#there is plenty of happy adult media

[thelordofshrimp]

hey. don't let go of media just because you're older than the target audience. my dad is 61 and watches the cartoons he loved as a kid.

BUT

consume media meant for your age group, too. you might find something you like and, more importantly, your brain needs to consume morals and lessons beyond what stories aimed at kids can provide.

you don't have to grow out of your favorite things but you do have to grow into new things. that is all

[ladygwyndolin]

Have you ever wanted to read a story written by a published author just for you? Then you're in luck, because my COMMISSIONS are OPEN once again! I'm opening 5 slots with a maximum of 4k words apiece, complete with specific discounts down below!

WILL WRITE: fanfic, OCs, character/reader, analytical nonfiction, original concepts, furries, existing fic canons, kink, original stories, abo, etc.

WILL NOT WRITE: Incest, adult/child relationships, etc. (please respect my comfort level)

FAVORED SHIPS (no discount, but ones I'm very familiar with and can do most efficiently):

-Suletta/Miorine (Gundam Witch)

-Noi/Nikaido (Dorohedoro)

-Rem/Misa (Death Note)

-Kyomami/Madohomu

-Any F/F Mass Effect ship (shiara gets a bonus)

DISCOUNTS ($5/1k words off for any comm of these ships):

-Any F/F ship, Reinhard/Kircheis (LOGH)

-Mireille/Kirika (Noir) or Nadie/Ellis (Cazador)

-Integra/Seras (Hellsing)

-Warmonger/Shaman (For Honor)

-Femshep/Liara -Any F/F ship (Murcielago)

-Any F/F ship (Soulsborne/ER)

(There are plenty of other things I'm happy to write, so don't feel limited by that list! If you're curious about whether or not I'm familiar with a piece of media, don't hesitate to shoot me a message and find out!)

Some examples of previous work:

SFW: "The Lives That I Have Loved (And Actions I Have Hated)" (Rennala/Marika) https://archiveofourown.org/works/45324904

18: "Not Yet Forsaken" (Lae'zel/Shadowheart) https://archiveofourown.org/works/49949596/chapters/126109429

Tips are appreciated but not required! Feel free to lmk if you have any questions or want to reserve a slot! Reblogs are also a huge help. I look forward to writing for you :D

[lurkingshan]

Hii, hope you're doing well!! I've been meaning to check out more c-dramas. I've never really watched any, but I keep seeing them on my dash and want to start giving some a shot since I watch every other type of drama (BL or otherwise lol). I saw you post often about c-dramas, so I wanted to ask if you had any other recs besides Tender Light (which I'm planning on watching when it's done)? I'm more curious about c-dramas in general rather than any specific genre, since I'm so new to them

Hello, thank you for the ask! I'm glad my obsessive Tender Light posting has got you curious about cdramas. Some of my all time favorite dramas are from Mainland China, and I would be happy to share some recs! Since you are looking for a general sense, I am just going to give you a sampling of some of my personal favs.

Tender Light

Obviously I will be taking this opportunity to talk up this drama some more, which will be ending its run this weekend. This is, hands down, my favorite drama of the year and easily going on my top 10 dramas of all time list. It's one of the most gorgeous and precise and unflinching pieces of media I have ever seen. This is definitely one for people who love smart mystery writing, dark themes (I mean this for real, if you have a lot of triggers ask for CWs), and explorations of the human condition. It will be staying with me for a long time.

Go Ahead

Another of my all time favs (and with cast crossover from Tender Light), this is a family drama that digs deep on the meaning of family, finding your people, and resilience through intergenerational trauma. I love it so so much (I am actually rewatching it right now).

Lighter & Princess

A fantastic romance and owner of a coveted spot on the ride or die drama couples list. In this story you get to watch these two fall in love twice, first in college and then as adults, and both times it's epic.

Reset

How about a time loop thriller? This is one of the best I have ever seen, and its relatively short run keeps it tight and tense all the way through. There's a romance in this one, too, but kissing is definitely secondary to finding their way out of this death trap.

The Rebel Princess

Let's dip our toe into historicals! Granted, I still have plenty of gaps in my historical cdrama watch list (there are just so many and they're so long, I am doing my best people!) but this remains my all time favorite to date. It's epic, it's shockingly well written and paced for its length, the characters are excellent and compelling all around, and it has one of my all time favorite male leads and drama couples (another from the ride or die list!). Don't let the episode number intimidate you, it will fly by much faster than you think.

The Untamed

You watch bl so I am assuming you already know about Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji, but just in case I will also include this drama as a much watch. It's likely the best live action danmei we will ever get.

Love Between Fairy and Devil

Have you ever wondered what it would be like if a show put all your favorite fanfic tropes in a blender, cast beautiful people to act them out, and put them in lavish costumes? Well, here is your answer.

Love and Redemption

This one's for us angst with a happy ending girlies. An epic love story with lots of pining and struggle and strife, and it's so worth it.

Falling Into You

Back to the modern era, this is a classic sports drama with a noona romance. Very unassuming but full of charm and very well executed.

Fake It Till You Make It

An unusually mature take on adult romance from a cdrama, this one is about two career focused permasingle love skeptics who meet, realize they actually like each other, and try to figure out what the hell to do with that. I love it a lot.

That should be enough to get you started! There are many many more recs to be had, so once you give some of these a try and figure out what you like, feel free to hit me up for more!

[thealogie]

i am so so curious to know what your thoughts on all of us strangers are! i went in really excited and left violently angry (but also have a lot of experiences that are too close to the content of the movie to have enjoyed it, looking back on it). if you loved it, i would love to know why, bc i respect your media opinions & would like to perhaps be wrong about my reaction lol

I really loved it, but I don’t think you’re wrong in your reaction. I think sometimes we have to interrogate if our negative feelings towards art are informed by sexism/racism/other prejudice but other than that, other than knee jerk biased reactions I don’t think our emotional response to art can ever be wrong. There are plenty of well constructed movies that just aren’t for me.

In any case, to me all of us strangers was such a beautiful and cathartic story. We meet Adam and he is so stunted and held back by his parents’ death and tbh by growing up gay in the 80s/90s. He misses that first moment of connection with Harry and for the rest of the movie he’s healing his child self through getting to visit with his dead parents, which then allows him to heal his adult self through this relationship with Harry. And that’s the journey to me.

So yes there’s a twist and they don’t get to be together but for me it’s all about that exchange “why did no one find me?” “I found you. I found you.” Adam goes from being the one who relies on Harry to take care of him to being the carer, to being able to laugh and smile despite what’s happened and offer Harry comfort and love. I feel like we leave the movie absolutely certain that Adam is now a person that is able to be open and find love and that Harry got to be truly loved and the center of someone’s universe before he left this world.

Like it’s truly a movie that uses magical realism to let its main character live out not one but two missed opportunities. And then it says, you can change someone’s life through intimacy even if you aren’t together forever. You can fundamentally change and save someone even if it’s sad, even if it’s not a traditionally “happy” ending. Also only gay people get to have this straight people wouldn’t understand

[renthony]

I've seen plenty of folks express the opinion that it doesn't matter where the adults are in stories written for young audiences, because the point of the story is to give children an escapist fantasy.

But to be honest, both as a child and as an adult, I've always preferred it when family/youth media answers the question of, "no seriously, where are the parents?" because it adds so much to the story even if the parents aren't fully fleshed-out characters. The parents don't have to be present, or good, or helpful, but it always feels like a richer narrative when the question, "where are the adults?" is actually addressed.

Answer the question of "where are the adults," but more importantly, give the younger characters opinions about those adults and why they aren't present (if they aren't present).

In Gregor the Overlander, the answer to "where are these kids' parents?" is answered by having Gregor's mother Grace be an overworked single mom who has to delegate household labor to her eldest kid, and having Gregor's father be mysteriously missing as part of the story. Gregor's grandmother has dementia and the family has to worry about her care while also living in poverty. Gregor's mom being frequently absent because they're desperate and she has to struggle to feed the kids adds so much depth to Gregor's characterization, and explains why he's so hyper-independent, protective of his sisters, and determined to find their dad. Gregor's mom doesn't go on his adventures with him, but we know exactly where she is, how Gregor feels about leaving her behind, and what their relationship is like.

In The Owl House, the answer to "where are the adults?" is answered by having the adults be important parts of the narrative even when they're not on-screen. Luz's mom Camilla is deeply relevant to the narrative even though we don't see her much until season 3, and we know where she is and why she's there even while Luz is off adventuring without her. The story of Luz's dad Manny is slowly revealed through the show and casts an entirely different light on everything as we learn about him. Luz's relationship with Camilla is a core part of Luz's personality and story, even when Camilla isn't present. The other adult characters have their own narratives, too, that add to the core story in some really fun ways.

I've never liked stories where the adults are just Mysteriously Absent and it never gets addressed. How does it affect these kids to be Kids Against The World? That feels like a big form of characterization that just gets completely ignored most of the time! Even if the adults aren't around, we should at least know how the kids feel about that absence.

A kid who's happy to be free of the adults is a different character entirely from the kid who's scared and wants to go back to their mom, you know?

[pebblume]

I never realized how liberating writing fanfiction would be. I hadn’t written creatively in years. It’s been so long that I kind of forgot what it felt like. The childlike rush of pouring your heart out onto a blank page, not caring about the results as long as you were having fun. I’ve tried writing fanfic a couple of times, for different fandoms across the years, but never finished anything I was really happy with, nothing that I felt comfortable sharing with the world. But something just clicked for me this past week. I realized how much fun it was to stretch out my writing muscles, to get inside the heads of my favorite characters. I realized that it didn’t have to be perfect to be worthy of being shared and loved by others. I realized that I had so many stories inside myself - more than I thought possible. 

But perhaps what I’m most in awe of is fanfic readers. The people who read my work and leave kudos and bookmarks and comments - one word comments, sweet comments, silly comments, paragraph-long comments. I love them all. I used to be afraid of leaving comments on AO3, afraid I wouldn’t have enough words, wouldn’t have the right words, to depict how I felt. But when I felt firsthand how much those comments meant to me I started leaving more and more of them, spreading a digital paper trail of love to all my favorite authors. More and more often I recognize the profile names and images in my comment section and think, Hey, I know you! Now I’m not just a guest on AO3, or a passive reader. I belong here. 

I won’t lie and say I don’t miss drawing a bit, my previous creative outlet. There are plenty of drawings inside me too, itching to be realized. I really just don’t have the time for two time extensive hobbies, not when I need to balance school and practicing and little things like sleeping and eating and relaxing. I miss it, but not as much as I thought I would. There’s a level of investment to sharing a story online that feels…special. When I post my art, I get engagement, and it feels nice, but ultimately, most people are only spending about ten seconds looking at the work I spent eight hours on, if that. When someone reads my fics, we’ve now spent time together. You’ve lived inside my head for a bit, made it your home. It’s about feeling seen, I think. Writing makes me feel understood in a way visual art sometimes doesn’t. It makes me feel vulnerable in the same way performing music does, but less exposed too. It’s interesting to me. 

The only downside, if you can call it that, is now that the writing bug has infected me, I’m finding it harder and harder to stop. I’ll have an idea and then suddenly five hours have flown by because I’m on a creative streak and I just want to write one more idea down, which turns into two, and so on and so forth. I dread stopping, because what if I forget something? What if I get into a writing block later? Suddenly I have people who want to read the things I write and I want to provide it, I really do, but I also have responsibilities. I say, as I write this, ignoring my audition tomorrow afternoon. 

I still have a bit of embarrassment attached to fandom works. When I tell acquaintances that I like to draw or write, I rarely tell them I mean fanart and fanfiction. As if loving something that deeply, that sincerely, is inherently shameful in this age of irony and soulless remakes. Especially when my interests usually consist of media marketed towards children, nevermind the fact that it has more emotional maturity than most ‘adult’ works. But I’m trying to get better about it. A lot of my closest friends know about my hobbies, and some I’ve even let see my work. It’s terrifying but also giddying, seeing them like an art post or comment on a fic. After all, to reap the rewards of being loved, one must submit themselves to the mortifying ordeal of being known, or something like that. 

I realized today that I’ve written over 30,000 words in the past two weeks about about two characters who don’t belong to me, but whom I’ve made my own.

And I’ve never felt happier

[drdemonprince]

Do you worry about being so open about your sex life under the same name you use professionally? How did you settle on your current approach to talking about kink/fetishism publicly?

That's my question. Below is some background but feel free to ignore it.

I'm asking because, like many people, my kinks are integral to my sense of self and engaging in BDSM has been significant for my psychological wellbeing. I don't like keeping these important aspects of myself separate from the rest of my life and I'm jealous of the people I meet at munches who share openly kinky stuff on their regular Instagrams. But I also have relatives on all of my socials, including a few adult family members who take any opportunity to create drama or get on their high horses, and teenage cousins who obviously shouldn't be given information about my sex life.

I like using social media to connect with people, and it feels harder to do that when big parts of me are walled off. I'm so worried about sharing anything 'inappropriate' that I'm only presenting this bland, watered down version of myself and it makes me feel alienated. Making side accounts is one option, but it feels like compartmentalising and involves more 'personal brand' management than I care to juggle.

That's without even touching on in-person disclosures. How do I embrace these aspects of myself without acting like they're shameful, but also without being obnoxious or unfair on other people who might not want to know?

I know "authenticity" can be an unattainable ideal, especially on social media platforms that necessitate curation, but I do want to stop tying myself in so many knots over this (in the figurative, unsexy way).

Sorry for venting in your askbox.

Yeah, I have a lot of thoughts on this.

I don't worry about the potential of my speaking openly about my sex life ruining my professional life because I hate my professional life and professionalism in nearly all forms. I have nothing but contempt for the academy, social psychology, my employer, the publishing industry, 99% of the organizations that hire me to provide workshops, and a decent-sized subset of my readers who are of the more liberal end of things. Alienating myself from these institutions and people and making myself incompatible with their viewpoints feels as necessary to me as breathing air.

when I was very young I was concerned with making myself palatable to academia and shucking off everything that was unprofessional and hillbillyish and childish and weird about me, but then I learned what success within the academy really entailed. I heard faculty members shrug and say they "didn't really care" about the topics they were studying (topics like racism, sexism, transphobia, etc) and were just publishing work on these subjects to further their own careers. I was trained to use questionable research protocols that generated false positives and specious results. Nearly all the research that I worked on for three years of undergrad and five years of graduate school would eventually be discredited due to failure to replicate. And I realized that I was being taken advantage of all the while, mined for cheap labor on meaningless projects that meant nothing scientifically, making $14k a year in a field where there were no future job prospects.

by the time i finished my PhD I knew that I wanted to be nothing like the people that had trained me and taken advantage of me, and that I had useless skills in a dying field. I was plenty happy to cut the shit by then and be real about who I was, what I believed, and what was and wasn't a virtuous use of my time. This only became more pronounced after I was screwed over by even more employers as a part-time instructor, and then finally hired full-time in a department that was doing good work, but which was constantly getting undercut by those in higher up administrative positions.

My entire career I have essentially been daring people to fire me and they never seem to do it. No matter how much shit I talk about the university and my profession and no matter how much I bear about myself, I just keep getting rewarded for it and allowed to float along relatively unbothered. There's a power in having a lot of audacity. I am not ashamed of who I am and I don't worry about how my employer and colleagues see me because as a whole I have zero respect for any of them or their opinions. (I have some individual coworkers who are great! but they dont represent Psychology or Academia as a whole or its values. my coworker friends are supportive of my freaky trans kinky self).

It's much the same dynamic in my family. I have no respect for the majority of people in my family and I don't concern myself with how they might react to the things I have to say. When I first started writing openly about Autism some relatives found it deeply offensive and talked a lot of shit about me behind my back, saying that I was embarassing all of them by associating us with a disability they found shameful, but my mom communicated to those relatives in no uncertain terms that I was gonna just keep doing whatever the fuck I wanted and they'd have to find some way to deal with it.

My mom had already learned that about me firsthand. I complain about her sometimes but I do have immense gratitude to her for just accepting who I am, even if there are elements of it she can't understand and probably does not feel good about. She learned a long long time ago that I was on my own separate planet and that there was nothing she could do to stop me from running my mouth and living my life, and I'm thankful to her for that. My actions have set the tone with my family pretty clearly: i came out as trans publicly before I told them, I started hormones and changed my name/gender marker without consulting them and then told them it was a fact already and they'd need to get in line. I approach most things about myself that others might take issue with in the same way: it's a fact, it's fucking happening, and you can't tell me shit about it that is going to keep me from doing it. and if you're too much of a dick about it I might end up writing about you in a book or essay so watch out, I guess.

That sounds more vindicitive than how I actually feel most of the time, of course. I just don't think about the opinions of people I don't respect. I care about what my friends think of me, and the people I look up to, and I try to rise to a level that is worthy of them. And of course I do experience fear of ostacism and failure in those respects and have not always coped with it in a confident, principled way. But with my aunts and uncles or my boss? Fuck them. I have no desire to win their approval because I've seen what they approve of and it sucks.

All of this is possible because I am not financially reliant upon my family, of course, and because if I lose my job I would have a back-up plan. I've always done freelancing and side writing gigs, even back when I was a part-timer with really insecure teaching jobs, and so the loss of any one position has never felt that catastrophic to me. I was already released by my PhD program into economically shaky ground and I never had a prayer of having a successful tenure track academic "career", so I'm not afraid of losing that. that's already gone. I feel generally pretty confident in my ability to scratch by making a living doing this or that even if somebody fires me, and I won't have to ask relatives for money so it really does not matter if I alienate any of them. that is an IMMENSE PRIVILEGE and someone not in that position shouldn't compare themselves to me or expect themselves to have that same degree of confidence. sometimes you have to just keep your head down to survive and there's no shame in that either.

as for the question about "authenticity" as an idealized end state and how to reconcile it with social media, here are some of my thoughts: it's not authenticity if it is focused on how other people interpret you. authenticity is letting go of trying to manage what other people think about you. that means you dont ever have to broadcast everything about yourself to the public or on social media, you dont ever have to share something that you dont want to, the pursuit of being perfectly understood is one that will never be fulfilled and there is no need to make oneself unnecessarily vulnerable just for the sake of appealing to people who might not ever understand and accept you anyway. authenticity is more about an energy than about revealment. it's an energy of self acceptance, not necessarily self love, and it's not something that one broadcasts, it's something one cultivates by developing secure, supportive relationships, improving one's self knowledge, and by working through one's baggage.

[popculturebuffet]

The Book of Bill Review: Bye Everyone He'll Remember You All in Therapy (Comission for Emma Fici)

Hello all you happy people and man it's good to be back. After a week's vacation i'm recharged and ready to plunge back into reviewing stuff. For those of you new here i'm Jake, I review various media , mostly cartoons and comics.

Over a week off filled with batman, persona 5, more batman, Truthful Timmy the Blowjob Queen of Saskatoon, and more, I picked up a certain book since my money dropped: Yes folks thanks to a generous friend who also enjoyed the hell out of this book it's time to talk about mildly curesed new york times #1 bestseller The Book of Bill.

The Book of Bill is the latest in something Disney has been doing for a while, some of the only merch they really make for their telveision animation series: Journals! Specifically books following a character from the show in the first person and helping drop some juicy lore. I naturally have all three previous major ones: Journal 3, The Big Book of Spell and Marcy's Journal. There was also one for Ducktales I need to get at some point and an early Star Vs book, but these big three are the important ones, making real books from the show canon and not only being cool props to own, but also nice bits of canon after the show ended. Or in star vs case as the show slowly burst into flames.

Book of Bill continues that trend yet also breaks it: This book is coming out 8 years after the series ended, is an entirely new creation, and is geared towards adults even having a warning label. Granted it's more a pg-13 than the hard r said warning label implies but the fact disney is acknowledging a product from less than 15 to 20 years ago has nostalgic fans is a victory in itself.

And said victory was followed by an even bigger one with the book recently topping the New York Times bestseller list, even topping "we gotta see what that couchfucker is about just in case". This is a huge victory lap that makes me hope we'll get even more content from various disney shows in book form. At the very least it makes the owl house art book an even easier sell and at most i'm hoping Owl House gets more content now, and I wouldn't say no to Hirsch returning to gravity falls if he has another idea. While i'm used enough to Disney's bullshit to see them ignoring this obvious sign, it could really get them to take kids content from this era more seriously or at least try to get it's creators back to get more of that sweet dollar dollar bill ciphers ya'll. Either way this could be a great thing.

Even if it dosen't lead to more books, Book of Bill is great on it's own and something i'm happy to dive into. And since I know it's harder to get the book outside of the us this is also a chance for those of you outside it to get a peak inside. So let's begin as tonight it's gonna get weird.

Book of Bill is diffrent from the other books in that while it follows a narrative, the first half is mostly just bill shenanigans while the second gives us his history from when he was a baby boy baby to he and Ford's messy breakup involving live snakes, it's a small world and jars of spiders.

It works perfectly too: I forgot how much fun bill was till he burst through the page to greet me

Like bill himself the book deftly ballances comedy and horror. Like gravity falls it leans more to the former, as most of bills antics are just him being unsettling and charming as always, but we get plenty of truly disturbing stuff from his collection of heads to a mouth suddnely popping up demanding blood to this lovely bit showing all the many realities where the pines kids didn't exactly win

Also yeah, outside of Bill's fate, the book dosen't move past where Gravity Falls was on the timeline in the extended Disney Television Universe. It does firmly confirm it's all one universe as we get some refrences to owl house with some tapestry showing off the titan and my boy

As well as a cameo we'll get to later. But it's clear Hirsch, for now has no plans to tell us what happened to errybody after the show aside from bill himself and honestly? That's fine. I'd rather he did a full revivial or book about it at some point than drop it in here and before the nightmare fuel sets in the sleep image of the two on the bus with waddles is adorable.

Back on point the book will hit you with horror well but is maily just a non stop parade of good jokes for the first half. The framing device is simple: Bill created this book and Ford found it shortly before he and Stan went off to make movies, make songs and fight around the world. He tried destroying it but befitting spooky books it kept coming back and so he put in an ash williams style warning telling the reader for the love of god don't read more. And like that idiot from evil dead 2013, I didn't listen and pressed on as i'm sure any of you who got the book did too. I mean we already paid our 20 some dollary doos right?

So the book has bill giving the reader advice, trying to trick them and general other wacky nonsense. This book is DENSE with jokes, and there was hardly a page that wasn't meant to be truly horrifying that didn't have one on it. And sometimes even them. Highlights for me from the first half include his self interview where he deflects being phineas' father, dating a howling void and other hot goss, his entire chapter on silly straws (if you murder someone with one it becomes a serious straw), his having you murder an elf for him, dividing a number and brutally murdering it, and Ford claming he'll tell you how to turn ducks into nuclear bombs.. with Bill doing that immediately after and likely being fully aware of what he was doing.

My faviorite bits are him fleshing out his "reality is a hologram" statment

Every bit of this joke works from me from the reveal, to perfectly nailing the classic pokemon trading card style for this gag. Good stuff. Also not sure why the multiverse has only 50 hp, better not to ask.

The other bit I love the most is bill trying to help the readers love life with advice so good it got this book classified as advice

And helping the love cage with some wonderful bilintines

I"m sending I don't want to die alone to my next crush!

This section really is just a vehicle for jokes and general bill chaos for the most part and it does so gloriously. If you liked bill, your gonna love this thing and if you love him.. he'll never love you back but you'll still enjoy this.

The first half does have a few little pitterpats of lore. One of the biggest.. is that we get more dipcifica

Also Dipper's search history as a whole and while some parts I'd rather forget if my brain would let me, there's a lot of good gags here. But yeah Pacifica Northwest Pagent Video. man is crushing. And also mildly creepy but it's still a step up from looking up Wendy's instagram and other things i'd rather not get into because

This segment goes into the casts dreams, most in depthly Dipper, Mabel and McGucket. That last one is just a really hautning page of how much of a tornado his mind is ... bill BARELY got out. Dipper is naturally bill laughing at his embarassment and revealing he put a bunch of fake author images in his head for funzies.

Mabel on the other hand is one of the funniest segments in the entire book as well as revealing exactly HOW he concoted the scheme. A nice thing we get , and that explains why he gave her her own fifedome.. is that bill actually likes mabel as a person. he likes her chaos, loves watching her dreams which is creepy but for him is about as close to kind as he can get. Problem is he went in AFTER the whole Sock Opera mess, so she hates him. Thankfully the people guarding her dreams are Xyler and Kraz, nature's perfect himbos. So he simply gives himself a hat and blonde hair, a neat jacket and the name chill cipher and gets them on board by eating his skateboard. And to his horror has to do a montage from saying no to drugs to teaching a dinosaur with shades to beleivie in himselef. Just imainging bill doing an over the top 80s montage while having the most pissed off uncomfortable look in the world.. it's going to help me sleep at night.

We also find out he found Mable's deepst darkest fantasy... a tape of Mariah Carrey's fantasy.

It's a genuinely good gag and bill finds out from them how down in the dumps she are, her wanting to let summer last etc.. and thus you can thank these himbos for the apocalypse.

Otherwise the only other little tidbits are in a bit on various dreams. We find out Ford is in love with logic (Bill quips he'd be a plansexual which.. accurate), Soos wants to change his name to pins, and Pacifica.. is suffering horrible ptsd. The big bit though is that dipper walked in on a conversation between his parents about something he wouldn't hear and Bill implies it was why they sent them away. It COULD be divorce, it could be somethign else entirely it's honestly hard to tell given both how little we get and the fact it's bill. Bill's about as trustworth as a snake wearing a top hat

On second thought make that Snake mayor stat.. then god emperor.

But yeah you can't really TRUST bill but it's a nice little seed of info nonetheless and it'd be weird if I didn't talk about it. That said I don't have much to say about it. The kids parents MIGHT have had a rough marraige though that would make sense why they cling to each other so much and make Mable's desperation to keep her brother around even more heartbreaking, so i'm all for it.

So then we get to that sweet juicy lore we woudln't stop bugging Alex for: Bill's history. And this may be my faviorite part of the book simply because there's a LOT of good gags and great visuals tucked in here. A crapton of artists who were VERY good at making something look real enough, as well as GF Vetran Emmy Ciecerga who drew all the gravity falls style art for this book and deserves a LOT of credit, make this book look gorgeous. There's all kinds of styles, from 20's newsclippings to photos to disturbing bill images, all of which needed a great graphic design to it. While none of the books so far are slouches in graphics, journal three itself looked gorgeous, this is far and way the best looking of them so far. Since it's bill their not constrained to one style, like marcy's was mimicking her art style (And later Anne's for her third of the book), journal 3 was. Book of Spells has come closest having each queen have a unique style but it still held to star vs.

This being bill this book goes all over the place: you've got brain teasers, photos, photoshopped nightmarish heads, a reaslitic mouth wanting your blood, all kinds of visual trickery that fits what a visually gorgeous nightmare bill could be. Like the other style, a very chaotic style that oscelates from people magazine to several pages of the great gatsby to punish you for wanting to know his weaknesses (get gatsby'd sucker!) all without breaking a sweat.

The history of bill section is where it really gets to shine once he gets to earth.. but before that.. we adress the elephant in the room. What happened to his home dimension?

Yeah one of the biggest bits of narrative blue balls of book of bill is we don't learn hardly anything about the second dimension and learn NOTHING about how it actually died. Both make perfect sense enough narratively to work and it's clear Alex, while great about answering the shows bigger and more importnat mysteries and not just jerking the audience about, does like to keep some things a mystery. The kids parents, shermy pines, why was thor crying that kind of stuff. While I WANTED an answer for my own works, I respect that it honestly worked better to not get one. We get just enough: bill climas to have been well loved by all in the way a flashback would show he wasn't, having seen the third dimension. It adds layers to him and ford's later friendship: both were outcasts with no one at one point or another. But Stanford at least had stan for a while before he was a dick about things.. bill seemingly had no one and is active denial he was hated and feared.

So he tried to merge dimensions.. and we have no idea exactly WHAT happened.. but not knowing.. is more horrifying. Bill tries to retell it but blacks out

It's very clear Bill has ptsd.. and somehow used urkel to kill people. I feared this day would come but never thought such a dread weapon would wind up in the worst hands imaginable.

It's a great section and I honestly like this... it makes the clear bait and switch work as alex knew what we wanted.. but gave us something more fitting the character.. the one moment bill GENINELY regrets.. but due to eons of lying to himself can't admit. He twisted the narrative to be that he freed a bunch of squares when really it was his first mass murder and the only one he clearly still feels bad about. While he was likely always a tad weird, this event is what snapped him into the monster he is, convicning himself their better this way and he did the right thing instead of truly dealing with his guilt. Bill has lied to himself so much he blacks out when even thinking abotu the truth because if he really thought abotu what he did and what happened, he'd have to rethink his whole sense of self. And Bill can't do that because he's built his whole self worth into his ego after this. That he was specail they just didn't get it and it's to the point he can't even be honest that he wasn't liked> he always had ot be great and special. It's honestly.. sad more than anything. That had bill not done this or simply not made what seems like an honest mistake just not to be alone he may of simply been able to escape and find kinship in ways that didn't involve gaslighting and evil overlord ship.

Sadly he did so we find out he found the nightmare dimension , conquered ita nd slowly gathered his henchmaniacas. We find out little btis; 8 ball has a crush on pyronica, pyronica wants to fuck smokey the bear for the sick thrill of pulling it off

A

Teeth is more a team pet.. all stuff i'm glad we have simply because the henchmaniacs never got fleshed out. Pyronica also has a phd. Bill also has a lawyer named dan crabbleman he uses as a scapecrab because of course. His version of peter I suppose.

Eventually though the good times stopped; While they had nightmare dimension prom (death toll 300), it ultimately was found the dimensionw as dying and we find out HOW bill ended up here and why he hates the time baby so much. .

Now granted the section with the time baby, only a few pages.. didn't do much for me. I've never really been a fan of the time baby: he comes off at least a touch evil, if less here since ANYONE comes off less evil when compared to bill, and the only joke they seem to have is he acts like a baby but is an elder god or something. He's one of the weaker weridos our heroes encountered.

Thankfully bill defeats him and the dinsoaurs would rebound eventually

And we'd only have to deal with time baby a few times after this before Bill kills him

So we then find out why Bill was spread about history. Turns out, not suprisingly, he landed in gravity falls which was perfect for his nonsense. In 30 Million BC he found a small tribe and befriended it's local shaman.. then kinda killed that good will when his first portal created the bottomless hole, let loose sea monsters and killed a lot of people.

This is also where something clever about the book comes about, something I hadn't noticed in the show till Bill's history made it clear: While Bill CAN manipulate a person fairly well he has a huge weakness besides tin foil or techno: He dosen't care enough to hide how unhinged he is. Bill by this point in the story, after eons of self denial and surrounding himself with people who either enable him or he tortured until they enabled him presumably, simply can't grasp that maybe giving a kid deer teeth or a head that's always scremaing isn't the way to make a good first or second impression.

And those moments from the show did set this up well: i'd always assumed he did that shit because it was fun. See the "Your insane!" "Sure I am what's your point?" exchange that's the second thing he ever says. But now I get it's .. well still part that, Bill likes fucking with people.. but it's also that he can't turn OFF his need to fuck with people. Even in this very book instead of giving genuine if shallow love advice he wants you to lock someone in a love cage or become johnny cobra arms. And I mean the second one is sound advice if you've got sufficent padding or a venom immunity, who dosen't want cobra arms, but this book really hammers home that Bill , while good at praying on people's desperation... is REALLY bad at actually keeping them on the hook unless their already as mad as he is or their desperate. He has one exception in ford but as this book, journal 3 and the series all establish.. Ford is also weird, dosen't really get people or social norms. Not saying all societal norms are good.. but maybe don't give your grandaughter a gun Sixer.

It dosen't detract from Bill's threat, as Ford comes to horrifying conclude later... no one actually BEAT bill pemrenantly. The shaman simply banished him and gave out the prophcey for the finale.. a prophecy that ended up not working. Bill constnatly gets shooed away or bribed by people to please shoo, shoo good sir shoo.. but it's not till stan after centuries of work on earth that someone actually BEAT him.

But it does humanize him, even if calling him human is not even a stretch it's just innacurate, but it's the term we got: Bill's ultimate weakness isn't his ego or collection of sily straws: it's that he simply CAN'T stop being him long enough for someone to actually buy into his shit. He actually had the founding fathers listneing.. until he called martha washington hot lips. He nearly gets the US Government to get him to the president.. but can't reissit talking about how fun it'd be to set all the nukes off at once. He makes a truly fun looking silly siphonies style cartoon.. but then it's time to relase the bees

Bill for better and for worse can't help but be himself. his schemes usually drive people to madness or away. He's good at preying on people's desperations and it ultimately needed him his three days of weirdmageddon.. but but he's not good at pulling the long con and only managed it once in his long career.

Thankfully while the book has plenty of great failures from bill from his computer to his do wop group the cipher tones (And the insuing country music backlash record calling him the devil. Please the devil threw him out because living with him is like living in a living nightmare).

There's a few slightly meatier episodes: There's his days in the dark ages.. and one of the few times someone actually got the better of him: he seemingly cons a dark wizard into joining him, sending some knights on a fetch quest to get his copy of monty python and the holy grail. How Disney got away with using the full title I have no idea but they did. God I hope it's not the same copy I have. Turns out though said wizard pulled a sandman and trapped him in a glass orb somehow woven with unicorn hair. Granted it does lead to bill goign on a rampage the second he's free but said rampage gets him banned from Europe so we'll call this one a draw.

The other is the anti cipheretes, a turn of the century group that means well and is engaging.. but sadly tried to preent their findings publicly and their leaders gets intionalized. It's honestly sad.. all this guy wanted was bill out of his head and they lost.

There's also said Silly Symphonies detour where the walt disney expy uses it's a small world (not named directly but barley disguised) to drive bill out.

It's another fun section, filling things in and letting bill fuck with history. He even gets a genuinely heroic moment

Yeah Bill deals with the puritans.. and they piss him off something bad, their lack of imagination making most useless to him, their society being horrifcally stuffy even by the cipher standard of "Stuffy assholes won't let me fill a theater with bees. Charlitans", so he helps an abused local housewive used as a footstool discover what laughter is and soon forms a coven. Said coven inacts a bloody coup, sure.. but it was puritan times, this is the only way a feminism could happen.

We then get the penultimate chapter in our story: At this point it's the 80's, do a lot of coke and vote for ronald regan and bill.. is at the end of his rope. His last scheme is easily one of my faviorites...

I know disney won't because they hate merch but I genuinely hoope a fan recreates these to own. Even the 3d model used here would be appricated for printing.

But then... fate threw bill a bone: he started laughing. Uncontrollably.. lights turned yellow his image was on every computer and breakfast cereal... someone.. opened up gravity falls again.

This is where Ford comes in: In a clever twist the next bulk is from Ford's perspective, with Bill having somehow found pages ford torn out. This is great for two reasons: the first is that it allows us to see their story more on the ground.. and the second is it's a resonable explination why pages that would've defintely told dipper who the author was were missing: Bill points out Ford tore them out due to his own shame and vanity. The former was on display in the last mablecorn, with him not telling dipper and only not getting mindwipped because the horrifying experinces recounted in those pages made him get a plate in his head. The second was in the book: Ford's biggest weakness and one Bill fully took advantage of.. was his ego. Ford thinks a LOT of himself and while he is impressive, it's his need to be seen, to be recognized after being ostrachized most of his life that makes him easy to play like a fiddle before bill and made him stubborn and dangerous after.

Ford can't admit he was wrong and had he left that vunerablity in there the show might of gone diffrently and weirdmageddon probably woudln't of happened.

It also covers in the one gap the journal glaringly left out, but again for plot reasons: that winter Ford was at his cabin. It's a geninely touching story: Ford feels lonely, and bad that he didn't get fiddleford anything before McGucket goes to see his wife back home, and spotted dipper and mable's footprints.. and ends up kidnapped by the krampus and having to rescue a bunch of children because of where he lives. What's heartwaring is fiddleford returns.. and while he fucked up his relationship by forgetting to get her a present, though the shippers certainly got one with this story arc, Ford decorates the portal to cheer him up.

The bulk though is about Bill and Ford: While Fiddleford IS his friend, he's gone a lot because he you know has a life. We see a side we didn't really see too much in the journal but makes sense: Lonliness. Ford is just too dang weird and awkward to be around people, can relate and bill takes full advantage of that. We get to see bill play full on manipulative boyfriend as he preys on Ford's ego, need to not be alone and subtly tries to isolate him when stan comes up and after the heartwarming moment above. It's neat to see just how things went wrong, how Ford got played by bill. Like I said Bill can't hide who he is.. but it works here as Ford dosen't get people so while creepy as hell, Bill leaving a giant pile of dead rats in his name for his brithday and getting him karoke drunk is not a red flag. You also get the sense that while bill isn't remotely a good friend, person or triangle, Bill WAS fond of ford, he genuinely liked the guy and gets shitfaced when eh dosen't on "i'm totally fine juice" and crashes an interdimensional mexican restraunt. Also props to alex I didn't know I needed to see Ford and Bill hammered on seperate occaions but here we are.

Naturally it goes south and the post breakup is easily the most serious part of the book. There's still some great jokes, but it shows how horrifying bill can be. His first actions are, after Ford installs his lab's retinal scanner to keep bill out (since the pupil thing isn't just stylistic, it really happens), he beats the poor guys knuckles bloody trying to claw his way out. He revivies Zombies to stop ford at the mourge as it turns out he can control ANYTHING with a brain. That does lead to a really awesome moment I didn't see coming as Ford admits he's missing him.. but his aim is getting better

Yes they called back to THAT of all things.

It's then things get terrifying: Bill starts writing on ford's post it notes, taking his body at intevals since Ford let him in.. and it's something I just never thought of: while we saw what he could do to dipper, we knew it was a bad idea and he was able to get him out pretty quickly. This segment.. shows what happens when bill can come and go as he pleases. Fordapparenly would just pass out for a second and wake pu with notes.. and when Bill got tired of the post it note tag.. he went a bit further with what's easily my faviorite joke of the whole book

It's just so bill. Grante did' be terrified and probably dead from such a stunt, but it's still just.. so damn perfect.

Ford gets him back with it's a small world after all.. only for us to get to the most unsettlign portion of the book. Ford wakes up on the roof and finds bill left a tape. And while a portion of bills shenanigans, memoralized with polaroid are just hilaroius, like slapping a cop or getting a baby girl tatoo.. we also get shit like eating a jar of spiders (And as an arachnophobe the sentence I keep coughing up siders is.. a lot for me ) and hammering his own hand. We'd seen this kind of shit with Dipper.. but this is what he'd do when he dosen't necessarily NEED the body for himself.

The lowest though is Bill.. trying to call stan. And trigger warning for his next image as it's ... pretty fucking rough.

Yes Bill.. nearly sent a suicide note to stan over the phone in ford's name. It's only sheer luck and likely some lawsuits that saved it but it just hits so hard. Even as much as Ford hates stan.. he dosen't want this and is truly terrified. It strips away the wacky nonsense of bill and gets right to the point: bill is gaslighting and abusing ford, even making him forget his own name for a second, until he gets what he wants. The earlier parts showed him playing the more manipulative roll of abuser but now.. we see what happens when bill goes full on petty and vindictive and there's nothing humorous about it.

Thankfully ford got the plate in his head, he called stan, you know the rest.

It's here the book reaches it's climax: Ford contacts the reader again.. but in a nice bit while he begged them before.. he can't blame them. THe post weridmageddon character development shown in journal 3 stuck: he was where they were. Not only that while he hid the book from his family they found it and instead of turning all into bills.. they just laughed. They'd all grown enough to just find his attempts at playing them funny. They all took his embarssing past in stride. As Stan perfectly puts it "So you messed up a bunch. Guess that really makes you a pines". Stan of all people has EVERY reason to never let ford live this down.. yet does because he gets it. Everyone fucks up and it helps Ford see he's human.. and so's bill. Well again eh's a triangle man but he's ultimately as Ford puts it "A sad theater kid desperate for attention". This book isn't some grand demonic tone: it's the sad last effort of someone who already lost.

We get some fun letters from each pines: dipper and mabel both encourage the reader, and Mabel, even if she threatens to fucking murder bill if he goes after her brother again.. even offers Bill tips on getting over ford. Dipper sympathizes with the reader and also threatens to murder him. And stan.. well stand does what he does best.. promote the mystery shack. Yes even when he's not the owner he can't help plug it. But he also gives bill the biggest kick to the nuts of all: he dosen't care. He hasn't had the personal trauma the others have and just sees bill as another werido trying to steal his wallet like every other thursday in this town. Stan Pines murdered one of the greatest villians in history.. and he somehow tops that by not even carring.

We get Bill screaming STANNNLEEEYYY again, having been beaten and the reader convinced not to swap places with bill. Not only that Stan and co also figured out something important: If bill isn't dead but IS trying to escape.. where he is cant be good.

And we finally find out what happened to him. Which is a mild suprise as while it's VERY nice we found out, as seen in the rest of the book alex is keen to keep some secrets close to the chest. He teased at bill's possible return: the statue in the finale, the axotitl he invokes showing up in a non canon choose your own adventure story, that sort of thing... but it wasn't guarnateed going into this book we'd learn. Thankfully Alex, as ever knows when to not tell us stuff and when it'd be a real dick move not to and not in a funny way.

Bill made a deal with the axitotl to reincarnate. For those less familiar, all two of you the axitotl is some mysterious god taking the shape of that adorable creature whose as kind and benevolent as that sounds and even gave BILL a second chance.

He isn't, thankfully stupid.. and thus after a lifetime of lopsided deals.. just like with Stan moments before making this one.. Bill gets hit with a bad one. And the thing is unlike Stan who just flat out tricked Bill like Bill played so many people, the Axitotl didn't lie: it told bill he'd have to repent. It was bill's own ego that assumed he could scheme his way out

Instead bill is now inside the Theraprism, a maximum security dimensional prison that takes all commers and is filled with sterotypical therapy activites like arts and craft and constant group sessions. And while a tad unsettling it's honestly.. nicer a fate than I expected. It's still pure hell for bill.. but the place isn't EVIL. it geninely wants to help it's patients, even the worst people imaginable and while there's things like a sensory deprevation void, it's clearly because this place is essentially arkham asylym but ran compitently and with actual care towards ehabilitation. To let those who genuinely repent reincarnate.. granted there are options like "cloud of spore sor a butterfly" but I get that maybe Freddy Kruger dose'nt need to come back as a wolverine and possibly maul faces. Let him get a chance at that third time around.

But for Bill.. a place to self reflect, heal and come back as something powerful.. as hell. There's no ESCAPE: whatever's running this place is clearly powerful enough to hold fucking BILL down. Darcy's helmet is there too in a nice little cameo and I wouldn't be suprised if every dead disney villian deemed enough of a threat was here. Honestly making Bill and Belos room together is the punishment they deserve. or belos does, Bill would get a kick out of having someone to torment so maybe just let him do it in moderatoin. As a treat if he participates in group.

It's Bill.. trapped in his own personal hell... a place he can't escape through manipulation, surrounded by people he dosen't respect, with the only way out being self reflection and a cursed arts and craft project that was quickly confiscated before it coudl take the reader. Bill's fate was already great in the show.. but this improves on it> Bil got conned twice and is trapped in a hell he could easily escape but never will because he just.. can't grow. He won't. He refuses to. His ego can't take it. So all that's left in the book is bill pathetically whimpering that SOMEONE wil lcome from him.. but with his henchmaniacs thinking he's dead and having spent his life burning bridges.. no one ever will.

This book is amazing. Read it if you can. A truly great little followup that fills in some gaps, is packed densely with jokes, has some really effective horror and has a truly amazing ending. Check it out if you haven't and if you can.

Thanks for reading

[marvelrarepairbingo]

Marvel Rare Pair Bingo Round 4 Round Up!

Summer has come and gone, but things are just kicking into gear heating up autumn with these hot off the press fills scorchers that our participants have been putting out there. Summer days might be gone, but there is still plenty of fun under the sun with these sizzling stories under the cut! Also if you're looking to join in on the fun here's how you can too under the cut as well :)

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And now onto the fantastic Round Up! Great start to a new round everyone!

Title: The Grumpy Sunshine Thing Author:  BurdenedWithPointlessPurpose Card #: MRP-034 Square Filled: Free Square: Wade taking a selfie of him and Logan that he shares on social media Pairing: Wade Wilson/Logan Rating: Teen Summary: Wade captures a moment of Logan and him hanging out, then shares it on social media. Why? Logan doesn't know or really care. All Wade's followers want to know though, and he is happy to tease them as much as he teases his Peanut. Word Count: Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/57912577

Title: Honey-Munch Author:  Ruquas Card #: MRP-104 Square Filled: N1: Pet Names Pairing: Logan / Wade Wilson Rating: Teen Summary: In theory, Logan had known that Wade could crank up the pet names. He just hadn't been prepared for the moment when Wade did. Word Count: 1708 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/57919621

Title: Not here, Not like this! Author:  42donotpanic Card #: MRP-038 Square Filled: Free Square Pairing: HawkDevil Rating: Mature Major Tags/Warnings: MCD, Blood, Stab Wounds Summary: Daredevil and Hawkeye made it out of yet another fight ~~alive~~. Word Count: 397 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/57939496 Title: Fire and Lightning Author:  ABrighterDarkness Card #: MRP-065 Square Filled: B5: Dragons Pairing: Steve Rogers/Thor Rating: Gen Summary: Earth had its own secret weapon, hiding right in plain sight. Link: https://www.tumblr.com/alwaysabrighterdarkness/757987134850400256/marvelrarepairbingo-square-b5?source=share

Title: Working Our Way Back to Love Chapter 1 Author:  scottxlogan Card #: MRP-131 Square Filled: I4: The Quest Pairing: Tony Stark/Emma Frost Rating: Mature Major Tags/Warnings: Angst with a Happy Ending, Romance, Sexual Content, Reunions, Adult Content, Romantic Gestures, Marriage Proposal, James "Rhodey" Rhodes & Tony Stark Friendship, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence Summary: Miserable without Emma in his life, Tony makes the decision to head out to Chicago to make an appeal to return to the romance that was lost between them. Word Count: 6731 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/57907378/chapters/147403006 Title: I’ve Got You Under My Skin Author:  scottxlogan Card #: MRP-131 Square Filled: B5: Facing the Darkness Pairing: Bucky Barnes/Tony Stark Rating: Mature Major Tags/Warnings: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Feels, Angst with a Happy Ending, Established Relationship Tension, Sexual Content, Swearing, Adult Content, Canon-typical violence Summary: After dealing with backlash about their new marriage, Bucky and Tony make their way out to Malibu hoping to get peace and quiet with one another, but Bucky finds he's overwhelmed by the surprising outcry of disapproval he's facing simply for loving Tony. Together they know they make sense, but everyone else has an opinion on what's right for them causing Bucky to question their future until Tony's romantic gesture reminds Bucky how good they are together Word Count: 9025 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/57979015

Title: Working Our Way Back to Love Chapter 3 Author:  scottxlogan Card #: MRP-131 Square Filled: O1: Sitting on Someone’s Lap Pairing: Tony Stark/Emma Frost Rating: Mature Major Tags/Warnings: Angst with a Happy Ending, Romance, Sexual Content, Reunions, Adult Content, Romantic Gestures, Marriage Proposal, James "Rhodey" Rhodes & Tony Stark Friendship, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence Summary: Tony responds to Emma's news as the two figure out their future together :) Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/57907378/chapters/147734551

Title: Domesticating a Jelly Bean Author:  BurdenedWithPointlessPurpose Card #: MRP-034 Square Filled: G1: Human Pet Pairing: Logan | Worst Wolverine/Wade Wilson/Vanessa Carlysle Rating: Mature Summary: After rooming with Wade and Vanessa, Logan finds that he’s accidentally become part of their relationship. It wasn’t his intent, or anyone's he supposes, but that’s not stopping any of them from embracing it. Well… the two reunited love birds are, while he’s just trying to cope with the idea of domestication following a life of violent nomadic misery. Word Count: 2314 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/58041241

Title: Words, Gestures and Wishes Author:  BurdenedWithPointlessPurpose Card #: MRP-034 Square Filled: O4: Cockwarming Pairing: Clint Barton/Tony Stark Rating: Explicit Major Tags/Warnings: Trans Clint, PWP Summary: Taking another step in their relationship, Tony is overwhelmed with the openness. It’s a lot considering how long it took them to get together. All it does is make him fall a little more in love. Clint might be ready for this, but he isn’t ready for the depth of want continuing to grow every day in his heart. Word Count: 2862 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/58071322 Title: In your dreams, whatever they be Author:  Wolfsheart Card #: MRP-001 Square Filled: I5: Finding the Right Time for Love Pairing: Emma Frost/Tony Stark Rating: Explicit Major Tags/Warnings: Team Up, X-Men and Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D., Fights, Battle, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Hurt Tony Stark, Banter, Sex, Oral Sex, Vaginal Sex, Romance, Fluff and Humor, Sexy Times Summary: Plans for a romantic weekend spent at Xavier's Institute for Gifted Students with his wife were moved up when Tony got the psychic call from Emma to show up much sooner and to bring the Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D. as of course, that's when the Green Goblin decided to show up with minions to attack the mutants. Just how romantic will it be post-battle, especially if someone winds up hurt? Word Count: 7185 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/58073425

Title: A Night Out Author:  scottxlogan Card #: MRP-131 Square Filled: G5: Curiosity Leading to Trouble Pairing: Scott/Logan Rating: Mature Major Tags/Warnings: Sexual Content, Swearing, Drinking, Jealous Logan (X-Men)Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence Summary: Logan follows a cryptic message from Scott that leads him to an out of the way bar where the guys find ways to get into a little trouble together and work on their relationship along the way. Word Count: 5601 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/58087438

Title: An Overwhelming Step Author:  BurdenedWithPointlessPurpose Card #: MRP-034 Square Filled: I4: Nipple Play Pairing: Vanessa Carlysle/Logan | Worst Wolverine Rating: Explicit Major Tags/Warnings: Background Poly w/Wade Wilson Summary: It’s a lot easier to be intimate without Wade’s heavy gaze in the apartment. Vanessa’s eyes aren’t as heavy on him, but an understandable pressure exists regardless. Logan supposes that’s what makes for a promising relationship. The push, want, to take the next step. Something he finally thinks he can take with her. Word Count: 2417 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/58122697

Title: Submission Author:  scottxlogan Card #: MRP-131 Square Filled: I2: Manipulating Backfires Pairing: Scott/Logan Rating: Explicit Major Tags/Warnings: Established Relationship, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Sexual Content, Smut, Fighting Kink, Light Dom/sub, Rough Sex, Submissive Logan, Switching, Making Up, Versatile Scott Summers, Versatile Logan (X-Men), Digital Art, Fic and Art, Danger Room, Danger Room sex Summary: When Logan once again ignores Scott's command on the battlefield things get tense between them leaving Logan longing to find a way to solve the problem. Later Logan's trip to the Danger Room sparks a fight between them that Logan's hoping will settle the score and bring them closer to where they really want to be together Word Count: 6282 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/58143469

Title: Tramp Star Author:  Ruquas Card #: MRP-104 Square Filled: G3: Tattoo AU Pairing: Helmut Zemo / James Barnes Rating: Teen Summary: Helmut Zemo had lost a bet and he intended to loose it with grace. Bucky intended to make Zemo his, even if the other man might not know yet. Word Count: 918 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/58153633

Title: Sleepovers and Other Things Author:  scottxlogan Card #: MRP-131 Square Filled: B2: After the War Pairing: Bucky/Tony Rating: Teen Major Tags/Warnings: Domestic Fluff, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Fluff, Family Fluff, Team as Family, Family Feels, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Pillow & Blanket Forts, Flirting, Avengers Movie Night, Implied/Referenced Sex, Team Bonding, Minor Michelle Jones/Peter Parker, Minor Bruce Banner/Pepper Potts, Minor Loki/Steve Rogers, Minor Happy Hogan/Aunt May Parker, Innuendo, Tony Stark Lives, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies Summary: After surviving the war against Thanos, Tony reflects on how the last year of his life has given him a new beginning and hope for something wonderful with his family and the team on a night away from the missions and the chaos. Movie night always brings so many possibilities of togetherness especially with Bucky at Tony's side. Word Count: 5157 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/58216792

Title: Dancing the Sweet Dance Author:  BurdenedWithPointlessPurpose Card #: MRP-034 Square Filled: I2: Dirty Talk Pairing: Wade Wilson/Logan | Worst Wolverine Rating: Explicit Major Tags/Warnings: PWP Summary: Wade has been learning how to dance. A side hobby or something meant to entertain everyone. Logan knows that just means to annoy most of them though. In the beginning, he had to admit he thought the same was going to apply to him. It turns out watching your buddy grope himself repeatedly is something far better than simply entertaining. Word Count: 3187 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/58178923 Title: Thirsty Little Honey Badger Author:  BurdenedWithPointlessPurpose Card #: MRP-034 Square Filled: O1: Sex in a Public Place Pairing: Wade Wilson/Logan | Worst Wolverine, Wade Wilson/Logan | Worst Wolverine/Vanessa Carlysle Rating: Explicit Major Tags/Warnings: Wade/Logan slash & centric but still poly Summary: Since Vanessa decided to go out with some friends, Wade decides it’s a good time for Logan and him to go out and have some fun together. Fun that ranges from bar fights and public lewdness to milkshakes and teasing. Luckily, all three of them love all those things leaving his fiancee to make the morning after even better than possible. Sexual threats included. Word Count: 4573 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/58211512

Title: Apologize Author:  Ruquas Card #: MRP-104 Square Filled: B5: Apology / Forgiveness Pairing: Stephen Strange / Loki Rating: Teen Major Tags/Warnings: Creator chooses not to use archive warnings Summary: They weren't your traditional pairing and while they might be able to scream at each other without a problem that didn't mean that he had wanted to fuck up that badly. Word Count: 1266 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/58256224 Title: Sweet Dreams Author:  Ruquas Card #: MRP-104 Square Filled: N4: Nightmares Pairing: Marc Spector / Khonshu Rating: Explicit Major Tags/Warnings: Graphic Deceptions of violence Summary: There's the cold touch from Khonshu’s claw on his cheek Marc leans into it despite everything. They would never. Right? They wouldn't. That's all Khonshu's doing, right? Word Count: 894 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/58256755

Title: You missed Chimichanga Wednesday! Author:  Muffin/ Muffinengineer86 Card #: MRP-058 Square Filled: G4: Odd Couple (or Odd Throuple) Pairing: Darcy Lewis/Wade Wilson/Logan Howlett Rating: Teen Major Tags/Warnings: language, cursing, murderer, kidnapping, explosion, interrogation, busted lip, Canon divergence, sugar babe Wade, rescue mission, nicknames, kidnapped Darcy, Summary: Darcy found herself being kidnapped and to her surprise, her Chimichanga Sugar babe Wade came to her rescue. And he brought a friend. Word Count: 933 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/58283413 Title: A quiet corner Author:  Ruquas Card #: MRP-104 Square Filled: B4: Flower Language - Carnations, Pink (I'll never forget you) Pairing: Helmut Zemo/Heike Zemo Rating: Gen Summary: Once it had been one of the most sought out spots in the city. Now it might be the quietest corner of the country. Word Count: 695 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/58308727

Title: The worst singer alive Author:  Ruquas Card #: MRP-104 Square Filled: G2: Secret Admirer Pairing: Wanda / Steve Rating: Gen Major Tags/Warnings: Wan Summary: Wanda Maximoff was the worst singer ever, but that didn't kept Steve from watching her. Word Count: 613 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/58308904

Title: Home Author:  Ruquas Card #: MRP-104 Square Filled: I3: Insecurity Pairing: Logan / Wade Rating: Teen Summary: His therapist had told him that it was a normal reaction to what had happened and Wade had just laughed. Because it was such a normal thing when a burning house collaps with you still in it Word Count: 1996 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/58309084

Title: Wake-Up Call Author:  Ruquas Card #: MRP-104 Square Filled: O1: Waking up horny Pairing: Steven Grant / Marc Spector Rating: Explicit Summary: Marc wakes up way too warm and can't figure out why. Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/58382410

Title: The mean magpie Author:  Ruquas Card #: MRP-104 Square Filled: N5: Wearing partner's clothes Pairing: Logan/Wade/Vanessa Rating: Gen Major Tags/Warnings: None Summary: Logan starts to miss some of his clothes and suspects that Wade knows more than he lets on. Word Count: 800 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/58382596 Title: Dance Monkey Author:  Ruquas Card #: MRP-104 Square Filled: N2: Dance Instructor AU Pairing: Helmut Zemo / Sam Wilson Rating: Teen Major Tags/Warnings: None Summary: His sister's wedding was soon and Sam can't dance to save his life, even after several weeks of taking lessons. Maybe he just needs a little help. Word Count: 746 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/58382857

Title: The Incident Author:  Ruquas Card #: MRP-104 Square Filled: B3 - Soulmates: One of your eyes is the same colour as your soulmates Pairing: Steve Rogers/Helmut Zemo Rating: Teen Major Tags/Warnings: None Summary: Steve Rogers had found his soulmate! A happy thing, just sadly, he has no idea who it is. He had been busy the whole day and now both his eyes were blue. Word Count: 1800 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/58391209

Title: The need of company Author:  Ruquas Card #: MRP-104 Square Filled: O5: Romantic Dinner Pairing: Jean-Paul DuChamp / Marc Spector Rating: Gen Major Tags/Warnings: None Summary: Frenchie asks Marc for company, technically it isn't his fault that Marc assumes it's a mission. Word Count: 1000 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/58405048

Title: A Year Author:  Ruquas Card #: MRP-104 Square Filled: I1: Anniversary Pairing: Nick Fury / Natasha Romanov Rating: Gen Major Tags/Warnings: None Summary: “I’ve been here for a year” Natasha says, voice devoid of any emotions. She had been thinking, otherwise she would have covered it. “Are you?” Nick asks, voice just as devoid of emotions. She’s been here longer than that and he knows it. She knows it. He is still curious to what exactly she’s referring to. Word Count: 503 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/58405399 Title: Broken Windows Author:  Ruquas Card #: MRP-104 Square Filled: I5: Roommates Pairing: Logan / Wade Rating: Teen Major Tags/Warnings: None Summary: Logan threw Wade out of the window. Wade knew that Logan could crash just as easily at his brothers. Everyone else just tries to stay clear. Word Count: 629 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/58405663

Title: I fought the law (and we won't let it win) Author:  Ruquas Card #: MRP-104 Square Filled: I2: Breaking the rules Pairing: Bobby Drake / John Allerdyce Rating: Teen Major Tags/Warnings: none Summary: They were breaking the law anyway, so what's one more to break? Word Count: 904 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/58406125 Title: Come on like a flame, turn a cold shoulder Author:  Wolfsheart Card #: MRP-001 Square Filled: I4: Trying a New Dating App for the First Time Pairing: Bobby Drake / John Allerdyce Rating: Teen Major Tags/Warnings: Blind Date, Dating, Online Dating, Gay Bobby Drake, Bobby Drake Needs a Hug, John Allerdyce is a good guy, Past rivals, Diners, Autumn, Rain, Kissing, Kissing in the Rain, First Kiss, Gossip, Catching Up, First Dates, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Banter, Sweet, Cute, Cute Ending, Silly Dating Profile Names, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, moodboard Summary: Now a member of both the X-Men and the Avengers, Bobby Drake finds himself on a blind date with someone he met through Stark Industries' new dating app. After being unlucky in love for so long, he doesn't expect it to go well at all and even contemplates sneaking out of the diner before the guy can get there. Only he hesitates long enough that his date shows up, and it is the last person in the world he ever would've expected. Word Count: 6151 Link:https://archiveofourown.org/works/58416064

Title: Come on like a flame, turn a cold shoulder Author:  Wolfsheart Card #: MRP-001 Square Filled: G2: Blind Date Turns Out to Be an Old Rival Pairing: Bobby Drake / John Allerdyce Rating: Teen Major Tags/Warnings: Blind Date, Dating, Online Dating, Gay Bobby Drake, Bobby Drake Needs a Hug, John Allerdyce is a good guy, Past rivals, Diners, Autumn, Rain, Kissing, Kissing in the Rain, First Kiss, Gossip, Catching Up, First Dates, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Banter, Sweet, Cute, Cute Ending, Silly Dating Profile Names, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, moodboard Summary: Now a member of both the X-Men and the Avengers, Bobby Drake finds himself on a blind date with someone he met through Stark Industries' new dating app. After being unlucky in love for so long, he doesn't expect it to go well at all and even contemplates sneaking out of the diner before the guy can get there. Only he hesitates long enough that his date shows up, and it is the last person in the world he ever would've expected. Word Count: 6151 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/58416064

Title: Budapest Author:  Ruquas Card #: MRP-104 Square Filled: O3: Heist Pairing: Clint Barton / Natasha Romanov Rating: Teen Major Tags/Warnings: none Summary: Clint is running for his life, having no clue where Natasha is, but sure she's alive. She's worse than a cockroach with surviving. Word Count: 823 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/58425073

Title: To be left in the dark Author:  Ruquas Card #: MRP-104 Square Filled: O2: Makeup sex Pairing: Vanessa / Wade Rating: Explicit Major Tags/Warnings: Author chooses not to use archive warnings Summary: Wade hadn't told her about that part, because she was already freaking out about him getting shot. And maybe run over. There had been a sword involved and a lost arm. But even Wade knows that the drowning part would have been too much. Word Count: 594 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/58425385

Title: When it's too loud in your head (make me be louder) Author:  Ruquas Card #: MRP-104 Square Filled: G4: Public Sex Pairing: Darcy Lewis/Jake Lockley Rating: Explicit Major Tags/Warnings: None Summary: Darcy grins wickedly, pleased by his eager compliance. “Of course whatever I want” she says before she spins them around, pressing Jake back against the wall once more. Word Count: 1312 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/58425808

Title: To Bring You Into My Arms Author:  scottxlogan Card #: MRP-131 Square Filled: B1: Race against the clock Pairing: Bucky/Tony Rating: Mature Major Tags/Warnings: Established Relationship, Misunderstandings, Kidnapping, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Implied Sexual Content, Kissing, Cuddling & Snuggling, Reunions, Idiots in Love, Hurt Bucky Barnes, Blood and Injury, Implied/Referenced Torture, Aftermath of Torture, Prison Summary: After a miscommunication Tony is on a mission to bring Bucky back home again after the bad guys took him away. On the mission Tony's determined to rescue the one man he can't live without as the two find a way to clear the air between them along the way. Word Count: 9633 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/58469407

Title: A quiet man Author:  Ruquas Card #: MRP-104 Square Filled: I4: First Kiss Pairing: Jake Lockley / Matt Murdock Rating: Gen Major Tags/Warnings: none Summary: Jake wasn’t a loud man, just like Matt wasn’t a quiet man. Matt knew that. Word Count: 1360 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/58478071

Title: Running with you, running for you Author:  Ruquas Card #: MRP-104 Square Filled: Free Square Pairing: Marc Spector / Jean-Paul DuChamp (Frenchie) Rating: Teen Major Tags/Warnings: none Summary: Frenchie feels a grin tug at his lips when they walk around the corner, people around them throwing them strange looks. Which might also be because both Marc and him look like they had just spent two days in the jungle, there’s blood on Marc’s lip and Frenchie feels his left eyebrow pulsating, indicating that something had managed to get him there. Word Count: 657 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/58478263

Title: For a little while Author:  Ruquas Card #: MRP-104 Square Filled: G1: Sensual Massage Pairing: Steve / Clint Rating: Teen Major Tags/Warnings: none Summary: For the first time in a long time, he felt like maybe, just maybe, he could let his guard down. Word Count: 1313 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/58505683

Title: impossible to ditch Author:  Ruquas Card #: MRP-104 Square Filled: B2: Surprise Birthday Party Pairing: Tony/Rhodey Rating: Gen Major Tags/Warnings: none Summary: Maybe, just maybe, Tony really got old because sleep actually didn’t sound that bad, even if it was barely nine in the evening. Word Count: 784 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/58505983

Title: To Play Author:  Ruquas Card #: MRP-104 Square Filled: G5: Impossible Mission Pairing: Clint Barton/Nick Fury Rating: Teen Major Tags/Warnings: none Summary: Nick Fury didn’t play well with others and Clint Barton didn’t play well with people that weren’t Coulson or Nat. And no matter what they were to each other outside of work, neither Clint nor Fury played well with each other. Word Count: 1042 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/58506304

Title: The numbers for success Author:  Ruquas Card #: MRP-104 Square Filled: O4: College AU Pairing: Jake Lockley/Darcy Lewis Rating: Gen Major Tags/Warnings: none Summary: Accounting and Billing was not easy. That much Darcy learned. She still had to sit through it and suffer. Word Count: 1678 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/58553053

Title: Full Circle Author:  scottxlogan Card #: MRP-131 Square Filled: Free Square Pairing: James "Bucky" Barnes/Tony Stark, Steve Rogers/Tony Stark, James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers/Tony Stark Rating: Explicit Major Tags/Warnings: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Explicit Sexual Content, Armor Kink, Minor Bucky Barnes/Steve Rogers, Implied/Referenced Cheating, Alternate Universe - Professors, Alcohol, Swearing, Misunderstandings, Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Science Bros | Bruce Banner & Tony Stark Friendship, Canon-Typical Violence, Tony Stark-centric, Flirting, Threesome - M/M/M Summary: In the aftermath of his breakup with Steve, Tony convinces Bruce to accompany him to an island beach party weekend that Tony is convinced is exactly what he needs to forget about the man that he still can't find it in himself to get over. Struggling with the idea of letting go of what he and Steve had together, Tony tries to pretend he's doing great, wanting to return to his hedonistic former self and find a hookup to make him forget everything he'd left behind. However, Tony's night doesn't go exactly as planned when memories and the mood leads him to longing for what he wants but cannot have until he runs into a sexy stranger on the beach that turns Tony's world around in ways he's entirely unprepared for. Word Count: 11049 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/58713529/chapters/149614444

Title: Nothing Else Matters Author:  scottxlogan Card #: MRP-131 Square Filled: I4: Reunion with Beloved Pairing: Jean/Scott/Logan, Scott/Logan Rating: Explicit Major Tags/Warnings: Canon Compliant, Protective Logan (X-Men), Post-Movie: X2: X-Men United (2003), , Hurt Scott Summers, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Sexual Content, Threesome - F/M/M, Grief/Mourning, Food Issues, POV Logan (X-Men)Jean's death in x2 holds, Past and Present, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Scott Summers Whump, Swearing Summary: After Jean's sacrifice to save the team, Logan's concerns for Scott escalate as they're both mourning the loss of her in their lives. Lost in his grief, Logan recalls a night with Scott and Jean that changed everything for him hoping that somehow it can bring him to saving Scott along the way. Word Count: 7703 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/58765165

Title: Pretending Author:  Ruquas Card #: MRP-104 Square Filled: B1: Pretend Dating Pairing: Darcy Lewis / Loki Rating: Teen Major Tags/Warnings: none Summary: Of all things Darcy had assumed that would happen at the party, she did not count on Loki to make it as confusing as it was. Nor did she expect to play girlfriend, but hey, she got a dinner out of it, so... Word Count: 997 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/58791808

Title: D&D Party Tonight - All Right! Author:  Faustess Card #: MRP- Square Filled: O5 - Wearing a Partner's Clothes Pairing: James "Bucky" Barnes/Brock Rumlow, Minor or Background Relationship(s)Steve Rogers/Sam Wilson, Carol Danvers/Maria Rambeau, James "Rhodey" Rhodes/Tony Stark, Clint Barton/Natasha Romanov Rating: Teen Major Tags/Warnings: Characters Play Dungeons & Dragons, No Dungeons & Dragons Knowledge Required, Pre-Serum Steve Rogers, Alternate Universe - Modern: No Powers, Steve Rogers Has Anger Issues, Steve Rogers is a Good Friend, Natasha Romanov is a good friend, Sam Wilson Is A Good Friend, Love Confessions, Asexual Bucky Barnes, Boys Kissing, Literal Sleeping Together, Morning Kisses, Breakfast Summary: Bucky Barnes has run a bi-weekly Dungeons and Dragons game for his friends since their freshman year of college. The same core group has played together for the last ten years. Even though their lives have changed, they've stayed in touch, though Tony and Rhodes sometimes need to video conference in. Word Count: 9986 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/58042957

[pinkberrytea]

✨Writing Interview Tag Game✨

Eeee tysm for the tag @nyx-knox and @honeybee-bard! 🥹🙌❣️

When did you start writing?

I used to write fanfiction when I was 13 years old, but as an adult, this is actually my first time dabbling in creative writing! I released my first work back in April, crazy to think it’s been barely four months since I started!

Are there different themes or genres you enjoy reading than what you write?

Horror and mystery are actually my favorite genres, though I'm not sure I'd be able to pull either off? I should give it a go one day, maybe!

Is there a writer you want to emulate or get compared to often?

To be honest any comparisons at all would make me plenty happy since I barely consider myself a writer 😅 There are some people in the fandom who are endless sources of inspiration for me though, all authors in my recs list and ao3 bookmarks, for starters.

Can you tell me a bit about your writing space?

No BG3 merch sadly, yet!

What's your most effective way to muster up a muse?

Just daydreaming honestly. Also listening to music helps plenty! Researching lore and brainstorming ideas with friends too. But mostly just daydreaming!

Are there any recurring themes in your writing? Do they surprise you?

Hurt and comfort, and also angst. Lots of it, for some reason. It does surprise me how angsty all my writing ends up coming across, but I try to balance it out with some melodramatic fluff, I guess? I do want to try my hand at some less serious/more lighthearted themes eventually though, branch out a little!

What is your reason for writing?

Coping, mostly. Also as a sort of therapy, to sort out my feelings about themes that are important to me and that I’ve been processing through media. And no less relevant, simply as a self-indulgent outlet! I write what I myself would like to read.

Is there any specific comment or type of comment you find particularly motivating?

Every single comment is incredibly motivating for me, but of course, I do twirl my hair and kick my feet whenever someone tells me about which passages they liked the best and how they specifically felt about a certain scene. Also, whenever people pick up on a detail I was sure would go by unnoticed!

How do you want to be thought about by your readers?

I want my readers to think of me as a friend, as someone who is always accessible and up for talking about writing, be it mine or just in general!

What do you feel is your greatest strength as a writer?

Oh, this is a toughie. I have a very flowery and verbose style, though I’m not sure that’s a strength? I guess it could be, depending on your preferences. It’s a bit of a double-edged sword, really.

How do you feel about your own writing?

I don’t think highly of it from a technical standpoint, but I do pour my heart and soul into every single piece, and that makes them all special to me.

When you write, are you influenced by what others might enjoy reading, or do you write purely for yourself, or a mix of both?

I can sincerely say I write mostly for myself, otherwise I wouldn’t even be able to write anything at all because I don’t think I could live up to anyone’s expectations. Though of course, the feedback I receive on a piece may in fact influence whether I feel inspired to expand on it or just move on to something new. Even if I’m typically my own main target audience, comments are always greatly appreciated!

No pressure tags ✨ @locallegume, @judasiskariot, @inkymoonbunny, @starryjuicebox and @kalmiaphlox!

[magnusstan]

Kevin and Nico in the NY Times …

Kev on thinking he has time to be a Dad, getting called back to F1, priorities shifting, Laura liking the car, being torn about his kids being on socials and being neighbours with most of his family when they bought a house in his hometown …

BAHRAIN, BAHRAIN - MARCH 1: Kevin Magnussen of Denmark and Haas F1, wife Louise Gjorup and their daughters in the paddock during qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Bahrain. (Photo by Kym Illman/Getty Images)

By Madeline Coleman

Jun 15, 2024

Just behind the Formula One teams’ motorhomes inside the Monaco Grand Prix paddock, fans leaned over a fence, trying to catch a glimpse of their favorite driver. As various drivers passed by, they inevitably missed some fans’ requests for selfies and autographs.

But Laura Magnussen wasn’t going to allow that to happen.

The three-year-old pushed her red scooter down the road behind a Haas team member and her father, Kevin Magnussen. When she realized he missed a fan’s autograph request, Laura scooted up to Kevin and tugged at his shirt, grabbing his attention and pointing at the fan. Kevin backtracked and signed the notebook, Laura pushing her scooter behind him.

It was just the latest of many moments featuring one of Magnussen’s two daughters to go viral on social media. Although plenty of team personnel, track employees and media members have families back home, Magnussen, teammate Nico Hülkenberg and Red Bull’s Sergio Pérez are the only parents on the grid.

Motorsports are ruthless and dangerous, a cutthroat sport where every millisecond and millimeter count. As elite athletes like F1 drivers rise to the top of their respective sports, the focus largely is centered on them.

That is until a little one comes along, radically changing how the adults approach life.

“It changed a lot of my priorities, like my perspective on life and my career and sport, and made everything else seem less important,” Magnussen said. “There’s always pressure on the drivers and also a bit of an anxiety where you think, ‘If I can’t be racing, then what am I? What do I do with my life?’

“Whereas now, that side of it is all settled in a way. I know if I’m not racing, then I have a fantastic life anyway.”

Magnussen didn’t initially intend to have kids while racing in F1.

He joined the grid full-time in 2014 but lost his seat to Fernando Alonso a year later. Magnussen found a full-time seat for 2016 and was out of a seat again after the 2020 season. He moved on to the lower profile world of IMSA. Rather than traveling the globe and competing during 20-plus weekends a year, he raced in sports cars in North America at places like Belle Isle in Michigan and Watkins Glen in New York. He competed in nine races that season and had no marketing or simulator duties, he said.

“I thought (the) timing was perfect because I finished my Formula One career, I thought, and it was the right moment,” Magnussen said. “We had a fantastic year. The next two years were fantastic, too, but in a much different way than I expected it to be.”

In January 2021, shortly before Magnussen flew to the U.S. for IMSA, he and Louise Gjørup Magnussen welcomed Laura into the world, born seven weeks early.

Hülkenberg was in a similar position when he and his wife, Eglė Ruškytė-Hülkenberg, had their daughter, Noemi Sky. “I was kind of a little bit out of the hot seat, and I had more time. Life was a bit more relaxed,” he said.

“My wife said I was always in a good mood because I didn’t have the bad days of the race weekend. You cut out the bad days, and you’re always kind of happy and balanced and well because we take this pretty seriously, this job, and if we have a bad weekend, it can tend to take up to a week to digest it, and obviously it impacts your mood.”

But when he returned to the grid full-time in 2023 with Haas, Hülkenberg said being a father didn’t change his approach, just that his life now revolved more around his family, as well as racing.

“I think racing drivers, the way we are wired, when you get in the car and when you put the helmet on the visor down, you forget all that. You don’t really think about it, and it’s just a blank mind,” he said. “You’re solely focused on performance and getting the best possible result. So no, I don’t think it’s changed my approach in the car. But outside, it takes a lot of focus and time being a dad.”

Sporting bright pink headphones and an all white outfit, Noemi Sky beamed as Nico and Eglė walked through the Monaco paddock, swinging their daughter in the air. On her feet were a pair of decorated shoes in honor of her father, one reading “Go Daddy” and the number two, and the other “Noemi Sky” and the number seven. (Her name came from both parents: Hülkenberg liked Noemi after seeing it in movie credits on a flight with his wife, while Eglė really liked Sky).

Bringing kids trackside takes a lot of planning, Hülkenberg said. Their schedules need to be factored in, like how to squeeze in naps at a noisy track. He added, “If you’re away from home and you have the hotel and it’s far away from the circuit, you really have to make sure you have all the toys and the iPad or whatever to get through the day.”

MONTE-CARLO, MONACO - MAY 25: Haas F1 driver Nico Hulkenberg is accompanied by his wife Egle and daughter Noemi during previews ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Monaco. (Kym Illman/Getty Images)

Nico Hülkenberg said being a father didn’t change his racing approach, just that his life now revolved more around his family, as well as racing.

Magnussen finds it both “fantastic” and “frustrating because I’m too busy to really spend a lot of time with them. My kids think they’re on holiday.” Anges is nearly one year old and has visited the paddock before. Laura now understands that her father is racing, which is something she looks forward to, he said.

“She loves being in the garage and watching the car and all that. But still, she gets frustrated that I’m not available for the whole weekend. She wants to swim in the pool, and she wants to explore the place that we’ve come to, and I can’t do that. I’m just too busy.”

Magnussen says his oldest daughter isn’t intimidated by the loud sounds that come with the sport, and when she is in the garage, she wants to be close to the car. “She loves it, I think, because she knows that this is what daddy does, and she can be proud of the world that I go into every time I leave them alone.”

Over the past few years, Laura’s become a recognizable figure in the paddock, often going viral on social media, like when she helped her father prepare in Abu Dhabi last year. With her headset on, she helped Magnussen out on his gloves and closed his visor.

Magnussen’s social media accounts are run by his team, but his wife shows him the content of their daughters when it pops up. “It’s something that I feel divided about,” the Dane said.

“Laura doesn’t understand that millions of people are watching this and she didn’t consent to that. Also I feel like it’s a lot of people. Laura has been recognized, and I feel like she didn’t ask for that. I don’t feel too good about it,” Magnussen continued. “But at the same time, I think these videos are super cute, and these moments that we have had in the garage, they’re very special. And I treasure those videos because it’s awesome that we got to have this to keep and look at years to come.”

They try to balance the chaotic life of an F1 family, building some normalcy and making the kids happy. Magnussen pointed out how the number one thing in life is having real relationships and friends, not the jet-setting lifestyle.

BAHRAIN, BAHRAIN - MARCH 2: Kevin Magnussen of Denmark and Haas F1 walks through the paddock with his daughter during the F1 Grand Prix of Bahrain. (Kym Illman/Getty Images)

“Whatever you think is important before you’re a parent,” Magnussen said, “don’t worry about it. It’s not.”

“Me and my wife bought a house in a normal neighborhood with normal people close to our family. My wife’s parents, they live one house next to us, and my dad’s house is also on the same street,” Magnussen said. “Just around the corner, my mom’s house is also 100 meters away. My best friend is 50 meters. So we’re all within a radius of 100 meters, and I treasure that a lot.”

Even in a glitzy and glamorous world like F1, the simple moments in life may mean the most to the drivers, like flying home early to see their family or playing with their child after a difficult weekend. “It’s really nice when you have a bad weekend or a bad day and you go home and you take her and you play with her and she smiles at you,” Hülkenberg said. “It helps to forget the day, and it makes you feel better in that moment.”

When it comes to being a parent, the drivers’ priorities are the same as those of the everyday fan. It’s wanting to protect and be there for their child, providing a life that’ll make them happy. Priorities shift fairly heavily in the new chapter, putting life in a different perspective despite competing in a pressure-cooker-eseque environment.

“Whatever you think is important before you’re a parent,” Magnussen said, “don’t worry about it. It’s not.”

[restinslices]

Ryan Torres was saving money so he could leave Shadyside. That’s why he worked at the mall. Like others, Ryan was scared everyday that one day he’d be added to the list of dead young adults in Shadyside. Sure, he joked about it, but that’s what he did. He used humor to make others happy and therefore, it made him happy. Ryan didn’t just wanna leave Shadyside. He wanted to take everyone he could with him, especially Heather. They weren’t dating or anything, but he never wanted to leave her behind. Plenty of times Heather told him “if you have the chance, get the fuck outta here” and Ryan always told her no. He’d never leave without her.

Tommy Slater didn’t have any distinct goals. Like others, he wanted to escape Shadyside but he also wanted to give hope to young kids. He didn’t want the Shadysiders to feel lesser than Sunnyvalers just because they were born on the “wrong side” of the line. That’s why he was a counselor. He wanted to make those kids feel cared for and loved. He wanted them to feel like someone had their back. He didn’t know how he’d do it, but he wanted to fix Shadyside. Not just run and pretend nothing was happening.

Ruby Lane used singing as an escape. Shadyside could take so much from a person, but it could never take her voice. She sung for anyone at anytime and anywhere. She was the sweetest girl with a beautiful voice. The second she started singing, the world seemed to slow and everything seemed better. When she was a little girl, her mom would sing her lullaby’s and now that Ruby was older, she’d sing for her mom instead. Ruby always dreamed of leaving Shadyside and becoming a professional singer. She had a whole book where she’d write her own lyrics. Some songs were about her friends, her mom, some even dedicated to the kids of Shadyside.

None of that mattered in the end though. Only a small group of Shadysiders would know that they weren’t monsters. Only that small group would know they didn’t just go crazy. Only a small group of people would know that they were victims, not the villains the media painted them to be.

Everyone else though would only know them as the kids who went crazy. The despicable humans who killed others just because they could. Their names would forever be linked to crime sprees. It didn’t matter who they were before. All that mattered now was what the Goode’s made them do.

That’s how they’d forever be remembered.

[ladygwyndolin]

COMMISSIONS HAVE RETURNED!

Sorry to make you wait, but I'm back now! commissions are OPEN once again! As usual, I'll be opening 5 SLOTS with a max of 3k words apiece. Fanfiction, original work, and nonfiction are all okay! See below for details, preferred series, discounts, and prior examples. Enjoy!!!

WILL WRITE: fanfic, OCs, character/reader, analytical nonfiction, original concepts, furries, existing fic canons, omegaverse, kink, original stories, etc.

WILL NOT WRITE: Incest, adult/child relationships, raceplay, etc.

FAVORED SHIPS (no discount, but ones I’m very familiar with and can do most efficiently):

-Any f/f ship for Soulsborne/Elden Ring

-Suletta/Miorine (Gundam Witch)

-Noi/Nikaido (Dorohedoro)

-Rem/Misa (Death Note)

-Kyomami/Madohomu (PMMM)

-Any F/F Mass Effect ship (shiara gets a bonus)

DISCOUNTS ($5/1k words off for any comm of these ships):

-Reinhard/Kircheis or any f/f ship for LOGH

-Mireille/Kirika (Noir) or Nadie/Ellis (Cazador)

-Integra/Seras (Hellsing)

-Femshep/Liara (Mass Effect)

-Any F/F ship (Murcielago)

-Warmonger/Shaman (For Honor)

(There are plenty of other things I’m happy to write, so don’t feel limited by that list! If you’re curious about whether or not I’m familiar with a piece of media, don’t hesitate to shoot me a message and find out!)

Some examples of previous commissions:

Some examples of previous commissions:

SFW: “The Lives That I Have Loved (And Actions I Have Hated)” (Rennala/Marika) https://archiveofourown.org/works/45324904

NSFW: “Not Yet Forsaken” (Lae'zel/Shadowheart) https://archiveofourown.org/works/49949596/chapters/126109429

Tips are appreciated but not required, and signal boosting this post is always a huge help! Feel free to lmk if you have any questions or want to reserve a slot! I look forward to writing for you :D

[heliza24]

I'm kind of confused about how you feel about Lydia, I didn't think there was anything negative about the portrayal. You say she was just there for a lore dump but the way I see it, she was talking about her own life, an adventure she'd been on before. I didn't see it as dismissing her as a character

The short answer is that there isn’t anything hugely wrong with that scene. But because it’s the only real scene we’ve gotten with her so far, and because she is the most developed physically disabled character in all of D20, it is not enough.

To expand on that: Sure, she was telling the Bad Kids about her life and her previous adventures. But let’s think about why she was doing that in that moment. She was there because the Bad Kids needed to know more about her embedded crystal/metaphorical chronic illness in order to solve their own personal mysteries. She is a (very) supporting character in their narrative. We don’t get to see her go on a character arc, or change, or learn more about her desires as a character. Her disability story, which is very interesting, is in the show only because it serves the story needs of the nondisabled PCs.

Now of course all stories need supporting characters/npcs, and I am happy some of them are disabled. The problem arises when there has never been a physically disabled PC in Dimension 20. So the only disability narrative we see is in service of nondisabled characters. The problem is not Lydia; the problem is that she is alone.

You might recognize this problem with other media and other marginalized groups. To use a kind of simple example, I spent a lot of my childhood frustrated that the only women seemingly allowed in fantasy or action movies were the romantic interests of male protagonists. These love interests existed to serve the story of their male counterpart (often by dying dramatically and sending the male protagonist on some kind of revenge quest). There are still plenty of movies and shows that follow these tropes, but it bothers me way less now in 2024 because we also have a ton of tv and movies with complex female protagonists. The abundance of representation is what has changed.

I think this problem is extra clear on Dimension 20 because they have gotten SO many chances to center a disabled narrative and have not. They get up to six protagonists every season, which is way more than most tv or movies get.

Compared to a lot of other pieces of media that try to add in disabled characters, Dimension 20 is doing a good job with Lydia. They haven’t hired a nondisabled actor to play her (super common in tv and movies unfortunately) and they’ve clearly worked with consultants on her. I really like, for instance, that her persistence with the crystal prevents her being magically cured, which is one of my least favorite tropes. However, there is a huge trend in Hollywood of hiring disabled consultants when they want to tell a disabled story but never actually hiring a disabled writer for a full time, credited writing gig in a writers room. The players on D20 are the writing room. Why has a disabled person never been invited there?

Imagine, for a second, that we got a Fantasy High prequel season. All the adults we know in Fantasy High are teens, and they’re PCs. Imagine a really talented performer, who uses a wheelchair, playing Lydia. Imagine the emotional scenes we would see! Imagine the insight into her psyche we would get, the way her relationship to the Crystal would be developed. That’s what the scene with Lydia in Junior Year made me long for.

(I do have some frustration about the way Kristen reacted to Lydia, and the way that fandom reacted to Kristen. I did find Kristen offering empathy to Lydia in the form of the help action sweet, but being nice to a disabled person doesn’t deserve outsized praise, because we are not objects of pity. I also think the way that Kristen touched Lydia’s neck without permission is reminiscent of the way many wheelchair users are touched and pushed without permission, which is very violating. I don’t think Kristen would have had that same reaction to Sandra Lynn, for instance. Kristen is really Going Through It right now, so I’m not particularly mad at her for doing that. But it is irritating to see fandom singing the praises of the help action without acknowledging the touching without consent that followed).

Thank you for the question! I appreciate the opportunity to have a dialogue about this.

[popart-vvv]

This is a PSA...

FUCK THAT STUPID "PARODY" OF GOODBYE VOLCANO HIGH!

Why? Why?!

It was made by members of 4chan, the worst site on the internet BY FAR! The complete opposite of KO_OP--filled with right-wing rhetoric and intolerant of any piece of media that dares to be different! If you like the "parody game" and its related products, then you're saying that you support 4chan, warranting a block from me.

2. Lazy and unambitious design. GVH is all-around unique; high schoolers having to deal with the lead up to a cataclysmic event, deciding how to spend their time up to that event, and every character is an anthropomorphic dino. Plus, the game is a blend of rhythm and cinematic adventure, a novel choice in game design. Plus, the characters are all written like believable teens with understandable issues (the effects of the impending meteor, for instance), with plenty of non-forced conflict.

The OTHER game, meanwhile... stole the designs of the main characters and appropriated them into high school drama cliches, plus, the design for the main teacher blatantly rips off an Adult Swim character, for some reason. The worst part is the main character, though! It's just some muscly guy with a blank face! No eyes, mouth, hair, NOTHING ON THE HEAD! Goddammit, seriously, that is the WORST character design I have ever seen in my life!

Plus, THAT game is just another throwaway dating sim VN that can NEVER reach GVH's level.

3. LGBT ERASURE! THIS. IS. WHY. YOU SHOULD NOT LIKE THE GAME!

GVH's main characters are queer one way or another: Fang is non-binary, Rosa is a transgender woman, Sage is a transgender man, and it's possible for Fang to enter a relationship with Naomi. Reed is also hinted to be in a relationship with a male classmate, Alvin. Plus, there is some subtext regarding the pairings of Trish/Rosa and Sage/Stella, as well as in Naser's arc.

Meanwhile... THAT game is basically a vehicle by its creators to espouse 4chan bullshit. Fang is an enby when you first meet them, but their "happy ending" has the player character convince them to detransition. RED FLAG! RED FLAG! And the only endings where they stay an enby are the ones that don't give them any respect! This is bad messaging! Apparently, they're saying that the only way to find happiness in life is to throw away your queer identity! FUCK THAT SHIT!

Again, that is huge disrespect towards a likeable representation of an enby.

Note: Rosa, Sage, and Naomi's queer characteristics were envisioned DURING the rewrite, so it was after THAT game was revealed. Make of that what you will.

4. It blatantly disrespects KO_OP, and frankly, the company does not deserve it.

Goodbye Volcano High was released in August of last year, but it was actually revealed as far back as summer 2020. It was VASTLY different back then--it was more like a traditional visual novel, except with the same anthropomorphic dinos and unique designs. By the time GVH was released, it had gone through a huge story rewrite, resulting in the final product.

Unfortunately, there's a whole backstory in the development of GVH.

2020 was when COVID-19 was ravaging the world, and KO_OP's workers were struggling with the disease, putting a major dent in the game's production and delaying it for a while.

Also, the rewrite started not long after the game was revealed. Admittedly, this was due to a mistake on KO_OP's part in their choice of a writing crew, but the writing team was replaced, so good on them.

Also during development, they were harassed by 4chan and other unsavory people, culminating in THAT game. Basically, there's an undercurrent of PTSD--on the KO_OP Discord, if you bring up THAT game or any other hugely offensive content, you'll get a warning or a ban. Is it any wonder they hate THAT game?

Also, as I mentioned in a previous post, KO_OP should be admired for withstanding all that crap and releasing GVH three years after its initial announcement, the payoff being that it has its own dedicated fanbase and was nominated in three major awards ceremonies. Like GLAAD!

5. Real-World Events

Probably the worst part is that THAT game has a fanbase, even after a terribly heartbreaking event in February.

Two words: Nex Benedict.

Seriously, to still support that game, even in light of similar tragedies... That's inhumane.

*sigh*

I know this kind of post may not be your cup of tea, but I needed to get this off my chest. I love this game so much... It pains me to see that a supportive game, alongside its fans and creators, is being unfairly targeted by terrible people.

I stand by what I said in this post. I did my research before making this essay. That said, if there are any inaccuracies in here, I apologize.

However, I will not tolerate anyone who tries to argue in support of THAT game. If they do that, they get reported/blocked.

Sincerely, popart-vvv.

[honey-minded-hivemind]

Guys, the X-Men Evolution universe would be such a trip. You have a bunch of mutant high-schoolers, in two groups which don't get along but have a great capacity to do so, at least three starter adults for each group, plenty of adventures, and so many different characters and relationships.

Now, when I write/post about that particular universe, I usually imagine a reboot/alternate universe of it, especially since I am adding the reader into it. And now I'm wondering:

What if I did a Dark AU of X-Men Evolution?

It would still be my posts' au of it that includes reader and the reboot/platonic yandere au ideas, but this time, something bad happens. Y'all know there are sometimes dark/sad/evil aus in media, doing a What If Someone Died/Disappeared? Same As It Never Was for Ninja Turtles (2003), A Better World (Justice League cartoon), you know, those sorts of aus?

Well, imagining that for the X-Men Evolution Dark AU, I have a few points to keep in mind:

• Something bad happens to some of the teens, including reader, that influences an alternate/future version of everyone else into being darker, grimmer, more dangerous than they were in the past, and missing their kids/siblings/friends who aren't with them anymore

• The teens who disappeared/died/had something bad happen to them were the ones who were the members holding things together. Happy, forgiving, loving, or at the very least the only thing tethering a person to their sanity. So y'all might have an idea which characters I have in mind already

• For now, reader in this au has undecided powers. That could change at any time, if I come up with one that would suit them for this au

• Reader knows the teens, and reader has been friendly to them, acting as a friend/sibling, being a person willing to offer aid and advice, or just someone to listen, when the others need it

• Reader has met the adults, and stayed respectful of them, listening to them and asking them for advice when needed/wanted. The reader might have joined one team or the other, and doesn't mind helping when it's needed. They are someone easy to talk to, approachable, compassionate... They're a warm personality

• Friendship is rampant among the teens, and the adults are caring towards the kids, or at least protective. So, you know, no tossing people off of cliffs, or aiming to kill the teens (y'all know which ones I'm talking about)

• The teens I have in mind who disappeared/died are Kurt, Kitty, Pietro, and Reader. The four who tend to maintain the group's sanity, morale, and hope (in Pietro's case, Wanda's sanity and happiness). So when they aren't around anymore, everyone else sinks down into the depths of depression, anger, and grief

• Whomever caused their disappearance/deaths is hunted down and dealt with in the most gruesome ways the two teams can pull off. Their friends/kids/siblings are gone, they aren't coming back, and it's this person's fault. Every bit of grief and rage and hate is taken out on this person, until hardly anything is left of them

• The four teens who disappeared/died somehow end up in the future/au, and try to find their groups while becoming wary over what the world is now like. Things are different, in a way they weren't before, and it keeps them on edge. Something isn't right, and they don't have much to fall back on if something goes wrong

• When the Dark AU platonic yanderes discover their kids/friends/siblings are back, they're in disbelief. They were back, not a day older than when they last saw them years ago, and they're alive. It's more than they can bear. Thus they seek them out, not willing to lose them, or the opportunity to have them back

• And when the four do see their groups again, they can see the differences already. The adults seem more haggard, darker, more on edge and desperate, while their friends/siblings are older than they were, and look to be in a state of shock and heartbreak. All around confusion for everyone

• The four realize they aren't in the past anymore, and realize these people aren't the ones they remember. Especially when they seem a hair away from snapping... With no other option, they make a run for it...

• And the others give chase. They aren't about to lose their kids/siblings/friends again, they can't let anything happen to them again, THEY CAN'T. They might be afraid now, but they're all family, there's no need to be frightened. They won't hurt them, NEVER. It helps that they had the extra years of training, of learning everything they could to prevent something like the past from happening again... And it doesn't take long to corner their kids/friends/siblings, approaching carefully and keeping just out of reach...

• Their kids are scared, terrified, but they remain as calm as they can. They can't scare them off. They won't lose them again. They use a gentle tone, trying to comfort and soothe their kids nerves, looking for the best way to get closer... And when they do, they strike, swift and sure, keeping a firm, solid grip on them. It doesn't take but a moment to plunge the needle in, to shush them and let them know its okay, they're going to be alright, and how much they missed them and are so, so glad to see them again...

• And when it's done, they keep their kid/s close, making sure they fall asleep before picking them up and meeting with the others, and setting off for home... They have a lot to explain, and they need to get their kids/siblings/friends somewhere safe to hear them out and to recuperate...

• They won't hurt them, they wont allow anything to hurt them ever again. They'll stay gentle, caring, anything, as long as their kids/siblings/friends stay. They don't want to, but if they have to, they'll restrain them. They'll protect them, even if it's from themselves. They don't need to worry anymore, okay? Their family is there to help them, in anyway they can... Just listen to them, and take it easy... No need to fight them, no need to be afraid... It's them, and they're family, and family looks out for each other, no matter what...