#this is the energy we need in stranger things 5

[share-the-damn-bed]

JANCY + motel confession

[zevrans-remade]

[pebblezone]

this Tylenol ain’t shit w

[hyunjinsjeans]

He knows (Chan ver.)

Lee Know ver. | Changbin ver. | Hyunjin ver.

Masterlist

Synopsis: Chan is your husband and he knows you want to start a family, but how does he know? And what happens when he tells you he knows? This. This is what happens.

Type: Fluff 🧸, SFW 👍

Warnings: Mentions of pregnancy

Word count: 1140

AN: this is my first piece of writing for anything K-pop-related on this site, please be kind! No proofreading, sorry!

You are married to this man. He defines himself by his job. He lived for it though, after working so hard to get to where he is he also enjoys it so much. So you can’t complain. But he does have one more thing he wants on his instagram bio. So far he is producer, singer, rapper and dancer. As of a year ago he is also husband. He knows the time is right. He knows you don’t want to pressure him but whenever you’re together he can sense the unspoken words flying around in the air between the two of you.

Oh yes, Chan knows. He knows how to read people, and you are top of the list of his favorite ones. He will read you like a book. He will understand even the things you don’t say, he will know the second you are ready. He will, however, wait for the right moment. Sometime when he knows he will have the energy, the free time and the emotional availability to do it.

He owes you his full attention if you are doing this together.

And once he seizes the opportunity he is going in for the kill. He proposes it in a serious tone. If it asn’t just the two of you, it would seem you were having a “family meeting”. He is straightforward about it.

“We should have a kid, Y/N. I think it’s time, I’m ready and you’re ready.”

And the words get caught in your throat because what the hell? You were incredibly ready. He knew this, you knew this. Your friends probably knew this.

From the way you cooed at any and every child under 5 whenever you spotted one, how little kids gravitated toward you at the park or at the movies and you always had a kind smile to offer them along with the helping hand finding their parents, to the way you seemed to constantly be handed strangers' babies at the grocery store or at airport lines.

It was no news. You always loved kids and after getting married and moving to your own home, you made it a point to have a guest room and an empty room. Chan had noticed. Why leave a room completely empty? “Just in case we need it someday” you had shrugged when he asked. But it was painfully obvious a few months into the move that you visited that room and stared at the empty walls with bright shiny eyes, with a smile that tugged at the corners of your lips in a way so subtle it was almost imperceptible, you always left the room with a sigh and a bowed head as if ashamed to have the plans you had for that room. Chan had witnessed it enough times to have you figured out. It brought a warmth to his heart, seeing how eager you were about the subject and yet you kept quiet because you didn't want to put any pressure on him, thinking he already had a lot to deal with as the leader of a very successful group.

So of course, the second he said those words you couldn’t help yourself. “Oh I was waiting for you to be ready!”

Chan lets out a joyful laugh, his eyes become tiny as his cheeks grow puffy with the glee in his reaction.

“I know!” He exhales, “but you didn’t say anything and I’m tired of it. When you want something -anything, please just tell me!” His expression softened "I'll always have time to listen to you, and there's nothing you can ask of me that I wouldn't give you."

He is leaning on the kitchen table while you’re sitting opposite him. You push yourself back on your chair and look at him with a side smile on your face, the rice cooker making its beeping sound to signal dinner is ready.

“How am I supposed to drop that one on you?!” You laugh as well, it’s clear you are not really arguing “Am I supposed to say “hey Chan, I want a baby” or what?”

“Well… yeah.” He scratches at his neck, “that’s okay, it’s a good way to start talking about it.”

You huff and look away, but ultimately you are pretty happy he brought it up. He knows this as well; there is no hiding your enthusiasm, you're practically buzzing.

“I do want to have a baby, Chan” you lean forward on the table, your elbows on the hard surface while you hide your smile behind your hands.

Chan sighs, stilling his laughter as he pulls the chair back to take a seat and stare at you. He poses his arms and hands the same as yours, mirroring your actions.

“I want that too”, he mumbles, shy but true.

“Can we have that?” You wonder, your eyes falling on his hands, soft yet strong.

Chan has held you many times, and supported you through different times. You know he can be a perfect constant to hold on to, but you wonder if his career can take this. If he can be there for you for this. Because if you are honest, your biggest fear is that he will put too much pressure on himself if he tries to be a leader and a good partner to a pregnant wife at the same time. You have always known him to be the kind of guy to step up without anyone asking him to. You have learned from him to be the same, to grow stronger for Chan to have someone to support him as well...but this time you have to be realistic, how much can you share the weight of things once you are also worried about the safety of a baby? How much stress can you take from him while getting ready to have a kid.

He drops his hands on the table, you have moved your gaze from his eyes to his hands to the table. You are doubtful, you are pulling away from him as you speak.

“We can.” He assures you, reaching out to pull your hands in his. “We can do this.”

Chan brings you back with his words, his tone is honest and bright. His eyes are full of joy and excitement.

You feel the warmth of his skin on your skin and look up with hope, your trust in him is so complete you nod, you don’t even think about it as you reply. You would die for your husband. You would take all the pain, all the responsibility, and hardships for him. And so would he for you. This is why doubting what you two can accomplish together is ridiculous, you shake your head from all those doubts and squeeze his hands between your own.

“Let’s do this.” You whisper.

--------

Likes, Reblogs and Comments are welcome! Thank you for reading!

[help-itrappedmyself]

Danny Punches a Clown 5

Masterpost

Previously on:

He is running and he can hear footsteps behind him, and he doesn’t know where he is so he does the only thing he can think of. He turns a corner, and then quickly, before any of them can catch up, walks himself right through the wall of the building to his left.

~~~~~

This turned out to be the wrong thing to do, as Danny was very out of energy at this point. Barely any sleep, still recovering from injuries, and using his ghost powers twice in one night did not mix. Danny managed to phase through the wall and promptly keeled over, hitting the floor with a soft yelp.

No more ghost powers for a little while then. His wounds have stopped healing and his worst burn has started oozing, which he decides he needs to focus on first. He takes his first aid kit out of his backpack and wraps the burn on his side. He takes a moment to apply some cream on the next worst burn on his arm as well before putting everything away. 

Now, he knows the bat people are still out there, probably chasing him to get revenge for throwing Red. Who is now on a catwalk in the warehouse. Looking down at Danny. 

“ You threw me!” Red yelled down at him.

“To be fair, that was not my fault.” Danny started, pointing at Red. “I was trapped. You’re all sketchy with your masks and weapons and cornering me in an alley. Why were you all cornering me in the first place?!”

“We were trying to find everyone from the Joker’s attack. No one knew what happened to you, we needed to make sure you were okay.” 

Red jumped down from the catwalk and made his way in front of Danny.

“I told you I was fine!”

“Danny, you’re bleeding.”

Danny stopped and looked at his side, which did have blood leaking through his shirt from all the movement. 

“Shit.” Danny muttered under his breath. “I need a nap.”

“We can take you to a hospital to get checked out.”

Danny’s head snapped up so quickly that Red looked startled, but Danny started backing up.

“ No. No. Absolutely not. There will be no hospitals.”

Red looked concerned but made no moves toward Danny, so he stilled. 

“No hospitals.” Danny said firmly, hand now holding the wound at his side.

“No hospitals.” Red nodded. “ Would you let me take you somewhere else then? If you come with us Agent A will be able to treat you. We can also give you some dinner.”

The idea of food was very very tempting. But. Stranger Danger.

“Where? Who is Agent A?”

“We have a base called the batcave.” Red shrugged. “We also have some safehouses around, but Agent A is our best medic and he is at the batcave, as are our best medical supplies.”

[universalitgirlsblog2]

💖💋🥂IT GIRL ERA 2024💖💋🥂

💋1) Start putting yourself first . Choose yourself Put your own needs and wants first. What do they advice in flight ? First put your oxygen mask and then try to put others oxygen masks. It is not about oxygen masks.

💖2) Get a social media detox. Social media can be very toxic. We often get into fights with strangers or see toxic people in the comment section or compare ourselves with others. Get off Tumblr , Instagram , Facebook etc. It will help you alot.

🥂3)Get rid of victim mentality. Victim mentality can make things worse for you. You aren't a victim of your reality , you are the creator of your reality. Start taking responsibility and control of your life .

💋4) Believe in yourself . Like Elle Woods said , " most importantly you must have faith in yourself." You must have unwavering faith in yourself . It doesn't matter if others perceive you as less , make sure you don't perceive yourself as less. Your opinion of yourself matters the most.

🥂5) Start taking care of yourself. Self care will save you . Always put your self care first. Go to gym or workout at home. Do skincare. Take care of your hair. Get a mini hair spa. Self care will increase your energy and lower your stress levels. It will boost your self-esteem too.

💖6) Create a vision board. You can make vision board on Pinterest or make one in real life. Just make sure it inspires you and reminds you of your goals. Vision boards are very powerful tool.

💋7) Stop focusing on others. Focus on you. Don't think good or bad about anyone . Be focused on how you can make yourself better. If you don't get time to think about others , good ! Focus on yourself. Except the ones who are close to you , you shouldn't think about others or compare yourself . Just focus on how you can get ahead and make yourself better. I hope this made sense.

🥂8) Love yourself. Self love will save you. Listen , write or speak affirmations. Adopt the IDAF mindset , stop caring about others opinions. Don't compare yourself with others. Let go of toxic cycles and people. Be kind to yourself.

💖9) Remember what Jang Wonyoung said ? I DON'T CARE. YOU ARE YOU , I AM ME . ADOPT THIS MENTALITY. Enter your wonyoungism era !! Wonyoung said that if it's something she didn't do , then she doesn't care. That's where her iconic statement " you are you I am me " came from . Start being okay with people misunderstanding you. Don't try to explain yourself and waste your energy.

💋10) Give importance to your education . Education is the most powerful weapon. Read books. Watch documentaries. Study to learn , not just for good grades.

🥂11) Value your time. Realize how important your present moment is. Don't waste time on unproductive things. Do things that your future self will thank you for . Don't do things that your future self will curse you for.

💖12) Have different role models for different things. Let's say for developing a strong mindset , you can look upto Song Jia , Wonyoung or The wizard liz and for academics , you can look upto Hermione Granger , Elle Woods or Rory Gilmore .

💋13) Stop fighting with stupid people. Even strangers online ! Honestly , strangers online can be very toxic , annoying and stupid. Don't waste your energy arguing with stupid people or people who aren't willing to understand or listen .

💖14) Stop looking yourself through the lens of your past self. It's okay if you made some mistakes . Mistakes are the proof that you are trying. Forgive yourself and learn from them. Stop putting yourself down and keep those mistakes as a lesson. Yes you made some mistakes but after those mistakes , you learnt and made yourself better.

🥂15) No more self- depreciating humor. Your mind doesn't know the difference between reality , fiction or a joke.

💖💋🥂This advice is very basic and simple. But this advice will help you alot. Don't just read this post , make sure you follow this. Happy new year !!! 💖💋🥂

[conflictofthemind]

TL;DR: HNL was studying how to give human subjects electromagnetic, most specifically visible light based, powers in order to bend space-time for their needs.

I’m going to try and condense this as much as I can because considering electromagnetism as a major force in ST (pun intended) opens up so many potential areas of analysis that can only be a brief cover of without turning into multiple essays.

Let’s go over the electromagnetic spectrum:

I hope you might already be recognizing some symbols we see often in Stranger Things, especially if you’ve been following the BTS and some location and set leaks from Season 5.

The electromagnetic spectrum encompasses the different frequencies of electromagnetic radiation - waves of energy that travel at the speed of light (and produce visible light to us at certain frequencies). You’ve probably heard of most of these, including cancer-causing gamma rays and x-rays, the visible light spectrum (the rainbow), microwaves, and radio waves.

In S5, we have the radio station as a main location for the characters. They’re also driving around in the radio station’s van, which has an image of a hawk emitting a rainbow (visible light radiation). Steve’s car also has a massive antenna on top of it. My first thoughts were that the team was trying to keep in contact with Max in hopes of her being able to hear them in her coma, considering she has a radio near her bedside. While that still may be a reason, I think the characters may have come to realize how important electromagnetic fields could be in their fight against Vecna (this where leader of the AV Club also focused on electromagnetic objects Scott Clarke may make his triumphant return).

Now to pivot onto why electromagnetism is so important to the lore of ST:

What the scientists in Hawkins Lab are likely studying is a way for human brains to produce or manipulate certain types of electromagnetic waves through telepathy. Most obviously this is seen by them having the kids try to manipulate and turn on a circle of light bulbs. Our brains actually already produce electromagnetic waves, but at a very slow frequency. The scientists are constantly measuring brain waves while conducting these experiments. We even get full shots of El’s brain waves during NINA, for example. We also see similar shots in S2 while Will is in the HNL.

You can also observe that the Hawkins National Laboratory has absolutely massive satellite dishes on it’s rooftop; ones that do not exist on the real life building but are added in post because they pose some sort of significance. Nudge, it’s because they are transmitting and receiving massive amounts of electromagnetic waves.

Why are they studying electromagnetic waves then?

They are studying electromagnetic waves because they are a method in which time travel can theoretically be achieved - the focus of the Montauk Project in which Stranger Things is based on. The military likely is investigating time travel as another war tactic against Russia.

Let us take a look at the first chapter of the Montauk Project: Experiments in Time book (they are seriously plagiarizing the living hell out of this thing):

Also, did you catch the whole 'attaching a massive antenna on the hood of my car to pick up a secret signal' thing? That's suspiciously similar to the state of Steve's car! Anyway...

The story of Stranger Things starts chronologically, as does Montauk, with the disappearance of the USS Eldridge and Project Rainbow (named after the bending of the visible light spectrum). Brenner’s father was revealed to have captained the boat in TFS, which disappeared for 12 hours into Dimension X and when it came back, the crew was killed or driven mad (except for Brenner Sr). This inspires Brenner to continue onto the Nevada project, and eventually, Hawkins National Lab’s studies. The USS Eldridge / Philadelphia Project conspiracy from real life went as follows:

They were studying electromagnetism, specifically the bending of light, to make objects invisible. This was only the first step in the experiments. Once Henry got involved and came back from his trip to Dimension X with powers, Brenner must have realized he could potentially use human subjects to manipulate electromagnetic fields themselves. Human subjects didn’t require machinery or set up and could bend space-time wherever they pleased, as long as they were able to learn the ability.

The more conspiratiorial side of Theoretical Physics proposes using circulating light beams to warp time-space, creating a wormhole in which one can literally walk through time. This is pop-science, likely not true but interesting for fiction purposes. This method of time travel being used is heavily implied due to the fact that the USS Eldridge was already able to disappear into another dimension by the bending of light.

This is how it worked in the Montauk Project book (absolutely ridiculous how much they took from this honestly):

My guess is that in the Stranger Things universe, they have not yet managed to time travel, only to create portals into this alien Dimension X. Previously, said portals were only made twice by highly advanced technological equipment. El demonstrated that she was able to open a portal all by herself - another step to achieving time travel with singular human subjects. Season five is when we will see the beginning of the time travel plot line, though it like in Montauk is likely already in a loop.

That’s where we get the name for the Rainbow Room, named after this Project Rainbow. The rainbow represents the full spectrum of visible light, and the goals of the project to bend said light into portals and eventually time travel wormholes.

Implications?:

-Well, first of all it seems very obvious by this point that we are going for a time travel plot line, and this is how it will be achieved.

-Will is heavily connected to light in general, the sun, and of course… the rainbow. He is also implied be the one involved in the time travel plot line. This will be very relevant going forward and deserves it’s own post. Potential funniness of defeating Vecna with the power of the rainbow afoot.

-Coma patients are known to have odd, barely detectable brain waves. The kids will be able to communicate with Max in her coma using the electromagnetic spectrum somehow, probably through the radio waves.

-On the farthest end of the spectrum, we have ionizing gamma ray radiation, which is known to cause cancer in humans. Expect Hopper’s daughter Sara to connect to this plot line (and perhaps Sam Owens’ dead son). There is a whole theory on this site already called radiationgate. I have not managed to look into it yet but I think they are probably onto something there. The original al pitch mentions the UD leakage into the real world causing cancer as well.

[sapionic]

Numerology And Your Name

The Numerology of your name is insight to your character. Let's be honest, nobody is changing their name like we change solar charts every year. You most likely had your name your whole life, right? Let's look into some characteristics and energy people are likely to have just focusing on their first name as it's the strongest and most demanded. This is using regular, basic numerology because there are multiple systems people use.

Winter - This is a cute name as it is linked to the season so you automatically get fluffy or bright vibes from this name alone. Let's now break it down

W=(23)5, I=9, N=(14)5, T=2(20), E=5, R=9(18) We see that there is a pattern of 5 with this name so we know that 5 is linked to Leo in Astrology and linked to Mercury with the Numerology system. I have seen the energy play out in the astrological ways though. Looking at people with this name, we know they are likely to be feisty, sexy, and sexual. They can be spicy, creative, and complex. Likely to be deep into the party scene. 5 is the strongest energy of this person so they are likely to prioritize joyful experiences as much as they can. Notice how the W is 5 once the 2 and 3 is added. 23 is linked to high social activity. This person would be a good party host. Someone with this name also has significant 9 energy as you can see. They are good in authoritative roles, but they are likely to prefer authoritative roles in places they can also enjoy. Club owner, club host, promoter, dancer,etc. Likely have good basic life skills with the one 2 energy that they carry. This makes them efficient with money opportunities, cooking, and showing compassion, but also being comfortable with self. Winter would be a person who could be difficult to deal with and won't always be easy to handle, so she would need to grow up and mature. Change will be prominent. Winter=8

Whitney - Well known name, but not extremely common at this same time. We can see some repeating energies from the first name we did above, but let's now focus on this name in its entirety. W=5(23) H=8 I=9 T=2(20) N=5(14) E=5 Y=7(25) Whitney would share a lot of traits with winter, but with a splash of secrecy and sensitivity. Whitney would require a little more depth in her experiences, thanks to that 8 influence. She would likely do things while focusing on the long-term. She knows how to have fun, but still play for keeps. She is a hard worker and likely keeps a job. Likely came into lots of money and knows how to seize good opportunities. She likely had a little more taboo experiences than Winter(8 influence). Since Whitney is someone who likely endures many pressures in her life, her destiny # is 5 which balances out the drama and chaos she experiences. What better way to balance it out than good ole fun? Whitney=5(41)

Jasmine - Common name. Let's get into it! J=1(10) A=1 S=1(19) M=4(13) I=9 N=5(14) E=5. We can see that Jasmine has big 1 energy so that would make a person with this name innovative, impulsive, daring, bold, and active. The next significance we see is a 5 so we know Jasmine would be no stranger to sex appeal or activity. She is likely a fun loving individual who can be silly, playful, and childish, but also very protective. Where is the protective energy coming from? The 4. Any pressure or anger she has is expressed outwardly. Any excitement and urge she feels is acted on promptly. Any desires and interests she has is acted on promptly. Jasmine doesn't do anything she don't want to do. If she does anything, it's because she wanted to. Heavy 1 energy can make a person a hot head in some way. This is why changes will come to Jasmine. JASMINE=8 which is about growth, maturity, and transformation.

Mariella - Interesting name that I wanted to use for this post. Let's get into it. M=4(13) A=1 R=9(18) I=9 E=5 L=3(12) L=3(12) A=1

We can see that someone with this name has a nice 1 and 3 balance going on. Mariella likely has a good deal of initiative and social spark. She finds it easy to connect with others and there is a charm and grace to her mannerisms. She is likely proactive and good with responsibility. She likely has resourceful and intelligent friends who enrich her mentality in some way. She may sometimes talk herself out of things or downplay her capabilities. She prefers to be part of a group although she can handle things well on her own. Very high social energy. Likely to have a relaxed demeanor. People like talking to her. Could easily find herself being a manager of some sort. Would make a good marketing expert. MARIELLA=8 She will need to learn how to be more consistent as her energy initially may be scattered and she change plans often. She will also learn to be more private.

Danielle - Common name that I wanted to use. I had a friend with this name. Met her at work. Let's get into the general name of this person though. D=4 A=1 N=5(14) I=9 E=5 L=3(12) L=3(12) E=5. Someone with this name is likely to be fun loving and even funny, just like Mariella above. There could be moments where Danielle would be a little shy, but that is temporary as people with this name has very fluffy and upbeat energy. They are likely to be big on having a good time and socializing. Danielle and Mariella likely have big social networks physically, but Danielle may be the one that parties a little harder in this equation. She is always focused on where the most fun is and that is where she will go. She likes to laugh and would rather live on the bright side of things rather than worry and be sad. She won't handle sad situations how typical people may expect her to. Danielle likely has more drama in her life than Mariella, but it's more than likely linked to pettiness more than anything. Sex and fun is a highlight for Danielle. If she don't do nothing else, she's going to attend a fun event or create it. You may notice that every Danielle you know loves to be on the scene or it seems from your view that she is always on the scene. Day and night events, it doesn't matter. She would likely value friends that supports this lifestyle. It can seem like she is hard to catch up with if you are more on the controlled side. This party lifestyle is a highlight, but it isn't the end all be all which is why Danielle will change. Danielle=8 She would have to learn to take life more seriously and to smell the roses more. She will need to learn how to slow down and make sensible choices. Double 5 and double 3 energy can make someone too impulsive for their own good.

Hope you enjoyed. You can now do your own or comment and I can keep this thing going by replying and linking things together all with just a first name. This is fun and simple, especially when you dont know people's chart info.

[yuurei20]

Hiyah! Sorry if this is a question you've already answered, but I was wondering if we know if technomantic (? I'm sorry, IDK if I'm spelling it correctly TOT) equipment needs someone to actively use magic to work or if they're similar to magical tools like the ghost camera or hammer from the guest room where even the magicless MC can use them? I think I remember STYX using technomantic equipment and many staff having little to no magic but I'm unsure? Sorry for my english. TOT

Hello hello!! Thank you for this question!

This is a very good point 👀 I think that you are correct, and even non-mages are capable of wielding technomantic devices!

Ortho may be the best proof of this, having no magic ability but still wielding his technomantic beam. Ortho himself explains that technomantic energy is not magic!

But in the physical sense Ortho is closer to a cannon that he is human, with many of his bodies designed specifically to harness that power--could a human who was not designed for that specific purpose accomplish the same thing?

This is touched upon in Book 5 where an unknown person says that blastcycles do not technically require magic to run, as there is a back-up, technomantic battery that can be used instead.

This seems to confirm that non-mages are capable of making technomantic energy work for them--and it seems very close to being a scientific breakthrough that provides non-mages with magic-like abilities in this universe--but the stranger follows with the revelation that he does actually have enough magic to drive a blastcycle, so this conversation might cancel itself out?

But on the subject of the prefect specifically, when Epel invites them out to go blastcycle driving he specifies that if they do not have a blastcycle of their own, they will be welcome to sit behind him.

This seems to insinuate that the prefect would be expected to drive one independently (likely via the aforementioned technomantic battery) if they had one! :>

Which means that non-mages driving blastcycles is entirely possible, they are not a mage-specific form of transportation (unlike brooms), and technomantic energy can be harnessed by non-mages?

You are very correct that STYX intentionally hires people with small magic pools (more: the effects of blot on people without magic), but they still seem to be handling technomantic equipment without issue:

When Ortho takes STYX's technomantic circuitry offline a staff member exclaims, "That's all of our weapons!," so it seems that technomantic devices are available for use by non-mage STYX staff, and thus maybe even the prefect would have been able to use them? :>

Also: there are the CHARON!

CHARON seem to be armor capable of using technomantic energy, but Ortho says they use both brooms and technomantic flying machines, and both magic projectiles and beams.

Once Ortho takes over the Island of Woe and begins operating unmanned suits on his own we never see them using magic, so it is possible that there are CHARON-operators who are also mages, but it is not a requirement, as the technomantic energy can compensate for what non-mages lack :>

To the original question: I think you are right! :>

We have several examples (Ortho, blastcycle batteries, CHARON suits, unspecified weaponry) of technomantic devices that can potentially be wielded by non-mages, and no examples of anyone saying "only mages can harness technomantic energy", so it is possible that they qualify as a magicless tool ^^

(All of this magic-and-science talk reminded me very much of Aleister Crowley who, among other things, believed in the objective existence of magic, adopting a broad definition that included almost all forms of science and technology ♪)

[thelov3lybookworm]

Remember Me? Part 7

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6

Summary: Under the Mountain, Y/n met the High Lord of the Night Court, Rhysand. She was scared of him, but soon she found out that he wasn't who he pretended to be. Despite her efforts at not falling in love with him, she fails. It's not that bad as he loves her back.

But now he's gone, and she's left alone with nothing.

Except for a very adorable reminder of him.

•○●⛦●○•

Tw: secret pregnancy, none more that I can think of, so let me know if I need to add anything.

A/n: Tagging this as Rhys x reader because rhysie makes an appearance.

don't really like how i wrote this chapter, but thats okay...right?

also, i wanna choke rhys to death

•○🌑○•

Y/n locked the door behind her, trying her best to ignore the heated gaze she felt on the back of her head.

When she turned back to her son and him, she found him staring at her, his eyes unwavering. He felt guilty, that much she knew. What for, that she didn't.

Or maybe she did, but a part of her didn't want him to feel guilty because her son deemed him worthy of being given the title of his father.

That thought brought her to a conclusion. Talking to her son. Getting to know the reason he called the High lord of Autumn his father.

She smiled softly at Fin, deciding she'd talk to her neighbours about her abrupt departure later. She was going to ask one of her neighbour friends to let the home owner know of her departure and return the keys.

The walk to the ice cream shop was tense, though Fin obviously didn't notice as he told Y/n all about the things he and Eris did in Velaris. While Rhysand had been in their home, trying to manipulate Y/n into taking him back.

Eris occasionally chimed in, his eyes constantly fixed on Y/n, and she knew he was trying to get a reaction out of her.

Despite the fact that she barely knew anything about him and he only really cared about Fin, Y/n had a very weird feeling blooming in her chest.

Eris was... adorable.

Fin was holding both Y/n and Eris's hands as he hopped along he path, his excitement filling his little body with energy.

As soon as the ice cream shop came into view, the one where Eris and Fin had first met, Eris stilled, his leg hovering mid-air, his gaze fixed on something in the distance.

Y/n finally glanced at Eris for the first time since Fin had called him his father, a question bubbling in her mind.

Before she could ask him what the matter was, though, he turned to Y/n.

"You two proceed. I'll be right there. I remembered something I need to do."

Y/n's brow furrowed, but she nodded. The next moment, Eris was gone, vanishing between the crowd on the streets of Velaris.

"Mommy, can we go there first?" Fin questioned, making her look at him. She followed his gaze to where he was pointing. It was his favourite bakery.

"Why?" She asked, subconsciously looking around to catch a glimpse of that familiar head of hair the colour of fire.

"Because I want to say bye to Miss Alina."

Y/n's heart swelled at that. Alina was an old lady who ran the bakery, and both the old lady and Fin had taken a liking to each other. Alina had never married after her lover died, so she didn't have any family other than a dying brother. She doted on Fin as if he were her own grandchild. And Fin, having never known the love of a grandmother, had instantly become a loving grandchild to a practical stranger.

"Sure my love."

Fin grinned happily at that.

"Thank you mommy!"

•○🌑○•

"Can I ask you something Fin?" Y/n questioned as she and Fin left the bakery.

Alina had practically been on the verge of tears the moment she found that Fin was leaving Velaris. As a result, she had stuffed anything she could find in sight into a paper bag and handed it to the little boy, telling him to eat all of it.

As fin walked, trying not to jostle his treats too much, he looked over at Y/n. "Yes mama."

"Why did you call Eris daddy?"

Fin nodded like it was the most reasonable question in the world. "Because he does everything daddies do."

"Oh?"

"Yes. Daddies play with children, take them out to have fun and let them eat ice creams."

Y/n held in a surprised laugh. "Where did you learn that?"

"By myself." Fin said proudly, puffing up his chest. "I noticed Sam's daddy did all those things for him."

"That is great my love."

After a moment's silence, Fin spoke again, though his voice was quieter. "Is he not my daddy?"

Y/n blinked. She wanted to say that Eris wasn't Fin's father, but it was as if a power greater than something Y/n could understand was controlling Y/n's words. "He is your daddy."

Fin's face brightened. Then he gasped at something in front of him, and Y/n lifted her head to follow his gaze. There, stood near the railing of the Sidra, exactly where they had first met, was Eris, a slash of a cruel smirk on his mouth. And he...

Was talking to Rhys.

Feyre and Nyx also stood there next to Rhys, watching the exchange between the two high lords.

The lapse in Y/n's focus gave Fin the perfect opportunity to break free of Y/n's hold and run to where Eris was standing.

"Daddy!" Fin squealed, the sound making Rhysand turn to look. His face broke into an disbelieving smile, his eyes going wide as he stared at Fin. His eyes met Y/n's for a moment, and he looked so grateful Y/n couldn't help but feel pity for him.

Fin ran straight into Eris's arms, laughing when Eris's hands found the little boy's ticklish areas and tickled, just a little before scooping him into his arms.

When Eris met Y/n's eyes, his were filled with weariness and caution, because he knew to never mess with a mother who was protective of her child. He still smiled widely at Fin, but his eyes spoke a whole different story.

And Y/n let a little, tiny smile bloom on her face as she walked towards Eris.

His eyes widened, his smile vanishing, his lips parting in surprise. That was when Y/n realised that she had never smiled much around Eris.

If she had, it had only been directed at Fin.

That had her feeling something she had not felt in a long time.

Feeling a heated gaze on the side of her head, she turned to find find Rhys glaring holes into her.

She tried not to swallow at the cold fire in that violet gaze.

She was intimidated, but still held eye contact with her former lover.

The tension in the air increased, the world ceasing to exist around Y/n and Rhysand.

A small, sinister smile curled his lips, and a shiver wound its way up Y/n's spine. The bags under his eyes and his overall tired look made him look like he was about to level the whole of Velaris for some fun.

Y/n felt guilty and wanted nothing more than to crawl to her true love, beg for his forgiveness and be with him again. Let him back in and love him in the all consuming way she had always loved him. Sit Fin down and tell him Eris was not his father and Rhys was.

Y/n?

Y/n jolted, blinking rapidly as she searched around for the mortal scum that had stolen her lover-

Fin was looking at Y/n when she turned to him, and concern was evident in his features.

And Y/n realised three things in that moment. The first being that two people had been in her mind. The second being that Feyre was concerned and had been trying to call for Y/n, and when she didn't respond, Feyre had slipped into Y/n's mind.

And that Rhys had been trying to control her again.

Her blood boiled as she met Rhys eyes again. They were hard now and filled with murderous intent.

"Daddy, can we get ice cream now? Then we can share the cupcakes miss Alina gave me." Fin asked, and that was enough to draw Y/n's attention.

Eris shot a look between Y/n and Rhys, his brows furrowed. Y/n shook her head slightly, and then Eris turned to Fin, smiling. "Sure, let's go."

Eris walked off, asking Fin about Alina's wellbeing. Y/n watched them go, smiling slightly at the happiness on Fin's face.

Every child deserved happiness without having to worry about anything.

But her stomach churned, knowing what she was about to do next might very well ruin a child's life.

Y/n turned back to where Feyre stood, holding Nyx in her arms. Feyre had a slight smile on her face, staring after Fin and Eris as Nyx began wiggling in Feyre's arms, and she let him onto the ground.

Nyx waddled the short distance to his father, looking up at the male with wide, innocent eyes as he tugged on Rhys's pants.

"Papa? Can we go too?" He asked in a sweet voice, one that would make anyone in the world cave to his demands.

Rhys didn't bother looking at the little boy. "No."

Nyx blinked, as if not having expected the answer. "Please papa."

Rhys sighed, his frustration showing through his voice. "I said no, Nyx. Can you not understand the simple answer?"

Nyx's lip wobbled, and Y/n's heart clenched. By the look on Feyre's face, she felt the same.

"Papa please. I want to eat ice cream with Finnie." The little boy was on the verge of tears, not used to such a harsh behaviour from his father.

Rhys shot a scathing glare at the little boy. "You want to go have fun with Finnie, go. I will not come with you. Cauldron, you are getting on my nerves now."

With that, Rhysand shot into the sky, muttering to himself.

Nyx stared after him, tears escaping his eyes as he started hiccuping and sobbing loudly.

Feyre dropped to her knees next to Nyx. "It's okay baby. You and I can get ice cream with Fin without daddy."

Nyx stomped angrily, pushing away Feyre's hands as they tried to wrap around him. "No! I don't want to get ice cream without papa."

Y/n could do nothing but watch helplessly, her own heart screeching in agony.

"I hate papa." He sobbed, wiping his nose on his sleeve furiosly, still staring at the fading figure of Rhys in the sky.

"You should not say that Nyx-"

"Do you not want to spend time with Fin?" Y/n cut Feyre off, crouching next to Nyx. "Fin is going away and might not be able to meet you for long time. You should at least come to say goodbye."

Nyx's crying ceased for a moment, soft hiccups shaking his body as he seemed to think on what Y/n had said.

He sniffed loudly, glancing at Feyre before nodding. "Okay."

Feyre and Y/n led Nyx into the ice cream shop where Fin was staring at all the flavours displayed, an adorable furrow in his brow, his tiny hands on his hip like he was contemplating the best way to attack his enemies. The moment the bell above the store chimed, Fin turned to look, his face brightening at the sight of Nyx. He motioned the younger boy to come forward, which Nyx did.

The moment Nyx left, Feyre turned to Y/n.

"You're leaving?"

"Yes. About that..."

Y/n took a deep breath.

"I need to tell you something."

•○🌑○•

Part 8

Taglist: @holb32@awoa1@cleverzonkwombatsludge@luvmoo@we-were-beautiful@eerievixen @zoe2 @fussel9913@j-pendragonx@thesnugglingduck @jesssicapaniagua @devilsnightz@esposadomd @littleffawn @mandowhatnow@bubybubsters@eos-princess@nightless@bigcreatorwombatdreamer @princesslolaasworld @asemkta @cat-or-kitten@txzii @bunnyredgirl @theofficialmadman@leeknows-wife@aria-chikage@amygdtjhddzvb @azriels-mate123 @inky-clover@kemillyfreitas @12358 @justdreamstars @cuethedepession @princessvesta @fides25 @nocasdatsgay@acourtofbatboydreams@stained-glass-eyes0708

[cosmicstarlatte]

Manhandling Them (Obey Me!)

━━━━━━━━━━ ✦ ━━━━━━━━━━

Look at you manhandling your favorite demon. Nice.

»Characters: Demon Bros

»Tags: Shitpost, Mildly Suggestive, Jealousy, Dom vibes I guess lol , GN Reader/MC

»Notes: I had my OC in mind for this since he's a big guy but this could work for anyone, bc hc in a hc, you're super strong in this world OKAY!?!?♡

Lucifer:

This old man never takes a fucking break. You find him working late into the night, fighting the sleep he very much needs. You tell him to go rest and continue the work tomorrow. He refuses of course because why would he ever take an order from you? "Oh? Nope! You're done for tonight. Up we go!" You say as you pull him out from his office chair and toss him over your shoulder.

What...what is happening?

[Fighting Status: Engaged]

Shifts into demon form and starts flailing around, yet it does nothing to you

"Put me down this instant!"

You just pat his wings down soothingly trying to calm him down

"Dont ruffle your feathers Luci, this is for your own good. Also if you continue like that, your brothers will come investigate."

He stopped flailing and looked torn: continue to fight or be seen in such a position? There's also the third option, your death

While he was thinking you continued to pat his wings and heard a small purr

winner winner chicken dinnerrrr what have we here!?

"Aw see I knew you'd like it! Alright off to bed!" You say carrying him to his room

"...Maybe I am a little tired...and this might not be the worst thing in the world." He said, absolutely defeated

Since then, it doesn't happen often, but he will let you carry him to bed if he's absolutely drained and no one else is around to see

[Taming the beast: Achieved]

Mammon:

"Mammon we need to go now or we will be late for dinner!" You yelled at him as he continued to bargain with the shopkeeper. He yelled back saying it would only be another minute...taking another 5 minutes. Enough is enough. You grab him and carry him out, bridal style.

One second he's talking to the shopkeeper, the next he's being lifted into the air

"AH! HEY!"

Shifts into demon form and notices it's you and not some stranger

Shifts back into his human form

🍅.jpg

"W-what is this!? P-put me down!" He said as he wrapped his arms tighter around your neck

"Mm, maybe if you kiss me on the cheek?"

"ARE YOU CRAZY!? THE GREAT MAMMON OBEYS NO ONE!"

He continued to complain but did absolutely nothing to try to get out of your arms

He let out an annoyed huff when you guys got home...you were sure it was because he didn't want to come down

Now, he occasionally takes long at places so you could carry him...it's obvious when he keeps looking back to check if you'll get him

You caught on of course, but hey, he's your little tsundere demon

Levi:

"I'm not going to RAD today!" He yelled from his room. The hell he is, you kicked his door down and he screamed. You roughly pulled him from his tub and tossed him over your shoulder like a sack of potatoes, heading towards his closet.

"WWWWHAAAAAATISGOINGONNNN!?"

[Levi demon thrasher mode activated]

He was so confused and turned on by the sudden morning events

"Hey, hey! LEVI, stop it!"

He complied immediately and stopped struggling, you pat him gently while he still tried to understand what made you come in there so rough today

"That's a good demon!"

His tail swished around excitedly at your praise...this morning was something he never expected in his wildest dreams

Subby boy is subby™️

"Oh you like this a lot don't you? I guess I'll come get you more often."

"W-will this be an everyday thing!?" say yes say yes say yes say-

After that day, he still hesitated to ask for piggyback rides or anything else but you know the look and happily scoop him up every time

Please toss him around more, he loves it

Especially when you're rough

Satan:

Lucifer and Satan fighting was nothing new, but you just didn't have the energy to hear them today. So what better way than to just take one of them from the other? "Come here kitty!" You say, wrapping your arms around Satan and pulling him up against your body, carrying him to the manor library. 

He shifted into demon form in an instant

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?!? LET ME DOWN!"

He wasn't sure how your grip was so strong as he continued to try to pull away from you

And he also didn't understand why it felt so good to be carried by you

You patted him and told him to let the anger go and just enjoy the rest of the night with you

He stopped struggling but felt conflicted by what he was feeling especially since Lucifer looked so pleased when you two left

But this does feel good...and you chose him to hang out with

"Tch."

"Fine I'll put you down and-"

"No. You brought this upon yourself. Now continue to the library." He held on tighter

You smirked and he opened his mouth to argue but huffed instead

He was...actually impressed by your boldness and wouldn't mind being manhandled like that again

Just not when he's fighting with Lucifer please

Asmo:

Everyday his fans crowded him and 80% of the time, it was okay with you. Today though you just really wanted to go home quickly with him but his fans intercepted. Yeah no, you just weren't having it today. "Sorry guys we have to go home now." You say and tug on Asmo's hand. "Mm I don't know, it shouldn't take too long-" he starts. You raise an eyebrow at Asmo and end up tossing the Avatar of Lust over your shoulder, jogging away from the gawking crowd.

What just happened?

He squeals excitedly

"Oh I like this!♡"

He was surprised by your sudden action as you've never carried him before

Especially something so...possessive? In front of other RAD students!?

He was gushing

"Should I expect this more often!?"

"Yeah, probably. I should've done this a while ago." You admitted

Devildom Pictures Presents: Asmo, the Avatar of Blushing

He made himself comfortable and chatted with you while on the way home

The two of you ignored the looks of others but photos were definitely taken and posted to gossip sites

After that day he loved asking for piggyback rides and being carried around, he let you know how much he loved it every time

Beel:

Lucifer entrusted you to guard the fridge from Beel and so you did. "Sorry, Beel!" You tell the gluttonous beast. "Eh? I'm hungry now...I just want a little food..." He tried to walk around you to reach the fridge and that's when you scoop him up flawlessly, bridal style. You carried him away from the kitchen.

???

He did not foresee this ever happening

He could only blankly stare at you as you carried him further and further away from the kitchen

He actually really liked it but was worried about his weight

"You should put me down. You might get hurt."

"Did you not see how easily I scooped you up? This is nothing."

Beel smiled and went with it, completely forgetting about the fridge

"Can we do this more often?"

"Was already planning on it big guy!"

His heart flipped! After all, no one, even in the celestial realm, ever held him like this

And the fact that it was you, made it a million times better

The two of you settled on the couch while he stayed in your lap and cuddled with you until dinner time

(1) New Text from Lucifer : You did well. I'm counting on you for next time.

Belphie:

"You can't make me move!" Belphie muttered half asleep. He had a habit of falling asleep in weird places around the house and for some reason he chose the front of your bedroom door. You nudged him with your foot and he went back to snoozing on his cow print pillow. Okay, bet. You leaned over him and swiftly picked him up, wrapping his legs around your waist and holding him securely. You finally entered your room.

???

"You're not Beel!?" He said bewildered (and slightly embarrassed) by the sudden realization

"No I'm not and you were blocking my door."

"This feels nice from you. I could get use to this." He murmured happily at the sudden closeness

You roughly toss him onto your bed and he complained about demon abuse and rights

"Ugh! More gently next time!?"

He was still impressed by your use of force, you always surprised him which is why you're his favorite human

Was happy you decided to take a quick nap with him but upset you kicked him out after

"Hmph. You haven't seen the last of me!"

And it was true, he made it more of a habit to sleep in front of your door so you'd carry him inside, sometimes he got you to cuddle with him

He freely asks for piggyback rides if he's particularly drained

⬦You might also like: Flirting With Others︱You ARE The Father

[bonefall]

Talk and/or rant about why you like Bumble from DotC please?

Bumble makes me want to cry. Her story is just... heartbreaking. She's one of the sweetest, most honest characters in the entire series, and the way she is abused by Tom the Wifebeater and denied asylum by the Moor Cats, then murdered for Clear Sky's arc, genuinely makes me feel sick.

But I've talked about that before. Many, many times. Let me celebrate her brief life for this one post, just covering her during The Sun Trail. Her first appearance in Book 2 where Clear Sky murders her, Thunder Rising, is the start of the scene that begins her slow, agonizing death.

I don't only love her out of spite for how she died; I love her because she was a wonderful, warm, confident character, and an excellent friend. She provided relief from the agonizing Settler group, who are insufferably angsty and controlling of each other, and most importantly, space away from Turtle Tail's awful friend, Gray Wing.

The closer that Bumble gets to Turtle Tail, the more confrontational Gray Wing becomes. He starts to hate Bumble, as if she's stealing his Plan B while he spends all the rest of his time with Storm. I'm convinced that the writers (and the fandom sometimes <_<) believe that this is "compelling romantic drama" which makes Turtle x Gray sweeter when it finally happens, but it just makes me feel like TurtleGray is the Bad Ending for every woman character involved.

After a brief appearance as she witnesses the Settlers arrive on the moor, the very first time we get to meet Bumble is when Gray Wing and Turtle Tail are hanging out on some sunny rocks. She's cheerful, outgoing, and curious, wanting to get to know her new neighbors.

Gray Wing, the POV character, immediately makes an incorrect assumption about her weight, thinking she won't be able to climb. She can, just fine, and she plays an Uno Reverse card on how skinny they are lmao

First thing out of her mouth is, "Oh you are SKIN AND BONES!!" Same energy as grandma who is about to make you feel more full than you have ever been in your entire life, considering she's going to open her home to Turts in a couple chapters.

They get into a conversation where Bumble asks where they came from, and why they left the mountains. She remains friendly and open, just enjoying small talk with these total strangers. She's enjoyable and lighthearted, in welcome contrast to the Settler's group which is full of moping, miserable cats.

(and in my live-read I was even frustrated at the time by how it seemed like the Settlers would have 1 or 2 nice moments, and then go back to fighting or brooding. It's unpleasant.)

In this first interaction it's just a glimmer, but it seems that what Turtle Tail LIKES about Bumble is that she makes her feel special. She LISTENS, unlike how Gray Wing is going to be in a couple of chapters.

She likes telling the shocking tale of giant birds to Bumble, and Bumble is happy that they're away from such hardships now. When Turtle Tail turns the questions back on her, Bumble is happy to gush about her life as a house cat.

She loves her people, playing with their children and always having plenty of food, explaining that when she gets bored she comes to the woods for a nice walk. Then, she mentions something very important.

Historically, there WAS no aggression towards outsiders. Cats like Bumble didn't take what they didn't need, and were left alone for it. This first interaction paints the full picture. Bumble wasn't afraid of the Settlers because there never was a reason to be scared.

CLEAR SKY is inventing the borders to aggrieve random cats. Him. His idea. Before him, you could walk through the forest freely like Bumble did.

This is before the arc irrevocably goes up in flames at the end of Book 3 by committing to a Clear Sky "Redemption," and is forced to create One Eye and Slash out of nowhere for Books 4/5/6. Before that absolutely baffling mistake of a choice, it is clear that The Settlers are the problem.

There WAS no Slash or One Eye. They were retconned in midway through the arc to make Clear Sky and The Settlers look less bad.

After this exchange, Turtle Tail dismisses Bumble's way of life and chuckles at a joke Gray Wing makes about how they'll probably never see Bumble again because she'll be afraid of them... but she's thinking about her. It strikes me as being the same kind of feeling as the swirling, murky feeling of a new crush.

Can't get the chunky kitty girl out of her head, can you, Turtle Tail?

We don't see Bumble for a few more chapters, but in her next appearance, it's implied she's been visiting Turtle Tail for a while. Gray Wing sees them sharing a meal. Please note how Turts is immediately defensive. As if she feels like she's being caught in the middle of doing something wrong.

(Tangent: note the constant suspicion and aggression towards Wind and Gorse. who live here.)

Gray Wing is as oblivious as ever. For a character described as "wise" he's incredibly dense towards the feelings of others. Yet, always, ALWAYS, Bumble is cheerful. This brewing animosity is NOT returned, she's happy to see him again.

He tries to recruit her to the moor group and she enthusiastically declines with a "No way! I love my life, actually!"

As soon as she's out of earshot, Here Comes The Confrontation. The exact one that Turtle Tail correctly anticipated when she got defensive earlier;

"You shouldn't have friends I don't approve of, Turtle Tail. It bothers me."

How can I NOT love Bumble? When her primary purpose is to be a friend for Turtle Tail, while Gray Wing is either ignoring her or sending her on guilt trips through this entire book? She's RELIEF for a woman who's being treated like trash, and every time she shows up she's doing something cute or helpful!

(Tangent: This book's pacing is garbage. The next scene is a sudden fox raid where a billion foxes attack the camp, and then the Settlers reveal that they don't know what a fox is. BUMBLE taught Turtle Tail about the danger of foxes. This is contradicted by the later books where there's cats back at the tribe named after foxes and Quiet Rain calls her shittiest son a foxheart. But there's waaay worse continuity errors in this arc.)

Gray Wing, the POV, hates her for no goddamn reason. It's right there on the page that he can't give Turtle Tail an answer as to why she should stop hanging out with her. The two continue to fight as Turts desperately tries to salvage their relationship while Gray Wing finds ways to snap at her or offend her.

I think the next appearance of Bumble is actually the most cringeworthy, though. I get secondhand embarrassment reading this one.

Turts just stayed with her friend overnight, and Gray Wing throws a fit about it, hissing at her that she's using the wrong terms and that she's forgotten where she belongs. Bumble watches this all happen like 😬, and then when Turtle Tail apologizes for this asshole having a conniption, he hisses AGAIN and whines about how he doesn't need to be apologized for.

But Bumble, up to her very last appearance in this book, is helpful and open.

After Gray Wing is nearly slaughtered by Fox at the border on Clear Sky's orders, so he kills him in self defense, causing Clear Sky to disown Gray Wing as his brother, which is the final straw for the pregnant Storm to run off, and then The Pacing Brothers have a casual chat over the still-warm corpse of the dead lackey, the input lag finally sends the signal to Gray Wing's brain that he needs to go find Storm.

It's BUMBLE that tells him where she can be found, as always, cutting through tension. Turtle Tail stays behind because she's understandably fed up with Gray Wing, so Bumble brings him where he needs to go. She guides him through the town, over roads, to the abandoned building where Storm is staying.

Gray Wing whines the whole time because he is a loser.

It's also interesting to me that when Bumble's annoyed with him, she doesn't huff or even get rude. She just glances back, and points out that there's disadvantages to his lifestyle too. You get used to it.

In better books, Gray Wing's POV would be considered unreliable in the end. He's an oblivious jackass whose thickness causes him to treat other people poorly, EXCEPT for his monstrous brother, whose violence and abuse he enables through the entire series. Though he's hailed as a "perfect boy so very full of love," he causes a LOT of the problems in his own relationships and familial dynamics.

Smarter books would encourage you to step back and think critically about the events as he perceived them;

Why did his judgement of Bumble begin to harden as Turtle Tail spent more time with her? Did Bumble do anything to deserve this?

Did Gray Wing's behavior lead to Turtle Tail's eventual decision to leave the moor? Were there other factors?

What are the flaws he can identify about himself? How will he grow from this?

Are there broader problems with The Settlers, which may have influenced the mindsets of both Turtle Tail and Gray Wing?

Unfortunately with Gray Wing, the only thing they identify as a "problem" in how he treated Turts in The Sun Trail is that he spent less time with her, as he pursued Storm. The controlling behavior and frequent arguing, the condescension, and the public embarrassment are NOT treated as negative traits to address as the series goes on.

(they never are. These are not directly addressed in any of the other terrible men in the series; Clear Sky, Bramblestar, Raggedstar, etc. only paternal neglect is condemned. Men are even allowed to beat their kids and it will not be called out.)

And breaking through that lens, you see Bumble. Who is just here to be a person that Turtle Tail needs, a good friend, someone who's confident, self-assured, and LOVES the life that she lives. I can't help but feel joy every time she walks onto the screen in The Sun Trail, because Gray Wing is SO frustrating that I'm rooting for Turtle Tail to go somewhere that she'll be appreciated.

It's as if they NEEDED to invent Tom the Wifebeater, who spawns in like some kind of random event just before Thunder Rising (the humans just... went to the shelter and adopted The Worst Cat. No checks on if he's aggressive towards other cats or anything), so that Turtle would HAVE some kind of reason to leave. Because, as you can see here, she wouldn't have gone back otherwise.

[will80sbyers]

STRANGER THINGS 5 PRODUCTION MASTERPOST

part 001 (a new masterpost with the dates in order and more organized)

Before filming started:

We know that "The crawl" is the title of episode 1 of season 5 !

( posted on Nov. 7 /2023 ) The first scene is this one with a child's voice singing a familiar song (probably Will singing Should I stay or Should I go)

April 29 / 2023

Casting was looking for two kids 8-10yo (April and Derek - probably fake names)

August 17 / 2023

David (Hopper's actor) says the season is going to start a bit after the final scene on the hill and the finale is ''moving'' and the characters will have a pay-off.

September 19 / 2023

First pictures of the Hawkins set, they were building it still.

pictures and drone footage

September 29 / 2023

The STRANGER WRITERS account on twitter posts a pre-vis of a scene in episode 1 where Jonathan and Steve are doing something together.

October 20 / 2023

Pre-vis animation of the scene of Dustin, Jonathan and Nancy falling down a tunnel in a car while screaming. Happens in episode 4 at the McCorkle farm.

October 30 / 2023

Ross and Matt Duffer post a video of them preparing one of the scenes- Robin, Nancy, Joyce, El and Will are in it.

TRANSCRIPTION:

You probably have some sort of straight on with Joyce…we're seeing them kinda parading and then we'll probably have some rakes, you know? Yeah. But then we need to get to Will, though. Well, what, isn't it Joyce ???? Well, we'll start from Eleven and then, cause Eleven says ''There's not enough.''. Oh she says ''There's not enough.'' either ''too many'' what if we just pull back like, Eleven says '' There's too many'' and then we land on Will and he's looking nervous… and then we could zero-in on him like that… is that weird to pull and then move in. I don't think so.

November 26 / 2023

BTS of some posters inside the Hawkins school make us think the season will start or take place around november 21, 1987. There is a project for the fair for ''Energy conservation'' from the Department of Energy. There is also a poster aboout Christmas.

November 29 / 2023

Ross Duffer was on the Wheelers home location

November 30 / 2023

Scouting the locations. New bts of the posters at Hawkins high, the crew is preparing the locations- pictures from Ross.

December 7 / 2023

Cara Buono posts a ''back to work'' selfie and we have some more pictures from the Hawkins high set.

December 8 / 2023

Ross posts some bts pictures, they are doing camera tests for the show before they start filming.

December 17 / 2023

Confirmed that STRANGER THINGS 5 will be 8 episodes long, video interview to the Duffer brothers. They already did the table read of the first 6 episodes (which makes me think it was the day Cara posted the selfie on dec. 7)

January 5 2024

atlanta_filming on instagram says that Nancy, Steve, Jonathan and Robin were filming.

January 8 / 2024

New bts pictures of the Hawkins set with the militay in town.

The Stranger Things production begins officially with a picture of the cast. Linda Hamilton is interpreting a new character in s5 as previously announced.

January 9 / 2024

Ross Duffer posts a series of bts pictures from Day 1: FIRST LOOK AT ROBIN AND STEVE IN COSTUME. BTS pictures of the background, Nancy and Jonathan were filming too, Pink Floyd the movie poster etc

January 11 / 2024

Eduardo Franco says Argyle will not be back in s5 (HE COULD BE LYING)

FIRST LOOK AT DUSTIN IN COSTUME from Ross Duffer's ig.

More bts pictures of Dustin in costume, the scene seems to be him at the cemetery visiting Eddie's grave that has been defaced with hate writings on it. LINKS: 1 / 2 / 3

January 17 / 2024

Paparazzi pictures of the filming at Hawkins high, the Bully with the hat from s4 (or Dustin???) in costume?

Bts pictures with the military near the school

FIRST LOOK AT MIKE IN COSTUME paparazzi picture at Hawkins High / 2

New pictures of Dustin on set, his shirt is damaged, there's probably been a fight at school with the bullies (initially I thought it was with Mike but it makes no sense lmao), he's being harassed because of what the town believes about Eddie. LINKS: 1 / 2

The Stranger Things channel on instagram posts a bts video of the set with books about electricity.

Some details from the video

January 18 /2024

Prod. Spoilers on twitter posts a picture of the Bradley's big buy supermarket saying it will make an appearance.

New pictures that show the Radio station WSQK where they are filming, the truck from Bradley's is there so maybe they took it in a scene.

January 19 / 2024

Ross Duffer posts bts pictures from week 2 of filming: FIRST LOOK AT MIKE in his room (finally a good picture ❤️ ) / A bike in the Hawkins school field, Will's bike with the shoes that Noah was wearing there so it's a scene with Will probably having a vision/dream because it's at night with the fog. / A sticker that says the Halley's comet is coming nov. 1985 - apr. 1986 / Mike's basement ? / A hellfire drawing inside one of the lockers. / El and Mike in a field going to the radio station.

Bts pictures of a scene with El and Mike at the radio station talking to each other, Hopper and Joyce were there too. / 2 / 3

Picture of Hopper

Picture of Joyce

VIDEO OF THE SCENE BETWEEN MIKE AND EL ON THE ROOF OF THE RADIO STATION

My lip reading of the video (it could be wrong!!!!)

January 24 / 2024

The Hawkins mall will be back?

Pictures at the Hawkins new hospital with a blue and a yellow bike there

Video of Karen on set filming ep. 2

A new video of the scene between El and Mike on the radio station roof seems to indicate it's an emotional scene.

January 25 / 2024

They are filming at the Stone Mountain park location, new bts pictured of the weeks before at the radio station etc

Little curiosity about the radio station and the inspo for it.

January 26 / 2024

The Stranger Things channel on ig posts new background pictures at the school with the decorations inside the school: 1 / 2 / 3 /

The lockers at school: 1 / 2

January 27 / 2024

New bts paparazzi pictures from the day they filmed at the hospital in Hawkins / 2 / 3

January 28 / 2024

Filming at Browns Lake in Georgia?

January 29 / 2024

Bts pictures of the Upside down vines in the woods and at Hawkins Lab

February 1 / 2024

Probably old - pictures of the night shoots at the radio station

Maybe a song is involved?

Bts pictures of the Wheelers car and Steve's car at the radio station with the WSQK blue van / 2

A good picture of the WSQK blue van

February 2 / 2024

Prod. Spoilers says that Nancy, Mike, Will, Jonathan, Murray and Joyce and Steve were on set.

New pictures from the radio station

ROSS DUFFER BTS PICTURES OF WEEK 3-4 / El at the radio station, background decoration with '' A wrinkle in Time'' and '' Why start a life under a cloud?" - the old bus from s1 at the place where they went to hide, a bloody shoe (probably Joyce's) and a scene in a room with blue walls (?)

BTS paparazzi pictures near the Bradley's truck, Jonathan, Nancy, Steve, Robin and Murray were involved. / 2

Filming in Stone Mountain Park probably on the train tracks like in s1

February 3 / 2024

Prod Spoilers posts a drone video of the radio station with some info

FIRST LOOK AT NANCY AND JONATHAN (from behind…) paparazzi pics / 2 / 3 / 4

February 5 / 2024

BTS pics from the Mc Corkle farm / 2

Continues in -> 002 and 003

[scrollonso]

First Kiss (Race 5)

A strollonso AU where 18 year old rookie Lance Stroll falls helplessly in love with the notoriously mean world champion. (1.9k words, angst, description of a car crash, drunk lance, fluffy ending) [@v3lnys @biancathecool] {I picked David Coulthard to be the cause of the crash because he DNF in Europe 2006 and bc he's no stranger to being yelled at for crashes, LMAO}

last part - masterlist - next part

Lance walked back into the paddock, engaged in a conversation with Nico. He had yet to get his actual drivers liscense out of pure laziness so the German was left to drive them almost everywhere together.

"Thanks again" Lance laughed, feeling slightly bad for making Nico be his personal chauffeur.

"Don't thank me, I only do it so people believe our PR friendships real" He joked, nudging the taller man with his elbow

"Ow" Lance frowned, clutching his heart "Words hurt, Rosberg" He looked down, trying to hide the smile on his face

"Cmon, daddy didn't tell you he's paying me for this?"

"No way, are we both being paid?" Lance looked up, the fake shocked expression on his face earning a laugh from his teammate

Qualifying was okay, Nico secured 9th and Lance got 12th (after a minor chassis problem that caused him to have to pit for half of quali)

Lance should've been upset but he didn't mind, he'd been in front of Nico most of the season so far so he was looking forward to letting his teammate shine.

Of course he wanted to win like everyone else in F1 but the last thing he was going to do was let it ruin personal relationships he was building, work was completely different than home, his friends were different than the coworkers he knew.

He greeted Nico warmly, congratulating him as Quali ended, wishing him good luck on the race the next day.

Fernando came over not long after, having secured pole position.

"Lancito, good job today" He hummed, patting the Canadian on the back

"I'm convinced I could get p30 and you'd still congratulate me" Lance laughed, wrapping his arm around the Spaniard

"It takes a lot of skill to do so bad they have to make a new space for you" Fernando shook his head, his lips slightly curved up as he spoke

"I'm just saving all my energy for the race when I overtake you"

"Oh, really? I'll keep an eye out for you then, mi sol" He said, eyes only leaving Lance when he heard his name being called, his engineer needing him "Good luck tomorrow, Lancito. Let's get you points again, eh?"

Lance nodded, watching as the older man left, feeling his heart flutter in his chest as he thought about how he was looking up at him. It felt nice having someone to admire in the sport as much as Lance admired Fernando, he was a great driver.

Time passed faster than Lance thought it would, before Lance knew it he was lined up on the grid, eyes scanning the cars around him, David Coulthard in p11 next to him.

As the lights went out and the race begun he sent it, overtaking into p10 almost straight away, Coulthard close behind him.

It stayed this way for a few laps, the Brit almost on his rear wing as they raced, he was just trying to keep him there.

It seemed as if everything was going according to plan until the pair reached turn 14 once more, Coulthard was sure he'd be able to overtake, speeding up and reaching Lances side just to be met with their wheels touching, Lance could feel it in his body as the drivers car made contact with his, his left back tire practically flying off his car as he spun out of controll, David losing his front wing as Lance spun of the track, causing him to pull off as well, tire losing air as both cars came to a stop.

They were on opposite sides of the track, the asphalt between them stopping any conversations from happening.

Once he reached the Racing Point garage he was quick to storm down the pit lane, tearing off his helmet and balaclava as he found his way to the Red Bull garage, Brad trying to stop the fuming Canadian

"Lance, Lance stop it. Come back to the garage we need to-"

"Fuck off, Okay? This is a fucking sport and a part of that is talking it out after shit like this happens. Believe me, I have some things to say to Coulthard." He practically spat, not meaning to take his anger out on his engineer but he was the closest one there

They reached the garage, a crowd forming as the two began speaking

"Do you feel better now? Fighting with me over tenth place knowing damn well neither of us were in the position to earn points anyways?"

"I know you're a rookie so you might not get it yet but part of RACING is OVERTAKING, I was doing what I'm here to do."

"You're here to destroy my car and run me off the fucking track? Really? I find that hard to fucking believe, Coulthard."

"Oh come on, Lance. We all know your daddy doesn't have a problem with fixing your mistakes. That's how you got the seat, right? Daddy knew you fuck up too much to get a seat so he bought two for you and Keke Rosbergs son."

"You have a lot of fucking nerve, Coulthard. You know that?" Lance got closer, he already wasn't finishing the race so how much harm would a little physical contact outside of the car cause?

By now both of the teams where trying to stop the drivers, yelling and trying to get between the two men, blinded by anger towards one another

The race was slowly finishing, Fernando ending up in p2 as the fight was still going on, Lance screaming into the 35 year olds face as he scoffed, refusing to apologize, Lance didn't think of himself as a violent person but he wasn't going to stand around and let some ugly arrogant prick disrespect him and refuse to admit the crash was his fault.

"YOU RUINED THE RACE FOR THE BOTH OF US." All he wanted was for that to get through the Englishmans thick fucking skull "God, you're a fucking fils de pute." He spoke under his breath, astonished at the audacity of the racer "You know, for someone who's been racing for twelve years and hasn't even come close to a world championship you sure are a stuck up cunt."

And with that Lance was finally pulled away from the garage, David Coulthard having nothing to say in response.

Lance felt like he was getting scolded for hours, even if it was only 15 minutes, the team trying to explain how he shouldn't have done that even if it was Coulthards fault

"Lancito?" He heard a familiar voice, being snapped away from his thoughts as he shot up, leaving members of the team in the middle of their sentences to go to Fernando

"Thank fucking god you're here. Are you thirsty? I'd kill for a drink right now"

"Lancito, Are you sure drinking is the best thing for you to do now?" He questioned as if he wasn't still following behind him

"What, do you think I'm being dramatic too?" He scoffed, stopping in his tracks to turn back to Fernando, he looked mad to anyone else but Fernando knew he was just hurt, Lance hated crashes, hated not finishing, hated disappointing people, and even though the last thing Fernando was was disappointed in the boy he knew Lance would still think he was.

"Let's get you that drink, mi sol. Getting your mind off it will help, eh?"

Lance expected to be taken to some cheap place around the city but instead Fernando drove them back to his hotel, deciding it'd be better to let Lance cause a scene in his hotel room rather than in some German bar.

The two drank together, Lances lack of experience and tollerance when it came to alcohol being painfully obvious.

"He's such a prick" Lance slurred, his voice more whiney than usual

"I know, Lancito, He really is." Fernando hummed, leaning back in his chair as his eyes stayed on the Canadian

"You're like my guardian angel, Nando, y'know?" Lance looked at him, lips slightly curved before he began speaking again "Never stop congratualting me, please, it-" hiccup "It means a lot"

Fernando just nodded, setting down his glass

"I-" He stopped abruptly, drinking more "I love doing good, when I do good I know you'll be proud of me" He ran his fingers through his hair, annoyed at the long strands covering his vision "I'm sorry- I'm sorry I'm not the best, Nando" He confessed, looking over at the Spaniard "I don't deserve my seat, but- but it's okay because I get to see you, I love seeing you win, it makes what people say about me worth it when I'm the first one you come to after the podium"

Fernando just listened, not saying much as it became more and more evident Lance would forget it all by the next morning anyway

"I-" hiccup " I love seeing you walk to me, passing all the girls, they're so pretty, it makes no sense why you walk past them for me, but i love it, seeing you ignore them and look at me like I'm prettier than all of them" hiccup

He smiled, not being able to help it as he heard the younger ramble on, glad he was no longer stuck on being upset about the crash

"Don't stop, Nando"

"Hm?" Fernando hummed, watching Lance set down his glass. He took that as a chance to stand up and snatch it away, figuring the younger man had drank enough. Fernando and Lance were now closer, Fernando looking down at Lance as he awaited a response

"Looking at me like this, taking care of me how you do, please don't leave me, Nando" He begged, reaching out for the Spaniards arm "Promise me you'll never stop congratulating me after races, please Nando, I need you."

He was taken aback by the sudden change in tone Lance had brought to the conversation. Fernando swallowed dryly, staring back at the Canadian, he looked gorgeous, the waves of his hair messily laying across his face, the lighting hitting him just right to show off the gorgeous colour of his eyes

"Let's get you to bed, Lance." He whispered, helping him stand up as he walked with him to his bed, pulling back the covers with one hand while he held Lance with the other, surprised at how light the Canadian really was

He sat Lance down, kneeling to take off his shoes before instructing him to lay down and pulling the covers back up.

"Goodnight, Lancito" He whispered, brushing the hair from his face as the Canadian hummed a response, not fighting sleep as it took over him surprisingly fast

Fernando on the other hand was fighting, not sleep, but the feelings Lance brought to light with his drunken words. He hadn't thought much of it before, sure he felt different with Lance than he did with his other friends but he was so much younger that he figured he was just taking a more mature role in the friendship. Now he wasn't so sure.

[daitranscripts]

Solas Conversation

Measuring the Veil

Solas Masterpost Related Location: the Hinterlands

Solas: As I explored the Fade, I felt the presence of an intriguing artifact in the Hinterlands. If you are willing, I would like to locate it. I have marked its location as best as I could determine.

The PC heads to the Hinterlands.

Solas: According to my research, the ancient elves may have set up wards near here. If we can find the artifacts they used, it may help strengthen this area against tears.

As they approach a ruin, they see and elf fighting off a demon. The party helps.

Mihris (Dalish PC): Andaran atish’an. I did not expect to see another of Dalish blood here. My name is Mihris. Mihris (non-Dalish PC): Peace. I am no danger to you. My name is Mihris.

Mihris: By your weapons, I see you come ready for battle. Perhaps we face a common enemy in these demons.

Dialogue options:

General: What are you doing out here? [1]

General: Leave. I don’t trust you. [3] +Cassandra slightly approves -Dorian slightly disapproves -Blackwall disapproves

1 - General: What are you doing out here? PC: Are you fighting demons on your own? Mihris: Fighting demons is pointless. There will always be more. And I have no means of closing the rifts. But I have heard of elven artifacts that measure the Veil. They may tell us where new rifts will appear. I was not expecting so many demons, however. I believe one of the artifacts is nearby. Can you help me reach it?

General: Yes. We’ll help. [2]

General: Leave. I don’t trust you. [3] +Cassandra slightly approves -Dorian slightly disapproves -Blackwall disapproves

2 - General: Yes. We’ll help. PC: It sounds worth investigating. Mihris: Thank you. It shouldn’t be too much farther ahead. [4]

3 - General: Leave. I don’t trust you. PC: Get out of here. Things are dangerous enough without another mad mage. Mihris: The may the Dread Wolf take you, fool. She leaves.

4 - Scene continues.

Mihris: Thank you for joining me. I do not think I could have done this alone.

Dialogue options:

Investigate (Dalish PC): Why did you leave your clan? [5]

Investigate (non-Dalish PC): How did you end up here? [6]

General: Let’s keep moving. [7]

5 - Investigate: Why did you leave your clan? PC: What took you away from your clan? Mihris: They were all killed… by a demon that our Keeper was foolish enough to summon. I am the only survivor of clan Virnehn. I was searching for another clan that would take me in when the Breach appeared. Now, I am doing whatever I can to help with this madness. [8]

6 - Investigate: How did you end up here? PC: How did you come to be here? Mihris: I was—am—First of Clan Virnehn. I left in service of my clan and saw that great tear in the Veil on my journey. I know more of magic and the Veil than any shemlen, so I hoped to help. Solas: Ma harel, da’len. Mihris: I… We should keep moving. [8]

7 - General: Let’s keep moving. PC: Come on. Mihris: Of course. [8]

8 - Scene continues.

The approach a barrier at the front of the ruin.

Mihris: We need focused magical energy to get by.

Dalish mage PC Mihris: You likely have more power than I do. My clan taught me little of such magic.

Non-Dalish mage PC Mihris: Can you manage it?

Solas in party Mihris: You, flat-ear. Can you manage it? Sola: Na nuvenin, da’len.

Dorian in party Mihris: You, human. Can you manage it? Dorian: Oh, I don’t know. We humans are so preoccupied by our inadequacies.

Vivienne in party Mihris: You, human. Can you manage it? Vivienne: Better than you can, apparently.

No mage in party Mihris: Give me a moment.

They head inside, fighting demons along the way.

Mihris: There. If we activate that crystal, it should react to the strength of the Veil.

The PC activates the artifact.

Solas: Yes, the wards are helping to strengthen the Veil. This area should be safer for travelers now.

Mihris: Well, that should prove useful. And it seems the ancestors left something for me as well. Interesting. I believe our alliance is concluded. Go in peace, stranger.

Dialogue options:

Special: Solas? [9] +Solas approves

Special (Dalish PC): Please, I need that. [10] -Sera slightly disapproves

Arcane: I can use that. [11]

General: I want what you found. [12] -Cassandra slightly disapproves

General: Goodbye. [13]

9 - Special: Solas? Solas: Ma halani, ma glandival. Vir enasalin. Mihris: I… perhaps you’re right. Here. Take it. [14]

10 - Special: Please, I need that. PC: Mana. Ma halani. There are few in this world I can trust without my own people turning against me. Have I not proven myself? I’m of your blood, and I may be able to use what you’ve found. Mihris: I… perhaps you’re right. Here. Take it. [14]

11 - Arcane: I can use that. PC: Do you even know what you’re holding? How it will interact with the Veil, the Breach, the demons? I have the knowledge to use what you’ve found safely. you don’t. Mihris: I… perhaps you’re right. Here. Take it. [14]

12 - General: I want what you found. PC: Give me whatever it is you found there. Mihris: I should have expected this. May the Dread Wolf take you. They fight, and the PC must kill her for the amulet.

13 - General: Goodbye. PC: Farewell to you. [14]

14 - Scene continues.

Mihris: Go with Mythal’s blessing.

—

As the PC comes across other artifacts across Thedas:

Solas: I believe I sense one of the atrifacts of my people.

Solas: I can sense elven magic somewhere nearby.

Solas: I can feel another of the elven artifacts.

Solas: There’s an elven artifact nearby.

Solas: We’re near another artifact.

When the PC activates an artifact:

Solas: The ward are working. It should be harder for tears to form here.

Solas: Good. That should help strengthen the Veil.

Solas: Excellent. The wards are functioning again.

Solas: That should help ward off demons.

Solas: The wards are working.

[Fun fact! Mihris is from the clan that summoned Imshael in The Masked Empire. She plays a rather large role in the book and I recommend giving it a read for a number of different reasons.]

[anonameisadditions]

So You Want To Write #1 : The Amazing Digital Circus

In my work with the ever-impressionable and quick learning @mikiib, We often end up working with a particular dynamic on her creative projects, ranging from fanfiction to self-started fiction like our ongoing comic series, PARANOiD. She's a great artist, mind you- I wouldn't work with her if she wasn't- But our lives were spent very differently before we met; She chose a life of drawing, I chose a life of reading.

In this, I'm frequently put into the position of helping her make writing "sing" in the tune of what genre or media property she's drawing from. One of my many talents is my ability to quickly deconstruct and recognize the various influences a writer has taken from in a body of work, and The Amazing Digital Circus is one that I find a lot of people seem to misunderstand it's roots, and the kind of stories it's drawing from. To this, much-despised reader, I come to help, to scream from my digital soapbox the advice I would have needed a decade ago to write something properly.

THE AMAZING DIGITAL CIRCUS: Mr. Elison needs to stop watching PBS

Most casual fans of the Amazing Digital Circus would know that the Harlan Ellison short story "I Have No Mouth And Must Scream" is the conceptual well that ADC draws from. It's one hell of a starting point- for those unfamiliar, a brief recap- The last 5 humans on Earth are tortured and controlled by the A.I Singularity known as A.M, the maniacal, suicidally minded A.I. who, in realization of the inherent trappings of the microchip in his existence, chose to exert his frustrations on the global earth as a whole, leaving only these 5 to torment for the rest of existence as punishment for the sins of mankind.

... Quite a different story on the surface than ADC, no? But to engage with Mouth a surface-level retelling of events deprives the story of it's wit and candor. Harlan, as a writer, is a reader's antagonist- and his contempt for the people who read his stories is palpable.

Harlan professes, in this interview, an anger towards the concept of self-reverence- the idea that he, himself, is any more significant on this unholy thing we call "earth" than another person. Thus, he reacts to fans by despising them when they reject his jocular, irreverent sense of self as some kind of personal attack. This shows in his writing, if you consider how he views his typical set of characters. In "Big Sam Was My Best Friend", the titular Big Sam, a likable, if reserved teleporter in the far future of space travel is revealed to be a lout, a creep- A man who, when gifted the ability to teleport vast distances unbounded by energy or time, chose to spend his existence chasing a woman who hated him. In "Pretty Maggie Moneyeyes", we have Koster and Maggie: One a down-on-his-luck, pathetic idiot representing the average Vegas coin slot jockey, and the other, Maggie, a rage-filled prostitute who regularly John's for a sleazy mafia boss.

The marking of the Elison school of writing is to defy the status quo expectation of morality winning. Here, the characters are tragic figures driven by their own incompetence and lack of self-awareness- They continuously battle themselves, refusing the luxury and peace of the ordinary to try to shape reality to their will, and every time, reality bites back.

But what does this have to do with The Amazing Digital Circus?

HELL IS OTHER PEOPLE

In the pilot of Amazing Digital Circus, we get to know our selection of trapped souls with a unique lens of understanding that Pomni does not get- For her, these characters of the "Show" of the Amazing Digital Circus (I mean this in a meta sense- More on this later.) are strangers, who's cascading complexities will surely open up with time. But for us, the viewer, we exist beyond the 4th wall- We know we are watching a virtual play, in a sense, where we can expect that there is no dramatic spiritual transition in store for anyone- that whatever we discover will be building on the foundation of each archetype.

But what's unique to both Digital Circus and No Mouth is the reality that these characters know each other quite well- Too well, in fact. They have been trapped together for an unknowable amount of time- and with this knowledge, Pomni is played as the foolish interloper for expecting any more or better from each character.

In a "normal" show, Jax should learn a lesson from the Candy Castle plotline in the first real episode of the show. But in the Digital Circus, Jax CAN'T learn a lesson- because he's done this stupid song and dance a million times, and his reputation precedes him in the eyes of the rest of the circus. He is trapped, figuratively and literally, in his character- He is the cunty rabbit, in and out, because frankly, his own identity might be the only thing keeping him sane.

This is not to say Jax's character cannot change and develop in the space of the canon of the show, or in your own fanfiction writings- far from it- but you need to approach these characters with an understanding that they have been this way for a long, long time- much in the same way that the various psychotic behaviors of the trapped survivors in A.M. have been the same way for a long time, too. To maintain this status quo- this character's "stickiness" as a coping mechanism - is how the soul of Elison sticks through the Digital Circus.

Wait, a stuck Status Quo, with weekly adventures that, at this point, largely don't seem to affect the behavior on a weekly basis for most of the characters, in a bright and shiny animated environment? This sounds kind of like...

A Saturday morning kid's show.

No, Really: Hell IS other people.

This is the missing component people seem to miss about the Amazing Digital Circus- Its aesthetic, its connecting theme, its horror- it's all based on the simple, ironclad premise of a children's show.

Think about it. "People get stuck in a virtual world to solve problems each week meant to help teach them social and practical life skills" is a motif used in a variety of 2000's era CGI animated shows that would air on PBS and (Canadian Broadcast Cartoons). This is "ReBoot". This is "Jay Jay The Jet Plane". This is "Jane and The Dragon". The soft, pliable, safe consequenceless world of the Children's Cartoon is the A.M. Digital World that Caine has his "players" trapped in, much to their chagrin.

At first, this doesn't seem too bad- It's safe, for one. It's remarkably easy to exist in, for another- Food isn't an issue, beyond a simplistic pleasure behavior. There's no bathrooms, no need to sleep- nothing. But in this, the true hell arrives. Week after week, month after month, you continue to participate in "Games" meant to serve the same moral lessons you've heard a million times at this point, as the only break to the skull-fucking monotony of an existence trapped in a consequenceless space where nothing you say or do changes the reality around you. You are stuck in a padded room- where you cannot touch yourself, or others, or the world around you in a meaningful way. It is a gilded cage, that seeks to patronize you and break down your mentality to the point of acting like a monocentric character archetype for the education and entertainment of a captive audience of 12-year-olds with nothing better to do.

You can see how this changes a person's priorities, fast. In this, our Circus members choose to find relief in the only ways they can- with one another, in the only thing that CAN change- their feelings towards one another.

JAX becomes the cunty rabbit he is, because vexing his fellow players is at least some form of change and control for him that makes him feel empowered. Zooble refuses to participate, as their ennui and rejection of the concept of the show enables them to, at the very least, take a stance against Caine, their captor. Ragatha tries to remain optimistic and make the best of the bad situation, as maintaining a positive attitude lets her at least pretend she's making a difference. Kinger's cracked behavior of madness is him attempting to find meaning and test the boundaries of his own existence, as the oldest member of the Circus, in a attempt to break the tedium for himself. And Gangle is reacting with a massive victim complex- She makes herself out to be a pathetic, weak, spineless creature because she can't conceive of this reality being one she has to exist actively in, for she finds the whole effort futile.

Where does this place Pomni? Well, it's a search for her own meaning in the space of the Circus. She is still an "open character", meant to play the role of the Audience's fool- And the drama comes from us wondering whether she'll sink, or swim.

SO YOU WANT TO WRITE THE AMAZING DIGITAL CIRCUS

This is the soul of the show, distilled to a fine, thin gruel- If you want to make your fiction "Sound" Like The Amazing Digital Circus, you need to marry two concepts together- The horrific behaviors of Harlan Elison's characters in their efforts to deal with the ways life has personally screwed them, and the soul-sucking mundanity of the weekly format of the children's television serial. You present the cast with an adventure each week, one that is definitely below their intended age level, and let them react to it with their individualized efforts to escape the mundanity of the circumstances, in their own way- Jax tries to make everything worse, Ragatha tries to play along, and Pomni is still freshly experiencing everything for the first time.

This is not to say you can't do MORE with these characters and the base premise- @hootbon does an excellent job recontextualizing the idea of weekly "shows" with the circumstances of the abusive ringleader of a 1950s-styled circus. But they seem to understand the narrative underpinnings of the TADC in this rewritten examination; The cast is chained to the premise, and can only act within the dimensions of said premise- and what they do with those circumstances defines them as a person.

If you liked this blogpost, Give it a reblog and a like, and don't forget to follow me for more media analysis and creative endeavors. Below, you can vote on the focus of my next entry in "So You Want To Write" series. 

~ Yours Fallaciously, AN0N