#unhelpful thinking styles

[un-pearable]

in which zane did not know before he died

remembered this very old au concept i’ve had since i was tiny watching ninjago for the first time… it completely unravels everything i enjoy about zane in the early seasons and i refuse to think of the necessary rewrites atm but i needed to make at least this one scene exist. can an au be naught but a single panel that makes me Sad?

#ninjago #zane ninjago #cole ninjago #tournament of elements #art✨ #loadbearing nindroid #notorious s4 enjoyer makes sad s4 content for first time. this has lingered in the back of my mind for a literal decade probably #lettering makes me too powerful bc now i can get away with all the repetition and exaggerated punctuation that gets clunky in fic form #now it’s Pacing™️ . also why do so many webcomics ditch text bubbles they’re SO fun and emotive #i think i’m gonna play with this quick comic style a little more. all my full comic ideas are more detailed and actually colored but for now #this is fun :] and good for getting the images out of my head and into the world #also why do i keep drawing people from behind it is SO unhelpful #ninjago au #no potential au

[aeide-thea]

what if this year i gave up on even gesturing at ""passing"" and instead embraced the world of weird unisex natural-fiber garments available on etsy 🤔

#like. they have unisex wool so-called harem pants!! #(i want to do more reading abt different cultures' versions of men's/unisex drop-crotch pants but a ten-second google was weirdly unhelpful #(actual info drowned out by listicles basically. will have to find some real books or something) #(specifically i like when they're almost a triangle‚ as opposed to like‚ just really full-cut trousers that look more western) #i have gotten so much flack from my family over the years for liking that style of pant #(which like. okay. you think it's ugly. i get that but like. WHY do you think it's ugly.) #(is it perhaps possible yr taste has been shaped by western standards.) #and i stopped wearing the summer-weight pair i used to have when i started vaguely trying to pass #but like. lately my gender feelings are mostly 'i'm an agender gremlin creature and i'm gonna wear some androgynous clothes about it' #which mostly is like. men's joggers with a hoodie if we're being honest #also some baggy cargo pants with a hoodie. every once in a blue moon the hoodie gets swapped out for a baggy wool sweater. #but i gotta say i kind of love the idea of baggy dropcrotch pants (also with hoodie) #and now you tell me i can even get my winter wool freak on about it?? amazing. #anyway we'll see but i'm having fun looking at all the unusual-by-normative-western-standards woolens etsy wants to show me #feels good feels organic etc (but like. in many cases literally lmao) #sartorial #journaling

[mainfaggot]

everyone is always distancing themselves from me and i cant help but feel like im just deeply pathetic

#3/6 of my close friends from hs haven't talked to me. like talked to me properly in months #i havent hung out with 2 of them in a year #and the third one and i hung out TWICE this year #in 2022 we hung out like 8 times or something #i get that theyre busy but theyre not too busy to make new friends and travel and party? #so theyre just too busy for me. #and it's like ok so you reach out first! #and I've tried and failed #the conversations are so dry. the plans always fall through because something comes up #why does everyone always LEAVE #and its like 'always' is very black and white because the 3 remaining close friends haven't left #yet. #they haven't left yet but they probably will too! #and it's like ok well thats jumping to a conclusion. second unhelpful thinking style. #but then what about my parents? what about them when they find out im gay and kick me to the curb? #what about my older sister who'll sneer and glare at me in disgust like she has in the past? #what about my younger sister who needs to think about her own financial situation and will obviously side with my parents? #i was born and my life has been a tragedy since i took my first breath because my mother didn't want me and my father was disappointed #z.post

[lord-squiggletits]

The thing about writing advice is that generally the people who insist the hardest that "you HAVE to listen to writing advice or else you're just some stupid kid/loser who will never get better and thinks they're better than everyone else" are the ones that are mainly into writing critique to huff their own farts and feel as if they're intellectually superior, or think that babbling out some sort of half-assed vaguely analytical critique actually counts as critique.

In fact, I might even venture to say that writers (particularly ones who are young and/or only doing it for fun) shouldn't worry about asking for criticism at all should simply write as much and as often as possible, because when you're young and passionate and inexperienced the best way to learn is to just keep practicing again and again, not to get your hopes squashed by a bunch of pretentious strangers online giving you "critique" that may or may not be actually good.

And if/when you do decide to take criticism on your writing, please for the love of all that's holy take criticism from people that you know, and those people should be generally intelligent, insightful, creative, and kind. Can't stress enough that getting bad critique from a bunch of strangers who barely know you or your work <<<<<<<<<<< getting critique from one or three trusted people (friends, beta readers, teachers, professors, etc) who actually have your interests at heart and know what kind of writer you want to be.

#squiggposting #i think ultimately only you will know whether the criticism you receive is good or bad #and the ability to separate helpful feedback from unhelpful feedback is something that you gain #once you've written enough to understand your own style goals etc for writing #i would also like to add that it's also possible for people to be good at like analyzing stories but not so good at delivering feedback #if you have someone who you show your writing to who's like that #it might be worth sitting down and explaining to them what kind of feedback you want or like. specify which things you want to work on #getting critique of your writing (or art) shouldn't just be you sitting meekly accepting every criticism you get #it's a reciprocal process in which you have to respect the critics but they also have to respect YOU #and a process which requires you to have a strong sense of self and confidence in your writing #so that YOU can decide which feedback is helpful or not #JUST BECAUSE SOMEONE CRITIQUES YOUR WRITING DOESN'T MEAN YOU HAVE TO FOLLOW THEIR ADVICE EVEN IF YOU ASKED FOR CONCRIT #not sure what brought this on exactly besides the previous reblog maybe

[kaibascorpse]

hey does anyone know when people do that thing in posts where they bold and italicize (seemingly random?) chunks like this - is that a readability thing? a style thing? am i getting too old to understand internet language conventions? and importantly - if it’s a readability/accessibility thing is there a system to it or do you just do what feels right?

#ive seen a few posts like this i did my best to emulate the style #i think to me its fun for both reasons (style + accessibility) but i wasnt sure if theres like #a specific way to do it? my (minor) reasing trouble is my adhd trying to jump ahead so the style helps me slow down #but idk if whats helpful to me is distracting/unhelpful to others? #idk i think my linguistics brain is just really interested now in which parts of a sentence/paragraph someone would choose to #bold/italicize/otherwise select to emphasize and why specifically that word or phrase with that kind of emphasis? #replies appreciated linguistics nerds do interact <3 #my posts

[mariana-oconnor]

Types of AO3 Summary

Option 1 - The Excerpt:

The quickest, the easiest! Find a section of your fic that contains the main premise of said fic and also showcases your writing. Copy paste that into the summary box. BOOM! Done.

Best used for any fic, unless it's so short the excerpt would be the whole fic.

Option 2 - The No Frills:

Just a description of the fic. No need for drama. No need to complicate matters. Keep it simple, keep it safe.

Example: "A short character exploration of Blorbo's thoughts after Daisy leaves."

Best used for short fics, poems and fics where the style/format is more important than the plot. Or fics that tie directly into a scene/episode from canon or another fanfic.

Option 3 - The Hook:

Draw the reader's interest by giving them a set up with no conclusion. Introduce the main character(s), introduce the status quo, describe an inciting incident, leave a question in the reader's mind.

Example: "Blorbo is a barista at a coffee shop, struggling to pay their bills, but after handsome rockstar Obrolb walks into their coffee shop they find that they have to decide whether a chance at love is worth the cost of fame."

Best used for mid to long fic where there's a strong premise and follow through. Especially good for AUs. Can be expanded for more complex plots or used multiple times in one summary for multiple characters or subplots.

Option 4 - The Sitcom One-Liner:

"The one in which [over simplified description of one of the main plotlines]" This is essentially 'boil your plot down to the very simplest statement you can, oversimplify if possible. The more bizarre or unhelpful the better.

Example: "The one in which Blorbo learns to like cake".

Best used for fics with at least a little humour in them.

Option 5 - The Rule of Three:

Three is a magic number. Find three key moments in your fic and just list them. That's it. Often ends with 'not necessarily in that order' if used for comic effect. If it's an AU, establish that quickly (i.e. 'Star NHL player Blorbo…').

Example: "Blorbo makes a friend, falls in love, and almost burns to death, not necessarily in that order."

Best used for anything, really. Three is a magic number. The human brain loves things that come in threes.

Option 6 - The Trope Lure:

Why bother describing the plot? We all know AO3 readers are here for the tropes. Similar to The Sitcom One-Liner just using tropes instead of plot. Often followed by the phrase 'that nobody asked for'.

Example: "The Space western / A/B/O / Mail Order Bride fic that nobody asked for."

Often tacked on to the end of The Hook or The Excerpt as a tl;dr.

Best used for fic that plays its tropes straight with no shame or second guessing.

Option 7 - The Pre-emptive Strike:

(Not recommended) You just wrote this fic, the self doubt is consuming you. You feel the need to apologise profusely for your existence for no apparently reason. You feel cringe, you think the fic is cringe, you want everyone to know that you think the fic is cringe in case they don't like it and judge you for it.

Example: "So I fell in love with this pairing and had to write this. It's weird and terrible. Lol! I suck at summaries! Sorry!"

Best used for no fics ever. I cannot stress this enough.

(Seriously, I am begging you, don't do this. If you're planning to use this option, rethink it and do one of the others. I guarantee you more people will want to read your fic.)

Sometimes added on to any other summary as a strange disclaimer. (srsly. don't.)

Option 8 - The Unapology:

Embrace the mayhem, embrace the deep dark depths of your soul. The opposite of The Pre-emptive Strike. A combination of The No Frills and The Trope Lure that truly gives no fucks.

You have committed crimes and you are proud of them. You know what your USP is and you're going to make sure your target market finds you. Look upon my works, ye readers, and despair!

Example: "There aren't enough tentacle fics in this pairing, so I had to write one myself!"

Best used for fics with controversial/polarising tropes with all relevant details already clearly stated in the tags.

Option 9 - The Interrogation:

What if you wrote a summary entirely in questions? What if your readers had to read the fic to discover the answers? Who knows what will happen if you do this?

Example: "What happens when Blorbo McBlorbo gets his wish and Daisy doesn't make it to the plane on time? What happens when Obrolb finds out? How will this change Daisy and Blorbo's friendship?"

Best used for... I honestly don't know. This style of summary does not vibe with me. Mystery fic maybe? Sorry guys.

Option 10 - The Multipack:

Got a bunch of shorter fics in one work? No way of summarising them all without a wall of text larger than the Great Wall of China? This one is similar to The No Frills in that you're not describing the plots themselves and similar to The Trope Lure in that often broader genres and tropes are mentioned. What links those fics? Are they all in the same fandom? The same pairing? The same challenge? Just slap that right in the summary. A chapter list with 1-2 word trope/pairing summaries can be included or not.

Example: "A collection of Blorbo/Daisy/Obrolb fics based on Tumblr prompts. Chapter 1: Regency AU Chapter 2: Werewolves vs vampires Chapter 3: Ghost!Daisy Chapter 4: Space pirates!"

Best used for (obviously) works that are compilations of fic.

Option ? - The Void:

I said The Excerpt was the quickest and easiest summary to do. I lied, well... I didn't exactly lie. What is quicker and easier than not having a summary at all? After all, that's what the tags are for.

Example:

Best used for... nothing? Write a summary, guys. Please?

#AO3 #fandom #on writing #clearing out my drafts #long post #Qd #This list is intended for entertainment purposes only #I just came across a lot of fic summaries that followed similar rules #so I decided to post this about it #I'm sure other options are available #If you've ever used number 7 that's not bad of you #But my advice would be to not do that

[k1dkh1dr]

.

#every goal i told you i wanted to achieve i did #alhamdulilah #its funny you think you can define me by ‘trainwreck’ #a bit presumptious no? #youre wrong #walahi #just cause a person is sad over life events #doesnt mean their life is a trainwreck #magnifying is a unhelpful thinking style #doesnt benefit anyone #you dont know the depth of my grit #Allah is always with me

[insilanar]

Any lestappen fic rec to share ? 😣 Any favourite author on ao3! I need some!

Hi anon 😘 Of course! In fact I've actually been working on a personal fic rec, so I'm glad I get to share it with you!

Here you go, hope you enjoy <3

Lestappen fic rec

Short-ish fics 🩵

control systems a College AU by @itsgoingdutchin2021 | 1.2 k

Summary:

Due to an unfortunate encounter in their freshman year, both Charles and Max hate each other. Then they are assigned a group project.

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

<3

your hands are cold a High School AU by dhufflebee | 3.9 k

Summary:

“I feel like this event should really be called ‘Frosty Fusion’ or something like that.”“That is, of course, incredibly stupid.”“Hey!”“It doesn’t mean that ‘Snowmen Competition’ isn’t the most boring name ever, though.”OR: long-time friends and rivals Charles and Max hail from neighboring schools, and brave the biting cold, the challenges of snow sculpture, and their own buried feelings

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

<3

Kiss It Goodbye (Your Little Panic Attack) F1 Fic by @celientjeee | 5.1 k

Summary:

‘What- How did you do that?’ Charles asked, he still felt a bit shaken and hot, but the tingling had disappeared.Max smiled at him and let his hands drop away from Charles’ cheeks.‘I once read that holding your breath could stop a panic attack and when I kissed you, you held your breath.’‘I did?’ Charles winced at how high his voice sounded. OR: Charles gets a panic attack and Max helps him (more than once)

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

<3

Fics between 10 k and 20 k 🧡

Cheating at Bingo and Other Christmas Traditions a Cozy Winter AU by @wanderingblindly | 12.4 k

Summary:

"You know, there’s a very nice, very handsome young man in my neighborhood –” She starts back up, flagging down their waiter for another glass of wine.“Absolutely not,” He cuts her off with a dismissive wave of the hand. “Next topic.”“So you’re too good for him, is that it?” She sounds defensive, but her tone still has a mocking edge to it – emphasized by the quirk of her brows.Hardly holding back a groan, Charles tries to think of a way out of this. She’s like a cat, batting at him until he gives up, rolls over, and plays dead. “That’s not – I’m just busy, and it’s –” OR: Hallmark style fluff featuring an irritated Charles, a well-meaning Max, and the grandma that just wants them to kiss

Rating: General Audiences

<3

Golden Hour a Uni AU by Chariots4 | 13.2 k

Summary:

Max is a great roommate. So great that when Lando asks him to be part of a music video he’s filming he does so, without asking what it will be about.Turns out he will have to model with no other than Charles Leclerc. As lovers. The two men’s desire to not be outdone by the other takes the whole thing to new levels.

Rating: Explicit

-> This is also a personal favorite of mine since it was my first ever Formula 1 RPF fic and honestly, it's written amazingly well!👌

<3

oui chef a Chef AU by @sunshineyoujustwait | 16.2 k

Summary:

There’s someone standing in his kitchen.He looks young, maybe close to Max’s age, with messy dark brown hair that’s pulled back from his face by a red bandana, and he’s leaning against the kitchen counter like he’s supposed to be here.Max’s first rather unhelpful thought is; fuck, he’s gorgeous. His second, more reasonable thought is;“Who the fuck are you?”“Charles Leclerc,” the man smiles. It's a little bit dazzling and Max is not at all distracted by it. He extends his hand for Max to shake. “I’m your new executive sous chef.” OR: Max is very happy with his life, thank you very much. He has his restaurant, his team, and two Michelin stars at the age of 24. He definitely does not need some pretentious Monegasque chef coming in and throwing everything into chaos.Except, maybe he does.

Rating: General Audiences

<3

you got me a College AU by @fueledbyremembering | 16.6 k

Summary:

When Max looks up he stares into pretty green eyes behind black rimmed glasses. His hand is still blindly feeling around to find the books—his brain lagging—as he stares at the guy from last night. He straightens up and Max follows, staring dumbly as he holds out the books for Max to take.“Thanks,” Max says, feeling like an idiot as he takes the books, their fingers brushing for a split second. This was not how he wanted to meet again. “Again, I’m so sorry.”The guy smiles and Max thinks he might just die a little when he notices he has dimples. Of course he has dimples. OR: Max falls head over heels for the cute guy at a college party and he can't stop thinking about him (aka the lestappen college au nobody needs).

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

<3

Fics above 30 k ❤

Late night devil put your hands on me a Thief/Detective AU by @f1-giuki | 42.1 k

Summary:

"Do you want to know what is more incredible?" Max asks, staring at Charles' full and round pecs without any shame. "What?" Charles asks, enjoying how Max's cheeks get redder and redder as he licks clean the fork. "Stealing the Nine Pieces of Eight, with me," Max says and Charles drops his fork in the plate. "The Nine pieces of eight? Isn't that like a legend? The owner of those artworks is unknown…" The Monegasque asks, furrowing his brows. Max grins and rolls his eyes. "I know a guy..." Max says, pulling Charles close by the elastic band of his boxers. OR: World-class thief Max Verstappen asks Interpol Detective Charles Leclerc out on a date (to put on the world's most complicated heist ever conceived) but things never go as planned.

Rating: Mature

<3

To Your Heart’s Content a Mafia AU by @cornerofacry | 119.4 k

Summary:

Max pinched the bridge of his nose as he went into the car. Before his chauffeur could close the door, however, Daniel leant in, having rushed from the bar’s entrance."I forgot to tell you…" the Australian begun, his face serious and grave.Max gritted his teeth, silently nodding for the man to continue. He couldn’t stand much more. He wanted to scream at the entire world. To run home and hide and force some sense down his own throat.To put himself back together."I left a- a gift at your house. For your birthday… I planned it long ago, before-""Alright," Max cut him, short and harsh. OR: Charles, a high end prostitute, finds himself in the arms of a man who really, really, cares for him, despite the gun on his nightstand.

Rating: Explicit

<3

Favorite lestappen authors 💕

NovaCloud, Richardmarie75, WanderingBlindly, xxcelientje, amarynas, charlescoded, LestappenForever, linearity

Note to the authors: If your fic is on here and you would like me to take it down I will. Feel free to just dm me about it or drop and ask 😌

And anon I hope you find something you like on this list!

#anon ask #lestappen fic rec #charles leclerc #max verstappen #lestappen #f1

[joanquill]

S/O Wearing Glasses Headcanons

William James Moriarty, Sebastian Moran, Fred Porlock, and Von Herder

William James Moriarty

The first time he saw you wearing them, he thought you looked adorable.

He likes shopping for frames with you but is unhelpful when picking one since he thinks all of them suit you.

He buys you extra pairs just in case you break or lose yours.

He would be the one to remind you for check-ups if you would always forget or only go when you need a new pair.

When he sees your glasses covered in smudges, he always cleans them for you and puts them back in your case in secret.

However, you always figure out it was him with how neatly folded the cloth was and how your glasses looked brand new.

If you're spending time in the library, William would steal more glances at you while you're both reading.

He has definitely hidden your glasses from you or held them high enough for you not to reach them and asks for a kiss.

One time, you lost your glasses and used his cane to walk around to look for them, thinking you would only use it for a short while.

When he was looking for his cane and found you, he helped you find your glasses and had a special punishment in mind, saying how dangerous it is to use his cane without his permission and just ask him for help next time.

Sebastian Moran

He has definitely called you, Moneypenny, and Paterson the three blind mice at one point.

If you don't wear your glasses outside, he'll be confused and encourage you to wear them, wanting you to be careful.

If you still refuse to wear them, he'll try not to show it, but he'll be more protective of you.

Make sure you stay on the safe side of the sidewalk, always holding your hand and reading things for you if you don't see them.

If you ever feel insecure about them, he reassures you that you look beautiful with them on or not.

He doesn't want to admit it, but seeing you wear glasses does something to him.

He has also held your glasses hostage, holding them up as you try to reach them while teasing you for a kiss or attention.

He has also stolen your glasses at one point and tried them on.

Once, you broke your glasses by accident and could barely tell who's who, resorting to you getting as close as possible to identify them. William and Louis were the hardest ones to recognize from afar.

Sebastian got annoyed with how close you got while squinting your eyes that he made sure he always had a backup pair ready for you.

Fred Porlock

He thinks you look cute in them.

He tries not to stare when you wear them.

When you're shopping for frames, he likes watching you try them on.

Sometimes, he'll shyly recommend you one that he thinks would suit you.

He'll also wipe your glasses when he sees them covered in smudges or you're having a hard time seeing through them.

When he notices your eyes starting to strain, he'll ask when was the last time you had a check-up and join you for one if you want.

If he sees you leave your glasses somewhere, he always takes them with him and gives them to you when you remember.

Whenever you lose your glasses, Fred already has three guesses on where it is.

His favorite memory was when you were looking for your glasses, and he saw that it's on your head, so Fred just placed them down and watched you turn red.

He promised not to tell anyone about it, but he smiles to himself whenever he remembers it.

Von Herder

Whenever you break your glasses or lose them, he'll make you a new pair with a specially designed frame and accessories.

If you want a new glass style or have a design in mind you want to try, Herder will happily make it for you.

He has definitely teased you by pushing the temple tips up and down to get your attention.

Whenever you go for a check-up and buy new glasses, Herder will act dramatically and accuse you of cheating.

He makes you a better-looking pair with your new prescription and makes the one you bought your backup.

When you lose your glasses, Herder always helps you out since he can navigate just fine, even without vision.

If you tend to misplace your glasses or accidentally fall asleep with them on, he takes them and places them somewhere safe and within your reach.

However, one day, he was feeling playful. When you left your glasses at his work, he diligently cleaned them while you were looking for them around.

He patiently waited until you asked for his help, and he just put them on you and asked what you were doing so close to the firearms.

Whether you tell him Sebastian asked for your help in taking some guns or lie your way out is up to you.

A/N: Sherlock, Watson, and Billy's version here!

#yuukoku no moriarty x reader #moriarty the patriot x reader #william moriarty x reader #sebastian moran x reader #fred porlock x reader #von herder x reader #william james moriarty x reader #william james moriarty #william moriarty #ynm sebastian #sebastian moran #ynm fred #fred porlock #ynm von herder #headcanons

[hwere]

SydCarmy | T | 2k words.

Prompt: “Instead of fake dating, everyone is convinced that you aren’t actually dating” ©

Tags: established relationship, dialogue heavy, tomfoolery.

“So, we’ve been secretly dating for three months now. I-I think we should tell the staff. For transparency’s sake, y’know? What d’you think?” Sydney’s pacing in the kitchen. She took off her shirt after spilling coffee all over it and has yet to go grab a new one. Carmy’s very much enjoying the view of his girlfriend only dressed in a burgundy bra and jeans.

It takes a minute for him to peel off his eyes from her torso and meet her gaze. “You were the one that suggested for us to take it slow, so it’s your decision. ‘m cool with whatever, Syd.” His eyes drifted down back to her smooth exposed skin.

“God, you're such an unhelpful perv,” she throws her dirty shirt at his face, he catches just in time, grinning. “I’m being serious, Carm. We’re their boss and-and our relationship could make things, like, awkward or impact the business, alright? We have to be careful.”

“We’re being careful, Syd. As careful as a relationship between two chefs who run a restaurant together can go,” he shrugs. “We don’t have to tell them, if you’re feeling so pressured about it. We can keep things low and wait for a better opportunity.”

She sighs, halting the pacing. “I know that our private life is our business only and all that, but I don’t know,” it’s her time to shrug, coming closer. Carmy immediately pushes his chair back, beckoning her to sit on his lap; she gladly complies. “I really feel like we owe them transparency about the change in our relationship.”

Carmy hums, occupied kissing and biting her neck.

“God, you are a perv,” she’s giggling, squirming in his arms. “C’mon, Carm. Or we’re gonna be late again.”

“Oh, here’s something that I learned in therapy,” he stops his ministrations on her neck, leaning back on the chair to look at her. “It’s okay to care and worry about things, but you can’t let that dictate how you live your life.”

“Oh, yeah? Please say more, Doctor Freud.” Sydney is grinning; returning his lustful gaze through her thick, long lashes. Makes a show of biting her bottom lip.

“Be a little shit about it, Syd.” He rolls his eyes, manhandling Sydney on his lap. He tightens his hold of her, stands up; carrying her bridal style. “I’m gonna show you something real Freudian.”

They’re late for work, again.

A ‘better opportunity’ ends up presenting itself a few days later on the biweekly original staff’s meeting. Something that Richie, of all people, suggested to improve their communication and teamwork; a safe space—except for Fak, as Richie proclaimed as the self-proclaimed HR—to throw ideas and voice your complaints. It proved to be a success so far.

“Does anyone have anything else to add?” Carmy asks, looking up from his clipboard. They’re on the front of the house, an hour after closing. “Alright. Sydney.” He doesn’t elaborate, just waits. She’s sitting beside Natalie, laughing about something.

“Yeah?”

“Didn’t you have something to say?”

She’s momentarily lost, chuckles nervously when she realizes what he’s referencing. “Oh. You wanna do this right now?”

“Now’s as good a time as any,” he nods. Only under torture would Carmy ever admit out loud that putting Sydney on the spot like that was his way to get payback from her not shutting down immediately a customer’s repeatedly attempts to flirt with her earlier. The man really had the audacity to come to their restaurant to flirt with his girl.

“Carm…” She stands up, comes close. “Are you sure?”

“You were the one that suggested, Syd. Are you sure?” He’s slightly aware that he’s probably being shitty right now, but Sydney only gives him a pointed look, shakes her head and turns around to face the staff.

“Fucking spill it already, Syd. We all wanna go home,” Richie urges, nonchalantly dusting his lapels. The rest of the staff makes noises of agreement.

“We, uhh. I-I mean, me and Carmy, we’re… uhh,” she looks around the room, scratching her brow. Her eyes land on his and she takes a deep breath, facing the crew once again. “We’re dating.” Her voice comes out firm. “We’ve been dating for about three months now and we just thought to, like, tell you about it for transparency’s sake. Yeah.” She finishes, nodding.

The room is silent for some uncomfortable seconds.

“Kinda late for an April’s Fool joke, no?” As always, Richie’s the first one to voice his thoughts.

“Three months?” Natalie says, stunned.

“Mami, what about the guy you were seeing?” Tina asks, scrunching her eyebrows. “What’s his name? Alex?” Carmy turns to Sydney, who absolutely refuses to look at him.

“Who’s Alex, Syd?” He inquires.

“It was, like, two dates, T.” She ignores him. “And Richie, you’re always calling us mom and dad. What do you mean by April’s Fool joke?”

“Yeah. As a joke, Syd. You’re not even his type,” Richie sniffs.

“I’m sorry?” Sydney barks at the same time Carmy goes “Richie. Shut the fuck up!” The older man puts his hands up in mocked surrender. “Sydney. Who the fuck is Alex?”

“Yo, Syd. Weren’t you the one saying that dating in the workplace was weird and inappropriate?” Marcus asks and there’s something in his voice that forces Carmy to look between the two of them. Sydney seems mortified, scratching her brows again.

“Y-Yeah. I, hm, did say that.”

“What about Claire, Carmy? I thought you were trying to get back with her.” Of course Fak would feel the need to mention his ex in the conversation, as if the whole thing wasn’t uncomfortable enough as it was.

“We broke up months ago, Fak. I haven’t seen her since.”

“I think it was more than two dates with the Alex guy, Syd. I ran into you guys once and there were at least two times that you showed up late,” Gary offers, resting his chin on his hand.

“That was a, hm, a different guy, Sweeps.” Carmy almost has a whiplash due to how fast he whips his head around to look at her. So, at some point she saw two different guys and there was something between her and Marcus? And he didn’t know about it?

“Everybody, shut the fuck up,” Natalie demands and the room goes quiet. “So, you’re actually dating each other? Dating as in dating? Not an elaborate prank or something?” She inquires, looking suspiciously between the two of them.

“Yes!” They answer at the same time.

“Okay… I have questions. How did that happen?” Natalie crosses her arms.

“That’s none of your business, Sugar,” Carmy says, starts to blush.

“Which sounds like a code to we were fucking this whole time. Wait a min—holy shit. They’ve been using the working on the menu thing excuse to fuck around!” Richie puts his fist in front of his mouth, laughing. When Carmy and Sydney stutter a retort at the same time, his laughter grows louder. “I can’t fucking believe it!”

“That’s an HR violation, Richie.” Marcus offers, seemingly taking pity on them.

“Well, Syd and Cousin over here walked themselves into this one.”

“Oh, just like you walked into my knife, Richie?”

“Point taken.” Once again, he puts his hands up in mocked surrender.

“Richie, are you allergic to shutting the fuck up or something?” Natalie groans. “I still have questions! How did no one find out? Like, none of you were not even remotely suspicious about these two?” She looks around, all the staff shaking their heads.

“We decided to take things slow, y’know?” Sydney finally manages to say, looking at Carmy for support; he nods. “We wanted to keep our personal life, well, personal, but also keep things professional. This, hm, conversation was supposed to be for transparency and to assure all of you that nothing changes.”

“I feel like a lot has changed, to be honest.” Marcus mutters and Carmy need this conversation to be over so he can inquire Sydney about whatever the fuck happened between them. She’s currently sending guilty looks towards Marcus.

Angel clasps his hands together, “alright, just to get this straight and wrap this up. You guys are dating, right?” 

“Oh my god, yes!” Sydney sounds almost exasperated now.

“Congratulations?” Ebraheim offers.

“Can we go now?” Manny points towards the door.

“Hold on! I’m still not buying it.” Richie opens his mouth one more time and Carmy deems that he had enough. He puts his clipboard down, walks to Sydney, holds her face with both hands and kisses her.

He doesn’t care how out of character the public display of affection is from them. This was supposed to be a ‘just crossing some things out of our list’ kind of conversation, but of course they turned into a full circus. So now, he was going to give them a proper show.

“That is an HR violation,” Richie proclaims when the couple are breaking apart. “Expect to hear from me tomorrow.” With that, the staff starts gathering their things to leave.

“Just so you know, I’m not done with you two.” Natalie faux threatens with a smile.

“You have yet to answer me who’s Alex.” They’re back at their kitchen. Sydney’s sitting at the counter wearing her favorite faded Snoopy t-shirt, no bra this time, and a black sweatpants she stole from him, while Carmy is shirtless, his only item of clothing being a gray sweatpants hanging low on his hips; fixing supper for them.

“Christ! He’s just some guy, Carm. I met him twice – it didn’t go anywhere,” she groans. “Before you ask, the guy Sweeps was talking about is Mike. He’s an old colleague from CIA. We had a date, hooked up once and that was it.” Carmy’s left eye twitches with Sydney being so dismissive of this information. He’s trying so hard to not let his jealousy take over him. “And both of them happened way before you confessed your feelings for me.”

He nods, he knows that. When he finally got the courage to ask Sydney out on a real date and be honest about his feelings, things moved pretty quickly between them and they’ve been together ever since. “What about Marcus?”

“Oh!” He looks back, catches her fidgeting with a loose thread of the sweatpants and biting her lip. “He… sorta asked me out before the opening on Friends and Family,” she says all at once, taking a steadying breath after. “That’s why he, hm, kinda snapped at me.” Whatever she sees on his face when she looks up has her putting her hands up and shaking her head, adding quickly, “but we’re good now! It’s water under the bridge, y’know?”

Carmy only nods again, moving to set down the table.

“Are you mad?”

“Not with you, but mostly jealous,” he mutters, avoiding her eyes.

“What if I told you that you look real hot right now, all bothered and jealous?” She murmurs against his left shoulder blade, both of her hands resting against his pecs.

“Sydney.”

“Carmen.” She plants a kiss on his nape, still holding his pecs. “I didn’t tell you about it for the same reason you don’t talk about Claire – there’s no point. It’s in the past.” Sydney moves her hands to hug his waist properly, resting her head on his back. He covers her hands, where they’re laying against his stomach, with his own.

“Next time a customer flirts with you, you better tell them to fuck off ‘cause you have a boyfriend.” Carmy not only hears, but feels the tremble of Sydney’s laughter.

“Oh, so that’s what that was about.” She untangles herself from him and he immediately misses the comfort of her warmth; turns around to grab her hips, keeping her close. “I was wondering why you were being so distant during service and then decided, out of the blue, to tell the staff about us. So, you’re both jealous and possessive, huh?”

“You shouldn’t play with fire, Sydney.”

“I’m not afraid of getting myself burned, Carmen.”

#the bear #carmy x sydney #sydcarmy #sydney adamu #carmy berzatto #fanfiction #y writes

[oneatlatime]

Want to get your thoughts on something you've touched on in a couple places. A pretty popular idea in the fandom is that one of the (in-universe) reasons airbenders have gone so hard into the peace-and-love monk thing is a self-awareness that, if they didn't, there's not a whole lot anybody could realistically do about it.

Like, Southern Air Temple pretty strongly implies that Gyatso solo'd a room full of comet-roided firebenders. It killed him but he did it, and while he is a master Airbender, we're not given any real indication that he is uniquely so, right?

I have many thoughts on this! Sorry in advance for the long post! And sorry if this goes a bit off topic!

Short answer: I don't agree.

Long answer:

We've seen that nations' cultures tend to reflect their native bending styles. Or vice versa. It's probably a chicken and egg scenario. The Fire Nation chose to spread (like wildfire) and is full of hot headed, impetuous roid-rage sufferers who can't see or plan for the long term. Fire itself easily becomes ungovernable and is at best muzzled/leashed, always waiting for the next chance to bubble over in unplanned / unpredictable / generally unhelpful directions (Hi Zhao!). So an element shapes a culture shapes and element until you've got a positive feedback loop (or in the case of the Northern Water Tribe, a negative feedback ourobouros due to outside pressure). Importantly, neither culture nor element develops in isolation; I think they develop simultaneously.

The Earth Kingdom is probably the most rigid and unchanging, even when it would benefit them to change/innovate. We see rigidity and humourlessness in response to change or the unexpected (see Toph's parents) and we see an inability to let go of a bad idea, or mitigate the consequences / think on the go when things that were clearly bad ideas go bad in ways anyone with a non-earthbender brain can see coming a mile off (think The Avatar State episode). Earth digs in when it should retreat, stands solid when it should duck and weave. It is grounded to the point of stupidity (unless you're Toph or Bumi, although even Toph seems to be unbending so far). It's linear to the point of being unable to deviate from that line.

This is me guessing, but I figure since fire and water are opposites, air must be the opposite of earth, right? So while we'll never see airbending culture in a non-shrunk-down-to-one-person form, we can look at earthbending culture for its dark reflection. Well, probably not dark, but you get what I'm saying. They'll be opposites in world view. We can extrapolate.

So if earth is grounded, humourless, aggressively traditional, linear, then air must be constantly fluctuating, unchained, lighthearted, bonkers-all-over-the-place. The heaviness of earth would dictate that problems should be faced by digging in and facing them head on until the problem blinks first. The lightness of air would dictate that problems should be faced the opposite way: blinking first i.e. removing yourself from the problem entirely. The linearity of earth dictates that fights are solved by fighting - you punch me, I punch you. The non-linearity of air would seek to recontextualise a problem until it's no longer a problem because we all forgot what we were fighting about in the first place, i.e. throwing pies at it or busting out the marble trick. The heaviness of earth would cause excessive earthly attachment; the lightness of air would cause excessive detachment from worldly concerns.

To start violence is to make a statement that you wish to be involved. It's rooting yourself to a particular dispute, choosing a hill to die on. It stems from attachment. This is earthbendery behaviour (and Zuko-y, but let's not go there). To never start violence is to never invest, never dig in your feet and make a stand. To be detached. (I'm oversimplifying here.) It's clear from in-show examples that Aang's pacifism is of the "ladies don't start fights but they can finish them" variety; he's got no problem with self-defence (caveat: we have no idea how typical an air nomad Aang was). But he never attacks first that I can think of.

Violence is a very direct tool. If someone starts a fight with you, and you decide to continue it, you're choosing the most obvious action. Since when is airbending direct or obvious?

All this to say, I think that pacifism, peace and love, monkiness, etc., was more likely a natural and inevitable outgrowth of air nomad culture, caused by constant culture / element interaction, rather than a conscious choice.

So I think airbenders "have gone so hard into the peace-and-love monk thing" because the nature of their element creates a culture that discourages the traits required for effective offensive violence, and the inherent detachment and ever-changing nature of air naturally encouraged spiritual (i.e. monkly) pursuits rather than earthly ones, like whatever the conflict of the week is. I don't think self-awareness of the dangers of their element factors into it. Not to take away from Gyatso's accomplishment, but I think air is nowhere near the most dangerous element. From what I've seen so far that would be Fire or Earth, though I'd give the edge to Fire because they self-generate, and also because they've spent a largely successful century dominating the other elements. Waterbenders and earthbenders can be neutralised by taking away their element; airbenders - due to the very nature of their element - probably can't get past that initial avoid and evade instinct to become legitimate offensive threats.

As for Gyatso, I think he's an outlier. We know little about him so far, but we do know that: a) Aang says he's the best airbender (in I think the Southern Air Temple?); b) he's good enough that he was granted a statue while he was still living, learning, improving; and c) he's good enough that the monkly council (of which he is part) granted him the honour/responsibility of being the quasi-dad of the Avatar. These things tell me that Gyatso was the Spiders Georg of the Airbenders. I suspect Bumi is the same for the Earthbenders, and at least as far as the philosophy of bending is concerned, Iroh may be so for Firebenders. Even the example of Gyatso nuking the comet-enhanced firebenders is a case of defensive action in ultra extraordinary circumstances: he was staring into the teeth of a genocide while mourning the disappearance of his quasi-son and the likely loss of the world's only hope / chance at stopping the war. That's how far you have to push an airbender before they'll take a life. Unless the Avatar world pre-war is a lot more godawful than Aang has implied, airbenders probably wouldn't have been taking lives frequently enough for them to get to the point where they would have to start questioning whether they should consider pacifism.

I think what this fandom idea ultimately is, is a desire for the hidden badass trope. Everyone loves it when the most peaceful character in the story is revealed to secretly be a Rambo-level fighting badass, right? Who didn't love it when kindly grandpa Roku manifested in his temple and unleashed a volcano? But I think this trope fundamentally takes something away from the appreciation of Airbending, Air Nomad culture, and the concept of Pacifism as a whole. This is just my interpretation, but applying the "secretly the deadliest all along!" trope to airbenders undermines their commitment to pacifism and makes it performative rather than earnest. It's a cop out; an acknowledgement that violence actually is the answer, and even those head-in-the-clouds monks know to use it when the chips are down. This show goes out of its way to show that non-combatants have value and a place in this world that's worth fighting for, that fighting goes way too far pretty frequently, that non-violent solutions are valid, even preferable. It would kind of undermine that message if all of the elements were easily weaponisable.

Something I've loved so far about Avatar is the show's earnestness. There have been no Marvel-style fakeout bathos plots. I feel making airbending secretly the deadliest element or similar would be exactly that sort of thing. Can't my pacifists be peaceful not because they're secretly untouchable badasses who carry the biggest stick, whom the rest of the world leaves alone out of fear, who are not a threat only because they have chosen not to be, but because that's just who they are?

On the other hand: Aang's been a one-man-army plenty of times. We've seen that; that's undeniable. So air is stupidly powerful as an element. No denying that. Gyatso did murder a bunch of people trying to kill him, so air can be deadly. But I don't think your typical airbender could be deadly. If you gave a can of airbending to a firebender, an earthbender, or even a particularly provoked waterbender, I don't doubt that they could kill people with it. But the culture that the element generated - rather than a conscious choice by that culture's participants - prevents them from taking the direct, violent, solution. And I think that culture developed in tandem with airbending, so there could not have been a time when airbenders were deadly as a rule. Air shaped airbenders as much as airbenders shaped air, and it shaped them into non-violent people.

There's a lot of power in the idea of consciously choosing, and sticking to, something that is perhaps not in line with your natural abilities. Styling airbenders as deadly-but-choosing-peace is a great way to explore themes of agency, identity, strength of character, morals, maturity, etc. But, to me, there's also a lot of power in the idea that some people just can't - not won't, but CAN'T - fight their way out of things, and this doesn't make it any less wrong to genocide the crap out of them.

If the fandom wants to headcanon airbenders as secret badasses who consciously choose nonviolence, I say a) go ahead! there's more than enough evidence to support that conclusion; b) I respectfully disagree; and c) is Iroh not enough?

tl;dr in my opinion, air's pacifism was a natural outgrowth of, and restriction imposed by, the element rather than a conscious choice; airbending can be deadly but airbenders aren't; Gyatso is not representative; 'speak softly and carry a big stick' is all well and good as a philosophy, but those who speak softly and don't have a stick are of value too.

#atla #avatar: the last airbender #ask #PLEASE let this not start drama #just my opinion guys! #remember I'm not yet halfway through season 2 so maybe a later episode will disprove everything I've said! Who knows! Not me! #Also I don't know anything about Eastern Philosophy which this show undoubtedly references frequently #in a way that completely goes over my head #so I may have made some entirely incorrect assumptions in this post #oops!

[marzipanandminutiae]

What did you mean by "Spicy Straights™" in the tags of that pro-marriage post? I genuinely couldn't tell what you were trying to get across there.

I've seen some posts like "the cishet man who likes wearing dresses or the straight couple who's into BDSM is more queer than the gay CEO!!!" and it rubs me the wrong way

because like. the word "queer" in this context has a definition. and the definition is "somewhere under the LGBT+ umbrella." you can't kick someone out of it just because they're shitty (No True Scotsman fallacy); you can't shoehorn someone into it just because you like them. it's not a political stance. it's not different from being a cis gay person, any more than being a rectangle is different from being a square- one category contains the other. it's an umbrella term that some people fit under and others don't

also like. a LOT of people who think that way seem to believe you have to have a certain presentation, preferred relationship style, gender, etc. to be queer, or that queerness is a hierarchy where you gain PointsTM for every way that you differ from the cishet, allo, monogamous, gender-conforming norm. as in, they think you can be "queerer than" someone else in the community. which is...so deeply unhelpful and not how this works, IMO

(I've also heard "all of the cool artsy queers who were worth knowing died off in the AIDS crisis and left behind the evil assimilationist boring gays," which. MANY levels of Yikes there)

(see also: that situation I mentioned where the actor playing Anne Boleyn in the West End cast of SIX said that she "would be part of the queer community if she were alive today" because...her motto was Let Them Grumble, This Is How It Will Be. which is fine to be inspired by, but. in context that is about breaking from the Catholic church, my sibling in sin. she was a real person and there is no known proof that I'm aware of that she was not cisgender or was attracted to women. ergo. she's not queer as far as we know. because queer has A Definition; it's not just based on vibes)

obviously this is an inter-community issue and not one with broader society. but still

#ask #anon #queer issues #lgbt

[cupcakeslushie]

Heya! I’m going around and asking a bunch of my favorite Tmnt artists the same questions out of curiosity

How did you discover/get into Tmnt?

When did you start drawing/actively start trying to improve your art?

The 2003 series was my first intro to TMNT waaay back when I was in middle school! I would sit with my cousin—though I will say, it was more that he was actively watching it and I was just happy to be included, cause he was so cool and taught me how to play Dead or Alive and holy crap he liked the coolest stuff—so I had to rewatch the series again later on to retain more than just my favorite moments. It still has a special place in my heart, and 2003 Donnie will always be my first, favorite purple dude. Then, years later 2012 and Rise were what really yanked me into my obsession phase.

As for my art. I’ve been drawing for forever, honestly. I can’t remember when i started. I have a vivid memory of winning some art thing in…3rd grade, I believe? And I’ve been working digitally since high school.

I think improving just happens from drawing a LOT. You learn the basics, and then do studies constantly to reinforce those basics.

Of course, there was always a frustration when I was younger, from not being at the skill level I wanted to be. But I would only do unhelpful things, like scrolling the internet for hours, and comparing my art to every amazing piece I saw, but in reality, I was putting in nearly zero effort.

Once I really started to learn beyond simply copying the styles of the anime I watched (lol big former weeb here)—eventually I got to a point where I could draw more than just floating heads in a void (which…I’ll admit sometimes I still do, but at least I know I can do more if I need to lmao)

I’m now much happier with my style and skill level, but that doesn’t mean I can stop! There will always be more to improve on!

#ask slushie #slushie rambles #rottmnt #tmnt 2003 #tmnt 2012

[mainfaggot]

Had the most exhausting day ever

#i feel likw crying but ik i feel shitty bc im sleep deprived and dehydrated so it would be stupid to cry #if i chug some water and sleep early tonight I'll be fine #maybe. #see thats the thing part of this is unrelated to my physiological needs #i had a chem lab today and i felt so awkward and tired the whole time #im so bad at socialising but i tried so hard #wait correction: I'm actually good at faking sociable but today something was off #and i felt like this girl in my lab was overpowering or something like she just threw me off #i felt insecure probably because she was assertive and thats usually what im like #but bc im not very good at chemistry its not like i could be more outspoken.. like i never had anything to add anyway #she was nice but she clearly knew how to lead so i felt awkward and stupid #so yeah she didn't do anything wrong i just felt like i seemed pathetic the whole time #also i feel so alone at uni i feel like. well #i feel like most people believe the fake put together image I've curated #and those who dont.. it feels like they see right through me #like they think im pathetic.. but also thats just me assuming they see through me and dislike me #so. 😁 i recognise that that is an unhelpful thinking style #idk i feel alone a lot #today someone was casually nice to me and it felt genuine and i felt this #like. #i realised how desperately i just wanted a friend to lean on when i feel tired #god i sound lame idk 😐 #z.post

[the-modern-typewriter]

will you write something vampire themed for spooky season?

The coffin was luxurious, as far as coffins went. The protagonist had half-expected just a plain wood box, scratchy and full of splinters. They supposed, if they had to die, they could at least do so in style.

It didn't really make them feel better.

And it didn't make the coffin fit two people any better either.

"Stop squirming," the secret love of their life snapped. "You're just going to get us more stuck."

"I don't think it's possible to get more stuck." Their voice was only a little, reasonably, hysterical. "We're buried alive in a bloody coffin!"

The secret love of their life looked awful beneath them. Pallid, even in the crowded gloom of their shared grave. They felt clammy and cold beneath the protagonist's limbs.

The protagonist swallowed. They tried to stop squirming. There were no comfortable positions.

The love of their life hissed between their teeth with irritation, and if the protagonist could see properly, they were sure that a terrifying and wrathful and gorgeous glare would be pointed in their direction.

"I'm sorry," the protagonist said. For the squirming, sure, but mostly for everything else. For somehow getting them into this mess. For being the last idiot that the love of their short life would ever see. For not knowing how to save either of them.

"You should stop talking and conserve your air."

"You should stop talking and conserve your air," the protagonist mumbled. They closed their eyes. They tried not to panic. The panic closed in on them on every side, just like the too close suffocating padded walls, and the steady weight of six or so feet of packed soil crushing them on all sides.

"Someone's going to rescue us," the love of their life said. "Your friends - someone - will figure out where we are."

"Coffin. My first guess too."

"They'll get us out." The growl in their friend's voice was almost inhuman. Quite impressive.

The protagonist bit down hard on their lip, and the rather unhelpful response of 'before or after we die from the lack of oxygen? Because, you know, I read that people can survive five hours locked in a coffin. Tops. If they're not hyperventilating. But who's hyperventilating! I'm not hyperventilating! Are you?'

Their friend drew a sharp breath. Then they squirmed, hypocritically, before managing to place cool hands on either side of the protagonist's whirling brain.

"Easy," they murmured, abruptly far more gentle. "You're okay. You're going to be okay. I'm not - I won't let anything bad happen to you."

The protagonist felt tears prick the corners of their eyes. Absurd.

One of their friend’s thumbs grazed over their lip, wiping away the bead of blood there.

"Match your breathing to mine," their friend murmured, voice a little hoarse and trying-to-keep-it-together. "Concentrate on me."

The protagonist did their best. Their friend breathed very slowly, admirably calm really, given the circumstances.

"I won't hurt you," their friend said. "I love you. I won't."

"It's not you I'm worried about. Wait - you love me?"

It was impossible to see the love of their life's face, and really, a coffin was the worst place for a confession. Because the protagonist would very much have liked to have seen their face. At least if they were hanging over a lava pit, the protagonist would have been able to see their face, and make a judgment on if they meant that platonically or romantically.

God. They hated their brain.

Their friend didn't say anything and the silence was surely almost as agonising as dying. Almost. They brushed a tear away from the protagonist's cheek, feather-light.

"More than anything," their friend said. "Now shut. up. Please. And please, please, stop moving."

The protagonist shut up. Somehow. They rested their head against their friend's chest, letting the knowledge of that confession fill them with warmth, or try to.

At least they were dying in a coffin with someone they loved. Who loved them back. Someone's whose heart was so...

The protagonist stopped. It was a trick. A mistake. Something. But it felt, beneath their ear, like their friend's heart wasn't beating. Actually, when the protagonist really thought about it, now that their breathing was more or less steady, even in the squashed space they couldn't hear their friend's breathing at all. They couldn't feel it against their cheek and...

They didn't think the love of their life had always been so cold.

"Why." The protagonist resisted the urge to shift again. "Why do you think you're going to hurt me? Worst you're going to do is elbow me in the face?"

Their friend was silent a second time.

"Right?" The protagonist pressed.

"Someone will find us. They'll get us out. It's not a problem. It won't be a problem."

"What...what won't be a problem?" But the protagonist, with a dreadful twist in their stomach, knew. It should have been obvious, maybe, in the last twenty four hours.

The stomach bug. The dark glasses. The cringing from the sunlight.

"I won't hurt you." A mantra. Not a reassurance; a mantra, a plea. "I love you. I won't hurt you. You're going to be fine."

Five hours, suddenly, seemed like a lifetime.

The coffin was luxurious, as far as coffins went. Excellent quality. Top notch.

Nothing else, after all, would keep in a newly turned and starving vampire locked up.

"Shit," the protagonist whispered.

And that about summed up their current predicament.

#vampires #story #writing #I am currently reading the short story anthology Vampires Never Get Old: Tales with Fresh Bite. I'm having a good time #my story was partially inspired by Heidi Heilig's short story 'The Boy and the Bell' #and her interesting use of the old Victorian tradition of fitting coffins with bells in case someone was buried alive. Onwards. #Also Interview with the vampire is great. Coffin sharing for the win. #i don't know man I'm just thinking about coffins now #hence this story #Anyway. Love a vampire in all the seasons. #love a vampire enternally #short story

[charliewhaw]

What would vox reaction be if he knew about Lilith and all.

(Good question! I'm going to assume we're talking about if Lilith abused the fuck outta Al.)

Vox would drop his 'Fuck Alastor' mug. He wouldn't even glance down at it as it shattered at his feet. He would be in absolute shock.

"Alastor sold his soul?" He would say, dubious at first. But as the dots started to connect, he would begin to grin. "He's being tortured? By the queen of Hell?" His grin would turn to a laugh. "Oh-ho-ha-ha! This is rich!"

He would put on a fucking show about how hilarious he found it. But as the reality would begin to sink in, his amusement would slowly change and distort into something more disturbed.

Lilith wasn't just a demon. She was the first demon. She was powerful. She was strong. She was... torturing Alastor.

"Oh fuck," Vox would say, as it finally dawned on him just how bad this was. How brutal was the abuse? "Shit," he would say, as he realized how fucked Alastor’s situation probably was. How fucked Alastor was… She owned his soul. "Dammit!" He would yell, knowing there was absolutely nothing he could do about it. For once, Vox would feel powerless. Lilith was a whole different ballgame than the overlord he was used to facing.

Alastor was his enemy. His arch-rival. The villain of Vox's story. But he used to be so much more than that. He still was.

Vox would then spend more time rigorously analyzing the videos he managed to capture of Alastor. Instead of obsessing over them, hate and anger in the forefront of his mind, his focus would become checking on Alastor's condition. He'd give himself headaches with how much he would squint, trying to see through Alastor's video distortions. Was Alastor limping? Did he just hold his side for a second? Was his smile strained? Was he okay today?!

He’d probably rope Velvette into it, using her social media platforms to keep track of any mention that someone spotted Alastor not looking at full health.

Vox has always been obsessed with Alastor, and we'd definitely see that here. He would set up alerts on his video feeds to detect Alastor's video anomalies. It would be to keep an eye on where Alastor went, how long he was there, and if he came back hurt. Vox would prepare himself for if he ever saw Alastor return from a meeting with Lilith and he was too injured to make it back to the hotel. This plan would include causing a distraction on the other side of town-- probably blowing some shit up or something-- so no one would see Alastor in a vulnerable state, then booking it to the Radio Demon's location. He'd be aware that Alastor would be stubbornly unreceptive to any assistance Vox offered, of course. He would expect nothing less from the Radio Demon. But, he still wouldn’t hesitate to try and help him, as pathetic and unhelpful as his attempts would end up being. Vox would cross that bridge when he came to it.

Outwardly, Vox would use Alastor’s situation against him, flawlessly pretending he wasn’t alarmed, but inwardly falling apart about it. He would debate blackmailing Alastor, probably even threatening the Radio Demon with it from time to time. He couldn’t let Alastor think he cared, because he totally didn’t! This knowledge was just too good to pass on using it to his advantage. He even had some ideas on what to make Alastor do if he did blackmail him.

His first idea would be to make Alastor join the Vees, naturally. Forcing Alastor’s surrender after years of fighting and resisting would be so invigorating! He could make Alastor do whatever he wanted. He would make him start a podcast. It would fit with his style but force him to catch up with the times. He could even make him get a new wardrobe. Something that fit with the Vee’s theme– he could make Alastor even change his name! Valastor— Vastor— Vala— okay, maybe not. But he would have the option to make him do it regardless! The endless possibilities!

His second idea would be much more childish, but satisfying nonetheless. He could make Alastor say “Vox is superior to me in every way. Much more powerful! Much more influential! Much more handsome!” Even better, he could make Alastor say it on his radio show! Though… it would occur to Vox that Alastor might be more willing to let Hell know he was owned by its queen than to ever say any of that.

His third idea would be more… private. Less extravagant, though much more impactful. He could make Alastor– oh, hey look! Is that your obligatory RadioStatic merch?!

In the end, Vox would have a field day with this information. He’d use it for his own selfish gain, probably leaving Alastor in several humiliating and precarious predicaments. At the same time, his stomach would churn whenever he got an alert on his video feeds that Alastor had left the hotel. Was he going to meet Lilith? If he was, Vox would end up biting his nails as he waited, and waited, and waited for Alastor to return from the meetings. And then would endure headaches as he did his best to compulsively examine Alastor’s status through the glitching mess that covered him.

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