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cozycottagetarot · 3 months

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The Next Chapter Of Your Life

How To Pick A Pile:

Everyone has their own technique for choosing a 'pile'. My recommendation is to clear your mind and focus on each image for a few seconds. The image you find yourself coming back to even when you focus on the other images is the pile for you.

Quick notes on this reading:

It's a long one -- This reading is a lot longer (I think) than what I typically post. I'd appreciate any feedback on the length since it's something I'm experimenting with. The pile titles are colour-coded -- Hopefully, it helps make scrolling to the next section quicker.

Each pile references multiple scenarios -- some scenarios came through stronger than others, but I did my best to write what I was getting to be applied to situations not mentioned.

‼️ THIS READING IS MEANT FOR SELF-REFLECTION AND ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY -- While this reading does contain a bit of advice and reflective questions, IT'S IN NO WAY SHAPE OR FORM MEANT TO REPLACE PROFESSIONAL ADVICE OF ANY KIND. Please use your discretion, think carefully before you act and only take what resonates be it a little, some or none at all. (The usual disclaimer is at the bottom).

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PILE 1 (Scrapbook)

Who are you? Cards: The Poet, The Founder rev, The Queen of Roses

This pile may be the pile for you if any of the following resonates:

Wanting to connect or being very connected to your loving, nurturing and supportive side. You've been receiving messages or sensing that a new connection is on the horizon. Motherhood/parenthood or marriage. Seeking resolutions to a relationship. Leaving behind relationships that have been in your life forever. Giving too much to others. Ending toxic relationships. Finding or wanting freedom. Finding your voice. Finding you. Tapping into your creative side. A quest for happiness.

If none of these individual sentences resonate feel free to check out a different pile.

Who will you become throughout this next chapter? Cards: The Muse, The Gambler

You will begin to bloom. Maybe not fully, but you’ll be more open to taking the necessary steps (which may feel like risk) to flourish. The end result will be you tapping into your creativity and creator energy. But also putting in the work, and changing your approach. I pulled all the cards at once so being able to take in all the cards at once, it’s this sense of making you happen. Gone will be the sense of being who you think you should or are expected to be. You’ll be gaining a new sense of self that is brighter and more wild. The risk is non-existent. It’s more perceived. It seems like a risk to indulge in the aspects of yourself that may seem like they’re more whimsy, but by actually making those things happen, you will transform into someone who can inspire themself. You won’t have to look for inspiration elsewhere, you’ll have it there within you.

How will you find success? Cards: 3 of Keys (The Chess Game), The King rev

Through changing your tactic. This chapter won’t necessarily be easy. There will be conflict with those around or above you, especially if this relates to career or relationships, possibly even both. Detach from the situation and be objective. Waiting for your opening will be the key to your success. For some, it’s a situation where everyone is only looking out for themself and I’m picking up that it's creating a stalemate. With the king reversed, you know what’s best in the situation but someone with more authority than you or a level of seniority if this is a personal relationship thinks they know better but they don’t. It’s about being firm and holding your own as well as not letting your emotions, or the part of you that’s super connected to the situation, get the best of you and influence you to make rash decisions.

Challenges you may meet: Cards: The Astronomer, The Orator, Reflection rev.

I see the biggest challenge here for you being one of mastering yourself in this next chapter. There’s a battle between your emotions and your intuition. To navigate this you need to have a conversation with yourself and determine why you’re having such strong emotions. Where are these feelings stemming from? The astronomer card is here to remind you that whatever the situation is, it’s not really about the past-- it’s not going to help you navigate this chapter. Especially if you’ve been acting according to what’s expected of you when the current/upcoming situation(s) requires you to do what is true to you. I hope I'm not repeating myself too much here, but the challenge becomes exploring the why behind the emotions so you can better make decisions and listen to your intuition. BUT, keep in mind that it doesn’t mean not to listen to your emotions at all.

Another message here is that working with other people may also show up as a challenge. There's a reminder to listen to other people's perspectives but also know that choosing to hear someone’s POV doesn’t mean you have to absorb it as yours either.

Finally, even when it gets tough, don’t doubt yourself. Take your time. It may seem like you have to have it all figured out and know what to say and which decision to make, but not really. It’s easy to feel that way when it feels like everything is at stake, but again, if you feel that way, pause and ask yourself why? Once you have your why, you can take on the world.

Lessons To Be Learned: Cards: The Painter, 8 of keys (the master artisan)

This definitely feels like it relates to career or passion projects, but of course, just adjust to your individual situation. It may or may not mean anything, but your cards have lots of florals.

Your lessons in this next chapter of life relate to learning to connect with yourself, speaking up and putting yourself out there. Your energy is one that makes me feel like you have such an amazing talent you're hesitant to embrace. You have so much to learn and just as much to offer... this is the beginning of that journey. Don’t be shy. There are opportunities out there waiting, you just have to figure out the way to pursue them that is most authentic to you. Even if it’s simply an opportunity to give love and kindness. I know I focused a lot on career and creativty, but this goes for relationships too. There is a lot of heavy energy covering this beautiful light-hearted one that just wants to break free. If you are considering going into teaching or taking up a teaching opportunity (not necessarily even in a formal education system) or enrolling in a course of some kind, I feel like this is a nod to say go for it. Especially pottery or beadwork? Trade work as well, maybe even culinary school or food-related skills. (I could be projecting there on the culinary aspect though as that's what I did and the imagery on the card reminds me of it).

Advice to take with you in this next chapter: The hound and pear (loyalty) — This card is always a bittersweet card whenever I see it. The message here is one of loyalty and friendship. A new relationship (of any kind), one founded on friendship, is precious but also delicate. Don't make irrevocable decisions based on conclusions. It must be treated with care on both sides because it can be damaged easily.

The deer and oat (healing) — Rest and recharge. Moderation and mindfulness are also key for recovering from difficult or intense situations. Ask yourself, how you can rest and nurture yourself?

The snake and fern (starting over) — it’s time to finish breaking free from the past so you can become something new. So you can return to your true self. What has protected you and brought you to this point? Are you in a position to release it? Are there any parts of your past self that you can regrow from (like snipping off part of a plant that may be unhealthy and leaving the rest so it can re-catch itself, not sure why I picked that analogy) or must you grow anew? (Planting a new seed, from the old plant. The essence is still there but a completely new plant will grow)

If you made it this far I appreciate it. Feedback is welcomed and if there's a topic you'd like me to cover in a pac, feel free to let me know!

Pile 2 (Compass)

If you’re drawn to pile 1 feel free to check that out as well.

Who are you? Cards: The Oracle of Delphi, the Sentinel, the Forgotten

This pile may be the pile for you if any of the following resonates:

Intuitive. Connected to a higher power. Diety work. Past lives. Psychic powers. Perseverance. Fighting back. Confidence threatening to become arrogance. Dominance dancing on the lines of domineering. A force to be reckoned with. Someone who's sometimes brash. Amor fati (love of fate). An academic. Dreamlight Valley. Self-esteem issues (past or present). Someone who was looked past and from it learned not to try. Fear. Anxiety. A lost soul stumbling in the dark. Chaos. Morally grey. *You may be an avid reader or enjoy fantasy media as well.

My Overall Impression: You’re a force to be reckoned with and reckon you will. Your energy is just pure power and chaos. I low-key feel like you’re battling with life/the universe (call it what you prefer, that’s just how I prefer to call it). There’s this energy of "Try me" and the universe is like "I got one for you, watch and see". But there’s no malice. I just get fed-up vibes from you and the response from life is like "Okay 👀, but chill." Enemies to lovers with life itself.

Who will you become throughout this next chapter? Cards: The Ark of the Covenant, Beith — Birth, The Queen, The Assassin

The Queen and The Assassin flew out with such fury! You’re going to become someone worthy of wearing a crown. But it comes at a price, though it’s not one you can sit around and sulk about. The next chapter of your life reminds me of being forged in fire. Now you’re stepping into the role and identity of someone who can achieve your goals. It’s dark at times, but you’re gaining the skills to do what you want to do and I get the feeling this "thing" you're meant to do is one you may feel on a deep or soul level. (It is) fulfilling a higher calling or purpose. At the very least, you’re becoming someone who has decided that this is the last time they repeat a cycle.

You’re working towards something more and it feels like by the end of this chapter, you’ll be granted a brief reprieve. There’s still more work to be done though. You’re stepping into a new era where so much will grow from you. For some of you, a new romantic relationship is coming in and/or you're expanding your family-- that includes found family as well.

How will you find success?

Cards: 4 of Roses (views of the ego) the Witch. Rev

The first message that comes through is that your success lies in cutting someone off. Someone selfish and self-absorbed to be exact. It’s a relationship you’ve stayed in too long... they could have had some kind of hold over you, not necessarily in a controlling way, but they could have meant something on a deep level which could have been why you held on. You may have done a lot you’re not happy with because you’ve done it with this person in mind. Cutting ties with them grants you success as it allows you to focus on what’s truly important to you.

The other message with the witch reversed is the importance of remembering that while you’re forging your own path, it’s okay to look to others who have made it or 'gotten out'. Maybe they haven’t gone through the exact same thing, but it doesn’t mean there isn’t wisdom in the stories of others who’ve forged through and paved their own way as well. Pile one was about breaking away from the expected, but you’re being called to review what is expected and see if there’s anything worth considering. Kind of like shopping around for inspiration? You might come across someone else's story and it might spark an idea within you on how to navigate your own.

Challenges you may meet-- Cards: The Tailor Rev, The Scribe

Your challenges in this next chapter involve trying not to force your will upon the flow of your life and refining your focus. I know, I said forged in fire. There’s an imbalance of sorts... instead of firing and hoping you hit the target (your goal), you need to pause and take a good look at what’s working vs what isn’t. The 'wheel of life' worksheet/exercise comes to mind but I personally hate that exercise so much. I bring it up because it allows you to get a visual of what areas of your life you've been focusing on vs neglecting and pinpoint which areas of your life you’re lacking in. From there you can further assess and gain a better grasp on what you should be focusing on. After all, you can do anything, but you can’t do everything.

With the scribe, you may need to study or fine-tune your skills regarding a specific matter more. Here, there's something you need to learn to influence your life in the way you want, but you have to take the time to figure out what it is that you need to learn. It doesn’t have to be formal learning either. It could be something such watch a YouTube video, reading a book or article, or even taking a free online course or masterclass. Nothing is too big or too small here, as long as it's helping you to develop to get from point A to B.

Lessons To Be Learned:

Cards: 8 or scrolls (path unknown), the diviner, the puppeteer

The 8 of scrolls here reminds you that you’ve been travelling on a path where you know the outcomes, but to get to where you want to be sometimes requires walking down paths that may mean you don’t know what’s going to happen until it happens. At the same time, that’s how opportunities we didn’t know we needed arise. In the card imagery, there’s a basket next to the girl filled with scrolls, the same type of scrolls pictured in the scribe card. I think for you it’s learning the skill or information I mentioned that is going to help you feel more confident and assured on this path you’re following. You’ve got the energy of the queen archetype (regardless of gender), and though it may be a challenge, you’ve equipped yourself with the skills necessary to go after what you want. You’ll have what it takes 100% to move on to the next phase (after this one we're talking about).

The Diviner is about divine timing and evaluation. Here you’ve done all that you can with what is in your control. What’s left now is waiting for your desires outcomes to come to fruition. While you can’t rush or force things, you can make sure you set yourself up for success when you get it. So let's say you're waiting on receiving a sum of money, in the meantime you can learn/brush up on the skills to manage money etc.

Finally with the puppeteer, mending relationships could also be a lesson. Although I think it’s more about learning to interact with others better? But also remembering that sometimes apologies can mend relationships and other times they can’t. Going back to that relationship mentioned way before, it could be a matter of "are you willing to forgive the other person if they were to apologise and see the error of their ways?" (Though with the type of person mentioned that may be unlikely but, who knows).

Another possibility with the assassin card is that you may ruffle feathers at some point, so you may learn the power or limits of an apology in that sense as well.

Advice to take with you in this next chapter:

The Finch and Peach (romance) — romance is on its way to you. Things to ponder on could be: do you feel ready to welcome love into your life? What are some things that make you feel loved/how do you like to receive love?

The Marten and Foxglove (mischief) — this card asks you to stay open to opportunities that allow you to tap into your playful side, be spontaneous or travel. Ask yourself how can you make room for spontaneity? (It could be through trying new foods, reading a different genre, visiting a place you wouldn’t typically visit, changing up your daily routine etc). Also are you at a point where you can open yourself to new adventures, big or small?

The Boar and Pumpkin (confidence) — You’re not wrong to be confident in yourself, don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Take a moment to acknowledge your accomplishments and think about what you’ve done that you’re proud of (doesn’t always have to be tangible, it can also be mindsets, situations you’ve walked from etc).

The Snake and Fern (starting over) — Again, if you were drawn to pile one, I suggest you check that out. Here this card nods to beginning a new and asks you to see if there are any parts of yourself you can return to, or if it’s time to completely start anew and discover yourself from scratch.

If you made it this far I appreciate it. Feedback is welcomed and if there's a topic you'd like me to cover in a pac, feel free to let me know!

Pile 3 (The Trunks/Suitcase)

Who are you? Cards: The Smith, The Twins, The Lookout, The Askashic Library, 3 of Forces (Bird’s Nest)

This pile may be the pile for you if any of the following resonates:

The overthinker. Having a twin or prominent Gemini placements. If you're considering something you’ve been wanting to do for a while but keep putting off. A relationship with someone in which you both started on the same path but they went in another direction. Holding onto resentment. Feel like everything is up in flames. Writing. Seeking self-awareness. Manifesting. Intuitive. *Read that book you’ve been meaning to read. Needing a backup plan. Expanding. Hopeful prospects.

*If this doesn't feel like your pile, and you were eyeing pile 4, definitely check it out. This pile was actually the last I pulled and the hardest to read for and it felt like many aspects of it related to other piles as well. I recommend checking out a secondary pile in general if you were drawn to one.

Who will you become throughout this next chapter? Cards: The Waker, The Runaway, The Warrior (Sorry, I forgot to write down some of the cards 🤦‍♀️, I believe it was 'Fated Meeting' and 'Queen of Scrolls')

You’re becoming someone who is becoming centred/aligned and more intuitive. Your internal world and external world are going to become more connected. Connected to your ‘higher self’ as well, it’s going to be you vs you (levelling up). You’re going to become someone who can face the things you’ve been running from head-on.

That thing you’ve been putting off, you’re going to be able to finally put into action. Coming into being filled with inspiration, clarity and direction. This is especially if you’re considering careers/education, or projects in the fields of writing, publishing, marketing, communication, counselling or teaching. If you’re seeking a mentor, this person could help guide you to becoming this way. It could also be someone in your life already that may help you who is in one of these fields.

For a select few of you, you’re becoming the version of you that was meant to meet your person. If it’s not a romantic partner, then you’re coming into contact with a soulmate (meant as someone you have a ‘soul bond’ with).

Where Will You Find Success? Cards: 4 of Keys (Clearing The Way), Reflection, The Cartographer rev, The Weaver

If you find yourself prone to many different avenues of ideas and project but never settling on one, you’re going to find your success through settling on one thing and focusing on it. It’s time for you stop buckle down and stick with one of those brilliant ideas of yours and make it happen.

Also while it may be time for you to focus on one thing professionally or creatively, when it comes to yourself, it’s time to embrace all the pieces of you that seem random. It reminds me of this post I saw a couple of days ago about how we don't have to force ourselves fit perfectly into an aesthetic... that it's okay to have and embrace parts of your personality that are completely left field of the other bits that go hand in hand. So for some of you, maybe it’s time to embrace all the pieces of you that don’t go together neatly. Maybe that’s why you have these ideas and start them and then ditch them, because you’re a multifaceted being and you’re not allowing yourself to be so and that is the way it manifests in your life? Maybe it’s time to learn how to let all the sides of you coexist without getting lost. Food for thought maybe?

Regardless, it’s time to remove distractions that are holding you back. Tap into your intuition. Become more aware of your emotions. There's a sense of self-mastery is needed here.

Challenges You May Meet? Cards: The Pathless, The Miser, 1 of Scrolls (On Track), Up In The Air, 6 of Forces (The Waterfall) rev

Your challenges kind of relate to the things that were mentioned already. Being in your head, overthinking things, being unable to settle, but also trying to avoid falling into a headspace where you’re being pessimistic and stubborn. Just because you stick to one thing doesn’t mean you can’t shift and adjust your approach. And if you find that you’re really stuck don’t be afraid to just take a step back. If this is all relating to something where other people are giving you their unsolicited advice, don’t be afraid to brush it off and say “Hey, I might have hit a block but trust that I know what I’m doing”. Another scenario is to not internalise any unsolicited advice or opinions because I feel like that could be a trigger for getting lost in your head for some of you.

For overthinking, it'll be about learning to accept that you won’t be able to know the exact outcome of certain things. If you’re working with someone else, then feeling like you are in control or that you have a say may be the challenge. For others, the challenge may simply be making the decision or committing. It could also be coming to terms with the fact that you waited so long to pursue this goal.

Lessons To Be Learned: Cards: The Brawler, The Forgotten, 2 of Roses (The Winged Messengers), Uriel and the Sphinx, the king of roses

With the Forgotten you’ll learn that you can’t be afraid of mistakes. Mistakes help you grow. You'll come to realise how much fear has been holding you back. There's also learning how to make something out of your anxiety. Learning not to run from conflict or maybe how to properly address it could also be another lesson. This could be regarding internal conflict or conflict with another person as I am getting multiple scenarios come up.

Again there's a message here that for some of a romantic suitor specifically coming in. Overall for everyone there’s an important relationship making its way into your life. The mentor shows up as a neutral energy throughout the reading (or balanced feminine and masculine). Their energy is thoughtful, nurturing/comforting and supportive.

Advice — The Goat and Willow (overdoing obstacle) — even though there are losses to suffer, you can overcome them with renewed energy and the right balance. When obstacles appear, prioritise realigning yourself with your goals. You can even get ahead of the game and brainstorm ways to handle potential obstacles before they arise. The Chipmunk and Laurel (success) — Your path to success will be a unique one, one you have to create on your own, but there will be adventures along the way. The Elk and Ash (strength) — Don’t be afraid to fight back when met with a challenge.

If you made it this far I appreciate it. Feedback is welcomed and if there's a topic you'd like me to cover in a pac, feel free to let me know!

Pile 4 (The plane around the world)

CW: Brief implication of strong language

Who are you? Cards: The storyteller, the mascareri, 1 of roses (commitment), 6 of roses (the war of roses)

This pile may be the pile for you if any of the following resonates:

Someone who struggles with the 'self'. You may hide your true self and struggle to accept others' true selves. For you, you could spend a lot of time crafting your persona. For some of you you maybe in positions where you delegate to others or are responsible for others' behaviour (managerial or boss positions). Some of you could work with kids or want to work with kids. Putting on a mask. Neurodivergence. You could enjoy writing or be a writer of some kind. The arts. Struggling with a partnership (romantic or business), trying to balance honouring yourself and their wishes? Conflicted about a relationship. Feeling like there's a battle between your head vs your heart.

Who will you become throughout this next chapter? Cards: 4 of Scrolls rev (The Karmic Trenches), The Patron rev, The poet You’re becoming someone with so much to offer and is still looking to grow. However, people may want to take advantage of that. Becoming someone who doesn’t hesitate and is in love with life. Embracing that life is imperfect. Becoming more vulnerable. Finding like-minded people. Embracing happiness. Tapping into your creative spirit. There could be an ending of some kind, though you didn’t want it, it brought a world full of new opportunities. You're finally breaking a pattern but also having the awareness to know when you’re tip-toeing along the lines of going back. Coming out of the dark. This sense of being healed on multiple levels and being able to finally experience joy.

Where will you find success? Cards: The Astronomer Rev, The Hound, 5 of forces (summer/winter), 7 of keys (The Ascent) You’re going to be finding success through setting long-term goals. If this is about a financial situation especially, then also finding a balance between focusing on what is necessary and not letting the 'wishlist' desires lead you astray. It can apply to any situation in general though. Focusing on what’s necessary and the things you would like to do coming afterwards.

There's also a matter of assessing where your loyalties or priorities lie and releasing habits, relationships, and ideas that are no longer serving you. Loyalty and staying true to your word might be something you value heavily and stand by, but I also see you finding success in this next chapter of your life by realising, you know what, sometimes you have to cut your ties, count any losses and move on because staying is only doing more harm than good. For some of you who have a relationship in mind or the relationship part resonated with you, this is especially true.

Taking action in general will bring success. This chapter could either close out or begin in the summer, or summer will mark an important time for you. With the 7 of keys, your success is guaranteed as long as you put in the work.

Challenges You May Meet: Cards: The Founder, The Shepard, 3 of Scrolls (Setting Your Course), Caught in The Ruins With The Founder, a challenge you might run into is needing to put yourself before someone else who is asking you for your help, although I'm also feeling it maybe asking you to put them first. You might struggle to determine whether or not you should offer them your help. The Shepard urges you to step up and take the lead when others need guidance. However, I think the best question to ask is what kind of person do you have to show up as in order to offer them your support? And also what type of person do you have to show up as to meet your goals? I’d say make a decision on how to proceed based on whether the two can successfully coincide or not.

A lot of different situations come up in this pile— relationships, career/finance, behaviours… but the common theme here seems to come down to mindset. Whatever the situation is that has you feeling trapped, you have to realise that it’s not definitive, even if it seems that way in your head. It seems like a lot of what is going on, and what you have to overcome, is self-sabotage and realising that just because you’ve always done something a certain way or a situation has always played out that way, doesn’t mean it will always be that way. You have the power to change; the challenge here simply lies in picking yourself up and dusting yourself off. There’s so much more out there for you than what you’re seeing right now. If relocating or travelling, especially where you have to cross the ocean, is something you’re hoping to do, then the end of this chapter we’re discussing in this reading might be the beginning of that next chapter in your life.

Lessons To Be Learned: Cards: 3 of Roses (Loving Elementals), 5 of Roses (The Garden)

The lessons here are about having a sense of child like wonder, and learning to find joy and exploration in life. Being able to laugh and play and find inspiration once more. If any of you have been thinking about starting a family (not necessarily right away) then it’s likely that this chapter will set you up for that. If not then I think a matter of legacy here. Being exposed to opportunities to nurture and grow the future you desire.

You’ll learn that sometimes you are the one who has to be the catalyst to change your life. I love this line from the guidebook of my Citadel Orcale cards regarding the catalyst. It says “ You are the bolt of lightning that topples the tower”. If you think about the Tower card in the traditional tarot deck, there’s lightning striking the tower and setting it on fire. Whenever it comes up it talks about upheaval and there’s often a sense of “oh great, something’s about to come **** up my life” but maybe [we] should consider that we’re not always the tower, but instead, we are the lightning. You have to make the decision to do or become something different, even if goes against what you've always known or what everyone tells you you should do.

What’s also important is not dwelling on past mistakes or regrets, it’s about learning from what happened and using it to make a better decision. Stop doubting yourself and overthink until your head hurts. Give yourself some grace and self-compassion. Take your time, changing isn’t going to happen overnight and often times we have to adjust to who we’re allowing ourselves to become.

Advice to take with you in this next chapter:

The Bee and Pomegranate (productivity) rev — If you find yourself struggling with procrastination, don’t be afraid to rest a while before giving whatever it is another go. Consider what makes you productive as well as what you can do to change why you’re not feeling productive towards another task.

The Racoon and Sycamore (curiosity) — The time is now to do some self-exploration. Explore new interests and hobbies as well as take time to think about how you’ve evolved and how you’d like to further evolve.

The Finch and Peach (romance) — Love is on its way to you. (I did kind of feel like it’s romantic love but it wasn't a prominent message in the reading.)

The Bear and Cedar (leadership) — You’re being guided towards leadership opportunities but remember to ‘rule’ with fairness and care. Ask yourself how can you be a better leader? Who can benefit from your knowledge and experience?

If you made it this far I appreciate it. Feedback is welcomed and if there's a topic you'd like me to cover in a pac, feel free to let me know!

*** Disclaimer: All readings and tarot/blog games are for fun and entertainment purposes only. It is in no way meant to act as or replace professional advice of any kind. You know yourself and what’s going on in your life best so I ask that you trust yourself above all else. Finally please take only what resonates from the reading which may be some of it, all of it, or none at all.

#pick a card #pick a pile #pick a card reading #pac reading #pick a picture #pac #pick a pile reading #tarot reading #cozycottagetarot

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chisatowo · 2 years

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I'm thinking abt sci fantasy au worldbuilding, and I just realised there's a very possible series of events that could lead to Ako accidentally gaining the ability of communing with the earth itself, and I have no idea if I should go through with it or not, cause on one hand itd be funny and also a cool extra thing to sci fantasy Ako's name, but on the other hand it's such a big thing to be caused buy such a one off small thing djdnxhkdhdj

#rat rambles #band posting #sci fantasy au #ok so allow me to elaborate xjdmdhjd #basically I was thinking abt misaki and pareo species worldbuilding and how they dont dream like humans do #they like connect to the planet as they sleep which lead me to thinking abt how that would work on a planet thats not their own #I decided theyre not incompatible but theyd need a lil help within the dream state to settle in fully which pareo can get but not misaki #this made me think abt how their souls work compared to youre average human which then made me think abt how itd appear to rinko #since she can like see souls and stuff and would probably get a bit concerned if one of her fellow band's bear mascots had a fucked up soul #so then that made me think what if rinko asked ako to try and visit misaki's dreams to see if smth was up or if she was just overreacting #and then that made me think ok then how would that work #and I initially just though yeah misaki would probably be like half burried in the earth in there but like blocked by smth and ako would #just sorta be standing there and shed probably mess around with stuff and accidentally help misaki not be stuck halfway in allowing her to #actually sleep fully for once so thats nice #and then I was like wait. if ako's soul is bound to the dreamer that she visits and the dreamer temporarily became one with the planets #soul what would happen there??#I decided that she couldnt rly be fully assimimated into the earth since her soul isnt built for that but that the barrier between herself #and it would probably be greatly weakened at least from her literally being inside it #thats a complicated way of saying her and the earth would become besties (according to ako)#idk if this makes sense but hopefully my struggles are more clear now 😔

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piosplayhouse · 8 months

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Hi! I came across a post complaining about the guy yuri poll and discourse aside, I vaguely remember you made a post about what is yaoi and what is yuri? I dunno if I dreamed this post up, but I've scrolled and scrolled and I can't find it. So, I wanted to ask (if you don't mind answering >.<), what is yaoi/yuri? (beyond the basic definitions) What counts as guy yuri and girl yaoi?

Uwaa ok so I will say Im planning to actually write a paper on this but I haven't done much research yet so ask in a few months and you'll hopefully have a better answer with cited sources. But here is a bit of what I'm conceptualizing at this point (corrections and additions very welcome!)

What set me down this path really was of course the fantastic Yaoizine hosted by tshirt3000, which includes a rather poignant author's note about broadening the definition of yaoi in public to the abstraction. Indeed, the actual origin of the term "yaoi" is an acronym for "yamanashi, ochinashi, iminashi" (plotless, climaxless, meaningless) from 70s doujinshi spheres wherein it was used as a somewhat self-degrading term to define a specific type of porn-without-plot self-indulgent indie fancomic. These were of course, mostly of the male-male variety. However, as the Yaoizine makes clear, there's not really an inherent gendering within the word in any sense but genre expectation-wise. This becomes particularly salient in the case of perhaps one of the most famous wlw romances out there, Revolutionary Girl Utena. Tshirt cites an interview with the creator of the anime, Ikuhara Kunihiko, where he refers to the relationship between the two main female characters (among other things) as yaoi, recontextualizing the term from merely a mlm genre into a statement on the dynamics of power and consumption as they relate to gender-- an act of sexual passion paired with a reversal of societal norms = yaoi in this case, which is why utenanthy fits perfectly within the term.

Conversely, yuri (lily) is a bit more difficult to analyze from a gender-neutral perspective as it originated not as a counterpart to yaoi, but instead as a counterpart to bara (rose, a term used to refer to erotic gay male content) used when lesbians would write in to gay magazines trying to hook up and whatnot. However, it's pretty agreed upon that the genre grew out of Class S literature, a type of literature based on girls, often senpai and kouhai, going to an all-girls school together and experiencing a connection that straddles the thin line between romance and homosociality. Homosociality like this among women has historically been and to this day remains somewhat under the radar and perceived as a "phase" or an amateur attempt at romance before a woman eventually marries a man. This is where we see significant overlap between pre/early modern Japanese male homosexual literature and lesbian literature, where homosexuality is seen as a youthful phase that will inevitably be grown out of (as in the case with the chigo system, LUG (lesbian before graduation), etc). Essentially, it was very common for the characters of early modern queer literature (mostly written by queer authors btw) to have brief and passionate schoolyard flings before graduating onto "normal" sexuality. Of course, these narratives fell out of style and are considered dead today, but their remnants can still be seen in the subsequent shojo and modern gl manga boom. The yuri that grew from this in the beginning was usually explicitly erotic, but still somewhat held onto the predominant themes of schoolgirl innocence and youthful beauty. Over time, meanings and terminology shifted, and the "yuri" we use today is more interchangeable with "gl", meaning it's not so much of an indicator of explicit content as "yaoi" is. However, I would still argue that one of the largest indicators of a story's "yuri factor" (if you could say that) is its ties to the establishing homosociality progressed into homoromantic relationship genre expectation. Of course, there are many wlw stories that subvert this, (as there are many mlm stories that subvert the yaoi or even bl template) but to me, if you were to compare yaoi and yuri's theming, yaoi's focus tends to skew more towards the intimacy in explicit eroticism, while yuri looks more into the implicit eroticism in intimacy. If that makes sense.

Of course, when looking into "boy yuri" there's also a transfem-coding factor to consider, which I think is what the majority of people have in mind when they refer to a couple as "boy yuri". Historically, there is massive precedent for feminization between male queer couples in historical Japanese literature, as well as in early modern relatives of bl, mainly Inagaki Taruho's work, so it would be somewhat disingenuous to say feminization is a purely modern, female-created phenomenon. But anyway, those are my (somewhat messy and likely inaccurate) thoughts so far, let me know what you all think. Have a happy yaoimas and merry new yuri, as they say.

#long post #long posts #really long post #really long posts #yaoi #yuri

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jozor-johai · 5 months

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Revisiting the Rat Cook, Part 1: The Best Pie, and Lord Lamprey

This is the first part of a series I've been sitting on for a while, where I'm going to examine the symbols and themes present in the "Rat Cook" story, as relayed by Bran in ASOS Bran IV, and search reappearances of those elements throughout the rest of ASOIAF.

This series is predicated on the understanding that these books are rich with intentional symbolism, metaphor, and allegory, and that the repetition of these symbols and themes adds to their meaning.

In general, the symbols that are present in ASOIAF are limited by their ability to be inserted into the plot of the story (i.e. if the symbol of a stag killing a direwolf is important, there must be a way in which the characters are able to encounter such a scene within the plot's context). However, the metadiegetic legends that exist in-world for the characters of ASOIAF are not beholden to the same restrictions, and because GRRM is able to invent these myths in their entirety without restrictions on any of the individual symbolic elements, we can trust that each separate element of these in-world myths was placed intentionally.

With that in mind, I believe we can use stories like that of the Rat Cook as a sort of "road map" when looking at the reappearance of these same symbols and themes elsewhere in the story; I believe the "Rat Cook" story is the most distilled example of these elements. I don't mean to say that every instance of "rats" references the Rat Cook directly, but that the Rat Cook story provides a place where Martin is able to use these symbols in their most abstract form and describe their relationship to each other, so that when we see them appear again elsewhere in ASOIAF we might better understand what we are being shown.

So, among other things, the Rat Cook story is about a rat which eats rats, or a cook who serves kings; The Rat Cook story is about fathers and sons, about cannibalism, about trust, about vengeance, and about damning one's legacy.

This is likely going to be a 9-part series, but ideally almost all of these parts will be able to stand on their own. Each post will inform the next as I build my analysis, but hopefully each individual post is also interesting in its own right.

RtRC Part 1: "The Best Pie You Have Ever Tasted" and "Lord Lamprey"

This opening part, for better or worse, is going to retread some well-discussed ground: the clear parallels between the "Rat Cook" story and the incident in which Lord Manderly serves certain overlarge pies in ADWD The Prince of Winterfell, a scene lovingly dubbed "Frey Pie". However, as well-established as this comparison is, I want to begin here so I can begin to introduce how a closer analysis of the Rat Cook themes are present in this uncontroversially parallel scene, and how they might add more depth to interpreting that moment.

Not only does the scene evoke the same imagery, serving pie to the Lords amidst conspicuously missing sons, but the connection becomes even more direct when Wyman Manderly looks directly to the camera and says, “Hey reader, if you’re wondering where those Freys are, think back to any scary stories you know about pie”.

Okay, he doesn’t actually say that, but it’s close enough, and as much of a nudge we’re like to get from Martin (and which still went over my head on my first read through). Instead he does the next best thing, cueing Abel to sing while staggering past our POV:

"We should have a song about the Rat Cook," he was muttering, as he staggered past Theon, leaning on his knights. "Singer, give us a song about the Rat Cook."

Manderly seems to acknowledge the similarities himself, and most have noticed as well.

However, making the comparison between the story of the Rat Cook and Manderly’s actions is particularly interesting in their differences.

There are many ways in which Manderly’s pies, as a mirror, are appropriately an inversion of certain elements in the Rat Cook myth.

Returning to the scene as we see it in ADWD The Prince of Winterfell:

“Ramsay hacked off slices with his falchion and Wyman Manderly himself served, presenting the first steaming portions to Roose Bolton and his fat Frey wife, the next to Ser Hosteen and Ser Aenys, the sons of Walder Frey. "The best pie you have ever tasted, my lords," the fat lord declared. "Wash it down with Arbor gold and savor every bite. I know I shall." “True to his word, Manderly devoured six portions, two from each of the three pies, smacking his lips and slapping his belly and stuffing himself until the front of his tunic was half-brown with gravy stains and his beard was flecked with crumbs of crust.”

Manderly takes on only some of the roles of the Rat Cook here. Despite his status as lord, he plays the role of the humble cook, personally serving Roose Bolton, Walda Bolton (née Frey), Hosteen Frey, and Aenys Frey, all standing in for the “Andal King”. In this way, the role of “Andal King” as someone who has official power and the role of “Rat Cook” as effectively powerless dissident are played out straightforwardly. Bolton and his allies are backed by their army and the authority of the crown while Manderly has no official backing of his own.

Wyman even physically resembles the Rat Cook; Wyman’s blue eyes indicate he is presumably pale, and Wyman is prodigiously large, to mimic the descriptor of “white, and almost as huge as a sow”.

However, like the “Andal King” himself, who had a “second slice” of his own son, it is Wyman Manderly, and not Bolton nor the Freys, who devours two portions from each of the pies. In this way, the roles have elements which are interchangeable.

Wyman is acting out both roles, which is especially interesting because in this comparison is a single most definitive contrast: The Rat Cook, most notably, is not punished for serving the pie, as "a man has a right to vengeance". Instead, he is punished for violating guest right.

Now, Wyman—who lost his son to the Freys at the Red Wedding—certainly has a “right to vengeance”, but betraying guest right is something which Wyman Manderly takes great pains not to do. Manderly conspicuously notes that he gave the three dead Freys guest gifts upon their parting, marking them as no longer guests under his roof, and subsequently, theoretically, freeing him to kill them. Manderly introduces the idea while Davos marks the distinction for the reader’s sake in ADWD Davos IV:

“The Freys came here by sea. They have no horses with them, so I shall present each of them with a palfrey as a guest gift. Do hosts still give guest gifts in the south?" "Some do, my lord. On the day their guest departs.”

The Freys, on the other hand, as executors of the Red Wedding, are the most notable violators of guest right, while the Boltons contributed their part as well; both are being punished for that sin by Manderly-the-Rat-Cook here, marking the inversion of the story. In this iteration, the party serving the pie seems to warrant no judgment; instead, the pie itself is the judgment, served as retribution. With that connection in mind, it's worth remembering the other importance of the Rat Cook story, based on its placement in ASOS and which I think has often been overshadowed by Manderly’s “Frey Pies” incident.

In the Rat Cook story, after the Rat Cook's punishment, he spends an immortal future forever eating his own descendants, a scenario in which Bran describes the rats of the Nightfort as “children running from their father”. That eternal, kin- and legacy- devouring doom does not just come secondary to the punishment, it is a part of the punishment following the violation of guest right, and introduces the notion of an entire family being cursed for that violation... and, for good measure, is brought up in ASOS Bran IV, chapter that occurs only a few chapters after the Red Wedding itself.

In one respect, this is just another reinforcement for the reader of the sanctity of guest right and of the laws of the old gods. Coming so soon after the Red Wedding, the Rat Cook story hints at the fall of House Frey. Walder Frey, most culpable violator of guest right, has apparently doomed the rest of his dynasty to death, punished for his actions, the way that the Rat Cook, too, is a patriarch who creates not only his own ruin but also the ruin of his progeny. Although Walder himself is not literally tying the nooses, it is Walder who has metaphorically become the father "devouring his children" indirectly through his ruthlessness. Wyman Manderly, then, is merely an agent of that doom.

On the subject of the Freys being cursed by violating guest right, only one of the named consumers of the pie, Aenys Frey, is truly mirroring the Rat Cook legend by literally eating his own son, Rhaegar Frey. Both Aenys and Hosteen Frey, on the other hand, are specifically called out in the scene as being the “sons of Walder Frey”. It’s appropriate within the mirrored Rat Cook motif to invoke Walder’s name as patriarch as well as the promise of other “sons” that might succumb to their father’s insatiable appetite for status; this sentence invokes the dynasty of the Frey household. Indeed, Walder Frey himself also has shared motifs with the Rat Cook: like the immortal Rat Cook, Walder Frey has nearly innumerable children and grandchildren, and he too seems to refuse to die.

If a named heir in Westeros is like the ASOIAF version of Chekov’s gun, then the Late Walder Frey is sitting on Chekov’s arsenal; once he becomes the late Late Lord Frey, it’s going to explode. If that happens in an upcoming book, then the Rat Cook story might be setting up the idea of how an eventual succession crisis of House Frey might further this metaphorical connection, with this doomed family turning on itself, each running from the shadow of their father’s legacy like the Rat Cook's children run from him in the Nightfort.

Lord Lamprey

Now, to push through a little more symbolic linking between the Frey Pie scene and Lord Manderly:

If we consider the “pie” element as a key part of the Rat Cook story, then seeing a “pie” specifically in the hands of Wyman Manderly prompts a connection with a noted favorite of Manderly’s: lamprey pie. As early as ACOK Bran II, we learn that:

“His own people mock him as Lord Lamprey”,

Interestingly, we see in that same chapter a telling metaphor considering Manderly and lampreys not in a pie:

“Lord Wyman attacked a steaming plate of lampreys as if they were an enemy host”.

Considering Wyman’s lampreys-as-enemy association makes for curious contrast later, in ADWD Davos IV, as Manderly is feigning allegiance with the hated Freys. Here, Manderly has just stepped away from the feast in order to secretly treat with Davos, and the food served may contain more meaning than at first appears:

“In the Merman's Court they are eating lamprey pie and venison with roasted chestnuts. Wynafryd is dancing with the Frey she is to marry. The other Freys are raising cups of wine to toast our friendship.”

The reappearance of this noted lamprey pie might take on more significance knowing that some of those eating it become a pie later on. The reminder of the association between Manderly and his lamprey pies seems even more intentional when the “Lord Lamprey” nickname conspicuously returns as Bolton’s men search for the missing Freys in ADWD Reek III:

"You did not find our missing Freys." The way Roose Bolton said it, it was more a statement than a question. "We rode back to where Lord Lamprey claims they parted ways, but the girls could not find a trail."

Invoking his nickname in this scene draws a connecting line between Manderly’s favorite pie, the “enemy host” of lampreys, the missing Freys, and “lamprey pie” being served as a symbol of the fake “friendship” between the Freys and Manderlys.

If that Frey-Manderly friendship is marked by mentions of lamprey pie, and Manderly loves to eat lamprey like he would eat an enemy, and we see in The Prince of Winterfell that Manderly apparently loves to eat his enemies, having two portions of each Frey pie, we might think that the Freys are being paralleled with Manderly’s favorite pie filling: lampreys. If that is the case, then comparing the punished Freys to lampreys is a scathingly fitting image, and I mean that literally.

Considering that carnivorous lampreys latch onto fishes to slowly eat the fish’s blood and flesh while the fish still swims, then looking at an image like this makes for some serious symbolic resonance if you consider the Tullys as fish (as they often are described) and the pie-filling Freys as pie-filling lampreys. It certainly provides a strong visual metaphor for the Frey’s “late” and half-hearted vassalage to Hoster Tully, how they dealt with Catelyn, and how they are now parasitically using Edmure—he sits in Riverrun at the end of ADWD, but with Freys latched onto him, bleeding him like they did his family.

This series is otherwise about pies and rats, not lampreys, but I will mention a few other interesting associations with lampreys that are worth looking into. The Stokeworths, when they are desperately trying to secure a match for Lollys, serve each of their prospective suitors lamprey pie, perhaps a signaling of the Stokeworth’s parasitic place at court, or the attitude towards their search for their daughter’s match. Note that in that context, Littlefinger remarks that he loves lamprey pie, perhaps fittingly for someone who has risen high by making use of his parasitic attachments to those more powerful. By contrast, when our intrepid advocate for truth and justice—Davos—is jailed after his return from the Battle of the Blackwater, he is served lamprey pie in the dungeons, but finds it “too rich” to eat. We have already seen that Davos has no stomach for the blind flattery that some of Stannis’ other lords have, and this scene describes that same character trait. I believe there are even further associations that are worth investigating, but for the sake of this essay, we must move on and end here for now.

In the next part, I'll focus on how it's relevant that the Rat Cook's pie and Manderly's pie were both allegedly "pork" pies, and where that reappears as well.

#asoiaf #a song of ice and fire #rat cook #asoiaf theories #literature analysis #wyman manderly #walder frey #RtRC

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shakemeetsworld · 9 months

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I saw this and had a lot of thoughts and feelings about it, so I decided to write something up.

Ok yes, I completely agree with the female side of this. They were not looking for love and marriage but something greater than themselves and the small worlds they occupied. I think Cinderella was open to marriage and love to get out of her miserable existence, and wanted to go to the ball not only to get out of the house, but because every eligible maiden in the kingdom was to attend. And she’s a rule follower, clearly, since she obeys her stepmother and stepsister’s every command. (Granted if she didn’t she’d be thrown out probably.)

The men on the other hand, I’m not convinced all of these men wanted marriage, or only wanted marriage. The Beast basically wanted to be left alone. He knew he had to find love to break the curse but by the time Belle came along he seemed pretty resigned to that never happening. While his staff clearly wanted Belle around to hopefully break the spell, I don’t think the Beast agreed to trade her for her father for that reason. He was scared of the outside world and its judgment of him, and found Maurice’s intrusion threatening. And by that point had become so beastly that all he knew was anger and violence. (A great metaphor for the only acceptable masculine emotions and actions.) So he kept him and then her as a prisoner until his staff said, maybe this could do something and he gave in to them.

With Prince Eric and Prince Charming, I think marriage was what was expected of them because of their titles and the time periods. Eric seemed much more interested in adventure and exploration than in romance and marriage. And when he thought he’d found the woman that saved his life it was just the thing to do to marry her. And the King was the one pushing Charming to get married and set up the ball for that purpose. We don’t really get much personality from him so I can’t say he didn’t want that but we don’t get a sense that that’s his sole goal.

I completely understand that Disney and fairy tales give people unrealistic expectations of love. And yes to us now it’s ridiculous to “fall in love” almost instantly. But we forget that most of these tales come from a time when your options were limited or decided for you. And marriage wasn’t about love necessarily, it was procreation and expectation, and for the woman security. Eric found a girl who cared enough to save him so of course marrying her makes sense. Then when he finds out it's also the girl who also seemed to enjoy adventure like him and captivated him for the last few days, well win-win. Charming found a woman he could stand for more than 10 minutes after meeting all the women in the kingdom, so sure she’ll do. The Beast and Belle are more realistic because it’s clear they got to know each other over a longer period of time. It feels like months have probably passed. And they found similar interests with the library. That being said, they all waited until they found someone they genuinely liked, even if they knew immediately. The timeline is unrealistic and so is the image of perfection that’s created with these romances. Things in reality won’t be perfect and the connection won’t be immediate. But I also feel like these stories of “true love” also gave me a desire not to settle.

I understand the point that this post is trying to make, and it is a good one. There is much to be said about most things being shown through the male gaze and patriarchy. And yes, as a society we forget/don’t care about the wants of women. But I honestly feel like using these fairy tales as an example of that misses the point of many of these stories. Sure Ariel married Eric, but a life on land and then a life with him was what she wanted in the story. The whole story is about what she wanted. And how she had to give up her voice to be heard. And yes Belle was kept as a prisoner at first, and her story can be likened to Stockholm Syndrome of course. Though once the Beast learned to love her he let her go and she chose to return. As a little girl growing up with these stories, sure I learned that love and marriage is the goal. But I also learned from Belle that it’s ok to be different, to want more for your life than what you’ve been given, and to fight for what you believe in. First she fought for her father’s wellbeing and then stood up to the town to defend the Beast. I learned from Ariel that curiosity can take you to great places, that there’s always more to learn, and that we don’t need to be afraid of what we don’t know. Cinderella taught me that even when life is unfair or hard, to try to have a positive attitude and hope for a better future, and to ask for what you want. She asked to go to the ball and tried so hard to make that happen even when the odds were stacked against her.

And honestly these men taught me things too. The Beast taught me that people can change when given support. Prince Charming and Prince Eric taught me to never give up searching for your dreams.

We absolutely need to talk more about the wants and desires of women. And we need to stop putting marriage as the end goal for everyone. But let’s not put these fairy tales in an anti-feminist box without exploring the nuances. And maybe let’s use more real world examples of how patriarchy erases the desires of women and makes them into objects for the purposes of men and their desires. Because there are plenty of those, and by using real examples we give kids (and adults) more practical and tangible problems to be aware of.

#disney prinesses #ariel #belle #cinderella #little mermaid #beauty and the beast #disney #feminism #marriage #women's desires #fairy tales #ariel x eric #ariel x prince eric #belle x beast #belle x adam #cinderella x prince charming

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wyrm-clangen · 6 months

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I am connecting the dots to make Shineivy’s death so angsty

This was on a patrol with Fierchasm who had just become a warrior at 15 moons which is later than most apprentices. She was also mentored by Riftstar

Shineivy likely had just recovered from birth that moon or maybe a moon before as her kits were 4-5 moons when she died.

Fiercechasm has the adventurous trait.

So here’s my idea- as likely one of her very first patrols post becoming a warrior Fiercechasm is sent on a patrol with Shineivy.

Likely Riftstar has to send out some patrols with Fogtail still heavily mourning rainstripe. Maybe he’s even hesitant to send Shineivy because she’s his mate and she just recovered from having kits but they don’t have the warriors to spare as likely pointed out by even Shineivy herself. So, for safety he has her sent with a warrior he knows he can trust to keep her safe- Fiercechasm.

It’s a simple patrol but precautions should be made especially in Leafbare. Still, Fierchasm is excited for her first patrol as a warrior. She’s not just an apprentice she’s equal to all the other warriors and can go any which way she desires.

When the weather starts picking up Shineivy points it out first but Fiercechasm, far too elated to be on this patrol as a warrior and feeling the urge to see explore more,insists they keep going.

Yet the storm picks up and the two are forced to hide in a cave for cover. The cave is then buried with snow leaving them trapped.

As they huddle together for warmth Shineivy may tell Fiercechasm to not fall asleep because she may not wake again if she does. And they both promise to keep the other awake. Yet, just for a moment Fiercechasm allows herself to close her eyes and she falls asleep

Eventually Fiercechasm would awaken shivering with snow coated on her fur but alive. Some snow had toppled down revealing a way out of the cave. When she notices Shineivy’s limp body she doesn’t worry at first and may even find it humorous, both promised not to fall asleep but both did. Something they can both laugh about when Shineivy wakes up

Yet Shineivy is not moving, and not breathing, Fierchasm tries to feel for a heart but finds nothing. Though she’s not a medicine cat so who knows. (She does. She does. But she’ll deny it as long as possible) she instead starts trying to drag Shineivy’s body out of the cave to get help. (If she doesn’t do it now will she get a chance to bury the body later…)

Likely Fiercechasm is intercepted by a patrol who is searching for her. With how harsh the storm was ,even Riftstar knew sending out warriors to search for his mate would be a death sentence but as soon as the storm clears warriors are sent out to find any signs of where they are..

And of course they find Fiercechasm struggling to drag Shineivy’s body with her and even without a medicine cat it is easy to tell that Shineivy is gone.

(This went on for longer then I thought lol. Hopefully my ramblings made some sort of sense)

OHHHHHHH MY GOD OH MY GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD- SOBBING SCREAMING THROWING UP

Fiercechasm's voice shaking from the cold while she tries to reassure Shine that they're almost home. Shineivy not responding, but that's- that's fine.

The idea of her thinking this would be such a funny story to tell when they got home- the two of them falling asleep in the cave despite their promise not to. Shineivy- bright eyed and snarky as always, would make some silly joke about how she'd earned a nap for putting up with a pebble-brained young warrior like her, and Fiercechasm would laugh because somehow the older molly's jokes always managed to make her feel warm inside- I'M PUNCHING WALLS.

WHO WAS ON THE SEARCH PATROL??? Like, I can't imagine Riftstar NOT going, but also Plum DEFINITELY volunteers-

NOW I'M IMAGINING RIFTSTAR'S FACE WHEN THE PATROL FOUND THEM, IM GONNA EAT DRYWALL AND SOB

#wyrmasks #trinomew #shineivy #fiercechasm #riftstar #GOD

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1moreff-creator · 8 months

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Firstly, as always, good luck with the David video Secondly however, I would like to know your thoughts on the hidden text that can be seen when you inspect the about page on the DRDT Tumblr. I saw it on a Youtube community post and I honestly thought it was fake for a while because no one said where it could be seen, and I only now found out that it's in the about page. I have seen literally no one on Tumblr analyze it so I wanted to know your thoughts on it. Thank you !

Hey! Thanks for the usual well wishes! I’ve edited comfortably past the halfway point of the script by now, so hopefully my suffering will end soon! It only took… like an hour and a bit to get to the halfway point! Haha… ha…

Anyways, About page text. Yeah, it’s a weird one, there’s a reason there’s not much discussion around it. It’s hard to point down exactly what it means, but I do have some things to say about it. I was actually already thinking of making a post about it, so this is a good excuse :v

Anyways, a fair bit of my interpretation come from a lot of other posts around Tumblr, but there are a few things I want to bring to the table, especially regarding the mastermind’s feelings towards the killing game and the potential connection between the DRDT mastermind and Mukuro Ikusaba. Sure, that sounds insane enough for my average post.

CW: Murder, mentions of starving

So here’s the About page text for the uninitiated:

“You don’t understand, do you? I used to be like you. I barely remember, but I used to be like you. I cared so much about people, I cried everytime someone was hurt. I suffered for a long time stuck in here caring about people." "I know what you’re going through. You’re going to hold on as long as you have, with hope that you can make it out of here with everyone. Then you’re going to despair. That lasts a while, too." "Then you’ll get bored. Like me." "And you’ll wish you were still suffering. Anything else is better than boredom." "I wish I could feel something, anything else, other than being bored. I’m stuck in here for eternity, and I know everything that could possibly happen. I know how everyone reacts to a murder, what makes people turn to despair, what fills people with hope and make them survive until we all run out of food and starve to death." "I wish I could feel terrified, or afraid, or angry. But I can’t anymore. I don’t feel anything at all except boredom." "Do you understand, Teacher?" "This is why I’m letting you suffer as long as possible. Because it’s better than the alternative." "I’m sorry. I don’t envy you." "You’ll understand eventually.”

As you can see, it’s pretty weird. You got some character monologuing to some “Teacher” about hope and despair and boredom, saying they can predict what everyone’s gonna do and feel and how that makes everything boring.

This definitely makes them sound a lot like Junko, and the connection is certainly clear. They both hate boredom with a burning passion and are able to easily predict people’s actions and feelings. But there’s actually one crucial line we have to keep in mind which separates them:

“I don’t envy you.”

The character speaking doesn’t enjoy despair, they only prefer it over boredom. This separates them from Junko herself, who does explicitly enjoy despair even without factoring in her hatred for boredom. Keep this in mind, I’ll bring it up later.

But what’s most important about this character, is that they’re likely not a DRDT character, but rather the protagonist of “Forever Dead”, the book Veronika talks about in her introduction. Take a look at how she describes it (and sorry the screenshots aren’t perfect, the text flashes too quickly).

Veronika: Oh oh oh! Speaking of horror, let me tell you about the horror bookI'm currently reading! It's called Forever Dead! You see, it's about a boy stuck in a time loop and forced to watch his friends die for eternity. While he is horrified at first, he eventually becomes more concerned over his growing boredom in t[he face of the] terrible tragedies because he sees them over and over again. The book is written like a normal autobiography at first, but as the protagonist descends into insanity over time, the writin[g style] starts to fall apart and take on a more sinister tone. Format twists like that are so fascinating, don't you think? Honestly, I would really love to know just how it feels to be in his shoes and experience something so horrible over and over and over again. And then, my favorite scene in the book, is one time he's impaled by many metal spikes and left to slowly bleed to death while he's left c[ontemplating] his thoughts. He's forced to apologize for everything he did... while... he... um... ohh..."

“Forever Dead” (FD) is a completely fictional book, as in, it doesn’t exist in real life. You can actually tell because it isn’t censored the way the dev usually censors real things, like A****a C*****e’s name [Agatha Christie]. So if it was made up specifically for DRDT, that would imply it holds some significance.

And you can see a lot of the same ideas as in the About page text. A character who ends up becoming bored of their environment, turning to unethical acts to entertain themselves. But what’s really striking is the repeated mention of the “Teacher” in the About page text.

(Is that a Rei Mekaru reference?!)

There… really isn’t a DRDT character who would be called that. I’ve seen it related to Mai before, and while the teacher could be an allegory for Mai, it can’t literally be her. Mai is a student, and not a particularly academically gifted one at that; she’s not anyone’s teacher. The only other person who could apply is the teacher Min is implied to have had at the end of her Bonus Episode, but… like, what would that mean. Why is he important?

No, I think it makes more sense to assume this is related to Forever Dead. That would also explain why the character claims to be “stuck for all eternity” even though they know what to do to make everyone “survive until [they] all run out of food and starve.” And also because of a little theory-bordering-on-headcanon I have.

Don’t you think it’s strange how the character uses the word “Teacher”? People in the US, to my knowledge, don’t speak like that. I believe they use “Mr/Ms/Mx [Name]” or something like that. So, could this be an in-universe translation quirk? For example, if “Forever Dead” is originally Japanese, the character could actually be saying “Sensei”, which I think is more common, and is sometimes directly translated to “Teacher” even though it sounds a bit weird in English. I personally love this idea because it conjures up the frankly amusing idea of the dev making up not a book in English, but a book translated to English from Japanese just for shits and giggles.

Anyways, rambling aside, the point stands. I think this is a (fictional) quote from (the fictional book) “Forever Dead.” So what does it mean for DRDT?

Well, seeing as it’s literally in the About page, it’s likely closely linked to the very nature of the killing game, right? It makes sense to assume we’re meant to relate the mastermind to this quote. The attitude is mastermind-y, the actions are mastermind-y, the context is mastermind-y, we’re calling mastermind.

But wait. Since this Forever Dead protagonist constantly speaks of boredom, doesn’t that instantly relate them to Veronika?

Well, yes.

…

But… it’s Veronika. It would honestly be weirder if something related to the mastermind doesn’t link back to her. She’s the biggest mastermind bait I’ve ever seen, and unless she has an early reveal, I don’t quite see her as the mm (I’ll just start shortening it).

Other theories have also connected it to Whit’s intuition. I find these interesting, and about as plausible as any other good mastermind theory. However, since the “boredom < despair” angle is something which I feel is quite intuitive for the average DR fan who knows anything about Junko and Izuru, I actually want to dive a bit deeper into what the connection between the mm and the Forever Dead protagonist could mean, since that’s an angle I’ve seen explored less often.

For one, there’s the time loop thing. Now, I don’t believe DRDT takes place in an actual time loop, but I think there’s an argument that there is a repetition of events at play. As in, things which happened in the past, and are repeating in the present.

Yes I’m talking about the pre-prologue cutscene.

... Fuck!! Fuck, fuck, fuck, this really hurts... Ouch... I really wasn't expecting her to attack me like that. I made a massive mistake to trust them. I can't rely on anyone. All by myself... I have to end the killing game. And even if I can't do that... I have to kill Teruko Tawaki. No matter what.

I’ve talked about it before, but as a refresher: that fork with blood on it implies whoever is speaking got attacked with the fork, which fits Xander’s eye injury suspiciously closely.

(Believe it or not, the David MV might have an allusion to it as well but I am not getting into that)

So if Xander is the one speaking, if you think about it, it must mean he was involved in a killing game previous to the one we see in DRDT. Which, in fact, Teruko may have some vague memories of.

Teruko: And also, as a way to reference that "past killing game," right?

That could be about the THH killing game, which frankly sorta makes more sense in context, but seeing as Veronika then claims nothin like a killing game had happened before, I find it most likely that got completely erased from history.

So what’s the important thing here? Well, for one, if Xander’s eye injury came from a previous killing game, then we are definitely not talking about an actual time loop, as that would have erased his eye injury. However, it could be talking about a repetition of events. Perhaps there have been multiple killing games before this one, a la V3 but without the “fiction” aspect presumably.

This is nothing new by itself, but it does have an odd implication when related back to the About page text. Think about it, the FD protagonist doesn’t enjoy the time loop. If he could, he would end it. So if he’s meant to reflect the DRDT MM’s attitude, could this mean the mastermind doesn’t actually enjoy the killing games?

It sounds insane, but hear me out. We’ve already established the FD protag doesn’t actually enjoy despair, so if they’re meant to parallel the MM, then that could imply the MM doesn’t enjoy despair either. And if they’re being forced into the MM role repeatedly for one reason or another, the same way the FD protagonist is forced into the time loop, wouldn’t they grow bored of it, despite the despair? It’s the same thing as the FD protagonist:

“…I used to be like you. I cared so much about people, I cried everytime someone was hurt. I suffered for a long time stuck in here caring about people.”

If we apply this with the idea that “time loop” = “repeating killing games”, and that “FD protag” = “Matermind”, then what we have is a reluctant mastermind forced to go through with several killing games for reasons unknown, who only grew slightly fond of despair once they grew bored of everything else.

So, uh, there’s definitely unhinged point #1. However, there is another thing to note, the one I mentioned in the beginning. And since I mentioned it, you probably caught it. The FD protag dies the exact same way Mukuro does, and since the FD protag is connected to the DRDT MM, it’s possible there’s some connection between Mukuro and the DRDT MM. Most likely related to their mastermind-iness.

Of course, what the connection could actually be is very vague, and there’s a ton of options. Still, here’s a few possibilities I find the most interesting:

>The mastermind is a secret extra student, hiding somewhere in the school. So Mai. I don’t quite like this one since it’s sorta silly and I just don’t see Mai as the mastermind, but it is there.

>The mastermind deeply adores a loved one, and may even disguise themselves to look like this loved one. Like Mukuro does with Junko… and like Whit does with his mom. This is to appease the people who love the Whit MM theory, because I know some people are really passionate about it and it’s frankly always fun to see those people talk about it! It is also just objectively funny to always find ways to pin him as the MM imo.

>The mastermind fully disguised themselves as another person. So, Veronika = Mai crack theory. Sure, at this point.

>There are two masterminds, and one of them died early on. Basically thinking of Xander here, given the whole “kill Teruko Tawaki” thing. The second would probably have to be Mai unfortunately, so I don’t quite see it. Though I guess it could also be David, or just anyone else in the killing game for that matter, but you know.

>The mastermind faked their death. You know, we never saw Min’s corpse… So we’re off to delulu land! Min is still alive! Min is still alive! Min-!

Blatant favoritism aside, that’s pretty unlikely. I doubt the mastermind would want to straight up lose an arm in a fake execution. Though I guess if she’s a reluctant MM maybe she doesn’t get a say in the executions, so…

Min is still alive! Mind is still alive!

>There are two masterminds, and one of them is disguising as the other. This fits shockingly close to the J & Ryan double mastermind theory I swear exists somewhere on Tumblr and I’m not going insane I just can’t find the post. Essentially, the idea that Ryan and J swap places constantly, taking turns on who is the more traditional mastermind and who stays in the killing game, explaining that one time Rose seemingly didn’t recognize J in chapter 1. So two siblings, where one of them disguised as the other while the other just presents as themselves? Exactly like Mukuro and Junko.

But I feel the most grounded ideas are usually the likeliest ones, which is why I think this connection to Mukuro may simply be another way of saying the MM was manipulated/coerced into their position, instead of choosing to be the MM on their own.

It’s a less conclusive answer, but it’s less farfetched than the other ones. And it sorta fits… uh….

Well, see, I’m making a post with AUs for all possible MMs… and I kinda accidentally convinced myself Rose might be the mastermind? I might make a more detailed post about it later, but basically this more vague connection to Mukuro fits, so.

Anyways, those are all the possibilities I can think of for unhinged point #2, the connection between the MM and Mukuro. I don’t have much else to say, as I feel this is something that’s gonna make more sense as we move forward in the series.

Hope that was satisfying! Take care!

#drdt #danganronpa despair time #drdt theory #forever dead #we tag fake books in this house

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trainer-sean · 1 year

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Danny Phantom x DC Prompt Pokemon Au

This will be less cohesive then most Prompts other do, its mainly just some thoughts and ideas I put together when I was day dreaming, I tried sending it to The Bones lady who does Dp x Dc prompts, but its taking a long time, so I decided to post it myself, hopefully others will expand apon and improve it.

Sorry, I'm just kinda impatient @stealingyourbones

Most of the ghost stuff is different, because its now the Fenton's studying The Ghost typing, which, they are now morally correct. due to studying it and have machines processing the Ghost Type Infinity energy, they've had alot of ghost types born from their machines, and alot of them collect around their home, to the point that they know a few of them as welcomed guests. Danny has developed a Ghost type alignment in his Aura(aura having wave lengths with infinity energy, which affects some traits a person has, like water type alignment are good at swimming and holding their breath) due to his parents studys letting the G.T. infinity energy radiating through the house influencing his aura development while it was developing as a child.

the Fentons are the local professors in town, but mostly pass out Ghost, Dark, Fairy, and Psychic types due to their studys being connected to them. There most frequent starters are differently typed Porygon with special evos.

When they find Danny has a Ghost Type Alignment, with secondary Ice and Psychic, they give him a Dreepy they had been previously studying as his starter pokemon.

Jazz has previously been on a journey, with a Teddiursa, she caught psychic types and many pokemon good for Emotional support and therapy due to her developing her like of Psychology during her journey, she made it to 4 gym badges before deciding to head home for studying, splitting up with her traveling companion, Harleen Quinzel, a friend who shared similar likes. However, she would later be kidnapped and tortured by Joker, eventually becoming Harley Quinn, her pokemon have been confiscated, and given to Jazz, to keep them safe. Maybe some Tall Amazon Jazz x Harley Quinn in the future with a foursome side of Jason and Pamela Isley?

DC is still a heavy part here.

due to pokemon and the pokemon league being a thing, Civilians will help apprehend criminals, due to pokemon training originally being a Crime deterrent. this has also turned away multiple invasions. also, Apocalypse(can't remember how to spell that name) was destroyed long ago by Arceus, Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina, so no Darkseid. isn't great when God's actually do their jobs?

starters: Danny with Dreepy, Sam with Bounsweet from her parents too make her seem normal, she actually loves Bounsweet alot and it hasn't changed her because she was planning to get a grass type starter already, Tucker with Togedimaru, and Jazz with Teddiursa(has a vest made with a silk scarf materials and both an everstone and Evolite).

when Danny goes on his journey at 14, he, Sam, Tucker, and Jazz, head out to travel Unova. Jazz here to mentor and chaperone. they ran into multiple incidents involving poachers and evil teams, and assisted Heroes, like many trainers. The League actually has a meeting every few weeks to talk about some of the notable trainers that helped them, and even watch the League Tournaments as team bonding. Batman is more approachable here, and he and the batfam use suits that have tech that allow them to use attacks, primarily based on the closest pokemon to their animals. regular animals still exist.

the DP team find a old Temple, one that was recently cleaned out and collapsed, when some ghost types were beckoning for help, after clearing the way they found a strange woman who'd look like she was trapped for weeks, she looked half feline pokemon, much like Killer Krok(Krookodile) in Gotham.

Barbara Ann Minerva had been obsessed with archeology from a young age, sense she learned of all the pokemon that were artificially made by ancient civilizations and that Fossils could be revived. But while she was interning for a Professor on a exploration if a temple, she and the Professor were backstabbed, the professor killed and she shot through the back, thankfully not through the spine. They had blew up the pathway, Barbara was stuck, her mentor was dead, and she was likely to starve. she returned her pokemon so they wouldn't have to worry of starving, and started crying. her crying angered something. The Temple she was in was the resting place of the Legendary pokemon Cheeralah (chi-rah-lah), an Electric Fighting type, a humanoid and feminine cheetah pokemon, with bandages wrapped around her legs, arms, and chest, and Bronze markings along her body. Some human was whining in her Temple, she was angry, so she cursed Barbara, turning her into what was basically a Human Cheeralah hybrid.

when the Dp Team made it to Barbara, Cheeralah was angry enough that she showed up, along with two Zeraora. A Raid Battle occurred, with much struggle, from all the pokemon on Danny's, Sams, tuckers, Jazzs, Barbara, and the deceased Professors teams, all three legends were caught. and then Danny accidently caught Barbara.

Diana shows up with Doctor Fate(who here is different, the god of order behind Doctor fate is a legendary pokemon, completely independent of the helmet) because they had sense the awakened presense of Cheeralah. Diana knows Barbara because Diana had actually sponsored one of her and the Professor's digs in the past, and even joined in.

Gotham, the spirit, became a legendary pokemon along time ago, and still has no clue how to assist with everything, she became some variant of Lunala, but a Dark/Ghost type, and she just can't seem to exit the spiritual plane, which is probably the doing of some wizard or something to prevent city spirits that became pokemon from running around causing havoc. She eventually breaks out when Jason was kidnapped. She looks like a darker Lunala with a more pointed tail, she has a form change that makes her look like dawn wing necrozma, but not entirely, it doesn't look like necrozma parts, maybe even make it an artificial form change made by Bruce, similar to the enhancement equipment Jessie and James sometimes use on their pokemon, maybe even a special batmobile that attaches power ranger style with a ride-pokemon saddle part for Bruce. Name, Gothamala. Form change, Gothamala, Bat-tle Wings.

Something Similar to Metropolis, who became a Variant of Solagaleo, a Steel/Fairy type, who just watches from the sidelines as the superfamily protects his city, but his appreciation can be felt by the super family due to their lack of resistance to supernatural power. Maybe make its presence capable of breaking down green kryptonite and its radiation. Name, Metropaleo.

Amity Park has one too due to the Fenton's studying on Ghost Type Infinity energy, and due to multiple other studying, like blueprint analysis on Silvally, Amity is born a variant of Silvally, but with out its hind legs and a serpent tail, basically taking a Lindwyrm body shape with its usual fin tail still on the end, but slightly modified, it still has a version of the RKS System, called the Fenton System, but its a dual ghost/normal type, so its form changes are Ghost Dual type, and it's got the disks to do it because the Fenton's are friendly like that here. Its head Crest is not as tall and more wavy like a ghost tail. It can enter the physical world thanks to how Saturated the Fentons lab is with Ghost type energy. Name, Spectvally.

Maybe make some of the other city spirits similar to regular pokemon, like similar paradox pokemon, like star city(thats green arrows place right?) Is a Decidueye, but it has a pair of crossbow like structures floating beside it instead of being able to make a bow string, due to not being a grass type. Ghost/fighting type with the Sniper ability.

Cheeralah, The War Pokemon. a Legendary Electric and Fighting type. Cheeralah were once worshipped as Gods of protection and purity, but worshipped members of the species began to enjoy fighting and conflict while protecting the innocent, corrupting their image. Zeraora are believed to be lesser incarnations born from Cheeralah lust for battle being so great that she tried to forcefully removed it to save herself from falling from Grace, and it became a pokemon of its own.

#danny phantom #dp x dc #danny fenton #batman #dc x dp #pokemon #dc #pokemon au #fakemon #dc x pokemon #dp x pokemon #dp x dc prompt #sean's fanfiction idea prompts

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the-blind-assassin-12 · 8 months

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Better Than None

1200 words for 1200 followers #12

A/N: Hi friends! Welcome to the 12-A-Palooza! This event is my way of saying thank you for sticking with me. Your support and kindness toward me and my writing is out of this world and I’m grateful for every last one of you! This was the one that I posted that silly & fun vs. dark & gritty poll for, and I cannot tell you all how glad I was that the overwhelming majority went for the fun option. This one made me laugh to myself as I wrote it, and it was an absolute pleasure to write something so light for Joel. It goes back to a HC I posted about many moons ago, about Joel + video games, and is not connected to anything I have written for these characters, or anything I am currently planning. It is a true stand alone that's only purpose is to make you all warm and smiley, so I very much hope you all enjoy it!

Warnings: absolutely none aside from campy Mortal Kombat graphics & a terrible (but hopefully believable) made up finishing move.

Requested by: @jessahmewren Song: Kiss With A Fist Character Choice: Joel Miller - I went back and forth and back and forth and BACK and FORTH on this one, but I decided to be a little cheeky with the prompt instead of taking it literally ;)

Summary: Just a normal night at the Miller residence.

“Hey! Don’t-”

A string of grunts and meaty thwacks interrupted your protests, blood splattering in the corners of the television screen.

“Can’t what? Hm?” Joel asked, the barrage of attacks continuing without relent. “Can’t beat the sh-”

It was your turn to cut his sentence short, a grin curving your lips to wipe the one off his face. Another round of frenzied blows landed, followed by more grunts. “Who’s beating the shit out of who now, Miller?”

Before he could reply, another voice chimed in. “Um… Neither of you are beating the shit out of anything.” Ellie snorted. “I mean, look at the bars.” She pointed at the top of the screen where two long bars displayed your characters’ health. “They’re both still practically full. Your kicks aren’t even landing.”

You laughed, shooting a look over your shoulder at the girl. “Well, you know, I thought I was coming over to watch The Breakfast Club, not to play a game I’ve never been good at.”

Joel and Ellie had been in Jackson roughly two weeks when you were assigned to a patrol with him. You’d heard from others - Tommy included - that he could be gruff, standoffish. But either they were wrong or you were lucky, because he’d proven to be neither. Quiet, and clearly carrying heartache on those broad shoulders. But everyone did these days. Every newcomer who walked through those tall gates for the first time did so as a revenant of sorts, worn ragged by what the world had become. What they’d lost. What they’d done. You hadn’t forgotten what it was like to try to put your suffering to rest.

It was clear that that was all Joel - and the girl he cared for as a daughter - were trying to do.

So you’d matched his quiet. You hadn’t asked questions or tried to provide comfort. You hadn’t flirted like you knew some women in town would do when paired up with a man as handsome as Joel. Four hours into your shift you were rewarded by his first attempt at small talk, pointing up at a cluster of stars.

“Think that one’s called Cygnus. It’s a bird. Maybe an eagle?”

You glanced over to see him still looking up, starlight shining in his eyes, showing you strands of soft leather amongst the dark brown. Like that he hardly resembled the road-roughened wanderer he’d been when he arrived. It was that night that you met the true Joel Miller, that night that would stick in your mind and your heart as you continued to get to know him.

“You like astronomy?”

“Ellie does.” He shrugged. “Tryin’ to learn so I have somethin’ to talk to her about. Girl loves space. She’d live on the moon if she could.”

His answer was simple and you found it sweet that he was trying to find common ground with her. It made you smile. “Who wouldn’t?” That earned you a small huff of laughter so you went on, raising your own pointer finger. “You were right about it being Cygnus, but it’s a swan. Aquila is the eagle, and that one should be…” Moving your hand across the sky, you located the other constellation. “Right over there.”

Two days later you’d gone through the shelves of books you’d been collecting, finding the one you were searching for - The Idiot’s Guide to Space - and bringing it over to his house. He wasn’t home then, so you’d left it with a note. You’re not an idiot, but I thought this might help anyway.

That gesture had gone a long way with both Joel and Ellie, and before you knew it you had been accepted into their little family. The budding friendship between you had slowly turned to something more, until you found yourself invited to movie nights and dinners, falling asleep on his couch with his arm around you and your head on his shoulder.

But Tommy and Joel had come across a working playstation with a small cache of games on their last rotation outside of town, so this month’s movie night had been swapped for a game night, you and Joel currently engaged in the first round of fights after a crash course in button smashing from Ellie.

On the other couch, Tommy and Ellie watched, commenting on every misstep and failed attack.

“I thought you said you taught ‘em how to play this game, squirt.” Tommy gave Ellie’s elbow a bump and reached for a handful of popcorn, voice low as he spoke through a smirk.

“Okay, one?” Ellie bumped him back and pulled the bowl into her lap. “Don’t call me that.”

“Grow, then.” Tommy tossed a kernel into his mouth and chewed around a wink.

Rolling her eyes, Ellie ignored him and continued. “And two, I tried to.” She stuffed a handful of popcorn into her mouth and used her salty hand to gesture at the couch where you and Joel sat. “It’s not my fault they still suck at it.”

Tommy chuckled. “No, I guess it ain’t.” Narrowing his eyes, he watched as your character jabbed her fists through air. With a tilt of his head, he pointed at the television. “You get next and make quick work’a whichever one of ‘em winds up winnin’. Then you’n me’ll show ‘em how it’s really done.”

“Please. I’m gonna kick your ass, old man.”

“Old? Who you callin’-” He reached into the bowl of popcorn to grab another small handful. Instead of eating this one, he tossed it at Ellie’s head, the girl responding with a scoff. “You’ll see, you little smartass.”

Her faux annoyance melted into laughter as she wrinkled her nose. “Austin’s a lucky kid. You’re gonna be a cool dad, Tommy.”

Tommy blinked, mouth dropping open. He wasn’t expecting a genuine compliment, especially one that so readily put his worries to rest. If there was one thing he knew about his adopted niece though, it was that she didn’t mince her words when she was talking to people she trusted.

“Take… that!” You broke the moment with a shout, jamming a random combination of buttons to unlock a finishing move.

Your character delivered one of her signature lines - how ‘bout a kiss, loverboy? - and then as she locked lips with Joel’s fighter, brought both of her glowing, powered-up fists to his temples and punched, smashing his digital head between them. On screen, the word FATALITY flashed in big block letters, your character lifting both arms before the message changed and read GAME OVER.

“Did you just… punch kiss me? To death?” Joel blinked incredulously at you, the controller in his hands falling to his lap.

Biting your lower lip, you laughed. “I did. A deadly kiss is better than none at all though, right?”

With that he grabbed your controller from your hands and leaned in to press his lips to yours. “Good thing I don’t have to settle for that one then.”

Once again the moment was broken from across the living room. “Uh, hello? Time to give up your controller, Joel.” He pulled back and gave the girl a faux glare that only made her snort out a laugh. “Don’t worry, I’ll avenge you.”

Thank you for reading! If you’d like to be added to or removed from the tag list, please feel free to let me know. You can also fill out the form on my Masterlist! :)

tags: @something-tofightfor @littlemisspascal @mishasminion360 @nyctophiliiiiaaa @practicalghost @amb11 @mindidjarin @jk7789 @tentacruels @harriedandharassed @joelmillerscoffee @woodlandmouth @thescarletfang @sleepylunarwolf @trickstersp8 @princessxkenobi @imtryingmybeskar @wildmoonflower @mswarriorbabe80 @theredwritingwitch @silverstarsandsuns @competentpotato @pedro-pedrito-pascalito @mumma-moonchild @jedi-in-crocs @hannahkatharine @anoverwhelmingdin @chiyo13 @myloveistoolittle @spishsstuff @noisynightmarepoetry

#12 a palooza #1200 words for 1200 followers #joel miller #joel miller fic #joel miller x you #joel miller x female reader #joel miller x reader #ellie williams #tommy miller #the last of us fic #tlou fic #the last of us fanfiction #tlou fanfiction #joel miller one shot #better than none #kiss with a fist #Spotify

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castleclerics · 6 months

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brenner lied about dalayrac's nina: how it shows the nina project is not of this timeline/proves it's unreliableness

first let's look at how brenner is telling the story:

ok so he's basically describing the plot of what the audience believes is happening in this opera. however here's what is revealed in it:

so because of nina's descent into insanity, she convinces herself her lover is alive. and her lover was alive the whole time.

here's the definition of psychogenic amnesia:

( ^ off track a little but ok consistent with the "memory gaps" also just thinking about this.. someone else?? referencing henry or something? and this scene is interesting bc el definitely remembers what happened but she didn't want to get two in trouble, at least i think.)

also brenner says that both nina and el "buried the memory"

it also says nina forgets "aspects" of the event. ahem *bodies being different in different shots and different henward jumpsuits*

now, the surface level connection to this would be how brenner at first tries to make el believe that she's the one who committed the massacre before she eventually realizes she never did.

but we all know how fucked the nina project is so let's take it in the other direction. especially how brenner says this:

straight up lie but also what the audience believes until the end of the opera/play

he says this to el's perspective as "if only nina could know her lover is actually dead" but since brenner knows the opera and what's revealed, he means it in a "if only nina knew her lover was never killed"

so nina was techniqually right the whole time.

so if el and nina's stories were to line up and we were to go by what the individuals believes to be true....

el would turn out being right, it would be like nina believes her lover is alive before learning the truth (that hes alive) = el believes she committed a massacre before learning the truth (that in another timeline (or whatever the fuck) she actually did)

also "the truth" is referenced a lot with the nina project but even after el knows the truth that she didn't commit the mass child murder, brenner still says this:

also it's interesting how one says "everyone is just waiting. waiting for it all to be over":

nina is an opera and a play btw.

one more connection i made:

DUUUUDE

"i could not pretend" like how el "focus listens and remembers" all throughout nina and doesn’t deviate from what brenner tells her to do/the story he is showing her of how “henry” did the massacre.

gonna get WAYYY more into it with another post within the next few days (hopefully) bc i've realized a lot of things after first drafting this post about what truly is going on about el "becoming whole" etc.

hope this made sense but my next post will help clear up everything i didn't want this one to be too long. but the next one is gonna be my best nina one yet i feel like i finally have all the pieces in place and everything makes sense to me so stay tuned besties

#the nina project #martin brenner #el hopper

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adminnie · 5 months

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Happy upcoming holidays everyone!

With the Christmas/New Year season coming, I’ve decided to take a small break away and reduce activity, recharge and figure out what 2024 is bringing.

I’ve been here for a while, since 2020 and I’ve watched the community go through a lot of changes. Some good, some ugly and some brought more pain than they should have. I’ve made some wonderful friends through this community but I’ve also had my boundaries overstepped by selfish people. So many things have happened and it will do me some good to think about what it is I want to do moving forward.

Here are some upcoming things to be aware of:

From the 15th of December to the 15th of January, I will not be dash active for those who aren’t connected to my bots in some way. If you do not have a special tag/classed as an important person then I will not be reblogging anything from you during this time. This is to minimise my activity and focus on the connections I have. You are welcome to tag me but I will not respond.

I have recently redone my tag list and blocked a lot of people who have continued to not follow my simple request of mutual effort. I have said this so many times and it is on my rules, I’ve made posts in regard to this and it is something everyone has issues with. If you tag me and I interact, I expect the same effort from you. I am no longer going to warn these things, my rules are simple and a lot of us have multiple bots that interact so it really shouldn’t be getting to a point of constantly repeating. From now on, it’s a block, not because I have issues with you but because it keeps my notifications clean and saves me interacting with people who don’t give in kind.

If you have multiple bots and it has become a pattern of constantly making and deleting/abandoning them — I will block you. It’s a waste of time and effort to interact and engage with an account that is gone within the following month. Do as you will, of course, this is again, keeping my notifications clean.

I will slowly be reaching out to those I have chats with and checking in. I know chats take time to get through but I would like to know how things are going for you and make sure we are on the same page moving forward.

People who are wanting to start new chats will have to wait until after I’m back as I do now want to start anything new right now. I will be focusing more on DMs during my break and hopefully moving things forward.

If a chat has been inactive for 2+ months, it will be deleted. Again, shouldn’t have to constantly be chasing certain things and it’s unfair for me to be waiting around for someone who doesn’t want to communicate or give effort. There may be some exceptions to this but since I do make it clear that communication is important, it is unlikely at this point.

What is happening in December:

I will be doing two ask games over the next two days. One is catered towards partners/interests of the bots I run and the other is for everyone. The game that is for partners is ONE ASK per couple.

Each bot will get a post next week, this will be the final post for the year.

Christmas presents will be queued up and the recipient tagged over the 24th - 26th. Please be aware that not everyone who is connected to a muse will get a gift. This is depending on their bond and how well they know each other; this is to reduce the amount of posts I need to make. If you are unsure whether this applies to you, please reach out.

Current activities of the bots and where they will be during the Christmas/New Year period. This is subject to change upon discussion:

Irene: staying at the penthouse. There will be no celebrations this year, the club will be closed from the 20th Dec — 5th Jan.

Chan: returning to Hell from the 21st Dec — 3rd Jan.

San: staying with his family.

Juyeon: returning to Hell from the 21st Dec — 3rd Jan.

Moonbyul: working with Mingi and travelling from the 18th Dec — 10th Jan.

Jongin: with @moonlightchn Channie with family.

Jangmi: staying home.

Yangyang: with Ryujin.

Seohyun: returning to Busan with Eunwoo from the 22nd Dec — 3rd Jan.

Eunwoo: going to Busan with Seohyun from the 22nd Dec — 3rd Jan.

Johnny: returning to Hell from the 21st Dec — 3rd Jan.

Chris: travelling with the tribe from the 23rd Dec — 3rd Jan.

Kai: location unknown.

Alice: with Rinnie, small visit to see Channie on Christmas Day.

Seonghwa: location unknown.

Jeno: working for festivals and award shows. Has Christmas Day off.

Ryujin: with Yangyang.

Mingi: working with Moonbyul and travelling from the 18th Dec — 10th Jan.

Luna: at her cabin in the woods.

The Wolves: at the pack house with the rest of the pack.

Racha: working for festivals and award shows. Has Christmas Day off.

Nayeon: working all holidays. Only Christmas and New Years Day off.

Christian: heading to Australia.

Lovers: Everyone will be keeping to themselves and doing their own thing during this period of time.

With everything said and done, I hope everyone has a good holiday season and takes a break especially if you need one. If you read through all of this and stuck it out, you’re a real one. If you have any issues with what I’ve said here — please feel free to no longer engage with me. If you have any questions or wanna talk about things, reach out.

Happy early holidays and take care of yourself 💓

— Ayla 🩵

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daemians-n-daemons · 1 year

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Dæmonism 101 - Three methods to interact with your dæmon

If you are interested in trying daemonism, if you've watched or read His Dark Materials and wanted to have a daemon of your own, but you are not sure where to start. This post is for you.

I'll give you three methods to start interacting with your daemon. You don't need any special abilities to do this, though it comes more naturally to some and takes more effort for others. I'm sure there are other methods too, these are just a few things you can try.

Method 1: Replying to your inner monologue

Do you sometimes have a sort of little voice at the back of your head telling you things like “you really should be going to bed or you’ll have a hard time tomorrow”? Have you ever met someone who seemed really nice, but something in your gut seemed to communicate to you that you should be cautious? If yes, try replying to these thoughts and feelings as if they were your daemon. Instead of just letting them sit there or not commenting on them, try to engage. For example:

“You really should be going to bed or you’ll have a hard time tomorrow.” “One last game? Please? After I promise I’m going to bed.”

To the gut feeling example above, you could reply: “I hear you, I will be careful. What's making you cautious?”

You might not get a response immediately, but the more you reply and listen for a response, the more likely you are to get a response back. These could be in the form of words, feelings or concepts. With this method, you’ll hopefully become more aware of these background thoughts and feelings and they can develop into your daemon the more you interact with them.

Method 2: Visualization meditation

If you like meditation and you have a good mind's eye, you could try this method to meet your daemon. Set some time and space in calmness, turn off your phone, put on some music if you want, make yourself comfortable sitting or laying down. Take time to breathe deeply and purposefully, in and out. Relax your muscles one at a time, from head to toes. Imagine a light (or golden dust perhaps) enveloping your body as you relax, making you lighter and lighter until you can visualize yourself lifting off and floating towards a door. Think about a simple space where you will meet your daemon, and open the door to reach this place. It could be a room, a clearing in a forest, a long road, doesn’t matter. In this space, look for your daemon and/or ask them to come forward. See what happens. This might not work on the first try, you may have to try a few times. Calming the mind and pulling away from our chaotic daily lives can help us find ourselves, and in this case, our daemons.

Once you have created this connection in meditation, it can be easier to project the daemon you saw in meditation or to recognize their voice outside of meditation.

Method 3: Childlike imagination

When you were a child, you might have had imaginary friends. This is typically a fun and easy thing for children, and this is the vibe we want to recreate with this method. Daemonism doesn’t have to be this serious concentrating on your inner thoughts or calm meditation kind of deal. Have fun with it!

What would you like your daemon to look like? A bird, a cat, a miniature dragon? Where do you figure they’d be? On your shoulder, on the floor, on your desk? How do you think you’d like for them to sound? A soft voice, a happy chipper voice, a confident strong voice? What kind of attitude do you think your daemon would have? Would they be serious, playful, confident, uncertain, loud, brash, quiet, gentle? Imagine your daemon and have fun with it! The choices you and your daemon make or the first things you try don’t have to be permanent. Let your imagination run wild and experiment with forms and voices and attitudes and names and pronouns and whatever you want until this comes easily to you. With practice you can both find what you like and don’t like, what feels more natural to your daemon and what doesn't feel like them at all.

General tips and tricks

Try different methods, you don’t need to stick to just one

Leave space for your daemon to change as you get to known them and they get to grow into themselves

Listen to your intuition

Follow HDM daemon lore when it suits you, reject it when it doesn’t

Giving your daemon a temporary name can help you talk to and about them and it can always be changed later down the road

Talking out loud to your daemon can help differentiate their inner voice from yours

Setting time in the day for daemonism can help make it a habit

It’s OK to feel like it's silly, you’re probably going to feel silly at first

It’s OK if it feels kind of forced or unnatural, think of it like practising a new muscle

It's OK if it feels like you are talking to yourself, because your daemon is a part of you so... in a way, you are

It’s OK if it takes a lot of time and effort, and it’s also OK if it works immediately

Hopefully some of these ideas get you started. Feel free to share other ideas or share how these methods have worked for you. Happy daemonism!

#daemons #daemonism #plurality #alterhuman #daemonism 101

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bakugoutohell · 2 years

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Bakugou remembers having One For All!!

So, I was just looking at some screen grabs of Bakugou with OFA, and maybe had a realization that isn’t huge but also explains the dialogue of his after his heart explodes.

I’m gonna be using a lot of images and text, so enjoy what’s under the cut!

So to give context, his eyes looked like this while he was fighting shiggy regularly:

And like this when he has a moment of recalling the whole “Win to Save, Save to Win” moment earlier in the story. Note those little + shaped sparks:

However, in Heroes Rising he’s got this whole thing going after he receives OFA from Deku:

and as he’s going for that big “last ditch effort” to incapacitate Shiggy, his eyes look like this:

And then finally his heart explodes and we end up here, in the vestige realm

Now we are faced with Bakugou in his school uniform, not a scratch on him and a relaxed, calm demeanor. Which, okay. I guess that response makes sense, but it’s also feels very uncharacteristic, as you would think his response would have been closer to anger, or confusion. Maybe annoyed.

This isn’t the case though. I remember when I first read this moment, I was like, “Oh… Right.” ??? What does he mean “Oh… Right.”?” ?? It felt like there was something missing! Like, either Bakugou had been in the middle of a conversation with All Might’s Vestige already when we got there OR he has experienced this before at a different point in time. Seeing that screen grab from Heroes Rising made it all come together.

Bakugou remembers having OFA now. He’s been here before. We just weren’t privy to it then.

What triggered it though? His death?

Yes! Partially.

Basically, Bakugou becoming unconscious in some way was part of the requirement for him to get there, as it was for Izuku initially, as well. But if you look at the way his art changes in these last few visuals of him before his death, the moment that he essentially reactivates OFA is clear.

It is here:

This is where the sparks of OFA begin and it’s because Bakugou has made a decision.

The other catalyst for his memory of OFA was Bakugou’s resolve to win to save. His decision to go beyond himself and his power. This was the moment he said “Gotta win… Right, Izuku?” Essentially, in order to save Tenko Shimura, he would have to give it everything in order to win this fight against ShigAFO. Therefore making it possible to activate or reawaken OFA/the Vestige Realm inside himself. This is even more likely considering that the vestiges used a resolve test with Izuku as well to determine whether or not they would continue to help him.

So, essentially, Bakugou remembers having had OFA way back in the Heroes Rising Arc and it had to do with the fact that he resolved to win to save Tenko Shimura and also physically ‘died’, too.

Hopefully, my theory is not too far off the reality of it, and hopefully I’m not just dumb as hell and I’ve already been told this without making this connection. This is my first time making a theory post, so please let me know if i missed anything vital here! I’d love to discuss!

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critter-genfic-events · 10 months

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Misunderstandings: A Critical Role Rec List

Hey everyone! This week we have seven amazing fics that are all about misunderstandings. Additionally, we have a couple of announcements down at the end of the post, so please check those out. Recs under the cut, and as always, remember to comment or kudos if you liked them!

everything built may break by ZPumpkin (2157,Teen) Warnings: None Pairings:

Laudna in the aftermath of the Rock Incident.

Reccer says: This fic especially resonates given the amount of beautiful Laudna and Ashton moments we've seen since this incident. It's a wonderful look at Laudna's pain in the aftermath of her argument with Imogen.

No Respect by LilacConArtist (2212,Teen) Warnings: Descriptions of chronic pain Pairings: Ashton Greymoore & Imogen Temult

Ashton can handle themself. They can handle their pain. They won't slow the group down. They don't need anyone's help or pity.

Reccer says: I like the connection with different types of chronic pain between Imogen and Ashton

Two Weekends by BotchedExperiment (2463,Teen) Warnings: None Pairings: Beauregard & Jester, Beauregard/Yasha

A modern AU where Beau and Yasha have just started dating and Jester is feeling a little left out.

Reccer says: I've got a fondness for any fic that shows platonic relationships to be as important as romantic ones, and this is a short fluffy fic that explores that feeling of being left out.

Wrong by Moonsp1r1t (1594,Teen) Warnings: Pairings: The Mighty Nein & Kingsley Tealeaf

The Mighty Nein have trouble seeing Kingsley for who he really is. It gets to Kingsley

Reccer says: I like fics that treat Kingsley as his own person, even as it acknowledges how difficult it might be for the other Nein to not see Molly or Lucien.

Pyre of Lies by Swan_Song (6312,General) Warnings: None Pairings: The Mighty Nein & Verin Thelyss

Verin is informed of his brother's death. The Mighty Nein come to pay their respects, and hopefully clear up some misunderstandings.

Reccer says: It's got just the right amount of angst and misunderstanding for the situation

touchstone by fadewords (18223,Teen) Warnings: Dissociation, disordered eating Pairings: Nott & Caleb Widogast

An early Mighty Nein fic where Nott becomes ill. Caleb takes care of her.

Reccer says: It's wonderful hurt/comfort, with the rest of the nein trying to care for each other in their own way.

Wild Fried Rice by Multishipperlove (3059,General) Warnings: None Pairings: Caduceus Clay & Fjord

Fjord tries to impress Caduceus with a home cooked dinner on their first date, but quickly has to realise that more often then not, things do not go as planned. And as it turns out, almost setting his kitchen on fire is not the worst part of the evening. Or is it?

Reccer says: It's a cute story about getting over an embarrassing situation and meeting people where they are.

If you liked this rec list, follow along for more! We'll be posting a new list with a new theme each Monday. And if you would like to make a rec yourself, feel free to reach out to @professor-rye to request access to the submission form!

Next week's theme: Keyleth of the Air Ashari! And what a time to celebrate the Tempest! It wasn’t planned, but it’s very fitting all the same! So gather your favorite Kiki gen fics and send them our way!

And lastly, just a couple of quick announcements! To start, I think I’d like to move the list from Monday to Wednesday, just for ease of posting and sending off reminders. I will also likely start posting a bit earlier in the day as well, but I’m not setting that in stone just yet. And then second, if you are looking for a community of writers to bounce ideas around and encourage each other while we work on our upcoming Gen Week fics, The Writer’s Corner discord server is open to adding more members! We also post reminders about the various Critter Gen Events there as well, among other cool writing activities. If that’s something you’re interested in, send me a message!

Alrighty, that’s it for today! See you all next week!

#critter genfic rec lists #cr fan fic #critical role fan fiction #the mighty nein #bells hells #gen fic

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booburry · 7 months

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WIP WEDNESDAY

Hey look - I actually remembered.

Below is an update to Chapter 5 of Echoes in Time. Working title is "Lights. Camera. Action!". Below the read more is the first entry of the chapter.

Update: combat is hard, yo. I can crank out smut at record time apparently but every sentence of an action scene is like pulling teeth for me. I think it's because I want it to read as a movie scene, each action clear and so the whole sequence of events are connected and coherent. I think I managed to get it done and (hopefully) I can finish this chapter with a few days.

So long that I don't get trapped by Soft!Sam taking over my mind!

I also may post another WIP that will allude or contain a few plot spoilers for the end of Chapter 5 & for Chapter 6. It just...fills me with such warm fuzzies that I wanted to share with those who would want to read. Will make that post later today.

CW: Violence, Death, Killing bad guys

Also, for some reason, my italics didn't copy over and it bothers me but not enough for me to manually edit every paragraph on mobile. Sorrryyyy

Mallory felt herself smile as she drifted in her dreams, enwrapped in the familiar black sea she always floated down. Surrounded by the faint flickers of white lights, now with swirls of cosmic dust coming in and out of focus. It was beautiful and peaceful, the symphony of sounds vibrating through her body.

It calmed her and kept her feeling safe. Yet, slowly, she started to realize that the sounds were getting louder, the vibrations harder as if to force her from this place.

A loud crackle filled the cockpit as, slowly, a large red ship came into view overhead of them.

Mallory’s eyes shot open to realize that she was still on Sam’s ship, they were still lying on the floor, Sam’s arms still cradling her against him...Sam lightly snoring.

“I don’t think there’s anyone in there, boss.” A strange voice spoke to her, Mallory shoved Sam harshly in response, immediately waking him. He shot her a glance, initially upset with the harsh disruption to his slumber, before he quickly heard and saw what Mallory did. His lips pursed, freezing for a moment but Mallory saw him thinking, calculating the position they were in and what they were up against.

With a pit in her stomach, Mallory seriously wished she had allowed Sam to push her for pilot and weapon training sooner. She had been stubborn thinking that she wouldn’t need it, that she would always be ‘planetside’—as Sam liked to call it.

Now she was the opposite of that. Aside from the large ship that slowly sailed past them, she spotted at least two other vessels flying around in the distance and assumed they were more unfriendly ships.

“Seems strange to just have a hunk of junk like that floating out here.” Another voice came over their comms. “Hey!” It yelled out. “If anyone’s alive there, we just want to help.” The rough, menacing, voice elongated the ‘e’ within the word help, as if to mock the very concept.

Mallory looked to Sam for direction, panic growing in her eyes.

He calmly brought a finger to his lips to let her know they needed to stay silent. He then pointed to her and then behind her, Mallory following his direction to see the spacesuit Sam had used when teaching her. She looked back at him with a nod, Mallory trying to flinch a smile but she couldn’t—she was utterly terrified.

Yet, staring at Sam as he managed to stay calm, to watch her steadily, she found herself becoming grounded. She may be incapable of handling what was in front of her, but he wasn’t.

That made her smile, genuinely, before Sam nodded to signal it was ‘go time’. Slowly they crept to their destinations, Mallory to the suit and Sam to the pilot seat. Mallory turned to watch him as she started to complete her assignment.

She had only ever seen Sam Coe as the dad, the teacher, the worried protector, the awkward and dorky cowboy but never...never like this. The way he leapt into his chair, immediately powering up the ship before she could even hear the voice over the comms react.

“Woah, it’s powering up boss!” The first voice said.

“I can see that!” The menacing one growled. Mallory heard Sam darkly chuckle.

“You guys picked the wrong ship.” He threatened them before shutting off their comms, boosting them forward and sending them into the nearby asteroid field. It was like he was one with the ship, his body slightly shifting with every motion they went, rolling them effortlessly to avoid oncoming artillery fire. She watched as one of the ships came into their sights, Sam leaning forward. “I got you...” He muttered before Mallory saw two missiles shoot past them overhead and collide with the front of the enemy ship.

Sam soared past the enemy, letting out an adrenaline-filled ‘Woo!’ as Mallory saw the glass of the enemy’s cockpit blasted open, bodies floating out into space. She had never seen such grim imagery before, but she had to imagine this was to be expected in spacecraft battles in space.

“Hey, when you’re done I will need you up here.” Sam called out to her, Mallory suddenly being pulled back from being captivated by Sam’s abilities and piloting prowess. In the time it took her to fully suit up, Sam had maneuvered through the asteroid field and taken out two more ships—which meant there was only one left, the big one.

She moved up to the co-pilot seat, the chair automatically moving her forward while the dashboard moved towards her.

“Put your hands on the throttles.” He told her, Mallory looked over at him quickly to see him nod down to his hands, to show her what he meant. He waited a moment after she did. “Good, now—” He sent them into a barrel roll to avoid a floating piece of debris.

Mallory felt that as Sam applied thrusters to move and turn the ship, her hands moved with him. The buttons that he presses, became highlighted in front of her.

Mallory smiled, quickly realizing that this must be how he taught Cora to fly—and what he had to do with her right now. Rolling up her imaginary sleeves, Mallory dialled in on everything Sam was doing, letting her hands move with his, watching how that correlated with the movement of the ship.

Something about the motions started to feel rhythmic to her, fluid like a dance but calculated like an equation. But thankfully, with a few more elegant moves from Sam, Mallory felt like she was getting the hang of it.

That was until she felt the ship jolt forward and something red pop up on her screen.

“Shit—that’s an engine out...” Sam muttered, his hand immediately flipping to his dash. “I need you to take control Mallory, we won’t be able to outrun them anymore.” He immediately left the controls, the ship slowing as Mallory let panic take her for a moment before Sam demanded her back into the present. “Mallory!” He called at her, snapping her back as she brought them into a nose dive to get away from the ship on their rear.

“What does this mean, Sam?” She called out, trying to think through the knot in her stomach and the sweat building within her temperature-regulated suit.

“Stay focused and keep them at least 100 meters away—their weapons are powerful but only in close range.” He called from the back of the ship, Mallory faintly hearing him rushing to grab light to heavy objects.

He made it sound so goddamn easy.

Mallory clenched her jaw as she tried to replicate the rhythm that Sam had driven this ship in, but with an engine down and him no longer being a guiding hand, it was impossible. The only thing going for her was that, she thought and assumed, her movements were so irregular that they must be doing something to their benefit.

“How much longer Sam? I don’t think I—”

“Yes, you can.” He called back to her, not letting her finish a thought of self-doubt. “Give me a few more minutes, you can do this.” His words brought with them a warmth to her senses, giving her courage and determination. A buzzing filled Mallory’s ears, traveling down into her arms, hands and fingers—a feeling of knowledge and trust in her ability taking over any other thought that may have been present.

In a flourish of movements, Mallory shifted the power balance of the ship. She removed enough energy from their grav systems to ensure they weren’t floating, then from one of their weapons. She knew she needed two, one to break through the shields before they regen, and another to make them sitting ducks.

She purposefully slowed down, baiting the enemy, watching her sensor to know when they would exactly be in range—the in her body and ears growing more intense that she almost didn’t hear Sam call out to her.

“Mallory? What are you doing?” He asked, not sounding so calm anymore. Mallory continued to route power within the system, this time from the shields to max out the engine and put the rest into the two weapons.

“I can do this, remember?” She called out to him, a smirk present on her lips as she felt a rush of, what can only be described as: abilities enter her.

Then she got the ping she wanted.

Sam and Mallory heard the sound that they were being locked onto—the next thing she wanted.

Mallory moved as one with the ship, dipping down, rolling to the side before looping upwards to be perfectly behind the large ship, their weapons already locking onto their engines.

“Holy sh—” She heard Sam mutter from behind her.

The green light popped up on her dash “LOCKED”, and she immediately let loose. She watched for the ship's shields to shimmer with each blast, timing it perfectly so that the first missile would hit the engine right as the shields fell.

Just like a calculated dance. Mallory thought to herself, yet it oddly did not feel like her thought, nor did this feel like her flying...and as that idea started to enter her mind, the buzzing faded and she seemed to return to the moment.

“What—”

“Quickly dock them.” Sam called out to Mallory as she tried to regain her focus, the world around her going fuzzy for a moment as if she was trying to remember who she was, or where. “Mallory?” This time he called out to her with concern, causing her to scrunch her face together before refocusing on the dah in front of her.

She felt clumsy as she second-guessed which button was for the auto-dock. She finally decided on one when Sam’s finger moved into her vision, seamlessly setting the commands.

“What happened?” He asked her, pushing away the dash and forcing her chair to move backwards.

“I...I don’t know.” Mallory stammered, wanting to focus on what came over her but she knew there was a threat ahead of them, but it was hard. She felt Sam grab her by the shoulders, forcing her eyes onto him, his voice now coming to her through the comms.

“Just a little longer, okay?” He encouraged her but Mallory could sense the tension from what he saw—what she did—and Mallory felt that tension inside of her too. “I left a pistol and a shotgun out for you—and some frostwolf if things get bad.”

“Why would things get bad? You’ll be with me...” Mallory’s voice tapered off as she heard him sigh, noting how much more these helmets picked up with audio, “right?”

“You’ll stay here.” He told her, Mallory taking a defensive stance as their ship came under the enemies. They were moments away from connection. “We don’t have time to argue Mallory—please. Do you trust me?” He asked her a question he should already know the answer to.

“Of course.” She told him.

“Good—now are you ready?”

“If you mean am I equipped? Yes. If you mean have I ever shot a gun before? No…”

“Simple.” Sam said as Mallory heard the hissing of gears and pistons moving on the outside of the ship—they were finally docking. “Breath, aim and finger on the side until you pull the trigger. When one weapon runs out, use the other. Just stay here and protect yourself if one manages to get by.”

Mallory heard his words yet there was a loud ringing that started entering her ears.

“I believe in you.” Sam continued, taking a few tiny steps towards her. “You can do this, I promise we will get out of here safely, alright?” Mallory nodded, embracing his words and presence instead of that pestering voice inside. She took a deep breath as she felt her fears disappear; an odd feeling she couldn’t dwell on.

There was a final hiss as the docking was complete, Sam giving a firm nod and rushing past Mallory, his rifle drawn. Seeing that door open to see another ship sent adrenaline coursing through her body, her finger pressed firmly against the side of her shotgun. She watched as Sam effortlessly brought two Crimson Fleet members down and continued to sweep the room and out of her view.

Mallory remembered he told her to hide, to take cover, but there was something immediately unsettling for her when he went out of view. It also, curiously enough, wasn’t a sense of panic that unsettled her, it was something more...Mallory wasn’t sure, couldn’t describe it. It felt both foreign yet familiar, as if she could anticipate what was happening without knowing her surroundings.

She looked back at the frostwolf he had left behind for her, ‘just in case’. She placed her shotgun behind her body, ready to grab it but sensing she needed to look back.

A door opened outwards into the room Sam was still in.

Perhaps it was the adrenaline, the sudden and real danger Sam could be in, or that sixth sense she was experiencing, but Mallory acted without hesitation or fear. It was just like when she had maneuvered the ship expertly, the buzzing in her hear transitions into that familiar, unsettling, hum.

Mallory drew her pistol, held her arms straight and with two shots to the head the man dropped dead and the feeling inside of her left as quickly as it came.

Mallory stared at the body, just long enough to accept that she had just killed a person and noting that it felt different from the ones she saw floating in space. However, seeing Sam round the corner in a hurry to see, to his shock, what she had managed to pull off, brought Mallory out of her thoughts and distress.

He was about to say something until his head turned to look into the room that the dead man had come from. He let go a good amount of bullets, pausing a short moment before quickly looking at Mallory and nodding his head at her.

“Come on.” He told her, his voice filling the inside of her helmet with a slight crackle. “There should only be a few more.” Mallory nodded, not saying anything while she cautiously walked forward, ensuring that she stayed hypervigilant with their surroundings.

Sam moved to the other side of the doorway, leaving space for her to take cover at the end of the corridor she walked down. She mimicked how Sam leaned his back against the wall, and once she was in position, he swung out and into the next room.

Mallory heard bullets firing and moved to provide some cover.

“Shit.” Sam’s voice came through the comms, Mallory looked to see where he was and noticed it seemed something in his rifle jammed. Now she was scared, nothing to help her, no sounds filling her sense.

No sounds. Mallory immediately thought, bravely moving into the room and catching an enemy by surprise. She released six shots, wishing to ensure he wouldn’t live but her aim was less accurate and her bullets wider spread this time around.

Still, she was sure she hit him at least twice, and he went down with a loud groan.

Quickly, Sam tossed his rifle aside only to grab one from the closest dead body, shooting the crippled enemy Mallory had shot in one swift motion. Sam stood up, giving Mallory a glance she couldn’t discern.

“You okay?” He asked her, slightly out of breath. She just nodded, Sam returning the same gesture before leading the way further into the ship. Before they got to the end, there was a loud hiss as a door opened and two suits filled the room, Sam and Mallory opening fire without reservation until they both dropped. “That should be it, but be careful. Stay behind.” He called out to her, Mallory unable to prevent a smile as how persistent he was with keeping her safe despite her saving his ass twice already. “You like that?” He quipped, obviously having heard her exhale when she smiled.

“Keep your eyes pealed, cowboy.” Mallory teased back as they both cleared the last room before the cockpit.

“Alright, darlin’” He purred back at her, approaching the door and opening it, immediately taking down the remaining enemy—most likely the captain of the ship.

Mallory felt herself let out the last small breath she had been holding onto this entire time. Sam turned to look at her, a proud and bewildered smile spreading across his face.

“I’m shocked at how well you did—are you sure you haven’t done this before? Not yanking my chain?”

“You don’t have a chain to yank—” Mallory started with her sarcasm before lightly recoiling at the look Sam gave her, reminding her that they had already gone over the unnecessary need to hide from him. “Promise you I haven’t. I...I don’t—”

“Fuck.” Sam muttered, his attention immediately on something behind Mallory. “Fucking, fuck.” He exclaimed as he rushed past Mallory. “God damnit it!” He roared.

“What?” Mallory called out, not seeing or hearing what Sam was suddenly panicking about.

“They sent out a distress call. They’ll be here—” Before he could finish his sentence they both heard the sound of ships—many ships—entering the space around them. They both rushed to the cockpit to see at least 8 Crimson Fleet ships in front of them, with god knows how many behind them. “She better hurry up.”

Mallory was about to ask who ‘she’ was until she saw more ships jump into their area...except these weren’t Crimson Fleet.

“Mark which is yours Sam.” A southern woman’s voice spoke into the speakers of the cockpit.

“Easy.” Sam said to himself as he, once again, sat in the pilot’s seat and managed to take off just as the others started shooting at them. “Buckle up, Mallory.” He told her, however, she already noticed a shift in tone—he was all business and no play.

Mallory, as she secured herself, had a sick feeling growing within her at who exactly was the person that just saved them. It made her feel worse to know she was about to be indebted to her. She felt her mind fade, her thoughts putting her elsewhere as she was terrified to meet Lillian Hart for many reasons.

She was the ex-person—as Mallory wasn’t entirely sure if they had been married or just partners—of the man she was, ill-advisedly, growing attached to.

She was the ‘mother’ who had brought Cora to such heartbreaking tears that she would never be able to forget.

And Mallory was petrified she wouldn’t be able to hold back her distaste for the person who just saved both of them from certain death.

#sam coe #starfield #coemancer #starfield fanfiction #starfield sam coe #wip wendesday

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