#so i can do my all caps emotional i love you post at the new year 🎊

[hotgirlcoded]

happy new year's eve everyone! 🥳🫶🏽 (or happy new years for those already in the future) i love you all (i'm so serious) and thank you for sticking around for another whole year (despite whatever the hell is going on with this lil blog) 💖 very grateful to have all of you in my life (even if we've barely spoken or never spoken to each other, i see you 😘), and thank you for adding a little enrichment in my enclosure. glad to be holding hands with all of you and walking into 2024 together 🤝🫡🎇🎆🎊🍾🥂🪩🎈

[brittlebutch]

it's actually so fascinating to me that Brennan has created a character that maintains a pretty relaxed and mild-mannered demeanor and has said multiple times that the absolute Core of her is "FEAR" and how often we see this Fear manifest specifically in Avoidance; it really nails a relationship to that mentality where your brain fully Stops recognizing the emotion properly out of like, sheer self-defense from the stress of having to carry it all the time

I think this is also perfectly showcased in the way we tend to see Tula swing so suddenly from 'level and steady' to 'snarling Panic' and then back again - Just because your brain has detached itself from the Conscious Recognition of the emotion doesn't mean it can Actually stop itself from experiencing it. So the Fear is always there and always acting as a stressor, but because of that inability to Identify it there's no way to recognize or address it before that final straw hits and your bodymind jumps Straight into Full Meltdown Mode; but then once again, once you drop even a Little bit below that Peak Terror your brain ceases to process the emotion; it's like the most exhausting form of Poor Object Permanence in the world

And even if Tula is aware of this happening to her, that doesn't really make it any easier to deal with / address. Even if you're able to spot the symptoms Around the emotion -- chest pain, irritation, nausea, whatever -- because the Emotion Itself is basically impossible to find, you can't really Successfully Pin Down what the problem is OR a way to cope with it. If you can't figure out That You Are Anxious, then figuring out What Is Making You Anxious is impossible, which makes Find A Way To Make Peace With That incomprehensible. That's where the Avoidance comes in: you can no longer identify what might be a Dangerous Situation, which means that Anything New has a big potential to be Really Bad in a variety of ways (ranging "I don't Feel Good" to "Fully Lashing Out bc you've entered Fight/Flight and can't get out of it" to "Actual Outside Danger This Time") and that means the Only Way you know how to be Safe is to just Avoid Doing Anything New and Only stick to Familiar Situations, because anything unfamiliar is a monster of a gamble you don't know how to prepare for or cope with

[saturnbellfromhell]

ASTRO OBSERVATIONS

On today's astrology post I will list my favorite placements, signs and aspects. Now, there are many of them so I'll make a part two next week if this this one is liked by all of you. Hope you enjoy!

🟤 Jupiter in the 1st House

This placement is like finding a pearl in the ocean. These natives ooze positivity, truthfulness and cuteness. Their desire to make others feel content and loved is something I admire about them. They are the wise and thoughtful one of the group and they truly deserve the biggest hug anyone can give.

🟤 Mercury in the 9th house

The dictionary on two legs. These people are so interesting to befriend. They always have new knowledge to spread and are interested in anything from novels, essays, poetry, encyclopedias...they are hungry to learn and spread their knowledge. They also love learning other languages and others traditions. Very open to talk about anything and everything.

🟤 Cancer Moon

I've already wrote about this placement in my Moon saga, but it definitely needs another reminder. The softness, loyalty and nurture these people have is healing, physically and emotionally. They will do anything to make you feel comfortable and safe, always help you with anything you need and never back down from you even if the whole world is against you.

🟤 Lilith in the 1st house

They're just the definition of sexiness. You can spot them from a mile away and the moment you touch them you can really feel this raw energy they give.

🟤 Sun in 8th house

Having such a personal sign in one of the darkest houses can be quite a storm to overcome. Nevertheless these people are so brave and utterly beautiful from the inside. They hold their pain away from the world with a hard shell of humor and sarcasm. This placement is the one which inspires many. They deserve recognition and to be taken care of.

🟤 Mercury in Pisces

They just know how to explain everything in your manner, being that you're a child, teenager or grown adult they are so patient and talented for it. Never wanting to fight, always thinking before speaking and truly an emotional fairy of words.

🟤 Moon in the 12th house

These natives feel everything and anything. They always know how to make your day better of what to get you for your birthday. With a collective sense of emotion and the willingness to constantly heal, these are the witches of the zodiac. The one's always seeking the darkest parts of others and seeing beauty in it.

🟤 Scorpio Rising

They have such a captivating appearance with their fierce look and everylasting eyelashes. They seem scary and creepy to some, but I beg to differ.

🟤 Scorpio Sun

Even though people love to hate Scorpio sun's, I absolutely adore them. I mean I am a Cap, so dark humor, making fun of others, the cold shoulder and sarcasm are nothing new to me. They are very loyal individuals, that's a fact, even though I've never dated one...but the friends I had as Scorpios are amazing people to have around.

🟤Sun trine Moon

What can I say, the harmonius aspect between the ego and the heart. These individuals are the calm one's who always have a wise answer for everything. Down to earth and an amazing support system.

🟤 Pluto in the 9th house

These individuals cam experience some rocky times in school and/or college, but after some ups and downs they are such interesting individuals. I've also met alot with this placement who love anything crime related especially serial killers and looking into their demonior and motives. They are the curious cats and are highly intelligent. Absolutely oppressed with these people.

🟤 Leo Venus

Even though they're not for me, being a earth Venus they are the one's that love showing their partner off and put them on a pedestal. They make you feel like a Hollywood star and being out the red carpet out every other day. They are the one's to spoil the hell out of you.

🟤 Neptune in the 11th house

Having this placement myself I know the struggle of always believing others and getting hurt by their selfishness. You always feel like your peoples second even though ypu try your best. So all my Neptune 11th hoursers, you're not alone. Love you alot!

Xoxo Numa

[purrpletiger]

FRESH DRAWING GUIDE:

Hello everybody, I've come to give you all this absurd reference guide for drawing Fresh. yep. I decided to spend hours slapping this together.

If I got anything wrong or should add anything PLEEEASE lemme know! All ideas welcome!

If you want to see my "research" on this character, let me know in the replies, because there's so much to talk about with him and I'd love to do a character analysis or two, I couldn't put much about his personality or source posts in this because it's just a drawing guide!

Link to all the full images

Transcript and close-ups of the text on the image: (May be in a strange order)

Fresh was created by @loverofpiggies (CQ)

Main Outfit:

YOLO sunglasses

Backwards propeller cap

Pink Polo shirt

Crayola Jacket

Gold Tooth

SWAG fannypack

Convertible Zip-off pants

White Heelie shoes

Pink socks

He has thick eyebrows to emote! (The eyebrows are usually depicted with black hair but one human design has eyebrows that match the pink hair color!)

The bag says SWAG on it

His glasses say YOLO by default, but the letters can magically change mid-scene...

this design for Fresh is Tall, we dunno how tall but taller than CQ's Sans characters (or just Geno since he's literally sans undertale with some added steps). But his height is just his host's height sooo it can vary.

those (cyan and yellow) shoe details are on the innerside but not outerside

HE HAS HEELIES!

Pink glove cuffs!

his skateboard is inconsistent dont worry about it

Glasses Off:

The host's soul shows up in their left eyesocket

- The soul tends to look unstable (cracks & a sortve stroboscopic effect.. i couldn't think of a better word.) but not in some cases...

It doesn't have to be a white upside-down heart, that's just a reference to an undertale monster soul.

He has a purple substance full of little RADs that emanate from his eyesockets (when his sunglasses are off)

"The soul in Fresh's eyes CAN be cracked. That soul isn't his. it belongs to his host. And.... after a while.... things go bad for the host, and he needs a new one." -CQ

(example of soul with unstable effect with no cracks) (example of soul with cracks but lacking the effect)

The purple aura(?) can glow and emanate from the eyes when his glasses are on too

i miss this one design specifically. the colors and the SK8 OR B SK8 shirt were peak

I miss the SWAG necklace...

Fresh leaves a rainbow cloud of smoke when he "poofs". Either teleporting him and his host body somewhere or leaving his host behind.

Human Designs:

Fresh can possess humans too.

They all look physically different because they're different people that he's possessing.

Fresh can possess pretty much any body, but I thought I'd show the varied examples of humans anyway

Don't forget the orange jacket flaps! or his hat propeller!

I dunno what's up with the multicolor tongue thing. I think it was extra parasites in the host's mouth? I feel like it was scrapped at some point... but I could be wrong

FURBIES!:

Oh yeah, he also does this: (no image for the bat tho)

"I mean when he fights he pulls Furbies out of his magical fanny pack. takes out a wiffle bat. and hits the furby at his enemies.

And then the furby explodes in a blaze of glory." -CQ

Despite using some furbies as explosives, he seems to 'care' about and treat these two like precious babies:

This one is potentially named McFreshby The Fresh Furbrah (Fresh is mentioned to have one named that, and this is the only other furby he's been depicted with)

It can also do THIS: (roll its eyes back into a spookier look)

This is DJ FurBs. that's all i know about him

The REAL Parasite:

Fresh is actually this little parasite controlling a host body. (if you didn't know that why are you reading this post rn!?! but nah I love new Fresh fans, welcome!)

The main parasite is this purple one with the eyemouth and four(?) tendrils, the other colored tentacles are prrrobably Fresh's offspring (freshmageddon moment?) (I'm not actually sure, I'm just pretty sure they're not part of the main parasite but are parasite tentacles)

You can also see Fresh's five or more purple tendrils here stretching out all over his host's body

All art from CrayonQueen/@loverofpiggies

Reference guide made by PurrpleParrasite/@purrpletiger

pls suggest changes or additions if u have ideas!

That's all!

[godsstrongestangel]

ASTRO NOTES - 1

These are notes not observations because yes these are factz onlii 🗿 Take it with a pinch of salt

⚠️TW- sensitive, my cry soft babies 🥺 this is not for u honey just take my virtual hug 🫂 and take care of urself 💗

Capricorn moons are a disgrace to Capricorn community it is because of them the "capricorn sun" is stereotyped as judgemental and close minded for being so rigid when in reality it is true for moons onli the cap suns are the sweetest and most open minded people ever infact they are observational and not judgemental which indicates a higher level of intelligence unlike the cap moons (we get it its in detriment and you got a ton loads of mommy issue but baby whos gonna heal them? 🤡forget being the joker now, past is over)

Same way libra suns are petty and pathetic esp with their manipulative as well as people pleasing behaviors they are disgrace to libra community its other libra placements that represents true beauty and not shallowness or over rationalisation

I have to break it up to you but aquarius venus does not move on that easily infact many times it fails to move on they are just good at hiding it wanna know why? Because it is ruled by saturn daddy that means it is disciplined, determined and focused AND NO THEY ARE NOT CHEATERSSSS!!! Also being ruled by uranus means they will keep on bringing new changes (cant say for good or bad whoops!! ) in the relationship because it is a visionary sign they are probably daydreaming about marriage 🥺🥺 and yall are here throwin misiformation😒💀 PLUS ITSSS A FIXED SIGN WHAT YOU EXPECT FROM A FIXED SIGN SOCIETY?? TO MOVE ON IN THE SNAP OF A FINGER LIKE THANOSSSS BRO??

Now speaking of fixed venuses (aquarius, taurus, scorpio and leo) all of these fixed venus people at least have one lover they can never move on from they might feel they have moved on then suddenly the memories resurface 🏄🏻‍♀️🏄🏻‍♀️ you thought it was over huh?🤺🤺

Whats up with SCORPIO placements having a love for dogs and having a dog pet at least once in their life (esp moon) and then scorpio suns usually hating cats? 🗿 is it because they are willful and wont be manipulated by u? I suggest u seek some psychopath diagnosis this is some serious underdeveloped energy SIS/BRO IT IS UNHEALTHY

Aries and Scorpio mars would love the idea of tearing your clothes while making out or making love 😏💗🥵

Libra moons with air rising should actually consider polyamory

All libra moons are true romantics or should i say hopeless romantics

Cancer suns are pathological liars Its not Gemini yall need to stop giving them fake rep of lying

Leos suns talk a lot and they do not mix well with earth suns even if they try to earth sun will eventually find themselves pissed and drained bcuz of how much they speak and boast they are constantly speaking 😂 (gives headaches in worst case scenario)

Virgo sun and risings really do a lot of stuff and chores despite having phone addiction and even if they are not good in academic or dislike what they are studying they will still be seen suffering with books and notebooks

Venusians suns with leo moon are pretty miserable they are pessimistic and overthinkers it feels like they dont have touch with their emotions at all because they are constantly rationalising emotions to the point they are repulsive to deep feelers and feels almost inhumane 😬like you would not like forming deep connections with them because you will realise they lack emotional capabilities to connect with they sometimes can even make you loathe them or very annoyed its like you are dealing with someone who doesnt make sense at all as if their brain is underdeveloped or something you just dont wanna deal with them

Scorpio placements are not loyal

Sagittarius placements and doms laugh a lot 😂

All capricorn suns and virgo risings are skinny or petite

Aquarius suns do love posting on social media a lot and they do care about ur instagram 💀

Air venus can easily stay loyal with online relationships infact they are all loyal idk where the stereotypes are stemming from

[sgiandubh]

This is not a political post

One more time, in caps and bold: THIS IS NOT A POLITICAL POST. But if I can, as a diplomat and a historian, bring some extra context and try and understand what happened today in S's world, so be it. Enough said about me.

I am fumbling with a ton of thoughts since this morning, when this link was shared with me by one of the closest people in my platoon:

In a nutshell: S signed that (in)famous letter, an initiative of APUK (Artists for Palestine UK), a network that's been operating since 2015. You can read it in full if you open the link and I suggest you do. You will soon find out that the letter, while correctly pointing out the atrocious gesture of bombing a civilian hospital in Gaza, asked the world's governments to 'end their military and political support for Israel’s actions'. Nowhere in that letter did the word Hamas appear, which would immediately point out as supporting what is a terrorist movement that is, alas, also part and parcel of the Palestinian government, under Mahmoud Abbas's weak, irrelevant aegis. The man is an old PLO/Fatah crone: fishy, ineffective and fairly corrupted. His position on the Holocaust is, to be elegant, a study in ambiguity. Enough said.

It is pointless and absurd to try and explain the whole situation in detail. I would have to go back at least to the Balfour Declaration (1919) or the no less infamous end of the British/LoN/UN Palestine Mandate (1948), if I wanted to simply scratch the surface of a subject that is everywhere these days. With an intensity of absolutely legitimate emotions that can simply not be measured by any counter on this planet, as we speak.

But the facts are here, and naïve S had no damn idea: 500 civilians were killed, Tuesday night, in the bombing of the al-Ahli Baptist/Arab Hospital in Gaza City. Hullaballoo ensued on a cataclysmic scale: first, Hananya Naftali, a digital aide to Benjamin Netanyahu recklessly wrote on X that the "Israeli army [Tsahal] bombed a Hamas terrorist base inside a hospital in Gaza". Then erased the tweet. Several video collages released by the Tsahal, the first of which was heavily contested by a NYT journalist (and former Bellingcat researcher) Aric Toler, point out towards the PIJ (Palestinian Islamic Jihad)'s forces being responsible for the strike.

These quotes from an Al Jazeera paper sum up the ensuing scandal better than I ever could - selected by me, but you can and probably should read it all (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/10/18/what-is-israels-narrative-on-the-gaza-hospital-explosion):

No craters mean no airstrike and most probably a rocket failure. The uneasiness remained, that being said, at the highest level. And the planned US-Egypt-Jordan- Palestine talks hosted by Amman were abruptly called off hours before Biden landed in Tel Aviv.

To cut the story short: the letter is right to point out that you just don't bomb hospitals when you are at war, as per the terms of the Fourth 1949 Geneva Convention, dealing with the protection of civilians in times of war. Both Israel (signed in 1949/ratified in 1951) and Palestine (2014) are, as parties and signatories, legally bound by it, in the eyes of International Law. The only problem with it is that it purposefully omits to put things into context (whodunnit) and forgets the cynical truth: Hamas keeps hundreds of innocent Israelis and two millions of innocent Gaza civilians as its hostages.

Article 18 is at the core of the matter:

The last thing S should have done is to sign that fucking treacherous letter, without getting a second (third, fourth...) opinion.

S is a good man, we all know and love this about him. He is also one of the most naïve people I have ever seen in this lifetime. This is why his final reaction really, really moved this cynic, here:

I am taking this home and keep it. It deeply moved me (yes, me):

" I don't know nearly enough and trying to educate myself on the conflicts in the Middle East. I feel helpless and wish I could help in some way.'

I am sure 'someone nice' called and 'nicely asked", maybe even offered some scarce and biased details, to prompt an impulse signature. I am also sure S didn't read the letter himself. There is no harm saying you were wrong. He did it with dignity and grace - no, it was not easy.

This is a man of worth speaking. Bravo!

But for the love of all that's holy, Sir: don't you ever step into this kind of shit again. These things are far more complex than you could ever fathom and it's a very cynical world out there. Leave it to us, we are handsomely paid for it by our governments. I hear you and I am completely supporting this more than welcome withdrawal. It's not worth much, for sure. But it is an honest POV.

Also, John 8:7:

So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.

Kindly refrain from politics in your comments. Let's not drag trash where it should not be, ever. Thank you all.

[washy0uaway]

Kiss City Pt. 2

Pairing: Frankie Morales x f!Reader Chapter Summary: Frankie comes to your rescue, obvs. Series Summary: You weren't expecting to sleep through your alarms the morning of a massive work presentation. You also weren't expecting to get rear-ended on your drive into the office. You definitely weren't planning on spilling your coffee all over your new blouse. But the thing you expected least on what you swore was a day set out to be cursed by the universe, was Frankie. A/N: Thank you for the love on Part 1, seriously!!! I’ve been slammed with work but am hoping to have more free time the coming weeks, no set post schedule at the moment. Warnings: eventual 18+ / MDNI!!! car crash, fainting, blood. Series Masterlist | Part 1 Here!

————————————————

You don’t know it, but Frankie’s at your side in an instant. It takes a baseball style slide on concrete, but the quickly bleeding scrape up his forearm and onto his elbow is the least of his worries. His large palm cradled the back of your head just before it hit the concrete - cutting it so close his knuckles are scraped now, too.

You’re not knocked out for long, but it feels like an eternity as Frankie goes into a mindset that he hasn’t found himself in for over a year. Void of emotion, he’s in military mode. He’s checked your pulse and breathing, calling your name when your eyes begin to flutter open.

Your eyes lock, and the concern paints wrinkles on his forehead.

“You never told me if your kid was okay,” you finally speak just above a whisper.

“…what?” The look of concern now changing to confusion.

“You said you were reaching for your phone - something about your kid’s daycare.”

“I -…. my daughter, she’s fine. But Jesus, that’s what you’re worried about right now?”

Though you’re still not completely lucid, you can’t help but somehow be hyper aware of Frankie’s hands are holding you. His right still wrapped around the base of your neck, fingers splaying in your hair. His left hand first grabbed your hip, and has since wrapped around the small of your waist, propping you upwards as you start to come to. His grip is strong (like nothing in the world could make him drop you), yet you still feel delicate in his grasp.

Still locked eyes and Frankie’s heavy breathing are interrupted by the two rent-a-cop’s stationed in your downtown office building. After having picked up on the commotion on the sidewalk, they rushed out and recognized you immediately.

“She hit her head this morning. Must’ve been pretty hard, cause she just passed out for a moment,” Frankie explains to the guards, his glance only leaving you for a second to acknowledge them.

“If these fine gentleman have a seat and water ready for you, and I carry you, think we can get you inside?” His asks, eyes now locked on you.

“You don’t need to carry me, Frankie. I can walk.”

The hand on your waist moves to wrap under your knees and he’s scooped you up bridal style before you can protest further.

Your arms are naturally reaching around his neck when he leans his head down. Gaze now trained on the guards opening the door for him (and you), he says something just loud enough for you to hear.

“Maybe I want to.”

The moment is fleeting as he sets you down in a lobby chair, crouching before reaching to the guard behind him who hands him a bottle of water. That gaze. Those eyes. Back on you.

He unscrews the cap of the water before handing it to you, instructing you to take small sips. You think you’d do anything he says, as long as he’s using that voice - low and calming.

“Do you know what day of the week it is? Where you are? Who I am? Who the president is?”

The questions baffle you for a moment, before you realize why hes asking. You answer each question correctly and he sighs.

“Good, okay, just had to make sure I hadn’t really knocked a screw loose this morning.”

You see the eyes of the guards behind him widen and chuckle, bringing Frankie more relief. “He didn’t hit me,” you begin to explain. “We’ll, he did. But with his car. Wait, no..” your voice trails off while Frankie is now the one chuckling. “It was an accident. I hit her car, with mine, and she hit her head in the process.”

As you’re setting your water down on the side table, he’s reaching for his back pocket, pulling your phone out. “You left it in my truck. Good thing too, or maybe I wouldn’t have been there to catch you.”

Shy again, you mumble a “thank you, by the way,” glancing at your fidgeting fingers in your lap. He places one hand on your two, his large enough to fill in the grasp of both your hands. His skin is tough but warm. “Don’t mention it,” he glances up from beneath his cap, now kneeling in front of you. His free hand has illuminated the flashlight on your phone and he explains he wants to make sure your pupils are dilating properly.

“Don’t look at the light. Look right at me.”

Please, as if you needed an excuse. The world melts away and for a moment, it’s just you and Frankie.

“You really should get checked out,” he pleads, his voice instantly bringing you back to reality. You’re still holding onto his hand as he turns off the flashlight and lowers your phone as it joins the bottle on the table.

“Haven’t you done that? Checked me out?” The words leave your mouth before you can even register the implied double meaning.

Frankie grins - the most genuine you’ve seen all day, and you swear he blushes.

“I mean, yeah I guess I have,” and there’s no doubt, he is definitely blushing, hand still in yours. “But I mean medically. By a professional. It’s my fault, I’ll foot the bill.”

“That seemed pretty professional to me. Where’d you learn all that stuff?”

“Military,” he shrugs, offering no further details. Wringing the back of his neck again, definitely something he does when he’s anxious, your thoughts confirm.

“Oh my god, Frankie you’re BLEEDING!” The realization when you see blood dripping down his arm has you fully snapped back to reality.

“Oh that? I’m fine, just a scratch. You gonna be okay here for a few if I go track down a first aid kit and clean up a bit?” He’s almost annoyingly calm about the situation, not caring in the slightest.

“There should be one at the front desk, I can help you-“

“Not a chance,” he interrupts. “I’ll be back in 5.”

Frankie’s been in the bathroom for a few minutes when your coworker Liz and boss David step out of the elevator.

“Oh my god are you okay?!” Liz rushes up to you, “They called us from the desk and said you’d passed out. How did you get to the office? How are you feeling? Was it the fucking asshole that hit your car?! This is his fault!”

Impeccable timing, Frankie has. Appearing over Liz’s shoulder and lifting his hat to run his fingers through his hair. His right forearm is now sporting a gauze bandage.

“That would be me. I’m the fucking asshole, and yes, it is my fault.”

Her mouth is open and ready to unleash her protective wrath, but the words don’t come when she turns to look at him. And sees how he’s looking at you - like schoolboy with a crush.

“Liz, this is Frankie. Yes, he hit my car. But he also got it to a shop, brought me to work, and kept me from splitting my head open on the sidewalk. Oh my god, I forgot your iced tea - I had just stopped at Starbucks and-“

“Girl, what?!” She exclaims. “You’re thinking about my Starbucks order? You should be thinking about seeing a doctor, babe. Make sure you’re okay.”

“Told you,” Frankie chimes in from behind her.

“Really, I’m fine. I promise.”

David, your boss, finally joins the conversation when he tells you that if you aren’t going to be seen by a doctor, you should at least take the rest of the day off - tomorrow, too he insists.

“Fine.” You concede with a sigh. You really probably needed a few days off, having been working too much lately. “It could be good to rest.”

“Woah, hey, actually…you might not want to rest too hard,” Frankie intervenes, and everyone turns to look at him.

“He’s right,” Liz agrees. “You’re not supposed to sleep too much if you’re concussed.”

As if on cue, the exhaustion hits you, “Well, that’s too bad because I feel like I could use a nap.”

“You can sleep for a bit, but someone should be there to keep an eye on you. Check on you every few hours,” Frankie explains.

“Can you have someone come over? Dave and I will be tied up here holding down the fort in your absence.” Liz is worried, but you’re grateful for your coworkers, even when she continues. “Maybe Zach would?”

“No!” You blurt out as soon as she suggests your ex, “Not Zach.”

Frankie doesn’t know the person in question, but in that moment he would do anything if it meant you didn’t have to ask Zach.

“I can do it,” Frankie offers, and Liz’s side eye glance at you is not lost on him.

“I mean, I know you don’t really know me, but the paperwork I had planned this afternoon can wait.”

The room falls silent for a second before he begins to regret offering. “Im not a creep, promise. Here,” after drawing his wallet from his back pocket he pulls out a few copies of his business card, handing one to you and one to Liz. “That’s my card, she can take a picture of my license, I’ll give her my number” he motions to Liz, and continues to ramble on before you stop him.

“Frankie, I know you’re not a creep. But really, I can’t just ask you to clear your day like that.” Internally though, you wanted nothing more than to get to know the man standing in front of you.

Francisco Morales according to his business card. “Helicopter Flight Instructor & Aviation Safety Inspector.” Could this man get any hotter?

“Seriously, you’d be doing me a favor getting me out of office work. Besides, it’s the least I can do.”

“He’s right, you know. That sounds like a great idea, Frankie!” Liz’s tone is suggestive, and you know just what she’s playing at.

“Okay,” you turn to Frankie, “but only if you promise to let me pay for takeout for dinner.”

“Not a chance, sweetheart.” You practically melt at the term of endearment paired with that genuine grin creeping across his face again. Then there’s his hands in his back pockets, chest stretching his tshirt tighter? Shit, Liz practically melts too.

“Well, we’ll leave y’all to it,” David catches on and begins to drag Liz back to the elevator. “You don’t have to worry about a thing, we’ve got you covered!” He’d successfully whirled your chatty coworker straight out of the conversation as the guards retreated back to their station, leaving you and Frankie alone in the lobby.

“Shall we?” He asks, standing in front of you with his hand extended to help you out of the chair. He doesn’t let it go as you’re walking toward the door though, and your heart races.

“So,” he asks, looking down at you, “what am I ordering for dinner?

[ajbullet]

My thoughts on episode 3 of PJO: (spoilers)

I so enjoyed doing this for the first two episodes and the response was great, so hey, maybe this will be an entire series thing

-The oracle was amazing. It was a perfect mix of creepy yet humorous with Percy’s perfect voice crack and “you’re a Halloween decoration” line. Having just reread the book, I wouldn’t have remembered that the prophecy came from Gabe so that was a really cool, book-accurate detail I enjoyed.

- The WAY PERCY CHOSE ANNABETH! I freaked out. Cause you know in the book Annabeth is just like “I’m coming” and that’s that. To see Percy go out of his way to CHOOSE her for his quest was so special to me and I loved it (even tho it was for a different reason than I originally thought.)

-Annabeth’s reaction to getting picked was perfect. This is a girl who has waited YEARS for a quest and in no way do I think she was expecting to be picked. Hoping, of course. But Leah’s expression of shock then excitement was perfect

- Grover talking to the horses

-Percy picking Grover

-“I’m going to back the best snacks” The snacks in question being tin cans

-Bro give Thalia a break Percy, wth 😭. He came at her so hard for someone he hasn’t even met. Which was hilarious and so Percy-like, but dang. I thought Annabeth was gonna kill him right then and there.

-“She met a Pinecone’s fate” Like this boy…🤭

-I loved watching Leah’s expressions the whole time the three of them were traveling to the bus terminal. I will never get over how subtle she is able to make her thoughts appear on her face. Like you could clearly tell she was taking everything in for the first time in 5 years, while still trying to remain calm and seem in control in front of the other two

-THE BICKERING OMGS. I wasn’t ready for the arguing, but it fits so well. It MADE SENSE. Like none of these kids know just how much they can trust each other and their all scared and they don’t really know what they are doing so of course they are going to fight and argue and take out their emotions on each other.

-Grover’s consensus song was perfect. I had no idea why he was clapping at first and when he started to sing I was scared because it had potential to be really cringy but I honestly think it fit his vibe and was cute.

-ok, so for the scene with Annabeth in the store, I loved of course cause it was my girl and I originally watched it as a kid with a lot of money placed in front of infinite candy and she couldn’t just pick ONE so she got them all and it was adorable. But I’ve also seen posts talking about her trying to read the wrapper and since she’s dyslexic she couldn’t tell what flavor was what so she got all of them, which would also make sense and is a perfect subtle detail. Now I just saw one post that said she was trying to pick the perfect candy to make Grover and Percy LIKE HER and that just about broke my heart. Feel free to comment or reboot with your opinions because I’ve loved seeing all these different takes on that scene. All I know is it was awesome and the contrast between a girl picking candy and immediately sensing something is wrong and putting up her guard was a perfect way of showing how life is for demigods

-The invisibility cap!!!!

-“We’re lost in the woods, somewhere in New Jersey and we’re never gonna make to LA” was all I could think about

- again the BICKERING. Annabeth calling Percy out. Her asking what he’s afraid of. Grover trying so hard to keep the peace. (As a middle sibling, I felt that in my soul). “He was my protector first!” Loved that. Just the whole conversation was so interesting

I’m gonna make a part two because I have so many more thoughts on Medusa and her story and I’m hungry so I’m gonna go eat.

Part two:

[zehecatl]

so, like, i don't think Alastor is actually as strong as we've been lead to believe?

first of, because i know what y'all are like- i'm not saying he isn't strong. the shield in the finale obviously requires some firepower (though i think you could make the case that the shield isn't just powered by him, but that's another post-) and he is an Overlord. but! i think he plays up his own power, and does A Lot of manipulation and scare tactics to seem even more powerful than he actually is. after all, why bother fighting battles when you can scare off most of the competition?

now, obviously the biggest thing here is the finale. Adam trounces him, and does so easily. even doing their fight, Alastor doesn't actually hurt Adam. there's no direct clash of power up until Adam beats his ass in two hits

but, Adam is also the leader of the exorcists, and the first man. of course he'd be strong. but i do think it's a hit to this image Alastor loves to put on, of being this untouchable horror that could easily overtake Hell, if he so desired

secondly, Valentino's comment to Vox

now, if Alastor actually beat Vox, there is not a single doubt in my mind that Valentino would lord that shit over Vox. he would, absolutely, bring it up. so the fact that he says almost is noticeable. it means that Alastor and Vox was most likely on equal footing, if not outright pointing at Vox as the stronger opponent. because if Alastor didn't beat Vox, it either means a draw, or that Vox beat Alastor

and you can even see this in their duet. Alastor doesn't beat Vox- Vox beats himself. Vox crashes through his own inability to control his emotions, which, again- Alastor manipulates. he's playing Vox like a fucking fiddle, and that's super cool and impressive, sure, but that's not pure strength

and this goes hand in hand with how the Overlords (and the general public) views Alastor

people are not scared of Alastor. not the general public, not the Overlords. in episode 3, when people are 'afraid of him', it's not Alastor they're afraid of- it's Zestial

(i'm not going to spam a bunch of caps here, but it's pretty easy to glean if you look close- the background characters look at Zestial, and it's not until Zestial shows up that we get this whole 'everyone is afraid' bit. and we had plenty of time to showcase them being afraid of Alastor, but they didn't)

even Alastor himself is shaken to see Zestial, if only momentarily. and during the meeting, sure, Camilla is surprised to see Alastor, but she's not scared, and when he teases at where he might have been, she doesn't care

and neither does anyone else. Alastor is an Overlord, yes, and he's powerful, yes, but he's not- noticeably so. he's not a big threat to any of them, and that's goes so against the front he's putting on. Alastor wants to be powerful. he needs to be powerful. and it's not that he isn't, he's still very much an Overlord, but he's just- he's not a particular big fish in this pond

and lastly, i think it's extremely interesting that, out of everyone, it's Mimzy we hear the whole Radio Demon story from

it's not particularly noticeable that Angel didn't know about him, because he didn't in the pilot either, but it's like. Mimzy? we're getting this story from Mimzy?

not Pentious, or even Husk, or anyone else. plus, the way its set up...

it reads less like a true story, and more like a scary story you'd tell around a campfire or some shit- and it's not that i think she's lying, because i don't, but it's. interesting

Angel and Pentious is shocked when Mimzy finished her story, which means this story is new to them. Pentious didn't know about it, and he's been attacking Alastor pretty consistently since Alastor got back. which kind of leads me to believe that Alastor doesn't... really have a reputation? at least not one that's widespread

see, the thing is, sure- Alastor's been gone seven years. but that's not that long of a time for a really terrifying Overlord to be forgotten about- and no one reacts to him. there's no scene in the duet where people are terrified of the Radio Demon being back, no later scene to showcase the fear he inspires. there's nothing

and yeah, Alastor is a terrifying presence. he plays into it so very well

but all of this... i don't think Alastor has as much power as he likes to pretend he does, especially not before he disappeared. i don't think he's as big of a deal as he makes himself out to be, and that's fascinating to me

because it makes me wonder... what did he make a deal for?

[alrightbuckaroo]

Fic Pride Friday

Happy Friday, everyone! I missed this last week so I thought I'd make up for it this week! I don't have in me to go through 40+ works as of late, so I just pulled some from my long form work. Thanks to @carlos-in-glasses, @vineofroses, @bonheur-cafe and @literateowl for the tags!

Rules: Post your favorite line or passage from as many of your published works as you’d like. Let yourself feel proud of your creations! Tag as many people as you post snippets, so your fellow fic friends can be proud, too.

tender eyes that shine:

TK’s thrusts are in rapid succession; the only thing keeping up with the rhythm is Carlos’ heartbeat. It’s as if TK, right now, in this moment, is a lifeline that Carlos is tethered to that’s born out of nothing more desirous longing and trust.

TK calls him “Baby” and the last thing Carlos thinks is that he can only hope Heaven will be half as sweet as the way that word sounds rolling off of TK’s tongue. Suddenly, the darkness that’s gripped him seems to ease itself. Darkness ebbs away as the light becomes something more tangible, something just out of reach. He opens his eyes, and he sees both TK and his father. Carlos isn’t sure if he’s been brought back from death or if he’s been left to his own devices in Heaven. He’s always thought that TK has the beauty of an angel that’s come down to Earth, one that’s replaced his halo with a fireman’s cap. When he sees his father standing above him, it comes as no surprise. Carlos has always considered him to be a martyr, fighting the good fight until the very end. With the warm golden hue surrounding the both of them, he thinks this must be the highest the sky can go.

summer slipped us underneath her tongue:

TK leans down, causing a dip in the bed as he leans in to give Carlos a kiss. He tastes like last night’s raspberry tart and all of Carlos’ dreams come true. He pulls away and says, “I’ll be back before you have the chance to miss me.”  Carlos smiles, his face still cupped between TK’s hands.  “It’s hard not to miss you. I love having you around.” There’s that word again: love.  Love is a word that’s always tossed around casually, even by them; but the way it sounds rolling off of Carlos’ tongue causes TK’s heart to skip a beat. As if it’s a rock being thrown across a once still pond.  Ever since TK realized that this, this thing with Carlos is no longer casual but something very real; the word love has hit his ear differently each and every time. He loves Carlos, and all he wants to do is tell him. 

Carlos is spiraling well beyond his control. He’s trying to piece where he went wrong but then TK is grabbing his hand and saying his name like it’s the only word he’s ever know.

29 Going on 30

TK’s a little disheartened at the realization. He used to know this city like the back of his hand; now he feels like he’s wearing a glove.

“I think that part of living life is finding new ways to left love in,” Carlos continues. “Learning that love can be an afternoon serenade, a hideous sweater that you still found a way to look good in or the realization that the love that feels too good to be true is the love that you’ve been deserving of all along.” TK is quiet for a beat; a medley of mixed emotions overtaking him. Love that feels too good to be true is the love that you’ve been deserving of all along. Maybe Carlos is right, maybe he needs to let himself finally feel comfortable with the idea that this type of love isn’t meant to crumble. He won’t have to dig through the remains of what’s left to restore himself. This love has a foundation that’s meant to last. Quietly, he asks, “You still think I’m a dream?” “So much I almost can’t believe my eyes,” Carlos replies with a smile. “You deserve an everlasting love, Tyler,” The words are a declaration, a phrase that gives no room for argument. “I’ll always be here, wanting to be the one that gives it to you.”

come and take a walk on the wild side

It’s 4:02 a.m. and TK is standing on the balcony, smoking a cigarette. For the most part, the party has thinned out except for a couple of stragglers and those that had decided to spend the night. He holds the phone close to his ear; hearing the other line ring, once, twice, three times. He’s about the end the call before it can even start when a voice answers on the other line. “Hello?” The voice sounds groggy, and aged. TK still recognizes it all the same. TK doesn’t respond, feeling the words anxious to grab purchase. “Hello? Is anyone there?” TK doesn’t reply, and it’s not soon before the person on the other line hangs up. He brings the phone down, and whispers to himself, “Happy Father’s Day, dad.”

“I’d ask you to save the attitude for dinner, but,” Sam finally breaks eye contact, looking back down at his phone, knowing he’s about to win this back and forth between them. “We both know you’ll hold me to that.” TK hears the unspoken command: knock it off. He knows he should, just make the rest of the night easier for both of them; but there’s something in him that wants to fight against that feeling. Relieve himself of the weight that he’s holding for both of them. “Yeah? And give your dad another reason to hate everything about me?” TK decides not to think about the fact Winston brings out the worst in both of them. Sam doesn’t look up from his phone, wanting to treat TK’s response like it’s nothing but a low brow tactic. “He doesn’t hate everything about you.” TK snorts. “Oh yeah? What doesn’t he hate?” Sam looks up from his phone and stares directly at TK, giving him his undivided attention. His words drip with a scathing sense of frustration, “The way you know how to get under my skin.”

I'm a week late to this so I'm sure everyone has already gone, but if you haven't and want to share, consider this open tag for you :)

[finitepeace]

january-march reads: stevetony

stony I've read in the past three months

How to Date a Superhero Without Even Trying by sabrecmc | based on a prompt from a Tumblr Anon, it's 2am and Tony drunk dials his ex. He gets Captain America instead. (Warning for attempted non-con that is most definitely interrupted.)

Ripple Effect (post-IW time travel fix it) by sabrecmc | After the events of Infinity War, Steve is sent back in time on a desperate mission to find the Tesseract. Instead, he meets up with 21-year old Tony, still reeling from his parents' deaths. Who, naturally, tries to climb Steve like a tree. Somehow, this fixes everything.

(Restricted) While Everyone's Lost (The Battle Is Won) by jukeboxhound | E, 6.9k words | Steve closes his eyes in 1945 and wakes up in 2012. Well. They certainly didn’t put that on the recruiting poster.

The Future by InesStarkDowney | T, 1.6k words | After the whole Germany thing, Peter is quick to spend a lot of time with his mentor, Tony Stark. And despite feeling and acting like a fanboy over his mentor, Peter is quick to find several things that he wasn't aware about Tony, simply because it's not public knowledge, like: Tony Stark is a very sad man. Peter wants to change that.

You can make this figure with your hips by haemodye | E, 6.2k words | Tony wakes up with a screaming headache, years into the future, where almost everyone he loves is dead.

Bless The Broken Road by PinkEasterEggs | G, 104k words | In 1950, Peter Carter goes missing. In 2005, a boy who looks exactly like Peggy Carter and Steve Roger's kidnapped son is found. Tony doesn't even hesitate (okay, he may have hesitated a little) to take the boy under his wing.

the steve rogers rating system by meidui | G, 866 words | Tony has an internalised Steve Rogers rating system, but it’s not standardised. It’s also not a foolproof system because Steve behaves in ways that crash it all the time.

Kingdom of Iron, Kingdom of Clay [unfinished] by WhenasInSilks | E, 9.9k words | Tony isn't pining. He can’t afford to--doesn't have space for it in his head. It's hard enough just to do his job while wading through the murky waters of post-Accords international politics, and Steve Rogers? He’s a liability, in more ways than one. That's why Tony laid down the law at the end of their last, ill-conceived encounter. “Take care of yourself, Cap. Stay the fuck out of my life.” If only Steve weren’t so lousy at following orders (aka the one where Steve and Tony have a conversation, and then another conversation, and then bang things out in a hotel. There's a lot more nuance, world building, character detail, emotional turmoil, etc. but, like. In a nutshell. part of a series)

ends of the earth by meidui | T, 2k words | “We have a new deal,” Tony interrupts. “From now on, you feel like you messed up, you come home to me. You come home to New York and we figure it out together. If you’re on this cross country road trip and living on a farm because you like it, fine, I’ll come out and visit. But if you’re out here because you’re sorry, I’ve got some bad news for you, buddy. Not even you could fix the entire world.”

A Teddy Bear Named Steve by nightwalker | G, 2.6k words | While cleaning out the attic, Tony finds some old friends he thought long lost.

capsize by killaidanturner | T, 4.4 k words | For the first time Steve sees Peggy in Tony, he always thought it was Howard, the showman, but all along it’s been Peggy and the way that she had her shoulders pulled just a little bit back to make her appear taller.

Life After You by ashinan | G, 2.5k words | Steve knew Peggy had a life after the war. He just didn't think it included telling stories to a young Tony Stark.

Fairy Godmother by Amuly (restricted) | T, 5.1k words | Auntie Peggy has been telling Tony stories about Captain America his whole life. Only problem is, the real thing just about measures up to the stories. Which means, of course, that Aunt Peg has to go to work, because an Aunt's work is never done.

I never knew how much I would lose by percy (shittyspacedads) | T 583 words | It's Peggy Carter's funeral, in the middle of a civil war. And she was very important to both Tony and Steve.

Trying to Bridge Dark Water by sororexitium | T, 4,9k words | Peggy was ninety-one years old and trying to bridge the gap between the then and the now. Steve and Tony were good at making that difficult.

Celestial Navigation by sabremc podfic version by cookiemom607 | original text version

[daresplaining]

Butch: "Wait...you're telling me it was actually Matt?" Matt: "Yeah...it was Matt. He came back from rehab, went to his apartment... I don't know what the #$@% Fisk was thinking, but I know they've got history and... Ah, Butch. He killed my brother." Butch: "I'm sorry, Mike. I really am. But I'm so #$@% glad it wasn't you. I thought...I thought I sent you away, right into my Dad's hands." Matt (caption): "[...]I've done this before. Back in the day." Butch: "[...]I'm sorry, Mike. I really am. All I can do now is be better than I have been. I know you weren't...happy about some of my decisions lately, but I want you to know..." Matt (caption): "The trick was always in the eyes. Not just making sure they faced the right direction...but that no matter what, he had kindness in them..." Butch: "...I'm going to be better. No more killing. I don't want to be him. I want to run this city with fairness, with compassion." Matt (caption): "...and I don't." Matt: "You better." Butch: "I...what? Look, you're my partner here, and I know you're grieving, but maybe take it down a--" Matt: "Let me make it clear for you. If you hurt people, if you commit violence and terrorize others...I'll come stop you." Daredevil vol. 7 #1 by Chip Zdarsky, Marco Checchetto, Matthew Wilson, and Clayton Cowles

This post has been in my drafts folder for almost a full year, for no reason other than the fact that I kept feeling like I had more to say about it. But I always have more to say about Mike scenes. Return with me to this bombshell of a conversation from Daredevil volume 7 #1 (twinkly flashback SFX)...

Kind eyes? I always thought the trick to an effective Mike Murdock disguise was in the feathered cap and the goofy sunglasses, but what do I know?

Anyway, jokes aside, let's talk about this doozy of a scene from the new #1, which kicked off the second volume of Zdarsky and Checchetto's Daredevil run. To start, I am delighted by the return of colorist Matthew Wilson, whose stunning work previously graced the back half of Daredevil volume 4.

Daredevil vol. 4 #14 by Mark Waid, Chris Samnee, Matthew Wilson, and Joe Caramagna

I've really missed that bright red hair.

This scene directly follows up on the events of Devil's Reign, and the brutal (but maybe not permanent!) death of Matt's dear Real Boy twin brother at the hands of the Kingpin. Specifically, it follows up on what we have seen as the progression of Matt's response to Mike's death: attempting to take advantage of the situation for his own gain in ghoulish and disturbing ways. We have seen Matt bury his brother under his own name-- in a way, capping the Soule/Noto "Double Vision" arc by erasing Mike in the only way still possible (possibly not Matt or Zdarsky's intention, but the parallel is undeniable). And now we see Matt using Mike's identity as a tool and a weapon, trying to gather information on Fisk's whereabouts, and toying with Butch's grief for the sake of adding weight to his crimefighting. We are getting a close look at what it actually means to give Matt Murdock an identical twin, and wow, it is not pretty.

That said, I do not believe that this new horrible co-opting of Mike's identity undermines any of the previous indications that Matt is, in fact, grieving-- despite how callous this seems on the surface. We will always have Devil's Reign #6's brutal display of Matt's pain before he started putting his emotional shields up, and in this issue he has a wonderful scene with his superhero BFF Peter Parker in which, among other things, he opens up a teeny-tiny crack in those shields regarding Mike.

Peter: "Oh god...Mike. Your brother." Matt: "Yeah. I'm okay-- it's just been...it's been hard."

(I love that Peter knows about Mike, since he was largely responsible for Matt creating him in the first place. And of course, I also love that Matt has finally restored his friend's memories-- though that's a topic for another post.) But let's take a look at what we have here, which is, plainly and simply, the weaponizing of the Mike Murdock identity. Which is amazing. Matt mentions here that he has impersonated Mike before, "back in the day". We learned in the 2020 Annual that in the new MCU (Mike Continuity Universe), Matt pretended to be his brother as a kid, back before his accident, to get Mike out of summer school. However, that is almost certainly not what he's referring to here. I'm pretty sure he's referring to this:

Daredevil vol. 1 #25 by Stan Lee, Gene Colan, Frank Giacoia, and Artie Simek

We're coming full-circle! Zdarsky has said before that in this version of reality, Matt did still pretend to be Mike in the original Mike Murdock Saga, rather than it being Mike himself, but this is the first actual on-panel reference to that being the case. We don't get context, we don't get the full story, but even just that little reference to the events of "back in the day" warmed my little Mike nerd heart. And having seen Mike pretend to be Matt in this run, we are now finally, finally! getting to see Matt pretend to be Mike, bringing this whole grand Real Boy Mike experiment-- again-- full circle.

I joked about the "kind eyes" comment at the beginning of the post, but I do want to talk about it because it's a striking thing for Matt to say. I had a great conversation with @thosemintcookies about this a while back, regarding how that comment might be interpreted. After all, while there are many colorful adjectives that can be used to describe Mike Murdock, "kind" is not one that jumps immediately to mind. Not that Mike isn't a decent person, but he has never been shown to be any kind of bastion of goodness, even in the 60s. He's a rascal. And kindness in his eyes? What does that look like? How long has it been since Matt has even seen his brother's eyes? It's an odd thought for him to have, and it reeks of projection. On the surface, he is saying "To pretend to be Mike, I need to seem like a nice person", but what it really may mean is "To pretend to not be me, I have to pretend to be a nice person". Again, we return to that hidden grief, and attached feelings of (normal, secular!) guilt. Matt feels like a scumbag, and in this instance, he's got a pretty good reason. He did not directly get his brother killed, but his brother is still dead because of him, killed by proximity just like so many other people in his life, and now he is doing horrible things to Mike's memory. If he's feeling like a sucky human being at the moment...then yeah, he's not entirely wrong there.

But! Note the past tense: "The trick was always in the eyes". This feeling that his brother is a better person than him is not new. We have painfully few details about Matt and Mike's new past together, so this is worth examining. Is Matt, in his grief, now projecting a morality onto Mike that wasn't actually there? Or has Matt always looked up to his brother in this way? Does he see himself as capable of dark things that Mike, for all of his rascallitude, would never do? It's a fascinating shift in a dynamic that we have previously seen only from Mike's perspective, which showed us the smart, obedient, selfless brother and the disappointment of a twin who could never measure up. Here, we may have Matt's side of things: the flawed but ultimately decent brother and his violent, deceptive, disobedient, callous, chaos gremlin twin. The idea that they both may have seen each other as the better person is absolutely fascinating, and is, of course, informed by the layers of secrets they were keeping from each other.

And of course, there is another facet to this-- Mike's origins. As Mike was once a wish fulfillment source for Matt at a time when he felt he had to hold his personality in check, now we are seeing him as a different flavor of wish fulfillment-- a vision of a better, kinder version of Matt when he is feeling at his most scummy and unkind. The body is barely cold and Matt is already martyring his brother.

Moving on to the rest of the scene, Matt is being horrendously cruel to Butch here in using his dead best friend to get close enough to threaten him...though he doesn't have any reason not to be. It's very likely that he blames Butch for Mike's death-- if not in the immediate sense, then in the fact that Butch's friendship led Mike into a life of crime. Plus, Butch is the new Kingpin and has been going around killing people, so there's also that. When Matt is in pain, he doesn't need much of an excuse to do nasty things to people he dislikes. He could have just shown up here as Daredevil with Spider-Man in tow and delivered his threat, but instead, he adds some psychological warfare-- dangling the hope of Mike still being alive in front of Butch and then ripping that hope away.

Not only that, but it is, for lack of a better term, ballsy as hell. He just strolls in here without a mask on, confident in his ability to fake being Mike well enough to convince Butch, and then he goes "Psych! I'm not Mike after all. I'm just Daredevil in a...really, really good wig and make-up?" Has Matt just revealed his secret identity here? Is Butch going to connect the dots: Matt Murdock vanishing into thin air despite supposedly being "in rehab", Daredevil not only managing to look exactly like Mike but also to play him with a degree of accuracy that suggests he knew him well...? Sure, this might spook him into being a well-behaved little Kingpin, but isn't it also going to make him extra angry and determined to avenge his best friend's death? (I hope so.) Maybe Matt no longer cares. He is leaving the city, and he mentions in this issue that he feels like he isn't going to return this time. (Obviously he will, but that's not the point.) Maybe it doesn't matter anymore if one NYC bad guy knows his secret identity. Maybe he is taking advantage of that, even, to go in here and have the unique pleasure of doing this face-to-face-- in a way, using Mike once more as Daredevil unmasked.

[escapistfantasymanual]

so this fall, I got an ADHD diagnosis and started meds (whooo!!). the biggest benefit to having a diagnosis is a shift in perception. I've always been self-critical; now, I find I'm better able to give myself grace and the room to try new things.

might do a post later listing some of the life changes I've made in the last few months and rating how effective (or ineffective) they've been, BUT what I'm interested in right now is tracking my efforts to get an organization system in place, primarily for papers/files, of which I have a LOT.

this is all going to amount to mostly talking aloud, but oh, well. this is a thing I'm doing for me - if you're reading this, welcome, glad to have you along for the ride!

body of this post is below the read-more.

so, this is what I've got going as of December 22, 2023. I'm about a week into this project.

bold and italicized = a collection/group of papers n' stuff

BOLD AND ALL CAPS = a category in my overall system

semi-comprehensively, clockwise from the top-ish right: the brown paper bag is for tossing recyclable material into. stuff that needs to be shredded goes in a different location, out-of-frame. metal file box with a handle to the right and slightly behind is for IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS (medical/insurance, financial, car stuff, career, and education). papers in front of it will go inside once I review 'em.

moving down to the bottom right: the pile with a red legal-size folder and pink album is PERSONAL ARCHIVE stuff, specifically the bulkier objects. white papers in front of the file bin are stuff I need to take action on before filing away, probably in the IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS metal file box. the big clear file bin is for PERSONAL ARCHIVE materials, and is waiting to be filled. the medium clear bin and green metal box contain extra office SUPPLIES, to be consolidated and whittled down a bit.

(some stuff on the bed, not going to worry about that right now)

the gray archival box (a gift from a former internship supervisor!) is for PERSONAL ARCHIVE stuff, mainly photos and newspaper clippings. those are in front of it, along with papers to archive.

above that, we've got a mini-binder on top of extra folders and notebooks I'll most likely keep on hand somewhere as SUPPLIES. then the small clear bin and stack of notebooks above, to the left of the yellow file tower, are a bit tricky. they're creative notebooks I've kept over the years - most filled, some partially. I want to eventually invest in a quality archival box for them, preferably fire- and waterproof. I'd love to have them in a place where I can quickly flip through them, but as it stands, I don't dig into them very often. they can probably be kept in a STORAGE area. (another alternative is to digitize them. it'd be too much work, I think - something to consider later. for sure there are additional notebooks in a shoe box outside the frame of this picture that I want to transcribe.)

and then there's a blue hanging folder with papers that eventually need to go into one of two binders that are in the OUTPUT & QUICK REFERENCE part of my overall system, which I'll discuss later. (sometimes you know you just don't have the brain-space yet to start filing/discarding a set of papers. for me, success at this stage of the project is just grouping like things. I know where 'xyz set of papers' is. I know where it'll eventually go. I can come back to it in multiple passes when I have the capacity, and I can task-switch to another group if I get bored or tired.) the rest in this picture - the bookshelf, the bench - is also stuff to worry about later.

(edit: oh also the brown recipe card box, it's got letters and photographs to archive or get rid of)

that's the current status. more to come about what's next, the thought processes/~emotional journey~, and hopefully the end results.

[oneinathousand]

I'm halfway through Gravedale High and I think I get the gist of it, so here are my random thoughts about it:

Of all the celebrity cartoons, this is one of them. Joking aside, this probably is legitimately one of the better ones from this time period. I am not distracted by Rick Moranis's presence, and I'm glad he's not going full nerd as in his usual typecasting. I keep expecting to see a Ghostbusters or Little Shop of Horrors reference, since this show sure does love its pop culture references, but so far, they've had the restraint not to do it in a direct way except for one of the background characters in one episode looking like a terror dog, but that could be a coincidence. I guess I'll find out eventually if they actually do make a reference.

I can't watch a lot of it in one sitting because if I try, I know I'll be filled with homicidal rage at all the constant catchphrases and verbal tics and schticks that every character has.

Gotta love how the creativity of the main cast ranges from "Personifying the trope of zombies as commentaries for consumerism with a wealth-obsessed, literal mall zombie" to "what if creature from the black lagoon but surfer".

J.P. doesn't seem to be any kind of monster in particular, Peter Lorre parodies are just their own Halloween species lol

Vinnie may be the Fonz as a teenage vampire, but it was very big-brained of whoever the character designer was to give him black nail polish in 1989-90. For all this show's problems, the character design for the most part is not one of them, even with how dated many of them are fashion-wise they're still very charming.

Sure, I ship Vinnie and Reggie. Before I watched this show, I assumed it was just typical shipping of best friend characters, but when I got to the famous ear-scratching scene from episode four, I was like "yeah okay I can see where they're coming from".

Of the main cast, Sid is probably my favorite because everything about him is so hilariously dated above all the rest, which is saying something: The rapping, the baseball cap, the pattern on his shirt, the random impressions... he's so lame that he circles back around to being funny. And apart from the irony, an invisible kid becoming a class clown so people won't ignore him anymore is one of the more genuinely creative concepts here.

Oh, but speaking of Sid, who's voiced by Maurice LaMarche... It was pretty awkward to watch Sid whenever he talked about his dreams to become a stand-up comedian, knowing what I know about what happened with LaMarche's own desire to rise up in the stand-up world on the same month that Gravedale High coincidentally premiered in. I don't know if this is common knowledge, but I won't go into it here because this post is supposed to be about a silly cartoon. If you're curious and can handle emotional matters, go read about it on his Wikipedia page under the Career section and see the events leading up to him becoming a full-time voice actor after September 1990.

Anyway, this is one of those cartoons where you can see a lot of potential, but since this came before or at the same time as other more ground-breaking cartoons like Ren and Stimpy or Tiny Toons, you get the feeling Gravedale is still shackled by 80's cartoon trappings despite its occasional dark jokes and pop culture references. If I were to make a new version, with or without Moranis, I would go for something a little edgy to make it stand out from Monster High and other shows of its ilk, do for horror what Clone High does for teen shows, either in a PG or TV-14 way.

[enbyleighlines]

Leigh plays Tellius prt 1

Alright, I did it! I started playing Path of Radiance! Starting out, I have a few goals for myself, namely:

No one dies

Get Ike and Soren to rank A

Get Ike and Ranulf to rank B

Max out Soren and Ilyanna's speed

Get Ranulf to his max level with as many capped stats as possible

Will I manage it? I haven't a clue, but here we go!

Immediately I am so sentimental over the interactions between the Greil Mercs. Mist is so dang sassy, and I love it! I'm also going to try to get Mist and Boyd to an A support, but it depends on whether or not Boyd manages to keep up. In my experience, he tends to be a bit of a wild card; good on some playthrus, and terrible on others.

Ahhh, the mercenary fort!! Also, how have I never noticed the small houses around the fort? Do you think that's where the mercs live, or do other people live there?

By the way, I adore the way the story starts off slow, introducing only 2-3 new Greil Mercs per chapter, to get the player invested in the dynamics of the group. To me, the Greil Mercenaries are really the emotional core of this game, so I'm glad that they give us so many various interactions between the characters before the plot even kicks in. It gives the player a sense of the Merc's values, as well as foreshadow the inner conflicts that will spring up later.

There he is!!! That's my boy!!!

Baby boy's first level up. We are off to a good start!! Let's keep that good luck rolling!!!

It's my girl!!! I honestly didn't even realize how much I loved Mia until she showed up and I immediately had the goofiest smile on my face.

And here's Ranulf!!!! I'm so excited to see him~

I was so nervous starting this map. I remembered it being a LOT more difficult than it ended up being. Ike, Mia, and Soren were able to manage the left side all by themselves, whereas I had Titania, Boyd, and Oscar kind of take turns guarding the other two chokepoints, with Rhys offering healing to whoever needed it the most. Boyd did super well on this map, so I gave him the honor of killing the boss.

As much as I adore PoR's writing, I do have one complaint, and it's this scene. I feel like the conflict escalates too quickly, but even more than that, it resolves itself waaaaay too easily. I adore Soren, but he was absolutely in the wrong here. Lethe did not have to forgive him right away. In fact, I would have preferred it if this conflict maintained some tension for the next couple of maps, before being resolved in a base conversation, the way they handled Jill's character arc.

Aaaaaand, that's part one! I am going to be tagging these posts as "leigh plays tellius", so I can keep an archive of them.

[cowboyhorsegirl]

CAP-IM Rec Week: Absolute Faves Monday

a quick & dirty reclist of all some of my absolute best beloved stevetony fic faves <3

You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real) by @kiyaar

“Why don’t you take that off,” Tony whispers back, and he tugs at the guy’s mask. He tries an arm around his waist, firm, solid, hot. Tony is hard and it’s obvious. He thinks he’d be more of a gentleman about it under normal circumstances, but in this place, it’s like a handshake. He shudders and his back muscles move beneath Tony’s hand. Tony’s pants grow tighter. He smells like Barbasol. A well-respected man. Tony wants to disrespect him. (an AU where Steve never gave up the Nomad mantle, Tony has a coke habit, and they meet on the dance floor at Studio 54.)

Podfic available from @whenasinsilks!

Please everyone go read this fic immediately and then report back so we can all go disco dancing together while screaming abt the SteveTony identity porn mutual pining drug-fueled blowjob of all time <3

Sins of Omission by @kiyaar

A Post-Civil War, Pre-Secret Invasion AU where Steve is dead, Tony's a mess, and everything sucks. In which Tony deals poorly with Steve's death, falls off the wagon, sees ghosts, and misses a lot. Oh, and the Skrulls are about to invade.

Literally a classic, this fic is the SteveTony Odyssey.

Under God by @isozyme

“Captain America represents the values of our country. The recent allegations about his sexuality are specious and designed to smear an American icon. Captain Rogers regularly attends the Church of Saint Agnes and invites the citizens of New York to attend worship with him this Sunday, April 14th. God bless America.” Nobody was ever going to know. Steve would be a good husband, a good father, and he’d never give in to sin and touch another man. But Steve makes two mistakes, one after the other: he leaves two words out of the Pledge of Allegiance, and he doesn’t notice a camera flash among the strobe lights of a dark club, because he’s dancing with his clumsy hands on Tony’s hips.

Podfic available from Cathalinaheart!

No words, only ugly beautiful emotions about being gay in the Zeroes, internalized homophobia, falling in love, and perhaps even preempting the Iraq War.

the face and the mask are mirrors, baby (the genderqueer remix) by @imaginaryelle

When Tony’s young, he thinks maybe he’s built wrong. He thinks: Maybe one day, if he gets good enough, he’ll be able to redesign Tony Stark. Cast himself in a new mold. One day, he’ll be better.

I actually think this fic was created in a secret lab specifically for me to read and be irrevocably changed and made better by it; sharing so that you all can also partake in the revolutionary experience of reading this fic and being better for it too :)

Semaphore by DevilDoll

"I’m trying to like you, Tony. You’re just making it very hard."

Podfic available from crinklysolution!

To me, this is always The 2012 Avengers-era SteveTony fic. In my eyes, it eclipses and predominates the whole of its fandom. It was I think, maybe the first MCU SteveTony fic I read back when I first got into this fandom over 10 years ago and it's stuck with me ever since, and if that isn't enough of a recommendation then I simply do not know what is!

Amor Fati by citsiurtlanu

Tony Stark has always known what the words on his wrist are supposed to lead to. What he's never known is who the words are for. 616 soulmate AU.

Honestly and truly and genuinely don't have the words to articulate how heartwrenchingly gorgeous this fic is. It has pulled real life tears from me and imprinted itself into my memory. For all the ups and downs of 616 canon, we can thank every moment of it for having existed because citsuirtlanu was able to distill it down into this incredible, incredible story. <3

Five Days a Week by @festiveferret

The day after Pepper's funeral - after Rhodey has come and gone, after Natasha has come and gone, after Tony has forcibly sent Happy away - Tony looks out of the front window, Morgan snoozing in the crook of one arm, and sees a dark, heavily-tinted car in the driveway.

The perfect, the perfect Endgame fix-it. There's a certain kind of magic in this story that I don't think I've found in any other stevetony fic to date. This fic is heartbreak and grief and guilt and friendship and romance all rolled into one indescribably lovely story.