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makingqueerhistory · 8 months

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Queer Books Challenged in Florida Schools and Libraries

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Gender Queer: A Memoir, Maia Kobabe: Now, Gender Queer is here. Maia's intensely cathartic autobiography charts eir journey of self-identity, which includes the mortification and confusion of adolescent crushes, grappling with how to come out to family and society, bonding with friends over erotic gay fanfiction, and facing the trauma and fundamental violation of pap smears.

The Color Purple, Alice Walker: Separated as girls, sisters Celie and Nettie sustain their loyalty to and hope in each other across time, distance and silence. Through a series of letters spanning nearly thirty years, first from Celie to God, then the sisters to each other despite the unknown, the novel draws readers into its rich and memorable portrayals of Celie, Nettie, Shug Avery and Sofia and their experience. The Color Purple broke the silence around domestic and sexual abuse, narrating the lives of women through their pain and struggle, companionship and growth, resilience and bravery.

Julián Is a Mermaid, Jessica Love: While riding the subway home from the pool with his abuela one day, Julián notices three women spectacularly dressed up. Their hair billows in brilliant hues, their dresses end in fishtails, and their joy fills the train car. When Julián gets home, daydreaming of the magic he's seen, all he can think about is dressing up just like the ladies in his own fabulous mermaid costume: a butter-yellow curtain for his tail, the fronds of a potted fern for his headdress. But what will Abuela think about the mess he makes -- and even more importantly, what will she think about how Julián sees himself? Mesmerizing and full of heart, Jessica Love's author-illustrator debut is a jubilant picture of self-love and a radiant celebration of individuality.

Drama: A Graphic Novel, Raina Telgemeier: Callie loves theater. And while she would totally try out for her middle school's production of Moon over Mississippi, she can't really sing. Instead she's the set designer for the drama department's stage crew, and this year she's determined to create a set worthy of Broadway on a middle-school budget. But how can she, when she doesn't know much about carpentry, ticket sales are down, and the crew members are having trouble working together? Not to mention the onstage AND offstage drama that occurs once the actors are chosen. And when two cute brothers enter the picture, things get even crazier!

Cemetery Boys, Aiden Thomas: Yadriel has summoned a ghost, and now he can't get rid of him. When his traditional Latinx family has problems accepting his true gender, Yadriel becomes determined to prove himself a real brujo. With the help of his cousin and best friend Maritza, he performs the ritual himself, and then sets out to find the ghost of his murdered cousin and set it free. However, the ghost he summons is actually Julian Diaz, the school's resident bad boy, and Julian is not about to go quietly into death. He's determined to find out what happened and tie off some loose ends before he leaves. Left with no choice, Yadriel agrees to help Julian, so that they can both get what they want. But the longer Yadriel spends with Julian, the less he wants to let him leave.

I Am Billie Jean King, Brad Meltzer: This friendly, fun biography series focuses on the traits that made our heroes great--the traits that kids can aspire to in order to live heroically themselves. Each book tells the story of one of America's icons in a lively, conversational way that works well for the youngest nonfiction readers and that always includes the hero's childhood influences. At the back are an excellent timeline and photos. This volume features Billie Jean King, the world champion tennis player who fought successfully for women's rights. From a young age, Billie Jean King loved sports--especially tennis! But as she got older, she realized that plenty of people, even respected male athletes, didn't take women athletes seriously. She set to prove them wrong and show girls everywhere that sports are for everyone, regardless of gender.

This One Summer, Mariko Tamaki: Every summer, Rose goes with her mom and dad to a lake house in Awago Beach. It's their getaway, their refuge. Rosie's friend Windy is always there, too, like the little sister she never had. But this summer is different. Rose's mom and dad won't stop fighting, and when Rose and Windy seek a distraction from the drama, they find themselves with a whole new set of problems. One of the local teens - just a couple of years older than Rose and Windy - is caught up in something bad... Something life threatening. It's a summer of secrets, and sorrow, and growing up, and it's a good thing Rose and Windy have each other.

Marriage of a Thousand Lies, Sj Sindu: Lucky and her husband, Krishna, are gay. They present an illusion of marital bliss to their conservative Sri Lankan-American families, while each dates on the side. It's not ideal, but for Lucky, it seems to be working. She goes out dancing, she drinks a bit, she makes ends meet by doing digital art on commission. But when Lucky's grandmother has a nasty fall, Lucky returns to her childhood home and unexpectedly reconnects with her former best friend and first lover, Nisha, who is preparing for her own arranged wedding with a man she's never met.

And Tango Makes Three, Peter Parnell: At the penguin house at the Central Park Zoo, two penguins named Roy and Silo were a little bit different from the others. But their desire for a family was the same. And with the help of a kindly zookeeper, Roy and Silo got the chance to welcome a baby penguin of their very own.

More Happy Than Not, Adam Silvera: In the months following his father's suicide, sixteen-year-old Aaron Soto can't seem to find happiness again, despite the support of his girlfriend, Genevieve, and his overworked mom. Grief and the smile-shaped scar on his wrist won't let him forget the pain. But when Aaron meets Thomas, a new kid in the neighborhood, something starts to shift inside him. Aaron can't deny his unexpected feelings for Thomas despite the tensions their friendship has created with Genevieve and his tight-knit crew. Since Aaron can't stay away from Thomas or turn off his newfound happiness, he considers taking drastic actions. The Leteo Institute's revolutionary memory-altering procedure will straighten him out, even if it means forgetting who he truly is.

Melissa, Alex Gino: When people look at Melissa, they think they see a boy named George. But she knows she's not a boy. She knows she's a girl.

Melissa thinks she'll have to keep this a secret forever. Then her teacher announces that their class play is going to be Charlotte's Web. Melissa really, really, REALLY wants to play Charlotte. But the teacher says she can't even try out for the part... because she's a boy.

With the help of her best friend, Kelly, Melissa comes up with a plan. Not just so she can be Charlotte -- but so everyone can know who she is, once and for all.

A Quick & Easy Guide to Queer & Trans Identities, Mady G, Jules Zuckerberg: In this quick and easy guide to queer and trans identities, cartoonists Mady G and Jules Zuckerberg guide you through the basics of the LGBT+ world! Covering essential topics like sexuality, gender identity, coming out, and navigating relationships, this guide explains the spectrum of human experience through informative comics, interviews, worksheets, and imaginative examples. A great starting point for anyone curious about queer and trans life, and helpful for those already on their own journeys!

This Book Is Gay, Juno Dawson: This candid, funny, and uncensored exploration of sexuality and what it's like to grow up LGBTQ also includes real stories from people across the gender and sexual spectrums, not to mention hilarious illustrations.

Little & Lion, Brandy Colbert: When Suzette comes home to Los Angeles from her boarding school in New England, she's isn't sure if she'll ever want to go back. L.A. is where her friends and family are (as well as her crush, Emil). And her stepbrother, Lionel, who has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, needs her emotional support. But as she settles into her old life, Suzette finds herself falling for someone new...the same girl her brother is in love with. When Lionel's disorder spirals out of control, Suzette is forced to confront her past mistakes and find a way to help her brother before he hurts himself--or worse.

King and the Dragonflies, Kacen Callender: Twelve-year-old Kingston James is sure his brother Khalid has turned into a dragonfly. When Khalid unexpectedly passed away, he shed what was his first skin for another to live down by the bayou in their small Louisiana town. Khalid still visits in dreams, and King must keep these secrets to himself as he watches grief transform his family.

It would be easier if King could talk with his best friend, Sandy Sanders. But just days before he died, Khalid told King to end their friendship, after overhearing a secret about Sandy-that he thinks he might be gay. "You don't want anyone to think you're gay too, do you?"

Sorted: Growing Up, Coming Out, and Finding My Place: A Transgender Memoir, Jackson Bird: An unflinching and endearing memoir from LGBTQ+ advocate Jackson Bird about how he finally sorted things out and came out as a transgender man.When Jackson Bird was twenty-five, he came out as transgender to his friends, family, and anyone in the world with an internet connection. Assigned female at birth and raised as a girl, he often wondered if he should have been born a boy. Jackson didn't share this thought with anyone because he didn't think he could share it with anyone.

The Black Flamingo, Dean Atta: Michael is a mixed-race gay teen growing up in London. All his life, he's navigated what it means to be Greek-Cypriot and Jamaican--but never quite feeling Greek or Black enough.

As he gets older, Michael's coming out is only the start of learning who he is and where he fits in. When he discovers the Drag Society, he finally finds where he belongs--and the Black Flamingo is born

Explore the full list here.

#queer history #queer #lgbt #lgbt history #gay history #lesbian history #transgender history #transgender #making queer history

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alovesongtheywrote · 7 months

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Nightmare Academia | Spencer Reid x Reader

♥ Summary: Have you ever seen the tiktok where that guy brings a typewriter to his class because his prof doesn't allow laptops? Yeah, it's that, but you are the source of the typewriters. In other words, you're Reid's worst nightmare. [Prof!Spencer Reid x GN-Prof!Reader]

♥ Warnings: Descriptions of emotional vulnerability from a student to a professor, reminders that the world sucks and Gen-Z is fucked when it comes to housing. The reader is. Kind of Mean to Spencer, but I won't say he doesn't deserve it. Enemies to Lovers, but they're just Enemies right now.

♥ A/N: a couple things about this fic. 1) i have no clue when this takes place in the criminal minds timeline???? i just know reid took a some kind of leave from the bau, and this is what he's doing with it 2) reid isn't actually in this one that much. my bad. 3) i've got no clue what university these two teach at. i researched typewriters extensively for this, but i didn't bother googling universities.

♥ Word count: 2371

Series Masterlist

♥♥♥

“Alright, my little chilli babies, that’s about it for today. If you have any questions, office hours start now, and please remember there’s an exam next week. It makes me sad when you forget. Got it? Got it. Cool.”

Your students immediately began to stand and file out of the room. They left in groups. Some of them chatted amongst themselves softly, and some called out a farewell to you, but most of them were silent. One or two lingered behind to ask about the administration process of the PCL-R, but that was about it.

Except for this one girl.

You were pretty sure her name was Opal. She sat near the back of the room in the second to last row. She got good grades and performed well on tests and projects- although she was a touch shy during the one presentation project you assigned during the semester.

Usually, Opal was one of the first to leave, practically running from the room, but today she just sat there, staring straight ahead. You watched her for a second, vaguely assuming that she had a question or something. She didn’t get up to ask, though. She just sat still, staring at her laptop. You paid her no mind. Sometimes your students just needed a second, and that was usually nothing to worry about.

You were just about to pack up your own things and head for your office when you heard a sob. You looked up again to see Opal just sobbing into her computer. You winced. A pang of sympathy hit you dead in the chest. University was just like that sometimes- and she wasn’t the first or last student to cry on campus.

Shit, you cried on campus. Like, all the time. As a professor. The previous Tuesday you thought about the two-headed calf poem too hard and you ended up sobbing in your office.

You headed for the back of the room, leaning a hip against the back of the seat beside her. She didn’t seem to notice your presence. Her laptop screen was covered with detailed notes- it was honestly an impressive collection.

You crossed your arms, raising an eyebrow, “Everything okay over here?”

Opal gasped, looking up at you with wide eyes, “I-I’m- I-” she sobbed again, “I’m so sorrrrrry.”

“Sorry? What do you have to be sorry for?”

“I’m crying in your classroom, and I’m so overwhelmed, and my next assignment is going to be late, and I’m so sorrrrry.”

The poor thing put her face in her hands and hunched over in her seat. You pulled out the chair next to her and sat down.

“You have nothing to be sorry for. University is stressful. It’s easy to get overwhelmed and crying can provide a cathartic release from that.”

“I- I know. It’s just so- so embarrassing.”

“Again, don’t worry about it. I literally cried in here last week.”

“R-really?”

“Mhmm. Now, if it helps, I can provide an extension on that assignment. Your feedback might be a little less in-depth, but that’s really nothing to worry about. Your work has always met a high standard.”

Her eyes somehow got even wider, “Are you- are you sure, professor?”

“Absolutely. It’s not a big deal- it might not fix your whole problem though,” you pulled your legs up onto the chair, sitting criss-cross facing your student, “If you’re feeling overwhelmed, the school provides free counselling services. They can help you feel less… whelmed.”

Opal nodded, wiping her eyes, “It’s really just- just this one class I’m in. Our professor doesn’t allow laptops so I have to take notes by hand. But my- my writing is really messy, so then I have to figure out what I wrote, and-”

She was working herself back into a frenzy. You had to intervene.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay. Which prof is it, maybe we can ask about getting an accommodation made?”

“It’s-” she sobbed, “It’s Professor Reid.”

You froze. Opal continued to sob as a dark, heavy storm cloud rolled into your brain.

“That fucking bastard,” you hissed, effectively shocking Opal out of her stupor.

“Wh-what?”

“This isn’t the first time he’s- okay, come on, follow me, we’re going to my office.”

Wordlessly, Opal put her things in her bag. You ran to your desk to do the same, snatching your keys and water bottle before heading out into the hallway. Opal followed diligently, but she struggled to keep up with your purposeful strides. Her face was still tear-stained, but now, instead of sorrow, her expression was the ultimate picture of confusion. When you reached your office, you swung the door open wide and ushered the girl inside.

In all honesty, you were quite proud of the space you had created. It was warmly lit, a necessary contrast from the harsh white lights of the hallway (you fucking hated those lights). The walls were decorated with your doctorates and neat little art pieces you found in various places. It was colourful and pleasant, and now was not the time to focus on your choice of decor because you were on a mission.

Opal remained near the door, watching as you rounded your desk and reached for something below it. With a slight groan of effort, you quickly emerged with your prize.

A vintage typewriter.

A heavy vintage typewriter.

You placed the thing down on your desk as delicately as you could. Opal stared at you in confusion as you beamed at the fine piece of machinery.

“Which room is his class in, I’ll have someone bring this to you.”

“Professor-?”

“You use it for one class, just one, and I guarantee he’ll let you use your laptop. Damn, technophobe.”

“I don’t know how to use a typewriter.”

You placed your hands on the desk, leaning forward on it, “Okay, come here then, I’ll show you.”

Opal timidly made her way towards you. You made sure to leave her lots of space as you ran through the tech tutorial. She picked up on it quickly, being the good student that she was. When you were done, you collapsed back in your chair, another bright smile on your face. Opal looked significantly less distraught, but still vaguely confused.

“Can I ask why you’re doing this for me? You- you didn’t even have to give me an extension. Why are you-?”

“Because you aren’t the first student to have this problem.”

It was true. This was the seventh sobbing-student-style complaint you’d had about him in as many months- and Reid had only been there for seven months. You’d received emails, phone calls, and office hour meetings where desperate and devastated students would explain to you that they were falling behind. It broke your heart a little bit- and it pissed you right off.

It was ironic that Doctor Reid had come straight here from the FBI- his technophobic nature was slowly but surely murdering your students, and now, you were going to murder him.

“Now about that extension, does five days sound good?”

Opal handed in the assignment two days into her extension. You smiled as you looked over her incredible paper. Your little scheme had worked. You hoped that Reid was pissed.

–

He was! Kind of. Not really. It was a bit of a disappointment to be honest.

You had only known Doctor Spencer Reid for the seven months he’d been teaching alongside you, and boy howdy were you starting to hate his fucking guts. At first, everything was fine. He’d seemed sweet, and polite, and you were willing to overlook the whole FBI profiler thing to maintain the peace.

Then one of your students passed out during class.

Thanks to his high expectations and fear of computers, there was a lot of shit for his students to cope with. The worst part was, you agreed with some of his policies- of course, you didn’t agree with the tech thing, that was stupid- but there was other stuff that you liked. He taught your students things that could help them improve- but at what cost.

Your formerly dim-eyed and sleepy students (let’s be real, they were never going to be bright-eyed nor bushy-tailed, they’re fucking college students) were now going through life in a state of anxiety that was not good for their long-term health. That was enough to make you hate Spencer Reid.

And then one night, over a very full glass of wine you looked up his FBI career. You learned that the BAU used a private jet.

A private. Fucking. Jet.

They didn’t need to use the private jet. They could’ve used trains and it would’ve done the same thing. Shit, they didn’t even have to leave Quantico. They could’ve done their job from their main office. Most profilers do their job from their main office. Instead, Reid’s team had dumped fucking jet fuel into the damn atmosphere because they fucking felt like it. Not to mention just. FBI. Ew.

So, yeah. Fuck Reid’s three PhD’s, and fuck his ability to teach. You didn’t give a shit about any of that. You hated the man. You wanted to eat his heart in the main atrium, and given your way, you would.

Taking all that into consideration, it was only natural for the expression on your face to morph into one of absolute joy when Reid came to your office with the typewriter in his arms, and his tail between his legs.

“Doctor Reid,” your smile was a plastic thing, a false beauty with venom hiding beneath it, “What can I help you with.”

“Please stop sending that typewriter to my class.”

You opened your eyes a little wider, playing dumb just to fuck with him, “Typewriter? Whatever do you mean? I can’t imagine anyone in this century would even own a little antique typewriter like that thing there.”

“Little? That thing has to be over a hundred pounds- and it’s not antique, it’s-”

“It is literally thirty-three pounds.”

“Oh, okay,” he nodded. It was very clearly a ruse, “But how would you know that unless you own the typewriter?”

“I do a lot of research. That’s a 1960s Vintage Royal Empress Typewriter measuring about twelve inches in width and weighing thirty-three pounds and eight ounces. Y’know, now that you mention it, I’ve actually been in the market for a vintage typewriter.”

You put your elbows together on the desk and placed your face in your hands, “You wouldn’t know where I could get one would you?”

“Dr. (L/N), this is your typewriter. Please stop sending it to my classes.”

“Hm, I guess it doesn’t pay tuition, that’s not fair to the other students,” you opened your laptop, “What class do you teach again? I’ll sign it up and pay the price in full.”

Doctor Reid let out the most exasperated sigh you had ever heard in your life- and that was impressive. You taught college kids.

“Why are you like this?” he mumbled.

“Pardon?”

“I said-” he at least had the decency to look embarrassed, “I said, ‘Why are you like this?’”

Your smile split your face from ear to ear. You emerged from behind your desk slowly, carefully, like a predator eyeing up its prey.

“Why am I like this, Dr. Reid? I’m like this because in the past seven months, I have had to deal with seven emotionally wrecked students, and what did they all have in common? Was it personal tragedies? The pure state of the world and everything in it? The knowledge that very few of the students at this school will be able to afford houses once they enter the working world? No, Dr. Reid. The thing they had in common was you.”

“What are you implying?”

“Implying- what are you implying, he asks me,” you muttered, “I’m saying that your fear of computers is fucking over your students.”

“Studies have shown that handwritten notes-”

“No, no, stop. You don’t get to talk. I’m talking now. Handwritten notes might be better for long-term memory retention, but not everyone writes as fast as you talk. Most of these kids don’t have time to switch their notes to a digital format! And that doesn’t account for shit getting lost, or students who get sick and miss class. Look, I get that computers might be scary for you, but in a climate where most of your students are full-time students, who take a mind-numbing amount of courses that cover incredibly difficult material, go home and struggle with the steaming pile of shit that is reality, and then head out for their part-time jobs- or, in some cases, their full-time jobs- you might want to have a degree of sympathy.”

Reid stared at you. He seemed unaffected. You wondered if that was because you were like, an entire foot shorter than him. You pulled up a chair and stood on it.

“Let your students use their laptops, or I swear to god, I will never stop sending the typewriter to class. You will hear the incessant sound of keys clicking in your nightmares, got it?”

He paused, his eyes darting across your face from your lips to your eyes and back.

“How old are you?”

“Excuse me?”

“You’re standing on a chair like a child. How old are you?”

“Twenty-seven. Now get out of my office.”

He did as you asked. You could see a small smirk on his lips as he shut the door behind him. The sight of it made your blood boil, and there and then, you decided you were gonna keep sending the typewriter anyway because fuck that guy.

Still, over the next few months, you never heard another complaint about Spencer Reid and his technophobic habits. Your students went from extreme emotional agony to regular, day-to-day emotional agony. He’d stopped making them take notes by hand.

You were still gonna kill him just… maybe a little bit less.

#spencer reid x reader #spencer reid x gn!reader #spencer reid x you #spencer reid x y/n #x reader #holy shit two fics in two days that's fucking crazy #btw if you have an idea of when this should take place #let me know #im thinking it's around or just after season 9 #i might be biased since im like. halfway through season 10 #but if you've got ideas PLEASE SHARE THEM #anyway

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odditycircus-2002 · 7 months

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Medusa!Reader and Shang Tsung in Mortal Kombat 1 Part 12

Spoilers for MK 1 Story Mode: Proceed with Caution

Sooo, given how this whole ending is, just bear with me here, given there will be an alternate version of you. Still, I'll do my best to try and keep it coherent for y'all. Now onwards!

When Lui Kang recruited you to fight against your Titan self and Titan Shang Tsung, you volunteered to be part of his army to fight against the evil Titans. That is primarily because of the fact that they threaten the timeline YOU live in! Luckily, as mentioned before, you wouldn't be fighting alone; you'd be fighting with endless variants of people you know across timelines, including a version of you that appeared to be a heavenly figure.

At the top of the Temple, standing beside Titan Shang Tsung, is your Titan counterpart, who was grinning like a mad woman at the thought of the bloodshed that would take place. You hear her speaking to Lui Kang,

"Oh, but some things never change, Lui Kang. No matter how much you want to deny it. History has a way of repeating itself, such as now.

Titan Y/N claps her hands in amusement as she encourages Titan Shang Tsung as he reveals the allies they both have gathered throughout multiple timelines. Titan Y/N stood with her husband and a Titan Quan-chi as they signaled for their army to attack; in response, your allies charged up the pyramid. As the battle at the Argus's Temple commences, you feel as if everything you did and what happened didn't happen simultaneously.

You couldn't fly up the temple because the skies were packed with other flying Kombatants and projectiles. So you fought and petrified past Kung Laos, Kenshis, Shaos, Barakas, Sub-Zeros, and Rains. Although it wasn't just variant of people you know that you had to fight. The first one you had to face was Sindel, or at least a Sindel mixed with Zateran blood judging from her scaley appearance and how she vomited acid at you mixed with her banshee shriek. After defeating her, you ran off without another word.

Soon after confronting the Reptilian Empress, a Shao/Sub-Zero hybrid sends you to the ground.

"No healer will be able to fix you once I'm through."

While it was cathartic for you to fight another Shao, as you'll never tire of making the brute suffer, the ice he commanded was a bitch for your reptilian skin. Yet, you managed to prevail by slicing off that Shao's head. You had no time to revel in your victory when you had to run from a large group of Titan Shang Tsung's minions. You got a stab in on an evil Kenshi while running from them, though. Shortly after, you're then jumped by a Baraka and Scorpion hybrid.

"We'll see who's fangs are deadlier."

While you were a bit relieved to not be fighting against a Cryomancer, fighting against a Pyromancer wasn't a pleasant experience. Especially one that resembles your dear Baraka. You had no time to dwell on any regret before a blonde woman with a robotic eye that shoots devastating lasers starts to attack you with a large knife. Luckily your blade proved to be sharper as you disabled the blonde's eye by stabbing her in the eye and through the head. Shortly after, you go up against a Kenshi who seems to have mastered Hydromancy. You had to get a bit creative there because of how your petrifying gaze wouldn't work on him. So, the old-fashioned poison would do the trick.

If only the same could be said for the Goro that attacks you with a Warhammer in each arm. Yet, you're then saved by not one or two but three different versions of Johnny Cage, one of them dressed like some sort of ninja errr mime?

"Much appreciated; good health to you all!"

You say to them before you're confronted by a Reiko/Quan-chi hybrid. Like both of his components, he was overly confident in his skills. After defeating him, you climb higher up the pyramid only to be confronted with four people you've never met, all dressed in yellow and black uniforms. Fortunately, you didn't have to fight them alone before another Kitana, this one who wore two buns in her hair and was dressed in a way fitting for the divine, mowed the entire group down effortlessly.

"Oh, thank you so much, your Majesty."

Kitana then got knocked down by some random kombatant who came out of nowhere. After getting through a couple more bizarre hybrids, you were close enough to the top to see your Titan Y/N standing with the Deadly Alliance. The trio, seeing how close you are to the top, combine their magics to throw a huge ball of plasma down the pyramid in your direction. You managed to throw yourself out of the way but at the cost of a large group of people being obliterated. After tumbling down a dozen steps, you're soon confronted by three Mileenas, sais out and thirsty for your blood. While you killed two, one of them managed to pin you down and tried to stab you in the eyes like poor Kenshi. Keyword tried. This time, you took out Mileena's eyes with her own blades.

While Titan Y/N and the Titan Deadly Alliance prepare another spell, who should catch them off guard by attacking them but their far more virtuous counterparts? At first, they appeared to have the upper hand, enough so the more virtuous Shang Tsung could earnestly shout some encouragement to you. You hate how looking at him made you blush.

While Titan Shang Tsung and Titan Quan-chi devour the souls of their more heroic selves, your Titan self has a more sadistic idea in hand. She tore a hole into your virtuous counterpart before grabbing heroic Shang Tsung's spine as a hacksaw, bifurcating your other self. Titan Y/N then uses her blade to swiftly cut off your other self's head and tears off her veil to reveal the writhing head full of snakes beneath. Titan Y/N giggles before she turns her back on the war beneath her feet to toss the decapitated head over her shoulder like it were a bouquet. This turns dozens of the kombatants on either side into stone because they made the mistake of looking at your other self's eyes. These poor souls are soon shattered into pebbles by their enemies, indistinguishable from the rest of the pyramid's ruins. Luckily, you were spared this gruesome fate.

After getting through more strange opponents, you could finally reunite with Lord Lui Kang and follow him the rest of the way up the pyramid. Finally, you reached the top to fight the masterminds behind this war and the conspiracy against your timeline. Titan Y/N was less than impressed.

"I've heard your righteous spiel long enough to last ALL my lifetimes. So please, at least keep this fight interesting."

You knew Lord Lui Kang to be powerful beyond compare, but even with his Titan power restored, he was still one Titan going against three malicious ones. It didn't help that none of them, including Titan Y/N, didn't fight fairly such as when she bit into Lui Kang with her fangs. So with the Fire God currently out of commission you're forced to fight them all alone.

"Honestly, at this point in time, I've forgotten how many of you I've seen die."

Somehow, against all odds, and you nearly dying so many times and sustaining so many injuries, you were still standing among the bloodied and beaten Titans. Lui Kang couldn't help but compliment you on your impressive feat.

"Your praise is like a healing salve for all my wounds. Now, let's cut out these tumors."

Lui Kang, deciding you've done more than enough, walks over to stand over the fallen Titans. Using his own Titan power, he reduces all of them into dust and sand, hopefully making it the last time you'll see any of them specifically. However, without either Titan Shang Tsung or Titan Y/n, it became clear from how the entire realm shook that the timeline was starting to crumble and tear at the seams.

"What now?!"

Lui Kang quickly uses his power to send you back to your native timeline before the current one you're in collapses with you alongside it.

"Thank you for your aid, Y/N. I hope we meet again one day."

You're lifted into the air and surrounded by fire before a bright flash of white goes off in front of you, and you end up exactly where you need to be.

A/N: Whaaa, two posts in one day?!? How can this be??? Anyways, remember to like, reblog, and comment. And if you like, drop and ask a random thought in my inbox, as I do enjoy hearing from y'all!😁😁😁😁

Playlist while writing this

"A Good Song Never Dies" by Saint Motel

"Tot Musica" by Ado

"I Can't Decide" by Scissor Sisters

"Play With Fire" by Sam Tinnesz

"Running up that Hill" feat Meg Myers

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cantsayidont · 6 months

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Recentish movies of note, or not:

BOTTOMS: Ridiculous "teen" comedy about two gay high school losers, PJ (Rachel Sennott, who also co-wrote with director Emma Seligman) and Josie (Ayo Edebiri), who seize on a rumor about their having been in juvenile detention to start an after-school "self-defense club," in the hope that introducing the school's hottest cheerleaders to the cathartic thrill of girls beating the shit out of each other will finally give these hopeless (and ho-less) virgins a chance to score. So silly that complaining about the stupidity of the plot seems a tad churlish, but the story misses some obvious comedic opportunities, and despite the premise, the film eventually becomes far more interested in cartoonish violence than sex. If you dig the overall vibe, you might not care, but as a gay teen sex comedy, it's ultimately less successful (and less outrageous) than BOOKSMART, even though only one of the latter film's teen loser heroines is gay.

DO REVENGE: Black comedy homage to the teen comedies of the '90s and early '00s, inspired in part by the 1951 movie version of STRANGERS ON A TRAIN, about a disgraced prep school popular girl, Drea (Camila Mendes), who joins forces with gay weirdo Eleanor (Maya Hawke) to avenge herself on her former friends and find out who leaked her sex tape — a plan that involves giving Eleanor a makeover so she can infiltrate the popular kids. Hawke is a delight, Mendes is very good, and the homoerotic tension of their odd relationship makes the movie fun for a while, especially if you appreciate the many self-conscious homages to prior teen movies. However, a major reveal late in the second act makes hash of the already sloppy plot, and the finale is both nonsensical and as antisemitic as STRANGERS ON A TRAIN author Patricia Highsmith, which leaves a sour aftertaste.

IT'S A WONDERFUL KNIFE: Bizarre slasher movie pastiche of IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE, about a teenage girl named Winnie Carruthers (Jane Widdop of YELLOWJACKETS), who kills the masked serial killer who's been terrorizing the small town of Angel Falls and murdered her best friend (Hana Huggins) at Christmastime. A year later, everyone in town seems to have gotten over it except Winnie, who's miserable. On Christmas Eve, she's magically transported into an alternate timeline where she was never born and the masked slasher has continued murdering people, including Winnie's brother (Aiden Howard). To set things right, Winnie has to stop the villain all over again with the help of Bernie Simon (Jess McLeod), the town outcast and the only one who believes her story. Not scary, gruesome, or suspenseful enough to be much of a horror movie, but there are enough grisly murders to make the comedic holiday fantasy aspects seem a trifle sociopathic, and a late reveal that the killer has supernatural powers beyond just stabbing or slashing people feels like one ingredient too many in an already convoluted plot. The main redeeming feature is that it's ultimately a gay love story, which I wasn't expecting, but appreciated nonetheless.

THE KILL ROOM: Uma Thurman, Samuel L. Jackson, Joe Manganiello, and Maya Hawke go slumming in this dumb black comedy about a handsome hitman named Reggie (Manganiello) who becomes the sensation of the art world after his mob intermediary (Jackson) concocts a scheme to launder Reggie's payments by selling his abstract paintings (under the nom de plume "the Bagman") through a burned-out, Adderall-snorting art dealer (Thurman). Intended satire of the cutthroat vacuity of the art world lacks bite and no part of the plot makes any sense, but sheer star power gets the movie through about half its 80-minute running time before the banality becomes terminal.

POLITE SOCIETY: Silly British action-comedy by Nida Manzoor (creator of WE ARE LADY PARTS) about Ria Khan (Priya Kansara, delightful), a Pakistani teenager who aspires to be a stuntwoman, and her quest to save her flaky art student older sister Lena (Ritu Arya, radiant) from marrying a handsome doctor (Ashay Khanna) who seems a little too good to be true. It looks great, and the characters are very charming, but the story waits much too long to clarify the stakes of the plot: Until the finale, we don't know if Lena is actually in any danger or if Ria is just letting her imagination run away with her, and that uncertainty becomes an unwelcome distraction in the later action sequences. As a result, it feels more like an update of the John Hughes perennial SIXTEEN CANDLES than the over-the-top action movie it obviously aspires to be.

SHIVA BABY: Low-key but vivid comedy of manners, written and directed by Emma Seligman, starring Rachel Sennott as Danielle, a bisexual 20something Jewish girl who secretly pays her bills as a sugar baby. When she goes with her parents (Fred Melamed and Polly Draper) to a shiva, she finds herself trapped with not only her most annoying relatives, but also her disgruntled ex-girlfriend (Molly Gordon), her current sugar daddy (Danny Deferrari), his gorgeous blond wife (Dianna Agron), and their new baby. Seligman milks every awkward nuance of this uncomfortable social situation for maximum dramatic effect, and the tension of the final scene (which is nothing more complicated than the characters trying to squeeze into the back of Danielle's father's minivan) will drive you right up the wall.

VOLEUSES (WINGWOMEN): Is it really possible for a 40-year-old Frenchwoman living in the 21st century to not know that lesbians exist? One wouldn't think so, but watching this jokey buddy-action movie suggests that director/co-writer/star Mélanie Laurent desperately needs some kind of educational intervention in that regard. This is for all intents and purposes a lesbian romance: Master thieves Carole (Laurent) and Alex (Adèle Exarchopoulos) live together, routinely sleep in the same bed, and plan to retire together; they constantly express their love and affection for one another, and when Carole discovers that she's pregnant (the hows of which are never explained), Alex immediately assumes that they'll be moms together. Nonetheless, the story not only attempts to no-homo this cozy domestic scenario, but also presumes that there's no way Carole and Alex's relationship could ever be the de facto marriage it obviously already is — indeed, a crucial story moment involves Carole tearfully wishing she were a man so she could love Alex the way she deserves! If the movie had been made 50+ years ago, this might be poignant, but in 2023, it's just weird, and the resulting cognitive dissonance largely overshadows the thin plot, which concerns Carole and Alex trying to persuade their bitchy, cheerfully murderous employer Marraine (Isabelle Adjani, barely recognizable beneath her big hair and oversized sunglasses) to let them retire, while training a younger woman named Sam (Manon Bresch) to become their driver and the ambiguously defined third in their domestic ménage à trois.

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choicesficwriterscreations · 7 months

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November MC of the Month: Riikka Lovisa Yläkorpi

Please welcome November 2023's MC of the month! Each month, we will highlight one MC or OC that is currently on our Meet My MC / OC List. The MC / OC is selected randomly on the Wheel of Names, and eligibility requirements can be found here. We accept MC / OC profiles on an ongoing basis. Please feel free to send yours in!

This month’s MC of the month is…

@aallotarenunelma 's Riikka Lovisa Yläkorpi!

In your own words, tell us what you like most about your MC / OC.

What I love most about Riikka is how she always finds a way to talk about Finland and share about her Finnish culture. She was born and raised there until she moved to Westchester when she was 2. Her father was born and raised in Porvoo/Borgå, Finland and her mother was born and raised in Astoria, Oregon, where there's an important Finnish community. It explains why she's so deeply connected to her Finnish roots.

Do you feel your MC / OC is like you at all? How are you alike or different?

Riikka and I share the same height (163 cm), the same main love language (quality time), and a love for raspberries and salmiakki. We also share the same romantic and sexual orientations (demigray), but that was completely accidental. It was only a few months ago that I realized I was also gray, not just demi.

Unlike her, I don't have Asian origins, I have only one culture and one native tongue, I am not an only child, I am not allergic to peanuts and spring is not my favourite season.

What is most important to your MC / OC? What is their motivation in life? Happiness is most important to her. Happiness for her and also for everyone else. She wishes for people around her to be utterly happy, especially her loved ones.

What are their biggest pet peeves/dislikes? Riikka's biggest pet peeves are cruelty and any forms of abuse. She also dislikes peanuts because of her severe allergy and rutabagas.

If your MC / OC could change one thing - anything - what would it be? That would be hanging out with Mr Red. If she could go back in time, in every timeline, she would not follow Jane and would tell her how bad that idea is. Each time, it has impacted the group and left Dan with PTSD and a high level of anxiety to manage.

What is your MC / OC’s favorite quote or song? "Voimallinen tahto vie miehen läpi harmaan kiven." ("A strong will takes a man through a gray rock.")

This quote is from the classic book Seitsemän veljestä (The Seven Brothers) by Aleksis Kivi.

Because Riikka has a silly side, she enjoys telling Dan "eteenpäin sanoi mummo lumessa", which translates into "forward, said granny in the snow". It means to keep going through difficulties with determination.

Both quotes are about sisu. It's a Finnish concept hard to translate but that could be explained as perseverance, strength of will, tenacity, courage, bravery during moments that seem hopeless.

Is there anything else you’d like to share about your MC / OC? (It can be why you created them, how they’ve inspired you, or you could write a little blurb as if it is coming from your OC - an acceptance speech. :) )

Riikka is very special to me because she's my first ILITW MC. Unfortunately, she passed away in a violent manner during my very first playthrough, leaving me shaken. I had to grieve her before being able to replay the book and create another MC.

Because I couldn't forget her, I decided to write a series, Darker Than Night, that follows the original timeline. It's very angsty but also cathartic.

I also had the idea of an AU series telling about how the lives of the children would have changed if they hadn't had the sleepover in the woods. This AU series is titled In Joy and Sorrow and it starts when they are in junior, so a year before when the book starts. I love this series because I can talk about so many important and different topics, and there are wonderful OCs. Even my four other It Lives MCs are dropping by from time to time.

Thanks to this series, I've really gotten to know Riikka, and I keep on learning about her. And now, she can fully live a great life she should have never lost so young in the first place.

Here are some stories to learn more about Riikka:

Darker Than Night

Joy and Sorrow

#choices fic writers creations #cfwc mc of the month #mc of the month #it lives in the woods #playchoices #aallotarenunelma

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mastcrmarksman · 2 months

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1st order of business. This isn't a call for immediate interactions or anything. This is a....

Given that alcoholism/addiction is a theme on this blog / personal headcanon and developed arc for Clint. I tend to write in present canon with the assumption that Clint has already entered into recovery arc and is sober. Along with I generally avoid writing too heavily around the topic for first time interactions with people or center it as a topic, since not everyone is comfortable with exploring such things in depth.

As alcoholism and being drunk, being a jerk and missing life, isn't cool. It's an unhealthy coping mechanism and alcoholism runs on clint's family (i want to work on a post about that). I do remind that I write this stuff as it's cathartic and addiction has effected my own personal life via family.

However, the point being of this post is give a like of you'd be comfortable or comment a ❤️ to have threads or plot around the parts of Clint's timeline when he's at his worst, before recovery, when he's struggling, relapse, AA discussion, tough times with sobriety, and allowing the topic to be explored or centered in general.

I simply just want to get a general idea of who is comfortable with that explicitly, so in other things we are writing or plotting, this may come up in clint's timeline or have some threads that are central to the topic of alcoholism, sobriety the struggle, and so on.

#[ ooc ] roleplays psas #[ STUDY ] Clint Barton and Alcoholism

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justatalkingface · 7 months

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I am amazed

That the Todoroki family is as functional and well put together as it is, I really am. This isn't me going, 'they shouldn't want him back!', btw... though I do still think that, for the record. It's more that they go through all that, and at the end of the day only Dabi goes on to not be a productive citizen.

I'm... not really going anywhere with this, it's just... their dad is an abusive asshole, yeah, that's the baseline. He's rich, sure whatever. The important bit is, I think, is that he's a hero, and you have to remember that in that MHA context: a hero, in MHA, is more than just a celebrity, more than just a public servant. The only way I can really put it is like this; in MHA, a hero is expected to hold up the sky, and so is treated as such.

In a society fracturing under the weight of overreaching government restrictions, escalating societal pressures, civil rights movements that are starting to bloom into terrorist organizations for the sheer lack of progress being made, heroes are the glue holding it all together. They are that big, that important, that beloved.

And the Todorokis were raised by, and abused by, one such hero. But he's not just a hero, oh no: he's not some down on his luck no-name barely scraping by, or struggling to manage his job, he's Endeavor, the Number Two Hero. He's second only to All Might, which might as well mean he's first among all humans. His face and image is on toys and posters, his name known to every man, woman and child in Japan, and probably by substantial amounts on other continents as well. In short, I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that he, and the other top heroes, are pillars of society.

That is the man that abused them, that is the man that ruined their lives: a man who symbolizes the very society they live in.

I'll say it again: the fact that only Dabi snapped, and went on to reject their father and everything he stands for, astounds me. After driving their mother into a psychotic break, to the point she spends the rest of her life locked away, after driving their brother into suicide, everything he does to them and they just... go onto being normal people.

In my imagination, Fuyumi is... the leader of a motorcycle gang. Why? I don't know; I don't even think one could possibly exist in a society where law enforcement can come down out of the sky and casually flip an eighteen wheeler, but... still, that's my mental image for her. I think it's the sheer level of repression she has going on being released in cathartic violence and wild rampage.

Natsuo, meanwhile, I picture having a normal job, a normal life, but being just... super subversive under the surface. Maybe he hacks hero's bank accounts, maybe he joins some crazed revolutionary organization (MHA has enough of them), or is some guerilla reporter devoted to exposing heroic corruption or something; I'm not sure which, but him having that level of secrecy in his rebellion when he's outwardly the most straightforward about his anger amuses me.

For Rei? At some point, Endeavour comes to visit her, and she's the one to give him that scar on his eye.

As a treat.

And as for Shoto? In a timeline without Midoriya correction... well. I always imagined he'd go to school and become a hero, as expected. Endeavour tries to force him into his agency, but he refuses, goes his own way, does everything he can to avoid the man, even if it damages his career prospects, but above all else he refuses to bow, refuses to bend even an inch to his father.

But Endeavour refuses to leave his prized creation alone.

And then, one day, he just... snaps. Goes full Sephiroth, in fact. He snaps, kills his father before he even knows what's happening, and just kinda... wanders off, to accidently his way into becoming a feared villain, either still not emoting at all, or again like Sephiroth (or his brother), just going full in on the crazy.

And for bonus points? The last straw that drives him over the edge? Endeavour's eye getting scarred, Endeavour looking more like him, both of them marked by Rei's hand; that last, unwanted, connection to the man he hates most, laced with some of his deepest, most unresolved trauma.

#bnha critical #mha critical #endeavour critical #what if?#every todoroki is traumatized honestly #they should express that #let rei maim endeavour #as a treat #rebel!todoroki au

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aeor-is-for-reccing · 1 year

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Shadowgast Recs: Time Travel and Time Loops

This week, we have 12 fics that feature time travel or time loops under the cut! Check them out, and don't forget to comment or kudos if you like them!

Something Worth Saving by cow_queen (35341,Not Rated) Warnings: Graphic Depictions of Violence and Major Character Death (But they get better eventually)

A Groundhog day AU where Essek keeps reliving the day the Dynasty killed the Mighty Nein, constantly going back to the beginning in a desperate attempt to save his friends.

Reccer says: I really enjoy the way the timeloop mechanic is handled here actually, and rather enjoy the slow realization of who is really causing problems.

in the times in between by jakia (8098,Teen) Warnings: None

A strange man keeps showing up to help the Ermendruds, but Una thinks he's really swell, if not a bit odd and strangely familiar...

Reccer says: Look, I just love Una's perspective and how we as an audience know who this man is but she doesn't. I just adore this fic so much.

To be Defeated and Victorious by basically_npr_trash (6394,Teen) Warnings: none

While on a mission for Master Ikithon, Bren receives a letter from a mysterious Dynasty stranger offering a tenuous olive branch. Bren's rational side tells him to burn it immediately, but something pulls on him to follow through. A This Is How You Lose the Time War AU

Reccer says: It's got enemies to lovers, time travel, spies, clever places to hide letters, and the letters themselves!

Another Time, Another Place by Operafloozy (9780,Teen) Warnings: none

Essek and Bren are time travelling spies that write each other letters. They fall in love.

Reccer says: It's This is How You Lose the Time War AU that focuses a lot on how their relationship changes from enemies to falling in love, and has some great visuals and lines in it. Also has a great Astrid and Eadwulf Cameo

the better version of our past by KmacKatie (5840,Explicit) Warnings: None

In the split moment where Caleb and Essek use the gem to give everyone some much needed rest, they see visions of alternative timelines

Reccer says: The vibes are so perfect and weird. A wonderful emotional roller coaster for our boys

displacement by mllekurtz (12834,Explicit) Warnings: Dubcon in the flavor of past!Essek sleeping with present!Caleb without disclosing that he isn't present!Essek

Post-97 Essek gets body swapped with his post-campaign self, sleeps with Caleb, and reckons with the fact that the Nein seem to love him.

Reccer says: This is Essek at his most self-loathing and Caleb at his most Essek-loving. That combination is heartbreaking in the best way, and makes the comfort that comes at the end hit that much harder.

Breaking Inertia by futureshieldmaiden (31096,Teen) Warnings: none

Caleb and Essek get stuck in a time loop, and have to work together to get out of it.

Reccer says: An interesting take on the time loop idea - I like how having both of them stuck in the time loop changes the dynamics between them, even as they discover more information about each other along the way.

a shape made by our hands by saturdaysky (4158,Teen) Warnings: none

Caleb time travels to a decaying timeline and meets a young Essek.

Reccer says: The look at Essek as a child is both adorable and heart-wrenching, and the way present day Caleb and Essek respond to what happened is perfectly them.

time will come by mieletthe (5750,General) Warnings: None

In his old age Essek travels back in time to visit an elderly Caleb for a conversation on grief and death.

Reccer says: A remarkably cathartic and tender story. If you need a good cry, here it is!

if only for a moment by saturdaysky (2035,General) Warnings: deals with the eventual future death of a main character, but no one dies in the fic

Caleb accidentally travels forward in time, far past his death. Essek is there and has been expecting him. They share a soft moment.

Reccer says: Sky handles the topics of grief and love with such exquisite care. I cry wonderful cathartic tears every time I read this fic. I'm tearing up writing this summary. Read this fic, you guys.

Twelve Thousand and Sixty-Five Seconds by LessAttitudeMoreAltitude (1945,Teen) Warnings: There is repeated major character death and suicide, neither being permanent but is nonetheless present

Time was Essek's speciality. Which was why, waking up in his dark cell on the day of his execution, he immediately noticed the dozens of threads of possibility. Countless echoes of Caleb trying over and over again to save him. And they only got more numerous the closer he came to his death.

Reccer says: I liked it!

And then two for this last fic:

The Fullness of Time by Cers (162788,Teen) Warnings: None

In the battle against Lucien, Essek makes a gamble that accidentally sends himself and Caleb back in time. They have to work to figure out how to get back to save their friends.

Reccer 1 says: This fic is incredibly well written and the last couple of chapters left me a mess with my emotions. Lots of good bits of the wizards trying to figure out their feelings and then avoiding talking about them Reccer 2 says: One of, if not the best Time Travel fic out there. Cers explores the highs and lows of time travel, along with the paradoxical risks associated. HIGHLY Recommend.

Aeor is for Lovers is an 18+ Shadowgast Discord server. The above fanfic recommendations were pulled from our community for this weekly event. All fics, unless otherwise specified, will primarily feature Shadowgast.

Have any questions about what this is? Check out the FAQ! Next week’s we’re going to have fics that go a little darker - featuring Ludinus Da'Leth!

#shadowgast #time travel #critical role #cr fics #fic recs #critrole fic recs #essek thelyss #caleb widogast

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drchucktingle · 1 year

Note

Can you tell us more about Camp Damascus? The cover looks cool as heck and has me intrigued.

i am trying to be very secret about the plot of CAMP DAMASCUS because part of fun is trying to unravel what is happening. so i am sorry to not have too much to offer.

i would say buckaroos who enjoyed STRAIGHT and who find chucks horror writing cathartic will REALLY REALLY like camp damascus.

lead character of camp damascus is also autistic, which i am very proud of.

ultimately i think that book is very scary and frightening and gruesome with pretty extreme horror but at end of the day it proves same thing i am always out to prove which is that LOVE IS REAL

also if enough buckaroos preorder and it does well i will be able to keep pushing the buckaroo lifestyle of radical love and acceptance farther into the mainstream and bring message of chuck to even more timelines, which is very important to me so if you have not preordered yet then that would be very kind and i would appreciate it very much

#chuck tingle #tingleverse #horror #camp damascus #straight #love is real

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shoegazingmonad · 6 months

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Hate how so many Homestuck fans are unable to comprehend how tragic Ult Dirk is. At the end of Homestuck, in the credits, we get to see Dirk get his shit sorted out in the consort kingdom, him in a happy relationship with Jake and clearly content with how his life was going post-game. Finally getting to relax and settle down and work out everything with his friends and family and then BOOM nevermind fuck it. Shitpost metanarrative continuation just for fun. Except it's not fun because now he's been forcefully merged with all of the splinters he had worked so hard to accept weren't him. No longer physically able to differentiate their thoughts from his because he quite literally IS the sum of all of them, within one body. And THEN immediately after being told the universe that they'd spent their entire childhood waiting for is no longer a fully functional canonical timeline and becoming an egomaniacal douchebag, he's given narrator permissions and left to figure out whatever he thinks should be done about the whole universe-ending situation despite how mentally unfit he is for such a task.

And the part that really pains me when it comes to his new role as a villain is the fact that he, truly, was not given any other choice. The author needed a skilled antagonist who would wreck shit in an entertaining and cathartic way and he was simply the best pick there was. And so Dirk was shoved into a position so specifically cruel that it would've been obvious to anyone who knew him that there weren't any other options besides the antagonistic role so conveniently laid out before him. You can't just go up to a guy who has such a complex about his own individuality and existence and tell him that the universe is ending and everything leading up to this point will have been meaningless if nothing is done to prevent it, and THEN tell him that if he fuses with every other shitty him-adjacent dickhead he can gain story-altering abilities that could prevent the world ending scenario without him desperately taking that offer in a fit of existential fear. The narrative forced him into a position that would make him force himself to take up the specific role the narrative needed.

#The day the entire homestuck fandom realises Ult Dirk isn't just Dirk but EVIL but a miserable victim of the narrative like everyone else #is the day I can live peacefully #homestuck 2 #hs epilogues #ult dirk #ramblings #character meta

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papastarion · 7 months

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Writing out the postgame is so much fun when you just. Do whatever you want. When you get to explore your own interpretation of what comes next for these silly, silly newly dubbed heroes (or villains, if you went that route.)

People have pointed it out a million times how much Astarion changes in such a sort period of time and how he’s a blank slate, really. He’s got to learn who he is now, not who he was. Now, I’ve personally expanded the timeline of the game itself quite a bit for my own purposes, so he has even more time and there’s even more that happens. And those first few months in particular after the ending are chaotic for everyone in the group.

But I like to think Astarion, prickly Astarion, who, at his core, has become a survivor, is so soft now. The more he adjusts to being him, and to learning what he likes, the more fun I have writing him as forever the king of sass, but he’s just so content that the sass isn’t so venomous anymore. It’s jovial. It’s borne from contentment, not a coping mechanism. He still has his days. His moments. 200 years of torture will never leave him. But he never has to go back.

He’s seen that people can care, that he can be loved—he is loved. He’s learned that a hand can be raised to reach out and help, not just poised to strike. I don’t ever see him becoming fully altruistic, but he’s no longer fighting to survive. He gets to live now.

He’s the stray cat who’s finally found a home, a safe place. Is he still going to cause chaos? Tear up the proverbial carpet, knock over the glass of water? Sure. He wouldn’t be Astarion if he didn’t. But there’s a certain pleasant domesticity he gets to enjoy now. And after so much time playing at family and at being at home, it’s cathartic getting to write him building his own, real, chosen family and growing more and more comfortable in a real home.

#domestic Astarion is so so so important to me you don’t understand #and to everyone who talks about or makes art of him becoming a tailor of finding some kind of hobby after everything I love you #he’s got a real home now instead of a prison #Astarion #bg3 #can you tell I’m PROCRASTINATING

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temunitu · 1 year

Note

Do you have any good Mike or Raph fic or anything? Could be any version but I think it would be nice to read about the other half of the turtle boys. That and I just want to read more Mikey fanfic…

here’s my list with a quick rating and summary to help you find exactly what you want! some of these are just on my reading list but i’ve heard good things about them, or they sound interesting.

this list is mostly mikey because that's my boy right there. i haven't seen many raph and mikey fics unfortunately. someday i'll complete mine.

as usual, if any of y'all have read any good fics and want to recommend some, feel free! we love and appreciate raph and mikey on this blog.

fics i have read:

(Rise Mikey) Going Under - 12/10 i was on the edge of my seat. the boys are facing a new villain and mikey gets trapped underwater. made me cry

(Rise Mikey) Sometime I Get Lost Under The Painted Sky - 12/10 post rise movie mikey tries out vent art for the trauma he got from the kraang. love the way the author describes the paintings of kraang and mikey's feelings surrounding it. sent chills up my spine.

(2003 Mikey) A Simple Act of Kindness - 10/10 very cathartic, also made me tear up. an accurate depiction of what the next battle nexus would look like and how mikey would react to losing.

(2003 Mikey) Better Genes - 9/10 i’ve been obsessed with this prompt ever since i found out about it. it’s a simple rewrite of if mikey was infected instead of don during the 2003 good genes arc. has a lot of references to 2003 and a few to 2012. the chapter “journey to the center of mikey’s mind” is beautifully described and really captures the mystic feelings 2003 has.

(2003, all) Dissection - 14/10 much needed talking through what happened after the space arc. very in character. made me chuckle AND tear up.

fics i'm reading:

(Rise F!Mikey) Mystic Hands - so far, the writing is so eloquent and rich. it's about mikey travelling back in time instead of casey jr. iconic peepaw, he travels back in time and immediately takes a nap. couldn't agree more.

(Rise F!Mikey) Too Lucky To Count - another future mikey goes back in time fic! (can you tell i have a niche interest?) so far, the writing is so gripping, talking about how each character died in the apocalypse. f!mike seems to have a dry, dark sense of humor from what i can tell which should prove hilarious.

fics on my to-read:

(Rise Mikey) Stranger Danger - rise mikey and 2012 mikey swap places! sounds like a really interesting concept.

(Rise Mikey) Portal Chaos - an au mikey (inspired by the last ronin) gets transported back in time. the author has a LOT of fun art for this one.

(2003 Mikey) Pretend That I Never Left - alternate fic where mikey is thrust into the world of horizon: zero dawn instead of reality check. i've seen the artwork and i'm excited to read this.

(2003 Raph) From Ruins - takes place in the SAINW timeline. looks exceedingly interesting, and the authors have illustrations to go with the story (can you tell i love art?)

(Rise Sunset Duo) Hold Him Tight (And Never Let Go Again) - "Mikey never realized just how much it hurt that he and Raph drifted away, until he ends up with an unconscious Raphael, trapped in a collapsing building, and unable to reach his brothers." i'm gonna cry so hard when i read this one, aren't i?

(Rise Raph) Elegy of An Older Brother - explores raph's feelings post-movie and how he's coping with no longer being leader.

(Rise Raph) Glass Heart - post movie, the others treat raph with more care after he got infected. i think it's a bunch of oneshots of raph bonding with various family members? sounds cute.

(Rise Raph) Unfavorable Ramifications - post-movie, raph dealing with the loss of his eye and getting comforted by donnie and mikey. skimmed through it and it seems in-character, like a fun read.

i'll add more whenever i come across them

#fic rec #rottmnt #rise of the tmnt #rottmnt mikey #rottmnt raph #sunset duo #rottmnt sunset duo #tmnt 2018 #tmnt 2003 #tmnt 2003 mikey #tmnt 4kids #fanfic recommendation #future mikey #rottmnt future mikey #post rottmnt movie #rottmnt movie

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kanacozmez · 5 months

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Analysis Post #1 ^^

Her stuff with the wolves is so interesting. I can't get over the fact that she's so like an attack dog in her own eyes. But she's not very wolf like in her independence and stuff. Right?? Like her whole thing is she might follow someone's direction but she seems to be doing all her vigilantism alone. I don't look into analysis at all I just base everything off of my own thoughts so I'm totally gonna be repeating other peoples thoughts but she's so obviously connected to the idea of Little Red Riding Hood.

She's become the monster and maybe she's had moments of clarity about that. (Credit to @mayoiayasep for the image)

She looks horrified about something. But the wolf seems like it's experiencing like. Pleasure makes it sound weird because of it's connotations but you know what I mean. Like it's just eaten a full meal. And she's covered in blood around her mouth which is possibly supposed to be an allegory for her murdering someone because she's always on about her fangs. The descriptions of HARROW and Deep Cover say ”I’ll gouge you out with my fangs.” and “That’s why I became your fangs.” It's pretty clear it's meant as a metaphor for her killing/attacking someone. The screenshot above makes me feel like it was her taking a life instead of just attacking someone perhaps, and this was a moment of "I didn't think I could do that" but she can't deny that she enjoyed it. It's a realisation that she's becoming like the people she hates so much but she clearly doesn't stop because it's cathartic and it feels good and we know this because she literally attacked people inside the prison.

Also, the "past" version of her - the shots with the young girl where Kotoko is in the jacket? Yeah that seems to be a direct continuation of the last MV. It opens here:

Where HARROW ends here:

So these parts of the MVs are directly next to each other on a timeline. The girl clings to her and Kotoko is obviously emotional about what's just happened and she hugs her back, right before the song has the like "That's why I became your fangs". So was this sort of. A way of indicating that this sort of reaction is what she does for at this point? She's doing this to help people and seeing them safe is worth it all. Or maybe seeing them grateful like that is worth it all. Unsure. She's either genuinely doing this because she thinks it's right or she's also motivated by the need to feel like she's moral and she's chasing the idea of that approval. Which would link to why she did what she did after being voted innocent - she got the clearest "your actions are right" she could have possibly gotten.

Then we end up back here, but this has been all drawn over. This was the setup she had that was presumably used to find that girl, but it's now all scribbled over?? It looks like she got frustrated that she's succeeded because now she's stagnated? There's moon imagery here but I'll get to that in a bit. The reason that I think that is just because of the outfit choices. Kotoko is shown in 4 (I think?) outfits total over the 2 MVs - the red hoodie, the blue and yellow jacket & cap, the white outfit and then her very cool Es cosplay. Maybe it's supposed to convey a jump back in time or something when, in Deep Cover, she's back dressed in the yellow and blue. But I think that it's sort of her "disguise". Blue and red are also (almost) complimentary colours but we will get to that. The blue of her jacket isn't technically complimentary to red but it's close enough. (Except it's not. Orange is it's compliment. I'll. Get to it).

ANYWAY.. the other time we see the blue and yellow jacket is when Kotoko is looking for information in HARROW. It's like it's her "civilian" clothes in contrast to the red hoodie being her "vigilante outfit". She's sat in the park with the girl she saved but she's not paying much attention to her because she's back to looking through her phone for information (or anything that could be seen as a go ahead to start another hunt). Another reason I think she has a motivation of needing validation for her actions is in the lyrics here. She sings "come on, rely on me, go on. I became your fangs as the long-awaited hero" - presumably to the girl. She's reliant on this girl to provide her with validation that she's doing the right thing but it's clear that whatever has happened was too far. The lyric "tell me you tell me "stop"." (Or, in a way that easier to read, 'give me the reason behind why you want me to stop this') which is followed by the line "don't you dare stop now, I want a reason for judgement execution, I want it". Notably Kotoko is back in her red hoodie and has entirely blanked the young girl - possibly because she's not giving her the backing Kotoko wants. She also throws off her hat as she walks before she transforms into the werewolf, and that item is what the girl had been playing with earlier. She removes it as she gets more aggressive, saying "I want it, give me the next target, I want it, I want it, give me the next target". It's desperate and animalistic especially with the visual of her transformation.

(A note on the transformation: it's clearly her becoming a monster or giving into her violent desires in some way, portrayed as a werewolf or some other creature like that. But she doesn't become that until we cut to the next shot where she's dressed as a guard. Her downfall began after saving that girl and then getting her flow of validation stopped, but she didn't completely transform until she'd been voted innocent. Because that was a go ahead that she was right, that she was able to go back to how she used to deal with criminals. But she couldn't do that properly because she'd long since started changing into the werewolf / the worst version of herself.)

So. Yeah. This is the first analysis post of at least two, if not three that I'll make. I think that what happened to Kotoko before entering the prison was this:

She discovered a kidnapping case of a girl (it could be trafficking as well considering the girl doesn't ever get shown to be reuniting with her family? Maybe it was hard to get to them?) and went to rescue her. To protect her, she killed the man who did this and this then began the realisation she had that she can use violence to her advantage. This is only confirmed to her because she gets verification that it was worth it from the young girl. Kotoko begins to fixate on this need to be supported in her actions and in looking into more things to solve that would get her this, she stops paying as much attention to the girl. Eventually, the girl tells her to stop doing this - probably because she misses Kotoko? - and this denial of validation makes Kotoko upset. Then she brushes off the girl and presumably goes to either: kill someone else and then get caught an put into MILGRAM, start killing multiple people (over a chunk of time probably) before getting caught, or to get caught for MILGRAM before she can take another life.

Being caught and put in this situation where she can protect people but doesn't need to be violent puts her cravings on hold until she's voted innocent and others are guilty. And we know what happens after that.

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