#he’s like. the epitome of a hidden tragedy to me

[solace-seekers]

in my jason feels again….

#he’s like. the epitome of a hidden tragedy to me #especially with the way part of the fandom hates/hated him #idk maybe it’s cause i can just relate to his general vibe #just how he was the rule follower. perfect in every way he could be #and yet. and yet. he failed #he was always less than percy from the moment they met to everyone else #percy who has never once followed the rules but also came out on top of jason #how he was always criticized as boring or a moral less leader #but when did he have the opportunity to learn not to be? at the roman camp since 2????? #all the expectations placed on him as jupiters son that in the end he could never hope to achieve #these thoughts are probably disjumbldd and bad but yea. jason feels are so happening rn #pjo #hoo #pjo/hoo #jason grace #coming back to this cause i forgot to add my most important thought #the fact that so many readers hated him from the very beginning because he was not percy #it’s just. so devastating

[peachscribe]

peach’s winter booklist 2021-22

it’s the end of winter break for me you know what that means!! and if you don’t, here’s the gist: over my break, i try to read as many of the books i own but have not read yet as possible, and then i compile them in a list that includes the book, a spoiler-free summary, my thoughts on it, and the rating i give that book out of ten

winter 20-21 // summer 21

without further ado, let’s get into it!

1. Alice Isn’t Dead by Joseph Fink

the guy behind notorious podcast welcome to nightvale brings you this! a book following the protagonist keisha, who, after her wife mysteriously disappears and then mysteriously reappears in the background of tragedies broadcast on the news, takes up a job as a truck driver in order to search for her wife. however, as keisha dives deeper into her search, she begins to become hunted by monstrous beings determined to stop her from uncovering the conspiracy that corrupts the system as she knows it. i started this book during the semester and got about halfway through before becoming too busy to return to it, but, boy, am i glad to have finished it. this is a fantastic book that features lesbians, people with anxiety, people of color, and so many other marginalized people as heroes and as people who deserve to live happy lives. this book is the epitome of americana to me: it has the long drives, the beautiful and terrible freedom, the community banding together, the corruption, the ugly and hardly hidden underbelly. this is a book that knew what it wanted to say and said it.

9/10 had me at the lesbians, kept me at the wonderfully done horror-social-commentary

2. The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly by Stephanie Oakes

one of my all time favorites (the arsonist) was also by stephanie oakes, so obviously i had to check this one out (and coincidentally was sold to buy it the same way i was sold to buy the arsonist - telling myself not to buy it, reading the first page, and being inevitably drawn in). this book follows minnow bly as she awaits parole in juvie for assaulting a man and attempts to reconstruct the world in her own terms after the cult she grew up in went down in flames. an fbi investigator propositions minnow with a deal: he can help her get parole if she’ll spill the secrets of what really happened the night the cult burned and the prophet mysteriously died - however, minnow may not be so ready to part with those secrets just yet. this is oakes’s debut novel and goddamn what debut novel - it’s an absolutely riveting read; i read it all in one sitting with only one break. it’s sad and it’s angry and it’s hopeful and it’s loving and it’s about growth and love and violence and anger and growth and love, etc etc. stephanie oakes just has a wonderful knack for writing complicated stories that leave you wanting to see the world in a new way.

11/10 it left me feeling just a bit empty and that’s just how i like it

3. Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein

good god where to begin. ive read two of wein’s novels before (the pearl thief and code name verity) and thoroughly enjoyed them both so i knew this one would have me too. rose under fire is a novel that takes place during world war II and follows the story of american ata pilot and budding poet rose justice. ambitious and passionate, rose gets captured by nazi airmen during a routine cargo transport gone wrong and is imprisoned in the infamous concentration camp in ravensbrück. just like code name verity, rose under fire is an epistolary novel told mainly through rose’s journal entries, which are sprinkled with poems she writes about her experiences. wein writes in the afterword that this is a fictional story but only the little things are not true - all the atrocities rose witnesses, experiences, and hears about from her found family in the camp are real, documented things that happened in the war. this is a raw and real story determined to tell the world about the women in the camp - the starving, angry, loving, stubborn, heroic, human women - and the violent cruelty committed against them that even still could not beat out all the hope. i will admit the beginning of the novel read a bit slow to me, but it was nice to see familiar faces from code name verity and pearl thief, and by the time the novel hits its second section, it moved and gripped me hard without letting go.

9/10 i love wein’s knack of writing unique women and their powerful friendships

4. Verity by Colleen Hoover

hm. okay so verity is about struggling writer lowen ashleigh who gets hired to finish a book series written by a successful woman named verity crawford who got into a debilitating car accident and is unable to continue writing. jeremy crawford, verity’s husband and a grieving father, invites lowen to stay at the crawford home to sort through the mess of verity’s home office to work on the series, but things get complicated when lowen finds a disturbing manuscript written by verity about her and jeremy’s life and the deaths of their children and begins suspecting that verity may not be as deep in a vegetative state as everyone thinks. also, of course lowen and jeremy have some chemistry, so that complicates some stuff. now. okay. let’s address the elephant in the room that is how awful it is to have a thriller-esque novel have a main plot point revolve around an ‘evil’ person possibly faking a disability. it’s clear to me that the main voice in the text acknowledges, like, basic human decency on how to treat people with disabilities, but i personally feel it’s not clear/apparent enough and i honestly feel the entire premise is just icky. now. onto my non-elephant: i was under the impression this book was a very intense thriller but, uh, it’s not really. it’s definitely creepy and messed up for sure, but if you’re looking for a super bone chilling thriller, this may not be for you. also, i never found myself liking lowen. there were times where i almost did, but she read very ‘quirky different introverted not-like-the-other-girls’ at times and also she sucks at making rational decisions which may be on purpose due to the nature of the novel - everyone in the book is fucked up (except for the kids, probably) and is terrible at making good decisions. the end twist was pretty interesting but i think i was just expecting more from this book than it was willing to give.

2/10 it read like a lifetime movie to me. kind of terrible but interesting enough to finish

5. The Martian by Andy Weir

yes, like the movie the martian starring matt damon. it’s a great movie, so ive always wanted to get my hands on the book, and now i have! if you haven’t heard of the martian, basically it’s the story of astronaut mark watney who, through a series of unfortunate events, ends up alone on the surface of mars with no way of contacting his crew or nasa who all believe him to be dead. with limited resources in an environment where anything that can go wrong will go wrong, mark fights to survive using his skills as a botanist, his natural “fix-it” attitude, his talent in engineering, and his gallows humor coping mechanism. if you really enjoy the down and dirty of hypothetical space problem solving, this book is chock full of it. it tries its best to explain in layman’s terms but there was honestly just so much information and not enough STEM understanding in my brain to comprehend a lot of it. that being said, in between the extremely realistic (im assuming - all the science jargon could’ve been absolutely meaningless and i would be none the wiser) problem solving explanations, there are pockets of humor and very real depictions of grief, compassion, and the innate human urge to try to help someone out, and i really liked that.

6/10 good experience but i personally would much rather watch the movie that read the book again

6. D: A Tale of Two Worlds by Michel Faber

what a weird, charming little story to kick of my new year. D is about the sudden and strange disappearance of the letter ‘d’ from the world - conversation, street signs, you name it. dhikilo, our main character, is the only one who seems to notice or care about the absence of the letter, even when the absence of the letter leads to other more concerning disappearances, such as the neighbor’s dalmation and even the local dentist. in search of answers, dhikilo ends up at the home of her old history teacher, professor dodderfield, and his faithful dog, nelly robinson, who inform her that she may be able to stop the dastardly theft of ‘d’s if she travels with nelly to the mysterious world of liminus and faces the ruthless dictator gamp, who is using the ‘d’s for his own selfish purposes. this story is a wonderland of satire told in the inviting and warm tones of a child’s bed time story and nods to a bunch of other notable literature - most prominently the narnia series and the works of charles dickens.

7/10 creative, witty, and heartfelt

7. The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee

if you’ve read my other book lists you may recall me reviewing a queer historical fiction novel that i absolutely abhorred with every ounce of my being due to how much i hated the main character. well, i am so pleased to inform you that this queer historical fiction novel is everything that book isn’t, and therefore im in love with it. the gentleman’s guide to vice and virtue follows main character monty as he attempts to tour europe in one last hedonistic hurrah with his best friend (who he is secretly in love with) percy before percy leaves to go to law school in holland. however, the tour kicks off to a rocky start and is quickly derailed as monty, percy, and monty’s sister felicity find themselves stranded in france and hunted by highway men. separated from their resources and on the run, the three must figure out what exactly they’re being hunted for, how to go about solving that particular crisis, and what exactly may be waiting for them on their dreaded return to england. as i stated before, i absolutely love this book - it gave me everything i wanted from genre-defying surprises, pirates, and romance, as well as nuanced and thoughtful depictions of race, disability, and sexuality during the time period.

10/10 this is one hell of an adventure novel

and that’s all for the 21-22 winter break! i know i didn’t read as much as i have in past breaks, but i will admit this break has been trying in a multitude of ways and im still proud of myself for reading this much. im also very proud of myself for really experimenting with genres this break! i feel like i got a really wide variety of taste testers for a lot of different kinds of books, and even though i may not have enjoyed all of them the same amount, i still think the experience of reading and trying new genres is still very valuable to me.

i hope everyone had a great holiday season, and i hope everyone has a fantastic year!! check out one of these books if they sound interesting and let me know what you think<3<3

#book rec list #book rec #alice isn't dead #the sacred lies of minnow bly #rose under fire #verity #the martian #d: a tale of two worlds #the gentleman's guide to vice and virtue #i do wish i had more of the capacity to read over break but simply put that was not possible #and if you like these lists go ahead and start looking forward to my summer one because i guarantee i still own #SO MANY books that i haven't read yet. it doesn't help i just keep buying more #im what the kids call . a ✨MATERIAL GORL✨

[oswinsdolma]

Yes, it's nearly 2.00am (because that's apparently the only time I have inspiration to write essays) but I've been thinking a lot about this lately and wanted to get it off my chest, so here you go:

The main goal of Merlin becomes disturbingly fractured along the way, which opens up the gaps for the prophecy to seep through instead of following the expected channels, but it can essentially be boiled down to three key elements 1) build albion; 2) decriminalise magic and 3) save Arthur, but when all is said and done, we never really see any of those objectives achieved.

Now, there are a few reasons for this, both from a writing perspective and a plot perspective. The first, and one of the most obvious, is that this show loves irony. I won't go into a lot of detail here because I've already written a whole ass essay in this very subject, but in a nutshell, you can look at this from two perspectives: firstly, it's important to establish that this technique is purely about the angst: it's the writers' way of provoking a reaction from an anguished audience, but it's foreshadowed just enough to make it more painful than it is shocking. Alternatively, there is the more plot motivated irony in that it genuinely makes a good story. Irony is a technique that has been used for thousands of years, not just because it provokes a reaction from the audience, but because it allows you to explore your characters in greater detail than before, riddling them with hidden juxtapositions and internal conflicts that are never resolved quite in the way you expect. The irony in Merlin is the epitome of this, with the whole motif of Arthur needing to die for his reign to begin. It is a classic example of the simultaneous despair and hope that mocks you from the shadows.

Following this, there is another force at play that deals with half truths and seemingly imperfect contradictions, and that's prophecy. It's not really a secret that I have very strong feelings about prophecy and its effects on all the characters, Merlin in particular, and the fact that fate and destiny are such key themes in Merlin both makes perfect sense and wants me to smash my head into a brick wall. Prophecies are another common trope that often go hand in hand with irony (think Oedipus Rex, Macbeth, The Iliad, all that doomed hero shit that I inexplicably adore), the key to their influence over the plot often lying in how they usually come true in the most unexpected of ways. This links back to that initial theme of irony, but this isn't what makes me angry: what is infuriating is that prophecies tend to come true, no matter what, and most of the characters seem not only to know this, but to let it take their autonomy over their respective fates, driving them to disaster.

Let me elaborate: especially in season five (I'm assuming just for the added fall at the end), Merlin talks a lot about how "one day, things will be different". He tells sorcerers that one day they won't have to hide. That one day, they won't have to live in fear of who they are and what others think of them. And Merlin is right: while it is not explicitly stated, it's generally established that this is one of the things Merlin should actively be working towards. But here's the kick: except for a few specific circumstances, when has Merlin ever actively tried to change Arthur's mind about magic? Yes, he has taken a few opportunities, like with Dragoon saving Uther's life, or with the Dolma's final request, where he has encouraged Arthur to rethink his choices, but otherwise, his support has been lukewarm at best. Instead, his primary concern was always saving Arthur, so he can become the king the magical world hoped he'd be, but he left out a crucial part, trusting in the prophecy to fill in the gaps. He knew it would come true, but it was, almost predictably, in the one way he never dared to expect.

And in a twisted way, there's that thread of irony again: Merlin thought he was saving Arthur so he could one day become the king who would see magic as a force for good, but instead, he created someone who was merely a survivor. It was Kilgharrah who said it first, and he who would mention it last: they are two sides of the same coin. But as willing as Merlin was to give his life for Arthur, and vice versa, he was never really ready to give him his mind.

Another interesting thing to note is Merlin's fixation on the "Saving Arthur" lens of the prophecy over the "Restoring Magic" part. Now, there are a ton of ways you can look at this, depending on how far along the scale of Queer Analysis you are, so I'm going to try and address a couple. At one end of the scale, you have the fairly simple and very believable "merthur" take. This basically boils down to the fact that Merlin and Arthur may or may not be deeply in love with one another, and that drowns out any voice of reason that may unfold. This is actually fairly canon compliant, particularly looking at incidents such as the Disir, when Merlin chooses Arthur over his and his people's freedom, though that choice was clearly, in hindsight, misadvised.

At the other end of the spectrum, there is the idea that it is the work of Kilgharrah, Gaius and other responsible figures in Merlin's life when he was new to his role in destiny, who reiterated at every occasion that Arthur must be protected at all costs. This may have ingrained into Merlin's thoughts and influenced his decisions from here on out.

Between those two points, there is a grey area, and I am of the personal opinion that neither extreme entirely satisfies the situation. For me, I think the characters in question are far too complex to have such simple motivations, and that the true reason lies somewhere between the two: Merlin undoubtedly cares for Arthur, and while at the start, his actions in protacting Arthur may have been driven by other (largely superficial) motives, over time, their mutual affection blossomed to the point where certainly the more personal quests were motivated not by need, but by love. However, there is a divide here, and while the line in the sand smudges from time to time, it never really disappears: a lot of instances in which Merlin is trying to help Arthur are entirely overshadowed by destiny, and in time, Merlin comes to accept that Arthur and Destiny are, in fact, one and the same, and this is where that ever-present tragedy lies. For all he truth in here, Merlin doesn't get everything quite right: he sees Arthur as a balance that needs to be protected, without fully realising that he doesn't just have to keep the sides of his equation in equilibrium, but he actually has to start solving them if he wants them to endure.

Having just said all that, sometimes I decide to fuck over complexity for a few hours purely because I am a shameless merthur hoe.

Also, can you take a moment to please note that this last section is highly subjective and it is completely up to you as to what you decide!! This is just my opinion and you're welcome to agree or disagree at any point.

So, aside from the Angst Factor™ and twisted character development, why was the main goal never fulfilled? Unfortunately, that is a question far cleverer people than me can only speculate, as the writers alone know the answers, but I'm going to give my opinion a shot. Honestly, there is something beautifullly poetic about something that never ends, or ends when there could be something more. Humanity has struggled with endings-and beginnings- since it learned truly how to think, because that kind of finality, that inkling that there might have been nothing before and after something else is incomprehensible. In leaving Merlin in a place where the next point was uncertain, the writers left the story open for us. In depriving us of that catharsis, they effectively made sure that the story would never be over, not until we want it to be. And yes, it was painful. I can't think of an ending that was more heartbreaking than that curious mixture of closures and openings all at the same time (hell, I could write a whole essay based on this concept alone!), but it was also a gift, ironically like that of the prophecy itself in that we can choose what we want to do with it, safe in the knowledge that there will be a happy ending again, one day.

In summary, we might not be left with catharsis in the way we wanted. We might not have got the happy ending that could also have stretched on and on indefinitely. But we were left with something else, something equally beautiful as closure, but in the complete opposite way. Amongst the remains of allwe had hoped to build, Merlin left us hope.

#sorry for the inevitable ineloquence here i am absolutely knackered #bbc merlin #merlin #merthur #i'm going to regret this in the morning

[imalwaystiredzzz]

C2: Sisyphus happy. Yan Zhongli x Reader

Warning: Yandere behavior, unhealthy relationships

< Sisyphus happy. chapters >

“Perhaps you would fear if you saw me, and love is all I ask. There is a necessity that keeps me hidden now. Only believe.” - Cupid and Psyche ══════════════════════════════════

You have a dream; heavy and looming as you carry a boulder on your fragile back. It dares to crush you under its weight, while you trudge up a steep path towards the peak of this mountain. The sun glares with its heat like a guard set to watch your endless labor, sweat trickles down like rain on your skin as you pray for water. 

The relief comes in the form of waking from this endless dream.

Breath. Breath. Breath. You breath as if your lungs were crushed and you had drowned in earth, wondering why the familiar pain of doing so was gone. “Slowly,” smooth like velvet and deep that it reverberates to your being, your dear husband hushes next to you observing for any hint - even a twitch - that you might need help. 

“I felt like I had a really long dream,” you say, sitting up from the warm sheets of your shared bed. 

“Care to tell me what it is about?” He is the epitome of patience practiced and perfected, waiting for your reply; though try as you might to remember what it was, the dream had long  slipped from your mind like sand held between cupped hands, flowing and flowing until nothing is left.

“Have I been asleep long?” Voice groggy and eyes a bit blinded by the light, small hands felt the sheets on his side, the warmth and ghost of his form long gone, your dutiful husband, always awake and dressed before you even rouse from slumber. 

Zhongli leans toward you, his gloved fingers graze your cheeks with tenderness only to tuck a strand behind your ear and it is warm as the morning sun that rises on your window. “It’s alright, I know that you need rest after our move.”

You blush, heart soaring like a pure maiden in love with her suitor even though it is none other than your husband who gives you his full attention. It’s supposed to be endearing. It is endearing. Yet there is an ache at the back of your head, that something is amiss.

His fingers, barely touching your skin, made you think of claws, long and sharp, shining with polish. You brush it aside, under the bed long forgotten in the dark, while you would begin your routine. 

You could say that a day does not begin when you wake, rather it is when you make his tea.

He once told you that brewing is an art no less than painting or writing, it is not a matter of simply sprinkling leaves on a clay pot. It is a meditation and a ceremony practiced to bring forth a harmony of earth and water.

You take his words to heart. You take almost all his words to heart and memorize them the way he recites poems to you before bed. You command air to bring forth an aroma that allures the butterflies and with practiced elegance, you hold the Yixing teapot to pour him his cup while Zhongli is nothing but a spectator to this show.  

There are no words exchanged before he sips. It is a little game between you and him, a show of trust you would like to think. Even the heavens could not imagine Zhongli take abhorrent food, not even for his wife.  

He is nothing but an expert, listing the leaves you secretly used and the flavor in full detail like a practiced line from a play. You’d wager that had he been blessed to borne out of better parents, had he been blessed with a better standing rather than a son of a merchant who had a herbalist like you for a wife, he would have stood as the finest in a world of history and art with those deft amber eyes that miss nothing.

Not even the way you look as he leaves through that door with a kiss. 

A kiss of parting as you wave him goodbye, the wind whispering that this is not your simple husband, who goes down the mountain to sell herbs and trade merchandise in the city. He is your foreign husband, who disappears from your presence and hides a secret deeper than the mines the humans could hope to till.

But who is to listen to the wind? Zhongli tells you that it is nothing but your active imagination and you are nothing but (Y/n) (l/n), a herbalist, who belongs to the soil.

This thought repeats in your head like a broken record and rings in your ear. 

It is spring now, you remember looking up and thanking the clouds and the lush leaves of the tree that hide the harsh glare of the afternoon sun. The grass was evergreen and the wind smell of the oncoming summer heat, fragrant with flowers that bloom in the wild.

In spring, he tells you that a gardener is happy for the harvest is abundant and the lands teems with life. In spring, you should be happy.

The plants are alive and they grow easy, they are not shriveled by the summer heat nor do they hide under the ground because of the winter. The flowers and herbs bloom, almost too perfectly as if the little pots were visited by the dendro archcon themselves in your sleep. 

You are (Y/n) (l/n). In spring, you should be alive.

Yet cannot help but notice the absence of the worms nor ants that you once complained about. Once upon a time, you would be maneuvering them all throughout the day away from the lush green leaves and bountiful earth. And sometimes your imagination would play tricks and whispers of their avoidance.

“What cruel little pest,” you tell the soil while planting new seeds until the sun goes down and hides from the skies, when you light the lamps in the house, but most especially by the door, red and glowing like a star against the vast darkness of this lonely mountain.

Hoping, praying that this simple light will lead him back, if he might ever be lost in the shadows in the road. 

Even before he walks through the door, your ears are listening to the whispers of the air that carries his footsteps as it taps the ground so when he opens the door, you are there with a warm welcoming smile and a kiss to his cheeks, heart calm as you know he is safe and he is here. He is home.

You should laugh, really. Your husband who has mapped this mountain like the back of his hand would never be lost but the anxiousness of it never fades. A perpetual worrier, he would call you with eyes lost, staring at yet never really seeing. You know that he has his moments, he doesn’t mean to show, it is fleeting as it comes and no more than a blink of an eye hence you blink and pretend that you don’t see and lead him by the hand to the table neatly set and filled with warm food. 

You dine as he talks about the people he has met and worked with in the city, how the land has begun to thrive and the mora flowing. He tells you of a harbor, where boats are ever growing in size as the days go by and the merchants travelling to do business within it. As far as you can remember, there was never dinner where Zhongli does not talk endlessly about the city - always proud yet humble like a poem, you would think that he talks about it like a child of his own.

“I wonder when will I see the lights of the city from here.” You don’t know what compelled you to say this, maybe it was the stories that he never ceased to tell, maybe it was the lantern that still hung lit outside and darkness that encloses it like a sky with a single star. He pauses,  struck and still as a statue, he looks at you in a way that you have never seen before. 

This smile is is not warm as the morning sun when you wake; it is not tight and constricted when he leaves; nor is it practiced the way it would fall so easily on his visage like a mask; rather this smile dims the glow in his amber eyes and wrinkles the skin akin to sadness and guilt held back.

He reaches for your hand on the other side of the table and kisses it, tenderly, gently as if you are glass that would break with a tap and this is his silent promise that you feel would never come to fruition, “Maybe one day when you are feeling better.” 

The routine ends when your dear husband leads you to bed, the fire closed and you are both in the dark. Tonight he kisses you with unhinged passion, holding unto your small form against him like you were about to disappear into thin air and he is a stone cage. 

“Is it so selfish of me to keep you by my side and never want to let go?” 

He asked barely a whisper above your skin, like a prayer to a god that never answers while the only thing on your heart was pity for your dear husband’s deep sadness, who was an embodiment tragedy that could make you cry.

Had you been born with a stronger body, maybe then you could promise him tomorrow and the rest of your days yet you are nothing but ephemeral so you don’t speak; simply hold his arms, firm and hard under your touch briefly wondering why you thought of scales, mighty and solid as the unblemished core lapis from deep underneath.  Under your fingertips he is foreign yet familiar, in every wrong and right way possible. “You have enraptured me, body and soul. I will always love you, even after I have long passed”

“Is that what it means to love”

“That is what it means to be human.” 

You fall asleep, long before he does. He holds your hand, tightly. 

Step by step by step. An endless walk as you contemplate: why? What sin so great that you have committed for this to be an equal torture. And yet even as millennium of wondering have passed you don’t know, rather you’ve forgotten, memories and thoughts lost in the pain that seeps into the bone, desert in your throat and the eyes that cannot see the peak of this mountain you climb.

#TiredZ Sisyphus happy #yandere zhongli #zhongli x reader #zhongli x you #zhongli x y/n #yandere genshin x reader #yandere genshin impact #genshin imagines #geshin impact #yandere zhongli x reader #genshin impact x reader #genshin x reader #genshin x you

[johnkrrasinski]

i want your midnights; 

full masterlist

Pairings: Bucky Barnes x female!reader

Word count: 1,749

Warning: fluff!! pure feelings 

Summary: this one’s written for the @mypoisonedvine​‘s festive writing challenge with the prompt “kissing at the new year’s eve count down.” there was only one person that you wanted to celebrate new years with and it was bucky barnes, the love of your life. 

a/n: not my best work but eh, i needed some holiday fluff with bucky. comment and reblog if you like! 

⭒☆━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━☆⭒

You straightened the skirt of your dress, trying to make yourself look presentable as you took a deep breath. To say you were nervous would be an outrageous understatement. You haven't played for a big crowd, let alone a crowd in awhile. The last time you were standing with identical emotions swirling through your stomach was when you were in your adolescent years. It wasn't because you grew bored of it, it was simply because you grew up and life had its funny way of surprising you. This occupation wasn't merely a job, it was a lifestyle. And this lifestyle didn't allow you to think that you'd ever have the chance to revisit this forgotten passion.

But here you were. About to perform one of your favourite songs on the grand instrument placed in the centre of the room and you feel like your stomach was sinking. You were good and you were adored. Suck it up and don't be a coward!

The ticking clock shows that it was three hours away from midnight. And the party was in full swing because it's New Year's Eve and Tony Stark was a man of flamboyant parties. And may God help you if he discovered your hidden talent.

"You should sing on New Year's Eve! Entertain the guests before midnight. What's better than live music at a party?"

"I don't know, Tony... I haven't sung in so long."

"You literally just did two minutes ago!"

"Okay first, that was in my room where no one was watching and second, you weren't supposed to see that!"

Tony walked up to the mini stage with a microphone in one hand and a glass of Champagne in the other.  "Ladies and gentlemen, can I have your attention? I shouldn't be asking, after all, you were invited to my party." The elicited a few chuckles from the guests. "Let me start by thanking all of you for coming here tonight..."

Tony's speech was muffled by the grasp around your waist by a familiar pair of arms. "Nervous?"

"Extremely."  You smiled despite the averment.

"Baby, don't worry. I've heard you sing and you have one of the loveliest voices in the world."

"You're just saying that cause you're my boyfriend, Bucky..."

"That's true, but the latter is also true."

You turned around in his arms and threw yours around his neck. "Thank you for the encouraging words. I feel a bit lighter knowing that you'll be in the crowd."

"My pleasure, darling." He kissed you with his hands still on your waist, holding you close but Tony's words disrupted your moment.

"We have a special and exclusive performance tonight. Please welcome, my friend, ____ ____!“

The soft claps welcomed you and it was your turn to take the stage.

"Good evening, everybody. I'm y/n and I hope you enjoy my performance tonight."

A sprightly "whew!" was heard and you instantly recognized Clint's voice.

Your fingers pushed the first few notes of the intro and the sound immediately changed the atmosphere in the room.

"There's glitter on the floor after the party, girls carrying their shoes down in the lobby..." You sang to the microphone. "Candle wax and Polaroids on the hardwood floor, you and me from the night before but..."

"Don't read the last page but I stay when you're lost and I'm scared and you're turning away, I want your midnights but I'll be cleaning up bottles with you on new year's day." You still hadn't dared to gaze at the audience so you focused on looking down on the black and white keys.

"You squeezed my hand three times in the back of the taxi, I can tell that it's gonna be a long road. I'll be there if you're the toast of the town babe," you didn't know why but your heart drove your gaze to the crowd and you instantly found the person you were singing for. "...Or if you strike out and you're crawling home..."

"Don't read the last page but I stay when it's hard or it's wrong or we're making mistakes..." You didn't look away. You couldn't. Not when the love of your life was staring right back at you with those warm steel blue eyes. "I want your midnights, but I'll be cleaning up bottles with you on New Year's Day." You meant every word.

"Hold on to the memories, they will hold on to you, hold on to the memories, they will hold on to you, hold on to the memories, they will hold on to you." This time your eyes wandered to the crowd, familiar and strange faces staring back at you with contented looks and you hoped these words would cling to them.

"...And I will hold on to you." Because they did to you and you did to the man standing a few feet away from you but your hearts and your minds remained connected.

"Please don't ever become a stranger whose laugh I could recognize anywhere, please don't ever become a stranger whose laugh I could recognize anywhere..." A brief flashback played in your mind; the lovers turned strangers, the friends turned enemies, the loved ones turned ghosts. You barely heard from them anymore these days, but you could still remember their laughters, an epitome of the good memories. You hoped that this dynamic ragtag group of vigilantes would never turn into one of those tragedies. Another buried name that goes up to the monument.  

"There's glitter on the floor after the party, girls carrying their shoes down in the lobby, candle wax and polaroids on the hardwood floor," your heartbeat hummed the euphonious melody, "...You and me forevermore." There he was. Smiling at you. Always smiling because you were the light of his life and his simpers were genuine and frequent now.

"Don't read the last page, but I stay when it's hard or it's wrong or we're making mistakes, I want your midnights, but I'll be cleaning up bottles with you on New Year's Day, hold on to the memories, they will hold on to you, and I will hold on to you." You chanted the closing lyrics and when the last note resonated, the guests' claps were louder this time, invigorating your confidence.

Everyone returned to their own things; catching up with their friends, laughing on the couch and drinking by the bar and Natasha was even standing behind it like a professional part-time bartender. Some were slow dancing and the others are already a little too drunk.

"That was beautiful, doll."

"You think so?"

"I know so. You got a gift, you shouldn't hide it from the world."

"I'm not trying to hide it, Bucky. I just... I didn't have the time with the world-saving and all. And music makes people happy, but it doesn't save lives."

"Well, if I don't know when I'll see you play again, then I'm glad at least we got tonight. And you're wrong, doll. You certainly saved me."

"Your words will be the death of me, Barnes."

-

Everyone gathered around, watching the big screen displaying the countdown to midnight. As the numbers go down, the more energized people become. Your arms were tangled with Bucky's, not wanting to be far away from the person you loved the most seconds before the year finalizes its chapter.

For a moment there, you felt happy. You looked around to see your teammates with smiles on their faces, stress-free and humans. This job hadn't allowed you to be just a human living a normal life. But tonight was one of the rare moments where all of you could just be normal people celebrating holidays.

And then there was Bucky, the man who had lived for a century, whose entire life was stolen away from him, and the man that your heart chose to fall in love with, and you were lucky enough that he chose you too. You had spent two Christmases together, and now you were entering another new chapter together, and there was no one else you'd rather wake up with an awful hangover with. There was no one else who would be there to give you Advil in the morning and deal with your mess.

5,4,3,2,1...

"Happy New Year!"

You and Bucky kiss, as all the cheers and noises, faded into the background. Bucky grabbed you close by the waist, and you had your arms around his neck trying to hold onto his lips as long as possible. You ran your fingers through his hair, feeling all the overwhelming affection you had for him. Bucky felt it too deep in his bones, who would've thought that despite all the atrocities his hands had to commit, someone as beautiful and wonderful as you would love him despite it all? Would kiss him on New Year's Eve and would stick with him through another year?

"Happy new year, darling."

"Happy new year." You couldn't fake the smile forming on your face. “I can’t believe it’s our second New Year’s together.”

“There’s no one else I’d rather spend the rest of my New Years with.”

“Are you saying you’re willing to spend the rest of your New Years dealing with my cranky hangover moods and pulling my hair back when I throw up?”

“As long as it’s you, I’m ready for pretty much anything. You’ve had my back and picked up my mess when I was at my worst, doll and I didn’t deserve it, but you did so without asking for anything, and I’m willing to do the same for you.”

You nearly teared up at his words, the past two years hadn’t always been the smoothest road with rainbows and butterflies for you two. You stuck with Bucky through his nightmares, panic attacks and his therapy sessions and you loved him despite all his open wounds and permanent scars, and Bucky had never felt luckier to have fallen in love with you too along the way. It began with a friendship and bloomed into something deeper, and the last two New Years that you had spent together reminded you that you could walk through every hurricane that life threw at you as long as you were together.

“You always knew how to calm down my fears and lift up my spirit and I’m eternally grateful for that.”

“Guess we’re just perfectly imperfect for each other, huh?”

“Guess we are.” He kissed you again with a huge smile on his face and zest for writing the first page of 365 pages with you.

#bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes imagine #bucky barnes fanfic #bucky barnes one shot #bucky barnes fic #bucky barnes fluff #sebastian stan x reader #sebastian stan x you #sebastian stan imagine #sebastian stan fanfic #sebastian stan fic #sebastian stan one shot #sebastian stan fluff #bucky barnes au #myfestivevine

[sawamura-daichis-thighs]

For the writer asks! - 5, 8, 14, 19 and 20 💖

ahh, thank you!! ٩(◕‿◕)۶💖

meta asks:

5. What character that you’re writing do you most identify with?

I'm primarily writing for JJK (& a bit of Haikyuu!! too) atm, so I'd have to say Megumi. He's always struck me as a more introverted character than broody or stoic; he's pragmatic but has moments where emotion overrides his logic, cares so much about his few close family/friends, and is developing confidence in himself/his abilities, all of which I can definitely relate to. Also, we both think Yuuji is the epitome of goodness and sunshine, so there's that lol.

8. Is what you like to write the same as what you like to read?

Overall, yeah! Sometimes I get in a mood for some light angst, but not often, which is why the majority of my fic is hurt/comfort and fluff. I also enjoy reading long fic, as well as fantasy AUs (I'm actually a huge sucker for pirate/mermaid AUs!), though I don't really write them myself anymore.

14. At what point in writing do you come up with a title?

Oof, usually at the end right before posting. Very rarely do titles make themselves known to me beforehand or during a fic. I usually just browse through my pretty words tag until I find something that feels right lol. I think plant kisses like seeds and love's only demand is that we fall are the only titles that were 100% known before the fic(s) were written.

19. Is there something you always find yourself repeating in your writing? (favourite verb, something you describe ‘too often’, trope you can’t get enough of?)

For sure! Y'all know I love tropes like first kisses, friends-to-lovers, sharing a bed, and nightmare-induced h/c. I've written a couple of fics using some variant of the phrase "hands out in front of [them] like [they're] placating a wild thing", because the symbolism of earning the trust of a frightened creature in relation to emotionally fragile characters is just *chefs kiss* to me, and I know I use "startled out of [their] reverie" a lot. I give a lot of attention to describing heartbeats and eyes too, I think. (Sometimes I get a little too in my head about it when I realize I'm reusing the same tropes/adjectives/phrasing but I figure that's just my writing style.)

20. Tell us the meta about your writing that you really want to ramble to people about (symbolism you’ve included, character or relationship development that you love, hidden references, callbacks or clues for future scenes?)

Ugh, I wish I could answer this question for LOD because I could probably ramble about that for a while, but since it's not published yet I hope this is okay! I remember writing this section of on purpose, i love him and wondering if anyone would catch on to the double-meaning:

Love is the greatest curse of all, he remembers Gojo saying once, not directed at Megumi but hollow beneath his breath as if he were reminding himself, and although his eyes had been covered Megumi could tell his gaze was far away, focused on some distant memory that he couldn’t begin to imagine. Of all the lessons Gojo’s taught him over the years, this is the one that Megumi understands best.

He fell in love with a dead man, after all. The fact that he manages to return doesn’t make that fact any less true. Still, despite knowing this can only end in tragedy, Megumi chooses Itadori anyway. Grabs on with a white-knuckled grip and refuses to let go no matter the inevitable agony because Megumi’s a sorcerer and sorcerers exist to exorcise curses and Itadori Yuuji the boy deserves to be loved wholly.

Which is that Megumi, as a sorcerer, intends to exorcise the "curse" of love by allowing himself to love Yuuji unconditionally (Idk if that makes sense??). Also, it's a bit of a parallel to SatoSugu's relationship, though ItaFushi's is (hopefully) headed for a better endgame.

#kat answers #lovingiseasy-434 #sorry if the meta answer is a little lacking ^^'' #I've really gotta work on LOD again soon

[raccoons-inked-quill]

Stroll to Ingloslaght

Desc:

After months of being rejected for his morbid countence,the creature seeks revenge for his woes,now proceeding to Ingloslaght, to end the one who had this disaster all begun.

On his way,however,he stops for directions from a man seemingly in a bit of a predictament, having lost his glasses,a perfect and treasured opportunity to converse sans considering his frightening appearance

Author notes:

My God i wrote this like. Months ago and then got stuck hdhdhd. I may continue as a second chapter later? But I left the ending a tad open ended since I got stuck on it so long.

For weeks I treaded amongst the depths of the woods ,my grotesque figure hidden from the likes of man's gaze by the fortunate shade. And for what reason must I so meticulously lurk in these dreaded woodlands, woven through thorns and branches,to preserve my sight from humanity? The very burning passion that has kept me on my feet ,who's written words regarding myself have sent me on this prolonged travels. It was this man himself,by the name of Victor Frankenstein, whom had so cruelly sculpted me into my detestable shape. And it was that very man I treaded onwards in hopes he will be sought out. That for being forsaken to dispose existence upon me in this wretched condition by his own hands,he will pay with the likes of his own life.

After such  travels, my fruition drew closer. I arrived to the borders of Ingloslaght. What an enlightening  concoction had ignited within me then. I was grappled and willingly overtaken by rage and euphoria,but yet a vaguely present melancholy festered  despite my wishes for it to abstain.

Then proceeded a new realization within me. I knew the man by name,but not by his appearance. Only scarce remnants of the man I remember. Youth still very much blessed his visage, yet at the same time,he in no manner was remotely vigorous. The man held a starking contrast in the fact that he nonetheless appeared entirely unkempt  and teetering on the brinks of life and death much too early if his youthful features stood true.

It was by these aspects alone I must go by,as all else in my mind I only recall as a blur,and that leaves me a far too broad description. 

My conclusion, was that I must  temporarily reveal myself in order to acquire where the fool resided. I had an inkling of an idea given by the brief details provided in his journal. He attended university, and his teachings he received was made up of atleast two professors. Krempe and Waldman. This aside,I knew I soon will be forced to inquire to someone amongst mankind,likely by force given I know well enough my looks will not provide me to any civil conversation.

It was by this thought my vehement dedication was temporarily stunted by dread.

I was moved to only scratch the brinks of the town,and could not bring myself to any confrontation even when opportunity seemed fit. Everytime,I found myself grow close to presenting myself,only to draw gingerly away. The only hope that spared my sense of confidence was that I came closer to enacting out this deed when I thought out my motivations, of avenging myself by the fated and horrid death of Victor Frankenstein . 

For once life granted me a faithful advantage,one that had so fortunately removed the need to inquire upon a member of humanity with the complexities that came with force. Whilst making my typical rounds around the outer trails of Ingloslaghts nature,I stumbled upon a pair of glasses that had evidently not been there long,as there was a lack of dirt and cracks upon it that would not be possible if it were there for more then a day.

I glanced forwards,and immediately met whom I assumed to be their owner. I froze in my posture as the young man had glanced upon me,surely certain that he would remark in terror upon my ghastly form. Then enthrallingly,he only smiled politely. He spoke in a language I couldn't seem to make sense of,so I had quite discomfortedly added that I could not make sense of him in my native tongue. To yet more of my surprise,he seemed to  light up upon hearing it,recognizing it as if it were his own.

"Sir! Hello,it seems I may have to request of you some help,if you don't take it as too much a grievance. I seem to have misplaced something gravely vital,my glasses,and I was wondering if you had caught sight of it."

I couldn't seem to place my finger on the particular origin of his accent, but I had assumed it to be to some form of a French speaking country. I picked up the glasses from where they lay perched in the ground,my grasp on them light.

"Afraid not." I responded.  

"Do you think it will be much trouble to you on your own ? It seems that you've been rendered utterly blind without them,it will be of no trouble to my time to lend aid."

The man's eyes took a final glance at the ground below,as what I had considered to be  his  last resort. Of course, the poor soul had resigned his search  and looking displeased but nonetheless unsurprised,he sheepishly nodded.

"I assume I'll be forced to manage,I have a spare somewhere at home." He concluded with a faint disappointment 

"I think I may have caught sight of a glimmer not too far off the trail here,some sort of glass."

This statement had gotten his attention,as he ever so slightly had tilted his head in intrigue

"Oh! Would you mind to show me where you'd spotted it?"

I cheerfully obliged, indulging him in the lie I had swiftly constructed. It would be simple and quick, I reasoned, to quickly converse with this man about the whereabouts of my wretched creator. I had thought to myself that he hadn't appeared much older in comparison, a part of me took an unnerving familiarity in him,thus I assumed this reasoning to be a fair explanation. 

He wobbled forwards,his balance faltering on more than one instance. If not already clear by his absent remarks acknowledging my form,the way he had stumbled forwards in absolute obliviousness to his surroundings had distinguished it well enough. Easily I took pity upon the fellow,as he unlike Delacey hadn't frequented the ability to navigate without the sense of sight.

Evidently he was mildly displeased with the aid,more in resent towards having come off needy. He made certain it wasn't in direction towards myself,as the faint polite smile had returned to his face when he had looked upon me.

"I apologize,you must find yourself vexed to be so suddenly tied to these tasks. I hope I haven't burdened your walks,or whatever finds you out here in these trails."

"I reside not far off from here,in not much more then a humble hut,but it is a temporary abode. There is no place i find myself long."

"Ah,a traveler,I presume?"

I analyzed this title placed onto me,and found it a fair summary. Since the Delacey's,there is truly no place shall I find myself confined,I must always be in travel,to preserve myself from the likes of man. A tinge of frustration had emerged within me,and once more i was reminded of what I was in need of doing.

"I suppose so. But there is.."

I had struggled to put to proper words,a fair description to my enemy without revealing suspicion in such open malice.

"Someone,in which I plan to visit."

He nodded once more,that grin still on his face,strangly its formal politeness presented as if it were something he had long rehearsed,as if he found the intricacies of small talk alike to following the script of a play.

 Although I found my task to be in dire need of proceeding too,I felt the desire to converse further. As it is with no other  since Delacey I had experience to even a brief casual exchange as this. I took graciously to not waste the rarity of the moment,where I would not be taken in my grotesque glory,but as if I were no more revoltingly significant then any other human individual.

"I must ask myself,it is rare that I am to witness any other walk amongst these parts. What is it that has  lead you here?"

He trailed down to look upon his hands, which rested a leathered notebook in one and a  twirling quill in another,spinning with a repetitive motion.

"It is these parts that my dearest friend Henry has frequently visited and discussed fondly of. He is a man who partakes immensely in the pleasures of its nature.

I cannot repay the abundance of compassion he has recently displaced upon me. I am not too well in demonstrating my care,as passionate as it comes. However, I reckoned it would please him if I had sketched out these places,as a souvenir."

"I may confess,that I often am lead to consider my life nothing more then wretched,but it is in nature in which none are spared of its serenity that I find peace. I am certain he will find much appreciation in it permanently preserved. Do you mind if I see it?"

He chuckled then,clearly happy i had taken interest ,and he had shifted from his rehearsed nature to something that appeared to be more geniune. 

"Certainly! Though I haven't quite finished nor fixed its mistakes,and I can't seem to do so in my current condition"

I took the notebook from my remaining free hand,my other still enveloped around his  glasses to prevent revealing their shape,which I reckoned he would distinguish in the blur.

Haphazardly, I had found myself on his stated works. Of course,there on the page remained an illustration that had captured the epitome of our surroundings embodied by a diverse array of ink strokes. I smiled on it fondly,taking much fascination in its dedication. In this admiration I found a sense of tragedy. What anomaly had I befallen then! 

Mankind had possesed the likes to bring into reality  the upmost wonderous of creations,how fascinating do I find this feeble man's illustrations,of which intricately demonstrate the scenery before us embodied with its own sense of beauty. More on this I reminisced,beyond that of this particular man. How oft had I become to being moved by the words of Milton and Goethe,which they had just alike he before me, in their own manner intimately captured the complexities of the world accompanied by their own beauty. It was by mankind's creations  had built the backs of my own character, and made a good expanse to my knowledge. How cruel is it,then,that just as capable of bestowing this lovely artistry,that one outlier had fabricated the wretch that is myself, exempt from the beloved due to how morbidly I was devised.

"Im more than certain your friend will find themselves pleased,you have an immense talent.  I hope you dont find this rude, may I request on you a favor?" 

The man grinned still ,pleased by the praise,but had once again paused to construct a response to what had followed.

"You may,i suppose i do owe you one for the troubles. Though I am not sure if I am in position to do what you request."

"Its simply no more then a nagging question"

I had looked towards him to say this,and again I had been struck with a surreal distant familiarity to this man's features. Infesting my mind with an entourage of haunting explanation. The frail face of the man,in the same nature of distant memory evidently young yet prematurely frail and worn. "Have i irked you?"

The man interupted

"It is not thus,no manner have I been disturbed,rather simply I am lost in a rather unrelated contemplation"

"What must that be?"

I found it proper then to ask,as much I had appreciated the time spent in engaging conversation, I must not let the topic at hand i had brought myself forth in confronting this man to be forgotten so wrecklessly. It would be soon enough that one would tire of this conversation and he may request of a continued search in his spectacles that I held within my hand to his lacking knowledge.  

"Do you know of a Victor Frankenstein?"

"Know of?"

Theres a bewilderment in his voice.

"I am Victor Frankenstein."

In this abhorrent revelation, the glasses, once held quietly in my grasps, cracked from the palms of my despicably putrid hands,piercing skin. A putrid nature only given to me by the young man before me. This wretched boy's countence,by no surprise to his timid nature,shifted to a cowardly form. A realization,though not yet of my identity.

"Were those my glasses?"

He remarked,distressed.

In this flurry of a moment,I came to a response. An excuse no less,the boy would continue to live in obliviousness. 

"Id stepped on them,it seems,I'm dreadfully sorry to that."

"Oh,thats-thats-uh..rather unfortunate."

He had come to a loss of words, he was quiet,his hand now anxiously squeezing his arm in what was presumed an unconscious effort by cause of his ever growing anxiousness.

"I  do have a spare at home though I really would hate to inconvenience you more with this task at hand then I already did. Though I think its a rather potent risk of me to try and return by my lonesome. My vision is absolutely poor,and without them I am rendered close to blind."

I was fairly indecisive, this man before me. That whom brought upon  my miseries,now by his lonesome was in evident need of attendance, mine specifically as we stood alone,although in that lies the issue that the wretch stood none the wiser that  I am vehemently scorned by his faults.

I should find this a perfect opportunity in evoking destruction, of letting out my more cruel nature that he too held to creating by his neglectful devices.  Yet all the same,I was hesitant in acting forth my vengence. Perhaps,if I move him further off from the sights of the town,I may find better opportunity and courage in his killing.

"I can attend to that. Though if you may see this option fit,I would have drastic preference that I am to partake in the sceneic walk. I am alike you an admirer of nature,and one whom does not fair well amougst the vast crowds of townsfolk. "

He gave no verbal reply to this,instead,he gestured out to extend his arm,to which I obliged in holding rather awkwardly. Off we had proceeded,towards the depths of the woods to which no man would follow. Perhaps,my hesitancy would leave me then.

#this is NOT shippy btw. please do not take it as so #frankenstein #mary shelly's frankenstein #writing #victor frankenstein #fanfic

[formless-monkeys]

What is your favorite relationship(s) in the show (romantically or platonically, doesn’t matter!)

Anon you will regret opening pandora’s box. Or not. In any case, this post is going to be very long because I’m full of love. Also, anything marked romantic does not need to be romantic for me to lose my shit over them. In no particular order, either. Just in the order I thought of them.

1. The Black-eyed trio

Characters: Otto, Sparx, and Gibson.

Type: Platonic, Romantic,

Explanation: These three are grouped together by virtue of not being obscenely powerful and serving more practical uses on the team. Also, their eyes are all the same color. Besides the poetic connections of the colors of their design, they were alone in the robot together while the other three monkeys were out training.

Sparx and Gibson’s interactions give me life, going from playful jabs to genuine fighting right back to ride-or-die is amazing. The beginning of Night Of Fear, the battles in Brothers In Arms, and a bunch of small moments throughout the series are wonderful for this.

I could write an essay about Otto and Gibson, and someone else already has, but I’ll summarize it as ADHD autism solidarity with a side of Shut The Fuck Up Gibson. They care about each other and learn to respect each other in a way that’s better for both of them. I know a real-life Gibson to my Otto and learning that she’s just pretentious and doesn’t really hate anyone, and figuring out that we’re both equally brilliant and incredibly similar has made life a million times better.

Otto and Sparx don’t have as much development as Gibson with both of them, but their jokes together and general trust is amazing. Sparx is the dumb monkey and Otto supports him in his himbo endeavors. 

These three together make an unstoppable technical team, and the only reason they probably couldn’t be a superhero team on their own is because of the raw power and fun dynamics brought by the other half of the team. 

Romantically, these three would make the DUMBEST polycule ever. There is no true mediator here. It’s three dumbasses figuring out how they could possibly share a twin-sized bed when they have the ability to just make a bigger bed. Gibson calculates the most efficient 3 monkey makeout and none of them follow the statistics. They all give Chiro equally useless and conflicting advice on homework. Trying to give them a mediator in the polycule just makes me go back to shipping polymonkeys because I literally can’t decide if Antauri or Nova go better with them.

2. Quiet trust and encouragement

Characters: Otto, Antauri

Type: Platonic, Romantic

Explanation: When Otto is being dismissed by the other monkeys, or by the show itself, Antauri is usually the first to say “that’s bullshit, Otto is wonderful”. Circus Of Ooze is a notable example, but there are little moments in other seasons as well. 

I just love the idea of the historically MOST SERIOUS and strongest monkey, sometimes even elevated to god-like status by some fanworks... paired with the monkey that has been infantilized and disrespected to no end. I personally like making Antauri have to lean on Otto, just to subvert that even further. 

Beyond spite, I ship this simply because I like their dynamic. Antauri needs someone to ground him with more tactile physical things, and Otto needs someone to share his more nebulous thoughts I can’t imagine the others listening to. I love them.

Also, I want Antauri to unlock his true dumbass potential. He has the abilities, but not the will. Be silly with Otto. I want to hear him snort-laugh.

I literally forgot all the silver monkey stuff but I got three fics about that you know I go nuts over mechanic x robot shit.

3. The monkeys and their human son.

Characters: Chiro, Antauri, Nova, Sparx, Gibson, Otto

Type: Familial

Explanation: This family gives me joy. They were forced together through astronomical means and they made the best of it. 

Everyone living in the robot is absolutely fucked up. They help each other in the darkest of times. They lift each other up when it’s light. They are a perfect team and nobody can be missing without it feeling wrong. But they can add people!

“Girl Trouble” as a concept is AMAZING to me but my secondhand embarrassment is so strong that I hate the episode. But never once is any of the monkeys resentful of Chiro. Not even Mandarin is like “wow I wish he didn’t take my place” no he’s also struck with the urge to nurture this kid to his fullest potential. Whether you see the team as a bunch of older siblings or 4 dads and a mom doesn’t really matter, they’re a family.

I mean, this also has a sprinkling of shipping all the monkeys in a really domestic way because I like seeing my optimal future in characters I like, but like literally all of these, it doesn’t need to be romantic for me to go nuts. I just think it would be fun to throw just a big monkey wedding or whatever. And funnier for Antauri to go “Chiro I’m having a baby. The baby is you” and holding up adoption papers because on the principle of Toby “Radiation” Fox I love that joke, especially when made much less weird than the original context.

I have a set of characters who is just 5 people in a polycule raising kids and living life because I really love this concept as a family.

4. Evil Coworkers

Characters: Mandarin, Sakko

Type: Romantic, Platonic,

Explanation: Why the hell are these two, in particular, working together? SK could’ve put Mandarin with literally anybody else and he chose what on the surface appears to be the LEAST compatible person on the account that they’re both monkeys. Some bitter asshole who now looks like the epitome of toxic masculinity and this tiny pink pet who used his femininity both as an advantage and a style. They’re different but it ends up working really well for both of them because they’re different in ways that cover each other’s bases. It’s wonderful. Pink and Orange go well together. Green and Purple go well together. Mandarin and Sakko go well together. Also, they clearly trust each other. During almost the entirety of “Hidden Fortress” Sakko was presumably just chilling inside of Mandarin’s armor. Mandarin trusted him enough to have Sakko in a place where he’s able to mess with his cybernetics, and Sakko trusted Mandarin enough to go into the battlefield with him and probably get tossed around.

If they were both human and in a more modern media, then they would definitely be shipped in the straightest way you can get without actually being straight. The Straightest Gay Ship. 

5. A Witch and her Accidental Evil Coworker

Characters: Skelemandarin, Valeena.

Type: Platonic, Romantic, 

Explanation: These two have been through some shit. Skelemandy was made to serve Skeleton King only to have that purpose yanked away from him. Valeena was groomed to idolize and serve Skeleton King for nearly her entire life. They were forced together by SHEER CHANCE and they both hated it. Arguably they both died at some point. 

They both have absolutely NOBODY they can trust so let’s make them trust each other. All hilarity and sweetness comes from that. 

Their dynamic is so good that I have them on a blog for a COMPLETELY DIFFERENT FANDOM and people love them with no context. 

This is the only cross-species ship I have (besides chinmay and the antauri ships but that doesn’t count), but the fact that Skelemandy isn’t actually a monkey and needs no cybernetic assistance to be human-level sentient makes it a lot less weird. Just put them on equal ground power-wise (like by nerfing Valeena’s magic) and you have the ingredients for bonding. 

They have like, no cute moments in canon, but that’s why we have fics and art. They have potential. I want them to help each other figure out who they are without their purpose. I want them to survive this horrible life together. I want them to figure out how to trust again. I want a lot but Valeena is fucking dead.

But she doesn’t have to be.

(Also Valeena is REALLY HOT and Skelemandarin is just me as a monkey)

6. Gay Dads

Characters: The Alchemist, Captain Shuggazoom

Type: Romantic, Platonic

Explanation: Oh my stars. Oh null. Oh me oh my hhougfhfakjghf. These two have the angst of Mantauri but on crack. 

They only appeared in about two episodes each and all three episodes are top tier. They call each other “Friend” multiple times in their shared episode. THEY’RE FRIENDS!!!!!!!!! The face Al makes when he realizes that Cap is visiting makes me really happy. The fact that Cap had this whole Batman Double Life thing and he shows the Alchemist BOTH OF THEM is amazing. The alchemist is a hermit living in the woods and he lets Cap into that life. 

There isn’t a lot shown, much less than everything else here. But that makes every single fanfic so much richer since they’re almost completely based on headcanons. Friends who have a mutual crush on each other but are No Homo about it? Secret boyfriends? Husbands with 6 monkey kids? An Old man and a grumpy Skeleton making it work? Literally just platonic friends? Dude, you can do whatever you want. 

The tragedy of these two losing each other to one big horrible event crushes me. It influences my every move in my creative work. I have an entire character dedicated to reuniting these two in the most astronomical and ridiculous way possible because the alchemist angered the gods but she thinks he needs some company in his eternal punishment.

I want Clayton to unlock Al’s less serious, more fun side. I want them to work together. I want them to hold hands. GHGHGHDFBG UTTHTYE CNAZSNT EBCV ASUA ER

7. The girl power duo

Characters: Nova, Jinmay

Type: Familial

Explanation: These two were my only comfort during the uncomfortable nightmare that is “The Hills Have Five”

Nova was the one who trained Jinmay, and it seems like they hang out a lot offscreen in season 4. They fulfill the early 2000′s cartoon archetypes of girl and Girl, so they’re supposed to get along. If they didn’t I probably wouldn’t like Jinmay.

Nova is a really good big sister/parental figure to Jinmay, who never had any family to speak of. 

Anyway, this entry has to be shorter because most of their bonding is in “The Hills Have Five” which is either #1 or #2 in my least favorite episode list. Not because it’s bad, but because it makes me viscerally uncomfortable. I really wish literally any other character than Jinmay was in her role in that episode. Or that the “taken to an offscreen area by an adult man while she screams” just wasn’t there. SHE’S 13!!! Nova did literally all she could to help. 

I really like that scene in questionable where Valeena kills almost the entire gang. It’s what they deserve.

Look I just really like Jinmay and I always have. She deserves a good Mom.

8. "My Second In Command”

Characters: Antauri, Mandarin

Type: Theoretical

Explanation: The fandom has really made this ship go from “literally nothing to stand on” to “integral plot point in a lot of fics”. Seriously. I have TWO screenshots that vaguely imply these two ever stood next to each other on the battlefield. This was entirely title-based and fan-made until ProjectAfectivity interviewed Ciro. Yeah he knows Antauri but only as well as the rest of the team. Anyway. Wow. This ship.

This is by far the worst breakup in history. These two, despite what Antauri says, were on equal ground at some point. According to Ciro (and fan speculation), they trained together. This (and other Mandy ship) changes wildly depending on if you think Mandarin was corrupted by the portal or not. Maybe Mandarin was once a kind leader who just crossed the wrong boundaries and paid for it. He could’ve held Antauri gently before battle. He could’ve been the monkey Antauri went to when he needed someone to talk to. He could’ve hyped the team up like Chiro does.

Or maybe, they were constantly fighting against each other in small ways. An incredibly unhealthy relationship, yes, but an interesting story. I like stories where Antauri isn’t this all-knowing pillar of stability. He’s got weaknesses. One of them may have been Mandarin.

Now that’s a good nickname from one to the other.

Imagine Antauri, in a moment of complete trust, declaring Mandarin his weakness. A sweet sentiment. They both know the other is incredibly strong, and trust that the other would never take advantage of that connection. They love each other. Until...

9. "My Closest Ally”

Characters: Otto, Mandarin

Type: Theoretical

Explanation: Okay I'm looking at the screenshot I put for this entry while also having watched Evil Ages recently. My brain is making uncomfortable connections. Combine that with the fandom and the show’s general treatment of Otto and I’m about to slam my head into a wall. I really do not like that, but I feel like there’s somebody out there who does. 

Anyway, this is Gibotto and Ottauri but with all the spice that shipping Mandarin with one of the other monkeys brings. When done well, it’s all the respecting Otto that comes with Ottauri and all the intimate partnership of Gibotto. And the Angst of Mantauri, but a lot more grounded. 

It paints a lot of stories. A story of a single point of comfort in a world Mandarin thinks is out to get him. A story of powerful validation from the one authority in Otto’s life. Of letting your guard down. Of trust, then breaking that trust.

I’d LOVE to see some things with Mandottotauri because that’s epic and cool and poggers. Don’t see a lot, though.

10.The Hets, I guess.

Characters: Jinmay, Chiro. 

Type: Romantic. Platonic. Canon.

Explanation: Look two entries on this list are polyamorous and four of them are mandarin so I have to say SOMETHING for the heteroes following me. Picked this ship over Spova because when I was a young child still suffering from comphet, I never watched the last episode of the show. I only saw up to season 3 at the most. This was the only canon ship for me. And out of all the ships, it’s the most relatable. I’m currently a teenager with black hair who looks really good in eyeliner dating a girl with pink hair who can pick me up and is unbelievably sweet. Except we’re gay and polyam. Wait a second I totally had a crush on Jinmay as a kid and now my gf is the Jinmay in this situation. Oh my god I was going to make this comparison if I did Spova too and I liked Nova.

ANYWAY

These are two LONELY kids. Chiro had bullies during school, and now he doesn’t even go to school. Jinmay hasn’t really had friends at all. Two kids with places in their universe that they aren’t too sure about, and just need someone to lean on. Their date was cute. They instantly bonded over their love of monkeys and I love that. 

The super robot is sometimes an analog for Chiro, in the first two season at least, and the way the super robot held Jinmay’s hands to keep her steady on the COB while her head flew in was SO SWEET. Chiro’s instant recognition and reaction to Jinmay’s head being thrown at the team, as well. He really loves her.

I think it’d be interesting if she didn’t love him back, though. I might take a stab at writing that.

#srmthfg #super robot monkey team hyperforce go #srmthg #chinmay #Mandotto #Mantauri #Mandareena #Manokko #Captain Alchemist #Ottauri #Polymonkeys #Gibottarx #Anonymous

[mnthpprt]

Chapter 20: The Actress Drops Her Mask

[edited to add my cover because a couple people liked the last one]

“What a terrible composition.” Several minutes into the sonata, a man standing nearby begins to complain. “I don’t understand why the host likes him so much, that hornswoggler can’t even play well.”

I turn to the man, and raise an eyebrow upon seeing the rounded, short-nailed fingers gripping his glass close to his face. A jealous pianist, no doubt. And a very drunk one, too.

“Really? I’ve heard some people claim him to be Mozart reborn,” I say, nonchalant, and hold back a smile. If only he knew. Thankfully, no one seems to be paying attention to us.

“Then those people are imbeciles!” he declares angrily before downing what’s left in his glass. After he regains his composure, he gets uncomfortably close to me. “What is a belle mademoiselle like yourself doing all alone here?”

Shit, apparently some men will be gross regardless of the time’s customs.

“Actually, I came here with...”

Halfway through my sentence, I spot Shakespeare talking to another gentleman, not too far from us. I wave my hand in the air to catch his attention, and soon he is walking towards us.

“Guillaume!” I exclaim, and curl my arm around his. “You know I hate it when you leave me alone like that, my love.” Unfazed by my whining, he plays along without missing a beat and reaches up to stroke my cheek.

“My sweet rose, thou knowest I shall always come back to thee. For where thou art, there is the world itself, and where thou art not, desolation.” I recognize the quote from one of his plays, but I fail to remember which one.

“Oh, Guillaume, you’re making me blush!” I pull him closer, effortlessly playing the role of the smitten lover, and lean up to whisper into his ear through a fake smile. “Get me out of here.”

“Let us go out into the balcony, my dearest Anaïs,” he says, wrapping his arm around my waist. “We shall find more privacy there, where thou shall need not whisper these sweet nothings that make my heart flutter.”

The second we set foot outside, hidden from view, I let go and step away from him.

“Thanks,” I say before taking a much needed sip of champagne. “That man is green with envy, it was insufferable. By the way, I hate roses,” I chuckle, remembering the nickname he gave me.

“But thy beauty is that of the most lovely flower. Besides, it is always my pleasure to aid a damsel in distress,” he smiles, and I roll my eyes. A damsel in distress? Please, I practically dragged him here.

I look inside to make sure no one is watching, and proceed to set my glass on the stone railing and lift the hem of my dress, this time to grab the box of cigarillos tied to my left leg. Shakespeare observes me in silence, and shakes his head when I offer one. I light mine and lean on the balustrade, inhaling a deep puff of smoke.

“Thou art full of surprises, Anaïs,” he finally speaks. “I knew when I laid eyes upon thee that thou art not an ordinary woman.” I perk up and look at him.

“Did le Comte not tell you? I’m from the 21st century.”

“I was aware of thou being a guest of his, but he neglected to mention thou hadst traveled through time as well,” he says, his mismatched eyes shining with curiosity. They almost look like they’re glowing, like a cat’s. He gives me a tilted smile. “Thou art quite the actress, I must say.”

I playfully take a bow, stifling a laugh.

“You’re not too bad yourself. Although I should expect nothing less, from the great Bard of Avon himself,” I say, lifting the cigarillo to my lips. I thoughtfully look out from the balcony and breathe out the smoke before turning to face him again, my eyes narrowed. “Did you write ‘The Taming of the Shrew’ as a tragedy or a comedy?”

“A tragedy,” he answers immediately, and a satisfied smile grows on my face.

“Carlos owes me 50 pounds.” He tilts his head at my celebratory statement. “I just won a bet against a friend,” I explain. “There is a lot of debate in the future about how the play is supposed to be interpreted. The general consensus is that it’s a comedy. My friend Carlos studies literature, and he thinks the misogyny portrayed is just a product of its time, but I always thought you were making a point. Same for ‘Romeo and Juliet’. Isn’t that one a comedy?”

“Of course, what else could it be?” he laughs.

“See? They got everything backwards.” I sip my champagne. “Two literal children commit suicide after knowing each other for... what, like three days? Yet people still see it as the epitome of romance. I don’t get it.”

“Most people lacketh the insight to see what thou see, it appears. Which is why I only base my plays on those whom are extraordinary, for I have lost interest in the unremarkable dealings of lesser gents.” He pauses and glances at the ballroom. “It soundeth like Mozart hath ended his performance.”

He’s right, the music has stopped. I put out my cigarillo and return the box to its place under my dress.

“I better go before he starts looking for me. I enjoyed our talk, William.” I smile and excuse myself with a nod before heading back inside.

I discard my glass on a nearby table when spot him in the crowd, receiving the praises of a small group of people. Were it not for his striking white hair, I don’t think I would have recognized him. He’s acting like a completely different person.

“I do not deserve your kind words, monsieur,” he tells one of the men, the same one with the beard that went on the stage before. I assume he is the host of the ball. He puts his arm around my back when I enter the circle. “This is my companion, Anaïs Bertran,” he introduces me with a charming smile I did not think he was capable of.

“Pleasure to meet you, mademoiselle Bertran,” he greets me, taking my hand when I hold it out. By now, I have learned the basics of social etiquette in this period. “When I heard you were a guest of my dear friend Saint Germain I could not wait to have you here,” he tells me. I guess ‘Guillaume’ filled him in on some details. “Oh, how rude of me, I forgot to introduce myself! Pardon me, mademoiselle. Marcel Rossignol, at your disposal.”

“Thank you for inviting me, monsieur Rossignol,” I say with a polite smile. “Tonight has been lovely so far”

“I am glad to hear that. It is about to get even better. I trust you like waltz?”

Before I can answer, the small band that now takes up the stage begins playing, and ‘Wolfram Theophilus Perti’ extends his hand for me to take, to the delight of the group, who observe us in fascination.

“Will you dance with me, Anaïs?”

“It would be my pleasure, Wolf.” I take his hand and he guides me to the center of the ballroom. Out of the corner of my eye, I could swear I just saw a young lady swoon, and I can’t help but quietly agree with the sentiment. With his insufferably haughty attitude kept in check, Mozart seems to be quite the charmer. Not to mention how incredibly beautiful he is.

He leads effortlessly, and I follow his impeccably coordinated steps with his hand on my waist and mine on his shoulder. The dance itself is easy, like skating without the wheels. Once he knows I can keep up, he twirls us into increasingly elaborate moves, carefully avoiding other couples that have joined us.

“I am surprised you haven’t tripped yet,” he says, suddenly reminding me who my dance partner is.

“God, you’re the worst.”

He sends me on a spin with incredible speed, which I interpret as retaliation for my remark. This is his passive aggressive way of challenging me.

“Where did you learn to dance like this?” I ask once we slow down.

“My father was always strict and obsessed with perfection. Socializing is part of being a musician, especially when the aristocracy is involved. I hate it with a passion, but I do what I have to. For the music.”

“Oh.” This is the most he’s ever talked to me, and I don’t really know how to respond. Before I can think of something to say, he ends our brief conversation by spinning me around once again.

By the time the song ends, I need to catch my breath. Mozart’s surprising agility is incredibly hard to keep up with, and I am exhausted from the effort it took to prove him wrong and avoid stepping on his feet. It was undeniably fun, however, and I enjoyed the challenge. The next song is slower, which provides a much needed break for my concentration and an excellent opportunity to keep talking. I am intrigued by this beautiful man, and his cold demeanor just makes me want to tear down his walls even more.

“I like how passionate you are about what you do,” I tell him. “I wish I was more like you in that sense.” I mean every word of it. Mozart is so devoted to his music that he has become one with it, to the point of using it as his language. During the week and a half that I have stayed at the mansion, I couldn’t help but notice how his emotions are so clearly displayed through the songs he plays. When I bring him hot chocolate, his melodies tend to become light and comforting. A few days ago, his music sheets flew out the window of his room. After I went to return them, the notes became fast and aggressive, because he was upset that the papers had become soiled from falling in the garden. What he feels is bare for all to hear, despite how emotionless he acts. One only needs to listen.

“Why?” he simply asks. It’s like he can’t understand what I am saying.

“What do you mean, why?” He just stares blankly at me as we keep dancing. At least he is no longer spinning until I get dizzy. “To have something to live for. To have a purpose,” I answer. To me, it’s obvious. “I’m just going through the motions, you know? Like waltz. I take the same steps every day, just to keep moving. I breathe, I eat, and I sleep. I water the flowers, I read... And all for what? I just feel like I keep waiting for something, but I have no idea what that is. I’ll be stuck in this pointless cycle until the day I die.”

I want to blame the champagne on an empty stomach, but to be fair, he’s the one who asked. After making me realize how tired I am of pretending, no less. Everything’s fine, I tell myself, ignoring every single thing that makes it not fine. In truth, I am merely surviving, keeping myself busy to forget how much I wish I could just... become a lump of moss, or something. That would be an easier existence. No consciousness, no problems.

“You sound like Jean.” I have no idea what that means, but I don’t bother to ask. “It’s not pointless... You make good chocolate.”

I chuckle at the compliment. This is the first positive thing Mozart has ever said to me. I look up at him as we dance, and am surprised to see him smile. It is so faint, but undoubtedly genuine this time, and the light tug at the corners of his mouth makes me feel better. I am starting to like him.

“That shall be my newfound purpose, then,” I joke, mirroring his smile. “Making you chocolate.”

The song comes to an end, and Mozart leads me away from the dance floor. He finds Rossignol and lets him know that we must leave, before thanking him for the evening. Though it is still early, I don’t complain. I think I want to get out of here too.

#ikemen vampire #ikevam #ikevamp #ikemen #ikemen fanfiction #ikemen vampire fanfiction #ikevam fanfic #ikevamp fanfiction #ikemen vampire shakespeare #ikevamp shakespeare #ikemen vampire mozart #ikevamp mozart #cover

[chaoticnerdreview]

Dare Me 10: The Beauty Of Knowledge

Apples, apples, apples. We’ve talked about them before but what is truly important has a way of coming back to you. And what’s rotten, well, it consumes you, sometimes slowly, until the end. Which is where we are, isn’t it? So for this season finale, we go all the way back to the beginning of time: to the Garden of Eden.

You see, in the story as old as time, Adam and Eve were warned to not eat the forbidden fruit - apples - from the Tree of Knowledge. While they looked scrumptious, eating them would go against the one simple request of the creator for it would open them up - and all mankind - to evil. Eating from the Tree of Knowledge would, besides granting them the power of information, it would also transform evil into a real thing rather than a concept looming in the far away horizon.

Unfortunately, Eve fell into the hypnotising lies of a charming snake. An animal so powerful it lured Eve, through her slow swaying and her silver tongue, into taking one apple of the tree. As if that’s what Eve truly desired. As if that transgression was everything Eve ever needed to be free. And lord, was the apple good. Enlightening. Enriching. Enticing. So good Eve had to share it with Adam yet he chocked on a bite of it. A lump stuck forever in mankind’s throat.

As promised, this choice had everlasting consequences and what could’ve been a happy story became a tragedy. In the season finale of our lovely little show, we are reminded that at some point in our lives,

(gif my the greatest of all time @klexacru​)

COLETTE FRENCH AKA THE DECEIVING SNAKE

Would you look at that, if it isn’t the apple of our eyes. Colette French. The woman that searches for the missing pieces of her puzzle in other people. The woman who projects her ambitions in a teenager who still has all the chances in the world to succeed. The woman who needs to take and take and take to fulfil the empty void inside herself.

Colette knew exactly what her job meant for those girls. The importance of being the flag bearer for a group of girls in between growing pains. She was fully aware of what her love meant to Will. The importance of being gentle to his damaged soul beyond repair. She certainly had no doubts in her mind that she could do it all while balancing being a mother and a wife… Until she didn’t.

Just like the snake in the Garden of Eden, knowing she held all the power in her hands, she started shedding her cracked skin to reveal her true form. Little by little. Whispering in Addy's ear to move forward, push harder, become this and that. Weaselling her way into Addy's head - similarly to how she did with Will - and pulling the strings. Left, right. Good, bad. Shoot, detach. But the thing about Colette, as well as her snake counterpart, is that she forgot what happens after you eat the apple. After the knowledge reaches every part of your body, your soul. When that enlightenment happens, the lies that the snake spewed dissipate and that surely happened with Addy. That glass window separating the new freedom of Addy's mind and the forced closure of Colette's guilt metaphorically chattered between them to reveal the truth. And nothing else.

Colette French, once seen as the great liberator, was nothing more than the deceiving snake of Eden, locked behind a double glass, just like the snakes you can find at the zoo.

BETH CASSIDY AKA ADAM'S APPLE

At the beginning of our series, Beth was given to us as the epitome of beauty. The first born. The majestic creature that makes time slow down wherever she goes. We were introduced to her as if she was the chosen one, the cream of the crop. And yet, the more we found her, the more we saw she wasn’t so round after all. She has many corners, dark alleys and shadows. 

But every inch of beauty she has, she harnessed the knowledge of it all. Perhaps even more than she should have. Because, from a young age, she saw what happens if you choose beauty. If you choose to fake your smile for someone else. If you choose vanity over truth. You become rotten and no matter what you use to hide that reality from others - as well as yourself - it’ll consume you. The same way it consumes her mother and the same way it suffocates her father.

Which means that, from the get go, Beth knew they were being surrounded by a snake. She could feel the hairs on the back of her neck tingle whenever Colette was around. She could hear the sound of her silver tongue wrapping around all the lies she told. And she could see, like daggers through her heart, the damage she was doing to her best friend. Someone she thought had better judgement. Someone she thought would choose knowledge over beauty if faced with such a trial. But she was wrong.

And just like Adam, Beth took a bite of the apple Addy offered her. Not because she wanted power too but because she wanted to show Addy how rotten it truly was.

ADDY HANLON AKA HYPNOTISED EVE 

Not everyone believes hypnosis is real. The idea of looking at a moving watch and a finger snap taking someone to another dimension doesn’t seem, logically, real. However, we have all fallen victims of hypnosis once or twice in our lives. We’ve already followed someone, blindly, into something they convinced us was what we wanted to do. Often so subtly that we don’t even notice what we’re doing until we are. Or until it’s already done. And Addy Hanlon, the smartest of the bunch, fell prey to that, to no fault of her own.

You see, Colette French was everything Addy needed to spice up her life. Successful woman, happily married, glorious house and in love with someone else that wasn’t afraid to love her back. Seemingly, she had everything. And if you throw in the filter that, in a way, Addy saw the best parts of the one she loves in Colette, it was far too easy for her brain to associate Colette with a person to follow. A way to go.

Sadly, the forbidden fruit that seems so enticing, the most beautiful of apples, it’s usually rotten on the inside. And Addy, after ignoring every red flag there ever was, saw the truth staring at her from a wall of glass. It took her biting deep into the apple to see the warms crawling inside. And then she knew. And then she saw. And then she remembered everything she ignored.

It wasn’t about the lack of warnings, no, it was about the thirst for knowledge. And, same as Eve, Addy’s was blinding enough to commit the most beautiful of sins.

HONORARY MENTIONS:

- Mother Hanlon, for leaving no stone unturned, even if that means finding her daughter’s bleached shoes hidden in the back of her closet.

- Mother Cassidy, for choosing beauty and yet having enough knowledge to show her daughter the right way, even if it smells like alcohol.

#dare me #beth cassidy #addy hanlon #colette french

[ace-murdock]

The Dead by Daylight Art Telephone Round 1!   Our discord played a game where we passed art and writing prompts between each other to form an evolving picture, artists drawing and writers interpreting between each stage. It was excellent.   Prompts that spawned each picture are in the picture captions, unless they were too long in which they are under the cut. Artist and writer names/order also under the cut.  Thank you @coileddragonart @theanxiouspeaches @bombve @madameocotillo@stablepaddock @highwayham @inhumanrobot @raycats @hoshi-tora @slasherbasher  and others!! 

Artist/Writer Order: 

theanxiouspeaches Writer 1 coileddragonart Artist 1 Bombve Writer 2 madameocotillo Artist 2 Foxtail Writer 3 stablepaddock Artist 3 theanxiouspeaches Writer 4 slasherbashe Artist 4 cautiouspear Writer 5 Axey Artist 5 highwayham Writer 6 Inhumanrobot Artist 6 raycats Writer 7 ace-murdock Artist 7 Foxtail Writer 8 Hoshi-tora Artist 8

Prompt 6:  Three Dwights, all in varying finery, are the focal point. Two of the Dwights-- beloved items clutched en palm-- bully the third Dwight, who weeps openly. The pair are as jovial as the third is distraught. It is truly the epitome of a dual tragedy/comedy (a tragmedy, if you will).

In the back, hidden among the bushes, is Suzie, a video camera in hand. She is recording the scene and she WILL make it onto America's Funniest Home Videos, since that's the closest thing to Youtube Fame one could achieve in 199X. Also, she thinks this shit's hilarious.

The cherry on top is the Entity itself, whose spidery legs hover over the scene. There's no way to tell how it's feeling about the whole scenario, because the Entity is a giant spider bitch (GSB) with no visible emotions. Still, the author (me) would take it upon himself to assume that it is expressing the eldrtich equivalent of ". . .".

Prompt 7: Susie could hardly believe her luck. Frank absolutely owed her that $5.00 now.

'A triple Dwight spawn doesn't happen,' he'd said. That goddamn liar. What were the odds that as soon as she'd gotten the Clown's camcorder working, she'd stumble across the find of the century?

 As she watched from the bushes, the three Dwights had gotten into some sort of formation. The bald one had planted his foot on the spine of the mustached one,  and the cool-guy-Dwight had his hand on Mustache's shoulder, like he was reassuring him, or something. His other hand held a sharp implement high into the air. 

Susie couldn't wait to see Cool Dwight plunge it right into Mustache Dwight. Nor, it seemed, could Bald Dwight, as he held two flashlights aloft like glowsticks. She excitedly zoomed in.

Prompt 8:  Susie happens upon a strange scene. 3 Dwights, unaware of her presence. Two of them are  pinning down the third. A sacrifice or murder it would seem? She watches excitedly, hoping for an interesting outcome

#dead by daylight #dbd art telephone #art telephone game #dbd #dwight fairfield #the legion #susie legion

[phoenix1966sbottom]

Big Bang 2019 Honorable Mentions

So this is going to be the list for this year’s 2019 Big Bang entries that had no explicit sex or mostly bottom!Sam/Jared or equal switching and I’ll label them accordingly! I’ll be updating and reblogging this at the end of each day, give or take. No postings on weekends. Please consider leaving a comment if you read any of these stories, as it is the only payment the author ever receives. And, as always, head the warnings where the story is posted.

June 17th - Homecoming by runedgirl on LiveJournal. Sam/Dean. Wincest AU. Summary:   John Winchester likes to say that his son Sam is the epitome of an Alpha, a chip off the old block. Together they hunt the monsters that killed Sam’s mother and older brother, leaving Sam with only fragmented memories of his lost family. John has taught Sam to mistrust Omegas, who are relegated to the lowest rung of society, stigmatized and marginalized as lacking in both strength and intelligence. That doesn’t stop Sam from falling for a sex worker named Dean, a man as strong and smart as Sam who he’s surprised to find is an Omega – but that’s not the only thing Dean is hiding. There’s a much bigger surprise in store for Sam and the beautiful stranger. (this has switching, but it is more bottom!Dean)

June 18th - Nothing that fits the criteria.

June 19th - Nothing that fits the criteria.

June 20th - Beast Master by junkerin on Ao3. Jared/Jensen. J2 AU. Jensen is a special agent working now for the EPA (Environment Protection Agency) after a dramatic event killed his partner. Now he is investigating a case of illegal toxic waste dumping.Jared is a ranger in Yellow Stone Park. He lives with his dog Sammy up alone in the park and his main social contacts are his friends and colleges Chad and Gen. He discovered that some one is dumping toxic waste in the park (he found several dead animals). Oh and there is the thing that he can talk to animals.The two are now working together to stop the pollution of an untouched nature. As the two walk through Yellow Stone they both discover there is more to each other than what is visible at the first sight. (equal switching)

Keep This Secret by ellerkay on Ao3. Sam/Dean. Wincest.  Sam and Dean travel to the fairy realm hoping to make a deal to get Adam released from the Cage. The price: their shared secret. (no penetrative sex, but Sam comes off as toppy)

June 21st - Like a wave crashing over me by @soy-em on Ao3. Jared/Jensen. J2 AU.  Jensen’s happy with his life. He lives by the sea, spends his days taking photos of the landscape around him and doesn’t really talk to his neighbours. He’s content in the world he’s created for himself. Until Jared shows up on his beach, and for the first time in years, Jensen wants to find a way to overcome his shyness and let someone in. (no penetrative sex)

No posting on weekends. See you on Monday!

June 24th - Nothing that fits the criteria. 

June 25th - Nothing that fits the criteria.

June 26th - The Sceptre and the Stone by zubeneschamali on Ao3. Jared/Jensen. J2 AU. Jared has been making a living as a smuggler while his city and country have been under occupation by the Iron Lord. It's dangerous work, but it keeps his mind off the way things used to be, and how unlikely it is that they can ever go back. Unlikely, that is, until he gets a package to the one man who could change the world—if they don't both get caught first.Prince Jensen has been in hiding for five years, the last of the rightful rulers of his kingdom. The plans he's been painstakingly making for recovering the throne and restoring magic to his people are brought to a head when an uncommonly skilled smuggler delivers him what he most needs. As he puts his plan into motion, though, he's going to have to figure out how to deal with said smuggler—including the way he makes Jensen want things that have nothing to do with regaining his kingdom. (no penetrative sex, dominant!Jensen).

June 27th - First We’ll Take Manhattan by candygramme and spoonlessone on Ao3. Jared/Jensen. J2 AU. Jensen is a fashion designer looking for a model to be the ‘face’ of his line. Enter Jared, an aspiring Broadway actor who hasn't ever modeled, but Jensen believes he's perfect for the part. Jared has no idea what he's getting into. There's glitz and drama. There's the excitement he craves, but there's also heartbreak and misery lurking just under the surface.In the rush to get everything ready for fashion week, things get complicated. Jared joins Adrianne Palicki and Aisha Taylor, his other models, and Jensen, along with his staff, get busy putting outfits together for him. (no penetrative sex)

You’ve Got to be Kitten Me by dugindeep on Ao3. Jared/Jensen. J2 AU. Jensen lives a routine, solitary life with little to no interaction and he likes it just fine. He’d rather not deal with the fuss and rejection of making and keeping connections, so when a stray cat shows up at his apartment building and begs for attention every time they cross paths, Jensen does what he can to ignore it. Of course, that doesn’t last long and he finds himself carving out a space in his world to make it feel at home. Along the road of pet ownership, Jensen meets the very nice and very handsome Dr. Jared Padalecki. The veterinarian's open, warm personality gets to Jensen the same way his new cat has, and Jensen fights against his own hang-ups to get to know him. (warning: no penetrative sex but Jensen wants to bottom)

June 28th - The Road To Come What May by roxymissrose on Ao3. Sam/Dean. Wincest.  A few years back, Dean grabbed his brother and declared to the world, enough! They’d needed to take a breath, and thanks to an unexpected gift from their father, they were able to settle down, act like civilians, at least for a bit. Now, it was time to go back to their only real home, maybe this time for good. What the hell—let some younger, fresher guys handle the world and its problems. Sure, he’d screwed up a lot in the intervening years, but Dean hoped settling down in a new home, and with the promise of normal, he could make it up to Sam. (no penetrative sex)

No posting on weekends. See you on Monday!

July 1st - Nothing that fits the criteria.

July 2nd - Nothing that fits the criteria.

Also, as this Thursday is a national holiday in the U.S., Wendy only has stories scheduled for today and tomorrow  for this week. 

Happy 4th of July to those in the U.S. that celebrate it!

July 8th - Nothing that fits the criteria.

July 9th - Island in the Sun by Mangacat on Ao3. Jared/Jensen. J2 AU.  It’s not your typical meet-cute: Jensen, a nano-cybernetics specialist, saved Jared - mortally injured Afghan war veteran - by replacing and rebuilding several of his limbs and organs with cybernetic nano-technology. After struggling with trauma, the otherness of his body, his new extra-human abilities and a very ambiguous relationship with his saviour, Jared has to go on the run from the US government to keep his life and sanity with only Jensen at his side. Now, still fugitives, they’re trying to carve out a life for themselves without tripping any nets of the military and intelligence, when the greatest threat they’ll be facing actually comes from a wholly unexpected direction… (no penetrative sex - I was very tired reading this, so I do not think there was anything mentioned at all, but be aware this is a sequel to a top!Jared story and I might have missed a reference to past events)

July 10th - The Nobleman and the Sword by winterwolke on LiveJournal. Jared/Jensen. J2 AU.  Every noble gets to choose their Sword. They use them ti fight, empowered by their very own magic. Jared lost his Sword. He couldn't control his magic and accidentally killed his trusted one. He live a reclusive life in a secluded keep, far away form the arduous intrigues the other nobles play to gain power and wealth. He has sworn to never pick a Sword again, no matter how direly his kingdom might need him. But there is a prophey, and Jared doesn't know yet that prophecies somtimes come true. (no sex of any kind)

July 11th - It's Just a Dimension Jump (to the Left) by Disneymagics on Livejournal. Jared/Jensen. J2 AU.  Jensen has had a rough life with all the scars, physical, mental, and emotional, to prove it.  He keeps them all hidden because he learned from an early age what telling the truth will get him, a room in a home for troubled teens and antipsychotic meds.  But no matter what anyone else says, he knows monsters do exisit.  From the time he was fifteen years old, he's been on a quest that has consumed his whole life.  Maybe, when he reaches the end of his quest, he can lead a normal life again.  Maybe, he can even reconnect with his high school sweetheart, Jared.  Nah, that's just a fairy tale and fairy tales don't come true.  Not for Jensen. (no penetrative sex; Jensen-centric)

July 12th - Nothing that fits the criteria.

No posting on weekends. See you on Monday for the last week of stories!

July 15th - Breathless by SamanthaNovak on Ao3. Jared/Jensen. J2 AU.  Jensen is a lonely English professor with an allergy to nuts. Jared is a paramedic haunted by a college tragedy. When the two meet, they're immediately attracted to one another and form a relationship, navigating through busy schedules, Jared's fears brought on by his past, and meeting each others' friends and family. (no penetrative sex)

July 16th - Nothing that fits the criteria.

July 17th - Love Is A Natural Disaster by Alltheshrinks on Ao3. Jared/Jensen. J2 AU. Jared Padalecki, Eagle Scout and science teacher, spends his days in the mountains of a quiet little corner of the state of Washington. It’s an idyllic paradise, the Cascade Mountain Range are some of the most beautiful and some of the deadliest volcanoes in The United States, But Jared is content leading his scouts and being alone.Dr. Jensen Ackles, is one of the leadings volcanologists around, second only to his mentor Dr. Jeffrey Dean Morgan, volcanoes are his passion, his one love. But that wasn’t always the case.When Jared notices all the signs that their active volcano is getting ready to erupt, he calls the USGS, who sends in his former boyfriend and the man he walked out, Jensen, to investigate.Can they put their feelings behind them long enough to save the town, or will everything be destroyed in one catastrophe or the other?  (equal switching)

July 18th - The Stillness of Wind by TwoBoys2Love on Ao3. Jared/Jensen. J2 AU.  Jared is weeks away from his 17 birthday and out publically when he meets his brother's best friend, Jensen Ackles. A summer romance blossoms... but Jensen's life is a lot more complicated than Jared knows and soon there are secrets and untold truths tearing them apart.  (no penetrative sex)

July 19th - The Seven Warriors by crimsonepitaph on Ao3. Jared/Jensen. J2 AU.  Jensen is a normal guy. Not terribly social, but he's fine going at it alone. At least until the afternoon his boss - 6'4, long hair, determined to save the world one software app at a time - calls him in for a meeting. Suddenly, Jensen finds himself inexplicably connected to an ancient legend - the myth of the Seven Warriors - by a mysteriously appearing tattoo. He struggles to figure out what the tattoo, the nuclear bomb exploding in his chest every time he gets close to his boss, and the motley crew of almost-strangers they gather have in common. Maybe that they all change Jensen's life forever... (no penetrative sex)

Please leave comments, support the authors/artists and give Wendy a pat on the back for running this challenge so that we might still have years to come of it!

#big bang 2019 #wincest #wincest au #switching #a/b/o dynamics #bottom!dean #omega!dean #alpha!sam #top!sam #bottom!sam #j2 au #medieval au #high school au #deathfic #mysticism #big bang #fanfic rec

[sidereal-fantasies]

Intentions

[Prince!Hyungwon]

Scenario Time!

Genre: Royalty AU, Slight Angst, General

Pairing: Prince!Hyungwon/Knight!Reader

WARNING(S): None, but it isn’t fluff.

Ethereal.

That’s how you would describe Prince Hyungwon.

Fifth in line for the throne and known throughout the kingdom for his rather chic, sophisticated demeanor. His touch and stride, full of grace, always left everyone in awe. Tired gazes were always casted down to a book, scanning carefully while he lingered in the hallways. Many maids claim he simply lazes about, nothing he ever does is worth true gossip of the kingdom staff. Others practically avoided the living Greek statue, for fear of the quiet emotions that gently stir within the young man. A man of mystery; no one truly knew what Hyungwon was contemplating when he strolled quietly out of meetings with his brothers. His gaze, though tired despite the inhuman amount of sleep he manages, were clouded. No one knew what he may be pondering these days.

Then, there was you.

Captain of the Royal Guard, training since birth in order to properly protect the royal family from any and all dangers. You were the epitome of honor and loyalty; never afraid to call out those who doubt relations and tensions between the seven princely brothers. You were the glue that held the band of knights together through all battles. Scarred possibly too much to be “gentle” in the eyes of some, your heart was as pure as gold. Plain as can be, you were simply the captain of the royal guard. Yet, you couldn’t help, but to dwell on the idea of being something else in the eyes of Prince Hyungwon. Unfortunately, you were only ever meant to be the Captain of the Royal Guard which left you in a one-sided love forbidden by society’s cruel expectations and social classes.

“It finally happened! What shall we do?”

The staff had been scrambling since dawn, terror written in their wide eyes as they frantically gathered anything they could in their shaky hands. It had been a quiet morning until one of the assigned maids had discovered an unusual note in one of the sleeping chambers of the princes. To say the least, the worst possible fear had became reality.

“What did? And why are all of you packing up?” you inquired as you walked into the kitchen.

One young maid shrieked, dropping a few glass plates in the process before looking up at you.

“The brothers. The youngest finally left and is waging a war against the eldest. We knew it was going to happen in the future. Prince Changkyun always had that aura of mischief,” the older maid commented as she swept up the shards. “We’re just worried about choosing sides as it seems the brothers have already done so.”

Your heart dropped immediately. It took a few seconds for you to register that the current state of the kingdom left little time for the staff to escape. With that in mind, you rushed to the maids’ sides and began to usher them out of the kitchen.

“It’s not worth selling these then if that is the case,” you mentioned. The older maid furrowed her eyebrows at you.

“I beg your pardon, my knight, but you aren’t expecting a full-blown war, are you now?”

You kept your lips tightly shut and continued to push the two out of the door before closing it behind them. You stood there silently, hands gripping the metal handle until your knuckles turned white as you listened closely to their fading voices. Once out of range, you exhaled and slumped against the nearest wall. Surely, you had all expected the brothers to split soon. Tensions boiled between the two eldest, Hyunwoo and Hoseok, and the two youngest, Changkyun and Jooheon ever since their father fell ill. Prince Changkyun was another mysterious member of the family. The difference between Prince Hyungwon, whom was simply quiet due to his rather soft nature, and Prince Changkyun, who brooded from time to time, was the way they disguised their true intentions. It was no secret indeed as the older maid had implied earlier, that Prince Changkyun had a problem with Prince Hyunwoo becoming king due to lineage; it was a matter of time before the dark prince himself made a move.

“The other princes!” you exclaimed.

You scrambled to your feet and darted out of the kitchen, already in a full sprint. You had your assumptions about where each brother would fall to, yet you were scared. Terrified, actually, by the reality that this isn’t some normal dispute. You knew when war was coming. You’ve been in too many to not know the forewarnings of tragedy.

“Prince Hyungwon!” you called out as you turned the corner.

Sleepy, brown eyes found you slowing to a stop in front of him. A content smile laid on his plump lips as he patiently waited for you to catch your breath.

“You’re out of uniform? Is it your day off of guard duty?” he noted as he gestured toward your common attire.

“This was not planned, my prince. My apologies for the inconvenience,” you murmured as you bowed. Hyungwon dismissed you with a hand before he placed his book down.

“I’m assuming you’ve heard the news then,” Hyungwon mused while he gazed out the large window.

“Of course- I mean, yes, the maids never stop gossipping,” you replied, keeping your gaze casted to the ground.

A short chuckle escaped the tall male which caused your cheeks to burn a little warmer than usual.

“Thank you for checking up on me, if that is what you’re here for,” he stated as he stole another glance at you.

For Hyungwon, you were rather unapproachable at times due to duties and the roles both of you must maintain. Seeing you without the pristine white armor, thin silver chains, and the mahogany cape signaling your rank cladding your entire body and your hair pulled tightly out of your face made his heart flutter slightly. The unexpected vulnerability softened your battle-worn edges and brought a new kind of warmth that was usually hidden by your stone cold exterior. It wasn’t a side one witnessed often from the Captain of the Royal Guard themself.

“Of course, but I, I’m curious about your standing, my prince? You’ll have to pick a side sooner or later, so what will be?” you inquired.

The prince turned towards and began to make his way over to you. Head tilted slightly with partially curled locks framing his face just right, Hyungwon was a work of art. It intimidated you, however, as you felt yourself shrink under his gaze.

“What if I were to tell you I had no interest in the crown?” Hyungwon began, tone low enough just for you to hear. “Not like my older brother, Minhyuk, who would trade his crown to be able to explore the seas freely. But, just what if…” he trailed off.

You swallowed a hard lump in your constricting throat. Beads of sweat formed just at your temples as your heart began to beat a little louder with each step that Hyungwon took. Closer, closer, your gaze turned frantic, looking anywhere but Hyungwon’s own deep brown eyes.

“You’re too obvious, captain,” he remarked as he finally stopped in front of you. “I have no interest in the crown, but I believe you know who I rather see it with in the end. The question is will you follow me until the end? Even if my own intentions aren’t as pure as gold?”

“Of course, anything for you, my prince,” you responded without hesitation.

“Even if it meant that your fellow knights, your allies, your friends, may not follow you?”

“Of course.”

Hyungwon paused, eyebrow arched in amusement at the immediate answers.

“Even if it meant that you had to live for me at all costs?”

Finally, you looked up to the prince. You knelt down on one knee, never breaking eye contact even if you were sure that your heart would explode any second by now.

“With all my heart, my prince, I promise I won’t throw away my life.”

Noble. Like the future king himself, you prided yourself upon virtue and respect for the crown. You swore your allegiance from a young age and intend to keep yourself align with those who you believed to be just. Noble you were, like the knight in a child’s bedtime story. Noble you were; willing to give your life to keep those you loved protected from harm and willing to live for those that fallen with valor during wars of the past. Noble you were, never letting your emotions dictate and make the rash decisions you dared ponder on.

Hyungwon had always admired that of you. It was a quality not many possessed naturally; just to fit into that heroic role and to be seen as someone who can guide the lost ones down a path of righteousness and justice. You were truly a knight, through and through, with all your loyalty and chivalry. Hyungwon always wondered what would it take to break that strong shell of yours as he never expected you to be one to bow so easily to a measly prince like him.

Yet, here you were.

Infatuated, beyond the grasp of logic about Hyungwon’s clouded requests and motives. Blinded by the overwhelming amor and fervency that drowned your heart into depths unknown. You both knew you were diving head first into murky thoughts and intentions. Rationality was fading. Because here you were, kneeling with your head bowed to Prince Hyungwon, potential successor of the throne if all else failed, but dangerous conspirator to a plot far greater than you could comprehend.

How could you be so noble when the love you hold for him is suffocating you?

#monsta x #monsta x hyungwon #monsta x scenarios #monsta x headcanons #monsta x au #monsta x imagines #monsta x oneshot #chae hyungwon #prince!hyungwon #royalty au #kpop #kpop scenarios #kpop imagines

[illlicitaffair]

“I just needed to hear your voice.” / @ skye

x.   sentence   starter

        There   aren’t   many   who   have   this   particular   number,   she   assumed   the   deafening   ring   through   the   small   space   was   due   to   ONE   singular   being   who   she   deemed   to   have   the   WORST   timing.   Shifting   her   grip,   she   pulls   her   phone   free   from   her   pocket,   grateful   he   wasn’t   able   to   SEE   the   way   her   face   pinched   from   the   sharp   PANG   that   ran   up   her   spine,   scarlett   steaks   coating   her   screen.   ❝   HAIL   HYDRA      –      ❞   It’s   meant   to   perpetuate   a   JOKE   she   highly   doubts   he’ll   find   amusing,   not   that   it   stops   her   (   one   of   these   days   she’ll   get   T-1000   to   let   out   one   of   those   robotic   laughs   she’s   craved   to   hear   since   meeting   him   )      ❝   —-   You   don’t   NEED   to   keep   checking   up   on   me.      ❞   It’s   a   minor   FIB   –   but   only   one   of   them   had   sworn   themselves   to   honesty   &&   while   it’s   rare   to   slip   anything   by   the   SUPER   SPY      –   now   would   be   the   time   to   try.      I   MADE   YOU   A   PROMISE,   SKYE   –   &&   despite   her   giving   him   EVERY   reason   to   break   that,   he   was   intent   on   protecting   it.   Was   that   because   of   his   COMPULSIVE   fixation   for   her   to   believe   in   his   ability   to   be   redeemed   ?   Or   was   it   because   of   the   LOVE   he   had   hidden   away   from   her   ?   He   was   the   epitome   of   a   conundrum   &&   while   her   ability   to   BREAK   code   was   a   skill   set   she   flaunted   –   reading   his   was   near   impossible.   &&   it’s   not   like   he   ever   ADMITTED   to   what   he   wanted,   only   ONCE   has   she   gotten   that   answer   &&   it   was   done   while   they   PLAYED   one   another,   lies   woven   seamlessly   onto   the   next.  

          This   was   her   struggle   with   Ward,   her   judgement   was   TAINTED   by   the   PUZZLEMENT   her   own   mind   conflicted   with   her   infatuation.   Her   eyes   slid   shut   as   she   clumsily   fell   into   the   creaking   seat,   teeth   sinking   into   her   bottom   lip   –   she   didn’t   URGE   him   to   dash   to   her   rescue,   not   when   he   was   so   adamant   on   keeping   her   SAFE   in   the   first   place.   Not   when   she   can   with   great   clarity   replay   his   words   that   revolved   around   the   idea   of   her   STAYING   PUT   while   he   was   gone.   The   brunette   isn’t   sure   she   believes   in   FATE   or   DESTINY   or   some   other   weird   crap   that   determined   their   future,   but   MAYBE   –   maybe   some   people   were   MEANT   to   be   in   each   others   lives.      He   has   done   –   TERRIBLE   things,   but   what   kind   of   person   did   it   make   her   if   she   UNDERSTOOD   why.   There   won’t   be   a   STAR   on   the   wall   for   him,   guys   like   him   –   they   aren’t   remembered   for   the   GOOD   they’ve   done   &&   she   couldn’t   seem   to   wrap   her   heart   around   the   fairness   in   that.      ❝   You’re   not   MISSING   anything   exciting      –      ❞   Her   chest   QUAKES   at   this   words,   the   sarcasm   that   normally   bleeds   easily   off   her   tongue   dissipates   at   the   faint   delicacy   of   his   tone   like   her   voice   alone   was   a   cardinal   DESIRE   he   couldn’t   dismiss   himself   of.  

         Some   claim   that   there   is   beauty   in   tragedy   –   those   people   have   never   gotten   ATTACHED   &&   had   to   lose   it.   ❝   GRANT      –      ❞      There   isn’t   PEACE   in   his   clouded   amber   hues,   there’s   turmoil   that   threatens   to   swallow   her   when   she   STARES   into   them.   Grant   Ward   is   something   of   the   underworld’s   very   own   ATLAS   –   forced   to   put   the   hell   he’s   ORIGINATED   upon   his   shoulders,   praying   the   weight   doesn’t   force   him   to   crumble   to   his   knees.   &&   while   Skye   was   born   with   a   gladiator’s   heart,    how   much   FIGHT   could   reside   within   a   soul   without   tearing   itself   apart   ?   When   did   they   suck   in   the   air   they   had   been   depriving   themselves   of   &&   allow   their   bodies   a   moment   of   REST.   There   was   a   SPLIT   instant   where   she   contemplates   filling   the   comfortable   silence   with   SOMETHING   else,   there   was   no   unease   that   traveled   between   the   sound   of   the   soft   echos   of   their   breath   mingling   –   as   if   they   had   found   alleviation   in    being   connected   by   the   phones   pressed   against   their   ears.   ❝   Just   –   be   careful,   okay   ?   ❞      SLICK   digits   come   to   end   the   call,   severing   that   bond   –   a   soft   groan   building   in   her   throat   as   she   lifted   the   crimson   soaked   towel   from   her   side.   She   KNEW   who   she   had   to   call   –   but   dread   bit   into   her   thoughts   as   shaky   fingers   dialed   the   familiar   number,   in   hopes   that   it   had   remained   the   same   ❝   SIMMONS      –     ❞   Her   voice   stretched   LIGHT   in   spite   of   the   pain   clinging   to   her   cords,   a   flimsy   attempt   at   cheerfulness   even   with   them   both   knowing   what   her   leaving   SHIELD   had   meant   –   no   amount   of   love   Skye   had   for   Jemma   could   excuse   the   choices   she’s   made   in   the   search   for   her   father   –      ❝    I   didn’t   know   where   else   to   turn   –      ❞   After   all,   the   idea   was   to   NOT   get   caught   shacking   up   with   the   fugitive   she   RELEASED   into   the   world.  

#unworthyheart #&. 𝗉𝗂𝖼𝗄 𝖺 𝗌𝗂𝖽𝖾 𝗐𝖺𝗋𝖽 ( SKYE ROUGE AU ft. UNWORTHYHEART. ) #&. 𝗂 𝗄𝗇𝗈𝗐 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋𝖾'𝗌 𝖺 𝗉𝗅𝖺𝖼𝖾 𝗐𝗁𝖾𝗋𝖾 𝗂 𝖻𝖾𝗅𝗈𝗇𝗀 ( ANSWERED. ) #&. 𝗉𝗂𝖾𝖼𝖾𝗌 𝗌𝗈𝗅𝗏𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖺 𝗉𝗎𝗓𝗓𝗅𝖾 ( SKYE. ) #&. 𝗁𝗈𝗅��� 𝗈𝗇 -- 𝗂 𝗌𝗍𝗂𝗅𝗅 𝗐𝖺𝗇𝗍 𝗒𝗈𝗎 ( SKYE ft. UNWORTHYHEART. ) #( me: watches roswell ) #( me: ohohohohoho ) #lagaudiiere #&. 𝗎𝗌 𝖺𝗀𝖺𝗂𝗇𝗌𝗍 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗐𝗈𝗋𝗅𝖽 ( SKYE ft. JEMMA. ) #( shh sliding sara into this )

[modelronpagame]

your feelings? snagtched | atsuko | captor reveal | re: kagemori

It takes a while for someone to finally speak up which, really, was a bit of a shock for Atsuko since it seemed like this group never fucking shut up, even when it would really benefit them to. What wasn't a surprise was that it was Kagemori who found their voice first. They always ran their mouth at the most inopportune times....She listens with half a mind while they ramble on about something or another. Whatever. Christ, can they get to the damn point already?

Ah, there we go!

She just laughs (thankfully, not a cackle) and rolls her eyes.

"Fanta-san, you really are a bit slow sometimes, so let's start here, yeah? Soooo, yeah. I didn't give a shit about you. You and E.ve over there are basically the epitomes of shit Main Course students. Big time. Makes sense you two totally hit it off, right? Birds of a feather and all that! 

Why would I be friends with someone who stood by and let abuse happen right under their nose? While they did nothing? Why would I support a person who represents along with their little boyfriend or whatever everything that's wrong with the broken fucking mess of parts that is the ideals of Hope's Peak Academy and Hope's Peak's Most Excellent? That's like asking someone 'oh, gee, why didn't you adopt a hornet as a pet?' or something. No duh I'm not fucking doing that.

People like you don't change unless someone gives you an idea of the hurt you've caused, y'know? So, that's why we're here. How do you like it? How do you like being thrown away?"

Atsuko looks off to the side for a moment before shaking her head, a smile still on her face.

"...You know what gets people to fucking listen? To pay attention for once in their damn lives? Death. Tragedy. Subverted expectations. That's what. I want you to picture a life where you're looked down on as scum. People don't hesitate to call you worthless. People view you as less deserving of good things. People view you as a waste of resources. People would rather you not breathe.

That's what we in the Reserve Course feel from Hope's Peak every fucking day. Every single day, we're basically told we're worth less than each and every one of you. We try just asking for something, but we're given nothing. I plea for the academy to give us a bit of money. Just something so we can possibly at least have a festival when you all do...Nope. Turns out, I need to swing the entire cost and tell my mother it was for some fucking student organization or something...It really fucking sucks when even the teachers hate you. You can tell they don't want to be with us. They want to be with you lot. With the Mainies...

It's my damn rejection letter you're staring at. Turns out, when you mom fucks your entire life up by bribing your schools to make your grades perfect because you're actually an idiot, HPA isn't too excited to let you in because there are rumors about that all that shit happened. Y'know, even when everything you have done has been through your hard work, sweat, and tears. Every single one of my student organizations was my own, but because my mother had to have the perfect fucking daughter, well, I got fucked over. Shout out to you, Mother! Not only did you give me trust issues, a fucked up set of morals, and a shit childhood, you fucked me over!

Someone steals their best friend's fucking work, and he gets in, but someone who has run their own business for years doesn't. Someone who was a gang member is considered a hope of the nation, but someone who is a poker champion is considered scum..."

Ranting, Atsuko's voice finally cuts off when she runs out of breath, her shoulders heaving as she tries to regain her voice. She laughs, shaking her head.

"....Did you know that there has never been a student from the Reserve Course featured in HPME? We're Hope's Peak students, are we not? We have talents, we just don't have titles. I told Huang right after he died, you know. I told him he let in a Reserve Course....As though I didn't already hate him....He lied through his fucking teeth to me. He said it 'didn't matter'...if it didn't matter, why was I the first? Why was I the first only because my status was hidden? Are we that...Are we that far below you or something!? Have we done something to deserve your scorn!? Have we done something to deserve the bruises and bloodied noses and hateful stares!? Have we done something to deserve your apathy!?

We....We scream and cry and beg for help, but no one listens. No one ever listens. So, I'm making you listen. You'll always remember how it feels to be hated because of a societal view. You will always remember what it feels like to have your heart ripped out and stomped on by someone who was supposed to care about you..."

Atsuko raises her eyes to stare each and every one of the people around her down, shoulders squared with a snarl on her face.

"You will always remember that it was a Reserve Course student--a talentless, worthless, scum of the world Reserve Course student--who made this happen. A worthless Reserve who couldn't even be bested by an entire class of Main Course students who are apparently the best that the academy has to offer. It took twelve Main Course--former or present--lives in order for you to best one Reserve Course. How's that for talentless."

#chapter six #modelronpa #chrono #atsuko #trial #submission

[clodiuspulcher]

Can I ask what draws you to Agamemnon? He's often kind of a difficult figure to grapple with. Sincere question btw, not meant to sound mean I swear :)

NO NO this isn’t mean at all it’s uh. yeah I know it’s an unpopular Take / Opinion and I really do … care deeply about Agamemnon as a character, so thanks for giving me a chance to explain! it’s complicated, he’s complicated… This is gonna get long

I: APPEARANCE Let’s first put the shallow aspects on the table: he’s big, he’s powerful, he’s My Type (physically), I’m gay. This never comes through in film adaptations (although you know what? 1962 Electra Agamemnon comes close, although he’s overshadowed by the hot Aegisthus) but look at how he’s described in the Iliad: He’s compared to 3 gods, canonically Agamemnon is the most handsome man Priam’s EVER seen in his like one million years of life (a list of men which includes Aeneas , Hector, etc). (this post). When Priam says he’s “Every inch a king”, baby, you know what that means-Anyway , @kashuan‘s art is VERY good for conveying how I imagine Agamemnon based on these descriptions. and he’s drawn like exactly my type there. It’s a lot to reckon with.He’s big. He has big arms and big thighs and could kill me if he wanted and he’s powerful and his aristeia is badass and i’m gay. thanks. II: PERSONALITY Now this part is. more about Agamemnon’s character. first, Agamemnon in the Iliad is in fact deeply flawed- he’s imperious and arrogant and shortsighted and short-tempered, he’s stubborn and selfish and ALL OF THE THINGS PEOPLE HAVE SAID HE IS but there’s also a complexity to his character that tends to get flattened - I think because Agamemnon’s at his worst in book 1, people adhere to this AWFUL first impression and don’t bother to look beneath the surface / take the rest of his behavior / his character into account / use this as the baseline of their understanding, but there IS MUCH MORE to him than that behavior even in the Iliad itself, as detailed in THIS POST. He’s a powerful warrior in his own right, and his failings reflect both the internal flaws of his character and the weight of his responsibilities; we see his concern for his men, for the army, the people, in books 4 and 10 (when he can’t sleep because of his anxiety about his men, about Hector). He DOES however, learn and become better, he grows, he’s dynamic: he and Achilles finally make up (book 19! book 23! They’re good now!) and the Odyssey also ends with their ghosts talking as friends.

(Side note I wonder how this works out when Agamemnon’s son kills Achilles’s son but… that’s for another day).

There’s complexity in Agamemnon’s characterization in the tragedies as well, each tragedian has a different portrait of Agamemnon but he’s never one-dimensional.Euripides’ Hecuba has Agamemnon as concerned about his image and his reputation, anxious (and almost insecure) about his authority, but also concerned with justice and the rule of law, even towards one’s enemies. Sophocles’ Ajax portrays an imperious, proud, stubborn Agamemnon who refuses to realize he’s in the wrong but is able to be convinced by the council of Odysseus and eventually, again, comes to an understanding. Seneca’s Trojan Women shows Agamemnon as a Stoic voice of Reason, urging Pyrrhus not to be too violent/hubristic in their victory, and I love both the presentation of Agamemnon as a tired old man wanting to go home and the sort of man who gets into arguments with teenagers about war crimes. As usual, Seneca excels at this subtlety of characterization, this is like the epitome of the Dichotomy of Agamemnon, sympathetic and infuriating, a good leader and a stubborn, proud man, stoic and short-tempered, as present in the Iliad, is here too, and I love it , and him. Seneca’s Agamemnon almost reverses this (HE REALLY SAYS “What can a victor fear”) but I still love that play, and there’s something to be said for the characterization of Agamemnon as someone who learned ABSOLUTELY nothing from victory.

Overall, it’s true that we get, mainly, a portrait of a hard, ruthless, powerful, embittered man- remember how he destroys that one guy Menelaus wanted to save in the Iliad - but he has a sort of “aggressive charisma” as Kashuan once put it and I REALLY see it, and honestly that in itself has some sort of an appeal to me. But with this portrait of his personality, his softer aspects, the moments of gentleness we see, are more striking, they really stand out and indicate the extent of his feelings. In the iliad, for example, we clearly see he loves Menelaus and while he’s almost laughably over-protective (MORE ON THIS LATER), his care for his brother is evident, touching, especially juxtaposed with his shortsighted selfishness. Just look at what happens in Book 4, when Menelaus is barely wounded and Agamemnon is practically writing his eulogy. Right afterwards, also, “Noble Agamemnon showed no reluctance, no cowardice or hesitation, only eagerness for the fight where men win glory”- he rushes in to fight (but not before first taking out his anxiety on his men by demanding more from them. Cannot do anything appealing / good without mitigating it with irritating behavior. love this fool). It takes him like 9 books to finally apologize to Achilles but he defends Menelaus from Nestor’s reproach in book 10, is anxious about Menelaus being in danger if he’s picked to go on a night raid with Diomedes (HERE) and is endearingly not-subtle about it, frets over him in book 4, when he’s wounded, etc.

The love for his family is something that continually stands out and is perhaps his main “redeeming” trait. In the Odyssey, as mentioned, he ask Odysseus desperately about Orestes with heart-rending choice of words especially when one considers Orestes’s Actual Fate: “Come tell me, in truth, have you heard if my son is still alive, maybe in Orchomenus or sandy Pylos, or in Menelaus’ broad Sparta: that my noble Orestes is not yet dead?”. Agamemnon’s no longer a king- he’s a worried father, he regrets the most not being able to see Orestes before he’s killed; it is this pain, of not being able to be a father to his children, which seems to cut the most deeply, which he speaks of multiple times to Odysseus. Then they just cry for a while, with each other. (I like these tender aspects hidden in a big mean man.. but I also like his big meanness).

the Tragedies take this to another level, of course, to drive home the PATHOS required for his death to have an impact but his love of his family is very much on display there. Iphigenia in Aulis in particular provides us with some agonizing demonstrations of this love: Iphigenia reminisces about an exceptionally tender moment in their relationship, when she was young (you used to ask me, “I wonder, my darling, will I get to see you married one day, married and settled happily in your husband’s home, your life ever blossoming, making me proud of you?” And I’d touch your chin, my father, hang from your beard, father, like I’m doing now and say, “and what about you, father, will I get to see you, father, an old man, visiting me at my house, ready for me to repay you for your hard work in raising me?”) an image hard to reconcile with the merciless violence and stubborn arrogance Agamemnon displays in the Iliad (BUT AGAIN, THAT’S THE APPEAL). Clytemnestra assumes he’s crying because he’s sad to see Iphigenia leave them, Agamemnon’s messenger tells him the arrival of his family will cheer him up: even his subordinates know how important they are to him.

I’d need a whole nother post to talk about his relationship with Clytemnestra but please peruse these crumbs I picked off the ground (HERE). they Had something, tbh the tragedy ONLY WORKS if they did and I will DIE on this hill. In Aeschylus, Clytemnestra calls Orestes the “mutual pledge of their love”, he calls her a “great-hearted woman”, she shirks in Aulis at his curt, demanding tone towards her, noting it as something out of character, she takes charge anyway, knows he can’t or won’t actually force her not to be involved in the Iphigenia marriage preparations-All of this creates an image of a man whose imperious, ruthless, stubborn character is balanced with a surprising capacity for tenderness, a genuine fondness and love for the members of his family, which makes the fact that his hand, albeit forced, aids in its destruction, that much more devastating.III: PSYCHOLOGY/HISTORY

Where things get especially interesting for me, character-wise, is when one thinks about his lineage, his past, and his childhood with respect to his current character. This section is about the House of Atreus in general.

Agamemnon clearly bears the scars of his environment: he was born into the House of Atreus and IMO that informs everything he says and does, all his thoughts and feelings, the way he perceives both the world and his place in it. Seneca’s Thyestes is a horrific portrait of what Agamemnon (and Menelaus’s) childhoods must have been like, ATREUS is their father, they were old enough during this event to almost be accomplices which means they’re clearly old enough to remember it. Speaking of that, Atreus isn’t worried that participating in his god-crime schemes will turn his sons evil because, in his mind, they were born evil (Ne mali fiant times? nascuntur. God GOD). Agamemnon and Menelaus grow up in a nightmare house, adjacent to atrocity, under the almost comically cruel hand of Atreus who sincerely believed his sons inherited said cruelty as if its on the same chromosome as the “house-curse” gene. It’s genuinely a miracle Agamemnon and Menelaus grew up to be functional fucking human beings, in my opinion. It also gives a lot more weight to his relationship with Menelaus and the hard imperious cast of his character; their bond was forged in fire, Agamemnon likely protected Menelaus from the worst of Nightmare House being the older brother, and being as protective as he is. There’s this one Iliad adaptation, I can’t think of it off the top of my head though, where when Agamemnon’s freaking out about Menelaus being Barely Wounded he says “don’t die… for you are all I have” and that’s absolutely  how I think about their relationship in this context- Menelaus WAS all he had for so long, they clung to each other, they preserved their humanity in the face of horror BECAUSE OF each other.

But functional like.. .for a given value of “function”. Agamemnon is clearly deeply affected by these events, the weight of the Curse of the House of Atreus clearly impacts him. Take Iphigenia in Aulis, where he says “each one is born with his bitterness waiting for him”, the fact that a Son of Atreus would say that, I think, speaks to the innate, unspeakable fear of the certain destruction of his world, of the tragedy that awaits him, at his own hands, of the House-Curse waiting perched on his shoulder to strike just when he thought he’d created something impenetrable. The tragedy of Iphigenia in Aulis is Agamemnon’s realization that he has locked himself into this, that he has no other choice (see: this post about the Odysseus impact, there is in fact a point when it’s inevitable, although he still made the first move which makes it even WORSE he created this, etc) and all he can do at this point is watch as the life he so carefully built for himself and his family collapses around him, just like he must have always dreaded it would. (Also in the Iliad It’s Agamemnon who says “We must toil, in accord with the weight of sorrow Zeus loaded us with at birth” and that reminds me of this aspect of him too: Good Things Never Last, Bad Things Never Die, etc.)

It’s made clear that the story of Atreus and Thyestes is widespread, familiar; Teucer in Sophocles’ Ajax and Neoptolemus in Seneca’s Trojan Women both call out Agamemnon for trying to reference his lineage as a source of authority because it is a HORRIFIC lineage. “I know about the famous family of Atreus and Thyestes”, Neoptolemus says. And THEREIN LIES A CONFLICT: Agamemnon’s sense of self comes from his authority, his kingship, his position of power and his social status as a member of the nobility, of the class of royalty BUT. It’s all undercut by the fact that this power, authority, indeed his very identity is based in cruelty, violence, and crime; Agamemnon is descended from the most ignoble nobility, which he knows all too well.

It’s Interesting that Agamemnon’s relationship with his identity, status, family, power is brought up in Ajax, of all plays, primarily concerned with the destruction of Ajax’s identity- reminding Agamemnon of the crimes of his house genuinely cuts him down. I see Agamemnon as a man who genuinely fears his past, who dreads the legacy of his father and in his desperation creates a crisis for himself (as happens in tragedy).

We (I) laugh at Agamemnon “forgetting” about the god-crime shit before he pulls rank by referencing his Authority and Status but there’s something in Agamemnon continually being owned by forgetting about the House….  Agamemnon wants to distance himself from the “legacy” he inherited from Atreus, but he can’t without disavowing his power, his authority, his identity. Whether he likes it or not (he does Not), this is fundamental to who he is. I feel like that knowledge too lurks in his mind, rises to the forefront occasionally at his lowest points-

Clytemnestra in Aeschylus’s Agamemnon pretty clearly sees him / his actions as the next link in the god-crime family chain, a continuation of the house -curse, heir to his father’s throne and his crimes, hence her belief that killing him is the only way to end it/ stop the cycle of violence (spoiler she is wrong but there’s another post coming eventually about how they are Very Similar Characters short version the Etruscans Understand).

IN short, I think there’s a lot of complexity in Agamemnon people overlook, or don’t get to see since they don’t read the peripheral plays. Agamemnon seems to me a man in conflict with himself, a Man of Contradictions, who defines himself by his authority and status while fearing the source of it, whose devotion to his family contrasts with the horror of his childhood, and with his own agonizing role in its destruction, a man who willfully ignores or cannot bring himself to fully interact with the legacy of Atreus, who tries to distance himself from the crimes of his house and the cruelty of his father while being reminded of both every time he’s called by the epithet Atreides.

#the iliad #the oresteia #tagamemnon #agamemnon #is complicated... #hes GENUINELY A BAD PERSON WITH MANY HORRIBLE QUALITIES DO NOT GET ME WRONG!!! BUT LIKE I SAID #I like the big meanness w/ the tenderness.... and please take into account also that im shallow and hes big and im gay #the house that dripped blood #important ... content