#A really fresh concept and amazing writing~

[atiny-for-life]

Golden Hour feels different and I think I know why...

This album feels a lot less cohesive than all others they've ever released. I'm by no means saying it's bad or you shouldn't enjoy it or support the comeback, but it's still something noteworthy.

They said they were really happy making this album, which is amazing and I'm glad they've been enjoying all the new opportunities they've been getting, but when I listen to most of these songs, I feel like we' we've been given a folder from the producer's computer with all the leftover/unfinished tracks, and I think I may know why that is.

First, I wanna say what I mean by the album being less cohesive: Ateez are big on concept albums. The songs tell a story, they're connected, both conceptiually and lyrically, even as we switch genres. Look to Inception, Answer, Guerrilla, Halazia - the instrumentals are so layered and woven together, it feels like you're on a journey as you listen to it. You start in one place and don't know where you're headed until you get there. They're full of unique instruments, random noises, hidden harmonies from Maddox and the vocal line. It's art.

And now move on to Blind, Work, Shaboom, and it's one beat in the back that switches up as we move along but there's nothing new to notice on repeat listens, nothing remarkable to pick out. Lyrically, Work is also a lot more repetitive which is something Ateez historically stayed clear of because Mingi and Hongjoong especially are very invested in the writing process and want the songs to have meaning.

Proving my point, they mentioned during the Preview Live that Mingi and Hongjoong worked more on Empty Box and Siren, with Siren even being a contender for the title track and Empty Box being their collective favorite and, hey, look at that, those two are the only songs on the album which are a lot more complex on all fronts, a lot more similar to their usual music.

Looking at the bigger picture, I absolutely don't think it was laziness which led to the slight drop in quality. I think KQ just has a pre-planned release schedule where everything is organized so they can squeeze in comeback promotions between tour schedules and, this time, they were suddenly offered to go to Coachella, which is an opportunity you simply cannot turn down!

So they squeeze the preparations in, working their asses off, and since they're already in the US, they also schedule interviews, extra classes to take, etc. and with weeks of album preparations now spent on Coachella-related schedules, there just wasn't enough time to hole up in the studio as much as they normally would have which, as a performer, must be a whole lot more fun, but is noticable when you're just a listener.

The Edenary team is still responsible for most of the songs, of course, but they're now also working for Xikers which is likely possible because Hongjoong now has years of experience under his belt and can add finishing touches himself which takes their songs from the instrumental base built by their team to the fully fleshed out songs we know and love.

On top of that, they also used a live band at Coachella, meaning their songs had to be translated to acoustic which was most likely fully Edenary's doing and also took them away from preparing for this comeback.

These days, their albums aren't as pre-prepared anymore as they used to be a couple of years ago when we still got song teasers at the end of tracks several comebacks in advance. They've caught up by now, as we've been able to see in behind the scenes footage of Hongjoong in the studio and from his interview with Chankyun from Monsta X (I.M on the Beat) where he largely talked about working on The World - Ep Fin. which was clearly still fresh in his mind.

Normally, this wouldn't be a downside at all, but it does make scheduling conflicts like this something to be cautious about.

Whether I'm right or not, I don't know and can't prove, but I think it makes a lotta sense and would explain some things. Either way, watching them perform Work is still fun and it's lovely to see them so happy and thriving, but I do think there'll be a noticable difference when the next album drops without any surprise schedules throwing things off course.

#ateez #golden hour part 1

[perpolloquote]

via Thatgirlnoemie, “Aphrodite's Mask”

#Perpollo #apollo x percy #apollo/percy jackson #fanfic quote #fanfic rec #PJO #Such a lovely fic! #A really fresh concept and amazing writing~ #Thatgirlnoemi #Aphrodite's Mask

[sitp-recs]

12 fics I’ve enjoyed recently…

Last year I did a short-lived “weekly rereads” series to spread love for old favourites that kept me afloat when reading new things became a struggle. I was looking for ways to stay active and contribute to the fandom with minimal effort, and I found solace in revisiting fics that I hold dear in my heart. This year, spring brought the @dronarryfest to pull me back into reading mood. Fandom is starting to speak to me again after a very long time, and the euphoria hit me with inspiration to write this short rec post for my recent reads. I am joining the party a bit late but on the off chance these escaped your radar, here are some fics I’ve really enjoyed during my catch up moment in February/March, and a few I’m planning to dive into next. It’s so nice to be able to write comments and rec blurbs again! What have y’all been reading lately?

HP fics:

Wet Leather by @lqtraintracks (E, 492 words) - Harry/Sirius

I live for LQT’s rare pair drabbles especially when it’s for my beloved Sirry because nobody writes this ship like them. The A+ characterization always takes my breath away: so much tension laced with yearning, it feeds my horniest deepest Sirry cravings tripping between guilt and absolution. This short is full of heat, want and sweet indulgence, with the usual tenderness underneath driving me up the wall and making me soft and hot for these two. Also, “my drenched little pup” excuse sir I’m??? 🥵

Nightswimming by @sweet-s0rr0w (M, 5k) - established Drarry, Dron, implied Dronarry

One of my instant faves this year, what a masterclass in tension building! As always, I’m so impressed by sweets’ short form. The brilliant banter and relentless sexual tension put me at the edge of my seat praying for MOAR. The atmosphere is so captivating I could feel the temptation on my fingertips, and have I even mentioned Ron’s spot on voice?? Superb bromance dynamics, late night drive aesthetics, an impressive amount of characterization within 5k and a teasing ending full of promise, come and feast!

Borrowed Time by @the-starryknight (E, 7k) - Dron + Harry

Another delicious Dronarry treat, now showcasing established Dron, body swap, the sexiest UST you’ll see today and an incredibly satisfying payoff. Once again Starry delivers peak romance with their “hot & sweet” trademark mixing compelling dialogue, witty flirting and uncomplicated smut full of want but also trust, understanding and intimacy. Forget the maddening anticipation, the domestic slice-of-life tone made me swoon - the characters are so clearly fond and familiar with each other it’s only natural for them to come together like this.

Heart to Hearth by @jtimu (E, 7k) - Drarry

This fic is a breath of fresh air and I still remember how excited I felt reading it for the first time. I’ll never get tired of seeing Harry get utterly horny confused at an attractive and carefully guarded Draco being competent at his odd yet surprisingly fitting job. Repairman Draco is indeed mouthwateringly efficient with his long hair and coveralls, and their tentative and awkward dynamics are just excellent. Love the subtle humour, the bits of repair magic theory and the earnest slow burn, with a smooth progression towards deliciously indulgent smutty times. Amazing concept, perfectly executed.

Long Haul by @wolfpants (E, 8k) - Drarry

Wolf is killing it lately, loved their Dronarry but this fic stole my heart with the long haul love premise. The image of their encounter - Harry holding his passport between his teeth, Draco with Muggle headphones around his neck - stayed with me the whole night. Harry loves flying and connects with NYC for the same reasons I do, so this fic spoke to me in a very personal way. I love everything from the title and bold flirting to the scorching hot and intimate smut with smooth daddy Draco! Not too long ago I prompted Florence’s “End of Love” for Wireless - unknowingly, Wolf wrote the NYC fic I’ve dreamed about when I thought of it 💜

Permanent by @citrusses (M, 14k) - Drarry, Dron

I’ve always been drawn to time travel and Citrus set up a thrilling, mysterious mood that’s impossible to resist. I was deeply intrigued not only by the plot but also by the complexity of these characters - a belligerent Harry with daddy issues and a saviour complex (yes pls!), edgy and focused Hermione, perceptive and kind Ron charming his way inside our hearts, and a lonely Draco trying to make sense of the plot, handle his feelings and find his foot in the post-war world. I loved being inside his mind - such brilliant characterization - and seeing the golden trio through his eyes. This fic has a wistful, melancholy tone mirroring Draco’s longing for Harry that hit me right in the solar plexus. It is also a great Ron study, and I’ll admit that made me fall even harder for Dron. Finally, it is tender and devastating as all good things are. A brilliant read and an instant favorite.

Dick Chicken by @oknowkiss (E, 15k) - Harry/Draco/Ron

Believe me when I say this is the Seinfeld AU you didn’t know you needed because you don’t wanna miss out on this. Hands down one of the most entertaining fics I’ve read in a while, this is hysterical funny, witty and steamy. The perfect mix of crack-y and casually horny vibes with a quirky Draco, a lovable and relatable Harry, and a hot Ron who’s 100% there for the ride, this chaotic trio will pull you into an unhinged journey and you’re gonna thank them for that 🤣 superb Harry pov, a warm and playful atmosphere that feels intoxicating, and a glorious shower scene followed by a fake orgasm competition. You’re heard it right. Run don’t walk!

Knot Your Average Coworkers by @thecouchsofa (E, 22k) - Drarry

Office romance is my kryptonite and I couldn’t stop giggling as I made my way through this wolf!Draco treat. I was instantly smitten with the charming characters, the delightful silly knotting jokes 🌝 and the good old oblivious friends/coworkers to lovers dynamics that always gets me. Pining Harry wooing Draco through cooking is SO my jam, the perfect mix of sweet comfort & unbearable UST that fills me with joy and anticipation while also wanting to smash their heads together “kiss kiss fall in love” style. Yum!

Cargo Case by @sleepstxtic (E, 23k) - Drarry

This was such an exciting ride, I love the inherent yearning & intimacy of break up/make up stories and this case fic kept me engaged and rooting for Drarry (and Pansy/Parvati!) the whole time. It was wonderful to see them not being antagonistic after a break up for a change - there’s delicious ust, fabulous Draco & Pansy brOTP, not to mention their super cool job. I was as invested in the plot as I was in the romance, and I’ve had a really fun time following them around. Undercover boyfriends for the win!!!!

Truth to Materials by @toomuchplor, lately (E, 54k) - Drarry

Another fabulous plor fic as per, this artist!Draco story immediately won my heart with the hilarious opening scene and the perfect combo of Draco’s “brazen gay” voice and Harry’s “bi panic” mind. What a delight! Love the clever dialogue, the mood so chaotic horny but the humorous tone making me giggle my way through the delicious loo sex scene. Unique premise, great pacing, fantastic cast and charming characterization - this fic is so easy to devour it doesn’t feel like a 50k journey at all. The story is great fun, very engaging but also delivering multiple tender and heartkick-y moments. It checks all my boxes including our king Ron Weasley putting a banana into Draco’s sculptural arsehole 🤣 what else could I ask for?

Skybound by @xanthippe74 (T, 61k) - Drarry

As a longtime fan of Ghibli’s movies, I was over the moon to see one my own faves adapted to fit the HP universe. This is the Howl’s Moving Castle AU we deserve, a light, enchanting and fun read with a lovely smooth Draco and a lovely earnest Harry making such a great pair. I love how Xan played with the original material making adjustments here and there, and giving life to Timpsy, the apprentice elf with a whole subplot involving mistreatment of magical beings. Very sweet and creative read!

Other fandoms:

a man—with human flesh by spqr (E, 14k) - Paul/Duncan, Dune

I love that this author writes for all of my favorite ships, I feel so spoiled! This is (yet another) banger following the 2nd Dune movie and a fascinating dive into Paul’s fractured mind struggling between his long-standing affection for Duncan and the intrusive thoughts under BG’s influence. So intense, vivid and thought-provoking. I was hooked from beginning to end and deeply immersed in this universe. Love me a fic about emotional implications and complications while delivering excellent character studies, this is the shit I live for right here 🤌🏼

Next up on my to-read list:

Home series by @hoko-onchi-writes (E, 22k)

In which Draco grows up hiding and finds out he doesn't want to do that anymore. And he doesn't want his son to hide, either. (…). In which Harry grows up in darkness, falls in love, fucks up, learns some things, and falls in love again.

Passing Stranger by @lettersbyelise (E, 53k)

Five years after the war, Harry, listless and depressed, stumbles upon Draco Malfoy playing the violin in an underground bar in Muggle London. The catch? Draco lost his memories five years ago. Ignoring his friends’ advice, Harry befriends an unwitting Draco, overlooking the fact that their mutual attraction might not survive if Draco’s memories return.

The Star Splitter by @oflights (E, 219k)

On a routine time travel assignment to the past, Draco stumbles upon 7-year-old Harry Potter and witnesses his neglect and mistreatment by the Dursleys. In the moment, there is only one solution, even if it goes against all his training as a Time Agent: he has to bring Harry back to the future with him. In which Draco burns his life down for the sake of his former school rival.

#monthly roundup #Sitp recs #it’s been so long since I wrote a rec post 🥺 #feeling energized!

[snowjanuscentral]

Do you have any Snowjanus fic recs?

YES I DO:

So I'm pretty into things that are somewhat angsty and/or explore the grey areas of Coriolanus' morality and such, so that's sort of the tone of most of these fics!!

(I'm also really boring and like my fics to be pretty grounded in the reality of the universe they're set in, so no abo unfortunately)

everything ends - weezly14

Absolutely brilliant! From Sejanus' perspective and captures the concept of Sejanus and Coriolanus being teenagers and growing up in a way that's pretty unique to the Snowjanus tag! Coriolanus' characterisation is also really good haha

Hand in hand (me on my knees) -DevHasIssues

Super engaging, the concept of 'human pets' is a bit out there but written in a way that makes perfect sense for the Capitol. The premise is that Coriolanus is legally dead, and has been bought by Strabo Plinth as a gift to Sejanus, with this being an established piece of high Capitol cultural practice. Very interesting, and has given me lots of squishy feelings. Tigris is also here and is such an amazing girlboss

Thoughts of You Consume - egg_thief

Probably The Snowjanus Fic atm (at least in my eyes) - classic secret relationship stuff with a very clear power imbalance. Entirely from Coriolanus' perspective and he is characterised in the most authentic amazing way. They make sure to show the distinction between Coriolanus' perception of events and the true reality of what is happening. Also generally I love the writing style, all around an amazing fic. Do yourself a favour and check out all their fics if you haven't already!

All of the Messes I Made - egg_thief

Another egg_thief classic, this time set in District Twelve. Short and sweet and amazing :)

Silver Platters - Mintoki

Wonderful amazing, a fresh take on the 'Sejanus lives' trope with so much amazing set-up. Can't wait to see this updated. Again everything makes logical sense with the existing world building and Sejanus' characterisation is spot on.

here i clip the anvil of my sword - kaphkas

Amazing, wonderful, brilliant - possessive Coriolanus in District Twelve. honestly so perfect pls just read it

Closure - foxpause

Another Sejanus lives fic that is sooooo good: I really like it when people give Sejanus a bit of fire, he is most definitely not passive, and this fic allows Sejanus to get angry. Just wonderful

#tbosas #snowjanus #the ballad of songbirds and snakes #fic rec

[madame-fear]

luke having a crush on his eldest sister who is twins with jace and is betrothed to marry him :(( he wishes she could’ve be his wife and lady of the tides but she is to be future queen (can be angsty/ with a more heartwarming open ending maybe)

love your writing i always look forward to your work it’s amazing 🫶🫂

*ೃ༄ 𝐐𝐔𝐄𝐄𝐍 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐎𝐑𝐃𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆'𝐒 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓 .ೃ࿐

— ☆ amira speaks : I absolutely loved this concept! I'm still practising to write angst, so hope it's of your liking and what you expected ♡ — summary : [ — ✧ request ] — word count : 2.7k

— pairing : lucerys velaryon x older sister!betrothed!reader — genre : slight angst, ends with fluff

“It's strange, Luke.” in a murmur, those whispered words rolled off your lips lowly. The fair, cool breeze that seemed even more fresh than the usual made your hair sway along the wind, hitting briefly on your face as both you and your young brother Lucerys sat on your usual spot late at night: the beachside of Dragonstone, near the ocean.

Earlier in the morning, your mother Rhaenyra had announced that after a long discussion with the Black Council, she was to betroth you with your twin brother Jacaerys, in order to keep the Targaryen legacy. Meaning, you were now to be future Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. The concept of getting betrothed was not strange to you, quite the contrary — however, that did not mean you would easily adapt to it.

Lucerys' eyes were focused on you as you spoke. A certain glint twinkled on his eyes, seemingly more dim than usual. “I have a mix of strange feelings regarding mother's decision to marry me off to Jace.” you continued, your eyes fixed on the horizon and yet, admiring the constant rise and descend of the ocean waves; twirling and fidgeting with the hem of your nightgown's sleeve. “Mix of strange feelings?” he inquired, in a low monotone expression, raising his eyebrows curiously.

Finally, you darted your gaze to where he sat, nodding. “Yes.” you retorted in approval, leisurely gazing back to the ocean. “One part of me deeply wishes to be able to choose whomever I desire. Or perhaps, have two husbands.” as you spoke, you could feel his green eyes being posed on you the entire time, completely fixed in you. The moonlight knew how to highlight the prettiest of your features, but it felt strangely bittersweet compared to other times he admired your face under the brightness of the moon and the stars.

“Perhaps, two husbands, like Aegon the Conqueror had his sister-wives; but in my case, I'd have my political husband, and then my one and true love.” you continued rambling, your eyes wandering off to the dark sky, filled of stars, being thrilled at the idea of your statements. “And another part of me, knows Jace will take good care of me like a proper husband.” a little grin shaped at the corner of your lips at the thought of it. Of course, you would've never guessed you'd marry your twin brother, but you knew he was a good, gentle boy that treated ladies as they should, and was extremely overprotective of you. “I suppose it's a blessing, in a way. Better than being married off to a wicked man, surely.”

A blessing. What a word for you to use. A word that stinged in his heart as if a knife had profoundly stabbed right through it. Perhaps being in love with his elder sister wasn't the wisest thing that could've happened to Lucerys, especially knowing his sister would eventually get married and produce heirs with her husband — but was there really something that could've prevented his feelings? Not really. Love reached no limits for him, especially when that love he felt was for you.

And knowing you'd get betrothed to Jace, plus hearing you say that your betrothal was in one way or another 'a blessing' didn't make his angst emotions vanish away any sooner. It simply worsened his anguish.

“I see.” lucerys stated, cooing in a low voice. His gaze lowered to the sand under him, trying to hide the sadness that overtook him. “Of course. You'll be in safe hands. And at least, you won't go to a far away castle.” he continued, trying to ease his mood a bit — but nothing worked. In response to him, a chuckle spurred from you. “You're right, Luke. What else could I ask for?” as you responded, you swiftly placed your arm around his body, leaning it closer to your own as you simultaneously leaned it towards his, resting your head against his own.

“Having the opportunity of being with my family, and I won't be stuck in a miserable marriage.” the idea of your betrothal with your twin brother didn't seem so bad after all, even if he wasn't the one your heart shouted out for. “And, besides, I'll be able to stay by my favourite little brother's side more time.” a goofy, yet weak grin graced around his lips at your bittersweet words, his head resting against your own in a feeble manner, being intoxicated by that endearing, characteristic scent of yours that he could drown himself in.

“Indeed. And you will make a beautiful Queen as well.” he complimented sheepishly under his breath, his eyes staring off into the ocean.

Though you were right about having the chance of spending more time together even if you were married and now destined to be a future Queen Consort, the empty void of wishing you were his wife and Lady of the Tides remained there. And would obviously remain there for the rest of his life, wishing he could change his mother's opinion, plus longing at the thought of his in-love feelings he had for you being rightfully reciprocated.

A few full moons had passed after your mother confirmed your betrothal with your twin brother Jacaerys. During those few full moons, until now that you currently prepared yourself to finally marry Jace under the tradition of Old Valyria, you had particularly noticed Lucerys to be more alienated and distant as well.

The sight of him being in such manner made your heart sink. Especially, when you felt yourself truly lucky and grateful to the Seven for having Lucerys' company in your life, and seeing him in such state made you grieve a bit. You sensed there was a certain thing going on with him, that had been the same feeling that overwhelmed your mind for quite some time, though you weren't exactly certain of what provoked such reactions on Luke.

A maiden finished braiding your hair delicately, as you stood in front of the mirror in your quarters, being already properly clothed ready to engage with your twin brother in the Valyrian tradition of marriage. Your eyes remained fixed on your mirror, staring as the maiden finishes her work.

A quivering sigh graced off your lips nervously. You could feel the way your heart pounded harshly against your chest, making your anxiety increase even if you constantly tried reminding yourself that everything was going to be alright — but you couldn't help but still fidget with your own fingers anxiously as time rapidly passed by.

A sudden knock on your door was heard, both you and the maiden briefly turning your gaze to stare at the wooden door of your chambers. “Come in.” you shouted enough for the other person to hear. As the maiden finished braiding your hair for your wedding ceremony, the door was swiftly opened; revealing Lucerys to be the one previously knocking. His face seemed grim, but his green eyes immediatly lit up with delight, and a faint fluster on his cheeks the second his eyes were fixed on your own when you turned your gaze towards him, with a little cheeky grin at encountering your favourite brother.

A wide, ear to ear grin had drawn upon your lips, still feeling the nerves causing a knot on your stomach. The maiden rapidly curtsied before Lucerys, as your brother gave her a single nod. “You are dismissed, dear. Thank you.” you spoke directly to the young maiden whom shortly curtsied to you as well before walking past Luke, and leaving your quarters, closing the door behind of her as she left you to be alone with him.

Luke awkwardly stood in there, with his hands clasped together resting in front of his body. His eyes seemed to be entirely lost on you, admiring how mesmerising you looked. “(y/n),” he spoke, not allowing you to say anything first. With gentle footsteps, he began moving closer to you in a timid manner, feeling overwhelmed at your grace. You were so beautiful, fit for a proper Queen, even if he wished you were his Lady of Driftmark.

“You look tremendously beautiful.” a shy giggle spurred from you, gazing down to the ground as to cover the forming tint of crimson on your cheeks. “Jace is very lucky to have you as his future Wife.” luke stood right behind of you, with his eyes fixed on your features through the mirror. When you lifted your sight, you realised Luke towered you very slightly with his size. It happened rather fast, but Lucerys had finally became taller than you — the thought of it forming a toothy grin on your lips.

A notorious crimson fluster had smeared your face at his compliments. Though, for him, it was more than a mere compliment to his lovely older sister. His heart felt vulnerable at the sole thought you, yet, full of anguish at knowing that as much as he truly desired you only for himself, he'd never be able to demonstrate you how his love for you reached any type of possible limits. It was utterly devastating, but he had no other option than harshly swallow his own feelings.

Before you could reply anything to his sweetening compliments, Lucerys leaned his body closer to your side, extending his now unclasped hand for you to see what he held. In his hands, he carried a bright, golden necklace from which it hung the shape of a small flying dragon. “It's made of Valyrian steel. I pressumed it could be significant for you to use in such special occassion.” your eyes carefully admired the necklace, taking it softly in your hands as to briefly raise it to your sight. The previous wide grin on your lips remained, as your eyes twinkled with a glint of thrill.

“Luke, this is... Absolutely lovely. Thank you!” clear excitement was heard on your tone as you looked into your brother's eyes with certain admiration. Seeing you so joyful made his heart flutter with a sense of pure love and protection for you. “I hope I can have the honours of helping you put this necklace on you?” he inquired, a smile quivering on his rosy lips as his eyes was fixed down on you. Without hesitating, you rapidly nodded in approval. “You may. I would be absolutely delighted.” as you responded, you briefly lost one another staring into each other's eyes in a dreamy way.

When you snapped back into reality after such sudden moment, you turned your gaze back to the mirror, standing straight as you took hold of your hair and positioned it to your side, allowing Luke to place the gifted necklace on you. That sweet scent of yours drowned the room as he approached even closer to you, feeling as if he could melt right there at the sight of you, admiring every inch of your fair, soft skin. His fingers delicately unclicked the necklace, beginning to wrap it around your neck. His movements were daint, and you observed his focus through the mirror in front of you.

Unbeknownst to him, a certain feeling of melting under his touch overwhelmed you as well — being obvious in that scarlet glint of you spread across your face due to his gentle actions.

His hand softly moved in a delicate manner some remaining strands of hair covering your neck to the side, finishing to properly adjust the necklace. Once he adjusted it, he clicked the necklace shut so it would remain there, and your fingertips went to gently take hold of the dragon hanging from the necklace, admiring it's significative beauty that represented the great legacy of your ancestors. The golden colours of the necklace were vivid and shone brightly, highlighting your features even.

Without helping his own impulses, the young Prince wrapped his arms around your body pressing you tightly against his chest, and resting his chin on your shoulder as his eyes observed the necklace with the dragon hanging at it's end, near your chest. A dreamy, lovesick sigh escaped from his lips, giving into the warmth your body provided for him, along your scent. “You look more mesmerising than ever, (y/n).” he complimented, not taking his eyes off your figure.

“The title of Queen suits you rather well, but I think it would suit you even more perfectly the title of Lady of the Tides.”

Those words slipped off his lips smoothly and relentlessly, escaping from the deepest side of his mind. At his statement, falling into the realisation of what he truly meant, your lips became partly open as your eyes widened simultaneously. Of course, you wouldn't have expected him to open up to you in such a free manner, but knowing how timid he was you were certain those words escaped unconsciously from him.

A fluster mimicking your own formed on his fair cheeks, soon spreading all across his face as he realised what he had just said — but it was too late to even take it back. “I-I'm sorry for that, (y/n)... I-I just meant–” his eyes widened in embarrassment, beginning to lose his tight grip around your body with his arms. Interrupting him, your hand took a tight hold of his arm, looking him sternly on his eyes just to make stop him from whatever he'd say.

“Lucerys.” you began with a vehement tone. A small feeling of being nervous began overwhelming his chest, but it vanished faintly once he saw a brief smirk forming on your lips. “You know, when mother constantly tell us that betrothals are mere political conveniences, and we can always choose whomever we truly desire?” his tense, anxious facial expression leisurely softened. His heart thumped so loudly against his chest, he was afraid you might even hear it. Unbeknownst to him, your heart worked on the same way as his did.

Allowing him to lose a bit of his tight grip on you yet remain with his arms wrapped around your body, you turned around to stare at him. One of your hands rested on his arm, and the other one caressed his clothed chest tenderly. “I am simply marrying Jace because mother betrothed me to him as to keep with the great legacy of our ancestors, but he is not whom I truly desire.” a sigh escaped of him, melting under your warm, tender touch along your sweet sounding, soothing voice.

Tiptoeing, you placed a slow, tender kiss on the corner of his lips, fluttering your eyes shut. Like you, the Prince did the same, closing his eyes and giving into the feeling of the butterflies flapping their wings on his heart at your lips. You remained in there for a few long lasting seconds, slowly pulling apart eventually, and opening your eyes just to stare into his delicate face. A dreamy sigh escaped from him, feeling over the moon, not believing the moment he was living — seemingly straight out of his fantasies.

“Even if you get betrothed to a future Lady of the Tides, we should take mother's words seriously, my beloved Lucerys.” every word that escaped your beauteous lips, accompanied by the tender way your fingers glided across his cheeks lovingly, was enough to have him completely under your mercy. Lucerys was absolutely dumbfounded for you.

Abruptly pulling apart from his grip, you turned your body on your heels, and began making your way to the door of your quarters, leaving him confusedly standing in there, yet staring at you like an enthusiastic lost puppy. “Come on now, I should not be late for my own wedding.” you remarked, looking deeply into his widened hazel eyes with a wide smirk, knowing the dazzling effect you had on Lucerys — completely wrapped around your finger.

You swiftly opened the door, beginning to make your way out of it. “Think about those words, Luke.” those last words escaped your lips, while his own were partly open in delightful surprise, feeling paralysed as he simply stood there like a fool in love. “See you in my political wedding.” you finished off shooting him a teasing wink, only to rapidly disappear through the corridors of Dragonstone, already dressed in your engagement clothing.

After all, your feelings were mutual. Unbelievable, but true. And even if he was surprised at your audacity, he couldn't complain; you were right on your words. And maybe, having you as his secret lover even if you were future Queen and future Lord of the Tides didn't seem a bad idea at all.

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[velvet-vox]

My Top 10 Favourite Male Villains of all time.

"How arrogant of you to think that any of us are anything but irrelevant". -John Greer, Person of Interest (2011-2016).

There comes a moment in a blog's life where some things are just long overdue, and while the argument could be made that this happened way too early, I'd say that as long as this helps me to find my groove, I am free to experiment as much as I want.

So..... Villains.

Gotta love them. As long as I do not meet them in real life. This post is in particular about male villains since I have one dedicated to their female counterparts in the pipeline so expect that to come soon enough and for this part to be rewritten. By the way, "villain" is a generalisation, I can totally put antivillains, antagonists or more general antiheroes in this list; your definition of "Bad Guy" can vary greatly and so can mine, someone like Walter White from Breaking Bad could have made it in here. My taste is very unusual, so prepare yourself for some unexpected picks.

Also, since these are meant to be some big celebratory posts, for the occasion I'll reveal my Italian heritage and translate every line of dialogue in Italian and publish it separately with a link, so that English readers who are learning Italian can exercise.

But first, some honourable mentions:

Oropo (Wakfu): Once you see the number 2 spot for both this list and the female villains list you might notice that I tend to gravitate towards characters with wasted potential more often than not, but while we're just talking about this guy, I cannot stress enough the amount of unceremonious mishandling that lies within his concepts and execution. Really needed two seasons of 25 episodes each to explore it to their maximum.

Tai Lung (Kung Fu Panda): Really like him, but not as much as others, I'll explain it better in one of the entries of my villainesses list. Also, unironically I feel like he's too sympathetic for his own sake and the movie's.

Bill Chyper (Gravity Falls): It's been way too long since I watched Gravity Falls, I really can't give you an accurate opinion on this guy anymore.

Flintheart Glomgold (DuckTales 2017): That season 2 episode. If you know what I'm talking about, you KNOW. Also the music for that whole sequence was a banger, really driving home the deranged nature of that twist reveal.

Big Jack Horner (Puss in Boots The Last Wish): I feel like when people praise Jack for being a breath of fresh air in a stale environment, they often forget just how good of a villain he was in his own right without the larger industry wide void of truly devious antagonists that act out of pure malice.

The Wolf (Puss in Boots The Last Wish): Two villain entries from one movie? Of course it was gonna be The Last Wish, what else could it be? Honestly I don't even wanna talk about this guy, you need to experience the movie for yourself.

Rob (The Amazing World of Gumball): Everything I have to say about this guy gets talked about much better by the number 6 Spot on this list, but as it stands Rob was my first villain OTP and the guy who opened the box of Pandora for me on what an antagonist could and should be, since then my perception of villainy only widened and now I enjoy their role in a story in much different way.

And now, with that out of the way, let's finally start with the ranking of my personal favourite male villains of all time.

Major spoilers down below:

Number 10: Silco (Arcane)

This guy is the reason that brought me to specify who or what counted for this list as trying to simplify Silco into one specific group of characters is a challenge that can only end in a misunderstanding of what makes Silco such a complex and fascinating character with an amazing character arc, that ends with him not being redeemed, mind you, but allows the audience to grieve in such a way that would make a side character death jealous.

When writing an antagonistic character, Silco is my goal and high standard, and just for that he deserves all of my respect and endless praise.

Now, admittedly, Silco's arc takes a while to kick in, but it works out to his advantage by the end of it since you don't realise just how much you've grown to care for him until he's dead and you're left with the surprise.

10 out 10, the nation of Zaun would have been much better (worse) with him than with Vander.

Number 9: The Riddler (DC)

The Riddler is literally my ride or die villain, when I'm in the mood for him, he's literally my favourite antagonist ever; when I am not in the mood for him, I completely forget about his existence.

When compared to many other entries on this list, Riddler is definitely more on the pop culture side of antagonism, and when you've been around for almost a century, you tend to have many different versions of the same character written by different writers, so I wanted to highlight here my favourite versions of him:

Arkham Games: He's hilarious. He's not my ideal Riddler, but whenever he comes on screen, his whiny rat's ass voice stimulates my pheromones.

Batman The Animated Series: I've heard somewhere that this version of him is disappointing, and to that I'll say... yeah, but only when he wasn't on screen, because otherwise, he kind of slayed.

Matt Reeves The Batman: This is the version that rekindled my love for him after so long. Out of every interpretation of The Riddler throughout the years, this is the one version that treated Edward more as a character rather than an obstacle for Batman to overcome, and for that I'll be eternally grateful.

LEGO Batman The Videogame: My very first introduction to The Riddler and the Batman universe as a whole, this version has a permanent place in my heart , I love how much information and emotion you can get out of him by just looking at his mannerisms and quirks alone; unironically, being silent helps him reach that quote on quote idealised version of Riddler that I was talking about earlier.

Number 8: The Snatcher (A Hat In Time)

There are many things that can carry on a villain in a story, their evolution, stage presence, complexity, thematic contrast to their counterpart, and so on and so forth. While an antagonist can check off many of these boxes simultaneously (like the one pictured), there's one box that is almost impossible to truly nail perfectly: comedy.

You see, comedy is subjective, and when your main antagonist is also the funniest part of a given story, it becomes hard to also match a sense of gravity and menace that allows them to also be an imposing threat, even harder is to give said antagonist depth and a tragic backstory.

But somehow, out of nowhere, The Snatcher from A Hat In Time manages to simultaneously be the funniest character in his section of the game, carrie said energy throughout the whole experience even down to the DLC, simultaneously strikes the balance between being scary, wholesome, sympathetic and tragic, exude an insane amount of charisma, all while having a deeply disturbing backstory that touches on some heavy themes and re contextualises his actions into something more complicated and out of a broken man, everything I just said + he's the biggest bastard in his videogame and never repents nor does he have his actions called out.

Snatcher really has all the right cards that make a stationary character work and uses them to his maximum potential, and it works because his character arc throughout the game is more about becoming affectionate to Hat Kid than it is about redeeming himself.

Lastly, his voice actor, Luke Sizemore, aka Yungtown, really sells the performance of this devious soul eating worm and burns his catchphrases into your brain for the rest of eternity.

Fool.

Number 7: Judge Claude Frollo (Hunchback of Notre Dame)

You can never say no to a classic.

There's nothing that I could say that hasn't already been said by thousands of videos on YouTube, but I'll try anyway: you see, Frollo is the reason why we need a new term to identify certain villains that aren't "sympathetic" but still make you feel some sort of human emotion and a form of "I wish someone could give you the care you need to fix your life", I guess the term empathetic exists, but when do you really see it used?

Now, don't get me wrong, Frollo is absolutely not sympathetic in the slightest, he wants to r##e a Romani woman that's way younger than him, but you can still feel that he's very troubled about it in the Hellfire scene and has definitely a lot of unidentified issues and internalised bigotry that could be worked through, even if it's too late to work through them right now.

In general, I feel like people forget that the main reason why past Disney villains worked had to do more with their human traits juxtaposed to their malice rather than just their plain wickedness, otherwise the Horned King from the Black Cauldron would be top of the Disney villains league and that couldn't be further from the truth.

We should really strive towards writing more villains like Frollo, less omnipotent beings that end up falling flat because they don't have much thematic relevance aside from being a threat (Bill Chyper works because he represents Ego and he's used sparingly) and more average vicious individuals who use their power and influence to get what they want.

All in all, if you've seen The Hunchback of Notre Dame, then you know why this guy is here.

Number 6: The Spot (Spider-man across the Spiderverse)

"You've hit me with a bagel!" It's still the greatest villain origin story of all time. There's truly something maniacal about this reveal, like the entire universe was shattered and reality was shocked at the mere realization that while Miles was having his coming of age moment back in the first film, this guy was having his normal life completely and utterly shattered by a combination of both our heroes stepping up to do the right thing and our doofus lack of foresight and self reflection; all of this stuff is hilarious and completely made up for the film but good god they did such an amazing job tying all the elements together in an unexpected way that makes sense and parallels the journey that our protagonist faced in the first movie.

Like with Rob from The Amazing World of Gumball, and a little bit like number 2 on this list, I just really enjoy the concept of turning background characters who had no relevance whatsoever into the big bad of the story who's been there all along and the heroes (and the audience) just couldn't notice.

With The Spot in particular, there's that sense of satisfaction of turning the wasted potential of a villain who has been underestimated for literal decades and treated as a "villain of the week" (God do I love the meta narrative of this movie) into an actual competent, well written antagonist that is aware of his reputation and strives towards bettering himself and his powers.

He's also the funniest character of his movie too and the voice acting of Jason Schwartzman only accentuates his mannerisms and pettyness.

He also has the coolest usage of portals I have ever seen and his whole "There's a hole inside all of us" is simultaneously hilarious and very deep personal information that can only be understood if you put yourself into his shoes.

Number 5: Lord Shen (Kung Fu Panda)

"Happiness must be taken. And I'll take mine"

.....

What a character.

What a movie.

You cause so much pain and suffering, because you don't understand the people around you, and then those people banish you, and you can't understand why, so you start to believe that they hated you.

They never loved you, so you keep causing pain and suffering but it's not that easy anymore; the guilt starts to resurface, all those bodies keep piling up, but you can't stop because then it would have all been for nothing; so you keep chasing those dreams of grandeur because that's all you have left; the emptiness in your heart can no longer be filled by love, so you try to fill it with something else.

You try to fill it with power. You try to fill it with glory. You try to take everything else for yourself so that you can fill that cup, but it doesn't work, because that cup has no bottom.

And so you're left... with yourself.

And the damage you've done. But now it's different; you've failed. You are left with nothing. Nothing.

And so you outrage, for the last time... And then it all ends. Forever. And you've finally come to accept this, after all....... Who could ever love you?

Number 4: Spamton G Spamton (Deltarune)

You know, in retrospect, it's kind of insane what Toby Fox managed to achieve when creating Spamton.

Not only because Spamton feels like the most insane combination of ideas ever conceived, but also because Toby Fox created such a complex character with such a complicated language and personality and then not only shafted it all aside for the players to go out of their way to interact, but also made all of this in what are officially 2 or 3 cutscenes at most (4 if you consider his shop encounter as one) and only one of them being truly mandatory.

You spend so little time with Spamton, and most of that time is spent fighting him, and yet by the end of it you've become enlightened by the knowledge of him, that after a while... you forget how scary it all was.

All the memes comparing Spamton with Turbo are 100% correct and justified, Spamton truly is Turbo but better; you go through an insane rollercoaster of emotions with this character that you are left absolutely dumbfounded when it all comes to a stop and you go back to play the rest of chapter 2 normally.

I'll admit, I've considered putting Spamton in place of the Number 3 spot on this list; but then I've realised that on an objective level, the next entry totally deserves to be ranked above Spamton; plus, with at least 5 more chapters of Deltarune on our way, whose to say that one of the next gremlins won't be able to dethrone even the number 1 spot?

Drumroll for our top 3:

Nox, the Watchmaker (Wakfu)

There will never be another experience in my life as cathartic as watching the first season of Wakfu for the first time ever again.

On a later rewatch, the initial problems of the problems you've noticed throughout the season become too apparent to ignore, but the first time everything that goes from the tournament to the finale is one of the best paced arcs of television, and everything that happens when the team reaches the Sadida kingdom is just peak Wakfu.

And the king, the culprit, the crown jewel of properly paced stories and arcs is no other than the sad clockwork dilf himself: Noximilliem Coxen the Watchmaker.

Arguably, the greatest sympathetic villain of all time. There has never been another case of a character who has committed such vile, unspeakable crimes, and yet still managed to make me root for them while simultaneously not putting down the heroes.

And let's not be mistaken here, Nox is pretty evil:

Aside from the generic murder, Nox also defiled and stitched together the corpses of multiple victims and turned them into his obedient puppets in order to commit even more murder and genocide in order to achieve his goals.

Also, this is one of the funniest crimes Nox has committed: he abused his dog. It's really not that funny nor that important in the context of the show, but if you look back at it from my perspective then it's really like: Oh yeah. That happened too. Lol.

By the way, he fixes the one problem I had with Tai Lung from Kung Fu Panda, where he's too sympathetic of an antagonist for Western audiences, so the writers had to go out of their way to make him more evil than he really was and that's why in retrospect his death scene really sucked, but with Nox his defeat may actually be the best part of his entire arc and I want a One Villainous Scene video with the "20 minutes" scene.

Words alone cannot do justice to the treacherous, gut wrenching emotional rollercoaster that is experiencing his story for the first time. An hour long video essay would only serve to cover the basics and fundamentals, while for the real deal you need to watch the first season of Wakfu for yourself.

Number 2:

Bradford Buzzard (DuckTales 2017)

And now it's the perfect time to pull out my final wild card, the hole of the sink of my autism, the masterpiece of wasted potential that is Bradford Buzzard from the DuckTales remake of 2017.

When you'll also see the number 2 spot on my villainesses list, you'll come to realise that this spot is more of the "I really wish I could put this at number one but I can't because objectively he doesn't deserve it and the majority of things I love about him in canon were probably an afterthought and in fanon were never plausible to begin with."

And that's how I feel about Bradford Buzzard, an antagonist I spent more time thinking about than probably anybody else on the Earth.

The show runners were so genius for this: we are going to create an original character that will probably struggle to maintain a foot print on the franchise due to the way the Duck verse works, we'll give him an insanely cool backstory and motivation, all coupled with interesting character traits and ideology, we'll make him the ultimate foil to Scrooge McDuck that has been working with him for literal decades, we'll make him the one who has got the closest to isolating Scrooge and destroying his family, and THEN we'll turn him into a generic anime villain that shoots lasers and fumbles his own plan and loses because of insane plot armour and contrivance. Good job writers.

And now, for the one and only,

Number 1:

(Note: I specifically chose this picture to avoid spoilers)

Qilby (Wakfu)

Boy oh boy, where do I even begin with this guy, he's the first Wakfu related post I've made on this blog for a good reason, nothing can compare to the level of bastardy that this thumb sucking old fart is capable of putting you through.

If Nox is the single greatest sympathetic villain of all time, then Qilby is by far the greatest twist villain of all time, and the crazy thing is that he surprises you two times in a row, at first by revealing himself as more evil than you could ever imagine, and the second time by being more complex than you could have ever anticipated.

Let me paint you the picture: you just finished the first season of Wakfu after being drawn towards the show by the hype surrounding Nox, so you think to yourself "Oh, now there won't be any more thought provoking, well written antagonists" and you start the second season.

So far, everything is normal, even better of the first season in terms of engagement value, but you can't help but feel the lack of a Nox like figure inside of the story, but at this point, you just accept it.

Then the final six episodes roll around and OH MY GOD WHAT IS HAPPENING, HAS THE WHOLE SHOW JUST GONE INSANE? ( The answer being that it was insane from the start)

But hey.

That's just Qilby for you.

Good job, you old sad bunny man.

#top 10 #big jack horner #puss in boots death #person of interest #john greer #wakfu #oropo #kung fu panda #tai lung #gravity falls #bill cipher #ducktales 2017 #flintheart glomgold #the amazing world of gumball #tawog rob #arcane #silco #dc universe #the riddler #a hat in time #ahit snatcher #the hunchback of notre dame #judge claude frollo #spiderman across the spiderverse #atsv spot #lord shen #deltarune spamton #wakfu nox #bradford buzzard #wakfu qilby

[nocreativityfornames]

Hello! Um, I don't know how welcome you are to asks but I kinda wanted to bring up this little headcanon I have of Michael that you may or may not find interesting? Iv posted about it somewhere on my blog, but to summarize it, here

Consider the potential of a Teenage Michael!

Hear me out! I just think there is a lot of potential, not only angst wise but also narrative wise.

I just love the idea of the head angel of the celetial relm being this scrawny teenage boy with issues.

Not only is he a teenager with the responsibility of being the mature older brother to the other angels, therefore, having to step up more in the absence of lucifer, but also having a lowkey abusive father who burdens him with religious trauma.

And I just loove the trope where it's like:

The younger siblings stays behind with abusive parents left to take care of the rest of their family because their older sibling left to live a healthier life. And resentment builds because they think their older sibling abomdoned them.

Also considering how I don't think the devs will make him a villian, I think it would make Michael look way more sympathetic if he was on the younger side.

Is this accurate to what the game has established Michael to be? Not really but they've retconned things before. Not that I'd ever think they'd go along with a concept like this.

Anyways I'm writing this at like 11pm so exuse the spelling errors, I'm so tired 🥲.

Ps. I really like your content :D

I actually REALLY like that, and the angst oh boy :")

I mean, looking back to NB S1 (spoilers!!!) with this in mind makes everything so much sadder. Like how he disguised himself as Raphael just to visit the others in the Devildom because he missed them and didn't know how to interact with them as himself. And also him giving Lucifer that ultimatum to either come back or make the Devildom an enemy of the Celestial Realm as a last attempt to bring his older brother and brothers back (even though deep down he knew they'd refuse) because he was struggling to step up and handle things on his own after he left, especially since the trauma of the war was still fresh for everyone (including himself) and he had to look after the traumatized part of the family that stayed, like you said.

Which is... heartbreaking.

Funny thing though: I always thought Michael to be the oldest one (or them being twins) and your ask made me start thinking about how that would play out in this scenario with the og game stuff in mind.

So like, the older sibling carrying resentment while also being happy for the youngest because they got tired of the abuse and had the courage to stand up to their parent and leave to have a happier life when he couldn't because he still feels tied to that parent and that it's his responsibility and duty to stay with them no matter what (think of Dean and Sam from SPN, who have this exact dynamic and a very complicated relationship with their father).

And then there's the whole thing about Michael being the one to cast out Lucifer and his brothers from the Celestial Realm, which only adds to this. It's like: the younger brother stood up to his father and was met with rage, so the oldest stepped up and to avoid something even worse from happening kicked him out of the house himself.

(@luckykittysshowerthoughts has an amazing post about this that has never left my mind ever since I read it and I recommend everyone reading it)

So we fast-forward to years and years later where the oldest is still living with their parents looking after the siblings who didn't leave while missing his younger brother, worrying for him, and wanting to know how he's doing. So he tries his best to stay in contact and know what's happening but since their relationship has been strained ever since what happened (because from the youngest's POV his older brother betrayed him by not taking his side and kicking him out of the house, which I think was how Lucifer felt for a long time before he saw the bigger picture as he got older) the youngest rejects his attempts at trying to contact him and the oldest's only way to know how he's doing is by sending his other siblings to check up on him or contact the people close to him.

Does he do it to the point where it gets annoying? Yes. Is his constant need to know how his brother is doing making said brother feel even more frustrated with him and only driving him further away? Yes. Would it have been better if he had left the brother alone and waited for him to reach out on his own? Yes. But he can't find it in himself to do that because he'd worry too much and miss him even more.

Tbh, I can see both of these scenarios being true together. So younger Michael right after the fall is still bitter and doesn't want to admit that he misses Lucifer and his brothers (he didn't seem to like to hear that Luke thought he missed them when talking to him as Raphael) and later accepting that and leaving a lot of that resentment behind to just be happy for them and miss them, wanting to know how they're doing often, etc.

So I definitely don't see him as evil either, but more of a broken younger/older sibling who wants to reconnect with his family and whose intentions are good but don't translate very well in his method of doing things.

Sorry for going on my own rambling here, lol

And I'm more than fine with asks, I love discussing stuff about the game and the characters <3

#this ask made me like Michael's character even more. I love it #obey me #obey me michael #obey me lucifer #omnb #omswd #obey me shall we date #obey me nightbringer #//om: inbox #//om: michael #//om: lou #☙ no creativity for names ✾

[sillyromance]

Hellooooooo yeah

What do you think of writing some vore stuff about tfp starscream?...😇⚡️🌌

Good day, dear anonymous!

Yes, of course! I remember I was asked about it before, but, unfortunately, at that time I had mental breakdown and couldn't come up with anything. I'm very sorry about that, and if you're the same anon who sent me the first ask, I sincerely apologise for the delay... However, now I finally made it up! Hope you'll enjoy!

Homesickness

Rain. Through the monitor you looked at a wide grey valley disappearing inch by inch as “Nemesis” was flying north, farther and farther. There was something dreamy, nostalgic about that melancholic landscape; pale colors set numbing bitterness in your chest, but it didn’t mean there was no beauty in them… You could almost sense fresh, chilly air and cool heavy drops on your cheeks and neck – rain water has an amazing, unique bouquet combining wild, crazy variety of natural scents: grass, earth, field flowers, mushrooms... All living beings love summer rain – it fills them with peace and hope for the better times. And what an incredible view it is when the sun comes out and the water on tree leaves starts to sparkle like trillions of moon stones.

But it wasn’t the thought lingering in your head. Watching as a wall of piercing, needle-like streams were bombarding the ground beneath, you thought of your loved ones, people that you had to leave behind to be here. Of course, you kept in touch – you texted them every week and they did the same, even more often… But it was impossible to go back, at least any time soon. Conspiracy had to be strictly kept: your decepticon friends wouldn’t be glad to hear that even more people knew about them – it was literally luck that Megatron, their huge scary boss with more scars on his armor than hairs on your head agreed to let you join the crew and didn’t kill you as far as you showed up. After getting some experience you figured out that these big mechanical creatures were not very fond of humans. Well, most of them.

- Nasty weather, isn’t it? No matter what Megs says, I won’t go out until this nonsense stop!

You glanced back and saw a pair of familiar long wings twitching in annoyance and distaste.

- You think so, Starry? I rather find it relaxing.

- Well, you don’t need to worry about rust eating your joints if you get outside…

- Ha! You has a point…

The seeker seemed irritated, though you knew he wouldn’t be like that for long. He loved complaining – everyone has their bad habits, and grumpiness is an innocent sin. He saved your life, he gave you food and shelter – and he became your ally you could count on despite the fact that at first others wouldn’t give a tip of a finger (or a digit) for your partnership to last at least a month.

It had been two years already. And so, who wouldn’t bear some little disadvantages when there was so much to be grateful for?

Starscream stepped closer to you and, in spite of his exclamation, layed his gaze at the monitor, his manipulators clenching behind his back.

- Back at Cybotron, we didn’t have rains.

You lifted your head, now looking at his pointy face, two ruby-red optics flaming on it. They were unnaturally sad.

- Really?..

He nodded.

- And the skies had different hue, and our stars looked brighter and bigger. And the cities! Oh, you must have seen them in their golden days… I miss it. Those careless days.

The rain grew heavier; it turned into a solid white wall.

- Did you have a family?

- Hm?

- I mean… Someone who you would be close with, like… Parents? Siblings? Friends?.. Did you have such connections with someone back there?

Two pines far away looked like shaggy beasts standing in the fog – their hairy muzzles swayed back and forth as if they were arguing about something and biting each other’s long “fur”.

- Actually, we don’t have such concept as… family. But I did have friends. Some were very good ones. I still remember things we did when we were young. And there was one I would even call a brother… Though, all of them are gone by now. Killed, missing…

Something bubbled painfully in his chassis.

- Sometimes… Sometimes I think if I could choose: to become a leader of Decepticons or to make things like they were before - I would choose the latter. I’m not kidding! I… I really would. Even now, it’s so strange to get up in the mornings and realize that you are actually alone on another planet and your… home… is destroyed. Everything is dumb and alien: whatever I see or touch has nothing in common with me. At the same time, I’m afraid to remember… I’m grateful Knockout and you still pay attention to me – if you didn’t, I would most likely crush down on Earth.

He grimaced. His wings lowered. The more Starscream spoke, the less he looked like himself, but you knew – it was him. True him, hiding back in the shadows. Who can tell what he lost? Who can claim him to be heartless? If a vase is empty, it doesn’t mean it wasn’t full. If a man can’t love, it doesn’t mean it has always been so.

And if you fear to look back… It doesn’t mean that you stopped longing.

- I miss home too, Starry. My planet is in one piece, it blooms and lives – I can’t possibly compare your grief to mine. And still… I’m lonely here. I guess, you understand. Though, not that lonely. At least, I have you.

There was an unreadable expression on his faceplate for a minute or two, but then he smiled softly.

- At such moments you fleshy things hug each other, don’t you?

- Yeap! We do. But it would be quite complicated now.

- Agreed. However, not for us, don’t you think?

You lips stretched in a mischievous grin.

- Ha! You think about the same thing I do?

The seeker bent to you and turned his head on a side, examining your artificially-naughty face with only one optic – at that moment he reminded you of a big carnivorous bird.

- Well, tell me, little one… - He murmured, his endless claws suddenly appearing just beside you...

… Sitting in a comparably spacious, slimy pouch of Starscream fueltank, you listened to the quiet noises of his huge body, your heart beating slowly and thoughts lazily crawling around your tired mind. Your muscles still could recall the tenderness of your friend’s long throat and esophagus, gentle licks of the glossa trying to sneak under your shirt and reach the bare skin – and so making you squelch in surprise while your cheeks were getting much, much hotter from slight embarrassment and annoyance; by the way, you and his tongue had quite an impressive fighting session (which he almost lost) before you, content and completely exhausted, let your limp wet body helplessly slide down, in the comforting confines of the warm stomach. At that moment even you couldn’t believe you was able laugh that hard!..

Greyish cobalt walls kneaded you, squeezing your tiny frame in strong, affectionate embrace. Hints of red and blue lights ran across them like shooting stars in August. Forgetting about your miserable weight, you floated in your personal small piece of cosmos, rubbing it gently and receiving low, pleasured purr from above, vibrating in your bones.

Rain. It doesn’t rain, but pours. But it’ll be better one day, if you stay strong.

If you stay together.

#soft vore #extreme cuddling #safe vore #transformers vore #transvoremers #willing prey #tfp vore #comfort vore #willing pred #mouthplay #starscream vore

[quirkwizard]

Year Six: A Retrospective

Followers: 3,124

Total Posts: 10,750

Most Popular Post: Happy New Years with 12,876 notes

Favorite Post: Definitely my Keystone post. Not only is probably one of the biggest things I have ever written and had a lot of effort go into it, but it was actually kind of fun revisiting the arcs and figuring out how I felt about them. The D&D one was pretty fun though.

Least Favorite Post: While I don't dislike What’s This-All For One Edition: A Christmas Parody, there were a lot of annoyances around it. Not only was this kind of a pain to write, especially with such a fast song, the scheduling made it come out over a month late.

Funniest Moment: As much as I liked the wrestling commentary and joking about Aoyama's attack, I really liked the Pro Hero Parent Tier List. I think the concept itself was funny and had some jokes sprinkled throughout while still being offset by the actual analysis of these character.

Best Moment in the Manga: Izuku vs Tomura:

I hesitated to include this since it's still going on, but I couldn't deny how good everything has been between these two. I'm really enjoying a lot of the interactions and tactics on display between them, especially in the shared realm where it feels like these two can finally just talk to and understand each other.

Runners Up:

All Might vs All For One: For what sounds like a terrible idea on paper was honestly pretty amazing. It gives lot a of great moments and resolution with Toshinori and his character, all while giving one of the most unique fights in the series.

Toga vs Ochako: The dark horse of this arc. I did not expect the whole part to be this good and actually handled everything with a lot of tact and nuance. Plus, Ochako is finally getting some deserved recognition by the fan base, which is nice.

Worst Moment in the Manga: Stain's Death

Man, what a waste. For one of the most popular villains in the series, the guy that helped define the manga both in and out of universe, having him die without any further impact on the fight or story was such a terrible move. We can only hope that there is some justice for Stain before the series ends.

Runners Up:

Aoyama's Blast: I don't out and out hate this moment, but it does feel like a rushed after thought. It was barely built up to or shown, Aoyama Awakening his power comes out of nowhere, and Hagakure's appearance does feels extremely convenient.

"Decay" coming from "Overhaul": It could be that the wound is still fresh from this, but tying those two Quirks together raises so many questions and issues in the series. It felt like a pretty pointless addition that only caused issues.

Best Moment in the Anime:

Runners Up:

Worst Moment in the Anime:

Runners Up:

Once again, I have skipped out on this season. I haven’t been interested in picking it back up. Heck, I haven't even heard anyone say anything about it. Again, sorry if any of you were curious.

How would I summarize the year: I feel like things are starting to take a turn for the better.

What I would do differently: I really should close the ask box more often.

Thank you all for such a good year. Hopefully the next year will be better.

[beskarandblasters]

Updates/Fic Recs

My updates:

Halloween from my Punisher series was posted last week

Copycat Killer with a Chemical Cut (part two of Punisher, the story) was posted yesterday

Salt in the Wound, a little drabble based on the song by Boygenius was posted last week for my 500 follower celebration

Scott Street, another little drabble based on the song by Phoebe Bridgers was posted earlier tonight for my 500 follower celebration

Upcoming from me:

Yesterday I announced the folklore series with some fellow writers who are amazing, here is the masterlist for that!

You can expect the next installment of Punisher, Chinese Satellite, some time in the next few days!

You can also expect my first installment, august, of folklore sometime soon, too. The other authors & I decided that we're not posting these in track order, just as they come to us 😊

I've also decided to do a part three of Punisher/Copycat Killer because I can't let those two go just yet🤭

And also as a reminder, my requests are open rn!!! I don't have a lot going on aside from my own series so I'd love to work on some one shots, too!!!

Onto the fic recs!!!

@atinylittlepain posted this killer Joel x reader vampire fic called Only Lovers Left Alive and it's fucking amazing, this concept is so fresh and exciting!!! So excited to read the rest of these. I'm hella obsessed with this pair.😈

Lie to me by @swiftispunk on AO3 is so fucking hot. I’m a slut for dubcon and when it’s done right it’s so 🔥🔥🔥

@tieronecrush posted this lovely Frankie fic called 102 and it's so good!!! I'm not really a Frankie gal per say but this fic has me simpinnnn👀

@proxima-writes has this Din fic called Hokaanir Riduurok and it has me WEAK, Din is my fav Pedro boy always and this fed into my delusions that we're gonna run away and get married🥰

I would actually let Night Walks Joel from Night Walks by @toxicanonymity do literally anything to me, I'm a slut for him through & through. I'm not sure if I've posted that much about Night Walks but I literally think about it all the time lol🥵

Be Polite by @jksprincess10 another Frankie fic that has me simpin' 🥵 but this time Frankie's being subby, loooooved this one😮‍💨

That's it for this week, folks!!! Be sure to check out all of the amazing authors on this list!!! I’m always down to read more fics so if you’d like to be included or just think I’d like what you’re cookin up just tag me

#fic recs #joel miller x reader #frankie morales x reader #joel miller x you #frankie morales x you #joel miller #din djarin x you #din djarin x reader #din djarin #frankie morales #my mutuals <3

[reverieaa]

Hi! I'm the same anon as last one who read your 'Change of clothes' (can I be your anon? i'll take any emoji)

So I had a spiritual epiphany which was sparked this morning after going through my notes of states posts (yours as well as @neobora and @remcycl333) and I wanted to share. I think the non-duality concepts finally tied in for me.

This is my epiphany:

I think the true purpose of manifesting as humans is to realise our true selves as infinite beings. To remember & reclaim our limitless power and transcend from the limitations and illusions of the material world we were born into. When you truly understand the law and can practice it well, you are no longer a slave to the material world and its rules. You are unshakeable because you know you are far greater than this temporary shadow. You realised the truth that your reality is whatever you choose it to be, through your awareness. And the process of coming to this realisation, of reclaiming our power, is the awakening & liberation itself. The desire for material things was only the carrot on the stick that led us to learn to manifest, to exercise our power, never the true end goal. The true reward is knowing we are God. We always were and always will be but we needed to remember. And this is how.

Thank you again for your lovely posts. I never thought I'd finally 'get' states but I think I do now. I now read loa posts out of interest & as a reminder of my own power, no longer looking for *the* thing that's finally going to get me what I want. It's always only ever been within me. I can't look outside to fulfill it.

Funny thing is I actually manifested through states a year ago with a few things I didn't care about. I was like 'oh I'll give what I read a try" without any expectations and I realise now I executed it perfectly. The reason I overconsumed, spiralled and couldn't persist when it came to "big" desires is because I was still identifying with the outer man in the material world which falsely believed that it had to work hard to get "big" things it wanted (hence thinking I had to constantly be thinking or doing something about it like doing methods & routines to have it); I hadn't actually realised my true self and true power and identified with it.

Now I know it's accepting that state of being within you, identifying with your inner self (the infinite being) and dismissing the shadow that the 3D is. I also want to credit/give a shoutout to this reddit user Own_Ad7567 who is a shifter as they contributed to my eventual epiphany. I realised shifting is the same essence of what is talked about here, it was very fresh, interesting & eye opening to read about the law framed in yet another way. Their post 'For those who struggle with doubts and focus problems' in particular is really good but all their posts were fun to read! They said:

"Understand that your 3d, or physical reality (basically what you perceive around you) is the least real part of reality. It is just a projection of the 4d. Like a cinema: what happens on the screen is just a projection. If you want to change what's being projected on the screen, dont focus on changing the screen, change the film and the screen is quickly going to be showing something different

I know on loablr the most used analogy was the mirror & face but it never really clicked for me until I read that! And then afterwards I read @neobora's 'Through a different lens' post & it just solidified my understanding.

Wow I'm amazed at how long this post is. Maybe it will help someone else too. Thank you again for your writing all those posts and answering all the asks. I still haven't read most of it but that's just how impactful your posts are. I gained a lot of clarity just from reading a few. I am truly grateful to you, @neobora, @remcycl333, Own_Ad7567 and everyone who shares their understanding of the law. Thank you guys!

You are absolutely amazing, anon! Thank you for your kind and sweet words, and your wisdom. I hope this helps sb put there too and I'm certain that it will. I'm seeing it more and more everyday in this community, despite us having upset and downs. I'm proud that you've finally reached peace in your journey like this, and I'm honored that you let me be part of it, along with the other bloggers

You can be my anon is you wish, I'm not very active here but would it be ok for now if you went by an initial or nickname?

#law of assumption #affirm and persist #manifesation #manifesting #neville goddard #3d #affirmations #loa #loa methods #void state

[tinalbion]

Hello, could you write something about slashers with a male S/O who is blind and who is not aware that in his eyes it is possible to see the universe? Calm down, I'll explain! The blindness of the reader may have taken away his vision, but it also brought stars to his eyes, ahm, it's kind of confusing, I know! Here, look, it's like the illustration of this owl, see? Its name is Zeus, it is blind and inside it eyes you can see a galaxy!

Continued: "This is embarrassing, but, uh, I forgot to ask for the slasher in my question, so I'll ask this one if it's okay? Haha... Harry Warden, please!"

Oh my dear, I finally got an ask for Harry! I love him so much and I hope this finds you well, just know I didn't forget about you or this amazing idea. It's a very beautiful concept that I really enjoy, so I hope I do this ask justice. He's one of my absolute favorite boys and I want to write for him more!

"Between The Stars" ||

Harry Warden x AMAB!Reader

Rating: None; mentions of cannibalism, general fluff between the reader and Harry, pining

Length: 2.1k

Harry Warden had wanted to leave Valentine Bluffs for so long after the incident, it ate away at him the longer he remained hidden away, but even he was weak and couldn't find it in himself to finally uproot and leave. 

The town had dwindled since the killings began to happen again, he remained far from the mines and had found a liveable set up in an abandoned water tower not that far away from the Bluffs. He remained there for most of the year, but when Valentine's rolled around, he couldn't help but grow emotional over the events that happened so long ago. It pained him that whenever he would see the town going against his wishes, they would learn nothing no matter what he did, so he turned his back on them and remained hidden from view. 

From his hideaway, he saw so many walks of life come in and out of the mining town, most people just visiting family, others that moved away years ago only to come back because of nostalgia. He watched from afar and wondered what life would be like I'd his mind wasn't destroyed by the events he suffered so long ago. Maybe one day he would feel complete again, but it would be almost impossible, he thought, that it would never happen for him and he’d just have to live with that.

As he dreamt of better times, he was unaware of a new visitor that graced the town's grounds, an unexpected fresh face that he never would have paid much mind to.

You were talked into visiting your family despite travel being hard for you considering you were blind, but you thankfully got your friend Gracie to tag along and help you out, she agreed to be your guide and took this as a sign for a well-needed vacation for you both.

She guided you along and described the sights to you the best she could, pointing out the old buildings or monuments that had been standing since you were a child, remarking on the newer housing, and you remembered them fondly as you recalled some old memories. It was making you grow homesick even while you were here, but you knew the reason why you left in the first place, so you held onto that and pushed it down to enjoy the rest of your visit. 

What you found incredibly humorous was that people still talked about the infamous Valentine's Day massacre and how Harry Warden was the sole survivor of the mining accident. Yes, you found it funny to see people would always need to find someone or something to blame when it was themselves they needed to blame all along It was rumored that he ended up caught eventually and shoved into a facility where he was no longer a threat, but that didn't even stop Harry from somehow escaping the facility he was taken to. They claimed he died in the safety of the institute, but why would they want the word that their number one sought-after killer was gone? 

The little whispers around town still continued and they'd never stop, you figured, but it was quite fun to see what silly stories they made up in this day and age. Mostly still the same thing, and since you were visiting before Valentine's Day, you figured you were safe from any unnecessary silliness that could be caused by the town’s kids. 

Gracie had offered to run and get some food for you both while you said you'd stay behind, so she was gone and it left you to explore the familiar area of your old stomping grounds. You found yourself easily falling back into the rhythm of things and made your way to your old favorite spots around town, and when you got to the docks, you could smell the water as you breathed it in. 

You sat here for what felt like ages and hadn't even thought to leave until you felt the briskness of the chill in the air, plus you figured Gracie would be back at the motel by now and probably freaking out.

So you trekked back the way you came, or so you thought as you tapped your walking stick along the ground. You ran into something solid and you came to a halt, wondering just what you should do. You could dial your friend's number and call her, asking her to help find you, but you'd done this loads of times before on your own, maybe you could prove to yourself that you still had it in you. As you removed your hand from your pants pocket and left your phone where it was, you tapped your stick around and found another path that you had no idea where it led. 

As you continued your journey, you truly weren't familiar with this side of town and you had no idea how you got so turned around. Your phone suddenly began to ring and you fumbled for it in your pocket before you pulled it free and answered. 

"Hello?"

"There you are, where are you? I've been worried sick! Are you okay?" Gracie was yelling on the other end, pure panic in her tone. 

You couldn't help but laugh. "Yeah I'm fine, I got a little turned around, but I'm okay. I'm coming back to the motel, I was near the docks, but I don't know where I'm really at now."

"I can come and find you, I'll ping your location and I'll be there, just try not to wander too far."

You laughed again. "Alright, I'll behave. See you soon." 

You hung up and waited for a good five minutes until you got bored, so you said to yourself you'd only wander around the area, not too far off from where you'd been, and then you began to explore. The way things sounded, you were near a small wooded area filled with birds, so you stood there and listened for a bit before stepping off somewhere else. Your ankle rolled and you tripped over something that your walking stick didn't quite pick up on, your body lurched forward, and you tumbled down a small hill. You weren't hurt, just a little shaken up and even more lost than you were to begin with. 

"Ah damn," you sighed. 

As you got to your feet, you realized your glasses had tumbled from your face, so you knelt back down carefully and tapped the ground for them, not finding them anywhere. 

What you didn't know was that you were being watched by someone, they had seen the entire ordeal and had spotted your glasses on the ground just a few feet away from your wandering hand. The crunch of the leaves beneath the stranger’s feet was masked by the fact you were crawling around on your hands and knees 

Your hand came upon something unfamiliar and you tapped it several times until you realized it was a boot that was connected to a leg. You sprang back and gasped.

"Oh my god, I'm sorry, I didn't realize that anyone was here!" Your hand was placed on your chest and you tried to control your breathing. "I uh, my name is Y/N, I got a little lost on my way back to my motel… Have you seen my glasses anywhere?"

While you were busy talking, the stranger stared down at you, his breathing heavy from the trek, but he lowered his pick ax and continued to stare. You figured they weren't one to talk much, but you lifted your gaze to them and tried to listen to where they were around you. 

"Uh, you don't talk much, huh?" 

The man grunted in response and you smiled gently. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be rude, maybe you can't talk, who knows. But if you see my glasses anywhere, could you grab them for me?" 

As you looked directly at him, the miner stared down almost dreamily at your eyes and how peculiar they were. It was as if the entire galaxy was taken from the skies and placed gently in your eyes, he'd never seen anything like it. He could have easily stared at them forever, but he knew you'd have to leave him, which was to be expected. 

Your hand touched something and your palm opened, then you felt your glasses drop in your hand along with a gentle feeling of a leather glove.

"Oh, thank you for finding these," you said happily and placed them back on your face. 

"Your eyes," the man's deep, husky voice suddenly said softly, muffled as if something was over his mouth. 

You were taken by surprise and paused as your hands froze. "Wh-what about them?" You asked curiously. You had no idea who this man was or how he found you, but you didn't want to ask just yet. 

"Pretty," was all he said. 

You laughed and looked down, your hands fiddled with your walking stick while your mouth suddenly felt dry. "Thank you, that's very kind of you… My friend Gracie saw them once and she said they looked unique, is that true? I never got to see them, obviously." The little smile you made after speaking only made the stranger feel more interested in you.

"Like stars are in them," he replied shortly. 

Like stars, you couldn't help but find that as unique as Gracie described, and strangely romantic from a stranger you just met. "What's your name?" You wanted to meet his gaze if you could, but kneeling on the cold, crisp leaves beneath you wasn’t so bad.

The man took a sharp breath and wondered what he should do, knowing fully well you were aware of the whispers of Harry Warden, the cannibal monster who snapped, would he ruin this for you completely or would you have no clue? It didn't hurt to test the waters, he wasn't invested completely in you, yet it felt nice that you of all people wouldn't know who he was or about his past. 

You were met with silence again and that's when you sighed with a small grin on your face. "I get it, I'm usually like this with people, too. Uneasy, and untrusting, it's a sign of shared experiences. If I see you again and you're up for sharing, I'd love to know your name." 

It was quiet and then he spoke again. "If I see you again, could I see the stars?"

You bit your lip and nodded. "Yeah, you can see the stars." 

You were alerted to the sound of footsteps nearing you and then the man before you began to take off running, his heavy steps receding further and further away until the pair that you heard behind you were the only ones you could hear. You had wished you could continue your talk with the man, you had enjoyed the shared company and how kind he seemed. It was strange with how awkward he’d been but you didn’t mind, it was nice for a change that he didn’t seem uncomfortable by your condition, he seemed more intrigued than anything. 

Gracie found you on the ground and gasped as she ran toward you. “Y/N, what happened!? Did you fall?”

“Yeah, just a little tumble, I’m in one piece though, we’re all good.” You took her hand and pulled yourself to your feet, then you dusted yourself off as a force of habit. “I promise I’m okay.”

Grace slipped her arm through yours and began to guide you through the wooded area, but you had stopped just for a moment and removed your glasses, hoping that your stranger had seen your gesture that was directed for him, hoping he’d understand that you meant to return one day. 

Harry did see this as he hid amongst the trees, watching the girl guide you carefully, wondering just how long it would be until he saw you again. The one person who wouldn’t run from the very sight of him, the one person who seemed genuinely interested despite the small number of words exchanged on Harry’s behalf. He convinced himself he wasn’t invested, yet here he was his hands gripping the wood of the pick ax, thinking of your eyes and all of the beautiful innocence held within them. If it came down to it, he would kill to see you again.

The miner would try to keep his promise; he would see you again and he would see those stars in your eyes. That was a promise he intended to keep to himself. 

#tinalbion writings #slasher requests #slasher community #slasher fandom #slashers x reader #slashers headcanons #slashers imagines #harry warden #harry warden my bloody valentine #my bloody valentine 1981 #harry warden x reader #harry warden headcanons #harry warden imagines #amab!reader #amalunah

[electrohoneys]

The Magnus Archive Fan Entities : Part 1

Okay, I finally have enough time to write what I want and it feels amazing! Today I will talk about the #Hopes the #Transitionals I made and their relationship to the #Fears.

I rambled a lot, I will correct anything that doesn't make sense :) I am so happy I finally finished writing this.

The idea came to me before listening to the whole podcast.

How would the fears work in a completely different reality where the rules of fear just didn't work out they adapted; as much as they shape a universe, the universe is shaping them up in response. The wackiest thing I thought doing was to reverse the whole point of the fears! Why not make them into something just as sinister but incorporating the concept of cosmic bliss instead of cosmic horror.

I really wanted to make the #Hopes to feel like they wanted the best for humanity while in actuality they corrupt you just as much as the fears, they strip humanity of everything.

Just like the fears, the hopes have different relations or overlaps with other hopes. They have counters and different amounts of "reasoning".

Another very important aspect of this series is that I want to chose a different power that will act like a catalyst for the end :)

I will continue by listing all the hopes, their extended phrase and other names if they have any:

The Salvation -> It includes the bliss of faith in a higher power that can save and protect, it also represent feeling of goodness like lack of hunger, pain or sorrow. It presents itself as what the human desires the most to see as its protector. Its whole stick is that it wants to human to believe in something without reason and the power of rituals.

The Beginning -> It revolves around the concepts of birth, of new beginnings and of constant replacement of the old. It's a rather crass power that "sees" everyone like cattle. Eggs, fertilization, cell division, cancers and any other method of expansion and reproduction are represented by the beginning.

The Regeneration -> It's a power fueled by marine biologists that take their job to the extreme... so much that they start integrating the power of organisms that live for hundreds of years. I feel like avatars of The Regeneration would be slightly okay with avatars The Beginning.

The Fresh -> Nature, forests of any kind or any plant is what this power focuses on. It is a very passive power, waiting for people to go inside and change their bodies to fit in with the surroundings. It takes piece after piece from humans that dare to defy it and changes them to be the beautiful flowers they all are! :) The only reason I chose this name for the power is because I wanted to keep a semblance to the old name.

The Laughter -> This power is focused on peace and laughter. I imagine a closed hippie community in the middle of nowhere that live together. They have a very unnerving never ending laughter in comparison to outsiders. They will never attack anyone no matter how that will affect them. The power does have its ways of convincing people to live peacefully even if it is by force.

The Escape -> I see this power appear as a random hole, door or opening where you can safely escape from a chase. The catch is that it changes how victims perceive reality so they feel the need to escape situations that were actually safe. I haven't decided whether the apparent increase in the need to escape is because of the hope's influence or because of how humans want to escape from danger. This power feels so unfair, so unjust, tricking victims ! I hate it :<

The Bright devotees are searching for the everlasting sun that has to cover the whole universe with its glorious light! This power started since the beginning of humanity when they used the light fire to guide themselves. Functionally they are very similar to The Dark, blinding light still makes everyone not see anything -_-. I imagine they would exist in areas surrounded by artificial lights constantly and are trying to find a way to make the universe be engrossed in light.

The Proper is an entity that had many names before I chose this one. I named it The Real, The Familiar, The Science, The Testable, The Method just because I felt it felt antithetical to The Stranger. It wasn't enough. The Proper represents the need for rules and compartmentalization that humanity has always felt. This power is def a "lawful lawful" on the DND alignment chart.

The Veil is just a shameless copy of the Society of the blind eye from Gravity Falls, I can't deny that. Just a lot more spread out over the world. Memory alteration and erasure is what makes this group fearsome. They don't want the world to know that The Hopes are real.

The Cut is such a stark contrast to The Web that I wonder if the hopes are even trying to hide their motivations. The cut became influential much, much later than most powers, starting to gain victims when the first movies were created. They represent the chaos within all, the uncertainty that has to be present at all times to give life meaning. They worship the free will that will never abide by rules. A fight against a plot, a narrative.

The Shelter is another one that went through many revisions. I just couldn't make something that is the opposite of the Vast but not end up with the Buried lol. I made it about buildings, isolation inside the safety of walls of concrete. While the power is mainly preoccupied with physical shelters I wouldn't overrule other types of manifestation. If I were to make a story I would overview how this power can be about being withdrawn physically and mentally. Maybe the walls don't even have to be really there to affect someone; the struggle is just as real.

The Creation is about constant new objects, consumerism and how creating stuff can bring the end of everything. I even named it the Ember of Creation at some point to make a small reference to The Desolation. I would envision factories and mass-produced cheap items combined with the pollution they produce. It would prey on people with a knack for inventions and reward them with a soul-sucking job.

The Unburdened -> Another power that I had to try very hard not to make into The Vast. What could be the opposite of The Buried in a way that could give bliss, hope and satisfaction to humans ? The answer was staring at me in the face! What about being so free of burden that you can float into the open sky! I had created a schism in how the avatars of The Unburdened work. There were 3 factions, The Feathery Ones, The Umbrella Aristocrats and The Dirigible Family. I would say they hate each other claiming that the other factions don't understand how to detach themselves from the burden of earth.

The Friendly -> They would exist inside fraternities and other close knitted groups. It would manifest without sign, stripping away at the individuality of each part while increasing the pleasure of spending time with their friend.

The Line -> A entity devoted to the objective truth of the universe. I named this hope The Line just because I found it funny to have an infinite line of knowledge as a ritual for this entity because it will never end! Maybe sources of powers would be libraries and research sites. I could see them hating the Veil that hides the truth.

I have so much more to add to this post and I cant wait to show everyone about all my other variants of the Fears corrupted by other fears OOOO

#tma spoilers #spoiler #tma fanart #tma podcast #tmafears #tma hopes #season 5 spoiler #fan creation #fan fears #i made this and i don't know how to tag #tma fan electrohoney's entities

[creatingblackcharacters]

Character design anon back! You're right, sorry for asking such a vague question lmao.

You covered braids twists and afros in your lessons so far, so how about puffs and beads? Any notes on that? I gave one of my younger biracial characters a mix of microbraids and puffs, because she's creatively inclined and spends a lot of time at home, so I thought she'd have enough time and motivation for a more time-consuming hairstyle.

On a similar note, that ask about the survivalist character was very helpful. Any other hairstyles that you would think are unrealistic if you saw them in a fantasy setting with no magic or technology to keep in mind?

I wanted one of my characters to straighten her hair to represent she was suppressing parts of herself to fit in with a society that didn't accept her as she was, but let her hair recover its natural shape when she stops trying to earn their approval and becomes more comfortable being herself. Do you think that be a respectful use of her design to represent her character arc? I got this idea from my own experiences with my hair, but I know her racial context is very different to mine and I wouldn't want to be insensitive. Straightening her hair might not be realistic for her in this setting either, but I'm worried that if she covers her hair and "grows out of it" that might send the wrong message. Any alternatives or should I write off the idea entirely?

Afro puffs and beads are always amazing. I love both. Puffs are an afro style, so that was already covered- you'd just have to do more searching for what you specifically want. Beads and ornamentation are lovely, but we also have to keep in mind that some jobs won't let you have them. So, depending on the job, maybe not permanent beads. I have these gold loc bands that I love putting in my hair for special occasions, but some folks are just fashionistas 🤷🏾‍♀️ so... We just have fun with it! Full beaded styles tend to be seen more on children, though. Like the braided styles with beads down the braid? Usually on kids, though it's always cool to see an adult with it (there's a movie where Alfre Woodard wears them and she rocks it).

Your character's style sounds cute!

With no magic? Straight hair lol. Bone straight hair on a black person in a fantasy or olden setting with no magic or means is super unrealistic to me. Bc how did it get that straight? Who did it? Using what? You're telling me it was easier to finagle together a hot comb to straighten her hair in these times than to just... Let it be an afro? Really? Is she rich with servants who'll comb it? Do they do it every night so it never frizzes up in any weather? Like I'm sure it's possible, but... 😬

I see what you're saying, and I remember a similar concept in the book Raybearer, where Tarisai's hair is always in tight braids until she begins to come to her own, and then it unleashes into a beautiful afro for the first time. So I don't think the change is a bad idea! Because ik that's what happened to me too- as I began to love myself, it meant loving my own hair, too. Starting fresh!

You may not be familiar with the Tignon laws (I think I mentioned it in the hair lessons) but that's what covering her hair reminds me of. Now, if you do it respectfully, it could fall into context like that- where her natural hair is seen as "bad", but as she learns to love herself, she defies society by loving and choosing her hair. So again, I don't think it's a bad idea! Just show your respect, especially if you're a nonblack author. Don't romanticize the oppression of it. Recognize the context, and recognize what some of your Black readers will be able to read out of it. Be sure to do your research on how to care for her hair. No point in having symbolism that sits so heavily on hair that you don't bother to actually love and care for.

That's my opinion on it, though! Hope it helps!

#creatingblackcharacters

[red-man-of-mustache]

I managed to get my old blog back! Last time I contacted Tumblr support they basically shrugged their shoulders like they couldn't/wouldn't do anything. This time it only took ONE message and bam, I have access again. It feels good to go back and reminisce. See a bunch of old ideas I had for Mario and whatnot. I'm gonna get a little feelsy under the cut though, I just wanted to tell someone about this. I won't be going back to it or anything as I've already started over here but it's nice to have possession over it. Two-factor authentication did it's job(a little too well) when I lost that old phone number.

I made that blog when my then girlfriend suggested I do so. Tumblr wasn't even in my sights at the time. I was fresh out of High School and the tumultuous time I spent there was horrific to my general inspiration to write. What I mean is, I began Freshman year full of hope and vigor. I even wanted to write a book. I still have about six or seven chapters of it somewhere in my laptop but I gave up around sophomore year as I was an outcast, dealing with an alcoholic parent, and all around just not having a good run of things IRL. Thusly I moved further and further from certain hobbies I enjoyed, like writing/role-playing.

As stated, I graduated High School in June of 2014 and my girlfriend suggested I make a rp blog for Mario in July of that same year. I thought nothing of it. I made the blog, followed a bunch of people, and sat back for a bit to see how it was done. I learned some of the terminology and then got right to it! To this day it was the most fun I've had just goofing off, making random jokes with people across the fandom, and not having a care in the world to drag me down.

It was an escape.

If any of you were around, you'll know I spoke about follower count a lot back then. That wasn't to brag, rather I was amazed that people would follow my dumb ol' blog whether it be to watch me write or write with me. The concept still amazes me to this day really. I started going to college shortly after, and admittedly I would often be blogging when I should have been doing homework or even in the middle of class. I loved(and still love) what I was doing. I enjoy writing Mario because I grew up with him and I find comfort in his games. Mario represents a part of me that feel as though I've lost touch with in recent years. The bravery, the happy-go-lucky. The optimism.

As I wrote through the years, on and off through to 2018, I met a lot of people and more often than not I'd vanish on these newfound connections because just to be blunt I am horrible at keeping in touch. Absolutely dogshit at it. If I go too long without speaking to someone I just would figure why bother? Then never say anything again. A vicious cycle really if you feel like an outcast because you reinforce those feelings through inaction.

I was in an especially horrible slump the year I lost that blog. I had a job I hated(but paid well) I was smoking constantly to escape the pain, and I was in a very unsavory living situation. From almost every angle I felt suppressed and tumblr was my only escape. But I started letting it affect my time here as well. Another not so glamorous fact about me: I have trouble letting go of things. Paradoxical with what I just mentioned about keeping in touch I know but people, things, experiences, I cling to the good in my life given the trials I've had to endure. So, I contacted support and tried to hash things out. I was turned down and although I felt at the time it wasn't fair I could just pick back up and do as I used to do, for once I resolved to not give up and made this blog here. I still had access through my old phone(the app specifically. That was the only place I was still logged into it on)) it just didn't have service or the phone number assigned to it for me to receive the Two-factor authentication code.

It hurt at the time to archive my old blog and just go about my day but that was a practice in letting go. Sort of. I'm still using the same name, same character, and my method of writing is just a little bit spruced up. But I needed it. I needed to move on because there was just as much pain associated with that blog as there was good times. I needed to grow and move past it. And I did.

Of course, I took an extended hiatus on this blog as well. At the time I was financially in the gutter, emotionally I was volatile and my physical health didn't help either of those things. It's not all bad though. I've made a lot of good progress recently. The past year really. Unfortunately at first, my weed consumption got to the point where I could hardly function in day-to-day life without it and I was simultaneously worse off mentally for it. It almost drove me to suicide. I did attempt it, once. But that was my breaking point. May of last year. I decided I cannot go on this way and I checked myself into a mental hospital.

After a short stay I came out with a new resolve to fix my life and get over the time I wasted burying my feelings in THC. I had quit, after smoking daily from 2015 until then(2023) I stopped cold turkey. That jumpstart being away from it for a week helped a lot. I'll be a year clean in two months. Afterwards I started seeking better job opportunities, even working two jobs at one point to maximize gain. The truck my uncle helped me get had broken down in November and well, I decided that it would take an exorbitant amount to tow and fix it. I took THAT money and went to the dealership, got a used car I loved. First time I've had a car note in my adult life and I was 27 at the time. My mom (who deserves her own post really. She's not been the best person and that's putting it lightly) ended up in the hopsital around that same time for dry bronchitis. Still an alcoholic by the way, but I actually had hope for her. If I could kick my habit then she should be able to as well, right??

Wrong. She got out the hospital and got even worse. I came back home to look after her tentatively for a bit but planned on going back with my roommate afterwards. Her belligerent drunken rants had gotten markedly worse and if I were to guess it was that brush with death. She claims she went to the hospital because she couldn't breath. I wasn't around at the time to get her there but someone luckily was. Fast Forward to the end of January. My mom and I get into an argument. Usually that doesn't happen because I'll either let her speak her piece and move on or I legit just ignore her. But tonight she was trying to get physical with me, a grown man. Throughout my childhood she was physically, verbally, and emotionally abusive and always used threats to keep me in line but she realized none of that worked anymore and was especially angry.

She was poking at me, trying to land punches on me and eventually I shoved her away. I tried multiple times to walk away by this point by going to other parts of the house but she would follow me, block my way and again try to get physical. Things simply boiled over. After shoving her she grew angrier and we got into things physically. I didn't hit her the entire time. Not a scratch was on her because(and this isn't my ego talking) I was only trying to control the situation. I mostly pushed her around while she clawed at my face, threw things, and she ended up hitting me with an air fryer. When she did that I called the police.

The police came and saw the two of us. Me bleeding with cuts on my face and her unmarked. They spoke to both of us and took me to the hospital and her as well to get examined. I was able to go home that night. She went to jail.

My brother heard what happened and stole my car that night, but again that's a story for another time.

I'm putting all this out there about me because I returned to rping Mario a little bit after all this happened(January 31-February 1st is when it all went down). I was going through a lot on my old blog but I still chugged along because life has it's ups and downs. That's something Mario would say. This past year I've won more than I lost. I've been getting therapy as well to try and pin down if I have anything going on in the ol' noggin so, really, I'm in a place where I think I can sustain this hobby again. At first it felt like life crushed my optimism and hope for a better future but that was because I let it.

I say all this to say, that I'm glad to be back. I'm glad all of you no matter if we write together everyday or every other day gives me a chance. It warms my heart to write these posts even if I'm not here everyday. Sometimes I get busy, sometimes I don't have the energy but I refuse to give up as I've done in the past. That will never happen again.

So bear with me is all I ask. I wouldn't give this up for the world.

#ℳ ➙ Player One | OOC | #tw:suicide #tw: abuse #tw: alchohol mention #tw: substance abuse #tw: blood #tw: violence

[barry-j-blupjeans]

2022 TAZ Fic Recs!!

There has been so many bangers I've read this year, oh my goddd. This list is mainly just me going through my bookmarks to share everything that's on them, because other people deserve to see them. I will not be @-ing every author, because honestly, I don't know if all of them have Tumblrs or what their usernames are if they do sldfsdf. But they'll be linked with the story!

Fics with a black heart emoji (🖤) in front of them have content warnings that really need to be adhered. I'm taking warnings from what I remember and what is in the tags of the story already. If I need to add anything else, let me know.

On the Deck of the Starblaster by papergardener - The Starblaster crew takes a well-deserved break in the sun. It's so soft that it makes my heart kinda ache, tbh! Could not recommend more.

parlay, as a gamble by anistarrose - Lucretia doesn't erase the concept of Parley as well as she meant to and Merle reaches out to the Red Robe. This one is beautifully heartbreaking and hilarious, I'm in love with it.

🖤 Symptoms by The_Fanfic_Train - The crew has defeated the Hunger and now they must through the mortifying ordeal of healing. This one got me real good, ngl. It shows so much growth and strength and adds a very realistic side to the characters that I very much enjoyed reading.

Warning for suicidal tendencies, negative thoughts, and self-destructive behaviors, and mentions of blood.

Who Have You Become In The Wake of All That's Happened? by ArtsyRiv - Magnus and his experiences with his hair and the styling of those around him. As someone who has also written an entire fic about hair, this is so beautiful. It captures the feelings connected to hair presentation so, so well and, to top it all off, T4T Magnulia, hell yeah.

🖤 I Tried To Do The Best That I Could by ArtsyRiv - Lucretia's been having nightmares in the wake of the Redaction. She's not coping with it well. This story is so beautifully written and pulls you along with all the feelings and emotions mixed in. It's soul-destroying but in a beautiful way.

Warning for self-harm, EDNOS/Eating disorders, some suicidal ideation, and an emetophobia warning.

Caves and Cypress by crowsong - In the simplest of terms, a character study of Barry between the end of Stolen Century and the beginning of Here There Be Gerblins. It's amazingly complex and so well thought out. It tossed me between angst and yearning so quickly that all my emotions jumbled up and came out as tears. There are some fun Barry and Lucretia interactions in here, as well as some very fun Barry and Kravitz interactions.

it's my party and I'll mope if I want to by Grabbingatpowerandkissingit - Angus and Lucretia make Taako a birthday cake. It's fun and funky and fresh, with a very nice little dash of angst sprinkled in. I adore it in every way.

Someone I Have Loved, But Never Known by anistarrose - A fucking fantastic AU of Barry and Lup also being voidfished and remembering their married but don't remember it's too each other. It's hilarious and so in character, I could not recommend it more.

I Saw Seven Bounties by umbraastaff (jothending) - Kravitz took all seven bounties because things like this usually come as package deals. He soon realizes he's sorely mistaken. This one is so fun. I have so many thoughts about Barry and Kravitz's interactions between Stolen Century and HTBG's and this fulfills like, half of them at least. The writing style is so charming and nice, I very highly suggest you read it.

leaving, as an injustice by anistarrose - Another absolute banger by Rose. Sort of a spiritual successor to "parley, as a gamble" further up the list, this is another fantastic Merle fic. With Mavis as the main character, we get to see Merle in a light that not a lot of people choose to write about. It's fantastic and deep and beautiful, an amazing read.

Some of my best friends are liches by Grabbingatpowerandkissingit - So, so, so good. What if Lup had gotten out of the umbrastaff really early? What if they had to deal with two Red Robes instead of one? Everything Reese writes is delightful and zesty, but I have a special place in my heart for this one.

if the grim reaper takes your professor before class starts then you're legally allowed to leave

if the grim reaper takes your professor before class starts then you're legally allowed to leave by anistarrose - Such a good take on another Barry lives after the Redaction AU. It's so funny and so good.

Scamming me, scamming you by Noodyl - Taako thinks he's flirting with Kravitz. Kravitz thinks he's being scammed (and he's kinda loving it?). This is so hilarious and I love the way Noodyl writes Kravitz, it's so very good. A perfect fun fic to wipe away all your sorrows.

🖤 Immortal Mortality by vacuumfluorescentdisplay - I just discovered this author and I'm going wild about them, just a little. This is such a good take on various deaths throughout the Stolen Century. It's so lived-in and refreshing to read and it brings a lot of humanity to the Starblaster crew, dealing with the most living-being-oriented problem: Death. Fantastic read and fantastic writing.

Warning for character death, including drowning and extreme hypothermia. There are also blood mentions and injury descriptions.

unreliable narrator by owlinaminor - An older fic but such a powerful one. It shares Lucretia's POV throughout her entire life up until just after Story and Song. It has given me a new way to view Lucretia and the way I write her and is such an impactful story. The writing style is fantastic and beautiful, I cannot recommend this more.

but the strange lights in the sky were shining by anistarrose - Barry knows things are off but he can't pinpoint why. This one so perfectly captures the feeling of offness from being in a new world but not being able to remember how or why you got there. It's very quick-paced and really captures you in the moment of it all. So good.

Live Like This by Grabbingatpowerandkissingit - Reese has once again taken an already brilliant AU idea (Tuck Everlasting-based AU, my beloved) and made it amazing. Barry's reoccurring encounters at the Fair and his life in between. It's an amazing story and so lived-in and thought-out. It's so very good.

Offworld by vacuumfluorescentdisplay - Last but certainly not least, this masterpiece. I just finished reading this the day I'm writing this and it's incredible. Barry is trying to escape his (criminal) pass and Taako and Lup are just trying to stay alive. This story follows their trip and their slow fall into trust. Tom is so good at world-building and making the characters feel multi-dimensional. The world(s) here are fantastically built and the storyline is even better. Again, I would very highly recommend it.

And that's it!! This got a little long but I wanted to make sure I didn't miss anyone on my list sldkfsdf. Shout out to all these amazing authors and all the ficlets I've been seeing all over my dash. There's so much life and love in this fandom and I adore reading every single thing I come across.

#taz #taz balance #<- since they're all taz balance sldkfjsdf #the adventure zone #the adventure zone balance #fic recs #save #i am speaking #fr go read all of these they're fantastic