#Thanks nonny!

[lambsouvlaki]

Happy holidays! Can we get some Jay Andy and Sophie Christmas fluff pleaswe? Maybe all of them doing a family date at a Christmas tree farm or decorating their tree? I love your dad fics on such a personal level hehe

Thanks!

Thanks for the fun request, anon! I really enjoyed this one, I hope you like it.

---

Andy strolled back into the living room, sweeping up one of Sophie’s plush toys from the ground on her way to Jason, who was standing in front of the Christmas tree with his hands on his hips. He was in fluffy socks, cargo pants, and a hideous festive sweater. He assessed the magnificent tree like a worthy foe. 

Andy was more interested in the plush. It was a gangly elf in a green jerkin and pixie boots, red hat, and a little yellow belt and collar. Sophie had clumsily scribbled a domino mask over the eyes in marker.

“What was it like working for Santa?” Andy asked seriously. 

“Hm?”

She showed him the toy. 

Jason cackled. 

“For Christmas, little Jimmy, you get Justice,” he said in his best Dark Knight rumble.

“Holy milk and cookies, Batman!”

“Damian will hate that so much, remind me to take a photo later,” he said, then turned back to the tree.

She watched him detangle one of the tinsel ropes and rearrange it to his standards. He was taking this very seriously. 

Christmas back when they were just dating was never this big an affair. That first year she placed his present on the kitchen bench beneath a single pine cone. He got her a better antivirus for her laptop. Neither thought anything of it. 

But they weren’t just going out now. Not just two friends who fell in love, two dorks who hid their faces in each other’s shoulders on bad days, and giggled themselves to sleep over stupid jokes. He wasn’t just the guy who got her pregnant, either. 

She watched Jason pout over the exact placement of a bauble. 

That was her family now. 

Weird. 

She put elf robin down and slowly attached herself to his side. He put his arm around her shoulders, holding her in place, while still focusing on the tree. 

It was a real beauty.

She couldn’t get the time off work to go down to the farm to pick it, so Jason and Sophie went alone. The two-year-old only kind of knew what was going on but was very excited to be going on an important mission with her current favourite person. 

Andy pretended she wasn’t disappointed at missing out. She didn’t even know why she cared, the idea had never been very interesting before.

They brought back a massive douglas fir that made the most of the apartment’s high ceilings. She was gobsmacked at the size and laughed at the sight of Jason in a Santa hat hauling it out of the freight elevator. Sophie cheered and stamped her feet with excitement. Decorating it took half the day and Sophie drifted off to sleep on his shoulder halfway through. 

Jason started undoing the tinsel again. 

“What’s going on, babe?” Andy asked. 

“Not enough gold on this side,” he replied. “And that line of red baubles is too uniform. And there’s not enough tinsel.”

She looked around. There was tinsel everywhere. They were going to be vacuuming up sparkly bits well into January. 

“And the star’s too small,” he muttered. 

“Jay.”

“Hm?”

“Why are you obsessing over Christmas decorations?”

He blinked. “I am not.”

“I’ve seen you defuse bombs with less focus.” 

He huffed a breath. “It’s my first Christmas home with you two. I want it to be special. Sophie deserves–” He ducked his head. “She deserves a good dad.”

Andy leaned her head against his shoulder. “And a good mom.”

He scoffed. “Which she has.”

“I burned the gingerbread men. You’re making me look bad.”

He scoffed again, looking away now. He rubbed the back of his neck. “I guess I’m being silly, huh?” he said. 

She frowned and wished she hadn’t joked. She hadn’t realised how important it was to him. She wrapped her arms around his waist.

“You know,” she said, haltingly, “I don’t really… have any good memories of family Christmases.” 

He looked down at her, his brow lowered. “Oh.” 

It was her turn to look away. “I’m enjoying making these ones with you.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

He wrapped his arms around her. She rested her face on his chest. He put his chin on top of her head. 

“You’re doing great, Jay. I don’t think Soph’s ever been this excited before.”

He let out a gusty breath, and his shoulders relaxed. “Thanks, baby. I just… I want to do right by you. Both of you.”

“I know.”

He kissed her forehead. 

“Where is the little nugget, anyway?” she asked. 

He lifted a branch with his foot.

A toddler wrapped in tinsel squealed and retreated further beneath the tree. 

Next>>

#dad!jason #jason todd #red hood #jason todd x oc #red hood x oc #my fanfic #jason todd x fem!reader #jason todd x reader #dc #fluff #Christmas #thanks nonny! #asks answered #And a happy holiday to you too!

[theredconversegirl]

Hey! I found a fic for you list of AUs in which sasuke takes sakura with him to orochimaru, and it’s complete! with a sequel on the way — it’s pretty dark though, you should probably warn about that, but the author is very responsible and tags everything accordingly

https://archiveofourown.org/works/32851339/chapters/81519601

Hi nonny,

Thanks for stopping by with a rec! 💕

I added the fic to the list Sasuke takes Sakura with him to Orochimaru 🍅🌸 , and I'm also leaving more details below:

Snake Bound By: shefalls "You... took me with you." "That's what I said." "To Orochimaru. You took me with you, to Orochimaru." Sasuke nodded curtly and shoved the medical kit a little more insistently into her hands. Sakura accepted, and prayed to every known god that Orochimaru would ignore her existence. She should've known the gods don't listen. [Part 1 of Draconic] [Rated E, complete] ⚠ Check the tags!!

I appreciate the help, thanks again. 🤗 I hope you have a great week!

Stay Safe,

xoxo

#theredconversegirl answers things #SasuSaku #nonny recommends #Sasuke takes Sakura with him to Orochimaru #ss fic rec list #thanks nonny!

[i-am-the-oyster]

I was just listening to that 3 hour rolling stone interview with John and it honestly surprised me with how homophobic he was being. Saying things like “ I think mick’s a joke with all that fag dancing” and “I hope it’s ( working class hero ) for workers and not tarts and fags). Do you think that was a major projection of himself after the fall out with Paul ? cause correct if I’m wrong but I don’t remember john ever saying anything like that before that interview. Love to here your thoughts on what would be possibly going through Johns mind.

Oh nonny it's so sad, isn't it? From a modern perspective it seems so obvious that John was queer, but he clearly struggled with it. (More in some periods than in others).

There are lots of accounts of John making homophobic jokes at Brian's expense, though it's impossible for us to know how much of that was good-natured ribbing. But you're right, the statements from Lennon Remembers are viscous and not typical of John.

When he did that Rolling Stone interview he was fresh out of Primal Scream therapy. Janov was homophobic, even by the standards of the time, and I personally believe John was trying to use PST as "conversion" therapy (see this great post). I actually suspect he (and George?) might have been trying to use Transcendental Meditation for that purpose too.

Was he trying to "fix" himself because of the breakup, or was the breakup caused by the desire and/or attempts to "fix" himself? Who knows Yoko?

My personal headcanon is that Paul has always been more comfortable with his own queerness, and with keeping his queerness secret. Where John swung from wanting to own it and declare it publicly, to wanting to rid himself of it. You could easily see how that would be a source of tension between them, even if they weren't romantically involved.

This is such a sad topic. Let's think about John randomly kissing Paul's friend in public instead!

#thanks nonny! #anon ask #queer bugs #john's queerness #internalised homophobia #conversion therapy mention

[luckyclovernb]

I had a dream about SDJ recently, but he was dating your OC! Definitely a cute couple, but interesting pop up in a dream. Your art has definitely left an impression!!

It's amazing, by the way. Have a great day!

That's amazing honestly. It's the highest flattery to be in people's dreams. Or the most worrying. What was I doing? Was I friend or foe? The world may never know.

#leaf asks #sunny day jack #sunnydayjack #swwsdj #also leaving an impression can go both ways but i'll assume in this case it's a good thing lmao #thanks nonny!

[topsyturvy-turtely]

I love your energy so much, keep being you 🥰

bleeep... whAT?! i can't handle my energy myself sometimes!!!

but it is very much appreciated, my dear *makes an eccentric bow or curtsie... sth in between cause my gender is inbetween (and i would probably fall over and break my nose) (lol imagine telling a nurse you broke your nose when you... SEE IT IS TOO MUCH MY ENERGY IS TOO MUCH!)

*MAKES TOO LOUD TOO WEIRD NOISE... to contain all the weird energy (is it working???)*

(wtf am i doin)

thank you haha 😅😂🤦🏻🐢

#i am not even TRYING to be weird #i just AM #THESE ARE MY LITERAL THOUGHTS #UNFILTERED #IT CAN BE REALLY EXHAUSTING IN CLASS #TEACHERS ARE TRYING VERY HARD TO BE NOT IRRITATED #BUT THEY ARE #VERY MUCH SO #AND I AM EMBARRASSED #BUT MY FILTER IS BROKEN AND I CONTINUE MAKING TOO LOUD COMMENTARY #COMM-ENT-ARY #(is that even how it is divided?) no wait it is probably #comm-en-tary #i studied linguistics i SHOULD KNOW THIS KINDA BULLSHIT #I DONT #IDK ANYTHING #WHY SM I SCREAMING #WHY AM I STILL WRITING TAGS #but at least this nonny likes my energy lmao #thanks nonny! #this reminds me #i should put actual tags in here too #nonny asks #turtely answers #( what the fuck )

[cinamun]

Ok, SimChopped Family Cookout Throwdown questions: 1.) Between Indya, Mercy, or Elise who would win in that cooking battle? 2.) What individually are their best level 10 dishes? And 3.) Which of the three would be able to take on Tiffany Derry or Kardea Brown and win it all? :) (If you ever post pics of this I would love to see it.)

Hey friend!! I did NOT forget about this but I had to get a pic of these three iconic leading ladies together (which was NOT easy because they be busy or whatever).

Anyway, shall we begin?

First of all, they are in Indya's kitchen because Elise is having her kitchen remodeled. Anyone familiar with even a CHAPTER of this story knows how serious Elise is about her kitchen, which is why the first question is a no-brainer:

1.) Between Indya, Mercy, or Elise who would win in that cooking battle? Elise, hands down. She's won as soon as she takes that real, homemade crust for her pie out of the oven. Elise's sweet potato pie is nectar from the GODS. When she's in the kitchen you are literally WATCHING GOD okay? I don't make the rules. Sis is a BEAST!!

2.) What individually are their best level 10 dishes? Aside from the pie as mentioned above (btw, Indya is coming in a strong second with her caramel upside down cake), Elise is a master of SoulFoodic Arts so her Roasted Chicken with Collard Greens and Cornbread is her best dish. As for Indya, she's coming with grilled steaks, grilled asparagus and twice baked potatoes. She's a beast in the kitchen AND on the grill (although between her and her husband, Darren would demolish her on the grill. All he needs is those Jesus sandals). Mercy is coming in with a Baked Alaska to take care of dessert. Its sweet and delectable with a hint of citrus that everyone goes WILD for!

3.) Which of the three would be able to take on Tiffany Derry or Kardea Brown and win it all? I'm gonna be honest friend, I have no idea who these two are. I don't watch TV at all but I used to love the great british baking show so that's the only reference i have LOL! I'm assuming those two are badass cooks and once again, we're handing the crown to Elise.

This was SO MUCH FUN and if I had more time I had a whole idea to have the three of them in the kitchen cooking but this save is in a state right now (prepping for new episodes) that I can't really make too many sudden movements. BUT! Thank you for the ask and please feel free to ALWAYS think of me when you're sending around super fun OC asks!

Honorable Mention:

Maple "Pip" Greenwood is cooking EVERYBODY under the table.

Rest in Pixel Paradise.

#oc asks #PIP! #thanks nonny!

[tj-crochets]

Hi! I had the idea for a giant crocheted manta ray blanket thats weighted like a sensory blanket and you said you arent sure on what to work on rn, so maybe rotate the idea on how to make a pattern for that in your head, ik so many kids whod go crazy for that!

Hi! I love that idea!! I'm not sure how to make that in crochet, but it would actually be fairly simple to make when sewing? Manta rays are an extremely simple shape to sew at pretty much any scale as long as you use stretchy fabric Side note, I love the phrase "rotate the idea in your head". I usually think of it as letting an idea percolate on the backburner, but rotating it in my head is also true! I just gotta kinda throw it in the back of my head to figure itself out for a bit and then I'll know how to make it lol

#ask away! #thanks nonny! #I don't know how to make weighted crochet blankets #except by using the weight of the yarn itself #but I do have a manta ray cape/blanket thing I want to make my niece #hmmmmm possibilities #to sew a weighted blanket I think is fairly simple? #it's like halfway between quilting and sewing stuffed animals #simple is maybe not the same as easy #but I think I could do it #I don't have enough polypellets on hand though

[thedarkestgreys]

what are some fexi fics you can't get enough of?

awe hi anon, thanks for the ask! there's so many great fic's in this fandom, so this is by no means a comprehensive list. also my apologies to any tumblr tags i'm missing, i have a hard time keeping ao3 accounts straight with folks that have different users here on tumblr! cross-disciplinary compatibility (post modern theories on) - College AU miniature_sophie 9 chapters complete 36k+ rated e

starry eyes sparkin’ up my darkest night - Musicians AU @iwantthemtostay 5 chapters complete 44k+ rated e

if you could be mine, we’d both shine - US Politics AU @muserepeats 12 chapters complete 43k+ rated e

you talk to me like lovers do - Mafia/Arranged Marriage AU slitheredinfromeden / @idontneedtobeforgiven 3 chapters complete 34k+ rated e take it slow, grow as we go - Friends to Lovers AU thoughtyouintomylife 6 chapters complete 26k+ rated m and no drugs for lexi howard, bye. - idk this is just smut y'all @changeyourwholepitchh 2 chapters complete 10k+ rated e heaven is here (if you want it) - S2 Fix It Fic wearing_tearing 3 chapters complete 32k+ rated e

inspiration point - the worlds softest murder au @actnatural-ly 1 chapter complete 7k+ rated T

curveball - Practice Sex to Lovers AU @nothing-goldstays 8 chapters complete 26k+ rated e freshwater - Teenage Insecurity/Emotional Resolve Fic gigi_originally/@calculated2stagger 1 chapter complete 3k+ rated T  i knew you loved me (by the way you looked in second period) - High School Sweethearts AU @lesser-bohemian 4/6 chapters WIP 20k+ rated T Let’s Try This Again - NYE A Year Later Fic @libra-lizard 1 chapter complete 8k+ rated T two hearts beat together - A Walk To Remember AU (but less sad!) @melo-baby 5 chapters complete 47k+ rated m let's break the internet - YouTubers AU fearlexx/@kukvlkan 1 chapter complete 8k+ rated t

the best pieces of me are just pieces of you - A S2 Fix It AU metaphoricalflora 2 chapters complete 6k+ rated e tbh there's so many i'm missing. like a stupid amount. i could answer this question probably a dozen times over and give you a new list every time.

#fexi fic recs #bex answers #thanks nonny!

[shewassaying]

Your recent game is so beautifully written , the ending I got made me cry.

SPOILERS!!:

PLEASEE tell me how get the ending in which both Jesse and the mc get to be free.

THANK YOU NONNY!!

I'm so glad you enjoyed!! I really loved writing it and making it. We had a crack team.

SLIGHT SPOILERS?? BELOW The questionmark at the bottom of the test box is our hints menu! If you press it you can choose to reveal either a hint, or the answer for any riddle in the game.

Getting it right might help you get the results you seek. 😏

#interactive fiction #vn development #velox turbo #promisemevn #MY FIRST ASK! #thanks nonny!

[leet911]

for the imodna prompts, may i offer: cheek kisses.

Leaning

They’re walking through the Elder’s Post when a peddler’s stand catches Laudna’s attention.  There are various pendants laid out on a folding table, little carvings of trees with ornate twisting branches.  Laudna touches one whose shape reminds her of the Sun Tree, but it’s tinted red, and she’s unsure whether that’s the natural colour of the wood or some sort of stain.

“Just one gold piece, for a lady such as yourself.”  The merchant appears in front of her.

But Chetney is by her side just as quick.  “I could make one like it if you want.  A master craftsman isn’t beneath taking commissions.  Even if you already got a toy.  We could consider it a welcome back gift.”

Laudna laughs, but pulls a coin from her purse to hand to the seller.  “I’ve got it.  Besides, didn’t you say we had more money now?”

“Yeah, we’re loaded!”  Chetney whisper yells, eyeing the crowd around them warily.  “Now let’s get back to the others before Imogen notices you’re gone.  She told me to keep an eye on you, and you know how she gets when she’s angry.”  He makes a throat cutting motion on his own neck.

As if on cue, Laudna feels the familiar press on her mind, the door knocking that Imogen does when asking for permission.  Laudna?

I’m here, with Chetney.  She spots the lavender hair across the way, dodges around a couple other groups to get Imogen in view.  When their eyes meet, Laudna can see Imogen visibly relax, her hands opening and jaw loosening.  He was with me the whole time.  And we’re safe here in Jrusar.

Imogen adjusts her glasses, rubs the bridge of her nose where they rest.  I’m sorry.  I worry sometimes.

I know.  I don’t mind.  Because no one has worried about Laudna in a long time, and maybe she likes the way this feels.

When she approaches, Laudna reaches out to take Imogen’s hand, and she can feel the tension leaving Imogen’s body as they touch.  Imogen stays close, and they walk hand in hand through the market.  Chetney sees the way the look at each other without speaking, and falls in line behind them, bringing up the rear of their group.

I’m glad you’re back.  Imogen says, and Laudna can almost feel the weight of those words.  There’s so much more that Imogen isn’t saying.

I’m glad to be back.  Laudna answers, and they both know it’s not Elder’s Post or even Jrusar that she means.  Because both of them still remember a hurried conversation from just a few days ago.  (“I forgot how much I hate it here.”)

They pause to let a large procession of dwarves with heavy packs trundle past, and Imogen leans against Laudna, practically clinging to her arm.  Laudna has noticed how much closer Imogen stands nowadays, how she won’t let Laudna out of her sight, how she’ll always position herself between Laudna and the likely direction of danger — even if they’re just wandering a market in Jrusar.  She catches Imogen looking at her intently sometimes, but Imogen will look away just as fast.  Imogen will inch closer, then shake her head and avert her eyes.

She’s doing it right now, but this time Laudna doesn’t turn towards her, doesn’t give away that she’s noticed.  She keeps her eyes firmly fixed forward, until Imogen’s face is right up against hers and Imogen’s breath is tickling her cheek.  And just before they start walking again because the dwarves have passed, Imogen’s lips brush against Laudna’s cheek with the faintest accidental smacking sound.

Imogen does look away then, embarrassed.  She starts walking without looking back, tries to pull her hand out from Laudna’s, but their fingers catch, pinkies hooked around each other. And Laudna holds tight.  Imogen still won’t meet her eyes, but as they stroll through the Elder’s Post with Laudna’s hand on her own cheek, their little fingers stay wrapped together.

#critical role #imodna #fanfiction #prompt fill #thanks nonny!

[lambsouvlaki]

Hey its been a while are we gonna get more Jason and Andy and baby character who I’ve forgotten the name of

Much love tho I love your story

Jason and Sophie walked in from the rain. A chime played as they passed the threshold of the small shop and a wave of warm air enveloped them. Soft instrumental music played.  

He was holding his baby girl’s hand as she stomped along next to him with big exaggerated strides. 

“I like puddles,” she informed him seriously. 

“Then I have good news for you about the city we live in, kitten,” he said, and he pulled out a tissue to gently wipe her face. She scrunched up her nose but let him without complaint. 

She turned three in one month and was tall for her age. She wore her favourite yellow rain boots, a red tutu and green wool tights under her bright orange rain coat. Curly black hair frizzed out from under a yellow beanie. She was daddy’s favourite little traffic light. 

“Good morning,” a lady behind the counter called when they were done. They were the only people there. “How can I help you?”

“It’s mommy’s birthday,” Sophie declared. “We need presents.”

Jason picked her up and put her on his hip. She wrapped one arm around his shoulder and looked at the sales lady. 

The woman smiled. “Is it? And what are we getting for mommy today?”

“A flower cup.” 

“What are flower cups called, baby?” Jason asked.

Sophie stared back at him, unimpressed. 

“A big flower cup.” 

He rolled his eyes.

“A vase maybe?” the lady suggested.

Sophie sniffed. “Marlow broke the blue one with his tail.”

“Then right this way, miss, let me show you what we have.” 

Jason put her down and she marched with purpose to the clean white shelves with vases and beauty products on them. He told her not to touch any of them until she decided and then wait for him to come and get it.

“She’s a treasure,” the lady said conspiratorially to him.

“Yeah.” He smiled at his daughter. She had stuck one knuckle in her mouth and studied her options seriously. 

“Did you have your eyes on anything else?” the lady asked. She casually rearranged her hair. 

“You guys have spa packages, right? Massages and skin treatments, all that stuff?”

“Of course,” she said, sliding back behind the counter. “Are you looking for a couples experience or…?”

He shook his head. She leaned forward on the desk and produced a pamphlet and explained their offerings. 

He wanted the best, most premium experience for Andy, but by the looks of things that was some kind of clay body wrap thing. She didn’t like the texture of clay masks on her face. She still did them, but it was with dread and resignation every time. This was meant to be relaxing for her, not maintenance, but the kind of pampering she secretly liked but would never buy for herself. 

“This one.” He pointed to the menu. “With all the add ons please.”

“She’s a lucky lady.” 

“That’s the idea.” His lips turned up in a crooked smile. “I’m the lucky one really.” One weekend’s worth of pampering was nothing compared to the joy she brought to his life. The amount of bs she put up with for him. 

The lady cooed. “Don’t be so hard on yourself. Not a lot of men put the effort in, you know. You must be an attentive partner.”

His head snapped around to stare at Sophie. She snatched her hand back from a tall glass vase. He narrowed his eyes and she held her hands behind her back and bit her lip. 

He turned back to the sales lady. She looked a little disgruntled.

“So that’s the Day Dream Package for your wife. And what can I get for you?” 

“It’s not my birthday,” he snorted. And Andy wasn’t his wife. 

The lady bit the end of her pen. “Doesn’t mean you can’t want anything.”

He paused. He did want something. 

He looked back at his daughter. She was camped in front of the vase she wanted, her arms crossed and her expression a tiny copy of her mother’s. She waited with what looked like patience but was really iron resolve. Once she knew what she wanted she would not be moved until she got it, no matter how long she had to wait. 

“Sophie,” he called. 

“Yes?”

“I’m going to propose to your mom.”

The lady looked to the heavens. 

“Okay,” Sophie said. She pointed. “I want this one.” 

“Good choice honey,” he said, and swung her up into his arms. “She’ll love it.” 

#sales lady: giggles and bites her lip and twirls her hair around her finger #Jason: 🥰 I love my wife 🥰 #jason todd #red hood #jason todd x oc #red hood x oc #my fanfic #dc #fluff #kid fic #dad!jason #thanks nonny!

[imruination]

I get what you are trying to say but Darkling did not love Alina. He loved her power. He saw not value in her as her own person. Yes, the Darkling and Alina’s dynamic is complicated but it’s not supposed to be seem as a “romantic undertone” is abuse, is gaslighting, is a man using his power on a vulnerable teenager. The OP was asking the right questions. That phase should NOT be romanticized because it’s pure evil and disgusting. It should not be interpreted as “grey”. Abuse is abuse. There’s not layers to consider, especially coming from the darkling. This is a years old being that has mastered the arts of manipulation, not a teenager or a simple person.

** TW ABUSE**

Hi nonny. Not gonna lie, the first thing I did when I read this ask was laugh because I spend every day trashing the darkling as a person, and suddenly I’m defending him? What is happening? It’s much more complicated then that though. I’m gonna link you to this post if you’re interested because I think it’s very relevant.

I want to start this off by saying that if I say something that comes across as controversial, I am speaking from my own personal experience with abuse in real life, and not because I think the darkling is an innocent baby.

I mentioned liking the romantic undertone of d/arklina in the books BECAUSE it was very problematic. One of my favorite themes in Shadow and Bone is power and corruption. If Mal represents Alina’s old life, and her tether to humanity, then the Darkling is the opposite. He is immortality and unlimited power no matter the cost. It’s a complete disconnect from the average human population, from little poor orphan girls. I like that the darkling manipulates her, and attempts to seduce her because that’s what power does. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. It tricks you into wanting more and more until you’ve crossed a line that you weren’t even aware was there.

I personally don’t believe in the idea of “pure evil” in real life, and by extension realistic characters. I think ideals can be evil. Behaviors can be evil. I do not believe humans are born evil, and whatever behaviors they are exhibiting are likely something they have learnt from the world around them. Does that make the behavior okay? Of course not. They are still a person though.

In real life I completely understand why it would be comforting to view something like abuse as very black and white, and it’s really not my business how someone deals with something that traumatized them. For myself though, one of the hardest lessons I’ve had to learn in my life is that abusers aren’t evil, they’re just people. If there are no layers, and the abuser is just inherently a bad person, I am not holding them accountable for all of the choices they have repeatedly made.

I have to disagree, I think the Darkling did love Alina. I believe he yearned for nothing more than an equal and a companion. The hero to his monster, without which neither could be complete. But what he was yearning for was a lie.

I like Baghra’s quote on this being “Know that I loved you, know that it wasn’t enough.” She learned how to love from a toxic family, and a toxic environment towards all people like her. Aleksander learned to love from Baghra. You can love someone and still abuse them. You can love someone and try an control them. You can love someone and choose power over them.

It’s all very ironic. Love can be toxic and all consuming to an unhealthy degree, and that’s the very thing that lead to the Darkling’s downfall. I don’t see this as romanticizing abuse (again from someone who’s been through it). Real people are grey. He should have wants and goals and feelings as a character, that doesn’t mean he’s even redeemable. It’s tragic.

The darkling wasn’t able to stop the cycle of generational trauma and violence. He was once a young boy who wanted love and equality. He grew into a centuries old man who abused those around him to meet his goals. He perpetuated violence.

But who does succeed in breaking that cycle? Alina. Like it or not, the entire point is that she could eventually grow into the mirror image of the Darkling. It’s all about individual choices. She does not have to return the darkling’s love and team up with him just to make herself look brighter. She does not have to risk it all for power. She does not have to throw every part of that little orphan girl away until she’s unrecognizable. But she so easily could. And that’s terrifying.

Mercy is at the end of the day, Alina’s true super power. She does see that scared little boy inside of Aleksander, and that’s a good thing!!! Not so she can be in love with him and live behind some white picket fence, but so she won’t repeat his mistakes. She sees the darkling as a human just like everyone else. If she didn’t, I think that might be very bad for everyone.

#tw abuse #i love literary analysis #and I managed not to get too personal so I’m proud of myself #thanks nonny! #shadow and bone #anti darkling #anti darklina #sab #alina starkov #Aly answers #anonymous

[i-am-the-oyster]

9

9 - A Beatles picture that makes you angry/sad

Oh dear.

My mind immediately goes to images of John in 1970, just after his "treatment" with Janov.

For some reason I've always been very sensitive to repressed male anger -- thankfully I've never had any angry/violent men in my life, maybe partly because of this instinct? -- but I can sense it immediately like a miasma around them.

Images of John in this era set off all those alarm bells. Look at the difference between these two images:

John has similar facial expressions in both, but the one on the left makes me feel in danger.

And it's so sad, because he was so sensitive and full of love. I wish he could have had all the care and treatment he needed.

#ask game #thanks nonny!

[reds-burrow]

I just want to express gratitude to you for how you handled your latest ask. The question of what our real self is, the version of us that we are when we are in crisis or the version of us when we are at our best is what I've been thinking about for years. And it caused me real harm. Let me explain. I belong to a 'tough' country where you are constantly probed for stress resistance, any personality trait is only considered 'yours' if you don't allow it to be changed by anxiety/stress/fear at all. People will say things like 'Yeah no, if you were logical/smart/ you'd perfectly logical during a *insert stressful situation here*. But the thing is, everyone is irrational during stress, it's human nature. Also, the factors of stress are often decided not by personality but by our role in society. That's why women/disabled people/minorities are considered overemotional - there are just more stress factors in their environment but more privileged people don't see them and dismiss them as 'emotion'. And it brought real harm to my understanding of self and other people too. Think of it that way - when all trees stand with cut branches, you no longer can tall the differences between trees. So don't type yourself by negatives - stress, depression and etc. Type yourself by what you do best. It's actually more logical too because the world only cares about you bring to the table, not living up to some kind of ideal. We all are cogs, in a good sense of word. A cog is defined by its function, not malfunction. And even if it's malfunction you should be determined what it is for and it's important for the whole mechanism.

(This is in response to this post.)

Thanks for sharing your take on this! You make some very good points.

In fact, you've reminded me of a conversation I recently had with someone who I had guided through the sorting process. They were having a very Burnt Secondary day, the type of day where they would say they don't feel like they have any function, a cog without spokes to follow your metaphor. They were trying to ask if I was sure that they were a Badger Secondary and not a Snake because of all the shortcuts they had been taking in their schoolwork, so I had to remind them that they were using up all their energy fighting their depression. Of course, they didn't have energy to do the hard work that they usually would have wanted to do. I pointed to what they did on good days and the activities they do for fun or for relaxation. And then I pointed to their regrets, to the way all these shortcuts stressed them out. It was understandable that they didn't feel like they were living up to a Badger Secondary, but when they're feeling healthy, it's clear that that is what they use.

Idioms that claim you see people's true natures when they're cornered have always sat wrong with me. The truth is, when you corner someone, all you get is cornered behavior. That is never the whole picture of who someone is.

#sortinghatchats #ask response #thanks nonny! #the secondaries #burnt secondary

[reallydumbdannyphantomaus]

okay question for you: Whats your favorite thing about this blog? Just qurious.

hhhhhhhhh sorry been a little busy but wanted to reply even if a bit late

mostly, i really like the community aspect of this blog. because, while a lot of the content is Bug Original(TM) there are also a lot of submissions. this make the blog feel like a fun little collaboration. i get to see so much cool and funny stuff as a result, and i've made real friendships through this blog as well, people who i dearly love talking to and making memes and fic with/for. plus, without this blog, i'd never have seen @lexosaurus spell vanilla like vinella

#bug posts #replies #not dp #thanks nonny!

[mean-scarlet-deceiver]

Hi! Huge fan of your fics, kinda new to Tumblr. Do you ship any of the engines (if you don’t mind me asking?) 

Hey, thanks for dropping a line!

I was a non-shipper for quite a while, then I started dabbling. I'm open to lots of different (and conflicting) ships but some of the ones that I'm most committed to are:

Thomas/Bertie

Edward/BoCo

Henry/Bear

Percy/Harold

Duck/Donald

Douglas/Toad/Oliver

Mavis/Salty

Also, if you trawl my archives long enough, you’ll see occasional references to Toby/Diesel and James/Porter. And you might wonder: Wait, are they f***in' serious? The official answer is that the former is just for a lark (specifically, for a dare)… but the latter I am indeed pretty serious about. ;)

#unless i'm choosing instead to interpret james as. like. diesel-sexual. and in denial about it. #actually no matter what i tend to see james as just having no idea how to handle feelings for another engine #(this makes 'old iron' so much more fun to read but. like. i actually think it's more interesting if james/edward is not endgame.) #(and it takes james several more decades to grow to the point of not simply torching a relationship whenever he is beset with a crush.) #(... and to me that's where porter comes in lol.) #(coz usually james is the confused and confusing pursuer. and it's weirdly healthy for him to have a cool new yorker pursue *him* instead #but in like a pokerfaced and noncommittal way. and james is the one driven insane for a change.) #also toby/henrietta is super valid ofc and usually i favor it #but sometimes i honestly list instead towards henrietta/elsie and toby is just. like. their gay best friend #(whom they are CONSTANTLY trying to set up with another engine. (but they have the most shite taste.)) #aw fork i was so proud of keeping this response short and sweet and now look at what i'm doing to the tags #thanks nonny! #i would love if you shared your own fave ships #chatter #ttte shipping