#just that my visions are given to me out of context so it's all weird

[dailyadventureprompts]

Heavy Topics: A Child's Vision of Evil

One of the first big “aha!” moments in my journey to retrofit d&d’s laughably bad lore was the realization that the way the game treated evil didn’t make much sense.  As a dungeonmaster I was asked to create dramatic stakes for my players but the out-of-the-box antagonists supplied to me were as laughably one note as the pollution loving villains in Captain Planet. Who would ever worship the demon god of killing everything that lives? Of torturing you for all eternity? Of being unpleasantly covered in slime? 

None of it really made sense until I started to understand the world and recent history through a political lens, at which point several things became clear: 

Despite how large a bogyman it played in the satan scare of the late 80s, the people who laid the foundations for the lore of d&d came from a background of conservative american christianity, and baked a lot of that ethos into the game. 

The conservative christian imagination can only see things in black and white. People who disagree with them can’t just have a different opinion, even if that opinion is objectively good, they need to be wilfully evil . In fact they must be trying as hard to be evil as the christian is trying to be good, because they’re a backwards person, a monster, a demon. 

This idea of the “Backwards Person” is the exact process that gave rise to the bloodlibel, to the witchpanics, to the redscare, and yes, the 80s fear that satanists lurk around every corner sacrificing babies and putting poison in candy because they love evil that much.  It’s the same thought that’s given rise to Q-anon and the groomer panic. “People who disagree with just can’t just have a different opinion, they must be demons.”

D&D’s classic enemies are similarly all “backwards people”, hardwired to do evil so that players always have an excuse to kill them.  While on the surface it seems harmless or even childish it leads to the default d&d world being one where peace is impossible and genocidal violence is the only correct answer.  

We can do better in our writing than a bunch of shut-ins who wanted nothing more than to play cowboys and indians while ripping off Tolkien. Whether you want to write a sweeping epic or a mindless dungeon crawler, there’s a way to reconfigure d&d lore. 

Join me below the cut for a discussion of different ways to use evil in your games.

Children cannot control their emotions nor their fear, they lack the life experience necessary to contextualize things beyond a surface level reading. If you ask a child to "imagine something bad" they're going to take something that scared them, something gross or unpleasant or threatening and imagine it blown up to cartoonish proportion. Tolkien got bit by a spider as a kid and the entire fantasy genre has never lived it down.

D&D is weird because it keeps these childish ideas about evil and drags them forward into an adult context. Those three demon gods I mentioned in the intro make a sort of sense when you realize they're fears of dying, pain, and uncleanliness made manifest. That said most of us having outgrown our childish simplicity understand that those things are neutral, Spiders might personally gross you out but we all understand that doesn't make them bad on a spiritual level. In the base d&d lore however that personal distaste is ALWAYS true: Evilness is synonymous with ugliness and monstrousness, drawing a thick crayon line between the good people and the bad things.

That's where we get our particular flavor of backwards people, because one of those fundamental (pun intended) fears d&d inherited from it's creators was xenophobia, fear of the strange, but also fear of the stranger. When the white, suburban, middle class, christian creators of d&d imagined the other they took all the bad things they had been told in their youth about people who were not them and made them into monsters: That's why the default thinking enemies of d&d are tribal primitives who squat in the ruins of greater civilizations worshipping demons while coveting the beauty and wealth of cultured people. It sounds hyperbolic, but there's a one for one parallel between between the weird sexual anxieties conservatives have about black men and orcs raiding human lands to kidnap women as breeding stock. Same fears about emasculation and race mixing and ethnic replacement, only d&d gives the good ol' boys a narrative vehicle where they can revenge themselves upon their imagined foe.

Most modern d&d is not like this, and I chalk that up to the demographic shift that's happened both because of time passing and the influx of new voices that came along with the 5e renaissance. We're all media literate enough to avoid the obvious racial pantomime... except in cases like the Hardozee when the devs port something almost word for word from an older edition and we get a thanksgiving uncle/facebook aunt screed about how the silly monkey people are really SO happy to work for the refined and civilized and white elves.

What's left behind however is that pervasive childlike worldview: Where perfectly natural things that creep us out (like rot) or frighten us (like pregnancy) are made universally villainous regardless of any themes that are going on in that specific story. Ask yourself why the creators of a piece of media made their badguys look and act like they did, rather than just accepting that it's that way because "the lore says so".

Anyway, that's my rant over, and I promised you guys some different versions of how to use Evil:

Classic demons or lovecraftian horrors make for good bossfights but are thin on character, one of the basic building blocks of story. To remedy this, pair your unremitting force of darkness and destruction with a troubled and nuanced mortal agent, someone who is trying their general best but has been forced down this low road by circumstances beyond their control. This gives your roleplaying focused players something to play off against while your combat focused ones battle a building sized monstrosity. Raw evil isn't interesting, it becomes interesting when we see what it makes morally grey people, even good people, do in reaction to it.

Extremity is one of the best ways to turn normal people into villains, a looming disaster or recent crisis that's putting the pressure on everyone and preventing anyone from thinking beyond protecting themselves and their own. Beyond the people acting rashly, you're also going to have a legion of opportunists offering to fix the problem as your higher rank of antagonists to overcome.

Similarly, if you're going to have your villain backed up by legions of faceless mooks you're going to need a reason for their loyalty. Your villain is offering them something worth dying for, which gives your heroes an alternate win condition for overcoming their numbers beyond genocide.

If you're willing to take a step into a more fanciful, cartoony universe, feel free to play with the idea of good and evil as arbitrary teams: It's the badguy's job to cause chaos and it's the goodguy's job to stop em, they're all working professionals and the dungeon is the workplace comedy. This is fun, but then lets you escalate the tension when someone doesn't play by the rules. What happens when a zealot starts executing evildoers who'd already surrendered? what happens when the villain summons something that is more interested in devastation than wacky hijinx?

Think of morality like a punnett square: There's the party, and then there's the villain who wants the opposite of what they want. THEN there's the villain who wants what the party wants, and the ally who wants the opposite of party wants. Suddenly rather than a simple binary, the party is forced to balance the interest of varying groups as well as their better judgment. This can be made even MORE complex by creating different categories of "what the party wants", which is generally how you get complex political dramas like game of thrones.

#heavy topics #writing advice #dnd #dungeons and dragons #d&d #ttprg #pathfinder

[mulletmitsuya]

Tokyo Revengers Groupchat (Final Timeline)

Warnings: suggestive (i might have to change this warning to "mentions of sexual content" bcs it's too tame of a warning for the stuff that's actually in here), swearing, the word "pedophile" is mentioned, mentions of substance abuse

Desc: Everyone finds out Takemitchy and Mikey are time leapers, which leads to some...interesting questions

Mitsuya: so let me get this straight

Mitsuya: you're a time traveler, and you've lived dozens of timelines to prevent Hina from dying but she kept dying anyway but then when you got to one where she didn't die, Mikey was some deranged criminal lord and was miserable and depressed and tried to kill himself so you had to go back in time again to make sure everything was fixed but ended up dying while fighting Mikey but then somehow you both went back in time and rewrote all of our entire lives??

Takemitchy: yeah...

Baji: cap

Mikey: it's not

Mitsuya: so Mikey's a time traveler too?

Mikey: yeah it's crazy i know

Draken: do you guys have any way to prove this?

Chifuyu: this explains why i keep getting random visions of me in alternate universes. holy shit

Haruchiyo: weird ass prank

Takemitchy: i think it happened since you're close to me and we basically did everything together. i'm not sure

Inupi: we're just gonna believe this?

Koko: wait, i kind of do

Kisaki: this...defies all logic of anything ever.

Mikey: shut up Kisaki

Mikey: i'm sorry it's just that in ever other timeline you've ruined my life so it's difficult to be nice to you sometimes

Kisaki: so you don't like me because of something i did in another universe?

Takemitchy: *timeline

Mikey: yeah. my bad

Baji: i'm gonna entertain this cause i'm bored but what was i like in other timelines

Mikey: dead

Baji: ...all of em?

Mikey: yeah, it kinda drove me to insanity

Baji: damn

Baji: why?

Mikey: you killed yourself to save Kazutora

Baji: what was the context

Mikey: long story

Baji: there wasn't any other way?

Mikey: you're kinda pissing me off cause that's what i was wondering, actually

Baji: damn

Kazutora: thanks man. appreciate it🙏

Kazutora: i'll slobber on your meat later, as a proper thank you

Baji: i'd appreciate that. thanks homie🙌

Koko: what about me?

Baji: you wanna slobber on my meat? i mean i won't stop you. as long as i can call you kitten.

Koko: ...i was talking about me in alternate universe's😐

Takemitchy: i don't think we should go there guys. there's too many timelines, and not everything was exactly the same. and also in general it was a really traumatizing experience for me and i kind of want to end my life every time i think about it

Hanma: womp womp. what about me???

Mikey: murderer

Hanma: YESSSSS 😭😭😭😭😭

Hanma: THANK GOD, I KNEW IF I COULDN'T DO IT HERE, MULTIVERSE ME WOULD HAVE LIVED THE DREAM

Hanma: are me and Tetta-san together in every universe

Mikey: surprisingly, yes

Hanma: and he denies we're soulmates😔

Kisaki: i will not hesitate to get another restraining order

Hanma: a piece of paper won't stand in my way. let's get married

Kisaki: i will call the police

Draken: guys are we really entertaining this?

Mikey: you went to jail in one of the timelines and you were bald LMAO

Draken: sure

Baji: why'd he go to jail?

Mikey: these guys killed Emma and Ken-chin took revenge

Baji: respectable

Mikey: he was given a death sentence

Baji: that's tough fr

Ran: i'm kinda curious

Ran: humour me, what was i like?? was i famous?

Mikey: you were a criminal. killed people

Ran: sounds about right if i'm being honest

Ran: and Haruchiyo and Rindou?

Haruchiyo: leave me out of Takemitchy's psychotic episodes

Haruchiyo: i think you have a hallucination/delusion disorder or something

Mikey: but don't you believe me?

Haruchiyo: ...

Haruchiyo: Mikey, you're also pretty mentally ill

Mikey: says you???

Haruchiyo: i just have substance abuse problems and i'm getting clean so...

Mikey: GUYS I'M TELLING THE TRUTH I SWEAR

Mikey: I'VE BEEN GOING CRAZY KEEPING THIS A SECRET

Draken: when was the last time you slept?

Mikey: ☹️

Baji: guys just play pretend.

Rindou: what about me?

Mikey: same as your brother just uh, less gay and slutty?

Rindou: story of my life

Inupi: you didn't do Koko

Mikey: criminal

Koko: the whole time?

Mikey: yeah

Mikey: Inupi got normal at some point because he and Ken-chin got close and they fixed bikes together and had sex

Inupi: Draken????

Draken: you're really starting to piss me off.

Mikey: Akane died in the fire though like she was BURNT

Takemitchy: uh Mikey-kun...

Mikey: she was a crisp i'm telling you

Mikey: Inupi you had an ugly red scar on your face and no one wanted you

Mikey: Izana i know you're reading this, you were fucking insane dude like you killed Emma for some fucking reason then Kisaki shot you 3 times in the chest and you died while having a really bad mental breakdown. it was a major L on your part

Chifuyu: Mikey why are you leaving out the fact that the common denominator in every single timeline was that you killed every single one of your friends in the most brutal ways possible🤨?

Mikey: no comment

Smiley: how'd he kill me?

Chifuyu: uhhh

Chifuyu: Takemitchy help me out here

Takemitchy: i don't want to talk about it😐

Chifuyu: I REMEMBER

Chifuyu: backshot

Smiley: ...

Smiley: he killed me by giving me backshots..?

Smiley: i would NEVER take it from behind

Smiley: especially from MIKEY

Smiley: small dick having ass

Smiley: my bootyhole is not to be messed with

Smiley: i'm so pissed off right now holy shit

Smiley: how did i even die???? dick so good it killed me?

Smiley: i'm so angry

Angry: and i'm Smiley😂

Baji: 3/10 joke 👎, poor delivery, fell flat

Smiley: i hope you kill yourself, Mikey

Mikey: trust me, i've tried

Chifuyu: ???

Chifuyu: he shot you in the back with a gun?

Chifuyu: what's wrong with you

Smiley: oh my bad i though you meant like, he was taking me doggy style

Smiley: i'm no bottom

Ran: what is happening

Chifuyu: i'm moving on😐

Chifuyu: Hakkai was tied to a chair and burnt to death

Hakkai: wha-

Hakkai: WHAT DID I DO??

Hakkai: jesus 😟

Chifuyu: why am i getting all these memories, i'm freaking out

Hakkai: Mikey please tell me what i did to deserve that ☹️

Mikey: idk Hakkai i was going through a lot

Draken: have you been diagnosed with anything?

Mikey: i don't need a diagnosis bcs i'm fine now, you're all alive and i don't have any murderous intent!!! yippee🤗

Mikey: isn't this great Takemitchy??

Takemitchy: well, yeah no ones dead so that's great

Izana: this is obviously completely fabricated

Izana: are you guys that bored?

Senju: man for all that time traveling you sure are a shit boyfriend😭

Takemitchy: how????

Takemitchy: did Hina say that☹️??

Senju: it's an observation

Senju: you've had way too many coincidental close calls with other woman💀

Draken: yeah you pissed me off when you thought i was gifting you a prostitute. you had a whole ass girlfriend. shame on you

Senju: and you also almost slept with Emma and you "don't remember"

Smiley: Mitchy's low-key funny as hell because what do you mean you stripped yourself and another girl down to your underwear by accident

Baji: wouldn't Takemitchy be a pedophile then?? Emma was 13 dawg🤨

Mikey: he was 14 though😭

Baji: you're gonna ride Takemitchy's dick to defend him from trying to sleep with your 13 year old sister??? crazy

Baji: wasn't be mentally 26🤨?

Baji: bro i'm gonna beat your ass actually

Mikey: hmm

Mikey: you know what Mitchy, why did you do that 🤨?

Smiley: LMFAOO

Mitsuya: why did i come back to Takemitchy facing pedophile allegations, like what's going on right now

Kazutora: is it not enough that he changed the space and time continuum just to be with his girl?

Kazutora: cheating this cheating that, my boy deserves all the pussy he wants

Kazutora: he's been beaten, shot, stabbed AND killed

Kazutora: i personally believe he's the goat

Baji: ?

Chifuyu: goat is an acronym for "greatest of all time", Baji-san

Baji: what's an acronym

Chifuyu: i'll dm

Kazutora: bro you're so fucking stupid😭

Draken: i don't care if he was skinned alive by an orangutan, there's no excuse to cheat on someone

Rindou: i think being skinned alive by an orangutang warrants having more than one girl. idk that's just me tho

Ran: not the point that's being made rn

Rindou: what exactly is the point that's being made

Rindou: is this real. are we being serious.

Rindou: i don't think i get the joke

Haruchiyo: i think we should all stop talking now

Mikey: Mitchy we need to talk a bit

Takemitchy: i told you this was a bad idea

#tokyo revengers #tokyo revengers manga #tokrev #tokyo revengers texts #tokyo revengers groupchat #tokyo revengers smau #sano manjiro/mikey #mitsuya takashi #baji keisuke #ryuguji ken/draken #matsuno chifuyu #kazutora hanemiya #kawata nahoya/smiley #shiba hakkai #hanagaki takemitchy #haitani brothers #kurokawa izana #sanzu haruchiyo #akashi haruchiyo #akashi senju #tachibana hinata

[magewolf-the-artist]

Yeah so I decided to update Susan's ref sheet because oh my god it's so fucking ugly-

But yeah, I'm much more satisfied with this one because I've developed my style for drawing these fuckers a lot better and the pose radiates more personality.

Old ref: https://www.tumblr.com/magewolf-the-artist/743345425139040256/on-this-episode-of-walten-files-brainrot-heyyyyyy?source=share

Here's her bio with a couple add-ons:

Apparently she's British (Her accent is still a mystery to me but I've seen a couple people say this so ehhhh). So my headcanon is that her family immigrated to the US when she was four, so while she does have an accent, she doesn't really say any slang. Occasionally she might call someone a twit (affectionate) or a twat (derogatory), but that's about it.

At some point during her fun little maze adventure, the neck cables that held up the animatronic head snapped due to the constant pressure of Susan's broken ass neck forcing her head to loll to the side. While at the facility she found that she can use metal ties to hold the cables upright. She has to tighten them constantly though or else her vision will be forced into portrait mode

Ashley fixed the cable while she, Kevin, and Hilary were there and Susan is forever grateful to her

She probably accidently breaks it again through something stupid like bumping her head against the door frame or something and boy oh boy was she PISSED

On that topic, she tries her best to upkeep her and everyone else's bodies but there's only so much she can do with limited tools and slightly worse motor skills (imagine doing a task that requires very precise movements through winter gloves and you'll pretty much get the idea)

She refuses to repair Bon though and tells him to figure it out himself.

She's become way more snappy, short tempered, and easily frustrated after her death. Trauma, baby!

Susan kinda acts as a shoulder to vent to whenever anyone needs to talk. She can’t really offer much in response or comfort since A, she’s the type to push things away and compartmentalize, and B… well, she can’t exactly promise everything’s gonna be okay, now can she? Still, sometimes it’s nice to just talk

Some days though she just kinda… shuts down emotionally. Just kinda lays on the floor and can’t find any motivation to get up or do anything. Thinking about everything and nothing at the same time, staring blankly into space

Charles usually stays with her during these episodes and depending on the day, he either just sits with her quietly or rambles about random shit like he did when they were alive

Her sleep schedule was super fucked up when they all came to the facility because she was used to being up and around at night. It's gotten better but she still sometimes wakes up buttfuck early and has come to appreciate the serenity of the nights

Probably the most casual about her death, as opposed to Rosemary's crying and Charles desperately trying to change the subject

She walks with a very distinctive shuffle, something she picked up from her fun little maze adventure because the weird shuffle walk helped lessen the pain she put herself through and conserved energy. It used to be a lot more pronounced but it's faded slightly overtime

Usually hangs out with Charles

Is constantly exasperated by Charles' antics

To pass the time she either plays card games with Charles or organizes the tools in the maintenance closet

She tried to talk to Rosemary when they were first brought to the K-9 facility but only got silence in return. She's kinda just given up now and mostly leaves her alone

Is the most familiar with Bon's abilities and didn't even bother trying to escape the facility because she knew it was futile

Helps coach everyone but Rocket on how to move

When helping Ashley figure out to move she probably made an off-handed comment like, "if you think that's hard, imagine having to learn how to do this while being alive" and only realized Ashley had no context for that when she gave her a very confused and worried look

Hates Bon's guts and is usually annoyed/angry with him

She also hates Felix's guts, but everyone does so it's not anything special.

#the walten files #walten files #susan woodings #twf fanart #twf banny #twf susan #the walten files fanart #Domestic K-9

[ratsbypaulzindel]

HI. BIG OVERVIEW OC POST THING. IT'S RAINFOREST FLOODS.

have you ever thought to yourself "hey wouldnt it be cool if there was an oc story made by two guys and it was about a haunted waterpark slash arcade in a fake town in a real state". you probably haven't. but if you have youre in luck! more under the cut ok.

rainforest floods is a terrible no good ocverse made by me and my good friend crawford @dykeseesgod. everyone in it sucks and is horrible except maybe one or two side characters. it's set in the podunk middle of nowhere town of timberline, new mexico, and more specifically a waterpark/arcade called rainforest floods (title drop).

also the waterpark SUUUCKS like its budget is nothing they are in debt. the managers havent paid taxes in 15 years. anyway these are the employees. theyre bad

and these are the co-managers. theyre even worse (and also toxic old man yaoi. these refs were drawn by the aforementioned crawford)

anyway yeah. they get up to wacky hijinks in what will ideally be a tv show coming out in one million years. they're also horrible and tragic. most of it is bruce's fault. some of its not though!

ok also here's some other side characters.

^ running gag that nobody knows her name except kelsey who has a huge crush on her.

^ unnamed girl's younger brother who is constantly faced with horrors and torment at the hands of the rainforest floods employees. dont get me wrong hes annoying as fuck but he didnt deserve to run on that hamster wheel. (ref also drawn by ford)

^ jeff's girlfriend. also the coolest person in timberline new mexico. worlds most unimportant minor character but she is wonderful and loved by the producers (me and cosmo)

FUNNY OUT OF CONTEXT THINGS THAT SHOULD MAKE YOU MORE INVESTED IN THIS OCVERSE

rainforest floods stupidity logic is a thing me and robbie came up with to explain why all the characters are idiots who dont find things out that are important to the plot too soon.

there's a chain gimmick restaurant that andy's whole family runs except him. its like italian food but its like also magicians. their tagline is "so good its practically magic". andy hates it.

kyle has a curse on him so that nobody remembers or recognizes him outside of like. his family. so the rff employees arent even targeting him for their shenanigans on purpose theyre all just weird freaks.

kelsey gives unnamed girl the company landline as her phone number because shes stupid and a ghost and doesnt have a phone.

the employees all get together on wednesdays in the breakroom and compare evidence on whether or not andy and bruce are together romantically. its the one thing that truly bonds them all together.

vincent: is a watchmojo fan, had his first kiss as beethoven in his 12th grade production of dog sees god confessions of a teenage blockhead (2004), gets really christian in some episode subplot, is not a swiftie but he is a gaylor, wishes he was jonathan sims sooooo bad, types like a toddler who was just given a keyboard.

vincent also ruined rainforest floods' lobby playlist

also there's a brand account that we run and post on whenever we feel like it. its more of a sounding board for ideas we may explore more in the future. its fun but it may be a bit difficult to get the full idea with the execution so :-( sorry you wont fully understand our wonderful and hilarious visions

annnd i think that's it. yay worlds silliest yet most tragic oc story. ok bye ^_^

#vel.txt #oc stuff #rainforest floods

[lavenderbexlatte]

day 7: in the club

kard 2.1k words female reader insert Reader x Matthew Kim (BM) x Kim Taehyung (J.Seph) NSFW

🖤 warnings: semi-public sex, penetrative sex (f receiving), getting it on w/ ur homeboy, threesome~ 🖤

kinktober masterlist

connect with me! / masterlist

Eventually, one of them will give up.

It's worked out like that the one or two other times you've been pursued by more than one person in the club. At some point, one of them sees you with another and gives up. Easier than ghosting, less confrontational than trying to explain that you found someone else. Problems take care of themselves, in this context.

So you enjoy the attention of both men, one on each side of the crowded club.

The first man is a playful, solid-built guy with clear features and a pervasive air of shyness, despite how bold he's being with you. His ears and neck drip silver jewelry, and his denim-on-denim is distressed black fabric from his fashion cap to his designer sneakers.

He dances with you, a gracious amount of space between his body and yours even as his fingers sneak into your back pocket, and he doesn't say much. You like him, though, as much as you can like a random guy in the club.

You think you'll be going home with him, until you cross the club to find one of the friends you came here with, and your attention is caught all over again.

The second man is huge, tall and broad and masculine, dressed in loose leather pants and a plaid shirt over a tank top that hides nothing of his chiseled physique. He talks an awful lot, slang and bad jokes and insistence that he buy you a fresh drink - right into your hand from the bartender, safe and respectful - and then hold it so that no one fucks with it.

He's class-clown attractive, fuckboy attractive, but he's so sweet and earnest that you wonder how he was given a Doberman face with a golden retriever soul.

They're both excellent options, so you don't really care which one ends up scaring off the other. It'll take care of itself.

You weave your way back across the packed dancefloor, back to Cap Guy from Tall Guy. Cap Guy is right where you left him, leaning against the wall, sipping from a half-empty beer.

If this next set doesn't have a song that you like, you might just ask him back to your place right away instead of heading back out to dance. You're getting kind of tired, and you could really use a night like this.

But as you reach Cap Guy, a hand on your shoulder lets you know that you've been operating with unfortunate tunnel vision.

You did not notice that Tall Guy has been following you.

And here he is, right behind you, looking clean over your head at Cap Guy.

They're looking at each other with an expression that you can't begin to understand, something like understanding but also a twinge of what you swear is humor. Cap Guy is nearly grinning.

"I..." you start, unsure if talking will help but unable to stop yourself. "I'm-"

But Tall Guy cuts you off. "Dude."

He surged forward and meets Cap Guy's outstretched hand in a high-five so resounding that you can hear the slap of it over the bumping club music.

"Wondered where you'd been all night, bro, this is nuts," says Tall Guy.

"Should've known," Cap Guy replies.

"You two...know each other, then," you say weakly.

Tall Guy leans fully on Cap Guy's shoulder, comfy and relaxed. "Sephy is, like, my best fuckin' friend."

They're best friends.

"You have good taste, no lie," he adds.

They don't seem mad, which is a relief. You wouldn't want two big guys pissed at you for two-timing them. But you're still in for an awkward departure, here. So much for problems fixing themselves.

"Still," you say, forcing as natural a laugh as you can, "Still, a little weird. Sorry."

Tall Guy looks at Cap Guy - Sephy? "Weird? S'it weird?"

"I should be heading home soon, anyway," you excuse.

Hopefully they'll give you the graceful out, and not make a scene about the fact that you've been-

"Home? Already?" asks Cap Guy.

"Yeah, yeah, my friend was looking a little drunk, and-"

"Means you don't wanna have any more fun with us?" Tall Guy asks.

"Us?" you echo, nonplussed.

"Unless you're not down for that," says Cap Guy.

"Us, like..." you point back and forth between the two of them.

Cap Guy nods. Tall Guy is just watching you, tongue poking between his teeth in a dangerous grin.

You're dumbfounded, which means honesty falls right out of your mouth. "I did not think that would be an option."

Tall Guy laughs. "C'mon. I know a place."

He charges off, cutting a clean path through the clubgoers with his significant height. Cap Guy shakes his head, and leans into you, a gentle hand urging you forward after his friend.

"Matt is just like that," he says. "If you're down, though, he does kind of know a place."

"Matt," you repeat.

"Matthew. Or Matt. And you can call me Seph."

They sound like codenames or something, fake names, but you're not about to press them about it.

Matt weaves his way around one of the large circular platforms around the dancefloor, the last one before the dark hallway that leads to the bathrooms and back of house. There are two gorgeous go-go dancers on the platform, young women in complimentary outfits and dark makeup, and as Matt passes, he reaches upward. One of the girls, all shaggy hair and long dagger nails, looks at him, looks at you following behind him, and daps him up.

"Don't make a mess!" she yells, deep voice carrying from her podium.

The other girl, a vision in a tiny skirt, rolls her eyes and waves at Seph as he leads you past.

"Friends of ours," Seph tells you needlessly. "They work here, so no worries about getting...interrupted."

You wonder what you've just gotten yourself into.

'Knowing a place' turns out to be something more like 'being aware of the employee lounge.'

That's what it looks like, at least; a closet-sized room with a mini fridge, a half-broken neon sign with beer logo on it, and a busted couch. Two sets of handbags and cosmetic pouches and spare clothes on a table to one side suggest that maybe those two go-go dancers use this room. It explains the demand not to make a mess, anyway.

"S'okay with you, right?" Matthew checks again, as you tentatively step into the little room.

"What? This?"

"Yeah. We ain't about to pressure you into nothing."

The atmosphere is tense, loaded. This room is right next to the bathroom, right down a very short hall from the dancefloor. The music is still loud in here, thumping bass through the walls and the same kind of hazy air as in the rest of the place. It's dark, it's just slightly too warm, and it's so small that you're already pressed to Seph's side.

It's new. It's exciting.

Not to mention that both of these guys are so incredibly hot, you don't quite understand how you got both of them in here with you.

"Yeah, I'm good," you say.

Matt grins again. "Then what're we waitin' for?"

You expect him to make the first move, considering the difference between his personality and Seph's, but you're mistaken.

No, it's Seph who has the door slammed shut and your back pressed to it in an instant, one of his arms propped over your head and the other holding you by the chin, strong hands but gentle grip. He's completely blocking your view of Matt, which is just as well. A hand sneaks over and takes the cap off Seph's head, revealing messy brown hair that falls into his eyes.

Better for you. Nothing in your way, as Seph tilts your chin up and kisses you, firm and certain but still so gentle.

When he pulls back, you can see Matthew again, looming, wearing the cap backwards over his bright blue hair. He looks far too pleased with the scene in front of him, and suddenly you're self-conscious, ducking forward to hide your face in Seph's collarbone.

Music still shakes the walls, the beat quick and loud. Maybe reggaeton.

"Still good?" Seph asks.

You feel the question in his chest as you hear it, something reassuring to the solidness of him, and despite your nerves, you answer, "Yeah."

"Good."

He turns the two of you around just for more hands to catch you, Matt's grip firm on your waist, guiding you one, two, three steps back before he sits heavily on the couch. You follow him down, and his ridiculous height and musculature means that he has you arranged just right, straddling his lap, before you even know it.

You can't help but consider that their comfort comes from experience.

How often do they do things like this?

You voice that question, tentative under Matt's intense gaze, and he laughs. "'S' happened. Y'know. Whenever it seems like a good time."

Unhelpful.

"What's a broship if you haven't seen each other naked, anyway?" Seph adds, and Matt laughs again.

"Speakin' of..."

A brow quirked, he goes for the hem of your top, and it's with a few words of encouragement and a brief retreat to be able to wrestle buttons and zippers that you find yourself stripped to your underwear and back on his strong lap.

"This isn't seeing each other naked," you point out, when your senses return.

Both of them, the one beneath you and the one hovering within reach, are both still fully clothed, and it makes you a little self-conscious.

Matthew nods. "You're so right."

He takes Seph's denim jacket by the back collar and yanks it down his arms unceremoniously, far cry from the way he's handling you. Seph shrugs the garment off, nonplussed.

It's taken in turns from there. Matt's flannel shirt, the undone belt and popped button on Seph's jeans. Your bra, leaving you still the most exposed by far. Matt's pants, finally, but amusingly, not his tank top. Your panties.

"Still only me," you complain again, when you're fully nude in the thick air of the lounge.

Grinning, jostling you on his lap so that you can feel the shape of his hard-on against your thigh, Matt takes Seph's cap off his own head and puts it on you, instead.

"There."

Maybe it's the sweet, silly gesture, or maybe it's how Seph's expression changes just a little bit into something hungry and fond, but suddenly, you're not nervous anymore. It's your turn.

Back against the door you go, standing, pulling Seph close, and guiding him to press you against the thin wood.

"I wanted you, first, anyway," you tease, loudly enough that Matt protests from back on the couch.

A glance proves that he's not bothered in the slightest, though, lounging just how you'd left him, hand dipping into the waistband of his boxers.

The cap doesn't fit well, but Seph adjusts it on your head anyway as he tugs his jeans down - not off, but down just enough...

As he's sliding home - an easy slide, too, you've been worked up for ages, hours - with one hand holding your thigh up over his hip and the other bracing himself against the door so that his weight pins you there, half-suspended, it happens.

The doorknob turns, fruitlessly, since there's a fair bit in the way of it opening.

The music is still pounding outside, the quick eight-count of what is most definitely reggaeton, but much closer than that, you can hear a woman's voice.

"I wouldn't if I were you," Matt calls.

The doorknob stops moving.

"You're not serious. In my club?" the girl on the other side complains.

"So serious," Seph adds.

There's a noise, maybe a scoff, maybe a gasp, at how close his voice is.

"We're busy, Minny, take your break later," says Matt.

"Busy," she said, venomous, the voice of an exasperated sibling.

All the while, of course, Seph has been pumping into you shallowly. Torturous, in your opinion. Extremely unfair. You'd prefer not to embarrass yourself right now, but he's leaving you without many options.

"Tell her," Seph says, and after a second, you realize he's looking at you, talking to you.

You blink at him.

"Tell her how busy."

It doesn't even cross your mind to say no.

No, instead, you try. "We're a - a little b- ah!"

The last part is a garbled moan, too loud and half-swallowed at the same time. It's Seph's fault, a well-timed, deep-and-dirty grind into you, pelvis against your clit for just a second, and you really can't help it. You hear the girl on the other side of the door sigh, resigned.

"Come to the bar when you're done. Drinks are on the house, for dealing with these two." With the way that Seph is all but holding you up now that your legs threaten to give out, the way that Matt is standing now, watching with unabashed hunger in his face, you think you're definitely going to take her up on that.

#kinktober 2023 #kpop kinktober #kard fanfic #kard fanfiction #kard smut #kard bm fanfic #matthew kim fanfic #kard jseph fanfic #j.seph fanfic #kard bm smut #kard j.seph smut #kpop fanfic #kpop smut

[incomprehensiblelentils]

OH MAN the new Warriors book was so much

BIG SPOILIES BELOW THE CUT FOR WARRIORS: A STARLESS CLAN: THUNDER LOL

Previously on Warriors: protagonists 1 (Sunbeam of ShadowClan) and 2 (Nightheart of ThunderClan) are in love and have switched Clans multiple times to be with each other; they are dealing with anti-immigration sentiment from Sun’s mom and general rumblings of conflict amongst the Clans. Protagonist 3 (Frostpaw of RiverClan) is The Most Traumatized Teen Cat Ever, having been put in charge of choosing the new leader despite being the equivalent of a 15yo and then being trapped while her mother got eaten by dogs in front of her, and THEN having a traumatic vision of their dead deputy getting murdered, and THEN barely surviving a murder attempt on herself.

AND NOW series 8 book 4: THUNDER

Sun has followed Night back to ThunderClan, and is determined to stay there with him

(they’re honestly so fucking cute and like Night’s family adores her and accepts her immediately, it was super heartwarming! I love them what a good ship)

Her anti-immigrant mother is the most dramatic about this she could possibly be and barges into her new Clan’s camp to try to forcibly bring her back

(Clan camps are like hidden and you are NOT supposed to barge in uninvited, the mom is frankly lucky nobody ripped her apart)

Then later Sun learns that her mother is plotting a coup against the leader of ShadowClan, but is unable to stop her from calling for the leader’s removal at the monthly Gathering

and she’s like “I have the agreement of our medicine cat which is the terms of our new code of conduct to remove dangerous leaders!”

and the medicine cat is like “yes I agreed with her BUT it was so I could show how bad this new part of the code is. bc look this bitch just has a weird grudge and is weaponizing it, seems bad”

(very happy for Puddleshine fans tbh, he hasn’t really done anything as a character and this was fucking awesome)

MEANWHILE: Frost has decided she is better off assumed dead, and decides to seek advice from her ancestors. She gets cryptic info from RiverClan’s founder Riverstar and sets off on a vague journey after being told she will “have a companion you trust immediately”

(but not before almost dying of her wounds and being saved by a human vet, who also spays her, although she doesn’t know what that means. I do think we should neuter/spay feral cats but in this singular context where they have sentience this was a pretty fucked up thing to read!!!)

Frost also teams up with Night, who has mostly been caught up in helping guard the current leader (Bramblestar) and deputy (Squirrelflight) as they journey to consult StarClan about Bramble retiring so Squirrel can be leader

Bramble has severe PTSD and trauma from being possessed by a demon who was in love with Squirrel, Bramble’s wife, and was trying to destroy the Clans and drag Squirrel to hell to be with him. I have summarized this here if you’re curious

Anyway Night is mostly just a wife guy (positive) now it’s so fucking cute. BUT he runs into Frost and she’s like DON’T TELL ANYONE I’M ALIVE and he’s like ahhh geez okay and she’s like wait! I trust you! Come with me on this vague journey StarClan is sending me on! and he’s like but my wife :(((( but okay if StarClan wills it

They walk for awhile, get more clues, bond and become friends! Eventually they end up finding the park where Riverstar came from which is full of feral cats and Frost learns to meditate (a thing park cats do) to figure out how to save RiverClan

It is finally revealed to her that the cat who tried to murder her was this fun cool sexy cat she had a big crush on (Splashtail) and she’s like D: BUT I TRUSTED HIM NOOOOO

THEN she is given a vision of Splash killing the deputy as well - AND ALSO WE LEARN THAT HER DEAD MOM WAS BEHIND ALL OF THIS!!! Dead Mom wanted to become leader so bad she had a whole Scheme to manipulate Frost literally her entire life to become a medicine cat, then (maybe) kill the very old very sick leader, then (definitely) have Splash kill the deputy, then have Frost have a “vision” to make her the leader

also Riverstar confirms Dead Mom went to hell for this

(We haven’t had that many female villains, I am LIVING FOR THIS!!!!)

Frost is extremely traumatized by this obvs but she’s like we have to go back now!!!! before Splash takes over RiverClan and starts a fucking war!!!!!

They arrive IN THE MIDDLE OF AFOREMENTIONED ATTEMPTED COUP

but anti-immigrant mom gets thrown out of the Clans and runs off, swearing revenge

THEN! RiverClan announces they have appointed a new medicine cat, Frost’s uncle

(was he working with Dead Evil Mom??????? who knows!!!)

and Uncle says I have talked to Riverstar and he wants us to “make RiverClan strong again”

and for that we need our new leader, Splash!

Night says, Frost, we have to stop him!!!

end of book!!!!!!!

this fucking RULED. Sometimes like two important things happen in a Warriors book, in this one like EIGHT important things happened and it was amazing

#warriors hell

[robotnik-mun]

What’s in a Name?

You know something? In Pre-Reboot Archie, the implications behind Julian Kintobor changing his name to Ivo Robotnik takes on some very interesting dimensions when you look at the whole picture of things.

One of the things that could make the Pre-Reboot Archie continuity so fascinating was that it was an unplanned hodgepodge of often conflicting personal visions of the writers, intermixed with hastily included details from the games as they came out. It created a weird, chaotic mix of things, but in a lot of ways part of the fun was trying to reconcile these disparate elements... as well as considering the way details could be re-contextualized in the long run.

Me being me, I tend to focus on ol blubber bolts, and in this case? When you step back and take in the full scope of the various details in Preboot Archie, it paints a rather fascinating picture of Julian’s mindset.

So, anyway. As You Know, Dr. Ivo Robotnik began life as Julian Kintobor, and upon conquering Mobotropolis and starting up his empire he re-christened himself “Dr. Ivo Robotnik”. Now, on its own the reason why he’d do this would seem pretty obvious- “Robotnik” better reflects who he is and what he’s about, and the second Sonic Kids special would corroborate this idea with the man himself admitting he finds Ivo Robotnik to be a more imposing name than his given one.

Without directly naming certain Infamous Real Life Individuals, it has pretty good historical precedence in the real world. “Robotnik” on its own makes enough sense, but that begs the question of “Ivo”. Why THAT name?

And this is where things get interesting!

For much of the comic’s early run, details about Robotnik’s life before he became Robotnik would be extremely scarce, and things would only really be fleshed out after he died. However, issue 50 revealed an interesting little detail- Robotnik’s father was ALSO named ‘Ivo’.

This would give some interesting implications behind why Julian calls himself Ivo, given that it was also his father’s name... it is also a surprisingly clever reference to the games given that Ivo was Robotnik’s given name in the games of the time and remains Eggman’s own given name (if rarely brought up).

Later, this would be retconned lightly in the “Director’s Cut” version of issue 50, in which the “Son of Ivo” because “of the House of Ivo”.

This doesn’t necessarily contradict the earlier version, as often belonging to a “House” tends to simply be a fancy way of simply saying you’re a part of your father’s family... but taken in this context, it also hypothetically means that Ivo isn’t simply his father’s name, but the name of his bloodline’s founder. Its not uncommon for prominent/aristocratic families to name their children after esteemed ancestors, after all.

Eventually Robotnik would die in Endgame, while an alternate version of himself, Robo-Robotnik, would take his place and eventually upgrade to the current Eggman design of the Modern Games, to better reflect said games at the time of their debut.

This sequence is one of those things that lives in my head-rent free, because its implied these things were built by the Original Robotnik, and just in general it brings up so, so many questions about the guy and his sense of self given that only one of those bodies looks better than he does while another actually looks even WORSE than how he normally does.

And those implications would become even MORE interesting once a certain game came along, a game that did something no other before had- actually exploring Eggman’s family history!

The Adventure Games in general had the writers scrambling to incorporate elements from said games, and not always gracefully. And the revelations about Eggman’s family in particular would send a pretty huge monkey wrench into the works when it came to the logistic’s of Ivo’s family history in Archie.

While debuting as “Professor Gerald”, his existence created even more questions regarding Robotnik’s back-up “Eggman” body that were never intended by Karl Bollers, chief among them “Why would Robotnik want to look more like his grandfather?”. In Sonic Adventure 2 Eggman would elaborate on how he admired his grandfather and scientific genius, so it might stand to reason that Julian would have felt similar growing up... this would also add a new context to him taking the surname “Robotnik”, indicating he did it purposefully to honor his grandfather. This would mean that both components of Julian’s new name were chosen from his predecessors, and that he found it perfectly acceptable to even physically resemble one of those predecessors.

Eventually Ian Flynn would come on board, and in that way of his he’d take all the odd and sometimes contradictory information about the Robotnik/Kintobor family and create a coherent whole from it.

One of the bigger reveals from this was that Gerald Robotnik was, in fact, Julian’s MATERNAL grandfather and that the Robotnik name was her family name. Likewise, it would confirm that the “Ivo” in the House of Ivo was indeed the name of the bloodline’s founder, while acknowledging that the name originally belonged more recently to Robotnik’s father Ivo.

So still there is the question of “Why?”. One would think, given that Julian took his mother’s maiden name, that he did it out of similar affection and admiration the way he implicitly did for Gerald. But I’m not sure that’s really the case.

While details were fleshed out, Robotnik/Eggman’s life was never given an in-depth look beyond him having a strained relationship with his older brother Colin. Otherwise, details about the relationship with the rest of his family was never elaborated upon... however, I do remember an interesting detail that Flynn revealed during a Q and A session.

Now I’m doing this by memory, but I swear that I speak true, but if I do remember right? Someone asked about Eggman’s parents, and Flynn basically said that it was likely he’d disposed of them in order to get them out of the way. Which, hey, I can see pretty easily in Archie. If that is the case though, then Julian didn’t take his father’s name out affection.

This veers into the realm of headcanon, but I like to think of it as Robotnik not taking his father’s name to honor him, but rather to honor his ANCESTOR Ivo, in essence reclaiming the name from a parent he disliked enough to kill. “Ivo Robotnik” as such comes about as a result of Julian wishing to emulate prominent members of his family he respected and admired, rather than parents he implicitly did not, and this theory is enhanced again by the “Eggman” body that is again implicitly modeled after Gerald Robotnik.

I just find it interesting given that you wouldn’t think Julian/Eggman to be the sort of guy to indulge in this kind of sentimentality... but then, for as much there is sentimentality behind the action, it also kind of speaks to the kind of contempt he might have held for his immediate family and his desire to be more like esteemed individuals of his family’s past rather than what in his view might have been a mediocre, lackluster present.

I dunno, I’m just spitballing and waxing poetic at this point. Still, taken all together? The various reveals of the comic and the way it incorporated stuff into the games paints an odd kind of depth to something that was originally a rather small, un-complicated detail when it came to Robotnik/Eggman/The Walrus.

And I find that Neat.

#Sonic the Hedgehog #Archie #Julian Kintobor #Ivo Robotnik #Dr. Robotnik #Ivo Kintobor #Gerald Robotnik

[citrus-cactus]

Howdy, all! I can't post my art summary quite yet because it contains part of someone's Secret Santa gift, so I thought I would fill out the fic summary template created by @reliablejoukido (see her original post here!). Even though I didn't publish (or finish!) much, I did start writing again this year, and that feels like a huge accomplishment, so it seemed like it would be fun to look back and talk a little bit about what I have in the works.

First, the finished fic!

My er... grand return to writing (I wouldn't call it that, but I did have a lot of fun writing and drawing for it, even if it took 6+ months from start to finish ^^;). I love these three characters as a trio so much. It was really hard to pull out a quote I liked and have it make sense in context, so I put the summary in there... but since I brought it up in another post, I thought I'd share what one of my editing drafts looks like:

(ok, so maybe not the tiniest font imaginable, but sometimes there are cross-outs to the cross-outs and sometimes I DO run out of room near troublesome paragraphs and in the margins!)

Now, onto WIPs!

Hmm, well! That sure is a title, isn't it? ;) I wanted to write Junzumi and came up with this idea late last year, and finally started trying to figure it out. It's meant to be fun and flirty and a bit awkward, but the ultimate goal is to be kind to JP, because he (and his body) are given so little love overall. And even though JP and Zoe are not actually hooking up in this fic, it is meant to show the relationship between the two of them in college, and how they could start going from friendship to dating. There IS nudity, but it's meant to be tasteful and respectful, I promise!

Oof. I haven't forgotten this fic, I swear (even though I published Chapter 4 three years ago!). I got really excited to work on it earlier this year (flush with success from actually publishing something, rotfl!) and then let it continue to languish (orz). Upon reflection, the reason it's been stalled is I was having a hard time figuring out the flow of action, but after re-outlining it in September I think I know now what Maki needs to be doing in order to experience the emotions I always meant her to be feeling in this chapter. And yes, she and Meiko meet (yay!).

Chapter 6 has been done for YEARS, and Chapter 7's probably pretty close to done as well, so it really is just this chapter being the hold-up.

AKA, Garg Fic #1. Been mulling over ideas for fic for this fandom all summer, and finally decided to write one based on some minor characters from the SLG comics (that I didn't even read, and can't read now because they're out of print). But I AM reading the new Dark Ages comics, and I'm proving to be a really good guesser about certain details, so actually, I feel INCREDIBLY validated about my original vision and characterization, ahaha.

As you may be able to tell from the quote selection, this is not a happy story. But I believe it's a story worth telling. It's about preserving customs in the face of tragedy, and mourning, and extinction, and love.

AKA, the thing that pulled me away from writing Garg Fic #1. I was possessed. I was writing something in my head about Macbeth's relationship with Demona this summer, and suddenly (VERY suddenly) it morphed into this. Dang, but they're fun to think about. This fic is weird, it will contain one MAJOR narrative trope/cliche, and it's definitely going to be NSFW if I end up getting that far. But I reeeeeeally like this paragraph I wrote for it XD

Thanks for the template Zuz, and thanks to everyone else for letting me ramble about writing! See you again for the art roundup!

#fanfiction #the cactus speaks #fanfiction summary #fanfiction summary 2023 #my fanfic

[boxwinebaddie]

hbd stan! i'm using that as an excuse to say: u rock unc nina! ur my fav fic author because ik you write style fanfic, but u fleshed them out soooo much past what the show has done. in ur fics theyre almost like really good ocs? and u made the world so detailed and creative that if you didnt tell me it was sp i would srsly!!! think i was reading a novel from the bookstore! ur attention to detail is crazy. ty 4 blessing us. we luv you! p.s. u also seem rlly nice and r sooo pretty on twitter <3

this message made my heart smile, omg. thank you so very much.

first of all, of course, happy birthday stan the man with the plan.

second of all, i'm so honored to be your favorite fanfiction author! i would have never in my wildest dreams believed that so many people would form an attachment to the weird little things i write. :')

and i am grateful every single day for each and every one of you. <3

this ask actually really hit home for me because one of the imposter syndrome things i've been struggling with recently is worrying that i'm taking too many liberties with stan/kyle and just taking the characters so far out of context that they can barely be considered as style at all...or that they came out of the south park universe.

( edit: uh i spiraled into self doubt after this part, my fear that my fanfics are too ooc and i fucked w everything too much haunts me )

simply put: you all stumbled upon my stomping grounds because you were looking to read style fanfiction, so it would distress me deeply if you or other people stumbled across it and were like woah! wtf!!! this is not stan and kyle??? what's with all these crazy headcannons?!?!

but we have 20+ seasons of south park with...very inconsistent plot, lots of plot holes, lots of plot!!! of course, but not a ton of characterization beyond sort of baseline humor and skeleton stuff.

and in that case, i feel like you kind of have to take liberties when you are given that little in order to make a fluid story w/ realistic characters? so really, i just filled in the blanks with what felt right to me tried to take them from 2d characters to almost 3d people.

and so even if they are not textbook, i feel like every writer stylizes their style a different way ( pepstyle and rmstyle are just mine ) and i guess more than them being perfectly canon, i wanted you to resonate and love them as people, whoever those people may be.

so i am glad they are so lifelike/detailed to you that they seem like ocs compared to what matt/trey have given us, but i hope they are not too ooc/too fleshed out that they take away from actual style.

style ( taylor's version ) -> style ( nina's version )

which you guys seem to really like! which thrills me a lot!

and honestly most of that anxiety formed around rm!jersey and rm!ravenstan because they are technically goth stan as raven ( plus stan canonically singing in cd ) and kyley b jersey kyle...i just cobbled them to fit correctly into the offshoot southpark universe i created.

which i hope still reads as south park but in a much grittier, realer more modern sense? bc tbh rm happened bc i really wanted to writer a darker, psychological thriller, mystery, raunchy romance type beat.

it just looks a lot different than regular style stuff and i cant really disclose too much about raven until i can progress the plot past at least chapter...6? the chapter after this one? so he seems off??? but

*breathes bc im having a panic attack* sjdajsd aaa rip rip rip haha

its all still south park. its all style. jersey and raven are stan and kyle. even if it seems like the characterization off...let me cook. crying help.

thank you all for trusting my vision and enjoying my stuff even if it is not your normal style content. i literally have this panic attack like every couple of days so i am trying to have it publicly and civilly here.

the detail means a lot to me which i guess is why they kind of became my ocs rip...because i need there to be answers for every question. like yall could ask me any question about any four nina style boys and i would know in a second shdsadk. which might be psychosis, but i think...is possibly sick? shows i know my stuff? shdls

i am blessed to have you, actually, darling. thank you for reading my existential crisis. i'm glad you are enjoying your books that are barely south park featuring my yassified stans and kyles quasi ocs, rip.

i love you, i love you, mwah, mwah, mwah,

hope to put the next chapter of your book out soon also -- in november its nanowrimo! and instead of a novel, i will be focusing on my fics and i will be! revisisting peppermint! aaaa! get lit let's go!

-uncle nina, always in a crisis

P.S. WAIT THANK YOU FOR THINKING I'M PRETTY! THAT'S SO NICE! THANK YOU SO SO SO MUCH D'AWWWW

#im sorry this message was unhinged #question of the day are my fanfictions too ooc #are the boys too...not like are in sp #like am i doing too much with them #or do we like it is it cool that i put a lot of detail into the character skells #i get nervous bc im reading fics and im like omg why are my stans and kyles different #im gonna *stan vc* throw up help #but anyways! #time for my ativan #sorry i made the sp boys my ocs by accident #and kind of wrecked the actual south park canon #i really tried to uphold a lot of it...some of it is just hard to transfer yk

[positivelybeastly]

From the book Marvel Anatomy: A Scientific Study of the Superhuman.

Context: When Skrull forces use their shape-shifting powers to infiltrate Earth’s defenses, King T’Challa must delve into Wakanda’s scientific archives to determine which Super Heroes and Super Villains might be most at risk.

My apologies in advance for shoddy quality. With how it's formatted, getting good scans is a pain.

"Beast's heavily muscled frame bears many similarities to the physiology of the Wakandan white gorilla, a species worshipped by the Jabari Tribe."

I actually like this as a specific explanation as to why simian Hank looks precisely this way. Because people call him a monkey man, and that's not inaccurate, but have you ever seen a monkey that looked quite like Hank? He's a weird blue wolfman monkey ape. Making him a fictional species that you can just say looks like him makes so much more sense in-universe.

"While Beast's self-performed alterations reconfigured his core features and added his familiar blue fur, a brush with death activated an even deeper mutation and transformed him into a more feline shape. Taking on this form resulted in a rapid deterioration of Beast's physical health, prompting him to synthesise a stabilising formula that restored him to a form more akin to his familiar simian configuration."

Ehhh . . . see, I appreciate the attempt to fix the weird foible that is Hank's unprompted mutation in All-New X-Men, but this is a bad explanation. 'Rapid' deterioration? He was feline for 12 years out of universe, roughly 3 in-universe. That's not exactly rapid. It just happened out of nowhere.

I still run with the headcanon that exposure to the Phoenix Force while fighting Dark Phoenix Cyclops triggered a mutation response, given that the Phoenix was literally present to re-ignite the mutant race and all. Makes sense that someone with a volatile X-gene like Hank's would react to it. Also, no mention of the fact that said stabilising formula was actually made by his time displaced younger self, which is hilarious to me.

"Beast's cat-like pupils and nerve-rich retinae work in sync to enhance his distance vision to astonishing levels. However, he still requires glasses for reading."

I hate the idea that Hank would go through no less than five life altering mutations back to back that completely changed his body on a cellular level, enhancing his deadlift capability from 1 ton to 10 tons, giving him paws, giving him feline eyes - but they somehow never fixed his near-sightedness?

It's dumb. It's stupid. It makes no sense to me. The bastard hasn't needed glasses since he was 20 and just wears clear lenses to make himself seem less threatening, that's a much better, more in-character reason for him to still wear glasses.

Thank you for sharing this stuff, though! I'd been tempted to pick this book up to see what it had on Hank, and you've saved me the trouble. I hope this wasn't too much of a hassle for you; and, to be clear, the criticisms above are me being nitpicky, they're in no way intended to be critical of you, Stray, you've been delightful since the moment I've met you.

#straysomethinginthewoods #outofmuffins

[theres-no-better-love]

Something is bothering me and I know I might be too picky (but allow me my feelings),

I hope I don't forget something but here it is:

What is their plan and do they have a plan, I really hope so, as much as I hope there will be more seasons, but

Is Gabriel a main character or is he not?

The three of them remind me of the Harry Potter trio, (in this case with added polyamory or not)

I want all three of them to be equally important characters. That's the impression they are giving us with the three of them ending the season together.

But here's the thing: the foreshadowing with the "maybe the bad times are the good times" and "I wanted to see it through to the end" tells me that they are flirting with the idea of things ending up tragically. And them just killing Gabriel because he's a lesser important character. They paid him less attention in scenes and in the script in the last few episodes except in the scenes that establish his backstory.

In the scene after Nathan's vision Annalise hugs him, but he reaches towards Gabriel and touches his arm and grips his hand as Gabriel is gripping his ankle. Emilien's face is out of focus and only after I have slowed down the speed on Netflix was I able to see that as he's doing it Gabriel is closing his eyes in anguish and fear for Nathan.

We barely see his reaction to Nathan almost dying for the second time in two days, when just a few hours before that he was so shaken he couldn't look at Nathan at all he was that sticken and didn't know how to express his emotions or what to do with them.

Even in the first scene the night before when Nathan is ill we do not see much of G's reaction. The focus is not on him, I know it's a complex scene with a lot happening but if G were an important character who will stay the focus of the show, his reaction would be important just as Annalise's.

I don't know if somebody dropped the ball on this aspect of the story or? Director, editor, cameramen do they know the game plan and the focus of the story? Arguably it's a romantic subplot but at the same time it's the emotional heart of the story, just as that conversation between Celia and Annalise reminded us - what's the only thing that really matters.

In the books (spoiler) Nabriel are the main pairing romantically or otherwise, just as much as Annalise and Nathan. (The books are kinda messy honestly in many aspects, I hope the show does better with this, idk)

In the last episode when Nathan asks them to tell him their goodbyes... Gabriel doesn't say anything. They didn't give him any lines??? We are supposed to not notice this? We are skimming over it? If him not saying anything is the point then we should have been given a close-up of his face in anguish. Yes I know when the vial of blood broke we got it but it was weird because everything is disjointed. Nathan was comforting him as if they have known each other longer than 10 days like they know each other so well. Like my dude he's not the one who's gonna potentially die, you are? What is this scene in the script, what are the director's notes?

Also which one among us can speculate why did Gabriel fall in love with Nathan or whatever they are implying throughout... Nathan is cool, I love him, but in context of the time they have spent together and their scenes?? There doesn't exist that deep of a connection established. They have hots for each other yes, they are blatantly flirting yes, but it's just the beginning idk... I think the creators of the show should pay closer attention to their intentions for the story and plotlines.

#the bastard son & the devil himself #tbsatdh #nabriel #Gabriel boutin

[dreameasel]

for headcanon purposes, how's the addamsverse through your morbid and very much twisted vision? this includes any and all characters you want to talk about. what are they driven by? how far are they willing to go? what's socially moral and right for the addamsverse that doesn't clash with what's socially moral and right in ours? gimmie the spicy, the grotesque, gimmie ur worst, train my beloved.

based off of this post

[rubs my awful little hands together] okay good yes this has some questions in it that are exactly the kinda thing i've been brooding on.

I've been brooding on morality and legality and all that kind of shit in the Addamsverse for a while now. I try to keep things fairly grounded in reality if only for my own ease but I've violently love things being extreme, unhinged and horrifying. The idea of Faulkners having like, one gruesome death a year at minimum that everyone seems to just shrug off a la Sunnydale High is genuinely delightful to me. But then it does come with a certain amount of questions of like, well how does that square with how normal the rest of the world still is.

So far how I'm handling it is similar to how it's handled in Buffy The Vampire Slayer. The supernatural and the horrifying are all there and only hidden beneath a piece of cardboard, if it's hidden at all, but people ignore it as much as they can because once you start down that track you find out things you really wish you hadn't. There's parts of Elioud culture and in the world of the supernatural/occult that even the Elioud themselves get antsy or scared about. And what are people most likely to do when they know there's something uncomfortable? They ignore it.

It's easier to not look too deeply into things, it's less scary to think of the Elioud as just freaky goth monster mash people then dig too deeply into how any of it works or what they really do. Werewolves transform but don't think too much about what that does to the human body etc. Also in a world where curses and magic are real there's a serious incentive to stay in your fucking lane. I imagine things like the Satanic Panic of the 80s went VERY different in the addamsverse since there's like, Actual Real Satanists in the kinda way hollywood loves to do it and a not unsizeable community of openly supernatural people who would push back.

While the Elioud are generally just Normal Ass People But Weird there is also generally an undercurrent of darkness and savagery. They're all inherently dangerous in their own ways and the vast majority have a serious dark streak to some extent. It's both just like, inherent to their natures (it's impossible to think of a werewolf or vampire that lacks a prey drive) but also come from so many of the smaller communities under that umbrella dealing with bigotry, disporas, violence, cleansings etc. There's an inherent sense of insularity, distrust, secrecy and willingness to commit violence to protect the Whole. There's also a a sense of like "well, tough shit", so much bad shit has happened to them and the Horrors/Supernatural are so normal to them that a tragic death here or there, even of youths, is kinda partially expected.

The Elioud are in a lot of ways best thought of as an ethnic group and a rather large one at that given how board of a catch-all term it is. There is an overarching connective culture outside of them all just being freaky Halloween people but it's much looser than say, vampire culture/community. So there's kind of two social structures in the same way you'd think of with any other ethnic group — the overarching culture/social mores of the country they're in and the historical culture/social mores of the ethnic group — it's just in this case it's that the ethnic group is Fucking Terrifying.

The Elioud generally are far more comfortable with murder in like, Most Contexts and various taboos like cannibalism or being super hands on with the dead in ALL stages aren't really a thing for them. Their concepts of death are very different and it's much more present in their lives on the whole. They're also more comfortable with grudges and revenge and things like that. Their ideas of justice are convoluted and intense. It's not too far off from something like the Fae at times tho it all various from group to group. Vampires and Witches tend to be more bonkers about shit than say, Werewolves or Gorgons.

Society in this world works via anxiety and ignorance. You might want to do good by stopping the secret Elioud society from preforming ritual human sacrifices but by sticking your nose in you've actually made things worse. Going beyond the mundane surface of the Elioud means running the risk of seeing something you can never unsee and there is a quiet fear and tension that exists under the surface of society that keeps the masses from penetrating too deep.

Where Elioud and Normies tend to agree are on things like "don't hurt kids" values, general property laws, human rights kinda stuff etc. They also tend to be very warm and extremely loyal. There's a while community energy and they're very fond of things like community watches. Both groups also tend to debate about which category people like Harlow, Xavier's mom, fits into. She's not an Elioud, her powers come from a Death Experience (can you call it a Near Death Experience if they did in fact die but recovered?) and those powers now put her in the same category as Vincent, Xavier, Wednesday etc. But all of them are Eliouds born with these powers. They knew they were likely coming and have a whole culture/tradition around them. The Thorpes are literally known for their psychic powers. People like Harlow who are Not Eliouds but Have Abilities get their Normie Card revoked but aren't necessarily accepted by Eliouds.

Okay I could literally say more but I'm getting more disorganized and a lil tired. There's just so much I could say lol. But the basic idea of this post in particular is that Elioud like the Addams are more than comfy committing Atrocities and everyone's too scared to look into it because if you stare into the void the void stares back at you and No Thanks.

#meta / ooc. #answered / ooc. #headcanons / ooc. #proud that kept this Long Post from getting Even Longer lol #a rare feat for me tbh

[lunarifie]

Rewatching Ninjago

(With no context other than the episode)

Skybound 7-8



Okay by why is Dareth out of everyone helping Nya, Cole, and Lloyd save Jay

Are Kevin and Dan self inserts-

Lloyd: who are they? Retrieval experts?

Dareth: better! Screenwriters.

I also saw these two random dudes in the jail and they were given lines and everything istg these are self inserts 💀

Also theyre voices sound abnormally normal

Everyone else in the show has a sort of distinctive or exaggerated voice

Not to mention how normal their outfits are. something I would actually wear in real life.

These are just some guys

The plan to recreate the sky pirates airship to blend in is actually a good idea

Lloyd: Ar! Yee.. matey, we be be, becoming pirates!

Dan and kevin:…

Kevin: okaaay thinking on the fly, the green one wont do dialects.

Dan: the mute pirate!

The dialect teacher: (teaching Cole and Nya)

Lloyd: (following their movement and swaying but not saying anything with a smile on his face)

I bet Lloyd loved pirates when he was little

This must be so fun for him :)

The airjitzu master after nadakhan stole him and his temple: This is me and my pupils home! You cant take it!

Nadakhan: And get rid of those peaky ghosts as well 🙄 theyre so last season

HDNSIFNSNR

The way Nya and Cole are hoping Jays okay 🥺

COLE FOUND JAY!!! WHAT I DONT REMEMBER THIS HAPPENING?!?!?!?

Jay sounds so pained :(

God I really wish Ninjago had like, a cartoon style like she-ra or spiderverse. Coles helping Jay stand and Jays voice actor is doing such a good job in sounding in pain but this would hurt so much more if we could SEE it.

They apologized to each other 🥹

Clancy (looking away): now here are the rules you need to follow new crewmates!-

Lloyd: (trying his fucking best as the mute pirate to mime to Nya that her mustache is falling)

Nya: 🤨

Lloyd: your mustache…

Clancy: hey! I thought you were mute

Lloyd: its a fucking miracle!

Huh, okay. So not only can the ninja not summon their dragons if they’re fearful, but they cant if they’re too drained or exhausted.

That makes a lot of sense actually

I love when powers come hand in hand with like health and stuff

They all got captured 😐

I hate that Nyas alone with Nadakhan

Jay: Thanks for trying to save me but maybe it would’ve been better if you guys never came…

Damn.

God Nadakhans so creepy…

Cole: Nya! Dont do it! Itll make Nadakhan all powerful-

Nadakhan: The black one goes first.

ik Coles the black ninja but the poc Cole headcanon has made me double take and go “🤨” to a few lines

DID NYA JUST FLIP DOGSHANKS HFJNSJF Holy shit

If I had a nickel for everytime an ancient item could collect elemental masters powers, id have two nickels, which isnt a lot but its weird it happened twice right?

STOP. MAKING. WISHES.

Lloyd: We have to be wiser for what we wish for!

Jay: NO. NOT WISER. QUIETER. NO. MORE. WISHES.

Coles getting his wishes twisted

Lloyds trying to think this through

And Nyas just wasting wishes💀

Like girl its not that hard to just NOT say ‘wish’

LLOYDS OLD?!?!?! 😭bfjdjfnfjsnt

Its so funny that the youngest became the oldest

Thats also scary though

Imagine the kid you swore to take care of turned 90 in a second

Lloyd: i see beyond the now..! Youll need your wish when its said from the heart

Love when age and wisdom gives you future vision

Jay: SAID FROM THE HEART?!?!? HEARTS DONT TALK!!!!

FUSION DRAGON!!!

How does that even work though

An electric and water dragon should be killing both Nya AND jay.

Wait so Cole and Lloyd used all their wishes. How is nadakhan gonna trap them in his sword now?

CLANCY NO DONT WISH THEM AWAY

Clancyyy :(

Nya riding the dragon while Jays sitting behind her is giving me movie Nya and her motorcycle vibes

so its just Nya and Jay now

And the whole police force I guess.

But what were they ever good for.

Oooooo a safe house

Wonder where it is.

Zanes dad’s lighthouse!!!

WAIT WAIT WAIT IK WHOS IN THERE

Jay: No no, let me row the boat, you saved me last time, let me do this for you :)

Awww thats sweet

Jay: Either way, a gentlemen NEVER lets a lady row.

Aaaand you ruined it.

Flintlockes getting reaaal suspicious of Nadakhan…

MUTINY! MUTINY! MUTINY!

that was kinda pathetic…

Jay: (venting his heart out about how this is all his fault)

Nya: Jay-

Jay: (continues venting)

Nya: JAY. Shut up. 😀

Jay: I know I know, you dont wanna hear it-

Nya: No- JAY. we’re not alone.

ECHOECHOECHOECHO

Jay: (cowering behind Nya)

Nya: I thought you were supposed to be protecting me?!?

Jay: I thought you were over that!

ECHO!!!!

Does anyone have any fic recs where Jay and Nya take echo with them????? Bc ik they leave with echo but we never see him again.

Clancy deserves better :(

Its actually kinda sweet how Jay wants to protect Nya

Little robot: (steals echos chess piece)

The seagulls: (trying to alert echo of what little robot just did)

Echo (looks back): Wait… How did you..?

Little robot: 🤷

Echos so cute 😭

I love Jay and Nya 🥺 theyre so sweet and it makes me genuinely like their relationship when they aren’t fighting

Nya fixed up Echo!!!

Nya: Its nothing… its just, both of you seem so convinced you have a future with me.

Nya: what voice do I have in all this? All my life , my identities been defined by someone else. First I was Kais sister, then I was your horrible girlfriend!

Nya: Even when I wanted to be Samurai X sensei told me no…

Nya: I just want the choice to be who I wanna be.

I feel so bad for her.

See THIS is why shes my favorite. I literally love her sm.

Her character is just so dynamic and well written

I really hope the ninjago writers dont tear down her characterization and make her bland in newer seasons

Fuck theyre here.

Nya: Lights, camera, ACTION! (flash-bombs nadakhans crew)

Dogshank: OW! You pulled my hair?!??! WHAT KIND OF WARRIOR PULLS HAIR???

Nya: One that is woefully undersized!!!

Jfjdjdbfhsjdnsjrn

Fuck this being about Jay. This is Nyas season.

Jay: Whatever you do! Dont pull that lever!

Doubloon: ? (looks at the lever) 😈 (pulls lever)

Jay (falls through escape trap door): Thanks! :D

GO ECHO GO

Aw echo :(

Nya: (pouring her heart out and confessing she’s always loved him and wants to protect him and for him to go through the travelers portal)

Jay: (goes for a kiss)

Nya: (fucking shoves him in the portal)

Nya. Girl. Ik this was like, an act of love. But if you marry the djinn, hes gonna be all powerful.

Like, its great that you believe Jay can save you later and stop the wedding. But you could have just left. If Jay got captured he’d still be able to make the ‘i wish you were never a djinn’ wish.

Nadakhans so creepy. I hate him and hope he dies.

#ninjago #lego ninjago #Rwatching Ninjago #skybound

[rivalsforlife]

TWO TREES OF VALINOR. these are gorgeous. I gasped even though I knew it was coming. I remember losing my mind at that first teaser picture that showed them and seeing it up close is beautiful. pretty much just how I envisioned. I like how telperion is a little gentler/dimmer comparatively I cannot remember if it was confirmed that they brighten/dim according to what time of "day" it is or if I just made it up but either way that's great. gorgeous.

ok this. ok this. I saw the leaked teaser a while ago so this has been on my mind. they're falling through some sort of suspension it looks like, which could be some terrible trauma-induced vision or it could be water.

The three possibilities I have for this scene are War of Wrath, Dagor Bragollach (aka Battle of Sudden Flame), OR, most interesting to me, the First Kinslaying.

If it is water it kind of rules out sudden flame since that wasn't really. water-based. like it could be in a lake or something but that doesn't make sense. I was leaning more towards war of wrath because of how it would make most sense where they are in the timeline (continent sinking is on everyone's minds.)

This image of Galadriel is interesting to me too. She looks very rough here. Everything is red even in the air. That atmosphere also kind of implies bragollach to me with all the fire and smoke, and it is also where she lost two of her brothers, so it would absolutely make sense that she's got trauma from that, buuuut it doesn't explain the water.

War of Wrath would have a lot of fire and smoke and devastation, but considering this comes at the part where Galadriel is telling Elrond "You haven't seen what I've seen" in the trailer, Elrond probably wasn't here for these scenes. He was alive during War of Wrath though you could argue he probably wasn't caught up in the middle of it. But if we rule out "things Elrond may have seen" that narrows it down to Bragollach and the Kinslaying.

This being the Kinslaying, though, would be super interesting to put into larger context the downfall of the Noldor which would be on everyone's minds around the second age particularly with Galadriel refusing the pardon of the Noldor given that she was exiled despite fighting against Feanor and co in the kinslaying at alqualonde. This would also be a very devastating moment for Galadriel. All the smoke is a little bit out of place here admittedly, but the weird red lighting could be the combination of fire and a lack of light, and it would definitely explain the water.

And I don't think the Kinslaying is at all unreasonable, despite it not being in the appendices, considering we're seeing this.

THIS HAS TO BE THE OATH OF FEANOR I REFUSE TO ACCEPT EVERYTHING ELSE. It shows us like four elves standing in half a circle and I think it's reasonable for there to be like seven/eight depending where the man himself is standing. They're raising their swords in the air. and they sure as hell LOOK like noldor. I'm just imagining all the redheads are on the other side though. I wish I had a better image of this so I could tell if they have the star of feanor on their armor because that would be confirmation but literally what else could it be.

I can't even remember how I reacted to this I think all the neurons in my brain started firing at once and I reached a new mental state for a moment. I did not expect to see more than like a passing mention of feanor nevermind THE OATH ITSELF. This has incredible implications both for noldor lore and also celebrimbor backstory going so much more into like the feanorian drama which is all I am here for it was absolutely my favorite part of the silmarillion. the feanorians are my favorite part of the entire tolkien legendarium.

I'm not expecting them to go into much more detail than this on the individual sons of feanor so maybe none of my favorite guy maedhros :( but I do believe he's standing right behind the camera and has red hair.

love the juxtaposition of "this could be the beginning of a new era" re: second age with the rebellion of the noldor that sure was an era.

anyways I've heard the first season is going to be mostly setup and I was like "what are they setting up" but if it's a first age history lesson I am sold. I am more than sold. I am currently trying to find a way to psychically project my consciousness into september so I can see this full oath scene, the whole 2 seconds it might get.

and nothing else in this trailer matters to me honestly I forgot it already I literally care about nothing other than feanorians. (and galadriel she gets a pass. and fingon but there's no way he's here. and I'll stop while I'm ahead.) I didn't think they would give it to me, but they have. never thought I'd say it but thanks amazon

#lotrop #again sorry in advance for the person this will make me

[amyjsoba]

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier

About every other week my friend comes over and watches a sci fi movie with me and my husband. We’re working through a huge list and have more or less gone in order of date made. This was the last movie of the 1980s, Star Trek V: The Final Frontier.

It’s been about fifteen years since I’ve watched this film, so it was interesting to go back and revisit with mainly one question on my mind: is this movie as bad as I remember? The short answer is no—and yes. 

Star Trek V opens with a fairly strong beginning. Jerry Goldsmith scores this movie, and I believe the opening to ST: V is the best version of what’s now known as the “TNG Theme.” It’s got the classic opening from the 60s tacked on at the beginning (which TNG also has) and just when the music is ramping up to the main fanfare, there’s a synth that mimics the sound of warp drive engaging.  I love this. You can listen to the track here if you like. 

I also love the idea that everyone is on shore leave and is hanging out with each other. Sulu and Chekov are on a hike, and Spock, Kirk, and Bones are camping. It’s some nice character interactions that are them being found family together.

The edition of Sybok is one of those, “okay, I guess they needed to shoehorn that Spock has a brother somehow” but I found the idea not completely distasteful.

Actually, our discussion of the film after it finished was just that—the idea of someone getting a weird vision from an entity and having to fly to the center of the galaxy feels like a plot point from TOS. It’s entirely within the realm of “things that happen in Star Trek”. And this aspect of the movie is what I found less distasteful than when I watched it 15 years ago. 

The problem with the film comes with almost everything else. My friend, LE, pointed out that this narrative would’ve been more compelling if someone on the crew received the vision to go to the center of the galaxy. But instead, we get a side character who seems like they’re going to be the villain, but then just sort of...isn’t? 

That’s the biggest issue of this movie. There’s no drive or urgency. The entire cast just stands around doing nothing for most of the film. They’re along for the ride. The Enterprise gets taken over and there is so little effort to get it back. Think about all the times the Enterprise gets taken over (it’s a lot). Westly puts in more effort to get the Enterprise back when everyone else is taken over by that pleasure game. 

Spock doesn’t kill his brother, but he doesn’t attempt to fight him, either. That seems OOC to me. I feel like Spock would’ve at least tried to do something. The rest of the crew is a bit brainwashed but this is also never reversed, or discussed much. Sybok says they’re not brainwashed but...come on. They’re brainwashed. 

I also like that bit where Kirk is basically like, “I DON’T NEED THERAPY I NEED MY PAIN” which is hilarious and made me laugh out loud, because of course that’s what Kirk would say. Manly space captain! 

The Klingon villain isn’t a villain (he just gets scolded by the old Klingon general) which is also funny but then it falls flat because again, there isn’t urgency or a sense of drive. The payoff isn’t as good as it could’ve been.

And then at the end, the Klingons, crew and everyone else are all drinking together which feels weird in the context of Star Trek VI. 

Shatner was given a chance to create the story and direct and this movie is what we got. It’s a good thing he was only given the reigns one time. 

For our next film, we move into the 90s with Total Recall (1990). Our last film was Predator (1989). 

#sci-fi movie watch #stark trek v #star trek the final frontier #star trek #star trek movie 5 #star trek tos #james t kirk #spock #science fiction #sci-fi writer

[sword-and-quill]

Descending Is Easy

Paired with Our Hands for a little bit of context + foreshadowings, just for funsies. Content warnings for blood, self-harm, suicide (ish?? She’s trying to go to the underworld, not end herself), weird misogynistic/cissexist takes on the b!ble, aaaand grief/trauma/she’s just not starting in a great place.

Grandmother is an incorporeal ghost in this scene, visible only to magical sight in abstract ways. Ben, on the other hand, is also a ghost but bound to Victoria and using her memories to present with a human face.

“Descending is easy.” Grandmother Wolfe’s laughter tinkled brightly through the air around Victoria, filling her vision with lights dancing like the sun through a crystal prism. “After all, you descended from me and look how good you’ve got it. The real trick of every system is learning how to rise.”

Victoria couldn’t argue, even given the tragic circumstances. Their family had many advantages, for all of its barbs. “Do you know how to do that part?”

“Of course Grandmother knows!” Came the cheerful reply. “You don’t think I’ve been swanning around, slacking off all these years, do you?”

“Great!” Finally, the clouds were breaking. The lights of her grandmother’s presence shimmered around her, then faded, leaving a curious sense of coldness. “… Obviously I’m going to resurrect you too. I know I didn’t need to say it, but… I would never leave you dead. Not while I knew a way to help.”

The cold aura persisted for a moment more as she knelt at the graven altar, her knees aching from how long she’d been there. Grandmother had always taken her time to forgive; it was like waiting for a jury to deliberate over the sincerity of a confession, deciding what penalty would be appropriate. Finally, she thawed and Victoria imagined her uncrossing her arms and turning back with a muted smile. “Of course, darling. You know you were always my favourite from the beginning. We did your first rituals together, taught you the meaning of power. Our bond cannot be broken, especially by something as trivial as death.”

At least some of that was bravado, as transgressing the border to the afterlife was the stuff of legend. Victoria had learned early on never to call her on her bullshit. It merely made her cranky and vindictive, even spiteful. If she let Grandmother pretend she was a goddess, she usually behaved like a benevolent one. Usually.

So she smiled and rose to her feet, experimentally flexing her knees again to work out the groaning joints. “So - how do I start?”

Grandmother’s lights sharpened, their prismlike qualities taking on more solid dimensions for a split second. Then one of the shards glowing iridescent blue-grey shot forward and slit a wicked hole in reality. “Reach inside.”

Even though putting her unwarded flesh through a tear in reality sounded like a terrible idea, she obeyed and was rewarded with the sensation of her fingertips brushing across a polished, sharpened surface. With a gulp, she closed her hand around it and pulled it out to reveal a red-stained … was that… a bone? The tapered end had been sharpened into a cutting implement, while the broader end was inlaid with beautiful dualistic golden knotwork. She turned it over gingerly, adjusting her grip so she was less likely to cut herself accidentally. “Can this open a portal to the underworld or…?”

“I’m going to tell you if you stop trying to get ahead of me.” Grandmother snipped. “You’re going to use this bone to cut away the unnecessary parts of your psyche and store them in a physical vessel up here for safe keeping, until you return from the land of the dead.” When Victoria didn’t pipe up with a question again, she continued, seeming satisfied. “We are going to create a duplicate body for you, which will have two results: your flesh will be rejuvenated, all former injuries and illnesses cured. Secondly, the body you take to the underworld will likely not return. In such a case, you’ll require a vessel and the anchor of your own soul to summon your consciousness back to your life here.”

“Well, that’s grim.” She commented, but inwardly felt that made a certain sort of cosmic sense. As above, so below, right? “If that’s what it takes, I’m still in. What qualifies as ‘unnecessary’ bits of my psyche?”

Grandmother’s prisms shied away from the knife as Victoria turned it over and over again in her hands, nervous of contact. “Anything that might attract attention or cause you to fumble in your quest. Fear, for example, is absolutely useless if one has a reasonable grasp of tactics and one’s own relative power. Lust serves no purpose without your flesh. Joy. Laziness.”

“I don’t think I’m lazy.” Victoria protested, finally feeling the need to defend herself. “I’m willing to do whatever it takes!”

“Then it won’t be very hard to cut it out, will it?” She’d almost pushed her too hard, gauging by the sharpness of the shards and Grandmother’s tone. Pushing ahead more brusquely now, she continued without allowing Victoria room to reply. “Be honest with yourself, Victoria, only you know your own true weaknesses. Sever as much as you can. The lighter and more driven you are, the easier your journey to the underworld will be.”

“Jesus, Vic, are you really listening to this?” Ben’s voice suddenly interrupted the all-too-familiar wave of self-loathing as his phantom appeared directly at her left elbow, gaping at the prisms with genuine horror on his face. “I don’t think it’s a good idea to dice yourself up like that, not even to get us.”

“I’m not letting anything stand in my way.” Victoria replied to Ben, shifting to face him, her boots braced in a wide, confident stance. “If it means temporarily making Victoria 2.0, what’s the big deal? Honestly, I’ll probably make out with her, just to see how it feels and answer that age-old conundrum for myself.”

“Victoria!” Grandmother exclaimed. “How dare you be so crass? Maybe you should start with your lust, if you can’t keep a civil tongue.”

The younger Wolfe reddened with shame, averting her gaze from both of her spirit bonds to look down at her clenched hands. “Sorry, Grandmother. I. I forgot you were there for a moment, Ben distracted me-”

“Ben?” Every shard became solid at once, turning to be aligned in perfect vertical formation as the matron stiffened. “Is that your… friend?”

“You don’t have to talk to her, she sounds awful.” Ben made a face at the knife. “Put that back where you found it. I know a guy who helps people learn to astral project. I bet he has a line on how someone could dip into the underworld or something or- it doesn’t matter, just ditch this old lady’s ashes and we’ll figure out a better way. Seriously, I would never tell someone to chop up their soul, it’s not worth it.”

The sincerity of his concern and shock gave Victoria pause. She looked down at the knife in her hand, frowning deeply as she contemplated what the risks were. Grandmother Wolfe was so confident in the plan and she had always favored her above the other grandchildren. From that young age, they’d taught her the only people that could be relied on were your family. Everyone else was either an asset or a mark.

And… Ben had just died. Along with everyone else in their circle. As bitter as the thought was, Grandmother hadn’t died in a magical mishap. She had made it to a ripe old age as a truly magnificent mage, only claimed by the failure of her own mortal body. Of the two, it looked like Grandmother had the better odds.

“I’m bringing all of you guys back.” She promised, a fierce smile breaking out on her face as she turned away from her mentor’s presence, dimming his voice to a worried murmur.

“Of course, dear.” Grandmother Wolfe grumbled, annoyed at being left out of half of the conversation but too determined to let herself be cut out completely. “There is one more thing: this is going to cost you. Adam sacrificed a rib to gain a lesser copy of himself. You’re going to have to give up something more to get a perfect replica… your arm.”

It took a moment for the information to sink in. Victoria found her gaze drifting down to her limp left arm and imagining, fully against her will, what its absence might be like. Her fingers twitched, as if fearing for their lives. “… for good?”

“It is a serious cost for serious magic. I thought you knew that. You’ve never balked at paying a high price before-”

Victoria cringed, but her Grandmother didn’t seem to notice or care what a horrible reference she’d just made. Briefly, she lost her mental filter and heard Ben shout an aggrieved ‘What the -fuck-?!’ before dampening him down again. “I said I’d do it, Grandmother.” What good was a physical arm in the spirit realm? She reasoned with herself, trying to pack away every ounce of self-protective fear desperately trying to crawl away from this nightmare. She could worry about what losing an arm meant after she found a way back to life.

“Good.” The prisms finally fuzzed out again, softening until their pleasant blurs danced like tiny bokeh around the altar. “Good girl. Now before we make the sacrifice, you’ll have to make your choice on what to leave behind in your double. She’ll live your life for a while, likely have a wonderful vacation being a horribly selfish little egomaniac while we’re down below, doing the real work.” Somehow, she managed to make it sound like an insult and commiseration at the same time. “And Victoria - be brave. Once you begin, you must see it through to the end or you’ll mangle your soul instead of sectioning parts of it away.”

Mangling sounded uncomfortably close to Ben’s warnings. But that’s only if I mess it up. That’s why Grandmother’s going to help make sure I do it right. She reassured herself in his absence.

They began with invocations painted in her blood. The uncomfortable, low-grade throbbing in her left palm threatened to distract her with intrusive thoughts of how badly the sacrifice was probably going to hurt - but she couldn’t think about that. She had to focus on what she wanted, not what scared her. When she finished writing the first script, her handwriting glowed crimson. It was low-key, but not unusual for her usual contracts to be sealed so anti-climatically. She took a breath at exactly the wrong moment. Without warning, a crimson bolt of magic fell heavily from the sky and split her skull. The sheer, raw power cleaved her entire body in half in the next moment and then held her there, trembling in agony and blinking desperately at a world now disjointed and off-kilter, trying to view it from de-synchronized eyes. She thought blood was pouring out of her halved body, but she couldn’t tell.

The struggle to form a thought seemed impossible at first, but then became easier and easier as her understanding caught up with the magic-scape holding her spellbound. This was where she would do the division.

The… parting.

First she targeted what she thought was lust and the fear, her grandmother’s words still rattling around in the back of her mind. She added laziness to the list too, aching on a deep, inexpressible level as she did. I’m not lazy- she protested, feeling nevertheless as though something were lost.