#this became longer than I expected

[hazyspiderwebs]

Distance

You were thinking about your friendship/relationship with JJ. Lately that was the only thing on your mind. Your friendship started off great. When you met you instantly clicked and an indescribable bond was formed between the two of you. The second time the two of you were hanging out with your friends everything felt electric. It was like the friendship you had always dreamed of. As you were playing putt putt with your friends you were the only one beating John B. The rest of your friends were desperately cheering you on to beat him. John B was the best at putt putt and he willingly rubbed it in everyone's face. Now that you were there and were a potential threat to him everyone desperately wanted you to win especially JJ. As you got another hole in one JJ was the loudest to cheer "Let's go sweetheart!" Which definitely made your heart feel some type of way. As you approached your last hole JJ was right beside you and was happily commentating in an awful attempt at an australian accent. You laughed as you took your shot and got your final hole in one officially beating John B. "Y/N IS THE NEW CHAMPION. GIVE IT UP FOR QUEEN Y/N!" JJ exclaimed happily as everyone else did their own mini celebration of someone finally beating John B.

That was one of your favorite memories that you constantly went back to. The way JJ said "sweetheart" had a deeper effect on you than you cared to acknowledge. Another one of your favorite memories involved JJ and coffee. You didn't even like coffee before you met him. One night you had a long trip ahead of you and JJ could tell you were crashing before you even left. "Don't go like that you're way too tired." He cautioned and ran out of the room before you could stop him. Normally just the scent of coffee was enough to make you feel nauseous but JJ's coffee was the first coffee to actually smell good to you. He handed you the cup with an adorable smile eager for you to taste his creation. You gratefully accepted the cup and cautiously took your first sip. "Oh my god JJ this is the best thing ever!" JJ looked down to hide his blush and sheepishly responded "oh it's nothing." "How did you make this?" You asked knowing you would need more of that coffee in your life. "It's a secret recipe." He responded with a mischievous grin. He never did tell you how he made it.

Lately when you would ask him to make his special coffee he almost seemed annoyed. You offered to make your own coffee the next time and he left you completely to your own devices. The tension was too thick for you to even call his name let alone ask him how to make it. You sighed to yourself and attempted to figure out the flavor profile yourself. Tragically your coffee tasted nothing like his.

At the start of your friendship JJ was always the first one or one of the first ones to view your instagram story. Which was amazing considering how much bad reception to no internet he usually had. But suddenly he went from being the first one to view or like your stories to not watching them at all. You wanted to blame the internet but deep down you knew something had changed between the two of you. But what? That question lingered in your mind constantly.

You opened your texts and hovered over his name debating if you should actually reach out to him or not. As you scrolled through previous messages you realized you had initiated all of the previous conversations. The thought of if he wanted to he would tugged at your heart. You desperately wanted to fight that thought but clearly he wanted some distance from you. You debated about reaching out to one of his friends to figure out what was going on. But the last time you saw any of them in person felt odd too. It felt like everyone around you knew what was happening but you. As you thought about the last time you were around everyone you started to realize the sympathy looks they were all giving you.

You and JJ had started out joking around with each other before it gradually blew up into an emotion filled back and forth argument. Everyone was shocked at the escalation as JJ angrily yelled out "YOU'RE THE IDIOT!" Leaving everyone too stunned to speak. You took that as your cue to leave. And that was sadly your last interaction with JJ.

[hexofvex]

Childe brainrot time hear me out-

You're another child in the small village of Morepesok, hailing from a family of hunters. Hunting and fishing are the major practices in your village.

You befriend a small boy about your age, Ajax. A curious and energetic boy, fascinated by the tales his father would tell the two of you. You often go into the forest, playing, pretending you are two heroes of old slaying dangerous beasts. And as you two age, you develop a crush on each other.

When you both turn fourteen, he tells you he will become a legend, just like the heroes of the stories you adored so much. You smile and wave your hand, it's all so endearing after all. Until one of his sisters knocks on your door and informs you of his dissapearence.

For three days, you search relentlessly together with his mother and sisters. You can't rest, you can't sleep. One moment you are angry at his stupidity, and the next you're tearing up, praying that he turns up safe and sound. And he does. And although he looks relatively unhurt, you notice the difference.

How his eyes are devoid of light, of the curious sparkle they once had. He's suddenly confident, leaving behind all of his previous activities. He calls them childish, fishing is boring, come on, when are you going on the next hunt? Can he come with you? You agree, but then you have to hold him back for the entire time, because suddenly attacking a bear or a boar with a dagger isn't the hunting strategy you were raised with.

It doesn't stop there. He gets into fights with the other teenagers, time and time again. There isn't anyone your age in Morepesok who would dare challenge him, so he moves up to adults. But in the moments where he's with you and his family, he's cheerful and playful, and you recognize your best friend.

When Ajax informs you of his father's decision to send him to the Fatui, your heart drops. You're not even sure this would help, isn't a military organization the best enviroment for violence. You're surprised by how unalarmed he is by this, but just before he leaves, you glimpse a sight of his true feelings on it. You feel his unwillingness to leave you all behind in the tightness of his hug.

You exchange letters throughout the years. You tell him about your hunting trips, and he tells you of his job as a harbinger and his mission to fulfill the Tsaritsa's orders. He tells you of the capital city, and the beauty of Zapolyarny Palace.

The next time you see Ajax, you're both well into your early twenties. He's waiting in front of your home and your jaw drops at the sight of your best friend. He's taller, his features are rougher and the fullness of his cheeks is gone, having left behind a defined jawline. But when he lays his eyes on you, his smile is all the same.

You go on a hunting trip, for old time's sake, and you are absolutely horrified to see the way he uses a bow. For the love of the Archons, you can't understand why he prefers to be sloppy when he's great with so many weapons, but you leave him be. When a snowstorm begins, you drag him into a cave and wait it out.

Hours later though, it shows no sign of stopping. You joke about how you might actually never leave that cave, and he asks you if he can kiss you. If you'll die here, might as well, right? You laugh, he can't be serious. The look on his face tells you that he is. The feelings that you've had for each other, kept under wraps for years, resurface, and you share the moment your teenage self dreamt of. He cups your face and presses his lips against yours, and you can feel years of pining. It is by no means rough, but it's firm, and you're dissapointed when you need to pull back to allow yourself to breathe.

He tells you that if he's to conquer the world, he wants his best friend and lover by his side.

[sketchyfandomgirl]

Simon Riley has a Medusa tattoo. It’s never seen since he keeps it hidden beneath his clothes at all times. But it’s small, and almost easily missed at first glance. Only a few select people know about the tattoo.

Like you.

Simon trusts you the most out of everyone he knows. Probably more than his best friend Soap. Probably even the Captain. You knew Simon the longest by almost more than a decade, as you grew up together after your family moved to Manchester.

You were there when he decided to enlist in the military. Being there to see him off, attending his graduation from boot camp and tapping him out alongside his mother.

He trusts you a lot. Enough to be an emergency contact if anything were to go wrong.

You got a call, all the way from America, in Texas if you can believe it, that one Simon Riley has been found near the Texas-Mexico border half dead and was in recovery. So you booked a flight to Texas that very night. Wasn’t Simon supposed to be on some covert mission? What the hell happened?

Simon was reluctant to talk about what happened, but he eventually opened up about the horrors he endured while he was captured by Roba.

The violence, especially the sexual abuse that Simon wouldn’t even tell his assigned therapist. You were Simon’s safety, his most entrusted person who he could be more open with.

It would take years to help him heal.

But eventually, he did start to heal from the process, and asked you to come along with him to a tattoo appointment.

It was there, Simon’s sign of addressing his pain was finally closing to an end, did he get a Medusa tattoo.

[waldau]

insecure — kim mingyu | 2,146 words | fluff, hurt/comfort

milm (man i love mingyu). short haired mingyu is so fucking hot. also, i will gladly spread the mingyu passenger princess agenda.

gender neutral reader. warnings: alcohol.

mingyu doesn't know what exactly he's feeling at the moment. his emotions range from tiredness due to how late in the night it is, to amusement as he half-registers the movie playing on the television, to his heart feeling like it's being crushed and released over and over again.

vernon, in his drunken state, made a quip about you and wonwoo making out years ago.

that has to be a joke, right? you've always said said you've never liked wonwoo that way, and mingyu knows you'd never lie to him. so why does it feel like he's waiting for something bad when he sees your text informing him you're on your way to pick him up from his place to spend a night at yours?

he himself had asked for it earlier in the day, happy when you said you'd love to have him over for the night. but given the stuff that's come up hardly an hour ago, he doesn't know if he wants to see you.

of course he does. but he's worried that he's going to say something stupid to you.

the doorbell ringing shakes him out of his thoughts. wonwoo beats him to opening the door. you're standing in one of mingyu's own hoodies, spinning your car keys in your hand, and the thought warms him up a bit. he's still not used to seeing you in his clothes.

you greet wonwoo and he moves aside to let you in. your eyes light up immediately when you spot mingyu. he raises his arms up to let you hug him from behind.

"feeling cold?" you ask, kissing his head, which is covered with a beanie. he kind of wishes you'd kissed his forehead instead.

"a bit, yeah," he says, not untruthfully. but the cold is not the only reason he has a beanie on. he brings your hand to his mouth to press a quick kiss. as much as he loves you, he's had enough of being teased by the boys for a day. he'd much rather save the real kisses for when you get out of here.

"no greetings for us?" seungcheol asks, taking a sip of his drink.

you smile and say hi to him and vernon. "sorry, guys. i've spent all day away from gyu. you have no idea how terrible it is."

"we've spent all day with him, and we kind of have an idea of how terrible it is," vernon says with a cheeky smile.

"hey," mingyu says, no real annoyance in his voice. you laugh, your hand resting on mingyu's shoulder.

"i'll be more than glad to take him off your hands. let's go, gyu?" you ask.

mingyu nods and pushes himself off the sofa, bidding the other guys goodnight.

you shiver when you step out of the building and walk towards your car. mingyu notices and takes your hand in his, putting it in the pocket of his own hoodie. he knows it doesn't help much, especially when your other hand must also be freezing, but the smile you give him is worth it. he lets go of your hand when you get to the car so you can settle down in your respective seats.

"so, how was your day?" you ask, putting the key in its slot. he can smell takeout from the backseat and his heart does a little flip. just a few years ago, he wouldn't have imagined he'd be sharing a life with someone like this, treasuring late night dinners with someone in a car. and he'd never imagined that someone would be you.

he's glad you're here, even though he knows you're always there for him. it's been an uphill journey getting himself to believe that you really do love him, because there are days like this when he doubts half of everything he knows.

"fine," he says, unzipping his hoodie. the inside of your car is warm enough for him to feel a bit better.

"that's not how you speak if your day went well," you say, reaching over to lay a hand on his thigh.

of course you know him too well. "the shoot began at seven in the morning," he says, leaning back against his seat to relax himself. "and then woozi wanted us to give some input on some lyrics he'd written before we wrapped up for the day. then wonwoo invited everyone home for a dinner party, but the only guys who stuck around were us four, because seungcheol had some ideas for the new choreography."

"aw," you say. "you wanted to leave earlier?"

"yeah. it's better with you here."

when you don't say anything, he looks at you, only to find you looking at him...sadly? confusedly? "not that i'm looking for trouble," you say, taking your hand back from his thigh, "but did i do something?"

of course not. you haven't done anything. even if you did, it's in the past. but the mere possibility that you did it...

"you hooked up with wonwoo."

you blink once. then twice. "what?"

that's an insane accusation to make out of context. so what if vernon said what he said? he was pretty drunk already. "um. i...vernon..."

you sigh. "did he say wonwoo wouldn't shut up about it for a while?"

so it did happen. mingyu nods, a bit numb. time and again his friends have teased you with wonwoo because his roommate is your boyfriend and his best friend, and time and again you've shown that you've only ever wanted mingyu. so why—

"did you...settle for me?" the words sound pathetic, even to himself. but it doesn't make sense otherwise. why would you give up a relationship with wonwoo? his standards for dating are so high, and mingyu often conspires with his friends to get his roommate to go on dates, only to no avail. wonwoo's quite content, being by himself.

you turn in your seat however much you can and look at him. your lips are pressed together in an unhappy line and mingyu hates that he's the reason you look this way.

"is that what you think i did?" you ask, folding your hands in your lap. "that i settled for you?"

"no," mingyu says, and knows he means it entirely. he knows you love him. a lot. but some days the question creeps up out of nowhere and doesn't let go for hours on end.

"then why would you think i did that?"

mingyu shrugs. what was the deal with wonwoo, he wants to ask.

you sigh and reach forward to hold his thigh again. this time, he doesn't let your hand escape, trapping your colder hand in place with his warm one.

"it's true," you say slowly. "i hooked up with wonwoo."

mingyu lets out a shaky breath. "why didn't you ever tell me that?"

"does it change anything between us?"

like hell it would. mingyu would kick himself if that ever happened. he stares at his hand on yours. "no," he says reluctantly. "unless you have feelings for him— i know you don't, baby. but still."

you reach for his hand with your other one, trapping it like a sandwich. an idiot sandwich, he thinks, the thought bringing a small smile to his face.

"when i say we hooked up, we just kissed. a whole lot. but it was only ever that."

mingyu looks up at that. you're serious, he realizes. "just...kissing?"

"yeah. we knew it'd go nowhere. it was a mistake."

a mistake? "when...did this happen?"

"remember that party your friend baekho threw? wonwoo invited me to it."

mingyu doesn't remember the specifics, but he knows you'd been invited by wonwoo because he'd wanted the whole group to meet his old friend from college. mingyu had taken one look at you and realized he really liked you. it wasn't like wonwoo to have a ton of friends that weren't from the band, so he'd immediately taken a shine to you.

you take your hands away from his and he immediately misses them, even though they're cold. "it was supposed to be you," you say, voice small.

"what?"

"the person i kissed. it was supposed to be you."

"what?" he knows he sounds like a broken record.

you let out a small, embarrassed noise. "wonwoo said he'd try to get you alone in a room so i could confess and see what happened. but because we both ended up being drunk by the end of the night, he mistook me for some girl and i mistook him for you and we kissed."

mingyu gapes at you. you're a very graceful drunk, leagues ahead of him, but kissing someone thinking they're someone else?

"shut up," you murmur. "if i'd known it was wonwoo i'd have backed off right away."

mingyu lets out a laugh, his heart feeling so much lighter. to think you'd been kissing wonwoo thinking it was mingyu makes him feel giddy. he likes knowing you've probably been into him longer than he's been into you.

"then what was that thing about wonwoo not being able to shut up?"

you sigh. "he found it pretty funny and always brought it up to the guys, but i wasn't amused."

mingyu can't get it out of his head now. it's more funny than it's sad. maybe it's funny in a sad way. but he can't stop thinking about how awkward it must have been for you to hang out with wonwoo after that little mishap.

"stop laughing," you scold him lightheartedly, smacking his arm.

"i'm sorry," he says, hands reaching out for you. the weight on his chest has almost gone entirely.

it's a bit difficult, but you manage to move to his side and sit on his lap. your car's a bit small for such fancy maneuvers but mingyu always loves being close to you, no matter how.

"hi," you say, finally kissing him. he's missed you all day long, and all he wants to do now is go to your place and hold you in his arms all night long.

"hi," he says, looking up at you. he can't keep the stupid smile off his face.

"still feeling cold?" you ask, lightly tugging at his beanie. "i can turn on the heat, if you want."

the hesitation comes back. he shakes his head, but if you're sitting this close to him, surely you're not going to make fun of him?

"we had the shoot today."

"so you said, gyu."

"they...made me..."

"do a hundred push-ups?"

mingyu's eyes widen. "you think i can do a hundred push-ups?"

"i don't know, maybe?"

mingyu inhales sharply. "then i'll train to do them for you."

you shake your head and kiss him again. "you can do ten and i'll still be happy. what happened then?"

mingyu deflates. he doesn't look bad, not to himself, but it's just... new. he's not used to having such short hair.

"i got a haircut," he says, tugging off his beanie and closing his eyes, scared of your reaction.

your voice is low when you say, "oh, my god."

mingyu doesn't dare open his eyes. "is that a good thing, or..."

"gyu, sweetheart, do you have any idea how hot you look?"

he opens his eyes to see yours trained on his face, flitting between his lips and his hair. he feels the slightest bit self-conscious. "i kind of feel like an egg."

"then you're the hottest egg i've ever seen. seriously, what made you go for it?"

mingyu shrugs. "it wasn't really my idea."

you frown at him. "what do you mean?"

"they thought it'd suit the comeback theme if i had short hair."

you take his face in your hands. "oh, gyu. i'm sorry. i wish you had a say in it."

he nods. he does wish he had a say in it, but as long as you find it hot, he's fine.

you run a hand through his hair, or what is left of it after the trim, your fingers scratching against his scalp much more clearly than they usually do. it feels good.

"i hate you," you say softly.

mingyu's suddenly worried. "what? why?"

"because i'm going to have to change my lockscreen again. do you have any idea how much time it took me to narrow down a perfect choice from all the 1,082 pictures i have of you?"

mingyu groans. "don't scare me like that, baby. also, you have that many pictures of me?"

"i'd have more if you didn't tour so much."

mingyu can't help the laugh he lets out. you really can cure his day with your words, no matter where you are. he pulls you down for a kiss. "let's have takeout and go home, okay?"

you grin brightly at him. "did you just call my place home?"

he supposes he did. but it's true, isn't it? "of course i did."

[accio-victuuri]

11/19/23 updates cpn 🎂🍦🍪

for some reason, today, both of them decided to share on their social media. for wyb, it’s his douyin. for gg it’s weibo + douyin. xzs also posted on their weibo. they didn’t even bother splitting it up like one will post in the morning and the other afternoon/evening. nope. it’s all in the same afternoon.

we were hoping for some 24 hr relay, but these gremlins are like nope. we will just post very closely to each other. for wyb it’s definitely a part of his homework completion. lol. and the fact that he is wearing something evisu related again. how many things did he do during this shoot? 😂 as for ZZ, it seems like he is trying to catch up too? ( douyin stuff are from yuguyao promotion ) nonetheless, we are happy to get stock content.

doing this made them both go on HS. i love seeing their names on HS for stuff like this. (?FYI for wyb it’s more of the “cross dressing” meaning switching clothes.)

now let’s see what else is there….

1. The same use of emojis as captions on there douyin posts as if they really have no time to think of even a word or line to use. lol. tho this kind of caption is not exclusive to them, it’s just nice to see them matching like this on the same day.

2. There are a couple of guesses on what they are “celebrating” today ; what could possibly be the reason for doing this specifically on the 19th.

(p1) it’s wyb’s 105th post on douyin. 10.5 which represents zz’s birthday, so it’s special. that’s why they both posted today. (p2) the day zz shared his japan trip. i think this doesn’t need any more explanation, japan trip cpn is notorious on this fandom. (

(p3 and p4) this one is kind of reaching but it’s one of those 2020 candies that i love and it happened around this time too. 11/18 - 11/19 it was speculated that they spent time together. for those who were here during that time, WYB shared a video (11/20) of him skating and his caption was like i wish i could go skating everyday and then the three dots. WYB loves skateboarding and i don’t doubt that he wishes he can play everyday, but the cpn-colored glasses is wondering if what he is really talking about is skateboarding. or maybe, maybe he was wishing he could spend time with GG everyday or more often. and the three dots, which in turtledom means i miss you just adds fuel to this CPN. The penguin photo was shared by XZ on 11/18 and it’s a piece that people are adding, it is making the heart gesture and could be because XZ is happy to be with WYB.

There is a CPN timeline from that period in 2020 so lemme just refresh people’s memories even if it’s totally irrelevant ( probably ) to this post. I love myself some cpn archaeology. 🔍

11/17 was luoyang opening ceremony so he was kinda busy here but they still got to spend time together. In hindsight, this is very telling, cause there was some heavy speculation that GG was present during Luoyang presscon. If he was there during the opening ceremony for the filming, he might have been introduced to select cast and crew. So it was easier for him to tag along for the press con before the official release cause he knows the people. 11/19 was the release of the wolf and WYB attended the chanel x vogue event. 11/22 GG released a douyin video and we CPN about the curtains and how it’s similar to one of Bobo’s. Again, hotel curtains are not the most reliable measure, i know, but that’s how CPNs work.

11/25, YBO posted alluding to the douban issue of downvoting works. basically manipulating data — look at YBO calling out this practice years before, they know how unreliable DB is. everyone knows. the point is, around this time, The Wolf was getting downvoted by antis.

11/29, an episode of TTXS was aired where WYB said “i can’t give up what i like”. A sentiment that is true in everything he does, from dancing to his other hobbies. No matter how hard it is and even if it seems like everything is against him, he will not give up. The same is true (probably ) with his relationships. 🤍 this episode was filmed 11/22 which was very close to when they allegedly spent time together so the feeling is there ( and there is a whole different cpn for that day too lol ).

In 2019, GG’s Bazaar promo was release where he said that he saw his love in a dream ( i don’t think this needs any explanation ) and 2021 they also posted around the same time and both are transitions.

This is all guess work, they could be posting for the simple reason of KPI or their studios scrambling to get their bosses to be visible online 😂😂😂 BUT THE POINT IS, there seems to be significant things happening during this time and always including 11/19 between them. ✨ It fits the pattern we have been seeing for years.

3. WYB’s 105th post on Douyin and GG’s 1050 post on Weibo. 🤡🤡🤡

4. The use of a light in their hands as an element to their post. For WYB it’s a transition to change clothes and for GGs it’s more of a sunshine/light.

They share the same brain cell. Lol. and BXGs are so good cause there is already an art for it.

5. I love how XZ was like i don’t wanna be doing this while filming the Douyin. goes to show what happens behind the scenes and how similar he & WYB are. in the video, XZ was asking his staff “is this viral?” and they respond with “really viral” and he proceeds to make faces like he can’t believe 🤣🤣🤣 If he only knew, the most random things go viral. and he probably didn’t want to do it cause it had the cute vibe to it.

Similar to WYB, he prefers the cool transitions and he is someone who will not be willing to do a douyin trend. Both of them would rather share things they love like photos of places or their hobbies.

The lyrics for GG’s video is:

oh no oh no i haven’t talked to my baobei

baobei, what are you doing?

muah are you there? are you asleep?

baobei, what are you doing?

why aren’t you replying?”

Going by the theme of the song, missing someone, his baobei who is not replying lol is this a shout out to WYB? 😅

Anyway, it’s being linked to WYB’s post. The whole transition with the phone light he is doing was said to be popular in 2021. There is a couple version, which means two people are doing it and the BGM used is a song i will still miss you.

Looking at the lyrics, I understand why he didn’t use it and went with the cool tune instead. It’s a bittersweet song and about missing because the couple grew apart. WYB still wants to match the missing theme but probably scrapped it cause GG’s is more on the cute type of missing someone. 🙃

6. Going back to the Japan Trip, their posts seem to echo that time. 11/19/2018.

From WYB’s use of his phone and the shot. To XZ’s most obvious posting on the same day and SAME TIME 🤯🤯🤯

THIS IS WHY JAPAN CPN WILL FOREVER BE RELEVANT!!!!!! Happy 5th anniversary i guess! 💟 Dude I can’t fuckin believe Xiao Zhan did this the fuck he is insane for this.

7. In usual turtle clowning fashion, some of em commented xz or wyb’s photo on their douyin. These might be buried now cause solos are doing the most to make sure the top posts are theirs.

-END.

Disclaimer: this is all CPN. meaning, it is interpretation/speculation from a cpf’s perspective and uses lots of symbolism and past events that are known and understood by cpn-inclined turtles. this is not the place to wash things cause again, it’s all cpn anyway. I don’t make these posts to be picked apart, it is for fun and to enjoy. Okay? Okay. If you wanna complain, do it on your own blog.

[ewingstan]

We sort of touched on it in a prior post, but you’ve gotten a fair few details on how Mark and Carol raised Victoria by this point.

From what details you recall, how does her handling/raising of Kenzie fall into compare and contrast with those details?

Wooh. Hm. Well, I think she has Kenzie's ultimate wellbeing in mind more than Carol probably did while raising her and Amy. At the same time, when Victoria's first reaction to Kenzie getting publicly pilloried was "lets get you in front of cameras to argue your case, and also while we're at it lets keep our cape-network plan from falling through by jumping on the public-Scion-reveal grenade" I thought well. Yeah that's something Carol's daughter would think to do huh.

Its a dangerous relationship they're in. Victoria legitimately wants to keep Kenzie safe and stop her from overworking herself. She also really wants this cape group thing to work. She'd probably not consciously let the latter get in the way of the former, but she will let Kenzie fight as a hero if it seems like that's what Kenzie wants. The problem, of course, is that Kenzie wants what Victoria wants. Kenzie will act in whatever way will make the people around her happy, and so if she thinks Victoria wants her to be a hero (which you don't exactly need to be an observation tinker to notice), she's gonna make being a hero her whole thing. Not to mention that Kenzie also knows Ashley wants her to be an active cape, Sveta enjoys being on a hero team, etc....

I'll also say that the way Victoria's treating Chris.... kind of reminds me of how Carol treated Amy growing up? Victoria sees him as her responsibility: he's a member of the group Dr. Yamada asked her to shepherd, and he's a kid, and now that Dr. Yamada's gone that responsibility is even greater. Victoria is burdened with Chris in the same way Marquis burdens Carol with Amy; sure, Victoria does it a lot more voluntarily.... but she's also doing it more because she agreed to care for "the group," not for Chris. Chris is a responsibility that came packaged with what she wanted to do. And while the care she has for Kenzie seems to come from a place of genuine concern and affection, her keeping tabs on Chris feels strictly procedural. She's responsible for him, she'll keep tabs on him, nothing more to it. There's a lot of resentment and some frustration that boils into how Victoria treats Chris as a result. Insert your arrested development "I don't care for Chris" image here.

Hell, despite otherwise having pretty wildly different viewpoints when interacting with people, Victoria ends up resembling Taylor a lot in how she thinks about Chris, because it matches up so well with how Taylor thought about Regent. Its another case of "That guy I'm not as close to as the others, the dangerous one, the one whose probably a sociopath waiting to be let loose." I remember thinking that Chris seemed like "the Regent of the group" in my early reading, but they're really not so alike personality-wise, or even in terms of their place in the team dynamic; they're just positioned the same way in the mind of each text's narrator.

I read Taylor's reaction to Alec as one part fear-response to people who seem to delight in other's pain for no obvious reason, and one part a reaction to all the stuff she doesn't like about herself projected onto some twink in leggings. Her fixation on the idea that Regent must just like hurting people, that its just the kind of person he is, comes from the same scared confusion about why her best friend and the whole of the school started torturing her for no apparent reason. Its a reaction from a person who still categorizes everyone as bullies or victims, and is distressed about whether there's more to that and where she is on the spectrum. In her mind, he's a kinda evil dude that likes to hurt people because hes a bully and that's what bullies are, but actually maybe he's fine to hang around with? Which is getting churned in her head alongside her pledging to protect people by becoming a horrifying warlord and making long arguments to Pariah and Flechette about how villains can be helpful and heroes can be bullies. Taylor's relationship to Alec and her distance from him is symptomatic of her evolving views about who people can be, what power can be used for, and why people act the way they do.

Of course, Taylor conversely forms one of her strongest emotional bonds with someone who reminds her of her bullies even more than Alec does. But I think this makes sense for the same reason Chris and Kenzie could both remind Victoria of Amy but inspire such differing treatment. Bitch's first encounter with Taylor was a seemingly random attack that Taylor directly compares to the trio's assaults: she instinctively looks for a reason to hold back like she did for them, and then finds freedom in not having one. But while Rachel at first seems to directly fit the "bullies because she's a bully" model, Taylor learns pretty early on that Rachel has perfectly understandable reasons for her behavior, and that she can be predicted and made into a close ally if she just pays attention and puts in the work. Taylor's relationship with Alec is her sticking to the idea that the world is bullies and victims, and you have to find your place in it without understanding it because there's nothing more to understand. Taylor's relationship with Rachel, meanwhile, is her finding out the world isn't just bullies doing bad things because they're bad people. Rachel is the possibility of understanding the world, bringing it to heel, learning to love it and make it love you.

Similarly, Victoria's relationship with Chris is a reflection of everything she internalized from the Wretchening, while her relationship with Kenzie is her reacting against those internalized lessons towards something more hopeful. Chris is a medical freak who becomes a horrible misshapen monster on a regular basis and who suffers horribly for it, yet keeps choosing to do so. He's wretchening himself at the slightest provocation—he's impatient to wretchen himself! Add to that how his emotions rule him to the degree that they physically transform him, and that he shows absolutely no desire to reign them in, and its pretty clear why Victoria is often so negative to him. He's a powderkeg waiting to go off in a horrible way like his sister was, filled with strange and offputting desires turned into strange and offputting flesh, and unlike Amy he doesn't even have the decency to shamefully repress it. Chris is Amy as the deviant who qua deviancy will inevitably be a danger to everyone around him. Kenzie, meanwhile, is Amy as the sister who gave too much of herself. Victoria's shown at times that she hasn't forgotten how she loved Amy as a sister, how she wasn't inherently evil. She spoke with regret about not listening to Amy when she begged Victoria not to hug her. And she's pretty much said in-text "I don't want Kenzie, who I love as I once loved my sister, to exhaust herself to the point that she becomes lost in the way my sister did." Victoria looks at Chris and is reminded of all her fears of what strange and dangerous people will do, of her belief that bad people do bad things because their bad people. Victoria looks at Kenzie and remembers that's not true, and that she can do something about it.

[sunshinem0ths]

in the middle of my first mcd rewatch since i was 13, and though ive not yet finished season one i HAVE been looking at some fan content on here and ao3 and i cannot stop thinking about garroth and his relationship to irene, and subsequently how that would realistically affect his relationship with aphmau.

garroth, raised his whole life under the oppressive hand of a father who twisted irene's image so much that it became one of rigid, calculated monarchy. one kingdom, one will, guided by the light of the matron herself. garroth, whose brother, the high priest, uses a mask of faith and holiness to hide his true, sinister intentions. gleefully scorning her name under his breath, almost proud of how openly he bastardizes irene's image and somehow always gets away with it.

garroth, faking his death to escape a future where he willingly perpetuates this terrible cycle of oppression and lies all in the service of the ro'meave name; in the service of self. garroth, escaping to live in the service of others, to protect and honour the institutions the real irene fought to create. even still, his feelings towards his faith are muddied and his severance from the church leaves a gap in his life where there once was a steady hand, however cold and iron its grip. when zenix, his apprentice and first true friend he's ever had, betrays him, a cruel voice in his mind tells him that it is punishment for straying.

coming to serve aphmau as she ascends to the role of lord of phoenix drop is reassurance. it is the fulfilment of everything he's aspired to do. the reincarnation of lady irene, now living flesh and blood before him instead of ink on paper or towering quartz statues. she doesn't know it yet, but he does. he knows it in the way his body naturally wants to gravitate around her like the earth around the sun. he can feel his life's purpose reborn within her, he feels its ambient warmth when he stands by her side. through her lordship, he is vindicated. this is irene's will, not the tyrannical lie his father has fed him, his brothers, and all of o'khasis for decades. if one could call zenix his punishment for straying from his faith, aphmau is his chance for redemption.

it's also terrifying. it's all-consuming. her light is so bright it blinds him and he can't make out whether what he feels is truly love or the natural awe and devotion any good servant of the matron would feel towards their lady. one part of him extols aphmau, rejoices that all of his prayers for a saviour have been answered. she is not only holy but kind, and optimistic, and generous. she's touchable, though he would never dare admit out loud to even thinking about that. another part of him fears her, despairs at the notion that this is proof that he never could truly escape his duty. his very life is bound to irene, whatever her will is. no matter how much he struggles against it, he is fated to always defer to a power much higher and much older than him. free will was never an option, and never will be.

so garroth doubles down. he bows his head and kneels before aphmau, believes unflinchingly in her cause, stomps down and denies any doubt or cowardice he feels, even when it begins to seep into his actions and his words, as per his undeniable weakness. he will throw himself in harm's way for her, he won't allow the only hope for ru'ann to come to harm. he'll provide for her, he'll follow her anywhere, he'll protect her and her son and he'll never ask for anything in return. he'll content himself with admiring from afar and leaving small, subtle tokens of his affections, like an acolyte presenting offerings at a shrine. or, more fittingly, a loyal dog leaving detritus and small, dead things on its owner's stoop. he reigns his emotions with a swiftness that only comes from years of straightening his back and biting his tongue out of self-preservation, because he knows that she is not his to have.

but he, of course, has always, always been hers.

[oakiyo]

you've probably already been asked this before but how did you start out making cc and where did you learn to make it?

Hi! Learning CC can be a pretty daunting task and can seem really overwhelming, but the best/most effective way that I learnt was by watching speed meshes from other creators, and reading tutorials. Easier said than done, I know.

I think my first piece of advice before actually creating any content is familiarising yourself with the different programmes involved and how to navigate them. Blender, Photoshop (alternative photo editing programmes will work) and Sims 4 Studio are the essential tools to make custom content - there are a plethora of tutorials out that covering the UI, navigation, and shortcuts to move around and do certain things.

My second piece of advice is to just go for it - start with whatever knowledge you may have. This might be cropping a t-shirt or adding bangs to a hair - really simple mesh edits. Then, when you encounter an issue along the way, find a fix for that specific issue, whether that might be cuts, or UV textures.

It would be pretty hard to just make a singular tutorial on how to make custom content as it is a fairly complex 'thing' and there are so many unique ways of doing it. I'll list some helpful sources and tutorials under the 'keep reading' that I have read or made over the past couple years.

Tutorials:

SimLaughLove made huge masterlist post of tutorials and tips for creating custom content, which is where I read the majority of tutorials I used to get started.

Aharris00britney has quite a few speed meshes on their YouTube channel that I used a lot when understanding more complicated stuff like proportional editing and making textures.

About a year or so ago I made a weight tutorial for hairs that I still use to this day and has not failed me since.

Actually, I have a whole tutorials tab on my blog if you see anything there that interests you!

myshunosun has a lot of helpful resources and tutorials for build and buy custom content, if that's more your thing (link 1, link 2)

Other people on YouTube such as illogicalsims have some amazing beginner friendly tutorials for all sorts of content creation.

Useful links:

Sims4Studio

Blender 2.76

Photoshop

S4CASTools

Nvidia Texture Tools Exporter

If there is anything you don't think I have covered of think is worth me including, please let me know and I'll be sure to add it here! Creating custom content can seem really overwhelming and it is inventible to get frustrated and angry along the way - believe me I have had many a meltdowns over issues with my CC. Another point I want to mention is to never feel scared or as though you are being annoying when asking other people (myself included) for help. I am more than welcome to help you with your CC issues, just shoot me a message and I'll do my best to explain what your issue is and how to fix it.

If there are any areas you want to see covered in a tutorial please let me know and I'll try my best to write one.

[bradleyenthusiast]

Since I’m not going to finish the Jessica master-post/essay for a good long while; I wanted to take a look at the parallels between these scenes (as well as the events before and after) and the implications they have about Brad and Jessica’s relationship.

For context’s sake, Season 1 Episode 6 starts with Morty working up the courage to ask Jessica to the Flu Season Dance, only to then be intercepted by Brad.

From an outsider’s perspective, Morty presents as a nervous, shy, and insecure younger boy without much to offer but with a lot of heart, who is being unfairly mistreated by someone who pushes him back, thinking that Morty should “stay in his place” and date on his (lower) level.

From Brad’s side of things, Morty is a random who’s hitting on his girlfriend, and not even a worthy rival at that. He explains that even he wouldn’t go so far out of his own league. Jessica stands there and smiles as Brad praises her and insults Morty, until Brad states he doesn’t hit on girls prettier than herself. She frowns, sarcastically thanks him, and he smiles, adding on that his talents lay in athletics, not prose. If she wants that, she can have that. As he leads her away, arm around her shoulders, Morty looks down, defeated.

(Tangentially, I’d also like to add there’s a common misunderstanding had with this scene that Brad and Jessica are not dating, and Morty’s potential date was “stolen” from him by Brad intervening and discouraging Morty from talking to Jessica. However, the scene ends with Brad saying, “You want good words? Date a languager.” Additionally, if that misinterpretation were the case, that would make Jessica even worse as a person.)

At the dance, Morty, armed with a love potion extracted from an annoyed Rick, smears some onto Jessica’s arm. Jessica, initially aggravated by this, quickly succumbs to its effects. Grabbing Morty close and proclaiming her love for him. Morty confesses his own love as well, just as Brad (who’s drinking) passes by and overhears him. Brad does a spit take, angrily crushes his cup, and places himself between Morty and Jessica, pushing Morty back and prepared to get physical. He asks if he’s bothering Jessica, the obvious sight of Jessica embracing Morty going unaddressed.

Jessica pushes Brad back immediately, grabbing Morty back and screaming at Brad to leave him alone, calling him a jerk and repeating her love for Morty. Brad is genuinely shocked here, looking quite sad before Jessica gets in his face, stating: “He is more man than you will ever be.” She then sneezes, infecting him.

This scene flips the main point of Brad’s earlier verbal degradation of Morty and overall emasculation back onto Brad. Brad sees himself as the superior man to Morty, as a valued athlete, boyfriend, and peer in school. The rest of the student body, as well as Jessica, has been shown to share that same opinion. So there’s supposed to be satisfaction in this scene, seeing Morty finally win, and Brad devolve into a Morty-obsessed drone, but it only spells the disastrous beginning of the end of this dimension.

Moving onto the season finale, Episode 11 has Morty clashing with Rick and Summer for throwing a party in the parents’ absence, while their guests make a mess of the house in a chaotic whirlwind that Morty takes upon himself to control. We find out that sure enough, Brad and Jessica are both in attendance (though do not arrive together), to which Rick assumes the latter will quell Morty’s anxiousness.

This proves to be a gross underestimation of Morty’s ability to annoy Rick.

With the sudden Kool-aid Man-esque appearance of the leader-combination clone Abradolf Lincler, Brad (who’s drinking and appeared to be having a conversation with Jessica while Morty lingered behind her) is bumped into while Lincler monologues at Rick. This begins a confrontation that has Lincler awkwardly trying not to sound racist, suddenly looking to Rick for help, while Brad takes the encounter very personally. He turns everything Lincler says against him, even quoting the Third Reich’s promise to reign a thousand years.

Jessica attempts to interject, pointing and demanding Brad leave him alone, but Brad yells for her to stay out of it, pointing a finger right back at her.

Jessica is extremely upset by this. To which Rick yells out, “Kick his ass, Brad!” The people surrounding join in on this chant, notably not added to by Grace S., Jessica’s friend who tried to calm her down at the dance. Lincler looks around while Brad crushes and throws down his cup, and starts the smoothest ass kicking in the show thus far.

Jessica yells at Brad again as he throws himself at Lincler, then runs out of the room. Morty expresses his outrage with Rick, but is then pushed in Jessica’s direction, claiming he did Morty a “favor”. This is the second time Rick has helped Morty meddle in Jessica’s relationship, this time for his own benefit.

Morty follows through, meeting Jessica in the front outside and apologizing for Rick’s behavior. However, this apology is ignored, Jessica instead beginning to vent her frustrations with Brad, “UGH. Brad is such a jerk. He’s always trying to prove what a man he is. I just want to find somebody nice and sweet.”

Although this could be taken as Jessica’s feelings about Brad’s behavior towards her, based on the previous scene’s context about race, the Civil War between the Lincoln-led Union against slavery in the United States and the pro-slavery Confederacy, the centuries of chattel slavery (that may have brought Brad’s ancestors to the States), and the ideology of the Third Reich of Hitler’s Nazi Germany, Jessica’s rant comes off as instead focused on Brad’s own pattern of behavior toward others.

We know that to an extent, Jessica is making a very valid point, both as a girlfriend and peer. Brad is a jerk, but not for the fight we just saw. We saw how in Episode 6 he belittled Morty, pointedly not for hitting on his girlfriend but instead for not even being worth it. Brad is justified here in context, but he took it a step too far to say that for Morty, there’s no chance in the world that he or people like him could find luck with girls like Jessica. It’s not their place.

Brad then follows up with the implication that if he were more successful or more wealthy, he’d be allowed to be with a prettier girl than Jessica. All while saying that Jessica is the prettiest, the highest caliber that he can get. At her sarcastic gratefulness, he brushes her off, and displays an unwillingness to change, like he would rather she leave him to find happiness than abandon his role in this social system.

Although, to counter this, the vulnerability Brad exposes in himself can’t be ignored. In the same breaths that he says that Morty is beneath both him and Jessica, he shows how highly in regard he holds her, how closely he follows the doctrine of high school hierarchy for her sake, and how willing he is to stand up for her and her standards. He performs his duty promptly and plays the role of a jerk jock without issue.

He’s comedically self aware and understands that although he was just saying very shallow things, he also shows how much he understands Jessica’s wants and desires, how she’s capable of knowing what she wants out of a relationship. He may say, “Date a languager (instead).” But he’s also showing that he respects that she could make that decision as a result of him.

It’s not a profound way of saying it, but Brad knows where his shortcomings as a boyfriend are and how that could effect the future. He expresses himself in ways he knows how to communicate, expressing how much he desires Jessica physically but also respects that their personalities have clashing areas.

Brad sees her as the prettiest girl in school, someone’s who on his level and respects as an equal, but also someone who might not see him as her dream guy. That’s alright. She can make that decision for herself, but for now, until that happens, he’ll be there for her regardless. Maybe not in the chivalrous way we dream, but he’s making an actual effort to show up.

We also see that when Jessica was embracing Morty, telling him she loved him and being obviously “happy”, Brad’s first decision was to push aside Morty, focusing on how he could defend Jessica from someone so far beneath their shared level, and someone he already told off for talking to her. The scene implies that he only notices when Morty talks, but the intimate posing should have been acknowledged if Brad were interested in confronting Jessica. Implying perhaps Brad is willing to put up with Jessica wandering as long as she’s still his.

When Jessica calls him a jerk here, and less of a man, it is in its most obvious context, directing vitriol at Brad that perhaps he isn’t completely used to maybe, but is aware of. He knows he isn’t perfect, he knows he’s not the poet she may want, but her saying Morty is more a man than he is specifically for Brad to swallow. That comes from actual dissatisfaction with Brad and is repeated in her later rant. It was the love potion that was able to let Jessica actually confront her issues with her relationship. It’s what shocks Brad to hear, even if he already knew it.

When Brad yells back at her at the party, Jessica’s feelings come back to the surface and come out at the most inappropriate time possible. Maybe Brad was yelling because he remembered how he felt before he was infected (alt. universe after all) or it was the same communication difficulties he had when he said he wouldn’t hit on a prettier girl.

However, people don’t owe nazis the space for debate and civil conversation, never mind the targets of the violence sewn by them. Maybe Jessica was just talking about Brad yelling at her, or she was trying to keep him from getting physically involved with someone again for the sake of his own ego, like she says is common with him. She has the right to be mad at that. Raising your voice at anyone, especially a loved one can be very damaging and even triggering.

However, Jessica centering her own feelings after a confrontation like that not only comes off as selfish, but also makes her look like a fascist sympathizer. Instead of accepting the apology, having some perspective, or saying outright what her actual problem was, Jessica redirects Morty’s genuine apology for Rick’s bad behavior and manipulation of the situation, into a complaint about her African-American boyfriend confronting a racist.

On top of this, we also know that Jessica had nothing to say when Brad was berating Morty, only speaking up when it had to with herself, her self image, her ego. But the moment that she chooses to tell off Brad, to get him to leave the situation alone, she chooses Hitler. Then chooses to position Brad as the jerk, the aggressor, and being “too sensitive”, when we know Jessica has on two occasions attacked Brad’s masculinity, when Brad’s earlier argument was centered around the emasculation of Black men by white men.

And at the end of the episode, we find Brad and Jessica right back together, to Morty’s disappointment. So, maybe everything just works out. Maybe the two see the beauty and ugliness in each other, and can’t think of any other person to love. Maybe it’s just convenience as two popular shallow kids boost each other’s popularity.

Either way, Morty should learn more about Jessica before he starts killing indiscriminately again.

[aroaceleovaldez]

I really like the idea that for the first few months of them hanging out post-HoO, Will had no idea Nico had stayed at CHB before. He was under the impression that Nico was more or less new to camp, since he had been a rogue demigod, and that he had just been an ally of CHB up until that point who had been to the camp but had never been a camper. The entire time Will just assumed he was the senior camper between the two of them, not knowing Nico had actually joined camp almost a whole two years prior to him and was instead returning.

Nico eventually realizes Will’s misconception and tries to explain it, but Will thinks Nico is messing with him until Nico explains the crack in the dining pavilion (which no one at camp besides Percy knows the origins of, save for maybe Annabeth, Grover, and Chiron) was from him the night he ran away (and maybe also shows Will his camp beads to further prove he’s not making it up, depending on if you believe he has one from BoTL or not). Will then gets to have the fun little journey of recontextualizing everything he knows about Nico.

[skyloftian-nutcase]

Hunting for Clues (Dad Squad)

(@nancyheart11 @telemna-hyelle @smilesrobotlover @skyward-floored + @ whoever else wants to be tagged)

The air was uncomfortably thick as a heavy blanket of moisture clung to Rusl's skin. It felt like summer in Ordon Village, except he was in no place to be stripping off his shirt and going swimming to cool off.

Well, swimming might be involved. It depended on if there was a clear path to their destination.

They were following a lead he'd gotten from a nearby village. After the cucco incident, all it took was some conversations to figure out that a local cave had suddenly become more dangerous, that people were being harassed and attacked when they approached it. It didn't take much to ascertain, then, that if the Yiga had a holdout nearby, and a cave was being guarded, it was likely that the group would find Yiga there.

Abel led the group, tense with anticipation. Fierce was last, surveying the area and watching their flank. Rusl kept his eyes alert, wiping the sweat on his brow with his headband. His heart beat hard and fast, not so much from the exertion of climbing along the hill as they followed the river, but in the hope that they would find Link. It had been far too long since his capture, and though Rusl tried to stay focused on the objective rather than worry, the anxiety had steadily been growing.

It had been too familiar, having one of his boys kidnapped. He hated it. He'd been eager to push forward and find him. But when he'd realized he was in a completely different Hyrule, he'd recognized that he'd have to take a step back and figure this out. But now they had a lead, and now there was tangible hope that he could get to his boy, and now nothing was going to stop him from getting there.

They eventually reached the waterfall that supposedly hid the cave's entrance, and Rusl walked up to stand beside Abel.

"No guards," Abel noted quietly, his voice barely audible over the crashing water.

Worry wormed its way around Rusl's heart and mind. Abel was right, after all - the reason they had learned of this place at all was because people had been warded away with violence. The fact that no one had even tried to stop them was telling - either they were walking into a trap, or their lead was an old one.

"I have not noticed any scouts, either," Fierce added as he caught up with them easily. "This does not bode well."

Rusl drew his sword. "Then we should be ready for anything. Let's go."

The water was refreshingly cool on his skin as he passed through, bowing his head as the weight and pressure briefly beat down on him. He opened his eyes again quickly, blinking water away and surveying the area.

The cave was enormous, with moss and glowing mushrooms lining the stone path leading far beyond where he could see. He grabbed a lantern and quickly lit it, leading his companions into the darkness.

Bearing a torch and a sword while looking for lost children. This is too familiar. Rusl bit his tongue, shaking the thought away. He had to focus.

A particularly large water droplet fell from the ceiling, splashing on the top of his head and startling him back to reality. He gave a quiet huff, thanking the goddesses for the help focusing, and gripped his sword more tightly.

The farther they walked, the worse it felt. The waterfall drowned out any sound that could have tipped them off if there was someone nearby, and the very distinct lack of people made Rusl's skin crawl. The Yiga had already tried to ambush them once, and they were defeated fairly easily, but still... a place like this could make matters difficult if they were attacked.

There was a faint glow ahead, bluish in color. Rusl lowered his lantern slightly, squinting and looking for movement. He pulled the wick back a little, dimming the light so they wouldn't be as obvious as they approached. Though Fierce's steps were much louder than theirs, he still tried to creep along as quietly as Rusl and Abel did until the trio had reached a bend in the long cavernous pathway.

When Rusl peeked around, he saw litter and debris, and he immediately knew they were too late. The tension drained out of him with a heavy exhale, disappointment filling the void. His eyes were attracted upward, however, to trace the blue light to its source. It was a strange, frog-like creature clinging to the stony walls and hopping around easily. Rusl stared at it in wonder, reminded of the light spirits, and wondered if it was kin to them.

Abel swore softly, walking into the room, seemingly ignoring the creature altogether.

"Hello, little sprite," Fierce called to the animal. It turned, glancing at him, and continued to bounce around cheerfully.

"What is it?" Rusl asked, curiosity holding his anguish at bay.

"I am not entirely sure," Fierce answered, catching Rusl off guard. "I can sense its magic, though. It is not of the Yiga."

With that little knowledge, Rusl returned his attention to the large room the creature was illuminating. The room had a few barrels, a desk with some notes, but most of what was there had been removed. Abel was busy perusing a book of some sort that was on the desk.

Approaching, Rusl asked, "What did you find?"

"Notes," Abel answered simply, engrossed in his reading. Rusl didn't bother pushing the matter, waiting for him to finish.

The loud meow that emitted from one of the barrels distracted him well enough. All three men turned their gaze, though Abel resumed his reading quickly, and Fierce and Rusl walked to the nearest barrel.

Inside was a kitten, creamy white fur blending with patches of buttery brown. It meowed again as it looked up at the pair.

"What are you doing here, little guy?" Rusl asked as he cautiously reached in. The kitten didn't swat at him, allowing itself to be hauled gently out of the barrel where it had been trapped.

When Rusl turned to ask Abel if he had finished reading, he saw the knight staring at him with wide eyes and a furrowed brow, as if he'd just been given some sort of life altering news. Ice filled his veins, worry for Link immediately shutting out any other thought. "What's wrong?"

"The Hero of Time," Abel said. "That's... your son is the Hero of Time?"

Several thoughts clamored for attention all at once in Rusl's mind. The Hero of Time was a figure of legend, and he had been the one to train Link. Did.. did that mean Link inherited the title? He supposed that wasn't unreasonable. But that meant the Yiga had written about him in their log, and that meant he had to be alive still, because his title would not have been the first piece of information Abel had clung to if it were otherwise.

Hopefully.

Rusl walked to his companion in three large steps, the kitten bouncing in his arms, and he demanded, "What did they say about him?"

"T-they..." Abel glanced between Rusl and the kitten, temporary confusion flitting across his face at the sight of the animal before he continued, "They said he's---he's, ah, been fighting them off."

Rusl's dread vanished in an instant and was replaced with hope. "What? But..."

They hadn't captured him after all? Was he out here somewhere, lost and injured and alone, searching for Rusl as desperately as Rusl was looking for him?

"They escaped," Abel explained, holding the book close to his chest. "They escaped the main Yiga stronghold. They've been spreading their forces to find them."

The kitten was suddenly plucked out of Rusl's arms, held by the scruff of its neck by the fierce deity as he stared at it. "And this tiny furry creature was supposed to track him?"

Rusl's eyes stung unexpectedly with tears, and he let out a wet laugh, blinking them away. "I think maybe this little guy got lost."

"The kitten was supposed to be bait..." Abel added with a tone that was just as confused as Fierce's. "Apparently to lure the dog in."

Rusl whipped his head towards the knight. "Dog? What dog?"

Rusl immediately snatched the book before Abel could answer, courtesy abandoned, and the knight snarled, grabbing it back.

"This isn't time for your paranoia," Rusl snapped. "Whatever you're hiding, unless it has to do with my boy, I don't care. Let me read it."

Before either party could continue the argument, the book was taken out of Abel's tight grip with ease, making the knight yelp. The Fierce Deity flipped it in his hands, reading it aloud. "We have arrived at the designated site per our leader's orders. We're currently looking for a good way to lure the wretched heroes. The Hero of Time has been a constant thorn in our side in every encounter. He even took our bananas during the last fight."

Spirits above. Link's alive. He's alive and he escaped.

Of course he did. It was Link. His boy had fought Zant and Ganondorf, had been trained by the Hero of Time (the previous Hero of Time...? Did they all have that title, then?), had been forged into a strong warrior through the dark flames of twilight magic. Link could handle anything. Rusl shouldn't have worried.

Except he still did. Because he didn't know if Link was hurt. He didn't know where Link was, and the Yiga were hunting him.

What did these people want with him?! All Rusl knew of the Yiga was that Abel said they were traitors to the crown who wanted to see Hyrule fall. He said they were a cult of sorts, and they worshipped a demon, the same one that had destroyed Abel's Hyrule.

The deity turned the page with a thumb, carelessly tossing the kitten towards Rusl, who jumped, startled, and quickly caught the frightened little animal. He leaned it against his chest to soothe it as Abel grew steadily more wound up watching their companion.

"We've got a lead on their whereabouts," Fierce continued reading. "It appears the Hero's condition has improved somewhat, or at least enough that he is still alive. We have to ensure we catch him before he dies."

Rusl's breath was stolen from him. "What?!"

Fierce also stared worriedly at the pages, reading silently to gather more information quickly. It left Rusl in too much suspense, and he said, "Fierce, tell us what the hell is going on. Is my boy okay?"

"They're referring to three figures," Fierce answered as he read. "The Hero of Time, the Hero, and the dog. Sometimes they mention a mutt... I assume that must be the dog."

The uncertainty and anxiety were going to drive Rusl insane. "Just read it aloud. Please."

"Our camp was raided by the Hero of Time last night," Fierce obliged. "He took all our food and smashed all our bananas. One of our scouts spotted his dog but then we lost contact with him."

"We've made a discovery. The dog likes hanging around other animals. One of our scouts saw it playing with some kittens. We've since acquired one of the kittens and will be utilizing it to lure in the dog. If the mutt comes, then the Hero of Time will follow. Then all we have to do is find his base of operations to get the Hero."

"We've been in this cave for two weeks, and it's been almost a week since there's been any sign of our targets. The kitten ploy has not come to anything. Another group reported in that there are warriors looking the heroes. We will attempt to set up a trap for them. In the meantime, I've decided we need to move camp."

The longer Rusl listened, the more he realized that the Hero of Time was not, in fact, his Link. He could easily see his boy attacking the Yiga encampment, but he wouldn't simply raid it for supplies and leave. Link was too self reliant for that - he would gather his own supplies. He would only enter an enemy camp to eliminate it. His sweet boy was gentle in all ways but battle, after all.

Also, he knew, out of any group of boys, who would go running to the nearest pile of cuddly animals.

He knew exactly which one was his Link.

Which meant...

Rusl glanced over at Abel, really looked at him, and he saw the subtle signs in the man's stony demeanor. He saw the worry, the fear, the way the man's hands trembled.

"The injured one... that's your son, isn't it?" Rusl asked quietly.

Abel's expression darkened, a fierce, nearly feral glare crossing his face. His look dared Rusl to say anything else.

So this was the unspoken fear Abel had been carrying with him. This was the reason he didn't dare speak much about his boy. Had he thought they'd take advantage of his boy's vulnerable state? What else was Abel hiding?

"The Hero of Time is my child," Fierce said firmly, closing the book with a quick snap. "That is his title. And his tactics match. One of your children is missing."

Rusl bit his tongue as he smiled and choked back a snort. "Well... we'll find my boy. Let's start by finding yours."

"The Hero you've been protecting is the Hero of Time?" Abel confirmed.

"Yes," Fierce answered with a nod.

Abel let out a sigh of what seemed to be relief.

"What's wrong with your son?" Rusl asked gently.

The knight closed his eyes, his body stiffening. He didn't trust them. Rusl almost felt hurt, but then again... he had just withheld vital information about his Link as well.

But why wouldn't he? Telling them his boy could turn into a beast was a recipe for disaster.

Then again, them not knowing was equally bad. He knew that from experience. They'd already had to battle one pack of wolves and he'd nearly had a meltdown. He had had a meltdown.

What secret was Abel keeping to protect his boy?

Rusl's train of thought was interrupted when the strange blue bouncing creature hopped over, hovering directly over Abel. Seeing as the man wasn't reacting, Rusl hesitantly pointed to it. "You... can see that thing, right?"

Distracted, Abel glanced upward. Then he huffed. "It's a bubbulfrog."

"A what?"

"Bubbulfrog," Abel repeated, glancing at the pair. "Legend says if you strike one down you can obtain a mystical stone from it."

"You don't seem very fazed by this," Rusl noted.

"Link and I have found plenty in different caves when he was little," Abel sighed. He raised an eyebrow as he looked up. "I'm surprised this one isn't blowing bubbles at us, though."

"They do that?"

"Often. Link loved popping them. But we... never got this close," Abel went on uncertainly. "I wasn't sure how dangerous they were. They usually stay away from people."

"It won't harm you," Fierce said.

"Either way," Abel continued with a dismissive wave. "They don't hang around people. If there's one here it means the Yiga left long ago."

The kitten meowed again, pawing at Rusl's tunic. The Ordonian smiled down at it before looking back at Abel, whose gaze had grown distant. Meanwhile, Fierce turned, motioning towards them. "We should move on. It is clear the boys are not here and have not been in the area for some time."

Nodding, the two men followed him out of the cave. Rusl ran a hand gently over the kitten, which purred in response, relaxing him a little. They really needed to get to the bottom of all of this. Abel needed to open up and tell them more about the Yiga. And maybe... maybe Rusl should tell them about Link's transformative abilities before something terrible truly did happen.

Rusl sighed, looking around as the humidity came back in full force upon exiting the cave. This was... a mess. But at leas the knew Link was alive, and that was all that mattered.

[vlazed]

The Fascinatingly Inconsistent Design of Dark Matter Blade

Being one of the most infamous Kirby villains, Dark Matter has been subject to many cameos and references since its first appearance back in Dream Land 2. Throughout that time, it has varied from appearance to appearance, and that’s what I’ll be diving into today!

I’ll specifically be dissecting their Dark Matter Blade form in this post, I will likely make a separate post for their orb form, as while less numerous, it has still undergone interesting changes over the years.

Kirby’s Dream Land 2

This is the form Dark Matter first takes when expelled from Dedede’s body to battle Kirby and their Rainbow Sword, also referred to as Dark Matter Swordsman. What an epic swordfight to start out the final boss fight with!

Due to Kirby’s Dream Land 2 being a Game Boy game, Dark Matter Blade lacks any color in this first iteration. But worry not, they received official artwork to accompany their first appearance, have a look:

Ahh, much better! It is here that the mainstays of Dark Matter Blade’s design are established. Cloak with strips of triangles going up the middle, shoulder pads with golden trims, flowing black hair, and a visor containing a single eye. Two details I want to specifically point out here are:

Their eye. Specifically, the dark grey pupil and white sclera. This stands out because of how it differs from most eyes on Kirby characters, as they often don’t have sclera to speak of, making Dark Matter Blade’s stand out in that regard. It gives them a sort of creepiness factor, having a plain old eyeball up in there.

The piece directly below their mask. Due to it’s similar coloration to the shoulder armor, it is typically interpreted to be a third piece of armor, though the lack of detail in this illustration can cause it to be confused for a scarf as well.

Kirby Squeak Squad

After a significant span of time with only their orb or “Real” form appearing, Dark Matter Blade finally got new artwork for the release of Kirby Squeak Squad! Oddly, this is not because Dark Matter Blade appeared in the game itself, rather because it appeared in a graphic depicting itself and other final bosses of the series. Strangely, Dark Matter Blade is the only one of these bosses to have received new art for the unlockable graphic.

Regardless of the reason for this art’s existence, the design of Dark Matter Blade here is roughly the same as Dream Land 2, barring some slight differences in color and shape.

Their hair is less smooth, rather being sharp and angular. The neck piece has sharper angles, making it clearer that it is meant to be armor here. In terms of color, their cloak has more of a purple hue than the previous red, their shoulder pads are a much deeper violet, and the pupil is black as opposed to the previous grey.

Given that this appearance was mostly meant to give them new artwork to reflect the newer style of the series, it makes sense that they underwent very few changes for this iteration.

Kirby Mass Attack

This is quite a big one. In the Kirby Quest sub game in Kirby Mass Attack, Dark Matter Blade undergoes a drastic redesign for their appearance as the final boss of the mode, differing greatly in terms of shapes, color, and even receiving new elements to go along with it.

To start with the new elements, the bottom edges of their cloak have received a lighter trim, and it has received new jewelry in the form of a necklace starting from their shoulder pads, featuring green and blue gems.

In terms of shape, their hair is now more curved and flowing again, their mask has received rounded edges, and their neckpiece has been retextured to be a scarf to accompany its new red coloring.

Speaking of colors, most notable is their eye, which has received a vibrant cyan sclera, making it feel less realistic and more in line with the series typical aesthetics. The way it flashes makes it come across as a manifestation of energy more than an eyeball too! Their cloak is now darker, with its hue being more blue-green, their shoulder pads are a lighter blue, their hair and body have been given a slight purple tint, and as mentioned before, their scarf is now red.

This is a redesign I must say I am quite fond of, though one could argue it is somewhat cluttered, the added jewelry helps add more of an ancient, royal vibe. The neckpiece being a red scarf is lovely in helping add a break in color along with reusing the other reds in the palette. I personally love the eye of energy and having colored sclera, though I do wonder if it being blue adds a bit too much to the palette as a whole. Overall, a lovely makeover for a lovely little appearance.

Kirby Planet Robobot

Returning in the form of the Dark Matter Clone fought in the side mode Meta Knightmare Returns, this is Dark Matter Blade’s big return to the series, as it had not appeared in a central mode since Dream Land 2!

This new appearance is, for the most part, a return to form for Dark Matter Blade, mostly mimicking its original design from Dream Land 2 barring some specific exceptions.

Their neckpiece has been given more definition, jutting out in the front and sporting the same texture as the shoulder pads. Yes, its now clear that it is a piece of armor! Alongside this, the cloak is now a slightly lighter white, no longer having a warm grey tint, and their shoulder pads are now a much more vibrant purple.

However, what stands out most about this appearance is their eye. It’s orange! Both the pupil and sclera are orange, in fact, turning red once the boss enters its second phase. It is unclear why this change was made, as no previous art or appearance depicts blade with an orange eye. Perhaps it was meant to invoke the look of the more energy-based eye from Mass Attack? It is unclear.

What is even more unclear is whether or not this is meant to be taken as a retcon to the eyes design entirely, or if it is meant to be a clone specific trait (and no, future appearances don’t clear this up.) But regardless, Robobot was a refreshing and simple appearance for the dark sword.

Team Kirby Clash Deluxe/Super Kirby Clash

Expanding on the subgame featured in Planet Robobot, Dark Matter Blade’s likeness appears in this game as a piece of armor equipped by Kirby. How cute!

Though simple and seemingly matching its appearance from Robobot, there are a few notable changes present:

The eye has returned to its previous white sclera, with the pupil being given a new violet tint.

The neckpiece is now depicted as a scarf, despite keeping the same purple coloring.

Those two changes together are incredibly confusing! If its meant to signify that only the real Dark Matter Blade has white sclera, why is the neckpiece a scarf instead? This adorable armor set is a pile of contradictions!

Kirby Star Allies

In this title, Dark Matter Blade makes a cameo in the “Big Boss Brothers” puzzle, appearing alongside other final bosses of the series. Despite being such a small appearance, the design still technically features changes!

Specifically, the neckpiece is back to being a piece of armor (even more obvious now due to its shine) and the eye, which is now a burning red! It technically has no visible pupil, but I assume that’s only due to the size of the art.

What makes the appearance of the eye such a head scratcher is that this is the first time the original Dark Matter Blade has appeared with a red eye, a trait that was previously only locked to its clone (we know the Blade depicted in this piece is the original, as only final bosses appear in the artwork). Is this meant to mean that the original has been retconned to have an orange/red eye? If so, why did Clash feature the original white sclera? So many questions… at least they look stunning in this iteration, the red eye fits them very well.

Kirby’s Return to Dreamland Deluxe

Rounding out this post is the most recent depiction of Dark Matter Blade, appearing as a dress up mask sold in the remake exclusive Merry Magoland. Ah, it seems to have taken its appearance from Planet Robobot. Does that mean we’ve established the new canon design..?

…wait, Clone? Yes, the Mask in Dreamland Deluxe is, bizarrely enough, made of the Dark Matter clone. This is especially odd because there is no non-clone mask present, and order wise the mask is put with the other Dream Land 2 masks in the shop. No other character is treated like this, there is no “Sectonia Clone” or “Dedede Clone” mask or what have you. If Magolor could make a mask of Zero and so many other villains, why not go the extra mile and make the mask of the original? Perhaps this is purely done to keep it ambiguous what the true design is meant to be?

Regardless, this final appearance is a (slightly confusing) fine place to end this journey. Dark Matter Blade has remained one of my favorite Kirby villains, especially design wise. Out of all of these, I’m torn between Star Allies and Mass Attack in terms of a favorite. I have no doubt that, if this dark sword makes another cameo one way or another, it’s design will have changed one way or another as it always has.

[liviusofpella]

A BIT OF A PERSONAL RANT UNDER THE CUT BECAUSE THIS IS FUCKING RIDICULOUS, WHAT PB'S BEEN DOING FOR A WHILE:

the way the quality and diversity of their books just disappeared should be studied, it's ridiculous what this app has become. the description of each new story sounds literally the same, just in different words, and the execution of those stories is simply pathetic. i wonder if the group of players who enjoy those stories is that big and that influential that they decided to lean into their demands? cause most of the tumblr fandom keeps criticising every aspect of their new stories and from what i've seen in insta comments people start complaining as well. so who enjoys those stories and pays for the vip and diamonds? which by the way is a rip-off for the quality they provide. the characters are bland, the plot predictable, the reusing of characters, backgrounds and music is irksome, MCs have an entire big round zero of personality, everyone is always happy and all sunshines and rainbows to the point of barfing. pb literally never listens to their players. their representation of minorities is pathetic, and don't get me started on the genderlocking. main characters are either helpless women who have tons of friends to help them in everything and are at the same time the most influential and hottest people on earth OR a strong, empowered woman, the epitome of girl power who does nothing to show that except for barking out pathetic "owns" which are supposed to end a misogynist's entire life, i suppose. all MCs are coded as cis white women, the race or gender do not matter. i suppose that's pb's way of catering to the readers' demands. pb KNOWS how to make great stories and has the resources, so what is it? are they that lazy and cheap? did they take their readers for granted waay to much? perhaps if they didn't assume that every story has to have romance as the most important part, their stories would've been much more interesting. i'm sorry, but at this point many of the readers' fanfics are much much better in terms of quality. i haven't been able to get past chapter one of any of the new stories for a hot minute now because they're so not engaging and bland.

[ifindus]

Do you think Norway could’ve studied any subjects in an uni at some point? Considering how they are literally immortal, I just feel like he would probably do something like that.

Oh wow, I do have a lot to say about this. First some backstory:

While Denmark established its first university in Copenhagen in 1479, Norway was not allowed his own. This was only worsened during the 1600s, when it was decided that to work in any posistion of power in the state of Denmark-Norway, you needed a university degree. This put Norwegians at a great disadvantage and essentially only made influencal posistions available for Danes. Norway was fighting for the right to his own university from 1661 and until his liberation. Still, during the 1770s, Norwegian students at the University of Copenhagen formed their own "society", a social club where they would meet, drink, exchange academic talk, and reject Danish culture while emphasising the Norwegian one - at most they had 100 memebers. This was the beginning of the national romanticism that would sweep through Norway during the 1800s.

Then, in 1811, a Norwegian society was fed up with not being allowed a university by the Danish King, so they started a campaign where people could donate to the cause - because the reason for no university sited by the Kings was often "no money". This was a huge success, raising more than 150 million Euros in today's money, only sponsored by the Norwegian people. Employers by the Danish King in Norway were instructed to work against this funding campaign, the reason being the King was afraid a Norwegian university would be a risk for the union between the two countries. Eventually he had to give in to not risk even more uproar amongst the people.

Norway got its next university in 1910, then NTH (now NTNU) in Trondheim and this was a huge win for the region, who until then had felt estranged from the decisions in Oslo and treated as lesser. Today Trondheim and NTNU is regarded as the student city in Norway, focusing mostly on techology and sciences.

So, with that in mind, here is my headcanon as to what Norway would have studied at which point in history:

Københavns Universitet, 1770s: Literature

Universitetet i Oslo, 1810s: Law

NTH/NTNU, 1910s, Electrotechnology

NTH/NTNU, 1970s: Economy

I don't neccesarily think Norway would enjoy university so much as to get a bunch of degrees, but I think he would appreciate it for what it is and get degrees that would benefit his people and be relevant for changes in the society and world around him. These courses and dates are not picked at random.

[dying-suffering-french-stalkers]

god help me i'm going insane about dickson xenoblade again

[salsflore]

sat quietly to the side of the makeshift archery arena, mika watches intently as childe lands what was probably his fifth or sixth bullseye.

they’d been at it for about half an hour or so, and while she enjoyed the crisp, cooling breeze — she was beginning to get bored of merely watching him from a distance which, though it went unvoiced, became evident in her yawns and stretches.

childe takes notice of this, of course, and stops for a quick breather, setting the bow aside before going over to her. “you okay?” he asks, with a sheepish smile, reaching to pat her head. “i feel bad, making you sit here to do nothing. why don’t you join me?”

“err,” she hesitates but ultimately refuses, shaking her head to save herself the very much likely embarrassment, “nah — it’s fine, i’d probably be like, super bad at it anyways.”

“just a few rounds, please?” he’s intent on convincing her, and she loathed the idea of disappointing him, so its not like it took him much for her to sigh and say ‘okay, fine..’

his pitiful expression turns into one of excitement as he takes her by the arms and pulls her up and along to the practice area, just a few steps away. “it’ll be fun! trust me. and who knows.. you might even be a much better archer than i am!”

he lets go of her to pick his bow up, handing it to her. it was a sleek silver with gradient blue accents that almost appeared to glow; pristine, unusual in its design, and also much heavier than she expected.

thankfully though, its not enough for her to struggle with. mika positions herself on the spot he’d designated for himself, using a little flower on the ground. “n - now how do i do this..?”

“like this.” he takes a moment to help her out, minimally adjusting her stance and nocking the arrow for her. “there you go!”

feeling both nervous and excited, she readies herself for that perfect bullseye she was secretly hoping for. a little unrealistic, given it was her very first time – but she’d be lying if she said she wasn’t hoping a little.

though it was a bit difficult, she manages to pull the bowstring back, launching the arrow and watching in anticipation as it... flies right over the target.

oh.

her first instinct is to just crumple up into a ball on the ground, but she’s left standing there instead, immediately and absolutely dying from her unnecessarily exaggerated embarrassment.

she looks over at childe, who’s trying his absolute hardest to hold back a laugh [ not like he found her failure funny, more so her reaction ] upon noticing her visibly flustered expression as she begins to fret, stammering an apology, which he interrupts.

“it’s fine, it’s fine, i promise! it was your first time – so just, just calm down a little, okay?” he lets a small laugh slip, and takes a step behind her. “i’ll help you.”

now he’s closed whatever little distance they had between them, and it’s getting harder for her to maintain focus. its not like this was the first time, yet...

“like this.” a new arrow is nocked once more and, instead of simply guiding her this time, childe places his gloved hands over hers to correct her stance where necessary. “then... you let go.”

bulls— err, well, nevermind.. but at least with his guidance, the arrow was able to actually hit the target this time, instead of just avoiding it completely.

“close enough..” mika remarks, and sighs, lowering the bow once he lets go of her. “ah, whatever! i give up. here,” she offers it back to him, and he takes it.

“you give up too easily, and that won’t do ～ how about this: if you get a single bullseye, i’ll reward you with a kiss?” he teases, hoping for a reaction..

but she ends up directly rejecting him instead, shaking her head with a huff. “no way. that’s even more of a reason for me not to do it — i’d really rather just watch you.”

“but isn’t that way more boring?”

“well, i mean, you’re pretty good at it, so–”

“pause. is that a compliment i’m hearing?” he sets the bow down, “huh! i never thought i’d live to see the day.”

“would you rather i lie to you, or..?”

“c’mon, don’t be like that. i’m just saying, its rare of you to be so nice to me.” childe jokes, and throws his arms around her. she resists, to no avail. “makes it all the more sweeter to hear.”

“...you’re welcome, i guess.” she mutters, awkwardly hugging him back. not like she wanted to or anything, it’d just be rude if she didn’t, right? [ or at least, that’s what she tells herself. ]

“am i skilled enough for it to warrant a kiss, too?” there’s hope in his voice, though he already knew her answer. mika’d always been pretty predictable in that regard.

“maybe.” she says, but he manages to sneak a kiss off of her anyways. she whines in annoyance, but doesn’t do anything to stop him when he leans in for another, either.

he taps his foot, “i’m expecting more later, by the way.. like, a little reward for everytime i land a bullseye.”

“i hope you miss terribly, then.”

childe squeezes her. “how mean,” he lets go of her and picks the bow back up. “but its more satisfying this way, to prove you wrong.”

“so... be sure to watch me closely, ‘kay?”

TAGLIST ✧ @moonlitdeerr @byakuyasdarling @lovinglin @violetsareblue-selfships @gorouwife @pretty-shining-star @lost-in-azalea-forest @littlestpetship @yumelamb @pudding-shrine @sxaras @mellys-insectarium @ghostictreat