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cookie-kisses · 11 months

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Hi! Welcome to the cookie writer community here there are a lot of nice anons and many amazing writers! I noticed your post about taking requests when I was looking at most recent cookie run × reader stuff and saw you and thought I'd send in a request and welcome you! Also it's cool you're a yandere writer too! Not many writers are a fan of writing yandere so it's nice to see another yandere writer to add some spice to the mix! Oh and you do male reader writings? Neat! I like gender neutral since it involves everyone but...despite being a female...seeing so many x females well...it's like only having one meal over and over again. You just end up wanting something different and new, yaknow?

Anyway sorry for that ramble! Just already excited to see some of your more romantic writing!

Now...may I request an affogato x a sweet, cuddly reader hcs? If you wanna do a one shot instead, that would be fine! Like maybe the reader found affogato after he was forced to flee from the dark cacao kingdom and decided to take him under their wing and nurse them back to health and let him live with them? Maybe the reader also treats them sweetly and never falls for their manipulation because they are so sweet, it just flies over their head and they just think affogato is being nice and always offers him hugs and welcomes any hugs! Bonus if the reader secretly knew the whole time about who he was and what he had done...buuut had heard his story about his sad life (the whole asking to sit in a chair with no comfort thing) and wanted to give them a happy life to turn them good...aaaaand possibly hope affogato chooses to stay even after he recovered because the reader loves their cuddles and actually has a crush on them...and affogato finds out by either overhearing a convo where the reader's friend calls them insane because of what they were doing or affogato finds their diary!

(Scroll down to banner cut to skip authors notes if desired.)

Oh my sweet, sweet anon. My sweet, precious anon, thank you. You don’t understand how infatuated I am with Affogato Cookie. He’s one of the reasons I started writing!

My account is actually about a year old, but due to massive writing block I never posted any content. I also agree on the same repetitive content! It’s quite disappointing reading a piece of content that’s really well written, but Y/N is automatically female. (Especially without any prior notice.) I use my blog to give an opening to male readers but otherwise make it gender neutral to be inclusive.

And yes! I write yandere content (within reason.) The stories tend to be more bitter, but the bitterness and conflict is what makes it interesting. I wish for my content to provide something new!

When I saw Affogato Cookie’s name pop up I nearly jumped out of my seat, I will surely have fun with this.

Warmth&Love

Cw: Minor swearing

The frigid snow of the Dark Cacao Kingdom beats down on the land, temperatures reaching below zero. A blizzard hurdles from north, The Black Citadels doors locked up tight, villagers barricading their house windows, cake hounds and cream wolves huddling against each other. Even the beasts of the lands couldn’t stand the cold.

The freezing land of the kingdom was no place for a cookie to stray out alone, yet Affogato cookie found himself trudging away from it. Exiled for treason with no one to turn to, he wandered the frigid hills. Affogato cookie cursed himself. He was close to having everything! He almost had it all, but now he had nothing. Again

Affogato cookie didn’t know where he was going or where he was. His sight was blinded by pure white fluttering around him, the frigid cold clung onto his body. Snow hugging onto his eyelashes and finger tips. Every step took more energy than the last, the cold finally taking its toll.

Unable to support himself any long his knees collapsed with his body. His vision blurred, head filled with cotton. He failed to see the approaching figure before passing out from the cold.

Laid in the corner, Affogato cookie slept unconscious atop of a wooden bed. His body was blanketed with a fluffy, wool cover. It was a humble cabin, limited space, but it was a home nonetheless.

Clinking could be heard from the kitchen. There you were, working in the kitchen before fixing a bowl of soup, your eyes fixating on Affogato cookie.

You found Affogato cookie passed out in the cold while wandering for lumber. It wasn’t the smartest move because of the blizzard, but your idiocy saved a man. You know who he was, your friend warned you about him before you moved away from your home village. They always suspected something wasn’t right, but you couldn’t have cared less. You were head over heals for that man. You knew everything. This was your chance to treat him ever so sweetly and maybe even do something more.

Your mind retraced the events once more, thinking of different scenarios before being interrupted by the squeak of the bed frame. Affogato Cookie sat against the bed, dazed, before gathering his composure and haughty demeanor in an instant when he spotted you. Even when exiled, he couldn’t let his sweet facade slip again, no?

Placing the bowl of broth onto a serving tray you placed the board along his lap with a spoon alongside it.

Affogato Cookie slowly felt a smile curl his lips. What a lovely opportunity this was. Oh, how he thanked you for saving him. Sweet praises slipped from his mouth, putting on a sultry voice.

“What do we have here? Oh how strong and brave you must’ve been to save me from such a strong storm! Aren’t you something?”

He laced his words with the sweetest sugar, complimenting your strength, kindness, generosity, anything he could think of to get you to fall under.

But to his dismay, you stood unfazed by his sweet remarks, instead thanking him before questioning about his condition.

“Are you feeling alright?”

“Do you need anymore blankets?”

“Are you comfortable?”

“Is there anything else you need?”

His facade wavered slightly, partly irritated his smooth talk didn’t work, partly because he didn’t expect such warmth. He surely didn’t expect you to offer him a place either.

“Stay as long as needed but please, spend the night at least.”

Knowing he had no other option, he accepted. Where else would he go?

Despite his exile, it didn’t stop Affogato cookie’s desire for control and admiration. Often he’d coil around you as he crooned compliments. He spoke with constant sugar coated praises and faux sincerity, grazing your body with gentle touches. He’d cradle your cheek, leaning in, whispering sweet things. All attempts to make you melt, waver, and bend.

“Aren’t you a lovely, thing? Heh heh.”

“What have we here? Oh aren’t you adorable…”

“Hm hm hm- why, aren’t you a dear.”

“Can I ask you a favor? You’re quite the strong one..”

But despite all his efforts, your demeanor never faltered. You’d smile at him with the genuine, sweet smile he always seen you wear. You’d return the affection leaning into his touch, but never quite bending the way he wanted you to. Your demeanor soon started affecting him. (Oh, the sweet irony.) He couldn’t help but find his face flaring up whenever you smiled with such kindness at him.

The more time Affogato Cookie spent around you the more conflicted he was. Constantly you pampered him, always making sure he was comfortable and happy. You were quite physical with your affection too, reciprocating his touches. When Affogato brushed up against you it was empty sweetness, nothing more than a deceitful attempt, but your touches were filled with mesmerizing warmth. He could feel his composure melt bit by bit and he had no idea what to do about it.

Slowly he started to consider the idea of just settling in. Perhaps he wouldn’t have to pull strings for admiration after all. You were so sweet, he might’ve even caught something for you.

His arrogant facade finally slipped off one day when you cuddle alongside him by the fireplace. He melted into your side and basked in the warmth. Yes. This was a life worth living. He finally had someone by his side, a loving companion, maybe something even more. His eyes fluttered closed in content, leaning against you warm body.

You sat still as he slept on your shoulder, a small smile crept on your face. Sighing contently you cradled him in your arms once more and carried him up to your bedroom, tucking him in. You smile gently and pecked his forehead. You couldn’t help but stare at him with adoration, he’s so beautiful to you, and now you finally had him with you. You wish you could get closer.

However, a knock from downstairs pulled you out from your daydream. Gently you treaded down the stairs, reluctant to make any noise.

Opening the door you were met with a familiar face. A former friend from your home village stared at you, a concerned expression on their face.

Your heart sank to your stomach. If you wanted to see their face again you wouldn’t have moved away from the village.

“Hey-”

You interupted.

“What do you want?”

“Erm- have you possibly seen, you know- euhm Affogato Cookie around recently?”

The cookie treaded cautiously with their words, their voice not above a whisper. Your eyes narrowed, you knew what this was about, but you feigned ignorance.

“Why?”

You craned your head sideways.

“Well- I just wouldn’t want you to get hurt or anything. You know what he’s done…”

Your face contorted into one of irritation.

“Don’t start with this again.”

In an instant their tone rose, their anger fluctuating as they spoke.

“Oh, I’m sorry, it’s not like you love the man who tried to overthrow the kingdom and start a cult!? I’m so sorry that you’re fucking insane!”

Choking out an irritable laugh the two of you bickered at the front door, spitting out meaningless insults.

Meanwhile, upstairs the string of voices woke up Affogato Cookie, miffed he was woken from his sleep. But Affogato being a nosy man, his interest piqued from the commotion downstairs. Walking half way down he peeked his head over the wall, listening in. Your argument nearly became a screaming match.

“Are you drunk?? You love a fucking psychopath! He’s a power hungry mooch!”

“Oh, I wonder who caused him to be this way? You and the village did! This wouldn’t have happened if you didn’t abuse a goddamn child. All he needed was love! And that’s what I’m giving him now. How about you fuck off and let me live my life?!”

“You’re dense! You can’t jus-“

The door slammed in their face.

Your hand rested on the doorknob, barely able process anything. Your other hand shook violently. You turned your head looking behind you, your eyes met Affogato’s. Your face as pale as the snow. Neither of you blinked as you stared at each other, not a word slipping out.

Affogato cookie slowly crept down the stares, standing just a few inches from you.

This was not how you planned things to be! They weren’t supposed to know yet- what if he didn’t even feel the same? You should’ve just closed the door. Thoughts of rejection ran through your head, failing to see a smile spread across his lips and his advances. Finally, you were snapped out of your head when a pair of lips pressed against yours.

“How amusing. I am blessed to be yours.”

Your face flushed as you returned the kiss, a shaky breath of relief leaving your body. You couldn’t be happier, tears prickling in the corners of your eyes.

“I love you.”

“I love you too darling.”

💋

~Cookie-Kisses

#cookie run #cookie run kingdom #crk #crk affogato #affogato cookie #crk x reader #cookie run x reader #cookie run kingdom x reader #cookie kisses

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poltergeist-coffee · 10 months

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SLIMERIANA IN MY MERMAID AU!!!

*points to @unqualified-therapist* you asked so you shall receive i hope u enjoy sdanvajsdn

SO!!! Slime is a human and Mariana is a mermaid. Mariana specifically is inspired by a banana eel because it's yellow kinda like his mc skin's suit. also he's got a red-ish gradient going up his arms + claws because it's my favorite character design thing + matches his mc skin more. Mariana doesn''t have glasses but he does have impaired vision as far as mermaids go.

Mermaids can see super far because the ocean is vast and they need to be able to see if someone is coming to kill them u know? Mariana can still see that far but everything is just blurrier for him especially the more far away it is. his other senses are slightly heightened to make up for it + she probably uses something like echolocation underwater if she really can't see shit. i mentioned mermaids have claws as well and i need you to know that he paints them black. it's important to me (thinks of cc!mariana always having black nail polish).

Mariana has probably found a lot of junk in the ocean including some jewelry that people lose. she wears a few rings she's found as well for fun :)) she thinks they're neat. Mariana loves to people watch. he lives closer to the surface so he's about human sized and understand human speech very well but not how humans work. he never goes close to the beach when there's so many humans around but he likes to watch them and pick up on words they yell and say a lot.

Slime is not just some guy, he's some guy who also has a cousin that he's basically parenting and her name is Juanaflippa (he always takes care of her bc its like rich aunt/uncle who are always on vacation). Early in the mornings Slime usually runs along the beach to exercise and has captured the eye of our local mermaid Mariana.

Mariana’s favorite word to yell is "SHARK" because the humans in the water yell it so much. its funny. i bet one time after slime and marina know each other mariana yells SHARK and then drags slime into the water with her laughing. (her favorite thing to do is drag slime into the water). a different time she's hanging out with juanaflippa and she is teaching her swear words. Slime shows up and mariana yells "FUCK" with the enthusiasm of an 8 year old. he's so fucking happy and has zero clue what he just said. Juanaflippa is delighted. Slime needs a few seconds.

Mariana likes Slime because he usually talks loud and clearly so it’s easy for mariana to understand and he thinks he’s ✨pretty✨ but that comes secondary to messing with him. He'd also consider Juanaflippa to be apart of his "pod" aka family so he's basically like her parent (the other one being slime). Mariana took one look at Juanaflippa and got attached, plus she loves him so ya they get along well :))

#slimeriana #fliporiana #poltergeists mermaid au #hmm i think thats enough for now #as you can tell i have a lot of thoughts and if u have some please feel free to tell me what they are

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idothingsandstuffs · 6 months

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I've talk about the Kirby right back at ya reboot I've made in my head, that was inconsistent af.

Here are some more things that I've created in my head that happened in it.

(And if a reboot or a new anime happens and some of this happens, that is not a coincidence I have future vision that is just pretty inconsistent\jk)

•It is called "Kirby right back at ya:deluxe"

•Everyone is a like 5-7 years older compare to the original.

•All the waddle dees were raised by dedede and escargoon therefore bandee start off as a jerk but gets character development.

•One of the waddle dees fakes their own death to join meta's crew as sailor dee.

•Meta knight is a wanted criminal.

•Kirby was raised by sir Arthur before he was send to popstar.

•Kirby is also fullent in Spanish but doesn't have an accent.

•Kirby can talk but still says poyo as a tick.

•Adeline is Ado's younger sister.

•Adeline and Ado live in the castle because Dedede declared both of them royal painters because he doesn't wanna admit he adopted two children.

•Giving children a job in the castle is Dedede's way of adoption.

•That one "how can I help you king Dedede" part from the intro would be change every episode to fit what is going to happen in the episode.

•Marx was also raised by sir Arthur with Kirby and Kirby saw him as a big brother, and milky way wishes messed Kirby up.

•Marx and meta knight are demon beasts.

•The reason sir Arthur raised Marx and Kirby was to keep a close eye on them.

•The reason why Arthur wanted to keep a close eye on them is because the last demon beast that they trusted became a war criminal and Kirby has has the potential to become full on void or zero if they felt a lot of negative feelings.

•Oh and also Kirby is the positive reancarnetion of void.

•If Ado tries draws a copy of someone the copy becomes how that person should be like, while when Adeline Tris to do it, it becomes how she sees this person.

•Adeline tries to turn a blind eye to dedede's bad action while Ado tries to justify them until a point where they can't keep doing it because he started to use them in his plans.

•It is a musical.

•King dedede would have a whole song about how great he is.

•Gooey feels weird around Kirby because he senses an energy that is so unfamiliar and familiar at the same time.

•Gooey is tramutized from zero.

•A song that dark matter sing that happens in dedede's head when he possessed him. In the song he shape shift into everyone who dedede cared about and hurt and sings about how much he sucks, and the worst part is king dedede can't deny any of them because he knows all of them is true.

•A scene where king dedede losses everyone who respected him (waddle dees, Ado and Adeline stopped flowing his orders and escargoon left) and he realizes there is no one to blame but himself.

•Romk arc takes place after the dm arc and is the first time Kirby meets meta knight

•Sailor dee drowns and dies. This event traumitizes meta knight.

•A scene where king Dedede has a mental breakdown because he can't understand why Kirby is so kind to him and doesn't hate his guts like everyone else in the kingdom because he should hate him the most and even begs Kirby to just hate him. Kirby refuses and gives him a hug.

•Meta knight, after trying to take king dedede's throne, goes to king dedede's castle (dedede doesn't know yet) the only people who know what meta tried to do is his crew, Kirby, knuckle Joe (he was helping Kirby) and that girl with a gun that I can't remember the name of.

•Meta and Dedede were friends before dedede became king and he didn't know he was dethrone an old friend.

•The kids were going to tell dedede but when Kirby realized how happy he was to found an old friend. That leaved Kirby in a deilema state where he could tell dedede the truth and ruin his happiness and confirm his belief that everyone hates him in kings eyes or let them play pretend until somebody losses their head.

•When dedede founds out about what meta tried to did he takes him to the forest and fights him. They still hang out after it but they are pretty cold to eachother.

•Susie sounds like a vocaloid.

•Susie talks in a different language but has an auto translator that most of the time doesn't work probably

•A detective arc about what happened to the former ruler of dreamland and if dedede killed them or not.

•Don't worry everyone gets along in the end.

(I can add more by rebloging)

#kirby #king dedede #meta knight #kirby right back at ya #sailor dee #bandana waddle dee #adeline kirby #ado kirby #tw trauma #tw death #ask to tag #marx kirby #sir arthur kirby #gooey kirby #susie haltmann

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nobodysdaydreams · 5 months

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The Mysterious Benedict Society Christmas Carol AU

(I was gonna wait until December to post this, but Gogh and they were interested, and I have zero impulse control so here we go!)

I wanted to make something for my TMBS mutuals this wonderful holiday season, and I never get tired of Christmas Carol adaptations. Dickins knew what he was doing when he wrote that one. There's just nothing that gives me that warm, wholesome, special holiday feeling more than the idea of finding a cruel selfish person and putting the fear of God and compassion for mankind into their heart by haunting them with their own sins and terrifying the living daylights out of them.

So I figured, why shouldn't Curtain get his turn too?

For @sophieswundergarten and @myfairkatiecat based on your wonderful vision (I’m sorry I know I promised you this in like…August. But better late than never). And for @itsgoghtime so that we can scream about it together!

Trigger warning for multiple character deaths (don't worry it's all good at the end part though).

Obviously Scrooge is none other than Curtain/Nathaniel Benedict himself. The other roles are generally shared between characters.

This takes place in between season 1 and 2. The extended Benedict family is celebrating Christmas together, but Nicholas has trouble getting into the spirit of the season, because the holidays have never felt the same without Nathaniel. But then it occurs to Nicholas that now that he knows where his brother is, he can invite him to Christmas this year (though there still is the small problem of them being enemies and the fact that his friends might not approve of it).

So, Nicholas, after sleuthing out his brother’s address in Italy, decides to secretly write him a letter inviting him to their Christmas party, explaining that he forgives Nathaniel, is sorry he didn’t come back when they were children, and that he sincerely misses his brother and wants him to be part of his family again (so I guess for the purpose of matching characters, Nicholas has the role of Fred in this instance).

Meanwhile, back at the compound, Garrison (who has the role of Bob Cratchit, at least for now), has a huge fight with Curtain over the happiness technique, and in typical Curtain fashion, he rudely insists on doing it his way and verbally abuses Garrison. SQ overhears his father yelling at her but doesn’t say anything.

Later, Jackson and Jillson come to Curtain with some concerns about the way Marlon had been doing things at the compound. They ask Curtain what they’ll be doing for Christmas this year, and suggest doing something for charity in order to promote the work they’re doing. Curtain replies that the work they are doing is inherently charitable, and that they don’t have the time to waste celebrating Christmas. He then orders a disappointed Jackson and Jillson to get back to work.

As Jackson and Jillson leave, they drop a letter on Curtain’s desk, which was delivered to the compound that morning. It’s Nicholas’ invitation. Curtain, believing it to be a pathetic attempt to get him to surrender by appealing to his nostalgia and sentimentality, scoffs at the letter as SQ enters the office and asks his dad who sent them a Christmas card. Curtain replies that it’s junk mail and throws the letter in the trash.

SQ then nervously asks his father why they aren’t celebrating Christmas this year. Curtain replies that he understands this is a disappointment, but explains that he can’t afford to relax when his brother (Nicholas) is spreading lies about them. However, he tells SQ that he got him some lovely art supplies to make up for it, and promises that they’ll have a lovely celebration next year. SQ is visibly disappointed, but tries his best to sound grateful and wishes his dad a Merry Christmas before going back to his room.

Meanwhile, Curtain, who is still upset about the holiday (which he views as a waste of time) and Nicholas’ letter, angrily settles in for a night of hard work.

And that’s when the haunting begins.

For this AU, Jacob Marley is the ghost of SQ's dad, since he's dead, and he and Curtain worked together. But in this version, he isn't a chained up ghost (because he wasn't a bad person in life), but he is still a sad ghost. He asks Curtain why he's trying to control the world and begs him to change his ways. Curtain is startled, but believing the ghost to be a hallucination, insists that what he's doing is best for their son and best for the world. When SQ's bio dad's ghost challenges him on this, Curtain slowly begins to accept that he might be real, but grows tired of being criticized and says that this is what he had to do to survive and move on after SQ’s bio parent’s deaths. SQ's bio dad sadly replies Curtain has one last chance to change, but that he will be haunted by three spirits. He then disappears, and Curtain believes it to be a dream.

He dozes off and awakens later to see what he believes to be his brother Nicholas surrounded by a glowing light. But not Nicholas as he knows him, but the child version of his brother, who introduces himself as the ghost of Christmas past. Curtain reluctantly follows the ghost, who leads him through memories of Nathaniel celebrating Christmas with Nicholas. Even though they didn't have much at the orphanage (and heck, they don’t even know if their birth family even celebrated Christmas or any holiday at all), they always did their best to give each other nice gifts and make the holiday their own. The ghost reminds Curtain that this was something he looked forward to every year, and suggests that Curtain misses spending the holidays with his brother. Curtain scoffs and dismisses the warm feelings, stating coldly that Nicholas never really loved or appreciated him (though he doesn't quite look like he believes what he's saying and a part of him wishes it wasn't true).

The little ghost seems very sad to hear Curtain's words, but reluctantly takes him to his next memory, which is of Curtain celebrating Christmas with Garrison, Milligan, and SQ's birth parents back when they were his employees and Curtain wasn't as evil or uptight as he is now. Milligan (who I guess is a stand in for Fezziwig in this AU), is the one who insists that they have a celebration and break from their work, and they all have fun together. Curtain, for a moment, gets swept up in the good feelings. The ghost notes that Curtain never does anything like this for his current employees, which Curtain dismisses by saying that things are different now, and they'll have time for celebrations later, after they've won.

The ghost then points out SQ's birth parents and reminds Curtain that this was the last Christmas they spent together before they died. Curtain tries to talk to them, and ask SQ's birth father why he appeared in his bedroom earlier, but the ghost tells him that these are only memories, shadows of what was. No one here can hear them, and Curtain can't interact with any of them.

They continue to watch SQ's birth parents, and Curtain, in a moment of sentimentality, does admit that they were good friends and good people. The ghost says it's a pity they died without having children, and Curtain corrects him by saying that they did have a child. The ghost remarks that Curtain is right: they had his son SQ (so I guess SQ's birth parents and SQ are also stand ins for Fred and Fran).

Curtain then sees a memory of him spending one of his first Christmases with baby SQ, right after his birth parents die. He promises his son that even though his parents are gone, he’ll make sure that he always feels loved and knows that he has a father who loves him. The ghost then asks if SQ enjoys Christmas parties as much as his birth parents. Curtain is too ashamed to talk about it, and mutters that it's unimportant.

Now, if you want to make this an exact Christmas Carol AU, I could also insert a scene here of Garrison friend zoning Curtain and asking him to keep their relationship professional after SQ's birth parents die and she watches Curtain slowly turn into a worse and worse person. This would parallel Scrooge getting rejected by Belle and feed into the Garrison and Curtain divorce drama agenda™️, but it's take it or leave it.

Either way, at this point, the emotions of the memories lead Curtain to the verge of a narcoleptic attack, which he dismisses by declaring that the past doesn't matter and he doesn't care about it. He tries to snuff out the ghost's light, but that only makes it glow even more, as it's face transforms into the faces of Curtain's old friends and family and the scene changes between the different memories shown to Curtain. In frustration, Curtain throws an blanket over the ghost when they are back in his bedroom and the ghost disappears.

And of course, now that Curtain finds himself back in his bedroom in the present, who does he find but the ghost of Christmas present. The ghost again looks like Nicholas, but different somehow, in a way Curtain can't quite explain. The ghost does look joyful and at peace, which is very much a Nicholas way of being, but also very professional, and he's dressed more the way Curtain usually dresses, just in Christmas colors instead of the usual blue.

The ghost takes him to Nicholas' house, where Curtain sees Nicholas and his family celebrating Christmas. The children are playing a guessing game (like Fred's friends in the original story), and Constance asks them to guess something that's exactly like Mr. Benedict, but awful in every way, immature, sad, and dumb. Everyone is confused as to how something that resembles Mr. Benedict could possibly be so awful, but then Reynie realizes the answer is Curtain, and everyone laughs (though Nicholas looks a bit sad).

Curtain is insulted and tells the children off for being rude, only for the ghost to remind him that they can't hear him. Curtain watches the party for a bit, at first insisting that it's stupid and he wouldn't have wanted to come anyway, but he slowly beings to participate in the games (getting especially frustrated when people have trouble guessing obvious answers), and actually enjoys himself. When the ghost points it out to him, Curtain has a moment where he realizes, to his shame, that this is always what he's wanted: Christmas with a family. But he rejects the thought as soon as it comes.

Then he notices Kate struggling with the injuries she received from his men at the Institute, and notices the worry on Milligan and Nicholas' faces (She's Tiny Tim in this AU). He asks the ghost if Kate will be okay, and the ghost replies that Kate is more injured then she's letting on, and warns Curtain that she'll put on a brave face if it means stopping him and protecting her family, even if it means injuring herself more permanently. Curtain accuses the ghost of blaming him for Kate's condition, and the ghost replies that he's merely answering Curtain's question. Curtain scoffs and says that this is stupid anyway. He has his own family and doesn't need or care about Nicholas'.

The ghost nods and takes him back to the compound, where he sees Jackson and Jillson celebrating Christmas by frantically trying to get everything together for Curtain as Marlon yells at them to work faster. The ghost comments that Marlon seems to have a very different attitude towards his underlings on Christmas than Milligan did, and asks Curtain whether he thinks this is an improvement to the work environment. Curtain replies that unlike Milligan, Marlon is loyal, and that's something to be valued. The ghost observes that Jackson and Jillson certainly seem loyal too. Curtain overhears how miserable Jackson and Jillson are, and that they don't really care about Marlon, but they follow his orders because they don't want to disappoint Dr. Curtain. Jackson and Jillson both reveal that they look up to Curtain and genuinely want to do a good job for him. They also wonder whether Dr. Curtain is proud of them or appreciates their work. Curtain realizes that he's never once thanked either of them.

He then sees SQ on Christmas, surrounded by all the fancy art supplies that Curtain gets him every year. SQ talks to an old photo of his birth parents and comments that this is nice, and he doesn't want to see ungrateful, but he wishes that he had friends and family to celebrate Christmas with, and that his dad wasn't always so busy. Although he knows his son can't hear him, Curtain says aloud that he didn't realize that this was making his son so miserable, and promises that once his plans come to fruition, they are going to have many wonderful Christmases together. SQ doesn't hear him or respond, he just sighs, puts the photo away, and goes to bed.

The ghost then tells Curtain they have one last person to see: Garrison (who is also a version of Bob Cratchit in this, I guess she and Milligan sort of share the role).

Curtain watches Garrison get out of bed and sneak out of the compound. He's surprised she found a way to do that, but follows her down the street. She walks past a church with a bulletin board outside and stares at it for a few minutes, as if debating what to do. When people begin showing up for the Christmas mass, she sighs and quickly continues down the street before anyone gets the chance to talk to her. Confused, Curtain looks at the bulletin board and realizes the church is also a space used for alcoholics anonymous meetings. Garrison continues down the street until she comes to an crossroads, one of which leads to the train station, the other leads to a local bar. Garrison stares at the train station for a long time, trembling and shivering, before she decides to go the bar instead. Curtain watches her down several drinks before stumbling into the bathroom, looking at herself in the mirror and muttering that she's a pathetic coward for not being strong enough to leave or ask for help. Curtain tries to tell her this isn't true, but the ghost reminds him that she can't hear him. Curtain comments that this doesn't make sense, since he thought Garrison had succeeded in staying sober. He and the ghost listen to Garrison declare that she deserves all the terrible things the alcohol is doing to her and that Curtain deserves this too, because he drove her to this. The ghost sadly explains that Garrison took up drinking again after Curtain started using her happiness on people.

Curtain, frustrated at being "blamed for all of this" angrily insists that if he'd know this was a problem, he'd have done something to help. He follows Garrison outside, trying to get her attention as she stumbles outside into the snow, shivering and shaking all the way back to the compound. The ghost follows too, telling Curtain that his time is almost up. The ghost looks noticeably older by now, and in fact has been slowly aging this entire time, but Curtain ignores this and tries to run after Garrison, but the snow starts falling faster, swirling all around him, and Garrison disappears in the dark and snow. Church bells start chiming. The ghost informs Curtain that his time is up. The ghost of Christmas present disappears and Curtain finds himself alone on a dark street, and the swirling snow around him has now vanished.

He turns and sees a figure covered in a black robe hobbling out of the darkness. Curtain asks if he is the ghost of Christmas future. The ghost doesn't answer, he merely nods and beckons Curtain to follow him.

The first place he goes is an insane asylum. In it he finds Garrison, and overhears her caretakers talking about how she really got a bad deal working for that "horrible man". It's implied that Nicholas defeated Curtain, and in the aftermath, Garrison's history of substance abuse and mental illness got her declared insane, so instead of sending her to prison, she was placed here. She looks completely miserable and has a dead and far off look in her eyes, and doesn't really speak at all. She only whispers "it's my fault" over and over again. Disturbed, Curtain whisperers to her that he'll make sure this doesn't happen, but she doesn't seem able to hear him, and Curtain is really creeped out by her staring and wonders what could have happened to make her like this.

Curtain then finds himself in an old and dirty factory, where he finds Jackson working alone. It's revealed that since Jackson and Jillson were legally over 18, they went to trial as adults. Nicholas did his best to keep them from prison, but the courts forcibly separated them, and since neither have very good job skills and both have criminal records, they each work in factories in different parts of the country, where they are exploited and forced to work in horrible conditions for very low wages. They both dream of saving enough money to be able to find each other again, but Curtain can tell that neither of them could possibly save enough for that. He calls what happened to them cruel and blames Nicholas for it, since this is apparently the result of Nicholas defeating him. He demands to be taken to the Benedict residence.

The ghost still doesn't speak, but complies. Curtain finds the Benedicts (and friends) celebrating Christmas, but they are not as happy as before. Milligan and Kate are notably absent. The mood is extremely somber. Curtain is confused, saying that they won, so they should be happy. He then overhears Nicholas privately tell Number Two and Rhonda that he wishes he could have been allowed custody of SQ after Curtain went to prison and done more to help him, to which Curtain yells that Nicholas ought to stay far away from his family. Nicholas doesn't hear him, and the subject of Nicholas visiting Curtain in prison comes up. Apparently, Nicholas has not gone to see Curtain once. Nicholas feels guilty about this, but also says it's going to be hard to face his brother after everything he took from them. Nicholas then sighs and admits that his friends were right: the brother he knew really is gone for good.

Nicholas gets emotional and leaves to have a moment alone. Curtain goes after him, yelling after him that Nicholas is one to talk considering the brother he remembers was one he was so eager to leave behind. Although he can't hear him, Nicholas breaks down into tears the second he's alone, admitting to himself that he knows he's the reason Nathaniel is gone forever, he's the reason there's only Curtain now. Curtain then realizes that this is the first time he’s heard Nicholas call him "Curtain" instead of "Nathaniel" and is disturbed by it, wondering what prompting Nicholas to starting calling him by that name.

Curtain then addresses the ghost, asking him what the meaning of this is. Why is Nicholas acting like this when he's the one who won? What could he possibly be so upset about now, he already knows Curtain is his brother? The ghost takes him to a graveyard where he sees Milligan sitting by a grave stone that's surrounded by flowers, cards, and candles.

Milligan apologizes to the grave stone, saying that he should have been more vigilant, that he should have prevented "her" from facing off against such a dangerous enemy all alone while recovering from an injury. But he then adds that he knows she did it because she cared about her friends and wanted to save them, without ever thinking of herself. Milligan then tearfully apologizes for losing her again so soon and declares that even though they only had a short time together, he was proud to have her as his daughter. He then says "Merry Christmas Katie-Cat" before sadly leaving the graveyard.

Curtain is shocked to find that Kate is dead and from hearing the comments of some passersby as they watch Milligan (looking like a shell of his former self) leave the graveyard, learns to his horror that in this future, Kate fought through her injuries and tried to fight some of Curtain's men alone, an action that resulted in her accidental death when she slipped off a ledge. The people at the graveyard shake their heads and comment how sad they feel for poor Milligan. They also express their disgust at how awful and terrible Curtain is, saying that prison time is still too merciful of a sentence for such a terrible crime against such a brave and selfless child.

Curtain is suddenly back in the Benedict residence and hears Number Two comment that it's a shame Mr. Benedict still blames himself when his brother is the one who is a murderer. The others agree.

The ghost raises his hand again, as if about to show Curtain another scene from his future, when Curtain grabs his arm to stop him, insisting that he's not a murderer, and that he never intended for this. In a moment of panic and desperation, he insists that the only reason the future is like this is because Nicholas and his friends won. In a world where he won, none of this would have happened! Curtain demands that the ghost show him that future, the better future, the one where he won instead. The ghost complies.

Curtain declares that in this future, everyone will be happy and better off, and at first, this does seem to be true. Instead of insulting, mocking, and belittling him, everyone on the streets cheerfully discusses how wonderful Curtain is. He's considered a hero and visionary. Curtain is pleased by this. He then sees Jackson and Jillson, smiling and agreeing with the other passersby. However, the second they are alone, Jackson and Jillson drop there fake smiles and start sobbing with guilt about what's going to happen to these people being all their fault, and they express regret at having ever followed Curtain and their role in helping destroy the world. Curtain is confused, and askes the ghost what they could possibly be talking about when everyone else seems so happy.

The ghost then takes him to the compound to show Curtain what has become of his followers, Nicholas, and the society. Curtain is relieved to see them all alive and well, but slowly realizes they they aren't moving. As he explores the compound, he discovers that this is the fate of everyone here, Nicholas and the children included, and a consequence of the happiness technique that's spreading out of control across the world. He starts to panic, thinking of what he can do to stop this, and then realizes that Garrison would know what to do. He demands the ghost take him to Garrison immediately.

The ghost takes Curtain back to the same graveyard from earlier. Curtain is upset, saying that he saw that Kate was alive (but frozen with the others) in this future, and insists that she and the others will be fine as soon as he finds Garrison and asks her how to reverse whatever is happening. The ghost merely points to a gravestone, which has Garrison's name on it now instead of Kate’s, and is barren and empty compared to how Kate's grave looked before with all the cards and flowers. A newspaper flutters past Curtain's feet, revealing that after seeing what her happiness was doing to the world, Garrison blamed herself and drank herself to death out of guilt. Frustrated, Curtain yells at the ghost to stop showing him all these horrible things, but the ghost does not reply.

Curtain, growing increasingly frustrated, says this isn't what he wants either, and the ghost finally speaks, and asks Curtain what sort of future he does want if he is so unsatisfied with futures where he wins and loses. Curtain breaks down and finally fully admits the truth (both to the ghost and to himself) and confesses that he wants what he's always wanted since the orphanage: a future where he can be happy with his family on Christmas.

The ghost tells Curtain that his family is the one thing that remains the same in both futures.

Curtain finds himself standing in front of an unfamiliar, but nice looking house. After peering through the windows, he sees a family that seems to be celebrating Christmas, or some sort of holiday together. A first, Curtain is confused. This isn’t his family, so why would the ghost bring him here? But still, he knocks on the door, and finds to his surprise that this time his hands are solid, and he can actually knock on it. A young teenager that looks like SQ answers the door, and to Curtain's surprise, the boy can actually see him. Curtain tentatively asks if the boy is SQ, and the boy shakes his head and calls for his father. Curtain then realizes he is at the home of future SQ and the people inside the house are his son's friends and children (Curtain's grandchildren).

When grown up SQ comes to the door, he is upset by the sight of his dad and protectively tells his children and family to go back inside and let him handle this. Curtain asks SQ to let him come in, so that he can meet his grandchildren and have a chance to be in his son's life again, but SQ angrily refuses and declares that he won’t let his father hurt his family anymore. Curtain begs him for a second chance, but SQ tells him that he threw that opportunity away a long time ago. SQ also tells Curtain that he'll do anything to protect his family, and threatens to contact the authorities if he ever comes to their house again.

After the door is closed in Curtain's face, the ghost of Christmas future restates that this is the one thing that remains the same in both futures.

In the future where Curtain won, he was unable to bring himself to use the happiness technique on SQ after seeing what it did to Nicholas, and SQ, horrified by what his father had done to control the world, spends the rest of his life running away and establishing a new identity and life so he could be free of his father. When Curtain eventually tracks down his son, he is turned away and SQ threatens to hurt his own father if he ever dares approach his family again, for fear his will use the happiness on him or his children.

In the future where Curtain lost, he eventually gets paroled out of prison decades later as a very old man and goes to find his son, only to be turned away in a similar manner because of what he did to Kate after being informed that SQ has a restraining order against him.

Curtain, in tears, yells at the ghost and demands to know who he is and why he is doing this to him. The ghost lowers his hood to reveal the face of future Curtain as an old man, and Curtain finally realizes that the ghosts he was seeing weren't alternate versions of Nicholas at all, but distorted reflections of himself. The ghost of who he was, the ghost of who he could be, and the ghost of who he will become. Curtain gasps and stumbles back. As he does so, he catches a glimpse of his face in the window and realizes that he now looks old too. He turns back to the ghost, only to find that the ghost has disappeared, and this is his life now.

He starts to panicking and running the streets, looking for someone who can help him, but his visions of the two futures begin merging together and everywhere he turns he either sees unsettling groups of people under his happiness technique staring at him with creepy frozen smiles, unable to move, or people jeering, spitting at him, and shoving him as they call him a criminal and a murderer.

Finally, Curtain starts breaking down in tears, begging God, the universe, or anyone who is listening for a chance to go back and change things. Then his narcolepsy takes control and he falls asleep.

When he wakes up, he runs through the compound and grabs Jackson by the shoulders asking him what day it is. Jackson replies that it's Christmas (and Jillson, who of course is next to him adds "December 25th to be precise"). Nathaniel is so relieved and overjoyed, and hugs them both, which confuses Jackson and Jillson. Nathaniel immediately orders them to prepare to attend a Christmas party and gives them a list of presents to buy. Jackson and Jillson are confused, but happy with their new assignments.

Nathaniel then finds Garrison trying to escape the compound. Because Nathaniel is still the insane dramatic theater kid that he is, he does the fake out thing Scrooge does to Bob where he yells at her and backs her into a corner. Garrison cowers in fear, only for Nathaniel to hug her and promise her that he's going to raise her pay, publicly declare her innocent, get her help for her alcoholism, and put her in charge of their entire operation just before he confesses to his crimes and goes to prison after celebrating Christmas with his family.

Garrison, believing him to have gone insane, asks if he tried to use the technique on himself or if he's having a mental breakdown, but after a thorough examination, realizes to her surprise that he is being sincere. Nathaniel begs her to join him for Christmas, and with no where else to go, and too shocked to come up with any excuse, she agrees.

Nathaniel then grabs all of the employment records, addresses, and information he has on the Wetheralls before Milligan's brain sweeping (with generous financial compensation) and sends it to their house (similar to how Scrooge sent the turkey to Bob Crathcit's house).

He then finds SQ and declares that he was wrong about Christmas, family, and everything, and begs him for a second chance. SQ is surprised to see his father actually apologizing to him that he agrees, even as Nathaniel starts telling him the truth about his narcolepsy, his evil plans, Nicholas, everything. It's a lot for SQ to take in, but he's happy his dad is coming clean and being honest with him, as shocking as it might be. He's also pleasantly surprised to see his dad seems genuinely happy.

Nathaniel then takes SQ, Garrison, and Jackson and Jillson with him to Nicholas’ Christmas Party ("But Bods, aren't the Benedicts in America and the compound is in Italy, do they teleport now?" "Nathaniel has private jets now." "Uh... okay, but it would still take hours-" "Don't question the magic of Christmas").

Nicholas' friends start threatening Nathaniel immediately, assuming he's there to ruin Christmas and do something horrible, but are surprised to see that Nathaniel brought gifts for all of them (surprisingly well thought out gifts too). Nathaniel introduces the others and asks Nicholas if it’s not too late to reconsider his offer and celebrate Christmas with them. Nicholas replies that it’s never too late.

Of course when all is said and done, Nathaniel serves a nice looonnnngggg community service sentence, but he's back with his family, he's good now, and all is well with the world.

*Cut to a scene of the ghosts of SQ's bio parents smiling at Nathaniel before they disappear*

I hope you guys like this!

#long post #very long post #mbs au #tmbs au #christmas carol au #christmas au #the mysterious benedict society #tmbs #mysterious benedict society #mbs disney #tmbs disney #nathaniel benedict #mbs fanfic #ledroptha curtain #ld curtain #tmbs fanfic

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authormeat · 14 days

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ello meat! do you have any new hcs for ej and the trapper??

Hmmm lets see :3

EYELESS JACK

How I see it eyeless jack seems different from a couple others, but maybe some people have thought the same!!

Jack is a person who had become possessed by evil (Demon, Devil, Spirit, Etc.) but no one really knows which evil it is.

Eyeless Jack in my verison is actually a successful vessle sacrifice! The vessle itself has completely lost all awareness and ego which has been replaced with whatever Jack is.

Technically, Jack isn't even his name :0]. The name was swipped from an Author.

Jack enjoys literature immensely and will regularly take books from homes and libraries (returning the library books though)

He's a yapper, bro can't shut the fuck up even in tense situations.

He can eat only meat and only raw. This actually includes anything that just isn't a plant: seafood, livestock, and humans are all easily digestable to him.

He however enjoys a human kidney the most!

Jack isn't actually all that shy. He loves fear in the taste of meat so he will regularly lift his mask to scare people more than with it on.

As he is eyeless, Jack sees in light and dark patches and is extremely sensitive to light levels.

The sap/tar-like substance in his eyes can actually be seen through, making him able to spread out his limited vision over a wide area.

As long as the tar stays wet (and takes very long to dry anyways) hes able to see through it as though its his own vision!

Jack isn't able to process others emotions. He understands emotion and is able to describe it but all his information comes from stalking/hunting victims and books. Interaction isn't great.

He can be degrading most of the time and loves to start shit (between two other people not just with him) but its almost weirdly able to make you talk to him

Jack, while he doesn't actually understand this, has a constant mental haze around his person. He is able to lull others into spilling out more and speaking their mind because of this ability. It isn't controllable and is just a constant.

Jack will sometimes get the vessles memories, but completely disregards them and even sometimes insults them because he finds the lingering possession more fun than sad.

He is completely obsessed with anatomy. It is his ultimate interest and will just explore anatomy of any living thing only to explain it to others later. This has gotten him the (unofficial and morally questionable) role of doctor

His room has taxidermy animals (created by Zero) and bug collections (made by Jeff) with some being present in the infirmary/office.

He loves making deals with victims who try to barder for their life and then chastises them "is your life worth so little?" "Do you find yourself that important?" "Shame you can't think grander." And much else

THE TRAPPER

April is so evil man. You can say it isn't her fault because of her father but she herself admits she's going straight to hell and even regularly insults God and Death about their inability to take her life.

April, after escaping prison, returned a month later to the men's side to brutally murder her father in his cell. (They were kept in the same facility)

She then murdered her lawyer (Easter), the prosecutor (Father's Day), and the Judge and their entire families (Christmas) because she absolutely hated the fact she was put on death row when her father only got life.

She keeps herself in bogs, swamps, and marshes and can trasport between the places as she pleases.

April will regularly let herself be murdered by her victims to allow them some feeling of victory because she finds their terror knowing shes alive after all the better.

April is an amazing cook and will seak out recipes to try out anytime she can.

April finds everyone to be a meal and will even categorize people into dishes she'd cook them into.

Being The Trapper she has riddled and even loaned out traps. All her traps are made with the intent of causing as much pain and blood loss as possible to the recipient and does tests on them herself to prove effectiveness.

She is a lover of pain and blood.

She has regular arguments with her superiors (proxies) and is an all around pain in the ass to deal with but she can't refuse a single thing they say.

She works hard and works efficiently, unless she's bored then she's fucking around and even killed in broad, crowded daylight considering she's already a convict.

Ghost Boy (Titus) is her immediate boss and has a very brash and unloving relationship with the man. She tries to get under his skin regularly and even invades his space until he snaps at her to die.

Guns are her favorite thing in the whole world (just behind her husband) and has a vast collection. The gun she uses the most is a 4 gauge which she keeps in prime condition. The gun is named Harvey after her late husband.

Harvey is the only person in April’s entire life that she considered a true love. To this day she will wear her wedding ring (Harvey's had been taken by his family) and will always fight tooth and nail to keep it in her possession.

While not canon (BONUS)

Eyeless Jack and April hang out regularly and enjoy meals together.

The two are absolutely menaces in any situation together.

April would be an (un)honory doctor along side Eyeless Jack as she had gone to collage for medical before being arrested.

#creepypasta headcanon #creepypasta #creepypasta oc #the trapper #eyeless jack #people being interested in my ocs???? holy shit #fuck yes

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folansstuff · 14 days

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Atti Thoughts

going under a read more cause its long and rambly and self-indulgent

I’ve been thinking a lot about Atti and his relationship with The Garden.

To be a little inside baseball and pull back the curtain on how I write for Atti (in my own special very involved way), a lot of Atti’s stuff is defined by what contrasts him nicely against Illyana, it’s why he’s tall and fat while she’s short and buff/skinny, why he’s nice and sweet (with some hidden anger) while Yana is aggressive and stubborn (while being secretly sweet). I think those contrasts make him and their relationship more interesting, and it’s 90% of the inspiration for their interpersonal history.

Anyway, on to the point. After I came up with The Garden ((which is a little bit House of Leaves and a little bit of The Zero from Kentucky Route Zero)) I knew I wanted it to be in contrast with Limbo.

As I’ve said on this blog before, I (and plenty of others) see Limbo as part of Illyana’s metaphor for trauma and abuse. Her spiritual and physical attachment to the place, from her magic to the nature of the Darkchylde, has been a part of her since she was 13. It’s a place of violence and pain at it’s very core, and that has reflected onto Illyana. Recently writers have made the intentional move to pull her away from Limbo by having her hand it over to Madelyne. While I have issues with the execution, I don’t mind the idea as a metaphor for moving past one’s trauma, she’s still Magik, she just doesn’t need the power that she associates her pain and suffering with.

So what does this have to do with The Garden? Well, first I have to define what The Garden is; something I’ve done a really bad job with in my fics. The Garden is a Sub-Dimension, similar to Limbo or Otherworld. But unlike those spaces, The Garden, true to its vision as a flora-filled ’The Shire’ style paradise, is alive. It thinks and feels, and is capable of communicating through an avatar. It’s kind, so, so, kind, and it doesn’t really do more than try and simply live in relative peace. But when the New Mutant’s go on a brief excursion back with the original team, it ended up imprinting on a young Atticus Moore, effectively attaching itself to him through a bunch of unknowable ways. It ends up forming a similar relationship to Atti’s powers that Limbo had to Illyana, when he spins away to teleport, he’s more than likely going to pass through The Garden as well, even if he doesn’t want to, he starts to feel a weird pull to the place, and ocassionally hears it’s ‘voice’ in his head. Over time, The Garden starts to form a fascination with him, slowly considering this bumbling bear of a man its ‘favourite plant’.

So when Atticus dies, The Garden is confused. It’s thinking, due to being a living biome, is inhuman in a way that means it doesn’t understand why Atticus simply can’t be replanted and regrown. So, figuring that Illyana and the other X-Men simply hadn’t done their job as good gardeners, steals Atti’s body and ‘replants’ him within itself. The funny thing is that it works. It takes forever, 6 years forever, but it works. The Garden, a biome, revives a human. It fixes up Atti’s problems, tunes down his paranoia, makes him a little more friendly and agreeable. In a way, it makes Atticus more in it’s image, after all he was grown within it’s soil. But it also means that Atticus is The Garden, and The Garden is somewhat inside Atti. He can feel it’s pain, and The Garden shifts and grows new things to accommodate his wants (shout out to the cabin it builds for him to hide in.). That doesn’t even begin with how, similar to Krakoa’s own resurrection policies, if Atticus is killed, The Garden just… brings him back! It’s fine right? You can always pick up the seeds and try again! Who cares that his memories are a little spotty and his arms have noticeable bits of bark instead of skin? Our favourite plant is back!

It’s a Ship of Theseus thing. How much of Atticus is that old corpse in the middle of a root system no human could ever begin to explore? How much is just soil and nutrients, sculpted in the image of a person an inanimate object can’t even begin to fully understand?

My point is, I guess, that narratively Illyana can, and has in some ways, shed Limbo. Her connection to the place that caused her so much pain is not as prevalent, and she can start to heal. But Atticus has done the opposite. He’s become fused with a place that won’t let him die. Secretly I think he fears what will happen when he gets old. Will he die besides his loved ones, only to wake up in the same 30 year old body? Or will The Garden age him up again? Force him to live only a few years just to repeat the process again?

Maybe he’s just worried all the kindness and warmth he feels isn’t his own. No one knows.

((More fun, but this is why Atti likes gardening in his 30’s. It’s compulsive.))

#x-men oc #atticus moore #illyatticus #sorry ive been thinking abt this for days and needed to get it out LMAO #been a while since ive written a ton of stuff abt him that wasnt in a fic

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brodinsons · 1 year

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"Instead of highlighting the character's Jewish origins, 'Man of Steel' features a Randian Christ-figure who commits genocide against his entire race, then causes multiple mass casualty events."

I apologize in advance for the incoming rant but I am sick and tired of sitting quietly for this relentless bullshit and at some point, enough is enough. I'm not naming the individual I'm quoting because I'm not interested in starting fights. This is my space and I'm venting a collective decade of frustration and anger.

Noun. Randian (plural Randians) A follower of Ayn Rand.

God damn, y'all just can't help yourselves, can you? You just slurp up every bit of nonsense from all those puffed up "YouTube Essayists" with god complexes from 2015 and take it as fucking fact.

Not to mention, y'all cannot seem to let a random baseless accusation from a disgraced sexual predator go. That's him! He's the one who started it! The very one to fling the first scrap of "Zack Snyder is a Randian Objectivist who hates Superman and is poisoning the DCEU!" bait out into the twittersphere for the rest of the ravenous bloggers to jump on. I refuse to take anyone's treatise on the modern superhero myth seriously if this is the depth they'll stoop to in the middle of their piece.

Snyder made one single offhand comment about maybe adapting 'The Fountainhead' (for its aesthetics, mostly) years ago and now he's a sexist racist fascist objectivist and the root of all evil.

Objectivism: "The exceptional people among us have a divine right to decide our fate and we should not oppose them."

Does that sound like the message of any of his DC films? Movies that end with speeches about heroes wanting to be on the ground to do good in crises and how good humanity can be despite its faults? What about MoS specifically, where the ultimate immigrant allegory struggles to find his place in a world that does not accept him yet still fights for and protects humanity because this world is his chosen home?

Not to mention, where the fuck is this genocide-committing Jesus Superman? Clark t-poses out of the Black Zero one goddamn time while looking sadly back at his dad because Snyder is a visual filmmaker with a penchant for dramatic shots and everyone loses their fucking minds. He goes to the Lutheran church he presumably attended with Martha & Jonathan as a child to seek the counsel of Father Leone because Clark Kent is not canonically Jewish (may the memory of his Jewish creators be a blessing). There's stained glass iconography of Christ in the background at one point because it's a Christian church in middle America. Clark himself never once espouses any religious lines or strict beliefs. Nor does he position himself as a "Christ-figure", either through himself or via the story??????? He doesn't want the responsibility that comes with putting that suit and cape on. But he does it anyway because he understands the stakes when shit gets real and he refuses to let his adoptive world pay for unwittingly bringing the worst remnants of his old world here.

Also, Clark only kills one person: Zod. The U.S. military "bombs" the Black Zero with the starcraft that brought Clark to earth in order to re-open the Phantom Zone and send Zod's forces (the pack of militaristic extremists known as the Sword of Rao) into it. Given what we know of the Phantom Zone in various canons, that's a fate almost worse than death. Then, after being given an ultimatum that either he dies or Zod will, he makes the impossible choice that will haunt him the rest of his life to save a human family moments from being obliterated by Zod's heat vision and kills the general. Nowhere in this catastrophic battle did he "commit genocide against his entire race" (did everyone forget that he himself is the Codex's host and therefore the living possibility of Krypton's rebirth?) or "cause multiple mass casualty events".

I understand that the scale of fictional damage was perhaps a touch more realistic than the near identical scale featured in all of the Avengers movies. It's fine if it's not your thing. Move along. That discomfort still doesn't give you enough leeway to point the finger at a rookie Superman on his first day on the job and say "all that destruction and death was his fault". He tried to take it out of the city! Zod—a vastly more experienced military leader with blind genetic fanaticism on his side, by contrast—refused to allow it. His goal was the annihilation of earth and as much collateral damage as possible (preferably the entire human race). Clark had to stand between humanity and that with zero combat experience and no clue he'd be forced into a no-win scenario to stop the carnage.

I'm tired. It has been ten years. I'm so fucking tired. Can you people give it a rest? None of you are the ultimate authority on superheroes and positioning yourselves as something dangerously close to that with these twitter threads and blog treatises and reviews full of big words in nerd outlets only poisons the fandom well further.

You are allowed to dislike things. You aren't even required to justify that dislike. What you aren't allowed to do is declare something objectively bad based on nothing but your own subjective reaction to it, then invent criticisms that aren't even applicable to the thing in question.

The day we lost the ability to differentiate between "I did not enjoy this media so I guess it wasn't for me" and "I did not enjoy this media and therefore NO ONE SHOULD BECAUSE REASONS I WILL INVENT FROM SECONDHAND HEARSAY" is the day media literacy ceased to exist in pop culture.

#snyderverse meta #extremely long and ''toxic'' rant #this literally does not matter because superheroes are fictional and do not matter #but this director and the world he created matters to me and i am sick and tired of being attacked from every angle for defending it #stop drinking the kool aid #zack snyder is not the boogeyman under your bed or waiting to jump out of your school locker #he is a fucking nerd who made some capeshit movies and everyone collectively lost their fucking minds about it #can we move on now?

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madly-empirical · 1 year

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Surprises from reading IWTV for the first time I knew the TV show was a reinvention/reinterpretation from the books, but just coming off of re-watching the movie there were some things that I was surprised to find out: - Louis helps Lestat kill someone before he's turned him into a vampire (???) - Louis kills Lestat's father but makes him forgive him first without knowing the full story (it's like a mercy killing because the old man is dying so that "merciful death" nickname is a whole thing isn't it) - Louis kills a priest for being understandably annoyed when someone confesses to have been killing for a hundred years (did you think he wouldn't be offended be serious louis) - Louis says killing people was not a moral, but an aesthetic choice (very surprised, I thought the killing people was the main point of conflict but no?)

- There's a subplot with another wealthy slave-owning family where Louis tries to stop Lestat from killing a young man and is involved with his sister named Babette when he fails (it doesn't go well for her...) - Louis knows that Lestat wanted to be priest but was taken out of school by his father - Lestat calls books "mortal nonsense" (lol) - Louis' late brother who had religious visions also had yellow hair so parallels - Louis is weird about money (he's spending all my money, but he never has trouble getting his own, I have to manage everything, I keep him dependent on me, etc., etc.) - Lestat massacres the slaves on his way out, and Louis appears to join him (Very hard to tell for sure) - Louis drags nearly everything about Lestat except for his physical appearance - Lestat falls asleep at the opera (they're long Louis!) - Lestat loves Macbeth and will shout lines from the play at passersby on the way home (unfortunately that's the love of your life) - Claudia is colder and creepier in the book (it's interesting that she never plays music after Lestat is gone...) - Lestat threatens to kill Claudia all the time behind her back and at least once to her face - Louis notices that Lestat is afraid when Claudia asks questions about vampires stuff - Lestat, in a clear fib, tells them there's no other vampires besides them - Claudia tells Louis that she's going to kill Lestat and he's in the room where it all goes down - Claudia gots the hubris ("Do you think I will have my power and his when I take him?") - She is also super convinced that Lestat is dead the second time, but girl why? - Claudia and Louis have troubles before Armand shows up stemming from the murder of Lestat (she did tell you what she was going to do!) - Louis pretends to a vampire hunter to explain some weird stuff in Eastern Europe where they find mindless vampires (like some else said, why would you bring your 5 year old daughter to the vampire hunt??) - When they can't find any other vampires like them, Louis is like I might have believed that we were the only ones if Lestat was the kind of person to have been some kind of serious sorcerer — but he clearly ain't (lol) - Louis is totally head-over-heels ignoring all red flags and ready to go as soon as Armand shows up (even after Armand is like killing vampires is exciting that's why it's forbidden and btw I used my powers to influence you to make Madeline a vampire...) - Madeline is a dollmaker and makes elegant miniature furniture for Claudia so she lives like a fairy queen - Armand keeps going on and on about a tower and how a healthy vampire would survive falling off it (-_-) - Armand is like yes, mindless vampire are called revenants and it's like how do you know that but no one asks - Lestat is in Paris when Claudia is killed, clearly tricked and confused he thinks he can take Louis home with him (He is also afraid of Armand. Insane that there's like ten years between the publication of IWTV and TVL, it's so clear that something went down between the two of them but there's zero hints in IWTV on what it was) - Lestat is frantic and weepy when Louis sees him in his grey gardens area. Louis thinks he is dying the way vampires die according to Armand, he can no longer endure immortal life (maybe it was the being murdered more than once that got to him Louis? Just maybe that might have had some effect...) Overall, I found book!Louis infuriating, hypocritical, complicit (NOT passive) and kind of self-involved. Impossible to tell what it felt like to read it for the first time without having knowledge from later books. Reading TVL makes me more sympathetic towards book!Louis because there's just so much he doesn't and couldn't know — especially about Armand and his hypno-powers. Obviously, it's very likely that he was doing a similar thing to Louis to what he tried to do to Lestat. Also, Lestat's version of himself sounds exhausting. He wants to go out every night!!

#and like all monsters he's an early riser so he's probably dramatically playing the piano at the vampire equivalent of 5:00AM #i will have to read it again bc i was really confused at how much killing louis was doing at the beginning #it felt like a mistake #until it turns out that's not the major conflict in the book #lack of answers seems to be a bigger deal #iwtv #iwtv 1994 #iwtv 2022 #lestat #louis de pointe du lac #claudia #armand #i like all the versions so far #the tv show #the movie #and the first two books #not sure how much else i will read though #no aliens for me

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kookiecrush · 4 months

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do you ever consider that maybe we’re a little too caught up and stuck in the taekook bubble that we are over analyzing every tiny thing way too much and that taekooks interactions just aren’t actually as deep as we’re assuming? ofc they’re close but sometimes i double back and think i’m just too focused on their interactions so every tiny thing they do i am blowing out of proportion. especially when i watch content of the whole group, regular footage from award shows etc. i feel a bit ridiculous believing two of the members are actually in a relationship. ofc their relationship is not meant to be noticeable but rlly sometimes i think i am just having taekook tunnel vision. we see so little of their lives and interactions, i’m sure they have super deep and meaningful relationships w ppl that we don’t even remotely know about. sometimes i think we believe just bc tae and jk r the closest that we can know of, but there’s so much we don’t see

It took me a while to come around to the idea of taekook being real, anon, so when I finally did, I was pretty confident about it. It wasn't a random or split-second decision, and I certainly don't have a habit of thinking kpop ships are real. I've said this before, and I'll say it again. I dont believe in taekook because I want or need them to be real. I believe in them because that is the logical conclusion for me after everything we've seen from them. One or two 'suspicious' or 'interesting' moments might not be a big deal, but we're talking about consistent patterns of behaviour and multiple questionable moments year after year after year.

Do the things taekook do tend to get over-analysed? Yes. Does that automatically mean we're seeing something that isn't there? No. Of course we're biased, but that doesn't mean we're completely incapable of critical thinking. I never assume that everything they do is related to each other, nor do I view everything they do as proof that they're in a relationship.

People meet and fall in love with each other all the time in all different types of situations, anon. What's so ridiculous about it happening to taekook? Some people like to act like the chances of it happening are zero, and I don't understand why. I'm certain people have fallen in love in much stranger circumstances.

Yes, we see so little of their lives, but why are you assuming that what we don't see would show us that taekook are not together when it could just make it even more obvious? We probably see the bare minimum, and they're still suspicious enough to have people like us taking notice of them. BH have tried their hardest over the years to hide the true nature of taekook's relationship, yet so many people still clocked on to the way they would behave around each other and how their relationship seemed different to the rest of the members.

I would never blindly believe without questioning things, but nothing I have seen from taekook in 2023 has made me doubt their relationship. If anything, their antics last year has only solidified my belief 🤷‍♀️

#ask #taekook #vkook #why is this so long?#for what reason? 😩

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the-perfect-wagnerite-again · 24 days

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I have a categorical imperative question. I read some Kant in undergrad but do not retain much. My question is; does the categorical imperative account for specificities? As in, is lying, for example, acceptable under specific circumstances because under those circumstances the most ethic action would always be lying (say by omission)?Or is it more of a blanket concept, such that even though I feel it’s the right thing to (more or less) lie and tell an acutely dying man that he will “be alright”, and that this is the correct action under this circumstance, is it still morally wrong because I am lying?

Not sure if this illustrates what I mean properly. Would love an explanation to scaffold my meagre understanding. Please recommend any useful Kant texts that you’d consider readable for someone undergoing intensive study in an entirely separate discipline, too (I mean that I don’t have a whole lot of time to dedicate to personal reading). I’d love to learn more but have some difficulty knowing where to start.

The short answer is: no, the moral law is immutable and absolute.

The thing to understand about Kantian deontology, and the thing that gives most people the most trouble with accepting it, is that it makes absolutely zero room for conditionals. Kant was not trying to derive moral rules based on sentiment or hypotheticals, he wanted to derive a moral LAW from the principles of his metaphysical system. A law is universal, regardless of circumstance.

It's difficult to explain why this moral law is such without getting into the specifics of Kantian metaphysics, because the two are deeply interconnected, but I can give a few brief comments to summarize Kant's first Critique:

We live in a phenomenal reality full of objects that we perceive and cognize through our rational faculties (this is the world of science and matter).

Our capacity to understand this world is predicated on the subjective unity of our self-consciousness (Kant called this the fundamental unity of apperception). If we had no self-awareness, and no awareness of our self-awareness, we would have no knowledge of the world.

The Self, therefore, is simultaneously an object in the world (we interact with other people every day) and a subject transcendental TO the world (you are not the object of your own experience - you are the vector through which experience is possible).

This becomes more clear as we consider freedom and free will, which directly contradicts the deterministic laws of nature upon which science is possible. We are both determined objects of nature AND self-determined subjects of free will. This contradiction cannot be rationalized away, because it extends beyond the limits of our cognition, and yet we still know it to be the case.

This leaves the Self as the isolated viewpoint of experience. When we try to experience the Self, we simply shift our perspective, in much the same way that we cannot isolate the boundaries of our field of vision without changing it. The question of morality then becomes: what is the way in which I should interface with the Other, that which is the "Not Me" but still possesses that same agency and self-determination as Me?

This cannot be a conditional hypothetical, because those change with the tastes of the person and their desires. Anybody can determine arbitrary rules of conduct (and indeed, the constantly evolving landscape of moral norms proves this), but it's something quite different to derive a moral law that is universally applicable in all cases. This is the categorical imperative, which has three formulations:

Act in such a way that the maxim of your action (the will informing it) should be established as a universal law.

Treat other rational beings (including yourself) always as ends in themselves, and never as means only.

From the following two, it follows that the will of every rational being must be regarded as though it were a universally legislating will.

The end result of this is an almost common-sensical notion of fairness and justice, a sentiment we all know personally when we are honest about our interpersonal relationships. The "golden rule," as we call it, has had a nearly permanent presence in the moral discourses of all sufficiently civilized societies throughout recorded human history specifically for this reason. When we lie or cheat or steal, we know it to be wrong on a level more fundamental than arbitrary rules or regulations of society: we are violating an imperative that impels us to act with the same sense of duty to others that we would expect from them. This is why even white lies feel "off," because in the process of sparing our interlocutor the pain of the truth, we are denying them their right to full agency as a rational subject. We treat them as a means instead of as an end in themselves. The autonomous will, the truly moral agent, therefore consists of the agent that identifies the moral law within themselves and intentionally acts in accordance to it by virtue of their freedom. Willing oneself to obey the moral law IS freedom, because in doing so we release ourselves from the cage of desires, appetites, and incentives that would otherwise inform and inhibit our practical reason.

Obviously this is a prescriptive system and not a descriptive one, because human beings do not behave in this way. We are fallen creatures, we lie and cheat and steal where we can afford it, and we make excuses to rationalize our own moral failures in the face of scrutiny. But in that rationalization, we vindicate the categorical imperative, because it is only when we know we have violated it that we feel compelled to make excuses for ourselves (I only lied because X, I cheated because I deserve Y, if Z didn't happen then I wouldn't have to steal, etc).

As for readings on Kant, I advise you stay away from Kant himself. His work is an incredibly complex analysis of thought, and that makes it impenetrable for those who lack either the means or time to commit to him. Instead, I offer these recommendations to introductory texts on Kant, which are sadly insufficient as a substitute but good as a supplement:

"Kant and German Idealism," from The Story of Philosophy, by Will Durant (audio version available on youtube, highly recommended)

Kant: A Very Short Introduction, by Roger Scruton

Introductory Lectures by Dan Robinson, a personal hero of mine, found on youtube or here:

Let me know if you have any more questions, I absolutely love talking about this stuff

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