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mo-mode · 3 months

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Back on my Screenwriter soap box while watching PJO: They should have bought a bunch of oil diffusers.

(Edit: This post was made before someone pointed out to me that I missed a key line of dialogue, but my points and theories still stand for the same reasons backing up my original post so I’m not changing anything. The dialogue I missed lets us know that Hermes told Percy the lotus was being pumped into the air off-screen. It’s also implies (? I’m still on the fence about this one?) that Hermes told him what day it is, but I missed these during my first three watches because of how quick and vague it was. Which actually kind of supports my point on why visual indicators are so important. Without these, it’s easy to miss key information. And remember, it’s a kid’s show. ANYWAY my conclusions haven’t changed, and I still believe these edits would work better than the quick line of dialogue so just keep this in mind. Thanks.)

(I’m not being nit-picky. I swear. Just hear me out.) So the weirdest thing to me in episode six was how Percy just…learned everything so quickly without any visual indicators? Like they know time passed because it’s dark outside, but how did he know it was Thursday? They know they were affected by the lotus flowers, but how does he know it was pumped into the air? This irked me because even if he’s smart enough to figure some of this out himself (which he is) we as the audience should still be able to follow his thought process instead of learning after the fact.

What if there were oil diffusers?

So imagine the trio walks into the Lotus, figures out this is like the Odyssey, and decides not to eat anything. They waltz in super confident that they cracked the code, but they were wrong. How do we know? Because the moment they enter the crowd, we get an establishing shot of a lotus-branded oil diffuser letting out steam.

Immediately, we as the audience realize their mistake, making it just that more tantalizing to watch. As the episode continues, we realize they’re everywhere. There’s a diffuser in the plants, on the counter, between the game tables, always right out of the corner of our eyes. They just keep churning out lotus-scented oil into the air, which we can infer because we’re smart. (Remember that.)

Now when Percy realizes what’s going on, we know HOW they’re doing it and HOW Percy knows without being told!! Because they were there the whole time.

Onto Thursday.

Consider: A watch.

What if Hermes has the only watch in the casino until the trio walks in with their own?

Let’s give Annabeth one of those cheap, funky watches that gives the time, day, month, year, etc. Something you get from a kids toy catalogue. It’s waterproof, glows in the dark, has an alarm or whatever. I feel like Annabeth would have one of those. (And honestly, she might already. I forgot.) The most important feature for us, though, is the day. It clearly tells us the day of the week.

It’s pretty easy to establish that Annabeth has the watch. Just do it the same way they establish the date: Percabeth arguing over it in the truck. Annabeth shows him the watch. Establishing shot of the watch’s face. That’s it. No bells or whistles necessary. Then when they get to the casino, Annabeth checks it one more time (without an establishing shot, she just does it casually) and they walk in.

(It’s so easy. I promise.)

While Grover is walking around alone, he tries to check the time and realizes there’s no clocks. (Which ngl is super common in casinos already, but it’s creepy nonetheless.) Yada yada, he gets sucked in by Augustus and that’s how he gets got.

Meanwhile, Percy and Annabeth keep meaning to check the time, but every time they do, someone tries to hand them an appetizer or a drink, which makes them forget OR Annabeth’s hubris keeps her from checking. (Percy: Time check? Annabeth: Its only been five minutes. We’re fine. We need to focus.)

And that brings us to Hermes. After their chat, yada yada, Annabeth “leaves” and Hermes gets all cryptic, then he makes a BIG show of checking his watch, and THAT’S when Percy realizes something’s wrong because oh no they haven’t checked the time. So he finds Annabeth, they see it’s dark outside, they check her watch, and it’s Thursday.

“But we didn’t eat anything!” Annabeth says. Percy looks at the diffusers by the entrance. It dawns on him. “They’re pumping it into the air.”

That’s how you VISUALLY SHOW US THINGS instead of Percy just figuring everything out off-camera and telling us!!!!

Now, you may be thinking “Oh but do they have the budget for that??” Do you know how cheap these props are? Just bulk buy like six oil diffusers, slap a homemade sticker of a lotus flower on them, and keep moving them into every shot. And they’re quiet!! They wouldn’t interfere with the sound, the steam is visible enough to be caught on camera without messing with the lighting, they actually look really cool in some lighting, and they fit the atmosphere of a hotel/casino!! Then the watch is like $15, fits with Annabeth’s character, and totally matches her outfit.

It’s CHEAP! It’s EASY! It DOESN’T CUT INTO THE RUN TIME! It’s AESTHETICALLY PLEASING! ANNABETH GETS A SICK WATCH!! NO DOWNSIDES!!!!

The biggest problem with this show isn’t how accurate it is to the book or how much money they have or that they’re “Disney-fying” it. The problem is they are TELLING US things instead of SHOWING us. And not to beat a dead horse because everyone’s heard of “Show Don’t Tell” but like??? This is exactly why everyone is taught this over and over again in school?? Because people still do it anyway all the time???

There’s also something else I learned (or really just picked up) when I got my B.A. in Creative Writing: Good shows are predictable.

Whether it’s a case of the audience learning what’s going to happen before it happens or them watching the show again and realizing how obvious the answer was the whole time, audiences always want to feel smart. They want to interact with the material. If you don’t give them the opportunity to pick apart the mystery themselves by setting down clues, they’ll give up on interacting with the show and lose interest. That’s why you SHOW them things. There are several moments where this show is completely unpredictable, not because it’s complex but because it doesn’t let you predict it. That doesn’t make it bad—the comedy and character development is doing a great job of carrying the show’s weight so far. But it definitely doesn’t make the show good.

It’s like Rube Goldberg machines. Or dominoes! We don’t watch those crazy 1000+ domino videos so we can watch the last one fall. We watch it to see HOW they fall. Take one domino out, and it’s unsatisfactory. It doesn’t work anymore.

But some oil diffusers and a watch??? Little clues that make the realization that more visually appealing??? THAT’S SATISFYING

Anyway, these are just two things that could have been done, but weren’t. Most of the show is stellar. I think it just needs a little bit of editing here and there. I studied this for like years, and I needed to get this off my chest. That’s it.

Rick Riordan, if you ever see this, I am available for hire :) I would love to be a script doctor please please please please

#THIS IS SO IMPORTANT TO ME YOU DONT UNDERSTAND #I swear I can be so helpful Rick #hire me #i’m a screenwriter i promise i’m legit #btw this is NOT an opportunity to say you hate the show in the notes I will find you #percy jackson #pjo #percy jackon and the olympians #percy jackson and the olympians #pjo tv show #percy jackson tv show #pjo spoilers #percy jackson the lightning thief #pjo series #screenwriting #grover underwood #annabeth chase #hermes

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chatterbox-73 · 24 days

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Smut book 2024.

After hours.

Tenya Iida x fem!Reader.

This story is a smut story, I’ll more characters x reader one shots in the future and if you want to see a character please let me know.

You must be 18 years or older to read this...

🔞⚠️NO MINORS ALLOWED⚠️🔞

A/N: this is a request and I honestly love it… I’m a total sucker for Iida… I hope I did it justice.😅

@123344myah

Also I’ve changed the name of a certain phone app because firstly I kinda don’t think they’d have SC in the mha universe, secondly don’t think I should be using TM names and finally why the heck not…😁 Pictalk = SC. (I know real creative..😂)

Pictures is edited be me… it’s been sitting in my gallery for some time, waiting for the right chance to be used. (Original unedited manga panel from ‘tada no renai nanka de kikkonai’)

Summary: you sneak into Iida’s dorm room for some after hours funny and getting caught is the last thing on your mind.

Word count: 4.1k

CW: NSFW and adult content, oral (f!Receiving), fingering, unprotected sex, dirty talk, sexting, sending nudes, rough sex, missionary and doggy, teasing, pet names, pleasure dom!Iida, spanking, slight degradation and swearing. (All characters are aged up)

You sat at the small floor table in the middle of your boyfriend’s dorm room, you watched intently as the man sitting across from you wrote large and seemingly unending paragraphs, while your own workbook remanded bare. The man looked up from his page to you with a curious look, “is something the matter?” He asked looking down at your book noticing it’s emptiness, while focused on your book you leant over and pressed a lingering kiss on his lips, “I just need to do that, I couldn’t focus until I got a taste” you smiled and licked your lips, the man looked at you with shock before sitting back and resting on his palm, “you know I’ll need payback now” Iida spoke as he look at you lips that had your lipstick smeared over them.

Tenya iida was such a reliable and caring boyfriend, he always took such good care of you and expected nothing in return, however he has always been quite prideful and this has resulted in him frequently trying to get even, it doesn’t matter how small the incident, he’s incredibly petty but you honestly love it about him, though you probably wouldn’t say it. Tenya often gets quite embarrassed by affection and will almost always shy away from it, but in small moments the man will soothe and comfort you.

You’re broken from your thoughts as you feel Iida’s callus thumb rub over your bottom lip, he wiped away the smudged lipstick before holding your chin and leaning in, however just before your lips had a chance to touch Iida’s dorm room door open suddenly, you both jumped away from each other and looked to the door, “now I’m certain there’s a ‘open door’ rule for when you’re studying with girls…” aizawa sighed as he looked at Iida with a tired expression. “Yes, I now remember that rule being mentioned, once or twice” Iida looked to you and all you could do was snicker, “yep, sounds about right” you cough out as you begin gathering your books and stationary from the table, you stood and quickly left the room with all your belongings, as you exited the room you heard Aizawa tell Iida it was lights out, before you could run off however the teacher stopped you, “straight to your dorm room… and no coming back here, study is over it’s lights out” he closed Iida’s door and turned to look at you, you nod “I haven’t had a chance to bathe, can I do that before I go to sleep?” You asked and the man sighs, it didn’t take a fortune teller to guess what you’d try and do, but Aizawa figured he should give you the benefit of the doubt, he should trust you, “fine… you can bathe, but no funny business… not tonight” he huffed and walked away muttering something about an argument between Midoriya and Bakugo.

You got back into your dorm room and packed away all your books and stationary before grabbing your bath bag, night clothes and towel, before making the trip to the bathroom. Getting into the bathroom you pulled out your phone and placed it on the side of the bathtub while you turned on the water waiting for the tub to fill, as you waited you undressed and began scrubbing your body at one of the washing stations, as you finished the bath water was full and you settled in.

You leaned your head back with your eyes closed for quite sometime before pulling out your phone and scrolling through it, watching random videos before a Pictalk notification popped in the top corner of your screen, clicking it a picture of a dark room with the caption that read

‘how much trouble did you get in?’

You smiled and snapped a picture of the steamy bathroom mirror and captioned it with.

‘None really… just a “don’t come back here, study is over >:(“‘

You chuckled and pulled yourself out of the water, sitting on the edge of the tub still allowing your legs to soak, another notification popped up and you clicked into it. It was of Iida’s neatly made bed.

‘Haha… you’re only bathing now?’

You smiled and shook your head, before taking a picture of your bare legs resting in the water.

‘Yeah, someone kept me busy with studying’

You watched the speech bubble in the messages pop up before disappearing and reappearing several times before finally you received a picture response, this picture was of Iida pulling a playful frown.

‘Are you trying to start something?’

You laughed at his expression before stepping out of the bath and emptying the water, as the bath drained you walked over to the mirror and wiped away a little of the steam, only leaving enough to cover below your hips, you stood in front of the mirror and covered a hand over your breasts before smiling and taking a picture, you send the picture with the caption.

‘start something? But I’m a good girl’

You waited patiently for Iida’s response while you dried yourself, then came in the next picture, Iida had also sent a picture of him standing in his mirror shirtless and one hand resting over his clothes crotch. The picture was captioned.

‘You’re testing my patience baby’

You smiled and wondered how far you could take this before one of you got impatient, though the way things are going anyone else would think Iida was moments away from giving in but that just wasn’t the case and the both of you knew it, you wipe down the rest of the mirror before sitting back on the ground and open your legs, you rubbed two fingers over your entrance before sliding them in, you took a picture of yourself through the mirror, with your best ‘O’ face and the caption.

‘So warm and wet…’

You waited and as you did your fingers worked in and out of you before moving to rubbed your clit, moaning you almost didn’t hear your phone chime, opening the picture you blushed and chuckled as you saw Iida’s long and thick member on the screen, he only have two fingers wrapped around the base, this time no caption was with the picture. However a voice note was sent moments later.

“I bet that pussy is nice and ready, you always are”

You heard the chuckle and groan in his voice and you knew exactly what he was doing while sending that voice note, you sent back a voice note.

“I’ll show you mine if you show me yours”

Iida knew exactly what you were asking but instead all you got back was nothing, no voice note, no picture, not even a message, you scrambled to get dressed in your night clothes and grabbed your belongings. You walk down to the laundry room and put your clothes and towel in the washing machine, and left your bath bag next to the machine you were using, after this you wasted no time going to Iida’s dorm room.

You opened the door and walked in, the room was dark and as you looked towards Iida’s bed you noticed he was laying back with his blanket over him, he was fully dress in his goofy pyjamas, he looked as though he wasn’t just sending you dirty messages, “Tenya… Tenya you need to be awake” you whispered and walked over to him, you knew he wasn’t asleep, you had seen him sleep plenty of times so you knew he was awake, “Tenya sit up and take care of me” you whined as you grabbed at his pyjama top, the man chuckled as he sat up and looked down at you, “you’re such a greedy girl… we were told lights out and yet you’re here because of a picture” Iida sighed and brushed a strand of hair behind your ear, “I guess it can’t be helped… strip for me please” he smiled and you stood and moved to take off your shirt before stopping and looking to your boyfriend, “what about you?” You asked and Iida frowned “I said strip” he snapped and you quickly began removing your shirt, Iida nodded and looked at your breasts before he moved to sit on the edge of the bed, he motioned for you to step closer to him, so he could grab your arms and pressed them into your sides, your face became flushed as Iida trailed his tongue up your stomach to your sternum, he stopped and placed a kiss on your skin before moving to lick over your right nipping, you whined and pressed your legs together, before the man moved onto your other nipping this time suckling on it, “you’re sucking it like a baby” you breathlessly chuckled, Iida looked up at you with a hard stare before biting roughly on the side of your breast, you yelped and your boyfriend pulled you down slightly to capture your lips in an open mouth kiss, you gasped and cried out in surprise as Iida tongue took control over your mouth, the way he’s slurp and wriggle his tongue reminded you of all the times he’d eat you out.

Pulling away from you and loosing his grip, allowing his hand to slide down your arms and rest on your hips before he slowly pulled down your pants, leaving you in nothing but the pink girlish panties you’d normally never let Tenya see. “Aww how cute” he laughed as he kissed just above your waistband, “it’s not funny, I didn’t think when I grabbed them” you whined and felt Iida move you onto his bed to lay down on your back, “I think they’re cute… they’re so innocent and sweet” he smiled as he leaned in and whispered in your ear “reminds me of our first time… you were such a good girl, so patient” his voice was hushed and relaxed as he slowly pulled your panties to the side before leaning down and pressing a soft kiss over your entrance, “how badly do you want it greedy girl?” Iida asked, his hot breath brushing over your cunt, you whined and wiggled your hips “so badly… I need it” you moaned softly, trying to keep your voice down.

You cried out as you felt your boyfriend’s tongue lick slow strips up the length of your cunt, “more… Tenya, I need more…” you whimpered encouraging your boyfriend, Iida was a beast the way he’d devour you, you were certain given the chance Iida would eat you anywhere and anytime, he’d always put his all into eating you, he’d lick; suck and slurp, Iida was a shameless man when it came to having you on his tongue, he’d say the most vile and lewd things you’d ever heard from him, it was honestly pornography the things he’d come out with; and this time was no different.

“You taste like heaven… if men knew just how sweet you tasted, they’d be on their knees praying to you” he groaned as he licked between your folds, before wriggling his tongue inside you, “I’d lick your cunt raw if only you’d let me… I’d eat you every minute of the day and only take breaks to fuck you” he moaned into you before kissing up to your clit before wrapping his lips around it and suckling on it for dear life, you cried out loudly completely foregetting where you were, “tenya I’m… I’m…” you arched you back and wrapped your legs around Iida’s head as you grabbed roughly at his neatly groomed hair, “…oh god… yes tenya… yes…” you whimpered as your body seized up and you began coming undone on your boyfriend’s mouth, he groaned and moved back your entrance, sliding his tongue back into you as his fingers began rubbing quickly over your clit, “holy fuck… ten… oh tenya” you gasped as you started to and push Iida away, however he only continued. You took a sharp breath in, then took another and another, before suddenly losing the ability to breath, it took Iida only a few seconds to realise what was happening behind he moved up to you and brushed your hair from your face, “breath baby, breath out” he encouraged as his thumb rubbed soft circles on your jaw, you breathed out quickly before sucking in a deep breath, while Iida continued encouraging you.

Once fully calm your boyfriend chuckled and settled himself between your legs, “that was scary… you wanna continue?” He asked as he leant back down ready to pick up where he left off, “I wanna… but not like that… I wanna have you inside me” you hummed as you pulled off your underwear and opened your legs as wide as you could, “I want it all inside, to the base Tenya” you used your fingers to spread your folds apart as your laid back and waited for your boyfriend. Iida watched your cunt intensely as it squeezed around nothing, before he pulled off his shirt and pulled his throbbing cock from his pants, shifting the fabric down only enough for him to hang comfortably, the man pumped himself slowly and reached into his bedside table for a condom before rolling down his shaft and spitting on himself rubbing his saliva over his shaft, he than leant down and spat a large ball of saliva over your entrance, “hmmm… nice and wet… you’ll take it all in one now” he hummed as he prodded at your hole with his tip, pushing his saliva in and out, getting his tip wet.

Iida watched your cunt grip him tightly as he began to slowly slide in, once his cock was fully hilted inside you, you both moaned and Iida pressed his forehead against yours, “god fucking damn it… it feels good” he huffed out a string of cusses and rubbed your hips with his thumb as he waited for you to encourage him to move.

Iida had always been a giver, though he disguised it as petty payback… which it partly was… however with that being said Iida was always safe, he never acted reckless or overdid it, though this time was different.

Your hands grabbed Iida’s thick biceps as he gave you long and hard thrusts that caused the bed to thump into the wall, “Christ… you’re perfect” he moaned and grabbed a hold of your legs, he looked down at where the two of you met and smiled, watching the way your walls and opening clung to him so tightly, creating a delicious drag however because of this it was almost too hard for him to set an even pace, “please… more… I need it harder” you moaned as you dug your nails into he’s shoulders, Iida chuckled and began a strong pace. The man groaned and moaned as he held you down while he pushed into you a little bit harder and faster with every thrust, he’d moaned out obscenities while you simply took in the view, you’d finished several times already on his cock and looking down you could see a white ring form around the base of Iida’s cock, “Tenya… Tenya wait” you whine and place a hand on his chest to push him back, “what’s the matter? Is it starting to hurt? Should we stop?” He asked as he pulled out and grabbed the side of your cheek, you shook your head and leaned up “I’m fine, but I know you’ve been holding out for so long… so I want you to enjoy yourself a little” you hummed as you turn over and push your ass up into the air while pressing your face and chest into Iida’s mattress. Iida moved in and began looking over your wet folds, he rubbed his thumb over your cunt before using it to open you up for himself, “baby I’m always happy just giving you whatever you need, but this…” he groaned as he rubbed his tip over your clit, “you really want me to take what I need?” He questioned and you moaned, nodding your head and looking back at him, “I’m beyond satisfied, now I need to feel you cum” you whined as you reached back and grabbed a hold of the condom cover your boyfriend, before you began pulling it off him, the man moaned only to then quickly thrust into you once you pulled the condom completely off and discarded it on the floor, you grasped as Iida set into a brutal pace faster and harder then before, roughly holding your hips to stop your for jolting forward into the headboard, he’d roll his hips every so often and tried to get as deep as your body would allow him.

“I’m gonna cum so deep in you… I’m gonna use you up so no one else will want you” iida moaned as he threw his head back and grabbed at your ass cheeks, harshly smacking them every so often, “you dirty whore… you want that, don’t you?” Another harsh smack followed this and you responded with nothing but a whine. You can’t seem to form a coherent sentence, all that comes out of you is a jumble of words followed by moaning and whining, you were enjoying this, enjoying this more than maybe you should’ve been, “you’re squeezing so tightly…” Iida hummed as he further picked up his pace, he let out a laugh as he grabbed your waist and pulled you back into his thrusts, you could feel him twitching and pulsing with each thrust, “you sure you want it inside… cause if you don’t… I… I won’t” he moaned grinding his hips into you, “yes… god yes… inside please… Tenya please!” You cried loud before quickly having your face shoved into Iida’s pillows, “baby I love hearing your voice but shut the fuck up” he groaned as he held your head in place, while continuing his vicious assault on your cunt. Iida’s breaths become uneven and he lets go of your head and move his hand back to your ass, he grabbed at the flesh and watched as he began long quick, yet uneven thrusts. “Fuck baby, fuck…” he huffed as his hip’s faulted and snapped in towards you, you felt him shutter, soon an indescribable warmth filled your belly, your legs shook and your cunt squeezed uncontrollably, causing Iida to pulled out and begin fingering you, working you through your final orgasm of the night. “Shit… shit baby…” Iida sighed as he sat back on his bed, you crawled over to him weakly and climbed into his lap, “we fucked up… I shouldn’t have let you take it off… I should’ve kept the condom on” he huffed as he rested his head back against the wall, “it’s okay, I’m on the pill” you smiled however Iida did not return that smile, “it doesn’t matter… it was still so reckless of me… to allow you to seduce me into such dangerous play…” he hummed and hugged into you and pressed his face into your neck, “you make me a truly weak man” he sighed and began kissing your neck, “let’s not risk doing it raw again, I’m not a strong enough man for that just yet” he moaned and you couldn’t help but laugh, here was the overly serious and proper boyfriend you fell head over heels in love with, “we could always go one more round, I don’t feel full enough yet” you joked and felt Iida bite your neck before sitting up and frowning at you, “okay, I’ll stop… though it was nice” you hum and quickly stand up, walking into the toilet in the room, “I need a washcloth tenya” you call and heard the man stand from the bed before walking into the toilet with a wet washcloth, “do you need help darling?” Iida passed you the cloth and you nodded as you took it, “yeah it’s pretty deep in, I can’t possibly reach it” you said with a wide smirk, Iida sighed and knelt down “alright I’ll help you”.

You sat in class as All Might finished up giving his feedback on today class, he finally ended his little lecture and dismissed the class but before anyone could stand and leave for the dormitory Aizawa stopped everyone as if he had been waiting outside the classroom door just for All Might to finish, “Bakugo, Midoriya, Iida and L/n, all of you are to stay back” he spoke before letting everybody else leave, All might gave Midoriya a nervous look before leaving himself. All four of you sat facing Aizawa as he sat down on the stool that had been moved into the classroom after he’d lost his leg, “now Bakugo and Midoriya, you both know fighting at school outside of training is prohibited and to fight in the dormitory is next level irresponsible, both of you will have two weeks of after class detention… now get out of my site” he grumbled and both boy stood, beginning to leave, however Midoriya stop near Iida and in a not so quiet whisper “I’ll wait for you out in the hallway” he smiled and Aizawa quickly piped in, “absolutely not… get back to the dormitory” he scolded and this made Midoriya scramble out the door, closing it behind him.

“Now you two, you know why I have you here… don’t you?” Aizawa crossed his arms and looked between the both of you, Iida swallowed as you tried your hardest to keep a straight face. “I have some ideas” your eyes shifted to the side and you smiled nervously, “very funny L/n, but maybe next time you decide to give Iida a past curfew visit make sure I’ve actually finished my rounds…” his frown deepened and you could feel your face go red, “it was quite a surprise to be finished up then suddenly heard a woman’s cries though the boy’s half of the dormitory” Aizawa looked towards Iida and from the corner of your eye, you could see your boyfriend struggling to make eye contact with the teacher, “and then all the banging of what I presume was your bed frame… but hey maybe I’m wrong and you were decorating, and you were just cheering on all his hard work” Aizawa’s face still held a straightness despite his very obvious frustration, “look, you can’t be doing that kind of stuff so freely and openly, if the wrong person heard that or even if someone was able to get a picture or video of you two… because you know how driven some of your classmates are…” Aizawa sighed and uncrossed his arms “if something like that happened to get out to the media, it’d ruin your careers before they have a chance to actually begin…” Aizawa spoke so calmly it was unnerving, he then looked at you and continued on “L/n the public wouldn’t see you as some sweet little sister anymore, you’d be seen as some whore who seduced an honest and just man…” his expression softened and you looked down in shame before he moved onto Iida, “and Iida, the public would start saying your a weak willed man, if you’re lucky… or they’d treat you like a monster for defiling a precious young woman” he said and leant back in his chair with a sigh, Aizawa pinched is nose bridge “you both need to be more careful, I’m not saying you can’t do that you’re both adults and will be out of here in a few months, but you need to think about your image, so no doing that here and no going to love hotels, doing it at one of your homes where your privacy is respected… and you’ll be having two weeks of detention with Midoriya and Bakugo” he grumbled and stood ready to leave, “get out of here, now” he said as he pointed to the door, both you and Iida speedily left the room as you both exited you had Aizawa muttered under his breath questioning how he hadn’t gone grey yet.

“I think it was worth it…” you said walking along side Iida and after a moment of silence the man chuckled, “yeah it was, I’m disappointed in us… but it definitely was worth it” he added and shook his head in amusement, “worth it enough to do it again” you smiled and grabbed Iida’s hand, “its tempting, but no… I’m pissed about the idea of all those guys hearing you” he said and brought the back of your hand up to his lips kissing it before the both of you walked back to your dorm laughing about everything.

#bnha #mha #my hero academia #boku no hero academia #fem!reader #tenya iida x reader smut #tenya iida smut #iida smut #iida x reader smut #iida x reader #mha iida #bnha iida #mha tenya #tenya x reader smut #tenya x reader #tenya iida

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telyscope · 1 year

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neteyam and lo’ak when human!readers mask breaks when they’re with them

okay so this was originally an anon req but i accidentally deleted the ask i am so sorry anon. BUUUT LUCKILY i was able to remember the request. if i remembered incorrectly, or if you wanted headcanons instead of whatever this is (idk what to call it) then please send me another req! if it also just wasn’t what you had in mind, i’ll be more than happy to rewrite it for you!

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pandora is a place made to inhabit 8 foot tall creatures. every form of life on pandora is stronger, bigger, and a threat to humans. even the air.

neteyam

“watch your step. we wouldn’t want you plummeting to your death now would we”

“very funny.” you throw a glare at neteyam, clearly not amused by his joke because you’re afraid that may actually end up becoming your reality

neteyam had decided to show you around the forest. well, the parts of the forest you haven’t yet seen. you’ve been around the omatikaya people for years now so you’re quite familiar with the forest, but you’ve never gone in the tops of trees or climbed mountains tops. i mean, you’re a human after all, the amount of dangers you could’ve faced if you’d tried are endless

sooo neteyam offered to finally show you the places you’ve always dreamed to see. you felt safe with neteyam, he knew how to fight and he could fight well. you knew he’d protect you the entire time, so you agreed

you two were hopping along the tree tops, bouncing through the huge leaves provided by the trees. it was nothing like you’ve ever seen before. you had the best view from here. it was so beautiful.

you were in such awe, adrenaline was rushing through you. you were too busy admiring the view that you seemed to have forgotten that the only thing keeping you up right now was a leaf. you weren’t paying attention to where you were walking, your mind occupied by the view. in fact you forget you were walking at all. you were just mindlessly taking steps. alas, you stepped on the tip of the leaf. it couldn’t hold you up.

a scream of your name. that’s all you heard. it was neteyams. a branch had broke your fall. you had landed on your stomach, so there was no severe pain but you were sure it would leave a nasty bruise. the branch wasn’t too far down, just slightly below the leaf, so you thought you were fine. you were too careless and fell, but you were fine.

until you felt a breeze on your face. you didn’t even need to feel your face to know that your mask broke. it seems a smaller branch had cracked your mask and the impact of the fall shattered it.

neteyam hurried down, jumping down from leaf to leaf to get to you as quick as possible. his typical calm character was gone, he was terrified.

you didn’t acknowledge him. you froze. you couldn’t move, or speak, you were just frozen. your mask was broken, and you guys were nowhere near the lab, there was not a single chance in hell you would be able to last long enough without breathing until you reached the lab.

neteyam pulled you up off your stomach and layed you in his lap. “hey focus on me alright? please, just try to stay awake for as long as you can, please.” he swoops you up and starts going down the tree. “ i promise i’ll get you to somewhere safe.”

you could hear the worry in his voice. but even so, he pursues his promise without hesitation.

—

god, your head was pounding. you sit up to find yourself in the lab with neteyam nervously pacing back and forth around you. “i passed out, didn’t i”

he shoots his head toward you with a huge sigh of relief to finally hear your voice. “i tried to get you here as quick as i could, but you could only hold your breath for so long, im sorry. how are you feeling?”

“hey, at least i’m not dead,” you shrug. “but honestly, this is all your fault. if you hadn’t made that awful joke about me falling i would’ve never fell. so, thanks for that, teyeam.” you give him a teasing smirk and he playfully whips his tail at your arm

“this is not the time to be joking, you could’ve seriously gotten hurt you know,” he walks over to you and kneels down to your level. “im sorry. im glad you’re okay. i promise to keep you safe from now on.” he places a kiss on your forehead and tucks a piece of your hair around your ear. you smile to yourself, relieved that you’re okay and so grateful to have someone like neteyam.

lo’ak

you and lo’ak were always sneaking out around the forest and doing things you probably shouldn’t

no matter how many times you two go out and about on some sort of adventure, you’ll never stop being so clumsy

i mean really it’s unbelievable. you’d think that somebody would learn to not be so careless after doing something so many times. but you, oh you just seemed to get clumsier every damn time

nothing too bad has ever happened though, you usually just end up with some scratches from walking into branches or bruises here and there from tripping over your own feet

that’s all it ever was. a funny little incident that leaves you and lo’ak both laughing at how reckless you are

this time wasn’t the same though.

you and lo’ak were running along a big branch that was connecting two trees. you’ve crossed this branch several times with ease, but this time there was a particular dip in the branch that you hadn’t noticed

“cmon hurry up, i know you can go faster than that” lo’ak calls out from up ahead

“i hope you havent forgotten that you’re 7 feet tall and your legs are as long as my entire body.”

“excuses, excuses,” he sarcastically rolls his eyes

not wanting to hear him continue whining about how slow you are, you speed up your pace quite a bit

as you’re about to reach where lo’ak is, your foot falls into the dip in the branch you’ve never seen before.

you fall face first, hard. and you earn yourself a rather harsh tumble down the branch.

lo’ak is struck with panic. “shit shit shit.” he races down to where you landed, luckily only a couple feet below the branch.

you groan in pain, pushing yourself up with your hands only to find shards of your mask scattered across the ground. oh fuck.

“lo’ak.”

“don’t move, you’ll only hurt yourself even more” he shouts from above. he’s too busy trying to get down to you.

again.

“lo’ak.”

“are you okay?? what hurts??”

again.

“lo’ak.”

he finally gets there in front of you and looks down to see what happened.

oh.

“your mask-“

“it’s broken. i know.”

well, shit. you just wasted your breath by talking.

he stands there for a moment with wide eyes unsure of what to do. guilt rushes through his chest. all he can think about is how this is all his fault. if he hadn’t told you to hurry up you wouldn’t have tripped.

but his emotions are irrelevant right now. he can deal with them later. he needs to get you somewhere safe.

luckily, you guys aren’t too far from the lab. if he sprints fast enough, he could get there in a couple minutes.

“oh fuck- okay. i need you to hold your breath for just two minutes. could you do that?”

you nod in response not wanting to use up even more of your breath. never in a million years did you except to be this thankful for the stupid ass things you and lo’ak would do when you were younger. he would dare you to see how long you could hold your breath without your mask. it made you a pro at holding your breath, and oh boy were you thankful for that foolishly earned skill right now.

he picked you up, careful not to place his hands on your injuries. you wrapped your hands around his neck and closed your eyes hoping that would somehow get you there faster.

he rushed into the lab, startling everyone that was peacefully working just seconds ago.

lo’ak sets you down gently and you let out the biggest breath you’ve ever held. you began practically panting and you hunched yourself over in exhaustion.

lo’ak opens his mouth to say something, but no words come out.

“thank you, lo’ak”

“no. no don’t thank me. im the reason that all happened. what if we weren’t near the lab?? im sorry, it’s all my fault.”

you’re not sure if it’s because you just held your breath for two minutes or because you think he’s speaking nonsense, but you laugh. right in his face.

“you’re kidding me right?? there is no way you’re laughing right now.”

“sorry, sorry. i just couldn’t take that seriously. it wasn’t your fault lo’ak, you know how clumsy i am. you saved me, so seriously, thank you.”

he pulls you in for a hug, smiling to himself.

#avatar #neteyam headcanons #neteyam x reader #lo’ak headcanons #lo’ak x reader #neteyam imagine #lo’ak imagine #neteyam x human reader #jake sully #neteyam sully #lo’ak sully

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fairy-eclipse · 2 years

Note

AHHHHHHHHH invisible string was so good! Your writing is absolutely divine *chefs kiss*. Would you ever try to make a part two for "Devil's Sweet Demise"? IDK I love the grumpy/sunshine trope. It's completely fine if you don't want to!

Devil’s Sweet Demise II

Pairing: Tom Riddle x Reader

A/N: due to my inability to shut up this thing is LONG and it’s not even finished yet :’] editing was so painful you don’t understand i’m sobbing on the floor ahhdshaj. what do you mean it’s been three months 😒😒

anyway here’s 5k words of tom being a total jerk in denial, thank you anon and thank you to @sociomoon for the original idea !!

Part 1

Disdain on their faces. Cold creeping up his skin.

The day Tom had known happiness was off the table was the day they shunned him, left him standing there in his oversized, threadbare shirt—he’d watched in silent resentment as their game of Hopscotch played out on the concrete. It had hurt only a little to realize that despite his best efforts to acclimate to their mob mentality, the place would never be home. And company would come in the form of twisted thoughts and talking snakes until hell froze over.

Even when the memories have been blotted out, buried in the depths of his mind and left to stew over in the hush of night, every now and then Tom can't help but remember. Remember that unlike the anger and hatred that runs through his veins forevermore, happiness will never be a familiar feeling.

Until in comes the most frustrating little badger he’s ever met, lugging rainbows and sunshine and unwelcome feelings by the boatload.

And Tom, with his knack for persuasion, can proudly say he can elude blame for most things. It’s not his fault everyone falls for his carefully-crafted smiles and well-woven lies, or intimidation works wonders on the student body. Or that fountain pens are more convenient than quills.

But as much as he wishes he could, he just can't find any rhyme or reason to the fact that your presence is…an antidote.

A strange remedy for the jagged pieces of his heart.

"You know,” your gentle voice carries from above, and Tom is pulled from his reverie to the sound of lush grass rustling under your feet. “You really have a thing for secluded places."

In a vast courtyard teeming with dense crowds and lone studiers, of course it’s you who finds him.

Tom raises a derisive brow. “Perhaps it’s to get away from you.”

He sees to it that you don’t miss the way he shifts in some semblance of an invitation.

Laughing, you step out of the June sun to plop down beside him against the trunk of an old elm tree. Going on a few thousand years, if Tom has to guess. Its winding, leaf-coated branches cast dancing shadows across the ground.

“Classes drained the soul out of me.” You let out a muffled yawn.

Like a kitten.

Tom frowns.

He’s no stranger to intrusive thoughts, but lately they’ve been odd. Unpredictable. Not to mention it’s only when you’re near that they seem to materialize, and, well, he isn’t so sure what that could spell. To analyze a yawn, for Merlin’s sake…

But you’ve always been a bit of a distraction, haven’t you?

The rhythmic drumming of your fingers on your lap can attest to that.

He watches as a faint smile pushes at the corners of your lips and a dreamlike quality glazes over your irises—both tell-tale signs that you’ve come bearing good news.

Not that he cares or anything. It’s none of his business, none at all because honestly what does it matter if you—

"You’ll never guess what happened today.” You declare, triumphant when you meet his eyes.

Tom’s breath catches in his throat. “Hm?”

Maybe the earth can swallow him whole.

You beam. “Professor read over the report from my tutor this morning. He told me that at the rate I’m going I’ll be caught up in no time!” You clasp your hands together. “On top of that, I passed my practical exam with soaring colors, so things are going swimmingly."

Tom had forgotten about your struggles in Charms—arguably the easiest subject Hogwarts has to offer. He can sympathize with needing a little assistance in Arithmancy, maybe even Runes to some extent. That is where the average student has their pitfalls, after all. Charms, though?

It certainly isn’t common, to say the least.

But he really wishes you’d quit looking at him like that. He wishes the radiant twinkle in your eyes wasn't so adorable and you’d stop grinning expectantly like his acknowledgment would make your entire month.

Yes, nobody should be behind in Charms. Tom decides he doesn’t particularly care.

"That's a decent amount of progress in just a few weeks.”

There’s a moment of peace, a second of placidity before Tom’s brain turns into turmoil.

Why did he say it?

To make you happy? For the sake of something so trivial as your feelings, with nothing to gain for himself? Impossible. He’d never stoop to such—

“Thank you!”

Your infectious smile boasts only sweetness and light, but to Tom’s absolute horror it’s in that instant that you decided to inch closer—he has no time to prepare himself before he’s falling into a heaven comprised of the fragrant smell of your shampoo and the softness of your gaze, an erratic tha-thump reverberating throughout his chest all the while.

Distantly, he sees your mouth moving, knows you have to be talking, but God has breathing always been such a laborious task?

Well, the world can burn for all he cares because nothing else matters save for the heat radiating off your shoulder. Nothing else compares to the bliss.

“—om?” Concern seeps into your tone.

No, no, no. It has to be wrong, all of it.

He fights desperately at the haze for his bearings, wills his focus to trickle back in and reins to be found again. All too slowly the stupor relinquishes control and the feeling of repulsion emerges from the fog, shame not far behind. Tom closes his fist around a tuft of grass.

He sees it now, in all its foul glory. He has it muddled up—the point where wanting ends and doing begins—and if there ever is a master of self control it’s him. The patient, composed, self-restrained student extraordinaire. It’s degrading that a mind of his caliber could simply stop functioning. Frozen, reduced to nothing, like a used parchment purged of its contents.

Could he be possessed? Insane?

Tom knows he’s insane, has to be for the plans he’ll carry out and unspeakable things he’ll do in the coming years. But this is a different kind of insane. It’s the kind that challenges all he’s taken to be set-in-stone, that threatens his beautiful, tragic world of black and white and red.

It's the kind that could sever the rope between mere life and immortality.

And yet Tom can’t decide whether it’s a curse or a blessing when you cast your eyes away in lieu of foraging through your satchel.

He’ll have to…look more into this matter. He’ll tear up the library in his wrath; he’ll search all over, high and low and in every nook and cranny until the thirst is satiated—

“Tom, Tom, Tom. Tomato. Tomfoolery. Oh, there you are!” You find his eyes once more, completely oblivious to the pathetic feeling closing in on him. “This is for you.”

A book flaunting loose threads sits on your lap, worn and flimsy.

Tom knows it’s one of those muggle stories you like to read, ones with the plotlines he can never understand and messages he can never grasp. It isn’t that he doesn’t want to—he’s tried at one point, and he does indulge in muggle literature on occasion (it’s not his fault they’re informative)—it’s just…well, he doesn’t think he can.

"I wouldn't have picked it for you if I didn't think you'd enjoy it," you assure him matter-of-factly.

He blinks. By no means are you adept at reading him, but it is strangely pleasant that someone should see past the anger and ire into his quieter, rarer emotions.

"A little broken, I know." An amused chuckle escapes him at that. You grin sheepishly. “But that doesn’t mean you can’t love it.”

Sincerity on your face. Warmth hugging his skin.

Your fingers brush against his as you press it into his hands.

But how can he dare dream of anything more when darkness is a constant in his life? He has never wished to see the rainbow, has never found any appeal in a kaleidoscopic world until you stumbled into his life. You ebbed away at the corners of his concrete barriers until little by little the light shone through the cracks.

And Salazar. He wants to do something to you right then. Something way out of line, something that goes beyond his protective urges and against everything he believes in.

Regardless, he can always break away, can't he? When the time comes, he’d toss you into the pile of people who served their use and then he'd never have to deal with that stupid fluttery feeling in his chest again.

Yes. That is what he'd do.

So things are good, wonderful even; they’ve never been better and Tom has never been happier, at least he thinks that’s what it has to be. For once it’s not the promise of power or the vow of eradication that get him up in the wee hours of the morning.

And things are good.

Right up until they aren’t.

︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵

“My Lord.” Mulciber fidgets nervously in the gold candlelight. Clears his throat. Once. Twice. “Do you think...will there be enough time to find the chamber before vacation commences?” He grips the rim of the table with ring-clad fingers until his knuckles turn a pasty white.

Tom bites back a sneer. Coward.

"You fret for nothing. While you incompetent fools were lazing around, I was scouring every inch of this castle. I'm quite certain I've found the very place Salazar Slytherin built his foundation on."

Tom bathes in the outbreak of gasps and elated cries before silencing them with a hand.

"I will not be disclosing the location; I alone will find a way to open it, though I doubt any of you would have proven to be of help anyway."

Tom watches them deflate, like he’s pierced their spirit with a needle. Perhaps this way they’ll learn that with him, making an impression takes more than a feeble attempt or two. Besides, he has yet to discern the loyal from the fainthearted and with so many things that can go wrong, there is no room for mistakes.

He holds everyone’s gaze for a few tense seconds (most of which end in rather pitiful quivering on their part) before continuing on.

“As I have discussed previously, our years at Hogwarts are drawing to a close. We have time, of course, some of us more than others, but we must plan every move meticulously.” Tom allows himself a satisfied smile. He’s been so painstakingly careful, so thorough in drawing up the plans and in due time every ounce of his hard work will be recognized. "The infiltration of the Ministry plays a pivotal role in my—our success, thus each of you must ensure your positions are secured—”

"You're infatuated with that Hufflepuff."

A sharp intake of breath, and then silence befalls the room. All eyes flick to Avery; some with disbelief, some with poorly concealed excitement, but he pays them no mind.

"That's what's taking you so long, isn't it?” The boy hisses vehemently. “Ever since you met that poor excuse of a student, you've been putting off the purge. You’ve known about the Chamber’s whereabouts, haven’t you? Why is it that you haven’t acted by now?”

He pauses to feign contemplation, a slender finger tapping at his chin. “I’ll take a wild guess; it’s because that little mudblood is sufficient enough for you.”

And just like that the stillness is back, though this time it is an illusion; it can’t exist, not when the unmistakable buzz of fear and apprehension crackles in the air.

No one rushes to Avery’s defense, but Tom doesn’t need legilimency to know—he can see it clear as day—that it’s a unanimous agreement.

Red swirls in his vision.

An audacious Avery leans back in his seat as if accepting a major victory, boastful smirk intact. He lets his accusation sink in before he adds, like salt to injury, like an arrow piercing right through Tom's heart:

"You know what I think? I think you've gone soft."

Jaws drop and eyes widen, but Tom only smirks back, nauseating and sickly sweet.

He could torture him right now. He could turn his skin inside out and make him feel pain in all the worst places. He could reanimate the darkest stages of his trauma and dangle him by the ankles like a marionette until he begs for death's cold embrace.

And what’s stopping him? It’s nothing he hasn’t thought about before. Nothing he hasn’t come close to doing.

Would you be afraid of him if you found out?

Tom sputters.

Who are you to come up in his thoughts at a time like this? How dare you traipse over every line he’s ever created and exist there as if you’ve always belonged?

He suppresses his flaring, burning rage and tries, unsuccessfully, to even his breathing. No, it's hardly worth getting his hands bloody over. Besides, he'd rather not have to clean up the mess.

"Leave. All of you. Now." He manages to choke out.

It’s a scramble for the door.

Good. Fear is good.

His last follower has barely bolted before he’s pointing his wand at the long teakwood table and thundering out an Incendio. With each careless flick of his wrist, searing flames consume the conference space and it’s not until dark, ashy smoke obscures his vision that he takes his leave.

The door to the secret room clicks shut behind him, but the release has done little to assuage his fury.

He paces the length of the hallway outside.

The nerve. How could he suggest something so preposterous?

Everyone involved in his cause knows to never bite the hand that feeds them. And Avery has been feeding out of his palm ever since he took him in and gave purpose to his otherwise meaningless life.

Tom should tail him right now, really. Find him. Curse some sense into him. Who does that dull, privileged snob think he is? That daft, good for nothing—

But he's right.

Avery is right. Dead on, nail-on-the-head right.

He’s fallen for you; hook, line, and sinker.

︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵

Tom isn't at the library the next afternoon.

You tell yourself he's busy, that he probably has a million duties to carry out and the world isn’t going to cave if he doesn’t show for one day—still, the little tug on your heart speaks for itself. Call it sentimental, but the study sessions have become something of a tradition.

And Tom’s usually a stickler for tradition.

“Looks like it's just you and me,” you tell the waiting pile of homework on the table.

You can practically hear his exasperated whisper in your ear. For Pete’s sake, stop conversing with inanimate objects as if they’ll miraculously bestow upon you the solutions or so help me. You grin.

It appears you’ve come to rely quite a bit on his forceful encouragement, because twenty minutes later your parchment is emptier than the porcelain flatware in the Great Hall after dessert, and only one thought reigns supreme on your mind.

“So much for productivity,” you mutter sullenly.

It hits you right then that Tom Riddle is taking up all your headspace.

When you had met him in this exact spot on that fateful night, you never would’ve guessed that he’d be so drawn to you. So adamant on getting to know you. You share no common ground with his other friends—egotistical, haughty, you’re-so-beneath-me blood purists who command the open-mindedness of jellyfish.

But despite what your confidantes claim, you truly think you’ve seen a side of him no one else has. Because when he’s with you, he sheds the rigid golden boy demeanor for something relaxed and content and dare you say it, warm.

Of course you had plummeted headfirst into your emotions. How could you not? Your affections for him have been growing by the day, and you doubt this is some silly old crush that’ll peter out with the last of summer.

No, the feeling extends way past friendship, you’re afraid.

You entertain the idea, play around with it and roll it over the edges of your brain, let it circle through before reluctantly storing it away for next time.

For the guilt, it’s always there; overbearing and unshakable and clawing at you. Surely it’s immoral to think of a good friend in such a way, especially when it seems good friends are all you’ll ever be—you’re no fool to neglect his detachment towards the whole topic of romance.

You groan. You’ll have time to dwell on it later, but for now there are more pressing matters to at hand. For starters, the conference with your D.A.D.A professor that starts in approximately…fifteen minutes.

You bid the librarian goodbye and wave to the old, regal portraits on your way down the long marble staircase, unceremoniously scouting for vanishing steps.

“Safe and sound,” you sigh when your feet reach hard ground.

Sunlight spills through arched windows into the ever-majestic halls, which are empty save for the occasional wandering student. With the early summer weather, everyone must be congregating outdoors again.

Tap tap tap!

Rushed footsteps and a sudden blur of motion at the end of the corridor bring an abrupt end to your solitude. You halt in your step, just managing to catch the barest glimpse of an outline before it rounds the corner in one swift turn.

Curiosity killed the cat.

A grin breaks over your face. But satisfaction brought it back.

And quick as a fox you’re trailing after the shadow, only a little ashamed that the promise of a distraction outweighs any sense of responsibility you might have. An instant later, a pair of spotless dress shoes accompanied by pristine, ironed robes come into view.

Why, you’d recognize that statuesque figure anywhere.

"Tom!" The prefect freezes mid-step, tension written in every line of his body as he reaches into his pocket and shuffles to his side ever so slightly and right ahead of him stands...

The girl's lavatory?

He swivels around as you approach, wand in hand. "Tom! There you are—"

Except he doesn't look very much like Tom.

There's something manic in his eyes, a ferocity in the way he peers down at you that sets your fight or flight instincts ablaze. His fingers curl restlessly at his sides and you have the horrible impression that you’ve just interrupted something very important.

Tom scowls, regarding you with a coldness so foreign, so unfamiliar you almost recoil under the scrutiny.

But everything your body tells you pales in comparison to the concern that overtakes you.

“Are you alright?” You place a tender hand on his arm, your initial excitement dimming at his state. “You seem ill. Should I escort you to the nurse?”

Tom stares at you, unblinking with those glacial eyes.

Ouch. You tear your gaze away and push down the fears that threaten to surface. There are a million different possibilities, but it'd do you no good to ruminate over any of them right now.

“Come on.” You tighten your grip and steer him toward the stairwell, mindful to take slow steps—you know it’s a fragile peace when eggshells are what you’re treading on.

Still, you’re thoroughly unprepared for the force that wrenches the arm out of your grasp.

The shock registers slowly. It’s a colossal punch to the gut, but all the same you try to keep the woundedness off your face.

“I am not in need of your assistance.”

His voice is low, devoid of its usual silkiness. Chills form a serpentine path up your arms and down your back, raising goosebumps all over your skin until you’re shivering.

Indignance claws its way past the alarm. “Is that why you didn’t show up?” You retort. “You’re normally awfully insistent on cramming as much studying as you can. Vital lucubration, or whatever you call it. I figured you might’ve needed to—”

Tom cuts you off with a scoff, all scorn and vitriol.

“That,” he enunciates slowly, “is none of your concern. I am not quite certain when such brazenness entered the picture, but it is not appreciated."

You blink owlishly before taking a much needed breath. “I don’t understand. Could you start from the beginning? I’m certain we can figure this out, it’s just the story is a little convoluted right now and—well, actually, I don’t even know what the story is.”

“This is a waste of time,” Tom chides. “I’ll make one thing clear: we are not friends.” The crazed stare has vanished, replaced by something eerily vacant. You’ve always wondered how he does that so quickly. “And I believe you’ve helped enough as it is, so if you’ll excuse me I’ll be seeing to my duties now.”

But he doesn’t leave, just crosses his arms and waits expectantly for you to turn away. To go.

You’ve helped enough as it is.

You have the sinking feeling that if you walk away now, you’ll be walking out of his life forever.

We are not friends.

Your pulse races. How can he say all those joy-filled hours you so often look back on amount to nothing? How can he brush you off like you’re just another speck of dirt on his clothes?

Maybe, when it all comes down to it, he’s no different from the rest of them.

“What part of your duties, pray tell, consists of going into the girl’s washroom?” You demand incredulously, voice shaking and mind reeling because Merlin there is no way this was all a ruse and you fell right into it like a blindsided, delusional moron in lo—

Tom stiffens, and you watch, mystified, as the mask of calm falls off. His nostrils flare in anger and he takes a step closer to you, only this time it doesn’t feel anything like the afternoon under the tree. Only this time it’s threatening.

“Fine. I’ll spare you, is that what you want?” He laughs mirthlessly, long fingers running through raven curls. “Since you’re so insistent on pretending to care for me? Fine. It won’t touch you. You have my word.”

Your vision blurs, though from the exasperation or tears you can’t be sure.

“Spare me what?” Your books drop to the floor with a resounding thud. “My concern for you has never been a pretense. That’s ludicrous! You’ll never begin to comprehend how much I care for you. As a matter of fact, I...”

You can’t say it.

His eyes are on you, curious and searching and scathing, but all you can do is helplessly stare back at him. You dig half crescents into your palms.

This time when he speaks, you’re prepared for the flames that come with it.

“I don’t know what you’ve done to me,” Tom all but spits, and you’re wishing for the quiet to blanket you once again. He pauses, if only for a second, tone turning subdued. “The lightness in my chest, the nerves spiraling out of control, the…the…” He gestures wildly. “Floating feeling whenever you’re near.”

“I was satisfied with my perception of the world, so sure and unwavering in my decisions until you came along. You’ve turned all I’ve known upside down.”

Your blood freezes inside your veins.

Tom frowns at his hands. “I’m suffering the consequences, even when you’re not near. Every waking moment is you running through my thoughts and I am not dramatizing when I say it is driving. Me. Insane. I’ve had enough. This ends now.”

Your despair falters just enough for a sliver of hope to take hold. “It doesn't have to end.”

“It must.”

It pains you, it does, but you say it anyway.

“If that’s what you really want.”

The rigidity on Tom’s face lets up slightly, though you could’ve sworn you caught a flicker of something akin to regret.

You squeeze your eyes shut and inhale. “Just...about what you said. I know feelings are daunting, but I promise whatever you’re experiencing is perfectly reasonable.” You think back to the memories you share, as if that’ll make saying the next part any easier. “In fact, Tom I think I—”

“Stop,” he whispers, dangerously calm, yet somehow you know the fury has returned tenfold.

Your heart plummets.

“Get out of my way.”

And is it bad that you sense the undercurrent of something dark in his words? His intentions?

It doesn’t feel of your own accord when you rush to block his way back.

Tom levels you with a death glare, and you have only a second to ponder over whether you should be six feet under before his eyes are flashing a horrifying crimson. You give ground for every stride he takes towards you until a thump indicates that you’ve backpedaled to the lavatory entrance.

You watch in dread as Tom turns his attention to the inside, yearning written all over his features and for one harrowing second, you think he’s going to hurt you to get there.

But then he’s stepping away, away, and in the blink of an eye he’s gone.

And for the first time, you think there's more merit to your friends' warnings than you gave credit for.

You slump onto the floor. You wish you were in any condition to make sense of what transpired, but all you know is that it feels like your spirit has been zapped away. The strain on your chest persists even as you push it down, and then you feel a crushing snap before it all comes undone—caged sobs wrangle free from your throat and salty tears rain down upon where your smile had held just moments ago.

Has it really only been a week since you and Tom had that conversation in the courtyard? Since you lent him that book?

You wish you could retrace your footsteps, find where it all went astray.

“Waaah!”

You almost jump out of your skin.

“Waaaaah!” The sound, high-pitched and lamenting, can only be coming from inside.

You rise to your feet.

“Hello?” You venture from the doorway. Your voice ricochets off the stone walls. The place is well-kept, complete with four shiny sinks situated below a mirror and a row of wooden stall doors left fairly unchipped.

“GO AWAY!”

You may or may not be one stone’s leap away from hysterics (who’s to say?), but you think you’ve had enough scares in a day for the whole of Hogwarts. Besides, no one should be howling like their life is ending, and smiles make the world go round.

“Would you like to talk?” You goad gently, taking note of the leather shoes peeking out from under the far stall. "You can say the word again and I’ll leave you be.”

You cross your fingers behind your back, pray with all your being that this one won’t end in a full-blown lash-out session.

To your relief, the wooden door swings open a few moments later and a pale girl with long brown pigtails, round glasses and a blue tie steps out to face you. No older than fourteen, from the looks of it.

“Olive Hornby made fun of my glasseeeees,” she wails, and the noise grates against your ear. You wince.

“I’m sorry.” You place a comforting hand on her shoulder. “I, for one, am of the opinion that your glasses look just fine.” She flushes at that. “Although if this is a recurring thing, I’d like to talk to her for you—only if you assent, of course, but it’d give me peace of mind.”

Her puffy, bloodshot eyes light up and suddenly it’s as if she were five years younger, a hopeful child with stars in her eyes. “R-Really?”

You nod. “Really.”

Her sobs subside to sniffles and the pout on her face morphs into something bashful. “Thanks…”

“What’s your name?”

“Myrtle. Myrtle Warren.” She takes off her glasses and wipes at the fogged-over lenses with the fabric of her clothes.

“He comes in here often, you know.” She peeks at you from under her lashes. “Taps on surfaces and makes these strange hissing noises, like it’s a language he’s fluent in." Her tone turns wistful. "I stay silent and listen because it’s all so mesmerizing…”

“Who does?” You frown.

“You know who.”

“Wait. Don’t tell me...”

But Myrtle only giggles, brows lifting in amusement. “Good luck on your boy problems.”

Then she’s off.

You stare after her in shock.

You catalog the new information, an onslaught of burning questions and what-ifs invading your mind in a trice.

One sticks out in particular. It’s afflicting and unnerving and you don’t want to consider it, but it prods and pushes at you until you’re forced to cave.

What exactly would’ve happened if Tom had gone in there today?

Nothing good, that’s for sure.

︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵

The note comes a week—dense with radio silence and carefully averted glances—later, tied by a silken ribbon (high-end, no doubt about it) to the leg of a beautiful owl with raven feathers.

Now it rests, protrusive and unbidden in your lap as the root of your apprehension for the past half hour.

You pick it up and set it down again. Fidgeting in your beanbag chair has only fueled your restlessness, but now that the adrenaline’s gone you’re really out of options.

And if you’re being completely honest, not knowing is killing you more than anything.

You slouch in resignation and raise the letter to your face.

“Helga help me,” you whisper to the portrait above the mantelpiece.

It reads something about how he’s been awfully occupied with responsibilities and how he’d like to have a chance to make up for lost time and would you be so inclined as to accompany him to Hogsmeade tomorrow afternoon.

There’s a palpable, gaping hole in the place where an apology or explanation should be—or an acknowledgement of anything that went down, for that matter. You don’t know what you were expecting.

A week ago, you would’ve been delighted at the prospect of going on a date with the Tom Riddle. Squealing in ecstasy and bouncing on the balls of your feet. Now all that’s running through your head is maybe the rose-colored glasses you see with have only made you blind in the end.

Crackling orange embers engulf the parchment with a satisfying hiss.

You’ve never been one to hold a grudge, but If he wants your forgiveness—he’ll have to try much harder than that.

︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵

requests

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corpsepng · 9 months

Note

Pls make a list of books you recommend to aspiring writers<3

Ok. Aspiring/burgeoning writer starter kit:

In writing anything you officially become a writer so that’s step one haha, no need to aspire too much. BUT. I’m going to soapbox for a bit using this ask as an excuse love u kissing u etc. So. This will barely be about books, but sort of the recipe of what I (personally and subjectively) think will help anyone who wants to grow their craft. (I know because I've been writing seriously for 14 years)

The act of writing is the best practice you can get but having a well from which to draw on creatively and skill wise in order to DO that practice is the trickier part. And sometimes we can be found lacking because we’re either NOT refilling that well enough, consciously enough, or only with the same sorts of things so it gets stagnant. This is a long one so I’ll shove it under the cut haha.

The recipe:

Study craft

Broaden horizons

Diversify consumption

Consume with intention

Apply with reference

1) Study craft: this is the easiest to make sense of, right? I want to get good at writing so I read books about writing yada yada. Whatever you’re writing, it’s made up of a lot of moving parts, and you can dedicate time studying EACH PART, but figure out what you have the least experience with, or the most difficulty with, and start there. Also, before I go on to preach about why you shouldn’t solely stake your growth on some dusty old books, here’s some dusty old books I recommend:

The Elements of Style (strunk/white/kalman) (really quick and abbreviated advice, read every bit of this but remember: rules are important to know so you can decide which are worth following and which are in need of breaking for the pursuit of your goals. And nobodies perfect, or editors wouldn’t have a job)

Bird by Bird (Anne Lamott) (excellent work about fostering a process, important for everyone who finds themselves a little lost on how to just. Start)

Wonderbook (Jeff Vandermeer) (I haven’t read this one but knowing Vandermeers work this is on my TBR and I KNOW it’s going to be enlightening)

How to Read Literature like a Professor (Thomas C. Foster) (perfect for those who can see others stories working but unsure how to make their own work, I personally didn’t read much of this one but this will help people to more critically engage with what they’re consuming)

Save the Cat Writes a Novel/Joseph Campbells Hero’s Journey/On Writing and Worldbuilding/etc (all of these are on structure and craft in a concrete sense), I would recommend either choose one OR getting the abbreviated/digestible versions through YouTube because a lot of these can repeat themselves. I’m working on a playlist of writing craft/structure videos that I found helpful, so keep an eye out for that)

So. Studying craft should be a multidisciplinary process. Articles online, videos on niche media, books on craft or copying things from your favorites, looking for yourself in the movies you watch or fiction you read. Punctuation, prose, structure, rhetoric, character, world building, pacing, etc. Unfortunately, no matter how seasoned you become as a writer, you will always be learning new things about the craft itself.

It should be fun and I honestly feel like an enlightened little scientist when I see something that really cracks the open the magic for me (ex: scenes that serve more than one purpose are OF COURSE going to be more engaging that scenes with only one purpose- duh) (of COURSE magic systems should have a cost) (of COURSE the characters cant always win OR always lose)

2) Broaden horizons: consuming fiction and studying it is key to knowing how to reproduce it. We start with the training wheels of imitation before we ride away full speed into truly unique original storytelling. But the most impactful and thought-provoking stories are more than just fiction, so you need to know more than stories. Science, history, art, craft, math, music, cooking, psychology, religion, whatever!

Everyone always parrots “write what you know”, but what you KNOW can expand to influence what you write- so keep learning new things all the time and for fun, because you never know what could help your story. Your knowledge is not limited to experience alone, and research is your best friend. ASOIAF was so loved because George RR Martin loved not only fantasy, but British history. The Folk of the Air series is so loved because Holly Blacks special interest is faeries.

Note: this does not mean the study of OTHER PEOPLES trauma and experiences in an appropriative way, rather, become worldly. Because sure, knowing what a gunshot feels like adds realism, but I don’t care about realism if I don’t care about your characters or world. Science fiction is the best example of this: so many of those stories stick with us generationally because they’re pointing a lens back at humanity, asking big philosophical questions with science, which is something that touches us all.

But it doesn’t even need to be Big and Thematic like that. My dear friend @chaylattes has a project where she’s applied her love of plants to the world building AND plot, and has INVENTED whole plant species that enriched their work with something so exclusively Chay. No one else could write Andromeda Rogue because Chay, with specific interests and knowledge, put that specificity into the story.

3) Diversify consumption: surrounding yourself with more of the same means you’re going to regurgitate the same, derivatively. To be a hater for a moment: I can tell within the first chapter if someone only reads/watches one kind of media (m*rvel, fairy smut, grim dark nonsense, etc), and it’s distracting. When I read that derivative work, I’m not thinking about THEIR story. All I can think of is the people who did it first, and better.

Alternatively, the best work draws on the unexpected. Fantasy work taking notes from horror, science fiction including humanistic romance, romance with elements of mystery. RF Kuangs work feels so smart because she’s literally a PHD candidate who’s reading of academic writing. Cassandra Clares work is so interpersonally messy and hard to look away from because she watches a lot of reality television.

Genre is less a set of cages to lock yourself inside of and more so the sections of a great big fictional playground- and you need to start playing. Rules, again, are guidelines that can be bent for the sake of your stories. I predominantly write scifi/fantasy/horror but some of my favorite stuff is literary fiction, historical nonfiction, thrillers, and poetry.

And if you can’t bring yourself to read different genres, it takes significantly less effort to WATCH different genres. Television and film are stories too, and can absolutely be learned from.

4) Consume with intention: this is easier said than done. I, embarrassingly, admit that I did not have any reading comprehension skills until I was at least 19. I was consuming, but I wasn’t thinking a damn critical thought, just spitting it back out in a way that sounded smart.

Critical thinking skills (I say, on the website that historically lacks such a thing) are a muscle that needs to be exercised just as often as your writing muscle. Reading new work, studying craft, learning new shit- none of it matters if you can’t APPLY it all to a story. One can take a clock apart to learn how exactly it ticks, but it won't tell time like a watch until you put it back together.

The key is asking questions, all of the time about everything. That whole “why the curtains were blue” nonsense comes to mind, but if you want to be a good writer, (edit: a writer that cares about whether or not their work is vapid imitation of better work) learning to ask WHY the curtains are blue really does matters.

Ask why in ALL stories you consume, including your own. Why do Ghibli films make me feel calm? (Motifs of undisturbed nature, low stakes plots and quiet scenes of reprieve between action, characters that care about one another and aren’t afraid to show it) Why do I fly through a Gillian Flynn novel but take 8,000 years to read other books? (Concise descriptions, realistic but evocative premise, witty voice, contained and fast paced plot, an abundance of questions driving the mystery leading up to a satisfying crash of answers at the end) Why were the curtains blue, the coffee cup chipped, and the lipstick stain on the rim red instead of purple or pink? And why did the colors matter at all when the scene is about a father at a kitchen table? (You tell me!) Answers may vary.

You can put the work into learning the answer at the source (ie: listening to authors talk about their own work), or through the external interpretations of a critic (proceed with caution here), sure. These are even good when learning HOW to think critically if you don’t even know where to start. But your growth as a writer depends on your ability to answer your OWN questions.

(Why do I feel tense in this scene? Is it because the character says they’re sweating and struggling to breathe? Is it because I’ve been told the monsters close? Is it because the sentences are getting shorter and the author keeps repeating descriptions of that monsters massive bloody teeth coming closer? Or is it because I know the gun in her hands has no bullets because another character already tried what she’s about to try?)

(Why do I feel sad in this scene? Is it because the characters mom just died? Is it because the character can’t even verbalize that sadness to others? Is it because none of the other characters seem to care enough to ask? Is it because of the wilted flowers in the corner? Or is it because there are daisies in the bouquet, and those were the moms favorite?)

I can nod and smile at 1000 opinions about “why X did Y and the end of Z” or “why X is Y and not Z” but how I felt when I consume something, how I was affected and how it made ME PERSONALLY answer my critical questions, that’s what’s important. That’s how we manufacture gay subtext in everything, because sometimes gay is a feeling as opposed to a fact.

Also, if those subjective answers are inconsistent among readers/viewers, the writer likely had their own intentions a little muddled. So, and I know I’m getting tangential but stay with me: romance. You know how you’re supposed to feel happy or convinced that the people falling in love are like, in love? And want to put yourself in that position or whatever? I CANNOT consume most romance media because it all comes off as categorically terrifying to me. I ask myself why the characters are doing what they do, reacting the way they react, saying way they say, and none of it feels romantic. I want to file a restraining order, and that’s the failing of the author, who did not make enough conscious choices in their work and accidentally created horror while writing their color by numbers trope slop of a “romance” novel.

5) Apply with reference: is like taking all your ingredients and finally cooking. You want people to notice and respect when you add certain literary devices, descriptions, character choices, but not to the detriment of your work. Shows like stranger things are popular but divisive because their intertextuality and reliance on nostalgia bolster an otherwise unoriginal idea. They weren’t trying to reinvent the wheel, they were writing a love letter to Stephen Spielberg, and are riding that wave into the ground. But the fairy dick renaissance doesn’t feel nearly as palatable as season one of stranger things did because a lot of times they aren’t using the ingredients in their own way, rather, following the recipe to a T and selling it as new. Food really is the perfect metaphor and sorry in advance because I’m really going to run with it here lol.

When I eat a meal, first of all I know I'm eating food, so don't try and trick me into thinking otherwise or I'll only get annoyed. I want to be able to taste all of what’s in front of me, spice, salt, sweet, bitter, etc and know what what you said you've fed me is really actually truly what I've eaten. One ingredient, or writing choice, shouldn’t overpower another, or surprise me so much I can’t take another bite. I shouldn’t try something you call “sauced and baked yeast patty garnished with fermented milk and smoked meat” and think “this shits pizza” because you didn’t even try to jazz it up more than what the instructions on the digiorno box said. I also shouldn’t bite into something you call a pizza and only taste bread because you really like bread and forgot that a pizza is more than just bread.

But inversely, avoiding all ingredients gets you weird, nary inedible shit like charred milk reduction with lamb mist or whatever. Show me you have knowledge in your genre by referencing it AND remixing it, show me that you studied craft by foreshadowing properly or pacing well, show me you’re more than an AI writerbot by deepening your work with your unique and human influence, show me you read broadly by adding surprising ingredients, and show me that you mean every word you write because you made the curtains blue instead of yellow, and topped your pizza with pepperoni instead of pineapple.

Congrats on making it all the way through my rambling, hope I made sense and that this helped!

#mail.txt #writeblr #writerblr #writing advice #writing resources #writing tips #writing help #anon

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sincerely-angel1 · 19 days

Text

Rating My Obsessions/Hyperfixiations:

(Going to try going oldest to newest but it might not go so well bc #traumablocking)

2019/2020 (can’t remember):

My Hero Academia: 1/10 (it gets one point for being my first ever hyperfixiation, but I was a foul human being during this time of my life)

The Chronicles of Vladimir Todd/Vampires: 7/10 (I’m sure if I went back and read these books now, they would be subpar and honestly childish, but at the time, I loved them with every fiber of my being, and the memories associated are good so..)

Death Note: 1/10 (Ew I’m foul. I’m a foul creature. I deserve to be put down.)

Dr. Stone: 4/10 (I honestly remember jack about this show but it gets a 4 for being anime.)

Undertale: 5/10 (This game made me happy for awhile, but it was introduced to me by an ex best friend, so it’s getting a solid 5.)

Detroit Become Human: 6/10 (Minus points because of the time of my life this was during, but this game is an absolute masterpiece <3)

Hellsing: 5/10 (The obsession was unhealthy, but this one was pretty great too. Now, it’s sort of a sore spot, but at the time I was living the dream.)

BATIM: 9/10 (This hyperfixiation is honestly older that what I’m giving it credit for, but it’s going here because I don’t have a category for before 2019. Anyway it’s pretty great. It came back in summer of 2023 when I finally watched Dark Revival, which I liked better than the original <3)

FNaF: 8/10 (High score because this is one of the only hyperfixiations that has lasted so many years and can still bring me joy. It’s also older than I’m giving it credit for. Now, Was I cringe about it at some point? Definitely. Do I care? No.)

DSAF: 10/10 (I might be jumping the gun by giving this one my first 10, but I absolutely love this game. It’s only ever brought me joy, to this day I still love it, I based so many of my usernames and characters on it..and just ugh, I love it Fr.)

Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: 7/10 (Admittedly, I haven’t stayed that up to date on it, but I love this anime. It doesn’t have that many bad memories and it’s just, great.)

Dialtown: 8/10 (In the same boat as DSAF but it didn’t bring me AS much joy. I still love it though and honestly I need to finish it.)

Hamilton: 5/10 (At the time, again, I loved it, but now it’s honestly one of my least favorite musicals.)

Borderlands: 7/10 (oh god to experience this game again for the first time would truly be a beautiful experience. Although I was cringe with it for awhile and this wasn’t exactly the happiest time of my life when I enjoyed this..so..)

LA Noire: 8/10 (I honestly loved this game, it was a big turning point in me and my brother’s relationship, and I remember staying up late on countless nights playing or watching him play it.)

Curses Cosplay/The Acklam Ashes: 9/10 (This creator doesn’t make content like this anymore, no hate at all they have their reasons and I still love them, but this YouTube show was a pivotal point of my life and I love it so.)

2021:

Creepypasta: 2/10 (Low score just for the sake of the fandom, and the fact of who I was associated with during this period of time.)

Marble Hornets: 6/10 (Was I cringe? Yes. Absolutely. But this show is so amazing I’m willing to put that aside. I’m also rating this separately from creepypasta for obvious reasons.)

WitchCraft: 5/10 (I had a whole witchy thing for awhile? It was mostly just tarot cards and shirts with the phases of the moon on them.)

DND/Divinity Original Sin: 10/10 (I have zero bad memories with either of these. My love for fantasy and DnD was awakened by playing Divinity Original Sin 2 with my older brother, and then that stemmed into more love for fantasy and the genre in general.)

SCP: 8/10 (This hyperfixiation is somewhat still alive? Not really, but I do still enjoy some occasional SCP content. It’s not a higher score because this was 8th grade year and that’s embarrassing.)

The Glass Animals: 9/10 (Less of a hyperfixiation, more of just, man they made some banger music.)

Elvis: 6/10 (Literally what was wrong with me. For awhile I only listened to music from this era, especially Elvis, and forced my family to buy me a bunch of Elvis merch I didn’t need.)

Noir: 6/10 (Okay so, this stemmed from the above mentioned LA Noire earlier and basically was a time period of my life where I was obsessed with watching old detective/murder mystery movies from the 20s. Honestly, they were bangers. But also, wtf was I doing.)

Tv Heads?: 5/10 (I had a weird thing for robot TV heads for awhile? It’s hard to explain honestly.)

Queen: 7/10 (Another one of those weird band obsessions I guess. This one was definitely bigger than the glass animals.)

2022:

Good Omens: 10/10 (Absolutely love. Loved it then and I still love it to this day!! Holding out for season 3 Fr 💪)

Clover: 7/10 (not many people know what this is, so for context it’s an electroswing album by OR3O. I loved it at the time but it doesn’t hit as hard now.)

Phantom of the Opera: 10/10 (Another 10. This wasn’t technically the first musical I ever watched, but, it was the start of my love for musicals and broadway. And it’s just a great musical Fr.)

Ghostbusters: 7/10 (If you asked me why I suddenly had a ghostbuster hyperfixiation during this time, I couldn’t tell you. But they are iconic movies so…)

The Steve Saga: 8/10 (I had watched FavremySabre several years before, but never this series. Anyway I loved it, still love it.)

Supernatural: 7/10 (A bit of a lower score because I was cringe, and my obsession with Castiel was unhealthy. Not to mention Supernatural isn’t exactly the best show on Netflix? It got dull later on, but..did I watch it start to finish anyway? Yeah. Absolutely.)

Twisted Rainbow: 10/10 (FavremySabre Masterpiece.)

Doctor Who: 6/10 (Two words. Season 13.)

Ghost: 6/10 (Low Score because I can’t stand to listen to them now, and because it’s associated with an ex bestie. But. Can’t lie. They had some bangers.”

Steam Powered Giraffe: 4/10 (Also associated with an ex bestie. They’ve got some good music but I don’t listen to them anymore.)

Mushrooms/Indie: 7/10 (This one was a bit odd but it did result in me redecorating my entire room to match this aesthetic.)

2023:

Faith The Unholy Trinity: 10/10 (Awesome Game, honestly one of the first things that sparked by interest in religious media, so points for that.)

The Exorcist: 9/10 (An odd thing to hyperfixiate on, I know, but this was also a result of my growing love for religious media.)

Mandela Catalouge: 6/10 (This was an odd one. I, at the time, had this raging fear of analog horror in general, so watching the Mandela Catalogue was sort of like..immersion therapy in a way. But it’s a pretty good show none the less 🤷‍♀️)

Be More Chill: 5/10 (Loved at the time, but low points for having been introduced to me by an ex bestie.)

Every Man Hybrid: 8/10 (A certified banger. Genuinely one of the better takes on the Operator and the whole creepypasta fandom in general. It’s great fr. Highly recommend.)

Grease: 4/10 (Ew. I’m only putting it here because I was in a production of it, and it was kind of a part of my life, but also, ew.)

Greys Anatomy: 8/10 (A banger show, but it doesn’t get a 10 simply because of how long it is.)

Slipknot: 7/10 (I don’t love who I was while listening to this band, but that’s kind of just something metal music in general will do to you.)

Aliens: 10/10 (This was short lived but strong enough to have bought a “I Want to believe” poster and hung it up behind my bed.)

Beacon Pines: 10/10 (Amazing game, very underrated. Also resulted in good bonding time with my brother.)

Gravity Falls: 9/10 (Another Amazing series that I’m probably a little cringe for. Whatever. It’s awesome.)

2024:

Ace Attorney: 9/10 (I eat, breathed, and slept this game series for months. Nuff said.)

The Ocean/Sea Animals: 9/10 (if I could keep an orca as a pet, I would.)

Midnight Mass: 10/10 (HOLY GOD. Another one of my favorite bits of religious media out there. It’s not exactly prime catholic propaganda but it’s not meant to be either.)

Baldurs Gate 3: 10/10 (This game brought back my DND era, which was much needed. I’d been without fantasy nonsense for a long time and I was ready for it.)

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honeybeeloxs · 1 year

Text

Well, Blow it Off.

Ethan Landry x Original Male Character Originally posted on Archive of Our Own

THIS CONTAINS SOME SPOILERS FOR SCREAIVI SO AVOID AT YOUR OWN RISK!

WEDNESDAY | 7:26 PM | NEW YORK CITY

Quinn and Riley have been friends since 11th grade; however, keeping up with her was physically impossible, and her being 'sex positive' didn't help it at all, but she was his friend. Nonetheless, he still loved her like a sister. Once she moved in with Sam, Riley rarely saw her only in film class, but that was it, so here he is walking alone on a Wednesday Night, a bit weary because of what happened to Ms. Crane; I mean, just last week both of you were talking to her about how terrible the 'STAB' movies are, I mean come on Riley couldn't get past the first one without making Quinn want to choke him.

DING DING DING...

'QUINN'

ACCEPT DECLINE

"Hey, I'm almost there," you said, looking behind you and constantly ensuring someone wasn't following him while a frown crept as your thought of Ms. Crane.

"Okay, well, can you hurry? She's driving me crazy, y'know?" Quinn snapped back, and by her tone, you could tell she was annoyed.

"With who?" you ask curiously.

"Who do you think?" Quinn snaps back quickly.

"Ah... Is it Sam?" his pace stops as you look around.

"Yea, I know she's my roommate, but she can be a little overbearing," she says calmly.

"Anyways... have you talked to Ethan today? You started questioning your boyfriend. I've been calling him; however, he isn't answering his damn cell, which is odd."

"I heard he had some study group, Anika saw him, but that was it. Well, she's in the living room with Mindy and all, but yeah." your best friend said on the other line, which is weird.

"Okay, off-topic totally, but I'm heading to the mall tomorrow after class; you should come; I mean, I don't have my license, but your daddy's a police officer, so I think he'll let me off with a warning," you say to Quinn while looking at a Bodega.

"I mean, maybe, but-" he interrupts Quinn. "Oh, Hold on, another call," However, Quinn tells you to blow it off. "Hello?"

"Hello." the unknown caller responds.

"Listen, I hate to be blunt, but I think you got the wrong number," you said with venom as your eyebrow raised.

"What's your favorite scary movie?" the caller asks.

"I don't watch them, a bunch of shit anyways. I'm more of a comedy or thriller type of person," he tells the voice on the other end. "Listen, bud; I gotta run, so bye." you hang up on him; weird, right? You need help remembering the plot of that movie. It probably was nothing, and honestly, I haven't seen any Horror movies since 'STAB'; however, that was years ago.

"Who was it?" Quinn asks curiously.

"Don't know, some weirdo asking me what Horror movie I liked," you respond to her. "Well, anyways, I'm at the front door. Can you buzz me in?" you tell Quinn.

WEDNESDAY | 7:48 PM | QUINN'S APARTMENT

"Hey, Riley. Anika chirps happily to see you.

"What are we watching?" he asks curiously, wanting to know.

Anika pauses for a minute, trying to think of the movie before Mindy, sitting at the dining table, says, 'SAW 3.' Anika turns to him and nods.

"Ugh, I hate those movies. It's not scary. It's just gross; I hate the torture porn shit." you say to Mindy, with your back facing the TV.

Quinn starts groaning from her bedroom, and you roll his eyes and look at Anika. "Guess she's with her 'boyfriend' again." but the groans start to get a little violent, and bangs from her room.

Worried, You get up. "Quinn...? you okay...?" he says while Mindy tells him to return to the couch, but you approach the door. "Quinn?"

Quinn's body shot out of her room, landing on top of you, staining your neon green cardigan; confusion. plasters your face before Sam pulls Quinn off your body. You panic and try to get up with Anika and Mindy trying to pull you up; however, Mindy gets slashed in the arm, and Ghostface kicks you in the nose with his boot causing blood to spill all over his white pants; he grasps your neck with both hands and begins to choke you.

Anika tries to shove Ghostface off of him. However, he turns and stabs her in the stomach before pushing her into the fireplace. He feels lightheaded before Sam slams a knife block against the attacker's face. Anika and Mindy run through the front door while Sam and I flee to Quinn's bedroom and push her dresser before her door, knocking on her framed photos on the floor.

"Hey!" A man from the next apartment screams at Sam. "Don't worry; I got you." he tries to hand Sam a ladder.

"Are you crazy?" Sam replies with disbelief on her face.

"You got any other ideas?" he replies, staring her down.

"No." Sam takes the Ladder and places it on the window seal. Sam crawls through the window and tries to cross.

"Sam, Hurry!" You say to her as his bleeding nose stains his clothes while Ghostface tries to kick down Quinn's bedroom door.

Climbing up onto the window seal, "shit..." he mumbles as his bloody hands grab the Ladder and try to move my legs; looking up at Sam, my face scrunched up.

"Guys, I can't," you yell, tears brimming his eyes. However, Ghostface breaks down the door, and you quickly crawl onto the Ladder.

"BEHIND YOU!" Sam screams at him as she tries to crawl out the window frantically; she waves her hands, gesturing in a come-on motion.

You look behind him, scream, and crawl across the Ladder quicker, but Ghostface grabs the Ladder and tries to shake you off.

"Riley, give me your hand!" Sam screams and grabs Riley's hand as the Ladder falls below

CLANK

The Ladder makes a noise as it hits a dumpster below, You try to hold onto Sam's hands, but his blood-covered hands make it more challenging the neighbor pulls on his cardigan, pulling him into the apartment.

THURSDAY| 10:03 PM | NEW YORK CITY

"Anika went to the hospital and said she's alright, but the stab wound was deep, so Mindy's with her." you overhear Sam saying to Tara; you can't say you're unhappy. Anika is a close friend; she tried to help you when Ghostface strangled you for a good minute. Ethan showed up; he's your boyfriend, but you suspected him and asked him where he was.

You felt terrible within seconds for suggesting that Ethan was a murderer and had also attempted to kill you after he told you what seemed to be the truth. He presented you with a solid alibi, and you regretted your assumptions in seconds.

"I thought we were close? I mean, we are dating." Ethan says as he crouches down to you.

You believed Ethan was right about those things. He hugs you, and you apologize; Ethan pulls you in for a kiss.

#scream #ethan landry #x male reader

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5eraphim · 1 year

Text

This is a continuation of this post, specifically the Spy vs Engineer section by @cuteghostwriter I believe the original post posited it was supposed to be Red Spy vs Blu Engineer, but I think for the sake of drama, let's suppose they are on the same side. If you liked this story please, please, please, please go follow cuteghostwriter too!!!! Their work is honestly why I got into Team Fortress 2 (like literally this specific post had me like “hm team fortress 2, that’s a name I haven’t heard in 10 years, wonder what that’s all about 🤔” in the first place and I treasure them and their work so much! <3

Characters: Spy and Engineer (Team Fortress 2)

Rating: T

Content Warnings: hurt/comfort, yandere, forced intimacy, depression, unhealthy relationship dynamics, angst

Word Count: 3k

(Song Inspo)

There was a knock at the door. You didn't respond in any way except by staring up at the ceiling over your bed. How long had that door been shut now, a few days; Had it already been a whole week? With the curtains permanently drawn around you, the door shut, a half-empty bottle of sleeping pills beside you, and Engie's old radio he'd loaned you ages ago playing in the corner of your room, time meant nothing anymore. Without your Engie, nothing meant anything anymore. In truth, you couldn't even remember how many days had passed since the tragic accident which claimed Engie's life.

You were told there was some miscalculation made, one of his sentry guns going out of control mid-repair in the middle of the night while he was at work in his shop, claiming his life. Everyone told you there was nothing to be done. No one was close enough at the time to make it there in time to save him. This did nothing to stop your grief or guilt over the matter, especially as you were the first to discover the carnage the following day. You hated yourself for not checking on him earlier or dragging him to bed, not knowing how to bring him back, everything.

Medic tried to console you, telling you he was certain Engie hadn't suffered long. This was all a tragic accident, everything you knew to be the truth but simply could not accept.

Since then, you'd been hiding away in your quarters, hardly leaving your room or even your bed. Engie was one of the most beloved members of the team, a friend to all, and you knew everyone needed time to mourn their comrade. Everyone knew you two were close and allowed you the time you needed to be alone. You received a bottle of mild sleeping pills from the Medic. With those in hand, you shut your door and turned your back on the rest of the world. The distress and grief of everything made it impossible to get out of bed, and it felt as though days were stretching by doing nothing to alleviate your misery. You watched with tired eyes as the door to your room slowly cracked open for the first time in days, as Spy cautiously peered in at you from the outside.

"May I come in?"

It had been so long since you had to interact with another, and you didn't know what to say, much less understand why he decided to check up on you now. In the dark, you nodded your head once, which was enough of an invitation for Spy, who you weren't even sure how he could see in the darkness of your quarters. He crept forward as silently as a cat, taking in the pitiful sight of your bedroom.

He continued, thankfully not turning on the bright overhead light but opting for the smaller bedside lamp. The illumination of the overhead light would've likely stung your eyes, and it was nice to remain in the low lighting just a bit longer. "Do you mind if I sit down?"

"I don't mind."

Your voice sounded dry and unused, and you weren't sure what Spy would be most disconcerted by. The weakness of your voice, the empty plastic water bottles scattered on the floor amid a few granola bar wrappers, or the smell of perspiration and stale air, which hung like a heavy fog in the room. Too numbed with apathy to feel any embarrassment of another catching you in such a state. Nothing trivial like that could compare to the agony that was your new life without your beloved.

"I came to check up on you. It has been days since I last saw you, and I wanted to ensure you were doing alright. I can only imagine what you're going through. I know how close you were."

"Thanks."

The one-word response was all you could think to say. After not interacting with another person for days, you'd lost your sense of communication and couldn't think of anything else to say as you stared blankly at the ceiling.

"I'm fine. You don't have to worry about me."

You wanted to be alone again but didn't have the resolve to tell him to leave outright. So instead, you figured if you told him nothing, he wouldn't worry. As though the state of your living quarters weren't a thinly-veiled cry for help.

"You're not alone, you know. We all loved our Engineer, and I know I'm-"

"Don't lie to me."

"Pardon?"

"I said don't fucking lie to me."

Spy opened his mouth to speak, his brow momentarily creasing in confusion, but you cut him off before he could say anything. Feeling suddenly angry, this was the first strong emotion you'd felt since discovering the slaughtered remains of your Engineer.

"Everyone knows you hated him! You-you were always terrible to Engie! I know how you mocked him- always looking down on him! So don't you dare lie to me and say you understand what I feel! You little snake!"

Spy looked shocked to hear this and even hurt. Of course, if it were anyone else, you'd never say this, but you were too caught up in the heat of the moment to stop yourself.

"You never respected him like we did- you don't care about anyone but yourself! You are the most self-absorbed person I've ever known! It should've been you who died that night! Hell, you'd probably kill him yourself if you could! You're always up late- why didn't you save him!"

Hot tears continued to roll down the sides of your face. You spoke through grit teeth between choked, pathetic-sounding sobs.

"But- I was up too, I should've been there- I knew he was working late, I could've prevented him… Oh God-"

It was impossible to continue your rant as you could not stop sobbing. You knew your words were harsh and didn't mean it, but you couldn't stop yourself. You were mad at the world for taking the man you loved more than anyone away, but most of all, you hated yourself for not being there to save him. You would do anything to get him back, give your own life for him, but none of that mattered. He was dead now, and you were the one stuck living with the guilt.

Sitting upright in bed, you curled your knees up to your chest, hugging yourself in a tight ball. You buried your face in your hands, only somewhat aware of the other man's arms around your shoulders, rolling soft little circles with fingertips against your flesh to try to soothe you. Then, practically shouting into your hands, you spoke again with a cry.

"It should've been me!"

"Shh, no, don't talk like that."

Spy drew a little closer, arms now fully wrapped around you, and he rested his head on top of yours. For a second, you tried to pull away and push Spy away from your body, but only for a moment. Then, as the emotions continued to pour out, you decided to give in and let him hold you close. As much as you hated him, it's been so long since you felt the comfort of another. You'd been hiding away and lurking in the shadows for so long, pushing everyone else out. You'd totally forgotten just how much you needed a little emotional support. Spy guided your head to rest on his lap, laying you back down on your side as he softly petted your head, your face still covered by your hands as you lay down.

"If our Engineer were here, he'd smack you for saying that, you know."

You knew he was just trying to lighten the mood, but all you could think about was how badly you wanted to see him again. Missing his smile, his touch, all of the beautiful things he made you feel, nothing but a memory now. Gone, in the past, and forever out of reach.

"There's so much I never got to tell him. I loved him- and I never got the chance to tell him, and now- God, now he's gone forever!"

He continued to hush your sobs softly, speaking with an emotional sincerity you'd never expect to come from someone like him.

"I know it hurts, but you know if he were here, he'd want you to take care of yourself. I know you were close, but our Engineer wouldn't want you to live in the past like this. You know he'd want to see you take care of yourself."

Even though you couldn't stop crying, you found his words soothing. You'd felt so lost and lonely for days to hear someone, anyone- tell you there was still hope felt comforting. You'd unconsciously been pushing down all hope to go on for so long. Hearing another person try so earnestly to console you like this felt so bizarre. So for a bit longer, you simply allowed Spy to hold you like this while you continued to sob until, little by little, you could feel your crying let up. All the emotional distress you'd bottled up since Engie died began to trickle out, and you could feel your crying soften.

"Spy, I miss him more than anything. I'm going to miss him forever."

"I know-"

"No Spy, I mean- I loved him! I loved him so much, and I never got to tell him!"

A fresh wave of self-loathing overtook you, as you were ashamed to remember how you were always too scared to tell him how you felt. You would do anything to get just one more day to tell him how you felt, but none of that mattered now that he was dead and gone. You felt so cowardly and gutless for never having the courage to tell him how you felt.

"I know. You need time to heal, but you can't do that alone in the dark like this."

You sat up from his lap, feeling his body sliding away from you slightly until he stood up, standing over the side of the bed.

"I'd stay with you here all night if you wanted, but it'd be best if you got out of this room. Just for tonight."

You rolled onto your back and looked up at him with bleary eyes. Likely you looked just as messy and unkempt as you felt, yet the way Spy looked down at you, it was as though you were the most lovely person he'd ever seen. "You can't get any better hiding all alone like this. Why don't you come back to my room with me, and I'll help clean you up?"

He cupped your face in his hands, brushing away your tears with his thumbs as he smiled warmly. You looked aside, you doubted you had the strength to take care of yourself, and you really didn't want him to go away. But selfishly, you wanted to continue sulking and ignore the world for a while longer, but you knew he was right. If Engie were here, he'd want to see you taking care of yourself. Yet, somehow it felt like a betrayal to let Spy, just about the only person on his team Engie despised, be the one to take care of you like this. What would he think of you if he could see you now? Sensing your hesitation, he continued.

"I know this is hard, but let me take care of everything. I want to do whatever I can to help."

Swallowing your hesitation, you nodded shakily and allowed the other man to help pull you from bed and onto your own two feet. Although, you were glad he was keeping an arm around your shoulders to hold you steady. Your legs felt weak and unsteady after laying down for so long, and you allowed yourself to give in entirely as Spy led you out of your room, quietly closing the door behind him as he led you toward his living space.

Spy's own room was just as well-kept and lush as you'd expected, though you were always too shy to accept his invitations up to his room before now. You followed as he led you to the bathroom connected to his own room.

"I can get you some fresh clothes, but let me help get you washed up first. Will you let me do that for you?"

Usually, you'd object to something like this. Not only were you plenty able to take care of yourself, but the idea of letting a man you worked with strip you down and take care of you like this felt a bit risque. But given the situation, you just nodded at him as he drew a bath, shedding his jacket and folding it up on the counter before turning to help you out of your clothes. No words were exchanged, feeling content to listen to the water running from the tap as your clothes were stripped away and carefully folded on the other side of the counter as he gingerly helped you into the tub.

You allowed your eyes to drift shut for a moment. Resting your head back and feeling the warm water slowly climb higher and higher around you. Spy hummed softly beside you, but his voice, the smell of the expensive soaps, his touch, and his presence all felt muted somehow, as though this were all some dream, and it was only a matter of time before you awoke back in your bed in week-old clothes drenched in the smell of sweat and stale air.

Every now and then, you would find your eyes fluttering open but not really focusing on everything in particular. You could see Spy's naked upper body over the lip of the tub, using a soft rag to rinse the suds from your body hair. In truth, you would've never assumed someone you once were so sure was nothing more than a selfish cynic to be capable of something so tender and intimate, but you couldn't help but find yourself relaxing more and more beside him the longer he worked. You also realized this was the first time you'd felt his touch without his gloves. His hands weren't nearly as calloused or knuckled as you expected and felt reassuring and gentle against your soft skin and scalp.

After a few more minutes of this, you were given a moment alone in the tub while he left to find you something to change into. While you didn't know if you were comfortable spending the night here, it was an improvement to another night locked away like a prisoner. While he was in the other room, you leaned forward enough to pull the stopper from the drain, standing up, letting the water roll off your naked body in little rivers and heavy drops. Then, doing your best not to trail too much water on the floor, you made your way to the closet, where towels were kept to dry the rest of the water from your skin.

You felt another set of arms wrapping around you, giving you a soft hug from behind before you realized he'd returned.

"I have some spare clothes for you on the bed. Come with me."

You didn't respond but followed wordlessly as he guided you from the bathroom back to his bedroom, the towel falling to your feet. Discarded upon soaking up the last of the water which clung to your body. Sitting on his bed, you pulled on a pair of flannel boxer shorts and an oversized undershirt.

"Rest here. Let me get the lights for us."

He kissed the top of your head before tucking you under the blankets like a small child, ensuring you were fully snug and comfortable under the blankets before briefly pulling away to shut off the lights. He shifted beside you, getting himself comfortable in bed, laying on his side right next to you, wrapping warm arms around you to totally envelope your body with his. Gently resting his forehead on the top of your still-damp scalp.

"Spy?"

"Hm?"

He continued to nuzzle his face into your hair as you spoke in a quiet, unsteady voice, still strained slightly from your earlier crying.

"I'm really sorry about what I said earlier. It shouldn't have been you, and I know you'd never leave Engie to die. You didn't deserve to hear that. And... I'm really sorry about all that."

He chuckled a little using his fingertips to rub little semicircles against your skin. "Don't worry about that now. You're forgiven."

Biting your lip a little, you couldn't help but feel an awful pit of guilt in your stomach. Spy was the only person to check on you in days, and you thanked him by wishing death upon him and yelling in his face. It was hard to ignore the prickling sensation of fresh tears, you didn't want to let him know you were crying again, but you could tell by the way his hold around you tightened a little that he already knew.

"It's alright. I'm here for you now. I'll always be here. I'll always love you. Now close your eyes and try to sleep."

Easier said than done, but you did your best to let your mind drift off to sleep again. But you couldn't help but feel so selfish. What right did you have to be loved like this? You couldn't protect the person you loved the most. You didn't deserve this. But the way Spy held you against his body, whispering sweet, comforting things to you, it was hard not to melt under his touch, so you did. Shutting your eyes forced yourself to slow your breathing, and listen to the sound of Spy's heart beating, the slow, hypnotic rhythm slowly causing you to drift deeper and deeper to slumber. The last thing you could remember before drifting off was Spy's gentle purring in your ear.

"You're all mine now. No one will take you away. Mine forever."

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27emailsicantsend · 9 months

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Season 4 Thoughts

To My Followers

This rest of this debrief will be wordy and I wanted to make sure I got what I felt was the most important part of this posted here first, before I move onto my thoughts of season 4. In case you read nothing else, I hope you read this: Thank you from the bottom of my heart for this amazing ride we have went on the past four years. Especially thank you to the 2019 Rina’s, who saw our little crack ship and believed in it’s potential every step of the way. I am floored by the amazing community I feel we have built on my page.

Something I haven’t shared about on here is I have dealt with some pretty bad on and off depression since 2019. I’ve had a hard time maintaining friends due to natural circumstances that have come with just being an adult. When I got lonely, I was always able to turn to Tumblr and answer a new ask or read a positive comment. I remember one time one of my posts on Tumblr got semi-big on Twitter and it was during one of my darkest depression phases. It truly made me feel like I had something… special to offer when I felt like I was nothing. I’ve been on Tumblr for a long time, but the HSMTMTS fandom truly changed my life. I am not only mourning a show that brought me comfort and felt like the friendships I was craving, but also the community we have built.

If nothing else comes of the show (no movie, spin-off, etc.) I just want you all to know from the bottom of my heart, I genuinely appreciate you. You were my light in my darkest tunnels and I will never be able to thank you enough for that. I don’t plan on leaving Tumblr, not even close and I am sure I will have a lot more to say as I rewatch the season, but I know some of you might be gone after this. So, whether you stay or you leave, please know you have “changed my life for the better, I have been changed for good”.

Now who is ready for my season 4 thoughts?

Instead of going episode by episode, I figured it would be easier to talk about the season in general themes. Overall, I loved this season. It is my favorite season, which I knew would be so hard to beat s3 but this one did. I cried, laughed, cried, sang along in my head, and cried some more. Tim and the cast truly outdid themselves this season and I don’t think I have ever seen a better final season to a show. Ever. Honestly, I hesitate rewatching the season because of how much it impacted me the first time and I know it won’t feel the same the second time around, but that just means it did what it needed to do. If anyone on the show is seeing this, please know that I appreciate everything you’ve done!

Music

The music this season was incredible. I know a lot of people didn’t like season 3’s soundtrack, but honestly, I did. But I really feel like this season outshined in a lot of ways musically. Stripping down to raw vocals made the scenes feel much more emotional and connected. And the changes and tracking to the songs we already knew made them feel fresh again. The original songs were all crafted carefully to give meaning and purpose to the scenes and characters, making each one feel like a progressive step in the episode, rather than just filler. The music was always an important part to this show, but this season it really felt the most intentional. I don’t have enough good things to say about it.

I’m having a hard time picking a favorite because they were all so meaningful in their own ways, but if I had to pick one (for now), I would probably say “Maybe this Time” is my favorite. Watching Ricky and Gina talk about how they feel like this time around their relationship is different from their other relationships- and before with each other- really encompasses everything Tim was trying to portray with the ship. They had to go through their ups and downs, had to see other relationships, in order to give and appreciate each other’s authentic love. Not only this, but the proof was in the pudding with Ricky’s feelings. Watching each iconic Rina scene as they sang about feeling like their relationship with each other is different than others, shows that those moments were reciprocated feelings between the two of them. And while I never had a doubt Ricky had feelings since the beginning, this really solidified the idea for even the most casual of viewers.

Cinematography

I had to pause myself several times and remember I was watching a tv show and not a movie because the budget was budgeting! I am amazed at the detail and stylistic choices the show chose depending on what we were watching. From the opening scene literally feeling like I was watching HSM again, to certain scenes making me feel like I was back to previous seasons, to other scenes where the lens would change depending on if we were watching HSM4 being filmed directly or through the directors chair. It was creative and stylistic, using different camera techniques like the steady camera or being shot more like a music video for the Halloween song. In the most meta way, you could literally see the enhancements to the shots with coloring and lighting, making this season feel like the same upgrade HSM3 was from HSM2. I am just so, beyond impressed.

Humor

Oh my gosh, this season did not miss with the jokes and facial expressions! I will say, I think season 3 did have me laughing a little more frequently, whereas this season had me crying a lot more, but it doesn’t mean it wasn’t funny. They weren’t kidding saying it was “pg-13”, because I was really surprised with some of the jokes they put into this season (like the one between Ricky and his dad episode 1 or the amount of bleeped swear words). Emmy had the most heinous lines, so you never quite knew what to expect with her. I loved seeing Ricky make his “Jim Halpert eyes” at the camera or Ricky and Jet tease each other about their girls. I think one or two more jokes would have bode well within this season, but I am also very happy with what we got!

Friendships

EJ and Ricky- this was probably one of the more shocking things to happen in the season. I knew from stills we were going to get something with EJ and Ricky, but I remember when they were first dropped I was very confused about why they were together. There are a lot of things EJ has done wrong and a lot of things he’s done right, but I really think his relationship with Ricky was redeemed after episode five. I was so impressed by his monologue at the end of their time together and the raw emotion Ricky had to hearing the things EJ was saying. Ricky needed to know that it was on him to change, even if he couldn’t change the outcome, he could change his view. I loved knowing that EJ had moved on and even if it was hard, he still supported rina at the end of the day. I think this gave Ricky some relief too. And then watching Ricky call on EJ a couple more times when he was stressed and have that parallel scene of throwing the basketball back and forth… it was just a very satisfying ending for them that I didn’t know needed to happen until it did. (Also their song?? Was so good??? It was really nice to hear EJ sing something serious and his vocals worked well with Ricky’s).

Gina and Mack- I really thought I was going to hate Mack and the first couple of episodes set him up to look that way too. But then he shows up in the trailer asking to pretend to date Gina and for some reason that scene I knew he wasn’t harmful? I know that might sound backwards but it came across really… friendly? Ricky’s worries were more comedic than an actual threat to their relationship which I appreciated. Tim really meant it when he said no more love triangles for them… because it was never actually a triangle. Mack and Gina didn’t actually have those romantic feelings for each other. Mack grew on me throughout the season and watching him drop out after his conversation with Ricky really shed a light on his character. I just wish Ricky would have replaced Mack as Romeo… and kind of shocked he didn’t?

Kourtney and Gina- If there is one thing I was certain on and was completely wrong about, it was these two. I genuinely thought Kourtney’s “diva-ness” was going to mimmick Sharpay’s because Sharpay was jealous of Gabriella and tried to take her role HSM3. The doc set up Kourtney and Gina to look like they hated each other and I really thought things were going to get messy between them. Honestly… that was the only thing from the doc that wasn’t mentioned, so I kind of wonder if Tim had plans for it but dropped it in the end? Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy they stayed close this season; I’m just confused, is all.

Ricky and Nini- Another name I did not expect to hear at all this season, but in the context it happened in, I’m glad I did. I think Nini giving Ricky that lotto ticket helped to heal any remaining wounds from their break up and show they would always still be friends. And while we never saw them as friends in the show, I feel like with their set up as a couple s1 they really were good friends, but dating kind of wrecked it for them. Knowing she sent those opening night cards again (a fun tradition I’m glad they kept even with her off the show), was a sweet nod that they were ok again.

Gina and EJ- Much like Nini and Ricky, I was shocked to see these two interact again and the context they did. I love Gina Porter and would defend her in court, no questions asked, but it was really interesting watching her recognize maybe a little of the hypocrisy of her keeping that secret from Ricky, which was the whole reason she got mad at EJ. I think having her go through the same thing in her relationship, helped her to recognize why it was so hard for EJ to bring it up. However, Gina seemed to try a lot harder to say it to Ricky in a short time period after finding out about the offer, whereas EJ kind of seemed like he was going to put it off as long as he could s3- that’s the difference between them. I really did love EJ and Gina as friends and you can find other posts of me saying this- and with him being friends with Ricky now too- I think there was something really healing for all of them in Gina and EJ’s conversation. I also found Ricky’s reaction to knowing Gina confided in EJ first interesting because I genuinely thought he was going to get really angry, but instead EJ pushed Ricky to go fight for Gina. It was a nice conclusion for all of them.

Miss Jenn and Emmy/Carlos- At first I was going to be really sad they cut Carlos out from being a helped with Miss Jenn, but I loved the role Emmy played with her. Emmy was obviously looking for a place where she felt wanted/needed, especially after getting kicked off the movie, so seeing her feel that by assisting Miss Jenn was sweet. I also loved that Carlos was still connected to Miss Jenn but in very different ways. They seemed more like friends and it made me think a lot about what their relationship would look like after Carlos graduated. Knowing Miss Jenn helped Carlos when he was first getting bullied was a very touching twist to their arc… in fact, that entire episode (4x06) is making me rethink everything that has happened since the beginning of the series. Just when I thought I was done finding new things, Tim has managed to make it so I can go back and rewatch and probably find MORE new things. That is what real writing looks like and it can’t be mimicked.

Family

Ricky- Watching Ricky say “I Love You” to every person he considered family was such a touching storyline. Ricky’s whole premise from season one was about how he felt isolated from those who cared about him and how he struggled to say how he feels. We watch Ricky slowly overcome this as he tells those he loves that he loves them over and over, while simultaneously wrapping several of their storylines with him. It was his way of thanking them and saying good bye and I couldn’t think of a better way for Ricky to demonstrate who has become family to him.

Gina and Terri- “Don’t get me started” is the only way I can start this, ironically. I have nasty words for this woman. I am so proud of Ricky and Gina standing up to her, pointing out how malicious she was all season. How she couldn’t be bothered to even spend two seconds with things that were important to Gina, but could easily make Gina be everything Terri wanted her to be. I knew in the Thanksgiving episode something was off about Gina’s mom. Of course, we had a couple pieces of the puzzle like Gina talking about how her mom pushes her too hard in other episodes, but specifically during this episode I got weird vibes from Terri and couldn’t quite put my finger on it. This season answered it for me. When Gina called to tell her mom about how she won the “Choosical”, it was something so small but so important to her, her mom immediately made Gina take her off speaker and then dropped that bomb while Gina was out with her friends. Like Terri couldn’t have waited until she got home? It’s very obvious that Terri’s needs are above all else and it makes Gina feel like she has to cater to her mom’s every whim. I have always said I felt a really close tie to Gina and without going into too much detail, her home life molding who she has become, makes a lot of sense why I feel so much like her. So yes, I do take Terri a bit personally.

Ricky and his parents- I have seen a lot of mixed opinions on Mike and Lynne getting back together and I get why. Honestly, I really liked Mike and Jenn. I liked the idea of Miss Jenn being the mother figure Ricky didn’t really have and literally stepping into that role. They seemed good and happy, but I get why she chose Mozzarella Stick after this season. Miss Jenn does seem a bit happier with him so I’ll let it slide. But with Mike and Lynne, it’s kind of got two sides for me. On one hand, maybe it was good for Ricky to see his parents get back together. He got this second chance and being Troy and seeing them happy in the audience was all he wanted, so it came full circle. It also proves more of the love Ricky has for Gina, because his parents represented Nini and him. He could have easily saw them get back together and thought “man if they can, I can get back with Nini too!” But he was so far removed from Nini because of his relationship for Gina, he could see that and not have it shake him back to S1 Ricky. On the other hand, it also defeats Lynne’s whole conversation that led Gina to Ricky. Because Mike and she paralleled R*ni, seeing her give Ricky permission to let Nini go (“sometimes two people aren’t always meant to be”), but then come back to Mike, makes it kind of be like “well, what was the point of that conversation because we were proving that Ricky could be more without her?” I guess you could maybe even argue that his parents reflected he and Gina instead, falling apart but then getting back together because of unresolved feelings. I’m not sure… I’d be curious to see what everyone else thinks about this.

EJ and his dad (+Kourtney and her mom)- I was happy to see EJ finally separate himself from his dad. Even though EJ was struggling financially, he was happier figuring it out on his own. This show really embodied a lot of different parent/child dynamics and I think it gives kids permission to stand up to their parents, even when it’s scary. To do what is best for you, even if your parents disagree. I think maybe EJ’s arc could have been explored a bit more and I would have loved to see more on him and Val (which I totally called it btw), but I feel like that would have been reserved for s5, had we gotten one. In the same breath, it was nice seeing Kourtney have such a good relationship with her mom as a juxtaposition to EJ and his dad this episode. She had a parent who wanted her to explore her options for college and supported her unconditionally. It showed what a good parent is like too. I really enjoyed those two storylines flipping back and forth in episode 5.

Jet and Maddox- it was so good to see their relationship healed this season. To watch them encourage each other in their roles and dreams (like Jet wanting to possibly go with her to New Zealand) was such a massive contrast from last season. You could tell a couple of times they were still working a little through the kinks, but it really seemed like they had found their rhythm again as siblings. I also have to give a huge shout out to the Halloween episode for Jet getting to help Maddox reclaim her scary story that he had “ruined” in s3. It was like the last unresolved thing for them and it was such a sweet callback for them to do again.

Relationships

Carlos and Seb- Man I don’t know how to feel about them this season. Rina’s predicted the cheating from a mile away and with Red, but even watching it on screen seemed so out of character for both of them? And the angry phase seemed to last several episodes more than the “make up” phase which was a bit frustrating. I love Seblos, but this was such an interesting plot to go down, especially with Seb accusing Carlos of cheating the whole time. And it wasn’t like that insecurity was because Seb was the cheater the whole time? It only happened once. I don’t know, I think they could have made it so Seblos fought over something else or if they had to go down the cheating storyline, showed Seb getting more and more feelings for Red through the seasons. Then when he got insecure, it makes sense because he was projecting. Then we could have had a whole arc about Seb’s insecurities.

I also had a hard time with the Seb not coming out storyline and that’s why they couldn’t travel? It just seemed like such a random “we need a C-plot” storyline for the last two episodes? I think there are better ways this relationship could have been executed this season, but I am happy to see them still as endgame.

Seb and Natalie- *blinks profusely*

Ashlyn, Maddox, Big Red, Antoine- I’ve mentioned this several times on here, I was really happy with Ashlyn being with Red or Maddox. She seemed happy with both, but I think with an entire season of Red missing, it did help to create some of that separation so the break up didn’t seem so abrupt between Ashlyn and him. I absolutely died seeing him get with Antoine though. That was the exact plot twist I needed!

I appreciated Madlyn getting together in the end because I think there was a natural progression of feelings we were able to see since S3. Maddox needed a way to move on from Madison and Ashlyn was able to figure out her sexuality through Val, but place herself in the right heart through Maddox. I think Julia had talked about how good it was for kids to see queer storylines that are positive and cute, rather than how they might get portrayed otherwise. That being queer was just… accepted for Ashlyn. If we do see gay storylines on TV, it still tends to lean toward MLM, so it was a breath of fresh air seeing a WLW on a teen show like this. I have female friends who are queer that I could see really resonating with a storyline like this.

Jet and Kourtney- This relationship is the prime example of the show runner being mostly positive the show was getting cancelled, but holding out hope for more. I think if he knew for sure when they were filming, we probably would have seen a Jetney kiss or something a little more… solid between them? They were really cute and I loved seeing Jet get flustered every time he was around her (especially when he would be acting normal 3 seconds earlier), but their romance fell just a teeny bit flat for me this season and I think it’s because Tim was trying to leave the door open for more. I think they were supposed to be more of a “slow burn”, so we got that comment from Gina about Jet asking her out, but then nothing else really happened from there. If we get a spin-off (and I PRAY we get a rina one), I would hope to see more between Jet and Kourt (imagine one with them being the core four!).

Ricky and Gina- I don’t even know how I am going to write this without crying. These two hold such a special place in my heart and watching them finally succeed was everything I could have asked for and more. We got everything with them: duets, Ricky saying “I love you” first, flashbacks, a rain kiss, “Can I Have This Dance”, spin hug, secret dating and more. Val was right when she said that they were the “love each other needed”. From the beginning, we watched Gina feel isolated from East High. She had no friends, a bad family life, and apparently had gotten in a lot of trouble in her previous schools. With Ricky, we saw him navigating this need to be loved so desperately, he ended up pushing those he cared about away even further. If he felt like a mistake or a failure to them, he hid because how could he be anything else but happy around them? He believed the sad parts of him made him unlovable, and that’s where Gina proved him wrong. When everyone else reminded him that he wasn’t wanted at the first show, he never showed up as a good student, he was “in the way”… Gina reminded him he did belong. She reminded him that he had good things to offer, even if it was as simple as just listening to him play a song.

And Ricky did the same for Gina. She was completely isolated and felt like it wasn’t worth getting close to people because she might have to “move again”. She felt like her only business was causing problems and being the number one competition. But Ricky stepped in as a friend, showing her that someone cared enough about her to just ask why she was causing trouble in the first place- and not to get her in trouble, but to let her know someone saw something soft beneath the surface and that he just wanted to pull that side of her out. “Why are you making it your business?” “You’re not that scary”. And he did.

Both of these characters shifted after their first conversation at the dance. They both continued to grow and adapt together, even when they were a part. I loved the flashback in 4x06, as well as the tag in the hat, because it proves that the stars were always aligned in their favor. It was a good lesson to us as the audience that even when all seems lost, there might be better things in the future. “Sometimes the really good stuff begins only when something else ends”. And to enjoy what we have now because it might be a part of the best part of our life. “It’s about the journey, not the destination”.

Time and time again, Rina proved that they were made for each other this season and that they improved each other in the best ways. Ricky told Gina he remembered the things she said (someone who felt forgotten after moving so much) and that he always wants to hear what she has to say (after being pushed aside by EJ all summer). Gina rearranged her life to stay in Salt Lake, rather than making Ricky figure it out (she wasn’t going to leave him like everyone else and not because he told her to stay, but because she genuinely wanted to). She reminded Ricky of his value to her in her good bye speech (saying that he saw her like no one else did and saying that he was the hardest one to talk about, which probably made Ricky feel like a priority and not an after-thought). I have never seen a couple be such a complete and whole puzzle piece like these two.

They were destined to be together because they are each other’s best parts. Their love story is serendipitous.

Things Missing

As much as I loved this season, I felt like there were a lot of elements still missing that I hadn’t already mentioned and I would have loved to have seen fleshed out more. I wish we would have gotten more on Ashlyn’s and Carlos’ body image storylines. I think it’s important to have that representation on screen and the storylines seemed to end as quickly as they started. We also don’t know much about Emmy still. We know that this opportunity felt big for her and she was let down, but that was about all we got. I really, really banked on a chocolates confession and as much as I loved that rain kiss, I think it would have been perfect if Gina would have ran out saying, “you were the one who got me the chocolates” and THEN told Ricky about her mom. I get for the audience it works because now we have confirmation of Ricky getting her them (it’s literally the exact same design of bows), but it would have been nice to see Gina learn about it. I wish we would have seen more of Kourtney and Carlos being the “Ryan and Sharpay” with their need for wanting everything/sassiness- it just seemed to show up a little in the beginning of the series and then wasn’t revisited until the last episode. Lastly, the OG wildcats really still felt like they were missing from this season. I was convinced we were getting guest appearances from Zac, Vanessa, and Ashley, but I guess this is what you get for living in delulu land. And when Monique or Bart showed back up (or anyone else) later in the series I was just like, “oh yeah! They’re in this season”. I just wish they would have been shown a bit more throughout so I didn’t completely forget they were a part of the season (it kind of reminds me of S3 where halfway through I completely forgot Nini even had a storyline- it wasn’t until the last episode I remembered her being around).

The song placements were a bit off for me too. “Just Wanna Be with You” was completely missing and we didn’t get to watch “The Boys are Back” at all… I honestly felt really deprived! I think “The Boys are Back” would have made a great reacquainting song for Ricky and Jet, “Just Wanna Be with You” would have solidified not only rina endgame a bit more but they could have even had jetney sing it to show their endgame more. I don’t think the placement of “Scream” was bad by any means, but I think it might have been better around the time of Ricky visiting EJ because I believe that was when he was truly at his lowest this season. Things were kind of working out for Ricky a little more when he actually sang it, which doesn’t parallel Troy as much (Troy sang it at his absolute lowest of lows). And as much as I wanted to love “I Want it All”, there was something about either the instrumentals or the vocals that made the song not hit as hard for me as the movie. I think Kourtney and Carlos are absolute powerhouses and could have really knocked it out of the park, so I’m not sure what happened there.

Spin-Off

I desperately want a rina spin-off or even one with rina and jetney. I’ve seen some people want a Kourtney spin-off, but I’m not sure how much I would enjoy it because I’m so emotionally tied to Gina/rina. I think a rina college spin-off could be great with other characters coming in and out, as well as a whole new cast. I am sure Tim has more ideas up his sleeve and he could show us rina getting married at the end of the show. It could be about balancing this relationship and college, as well as all of the pressures that come with that. It could be about them figuring out their life together as adults (which would be amazing to see because there really aren’t enough shows based on your 20’s and most of the fan base for this show is in their 20’s!) It could be more mature and hit harder topics, but still in a way that fits the essence of the show we already know. If a spin-off is too much, I would even be happy with a movie. I just want to know what happens after high school for these characters and I really believe we could have gotten that in a season 5, had the show not gotten cancelled what feels to be… a little premature. Tim said he wanted this show to go on for a long time with multiple seasons and/or spin-offs, he has said that he has floated the idea of a rina: college spin-off around, and Josh and Sofia don’t seem to hate the idea. Of course, we’d have to wait on the strikes, but hopefully by the time they are done we’ll hear some news one way or another.

What’s Next?

So, Wildcats, what’s next for me? Well, I’ll still be here. I’ve had these character asks lingering in my inbox but I was gone all last week (literally from morning until night) so I just haven’t had a chance to do them. It might be kind of fun to finish them up now that I’ve seen season 4, but it also makes me sad because I didn’t wait for the other characters… so maybe I might keep the character asks for seasons 1-3 only to keep the playing field even.

Please keep sending me asks and discussion prompts. I love talking to all of you and just because the show is done (for now) doesn’t mean we can’t keep talking about it. I have a lot of drafts of other thoughts and theories etc. relating to the show that have come to mind and I never got a chance to post. But now I feel like I’ve got more time to post them, so be expecting to hear more from me on that front too.

I will also try to keep you guys updated if I hear anymore about spin-offs, movies, etc. and since this is technically a multi-fandom blog (just lately it’s been dedicated to HSMTMTS) you might see me post about some other shows too. If you have any recommendations, let me know.

Well, I guess it’s off to go rewatch the season… and probably a million more times after this. Thanks for everything you guys have given me so far and I pray our adventures will continue.

You’re not a maybe. You’re a yes.

#hsmtmts #high school musical the musical the series #rina #ricky bowen #gina porter #ricky x gina #season 4 #season 4 thoughts

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alwaysonlineau · 6 months

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hi! welcome to the always online au!

for anyone who was into the hype of parkner back in late 2019/the early quarantine days, this might be a little bit familiar to you. basically, this is a social media au for marvel that i created when getting into parkner and thompsborn and when one of the main wlw ships was mj/shuri. it consisted of screenshots of (obviously fake) social media accounts (mainly twitter) of some of the marvel characters and it was mostly shitposting with a tiny hint of a plot. however, because of the mental health kick that came with quarantine, i ended up deleting the account while in a depression drop.

it’s been over 3 years and i honestly miss making this au, as it was just fun and gave me something to do, and a few days ago i realized that i still have the apps i used when i originally made this au and all of the fake tweets and messages were still on them, so… well.

basically, i decided to bring it back!

so, if you don’t remember or never saw this au when it was originally happening, you might have some questions! under the cut is a very basic q&a:

what is the always online au about?

nothing! also everything! like i said, it was entirely a shitpost account that very vaguely had a plot, but it was 100% just something i did in my free time for fun!

it’s essentially me throwing my sense of humor in a box with ships and characters that i like and then violently shaking it until something that i find funny comes out and then i would post it !!

ships and characters? which ones?

like i mentioned above, i made this during like the late 2019-2020 era of parkner hype, so, obviously, it was mainly parkner (peter parker/harley keener) BUT it also features many other marvel ships! i am going to be changing the ships up a bit to better match my current preferences. i’ll include a list of ships below this paragraph, but first, this is also going to include PLENTY of platonic/familial dynamics as well! so if you love stucky, sorry they aren’t dating in this but they are obviously besties, and there’s irondad, stuff like that, okay? i’ll try to include it all!

ships:

parkner (peter parker/harley keener)

ironhusbands (tony stark/james rhodes)

gwemj (gwen stacy/michelle jones)

peppermay (pepper potts/may parker)

sambucky (sam wilson/bucky barnes)

thompsborn (harry osborn/flash thompson)

nedbetty (ned leeds/betty brant)

thorbruce (thor/bruce banner)

and more that i will add to this list as i figure them out! suggestions are more than welcome!

characters include everyone in the above mentioned ships (obviously lol) as well as any and all marvel/mcu characters that feel relevant to include! such as:

happy hogan

shuri

t’challa

the guardians of the galaxy

matt, foggy and karen from daredevil

funny accounts for villains

norman osborn (ew)

loki (and maybe mobius? maybe include that ship too? i haven’t watched loki season 2 yet so we’ll see i guess lmao)

and more! again, i am open to suggestions!

if anyone has ideas for characters, ships, or dynamics to include, feel free to message me or send an ask!!

how often should i expect updates?

that one is kind of tricky, because i am an adult with a full time job who is also balancing hobbies and family and everything all at the same time. this is something that i’ll try to work on during my free time, and when i did this before it wasn’t hard to make updates once i figured out what i wanted to do for them, but still, my free time kind of depends on the day and the week.

i’m not going to commit to a strict schedule, but i don’t work weekends so my goal is to update every weekend! if i miss a weekend, i’ll try to get it posted during the week, and if i have a week with extra free time, i’ll do some additional posts as well.

i’ll do my best to be regular with it!!

anything else i should know?

yes! this is an ongoing creative project that i’m doing for fun, and i want it to be fun for anyone and everyone who may come across it! that means i want it to be interactive!! this is something i did before, as well.

for instance, when i was running this au in 2019/2020, someone sent an ask wanting to see harley finding out about the vulture after him and peter start dating, so i answered the ask with this:

obviously this au isn’t picking up from where the old one left off, so those tweets are not considered canon to the current always online au, BUT that’s just an example! i want people to feel free to send in asks and questions for the characters or for situations, and i will do my best to make it fit into the canon of the au!!

i think that’s it?

if anyone has any additional questions, comments, or concerns they would like me to address, feel free to send them in! i’m going to try to get the first update of this au posted today (october 17, 2023) but no promises! if not today, it WILL be up tomorrow!

once the official au is being posted, i’m also going to create a pinned post that links to this one as well as all the au updates and anything else necessary to include (like the tagging system i’m going to create and things like that) so that will be posted shortly after the first update is out! for now, thank you for reading!

i hope to see you guys always online ;)

#parkner #ironhusbands #peppermay #nedbetty #sambucky #gwemj #thorbruce #thompsborn #alwaysonlineau

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chibivesicle · 1 year

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‘Times, they be a changin’

After a drop off due to Golden Kamuy ending and my overall disappointment with the last arc. And of course, Ogata’s death, I’ve been wondering where I want to go with these things. I put a lot of GK content out and I don’t want to just shelve it but I don’t want to split myself between fifteen thousand side blogs. I’ve decided that I’ll keep my live action meta over on my ‘I don’t want to be exterminated, upgraded, turned into pudding’ side blog and I’ll keep all my anime and manga opinions here. Since I have been reading manga for a long time and watching anime for even slightly longer.

To reflect this, I’ve removed my last previous Ogata icon and I’ve jumped straight to God; Kuroneko-sama that is. It isn’t that I’ve stopped reading manga or watching anime either and I have just one of the many opinions on the internet.

Let’s go with an easy current on topic target for some mild-meta. Trigun.

Many moons ago, my best friend from undergrad introduced me to Trigun. She had a Vash poster in her dorm room in university that she picked up at Katsucon, which was the first con I ever went to with her. She’s quite the influence!

I watched all of the original Trigun anime on fan subbed VHS tapes that were passed around the anime black market of the 90s and early 2000s before they’d be bumped out of the way by file sharing services and online fansubs. Honestly, I can’t even remember when I first watched it, but I do remember crying at a character’s death and just rolling with some of the more hand wavy sci-fi elements.

Not surprisingly, as someone who loved Ogata as a character, my favorite character from Trigun was none other than Nicholas D. Wolfwood - wandering man of the cloth toting around his cross which is heavy b/c it is full of ‘mercy’.

How much of a Wolfwood fan was I? Enough of one that I paid likely waaayyy too much money in a dealer’s room at either Otakon or Katsucon for this capsule version of Wolfwood with Kuroneko-sama.

I used to have him up on my desk when I was in uni, but he always fell over and at some point, I popped him back into the bubble and shoved him under a bed at my parents’ house forgotten for over a decade or so. He moved to the desert (still in that capsule) and I just dug him out after moving to my current location along with two Ruroni Kenshin figures that are back in a box.

What is with this path down memory lane all about? I was at Anime Expo in 2022 (with exact same friend mentioned above) and we didn’t make it to the Trigun Stampede panel but, I did get an awesome photo of an amazing Vash cosplayer.

With the Trigun 2.0 on the horizon and the Sony merger stuff, all of the older anime titles that were on Funamation have moved back onto Crunchyroll - meaning a lot of titles I loved when I was younger could be rewatched.

And that’s what I did last month! I dusted off my little Kuroneko-sama and Wolfwood and sat down to watch Trigun for the first time in over 20 years, I think.

I was both surprised by what I remembered and what I did not remember. Plus, rewatching something you haven’t seen in years allows you to have a sort of fresh pair of eyes.

First off, for a manga that started in 1995 and had the anime in 1998, it has great female characters. Meryl Stryfe and Milly Thompson wear normal clothing, have professional careers and are packing heat in a wild west environment. These are the least sexy main character ladies! Milly wears a dress shirt, tie and pants with suspenders along with her long coat. Meryl wears boots, tights, skirt suit and then a cloak (with all her guns) as well.

Meryl is the older skeptic/pragmatist and Milly is naive yet if the most obvious thing is the best answer, then accept it as the truth. They are great characters and I love how they are a great perspective and point of view into the events. Sure, they are completely overpowered by Vash or Wolfwood, but they are neither a non-human-pseduo-angelic being or a man who had his entire body altered [manga] to be a better killer or just a much more on the job experience [anime] soooooo yeah. I’m okay with Meryl and Milly not having to hold their fighting prowess with the boys.

I finally decided to break down and read the manga. Little did I know that Darkhorse owns the current rights and the series is out of print. Gah, I was hoping to score the series cheap used but that will not be the case. I’ve read the original Trigun from the shounen mag that went belly up (3 tankobons, 1 volume via Darkhorse) and the moved into a seinen publisher for its continuation as Trigun Maximum. I went ahead and purchased all the way up to Trigun Maximum volume 5 and have read it all as well.

As someone who enjoyed the anime, I can appreciate the way the anime ended at the time. They were years away from the end of the manga’s run and the anime team needed to come up with a nice way to tie things up. Honestly, I’m fine with how things went in the anime. Well, other than Wolfwood’s death, which made me cry and still pulled at my heartstrings on the recent watch. So far the manga has more details, and is taking the time to fill in motivations of characters like the Gung Ho Guns (why would you willingly sell your humanity to destroy it?). It however, still keeps an air of mystery about Vash’s past and the exact reason why humans got stuck on the planet.

The two major differences I see between the anime and manga are as follows:

Anime Vash has that sort of 90s MC perv side being a ham towards women early on when it later has him questioning who’d love him anyways. Manga Vash doesn’t even go there which is something I like - dude’s got a lot more problems. No space for chasing skirts and hitting on ladies.

Life on the planet Gunsmoke is fucking terrible in the manga. You think it is pretty shitty in the anime? Pffftt, that’s nothing compared to the manga. People are worse, humanity is more like how Hobbes would view it and less like Locke. I honestly, don’t know all of the differences yet, since I’ve barely cracked the manga story line but it is clear it is only going to get darker. Yet at the same time there is more hope since the humans who’d kept themselves ‘above the fray’ were able to contact other people and they are supposed to possibly be rescued. If Knives doesn’t throw a giant bloody wrench in there.

In a way, these differences do reflect the shift that the anime gives us. We go from a goofy guy who is overly competent trying to bumble/drift through life and has biblical levels of trials/tests of his faith in his own belief system to come out with a resolution and faith in the future. You feel it when you get to around episode 13 and you realize that shit is gonna get serious and you can’t just go back to zany antics.

What I like about the anime is that we have a range of how characters act and view humanity. Vash will punish himself to not harm others as he sees it as the unalienable right that every living thing has the right to life and it isn’t right for you to take that away from anyone. Not sure how he resolves eating those salmon sandwiches with great vigor unless it is artificial salmon (desert planet out?). Milly is the extremely naive and optimistic, Meryl is sarcastically pragmatic. Of course Knives is the exact opposite of Vash, thinking humans are a scourge and no one is worth their own lives.

And in the middling grey area we have - Nicholas D. Wolfwood. Yep, is it shocking my favorite character straddles the moral grey line? Seeing that it is a rhetorical question, we all know that yes, I love my characters that move between different philosophical spaces. Is Wolfwood a good or bad character? It depends; the narrative and other relationships tell us in the anime that we should see him as more good than bad character. He is a friend to all children and uses it as a rationale why he has to do his job. Without him making money from being a traveling clergyman/gun for hire the children would not have financial support. However, we can see that the closer he gets to Vash the more conflicted he is and keeps verbalizing why he has no option but to kill; or else someone else would be killed.

What I like about him is that his observation skills are top notch. When he first meets Vash, he get straight to the point that Vash is wearing a mask in front of others. He’s trying to get by, not die, but has a lot of anger at the shitty hand he was dealt in life. It is the classic example of I had a crap childhood and ended up stuck in this less than ideal path but I want to protect others from it.

He’s one of those characters who really compliments Vash both visually and personality wise. Vash could never haggle down the price of anything but Wolfwood squeaks by talking his way out of pay full fare for the bus or trying to run a tab (as a drifter). Yet at the same time those two idiots are as thick as thieves getting in petty arguments over stupid shit and feeling resolved to deal with each other. I also like how he’s one of the few characters who pushes back at Vash’s need to take on extreme burdens and that sometimes you have to accept all your options are going to suck.

We are going to get in a stupid fight about how Wolfwood’s motorcycle broke down again. Which he named Angelica II. RIP Angelica I.

We just tossed our water bottle over!

And just this. Like sticking out your tongues at the same time will allow you to capture that last bit of water . . .

Does it end here? God no, it continues to the extent that man who saved them is ready to toss them off his truck.

The manga has a very similar visual dynamic between them. They are two guys with rough pasts and are navigating the present in very different ways.

Anyways, I’m still not sure where I exactly want to go with things, but a deep dive into Wolfwood (anime & manga) may be a worthwhile endeavor. I’ve got a ways to go in the manga and I’m not rushing through it or anything like that.

What I am worried about is the remake/reboot/re imagining of Trigun as Trigun Stampede.

I first watched the preview videos about it. I’m not here to argue if CGI is good or bad. What I do have an issue with is the general character designs - I get it, Trigun is a 90s manga/anime and it looks like a 90s series. I really like the Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neue These, for me it has less to do with the character designs and for how the storytelling perspective is more people driven and less sterile/historical documentary style. I’ve read most of the novels and LOGH:DNT leans much more on the novels/format than the original epic long OVA. The creative team behind LOGH:DNT are really giving it their all.

But for Trigun Stampede the new character designs are seriously rubbing me the wrong way.

Vash: I get that Vash would be considered ‘best sad boi’ if the series were new, but the lack of spiked up hair is baffling to me. His prosthetic arm is obviously not of this world in origin/tech and it really kills the slow reveal of what it can do. Wearing a jacket with the Project Seeds logo on it - sure - most people on the planet aren’t the most educated about all that info. We also have the changing of his type of firearm, which any detail nerd is going to be up in arms about the switch from a long colt .45 to a .22 caliber revolver style handgun. I blame Ogata and his love of the Type 38 over the Type 30 rifle for sniping.

Meryl Stryfe: not only gets a tomboy look but a career change and a shit mentor/supervisor. Let’s give her a newsboy hat, shorts with her old suit coat and a large parka and random gloves with chunky sneakers. Oh and she’s the underling of a chain smoking whiskey drinking misogynistic asshole whose job is to treat her like shit and insult her. She neither looks nor acts like a young twenty something professional. In the anime and manga she’s just a petite woman. But episode one of stampede has me concerned.

Milly Thompson: does not exist? Information about this is vague at best and I’m not going to troll the internet for what the creative team may have told the Japanese press. Milly’s character design was top tier. Her character added great value to the anime and manga so far. She’s not on the promo artwork and Roberto De Niro is - which is a bad sign.

Nicholas D. Wolfwood: Looks like a hipster from Tokyo. And any other ikemen type of character. Or from a Jdrama. Really, he looks like if you took a fashionable guy off the street and threw him into the mix.

We see here, an unbuttoned jacket. His dress shirt is unbuttoned at the top, but also not tucked in. He’s got skinny/tapered pants and exposed ankles. And those black shoes that might be sneakers or loafers?

Now, you live on a desert planet my man. You know what absolutely sucks when you live in the desert? Getting sand and shit in your shoes! How do you do that? Don’t wear shoes that aren’t covered by your pants. I can forgive the lack of hats on the entire main cast b/c they are the main characters and we want to see their faces. But if they actually lived on a twin star planet, Vash, Wolfwood, Meryl and Milly would all be wearing hats; you want to keep that sun off your face and block a lot of the crap floating by. Honestly, that’s one design element which is spot for the characters except for the lack of hats - the long sleeves and layers. You wear layers and long sleeves and pants when you live in the desert to protect yourself from the elements.

Sadly, not only does his wardrobe suffer from the ‘upgrade’ but his hair as well as a lollipop instead of his hallmark crumpled cigarette. Smoking kills but Wolfwood is going to die young anyways so do you think he cares that much?

His hair is tamed down the long locks in front of his ears are gone and I’m guessing his nose will be shrunk as well. My most recent watch had me appreciate a few elements of his character design. First off, he’s got a rather ‘normal’ looking nose that doesn’t make that weird point. I like this it gave him a more unique appearance without doing too much. We can also see the long shaggy bit of hair as well as the much messier overall look.

Looking at him more closely, it really seems as though he had a sort of almost retro (for the 90s) 70s look with a scruffy chin. That sort of makes sense since he was designed in the 90s, his style might refer back to the previous 20 or so years for his overall look.

I am a huge fan of the added rough around the edges look with the lines on his cheeks which are more pronounced in the manga.

I also visually read this to be an indication of age. Which in the anime, I read him to be the oldest human of the bunch, over thirty. His observational skills, the way he talks to others, how he rationalizes things at least in the anime. Wolfwood has seen more of life and some of his solid statements really make me think this. I haven’t gotten to his whole backstory in the manga yet which from what I’ve seen - is vastly different than that with him being much younger but appearing older. Which is why he gets the scruffy/blushy lines all the time? Maybe? I’ll get back to this. However, this point doesn’t sit well with me since some types of wisdom require one to reach a certain age to get them so I’m not keen on the concept for appears old but is much younger Wolfwood. But I’ll see how it plays out in the manga before judging it.

I’m not the type of person to get my knickers in a twist over logical updates to characters and their design but the creative team for Stampede went hard.

Honestly, I already found a much more professional review that really highlights a lot of the issues I had with episode 1. The reviewer never saw the original and still highlights a lot of the things someone who’d watched it before would or could be bothered by.

https://www.themarysue.com/even-as-a-trigun-newbie-trigun-stampedes-first-episode-didnt-feel-right/

This article completely captures why I hate Roberto De Niro and why if he dies as a character I will be happy. But not happy enough without Milly!

Anyhoo, I’ll give Trigun Stampede the college try, but they are going to have to work very hard to convince me it is a worthy remake. If only to see Roberto De Niro to die and try not to ask Tanigaki why he’s toting around Punisher - which is a heavy cross b/c it is full of mercy.

#trigun #trigun anime #trigun manga #trigun stampede #vash #nicholas d. wolfwood #meryl stryfe #milly thompson #kuronekosama

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thewertsearch · 2 years

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Asks Compilation 27/6

I’ve heard about this! They’re both games about building up your house, so they’re a natural fit. Do send those games along when I get to the point when you can!

It’s just like being a furry - sure, it seems weird, but many subcultures do. There’s not really anything wrong with weirdness, after all.

They’re a street gang, and they’re led by Gamzee himself. Watch out, Markiplier.

The whole thesis of the music video is a celebration of everyday miracles.

Sure, it’s presented in a pretty bizarre way, but there is a good point there - life is full of things that, by rights, should never stop impressing us.

Jade + AC = future Juggalos?

Look. All I’m saying is: have you memorized Maxwell’s equations?

Jokes aside, I guess it’s pretty easy not to know how magnets work when you explicitly don’t listen to scientists...

I didn’t even know there was one, to be honest.

It’s not unrealistic to see these thirteen-year-olds from 2009 dropping slurs, but I try not to include them in the commentary.

Bec is the invincible Super Dog, and he will help her complete the level. He’s even white!

Blue-bloods scoff at the low-brow Daedric, and Red-bloods think anyone who uses original script is stuffy and boring.

Thanks!! I’m finding I’m enjoying this project more with every Act. There’s just so much to get into with this comic!

It occurs to me that the later you find this blog, the more of a backlog you have to catch up on. Which, depending on your perspective, can be another positive!

As for the ‘sona.. to be honest, it’s taken a lot of willpower not to pause the liveblog and make a full fanfiction for her Sburb adventures. 🤣 Guess I need all the Sburb lore to do that, though, and it’s fun to slowly develop her session as we slowly learn how sessions work.

Aw, shucks. Honestly, I haven’t really done any sprite art in years, but when I was answering the Alchemy ask, I realized I just had to depict these items I was coming up with!

Btdubs, I used Aseprite for all the art, including the gifs. Highly recommend it.

Oh, dang it, I didn’t even notice! Gotta amend the script a little, because that might cause some problems with interpreting the text down the line.

He kind of is that, isn’t he?

This was my full prediction for Gamzee’s personality, based solely on his username. The guy isn’t exactly a thrill-seeker, but he is a sopor addict with little concern for his health. Once again, these usernames really say a lot.

Yeah, if you actually think about what’s happening in John’s case, you can make an argument that his entry was the most stressful of all. He was the first in, and understood his situation the least, while Rose and Dave at least had the benefit of knowing what an Entry was.

I didn’t think to interpret John’s hesitation to bite the apple as a deer-in-headlights response, but, now that I think about it, that may have been exactly what was happening.

No, but now I wish it was.

Sally official title CONFIRMED as Chef of Food.

Since it’s not Terezi, I don’t think any of the trolls we’ve seen so far are Vriska - the vibes aren’t right. I think it’s one of the five trolls we haven’t heard from yet...

Dimple, eh? I hope he doesn’t start possessing people, like some other Dimples I know...

* Smells like SC4L3M4T3S.

That’s one of my favorite Undertale quotes, and it’s only fitting that it be a Terezi reference.

I actually don’t remember fighting that dude in Undertale, but yep, apparently it’s a Hotland spawn. The references never end!

Thank you! Had a ton of fun making those items.

I’ll hopefully be making more of them, down the line - maybe next time my Kidsona will try to make meta-items incorporating the Alchemiter, Kernelsprites, etc?

Act 5 has been a great demonstration of dramatic irony. We know all the trolls will end up in the same session, and we know the session is doomed - the only thing we don’t know is how we got to that point.

Why does this feel like something Terezi would actually do?

And yeah, the gradual reveal that all of Terezi’s bizarre behavior with the kids was her actual personality is one of the best and most understated bits in the comic so far.

Terezi would fit really well in the Ace Attorney universe - either as one of the many unhinged human lawyers, or as a straight-up alien in a crossover game.

I honestly feel like Terezi would make a really good lawyer irl, with the proper training. Her mannerisms wouldn’t be a problem if she had talent - and I think she has talent.

Heh. To be honest, the Witch class has always been the one that sounds the coolest to me. Bard and Maid are in joint second place, but I just love the irony of a technically-minded Player getting a mystically-flavored class - just like Jade did, I suppose!

#asks #full liveblog #act 5

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what-gs-watching · 4 months

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“You see I'm something of a magician, inventor, and chocolate maker…”

So my dad and I do this thing where we like to go see a movie on Christmas day. We’ve been doing it for years, popping in for whatever we felt like while everyone else took a nap. It’s one of my favorite things, seeing a movie with my daddy-o, but I haven’t been home in a long time.

This year he let me pick but he wasn’t particularly interested in anything and like the weirdo I am I suggested Wonka, because apparently this year I’m all about origin stories.

Wherein, we see a young Willy Wonka set out to build his chocolate empire with help from some friends, and resistance from enemies.

My dad swears up and down he’s never seen Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which I’m pretty sure is impossible? Even if he doesn’t super duper remember it, he has to have seen enough of it over the years. I mean, it’s a staple of popular culture. I spent most of the morning trying to convince him he’d seen it, and then when he insisted I gave him a patented ‘what g’s watching’ overview before we went to the theater.

While we were sitting through a preview for the Color Purple he declared that he didn’t like movies with musical numbers in them, and I choked on my popcorn and told him “welp, this movie definitely has musical numbers…” but it was too late to back out. I’ll remember that for next time, though. He’s a good sport, my daddy.

Here’s my thing y’all - the movie was super cute. Like, really really cute. And I can’t lie, I was missing the darkness. Like, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is properly dark when you really look at it - Wonka is slightly unhinged and some of it is honestly too much for kids. That scene when they’re traveling through the chocolate river? Jesus. The song lyrics, the colors, the way his voice gets higher and more dangerous and everything just CRESCENDOS. Absolute creeping sense of unease. And I love it.

ButI didn’t really get that from Wonka. Yes, some of it had some dark themes - he’s tricked into indentured servitude because he doesn’t read the fine print, and his chocolatier competitors basically bribe the police captain to murder him, and they almost kind of maybe drown in a vat full of chocolate, sure, but it never felt properly dark.

Maybe I shouldn’t compare the two, but Wonka is a little bit of a twisted guy later on, and I didn’t get any of that character development out of this. Timothee Chalamet played him too happy, and maybe that’s what they were looking for, but I definitely wanted a bit more. Chalamet was cute and fun and carefree, and it was fine. But I just needed some of that creep.

It’s perfect for kids. Like, I’d let smaller ones watch it and then when they got a bit older they could watch Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, but for me, it just wasn’t connected enough.

It is fun though, if you need a hit of something silly and visually stunning and imaginative. And it had Hugh Grant as an Oompa Loompa! Which is so ridiculous and charming, somehow. And some catchy-ish musical numbers. But you won’t really get a whiff of what makes Gene Wilder’s Willy Wonka the way he is, and that is a straight up shame. It’s honestly a wasted opportunity.

So I’ve seen one origin story lately that was a touch too severe, and one origin story that was a bit too sugary sweet. Maybe eventually, we’ll find that sweet spot...

#what g's watching #wonka 2023 #wonka movie #timothée chalamet #charlie and the chocolate factory

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wii-brains · 1 year

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Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol 3 Review

‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️SPOILERS BELOW‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️

This is not a simple overall review. It has specifics. If you haven’t watched the movie or don’t want to know what happens in it do not read this post.

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Originally, I thought I was going to be obsessed with Gamora in this movie. Just the idea that Gamora from 2014 is in 2025. Unsurprisingly, I was right. I loved Gamora’s storyline. Her finding a family with the Ravagers was unexpected but endearing. However, I didn’t really like how they kept insisting that she was the same person. I know Quill acknowledges it at the end quoting Rocket and everything but it didn’t feel that genuine. Probably because they ignored her every time she told them she was someone else and Quill’s apology was more about him saying goodbye then offending Gamora.

Nebula is one of my favorite Guardians and she was perfect in this movie. I was not expecting her to fight with Drax and Mantis as much as she did but it does make sense. Nebula only joined them on Titan and then spent five years with Rocket before the others came back. And while Peter and Nebula bonded over loosing Gamora, Mantis and Drax had nothing to connect them to Nebula. They are essentially new acquaintances/team members so Nebula doesn’t really know them and vice versa.

Speaking of Drax and Mantis, them acknowledging what they mean to each other at the end had me teary eyed. They are more like brother and sister than Peter and Mantis. But I guess in Peter’s defense he was more focused on Gamora and Yondu.

I couldn’t wait to see Adam. I didn’t think he was going to be the sweet goofball that he is but it’s great. I mean he’s essentially a grade schooler so. Something unexpected was the character change for Adam’s mom, the High Priestess. I wish they would have specified more the pressure they were under and their love for each other. It was present and clear but i think they could have added one more quick scene between them. The day before I watched the movie I saw a review where a person said that they thought Adam was a worthless character and if they removed him and changed the ending the movie would be the same. When i first watched this my immediate thought was “okay then Adam must add emotional plot” and I was right. I figured that was the situation simply because the creator of that video is male and sadly many people driven by the male gaze don’t register emotional plot (See all the people who shit talk Black Widow). I’m excited to see Adam’s story continue with the Guardians.

I literally gasped when Lylla said the story has always been about Rocket and when he did the whole “my name is” to the High Evolutionary.

I don’t know if the writers and James intended for this but Rockets childhood was so reflective of parental abuse it was crazy. I’m sure it was on purpose because it’s so obvious. The parent only wanting you to be prefect and only seeing you as an extension of their greatness. The drunken nights when they stumble into your room to talk about your future and success you’ll bring to them. And the physical fighting with the youngest sibling screaming on the sidelines. Crazy. So amazing really to see that showcased in cinema. Especially since Marvel likes to omit character childhood trauma. And if it is shown it’s usually glazed over. (See Tony Stark. Actually that scene where the High Evolutionary tells Rocket that they were never meant for the new world reminded me so much of Howard and Tony)

Honestly do not really care about seeing Quill again. To me he is the least interesting Guardian but I’m assuming that since he is now back on earth and he’s definitely not going to a nine-to-five that he’ll be on the new Avengers team and we’ll see him in Secret Wars (or Kang Dynasty, i can’t remember which is next). So there’s that.

To all the people giving Volume 3 a bad review simply because the tone was too serious, my one question is, what did you expect? We left these people just recovering from saving the world after 5 years of grief, one died but a “clone-like” version of them is walking around, and the story focuses on a member who was tortured and experimented into full existence. You should have known. Also i’d like to say it isn’t even like Love and Thunder where the serious and humor tones are unbalanced. They are both perfectly shown and timed in this movie. The humor is not at all missing.

Overall, beautifully shot and smooth cgi. Fight scenes were great, especially the one where they all entered the High Evolutionary’s Ship together. The music score was of course A-MAZ-ING! but they always kill it. I am definitely buying this record when it comes out so it can be with it’s siblings.

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#marvel #fan thoughts #avengers #movie review #guardians of the galaxy #guardians vol 3 #peter quill #gamora #nebula #rocket raccoon #groot #drax the destroyer #drax the dad #mantis #knowhere #Layla Floor Teefs #mcu spoilers #Rocket is the main character

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opinated-user · 1 year

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WHY does Lily think people get off to hurting female characters? There's "beat them to death with a fucking rock because they're vile human beings who get off to the suffering of women and non white people." from her last video but there's also her freakout from her video on The Legend of Korra where she says that 1. only Korra is shown being beaten up in the series (a lie if you watched even a handful of episodes) and 2. the only reason she gets beaten up in fights instead of coming out without injuries is because the writers get off to it.

I don't know how to explain it to her but sometimes bad shit happens to characters and no one is masturbating to it. It is, in fact, extremely unusual for anyone to masturbate to or be aroused by these things. So why does she keep acting like this is NORMAL?

Anecdotal evidence for my point: even super misogynistic men I know were incredibly uncomfortable in my Public Speaking class when I talked about a subgenre of porn, ryona, that's currently getting banned off of most websites. In ryona porn, the sex does not make up the majority of the video, beating up a woman does - and even the fucking INCELS in my class looked ready to vomit. There are very, very, VERY few people who get off to violence and suffering. I won't say they don't exist, but even people who hate women are usually not into it and even people who are in favor of consensual rough sex are repulsed by the concept of beating someone up being an arousing thing in and of itself.

For once it's not projection since there's no ryona in Lily's Sankaku faves, but that just makes me more confused, not less. Where the fuck is she getting this from?

this is going to be pure especulation from my part, full tinfoil moment... but i do think that she's projecting. remember all the times we spoke about how LO always had to slip something abusive on whatever relationship she's writing and then tries to gaslight the audience into thinking that it's wholesome? well, the modern example of that is clearly whatever is happening between G and CLO but before that was stockholm. i know that when talking about that series most people immediately jump to Rainbow Dash being written as an offending pedophile but there's actually a b plot that is the whole reason why the story is called stockholm: that of Ascentia and Twilight. their conflict is that twilight is horribly agressive with ascentia, slapping her around, raping her multiple times, kicking her, and she does it publicly and never faces any consequences for it because Ascentia has developed stockholm and the physical abuse is what she has come to expect, so twilight essentially is encouraged by the narrative to keep abusing. the other day i was talking with someone about stockholm and they showed me a post where the co-author, Nintengogal55, talked about a particular scene that was so extreme that actually brought her to tears.

Okay, this other one was for a shot we currently haven’t released yet. Without going into too much details, it involved the CMC and it was so awful. I would read all of my original fanfics from ten years ago than ever write or read that again! I didn’t just hate how the scene became, I felt physically uncomfortable reading it and writing it. It wasn’t just uncomfortable, it was painful. All throughout Stockholm, the worst I ever felt was sad. Now sad, I can handle that perfectly fine. Even the descriptions of the domestic abuse, while unnerving, weren’t graphically written and didn’t affect me that badly. Yes, Ascentia terrified me in the story, but I can also handle fear. But physical discomfort from writing/reading something so terribly uncomfortable and painful? No way. I was, honestly, on the verge of TEARS. Thankfully, Bhaalspawn understood and offered that we make it less…like that. It turned out so much better after that. I am forever thankful for his compassion and letting us re-do that scene. <3

it was LO's idea to make that scene. i don't know what scene was, i don't want to imagine it, but if it had such a strong reaction on the co-author, who already was up for the most disturbing aspects of this story then it had to be graphic, it had to be visceral and it had to be a especial kind of awful. the CMC are a group of literal children on the story so this scene, whatever it was, it would have involved children going through something so graphically horrible that the co-author couldn't handle it. in stockholm there's a lot of reference to the abuse that ascentia goes through. she winces she has to sit because twilight literally made a tear on her ass, she gets an arm broken so it has to be put on a cast and there is a scene where twilight goes feral on her, breaking her nose and her ribs. ascentia goes through hell and in my opinion it's not made any better by the fact that it's "off screen" because we still read about the results of that extreme abuse. to what i have been told, something similar happens on her fanfic previous to stockholm. on the ones where she introduces Matt Ryder (her self insert, remember that) there's many one scenes where Meg (only Meg, never Matt) gets abused as well and it's treated like a joke or a minor thing not worth paying attention. you could say that LO back then was trying to imitate the "humor" of FG by constantly bashing Meg, her favourite character, but considering that she just kept doing that with later works? i don't know. broken champions, the fanfiction that LO wrote about anevay and only shared for a server? the exact same thing happens, although for one the abuser of anevay wasn't her love interest and those abusers are cartoonisly evil before they get punished. but the fic still spend so much time describing all the different ways in which anevay was tortured, raped, branded, mocked and broken down. one scene could have been enough, but it happened so many times i had to skip entire parragraphs because it was making me so uncomfortable. someone could potentially say that was a survivor of abuse venting about their experience and using a fictional character in order to live through something horrible and get the desired comfort at the end. i can see that point of view. fiction can be a great tool for therapy that way. but it just hit me right now, as i was reading your ask, that could also just an excuse. why else would she keep sliding abusive dynamics into her "wholesome" works? why does she keep accusing others of specifically "getting off" to scenes of women suffering or being beaten? there's a lot of abuse and rape on her sankaku account, so why this kind of interest would be out of place? see the thing in common between all these characters (CLO, ascentia, meg, anevay)... these are all characters LO claims to care about and love. LO multiple times directly says that she makes anevay suffer the worst just because. i believe she's projecting and we can see that on her writing more than on her porn accounts. i'll admit i could be seeing something that's not really there and there isn't any real evidence for what i'm saying, but i believe there's a coherent pattern here and it makes sense with all we know about LO.

#lily orchard

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