#i like stories that are like well the world is saved. What Now

[dduane]

Of parsnips and parsnip soup

So the question of parsnips, and particularly parsnip soup, came up secondary to this quote from an interview with Terry Pratchett. (Thanks to @captainfantasticalright for the transcription.)

Terry: “You can usually bet, and I’m sure Neil Gaiman would say the same thing, that, uh, if I go into a bookstore to do a signing and someone presents me with three books, the chances are that one of them is going to be a very battered copy of Good Omens; and it will smell as if it’s been dropped in parsnip soup or something in and it’s gone fluffy and crinkly around the edges and they’ll admit that it’s the fourth copy they’ve bought”.

And when @petermorwood saw this, he immediately reblogged it and added four recipes for parsnip soup.

These kind of surprised some folks, as not everybody knew that parsnips were an actual thing: or if they were, what they looked like or were useful for.

The vegetable may well be better known on this side of the Atlantic. (And I have to confess that as a New Yorker and Manhattanite, with access to both great outdoor food markets and some of the best grocery stores in the world, I don't think that parsnips ever came up on my personal radar while I was living there.) So I thought I'd take a moment to lay out some basics for those who'd like to get to know the vegetable better.

The parsnip's Linnaean/botanical name is Pastinaca sativa, and in the culinary mode it's been around for a long time. It's native to Eurasia, and is a relative to parsley and carrots (with which it's frequently paired in the UK and Ireland). The Romans cultivated it, and it spread all over the place from there. Travelers who passed through our own neck of the woods before the introduction of the potato noted that "the Irish do feed much upon parsnips", and in the local diet it filled a lot of the niches that the potato now occupies.

You can do all kinds of things with parsnips. The Wikipedia article says, correctly, that they can be "baked, boiled, pureed, roasted, fried, grilled, or steamed". But probably the commonest food form in which parsnips turn up around here is steamed or simmered with carrots and then mashed with them: so that you can buy carrot-and-parsnip mash, ready-made, in most of our local grocery chains.

It also has to be mentioned that most Irish kids have had this stuff foisted on them at one point or another, and a lot of them hate it. (@petermorwood would be one.) I find it hard to blame anybody for this opinion, as one of the parsnip's great selling points—its spicy, almost peppery quality—gets almost completely wiped out by the carrot's more dominant flavor and sweetness.

Roasting parsnips, though, is another matter entirely. They roast really well. And parsnip soups are another story entirely, as it's possible to build a soup that will emphasize the parsnip's virtues.

So, to add to Peter's collection, here's one I made earlier—like yesterday afternoon, stopping the cooking sort of halfway and finishing it up today.

I was thinking in a vague medioregnic-food way about a soup with roasted bacon in it, but not with potatoes (as those have been disallowed from the Middle Kingdoms for reasons discussed elsewhere. Tl;dr: it's Sean Astin's fault). And finally I thought, "Okay, if we're going to roast some pork belly or back bacon, then why not save some energy and roast some parsnips too? The browned skins'll help keep them from going to mush in the soup."

So: first find your parsnips. I used four of them. You peel them with a potato peeler...

...sort of roughly quarter them, the long way...

...then chop them in half the short way, toss them in a bowl with some oil—olive oil, in this case—spread them on a baking sheet, and season them with pepper, coarse salt, and some chile flakes. (I used ancho and bird's-eye chile flakes here.)

These then went into the oven for about half an hour, and came out like this.

While that was going on, I got a block of ready-cooked Polish snack bacon out of the freezer.

On its home turf, this is the kind of thing that turns up (among other ways) sliced very thin on afternoon-snack plates, with cheeses and breads. But we like to score it and roast it to sweat some of the fat out, and then use it in soups and stews and so forth.

So I scored this chunk on most of its sides, browned it in a skillet, then shoved the skillet into the oven for twenty minutes or so. Here's the bacon after it was done.

While it was cooking, I made about a liter of soup stock from a couple of stock cubes. If you can get pork stock cubes, they'd be best for this, but beef works fine.

This then went into the pot and was brought up to just-boiling while the bacon and the parsnips were chopped into more or less bite-sized chunks. After that, the meat and veg were added to the pot and the whole business was left to simmer for a couple of hours while I went off to do some line editing.

Finally I turned it off and left it on the stove overnight (our kitchen is quite cool, it was in no bacteriological danger from being left out this way) and then finished its simmering time around lunchtime today.

And here it is. (...Or was. It was very nice.)

...Anyway, this is only one of potentially thousands of takes on parsnip soup. Recipes for more robust versions—based on mashed parsnips and more vegetables, or different meats—are all over the place.

Meanwhile, as regards how much damage this soup could do to your copy of Good Omens if you dropped yours in it, I'd rate this at about 5 damage points out of 10. ...Call it 5.5 if you factor in the chiles. Soups along the boiled-and-mashed-parsnip spectrum would probably inflict damage more in the 7.50-8.0 range. But your results may vary: so I'll leave you all to your own experimentation.

#parsnips #parsnip soup #Good Omens #Terry Pratchett #Neil Gaiman #recipes

[kaeyachi]

So...I finished the Arlecchino story quest...

Spoilers below!

TW: Mentions of Suicide, Child Experimentation, Child Abuse, and Murder/Death

This is, by far, the best story quest I have ever done!

First of all, CHILDE?! CHILDE ESCAPING HIS PERSONAL AMBULANCE TO SNEZHNAYA JUST TO COME BACK TO FONTAINE TO ASK SKIRK A QUESTION? Bro is so funny, please-

please save him.

Wait, actually, yeah please do save him. Pulcinella and Pantalone are both plotting in the background, and they got Childe involved...

I also loved the children! Look at how terrifying they are! They're my absolute faves!!

Lyney cementing the reason as to why Arlecchino chose him as the next King is wonderful to see as well. For some time, I thought Freminet and Lynette had a shot, even with reading their lore. What I have failed to realize is that Lyney really is the inspiration for all of the people in the House of the Hearth. His frustrated and disappointed spiel about Freminet not trusting him with Clervie struck me to the heart. This is an older brother at work here people!

Also if I had a nickel every time a cryo younger brother hid a dangerous secret from his pyro older brother which got them into an argument once the truth came out, I'd have 2 nickels ✌️ (somehow gave me war flashbacks to a scene that doesn't even exist lmao)

LYNETTE IS THE FUNNIEST SIBLING BTW. SHE'S MY QUEEN FOR THIS.

Clervie! Our dearest! I'm not fully sure what part in her design did it, but she barely looks like an NPC somehow. Like, yes, this is still an NPC base model, but... is it perhaps the hair? And the extra lashes??

Also, her calling Arlecchino "Perrie" made me sob. I wasn't ready to hear nicknames!!

The mention of Snezhnayan auroras also made me sob again as well. You know what? This entire thing made me sob.

Clervie's dread and horror at the thought of her own mother, her unrelenting spirit that kept her going in her fight for her fellow peers freedom despite the abuse that she will receive, and her unfulfilled dreams repeatedly being mentioned throughout this quest was heartbreaking.

I do have to say- the animations they released for Arlecchino helped a lot with the emotions we are supposed to feel for this quest. Not only was that good Advertising and promotion for the Arlecchino banner, it also set up the plot that would have not been well presented ingame had they chose to do that instead.

Crucabena and Clervie part of this quest were not the only ones mentioned in this quest, but also that damn dude that she killed with her heels! I personally like the way they released all those animations because the quest feels more emotional and alive now, and we could follow with the story better than before (and it effectively increased the hype)

Speaking of more alive, the facial expressions have definitely improved! This quest had them utilizing various expressions well, specifically for the playable characters, so, again, this really helped with the feel of the quest.

Additionally, adding a picture to scenes also set the tone really well. It's not that pictures have never been included in quests before, but the way these were framed(?) made it look way better than the ones before.

By the way...is it just me? Or did Paimon's voice somewhat mellow out for this quest? I had recently played some other story and world quests, and Paimon's EN voice is admittedly high-pitched and painful to hear in those, but for this quest, it's as if her voice was toned down (like Mondstadt Paimon, but with current Paimon energy). I'm hoping this was them taking the criticism from past and adjusting their instructions to Paimon's VA accordingly, because I loved Paimon's voice in this quest (that or I'm delulu)

Quick lore tidbits before I go back to gushing about this quest:

1. Arlecchino confirmed not from Fontaine (like I legit thought she may be Khaenri'ahn due to the blood moon thing she has going for her, but it's nice to confirm her non-Fontainian status)

2. Crucabena was the one who had a deal with Dottore on sending members of the HotH to him for experimentation. Anyone who was physically impaired or left alive after a duel to death are automatically sent to him. Clervie has described this as a fate worse than death... Peruere rejected Dottore's partnership offer once she became the next knave. Also, Crucabena used Clervie as an "example" for those who wish to escape, meaning Clervie received the most abuse (which apparently worsened as the years went by). Clervie lost hope sometime along the way and was basically suicidal as well by the time she and Arlecchino had their duel... Her mindset by that time is that the only hope for freedom to her is death. The popular theory of Clervie letting Arlecchino kill her is proven in a horrifying way with this discovery... (yes, she wanted Arlecchino to be the king, but at the same time, she took this situation as a chance to hit 2 birds with 1 stone)

3. Project Stuzha is apparently something highly dangerous, and Pulcinella and Pantalone are trying to get Childe and Arlecchino involved (Childe was told to aide the project by Pulcinella, while Arlecchino says she doesnt want the HotH to be involved in it)

4. Here is me reannouncing that I am in fact taking the L on the Freminet and Crucabena situation. Basically, the timeline is that at age 16, Clervie dies, and we are left with a 1 year time period for a 6 year old Freminet to enter under Crucabena (I'm guessing this is either a retcon or a means to hide the Arlecchino plot by not having them directly say mother in Freminet's character story 4). After that said 1 year, Peruere kills Crucabena and has spent several months in Snezhnaya before reviving the House of the Hearth and adopting Lyney and Lynette (perhaps the children of Crucabena's HotH simply stuck together during that time)

Basically, yes, Arlecchino is in her mid-20s. Not my personal cup of tea, but hey, genshin ages are confusing most days (Ayato is older than her, and Ayaka may actually be older than her as well... ugh I need a moment please... I MAY BE THE SAME AGE AS HER. NO-)

5. Freminet used to also call Lyney "brother". What changed that, I'm not sure (and if I had a nickel...), but the thought of baby Freminet following around big bro Lyney and big sis Lynette makes my heart melt. Freminet actually cried after Lyney basically told him how important Fremi is to him, so whoever made Freminet think otherwise... 😡 they better square up because we ride at dawn

ok back to me gushing

THE BOSS FIGHT? IT WAS SO COOL! It was beautifully animated, and the fact that they added this at the end?

The fear on the traveler's eyes upon realization of what true power Arlecchino held was amazing imo. We canonically cannot defeat Arlecchino in her boss fight! She will be a weekly boss that we can defeat, but in actuality, we really cannot beat the number 4 of the Fatui Harbringers.

We now have actual proof that harbringers 1-4 are not within our capabilities to challenge, and to add to that horror, this is us fighting Arlecchino with Lyney, Lynette, and Freminet. This is also actual proof that we, the traveler, cannot defeat a ton of other characters as well! (were cooked if we never get a power boost and plot armor✌️)

Also let me sneak in this picture:

Cunty as fck. Powerpuff girls energy. They're the Heathers, and we, the traveler, are Veronica.

And finally, the last part of my commentary that cemented this quest as my top 1:

Everything Arlecchino has done for the House of the Hearth, it was all thanks to Clervie and her dreams.

Arlecchino has shaped the HotH into a more honest relationship between her as the father and them as her children. Everything Clervie hated about the old HotH is now nonexistent in this version.

The children could be set free.

Duels are not to death.

They will not be sent to their doom if they lose.

This is everything that Clervie dreamed of, and this is everything Clervie tragically never got to see and experience because she lost all hope.

Clervie's story ended in tragedy, but Peruere lived and breathed Clervie's dreams for her anyway. Seeing the aurora was the start of Peruere finding the goal of living Clervie's dream, and now, Arlecchino strives to do her best to see those dreams come to fruition.

And the qualities that Peruere admired in Clervie are the same qualities that made her want Lyney to become the next king. Hopeful, caring, protective, passionate, and full of conviction. Lyney will take the mantle and live and breathe for Clervie's and Peruere's dreams someday.

Honestly, I have more to say, but I think this is a good place to stop for now. The dynamics of all these characters have made this experience worthwhile, and I hope that genshin continues with this sort of style in the future. Here's to more amazing stories from genshin!

Bonus screenshot while we are still here:

#genshin spoilers #arlecchino #lyney #lynette #freminet #genshin 4.6 spoilers #tw: suicide mention #tw: abuse mention #tw: experimentation #tw: mentions of death #tw: mentions of abuse #you know what #I'll say it here in the tags #clervie wouldve loved mondstadt #she wanted to be a bard! her reaction to mond was so cute!

[orcinus-veterinarius]

So... it seems I accidentally deleted an ask rather than answering it. To whoever asked "is it okay to visit SeaWorld? Does the money go to giving the orcas good care?"... here is your answer!

The SeaWorld parks, as well as Busch Gardens, Discovery Cove, and a few others, are operated by the recently renamed United Parks and Entertainment, a for-profit theme park company. Like any other corporation, their first goal is to remain profitable. Obviously, a large portion of that goes to corporate leadership and shareholders. But that's far from unique to United, or theme parks in general. It's a byproduct of the greedy world we live in. If you're willing to buy a ticket to Disney or Six Flags, then buying a ticket to a SeaWorld or Busch Gardens is no more immoral.

According to the AZA, approximately 77% of their members are for-profit. And while AZA zoos certainly very in quality (anywhere from "acceptable" to "exceptional" in my opinion), for-profit status does not cheapen or detract from the work they do. In fact, for-profit institutions often have more financial freedom for animal care and conservation efforts than their non-profit counterparts. Non-profit zoos and aquariums are wonderful places, but believe me when I say there's a startling amount of politics in every aspect of their management. Non-profit status does not automatically make a zoo better, and for-profit status does not automatically make a zoo worse.

Now... do SeaWorld ticket sales go toward giving their orcas (and other animals) good care? Yes.

While it's certainly simplistic for parks to claim, as they do, "just by buying a ticket today you're helping save animals in the wild!"... it's not exactly a lie. Being for-profit, SeaWorld doesn't ask for donations to fund park operations or outreach endeavours. That revenue is generated by selling tickets, merchandise, food, etc. The same goes for their wildlife rescue and rehab program, Rising Tide conservation program, Coral Rescue Center, and the SeaWorld-Busch Gardens Conservation Fund, as well as partner organizations like OCEARCH and the Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute.

Take ticket sales away, and they can't care for their animals, or continue to fund conservation projects. While I don't know the whole story of what exactly is going on with Marineland Antibes, it appears that the park is in a dire financial situation due to plummeting attendance, to the point that they can no longer maintain their killer whale habitat and are trying to offload their animals onto an Asian aquarium or, potentially, an as-of-yet non-existent third party sea pen. While certainly well-meaning, years of boycotts against Marineland ultimately put their animals in a position where they are not being properly cared for. And it would be horrifying if the same thing happened to SeaWorld. I don't think many people, in their fervor to punish the parks for their perceived misdeeds and save the animals, thought about what the reality of driving a zoological facility into financial ruin would look like.

Don't get me wrong, SeaWorld's shift toward promoting itself as a thrill park that also does conservation rather than a marine facility that happens to have roller coasters annoys me. I would have rather they built a separate, neighboring park for the rides, or at least integrated them into the existing park less obtrusively (Disney's Animal Kingdom, for example, seemlessly integrates the theme park and zoo elements, although they have the benefit of the incredibly talented Imagineering team behind them). But as tiresome as the constant roller coaster announcements are, they are what kept the company afloat financially in the years immediately following Blackfish, drawing in a crowd that previously had no interest in the parks, and for that I'm grateful. Thankfully, SeaWorld is in a better spot nowadays. But the only way to convince them that their animals, not their roller coasters, are what people want to see... is to visit and see the animals.

In short, yes, part of your SeaWorld ticket funds care for their orcas and their many admirable projects. Now if only more of it went to giving their staff better salaries.

#their staff make less money than a lot of other major theme parks #the animals have great care... the people uh... #not as much #seaworld #zoos #aquariums #conservation #answered asks #anonymous

[animesmolbean]

Guardian of Light

(Female)

Author's Note: Well, this is the last chapter for Dune Part 1. But don't worry, I'm thinking about what to write for Part 2 chapters right now. But because there will be a lot more to cover in Dune Part 2, the updates for the story will be slower than Part 1's updates. Like, I'll post the Female and the Male, but the next chapter that continues the story will take longer. But the formula will still be the same. Female chapter first, then, the next day, the Male verison.

Side Note: Timothée in these GIFs! Ahh!! Kill me now, he's so attractive! I also just want to hug him.

Hope you enjoy the last chapter of Dune Part 1! ♥️

〰️

Chapter 12: The Fremen

〰️

Paul ran up to (Your Name) when the worm left, almost knocking her over as he wrapped his arms around her in a hug.

She hugged back just as tight, breathing heavily as her hand moved up to cradle the back of his neck. “I'm okay, babe, don't worry.” She muttered softly.

He sighed shakily, moving to his head to press his forehead to hers. “I was so worried about you…” He whispered, his voice shaky.

“Shh…. it's alright, baby. I'm alright.” She moved one of Paul's hands from her waist and placed it over her chest, where her heart is. “I'm right here.” She whispered.

Paul felt his best friend's heartbeat and he let out a shaky sigh of relief. Her heartbeat grounded him; he wouldn't know what to do if it stopped beating.

He nuzzled his nose against hers gently before pulling away from the embrace and taking her hand in his and started to walk off into the rocky mountain.

(Your Name) saw Jessica's worried look and gave the older woman's hand a gentle squeeze. Jessica squeezed the girl's hand back.

“How big are they? That was insane.” Jessica said, panting while leaning down on the rock.

“Someone called him,” the younger girl informed, looking around, feeling eyes on hers. She clenched her hand. “We're not alone.” She sighed to Paul and Jessica.

A Fremen male appeared behind Paul, making (Your Name) push him behind her. She got into a fighting stance, ready to summon the Keyblade if needed; as more Fremen appeared from the rocks.

“Do not run. You will only waste your body's water.” A familiar voice spoke.

(Your Name) turned her attention to the man that spoke. He was laying on a rock. She recognized him.

“Stilgar. I remember you came to Paul's father's council.”

The man, Stilgar, hummed, pulling down his cloth that covered his mouth. “This is (Your Name). The Haris Aldaw’.”

The girl tilted her head to the side as she listened to the Fremn mutter amongst themselves.

“This is the girl and boy I told you about. We can't touch them.” Stilgar replied to his fellow Fremen.

“Is she the Haris Aldaw’? Is he Lisan al-Gaib?”

“They haven't proven themselves “

“They're weaklings.” The same angry voice pull out a weapon.

(Your Name) was very close to summoning the Keyblade.

“Jamis…” Stilgar stopped the male. “There was a brave crossing they made in the path of Shai-Hulud. She nor he does not speak or act like a weakling.”

“My thumper saved their lives. Go back to reason, Stilgar. She's not the Haris Aldaw’ and he's not The One.” Jamis snapped back.

(Your Name) was about to prove the male wrong, but Jessica spoke up before she could act. “We have powerful friends. One for them being right here,” She gestured to (Your Name) who was standing in front of Paul, protecting him, “You help us off world, to Caladan, you will be well rewarded.”

“What wealth can you offer beyond the water in your flesh.” Stilgar spoke back, the Fremen now standing up from their crouched positions.

(Your Name) growled lowly, still in a fighting stance, ready to fight if needed.

Stilgar observed the trio, “The girl and boy are young. They can learn our ways. They may have sanctuary. But the woman isn't trained and too old to learn.” He made his way down his spot on the rocks, jumping in front of the trio.

The blue-eyed girl stepped in front of Stilgar. “You don't want to do this, Stilgar.” She warned in a low, threatening tone, staring at the older man.

Stilgar paused when he looked into the girl's eyes. ‘Sapphire blue…. the color of cobalt. They're his eyes.’ He thought to himself.

Paul and Jessica started fighting other Fremen who tried to attack them, while Stilgar lunged at (Your Name). The girl summoned the Keyblade and blocked his knife with it. Stilgar stilled at the sight of the key shaped blade, giving the chance for (Your Name) to push Stilgar away from her.

She got into a fighting stance. Stilgar lunged at her again but (Your Name) dodged rolled out of the way and the two started to fight.

Their blades clanged as they collided with each other. At one point, Stilgar managed to disarm (Your Name), the Keyblade flinging out of her hand. Stilgar pointed his blade at the girl's throat.

Everyone else stopped fighting to see this happen. The mother and son were worried when (Your Name) was disarmed.

But (Your Name) smirked and raised her hand to the side of her. The Keybalde disappeared and reappeared in her hand.

The move took Stilgar off guard, and she knocked his crysknife out of his hand. He tried to back away, but she shot off a Blizzard spell at the older man, freezing his legs in place. The attack stunned him, and (Your Name) pointed her Keyblade at him threateningly.

“I did warn you.” She growled.

Paul felt a shiver run down his spine at (Your Name)’s tone. His cheeks felt warmer, and his eyes became hazy as he panted softly, loving the sight of his girl being threatening.

Stilgar was in awe at this girl's power. “So it's true, you are the Haris Aldaw ‘,” Stilgar muttered, then added louder, “Why didn't you just show us your blade?” His question came out shaky, showing his nervousness.

“You didn't exactly ask nicely.” (Your Name) spoke, walking closer to the older man.

“Peace, woman, peace. I judged too hastily.”

The girl sighed softly, using her Fire magic to unfreeze Stilgar.

“The sun is rising. We must reach Sietch Tabr.” Stilgar informed the Fremen in their language, “The fate of the strangers will be decided there. Until then, they are under my protection. I give you my word.” He opened up his stillsuit a little, cutting his skin to show his promise and the other Fremen followed alongside.

Paul walked up to (Your Name), who now made her Keyblade disappear. She looked at Paul, seeing he brought another girl with him, making her curious as to who she was. The male came over and gave his friend a tight hug, which she returned. They parted when they heard Stilgar speak,

“Chani, take charge of the newcomers. See that they are safe on the journey. Let's go “

“I will not have them.” A voice spoke out.

“Jamis, I have spoken. Be still.” Stilgar said, and (Your Name) narrowed her eyes on Jamis, standing close to Paul.

“You talk like a leader but the strongest leads. She bested you. I invoke the Amtal.”

(Your Name) summoned her Keyblade again, ready to fight him but Paul grabbed her arm gently, stopping her. Jessica walked forward as well but was stopped by Stilgar's voice.

“You may not challenge a sayyadina, nor the Haris Aldaw’.”

“Then who will fight in her name?”

Stilgar turned back around to his friend, “Jamis, don't do this. Don't. The night is fading.”

“Then the sun will witness this death. Where is her champion?” Jamis asked the group in a growl.

Paul gave (Your Name) a kiss on her temple and stepped forward to accept the challenge

“No… Paul don't…” She whispered, going up to following him, but was stopped by a hand on her shoulder. She turned to see Chani, who shook her head gently.

“I accept her champion.” Jamis nodded his head.

〰️

Everyone was getting ready for the fight.

(Your Name) walked over to Paul, who was getting ready to fight Jamis.

She saw Paul staring ahead and she guessed that he was seeing another vision. (Your Name) placed a hand on the side of his face.

Paul snapped out of his trance and looked at (Your Name) when he felt her gentle touch and turned to look at her. “You don't have to do this, Paul. I could do it.”

The curly haired boy frowned and shook his head. “Absolutely not. You're not doing it, (Your Name).”

“But-” (Your Name) started to protest but was interrupted by Paul.

“You're too important,” He let out a shaky breath, “You're too important to me.” Paul placed his hands on the girl's cheeks, cupping her face.

“I would rip apart all the universes just to get you back (Your Name). That's how important you are to me.” He looked into her sapphire blue eyes.

(Your Name) felt her eyes get watery at Paul's confession. “Paul… I feel the exact same way about you too,” She cupped the sides of his face, “But please…. be careful. I don't know what I would do if you got hurt or got killed.” She whispered, sniffling.

Paul moved closer to (Your Name), their bodies gently pressed against each other's. He wrapped his arms around the girl's waist, pressing the side of his face against hers. (Your Name) returned the hug, wrapping her arms around Paul's neck. They stay like this for a few moments before pulling away a little.

The childhood friends pressed their foreheads against each other's. They were so close that they could feel their breaths against their lips. If one of them moved their lips, they would end up kissing.

(Your Name) could feel her heart beating fast as she looked into Paul's hazel green eyes. Her heart beating even faster when Paul leant in, parting his lips and gently crashed his lips against hers. She gasped softly against his lips but kissed back. The warmth of his mouth sent a tingling sensation all throughout her body, making her tremble; as Paul wrapped his arms around her. He pulled her even closer, leaving no space between them. (Your Name)’s eyes fluttered shut as did Paul's.

Their lips were in fast but soft sync against each other. (Your Name) slid her hands to Paul's curly brown hair, feeling the locks in between her fingers, gently tugging on them on instinct, making Paul moan softly against her lips. Paul caught the girl's bottom lip in between his lips slightly.

The action made (Your Name) weak in the knees, but she almost keeled over when she felt Paul's tongue drag across her bottom lip, silently asking for entry. She opened her mouth, silently giving him access and she let out a muffled moan when she felt Paul's tongue slide into her mouth, caressing her tongue with his. Butterflies danced throughout her belly as they two made out, their tongues caressing each other's, as they held onto each other for dear life.

(Your Name) could feel her body heat up the more they continued. She never felt like this before, and she loved every second of it.

The two turned their heads in opposite directions as they deepened the kiss even further. When Paul's tongue circled around (Your Name)’s slowly, she almost bent down, feeling her knees weaken more. Paul held her up, not letting the kiss break.

Paul moved his left hand to her face, caressing her cheek with his thumb. The coldness of the ring on his finger felt cold against (Your Name)’s warm cheek but she paid it no mind, as she carded her fingers through Paul's soft curly locks.

The two moved their lips in perfect, passionate sync, their bodies pressed against each other's, worried that not feeling each other would drive them crazy.

After a few more minutes of passionately kissing, Paul slowly removed his lips from (Your Name)’s, making a soft smacking sound. He breathed heavily as he pressed his forehead to hers. He opened his eyes slowly as his hazel green hues stared into (Your Name)’s sapphire blue one's, seeing them sparkle with love.

“I love you…” Paul exhaled, trying to control himself after the passionate moment. His voice came out raspy and deep, making (Your Name) blush and tremble against him.

“I love you too… more than everything.” (Your Name) breathed out, feeling tears well up in her eyes. She moved her hands out of Paul's hair and cupped his jawline. “Be careful when you fight that man.” She whispered to him.

Paul nuzzled his nose against (Your Name)’s, comforting her. “I promise.” He nipped her bottom lip gently, “For you, my love, I promise…”

The blue-eyed girl sniffled softly, “I love you so much.” She whimpered faintly. She spoke so softly that it probably couldn't even be heard.

But Paul heard her. “I love you too.” He cooed, leaning forward and capturing her lips into another kiss. This kiss was soft and tender.

The lovers broke apart and looked into each other's eyes.

Their tender moment ended when they heard someone walking towards them. They turned and saw it was Chani.

“I don't believe you are the Lisan al-Gaib,” She said to Paul, before turning her head to (Your Name), “I believe you are the Haris Aldaw’ though.” She gave the girl a small smile but it faded quickly.

(Your Name) smiled softly at the girl, pressing herself closer to Paul's body.

Chani turned her attention back to Paul, “But I want you to die with honor,” She reached and gave him a blade, “This crysknife was given to me by my great aunt. It's made from a tooth of Shai-Hulud, the great sandworm. It would be a great honor if you die holding it.”

Paul took the blade with his gloved hand, observing it as (Your Name) looked at Chani like she was crazy for how she thought Paul was going to die, furrowing her brows together.

“Where is the outworlder?!” Jamis yelled, walking back and forth around the fighting area.

The trio's eyes went to him then the lovers turned to Chani when she spoke, smiling tightly, “Jamis is a good fighter. He won't let you suffer.”

Chani was about to walk away, but (Your Name) stopped her when she spoke, “It was nice meeting you, Chani.” She spoke, a kind smile on her face.

Chani nodded her head to the girl, lips lifting up into a small, playful smirk, “You too, (Your Name).”

Paul grabbed his girlfriend's hand and walked over to the fighting area where Jamis was squatting, waiting for Paul.

Paul turned to (Your Name) seeing her scared expression. He reached his hand out and cupped the side of her face, “I will be alright, love.”

(Your Name) lent into the touch, rubbing her cheek against Paul's gloved hand, “I know you will be.” She whispered, a soft smile on her face.

Paul returned the small smile and leant forward and kissed the girl, their lips moving in perfect sync. Paul kissed her harder and deeper, making the girl whimper against his lips, gripping at his waist.

He pulled back from (Your Name)’s lips, both of them panting. He captured her bottom lip between his teeth gently, playing with it a bit before letting it go. He nudged his nose against hers before walking over to where Jamis waited.

(Your Name) walked over to Jessica. The older woman wrapped her arms around the girl, comforting her while she watched the love of her life fight.

“May thy knife chip and shatter.” Jamis spat, standing up from his kneeling position.

Paul just started, a serious expression on his face before he saluted using his blade.

They started fighting and Paul was deflecting hits well, getting hits on Jamis as well who returned the hits. Thought, at one point, Paul got close and aimed the at Jamis’ throat,

“Do you yield?!”

Paul's aggressive yell made the Fremen speak amongst themselves. (Your Name) held onto Jessica tighter, inhaling and exhaling softly in worry.

“The boy does not know our rules. There is no yielding under the Amtal rules. Only death is the test of it.”

Stilgar's words made (Your Name)’s eyes widened in fear as she turned her attention back onto the fight, worry gnawing away at her.

Jamis moved out of Paul's grip, and they started fighting again. Paul kept landing hits and dodging attacks, not aiming to kill. This made Jamis impatient and angrier.

“Is he toying with him?” Stilgar asked the women.

“No.” (Your Name) replied softly, “Paul has never killed a man.”

Jamis had shoved Paul onto the ground hard, yelling; provoking Paul.

Paul stood up, his curly hair covering his face slightly, staring at Jamis with a determined look.

(Your Name) was now more worried about the other male than her boyfriend.

Then, Paul attacked. He ran forward past Jamis, dodging an attack, and stabbed Jamis in the side, ending the fight. He had become the man he was supposed to be, even if he didn't want to.

(Your Name) let out a shaky exhale as Jamis’ body fell to the ground. All the Fremen stood up, moving down to take their defeated friend.

Paul walked away slowly. The Fremen patted his shoulders on the way as he made his way over to where his girlfriend was, his hair covering his face and his head down.

(Your Name) left Jessica's arms as she jogged over to Paul. They met on the side of the fighting area. They made eye contact and (Your Name) saw; just by looking into Paul's eyes, that the old Paul was gone.

Paul's face held so much sorrow and dread. It made (Your Name)’s heart clench. She saw tears well up in his eyes and she didn't even hesitate to hug him tightly.

The curly haired boy hugged back just as tightly, wrapping his arms around her waist.

(Your Name) pulled away to look at Paul's face. She wiped the blood under his nose with her thumb. Paul's lips quivered terribly at her gentle touch.

The blue-eyed girl cupped his face in her hands, thumbs caressing his cheeks. “It's okay,” She cooed, “You're okay.”

Paul just stared at his girl, looking into her soft sapphire blue eyes, watching her lean closer to him. She gently placed her lips against his. Their lips immediately started moving eagerly yet softly against each other's.

(Your Name) could feel Paul's lips trembling against hers, so she slowed the kiss down. Paul rubbed his thumbs against the sides of the girl's stomach, making her breathe out a soft whistle from her nose, sounding like a breathy giggle.

The reaction was all that Paul needed to feel better as they pulled away from the kiss, but not entirely; their lips were now just caressing each other's.

“You did what you had to Paul…” She whispered, brushing her nose against his.

Paul closed his eyes, letting out a faint whimper and pressed his forehead against (Your Name)’s. “I love you so much…” He breathed out, his voice shaky.

“I love you too..” She whispered back, nuzzling her nose against his again, which he graciously returned.

“You're one of us now. A life for a life.” Stilgar's voice broke the couple apart, “Come with us to Sietch Tabr.” He looked between the couple.

“No,” Jessica interjected, “They need to get off world. You must have ways. You have smugglers, you have ships.”

“No,” Paul stopped his mother, “The Emperor sent us to this place. And my father came… not for spice, not for the riches, but for the strength of your people.” Paul glanced down to the love of his life, seeing her smile at him, nodding her head; “Our road leads into the desert. I can see it. If you'll have us, we will come.”

〰️

The Fremen led (Your Name), Paul and Jessica into the desert, as they walked on the sand. The sun was now high and the sky a soft blue.

(Your Name) stopped, admiring the scenery. She looked closer and saw someone, more like a Fremen, riding a worm through the sand.

“Desert power.” She whispered in awe, smiling widely at the sight. She thought about out if she could do something like that, or something greater.

Chani heard her turning around to smile at (Your Name), “This is only the beginning.”

The blue-eyed girl smiled to herself, watching Chani walk off. Then, she felt a hand on her jawline. She turned and saw Paul.

With her attention on him now, Paul kissed her passionately. The girl hummed against his lips, placing her hands on the sides of his neck.

The couple pull away, both for then smiling softly before they rub their noses against each other's.

They looked into each other's eyes as the sun shined down brightly on them.

Their journey was only beginning.

Taglist

@musicalmystery

@aoi-targaryen

#dune #dune movie #dune part one #dune part 1 #kingdom hearts #kingdom hearts crossover #paul atreides #paul atreides x reader #paul atredies x reader #paul atreides x you #timothée chalamet #timothee chalamet x reader #timothee fanfic #fanfic #fanfiction #dune fanfiction #x reader #x female reader #x fem!reader #x female y/n

[lillie98]

How to Save the World—Stranger Things 5

I’ve had some time to sleep on the episode titles and think about them, read theories, etc. and I now believe they might be real.

Hear me out: Stranger Things is all about cycles, parallels, tropes happening over and over again. The Duffers love taking a moment and repeating it in slightly different ways to prove a point. The story started with “The Vanishing of Will Byers” because we needed to place a small, innocent child in the center of our story, something to bring our character together and drive them to action. Well, that child is no longer in danger and our team is ripping apart at the seams. It’s almost like we need something similar to reunite everyone and drive them to action again.

Remember: The Duffers love parallels. Will’s disappearance brought his deeply fractured family together, uniting them for a common cause. It also brought Nancy and Jon together when their families needed them most. Now, the Byers are a united front, ready to tackle any monster that comes their way. They are the glorification of the avant-gard family. Now which family is struggling? The Wheelers. The perfect, All-America Nuclear Family: Mom, Dad, 3 kids, and a picket fence. They look perfect to the outside world, but behind closed doors, they are deeply struggling. They don’t communicate, the parents have idea what’s happening in their children’s lives, and if they’re not careful, if they don’t come together and form a united front—they’re going to lose everything, potentially causing the end of the world. (Why? I haven’t gotten that far yet!)

Now, how do we inspire them to action? Maybe by taking the child who was born to save their crumbling marriage—the one has seen everything but, up until this point, been too young to contribute. Now, she’ll be the same age Will was when he disappeared and Mike and Will are the same age as Jon and Nancy. The Duffers are trying to illustrate the idea of “The Next Generation.” This evil, this Upside Down dimension is NEVER going to stop until someone from the Wheeler and Byers families breaks the cycle. Children will continue to vanish, the world will continue to crumble, until someone steps up and says ENOUGH. The Wheelers and Byers (parents and children) must step up and face their pasts in order to move forward.

The “Stranger Things” are not only LGBTQ+ matters, they are the skeletons we hide in the closet that literally eat us alive. They are the dark, festering parts of ourselves we don’t let anyone else see. The invisible cancers that slowly and silently kill us. Until we face them head on, until we bring them to the light, they will NEVER die. Stranger Things is about owning your past, facing your fears, and finding the light again.

So yes, Stranger Things will end with Will Byers making it home from Mike Wheeler’s house on November 6, 1983, but not in a time traveling way, in a finally letting go of that scared, pained little boy who thought the world was better off without him. It’s Mike accepting his sexuality and place in his family. His role as a leader. It’s Joyce accepting love from Hopper, who must accept that he is not actually cursed, but that sometimes, bad things happen to good people, even when they think they’re doing the right thing (Vietnam). it’s Karen and Ted falling in love again and fighting to save their family. It’s Eleven discovering that love, not anger, should fuel her powers. It’s mourning your stolen childhood while stepping into the version of yourself that child never got to be. It’s stopping the cycle and creating a better world for the Will Byers and Mike Wheelers and Jane Hoppers of tomorrow. THAT’S how you become a Hero.

#stranger things #will byers #mike wheeler #byler #byler endgame #stranger things analysis #stranger things headcanons #byler is requited #stranger things 5 #eleven #jane hopper #holly wheeler #nancy wheeler #jonathan byers #vecna stranger things #break the cycle #trauma #joyce byers #jim hopper #karen wheeler #ted wheeler #mental health

[multifandombullshitbabes]

21

24

27

And

30

LET'S FUCKING GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

thank you so much, I shall answer these prompts NEOW

21: Fics you wish you could find more of?

Oooohhh more fics involving Gwen, that's for sure. When she's written right she's one of the strongest, most relatable characters imo, 'cause all she wants is for the world to be right and just and kind and everything wants to prove her wrong, but she won't back down from her views. I would also adore more Elyan, just in general. And complete rewrites of the show 'cause the one I'm reading right now is so good I might do one as well. Also modern au's where they're all like secret badass spies or smth, 'cause those are so fucking cool (i am accepting fic recs for ALL of this, please feed me y'all)

24: Everyone knows that fandom doesn’t like uther but what are your feelings about gaius?

I think 1) we need more concrete info about how he was when he was younger, but 2) i think he is severely complicated and wanted what was best of merlin and morgana, but failed the two while also giving them a ton of love. With morgana, he just didnt want her to pursue her power lest she become uther's next victim, cuz gaius cares for the pendragon siblings like his own. With merlin, he was just trying his best with his overpowered nephew, who alos has a destiny regarding his people's genocide's son, and he just doesn't know what to do half the time, kinda like merlin. I didnt like how he lied to merlin n morgana, how he gaslit her and how he made merlin hide and become so anxious abt his magic (and we see what that looks like season 5), but i get it. I really get it. I dont know what i wouldve done if one wrong move could mean the death of two kids he considers his own. I bet he was scared all the time and hated himself for it.

27: Modern Merlin headcanons, if any?

OH BOY. OHHHH BOY. So many. It really depends on what au i have for modern merlin, but I'll give you a few generals:

he's a teacher of sorts; i like the idea that he's kinda collecting magical anomalies and teaching them how to understand their powers and being, since he knows what its like to be afraid of urself, so he's a personal magic teacher. I also rly like my magic elementary school au, since its merlin teaching magic to a bunch of kids, which is adorable

he has officially one cat, a black one called Midnight, that accidentally became immortal along the way and now hes severally attached. I say officially since hes also friends with any other animal that he might come across and they recognise him if he passes them again. disney princess fr

he's figured out his gender and he can turn into a woman if he wants; she looks exactly like merlin, same height, same weight n muscles, the hair is longer cuz merlin likes it that way and her voice is deep and gorgeous

his favourite weapon is a staff or any long distance fighting weapon of the sort; also he looks cool as fuck fighting with it, but thats just a bonus

I'll stop here but i have SO MANY MORE

30: Side character death that makes you the maddest?

Elyan. There was, quite literally, no need for it. I was gonna say Lancelot, since we did not get enough of him, but his death made sense for his character. Elyan? What the fuck was that? It was just for pain and nothing else. What did it add to the story if not just a sad funeral scene and thats it? It just felt like they wanted him gone n found a way, and that pisses me off. I feel like him saving gwen and living would've given such a complex situation when she turns evil, 'cause what if she "confides" more n more in her brother, creating a rift between arthur n elyan, which then creates a rift between arthur n the knights, which would just isolate him further n make him suffer, which is what morgana wanted!! we couldve had protective brother elyan! I think i just wanted more knights in general.

Thank you so much for this ask, I yapped a fuck ton but it was funn

#merlin #bbc merlin #come get yall headcanons #hey look i posted a thing #merlin prompts #this was so fun

[onceuponapuffin]

Fanatic Intervention Part 6!!

Not much to say here this time. I'm glad you all are enjoying this. I'm having a blast! :D

Beginning || Previous || Next

*****************

After a while you speak.

“Well,” You say, “I can tell you what we’re not doing. We are not going to see Mr. Gaiman. Honestly, Crowley, the man is a genius, but he is also a troll. He doesn’t give away plot – if anything he gives the most chaotic response he can think of, and then tells you to wait and see. SO, that wouldn’t help us at all.”

Muriel is the next to speak.

“Um, also I don’t think those other angels are on earth?”

“Would we know if they were?” You say, looking to Aziraphale. The principality shrugs.

“To be honest, I really don’t know. It was such a long time ago.”

“Okay,” You say, “So we call up Anathema, and we go to America to look for Jesus. I mean...the things that Neil and Terry plotted out did happen, even if they weren’t all identical to the book. So it’s probably safe to assume that the pattern will continue.”

“Right,” Aziraphale says, reaching for his rotary phone, “I’ll call Miss Device.”

“Hold on,” Crowley says, “Who’s this we who’s going to America?”

“You, Aziraphale, Anathema, Me,” You say, “Muriel needs to stay here and look after the bookshop. Maybe Newt could --”

“And what makes you think you’re coming?” The demon presses.

“The fact that I dropped in from another reality, know everything that has happened so far, and is the only one with half an idea of what’s going to happen next. Also Anathema is going to need help wrangling the two of you.”

“Whassat supposed to mean?”

“You’re a pair of Disaster Puppies.”

Crowley opens his mouth again, offended.

“Trouble does seem to find us an awful lot,” Aziraphale says. Clearly he’s decided to give you the benefit of the doubt. You make a mental note that he is not upset with being called a Disaster Puppy for some reason. Priorities maybe?? You let it go.

“Great,” You say, “So it’s settled.”

------------

All things considered, it doesn’t take very long for Anathema and Newt to arrive. Apparently they happened to be visiting London. What are the chances of that? It’s almost like this is a work of fiction that I am writing and so I can make things surprisingly convenient if I want to. Now, let’s continue.

It takes longer to answer Newt’s questions than it does to fill Anathema in on the situation. You’re grateful for her sharp mind and willingness to accept things that are...well...difficult to just accept. Probably comes with being a witch/occultist. Once they both know the full story, and Newt’s curiosities are satisfied, Anathema nods.

“Okay,” she says, “Right. So we need to save the world again, and we’re hinging all of our bets on finding Jesus and successfully convincing him to help us? Seems...like a long shot. Like, a really long shot.”

“These two have managed to succeed with implausible plans before,” You point out. Anathema hums. She doesn’t seem convinced.

“I mean, it’s not that I mind helping you. Jesus probably has the kind of aura that I could find and track without too much trouble. I would just...really have appreciated that if you were going to interrupt our getaway that you would at least have a backup plan. Or, maybe some intel that’s actually intelligence instead of guesses. Like if Aziraphale had actually been in Heaven as the Supreme Archangel, he could have been feeding us information and instructions. And then we would know for sure where to go and what to do.”

Oh. A rock sinks to your stomach. And you suppose that after making them ward the bookshop like that then...needing to leave it...you just might have accidentally put a target on your backs. Whoops. Turns out saving the world one step at a time is really, really hard.

“That would have been way too dangerous though!” You say, desperate for your own defense, “I’m not putting these two in anymore danger than absolutely necessary. I….” You look over at your beloved angel and demon, then turn back to Anathema. “I need them to be okay,” You admit quietly. That’s what it’s all about for us, isn’t it? All the theories, all of the South Down Cottage manifesting. The fanart, the fanfiction, the edits and animatics. We love them and while we understand that they need to go through angsty things to grow, in the end we need them to be okay.

Well, most of us anyway. I can’t speak for everyone.

You feel a hand on your shoulder. Aziraphale is there once again.

“And we will be,” he says softly. You hear Anathema sigh.

“Right,” she says, “okay, so we head to America. I need to go home first and get my supplies. Newt will stay here with Muriel and help them hold the fort.”

“Um...this is a bookshop?” Muriel adds uncertainly.

“I bet,” Newt says slowly, “That if I help a few people around here with their computers, I might make enough mischief to convince Heaven that there’s still a demon around here. Then that looks almost like you’re still here, right? Might buy you some time at least.”

“It’s worth a shot,” Anathema says. Muriel practically glows.

“Oh! I get to live with an actual human! You can teach me human things!”

“Oh, uh yeah,” Newt says, “I don’t see why not. It’ll be fun.”

Anathema agrees to return with Newt in two days. She expects you lot to sort out the plane tickets “Because,” she says, “I am not having you fly me over, or poof me over, or whatever it is that you do.”

“I am a demon! I do not poof!”

“I don’t care. I want plane tickets.”

“Ooh!” You say, raising your arm in the air with a jump. “Can they be first class? I’ve never flown first class before!”

Crowley groans. Aziraphale sighs.

“We are not genies,” Aziraphale says, “Or banking machines.”

“No, but you do have unlimited resources so in a way,” You say, pausing for dramatic effect, a mischievous smile spreading from ear to ear, “You are like Santa Claus!”

You make a fast exit from the room before Aziraphale can say anything. Crowley is laughing and you hear what you think is a chair falling over.

❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ 🖤

#good omens #crowley #aziraphale #ineffable husbands #aziracrow #good omens 2 #good omens fandom #aziraphale x crowley #good omens fanart #we can call this art right? #aziracrow lasts forever #ineffable fandom #let's write #fanfiction #good omens fanfiction #good omens fanfic #poll fic #choose your own adventure #fanatic intervention #part 6 #making myself laugh tbh #anathema #newt #muriel #metatron #good omens 3 #good omens season 3 #neil gaiman #ineffable idiots #crowley is disaster coded

[starrysharks]

i usually just post about reassassination and ultimate excalibur alongside less developed stories/universes but brother i have a LOT of stuff that i either hardly talk about or never talk about at all publicly ,,, mostly because they don't have any character designs done yet 💀

#like let me dump a few of the ideas that will probably never actually become real here: #1. story about two vampire hunter girls and one goes missing and the other has to go find her and fights various vampires along the way #(i actually did finish a few designs for this but scrapped it and now a lot of the plot aspects are in reassassination #such as a coven of 7 vampires based on the deadly sins - now the 7 assassins of the clear crucifix organisation in RAA) #2. darkstalkers-ish fighting game that i was really convinced i could make once i learned how to code - #- where the guardians of love and heartbreak fight to prove which love is real #there were multiple characters planned - puppy love which was like a cute girl with a big ass scary fuckin hellhound #sweetheart love who was a chocolate themed magical girl (her gimmick being that she could transform and her fighting style would change) #fake love who was like a scam love doctor old lady called dr.diva #pure lust who was a super tall vampire guy etc etc the list goes on #i kinda want to go through with that one. one problem! i cannot code fighting games #and the one that was pretty well developed - metallic miracle which had a pretty complicated story #basically the world is being attacked by alien creatures that can only be killed by children (never decided why tho) #so the fucked up government takes a bunch of 5-8 year olds and put them into comas and then turns them into cyborgs #to go on suicide missions to kill these aliens. mira's mother is the scientist who created the technology that can send them into comas #and keep their bodies moving n shit and she takes mira onto a different planet to try and save her but theyre found after a while #mira's mother is killed and mira is drafted in the kids v aliens war BUT she is immune to the coma technology #she fights fully aware of what is going on for around a year? and eventually the aliens are driven out and mira is super traumatised #and is one of the only survivors of this 'greater good project' - so they put her in a coma that actually works this time #and send her in a space capsule for years to give her some peace (didnt develop why shes in the space capsule) #anyway 50 years later mira is woken up and taken back to her home planet to help these other guys against smaller-scale threats #and the whole thing is about mira recovering from what happened to her learning to trust others and stuff #looking back the story is kinda edgy n doesnt really make sense and stuff but i think it could be interesting idk #is this oc rambling if its only in the tags? #whatever #oc rambling

[noonrise]

Another mainstream Fallout game without mulchable human enemies. Instead, there is a tight intercommunity on a much smaller map, where the player begins in long stretches of isolation. The first NPCs the player see is through the scope of their trusty rifle, with names like Bandit and Raider. It's a Fallout game.

Do you take the shot?

#it's just that like on a meta level the newer games kind of condition you to kill whatever you come across #with no special emphasis on any kind of life. and it definitely rewards you for doing this #raiders without names. it's become mindless fodder for the player #and that's all good and well. it's a video game and the player isn't mindless at all and neither is the combat #personally i don't want to kill people and see them explode. but i understand this is part of some huge appeal #what i want is just like. a little nuance to these things. named enemies and less radiant quests and fewer things to do with more impact #it's just interesting because by the game's own rules these NPCs above should be shot on sight (this is mostly about Fallout 4) #and I'd like a game where no life should be taken automatically. where everyone has something to say or something to lose. a story that is- #being told whether we the player are in on it or regardless of if we ever even know (or if we care to pay attention) #the distinct horror where you've killed someone without considering their life. i don't want to trick the player. these NPCs won't be- #dressed in raider gear. it's just an interesting option that comes up. it's been 20 minutes. these are the first people you see. #what do you do? #and now using mutants or ghouls as a backup enemy option is just for fools. they should be treated with the same respect. you know? #it's just that this is a game about post apocalyptica. haven't we lost enough? #when do we stop burning down our world and start fixing it? #maybe it doesn't have to be mainstream. maybe it's the equivalent of a Working f4 settlement builder and we can romp around saving people. #hunting things. #the franchise business #fallout

[elfindreams]

I’ve been dipping my toes into larp which is very great but also like. Especially with oneshots, what are you supposed to do when you’re still attached to a character but the story has ended and the made-up world they inhabited and the other characters who they’d interacted with no longer exist, so they’ve just Ceased To Be, where are those feelins supposed to gooooo

#admittedly the LARP today was uhhh. weirdly not well-written on several levels and I’d be iffy about playing other games by the same author #and the basic story premise was pretty dark in the first place #but we worked with it #and BOY OH BOY things went places #like the characters were all in a dungeon awaiting their execution in a few hours #for having been servants to an evil sorcerer even though some of them weren’t even working for him by choice #lots of arguing going on + debate over someone possibly snitching on the sorcerer’s apprentice to the guards in exchange for freedom #and/or how the loyal ones might help the apprentice character escape #my guy was in total despair for quite a lot of reasons but then formed a very sweet but brief and doomed bond with another prisoner #when she got the chance to escape alone he did what he could to help and spent their last few moments coaching her #on how to hide her identity and survive and find somewhere to live in the outside world #then he tried to save himself plus another character who was just a kid and didn’t deserve to be there but both couldn’t go #so he saved the kid (or at least did what he could bc there was no way of knowing if they actually got out) #and paid DEARLY for it but was totally at peace while lying on the dungeon floor as a bloody pulp because at least he’d done something good #his last IC words were something like ‘’I did what I could. I did as much as I could. I’m ready to meet god now’’. #also bc of magical fuckery as explicitly described in the rulebook it’s totally unknown where his friend ended up or whether she lived #we decided that she probably maybe hopefully survived though ;—;

[mariesoliver]

Jail time for all y'all that hyped up fourth wing like it was a gift from heaven

#it was meh at BEST #the world building is boring and uncreative. the character 2 dimensional. all telling no showing. unimaginative writing #it's both so silly and so serious at the same time that i can't take the plot seriously. ppl die gruesomely all the time yet the mc is like #omg thus older dude looks hot af right now #also just the same tropes over and over. it's absolutely fine to use tropes every story does and they're well-loved for a reason. #but this one felt sooooo tropey. those moments didn't hit all. no emotional impact. it felt like the book was following a template too #closely or smth #it's saving grace is that it's a very fast-paced read. and it's like entertaining enough that you read through it easily #did not care for the characters at aaaallllll. especially the side characters felt so BLAND #and the mc being the most fragile person in the book but everything works out in her favor somehow and she becomes the strongest rider like #PLEASE this is so unoriginal 😭 why does she need to excel at what the norm is why can't she be good in what she actually cares ab and wants #mc also criminally uninteresting yet people are obsessed with her #if you read ya fantasy romance before this one just feels like a regurgitation of things you read before

[nymphaerie]

GOD LOUISE REGAILIA MAKES ME SO FUCKING INSANE EVERY TIME I THINK ABOUT HER I FEEL LIKE IM GOING TO EXPLODE INTO A MILLION LITTLE PIECES. ITS JJUST LIKE. girls when they havce to kill their former selves in order to survive. girls when the self they take up in turn is constantly destroyed and remade in order to never be attached to one life. girls when the only way they know how to save themself is to lock themself away. girls when they’ve forsaken their home and in turn been forsaken by it. girls when theyre both the abandoner and the abandoned. girls when they think theyre the most sane completely normal one hundred percent hinged person in the world. girls when they already know they didn’t deserve what they went through but can’t imagine a world in which they can heal from it. girls when they won’t let themselves heal because they don’t know who they are without their hurt. because they killed that girl. and theyll keep killing her forever and ever and ever and pretend thats the same as healing her.

#decided to post this drubnkenly adter reblogging that one post . anyway all my tags after this are from whenebvr this draft was first saved #which were all written as though no on ewas actually going to see this. but oyu are all now going to see this. so. deal i guess lmao #me when i post about my ocs as if theyre well known characters even though ive literally never talked to anyone about them #anyway. *hits you with a beam that makes you love louise even though you don't know who she is* #oc tag #n talks #god knows im never going to make qtts into something finished and tangible because i just. man. #its been in my brain for sooooo long and changed sooooo much that i kind of can't even imagine it being like. Real. #im not even sure what a 'finished' version of this story would look like in my ideal world you know. #it was originally conceived as a comic but. mmh. i dont know. #i feel like its so close to my heart and so malleable and intangible that its going to just stay something cobbled together #in pieces of character sheets and random illustrations and worldbuilding notes and unorganized rambling #just. like. forever. #and maybe that's fine! i have other projects that i Can imagine as 'finished' pieces #like nightsparks and ghost puzzles which were conceived as games so have very specific goals #even wolfepress feels more tangible to me because even though it was also conceived as a comic it was done so with a pretty distinct goal #but qtts has always been. like. Big. #which makes it different than any of those but also different from. like. parfait partea which were pretty much Meant to just be #fun characters who wouldn't ever be part of a ~project~ #like qtts IS something. but i can't conceptualize what that something IS. #im being dramatic it would jsut be like a comic or a show or something but like in terms of my wmotional connection to working on it #i can't imagine it as something static i guess. #like all those other things i can imagine being. whole. as something a Finish and Publish. and that would be how theyre seen and understood #but with qtts its so. grrrrrrrrr i just can't imagine it being One Singular Thing because its always changing so much . #ok wow this started as gushing abt one character and ended up being a vent about my inability to finish things LMFAO anyway. yeag #LONG POST #sorry i have things. to say

[cryptotheism]

Tell us about the wellness to fash pipeline tho

Here's a recent piece from the guardian on wellness communities and Qanon, so don't take my word for it.

"Wellness" is not just alternative medicine, it is essentially a theory of the body which posits if something makes you feel better, you are better in some meaningful way. I would argue it one of the most commonly held nonreligious magical beliefs in the modern world.

Wellness as a concept has its genesis in the 1950s with "workplace wellness" programs, a sort of budget alternative to offering employee healthcare benefits. This was an era soaked in itinerant business preachers offering classes on things like "hypnosis at a management level" and "yoga to improve leadership abilities". I am exaggerating for effect, but not by much.

The capitalist medical system regularly abandons people. We've all heard stories of profit driven pharmaceudical companies holding the ill hostage for extreme markup on life-saving medicines. People have real, legitimate, reasons to mistrust medical professionals.

Let's say you have chronic pain, and everything your doctor offers you is either ineffective, expensive, or addictive. You are desperate for literally any release, so you start looking into other solutions. You will find an OCEAN of snake-oil salesmen willing to sell you "the secrets doctors don't want you to know."

What is frustrating, is that pain is actually partially psychological. Some wellness techniques may have an actual, medical, benefit on some patients. The worst thing a conspiracy theorist can have is a point. So now you actually do kinda feel better, and you have a sense of loyalty to the grifter selling you 300$ Sumerian Cock Oil Pills. These people are the core of the wellness industry. They are the examples that everyone else points to and says "Well it worked for them!"

Reactionary thought blooms in environments like this. If the medical industry can't be trusted, what else can't be trusted? At any given time, you are two clicks away from "vaccines cause autism." Three clicks away from "Cavemen were 15 feet tall because they only ate meat." And four clicks away from "The medical industry is controlled by The Jews to drain our wallets and keep us sick." Echoes of Nazi attitudes towards German-Jewish doctors are a common backbeat.

Wellness itself is relatively harmless, (compared to the things it is adjacent to) but it acts as a sort of idealogical airport that exposes the curious to a deluge of potentially radicalizing communities. The longer you spend in communities like this, the higher the chance you'll come across something that meshes perfectly with your own biases.

If y'all wanna learn more about wellness and pseudomedicine grifters, I highly recommend the podcast Maintenance Phase.

#antisemitism #conspiracy #pseudomedicine

[inhonoredglory]

Aziraphale’s Choice, the Job Connection, and Michael Sheen’s Morality

Update: Michael Sheen liked this post on Twitter, so I'm fairly certain there is a lot of validity to it.

I’ve had time to process Aziraphale’s choice at the end of Season 2. And I think only blaming the religious trauma misses something important in Aziraphale’s character. I think what happened was also Aziraphale’s own conscious choice––as a growth from his trauma, in fact. Hear me out.

Since November 2022 I’ve been haunted by something Michael Sheen said at the MCM London Comic Con. At the Q&A, someone asked him about which fantasy creature he enjoyed playing most and Michael (bless him, truly) veered on a tangent about angels and goodness and how, specifically,

We as a society tend to sort of undervalue goodness. It’s sort of seen as sort of somehow weak and a bit nimby and “oh it’s nice.” And I think to be good takes enormous reserves of courage and stamina. I mean, you have to look the dark in the face to be truly good and to be truly of the light…. The idea that goodness is somehow lesser and less interesting and not as kind of muscular and as passionate and as fierce as evil somehow and darkness, I think is nonsense. The idea of being able to portray an angel, a being of love. I love seeing the things people have put online about angels being ferocious creatures, and I love that. I think that’s a really good representation of what goodness can be, what it should be, I suppose.

I was looking forward to BAMF!Aziraphale all season long, and I think that’s what we got in the end. Remember Neil said that the Job minisode was important for Aziraphale’s story. Remember how Aziraphale sat on that rock and reconciled to himself that he MUST go to Hell, because he lied and thwarted the will of God. He believed that––truly, honestly, with the faith of a child, but the bravery of a soldier.

Aziraphale, a being of love with more goodness than all of Heaven combined, believed he needed to walk through the Gates of Hell because it was the Right Thing to do. (Like Job, he didn’t understand his sin but believed he needed to sacrifice his happiness to do the Right Thing.)

That’s why we saw Aziraphale as a soldier this season: the bookshop battle, the halo. But yes, the ending as well.

Because Aziraphale never wanted to go to Heaven, and he never wanted to go there without Crowley.

But it was Crowley who taught him that he could, even SHOULD, act when his moral heart told him something was wrong. While Crowley was willing to run away and let the world burn, it was Aziraphale (in that bandstand at the end of the world) who stood his ground and said No. We can make a difference. We can save everyone.

And Aziraphale knew he could not give up the ace up his sleeve (his position as an angel) to talk to God and make them see the truth in his heart.

I was messed up by Ineffable Bureaucracy (Boxfly) getting their happy ending when our Ineffable Husbands didn’t, but I see now that them running away served to prove something to Aziraphale. (And I am fully convinced that Gabriel and Beelzebub saw the example of the Ineffables at the Not-pocalypse and took inspiration from them for choosing to ditch their respective sides)

But my point is that Aziraphale saw them, and in some ways, they looked like him and Crowley. And he saw how Gabriel, the biggest bully in Heaven, was also like him in a way (a being capable of love) and also just a child when he wasn’t influenced by the poison of Heaven. Muriel, too, wasn’t a bad person. The Metatron also seemed to have grown more flexible with his morality (from Aziraphale's perspective). Like Earth, Heaven was shades of (light?) gray.

Aziraphale is too good an angel not to believe in hope. Or forgiveness (something he’s very good at it).

Aziraphale has been scarred by Heaven all his life. But with the cracks in Heaven’s armor (cracks he and Crowley helped create), Aziraphale is seeing something else. A chance to change them. They did terrible things to him, but he is better than them, and because of Crowley, he feels ready to face them.

(Will it work? Can Heaven change, institutionally? Probably not, but I can't blame Aziraphale for trying.)

At the cafe, the Metatron said something big was coming in the Great Plan. Aziraphale knows how trapped he had felt when he didn’t have God’s ear the first time something huge happened in the Big Plan. He can’t take a chance again to risk the world by not having a foot in the door of Heaven. That’s why we saw individual human deaths (or the threat of death) so much more this season: Elspeth, Wee Morag, Job’s children, the 1940s magician. Aziraphale almost killed a child when he couldn’t get through to God, and he’s not going through that again.

“We could make a difference.” We could save everyone.

Remember what Michael Sheen said about courage and doing good––and having to “look the dark in the face to be truly good.” That’s what happened when Aziraphale was willing to go to Hell for his actions. That’s what happened when he decided he had to go to Heaven, where he had been abused and belittled and made to feel small. He decided to willingly go into the Lion’s Den, to face his abusers and his anxiety, to make them better so that they would not try to destroy the world again.

Him, just one angel. He needed Crowley to be there with him, to help him be brave, to ask the questions that Heaven needed to hear, to tell them God was wrong. Crowley is the inspiration that drives Aziraphale’s change, Crowley is the engine that fuels Aziraphale’s courage.

But then Crowley tells him that going to Heaven is stupid. That they don’t need Heaven. And he’s right. Aziraphale knows he’s right.

Aziraphale doesn’t need Heaven; Heaven needs him. They just don’t know how much they need him, or how much humanity needs him there, too. (If everyone who ran for office was corrupt, how can the system change?)

Terry Pratchett (in the Discworld book, Small Gods) is scathing of God, organized religion, and the corrupt people religion empowers, but he is sympathetic to the individual who has real, pure faith and a good heart. In fact, the everyman protagonist of Small Gods is a better person than the god he serves, and in the end, he ends up changing the church to be better, more open-minded, and more humanist than god could ever do alone.

Aziraphale is willing to go to the darkest places to do the Right Thing, and Heaven is no exception. When Crowley says that Heaven is toxic, that’s exactly why Aziraphale knows he needs to go there. “You’re exactly is different from my exactly.”

____

In the aftermath of Trump's election in the US, Brexit happened in 2018. Michael Sheen felt compelled to figure out what was going on in his country after this shock. But he was living in Los Angeles with Sarah Silverman at the time, and she also wanted to become more politically active in the US.

Sheen: “I felt a responsibility to do something, but it [meant] coming back [to Britain] – which was difficult for us, because we were very important to each other. But we both acknowledge that each of us had to do what we needed to do.” In the end, they split up and Michael moved back to the UK.

Sometimes doing the Right Thing means sacrificing your own happiness. Sometimes it means going to Hell. Sometimes it means going to Heaven. Sometimes it means losing a relationship.

And that’s why what happened in the end was so difficult for Aziraphale. Because he loves Crowley desperately. He wants to be together. He wanted that kiss for thousands of years. He knows that taking command of Heaven means they would never again have to bow to the demands of a God they couldn’t understand, or run from a Hell who still came after them. They could change the rules of the game.

And he’s still going to do that. But it hurts him that he has to do that alone.

#good omens #good omens 2 #ineffable husbands #it's kinda like capt america: civil war #with Azi as Tony Stark: traumatized and trying to do the right thing #and Crowley being Steve Rogers: fuck the establishment let's go rogue #gos2spoilers #good omens meta #good omens 2 meta #go s2 #michael sheen #go s2 meta #go meta #*mine #*mymeta #ineffables husbands #ineffable soulmates #*mybest

[tariah23]

They’ve been tearing yuuji apart on twitter for the last 2 days now

#he’s a decent protagonist that’s my boy y’all just don’t understand #I can go on but what can you expect from dudebro anime fans I swear to god most of them only care about who can punch the hardest and this #and that and that’s it man #apparently ppl don’t like the narrative that gege chose to run with as far as having the adults take center stage in the story in favor of #not having to burden the child protagonist’s with the duty of saving the world and being hero’s (they already are part of the game so it’s a #little late for this now but you get what I’m saying) and ppl are talking about how yuuji sucks and hasn’t done anything noteworthy after #the shibuya arc 🫣… they don’t get how rare and risky it is as a narrative choice to have the MC act as a backseat driver to their own story- #nothing wrong with it and it’s even cooler when they’re a blank slate character like yuuji (similar to fsn shirou actually if you get me) #well he starts off as one and is still one since never learned much more about him as a character other than the things on the surface and #through other characters and I don’t think it’s really a form of bad writing when a character is written for that purpose #it’s risky but it’s not impossible #yuuji is a really enjoyable mc actually and I get the slander but most of these ppl are just being annoying about it lol #like okay #my current issue is the doo doo level pacing of the manga as of late… at this rate we will never get anymore development for #characters like yuuji if gege continues to speed run his own story into the ground like he doesn’t care about it anymore #like it’s so bad bro omg #the pacing went to hell directly after shibuya man that’s when the story never had any misses lol #oh well #but anyway #I’m a yuuji celebrator I am rooting for him 👍🏾 #rambling

[not-my-final-account]

I’VE FALLEN DOWN THE RABIT HOLE OF DANNY PHANTOM AND NOW I CAN’T ESCAPE

Once the Justice League was losing. It was the end of the world. No seriously, the world was an hour away from being blown to bits.

-

Constantine sighed and rubbed his face, he had just ran out of cigarettes and it was making him more jumpy than was truely necessary in any given situation. Him and most of the bigger heros in the Justice League sat in a cave and were forced to wait out the apocalypse, well, the hour left of it anyways.

Constantine sighed and looked up to what you could see of the sky from inside their cave, he was almost… afraid. Afraid of what was going to happen, afraid that it had come to this, afraid that the rumours were true or even worse than they seemed, Pariah Dark was not known for caring nor his mercy.

Honestly Constantine was going to consider it lucky if he died and got to rest in peace, even more lucky if the world actually got saved! This was a last ditch effort.

Constantine grabbed a piece of chalk from his pocket, it was worn from years of carrying it around. He settled it on the flattest piece of stone he could find and started drawing the circle he had memorised. “John what are you doing?” Wonder Woman asked, he ignored her and took a deep breathe

“Oh dark king of the ghosts.” he prayed, there were truely only a few necessary words but Constantine felt like he needed to add a message, so he kept speaking as he drew the intricate patterns of the circle “My world may be of no importance to you, but I am willing to make a deal to save it. Please accept my summon, please be merciful, please save earth, please K I N G O F T H E G H O S T S.” Constantine begged, Wonder Woman and most of the others sat up or got more defensive, it truely said something that Batman didn’t bother.

-

Danny Phantom sat playing DOOM with Sam and Tucker, cheering when we got to a higher level. Suddenly something tugged at his core and a voice whispered through his ears

…oh dark king of the ghosts. My world may be of no importance to you, but I am willing to make a deal to save it. Please accept my summon, please be merciful, please save earth, please…

“-anny? Danny?” Sam asked “Hello?” she said in a sing song voice

“Still with us Danny?” Tucker asked, Danny swallowed,

“I- I’ve got to go.” he said

-

Constantine sat on his knees in front of the circle and… nothing happened, Superman glanced at him and started to sit back down when suddenly the stone inside the circle fell away into a green spiral.

Superman gasped and jumped back up

“Don’t attack him, bow.” Constantine instructed, reluctantly Superman and everyone else did, except for Batman of course, what’d you expect? Him to change? Just because the world was ending?

A pale hand reached up from the circle and grabbed the edge; whoever was in the circle pulled themself up slowly and as they came closer to the mortal realm Superman got a sense of dread, of death, of… something else, of authority, and everyone in the room seemed to find themselves bowing lower. Superman couldn’t help but think, had Constantine double-doomed the world?

-

Constantine looked up as the figure hovered above the circle, he was the first to move from his bow. This… wasn’t what Constantine expected Pariah Dark to look like, he was still imposing but didn’t fit the ghost kings reputation.

He had a cape as dark as the shadows with glowing constellations and stories sown into the fabric. He had a crown that burned with green fire and floated above his head, his eyes glowed the same green as the crown and his hand had a single ring. He wore royal looking clothes, white boots and gloves with a black shirt and pants.

This was the ghost king “Pariah Dark, King of Ghosts. I am Constantine-”

“Pariah Dark? I dethroned him years ago! I’m Danny Phantom.” the ghost king introduced.

“I meant no disrespect your highness.” Constantine quickly said

“I don’t- never mind. You asked for me to save earth?” King Phantom asked, Constantine gulped

“Y-yes, we can’t win, please, I- I’ll do anything.” he begged,

“A favour.” King Phantom said

“What?” Constantine asked

“A favour, I’ll save your world for a favour from you and your friends.” King Phantom said.

A favour to a ghost king who was probably very evil, that is so stupid and such a horrible idea, who in their right mind would-

“Deal.” Constantine agreed.

There was a flash of bright light and King Phantom disappeared, after a few seconds of him being gone the sounds of a battle echoed through the cave.

“Constantine what did you just rope us into?” Batman asked. Constantine really, really needed a cigarette.

-

Years ago, the world was ending. In a last ditch effort Constantine summoned… something. Superman didn’t know much about the ghost king that had appeared, just that he was powerful, and that the better half of the Justice League owed him a favour. It had been on everyone’s minds for a few months after that deal, waiting for the day they would be called for something horrific and hoping it wouldn’t ruin them or their morals. But truthfully, after a few years everyone sorta forgot about it; it was the type of thing no one remembered unless the subject at hand related to it, and even then you were uneasy for a day and forgot all over again.

So when a scroll appeared in a flash of green light during a meeting one day, Superman would like to say that the freaking out was justified.

Batman (who seemed to adopt everyone he met in one way or another) shushed the group of panicking superhero’s and picked up the scroll “I am calling in your favour, when you finish reading this you will all be teleported to my aid. Signed, Phantom.” Batman read. Oh no.

In another flash of green light they appeared in a park with a few heros who hadn’t even been in the room. Everyone immediately put up their defences and raised various weapons, then they realised the park was empty. Superman looked around using X-ray vision, he had no clue what was going on in the seemingly peaceful that could make a ghost king ask for help, then he looked through a hill and saw a giant green dog running with two kids gripping it’s lead.

As the dog jumped on top of then off the hill and ran in front of them Superman could make out the words in their screams

“Sit boy, sit!” the Batman looking one called

“I’M TOO YOUNG TO DIE! NO OFFENCE DANNNYYYY!!!” the one with devices falling out of his bag and pockets yelled.

Everyone lowered their weapons and Flash relaxed and scoffed

“This is what that ghost guy called us in for? This is going to be a breeze!” Flash said happily

“Don’t judge a book by its cover Flash.” Constantine warned. Superman was about to agree with flash when the ghost king suddenly appeared in the air in front of us, dripping in something green which looked alarmingly like blood- oh god the ghost king was dying!? Re-dying?!

“Forget I said anything,” Flash raised his hands in the air and got ignored as we rushed over to the ghost king who had fallen out of the air and onto the ground.

Before anyone could do anything though another person appeared out of thin air and then floated down

“Join me Daniel! Together we could rule the world!” he asked, okay that was an evil guy if Superman had ever seen one, he even had the looks to go with it, you could mistake him as Dracula … was that Dracula?

Suddenly another guy who looked like the ghost king body slammed Dracula from the air

“I WILL RULE THE WORLD AND ME ALONE!” as he stood up Superman noticed he looked just like the ghost king only older and more evil looking. As if the mention of look-a-likes summoned her, a small girl who also looked just like the ghost king only younger and female body slammed evil twin number 1.

“Not on my watch you fruitloop!” she yelled. Suddenly a woman in a track suit with ridiculous looking googles and carrying an oversized gun jumped down

“Get away you evil ghosts!” she yelled and fired some energy weapon at the small group, they all scattered and the four of them fought when some girl on a hover board swooped in and pointed her hand at the ghost king

“Danny Phantom! You and all of ghost kind will pay!!” she yelled, something on her wrist started glowing when

“GET AWAY FROM DANNY!” a school girl yelled. Her orange hair swung around as she discus threw her books and bag right into the girls face. They also ran off into the distance to fight.

“What?” Flash asked,

“When he said.” Green Lantern agreed.

“The Dracula looking one is Vlad, he’s a bad guy, so is my evil self from an alternate timeline, we call him Dan, Dani is the small girl who looks like me, that’s because she’s my clone, she’s on the good side but she might steal your stuff just because she can so be careful,” he took a wheezy breath “My sister Jazz is the one who hurled her books into the air to protect me, she’s good. The girl in the red suit is Red Huntress, she’s good she just doesn’t understand -same with my parents, the couple in the jumpsuits, their ghost hunters.” the ghost king explained

“Wait, your parents are ghost hunters?” Flash asked

“Yeah?” the ghost king asked- oh I see.

“But you’re a ghost?” Flash said

“I’m technically a halfa actually, but trust me I know. It’s all ‘we’re going to tear apart the ghost boy molecule by molecule’ and never ‘is the ghost boy good or bad’.” the ghost king groaned, I reached out to help “I’ll be fine go fight or help!” he said

#notmyfinalaccount writes #danny phantom #dp x dc #dpxdc #dc x dp #dcxdp