything that happens in the fic up to and including the most recent chapter, so please don't click if you haven't read the fic yourself. Heart Devourer has very heavy themes of Violence, Cannabilism, Gore, NSFW, heavy blood and much more, so please be mindful and check the tags before you read the story or read the review.

Check the original story out on AO3 by KinoWrites. It's a really good read!

This month I started reading a fic called Heart Devourer by Kino Writes on AO3 and it's my favorite genshin fic I've read this entire year. It's SUCH a good horror story that has a unique and interesting premise, while still tackling both new and old tropes flawlessly. I enjoyed the themes of the story as well as the characterization of the character's chosen for this fic.

So what is Heart Devourer even about? Well here's a quick synopsis:

"Shikanoin Heizou is the lead detective on the case of a string of cannibalistic murders committed by a terrifying killer known as the Shinzo Kuishinbo (Heart Devourer). He has to balance the endless hours he commits to the case, a crush on his roommate Kazuha, and confusing feelings for a new friend named Kuzo. Meanwhile, Kazuha is falling rapidly in love with Kuzo, despite sensing that Kuzo is hiding a dark secret. He struggles with his feelings for this mysterious man, while still harboring feelings for his roommate Heizou. All the while, Kuzo is pulling all the strings, playing them like a pair of puppets in a tragic romance." -Heart Devourer's AO3 summary

One aspect of this fic that I really enjoyed was how it took what is usually a really cute, and fluffy trope (Falling in love at first sight) and twisted it to be something downright horrifying. In books, "love at first sight" is usually played as the most romantic trope you could do, the idea that all two people needed to come together was to set eyes on one another in the first place, it's no wonder it's used so often in stories.

But in Heart Devourer, the horror doesn't just come from the way Kuzo is able to make people fall for him with a single touch or glance, it's his intentions and mind that contrast with his actions that make all of those scenes absolutely nerve wracking. Every scene with Kuzo in it where he makes someone fall for him is played not as a romantic encounter, but like a scene in a slasher film when they come across the killer for the first time. Even in the first chapter, it just feels like a classic horror film rather than the beginning of some cheesy love story:

Another thing that makes it scary is just how fast the falling in love happens for his victims. There's no slow motion view, or rose petals, and there's certainly not time to even process what's happening to the other person until it's too late. The way Kuzo's victims are described when he does this to them sounds as if they've been put under a spell in an instant, or gone crazed.

This was one of my favorite scenes in the fic, mainly because it's the one that best shows Kuzo's ability in action. Before this scene, things were peaceful and even really cute, until the horror of what Kuzo just did sinks in. The whole fic is full of this kind of tension as well, especially later on when Kuzo starts to kill and eat more people near Kazuha and Heizou's home.

Watching two people slowly fall prey to a serial killer as he hides in plain sight is such a surreal thing to read about, and every scene with Kuzo and his two loving boyfriends is super unnerving as the things he says and the things he's thinking never match at all.

His point of view is so different from Kazuha's and Heizou's that I want to break down just how narratively perfect each of their perspectives are.

Kuzo's Perspective is like reading about a monster on a sick hunt every night, he's a sad and sympathetic villain who still does absolutely terrible things to other people. His inability to actually love someone or something in a healthy way just drives him forward to commit more atrocities, and the worst part is that the people he hurts don't even realize they're being literally eaten until they're dead. The pain of having their body bitten at over time and the love they have for Kuzo always contradicts one another and shocks them out of whatever spell he's put on them.

And this is such an interesting way of doing a "love hypnosis/spell" kind of mind power, because instead of making the "love" they feel overpowering to the point where they are practically invincible, all it does is blind people to who Kuzo really is as a person. He has to not only have a constant stranglehold on someone's mind, but also their heart so they don't completely abandon him the moment he actually hurts them.

Kazuha's Perspective shifts from an adorable little meet cute between strangers, to a horror story where he's not sure what but something is wrong with his significant other, to a thriller where he has to somehow defeat a person he can't help but care about. Kazuha is a really likable hero in this story, and one that has a layer of irony to it because he like Kuzo also has a strange ability that he uses to help him understand others better. He's got a vague "connection with the wind that other's don't understand" and he's also deeply empathetic and understanding of other people. Kazuha is Kuzo's foil in this story, and he represents the kind of person Kuzo could've been if not for the tragedy that befell him when he was young. Particularly the scene where Kazuha finally realizes who Kuzo really is and what he's been doing, shows them both conversing internally but completely having separate reactions to the truth.

And in the end when Kazuha fails to beat Kuzo and practically loses everything including his own memories and heart, it's gut wrenching. You spend all of this time with him as he tries desperately to get others to catch onto the truth without directly revealing who the killer truly is, because he knows that if Kuzo is aware of anyone knowing his true intentions he'll kill them, no questions asked.

Heizou's Perspective is like reading an entirely separate book all together because he has no clue about what's really going on. Everyone is keeping him in the dark, he's not aware of what his two partners are up to, and he just wants to try and solve these murder's as fast as possible, but he's also getting too emotionally wrapped up in the perpetrator to see the truth right in front of him. Heizou's point of view is the most interesting to read about to me personally, because we get to see a "real" detective try and track down this killer, not just Kazuha who's not really trained for this. Even though Heizou doesn't have supernatural abilities like his two partners do, he's still a smart and perceptive person who knows when he's being tricked or used even under Kuzo's spell. It's Heizou's ability to deeply connect with others that puts him on par with the both of them, and lets him keep up.

Now I won't spoil what happens to Heizou just because I feel like his story is arguably the most intriguing to read about aside from Kazuha's.

The story is ongoing, but already it's managed to really tackle a lot of heavy themes about love, unhealthy relationships, and how abusers can use "love" to their advantage. The fic is, all together, a really GREAT read and I highly recommend it to everyone.

[iliveforyouilongforyouvesuvia]

ok its me again hi AAAHHHH this is so nice i feel so warm im lying on my bed kickin my lil legs i cant believe this thank you for being nice omgggg now im on a roll im gonna say things about julian hkdhjgdgjf

only one song really that i scanned the whole tag looking for to see if anyone said it before and i was so surprised that i didnt find it and i went to check the official playlists on spotify cause maybe its on there already and thERE ISNT ONE WHAT???? i had the muriel one liked on here and id never checked any other ones out lmao but like i swear there had to be one?? like maybe they made it first and its somewhere separately??? julian is like the most popular one how the hell does he not get a spotify list is that how this tag was created?? *gasp* am i discovering the ~fandom lore~

(just gonna say you dont actually need to answer any of that in detail dont waste your time gksgkydgjf im just screaming into the void cause i was so flabbergasted after those 3 whole minutes of research i put into this)

ANYWAY the actual song would be House of Wolves by our lord and saviour MCR! its so good for him with his whole Woe is Me drama king vibe lol and the plaguey thematicssss mmmm delicious TELL ME im a BAD BAD BAD BAAD MAAAAN aight you lil masochist i see u and the "you better run like the devil cause they never gonna leave you alone" you get it caUSE HES A FUGITIVE DO YOU GET THE DEEP UNRAVELABLE METAPHORS DO YOU GET IT DO YOU G aight shut up hkhfjtdy anyway

ok i lied jystfhte heres another one i just remembered i really wanted to put here its not new but just in case somebody hasnt seen it yet lmao its such a masterpiece ill do anything to give it its due here ya go

https://youtu.be/61HltPN_k3g

and the other thing im really glad to have seen people mention here is musical songs cause thats one of the things i love about him the most like yass we love a thespian king slay grl so then anytime im binging a musical there always come the intrusive thoughts of "aw hed love this one" and "oh hed be great for this role" like i went to see f-ing swan lake with my f-ing grandpa and one of the major takeaways i got from the experience was (UH IM GONNA PUT A SPOILER WARNING HERE? I GUESS? IN CASE ANYONE CARES HELLO JULIAN BAD ENDING SPOILERS AHEAD DO MOVE ALONG NOW IF YOU DONT LIKE THAT AVERT YOUR GAZE CITIZENS LMAO LIKE YOU HAVENT SEEN FANARTS N ADS ALREADY ALRIGHT ALRIGHT) "omg jules would be so perfect as that bird guy villain IN HIS BIRD GUY SHAPE TOO OMG WITH THE WINGS ON STAGE THIS IS AWESOME WHY CANT I DRAW GOOD GODDA-"

anyway hed love hadestown (hed at least try to cast muriel as hades cause hes perfectly intimidating for it but theres way too many lines which okay Maybe but AND he has to sing???? nah hes out bkgdhkdt) i dont know what hed think of pierre natasha & the great comet cause its maybe a little eccentric i suppose but i think hed appreciate the cultural roots of the vibe with him being fantasy ruso-slav-ukrainian-whatnot heritage i reckon and hed definitely have a blast at a live performance and hed ABsolutely join in with the actors in between the rows at some point and theyd ABSOlutely let him cause hes that good and game recognize game cmon hes gonna show you amateurs what a real kazotski looks like

i can also see him enjoying sweeney todd, for its delightful edgyness, maybe even some themes relatable for him, and his sappy ass would SO memorise Pretty women to whip it out at an opportune serenading moment khgdturshc im so cringe and loving it

well i cant think of any more shows to throw him together with so thus ends my soliloquy wow i cant believe thats how you spell that anyway i hope anybody who knew what the hell im talking about enjoyed all that jgfztits see you in another 20 minutes when i come back like "AND ANOTHER thing-

Yay, it's the character song essays anon!! :D

I'm glad to see you back, and I will once again be re-linking the song you shared below and adding your suggestions to the tag ^.^

And frankly, I'm 76% certain that one of Julian's love languages is theatre, especially musical theatre. That could be tickets, that could memorizing the lines from one of this favorite scenes and reciting it back to him, it could be showing up to every single performance he's involved in :)

I'm glad to see you back in my inbox, friend, feel free to message me if you ever want to obsess over the characters together! Cheers -

brainrot

[trekkie-polls]

About

Hello! This is a new blog. I’m still figuring out the details.

I’ve been a star trek fan my whole life - it started with getting in trouble in kindergarten for staying up to watch late night tos reruns, and I watched all of tos, ds9, and voy as they aired. I tried ent when it first aired and didn’t care for it. Later as part of a project to watch all episodes in in-world chronology, I did watch all of ent. Still didn’t care for it. But it is trek. I watch all new trek, and for the most part I love it (pauses to side-eye Picard season three), but don’t have the same knowledge base with it because I haven’t rewatched it as many times. I’ve seen all of the movies but I honestly just tend to forget them when I’m thinking about what’s happened in cannon. I think they live in a separate part of my brain? I haven’t read the books or comics yet but I do spend a lot of time on Memory Beta.

Right now I’m rewatching lower decks & tos and that’s what I have on my mind.

Anyway, this is all to say that I plan to be inclusive with all star trek media on this blog, but not everything will get equal attention. There are just some things I know more about or am more interested in.

In particular, there are a limited number of options in tumblr polls, and there is a lot of star trek media out there. I make sure to put “other in tags”, or combine titles in a choice, in cases where every item can’t have its own little box. Yes sometimes my personal opinions influence how I break that up, and that’s ok, because this is something I do in my free time for fun.

You are very welcome to submit polls & posts. If you do, and I repost them, I’ll credit you unless you prefer to stay anonymous. Btw - this is how you can get more content around your favorite series if you’re not seeing as much as you’d like.

Right now I don’t have any rules about submissions. It’s possible I won’t post something that’s clearly prejudiced, malicious etc… but I haven’t figured out exactly where I draw that line yet. I don’t plan to gatekeep what is and isn’t trek. I have personal opinions about what I enjoy and what I don’t enjoy, but star trek belongs to everyone and it’s illogical to try to draw lines around what is “legitimate” trek for everyone.

I haven’t really figured out what to say about trigger warnings, spoilers, and nsfw. I don’t plan for this to be especially nsfw, but I do plan to cuss and touch on adult concepts sometimes (I mean how can we not talk about the many forehead vaginas). I also plan to add content/ trigger warnings that are obvious to me but I’m far from an expert about what the most important ones to include are. And finally spoilers are hard because most star trek media has been around forever and the fandom is here to talk about what happened in it, but some is brand new and it can be hard to stay completely caught up, and even the oldest series are new to someone. So I’m making an effort to consider triggering content, spoilers, and nsfw but can’t responsibly make promises on any of them.

And last but not least, I’m happy to block people who call me names. I’m here on my free time for fun.

Tldr:

This blog will be a mixture of:

Polls I make

Other star trek posts I find interesting

Polls & posts you submit

If I see a star trek poll I find interesting I may write the author and ask for permission to reblog here

This blog will not:

Gatekeep what is & isn’t star trek

Be completely impartial to my interest

Be completely sfw or spoiler free, or include all important trigger & content warnings

P.S. I’m in this for the tags. I absolutely love reading through everyone’s theories, favorites, stories, etc…. So if you want to tip this blog please do it by adding your star trek thoughts :)

[apocalypticavolition]

Let's (re)Read The Eye of the World! Chapter 44: The Dark Along the Ways

Spoiler warning: The first paragraph of this post contains spoiler warnings. Particular spoilers warned of include those for the entirety of The Wheel of Time series, not merely the first book. The most efficient way to avoid spoiler warnings is to block the spoiler tags below, but of course the constant influx of new users and fans means that every single post must have a warning regardless just in case. Very silly. In an ideal world my posts would only be visible in order.

Anyway, our chapter opens with the icon of the leaves on the vine. As the Waygates are super associated with the Ogier, generally whenever they're relevant we're going to get this icon.

“We don’t go running about in the dark in the stedding. I’m an Ogier, not a cat.” Rand had a sudden image of Loial’s tufted ears twitching irritably.

Content warning: Loial is far too adorable for human minds to comprehend.

“Perrin’s making me nervous,” he muttered. Rand looked at him sharply. “Well, he’s acting strange. Don’t you see it, too? I swear it’s not my imagination, or . . . or. . . .”

Ah yes, the awkward, "I know I'm magically compelled to be hateful and paranoid but I think I'm objectively right in this instance," moment. Luckily for Mat, Rand is actually pretty reasonable about this.

“Remember, good innkeeper, if you fear any trouble from this, write to Sheriam Sedai, of the Blue Ajah, in Tar Valon, and she will help. I fear my sisters and I have a good deal to put right already for those who have helped me.”

Meanwhile Sheriam is laughing at every letter that mentions Moiraine and either tossing them into the fire or sometimes rolling them up to whack stupid but not especially disobedient novices upside the head with. It really says a lot about how corrupted the White Tower was that even Moiraine can't manage to pick all her allies effectively.

The panniers bulged with supplies for the journey, most of it clay jars filled with oil. A bundle of poles was lashed lengthwise down the horse’s back, and each had a lantern swinging at the end of it. In the Ways, Loial said, it was darker than the darkest night.

The Ways in fact have that exciting trope of "darkness that literally swallows light", which is hopefully just the taint and not some warning that the local space-time continuum is slowly coming undone. That would be bad for anyone who gets caught in it in the Fourth Age or so.

Loial appeared to be following the most direct path to the Waygate, wherever it took them. Sometimes they trotted down broad avenues, empty save for an occasional dog skulking in the dark. Sometimes they hurried along alleys as narrow as the stable run, where things squished under an unwary step.

Just Robert Jordan predicting the awkward paths of people following minimaps and indicators in 3D open world games ages before they became a thing.

Moiraine studied the lock intently for a moment. Suddenly she gave the rusty iron a tap with her staff, and the lock fell open neatly.

I'm sure that there's just a generic "open lock" weave that Moiraine used here, but I like the implication that perhaps Moiraine is super familiar with most kinds of locks so that she knows how to get the various tumblers and bars in place depending on the make. That's totally a weave that twenty years hunting for a kid would get you.

The Ogier was angry, Rand realized with a shock. “Once trees stood here. Every kind of tree that would grow in this place, every kind of tree that Ogier could coax to grow here. The Great Trees, a hundred spans high. Shade of branch, and cool breezes to catch the smell of leaf and flower and hold the memory of the peace of the stedding. All that, murdered for this!”

Loial, we both know you're perfect and are never wrong ever, but have you considered the possibility that maybe at some point in the last three thousand years a fire broke out that the people here couldn't contain, or that the groves weren't able to sustain themselves over such a long period? Trees can get fucked by weather or plague too you know! Not saying it wasn't asshole people necessarily but it does seem premature to get yourself worked up about it.

“Avendesora,” Moiraine murmured, resting her hand on a trefoil leaf in the stonework. Rand scanned the carving; that was the only leaf of its kind he could find. “The leaf of the Tree of Life is the key,” the Aes Sedai said, and the leaf came away in her hand.

A nice bit of information loss here: we know that Avendesora wasn't one of a kind back in the day, and there's little reason to think that the Aes Sedai who made the Ways knew of it in particular. They modeled the Waygate keys after chora trees as a general concept.

Lan went past her, leading Mandarb, poled lantern in hand. His shadowy reflection approached him, leading a shadowy horse. Man and reflection seemed to step into each other at the shimmering surface, and both were gone. For a moment the black stallion balked, an apparently continuous rein connecting him to the dim shape of his own image. The rein tightened, and the warhorse, too, vanished.

You really have to give the male Aes Sedai props for managing to create something that is entirely out of a horror story even before getting into the decay.

“You could walk all the way around it, and you would not see a thing from the other side. I would not advise it, though. The books aren’t very clear about what lies behind the Waygates. I think you could become lost there, and never find your way out.”

"We Ogier used to understand, but a few generations back we ran out of particle physicists because no one wanted to practice a science they couldn't actually do any work in. From what little we can still parse from their notes, there was a high chance of... becoming noodles? But don't worry. Our walking around on the inside surface of an 'event horizon' should be completely safe otherwise! Events are fun! We're pretty sure all that stuff about getting crabs inside you was a myth because that doesn't make any sense."

Finally only Moiraine was left in the cellar, dimly lit by the lantern she had taken. The Aes Sedai still moved in that dreamlike way. Her hand crept as it found the leaf of Avendesora. It was located lower in the stonework on this side, Rand saw, just where she had placed it on the other. Plucking it free, she put it back in the original position.

And just like that, Moiraine doomed Caemyln to fall. It really is a shame she didn't have the usual ruthless drive at this point (she's very tired and who can blame her). If she'd been in Taren Ferry mode, she would have had Loial tell her how to destroy Waygates here and now.

The bubble of light around them could as well have been a cave surrounded by stone, completely surrounded, with no way out. The horses might have been walking a treadmill for the change around them.

The singular path here compared to the more open design of the Ways proper may well reflect this Waygate's late addition to the system: awkwardly patched in rather than part of the original design of Islands of the male Aes Sedai who connected steddings.

After an interminable climb, curving continuously, the ramp let off onto another Island just like the one where it had begun. Rand tried to imagine the curve of the ramp and gave up. This Island can’t be right on top of the other one. It can’t be.

Frankly, that's a much less upsetting outcome than the possibility of tracing Islands around in such a way that you should have ended up exactly where you started but didn't.

I suspect that the Ways is one of those exciting physics things wherein you can use a two-dimensional surface to emulate a three-dimensional space, so I also suspect that if you tried to extend a ladder down from the upper island you might not ever find the one you started below.

The Ways were almost boring. Then the silence was broken by a startled grunt from Loial. Rand stood in his stirrups to peer past the Ogier, and swallowed hard at what he saw. They were in the middle of a bridge, and only a few feet ahead of Loial the bridge ended in a jagged gap.

I hope that we're all in agreement that this particular catastrophe is entirely Rand's fault. If he just hadn't gotten bored right there, they would never have had these troubles.

As for this reread, I'm afraid each chapter break is a jagged gap in our attempts, so I'll be stopping here. Next time: the Ways get increasingly horrible.