#I'll miss all the personality from this era of systems... | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

powderblueblood · 5 months

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The level of detail and thought you've put into hai is incredible!

I have a question. I love how you've described Eddie as a rizzless loverboy (my favorrite kind) so I need to know how he managed to get with an ice queen like Nicole. Not to mention some stuff with Chrissy later and even Cass but I'm most curious about Nicole, especially since she's a former friend of lacy's and he describes her as the one person who's meaner than lacy. I need details. How did it all go down? i like to imagine that she approached him. What makes me sad is that I think she probably did it just to say she lost her virginity but I also like to think that they all find him hot but they just wont say it because he's the town freak

NONNY COME THROUGH I LOVE THIS QUESTION!!!!!! hard agree on nicole approaching him because she's nasty as fuck in all the wrong era-typical ways and he's scared as hell of her (like, she really could bite and not in a cute way). but i also agree about these girls secretly being endeared to him. i mean, we saw it with chrissy-- he has a knack for making people feel safe in vulnerable little moments. but unfortunately, people (teenagers) are also diiiiiiicks

so fuck it, let's blurb it out! or

EDDIE MUNSON STAMPS NICOLE SUMMERS' V-CARD (NOT A BOARD WAXER, NOT IN MAUI)

content warning: swearing, wildly unsexy implication of sex, nicole summers sucks dude, teenagers scare the living shit out of me, me attempting to incorporate dnd terminology, GRANNY ECKER KLAXON, there's also an easter egg in this for the rest of the story if you know where to look word count: 2.6k (lol what)

part of the hellfire & ice universe (duh!)

FOREST HILLS TRAILER PARK, 1982-ISH

She's gotta be doing community service.

It's Easter, right, so this has gotta be like... a Jesus thing. But she doesn't seem like a Jesus person.

It's the only precedent that would explain what Nicole Summers, jaw jutting out in an exaggerated scowl, is doing serving Meals on Wheels to the less fortunate dwellers of Hawkins' favorite trailer park. Her red hair blazes in the sunlight, searing into his retinas--

But that could also be the weed talking.

"Ma'am, like, I don't know what to tell you, you're signed up to receive these."

"And I don't know what to tell you, little girl," Veronica Ecker Sr., affectionately and fearsomely known as Granny to him, grits from the doorway, "but I'm perfectly capable of cooking my own darn food."

Eddie's been lingering around the Ecker trailer, see, waiting for Ronnie to be freed from yet another M*A*S*H appointment with her grandmother ("Ever since she stopped going to church, it's like, all Alan Alda all the time," quoth Ronnie) and run through his latest Hellfire campaign.

"I'm not saying that you don't, I'm just saying that--"

"You're making me miss my program."

"I'll eat it." Eddie doesn't know who said that or why it sounds like his voice, until he figures out that he said it, which is why it sounds like his voice. Jesus, that shit he lifted from his dad was strong.

Granny Ecker and Nicole Summers elicit almost identical reactions of annoyance once they clock that he's there, lingering in the outfield.

"Junior, if you don't--"

"Oh my God. Ew."

Eddie plants his hands on his hips, half in the hopes that this might look authoritative, half mirroring Granny. "Well, y'know. Waste not want not."

Granny considers him, then apparently considers that this might not be such a terrible idea. Her laser focus directs back to Nicole.

"I don't give a shit. I'm not eating that tripe."

"I'm not just-- authorized to pass off meals like that. There's a system."

"Wait, you need clearance for stuff like that? In Meals on Wheels?" That'd be Ronnie's voice, head popping over her grandmother's shoulder. "Oh, hey, Eddie."

"Hey, Ron. You ready to--"

"Veronica, get back inside. I need you to hit that thing back to record when M*A*S*H comes back on. I don't want any commercials on my darn tapes."

"Oh my God, forget it!" Nicole breaks, stalking towards him with a foil-wrapped tray. She stays a safe distance away and thrusts it towards them-- something something freak cooties, some new line of bullshit that her and her dumb little clique had come up with in middle school. "Here. I don't need the whole freak council weighing in on this."

Eddie takes the tray and considers the shiny foil wrapping. His reflection is all distorted in there, a funhouse mirror but way, way worse. This makes him compelled to be unwisely honest to Nicole, who's already making tracks away from him. He jogs to catch up, foil crinkling as he moves. "Well, now I feel bad."

"Don't."

"It's like robbing from old people. Maybe you should give this to another old person. Like a super skinny one. Who might need two."

"Fuck 'em."

"Gee, Nicole, you're really buildin' that stairway to heaven, huh?"

"Ugh. What?"

"The meals-- the Meals on Wheels. It's a nice thing to... do. Fuckin'... forget it." Eddie stops dead; he might be loaded right now, but he knows which side his bread is buttered on. And he hasn't got any bread. He thinks it might be mashed potatoes, green beans and some rubbery chicken. Anyway, he turns heel-- this conversation isn't going anywhere.

"Hey, freak." The derisive nickname comes calling from Nicole's end. Ring-ring. "Are you stoned right now?"

"De-pendsssss," Eddie murmurs, the 's' sound going on for like five minutes, "Are you... a cop right now?"

Nicole busts out a giggle. It's kind of a pretty noise, if a little grating. She's kind of pretty. Eddie remembers when she had braces in middle school and whenever she'd pick on him, she'd kind of spit on him too. Gross. But still kind of pretty.

"I know how you can make it up to me."

Jump-freaking-cut and Nicole Summers is sitting with Eddie in that creepy wooded area near Forest Hills, making a miserable job of rolling a joint out of a dusting of his dad's weed and a torn-open Pall Mall. His buzz has kind of come and gone, and in its wake the knotted, deadened trees are looking extra gnarly.

"God, I suck at this."

You don't suck. You just need practice, is what Eddie would say if it were anybody else sitting with him, but all he manages is, "Eugh."

Because she does suck. And he's too nervous to further verbalize himself. He holds his hand out and she drops the comically conical attempt at a joint into it.

Deftly, Eddie re-rolls it just like that. "Practice, baby. Only way to Carnegie Hall."

"Wait, what?" Nicole murmurs, brow furrowed.

Eddie wishes he didn't phrase it like that either. "Um. Nothing. How come you're doing Meals on Wheels?"

A guttural sigh comes right from the center of her chest, which Eddie can almost see, thanks to her super low-cut tank top. Her cleavage is all freckled and hiked up, thanks to the Wonderbra that he's been painstakingly avoiding tracing the outline of with his eyes. "My fucking aunt. She's like some do-gooder Christian nutso, she runs the whole thing."

"Oh--" but Nicole's not done. She kicks a toeful of dirt up just as Eddie ignites the end of the joint and takes a harsh pull.

"I'm stuck with her this whole break because my grades were shit. I'm supposed to be in Maui, y'know."

Eddie wordlessly passes the joint on. Knew it was a Jesus thing. And like, boo-hoo, he guesses? He doesn't have any real pity for Nicole Summers right now, because overall she fucking blows. She's mean as hell, for no good reason.

Ronnie came up with a good analogy for it one time; like, put up against that chick Lacy that she hangs out with, Nicole is mean like a bad dog. She just keeps barking and barking and barking and barking and it is relentless and it's busting open your eardrums and she's snarling and you're too scared to get in her way so you just tolerate it. Even if it fucks up your whole day.

That Lacy girl, though, she's mean like a guillotine. One sharp drop and you're done. Dead. Headless horseman.

"I know which one is worse-- Nicole, obviously, because it chips away at you and it's so freakin' loud. But I know which one I'd prefer," Ronnie had said, "I feel like if Lacy comes for you, you've really earned it. Like, you possibly deserve to perish."

But ultimately, curiosity will be the death of Eddie Munson. And so will girls. And so will boring Spring break Sundays.

Nicole half-chokes on a lungful of smoke and Eddie's got to pat her on the back so he doesn't get nailed for her murder or whatever.

"God. Gross," Nicole gripes on recovery. "Ugh. My whole family is in Maui, but I'm stuck here and like-- I even told people I was going to Maui and it's like-- so fucked."

"Totally." Eddie makes pincer fingers towards the joint. "Don't bogart that."

But Nicole is holding it aloft, totally off on her own journey, and Eddie wonders if the weed has hit her that fast or if she's just completely self-involved.

"I even sent postcards to people, pretending I was in Maui. If you wanna know something really pathetic."

It takes a second for Eddie to decipher it, but it seems like she's saying that she's been sneaking around Hawkins incognito all break because she told all of her sucker friends she was in the Central Pacific.

"You completely said that sentence backwards."

He notes that down to tell Ronnie about later.

"Shuddup, freak."

"Man, it is so completely uncool of you to keep calling me a freak when you're literally smoking my weed."

"You took my Meal on Wheel."

"Meal on Wheel for a well-rolled joint does not an even trade make, Summers!"

"So why did you say okay?!" Nicole barks, and Eddie finally gets a grasp of that joint. He's up, he's off the log they were occupying. There is a buzz to be had here, a good time rolled tight up in these flammable papers and he is not about to waste it by letting Nicole Summers verbally wail on him.

"Because I am obviously a veritable moron of the highest knight's order and I had time to kill before M*A*S*H was over!"

That rhymed.

Nicole looks up at him with her green eyes narrowed, this horrible, puggy grimace wrinkling her face. And then she says something so beyond the realm of Eddie's comprehension that he's sure the weed is turning on him.

"Do you wanna, like, hook up?" Nicole says-- scratch that, Nicole snarls.

"What?!" So this level of fuckery doesn't make sense to Eddie because nobody's around. Like, if Nicole takes a shot at the freak and Hagan and Carol and Tina and Lacy and Cass aren't around to hear it, did it even happen?

"I'm serious," Nicole deadpans. "I kind of... look, so I kind of wrote to some people that I hooked up with someone on vacation and, like... I could make that not a whole lie."

"Nicole," Eddie says, in a tone about as measured as he can manage, which is not very because his balls seem to have vacuumed themselves back into his body, "Are you asking me to aid and abet your elaborate scam in which you're currently pretending you're in Maui getting, what... railed by like, a surfer?"

"Wow. That's actually kinda close to what I've been telling people."

He would later find out that she said her premiere paramour was a board waxer.

Eddie inhales a lungful of smoke so deep and so urgent that it makes him feel like Hunter S Thompson-- that is, to say, certifiably insane. Because Eddie's never been... Like, he's made out, or whatever, and grazed a boob like once, but...

In an ideal world, he would not be in the woods. In an ideal world, there might be some perfect declaration beforehand, and he might be indoors, and he might be wearing cleaner underwear. In an ideal world, it would not be Nicole Summers.

Roll Perception. Is this really how it happens? Maybe she secretly... likes me?

The D20 in his brain lands a nat one.

Yeah, maybe. But you've been wrong about that before.

Nicole gets up, and he can just about see the cogs turning in her head, trying to intimate an expression of sultriness. It's such a thin mask that he can basically see her rolling her eyes behind it.

"C'mon. You can't tell me you haven't... thought about it," she tries, dropping her voice in volume and pouting her lips.

And Christ, Eddie hates to be such a guy about it, but... you hate to look a gift horse in the formerly-braces-clad mouth.

I haven't thought about it. I think you suck. But I also think this might be my one shot at something for a long, long, long, long, long--

"God, quit thinking about it and kiss me, freak."

It's almost hot, it's like lukewarm at the very best, which is good enough for Eddie so he goes for it. Lips on lips, but Nicole apparently doesn't follow rhythm very well. There's a lot of dry macking, not a lot of... sensual action. He's almost starting to feel sorry for her.

But then-- well, let's just cut to the chase since that's the flavor du jour, then her hand is on his dick. Through the jeans, obviously, she's not a belt ninja but it's very much there. Flesh and tendons, palming at him.

In this situation, Eddie's not a hard sell. Badum-tsssss.

He uses one hand to hook around the back of her neck, tilting her head toward him-- using this opportunity to kiss her right, or what he assumes is right, while she's distracted. Nicole cannot focus on two things-bad kissing and dick handling-at once, unlike Eddie, who uses his free hand to feel her boobs.

"Siddown on the log," she breathes. Just what you want to hear in the heat of passion.

"Uh-- okay," and he does what he is told. Because she's still a pitbull, at the end of the day.

"Do you, like, have anything?"

"Like... the clap?" Eddie sorta-squeaks as Nicole positions herself over him, one knee either side of his thighs. She's got good balance. Is she in cheerleading? Or is that the other mean one?

"No, you fuckin'-- like a condom."

"Oh." His heart sinks. There's a box of Trojans that Ronnie jokingly bought him after he tried to lay a smacker on her-majorly misguided move, by the way!-but he doesn't--

Wait, shut up. They were literally having this argument the other day, he and Ronnie, about that tiny pocket on pairs of jeans. You know the one. Ronnie was trying to explain that it was for cowboys to keep their watches in, whereas Eddie was arguing that there's no way that cowboys need a watch, dude. They go by the sun in the sky. Like men, so the pocket obviously had to be for emergency prophylactics.

He'd even demonstrated, slipping a good ol' Troj into the tiny fold!

Eddie, in his over-excited state, almost knocks Nicole off the log trying to dig the rubber out. "Voilà."

"Whut," Nicole mumbles.

"Do you take Spanish?"

"No, French."

"... okay."

Here it is. This is it. He's about to get his dick out in the scary wooded part by the trailer park where he once tried to dig a hole to China. Fuck.

But all of a sudden, Nicole is fumbling. Her movements are suddenly weird and unsure and reserved and tight. Badum-- fuck off.

"Hey, y--y'alright?" Eddie murmurs, almost brushing her hair off her face. But that feels too intimate. Even considering the circumstances.

"Have you... done this before?" she says, lips pursed and small as she fiddles with his belt.

"Um." To truth, or not to truth? That is to lose any and all hope of losing one's virginity. "I--"

"I haven't."

A little moment of silence hangs between them. That's not a bark. That's a real girl in there.

Eddie swallows, despite the precipice of opportunity. He finds his throat is very dry, sandpaper going down. That feeling-- it's a distinct sensory recall. A favor someone once did him at a birthday party.

Because Nicole's a dick, but she's still a person.

Not that she'd give him the same grace.

Oh well. Building his stairway to heaven, and all that shit.

"We don't... have to." He nods, resolutely. Partially for himself. He even puts a hand over Nicole's, where it lingers on his undone fly. "Seriously."

Nicole's eyelashes flicker and she stares at him for a drawn out beat. As if she's considering him. Really considering him. Outside of the bullshit dichotomy in which they live. A crease eventually settles in her brow, looking at him like, are you serious, loser?

"No, I obviously want to."

Want to with me? he nearly chances.

"Just don't be, like... weird about this after," she instructs. "It never happened."

"I'm not gonna. It didn't." That sounds too soft, so he snorts a little at the end.

Eddie barely has time to ask her if she's okay before it's lights out for him.

The most unforgettable thirty seconds of Eddie Munson's pubescent life up to that point begins with a scoff (his) and ends in a scoff (hers).

But that dog ceases barking for at least three weeks following. No biting in the hallway, no harassment in the parking lot. Even when Hagan sniffs around him, Nicole doesn't jeer on. She averts her eyes.

It's no declaration of love, but at least he got a free dinner out of it.

#powder room talk #Anonymous #hai brainrot #blurbs #e. munson by powder #eddie munson fic #i GENUINELY dont know what to tag this as it was so unexpected #but thank you for the ask nonny ily!!!!!!#another theory? nicole denial is a river in egypt. you and robin dykely as you so call her Are Gay #r. ecker by powder

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cursedvibes · 7 months

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Hi..... Can I ask your top 5 (or top 3) favorite characters from JJK? And why you loved them? And your top 5 favorite moments from the series (until now)? Thanks....

No problem. It gives me a great excuse to whip out this image of my top 9 jjk faves

They're not in order here, but compared to other categories, I don't actually have such a hard time ranking characters.

Kenjaku

I've talked about them a bunch, most recently on the last ask about my favourite characters, so I'll just summarize what I love about them: mad scientist + family drama + trans + chill & genre-savvy + Japanese history + body snatcher

2. Yuuji

Also like him for how he's a pretty unusual shonen protagonist. He's not overpowered, he doesn't want to become the jujutsu king/kage/president and almost every shonen mc trope he does exhibit gets punished or beaten out of him. He nontheless doesn't lose his base compassion for people. That compassion is also what will drive him to kill if he has to, something for the few people he actually hates. He's selfless to the point of suicidal. His whole character arc(s) revolves around him finding a satisfying way to die and now being forced to also find a satisfying reason to live (with how jjk is going, I don't think he'll find that but he's not able to die either). His conflicts with the villains are deeply personal, he doesn't just challenge them on the basis of them breaking the law or being some nebulous depiction of a bad person. That's how it starts out, but he can't beat them on that basis alone. He was only able to really hurt Mahito and defeat him after he accepted their personal connection and similarities.

3. Tengen

Problematic conservative grandma. She's really the root of all of the problems in jujutsu society, she's the one who build up the entire basis of the series from world building to the antagonists. Without her Kenjaku wouldn't be who they are right now, they would likely not try to challenge the system and forcefully advance humanity in the way they do and might even be dead for hundreds of years. Gojo wouldn't exist without her either. Riko wouldn't either and she also wouldn't have died the way she did. Same for Yuki. Sukuna might largely be influenced by her as well. She's responsible for so much of what's happening in the series, but gets all too easily overlooked both in-universe and outside. Her whole backstory is so fascinating, her relationship to Kenjaku drives me crazy and I do find her stubborn, kinda grumpy personality quite charming. Also gnc as fuck.

4. Uraume

While in Sukuna's case I really care more about his backstory than him as a person and find his personality not that exciting, it's the opposite for Uraume. I do want that Heian flashback and also see where Uraume came from and how they met Sukuna, but what I really like about them is their personality. At first glance they appear so calm and collected, just a loyal servant without much autonomy, but they're actually so much more. There's so much passion in them, they are so easy to tick off and always ready for violence. Especially in combination with Kenjaku they are so entertaining. I need to see them cook more often. Preferably human. That brief glimpse we got when they prepared Sukuna's bath was so good. The way they pinned down and sliced up those curses without destroying them...I want to see them do the same with humans.

5. Angel

Heian era's craziest paladin. I just love how hypocritical and bloodthirsty she is. She has her sense of justice and right and wrong, she doesn't pretend like everyone has to agree with it, but she will still mercilessly kill everyone in her way or who she just doesn't like for one reason or another. If Kenjaku is a social butterfly, she's a social caterpillar. I miss her just blatently telling the protagonists that she doesn't care about their goals or innocent people dying. She must have been wonderful to witness in politics. I'm really curious how her relationship to the Abe clan looked liked. It's such a shame that all that got toned down, so Sukuna didn't get one-shotted and Gojo could be freed. The volume 24 extra show though that Gege does care about her or at least her technique, giving me some hope that she will actually get something to do again soon. Once we get her backstory, she could easily rank above Uraume. Btw, I want more panels where Angel is just a mouth. No Hana, just that mouth with a monotone background and overly detailed teeth. It looks so fantastically creepy.

Favourite Moments

1. Kenjaku talking to Kogane

It's just such a good moment that does a lot for Kenjaku's characterization, their goals and relationship to Tengen (and arguably also Yuuji). Still feeling pretty ambivalent about ch222, but this was undeniably a highlight. It has had a tight grip on my mind ever since. I could write whole essays about it, starting with the scenary of it all. Kenjaku sitting alone, the only one in focus and the only one in the light, while being in front of a game console with two controllers that remain untouched and without a game running while talking to someone/something that/who can't hear them or can't understand them. Kogane is basically just a computer. It can't give insightful answers or challenge Kenjaku's beliefs, while Tengen has also lost all autonomy and most of her personality I assume. She also can't talk back, probably can't hear them and isn't even there, but Kenjaku still directs their musings at her, knowing she won't/can't answer, but still asking for her input, challenging her and leaving space for what would be her own words. They hate her, but also want her to do better and this scene really shows that while Kenjaku's plans my succeed, they probably won't get what they really want.

2. Yuuji chasing Mahito

Pretty easy pick. I'm really looking forward to seeing this animated soon. It's not just the beautiful imagery or how their roles have now reversed, but also what leads up to it. Yuuji accepts who he is, how he is not so different from Mahito. He discards any pretence of high and mighty reasons for why Mahito should die and embraces his hate. He's not pretending to be any better than Mahito, no "I'm not gonna kill you because I'm not like you", he says with absolute senserity that he will kill Mahito as many times as it takes. He's gonna hunt him down just like Mahito did. It's also the start of Yuuji giving into the role jujutsu society has put him in and starts thinking of himself as a cog, a mere object that serves others and blindly obeys its function (killing curses). I think getting Sukuna out of his body was the start to him evolving past that thinking, but this was a very necessary step. He needs to be broken down before being build back up. It was a great end for Mahito as a character as well.

3. Kenjaku & Tengen get Sukuna's body

This whole scene is so interesting. Like in the first moment it's basically just Kenjaku talking to their hand puppets again, but this time there's a bit more outside input. Ngl, the mere fact that Kenjaku and Tengen are together, talking to each other and working with each other excites me already. There's not much of Tengen's consciousness left and she can't actually refuse anything Kenjaku does, but their interactions were still very fascinating. What's also interesting is how they (both of them) treat Sukuna's corpse. They stroll up to it so casually, as if they have done it in the past. Kenjaku asks Tengen if they can take it and she says yes, but neither of them consider Sukuna and his wishes in all this. Kenjaku even jokes that it's their souvenir for him. It makes me so curious about how they are connected to him and what kind of relationship the three used to have. It gets even better now that we know that Tengen was the one who prepared his corpse (without his knowledge) and Kenjaku was the one who turned Sukuna into a cursed object. These two have clearly passed around Sukuna's corpse between them before. "Do you mind if I take his fingers?" "No, go ahead, I don't need them" This scene gets better and better as the story progresses.

4. MCs meeting Tengen

Speaking of scenes that get better with time, ch145 and 146 have been one of my favourites for a long time. They have to be on this list for how many times I've reread them alone. The more information and backstory we get, the more interesting this whole info dump becomes. There are always little phrases and moments that become a lot more meaning full on a reread. We also got so many hints. Tengen's connection to the Star Plasma Vessels and Six Eyes, Yuki being able to hear the other SPVs, Tengen and Kenjaku's relationship (many hcs were spawned by Tengen casually calling Kenjaku a child and I'm happy to see that many of them are turning out to be true), the first hints at Kenjaku's plan, even though a lot of depth was missing of course and Tengen underestimates some of their reasoning and end goals, and Tengen's utter failure to understand Kenjaku as a person (they aren't even that shy to talk about their reasons, especially to her! grandma please...).

5. Noritoshi preparing to die/visiting his mother

It's this scene of Noritoshi finding his mother again plus the context of her side of the story at the end of the Sakurajima colony and Maki's advice re matricide that really moves me. Probably Noritoshi's best scene so far. I really hope the reason he isn't with the others is because he went back to his mother to finally talk to her openly. I swear, these two are so horrible at communicating. It's so heartbreaking to see Noritoshi lose all will to live and being ready to die in battle to do at least something useful with his life. He dedicated everything to changing the Kamo from within for his mother, only to get kicked out of the clan and find out that his mother has moved on. Everything he has done so far becomes meaningless. However, it is what comes afterwards that makes it even more clear how toxic his mindset was. Noritoshi thinks poetic words about how he's gonna die for his friends, only to be interrupted by Daido and Miyo. It shows that this way of thinking is entirely unnecessary and something he has to break out of. It's what sets him on the right path to reunite with his mother. Kenjaku forced him out of the clan and gave him no way to return. His mother showed him that there is a way to live a happy life despite the abuse both of them suffered from the Kamo clan, it is possible to move on. Daido & Miyo disrupted his suicidal thoughts and took over the fight for him aka he has to rely on others and accept their "help" without giving anythign in return. Maki taught him that there might be a way to reconnect with his mother and that he should ask all the questions he has for her regarding his purpose and name openly. I really didn't care much for Noritoshi before, but this whole arc elevated him so much for me.

#asks #jujutsu kaisen #kenjaku #tengen #itadori yuuji #kamo noritoshi

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nitpickrider · 4 months

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So, people say that Golden Age Lois plain and simply despised Clark as a weakling and a coward (with their more Vitriolic Best Buds thing being a modern inventions). Is this entirely true, or was there ever more to it?

Oh my friend that is not true at ALL. In fact from what I've read the idea that Lois despises Clark in any fashion outside of being a friendly professional rival doesn't hold up to the actual scrutiny. (Take this with the grain of salt that I'm only reading Action Comics at the moment, any stories or evidence that exist in the concurrent Superman comic are unknown to me). The moment that sticks out to me is this one so I'll use it for my main thesis statement.

I mean that's right there in black and white, isn't it? Even if her goal is to marry Superman, the only person she'd want to give her away at the wedding is Clark who she outright loudly declares to the entire office to be her second favorite man in the world (The story is a dream but that only strengthens the claim. This is what Lois is saying IN HER OWN MIND) I have TONS more evidence if you want to peak below the cut, be warned its mostly just gushing. I love Clark and Lois' relationship regardless of context and I have TONS of notes.

What people often miss is that in this era the two are actually dating on and off again? I've always read it as Lois and Clark just being each others' main social calls when there's something new to do or see.

She takes steps to activley improve his safety when he's put on dangerous assignment (and she would know, wouldn't she?)

When Clark is under threat of harm or god forbid seems to be actually hurt, it hits Lois like a train. The idea that something could have happened to her puts her into a very uncharacteristic spiral. She gets stunlocked and tends toward feinting which is otherwise very unlike her.

Beyond that, simply, the poor girl worries about him as much as he worries about her.

She relies on Clark to lean on and explicitly would need him around should anything happen to Superman, Clark is her main emotional support system and she knows it well enough to consciously lean on him when in distress

A simple moment of the two sharing a little bit of small talk, they work in very close quarters seemingly by choice. Clark is part of Lois' routine.

They even conduct their chores socially, which I'm given to believe was a much more common activity among friends back in the day. Lois takes a personal interest in Clark's life, how he's feeling, how he looks.

In this moment, granted she's trying to get something out of him but its not like she's holding her nose to give him a kiss on the cheek. And the second she seems disillusioned with Superman, Clark is the first person she can think of to pin her affections on.

When she's had a weird day at work, who does she talk to? Clark.

Even on her way out the door she tries to cheer him up just casually noticing he seemed more dour than usual, not only is that her taking an interest in him emotionally but it shows she knows and cares about him enough to note a change in behavior.

And THIS one is my favorite

She noticed his shirt was dirty, heard him say he had forgotten to get them washed. So she showed up at his apartment where she is evidently a regular enough sight that the doorman knows her by name, to pick up his laundry and have it done for him. No one asks her to do this, she just does it. I've always been fond of saying that the core anchor of any Superman story is the relationship between Clark and Lois. And I DON'T just mean their romantic entanglement. Like Holmes and Watson or Calvin and Hobbs. If you can't write a convincing back and forth between the two, if you can't make the audience believe that these two people are friends who love and care for one another. Then straight up you're going to write Bad Superman comics, period.

#dc #dcu #dc comics #dc universe #superhero #comics #superman #clark kent #lois lane

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michaels-multiverse · 2 months

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Hello! I'm Michael, and this is my blog.

If you harass or harm others in any way, you are not welcome here. Everyone else is welcome, regardless of their identity!

I'm an alter in a DID system, and my age is around 80 billion, but physically I'm somewhere in my mid 20s.

This blog is for me to document science experiments in headspace, ramble about my source, and just share lil tidbits with you.

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Feel free to send asks about anything that seems confusing or anything you want more context on.

I'm a polyamorous omnisexual man who is both cis and trans - it's complicated, but I'll probably talk about it at some point? I'm also on the aroace spectrum!

I have multiple partners, many of which will probably be mentioned at some point. I also have a lot of siblings, kids, cousins, nieces, nephews, and family in general.

My source, the multiverse, is something that a lot of other alters in our system also come from, hence why it's so.. fleshed out ig?

I am aware that my source isn't real, but I still like talking about it. My source is brainmade, so it's up to you if you wanna call me an introject or a brainmade alter, idrc.

Please do not attempt my science experiments. I end up in the medbay multiple times a week.

If you need advice, want to request I talk about something specific, have a question about something I post, or just wanna ask me stuff, feel free to send asks.

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starseneyes · 1 year

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Chenford REWIND - Lucy Chen / Tim Bradford - The Rookie - Season 2 Eps 15, 16 & 17

Season 2 is such a fascinating era for Chenford, especially post-DOD and with the Rachel subplot. I'll be honest, I never hated Rachel. So, forgive me if I'm a little nicer to her than I am Ashley/Chris AKA Season 4's Obstacles of Awful.

SPOILER ALERT: If you are spoiler-averse, you are Rachel Meta-averse, as well. I will spoil the entirety of these episodes, as well as anything that has come before. I do try to write these without foreknowledge, though.

I'll be honest, the first two episodes here make me super uncomfortable. See, I'm a former journalist, so that one gets under my skin. And then the other with the medical stuff is tough, too, for someone with a fun list of issues.

Everyone squared away? Huzzah! Let's dive in together.

"Hand-Off" AKA Go Back to Mayberry

"What exactly is being assessed?" "Occupational integrity. From how we maintain our equipment to the upkeep of all of our certifications."

Lucy directs her question at Grey, but I do like how Tim jumps in here. His Rookie asked a question, and he's actually answering it instead of making Lucy jump through sixteen hoops to figure it out herself.

"So, are you nervous about meeting Rachel's dad?" "Please." "It's gotta be a tick nerve-wracking. Rachel adores her dad." "And he's gonna love me. Colin was a sheriff for 30 years." "Yeah, in a town with two stoplights." "LA or Mayberry, cop's a cop."

First off, I have to say I love seeing Tim's confidence, but I'm torn because it stems from his position as a cop.

That's Tim's default. He leans into his profession, using that as a measure of his worth while completely missing his value as a human being.

And, yes, there are a lot of reasons for that (that Season 2 Rachel wouldn't know), but future Rachel wants to give Tim a big hug, take him out for a beer, and explain to him that while he is a great cop, he's also a great human.

"No, he's from Sweet Home, not Mayberry." "No, I know. It's Mayberry, like the TV show." "What TV show?" "Nevermind."

That. Hurts. Me. Look, I know I'm getting older, and I'm much closer to Tim's age than Lucy's, so this moment hurt me. Ouch. I need to go adjust my dentures and invest in prune juice.

These young folks are carting me off to the Nursing Home so I can watch TV in black-and-white with a nostalgic smile on my face.

Also, it makes sense that Tim would invest in a show like that—a cop who loves his son. Someday that'll be you, Timmy, my boy.

"Lopez and her TO were first on the scene. Officer Rowland died in her arms." "That's awful. Ten years ago, Lopez would have been a Rookie." "It was her first shift."

It wasn't Lucy's first shift when she was tugging a shot, bleeding Tim out of the line of fire, but it was close. Coming into this job, there's no guarantee that your introduction will be smooth.

But Lucy also remembers what it was like with Tim... and while she might have imagined it going the other way, Lopez lived it on Day 1.

As I've said before, there but for the grace of God go I.

"So, have you decided where you're taking Rachel's dad for dinner?"

Lucy has this knack of getting Tim to talk personal stuff in the Shop. Yes, I know they both know Rachel (since Lucy set them up), but it's still a breach in protocol for TO Tim. Love it.

Look, these two aren't anywhere near ready to shack up in a hotel all night testing the stability of the earthquake protection systems. But, I love how Lucy draws him out.

Once she talked about someone liking him and he cut her off with a reminder that he was married and saying they don't talk about that.

Now, neither of those statements is true. Tim's dating, again, and he's talking to Lucy all about it.

"Auto burglary cases have a 0.02% solve rate. How is failing to recover her Dad's suitcase my best foot forward?"

They were actually kinda cordial before that, falling into a rhythm that's closer to their Season 3 banter.

But, now Tim's worried he's going to start off on the wrong foot, so, in the words of Marlin the Clown Fish, "Good feeling gone."

"Smokehouse. I love their bread."

Is this where the world-famous Twitter Crumb-o-Meter came from? I could believe it!

"Look at you in that uniform." "It's so good to see you, again."

It's so bloody nice to have someone in Lucy's circle support her who is in the same age-range as her parents. It's a shame he lives so far away.

"Sir, why don't you climb in the Shop? We'll drive around, do some hunting. See if we get lucky."

Yikes, Rachel's dad is coming in with some bark. He does NOT like what he's seeing in Tim Bradford, for whatever reason, and he's giving him grief. And it sucks to see Tim's confidence deflate so swiftly.

Like, I'm fine with him ending up with Rachel. *ducks* I know someone just threw a shoe at their screen. I hope it didn't break!

But, hear me out. Chenford at this point is a fantasy, a hope, a wish. In the grand scheme of ships, we're only 2 seasons in, and there's plenty of time to change direction.

Would I prefer for Tim and Lucy to get together? Hell, yeah. That's the Endgame dream, right? But most of the time when shows set up a "placeholder character", I hate them. I can't wait to get them off my screen.

Rachel's a decent, kind, hard-working, heart-filled human who really does like Tim Bradford very much. At a time when he's just easing back into the dating scene (well... Tim kinda dove in head-first, if you know what I mean), she's fairly easy-going.

Also, we share a name. And I like 90% of Rachels. (Yes, there is one exception. Yes, I've given her many chances over the last two decades to change my opinion... not yet).

A far as Tim and Rachel goes, let's see how it plays out, yeah?

FAST FORWARD: YES, future Rachel knows how this plays out. But I write these as though I'm watching them for the first time! Part of the rules! ... Please stop throwing shoes at me. I can almost feel my own screen shaking from the impact.

Back in the scene, I can't keep my eyes off of Lucy, because Melissa O'Neil is crushing her reaction game in this scene. I laughed every four seconds because of her.

"I know. But try and stay positive, okay?" *arm tap*

Yes, Lucy got this into this mess. But she was trying to be helpful. And while she is very aware of the tension here, Lucy always has that can-do, positive attitude that tries to lighten Tim's grump.

And the fact that she's retained that brightness post-DOD says a lot about her as a person. Lucy is resilient, yes. But also determined not to lose that part of herself.

It'd be easy to let trauma swallow it... but she chooses each day to reclaim who she is, to never let the bastard win, even in death. What a fuckin' inspiration.

"The thing is, if he's smart, he hit as many cars as he could in 10 minutes and then jumped on the freeway. He could be in Barstow by now."

Lucy with the assist! Again, Tim and Lucy are in friend-mode, so she is trying to help him with Rachel's dad, who she knows.

But it ain't helping.

"Look, clearly you're a good cop." "I appreciate that." "Dedicated, selfless, and takes pride in his work. A little sphinctered, maybe, but that can be good, too. Just not for my daughter."

Ouch. So much ouch. And, look, my Dad was never a fan of any of the guys I dated. He even told me when we were preparing for my wedding that "Matt's the one I disliked the least".

Yes, he loves Matt. This is one of the dangers of having an ex-stand-up comedian for a Dad. Never feed him a straight line.

But, oof, Rachel's Dad's being a little tough, right? Right? Stay tuned...

"I'm so proud of you." "Thank you."

Lucy needs that more. I mean, can you imagine how much she wants to hear these words from her own father? To know that her family accepts and loves her and supports her? That's the dream, right?

And, you absolutely can lead a fulfilling, beautiful life without the approval of your parents. Tragically, too many parents cut their children off for not meeting a certain list of expectations. Lucy's parents are about a thread away from that.

But she wants them to be proud of her. It would be nice, ya know?

And, I get it. You leave that door open to them, hoping that one day they'll knock and be ready for a real relationship. But, in the meantime, you have to keep living. And that's what Lucy's doing.

"What are you talking about?" "Uh, I thought she had told you." "Told me what." "Rachel may have Huntington's Disease. It's a fatal genetic disorder. "

Oh. Suddenly it all comes together, and it all makes sense. This is why he's been so hard on Tim, so tough on him, coming at him from every angle to distance them.

"But she may not have it."

Is that hope, Tim Bradford? Or more confidence in the science knowing it might not've been passed down? Either way, I appreciate Tim taking the opposite position where Rachel's father is waiting for the perceived inevitable.

You can't live your life based on a "maybe", yes. But ignoring it entirely might not be the best answer, either. It depends on the person.

My grandmother (mi abuela) died of small cell lung cancer. She went from diagnosis to death in 2 weeks. It was fast. It was sudden. It was heartbreaking.

My employer at the time told me to take my laptop and stay at the hospital with my Dad while I worked so I could be there for him, help walk him through losing his mother. "I trust you," she said. I'll never forget that.

Mima and her last living sister (my tia) spoke on the phone one last time, about a week before she passed. Neither mentioned to the other... they both had cancer. Neither told the other. We didn't tell them, either. Not until she passed.

And, oh, what a tough decision. But that meant their last conversation was filled with joy, love, and light. And for Mima, I think that's what she needed.

So... it depends on the person, I think. I'm not really here to judge.

That said, if you're dating someone, and this is a possibility, I think it's definitely something to discuss if you're see a future together. But, that's just me.

"... if the worst comes to pass, Rachel's gonna need someone who'll put everything else aside just to care for her. And we both know that's not you."

This pissed me off. Because, we all saw Tim with Isabel, and this guy didn't. We saw what he was willing to do to save Lucy from Caleb, and this guy didn't. He's making assumptions about a man he barely knows, and that pisses me off.

Yes, I hear his point. But he's allowing perception to color perspective. If he got to know this man—Tim Bradford—instead of jumping to conclusions, he might see a different picture.

"You had no idea Rachel might have it?" "No. She never told me."

I have such mixed feelings about this. Tim should not have shared his girlfriend's medical information with his Rookie. At all.

But the fact that he did is fascinating, and yet another step toward them growing closer.

But, Tim really shouldn't have said anything.

"We should go talk." "No, we shouldn't. This is none of your business."

If it's none of his business, truly, then this relationship may not have a future.

Look, it is her call to share or not share her medical history and information. Absolutely. But blind-siding Tim ten years down the road and giving him no time to prepare mentally and emotionally is a bad look.

Again, it's just my opinion. And Tim and Rachel aren't walking down the aisle, yet, so there would be plenty of time to address it before then. But, I do think it would be better to be honest upfront.

It's the first (but not last) time that someone in a couple on this show conceals medical information pertinent to the relationship.

And, honestly I'm more understanding about this one than that one simply because these two are dating, haven't yet moved in together, or talked next steps, and there's still an easy out.

Tim and Lucy look to one another as Rachel leaves, and I feel the air of partnership between them. It's them against the world, sometimes. And their bond is only growing stronger with the passage of time.

"I'm not going anywhere."

Tim doesn't scare easily, so he's not running from this. Just like we knew. We know who Tim is, and he loves deeply and completely.

He invests in relationships with everything in him, partly from a desire to be known and loved, and partly because he wishes that's what his father did with his mother.

Yes, spoiler alert, but I'm not saying too much, I don't think.

And I totally support her not wanting to know. Because she doesn't want to live her life around something that might not come. She wants to live freely. And isn't that all any of us want? Yeah.

"The Overnight" AKA Do Android Cops Dream of Electric Sheep?

The Canadian Idol Goes American

Did she just? She... I... WHAT!?!?!

Rachel on her first viewing had no idea Melissa O'Neil was Canadian Idol's Season 3 winner. Her singing was beautiful in the barrel. But this was a powerhouse vocal performance. Gee. Freakin' Whiz!!

How did we get so lucky to have this multi-talented performer as our Lucy? Wow.

One thing that really struct me about this performance was the joy that bubbled out of Lucy as she sang.

In the barrel, she sang as a source of comfort. Of strength. Of hope. She was dreaming the dream... that someone would find her.

Today, she's singing from a place of joy. The song bursts out of her, full-voices and strong. Lucy has reclaimed the joy of singing.

And while the convention might be a little forced... I love this moment. I love listening to her, watching her, and marveling at Melissa O'Neil's performance as a very layered character reclaiming her joy in front of us.

Powerful stuff.

"What are you doing in here?"

Tim bringing her back to earth as they try to pass her a Golden Ticket. And Lucy goes to him. Because, much as Lucy is an incredible singer, police work is her heart.

And I kinda love that message. Just because you excel at something doesn't mean it has to be your profession, or even your passion. Only you know your passion... so pursue that.

"Ever given blood before?" "Every 8 weeks, like clockwork." "Good for you." "Yeah, save lives. Get a personal oil change. It's win-win."

This is so Tim Bradford at his best. He likes organization and routine. But to choose the routine of donating blood to save lives? Oh, how beautiful!

"I didn't know machines had blood."

Nyla, I cackled aloud at that one. Well-played.

"You know the media will say or do anything to get you to back up their headline."

Oh, the stories I could tell. I started as an intern in a nationally broadcasted news room as 19. My first job was to watch 9/11 and Iraq War raw footage and mark the sections that were usable for broadcast.

I worked there a few years as a freelance Associate Producer after before determining I couldn't keep up with my full-time university schedule, my voice over job, and being called in randomly at 5AM for work after finishing class at Midnight. I was also a Student Teacher, at that point, and had papers to grade, lessons to plan, and lessons to teach.

Yes, Rachel has always been an overachiever.

After uni, I went to work at a local station. I was there a year and a half before I moved on because it was one of the most toxic places I've ever worked.

So, this episode makes me super uncomfortable because a lot of hit hits close to home.

This is not to say we should automatically distrust all journalists. But, I think a bit of skepticism is always a good place to start. They don't all have our best interests at heart.

"You shouldn't let him talk to you like that." "He's my Training Officer. That's just kind of his style."

Lucy really is accustomed to Tim at this point. And while I hear miss Journalist, Tim doesn't cross the line. Okay... Season 2 Tim doesn't cross the line. We can have words about Season 1 Tim in another Meta.

And Eric Winter's wife gets to check him out in-character. Yes, that's his beautiful, talented wife, Roselyn Sánchez!

She's built her own incredible career, and is currently on a television show, herself, in addition to the podcast these two share. Plus they have kids. IRL. Power. Couple.

I didn't know it the first time through. So, in case none of y'all knew either, now you know!

"I'm telling you, reporters always have an agenda." "To get the truth? Sounds horrible."

Lucy... you should listen to your husband on this one. I'm not saying all reporters are bad, but, speaking from experience, he's not entirely wrong.

"God, you don't trust anyone." "'Cause trust has to be earned."

Tim looks to Lucy, and she doesn't talk back. Because, that's not a bad way to live. And she knows he trusts her.

Look, you might think I'm quick to trust because of what I share here. When I tell you that's barely scratching the surface of my life, I mean it.

In this space, I get to control what I share and what I don't. But, if you get to know me and become a real part of my life, I'll definitely give you more. But, I need to build that trust, first.

And a default of not trusting journalists who want something out of you isn't a bad one. Just sayin'.

"He's not gonna make it. Animal Control's 10 minutes out. EMT's won't step foot in here until that snake's been neutralized."

Tim says it so matter-of-factly. He can accept it, but Lucy can't.

"You can't kill it." "What the hell are we supposed to do with it? Snuggle?"

Oh. My. Gosh. I so hope Lucy bought him a stuffed snake and had Rachel sneak it into his bed (and took pictures when he found it) because that would be hilarious.

Seriously, I watch this scene over and over just for that line and die laughing every time.

"Boot! Don't be a hero. It's venomous."

Clever girl. As she steps into the garage, she looks back to Tim with her, "I'm gonna do this" look. He answers with his, "I don't like this but I'm not stopping you" look. And I'm sitting here marveling at Eric Winter and Melissa O'Neil communicating so much with just .25 seconds of screentime each on that.

Tim is anxious the entire time. But he knows enough to stay out of her way, sometimes. He knows she's tough, and he knows she's capable.

"What are you doing?" "I'm texting Tim. I need a senior officer here." "No you don't. He'll just steal the credit." "Look, I am out on a limb here, okay? And as a Rookie, that could get me fired. So, either we do this by the book, or I walk."

This is how Tim trained her. Valerie is jumping into this situation without knowing how anything works. She wants the glory, but she's not putting the work in in the right way.

Lucy has worked her ass off, and she's not letting anyone take this away from her.

"Hey, thanks for coming." "Mmhmm." "I'm in trouble, aren't I?" "Mmhmm."

Lucy being the one to let me in makes me happy. Yes, she's in trouble, and she knows it. But, "when it counted" she made the right call, again, right? Yeah.

Wopez Proposal

Oh, I have future things to say about all this. This is so Wesley and Angela. And that is what matters. It's them. Each couple has their own story and path. Yes, there's a formula to television, but there isn't a form you fill out.

So whenever we get to Tim and Lucy stuff (If they get their acts together), I'm not holding out for grand speeches. Tim is a "show" guy and Lucy isn't overly flowery. They're going to do their stuff their way.

That's why we gravitate toward certain characters. These characters are unique, as are their relationships. So how they get together, propose, etc, is going to be unique to that relationship and those characters.

I think that's important to keep in mind.

Control AKA

"Sorry. We're not real cops."

Welp... this just went Meta... in a Meta. Seriously, I was rolling laughing.

"Do you think Rachel's disappointed I canceled last night?" "I don't know." ... "You might find this surprising, but we don't talk about you. Ever." "Wow."

Considering how much Lucy and Tim talk about Rachel, I can see why this would be a little surprising to Lucy. But Tim drawing hard lines makes total sense.

He isn't at a point, yet, where he needs/wants to talk about Lucy in his off-time. He gets enough of her every. single. day.

"Bradford's your TO?" "Yeah." "My condolences." "That's what everyone says."

Lucy laughs it off, but Tim does have a reputation. He's good at whipping Rookies into shape or scaring them off.

"He seems nice." "Sure." "Do you know him well?" "Play a little pick-up basketball together."

Lucy is vibing with this guy. And while I'm not ecstatic for her to find "the one" and it not be Tim, Emmett seems like a decent guy, and there's definitely some chemistry there.

"No." "What?" "No, forget it." "What?!" "Your social life is not my responsibility. I learned that lesson the hard way."

That line kills me on every watch. Because Tim used to distance himself from her solely because of his hard lines between personal life and professional. Now, Lucy is quickly becoming a friend, someone he cares about. The lines have gotten a bit more blurry.

But he still has hard lines he's not willing to cross, again. He truly believes that he overstepped and she got hurt because of it. We all know that's not what happened, but Tim has a knack for blaming himself.

"Oh my God. I am the third wheel."

This is said in such a hilarious manner, but I struggle to laugh because I genuinely hurt for Lucy. I feel like pre-DOD Lucy never would have fallen into this role. It just wouldn't have happened.

But, much as she wanted to jump right back into "normal" life, she has been changed by her experiences. They're a part of her, now, and sometimes they sneak up on her when she least expects it.

Lucy has been clinging so hard to "safe" that she's forgetting how to live.

"Chen. Grey need another team on the DEA op. You wanna put in some OT?"

Awww. He's inviting her to spend the evening with him. But, seriously, Grey needed a team, and Tim asked if she would join him. He didn't demand it. Progress!

"I mean, obviously I've been using Jackson and Sterling as a crutch. Together they kind of make the perfect boyfriend."

Tim's already rolling his eyes. He looks over, like, "Are you kidding me? because he already knows she's talking to noone.

"More importantly, they're safe-"

"Safe". That thing she wants. That thing she needs. She's just not ready to take the leap, quite yet.

Nyla and Angela tried throwing her to the wolves to get her moving, but that's not how Lucy works. Lucy needs time. She just didn't realize that in taking that time, she was encroaching on someone else's.

"Who are you talking to?" "Rachel."

You're talking to me!? Damn, and I forgot to respond. I'm so sorry.

Yes, I know it's fictional. But when you were born in the 80's and had a very popular name, you hear your name everywhere. That's why I started going by an abbreviation of my last names at age 9. I became SL (Yes, that's where Esselle came from).

"Hello?"

I'm dying. I don't think I can finish the meta because I am laughing so hard, I can barely breathe. Lucy, honey, you did not just answer the call and then say hello when he's a foot away.

"Hello."

And he said it back. Nope. Definitely can't breathe. Laughing too hard.

It makes it all the funnier that they say, "Hello" since they are both more of "hi" or "hey" people. It's so formal and that makes it all the funnier.

"Rachel is in a staff meeting, which means you are talking to no one."

In a move of synchronicity, they hang up at the same time. Love those touches, even if it's purely accidental because the script reads, "They both hang up" or something similar.

"Not no one. Me."

He's watching her, but she can't look up at him. Much as she is strong and confident in who she is, she's feeling vulnerable right now. The last time she went on a date it didn't end too well, and she's unsure of her instincts.

Nyla said she needed to be confident in her intuition... and she's not quite there, yet.

"I talk things out to process them, and I knew you wouldn't do it with me, so—" "Why would you even care what I think?"

He doesn't think his opinion holds weight beyond the badge. When he holds her fate in his hand, damn straight, his opinion matters. But beyond that? Why would she care what he thinks?

"The last time I gave you romantic advice, I pushed you towards Caleb and... you almost died."

Now he can barely look at her. The shame. The pain. He thought he was helping her blow of steam, and she ended up buried alive. He still blames himself.

He can't even look at her until he gets that last word out.

"That's, that's ridiculous."

Lucy shifts so she's fully facing Tim in the seat. Tim shakes her head, not believing her, still internalizing the guilt.

"There was no reason to expect anything. What happened- What happened wasn't your fault."

He finally looks to her, again, wanting so badly to believe her. Can she absolve him of his guilt? Find a way to forgive himself for something he never even did wrong?

He looks quickly away after their eyes meet.

"It wasn't mine, either."

Hell, no, it wasn't. No victim blaming here for psychotic assholes.

"Look, I wouldn't ask your advice if I didn't value your opinion."

Tim. Has. Value. Of course he does, but he's hearing it. It's good for him to hear it, and important that it's coming from Lucy. Because, much as he isn't ready to admit it, her opinion matters to him. So, it's nice to find out that's reciprocal.

He looks away, licking his lips as he tries to fight back the tears. He switches gears, fast.

"You can do better than Emmett."

Hell, yeah, she can! There's this guy (maybe you've heard of him) named Tim Bradford. And he's just about perfect for our girl. Well... not quite yet, but I really have a good feeling about him. You should send her his way.

"What? Why, why would you say that."

Because, girl, he's gonna marry you. (shoutout to my RoomFriends on that one!

"He's a firefighter for God's sake." "I know, he's hot!" "Okay, no. No. See, if you're gonna act all contrarian, I am done with this conversation." "I'm not being a contrarian." "You know, I-I think you're threatened by his hunkiness." "Hunkiness?" "Mmhmm." "That's not even a word."

Future Rachel has so. much. to. say. But, because we're in the past, I can't really talk too much about it. But, Tim and trying to get Lucy to admit his handsomeness is gonna be a running theme... just sayin'.

"Chen."

He comes around and the first thing he says is her name? Yes, it's Season 2. Yes, they're nowhere near that, but I can have my immature moment, right!?

"You okay?"

I don't know if there are two words combined like that he says more to her. Tim constantly needs to know that Lucy is okay.

And... that wraps it up. I think it's important that Lucy dates someone before she considers Tim, just as I'm glad Tim's not jumping right from divorce to Lucy, like Nolan did.

But I also think these episodes show a lot of growth between them, and I think Rachel helps with that. She becomes this common thread between them.

FAST FORWARD: And once she's gone, that closeness don't disappear. It's lasting. Tim and Lucy are on their journey of growing closer and closer.

I'll admit, the first two were really hard for me. Personal discomfort and whatnot. But, I'm glad I got through them, and I hope you enjoy.

Now, I gotta finish up my waiting in the parent pickup, wait anxiously to hear back about the car loan (yes, we're getting a car!), and check quotes from the 2 roofers thus far.

Thank you so much for reading! Can't wait to see you on the next.

#Chenford #Lucy Chen #Tim Bradford #Melissa O'Neil #Eric Winter #The Rookie #Meta

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valleyfthdolls · 5 months

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I like your writing it makes me feel a certain type of way.

Also what's your FNAF au about?

Thank you anon!

@chisksblog my FNaF AU isn't too unlike canon, though it has a lot of focus on the Afton family because I'm crazy about their story. The big things changed are generally more accuracy to real life animatronics of the era, with each animatronic character having written-in personalities and lore that then intersects with the missing children. Fazbear Entertainment has "lore" of its own (akin to the CEC characters) in universe that kind of blurs the missing kids' reality at the edges.

Speaking of which, the missing children's info is as follows:

Charlotte "Charlie" Emily, 9 years old, died 10/31/1982. Possesses The Marionette. Elizabeth Nora Afton, 10 years old, died 4/13/1983. Possesses Circus Baby. Cassidy Blair Afton, 9 years and 6 days old, died 6/28/1983. Possesses Fredbear. Susie Ann Miller, 10 years old, died 7/02/1985. Possesses Chica. Jeremy Young, 5 years old, died 7/23/1985. Possesses Bonnie. Gabriel Lowe, 7 years old, died 7/23/1985. Possesses Freddy Fazbear. Francesca Claudette "Fritz" Oliveira, 11 years old, died 8/01/1985. Possesses Captain Foxy.

The other three who died and possess the other Funtimes I'm not certain on, or if they even really exist. I'll.. I'll figure that out.

When it comes to Security Breach and stuff, that's where things get very, very different. Technically, my main fnaf AU doesn't involve HW/SB/Ruin, that's a different thing entirely (I call that au "security-singularity breach" or scsib for short).

In ScSiB, Gregory isn't entirely a . y'know, homeless orphan. Actually, he has a full family- parents and two older sisters- twins, actually. His parents split before his birth though, and his father left with his older sister Vanessa, leaving him and Valentine. After losing Vanessa, their mother became the person that she was said to be by their father to get custody of Ness- neglectful, emotionally abusive, and suicidal. Valentine and Gregory both became self-sufficient, and Gregory became cold and bitter where Valentine became irreverent and overly positive to mask a sense of insignificance. Once Vanessa moves out of her father's house, she tries to become a part of Gregory's life, to little success due to Gregory's very avoidant attachment style and suspicion.

Valentine is the one to get taken over by Glitchtrap, but she ropes both of her siblings into it subtly. As Valentine starts appearing more like Vanessa, Gregory becomes completely lost in who and what he can trust. His only comfort is spending all his time at the Pizzaplex, because he has a couple of friends there and he gets in free on a family discount. He considers Freddy his friend, and this is vitally important. As he becomes more uncertain of his safety in his home life, he tries to reach out to Freddy, who is just receptive enough for Gregory to keep trying little by very little. Valentine models her persona after both herself and her sister to continue implicating Vanessa so it stays between them, and she names it V.A.N.N.Y.- Virtual Augmentation Neural Network Yield. The suit is partially mechanized and works off of the V.A.N.N.I. system from Ruin.

On Halloween of 2020 (I don't like that SB canonically takes place in like 2045. sorry), V.A.N.N.Y. is forced to really start acting out Glitchtrap's will, and to cut her off from any emotional connection, Glitchtrap instructs her to kill her parents and Gregory. She successfully kills her parents, but Gregory escapes. He is presumed by most to have killed his parents and run away. Glitchtrap is not happy that she fucked up, but this was partially a move to protect her brother by putting him in a place where Vanessa would feel she had absolutely no choice but to protect him for her, even though they're not close. She puts the responsibility of Gregory's safety on Vanessa, but Gregory doesn't trust her.

The only person that Gregory trusts- aside from Cassie, who doesn't believe Gregory is a murderer- isn't really a person, but Freddy. Freddy is the only person Gregory feels like isn't hiding something from him. This turns out to be very wrong, as Freddy isn't really Freddy, but Michael Afton, trying to stop anything awful from happening again by protecting Gregory at any cost.

Which is a difficult task when the kid you're trying to protect keeps insisting on putting himself in the way of a murderer with the intention of "saving" her.

#fnaf #fnaf au #scsib au #christmas kids au

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ssseob · 2 years

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PAPER RINGS ! - yjw

↳ l/n y/n has never been the type of girl people take care of. she has always been seen as capable and independent but she knew herself that, that was never the case. yang jungwon has always been the boy who gives more love than he receives. what happens when he sees right through y/n’s independent façade and gives her all the love he thinks she deserves?

-warnings; finally meeting yn's m*ther, her mother hating on her happiness, lowercase intended

CHAPTERS; v. i hate home (written).

series masterlist. | previous. | next.

today was a good day. the sense of relief that flooded yn's system when she realized that her life was no longer living the same bland day of studying and coming home to an emotionally unavailable mother every day; no, this time life was giving her something new. someone to look forward to, a reason for her to get out of her bed in the morning.

sighing happily as she skipped her way from wonyoung's house to her own. she had lied to her mother saying that she was going to be spending a few hours after school revising at the school library, only for her to meet up with wonyoung at their neighbourhood park and heading down to her house. the basket swung back and forth in sync with her arm, swinging happily as she skipped. yn and wonyoung had spent hours gushing over how considerate the gift giver had been.

forgetting about how difficult her mother would be if she saw her so giddy and the wood-woven basket in her daughter's hand would only lead to intense interrogation, yn entered her house, failing to notice how the lights in her abode were on. a particularly stressed-out mother waiting patiently for her daughter to return home. quickly shutting the door behind her without the toothy smile leaving her lips, she froze at the sound of her mother's cold voice.

"you're home early", the older woman's voice echoed throughout the house, emphasizing how lonely it truly was.

yn cleared her throat before answering, "yeah... i have a quiz tomorrow and thought a good night's sleep would be good since i've been studying all week..."

"...and what happens when missing those extra hours of study time for sleep gets you second in ur class ranking?"

the teen shifted on her feet uncomfortably, moving her hands to her front (which was a mistake), "okay, i'll study for 2 more-"

"what's that?"

suddenly, yn's hands felt clammy; making her fear she would drop the basket by accident, "ah the school was giving out care packages-"

"with candles and socks? don't lie to your mother yn." her voice was authoritative, scary. yn's breath hitched at the sound of it.

there was a tense silence between the two of them. yn could feel the intense gaze of her mother on her face as she shamefully looked at her feet.

"a boy gave it to you. you know how i feel about that yn, boys are for-"

"whores. yeah, i know."

before her mother could scold her for interrupting, she quickly made her way to her room. swinging the door closed and sliding her back down the light wood. letting go of the basket and moving her hands to her face, dragging it up to reach her hairline and pulling back her hair before bringing her hands back down in frustration. hot tears cascaded down her face before she quickly wiped them away and stood up.

stop crying over something so little yn.

she couldn't let this secret admirer get hurt. not when her mother was obviously against the idea of her even being involved with a boy. she was going to let him go, and to her the easiest way was to meet him in person and break his heart.

taglist; @wonzone @notrosemary @boowoowho @harperwasstaken1 @a-era @devlhs @koomii8 @wooniy @dreamenvi @soobeaniee @beans-and-jeanes @lockburn-castle @dasa3040 @nekyochis @ritsusakumasgf @mqndnolia @myinzu @kange3939 @sunasbbie (bold couldn’t tag)

#seob writes!#enhypen #enhypen x reader #enhypen fluff #enhypen ff #enhypen smau #enha #enha x reader #enha fluff #enha ff #enha smau #jungwon #jungwon x reader #jungwon fluff #jungwon smau #jungwon ff #yang jungwon #yang jungwon x reader #yang jungwon smau

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pluralpuppygirls · 5 months

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As much as we are a system of pretty much therian anthropomorphic animals, we all look at anthro art that displays humanistic value. There is just so much more humanity to animals for us for some reason. Like, art with humans nowadays just feels kinda, forced and boring? No expression usually, just, human and detail. Doesn't spark the most joy to see hyperrealism, because at that point I could walk outside and see someone with more soul walking down the street.

Like don't get me wrong, there are artists that draw humans that feel real and express things, and maybe I'm not as proactive in trying to find them because I'm more knowledgable/oriented on finding furry art that speaks to me. There's more expression in art among furries than there is with humans to me. More humanistic joy and beauty in seeing a longer face than the pushed in face of a person (by comparison).

And maybe it's the added flexibility of it not necessarily having to be human, or even a living being for that matter (plushes, pooltoys). I started out with furries because humans kinda have to be drawn perfectly right to have any emotion that isn't either boring, uncanny, or samey. Meanwhile, there are furry artists out there who draw what the average person would consider something made by a 5 year old, that to me end up being super interesting and thought provoking and have even inspired me to draw. I feel like the photorealism or the aim to make something extremely accurate to real life ultimately becomes so much of the focus that the art ends up missing the point of being art. Either that, or trying to convey one point, and ultimately failing to.

Now that I think about it, this isn't entirely limited to human art. I know there are some furry artists who make art that feels formulaic that make me feel, bored? Like, maximizing marketability of their art over any actual deeper meaning. Maybe I'm critisizing commission artists for the prompts of their commissioners, or maybe the commission artist isn't to the point of turning their pieces into something that requires more than a quick glance. And I guess at that point this topic might not cover that? I feel like that's more of an issue of what the commissioner wants than the overall intentions of the artist, or maybe it's the person with artistic ability only in their idea and vision and requiring an artist skilled in that medium to actually get their idea down. I think that is beyond the scope of this post though.

There is also the possibility that I've been around furries long enough to just, want furry art more. This post isn't intended to be a "It must be perfect" post. It's more me exploring what could actually be (subjectively) true, false, or purely subjective on my end of the issue. I'm just putting it on the internet to bounce off of other people and maybe learn something new in the process. This whole post is 100% subjective I'm assuming. After all, it's about the interpretation and enjoyment of art.

Part of me feels like thjs post is incomplete too, maybe I'm missing some bias on my end or other opinion that would add to this, but I've written enough right now.

I do intend on exploring more art with humans in it. Stuff from the Academic era interest me, with the expression being, ironically, direct, photolike, and realistic enough for it to catch the eye while having the expression and personality. I'm having trouble finding any nowadays though. It's out there, and someday I'll get to finding it better.

#member id: renard #plural #art #human artwork #furry art #opinion #felt like sharing #just a passing thought

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ladyimaginarium · 9 months

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𝐓𝐀𝐆 𝐃𝐈𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘.

arcana's memory palace. — general posts about the memories of my life as a whole, moreso my adolescent & adult years than anything else; includes personal aesthetics on specific memories.

arcana's childhood memories. — memories from my childhood.

home. — posts relating to the places i grew up. this can mean the town in general, the schools i attended, or the houses i grew up in.

youth. — general posts about both the good, the bad and the ugly about my childhood/adolescence/childhood trauma/my youth or at least, what i can remember of it.

this holy ground burns my feet. — religious aesthetics, religious horror, angels, demons & holy abominations like ourselves, & religious trauma, specifically from christianity. crosstags with religion. block this tag if religious mentions/objects trigger you.

she was born with a foot in the grave. — posts relating to how i survived death & have known death since the day i was born; a natural borne fighter, when i died & was resurrected; my premature infancy in the children's hospital; i am someone who did not die when i should have died; this is the price of resurrection. who's tougher than this bitch?

in the attic. — memories of living up in my grandmother's house, notably, her attic, as a child at approximately 4-6 years old, which was a great source of comfort for me; the house burned to ashes on halloween night when i was sixteen with all my memories with it.

infp. — INFP shit.

enneagram type four ; the individualist. — type 4 shit.

activism. — anything related to activism.

pets4pets.txt — anything related to my pets.

alterhumanity. — posts relating to our alterhuman types, otherkinity, kintypes, and alterhumanity as a whole — a catchall tag for alterhumanity.

plurality. — posts relating to our system and plurality as a whole — a catchall tag for plurality.

the idealized self. — everything i've& ever wanted.

hell is a teenage girl. — posts relating to my& teenage years, girlhood & trying to cope with trauma in highschool; the inner prom queen i was concealing.

could be kissing my fruit punch lips in the bright sunshine. — diners, summer hotels, swimming pools, soft ice cream, flavors of chocolate, strawberry, cherry & fruit punch, the soft beach & smell of the ocean, the flirtations of men far older than me, the blooming hypersexuality due to years of abuse, all things i& remember vividly in pre & mid adolescence; i was in my coquette era way before all these newbie lana bitches thought it was cool. tag title comes from lana del rey's 'lolita'.

our own jubiliciously lovely corpse bride. — the broken promise; a forsaken bride at the altar, daggers in the chest, this is a haunting.

talk to your lover; tell em they've got bad news comin'. — the desire for vengeance against all those who wronged me. when rue bennett said "if anyone crossed her, she'd bury them" i Felt That. hell hath no fury to an angel's scorn.

she gives them butterflies; bats her cartoon eyes. — the "sacred whore" archetype, hyperfemininity, hypersexuality, glamour, expensive thangs & looks, ostentatious luxury type shit, glamorous ass sexy ass looks, absolutely serving cunt, 'spoil me, i'm worth it' moment, reclaiming my sexuality & power from those who stole it from me, sex work, praying to the angels of porn & lady aphrodite for protection, & becoming the prettiest, hottest, sexiest, baddest bitch on the block. if i can't be the wife, i'll play the whore. tag title comes from lana del rey's 'carmen'.

the witching hour. — witchy aesthetic tag.

something is missing. — liminal spaces tag.

the monsters you’ve created. — monsters tag.

i am haunted by the ghosts of my lovely sins. — ghosts tag.

the light of hidden flowers. — flowers & flower language tag.

armor is my silent servant. — armor, knighthood & queer chivalry tag.

memento mori ; i come to speak for your dead mouths. — death, death & the maiden & death culture tag; death comes for all of us.

#arcana.navigation #arcana.taglist #do not reblog.#will update with more!#please like this post if you've read & understood !

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darkestprompts · 1 year

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How and where do you search for reference when writing fics/brainstorming? Any recommended websites? Books? Things to keep in mind?:D

I wish this ask was more specific about what kind of references they'd like me to talk about, so I could be more precise! I'll talk about history because that's usually comes up here.

Of course, DD is fantasy so there's always freedom to the level of realism you want add, so often I'm not necessarily seeking out inspiration, but simply reading about something interesting and ding, it'll give me an idea. But let's see if I can give some guidelines.

Tips for more in-depth historical research:

Be specific. If you search "middle ages", even in scholarly search engines, you will get inconsistent content that will range over centuries and continents. "Castille XII Century" will provide much better results.

When you've narrowed down a time and place, take at least a cursory look at what came immediately before, the neighboring territories and main cultural influences. Why are they similar or different? Why did things change in this way?

Even if you aren't a history buff, try to pin down a few milestones for your own reference. To be able to tell "Oh, this is before X, but after Y" can make things much less daunting.

Don't think of history only in terms of events, but of dynamics. Class, culture, environment, technology, law, economy, religion, it all plays a role in how people behave, what customs they create and how they look like.

Material culture is important! That means clothes, tools, art, weapons. A single invented object can change a whole society. And a simple object can reveal a lot about how people lived.

People can do batshit insane things. It doesn't mean people in the past were stupid. Try to understand why those institutions existed within their own system of logic.

People in history fucking lie. No, really, that's an extremely important fact to remember when tackling primary resources, it's impressive how many miss it. If it sounds like bullshit, find commentary about it for further context.

How to find good references:

Museum websites will give you a wealth of material culture to work with. Even if gringos stole a shitload of it.

Be careful with youtubers, social media and the like. It may sound exclusionary, but if I'm not knowledgeable enough to judge the content, I try to at least find out if the person has decent academic accreditation relating to the topic.

It's better to trust a source that deals with an specific aspect, time or place than "THE HISTORY OF ALL THINGS EVER". Even scholars say dumb shit about stuff outside of their primary interests.

Whatever you are reading, CHECK FOR PRIMARY SOURCES.

Academic institutions are all online nowadays! I follow a number of universities on youtube and social media, and there are often classes, talks and seminars going on about every topic imaginable!

Learn how to use art as reference. Know that someone depicting a time period may be representing simply what they imagined about that time, or even what their own era looked like. Think of Renaissance painters depicting Ancient Roman soldiers in full plate. Pay attention to the symbolism and purpose of every element. Why these poses? Why these colors? What class do the people depicted belong to? Are they gods, saints or fantastical creatures? If so, does that mean they are depicted in a particular way? Why?

Same applies to fictional writing. Is this author depicting something he knows? The society and place where they lived? Are some things distorted by style and genre? What things sound unusual to you? Could it be that they assumed the readers knew something you don't? Good annotated editions should be able to give you better context.

And remember: EVERYONE can benefit from a little bit of philosophy, a little bit of sociology and a little bit of semiotics.

Let me know if you have more targeted questions!

#references and research

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likeadevils · 2 years

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aside from question, what songs are about 1989?

so there's a lot and this ballooned into something much bigger than i was expecting so under the cut it goes

to start of, the bridge of you're on your own, kid seems to be looking back at a lot of her early twenties but the 1989 era especially. like on one hand the complicated nature of being alone was definitly something she learned during the 1989 era, but it's also taylor looking back on the person she was while she learned that lesson and comforting her. like it's very midnights, telling the story as if it's the present and past simultaneously

"I gave my blood, sweat, and tears for this I hosted parties and starved my body Like I'd be saved by a perfect kiss The jokes weren't funny, I took the money My friends from home don't know what to say I looked around in a blood-soaked gown And I saw something they can't take away 'Cause there were pages turned with the bridges burned Everything you lose is a step you take So, make the friendship bracelets, take the moment and taste it You've got no reason to be afraid

Midnight Rain also makes me think of the 1989 era. I lean more towards it being about her 2014-2015 situationship era, but i could see it being about calvin or tom. i also think the "he wanted a bride" is more of a metaphorical 'someone who will comply with traditional gender roles/commit to me' than a literal "he proposed and i said no," but that's also a definite possibility. either way i think it's very good at portraying how complicated and lonely putting yourself first can be, which was definitely a running theme through the 1989 era

This line in Anti-Hero references the 2014-2015 situationship era in a way that just made something click for me idk

When my depression works the graveyard shift, all of the people I've ghosted stand there in the room

Dear Reader is definitely about the 1989 era. verse one reminds me of a) her cutting her hair and moving to new york in 2014 and b) her cutting then bleaching her hair then growing it out and also fleeing from la to europe to new york to nashville and finally to london in 2016

Dear reader, if it feels like a trap You're already in one Dear reader, get out your map Pick somewhere and just run Dear reader, burn all the files Desert all your past lives And if you don't recognize yourself That means you did it right

also verse two reminds me of the phonegate situation

Dear reader, you don't have to answer Just 'cause they asked you (You should find another) Dear reader, the greatest of luxuries is your secrets Dear reader, when you aim at the devil Make sure you don't miss

and the bridge reminds me of her being attached to a very good girl image but in her personal life she was being an grown, complicated adult, which i'm sure led to a lot of guilt

But darling, darling, please You wouldn't take my word for it if you knew who was talking If you knew where I was walking To a house, not a home, all alone 'cause nobody's there Where I pace in my pen and my friends found friends who care No one sees when you lose when you're playing solitaire You should find another guiding light, guiding light But I shine so bright

There's plenty of posts about how High Infidelity is about her relationship with Calvin coming to an end, but what I've taken away from it is an understanding of just what her mindset was going into her relationship with Joe. Like combine this with Midnight Rain and then listen to the first verse of glitch and try not to lose your mind

speaking of glitch the verses makes me want to lose my mind

We were supposed to be just friends You don't live in my part of town, but maybe I'll see you out some weekend Depending on what kind of mood and situationship I'm in And what's in my system

I was supposed to sweat you out In search of glorious happenings of happenstance on someone else's playground But it's been two-thousand one-hundred ninety days of our love blackout

A brief interruption, a slight malfunction I'd go back to wanting dudes who give nothing I thought we had no chance And that's romance, let's dance

like idk its such a portrait of like, having given up on love and then genuine human connection and then it happens and its? a story she's tol a million times but something about this album just made it click for me idk?

and also thats why question hits! it’s looking back on someone she was entangled with while she couldn’t really connect with anyone and everyone around her was surface level, and being like, “did you ever find what i found? can you commit to someone for the whole world to see and not worry about it? have you ever had a real conversation with someone you love?”

#asks*#anonymous #sorry for posting this a solid couple hours after you asked but i had to write my little essay #txt*

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history-matters · 10 months

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Comment of the Day-to-Day Traveler.

US VISA Rejection Rate (US-B Visitor Visa): Georgia 42%, Armenia 37.78%, Russia 26.18%, Azerbaijan 23.54%, Turkey 19.96%.

Do you know what is visa rejection percentage to become participant the US visa waiver program?

5% or less. In Georgia it is controlled by the rotten regime in deal with US "embassy".

DaytoDayTraveler

I've never honestly understood the Georgian fascination with the states. But the fact that a "customer can make you lose your job" is untrue - but a bad boss or a bad coworker 100% can. False rape accusation is really all it takes for the company to at least put you on paid suspension. I don't get people talking about the US really on either side unless they've lived there. I have reasons for hating the US, I have reasons for loving the US. But overall there's more hate than love because I've formed my opinion over living there. Most people simply do not know the real struggles, but this doesn't really hit the mark either (and I'll say as much because it is missing a ton of nuance) there is no black and white in this world. The US is indeed economically very reliable, there's no way around that - largest GDP by a factor of almost 2 (even still - depending on where you look, unless you wholly believe the CCPs numbers, which it recently leaked that party members were lying about population decline). You do indeed have to drive everywhere if you're not in a metro... but that's the same in Georgia. Georgia just has marshrutkas which are a Soviet-era system that indeed does allow movement for poorer individuals. Most healthcare is not free, but it wouldn't be free for Europeans if it weren't paid for by Americans. It's not free in Georgia, either (mostly privately owned/operated in Georgia, too) but see: R&D spending by country and American universities expenditure on studies done for pharma, etc. so it's a definite player in globalization which is how the European model of social support works. Germany is the largest research spender and still spends 4x less than the US if we round down the US to $600B and Germany up $2B, to $150B. The US is not strictly a service economy either. That's a misnomer. We have a very mixed economy, and it's robust even still. Switzerland would be what we look at if we want to see a service based economy (social spending is much higher in Switzerland mind you, but I know you probably will bring up that people "offshore their money there" which wouldn't have to happen if capital control were lighter in "riskier" jurisdictions because for every corrupt politician, there's also a guy making it for real). Nowhere has free healthcare though, and actually the US spends the most per person on healthcare through government programs/services. Now, does that mean countries with less taxes and free healthcare have bad healthcare? No, but it doesn't change the facts on statistics/data there. The argument of "what's better" isn't really one that I care about having because the US won't change in that regard because it can't. I don't really care to make this a giant thing about socialism vs. capitalism but America is far from capitalist, and Europe is far from socialist. Both are crony capitalist wonderlands, America just tends to benefit the rich more (which is not to say Europe doesn't also promote the "evil rich") - see tax reductions/exemptions in Greece, Italy, Portugal, France (yes, France - reunion), the UK, Ireland, etc.

But anyway that's enough American policy for one day. I agree with the sentiment, disagree with the reasoning.

From an American on the situation who soooort of worked in the immigration space as a marketer: I will say that some mentioned this - but if you look at green cards provided and so forth, those nationalities (Armenia, Russia, Azerbaijan and Turkey) also get more green cards. The US is fairly xenophobic in their selection and anyone that doesn't already have family in the states. According to the US census as of 2020, there were 17,000ish legalized - documented Georgians of any ethnicity, roughly 10,000 of which still being Georgian citizens (look at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgian_diaspora). Georgians also have a tendency to illegally migrate at a higher rate than some nationalities (whether you personally would do it doesn't play into their risk assessment of your nationality), this isn't really disputed by the Georgians I've spoken to. They know it's happening, and there are Facebook groups showing as much. I know a few Georgians in the US and it's not easy getting in, or out (which is why I never really got the Georgian fascination with the states). The easiest path for Georgians to get in is J-1 (student) or I-730 (family reunification) visa - none of this should be taken as immigration advice or "how to get in" but that's the situation. (Talk to a lawyer)

For those expecting reciprocity because you provide US citizens with 360 days I can tell you - the US really doesn't care about that. Albania allows 365 days and has a high rejection rate, also. Economically we can talk about it but it'd realistically be a moot point because none of the nationalities listed are rich. Most rich countries honestly have a pretty dang easy time getting in, because they have VWP (glorified eVisa). Also it's a misconception to say people have "visa-free" access to the US. Only 4 nationalities do: Canada, Micronesia, Marshall Islands and Palau - Canada provided 180 days in a 365 day period, Micronesians having a free association agreement, Marshall Islanders also having a free association agreement and Palau much the same. VWP is unlikely to deny you but people still do get denied from VWP, also VWP is entirely able to be revoked from any nationality at any time (see: going to North Korea as a non-US citizen). So, I get where you're coming from and your struggle... the US just honestly could care less. They have millions of visitors that want to come anyhow and will pay boatloads to do so (I don't get it either, don't worry).

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seaseren · 2 years

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Ok finally wrote up my wols! I'll add pictures later, and if anyone has ideas for more info to add I can, I just wanted to get this out here before I decide to start writing out everyone's backstory again. Only the first four are, like, actual alts at this point, and I'm not even out of starting city on Prim, so the info gets sparser as it goes down.

Entlona Eifasaldwyn

Main class: Scholar

Side classes: Red Mage, Machinist, Summoner, Dragoon, Gunbreaker

Age (at the start of ARR): 20

My main, a giant nerd with zero social skills and even less tact. Can’t remember names, faces, or things that don’t spark her interest for shit, so she writes down basically everything in her vast collection of journals which will be worth something someday if anyone can bother to decode her awful handwriting, obtuse shorthand, and absolutely bonkers organizational system. Thinks it’s extremely funny to pretend she’s taking something seriously which wasn’t meant to be, or misunderstand something obvious, which is annoying because there’s also a very real possibility she isn’t joking. Total smartass. Unfortunately for her, over time she came to the conclusion that she genuinely cares about all life on the star and beyond, and is now forced to be a hero about it when she would really rather be cataloging mosses or organizing historical census data.

Aganaran Qalli

Main classes: Dancer, Dark Knight

Side classes: Samurai, Summoner, Astrologian

Age: 16

A sweet kid about the same age as the twins, who ran away from her tribe on the Steppe to find her missing brother, who came to Eorzea many years ago. She seems nice at first but that’s actually because she’s desperate for affection, once she realizes that she is genuinely cared for she becomes a little shit. Loves to fight, dance, write music, fight, tease Alphinaud, cuddle with carbuncles, and fight. Can and will keep a grudge for a very, very long time. Mostly nonverbal, she communicates in sign language. For some reason when she speaks she’s usually way ruder? Easily overstimulated. Fucking loves carbuncles.

Vespera Phaethon

Main class: Black Mage

Side classes: Bard, Monk, Warrior, Sage

Age: 28

An annoying fox-rat of a woman. Comes across as a drama kid, which is probably because she’s a drama kid. Garlean, but gained the Echo very, very young, and has some sort of weird situation going on with her aether that allows her to somewhat channel it, but she uses magitek to augment that and allow her to use actual magic. After she ran away from a bad family and political situation that she made worse on purpose, she came to Eorzea to become an adventurer and somehow, despite both of their massive trust issues, immediately bonded with another newbie. Queen of mistaking sex for emotional intimacy, 2 am breakdowns over whether she is unlovable, 3 am breakdowns over whether she’s even a person, and 4 am manic episodes. Huge Cid fangirl.

Primrose Lyons

Main Class: Monk or White Mage? Maybe Reaper.

Age: 33

Princess-in-exile of a nation steamrolled by Garlemald before she was even born. Classically trained, perfectly mannered, does not know what she is doing with her life. She tries really, really hard to be the mom friend, but unfortunately she’s a nervous wreck with poor decision making skills. After she got dumped for being too passive and insecure she tried to fix that by getting on the next ship to Eorzea with some vague idea about helping fight the Empire. Your call whether that counts as actually addressing the issues.

Dion Rhabdos

Main class: Unsure- Warrior or Ninja, eventually Black Mage or Red Mage maybe?

Age: Literally over a millennia old

Once a Mhachi voidmage, Dionysus has spent the 6th Astral Era as a minion to the dark forces, and after the 7th Umbral Calamity he decided to retire. Out of some unknowable whim, Hydaelyn decided to help him out, granting him the blessing of light and a measure of protection from his former masters in exchange for joining with the Scions of the Seventh Dawn. Somehow, despite his centuries of experience in subterfuge, he manages to be a terrible liar. He's convinced nobody knows he’s an Ascian. Everybody knows he’s an Ascian. A very earnest, if quite anxious, guy, despite his history he manages to be a calming and caring influence.

Alan de Gagnon

Main class: Paladin I think

Side classes: Machinist, definitely not Dragoon

Age: 17

Adopted son of an Ishgardian nobleman, when his father and late brother were found guilty of heresy he was exiled from Ishgard. Spends ARR being horrible, Heavensward having a crisis, and after that manages to be pretty chill. Huge weapons and armor nerd, and a big dragoon fanboy. He’s still embarrassed that he failed all the tests to join them. Just an earnest, steadfast, loyal kinda guy. Absolute himbo post Heavensward.

Lumi’a Amariyo

Main class: Summoner?

Age: 25

Once a cocksure young Miqo’te, after he was injured in the Calamity he was nursed back to health by a shady group and ended up brainwashed by them. He joins the Scions as a spy, but by chance is reunited with his childhood best friend, which starts to change things inside of him. Prone to drama, be it the showboating of his youth or the guilt he is prone to nowadays. Thinks he’s the smart one between him and his friend, but he really isn’t. Surprisingly also kind of a mom friend.

Eyrithota Soumtoumwyn

Main class: unsure, maybe Dragoon?

Age: 20

Entlona, a timeline to the left. Obsessed with stories of adventure and heroics, she left to follow in her parents footsteps and join the Maelstrom. She’s eager and tries very, very hard to be friendly, but sometimes her energy fails her. Better at small talk and paying attention to people then Entlona, but still bad at reading tone and prone to distraction. Far smarter than people assume her to be at first glance. Would think Entlona is just about the most boring nerd she’s ever met, which is saying something since she grew up in Sharlayan. Entlona would think she’s an obnoxious ditz who is far too eager to be called a Warrior of Light. It’s probably a good thing they never meet.

#oc stuff #Entlona Eifasaldwyn #Aganaran Qalli #Vespera Phaethon #Primrose Lyons #Dion Rhabdos #Alan de Gagnon #Lumi'a Amariyo #Eyrithota Soumtoumwyn #my wols #wols #ffxiv #I have some non wol ocs? but I figured keep this to these guys #...Might add more at some point who knows #Also not all of them are WOL wols u know #the only ones w the rock candy are aggi #ves (complicated)#alan #and lumi'a (also complicated)

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morimakesfanart · 3 years

Text

Sindria's Prophet #13

[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12]

[AO3]

((edited because I figured out to add some more history facts that I think are important))

~POV Sinbad~

"The Kou Empire, huh?"

"That is going to make things risky."

With all of the Generals caught up with what happened in Balbadd, they needed to start planning for King Sinbad's trip to the Kou Empire, as well as catching him up with everything that had happened in Sindria while he was gone.

"LadY YamuRAI H AA AA A" A yell came from the hallway accompanied by the sounds of running.

((Sinbad is hidden on the left. There's a hint of him poking out.))

A panting magician gave apologies for disturbing their meeting and ran to the head of Sindria's magicians. "I wish I knew you were here so I didn't search the tower first~" Then he started explaining about some magical proof. Most of his words sounded like gibberish to the rest, but it was clear that he had made some kind of break though.

Yam jumped out of her seat. "How did you finally figure it out?! Who figured it out?!" She whipped her head to her King, "Sorry your majesty," and then looked back to the other magician.

"It was the work of the Prophet!” the magician answered. "We were talking about her illness and she pulled out scrolls that- you just have to read them for yourself!”

Mori had said that she had written other scrolls before she started coping down Fate. This must have been what she was working on.

Both magicians bowed out to go test out this new information. Before they could leave, Sinbad ended the meeting; there was no way he was going to wait to learn what other information Mori had blessed them with. Ja'far followed as did a few of the other Generals.

When they got into the court yard, the doctors that had been sent to take care of Mori were already pushing their supply cart back to their main building. The magician that had stayed behind spotted them and raised two scrolls up triumphantly. "She let me take the scrolls!"

---

News of the scrolls written by a Prophet spread throughout the Black Libra Tower within an hour. Yamuraiha and the doctors explained their significance to King Sinbad.

If even a fraction of the theories in the scrolls proved true it would completely changed their understanding of how illnesses work. If Mori wasn't sick she would undoubtedly be swarmed with questions and demands for proof. According to the magicians, nothing in the scrolls went against any known information. Instead, they gave explanations to why certain things that had been attempted in the past had failed. What she wrote about 'cells' was what really caught the eyes of the white magicians and doctors. As an example, according to Mori's writing there were blood types and most couldn't mix; that would explain why most past attempts at blood transfusions had failed.

The 2nd scroll showed a break down of even smaller particles, and how the structures of different particles made up everything. This was going to bring alchemic magic to a whole new era. Sure, such things would most likely be limited to high magicians, group efforts, and the Magi, but it looked possible now. A lot of common magic of the current day took extreme amounts of magoi in the past because they hadn't found the right formula yet. Mori's writing -if true- could easily be used as a guide to finding the right order of commands for many spells.

And even more than that, Mori had said that she had even more information to share; she had just ran out of scrolls and ink.

Mori's presence in Sindria, and everything that went with it were Fate and the Rukh's guidance. King Sinbad could see it -the future he wanted.

---

~POV Mori~

In Sindria's Palace there is a Great Bell. It is rung during celebrations, and to signify the King returning home like it did earlier that day, but it's main use was to ring every 2 hours to tell everyone the time since clocks weren't invented yet. So even though I was a sick person trying to rest during the day, I was woken up by the Great Bell every 2 hours... which of course is also situated right on top of the guest tower.

For obvious reasons, I was awake again.

I wish I knew how the others responded to the scrolls. I really wanted to know Yam's opinion most. Those scrolls basically gave away the secret to Yunan's signature alchemy magic.

I still had the first scroll I had worked on -the one on the science behind blimps-, and the last science scroll I had started. That one was on DNA, and reproductive systems. It was the last one I started in Balbadd. I hadn't started working on it until sunrise on my 2nd sleepless night and it showed; there were missing words everywhere, many incomplete sentences, and I couldn't stay in topic.

These mistakes were too great to fix with an ink knife. Editing was going be super annoying and time consuming since I couldn't work digitally. I'd have to physically cut up the first draft to put everything in the right order before making the next one.

Wait- Did this world have scissors???

Back home the first evolution of shears that could be labeled as scissors was in Roman barber shops in the last hundred years or so before Rome fell. China would spontaneous also create something akin to scissors not long after. Reim and the Kou Empire seemed to line up with Rome and ancient China for the most part, so I tend to use them to place the time period, but the dress Princess Dunya wears is centuries off and throws all historical accuracy questions out the window. Rome was long gone by the time boning was added to women's undergarments, and that dress had all the signs of boned corsetry.

Fuck it. I'll ask for scissors and if they don't have them I'll just invent them myself. I had been drafting professionally for the past 4 years. That may have been for microelectronics, but it uses all the same skills; I could do this. I needed to get a ruler -or at least a straight edge- and a drafting compass which they probably have based on the look of maps in the series, and pencils, or at least colored inks if they had them. I probably needed to reinvent the French curve(stencil tool used in art & drafting)...

Since I was struggling to fall back asleep I moved to the table and pulled out my test scroll. It was full of random marks and some of my early drawing attempts that I used to practice with the dip pen -it's also where I wrote down the dreams from the Rukh. I'd write the list of things I needed, rip the section out of the scroll, and pass the list to someone who could get me what I was asking for. I added some living necessities too like sleep wear and a comb.

The maids that came to give me dinner, and next dose of medicine were not pleased that I wasn't in bed -I was an important guest who was sick after all. And I wasn't pleased to have to drink more of that bitter medicine, but we can't have nice things all the time, now can we?

My voices was strained but I managed to communicate enough. I gave them my list, and laundry (the clothes I wore on the boat) before they left. They'd get me the things the next day. I was instructed to sleep until someone brings me breakfast the next day... which is what I was going to do anyway since the sun was practically gone. I might be a bit of a workaholic but I'm not going to let myself pull an accidental all-nighter when I know I'm still sick. I'm far more self aware than that.

And besides, the Great Bell didn't ring at night.

---

Maids brought my breakfast (& meds) the next morning and let me know that my clothes would be cleaned and dry by the end of the day. I guess they didn't use magic for everything.

They also gave me all of the drafting and inking supplies I asked for except for scissors. In one of the omakes Sinbad was shown cutting his hair with a knife as a part of his normal grooming. I had hoped he was just old fashioned.

For the greater good and the future of my own hair care, I drafted up detailed designs for a few different types of basic scissors. They wouldn't look fancy, but hopefully I had put enough of a detailed explanation on everything for the smith to figure out what I was asking. Steel wasn't developed until the middle ages and some of the counties of this world matched that so I hoped

that God and anime were on my side. I really wanted scissors that would be a good quality.

And if that didn't work I'd just have to get used to using knives and bladed rollers like a regular person.

The Great Bell rung for 10 am. There were at least another 2 hours before someone would show up, to give lunch, that I could ask to take my draft for the scissors to a black Smith.

I should be resting as a sick person. I should be more exhausted and in pain as a sick person. What was making me recover this quickly?

I still didn't feel like laying back down, so I decided to start drafting up the materials and equipment for proving everything I had written in the scrolls I gave the previous day.

Globally, micro-organisms, viruses, and bacteria were not really accept or proved until the late 1800's. Since Magi seems to take place some time around our 100AD-1300, and Yunan hinting at chemical compounds was seen as shocking by Yam, I knew that my bio scrolls were probably causing an uproar in the Black Libra Tower. I refused to use actual people or wait for an outbreak to prove it like how it happened in history -like how John Snow proved it when finding the cause of cholera outbreaks in 1848 and 1854 England. No, I needed to show how to prove these things in a lab, and to do that I was going to need to explain how to keep samples and invent a way to see microorganisms.

First was for a glass petri dish and other containers for samples. I'd need at least 3 -preferably more. I know glass works have been around since BC, and that this world had glass windows in some scenes, but I worried about the quality of the glass contaminating the experiments. I was going to have to boil them beforehand to sterilize them anyway.

Gosh I wish I had access to nonporous, air tight containers, and a temperature controlled environment. The heat and humidity of Sindria could easily mess everything up.

Wait... I suddenly remembered a scene from the Magnostadt arc when they showed how a sample was being stored. They already had good enough glass. I knew there were magic bio experiments but I had no idea how they worked.

With the realization that I was getting ahead myself, I switched to writing about how to use the scientific method to test for germs. It was basically the bread in a bag test to teach young children about germs but with petri dishes. I also wrote about how to analyze samples with a microscope to see micro organisms so I was going to have to figure that out next.

Lunch came as the perfect break.

Just thinking about reinventing this thing made me nervous. I knew magnifying glasses existed in ancient Rome, but they would be nothing like what I was used to. I had to explain how light moves and made multiple diagrams showing how concave and convex lenses affect light as well as the material of the lens. I ended up also showing how to make a telescope even though I knew Yam already had one.

Magicians were the only ones shown with glasses. Maybe now the rest of the world could have them too.

4 o'clock came and so did 3 doctors and a magician. It was less than yesterday, but still more than necessary to treat or analyze one person. I only recognized one of the doctors from the previous day. All of the new faces looked nervous. None of them looked young by any measure, so I really doubted this was their first time treating someone.

They weren't happy to see me at the table and made me return to my bed -their loss.

The doctor from the previous day was the one doing most of the talking. "Your recovery is amazing. You will most likely be better in another 3 days at this rate if not sooner. It's practically a miracle."

I smiled. "It's pretty shocking for me too." As long as I spoke quietly and kept my comments short, I found I could talk again for a bit.

The doctor was silent for a moment before changing the subject. "I know you need rest, but would you be willing to answer a few questions about those scrolls from yesterday?

The 3 other men looked expectant. This was why they were here.

"I don't mind as long as you don't make me talk too much."

Then came the question I was expecting since I had first made the scrolls. "I know you are a Prophet and the information came from your visions but is there any way you can prove what you wrote?"

I pointed to the table with the scroll I had started earlier. "I can't prove it with the current equipment I have, so I've been drafting up the needed equipment and processes for proving it."

They all turned to look at where I was pointing.

I added, "It's not done, but you're welcome to read what I have so far."

I was thanked as they went to the table they had called me away from when they entered.

'He called it 'visions?' Really?' I had to ask Sinbad later what he was telling his people about me so I could keep the story straight.

The magician confirmed for the others what I wrote about light bending. There was magic to do that, but not everyone is a magician. I had just invented a way for non-magicians to bend light.

Just wait until I show them a prism that can split light into colors. Or teach them how light is perceived in the eye. Or even better, show them the double slit experiment that proves that light is a particle not just a wave... Did they know light was a wave yet?

"Lady Prophet."

I was pulled out of my thoughts.

"You said this isn't finished and there is plenty of space in this scroll for more, but would you let us take this back to the tower so we can get started?"

I wanted to say 'no.' I was still coming up with things to add to it, but I also knew that holding things back because I wanted to save paper was a fool's game. Besides, I could always add more to it later.

I nodded and they thanked me before making me promise not to leave my bed. They were grateful for this new scroll but not at the expense of my health -they were doctors after all.

And then they left.

It was probably about 5pm if my internal clock was on schedule, so I had about an hour before the next ring of the Bell.

Even if I wasn't a man of my word, I would have lost the motivation to work with my current project taken from me while I was still in the middle of making it.

So, I did the thing I grew up doing when I was bedridden from illness: I looked out the window. From the bed I could only see the tops of the buildings on the other side of the courtyard. The Tower that was just poking in from the left had to be the Black Libra Tower.

The waves in Sindria were calmer yet stronger than those in Balbadd. It was probably due to Sinbad's influence. He brought stability and security to his people. I could understand why so many chose to follow him or ally with him. But I knew where all this would lead. As he obtains more power and influence he will stop being able to see himself from the pedestal that he and everyone else put him on; his greed will make him blind to the wants and needs of others, and like a middle aged parent that isn't ready for their child to leave the nest he will take out his frustration on the world that was moving on without him. When Sinbad dies at the end of the manga, Drakon realizes that they all put too much on Sinbad's shoulders.

To change Fate, I was going to have to make sure I never put him on that pedestal nor rely on him for much. And I was going to have to convince the 8 Generals to do the same -or at least to start pulling more of the weight.

The 6 o'clock Bell came faster than I expected, as well as my dinner not long after. They brought my clean laundry, a sleeping gown, and some other common clothes and things for my convenience.

I would have preferred something much shorter for the night gown since I hate having a lot of extra fabric around my legs when I already have blankets. I was not going to risk being walked in on by doctors or whoever when sleeping naked, so I would make do for now.

There was no way King Sinbad wasn't going to reward me for those scrolls. If it was some kind of treasure I'd sell it and buy a new wardrobe for myself that actually suited me, and if the reward was a request then I would ask that he pay for everything directly.

The light coming in my windows changed, and I watched my 2nd sunset in Sindria.

When Sinbad found this island 10 years ago, he completely terraformed it. He didn't get rid of all of the vegetation that was here, but he did break down one of the sides to allow for easier access by boat. The side he carved out faced northish towards all of the other known countries, so no boat would have a reason to circle the island. It was a decision that would benefit the merchants and make it easier to defend.

It also meant that my windows faced west, so I could watch the Sun set every day. I couldn't help but see that as a blessing and a curse. Sure not getting the sunrise meant I'd need to put more effort into

waking up in the morning but that wasn't the part I was worried about.

See- The thing is... I have synesthesia (having 2 or more senses overlapping). I see sounds, letters, and numbers as colors and textures. I have it mild enough that I can normally block it out so it's not too distracting (thank God because music is a main stim), but sometimes I'll hear something and get overwhelmed by how it looks.

Each letter and number is a color. So every voice can make every color, but language, pitch, tone, and accent all affect the colors and textures I see from a person's voice like a filter. There have definitely been some people that I struggled to give my full attention to when I first met them because I was entranced by how their voice looked. The more I hear a person's voice the more I'm able to move its visuals to the background so I can focus -desensitizing myself to it.

Luckily, Sinbad's voice is normally not so distracting that I stop paying attention. Since it's like a merger of every voice actor I've heard play him (All the characters I had met so far were like this.) I'm already desensitized. The similarities across all of the VAs meant that his voice looked like a sunset -full of deep purples and magentas, and bright reds, peach, and gold, and with a smooth and flowing texture like painting in acrylic with a wet brush -like a painting of the last moments of a sunset.

His voice was as pretty as he was.

I hadn't actually gotten to see or hear him for a whole day. But I'd get to look at his voice's equivalent every day while living under his protection.

It was frustrating to admit -I barely knew him as a real person- yet I couldn't deny that I missed him. I feel asleep watching the sun set.

((I wasn't going to write about my synesthesia, but this is my fanfic and I thought it might be fun to reference the colors peoples voices make when the characters talk. I'm not going to paint every VA and head cannon, but I will describe them as I go. Ja'far's Japanese and English VAs have voices that look very different so finding the middle ground is proving tricky.

Also, anyone who noticed that the purple I see in Sinbad's voice is the same as the purple I've been using for the illustrations and comics is super smart and cool.))

#magi prophet fanfic #magi fanfiction #magi fanfic #sinbad magi #king sinbad #magi sinbad

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