#not necessarily dead 👀

[cicada-candy]

@moosemonstrous last one of the night i promise ":]

I just had a thought that I probably won't get to do a whole lot with but

Ghost drifting?? Very much a thing here right?

People also drift with demons in this AU.

Excuse to give Johnny fucked up eyes and teeth and voice mayhaps? I think yes

#clarification bcs i just realised i never mentioned it lmao #if johnny fled the corps after dropping the boys in/ the LA attack/ Roxannes death #methinks he would be a beast fighter #as an excuse to keep killing demons #/especially/ if roxanne is dead #and a pretty undefeated one at that >:]c #also slightly less Makes Sense thought. Would Johnny be old enough to remember Eli + Beto?? even if he was like a kid or smthn #coz [i think watch me be wrong lmao] u said everyone who remembered is Gone #not necessarily dead 👀 #CoTG where Ivanov convinces Johnny Robbies possessed by a demon and sends him to go Do Murder and hes too screwy from the fights to say no #thecicadasbuzz #ghost rider pacific rim au #[im drawing beastie fighter johnny rn if u havent already guessed ajfajfaja]

[sibylsleaves]

#i had one other thing to say about this #other than madney marriage for tax reasons which is about to become my entire personality #that i will post in the dead of night and leave in the tags #because i dont want Those Anons to arrive in my inbox #but the phrasing of the buck stuff #DOES make this sound like a potential romantic connection #(not NECESSARILY but definitely possibly....personal front and INTRIGUED BY) #which is very 👀👀 #given that we also know there's supposed to be an Eddie dating storyline #(that MANY of us have assumed will be in the next episode bc of the Pepa line in the official synopsis) #and this is just very..........pointed #given that we've commented in the past about how buck and eddie always seem to need to start dating at the same time #so if they are in fact continuing that pattern #im VERY 👀 #about the potential of that #ESPECIALLY immediately post-poker date #911 spoilers

[rayroseu]

source

Well, as expected there'll be a Book 7 update on May lol

BUT the interesting thing is, the special SSR for this chapter is a Savanaclaw Rook Hunt!!!

Yk referring to the fact that he wasn't originally from Pomefiore, he just transferred there becaise of Vil---I wonder if the next dream we'll travel unto is Rook's??? Or Vil??

I mean, it can be Vil as well, since he does have Malleus magic in him when Malleus cured his aging bcs of the Underworld and he has memories of Savanaclaw Rook, and there are instances on Book 7 where the special SSR isnt necessarily the dreamer (Like Cerberus Ortho SSR).

I believe he can be a candidate of Silver's UM condition that the dreamer must "be special to Silver", I know thats pretty vague, BUT they do have the connection of having both light void magic 👀

I know its obvious Book 7's plot outline is they'll be travelling in dreams of people, so the fact Rook is next, means Savanaclaw might get the spotlight this time, I do remember there was a rumor that Leona will be important for Book 7???

I wonder if the last dorm that we will travel unto is Ramshackle, like we've been theorizing lolol Because Ramshackle is always the place that Malleus resorts to "once he's been back down to a corner"

YES I'M STILL WISHING FOR YUU INVOLVEMENT AJDGJAHGJA BOOK 7 ENDING IS FAR and I will not lose hope for my real favorite dorm 😤😤🙌🙌🙌😭😭🙏🙏🙏 if savanaclaw can get plot significance on Book 7, then FREAKING RAMSHACKLE CAN DO IT IN THE FUTURE!!!!

SSR: Idia, Vil, and Malleus SR: Trey and Ruggie, R: Ace and Jamil

WAHHHH The third TSUMTSUM event😭😭🙏🙏🙏💖💖💖💚💞💕💞

ALSOOO THERES AN SSR MALLEUS DRACONIA FOR THIS TSUM TSUM EVENT‼️‼️‼️‼️😭😭😭

All it took is for one year.... one year for him to have an SSR card event 😭😭😭🙏💞💖💕 I feel like my dead husband just came back to life HAHDHAHA

Ace getting the R cars again lolol he's truly the event card staple now HSHHASHA

THEY'LL FINALLY BE COMPLETED 😭😭💞💖💞💕💞💕🙏🙏✨✨✨

I know theres no Yuu in Tsum tsum event 💔💔💔😭😭😭 and theres not even Grim on this event 💔💔💔😭😭😭 STILL!!!! STILL I HOPE YUU ENCOUNTERS MALLEUS TSUM 😭😭😭

Or not, just please make sure this event has plentiful wholesome Diasomnia interaction, I miss them being sweet to each other 😭😭🙏💕

In book 7, theyre often taunting Malleus or beating the other person up to cheer up from their dream (Sebek theraphy for Silver lmao) KDJAJFJA

ALSO WAIT.... am i going crazy or is there no TSUM TSUM SILVER IN THIS?????😭😭😭 I dont remember Silver getting a Tsum Card yet.... IS HE WITH GRIM????😳😳

NAHHH dont tell me we're getting tsum tsum Silver with Tsum Grim, Tsum Crowley and Tsum Mickey(?) XDDD

But its a pretty cute image that Diasomnia will be seaeching for Tsum Silver only to found he's at Ramshackle... KDJSKJSJ I still remember that TSUMTSUM pic where they ate ice shavings at ramshackle sofa!!(I cant find the pic of it now 😭💔)

edit: LMAO im blind, Tsum Silver is one of the SR cards for these XD

#twst #twisted wonderland #disney twisted wonderland #twistedwonderland #malleus draconia #disney twst #lian notes #twst malleus #twst announcement #twst jp #twst theories #twst theory #rook hunt #twst diasomnia #twst disney #twisted wonderland disney #twst wonderland #twst event #twst tsum tsum #twst savanaclaw #twst ramshackle #twst book 7 #twst book 7 theory #silver twst #twst silver #twst crowley #dire crowley #twst yuu #twst grim #leona kingscholar

[dreaming-of-lu]

cause it's me birfday eue decided to spoil myself with the soulmates au. A special surprise at the end 👀

Time

Normally, one would scream at the sight of a vast, wide open field of grass rather than their room being the first sight to see when waking up,

"Did I fucking die?" instead was the first thing that came out of your mouth. The wind was cool against your skin, lightly ruffling your bed mess hair. Miles around was knee high grass, no trees or civilization around. Just the green grass of mother earth and the blue skies with clouds that looked straight out of Ghibli movie.

"I died, didn't I?"

"I wouldn't necessarily say that-" a short yelp left your lips at the sudden voice appearing next to your ear. You scrambled back in shock, stumbling over yourself to get away from the mysterious, possibly stranger danger. Your eyes landed on the man that somehow happened to quietly sneak up on you, your words caught in your throat at the sight of him.

Long pointy ears, shoulder-length blonde hair, red and blue markings that framed his face, low brows lightly furrowed and...his right eye is shut due to a scar overlining it. Though his remaining eye made your breath hitched due to how blue it was,

"Yeah, I'm dead."

A soft snort left him before clearing his throat, "I promise you aren't, what is your name?"

"I-," you made a face at him, "why should I trust you?"

He lift his hand, pinching his arm that made your own sting, "Ow!"

"Because I am your soulmate."

First

The night seemed endless due to how long it was dragging on. With the ailed fragments of sleep begging for him to close his eyes, yet they held wide open to the stars of the night.

'Can't sleep, handsome?' their voice was like warm water drifting around him in a bath after a long day of hard work. A pleased, tired sigh left his lips, making his muscles eased from the tension his body felt. He weakly smiles to himself,

'Not without you by my side, that is.' The light snort that they gave him had his smile become more genuine, and heart pounding against his chest. The soft flush of heat burned his cheeks and neck as they softly laughed at his comment,

'Ever so the heartbreaker, my love,' they lightly teased.

'Maybe to others,' he huffs, 'though to you, my sweet, I shall carry it carefully as if it's a precious gem throughout the land, even when I meet you. It'll still be beside me.'

It's suddenly quiet, causing him to worry and flustered that he might've said something wrong to them. Only to hear a soft sniffle, 'That's...that's the sweetest, sappiest thing any one had said to me. You're too cute.'

His ears wiggled in delight. Goddesses, he felt like a school girl due to how giddy and mushy he felt, 'I'll shower you in them till you melt in them, my heart.'

They tearfully laughed, 'Okay, sap bucket, try and get some sleep, hmm?'

'Stay with me until I do?'

'Always, my darling.'

Drac

"Why this?" You blinked up from your book at the platinum blonde that took his place next to you on the sofa in the parlor room. He wasn't wearing the normal day to day werewolf shawl, instead, fortaking the shawl and adventuring attire to comfortable clothes to lounge around in. It seemed Aryll was put to sleep easily, since her moans and groans of pain used to distill the air of the house they both reside in.

The chain soft snores in the other room was definitely one to be jealous of due to how easily they knocked out. Though, you can't bring yourself to be angry too much, since the beds were soft enough to ease any ailments they might've felt throughout the day.

You shut the book, placing it aside on the table next to the sofa before turning your attention to him, "why what? did something happen?"

He gives you a flat look, grumbling lightly as he rolled his left sleeve to reveal dark ink marked upon his pale skin. He nods his head to it, "we share the same marks."

You stared wide eyed at the ink that lined his thick forearm; vines rolled around in swirls, flowers with fairies splattered here and there. The same picture that lined your own,

"I-I uhm-"

"While I don't mind the pretty ink, however, getting side eyed for it is not one that I want to deal with," He raised a brow at the shock silence that overcame your form.

"I...I think we're...yanno...soulmates?" you give him a sheepish look, grimacing when his stare hardens.

"...Well, that explains it," he leans backwards in the seat, "...could've chose a different place for it though."

"Asshole," you puffed, "I wanted something pretty to make me feel a little more confident and-"

You squeaked when his hand cupped your chin, he carefully maneuver you in laying position. His other hand came right down next to your head as his body hovered over you, he lowered his face, letting his lips ghost against yours. Gosh, was his eyes always this intense?

He smirked, "is this your way of saying we're married?"

"...you ass."

He snickers.

#.bea's writing #lu x reader #linked universe x reader #link x reader #lu time x reader #lu first x reader #linksona x reader #linksona drac x reader #soulmates au

[sierrrraaawwwwwcgtcvh]

Heyy! Would it be possible for you to do a fluffy oneshot with a fallen angel female reader x Carmilla? They could be spending the day together and relaxing, maybe some cuddles 👀

You and Carmilla had spent the day together by treating yourselves to a spa day. Honestly, the two of you needed the relaxation. The stress of her killing an exorcist was getting to her and with you being a fallen angel.. 

The two of you just needed to relax. Not having to worry about anything or anyone. Well, Carmilla would be probably be worrying about her daughters and you’d be lying if you said you weren’t worried about her daughters either. The two were well-behaved but you both knew they could be mischievous when they wanted to be.

Anyway, the two of you just left the spa and you? You honestly needed a nap or anything of the sort. The two of you sat in a limo as they drove you to whatever destination Carmilla had planned next.

“What’s on your mind mi amor?” Carmilla asked as she sat beside you.

“Just tired.” You yawned as she smiled. “I need a nap.”

“I could go for a nap right now, as well.” Carmilla chuckled as you leaned your head against her shoulder.

“What are we gonna do next?” You asked as she simply hummed.

“We could go home if you wanted? I’m feeling rather tired myself.” 

“That’s okay with me.” You replied as she responded. 

“Alright..” 

She then told the driver to turn around and take the two of us home.

It didn’t necessarily take long for the two of you to get home after that. It only took about 15-20 minutes. So, not that bad.

Carmilla got out of the limo first as you groaned from the lack of body warmth. She was usually warm. Once, you jokingly called her your own personal heater and she simply laughed at your antics before saying that you were her own personal cooler.

Apparently to her, you were usually cold. Much to your surprise. You figured that you were among the many people who were warm almost all of the time.

You got out of the limo as you stretched before looking at Carmilla who was already looking at you.

“Let’s go inside, hmm?” She took your hand in hers as the two of you made your way inside of her house.

She took you to her room as you yawned which then caused her to let out a little yawn of her own. She let go of your hand as she walked towards her bed.

“Guess we both really are tired.” You chuckled as she climbed into bed.

“Are you just going to stand there mi amor?” 

“Oh- right.” You walked over to the other side of the bed and climbed in.

You scooted closer to Carmilla before your wings sprouted out from your back, startling you.

“Sorry! I don’t know why they came out.” You were about make your wings go away before Carmilla spoke.

“It’s alright. You look beautiful with them mi corzaón.” She pulled you closer to her as you smiled.

“Thank you.” You draped your wing around the two of you as she sighed in content.

“You’re welcome.”

—

As soon as I sat down to write this I went dead. Like, I knew what to write and what I was going to do but I just couldn’t write for some reason. It actually killed me inside because I knew what to do but the words just couldn’t come to my head.

OH YEAH I MADE THIS ROMANTIC (hope ya don’t mind) if you want me to make it platonic instead just lmk!

Ooh and I made the reader have wings since she’s a fallen angel if that’s okay!

RAAA I FEEL LIKE I MADE HER SOO OUT OF CHARACTER IM SO SORRY D: oh and sorry that it’s short 😭

Word count : 513

#carmilla carmine x reader #Carmilla x reader #hazbin hotel x reader #hazbin hotel carmilla #hazbin hotel

[thatfreshi]

Hiya, I love your writing style! This is more inspo than a request -- but you know how there's posts floating around about how Astarion's disdain for heroics and good-alignment characters is really a reflection of his feelings about no one ever helping him or rescuing him? What if Tav worked that out and said, "I'm sorry I took so long" -- or something to that affect 👀👀

I imagine this takes place in act two, but before you meet Araj

tw - gore

Recommended Song: Your Power - Billie Eilish

You woke up to a startled shout in the camp, somewhere to the left of your tent. You're not necessarily a heavy or light sleeper, but this would've woken anyone up. There was a fight somewhere, and soon after you realized the shout came from Astarion. Sure he could be mouthy, but loud? It's not really his thing. You grab a knife from beside your bedroll, off to investigate the sudden kerfuffle. When you get there though, Astarion has handled the camp intruder, who is now lying dead on the ground. He doesn't notice you at first as he investigates the stranger's bags, looking to see if he had anything of importance.

"Are you alright?"

Your voice sends shivers up his spine. He's not used to kind questions, at least ones without poor intentions.

"No, I am dead and splayed all over the grass Tav. Shame you didn't help me fast enough! Guess you're not so great at playing hero all the time."

At first, you read this as his normal shitty banter, but there's a spite behind his words, bile.

"Did he-"

"Nope, didn't do anything, I am fine! You may go back to sleep now and dream of all the damsels in distress you haven't found yet."

You take a couple steps closer, worried about how closed off he's being, worried he's hiding something from you. Although, that wouldn't be rare of him.

"Oh what, you think I didn't kill him? Do you need to double check? Here's some proof."

Astarion then plunges his dagger into the chest of the dead man a couple more times, clearly tense. He doesn't unhand his blade after, and simply meets your eyes.

"I can handle a spare rogue. Now, leave me be."

Anxiety bundles in your chest.

"I... you seem unwell."

He scoffs.

"It's you that's made me so unwell, so if you want to sit there and be concerned, perhaps you should look in the mirror."

Where was this coming from? You take a couple more steps, and he turns his blade on you, standing to meet your stance.

"Lower the dagger Astarion."

"Or what? I've been through hell already, what can you do?"

"I don't want to hurt you, and quite frankly I don't know why you'd want to hurt me. I've only ever protected you, assisted you in how many fights, helped you how many times!"

"And that's precisely it. You pass along a silent helping hand, sit there and listen to my woes, pick me up off the ground when I'm wounded, and for what?"

You're taken aback. What kind of question is this? Who would ask something like that?

"Because I care!"

"No. Because you want something from me. That's how it always goes, right? I fall into some peril and a kind creature says, 'oh you poor thing, I'll keep you safe,' and then suddenly I am trapped. No, you won't fool me. Kindness is a means to an end, and I will not be that end again."

Your argument has now woken up everyone in the camp, a few souls rubbing their eyes and wondering why you're yelling this late.

"What would I want from you Astarion? We all want the same thing, the tadpoles gone, the Absolute destroyed. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, I don't know how you don't see that!"

"Then why sleep with me at the party?"

He has now officially aired your business out to the entire camp, but no one says anything. You think about the question, wondering what he could possibly mean.

"I... I slept with you because you offered and I thought it would be fun, and-"

"And what? Because you wanted to hold something over me?"

"No! Because I... because I think I'm falling for you."

Astarion is frozen for a moment, because you seem like you're being genuine right now.

"You know I've used those tricks on everyone in the book, right? Thousands of people have gotten the 'I love you' spiel, you're not special."

A few tears come to your eyes.

"No, it's not that. You say pretty things, sure. But there's something about you, your voice, your eyes... you're, comforting. And when you said you wanted to have sex I figured it might be my only chance to be that close with you, because you're so damn guarded. I guess I was right."

He sheathes his dagger.

"I know you're not used to people being nice, but I like being nice! Especially to you. I know you're trying to keep yourself safe, I don't blame you, but what's the point in freedom if you don't try to use it to live a little?"

Astarion meets your eyes again, tearing up a little.

"The second I drop my guard, I'll have the rug pulled out from under me, the other shoe will drop Tav. I'm not going to take the chance that you're that other shoe."

You try to close the gap between the two of you.

"But wouldn't it be so freeing to just try? You know I see it right? Those little smiles that cover your face when you think I'm not looking. Why can't we just try?"

You try to reach out for his hand, and he hesitates.

"It would be so easy for you to use me."

"I'm telling you I won't, I promise."

"Promises are often empty in my experience."

You try to catch your breath, wiping the salty streaks off your face. When you're ready to give up and tell him to forget you ever said anything, he takes your other hand in his.

"But maybe... just maybe you're right. Trying, it does sound nice to try."

You hold yourself back from squeezing his hand, not wanting to scare him off from the interaction.

"I know you think my whole do-gooder thing is a ploy, and I'm sorry that you've been lied to, but not everyone promising salvation is out to get you. At least I'm not, and I'm here now. I'm here now."

For so long, you wanted to reach out to his heart like this, feel something real with him. You go to wrap yourself around him slowly, and soon after, he reciprocates the embrace. Astarion doesn't say anything, and just sobs into your shoulder. You move your hand to his hair.

"You're free now, it's okay."

The audience hasn't seemed to leave, shocked by the rather tender moment they've witnessed from their tents. You catch a glimpse of Wyll crying a little at the scene. When Astarion removes himself from your side, he wipes at his eyes.

"So now what? Emotional vulnerability isn't really my thing you know."

You both laugh a little.

"Whatever we want I guess, whatever feels right.

"And if I... don't know what feels right?"

You smile.

"Then we'll figure that part out together."

#baldur's gate 3 #astarion #baldurs gate astarion #astarion x reader #astarion x tav #comfort #angst

[phoebepheebsphibs]

What does the bad timeline au look like for your boys 👀

OOOOH, here we go!

(So, I did hint to this in the NFIF/UIFY Crossover when DvD met Omega, and Omega ran a simulation to see what DvD's future would be like. It was a general explanation, but I'm gonna go deeper into detail now --)

2020: So, first off, the Krang attack in 2020, same as in canon. Leon, 'Phael, Mikey, and DvD manage to survive the invasion by some miracle. For the first year, they just focus on staying alive and hidden from the aliens, but by the end of that first year the reunite with April and their friends and discover the beginnings of the Resistance. (Karai was separated from them all as well, but no one has seen her yet and so they all assume she's dead.)

2023-2025: Several years pass, and there is still no sign of Karai. While the boys are out doing a supply raid, they get ambushed by a Krang attack and are caught in a collapsing building. 'Phael freezes in panic and Leon takes a hit to rescue him, though the two are trapped in rubble together as they wait for Mikey and DvD to dig them out. However... Leon doesn't have that long, and encourages Raph as the leader of their family to stay strong and take care of Mikey and Donnie and April and everyone else...

Leo dies, having saved Raphael.

2025-2030: The three mourn their brother, but do their best to help lead the Resistance. In 2026, Cass gives birth to a son, and 'Phael helps her to raise the child. However, during these five years, tragedy strikes again. Michelangelo's hypoglycemia has been acting up due to the low rations, and in spite of their promptings to take care of himself, Mikey has been intentionally skipping meals so the others can take his rations, effectively starving himself. That, coupled with the injuries he gets from his ninpo overdrive, finally takes its toll on his frail body.

Mikey starves to death.

2030-2035: After Mikey's death, Donnie and Raph have a hard time staying cheerful. And to add to the grief, Cassandra dies in battle as well. But some good comes to light, as the group receives word of a lone stranger roaming New York and saving survivors while battling the Krang. After investigating, they discover that Karai has survived and become something of a folk hero! She joins their Resistance, bringing her own group of survivors with her. During this time, Raphael has grown to be a force to be reckoned with, and even the leader of the Resistance! Donatello is working around the clock to create weapons and grow nutritional, non-contaminated plants that they can eat safely. It's hard work, but no one said the end of the world was easy. DvD discovers a formula and equation that may work for time-travel, but he is unsure... he starts to build the machine.

2035-2044: The Resistance is not looking good. They can barely go above ground anymore without being picked off and slaughtered. The food and supplies are running low. 'Phael realizes that the end is coming, and there may be no escape. He has Donnie work full-time on the time machine, as it is their last hope. The Resistance grows smaller and smaller with each passing month, until it seems like it's just Raph, DvD, April, Karai, and Casey Jones Jr., along with a few special people like Big Mama Frida Kahlo. Finally, in 2044, the Krang find their hideout and begin to slaughter the last of the Resistance. Raph has CJ and Donnie evacuate into the labs with the time machine, and while Raph holds them off, Donnie begins to power the machine with his ninpo and what little electricity they have left. Raph instructs Casey on what to do, that he's sending him back in time -- not necessarily to stop the Krang, but more importantly to save Casey from the attack. If nothing else, Casey must survive. If Raph can do nothing else but make sure that his boy sees a world without war, where he is healthy... that will be enough for him. That will redeem his mistakes, how he let his brothers die because of his failures and fear. Casey has to live. He tells him to find his family, warn them, and to find his sister as well, because she -- Suddenly the Krang break into the room, and Casey is thrown into the time machine. Dee's ninpo goes into overdrive and powers the machine, though it costs him his life. Raph manages to hold the Krang off until the machine does it's duty, and then...

Raph and Donnie die sending Casey Jones Jr. into the past.

And yes, I did cry writing this.

#rottmnt #rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles #tutant meenage neetle teetles #until i found you #until i found you au #rottmnt until i found you #rottmnt leo #rottmnt mikey #rottmnt donnie #rottmnt raph #rottmnt casey jr #bad timeline #rottmnt bad future #rottmnt bad timeline #writing angst #rottmnt fanfiction

[monggay]

heyyyyy remember this series? yknow, hermitcraft x the mechanisms, the one i keep thinking ill be able to post about once a week or so? well its actually apparently more of once a month instead haha. anyways heres cleo as ashes! rambling under the cut as usual!

also see: pearl as gunpowder tim, gem as drumbot brian, and mumbo as nastya-ish !

OK OK OK SO. their mechanism is their heart :) idea was from @octopus-defence-squad OH MY GOD OZ IM SO SORRY I JUST REALIZED THAT ASK WAS FROM FREAKIN SEPTEMBER and i only now just answered it even tho ive been thinkin abt it since then 😭😭

[id: a tumblr ask from @/octopus-defence-squad: having thoughts about a mechanisms cleo. maybe she’s the inverse of gem, all her body human except her heart. (i know this is jonny’s thing but i don’t necessarily love his backstory for her? maybe she was more of like. the body was found and the heart didn’t work but bc of Reasons everything else was okay except memories? idk i like cleo being maybe a bit less backstory-having before the mechanism)]

maybe she was found on a desolate planet with stone and dust for ground, inky black seas, and strange purple growth as the only sustenance 👀👀 maybe with some tall thin glowing purple friends

so anyways, the mechanisms are a steampunk band blah blah blah, they play characters as the mechanisms, an immortal space cabaret from the starship aurora travelling the stars having fun violence adventure ...and more violence! they were turned immortal by d. carmilla after dying/nearly dying idk

ashes o'reilly, the one who cleo is based off, has mechanical lungs after getting betrayed in the mob and killed off in a burning building, relevant song backstory here or a live one here in all its 2012 480p recording glory ft jonnys trademark gravelly voice and ashes being ashes (aka being ridicoulously cool 😳), its called lucky sevens, hit it.

but cleo's story is a bit different w a different backstory (found dead alone mysteriously, gets their heart replaced) but they have a similar vibe :) aka badass people who can kick your ass and also probably commit copious amounts of arson and/or murder

another inspiration for this one was this bernadette banner video haha

ALSO the skull is joe :) hes just. a talking skull idk

ALSO ALSO love the headcannon of cleo just taking other body parts for their own so thats a thing here :) hence the skin n also the cane (lil detail i kinda like, the hair maybe being like yknow how ppl put in doll hair? yea) anyways im p tired maybe ill add some more later :)

#hermitcraft #zombiecleo #zombiecleo fanart #the mechanisms #maeart #hermitmechs #this thing has gone thru so much #like 3 different drafts #a typhoon im p sure n also a cellphone change #but rly proud of it :)))

[perexcri]

fic recs!!

i woke up to being on a couple of fic rec lists and really appreciated it, so i wanted to capitalize on the nice energy and make a list of some of my own favs that i've read recently that i didn't necessarily see on the other lists :D check these out because they have some of the best prose/plots/characterization that i've read in the fandom :] 💜

one soft infested summer (M, 18k+, 3/7 ongoing) by @wheelersboy - this one is perfect for all the highler fans out there! it's got stoner byler of course, a music festival, lots out camping, and some really amazing writing! i started it just for the fun stoner vibes because Why Not, but i'm staying for the beautiful writing and the really complex and delicate relationship mike and will have in this one

Light Sleepers (T, 15k+, 2/6 ongoing) by @helioleti - WillEl-centric fic set during the time gap between the end of s3 and the beginning of s4 that explores their dynamic and their respective problems with mike, all while trying to cope with moving across the country from everything they know. each chapter is meant to reflect a certain stage of grief, which fits so well with all the complicated emotions everyone is going through!

drank my poison all alone (T, 4k, one-shot) by silverluminoqity - mike gets vecna'd and has to face his past self who's ashamed of who he's grown up to be, and my dudes the writing goes SO HARD. by far one of the best mike gets vecna'd fics i've read with such a good take on his character

star eater (T, >1k, one-shot) by @lowlightt - another fic where the writing does not play. honestly if you have a few minutes, READ THIS FIC. it's mostly just a confrontation between will and vecna, but it's so so powerful and impactful. and again, i cannot state it enough: the writing is AMAZING

tell me again (you said yes) (M, 32k, 3/3 complete) by @willow-lark - hey remember when cleradin was like a Thing for a brief second a few months ago? well if you miss those vibes, or if you just like great writing and some of the best weaving of canon into a fantasy au i've ever read, please look no further than this fic (and it's first part, fireball him! (cast protection)). i love this one dearly and enjoyed the wonderful ways Lark wove canon (specifically s1) into such a different setting, plus it was nice to see many of the other characters play a role in the events. beautiful, astounding, heart-wrenching - and did i mention there's an elopement 👀

In Undertow (M, 17k+, 3/6 on-going) by @souverian-are-we - this and one soft infested summer have become my summer byler reads~ when i say i love this fic, i mean you will have to pry it from my cold, dead hands 🥰 we've got estranged byler, jancy engagement with some stoncy going on in the background, and most of the characters still reeling from the consequences of their final battle with the upside down. it's all set at a lake house, which provides some breathtaking/atmospheric writing that this author uses to their advantage. it has some of my favorite scenes i've ever read in fic too, ones that have literally taken my breath away

california show your teeth (T, 77k+, 10/19 on-going) by @fireflywitch - what if the Byers and Hopper families were from Lenora and moved to Hawkins? this fic takes this one simple premise and turns it into one of my favorite fics i've ever had the pleasure of following along with. it essentially functions as a retelling of s1 and s2, gives almost every main character that's been featured in the show thus far a lot of time and space for their own plots, all while culminating into one larger story underneath. i don't think i've read a fic quite like this one in terms of its scope, plotting, and characterization, because there are a lot of moving parts, but this author goes above and beyond. i cannot recommend it enough

all i know is pouring rain (and everything has changed) (T, 3k, one-shot) by @willelfanpage - i think i read this one at the beginning of my workday while i was running some report on my computer and had to go about the rest of my day as if everything was fine ahah :'D seriously though, it's 3k words that pack an emotional punch all while examining will's relationship to rain. the writing is just gorgeous, and it's a character study that i haven't really seen done before, which was quite enjoyable~

Chasing Heartlines by (T, 7k+, 1/2 on-going) @cherryisgone - if you liked Tip-Toeing on Lilypads then may i direct you to its sequel, which features so much pining mike that he might as well be a tree? again, if you like cleradin/fantasy aus, then Cherry my beloved has you covered 💜 it fits so neatly with Lilypads and provides some fun contrast between will and mike~

Touch Me Like You Know Me (M, 15k, 4/4 complete) by @starsarefire824 - this exists in the rare pantheon of fics that actually made me cry. imagine an estranged byler reunion with all the emotions turned up to an eleven, and lots of lingering on lost time and how life sometimes takes us places we never thought we'd go. it's absolutely beautiful and is a classic to me :]

come back to me and forgive everything (T, 78k, 18/18 complete) by @howtobecomeadragon - i saw a lot about this one when it was on-going but am only just now getting around to reading it, and all i can say is why did it take me so long to get to it :') this author does such a good job of writing will and mike's relationship with a lot of nuance and complexity while still managing to make them feel like the teenagers they are. basically, will has to spend every july at lonnie's house in indianapolis, and for this summer in particular, the event is a lot more emotionally impactful for both mike and will. there's lots of emotional depth, the complexities of coming out and/or realizing you're queer, and, at the heart of it, how two friends try to mend things between each other. it's so soft and sweet

that's all i've got for now!! i'm quickly running out of time on my lunch break :'D also haven't been writing as much, but it's been fun to read more and relax a bit. hope you guys enjoy these because they're genuinely some of the best stuff i've had the pleasure to read in a while 💜💜💜

#fic recs #actually that last paragraph is a threat everyone had better read these now or i'll. blow up tumblr #byler #(< intended audience) #stranger things fic

[ya-killin-me-smalls]

A while ago you made some Deimos x Teammate headcanons, and they were all absolutely WONDERFUL

Would it be possible to get some Hank x Teammate headcanons? 👀

absolutely!!

headcanons under the cut

2BHank:

obviously gotta start with these two, respect for the elderly and all that

- divorced but it's complicated

- they started out as roommates while Doc was in college and Hank, unbeknownst to Doc at the time, was just getting started at being a menace to society

- they were close. a little too close. but nothing ever came of it aside from a mutual pining

- when Doc began working for the Agency/Nexus it drew a hard line between them. both believed they were doing what was right and that the other was a lost cause

- it turned into a physical fight and Hank did in fact leave Doc for dead

- he got better dw

- fast forward a few years, Doc has swapped sides and is incapable of admitting he was wrong

- Hank is not even a little bit sorry because in his mind it was deserved at the time

- they're different people now though and they both know that. the past is in the past. the world keeps turning

- their relationship has moved beyond platonic since but it's still complicated. they don't have the luxury of deep "what are we" conversations or quality time spent together unless Hank is injured

- regardless, Hank spends whatever downtime he does have in Doc's personal space. he's the type of guy that will just loom over you silently while you're working and patiently wait for Doc to pay attention to him

- Doc still keeps things professional for the sake of professionalism. his guard is only ever truly down when they've retired for the night and he can give Hank every drop of attention he craves

- Hank finds physical touch grounding so on days when his head is a mess and all his thoughts sound like they're underwater, he'll drape himself over Doc's shoulders and try to map out the sensation of him for a while

- "Wimbleton" is as close to a pet name as Doc will ever get. if he uses Hank's first name it's usually when he's mad/annoyed

- Hank doesn't necessarily bite Doc but he's got this weird form of cute aggression that makes him want to put his teeth on him

Hankmos:

yeah I already did this in the last post so what

- their first meeting was the equivalent of finding a wet kitten at the scene of a car accident

- Deimos hadn't yet made a name for himself but was well on his way, torching every stitch of AAHW property he could get his hands on (pyrokinesis Deimos my beloved)

- Hank was sent to raid a cloning facility when it happened. the entire place had gone up in flames and was little more than smoldering debris by the time he got there. he was there to kill everything that moved so of course he had to parse through said debris for any survivors

- what he found was a scrawny fucked up little dude passed out at the center of it all, completely unharmed, the only sign he'd been involved in the fire being the singed remains of his clothes

- interesting enough for Hank to not kill him despite being visibly a clone. instead he wraps Deimos's tiny ass up in his trenchcoat and brings him back to base

- Deimos still wears said trenchcoat because he's a fanboy and nothing will change that

- which also means he glues himself to Hank's hip from day one, not being a nuisance but always in the vicinity, tags along on whatever missions he can, asks Hank to train him in CQB

- and of course Hank grows fond of Deimos. how could he not? his rambling is pleasant background noise that helps keep Hank in the moment, he has a nice smile and laughs a lot, and it doesn't take long for him to become a worthy opponent for Hank

- Deimos goes out of his way to impress Hank. whether that means making stupid jokes to try and get a laugh out of him or showing off on the battlefield at every opportunity, his efforts know no bounds. it makes his heart flutter in a weird way whenever he gets those little signals of approval

- their dynamic in terms of combat is very clean cut leader/follower. Deimos knows how to operate independently but Hank's orders are executed swiftly and without question

- a lot of their communication is done through body language and micro-expressions. Hank is incredibly perceptive of those subtle shifts and for Deimos it comes naturally

- neither is keen on eye contact which works out perfectly, Hank because of the 'tism and Deimos because it feels like someone is trying to square up

- I feel like romantic cannibalism in the literal sense but as a metaphor would shit them so well. there's so much want between them and it's like they can't ever satisfy it. simply touching isn't enough. they need to grab. they need to hold. they need to squeeze. they could become each other and it still wouldn't be enough

- on the outside they play it cool for the most part obviously but the tension is always there. everyone can feel it

Hankford:

woefully underappreciated

- these two have the same vibe and demo and soldier tbh

- Sanford's whole thing is blowing shit up and setting things on fire

- Hank's thing is killing people in increasingly dramatic and violent ways

- combine the two, what more could you want out of a ship

- most of their initial bonding happens over explosions and combat tactics, as well as the inherently homoerotic act of patching each other up during battle

- after a particularly high risk/high reward mission, standing amongst the rubble of what was once a weapons factory and still high on adrenaline and dopamine, Sanford grabs Hank by the lapels of his coat and kisses him

- oh to make out with someone in the aftermath of an explosion

- these two lack a balancing factor. neither needs to be protected by the other. neither has ever been chill a day in their life. both are itching to destroy something at any given moment. they hype each other up and egg on every OSHA violation in the book

- Hank does feel protective towards Sanford because that's just in his nature, but he doesn't feel like he needs to hover or have eyes on him constantly. Sanford has dragged his sorry bleeding ass out of trouble more than once, after all

- Sanford is the king of PDA and they have to establish pretty early on that Hank isn't comfortable with others seeing that much of his private life. holding hands is as far as it goes if others are around

- alone? Sanford can't keep his hands to himself. his favorite thing is to dip Hank when he least expects it just to make him blush

- Hank isn't sure how to reciprocate at first. his hands are meant for crushing and tearing and Sanford is so gentle and tender. it's a learning curve and the way his hands shake when he's excited doesn't help

- they work it out over time together though, Sanford making an effort to lead affection and letting Hank sort out what he likes along the way

- Sanford is Hank's weighted blanket I take no criticism on this

- Sanford calls Hank "Doll". Hank incorrectly interprets this as sarcasm because he can't imagine someone associating him with something delicate or cute

- neither of them is allowed anywhere near the kitchen. not because they can't cook but because neither of them has any impulse control and the microwave will be blown up "for science"

- Sanford, ever observant and a little obsessive, begins mapping out Hank's behaviors and mental state as best as he can. he isn't surprised that Hank is a little fucked up, but there's a lot more going on in their than expected. and Hank, uncharacteristically, does open up to Sanford about the dissociation and memory problems

- Hank has outlawed the word babygirl because it makes him flustered angry

#this took me so long but finals had me in a chokehold the last few weeks #dissociative hank my beloved #i wanna do polycombat too at some point but I gotta finish the Hankmos ficlet I'm working on first 😒 #madness combat #madcom #deimos #2bdamned #hank j wimbleton #sanford #hankmos #2bhank #hankford #asks #headcanons

[fellowshipofthenoodles]

hey so i need some advice about snakes. i dont have like a massive fear of them but it’s still big and makes me skin crawl a little bit. do you have any suggestions on how to get past this and improve? (same with spiders)

Hello!

So, even as a snake lover, I can understand that a fear of snakes is a normal, natural response. Same with spiders and other things that are common phobias! So for my first step, I want to stress this to you: don’t beat yourself up over it!

Next two steps are a do together thing; learn some stuff and exposure.

- If you can, find somewhere that you can be around snakes in a controlled environment. This can be places like museums, all the way to breeders, reputable pet stores, reptile enthusiasts, friends who would be patient and let you be in the room with and maybe eventually hold them when you feel comfy etc. There’s a lot of YouTube and TikTok accounts that are dedicated to things like advanced husbandry, where you can see the care that goes into caring for animals without the focus being directly on the animals themselves.

- Follow blogs on tumblr (👀👋🏻) where you can see people talking about their pets and the love they give to them. Even seeing the videos and pictures will gradually help to desensitise you. There’s tons of good reptiblrs (too many for me to remember right now sorry!) that can give you some good insight into the day to day lives of our little weird creatures.

- Once you’re comfortable enough, learn about them. Did you know that ball pythons are called that in the US because they curl into a ball when they’re spooked? When tarantulas are scared, they sometimes pull their legs over their eyes to hide them too.

Also remember: you’re way bigger and way scarier than they are!

Small snakes like hognoses will thrash around and inflate themselves and HISS and bonk themselves at you and sometimes flip themselves upside down to pretend to play dead, and that’s because you’re big and spooky.

Tarantulas will do something called “kicking hairs” where they stick their little booties up in the air and smack them with their back feet to kick specialised hair to make you leave them alone by making you itchy. That’s because you’re HUUUUGE and they’re just little guys.

While ball pythons aren’t a beginner species to keep necessarily due to their husbandry, they are a pretty good species to be introduced to as a first snake; they’re slow moving, hefty little curious creatures with the silliest puppy dog faces and well socialised balls are extremely handleable.

If for whatever reason you do get bitten by a small snake that’s a constrictor (like a ball python, or corn snake) then it’s very easy to get them off by smearing hand sanitizer on their mouths. It doesn’t hurt the snake (just tastes gross), and the bite doesn’t hurt you either too much - it feels a lot like you’ve been attacked by angry Velcro.

I hope you get past your fears, anon - please be patient with yourself! ❤️

Tonka the ball python is wishing you luck from his hide!

#nice asks #Tonka #overcoming fears

[lets-try-some-writing]

Remembering how in the show the first predacon clones that were made by Shockwave were sent by Megatron to earth.. Cybertronian artifacts and predacons depicted in human mythologies.. (Hercules was somewhat real gifted strenght juice from Cron maybe??idk)

I bet the five of them had opinions on the ancient beasts back from the dead and for some reason on earth of all places

Pluto: Predacons incoming!

Moon,Mars: wHAT

Earth: *not over her dinos* 👀

Unicron: No.

Oh they did have some opinions about the Predacons.

Unicron immediately cringed. He's always hated Predacons simply because they are embodiments of strength and take a great deal after Onyx Prime. Unicron fears Onyx Prime a bit more than the others just because Onyx can see right through him. Anything that reminds him of Onyx makes him unease. The Predacons are no exception.

Earth was rather concerned, but more so for her children. She was happy to see her sister race renewed, but she couldn't help but worry that the Predacons would step on her squishy offspring. Honestly the Predacons are a nice callback to her dinos, and so she is willing to house them if they behave.

Moon & Mars are scared beyond words of the Predacons. Well, not necessarily of them, but rather what they imply. Predacons hunted Cybertronians once, and Titans had to fight denta and claw to keep them away from their precious citizens. Both Moon and Mars carry age old scars from times they had to wrestle Predacons away from their cities. Neither wish to get into a fist fight with something like Predaking again.

Pluto is of the mind that extermination is by far the best policy. Primus saw fit to wipe them out for a reason. Better keep the shoot on sight order in operation.

#transformers #maccadam #transformers prime #unicron and earth au #moon #mars #pluto #earth #unicron #predacons #cybertronian worldbuilding

[bloodied-serpent]

i hope you know you are driving me & my friends up the walls (in the best way) with your comments on our gifsets about emhyr and cahir. you get them, truly.

tell me more pls 👀

Thank you, I'm so happy to torture you with my tags.

I do want to give major credit to both actors, because the physicality in their scenes is *phenomenal* visual storytelling. The delivery of their lines, from their body language to the tone of voice and the microexpressions, has so much nuance that it creates a really compelling dynamic between the two of them. In every interaction between the two of them, there is purpose behind everything, and it elevates the scenes.

In terms of the characters themselves, vengeance is an ouroboros, and I think this shows in how both of them navigate the world.

What fascinates me about Emhyr is how he weaves the illusion of the White Flame- this untouchable leader who is not only certain in his plan, not just guaranteed to succeed, but he acts like he's already won. His posturing is so cleverly constructed to manipulate the person(s) in front of him. We see this in how he interacts with the dwarf bladesmith, sharing drinks but reminding her of the fact they are not, can not, and will not *ever* be the same. The dwarf says as much, blatantly stating he'd kill her if the sword was faulty. And he doesn't shy away from the admission. He leans into it, cultivates that quiet fear that makes people obey. We never see Emhyr without a signifier of his position. He welcomes Cahir back in armour, as the army leader. He wakes Cahir in elaborate dress, as the emperor. Emhyr is always performing, even when he is alone, and that is his tragedy. He only ever dares hesitate when he is alone, but even as he burns the remnants of his old life, he is not allowed to be himself. He is not permitted to be Emhyr. Emhyr is the ashes of a portrait he threw in that brazier. He is the White Flame, because *that* is who will get him what he wants.

And the show emphasises how everything around Emhyr is cyclical. He condemned Fringilla to unending wine, letting her poison herself just as she poisoned his trust. He drinks with his weapon crafter, in moderation and in good spirits. He banished Cahir to the border, where he had to fight tooth and nail for his life, because he sought to cut Emhyr away from his goal. He asks Cahir to kill the only friend he has, knowing Cahir forgets the word "no" around him.

Cahir, on the other hand, is grappling with his sense of self. The only constant in his life is his king, and his king has no mercy for Cahir. Cahir cannot see choice past yearning for Emhyr, because all he has known is loyalty to him. And this hesitation, this doubt, it's apparent. And Emhyr does not hesitate to exploit it. He understands, I feel, on a fundamental level, that Emhyr understands the fact Cahir treads a fine line between his loss of self and finding one that doesn't need a king. Everything Emhyr does, from rousing Emhyr and using the advantage of his still-hazy mind to feed him crumbs enough to satisfy the ache in his heart before he asks the impossible. Something Cahir is more than willing to do, because it's for Emhyr. And this is validated- brilliantly portrayed- by how Emhyr uses language to alienate Cahir from the Others, effectively telling him things like "do it for us" because he KNOWS how desperate Cahir is for there to be an "us"

And I don't necessarily mean a romantic or sexual us here, it's more that Cahir at his core has a need to belong. So what does Emhyr do? "I wanted to welcome you back myself." Entering his room, throwing him his trousers and sitting with him, shoulder to shoulder, looking him in the eye, and telling him what he wants to hear, all the while affirming his standing as the arbiter of life itself. "Fringilla is dead. You are here," he says, meaning "You are here because I have permitted you to be."

Cahir shatters the mirror, whereas Emhyr burns the portrait. One has potential for introspection. The other is a cut link. We see how killing the elf affects Cahir, how he crumbles inward from the act. There is no one to catch him, and he doesn't recognise who he sees in the mirror, but he's not able to let go. And who would? When you have that security, that fragile peace where all you need to do is obey and you'll be rewarded, why step out of line? He tried it, and it almost got him killed. That is what makes this riveting. Cahir is painfully aware of the danger his doubt brings. And he still voices it anyway, sat side by side with the White Flame, he asks "How do you know when someone's a good leader" but he means "How do I know you're what's best for me?" And Emhyr deflects, using Cahir's need against him to placate him.

Emhyr communicates his inner world beautifully - he lays out expectations rather directly, like when he told Cahir "You did as I asked without hesitation." Hesitation is crucial to Emhyr's character, because it is his weak spot. He clutches the portrait of baby Ciri in his arms as he walks away, carrying only his agenda into the future. He buries anything that will not further his obsession, letting it suffocate and rot, instead of killing it outright, because he fears its ghost too much.

Cahir's woe is intelligence, in that he is aware of it all. He's aware of his need, of his desperation, but he's too afraid to break the cycle. The gravitational pull of Emhyr's influence keeps him in this unending loop of doubt and breakdowns and having his faith affirmed, and he's not allowed to change, because if he regains his sense of self, he will no longer be a malleable asset. Cahir can't seem to fix himself up, which shows in how he has looked throughout the season. Hair and clothes unkempt and rough, the most he managed was washing his face. Compare that with the jewellery and velvet Emhyr wore to wake him, and you get two very different worlds that mirror each other. Emhyr is scared to be himself, Cahir is scared of not being who Emhyr wants him to be.

#thank you for giving me a chance to infodump on them #I've hyperfixated so so badly #the witcher #emhyr #cahir

[cielsosinfel]

I already posted this on twt and bsky but I need to start cataloguing my thoughts here too kfhkhk

I'm trying to get through Jaheira-relevant subquests before I punt her back to camp with her buddies Minsc and Boo, and then I'll go ransack Cazador's place for horny VelliCazStar spice, BUT FIRST!! THE NINE-FINGERS KEENE CONFRONTATION IF YOU HAVE JAHEIRA WITH YOU...

There's history between these two that goes back years, but never actually comes up in BG3 itself in detail, and I wish it did because there is such a TENSION between them here... Like you can tell there is such a heavy weight of shared time together, for good or for ill. In the teasing way Keene calls Jaheira "grandmother," to the way she dances around outright saying she was worried for her, but...

One of the first things Keene says to Jaheira is that, after Jaheira ran off headfirst into likely death with her Harpers and everyone assumed she was dead, Keene made an offering of a gold coin to Kelemvor for her..... which I feel like says a lot given the kind of person Keene is, and how they're polar-opposites when it comes to morals, what they deem acceptable when it comes to "ends justifying the means."

And honestly Keene DOES sound miffed that Jaheira vanished without a word and left her feeling EMOTIONAL about this stubborn woman's apparent death? The "After Jaheira warned me- and then disappeared-" just screams "yeah not that I was worried or anything, you ASSHOLE," like the only other character so far I think talk like this to her are her own KIDS. So to me it just says something about their relationship, that Keene was so concerned about this woman who should be a reluctant ally at best.

This too: "if you actually cared for her as much as a friend should, you'd be telling her to think about her own life for once" are you implying that you see yourself as a better friend to Jaheira, Keene...

AND THEN JAHEIRA BREAKING OUT KEENE'S FIRST NAME, HER PRE-CRIMELORD NAME!!! dsjgjhjh And we know they met after Keene was already in the Guild, I can't remember if it's AFTER Keene came to control it but? It's well after her adopting her Nine-fingers Keene moniker for business, so where did Jaheira learn the Astele, and when did she start breaking it out in arguments where she desperately wants Keene to listen to her?

Also I just love that Keene is so insistent Jaheira takes a break. She can't talk her down from running headfirst into yet more peril, from feeling responsibility to always take on as much of a burden as she can, but she can at least try to wrangle the woman into even a short rest.

But also, when you talk to her while playing as Jaheira, and Keene says "Anything I can do to take that wrinkle from your brow?" am I the only one whose brain immediately fizzled out thinking how sexual it sounded... Not necessarily in tone, but just... the word choice... Yes, Jaheira, is there anything this equally-stubborn, needling younger woman with an ocean of respect for you can DO to help you unwind and loosen up....?👀

If they haven't fucked in the past I'll eat my hat.

Thank you for coming to my TL;DR rambling nonsensical Jaheira/Keene thoughts.

#rue in baldy gate

[snickerdoodlles]

☕️☕️👀

oooh two bitchy opinions, lets see 👀

Pete as the Therapy Friend

[breathes in deeply thru my nose] if i may be bitchy for a second: people. why.

i hate The Therapy Friend trope on principle, but what's especially irritating to me about Pete filling this role is that his entire character is about repressing shit and hiding behind a mask until it shatters him. there is so much wrong with him ❤ and while Pete does give advice to others, a lot of it's rooted in stuff like Buddhist dogma or otherwise repeated elders' advice. it's not necessarily advice he specifically came up with or even practices, which imo is a very different vibe than The Advice Friend or whatever. and honestly my biggest schism with this take on Pete is that a core part of Pete's characterization to me is Pete being an intensely uncomfortable person. he has his masks and he's very good at rolling with whatever bananas situation he finds himself in, but he's not like...grounded as a person. the Therapy Friend trope requires a deep steadiness and surety in self that Pete just doesn't have, so anything with Pete as an emotional core immediately boots me out of the immersion.

Big lives

very much a personal preference sort of thing, but like. i really that Big dies. i really love the meta implications of it and there are some things i really would've liked to see canon dig into if there hadn't been so much other stuff also going on at the time. and i think part of what makes Big so good as a guard (and so crunchy as a character) is that he was so seamless in his role that you don't ever feel his presence but his absence is an aching wound. and so if Big lives, i want his presence to be displaced. i want him to be the stone in the machinery and i want to see his struggle with sticking out oddly in a context he's never had issue with before. but a lot of stories just kinda...randomly have him still alive with zero intentions of doing anything with it. which is a much more boring story decision to me? i get where people just don't want him dead, but i don't see the point of saving him just to keep him in Kinn and Porsche's backdrop. it's not quite an automatic click back thing for me, but it's definitely not my thing and i do tend to pull away from fics because of it.

[ send a ☕, get a bitchy* fic opinion ]

*personal preference, I’m not going to be mean

#kinnporsche #tea asks

[murfpersonalblog]

IWTV S2 Ep3 - Armand as Unreliable Narrator

I'm seeing a lot of posts defending AMC!Armand against fans thinking he's lying or untrustworthy or something. I've seen people point out valid things like AMC's deliberate twisting / reckless disregard of book canon; to bad takes stemming from shipping wars; to personal preferences & biases.

My reservations against AMC!Armand go all the way back to S1, when we saw those floating bookshelves and sliced pages in Claudia's diary. I've long since been of the suspicion that Armand's not necessarily forcing Louis against his will or anything THAT nefarious; but that he's definitely been taking advantage of Louis' need for someone to help stop him from going off the deep end--and more importantly, that he's been taking more than his fair share of autonomy over things Louis does/doesn't have access to--specifically: information/knowledge.

For me, GABRIELLE'S absence is the most telling red flag. Cuz the writers know good & well that they want S3/TVL; Rolin never shuts up about it. It's not that AMC isn't doing the books so we don't need to expect it to be 1:1--it's that THEY ARE doing the books! They're planting seeds through deliberate misdirection & omission.

Gab's arguably the most important/impactful person in Lestat's life b4 he meets Louis. She's Les' very first fledgling. She's there when Armand kidnaps Nicki; she's there when Alessandra explains the Devil's Road for the first time (a scene AMC was obvs inspired by with Daciana in 2x1); she's there when Les leaves the Theatre; she's everywhere.

And what's more:

Armand hates Gabrielle's GUTS.

Gabrielle's "useless" to Armand, but she was EVERYTHING to Les, and most of his emotional damage & abandonment issues come from her. Armand KNEW to weaponize Magnus' suicide & Gab's lackluster treatment of child!Les as the best way to seduce him!

Armand, like Claudia, is DESPERATE for someone to want & need him as their #1.

Louis is pretty good for this--if only he'd hurry up & get over Lestat (& Claudia) already.

In the book!IWTV/TVA, Armand dumped Louis when Lou gave up on being happy & got way too depressed for Armand to help him anymore. But Armand really wanted Lestat. Cuz Lestat is CLINGY--he doesn't pack & up leave (ie: give up) without a DARN good reason--and it's mighty sus that Armand didn't mention that Les & Gab left him to look for HIS MAKER, MARIUS, cuz Armand didn't know ISH, and doubted Marius was still alive--cuz if he was still alive, why had ARMAND been ABANDONED BY MARIUS for all those centuries, left for dead with the Children of Darkness/Satan? 👀💔

Lestat is a carbon copy of Marius, down to the blonde hair, blue eyes, and red velvet. Armand's Louis' rebound of Lestat, but Lestat's Armand's rebound of Marius.

Louis is not the only vampire who lives in a constant state of denial/delusion, running from his fears. They are both exact opposites of Lestat, who confronts his fears head-on.

I'm becoming increasingly convinced that if Lestat IS asleep in the penthouse, Louis doesn't know--or he doesn't have all the correct info. Cuz Armand's been isolating Louis this whole time in their weird cage/penthouse, with its jail bars and floating bookcases. He is ACTIVELY AGAINST this entire interview; and he encourages any & all contradictory talk of Lestat being "dead"--

--so it makes sense that he wouldn't want Louis to know anything about Gabrielle, as that would be someone who KNOWS Lestat, and would probably know where to find him (IF he's not comatose in the penthouse somewhere).

So for Armand to leave Gab out and make it seem like Mama's Boy Lestat was this cavalier playboy who cared about nothing & no one but himself (as per Louis' words to Daniel) just smacks of a highly slanted angle, that even LOUIS is ignorant of--I don't think AMC!Louis knows anything about Gabrielle's existence whatsoever. 👀 Yes, "Lestat never told me ish!;" but clearly ARMAND never told him the whole story, either. 😬🤫🤐

Then, there's Nickistat....

Plenty of interviews/reviewers already said Armand's petty, so I'm not surprised that the Nicki info doesn't add up. First off, it's a great way to garner sympathy from Louis, and create a connection, and act as an effective stimulus for Louis' own unpleasant experiences being cucked by Lestat. If Armand can convince Louis that Lestat did to Louis what Lestat did to Nicki, it just makes Lestat look worse; legitimizing why Loumand is oh-so-much-better; which they're actively tryna pitch to Daniel.

But it's a risky gamble though, cuz it also puts Armand in the same spot as Antoinette--and we see how that went. 😬💀🔥 Only this time it won't be Armand who ends up in flames, but Louis, if AMC pulls a Merrick.

It helps that "Lestat never told him ish," either, cuz Louis CLEARLY has no idea that Nicki died--AND HOW. Lestat admitted that he & Nicki "parted ways," but if that's all Louis knows, then ofc Armand can tack on that Nicki was abandoned & hung out to dry--that Lestat was giving Armand money through Roget, not NICKI; that the Theatre was Nicki's, NOT Armand's--and neatly omit everything about what really happened: that Nicki was mentally insane, thoroughly hated & resented Lestat by that point, and was eventually tortured & killed BY ARMAND and his coven when THEY couldn't handle him anymore--a la PAUL'S treatment by the DPDLs.

Armand NEEDS to come across as sympathetically as possible; otherwise he loses Louis AND Daniel to this interview--only this time he won't be the one sitting back letting it happen.

For me, Armand's unreliable not cuz cuz I hate him--on the contrary, I've said 1000 times that he's my fave character in TVC; and Assad's doing an excellent job with him so far. But I don't trust him cuz I KNOW HIM--the fandom calls him a GREMLIN for a reason. I know the stunts he pulled in TVL (telling Daniel the Children of Darkness/Satan killed themselves, when in the book Armand killed them all (except for Eleni, Felix, and like 2 others IDER--they're all Rhoshamandes' fledglings IIRC). He's reduced Nicki's role significantly; making him seem like some desperate twink, while not mentioning how Nicki was half mad before Armand chopped his hands off & forced him to kill himself when he couldn't play violin anymore.

Armand is a MENACE in the early books, and he was originally supposed to be a main TVC villain before Anne Rice realized how much she liked him in QotD and toned him TF down--same way she did with Lestat's transition from IWTV to TVL.

THAT'S why Armand is both lovable/likable and also SUS AF. At least for me. I can't speak for other fans, ofc, cuz I know some folks approach Armand from totally different angles.

#the vampire armand #interview with the vampire #the vampire chronicles #loumand #iwtv tvc metas #iwtv season 2 spoilers