#I still can't believe all that happened

[starryserenade]

WIP: Fantasmic Fic

Notes: I'm literally only posting this now because of what happened the other night to poor, ol' Murphy...since I have nothing else to pay tribute to my potentially shattered dreams xD

I haven't worked on it since December of last year and it's not even a finished chapter, but I'm trying to play around with different concepts for a story themed after Fantasmic. There's so many little ideas I can't decide between, so this is definitely not going to turn into a full fic anytime soon. I've just been trying to plot one out for a good five years and can't find a concept that satisfies me entirely, so eventually I just started writing in the hopes it would make itself happen.

That said, quite a lot I don't like about the concepts I was working towards when I was working on this, so ya know. It might not go anywhere.

Anyway, read if ya like! Pass it over if you don't. That event was just...so in line with the sort of thing I've been playing with to launch the story (not Mal/Murphy catching fire lol, but some inexplicable, sudden thing causing the show to go VERY wrong), that I felt like I wanted to throw this out there.

Enjoy?

~~~~~~

Welcome to Fantasmic. Tonight your friend and host, Mickey Mouse, uses his vivid imagination to create magical imagery for all to enjoy.  In a moment, you can experience a beautiful fantasy or an exciting adventure.

But beware. Nothing is more power than the imagination, for it can also expand your greatest fears into an overwhelming nightmare…

~

The narration droned on into its final words as Mickey tugged nervously on the rim of his coat. Around him, the bustle of preparation filled the island like a swarm. A flutter of fabric then the curtsy of a passing princess, the salty scent of a pirate sweeping by, and a flurry of unintelligible frustration from a voice belonging to a certain temperamental feathered friend.  Then, out of the corner of his eye, a horned silhouette with a piercing green gaze.  He swallowed as Maleficent’s eyes narrowed, then breathed a sigh of relief when she closed them and sent a brisk nod his way.  The mouse smiled and nodded back, shaking off the anxiety with a flick of his tail, though it clung to him nonetheless.

A single note, the gentle ring of a bell, struck the air and, at least to Mickey, the world went silent.  With every moment that the chime continued to grow, his focus narrowed until nothing but a quiet, dark tunnel and an inexplicable fear remained in his mind’s eye. The question that had begun to haunt him night after night quietly crept in.

What if I’m not enough?

But a gentle hand touched his shoulder, pulling his thoughts from the shadows.  She was there for only a moment, but Minnie’s quiet whisper as she swept towards the ‘Twain to await her cue, pixie dust trailing from her dress, was all he needed.

“You are everything you need to be, and more.”

He closed his eyes and grinned softly as the bright chime of her laughter melted into the island’s growing ring.  Then, with a deep breath, he gathered the heat of enchantment to his fingertips.  The quiet sound expanded into a roar of cymbals and in the moment it reached its peak, Mickey let the magic overtake him entirely.

A flash of sparks burst forth from the stage, enveloping the mouse in pure light as he stepped into view.  The crowd erupted. Their hearts flared. Mickey saw, and laughed for pure relief. For to him,  the glow of a thousand hearts meant only one thing: they believed. 

He reveled in their awe as he bent the light and color to his whim, whisking forth a whitecapped wave and dyeing it a midnight blue.  Though his focus shifted from place to place, he kept the crowd constantly in the corner of his vision. With every motion, every flick of his wrist, a stream of magic sprung forth and their wonder grew all the greater. 

But it’s all too easy to become lost in approval, and to confuse attention and applause for true belief.  And Mickey, for all his best intentions, had become stranded in such thoughts.  They clapped. They cheered. So when a dark cloud slipped over the moon, concealing its light, he paid no mind to the flicker of darkness that sprouted along with it. This shadow grew. And silently, subtly, it took form until like a serpent it was slithering through the crowd.  

It tasted the air and swiveled sharply, eyes locked on a target buried somewhere within the jumble of shifting bodies, all oblivious to its presence. Shadows are often drawn to light, and this creature was no different.  The brightest hearts served as beacons in its eyes, and it was to one such heart -- a child’s, blazing with wonder and hope -- that it raced with unbridled vigor.  But its confidence was misplaced. For as it met with the light, fangs bared, it released a stunned hiss and shrunk back from the heat of the flame, yet too great to overcome. 

The serpent shook its head then sent out a flickering tongue to taste the air once more.  With far greater caution, it now set its sights on other hearts. Those whose light was bright enough to attract, but too cold to weather the chill of a venomous nightmare. And when this creature sank its fangs into the heels of its first victim, the poison sparked a new kind of fire.  Fiercer. Hotter. A wild blaze that leapt and flared with every shifting breeze.  But this flame gave off no light. Rather, in an inky, molten flow of darkness, it consumed it. 

The venom spread rapidly, tainting the light with shadow as it jumped from heart to heart.  Under its grip, doubt and disbelief took root in the crowd and the same glowing hearts which had fueled Mickey’s hope -- his magic -- were now fodder for a darkened wildfire beginning to ignite.  

Mickey, having conjured a twinkling likeness of himself in the mist just moments prior, had turned his back to the audience for only a moment in order to ascend the wooden staircase toward the higher level of stage.  He was altogether oblivious, and skipped up the steps with a playful confidence, tail trailing behind him in rhythmic time.

Maybe Minnie was right, he thought with renewed relief. Maybe I am enough.

He cast a wistful glance at his silhouette as he passed in front of the mill, and shuddered.  The shape of his sorcerer’s attire rested upon the shadow’s head, a looming reminder of all he had yet to achieve.

“I hafta be,” he whispered under his breath, then whirled around to face the crowd.  In that same moment, as he lifted his hands to release a flare of magic from his fingertips, his breath hitched in his throat and a chill ran down his spine.  The hearts of the audience, which only moments ago had been glittering and bright, were now faint and ever-fading. Mickey had no way of knowing, nor any reason to believe, there were other forces at play, and was altogether overcome by a crushing sense of doubt.

The famous flare of magic, which so many waited eagerly to see, never came.

The island went silent and the audience, impervious to their own fading light, did the same. Mickey cast a panicked look at his hands, then stumbled backwards. Try as he might, the magic would not come. It refused. And with every second he stood in silence, the glow across the water grew ever darker.

In the uncertain flicker of Mickey’s own heart, a shadowy pair of eyes found their next target. 

A cold rush of wind swept over the audience and with it a bitter murmur that rippled across the water and filled Mickey’s ears.

“We don’t believe.”

Whether the words were spoken, or simply conjured from the invading magic, was unclear. But Mickey heard them nonetheless, and it gave the dark creature exactly the foothold it needed.

He did not see the snake, nor feel its bite, but the venom pierced his heart like the sharpest thorn, and the fear within grew tenfold. A smoky haze of emotion clouded his mind and he lurched forward with a gasp as bitterness surrounded him like a deep fog. Then, through the mist, a quiet, haunting voice whispered in his ear.

‘You could make them believe…’

Mickey was not one who much liked the idea of making anyone do anything.  So when, for a brief moment, he actually humored this idea, it surprised him. But why should it? A small piece of his heart fought fiercely against the thought, but a growing part of him wanted to dive deeper. To explore the possibilities he’d once thought forbidden.

It was the ring of a familiar voice that tipped the scales, and gave the light in his heart the edge it desperately needed.

“Mickey!”

When he blinked, Minnie was there in front of him. In the shine of her voice, the fog receded.

“Mickey, are you all right?” she breathed in a way that made it clear she knew he wasn’t.

He couldn’t respond at first. Glancing past her, he tried to steal a look at the crowd -- to see if there was even a glimmer of light left in their hearts. He saw the people. What he could not see, no matter how hard he tried or how long he stared, was a hint of either light…or shadow. His eyes were blind to their hearts.

He felt empty.

“I can’t…I can’t see them.” He looked at Minnie who, with unspoken understanding, found his hands and squeezed them tight. “I can’t feel them,” he whispered in a voice that was almost a whimper. 

“Oh, Mickey…” 

A booming voice surprised them both.

“Your attention, please. Due to unforeseen circumstances, this performance of Fantasmic has been canceled.”

An enormous ‘boo’ erupted from the crowd across the water, and Mickey ripped himself away from Minnie’s grasp.

“No, no!” He motioned frantically to the tech booth stationed in the midst of the crowd. “Don’t stop it! I can fix this! I can-” 

“You will,” Minnie urged him abruptly, and grabbed his hand as she began to usher him off the stage. “But not now.”

“But…” Mickey cast another glance across the water, swallowing the shame that rose inside him.  He could no longer see their hearts, but he didn’t need to to see their frustration and disappointment. Beside him, Minnie shuddered just slightly. One look at her face, which had only minutes ago been glowing with a light fueled by faith and trust, and he knew that whatever this was, she could feel it too. Her eyes were now dull and tired, and the light surrounding her was nearly gone. 

Meekly, Mickey surrendered and followed her away. 

Behind the curtain that shielded the island from prying eyes, utter madness was breaking loose.  The princesses were gathered together, speaking in hushed, panicked whispers. Cinderella’s dress had dissolved into rags. Rapunzel’s locks were once again losing their golden sheen. Ariel could not find her voice at all. Virtually everyone else was crowded around the few stage managers that happened to be there, talking over each other to try to get any answers whatsoever. 

It was Donald who spotted Mickey first and, with little regard for subtlety, loudly squawked out his name. “MICKEY!”

All eyes turned, and Mickey wished he could sink into the ground to escape their stare as his friend came darting over.  If there was one thing Donald was known for, it wasn’t his impeccable articulation. Years of friendship had made him at least comprehensible, but the frenzy with which he launched his words at Mickey left the mouse as lost as ever.

“Donald! Wouldja slow down? I can’t understan-”

“Gawrsh, Mick…what happened?” Goofy interrupted, sauntering over with only a hint of concern…which was still significantly more than usual. “One minute everythin’s fine ‘n dandy, and the next, all the magic’s kaput!”

Donald huffed and glared at Goofy. “That’s what I was saying.”

Mickey opened his mouth to reply, then closed it again. Everyone -- princesses, pirates, and virtually every other member of the cast -- all stared silently, waiting with bated breath for his explanation. But he had none. He could not begin to explain what had happened, or what he had lost.

#idk guys #I still can't believe all that happened #my writing #StoriesComeAlive #wip #fantasmic #mickey mouse #fanfiction #unfinished

[egophiliac]

GRIMS COMING!!! You gonna pull for him??👀👀

I'm gonna try, but...

I have mere hours to decide if I want to make one last attempt at Malleus or save a few to try for Grim...and this is all before the new event reveal on the 16th. truly the most difficult choice of our modern times. the gacha is getting its revenge for all of my Lilias.

#art #of a sort #twisted wonderland #glorious masquerade #can't believe that malleus still won't come home two years in a row #okay. okay. so we'll get a free 10 pull for grim and then if i use ALL my keys and gems that'll get me up to...ugh. numbers. 91? #literally 9 short of a guaranteed summon. oh my god. #curse you trey why is your birthday just too late to get me another 10 set when i need it #i was really trying to ration but i still spent too many of my hoarded keys failing to get masqeralleus #my hubris... #and this is assuming that i won't even want any of the 2023 halloween ssrs which is. unlikely. #may we all get ridiculously lucky and get the fancy ssr on our first pull using the free event keys #it can happen if we all BELIEVE #(sobs)

[yache-berries]

Average Buddy Holly Enjoyers

#wHAT?!!?!? WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT I STILL CAN'T BELIEVE IT. #FINDING OUT AT 11 PM LAST NIGHT THAT A SILLY SHIP I LIKED FROM 2019 BECAME CANON??? #no joke i was steeling myself for no ineffable bureaucracy moments at all this season and i made peace with that #aND??? W H A T ?!?!?!? NOT ONLY INTERACTIONS. S O F T INTERACTIONS. FALLING IN LOVE. HEALTHY COMMUNICATION AND UNDERSTANDING. #cRYING SOOOO HARD GOOD FOR THEM GOOD FOR THEM. #GAY PEOPLE ARE WINNING!!!!!!! despite the other thing that happened in ep6 😔🙏 #also i too am a buddy holly enjoyer they have good tastes #maybe beez and gabe would like the.... animals too 🙏 #ALSO. uhhhhh the everly brothers!!! and lesley gore!!! and georgie fame!!! #good omens #good omens 2 #good omens spoilers #good omens 2 spoilers #beelzebub #gabriel #archangel gabriel #gabriel x beelzebub #ineffable bureaucracy #flygon used sketch #y e s i was a bureaucracy truther since 2019 you can find some ancient art both here and on my main insta 😔🙏 goooood dynamic

[anewp0tat0]

it doesn't feel real to me fellas. but I don't have time to sit by and chat and unload unfortunately so I'll just drop this and be on my way, cya kind folks very soon ✌️

not professional but I liked how his eye looked goddang it. I knew I was screwing myself but I did it anyway

#don't worry ill actually be screaming in my reblogs now and again if I dont get to make a post soon with my tremendous mound of m #messy words #guyz😫 i watched it 3 days ago and i still cant believe it happened #it's definetly cause i dropped out of the anticipation train for the last like what 5 months? just slapped me like a truck with a hand #bb jeezez christ im so happy fellas it's so goofy and best of all it feels safe(I COULD BE VERY WRONG) #ya know me tho. things in life be pretty tough so i keep my hoping and optimisim for the escapism spaces 🙏😌 #anyway i can't stick around and tag ramble im afriad. if i don't come back soon #at the very least count on me during the summer! #.... but also no way im not atleast watching what everyone will be saying about this season #i have an ambition to draw something small after every episode release. so we'll see! #kuroshitsuji #black butler #kuroshitsuji fanart #fanart #sebastian michaelis #ciel phantomhive #digital art #weston college arc #black butler anime #kuroshitsuji anime #kuroshitsuji: kishuku gakkou hen

[explodingstarlight]

the emo trinity is alive, well, and prospering in 2023

#what if i said i have been listening to FOB's new single on repeat since yesterday #immaculate music to draw to ngl #speaking of: remaining asks i PROMISE i see you omg #ANYWAY god bless and amen i can't believe early 2000's emo is alive and thriving rn #if you told 13 year old me this would happen i would laugh in your face #and they're all TOURING (or have been touring recently) #*takes a short break from turtle posting to cry over new music from bands i've been listening to for 10+ years* how true and autistic of me #mcr #paramore #fall out boy #we don't speak of Him here; their glory days are long dead #ifykyk #emo memes #idc if that's not the proper genre name im still using it and no one can stop me #foundations of decay #this is why #love on the other side #<- the titles of the singles/EP btw in case you haven't heard them yet

[shivieroy]

girls do not think about boys, girls think about how sylvie is hated for the same reasons loki is loved because she got in the way of a ship between two white guys in which one of them is a time cop.

#it's so exhausting bc it just keeps happening in fandoms #full of stupid and misogynistic takes and for WHAT? #a bisexual female character played by a queer actress receiving death threats bc tom hiddleston didn't kiss mustache guy #it's been almost 3 years and i still can't believe she gets all this hate bc of owen wilson #sylvie #sylvie laufeydottir #loki #it's unbelievable

[mountinez]

"I'm a racing driver at first, and I definitely don’t define me as an artist... but I enjoy what I do!"

#charles leclerc #i still can't believe all of this is happening 🥹 #he is so so precious to me

[izloveshorses]

I GOT YOU FOR THAT !!!!!!!!!!!!! ASDHKLFJGFHLHHHHHNNNNNNGG!!!!!!!!

#bellarke #the 100 #iz watches t100 #4x13 #the100rewatch2023 #scene of ALL TIME. to me #no u don't understnad #this literally kept me going #this literally made me so so sos o so bonkers #to this day i cannot think about it without having to take a moment #i still can't believe this happened it feels like we all collectively made it up #the head/heart acknowledgement #she touches his chest !!!!!! #'i didn't like you at first and that's no secret' #'if anything happens to you' '*nothing* is happening to you!' #'I GOT YOU FOR THAT' #the way she speaks in almost a whisper #the way they have like 2 hours before the apocalypse and she's insisting on having this conversation #the way he looks like he can't physically stomach the thought of her dying #god #never going to get over them and it's because of this scene. #also the blarke theme !!!!!!????? pop off #long post

[painless-innit-colourful]

Your Sister Was Right - live in Manchester

#i still can't believe this happened. i've been rewatching the video all morning like !!!! oh my god #lovejoy #wilbur soot #ycgma #your sister was right #lovejoy manchester #your city gave me asthma #crim speaks #my beautiful cinematography... hahaha

[fairyroses]

— SMALLVILLE, “Wither” (6.03)

#can't believe they danced together in a fountain and we didn't get to see it 😭 #anyway I love the comfortable physicality of this scene #like lex talking with his hands while still holding lana's hand in the second to last gif #and the fact that they're both walking around the mansion barefoot #and their smiles!! (especially in gifs 2 and 6!) #(pretty sure this is the last time we really see lex genuinely smile like this... but that's depressing so let's not think about it) #(also I could obviously dig into lex refusing to admit that he's actually happy but hoo boy I don't have time for all that lol) #in my head time stopped here and nothing bad happened after this like that's it THE END #smallville #smallvilleedit #svedit #lex luthor #lana lang #lexana #sv 6x03 #dcmultiverse #my gifs #I told y'all that I had a gifset from this ep floating around in my drafts somewhere lol #not pictured here: me fist-fighting the smallville lighting department in a denny's parking lot

[sonego]

every time you see news about an athlete competing while injured and everyone's reactions are praising them like a hero bc that means they actually care about the team/sport/competition or whatever, imagine me as a dog barking at an evil creature in a horror movie. thanks

#the day we STOP glorifying pain i will finally know peace #try being in pain 24/7 !!!!! then tell me again it's a heroic and morally good !!!!!!! also fuck off #it's not heroic it's not good it's not manly it's not caring about winning what it IS is dangerous and reckless #and risking permanent damage and a disability #and i bet you fuckers would then start complaining about that same athlete 'underperforming' and 'not putting in enough effort' and shit #when maybe. MAYBE. if they'd taken care of the injury when it first arose that shit wouldn't have got worse and become a Big fucking problem #to be clear when i say you i mean a vague general you i see this all the time and rn it's aimed at no one in particular #and also i'm not blaming the athetles who keep competing through injuries i don't think it's their fault #i'm blaming these shit fucking reactions that everyone KEEPS having when it happens. pundits commentators fans etc #everyone is always praising these athletes these PEOPLE for how brave and daring they are for ignoring the pain they're in so they can help #the team or get a chance to win a race or a medal or a trophy or whatever #i understand it's not an easy or fun decision as a pro athlete to give up a chance at winning something #but i think we should DEFINITELY still encourage them to fucking give it up!!! even if it sucks even if it's a big win they're giving up!! #bc the risk of the injury getting worse and permanent and fucking up their career their LIFE for a very very long time if not forever is #just not worth it and not a risk to be taken lightly #i can't believe i have to keep complaining about this!!! still!!!!!! when will everyone learn!!!!! #what prompted this rant might not even be that bad but really i don't care the culture around this in sports needs to change asap #rant over i'm fucking MAD. and in pain (funnily enough lol) #nico.txt

[stergeon]

at some point i will figure out how to write the post-canon, post-empire edelgard autonomy fic of my dreams. it just feels like a very big task and maybe like with playing the dane, i’m simply not old and traumatized enough to manage it yet.

but my vision is thus: it’s set years (realistically, decades) after the end of crimson flower, when everything has gone as right as it can possibly go. fódlan is thriving. the social reforms have taken effect. the nobility system is nearly eliminated, if not entirely so, with titles made merely symbolic. social mobility, welfare, and prosperity are high. there’s an explosion in arts and culture and technology. brigid and duscur have gained independence; relations with sreng and almyra are much improved; heck, maybe they've even figured it out with dagda. in my most idealistic version, leicester and faerghus would eventually be ceded back to become autonomous regions, essentially disbanding the adrestian empire. rule is no longer hereditary, but merit-based. there's a roadmap for the future, and everything is on track—and more than that, people at all points on the power spectrum have already seen it bear fruit. with or without edelgard, it will be pursued. there's buy-in. they believe.

of course, it's not perfect—nothing can be—but edelgard's vision has been fulfilled. the people are empowered. humanity is free. fódlan has healed.

and somehow, she's had enough time to resolve her goals outside of politics, too. those who slither in the dark have been eradicated. edelgard and lysithea's second crests have been successfully removed, allowing them to live if not full lives, then substantially longer ones than they would have with their twin crests intact. who knows—maybe she finally gets around to having that wedding.

point for point, every item listed in edelgard's manifesto has been checked off. the ghosts of her past have been laid to rest. she can finally take off her crown. she can finally pursue the quiet, humble life she's wanted for so long. she can finally breathe.

... but can she?

edelgard is nothing if not driven. her intelligence, vision, and sheer willpower allowed her to plan and execute a revolution against two countries and the most powerful institution on the continent, all while she was still a teenager. as royalty, her life was never truly hers even before she became heir to the adrestian throne, with all the additional baggage of survivor's guilt and the desire for vengeance and her need to ensure nothing that happened to her can ever happen to anyone else, ever again.

so what happens when that drive has no outlet? what happens when someone who has been constantly in motion, constantly working and planning and preparing every spare second of every day since she was fourteen years old, suddenly has to stand still? what happens when someone whose hands have been bound for so long—first literally in the dungeons of enbarr, then by the weight and responsibilities of her crown—is set free?

being edelgard, she would step away from the throne, no matter how hard it was for her to give up control. she's always been focused on the endgame, and she knows that if she doesn't let go, she'll be setting the wrong tone for fódlan's future. she's too devoted to that endgame to cling to power much longer than she needs to, though i could see her making some excuses and trying to iron out just a few more things to buy herself some more time to mentally prepare before she's done for good.

but who would she be then? who is the woman without the crown? what becomes of a machine once it is no longer needed, when it has made itself obsolete? what about when that machine is a person with legs and arms and an innate unwillingness to gather dust on a shelf?

what happens when you get everything you want? what happens when all your wanting has been for others to thrive, and now you have to want only for yourself? how do you discover who you are when you've spent decades being everything for everyone else? how do you find meaning again? how do you find purpose?

after a lifetime of devotion and passion and movement, how do you learn to sit with yourself, and be quiet, and be still?

gosh, i would love to meet her. i would love to pick her brain. but boy, i do not envy the work that girl has to do.

#sterge.rtf #fire emblem #fe3h #edelgard von hresvelg #realistically edelgard is not getting all of this done in her lifetime. but that wouldn't keep her from stepping away anyway #'cause a funny thing happened to edelgard during the crimson flower route: she learned to have faith again. #so even if she couldn't check every box and fix every societal ill she'd still be able to pass the crown to the next ruler. #maybe not without fear. but with confidence. with optimism. with the belief that she's leaving the world better than she found it. #she'd have faith in her people. faith in the future. faith in the groundwork she's laid. faith in the systems she's put in place. #faith that her vision will be carried out with or without her. #and that faith would allow her to eventually let go. #i so love edelgard pulling a george washington and saying nah i'm good on power. peace #though unfortunately i could also see her pulling a teddy roosevelt #and saying nah i'm good on power. peace. wait what are you doing. you're ruining it. you're bungling everything. i can't believe this #and making several (failed and increasingly insane) attempts to get back into politics #who is the taft to edelgard's ted tho. i don't want to do ferdinand the disservice of saying it's him even though i think it's very funny. #it's literally the opposite of his character as taft notoriously sniffed roosevelt's farts for a long time #until he finally pulled his head out of the guy's ass and realized there are other smells. such as the sewer. and garbage. #smells which he pursued quite happily much to ol ted's chagrin #meanwhile ferdinand does not think anything of edelgard's ass except that his is definitely better-looking than hers #(he's wrong on so many levels but you try telling the guy that) #in fact ferdinand has always taken great joy in pointing out all the things that smell better than edelgard does #which gives him an instant up on mr Take-Advice-From-Theodore #all this to say i think ferdinand von aegir would have been a much better president than william howard taft. that's just my opinion. #i'm getting off the rails in these tags idk what's wrong with me #sorry for equating your blorbos to long-dead american politicians everyone. i know this is a cardinal sin #also please don't take this to mean i think positively of washington or roosevelt or taft or whatever. #i hate all dead old white guys who ever held a modicum of power #i just had a hyperfixation on american presidents when i was in grade school and unfortunately now my brain works like this

[corfisers]

i really need to finish this one day

#one of my fave ideas but i keep getting stuck or starting over. third time's the charm hopefully #anyways. posting it as an excuse to rant because i'm losing my mind over this rn for no reason #incoherent but i just need to Talk or my brain won't shut up #you ever think about how fucked up it is that aoi feels guilty over what happened. i do. i think about her a lot #he can't even look at me. we aren't even blood related but he still had to go to jail because of me. i still love him #in reality none of it is her fault. it shouldn't be about doumeki in the first place. baby girl you were 15 when it happened. #you can say that yashiro is cruel in his dismissiveness (on the surface) of doumeki's trauma but you can see where he's coming from #you got a glimpse of what your sister was going through? of what i went through? and now you're sooo guilty over it? and who does it help? #doumeki's so focused on his own feelings that he ignored aoi when they were living together. “saves” her by pure chance #proceeds to focus on his guilt and ignore her again. if yashiro didn't get involved she'd be sitting in the rain for god knows how long #yet she still loves and to some degree idolizes him #yashiro and aoi both saying that doumeki isn't the type of person to be a yakuza too. doumeki's good doumeki's better than that #and then ch 24 happens. where yashiro says that he's going to throw up and doumeki's response is “i probably won't stop even if you do” #“guess i am like my father after all” and yashiro still goes “you're not. you're pure and im the problem” #(touches doumeki's face. rare gentle gesture. he's gentle afterwards too before leaving. man.) #he's not cruel enough to repeat what he said in the earlier conversation and he doesn't actually believe it anyway #but i wish yashiro was cruel there. it shouldn't have been about doumeki and his feelings. again. #something about yashiro throwing a knife at another person and it flying back at him huh #for all the talk about how doumeki supposedly romanticizes yashiro it really is the other way around. always has been #which is a whole other conversation but yeah. everything about aoi and yashiro in relation to doumeki makes me so fucking sad #but this is also what i mean when i say that aoi doesn't haunt the narrative per se but still has this weird presence? #she's in the parallels. she's in the brief but important mentions. she's in the “your sister was lucky she had you”. #wips tag

[gh-0-stcup]

Gonna be honest, I don't think any Sam ship will ever hit as hard as Sam/Ruby.

#decided to attempt to finally finish supernatural #watching 10x02 right now but i still can't help thinking how much better this all would be if ruby was still around lmao #i get she betrayed them but crowley got to stay on for sooo long #and meg sort of got a redemption arc #i feel like ruby could have been given a pretty good story if they'd tried #the demons have a pretty shit deal - especially the ones who were unjustly damned to hell #iirc meg seemed to see lucifer as a sort of savior figure for the demons - somebody who would free them from the eternal torture of hell #which ruby probably believed and didn't seem to know what the real plan was #maybe she wouldn't be on board with lucy riding sam's body into a doomed fight with michael that was preordained by an uncaring god #and with 10 more seasons of development should could have been a proper member of team free will #given the climate of the fandom in 09 i completely understand why this never happened - but imagine??? #spn #ruby spn #sam x ruby #sam winchester

[jaybren]

I Believe...Steddie

I normally don't mind angst (though I avoid drama fics in general). Miscommunication is the biggest trope in romance, so I'm all for it, but for some reason Steve x Eddie fics / drabbles where Eddie still thinks of Steve as Steve THE KING Harrington always sit weirdly for me. Sometimes, if the Upside Down didn't happen (AUs in general) or pre-UD setting, maybe -- sure, then that could work. But close to canon fics where Eddie lives and Steve legit confesses to him? Always just -- strikes me as wrong.

Finally realized why -- it's literally the antithesis of canon Eddie. Canon! Eddie is quick to acknowledge Steve has changed. He literally runs up to him in the Upside Down while a bunch of madness is happening and where he has every right to be consumed by his own shit-tastic situation, but instead, he's telling Steve how he is a great guy and has changed.

Can Eddie be bitchy and prejudice? Yes.

Does Eddie have grudges against jocks / the popular crowd? Yes.

But he also goes full on bowing gentlemen for cheerleaders (going out of his way to help Chrissy and make her smile) and he's quick to acknowledge Steve's not that same popular AH anymore.

With Steve's bitchiness not aimed at him, Eddie would be eating his Honeycomb and snickering when old habits popped back up, and maybe he'd feel conflicted about jocky Steve, complaining about going to games or something until somebody smacked some sense into him. Totally believe tension and disbelief about one liking the other or some bias about things, but I just can't see Steve proclaiming his love or whatever and Eddie assuming it is a trap or trick or prank or something.

Maybe he'd think Steve was confused. Maybe he'd assume they were doomed, but I can't see him blaming Steve for that or blowing up their relationship IF Eddie accepted the confession and they started dating. Eddie's way more down on himself.

If someone can explain how it makes sense, please do. I'd love to enjoy all Steddie tropes, and that one seems popular lately, but where my brain sees so many problems with them getting to the confession point or even a number of big arguments that could happen afterward due to outside aspects, those two strike me as highly tactile, highly clingy romantics who would be convinced they were the height of discrete while practically fused, constantly touching and being snide little judgy dudes together.

#steddie #Steve x Eddie #Eddie Munson #Stranger Things #Only way Eddie doesn't see how Steve's changed is if the Upside Down doesn't exist but then Steve might not have changed #the second Steve asks him out Eddie is 100% in #won't accept anything different #Eddie is a drama king but he's the the sort to be clingy and pushy and cause problems by being too tactile and obvious in a homophobic town #which is why I 100% believe fics where Eddie and Steve fight over Steve refusing to come out or leave Hawkins #Despite also 100% believing Eddie would understand #frankly I fall for all the tropes EXCEPT Eddie not believing (in a canon compliant Upside Down having universe)that Steve has changed #where are my double date fics with Eddie and Steve taking out two girls only to get dumped because they spent more time chatting themselves #What about the fics where Eddie sets Steve up with a metalhead girl only for Steve to be like 'wow I'm super into this' #but then he realizes partway through he is 100% imaging she's Eddie #Or Steve setting up Eddie on a double date only to have a 'oh no I fucked up' moment as he realizes halfway through that he loves Eddie #Steve: Cool Eddie might score (*and it was at that moment he realizes he fucked up) I don't want Eddie to score #Give me hooking up duo who 'just like making out' and 'just aren't ready to get back out there yet' who feel pressured to do so #and they end up throwing hands over it and banging #Eddie: So...that happened. | Steve: Do you think Dustin was right? | Eddie: No way that butthead is right. | Steve: But what if he is? #Eddie: Obviously we can't tell him. | Steve: But we can still make out right? | Eddie: Fuck yeah #Give me dumb bets between guys friends inspired by Steve trying to relate to Eddie like he used to Tommy

[skyregalias]

I'm going to be at Winter Comiket 103 (12/30/2023) selling an Arknights🐉🐯 book!!!

I'll be at (土)西か 44a!! Please check it out if you're going! 🤗

#arknights #i still can't believe this is happening LOL the past month has been so crazy 🤣 #tysm to ete and vento for all the help and drawing buddies who stayed up together to work 🥹 you guys are the best!!!