#thought i'd collect some of my faves in one place

[acianoh]

Small ofmd collection <3

[cricketnationrise]

Congrats on 500 followers! Going Platinum is one of my absolute fave RWRB fics 😘

For Ficlit Fest:

Time: 14:28

Location: the music room at Kensington Palace

Character: June Claremont-Diaz

Song/lyric vibe: I'd scream at the wind but no one would listen (U Deserve - Wasia Project)

My username is the same on Ao3 as here 😊

thank you so much!! the ficlet fest continues to introduce me to absolutely AWESOME music, so thank you for your prompt I am obsessed. enjoy your ficlet feat. angry big sister energy 💜🦗

read all the ficlets from this fest on AO3 here

❤️🤍💙❤️🤍💙

2:28pm, kensington music room

Most of the time, June can put the fact that Henry is an actual honest-to-god prince, fourth in line for the throne, and all-around big deal out of her mind and think of him as her friend, a fellow Austen-enthusiast, and her little brother’s boyfriend. Most of the time, June can set aside the fact that his sister is a literal princess and their brother is going to be king one day. Most of the time, June can look past the notion that Henry’s mom is going to become queen in her lifetime.

Sitting in goddamn Kensington Palace, in one of the best-appointed music rooms June’s ever seen, is not one of those times. 

Aside from Bea and Henry’s bedrooms, it’s the most casual room she’s seen so far. It’s suffused with a sense of family and laughter, unlike the more public spaces of the palace that seem to sag under stonework and tradition and a persistent phantom dampness. Even the guest suite she was shown to earlier feels coldly formal. But the lingering sense of chill falls away here. 

There’s half-drunk cups of tea on the side tables, notebooks scattered on the grand piano, Bea’s leather jacket slung over a squashy-looking armchair that wouldn’t look out of place in a thrift store in Austin. All of the instruments, while of obvious quality, look like they’ve been played often, and well-loved. While the collection of electric guitars is gorgeous, June’s attention is drawn toward the older acoustic guitar propped up in the far corner, half-hidden behind a fern.

She pulls it out and sits with it, strumming idly, echoes of lake water lapping at the dock in her ears. Her fingers pluck out simple chords, adjusting to the new instrument before the music swirling around her head takes over her hands. She’s flying through John Denver and Selena and Dolly Parton and Fleetwood Mac and Patsy Cline, lost in memories of easy summers at her dad’s lake house. But then June’s thinking about last time at the house, and Henry, and how devastated Alex was to wake up with him gone. How he’d been a shadow of himself for a week before taking off across the Atlantic to scream some sense into him. And then the leak, and the election, and suddenly there’s furious tears streaming down her face and she keeps harshly playing the same bit of Johnny Cash over and over, like a skipping record, the lyrics in her head drowning all other thoughts: 

And I went down down down

“June?”

And the flames went higher

“June?”

And I went down down down

“June!”

And the flames went—

Bea pulls the guitar out of June’s hands and it’s all June can do to not curl up in a ball or let loose a scream—anything to mitigate the swirling anger that she’s been shoving down for weeks. Her hands ball into fists as she half-sobs, trying to get a hold of herself but then, Bea’s hands are covering hers and June lifts her blurry gaze to Bea’s face.

“Just let it out, love, you look like you need it.”

And June tips forward and buries a scream in Bea’s shoulder, lets Bea pull her closer and cage her in as the scream turns to sobs. It takes a long time for June to calm down again, fighting for each gasping breath while Bea rubs her back and murmurs soothing nonsense. Eventually she calms down enough to sit up properly again and wipes her face with the cuff of her sweater.

“S-sorry about that, Bea. I just—”

“If you think you’re the only person who’s had a breakdown in this room, you’re sorely mistaken,” Bea says. “Christ knows I’ve had more than my own fair share. But my sponsor says they’re good for me so…”

June sits with that a moment then—

“I’m just still so angry.”

“About the leak?”

June nods. “About all of the shit they dealt with. That they’re still dealing with. And like, officially, everything’s fine now, right? My mom won and Richards is going to be punished and Alex and Henry are happy but—”

“They shouldn’t have had to deal with that in the first place,” Bea finishes grimly. “And because everything’s “fine” now, we have to be fine, too.”

“Yeah. Like I just feel like screaming at the injustice of it all, but no one would listen. ‘They got their happy ending, so can’t we just move on?’” June mocks. “I saw some rando post that on Twitter this morning and couldn’t get it out of my head.”

“Maddening, isn’t it?”

“Understatement of the century.”

“Next time, text me. Odds are I’m feeling the same way.”

June does grin at that. Bea’s probably the only other person who gets what it’s like being the older sister to such a potent force for good in the world. Who gets wanting to fight anyone and anything that threatens her brother’s happiness. 

“I will.”

[mmmichyyy]

🖤gallavich fic rec list🖤

i combed through my ao3 bookmarks and tumblr archive so here are some (but not all!) of my fave one-shots, wips, completed fics and tumblr ficlets i read & reread this year, ranging from newer fics to ones published in the past years ✨ there's almost 50 (!!) recs here so hopefully you'll find something new to read 🖤

check out the fic rec list i compiled last year!

(i didn't include the fics i've already mentioned in the last list plus the endless fics posted this year to avoid making this list longer than it already is, but if i had infinite time & space i'd include them all 🥰 onwards!)

one-shots:

seal my fate by allyasavedtheday (s2 canon divergence)

fix me up by biblionerd07 (Mickey has a lot of scars. Ian has a lot of feelings about those scars.)

shut the door and let go by @tellmegoodbye (s3 sleepover re-write)

these days, life is better by biblionerd07 (Ian realizes Mickey is the most romantic guy on Earth.)

in the romance section by kissteethstainred (When Ian moves to a new area, he starts to frequent the local bookstore. Eventually he begins to visit the bookstore for the owner more than the books themselves.)

icarus is online by @mishervellous (AnonMate is all everyone is talking about. Ian wants in on it.)

beginners by @bravemikhailo (Ian and Mickey meet the day they graduate college and all they've got is one night together.)

start again by allyasavedtheday (A little look at how Ian (and Mickey) comes to terms with his bipolar disorder.)

falling for you without a second look by xylodemon (s3 roadtrip)

for his honey by @squidyyy23 (ian’s impressed when his husband’s business savvy helps them expand their farm. and he's going to make sure he knows it.)

'tis the damn season by @sweetcresta (Ian comes home for Christmas and old habits die hard.)

sneaking in by @ianandmickeygallavich (Sneaking into a movie feels different. It shouldn’t, friends go to the movies, families go to the movies. But….Ian can’t help thinking about the fact that it’s a classic choice for a date.)

eighty-four by kissteethstainred (college/time-travel au)

if you love me, won't you let me know? by kissteethstainred (college au)

five times mickey wears ian's clothes and one time ian wears mickey's by @teatimeallovertown (A brief look at the journey of Mickey and Ian through the clothes they share.)

i'd follow your love down a dead end street by zoeplacid (Ian Gallagher wishes his soul mate was Mickey Milkovich, but the universe seems to have other ideas.)

wildfire by ilostyournumber (Ian is a bipolar stripper and Mickey is deep in the closet and they try not to tear each other apart.)

'til our compass stands still by biblionerd07 (Mickey just assumed they'd have smooth sailing from here on out. It never occurred to him being in prison together might be the easiest part of their relationship.)

wips:

sweetpea by @whatthebodygraspsnot (shapeshifter!cat!mickey! 🐈‍⬛)

reckoner by @thisdivorce (Ian Gallagher is married, stable, happy working as a Paramedic and trying to start a family, but a chance encounter with the foul-mouthed father of one of his patients—who has more ties to Ian than either of them know—threatens to blow it all up.)

selfless acts of the illegal variety by @abundanceofnots (The last thing Ian Gallagher thought he'd be at 19 is married—and to a grumpy Ukrainian bouncer called Mickey who's barely said ten words to him since they first met, no less. But when a rare chance at love knocks on your door, you don't just send the cute guy in dire need of a green card back to his homophobic father in Kyiv, right?)

your question has been received by @celestialmickey (a tumblr AU with a bit of a twist)

change like shifting shadows by @thisdivorce (priest!ian)

bound & free by @sunoficarus (magic/fantasy + marriage of convenience au)

a beginner's mind by @spoonfulstar (a collection of stories that take place after the events of ch. 27 of you'll never see us again)

the fine art of falling for you by @goodkwuestion (Teaching the Arts is hard enough, but mastering the art of falling in love might just prove downright impossible.)

paragraphs by @palepinkgoat (Ian has an opportunity to be a reading tutor for ex-convicts. He meets one in particular that catches his eye.)

things beyond mistake by @gallavichy (Ian, a high school teacher in need of a fresh start, returns to his childhood home after nearly 20 years to find himself once more sharing a lonely dirt road with Mickey, the boy he once knew and the man he's desperate to get to know.)

rebuilding (series) by freespiritedone (After almost 6 years in prison during which he was simultaneously built up and torn down, Mickey is free and embarking on a brand new life in New York City. Everything is different and yet some things never change - even if he wishes they would. Coming to terms with a new life while contending with the old is harder than anything he could have imagined. *long, slow burn)

completed:

technically by @annatrow (Ian Gallagher has grown up in the foster care system for most of his life, and he’s pretty sure he’s got his future figured out. That is until he falls for the bad kid who is about to change the entire course of his life.)

please don't say i'm going alone by biblionerd07 (Ian shows up at Mickey's wedding and asks him to run away together. Somehow, Mickey finds himself stupid enough to say yes.)

geometric progression (series) by romanticalgirl (angsty s4 au) *sidenote: i reread this all the time when i feel down just to feel even more depressed :')

these foolish games by @suzy-queued (A workplace rivalry becomes a love quadrangle. With laser tag.)

through the dawn (series) by spock (a semi-au set in a universe where mickey and ian didn't grow up in the same neighbourhood.)

SLOML (series) by @good-then-dont (short fics exploring Ian and Mickey’s own exploration of their relationship in a world where 3x6 never happens.)

ian the friendly ghost by @sunoficarus (ghosts au where Mickey thinks the house he moved in is haunted because the doors seem to close on their own and his shit somehow gets neat and tidy and Ian's just a very polite ghost who's got a bit of a crush on the adorable grumpy guy who's just moved in)

the little things give you away by kissteethstainred (When Ian first sees them, he thinks they’re twins. They both have similar looks, with pale skin, dark hair, and blue eyes. They act similar too—both of them are quiet, they fidget in the same way, and they make some of the same facial expressions. Ian wants to know them.)

my nine lovers by @annatrow (Secret Agents Ian Gallagher and Mickey Milkovich find themselves working together multiple times over the course of ten years.)

mickey mantle vs. the t-rex by zoeplacid (angsty alternate s5)

broad-shouldered beasts by biblionerd07 (Six years after Mickey goes to jail, he's released on parole. He does his best to build a "normal" life and a relationship with his son while juggling the scars of his past.)

OSHA compliant by romanticalgirl (It's been two years since they broke up. And Mickey's got his life together. Which means it's about time for something to come along and screw it up.)

you make me feel human by dragona (In which Ian is a cold-blooded serial killer with a soft spot for a certain South Side asshole.)

tumblr ficlets:

fiction in the archives by @gardenerian (ficlets and 5+1 prompts)

what we talk about when we talk about love by @bravemikhailo (a collection of one-shots, ficlets and prompt-fillers originally posted to tumblr)

tumblr fics ✨ by @gallawitchxx (collection of ficlets, 5+1 prompts, scene fillers)

time travel au part one / two / three / four / five by @whatthebodygraspsnot (s1 ian & mickey meet their s11 selves)

who's more cold & happy husband weight gain by @iansfreckles (& all their drabbles!)

magic au & migraine ficlet by @arrowflier

& of course, check out @galladrabbles for a wide range of 100 word ficlets written by our talented community & @gallavichfanficlibrary for more specific rec lists ✨

[i-am-megalodonna]

My GK999 art has been getting some attention recently which is wild! but cool! And it got me thinking about these books again oh no!!

Anyway I wanted to write out some things about the monster court that I want to draw at some point but mostly haven't drawn yet.

First off, very important, I changed all of their designs quite a bit (in addition to adding my own general mob headcanons). For many of them I took inspiration from the classic mutant mobs mod, so I'd look that up for some reference. This was done mostly because I wanted to make them look more imposing, but also because they're all canonically a bunch of their kind fused together, and I wanted to make that more obvious. Most of them have extra limbs and are much larger than the rest of their respective species, twice regular size at the smallest.

Okay Erebus and Feyd are supposed to look exactly the same buttttt I thought I would just not do that. :) Erebus is like one hundred years old and that age shows quite a bit -- his skin isn't as tight or saturated as it used to be, and it's pockmarked with scars from fights and rain. In addition, he tends to walk using his arms to support himself, which is actually pretty normal for enderman when they get up in years.

Malacoda's crown is literally embedded in his gross squishy flesh jelly head. It has no deep reason I just thought it would be a cool visual.

The first rulers Herobrine made have some... design flaws. This includes Vo-Lan and Oxus, and possibly Shaikulud. Nothing is finalized, but they're asymmetrical with some limbs where they shouldn't be.

Erebus is layered in jewels, precious metals, and other treasures that he's collected over his century of life. It is not at all hyperbole to say that his greed, vanity, and age are weighing on him.

Erebus is slightly batty, and by that I mean very batty. He still has his cunning, but the calm and collected behavior we see in Feyd is long gone when GK meets Erebus for the first time. Maintaining an army and clinging to a place of leadership while waiting to fulfill the one purpose in your life for over a hundred years will do that to you apparently.

Sorry I feel like I talk about Erebus being old a lot. I just find it a fascinating aspect of his character and a great way to contrast him with Feyd. You'll have to bear with me here.

Also Erebus is my fave and always has been and always will be <3

Okay final note, two relationships that are not canon even a little bit but are very important to me nonetheless -- Feyd+Shaivalak and Feyd+Reaper. Like YEAH I KNOW Feyd was a manipulative bastard in canon but like what if he actually took a liking to them and Reaper was his drinking buddy and Shaivalak was his fucked up baby queen daughter. Feyd honorary spider when.

[jjkeverlast]

lati i went to the yoongi concert last night and omg it is everything!!! anyways to go along with that lol do you know of any agust d fics i can read :) ?

anonieee!! omg lucky uuuu babe tell me everything!! it must've been fucking amazinggg, i keep seeing so many concert pics and vids on twt and it looks out of this world jdsfhksjdfh also YOONGI LOOKS LIKE A GOD.

aaand for the fic recs... i hope by agust d you still mean yoongi. or do you mean yoongi as agust d? if you do, i haven't read any of the sort yet, but i'd check out @/moonchild1 & @/ggukkiereads that have broad libraries when it comes to finding golden fics in any genre, trope and so on!

if you mean min yoongi, you're in for a fucking TREAT. these are my ult faves, literally the ones i aaaalways fall back too whenever i'm having yoongi brain rot! hope you'll like them! <33

[remember to read the warnings for each fic before you dive into them! they are there for a reason <3]

-> SERIES

collateral by @theharrowing (mafia au, strangers to lovers) Your ex-boyfriend gets in over his head working for the local mafia, and Boss Min has come to collect his payment: You. But was it simply a matter of being in the wrong place at the wrong time? Or has he always had his sights on you?

it's min yoongi being a fucking mafia boss and just hot as shit (toxic too upsi) listen, i started dive deeping into this and i've never regretted it. this the one if you're really into dark fics and min yoongi being a literal badass in that one 'that-that' outfit hehehhe. also, harrow never disappoints with their stories. top tier shit.

back-burner by @yoonpobs (sister's best friend au) sometimes you felt like you were the back-burner of a two-decade-long friendship. how could you ever compete?

BACK-BURNER. just. please, this is suuuuuuuuuch a classic and the fucking angst? build-up/slow burn in this??? will pull u to shreds in the best way and you'll thank me one day.

mixtape by @sailoryooons (brother's best friend au) Growing up with Yoongi as your older brother’s best friend was bound to manifest a crush. It was small, fleeting. Gone with age and time. On a holiday trip to the cabin, you’re reunited with Yoongi after not seeing him from two years. Maybe that crush wasn’t as over as you thought it was.

goooood, when i tell u THIS. this right here is THE brother best friend fic series for me. nothing ever fucking beats it than this yoongi right here. he's all i ever think about. you'll understand why when you read it dsfhdsjkfh. hali knows how obsessed and in love i am with him because i don't ever shut up about him... oops????

-> ONE SHOTS

cybersex by @gimmethatagustd (brother's best friend au) The whole point of being a phone sex hotline operator is that you’ll never have to meet your clients. So what are you supposed to do when you find out your favorite client is your brother’s best friend? 

jai always manages to write her yoongi's like fucking menaces with tongue technology high level 1000.... SO. and its brother's best friend, literally pure golden in a one shot.

stay by @sugarwithtea (strangers to lovers) What happens when you get stranded in a remote town with no place to live except for a lodge owned by a dangerously handsome but annoying man? Yeah, a lot.

BROOO !!!! the perfect 'oh shit, i'm stuck with u and you're kind of annoying... well...'' situation and freya put her all into it. it's fucking chef's kiss.

i don't care by @sugaimhome (villain/hero au) he was the villain. you were the hero. yoongi will make you his.

LISTEN. IT'S DAECHWITA YOONGI AS A VILLAIN. LIKE ITS ALL U NEED. AND WHAT HAPPENS IS JUST SDJKHFHSDF

okay, that's all i can think of, as of right now! BUT. i'd love to pull in my lovely mutual @yoongukie-ff who i know has some of her own yoongi fics she'd love to share! or else, anyone who wants to share a yoongi fic to this anon, feel free to do so!! <33 the more the merrier heheeee

[pherryt]

Crossover Fic Recs

I was thinking about the fact that I love Crossovers (heck, i have more then 20 that I've written and more in the works) and thought I'd make a Crossover Rec List. I know i've read a good number, but these are my biggest faves:

1 - Browncoat, Green Eyes by nonjon

Read on Fanfic.net or AO3

Fandoms: Harry Potter/Firefly

Ship: River/Harry

Rated: M

Words: 298,538

Summary:

Post Serenity. Two years have passed since the secret of the planet Miranda got broadcast across the whole 'verse in 2518. The crew of Serenity finally hires a new pilot, but he's a bit peculiar.

2 - By Your Side is Where I Belong by TexasBean / @texasbeanwrites-stuffhere

Unfinished

Fandoms: One Piece/Naruto

Main Characters: Zoro, Naruto, Gaara

Rated T

Words: 378,159

Summary:

All he was supposed to do in Konoha was collect the reward for the bounty and be on his way. But when Zoro defends some kid from a drunk during a festival, he didn't realize he'd get stuck with Naruto. Arriving in Suna, the pair meet Gaara, who ends up leaving with them when he sadly has no reason to stay. Luffy is overjoyed to get three nakama at the start of his journey… The world is much bigger than people realize, and the Straw-Hat Pirates find themselves wrapped up in the mysteries of the Biju, Ancient Weapons, and earning the ire of the World Government while they’re at it. The unwitting presence of one resulting in the absence of others has far-reaching consequences.

3 - Trust Me, I'm an Alchemist by @metisket

Fandoms: Full Metal Alchemist/Yuri on Ice

Rated : T

Words: 54,791

Ships: Yuuri/Victor

Summary:

In which Yuri Plisetsky began life with the name Edward Elric, and this has made the world of figure skating a significantly stranger and more alarming place. “Are you saying you lived a life of crime before you began skating?” “I’m gonna have to check the statute of limitations on a couple things and get back to you on that.”

4 -There May Be Some Collateral Damage by metisket

Fandoms: Bleach/Harry Potter

Rating: T

Words: 61,209

Summary:

Ichigo’s been ordered to go undercover at a magic school to bodyguard a kid named Harry Potter, and this would be fine, except that he’s about as good at bodyguarding as he is at magic. And he considers it a good day, magic-wise, if he hasn’t set anything on fire.

I first read Browncoat, Green Eyes on fanfic.net after my husband sent me the link and I occasionally checked AO3 to see if it was ported over since I don't use FF.net anymore and I found out literally TONIGHT that it's there, so marking THAT to read. I am VERY happy.

And I just realized that the rest of my faves were found by @socially-awkward-chocobo, so I get to blame her for them :D

*note - i tried to tag metisket, since I, for one, love knowing when I'm on a rec list but even though the tumblr shows as active, tumblr won't let me tag :(

[septembersghost]

Jess, hey, darling. I'm sorry I still haven't replied to your message (please forgive me), just something quick I wanted to say. I wish I could give you a hug and I'm sorry for the struggles you're going through. I hardly know anything and staying away from all the drama but I KNOW how important it is to have your safe, comfort place, and when it gets taken away it can feel crushing and very painful. I think I understand why you're missing Dean. There was a time in my life when I THOUGHT I'd recovered, but then some painful, or confusing/disorienting, or otherwise overwhelming situation hit and I'd start missing him like crazy, because I needed comfort and rest and I tried to reconnect. We need our safe place and our comfort characters when we are in pain, when we are tired, when the world isn't making sense anymore. It's not something I talked about, but recently I had a series of anxiety attacks and crying fits at night, and on Friday night during one of those I also accidentally flipped over a cup of scalding water over my hand. What helped me with the pain and helped me fall asleep was… listening to my comfort character's voice. Didn't even matter what he was saying, it was just simply hearing his voice and imagining he's there (thank god it's a podcast and he can talk for hours.) I'm doing a lot better now, but I remembered how I used to do the same thing with Dean. There was once a whole audio file I made which was literally just him talking, it lasted like an hour and a half and consisted of hundreds tiny moments which I collected throughout the show. Sadly, it's gone now, but there was a time it used to help. What I want to say, things like this ARE important and your connection to your faves IS important and valuable, it's totally okay to miss them, it's okay to love them and to need them, it's okay to wish they were here right now. I understand your pain, I wish I knew how to help. But no matter what, he'd always be there for you, because that's what comfort characters do: they're here for us. Always, as long as we need them. And nothing can take that away. And no matter what, I hope you can find solace and comfort and a bit of peace. I'm giving you a hug but I'm ALSO encouraging you to imagine that Dean is giving you a hug, because he absolutely would and because he'll always be there for you.

hi Ellie my dearheart!!! 💕 please don't apologize, considering i still have the message from you, on one of my favorite topics!, that i intended to answer within a week and now TWO MONTHS have passed! the amount of times i've gone to reply to it properly and instead *waves hand around* there are constant happenings and situations. 😭 i NEED to get to it because it will make me happy to focus on tbh!

there's a bemusing irony to the fact that i proclaimed i was doing #better in regards to dean and other various sadnesses, and then the moment an entirely different pillar got kicked out from under me, the hurt came rushing back in. i've been playing a bit of a (useless, i know) blame game with myself, like, this is somehow my fault for being overly invested or caring as deeply as i do or relying on art for my escape and joy, but it's difficult because it's the primary thing i have. and dean is the constant, the longest lasting source of comfort of all of them, so at any point when anything else has been painful or confusing, the needle of my heart's compass spins back to him. except i'd intentionally been trying to rely on that less due to the existing wound of it, which means over the past week, there's been this weight of the absence, which lead to that feeling of missing him terribly.

I KNOW how important it is to have your safe, comfort place, and when it gets taken away it can feel crushing and very painful. I think I understand why you're missing Dean. There was a time in my life when I THOUGHT I'd recovered, but then some painful, or confusing/disorienting, or otherwise overwhelming situation hit and I'd start missing him like crazy, because I needed comfort and rest and I tried to reconnect. We need our safe place and our comfort characters when we are in pain, when we are tired, when the world isn't making sense anymore. this is it exactly, and i can't express my gratitude for your kindness and for the sense of understanding you share in this. those safe spaces and comforts and lights through the darkness ARE profoundly valuable and we carry them with us, and it hurts when any of that feels stolen or diminished. it makes you just want the soul of it back.

*hugs you tight* i am so sorry you've been struggling with anxiety and tears (i understand, i have NOT been able to stop crying at the most unexpected moments lately. i wept over my dog this past weekend and she's been gone for years. it's like every ache i have is a raw nerve at the surface. anxiety makes you feel more fragile too). the scalding water omg honey :((( i'm glad you're okay! and i'm happy your comfort character was there for you and helped carry you through it. you deserve to feel safe and held, and that very much exists within the characters we love and the stories we call home and the art/music that resonates within us.

What I want to say, things like this ARE important and your connection to your faves IS important and valuable, it's totally okay to miss them, it's okay to love them and to need them, it's okay to wish they were here right now. thank you very much for this reminder and for understanding this, i really do believe this is true. our faves impact us and are important and loved for a reason. just sending me this helps, truly.

I'm giving you a hug but I'm ALSO encouraging you to imagine that Dean is giving you a hug, because he absolutely would and because he'll always be there for you. 🥺 this message is beautiful and now i'm crying at it, but only for warm reasons! he's always shown up in some way to remind me of this (and still did in a way this morning!), so i KNOW he's right here and remains with me no matter what and that the span of that time and amount of that love is always real and always alive and exists right in my heart, and if it didn't, i wouldn't also experience that pain of missing him along with it. the ache itself is a sign of how strongly that love remains. thank you for the hugs and for listening and for being here for me, and for reminding me he's here at every moment too. you are such a wonder and i love you. 💖💖💖

[clefairytea]

Do you have any horror book recs? you are very big brained and I trust your opinions

OH BOY DO I. Standard warning that this is all horror so it's all like. Fucked up. I'll try to place warnings for anything specific but like. There's just going to be a lot going on in general. If you’re interested but maybe concerned I’d advise looking into any rec further before diving in, especially as some of these I read a while ago and may not remember certain aspefcts of!

I have to start by repping my fave novel of all time, We Have Always Lived in the Castle, by Shirley Jackson. It's maybe not as well-known as her short stories (e.g., the Lottery, which from what I've heard a lot of Americans study in school) or The Haunting of Hill House, but it's such a spectacular, dark, weird novella. It's about witchcraft, family, alientation in the American suburbs, and how fucked up a teenage girl can get. There is barely a second of wasted breath in it. It's funny, dark, creepy, and weirdly triumphant all at once. I love it so much. Warnings for familial abuse and murder.

Recently I also read Sayaka Murata's short story collection Life Ceremony, which I thought was absolutely fantastic. Murata's insights on conformity in Japanese society are fascinating, and while I'm not sure Murata has ever come out and identified as one way or another, there's a lot of queerness baked into her work (particularly from an ace-aro perspective). These short stories are fantastically freaky, sometimes funny and sometimes scary. A lot of it concerns s/ex, cannibalism, gore, death, and reproduction.

Speaking of Japanese horror, the short story The Human Chair by Edogawa Ranpo (https://pseudopod.org/2021/08/21/pseudopod-771-the-human-chair/) has been living rent-free in my brain since I listened to it almost a full year ago now. It basically is about a guy who wants to live in a chair and uh. It escalates. It's a bit of a weird horror in that it's one where when you read it you're like 'haha, this is silly' and then when you lie down to sleep later you're like 'DDD:'. Warnings for paranoia, sexual harassment, and uh. Being very fucking creepy generally.

I also recently finished This World Does Not Belong To Us (which, what a NAME, eh) by Natalia Garcia Frere. This novella is INCREDIBLY dark, grimy, and weird and I loved it so much that I wanted to eat it. This one is about a dude who is sold into slavery as a child and returns to his familial home to enact revenge. It's so so bleak, but beautifully written - almost more of a prose poem than a novel - and it's just so astoundingly eerie. I want Del Toro to adapt it to a stop-motion film. Content warnings for abuse, slavery, gross bodily functions, and SO MANY insects.

For something a bit campier and maybe more like, fun horror, I'd recommend Horrorstör by Grady Hendrix. Try and get a physical copy of this one, rather than ebook, if you can, because the entire concept of this it's a horror-comedy novel based entirely in an off-brand IKEA, and the book is styled after an IKEA catalogue. It's pulpy, spooky, a lot of fun, and I devoured it all in one day. I wouldn't say it's scary exactly, but it is a gruesome anti-capitalist ghost story so. Who can say no.

If you're after more 'terrible women being awful' horror, I'd recommend Tell Me I'm Worthless by Alison Rumfitt. This is about a fraught friendship between a trans woman and a recently radicalised TERF, following a traumatic incident they had together at a haunted house. While I do think this book suffers a bit from needing a more brutal editor (esp considering the author's relatively young age), it's really compelling and gripping. Content warnings for transphobia, discussions of geno/cide/naz/ism, r/ape, terrorism.

If you're a YA reader, I'd suggest Louise O'Neill's 'Only Ever Yours'. Don't be put off by the corny-ass cover most editions have - O'Neill is an incredibly skillfull writer and this a great, dark dystopian novel, exploring misogyny against teen girls taken to its absolute extreme. While it's very much an YA Novel in many ways (sometimes it does feel like it's sitting you down to Explain How A Sexism Works), I think that's just par for the course for the genre, and if you're reading YA just something you have to expect a bit. Content warnings for r/ape, eating disorders, body image, misogyny, and homophobia (I think, it's been a while since I read this one!).

Yeah, those are my big picks off the top of my head!

[inklingofadream]

hi, i'm curious what malevolent is? I originally followed you for tma, but whenever the interests of someone i follow drifts, I like learning about that too. (i actually found out about tma from an undertale blog XD) So if you would be willing to infodump about it, i think that would be cool, you know? (sorry if this is weird, and also I love your writing! i've reread Cult, little eye, and tma fairy au tons!)

! Malevolent is one of the lesser-known Rusty Quill podcasts. It draws pretty directly from various Lovecraft Mythos and adjacent works, particularly Robert Chambers' short story collection The King in Yellow.

It's about a private investigator named Arthur who comes to unable to see and with a voice in his head after reading a Spooky Book. Personally I think this is one of the podcast's most brilliant qualities, since the entity in Arthur's head (eventually dubbed John) has control of his eyes and Arthur has the rest of the body John has to describe what he sees so Arthur can navigate the world, giving plenty of opportunity for lyrical descriptions of surroundings you generally don't get to hear about in an audio drama. They start investigating the book and where John came from with the aim of getting John out of Arthur's body and giving Arthur control back, encountering all kinds of Lovecraftian nasties along the way and unraveling the cults and conspiracies that led to John being imprisoned in a book in the first place.

The most unique/interesting facets of the show are that the entire thing is written, produced, and voice acted by one guy, with the aid of considerable voice acting talents and a variety of vocal filters (I initially thought it was a limited cast and only caught that John and the King in Yellow were the same actor and Arthur and Kayne (cosmic entity who's here to cause chaos, everyone's problematic fave 💗) were the same with different filters), and the patreon. For patrons (yes, I was sucked into rearranging my entertainment budget and signing up as soon as I finished the publicly available episodes, lucky me I had some other patreon subscriptions I'd been thinking of cancelling) segments of the show are published roughly once a week. On a monthly-ish basis the shorter patreon segments are edited into the hour or so long public episodes. I think at 3 or 5 bucks a month you get access to the sections and at $10 a month you get to VOTE.

It's extremely fun, because in-universe Arthur is The Most Reckless Man. Constantly poking his nose in places it shouldn't be and getting chased by monsters because of it. He is a private investigator, after all! IRL, patrons get to vote on things like "there's a fork in the path with bloody footprints going from the right branch leading down the left, do you want to go left or right?" and "let this injured animal die slowly or put it out of its misery [both options are tremendously angsty]" and "release the prisoner and hope they don't attack you or go on your way, leaving them to a likely-terrible fate", with occasional open-ended questions like "why is Arthur the most special boy" where the best answer was rewritten into the show as dialogue in response to a character asking that question. This has led to stuff like a series of patron choices leading John to be less overtly sinister and more Arthur's New Bestie.

If you like TMA and my cult au I HIGHLY recommend it, because it's prime "the horrors beyond my comprehension are kissing me with tongue" content. In any flavor of horror beyond your comprehension you like, from trying to ruin your life because you're like a petty insect, to discovering that humanity is Pretty Neat, to causing problems of purpose for humans and cosmic horrors alike because if you have unfathomable power you should get to make your own fun.

[lesbian-in-leather]

1, 9, 16, 20 for the writing asks :)

1. What font do you write in? Do you actually care or is that just the default setting?

I absolutely care to the extent that I changed my default setting because Cambria Body makes me want to scream. There are also a lot of fonts that I literally cannot read because they make my eyes jump around the page and I can't follow the lines, so I usually use Times New Roman unless I need a font for like a Specific Purpose. Like, titles can be a Funky Font - (I am newly obsessed with this free downloadable one because it's SO NEAT), and sometimes I need like, a typewriter font or a handwriting font or something for a specific passage. But yeah apart from specific circumstances, I use Times New Roman

Also I typed it too many times and now font doesn't look like a word anymore

9. Do you believe in ghosts? This isn’t about writing I just wanna know

Honestly I don't even know. Do I?? Some places have Off Vibes and also I might have maybe seen a ghost backstage at the theatre I performed in a few weeks ago, but like. It was an ambiguous scenario. Hm. No okay yeah I think I believe in ghosts, but also I think they are wayyy rarer than people think. Also I don't believe in ghost-hunters all of them seem to be bullshit and I don't like liars

16. What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever used as a bookmark?

Okay sadly I don't think I've ever used anything too weird. I've def used my elbow, my forearm, and once - briefly - my hair. Also my phone. I'm very conscious about damaging books though so I don't tend to use anything too wacky - also I do collect bookmarks so I usually have one to hand (or at least the classic 'receipt from when I bought the book five minutes ago'). Also also I read a lot of pretty hardcover editions (my beloved <3) which tend to have the ribbons in the spines so that's always helpful

20. If a witch offered you the choice between eternal happiness with your one true love and the ability to finally finish, perfect, and publish your dearest, darlingest, most precious WIP in exactly the way you've always imagined it — which would you choose? You can’t have both sorry, life’s a bitch

Bold of you to assume that's not the same thing

Okay right but like. Okay. Okay hear me out. This is mean actually and I don't want to choose. BUT, in the interest of I have to choose here's the thought process:

So eternal happiness implies eternal life for both me AND my love(s. I know it says 'one' but what if I want multiple girlfriends huh? what then) - but could I be eternally happy if my fave little WIP could never be finished - or, worse, could only be finished wrong? Also I don't even know which one my fave IS - does the curse block all of them?? Does it switch depending on which is my current fave so I can never work on anything?? I don't LiKe tHiS.

But what if I choose the WIP? Can I cheat and still have mortal-lifespan happiness with my MULTIPLE loves?? Is that how we win here??????

I think I'd have to choose the WIP because like. Despite what the curse says, just knowing I COULD have Made The Thing and knowing that now it'll never happen would inherently ruin my eternal happiness :( I'm sorry my love :((( but also I feel like my theoretical girlfriend would not only understand, but actively support this decision. We can still find a loophole it's fine. It's FINE

[weneverlearn]

Elvis Costello, live, 2/9/23, Gramercy Theatre, NYC

The marquee all aglow!

So three songs into last night's show - the first of a string of 10 solo shows here over the next week - Elvis Costello went into a story about how he came about writing "Hoover Factory," one of my fave songs of his from his first B-sides collection, Taking Liberties, and probably my second fave Elvis album.

He said he wrote it while taking a bus to his computer programmer job circa early 1970s. The bus route had him passing this massive, beautiful Art Deco building that was long closed down - "It's a grocery store now." He said it was inspired by Jonathan Richman - (paraphrase) "I figured, if he could write about a Boston museum, I can write about about an old closed factory."

It was a moment that connected a number of byways in my personal musical taste in one line (not to mention he then proceeded to do a perfect, emotional, raw version of it). To know that Costello was hip to Jonathan Richman - seemingly right when that 1976 Modern Lovers album finally came out - and the image in my head of a young Elvis sitting in a beat-up old British bus thinking of the Modern Lovers, was just not the story I would've thought I'd hear about a song I've long loved, but made perfect sense the second it rambled out of Elvis' mouth.

Even the fact that the Hoover Factory was just a grocery store today still made me smile, so glad it wasn't torn down as expected, still standing.

Then, sitting beside me was my brother Mark, visiting from our hometown, Cleveland, Ohio. I wouldn't have been at this show if it weren't for Mark. Not just because he bought the ticket for me as a gift, but that he was the person who got me into music in the first place. Letting me sift through his records right when I was old enough to sift was my jumping off point. He also originally hipped me to Elvis Costello (Mark is probably a worldwide Top 37 Costello fanatic).

Later, when I was off at college and he was living in Chicago, I started making him mix tapes, and I specifically remember a time when I put some MC5 songs on one. He told me he'd only heard of them before, he loved the songs, and it was apparent that my musical excavation was inching in front of his.

That was probably the biggest compliment I ever received about my musical taste.

Without either getting increasingly mushy or delving too far into the Modern Lovers, MC5, or the midwest connections of proto-punk - , as I am want to do - here's a quick review of the rest of this stunning Elvis Costello show.

Starting out with "Welcome to the Working Week" was a fun nod to the fact Elvis was starting out a string of solo shows - dubbed "100 Songs"- that will run over the next two weeks here at the Gramercy. But that was about the only forward-looking moment. This night was almost entirely reflection. Not that I was expecting an evening of new songs or some explosive Attractions set. The whole set of shows has been promoted as each night revolving around some songs from a specific album and filled out with career-spanning surprises.

I thought this night was supposed to be Get Happy (my fave Costello album), but that plan was out the door before we walked through the doors. We were handed cards as we walked in that had the night's 10-song setlist, but even that zoomed off onto surprise byways by the fifth song.

"Radio Sweetheart"

Another reason expectations were particularly reflective was the news that afternoon that legendary songwriter Burt Bacharach had just died at the age of 94. Elvis said a few nice words about knowing and working with him for around 30 years. (Paraphrase) "Everyone says 'Oh, he had a good long life,' or 'It was time.' It is never the right time for someone you love to die. And I really loved that man."

Then he went into "Baby It's You," which he said Bacharach wrote for the Beatles, but I've only known the Shirelles version. Anyway it was lovely, with the crowd singing along on the la-la-las. (He lated also did the Bacharach song, "Anyone Who Had a Heart.") It was that kind of evening overall, very intimate. The Gramercy can probably fit around 700 people, but the simple rectangle shape, folding chairs on the floor, and subtle light effects on the stage made it feel like you were in an even smaller club setting. Though Elvis' raw, solo stance might've felt intimate in Madison Square Garden.

He had a rotating bunch of guitars sitting around or being brought over for him; three mics set up, each with a slightly different filter; and he even sat down for three piano numbers.

Whatever was going to happen, Elvis said early on that he was sticking to songs "I wrote before 1977." So we got some great early numbers like "(Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes," "Radio Sweetheart," "I'm Not Angry," and a particularly emotional "Stranger in the House," among many. The setlist is here.

One real surprise was "Imagination (is a Powerful Deceiver," a song he explained went back to his first band, Rusty. He said him and bandmate Allan Mayes didn't always agree on music back then, but they both loved Van Morrison, "Before he went off and became completely crazy."

He then launched into an impromptu amble through Morrison's classic, "Domino," followed by his own "Living in Paradise" from This Year's Model, the riff of which he admitted to ripping off from "Domino." And that sort of pop-out-of-nowhere spirit remained through the rest of the gig, though he did drift back and forth into the 10-song setlist we were given, songs that indeed did exist before 1977. That eventually turned into 24 songs, a just under two-hour set.

Early on, during an intro to a tune, Elvis said something about how when they first recorded it, they used "a new wave sound on the guitars. God I hated that stuff." It was a funny quick tip-off to the ever-present inquiry in the minds of any early adopter Elvis fan of where he stood in the whole punk / new wave pantheon he was thrust into, if mostly by virtue of time and territory - London, 1977.

Mark hanging on the stairs down to the merch table.

While part of me believes Elvis himself has always struggled with where he fits too, if in an increasingly who the fuck cares way, the tension of that history has only added energy to what is otherwise undeniable about Elvis Costello. He has remained one of the most consistent, inventive, and musically curious songwriters that were sprung from that whole era.

While at one point Elvis joked that he liked how each song got successively quieter as the night went on, his energy, funny stories, and especially the sometimes violent guitar noisemaking at the end of some tunes betrayed an energy that's still going strong, not matter the look-back vibe of the evening.

After ending with a wild, choppy, chord octave-jumping rendition of "Mystery Dance," then an incredibly tender and elongated "Alison, he came back out for a few more, including the closer, "(What's So Funny 'bout) Peace, Love, & Understanding," a full-on singalong, Elvis pulling it up and down and quiet and loud, but ending triumphant, the crowd cheering like crazy.

The sound guy quickly turned up Bacharach's Dion Warwick classic, "What the World Needs Now." Even Elvis seemed surprised and he stopped and lifted his hands up, singing and swaying along with the crowd for a second before walking off. I wondered if anyone else noticed as he turned, Elvis viciously threw his guitar pick at the ground with something of a scowl on his face.

He's still angry.

Walking past Madison Square Park on the way to the subway after the show...

L-R: Me and Mark on the W train home...

[swordheld]

hi my darling :)

I was wondering if u’d care to share ur fave essays w us?

hello, love! i'd be honored to delve into the many-layered depths of my bookmarks bar to share some of my fav hits! 

the many deaths of a painting, by 99 percent invisible, is one of the coolest and most interesting stories ab how modern art challenges us. i have written at least three essays w/ this piece mentioned within because it’s just so good.

curating the anthropocene, by jon christensen and ursula k. heise, was one of the first texts i read when delving into the ideas of the anthropocene, and it holds a place in my heart bc of it. 

horror lives in the body, by megan pillow, whose work i think about every year when the chill seeps into the air. love the ideas on experience, memory, and on how horror lives alongside us in our daily lives, in the media we interact with, how it stays with us long after. (tw on this one for rape and death mentions, not detailed, but still mentioned. keep in mind!)

renewing old technologies: astonishment, second nature, and the uncanny in technology from the previous turn of the century, by tom gunning, bc there is so much here to speak on. the phenomena of innovation and novelty, and the habitualization of the incredible into something we use so much that we get anesthetized to its incredibility is absolutely insane to think about. talk to me about the instability of experience and the utility of absence and i will go on for forty years and go absolutely insane i love it sm.

fear of depths, a video essay by jacob geller, is one of my all time favourites because of how absolutely wonderfully the flow of it goes, from the poetics to the information to how you feel watching it, for how long it lingers with you afterwards. (see also: ape out and freedom, control, anatomy, and the legacy of the haunted house, and truly his entire catalog. a wonderful collection of thoughts on video games, art, music, and theory. stunning work!!)

the importance of stupidity in scientific research, by martin schwartz, is a wonderful essay i send to all my fav stem majors at the beginning of each semester for a wonderful reminder that it is totally fine to feel stupid!! not having the answers is a wonderful thing, bc now you get to go out and find them. isn’t it wonderful, the endless road of discovery, every bit of wonder along the way?

i hope you enjoy reading / experiencing them  !   💛

[snowflowerbear]

Fave Fics (Recs)

My happy place of BTS fics by other writers.

Listed in no particular order.

Adult / Mature Content. 🔞

KSJ:

1. Let it Sparkle by lamourche - The most beautifully whimsical, magical story. Gave me wonderful Joan Aiken vibes. A perfectly dreamy escape.

2. The Platonic Collection by joheunsaram - Never thought I'd enjoy dominance and submission, but this was done so well, I fell right in love.

3. On The Ropes by raplinesmoon - Hauntingly, achingly raw. Melancholy at its finest.

4. Blue Hour by raplinesmoon - A follow-up to On The Ropes. Love finds a way. Hope finds a way. The Romantic in me is sobbing.

5. All I Don’t Want for Christmas Is You! by minisugakoobies - Hot, angry sex with KSJ + Maknae Line running amok + blissfully domestic Sope = a rollicking fun holiday read.

6. the devil wears armani by floralseokjin - This made me pray for Hell. Who needs angels when the devil is KSJ in a suit?

7. Girls Want Love and Aguardiente y Limon by raplinesmoon - A level of wantonness that’ll have you on your knees, begging for more. Please, Daddy. More.

8. once bitten, twice shy by fantasybangtan - Side-splittingly funny, soul-stirringly fluffy, with a smidgen of angst, and oodles of Yuletide cheer.

9. Piece by Piece by underthejoon - Like bite-sized pieces of candy: some sticky sweet like caramel, others darkly bitter like pure cacao, all of which you'll devour in one sitting before savouring the heady aftertaste.

~~~

KNJ:

1. lacuna by eoieopda - A wistful whirl of recollections, unfulfilled possibilities, and the reunifying of two souls who should never have been apart.

~~~

MYG:

1. Want a Taste? by suga-kookiemonster - Tongue Technology that's dangerous and delicious. Will also give you massive Auntie Anne's cravings.

2. I Wanna Hold Your Hand by minisugakoobies - As warming and sweet as a cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows on a cold day.

~~~

KTH:

1. Let it Snow by suga-kookiemonster - The first BTS fic I ever read. Still can't believe this isn't a published book.

~~~

JJK:

1. Ego Series by suga-kookiemonster - A truly delectable slow burn. Start this series in the morning (unless you want to stay up all night reading), because it's unputdownable.

~~~

PJM:

1. Lovely Demons by kpopfanfictrash - A fantasy underworld so breathtakingly crafted, you'd be tempted to linger forever.

~~~

JHS:

1. On Bended Knee by minisugakoobies - Short and sweet and stuffed to the brim with witty humour, sexiness, and charm.

2. Piece by Piece by underthejoon - Like bite-sized pieces of candy: some sticky sweet like caramel, others darkly bitter like pure cacao, all of which you'll devour in one sitting before savouring the heady aftertaste.

~~~

OT7:

1. BTS Masterlist by kpopfanfictrash - It's all magic. Take your pick, and get lost in hours of pure pleasure.

2. Bound Series by kpopfanfictrash and underthejoon - 7 gorgeous stories about love, fate, and destiny.

~~~

[siren-virus]

welp, I've finally came up with a schedule for asking you questions. Every 2-4 days after you answer something I've sent I shall make an ask, changing the themes between your OCs and their world, and Luckyboy!Ben AU. That way I won't burn you out accidently with asking about the same thing all the time XD And since my last ask was about your OCs, it's time to return to Luckyboy!Ben AU :D

Ok, first question, Would Gwen here have the necrofriggian babies? Big Chill babies (but named differently obviously)? I suspect that she would have them considering that that was something that came up from a... defect, bug, glitch, purposefully put design? in the Omnitrix, as such she should have birthed them regardless of the differences with cannon. Would anyone else know about the babies, considering it was treated as a secret in cannon but maybe not in this AU?

Also, what about Zs'Skayr? He (Is Zs'Skayr gendered? I'll treat them as male for the rest of this ask to avoid complications) is also someone that's independent of the events of the prime universe, and as such I'd imagine that he would still be a threat in this universe.

And the Loboan transformation that Ben went through in the OS, would Gwen also go through it in here as well? We know that that transformation was triggered by Werewolf when the team was attacked, forcing Ben to go through a gradual transformation.

Now back to Nekomata :D Would Ben ever reveal his identity to someone? Maybe Gwen and grandpa Max? Perhaps Rook if he manages to gain the complete trust of Ben first? What kind of situation would allow for Ben to reveal his identity as Nekomata that wasn't a life-or-death one? Because let's be real, in a life-or-death situation anyone would reveal their identities XD

We know that Ben is the favourite barista of the coffee, and with good reason, considering he's a charismatic info brooker that will kick the ass (or alien equivalent) of anyone making trouble, while also being respectful of the clients (because that's mandatory in a job like that one, but isn't it hard to find employees like that in this universe) and keeping their dietaries needs in mind. But does He has any favourite client, someone he's waiting to come because he geniunly sees them as friends even though they only see each other in the coffee? Nekomata interactions don't count for this XD I'd imagine it would be one of the plumbers kids, Kevin or Argit, But who knows? this might as well be a time to make any background character shine :P Not that I remember any of them anyways XD

NGL Im already burnt out on luckyboy (it dont take much rlly, just bored of the idea haha ;;) I'll entertain ur questions tho. maybe it'll spark me back to life. Currently hyperfixated on artfight!

I'm conflicted about this. Idk if that episode was supposed to be a metaphor for teen pregnancy (i still find it hilarious that it's a cannon mpreg episode rip!), but with Gwen it wouldn't rlly work(?) She's quite responsible, and considering her personality she'd get way too attached.

So- I would say that she has a lot better communication with Azmuth then what Ben did, and Azmuth took into consideration a lot of Gwens suggested tweeks. So, no babys- srry. They'd nerf Gwen completely. (poor thing crys over the littlest things...)

You know what? what's the harm in a little childhood trauma, we'll have Zs'Skayr. Gwen never took back control of Ghost Freak after the events of Zs'Skayr. She also never defeated him the first round, it irritates her to know end how much of a coward she was as a child. But she was a child! She's too hard on herself a lot of the times.

Oh geez this brings back memories~ I remember sitting in my loungeroom watching this episode and loving it every time.

The only reason Ben turned into the Laboan was because he chased after the OG wolf man.

I would say Gwen's a lot more cautious in those cases and stuck close to Max. So she didn't end up collecting the Laboan DNA until a lot further down the track.

Maybe similar events happen with a different alien however, something Gwen can't avoid.

Before I dive down into Nekomata I just wanna make note of some Gwen stuff.

Gwen is still quite headstrong, intelligent and cautious when it comes to fighting. Quite similar to how she functions in the OG her fighting is more Defensive. Her fighting style is built off Taekwondo (I think thats what she practised in alien force...) So she's more built for self defence. She's very analytical of her opponents. Her best alien would be XLR8 (my one of my faves ngl). Using her quick thinking she can do small attacks that can weaken her opponent.

Now then:

I usually don't like to reveal big REVEALS to anyone even myself. Which can straight up nerf me when it comes to developing my own characters cause I won't spoil myself.

So it takes a lot of willpower to do this. It's my AU and I say what's canon!

WHEEEEZE BUT TO BE HONEST I LIKE TO SWITCH THINGS UP SO DON'T TAKE THIS AS OFFICIAL OFFICIAL CAUSE I MIGHT END UP CHANGING MY MIND. I'M SO INDESCISIVE!!!

The big reveal:

You know what, I thought about this a while ago. Rook is realsing that perhaps the plumbers are in the wrong. So he only whishes to hear Nekomata out. He ends up finding Nekomata after a big fight. He's quite injured and bleeding out, he can't retain his anodite form (add a bit of a concussion in the mix). Rook panics and has to throw the mask off, because the majorite of blood is under the mask. (mans know first aid). He's hesitant, all this chasing, all this fighting. Surely he couldn't! but He does. He pulls of the mask AND, oh shit, the barista!

I think around this time the plumbers had caught on to Rooks faulty allegiance and had followed him, so He finds himself surrounded. Rook places the mask back on and trys to talk with the plumbers.

They're not hearing it. And Ben, in his weary state, pulls out one of his little teleporter rocks (i forgot to mention he carries around of a lot of them, preinfused with mana as a just in case scenario) grabs Rook by the ankle and teleports them away.

Through a series of events his identity is revealed, to the public and he's on the run. Not sure how that'll go, but it extends the overall storyline!

....

...

You're right, the BG characters really don't get that limelight. So..... Blukig and Driba. He genuinely enjoys their little back and forths. Also in this universe they're gay. I can't imagine those two loving anyone else but each other.

[perceabeth]

⭐

okay so ♡

this is actually so embarrassing but the more I think about it the more i realise i literally have no background commentary for anything at all because i don't usually make it a habit to think, like, ever bc im Special like that so i'll do my best ♡

omg wait actually this one is more like. behind the scenes or whatever rather than me geeking out about my own writing but i've been writing fic on and off for years now, right. and usually what i'd do is i owuld write a couple of fics, post it and then disappear for three years before coming back w a new volley of terrible stories. i think mari perseannabeth was like the only friend i'd ever made through my own fics

but THEN 2020 happened and idk i met sooo many people through fics and it felt like an actual stable thing in my routine bc i never really cared for it but it was such a great escape from how horrific life was during the pandemic for me, a healthcare worker,

anyway long story short i wrote this capture the flag fic which might have been like one of my faves to write, like, ever for a collection because some strangers on the internet had read my previous work and asked if i wanted to join them and i always wonder if the people i wrote it for liked it or not because it meant so much to me that they asked me!!! idk what the point of this is but it was, at least in my head, the first time i'd actually felt a part of a group rather than just an outsider looking in and posting her silly lil fics on ffn so yeah!! it's always gna hold a special place in my heart ♡♡♡

if u want to know my thought process when i write u can drop me an ask