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januaryembrs · 2 months

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BLACK CAT GIRLFRIEND | Spencer Reid x reader

request: Hey Congratulations on the 2K! Do you think you could write something with Spencer Reid and a Reader who has lots of tattoos and/or piercings? Like she's the whole "bad girl" stereotype but Spencer and her complement each other so well and have a very sweet and mature relationship. I would love something like that.

description: the team meet Spencer's new girlfriend and she doesn't look quite like they'd imagined

word count: 1.1k

main masterlist

authors note: I officially hit 2k followers this morning!! see my post here for requesting but lets start this milestone off with a bang!! thankyou so much :))))))

Morgan had to admit, you weren’t exactly what he’d envisioned when Pretty Boy had been talking his ear off for months about the girl in his apartment building that had slipped him your number. He wasn’t judgemental, not by a longshot, but Spencer had always seemed like the type to date the preppy, library geek, or even the cutesy geneticist if Maeve had been anything to go off of.

It’s not like you weren’t hot, he could see that you were a mile away, but you looked like you’d sooner break someone’s wrist for so much as talking to you than fall for their resident genius.

You smiled tightly, shaking Derek’s hand with a crushing grip, as Spencer introduced you to his team, the obnoxiously loud bass almost drowning out his words as the six of you stood in the bar.

“Nice to meet you, Spencer talks about you all the time,” You said politely, and no sooner had you let go of the man’s warm hand, two arms were thrown over your shoulders and you were tugged into a hug.

“I’m Penelope- oh you’re so pretty, Morgan isn’t she so pretty? You should marry Spencer then you can be boyfriend girlfriend for, like, life-” The perky voice was all a jumble as the blonde pulled away, cupping your face, rubbing down your arms kindly, sweetly, like you were swallowing a warm spoon of honey.

“Penelope, newbie rules, remember,” Emily chimed in, seeing your eyes widen at the sudden intrusion of personal space. She could see this ending with the pretty pink bows Garcia had plaited her hair in torn to shreds on the sticky floor, right next to her long barbie locks if your intimidating figure was anything to go off, “Not everyone likes hugs,”

“No, no,” You replied, smiling gently at the woman who was softer than cotton candy, “Hugs are nice,”

“We’re going to be very best friends, I can feel it, which is funny because my tarot actually said I’d meet a strong Taurus woman- or are you a Scorpio-” Penny’s smile was dazzling, but she was soon ushered to let go of the bear like grip she had on your shoulders by a chuckling Morgan.

“Let the other kids play with her, babygirl,” He said, and you were pulled in another direction towards Emily who gave a polite handshake.

“Nice ink,” She said with raised brows as she saw the intricate sketches that covered the back of your hands, trailing up your arm and under the band tee you wore. She knew who they were, though they only dragged up memories of her own days of thick eyeliner and rebelling against her mother. “They must have hurt like a bitch, I got one on my hip and could barely sit for one hour,”

You snickered, nodding, seeing her eyes trailing over the ones on your ankles and knees where your ripped jeans flashed them all.

“Bones hurt the most, though the one on my ass is up there for the worst ones,” You replied, and Penny’s brows shot into her hairline, though she giggled like a schoolgirl being told a secret.

“I think we’re gonna need to see the proof on that one,” Morgan teased flirtily, the way he always did, the way he did even with JJ who had a whole child and partner, because it was his natural state of being.

Spencer smiled as his team warmed to you, though he was quick to pull you to him with a gentle arm around the waist. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Derek, that man was practically his brother, he’d taken bullets for the guy, but he liked having you close, even if to just remind himself that you were all his, including said tattoo on your buttcheek that he’d seen plenty of times.

The team didn’t need to know that, but you could tell your words had reminded him of it as he pressed a shy kiss behind your ear.

He was careful to avoid the studs and links that glittered from your ear lobe, wrapping over the cartilage on your helix, though he loved to stare at them on nights where you tied your hair up and he could count every one of them. To him you were a work of art, complex and detailed with every glance he stole. You were an illustration in one of his many books, everything he imagined for himself times a million.

“I’m going to go get a drink, do you want one?” You said, looking up at him with puppy eyes, like a lovestruck teenager, fat adoration in your gaze. It oozed out of every inch of you, and JJ thought for a moment that you looked nothing like the scary doberman woman that Spence had originally brought over to meet them. You looked in love, the saccharine, soft and dazed kind of in love.

“Let me get it for you,” Spencer rooted around his pocket for his wallet, turning to see Morgan’s beer bottle running low, “You having another one?”

“I’m good, my man, you just sort yourself and your lady out,” Derek flashed him a thousand watt smile and clapped him on the shoulder as you entwined your fingers with his, pulling him through the cluster of people and towards the bar, “What a stud,”

Penelope giggled again, leaning towards her adonis best friend with honeyglow cheeks, watching their genius get led like a dog on a leash.

“Oh lover boy had got it bad,” She drawled, watching Reid, their Reid, develop an uncharacteristically protective stance as a few men at the bar shot looks up and down your body. She couldn’t blame them either, you were a sight for sore eyes. “Okay, so do I have to be the first one to point out how hot she is or have I maybe had one too many margaritas?”

“She seems nice,” JJ chose her words carefully, still not entirely sure she would have ever put the two of you together but she saw the way Spence’s eyes got round and longing when he looked over you. He’d clearly said something to make you laugh, and an inked hand raised up to brush his chocolate curls out of his face lovingly, “She seems good for him,”

A murmur of agreement ran through the four of them, Emily taking one more sip of her martini as her eyes roved over your figure returning with something fruity and colourful, “Anyone else dying to know what’s on her ass?”

#Spencer reid x reader #spencer reid imagine #spencer reid fanfiction #spencer reid fanfic #criminal minds x reader #criminal minds fic

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be-the-glenn-to-my-maggie · 2 months

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Avatar: The Last Airbender Live Action Thoughts!

-First of all, ya'll need to leave those child actors alone, they are babies and they didn't write the show, nor was it their idea to do it. I have seen way too many people body shaming children; leave them alone they all did well!

-I think Gordon makes Aang just as cute and small and powerful as I always saw him as!! He manages to joke around and be fun even when the storyline is a lot darker and more serious.

-I really wish Sokka was able to be more of his goofy and silly self. I understand why he isn't, and his humor is more sarcasm and dark jokes, but I saw glimpses of him in there! His excitement when he was with the Mechanist, engineering and getting to do something other than be in charge. Also when he has any older brother convo with Katara or Aang. I'm hopeful with time he'll be able to loosen up!

-(Speaking of the Mechanist, my boy Danny Pudi was SO GOOD, I love him, him and his little son).

-I wish Aang would practice waterbending with Katara :( those scenes of them practicing together were always some of my favorites in the series. Just beautiful kataang moments. I'm glad they addressed it but I missed those moments.

-I don't understand how you guys can't be having fun watching this, I get so excited waiting for little moments of lore, or when Jet and Katara were fighting in the forest I was sitting in front of the TV like "WHERE'S SMELLERBEE AND LONGSHOT. OH MY GOD NO IT'S PIPSQUEAK!" It's just so much fun! The colors are beautiful, the effects are gorgeous, and the plot and characters are entertaining. Think about the piece as it's own thing and enjoy it!

-Adaptations are just that; adaptations, and things will be changed! I think so far I haven't minded their changes, I understand why they've been made. There are things to criticize, but I think this is pretty well done.

-Zuko is fantastic; I think all the child actors are fairly good but Dallas' pissy attitude and the faces he makes are so so fun! I feel for Zuko and I'm scared of him when he shows up, and he's just as annoying and bratty as ponytail Zuko should be. His physical motions are fantastic!

-TEO WAS SO LITTLE?? Oh my god, like as a kid I thought the cartoon version of him was kinda hot so when they wheeled that tiny baby in I was HORRIFIED.

-Idk why YOU ALL weren't scared of Lizzy Yu's Azula, but her little smile in her intro scene gave me a lil chill. Maybe it's because I was away when the show first came out so I saw post after post about how bad she was, but I just.... Thought she'd be worse?? She did really well! Ya'll better be careful though or Gaten Matarazzo will come for you, that's his girl.

-So far the mushing of plots has made sense to me. Yes, I miss the silly filler episodes and the traveling the Gaang did, but it allows us to sit in a scene longer, and to colorize the world better, when we're in one place and one plot for longer. I think that's important for this type of medium and this amount of episodes. They might be able to justify more next season if this show does well enough.

-I am OBSESSED with Zuko and the 41st division oh my god, what a fantastic and well thought out addition. The reveal, and they're bowing for him when he comes back was DEVASTATING.

-They we're GIVING us Sokka and Katara best sibling moments, I loved all of them. They are so cute, they just mean so much to me.

-I don't feel Appa or Momo as characters like I did in the cartoon. I'm hoping this can change, because rn they surprise me every time they get on screen. I'm like "WHAT- oh it's Momo, he's here." How are we going to feel Appa's loss as much as we did in the cartoon if they continue to like barely be in it.

-Ken Leung SLAYED as Admiral Zhao, I watched him go literally insane as the episodes went on.

-Aang's imposter syndrome and feeling of failure being focused on I will always enjoy, even if I hope he can be silly next season too. His entire character arc this season just made me want to cry.

-Bro the coloring during the the Siege of the North was A M A Z I N G. The way the color faded in and out with fireballs and the monster koi passing nearby, just so pretty. It looked awesome.

-Making Yue a waterbender? The best. Her freezing Sokka in place so he can't stop her? Heartbreaking.

-Iroh and Zuko paddling off looking for bestie Lt. Jee?? Okay.

-They really grew this show up for us adults that watched it in 2005 and focused in on the really painful moments, themes, and details.

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dilfhos · 8 months

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sooo this is gonna be a messy rant on the observations ive made between different writer communities, blog interactions and overall “status”. just silly little things I’ve noticed in my 4+ years being on tumblr btwn 2 diff blogs. and this is about no one specific, a very generalized post so if you find urself offended i honestly dont know what to tell you?? :o do better ig. & if you relate, i feel for you. TLDR @/end.

i dont like interacting/ building connections with people but not for the reasons ppl think. im not stuck up or pretentious or weird or anything. just another anime-enjoyer who loves to write in her free time. nobody special by a longshot!! i enjoy writing, always have since before i was a teen. (wasn’t always ff tho!).

but over the years ive just noticed fandom writing has its gritty sides that no one talks about often and its no mystery why so many prolific/ popular writers deactivated, me included. i had some shitty experiences and have seen friends go bc of it.

firstly, I’ve noticed, once you start interacting and building friendships with people, it’s easier to see the bigger perspective of where ppl stand and the blatant hierarchy of friendships and groups. same applies to that outside. like its literally just me n’ my bsf then my acquaintances bc mfs be weirddd omg its like cults or something. like thats why initially I didn’t interact w/anyone starting on my new blog. that n’ fear of drama following from my last blog ugh. ‘Cept the few i’ve met on my old blog (like my wifey)

not to mention i have bad anxiety. and sometimes im cue-deaf. i dont always pick up what people put down and vice versa and it makes me conscious in a lot of my interactions. so a part of me doesn’t want to interact at all to avoid all awkwardness and possible miscommunications. that’s not to say i don’t notice subtle changes in interactions after one situation / conversation or so forth, that in myself or witnessed between other ppl. (im perceptive, just not that good conversationalist lol. like i really have to try.)

but then…if you don’t interact with people on here, your chances of building an audience or a reader base is slim to none. the likelihood of developing relationships is zip. because you’re already perceived and pegged as just another tumblr writer. pause. to clarify, a writer who doesn’t want any recognition or interactions from mutuals or new friends. or just a lonely writer? a introverted, lonely writer. which leads to little to none interactions (anons, reblogs, moots —exposure.)

so then its like you’re kinda placed btwn a rock n a hard place. and there’s absolutely no problem with that! in fact this is the best part—meeting friends and like-minded people! people that make being online all the more worth it right? thirsting over fictional characters and sharing in each other’s works!

but you have to be in specific circles it seems. but then you can’t imply that you want to be in those circles bc then you’re desperate.

but well, then you cant purposefully want to be independent or be on your own or else you’re a hater, hypocrite or stuck up. not to mention, no one will reblog your stuff lol. no one will interact fr, and you’re friendless essentially. and god forbid if you disagree on something as if opinions don’t exist btw! then you’re being ganged up on. (like omg grow up!)

but then if you reach out you’re seen as trying to wedge in or kiss ass? you interact and follow and you’re ignored or left hanging? (bc im gonna touch your hand when i say this—it never gave fan, your majesty of horny nerds) and this is about ALL the writing communities and fandoms—spicy content, black content and dark content. ALL.

yet no one wants to talk about the pregnant elephant in the room—bias. and favoritism. also people seem to have a hard time being direct with how they’re feeling toward/about someone ( in a good or bad way) which in turn leads to a lot of miscommunication and subliminal attacks. (not to mention hate anons? one of my moots just had her inbox flooded w/them recently, ew.)

you can lead a horse to water AND you can write a 500-word essay on the observations made on tumblr writers as a whole. (a long ass post on the truth on behalf of those feeling this too)

also, slapping a HEY LOOK AT ME! IM A WRITER WHO WANTS INTERACTION AND FRIENDS! on a blog is frankly embarrassing. it shouldn’t even take all that seeing how easy it is for others wanting the same thing.

or doing less to achieve the same result.

not to mention, yall shit on ppl who essentially feel this way altogether bc you peg them as sb who doesn’t “try” or just jealous when their own works are phenomenally written themselves. ive seen it. and ive lived it. never gave jealousy baby.

at the end of the day, we’re all writers— either longterm or hobbyists. (personally, im longterm) self-indulgent or not! and its absolutely amazing when people are being fair in how they spread love and feedback to their writers.

Secondly, its not news that people have to want to reblog your fics so that their followers can reblog, so they can reblog, and their followers can reblog and so forth. but ppl honestly dont care atp bc once they’ve already read it, they owe you nothing. and apparently asking for reblogs is crass and bold. (imma do it anyway) but putting your very all into a story just to turn and see a half-thought out hc soaring 3k in 2hrs and 5k in a day — you have to stfu, open your ass and take it. keep it cute!

you’re getting fucked after all!!

because if you complain—you’re just jealous and lazy and uncreative!! and i hate that to seem like a writer worth a damn, you have to change up your writing style every two weeks to fit in with trending waves.

“no more poetic long fics, nobody’s into that! short, snappy slutty shots are all the rage!” “ppl are only into these specific tropes but you can’t exceed 2k words!” “only add trending characters to these hcs! ppl love them only!” “don’t write too much about a specific character or else ill unfollow you!” its exhausting.

i am well within my right as a literary artist to desire more feedback and interaction on anything i put out. period. and you are too! 🫵

God, im tired of that stupid, ‘you have to enjoy your writing for yourself and not worry about notes’ line. i do love my writing! don’t get me wrong there’s nobody id rather write like if not myself fr. not to mention the inspiration i draw from famous literary authors. however, i would love feedback and the same energy that i see with others in my same caliber.

and when i see others that didn’t even try fr—its a slap in the face to put it bluntly.

i can want silly little comments and notes about something i cherish and put out for that reason and yall aren’t gonna make me feel bad about it. sorry! like yall really be making people feel shitty for wanting the same type of interactions you get! especially when its harmless, bye asf. nb want to recipe to ur peach cobbler b!

the only one giving push back are those appointed popular /top blogs n’ cliques tho. now personally, i honestly dgaf if you have 20 followers or 25k, writing is writing and if its good you should want to support it regardless of following count/interaction right?

unfortunately, and quite unsurprisingly its not the case for the rest of this hellhole lol. there’s always gonna be some “big blog” in any part of tumblr or any social media for that matter.

but when the sole purpose being on a site like tumblr to write is mainly exposure, then it just makes it ten times worse especially if it seems that these blogs are steady at the top of every. single. tag. and listen, i know how initially stupid that sounds but when you’ve picked up on patterns for as long as i have, well iykyk.

so imma be real bc no one else will, half of the posts that yall see with 25k notes have alr been done. just different characters, different words, different dialogue. And 8/10 its been done by sb who only received 100 notes. Thats the evil part. whats more is that it lacks the creativity the one post with 100-300 notes is filled with completely.

POP QUIZ! what post would readers be more inclined to read? — one that says 10k (ohhh that must be popular!) or the one with only 150 (oh i guess nb really liked that one) that no one is even willing to reblog for MORE. and BOOM. now yall wonder why so many great writers LEAVE, its a fucking joke.

so unfortunately its no longer only about or only on readers anymore. its about who you know and who you know is willing to support your fr. who is willing to REBLOG your fics for their friends and followers, so that their friends and followers can reblog. to fit in you actually have to get in these days and it makes it all less enjoyable. makes it a chore and if you aren’t ‘doing it right’ ultimately it makes you feel shitty about your writing. (Please don’t, you are doing amazing. its the platform.)

it makes people not want to jump into writing. it pushes away those who actually want to join writing communities and meet people without feeling like they have to jump thru hoops to thrive or worse—live in other ppls shadows. and then it deters those from speaking up in fear of being shut down by bigger groups. ive seen it happen time and time again.

lastly, and this is the juiciest part! you absolutely cannot say anything about any of this bc you’re complaining and a fisher just looking for attention and not someone who just want things to be fair all over. play the game, right? ( wrong. and if this is your logic, you suck! )

its no longer about making flashy banners and pretty themes. its no longer about how many clever directory links you add or how many games you initiate on your blog or whether or not you’ve reblogged your fic three times already. its about your “friends”, other mutuals, and blogs willing to support you too. not just the audience. audience gonna do what they want regardless. reblog, don’t reblog, whatever. “at least ive read it right?” but everyone knows this. duh! but it’s obvious who doesn’t care as long as they’re on top of that tag! its admirable in a way but it sucks for those wanting to break out and build some kind of readerbase and/or make friends.

TLDR; people need to stop being bias and be fair and open lol. stop picking favorites and share the love all around. you see another person writing your favorite character or trope, give them a fucking chance and reblog, regardless if they’re in your ‘circle’ / radar or not. regardless if you know them or not. hell, let them put you on to a new fandom. bc writing is writing and making new moots and finding new fics seem to be what everyone loves to showcase until its time to actually do it. no wonder people get discouraged to make friends and write, yall treat it like some kind of secret society when its supposed to be fun💀 not a competition. (yall need to dead this clique-y shit. )

#writers #writers of tumblr #WATCH EVERYONE SKIP OVER THIS DHDHDJDN #OH OH OH #and im black #LMAO THATS THE PUNCHLINE #so #all of this isnt only happening in a general writing fandom #but the little corner for my black people??#and in the corners of other minorities #IT HAPPENS HERE TOO DHGSGJG #nb is safe🙅🏾‍♀️#i thought we were escaping exclusivity?#and assumptions made about other people??#trust when i say this is NOT about anyone specific #just silly little observations #and pieces of my experiences #so any complaints #SHOVE IT SHOVE IT SHOVE IT!#will delete if this starts a revolt #or not bc i love chaos in the name of truth #i hope yall can feel the sarcasm this is kinda longer than i intended but i wanted to be as thorough as possible in my point #been working on this for a min #im not tagging as discourse bc this isn’t what this is #and if you treat is as such imma just assume you’re exactly who im talking about and keep it pushing🤷🏾‍♀️#just be better is all im saying #BYE I JUST CAUGHT SO MANY MISTAKES #the shame #i was caught up #but yall get it

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twogyuu · 4 months

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Hello! I was just wondering what your favorite svt fics were? Looking for a good read! Love your writing btw!

THIS IS MY FAVORITE QUESTION - THANK YOU!!! LOL

In no particular order! (As a disclaimer, I do mostly just read for certain members so these recs will not be comprehensive! I will also try not to repeat the ones I have mentioned before.)

Vernon:

Oh Where Did the Party Go? by @dropsofletters -- Hands down one of the best Vernon angst fics on this platform! It's long, but the suspense, mutual pining, and fine line between fact and fiction keeps you engaged the whole time! I will warn you, it's heavy because of the way it approaches social hierarchy, but I think the author does it very eloquently! I still remember staying up super late reading this lol. I will admit I almost cried :')

Pretty Lies by @lonelywhalien22 -- Inspired by (pop/punk) rock music, especially Black Eye, OP does an amazing job capturing the edginess of this genre in this fic!! I've re-read it several times lol. Haven't quite seen Vernon's character be captured in a more stoic/colder persona, but it was done tastefully :) and the character development is just 🤌🏻🤌🏻🤌🏻

work husband by @wondernus -- THERE'S A REASON THIS HAS 3k+ NOTES!!! Okay, I am not usually a fluff reader, so this took me by surprise, but this has to be my absolute favorite Vernon fic ever 😫 It's about two teachers who act like a couple, but won't own up to it. The relationship development is slow and frustrating af, but has me kicking and squealing like a teenager getting her first signed 1D poster in 2014 😭🤧😂 The side characters are also amazing!!! Nu has a way with words that is so poetic too - like, this is who I wanna be when I grow up!!! I could go on forever about this, but if there is one you HAVE to read for Vernon, it's definitely this one.

Soonyoung

The Times We Couldn't Say Goodbye by @husbandhoshi -- I really loved this one because in a sense, it captures all stages of what it means to fall in and out of(?) love (/how sometimes as much as you love someone life is a bitch and just doesn't work out at all)? There's the twist of this being a fantasy story, with Soonyoung being a wizard. It's amazing how the author captures their relationship just ~2k words, but she does and leaves you feeling like a gutted fish flopping on a dock in the best way possible :)

Misc.

In Pursuit of Wedding Bliss by @fantasyescapes17 -- This whole series is incredibly well-written! It's a regency!au centered around social season, where some of the members come to London to meet and find spouses. Each member has their own arc/series, but the way they're interwoven into each others' stories is so clever!!! That said, would recommend reading all of it, bc if you miss one members' story, it might be hard to understand the others. My personal favorite was Jeonghan's - I have read many good Jeonghan fanfics before, but this was just a whole 'nother level of in love LOL. It really captures his flirtatious/devious ways, but also his genuine and caring nature! The main oc is also really refreshing bc she's confident and knows what she wants without being **too** out there, which is nice for this era where most girls are portrayed as one or the other. That said, Mingyu's and Hoshi's were also really good! Just read the whole thing! LOL.

I'll stop here before I bore y'all with my commentary 😅🥲 In general, I share my faves on #twogyuu:recs if you're interested in seeing more! I read for SVT, NCT, and occasionally, TBZ. There might be some BTS fics on there from my early silent reader days, but not so much anymore.

In summary:

Favorite longshot authors: @dropsofletters, @wonwoonlight, @wondernus, @secndlife, and @shuaflix. I've been meaning to check-out @amourcheol and more of @husbandhoshi as well, but just haven't had the time yet 😭

Favorite drabble authors: @wqnwoos, @satoruvt, and @ssentimentals

Favorite smau authors: I don't read these often, but @suhnshinehaos has a couple that I really enjoyed!

Enjoy! Happy reading :)

#twogyuu:recs #not at me just realizing that most of these fic recs are vernon fic recs 🤡#oops #i promise i do read for others too LOL

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lonesome-witching · 9 months

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D&D Night

@allnewtpir gave me another prompt and this might have just been the hardest for me to write. I do apologize to anyone who actually knows D&D because my knowledge was limited to some internet pages and whatever they showed in Stranger Things but hey, I tried my best. Sorry for any typos in this one because I'm typing with a new keyboard I'm not used to. Also I do promise it has ronance elements in it.

You can read my old prompts or send me new ones.

“Miss Wheeler.” Eddie leaned forward in his chair.

“Yes?” Nancy responded, not looking up from her plate.

“A little birdie told me you used to DM for the kids.”

That caught her attention, her head snapping up. There was a smirk on Eddie’s face as he pushed his fork into his pancakes.

“You used to play D&D?” Robin asked, her smile audible in her question.

“I— Who— Mike! I’m gonna kill him.” Nancy was already getting up from her seat as if her brother might already be on the run.

Robin quickly grabbed Nancy’s wrist, pulling her back down, as Eddie held up his hand.

“The boy told it only to defend your honor, Miss Wheeler.”

Nancy cocked her eyebrows. “How so?”

“I may have suggested you wouldn’t dare be caught dead at a D&D night and well, your brother said you used to play, that you even DM’ed for them. Although I’m still having trouble imagining it, no offense, of course.”

“She’s full of surprises, isn’t she?” Robin quipped in with that bright smile that Nancy came to know and love. There was almost something magical about the way Robin smiled when she talked about Nancy.

“Yes, she is,” Eddie agreed, that smirk still in place.

“So, what is this? Your way of inviting me to your next game?”

“Not exactly… I was thinking more like, uhm, maybe you could DM again. Just for old times sake.”

“What? No.”

“I knew you wouldn’t dare,” Eddie laughed, falling back in his chair.

“You know what, fine. I’ll DM.” Nancy stabbed her pancakes viciously.

She had to admit she felt somewhat embarrassed as she pulled on the hellfire club. Eddie had made her an honorary member on the spot and it felt wrong. The only comfort she found was in Robin’s eyes as they took her in.

“How do I look?” Nancy asked, twirling around as if she was showing off a new dress.

“You look incredible.”

Nancy chuckled softly. She was still at awe of how her girlfriend could make her feel at peace. Like she wasn’t about to embarrass herself entirely in front of her brother and his friends. At least Robin would be sitting there and rooting for her. The girl had even come up with her own character. Anjelica Longshot, a level 1 cleric. Because Robin was set on playing if Nancy was going to DM.

A heavy knock disturbed the pleasant quiet in Nancy’s room. “Are you coming?” Mike yelled from the other side.

Nancy exhaled slowly. “Time to shine.”

“Hey, just remember it’s just a bunch of kids that you’ve known since they were in diapers. If any of them make fun of you, you just bring up their most embarrassing stories. And I’ll be there the entire time.” Robin stood up and put her arms around Nancy’s waist.

Nancy quickly leaned in to peck Robin’s lips. “Let’s go.”

They walked down the stairs in silence, holding hands, only to come face to face with a hoard of teenagers slamming the tabletop of Karen Wheeler’s dinner table, which was overcrowded with mismatched chairs from the basement. Eddie sat at one end, Mike and Dustin on either side of him, followed by Will and Lucas, respectively. Max had decided to join in, probably to watch the train wreck that was about to go down and across from her El was sitting waiting expectantly with her hands clasped around the table. Steve had dragged the chair next to El at a distance from the table and sat reading a magazine. He had refused to play, despite how often Robin had asked him over the past week. Robin squeezed Nancy’s hand one last time before letting go and walking to the seat next to Max. That only left the seat across from Eddie, at the other end of the table.

Nancy sat down, her paperwork falling to the table. “Max?” It was easier to direct herself toward one person at the table. “Did you prepare a character for tonight?”

“Lucas made me one, is that alright?”

Nancy nodded. “Of course. What about you, El? Do you have a character?”

El nodded excitedly.

“Great.”

“Oh, before I forget, Wheeler. You got lucky. Erica sends her regards, she had a sleepover she really couldn’t miss,” Eddie said. Nancy began to wonder what she had ever done to him to deserve this humiliation.

“Good, thank you for letting me know, Munson.” Nancy sported that tightlipped smile she couldn’t keep off her face when she was annoyed. “Should we start with some introductions?”

“I’ll start,” Robin chimed in, explaining the details of her character as she had scribbled them on the page in front of her. They went around the table. Max stayed brief while Mike and Dustin rambled about their own creations.

It was only after El had finished her speech that Nancy spoke up again. “So, are we ready to start this adventure?”

“More than ready,” Eddie replied.

“Our story begins in the city of Aranna, a once bright metropolis of life. When the sun was shining the people would be crowding the streets and market squares, when the night fell it was the brightest city you’d ever see. Lights would pop up everywhere making it stand out all the more against the dark desert nights that surrounded it. But as you enter the city there are no lights to welcome you, no sound to make you feel safe, no people to ask for directions. You reach The Nightfall, a tavern at the edge of the city and enter. But inside there is no one. All you notice are empty seats and tables in front of a bar. Behind the bar there is a small wooden door.”

They had been playing for nearly three hours. Each of the characters had met their troubles and won their fights. The teenagers around the table grew more and more excited at every new monster that Nancy threw their way. Even Eddie who had been pouting at first was drawn into the story, despite Nancy making it hardest for him specifically.

“You step onto the city square. The buildings surrounding it are covered in black dust. Yet you don’t see anything. No monsters await you. Or so you think.”

“Oh shit,” Dustin yelled. He had trouble sitting still.

Robin appeared to be just as energetic as she stared at her girlfriend with a bright smile. Perhaps there was a hint of pride hidden beneath it.

“A dragon screeches as he flies down, landing in front of your party.”

“Can I ask his name?” Robin interrupted quickly.

Nancy frowned with a smile on her face. A soft giggle escaped as she hid her face behind her hands. “Yes, you can?” she replied in a half question, “Roll for charisma.”

Robin pumped her fist in the air before throwing the dice even if Mike was already complaining.

“Why the hell would the dragon’s name be important?” he muttered under his breath.

The dice fell on the table and turned a few times before landing on the number 17. Robin once again celebrated, and Nancy couldn’t help but laugh. Robin had been doing similar things all game long to set Nancy at ease and it really worked.

“Anjelica takes a step forward and politely asks for the dragon’s name,” Nancy started, “The dragon huffs loudly. I am the great Loranau and these are my lands.” Nancy shifted her voice into something slightly deeper and definitely odd for the dragon’s voice.

“Foxine, what do you do?” Nancy asked, turning toward Max who groaned every time her character’s name was used.

“Can I attack the dragon?” Max asked in return.

“You do know you only have a strength of 6, right?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m aware.”

“Alright then.”

Max threw the dice and only received a 3 in return. After Max’s failed attack, Lucas and Dustin followed her example. Eddie’s character was the first to perish in his own attack. Mike and Will both did some damage. El threw a 16 and damaged the dragon heavily.

“Anjelica, how do you proceed?”

“Can I ask why the dragon is here?”

Mike groaned. “Robin, do you even know how to play this game?”

“Go ahead,” Nancy replied, talking over her brother.

Robin threw a 14 and celebrated accordingly.

“The knights of this city have stolen my younglings.”

Despite this new reveal, the rest of the party continued their vicious attacks. Max lost her characters in battle.

“I will retrieve the eggs from the city hall and give them to Loranau,” Robin said quickly.

Nancy motioned for the dice. Robin once again threw a high number and proceeded in her action.

“Loranau thanks you,” Nancy said before continuing in her dragon voice, “If I can repay you, dear girl, you must only call my name.”

“Wait, did I just become friends with the dragon? I totally just became friends with the dragon.”

“Kids, it’s getting late. You can continue your game tomorrow,” Karen shouted from the top of the stairs.

“To be continued,” Nancy whispered ominously.

“Wait, the dragon wasn’t the end?” Dustin asked, excitedly.

“Not everyone you meet is an enemy,” Nancy replied, cleaning up her stuff.

“You killed me and it’s not even the end?” Eddie exclaimed.

“You don’t know what’s still going happen, assuming you guys want to know the rest of the story.”

“Yes!” Will and El responded.

“Then I’ll see you guys next week.”

Robin got up from her spot and leaned over Nancy. “You were absolutely amazing, Nance.”

Nancy bit on her bottom lip to hide her smile.

#prompts #ronance #nancy wheeler #robin buckley #my work #stranger things #fanfic #robin x nancy #nancy x robin #ronance fic #ficlet #eddie munson #d&d #I tried #probably should have had more ronance

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imthepunchlord · 7 months

Note

Do you think Gabriel is a better character than Adrien?

No, honestly, ML over all doesn't have any "good" characters. And it's largely due to their writing.

They either have characters hop between two extremes and they have those two extremes exist at the same time like Gabriel "I love my son" to "HAHAHA! I'M GOING TO CHUCK MY SON ACROSS PARIS!" or "Chloe the Hero!" to "Chloe the Villain!" or Alya "Marinette I'm your best friend, here to support you, you can trust me with your secret and I will keep things secretive" to "I'm Lila's best friend, you're just being jealous, and hey, Nino, I gotta tell you something".

Or characters have the issue of just being stagnant and they just don't do anything with them, which hey, there's consistency at least, but you're kinda boring as a character cause nothing changes or is done with you, best examples being Adrien and Luka. But we can appreciate consistency so thumbs up?

Or characters are a pinball that writers will fire at random to meet their needs in certain eps so there is zero consistency in their characterization. Best and biggest example is Kagami. Riptose introduces her as someone overly dedicated, no nonsense, competitive, doesn't like her time wasted, and holding herself to a very high standard. Frozer she's a bold romantic, who is still willing to pursue Adrien despite him saying he wants to pursue his initial crush and wasted her time (Riptose Kagami would've slammed the door on his hand). Then Animaestro she's a more subtle Chloe, purposely acting out to make Marinette jealous and show off her close ties with Adrien. Then Ikari Gozen she's all "I want to befriend Marinette but she's initially hostile/wary of me why?".

Lastly, there's the plot device, best and biggest example is Lila, who can mold the narrative to her needs that it throws logic out the window and she only exists when necessary.

So is Gabriel better than Adrien?

No.

Not by a longshot. He's bad by different means.

Adrien suffers by being stagnant, and by making choices that are clearly bad and should be called out, made to be a lesson, or give him some form of consequence, but aren't cause he's not meant to grow as a character.

Gabriel is bad with his inconsistency. Between his feelings of his son, between how we're supposed to feel for him which they do try to play the pity card sometime but he's also an active eager terrorist, between whether he's a joke villain to laugh at or if he's a more serious villain to take seriously. The latter of which is especially hard cause he's an idiot. Dude had freaking time traveling power and he stilled messed it up.

Gabriel I'd probably say is the most embarrassing part of ML simply by the extremes of his portrayal as a villain, cause he's meant to be that idiotic Saturday morning villain to laugh at, but he's also meant to be the big scary force that you're to take very seriously.

It's very rare to get these two to mix, and ML's crew are not skilled enough to do so, leaving Gabriel as a threat you can't take seriously, one that stuck around for far too long, and is someone you don't feel pity for. And his ending is just irritating.

Much like Chloe, with Gabriel they should've just picked a lane in what sort of villain he is.

#ask Punchie #gabriel salt #adrien salt #kagami salt #chloe salt #alya salt

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carbondioxda · 1 month

Text

Instincts and lovebirds (p.1)

Sokka x firebender!OC

c/w: swearing!! this is my first time writing an oc x canon so this may or may not be the worst thing you’ll ever read??, basically Sokka and Zuya making fun of Katara’s crush on Jet. This is also pretty long by the way. Written in third person and I usually avoid using adjectives that have informations regarding looks but I want you to have an idea of how Zuya looks like.

a/n: first time writing in the atla universe<33, english isn’t my first lanuage, please tell me if I make any mistakes

also just like in my previous posts, my way of writing dialogue might be different than what you’re used to.

I haven’t introduced my oc Zuya on this page at all, so maybe I’ll do it in a separate post. I hope you like her.

This whole encounter was weird. First, Sokka swore on his instincts that they all should walk instead of flying on Appa and then suddenly they’re being saved by a bunch of kids from being ambushed. Yet somehow, even though they were saved, something didn’t feel right. Zuya felt as if they were still ambushed or captured in some way. It was plainly uncomfortable.

Jet, Smellerbee, Longshot, Pipsqueak, Sneers and The Duke. They didn’t seem like a usual vigilante group. More like, wild children mixed with pirates. Zuya noticed some dirt on their necks and hands, they must’ve hardly ever bathed. Only Jet seemed to vaguely know what hygiene is. Even if Sokka’s instincts proved to be incorrect, right now the bad gut feeling he had was shared with his friend, Zuya.

- Psssst. - the brunette hissed to Sokka, while Jet’s friends were looking through the fire nation’s supplies.

- I’m right next to you, idiot. - he hissed back, but louder. - If you wanna talk shit about them I’m here for it, just don’t hiss like a wild animal. - the boy crossed his hands, looking at his friend.

- Okay, okay I just wanted you to get the goddamn hint.

- I know what you’re gonna say. - he begun.

- They look suspicious as hell. - they both said at the same time. Zuya tried her best not to point it out, so that he wouldn’t feel too special about guessing what she had on her mind. That would get into his head. Everything goes right into Sokka’s head, actually.

- Katara doesn’t think so. - Zuya choked out, pointing her head to the girl’s direction. Katara was thanking Jet for their help. Sokka seemed to run out of ideas on commenting this whole thing. He rolled his eyes. - I mean, it’s nice of her to thank him but her voice is high pitched and she’s kinda getting red.

- What? What do you mean? - Sokka squinted his eyes to see better, as if that was supposed to help in any way.

- Seems like your sister has a little cruuush. - Zuya teased, twirling her dark hair around her finger to mock Katara.

- Hell no, why this freak of all? Why couldn’t she perhaps, I don’t know, have a crush on Haru?

- We were in that village for two or three days, it’s better for everyone that she didn’t.

- We’re not gonna be here much longer either.

- It’s best if none of us has a crush. Any kind. It would only slow us down.

- Same thing! This whole Jay, or whatever his name is, isn’t all that. Just look at him. What the hell is that in his mouth? A straw? Grass? Is he a cow? - Sokka tried to come up with a creative insult.

- You’re just bitter because your life-saving instincts didn’t work. We should call them life-ending instincts, cause you know…cause we were ambushed.. - Zuya giggled. Sokka’s glare was digging into her. Even if he wasn’t very intimidating, she wasn’t going to test his limits right now. - No, but seriously. We should get out of here before we even have the chance to meet those guys closer. I know the type of mr. nonchalant, it’s not gonna end well. It’s for Katara’s own good.

They followed the group, because Katara and Aang wanted to see their secret hideout. It was pretty obvious their spot wouldn’t be on the ground, given that the trees were the tallest they’ve seen and tents or houses would be too easy to spot. However, Sokka didn’t really think about it.

- Soo, Zuya, right? Are you from the Earth Kingdom? - Jet asked. She was in the same attire she left her village, Kyoshi. She was taken in by the village’s members when she was just a young child, nobody really expected her to grow up to be a firebender.

- Yeah, I’m from The Kyoshi village. - she replied.

- Are you an earthbender?

- Actually she’s- - Katara begun.

- A non-bender! Just like Sokka. - Zuya corrected her quickly. The rest of the gaang didn’t question it.

- A, nice to know. Explains a lot. Hey, you two, grab those handles. - Jet suggested, turning to the ,,non-benders”.

- What does this thing d- - Sokka was cut off, being plunged into the air. Zuya couldn’t react in time, sharing the fate with her friend and soon grabbing onto the thick branches for dear life.

- Look, shit, look! - Zuya tugged on his arm.

- What?! - he asked, just now getting his head out of the leaves. She grabbed his chin and pointed him to look down, where Katara and Jet where smoothly flying upwards to the hideout. - I’ve had enough, we’re getting out of here as soon as possible. - he commented.

- They’re having their movie moment in there. - she said, noticing how Katara’s face is constantly red from all of the blushing. - How cute.

- You seem to be having a moment too. - Aang startled them. They didn’t notice him flying up. It slips their mind that Aang can literally levitate.

- A moment? We’re having a moment of hanging onto a tree branch. - Zuya said loudly, still recovering from the Aang jumpscare. Sokka turned away and climbed onto the wooden plank attached to the tree that led to the hideout.

They caught up with the group and Jet showed them around, talking about how amazing his ,,freedom fighters” are in being a pain in the Fire Nation’s ass. Sokka looked like he was in agonizing pain the whole time, and even more when they sat around the fire. That’s when Jet did his whole inspiring speech.

He sat down, separating Sokka and Zuya from Katara and Aang.

- Hey Jet! Nice speech.

- Thanks. By the way, I was really impressed with you and Aang. That’s some great bending back there.

- He’s great, he’s the avatar. - Katara explained. - I could use some training. - she was blushing again.

- The avatar? Nice. Very nice. - Jet seemed to be so pleased about that fact, it made them pretty uncomfortable. Sokka’s instinct must’ve worked at that moment.

- Sorry, but we need to leave tonight. - he said, cutting their conversation short.

- Yup, we should’ve left earlier, we can’t slow down. - Zuya added to back him up.

- Sokka! Are you kidding, I needed you for an important mission! - Jet whined.

- What mission? - Sokka’s ears perked up, even if he didn’t get too excited. A mission was enough for him to be convinced, knowing him.

- Tomorrow, we have to do a patrol and make sure The Fire Nation doesn’t attack or anything. - Jet tried to bribe him. - You could use a good night’s sleep for once.

- True. We’ll get to the North Pole, Sokka, let’s just use this occasion. - Aang spoke up.

- Only for one night. We can’t stay longer. - he gave in. - I’m going to sleep now, if you don’t mind. Me and Zuya stayed up all night to guard the supplies. We’re tired, right Zuya?

- Right. Exhausted.

- You can go to the hut on the left. - Jet said. - Goodnight!

- Goodnight. - Sokka spat out, before taking Zuya by the wrist and leading her away from the group.

- There’s no way you agreed to stay just to go on a mission, Sokka. - she hissed at him again. - It’s not even that important!

- Oh shut up, I’ll finally do something for once. Maybe they’ll give us some supplies for that.

- They won’t give us shit.

- Let’s just go. - he said, entering the small hut they were given to sleep in. They tried their best to ignore how annoying the newly met people were and just got ready for bed.

- Why did you tell them you’re a non-bender? - Sokka suddenly asked, when Zuya was brushing out her long hair. She usually wore it in two long braids, but this evening was a good occasion to brush it all out and distract herself.

- Gut feeling. They hate the Fire Nation.

- You’re not from the Fire Nation though?

- And how would they know that? It’s better to tell them the short version instead of explaining myself. I’m not planning on using fire here anyway.

- Good point. - he put his hands behind his head and laid down. - I’d love to see you firebend the hell out of them, though. - he added with a smug grin. It made her smile.

- Maybe I’d do that if I could firebend better. I only know a few moves. I think I might’ve noticed something. Sokka? Can you braid my hair?

- Yea…what did you notice? - he positioned himself behind her. Gran gran taught him how to do Katara’s hair when their mom died, he never really forgot how to do it.

- All of the ,,freedom fighters” have strange outfits. They’re so mixed. Jet has parts of the Fire Nation attire mixed with the Water Tribe’s clothes, or The Duke? He has everything in green and yellow, traditional Earth Kingdom colours.

- So, what are you saying?

- I’m just saying…don’t get into any trouble tomorrow. - she sat while he braided her hair. - Or your outfit might be worn by one of them soon.

- Thieves are the last thing I wanted to encounter. Still, why would I get into trouble? I’ll just pretend to be their friend or somethin’- he asked, already aware why exactly.

- You know damn well why. You’re going without us on that mission, don’t try to act like a smartass.

- I won’t. I’ll try to, at least.

- Promise me you won’t. I don’t wanna have to run to save your sorry ass again.

- Again? Excuse me. - he tugged her hair on purpose.

- Ow! Yes, again. If I wanted go count all of the times where I had to drag you out of someone’s hands I’d run out of fingers. - she grabbed his hand to stop him. Sokka scoffed at that. - Can I braid your hair too?

- No, my head is pounding when you do my braids, they’re too tight.

- I’ll be more gentle? - she smiled, just as he was finishing her own braids. He sighed.

- Just this once. - he finally agreed. - Don’t make them so tight.

- I’ll try.

- You don’t look exhausted. Is Sokka hitting on you again? - Katara asked when she entered the hut with Aang. She was in a good mood, who wouldn’t be if they found themselves a love interest?

- Not today. - she pretended to be let down. Or she wasn’t pretending.

- Just for the record, I’ve never done that. Focus on hitting on Jet, Katara.- he insisted.

- Stop moving so much or else I’m making the braids tight.

- You can’t deny it. Back in Kyoshi, Omashu and when pirates tried to take us. - Aang counted on his fingers and then shoved them into grumpy Sokka’s face. - And that one evening?

- You forgot the boat thing. - Katara reminded.

- Right, boat thing too. - Aang smiled like the cute kid he is.

- It wasn’t intentional. My charm is unbeatable, what can I do about it? Happens on it’s own.

- All of you should go to sleep. - Zuya said, carefully making small braids on Sokka’s head. She finished up and for the rest of the evening, thankfully nobody brought up the topic of Jet and his friends.

Zuya was abruptly waken up by Sokka, right when he came back from the mission. Katara and Aang must’ve already gone somewhere.

- Wake the hell up Zuya, they’re psychos! - Sokka shook her by the shoulders.

- Stop shaking me! - Zuya’s green eyes were barely open and the boy was still blurry in her vision.

#ao3 #fanfiction #oc x canon #oc #atla oc #atla sokka #atla #sokka avatar the last airbender #avatar aang #avatar the last airbender #avatar the last airbender x oc #sokka x oc #wattpad #ao3 writer #katara #aang #atla aang #jet atla

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tinkerbclla · 1 year

Text

Eddie Munson made it.

He did everything that his teachers had always told him that he wouldn’t. It was always “You’ll never make anything of your life if you don’t buck your ideas up!” and “Making music is such a longshot, do you have a backup plan?” and “Edward Munson if you don’t shut your mouth this second –”

Eddie Munson didn’t shut up. And now, he was a star.

His first EP ‘The Upside Down’ had been an instant hit. ‘Vecna’s Curse’ made it to number one on the rock charts and stayed there for three consecutive weeks. He’d had two successful albums since, been nominated for countless awards and even won a few.

But he wasn’t happy.

Eddie Munson was bored.

Well and truly bored.

He filled the days however he could. His music wasn’t fulfilling any more. It was bland and repetitive and he hadn’t been inspired for a while now. He was writing, sure. He was writing more than anything. He’d filled two notebooks in the last week alone. Then he flipped through them and ripped out every single page.

“It’s all drivel!” he complained to Gareth one day. “I’ve lost my touch! My edge! It’s gone forever!”

He’d met Gareth in high school. They were the best of friends, really. They’d formed a band together and they stayed together until Gareth went off to college to study music production. He emerged a new man and Eddie –

Eddie had still been playing for the same five drunks in the same dingy bars.

So Gareth had taken him under his wing. Gareth had a good knowledge of music production now and he became Eddie’s manager. He was signed to a label within six months.

It had all moved rather fast from there. Eddie had lost track of the time. It melted away, sped past him like the stars in the window of the Millenium Falcon as it shifted into hyperspeed. He’d been on every continent, played most major cities, sold out arenas that held more people than lived in his hometown.

And he was so fucking bored.

That’s how he found himself with – Jace? Kyle? Marc?

He didn’t know. He wasn’t going to see him again, so it didn’t matter. For now he would call him sweetheart and hope for the best. He couldn’t complain much from his position, with Eddie’s cock sliding further down his throat.

“Just like that, baby,” Eddie crooned. “You take it so well.”

There was a muffled cry beneath him that sent vibrations up his shaft to pool in his gut.

Eddie fucked into him harder, trusting his partner for the night to tap out if he needed. Eddie was a rockstar, he could take, take, take what he wanted. He gripped onto the blonde locks in front of him as his knees started to wobble. He wished he could give the other guy some credit, but Eddie was doing all of the fucking work.

Eddie drew himself out of his partner’s mouth. He was even bored doing this, and god, wasn’t that just the most depressing thing?

“Lie down on the bed for me, sweetheart,” Eddie tried with all his might to inject some interest in his voice. “Let me fuck you.”

The blonde nodded at him dumbly, looking fucked out and lovestruck despite Eddie’s apathy.

Eddie watched him for a moment, before retrieving a condom and some lube from his nightstand and finishing what he’d started.

If Eddie sat and thought about it, he realised that he spent too much of his time thinking about love. It was always something that had been so out of reach.

When he was young – really young – he spent a lot of his time vying for the love of his parents. He acted out, mostly. Got scrapes and bumps and bruises on purpose, because he’d seen how his friends’ mothers fawned over them when they were hurt. His parents were too lost to fawn over him. Eddie being hurt was nothing more than a nuisance. He stopped showing them the scrapes.

When he first moved in with Wayne, the uncle who had always seemed so distant before, whom he barely knew, he turned away from the love. Wayne was determined to cook him a decent meal every night, so Eddie complained that he wanted take-out. Wayne bought him clothes to replace the ones that were becoming threadbare, so Eddie screamed when he realised his favourite t-shirt was gone. He pushed Wayne’s love away until Wayne came home with a gift. He pressed the fabric into Eddie’s hands wordlessly and Eddie scoffed in the way he was wont to in those days.

And then he saw it.

Wayne had located an exact copy of the old Judas Priest shirt that he’d thrown out because it had a hole in the armpit. It looked brand new. It knocked the wind out of Eddie, he was totally in awe of Wayne from that moment. It was the most unambiguous sign of familial love he’d ever been shown. He stopped pushing his uncle away after that. He accepted the love.

The thing about love was that, as soon as Eddie had a taste, he wanted more.

He watched as his friends got girlfriend after girlfriend in middle and high school. He wanted what they had; he wanted soft hugs and gentle kisses on blushing cheeks. He craved affection more than he’d ever craved anything.

He didn’t get it.

One day in high school, some of the guys on the football team had gotten hold of the information that Carter Anderson was gay. He’d been spotted holding hands with his secret boyfriend under the bleachers, totally innocent shit, but he was immediately ostracised. He was either sneered at or avoided completely. Eddie didn’t know which was worse.

He’d wanted to comfort Carter, but he couldn’t have anyone know that he was the same. He was already a freak, Eddie didn’t think he could handle being the gay freak.

He’d come out eventually, once high school was over and he was no longer bound by a hierarchy that was controlled by meaningless things like who had the most money, or who was able to catch a ball accurately. He’d even had a couple of relationships that went nowhere.

He still craved something real, something permanent.

It seemed impossible to find, especially as a famous musician. People wanted fame and people wanted money. It didn’t matter much to them how they got it.

The thought crossed his mind again when he was in a meeting about his upcoming tour. He’d chewed on a pencil until the yellow paint had chipped off and he’d most likely swallowed some of it, while the tour manager droned on about their schedule and the record label representative chimed in with the demand that Eddie keep working on his new album while he’s on the road. They kept talking until it was all static and Eddie’s mind drifted to love. Or his lack of love, to be more accurate.

It made him laugh to think of how he’d changed since the start of his career. A meeting like this used to hold his attention. It was new and exciting; he was getting to share his love with the world. But he hadn’t felt the love in his music for the past two albums now. He was surprised that his fans hadn’t noticed, yet he seemed to be as popular as ever. More popular, even. He was selling more than ever.

And he hated it. None of it felt authentic. None of it felt like love.

Eddie let out a sharp gasp of pain as Gareth elbowed him in the ribs, bringing him back into the room.

“Oh, uh –” Eddie scanned the room quickly in an attempt to figure out what had been asked of him. “Sorry, run that by me again?”

The executive in front of him rolled his eyes, obviously growing tired of the meeting and Eddie’s habit of daydreaming, “The tour schedule was confirmed by your manager, Mr Emerson, we just need a signature.”

“Right,” Eddie nodded, dragging the paper over to him. “Sure.”

Eddie wished he’d listened to at least some of the plan for his tour, but he couldn’t help it. The whole thing made him feel listless. Miserable. Apathetic. He’d ask Gareth for the details later, but honestly?

Eddie Munson wanted a fucking break.

He wanted to find the love in his music again, and he couldn’t do that while playing the same songs that had made him lose it.

Eddie signed his life away and left the meeting without another word.

It was a dumb idea. It was reckless and stupid. Eddie knew that, but it wasn’t like he had any better ideas. Eddie sat at his desk and stared at the laptop screen in front of him. It was probably the only time he’d actually used the piece of furniture for more than just storage space for a thick layer of dust. He’d had to wipe it down thoroughly before he even thought about putting his laptop on it. The desk had sat in the corner of his music room unused; both Wayne and Gareth had insisted that he should have a desk to work at, but Eddie had written most of his songs either on the couch on the opposite side of the room or sprawled across the floor. A desk wasn’t exactly in tune with his creative vision.

He wasn’t writing now, though, he was researching, and that was a task suited to the rigid conformity of a desk. Eddie opened up a browser window with a swift click and began to type.

How to stop hating mys–

No. He erased the words before he’d even finished writing them. They sounded too pathetic, but so did every other combination of words that ran through his head.

But how could he make them sound less pathetic? There was no admirable way to admit that you felt as though you were drowning in everything that had once been your dream.

How to feel less lost

That search was a dud. Eddie was willing to accept a lot of advice, but “accept that it’s okay to feel lost” was probably the most useless advice he’d been given in a while. He was past acceptance. He wanted change. Needed it with every fibre of his being.

He strayed away from the searches that would give him identical results touting mindfulness and going out for a walk as the cure to all mental health issues. He’d done it all. He’d even been to therapy. He needed something different, something fresh. He racked his brain until he settled on his next search –

Find writing inspiration easy

Eddie waded through pages of awful advice, telling him to look at writing prompts or to exercise (how was a jog supposed to help him come up with a hit song, exactly?).

Then came a beacon of hope. His answer.

A writers’ retreat.

The idea sparked a wave of hope that hadn’t washed over Eddie in a long time. He didn’t want to go on a specifically planned writers’ retreat, to be surrounded by twelve other writers who were constantly asking him what he was writing and what brought him to their little commune – he shuddered at the thought. Definitely not.

But to be able to escape? To book a flight to Bumfuck, Nowhere and exist among people who had no idea who he was? To hole up where no one would be able to track him and demand photos and autographs? He’d been asked to sign someone’s tits when he was out for dinner, for god’s sake, and he just wanted some quiet. The idea of quiet was thrilling.

A new Google search: Rural towns in the Midwest.

The Midwest was probably the most boring place that Eddie could think of. He lived in L.A., and the West coast was somewhere he wanted to get away from. If he went too far East, he’d end up with New York, and he wanted to avoid that just as much. In fact, he was probably supposed to go there on the tour he’d blindly agreed to.

Eddie didn’t want busy. He wanted boring. So: the Midwest.

He clicked through a number of websites, waiting for a name to stick. A small town that sounded like it had some charm to it, something that would leave Eddie feeling in love again.

He found what he was looking for in Fairland, Indiana. The whimsical name was already enough to send soft flutters through his chest; he felt the inspiration already, felt the love that radiated from the small town. He trawled through the pictures that he could find. There weren’t many – even the Trip Advisor page for the town only had two entries – but Fairland seemed quaint.

Eddie was sold.

He was opening up a new tab to browse AirBnB almost immediately. In the back of his mind, he was aware of the reaction his plan would solicit from Gareth and everyone else who worked for him. He knew that this was impulsive, that there were a litany of fans who had paid for tickets to the tour already. The idea of disappointing his fans caused an ache that settled in next to his heart, but he couldn’t keep showing them this watered-down version of Eddie Munson. They deserved his love. He owed it to them.

The only issue with choosing such a small town was that the AirBnB options were few and far between. There was only the one option, actually. A home that Eddie could only really describe as cosy, as close to a cottage as he’d ever seen. Eddie thought that cottages only existed in fairytales, or, like, England. But it was there, right in front of him in a high-definition image. An honest-to-god cottage with ivy growing up the grey stone walls. Eddie hadn’t seen a brick house outside of Chicago; it added to the charm of the building. It felt like a hidden gem, a treasure that he needed to snatch up immediately.

He scrolled further. The room for offer had a double bed, the house itself boasted a large wood-burning fireplace and a private garden. The pictures looked ethereal. He quickly found the contact button, barely taking notice of the reviews (there weren’t too many anyway – Fairland apparently wasn’t particularly popular). His eye did catch one note under the owner’s profile, though: The owner lives in the main house.

It almost stopped Eddie from messaging, but surely he could put up with nodding politely at the man when he saw him in the shared spaces of the house? It was still rural and beautiful and everything he needed.

Eddie swallowed any hesitation and typed out his message.

Eddie: How soon would this room be available?

He immediately and deeply regretted forgoing a greeting, realising how rude and demanding he must sound.

Eddie: Sorry! Hi! Just very excited about your lovely home!

Eddie banged his head on the desk. Twice, for good measure. He was about to delete his entire profile when the reply came through.

Steve: Hi there Eddie! It’s available now and there aren’t any upcoming bookings. So I can accommodate you whenever.

He didn’t think before he replied, didn’t give himself time to.

Eddie: Would you think me insane if I suggested tomorrow?

Steve: I can get the room set up by then, no problemo!

Eddie: And if I don’t exactly have an end date to my stay?

Steve: As long as I’m getting paid, stay for as long as you want.

If he hadn’t been convinced before, he definitely was now.

Eddie didn’t have to think too much about money these days; he was impulsive and spent as much as he wanted to. He’d bought Wayne a house – an actual house with more than one storey and everything – without a second thought. He gave him an unlimited budget to furnish it and went to Ikea with him in disguise (it was a cap and sunglasses, very original and not the least bit effective).

Still, this was the fastest Eddie had typed in his card information in a long time. He paid for a month up front to sweeten the deal for his host and immediately switched tabs to look for flights.

Eddie was buckling himself into a plane seat before he let anyone in on his plan. He’d been putting it off, knowing exactly how much he was going to screw them all over. Gareth didn’t deserve it, the fans didn’t deserve it, but Eddie struggled to feel an inch of sympathy for any of the other executives.

Besides, this was going to be for the best. For both Eddie and his fans.

With a steadying breath, he opened up his messages to Gareth.

Munson: I’m not doing the tour.

Munson: Don’t look for me. I’ll be back, but not any time soon.

And then he turned off his phone before the barrage of texts started to flood in.

He’d been clever about it; he’d covered his tracks. Eddie’s laptop stayed in his penthouse apartment, but the history had been completely wiped. He had logged into his banking app and changed his password, just in case Gareth knew the old one. He’d even phoned the bank to make sure they wouldn’t give out any of his information. He told them, and the police, in no uncertain terms, that he was not missing and none of his information was to be shared. He wanted to cover all of his bases, because the men in suits were vultures and they wouldn’t stop until they found Eddie. So he had to make sure that he wouldn’t be found.

He was pretty sure that he’d done a good job.

***

The opening scenes from 'The Unloved Ones' by tinkerbclla on ao3.

LINK

#steddie #steddie fic #steddie fic rec #steve harrington #eddie munson #florist steve harrington #stranger things #stranger things au #modern au #rockstar eddie munson #steve harrington/eddie munson #stranger things fic rec #zo writes

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dozenssporks · 10 months

Text

*vash happily sitting on a bench eating a chocolate ice-cream cone*

wolfwood: where’d you get ice-cream? You’re broke and I’m not missing any cash.

vash, smug: Meryl and Roberto gave it to me to keep me out of trouble while they write up their reports.

wolfwood: and they think that’ll work?

vash: who am I to break the desperate hold they have on optimism in spite of the odds? And I was hungry so I’ll do my best to uphold the deal.

wolfwood: well now it’s guaranteed all hell is gonna break loose, spiky, since you said that

vash: so far so g--

*a bullet whizzes overhead and vash instinctively avoids it by ducking his head, resulting in his face smashing right into the ice-cream cone*

wolfwood: uh what just happened

vash, straightening up, chocolate all over his face: I dink I gob ice-dream ubh by node *sneezes*

wolfwood: that’s disgusting

vash, sliding down on the bench until his head is below the back and legs stretched out in front of him: yeah I think there’s a sniper. you might wanna--

wolfwood drops to the ground and shuffles until he can peek over the bench: I knew you’d summon trouble. where did they shoot from?

vash, removing his sunglasses so that there are two clean spots on his chocolate covered face: kinda a long way away I think

*far far in the distance caine the longshot angrily punches the sand and starts trying to line up a new shot*

vash: so I’m gonna crawl over to some cover--hey, do you hear saxophone music?

legato, suddenly appearing across the square: Vash The Stampede

vash flails in surprise and smashes the rest of his cone across the front of his coat, falling completely off the bench: are you serious right now?! this is the worst time to get murdered! So embarrassing!

wolfwood: with mud on your face, as it were, heheh

legato: Today Is The Day You--

vash: urgh I’m all sticky!

legato, clearing his throat: Today Is The--

vash: sand is sticking in it I’m gonna be sticky and gritty forever this is the absolute worst thing to ever happen to me!

legato: Excuse Me?!

vash: sorry, no shade on your efforts. But isn’t losing your dessert like this absolutely tragic?

legato: . . . you’re not wrong

vash: then can we call it a day--

legato: Today Is The Day You Will Submit To Lord Knives’ Will, Vash The Stampede

vash, sighing: figured. but a guy can dream, right?

wolfwood: what was that about optimism in spite of the odds?

vash: can I at least give a five minute grace period to wash--

legato: NO

vash: c’mooooon--oh!

*vash bites the dust to avoid another sniper shot. He lifts his head to reveal he has a coating of sand over the chocolate ice-cream*

legato: . . .

legato sighs and flicks his hand, causing the saxophone music to stop: I can’t work under these conditions. I’ll be back so . . . worry about that

vash: can do

*legato pinches the bridge of his nose and walks away*

wolfwood: what about the sniper?

legato, over his shoulder: oh, he’s still there

*another shot fires, vash and wolfwood scrabble their way from the bench toward a nearby saloon on all fours, both shrieking*

*meanwhile nearby*

meryl, looking up from her typewriter: you think he’s in trouble yet?

roberto: oh, I’d say he’s neck-deep by now

meryl: should we go check?

roberto: he’ll be fine for two more minutes, lemme finish this paragraph . . .

*wolfwood and vash screeching in the distance*

roberto: maybe one minute . . .

#trigun #trigun stampede #a dozen sporks speaks #I just feel that legato Talks Like That #this is definitely 1998 #even tho roberto slipped in #I mean if there's saxophone music then it can only be 1998

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catgirl-catboy · 1 year

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Hey! I watched the new total drama season you send I enjoyed the new season I must say

Did you enjoyed it? What is your opinions?

I really did enjoy it, but I also think it had the same flaws as the rest of the total drama series, as expected. (the danganronpa ask is sitting half completed because I got a case of the TD brainworms!)

Namely, that except for gen 2, every generation has a character whose personality is 80% fart jokes. Now, I love me a fart joke as much as any self-respecting 12 y/o boy, so its not that I don't find them funny. But I also think that a character shouldn't just be gross-out humor, and should have some other qualities to them. How does Ripper's bullying affect the goal of the game. Why is he on total drama if his main ambition in life is something else? He clearly feels insecure, but so does his designated victim. Explore that!

One take I saw floating around is that Emma and Chase's relationship is repetitive and annoying. That was the point! You aren't meant to ship them, and Bowie's thoughts on them are meant to mirror the audiences! That being said, I hope they change up the dynamic in season 2 because doing it for another season would get stale.

This is more of a personal preference than a complaint with the writing, but I found Raj's arc in this boring. "realizing you are gay because of a crush and then kissing him" is really overdone, and it felt like the main players in the Rajbow ship were Bowie and WAYNE. This isn't a bad thing, but I hope he becomes a more distinct character in season 2. Maybe Bowie can teach him game strategy and he betrays Wayne to stay in the game longer tee hee hee.

I also don't really agree with the take that Bowie is bad rep because he's a very stereotypical gay man. A lot of total drama characters are based off stereotypes, like Lindsey being the Dumb Blonde and Heather being the Mean Girl. They evolve beyond those tropes throughout the reason of the show, and we actually see that with Bowie in just the one season he was in so far! After Raj got eliminated, he did a whole bunch of plot relevant shit that didn't involve him and was a compelling character outside of his romance plot. I call that a sign of good writing, but this is total drama so who knows if it will last.

And I don't think that TD is saying all gay man are stereotypical, because we have Raj, who is very much not that. He's a dumb jock that happens to be gay, and falls into the jock stereotype more than any gay one. I really respect that writing choice.

Pryia is one of my favorite TD characters, but season 1 Court still takes the number one spot. (even if she is hanging on Hall Monitor coattails!) I adore her! She totally deserved the win.

They made Axel too much like Eva and it felt like a really missed opportunity. We already have Eva and Jo, can we have a more GNC gal character that isn't totally aggressive? I'd like that. Hopefully, she becomes more of a player in the second series?

I also wish they gave Julia a different strategy than Heather. If a character needs constant immunity to stay in the game, then maybe they deserve to leave the game at that stage. Its overdone. I also feel like Julia showed skills in turning people against each other, which could have easily been her M.O. That being said, my favorite Villain Elimination by a longshot.

I really liked the energy brought to the jokes about Zee's leg. It doesn't come up often since my hearing aid isn't too visible, but if I have the opportunity to joke about my disability, I will take it! He's probably one of my favorite disabled rep besides Toph, and I'm glad that he wasn't looked down upon by his team during challenges. He didn't struggle with any challenges, and his leg actually helped at one point!

(one time, a teacher asked in frustration if anyone was deaf in here. Saying "Yes :)" was my crowning achievement and one of the best jokes I ever made. Its not relevant, but c'mon.)

I wish he had more of a character outside of comic relief, but still!!!

#ask tag #total drama #total drama spoilers #total drama island 2023 #total drama reboot #td zee #td raj #td bowie #td priya #td julia #crowtalks #I dub thee with a tag

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thetrashbagswasteland · 1 month

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truth or dare 🍬❄️🪲 :3c

🍬 ⇢ post an unpopular opinion about a popular fandom character Going straight for the jugular i see hmm well let's go with this one: Shepard's story is sus as hell when the story of ME1 is viewed without Main Character Plot Armour and a paragon shepard should acknowledge that they have no right to be believed without a shred of evidence aside from "this one dude said so" ❄️ ⇢ what's your dream theme/plot for a fic, and who would write it best? hmmm I cannot say WHO I want to write it best because everyone I can think of would bring a new and chewable aspect to it but... full length interspecies political thriller set pre-canon no I don't know whether yes-reapers or a no-reapers AU would be more fun but I wanna see what the inner machinations of galactic politics and how everyone's disparate political regimes fit together 🪲 ⇢ add 50 words to your current wip and share the paragraph here Here have two paragraphs of The Longshot boy oh boy that didn't take like an hour for my brain to give in and write at all

Huerta was nondescript in the blandly welcoming way that every hospital and medical office Castis had had the misfortune of visiting was. Large windows looked over over-cultured gardens, pretending to capitalise on the closest thing to natural light as could be found on the station. And yet the scent of thessian flowers permanently maintained in bloom didn’t quite mask that of death and antiseptic, unnatural dying any more than the quiet, culturally soulless music tinkling from hidden speakers hid the sounds of people going through the very worst times in their lives. Turian hospitals were far more austere on the whole and, by extension, infinitely more practical. How much time was wasted cleaning windows that could be better spent ensuring the sterility of the wards? How much of their budget was piled onto soft, meaningless comforts whilst practicality went hungry?

#ask meme

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masterofengene · 7 months

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COULD i also request an idol!K oneshot/longshot (perefered fem reader but also wtv you are comfortable w) inspired by you are in love by taylor swift and its like suuper fluffy and he is so sweet and kdramary and like theyre wondering around the city or smth(can you tell I just finished binge watching i-land and immediately need compensation for the pain it caused me 😭😭😭) omg maybe like a friends to lovers trope and he realises how much she means to him and its like a she fell first but he fell ten times harder like IM SO SORRY FOR RAMBLING I NEEDED TO GET THIS OUT OF MEJFDHSKDFGJ like im just imagining confessions in the rain after a miscommunication which left them both rlly sad and then she runs after him in the middle of a city street at midnight. honestly PLS TAKE complete creative freedom because as you can probably tell my thoughts rn r super messy and delulu ajshgfhkfhkgdjhsdfhgfdjkg i literally just have been thinking abt a long fic to get immersed in w K bc i have seen ltrly none😔 THANK U SMSMSMSMSMMS ASDKJFH.

Here i am!! So i finally got back to my writing and this one got those creative writing juices flowing and it gave me so many ideas so enjoy!!

…………………………………………………………………………….

Coffee at Midnight.

K! X fem reader based off the song “ you are in love “ by Taylor Swift.

…………………………………………………………………………….

You and K had been friends for what feels like forever. You guys had gone to the same school and were close in age so you two naturally grew closer. Before you even realized, you two were best friends. But as time went by you couldn’t help but look at K differently, Over the years he had filled out and his features grew more defined. Anyone who knew K would notice this, unless they were blind.

But you hadn’t even registered your own feelings changing, not until you were head over heels for him. You two shared a love of the performing arts so when he debuted, he managed to get you an audition and then he stepped back and let you handle it. He knew you’d land the rest yourself, he always had a blind faith in you. He trusted you more than you trusted yourself. It was a little bit after that, that you realized you’re own feelings towards K.

It was one look, and a dark room, a light hearted joke.

It had been a few months since you had begun your training, and to say that you were exhausted was a major understatement. It was well past 10 at night your monthly evaluations were right around the corner and you couldn’t quite nail the choreography that you would be tested on. Your body was tired and you were drained but you couldn’t just give up. Your eyes were aching so you had dimmed the lighting just enough to relieve the dull ache.

You were so into your practice that you hadn’t heard your phone going off, you didn’t hear the messages that k was sending to check on you. And lets just say when he got no response, he went to check on you himself. Because how dare his best friend not answer him.

What you did hear was the door to the practice room opening. You had thought for a second that it would be an instructor coming to kick you out of the room, luckily it was not. It was just K.

“You weren’t answering me…i was worried about you.” K said, being the one to always speak his mind. But he could read you like a book. So why bother hiding your exhaustion. Without saying anything, you let out a sigh and not-so-gracefully sat down on the ground. You laid back and simply said. “I have been at it for hours and i cannot get it right no matter how hard i try. Im not that much of a dancer.”

And then he gave you that look, the look that would make you feel so loved and cared for that it unlocked all of those hidden feelings.

“Please don’t be so hard on yourself. You’re doing so well. Even if you do not realize it. You know….i think i saw some janitors, trainees… even a few pigeons watching you dance through the windows. An amazing performance.” He said jokingly, although he truly meant that you did an excellent job. He had just wanted to see you smile instead of looking like you would cry any second.

And after that, your feelings for him kept growing but you were certain he would never see you as anything more than a friend. Still you always had hope that he /could/.

That was until you had gone to the mall one day and were window shopping by yourself, you had invited K along but he had said that he was at a practice. You didn’t think anything of it, they had a comeback coming up anyway. You really didn’t give it a second thought. Well…until you did.

You had walked into your favorite store, the place where you got all of your clothes from. It was locally owned and they only had this one location. Everything about it made you smile, from the dresses to the shoes, to their jewelry. You were happily browsing but that soft peaceful smile that you had faded in an instant.

Right in front of you was K and a girl you had never seen before standing in front of a bracelet rack. They were clearly close, leaning closer to each other as they talked.

In that second, it felt like your whole world had came crashing down. Why had he lied to you about practice? Why was he here with /her/? And why was she standing so close to him? A thousand questions raced through your head as K looked up and made eye contact with you. There was panic in his eyes in that second, and without a word you turned around and left. If only you knew the real reason that he was so panicked….

Unknown to you, the reason he was there in the first place was because he had wanted to buy you a bracelet and confess his own feelings that had grown. He wanted it to be romantic and special. A sweet confession. He had asked his cousin to come along and help him pick out something that you would like. He only wanted to surprise you and not hurt you.

He thought situations like this only happened in the dramas that he watched on the television. But K had seen that devastated look in your eyes and he felt the pain that washed over you in that second. You might have fallen for him first but he fell harder that’s for sure.

it was midnight when you decided to go to the convenience store and get some coffee, your head was still swirling with emotions, and the weather outside represented how you were feeling, windy and stormy. Then you felt your phone go off and found that K had texted you, saying that he was on his way to your apartment. All you said in return was that you were getting coffee, to come a different time.

As you rang up your coffee and a little sweet treat, you pulled your hoodie up to cover your hair before going back out in the rain. You wee still hurting but you couldn’t see K until you felt calmer. You didn’t want to lose him entirely.

The bell sounded from the door and before you knew it you heard your name bing called. You’d recognize that voice anywhere.

“she is my cousin.” That was all k said as he walked up to you. And you were still in shock because how had he known that you were at this convenience store.

“This is the only place open that has coffee near your place..” He seemed to hear your silent question, then you noticed that his hair was soaking wet from walking in the rain.

“still. I thought you had practice.” The hurt in your voice had said enough as you walked around him heading back inside. It was all a fresh feeling for you and you still had so many questions left unanswered.

“stop and listen please.” K said following you outside into the pouring rain. That’s when he let the truth slipped past his lips as he let like he was losing his best friend. He grabbed your hand and you felt a smooth, cool metal press against your hand. “I didn’t know that you felt this way about me until i saw that look in your eye today. (Y/n) i was planning to do this in a better setting but ill just tell you now. She was helping me buy you a bracelet, I couldn’t tell you because it was going to be a surprise. But i really like you, actually no. You’re my best friend and you mean the entire world to me, i love you. Im sorry you had to find out this way.” The look in his eyes was a desperate one.

You felt shocked, you had never once considered any of the things that just fell past his lips, and as if he saw your shock he let go of your hand and left the bracelet there. He rocked back on his heels to give you time to process his words as the rain fell around you two.

“i… you like me? Really? But how did you…. Did you know I’ve felt the same?”

“not until today…i saw that look you had. Like you wee heart broken…I can’t risk losing our burnt toast sundays…” His comment made you crack a smile as all the pieces slowly fit into place.

and the rest…. Well that’s history.

#&team #&team fluff #&team imagines #&team jo #&team maki #&team scenarios #&team taki #&team nicholas #k

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yushox-conlang · 1 year

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Sooo... I made a possible writing script for Na'vi.

I figured that they would use very simple symbols for each sound. As I imagine that in their culture the spoken word holds more value and they don't have the patience or time to invent anything more elaborate. However, with humanity becoming a part of their world and their lives, I can see them adapting their own writing system eventually.

They write with a special holed needle that breaks easily, usually on leather, they scratch or puncture their writing into it. The needle is filled with glowing tree sap that becomes liquid when exposed to warmth. The glow doesn't run out for a long time either.

They usually write down just their stories or prayers. Short messages and nonsense texts are not written. Basically humanity is responsible for them keeping a physical history of their lives and not relying just on Eiwa to keep such things. Though Eiwa comes first by a longshot, they still like to be able to not have to walk some distances just to be able to hear some short retelling of a historical event.

I think Eiwa would encourage the invention of writing. It's not breaking her three main laws, so why not.

I know It's a bit chaotic, but I tried my best anyways.

Alternatively [L] can be like [1] but other way around, and to represent [LL] it could have another smaller arch right under the first arch.

#avatar james cameron #na'vi #na'vi language #writing systems #sci fi #conlang #non cannon

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gaknar · 2 years

Text

Review: Claremont’s Final Chapter

Well this is it. This is the last review I’m going to write for this blog. It covers the last chunk of Chris Claremont’s original run on Uncanny X-Men, along with the crossovers and spinoffs that accompany it. I was thinking that this was going to be a lot more comics, because I completely forgot that I already wrote a review covering the big three X-Men crossovers from the 1980s (Mutant Massacre, Fall of the Mutants, and Inferno). How does that happen? How do I just completely forget that I did bunch of work on a review that’s barely two years old? I’ll tell ya how. Early onset Alzheimer’s. Or maybe I’m busy and not as focused on this blog as I used to be. Nowadays it’s all I can do to keep my queue from emptying out while doing one post a day. I’m a shadow of my former hilarious self. But I still want to tie a bow on what I’ve been doing here for the past seven years, and I guess that’s kind of what this is. I set out with a goal, to read every X-Men comic ever written. How that was to be defined, I didn’t know, but at the very least it was going to include everything up to the end of Claremont’s big run, which I have now accomplished. I’m anxious to keep reading, but I think I’m done writing for now, and maybe indefinitely. I dunno. I haven’t decided yet and I don’t want to speak in absolutes. Only a Sith speaks in absolutes.

I mean how am I gonna be reading this and not be sprinting to my blog to shit post about it. It’s just not possible. I can’t call my mom and troll. “Yeah ma and then they did that shit where they smash the cake in each other’s faces and I puked all over everything! No ma, this was in a comic! A comic!”

For posterity sake, this reading and review cover the following:

Uncanny X-Men #244-279 New Mutants #74-100 X-Factor #40-70 Excalibur #8-25 X-Force #1-4 X-Men Volume 2 #1-3 Days of Future Present Crossover Kings of Pain Crossover

This collection of comics is the most nostalgic for me. I didn’t start collecting Uncanny X-Men until around issue #250. I was a late comer. I had already missed the best stuff. But the X-Men were still at the top of their game, and this particular run represents the exact set of comics that captivated me as a child. I’m biased toward them. This is generally considered to be the weakest part of Chris Claremont’s 17 year long run, but I cannot find the objectivity to agree with this statement. And during this reading, where I actually got to read everything that lead up to this point in time for the X-Men instead of being cluelessly dropped into the middle of it and not even knowing how to pronounce a lot of the characters names, I found these stories to be even more enjoyable.

When I was a kid, I thought Psylocke was pronounced Pisey-locke. I thought Rogue was Roe-goo. One of my older brother’s friends heard me saying that shit and he laughed his ass off at me.

Tell me what’s wrong with this story. The X-Men have become legends, both in story and in real world pop culture, but then their team is decimated. Storm is killed. Colossus, Rogue, Psylocke, Havok, and Dazzler are consumed by Siege Perilous. Wolverine is captured and broken by an alliance of villains he personally carved into cyborgs during his previous adventures. And Longshot is . . . well nobody remembers what happened to Longshot. And with growing threats rising from all over the world, it’s left to the X-Men’s fourth string, students, and attendants to continue the fight. This was a dire time for the comic, and I think for many it deviated too far from what they had grown comfortable with. These characters were real for a lot of people, and they had been scattered, their family destroyed. There was a sense of tragedy and trauma. A great loss of safety and security for characters that were written so intimately they felt like close friends you visited once a month. But I loved it. These were my first X-Men stories. I was only beginning to form my bonds with these characters, and that process was aided by the narrative drive to see them reunited. For a kid in the 4th grade, this was Shakespearian.

And then Jim Lee came along and ruins everything.

No I didn’t cover the swimsuit issue. I mean, this is it. Here, I’m covering it. Look, Logan’s a never nude.

I mean, how can I say that. I actively concede that Jim Lee is the best X-Men artist. And that comes after years of maintaining this blog and meticulously reading every X-Men comic that was released, and falling in love with the work of Barry Windsor Smith.

Bill Sienkiewicz

Paul Smith.

Marc Silvestri.

And John Byrne was ok I guess.

In my opinion, as much as I love all those other artists, none of them can touch Jim Lee’s work on X-Men. They are all phenomenally gifted, but Jim Lee was somehow transcendent on a whole other level. And when his talent swirled with the particular aesthetic of the Uncanny X-Men, magic happened. Something new came into existence that permanently imprinted itself onto our pop culture.

From the characters themselves to crazy alien space-tech, you just can’t beat Jim Lee.

How is it then, that these were the comics, the last issues of Claremont’s run, that killed my interest in the series when I was younger? Claremont was still writing the scripts, but it was clear that something catastrophic had happened behind the scenes. Something was terribly broken. And as much as I wanted to assume that it was all in my head, that there couldn’t have been any hurt feelings because Claremont would return some day, and he would even go on to work with Jim Lee again on other projects, I’m pretty sure that’s not the case. I just watched the Comics In Focus documentary about Chris Claremont, and he tearfully describes his feelings at the time as being “betrayed.” You can feel that in the writing, and it does not make for good entertainment. The final few issues of this run are conflicted and strained, and tedious in their pacing. So unlike the effortless storytelling the series had become known for.

Reading these comics again all these years later brings back memories of why I quit collecting in the first place. By the very end of Chris Claremont’s run, after his narrative plans had been derailed by Jim Lee and their editors, the Uncanny X-Men weren’t stunning anymore. They didn’t stick in my brain and leave me awake at night with a mind full of wonder. They only left me with apathy. This is in contrast to how I felt when I first started reading the series and every issue was a revelation. But I can distinctly remember attempting to read X-Force #1 a second time, searching for some hook to keep me engaged, and there was nothing there. It was an empty, shallow experience that made me question whether I had outgrown the hobby. X-Men Volume 2 reinforced those concerns.

“The writer.” He can’t even be bothered to invoke his name. I’m just going to transcribe this part of the documentary and make some observations. “Comics were boring. Even Marc Silvestri, he’ll admit, he got bored.” This motherfucker thinks the X-Men were just dull as shit until he came along and saved the whole fucking thing. JFC. “Marc had already done the book for like, four or five years. And, but it’s not a job you, you don’t leave that job. It’s the best-selling comic.” This motherfucker thinks THE BEST SELLING COMIC, THE COMIC MORE PEOPLE WERE READING THAN ANY OTHER COMIC IN EXISTENCE was boring until he came along and saved the whole fucking thing. “And the writer had been on it for 15 years. You don’t think he’s burned out?” No Rob, it’s clear he wasn’t burnt out, and you deprived us of another 3-5 years of amazing comics. “It was like hey, the X-Men girls go shopping.” Hey I liked that issue. “In the next issue, the guys go to the mall.” That didn’t even happen! You drew that god damned book and you can’t even remember what it was about!! “And you’re like, this isn’t the X-Men I grew up loving! Where’s Magneto, where’s the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants!? Where’s the stuff that’s gonna psyche me out?” Oh, like fucking Strife and Strobe and Thumbellina? Did that shit psyche you out Rob??

I have given up on X-Men three different times in my life. The first was in 1992, a direct result of the conflict that arose between Claremont and these idiot artists who would stick around for less than a year for abandoning the franchise completely, leaving it in shambles. Looking back at my collection, I made it to issue #7 of X-Men Volume 2 and I was done. The buildup to Onslaught brought me back in 1996, in particular the famous cover proclaiming someone had stopped the Juggernaut which I found in a back issue bin. But I did not last long, only seeing that storyline through and losing interest again by the time Heroes Reborn got underway and it was clear that the clowns in charge didn’t actually have any interesting story ideas past the initial Onslaught concept. Finally, in 2001 it was the one-two punch of Grant Morrison’s new X-Men and Claremont’s own X-Treme X-Men that brought me back one more time. And this time I stuck with it for a good 10 years before a combination of Brian Michael Bendis and Marvel’s agenda to bury the X-Men killed my interest in modern X-Men comics to this day.

I could not stand the idea of the original teenage X-Men becoming the main characters again. There was no blander, more basic concept in my opinion. Other than that shit Rob Liefeld came up with in X-Force.

Despite this on again off again relationship, the X-Men have always been with me. I have always wanted to stay engaged with what was going on in their lives. And that led to the creation of this blog. I wanted to start reading again, but the only way to do that was to start at the beginning and go from there. And I’ve loved reading almost every comic I read for this blog. Analyzing and summarizing each issue allowed me to recreate the experience of reading these comics as a kid, when I read each comic 5 or 6 times through the course of the month as I anticipated the release of the next and finally moved on. That reading pace is very hard to emulate in the age of collected editions, where we might instead read several issues in a single sitting and never look back again. It’s a completely different experience.

But going forward, I don’t think it’s going to be so important. I’m not going to want to linger on Scott Lobdell’s writing, or Rob Liefeld’s garbage artwork. I’m not going to want to struggle to think of something interesting to say about comics I’m apathetic toward. I’m going to keep reading, but I don’t know to what extent, if any, I’ll comment on them here.

Again, I don’t know how I’m going to be reading this shit and not need someone to talk to about it. So don’t completely give up on me.

I recently read through Sandman for the first time, in tandem with reading X-Men comics for this blog. It was obviously very good, but it was also very dense and challenging, and it took forever since I was splitting my comic book time with blog tasks. Then I finally read the deluxe volumes of Saga I’ve owned for years but haven’t had time to read. Compared to Sandman they were a light, breezy walk through a sunny, petal soaked field. It made me excited to read some more of the independent books I've collected over the years. Oh and there’s also these.

I’m way overdue here. I bought all these books and have yet to crack any them open. But every single day they call to me. But of course I can’t start with these. I’m going to read Hickman’s Fantastic Four first, and then his Avengers, and then Secret Wars, and THEN I’ll read these. The time has come for me to start reading modern X-Men again.

In case you can’t tell, this review is also serving as a retrospective for this blog in general. Sorry to spring that on you. I really, really appreciate those who read along with me, corrected my mistakes, offered better insights than I could come up with, and explained the shit that went straight over my head. It wasn’t like reading these comics in a vacuum like I did when I was a kid. It was like being part of an awesomely nerdy reading group. I appreciated every single like and comment you made, and those who stuck with me for an extended period. I saw every engagement you made, even if that wasn’t obvious. I don’t know if this will be my last post, but this is it for now. Thanks everyone.

#xmfbte #clare5 #review

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