#that's just par for the course i guess or whatever

[foxstens]

am i the only one who adores aftg and loathed trc

[citizen-zero]

90% of the stuff Dracula does in the book wouldn’t even raise suspicions in 2024. It might barely raise eyebrows. If we found out that a very wealthy man was sleeping in boxes of dirt we’d just assume it was some bullshit pseudoscience rich people health craze like raw water and ivermectin and chiropractic. if he was living in a rundown dump of a house and wearing unflattering fashions it would just be par for the course for rich people, money doesn’t buy taste etc. If he was shipping boxes of dirt from his home country it would be weird but whatever I guess he’s paying for it right? He could probably even get away with shit like assaulting women and holding a young man hostage for several weeks if he did it right. Honestly the only thing I think he might not get away with in the modern day is murdering a ship full of people and a psychiatric patient but like….money buys a lot of security. So I’m still dubious. Honestly the only reason Dracula gets caught is because he’s weird by 1890s English standards and possibly because his in-person vibes are just that rancid.

[saphronethaleph]

Task Failed Successfully

Senator Amidala closed the door to the Naboo senatorial office, and smiled.

“All right,” she said. “Knight Kenobi, Padawan Skywalker. I’m glad the two of you were available.”

“We are, of course, at the disposal of the Senate,” Obi-Wan said.

“And I can guess what the problem is,” Anakin added. “Can’t you, Master?”

“Of course, my young padawan,” Obi-Wan replied. “But what about if the Senator explains?”

“To put it simply, then,” the Senator said. “The Supreme Chancellor would like to know what in the galaxy the Kaminoans are talking about.”

Anakin blinked.

“You don’t know?” he asked. “He doesn’t know?”

“The Senate has some idea of some details, but at this point some or all of them could be incorrect,” Padme replied. “And the Chancellor wanted me to try and understand the specifics.”

“That… could be a problem,” Obi-Wan admitted. “Because the Council doesn’t have much idea either.”

“We were speaking with them for over an hour,” Anakin contributed. “Master is one of the better diplomats in the Jedi Order… we were actually told to try and find out who in the Senate might know what’s going on.”

Padme frowned, slightly. “You mean you were trying to find out if someone in the Senate had done this?” she asked. “But the army was ordered for the Jedi.”

“So we’ve been told,” Obi-Wan replied. “Obviously, it’s only been a few hours, but we haven’t been able to come to any conclusions – and, to put it bluntly, Senator, it could be that this army was ordered with the blame being placed on the Jedi in order to confuse the issue.”

Padme considered that.

“Possible, but I don’t think it’s likely,” she said. “Whoever ordered this army clearly had a reason behind what they were doing, we just don’t know what it is.”

“Which means we’re just going around in circles,” Anakin concluded.

“Perhaps, but simply hearing it from Padme has been useful,” Obi-Wan said. “I hope you’ll keep us informed if you learn anything?”

“Of course,” Padme smiled. “The two of you helped save my planet, Obi-Wan, Ani. You’re friends.”

“The Jedi Order teaches us to avoid attachment,” Anakin said, then grinned slightly. “But friends don’t count, right?”

“If friends did count, then I don’t think most of the Order would be very happy,” Obi-Wan replied.

“Yeah, true,” Anakin agreed. “I think Yoda still sends holocalls to his last padawan.”

“Is there something unusual about that?” Padme asked.

“It’s… more of Order business than anything,” Obi-Wan said. “My padawan really shouldn’t have passed on gossip like that. It’s not going to do him any good when it comes to whether he’ll be knighted.”

“Master,” Anakin complained. “You said I had nothing to worry about!”

“And you seem determined to prove me wrong,” Obi-Wan replied. “Perhaps you can prove me wrong about proving me wrong about that.”

Anakin’s lips moved.

“...okay?” he tried. “I’ll do my best, Master.”

“In that case, Anakin, I will have nothing to worry about,” Obi-Wan replied.

Padme smiled.

“So what are you going to do with the army, anyway?” she asked.

“That’s a very good question, but you should probably ask one of the members of the Council,” Obi-Wan replied.

“Master, everyone knows you’re going to be on the Council some time soon,” Anakin said.

“And I’m not one yet, and everyone doesn’t include me,” Obi-Wan pointed out. “But… really, that does depend on who and why there would be an order of over a million clones to fight for the Jedi. The only possibility I can think of is the Sith, but… why would the Sith order an army for the Jedi?”

“If it’s a Sith plot, do you have any chance of unravelling it?” Padme asked, worried. “You stopped whatever they were trying to do with Naboo.”

“Did we?” Obi-Wan asked.

“No, I mean you, specifically,” Padme replied. “And you, Anakin. The Droid Control Ship was key to whatever it was they were doing, and Obi-Wan killed a Sith.”

“And there’s been no sign of the other in a decade,” Obi-Wan said, thinking back to the Naboo crisis. “Though… now I come to think about that particular series of events, Senator, I do have to ask whether a specific member of the Senate was involved.”

“With the Sith?” Padme asked.

“There’s got to have been some Senators working with the Sith, back then,” Anakin pointed out.

“Perhaps, but that’s not what I mean,” Obi-Wan explained. “I mean the clone army. Because if there is anyone who could accidentally order an army, it is the junior Senator from Naboo.”

He turned, to direct something that was not quite a glare at Senator Binks. “Isn’t that right, Jar Jar?”

“Mesa not as bad as all dat,” Jar Jar protested. “Mesa been doing quite well for mesa self in the last ten years. Mesa has been takin’ classes on avoidin’ disaster and not bein’ clumsy.”

“Perhaps you have,” Obi-Wan said, relenting slightly. “But you must admit, Jar Jar, that certain events have given you a reputation it will take many years to live down yet.”

Jar Jar sighed.

“Mesa knows dat,” he admitted. “Theres-a all kinds of jokes about mesa. It seems like even when mesa floatin’ legislation, people makin’ jokes about waterfalls.”

Obi-Wan nodded, closing his eyes for a moment.

“I apologize, Jar Jar,” he said. “It’s easy for me to forget that you have to deal with that reputation all the time.”

“Yeah,” Jar Jar said.

“Speaking of which,” Anakin began. “Did anyone ever figure out how that happened? If they did, I missed it.”

“Mesa has said it over and over again,” Jar Jar protested. “Mesa was simply showin’ the bombad Chancellor-Elect the really pretty bits of Theed that mesa wasn’t sure that he’sa seen before, and mesa was wavin’ mesa hands around, and mesa… made a boopjak, big mistake.”

“The Chancellor-Elect fell three hundred and eighty metres,” Obi-Wan said. “Then he hit the ground, and exploded. It put something of a damper on the celebrations.”

“Jar Jar does know this,” Padme pointed out. “And he’s heard it over and over. He’s done his very best to put it behind him, and is as valued an ally of Chancellor Stonk as I am.”

“Hesa was a big supporter of rebuildin’ Naboo!” Jar Jar said, brightening as he rebounded in the way only he could. “Stonks even gone to the moon!”

“I heard about the colonization project of Ohma-D’un,” Anakin said, interested. “Do you think the terraforming equipment could be used to help make a planet less dry and sandy?”

He frowned. “Actually, Master… could we use the army for that? The only reason the Republic won’t do anything about Outer Rim slavery is that it would mean building an army, right?”

Padme looked interested, but frowned.

“We’d probably need to find where it came from, first,” she said. “But… I’ll definitely suggest it, Ani.”

She smiled. “Assuming the Senate gets any say in what to do with the army, of course.”

[lawtiee]

Runners High - A. Anderson

Synopsis: You and Abby were the best of the best — the “cream of the crop” as Issac calls you two. Of course, you weren’t that similar but you weren’t that different. There are parts of you that wish you were on par with Abby, but you couldn’t allow it with the resentment for her that clouds your mind. So, you just stay with your small circles, not thinking much about her. Though you seemed so alike, you had different goals in mind. You follow Issac blindly on occasion while Abby moved on her own accord. It was obviously by her sudden disappearance. You didn’t care much about it, but a small part of you is praying she reappears.

Paring: Abby Anderson x Reader

Kinks/Warnings: Canon-typical setting, canon-typical violence, death, light gore, mild language, enemies/rivals to lovers, more TBA

🎙️ Xan Says: Second attempt at a series in hopes that this doesn’t completely flop? I’m hoping I can keep this as accurate to the games timeline because I’m rewatching all of Abby’s gameplay from Seattle Day 3 and whatever else comes after. Contrary to popular belief, my favorite kindsa fanfics are ones that revolve around the canon universe! So I have a feeling that this’ll last a good while before I scrap it. Let’s just pray on it? I guess?

Chapters:

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Banner credit: @joliettes

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Second Best 3

Warnings: non/dubcon, and other dark elements. My username actually says you never asked for any of this.

My warnings are not exhaustive but be aware this is a dark fic and may include potentially triggering topics. Please use your common sense when consuming content. I am not responsible for your decisions.

Characters: Lee Bodecker

Summary: The newly-single sheriff sets his eye on an unexpected match.

Part of the Backwoods AU

As usual, I would appreciate any and all feedback. I’m happy to once more go on this adventure with all of you! Thank you in advance for your comments and for reblogging.

Your shift comes to an end and you heave a sigh of relief as you leave the hotel. You’re tired and slightly irritated. That guest Thor mentioned wasn’t friendly when you dropped of fresh towels. Not even a thank you.

Oh well, you’re free now. To do… absolutely nothing. Your agitation grows. Usually you’d call up Greta and waste time together but you’re not doing that anymore.

So what do you do? Go home and sew? Watch some soap operas with your mom? Maybe you could go for a nice walk…

Sure. Your feet are sore from your shift, you wouldn’t make it very far. You huff and roll your eyes. You’ll just hang out in your room or whatever. It’s par for the course in Hammer Ford.

You come to the bottom of Thunder Lane and turn onto one of the longer country roads. Your parents’ house isn’t terribly far, not when the weather is nice. You grip the strap of your slouch bag and yawn. A nap is tempting but with you’re luck, you’ll oversleep and end up awake all night.

The noise of an engine and mulching tires approaches. You don’t look back as you sidle over on the apron. There’s more than enough room for them to pass, you always make sure of that. Yet, you notice how the vehicle slows and the bumper pokes out just along your peripheral. As you walk on, the car keeps a snailish pace with you.

You glance over and withhold a cringe. Just what you need. The sheriff rolls down his window as he taps on the gas. He hooks his elbow through the door as he keeps his other hand on the wheel.

“Hey, darlin’, need a ride?” He drawls.

“No thanks, sheriff,” you turn your head straight and pick up your pace.

“You ain’t live far, I can drop ya off no problem.”

“Like you said, it’s not too far,” you agree, adjusting your grip on your bag.

He snickers as the gravel grits beneath the tracks of his tires, “I see,” he keeps his slow crawl, “you one of those ladies who don’t need no man, huh?”

“I… guess,” you shrug, keeping your eyes ahead of you.

“How’s that? Don’t you live with your daddy?”

You wince. That’s a low blow, even if it is true.

“Sure do,” you answer dully.

“I’m not sayin’ it to embarrass you, I’m just wonderin’,” he coaxes, “don’t mean nothing at all.”

“Thank you, sheriff.”

“You gonna look at me, huh?”

You peek over again. You don’t say a word as you keep walking. He watches you as you watch him. His gaze makes your blood run cold.

“Come on, get in,” he says.

You frown, “I said, I’m fine.”

“You sure are stubborn,” he clucks, “I thought an old man like yours would teach ya some respect.”

You face the horizon again, keeping one foot in front of the other, “I haven’t been disrespectful, sir.”

He huffs and doesn’t respond. You press on as he pulls ahead. You watch him drive off, picking up speed as he rolls away. You exhale and bite your cheek. That was weird.

You watch him stop just down the way and reverse. He veers his back bumper around and swerves back to face you. He must’ve got a call. You don’t think too much of it. He slams on the gas, revving back in your direction.

He gets closer and closer. You expect him to drive past but you realise, he isn’t following the lines. He’s driving right at you!

You stagger and jump to the side. You hurdle yourself off the apron across the ditch and hit the grass on your knees. Your bag swings up over your shoulder and weighs you down. You twist onto your ass and pant at him as he stops just short of the divet in the ground.

He laughs through the open window as he flicks his lights on and his siren whoops, sending your heart to lurch again. You scramble back on your hands and stand up shakily. He backs up again and steers the car straight.

“Better be careful on the backroads,” he idles just across the ditch from you, “lotta careless drivers around here.”

You gape at him. He didn’t just try to kill you. He wouldn’t. He’s the sheriff. And for what? Because you didn’t want to go with him and Greta? Or because you didn’t want a ride?

“See ya round, darlin’,” he taunts and spins the wheel, speeding off in the other direction. His tires kick up rocks and send a cloud of dust into the air behind him.

You reach down to wipe off your pants and try to shake off the adrenaline. You still can’t believe what just happened. It just doesn’t make sense.

You sniff and look around. It’s just you, out in the middle of nowhere. He did all that but he could have done more. You’re lucky he didn’t.

You stay on the far side of the ditch, edging close to the trees as you set back towards home. You’ll cut through the forest, just to be sure. You’d almost rather face a black bear than chance another run-in with the sheriff.

[tr4gictea]

True Meaning: Act I, Part II

Isekai teen!reader + Genshin Impact

❥Masterlist

Tags: Panic Attack, Reader has an existential crisis, Agnst with comfort, Arataki Gang being silly :P

Including: Itto, The Arataki Gang, and Kuki Shinobu

word count: 2,522 words

A/n: Heyyyy guess who wrote this in two hours <3 (I'm kinda proud of myself for that) And I would like to thank you for the love on part one of this series <3 and other will be a poll at the end of the story for which twin you guys would like to have as the traveler and if you guys want me to write about the two days the reader had with Itto and the gang leave a comment. This short story will be posted along with my normal uploads.

Pervious | Next

True Meaning Table of Content ⋆౨ৎ˚⟡

“Here it is, in all its pride and glory! The Otogi Ramen Stand!” The gang leader said presenting the run-down ramen stall. “Get whatever you’d like we can cover it.” He said with a chuckle. You looked down at the prices, which were between 100 mora and 500. He probably took you here for the cheap price since he doesn't have a deep pocket.

You scanned over the menu looking at all the food but one dish in particular caught your eye. “One bowl of chili oil and beef ramen please.” You heard a gasp behind you as you ordered. Behind you, the boys had their hands on their chests while others had their faces in their hands. They looked like mothers from the 1800s when their kids tells them they're gay. “Um, you guys alright?”

“No! You just disrespected the auxiliary member of the Arataki Gang!” One of the members said while pointing an accusatory finger at you.

Auxiliary member? I don’t remember one of those in the gang. And how would I be disrespecting them by ordering that dish? Maybe I am still dreaming.

“Guys she doesn’t know yet so don’t be too hard on her,” Itto turns back to you. “The Auxiliary Member of the Arataki Gang is my buddy Ushi.” He punches the air and a flash of yellow light appears only to be replaced by a small bull. Ooohhhh, that Ushi! Itto’s bull. “(Y/n), Ushi, Ushi, (Y/n). As you can see Ushi is part bull so we find it a little disrespectful for someone to eat beef.”

“Oh okay, no problem,” You turn back to the seller, “Then instead I will have a chili oil and pork ramen bowl.” The seller, who has been listening to your strange conversation the entire time, gives you a weird look and then makes your bowl for you.

Once it is all paid for by Itto, the gang and you sit down at a table and talk. You don't participate in the conversation that much but you do learn the names of the others in the gang: Akira, Genta, and Mamoru. But you were more focused on the ramen in front of you. It certainly wasn’t the best ramen you’ve had, but it's not the worst. I mean it could use more noodles. It was lacking on that par and- “(Y/n)!”

Snapping out of your food-themed trance you glance back up at the group looking at you like they were waiting for something. “Hm? I’m sorry what were you saying?”

“We were asking if you had any place to stay for the night or were just on the streets?” Mamoru asks.

“Oh, I’m uh, on the streets,” You say putting your head down in shame. You didn’t have a place to go other than that forest area, but that wasn’t the best option.

“How about you stay with me?” Your head snaps up in surprise. You knew Itto was nice in game but you didn’t know he was this nice. “I’ve got one spare bed in my house for ya,”

“But Boss, you only have two beds and one of them is Shinobu’s, she probably won’t like this arrangement.”

“Nocense! Once she sees the noble act I have done for this child she will be proud of me! Plus she’s out for two days so we will have time to come up with a better solution.” He said speed talking the last part.

“I mean as long as I’m not intruding…” you say hesitantly

“Of course not it's my house!” He says a flashes a small at you. “Now come with me, I will show you around!” You said your quick goodbyes to the gang and headed off to Itto’s house.

The first thing you noticed when you got inside was the amount of filth in his house. The sink was filled with dirty dishes, and blankets and pillows were tossed wherever.

“How long ago did your roommate leave?”

“Oh, a day ago,” He says as he grabbed a pillow from the kitchen and dusted it off. He's hopeless without Shinobu, oh my god… There is no way she would have let it get this bad, and within a day he has already managed to wreck the place.

“Anyways, here is where you’ll be sleeping for the time being.” He opened the door to a clean bedroom with a kneeling table in the middle, a futon in the corner, and a dresser on the opposite wall. It was so neat and well put together. You couldn’t even compare it to the natural disaster of a room that was the front room.

“This is so nice…” You walk into the room in awe.

“Yeah, Shinobu is a clean freak, you’ll meet her in 2 days and I’m sure she’ll be happy to meet you and proud of me hehe.” He says with a chuckle. “Oh! And I will get you something to sleep in, I will be right back!” And with that, he dashed off into another room. Leaving you alone. In a room. Of a fictional character's house. Away from home. Away from your family. Friends. Everything you’ve ever cared about and know has gone away from your reach.

Your breathing starts to pick up and the reality of your situation sets in, You are in a dangerous world full of monsters and people who would kill you without a second thought. Why are you here? How is this happening? What do you do when Shinobu comes back to find a stranger in her bed? She’ll probably kick you out and what are you supposed to do then? Your throat tightens up and you feel your self tearing up, you collapse on the floor and hope you disappear. You have no idea what you are doing.

“Woah woah, are you okay.” Itto appears beside you and kneels next to you hesitantly pulling you into his arms. “Hey hey, it’s okay I’m here…” He says trying to comfort you but it doesn’t seem to be helping. “Um, listen I know things are tough right now, and you are a long way from home. But you are strong, and you can make it through this. And don’t worry I can help you every step of the way.”

You look up at him in surprise, “Really?”

“Uh, um… yeah, of course!” He looked like he regretted promising that to you. “Don't worry, for now just get changed and go to sleep. That’s the best thing you can do right now.”

Y-yeah he’s right I just need a bit of sleep to get my mind right.

“Thank you Itto, for everything,” You give him a warm smile and take the yukata from him.

“No problemo sister, anytime!” He says smugly and shoots finger guns at you. “Have a good night and I will see you in the morning.”

The next two days you spent with the Arataki gang were the most fun and the fastest days you’ve had. The first day they took your clothes shopping and ended up getting banned from two shops for improper etiquette. On the second day, they went around challenging children to beetle battles, which caused children to leave crying with less mora than they had originally. This eventually led to Itto getting told off by angry parents. (Let me know if you guys want mini-stories on these events.)

But throughout those two days you still had one thing on your mind. How do you get out of here? Since you knew that sakoku and vision hunt decree were still in act that would mean the traveler hasn’t arrived here yet which is good. Because he could be your ticket out of here. But you had one problem, you had no idea when they would get here. You don’t know if you arrived during their time in Liyue or worse, you guys arrived at the same time. If you arrived at the same time as the traveler, that could be bad for you as it could take a year or two for them to get here. But this fact was out of your control. All you could do was wait a hope they’d come soon.

For now, you were at a restaurant in Inazuma City as the gang said they had something very important they needed to discuss with you. This restaurant was a very middle-class restaurant that would probably have a three-and-a-half review on Yelp, but the price was on the expensive side for Itto and the gang. So they must have had something really important they needed to discuss with you.

You go through dinner with the guys laughing, talking, and enjoying for when Genta nudges the boss and jesters towards you with his head. Itto clears his throat and raises his glass of water while tapping it with a spoon. “Treasured Members of the Arataki Gang, only two days ago have we met this young child all alone in the woods, starving and helpless…”

You quirked your eyebrow up at him, “I wasn’t starving and helples-”

“Starving and helpless!” He pushes a finger in front of your mouth and shushes you. ”And within two days we have nurtured them in a strong individual. This is why I’m pleased to ask, from the gang and myself, if you would like to join the gang of Ara-!” “ARATAKI ITTO!”

A shout vibrates through the restaurant and causes everyone in the restaurant to jump in surprise. The source of the shout was from none other than Kuki Shinobu, the Deputy Officer of the gang.

“Sh-Shinobu! I didn’t know you’d be back so soon!” Itto says with a nervous chuckle.

“I said three days, and I’m back after three days ain’t I?” She says with a dark expression on her face. Her eyes glanced over the table and most of the boys hid their gaze until they landed on you. You don’t know if she is angry at you or what but her eyes never left you. “Itto. Outside. Now.”

“Yes ma’ma.” As they walked away Itto hung his head low in shame. And they walked out of the restaurant and slammed the door behind them. The restaurant hung in an awkward silence until your waiter brought the check out to your table.

“Wait but we're not ready to leave yet,” Genta says to the waitress.

“Um, yes but we are. Please pay your tab and leave, thank you for dining here tonight.” She said nervously while bowing then walked away.

The boys looked at the tab and their faces darkened.

“Shit.”

“Hm? What's wrong?”

“We don’t have the mora for this.”

“Well, how much is it?”

“4,634 mora…”

Shit.

“What were you thinking?! Bringing a kid into the gang, as an official member!?” Kuki Shinobu was currently berating her boss for bringing a kid into the gang without consulting her first. “When Mamoru told me in that letter I couldn’t believe it!”

“But Shinobu you didn’t see how they wer-”

“I didn’t ask for your input, I will allow you to speak when I need you to, yes?”

“Yes…” Itto said dejectedly.

“This has to be the most immature thing you have done in a while and I’ve seen you do some pretty stupid shit. But to bring a child to a gang then allow them to sleep in my room while I was away.” She shook her head at the horned man. “I can’t believe this… Alright, you may defend your case now.”

“Okay, so you see th-,” But before Itto even got a full sentence out Shinobu stopped him.

“Actually, I want to hear this from the kid themself, go get them.” She snapped at him.

Itto let out a sigh, “Fine,” He marched back into the restaurant and grabbed you while the other members frantically figuring out how to pay for this meal. Once you stepped outside and were met with shiobu face to face. She is a short but menacing woman, the mask covering her face made her even more scary.

“My name is Kuki Shinobu, I am the Deputy Officer of the Arataki Gang, you have most likely heard of me through them.” She says gesturing back inside the restaurant. “Now, I'm not mad, I just want to know what's happening. Please tell me your side of the story.” She said giving the floor to you.

“Um, well you see, I was sent on a research mission for the Akademiya here when-…” Kuki listened to your story without interruption and only nodded at you as you explained.

“Hmm, I have a couple of questions. Why don't you go to the Tenryo Commission to take you back?

“I would but it’s still too expensive to go back and I don't have that kind of money right now."

“Hasn’t the akademiya sent a letter to you or anything?”

“In that Strom,” You say pointing to the storm blocking anything from getting in and out of Inazuma. “No.”

“Hm, do you really have nowhere to go?” She says emphasizing 'really'. You shake your head at her. This was the first question you did have to lie to her about. You really didn’t have anywhere to go if Shinobu kicked you out of her house. You didn’t know what you would do… That throat-straining feeling came back to you at that moment.

“Last question, if you were to join the Arataki Gang would not be paid much, and you would have to help around with the gang and keep them out of trouble. But you would be offered a place to stay, eat, and people that have your back. If you are fine with these terms then, would you like to join the Arataki Gang?”

The world stops for a moment, was she offering you a place in the gang? That feeling constricting your heart disappeared and was replaced by an overwhelming joy in your heart. “Y-yes, yes! Absolutely yes!” You rush forward to give her a hug which she hesitantly accepts.

“Hehe, okay let's go back in so we can tell the good news to the boys.” She says smiling with her eyes.

When you walked back into the restaurant you found Itto and the boys hunching over the bill with bags of mora in their hands.

“Come on boys let’s pay the tab and leave.” the masked woman ushers them to hurry.

“We're trying to but, uh, it got a little expensive…”

She quirked her eyebrow up at them. “Hm? Let me see the bill then.” They hesitantly handed her the bill and after one look at it, Shinobu's eyes blew wide open. “4,634 mora…!”

“We’re sorry Shinobu! We swear we will make it up to you but we just need half of that sum for dinner today!”

Shinobu looked like she could kill at any moment right now. “You better or else I’m going to have your heads as dinner the next time!”

You stood behind Shinobu giggling at the fact that a small Japanese woman was lecturing a group of grown men. Maybe you wouldn’t mind if traveler took a little longer to get here…

More Genshin Impact Stories *ੈ✩‧₊˚

True Meaning Table of Content ⋆౨ৎ˚⟡

REMEMBER TO SMASH THAT LIKE BUTTON, OBLITERATE THAT FOLLOW BUTTON AND, REQUEST FOR A SHOUT-OUT IN MY NEXT VIDEO 🗣🗣🗣🔥🔥🔥

[vigilskeep]

do you have any refs for Minerva’s relationship with the other dao companions? I did not realize she and leliana was estranged 😭 also if im remembering correctly she makes loghain do the dark ritual? sorry I do like spinning her around in my head and knowing the little details she’s such a great character!!

leliana and minerva did not have a clear breakup in the alistair minerva sense but they did grow apart because of the simple reason that post dao minerva becomes politically at odds with the chantry while leliana is serving its leader. leliana is not a type of person minerva finds very easy to like or trust so while they did grow on each other over the course of dao they never had a simple friendship in the first place

alistair you probably know about bc its kind of the cornerstone of minervaposting but theres a post fully explaining it not much further down in her tag

zevran is her romance <3 i hesitate to use the word “soulmates” exactly but they definitely fit together in a way no other minerva pairing could match

morrigan she has a weird close complicated vaguely homosexual friendship with, i’m sure this is par for the course for f!wardens. they probably could have been in love if morrigan had been willing to pursue it in the start and if minerva hadn’t already gone for someone else by the end, and all that is unspoken but very present in everything about them

sten is i guess kind of the typical high approval relationship as presented in game? not much more unique. a lot of respect a lot of arguing a lot of dry humour. they could hang out in silence comfortably and they’re also both know and respect that they’re very capable of killing the other if their greater purposes ever demand it

oghren she kind of doesn’t pay much mind in origins when she doesn’t have to but he becomes part of the family in awakening. they bond over having their insane shared experiences of the blight, and also over him trying to quit drinking and her trying to quit blood magic which leads to some really wild out of context conversations for the others. and hey, eventually over first attempting to parent at similar times

wynne she has a bit of a sharp relationship with. i think this could vary a lot if i pick her up earlier, but in my main minerva playthrough i picked her up late by which time minerva had absolutely no fucking interest in getting the kind of lectures she grew up with. sorry grandma </3

uhhhh who else. shale idk man im sorry for being a fake fan but shale’s dlc truly does nothing for me it’s unfunny and i dont think abt it at all 💔 this would be written in less harsh terms if i wasnt sleepy

loghain is. well that’s a kettle of fish. minerva spares him because it happens to be a preferable move for her agenda and her way of thinking, it’s not rlly about him as a person at all. she doesn’t absolve him of anything he did, like, she still thinks he’s a bastard it’s just that she doesn’t really believe at all in the concept of justice being done if it doesn’t serve a purpose. when he’s in the party they do build up respect and a weird kind of friendship. he sucks and she’s bitter about what sparing him cost her, but that isn’t relevant, it’s not going to stop her learning from him, or fighting at his side as the best team she can quickly make them, or simply finding him entertaining to talk to. so by the end it’s as a friend that she asks him to do the dark ritual, whatever that means. post dao she agrees with weisshaupt that him being assigned outside of ferelden is wise but they continue to write to each other extremely regularly, mostly on matters of news and strategy but occasionally on the more personal

is that everyone i think thats everyone

[roo-bastmoon]

So privacy has been violated OR...

... a smear campaign has begun.

Let's just get this new dating scandal out of the way so we can get back to buying and streaming...

Listen, I don't share unofficial content, but by now everyone in this tag knows there's a video going around that's supposed to be of JK in his apartment with Bam, walking around back-hugging and perhaps kissing a girl. Folks say there's the same couch, same wall panel, and a mood lamp.

I'm side-eyeing this because it's super grainy footage, the windows are different, the wall panel seems to be in different places in the two videos, the guy is shorter than the girl, and he's wearing a mask indoors. Plus, the account that dropped the videos supposedly posted then promptly closed up shop, which seems like they had the intention for deliberate sabotage instead of clout chasing as a sasaeng.

But people say the apartment set up seems really similar and the man has a similar hairstyle to what JK had in the beginning of 2023. So I guess it's Schrodinger's cat at this point.

(Isn't it curious that apartment-related scandals seem to happen on the day new content drops? Hmm... I digress.)

Look... If Jungkook (or Jimin) ends up dating someone else, I'm still going to support them as individuals. I'll be sad of course, because Jikook had AMAZING chemistry and I was really rooting for them to be together forever and all... but, I want them to be happy and fulfilled more than I want them to fit into any fantasy or ideas of my own.

That being said: at this very moment, half of Jimin's insta feed is about Jungkook. Most of Jungkook's lives for 2023 have JK mentioning Jimin, or even being totally focused on Jimin. There's years of super duper sus history between them. Right up to and including yesterday, where Jimin very heavily implied they are sharing Chuseok together.

It feels really weird to me that Jimin would want to tie JK's hair back neatly, call JK baby, beg JK to stay longer at his rehearsal, and joke that he can handle seeing JK naked -- but JK can't come over to shower and visit b/c Jimin says he just isn't that easy... if JK were in a relationship with someone else.

It also feels really weird to me that JK would light up like a super nova any time Jimin commented on his lives, would beg Jimin to hang out, would sing all of Jimin's songs and memorize Jimin's interview content, would travel with Jimin for his debut, then roll around naked in bed grinning and blushing while flirting with Jimin on live... if JK were in a relationship with someone else.

That would make Jungkook kind of a shitty boyfriend and Jimin kind of a shitty friend.

I know Jungkook is cultivating this cool guy/ladies man image right now and that is kinda baffling. I know friends can play-flirt, too... but to do all that on lives, after all their history together, knowing what half of Korea and ARMY thinks? Hm.

That's not "fanservice;" that's really toeing the line of queerbaiting. And it's really hard for me to imagine Jimin or Jungkook doing something like that. Jimin said he hates fake bromance stuff. (I guess anything is possible. It's a new chapter, after all. Maybe it's par for the course in idol-world.)

Hey, maybe Jikook had an amicable break up but are still really close and are fine teasing each other? Maybe they always liked to flirt but never were together? Maybe I've been reading it all wrong this whole time? Or maybe this is a bullshit video?

Whatever the reality is, I'm prepared to acknowledge it. At any time.

I'm not in a cult. I don't have to convince myself of anything. Jikook's behavior had made me think Jikook were in a relationship. If JK is dating someone else now? Okay then. I will just stop posting Jikook content and continue to help OT7 and celebrate my bias with all my heart.

No need for elaborate conspiracy theories or coping histrionics. If JK is in his Loving Women Era, good for him. Go with god, my brother. (Personally, I'd never recover from losing my chance to be with Thee Park Jimin, but that's me!)

But something about this just doesn't quite feel right. I wonder if he'll address it at all, like he did when folks filmed him in his gym or sent food to his home? Because if this is somehow real, it's a HORRIBLE invasion of privacy; home is supposed to be a safe place, and stalkers are scary.

And if it's not real, then someone is going to an AWFUL lot of trouble to overshadow Jungkook's release and upcoming album and that is unhinged. The kind of trouble that reminds me of apartment break-ins and tampered mail.

In any case, like I said: I'm ready to accept whatever the reality is, once the reality becomes clear.

I really love Jungkook. I really love Jimin. I really love BTS. They were there for me at the darkest, lowest point in my life. So whether I was right or wrong about Jikook, it doesn't really matter. In the end, I support them as far as I can.

But also, I sorta think this video may just be bullshit. So let's let them have their privacy, and focus instead on voting for Jimin and buying and streaming for JK instead, hmm? Eventually the truth will come to light.

No matter what happens, let's behave in a way that would make Jimin and Jungkook proud.

Love, Roo

[slowthypiglordblr]

Toh Theory: Will the Titan aid Luz in the Final Battle, and has he been helping her?

Throughout the course of the Owl house (especially after the revelations from S2b) a question has been in the back of my mind. Has the Titan of the Boiling Isles been secretly helping Luz this whole time?

A major element of season 1 and early season 2 was Luz’s uncanny ability to discover and utilize glyphs, something witches and demons didn’t know existed until then. In a matter of weeks, Luz had mastered all four glyphs, and would eventually learn to combine them in only a few months. While this also stems from her artistic ingenuity (and reading some of Philip’s journal), it’s almost like the Titan itself had been guiding her as a sort omniscient second mentor. On the opposite, it took Belos/Philip Witterbane years to figure out the gylphs even requiring Luz to teach his past self the light spell (her first glyph). He even speculated that Titan would have such knowledge to begin with and was actively sabotaging him to prevent him from threatening the people of the isles. It’s fitting that the self-proclaiming “Humble Messenger of the Titan” was actually a false prophet despised by the being he claimed to serve where as Luz was unknowingly the Titan’s true champion.

Another interesting thing in “For The Future” of all the Hexsquad, Luz was the only one to stuck in the rift (a place she had previously visited in Yesterday’s Lie). The spiritual figure (who I presume is the titan’s soul) is desperately trying to reach, even waving at her to get her attention. Whatever the reason, the Titan clearly wishes to speak with Luz specifically as if he needs her for something important. 

This is mostly just a guess on my end, but I’m starting to wonder if Dana has been hinting this connection from the beginning. During the countdown for the season 2 premiere, Luz is shown resting inside the skull of a giant beast which seems to greatly resembles a Titan’s head. Another art piece shows Luz playing with a massive paper mache King’s skull, wearing it and even sitting inside of it. 

In the show proper, in the episode “Thanks to Them”, Luz and Hunter adorn themselves with a King and Owl mask respectively to face what they think is Belos returned. While this was mostly helped to give Hunter a much needed confidence boost, it might also serve as a symbolic function in the narrative. Hunter is revitalizing a part of his former identity as the Golden Guard whereas Luz wears the likeness of someone she views as a younger brother for emotional support. It also may foreshadow Luz drawing strength from the Titan itself in order to be on par with the Collector as what Lilith mentioned in “For the Future”, Titan’s magic can negate Collector magic. (Makes you wonder if instead of a CollectorLuz, we got TitanLuz, but that’s probably just me.)

.Before we get into Titan’s plans for Luz, we need to take reflect on elements on the small tidbits of information revolving around the Titans in general. As we can recall, the Titans were once the ruling species of the Demon Realm for an unspecified amount of time. One day, the Collectors arrived on their crusade of capturing and taking over other planets for their own agenda. The Titans stepped forth to oppose the Collector and drive them back, with the latter alongside the witches and demons who worshiped them and sought their extinction. This would lead to a long and bloody war which ended in both sides wiping each other out, save a youngster from each opposing species (King and our Collector). 

During this period of time, it helps to shed a small light on the Boiling Isles Titan likely as a person. While we don’t know much about King’s father, it’s in the face of the war and the slaughter of his kin, a he sought to protect his son (the last Titan) at all costs. He created an island hidden away from the Collector through a protective sigil inside a massive tower which King’s egg would be nurtured. As a last line of defense against any intruder seeking to harm his son, the Titan created an army of golems made from flesh and bone to protect and care for King. This proves to us that regardless of circumstance, King’s father loved and cherished his son more than anything in the world, even before his own life. 

This leads into the reason for the Titan seeking out Luz, the answer is as simple as it is profound, to be there for King. Ever since Luz arrived on the Isles, she’s had a massive positive impact on the island and it’s inhabitants (despite her believing the contrary). She helped Eda reconcile with her curse and her sister, she helped Willow, Gus, Hunter, and Amity overcome their personal struggles, reforge their friendships and come into their own, as well as play an important role in stopping the Day of Unity. But one of major accomplishments was with King, at the start of the show, he was self-centered attention seeking child lost in delusions of grandeur who often caused a lot of trouble her and others around him. But thanks in part to Luz, King not only learned that actions have consequences and to appreciate what he has, but also resolve his own identity crisis and discover his nature as a Titan. If not for Luz’s influence would’ve never become the mature, responsible, empathetic boy he is by season 3. Through that, it’s easy to see why the Titan would see Luz as the perfect person to watch over King, as well the world he created in his own death. 

While the idea of prophecy and chosen ones does not fit the themes of the owl house, but take away the Titan’s preconceived divinity to the witches and demons of the BI and a new picture is formed. A father who in death left behind a world for his son to call home and a family to cherish, with Luz serving to guide him into becoming a good person in a way he could not. 

[geek-antic]

Soundwave is a powerhouse and an enigma and we don't talk about it enough so i'mma just gonna make a compilation of "how the hell did he do that" and "what the hell is he" moments that i've managed to find from across several transformers continuities

first off is from the first IDW comic continuity

this is never explained, so i can only assume its because soundwave is technically an outlier but i haven't seen a panel that shows other outliers having "off the scale" readings, whatever that means.

and then in the last moments of this continuity he sacrifices himself to save the universe/earth by using his outlier ability along with the enigma of combination to essentially connect the dead to the living in the entire galaxy for a hot minute . idk how the hell he did that or how he knew to do that, my money is on bad writing but i digress.

next up Transformers Prime

tfp fans: elaborate on that. tfp writers: no. transformers prime soundwave is definitely a powerhouse and an enigma for several reasons but number one is this god damn scene with ratchet exclaiming soundwave isn't your standard cybertronian and then to my frustration the show refuses to explain why.

also he can open portals. the only explanation for that is in the novels where he actually was part of the invention of spacebridge technology. i guess he could've incorporated that into himself, which frankly is kinda unheard of in of itself. but still I feel inclined to tell him that skywarp called and they want their powers back.

Next, we have the game Transformers: fall of cybertron. where he scavenges together all of megatrons parts and puts him back together which, yeah sure why not? it's essentially like putting a corpse back together but then he just REVIVES HIM??

with his mind completely intact despite having been decimated by Metroplex and being dead for several hours. excuse me sir but that shouldn't be possible. I guess I could just chop it up to the writers being a bit loosey goosey with their own rules for the world but it's still quite a feat. but thinking back to G1 where he did the same thing with skyfire I guess they assumed it's just something he can do?

although skyfire's revival was a bit more reasonable considering he was still in one piece and frozen solid which they explained to be the reason as to why he was kept intact. but I'm assuming that's why the writers were like "well let's just have him do the same thing for megatron" and everyone was like yeah okay why not. also like a lot of things in G1 this inbuilt high voltage canon/defibrillator is never brought up again which is hilarious and par for the course for G1.

there are several more moments throughout all the tf continuities where soundwave just does something inexplicable but these are a some of the moments that stuck out to me the most. I welcome others to add onto this post if they wish. because I'm sure I've missed some "how the hell did he do that" moments that would be a shame not to bring up.

[leighbaylee]

🖤 ₊˚⊹ — eldest daughter of the malfoy family (2) #DISCONTINUED

parring ➵ draco malfoy x sibling f!reader

summary ➵ the beginning of the end, the initiation ceremony.

age of parring ➵ 16 - 18

warnings ➵ angst, mention of pain inflicting, broken families, flashbacks.

extra ➵ thanks to @cafekitsune for banners, extremely special thanks to @helendeath for supporting this story! mind you this chapter is long, you are responsible for your consumption. first chapter here.

before you knew it, the following school year was rapidly approaching. apparently it was the perfect time for him to conceive the dark mark.

for whatever reason for father, lucius, thought it was best for your younger brother to receive the dark mark. not thinking about the mental toll it will bring him.

the next moment, you were in draco’s room helping him get dressed and ready out the door. you weee buttoning his blazer and you then ran you hand though his hair, keeping it down. you then sigh.

❝ are you ready? ❞ you asked in a soft spoken voice, genuinely curious about his wellbeing.

❝ i-i guess, still unaware how the process will go. ❞

you then sat on his bed, patting his silk sheets to a spot next to you. he took the hint and approached you and took a seat.

❝ well whatever you feel uncomfortable, just reach out to me okay? ❞

he replied in a hum, he cleared his throat forgetting how observant his older sister was. like the both of you were in a in a pact and however he felt it will affect how you acted.

❝ how did you, yknow deal with the aftermath of embedding of the mark? ❞ draco asked hesitantly, wondering how you would answer his question.

you then stared off into space, all of the sudden the ceiling captivated your attention as you vividly remembered how it went down.

it happened in a different circumstance, but that you couldn’t remember why and when it happened. you wanted to spare yourself from revealing to much or it would most definitely get your brother more anxious then he already was.

you were also sixteen years old when your left forearm was tainted with the mark. the bubbling of a cauldron filling your mind also being the center of attention, plus witnesses taking your branding as amusing.

the pain was excruciating. it felt as if you were being held in the one of three unforgivable curses, the cruciatus curse.

the noises of your soft cries and the hot tears streaming down your cheeks fillings your memory as the dark lord announced your current loyalty to him to the rest of the death eaters.

the glittering green skull with a snake protruding from its mouth was now visible, you rubbed and pinched your skin as you were trying to rub fast drying ink off your skin.

how much you needed to see your baby brother in that very moment.

the final vision you saw was back at the manor, you were embraced by your father and you choked back sobs as he caressed your head. trying to comfort his eldest daughter, narcissa with tears welling in her eyes wiped tears away from your eyes.

draco was only fourteen when this all went down, of course he want present due to his young age. he wasn’t aware until much later that you had the mark.

how much you pushed him away from you, afraid of how would then perceive you. how much he wanted to be there for his big sister but it hurt him how painfully obvious you wanted nothing to do with him until these uncontrollable feelings subsided.

as you told him everything he wanted to hear, you noticed how much facial changes he made. slowly and slowly worsening his mood as he took in how he sister handled that all on your own.

not even able to take a full breath in and out, you embraced him as tightly as you physically could. sniffing being heard as mumbled, because you laid your face into his neck.

❝ i-i just want you to know i will be always be here for you, im so worried for you draco! ❞

draco eyebrows furrowed, responding in a hug back is his breathing struggled hearing you be in undeniable pain hurtes him because what you faced will happen to him next.

just without emotional support from him, which filled him with guilt although it was never his fault. he was just to young and still naive.

❝ i hate for you to go through this alone and just knowing i can be present makes me so relieved you have absolutely no idea! ❞ you hiccuped, whimpering.

you let yourself from a hug you know he needed. both of hands grabbing his face and making eye contact with him. his eyebrows furrowed, in a frown as he desperately tried to blink his tears away.

your fresh manicured fingers in a gentle manner rubbed his eyelids, you then kissed his temple as you always did. it was evident that it worked.

you pressed your forehead together looking at each other in a platonically loving way. reminding you of back when the both of you were kids.

the malfoy family, besides lucius, were now present in knockturn alley. where draco’s death eater initiation ceremony will take place.

as evident as it was, knockturn ally wasn’t the same as before. previously full of life, color, & and people of every blood status, it was now dark, gloomy, and isolated. reminding you of malfoy manor in a way.

how you wished to be home at this very moment, knowing you needed to prepare for the worst.

dressed formally, hair laid down held up in a ribbon. you made sure that your robes covered the dark mark. people were still around and you needed to have social awareness.

you and draco, in a quick pace, followed narcissa. stealing rapid glances around it seemed to be clear, you continued followed your mother and swiftly grabbed draco’s hand as the closer you got to the location he almost stayed put.

as if he even had a choice. it pierced you but it was the truth no matter what. little did the both of you know, harry potter, hermione granger, and ron weasley were watching you from a distance.

❝ harry, is it me or do draco, his elder sister, and mummy look like three people who don’t wanna be followed? ❞ ron asked as he observed with harry, which led with hermione whipping her head around.

then there you guys were, as mentioned previously, narcissa entering into a alleyway. and the sight of you and draco holding hands and following right away.

the golden trip exited, staying in a logical gap between the malfoy’s. awaiting for what revelation was about to arise.

the long alleyway lead to a staircase leading down, letting go of draco’s hand and lifting your dress just a few inches of the ground to prevent any tripping.

the next turn lead to the site of where the initiation would take place. borgin and burkes. you and narcissa entered simultaneously while draco stayed out, he makes eye contact with you as you held the door open for him. the ceremony would begin shortly.

the both of you were being lead to another room where the vanishing cabinet was stored. as that was happening, the trio went onto the roof as quietly and sneakily as the possibly could.

harry then observed through a window how close you and draco were than he initially imagined. the noticed the small detail of the matching stacking ring on the same finger. he thought it was a soft touch but let those thoughts subside.

you and draco ran your hands over every corner and crevice of the vanishing cabinet and exchanged in small talk in form whispers before narcissa and distracted draco by planting a kiss on her only son’s cheek, while you looked at other items the antiquarian held.

then the reason why you were held up here commenced.

a group of voldemort-sympathisers, including bellatrix lestrange and fenrir greyback encircled an old cauldron containing a bright green potion and, in the centre of the circle stood draco.

as draco extended his left arm, the potion in the cauldron exploded with light and, quickly, the group dispersed.

୨⎯ 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚 𝐥𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡 ⎯୧

[letstalkaboutfandomsbaby]

thinking about that one part in your naoya fic where he’s like “I’d hate for us to have a shotgun wedding” and imagining, he’d totally get reader knocked up the night they’re married. Then 9 months later his relatives would be all 🙄 because they totally thought it was an accident but no he’s just determined to start a family. he’d be so obnoxious when reader starts takings days off like :) hey isn’t it nice to stay home all day :) you could get used to this right :) you wanna quit your job

Well now you've got me thinking about Naoya gettin reader pregnant and shit goddamn sksksk

───────────────

Naoya would be RELENTLESS on your wedding night, holy fuck. He would insist on going as many rounds as possible, cumming inside you as many times as he can so that you're filled to the brim with cum. His breeding kink is running wild, thoughts of you growing round with his child making him go feral. Each time you think he's all done, he suddenly imagines you pregnant and then he's mounting you again 😔 Ends up fucking you eight times in total, he's just that obsessed with you 😔

It's really no surprise that you got pregnant after the intense wedding night you have. You announce your pregnancy and the whole family is like "wow, what a surprise 🙄😒" like they KNEW this was gonna happen, the Zen'in men are notorious for getting their wives pregnant as soon as possible so this is just par for the course sksksk. There would be rumors of it being a shotgun wedding but all the women know what the Zen'in men are like so the gossip doesn't last for long.

As for Naoya, he gets downright ANNOYING during your pregnancy. He keeps your pregnancy test until you start showing because he likes having a physical reminder of your pregnancy. Acts like you'll break if you do literally anything, so he doesn't let you lift a finger. Ends up doing a lot of chores just because he thinks that any kind of activity could harm the baby and he'd rather die than risk that. He complains about cleaning and cooking but he refuses to let you help. "You better be grateful that I'm being so nice and making dinner for you. Not every husband would subject themselves to woman's work like this. No, I don't want your help! You need to rest; what if something happens to the baby?!" Just so obnoxious sksksk

He just gets worse as time goes on. You start showing and he can't keep his hands off your tummy, always trying to feel the baby kick or move around. Always bragging about how "we're pregnant :)" and telling people how far along you are, as if he did anything more than pump his load into you 🙄 Loves going baby shopping despite complaining that it's something that the women should worry about. He just likes looking at all the clothes and toys and little trinkets he'll get to use once he's finally a father. It makes his tummy all fuzzy and happy and he gets this sweet dopey grin on his face that is just so cute and sincere.

Once you start taking time off, he doubles down on trying to get you to stay home for good. Just like you said, he's all "isn't this nice? :) Staying home and relaxing all day, taking care of yourself and the baby? :) Wouldn't you like to do this all the time? :) Don't you think it'd be nice to quit your silly job and let me take care of you two? :)" He's so passive aggressive about it like it's ridiculous!! Just wants you to be his little stay at home wife and have you take care of his kids. Gets so pissy if you refuse but can't do shit because you're pregnant and he loves you or whatever 😒

Just wait until the baby finally arrives, he will go INSANE. He's so obsessed with being a father, maybe bc of his upbringing and views on society but maybe also bc he wants to be a better dad than his own father was and he wants to make things right. I guess you'll just have to give him a chance and see how it goes...

───────────────

[transmutationisms]

i saw ur response to the unconscious/conscious as supposedly “divided spectrums” and it got me rotating ol homoerotic duo deleuze-guattari's great anti-oedipus (and mil platôs too, for one). i tried searching up if u had written on it but couldn't find anything at all – wld love to hear some thoughts. any of your thoughts about it akshually. peace

hah anti-oedipus was my first foray into psych-critical scholarship way back in the day :')

my position on psychoanalysis has evolved a lot since then and i think most noticeably in the sense that i've become a lot more interested in historicising it and less interested in haggling over its scientificity or whatever---ie, the question to me isn't so much "is mommy-daddy-me an intrinsically organising principle of human psychology" (obviously not) but more "what are the conditions that allow the claim to be credibly made that it is?" which is i guess to say that, like, in some ways the less insightful part of a text like anti-oedipus is always going to be the assertion that the current ruling ontology isn't a transcendentally necessary one---like, of course it isn't, lol, and the analysis here would be so productively served if deleuze and guattari had a serious engagement with historical thinking; deleuze at his best is on par with like foucault as far as historicity goes.

i think the model that anti-oedipus proffers of a broadly schizophrenic operating logic of capital has some explanatory utility but i don't think that's equivalent to forming a foundation for liberatory political action. i find deleuze generally at his most interesting where he takes up the claim that the desire for one's own oppression is not just a matter of a kind of socratic lack of (self-)knowledge and is instead a genuine expression of desire under capitalism and its familialism. but for as much as this part of the argument wants to build off reich, it's also a place where the text is noticeably not building off a historical-material analysis and instead has a really unhelpful unproductive tendency to tell a psychological myth of desire as an intrinsically revolutionary force and capitalism as motivated by the need to constrain it. so again this is, at best, just not a foundation for liberatory action because it's not historically or materially grounded.

i really adored deleuze and guattari when i first read them and i would still say that anti-oedipus and a thousand plateaus changed a lot about how i thought and read. but also these days i would honestly throw in for reich or like any other frankfurt freudo-marxist over most deleuze, lol

[iliketangerines]

hiii can i request something about jax?? havent seen much work about him hes soo 🤤

for hire

a/n: keeping things fluffy because i guess that vacation really took a lot out of me because i'm so exhausted every day lol

pairing: jackson briggs x gn!reader

warnings: none :)

Jax stares at you balancing the knife on the end of your finger, the sharp end on your finger, and you don’t turn your head his way

you’re sure you’ve seen him, knows you’ve seen him because how else would you be a for hire mercenary if you didn’t have eyes in the back of your head

Sonya stands next to Jax, scowling as you waste more of their time by balancing the knife on your hand

it’s perfectly still, not a single quiver in the metal as you concentrate on how it balances on the tip of your finger

Jax clears his throat, and you effortlessly flip the knife in your hand so that you grip the handle of it, turning your head to look at them with a smile on your face

you give them a friendly little wave, hopping off your seat and eying the both of them up and down, as if sizing the both of them up to see if they were up to par with you

Jax straightens his back and crosses his arms, sizing you up all the same, and you tilt your head at him, directing your full attention onto him

he asks if you know why they’re here, and you roll your eyes at him, saying that of course you know why you’re here, helping the OIA search for the Black Dragon in Outworld

Sonya says that you’re doing more than that, you’re helping guide them around Outworld since you’ve been there plenty of times for a few jobs

you squint your eyes at him, muttering something under your breath about losing your spark if the government could get ahold of information like that

you saunter on to the both of them, patting Jax on the shoulder, before saying that you hope that they packed light because it’s going to be a long journey

Jax glances over at Sonya before following you out of the compound you’d been waiting in and into the wilderness of the outside to whatever portal will take them to Outworld

it’s a long few days, trudging through the wilderness and getting all sorts of things stuck in his boots, but at the very least it had been informative and entertaining

informative in that the very many near death experiences he had and then you swooping in to save him showed that you were more capable than almost anyone he had ever met

entertaining in that you were great company, charming, funny, a sick and fucked-up sense of humor that say just right with Jax

the three of you sit around a campfire, you’re right next to Jax and even though the fire was hot, with your skin pressed into his, you were searing

Sonya was asleep, taking her rest while the two of you took watch, and you stare up into the night sky as you take a sip of your water

neither of speak, letting the sound of the animals fill the space between you two despite the closeness of your bodies

you were staring off into nothing before you turn to Jax, staring down at his metallic arms and looking back up at him before asking what was up with them

Jax snorts, wondering when you were finally going to ask, people always did, but he was surprised it took so long for you to ask

he just tells you he was stuck in an unfortunate mission that ripped off his arms, and you shrug your shoulders and accept the lackluster answer

silence fills the gap between you two, and the awkwardness is almost unbearable for him, glancing back down at you to see if you also seemed uncomfortable

you seem relaxed, completely unbothered by the lack of conversation, until you look back up at him and then snap your fingers together

you say you’ve nearly forgotten how to converse, having spent so much time alone as a mercenary, can’t have those other assassins trying to stab you in the back, literally

Jax says he wouldn’t do such a thing, though the money from your bounty does sound tempting, and you snort at his joke

you say that he earns enough money that he doesn’t need to take your head off and present it to earn that kind of money

besides, he was government, he would be hacked into pieces the second he stepped foot within a 500-mile radius to the criminal compound

Jax shakes his head and disagrees, but he knows you’re right, a light smile on his face a slight chuckle

you smile as you make him laugh, and you keep your eyes on him, tracing the features of his face and staring at him

he just stares right back at you, admiring how the fire lights up your features and how your eyes don’t even leave his for a second

you lean in for a second, as if trying to get a better look at his features, and Jax tilts towards you, letting your eyes explore him all you want

it’s silence between the two of you, charged with something beyond the relationship the two have now and something that could change the course of both of your lives

you two are so close that he’s sure you can smell his breath, how the scent of a cigar clings to his skin, and yet you don’t move away

Sonya stirs in the corner, throwing a jacket at Jax’s face and telling the two of you to stop making bedroom eyes at each other and focus on the mission

Jax turns his attention away from you and toward the fire, feeling the heat creeping into his cheeks, but all you do is give Sonya a playful pout before standing up letting her sit next to Jax and take you spot

you assume the place where she had been napping, and you draw the your jacket around you a little tighter before letting your chin dip down

your chest rises peacefully, slowly, but he knows that you’re only half-asleep, too wired and too experienced in the field to actually go into deep sleep

Sonya elbows Jax’s side, earning a slight grunt and a side eye from the man, and she warns him to not get in too deep with you

this was only a temporary alliance with you right now, and after the mission, you two would go right back to being on opposite sides

Jax purses his lips and looks back at your sleeping figure, how your fingers leave your weapon and how your lips look so plump in the warm light

he says that he knows, clamping his hands together as he stares

you’re just a mercenary for hire, and he worked for the government, it would never work

and yet, he still found himself drawn to you anyway, failings of a human heart he supposed

[loveinhawkins]

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 ao3

Eddie stirs into semi-wakefulness at the feeling of his hand being moved—he had been tracing slow, looping spiral patterns across Steve’s palm until he simply couldn’t keep his eyes open any longer. He makes a small noise of bleary confusion, and he hears Steve whisper, “Shit, sorry, go back to sleep.”

“You okay?” he just about slurs. He pries his eyes open, sees what had woken him—Steve stretching out his arm.

“Yeah, yeah, sorry. Just.” Steve gingerly places his elbow back down on the bed. “Twinges.”

Eddie blinks away sleep, and then he sees it, right in the crook of Steve’s arm: a dark bruise. There’s a sudden prickle on the back of his neck that tells him this isn’t from an IV.

Steve floating, one leg broken. An arm beginning to twist unnaturally at the elbow—

“Oh, fuck,” Eddie says, abruptly wide awake.

“It’s fine, Eddie,” Steve rushes to reassure. “Doctors said it was like… psycho… psycho-something, ‘cause I guess the whole, um, you know, it didn’t technically happen so—”

“Well, fuck what they said,” Eddie says, “I’m literally looking at proof that something happened.”

Steve’s lips tilt upwards into something that’s almost a smile, and Eddie again feels a rush of anger on his behalf: that, when left alone, he’s just accepted whatever dismissive explanation the doctors have given because it’s easier. Even the now expected half shrug he gives seems to say, Don’t fuss.

Eddie’s fingers twitch unconsciously, brushing against Steve’s forearm; he immediately draws back, not wanting to get too close to the bruise.

“It’s okay,” Steve says. “You—you can touch it, if you want.”

“I don’t wanna hurt you, man.”

“You won’t.” Another shrug—this one has a more self-conscious air. “Might help, honestly. It’s like a… cold sorta ache.”

Eddie returns his hand to the bed. His fingers barely skim the bruise at first, but when Steve doesn’t flinch, he resumes his touch, lingers. The bruise is slightly raised in the middle, where there’s a vein, and Eddie can feel a strange chill from it; makes him think of taking the plunge at Lover’s Lake, emerging into a nightmare.

Steve relaxes by degrees, exhales slowly. “Yeah, that’s… good. You’re warm.”

Eddie yawns; the repetitive movement is starting to lull him again. “What time s’it?”

Steve winces. “Too early.”

Eddie raises his head slightly, squints at the clock. It’s just gone 3AM. “Ouch.” He settles back, catches Steve’s eye and smiles against the cushion. “Guess I’m gonna have to bore you to sleep, Harrington.”

Steve scoffs. “By talking? Think that’s impossible.”

“Well, I’ve not chosen the topic yet.”

Steve smiles, slow and sweet. There’s a pink mark on his cheek from where he’s leant more into the pillow. “You’d make it interesting.”

Eddie chuckles, feels, for just a moment, unaccountably warm. “Okay, then you talk.”

Steve snorts. “Wow. You saying I’m boring?”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Eddie says, and it’s meant to come out teasing, but the early hour of the morning seems to soften it, makes it sincere. “Just meant I already know what you should talk about.”

“Oh?”

“Recite all the movie musicals you own.”

Steve laughs. “Those shitheads,” he says, so fondly. “I can’t believe they found those.”

“Sounds like there’s a story there.”

“Hmm, not really. Just some tapes left from my grandparents.” His eyes drift down for a few seconds in silent, distant melancholy, then he adds, “Both sets. Seemed like a waste to get rid of them, so I…” He sighs, laughs a little. “Starting at Family Video reminded me of them again. Me and Rob got through a few before… oh. We were gonna have a marathon at Spring break. Guess we got a little busy.”

“Sorry.”

Steve waves him off, hand barely lifting from the bed. “Don’t be. Kinda par for the course for me, at least.”

“What’s your favourite?”

“Huh?”

“Musical.”

“Oh.” Steve grins. “You gotta guess.”

“What is this, a test?”

“Yup. You get it wrong and a trap door opens underneath you.”

Eddie laughs again. “Careful, Harrington, you sound like a DM.”

“You sound like you’re avoiding taking a guess.”

“Uh, I can’t just jump in, I’ve gotta…” Eddie makes a show of leaning forward to scrutinise Steve.

“Are you analysing me? I’m not that complicated, dude.”

“…Grease,” Eddie says eventually, and Steve laughs through a yawn.

“Nope. Why’d you pick that one?”

“Mostly the hair.”

“Oh, fuck off,” Steve says, rolling his eyes; but he’s smiling, too.

“C’mon, put me out my misery.”

“The Sound of Music.” Steve’s smile turns more thoughtful. “Not even cause of the music, more—Robin put it on one night, and she started laughing, said I had my own little gang of von Trapps.”

Eddie grins. “Yeah, I can see it.”

He resumes his gentle strokes across Steve’s bruise—watches as Steve’s eyes close, feels it when his arm goes slack. He thinks that Steve has fallen asleep until the question is asked.

“Have you… done this before?” Steve opens his eyes, as if sensing Eddie’s confusion. “Like, when I was… when I wasn’t…”

It takes a couple of seconds for it to click. “Oh. Oh, yeah, I…” Eddie trails off, feeling suddenly vulnerable. “You looked, um… in pain, so I…”

It feels like a much bigger thing now that Steve is awake and looking right at him, but Eddie gathers himself, raises his hand to demonstrate.

His fingertips brush across Steve’s forehead, lightly moving stray strands of hair. Steve’s eyes close again—only momentarily, like he’s taking it all in.

“Yeah, that was… I could feel you.” There’s a sudden fragility in his eyes. “It—it helped. Thanks.”

“You don’t need to thank me.”

“No, I… seriously, it… I was trying to… remind myself what it felt like to… to feel things, you know? Like, physically, that I could—that I was still…” He drifts into a silence that Eddie doesn’t dare break before continuing. “I was talking to Nance ‘bout Christmas from a few years ago; I was wearing this stupid sweater that itched, but thank God it did. I remember holding Holly, the weight of her, just…” He draws his non-bruised arm briefly to his chest. “And…” His eyes widen in sudden realisation. “Oh, that’s right, you were—you were talking, weren’t you, while you were playing guitar?”

Eddie’s heart constricts at the reminder. “Yeah, sure was.”

“With Robin, too, right?” At Eddie’s nod, Steve begins to smile again. “Yeah, I could—I could hear you. Thought I was in Scoops at one point.”

Eddie laughs. “Yeah, me too.”

“Don’t tell Robin, but the Material Girl routine? Totally knew she could see me the whole time.”

Eddie is about to crack a joke about how the secret’s safe with him, but then he sees Steve’s smile slowly fade away.

“What is it?” he asks quietly.

Steve shakes his head—not in answer, looks more like he’s grounding himself. “Just… remembering some…” His eyes move to the door before returning to Eddie. “You said you heard my song on the radio?”

Eddie nods.

“Yeah, I—it was faint, but I could still… It’s just… wherever I was, it was just—not just dark, but there was… nothing, and I couldn’t feel or see or… and before—before you… I thought oh, this is it, this is all there’s…” Steve swallows, voice growing thick. “S’just funny what comes back to… I kept thinking, just… little things, like how I left some of the tapes a mess at work, or how I was never gonna give anyone a ride home anymore, or even just—driving with the radio full blast. Still. Now I can—well, gotta wait a little while, with the cast, but—”

“I’ll drive you,” Eddie says suddenly, and he can’t stop himself from adding, “Any time. Anywhere you wanna… just—just say when.”

Steve’s mouth parts. His hand drifts up, and he blinks, and it’s only then that Eddie notices one subtle tear clinging to his eyelashes.

The moment stretches until Eddie’s vision becomes hazy at the corners, exhaustion muffling the emotion like a blanket.

“I’ll hold you to that,” Steve says eventually.

“Good,” Eddie says, or thinks he says—his eyes have drifted shut of their own accord.

“Night, Eddie.”

“S’morning.”

“Ha. You always need the last word?”

“Mm-hmm. S’an… affliction.”

“Good morning, then.”

Eddie feels Steve’s fingers curl against his palm; sinking down into sleep, he’s too tired to figure out if Steve’s spelling anything at all—but he thinks, even if it’s a nonsense pattern, the meaning is the same.

I’m here. I’m here with you. I’m right here.

[ateotd-izzy]

lavender haze | stuart twombly x fem!reader

“i feel the lavender haze creeping up on me”

stuart and y/n had been dating for only a few months after accidentally meeting while he was renting a few dvds from where she worked.

“surreal, i’m damned if i do give a damn what people say”

stuart liked keeping his private life, well, private from the others at google. but there wasn’t much he could do when they found out that he had a girlfriend.

“no deal, the 1950s sh*t they want from me”

warnings: swearing, kissing or wtv, nothing too bad

“i just wanna stay in that lavender haze”

☾

“stewie’s got a girlfriend?” nick grinned at him teasingly. “wow. never would’ve guessed.”

“i know, right?” billy, who had been the one to find out and tell the others, grinned. “dark and stormy’s not very dark and stormy anymore.”

“guys, can you just shut up about it now?” stuart asked, turning to face his laptop again. “yes. i have a girlfriend. big deal.”

“this is a big deal, stuart.” billy told him. “do we get to meet her?”

“no.”

“what? never?”

“never.”

“aww.” neha fake-pouted. “anyway, can we get back to work?”

“finally something i agree with.” stuart pointed to her. “back to work.”

“but i would love to meet your girlfriend, stuart.” neha added and he groaned. “do you think she’d follow me on instagram?”

“no. shut up.”

“oh, come on, stuart.” billy laughed as stuart put his headphones on. “don’t be like that.”

“guys, back to work.” lyle ordered and the rest of the group sighed before turning back to their computers.

“how’d you meet your girlfriend, stuart?” yo-yo asked and the room burst into chatter again.

“yeah, how, stuart?” nick asked and stuart rolled his eyes.

“none of your business.” stuart replied, pulling out his phone after it vibrated, indicating he got a text. it was from you.

“you should invite her to tomorrow night, stuart.” billy suggested. “to the par-tay.”

stuart gave billy a weird look. “why?”

“so we can meet her, duh.” neha scoffed.

“no.”

“invite her.” billy ordered.

“no.” stuart shook his head.

“do it. invite her.” nick agreed.

“no.” he spoke more firmly. “i’m not inviting her.”

“hey, babe.” you greeted as stuart appeared in front of the counter as you worked. “what’s up?”

“are you busy tomorrow night?” he asked. straight to the point.

“i shouldn’t be. why?”

stuart sighed. “there’s some work party and everyone in my group wants you to come.”

you smiled. “really?”

“yeah. so, if you want, you can come.” stuart silently prayed you wouldn’t want to go. “you don’t have to.”

“no, it sounds fun. i’ll go.”

“seriously?”

“yeah, why not?”

“nothing. yeah, cool, whatever.” he forced a smile. “see you at my place tonight?”

“yeah, of course.”

“great.” stuart turned around and the smile dropped.

fuck.

he really wanted you to say no.

he could’ve just not brought it up and acted like you weren’t invited, but that would be a horrible thing to do.

he wished he did that.

that was how you ended up at a google work party the next night with stuart, hiding in the corner of the room.

“why can’t i meet your friends?” you asked and stuart frowned.

“because you can’t.” he mumbled, taking a sip of his drink and adjusting the beanie on his head.

if it weren’t casual dress you probably would’ve had to rip the hat from his head to make sure he wouldn’t be wearing it.

“from what you’ve told me they don’t seem bad.” you shrugged and stuart stared at you.

“trust me. they are the worst.”

“are you talking about us, stewie?” nick asked as he approached the two of you, and stuart rolled his eyes and groaned. nick held out his hand to you. “i’m nick.”

“no.” stuart grabbed your hand. “let’s go.”

“oh, come on, stu.” you gave him a look. you shook nick’s hand. “my name’s y/n.”

“it’s a pleasure to finally meet you, y/n.” nick greeted before looking at stuart. “she’s so much nicer than you. where have you been hiding her?”

stuart glared and you chuckled.

“no seriously, how the hell did you get such a nice girlfriend when you’re a massive jerk?” nick asked jokingly. “i’m kidding.”

awkward silence.

“i’ll be back in a second.” stuart mumbled to you. “stay here.”

“where are you going?” you asked stuart while nick wandered off to get another drink.

“just the bathroom.” he told you, pressing a short kiss to your lips. “i’ll be right back.”

“alright then. go.” you pushed him lightly and he kissed you once more before he walked away.

“so, you’re stuart’s girlfriend?”

you turned your head at the voice and were met with a girl around your age.

so when stuart left the bathroom, he found you happily talking with neha patel.

when he appeared at your side again, stuart took your hand in his and you smiled.

“hey.” you looked away from him and went back to your conversation with neha.

stuart stared at the two of you. he didn’t like you talking to neha. he had tried so hard to keep you separate from his work friends.

he knew what they were like. he didn’t want them to be all in your business, or to annoy you too much.

he didn’t want them to scare you off. after all, you had only been dating for three months.

“—alright, thank you, neha.” stuart quickly cut off whatever conversation you were having and tugged on your hand. “we’re gonna go now.”

“what?” you asked, confused. “why?”

he shook his head, gave neha an extremely forced smile and practically pulled you across the room.

“stuart, what the hell is going on with you?” you asked as the two of you left the room and went out into the hallway.

“nothing.”

“bullshit.”

“who have you talked to tonight?”

“why?”

“who?”

“like, five people. nick, billy, neha, lyle and yo-yo.” you counted on your fingers as you listed them. “and billy introduced me to some guy he called chetty, so six.”

“oh, god.” stuart groaned and rubbed his eyes, his hands slipping under his glasses.

“why, stuart? what’s the big deal?” you asked. “why are you being so weird?”

“because they’re so…” stuart sighed. “they act like they need to know everything about everyone and are always trying to know everything about every aspect of my life.”

stuart let go of your hand and instead sat his hands on your waist.

“you’re the one thing i want to keep separate from them. i don’t want them to end up ruining this.” stuart spoke quietly. you brought your hands up to his shoulders. “i love you, y/n.”

that was something new.

you smiled and leaned forward, connecting your lips before pulling away just a second later.

“i love you too, stuart.” you laughed softly against his lips, making him smile, before you leaned into another kiss.

you reached up and pulled the beanie off of his head, running your fingers through his hair after.

“you’ve got to agree that they’re annoying, right?” stuart asked almost immediately after pulling away.

“oh, definitely. i think billy asked me about eight times if we were going to get married.”

stuart laughed a little. “seriously?”

“yeah. they asked so many questions about us.”

the two of you were silent for a moment.

“do you want to go back inside?” he gestured to the doors beside you.

“no.” you answered, wrapping your arms around the back of his neck. “i just want to stay with you.”

“back to my place?” he asked and you nodded.

“of course.”

the two of you headed towards the building’s front doors.

“do you want take-out?”

“it’s, like, midnight.”

“yeah, but do you?”

“yeah.”

stuart chuckled and opened the door for you. “i love you.”

“so you’ve said.” you teased, kissing his cheek. “i love you, too.”

you both walked to the car in silence. hand-in-hand.

taglist: @brvceyamada

a/n: i feel like this is too short or smth, but yay lavender haze