#this is what happens when your special interest is dystopias

[moriartyyouwhore]

sending myself to the glue factory like the horse in Animal Farm because every thought in my silly little head is just Cooper Howard and I am no longer meant for this world

[is-solarpunk]

Solarpunk Writing Prompts #3

Here you can listen to original podcast

Here is the source of the podcast's transcript you can read below

Solarpunk Prompts - The Community Center

Hello world. I'm Tomasino.

This is Solarpunk Prompts, a series for writers where we discuss Solarpunk, a movement that imagines a world where technology is used for the good of the planet.

In her 2018 TED Talk, Keisha Howard said “advances in technology and science don’t lead to a dystopia” in Solarpunk, but rather “harmony with the Earth” and a more egalitarian civilization.

Or, as one headline put it, Solarpunk Is a Tumblr Vibe. It's Also a Practical Movement.

In this series we spend each episode exploring a single Solarpunk story prompt adding some commentary, some inspirations, and some considerations.

Most importantly, we consider how that story might help us to better envision a sustainable civilization.

If this is your first time here, I'd recommend checking out our introduction episode first, where we talk about what Solarpunk is, why you should care, and why this series came into being.

Without further ado--

Today's prompt is: "The Community Center"

A community center, library, or educational hub, initially set up to help people like coal miners re-specialize and find other jobs, has now became a place for unofficial "pilgrimages" of people striving to find their role in life and learn history from those who lived it.

What I immediately love about this prompt is that goes straight to the heart of what many libraries are used for today. This type of skill retraining or up-skilling, or professional development is in practice today around the world and probably at a library near you.

A Pew research study from about a decade back found that one in five library visitors attended a class, program, or lecture for adults. There are digital networks for skills development which are rolled out through libraries as well, like CLIP in the UK.

But this prompt takes us beyond even these extensive programs when it mentions re-specialization training for miners. This is a reference to an ongoing Scandinavian union effort to modernize its workforce and prepare them for the sustainable practices emerging across the globe.

One can easily imagine a community center setting filled with the types of training and resources found in a local library and staffed with union experts who have gone through this sort of re-training process and can speak from experience.

A place like that could exist today down the road from where you are now. If we let our imaginations take us just a decade or two into the future it's quite conceivable to see these places becoming a sort of destination for those whose jobs are shutting down or no longer relevant.

When entire industries are disrupted where do you go? Who do you turn to? Do you fall back into unskilled labor? Is unskilled labor even a real thing?

When there is a place-- a community center, known to retrain people, to give new skills, to prepare you to pivot into something similar, perhaps, or to lay the groundwork for something brand new-- then there is a place for hope. It would be a place to humanize workers, and give them renewal.

And who would you find there? Would it be professionals who went through the same processes? Would it be librarians? Or the retired perhaps, looking to stay in touch, socialize, and share their knowledge.

It's not hard to imagine people traveling there even over great distances. Migrants of a sort, but better thought of as pilgrims, as they journey to this place of hope and promise. It all depends on the psychology of the travelers and the mystique that may have grown up around the center.

It's quite the picture, isn't it?

This prompt does a fabulous job not talking about what is happening in the rest of the world. This place could be the pillar of hope in a rather dismal setting, or it could be a very realistic and modern view of a near future world.

What I find most interesting to consider is the possibilities for what a community center like this might turn into once the world has moved on a bit more. When this is no longer needed by gig workers to retrain their livelihoods. When it has stopped being crucial but the sense of hope has remained and the wisdom of the teachers is still there for the sharing how will pilgrims see it then? Will it be more like a holy site or a guru living atop a remote mountain? Will people come for enlightenment instead of PowerPoint training?

These possible pseudo-spiritual lines remind me in some ways of the monks and monasteries in Walter Miller's, A Canticle for Leibowitz. Rather than the depressing setting of a remote Catholic monastery hording scraps of scientific knowledge without any understanding of them we are given a vibrant community setting where wisdom is sought and shared. What would a young, lost person do to find their purpose in life?

An author could have great fun exploring the differences there.

Alternatively there is always the option of looking at internal struggles. Remember that in Solarpunk our protagonist communities may still struggle with the "how". How do we best teach the community? How do we best act as servants for each other? And there are always many voices in community! Differing opinions, different strategies. The chief librarian that built the center could have vastly different ideas of how it should be run than the new guy, with his focus on efficiency and measurement. This type of conflict can make interesting drama while still upholding the values of the genre. The desire to use technology, community effort, infrastructure and resources, for the betterment of that future.

That's all for today's episode. Before we go, I want to give a very special thanks to all the librarians out there. You are living embodiments of the better future. I hope more of the world is like a library one day.

Thanks for joining me. I'll talk to you soon on the next Solarpunk Prompt.

Links mentioned:

CILIP

Music from:

Andy McDade - Ylid

[weaselandfriends]

you have mentioned before on here some abandoned story ideas of yours (for example, that one you said was like stranger than fiction which ended up warping into modern cannibals/cleveland quixotic). any other interesting abandoned story ideas you've left behind over the years? special reasons for not doing them? any you might go back to?

I don't have too many abandoned ideas. I'm not someone who gets a lot of story ideas in general, and usually I have to really work with them to bring them to a level of coherency necessary to write. I often nurture my ideas for 4-5 years before I start writing them, and it's rare after thinking about one for that long that I throw it out.

I had an idea to write a sports story about professional League of Legends, since I'm a long-time fan of that scene, but the recent mockumentary Players came out that does exactly that, so I dunno if that's an idea I'm particularly interested in pursuing anymore. A few years ago, after finishing Modern Cannibals, I tweeted about an original urban fantasy story set in Rhode Island, indicating it would be my next story, which it wasn't, but the story isn't abandoned and after significant changes, including a change in genre from urban fantasy to horror, it's in a state where I can more confidently say that it will probably be my next project after Cleveland Quixotic.

Other than that... I once had an idea for a story in which an unnamed main character (referred to in the second person) washed up on a tropical island and had to go on a series of quests loosely based around the story of Legend of Zelda Link's Awakening to get into a tower in the center of the island. Meanwhile, the main character's story would be commented on by a series of characters seemingly watching or reading the story as it unfolded, except the commenting characters were temporally displaced and it would be a puzzle to sort out who said what when, with the story itself also being written by one of the commenting characters. The island story would end with the You character reaching the tower and causing the island to disappear (again like Link's Awakening), at which point the second half of the story would start, with the commenting characters becoming the main characters as they participated in a battle royale of sorts in the empty, post-apocalyptic waterworld that remained. This was a very cutesy, very meta idea obviously inspired by stuff I was reading at the time like Homestuck and House of Leaves.

Story ideas are strange. The vogue right now seems to be big, easily-describable elevator pitch type ideas that suggest the entire structure and trajectory of the story in just the premise; the actual execution of the idea, then, is rarely any more exciting than the elevator pitch itself. This isn't just what's popular on, say, RoyalRoad, but also in the mainstream; Stephen King is like this, a lot of the big teen dystopia/paranormal stuff is like this, and so on. (It's a byproduct of how agents screen book proposals.) I never really get elevator pitch ideas, ideas I can encapsulate in a sentence. Usually I'll build my entire story around some massive upheaval that happens in the middle of the story, or an unusual character progression, or even completely backward out of an idea I had for a climax. Basically the entire idea of Chicago, for instance, developed out of the idea I had for DuPage's return and Hegewisch and Clownmuffle becoming essentially the villains; everything else was designed around getting to that point.

Of course, this makes it difficult for me to articulate my ideas in the summaries that precede the work, summaries that are usually the main thing drawing someone to read, which has probably played a part in my continued obscurity.

[bearpillowmonster]

Singularity

At first, it looks like a modern shooter with different guns and weird creatures and…Nolan North, but after a while it shows itself to be more of a Wolfenstein but with Russians. Then a Half Life and to be honest, I'm not sure how I feel about any of that but the idea has to do with time travel and being able to age and deage stuff. I've seen people say that it's not as good as it could be and it's really not but color me impressed when I saw that you could age a crate to make it all smushed, put it under a cracked open door and then de-age it to puff it up, prying the door open enough to crawl under. Like, tell me that's not cool.

But like the games I said, they explore these types of things a little more (aside from maybe the newer Wolfenstein games) but what's there is definitely fun to see and after this mechanic was introduced, it only seemed to get better.

You find a new element on the periodic table called E99 which you use to upgrade your tool and weapons and health so it's fun to collect. You also find weapon upgrades and blueprints so you can really fine tune it.

This is the Pc version and for some reason, sometimes it'll shoot more than I mean so say a shotgun will shoot twice instead of once, but it's not a big issue. I played it on normal and after the opening hours, ammo wasn't really as scarce.

It does have a thing or two to learn about storytelling though. The amount of times I heard the names Demichev and Barisov, that'd be the plot, it didn't have subtitles so it was a lot of mumbo jumbo most of the time. The beginning introduces you to this Demichev but that's about it, they talk about what a dystopia he's wrought but they barely show the guy doing it. You're expected to just wait until the end for a less than stellar battle and stupid reveal.

Kathryn is one of the reasons I started liking the game, she's a little like Alyx but she dies. I spoiled it for you, yes but the way I just explained it has about the same effect as it did in the story. It's an off-screen death after various time messages written on the wall warning you that it's going to happen and how it happens is-

You reverse the time on this boat to bring it back up and running long enough to get something off of it (as something of that mass will revert after so long) so there's this really cool segment of you escaping a ship that's falling apart around you and you're just about out but over the radio, Kathryn says that that's it, she's going in to get it. I was less than a minute before I got out and Barisov's there like "Yeah, she's gone but we can't let her death be in vain"…like never to be mentioned again, no sendoff, just written out of the story. That is until the ending, which I'll get to.

They give you an end game type ability where you can infinitely blast your impulse. It's kind of OP, I get it but I think if they were going to do that, they could've done better. You know how in Metroid, you upgrade your cannon to go through walls and in Super have this super duper blaster and in Dread just an annihilator. It should've been more like that than "infinite ammo", I like the color change from orange to blue but there's no visual difference other than that, it's not more powerful, just more, it doesn't even reach farther.

'Singularity' as in, the singular game this will have. There are 4 different endings and the main one's last line is literally- "Ha, what'd I tell you, there's never anything interesting here, right comrade." not a one of those endings is good or satisfying and just feels lazily pasted.

One of the common threads is that Kathryn appears alive in the literal last cutscene but in the past, writing the journal that started this whole journey…so many ways they could've set that up, so much there that I liked and was almost special just squandered in that last quarter, it didn't pay off. The way her death was handled actively ruined the game for me even if the story was already shaky from the start with the E99 bomb nonsense.

[viviane-lefay]

Fandom Meme III

Procrastination can make one surprisingly productive - just not in the things one “should” do, apparently. ^^;;

Here’s that one part of the meme that I definitely wanted to post separately, because the content is quite dicey.

You know, there happen to be some subjects that have been grinding my gears for quite a long time by now - and, frankly, I felt the need to vent.

And no, I really couldn’t be arsed to dial down my manner of expression this time, just to keep up apprearances - so this might be moderately to very offensive to some, especially since some of the expressed views might be considered “controversial”, at least according to Tumblr standards.

Not my problem, though! You don’t need to read this, you know.

Hey, there aren’t even tags here (as ppl are wont to do when they post stuff that is intended as more “private” type of content), so I guess if you do happen to read this anyway, you are either someone that happens to know me on a more personal level, are simply curious, or you just want to be offended (as so many on this hellsite) - in the case of which: You’re welcome!

If you, however, want to waste your time being a cheeky little brat about it, then I might suggest you to please consider a variety of far more productive activities, such as choosing an actually interested audience for your diatribe, like your potted plant, for instance.

Thank you very much!

P.S.: Tags are as usual - @mikeilo & @aikoiya (but pls do not reblog this post ^^;;)

~*~

A PAIRING YOU HAVE NEVER LIKED AND PROBABLY NEVER WILL

Basically, it’s this formula that makes me really dislike a pairing:

*insert OTP character* / any other character than the one I ship him / her with

Quite frankly, I’m allergic to any of these!

I’m prone to jealousy irl, so you can't expect that trait to magically vanish when it comes to fiction.

Anyway, there are some pairings, though, that I harbour a special hatred for, such as:

Ozai / Zuko / Azula,   Ursa / Zuko / Azula, or Zuko / Azula  - This is disgusting - wtf is wrong with you!?

Snape / Harry aka “snarry” - Because nothing’s as “romantic” as a grown-ass man making out with an underage boy, amirite!? Perhaps, your local priest might agree!?

Snape / Hermione - Same reasons as above. And no, both being studious bookworms is no excuse. Pedo!

James Potter / Lily Evans - other than being a rival to my OTP, I really, really can’t stand the Potter dude

Frodo / Sam - What is this mysterious concept of friendship amongst men!? And who is this Rosie Cotton the Gamgee chap keeps talking about!?

Mairon / Celebrimbor - *rolls eyes*

Mairon / Melkor - or “Angbang”, as this abomination is called. I. Just. LOATHE. this. ship!!!

By all means, whenever I come across any of the above-mentioned ones, I’d really like to call the pest control …

~*~

ARE THERE ANY FANDOM TRENDS OR CLICHÉS THAT YOU JUST CAN’T STAND OR ARE SICK OF?

Ah, here we go…

Sad / Tragic Endings

Thanks, but no thanks! (also see next point)

Post-apocalyptic worlds and Dystopias (aka the “current affairs” topic)

I have grown really averse to these themes over the past years.

Sorry, but there is so. much. shit. going on in real life, so much pain and darkness millions of people are subjected to every day - humanity most certainly does not need further depressing scenarios to be dragged down by (looking at you, George R. R. Martin), but rather desperately needs uplifting things to help it imagine a better future. Sadly, the latter is a terribly rare thing nowadays - especially in Sci-Fi.

Folks, you can do better than that!

Elitist propaganda - e.g. anything pro-monarchy / aristocracy / classism / hierarchy / social darwinism

Unfortunately, fandom is basically an elitist circle jerk, so there is hardly any avoiding of that particular kind of crap.

There is no such thing as a “legitimate king / queen” - no one is inherently better than the rest, let alone has a “right” to rule over anyone - especially if we’re talking about completely unwarranted and ludicrous reasons such as fucking bloodlines! Is that so hard to grasp!?

The concept of the so-called “Chosen One” is every bit as ridiculous, imho!

Pushing your idiotic PC ideology on characters, as well as other fans (such as unnecessary racebending, uglifying characters, etc.)

I hate this in general - like, a lot … especially if it’s done for “woke”, pseudo-moralistic purposes.

How many boxes did you tick today? Did you fulfill the quota? Yes!?

Your status has now been upgraded to Good Person™, and a glittering, rainbow-coloured halo has been given to you as a reward.

Ugh!

the Fridging Trope

Overused and annoying is very mildly put…

Femininity itself, and female gender roles being portrayed as “wrong”, “inferior”, and something no woman can EVER possibly, genuinely want for herself.

Ugh, this shit drives me up the fucking wall!

So, you think women like this are brainwashed!?

Well, then let me assure you that the sentiment is definitely mutual … because same goes for you - at least for assuming such nonsense!

See, the difference between us is that I, for one, wouldn’t even dare to make such presumtions about your personal choices in the first place - because I actually do believe that people are smart enough to figure out for themselves what they want, and what is good for them - instead of this condescending and patronizing shite. And yes, even if it is something I, personally, can’t understand, or disagree with!

Because, you know, it’s not my life. I couldn’t care less what you do with yours, as long as you leave others tf alone.

People hating on female characters that are very feminine (in looks and nature).

I distinctly remember the sheer amount of hate Arwen got back in the day when LotR came out - amongst others for not being as “badass” as Eowyn (despite her assuming Glorfindel’s role in the rescue of Frodo in “Fellowship” - as opposed to the book).

Guess what, there are different types of strength that people can have - other than the physical and fighting variety. Hers was an indomitable heart - a type of strength commonly associated with femininity, so I’m not surprised this gets overlooked (especially by the likes of you).

Today, it’s even worse, as this has, unfortunately, become the dominant mindset.

Female characters being shown as inferior to, or dominated by the male ones - or vice versa, which has become a trend of late.

Again, is the concept of equality so hard to comprehend!?

Not sameness, mind you, but being of equal worth - with all their gender-specific and individual traits.

The assumtion that a pairing that contains a villain (male or female, doesn’t matter) must have an abusive relationship pattern

So much for the complexity of human beings & relationships …

Too great emphasis on the sexual aspect of the relationship

This is not about the healthy expression of affection, mind you, … but love isn’t just about coital activities, you know.

Some things are best left being alluded to, and not shown in too great detail. Just my two cents.

Threesomes / Love Triangles / Polyamory / Cheating

Definitely not my cuppa …

S&M, kinks and other forms of sexual degeneracy

Do whatever you like - it’s your life, but I still find the very thought revolting.

It also disturbs me that the so-called daddy kink has become so prevalent amongst people in fandom nowadays, that it has even informed the common vernacular.

There are so many posts about a male character that someone finds hot, where said character is referred to as “Daddy” - and, even worse, some cases where others are exposed to some diligently described DDLG fantasies on top.

I really don’t mind, if someone means this in the sense of “future father of my children”, if they’re so inclined, but to portray this as a father-daughter sort of dynamic … Fucking gross! What are you!? The lost hellspawn of Aerys Targaryen!? And if we’re already at it - the Lannisters send their regards, too.

Which brings me to…

Pedophilia (such as shotacon and lolicon), incest, m-preg, bestiality

That’s. Just. Plain. SICK!

Please get help!

yaoi / shonen-ai / slash  -  as well as “Zwangsverschwulung”

i.e. the German expression for an especially insufferable breed of fangirls turning virtually every character into an object of their “gay” fetish.

Unfortunately, there are some really skilled artists amongst these pests - I’ll give ‘em that. What a waste of talent, though!

Then, there is the compulsive need to shove it down the throat of absolutely anyone (under the pretense of “activism”, at that), and the insults and far-fetched accusations that ensue if someone dares to dislike their precious yaoi … when in truth they’re nothing but sanctimonious and self-congratulatory little cunts that confuse tolerance & support with their urge to get off to the above-mentioned fetish.

Fun Fact → not liking these things  ≠  homophobia

And now on to the, perhaps, most unpopular opinion on that matter:

Even if there was… So fucking what!?

You cannot dictate people how they have to feel about something. That is THEIR responsibility, and theirs alone - NOT yours!

The actions are what is truly of importance here - not how someone privately feels about the subject in question!

Someone can, on a personal level, think these things are problematic, or even wrong - due to religious belief, or whatever(and they are allowed to do so) - and still be respectful and, yes, supportive about other peoples’ right to live their lives the way they feel is right.

After all, that is what tolerance is really about, isn’t it!? It’s not about the forcible coordination of feelings, thoughts, and (expressed) opinions.

But, I guess, it’s a waste of effort trying to explain this to the kind of ppl here on this website, who are so keen on achieving “Gleichschaltung” (or else…).

People on here just love to blow things out of proportion, make them appear worse than they actually are, or even misconstrue them entirely - and they especially love to play the fucking Internet Gestapo.

[repairingangelsworld]

Lit Review 4

Intro: (200)

you , the artist and how they connect to your practice (explain what literature you're referring to) 

Describing plant dye history + mysticism plants nature

Tradition of women dealing with tinches, healing through nature, boiling through roots, dyeing

The art of plant dyeing is something special and sacred due to the fact that it is almost as ancient as this world we live in. It is said that the earliest traces of when natural dyes were used was found in China in 2600 BC. Research shows that textile dye goes back to the Neolithic Period (New Stone Age), which was a time where people learnt how to cultivate plants, keep domesticated animals, and make stone tools. They learnt these things so then they wouldn't have to rely on hunting for their food and gathering plants. During this time there was a case where they found approximately 4000 dyed textiles in Egyptian tombs. The textile dye was found in the cloths that were wrapped around the mummies. There is rich history in plant dye, not only in the colours that plants provide us, but also plants are our teachers and they navigate us towards magical healing. In ancient times healing formulas existed for alot of different diseases. Some of the methods were tinctures, teas, compresses or inhaling fragrances from essential oils. One of the herbs that I am interested in is the eucalyptus plant as ancient people used this as an antiseptic to kill germs, this was used to heal wounds and fungal infections. They also used teas that were made from eucalyptus leaves to help with fevers. In ancient times people used symbolism to teach the next generation of people. In this sense a good way to teach people what plants help them, you could dye onto prints?

Describing plant dye ideas and how this relates to my practice

Why am I using plant dye in my practice?

My concept of building a new world from an extinct world - plant dye takes time like the way extinction takes time. Dyeing materials is a way of showing how humans can act on sustainably sourcing our own natural dyes, without having to use anything synthetically made in this world that could potentially harm our environment. It is a way where we can capture natural colours of this earth by using earth materials. 

Plant dye is important in my practice because the act of dyeing materials is a direct reflection of showing the slow processes of nature's movement and growth over time. It is important that the world I am building is from an extinct world because I want to be able to show that even in the darkest environments, there is beauty. Incorporating plant materials to show the mismatched pieces connecting together as something ‘new’ in the new world that I am building called Repairing Angels World. 

In my own practice I have explored a small portion of ways to plant dye because I’m new to the art of plant dye. I know that there are endless possibilities on ways to plant dye fabric so I'm in for a long ride. The part that really caught my attention was the way that every plant dye I did had an unpredictable outcome. Plant dye is unpredictable and so is nature in itself. Every single time I have plant dyed, the outcome has been different. The different variations in shades is something that I expect now and is very much effortlessly beautiful. There is no such thing as a flaw in plant dye, it gives it more of a personality and a bolder character when something strange or unexpected happens.

Throughout my practice I have done many plant dye batches and experimented with different kinds of fabrics such as silk, wool and cotton. From experimenting i have found that protein fibers (animal 

Describing utopia and dystopia 

Utopia is an imaginary world derived from the Greek word ou-topos meaning ‘no place’. It is a way where people can imagine what it would be like to live in harmony with the earth, motivated by healthy ways of living such as growing your own vegetables, using solar power to generate energy and spending time in nature to recharge yourself spiritually. From my point of view the meaning of utopia has evolved and is still evolving. Utopia is now a new way where people can strive to make better choices and work towards bettering our current world. A utopian mindset can create better ways where people can be brought together as a community to solve problems such as climate change and to encourage more ways we can be sustainable towards our planet. 

The word ‘utopia’ was created by Thomas Moore, who in the 16th century wrote a book called Utopia. Utopia was derived from the Greek word ou-topos ‘no place’, meaning that a utopian world doesn't exist. In my opinion we have evolved the meaning of utopia over time. I think that utopianism is now a new way of thinking where people can strive to make better choices and work towards a better world/society. Having a utopian mindset is a way where we can critique our current world and to create better ways of encouraging sustainability and solving issues like climate change. Similarly to utopia, Solarpunk is a movement that was introduced in 2008. Solarpunk is an art movement which envisions what our world would look like if we lived in harmony with nature. The major difference between Solarpunk and utopia is that Solarpunk focuses more on technology, and how it can be used in a renewable way. Solarpunk encourages people to use renewable energies such as wind turbines and solar panels as a source of natural energy. People are then able to make use of what the earth has provided us with, which helps us become more sustainable. 

Describing how utopia and dystopia relate to my practice 

Conclusion

Describing artist practice 

Describing artist ideas (artwork) 

Compare artist to my work

Paragraph about another art piece

Compare artist to my work 

Conclusion

Plant dye 

[logically-asexual]

9. do you have a skincare routine (and how many steps is it)? 10. on a plane, do you ask for apple or orange juice? 11. anything from your childhood you’ve held on to?

• i have zero skincare routine even though i should probably. i try to wash my face often, specially after being out in a hot day and lately i’ve been trying to get used to wearing sunscreen. though i still forget both those thing. but im trying T-T i’ve never had skin problems so i usually take it for granted but i’m trying to remember that i still need to take care of it aaa

• apple juice! i am an orange juice fan but like only when i’m having breakfast. any other time of day is apple juice time and i love it ♡

• not really? i have a hard time throwing out stuff so a lot of my childhood things are still there but it’s not like i would be sad if i never saw them again. as a child i didn’t really get attached to things, i never had like favorite stuffed animals or favorite clothes or books or anything, so now i don’t think there’s anything that i feel strongly about.

unrelated but because i want to talk and over share. so i’m opening the gates be warned

i do wish to know like what the fuck was wrong with me as a kid, why i can’t remember having any actual interests whatsoever. like at most i remember liking fosters home for imaginary friends and loving a toy of the main boy that i got from like… a happy meal or something. and i did gather a tiny my little pony collection (like. 8-10 ponies or something) but i don’t really remember feeling strongly about anything.

everyone on this site talks about their childhood obsessions with mythology or dragons or whatever but i had no such thing and it makes me feel that there was (or is) something wrong with me. that’s also actually one of the few things (if not the only one) that keeps me from fully relating to the experiences of ppl with adhd, that i never had a thing that made want to focus for hours on it. (that is, until i joined the sanders sides fandom in 2017 and i was 17 years old! can you imagine having no interests before 17??)

everything that characterized my personality until. practically college. had always been things that didn’t took any effort from me or that i actually paid attention to. everyone knew me as the one that was good at math but i never sat for hours trying to solve problems (maybe i did solve some as a hobby which is more than the average person, but nowhere near fellow “mathletes”) and i probably could have done better in competitions but i just never cared enough.

i had a brief obsession with justin bieber in middle school but i’m now convinced i didn’t actually care about him and it was more of a way of. trying to fit in with the girls at school (because there for sure was some unconscious gender fuckery going on in my head as a preteen and the awareness of me being arospec without knowing that that was a thing and i needed to reassure myself of my place within the normal girls i guess??). so i did like follow some facebook groups and read some fanfic of him and learned some details about his personal life and listened to his songs. but i am not convinced i actually. genuinely did it because i enjoyed it? i don’t know. i guess it does count. but still doesn’t feel like enough.

also in middle school was when YA dystopias book series were all the rage and i remember just getting into hunger games because it was what everyone else in the classroom was into but i literally never really cared about it and i didn’t even. understand the story i just knew the names and plot well enoguh to hold a conversation. and after that i went on to attempt reading a bunch of other similar series and i never finished a single one. i never even finished the hunger games because i wasn’t understanding a single thing that happened in the third book. and of the others i just read the first books that all ended in cliffhangers and i still never cared enough to read the next ones.

and only NOW in my young adulthood im starting to discover the things i like and it’s really a huge mess because i’m supposed to be starting a career but i’m genuinely so lost because i just acquired like 20 years worth of interests in the span of like.. 3-4 years and it’s overwhelming to say the least. and i still don’t feel like i care enough about any of them to commit to them as a damn CAREER. so yeah. i cant. my head is wrong.

[youryanderedaddy]

♡100 followers special♡

Guys, I would like to thank all of you for all the support since I started this blog, you are the best <3 Btw this is the fic Elon Musk doesn’t want you to see lol, jk jk 

Title: Humanity

Words: 3.6k 

Summary: When you get sold to an odd looking robot after the last failure of a rebellion, things go better than you had expected. Until they don’t. 

tw: robot/AI apocalypse au, dystopia au, slavery, slight non - sexual public nudity, discrimination, vulgar language, mention of death and child abuse (in the past), obsessive behavior, non - consensual touching, angst 

              AD 3061y., 14 September

 Your hometown was in ruins, shattered by the Forces and left without any source of food, clean water or reliable manpower. The rebellion had failed just like the first ten attempts and as much as you had wanted to believe this time would be different, your dreams stayed nothing more than a way to cope with the harsh reality. Any intelligent individual had either managed to flee before the prosecution or died in agony while trying. You could still hear their pained screams ringing in your ear, the desperate look in their pupils sealed forever in your mind along with the sound of heavy breathing slowly fading into the background like your own hopes for a better future.

 The ones who decided to play meek and close their eyes to the inhuman torture happening in the area were spared, but what awaited them could potentially be worse than death itself. You were part of the flock of pitiful weak humans who had surrendered to the heartless machines wanting nothing more than to see mankind squirm and kneel underneath their mechanic heel like a bug. And now you would face the hour of judgment – tired and exhausted, heavy rusty chains around your bruised ankles making every next step a little harder than the last one. But you were certain that the most painful humiliating event hadn’t taken place yet and the thought made your blood run cold. You could recall the countless stories you used to hear on the streets from your friends about androids stealing kids and selling them like cattle to the most powerful leaders of society. Back then you would laugh at them, finding the ideas ridiculous, better fit for a conspiracy theory or a legend rather than an actual threat. But during that time life was easier – the robots were still your friends, just your average citizens, equal to the humans in every manner. It wasn’t until ten years later that some of them realized just how much better, stronger and smarter than the people they really were. That’s how the apocalypse started and that’s how it was going to end. These days the mortals were becoming extinct with the population cut down to one million. You didn’t have names or rights to any possession. Your mere survival had one purpose only – to entertain the machines so they could feel human again. And right now you were being dragged to Soraq, also known as the biggest slave market in the country.

----

 It was just as terrifying as you had imagined it to be. The Capital was supposed to express wealth, luxury and maybe even happiness but your old human views were easily opposed when faced with the mud  covering what was left of the pavement and the pale exhausted bodies of the mortals wandering the streets searching for a hot meal and a little bit of kindness it was clear no one wanted to provide. You reached out to help a young girl sobbing all by herself on the ground but the Officer roughly yanked your shoulder back and ordered you to keep going – his cold hard touch was enough to bruise your skin.

 After a few long minutes of uncertainty your keeper finally stopped, pulling you up some black stairs leading to a small stage and if you weren’t too busy looking around for the others who were captured, you might have noticed the crowd gathered inches away from you. Soon enough you were forced to redirect your attention as you heard the approving screams and cheering below. There were hundreds of robots staring at you, smirking maliciously, pinning you with their cold calculating gazes. You finally realized that this wasn’t just a bad dream or a nightmare, something unreal you could easily run away from by opening your eyes. You were about to become property and the worst part was the way the cruel machines perfectly resembled people – they looked the same except for the dark red pupils each possessed which glowed when going into a fight mode. But unlike humans the androids had gotten rid of their most intimate emotions and fears, turning themselves into empty shells, shiny and murderous with no way to experience anything properly, be it pleasure or pain.

 “Ladies and gentlemen!” The Officers started off with a low chuckle, his heavy hand wrapped tightly around your arm. His voice should have been programmed to be monotone but now it had a playful edge to it. “Today our dear subjects have decided to be feisty yet again. They still haven’t learned their lesson it seems.” He grinned eerily, quickly followed by the mocking laugher of the crowd. Some even shouted slurs and insults but you tried to focus on controlling your feelings. You needed to stay calm if you wanted to survive. “We really can’t expect more from the mankind. They are primal after all, they just can’t learn from their mistakes.” The male robot paused for a second to fix his microphone. “It’s in their DNA code to be foolish and pathetic. That’s why we need to take better care of them.” He whispered the last line down your neck and despite knowing that the machines didn’t have actual lungs, you could swear you felt his cold breath on your sensitive skin.

 “The woman is in her early twenties. Her background is unknown, but she certainly looks like someone you would want in your collection.” The android continued talking as if you weren’t there, his hands all over your tinier frame. The mass was yelling, but you only made out the words „down”, „strip” and „human”. Your eyes watered involuntarily and you let the tears stream down your cheeks in spite of the weakness they showed. It didn’t matter – it couldn’t get any worse so you could at least let yourself experience such little bits of comfort. In the next moment the Officer ripped your old ragged t-shirt, exposing your breasts to the cold autumn air. The hot red humiliation washed over you as the degrading whistles pierced trough your heart. It was such a cruel unfair punishment and you couldn’t even keep your composure long enough to not break down ugly – crying right there.

 “The bidding starts at one thousand eros!” The robot’s evil voice echoed through the area, reaching the market borders. Suddenly all the attention was on your scared vulnerable half-naked self. More than ten androids raised their hands, making your stomach turn in terror. Most of them had unpleasant appearances, resembling old people, usually men. “Do we have two thousand eros?” The officer added quickly afterwards having seen the shown interest. This time there were only five bots willing to buy you for so much money – but the show was far from over. “Am I seeing three thousand eros?” Your keeper kept going, determined to drain your bidders off their wealth, but to his utmost surprise now there were only two robots with their hands in the air – one seemingly younger and the other looking all wrinkled and bitter at the world. You silently prayed that fate would work in your favor only this time and hand you over to the man who would treat you more like a living being and less like an object.

 “Ten thousand eros.” Suddenly the android with a kinder appearance declared out loud, his cold stern gaze fixed onto you. The other male hesitated for a moment, probably wondering whether or not you were worth so much money, but at the end he cursed under his breath and slowly put his hand down with a sour expression. “Sold to K-010 for ten thousand eros!” The automatic voice of the Officer was ringing in your ear like an alarm while the crowd was shouting and cussing, some going as far as to criticize your new owner for giving up his monthly salary for a “cheap human whore”. Next he was invited on the stage to sign off all the needed documents leading to your freedom being ripped away forever and you were injected with a tiny chip which would make your location visible to your buyer at any given time. The android looked at you soon after and in one swift move he managed to place his leather coat on your shoulders, muttering at you to cover up. You obeyed, embarrassed by the reminder that your upper half was still fully exposed to all the hungry prying immortals. When the chains were finally removed, the robot took you by the hand and led you to a small white flying car with a yellow lily drawn on top – the brand was popular among the most powerful members of the Forces.

 “Don’t even think about running away.” K-010 growled when he noticed the way your attention drifted to the nearby road before finally taking your seat. You knew it was pointless now that the tracking device was deep into your skin but deep down you still couldn’t kill the last bit of hope screaming at you to do something before you were too far away to find home again, wherever it was. “If you so much as look outside while we drive, I will use my lasers to turn you into ash. Okay?” You nodded meekly and sank into the soft comfortable seat, wishing that your body would stop shaking in fear but to no avail.

---

 The journey was long and silent but it made you remember the days when music was still allowed and you used to turn the radio all the way up in your mother’s car. You would sing loudly until your throat hurt and your friends would ask you to just shut up and focus on the road. Everything was so normal and happy back then. The stinging nostalgia threatened to overcome so you tried to focus on something else. You finally faced your owner in an attempt to study his appearance. He was probably in his late twenties, his hair white with some black locks here and there, a fashion trend you usually didn’t care much for. You couldn’t afford to bother with your hairstyle when you were constantly running for your life after all. The robotic male had sun-kissed brown skin, he was taller than most human men and his lips seemed softer than most robots’. But the biggest mystery laid in his deep dark eyes, they looked scarlet at first but the more you stared, the easier it was to realize the color was actually brown.

 “Are you a cyborg, K-010?” You asked in a small voice out of the blue, breaking the peace and quiet in the air. The android didn’t spare you much attention with his gaze fixed onto the open sky serving as a road, still he opened his mouth slightly to respond. “My name is Kyle, the numbers are just a formality.” He inhaled sharply as if he was reminiscing a bad memory. “And yes, I am biologically human – just with a few practical upgrades.” You had heard of such people before, the ones willing to become an experiment so they could join the high society oppressing their own neighbors, friends and relatives, setting the lands on fire and destroying the dying environment but you had never met one until today. Honestly, you felt betrayed. It was one thing to be some unfeeling machine’s plaything and entirely another to be owned by someone with a functioning heart even though they weren’t too keen on using it properly.

 “Why would you do that?” You couldn’t stop the question from leaving your lips in the next moment. “You should know what humans have to go through just to stay alive. Today hundreds of us were crushed and sold like some animals! Yet you changed yourself to appeal to their disgusting standards.” You raised your voice, the hot tears already spilling down your cheeks yet again, your fists clenched in pure anger at the foolish greedy man. He simply shook his head and leaned back. “I had my reasons, sweetheart. You don’t know anything.” With that the conversation had ended, you could try and argue or even blame him for being a selfish bastard but it wouldn’t have done you any good so you decided against it. It didn’t matter much anymore.

----

 A few months went by slowly even though time meant little to someone in your position. Living with Kyle wasn’t as terrible as you thought it would be – his mansion was big and spacious, luxurious even. You had your own room and you were allowed to explore the house in your free time. You didn’t have many duties to attend to, your work mostly revolved around cooking, cleaning and keeping company with your owner when he was too tired to keep the robotic mask on and just wanted something sweet, something weak, something more human around. He didn’t want much out of you so you tried to do your best and stay on his good side – there was always a warm meal waiting at the table at night, every window was carefully wiped from the previous dust and the glass was now shining brightly, and you would listen for hours on end to the cyborg’s ramblings no matter how dreadful it could be sometimes.

 But it couldn’t be denied that the man had some odd habits, even if you were to overlook him buying a living being instead of simply hiring a maid. For example, you knew how thin the walls actually were because you could hear him cry almost every night. The half-robot would hold you close any time the news were too loud or a bottle of beer had fallen and shattered on the ground. Still you weren’t allowed to leave his home so all the doors leading to the outside world were locked while he was away or at work. And there were these weird long cuts on his shoulders you had managed to take notice of the first time your master had asked you to bathe him. You hadn’t meant to prey upon his naked form, but the task had been so awkward you needed something to focus on to drive the unpleasant thoughts away. The injuries looked deep and the man would close his eyes any time the soap made contact with them. Finally one day you gathered the courage to ask him what had caused the raw scratches. You were messaging his scalp gently, applying jasmine in his roots, trying to soothe his nerves and get to the information.

 “ ’S not important. ” K-010 answered lazily while arching his back into your touch. More often than not the male would melt under your care and you couldn’t help but wonder just how lonely it was to be neither a human nor a machine. “She is dead now.” He whispered darkly, secretly hoping it wouldn’t reach your ear, yet it did. “Who is dead?” You questioned him after a while, stroking his wet locks until you heard him moan. You were getting better and better at provoking a reaction from the cyborg and despite knowing it was manipulative and a little devious, he was still the ruthless owner who held your one and only life in his palms. You needed to be sneaky if you wanted a safe, comfortable life.

 “My mother.” Kyle added quickly before looking at the blue ceiling, the glossy material copying both of your reflections. The mention of the woman made the sensitive skin of his nape crawl but he kept talking. “The crazy bitch used to beat me every. She even tried to kill me a couple of times.” A slight smile appeared on his full red lips. “It didn’t work out in the end, unfortunately.” So that’s where the cuts were from – he had been violated in his childhood by no other than the person supposed to look after him. You had always hated abusive parents taking advantage of their authority and even now your own imagination made your heart ache at the picture it painted. A small boy being hit over and over until there his whole body was bruised and bloodied. A child with no one to turn to. It didn’t excuse your master’s evil doing but it certainly explained a lot. “Don’t make such a sad face, darling.” He cooed at you, reaching out to pinch your cheek. “I will always be grateful to the Forces since they gave me the power I needed to finally free myself from her grasp. I even buried her myself after everything was said and done.” Kyle grinned from side to side like a little kid waiting to be praised for the picture they had drawn, except now the man was speaking of the way he had murdered his mother. You were at a total loss of words, suddenly too frightened to respond.

 “What’s so special about being a human anyways?” The cyborg grumbled, sounding almost offended of the words you still haven’t said but were definitely thinking deep down. You were staring forward unable to draw away from that one crack in the wall, his words flying above your head. Your confusion was interrupted by the man quickly raising to his knees and catching both of your hands with his strong robotized ones. The cold touch of the metal combined with the camouflage of a soft skin was enough to mess your mind even further into the maze that was his dark gaze. Next thing you knew the male had you pinned on the hard ground, spotlessly clean and reeking of abstergent. You tried to squirm away but the hold of your wrists was too tight and strong to even make your struggling worth the trouble. “Just look at how weak you humans are.” K-010 taunted you, smirking teasingly, cruelly, yet there was something desperate in his eyes, something hidden. “You are so fragile I could probably break you if I were to press harder on your flesh.” He whispered into your ear, breathing down your neck as he dug his icy fingers into your collarbone and made you whimper pathetically at the dull pain. “People are foolish creatures, illogical by nature. They try to fight authority yet the moment they are left with a free choice, they find a way to run from their responsibilities.” The cyborg chuckled maliciously while digging his nails further into your skin.

 “We might be doomed forever because of our emotions but there is something you fail to consider.” You finally spoke out despite your rapid heartbeat and fear so great it could defeat death herself. The predator already had you in his sharp claws and there was no pointing in playing coy anymore. The worst had come to worst. Your words caught the attention of the half-robot and he licked his lips in anticipation to hear what you had to say. “Unlike the androids we can still experience love. And at the end a life without love is a life wasted in the big picture. We might be mortal but you are the ones waiting to die instead of living.” You spat at the man fiercely, ready to face any punishment he would bestow upon your weak tired body for the sheer honesty. Instead he started laughed maniacally, the sound so loud it hit the ceiling and echoed through the house like a pained scream and so violent his shoulders shook to the sides. For the first time his eyes were glowing in a bright red color so saturated and vivid you couldn’t stand to look at them.

 “This is really funny, my little human.” Kyle pronounced carefully, having calmed down. He lowered his head so that his lips were ghosting over yours, just brushing against them. “I belong with neither humans nor robots so why does my chest ache every time I look at you? Tell me, darling, am I in love?” His voice was harsh, husky – as if he was purposely trying to sound evil but the tears in his eyes pointed at another feeling. A raw painful feeling.

 You couldn’t reply not only because you had no idea what to say after the confession but also because you couldn’t breathe properly with his pretty, wicked face so close to yours. Your silence only managed to stir the cyborg up further into his madness and he kissed you roughly, hungrily lapping and biting at your lips until they were sore and bruised, the robotic man more than happy to lick the small drops of blood off. For a moment you considered kicking or shouting for help but there wasn’t anyone willing to in the radius of kilometers. No one of significance cared much about the few remaining mortals. “I could never love you.” You uttered weakly, half – heartedly pushing the man away. You were all alone in this and there wasn’t really a point in fighting someone so much bigger and stronger, yet a sad little part of you hoped that Kyle would leave you alone if you made it clear enough just how much his actions were hurting you.

  “It’s fine if you don’t love me by choice.” Your master replied calmly in a cold piercing voice. His hands were wandering through your form stopping at your hips to draw them into his. The pretty dress you used to like so much was now crumpled and reeking of him, torn apart from your shivering body and thrown away. You wished you could cry but all the adrenaline had left you too uneasy to process the pain and fear. Kyle whispered in your ear while stroking your hair gently and it made you feel like a trembling sheep before a starved butcher. “I own you, little human.” He placed a small kiss on your hot sensitive neck. “And I have enough love for both of us.”

[restructuralcommittee]

Happy Radio Dystopia Day!

Behold the results of the Restructural Committee’s survey for No. 6′s 10th anniversary, as well as the collage put together by the No. 6 Discord. These were both submitted to the Radio Dystopia event. The images were put together by @nezumivc103221, translated to Japanese by @origami10, and double-checked by @aowyn.

Additionally, we sent the event some questions, memories, and thoughts from our followers (also translated to Japanese). Thank you so much to everyone who submitted something. We loved reading all your heartfelt words.

The questions that we sent to the Japanese VAs were:

1. What about Nezumi, Shion, or the story of No. 6 has stayed with you after all these years? 2. Did working on No. 6 affect any aspect of your way of thinking or how you see the world? 3. Did you find it difficult to get into the character to perform Nezumi and Shion's voices? Or did you identify with them in some way? 

The first two questions were asked by multiple people and rephrased by us to encompass what everybody was asking. Aside from this, a lot of people wanted to know when the VAs thought reunion would come, or if there would be a season 2!

Followers’ memories and thoughts on an ideal city are below the cut.

MEMORIES

Although we loved reading all the wonderful memories you sent in, these are the ones that the committee voted to send for the event:

1. No.6 means a lot to me, since it was the first show I ever saw as a kid that actually had queer representation, with Dogloan as nonbinary, and Rat and Shion as mlm. Not to mention Safu being an amazing and unique character, being autism coded and not being infantilized. There were so many characters that I connected to in so many different ways, and it had an absolutely amazing story to boot.Ever since I watched it all those years ago, once a year or so, I binge watch the entire show from start to finish multiple times over, and every single time, it still takes my breath away, and I notice new things that make the show feel even more special to me. My one regret is not being able to find DVD copies for the country I live in, New Zealand, and not being able to find official English translations of the novels, lol.

2. No.6 is very dear to me. Before reading the novels I wasn't a big fan of books, but when I watched the anime, all I could think was "I want more of that," and so I read the manga and later the novels. There is no better way to describe how I felt reading those except that they made my heart warm, seeing Nezumi and Shion's interactions made me happy (especially the silly ones). After reading everything I could about No.6, I started to look for similar books, so you could say that No.6 got me into reading, and is the reason that I met many other great stories.

3. When I first encountered No.6 (the anime and novels), my country was starting to go through a very difficult period. And while I could see the similarities between the political and social issues addressed in No.6 and what was happening in my country, I could also see how my feelings sometimes coincided with Nezumi's, and sometimes with Shion's. I couldn't have known No.6 at a better time. It was an important way for me to cope.

4. The bees in No.6 are actually what got me interested in entomology, which I am goingto be studying in college.

-

IDEAL CITY

And lastly, Onsen Radio (the host of the Dystopia Radio event) posed this question: “If you were told you could build an ideal city, what kind of city would you build? Please tell us five points that make an ideal city!” We found one response that seemed to encompass many of our respondents’ ideas in one. The version that we sent in was edited in order to make it easier to translate.

I would build a solarpunk city.   1. Every citizen will have all their primary necessities covered. This includes: water, housing and food access, clothes, cultural enrichement (theatres, cinemas, libraries, music, also included in education), education up until they want in whatever thing they want, health insurance for everything completely free including mental heath, etc. 2. The technology will be made to last as long as possible and will run on renewable sources, as the sun or the wind. No copyright; only a need to recognize the intelectual creator. Info about anything will be free to everybody, so no paywalls or academic access or monopolies interested on only making a profit. 3. Crimes will be obligued to do immediate reaparation to the affected when necessary and a whole program dedicated to help criminal reintegrate back in society, with good and human facilities even in cases where it's impossible for them to not reenact their crimes. No immunity of trial to anyone regardless of their social position. Also people are assumed innocent until proved guilty. 4. A council elected by sortie every two years of a poll of volunteers above 20 that have passed tests of aptitude (so people only interesed on themselves without caring for the people or without a minimum of knowloedge about how the city works cannot get a post) and govern. Any heavy change in laws will need to be voted by the general population possible thanks to technology. No leader will exist, only moderators and spokespersons.   5. Jobs will be leave to the discretion of the citizentry; they won't be mandatory. But with human workdays of 4 to 6 hours and three to two free days each week plus holidays of at least two weeks every two months, plus one big holiday every six months of a whole month I think people will gladly work and help themselves and others.   All of this will make a society where people will be free to be and love and do what they want, and who they want and be a little closer to that elusive happiness of humanity. I want to believe it, at least.

[ganymedesclock]

a thing about your headcanons that really intrigues me is that, much as Knuckles seems to have originally been done as a contrast or rival to Sonic back in the Genesis days, your take on them has a opposite approach to the responsibility they feel, but done in opposite ways. Sonic runs from responsibility and doesn't want to think about it, while Knuckles feels guilty about NOT being responsible to an extreme, and since people don't often deal with how they're similar, i really like this

Honestly, this is a thread that is not exclusive to Sonic and Knuckles, but actually ties in heavily to a major theme I'm considering and working in Worlds AU.

Basically, "freedom" has always at least nominally been a theme associated with Sonic. It's in his motifs, it's in his attitudes, it's the quality that people tend to envy when they compare themselves to him- whether that's Knuckles who feels bound by fate and obligation, Tails who feels like he might not be enough or can only keep up, Amy who dreads the drudgery of her ordinary life by comparison. Hell, one could say it's even in the many one-off characters who are introduced with Sonic blowing into their life, changing things, inspiring them to grow, and then leaving- Elise, Merlina, Chris Thorndyke, Chip, Shahra.

But it's a theme that's kind of been weakened in the direction that the games took.

In Sonic SatAM, the concept of freedom vs. tyranny was rife in the setting. Robotnik had his boot down on 90% of the world and the remaining pockets are either actively dwindling, or struggling along as best they can through limited resources. All characters are- at any time- in danger of losing specifically their freedom; not their minds, but control of their bodies. And it's a compelling hook.

But the gameverse has very long not been that, and since Sonic Adventure, the world of the games has been very metropolitan. There's a bunch of cities and countries and everybody's going about their daily lives and Eggman's still a wannabe conqueror but he's now become abstracted, a supervillain, who might have this big scheme or that, but- basically until Sonic Forces- we have never had Eggman really decisively in control. And in his absence, there are not really ever any consistent or clear threats to freedom except that, yeah, we guess if we let someone like Solaris or Perfect Chaos or Black Doom run wild long enough that would kill people and then nobody would be free, but... that's an abstract and inelegant way to speak to one of your main center themes.

(and I personally don't like Forces basically trying to reinstate- even if temporarily- the SatAM status quo, even if I think some people like the IDW comics have done interesting things with that, but that's my personal relationship with the character of gameverse Eggman and how I view him distinctly from SatAM Robotnik, as absolutely iconic as the latter is)

I don't think you need an encroaching dystopia per se to make a meaningful discussion out of freedom- I think using the modern gameverse's more colorful, populated world opens up a lot of possibilities for that. So, a major thematic thing I've landed on is that abject tyranny- while the easiest 'threat to freedom' to scan and oppose- and an important one!- is not remotely the only thing that challenges freedom.

A big thing is responsibility.

Responsibility is the thing that most of us sacrifice our freedom to on a daily basis. That may sound dramatic, but it's true; we may have other reasons for it, but we don't just run off somewhere else or go have an adventure or leave our job because we feel responsible to things. And responsibility isn't a bad thing- it's good to feel reliable or trustworthy. If you enjoy your job or your coworkers, you want to do well at it. Having a house is a responsibility, we take care of them. Having a relationship of any kind is a responsibility; so is having kids. If none of us were ever responsible, society would fall apart and we'd all live lonely lives. Moreover, we'd have very little power- ironically a lack of responsibility can lead to a lack of freedom in some regards.

But also, it's very easy to give too much of yourself away and not have any left. I mentioned before that many characters are consistently depicted, across many continuities, idealizing Sonic- because Sonic's free! Sonic doesn't buy groceries or pay taxes or do boring stuff, he certainly isn't stuck in a frustrating or isolating situation, and this can even tie into one of Sonic's major themes- he refuses to be talked into accepting lesser evils.

In Sonic and the Black Knight, Merlina tries to explain to him why she's using Excalibur's scabbard- why she's doing bad things, trying to justify it that she can't just let the kingdom end, even if that means needing to twist it into a horrible place to live- to which she at one point, in frustration, asks if Sonic understands, to which he responds, "No, and I don't want to."

While it's not exactly a perfect moral stance (those don't exist), there is something to be said powerfully for the idea that Sonic as a person has a certain rejection of responsibility as a chain to let bad things happen. He rejects loyalty to a thing that drives you into cruelty.

And this is really interesting, when we consider- specifically in the very first game that featured Shadow and featured him explicitly as a dark antithesis to Sonic- that is exactly what happens to Shadow.

Shadow is not, by default, an amoral person. Pre-trauma, we see that he doesn't want to hurt others, and frankly, as much as "ow the edge" circles (and is somewhat warranted), we can often see that he's standoffish but fairly civil; someone who is dealing with a lot of stresses and problems, but doesn't often relish hurting others unless he's already desperate, frustrated, or looking for an outlet or solution. And in adventure 2, Shadow is led into nearly ending the planet on account of loyalty; to the idea of Maria, to what he believes she asked him to do (and what he believes is owed to the people who killed her)

It's kind of conspicuous that if you think about it, most of Shadow's arcs in various games that focused on him are about questions of what's owed- to him, or to the world. Does he owe a debt to Eggman? Rouge? Black Doom? Gerald? Maria? Does the world owe him a debt of anger and pain to be paid back in vengeance, or, is he the one who owes the world a chance? Does he owe himself a chance? These are questions of Responsibility.

So to bring this back to Sonic and Knuckles, I think that's an interesting context to set them apart, because both of those two definitely have a special relationship with the Chaos Emeralds. Knuckles is the guardian of the shrine that doesn't just have positions for the Master Emerald, but all seven smaller ones as well; and Sonic... well, Sonic consistently and regularly does stuff with the chaos emeralds nobody else does. He transfers super forms to other people, or even awakens them in people who haven't done it before (as implied with Burning Blaze in Sonic Rush). And at least according to Sonic 3&K, his arrival (?) was foretold.

But Sonic... does not feel responsible about the chaos emeralds. If something's happening with them he wants to know but it's about curiosity. When the chaos emeralds are corrupted, tarnished, and lose power, Sonic... juggles them, while he's confused about his own (related) corruption. It's weird, it's concerning, but it's not an obligation. He gets distracted buying ice cream in the same scene.

By contrast, the only time Knuckles feels confident shattering the Master Emerald, it's as an obligation- he has to protect it from Eggman even if it creates more work for himself, and he later freaks out and nearly crashes the shuttle he and others are on when a near-miss scatters the master emerald pieces he's collected across the ARK. I can only imagine half of the plot of Sonic Unleashed would've given Knuckles an ulcer if he'd been around for it. You did what to the Chaos Emeralds, Sonic????

Basically, I think while freedom vs. tyranny is definitely Sonic's brand, you can have a lot more fun and shore up the thematic strength by also factoring in "responsibility" as a secondary theme and this strengthens or illuminates many characters and their arcs.

[nightrosebud]

Stricklake - Apodyopis or Dystopia, please?

So sorry for the wait on this, my muse wanted to work on the book over the weekend.

This got a little... mature, but given the subject, it was bound to happen.

Apodyopsis - The act of mentally undressing someone.

Barbara was running late. There barely was a day where she didn't feel like she was in a rush. But today, the feeling of time ticking by felt a little more frantic than usual.

She was late for a date with Walt.

Walt was very understanding of the fact that Barbara would probably always be late to their dates. He did not get upset, or pout, or make her feel bad. She was a doctor; her limited free time indicated she saved lives or helped someone in pain. That meant he could wait, he told her with a pat on her hand. Dating such a wonderful woman was worth it.

Still, she hated making him wait, as understanding he was about it. So she was rushing a little, probably driving a little faster than she normally would (5 miles above the speed limit, you rebel Dr. Lake), and she actually growled when the light turned red just one block from the restaurant. She could see him, sitting outside at what was becoming their table, wine bottle sitting in front of him, Walt himself studying his phone. She tapped her steering wheel in frustration, willing the light to change so she could park and join him. Should she text him that she was only a minute away?

Easy, Barbara, calm down.

She couldn't help it. Their dates were quickly becoming a bright spot in her week. He was funny and intelligent and so patient. She watched as he opened the bottle one-handed, pouring some wine in her glass first before pouring it in his, ever the gentlemen, even when she wasn't around. He was wearing his usual suit and sweater, prim and proper, broad shoulders and slim waist. She wondered if the sweater was hiding a paunch or if he was in shape despite his sedentary lifestyle. He adjusted his collar and then straightened his lapels.

She was going to bury her face in his throat when she finally got him undressed.

She blinked at the sudden dirty thought and blushed. Well, that came out of nowhere. But it was the next step in the relationship, right? They had kissed; it was only natural to wonder what he looked like under his clothes. He wore so many of them. She bit her lip as she let her mind wander. Okay, so he didn't have a gut. What about body hair?

Well, the hair on his head was thick and dark. Once she got that sweater off, Barbara was sure that he probably had a patch on his chest. Maybe even some on his stomach and arms.

Barbara imagined allowing one finger to trail down his stomach, going down, down until she reached his—

There was a honk behind her, and Barbara jumped guiltily. The light had turned green while she was daydreaming about Walt with his top off. Walt himself turned at the sound, and Barbara waved as she passed him to park further down the street. She checked her reflection. Her cheeks were pink, but she hoped Walt wouldn't notice.

She got out of the car and walked down the block to join Walt, giving him another half-wave as she approached. He gave her a wave as well and reached out to take her hand and kiss it while she sat down. "Barbara, darling, so good to see you."

"Sorry I'm late," she said, and he waved off her apology.

"No worries, my dear, just catching up on some work," he drawled as he crossed his legs, and Barbara felt her eyes drawn to his thighs.

Oh, how pale would he be? He was always in the sweater and suit, as far as she could tell. So no suntan for him. But his face and hands were a shade darker than her own pale skin. So if his underwear was white, his skin would stand out.

Boxers or briefs, the eternal question, she bet he was a boxers man, but if he wore breifs... Well, that would be nice as he leaned back in the bed...

"Darling? Is everything alright?"

Barbara blinked and then blushed. He had asked something while she imagined him in his underwear, and she felt a stab of guilt. Here she was, thinking impure thoughts and not even paying attention to their conversation. "Yeah, I'm fine," she lied, smiling.

Walt's eyes narrowed. "No, you have something on your mind," he murmured. His eyes looked down, following her line of sight. He gave her a wicked grin. "Barbara, are you practicing apodyopsis?"

"Apodywhat?" she asked.

"Apodyopsis. The act of mentally undressing someone," he drawled and gave her that devilish grin as he leaned on his hand.

Barbara blushed harder, and she was sure that the blush must be covering her neck and ears at this point. She tried to shift from side to side and deflect his question. "You are probably great at Scrabble," she said while taking a sip of her wine.

He hummed, also taking a lazy sip of his wine. He regarded Barbara for a moment, and she wondered where their server was to save her from this uncomfortable conversation. Walt kept her at the corner of his eye, a small smile not leaving his face. "So, my dear Dr. Lake," he said, "what has piqued your interest this evening?"

Barbara tried to keep her eyes on his, not looking away. They were both adults, no need to be shy. She leaned forward, putting her head on her hand as well. "Boxers or briefs, Stickler," she purred and was very happy to see his eyes widen in shock.

Walt leaned back, pulling at his sweater, clearing his throat. Barbara smiled, glad that the tables had turned, enjoying his discomfort a little. He studied her for a moment, taking another sip of his wine. "Boxer briefs," he muttered, keeping his voice low.

Barbara smiled. "Thank you, Walt," she said brightly. "You know what they say about the cat."

"Curiosity killed the cat," he said.

"But satisfaction bright him back," Barbara finished for him.

Suddenly their server appeared, the young man that always wore goth clothing and had a slight British accent. "Hullo folks, what will we be having this evening?" he asked.

"The house special," Barbara said while smiling.

"The same," Walt said. He finally looked at their server. "And an extra tip if you can rush our order."

"Yes, sir!" the young man said, and he turned to go inside with their order. 

Barbara gave Walt a look. "Why rush the order?" she asked.

"Well, we can retire to my apartment after our meal," he explained. "So any undressing can be... physical, and not mental for the rest of the evening."

"Well," Barbara said with a smile, "I think that is a good idea.

[gailynovelry]

WIP List Tag

Thanks to @albatris for the tag!

Rules: Share a list of the stories you’re currently working on, regardless of whether or not you have introduced them to writeblr before. I’m going to apologize to you beforehand because all of these are going to long. They are also queer. I do not apologize for that.

Heralds of Rhimn: A YA Dark Fantasy and my oldest project. The first book in the series is Shadow Herald;

“Few gods remain on the world of Rhimn, and the ones that do use special servants known as Heralds as pawns in the conflict between themselves. And not every Herald is happy with their role…

As Navaeli the Shadow Herald comes clashing with the dual threats of the Irongardhe knights and her own vengeful goddess, she finds romance in a handsome hooligan girl and friendship in a young feyrie thief — and with them, the courage to fight back against the injustices of her world.

But can Navaeli break free from the chains of her duty, or will she be the first casualty in the oncoming war between the gods?“

In essence, Navaeli is a dark messiah lesbian who Does Not Want To Be A Protagonist Please, Crislie is a love interest who decides to put her brawling problem to work protecting Navaeli, and Meparik is baby, but baby with many issues. In the time you’ve taken to read these character descriptions, he has probably already stolen your wallet.

The series as a whole involves some good wlw rapid-yearning-to-mutually-protective-girlfriends, REVOLUTION, a new take on fairies and a big ol’ middle-fingered subversion to the Oppressed Mage trope, and eventually some good ol’ fashioned god-killing.

The first book is going to come out May 20th this year! I have made a pretty cover for it, and also for the sequel! I am very proud of this!

Mindhive: A NA dystopia and the first project I’ve written where my characters are explicitly allowed to say “fuck.” They very much need to use this word, given the world I’ve built for them to inhabit.

“Dead-broke and dead-set on paying off his student loans before he’s forty, Nathaniel Emersin signed up as a paid test subject for ReGene, a genetics company with a mysterious new invention that they promise will change the world; the Worker Bee Implant.

But Nathaniel has one little secret that didn’t make it onto paper…

He’s also been hired by ReGene’s rival company, Future Body, to sabotage the trial and steal the mysterious new technology that ReGene’s been working on.”

Complications arise due to the presence of a very amicable security AI and the fact that Nathaniel gets attached to the two other lab rats he gets assigned to for the trial. And by “attached” I mean “develops mutual deep crushes on both Lucine and Avery, has a few cover-compromising panic attacks over it, and eventually reveals to them that he’s being hired to be a secret agent guy doing secret agent things.”

So he sort of decides to run away with his new girlfriend and datemate to an activist group who could a) remove the implant possibly and b) sue ReGene?

Needless to say, ReGene nor Future Body are happy with this turn of events, and decide that they should probably stop him before they experience consequences for the human experimentation and corporate sabotage.

Also, they take the AI with them. His name is Vertigo and he would like for someone to explain to him what a Vocaloid is.

Galactic Empress: This story is me indulging in my very specific need to write a royalty space opera political thriller. It is very high up on the Maslow’s chart of needs for me. It showed up one day and did not leave my brain.

“After the unresolved assassination of her mother, sweet but politically-savvy Princess Glissandrah Ayamarak — known better as Gliss — ascends to Galactic Empress earlier than she’d ever wanted to.

With her mother’s murderer still at large, Glissandrah turns to outsiders to protect her while she figures out just what game is being played in the Galactic Quorum. And it turns out that turning three hardened mercenaries into loyal royal bodyguards is harder than she first thought… but when anyone inside the Quorum could be after the crown, what other choice does she have?”

The hot and slightly controversial bodyguard team in question consists of Li-ah-li, a polite and slightly tired space furry, Yuukmi, a plantperson gunslinger with a space blaster in each of xer four hands, and Jennifer, a gruff human mercenary with a protective streak for her two alien comrades. This story is also polyamorous!

The Ghosts of Grimmigkeit Manor: I literally started working on this one again yesterday; it’s a reworking of a VERY old fully-OC pokemon fanfiction I wrote when I was fourteen, which has been subsequently lost to time. The genre is uhhhhhh paranormal shenanigans with semi-mystery vibes and a strong dose of snark. Probably NA.

The story follows three protagonists. Firstly is Eustace, a coroner who is doing a terrible job of divorcing himself from his family’s slightly goth business and reputation. Secondly is his triplet sister Alison, who is currently being The Responsible One running the family business of selling funeral caskets and who maybe should stop breaking the maids’ hearts in her free time. Thirdly is Dirk, the other triplet, who looks up to Eustace quite a bit and would really like it if his siblings got along more and maybe relaxed enough to let him leave the manor to go to college?

Anyway, during Eustace’s yearly Christmas visit to the family manor, it turns out that Eustace and Dirk can both see ghosts! This phases Eustace significantly more than Dirk, since Dirk has schizophrenia and didn’t realize at first that the ghosts were separate from his usual hallucinations.

The story at large involves family secrets, intimidating and quirky relatives, a murder that happened a quarter of a century ago, and this one really terrible ghost who needs to STOP MAKING THE WALLS BLEED BLOOD and who maybe is the triplets’ father. They have to figure out how to yeet him into the afterlife so that he stops causing problems.

Also, a different and more chill ghost owes Uncle Freddie money.

Misc: I have a dozen other ideas that I float around but Deliberately Wait To Work On because my stories are stews and they need some time to simmer in the crock pot that is my brain. Among these are a mermaid/selkie wlw romance, a mlm post-apoc ??? story, and various wlw Eragon ripoffs where there’s dragons being ridden and cool things happening.

[technofantasia]

coffee shop AU, enemies to lovers, fake dating, high school AU, hurt/comfort, hurt/no comfort, soulmates, time loop 🤔🤨🤔

(In response to this)

OOOO ooo ooo ooo this is many!! :D

But okay letsgo >:3

Coffee shop AU: Eh, C. Coffee shop AUs feel like the least interesting kind of domestic AU to me for some reason. Like, I won't AVOID them? But I feel like the author needs to really try to make it great. On its own, it falls a bit flat. Maybe because I don't tend to go to coffee shops myself, so it's not relatable...? Also whenever I do, I don't talk to the person working there. Like, they're doing their job, I don't want to bother them. Do most people have conversations with their baristas? idk maybe it's just because I'm not social. Either way, I think it's ok. A bit bland unless the author does something special with it.

Enemies to lovers: Honestly? D. I do not care for it at all. I like the fluffy stuff! Enemies to FRIENDS to lovers, I could get behind, but you CANNOT skip the intermediary step there. Otherwise, it's like, what is the relationship even based on, y'know? If they just flip from hating each other to being all lovey-dovey. Kismesisitude and non-hs relationships like it are another thing, and I do really like that, but only when it's done right, and it usually isn't. IT'S ABOUT THE MUTUAL TRUST AND ADMIRATION OKAY!! NOT THE RANDOM OUT OF THE BLUE LOVEY-DOVEY STUFF >:0

Fake dating: B! I can get behind it. It really allows for some great character interaction opportunities, all based around the premise of what you show to the world vs. what you actually feel, and how those feed into each other (which is a great hook). You get that good good private relationship and public relationship dynamic, until they inevitably collide!! Lots of fluff or hurt/comfort opportunity there as well. I don't tend to read a lot of it, but whenever I see it for characters I care about, it can be nice.

HIgh school AU: C. My interest in high school AUs plummeted after leaving high school, surprisingly enough. They're okay, to be sure, but the usual fare relies on a kind of rose-tinted glasses view of high school that I can't imagine anyone being able to slip into after going through it themself. It really depends on the fandom, though; some sets of characters work really well put into that kind of a structured social ecosystem, but for others, it just kind of feels limiting.

Hurt/Comfort: YESSSS YES YES SOLID A NO QUESTION. My drug of choice!! THIS is where the heart of fandom lies, in my humble opinion. It's alllll about putting characters in bad situations, and seeing the other characters help them out, be it physically or emotionally! Mostly because, while that kind of thing is central to the construction of any kind of story, most canons don't spend much time exploring the aftermath of the hurt they inflict. It would take up too much time. BUT it's exactly that aftermath that holds the deepest depths of the characters' emotions!! As fandomgoers, then, it is our duty, nay, PRIVILEGE to uncover those depths via exploring that hurt in the ways the original author didn't! And also sometimes creating new hurts in order to get to that same place of vulnerability, that works too. The best fandom trope, either way.

Hurt/No Comfort: Ooooh this can be great too. Another A. While the purpose of Hurt/Comfort is to use the characters' vulnerabilities to experience catharsis, Hurt/No Comfort (or angst? whump? all names for similar things) is all about a different kind of catharsis. It's to say, "what if the worst happened? what then?", and exploring that for a while, since the characters' true depths always come out the clearest in their darkest hour; then, you can come back from that, appreciate the fact that the worst HASN'T come to pass, and also appreciate the characters in a new, more meaningful light. When you're in the mood for it, that's the gooood shit.

Soulmates: F. Straight up. This is probably my most unpopular fandom opinion, but I hate soulmate AUs. It takes away all the interesting parts of a ship, waters it down into uninteresting, out of character, amatonormative nonsense, and flavors it all with shallow worldbuilding that falls apart into dystopia if you think about it for more than two seconds. Like... I understand WHY people like it. If you just want an excuse for your favorite characters to have a meaningful-feeling, adorable meet-cute, okay! Yeah, it allows for that. But if you care about ANYTHING deeper, soulmate AUs destroy that by its very premise. They don't allow for depth, because when you try to take the concept deeper, you start running into essential problems; things like "what if they ever have an argument? its not like they can ever split up. what kind of pressures might that inherent fact put on their relationship?" or "if these two characters MET knowing that they would be romantic partners, wouldn't that completely change their relationship? would their dynamic even be close to what drew me to them in the first place?" or "wouldn't a world where everyone spends their lives looking for their "soulmate", before meeting them and then not being able to leave that person no matter what happens, be fucking terrible? that sounds like a BREEDING GROUND for abuse." Not to mention that, as an arospec person myself, the idea of "everyone has one person who is made for them, who completes them" just feels... slimy. I can't enjoy it. No shade to people who do, obviously, but it makes me VERY uncomfortable. I have a whole big rant about soulmate AUs that I've touched on the basic points of here but I won't go into it any more than this, because hoo boy, this is already getting pretty long.

Time Loop: AAAAA YES I LOVE TIME LOOPS!!!! A, for sure. It's the PERFECT hurt/comfort and/or angst setup, with a heavy focus on character development. How will the character first react to being in a loop? What do they do? How do they feel? All with that slow rise in desperation, as their personal problems just keep compounding and compounding with the knowledge that, in order for anything to change, THEY have to be the one to do it.... aaaaa its such a good scenario!!! GUARANTEED to bring out the most juicy parts of the character, I love it.

And noooow we are done!! That was very long. But thank you so much for asking, I have so many thoughts all the time lol :P

[moomingitz]

I pretty much never do these 30 day challenge questionnaire things, but, I’ll make an exception for this one.

Jak and Daxter 30 Day Challenge:

Question 1: How did you discover Jak and Daxter?

I remember when the TPL first came out it was advertised out of the ass. It was the commercials and ads in video game magazines I saw first, and the Disney and anime esque art style and character designs immediately appealed to me. Also, my former tween self thought Jak was kind of hot.

I didn’t have a PS2 when it was first released, though, because I was obviously not old enough to get a job at the time, and my family was kind of on the low income end of things. The first time I actually got to play it was in the summer of 2002, when I was at a Circuit City(RIP). They had a PS2 on display and one of the games you could play was Jak and Daxter. During the time I played it while waiting for my mom to look at computers, I got stuck on Misty Island because I kept trying to catch that damn muse.

In early 2003, my mom surprised the family with a PS2 because Costco had special bundles on sale while she was there. Two of the games that came with our PS2 was Gran Turismo 3 and Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy.

It took me some time to get used to the game play, and to find all of the items and secrets, but once I did I was not only able to beat the game, but also %100 it no problem. I ended up loving the game. I loved it’s art direction, the environments, the character designs, and the characters. I wished the game was longer because I really wanted more- turns out I wasn’t going to have to wait much longer, learning that a sequel was on it’s way later that year.

I was very skeptical when I first saw previews of Jak II. With it’s whole shift to a darker and gritty tone, it’s setting changing to a futuristic dystopia, the heavier emphasis on vehicles and now gun combat, and then eventually learning that Jak would longer be a silent protagonist. When the game finally came out and I rented it first thing; I also ended loving it, much to my relief. I still stand by what I say about Jak II being one of the better examples of taking a more light hearted series in a more dark and gritty direction. It probably also helped that it came out just at the right time- when I was entering into my edgy teen phase, so I ate that kind of shit up. And if I thought Jak was kind of hot in TPL, oh boy, it was Simpy City for my former edgy teen self the moment the second game was released.

The Jak and Daxter series was also one of the very first fandoms I became active in, instead of just lurking around, during my super early internet fandom days. So this series in general is very near and dear to me.

Question 2: Which game is your favorite?

I guess it’s a tie between The Precursor Legacy and Jak II?

I really like the gameplay, the art direction, and the setting in general in TPL. Even now I think the areas are fun to explore and find neat details in them. The whole game feels like an action/adventure cartoon. Still waiting for an animated adaption that I think this series deserves.

When it comes to Jak II, it’s my favorite in terms of story and characters. Aside from the whole attempt at some love triangle/conflict that’s immediately dropped and never brought back up as soon as it’s introduced, I think this game nails the three act story structure. Every character you meet are not only likeable or interesting, but are all relevant to the plot. Nearly everything you do or encounter has a purpose to the narrative. Everything in the game’s story eventually comes together in the game’s third act and climax. The attention to detail is something I also really like, making you view things in a different light when playing through again.

Then there’s Jak and Daxter themselves in the second game. I think having Jak no longer being a mute protagonist was a good move. I think it really helped give him more of a personality and character, while at the same time you can still look at him and see that he is the same boy we saw in the previous game- he’s just older and traumatized, now. Where I think it was most beneficial is when it came to him and Daxter’s dynamic, especially now that Daxter was no longer the one having to carry everything.

Question 3: Which is your least favorite game?

I haven’t played Daxter’s spin-off game yet, along with The Lost Frontier, and I have yet to finish Jak X because it’s a game that requires more time to dedicate to(which I’ve recently not have had much of). So I’m going to have to say, Jak 3.

Now before anyone says anything, I don’t hate or dislike Jak 3, and I definitely don’t think it’s a bad game. I still enjoy picking it up and playing it. But it’s pretty obvious this game was made within a year, unlike the previous two games, with how shorter it is compared to Jak II, and some questionable writing decisions.

Despite this being the game where I enjoy it’s cutscenes the most, and I love the whole story surrounding Jak and Damas, there’s some stuff in the game’s story that’s either janky or it’s because I’m sure the developers didn’t have enough time.

For example, there’s this cutscene later on in the game where Sig is all, “Well fuck everybody in Haven City and their fight in some war they’re wasting their time on. You gotta watch your own back cause everyone fucked me over or something.” But then near the end of game he’s like suddenly helping Torn, Ashelin, and friends, with the war in Haven City. There’s no explanation or anything that would even hint why he may have eventually had a change of heart, or why he changed his mind in general. He just shows up and is suddenly helping in the war now.

Also, Jak II did much better in terms of story progression and build-up. In the previous game there was a gradual build up leading up to the climax, especially when the third act starts. There is a steady increase in tension as things are revealed and progress, until shit officially hits the fan with the Metal Heads infiltrating Haven City, and from there it doesn’t let off on the gas peddle.

In Jak 3 there is some build up with things like the Dark Makers coming to destroy the planet. But the climax just kind of happens when you get to the final areas of the game? I don’t exactly know how to describe it, but hopefully people get what I’m trying to convey.

Again, Jak 3 is not a bad game at all. But the things I just described in the game could have easily been ironed out if they were given at least one more year to work on it.

[tchaikovskym]

TV series recs because I'm bored:

Avatar: The Last Airbender. It is a children's cartoon in a fantasy setting but I don't care how old are you it is still an amazing story with great characters. The character development in this is just amazing. And the villains! Were so well developed! One of a very few pieces of media that recognizes that the "enemy" side is not just all evil people but a lot of innocent people just fallen victim to the ruling regime. It is a very light show that makes you feel like you just went through a philosophy class for 5 year olds.

The Good Place. A comedy series (safe for people like me who cannot handle series like the office). It explores concepts of afterlife and ethics while keeping it very light and funny. Once again great character development and this time it feels like you finished an ethics course but your prof was a stand up comedian. It just. Makes you feel good.

Hospital Playlist. A medical kdrama. It just makes you feel warm and calm and good about your life. There is no grand plot it is just you falling in love with a group of friend doctors and just feeling. As kdramas can be I found some of the romance moments a bit cringe but overall it is still amazing and I love it. Warnings for things that typically happen in hospital dramas (patient death etc).

Big Little Lies. I am recommending only the 1st season of this show 🙈. It starts that there has been a murder and at first I thought oh no it is going to about rich moms going crazy for trivial reasons and killing someone. But I was wrong. It was anything but that. Bonus for great soundtrack. Warnings for abuse, violence and rape (it sounds really bad but remember that the warnings are not the whole series)

The Umbrella Academy. The siblings dynamics in this is amazing. While I am usually not into "the apocalypse is coming we have to stop it" and time travel plot it was done good and worth to watch. But the siblings. Mmm the siblings. Warnings for violence.

Grey's Anatomy. Mm the medical drama whith very strong relationship drama. While it has a lot of seasons it still makes you feel things. Interesting to watch and it will draw you in. You will cry. There is no choice. Warnings for things that typically happen in medical dramas and major character death.

Money Heist. Recommending only the 1st 2 seasons (or the 1st? I guess it depends where you watch it. Anyway just the 1st story line, you'll know it when it ends). What it says on the label. People robbing royal mint. While detailed plans are usually not my thing the show did great by showing the plan being executed and after that explaining it why they did what they did. Overall very exciting and kept me wanting to see what's going to happen next. Maybe not my favorite characters, but still good. Warnings for violence.

The Handmaid's Tale. Time for some dystopia folks and it is bad really bad. It will make you want to rebel against something while also everything you see will look aesthetically pleasing. I would say it is more slow-paced than most shows but I like it. Warnings for violence, rape, torture and well it is dystopia.

Stranger things. It is just a fun horror series that will make you nostalgic for something (supposed to make you nostalgic for 80s but I never lived then but I got that feeling so yeah). Warning for violence.

Adventure Time. A kids cartoon that is mostly fart jokes hiding a grand elaborate plot that will make you feel things. It has a lot of episodes and some of them really have no other meaning than being a joke however once you have gotten into what is going on (the post-apocalypse is what is going on) then it is hard to not want to see more. Warnings for violence (but the kind you can show kids?)

The Untamed. Fantasy historical cdrama. Oh god I love it so much. However if I had not read the book I would not have known what is going on for most of the time (don't know how people figured out it started with a reincarnation). Characters having multiple names does not help at all. Also the special effects are so horrible they look funny. However the scenery is amazing, so is the clothing. And the story is also amazing. And the feelings you get. You will cry. And most importantly: it is gay (as much it can be despite the censorship). Warnings for violence.

Orange Is the New Black. Ladies in prison. It also has a lot of seasons and somewhere in the middle it was not as good as it could be (I don't care about gang wars in prison I just don't). While I found the main character pretty annoying it was the stories about other inmates that pulled me in. You will feel things and you will cry. Warnings for violence, rape, abuse, substance abuse.

[superbadassnatural]

SPN Team Free Will Bingo - Masterlist

This is my masterlist fort the amazing @spntfwbingo​! I had so much fun writing for this bingo!

So Close, yet so Far - Dean x Reader (Dystopia!Au)

Since Y/N and Dean were kids they wanted to join the Men of Letters Organization. Years went by and they trained and studied together. Now it’s finally the time to take the trials.

Special Treat - Sam x Reader (Trials!Sam)

The trials of God have been taking a toll on Sam. Good thing Y/N is always there to take good care of her boyfriend.

Humanity and Its Perks - Castiel x Winchester!Reader (Fallen!Cas)

Castiel has fallen and Y/N decides to show him the pleasures of human life.

Not That Bad - Sam x Reader (College!Au)

It’s Y/N’s first year at Stanford and she has to work on a project with a guy she barely talks to.

Just to Hear Her Laugh - Soulless!Sam x Reader (Dark Humor)

Sam’s humor turns a little darker when he’s got no soul.

Impala67 - Dean x Reader (Missing Scene)

Even after his disastrous date with Shaylene, Dean didn’t delete his dating app. He happened to meet someone far more interesting than her. After a while exchanging messages, Dean and Y/N finally decide to meet.

Goodbye Stranger - Dean x Reader (Angel Tablet)

Naomi ordered Castiel to recruit the angel tablet. He’s supposed to do anything to get it. He must stop anyone who dares to get in his way.

Failed You - Moc!Dean x Reader (Mark of Cain!Dean)

The Mark of Cain changed Dean and he hasn’t been the same for a while now. He’s become a danger to the world and he needs to be stopped. To do that he has to decide what’s more important: saving the world or saving the love of his life.

What the Hell Happened to Sam? - Dean x Reader (Sampala - Sam as the car)

Dean and Y/N wake up to a very odd surprise.

Fix You - Dean x Angel!Reader (Wings)

Y/N was taken and tortured by the angels. After being rescued and brought home, all she needs is the comfort of her boyfriend.

The Devil’s Word - Sam x Reader (Lucifer!Sam)

Sam said yes to Lucifer to protect his girlfriend. The Devil promised he would do no harm to Y/N if Sam said yes, but since when does he stay true to his word?

Preference: A Naked Surprise - Castiel x Reader // Dean x Reader // Sam Reader (Free Space)

A relationship built on trust and love only gives you enough confidence to do anything.

Saved You - Sam x Angel!Reader (Angel Grace)

Lucifer needs angel grace to get his full power back. The only thing better than killing an angel to drink all their grace is keeping one alive to get an unlimited source of it.  

Thunderstorm - Sam x Reader // Jack x mother figure!Reader (Thunderstorm)

Jack doesn’t like storms. When loud thunders keep him awake at night, he decides to search for the comfort of the person he trusts the most.

Start of Something New - Dean x Angel!Reader (Magical pregnancy)

When Y/N gets hit by a witch spell, Dean starts to worry even more about her well-being. Nothing seemed to happen to her. That is until it does.

A Night to Remember - Dean x Reader (Crossdressing)

After downing many shots of whiskey, the boys and Y/N find themselves having fun with a “teenage game”. Yep, Sam, Dean, and Cas get to play truth or dare.

Jack Doesn’t Know a Thing - No Pairing (”I don’t understand that reference.”)

It’s the first time Jack is having pie. His response to it is not what Y/N was expecting.

An Eternity of Misery - Castiel x Winchester!Reader (Empty!Cas)

Y/N wakes up and finds herself somewhere she doesn’t recognize.

Supernatural: The Musical - Sam x Reader x Dean (Fan Fiction - episode)

After an exhausting case, Y/N decides to give her boys a little treat.

Always Love - Sam x Reader (Friends to lovers)

Sam and Y/N have been best friends since day one. They both hid secrets from each other. One night, after Y/N’s life gets in danger, both of them let it all out.

Forgive me, Father - Priest!Castiel x Demon!Reader (Priest!Castiel)

Y/N is determined to corrupt the new priest in town.

Falling in Love - Sam x Reader (Courting/courtship rituals)

Sam has been in love with Y/N for quite a while and he does everything to win her heart.

Yours - Sam x Reader (Two person love triangle)

The hunter community decided to add an arranged marriage policy. Y/N and Sam aren’t quite fond of this idea, but they have to obey even if it means they can’t be together. Or can they?  

Time to Kill - Castiel x Demon!Reader (”We going to fight or make out?”)

Y/N got captured by the Winchesters. Since they are busy, they left Castiel babysitting her. The last thing the brothers would expect was for the angel to give in to the demon’s charms.