#I talked with mr viking

[thevikingwoman]

Gender identity crisis on a Monday afternoon? It’s more likely than you think.

#certain phrasings made something ping for me #I’m fine? #I talked with mr viking #I had a glass of wine #I updated my blog header #will see what tomorrow brings #it was nice to put words on certain things

[el121a]

Being Elijah's Wife would include

Your flirtatious and magnetic confidence lingered in the memories of those you met, making you a topic of conversation long after the event had ended.

1 word to describe you would be genuine.

Elijah would never tell you, but even though it was too dangerous for a human to accompany him, he believed you made him look better and enjoyed having you around.

You are Elijah's pride.

Being Marcel's friend, you navigated the supernatural world with grace and charm.

Even when you're mad at Elijah, you can't help but believe in him. "Elijah has re-constructed diplomacy to bitchy insults and it still works, so… Yeah, I think he’s got this."

You may have not been a vampire, but you knew how to take care of one.

You were warm and approachable but commanding, a perfect balance that captivated those around you.

You and Elijah would work out together, finding entertainment in witnessing what a vampire could do.

Being the closest to Kol and Davina, you bridged the gap between the Mikaelsons and their extended family.

Being a mother figure to Kol, and of course Davina now that they're married.

You're just as much of a fashionista as he is, You wore only the finest. Picky is an understatement . No zippers,glitter, or anything that looked cheap to you.

Elijah was possessive of you since you were his greatest treasure.

Having children with Elijah after a thousand years of not being able to reproduce was a blessing and a testament to your unique bond.

You didn't care to insult anyone like your husband did, but your sharp wit was a force to be reckoned with.

Elijah is a sex god in your eyes- or anyone's of reason, and you're not shy about expressing it to his praise kink.

Elijah is busy, but you take on some of his responsibilities willingly, understanding the weight of his duties.

At first, he was afraid to ask for sex, but that notion quickly faded as he realized your desires matched his.

Elijah always buys you flowers on your monthly dates, a tradition that never fails to make you feel cherished.

He married the most gorgeous person in the world — you! And he tells you it's his biggest feat, a sentiment that never fails to bring a smile to your face.

You and Elijah share great laughs, finding joy in the simplicity of each other's company.

You teased him for losing his Viking demeanor to a suit during sex, and he's gotten less snobby trying to prove himself to you. Everyone has noticed, but no one will ever know why.

You both walk around the quarter at night, immersing yourselves in the timeless charm of New Orleans.

He's comfortable being a vampire around you.

You both read and write together, creating a world where words are your shared language.

After your showers, he braids your hair into Viking braids for the night or the rest of the day, a small intimate ritual.

And you braid his, a gesture that signifies the intertwining of your lives.

You guys cook together. Taking your time and talking about your day or upcoming day with him. The most relaxing part of your day as his Wife.

You knew him since you were a teen, so you feel like you know him in and out.

He's mostly submissive, except in bed. He tries to be, but he just can't keep his hands off you.

You didn't drink vervain because you felt that to be an insult to your husband, trusting him completely. You were an amazingly powerful sorcerer though.

Elijah fell inlove with you becasue of your love of Ideas, always having critiques, theories and your philosophical rants encouraging him to talk. How you listened to him like no other.

You created another type of magic for vampires in your studies of the supernatural because the human sacrifices weren't cutting it for you — pun intended.

When you first came back into his life, he was scared to love you because you were all he owned. Nothing Klaus had. By loving you, you taught him how to love himself. Congrats to you.

He has a secret breeding kink, One that you take advantage of. Along with his sir, Mr, and teaching kink. Nothing too wild, He's more of a romantic.

He grew a stubble for you when you told him you thought it made him look more like a DILF, embracing his role of a father.

Elijah doesn't want you on the tip of your toes to kiss him, so he lifts you effortlessly, creating a height equality you both relish.

He's your best friend, and he can say the same about you — a companionship that transcends time and immortality.

#kinda used my oc for help #the originals #the vampire diaries #tvdu #elijah mikaelson #tvd #elijah mikaelson headcanons #dad elijah mikaelson #elijah mikaelson imagine #elijah mikealson x reader #elijah mikaelson datenight #elijah mikaelson one shot #vampire #fluff #x reader #klaus mikaelson #klelijah

[incorrectbatfam]

The batkids mess up in their mission and now they want Damian to accept the blame for them (Damian is the youngest of them all, Bruce will never get too angry when is the youngest apologizing) how the batkids bribe Damian?

Steph: Heeey Dami, I might've done an oopsie on that Croc case. Do you mind taking the heat for me so I don't get benched again?

Damian: No.

Steph: Oh well. Guess I'll have to eat all these vegan waffles by myself.

Damian: Never mind, I reconsidered.

———————

Duke: 'Sup.

Damian: What do you want?

Duke: Just someone to go to the arcade with tomorrow. I heard they have a Cheese Viking VR simulator.

Damian: I believe my schedule is open.

Duke: That's awesome! Too bad Bruce might make me clean the basement tomorrow after that botched stakeout.

Damian: I will take care of Father. You just make sure we are first in line when the arcade opens.

———————

Tim: I messed up the Riddler mission.

Damian, on his phone: How unfortunate.

Tim: Can you take the blame? I don't wanna miss Kon's birthday on Saturday.

Damian: You know my rate.

Tim: *grumbles and writes a check*

———————

Cass: Take my case?

Damian: I thought you already caught the suspect.

Cass: Wrong person.

Damian: What will you do for me?

Cass: Clean litterbox.

Damian: Deal.

———————

Dick: Hey, Lil' D, can you do me a favor and gently let Bruce know that Two-Face skipped town before I could get to him?

Damian: Your Rogue, your problem.

Dick, pulling out a kitten from behind his back: Okay then, I guess I'll take Mr. Fluffykins back to that cold shelter.

Damian: Hand me that creature this instant and I will talk to Father for you.

———————

Barbara: I need you to distract Bruce while I recover some files I accidentally lost.

Damian: *holds out his hand*

Barbara: *sighs and hands him a sketch pencil set*

———————

Jason: I need you to convince Bruce that the explosion at Port Adams was not my fault.

Damian: Absolutely not.

Jason: I knew you'd say that, which is why I came prepared.

Jason: *reveals a bunch of knives under his jacket*

Jason: Take your pick.

———————

Bruce: Wrong, wrong, wrong. Everything is all wrong and I want answers NOW.

Steph: *nudges Damian forward*

Bruce: Damian? Would you like to say something?

Damian: *glances back at his siblings before looking at Bruce*

Bruce, crouching down: Son, whatever you tell me, you know I'll always love you, right?

Damian: Brown's waffle mix was expired, Thomas lied about the Cheese Viking simulator, Drake's check bounced, Cain used the wrong litter brand, the kitten Grayson got was someone else's lost pet, Gordon's pencils were counterfeits from eBay, Todd's knives were plastic, and everyone failed their missions this week.

The batkids: *collective groan*

#dick grayson #nightwing #jason todd #red hood #tim drake #red robin #damian wayne #robin #duke thomas #signal #stephanie brown #spoiler #barbara gordon #oracle #cassandra cain #orphan #bruce wayne #batman #batfamily #batfam #batboys #batbros #batgirls #batkids #batsiblings #batman family #incorrect batfamily quotes #incorrect quotes #incorrect dc quotes #dc comics

[sarnai4]

Betrayal

I was going to make this a fun post, but then I discovered that there are Dagur gifs on here and...yeah, that light topic didn't happen. So, here goes a little sad something.

I think these frames of animation are very interesting. Actually, this entire scene is to me. It's in "The Night and the Fury" and is right after Dagur learns that Hiccup lied. I love how this occurred because it would have been so easy to just have him be like, "You have dragons? Okay, now I'm about to kill you." They didn't do that, though. Even as Dagur is connecting the dots, he harps on the fact that a lie was told. "Your father lied to me...YOU lied to me!" If you go back to Dagur's threat from "Twinsanity," he never even said that he'd attack Berk if they had dragons. He specifically said he would if he found out they did after they denied it. Technically speaking, Dagur could have attacked immediately if he wanted to, but he still had the intention of keeping the peace. These expressions in the gif are right after he says, "You could've been my brother, Hiccup. Now, you're my enemy." When he says this, he actually sounds sad. His expressions match that. Dagur, Mr. Gets Angry At The Drop Of A Helmet didn't immediately respond with rage. He's hurt and I think I know why.

Dagur doesn't perceive things like other Vikings to put it lightly. When he has his first episode, he's talking about how he and Hiccup had great laughs after he tries to drown the poor Berkian. He calls Hiccup his old friend when they see each other again in the episode with the gif. I think he genuinely believes this. For the strange things Dagur does, he doesn't see it. So, it's not just someone lying to him, it's his best, his ONLY friend lying to him and making him looking like a cool in front of his tribe. That's why he sounds sad instead of angry. That's why he has to look away and think through what his next move is. Yes, he attacks, but what are his options?

Hiccup doesn't give him any more time to think. He tries to leave with Toothless, so Dagur has to act then. Regarding his options, they all are bleak. If he attacks, then you have war and what we got. The alternative is that he doesn't then, right? Well, that's not great either. As soon as he gets back to his ship, one of the Berserkers says that he wants to kill Hiccup himself. Dagur has to make it clear that no one besides himself will go after Hiccup. This shows how the Berserkers really can be vengeful. They're not even an aggressive group (as shown in "Something Rotten on Berserker Island"), but they have tempers. So, if Dagur holds onto the friendship that he just realized didn't exist, he has to go back with his tail between his legs and admit not only that he was played, but that he doesn't want to do anything about it.

Dagur already was worried that no one would respect him as chief. They never would if they found out he was tricked and didn't even want to get revenge for it. He would be the young chief who was too foolish to see through lies and too weak to defend his people in case the liar decided to lie again and actually attack. So, yes, Dagur attacked. Was it a mistake? Oh most definitely. He could've caused the deaths of many people and was arrested for this. So, I'm not saying that Dagur is in the right for his war, but I'm saying that I don't think it's a black and white as the show tried to portray. We see it from Hiccup's perspective with Dagur being this wild kid who just likes killing. Dagur's so much more than just some angry or deranged Viking. I just wish we got to see more of his side of things.

#HTTYD #RTTE #Dagur the Deranged #Theories #Berserker Life #False Friends

[demigoddessqueens]

girl our baby boy hytham is lacking attention from ys . Can u right where he falls in love with Viking reader and they get married? I think he would be a good husband tbh

THANKS AND I LOVE UR WRITING 🤩✨🤍

Awwwe Hytham deserves some love too!!! 😍

Masterlist 10

First off, that’s Mr. Hytham “I like a woman who can kick my ass kill me”

Nah jk 🤣but really tho 🫣

Hytham will be looking at you with the biggest blown out eyes in admiration

Learned from the Master Basim himself

Your prowess, your build, the braids and tattoos!!

If this is Valhalla, he never wants to leave

Watching you spar or fight in the middle of battles is an art to him, and the blood on your face does nothing to hinder what he admires in your features

Looks for any excuse just to talk to you, even as you tell stories around the fires

Eivor notices his disposition every time you come around, nudging him with a tease every time he blushes around you

Admires your braids and tattoos and asks constant questions about them, watching your face light up as you describe them

Tries to go on walks with you if he can, of course under the guise of “gathering intelligence”

#inbox requests #assassin's creed #assassin’s creed x reader #hytham #ac valhalla #assassin’s creed valhalla #Hytham x reader #headcanons #my writing #writeblr #assassin’s creed #ac hytham

[inthememetime]

Uncle Vlad AU

AU where Vlad actually gets along with the adults in the Fenton household pretty well. The Problem is the Teachers. (And ghosts. But mostly the teachers).

Maddie:

He and Maddie have been flirting awkwardly since they were 10 years old because it was funny when adults did it, and never stopped. Neither means anything by it.

Yes, Mr. Lancer, Jack does know that.

No, we do not need you to send Danny home with the Scarlet Letter. There is no affair. You know what, if you spent this much time protecting my kids from bullies, we-

Good mom, ok? She is! Sure, she gets distracted by work a lot, but she's not intentionally negligent, and she does her best. She just isn't able to connect with Danny the way she can with Jazz.

Jack:

Thinks the awkward flirting is hilarious. Regularly eggs on both his wife and BFF. Hides out at Vlad's to watch football games.

ADHD solidarity with Vlad. Two bros chillin' on a Packers couch, oi, asshole, did you just fumble in the first kickoff! Yeah, he did, which reminds me,did you want to come by for-

Jack was supposed to be there to ask Vlad for help on the portal. They have watched the Bears beat the Vikings, made plans for the weekend, managed to cook an entire meal, and it's not until 2 days later that Jack remembers. (Am I projecting my ADHD? You better bet )

Like Maddie, he isn't intentionally negligent, he just gets distracted super easily. He does his best, but often fails. A true himbo: strong of body, giant of heart, dumb of ass.

Vlad:

Died 20 years ago, but also recognizes that putting his face into a portal to another dimension wasn't a great idea.

Reiterates lab safety constantly despite consistently breaking the rules.

"Remember, children, do not eat or drink in the lab."

"Um. You're drinking ectoplasm right now, though."

"And I'm dead! I can get away with it!"

Despite this, neither Jack or Maddie know he's dead. Plasmius? "Cool costume!" Loses a hand that grows back in a day? "How'd you get that illusion to work?" Jokes about being dead? "Ha ha, yes, we get it. You're dead inside and like grim humor."

Neither Danny or Jazz- who do know- are allowed to tell their parents, because, "come on, guys, don't ruin a 20 year experiment for me! I wanna know how long it takes!"

Vlad is "independently wealthy". As in, he robbed a bunch of billionaires, and has blackmail on twice as many.

So as not to draw too much suspicion, he's a writer. Mostly trashy romance novels or technical manuals. There is no in-between.

Danny:

Dies. Immediately joins Vlad in death jokes. Jazz: You NEED TO talk about it! Danny: IDK, Jazz, I'm still pretty shocked. Get it?

Vlad: Hey, I gotta go visit dead family for the holidays, wanna come with?

Danny: Is that where you go every year? What do you do?

Jazz: Please don't make a ghost joke, please don't make a-

Vlad: Yeah, well, we go haunting, play games, decorate the cemetery, you know. Just get into the holiday spirit, and have a damned good time.

Jazz: I'm calling the Ghostbusters.

Starts learning how to fight ghosts- Uncle Vlad helps, of course, and- DANIEL PHANTOM, WHY are you HERE, and not in math class?! GO.

Nobody knows why Vlad's so chill about the death thing until his family comes to visit- turns out, his mother's maiden name was Addams. Yes, those Addams'.

#danny phantom #inthememetime #vlad masters #danny phantom au #redeemed vlad masters #jazz is so tired

[inexplicablepeas]

So I realized that I never shared my Blood & Gold re-read thoughts due to shadow-ban issues on the old blog, thoughts under the cut! It's long!

It was interesting to read this immediately after TVA, it really highlighted Anne's talent for developing distinct voices for her characters as the two books are so different in structure and voice. Where TVA is fevered and rambling with tonnes of evocative metaphor this is logically ordered and somewhat detached. This has none of Lestat's conspiratorial chumminess interspersed with catastrophic existential crises, none of Louis' melancholy poeticism, we're just getting straight facts from Mr Marius . So Marius' voice is a bit drier than a lot of the other narrators in the chronicles but that does feel correct and it gives the book a bit of a cosier and more chill vibe than most of the other entries. It's like story time with Marius. 

It's interesting that this one isn't framed as a book being written for publication but as a quiet and private conversation between a lonely guy and a stranger who showed up on his door step happy to listen to him. I think that makes sense for Marius, he doesn't seem like he would publish his life story, he's too private and he would probably have been more tactful land less honest about certain things if it was for publication - less interesting for us!

You do still have to read a lot of his inner journey between the lines nonetheless. He's not really telling you how he was doing day to day after he abandoned Pandora entirely (following an argument about how to deal with the emerging cult of satan worshippers) then spent centuries in Rome pretending he wasn't dying for Avicus' (and Mael's?) company while letting partying mortals have run of his house as he painted the walls subconsciously with dozens of Pandora faces... but you can imagine, he's probably not feeling great!

It was fascinating to get more detail on how he was recruited to be keeper of the parents and to see his tense arms-length relationship with Mael play out over the years. Eudoxia is a great addition to the story as brief as her time in it is and getting his version of Armand's story is very welcome (and of course interesting to contrast with Armand's telling). Getting more Bianca was also welcome, she's such a big presence in TVA, I liked getting Marius' perspective there. 

I've got some of the same kind of complaints I had with TVA about what was left out. I guess that structuring a life story that spans millenia is no easy task and it's inevitable that some stuff is gonna get left out. Anne probably didn't want to rehash the same events form different perspectives over and over again but I really was disappointed that the narrative doesn't touch on his thoughts on his reunion with Armand in QotD, the brief Night Island coven times, how Daniel came to be in his care (???), his reaction to Armand's suicide attempt (!?), how was it that he and Santino ended up being the team on clean up duty together for that anyway (???), his reaction to learning that Armand was in fact alive(!) and his subsequent turning of Benji and Sybelle.

Marius:

And Pandora of course, I hadn't read her book at the time of reading this so I was disappointed about how little detail we get on the centuries they spent together. You can imagine his motivations for leaving a lot of this stuff out, it seems that some things are still too painful to talk about and he is also telling a specific story to a specific audience here (to influence a particular outcome, perhaps? *squints suspiciously at Marius*) so it makes sense for him to brush over or leave some things out entirely but it's not always the most satisfying result for a reader that's already invested in these characters and their stories.

The framing device with Thorne is great, I can't emphasize enough how immediately I fell in love with this guy, this stoic but sensitive viking titan of a vampire. I found the final chapter to be the most exciting really, I guess because where most of the story is Marius explaining from his perspective why he's alone (apart from Daniel who doesn't count because he's too obsessed with his model cities, sorry Daniel!), it's all a foregone conclusion where we're heading and we know what happens to most of the major characters but once we get back to Thorne's contemporary POV hey, anything can happen! And thanks to Thorne, stuff does happen! He's kind of the MVP of this book. We also get a teeny bit of Daniel in the framing chapters at the start of the book and hey, it's nice to see him alive and still sassy, if a little worse for wear.

Overall I find it a pretty enjoyable vampire chronicle. I do love the lore of Anne's vampire universe, how rich it is both with historical details and with her own world building and Marius is, of course, very key to it as guardian of the parents for millennia, so I do want to know everything about him and I'm glad this book was written to give us more of his story. His chronicle of his very lonely life, caused in no small part by his own stubbornness and terror of losing control is sad and often frustrating but I did find all of it a compelling read. He's a very strange guy and it really is fascinating to get more of his perspective, even if he doesn't quite have the zazz of a Lestat or the poetry of a Louis.

#b&g thoughts #marius #armand #thorne #daniel molloy #pandora #eudoxia #vampire chronicles #vc memes #mael

[lowkeyrobin]

just wanted to request Karl and/or Quality with an Irish reader?? like reader can speak English but still has a thick Irish accent, kinda like jacksepticeye and minx

oooo okay okay!! ; also btw, I'm totally fine doing poly fics!! I did this one as poly bc romance 🤩🤩 but yeah, as long as whoever is involved are in the same age range and stuff it's good. that goes for all fandoms, I most likely won't ship whoever is involved together, only with the reader :)

KARLITY ; ireland, land of the free, home of the brave

summary ; reader is irish ❗️❗️❗️

warnings ; language

disclaimers ; I'm not Irish so please bare with my simple research on some of this lol

word count ; 400

masterlist

karl's the bigger swooner for your accent

genuinely finds everything you say differently compared to him the most adorable thing ever

bought a bunch of Patrick's Day shit to decorate the house and for him, you and alex to wear

you don't rlly take st patrick's day all that seriously but it's funny either way

sometimes he mixes your voice up with other streamers because a certain word under the accent trips him up, and he'll just start looking around for you??

"who the fuck are you looking for?"

"I thought I heard y/n.."

sometimes he'll just ask you to talk to get him to sleep or relax, your accent just calms him

you introduce him to some Irish dishes and he's in love with all of them

him and irish stew bro 💀 he's constantly asking for you to make it

he's in love with your accent

you do like culture dish nights where you cook dishes from your different cultures

yes karl is included, he does his best to actually make some sort of "american" food (half the time he orders mr beast burger)

quackity is down bad for that accent tho

he jokingly gets you a hoodie with some americacore phrase on it but with the Irish flag on it

^you wear it religiously just because it's funny

absolutely loves hearing you tell any stories, legends and myths from your culture

brings up the potato famine as a way to jokingly offend you during playful arguments

they both will happily join you and your family for any traditions, even if it means long flights and drives

the culture shock is insane lol

karl attempts to learn bagpipes and alex tries to play guitar/piano along with it

sometimes the accent just catches them off guard sometimes, because they get so used to it but when you're gone for a while they completely forget about it and it's like a jumpscare when they hear from you again

you randomly show them artists originated in Ireland because why not, cause they do it too (I love you The Cranberries and Sinead O'Connor)

you're cooked if you're a redhead 💀

they both constantly ask you if you're a viking or something

"what?? I dunno, why would I?"

"What is soda bread and raisins..." "You wouldn't like it"

"potato pancakes borty???" "don't judge without tasting, it's good!" "can confirm, that was delicious"

"can you make more of that irish coffee??" "Yeah, sure" "hell yeah"

#lowkeyrobin #mcyt x reader #mcyt preferences #mcyt oneshot #gender neutral reader #gn reader #they/them reader #mcyt x gn reader #irish reader #karl jacobs x reader #karl jacobs oneshot #quackity oneshot #quackity x reader #alex quackity x reader

[arckiaym]

"Viking? Mrx. Sizukie made breakfast." "..." "c'mon... It's eggs, you like those?"

"hey buddy," "go away legundo.." "I can't do that bud."

"did you get any sleep?" "...no" "yeah..uh. yeah, me neither."

"you neither?" "Yeah, I didn't realize how much I'd like. Like I started thinking, like, if I went by myself."

"and like, it was fine. I'm more efficient. I'm faster, I don't need to hunt as much. Honestly I might've already made it, probably. I'd definitely get in liss trouble, that's for sure."

"are you trying to make me feel worse??" "Haha, no, hold on."

"what I'm tryina say, is that I'd never-"

"-ever. Want to."

"hey guys? Everything ok in here? Eggs are getting cold."

"oh! Hehe, silly boys.."

"here lemme help. Momma's gotta do everything around here, huh?"

"how y'all aren't cold I'll never know. Hah..hybrids."

Mimirs. Eepy time.

In honor of pig!viking two releasing today I finished this up faster than I intended. The brain rot has me by the THROAT

Ok buckle up I have so much to say, ok

First of all, mrx sizukie, what kind of a name is that? The kind of name when you've been following a neon orange Suzuki down the freeway for like 4 hours. Also I like to imagine that pigs don't have Mr and Mrs but just, everyone uses mx and mrx because I think ? Idk they're not human why would they have human honorifics. I'm not calling ppl who use mx or mrx non human btw, u get what I mean

Second of all, eggs? Yeah, eggs. Baby zombie piglins spawn with chickens sometimes, so. So there ya go, they have chickens, idk man.

Third of all? I let them hug, that's right!! Hug it out you emotionally unavailable pig boys!! Comfort piglin head grab and bonk also both made an appearance, hope ur happy with that. I like to think that whenever piglins go to sleep their body temperature drops so that's why they sleep in piles, and is also why they got a lil blankie :)

Also I didn't talk about the backpack last time but they've got a notebook in there! (It's vikings, it's all his notes on how to be a pig. He's learning the language in there, his handwriting is terrible.)

Also when legs flops on the bed and traps vikings legs? Did anyone else's dad do this when there was a Talk to be had? Just like sit on ur feet so u can't escape? Well mine did so that's what that's about.

I made sure to add a lot of "like" and "yeah" cause if you've ever had a Conversation then u know that those nothing words are EVERYWHERE

But yeah, legs realizes how much he'd miss viking if he wasn't around and is like "aw balls this kid is my brother"

I was drawing the last panel, the shaded one, and I was like, "am I a furry artist?" So, let's all think about that for a sec. I mean like kinda, right?"

Hi @amberstormblade ily /platonic ur writing is my absolute favorite and part two is making my synapses FIRE

#legundo #dominion smp #viking pilot #wasting time tryina think of a fanart tag

[oonajaeadira]

Maybe it's because I was just talking about David Harbor Viking Santa, but this add showed its face on Tumbles and

I immediately think it's a workout plan to be big and strong like our Beardy Boy here.

And then I see the words "for stubborn fat belly."

ARE YOU FKN KIDDING ME.

Look at Beardy Boy! That man has a defined adonis belt. There is muscle tone here. He could pull a truck with his teeth. Do you even understand what real strong dudes look like? Get out of my face with Mr. Sculpty Bland Man up there.

Istg I almost made noises. Angry ones. Then whiny ones.

C'mon, Beardy. You're coming home with me. You throw me over your shoulder like a sack of sexy potatoes and I'll point the way.

#i mean #the neck muscles ALONE

[theexaltedbride]

Dead Island 2 Slayers X National Guard Reader (Gender Neutral) (Part 2!)

(Once again, art is not mine, but taken from the old TTRPG “All Flesh Must Be Eaten”, forgive me if its a crappy crop. AFMBE is a pretty good and highly modular game if you want to get your zombie fix on with some dicegames. I would also recommend the other games by Eden Studios, like Conspiracy X, Armageddon, and Witchcraft. Not enough people out there give Unisystem a try.)

Amy:

-When it comes to running PT around the manor, or around the block that has been cleared out, Amy always runs past you like its nothing and sometimes playfully swats you on the butt just to help motivate you to move it.

-She sometimes says that after they all get out of this, she might start looking into helping out with physical therapy and exercises for wounded vets with prosthetics. Give something back to the community, but she’s doing it after she wins the gold at the Paralympics and kisses you on camera of course.

-When you go to visit Patton, Amy likes to tag along. She may not know what kind of pain he feels as a soldier, but she perfectly understands what he suffered through his injury and how he must have felt when given looks by people who saw his face. It was the same kind of looks that Amy got for her prosthetic leg. She sees that you like to check in on Patton and wants to be part of it, as her way of telling you that if you were ever hurt like that, or lost a limb like she did, then she would still love you no matter what.

-Amy has seen the way you sometimes have trouble fighting zombie soldiers, and has tried to help you through it by opening up a little about how she hates learning the names of the more recently infected, because its so much easier to put them down when you think of them as just monsters. She understands what bothers you, and she is there for you.

-After plenty of gun drills out in the hills (totally not an excuse to have a secret picnic alone together...well not all the time), you’ve both decided that a pistol is the best kind of Gun for Amy. Something lightweight she can fire one handed while on the run and keeping ahead of the undead.

Bruno:

-Whenever he sees you loading up on weapons or equipment it’s going to be a tossup between a John Wick or John Rambo joke.

-In a sparring match you got a bit too into it and punched Bruno so hard it knocked him down, he played it up more while asking if you could kiss it better.

-Once in bed asked you to talk to him in a more dominant and commanding way, giving him orders. 

-When you’ve tried to determine what gun was best for Bruno, he insisted on trying out a shotgun, only to immediately get knocked onto his ass by the recoil. He had a bruise for a few days, but it was the bruise to his ego which stung the most. This soon cleared up when you figured out a single shot sports rifle with the same caliber rounds as your own, was better for Bruno rather than Semi-automatic or Full-automatic. This way you could both share the same ammunition, but Bruno could actually take his time to hit the Zeds. Anything else seemed to make him too trigger happy. 

-Once you figured out Bruno kind of wanted to impress Mr. Curtis (because he was his Grandpa’s favorite actor) you helped Bruno get some target shooting in so that the next time Curtis had any shooting competitions at the mansion, Bruno just might be able to impress him. 

Carla:

-Similar to Bruno, Carla will sometimes compare you to Hicks or Vazques from Aliens when she sees you loading up, and will throw some quotes your way.

-The scratches you both leave on each other during sparring sessions lead to a lot of jokes that you’re straight up having wild Viking sex rather than training. Carla just jokes back that if you can survive either one with her then nothing will kill you.

-You were genuinely impressed at seeing Carla pick up an M-249 SAW like it was nothing. She loved the look on your face as she just unloaded it into a horde of Zeds coming at you. Sure, most of her shots completely missed or only maimed the zombies, but that still doesn’t change the fact that you will never forget that moment. 

-As a special gift to you, Carla’s personal project is to pick out one of the military vehicles lying around that is best suited for both fighting and transporting people, and tricking it out to handle moving through the zombie infested streets. She’s gonna make it look like something out of Dawn of the Dead or Mad Max. As tribute to you, she’s naming it the “(Your Name) 2″. Since she’s not up to date on what vehicle does what, she’s constantly asking you about them.

-Carla liked her own style, but after finding out from you just how many different pockets military and tactical pants have she’s started to adopt them as part of her wardrobe and loves all the extra space she has for holding her tools and snacks and whatever the hell else she wants to carry with her in the zombie apocalypse. Pockets rule!

Dani:

-Dani regularly helps you cut and style your hair properly so you can keep it regulation standard. She find it boring and would love to go crazy with your hair. But since you want it that way, and it relaxes you to keep some uniformity to your look, she tries to keep complaints to the minimum (but insists on getting to go all out with your hair once you both leave Hell-A and your time with the Guard is over).

-Despite not being one for guns, Dani took to them like a fish to water. She passed all the tests you devised for the group with flying colors (matched only by Sam B whose had plenty of experience by now). She prefers sticking to smaller calibers with pistols and submachine guns. You even went so far as to teach Dani a few little tricks, such as how to properly move and clear a room without bumping into someone else, and communicating with gestures and touches. Shoulder touching is normally a way of communicating between soldiers among a fire team to let them know you are nearby and ready, but between you and Dani it has also taken on a more...intimate meaning as well.

-Since Dani loves to swear now and gain you’ve taken to teaching her some military swears and fun acronyms like SNAFU (Situation Normal All Fucked Up), RDS (Real Deep Shit), and Blue Falcon (Buddy Fucker IE: Backstabber / double-crosser.).

-She sometimes jokes about taking the riot gear off of a riot zombie and wearing it so that she and you can look like a properly armored pair of warrior lovers. But she likes being able to maneuver around zombies and the armor would just cramp her style.  

-Started affectionately calling you the “GI of My Eye.”, even after someone joked that it sounded more like a reference to an eye infection than something sweet (to which she punched them square in the shoulder for it).

Jacob:

-He’s normally pretty anti-authoritarian and anti-establishment, but didn’t take too kindly to Rikky Rex shit talking you in your uniform and making Vietnam War comparisons. Rikky doesn’t know you and doesn’t know what you’ve been through to save people in Hell-A while he and his gang of drunks were partying it up in Beverly Hills. It wasn’t so much an argument on your behalf, as Rikky is way too drunk to hold a coherent thought, but it was kind of nice to see Jacob stand up for you personally even if there are things he doesn’t agree with about your service and to whom you swore an oath to. 

-You and Jacob are starting to develop a Legolas and Gimli style competition over who can stack the most Zeds per mission. You both lie to try and make it sound like the other person got more kills.

-Jacob is trying to find a sleeveless vest with a camo pattern that matches your own, no luck yet but he’ll keep looking.

-You tried to get Jacob to do some gun practice with you, but he honestly swears it off and is happy to stick with clubs and hammers. He says you can pick off the zeds from a distance while he crushes the ones that get through, teamwork.

-Jacob would love to introduce you to his mother, especially if you would show up in your dress uniform, his mother has always been telling him to meet someone nice and respectable outside of the Stunt actor business. 

Ryan:

-You and Ryan had a bonding experience over sharing an MRE together. He was surprised it wasn’t total garbage. It wasn’t good, but at least it was somewhat edible, and he especially loved finding that they sometimes come with sweets.

-You once caught him wearing your helmet and vest and admiring himself in a  mirror while trying out some lines as if he were an actor. You joked to him that if he really wants to admire himself like that in private you could clean up an extra uniform and gear for him to use, but to not use yours since you need them.

-Ryan sometimes leaves little things in your helmet when you are going to be separated for missions and he knows about it in advance. This could range from sweets, to notes, to even once an old photo of him mid dance during his previous career. 

-You’ve both been practicing how to carry another person if they are injured, that’s totally why you are constantly grabbing each other. No ulterior motive at all. It’s just professionalism, even though Ryan isn’t a real First Responder. (Do you think the other Slayers bought it?)

-He has sometimes wondered what he’d look like with a more military high and tight haircut, but just can’t give up his current hairstyle. He even jokes to you that it was a good thing he had a fireman’s costume on hand, or else he never would have been able to bluff his way past the security checkpoint if he had to pretend to be a soldier.

All Purpose Headcanons:

-Once it finally gets through the heads of everyone else that you have a day job besides being in the Guard, they started coming at you with all sorts of questions about what you do and why you chose to give up part of your time off and work days doing training and other work with the National Guard. They were kind of disappointed that your answers were pretty mundane.

-When your slayer lover was thrown into the sewer pit by the Numen, the only reason you didn’t immediately try to jump in and save them was because you tried to stab the nearest Numen who was in your way, only for them to block your hits. Despite being untrained, the Numen named ‘Thurston’ was able to match your movements with frightening speed, using the barrel of his own rifle to block all your bayonet jabs and swipes, before the one called Cadenza grabbed the barrel of your rifle and bent it like a toy. Together the two of them kicked you square in the chest and send you tumbling down into the same pit as your lover.

You landed on the ground with such force it knocked the wind out of you, but before the zombies could overwhelm you your Slayer Lover jumped in, crushing the skulls of the zeds with ease, kicking them so hard they splattered against walls. Even in your lover’s frenzied state, they recognized you and knew the danger you were in, and would not allow any harm to come to you.

-When your own Numen abilities began to manifest beyond just a general boost to your body and rapid regeneration, you found that your experience as a soldier, taking orders and sometimes giving them, has influenced your powers. When you try hard enough, you can start to command the weaker autophage infected and use them like puppets to attack other infected. It is draining, gives you a real migraine, and feels...dirty when you do it. But it has been a lifesaver for the group on a few occasions so it remains a trick you can pull out when needed. You can’t do more than a dozen infected at a single time, but the more you practice, the better you get at controlling them. 

You’re also beginning to suspect that the Numen called ‘Konradt’ might have a similar power to you. Unlike her, you only use this power when necessary, while you have a sneaking suspicion that she uses it to spy on you and the Slayers.

-Your Slayer lover kept trying to throw grenades like they were baseballs and it took you a while to teach them to properly lob it overhead. Luckily there are plenty of Zeds to practice with.

-Thankfully you haven’t had to fight too many other survivors, the uniform and six other survivors at your back is enough to intimidate most raiders, but a few times now its had to happen, at least when it does you can fall back on the training.

-As dangerous and downright terrifying as it is to go out at night, sometimes you have no choice, a mission needs to be done or you need the cover of darkness to help you get somewhere far from the mansion. For moments like these you are sadly one of the better options for a moonlight run. You have yet to find any proper night vision goggles, so you have no choice but to rely on moonlight, random streetlights, or your own flashlights to get across Hell-A. Since you’re the one with an understanding of light discipline, and regularly wears camo to blend in, you are normally chosen to go out at night. Though your Slayer Lover always wants to go with you since its dangerous at night. 

-You have some small experience with CBRN and other Hazmat training, not a lot but you and the others were given a quick refresher before being sent to LA to fight the infection, so you tend to be the one helping cleanup after any major fights near a safezone. Surprisingly, Andrea is pretty good at cleaning up those messes as well. The group also tends to depend on you to clear the way whenever you encounter that caustic slime the government was using to melt down infected bodies and neutralize the virus. 

-The worst encounter you’ve had so far has been in finding infected version of soldiers and guards that you knew from before. Whatever they once were is gone now, and you struggled to pull the trigger, the Slayers helped you, they told you to just look away while they did the dirty work. There were no jokes, no quips, just fast and efficient Slaying. Afterwards, your lover refused to leave your side until they were sure you were okay, and only after you asked them to give you some space.

-The best memory so far is when you (thanks to Carla’s mechanic experience) managed to get a Humvee working and proceeded to drive it up and down the beach, giving everyone else a turn on the .50 call in the turret, while mowing down zombies left and right. You even plowed through a few smaller swarms before you slammed into a Crusher and had to bail out while it was trying to flip the vehicle. Next time you are gonna try to do it again with an MRAP. Though honestly you should get one of those working in order to safely evacuate multiple civilians at once if you ever need it.

-Since you already have some bayonet training and experience you’re starting to get good at using spears and polearms and other similar two-handed stabbing weapons.

-Sometimes when you and Patton hang out, you both slip into a lot of military jargon and three letter acronyms or slang that leaves the rest of the group completely lost. Its fun to see the utter confusion on their faces.

-You’ve had to borrow extra uniforms off of the ‘fresher’ undead and give them a thorough cleaning so you have more than one set to use throughout the week. The others have suggested just switching to normal clothes, but you can’t. This is who you are and its who you will present yourself as, especially given how many times people have looked hopeful when you and the Slayers come to the rescue.

-Sometimes you listen to Civil Defense frequencies on the radios, or over scavenged military comms and some of the reports you hear are strange. Those earthquakes that screwed up the evacuation almost felt targeted, rather than just a case of nature being cruel. Down in one of the spare rooms you are slowly putting the pieces together with a web of intrigue on a wall. The others aren’t sure they buy your theory...but you think the Earthquakes and all that slime everywhere is not natural, its something eldritch, lovecraftian even. Luciana is the only one who is into this, but you need more proof. Which might mean dealing with the Eschaton group at some point.

When you have enough proof, you’re going to send it back to the DOD, CDC, Every single Alphabet Agency and news agency, so that the world can be prepared for what is to come. You just need to be able to prove it. This might be the only chance we have to stop humanity from dying, all the lives lost, all the pain endured, it has to be worth it in the end.

Bonus: Bruno’s playlist for you.

Some of the songs Bruno has put together which remind him of you or he likes to listen when out with you.

-The Offspring “Dividing By Zero/Slim Pickens”.

-Neo Fresco “Sublimation”.

-Battlefield 3 “Steel On Target”.

-Sons of Pythagoras  “Counting The Cost”.

-Imagine Dragons “Friction”.

-Nine Inch Nails  “The Good Soldier”.

-Invocation Array “The Machine in the Ghost”.

-Jefferson Airplane  “White Rabbit”.

-Disturbed “The Curse”.

-Disturbed  “The Infection”.

#Dead Island #Dead Island 2 #Dead Island Headcanons #Dead Island 2 X National Guard Reader #Dead Island x Reader #Dead Island Slayers x Reader #Di2

[gerec]

Hi! I have always adored your rec. Do you have cherik period fic rec? :) thank you <3

Anon if you're still hanging around (and I hope you are), I have some wonderful period fic recs for you! This fandom has an abundance of great aus, and it's pretty impossible to rec them all on one list. I'll do my best to give you a good mix of different periods and hope you find something there to enjoy :D

Here is a post that has a number of great fandom classics! (sorry a couple might have been removed from ao3 but most are still there) terrible with the brightness of gold by brawlingdiscontent

The war is lost.

With the futures of his people and his children at stake, former Crown consort Charles of Normandy awaits the arrival of England's new master, the fearsome Viking warrior, Erik Lehnsherr. (Inspired by 11th century historical events)

First Impressions by sirona

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a spouse -- or the nearest set of curtains to hide behind, if you were to believe Mr Charles Xavier. Little does he know that he himself will soon put test to that very truth.

let's pretend I'm holding your hand by primetime

"Shaw is King, Charles is his royal consort and Erik is a Knight/Lord. Shaw is sterile but his kingdom can't find out, so he asks Erik to impregnate Charles. He doesn't know Erik and Charles are in love. Regency AU."

Roses & Cinnamon by TurtleTotem

Charles Xavier lost more than his leg in the war with Napoleon, and the man he's just pulled out of the water has ghosts of his own -- especially when Charles's involuntary projected hallucinations prove catching. Raven, meanwhile, faces the choice of whether to marry respectably or run away with a carnival fortune-teller.

Pride & Prejudice - Rip it from my hands by Synekdokee

“Say you forgive me,” Erik whispered, his breath warm against the skin of Charles’ neck.

Charles stood quietly by the window, looking past their reflections out into the yard.

“You made your feelings quite clear,” he said, stepping away from Erik.

Erik grasped his wrist hard, refusing to let Charles walk away.

“Please.”

All the King's Man by Pookaseraph

In an effort to get out from under the thumb of his step-father, Charles chooses to become a courtesan for several minor nobles in King Erik's court. It is not long before he attracts the eye of the young king, and the Cardinal who holds the young king's ear. Charles spends months working to secure his place as King Erik's favorite and to regain his father's title of Merchant Prince. Charles hopes to disprove the old adage that once you enter the king's bed, you have nowhere to go but down.

The Marriage Bargain by kianspo

Erik Lehnsherr had made a fortune manufacturing steel in Europe. When he wished to expand to the New World, he discovered that no one would do business with him unless he was affiliated with one of the First Families, the creme de la creme of the NW aristocracy. When Lord Marko holds an auction to give away his 14-year-old stepson's hand in marriage, Erik sees his chance and takes it. He has no interest in Charles himself, but now that he has him, can they make it work?

A September as Sunny as Spring by Black_Betty, ikeracity, keire_ke

Charles Xavier was part of a famous vaudeville act before an accident cost him his career and his ability to walk. He's pulled together a new life as a musician in Hollywood, but is finding it difficult to navigate his feelings for his old friend and partner, Erik Lehnsherr, the most sought after matinee idol of their generation.

Famous film duo Frost and Lehnsherr are two of the most well-known and admired mutants in the public eye, having built their fame and fortune on silent film blockbusters.When the rise of the new "talking pictures" phenomenon threatens all their careers, they must band together to try to prove that their days of stardom are far from over.

And a couple by me for your consideration:

The Master of Charlton Park by Gerec

On the brink of losing his ancestral home, omega Charles Xavier agreed to do the unthinkable; he would sacrifice his own happiness for the sake of his family, and bear a child for a married alpha and his mate.

But Charles never expected that alpha to be Erik Lehnsherr, with whom he shared an impossible love and undeniable passion.

All of You and All of Me by Gerec

Erik Lehnsherr aka Magneto is King of Genosha, forty-three and the veteran of countless wars against the British Empire.

Charles Xavier is his new husband, in a marriage arranged by the King of England as part of the peace treaty between their two kingdoms.

Logan Howlett is Charles' long time friend and bodyguard, in a secret love affair with the married Prince Consort.

#gerec rambles #cherik #fic rec #gerec's fic rec #period fic #period au #historical au #regency au

[fairweathermyth]

Tagged by @mottles / @goodsirs thank you &lt;333

TAG SOMEONE YOU WANT TO KNOW AND/OR SOME OF YOUR BESTIES

favorite color: can never commit, but jewel tones bring me joy last song: I Love Me After You by Mitski last movie: theater camp watching: mostly.... philadelphia phillies baseball lol. hopefully that's still true after tonight! i mean my god it better be. also for some reason started vikings valahalla recently? wasn't even on my to watch list, i just opened netflix and pushed play one day. never finished og vikings! but i'm having a good time. and i also started fall of the house of usher. that's really it though? other stuff I watched this year: keeping some from prev: reservation dogs, mrs. davis, and poker face. also obvi the afterparty, the great, the newsreader, barry's final season!? shows I dropped this year/didn't finish: i watched the first few eps of daisy jones this summer and probably won't finish that. didn't hate it but would have worked better for me as a movie i think. currently reading: my best friend's exorcism by grady hendrix currently listening to: las cultch currently working on: nothing really, but once this post season is over i'm going to read the last rote book and then! and then! current obsession: i can only think about baseball rn sorry

you come to me, on the day of nlcs elimination game 7, and expect me to talk about something other than baseball? jk jk. aah, tagging if you wanna: @eddievedders @yaomei @idontwikeit @kiwimidnight @menocchio-final-final @candlewinds @basketcasemp3 @lady-arryn @cuthalions

#tag game #about

[yallemagne]

Hmm Mina studying criminology independent of any usefulness to Jonathan (she kept up with his studies on property law instead, and like you said he's a solicitor), kind of reminds me... Jonathan also has no use for ghost stories. Mina though spends paragraphs talking about every spooky legend about her vacation spot. Not every young person researches about girl ghosts in ruins, and invisible mourning bells for their seaside summer break. (Now I also recall she reads an old poem about a buried girl while there? Marmion?). Further, she pokes old men there to tell her more about those. (And gets "oh don't be scared it's all fake! not for young girls like you!" but she keeps pestering). When Mr Swales told her that she and Lucy sit upon a suicide grave, Lucy jumped, disturbed (but resolved to remain there anyway because she likes the seat), while Mina didn't.

Also, she talks of the Vikings sacking a town there during a specific invasion, and this tracks her knowledge about Dracula's historical battles... though I can't decide if the latter is a newer research. But it does show she has an interest in old wars.

So, I feel that maybe she has an affinity for darker subjects in general, both legendary and real life?

um that got long but your post gave me food for thought sorry

Don't be sorry for the long ask. Do you know how long I've been waiting for people to come into my inbox? I have been starved.

Jonathan has no use for ghost stories, but we do see him express curiosity about the local folklore on his trip... too bad no one wanted to talk much about it. Mina's interest in ghost stories is definitely a mix of an affinity for the macabre and her desire to be a lady journalist. She knows Whitby has a lot of rich folklore, so she reasons that the most obvious subject to tackle in her interviews is that.

Marmion! So, I will have to read this poem. I just read the summary so far. Lord Marmion was lusting after this woman, Clara, so in order to gain access to her, he and his nun mistress, Constance, framed her fiancé, Ralph, for treason. Constance hoped playing wing woman would get Marmion to like her more, but he ditched her once Clara joined a convent to escape him, and Constance was walled up for breaking her vows. She got the last laugh when she revealed Marmion's deceit, and Marmion died in battle. It's such delicious drama. I'm sure you could project Dracula onto this poem the same way you can with the Ballad of Lenore (*cough cough* Jonathan is Clara, Mina is Ralph, Constance is Renfield, Marmion is Dracula-- *gets shot*).

Sorry for that aside lol. Mina only briefly mentions it: "Right over the town is the ruin of Whitby Abbey, which was sacked by the Danes, and which is the scene of part of "Marmion," where the girl was built up in the wall.", and I'm like "honey tell us the whole story, would ya?"

Her knowledge of Dracula's military conquests comes from Jonathan's journal, where he interviewed Dracula about his family lineage. That is supplemented with Van Helsing's research done with the help of his friend Arminius. That was not really a personal interest thing, it was homework for killing Dracula.

But once again! Student of life. I don't know if I'd say she believed in any of the ghost stories before (hence her not being worried about the unconsecrated grave of the suicide victim, but Lucy, who is more sensitive, jumping from the seat), but she certainly has an interest in them for how they shape the world around her. She doesn't care for Mr. Swales trying to assure her that none of it is true because she isn't inquiring about the ghosts out of apprehension, she's asking because spooky legends are a part of history! They shape the cultures they are born from and inform the attitudes of the people who come from those cultures.

little bit of spoilers, read November 1:

Later on, we see that she doesn't seem very interested in Eastern European folklore. Now... a lot was going on at the time, but she does rather patronizingly call the locals superstitious. That could just be denial talking. The landscapes? Lovely. The people? Quaint. Their beliefs? Ohhhh, they're soooo irrational, psh. They acted like I was becoming a vampire right in front of them.

She's intrigued by English folklore and history, but she turns up her nose a bit when it comes to the mythology of other places... to be expected from a Victorian, but sad.

#dracula #dracula daily #re: dracula #mina harker #update #people ask me things

[modernlotrhobbitthoughts]

LotR + Hobbit Characters as (Even More) Things I’ve Overheard (Part 1/3)

Frodo: For the past six months, I’ve been having a bit of an identity crisis. You know, super sexy.

Gandalf: Hmm, I thought I was going to say something more optimistic, but I guess not.

Éowyn: I mean, I’m more afraid of failure than the devil, so…

Gimli: Three likes and I’ll set my social security card on fire.

Saruman: He just has a need to continue consolidating his phallic power.

Bilbo: Yesterday, first thing, I had such a discouraging bagel.

Thranduil: No one’s talking about the loss of bourgeois status in Mr. Potato head losing the title of mister.

Arwen: You need a husband. Let’s ask the ghosts!

Théoden: We must now be our own vikings.

Bombur: That’s what happens when you eat too much pizza. You become French.

Thorin: I’m sick of God’s bullshit. We should just let him die death-of-the-author style.

Bard: No need for therapy when sea shanties are free.

#overheard #lord of the rings #the hobbit #things i've overheard #lotr #lotr characters #lord of the rings characters #hobbit characters #bard #bard bowman #thorin #thorin oakenshield #theoden #bombur #arwen #arwen undomiel #thranduil #bilbo #bilbo baggins #saruman #saruman the white #gimli #eowyn #gandalf #frodo #frodo baggins

[souryogurt64]

hello mrs souryogurt i'm thoroughly enjoying your blog today. idk, going through and reading all this interesting stuff about sampling is cool. 👍

Not related to sampling but related to the general convo happening and something I referenced lol—

One of the things that first dialed me in to the fact that Pete’s book was supposed to have a double meaning was the usage of the word “negroes” in it twice. I read it in 2013 and I was only like 14 and was a short-term, casual FOB fan so I wasn’t aware he was biracial. A couple other times he references specifically black people were really noticeable in the prose. 

It really caught me off guard because I figured he wouldn’t just be throwing that word around for no reason, and along with the Freudian stuff being clearly strange kind of kept me reading the book over and over and trying to figure it out. 

One of the times is referencing Charley Pride:  (This is from the dissertation)

There are many more of these little metaphors throughout Gray, and each of them have special meanings. Wentz’s self-insert mentions— in extra-special parentheses— that his girlfriend decided that if he were a book, he’d be “(The Nashville Sound: Bright Lights and Country Music, 1970, featuring… Charley Pride, ‘the first Negroe Country star’);” Pete Wentz is biracial, with Jamaican heritage, and became more or less the face of the white-dominated genre of pop-punk and emo rock. 

But there’s another one too:

(This is from the book)

“I drop a quarter in the jukebox, summon the ghosts of ducktailed rockabilly cats and tousled-haired teen idols, sweet-voiced doo-wop singers and yelping young Negroes with wild pompadours. They were the kings of their era, the Imperials and the Belmonts, the Diamonds and the Del-Vikings. They were the savages of the decade, pounding the piano, and thumping the upright bass. Pulling pints of whiskey from their back pockets. Groping girls. Having wild times.”

I did talk about the Charley Pride thing obviously but not the Diamonds/Del Vikings one, there was a LOT I could not get into in the dissertation because of the sheer magnitude of it and I only noticed the Diamonds/Del-Vikings thing when it was essentially finished and didn’t know how to work it back in, which was probably a failure on my part haha. I also was struggling to parse out the exact specifics with the Belmonts and Imperials but it’s a similar gist I think

But anyway, the Del-Vikings were known for being a successfully mixed-race doo-wop group when that was really rare cause it was the 50s, and by contrast the Diamonds were super racist and met at a literal minstrel show, and performed a lot of covers by black artists who were being exploited by-and-large by the music industry which is what tangentially connects this back to the conversation happening on yogurt.edu currently 

Anyway for anyone who has not read my 40 page dissertation about Pete’s book no one but me likes (can’t blame you if you haven’t), I argue it has a secret double meaning as satire but is also meant to be partially authentic and he passed it off as bad on purpose to hide the double meaning and a lot of factual elements of the book. So like it could be interpreted as either a mockery /satire of the main character which is supposed to be like how people view him and “emo” guys / rock stars in general, or authentic and genuine and serious depending on how you look at it.

SO ANYWAY, I feel like by including that word twice and also invoking these two wistful and idolizing images of very different types of 50s acts, it’s playing into that double meaning thing by sort of ambiguously casting the narrator as someone who is biracial/black and is pointing out black people he sees because he is biracial/black, or someone who is not that and is not a good person. 

But on the 5D chess level the entire book operates on where the only people who would be able to recognize the entire subtext are either incredibly dedicated to figuring it out or are incredibly knowledgeable about rock music 

There were a lot of other references to bands and some other stuff that I felt like were probably saying something (Lynyrd Skynyrd in particular had some stuff to do with like death and planes and dying young) but I felt like some of it was kind of going over my head a bit and it was already 40 pages haha 

The amount of effort and skill that went into pulling this book off is truly mind boggling to me and I do strongly feel the interpretation I had of the Diamonds/Del-Vikings thing was intentional, but I didn’t want to write it badly and come across as insensitive or offensive, which may have been another failure on my part especially since it would have been awkward to put back in to the finished essay anyway