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mysterycitrus · 2 months

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You are the only DC fanfic writer with common sense. Thank you for having braincells. Could you elaborate on Dick's relationship with tarot?

the tarot!! one of my favourite bits outta persephone!!

so we know in rebirth that dick can canonically read a tarot spread because he was taught by a fortuneteller at the circus, so i took “madame mystique” and edited her a little to fit the story better. it made sense that performing acrobats, the same with many professional athletes, would practise a healthy dose of superstition as well as rigorous safety habits

part of the reason i wanted to incorporate it into the story was for a tangible connection to dick’s family but also, as he put it — “I believe in the mind’s ability to find patterns in chaos.” he already knows he’s going to leave the titans and go back to gotham, and looks to the cards to find resolve.

then wrt to the cards he pulled — they mirror both his personal journey from robin to nightwing, but also the three part structure of the story

like garth noted, the king of wands represents optimism and leadership, something that dick doesn’t think he embodies at all but his friends see as representative of him as a person. and that’s true!! the nightwing in the present, the guy everyone relies on and trusts, is someone that dick still is, even at his lowest point.

the hangman reversed is how dick feels in the present — stuck. whatever he did to get himself de aged and caught by deathstroke, his conversations with roy and jason, being grabbed by wally, fighting damian and running from bruce….. it all feels pointless. dick has no power in this moment. everything he worked for as robin has been taken from him. he is stagnant and adrift.

death was interesting because it does represent bruce, but also dick’s relationship to bruce. dick sees that despite everything, his future self will still return to gotham, return to the cave, and roll over to show his stomach. he finds resolve in the cards telling him that he can change his own fate, and stand on his own two feet. maybe dick as an adult is too afraid to be changed, to be liberated from the past, but this dick won’t be. this dick grayson has to take the chance.

#weeeeeee!!!!!#dick grayson #nightwing #robin #bruce wayne #dc comics #teen titans #the ask and the answer #persephone tag

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justnoodlefishthings · 10 months

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the fact that icebergs have a distinct smell and that people on the titanic reported to have smelled it before impact is like some cosmic horror level stuff. adrift in the open ocean in utter darkness and you can't see it, you can't hear it, but you can smell your doom approaching

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atruewarrior · 2 months

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This comes as a sort of follow-up to this because it’s been on my mind since I’d shared it, but Thorfinn wasn’t only a dumb child screaming to kill Askeladd throughout the decade he’d spent with him. He was unconsciously assimilating him, getting attached to him, to what his presence represented in his life, depending on him, making him the center of his world, and that was likely why he’d never had the heart to actually deal the final blow and kill him. Why his body and mind failed him whenever they’d duel. Why he could never think straight when facing him. It’s a twisted, unhinged father/son relationship, where Askeladd had the upper hand because he knew the world better, knew to set aside his true feelings better and to use Thorfinn to the fullest, while Thorfinn did not. For over half of his life, Thorfinn had only known the world through Askeladd, he’d only defined his existence through the killing of Askeladd, so subconsciously, there was a deep and tucked away realization that taking away Askeladd would incontrovertibly strip him of everything. Literally everything. And that was why he always stood by, long enough for Askeladd to rile him up and eventually blind him, render him inefficient in battle, and subsequently beat him in duels, just so that there could be another one. Here Askeladd’s quote about everyone being a slave to something comes to mind. I’d like to mention an addition to it that was later introduced in attack on titan through Kenny but with a very fascinating revelation: “Everyone had to be drunk on something to keep pushing on.” Surely enough, Thorfinn was not only a slave to the idea of killing Askeladd and avenging his father, but it was what he got drunk on, what kept him alive, what made him push through. That fantasy was his motivation to keep wading through this nightmare and gave him validation for his choices; it helped him disconnect from everything else, avoid taking a step back and confronting his emotions, accepting the possibility that what he’d allowed himself to become was a disappointment to the very same father he was so desperate to avenge and his legacy. So it was a double-edged sword, because yes this kid has embarked in this destructive, revenge journey where he ended up being raised by a group of mercenaries whose boss he claims he hates and can’t wait to kill, but he also needs those very people and especially said boss to keep living because what else does he have going on for himself outside of that? What would he live for if that is gone?

Not sure if my rambling makes any sense. I had a clear idea where I was going with this at first but then went adrift lmao anyway, to wrap this up, I love to think that at some point along the way, in the deepest depths of his heart, Thorfinn had understood that Askeladd had nothing personal against his father, and his hatred for Askeladd had waned long before his death; it’d long turned into some other (not very healthy still) emotion, but he only realized it after he’d been gone.

#sometimes i wonder if yukimura had put as much thought into writing this relationship as i do reading into it #im grasping at straws really lmao #but i love it. it’s therapeutic for me #vinland saga #peakland saga #askeladd #thorfinn #vinsaga meta

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scintillyyy · 1 year

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you know, i kind of touched on this in my au post earlier today, but it really got me thinking about how much tim joins the batfam early/jason doesn't die in ethiopia really, really relies on fanon understanding of relationships and almost has to prioritize the jason&tim relationship/perpetuate the idea that jason was "tim's robin" (my eyebrow twitches even writing that) because if it doesn't and we go by canon....jason really kind of ends up adrift due to tim's arrival, if he's not the person that tim is absolutely fixated on/that is saving tim.

because tim doesn't canonically need to be saved! he's not that socially awkward, he can make friends within 5 minutes of entering a room. he doesn't really need jason to do anything for him, to be anyone special for him. like, he admittedly probably admires jason-robin, but like, in an abstract way, not a super emotional way. tim would admire current robin whether it was jason in the costume or some random kid named jeff. jason's canonically not that special to tim, not like dick is. if jason quit and bruce replaced him with someone who wasn't jason, tim would just move on to admiring whoever is robin next and not really think about jason anymore, because the only robin who matters long-term is dick.

so if jason isn't the center of tim's world we get a tim who joins the batfam and immediately gets his canonical super-special connection with dick, through dick's parents and the night they fell and being there. and this is a connection that jason will always be excluded from, a wall between them almost. like, they might all like each other. dick does love jason. but it's almost like when you introduce two friends of yours and they immediately click super well and become better friends with each other than they are with you. like, dick is a good brother to jason. but jason's arrival will forever be marred by the actions of bruce, because bruce was the one who chose jason, though dick did eventually accept him as a brother. tim on the other hand came in connected intrinsically with dick. in many ways, tim is the brother without the baggage of bruce. tim is the brother that dick chose for himself based on past connection and fated past meetings. he's picture kid. he's the brother because of dick's parents, not because of bruce.

and isn't that lonely and a bit isolating for jason? sure he has his bond with bruce/his dad, but when it comes to his peers he is a bit on the outside looking in--he doesn't have a same-generation cohort. (which is also why i think it's funny when *tim* is always the one who's cast as this social outcast who has no bonds to anyone. now, i don't think that any of the batkids are socially awkward--on the contrary, i think they're all very good with people, but canonically, due to the short time he was alive for post-treatment, jason doesn't really have a ton of friends outside of bruce and alfred. and idk he doesn't seem to see a need to have a ton of friends! he's perfectly content being batman's son, batman's robin, he doesn't really need anyone or anything else. sure he enjoyed his mission with the titans that one time, but he's not really searching for outside connections or friends for him and bruce, not like tim does as robin. because jason is shown to be pretty content with the way things are--until we get closer to death in the family, ofc, but that's not really about feeling lonely for friends, but feeling lonely for his mother. idk do we ever have him yearning for friends? i'm not as well versed on all of jason as robin)

anyways, then we get superboy and impulse and wonder girl and young justice and they're still very much tim's cohort, not jason's. they are 13-15 year olds who act like 13-15 year olds. jason being like...2-3 years older than them would not fit in from a maturity level. and he probably does more with the titans on occasion, but he's only like 17 and they're all like...20s and having kids so he doesn't quite fit in fully there either, they just treat him like a younger brother. so where does he fit? he's kind of alone in his own odd little solitary generation there. tim doesn't really need him. dick doesn't really need him. all he has really is bruce, his dad and best friend. so it's like, when it comes to these types of stories...if jason is not tim's #1 upon tim joining the family, then what does jason have?

and i do see some resentment there. not like, pure hatred. but isn't life unfair? this kid comes in and his life is seemingly pretty good for him at first. he has dick's love unconditionally. he writes barbara thank you notes. he has a easy way of moving through the superhero community making friends with everyone like dick does and oh, i think that's a big frustration. because i don't think jason was jealous and angry at dick all the time but he was notably a little frustrated at having to live in dick's shadow sometimes (again, see his mission with the titans where he loses his temper that they look at just his uniform and expect him to be dick for them) and then to see tim have those traits like dick that jason-as-robin struggles with and thrive with them?

so yea. that's why i think a lot of those aus really depend on needing to make jason tim's #1, because if he's not, then where else does he belong?

#yea im not throwing this in the tags #sometimes we just don't tag controversy

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rawcalamity · 3 months

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History of Arctic-113

A cataclysm of death sullied Heavens flame long ago; casting divine bloodshed upon the dawn of Zenith‘s Decay. With her touch forbidden not a single light could pierce the tides of a cruel war, leaving galaxies across existence to be swallowed whole by darkness. Planets withered away unto swaths of frozen stones, harboring only barren fields that hungered for light—as even a stars warmth fell absent to their yearning. Echoed from the fractured and torn surface of every stone is a tale of old, whispering a time when they once blossomed with life. Now remnants of an ecosystem left ravaged by the scorn of divine conflict, they were fated to wither unto a celestial corpse. Within gales of a festering cold, three titans trekked silently as all that survived this terrible calamity. Tears welled in the eyes of ancients who howled with lament; mourning the loss of their dear kin. What once prospered a land home to titans of great stature now lied torn asunder—stripped away from all who cherished it by fates hand with only ageless vessels that remain tethered to a tale that had forsaken them. Driven only by a final resolve to lay their kin to rest, the ancient triad banded together and cleaved tombs from the surface of this frostbitten pathos.

With every fleeing century, the lagging titans grew languorous. One by one, each of the three descended to their knees to further nestle themselves unto the cold sediment. Their bodies erected from the surface like obelisks; protruding far from the frozen ground with a gaze unwavering. Closing their eyes, the triad caved to the frozen wastes and became one with the snow… However, their tale did not end here. It was as if the very sky was lit aflame—billows of ashen grey clouds cracked and burst with light upon the celestial reign of a new dawn. A kindled spark engulfed awakening stars to ignite the horizon of this frozen rock that had been left adrift for eons. Blanketed by its warmth, the rocks barren surface was washed with new hope; instilling vigor to those dormant beneath its crust. Hardened soil unfurled like the monarchs who breach from their cocoons, as colossal beasts erupted from its fissures… The Behemoths Wake ushered the dawn of a new world.

Landscapes quivered as the ground quaked and ice splintered; disturbed by the claws of beasts who sought to break free from their gelid graves. Rising beneath the first dawn, their eyes were met with barren expanses that had remained forlorn for far too long. To reshape the world was to play god—so too was their vision. In a display of divine intuition, the behemoths tore unto the frostbitten ground as mountains breached its fractures whilst trees unfurled from the scars. Snow careened gently from the sky, reflecting brilliant hues that danced throughout a newborn planet. The ancient triad watched as their kin acted with new life to restore a world thought to have been long lost. Overcome by emotion, tears trickled from their sunken eyes and filled the planets wounds with oceans and rivers. A behemoth who honed blades of divinity at its fingertips sought to guide the water and carve a sodden realm of its own; so it cultivated the gelid seas. Each of the three titans observed joyously as their kin nurtured swaths of biomes that would come to harbor life as it once did before.

Whilst a stars heavenly gaze looked after this rejuvenated planet, its zenith did not shine brightly enough to quell its darkness. A beast reared its ugly head from the depths of this world, shadowing the new dawn. An unruly and hateful colossal it was, and without love it wore a wretched heart stained by the scorn of a war that decimated galaxies long before it. To hold the ideals of catastrophe and death was to oppose those who sought prosper, and soon conflict evolved between these sacred guardians and the behemoth with a taste for destruction. It’s fury seared a trail of death in its conquest, ravaging the very fields beneath it. The ancient triad were left with no other choice but to confront this rampaging beast—lest they watch their home be enthralled by calamity once more. Legends paint the tale of a struggle that stretched on for centuries, only coming to a end once the triad forged a powerful blade from within the planets core. With this weapon, they pierced the heart of the behemoth. Defeated, it collapsed unto a sea of crimson snow. It then looked to the ancient triad with pleading eyes, begging for forgiveness; for the behemoth truly did not wish to perish. The ancient triad promised mercy on the terms that it swore its allegiance to them. Rather than harm their cherished home, it must vow to defend it. It is said that the behemoth swore an oath and was allowed to feel the dawn of a new day, however a fragment of the blade that ended its reign of terror was left wedged between its chest to serve as a reminder to its promise.

Primitive societies of arctic-113 revere the behemoths as gods, while others fear their display of divine power like the devil.

#art #pixel art #creature #creature concept #world building #creature design

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mismatched-starsigns · 10 months

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obsessed with the twitter swiftie tag. it’s like the individual life boats from the titanic trying to find each other while adrift at sea

#well now i guess i have to tag it #twitter swiftie

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rosemaidenvixen · 1 year

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Tales of Arcadia fic recs-Rise of the Titans fix it edition

This project's been a long time coming and I'm super happy to finish at last. Here we have a compilation of written responses to the complete dumpster fire that was supposed to be the franchise finale for Tales of Arcadia. Now this is not a comprehensive list by any means, just a collection of my personal favorites and what I consider the best fix-it takes of Rise of the Titans, broken down into several categories.

Bits and Pieces-Not full fix its, but some short little one shots and alternate takes that make the worst parts of of RotT easier to swallow.

Let’s Try That Again-Jim uses the Krohnisfere only to go back to earlier parts of RotT, not the entire franchise.

Instinct of Self-Preservation-Undoes Strickler's pointless death and Jim doesn't go back in time.

Remembering and Honoring a Hero-In a world where the Krohnisfere doesn't exist, the city of Arcadia gathers to remember the fallen hero, Toby Domalski.

Hope Overture-Canon compliant Stricklake, in the new timeline Barbara and Strickler are hit with memories they shouldn't rightly have.

Technically canon compliant-These fics don’t contradict any of the events of RotT, rather pick up where RotT left off with the new timeline of Toby being the Trollhunter. In general I'm not a fan of this particular type of fic. RotT was such a mess all around I don't like the idea of building on it, but the stories below are exceptions for a reason. Not only do these fics work as continuations, each of them is enjoyable on their own merits.

Challenging Destiny @pinkytoothlesso11-Picks up where canon left off, but with the twist of Jim and Toby sharing the amulet as co Trollhunters. From there it grows to include wizards, changelings, and Akiridions working together to bring back magic and create a better future for all. Not only is this story fantastic as it navigates the benefits and pitfalls of knowledge of the future, but the buildup to an eventual post-Masquerade world is set up so well. And this might be a continuation of canon but don't let that fool you, this story never misses an opportunity to throw well deserved shade at the source material.

Trollhunters: Becoming yeeterparker-A fun, fast paced romp that has the characters using their knowledge of the future to speedrun though obstacles while flipping the baddies off on the way. And not only are they able to turn some foes into friends, but troll Jim is back and he's here to stay. All the character interactions are so warm and caring, showing their strong bonds with each other in a way RotT wishes it did.

Atlas through the aftermath @atlasthroughtheaftermath-Jim went back in time, but from the very first morning in the past everything starts going wrong. The amulet was never supposed to choose Toby. Now Jim is forced to walk the line between truth and lies in order to use his knowledge of the future to ensure a better outcome. But as things drift further and further from the timeline he knows he finds himself adrift in uncharted waters. If you like fics that go into all the nitty gritty details with heartbreakingly realistic fight scenes and depictions of armor/sword fighting, this is the fic for you.

RotT fix its-Just like it says on the tin folks, fics that are complete rewrites of Rise of the Titans. But with better characterization, plot points that aren't hamfisted, no time travel retcon; and most importantly, no Steve mpreg.

Rise of the Titans-Secundo Ire @nickelwick-Part two in a series already containing a fabulous Wizards rewrite. Follows the same events of Rise of the Titans, only with the characters actually acting in character. But with the twist of someone else wielding Excalibur, and Jim going through a magical problem of his own. Not only do these changes make for a very interesting read but every character, even the minor ones, is well fleshed out and true to their established characters. All coming together to create an incredible franchise finale.

Fall of the Titans @purplerose244 This one's more a character study than anything else, but holy hell what a character study! This story goes through and analyzes each character's perspective and journey as they struggle against the titans, with plenty of Akiridion worldbuilding and a very interesting twist on the Arcane order's lore, and who gets Excalibur. Salty about how Jim-centric RotT was and the lack of compelling character arcs? Give this a read.

Tales of Arcadia: The Final Becoming @nikibogwater-Rather than focusing on Jim, the main arcs center on Douxie and Nari's relationship, but without sidelining any of the other characters. A rewrite that's short and sweet that never fails to deliver an epic finale with a satisfying conclusion.

The Eternal Day:Tales of Arcadia @rikalovesrice-An epic rewrite that really delivers on the promise to unite the worlds of trolls, aliens, and wizards. Along with some fascinating original lore and some killer redesigns of the Titans themselves (art on author's tumblr). Takes the bare bones of RotT and builds an incredible story on them. Brilliantly weaving the worlds of trolls, Akiridions, and wizards together all leading up to a final battle of epic magical proportions and a brave new world on the other side.

Entire series rewrites-Kind of a cheat category, which is why it's the largest, in that technically none of these fics are RotT rewrites. They're au takes on canon, and many of them were well in progress before RotT was released. Some haven't been updated in a while and some are on full blown hiatus, but they're all worth a read and all have been confirmed by the authors that they will be concluding differently than RotT does.

Becoming the Mask @magic-and-moonlit-wings-Possibly one of the most well known fics in the TOA fandom, and for darn good reason. Starts at the very beginning of Trollhunters with the premise, what if Jim was a changeling all along? Not a half-changeling or a sleeper agent, but a full blown self aware member of the Janus Order. An excellent highly detailed read, juggles a large cast of complex characters, and subtly addresses plot holes as they come along with care and attention.

What the Night Brings @blund3r-bust3r-When Jim has a chance encounter with a creature of the night he barely escapes with his life. Now less than human himself, he's introduced to a vast world below his feet full of danger and wonder, and sets churning gears that have been spinning for centuries. A wonderfully dark, fantastical au that stays true to a lot of existing TOA lore while still being very much its own story.

Sunshine through the Clouds aka shameless self promotion @rockymaidenvixen-Through events neither fated nor accidental, at five years old Jim Lake starts transforming into a troll with each sunset, and back into a human at sunrise. An ability both a gift and a curse that he carries with him through his childhood into adolescence. Changing nothing and everything once he's chosen as the Trollhunter (more about this au under the tag "sunshine au" on my blog).

Tulips of Time @avirxy-Starts with the events of Wizards, but with two major twists. Toby falls through the time rift with the rest of the gang, and Claire's the one with a shard of evil in her heart. Really this story does the trio's characters justice in a way Wizards wishes it did. The trio struggles to make their way in Camelot and find their way back to the future, but medieval Camelot is a harsh time for trolls and humans alike, with the line between good and evil getting blurrier by the day. And their greatest threat may just come from within.

A Brief Reliving of Troll Lore @i-am-gun-robot-This one's just getting started, and hasn't been updated in a long time, but is definitely worth a read. Did you enjoy Wizards but hate what it did for the overall TOA continuity? Then this is the fic for you. A very different take on Camelot of the past, with worldbuilding that can be dark, but is so very rich and nuanced.

Blue Moon Rising @tunafishprincess-On indefinate hiatus, but definitely worth a read. A half changeling Jim au with a dark twist. What if Jim was stolen from Barbara and found by the Janus order, and raised by the top changeling himself under the new name Atlas. Atlas though his fate was certain, but then on his first real mission a certain amulet calls a hauntingly familiar name.

Self Determination @appendingfic-A completed series rewrite that diverges from canon very early on. It starts with the premise, what if the Trollhunter was always human? Spinning out and crossing over with multiple other properties colliding on an epic scale. To say any more would spoil some of the truly earth shattering twists and turns this story has going for it. For those put off by all the crossovers this is a Tales of Arcadia story more than anything else, and you can still follow along and get fully immersed without knowing anything about the other properties tied into it.

You can check out my original TOA fanfic rec list here, and @feather-dancer has made several much more comprehensive fic rec lists all compiled here.

#tales of arcadia #rott fix it #toa rise of the titans #rott salt #fic rec list #fanfic masterlist #fic rec #toa fic rec #masterlist #trollhunters rise of the titans #rise of the titans

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witch · 1 year

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sorry for the delay! 48 animals. 5 rounds. 3 brackets. 1 tournament to settle it all. here in Creacher Contest 2022, the greatest minds in the history of this website (and you!) will gather to decide once and for all who is tumblr’s favorite little scrimblo bimblo. you all voted in the first round. now begins round 2 to decide the creacher among creachers!

THE RESULTS AND THE ROUND 2 LINK (under the cut!)

CARD 1: Pikachu (winner!) vs. Stuart Little: with 286 votes against Stuart's 39, Pikachu has claimed the most overwhelming Round 1 victory with a whopping 88 percent! Does he have enough Z-Power to maintain this momentum in the coming matches? Stay tuned!

CARD 2: Tom & Jerry vs. Perry the Platypus (winner!): in a heinous act one can only describe as homophobic, Tom and his husband Jerry have been taken out of the game in Round 1 after accruing only 110 votes (33.8%) against Perry's 215 (66.2%). Reporters are calling this tragedy the worst thing to happen to gay people since my straight sister learned how to say 'yass'.

CARD 3: Kirby (winner!) vs. The Lorax: Our orange friend (56 votes, 17.2%) may have powerful connections here on Tumblr via the Onceler, but even those could not save him from the super tough pink puff. His current location is unknown and Kirby (269 votes, 82.8%) has been spotted with a yellow mustache. Call the police.

CARD 4: The Minions (winner!) vs. Talking Tom This match was a bit closer, but thanks to everyone's efforts, Talking Tom (133 votes, 40.9%) has been fucking sent to hell. Anyone else remember the schoolyard rumor that Talking Tom takes pictures of people through his eyes? Like sure the whole thing is probably some datamining thing but that's literally not how anything works??? How was this a rumor????? Ok anyways Minions win (192 votes, 59.1%)

CARD 5: Dog (Columbo) (winner!) vs. Dog (Good Omens): War is hell... but today in this dog-eat-dog world, one sleepy fucking hound (186 votes, 57.2%) rose to the occasion and proved himself to be a certified sloppy floppy. (note: do NOT confuse with 'sloppy toppy'. the resemblance is coincidental. all basset hounds are sloppy AND floppy. think Mr. J's signature 'sloppy style' and we will understand each other and then kiss.) I know nothing about Good Omens and have nothing to add for the other Dog, who admittedly did well in his own right with 139 votes, 42.8%.

CARD 6: Bond Forger vs. Gunter (winner!): I honestly thought this race would be closer, but that probably says more about me than them lol. Taking 67.1% of the card with 218 votes, Gunter has defeated Bond (107 votes, 32.9) in a victory for secret aliens everywhere.

CARD 7: Silkie vs. Waddles (winner!): As a Gen Z elder (lol) who watched Teen Titans reruns on Boomerang, Silkie (79 votes, 24.3%) had my vote. Did this poll reach a younger crowd than me, or is Waddles (246 votes, 75.7%) simply that powerful?

CARD 8: Temmie (winner!) vs. Puppycat: This matchup was super close! Temmie (176 votes, 54.2%) managed to beat Puppycat (149 votes, 45.8%), but there really was no clear winner until the end. This battle of what are basically two tbhs with animal features was certainly the most exciting!

CARD 9: Yoshi (winner!) vs. Chocobo: The only knowledge of Chocobos (98 votes, 30.2%) I have is from this stupid fucking Chocobo anthro art my friend used to spam my DMs with. I basically just needed a thematically similar animal to job to Yoshi (227 votes, 69.8%). Yoshi's Island DS was actually the first video game I physically owned as a kid, so he's kinda special to me lol

CARD 10: Little Buddy vs. Crab (winner!): I had personally predicted Crab's victory (231 votes, 71.1%), but not to such an extent! In only seven weeks. the release of Splatoon 3 (Splathreen) revitalized and expanded its title's fandom. However, it proved to be ineffective against the might of the humble crab, aka the only good thing Tumblr's done for April Fool's since the lizard election. RIP Wretched Tooth I miss you every day #wretchedtoothstandsfortruth

CARD 11: Mr. J (winner!) vs. Salem: L to Salem (114 votes, 35.1%), but you'll always hold a special place in my heart. Unfortunately, it won't be as special as the one reserved for Mr. J, Tumblr's favorite small cat and one of the few Tumblr famous bloggers I don't want to set adrift in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Now that that's out of the way: MR. J SWEEP COME ON EVERYONE VOTE FOR MR. J WE CAN DO IT

CARD 12: The Four Dark Devas of Destruction vs. Hamtaro (winner!): Once again, I haven't consumed either media here and have nothing to say on the matter. However, my friend was happy to hear that "the Danganronpa one lost". Part of me has to agree.

CARD 13: Toothless (winner!) vs. Stitch: Not only was this the closest match with Toothless at 167 votes (51.4%) and Stitch at 158 votes (48.6%), it was also the most controversial, yielding multiple complaints and one (1) death threat. While I sympathize and realize that putting two contenders as strong as Toothless and Stitch together in the first round may not have been the best move, I need everyone to understand that they have similar faces and must be grouped together for that. Thank you. Peace and love

CARD 14: Appa (winner!) vs. Lion: Did the ATLA fandom coordinate a move on this tournament? Because Appa (266 votes, 81.8%) beat Lion (59 votes, 18.2%) by a landslide! The representative of one of Tumblr's historically biggest fandoms losing like this surprised me, but if some sort of fandom participation really did occur, that makes me happy :)

CARD 15: Garfield (winner!) vs. Scooby-Doo: Report: After consuming no less than seven entire large pizzas, Scooby-Doo (149 votes, 45.8%) the dog was immediately rushed to the fucking vet. His owner, Shaggy was found similarly unresponsive. Sorry, Scooby: it was a close race, but nobody can beat Garfield (176 votes, 54.2%) in the art of eating Italian food and doing fuck all. Better luck next time!

CARD 16: Dimple vs. Moomin (winner!): Even after the coming and going of the Moomin (262 votes, 80.6%) fandom directly on my dashboard, all I can fucking think of is that gif of a blob of white mochi getting fucking pummeled in an automatic mochi maker that someone tagged '#moomin...' no matter what I do. That aside, he wiped the floor with Dimple (63 votes, 19.4%), who admittedly should have lost by disqualification anyways.

CARD 17: K-9 vs. Gary (winner!): Most important poll of the day, serving it up, Gary's (229 votes, 70.5%) way! Gary did great up against K-9 (96 votes, 29.5%), who is in fact this poll's only representative of SuperWhoLock. SuperWho would've thought he'd only rack up that many votes? Truly, no fandom can transcend one's early childhood.

CARD 18: Midna (winner!) vs. Morgana: In this battle of scrunkly little cat people, Midna (193 votes, 59.4%) was the definite winner, beating out Morgana (132 votes, 40.6%) by a decent amount. Whoever wins this tournament should be playable in Smash Bros 6

CARD 19: Puffles (winner!) vs. Chao: I feel like the Puffles (191 votes, 58.8%) won for the same reason Gary won: sheer power of childhood memory. As a kid, I always wanted the black one... was it locked behind the paid membership? It's been several years, so naturally I forgor. As for Chaos (134 votes, 41.2%): I am so fucking sorry to the person who said #CHAOSWEEP in the comments lol

CARD 20: Cousin Itt (winner!) vs. Tony Tony Chopper: the one piece wasnt real :(

CARD 21: Rigby vs. Mushu (winner!): Personally, I was really gunning for Rigby (125 votes, 38.5%). With Dimple so immediately out of the race, I was hoping for at least one representative of pathetic men everywhere. That being said, congrats to Mushu (200 votes, 61.5%)! Vote for him in Round 2 if you want him to job to Mr. J!

CARD 22: Luna vs. Hobbes (winner!): I read Calvin and Hobbes as a kid and only recently watched Sailor Moon as a feature for my anime club, but I can honestly say I like both. I still think a crossover would be gold! Show me Luna (117 votes, 36.0%) offering Calvin and Hobbes (208 votes, 64.0%) magical girl powers, Calvin rejecting the offer performatively and whining about lack of powers. That's 12 full strips of Calvin and Hobbes! Make it happen.

CARD 23: Ein (winner!) vs. Iggy: Ok quick tangent. I just looked up 'ein cowboy bebop' to find out what he does, clicked into the wiki and found a tiny, useless article only to then realize I was not on Cowboy Bebop Wiki but in fact the dreaded Heroes Wiki. This and Villains Wiki are the bane of my existence and I'd raise a glass if all parties involved were stranded on a snowy mountain. The Heroes Wiki entry for Spike Spiegel is 1980 words. The Bebop Wiki entry is 8000 words! Why the fuck would I ever want to read the latter? Why does it exist? Are there seriously people who browse Heroes Wiki, just clicking from unrelated protagonist to unrelated protagonist? It has absolutely no functional use in any fandom whatsoever! Any time I look up a fictional character, there's a 90% chance that the Heroes or Villains entry will be the one Google puts on top as if to say 'yeah, this is what you want. trust me.' And without fail, I click it every time! Since the Nazis who own Fandom made the mobile version of all their wikis the same fuck-ugly yellow, I can never tell until it's too late and I've wasted nearly forty seconds of precious time. If I was Elon Musk, not only would I not buy Twitter, I would instead buy Fandom, blow both of these wretched wikis off the face of the fucking earth and ban the IP adresses of anyone to ever type a single word into one of their useless, obtrusive entries. I cannot possibly overstate how much vitriol I bear towards these websites. Please vindicate me in the replies. Anyways, Ein got 265 votes (81.5%) and the other one got 60 votes (18.5%).

CARD 24: Snoopy (winner!) vs. Sakamoto: Snoopy got 195 votes (60.0%) and Sakamoto got 130 votes (40.0%). To quote my cousin's reaction when they found out:

"thank you snoppy"

here's the link to vote in the second round! i'll probably keep it open until 11:59pm est on november 3rd, that way i can get round 3 out in time for destiel day :)

finally, to conclude the post, here is a selection of my favorite comments from round 1 (view on mobile for optimal experience!)

thanks for playing! ~♥♛

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a-driftamongopenstars · 1 year

Text

the strongest destiny camaraderie is with that one strike fireteam member.

#titan it was an honour for 3 strikes #all jokes aside when people are actively nice in strikes it just warms my heart #something so small yet so nice #destiny 2 #adrift babbles

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abominable-space-they · 2 months

Text

Team Dad Verse AU

OT3 Buggy/Mihawk/Shanks

A One Piece Au in which Roger & Garp raise their kids & crews together. The impact is far reaching

Part One Part Two Part Three

An Alternate One Piece History

40 ish years ago: Gol D Roger & Monkey D Garp meet to form a tentative truce for God Island incident hoping to keep more people on both sides of the marine divide alive. Through the danger and struggle they come to trust each other implicitly, a life long bond is created

In the aftermath of the incident Roger finds two mysterious toddlers both set adrift in the ocean. One is a sunny red headed, cheerful little boy with the looks of a Viking prince. The other is strange, difficult, overly busy, and perpetually unhappy. The only thing that seems to settle the odd blue haired little boy, is his red head friend.

Roger raises both both children aboard his ship as honorary Rogers Pirates. They're called Shanks & Buggy respectively. They're not his blood but they will inherit his pirate legacy. They're inseparable.

35 years ago: Garp & Roger marry in secret

30 years ago: increasing pressure from the world government causes a spiral of strain between increasing strife between Marines and pirates. Often men who'd been working working side by side in balance for years. Alliances, friendships, and romantic engagements crumble

27 years ago: Roger Pirates are disbanded. Shanks & Buggy have a falling out, each starting their own crews separately.

It's rumored they still occasionally see each other on Roger's lingering business. No one knows what that might be.

Dracule Mihawk & Red Hair Shanks teen friendship grows into a deeply knowing understanding

They trust and understand each other. A rarity among pirates.

Some say they're lovers

Some say neither man has a heart

Others say if they don't have them, it's because Buggy the Clown ate them.

None of them are concerned about the rumors

26 years ago: increasing tensions between pirates and Marines put titanic pressure on Roger & Garp. Neither of whom are willing to sacrifice their respective ways of life

25 years ago: The two men go their seperate ways permanently

Roger, who may or may not be terminally I'll, is arrested shortly after

The rumor mill can't keep up with the implications

24 Years ago: Gol d Roger is put to death, Garp mourns privately

In the months that follow, mutually distraught, Buggy & Shanks reconcile, sometimes running their crews together for periods of weeks or months at a time.

The two crews are known to be close associates of each other. It's an open secret that Red Hair Shanks & Buggy the Clown are lovers.

Mihawk is still around sometimes. No one knows what that means. No one's brave enough to ask.

23 years ago: Gol D Ace is born to Garp & Roger. A romantic story is woven to protect the child and his identity. A story about a woman who loves a man so much she held their baby inside her body until Roger had been in prison for much to long to be the baby's father. The baby is given his fictional mother's family name, Portgas.

Ace takes after Garp the most, fun loving, hearty, brave, loyal, stubborn, incredibly strong, and always absolutely starving.

If Garp seems like he has regrets no one is foolish enough to point that out to him

18 years ago: The eldest son of the GolD MonkeyD clan, a disillusioned Marine turned freedom fighter Monkey D Dragon, and a disenfranchised pirate turned mercenary spy code name Crocodile, cross paths in an unlikely turn of political events

Sparks Fly between Crocodile, & Dragon, two men with different but momentarily intersecting goals find common ground

A connection is made, a baby is conceived

17 years ago: Crocodile gives birth to a baby boy in absolute secret. The baby, an heir to unknowable power amongst both the pirates and the Marines, is in danger as long as he remains with either of his fathers.

The infant is a liability neither man is willing or able to take on, neither of his parents can reasonably or safely take care of the baby in their lines of work

The baby was given only a name, Monkey D Luffy and sent via wet nurse courier to the home base of his adopted family, Buggy & Shanks. Both men, foundlings themselves, with connections high up in both the Marines and the world's most powerful pirate crews. The baby can be safe there. And so he's raised, hidden in plain sight in Buggy and Shank's combined crew for three years.

Ace spends summers with Shanks and Buggy as well, both to reduce suspicions about his parentage and so the 2 little boys could be raised as family

14 years ago: Luffy, now much to spirited and strong to hide on any one ship, starts drawing dangerous questions from powerful people. A painful decision is made. Shanks & Buggy's crews will separate again, only working together in secret.

Shanks would take the toddler and set him up at a home base, a nowhere little backwater town called Windmill village, where he could keep an eye on the growing boy from an apparent distance.

Buggy would be out in the world spreading the wrong kind of rumors.

Ace, a bright and precocious child, spends summers bouncing between Buggy and Shanks, learning everything he can about the kind of freedom he dreams of taking for himself one day.

10 years ago: Luffy eats the gum gum fruit unintentionally causing an avalanche of cataclysmic change.

Shanks inability to produce this particular devil fruit puts him in the cross hairs of powerful government agents. Knowing the government and pirates alike would soon be making attempts on the the life of whoever ate the gum gum fruit, Shanks sends for Garp to take his grandson. He's now the only person with the power to hide Luffy from both the Marines and the secretive government officials the devil fruit was intended for.

To further protect Luffy, Shanks disappears with his crew amid rumors they started themselves that he'd double crossed his employers and eaten the devil fruit himself.

Shanks gives Luffy his hat before he goes and tells the boy to come find him when he's ready to become a great pirate in his own right

Luffy's dream is born

Garp collects Luffy, he raises and trains both Luffy and Ace as adopted brothers

Though Luffy doesn't remember being born into piracy, it's in his blood and bones, it's in his dreams

No matter what Garp does, he's unable to dissuade either his secret son or his grandson from the danger of following their family's grand pirate legacy

Rumors travel fast on the high seas, rumors get back to Buggy that Shanks has taken up with the Marine sanctioned freshly minted Warlord of the sea, the Privateer Dracule Mihawk... again.

Buggy is heartbroken and furious, he sinks deep into the weeds of retaliation and revenge, cutting off contact with the only extended family he's ever known

5 years ago: in a frustrated fury over ongoing power struggles with Garp, Ace leaves home. Whitebeard finds him, offers to make the boy his own son and legacy. Ace accepts, finally he has a family where he belongs

Hopefully

Time passes

Our story begins

Included Arcs:

The Beginning, Romance Dawn, Loguetown, Alabasta, Water Seven, Time Skip, Impel Down, Marine Ford

The Beginning:

A Clown Car Named Desire

Romance Dawn- Loguetown

Buggy/Mihawk focus

Pre OT3

Complete

Ch 1 Ch 2 Ch 3 Ch 4

On The Grand Line:

Aces High Arc, Portgas D Ace Lives

Alabasta Hold 'em

Alabasta

OT3

Buggy/Mihawk/Shanks Focus

Strawhat pirate ensemble

Established Zosan

Ace Lives Fix it part 1

Complete

Ch 1 Ch 2 Ch 3 Ch 4

Ace In The Hole (Jokers Wild)

Impel Down

OT3 Mishuggy

Buggy, Luffy, Ace, & Cross Guild Focus

Newkama Queens ensemble

Ace Lives Fix it part 2

Ch 1

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mysterycitrus · 5 months

Note

Do you know why they used Roy and Kory in RHATO 2011 anyway? Also your fic is eating my brain. I love it

ahhh tytyty! tis my own brain eating amoeba

as for rhato…… it’s honestly hard to say. kory had visibility because of the 2003 cartoon, so she’s always been comparatively mainstream. honestly a lot of the writing comes from scott lobdell using jtodd as his personal power fantasy, so maybe reducing two legacy titans characters to fawning over him was all part of that. i’d imagine part of it is lobdell wanting to get paid to salivate over kory’s body — which would explain why she had an empty void where her personality should be, and spent her first onscreen appearance in the comic getting leered at by a literal child.

because the fab 5 was never formed and most of the members were written out of existence in ways that made literally no sense, roy was relatively adrift, so he might’ve been snatched up for that reason. every day i wished he’d died like wally. every day i prayed he’d be written out before he was forced to deliver another “wrow jason senpai…. i wish i could be cool and hot and really muscly like u….. but all i am is an insultingly unempathetic depiction of an addict with no identifiable character traits 🥺🥺”

#anti rhato #lodells crimes against roy and kory shall never be forgiven #roy harper #starfire #dc comics #the ask and the answer

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just-shipgirl-thoughts · 1 year

Text

I like to imagine

I haven't played Destiny in years. Literal years.

Forever ago.

Because I got axed by a Code Weasel that I still haven't found the cause of today, and because I lost my console. Like, right after Shadowkeep. I didn't see any of the new stuff happening not with Eris, not with the friendly Eliksni, holy shit that was a shock, not with the alliance between Caitl and the Last City.

None of it.

So as far as I know, my Guardian is just floating in an endless, timeless void in perfect stasis, and has been for years upon years now, completely removed from the world, adrift in Nothing, Nowhere.

I know nothing about this game now.

I've heard things about planets being destroyed, or "Rotated out", and I have to wonder if any of the gear I have is now irreplaceably valuable because they're gone.

I'd be a walking talking time capsule, I think. I have so much shit that was old even then.

I wonder if my loot will even still be there, actually. Sturm, Drang, D.A.R.C.Y, my hand-cannons, the Vampire Gauntlets, to name a few, all gone with the wind.

Could you imagine being the Vanguard, and, suddenly, one day, one of your most prominent Hunters drops off the face of the universe?

You're tracking their ship signature, when it disappears altogether without warning. No disturbances, no other blips, it's just totally gone in the blink of an eye.

Their Light signature? Gone, say the Warlocks, disquieted after observing the sight. They felt something, a bare second of the impression of falling, before it completely disappeared, leaving a patched hole behind, like it was never even there.

Guardians disappearing is hardly uncommon at all, lost to Lightless zones or the endless churning war machine against the Darkness, but a Guardian totally evaporating, out of the blue, in the middle of communication, to somewhere even the most Light sensitive Guardians can't figure out, let alone track?

Disquieting.

I like to imagine, for all the little of myself that I actually put into my Guardian beyond using it as a shell to interact with the world, that they had friends. People. Things they left behind, out of their control.

Oh god, I never even got to see Forsaken. Cayde died, and I wasn't even there.

Wow.

Shit, this is making me a little emotional.

I had a name for them, I think, but I can't remember it. Or what my Hunter looked like, actually, or my Warlock. Or my Titan, for that matter. None of them.

Destiny, much as I am semi-shocked to admit, was a fairly large part of my life for that period of having played it for years.

I wonder how much catching up I'll have to do when I get back.

There's a defrosting joke to be made here, somewhere.

Oh well, nothing the good old fashioned grind and elbow grease can't fix.

#destiny #destiny 2 #destiny the game #destiny 2 hunter #bis rants #I don't really know where this came from #But the thought's been had and written out so I can't just discard it now #So here you go #I guess

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themoonlitsojourner · 10 months

Text

“What brings you here, anyway?” He tilts his head. “Who are you?”

“No one,” she says without thinking. Pulse spiking and palms going clammy, a moment later.

His eyebrows shoot up. “‘No one?’ Huh, your parents were certainly creative. I’m Gar.”

Flustered, she shakes her head. “Tara. My name is Tara. It’s just…” She folds her arms. “I’m not exactly supposed to be here.”

“But of course, the price of resources has skyrocketed. Our product, in turn, has been forced to…”

“How is your mother? Ever since I caught word of her illness…”

“I do relish the caviar. I believe our gracious hosts have opted for the Beluga sturgeon variety. It has a certain note of…”

It’s… It’s huge. Huge, and bathed in gold and silver, half-filled with whirling reds, and greens, and blues fanning out in full, elegant skirts. Spotted with crisply tailored tuxedos in shades of black and charcoal and white. Tables laden high and heavy with more kinds of food than she could imagine.

A shoulder hits her back.

Tara stumbles and flushes and catches her balance and turns around, but there’s no one there. Er– there’s lots of people there. People looking her way, wondering about the underdressed, unaccompanied, and awkward girl gaping like a waif off the street–

Tara forces one foot forward. The next. Step by step, and she’s ghosting across the edge of the echoing ballroom. Avoiding the tide. Struggling not to get pulled adrift into the sea of well-dressed, well-mannered bodies. But she can’t keep her eyes from wandering the room.

They’re all so tall, and confident, and dressed in silks and shades she’s never even heard of, talking about things strange enough to be another language, about owning companies, and kingdoms, and ships, and–

Tara freezes. Her heart lodges in her throat.

Gregor stands tall and proud, talking eloquently and energetically with a couple dripping with… diamonds. Those are diamonds. Gregor makes a point, tilting his head and lifting his eyebrows, and the red-handkerchiefed gentleman nods. An impressed smile graces his mustached lips. The lady next to him, color-coordinated with the handkerchief, looks ready to adopt Gregor. And Gregor, he… He isn’t looking this way.

Tara breathes out and shuffles a few steps back. She turns and ducks behind a pillar, careful to keep her movements casual and– and normal. This is normal. These things happen every day, she attends these things every day, she– she knows what she’s doing.

With long strides, she walks away from her brother. Ha, brother? Who? What brother? Don’t mind her, just keep talking, don’t look back…

Tara stops in the corner. A vantage point, where she can see– well, not everything, but most of it. But a lot of it. And…

She sags back against the cool, marble walls.

No sign of Brion. No sign of… of anyone else she knows.

Which is good, right? No one she knows, then no one who knows her. No one who can recognize and tell on her, no one who can get her into… trouble.

Seas, and seas drift by. Dress, after suit, after dress. Talking. Laughing. Back and forth, and all around, and no one– No one looks her way.

Why was she worried?

Tara curls her hand around the bruises on her wrist, squeezing her eyes shut as the pressure wells in her head. T–this was dumb. She’s risking Elodie’s wrath for this? Why did she even–

Rippling, care-free laughter rides the air. Above the clamor, above the static of nonsense. It rolls over her ears like a message, light and musical like a– like a river stream or something. Nothing like the false brass of forced belly laughs, or the broken glass chitter of a mouth-covered giggle…

It rings in her head. Bouncing off the walls of her skull long after it’s finished. Tara bites her lip and lifts her head. She pushes off the wall. She lifts onto her toes, peering over a hundred heads of perfectly coiffed hair…

There. A boy halfway across the room, dressed in a sea green tuxedo with his dark hair neatly slicked, his head tipped back.

Face still quirked in laughter to the amusement of the handful of adults stationed around him.

How old is he? About… could he be twelve? He… seems to be having fun. He seems to know how these things work.

He seems to belong here.

The boy opens his eyes. It’s too far to really see, but she thinks they might be green. And he… looks directly at her. And scrunches his nose in another smile.

Tara drops onto her flat feet. She checks over her shoulder.

No one in particular. No one looking his way. No one he could be… smiling at.

She looks back at the boy. He is looking at her, and he tips his head to the crowd around him, whose focuses have all shifted back to each other. And he rolls his eyes.

Tara’s heart thuds in her chest. A slow grin spreads over her face. She lets the tip of her tongue poke out, just for a second.

The boy crosses his eyes.

The sound of her own laugh under her breath startles her. Tara sets her finger on the skin beneath her eye and pulls it down, zombie style, and he…

Oh. He’s turning away. Nudging the shoulder of the man next to him, deep in conversation with a sharp-eyed, clean-shaven monolith. The boy says something. The man dismisses him with a gesture, never tearing his eyes or his attention from the conversation. The boy makes a face.

Tara glances around. She takes a step back, toward the balcony. It’s, um, it’s quieter out there, and less crowded, and there aren’t nearly as many people, or as much chance of getting spotted, and–

Surprise ties her in place as she takes one more glance. One more look over her shoulder that she shouldn’t. And sees the boy slip past the adults. And begin making his way across the floor to her.

Her drum of a heart takes up a pulsing rhythm again at the sight. At his hands in his pockets. At impossibly green, gold-flecked eyes gazing out beneath perfect dark hair, and perfect dark lashes. They are locked on… on her. And they sparkle.

He stops a few feet away. “Hey.” He rocks back on his heels. The smile never left his face. The best Tara’s ever seen, boyish and charming and shy, all wrapped up in a gap-toothed grin. “Where do cows go dancing?”

Something in Tara’s brain stutters. She blinks. “Excuse me?”

A sparkle. And a mischievous glint. “The meatball.”

There is the strangest, longest, briefest second, between his joke and her understanding, before the gold-inlaid floor fills her vision as she doubles over laughing.

When she straightens, it’s a new grin gracing his lips. Delighted. Relaxed.

“You came all the way over here to tell me that?” Tara shakes her head.

He shrugs, shoulders nearly touching his ears. “I–uh… Wanted to hear you laugh up close.”

Warmth floods her face and arms. Tucking her hair behind her ear, she lets out another laugh, this one nervous and not by choice.

She has never heard anyone say anything like that before.

“What brings you here, anyway?” He tilts his head. “Who are you?”

“No one,” she says without thinking. Pulse spiking and palms going clammy, a moment later.

His eyebrows shoot up. “‘No one?’ Huh, your parents were certainly creative. I’m Gar.”

Flustered, she shakes her head. “Tara. My name is Tara. It’s just…” She folds her arms. “I’m not exactly supposed to be here.”

Danger. Slipping from her lips. She checks over her shoulder, no one around, there’s no one around, right…?

Gar’s grin catches and pulls her attention back to him as it turns crooked, tugging on one side of his mouth. Revealing neat, white teeth. “A stowaway!” He holds out his hand, nodding to the doorway behind her shedding moonlight. “Let’s hide on the balcony.”

Tara stares at the offered palm. Her blood clamors in her veins, an uncertain marching band composed entirely of drums and cymbals.

“They’ve asked for my help upstairs. Just stay here.” Elodie had tied and untied the apron around her waist with a faraway look in her eyes. “Don’t go anywhere, and don’t talk to anyone. They’ll all be up there. Dukes, and earls, and countesses… And the last thing we need is you meeting the prime minister.” Her hand on the doorknob. Her mind on the dance floor. “Stay here.”

And she forgot to lock the door.

…But that doesn’t have anything to do with Gar. He won’t know unless she tells him, she won’t tell him, and everything will be fine. And the ‘don’t talk to anyone’… That wouldn’t even mean him, would it? Not Gar, with the beautiful eyes and the gentle smile. Not a boy her own age, just looking for some… Company? Fun? What is he looking for?

…It doesn’t matter. She’s knee deep as soon as they find out, anyway.

So Tara fits her fingers between Gar’s. And together, they escape into the crisp night.

The polite din of a party nearly two hundred strong fades into static. Tara hears her own breath, slow and shallow.

“Do you like constellations?”

She tears her gaze away from her hand, wrapped up in the secure, warm brown of his. He sees her looking and quickly lets go. Immediately, the North wind turns her hand cold.

Tara rubs it with her other hand and swallows. What was his question? “I– yeah. I love them.”

Gar looks at her like it’s a secret. Like the commonality is a shared shred of soul. “Me too. Show me your favorite.”

She folds her arms across the top of the banister, searching the skies for what she knows isn’t there any more. “Hydra. The sea serpent. But you can’t see it after May.”

“Funny.” Gar huffs a laugh. “We get that one in the southern hemisphere too.”

From the corner of her eye, Tara steals a glance. “The southern hemisphere?”

“I live in Africa. My parents are scientists.”

Her heart twinges painfully. “They’re here for the charity ball.”

He nods. “Why the sea serpent?”

Tara swallows. “I don’t know. I guess… Well, it’s the largest constellation in the sky.”

“Cool,” Gar says softly. Not good enough. He already knows that.

“It takes hours to rise at night,” Tara blurts out. “And…” She hesitates. His question ringing in her head. Why, why… “I like… how it does its own thing,” she finishes lamely.

“I like the Jewel Box cluster.” Gar hops up onto the railing. Like, actually sits on it, dangling his tuxedoed legs off the side and revealing rumpled black dress socks falling down his ankles. “It looks like four stars. Until you get a telescope and find out it’s hundreds.”

Tara bites into her lip. She steals a glance over her shoulder.

Half open doors, hesitantly admitting the night. It’s immediately drowned out by dozens of chandeliers and a ten piece instrumental band. There is no sign of her brothers.

Tara breathes out. And she turns back toward the stars, taking Gar’s hand and swinging herself up onto the bannister next to him. She pushes her hair out of her face. She asks, a little breathless, “What else do you like, Gar from Africa?”

His eyes shine stranger and deeper than the gaps in the galaxy. “Dude, so many things.”

“Tell me.”

Hours fall by, sand in an hourglass. The magnetism of his smile, his laugh, his casual attention draws her ever nearer. A black hole of infatuation. A night sky of potential.

It is worth every silent, locked-in hour that follows.

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