#and indeed twist those tropes

[natsuyuki-w]

Not one of the boys

Twisted wonderland cast realizes that (Yuu) is a girl.

Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 Featuring: Idia and Ortho - Sebek and Silver

The dark figure in our dorm's yard was unmistakable, and like in his prior appearances, I jogged to him as soon as I noticed.

- VDC you say? Are you actually trying to invite me to this?- - Why yes...The boys have been working hard, I assure you, it's stunning! And well... As fun, as it is following your "Will-o'-the-wisp", I would like to be around you more. - and then backed - Only if you want to of course! -

Much as his Fae companion, Tsunotarou laughed at my expenses leaving me with my lingering smile and owlish confused eyes. - You really seem to know no fear. - he smiled broadly - Very well. I humbly accept your invitation.- and I smiled back, hoping that he would not just bully me after.

- Will you be going on stage? - - Ah no! I'm their "manager", as Vil likes to call me. - - mmm a shame...- I chuckled flustered - Crowley didn't want to risk other schools finding out I am a girl. You never know what accident can happen. Ha ha ha - - Mm yes I can see that. Lilia told me he discovered it accidentally as well. -

I thought back to each event. Practically everyone was surprised, and I started feeling a little insecure - ...Tsunotaro, you think...Am I perhaps not feminine enough? - And he threw me a weird look - I mean, nobody ever noticed till seeing my... More prominent features. And is not like I'm going so much out of my way to hide it! So you know...- and I scratched the back of my head.

He hummed and smiled beautifully - No, I think you're plenty. - his words without an inch of tease - I think the beauty of your femininity is enhanced by your boyish charm.- ... - Wai..what!? - - I'm looking forward to the day of the show Goodnight Yuu.- *puff* and he left me standing in a blushing mess.

- Tsunotaro thinks I am beautiful...- I sighed dreamily - and he looked happy, I'm glad.-

Trope

A couple of days before the culture fair I made my way to Mr. S's Mystery Shop - Gooood morning Sam! How is it going? - - Hello (Yuu), very well thank you. Radiant as always are you? hahaha. - - Of course! My delivery has arrived yet? - I scanned the shelves. - The pile is right there next to the Grimoire. - he pointed. - You almost caught them this time. -

- Uff... I don't understand why they're so... slippery. They've been so kind to sell all those manga for such a low price. I would really like to thank them face to face no? - - They are elusive indeed. - commented Sam - Sorry, but he begged me multiple times not to say a word. - and winked. He wasn't sorry at all, he just enjoyed seeing my frustration. - Yeah yeah... I'm not here just for those; we need to refill our team. - and I handed him the list of ingredients.

---

- Another pile? - Commented Grim. - I know right?- completely missing his point. - And for like 500 Madol??? - - Shopping again Trickster? - I nodded happily to Rook - Have you seen them this time? - - Nah. Again, they ran away immediately. - I climbed the stairs to pose my new collection - And it's... so frustrating? Like sometimes they go for an hour via chat, talking about what I should watch or read, his thoughts and theories... but then they shut down completely "Sry I'm such an otaku lmao bye.'" and avoid me for days. -

- Would you like me to do a little research? - asked the hunter with a sharp smile. -...no...tho, thank you for...the thought. I guess. - I patted his shoulder awkwardly. What I didn't know then was that he already discovered the identity of my seller. - But why give away all those books anyway? - pondered Grim. - Apparently bought a stock of Mangas and he owned already some of the series. They're "sharing the words of those artworks for the greater good". Something like that. -

---

On the day of the festival, me and Grim joined the booth check team. Entered the boardgames club exhibit we found a tall boy with long hair like flames sulking in a corner of the class. - Ahh, two hours left until the research presentation...- -... Idia, what are you doing at a place like that? - frowned Riddle. - It's called anxiety. - I mumbled.

- Uwah!!! Riddle master!!! Why are you here? - he jumped. - M-master? - - Fist of steal even outside the dorm eh? - I nudged the redhead on the side. He frowned at me and taking advantage of his distraction I saw the awkward boy nodding profusely. - Are you ready for the research presentation?- turned back the little tyrant. - Y-you don't have to worry. Just wait and see. - responded the other.

I stared for a moment in thought, making him even more fidgety than before - Are you perhaps... Ortho's brother? - - Sigh... *Eh-hem Y-yes. - he exhaled relieved. - 'Knew it I saw somewhere that blue hair! I have to say, after seeing him "draw a sword" defending your honor at the VCD auditions, I was very curious about meeting you. - - I-well-there's n-nothing i-i-interesting aab-b-bout m-me...I CAUGHT THE INTEREST OF A NORMIE IKEMEN????? - he mumbled hiding from my view.

- Riddle Roseharts, Trey Clover, Grim, hello! Of course, I'll always be there for Nii-san, he's a genius, (Yuu) (Wander)! - appeared the brother in question before I could protest the title of normie. - (YUU) (WANDER)??? - Idia jumped back but quickly covered his mouth and his back faced us all for a second time. He sneaked a look from his shoulder, caught my eyes, and the flames on his head turned pink. My companions looked me over questioningly, but seeing my expression just as confused, they searched for answers in his most trusted subject.

*Blank stare.* - W-well...*eh-hem Hi Ortho! I'm sure you speak the truth about your brother, I'm looking forward to hearing the...- - ...(Yuu) (Wander) - interrupted me once more in a softer tone. The four of us stared back and forth at the pair in search of answers.

- But it's great! - suddenly quipped Ortho. - Nii-san don't you understand? Is like in that Shojo where the girl in disguise in the boy academy becomes friends with her crush and...- - W-W-WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT ORTHO??? - The floating boy started to chant robotically. - (Yuu) (Wander) has sent at 09:45 a.m., Friday 2...- - I KNOW WHO HE IS BUT WHAT GIRL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT??? - - (Yuu) (Wander), student at Night Raven College, is a non-magical human being. Gender Female, height...-

- Stooop - I interrupted the chaotic theatric playing before our eyes. - 1, How was I unaware of sending messages to...you... - but the teenager was no longer with us, his soul probably left his body, and the now empty shell lay on the ground stiff...- ...and 2, when did you find out about me, Ortho? Being a girl that is. - I got closer to check on the dorm's leader's well-being. Tho, sensing my nearby presence he recovered immediately and ran out in a string of apologies. His hair turned a Barbie pink.

- I... Hope his presentation goes well. The magic, engineering that he specialized in has a lot of interesting articles about modern magic. So let's hope this...predicament hasn't caused too much brain damage. - pondered Riddle. - I'm a bit worried, but I'm sure he is going to recover. - and the little Sheoud turned back to us.

- So... What just happened exactly? - trailed off Grim. - You asked: 1, how were you unaware of sending messages to my brother? Nii-san has been chatting with (Yuu)San under the nickname of "Gloomy Samurai" in the second-hand shopping app: Twyst. - *GASP! I reacted dramatically - He was my generous dealer!!!! - - What was he dealing to you??? - Riddle panicked already picturing me falling into the drug club. - One launched Man, flexible cover edition from 01 to volume 23, Junior High attack, redesigned edition, flexible cover, complete... - - Mangas Riddle, Mangas. - I reassured.

- And for number 2: I scanned and stored your physical information when we met the first time. - he confessed nonchalantly. - That's... Fascinating intimidating. - I commented, eyes wide open. - And what was that Shojo girl in a boy academy... - teased Trey. - Please Ortho, don't answer that.- I flashed the green-haired boy a sharp gaze.

I had the impression Gloomy Samurai would've shut me down completely from this day on, and if before there was little possibility of him wanting to meet up in RL, now... stupid to even take it into consideration. - Say Ortho, what's your brother's favorite food? - If I couldn't thank him with me present physically or digitally, a gift would've sufficed.

Title

- TSUNOTARO????? - Sebek was in a tantrum.

- You too? - I murmured in disbelief once they finished their back and forth - Tsunotaro, can I confirm a suspicion of mine? - he smiled and nodded curious about what was going on in that small brain of mine. - This is just a stretch... But is it perhaps that you are searching gazes different from "Mighty prince" or "Terrifying magic user"? I mean why come to a public school otherwise right? -

His faithful knight threw again insults, but the subject himself stayed quiet. Silence needed to be fulfilled for my brain to function so I rumbled even more, in search of an understandable response from the boy - You know,...People can be so focused on What we are, instead of the Who. I mean I thought of it because I saw in us some similarities...Of course, is totally on a different level and type,...but, you know,... I can see a behavior change when my friends discover I'm a girl. And it's...- - WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT??? - Sebek screamed and became a blushing mess.

Silver widened his eyes in realization. - The infirmary, it wasn't a dream...- and pink gradually made its way on his face. I flew a hand on my mouth. - I got lost in my thoughts. - Malleus petted my hair chuckling while Grim clapped his paws with a flat face - It could've gone worse - I enquired to the cat - It could've rained...- I joked nervously.

- NOW EVERYTHING IS CLEAR! You have been luring our master! - screamed Sebek - That's why he has permitted you so much! For sure, under that innocent cute look, you're hiding some secret spell, seducing him you little witch. And grumble, grumble, grumble... - - I would take this as offense honestly - I murmured to the prince. - I would take that as a compliment, cute innocent witch, fufufufu.- he teased.

After recovering from my blush, he was still on fire with his ranting. So I decided to suffocate it with my trashing around - Doll, I'm not stealing your man dah. - - Wha...- As I predicted, his voice died stunned. - Not this again...- groaned Grim recalling the joke Catfights between me and my ginger friend.

- This relationship is completely consensual. - I gestured, and perplexed but very amused Malleus nodded - See? And now, look at ya. - I returned to Sebek - Chasing after him, seeking attention - and with a click of my tongue I concluded - so desperate. - - You... Never stop to surprise me child of man. -

---

Earthquake magnitude 6.2 in the Isle of Sages Possible causes: tectonic plates moved by repeated sound waves with abnormal peaks of decibels. Location: Night Raven Collage.

---

They say that I'm a witch And that I weave a spell Well, I'll be a son of a I don't know what Well, let me tell you brother I'd rather be burned as a witch than never be burned at all (I'd rather be burned as a witch - Eartha Kitt)

*Eh-hem so... What happened? - inquired Crowley. Both me and Ruggie despite the clear frustration of the headmaster, sat nonchalantly, being confident in our innocence.

~

I roamed my eyes on one of the topper shelves in the library holding on a ladder to reach them better. - What are you doing up there (Yuu)? - I heard a whisper from the ground. - Oh! Hi Ruggie! Just searching for my way home. What about you? - Maybe I could find some documents about magical transportation or alternative universes. - Ehmm okay(!?) Me? Same usual, Leona's chores. I'm taking some books for him or he'll just forget to do his research. - - Lazy ass... - I snorted reaching for another book. - Leona. That's who he is. *Shshshsh.-

His eyes then darted down. On the topic of asses. - *Eh-hem... Can you lend me a hand? I think I saw one of the books I need up there. - - Oh sure! Which one?- I responded. - There on the third, no no the fourth down,... Yep, A little more on the right...- - This one? - I glanced back. - No no the other one on the left. *Shshshhshs -

Yep, TOTALLY looking at the books.

* SBAM I jumped down. - AARGH DON'T HIT ME! - and neither of us expected the disaster after that.

~

- That's what you get looking at my boogie! - - YOU WERE TRYING TO THROW THAT BOOK AT ME! I can't believe you chicks! Thinking you have permission to use violence on men, am I right? - - NO I WASN'T! I just jumped down, You scared off yourself and hit the shelf on your own!... And don't deflect!!! You were the one scheming to... -

- SILENCE!!! - Crowley's strong voice covered both of ours. - Ruggie. - he called out sternly. The ears of the hyena were now flat waiting for the worse. - By "chicks" you mean,...girls? - he then trailed his eyes on me with that scary glowing gaze of his. Ruggie thought about it for a while and then smirked. - Yes. I meant girls. - he probably thought the Crow would get too distracted, so he could make a run out of his disaster. - That's quite an interesting predicament (Yuu)... Didn't I warn you to take secrecy? How is that this dear student know?-

- You... Didn't know, headmaster? - I blinked confused. - Know what? - I caught him unprepared. - *ps... What are you doing???- whispered-yelled Ruggie. Sure, he wanted for me to be scolded for HIM knowing, but he didn't expect... - I thought either Azul told you or you had noticed already. - I responded. - Aw. That's nice! It means they really did maintain the secret. - I reached the ahs blonde boy and patted his cheek. - I have such good friends! - - H-hey!It's because there was no advantage in telling anybody.- Embarrassed, he drove my hand away.

- (Yuu).- - Yes? - - EXPLAIN. NOW -

Finished this series!!!! Ruggie was with Silver the less brought up in the "discovery timeline", so I thought it might've been nice to include them a little more with two mini stories (Silver's is in part 3).

Malleus, on the other hand no, he didn't need more timing. But my simping for him did.

I hope you had a fun time with lil old me! Wish you the best, 'till next time! ✨💙

#bookshelf originals #twst section #twisted wonderland imagines #twisted wonderland x reader #twst x reader #twst x yuu #twst malleus x reader #idia shroud #ortho shroud #sebek zigvolt #silver vanrouge #idia x reader #sebek x reader #silver x reader #ruggie x reader #ruggie bucchi

[kaladinkholins]

BRB thinking thoughts about Taigen's character, the TaiMizu ship, and a big chunk of fandom's perceptions regarding both those things.

(Inspired by @farintonorth's post related to this topic that just got my brain going brrrrr)

OK so let me just... start off by saying that I think that reducing stories to their tropes is seriously detrimental to the way some people are interacting with fiction, and while that honestly warrants its own post about the subject, I wanna talk specifically about how this affects the way some people in the fandom talk about Taigen and TaiMizu.

Because yeah, tropes are useful shorthand to refer to certain dynamics or archetypes etc, and they are indeed the building blocks to any story. But in a well-written story, characters and their relationships, actions, and motivations, are much more complex than just tropes. Because in a story that has characters who are more than just cardboard cutouts, their behaviours, backgrounds, motivations and all of that, are inseparable from the context of the overall story they exist in.

So like, sure, you can say Mizu and Taigen have an enemies-to-lovers or rivals-to-lovers dynamic. I also use those terms because it's easier. But I also think this is where things start to get a bit twisted, especially from an intertextual sense. Because "enemies-to-lovers" is also commonly used to refer to other ships in other media, whereby it tends to be rooted in an imbalanced power dynamic, such as oppressor-oppressed and bully-victim.

And while that's a whole can of worms that I won't be getting into because it can quickly derail into a whole separate sort of fandom discourse, I'd just like to make it clear that Mizu and Taigen, in particular, do not have an imbalanced power dynamic. They are not bully-victim or oppressor-oppressed. The only understandable reason why someone might actually think their relationship is imbalanced is if

A) they only watched the first episode, or

B) they cannot grasp the slightest bit of nuance in a character, or

C) they're being obtuse on purpose simply because the Mizu/Taigen relationship, or Taigen's character in general, just doesn't suit their tastes.

While yes, Taigen, along with his whole gang, had bullied Mizu when they were children, that dynamic does not exist between them whatsoever in adulthood. Whatever imbalanced bully-victim power dynamic that had once existed between them was decisively ripped apart the moment Mizu beat him in that duel in the dojo, and then completely obliterated by the end of the season.

Mizu is not a defenseless victim at Taigen's mercy. Mizu can beat Taigen's ass any time she wants (and she DOES, repeatedly in fact), and could even kill him if she felt like it. She taunts him openly and without fear ("I like your hair"; "I can beat you with any weapon you choose") and all he does is bark back, because that's pretty much all Taigen ever does. Time and time again, he yaps about how much he wants to kill her, but time and time again, his actions prove that all of it is just an empty threat. Because though his words say "I hate you", his actions demonstrate the complete opposite. He's shown how protective he is of Mizu, how unhesitatingly he sacrifices himself up for her, how loyal he is in enduring days-long torture to not give up information about her, how even when near-death and in pain, he's still willing to keep standing back up so he can fight by her side and help her win against her enemies.

And Mizu is not an idiot! She sees that too. She does not see him as a threat, an enemy, or even a bully. Especially not by the end of Episode 3, and definitely not by the end of the season. When she finds him in the dungeon in Episode 6, she smiles from relief, and doesn't think twice to take him with her. Mizu finds him, at best, an annoyance, or at worst, an infuriating hindrance on her quest for vengeance. Which is why, when Taigen is about to say, "It's a shame our duel's set for tomorrow; I have to kill you before you get your revenge," Mizu whacks him on the head without a second thought before he can even finish his sentence, and leaves him lying unconscious, face-down, in the snow.

And this further emphasises how he does not hold any power over her. There is no abusive power dynamic between them. She is more powerful than him, he knows this, and all he's ever done after they've met up again in adulthood is get his ass whooped by her, get mad about it and pester her and follow her around, get his ass whooped by her some more, and put his life on the line to protect her.

"OOoooOOoooH b-but he called her a demon at the end of Episode 7 and threatened to kill her again!!!" Oh my god. He called her that because he's calling her out on her selfishness to stay silent about her knowledge of Fowler's plans to attack Edo. Because to him, loyalty and honour as a samurai is more important than anything. So in his own brash-and-immature Taigen way, he felt betrayed that Mizu did not hold the same principles. That's why he got angry. He wasn't even that mad about letting Akemi get dragged off by the Tokunobu guards. It was about saving the Shogun and the Shogunate as a whole. That's why the first thing he does in Edo is not find Akemi, but try to warn the Shogun about Fowler's attack.

Look, I'm not defending his stupid ass, of course. Because calling her a demon especially after their cute little wrestling time was obviously rude and inappropriate, especially since words like "demon", "monster" and "Onryo" have had such a deep effect on Mizu throughout her life, and continue to contribute to her self-hatred. But like? That's the fun of realistic and flawed characters, and realistic and flawed relationships. They're not perfect, and it's why we as an audience root for them, wanting to see them work through their shit and find a way to prevail despite it all.

Also, him saying that was in the heat of the moment. He was angry, he felt like his initial belief of who Mizu was—a strong and loyal samurai, just like him—was shattered, and so he lashed out. Was it rude? Definitely. Was it immature of him? Yes, incredibly. But it's also very much in line with his character, because even though he's grown a lot over the course of the season, the show isn't over yet, so obviously his character arc is just beginning, as that is also the case for the other three main characters: Mizu is beginning to accept herself, Akemi is beginning to grow into her position of power, Ringo beginning to train under Master Eiji, while Taigen is beginning to simply be a better person.

On that note, when speaking of Taigen's immaturity, I think that's also one of the main things that people tend to gloss over when it comes to his character. Because when you boil everything down to its bare essentials, Taigen is, essentially, a boy. I've talked about this before, but to reiterate, Taigen very much behaves like an unhealed child. Even as an adult, he is insecure, prone to throwing tantrums, and is desperate to latch onto some material goal in hopes that it will make him feel better—initially he was chasing status/glory/greatness, and then when Mizu tells him that "Nothing comes from being a samurai but death," he immediately decides he wants to run away with Akemi in hopes that he will be happy.

And it's a big step, acknowledging that he doesn't truly want greatness, but had always just assumed it was his only path to a good life. But it's clear he still hasn't really figured it out. Because if he did run off with Akemi to get married and live in the countryside, he still wouldn't be happy. Because he still doesn't know who he really is, or what it is he really wants. Marriage at this moment is the last thing he needs, and as he is now, he would be a pretty awful husband. A simple life would be good for him, but would he be good at a simple life, when he still has so much he needs to work through?

So anyway, what I'm getting at here, is that he's trying and he is learning and growing. So yeah, he is flawed, but honestly? So is Mizu. And the funny thing is that they're flawed in very similar ways.

Because Mizu is also an unhealed child. That's why she's so angry all the time. That's why she pushes people away. That's why she, just like Taigen, is so happy when given the chance to playfully wrestle in the forge, laughing and rolling around like children without shame or pretense.

Again, this shows there is no imbalance between them. They had grown up together as peers from the same town. And while Taigen had had the upper hand back then, because he'd had a gang of other kids with him, that is definitely not the case anymore. Today, they are equally flawed, equally strong, equally skilled swordsmen, and equally bull-headed.

However, yes, Mizu is definitely leagues more mature than Taigen. But she still holds a lot of childhood wounds that mirror Taigen's own. And we see this especially in relation to her mother. Similar to Taigen who had an abusive and alcoholic father, Mizu's Mama was an opium addict and had hit her, berated her, had shaved her head without her consent as a child, and as an adult, had constantly emotionally manipulated and guilt-tripped her. Mizu's love for her Mama was what had driven her to a path of vengeance in the very beginning. And when she'd found out Mama was still alive, she had wanted nothing more than her Mama's love, and it was this alone that pushed her to agree to the marriage with Mikio in the first place. And now, knowing from Fowler that her birth mother is someone else entirely, is what makes her agree to keep him alive and haul his ass to London to seek answers.

Thus, integral to Mizu's self-hatred is also Mizu's intense longing for love and family. Just like Taigen, whose pompousness comes from his insecurity about being the son of a poor fisherman, Mizu's goals are also shaped by who her parents are. Remember, her vengeance is not against just anyone who's corrupt or evil, but specifically against the men who she believes had assaulted her mother, the men she believes had made her a monster, the men she believes had abandoned her to die and continue to try to kill her. Her vengeance is against a father, on behalf of a mother. In The Tale of the Ronin and the Bride, Mizu is not merely the Ronin, the Bride, or the Onryo, but also the Child.

This is also why Ringo is so good, not only for Mizu, but for Taigen as well. Ringo is wise and caring and considerate, but above all, he is in tune with his inner child in ways that Mizu and Taigen are not. He is always earnest and positive, he sees the world with childlike wonder, but is not naive or blind to its ugliness. His whole life has been a battle. Ringo brings out the best in Mizu, consistently acting as her moral compass and conscience, and Mizu's choice to save Akemi in the final episode is only because she promised Ringo that she would. Because it's the right thing to do. Ringo inspires her to be a better person, and to think outside of her narrow-minded goal of revenge. At the same time, Ringo also brings out the best in Taigen. While at first Taigen had looked down on both Mizu and Ringo ("Half-limb to a half-wit"), by the end of the season, he's proud to have Ringo as a friend and ally, he listens to Ringo's advice ("What would Master do?"), and asserts to the fucking Shogun that Ringo is a worthy warrior to have by his side.

Okay, I've gone on a bit of a tangent here, but my main point is that Mizu and Taigen are incredibly similar. They are equals. They are both flawed, unhealed children who are chasing some impossible outlandish goal in hopes that it will fill the void in their hearts. They also both have a long way to go in terms of character development if they were to ever build a healthy romantic relationship (either with each other, or even with anyone else). So while I believe things will be rocky (because duh, it's a story, we all live for the drama, etc), I think with Ringo's help, they'll get there eventually.

#blue eye samurai #blue eye samurai meta #mizu x taigen #taigen x mizu #taimizu #taigen blue eye samurai #mizu blue eye samurai #meta dissertations.pdf #im not a taigen defender. but i AM a taimizu truther #wank.mp3 #sorta #fandom.rtf #shut up haydar #like i KNOW we all love mizu and want her for ourselves but cmon. let's be real here for a second. #ahem. hear ye! put down the delulu for a mere moment! #and ask thyself. why am i beefing with this pathetic bald man? a man who is the definition of a wet rat? #thus. my brother in nerd ass shit. i beg thee put down thy weapon. this man is not worth beefing with! he is literally... just some guy. #yes...he is bitchy. however! he is also a loser obsessed with mizu. remember this. he is not thine enemy. but simply...one of us. #also lmao like jokes aside lemme be clear. you ARE ALLOWED to hate taigen and taimizu all you like!!!! feel free to do so!!!! #but please just acknowledge it's like. a preference thing. like it's just not your cup of tea! thats A-OK! #but please dont insist that the ship is toxic unhealthy abusive etc #but if you still feel the need to do so. then for the love of god just tag your posts as anti-[insert whatever here] so it helps ppl mute #i knew how to tag shit as anti-makorra since i was fourteen! 😭 like it's basic courtesy cmon

[cuckoo-on-a-string]

Promises 1: Introduction

Dark!Morpheus x (female)reader, fantasy/medieval AU, 18+

Master List

Dream of the Endless has been promised a bride.

This is in a different style than the rest of the story, so it gets its own post. Brace for all the yummy, darker tropes, bards' shenanigans, and eventual smut. Hoping to post updates quickly (like every other day) between all my other projects, and your support means the world!

Introduction

The king of Meiren found himself as part of a tale. Unfortunate for him. Amusing for Dream of the Endless.

Ten years past, the king summoned him to beg a favor.

“I’ve been dreaming of the most beautiful woman.” Obsession flamed in the mortal’s eyes, brighter than the reflection of the single candle stood between them. “I’ve searched, but I fear she is not of this realm, and I will not take any other as queen.”

The king’s distress smelled of Desire’s work, some perfumed horror to break a nation over brief carnal pleasures. Or perhaps a faerie game, wicked and senseless beyond a moment’s amusement. Passing, paltry things that may become histories and novels in his library, but no business of his. He would not have helped if not for what the king offered in return.

“If you help me find this woman and take her to wife, I will return an equal boon.”

He spoke earnestly, but Dream turned away his desperation with a smirk and a slow shake of his head. “What boon might you offer one such as I? I have no need of your gold, your land, or your kingly permissions.”

The next words began the story and sealed the little king’s fate.

“A bride of your own. I would gather the fairest, brightest, noblest from my kingdom from which you might choose.”

Vague amusement soured into offense, and his smirk twisted into a sneer. He dared? Truly?

Dream peered down his nose at the man. What could this hungry dreamer know of love? “Tell me, then, what creature in your kingdom might be my equal when none are good enough even to be your consort?”

The king had no good answers, only selfish dreams and childish demands. Groveling, he asked, “Will you not help me, then?”

But it was too late, and Dream was invested in this fool’s demise. After all, finding the woman of his dreams would not make him happy. Morpheus was certain of that. And the king would fail to keep his end of the bargain. He was certain of that, too. It wasn’t the first time he’d become a character in a tale, and he wanted justice for the scratches on his withered heart, for all they were left unknowingly.

One who dared offer the impossible to an Endless should reap their worthy prizes.

“I will help you.”

The king opened his mouth to thank him, but Dream hadn’t finished.

“I will come at a time of my choosing, and you will assemble those promised. If I do not find one that pleases me, I will take recourse in any manner I please.”

He didn’t even leave the king the promise of fair or equal retribution. When he was disappointed, he would please to be merciless indeed. But the king was a fool and did not listen well. He accepted. Eagerly.

The king had his bride – a faerie who he wed, bed, and conceived an heir upon. But on the child’s seventh birthday, he and his mother both disappeared on a ride through the morning fog. Brokenhearted, he could not bring himself to marry again, and he spent more time pitying his fate than managing his lands. He wasted his youth, his love, and his legacy for a dream.

And now it was the king’s turn to make good on his promise.

The invitations were sent, summoning the young, the talented, and the beautiful to court. The castle staff prepared to host the horde of eligibles and the Endless the king hoped to please for seven days, at the end of which the King of Dreams would make his choice or exact his vengeance.

#dark!dream of the endless #dark!morpheus #morpheus x reader #medieval au #reader #morpheus x original character #dark!morpheus fanfiction

[tempenensis]

I know you don't usually weigh in on non-canon content, but I've seen a lot of people say 236 was a bad ending, or like gege joked, that things are moving too fast or he's missed a chapter (or 20, I'm personally annoyed that we jumped from Nov to Dec 24, I know gege wants the manga to end for some reason, but those three weeks of training/preparation would have been a great time to let us get re-invested in the student characters since the culling game arc felt like it was missing so much)

Do you have any feeling for what could have been a better way to end things, if indeed things are ended, for Gojou Satoru? Or do you agree that things have been moving too fast?

Sorry for this and please feel free not to answer if this is not the kind of question you want to entertain, I am just curious if you have an opinion you're willing to share since I feel you have a very good grasp of the jjk's plot and themes! I trained as a literature major, so my interest is always in whether character consistency is maintained and what a story is saying and whether that message is carried successfully or not and what that might mean for us as readers. I'm personally still on the fence about this particular twist because I'm trying to withhold judgement of the piece until we actually see it as a whole, but I am starting to feel that the narrative started to unravel a bit after Shibuya, like somehow we didn't see a lot of the characters to their full potential (like Nobara T.T my baby Nobara). Maybe this is just part of gege's notorious fast pace.

Some of this I believe is due to JJK's titular meaning of the issue of curses and what they represent being an "endless battle" but there's only so many times one can show hopelessness and loss I think before it becomes almost redundant. We actually haven't seen that many on-screen sorcerer deaths, but somehow it's been two of the most popular adult characters so far, and only direct mentors, which is a frequent trope of the hero's journey in western literature. I think that even though I really wish it hadn't happened, Nanami's ending made a lot of sense. Power-wise, Gojo's current death also makes sense, and he's not the kind of character who instantly changes his mind or learns something in his heart from a single experience, but I think it feels somewhat frustrating from my point of view because despite the bodhisattva imagery, he had more to learn as a living person, rather than continuing to believe he was like a flower and maybe no one had the right to ask him to understand. I don't know, it's just a bit frustrating for me because I think it feels character consistent (which I think gege tends to be pretty good at) but somehow incomplete too.

Again my apologies for the long ask, you're always the one I wish I could sit down and have a conversation about these things with!

-raindrop anon

Hi, raindrop anon,. Good to see you again.

First of all, I don't really think Gojou's death is particularly bad, but yeah, as you said, there might be something leaves to be desired in the plot - if jjk is a traditional shonen manga, that is. But jjk is different, which is also the reason for its popularity. I feel that jjk storytelling has always been fast-paced, and one thing that Akutami-sensei does really well is to stick to the main points that he wants to tell with his manga. The last time we have a non-serious non-battle chapter was probably chapter 64 lol - but at the same time, this also shows how jjk departs from the traditional shonen jump manga custom where the mangaka tends to drag the story to make the manga runs longer. Gege on the other hand, seems adamant to want to end the story sooner than later (if his last estimation is to be believed, only a few months left for jjk).

I don't actually have a strong feeling of how gege should end thing with Gojou, but it's been a habit of him to get to the.. shocking side of things; we see this with Gojou getting sealed back in Shibuya. Nanami's death. Then we see the Culling game, and Tengen getting killed. And lastly for Gojou to die. The longstanding status quo is going to be changed eventually. And the next one with status quo is already targeted; Sukuna himself.

As I follow this manga, "things moving too fast" has always been the opinion I saw a lot discussed here in my askbox for many, many developments in the manga. And this is more of a personal preference, but I actually like the fast-get-to-the-point-storytelling that Gege uses with jjk, exactly because how it breaks away from traditional jump manga. I feel that this fast pace is just how gege do his storytelling since the beginning lol

tldr is all I can say is jjk has always been different and fast-paced, gege is unpredictable, and I'm in the opinion that Gojou's death does make sense, unfortunately :')

#le-ask #jjk #jjk manga spoilers #jjk236 #gojou satoru

[straightouttheslendermansionn]

𝙋𝙡𝙖𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙎𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙥 𝙂𝙚𝙣𝙞𝙪𝙨 𝙄𝙣𝙫𝙤𝙠𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙎𝙪𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙪 𝙂𝙪𝙮𝙨 <3

ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀꜱ: Tighnari, Cyno, Alhaitham, Kaveh

ꜱᴜᴍᴍᴀʀʏ: Playing Genius Invokation TCG with the bois, but with a silly little twist. Best part is, the stakes are raised. Not only do you have to remove a piece of clothing every time you lose, but you offer yourself up as an extra bet! Who are you rooting for?

ᴄᴏɴᴛᴇɴᴛ ᴡᴀʀɴɪɴɢ: A little suggestive, obvi mentions of alcohol consumption.

ᴀ/ɴ: This was almost entirely inspired from a playlist and artwork I found on YouTube! I loved the idea and so I used it, and I hope you all enjoy it! Link to the playlist is right here!

I also have fuckloads of drafts so I hope you enjoy this one until some other works can be fully written and come out :'D

𝙏𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙣𝙖𝙧𝙞

Pretty alright at Genius Invokation, so facing off against probably some of the few people he usually plays with shouldn't be difficult, no? Sure there are more people but who cares?

He found the strip aspect a bit questionable, yet agreed to it because it was intriguing and added an extra challenge.

He and Cyno are targeting each other (and Kaveh) the ENTIRE time. Boyfriend shit.

Tighnari keeps a good amount of clothes on but doesn't have the best poker face. Either his ears say it all or his expressions do.

Now if you were to make silly little teasing noises whenever he has to remove an item, he wouldn't be able to hold back a slightly embarrassed chuckle. His ears flatten and red can't help itself from creeping onto his face.

If it were indeed the case that you were teasing him, this man would target both you AND Cyno and then mock you with his usual snarky attitude when he finds you having to remove piece after piece of clothing.

He's easily able to ignore any and everyone and the suggestiveness of it all, Tighnari is here to have fun, but not necessarily that kind.

Unless you tease him enough. It starts off playful and then starts getting more attractive to him as things continue and a tension forms between you.

If you become too intoxicated, he'll insist on bringing you back home or to wherever he is staying with the intent on taking care of you and that will not waver, he'll just tell you to pipe down and rest if you try to come onto him in this state.

Tighnari drank nothing but herbal tea. He keeps it with him. Almost entirely off-topic headcanon.

He's such a slow-burn romance trope. I swear.

As for those special stakes of yours, he could honestly care less about them and is more focused on taking care of you. Don't get him wrong, he doesn't hate the idea and the connotations within it, but it isn't exactly his highest priority when it comes to you either.

𝘾𝙮𝙣𝙤

Pretty damn good and Genius Invokation, and seeing as he's a huge fanboy, he pulls up with his own commissioned cardbacks.

While looking stone-faced at Kaveh's proposal, he easily agreed to this considerably "high-stakes" round-after-round disaster.

Would keep the straightest face ever throughout the entire thing, with the occasional smirk.

ONLY THING HE LOSES IS HEADDRESS, CYNO DOES NOT FUCK AROUND Y'ALL.

Targets everyone strategically, but can't resist going for you, Tighnari, or Kaveh. Your reactions are priceless.

Of course, nothing with Cyno would be complete if he weren't making his signature jokes every so often. Except it's only partially to make people laugh. He uses it to throw people off and distract them with his humor so they can make stupid moves.

"You know (y/n), you're talking a lot for someone with low HP on your last card-" Cyno, about to use his Cyno card's ult on your last surviving active card.

Even though his face seems so stone cold and focused, his eyes do still wander. He's literally just "nice" and then snaps back into seriousness.

It'd be arguably more appealing to him if you beat him, but it's clear that he's trashing the WHOLE table right now.

"Sorry, can't hear you over my full row of omnidice."

Cyno ALSO doesn't drink during any of this. At all. He is fully cognizant and aware that he is kicking everyone's ass.

He thoroughly enjoys seeing Alhaitham's frustrated expression, hearing Kaveh's whining, and hearing Tighnari sigh in defeat.

He also thoroughly enjoys seeing more skin from you. He tries not to be too cruel toward you, but he must admit that this is very fun for him.

"I know about your little scheme, (y/n). Come with me." - Cyno, about to cuddle the crap outta you. Bro is tired from beating you all.

𝘼𝙡𝙝𝙖𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙢

Pretty gud at Genius Invokation even though he barely plays it.

Alhaitham didn't care about the whole strip part because he knew he wouldn't fully have to. Not only that, but he disregarded the idea because its been a while since they all got together like this anyway, so why not?

Only really loses his earphones, I think he probably took off his coat when he sat down just to get comfortable.

He and Cyno are the CEOs of having a poker face.

Knew about your plan before you even had a full-fledged plan, and didn't plan on trying to win to begin with.

Absolutely targets mainly Kaveh. His whining may be annoying but it's funny seeing him act all defeated and dramatic. I cannot stress this enough. He is absolutely WRECKING Kaveh. I mean, everyone is, but especially Alhaitham. It's entirely obvious.

"Oh well, Kaveh. Seems like you lost again. Another piece of your dignity stripped from you." - The voice of a man who just hatecrimed his roommate. Again.

Alhaitham been drinking, watch his attitude amplify. Prepare yourself.

"Come, your move, (y/n)" - Alhaitham, who just downed one of your characters that had full HP with just one move.

Finds the fact that you're self-assured yet keep getting attacked amusing. It's almost like you wanted all of them to see your more intimate form. Almost as if you're not really trying.

Pays no mind to any skin you're showing for the entirety of the game and stays silent most of the time unless he's either drunk or mocking someone knowing he is going to/already has destroyed them.

Uses randomly selected cards and still manages to wreak havoc.

𝙆𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙝

Getting hatecrimed by everyone . He doesn't suck at TCG, but GOD is he getting screwed.

He's the one who initially brought up the strip idea just for fun, but then he was even more motivated when he found that you'd be there.

The drunker Kaveh gets, the more stupid his moves (and his flirting) get.

By the bye, this man is totally WASTED for half the game. His alcohol tolerance is pretty low for someone who regularly enjoys it.

"You're just hatecriming me because I'm a bisexual disaster." "Let's not forget broke." "See? This just proves it."

"Oh (y/n)~, gotta lose a piece of clothing nowww~" he teases after being the one to beat you.

Also happens to be the one getting especially wrecked by everyone at the table and is almost missing half of his clothing. Poor guy.

"Oh no, is Alhaitham finally falling off of his high horse? A shame." "Congratulations, you managed to down ONE of my active characters."

It should be obvious, but lots of roommate-rival banter going on at this table, especially because both of them are drinking.

Kaveh do be glancing at you tho

Tries to insist that Cyno and Alhaitham are cheating, He's wrong, of course, but it's amusing.

If it wasn't obvious by now, Kaveh if the definition of "Talk Shit, Get Hit."

#genshin imagines #genshin x reader #genshin impact #female reader #fanfiction #genshin fanfic #fanfic #sumeru #tighnari #cyno #genshin kaveh #genshin impact kaveh #kaveh #alhaitham #al haithem #genius invokation tcg

[c-is-for-circinate]

I love how fucking cinematic EXU Calamity is so far.

You know how much I love stories that fuck with genre. Stories that KNOW their genre, that are willing to lean into it, to pull bits and pieces from a wealth of fiction that's come before, that treat tropes and signals and allusions like a common language that enriches the conversation they're having with their audience. Stories who take those expectations, that language, and twist it.

Last night played like the opening to a movie, except not quite, because it played like the opening to six different movies, with six different genre-savvy protagonists already in their elements. Six main characters, all knowing that they're the main character, because of course they know (they're so sure they know) the shape of the story that's about to come their way.

They're genre-savvy! They know! Cerrit knows that this case is the start of a mystery-thriller. Laerryn knows she's about to embark on something huge. Nydas doesn't have time to notice that he's starting a new movie, but also, he's hip-deep in money troubles and now there's this new guy sniffing around his business. Loquatius is deeply aware that he's obviously the main character in his own life, at all times, always. (He's on TV every single morning.) Patia is already in the middle of the political intrigue TV show that's meant to see her rise to her ultimate and deserved seat of power.

They're genre-savvy. They know something's about to go wrong. They know that's how it works.

Every single one of them has spotted hints and portents of the end of the world, entering into their own spheres of power and attention. Every one of them knows that they're about to be In A Story, and maybe even the kind of story where someone dies (Loquatius would be very surprised and confused if someone died in his story, unless it was the darkly, irreverently funny death of a minor character that provided a great dramatic backdrop for other meaty scenes between the main characters.) Every one of them knows, or the narrative and the world around them knows, the way that stories work: there's an inciting incident, and things go sideways, and the characters have to keep up and make it through.

They know this. They know this, but they are all so, so sure that they know the genre they're in. They see the portents and they don't think about true fear, don't think about the end of the world. They mistake the symptom for the entire disease. They see the rising smoke and think, oh no, a house fire. They don't think it's the Great Fire of London. They don't think the entire horizon is about to be ablaze. They don't think it's Pompeii.

Zerxus does. Because that's the kind of movie he's in, the one he just started: a sci-fi thriller, where dreams have meaning and the world is about to change very irrevocably indeed. And he knows it too, but he still thinks that, maybe. Maybe this is a story where the heroes end the day beaten, bloody, covered in dirt and soot and ragged from head to toe, but triumphant as the sun comes up over the horizon. Maybe standing on a pile of rubble, child held on his hip, exhausted from the climactic fight scene, smiling because the worst was averted and now other people can rebuild, off-screen, something bright and shiny for the epilogue. Maybe he's even in the kind of movie that ends with his son reconciled back to him again, although of course he'd never ask to see his son in the sort of danger that always seems to spur such things on, in movies like this.

Everyone, every single one of them, believes deep in their bones that whatever happens next will ultimately turn out okay. Even Zerxus knows it can, if he talks to his friends, shares his concerns, musters all his strength to stave off the coming (one-off, avertable, if we prevent it then we can move on with our comfortable lives) disaster.

And it won't work, obviously, which is beautiful, glorious tragedy. It won't work because character is destiny and Laerryn is about to try to rewrite ley lines and planar geography. It won't work, because if Vespin Chloris hadn't, somebody else would have, sooner or later, you can't just spot-react to individual people. Because Aeor is already testing weapons of mass destruction, and wars happen for thousands of reasons woven into the fabric of cause and effect stretching back a hundred years, and they're not averted so easily. Because the gods are so vast. They're so vast, and the slights have been many, and they will not conveniently forget.

Brennan made a joke in an interview about how Matt said, if the players got four nat 20s in a row, they could avert the Calamity. It's possible to picture a world, in an alternate timeline, if we didn't know what was coming, if Avalir's fate wasn't inevitable, where they do. A bit. Avalir lands safely and takes off again. No gods claim it; no gods fall. Vespin Chloris is contained. The Betrayer Gods are chained again. The Calamity as we know it is stopped.

It's possible. It's possible, and it still wouldn't save the Age of Arcanum, because this one city, this one battle, this one choice, isn't why the Calamity happened. It's not why the entire world fell to apocalypse. Laerryn is not about to single-handedly end the world.

Somewhere in Aeor, the Somnovum are plotting in the Cognouza Ward. Somewhere in the Shadowfell, Vecna is already a lich craving godhood. Ruidis already hangs in the sky, and someone, somewhere, is already inventing dunamantic Beacons and all of this, all of it was going to fall sooner or later. Soaring cities are built to crash. The inevitability doesn't come from knowing the future, it comes from knowing what the world actually is right now.

Man this is going to be good.

#CR spoilers #EXU Calamity #exu spoilers #I'm SO into this

[ryuichirou]

Replies

A lot to talk about today: there are replies about some of our previous posts, Leech parents, headcanons, antis, random stuff, and in general we are all over the place today.

Starting with the most important question though.

Anonymous asked:

Do you think Todd’s tits are big?

Yes, your honor. They are indeed of considerable size. Yes sir. Those sure are substantial.

But not the biggest ones of the cast though, Lucas is bigger 💪😔

Now that we’ve figured that out, let’s talk about antis and other things…

Anonymous asked:

On the subject of antis, I find it terribly ironic in a sad sort of way how many antis are being busted for victimizing, you know, ACTUAL, REAL LIFE children not fictional characters…

This is super ironic and honestly very disgusting, both in terms of them attacking kids online for their interests and straight-up grooming the younger antis in their own groups. Teenagers are very impressionable  and easy to manipulate, so of course someone is going to take advantage of that. What makes the manipulation easier is the fact that if you pretend to be against “those filthy weirdos proshitters”, it implies that you would never hurt a kid, and it makes these people feel even more trustworthy to them... Whenever I block a bunch of antis and see a random adult in their friend group, I always get this feeling of “god I hope you are just some pathetic harmless loser”.

But even without taking this particular shitty possibility into account, participating and promoting harassment of actual real people (kids included!!) over fictional characters is always going to be one of the most disgusting manifestations of their hypocrisy.

Anonymous asked:

Hey um so this twst server I'm in apparently has antis and they found your Twitter and they started hating on your shroudcest art and I left as soon as they did

Ik it probably won't be helpful if they do decide to target you but be careful please

Well yikes lol Thank you so much for telling us and for your concern, Anon! Unfortunately, it’s not something that we never experienced before; we just figured that even if we block every person who is speaking out publically against us, there are going to be certain people who discuss our stuff on discord. After all, why would they talk about the game and its characters and make something they would actually enjoy? Now that’s just silly. When people have nothing to do or to discuss, they’re going to gossip, pearl-clutch and complain about someone out there actually creating content and being good at it.

The only thing that bothers me about this whole thing is that these people aren’t supposed to be here. This isn’t a place for minors, even if they really really really want to see some disgusting smut to giggle with their friends about. But oh well, as recent events show, even locking your account doesn’t help to keep them away.

I am glad you are out of there though; I guess your intuition was right. I hope you find people to share your stuff with.

Thank you again for your support!

Phew, with all that out of the way… let’s talk about sillier stuff!

Anonymous asked:

Hiii, I'm the Anon who asked about the Leech parents. I didn't expect to see a sketch. Even if it's just their silhouettes, i got lowkey excited, so i was wondering if you're going to finish that sketch one day or post it?

The young leech twins are so cute! they're probably chaotic, too. I also find it interesting that Papa Leech has a cane, and Mama Leech looks like she's wearing a kimono!

That being said, I think it's very interesting that Twisted Wonderland not only has a bunch of interesting characters, but so are their parents/family! Besides the Leech parents, I find Mama Rosehearts and Mrs. Ashengrotto also very interesting despite only being mentioned a few times! I genuinely like that they include a little bit of information about each characters family instead of doing the typical anime trope of "Dead parents" or "Parents are overseas", it's very refreshing.

(this is related to this post!)

Hi Anon <3 I am very happy you liked the sketch! I’m not sure if I’m going to finish this one, but I would love to draw the Leech parents properly and in colour one day. Let’s hope for the best!

Little tweels used to be little spoiled shits lol I mean they still are, but you’re right, they were very chaotic at that age too. And I’m glad you liked the kimono and the cane! The moment we started thinking about the Leeches being yakuza, I couldn’t stop picturing Mama Leech as a sly woman in a kimono, so I am actually especially excited to draw her properly one day. I am not sure if Papa Leech even needs a cane, but it makes him look more impressive I guess… similarly to Azul lol, but maybe he does need to use a cane, maybe he isn’t as good at using his human legs, maybe he used to be better at it but it’s more difficult for him now.

I also absolutely agree with you. I am so glad that we have so many different type of families and parents in Twst. I feel like every character has a story to tell about how they were raised, and it always affects their personalities, motivations, and values. Even just comparing Mama Rosehearts and Mama Ashengrotto is very interesting, I would honestly love to learn more about every single Twst parent or sibling lol

blackbutlerfandomnerddomain asked:

Based off this, what are some things you think could get Riddle flustered or excited over his partners?

Hmmm, let’s see!

Floyd – probably whenever he is being more or less serious and focused?? If he just sits there, writing something down, thinking about the test and stuff. Granted, Riddle only experienced a sight like this once, but the butterflies in his stomach he felt that day were unforgettable.

Trey – whenever he handles the dough or cooks in general, but maybe this is just Riddle being excited about the fact that he’s going to eat a cake soon lol But also whenever Trey tries to discipline someone. He likes it when he gets a bit strict with others.

Chenya – this one is easy, whenever he winks at Riddle. Whenever he does it, Riddle gets very flustered. It’s been years and he still can’t get over it and get used to it.

Ace – this one is also rare, but when he does something… handsome and confident and not annoying at the same time? When he shows him a magic trick, hides all the cards somehow and goes “ta-daa” with a smug smile. Nevermind, this one is still annoying LOL but if he took a coin out of behind of Riddle’s ear, Riddle would probably blush a little.

Anonymous asked:

Bows before you. Today I bring with me Ortho/Malleus propaganda 🥰

1. Consider that Ortho has the ability to just absolutely flabbergast Malleus. Leave him totally speechless with his technology powers. Malleus has not a single clue how this little guy works

2. Consider Rollo... if Malleus was thinking he was a top and got met with DISAPPOINTMENT. Now imagine the opposite... If he's convinced that Ortho is probably a bottom, and is in for a very pleasant surprise!!

3. Not only does Ortho have the ability to flabbergast Malleus, but ALSO Malleus shoots out lightning when he gets frustrated, and Ortho is afraid of lightning.... I just think that's a little hot. And very interesting <3

4. For two characters that are both super OP they are surprisingly on very equal footing, but I can imagine both of them getting that NRC mindset that they're still definitely better than each other, flirting with each other about it even ( flirting = fighting to the death for fun)

5. Consider Malleus in a muzzle. This is irrelevant to my case. Consider it anyway 🤤

6. Their longevity..... Malleus is going to live for, what, another thousand years or so? He's going to outlive everyone at NRC for sure, and we have no idea how long Ortho will live, but assuming he can manage his own repairs, he could live for... Basically however long he wants, give or take. They are sort of the only ones who can "grow old" with each other.... extremely interesting to me

That is all, thank you for your time :^)

Anon, this is VERY IMPRESSIVE, you really made me think about these two. It’s a very good ship on so many levels, and every point that you made is 👌👌👌 Come to think of it, the vignette in which Ortho helped Malleus to come up with the Halloween costume idea was very fun. They are so different with how bad Malleus is at technology and how bad Ortho is at… lightning and stuff lol

Malleus is absolutely going to be surprised to learn that Ortho is a top, but then he’s probably going to start noticing how Ortho is similar to Lilia in a lot of ways. And this is absolutely going to amuse him.

The longevity is also a good point. I think this is the only character combo that could stay forever for hundreds of years?? (Sebek, about whom I forgot, is crying in the corner somewhere...) Which is very fun, considering how much both of them would hate to say goodbye to their loved ones.

The 5th point was very sneaky lol but very much worth considering. I nod in agreement. Yes.

Anonymous asked:

do you think that in the Seven's time, instead of by the sevens they said oh my Toboso or by Toboso! and stuff

That would be a funny 4th wall breaking lol Is Toboso the God of this universe? I mean technically she is. The great cult of Toboso.

By the way, is “the Sevens” the thing that only the EN version has? I might be wrong, but I think it wasn’t really in the original game. Which would make sense, it’s not like the Great Seven are a deity or something…

Anonymous asked:

My moe fall is my shoe flying in one direction, my weave flying in another, and then I backflip out a window.

Anon!! This is incredibly adorable, but you should really be careful! 😱 Such acrobatics!

Anonymous asked:

Passionately, animalistically, and roundly is how I eat my cereal

The only correct way to do it….

#replies #headcanons

[veliseraptor]

Happy birthday! I hope you have a wonderful day 💗💗💗

If you're still doing the meme...top five ship dynamics?

thank you very much for the birthday wishes! and I am indeed still doing the meme.

oooh okay. it's interesting because I feel like I've thought a fair amount about narrative tropes that I like and have a pretty clear sense of what those are, but I feel like I haven't as much articulated ship dynamics to myself. but let's see here.

1. unhinged 4 unhinged. this overlaps with a number of the other things on here, but seriously, I love relationships where both characters are equally unhinged, or at least equally damaged, in one way or another. it doesn't have to be the same way, and often one will be more obvious/immediately apparent than the other, but in some way they optimally should be both fucked up and both fucked up about each other.

2. enemies to lovers. yeah yeah okay it's a cliche and I'm a little self-conscious about it, but still. I'm just a sucker for people who start on opposing sides of things and end up drawn toward each other/into each other's orbit and finding some kind of understanding and care. especially if it's reluctant or resentful on one or both sides, that part of it is especially fun. or especially if it starts with the obsessive/possessive kind of enmity, that's a fun foundation to build a relationship on.

3. speaking of, hatred so intense it twists around into intimacy. when you hate someone soooo much that it becomes absorbing and they matter as much or more than the people who you ostensibly care for, is basically the thing here; it's that one post about "you might be hanging their picture on your wall to throw knives at it but you're still hanging their picture on your wall." the hatred should be mutual, by the by. if one person is indifferent it doesn't work for me.

4. two people tied together because of their love for a third person. it's! proxyfucking! I mean, it's also my obsession with grief and mourning and people bound together by grief, but it doesn't have to be necessarily specifically grief, the third person can be absent for some other reason but key is the fact that the foundation of the relationship of the other people is based on their mutual/shared feelings for a person who is, in some way, not there.

5. tenderness where there hasn't been tenderness before. this is probably the softest one on this list and I feel vaguely embarrassed about it but I am so weak for a ship where one character shows a kindness or gentleness to another character that they've never been the recipient of previously, and it fucks them up about it.

#conversating #popqorn #top five meme #lise memes

[pttucker]

She got royally irritated and began following after this fool's comments. She even clicked on 'downvote' too. Like a bewitched person, Han Sooyoung read only Kim Dokja's comments and not the novel itself. – Will Jihye finally awaken next chapter? – Author-nim! I've discovered a typo on page 7! With my lacking opinion, I think the spelling here should be… Ah, I looked into it and it's actually my mistake. My apologies. I've learned something new today. – Please, just smack that fool Joonghyuk-ie in the back of his head… This guy, he never once missed writing a comment on all those thousands of chapters. And every single one contained understanding and love for the world created by this author. ⸢Han Sooyoung was envious of that.⸥ She believed that there was simply no way anyone would be reading a novel as bad as this, that it had to be the author himself busy blowing his own trumpet. She thought that the author had created two separate IDs and wrote the novel with one while with the other one, wrote all those comments and uploaded recommendations, too. – Isn't recommending one's own work prohibited? ⸢Just like how Yoo Joonghyuk was an imagined character to Kim Dokja, Kim Dokja was exactly like that to Han Sooyoung.⸥ She thought that such a person wouldn't be real, but… That very person within the texts was standing right before Han Sooyoung's eyes.

Unexpected Sooyoung & Dokja backstory?!! 👀

Okay, so Dokja has said before that he totally called out Sooyoung for plagiarism so that's not the surprising part, but it's so Sooyoung to just angrily start stalking him afterwards and assume that he must be the author in disguise because who could actually like that drivel?

...While at the same time being envious that TWSA had such a loving and dedicated reader.

Also this is totally trying to emphasize that Sooyoung can't be the author of TWSA, and I know that it doesn't really make sense for her to think he was the author while being the author, but it, perhaps illogically, makes me actually even more convinced that she is the author of TWSA?

Because what it says is that this was her first encounter with him, not her first encounter with TWSA, she'd read TWSA before. And it goes out of its way to mention once again that she lost half her memories to her first avatar so I'm wondering if things have gotten twisted in her head.

She lost a portion of her memories while creating avatars and she couldn't clearly remember what happened back then. What was certain, though, was that she had indeed read the novel called the 'Ways of Survival'.

Mmmhmmm. Does this or does this not sound like Asuka Ren and Peace Land? Especially with the way she's described Predictive Plagiarism, looking at various tropes and common themes, etc. Maybe she filled in the holes in her memory with what she thinks should be there? She assumes that she would assume that Dokja is the author?

.

.

Though...

If I were to stick with my original theory that Dokja is the author...

Sooyoung could be right.

"Dokja" could be a fake account made up not necessarily to boost the comments or popularity, but to perhaps help the author (aka Dokja) figure out what to write next? Sort of like programmers with the rubber duck. Or maybe just the account of a guy with no friends who loves one particular story more than anything basically pretending to be his own fan/friend because there's no one else? Or maybe it did originally start out as a means to boost the novel's popularity by pretending to be a big fan but when everyone abandoned it he couldn't bring himself to stop because he really does love TWSA?

And now the author, aka Dokja, has written himself into the story because he couldn't figure out how to end it and/or because he was literally writing the story just for himself anyway. I mean, we literally just had that speech from Uriel about how a story doesn't have to be for someone else, and also we have Dokja realizing now that this is their (his) story and their (his) epilogue.

And it'd fit with my idea that Oldest Dream is Dokja too. I've already gone into my theories that Dokja could be Oldest Dream's avatar (and thus Dokja wouldn't have all of Oldest Dream's memories, only what was given to him) and that could be why Sooyoung is emphasizing that particular tidbit about avatar memories once again.

And Oldest Dream created this specific worldline and Oldest Dream gave Joonghyuk his stigma. The stigma that not only lets Dokja's favorite character that he loves live forever, lets his favorite novel go on forever, but also is the main point of the story. They kinda got into this a little bit with Joonghyuk, but basically Joonghyuk is a Regressor because the story required a Regressor. That was the plot. So literally you could say that the author gave him the stigma, not his sponsor.

The fact that Dokja is a "real person" standing right in front of her right now means nothing. Joonghyuk is literally standing right next to him.

.

.

UGHHHHHHHHH I just gave up my theory that Dokja is the author but now I'm so torn!!!!!! They both make sense!

(╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻

Why must you torment me, ORV???????

I guess if I have to pick which theory I'm favoring atm I'm gonna stick with the idea that Sooyoung is the author for overall thematic purposes.

Joonghyuk, Dokja, Sooyoung.

Secretive Plotter, Oldest Dream, The Author.

Character, Reader, Writer.

#what is a writer if not the novel's very first reader? #one moment I think I'm right but then the next I'm convinced I'm totally wrong and then I think I'm right again! idk!!! #orv #orv spoilers #orv liveblog #orv novel chapter 487 #omniscient reader's viewpoint #hsy #kdj

[joshslater]

4k

A little over one year since the 3k mark and I’m well over 4k followers, despite being quite infrequent with updates for lots of reasons. It’s always uplifting to see comments, reblogs, and likes (in that order). I try to filter what I post here a bit, and only dump everything in my Patreon, but I think there are some 80+ different stories there that haven’t been posted here so I might have to go over them and post a few more.

Armani A classic monkey paw story, but this time dressed in Armani.

Back to Programming A short caption about the post-revolution mind control. Bleecker House This is my take on a well done nerd-to-jock story where I felt the rationale was decent.

Blue A scallification story with an easy to see twist. Based on another story with a more limited scope, but I immediately thought about this story instead.

Boxing Day I really just wanted to explore putting someone in boxing gloves for an extended period of time...

Builder Bob I wanted to write something proper involving boots with just a subtle amount of transformation.

Collection Fee Body swaps and man boobs. I had to make a really weird body swap mechanic for this one to work, if indeed it does work.

The Deserter Military body swap. I can of ignore all the practical future issues save for hinting at them.

Dionysus A more fanciful tale of rapid transformations.

Do-over There are quite a few sibling body swap stories, but I think the real gold mine for plausible body swaps are within the foster care.

Eastern Tennessee A story of self transformation. I like this ones, but it’s too far between good ideas for them.

Fae Security A little supernatural misunderstanding based on a photo I saw.

Golden Years Spirit based body transformation, but this time from the supernatural point of view.

Grunts N’ Poses More magical/spiritual muscle gain. Completely lacking of depth, but I like to write them and some people like to read them.

The House at the Edge of Town One of the 2021 Halloween trio of stories. This one solidly in Halloween theme. I had thought about the story element of detachable dicks and witches before, but finally worked out all the mechanics in a somewhat coherent way.

Introduction This is just a setup hinting about what is to happen (which to be honest is just the nerd-to-jock trope).

Jägermeister One of the rare female-to-male transformations. Bitchy revenge is always a good plot for those.

Jockboy Based on a short caption on the theme of disappointed father wanting a more masculine son. I wanted to expand the story out a bit.

The Lost Year of Gain I’ve written about hypnotic mental split before, but this time with a bit more of a positive spin.

The Mixologist Another story based on someone else’s idea. Lots of them this year apparently. This one is about a bartender that spikes some of his guests where he feels a change is needed.

Mr. Wolf A collaboration around an idea I had about the transformative qualities of werewolf cum. This allowed me to combine muscle growth and knotting.

Putting Reek in Greek pt 2. I had though a lot of the guy in the Putting Reek in Greek story and decided to collection my thoughts into some sort of conclusion, or at least continuation.

Reassignment Another story on the theme of office worker demoted to the factory floor. This one with magic affecting more than the main character for a change.

Singed House The second of the Halloween trio. It was supposed to be more Halloween themed, but it didn’t really fit so instead I ended up with this bad boy spirit transformation. 

Solitary The third of the Halloween trio. This was more of an evil ghost story. Evil ghosts.

Spit Takes A few captions of the same photo.

Woodward Rugby This was my contribution to a secret santa for authors. My anonymous tags were “cum inflation” and “male pregnancy”, both previously unexplored by me.

[dailycharacteroption]

Roleplaying Races 13: Svirfneblin

(art by Krasgar on DeviantArt)

 We’ve covered drow, the duergar, and even the newer munavri. Now we finally round out the collection of the trope of “traditional goodly race, but underground and changed by it.” Enter the svirfneblin! (pronounced Sverf-neh-blin, for those of you that have trouble with that letter salad.)

The best I was able to find about the real-world origins of the word “svirfneblin” is that it was likely of Scandanavian origin, possibly borrowing words from Germanic languages, particularly referring to “People of the Mists”. No information on who or what those were as far as I can tell, which isn’t surprising given the sheer lack of sources on Norse myth (and those two sources we have being colored by political and religious agendas). In any case, the word got taken by Gygax and Arneson and made into a subterranean version of gnomes who, most notably, were not forced underground, but willingly led there by a certain deity.

 However, this is the Pathfinder version we’re talking about, so things are a little different. Svirfneblin are kin to gnomes, though they have been changed by their time below ground (though not as dramatically as spriggans, though their origins are linked.)

Indeed, like spriggans, the origin of svirfneblin in Pathfinder is tied to their reaction to the Bleaching: a malaise that saps the color and joy from gnomes that stop seeing the wonder of the world, either killing them or transforming them into serious, bitter creatures. Whereas spriggans grew to hate the relatively dull Material Plane, their anger twisting them into violent fey; the svirfneblin instead traveled underground and became bonded to the earth, staving off the bleachlings by becoming more like the fey of the underground. Whether it was the energies of the deep earth, interbreeding with their pech cousins, or the blessing of their patron deity Nivi Rhombodazzle, the Bleaching no longer affected them, though they had become different beings.

 For the most part, svirfneblin resemble gnomes in physical form, though with key differences. Males are bald, only maintaining the prominent eyebrows or beards seen in other gnomes, while females have thin, stringy hair at best. Most of their hair color tends to be pale or stark white, though this is not a sign of bleaching. Their skin also tends to be the greys of the stone they tend to live surrounded by as well.

Svirfneblin tend to be insular and guarded around other ancestries, keeping to themselves mostly, though true friends can become trusted with the location of their settlements. Deep gnomes seem dour to most, but they can prove quite emotional at times, likely reflecting their enhanced fey nature. Though individual governing styles may vary, these gnome-kin are survivors first, so they typically think of the community first when it comes to decisions.

 Svirfneblin are agile and empathetic, but their small size makes them physically weak, and their isolation makes them distant from others.

The dangers of the underground are many, so most deep gnomes train to dodge and avoid incoming attacks.

Being a darklands people, their night vision is nearly unparalleled.

With a bit of luck from their patron deity, these gnome-kin are a bit luckier in avoiding harm.

They are also perceptive and often trained in alchemy, to say nothing of their skill at remaining unseen, especially in rocky terrain.

The deep gnomes also have a long history of conflict with duergar, kobolds, and troglodytes, so they train to better fight them.

While not as famous for it, svirfneblin have a similar understanding of stone that dwarves do.

Like many denizens of the deep, they have a natural resistance to the energies of magic which can come in handy in a pinch.

They also possess a handful of natural magics, ranging from protection from divination, blurring their appearance, disguising themselves as someone else, and cursing a foe with the loss of a sense.

 Of course, some svirfneblin are built different. Some have exceptional resistance to poison and disease, meanwhile some still train to fight the evil fey they originally went underground to keep in check, being both skilled in slaying them and resilient against their magic. Finally, some deep gnomes are stone seers, able to shape, speak with, and enchant stone rather than their typical inherent magics.

 With their dexterity and wisdom, svirfneblin lend themselves quite well to wisdom casters, stealthy characters, and ranged characters, with cleric, druid, gunslinger, ranger, rogue, and shaman being natural choices. They do have the typical Small ancestry debuff to strength, making direct melee builds unfavorable to them. However, the massive penalty to charisma means you have to work HARD to make any social role or charisma caster work. Even then, don’t be afraid to experiment here. There are ways to make even the most “sub-optimal” build work.

 That will do for today, but we will continue on tomorrow!

#pathfinder #race #svirfneblin

[goodqueenaly]

Hi again! I’m sorry if this is a weird question but it occurred to me recently: if not for Dontos becoming a fool, do you think he would have kept the Florian/Jonquil framing with Sansa? (Or if it was LF’s idea) I think LF probably wanted to use it as a way of disillusioning Sansa as part of his grooming of her. I hope this isn’t too weird of a question but do you think it would make a difference if they used Aemon/Naerys instead, or any other historical/legendary pairing?

I don't think the specific Florian/Jonquil dynamic was something Dontos necessarily came up with (or was told to use) before meeting Sansa in the godswood. After all, it's Sansa herself who reminds Dontos of the dichotomy between fool and knight:

"Are you going to stab me?" Dontos asked.

"I will," she said. "Tell me who sent you."

"No one, sweet lady. I swear it on my honor as a knight."

"A knight?" Joffrey had decreed that he was to be a knight no longer, only a fool, lower even than Moon Boy. "I prayed to the gods for a knight to come save me," she said. "I prayed and prayed. Why would they send me a drunken old fool?"

At which point Dontos seizes on the romantic legend to fuse the two identities:

"I deserve that, though ... [sic] I know it's queer, but ... [sic] all those years I was a knight, I was truly a fool, and now that I am a fool I think ... [sic] I think I may find it in me to be a knight again, sweet lady. And all because of you ... [sic] your grace, your courage. You saved me, not only from Joffrey, but from myself." His voice dropped. "The singers say there was another fool once who was the greatest knight of all ... [sic]"

Dontos could not have known how Sansa would react to his appearance and offer of service, nor whether she would make reference to him as a fool rather than the knight she had expected. Of course, Dontos would have had every reason to know the story of Florian and Jonquil himself, as seemingly one of the most popular Westerosi tales, one which as a boy connected to an eminently knightly family (and later saved by one of the most venerated Kingsguard in history) Dontos would almost certainly have heard time and again. In that sense, Dontos might have always had the connection to Florian and Jonquil in his back pocket, so to speak, aware of both how his story might have appeared similar to Florian's and how Sansa (as a highborn girl with that same education in chivalric lore) would recognize the allusion and extend it to herself. However, I hesitate to say that Dontos was specifically planning on doing so even before he met with Sansa; if Sansa had, say, immediately embraced him as a true knight and her savior, it's possible he would have simply stuck to the familiar tropes of chivalric romance (with Dontos as the devoted knight and Sansa as his noble lady), or even looked to another story or stories which focused on a knight fulfilling a debt of honor to a lady.

None of this, of course, is to say that Littlefinger did not use Dontos for very specific reasons, nor that Littlefinger was not gratified to further Sansa's disillusionment by that usage. Indeed, Littlefinger revealed to Sansa that he had chosen Dontos as his catspaw specifically because Sansa had saved him at Joffrey's nameday tourney, twisting the ostensible chivalric devotion inspired by Sansa's (genuinely!) selfless act of mercy into merely one aspect of a larger, and entirely selfish, scheme. Likewise, when Sansa miserably reflected on Dontos' self-identification as "my Florian", Littlefinger immediately took the opportunity to remind Sansa that "life is not a song" and that "[a]lmost everyone" will "[lie], forever and ever" (except, of course, Littlefinger and Sansa themselves, or so he then assured her). Even if he had no specific part in encouraging Dontos to refer to himself as Florian to Sansa's Jonquil, Littlefinger was nevertheless pleased at the outcome - another way in which he could attempt to isolate Sansa, gaslight her, and otherwise erase Sansa's hope in anything but Littlefinger himself.

#asoiaf meta #acok #dontos hollard #sansa stark #littlefinger #petyr baelish

[gachagen]

The Horror of falling in love-Heart Devourer Analysis

Spoiler Warning: I do indeed talk about everything that happens in the fic up to and including the most recent chapter, so please don't click if you haven't read the fic yourself. Heart Devourer has very heavy themes of Violence, Cannabilism, Gore, NSFW, heavy blood and much more, so please be mindful and check the tags before you read the story or read the review.

Check the original story out on AO3 by KinoWrites. It's a really good read!

This month I started reading a fic called Heart Devourer by Kino Writes on AO3 and it's my favorite genshin fic I've read this entire year. It's SUCH a good horror story that has a unique and interesting premise, while still tackling both new and old tropes flawlessly. I enjoyed the themes of the story as well as the characterization of the character's chosen for this fic.

So what is Heart Devourer even about? Well here's a quick synopsis:

"Shikanoin Heizou is the lead detective on the case of a string of cannibalistic murders committed by a terrifying killer known as the Shinzo Kuishinbo (Heart Devourer). He has to balance the endless hours he commits to the case, a crush on his roommate Kazuha, and confusing feelings for a new friend named Kuzo. Meanwhile, Kazuha is falling rapidly in love with Kuzo, despite sensing that Kuzo is hiding a dark secret. He struggles with his feelings for this mysterious man, while still harboring feelings for his roommate Heizou. All the while, Kuzo is pulling all the strings, playing them like a pair of puppets in a tragic romance." -Heart Devourer's AO3 summary

One aspect of this fic that I really enjoyed was how it took what is usually a really cute, and fluffy trope (Falling in love at first sight) and twisted it to be something downright horrifying. In books, "love at first sight" is usually played as the most romantic trope you could do, the idea that all two people needed to come together was to set eyes on one another in the first place, it's no wonder it's used so often in stories.

But in Heart Devourer, the horror doesn't just come from the way Kuzo is able to make people fall for him with a single touch or glance, it's his intentions and mind that contrast with his actions that make all of those scenes absolutely nerve wracking. Every scene with Kuzo in it where he makes someone fall for him is played not as a romantic encounter, but like a scene in a slasher film when they come across the killer for the first time. Even in the first chapter, it just feels like a classic horror film rather than the beginning of some cheesy love story:

Another thing that makes it scary is just how fast the falling in love happens for his victims. There's no slow motion view, or rose petals, and there's certainly not time to even process what's happening to the other person until it's too late. The way Kuzo's victims are described when he does this to them sounds as if they've been put under a spell in an instant, or gone crazed.

This was one of my favorite scenes in the fic, mainly because it's the one that best shows Kuzo's ability in action. Before this scene, things were peaceful and even really cute, until the horror of what Kuzo just did sinks in. The whole fic is full of this kind of tension as well, especially later on when Kuzo starts to kill and eat more people near Kazuha and Heizou's home.

Watching two people slowly fall prey to a serial killer as he hides in plain sight is such a surreal thing to read about, and every scene with Kuzo and his two loving boyfriends is super unnerving as the things he says and the things he's thinking never match at all.

His point of view is so different from Kazuha's and Heizou's that I want to break down just how narratively perfect each of their perspectives are.

Kuzo's Perspective is like reading about a monster on a sick hunt every night, he's a sad and sympathetic villain who still does absolutely terrible things to other people. His inability to actually love someone or something in a healthy way just drives him forward to commit more atrocities, and the worst part is that the people he hurts don't even realize they're being literally eaten until they're dead. The pain of having their body bitten at over time and the love they have for Kuzo always contradicts one another and shocks them out of whatever spell he's put on them.

And this is such an interesting way of doing a "love hypnosis/spell" kind of mind power, because instead of making the "love" they feel overpowering to the point where they are practically invincible, all it does is blind people to who Kuzo really is as a person. He has to not only have a constant stranglehold on someone's mind, but also their heart so they don't completely abandon him the moment he actually hurts them.

Kazuha's Perspective shifts from an adorable little meet cute between strangers, to a horror story where he's not sure what but something is wrong with his significant other, to a thriller where he has to somehow defeat a person he can't help but care about. Kazuha is a really likable hero in this story, and one that has a layer of irony to it because he like Kuzo also has a strange ability that he uses to help him understand others better. He's got a vague "connection with the wind that other's don't understand" and he's also deeply empathetic and understanding of other people. Kazuha is Kuzo's foil in this story, and he represents the kind of person Kuzo could've been if not for the tragedy that befell him when he was young. Particularly the scene where Kazuha finally realizes who Kuzo really is and what he's been doing, shows them both conversing internally but completely having separate reactions to the truth.

And in the end when Kazuha fails to beat Kuzo and practically loses everything including his own memories and heart, it's gut wrenching. You spend all of this time with him as he tries desperately to get others to catch onto the truth without directly revealing who the killer truly is, because he knows that if Kuzo is aware of anyone knowing his true intentions he'll kill them, no questions asked.

Heizou's Perspective is like reading an entirely separate book all together because he has no clue about what's really going on. Everyone is keeping him in the dark, he's not aware of what his two partners are up to, and he just wants to try and solve these murder's as fast as possible, but he's also getting too emotionally wrapped up in the perpetrator to see the truth right in front of him. Heizou's point of view is the most interesting to read about to me personally, because we get to see a "real" detective try and track down this killer, not just Kazuha who's not really trained for this. Even though Heizou doesn't have supernatural abilities like his two partners do, he's still a smart and perceptive person who knows when he's being tricked or used even under Kuzo's spell. It's Heizou's ability to deeply connect with others that puts him on par with the both of them, and lets him keep up.

Now I won't spoil what happens to Heizou just because I feel like his story is arguably the most intriguing to read about aside from Kazuha's.

The story is ongoing, but already it's managed to really tackle a lot of heavy themes about love, unhealthy relationships, and how abusers can use "love" to their advantage. The fic is, all together, a really GREAT read and I highly recommend it to everyone.

#Genshin fic #genshin impact #heikazuscara #genshin heizou #scaramouche #wanderer #kazuha kaedehara #ao3 fanfic #review

[zmediaoutlet]

Happy WW! Hope you're having an amazing day :) Question- do you have any fics that you love, that use a unique trope or circumstance that you never would have thought worked?

happy wincest wednesday, anonymous bud!

I'll try to angle at this two ways --

trope I never would have thought worked: marriage. I dooooo nooooot waaaaant a literal actual Sam-Dean wedding ever unless it's crackfic or a curse or something. If they're in like a band gazebo softly smiling at each other -- nononononono, no thank you. But! This one's a classic and I love it despite myself: Road to Shambala, by astolat. I have some thoughts about astolat's writing which I will keep mostly to myself, but this particular Sam just knocks me down with a feather. With how he's realized that there's no way out and he's determined to make that a good thing instead of a burden. It really presages a s10/11/12 Sam in a way that I love. Now, is an exchange of rings somewhat A Lot? Sure! But this is the only way I've ever seen it done sincerely that made me get all verklempt, and so I love it.

(Honorable mention goes, as always, to the very silly A Nice Day to Start Again, which is pure crack until it's not and also has a warm place in my heart.)

However, as far as unique trope or circumstance... That's really hard to think of, sunglasses friend! One thing about Supernatural as a fandom is that the text itself posits tons of insane AUs and circs and ways for Sam and Dean to be, and the thing is that Sam and Dean are wholly coherent inside those treatments. If someone asked me, I would never in a million years read an unrelated office AU -- like the idea fills me with sneer -- and yet there's the Smith/Wesson episode, just working perfectly and firing on pretty much all cylinders, right there in canon. So if someone is like 'ooh what if there was a fic where Dean turned into a whale' then like. Yeah, the show could do that. They turned Sam into a car. (And indeed that fic exists, thanks to kalliel.) So I'm less interested in trope 'innovation' but mostly in how fics can take things that I would not necessarily want for S&D, i.e. marriage, and twist and turn them around to a place where it feels in character and reasonable for the Winchesters that I know and love. And so many scenarios work! Make Dean a girl! Make Sam a tentacle creature! Make them Men of Letters or cowboys or give them daemons or make them dead! The show affords so much tapestry to find the threads of our boys in and read them true. It's very cool. :)

#happy wincest wednesday #answers #the whale one is pretty unique admittedly #fuck that fic is weird #but it works! why not you know?

[fresne999]

"You may write me down in history With your bitter, twisted lies, You may trod me in the very dirt But still, like dust, I'll rise."

Still I Rise (as indeed all the other poetry quotations in this post) Maya Angelou

Because I'm in a poetry mood and thought I'd see how this goes.

A little OFMD meta

Little Prince Ricky, a minor prince, serving now an empire, manages to claim in a single sitting that once pirates are dead, their stories will be lost to the ages and that by his killing off the republic of pirates, he is the greatest pirate of all. That he will write the history with himself as the central figure. Which maybe. But since this isn't his story, probably not. He crab shuffle runs off stage for a S3. 

"Does my sassiness upset you? Why are you beset with gloom? ’Cause I walk like I've got oil wells Pumping in my living room."

Spanish Jackie in her gown of glitter scales made to serve liquor to singing British troops. Stewing. Never tripping despite the legs put out in her way. 

Serve the wine. Never fear poison, there is a taster.

Well, yes, and no.

Bring down the good stuff, which resides so innocent on the shelf. Set aside for some rainy day, Jackie always prepared for. When in her own establishment, where in her own home, laid low she would not stay. 

Singing, bragging sailors over their rule of the waves. They've never heard of Canute, I guess.

Bring down the good stuff. Not a Mithridates. That fellow rendered himself immune to poison to avoid being killed. Spanish Jackie had a different plan. She's the man in black. She is no man. She is a black woman in her home invaded by princes of the sea. 

For this bottle, this plan, to exist, she must always have known that the Republic of Pirates would fall. That she would need an exit.

Not even telling the Swede that she was iocane-powder poison-protecting him.

They were right, those soldiers. They'd never be slaves. They'd be corpses.

No Stede, you didn't do that. Jackie, prosthetic hand to cheroot smiling lips, she did.

Just like moons and like suns, With the certainty of tides, Just like hopes springing high, Still I'll rise.

Ed attempts to be fully present in his life. Stop talking. Except he is in fact narrating his life.

I felt Ed so hard in that moment. Writers. We narrate our lives. 

He viewed the sea as a battlefield, and attempted to be that classic trope. The humble wanderer. Shane. Kane/Cane. Like a blade of grass. A heron. Until the whole internal monologue dissolves into a wave. As it should.

He tossed his leathers into the sea as an embodiment of what Frenchie was talking about at the beginning of the season. Burying his feelings like in a box, but where the box is the sea. A battlefield of the waves.

The British do not rule him. But he has to figure out just where he belongs.

What he's good at and what nourishes him. Not fishing. We get that. Not creating yet another father figure. 

His fugue state on seeing the burning ships. The British voices fading into ringing. Stede's call.

I'm fascinated by the way Ed's memory here of Pop-Pop (not your Pop-Pop) is slightly different in tone from the way the had-enough fisherman sent him away from the fishing camp. 

To be wave washed.

Did you want to see me broken? Bowed head and lowered eyes? Shoulders falling down like teardrops, Weakened by my soulful cries?

Izzy came a long way since S1. Transformed from an angry man focused on job title and work and the legend that he and Ed had created to someone who finally comprehends the importance of the community of which he is now a part. In its last breath. The last gasp of the golden age of pirates. 

S1 Izzy would have agreed with Prince Ricky that he was the brains of the operation, or gone on about how he's the only reason, blah, blah, blah work gets done. S1 Izzy sided with the British to bring Ed back into line. Izzy is the reason the British lock stepped into Jackiez the first time. When revenge meant the empire had other reasons to move on.

S2 Izzy's understanding of where he is and what this community means has transformed. A place that welcomes. A new family.

In that mindset, challenging Prince Ricky to kill him. To kill all the pirates, because they'll live on. Because they're good. A reframing from the devil into something else. A wave. A light.

Foreshadowing too.

The passing into the west of old selves. Lives. Ages.

Does my haughtiness offend you? Don't you take it awful hard ’Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines Diggin’ in my own backyard.

Zheng Yi Sao dragged Stede (yes, Stede she did) to safety. Only to sit disconsolate under the bridge of disconsolation. The bridge that is broken. 

Queen won't stay there, of course. Stede needs rescuing. Again. Soldiers will come and soldiers will die. 

Stede's…the pirate that he is. A failure his whole life. But blessed by being the central character, things have a way of working out. But he is correct that Zheng cannot succeed alone. There's such a valuable lesson in accepting being bad at something, but going on to try anyway. 

It's the opposite of burying your sorrows in a box. It's knowing they are a part of you, inform you, are probably why you make bad decisions, but moving forward. That it's okay to be soft. Sometimes softness is what is needed. 

Letting Stede go have his moment with Ed while Zheng holds off an army. 

Of course, with Blackbeard, she could kill more. She saw what he did there. Revenge. 

To the New Revenge, which is the old revenge. Which is in fact no Revenge. Sailing out to a new horizon. 

You may shoot me with your words, You may cut me with your eyes, You may kill me with your hatefulness, But still, like air, I’ll rise.

Lucius, ah Lucius. There's still trauma to process. But I think it's a crucial thing that Lucius lets go of Blackbeard as the embodiment of that trauma. Replicating into every aspect of his art and the world. 

Blackbeard set Lucius on the road to Rat Boy, but he isn't actually the ones who perpetrated the whole Rat Boy chain of events.

Until Lucius lets go of Blackbeard is a dog, a flower, a whatever, then he can't process. He can't integrate what's happened and move on. 

He'll spiral, time to time. That's trauma. But that's also Charibdis, and Calypso knows that focusing only on the whirlpool isn't actually a way to process trauma. 

Black Pete can be there for him. His matey. Keeping his boat afloat. Keeping each other's boats afloat. 

Does my sexiness upset you? Does it come as a surprise That I dance like I've got diamonds At the meeting of my thighs?

Poor Pop-Pop (not calling him simple because yeah, I can see where that's a bit…yeah no). The man thought he hired a fisherman, and instead he hired a fisher of men. Philosophizing when there was work to be done.

Go back to something you're good at. So Ed does. Multi-task and put paid to the can Ed read discussion to show that not only can he read, he can read and kill at the same time. 

What a lovely letter the sea (Calypso) brought forth. Message delivered. Message received. We wrote our names on each other in permanent ink.

Nothing that can be undone by the fall of the Republic of Pirates. Nothing so simple could topple such intertwined. A sort of weaving that.

Back under the unruled waves.

Of course, Ed would be able to dive back under the ocean and find his leathers. 

To open the box. To pull out what's buried under the waves. Yet another phase. Because that's life. Casting things aside. Burying them. Then figuring out how to reintegrate them into a whole self when the time is right. 

Life is a dick, but this is a core universe. Where leathers can be completely unharmed by a day or so sunk beneath the salt. Of course, Ed could dress in them while underwater and so walk from the sea Venus.

No clam shell. But a whole lot of sexy.

To meet love on the beach. With a side bit of spinning death.

Out of the huts of history’s shame I rise Up from a past that’s rooted in pain I rise I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide, Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.

I'll admit, while I have heard bits of Rule Britannia (and certainly the melody), I had no idea what the rest of the lyric lines in every refrain was. Huh. The way the song presents the whole thing is that the British will never be subject to tyrants. But the context of the British soldiers / sailors singing their song to the captured pirates. People of color. That's the show creators putting a big neon sign of "These are the villains of the series!" That and toxic masculinity. There can be two villains. Especially when one props up the other.

What do the crew in their dungeon cell do? 

Lucius loses a shirt (he is down to his skivvies, but keeps the jeans he loves). Someone pees on the fabric (offscreen - good). True facts, wet fabric is much less likely to tear. 

But I want to take a moment here to reflect on the symbolism of something soft like fabric bending iron. The original use of the term soft-ware (etymology - check it out) bending hard-ware. Something woven by women and in fact the main occupier of women's time since thread didn't spin itself. 

Something weak, but by virtue of thousands of threads woven together (plus unfortunate fluids), bending metal. 

Leading to go Frenchie. Go Frenchie. Go.

Leading to Captain Frenchie. Long may they sail the waves and fuckery as they go.

Leaving behind nights of terror and fear I rise Into a daybreak that’s wondrously clear I rise Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave, I am the dream and the hope of the slave. I rise

I rise

I rise.

#ofmd #ofmd meta #poetry #prose poetry

[rantingoverbadfic]

So, these two characters have unwittingly drunk a love potion and fell in love. (Though I do feel somewhat iffy calling it a love potion, since the only concrete proof of side effects through animal testing the alchemist could confirm was increased copulation drive. That is not the same as love, as anyone on the aroace spectrum could tell you, author, but okay, let's go with the trope's premise and call it a love potion). So far, no objections.

In an interesting twist, both characters are aware that they behave differently than they normally would and are aware that they are under an influence. Even if they can't stop their reactions, since they are aware, they can at least somewhat mitigate them. Not much, mind, but at least enough to not fall over each other mindlessly in public and to keep their meetings for the duration of several weeks not only more or less discreet, but also somewhat chaste. And, what is more, there are several key characters with direct authority over both influenced people, who know what happened, have conducted an investigation to find out who was affected, have first hand proof that the potion, indeed, works at least somewhat as advertised and now undertaking several precautions to keep the damage contained and pressuring the alchemist for an antidote.

But!!!! Why the hell are all these people, who should know better, still constantly talking like the potioned characters are to blame for acting on their impulses! Even those both are constantly talking like their love has some foundation, or as if their acting on it won't have consequences! I understand not being capable of keeping your hands off each other despite the consequences, but what is the point of lying to yourself about them? You are STILL AWARE that you are under influence! And what the hell is wrong with those who didn't drink the potion - why the fucking hell are acting, like those two are behaving inappropriately? You fucking irresponsible twats!

And once you find out that the making of the antidote could take as much as ten years, and that is a very optimistic approximation, what the hell is wrong with you that you don't pressure for the dissolution of the betrothal and at least sending her to Riverrun, if not home? Why are you tempting fate, if you know she can't resist and having the royal pustule's bride cheat on him with a nobody would chime in not only a disaster for your friendship but also for the kingdom! Ned Stark is stupidly honourable, but he isn't stupidly stupid, for fucks sake!

Goddammit, i do expect this kind of victim-blaming bullshit from the royal pustule like Joffrey, but not from everyone else at court. At the very least, act like you actually give a damn about keeping your friendship and not being forced to kill the sitting king and his bastard.

(and allthewhile, oh my god, I can't stop thinking 'this is not how love works' and 'you could have literally tied him into pretzels with a few well-placed naive statements, author, but no, instead you couldn't find anything more imaginative to do with that character but make him a raping douchebag?')

#reading fanfic #game of thrones #a song of ice and fire