#intro: persona hits so hard

[sepublic]

            We got ANOTHER promo y’all!!! It’s technically a trailer but it’s thankfully very brief, given the runtime it’s hyping up is only two episodes, compared to usual TOH trailers that are advertising at least nine episodes! This is an official release and NOT a leak!

         First off, Luz’s laptop!!! She’s doing this 11:09 pm at just 20%, she’s got references to Stardew Valley and Hollow Knight on her desktop, and I think that one Hades game? The one with Zagreus? Anyhow the Hollow Knight references are REAL, coupled with the S1 intro, makes you wonder if it influenced stuff like Hollow Mind…!

         Luz also has a Good Witch Azura fanfic file! And she’s recently made art since her return to the human world; You can’t see all of it, but it appears to the Owl House’s roof, in a parallel to how the intro usually ends with Luz, Eda, and King on the roof when she ignites a light spell and pushes it into the sky! Augghhhh she’s coping…! And her username is @FriendofOwlsandTitans… Oh my GAWD! She accepts King as a TITAN she’s a friend to TITANS!!! Original art do not steal, just like her GF!

         “All I ever wanted was to be good at something”… Good lord, if that doesn’t summize SO much about Luz. Her feelings of inadequacy. Her initial dreams of being a chosen one. Her desire to help others and be of service to them. Her need to JUSTIFY her own existence, to quote her girlfriend… That hit hard. Like I know but OW.

         She’s making video diaries again as we guessed, but this time to HERSELF; Girl needs a place to vent, good for her! She probably stayed up and snuck to the kitchen to let herself indulge in her dark feelings and thoughts alone. Did Luz make a video for Eda and King and eventually give up, being forced to confront herself inward without any distractions? She says she knows what she has to do now, is… Is Luz about to do something rash? Something involving Belos? Babey don’t hurt yourself, or maybe she just means the general principle of making thing right!

         Then skipping past stuff we DO know, we see Luz and Hunter dressed up for Halloween! Hunter has a HOOTY mask, likely meant to invoke his Golden Guard persona, and Luz is honoring King OH MY GAWD WAAAIIIIII!!!!! She’s MOURNING her Titan brother, just like she mourned Eda! They’re in a dilapidated house, the shack where the Portal opens? They’re armed… Probably investigating paranormal activity, AKA Belos. This fits with another shot of them entering a basement with the same coloring as the house, atop the stairs!

         We get a proper look at Amity and Gus’ new designs in the show’s own art style! They look AMAZING… They painted Hooty’s face on the door, pffft, but also ouch. The longing. Treating this place as an earthly version of the Owl House because it kind of is with its role and even coloration! If they miss Hooty you KNOW it’s been a while. Willow must’ve grown flowery vines outside to spruce up the place, it seems to have been converted into a fulltime hideout! If this was the old Wittebane home, I’m sure Caleb would appreciate it… Philip on the other hand.

         The door seems to have just… Opened on its own as Amity looks back. Or did somebody, probably Luz and/or Hunter (seeing a glimpse of Gooplos?) quietly leave, and Amity only notices when she hears the door swinging behind them?

         We have a hand, either Amity, Willow, or Hunter’s, reaching out to some glow-in-the-dark night decorations; Including a symbol of the moon and sun. This is likely one of the characters mourning and being reminded of the Collector, rather than in-universe connection.

         We see our cast, sans Luz, looking at some sort of box with styling reminiscent of the Portal! Not only does it suggest it was actually Caleb and his wife who made it (and Philip plagiarized), but also! Caleb must’ve left it behind in the human world. When Flapjack was pecking at the floorboards, was it to find this? It must be a clue, perhaps on how to make a portal, a Titan’s blood rift, etc.! Is this distraction what got Luz to sneak out earlier?

         There’s some sort of book page we see next, presumably the contents of the box the kids found given their hands! I’m not sure the significance of the symbols, but the bottom one reminds me of the curse… Or is it just a reference to Clawthornes loving birds, AKA his wife? Is that some sort of teardrop? Maybe it’s Titan’s Blood and that’s meant to be a FURRY arm of a Titan! And what even IS that thing to the right?!

         Hunter says “Did you know that HE was here?!” In a distressed voice. Is this him potentially confronting one of our protagonists for keeping information about Gooplos’ potential survival, regardless if they actually knew and were hiding? Or him talking about Philip and Caleb to perhaps Luz, with the realization that either was a town founder, and inquring as to how Luz didn’t notice!

         Then we get Gus and Hunter THE BROS dressed up for Halloween, Hunter doesn’t want to hear spoilers because Gus is likely talking about a recent human hyperfixation of theirs! Brothers.

         And then, finally… Luz and Hunter aren’t here, it’s just the other kids, maybe those two are at some other part of the zoo more personal like the aviary…

         WE GET THE LONG-AWAITED ANSWER TO THE GIRAFFES!!! AFTER TWO YEARS, ARGUABLY THREE IF YOU CONSIDER WHEN THE FIRST TEASER THAT MENTIONED GIRAFFES WAS RELEASED!!! Since the very beginning, we have been haunted by this question and whether they’d answer it, but now… NOW…! It all comes to light.

        The kids are obviously scared and locking arms in preparation, that’s so cute, venturing into ancient territory that hasn’t been traversed for generations. WILLOW HAS HER HAIRCLIP FROM WING IT LIKE WITCHES!!! Was it a gift from Amity, I MISSED IT SO MUCH! She takes a picture and a Giraffe, recognizing natives from its home realm, FREAKS… 

       We get one idea of why Giraffes were banned and it makes sense. God the kids’ reactions are so funny. Of course Willow the Bravest is bold enough to step ahead and take pictures for the rest! This is such adorable levity and I appreciate the closure, this is their one chance so of course they’d take it after two months of debating if they should risk it! Mayhaps they regret that risk now.

#the owl house #the owl house season 3 #analysis #luz noceda #the owl house hunter #willow park #amity blight #gus porter #augustus porter #vee noceda

[megafaunatic]

fer @vinelark tagged me so here are my

5 no skip albums

HARD MODE: NO MOUNTAIN GOATS (JUST ABOUT EVERY MOUNTAIN GOATS ALBUM IS A NO SKIP ALBUM)

💿 you will not die (deluxe version) (2018) by nakhane. nakhane has such a clear, beautiful voice, and their instrumentation is by turns sparse and lush, bright and unsettling. listen to "by the gullet" with good headphones for a really weird and cool binaural intro with the syncopated marimba (?). also i love really deep sounds so when they hit me with the cello AND the fat bass kick drum AND the natural depth of their voice, i am IN IT!!! also i'm a lyrics guy first and foremost and their lyrics are so interesting and beautiful

💿 transangelic exodus (2018) by ezra furman. WHAT'S NOT TO LOVE? incredibly romantic. trans and gay as hell. fucking full of rage. explicitly jewish trans gay angel (i love those). i love a concept album! her scratchy punk vocals combined with fuzzy electric guitars and intense drums kill every time. every time i listen to this album i hear something new

💿 three futures (2017) by torres. ugh torres's voice. UGH THE MUSIC VIDEO FOR THREE FUTURES BY TORRES!!! what can i say i love a melodic low voice over lofi droning. and synths. god i love synths. this whole album is like a thick gauge compression spring: the instrumentation on many songs works on a rapid beat while the vocals are drawn out and almost strained. and then when they synchronize (like in much of "helen in the woods") the tension is released and you feel it in your gut!

💿 ripely pine (2013) by lady lamb. the violin key changes in the crest of "you are the apple" changed my life. next question! ok but actually half of these songs are 5+ minutes long and every one earns it. it's like every song is a little opera. the transition from fairly standard acoustic love song to [REDACTED FOR SPOILERS] in "crane your neck" is SOOOOOO!!! holy fuck!!! it's so hot when women yell

💿 pony (2019) by orville peck. ok well first of all more musicians should make it so clear that their persona as a musician is a character they're playing and not a 1:1 reflection of who they are in real life. second of all have i mentioned that i love low voices singing beautifully? men are so scared to sing beautifully. it's a wasteland out there. it's like orville peck and fucking. michael bublé holding down the fort. anyway every song on this album is so fucking fun and boppy, i love a steel guitar. really good album for walking to work to (beat of most songs is comparable to walking speed) and singing really loud. thank you orville peck for saving country!

thank you for tuning into lore's music hour! everyone go listen to all 5 albums! you're welcome!

i tag @houtaroo @whatisthiswitchcraft @uhuraisgay @rose-indigo-and-tom AND @sleepnoises

#u DONT have to provide any commentary. i did that for me #ask meme

[larrythefloridaman]

Mayhaps some thoughts on Valentine?

Oh, dear valentine... so mysterious... and the weight of being the perfect, gentle showman is such a heavy burden to bear...

Val is fascinating to me, because even though theres so much we don't know about what he really wants, really feels, really thinks, because most of his screentime is on the sidelines in an obviously staged persona, theres a lot of interesting inferences we can make from what he says when he breaks character, doesnt break character, or expresses his (oft-ignored) agency, but, with so many details missing, I am forced to turn to thematic analysis and context clues to fill in the blanks. I say forced as though I dont love doing this shit lmao

Val's occasional awkward fumbling breaks with his presenter persona lead me to assume hes that flavor of theater kid thats sort of... reserved, passive, awkward, almost shy in their personal life until they're onstage, where they Come Alive before the crowd, but also, hes presented in his introductory episode as a man who 'walks directly into explosions just to see if he can survive them.' contradiction between the private and public self, risk and spectacle and, of course, performance are important things to consider when evaluating Val. He wants to put on a good show for the people, after all! Talented and radiant and powerful and good, Val is an instant hit with the audience- and Val puts his body on the line trying to 'save the day' in a very risky move, a shady deal with a shady being with shady terms. Keep in mind Crimson really hadnt done anything REAL bad at this point- a little theft, a little homewrecking, his greatest crime we saw was being kinda spooky, really.

We don't hear the terms of Val and Crimson's bet, their discussion of the terms entirely held through crimson's ability for psychic communication, but we do see the result. Valentine looked at the quiet, eldritch thing Crimson began as, and wagered his body as Crimson's prize. Crimson wins, a gentleman keeps his word, and the Captain Crimson era begins. It isn't long before theres reason to regret his choice, although the Grunk's death wasn't something Crimson exactly wanted to happen either. Captain Crimson, given the privilege of choosing who in the tie at the bottom of top 8 gets to move on to the next part of what was supposed to be a two part tournament, the Grunk is shortly after found dead. Val remains in Crimson's thrall for another several months, Team Crimson formed amid the hiatus's offscreen chaos.

I think a feeling of guilt in the situation hes avoiding does haunt him. He claims little memory of his time as Captain Crimson, but the Grunk certainly seems to blame him some, even saying that 'at least hes not dead this time,' when Val successfully defends his championship from the Grunk. And hes in good company! Culpable in the Grunk's Death Club: Crimson (oops!) Hamhel (catalyst for both his and his killer's presence at the tournament,) Val (unintentional accomplice to manslaughter) Larry, Iggy and Chartreuse (knowingly complicit for timeloop reasons!)

Which adds some layers to Val breaking from his professionalism and stage persona a bit in 23's intros to express Intense Concern with J0hn's puppeteering of a murderer and VERY POINTEDLY bringing up the Grunk's own murder charges, audibly upset by the Grunk explicitly taking pride in them, he's clearly pretty disturbed by it- although he never pushes too hard against the tournament's regular function, even when it would be pretty fair to. One must remember the P. Rool Arc- the tournament is not an unquestionable arbiter of good or fairness, the tournament's rules are not unbreakable impartial tenets of the universe but the personal, often petty, choices of a jesterly godking, a TURTLE in a CLOWNCAR, and so going along with them is, within their world, a choice that all the characters are making! Everyone in the cast is, for better or worse, somewhat complicit in the tournament's failings, at least as much as any one actor who willingly works under a questionable director or in a questionable industry, if that makes sense. Technically, Valentine's championship was won at Plum's expense. Valentine participated- alongside an assortment of other fighters, including Rights Sentience, a so-called sentinel of that which is good and right- in the group free-for-all to take P. Rool's win away from him, and happened to come out on top. Relevant information to recall on P. Rool Day.

And, also relevantly to 23, he's pretty disturbed by Quad too, as we see in his introduction in 17. I think Quad is critical to understanding what Val's got going on under the surface- of the clones, theyre pretty explicitly the most directly similar from base to clone, and ive said it before and ill say it again, the thing Ryan's said about Quad and Val thats stuck with me characterization-wise is that 'Val is like a rollercoaster, Quad is like skydiving.' Rollercoasters are a thrill, with ups and downs and twists and turns but a careful calculation for safe results along a planned path, placing an implicit trust in the engineers who designed it for you to enjoy, although the controls are left out of your hands, and so when something goes wrong all you can do is wait for it to be over and hope noone gets hurt. Skydiving is throwing yourself directly to the whims of the world and letting go for a very INTENSE and STRAIGHTFORWARD thrill, running on the often CAREFULLY CONFIRMED trust that your parachute will work and with direct, conscious, personal control over when it deploys. I think of how Val often rolls with the tournaments decisions despite his misgivings, often seemingly not even informed until DAY OF what he'll be dealing with, and I think of how Quad was part of the first forfeit in tournament history and on another occasion caught just a whiff of horseshit and marched right up to god and beat her ass. Quad is like Val without the tact, the nuance, the subterfuge, like Val if you intentionally distilled and intensified him to the point of parody, and in the process, boiled out all the subtleties and passivity.

The natural instinct to compare Crimson and Val's relationship during Val's possession and Quad and Order's is... I think not EXACTLY wrong, but I don't think it's one-to-one at all. If Quad is, thematically, like Val with all the subtleties and nuance (not to say quad is UNnuanced because of course he is, but like. yknow what i mean in this context) wrung out, then maybe the intensity and circumstances of the awfulness of Quad and Order's relationship is a much more black-and-white case, but the baseline dynamic was similar? Just. Greyer. More complicated. Less extreme. Another all-take and little-to-no-give relationship between a controlling person and someone only wanted and valued by them in the first place as a useful, disposable tool in the pursuit of their own desires, who was never really all that interested in them personally as anything more than that, because at the end of the day they always wanted something or someone else, until someone else gets rid of the taker, and the giver is left alone to reevaluate things in their absence. But i suppose we already knew that. Another difference of course being they were two people who happened to collide for a while by chance and made regrettable choices, while Quad was born and designed with the purpose of being used. (And, of course, got to overcome that.)

Considering other Crimson'd folks were very much able to dispel Crimson from their bodies when they didnt want him there anymore, Hamhel 'defecting' offscreen, Chessmaster casting it off with all the casualness of flexing muscle, when they had come to some kind of epiphany and wanted to better themselves, while Val needed to have it dragged out of him by force, and even, in a moment of weakness and spite in response to the humiliation of Dani's Rat Stunt may have even considered taking crimson BACK if jay's speculation about val's feelings after the exorcism in 11 holds weight... its... interesting. And while they're plenty professionally friendly, I do think theres potentially some... lasting resentment, between him and Dantoinette in the mix, too. She did not need to rub his face in losing to the rat, and that could just be a dani-typical weak-filter shit-talk moment. But he did not need to bring up the bear. and Val's usually more careful than that.

Val lost a bet. They were together for months. They had to have developed some kind of dynamic and rapport in that time. While he absolutely was a controlling asshole, even just by nature of How Possession Literally Works, there isnt much reason to assume crimson was uniquely cruel to Val in their relationship compared to his other partnerships, and most folks who were possessed for more than a day came out of that relationship rightfully hating his ass and not wanting to be around him but not like. Life-Wreckingly Transformed by Him or anything. He's not an abuser, hes not that kind of evil. hes your dickhead ex that brought out the worst in you, he's the sketchy mp3 downloader thats BEGGING for you to let him install viruses, he's the best employee at a scam company. Crimson is just as disgusted by people like Prism or the Doc as anybody else reasonable. He's just a selfish, negative, dirtbag asshole thats rebellious for the sake of it and pressures you into and gives you excuses to pursue bad ideas- both his and your own, and living vicariously through those he controls to escape his circumstances and get to be anybody but who and what he actually is for a while, and Val was perfect for that. He 'got what he needed' by 'being' him. Vibrant, beloved by the crowd and community, comfortable in front of the camera, seemingly so confident warm and happy despite everything, so in control of his own destiny, at least in theory. The heartless coveting that which he cannot have. Val reduced more than once to an idealized object on a pedestal. The perfect man, and a being that from certain perspectives might barely qualify as a person at all- he certainly didnt present himself as one to start with. Hell, hes still imitating Val just a bit trying to play presenter in his stead in Orange.

BUT. All that being said. Order isn't what Val chooses to compare his time with Crimson to, in a rare instance we see of him actually trying to talk about it. No. His choice of comparison is a different object of Val's disdain- Cupid. Heartbreak and Cupid.

Heartbreak and Cupid are friends. and Heartbreak does say he WANTS to find someone that meets his romantic standards- but Cupid begins to push through his boundaries, FORCING it, making this OVERWHELMING UNASKED FOR SPECTACLE out of his issues on live broadcast, and when he decides he DOESNT want to pursue it actively anymore, Cupid refuses to back down from trying, because he DID want it and Cupid doesnt want him to Give Up on what he wants, but the reality is Heartbreak just found some peace with being by himself and doesn't want it so bad anymore, but Cupid seemingly wont take him at his word that he's genuinely just changed his mind. Tempered expectations, mistaken for lost hope. And it pisses heartbreak off so much that at least when the wound's fresh he doesn't even want to look at the color pink.

Val made a bet. We didnt see the terms. Val, in contrast with his perfect gentlemanly persona, flirts with villainy from time to time- quite literally in the case of his exchange with Dr. Order at the start of 16 before Quad was made, sometimes less literally and more subtly complicit with the tournament's less than perfect ethics record, nobody's perfect, no exceptions, not even the perfect man is unflawed- but never truly falls from grace again after his time with Crimson, while using the same cunning and subterfuge the god of treachery employs in facing challenges and claiming advantages all the same. Tempered subversion, mistaken for submission to conformity. And Crimson's presence is enough to make Val just want to stay home.

Am i cooking or is this nothing? YOU decide!

#im sure as soon as i post this #ill see a billion problems with my wording or remember something im missing but ive spent too long on this hsjfsjgdjgdjdg #cpu kerfuffle #its Interesting. its Interesting and theres A Lot Going On There and All Of Its So Vague.

[treesandpebbles]

ok ok i’ve been thinking about intro to felt surrogacy. i feel like it’s a great concept idea, but they didn’t really pull it off (although it’s still one of my comfort eps). my big beef with the episode, though, is that troy’s secret didn’t make any sense. like, everybody else’s secrets were fundamentally related to their characters somehow—britta’s character being all about being an activist, yet not voting; how jeff’s dad leaving influenced so much of his personality and then him doing the same thing; annie being the straight A’s one but having to let cornwallis rub her feet to get a good grade; shirley being known for being a mom, but leaving her kids in the grocery store… and then a troy secret is that he started some fire that’s never been mentioned before, and it feels really random. and also takes the seriousness away from this moment for his character, because our opinion of him / the study groups opinion of him doesn’t really change. it’s just not an emotionally hitting secret. but you know what would have been? something directly related to troy’s character and character arc, which seems to be mostly about losing his football star persona and growing up and becoming more comfortable with himself.

there’s probably a lot of stuff they could have done related to football or dance or feeling like abed’s sidekick or toxic masculinity, but i think they could have used this moment to reveal that troy was queer. that would have been hard hitting, and it would have made sense with his character, bc he’s been really queercoded since the beginning. i know the other characters’ secrets were all bad things, and being lgbtq isn’t a bad thing, but honestly troy is such a sunshiny character that i think it’d be okay if he got to have a positive moment, and it could really turn the study’s group sadness about all their bad secret into a sweet, heartfelt moment of accepting troy.

troy and britta were still dating at this point, although i don’t remember them doing anything romantic since like, ep. 3, so he could have come out as mspec so they could keep dating for like, 2 more episodes. or the freaky friday ep could just be before this one, i don’t think that would change anything.

speaking of troy and britta dating, i know abed didn’t share a secret that night but if he did, i think it might have been that he felt jealous of britta or something like that, for stealing his constable. of course, abed has his own personality and there’s other things he could share, but troy and abed just kind of go together in everyone’s minds, so it would make sense to share a secret related to his friendship with troy.

#community nbc #troy barnes #intro to felt surrogacy #trobed #annie edison #britta perry #shirley bennett #jeff winger #abed nadir #troy and abed

[obeetlebeetle]

7 12 and 21 for the threes !

7. three songs you didn't expect to like but eventually loved

all of these are recs from other people that i thought were just ok at first, and now i feel like they light my head on fire💗

seeker missile - dynastic -- a z pick from a recent tag game that hit me too hard at first and is now my favorite end-of-day tune talking loud and clear - OMD -- on the OMD best hits cd an older girl at synagogue gave me when i was like 9 red planet - alvvays -- shared with me by an old friend and my intro to this band, which is a great fav these days

12. three fav songs from video games

i feel like i very recently did an rb bait post re: video game osts and i cant find it now. which is killing me. so here's what comes to mind

mantis lords - hollow knight your affection - persona 4 hopes and dreams - undertale

21. three songs from your childhood

all for you - sister hazel -- ken block went to school w my mom and her siblings and he had a crush on my aunt. this song has nothing to do with that but i think abt it a lot round here - counting crows big rock candy mountain - o brother where art thou? soundtrack

#YAY thank uuuuu bowie<3

[cebwrites]

gender/sexuality HCs (Heart Pirates pt 2)

a/n: for point of reference, i’ll be deferring this intro since not all the hearts are named yet and we still don’t know much about them ; 3 ;

as a reminder you’re free to agree or disagree with these hcs, these are just how i write them and my personal opinions o(￣▽￣)ｄ

onto the HCs! word count: 0.7k

Clione

he/him (cis man)

a raging dumpster fire disaster bi if i’ve seen one

clione shoots his shot a lot with airs of confidence to cheer himself on, the only downside is that people often see right through him and turn down the inflated persona he wears just so his knees don’t buckle

there’s a certain appeal to his awkwardness and fumbling, maybe clione wants someone to match all that energy he puts out, or maybe he needs someone tall, dark, and handsome to help slow him down

Ani

bi, they/she (gnc transfem)

their gender journey has always been something that Ani’s kept close to heart and at the same time, just a cog in the background that no one’s drawn too much attention to outside of her initial mentions of it to clear up any confusion

the realization happened gradually over time along their journey with the Hearts - she’s grateful for such an understanding crew but supposes with a captain like Law and a partner like Fang, any response that wasn’t acceptance wouldn’t be tolerated

Fang

bi, he/him (transmasc)

in direct contrast to his girlfriend, Fang is out and loud about just how trans he is - captain worked hard on his top surgery and Fang’ll be damned if he doesn’t show off the scars any time he can (the opportunities are slim in the sub and their boiler suits so that makes him even more keen to go topless outside)

he’s not the “yodel from the heavens about how much i love my partner” type unlike some other people on the crew, but Fang shows his affection a lot through small gestures throughout the day - they have different stations in the sub but even then he manages to swing by Ani’s for a quick kiss on the cheek with his snack drop-off and vice versa, it’s the little things that they manage together

(yes I know his canon name is Hakugan but I got attached to Fang long before Oda revealed that bit about him fairly recently so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯)

Dorie

he/they/she lesbian (cis woman)

every crew needs a stone butch to keep things on the straight and narrow, right? right

despite how private he can be about his personal/romantic life, dorie still manages to be quite the open flirt - hitting mainly on other butch women but hey if you’re a gal interested in other gals that’s free real estate in their mind

everything is kept pretty casual, they don’t expect to form lifelong bonds in a coupe nights when the crew typically don’t dock at an island for more than a week at a time, give or take how much trouble they get (dragged) into - she takes what she can get and for the moment, it’s enough

although, some part of him does wonder when they’ll meet up with the Kidd Pirates again, for no particular reason...

Hake

they/them (enby)

demiromantic but what kind of pirate doesn’t kiss their crewmate goodnight? or on the forehead sneakily before breakfast, or on the cheek- just.. cause...

point is! they’re very affectionate and like to sling at least an arm around whoever they’re talking to if it’s someone close

they’re chatty and amicable too with a friendly disposition to boot, something you’d breathe a breath of relief for to find in your tattoo artist, no? well--

Hoki

they/he (genderqueer)

unlabeled yet down horrendous for their best friend

this dumb gay bitch has gotten a bunch of small tattoos all over their body just as an excuse to spend more time with and/or be physically closer to Hake rather than just talk to them like a normal person

because the feeling of their arm around his shoulder sends Hoki’s heartrate skyrocketing normally but for some reason, seeing Hake in their element, at their most focused, calms them just enough to stay still for another hour or so

yeah he’s down so awful someone send HELP

And because I don’t have enough to say on the rest of them to make another post but wanted to mention these goobs anyway-

Jean Bart, Marl, Gul, Bas, and Laeno are the older gays of the crew - the queer elders (peepaws even) if you will Marl and Bas are trans men, Laeno is unlabeled but certainly not cis, while Jean and Gul are cis (all he/him, all mlm) Jean Bart didn’t have much of an opportunity to explore himself a la pillaging and terrorizing as a fearsome pirate captain before he was caught and sold to the Celestial Bastard that owned him - but now that he’s free and has a lot more time to his own thoughts, he’s able to examine himself properly and even reconsider experiences in the past as maybe not so straight after all

#cebwrites #one piece #heart pirates #one piece heart pirates #op heart pirates #one piece headcanons #op clione #op ani #op hakugan #op fang (hakugan) #op dorie #op hake #op hoki #gender hcs #sexuality headcanons

[mejomonster]

So im maybe 4 chapters into In The Dark:

Writing style is... still hit or miss for me? Its good with giving information, necessary skill in a mystery novel whike keeping the pace quick. So im happy it doesnt dwell in information gathering scenes but instead explains some less important ones quickly and moves on to more interesting scenes. Its got good description when it does describe. Slightly pretty. Its translation is good.

But like... character descriptions wise? The more im reading, the more i get the sense the Characters Themselves have depth. But the character describing is a bit weak, relying on very common kinds of descriptions "beautiful person" and "smiled innocently" and "charming to women" and like... at first i worried the characters would Be shallow. Because these descriptions are quite general, and dont go in depth much regarding what sets a character Apart uniquely.

But the more im reading, for example, its clear Xie Lanshan has ptsd and is VERY much ignoring it and convincing himself he doesnt. Hes naturally extremely quiet and serious, BUT hes a good actor and leans into the act when distressed. Working for Mu Kun, and with his old gf whike he was undercover, he LEANS into his gruff boy act. He fucks up, and reveals his more serious nature occasionally when his morals are pushed HARD. When with the police now? Hes also putting on this charming friendly joking persona. While he does joke with his closer friends, from what i can guess based on him and captain Tao, it seems like the flirting and joking with others feels more like him putting on a mask to keep people at a distance. Xie Lanshan thinks: if i act the charming handsome joking man, theyll see me as friendly and NOT traumatized and NOT push me about how im doing. He might even have touches of real Gruff Dangerous man, and real charming jokey man (like when he jokes with Shen Liufei about "spare me big bro Im just a cute baby" when shen liufei drops him off using the motorcycle). So based on actions? Theres this sense xie lanshan was originally serious severe and Do Whats Right oriented, then put on acts to handle the sotuations he was stuck in, and now those acts Are slightly the real him.

But the book descriptions dont really touch on all the contradictions. It just describes him as severe and quiet and never smiling in his past one minute, then smiling and joking and flirting with all women the next minute, and it clashes and seems initially like perhaps weak writing. Like xie lanshan is just getting any random Protagonist in crime BL description thatll make him into what the author wants in that scene.

I havent decided yet if its weak character description writing that the author doesnt convey well that SOME of thus contradiction is an act or partly an act and Xie Lanshan doesnt know which. Or if later the author will make it clearer in hindsight, and was just trying to confuse us the same way Xie Lanshan is confused about who he Actually is. Ill have to read more to determine that.

What made me eventually ponder if Xie Lanshan is putting on acts and NOT just written described wildly differently depending on scene, is Shen Liufei. He also contradicts: aloof, cold, calm, cultured in his intro. Then wild pushy biker the next. But his contradictions the author DOES handle a bit better. In shen liufeis intro, hes calm and aloof but physically fights and fights WELL. Hes described initially as criminal profiler, but also immediately introduced as doing violently dark art about death. He has a stunning reputation that colleagues talk up before meeting him, but hes bizarre upon meeting. So for shen liufei, you immediately get primed to look for and expect contradictions.

Then he goes back from the motorcycle ride, calls a person outside the country, and says he Found Him. Presumably Xie Lanshan. I predict maybe Shen Liufei is connected to Mu Kun, or criminals looking for Xie Lanshan, or some other secret spy situation. He's described in a more clear way.

#in the dark #lb

[lxvenderhxzehv]

Intro: Jim

(Keanu Reeves) [The Relentless]. Please welcome [Jim Dunford (He/Him)] to Huntsville, WV. They are an [55]-year-old [VISITOR] who lives in [THE COMMUNE]. You may see them around working as a [UNEMPLOYED]. They are looking for [Em Dunford] their [Ex-Wife] Poor unfortunate soul. We’ll see if they survive.

Name: Jim Dunford (Radley Killgraves) Nicknames: N/A Age/DOB: 56 December 21st, 1968 Gender: cis-Male He/Him Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual/Romantic (Potentially questioning) Personality type: The Relentless Relationship status: Single/divorced (Not officially he still thinks he's married to Em) Occupation: Unemployed Destianation: The commune

Jim Dunford grew up to two over barring and strict parents. Parents that wanted him to be the best of the best. Jim always rebelled, pushed back. He was the kid your parents warned you about in school. He was always getting kicked out of class, schools, even homeschooling didn’t work. Eventually his parents washed their hands of him and sent him off to military school. It was there that Jim began his training, bettering himself and his body. If you can’t beat them Join them. And Join them he did. When he returned to his parents he was a completely different man. Disciplined and clean just like them. At least that was what he wanted them to think, Jim was still the rascal of a kid at heart and as always got himself in trouble and involved with the wrong people or perhaps the right people depending on who you ask. One night while walking home from the bar Jim was Jumped by 4 men. Jim, because of his excessive training, took them out with no issues. He stood in the alleyway perplexed as a man with a scar across his eye (Think Typical James bond Villain) came out of the shadows and applauded “Impressive, your reputation precedes you.” .He was offered a position on the team as a hit man. He had just taken out 4 of this man's best players after all and He would be an idiot if he didn’t take the job. The money was good and Jim wasn’t opposed to offing a few do badders. For about 20 years Jim traveled all over the world offing whoever his boss needed him too. That was until he saw her.

He was supposed to kill her but the moment his eyes met hers in that scope something in him short circuited. No matter how hard he tried He couldn’t pull the trigger. He went rogue and somehow found a way to “bump” into her Introducing himself as Jim Dunford, a name he made up on the spot to make her think nothing of him.He fell in so deep and so easily. He was always told to never get involved or learn more about his Targets but now learning about and meeting Em he was beginning to wonder if she wasn’t the only innocent person that he had on his list after all these years. Suddenly he didn’t want to do it anymore. He didn't want to kill anyone anymore at the risk of killing someones loved one.

So he faked his death, sending a bloody letter to his boss stating that he had been killed in a “Freak Explosion”. He began spending more time with Em, taking on this new persona of Jim Dunford. Jim Dundford was a retired Military vet who was honorably discharged due to an injury and spent his time reviewing books online for some extra pocket cash and volunteered at retirement homes and soup kitchens. He had enough money from his actual Job that he could retire comfortably. He got an ID made and had someone on the inside help curate this whole new person for him. He got quite comfortable in this new life, with Em and not long after they got married. Everything was going great! Until it wasn’t.

With Em’s job requiring her to be out of town all the time, Jim was always worried for her safety, worried his boss would find her and send someone after her. He was always calling, always checking in. It was around this time that Jim began to ask Emma to think about settling down and maybe looking for another job. They never seemed to be on the same page one always working, the other always longing for more time together. Jim knew the marriage was faltering and they were pulling apart. It was when Emma  left for a work trip and never came back that he began to worry. No contact from Emma was a bit stranger and her phone wasn’t even ringing anymore. Since that day Jim did everything he could to find her, Even coming out of retirement and pretending to be back in the game to use resources to track her down. After months of Dead ends Jim nearly gave up even planning on going back to work for his boss as he had been welcomed back like nothing had changed. He already had a family that he had forgotten had got him where he was today. When suddenly There was a new development, a ping from a GPS matching the one em had from nearly a year and half ago. It was positioned in the middle of nowhere in west Virginia. Bringing up old maps and revealing a town that was said to have been abandoned. The ping came from just outside of a town called Huntsville. There were multiple reports of people that had been near or around that area that had gone missing, just like his Emma. Jim Scribbled the name and the coordinates on a piece of paper and rushed to Find her. Even if it was just another dead end it was the closest thing he got to something.

When he got to the fork in the road and turned he was in such shock to find Huntsville was still very much a real place and there were people there still alive and living relatively normal lives. He quickly decided to move into the commune when he figured out what was going on with the monsters. It was fixing to get dark out he could look for Emma in the morning.

#huntsvilleintro #Face (Jim) #Musings (Jim)

[eonghwa]

#seonghwa-verse reactions: s/o sits on their lap

intro + masterlist ː sh personas profiles 

suggested by @mingi-ivity ♡

cw: gn!reader. fluff, suggestive themes

pirate king:

flustered

wouldn’t know what to do

he’s still too shy around you

snuggles into you

and he is cute when he does that because he giggles

tries pulling the “sexy” face card

fails because he is just cute 

say my name:

pulls you in #2 always a step behind answer

your back against his chest and his arms wrapped around you

smiles the whole time because loves cuddling with you in his lap

you would binge watch silly videos together or laugh at weird memes

takes 9843 selfies

wouldn’t let you pull away

halahala:

you know better than this to sit on his lap

wouldn’t let you in the first place and his glare is quite scary

he’s not easy to approach so you wouldn’t even try

but

if we’re talking about the halahala who’s softened up over time...

he would be so flustered and awkward

wouldn’t even know where to put his hands

but would think it’s cute having you on his lap 

a bit more courage on his side and would even hug you

wave:

he’s a bitch and he’s a tease

so would make it nsfw

grinding against you

you can smack him

but if you caught him half asleep somewhere

he would be very clingy 

hugging you tight like he would with his plushies

wonderland:

we know he doesn’t like brats so it depends on the mood

if you sit on his lap to tease him

just don’t, it wouldn’t end well

but if you just want to snuggle

then he is more than happy to help

he has to keep his hard facade but loves when you show him affection like this

esp if he can brag about it with the others

answer:

he is the one pulling you in his lap

facing each other because he likes when you are in your little bubble

there is not much you can do, so just let the man be

and let him spoil you with affection

deadass would ramble about how much he loves you every time he gets you on his lap

has always a love letter he wrote for you in his pocket

so he will read that – more like whisper in your ear

inception:

more likely to be the one to sit on your lap 

we already know he is clingy 

whether it’s you or him on top it’s praising time

if you’re on the couch watching movies all together

he is the one you go to 

sitting on his lap watching tv just hits different

brushes his fingers against your body and it’s relaxing

might get a bit needy after a while tho

fireworks:

one time you sat on him and he let out a strangled noise

that was the last time you tried sitting on his lap

there is something about you on him like this that just turns him on

it’s not his fault

“baby stop you know it gets me hard”

but if you do want that... then

takes you in his room and locks the door

you know the rest

rapper:

he is like wave but in leather

so would make it sensual somehow

could be just by kissing your neck

or by straight away telling you the problem you’re causing

or he can make you feel that

either way you end up in his room

and that’s why you don’t sit in his lap or do you?

#ateez fluff #ateez headcanons #seonghwa headcanons #seonghwa fluff #ateez au #seonghwa au #ateez smut #seonghwa smut #eonghwa.reactions #psh.writings #sh.verse #pirate king!sh #say my name!sh #halahala!sh #wave!sh #wonderland!sh #answer!sh #inception!sh #fireworks!sh #rapper!sh #eonghwa.writings

[imnotgrimimjustagrumpyreaper]

Everything you never thought to ask and never wanted to know about my Josépan playlist/history with and opinions of the ship.

Intro:

The journey of this playlist has been a long one, starting on Amazon Music and my old, janky and now defunct Ipad.

STRAP IN, CHILDREN AS I TAKE YOU BACK TO A MAGICAL TIME WHEN NEITHER LEGENDS OF THE THREE CABALLEROS; NOR THEIR CAMEO IN DUCKTALES HAD BEEN ANNOUNCED YET, MY BLOG ON TUMBLR DIDN’T EXIST (THOUGH I WAS LURKING) AND PANCHITO WAS STILL THE LEAST POPULAR CABALLERO, otherwise known as around late 2017.

A word on the origins of the playlist:

The playlist was not initially Ducktales focused because the two didn’t exist in Ducktales yet. I was rather unenthusiastic back in the day about this ship (oh how the times change) but I had stumbled across a song that didn’t fit them and Donald but fit just them very well and wanted to make an animatic of it. So, I cobbled together some songs I thought fit the vibe and made a playlist.

The history behind the story that inspired it:

I’ll spare you from starting at the very beginning. But, when “The Town Where Everyone was Nice” premiered I was already thoroughly and utterly obsessed with the cabs; I remember how beyond ecstatic I was for the episode. My hype for the Ducktales versions of José and Panchito continued far beyond what seems to have been normal for the average cabs fan. I found myself drawn to the ideas put forth by those versions of them. I don’t really remember what the tipping point was for me to break down and make my own college AU but eventually I did. It was affectionately dubbed “The TV Show That Will Never Happen AU.” José and Panchito were enemies to lovers or at least to friends. And it was around that time I began to go CRAZY with the headcanons as I got more active in the fandom. While my ideas for the Ducktales versions of them grew and grew, so too did the time between them appearing in “The Town Where Everyone was Nice” and their alleged next appearance in the show. When fans noticed the distinct lack of José and Panchito in the season two finale of Ducktales, Francisco Angones, @//suspenderofdisbelief on Tumblr answered these two separate asks that I might have engraved on tombstone one day:

I was GONE for the ship after that. I developed another AU for them based around their time in Baia trying to get people to fund their attempts to become famous musicians. Also, slowly falling in love... It was affectionately titled “The Fan-Comic that Will Never Happen” but not yet connected to my college AU. I don’t have much of a timeline for it after this point, but with that AU I really hit my stride for interpretations of the two characters and their dynamic. The version of them I hold dear in my heart and headcanons came to be. Then “Louie’s Eleven” came out and absolutely destroyed a lot of my headcanons (just kidding, just kidding). Since the new canon material didn’t really jive with a lot of the wholesomeness I had built up I was left with a lot of something else: angst. I LOVE angst, but the two’s bitterness and arguing...It was hard to accept at the time. Me and @cartoon-lizard on Tumblr, my IRL best friend, wound up writing a Josépan fic fueled on a bit of that angst and by her grace, a lot of my headcanons. I titled it “My Reverie is Being Haunted by That Ass.” In it Panchito makes an ass (rimshot noises) of himself by running off with a producer he met by chance during a visit in Duckburg to try to become famous. And doing so without so much as a second thought to the person he’s been living with/sort of dating for over a year. It took me a while but eventually I figured it out. These weren’t three separate AUs, these were three separate pieces of the same AU. And so my masterpiece never meant to be made came to be: “The Trilogy: College/Baia/Reverie.”

“The Trilogy” Itself:

The story will never be written for a variety of reasons, personal and practical. But if it ever were to be written it would be three separate fics, aka: College, Baia and Reverie.

College encapsulates their college years (duh).

To set the stage:

Panchito: A friendly, arrogant and easily excitable musician with big dreams, good grades and a whole lot of anxiety and insecurity. He has complicated feelings towards his identity as both trans and pan and how that might affect his dreams of becoming famous, but is overall bright eyed and innocent enough.

José: A lazy (depressed), charming, pessimistic, tbh kind of a douche and deep in the closet gay man. He tends to push forward a very “Manly man” persona to make up for his own deep seated internalized homophobia brought on by a shitty upbringing. He just got away from said shitty upbringing and doesn’t really have any hopes for his future...Maybe to travel a bit?

José and Panchito start as enemies, both fearing losing their one real friend, Donald, to the other. Despite this the three start a band and the two’s rivalry becomes far more friendly. They get particularly close during the trip down to Acapulco for spring break where the general feeling of being disconnected from life and reality leads to several rather romantic moments between the two...They almost become a thing several times but never quite do. However, they are very good friends by the end of college. The three stay in contact for a while after college but eventually lose touch…

Baia timeskips forward 13 years later (I know it's only 10 canonically, I always say 13 for reasons) to a conversation between Panchito and José on the Sunchaser at the end of “The Town Where Everyone Was Nice.”

Panchito: Life hasn’t been kind to Panchito...His need to be famous, to be something in order to be someone has led him to push a lot of people out of his life so he can better focus on “Work.” Or drive them out by constantly asking for their support, financial or otherwise. He has no friends and even his relationships with his loving and supportive family are strained. Currently, he’s working freelance as a performer at childrens’ birthday parties (in his eyes: a clown) and goes home to a sad, empty apartment every night to stare at a notebook full of half written songs and muster enough energy to eat cereal for dinner for the third time in a row. Needless to say, his optimism is wearing thin.

José: A lot of hard work on his part, some good therapy and mmm; drugs have put him in a pretty good place. He’s more or less got his life together now, is way less of a douche and is more of a realist than a pessimist. He’s also pretty much completely comfortable in his identity as a gay man. He’s been trying to explore romantic relationships, but unfortunately (likely due to the loveless marriage between his parents making him strive so hard to believe that love is real that he puts the unrealistic goal of true love above all else) feels incomplete without one and double unfortunately has a tendency to be drawn to toxicity and abusive situations. So other than a string of (short lived) bad relationships, he’s actually doing great!

Panchito has already asked Donald to drop everything and stay with him down in Baia to try to get funding for the band. Donald said no. José has a steady job, a decent apartment and a supportive friend group back home. He's also long since lost interest and hope in their college dreams of being famous...José says yes. The two have a bunch of wild and wacky shenanigans trying to get funding and both dance around their growing feelings for each other until it explodes and overwhelms them. They rush into a romantic relationship head first with no real ground for it to be built on and unrealistic expectations of what the other can give them. Despite all this, things seem quite happy...for a while…

If you've made it this far, <3, CONT. in pt 2.

#the word of grim #please god don't actually try to read the whole thing #Josépan #panjosé #José x Panchito #panchito x josé #shades of red and green #pt. 1 #this is really meant for my peeps on the cabs discord but if you see this and are inclined to read it #please do I will cry #but like...skim it...

[deperception87]

Album Review of Impera by Ghost

Score 8.5/10

With an intro that seemingly pays homage to the gripping and soulful duel guitar harmonies perfected by the likes of legends like Iron Maiden or Judas Priest, Impera firmly declares that there will be no deficiency of that sweet, sweet, classic metal intensity and sound this time around. Listening to the opening title track invoked memories of hearing “The Ides of March” for the first time and having a feeling of undeniable certainty that I was about to be pummeled.

Ghost wastes no time in showcasing the sheer virtuosity of their gun for hire, veteran lead guitarist Fredrick Akesson, who proceeds to immediately take the Ghost guitar attack to a whole new level on the epic track Kaisarion. Filled to the brim with ambitious leads that are played with razor precision, this one is sure to awaken the inner shred fan in all of us. He isn't the only one showing off his chops as Papa Emeritus IV kicks off the festivities with a soaring falsetto cry that would make King Diamond proud. The song further evolves into a sprawling prog masterpiece that redefines the limits of a band I thought I knew. Thankfully there is plenty of epic guitar highlights as the track Watcher in the Sky crescendos with a beautifully sustained harmonized guitar line that just plain hits that sweet spot. The gorgeous, soaring solo work from Akesson on Respite on The Spitalfields carries the album home and definitely gives the piece a little bit of that Opeth flair.

As I listened to track after track, my mind was blown at how effectively they were able to emulate that iconic 80's metal/70's Stadium rock sound while maintaining their signature Ghost persona and musical style. It was like stepping into a time machine and emerging into a period when metal still reigned supreme.

The quality of production and technicality in composition is so engrossing that I actually think I found myself interested less in the concepts and lyrics than I was in simply getting lost in the melodies. That being said, I believe Forge has firmly established himself as one of the most innovative and creative lyricists in metal today. His commentary on the cyclical nature of existence and the rise and fall of empires is instrumental in setting the tone for the enormous soundscapes on display. From references to classic literary characters like Mephistopheles to verses that clearly describe the behavior of contemporary figures like Putin and Trump; the sophistication, humor and wit in which the tale of Impera is told is downright impressive.

This lyrical evolution is on full display on the funny, scathing, and sometimes downright raunchy single Twenties. You don't have to read between the lines to identify the shots being fired at our former commander in chief. I couldn't contain the laughter when hearing lines like, “We'll be grabbing them all by the hoohahs” or “we'll be smoochin' at the feet of da rulah.” Throw in a Reggaeton beat that fits right in with that heavy crunch guitar sound and you have yourself an instant metal classic that sounds like nothing else out there.

Forge even takes us to a profoundly vulnerable place in the heartfelt ballad “Darkness at the Heart of my Love” In a departure from the rest of the album, this one plays like a traditional love song but in a way only Ghost can do it. The elegantly played acoustic guitars at the start of the track hook you and Emeritus' soulful delivery reel you in.

The other two singles off the album are strong efforts as well. If there were a fix that any Ghost addict was jonesing for in anticipation of the album, Hunter's Moon is it. A straightforward, hard rocking anthem that will override any inhibition and have you headbanging without a care. The hook in this song comes in the form of a focused, shrieking guitar line that will get stuck in your head. The moody acoustic intro and the catchy, yet intricate lead guitar work paired with the eerie vocals on Call Me Little Sunshine come together to create probably the most radio friendly tune on the album.

All in all, Ghost exceeded my expectations with this one. Definitely one of their best to date, although I might have considered this one THE BEST if not for the occasional excursion into commercial cheese. Yes, there are definitely quite a few moments that have you wondering if you are secretly in love with glam and hair metal. Spillways and Griftwood would fit right in on your dad's favorite classic rock station. Though Spillways has some gritty lyrics, the delivery and overall mood had me wondering if I had accidentally switched over to a Poison or Whitesnake album. Griftwood has some great riffs but also boasts one of the campiest choruses I've ever heard, proclaiming “I'm your rock baby! I won't back down.” A little cringeworthy considering the song would feel right at home as the soundtrack to a slow dance in a high school in the 80s. But hey, it's Ghost. Have a little fun. In a world littered with pandemics, dictators, global warming and all things dark.......at least we have a band who is unafraid to be outrageous and deliver that over the top, multi-dimensional rock fix that surely we all need in these uncertain times. So cherish the music in all its brilliance and cheese because as the album's closer Respite on the Spitalfields says, “Nothing lasts forever, we will go softly into the night.”

#Ghost #Impera #Album Review #Kaiserion #heavy metal #Hunter's Moon #Tobias Forge

[btsficsforthehumble]

adj.: 1. Modern, unfamiliar, or different

2. Not based on or conforming to what is generally done or believed

pairing: reader x ot7

genre: college au; angst, fluff, smut, poly, ot7

Summary: You begin your first year at a prestigious university, set out on achieving your academic goals when a series of men step into your life that change the way you view the definition of love.

Part Six

Warnings: none

Word count: 2.3k

The next day, you purposely run a little later than you normally would. You don’t know if you could endure another session of Taehyung being an actual menace at 9 o’clock in the morning. So, you take extra time to add some light makeup and pick out a pink checkered dress with a cream cardigan, and step out feeling cute, caffeinated, thanks to your morning coffee, and ready to tackle Calculus.

As you walk into the mostly full classroom, you naturally head to the spot you’ve stayed the last couple classes. This time however, you keep an eye out for Seokjin. Spotting him on the far side of the room, you send him a quick smile. Once he sees, he’s quick to send you one back with a nod.

He seems like a bit of a loner, you notice, with all of the other students engaged in hushed conversations around him, but with him seemingly content to lean on his head on his hand and stare off until class starts. He is strikingly handsome in a classical way that’s impossible to deny, which you suppose is intimidating. Coupled with him also being an older student in the class, it seems he creates a bubble around him that he himself is oblivious to.

You make eye contact with Hoseok as you head to your seat, to which he gives you a large toothy smile and a cute wave. You couldn’t hold the smile off of your own face if you tried, so you gave him a beaming grin with your own wave to accompany it.

Two seats behind Hoseok was the before-mentioned menace. His smile towards you was significantly less innocent. He was leaning back in his chair, legs stretched out far enough to be underneath your own seat, with his arms crossed. He seemed to be saying, “I’m too cool to be here.” After doing a judgmental scan of his posture, you raise an eyebrow and take your seat, and set your back firmly to him in hopes he’d get the message you didn’t want to be messed with today.

By some stroke of luck, your professor walks in almost immediately after your butt hits the seat. Pulling out your notebook, you steel yourself for the next hour of lecture in which you were refusing to let yourself get distracted. Even if Hoseok offered to study with you, you didn’t want to embarrass yourself in front of him by being clueless and then being a complete dead weight.

----

After another grueling class, you have to admit your fears about being dead weight feel closer to reality than what you’d want. In hindsight, you were really glad you took Hoseok’s offer to study. Well, if you were being honest with yourself, there was no way you’d turn that down even if you were a complete master at calculus. Hoseok is so bright and charming, and you feel drawn to him in the way flowers face the sun. He had such a happy and kind energy, that you have no doubt makes people from all walks of life love him.

Regardless of the boy’s personality, you are thankful for the fact that you had someone willing to help you with your least favorite subject. You need it.

You stand, and Hoseok soon follows. He turns to both you and Taehyung, “Are you both still good to study tonight? I know I need a review!” He lets out a laugh.

Taehyung answers before you get the chance. “Yeah, me too. Cafe Persona, right?”

You were a little surprised at his serious attitude. You hadn’t seen him act like he cared about anything, including his calculus grade, in the short time you’ve known him.

“Yep! Does that work? Y/n, are you still free tonight?” Hoseok answers, now looking at you expectantly.

“Oh! Uh, yeah, that works!”

“Great! Does seven sound okay?” Hoseok looks between you and Taehyung, causing you to glance at the other boy too. Taehyung was leaning with his hip to the edge of the chair, and ankles crossed with a straight look on his face. He balances relaxed and focused, and you can’t help but be intrigued by his attitude shift. He almost seemed like a different person from yesterday.

“Yep!”

“That works.”

You and Taehyung answer at the same time, causing Hoseok to grin at both of you. “Great! See you guys then!” Hoseok waves at you both before making his way out of the classroom, leaving you and Taehyung alone.

You give him an apprehensive look, waiting for him to say something flirty. Seeing the look, he gives you an understanding smile, seemingly not in the mood to mess with you. Slightly relieved, but honestly a little worried for him, you grab your back and go to leave. You pause, and look over your shoulder.

“Hey, are you okay?” You surprise yourself as you speak. He has managed to worm himself into your heart at least slightly, it appears.

He looks up from his bent over position and gives you a small look of surprise, apparently just as bewildered by your words as you. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just didn’t sleep well after working on a project last night,” he explains.

You tilt your head to the side, now curious. You’ve never really thought about his life --- his major, year, anything. “What is the project for?” you ask.

“A sculpture class. It fulfills a requirement for art history majors.”

You aren’t going to lie, him being artistic and into history made you more attracted to him. That major fit him well, from what you have seen. He dresses in baggy clothes, usually in neutral palettes, and instead of him looking messy, he makes everything he wears look sophisticated in a way that not many people are able to do.

You say with complete honesty, “That’s actually really cool. It makes sense for you.”

Now standing, he gives you a genuine smile. “Thanks, I really enjoy it. What about you, then?”

You divert your eyes, not wanting to admit you hadn’t chosen yet. “I actually am undecided…” you admit.

“Ah, well, life is long. You’ll figure it out. You’re smart.” His eyes hold yours as you speak, shining with sincerity.

You couldn’t help the blood rushing to your cheeks. You could tell that he really meant what he had said, not just saying it to be polite.

“Thank you, Taehyung… I hope you're right.” You glance down to your phone, breaking eye contact. It was a bit too intense for you. When you saw the time, you nearly jumped. You were close to being late for your next class.

“I’m running late, I’ll see you later!” you call over your shoulder, already hustling to leave the room. You hear him call out a bye as you leave, and feel his eyes following you until you get out of sight. He definitely left you with more complicated feelings towards him than what you had anticipated. But, that’s to think about another time --- you need to haul ass to get to Intro to Comp.

You make your way across campus surprisingly fast, dodging dozens of students who seemed to be less rushed than you. Nearly winded, you arrive just as the clock reaches the hour and the professor seems ready to begin. Embarrassed at the eyes on you as you walk in, you make your way to Jimin who you see sitting near the back as fast as you can without looking strange. You knew your face was red from the exertion and the embarrassment.

He laughed at your predicament as soon as you got close, and cleared the stuff of the seat he was saving for you.

“Shut up!” you whisper yell at him, but a smile breaks out on your face at his wide smile that showcased a just slightly crooked tooth. His eyes disappeared into crescent shapes at the force of his full cheeks lifting.

Once he calms down, and the lecture begins in relative peace, he leans over to you to speak without being overheard. “The LA was staring at you when you walked in, you know? His eyes never left you until you sat down.” He gives a conspiratorial grin.

“What? No way.” You give him an incredulous look. The LA seemed broadly disinterested --- disinterested in the class, disinterested in people, disinterested in you.

“I only noticed because I was watching him before you walked in,” Jimin admits with a giggle.

“He probably was just looking at me since I came in late, that’s all,” you justified.

Jimin raises a brow at you. “I guess we’ll see then, won’t we.” His eyes travel down the length of your torso and back up again, before giving you a smirk.

“Oh God. Whatever you are thinking, please don’t,” you whine.

He just widens his grin in response. Between Taehyung and Jimin, you felt that you’ve reached your mischief quota for the year already. You let your eyes slide shut and groan quietly.

----

“Come on y/n, don’t worry. I just have to ask him a question!” Jimin giggles, failing to hide his evil intentions. He wants to drag you up to have a quick chat with your broody LA, currently standing idle at the front of the room, watching the students filter out of the lecture hall.

“Sunbae if you do something embarrassing you owe me a drink,” you groan out. “Please, please be normal.”

“Don’t worry,” he draws out with a smile. A villainous smile, may you add. And with that, he drags you down the rows of chairs to the front of the room, stopping just short of Yoongi.

You hover slightly behind Jimin’s shoulder, wanting to leave but not wanting to abandon your friend. Yoongi looks back and forth between you and Jimin, and settles back on you, making you bristle slightly. It didn’t help that he had a delicate frown marring his features.

Jimin’s cheery voice quickly penetrates the awkward silence. “Hi, Yoongi right? My name’s Jimin! I was wondering if for the first project, we had to have a bridge structure? Or if we could use a double chorus maybe? Doctor Choi didn’t specify in class today.”

Yoongi narrowed his eyes at Jimin. “For the first project, use the traditional structure. Choi will grade you harsher if he thinks you’re a try-hard,” he gruffly answers.

“Hm, I see. I can be a bit overzealous at times, when I’m interested in something,” Jimin replies, this time in a much lower pitch. You watch his eyes roam Yoongi’s figure as he speaks, not bothering to disguise his interest.

“Can’t we all.” Yoongi’s voice is somehow even gruffer than before. And this time, he is staring straight at you as he replies.

Jimin notices, and gives a knowing smirk your direction. “Thanks Yoongi, see you next class!” Jimin sing-songs with a smile. He grabs your wrist, leading you out of the auditorium.

It’s a good thing he does, because your brain was short-circuiting after that interaction. You feel like a deer in the headlights, and nearly stumble as you try to keep pace with Jimin.

As soon as you walk out of the building, Jimin lets out a cackle, bending over from it’s force. “I told you! He definitely thinks you're hot, I mean, did you see the way he was looking at you? He looked like he wanted to eat you right there and then!” He lets out another loud laugh at his words.

You could feel your cheeks flaming. “Ugh, what the hell was that! Why’d you even say that to him! YOU were the one trying to eat HIM!” you yell slightly, waving your arms like a crazy person.

His laughter only gets louder at your response. “I wanted to test a theory! While I wish I was wrong and he wanted a piece of me, he only had eyes for you, darling.” His laughter died down slightly. “You look really pretty today, I don’t blame him,” he adds. His gaze turns slightly wistful, but it only lasts a second before he skips over to you and links your arms.

“That’s no reason to do all of that! You’re so embarrassing, sunbae!” You look up at him, giving him your best pout.

He pulls you closer, forcing your face to rest against his shoulder slightly. “Ah, the hot LA thinks you're cute! This is a win, my dear.” He gives a smirk down at you.

“I don’t know if that’s it. He seems kind of mean… maybe he’s just socially awkward or something,” you guess.

Jimin tilts his head, and says, “Maybe. Either way I know I had fun, your blush is too cute.” He gives you another mischievous grin.

You roll your eyes, and reach in your bag to check your phone. You needed to get some work done before your meeting with Hoseok and Taehyung.

Seeing the time, you quickly unlink your arms from Jimin’s and go to say goodbye. You want to have enough time to run though some practice problems before you go later, and you knew it was going to take you a while. It seems the time was causing you to have to cut all your conversations short today, unfortunately.

“Bye sunbae, I have to go. Oh, and you owe me a drink!” you declare.

He gives you a pout of his own at your leaving, but is quick to transform into a wide grin at your reminder.

“This weekend!” he calls as you start backing up. You roll your eyes in response, and turn around to walk in the direction of your apartment. It was time to grind out some work, and not think of the weird interactions with boys that had happened today.

#BTS #ot7 #ot7 x reader #poly ot7 #houseofddaeng

[vexilanimous]

so people are actually interested in my and @caramellody‘s scott the woz phantom thief au?? which like i was hoping for but im still lowkey surprised

i dont rlly have any more Big Art so ill use this post as a Lore Dump under the cut (ill likely make a seperate post for things involving p5 spoilers though. so dw abt that im keeping this one spoiler free, mostly major ones but ill err on the side of caution)

OKAY SO. this au begins with Dr. Anna May, who has mostly backed off but she just Cannot let scott’s refusal to play persona 5 slide. so, she uses her Anime Realm Powers or whatever they are to isekai him into the game. He becomes an additional orignal phantom thief alongside joker, ryuji, and ann, and will be released from the game when he beats it.

to accomplish this, anna has used her dominion over anime to create extra backstory for an additional character. iirc scott has played the p5r intro for footage, but i dont think anything past that? i could be wrong but just for the sake of au. thats where were at.

SO, scott is basically also from jokers hometown, and had also tried to intervene in the event that led to joker getting arrested in the first place, and are now both under sojiros roof bc. idk same case. they have bunk beds :)

that said, scott doesn’t really live that backstory? like he goes to bed in ohio one night, wakes up to mr. purse owner 5 shaking him awake like “hey cmon this is our stop” he sorta has to pick it up from context clues. he also has to go to shujin, and while it makes more sense for this to be Scott But High School Age for the duration of the isekai thing, i find its infinitely funnier if hes just. the same 24yo scott as irl. nobody acknowledges or questions this.

he also cant say hes in a game lest the ps4 hes running on fuckin explode, so anytime he tries what comes out is replaced with. something relevant that doesnt break the 4th wall. yknow the e3 2017 video intro. it looks/sounds like that.

SPEAKING of the ps4, time is moving at the games pace from scotts perspective. like, days can be quick for us as the player, but for scott in this situation a day is a day. 24 hours. outside of the game time is moving as usual however. at one point rex gets into scotts apartment, sees scott on the tv and the ps4 playing itself, and just tells the others “yeah hes fine hes just having one of those wacky gaming adventures again” by the time hes out, assuming abt a 100hr playthough is average (thats what i got anyways) only a few days have passed in ohio

anyways hes really pissy about the situation at first, i like to imagine anna may showed up the first night after it all started in her own velvet room dream sequence to explain everything, but thats just for theming/aesthetic purposes, i feel like joker should still be the only wildcard of the groupbut he gets to where the kamoshida plot is really ramping up and the shiho moment. and idk abt you guys but that moment hit me HARD, so scott basically goes i know this is very real and im so ready to throw down. (bold = 4th wall preserving redaction btw.)

his rebellious spark is him putting his moping about the situation aside to do said throwing down, and to overall make the best out of his situation (i mean, hes in japan, they made wario there, might as well see the sights while ur stuck there)

the actual phantom thief design is, again, by caramellody. i came up with duel as a codename, bc of the dual color scheme and duel bein a fightin word sjklfdsjf. (also if you put duel and scott together the initials are DS. thats video game initials........) outside of a jokey persona like vince young or smth, im stuck on his persona but i like to think of him using both fire and ice on a slightly weaker scale compared to ann and yusuke, sorta like crow with bless and curse. hes a blunt weapon user like ryuji, but theyre all like. light blunt weapons. and hes a lighter hitter and much more agile than ryuji.

this post is getting Way Too Long, so ill close out by saying. this au is supposed to defo supposed be on the goofier side, but me and caramellody have some canon divergence planned that puts the goofy to the side for a second...

ty for coming to my ted scott talk.

#scott the woz phantom thief au #scott the woz #persona 5 #phantom thief #my art #blood

[introvertguide]

Pulp Fiction (1994); AFI #94

The most recent movie for review was the Quentin Tarantino crime thriller comedy (probably more things) Pulp Fiction (1994). It is a very complicated story that is told out of chronological order and focuses on scenes of meaningful character interaction. This confusion meant it lost out to movies with a more straight forward time line at the Oscars, since the move was nominated for seven awards but only took home one. The single win for best screenplay was well deserved and I still believe it is one of the most creatively written films of all time. I want to go over the plot to show what I mean, but let me do my standard due diligence:

SPOILER WARNING!!! I AM ABOUT TO GIVE THE BASIC DETAILS OF ONE OF THE MOST COMPLEX STORY LINES IN MOVIE HISTORY!!! IT WILL NOT LIKELY SPOIL MUCH OF ANYTHING, BUT I AM STICKING THIS WARNING ON JUST IN CASE SOMEBODY FINDS SOMETHING!!!

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

The film begins with what is pretty much a prologue but what turns out to be about the middle of the film chronologically. A couple is at a diner and they are talking about robbing banks. They only refer to each other as Pumpkin (Tim Roth) and Honey Bunny (Amanda Plummer). They discuss the best kind of places to rob and they decide that a diner would be a good change of pace. Impulsively, they pull out guns and hold up the diner and...title card with awesome spaghetti western music!

Two hitmen are talking about Europe as they go to do a job. Vincent Vega (Jon Travolta) talks about his adventures with Jules Winnfield (Samuel L. Jackson) as they pull up at an Los Angeles apartment complex. The two discuss their boss Marsellus Wallace and how touchy he is about his wife. The boss has apparently sent them to get something from a bunch of guys. Jules and Vincent call on an apartment with 3 college age men and intimidate them into giving over a briefcase with something glowing inside. The case is what they came for, so the hitmen take it and kill two of the men at the apartment...

Flash to a new scene in which Vincent is going to get some drugs from his dealer (Eric Stoltz). Vincent is a heroine user despite cocaine being the popular drug. It turns out Vincent was asked by his boss to take out his wife...the one he is very protective of. He just needs to hang out with her so she is not bored and not get into trouble. To accomplish this, he shoots up some heroine and goes to meet the wife named Mia Wallace (Uma Thurman). They seem to get along and he drives her to a restaurant called Jack Rabbit Slims. The place is fantastic, all the waiters are dressed up like American movie icons and the booths are repurposed cars from the 50s (if this place actually existed, you can be sure I would search it out and go there at least once). The two bond over dinner and then volunteer for a twist dance contest.

Mia and Vincent go back to her house and Vincent goes to the restroom to talk himself out of trying to score with Mia. She is pretty cool, but not worth dying for. While he is away, Mia finds some heroine in the pocket of Vincent’s jacket and thinks it is cocaine. She snorts it and immediately starts to overdose. Vincent panics and decides to drive her to the dealer’s house. The dealer has a nurse kit that comes with a giant needle full of adrenaline which Vincent stabs her with. She wakes up and Vincent takes her back home and is glad that he will live another day...

We jump to a flashback of a young boy who is has lost his father in Vietnam. An officer is visiting that has a gift. Apparently, there is a family watch that belonged to the boys great grandfather and had been passed down through the generations. His father had it when he was captured and gave it to the officer before the father died in the POW camp. The officer escaped and found the boy to give him the watch...

A boxer named Butch (Bruce Willis) wakes up from a dream. He is the boy all grown up. He is about to throw a fight for Marsellus Wallace (Ving Rhames), the same boss that everyone is afraid of. Butch does not throw the fight and accidently kills the other boxer. It turns out that he bet on himself and now he needs to get out of town before Marsellus Wallace catches him. He goes to a hotel where his rather dumb girlfriend is waiting for him. They go to bed and then are about to leave the next morning when it turns out that she forgot his watch. Butch freaks out and goes back to their old apartment to get the watch (note the very long take following Bruce Willis as he takes a back way to get to the apartment). Vincent is there waiting for him, but Vincent is in the bathroom and Butch is able to get a gun and kill Vincent as he is coming out of the bathroom. Things seem good so Butch drives off...

As Butch drives home, he sees Marsellus crossing the street in front of him so Butch hits the gas and runs down the boss but also hits an oncoming car. Both men are injured but Marsellus gains his senses and chases Butch into a shop where both are captured by a weird redneck with a shotgun. Butch and Marsellus are tied up in the basement of the shop and a man named Zed shows up. The shop owner has a gimp in a box (all leathered up and everything) and other fetish things downstairs. After a quick game to pick who goes first, they take Marcellus into another room to rape him. Butch manages to escape and is running away...but he decides can’t leave somebody to be assaulted like that. He grabs a weapon from the shop and kills the shop owner and frees Marsellus from Zed. Marsellus is not happy and says he will go “medieval” on Zed and allows Butch to leave town. Butch collects his girlfriend and leaves immediately...

Flash back in time (we know this because Vincent is alive) to right after Vincent and Jules shoot the guys with the case. Another guy in the other room jumps out and unloads six rounds at the two and misses every shot. The hitman kill that man, but Jules is shaken and decides to give up the business. They take a fourth gut with them in the car to go back to see Marsellus. On the drive over, Vincent accidently shoots the passenger while going over a pothole. The inside of the car is absolutely covered in blood and brains, so the two have to find a safe house. They go to the home of Jimmie (Quentin Tarantino) who will help them but says they have to get out in a couple of hours before his wife gets home. They call Marsellus, who sends over a cleaner named Wolf (Harvey Keitel). They are able to get everything cleaned up in time and leave with the car and the body. Jules and Vincent have to change out of their bloody clothes and decide to take a cab out to a diner for some food before seeing Wallace.

The two are at a familiar looking diner discussing whether their survival was a miracle and whether Jules should quit. Vincent goes off to the bathroom and, while he is gone, Pumpkin and Honey Bunny from the beginning declare it a robbery and it is evident that we have circled in time back around to the beginning. The couple hold up the diner, but, when they get to Jules, he takes Pumpkin hostage and devises a plan for everybody to leave. Jules allows the couple to leave alive with all the wallets, then the two hitmen follow quickly behind them before any police can show up.

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

I put a spoiler warning at the top, but there is so much to this film that there is no way you could spoil everything. I find new things to enjoy about this movie each time that I watch it and the watch count has to be at least two dozen times at this point. This film is so rich with allusion and homage to movies of the past that you might never see everything. Tarantino is truly a lover of old films and he worked every reference he could into this film. This is truly like candy for a cinephile. 

I have, however, had a love hate relationship with this movie: I love this movie and I hate it when people tell me it is too violent. There was a lot of negative response to the films toxic masculinity, romancing crime culture, incredible amount of swearing, drug use, extreme gun violence, and very adult themes. There is a very famous interview between Quentin Tarantino and Jan Wahl in which she accuses him of using excessive violence and he tells her it is because it is a lot of fun to watch. His stylistically gory violence stems from exploitation films of the past and there is an established audience that enjoys it. He makes his movies for himself and this group of people.

Kind of like the comedy of Eddie Murphy, Richard Pryor, and George Carlin, you have to wade through a sea of swearing to find the comedic banter. The things that Jules and Vincent say to each other are some of the funniest stuff I have ever heard, but you really have to pay attention. Their attempts to express their feelings while maintaining their hard exterior persona is ridiculous. This is probably why many people enjoy the scenes with Vincent and Mia: there is a lot more courtesy which reduces the tirade of cursing.

The violence is very very over the top, but it is no where near the level of gore that Tarantino has become known for over the years. I must admit that he likes his torture scenes and this film is no exception. I would like to note how clever the torture scene with Butch and Marsellus is because they are both tied up and facing camera so only the audience can see the mischief that is being prepared behind them. 

The soundtrack for the film is well worth mentioning as it also pays homage to 50s, 60s, and 70s exploitations films. There is a lot of silence in the film with sudden bursts of fast paced music that help with transitions. Most famous is the intro music after diner prologue, a surf rock classic by Dick Dale and The Del Tones called Misirlou. It is pure speed guitar riff along the lines of Wipeout and transitions the scene perfectly. Take a listen for yourself:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIU0RMV_II8

Maybe the biggest thing about this film and Tarantino in general is the inspiration of the slick gangster dialogue. There had been a push for more melodramatic dialogue or the complete absence of much talking. Tarantino added in this slick, fast moving comedic dialogue that is said over extreme violence and adult situations. Marsellus Wallace talks about having some crack heads torture a man to death immediately after being raped in a basement. The hitmen talk about appropriate manners while cleaning out brains from the back of a car. Jules talks about the meaning of the bible during a robbery. Everything seems out of place in the real world but perfectly acceptable in Tarantino’s world. This is probably why I have no problem with the violence in the film.

So should this film be on the AFI top 100? Absolutely. It is an homage to film history while simultaneously introducing a sub genre that mixes current dialogue and exploitation touches to grindhouse action. It is fascinating and fun. Would I recommend this movie? If you are old enough. I can’t emphasize enough how fun I find this film, but I cannot deny that it is filled with adult situations like drug usage followed by driving, secret dungeon rape, and cold blooded murder with no consequences. If you can differentiate between Tarantino’s world and the real world, then this is great. If you can’t, then maybe try something else with slick dialogue like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

#miserlou #pulp fiction #samuel l jackson #Quentin Tarantino #john travolta #violence #action #90s movies #academy award winner #dialogue #cinematography #introvert #introverts

[timbertumbr]

Boneafide Gamer (A Reverse Harem Fic)

Chapter 1, Signing In

Quotev Link

Welp- Guess who’s joining the skeleton train?!

Note: When it's in your perspective, it's more than likely going to use the boys Usernames instead of their Nicknames since they legit just met so… here's a list of the usernames I've come up with-

Blue (Underswap Sans): Magnificent Blueberry

Stretch (Underswap Papyrus): Carrot

I'll add more as the boys are introduced. (Also for the horror bros I'm using ratsoh-writes nicknames.)

Finally, after a year of waiting, you have it!  Basic MMORPG VR edition! You squeal before thanking the delivery person and closing the door.

You tear open the packaging as you enter the room, open the case and put the disc into your computer. You gently place the case onto the desk before setting up your V.R set. The game boots up as you put on the VR goggles and you begin the intro. 

"Welcome to Basic MMORPG VR edition. A world that was heavily inspired by Sword Art Online, but our game is much better in so many ways! Would you like a list?" Snorting, you select yes.

"You do not have to fight any creatures in this game.

There are many skill sets to choose from like cooking, fishing, farming, bounty hunting and many many more!

A world that gets updated throughout the seasons.

Create, craft, or find many items the world or players around you provide.

You are not strictly assigned to a specific class, want to be a mage that wields a sword? You can BE a mage that wields a sword!

There are-" Holy crap, this list is long… you'd review it later, you wanted to get to the good stuff! Gameplay!

You enter the character customization screen and make your persona. Then came the most difficult part of making a character, giving it a name!

You tapped your foot as you thought of what to name them… do you want something funny? Something normal? Or something stupid? Man, this is hard…

You go for the grandest name of all "fart." You snicker as you accept the name, knowing you could change it whenever.

Hitting "confirm," you wait as the game loads on a public server. And when it loads in, there aren't a lot of people on… Wasn't there a lot of hype for this game?

You shrugged and went to the infamous Quest Master to receive your class, first weapon, and first quest. 

After all was said and done, you were "fart," jack of all trades (because you couldn't choose just ONE of all these cool classes!) And off you went to the fields to complete your first quest, kill/befriend/collect 5 slimes. 

Holding your multiweapon tight, (Again, you were VERY indecisive and basically created a multitool for weapons.) You venture into the fields to see a lot of slime and very few people.

Legit, there were only two people here. Skeletons, one named "Magnificent Blueberry" and the other named "Carrot." Very fitting considering their choice of armor/robes.

Intrigued, you decide to focus on your quest conveniently close to the skeletons, waiting for the chance to jump in their conversation and make friends! Haha! Genius!

While you slashed more than the acquired amount of slimes with your sword, the short skeleton was reading all the features this game held while the tall one was trying to figure out the controls.

"OH WOW! PAPY, DID YOU KNOW YOU COULD MAKE FRIENDS WITH THE CREATURES?!" Blueberry exclaimed using voice chat, turning to his struggling younger brother.

"Really? I think we both know who'd like that," Stretch says amused, Blueberry huffing before helping Stretch with the controls.

"INDEED! OKA WOULD LOVE TO MAKE A SLIME FARM! (THE TRIGGER IS TO ACTIVATE STUFF LIKE GRABBING AND DROPPING ITEMS) AND I THINK EDGE WOULD BE MORE THAT HAPPY TO HAVE A CAT 'ARMY,'" Blueberry exclaims, happy that there's so much to do in this game! (Even if it is a waste of time according to Edge.) 

Stretch nods, finally getting used to the controls and thanking Blueberry, who enthusiastically welcomes him.

"What other features are there?" Stretch asks curiously, peering at the cybernetic screen on Blue's arm.

"OH LOT'S! THERE'S HUNDREDS OF FEATURES IN THIS!" Blue exclaims before scanning the list to look for one Stretch may like.

"Oh wow," Stretch comments amazed, he knew there was a lot but HUNDREDS?! It's every gamer's dream! (Red may enjoy that.) 

"LIKE THIS ONE! IF YOU HOVER OVER A PLAYER, YOU CAN ADD THEM TO A PARTY! LET'S DO IT!" Stretch shrugs.

"Sure, why not?" With stars in his sockets, he hovers his disembodied hand over Stretch and adds him to a party which Stretch accepted the request for. Blue then renames the party to "THE AMAZING DUO!" Stretch raises a bone brow with an amused smile.

"Really?"

"REALLY! OH LOOK, A POTENTIAL FRIEND!" Blue exclaims, finally noticing you. However you were focused on the slimes.

"They've been there forever though," Stretch points out.

"WHA? PAPY, WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME?!" Blue says sadly, Stretch shrugs again.

"They seemed busy," Blueberry looked at you again and you were still focused on the slimes.

"WELL, MAYBE THEY NEED A BREAK!" Blueberry exclaims before approaching you. Stretch sighs before hesitantly following his brother. 

"GREETINGS FART!" He exclaims, causing you to burst out laughing.

"Ahaha! I knew that name was a great choice!" You say before turning to the smiling short skeleton.

"[Insert pun here] MWHEHE!" You hear a groan come from the taller skeleton that just arrived.

"Hehe! That was a good one! As you know, I'm Fart. And you're…?"

"I'M THE MAGNIFICENT BLUEBERRY, MWHEHE! BUT YOU MAY JUST CALL ME BLUEBERRY OR BLUE!" Blue exclaims.

"I'm Carrot," Stretch says afterwards, causing you to snicker.

"Those are great names! Say, what are your classes?" 

"WARRIOR OF PEACE!"

"Mage, You?" You chuckle sheepishly at the question.

"I… chose all of them…" You admit, making Carrot snort.

"Couldn't settle for one huh?" Stretch asks amused, you cross your arms and huff.

"Hey! It's not my fault there's so many choices!" You exclaim.

"I THINK IT'S NEAT!" Blue chimes in making you smile.

"Thank you Blue. Hey, are you guys new to the game?" You ask and they both nod.

"Well, so am I! How about we explore together?" You suggest, Blue lit up like a Christmas tree.

"THAT'S A GREAT IDEA! LET'S GO NEW FRIEND FART!" Blue exclaims before leading the way, you and Carrot snicker and follow after.

So you spent the entire day exploring the HUGE town made for beginners and it's also a hangout/meetup area for experienced players. You got witty remarks from Carrot, puns and fun little facts and features from Sans as you explored. Before you all knew it, night had arrived and you had to log off.

"Oh shoot! It's 8 already?! I gotta go guys, thanks for exploring with me!" You announce making Blue jump.

"IT'S 8?!" Blue yelled before quickly logging off, leaving you with Carrot.

"He… doesn't play games a lot. He usually works hard," Carrot explains, you nod.

"Makes sense," You say before you go to log off.

"Wait a minute," Carrot says before you press the logout button.

"Could I get your discord? I have some… cousins that could use some social interaction from someone like you," You smile.

"Is this your way of telling me you want to hang out more?" You ask in a teasing tone, Carrot snorts.

"Yes and no," He answers simply with a smirk. You exchange discord usernames and codes (Cheesepuff ####) before saying your final goodbyes and logging off. 

You take off the VR headset and wince from the lack of light and strain on your eyes. You shut off everything and begin your nightly routine. Once done, you scoop up your phone and check your messages on discord. 

Cheesepuff: Yo, it's Carrot. I came to wish the jack of all trades goodnight. And to tell you Blueberry says he's sorry he left so suddenly.

You snicker before replying.

(Username): Thank you Carrot. Tell Blue I said it's okay. Goodnight to both of you!

You then go to message your friend hoping they weren't asleep already.

(Username): Dude! I made friends! :D

Totally not the writer: Oh? Do tell.

And so you do, telling them EVERYTHING! 

Totally not the writer: Woah. I gotta get that game. And they sound nice but keep on your toes okay? Not everyone is who they seem.

(Username): Don't worry, I will! Good night you night owl. (You better go to sleep once you send YOUR good night.)

Totally not the writer: No promises. Night.

Sighing, you shut off your phone and head to sleep and dream of Slimes, Carrots and Blueberries.

Holy shit! That took a while to write. One pair of boys down, 4 to go… Will the other chapters be as long as this one? It honestly depends but let's hope not for both our sakes.

So we got ourselves a new series! Huzzah! I’ll try and post the chapters here with links to the next as the series goes on but I could also post it onto quotev or something if you guys prefer that.

Next Chapter

#oh god the TAAAAAAAGS #Underswap Papyrus #Underswap Sans #Underfell Papyrus #Underfell Sans #Swapfell Sans #Swapfell Papyrus #Horrortale Papyrus #Horrortale Sans #Undertale Sans #Undertale Papyrus #Sans #Papyrus #X Reader #Reverse Harem #AHHHHHHHHHHHHH

[annikasafternoonread]

An Absolutely Remarkable Thing (by Hank Green) -- Part 1

Hello friends! I’m so sorry it’s been a while -- life has just been weird lately, and I’ve been super tired, and the time never felt right, and I had so much to say, and and and I don’t know. 

But I’m here now XD

I had interest expressed for both Wild Magic by Tamora Pierce and An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green, and I think Wild Magic might have technically won but I just wasn’t feeling it for some reason. Maybe I had too many animals in my house already (I was catsitting for my friend’s two cats, who didn’t much like our two cats or our dog) and it was too overwhelming. But in the interests of getting my ass in gear and getting back into the reading saddle, I’m going to go ahead with An Absolutely Remarkable Thing. I’ll probably put Wild Magic back in contention for our next vote, though! 

I’m going to split this intro into two posts (you can read the second post here), because a lot of what I want to talk about is just general celebrity culture and why I think Hank was perfect to write this book. It’s not specifically focused on AART itself, and while it’s relevant, it quickly swelled to be quite long and I didn’t want to scare folks off with the size of the intro post haha. This post will try to stay focused on the book and what I’m looking forward to. 

So. An Absolutely Remarble Thing. This book fascinated me. It hit so many of my favourite vibes, and did it so well. April May is funny and clever, but she’s also human and complicated and sometimes selfish or stupid. Miranda is so smart and pretty and I’m very gay for her. The puzzles are fun and creative and interesting and exciting. And then the themes are spot on -- celebrity, media, persona, humanity, morality... and then some aliens, robots, and bisexuals mixed in as a treat. 

First up: April May. She’s amazing. I already said that, but it’s true. I have rarely encountered a character like her, where I like her so much and yet -- I’m very aware that she’s not a very good person. Not in an antagonist way, she’s very much the protagonist, and I think she’s written to be liked. But she’s also written to be deeply, deeply flawed. And it’s interesting to hold space for both of those, and to be reminded that they can coexist.

This book also asks a lot of questions about what it means to be a person, what it means to be a good person. Those questions don’t have simple answers, and we’re all out here just doing our best. Most people think they’re good people. Including people who we think are bad people. Learning how to engage with those people (or when to avoid them) is something that we’re all trying to find our own ways of dealing with. It’s hard, and sometimes it’s hateful, but we keep trying. 

And honestly, I think this book is at its core incredibly optimistic about humanity. There are people who want to sow fear or division or hatred, who want to undermine others or just cash in for themselves, but in the background of all of it -- this story is a story of community. Of millions (or even billions) of people around the world, coming together to work for something more than themselves. And there’s no real reason to, no reward they know of -- they just want to. They want to be a part of something more. They want to find the answers, just for the sake of answers. For the sake of doing it. I don’t know if that quite fits the definition of altruism, but it’s close. And it’s pretty damn miraculous.

Straying away from the story itself, I think another more unique reason I enjoyed this book so much was because of the time in my life it arrived at. It came out in the fall of 2018, and I figured out for sure that I was panromantic (or at least, romantically interested in women, exact labels are squishy) in the spring of 2018. I was surprised how much that affected my experience of a lot of media, but it’s just so fun and freeing to point at a movie actor or a book character and say “god I’m gay.” Like, I’d absolutely done similar things in the past of saying “she’s so pretty” or “I love that character/actress,” but there’s something so simple and satisfying about “I’m gay” that encompasses a different vibe, and when I wasn’t second-guessing my sexuality or worrying that I was intruding on queer/sapphic culture -- movies and books and TV shows and life just got better. Which is a long-winded way of saying that I have a major crush on Miranda and can I please date her. 

Also I went on a spontaneous international road trip to Ohio with two of my best friends (one of whom I was secretly in love with and am now dating) for the book tour, so that’s also a nice memory I specifically have attached to this book. 

I think that’s most of the things I had to talk about with this book, so I’ll wrap things up here. If you’re interested in me chattering about celebrity and fame and internet culture and Hank Green and social media for another thousand words, head over here for part 2 of the intro post, and otherwise I’ll see you soon to start reading -- might not be tomorrow, as I have spelling bees and work, but hopefully Monday. Or maybe Tuesday. Soon, I swear. I hope. 

See you then :)

#annika reads #An Absolutely Remarkable Thing #Hank Green #bookshelf #book intro