#it's the same character just a slightly different flavor

[quillyfied]

There being two movies now in the Benoit Blanc world, and both movies sharing some recognizable tropes and archetypes to build its flavor, there’s a specific type of character that I’m struck by, particularly as a white woman, in both Knives Out and Glass Onion:

The Sympathetic White Woman.

In KO it’s Meg. In GO it’s Whiskey. They both bond with the (WOC, very important to emphasize) protagonist by being less crappy to her than the rest of the cast, and both signal to the audience that they’re trustworthy as far as the protagonist goes. They tell the protagonist that they’re on her side. They try to be supportive. They’re sympathetic to the audience.

Then comes the moment when the Sympathetic White Woman’s security is threatened.

(Brief added interruption to just say: please dig through the notes and replies on this baby for some additional excellent thoughts from other people, including the very important distinction that Marta is a white Latina and not a woman of color (my mistake thank you for the corrections), and more thoughts on Whiskey’s actual/additional betrayal moments!)

For Meg, it’s her mom telling her she has to drop out of school if they don’t get the inheritance money. For Whiskey, it’s Duke dying. In both cases, the protagonist reaches out—Marta tells Meg she won’t let that happen, she’ll support Meg with whatever money she needs; Helen tries to soothe a hysteric Whiskey by telling her she doesn’t need Duke and he deserved what he got (not realizing Duke is dead, of course). It’s a slightly different moment in each movie, but the basic framework is the same: the woman of color protagonist reaches back to the Sympathetic White Woman, and notably, reaches DOWN, offering the support the Sympathetic White Woman offered earlier.

Only…the Sympathetic White Woman was never intending to be the one the protagonist had to reach down to. So she snaps. Meg tells her family about Marta’s mother and they use it to threaten her. Whiskey latches onto the belief that Helen killed Duke and tries to kill her with a spear gun in what she thinks is self-defense. The Sympathetic White Woman Heel-Turn.

Meg and Whiskey both also sort of try to make amends after their Heel-Turn moments, but…the trust is already broken. The protagonist knows better now. The Sympathetic White Woman is not to be trusted.

Why this sticks out to me personally is the very obvious callout that feminists of color have been making about white feminists for literal decades: that white feminism lacks any true support or compassion for non-white people, that it’s empty promises of support and when the chips are down, white feminism upholds whiteness over feminism in an act to protect itself. And whiteness…is a damn difficult thing to even see when you’re white and raised in an overwhelmingly white community, let alone begin to pick apart and unlearn. It’s reactionary, how Meg and Whiskey turn on Marta and Helen to protect themselves.

It would make Meg incredibly vulnerable to support Marta fully, the way she promised to back when she thought she had the resources for it, but Marta is that vulnerable every day just existing as a Latina woman in America. Whiskey’s Heel-Turn moment is a little more immediate trauma based, but when looking for someone to blame, she doesn’t hesitate to blame Andi (Helen), scrapping together the few pieces of information she has—Andi hates all of the Disruptors, Andi got screwed over by them, Andi fought with Duke just minutes before he died, Andi was in their shared room tearing it apart when Whiskey came in distraught. She’s looking for an outlet. There’s Helen red-handed and in view. Boom. Whiskey grabs the spear gun instead of talking it out with the person she admitted just hours ago to feeling sympathy for.

Growing up white and steeped in whiteness causes defensive reactions when that whiteness is brought up, or, god forbid, challenged. It’s a knee-jerk thing for people who haven’t begun to deconstruct it for themselves; even for people who have, to see just how far and deep in American society that reaches is troubling. Humbling. Enraging. The Sympathetic White Woman archetype is, to me, a warning to not let whiteness overrule sense and morals. To be smart about it. And, crucially, to check myself for condescension, especially when interacting with non-white folks in any capacity.

(Also why the presence of Benoit Blanc is so important. He is also sympathetic, he also offers his own support, but crucially, he just uses his whiteness to clear a path for the WOC protagonist to take her place and do what she needs to do. He doesn’t speak over her, he doesn’t turn on her, he just listens, and presents the truth for her to do with it what she will. Or, in one case, hands her highly volatile crystal hydrogen for when she’s really ready to tear the Murderer’s crap down.)

#knives out #glass onion #major spoilers for both obviously #and hoping I got this post right with what I was trying to say #listen I shotgunned both movies for the first time in a span of two days #I am VIBRATING with good brain juice

[fictionadventurer]

Maybe one of the reasons that the A Muppet Christmas Carol works so well as an adaptation is that the Muppets are particularly well-suited for capturing Dickens' comedy. A movie can't capture all the wordplay and wry satire of the book's prose, but a Muppet adaptation comes closer than maybe any other version could, because the Muppets love wordplay and satire, so even if the humor isn't quite what Dickens would do, it's not against the spirit of the book. Muppets are broad, clearly-defined character types--much like what Dickens is known for--so casting Muppets as Dickens characters is a surprisingly natural fit. And the Muppets also have an earnestness that lets them portray the sweeter side of the story. It's a very deft match between the two properties--they're just slightly different flavors of the same storytelling spirit.

(And, honestly, I can't imagine any actor capturing the warmth and jolliness of The Ghost of Christmas Present better than "giant custom-made Muppet-suit" could.)

#a muppet christmas carol #a christmas carol #charles dickens

[kwanisms]

[23:04] — failed initiation :: l.minho

» stray kids masterlist «

➮ minho × gn!reader

wc: 1.4k

summary: Your best friend invited you to a frat party and during your first game of Paranoia, your crush comes in to save your ass.

genres/themes/au: fluff; party themes; non idol au, college au

warnings: mild language, gn!reader, gn!best friend, alcohol consumption, slightly suggestive at the end

permanent taglist: @yoonguurt @wonderfulshinee @candidupped @dejavernon @violagoth @tigermoonbiss @katsukis1wife @luvsooby @thesolarplanetarysystem @salty-for-suga @devilsmatches @dmnspiit @simeonswhore @yangracha @atinypurr @aikyubi @labyrinthonmymind @bintificreads @toxic-babexe @plutoneu @sunwoosbaby @lilramennoodle @deadgirlwalking3

stray kids taglist: @cixrosie @hoeforcheol @smhlino @cutiespaghetti @peterparkoure @chubbyanarkiss @anyamaris @nattisbored @mlysalt @cinnamoon-belle @briannabk22 @vampiirose @plants-w0rld @0325tiny @justiny @lacie220900 @dementedaly @burnsmepls @nebulousbookshelf @vitrealisbunny @generic-teez-127 @kpopficrexs @lunaryoongie @sweetlylemon

unable to tag: @prestineaugustine

join my taglists: permanent | group

a/n: this is for the initiation event hosted by @cultofdionysusnet that we members have to complete upon joining. There isn't much else to be said about it honestly. It's just a lil drabble. A lil timestamp lol nothing special. Thank you for reading and as always, this is a work of fiction and all characters are not reflective of their respective irl counterparts. for entertainment purposes only.

The lights and heavy bass had been blinding and overwhelming when you'd first stepped into the building earlier that evening but now after a couple hours and more drinks than you could remember, it had less of an effect on you.

When your best friend had invited you to this frat party, you'd initially turned them down, wanting to stay in but when you learned that your campus crush was going to be there. You couldn't pass up the opportunity.

You were on probably a sixth or seventh drink when one of the guys throwing the party came up to you. It was the guy your friend liked, Yeosang. He noticed your nearly empty cup and offered to get you a refill. You thanked him, accepting his offer.

Yeosang disappeared into the crowd as your eyes landed on the one guy you'd come to see.

Minho.

He was gorgeous, extremely smart and athletic, and not to mention absolutely hilarious. Not everyone understood or appreciated his humor or that he was a little rough around the edges but under that, he was genuinely a very nice person.

You'd seen your fair share of his generosity and his kind nature when he rescued three kittens from a tree on his way to class. He was also the kind of person to stop and move a turtle across the road so it wouldn't get hit.

With people, he tended to be a bit abrasive and came off crass.

But with animals, he was a kind and gentle soul.

You were so caught up in your thoughts that you didn't notice Minho had made eye contact with you from his spot across the room and was now staring back. Your cheeks burned as you looked away, missing the slight smirk that appeared on his face. You felt a body squeeze next to you.

Yeosang had returned. "Your beverage," he said, offering you the glass and tapping his against yours lightly in silent cheers. You lifted the glass and took a sip, surprised by the fruity flavors. It was like a mixture of different fruits. Like a fruit punch almost. "This is really good!" you said over the music.

Yeosang nodded, thank you. "Hey, you should come with me. There's a smaller room where everyone is just hanging out. Y/F/N is there," he said into your ear.

You nodded, letting him lead the way, glancing around but not seeing Minho anywhere.

Yeisang led you through the crowd to the kitchen and to a door that opened up to the basement. You glanced back at him in panic and he nodded, that same pleasant smile on his face. The kind that puts your fears at ease.

You started down the steps into the basement. He was right, there was a smaller party going on down in the bowels of the house. The room looked to be a gamer's cave of sorts. Inside were some of Yeosang's friends, your best friend and…

"Hey, Minho," a voice called. Your crush looked up as Chris walked over, the two greeting one another. Minho looked as if he was in the process of playing a game at the Foosball table against one of Yeosang's older friends, Seonghwa.

Your best friend made a beeline to you as Yeosang excused himself to go chat with a friend. "I was wondering where you were!" your best friend said quietly. You glared at them.

"I was right where you left me," you reminded them. Your best friend gave you a pout. "I'm sorry. Y/N," they replied. "I was getting a refill and then Yeosang told me this party down here was going on and so we came down here and then I got so caught up in talking to his friends. When I realized you were still upstairs I asked him to go get you."

You narrowed your eyes before letting it slide. No harm done.

You took another drink as you glanced around, your gaze settling on Minho again. He was facing Seonghwa, waiting for the other to be ready to start the game.

He looked so effortlessly flawless. He wore a plain white tee tucked into light wash jeans with rips in the thighs and knees. The cuffs of his jeans were rolled up once, exposing the top of his black high top converse. Over the shirt he wore a gray plaid button down, left unbuttoned and open to show off the tee and his silver chain necklace.

When you arrived earlier that evening, he'd been sporting a black leather jacket but had removed it at some point. His hair was styled lazily, like he'd put light product on his fingers and then run his fingers through his hair but after repeatedly running his fingers through his hair all night, the style had fallen out.

You turned away as Felix motioned for you and your best friend to join them on the couch. "We're gonna play a game," Felix announced as more people moved to sit around the coffee table, some on the floor.

"What kind of game?" you asked hesitantly. "You've heard of Paranoia?" You nodded slowly. "She's heard of it," your best friend offered. "But she's never played it." One of Felix and Minho's friends, Hyunjin, leaned forward to see past Felix. "Then think of this like an initiation to the college party scene," he said with a wink.

"So, I don't have to explain?" Felix asked, sounding relieved until Jeongin raised his hand. "I don't know the game," he replied, several others chiming in.

Felix groaned while Hyunjin took the reins, explaining the rules of the game.

"It's really simple," he started. "One person will whisper a question into your ear and then you have to answer that question out loud. It's typically a one word question. Then, other players can ask you what the question was," he added. Jeongin and a few others nodded.

"If you don't want to answer, you have to take a shot," he continued, producing a bottle and setting it on the coffee table while Yeosang approached with a sleeve of cups.

"If you don't want to play, get up now," Hyunjin announced. When no one moved, the game started. Finally it got to Felix who sat beside you. "Okay, Y/N," he started before leaning in, covering his mouth with his hand to hide his lips from would-be lip readers.

"Is it true you like Minho?" he whispered. Your eyes widened as he leaned back to look at you. After a moment of silence you finally nodded. "Y-yes," you answered. Felix chuckled, looking smug and triumphant.

"I knew it," he replied. "It's kind of obvious," he added. You threw him a dirty look as one of the girls in the circle, a girl named Yeji leaned forward. "What was the question, Y/N?"

Your cheeks burned. "I'll take a shot," you said quickly. Your best friend grabbed your arm as Hyunjin poured you a shot. "Are you sure about that? You've already had a lot to drink."

You nodded. "I'd rather drink than repeat the question you said softly as Hyunjin pushed the cup towards you. You reached to grab it but another hand took it and everyone looked up as Minho raised the cup to his face, taking a sniff.

"Everclear, Hyun? Really?" he scoffed. "Are you trying to kill people?" Hyunjin frowned. "Y/N has to take the shot, Min, that's the rule!"

Minho shook his head before raising the cup to his lips, eyes meeting yours. "To your good health," he said before downing the contents to everyone's shock. He gagged before crumpling the cup and looking at Hyunjin.

"You're a bad influence," he said before tossing the cup in the trash by the couch and turning to you, offering his hand. "Come on," he said softly. "Let me show you how to play Foosball." You took his hand without hesitation, offering an apology to your best friend and went with Minho over to the Foosball table.

The rest of the night was spent talking to Minho as he taught you how to play. You managed to beat him three times in a row as the rest of the party dwindled on.

Minho proved to be pretty good company and you end the night falling even more for him.

You also managed to fall into his bed but that was another story for another time.

ⓘ Graphics made by me. Content and support banners made using a template by cafekitsune. I do not allow reposts, translations, or continuations of my works. All writing and graphics are ©️ kwanisms.

#cultofdionysusnet #codn initiation event #stray kids scenarios #stray kids imagines #stray kids timestamps #stray kids fanfiction #stray kids fanfic #stray kids fluff #stray kids x reader #lee know scenarios #lee know imagines #lee know timestamp #lee know fanfic #lee know fluff #lee know x reader

[cowgirlcherrie]

𓏲 APPLE OF MY EYE ᵎᵎ secret admirer! abby anderson

synopsis: love is a free spirit; crushing is even harder. It all started with a special delivery of anonymous treats at your door. While you were yearning that it would be your best friend sending them to you.

song(s): apple cider by beabadoobee

*LYRICS ARE BOLDED

content: takes place in game universe. follows the events leading up to seattle day 1. violence. death. repetitive mentions of apples; eating them, imagery etc. mutual pinning. implied character death by end. blood. right person, wrong time. missed connection. kinda implied fem! reader. Joel death mention. death foreshadowing. intuitive knowledge of death. Closely follows the song.

WE BOTH LIKE APPLE CIDER

Crush and Crunch.

Crunching with your crush. 

It all sounded the same to you, the cracking of your vocal cords at the back of your throat pushing at enunciating every syllable in crush sounding like crunch; which were your teeth poking into an apple every Tuesday. Shiny Granny Smiths, on Tuesdays, Honeycrisps on Wednesdays, and Fuji on Fridays. 

You weren’t sure when the kitchen started getting apple deliveries; perhaps the never-ending garden of trees grown them with the perfect analytics to make sure they weren’t poisonous or synthetic apples but you weren’t complaining. The first time you tried an apple sounded ridiculous to say. Your first ever. You took the finely cut slice; detached from its core to your mouth, groaning in satisfaction as the flavors mixed together in your mouth like a rollercoaster. Juicy and bitter with a tinge of sweetness.  Just how you liked it.

Abby said they were even better with cinnamon. Rambling on about how sugar and spice equate to everything nice and the best finger-licking of your dreams. On apple days, during breakfast you found yourself sitting at a secluded table with Abby in front of you slicing the apples so they were easier to consume. Shared amongst the two of you as your hands reached for the same slices; Abby pulled her hand away to let you have the last. 

BUT YOUR HAIR BE SMELLING LIKE FRUIT PUNCH

You enjoyed these bittersweet moments; like the apples of course. The sun beamed on Abby’s face in marigold and marmalade, as her blonde locks blew in the air slightly disheveled from when she went on patrol that day. Her fresh scent of pine, and fruit blend from her hair which was refreshing and comforting you. She took a final bite before flipping the knife down to take it back to the utensil bin for washing. Where then the two of you would part ways. It was never awkward. Eating apples in silence; you mean — because Abby had a schedule more vigorous and deathly than yours and you had other businesses to attend to. But she never would miss out on an Apple time with you. 

AND I DON’T EVEN LIKE YOU THAT MUCH

You’ve grown suspicious in recent meters. You weren’t one to talk about love either but it somehow found some way to bite back at you like the juices of the apple splattering on your lips when you would eat them.

WAIT, I DO, FUCK.

It started with suspicious packages revealing themselves outside of your door, wrapped in a delicate ribbon, with a brown paper box tied off with the most absurd cursive handwriting that you could hardly read. But somehow making out, the delicate notion of

An apple a day keeps the doctor away. Xoxo, eyes from afar.

CALL ME, AT MIDNIGHT.

So as anyone else would, at midnight, you stomped your way to Abby’s door pounding your fist into the wood until she slammed it open looking at you in bewilderment. Toothbrush in between her lips scratching her teeth; scrubbing away at any build-up as she watched you. Notioning with her hands for you to speak. She looked carefree, laidback her hair was down and she looked as though she freshly showered. 

“Thanks for the gift” you smirk, holding up the box with randomized love and self-care books with an intact nail polish set that was on top. It was a variety pack, swishes of different shades of pink and white, and even nudes to go for a clear coat; like a puff of cotton candy.

You were flattered, naturally, it was a sweet gift like a candy cane in the sweet summer breeze you wanted to just rip it out of the packaging and have a go. You also never had someone be so considerate of you. Thinking to bring you back something so pure and valuable that surely wouldn’t collect dust but you would bring out every month. You would make sure it wasn’t forgotten.

Abby furrowed her eyebrows, holding up her pointer finger motioning – one minute, running to the sink and spitting out the toothpaste rinsing her mouth off. 

“I didn’t give you that.” Abby specified, taking a washcloth to wipe at her hands and around her mouth as she let you inside.

“C’mon Abs, even if you did that’s—”

“I didn’t give that to you.” Abby’s voice was more serious this time, stern and strict with some urgency. Not that she was being rude about it, but she was trying to get you off her case. After a long day of patrolling where she did find goodies you would like along with some ribbons from a craft store along the way, Abby got to work making you a sweet delivery. After all, you deserved it. 

“But who else would know I like apples besides you!”

“Manny, Mel, Nora, Ow–”

“Okay I didn’t ask for names.” You hushed, fiddling with the box in your hand as you looked at the treats inside. Biting at your lips, it was like being given a hug but the person who gave it to you disappeared before you can offer one better, or even fully wrap your arms around them to give one back.

“This was really sweet I just wish I could give something back.” You mumbled, tilting your head down to look at the books yearningly. Amidst the violence, the blood, and the chaos, you still loved and that was what pushed you forward. That was what erupted a fire in you; triggering your passion and jumpstarting your heart like cables to a car. 

“I think you shouldn’t worry about it,” Abby suggested, not looking at you but folding her laundry to put away for safekeeping.

“What?” 

“What.” Abby shot back, acting as if she didn’t say anything prior, but you heard her well. Your friend, heart, and soul were being shifty with you; acting as if she didn’t care about your treats or that you were being admired from afar by someone with a sweet gentle heart. 

“Nevermind I’m being silly” You confessed, taking your words back and turning on your heels to leave her room.

Abby wasn’t going to let you leave. Lips parted as she watched your feet get closer and closer to the exit of the door.

LETS GIVE, THIS, THING A TRY.

“Show me.” 

You stopped walking, turning around slowly on your heels. Part of you wished it was Abby, though she would never really know. You watched the way she looked at Owen with appreciation but also disgust. How her love turned to hatred and pain. Abby wasn’t focused on you, you would think.

Abby wasn’t focused on you.

“What?”

“I said show me,” Abby confessed, her voice as clear as day, “C’mere…” Abby patted the side of her bed where she sat comfortably. 

“G‘head tell me about it. I wanna see it too” Abby gave a smile. Truth is, behind her push n’ pull —  rigid love and aggression she still hoped for you. Amidst her passive-aggressiveness, she was giving the love she felt as though she would never feel again. The permanent hole in her heart that you kept on refiling and you didn’t even know. 

She didn’t want you to slip through the cracks of her fingers just yet. Hiding behind a mask, cowardly shying herself away from you. Owen wasn’t on her mind but having you think that especially as she set off on a spree for the man who killed Jerry, would fix that. You were a liability, she wouldn’t let you go. 

You made your way down the steps, to her bed tucked in the corner nook, sitting down as you opened the package. With that you started rambling, tossing the paper apart like a kid on Christmas, showing Abby the hardcover copies with a dopey smiley on your face. Abby couldn’t contain her own smile either. Watching as you went through each nail polish shade.

“Can I try these on you?” You held up a baby pink, it was in a ballet slipper shade, which would make a good neutral against her bright skin. 

Abby wasn’t going to resist, shrugging up her shoulders against her black long-sleeve shirt, pushing the shirt up on her arms, “Sure”

So you proceeded further with painting her nails that evening, toxic paint brushing on her fingers like a canvas —  while the two of you whisked away in laughter. It was like a red string wrapped around the two of your fingers, webbing you together and pulling you closer and closer until there was no gaps or lack of air. 

It was pure and for the moment you really valued it. What you didn’t know you had until it was gone. You wished you could have hugged her a little bit longer, and learned more about her besides what she was showing you at a service level. You wanted to know Abigail, not Abby. Before it was snatched away from you with the snap of the fingers. Get the gunpowder dust off the sea salt it was time for war. 

.𖥔 ݁ ˖ 

YOU SAID YOU LIKED MY HAIR, SO GO AHEAD AND TOUCH IT.

I like your hair today, and your necklace  xoxo, eyes from afar

Maybe it was the validation or the comments but you loved receiving the little notes wrapped in different color ribbons. Maybe you were looking forward to catching your second set of eyes. Lingering outside your door to see if they would show but it was always as if they knew your schedule. Catering to the perfect moments that you were gone to slip the delight at your door. 

The note of this week – bringing joyous to your being made you wear the delicate jewelry even more. At first, when you wore it, it was just a careless decision that you did for fun. Spontaneous and last minute as you untangled it in between your fingertips pulling out the birthstone necklace that was gifted to you from no other than Abby herself; weeks before the arrival of your secret admirer. But the moment you remembered, clasping it on around your neck was the moment you truly valued it even more. You were certainly never going to take it off. 

YOU SAID YOU LIKED THE JUMPER I WORE, SO I ALWAYS WORE IT.

But your bright radiating aura, evidently in hues of pink and purple; signs of love and wisdom was shortly dimmed by the chatter during your afternoon meal. You were set to follow Jordan to the Serevena, patrolling being the last thing you wanted to do of the evening. Endless pit in your stomach nothing felt right. The snap before everything fell apart. 

Out for blood, out for vengeance was Abigail Anderson who returned with blood on her hands. Murderer!Murderer! Red-handed girl with fury in her eyes and a golf club sharp at the end splattering everything into two. 

Wrecking havoc; causing destruction. 

That was all you heard from Jordan as you chewed through the same-old burrito that evening. That was enough to make your eardrums bleed. You could feel your heart in your ears jumping out of your chest at the whispers of Abby’s name, eyes darting from table to table to hear if anyone had caught wind of such a subject: 

I heard she… 

Can’t imagine that…

That’s terrifying…

No Abby mention.

Coincidentally amongst Abby’s absence; the snarky girl was gone with the wind, and so was your secret admirer. The deliveries stopped coming, you were alone, with a set of eyes ‘watching you’ and apples to now peel on your own. . . you found it odd, but one thing for sure was that Abby would hear from you later, where you would gush about this admirer of yours and what you imagined them to be.

IT’S REALLY NICE TO TALK TO YOU, IT’S REALLY NICE TO HOLD YOUR HAND

“Abs on a scale of 1-10 how attractive do you think my admirer is” You pondered, hands entangled in the pages of a fashion magazine. Fingers dusting away at the thin layer of grime and grey from the dust and dirt; signs of age.

“Probably like a 3” Abby confessed bluntly as she walked around her room moving vastly to pack away her belongings. 

Abby’s side of her room was neater in comparison to Manny’s, her laundry was folded, memories stored away for safekeeping, and everything was where it needed to be. Including your ribbon and the scissors she used — the bad duct tape she stole for security. 

“Really?”

“Okay, maybe a 5, it could well off be a creep,” Abby muttered as she continued to push different survival items into her bag, jacket first, followed by flashlights and extra batteries. 

“I don’t think it is though,” Abby froze, panicking instilling in her, it was like a vicious game of hot and cold, you creeping closer and closer to her and it was time for Abby to fall back and bring on the passiveness. 

“What?”

“I mean imagine this, they send me a final letter asking me to meet by the gardens where they reveal their identity to be no other than —”

“Save that for a fantasy, I’m leaving” Abby spat, cutting the happiness in the air with a thick knife which was her voice that evening. It felt like a safety net for her to drop off bad news right after you gave the good ones, almost debunking it creating a hostile environment, and shattering the rose-tinted glasses off. Then you remembered who you were talking to, what you were doing. A flower in the middle of an apocalypse, Abby being covered in thorns. 

“Is it because you killed that man”

“What makes you think it’s…who told you?” Abby furrowed her eyebrows stopping her movement to let you get a good look at her face.  Abby was looking you up and down like you ripped the bandaid off her arm like you were digging your fingers into a cut infecting it with your fingertips and any active bacteria. 

“Word travels around here pretty fast, this isn’t knew information”

A beat. And then another.

“Are you satisfied” You perk up, not breaking eye contact with the blonde in front of you. The fresh azul orbs dilating under the words that left your mouth. She looked at you with such admiration, but the mention of Jerry was enough to make Abby swing hard as she was back in the room holding her weapon of choice. Who was she to play god? Be the bearer of death? Call of evil? Abby thought back to what she was fighting for: was she satisfied? It wouldn’t bring her father back but there was a price on her head. Preferably until her life was obliterated and gone with her head. 

“Hmm”

“Because you don’t look satisfied” Your voice cracked, you were cutting into her skin and Abby was growing steadily uncomfortable, shifting her weight. Cracking her knuckles and rolling her head as she looked at you. Like a pretty Jem stone in a dimly lit room; all eyes on you she didn’t want to talk about this with you. Someone she was so emotionally connected with, god — anybody else but you.

“I…I need to go.” Abby stood up, swinging her backpack in her arms as you followed suit in the silence.

You stood up mimicking her actions taking your magazine in between your fingers and holding it close to your chest. 

“When will you be back?” you whispered, picking at the skin surrounding your nails as you rubbed your lips against each other as you rocked your body forward and backward. Abby’s eyes softened, looking at you up and down as she stuck her tongue in her cheek, clenching her jaw tightly. It almost pained her to say. 

AND EVEN IF WE’RE JUST FRIENDS, WE CAN BE, MORE THAN THAT.

“Soon…I hope, I’ll be back soon” Abby asserted. Abby bowed her head, cusping your cheeks in between her hands as she gave a chaste kiss to your cheek. Calloused fingers rubbing at your soft skin, It was a friendly thing, right? Nothing more?

She didn’t even like you that much.

But you on the other hand weren’t sure of your own feelings.

Like a tough game of tug-of-war, you wanted her, then you didn’t, then you couldn’t shake yourself out of it. You liked her and you wanted her. You wished and hoped that the admirer of yours would be her. The person you had sleepovers where you would laugh about your events and enjoy the delicacies delivered by your admirer you would have it no other way.

When she pulled away you struggled to find the words, hands jittery somewhere between reaching to grab your cheek or to wipe off her kiss with your hand. You weren’t sure how to feel. It was as if someone held a gun to your head telling you the right pill or blue.  

“May your survival be long” you reminded, holding a hand at your arm scratching at your sleeves.

“May your death be swift” 

.𖥔 ݁ ˖ 

CALL ME AT MIDNIGHT, LETS GIVE THIS THING A TRY.

If you could do it all again you would. 

ASK YOU IF ITS OKAY,

You were alone, deep into your ocean of thoughts as your happy moments were coming to an end? Did you take it for granted? 

TO HAVE A SLEEPOVER,

The burrito you ate that evening wanting to come up, mouth sticky with bile. You suddenly didn’t want to patrol the Serevena and help Nora move supplies. It felt wrong – almost impractical like you were in the wrong place. Foot cemented into the floor as you stood at your bed. Shoving supplies into your backpack, tying a strand of the ribbon from your admirer's box around the handle of your bag. You wanted to be back at the base with Abby where the two of you would have your sleepovers, cut your apples, and have competitive matches in the shooting range where you would tell Abby she missed a shot and she would tell you, you held the gun wrong. 

Preparing to leave, doing one final spin at your place of comfort. Freshly made bed and sorrowful grey sheets, you wished for a happier time and a great release. Opening your door, you were met with one box before you would go. Picking up the lightweight box it almost felt impractical to even be wrapped. 

TO DRINK SOME APPLE CIDER, OR MAYBE SOME FRUIT PUNCH

Parting gift for the one I stole these for… don’t forget me Xoxo, A. Anderson Your eyes always 

You smiled to yourself, it was all you ever wanted. Your best friend really was your admirer and you just hoped you could reach her before she was gone and it truly could have been your last time seeing her. Unwrapping the terribly wrapped paper object revealed a shiny sharpened knife with a brown handle. It was Abby’s knife, the one she savored and used only for your apples that she would cut during your lunch breaks. Tears brimmed your eyes moving the object around as if it were malleable, smiling gently to yourself at the irony of it all. Quickly locking the door and throwing the paper that was used to wrap the gift away in the hall trash you ran to try to catch Abby who was already on the truck, across from Mel as she set off on her journey. As the sun was getting low, so were you who had to travel adjacent from your new fount lover. 

What were you gonna say?

Besides: I knew it, of course, you wanted her to know that you felt the same; in fact even more.

AND WE CAN TALK ABOUT HOW WE DON’T LIKE EACH OTHER THAT MUCH.

.𖥔 ݁ ˖ 

“There’s no real you are real right now”

“Shh– baby, I’m real” Abby hushed bringing up her hand to your mouth to silence you. “I’m real.”

You were currently carrying a tray of med supplies but soon it all crashed to the ground; metal tin hitting the floor as Abby backed away into a corner. She looked disheveled different than you had last seen her; whispies around her face. Like she cared a little bit more, but maybe it was because she was with you. 

You couldn’t help but bring Abby into a tight hug head against her shoulder, resting your eyes in full solitude. You were home amidst the violence and her going AWOL that had made Isaac angry with all of you. You lied thickly through your teeth when Isaac dragged you in asking questions about the location and conspiration Abby had going on.

All you could say was you didn’t know.

And it wasn’t a lie but in fact the truth there was not much you really did know. 

Abby held onto you as if you were going to be snatched out of her hands as the both of you cried. Sobbs shaking the both of you. Abby couldn’t stop herself from applying gentle kisses to the side of your head and holding at the nape of your neck during the hug.

“You look like shit!” you acknowledged pulling at the sleeve of her jacket to which Abby rolled her eyes and pulled your hand away.

“Ahh could be worse”

A beat. And another; comfortable silence filling the air between the two of you. You didn’t wanna ask but for your newfound knowledge, you had no other choice but to. You wanted her to know, hell you haven’t seen her for very long and this well could have been the last time you would ever. 

“So it was you? All along” you sputtered, snickering under your breath as you brought your hands across your chest, licking the base of your lips as your eyes wandered off.

“It was – hey! You opened the letters” Abby gave you a look of disbelief, half of it was due to her being scared shitless, others it was the fact that Abby could feel her own hands getting clammy as she rubbed them against the base of her jeans to get it to stop.

“It said 2 —”

“Weeks I know” “I was desperate”

There was silence again. 

“I could just kiss you right now I can’t believe you are alive” You blurted out, giving Abby the most gentle smile. Abby for a second felt her world move in slow motion as she stared with such unconditional love. 

“Then do it”

So you did, rushing forward, throwing your body against Abby’s as the two of you leaned in for a swift kiss. Her lips were chapped, slightly rugged but you didn’t mind applying your smooth ones to her as the movements of your body synched together in eternal sunshine. Nothing in this moment mattered, besides her lips on yours and her hands against your body. Abby’s fingers stroked at your cheeks eventually moving down between your jaw and your neck as she continued. No breaks; no air, until the sound of boots stomping closer to the room rang your ears, forcing you to pull away.

“Okay, I need supplies miserably Nora brought me to you, I have to go, I don’t know if this will be my last time seeing you: I hope it’s not, I’m not exactly in Isaac’s good graces – I think we both know that” Abby spoke with urgency, distrust but also sadness. Abby wasn’t sure but recently she’s been feeling as though things were slipping in between her fingers. She wasn’t sure how long this ecstasy and rapture would last, or the longevity of her contentment. Abby was certain the girl from the room; with the golf club and joel would show her face again.

“It’s okay” you assured, hands now at Abby’s biceps, lips rubbing against each other as you turned your head away from her face, shaking it slightly. 

“But don’t forget. . .” “I’m so incredibly infatuated by you” Abby whispered as she moved in closer to give a swift kiss to your forehead.

Now wasn’t the time for formalities or titles, but you wished with your fingers crossed and your eyes closed shut, that she would return for the conversation worth having. Full honesty and confessional where your girl that smelled of pine would tell you all her rushes of thoughts that nagged at her as she closed her eyes.

“Knife to the chest sweetheart, swing with your right not your left…it’s your better arm” Abby cautioned, pretending to bring her arm up to swing, giving a final squeeze to your cheek as she was headed for the door preparing for ground zero.

“Bye Abby” 

That was the difference, it was as if your body knew. Saying Bye instead of a see you later or, playfully threatening her to come back to you in one piece. Your eyebrows furrowed; your face scrunched as you cringed at your words, as mediocre as they sounded. You caught yourself doing that a lot and you weren’t sure why. Going from present tense to past tense. “I am” to “I did” to “I was” , this happened after you started dreaming. Dreaming that your body was against a cold tile, scrunching into a ball as you let out your last breath alone.

You knew. 

“This is not goodbye — don’t say that, it’s see you later!” Abby snapped, giving you a hand motion as she swung the door open, crouching down as she moved steadily through the room as it closed behind her with a loud CLICK! From the lock.

“I’ll see you later” Your hand went from waving to at your side as your smile dropped and abruptly the warm room felt cold. Very cold.

But you weren’t going to see her later. Body paralyzed to the floor as the bullet wound in your stomach bled crimson all over the floor. As red as the Honeycrisp apples you ate on Wednesdays. An auburn-haired girl rushes past you following the footsteps of Nora. You were crashing and your body was failing you. Whimpers of pain escaped your lips as you held onto your stomach like you had a bad stomach ache, rolling onto your side as your vision became a nuisance and blurry mess. During your last few moments, you thought of Abby and her bright smile, all the plans she had for the two of you, and how you were finally happy that you got your happy ending, 

But at what cost?

You weren’t going to get to drink apple cider with her or hug her again, and that’s what destroyed you the most as a salted tear fell from your eye. Apple was placed on the table rotting from the inside out, With Abby’s knife poked into its core. Death has met its match.

You were the apple of her eye, and you were destroyed and eaten whole indefinitely. 

taglist

@beforeimdeceased @starologist @destielcore @rarestdoll @luvrgalore @ellsss @zahraaziza @emluvselandabs @abbyily @elliestrwbrry @mossc0vered @spacewlf @as2rid @ariianelle @spaceshipellie @lottiematthewsceo @emonopolyman @imamybubbles @mikasbby @trulygnomed

© cowgirlcherrie

#cowgirlcherrie . ⁺𑁍 #cherry writes 🤍 #tlou2 #abby anderson #abby x y/n #abby x fem!reader #abby anderson x reader #abby fluff #abby anderson angst #abby angst #abby anderson the last of us 2 #abby anderson fluff #abby x reader #abby au #abby anderson au #abigail anderson #abby x you #abby tlou #abby anderson oneshot #abby anderson fanfic #abby anderson fic #abby anderson x y/n #character au #the last of us x reader #tlou part 2 #secret admirer! abby #abby anderson x f!reader #abby anderson x female reader #angst #lesbian

[koolades-world]

What dessert I give you based on your favorite Obey me! character

Lucifer: any type of pâte choux, specifically cream puffs with strawberry jam and whipped cream, it’s fancy and takes a while so it’s definitely giving lucifer

Mammon: tiramisu. Not only does it have a funnily named lady fingers in it, it’s also just really good and perfect for sharing with someone you love cough mammon cough

Levi: churros. While I don’t recommend it, it can be good for eating while playing games. I almost picked s’mores but those are so messy. You can also have a variety of dipping sauces or none if you prefer!

Satan: macarons, they’re harder to make than pate choux which is exactly what Satan would love. They’re also perfect for tea parties

Asmo: rice pudding with cinnamon on top. The cinnamon can be a cute shape if you want it to be. A dessert of my childhood, so simply and yummy and I think asmo would like that about it. It can be healthy but I usually opt for the regular and more delicious version

Beel: walnut brownies, they just hit so different especially late at night. Beel would understand and even though I am slightly allergic to walnuts that will not stop me from eating them

Belphie: flan, another dessert of my childhood. The way it wiggles is so fun. I hate jello because of the texture but love flan because of the texture idk. flan go wiggle wiggle haha

Diavolo: Moon Pies, specifically Banana flavor, I just got a chocolate one and thought he would find it amusing

Barbatos: Frozen Key Lime Pie dipped in chocolate on a stick, it’s a local thing don’t knock it until you try it

Simeon: strawberry shortcake, it’s just so him I can’t explain it any better. They can be so pretty too! Or they can be something simple and homemade, both are good

Luke: macaroons, I’ll take this to my grave but macaroons are better than macarons. My poor baby macaroons always being mixed up with macarons, luke is probably bitter about it too

Solomon: Red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting, idk it’s giving you defend it until the end of time because everyone else says it’s the same as chocolate cake when it’s not

Mephisto: coffee or espresso ice cream, it’s my favorite kind. I feel like he would also enjoy the nice balance of sweet and bitterness, and I like Mephisto lovers

Thirteen: lava cakes! These hold a special place in my heart, they were the first thing I ever baked only the best for thirteen and her fans mwa

Raphael: Brown butter pumpkin maple cookies, my speciality :) you guys seem so nice and warm have my favorite fall dessert, there aren’t many of you but I love you

#obey me #obey me! #obey me belphie #obey me satan #obey me asmo #obey me beel #obey me lucifer #obey me levi #obey me mammon #obey me x reader #obey me diavolo #obey me barbatos #obey me luke #obey me simeon #obey me solomon #obey me mephistopheles #obey me thirteen #obey me raphael #obey me x you #obey me x mc

[essenceeater]

"Unusual Love" Mileena x reader

Can you do Mileena x Reader? I was thinking MK1 Mileena. Where Reader is a half human and half cat. And she only has cat ears and a tail. Mileena saw her and she was surprised.

THIS IS SUCH A CUTE IDEA I LOVE ITTTTT! I love writing for Mileena she's literally my wife. This is for MK1 Mileena! Reader is gender neutral and this goes from a friendship to a romantic relationship :) I kinda picture her being like 😮 This was requested by @twinklestarslight

Character: Mileena, Tanya(Mentioned) Kitana(Mentioned)

Triggers: None, lmk if I missed any

Requested: Yes

🔓Requests are open🔓

Link to rules

The soft clicks of heels fill the area as a figure strolls through the lush gardens of her palace, a woman wearing beautiful pink clothes with black and silver accents. Her gentle features watch the plants around her until her path unexpectedly crosses with you, an extraordinary individual with cat ears and a tail. Mileena's eyes widened with surprise and curiosity as she approached you.

"Your presence is as unique as your appearance," she said with a warm and friendly smile. "I've never met someone quite like you. What brings you to our realm?" she asked, never before seeing someone like you before.

You blushed, feeling slightly out of place but warmed by Mileena's welcoming demeanor. "I was exploring, and, well, I got a little lost... I didn't mean to intrude." You mumbled, avoiding eye contact.

Mileena reassured you, "You're not intruding at all. I'm Mileena, the Empress of Outworld. But titles aside, I believe in understanding and friendship. What's your name?"

"S/O"

As days turned into weeks, you found yourself growing closer to Empress Mileena. The palace, once an imposing and intimidating structure, had transformed into a place of warmth and friendship. Mileena was a delightful companion, welcoming you to stay with her. Giving you a safe place to stay within Outworld.

One afternoon, Mileena introduced you to the palace's grand library, an ancient and vast collection of knowledge from countless realms. The two of you spent hours there, reading and discussing the wonders of the different realms. Mileena's insatiable curiosity was infectious, and you both found common ground in your thirst for knowledge.

In the evenings, you would often explore the same gardens the two of you met in, where the colorful flowers seemed to bloom brighter in Mileena's presence. The palace's chefs prepared sumptuous feasts, introducing you to the exotic flavors of Outworld.

Mileena's family, Tanya and Kitana, were just as welcoming as she was. Tanya, in particular, showed a deep respect and affection for Mileena. When it came to you and your care she treated you no differently, at least after she knew you and Mileena were actually friends. Especially after Mileena told you about her condition with Tarkat. Eventually, the relationship between the two of you became a source of joy and comfort, and you soon realized that you shared more than just friendship.

One starry night, while sitting in the palace's garden, Mileena looked at the stars and whispered, "I never imagined I could find such happiness and connection in my role as Empress. You've brought light and laughter into my life, and I am truly grateful."

You smiled and replied, "Empress Mileena, you've shown me a world of kindness and beauty that I never expected to find. Our bond means everything to me."

Under the canopy of stars, your connection with Empress Mileena grew deeper with each passing day. The gardens, once silent, now whispered the secrets of your blossoming romance. Mileena's laughter became music, and her eyes sparkled like the brightest constellations.

With a tender smile, Mileena drew you closer and leaned in, her lips gently meeting yours in a sweet, romantic kiss. The world around you seemed to fade as the two of you embraced the magic of the moment, sharing a love that transcended the boundaries of realms and time.

Essenceeater © 2023 ┃ do not copy, modify, steal, or repost ANY of my content.

#mortal kombat #fluff #mortal kombat fanfic #mortal kombat fanfiction #mortal kombat 1 #mk1 #mk1 2023 #mortal kombat x reader #sfw #Mileena #mileena x reader #mileena mk #mileena mortal kombat #mk1 x reader #mk1 spoilers #sorry its messy i wrote this in the middle of class

[olderthannetfic]

Tbh, while cartoonishly evil is the main thing some people got from the white protag of Yellowface, I didn't care about it. I instead definitely agree more with anon who pointed out "Yellowface feel like catfights between her and anyone who dared say her writing isn't good, rather than being stories that can stand on their own."

Don't give a shit about "uwu bad white character uwu" that was entertaining, that was honestly what kinda had me hooked because it could have been funny. What I feel more #offended by, is how Kuang is completely unable to write a narrative that doesn't talk down to anyone reading. Pair that with how painfully transparent it is that most of the cast is just there to be mouthpieces and we got a bingo.

"Do you get it? Do you get it? Just to make sure I'll repeat the same shit 10 more times with different words. Do you get it yet? I'm still not sure people reading my works aren't complete idiots, let me repeat it a few more times but switch up the characters." YES, WE FUCKING GET IT. Noticed it the first time in Babel, if you cut down on all the repetitive messaging the book would be 15K shorter. Yellowface had the same issue. I'd read a message and then a few pages later the same message is presented again just with a slightly different flavor.

Yellowface could have been great fucking satire and portray a good message about the racism in publishing, with some great humor and taking the piss out of untalented overconfident white authors. It would have been like shooting fish in a barrel, and Kuang had the name to do it, it would have been great. If Kuang had actually wanted to portray the racism in the publishing industry, and that's the crux. Instead we get this, quote "Catfight between her and anyone who dared say her writing isn't good." and her clearly not even having done any research about the rest of the publishing industry beyond what she's personally experienced.

--

Honestly, problematique though they are, I've enjoyed many a blaxploitation film. Artists venting about white people can be highly entertaining. But people seeming oversensitive about criticism is usually boring and awkward to witness.

[stealingyourbones]

…. Y’all know that being a twin shouldn’t be an entire personality trait in Twin!AU’s right?

Ok sure I enjoy the identity shenanigans that can occur when one twin is mistaken for another or the “oh fuck you too look exactly alike” realizations but that’s like the only thing y’all do. There’s so much more shit you can tap into with a duo being identical twins and most writers I see simply don’t play into the more subtle options at all.

I am an identical twin. If you want proof just ask @bonebrokebuddy. We even have the same pseudonym and everything. I’ve lived with this lil shit for all of my life. This comes from actual experience as someone who’s an identical twin and I need to nitpick this stuff because it irks me so much.

This is a light critique on people who write twin AUs to give them some pointers on some common issues I see in these fics.

1.) Being a twin isn’t a personality trait

Being a twin is the exact same thing as having another sibling in close age range as you. You share and talk about similar hobbies, clothes (by that I mean they steal them from you), communal items (although for twins over half of the gifts you get are for you to ‘share’)

You still have your own personality, your own hobbies, your own outfit preferences, your own self. The entirety of the character shouldn’t revolve around “oh I have a twin”. That form of writing makes your character more shallow and less 3D. It’s like having a sibling. Sure you share stuff but that doesn’t mean you ARE them.

People centre fics solely around the fact that a certain character has a long lost twin. Sure I get it, it’s sad and you can tug on some heartstrings in your writing, but being a twin you only really have a slightly better connection with that twin than a brother or sister of similar age. Sure some people have a much stronger connection with their twin but in my experience, it’s just the same deal with a sibling but you have to share more things with each other. Make it a sibling connection. You don’t have to say “twin” every time you refer to them. You can simply say “sibling”, “brother/sister”, or “that fucker that steals all my sweatshirts” 

2.) surprisingly enough, identical twins aren’t actually identical.

Sure, they share almost the exact same DNA as someone else, but there will be slight differences that people who have known the two for a long time can use to differentiate them from eachother.

I could go on an on about epigenetic and nature vs nurture but long story short: if you’re a long lost twin, they’re not gonna look exactly the same as you. If a relative or long time friend sees the other twin, they will notice that something is off. This fact alone should be utilized in fics more often. I don’t see it at all in writing and you can use it to spice up the narrative super easily.

Slightly different eye color.

Different freckles/moles/Scars/blemishes

A different smile since their teeth didn’t grow in the exact same way.

Slightly different facial features (ie. Eye shape, nose shape, lip shape, etc)

Different gate/way they walk and how they carry themselves.

Different personality. Again Nature vs Nurture. They won’t act the same if they’ve been separate for dozens of years. Their personalities will vary greatly.

Different sounding voice. Different cadence/speech pattern, sound slightly higher pitched or deeper, different mannerisms and quirks in their speech.

These type of things will distinguish twins from each other and for some reason I rarely see it mentioned.

Because epigenetics is a bitch you can also play around with the wild shit that cells reading genes differently can do.

Have one twin have a deadly disease while the other is completely fine

Twins can have different mental disorders from eachother. One twin can have ADHD and Autism while the other just has ADHD.

One twin can be completely straight while the other is in the LGBTQIA+ spectrum. They could both be on the spectrum but they each could different flavors of fruity.

That’s all I can think of at the moment but I think you get the gist.

3.) the wild shit twins get asked and are used to

Most common question you get as a twin is simply: Are you guys twins?

Other ones that are more wild but less common:

Can you feel each other’s pain? (Obvious response is to say ‘let’s find out’, gently puch the twin in the arm, and look at the person who asked and deadpan say “I felt nothing”)

Can you read each other’s minds/are you psychic? (Yeah the answer is a no but we memorized a series of numbers to convince people otherwise)

Who’s the oldest?

Sure they’re mundane and won’t come up in most fics you write but I want it to be said that these questions exist and are semi frequently.

We get mistaken for each other so much we will respond to each others name. Wether your twin is actively in the room with you or not, you respond to their name as well. I don’t see people mistaking twins in fics nearly enough. There are people I have known for years and they can still mix us up. It’s very common to get mistaken for each other over 5 times in one day.

4.) People don’t expect you to be identical.

When you haven’t told people you are a twin and they see the same person pass them but wearing wildly different outfits, their first thought isn’t “wow they must have a twin.” It’s actually “guess they changed their clothes in the middle of the day.”

I knew someone who, for three entire months, simply assumed that I changed my outfit a lot for absolutely no reason. They thought my twin and I were the same person and we didn’t bother on correcting them because we thought they already knew.

It is almost only when you’re in the same room together people piece together that there is actually two of you. This can easily lead to a bunch of shenanigans. People don’t instantly assume that you are a twin and they’re talking to the wrong person, they just think you ARE that person. If a long lost twin is in a place completely out of the way for that other twin to be, they may get a “has anyone ever told you that you look like [other twin]?” Or “oh hey [other twin]!” Their instant thought isn’t to assume that who they’re meeting is a twin, just them or someone who looks super similar.

Feel free to add on more cause that’s all the immediate stuff I can think of. I genuinely hopes this helps writers because it’s not really easy to find POV of twin experiences for writers out there and I thought I might try to help.

#bones speaks #prompt #writing prompt #how to write twins #writing tips

[burning-academia-if]

Unfortunate that Rook is genderlocked male because that jealousy ask has big i wanna be your girlfriend by girl in red energy to me LMAO

Which like also, ik it's not the situation but to me, a known homosexual, the parallels in his behaviour and someone who's unwilling and afraid to risk their friendship because of internalised homophobia and fear that the other person won't, can't feel the same way...I want to be with you but I've convinced myself I can never, it would be wrong, so I try to convince myself I'm content with being friends but then when I see that potential between you and someone who would be easier, who would make sense, it *hurts*...👀👀

Anyways sorry this was a silly gay ramble mostly unrelated to the actual game sdfgjkl just got me thinking

This is really funny to me because if you play a male, non binary, and/or trans MC then yeah. That's literally the vibe ajsjsjd Rook knows he isn't straight and has even dated a guy once in high school, but for various reasons, definitely isn't out about it.

Also alas a female or nonbinary Rook would literally be a completely different character due to how much of himself is kinda anchored around being a guy. A lot of his personality is built up around "this is how teen/college guys act so I'm going to mirror it." F!Rook would have been the same, and nb!Rook is....complicated ajsjs. Also hate to say it but his mom would not have cared as much about f!rook and Rook's dad would have gotten custody a lot sooner, making f!Rook significantly more willing to be open and slightly less traumatized lmaO

But yeah, changing Rook's gender wouldn't be just like changing flavor text and having slight differences, it would be totally changing parts of his backstory, his personality, and even parts of his BA subplot (especially for nb Rook, seeing as nb!Rook would probably be them having to realize they're non binary in the first place ajsjs). Gender just has a significant impact on his character, for better or for worse.

#em answers #ch: rook #anyway yeah if you're not playing a cis woman you get like an extra layer of angst on the mountain that is already there

[beanieman]

Assigning You A Liminal Space Based On Your Favorite YTTD Character

Sara Chidouin - A classroom where words appear on the chalkboard every half hour. Sometimes they tell of false hints and other times they ask why you came here. There's a knife in the middle desk.

Joe Tazuna - An endless metal tunnel where you can see light at the end. It always glows a different color and you feel like you're getting farther away the longer you walk. You can hear a dog barking beyond the "exit."

Gin Ibushi - An animal shelter that smells like wet dog. In the upper left corner there's a pile of stuffed animal that you can use as a bed. Sometimes they come to life.

Keiji Shinogi - An airport that feels just slightly too humid. Out of the corner of your eye you can see visions of the dead. It's always 3AM.

Alice Yabusame - The hallway of your childhood that's filled with family photos and the smell of something you can't quite place but fills you with nostalgia. No matter how far you walk the path things stay the same.

More Undercut

Reko Yabusame - A mall where a new store opens every hour. It's never similar to one that you've seen before. It looks like light is streaming from somewhere, but you can't see any windows or doors. The bitter smell lingers in the air.

Nao Egokoro - A train where little snacks and drinks are sat upon the table. You aren't sure where you're going, but it seems like you have a destination. It's a little too cold but there's a blanket under one of the seats.

Kazumi Mishima - The room is totally empty expect for chalk on the floor. The walls are chalkboards so you can draw or write your thoughts. Too bad you can't do anything else.

Q-taro Burgerberg - An empty stadium that's closed off from overhead. You hear cheers and boos from an audience you not see as if you're the only one invisible. There's a popcorn and slushy maker at the top bleacher.

Kai Satou - A grocery store that smells oddly like plastic and seems to restock itself. You haven't seen any employees, but you feel like they're in the vicinity.

Kanna Kizuchi - An endless hallway where flowers grow up to your knees. Sometimes it feels like they're wrapping around your ankles and trying to drag you down, but you can pull them off with enough might. Some flowers smell like pudding, and the others smell like metal.

Shin Tsukimi - A convivence store filled with neon lights where the air is thick and it feels hard to breath. Exits sometimes appear only to disappear right before you reach them.

Dolls

Ranmaru Kageyama - A doorway with a black void at both sides. No matter which way you go or how far you run you'll always end up back in the same place.

Naomichi Kurumada - An indoor pool where the smell of chlorine hits your nose and makes you dizzy. There's floats for you to lounge on if you get tired, along with dive rings if you're up for a challenge. Just don't go too far down or you might think you've found an exit and won your escape...

Anzu Kinashi - A circus tent that's one big circle. Music played by horns and trumpets ring in your ears and you can vaguely taste the flavor of cotton candy. A clown is watching you but you'll never know as he always disappears before you turn around.

Mai Tsurugi - A bakery that only has one small lamp by the counter. There's a tip jar that shows you an exit if you put in enough coins, but it vanishes just as fast as it appeared. This is a metaphor for capitalism.

Shunsuke Hayasaka - A library that makes you forget your name and where you came from. You aren't sure which books you've read and which you've forgotten. There's a papercut on your finger. You aren't sure how you got it.

Hinako Mishuku - The place is indistinguishable. You don't know where you are or how you got here. It's dark and none of your scents work properly. All you can wonder is if you're actually dead. You know it's some kind of room because every once in awhile you run into a wall. You didn't know you were in a room.

#YTTD #Your Turn To Die #Joe Tazuna #sara chidouin #kanna kizuchi #keiji shinogi #q taro burgerburg #Shin Tsukimi #Reko Yabusame #nao egokoro #gin ibushi #kazumi mishima #alice yabusame #kai satou #ranmaru kageyama #naomichi kurumada #anzu kinashi #mai tsurugi #shunsuke hayasaka #hinako mishuku

[fangirlandtheories]

I have worked at Starbucks for over 2 years now and I make the chalkboard signs for my store. While searching for inspiration on Pinterest, I discovered that someone made a Stranger Things chalkboard designating different drinks to different characters. While the artwork was great, the drinks just didn't match according to my opinion so I wanted to make my own. Without further ado, a baristas guide to Stranger Things drinks:

- Steve Harrington: We're starting off with one of the more simple to order drinks. There's no mods or alternatives, just a pure, sweet drink. Steve is a Caramel Ribbon Crunch. He's layered and multifaceted the same way the drink has separate layers. He's sweet, sometimes too sweet for his own good, but he's cool as ice. Served drizzled and well topped (if you know what I mean 😉)

-Eddie Munson: My best friend Maya works with me and introduced me to this drink and I can't think of anything better for Eddie. You get a cup of lemonade, add some ice, pour a blonde espresso shot on top, and voila: The Cigarette Butt. It's got a sweetish smokey flavor, a little sour, a little weird. People either love it or hate it without giving it a try.

-Nancy Wheeler: I wanted to do something sensible for Nancy but something that would also be strong for a badass like Nancy. We often say that Iced Americanos are the hot girl drink so I knew I wanted it to be and Iced Americano. As for the extras, I wanted it to be blonde ristretto. Blonde Ristretto shots are the BEST kinda shots so it fits one of the best characters. As for cream: Almond Milk. She's giving lactose intolerant but in a "I prefer almond milk to soy milk" kinda way. She's not pretentious about it, but maybe a little.

-Robin Buckley: I was going back and forth with Robin. I had multiple ideas but narrowed it down to two. Number 1. Iced Vanilla Matcha with coconut milk OR Number 2. An Iced Chai with brown sugar syrup and oat milk. Either way, both scream Queer and Quirky. I also get a sort of library soft vibe from her. I'm picturing tans and old books, soft pastels, those kinda things. Arguably that's more a Nancy vibe as well but Robin is light academia and Nancy is dark.

- Jonathan Byers: This is a man that listens to good music and spends his day taking photographs and getting high. He's a sweater and slacks, a wallflower, the quiet calm in a chaotic storm. He's a London Fog, specifically with soy milk. Underappreciated and sometimes forgotten, this is a true pillar in every way. Teas have always been there and always will be, much like the steady reliability of Jonathan. The flavors are gentle and when paired with the vanilla it creates something complex and delightful.

- Argyle: This brochacho does NOT need coffee. He's bright and colorful, slightly overwhelming at times, but full of zest. When thinking of him, I wanted to choose the brightest, most colorful drink I could. He's a Mango Dragonfruit Lemonade with peach juice and pineapple pieces. This drink is the Starbucks ocean of flavor, but the pineapple comes freeze dried in a bag. Remember: Try before you deny.

- Hopper: I was going to leave this as just the Fruity Six, but I can't resist. Hopper is the McDonald's Dad. Hopper is a cup of black coffee.

#stranger things #my theories #steve harrington #eddie munson #robin buckley #my writing #nancy wheeler #jonathan byers #argyle #Jim Hopper #stranger things 4 #st s4 #steddie #ronance #starbucks barista #starbucks #Barista #barista musing #coffee

[gingerylangylang1979]

This shit is not new

This is in response to the multiple posts right now about the recent articles that have come out and just general angst about this ship in the media.

This really isn't new. It's not unique to The Bear. It's not unique to Carmy x Sydney. It's not unique to slow burns.

I do think Mulder x Scully is the best example. Why? They are the ship that modernized shipping. The terms shipping, noromo, etc. come from that ship. They pioneered the modern "why can't men and women just be friends", "platonic soulmate", "it would cheapen the show", "the show isn't about romance" arguments.

Syd x Carmy are like Mulder x Scully 2.0 (with a slightly different flavor that I will get to). The X-Files was a huge sleeper hit with a cult following. From the first episode there was speculation about romance and people raging against it. The question was brought up in every interview and denied by the show runner. The intensity kept developing until finally they went canon. And then, only then, did the show runner change tune. Shippers felt they were being persecuted for even mentioning the ship. It was super intense.

I watched the show as a teen. I low key did ship them but wasn't involved in fandom so I wasn't aware of the shenanigans. But I know all of this from first hand accounts.

And here's receipts from media:

So, I know a big element is missing in this comparison. The race element is at play here. I'm not denying that. But I will say, I started with this example just to show it isn't just interracial couples that get this backlash. I could also mention Ted x Rebecca, but I don't think I need to go into them because they are current. Mulder x Scully started this and history is important.

I do think there is a special flavor of dislike for this ship because of race. I've spoken on it. The unwarranted hate for Sydney can't be ignored. The same has happened with Richonne, Ichabbie, etc. No denial here. But if you look at the overall history of shipping what we are seeing specific to media denial, media scrutiny, antis, denial of the ship until the very end, gaslighting, etc. is slow burn and shipping war 101.

There is no agenda from cast and crew to stick it to us. Their agenda is to maintain the element of surprise and tell the story they want to tell. There is no agenda from the media to do anything but get a story that gets clicks. There is no special denial of a romance unique to this one.

This is just how a slow burn plays out.

There are no slow burns that went canon and the show runner said, oh yeah, this is the plan before the end. If there is tell me, and I'll gladly correct. But, that just isn't reality. They will say the same thing every season until it happens, no matter what happens on screen in the meantime. And there is always some lame statement made about why they "suddenly" decided to make it a thing or a lame admission that it was planned. So basically, they lie. The lies may seem cruel but it's not personal. It's not some secret agenda to deny your fave romance and happiness. It's just showbiz.

All of this can feel personal in relation to the extent a fan is personally invested. And I think that's up to each person to decide if their investment is creating too high an expectation and too much drama for regarding fictional characters on a tv show. That's not on media. It's not on the actor, creators, journalists, etc. to determine and protect a fan's level of investment or engagement. Nobody has to read the articles. Nobody has to devote their time to fandom. It's a choice. And part of that, may be understanding that all of the media around a ship isn't going to cater to what you want or see and making decisions on what you see is the healthiest, most enjoyable way to engage or not.

Because feelings have been hurt, arguments have raged, lies have been told in fandom and media and it's not new, it's not personal. It just is what it is.

Mulder x Scully walked so Carmy x Sydney can run.

#the x files #mulder x scully #carmy x sydney #syd x carmen #chefs kiss #shipping discourse

[sharlmbracta]

watching atla in my "first" language really hit different to me.

fiction and storytelling, even for ones that were originally made here, especially for ones that weren't originally made here, all of them were always more natural for me in english.

for atla, when i watched and rewatched, read and reread the series, the comic, the fanfictions all in english, the characters felt like characters more than the representations that they hold. when i turned on the series in korean, out of curiosity, the entire dynamic felt shifted in this intricate way that are both personal yet distant yet i felt like i was yanked up by this unfamiliarity i was supposed to be familiar with. if that makes any sense.

like. the characters were more the representatives and statuses such as the wordings and cultural tones but the parts where the translators failed to catch the tone of the characters themselves but rather they have compartmentlized and integrated into the labels of the statuses, those that we were more familiar with what we were relayed on the history classes. especially the words that dealt with royals. the words that referred to "father", the words that referred to "king". the words that referred to "high priests", "physicians", and "my lord". when in english (at least to me) it felt like the statuses were first and foremost used as tools to add up flavor to the character, in korean (at least to me) it felt like the statuses were first and foremost used to establish the solid grounds and frames what they would play out into in terms of the fictional politicary, and the characters added second to just slightly differentiate the framework between the royals.

(high chance that i may be rather heavily biased in this since i did only watch (made to watch) most movies and animations in english since i was at a very young age, and that habit turned into a purposeful one as i grew older, so i have a very limited range of feel of how "scripts in korean" could vary in terms of The Feel. when i watch a fiction in korean that i have already digested through thoroughly in english, the foremost automatic reflex is "wait that's not right" and more than often my brain tunes the rest out as if it was a fight or flight situation. i always thought the translations were poor, a lot of them may actually are, but even when they might be decent.)

in korean i suddenly felt the weight shifting onto the race of the characters, as if they had suddenly turned "asian" in terms that i felt (or thought i felt) more "familiar" with, in a way that reasonated way too personally- not on the "me" level but on the "national" level. especially the ones- the titles of the statuses- around the imperialism words.

(to be blunt, it felt weird and uncanny in this very specific way that the real life history drilled into you(me) to memorize (and failed to) was suddenly yanking you by the collar and making itself known the fabricated imperialism and the actual imperialism that had happened in the personal-not personal-national way at the same time shoved in your face and the titles of not only said imperialism but also the status pyramid in general which you now barely acknowledged reeked out of the mere words that the characters used.

for example, resulting in the brain functioning from

"this person is azula"

to

"this person is an imperialist(political) princess(raw) loyal(in patriarchy) to the(her) fatherlord(as in the actual term used by the children of the high king, who was referred and (made) reverred as the "father" of the nation via confucianism (patriarchy + family, organizations == family at its core == therefore any organization especially enforced by the nation == loyalty to the king(lord) == loyalty to your father >>> individuality))"

and suddenly you(i) feel the characters like formatted boxes and yes the characters are still there but the tone is just not there anymore, and this may be just me after only watching the last 3 episodes in this language, but i felt like aang became(as in framed into a mere box of) a {kid}, sokka became a {kid}, toph became a {sister}, katara and suki became {companions}, zuko became a {guy}, azula became an {enemy the crazy}, and ozai became an {enemy the fatherlord}. and nothing else. no lingering spices of the characters. the weight of all the statuses and namesakes clouding over (all) the flavor.)

(though the added weight is kind of interesting when considering the characters derived from the feel of both languages i guess)

-

below is a rambling thought of how i think this would've turned out if atla was published in here, perhaps, in the form of kdrama which seems to be the most popular medium on broadcast tv lately, especially if it was pushed for nationwide publishment.

this may be biased since this post is coming from me only, so you may ignore the rest of this post if you don't want to read a wall of condemnation of what i personally (therefore not an exact official fact) think of kdramas (regarding sexism) + how the characters would've turned out if atla was one. i won't fight you if you decide to fight me or engage in Formatted Discourse because i'm a cowardly little shit who throws up a wall of rant when braindump is required and runs away irresponsibly

-

i'm not someone who had watched that many kdramas, but kdramas are the thing that turns up everywhere whenever the tv on the house is on (on the few times it is actually on) and this is from my viewpoint from all the glimpses i got from the kdramas. kdramas, which seem to love so much the gender roles and how the plot "tears them apart" when ironically, the established grounds themselves are made to very heavily, both blatantly and subtly rotate around the gender stereotypes and the set of the power positions- man on high position, woman on the hardworking helping side at best. and there's always some type of "romance" going on. the arrogant male tries to get the girl, but the girl eventually makes him learn his place.

oh and let's not forget the age gaps. i am not saying that age gap relationships are inherently bad but the notion of the "age gap where the man is much older than the woman" in itself seems to be a very popular trope in kdrama in the majority. especially especially those of which the background is set in the past like the chosun dynasty where the patriarchy was domineering its highest, when the man was always older and of higher-status than the "court receiving" woman with no exceptions, where the man always protect the woman in the end when it came down to drama-typically life-threatening on either side. i get that the "man status" is one of the things that the drama made as "that's just how history is" but (for me) it always felt like the setting deliberately focuses on the gender split and runs with it while having the effect of romanticizing and glossing over the entirety of it. man always "helping out" the woman via his status that the woman is inherently made impossible to reach, the label never quite really being approached in contrast to the advances that men always had.

so back to the subject. if atla was to be created first in here, similar to a kdrama, therefore having more parts to be glossed over by the media producer, the executives, the broadcast approvers, and their enforcements for "mass media taste" on top of the traces of patriarchy seeped everywhere that never really went away.

azula would have more limitations of what she could do, such as not really having full control of her ship or her army, somehow being distanced in some way she knows but cannot grasp, having a second in command that does all the actual command-in-power- even if the show lets her do all the fighting- due to the inhibitions as a female that she never had in the series. most importantly, scenes of her would no longer have that iconic "fear aura" she always had and controlled, entirely by herself, while still wearing the label of evil. her preciseness and manipulation closely nurtured and delicately yet forcefully groomed by her father, the entirety of her complex character, would be watered down to an overbearing snotty control freak who can't really do anything. and when she duels zuko, she would be fighting for the power she never was really given. zuko's win would be cloaked a heavy shade of patriarchal win.

katara would be framed as a righteous lecturing damsel in distress. she would show skill, she would be taking down dozens, but her selfless passion and enthusiasm would be made thwarted to "catch" the attention of stereotypical prying males. she would be pinned down by a manhandle and there would be a dramatic, perhaps romanticized, male rescue. she would be fighting more stereotypical men targetting her than doing her actual part of saving the goddamn world. in the series, the one "blatantly patriarchal" society she had to face in the northern water tribe overturned in quick succession due to a usage of a plot ticket of acknowledgement of personal loss of a high master due to the patriarchal norm as well as an acknowledgement of katara's skill and resilence. i can't even start to imagine how it would've turned out if atla were to be produced in here.

toph would be framed a "loudmouthed little brat", as a guy who captured her in a metal box had said it. she would be strong, she would be vigilant, but she would be ignored, she would be babied more, and she would be made to either simply shrug them off, or be condescended as if she was nothing but a child when she does show her anger. her rightful anger would be treated as nothing but a simple child's fit. either that or her gender would have been replaced entirely, as she was made in the ember island play scene, but with more region-typical stereotypes laced along the way.

all of them would be made to wear some lipstick and makeup.

all of them would be made to wear tightly fitted clothing on their higher torso, in some way.

all of them would be regularly commented of their appearances in some way.

all of them would abruptly find themselves in the face of blatant sexism as if it was an obvious topic in a conversation.

i would continue to scrutinize over how suki, aang, sokka, hakoda, and ozai would have been, but i'm not sure i honestly could, at least in terms of accuracy, with my current state of experience and knowledge on kdramas and korean media culture as well as the limited time i have. (and i really don't want to compartmentalize my time further watching tv dramas for "culture studying" sake)

-

so uh. thanks for reading? i guess. if you did. through the entire wall of ramble text. which i doubt. congratulations. i wouldn't read it too

#LONG POST #rant #atla #character #character study or something but not really i guess #language #status #mostly that i guess #kdramas? #i was infuriated with that one line that translated sokka's “have i ever mentioned how sweet it is that you invented metalbending” #to “i don't know how pretty you are for inventing metalbending” #and i was like. what the fucking hell. is that supposed to mean. #and so came the final push to rant down the lower half of this post #even if that was a mistranslation of “how sweet it is” i am still mad #every bit of the dialogue/transcription is at least slightly off which is why i don't use translated material if the source language is eng #the entire fucking tone and context is DEAD on translation #which i deem as the most important thing for solidifying the delivery of the expected character establishment for the audience. #i don't know about the rest of the folks here but. to hell with it. i would do a BETTER job thank you very much #ramble #brain dump #period typical misogyny #but is it only under “period typical” if it's regarding kdrama?

[utilitycaster]

If you could build a character to screw with Bells Hells (in an ideology way Deanna already did the other) how might you build them?

You know, this is a very difficult question for a couple reasons:

The first is that the party itself has a pretty wide range of ideologies! I think it's very hard to faze Fearne or Chetney (unless you're his ex, apparently) simply because she's so open to experiences and he's lived such a long life. Imogen and Ashton are both very cynical, but I think they'd mostly be disgusted at worst by a super perky and naive person. Laudna likes most people, as does FCG, and Orym is unlikely to make waves even though he does have plenty of personal preferences.

The second is that I firmly believe that you can make a character that intends to push people's buttons...but you are here to work with the party, if you're playing a PC. I've been thinking about this a lot actually, what with all the "Emily breaker of DMs" discussion, because on NADDPod's various commentary shows (both the Patreon-only Short Rest after show, and also a lot of their D&D Court/Hearthside Chat episodes) she always talks about being very sensitive to both party composition and wanting to play a character who very much has a reason to be there and to bring everyone together. I find that aspirational, and so some friendly ribbing or playing someone who will challenge a character ideologically is fine, but I'd be reluctant to be actually antagonistic.

So I think like, the true answer is "Aabria sufficiently messed with the party by being a cleric with a complicated deity relationship, which messes a bit with both FCG and Imogen, and also was Chetney's ex so that got him good, but at the same time her build was incredibly beneficial to the party composition; she has won, and no one's going to top that." But were I to attempt to compete: I mean, I'm going to take @captainofthetidesbreath's suggestion here and do cleric of the Dawnfather/Chronurgy wizard:

Cleric of the Dawnfather now is going to fuck with everyone, especially if you are just straight-up a generally nice person who follows the Dawnfather and has no specific ties to Vasselheim or the larger church hierarchy. I think a life or light are the obvious domains to pick; the domain itself won't really affect how the party feels about you.

Chronurgy wizard who just knows Ashton's whole deal immediately is going to totally mess with them.

I think the combination of cleric and wizard would do all kinds of wild shit with Imogen's understanding of power; following a different god than FCG and having very high intelligence/knowing the world isn't flat is going to be a whole fun thing there as well.

For maximum fuckery: Be an elf who's like...450-500 and a survivor of Molaesmyr. This achieves several things. First off, you can feasibly call Chetney a young man while being middle aged yourself, and see what the fuck happens. Second, you can just hate Ludinus for petty reasons. Literally if anyone breathes any positive words about the Vanguard be like "did you know? Ludinus HATES dogs." Go full Bitch Eating Cookies on him. This is hilarious and great because it shuts down conversation but you can just be like "no I have ideological reasons, obviously, but more importantly, he failed to reimburse me for 400 gold worth of high quality paper."

Be very slightly dismissive of druidic magic. Not in like a bad or hurtful way, but just enough to make Fearne and Orym sort of grit their teeth a bunch. Also, just be like...not into Pâté. Like, not freaked out, not upset, just. Not into it.

EDITED: I was so caught up in the flavor and details I forgot this was a cleric multiclass and your wisdom has to be decent so take either the observant feat or locate object and make it super hard for Fearne to steal from you. (Sorry, I am envisioning this as like 2 cleric levels and the rest wizard, so I'm thinking of them as mostly wizard).

Have an ring of mind shielding that you have made invisible.

#answered #Anonymous #cr tag #this was fun

[coarsely]

Personality through quotes tag

Many thanks to @spideronthesun for tagging me!

The rules of this game seem to be to write in character quotes about a prompt given to you by the previous tagger!

My prompt was: A quote about hopes for the future

Your prompt is: A quote about non-romantic intimacy (friends, family, etc)

The Potentate Magnus: "My future is unending, unyielding. There is nothing the future could bring to me that I have not already done, that I have not already bared witness to, that I have not grasped and succeeded at. I hear them, whispered hushes, thinking me too senile to hear–that I am old, and my reign must reach its end soon. I am here to assure you–I am going nowhere. I am not only your past, and your present, I am your future too, and it is through me we shall enter the glory of the Empyre together, as the Prophet did so many eons ago."

Imperator III: "I am an Imperator. Ours is not the place to dream, to hope and to wonder. Ours is the place to swiftly carry out justice, to liberate the souls of the wicked, to spread the gospel of It's Purity, to cleanse this mortal world of sin. My only dream and hope is what the Priests of Eden dream and hope for, what the God-King dreams and hopes for."

Sylvester Praeceptor: "It's a strange thing. I fought every day to get a little closer to getting back to where we used to be, but now that we are here, I find myself at a loss. Such a driving force it was, that without it I am oddly lonesome. I suppose if we are in the same place every year, with wealth and social standing, I will be happy. All in the family, as they say."

Vítor Cadogan: "Oh, call me naïve or simple if you'd like, but I just want the world to be a slightly better place every morning when I wake up. I don't need any grand ovations, or proclamations of world peace, or a signed apology from every man and woman in Bronze Eden, I just reckon if we could all try a little harder to do good every day, it'll have an impact on the way we live, too. I suppose at the end of the day that's what I've always believed in... guess I'm just going about it slightly different now."

Saccade: "Not a lotta time to be dreamin' and thinkin' about the future out here. You gotta take it one day at a time, slowly. Wonderin' about what-ifs and getting too upset at the way your life has turned out is a sure-fire way to wind up dead, or worse. And shit, that's what some people want, but me? I've been kickin' around too long to give up now. My only wish is to go out fightin', rather than turning on my belly n' giving up."

Diana: "Oh, darling, I am the future. Don't let the cover fool your clever eyes–every bit of culture in this wonderful place we call Nod can be traced back to yours truly. What have I to hope for? I've already succeeded. Been there, done that! The only thing I could ever hope for is for our wonderful, brave, immortal freedom fighters to take a little better care of what I've designed for them! I might be a miracle worker, but stains out of lace? Even I have my limits."

Ucalegon: "I wish for what every Wanderer of Nod wishes for; justice from the tyranny of our neighbour. To liberate ourselves from their presence on our borders, their influence in our lives. To avenge our dead, the many innocents lost to the Baptism. No matter what it takes, I will see this dream realised, or I will die in the fight to make it real. Dreams are all we have left."

I tag @noblebs, @albatris, @revenantlore, @ink-flavored, @xenascribbles, @digital-chance, @chauceryfairytales and as always, anyone who is interested in doing one of these!

#tag games #potentate magnus #imperator iii #sylvester praeceptor #vítor cadogan #saccade #diana #ucalegon #anti-chronicles

[again-please]

"#I do mourn for star wars" ok SPEAK ON IT

so. i don't know that i have anything particularly new or coherent to say, but TFA got me WAY into stars wars (and by extension back into writing fic), and then cut to four years later and the rise of skywalker was that moment where i walked out of the theatre and realized...oh. okay. no one at the helm of this franchise gives the narrowest shit about telling a cohesive story or had any kind of plan from the start.

to me, such a terrible ending that it kind of marred all the previous (sequel trilogy) installments for me. i was/am a big ol reylo as some of you may know, and i would have traded every canon reylo moment (a story element they still didn't even really commit to, because they committed to absolutely nothing) for an actual overarching planned story for the sequel trilogy rather than the weird written-by-committee, audience-tested, disjointed mess we got. even TLJ is not free of sin on this count imo (let us not excuse completely downgrading finn to a side character). and ultimately i find it kind of depressing that the plot of sequels is "the exact same thing that happened in the original trilogy happens again with a slightly different flavor. it'll probably happen again in another 30 years."

and like, every single one of the disney+ shows has been more of the same. i'm sure they all have moments but i only have so many hours in my day to waste lmao. mandalorian was good for half a second. i heard andor was good, but...shrug. i don't even want to know whatever it is they did to my girl ahsoka. they all have this bizarre kid-friendly-but-nostalgia-heavy quality to me that ends up making them feel like they're written for no one except the execs to feel comfortable about spending money on. and everything set during that time between ROTJ and TFA just kind of reminds me that it ultimately goes nowhere.

like don't get me wrong, i get excited to see luke skywalker. but then seeing weird cgi luke skywalker is all that it really is. i'm very happy for the people still enjoying it.

obviously there are lots of people out there who are like sTaR WaRs WaS aLwAyS bAd, but clone wars was GOOD god damn it

(kylo can still fucking get it)

#ask and ye shall receive