#There’s probably an explanation for it in the comics but I haven’t found it | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

lioa7 · 6 months

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Oh? :D why ARE they here? gimme the explanation *takes out notebook* I'm Listening =] (AND AGGGGHHH I LOVE SERAPHIM! Their story is so interesting and I honestly wanted to see what they were gonna do after they were in the coding area with Gaster)

OH YEAHHHHH

HELL YEAHHHH

EAAAAAbhdhjkdjbk/vdsjbk/cascbjkbjkdv s/

BE aware CUZ THIS might… MIGHT… be a little long…

You asked 4 this, so I’m free of charge. And I tend to lose track of theeee uhhh… words when there is a lot of text…. so I’m going to TRY to keep it understandable... :D

Ok so FIRST!

(these are in no order, just how uh I’m writing about them) THE OG (UNDERTALE) [kinda also no]

SO I’m not going to go on about how great the game that Toby fox made is, because we all know it is! And I feel a bit nervous to try and explain what we all already know, plus I’m not too good with words or meanings… and I’m not sure I’d be able to write just how much I love this silly game.

Uhh… BUT BUT!!!

But I also LOVE LOVE!!!! The stuff people do with the “after” game. What I mean by that is those silly comics or artwork of life on the surface, like I feel like it can be taken to so many places!!! Like character studies or just a mundane routine that they adopt when they move.

AS ASSSS!!!! Like what do the characters think of the new change of scenery? What jobs do they get? DO they struggle with the change? Are people rude to them? Do they still carry a burden??? DO THEY GET PAST THEIR TRAUMA???? Or does it become worse? Do they ever get a happy ending? Are we seeing their journey to getting used to all of it? WHAT THE ABSOLUTE MOTHER FUCKING FUCK IS FLOWEY GOING TO DO?????? SO MANY POSSIBILITIEEES!!!!! One that I loved a few years back was Growth Spurt by potoo brigham (on Tumblr), where we follow Asriel trough what can be best described as an awkward phase. (tho I haven’t read it in a while)

Or other can be Unexpected guests by undertalethingems (on Tumblr), that APPART FROM THE MAIN STORYLINE BEING THAT THE GASTER BLASTERS NOW GOT A FULL BLOWN BODY it also explores some of the topics I put at the beginning… (mind you, I haven’t read it in a long time so I’m sorry) (I realized I’m kinda bad at keeping up with comics I like… L)

And I also talked about the art, in general Undertale fanart is just SO beautiful to look at, and that (unsurprisingly) also happens when people draw the monster in the surface, like I dunno… Toriel and Frisk taking a train home when the sun is setting and that stuff…

In general, I just love the ideas it can bring to the table, and how artists can like grab a piece of cannon (or fanon I dunno) and mold it to a story they want to tell with character that they love.

OK NEXT

The edge (Underfell)

Kinda short (doesn’t mean I don’t like it, it’s just more simple!)

I loved Underfell when I first came into contact with the fandom, it became my fave au of ALL time (probably because it was… well…edgy lol), and I loved pretty much everything it had to do with the au, if you had a thumbnail on Youtube with Underfell little me would have clicked that mf within the millisecond.

But of course, it was all mostly fanon, as I don’t really think in the 2016 or 2017 canon was too popular?

AT least not on Youtube…

little story.

I had a phase going on when I was… I dunno, 15? 16 maybe? That I thought everything Undertale related was cringe (As you can see that was just a phase), and I was repelled by it, not sure why but it was what it was.

But many months after (I don’t really remember the specifics) I came back to the fandom, because the 4 u page just kept showing me Undertale and I decided to watch a few videos for the sake of nostalgia… then few months later I created my personal tumblr to see sOME of the art… then I followed a few people… then twitter… and before I knew it I had already jumped into the UNDERTALE bandwagon again.

But one of the AUs that made me stay for sure was Underfell (shocking I know), because I had found Fella/Vic’s (twitter and tumblr) posts and drawings, and I loved all of it. The canon is just so fun to find out about, I love to just scroll down and just read the comics or the pictures.

I really love the characters, just the little differences with the OG cast makes them super COOL.

VERY COOL!!!

I really love sans! He’s actually very very ummm…. He’s unflusterable.

Like, how many pf you knew that Fell sans does own a spike collar, but it’s FOR the pet rock, and how when papyrus found it assumes it was sans’ and was confused but ready to support sans in whatever weird shit he was into.

Like I LOVE THAT… Or or or how papyrus HATES Asgore with all his might, but stands him BECUASE of Undyne.

I gained a full appreciation for canon stuff since then. (fanon is ok!)

Plus, the fact that the au even exist is because someone asked Vic to draw “evil Toriel” just makes it better.

(PLUS PLUS have you seen the designs????? oR THE ALT OUTFITS!! THE ART!!??! They are AH! Just… just… cheff’s kiss) THIRDah

WHAT IN THE ABSOLUTE FUCK (Horrortale + a little story)

Funny thing, I’m not a fan of any type of horror, ironic yeah?

But surprisingly enough, I enjoy Horrortale enough that I can just go about it with ALMOST no problems. The art is beautifully horrifying in the best ways, Sour Apple studious’ art style does everything right at the time of conveying just how horrifying Aliza’s journey is, like I remember that one animation they posted like a few years back where It’s just an animated screenshot of one of the pages from the comic. BUT MAN did I get scared. In general I think Horrortale conveys everything so well, from the sheer horror that the general story and topics bring, or maybe even the corruption of our favorite characters.

Like we have The Queen Undyne, she went from the hero of the story to a dictator who got corrupted because of gigantic amounts of pressure. Like the KING died, the Queen is nowhere to be seen, the human massacred a lot of monsters (the same human that Undyne considered a friend even), and all hope that the 6 human souls brought is gone, and to make matter worse the CORE has stopped working.

It’s a terrifying experience to go through, I don’t think I would have been able to handle that trauma. And the worst thing is, that Undyne being able to live through that trauma is what made her the person that she became in the present Horrortale.

Like you would NEVER see Undyne threaten to kill someone for a candy, of course it’s limited food down in the underground, but the Undertale Undyne would have done her best to help others.

Or Papyrus, who is pretty much the only monster who still holds a semblance of a moral, but that doesn’t mean he’s naïve in the context of Horrortale. Papyrus was tricked (in a way) to eat humans, for bad and good intentions. And that messes someone up, because I don’t think he doesn’t know.

And It’s not just that, every character that we see is just twisted in horrible ways that the situation has pushed them trough.

Horrortale takes a few years after Undertale, Aliza comes like 7 years after (8 now?) the player came and left everything to rot, and consider that monsters have been feeding of the little flesh that they can get, even the snow has become uneatable. Children are dying, magic is just not what it used to be (for fucks sake Grillby is the BEST fucking example of the undergrounds’ situation).

Now you might wonder that even after all that, why do I like Horrortale so much?… When I was a little lad (if I wanted berries and cream, mummy made me do the little lad dance), I was a FNAF fan, and one day I was watching “FNAF FUNNY AND CUTE” video (I distinctly remember one where the animatronics where in a sort of band that was playing a silly tune and the other was that the animatronics jumping into a box, and the foxy one couldn’t get through the box because it was metal) and I was enjoying myself.

Then in a moment of distraction Youtube auto played into another video, not FNAF tho, Undertale. And I DISTICTLY remember it (my memory is very weird, I don’t remember almost nothing but THAT I almost have a photographic memory of), it was a fan made video of the AU Horrortale. It was a fan’s interpretation of what could have happened to sans’ head, how did the situation play. And I believe it was before Sour apple studios released the “past arc” and we knew how exactly did Undyne break sans’ head.

I have researched a bit and it seems it’s called “Horrortale the law” I don’t remember the exact video, but I’m pretty sure it was a dub in my language… I think it was like 7 years ago?

Shortly after, I got into the fandom.

In any case, I was left pretty confused, as I didn’t know who the characters where or anything, but it’s left a bit mark on me. And that’s why my appreciation to Horrortale will always remain strong… even if I can’t really stand horror stories…

Angst, angst for everyone (Gztale) [the point where I can’t put my feelings into words]

Gztale, ah yes, little me’s roman empire. I kid you not, I CONSTANTLY thought of Gztale, I was OBSESSED with it. And sometimes I still do.

Gztale, tarts with our favorite non-cannon buddy, GASTAH. With our favorite non- cannon theory, DADSTAH. He takes some Determination from the already fallen human souls (I believe they were two at the beginning) and make some pills. And like ANY GOOD SCIENTIST he tests them on his kin. He’s like “take these son, they’ll make you STRONK, like vitamin… but with human essence in them… BUT THAT JUST MEANS IT’LL BE STRONGER!!!

NO DON’T CRY!!! TO SHOW YOU THEY WORK!!!

I YOUR FATHER, A GROWN ASS MAN, WILL FIGHT YOU (my who knows how old son… maybe 12?) TO SHOW YOU THEY REALLY WORK AND THAT I’M NOT BEING ABUSIVE!!!!”

Fatherly love y’know?

The comic mAINLY focuses on Sans going through, y’know… the usual stuff you feel after your dad experimented on you and physically abused you to see if his experiment worked.

PLUS!!! (I don’t think I saw this anywhere, so take it with a pinch of salt) I believe Gaster also gave pap some of those pills too? AND PAPYRUS WENT TROUGH AN ACCIDENT AND EVERYTHING JUST…. BWAAAAAA!!!!!!!

AND EVERYTHING went TO THE DEEPEST SHIT.

CUZ PAP’S IS ALREADY COOL AS FUCK, GIVE HIM DT!! AND HE’S COOLER!!!

And If you ARE FAMILIAR with Gztale, or at least saw some pics, you know that Papyrus is…kind of an antagonistic force!!! WHYYY?? People ask in the back. WELL You go and find the comic NOW, It’s very VERY COOL.

Ok so now, I will admit, I never got to finish the comic for reasons I forgot, but I’m sure one could have been that the guy who was dubbing the chapters stopped for who know what and the second could be because my brain was SRTUGGLING to grasp the plot accordingly.

But of course, I re-read the entire thing just now to do this because my 12 to 13-year-old self’s’ mind is not the best example of a sharp memory, and I tell you I would have loved it SO MUCH.

LIKE… SO MUCH!!! In any case I always loved the…. uhm… essence? I couldn’t really say, just every time I see Gztale I just… :D, y’know?

And I really REALLY wish I could explain why, like I did with the others, but it’s such a raw emotion that I can’t possibly put it into words… Or maybe better? I dunno.

In any case, the creator golzybladedee (tiktok, twitter and Instagram) deleted the comic because they created Gztale in a not to happy time of their life and it brought them distress… BUT NOW if you go to twitter you’ll see that golzyblade has handed over the “ownership” of the AU to Nixensibrat (twitter), so we MIGHT see some uhhh Gztale in the future…

YEA!!!

YEHI!!!! WOOO

YIPEEE

KILLER QUEEN!!! (killer! Sans) So this one’s a little obvious, cuz we all love Killer sans. HE’S SUCH a VERSITILE CHARACTER, like I’ve seen comics back to back, where in one killer is a little shit who’s going to do the thing he was SPECIFICALLY told NOT to do, and the other is JUST PAIN, PAIN COATED IN LAYERS OF PAIN.

And I love him for it. Like, he has so much potential in every spectrum!!!! I personally enjoy when people make him sympathetic. Like yes, he kills people, but not necessarily because he wants to kill people. Does he have a bloodthirst? Yes. Is he interested in giving into the bloodthirst? Not necessarily! like, Killer sans usually kills because Nightmare orders him to do so, if Nightmare hadn’t found him killer would probably stay in his AU rotting away. PLUS, if Dream had been the one to find Killer first, Killer would be as loyal to him as he is with Nightmare!

Killer is so out of it, that the moment a gooey version of him appeared and was like “Be my servant, the pay will be torture” he was like “sir I will now be by your side for no reason at all”. Witch also gives him a bit of (forgot the word I was thinking of, it’s like… SAD). Like ALL OF HIM could be better, HE COULD HAVE A BETTER OUTCOME!!! LIKE HE COULD HAVE ALREADY CAME BACK TO HIS AU????

Like it’s crazy to think about what happened to him, if it weren’t for Nightmare he would probably be in a better state now, probably not being in stage 0 (just sans) But like, better mentally at least. Like Core could have taken him to the OT, and he would have a better time there than alone rotting somewhere in an empty space, where his only company are the usual hallucinations and the NOT so usual people. also, his AU is still there, like it’s a sans-less AU, because once le left the world was left without its greatest source of DT, so naturally the next biggest DT person would have been Flowey. I believe that SOMEHERE in rahafwabas (tumblr) there is something explaining that. And that Flowey reset the world and that everything’s normal again, except Papyrus is looking for his missing brother.

In general Killer (with everything, including stages and all) IS SUPER INTRESTING. Like I could stay here writing how much I love each stage and all BUT… But…

I’m struggliN as it is with 11 faves.

…

Ok maybe a bit… In any case we all know the second stage, the “I’m sponsored by target” stage, it’s the most common, mainly because Nightmare keeps him in that stage as it is the most manageable while also being the most servant.

Like we’ve seen Nightmare change Killer from stage 1 (the target in heart form) to stage two, BeCAUSE that is the one he likes the most. Even then, stage two isn’t entirely serviceable (is that the word??? Like uh… he takes orders?), sometimes we can see that stage 2 has a little white pupil, that is a sign of “the sans we know”. Stage 1 Is (as I said) the target in shape of a heart (Dunno how to explain better),that is the most chill stage, like is ALMOST sans, but it’s also the more prone to hallucinating stuff. Stage 3 is KILLER GO APE SHIT (which is still great potential for angst, like Killer doesn’t remember when he goes ape shit, and even then, he is pretty tired after that and immediately goes back to two. And he can only tell he went ape shit because of the surroundings, it’s like he wakes up, sees mess and is like “aw shit”) Stage 4 we’ve never seen, but it’s probably APE SHIT multiplied by (imagine funny number). And I love them for that… BEFORE I pass onto the next(s) one(s)… A little smth smth… that liquid is his eye melting. Like you know the amalgamates right? Kinda like that.

NEZT

I messed up my painting (Error! Sans………… and Ink! Sans) [we talk a little about ships… JUST… a wee bit] Ok I’m putting these together… it will make sense in a bit… OK SO WHO ELSE SEARCHED FOR INK OR ERROR SANS AND GOT ERRORINK??? OR… LITTERALY ANY AU AND GOT (you guessed it) ERRORINK???? Well, it MIGHT not be a universal experience, but it was for me I suppose. SO for the longest time, I just assumed Error and Ink were just… Errorink (wow I deserve a noble price for that AWESOME WRITING).

In any case… Uh I never really cared for that ship, I mean people can do pretty cool stuff. But still, it was JUST there. But if you remember from the Underfell thingy, I found my appreciation for cannon stories. And this WORKS SO WELL WITH THESE TWO ESPECIFICALLY!!! Like I FUCKING WATCHED A 3 HOUR LONG VIDEO ON GENO’S AND ERROR’S uhm.. lives? Deaths? UHHH JUST PASTS???!!! And I love it so much, you should check it out… If… if you know spaniSH.

Español y esas cosas, con la ñ y todo eso.

[Todo detras de Error Sans y Geno Sans (+teoria) by Mat002] Now we complicate ourselves a bit

we now talk about Error: Error sans, much like Killer, Is SUCH a complex character. And he’s kinda doing it my accident??? As CrayonQueen (twitter and Tumblr) has said, Error is a mess, he’s a big man baby! As his name suggests he’s an error (wow), and everyone who has had an error on their computer will know that those fuckers are everything but easy. AAAND that’s what you need to understand Error, he’s unpredictable. In any given situation he’ll act completely different depending on… who knows what??? People usually portray him as this grumpy old man, which it’s not bad! But he’s more of a Grumpy baby, who is mad because you peeled his banana and HE WANTED IT WITH THE SKIN!!! AND IT WAS THE LAST FUCKING BANANA!!!!

SO NOW HIS DAY IS RUINED!!!! AND YOU DID THIS BECAUSE YOU HATE HIMMMM!!!! AAAAAGHAHGSCAHJCDGJVVDJVDB<VDOIP!!!!!!!!! Y’know?

And I love him for that. Like he’s a cutesy guy sometimes, and sometimes he’s an ass. …manbaby.

Plus, the whole Geno backstory just makes Error’s more (AGAIN THE WORD I FORGOR!!!! But it’s kinda like miserable??? Like LIKE um YOU GET ME???). Because CQ told us that Aftertale had 3 possible endings, Miserable, Bittersweet, Good. We can assume that the one we got in Aftertale was the happy one…

So that makes Error the miserable one, the worst ending.

And you know it’s just sad… Error is just the result of someone’s worst ending.

DW tho! Some Geno out there still got their happy ending!

And of course we also have Fatal! Error who IS A WHOLE ‘NOTHER THING!!!!

You from the future messed with a you from the past and made an even worse you, kind of scenario.

Now INK:

Ink is a little straight forward, but also no.

Like Ink is all about Creating, but not necessarily in parallel to Error, while also sorta yes. Ink’s backstory goes like this.

He’s from an AU that was never finished, the creator gave up on it. The only one who got any semblance of emotions was (ironically) Ink sans, but of course, he couldn’t bear to be alone. So he erased himself, it provided a HUGE problem for him, as he was emotionless, he had nothing to live for. But the creations, the creators, all of that was what gave him meaning. And this rings incredibly close to me…

I have it since I was probably 14 or so.

I have an AU… not the silly post-it sans OC with a cool bro OC. I have an AU that was based of of a LOT of stuff in you might see in this long ass post, it started as a sans solo AU (because of course it was), and It evolved with me as I also grew up.

I’ve been working on and off of it for years.

And you might not see it honestly, because I feel so wrong about it, like the story is just bits and pieces I saw in bed just before sleeping. I barely tied those together. And the designs are… WELL… designing clothes is pretty hard.

And I almost gave up on it…

But I really want to continue, I want to y’know…? And um… Ink’s story kind of put that into perspective for me… …

ANYWAYS! UM… it got gloomy… IN ANY CASE! Ink’s story hits very close to home for me, as I explained a few moments before. But also, I just feel it makes sense for a character like him, I mean… He LIVES for the creations, and not only because he “protects them” and more like… All we (as creators) do is what keeps him alive. Like Ink’s immortal right? Well kinda, he’s almost immortal. The moment the creations stop the paints that give him a perspective into life will also vanish. He might not die entirely, but he’ll just be an empty shell, alone in a white space. So It kinda rings hard for me that he’s literally feeding from our stuff, he’s here because of u and me. And well… APART from that he’s also just an interesting character. Ink is a shell that he himself fills with temporary feelings, this kinda makes him a bit dense in some situations and might act a little out of place. BUT he doesn’t mean wrong!!! I have seen a lot of like “evil” ink, and I feel that the idea can be interesting, but also, I think that a lot of people read “NEUTRAL ink” and assume that must mean he’s just a little mean?

Maybe unintentionally so, usually it’s portrayed as a thing that’s out of his control but that he’s also not bothered by it and does nothing to change. And I don’t really think he would act like that? Ink is a little forgetful, but he does write stuff to try and remember! Ink struggles to understand situations, but he is trying (I think)!

He likes to play pranks but I don’t think he intends them to be mean! And he’s just a cool character… Plus he’s as much of a fan of AU’s as we are. (in a way, kinda)

And all that good stuff.

And I feel like comyet (tumblr) really did make a memorable silly.

… thanks for making him…

…

UMMM NEXT IS AAAAA mirror (Anx! sans) [be aware… this gets a BIT personal]

So this one’s not too much like the others, I mean… I dunno… you get me.

SO this one might be shorter, cuz it goes into me a bit?

Ok…

So in 2022 (I THINK), I was ready for life! Until I wasn’t. so… y’know I went to get help!

I have severe social anxiety.

Yeih.

And it’s stopped me from doing a lot of stuff…

And it wasn’t too peppy. Until I found THIS GUY!!!! I was scrolling through Tumblr and I found hheisa’s account here, and would you look at that… they have a Sans (my personal favorite thing [kinda] since I was a child) with what I have! (kinda, almost!) So he helped me a lot! In a way, this might be cheesy, but I felt pretty alone but… then he’s there and I felt that maybe I wasn’t. and you know, that’s about it.

Hheisa hasn’t posted much of him, but I still love whenever he pops out in my FYP.

Um that’s it.

OH and because of a comic I found out that sucking on ice is pretty good for uh, not good times.

Hheisa I hope you never see this, cuz it’s embarrassing as FUCK. But thank you… your silly helped me get through some stuff.

…. AND NOW

A BIT OF A PROBLEM (bitty au) [self-indulgence] So if you’ve been a long time in the fandom you’ve probably seen at least ONE SOMETHING with bitties!!! It is very self-indulgent too, but it doesn’t need to be. Like m pretty sure some of you know Poetax right?

They have a string of comics about UT, UF and US sans’ and papyrus’ with their respective bitties, and as weird as it is to have a miniature version of yourself on your shoulder, they make it work yaknow??? Fucken-Crybaby left the Au for reasons I’m unaware of, but left it open for people to still use the bitties.

ok so! In any case! Bitty bones AU (or I don’t know the official name) is an AU where your favorite characters are miniature versions of themselves!

And these fuckers are tiny! Like stupid tiny. Like you do a “call me” sign and try to make it as big as you can, and that’s about as big as bitties get. this one!

But of course this isn’t a rule, you can make bitties as smol or as big as you want.

And you can adopt them!

With such an interesting prompt the AU got very popular, because you could: Give your favorite AU a mini version of whoever you wanted, you could be self-indulgent and draw yourself (or an OC) with a bitty! It was very cool! Y’know??? It was your tiny silly! There are uh, like BASE bitties, like for example a Sansy bitty is always hungry, seepy, is funny, and lazy. Or like a Fell who is like an angry cat. He will fucking destroy your stuff, is going to bite, is prone to fighting other bitties and stuff!

And there’s also Papyrus bitties and Grilbitties (love that name)!

And there was even a chart of how some bitties reacted to others! But you were allowed to make your own! Let’s say you had an OC of who knows what, and if you wanted to make it a bitty to just play with the idea, you can! Like if you wanted a Toriel bitty you could make yours! And that’s about it! I hold this AU very dearly, is very cute and even if bitties aren’t as popular as they once were, I still think they are neat.

And the stuff you could do with them! You can just do a homey story with bitties, just hanging out. Very cute story where you (or whoever you want) adopts a bitty and you now have to learn to live together with antics and all that good stuff! Or you can try and make all the stuff of: HOW MORALLY OK IS IT TO HAVE THAT THING??? ARE THEY OK BEING SMOL? HOW ARE THEY MADEE????

And if you are into bitties like I am you’ve probably seen some of these!

Even some mixed I believe?

Ok uhhh next!!!

OH HELL YES!!! I LOVE TOUCANS!!! (Seraphim! Sans) (GOF FUCKING DAMNIT WE’RE ALMOST AMOST DONE!!!)

Ok so Seraphim sans comes from this cool comic known as “the thought”.

It comes from sans’ thought. “What if one day, the human doesn’t reset? What is one day we just cease to exist?” So he acts, he attacks the human when they leave the ruins.

He takes the human’s soul, and takes it to Asgore. So they’re going to break the barrier to just have an ending. But Asgore, doesn’t really want to, he wants to wait, as he has killed so many humans… KIDS for that matter. And he’s afraid, humans were always stronger than monsters, and there are millions of more humans then monsters. But sans is like “Dude, I didn’t just break a promise to just sit around” so he makes a not so thought out decision. He’s going to do it himself.

And of course he turns into… TOUCAN.

And shenanigans happen…

I highly recommend looking for the comic made by tratserenoyreve (on tumblr). Or look for the comic dub by Starbot Dubs (yes, they are the ones from CPAU too).

I ABSOLUTELY love HOW the author brings this story. Like come ONNNNN!!!!!

Ok so, one of my favorite things is how the characters are portrayed! Like the human souls, they are faceless here, nameless, but they still have that little bit of personality and I love that even when they are literally faceless, they aren’t completely gone! And even so, the story has a bit of a bittersweet ending. BUT FIRST WE TALK ABOUT THE STORY! So after sans does the stupid, everyone’s just… confused and hurt on what to do? The human souls are permanently attached to sans, who didn’t really stop to think about the AFTER. And they want to extract the souls from him. But now here comes the interesting part, they are all there, like Sans can communicate with ALL 8 kids, and he’s not necessarily sure of how to feel? He’d just expected to have unlimited power and that’s it, but the human souls are here to stay. So, papyrus has to take sans home, the King, Undyne, Papyrus and the former Queen decide to keep the broken barrier a secret. Until they can safely get the human souls back, of course. So that means that they’ll have to wait until Alphys has messed with the DT extractor as it wasn’t BUILT for 7 human souls. The days go by, and Alphys has finished it.

Sans gets into the lab and kinda opens up about what he knows to Alphys, why he acted so rushed? Why of everything. And it seems it’s a good start to a new beginning, but things aren’t to well. The DT extractor begins to hurt Sans’ soul, and the kids are freaking out, so Integrity tries to help by teleporting. That of course leads to them getting lost in between the files, the space between. And they find the code to the game, and get exited! That means they can mess with it and make everyone live; they can make Frisk… well Frisk! Instead of a shell we use to play. But they encounter… (drum roll) OUR FAVORITE SILLY!!! GASTER!!!!! And of course, he tell them that this is bigger than they could ever imagine, and the fact that they stopped “it’s” game could mean the erasure of the world.

(As in, imagine you are playing Undertale, sans kills you JUST before the ruins and your game is a permanent GAME OVER)

SO shit goes down.

I’m not going to explain the WHOLE thing cuz you HAVE TO read it!

And then Sans and the kids are left with a choice, Reset or continue. Reset means everything goes back to the loop, continuing means the possible end to their world. And It ends in a tie 4 to 4. And it’s all left to Frisk to decide.

They choose both, they ask if they can copy the game and hide it somewhere where the OG copy is the one that’ll continue in the endless loop, the one that is hiding is just them continuing to live.

AND I AAAAARGGGGGGGG!!!jvdhkbjvdsbhdvsj’vds

I LOVE IT SO MUCH!!!!

I re-watched the comic dub to refresh my memory a bit, and to understand the parts that I didn’t when I was younger (because English bad).

And I cannot express HOW much I loved all of it! It’s a great story with great moments.

And I REALLY REALLY recommend it!

Just love the use of how they manage to at least save ONE COPY of themselves. Like somewhere there’s the other copy going through the loop again and again and again.

And I just can’t begin to explain the feeling that that gives me! Love it with all my heart. Now WHAT THE ABSOLUTE FUCK!!!! THIS IS EVEN WORSE?!?!?! (Underworld)

Simple enough. Not fan of horror, but I found underworld’s designs and fell INLOVE with them. Not much to say, just that it has the potential of a hundred suns and that is it. LIKE LOOK IT UP AND YOU’LL SEE???

Personal favorite is Undyne and Toriel.

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Ok so here’s the kicker, I said they were 11, right?

But I’ve put Error and Ink together… so they count as one, right? Because I forgot one. (I actually forgor two but let me have my moment) SURPRISE (YOU GUESS BEFORE I SAY THE NAME!) So I’m pretty sure this AU isn’t known as much, as the others.

Like I’m sure there ARE people who like it.

But it’s died down a HOLE lot, the fandom grew and from the AU’s that have managed to survive it, I feel this one’s been left behind. I mean there’s still fanart, but like it’s not popping up like others. The aesthetics are MY ABSOLUTE favorite, because there’s not too much of a change in story. I mean there IS, and it’s pretty cool. But what sells me is the aesthetics, just the whole vibe!!! And I’m sure that if you like dark fairy vibes, you’ll like this one.

Ya ready???

YA READYYYY?????? I don’t think you are ready!!!!

AAAAAHHHHHH

It’s Masktale.

Did you guess it?

(end of my thing) …

…

And there’s also Quantumtale because they are cute kids with stupidly strong powers, and Gaster is a cute guy and I love it.

But I haven't researched a ton of the last two sorry.

but im tired sO

(We’re officially done.)

and uh thanks for asking :,)

#JESUS FUCKING CHRIST #anyways #undertale #underfell #horrortale #gztale #killer sans #error sans #ink sans #anx sans #bittybones #seraphim sans #underworld #masktale #quantumtale #we're fucking done here.#with 20 pages and 5671 words. I think?#MAn I really feel stupid after posting this #imma try not to delete

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corpupine · 1 year

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A Long-Awaited Update

I’ve been putting off writing this update for a while now. Not because I’m suffering or struggling at all—life is actually really good! It’s had some truly awful, crappy stuff mixed in, but for the most part my life is very happy. The reason I’ve been putting this off is that I really don’t know where to start. Most of you will have noticed that I stopped posting updates of NemaTale on here sometime last year. There are a couple of reasons for that that I want to explain, then I want to move on to life updates and what’s coming next for NemaTale.

First: Why did I stop posting on Deviantart?

There’s no special reason or controversy here. I post on three sites: Deviantart, Tumblr, and Tapas. Both Tumblr and Tapas offer a scheduling system so that posts can be queued in advance. I was able to schedule posts on those two sites, but Deviantart doesn’t have that function, so each time there was an update I had to go in and manually enter all the information. As my life got more and more hectic (which will be explained a little bit more in the life updates section), I found that I was forgetting to update on Deviantart. I kept on putting it off, figuring I’d get around to it eventually. But uh, whoops—the end of Chapter 4 has been posted everywhere but on Deviantart! I’ll get those last pages up and running soon, but I wanted to offer some sort of explanation before I did so.

(As a side note: I haven't been keeping up with updating the links between pages on Tumblr, for a similar reason. I'll hopefully get those up and going soon so you guys can read the comic more easily on here.)

Second: What’s going on with Corpupine?

So much, you guys. Soooo much, and most of it is—like I said—truly wonderful. I haven’t been posting updates about my life hardly at all, and I want to maintain privacy, but here’s a few fun things I wanted to tell you about:

-Got a big girl job working for a local publishing company (I’m an editor by day and I love it, but it’s very time and energy consuming)

-Helped my wonderful husband self publish a book (that I edited, naturally)

-Moved to a different city

-Finally, finally finished a draft for a novel I’ve been tinkering with for 9 years

Oh, and also, this:

Yes, in what may be the best (accidentally) kept secret ever, I’m a few months away from giving birth to a baby girl. That has been the main reason for my absence online as my husband and I have been preparing for her arrival. This baby has been very much something we have hoped for, and it took longer than we expected to get this far, so we are very happy. We are over the moon excited, a little freaked out, and ready to snuggle her sooo good.

So with that bombshell dropped, let’s talk a little bit more about the stuff you’re all really here for.

What’s next for NemaTale?

Months before I got pregnant, I had already finished Chapter 5. The script for chapter 6 is about 50% written—the broad strokes are there, I just need to nail down the dialogue. Then I started my big-girl job, and life started to get a little out of control. I was incredibly busy all the time with my job, and helping my husband with his book, and I really wanted to start using any free time just to rest and recuperate. I think that was the best choice for me; too much on my plate would have probably led me to have a nervous breakdown, haha. As it is, I’m doing well emotionally, but . . . I haven’t drawn anything since about June of last year. So we’ve got Chapter 5, totally finished and just waiting to be queued up; chapter 6, partially written; aaaaand then a big black void in front of me. (Why does that word feel so . . . familiar?) That should be scary to me, but it’s not. I’ve accomplished a lot, even if I haven’t progressed on the comic. I’m proud of myself and how far I’ve come. But what does that mean for you guys?

Here's the lowdown: I’m giving birth soon. I’m not going to be able to commit to any sort of comic goals in the near future. I’m not even sure what the future of NemaTale looks like, but I do know this: I still love this story. I don’t want to stop creating it, but now’s not the right time for me to be focusing on that. Sometimes life just gets too full to do everything on the list. I just can’t keep this at the top of my list for now.

Chapter 5 is, as I’ve said, completely ready to go (except for the chapter cover, which I haven’t made yet.) So I’m going to put this choice out to you guys. What do you want? Do you want me to go ahead and post chapter 5 over the next few months and then I’ll just see you all when I see you, somewhere down the line? Or do you want me to wait to post chapter 5 until there is also a chapter 6 officially on the way? That could take many, many months, so be aware of that.

I love the interactions I have with all of you. I’d love to keep having them, even if I won’t be able to post new stuff beyond chapter 5 for a while. But I really am okay doing whatever you guys think is best with regards to posting chapter 5. Just let me know in the comments below.

All right, I think that’s everything. I appreciate your patience with me in all this. In the past year, so much has happened. My husband and I have gone on adventures. I turned twenty-five and I’m finally starting to feel more comfortable in my own skin. I tragically lost one dear relative and for a while we thought we were going to lose another one—which, miraculously, we haven’t. Spring is here, and there’s a little girl kicking me in the ribs as I write this. Life is good.

#random nematale update #uhhh...surprise?#tbh i'm not sure how people are going to take this #but i just wanted to get an update out there #i'm happy and thriving and well #just...very busy #<3 you all

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age-of-moonknight · 9 months

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hi! hope you're doing well. i got a question for you about the what if with marc's funeral, if that's okay, and please let me know if i'm missing the mark or overstepping in any way. as a jewish guy, seeing a non-jewish funeral kinda felt bad to me. like marc was already buried, no one who loved him or knew him participated in the burial, and yes the heroes wore their gear instead of traditional mourning clothing, but putting a star of david on the tombstone felt like an afterthought. marlene's 'may your memory be a blessing' was nice, seeing gena and the kids and crawly was like yes those are his people! but overall idk the setup and eulogy wasn't working for me. tldr my question is, what's your take on marc's funeral?

Hey! Thanks for stopping by! I guess before I say anything I should preface this by mentioning that I’m honestly just some dude on the internet and I really shouldn’t be considered an authority on anything. I’ve just read an unfortunately large number of comics and while I do dedicate a lot of time to learning as much as I can about anything, I definitely shouldn’t be considered an expert on matters as richly complex and integral to people’s very identities as religion or culture. In other words, I definitely appreciate you starting this conversation, but I really can’t offer anything more than a personal opinion that everyone should just take with a grain of salt.

But!!! thank you for sending this message, because, yeah, I realize that sometimes I can get so swept up in any writer even acknowledging that Marc is Jewish that I forget that, “oh yeah, this could be better and we should be well past the age where we had to hope for even the barest crumbs of representation.”

Accordingly, I fully see where you’re coming from and you’re probably right in that there was more the writer could have done. Even as I write that though, I can already hear the long list of excuses that could be made by devil’s advocates about why Marc’s funeral in What If…? Dark: Moon Knight was presented as it was. Most probably could be pretty easily refuted by anyone that wants better from the comic industry, but, hey, that’s comics: they thrive on intense, impassioned reader discussion and can somehow be ahead of their time in terms of cultural sensitivity AND painfully slow in breaking out of some really poor ways of depicting cultures, races, and religions.

[Putting in a read more because this got a little long (sorry all, mea culpa)]

But yeah, some of those excuses I can imagine include, first among them, space limitations. The creators had one page to depict the funeral in the single issue allotted to telling Marlene’s story of becoming Luminary. People could easily say something offhand and questionable like, “oh yeah, Marc’s mom sat shiva, but it all happened off panel,” but that explanation always feels a little cheap to me, as I know for fact that comic artists can get very creative with how they format a page to include critical information, but, eh, there it is.

Some people in these situations sometimes bring up the point that authors that share a background with the characters they depict can approach matters with a good understanding of what’s appropriate/significant. I can see the validity of that approach, but from the (admittedly brief) research I did, I haven’t found any conclusive statements on the writer’s background at least and I personally would rather not make any assumptions/speculations. (Again, that’s strictly a personal thing, because in my line of work, I come across a lot of bad actors who, from their perspective, “““accuse””” people of being certain races or ethnic backgrounds and I am,,,,very tired). Plus, that’s not necessarily a cure all, at least that’s what I’ve gathered from the heated debates on Bemis’ Moon Knight run that I still stumble upon on occasion.

The next thing that comes to mind, well, I don’t want to sound like I’m entirely absolving the creators since, sure, they probably could have done more, but I’m so used to grappling with the bad hands comic books deal me, that sometimes I propose what I guess could be referred to as Watsonian interpretations??? Like, yeah, this was ultimately written like this because creators are flawed, but I cope by trying to puzzle out in-universe explanations. In this case, I see this as potentially being some sort of hazy, not quite well constructed, reflection of Marc’s complex relationship with his background that characterized his adult life. Elias Spector, who frequently represents Marc’s connection to his past and how he wrestles with really complex questions of religion and identity, is dead by this point of time in both of Marc’s established origins, and while I am sure the organizers of Marc’s funeral, like Marlene and Frenchie, fully and deeply loved him, I’m just not sure if Marc ever communicated to them what they should specifically do for his funeral (fully traditional or as small/nondescript as possible if he even thought he deserved/would get a funeral), as enigmatic and….not always forthcoming in discussing such matters Marc circa Marc Spector: Moon Knight was, so they did their best.

But gosh, even as I write that out, that’s such a load of copium. I’ll admit that my fondness for the comic book genre results in me desperately trying to hammer something worthwhile out of sometimes (or frequently????) mediocre material, so thanks again for sharing your thoughts! You are well and away within your rights to not be satisfied with how the matter was handled and I know I thoroughly appreciate your critical eye. Arguably, it is only by such a capacity for critique that the industry will ever shake off some of its worst aspects that still haunt it and evolve into something really consistently worthwhile.

#Knight Mail #@anon my apologies I hope this makes sense because it seems I get out of work and I promptly forget how to put the bottom line up front #thanks to anyone who bothered to read it all hahaha and to anon in particular #as this turned into stream of consciousness commentary on rep in comics (????) or something???#because yeah….I’m just some person who’s read a lot of Moon Knight comics #I always love discussing things with people but my thoughts/opinions are technically of no quantifiable value #so I always love hearing what other people think :D

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retrieve-the-kraken · 2 years

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Am I too old to be realizing that I may be in the ace spectrum?

I have just been thinking long and hard about it, and I’ve been exposed to much more representation (mainly Heartstopper) that made me look into it, do some research, and come to a realization.

And that realization is that no, there’s nothing wrong with me and my lack of desire to find a romantic/sexual partner. I don’t think I’m necessarily asexual, but I do think I’m demisexual or greysexual.

I’ve sort of identified as a demisexual for a few years now, after learning of the term through a youtuber that I follow, but I was honestly never sure, and I continued to question myself. Maybe it’s just because I’m an introvert and a weirdo, maybe I’m just not trying hard enough, maybe I’m just very insecure, maybe it’s some sort of internalized trauma, maybe I just haven’t found the right person…

But these past couple of years, and most recently about a month ago, I did some serious introspection, and yeah, I don’t need to look for excuses or explanations, it’s just the way I am. And that’s fine. And I’m glad that there is an identity for me, I feel validated and less alone.

I’m feeling considerably more comfortable in my skin and in my head since I’ve been having this introspection, and I feel like it’s even helped to begin to alleviate some anxieties and insecurities that I’ve carried with me for a long time.

I do think I’ll probably still second-guess myself on occasion, because that’s just what I do. But maybe I won’t, or not as often, or less and less with time. I want to learn to appreciate this part of me, and perhaps bring myself to talk about it with some people that I trust. I hope to learn to have the confidence to face any criticism or questioning or invalidation that might come my way. And I look forward to meeting other people in the spectrum with whom I can have conversations and find community.

Representation matters. I wish I had had access to the information and media that I do now (like Alice Oseman’s comics and books, and even Alice Oseman herself, who identifies as aroace, and many more), perhaps I would have been more confident in myself and my identity, perhaps I would have saved myself a lot of second-guessing. But late is better than never, or really it’s never too late to learn something new, especially about yourself.

I feel like a weight has been lifted. I feel lighter.

#asexual identity #demisexual #greysexual #asexual #asexual spectrum #asexuality #demisexuality #greysexuality #ace spectrum #ace awareness #ace community

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nerdwhoauthorinserts · 2 years

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A collection of Me(s).

Here are some of my self inserts.

You’re probably already well-acquainted with the first two, maybe even the third, but the last ones I’ve barely talked about.

Originally, I was going to add three more, but I haven’t actually designed them yet, so I didn’t want to design a character AND draw them out for this at the same time.

(S/Is brief explanation listed below the cut. From left to right, top to bottom)

1. Copycat - My Marvel Comics S/I. He primarily exists in his own continuity I call ‘The Copyverse’ (Which is based on early-MCU, Ultimate Spiderman, and a few other versions of the Marvel universe + My own interpretations.)

He’s a shapeshifter who’s the son of literal Death and was assassinated by a drug lord to get access to his powers. He follows Loki as their assistant at first after empathizing with them, but they grow a friendship that ends up turning into a mutual pining mess.

2. Plague Rat - My DC Comics/Batman S/I. He’s an explosive-happy pyromaniac who was...basically kidnapped by a group of scientists after getting accidentally injected with rat stem cells. The ensuing experiments left him with abilities over pest animals and disease.

Before he was kidnapped, he met and subsequently bonded with Jonathan Crane, aka, ‘The Scarecrow’. This bond eventually became romantic in nature.

3. [Still doesn’t have a name, oops.] - My Slasher S/I. An artist who was raised in an abusive household with his witch-sister. After the death of his childhood pet cat, his sister tried to use her magic to bring it back to life, but it went horribly wrong, resulting in the S/I absorbing his cat’s essence, gaining an extremely high prey drive, predatory instincts, and cat-like abilities. (He also has the ability to transform into a were-cat, but let’s not worry about that-)

After his sister left, he started taking his aggression and prey drive out on local wildlife, leading to his religious parents locking him in the attic for being a ‘devil child’. His parents...mysteriously disappeared after that. Leading to his sister inheriting the house and discovering him still there. I use him occasionally for Blahms and Blakael stuff, but it’s mostly just ordinary me, lol.

4. Vulpenire - My Cuphead S/I. A vampire fox who made a deal with the devil to gain the abilities of the stars. He can turn into a fox constellation, shoot stars, and has basic vampire powers as well. (He also has a hidden mouth on his tail, but let’s not worry about that-)

He becomes one of the Devil’s lackeys as a result of the deal, and is originally seen as a rival by King Dice. Dice eventually realizes though, that Vulpen doesn’t want his position, and ends up developing a bond with him after he decidedly starts bothering him to take better care of himself.

5. [Another without a proper differentiate-able name] - My Arcane S/I. A man who approached Viktor during a big celebration looking for an interview. They quickly ended up getting along, as Viktor found that he had some interesting ideas for Hextech. This more or less ended up turning...you guessed it, romantic. Eventually, though, Blake disappeared.

An accident occurred leading to his disappearance, so he replaced his missing parts with mechanics. (He lost parts of his face, limbs, and had to replace his spine.) The accident also left him with gaps in his memory due to how traumatic it was.

When he returned after the events of Arcane, he looked like he does in the picture, attempting to steal some of the Hextech. Turns out, he was in the custody of Silco all that time, developing a sibling-like bond with Jinx in the background.

6. Kabel - My ‘The Dragon Prince’ S/I. A Human/SkyWing elf hybrid created using Dark Magic. Because of the nature of his creation, he’s able to use Dark Magic and Sky Magic, while not needing to sacrifice to use Dark magic for the most part... or at least that’s what they assume. Though that isn’t entirely true.

Aaravos concocts a test at one point, hiding a magic creature under Kabel’s bed, and finding it dead with all it magic sucked out of it the next morning. Kabel, essentially, is a magic vampire, siphoning magic from any magical creature he sleeps around without realizing it in order to keep himself alive and also in order to fuel his ability to use dark magic.

Aaravos and him start with Aaravos using Kabel’s near-instant crush on him as leverage, but Aaravos slowly ends up being endeared by him to the point of actually returning his feelings.

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admiral-alby · 3 years

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bob fic recs galore

here’s the fruits of my labour. a working fic rec master-post containing multiple bob ships and many, many amazing fics. the writers in this fandom are absolutely incredible and their talent astounds me every time I read a new fic. all the kudos to y’all. keep on keeping on!

this is a long post. recs and some general notes are under the cut :)

(04/13/21) I’ll do my best to keep this list updated... or I’ll make a part 2 depending on length. if anyone has any recs that are not already listed in this post, please please message me! this is no way an exhaustive list and I’m sure I missed some fantastic fics out there - to get started I mostly just plucked from my bookmarks. I’d be happy to add on new fics for ANY pairing, rare-pairs included. I don’t really have much for rare-pairs in this rec because I haven’t read much yet but that will change soon when I have some more time on my hands to get into them :)

if you are an author on this list and you would like your work removed from it, please just message me. no explanation necessary I will take it off asap.

I’ll make the disclaimer that while I tried to include some general information about each fic, I did not include tags/warnings. so if you choose a fic, read the tags and proceed at your own discretion.

@capsparkyspeirs you’re a lovely human being and this is probably not what you were imagining when I said I’d be happy to rec some fics for you. I admit it got a little out of hand but there’s so many great fics out there I couldn’t stand to choose just a couple to send your way... so you get them all! you inspired me to do this, so this is for you and anyone else who wants to read some great fics but doesn’t know where to start <3

WINNIX (RICHARD WINTERS/LEWIS NIXON)

Long Ago and Far Away (Canon Winnix) by churchkey (Series) Rated T-E / Canon Era / 18013 Words (Total) / 4 Parts / Not Complete

Summary: “A few scenes exploring how Dick and Lew became the timeless cosmic lovers they were born to be.“

*Each part can be read as a stand-alone!

It Happened One Night by raquelelpillo Rated M / Groundhog Day AU / 7704 Words / Complete

Summary: “ Nixon gets the chance to do the day before the big jump over and over and over (or, Every Fandom Needs Groundhog's Day Fic).”

Finding Our Way in the Dark by rilla Rated E / Canon Era / Soulmate AU / 8477 Words / Complete

Summary: “After Dick and Lew share their first kiss in Austria, they open their eyes to find a golden thread binding their wrists together.“

Mutual by miss_grey Rated G / Canon Era / 2105 Words / Complete

Summary: “Dick couldn’t help wondering to himself when exactly Nix had decided that Dick’s personal space had become their mutual space.“

Let Me Be Close by armyofbees Rated G / Canon Era (Post-War) / 8679 Words / Complete

Summary: “Five things Nix loves about Dick, and one thing Dick loves about Nix.Or,The thing about Nix, Dick is beginning to learn, is that he doesn’t love in halves. Nix loves with everything in him, and sometimes that means moving to the middle of nowhere in Pennsylvania for Dick. Sometimes it means making spaghetti with him because Dick came to New Jersey and planted tomatoes, of all things. Sometimes it means telling without saying.”

Let’s Start the New Year Right by slightlytookish Rated G / Canon Era (Post-War) / 10523 Words / Complete

Summary: “Nix had always been able to pick Dick out of a crowd, even when he was lying on his belly in the dirt two hundred yards away, squinting through binoculars at an entire company of men wearing identical uniforms. It was easier to spot him in the crush of people inside Penn Station, even out of the familiar uniform: the same tall figure, the same bright hair, the same way he always seemed to find Nix just as easily and turn towards him, like an arrow on a compass.”

Lancaster County by raquelelpillo Rated T / AU / 31500 Words / 17 Chapters / Complete

Summary: “Nix is born later. Dick is there. (AU). Set in the summer of 1942 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.”

**It is part of a series with the other works being small ‘extras’ set through the story. This is the main work. It ends a bit ambiguously.

SPEIRTON (RONALD SPEIRS/CARWOOD LIPTON)

The Desolate House by Howling_Harpy Rated E / Canon Era (Post-War) / 26672 Words / Complete

Summary: “It's been fifteen years since Carwood has last seen or spoken to Speirs when they reunite suddenly at an Easy Company reunion and have both recently relocated back to the US. Carwood has promised to his mother to finish packing and cleaning the family's boarding house that's about to be put up for sale, and on a whim invites Speirs to help him. He didn't expect him to actually show up.”

and you on my mind by seabright Rated E / Canon Era (Post-War) / 11081 Words / Complete

Summary: “’You say that you don’t want any of Easy to know that you’re in Boston but you give me your address.’ Following a relationship through the end of the war and beyond.”

Of Soldiers and Secrets by nanuk_dain Rated E / Canon Era / 62988 Words / 26 Chapters / Complete

Summary: “A series of moments in the life of the Easy men, from Foy until after the war, focussing on the development of the relationship of Carwood Lipton and Ronald Speirs.”

Erasure by Howling_Harpy Rated M / Canon Era (Post-War) / 15255 Words / Complete

Summary: “Carwood takes time off from work to visit his mother to get away from his lonely life in Boston. Ron is deployed to Korea and has been for a long while, and after spending a year alone and even longer lying to everyone, Carwood is not sure he wants to live like this anymore.”

Fluences by masongirl (Series) Rated T-M / Canon Era / Soulmates AU / 12818 Words (Total) / 5 Works / Complete

Summary: “ Soulmate AU in which soulmates can sense each other's emotions if they are close enough.”

**Mainly Speirton centric. Part 2 is Winnix & Part 3 is Shifty/Tab.

A Thousand Kisses by Arwen88 Rated T / Canon Era / 1993 Words / Complete

Summary: “ A late night in Hardigny brings Carwood to the room where Ron is dealing with paperwork, but even with a comfortable bed, he can’t find his peace. Late night chats have Ron showing a side of himself that Carwood had not expected.”

stop the world by languageofthebirds Rated T / Canon Era / 3001 Words / Complete

Summary: “The way his hair fell in mussed waves over his forehead made Carwood want to reach out and run his fingers through it. He was sin personified, in that moment.”

**Did I throw in a shameless self promo? Sure did.

WEBGOTT (JOSEPH LIEBGOTT/DAVID WEBSTER)

rivers always reach the sea by bitchbutter (Series) Rated E / Canon Era / 40790 Words (Total) / 2 Works / Not Complete / Last Updated March 17, 2021

Part 1 Summary: “Joe breaks things off with Web in Austria. Of course, nothing with them is ever that simple.“

Part 2 Summary: “The end of the war could be the end of a lot of things. If Joe could let it be.“

if i know you at all, i know you’ve gone too far by starblessed Rated T / Canon Era / 2654 Words / Complete

Summary: “How many stars d’you think there are, Web?” Joe asks after a moment.David has no damned clue. “A lot,” he answers confidently. “Millions.”“Millions,” echoes Joe. The glittering stars are reflected in his eyes, like black pits sending each beam of light back outward. It’s almost hypnotizing, the way they flicker. If he stares too long, David knows he will get lost in them... and that doesn't seem like the worst way to go.”

Teller of Tales; Song of Songs by thedastardly Rated E / Canon Era (Post War) / 8352 Words / Complete

Summary: “He hopes that he dreams about the mountaintop tonight. He isn’t in the mood to dream of the water, the shore, the everything after, again.”

the only noise beating out is ours by lakehymn Rated M / Canon Era (Post-War) / 3470 Words / Complete

Summary: “Over the next couple weeks, Webster realizes that Liebgott has effortlessly invaded every corner of his life. Even on the days when he barely sees Liebgott at all, he can always find comic books or packs of cigarettes lying around somewhere. It’s almost disconcerting how ordinary it’s beginning to feel to stumble upon someone else’s belongings in his own house.”

push and pull by LT_Aldo_Raine

Rated T / Modern AU / 4115 Words / Complete

Summary: ““got hands like an ocean, push you out, pull you back in” And David Webster never could resist the ocean. OR: Webster snorted, a sardonic sound that echoed across the hotel room. “You don’t know the first thing about what I need.””

hang in there, baby by rilla Rated M / Modern AU / 3116 Words / Complete

Summary: “Written for the Kisstober prompt 'upside down Spiderman kisses'. '“I don’t know what I was expecting when I asked you what your top fantasy is,” Web says, “but it wasn’t this."'”

In His Wildest Dreams by Impala_Chick Rated E / Canon Era / Dream Sharing AU / 3891 Words / Complete

Summary: “While David is in the hospital, he starts sharing dreams with Liebgott.“

Black Ink on Some Blue Lines by thelastfig Rated E / Canon Era & Post War / 10185 Words / Complete

Summary: “It’s been sixteen years since the letter was written, but it never found its way to the one it was intended for. The thing about secrets is they eat away at you, not all at once but slowly over the years, and you begin to wonder, to play out the what if scenarios in your mind. Instead, David buried it away and pretended like it never existed. He should have killed it, he thinks to himself, not buried it while it still had breath in its lungs. In which David remembers his evolving relationship with Joe over the course of the war and decides to deliver a letter.”

LUZTOYE (GEORGE LUZ/JOSEPH TOYE)

The best laid plans by masongirl (Series) Rated G-E / Modern AU / 52652 Words (Total) / 15 Parts / Complete

Summary: “Modern AU in which Joe and George find each other as college students and build a life together.“

each and every day (of the year) by bruce_the_shark Rated M / Modern AU / 21630 Words / 2 Chapters / Complete

Summary: “Joe grins, lifts his hand from George’s hip to grip him by the chin, twists his face around to catch his lips in a bruising kiss. George relishes in it, likes how the taste of Joe’s preferred brand of liquor mixes with the taste of his own on his tongue. He grins against Joe’s lips, knows it’s going to be a good year.”

Babysitting and Other Rationales by aces_low Rated T / Modern AU / 3267 Words / Complete

Summary: “George Luz is a god damn saint, or at least some kind of kid whisperer. And Joe's just trying to keep his head on straight.”

who let the dogs in? by starblessed Rated T / Modern AU / 1869 Words / Complete

Summary: ““And he heard me shouting and I guess it inspired him or something, cause he full-on charged at me, Joe, and before I could even slam the door, he was just —“ George cuts off with an incoherent noise, gesturing grandly to their front door. “In! And then he was running, and sniffing everything, and exploring our shit, and he peed —““Not on my damn couch,” Joe growls.“No, on the nice carpet. Marking his territory, y’know? Except it’s our territory, but I guess it’s his now, because he won’t freakin’ leave.”

BABEROE (EDWARD HEFFRON/EUGENE ROE)

Call me sweetheart, please? by mariamegale (Series) Rated G-E / Modern AU / 95865 Words (Total) / 12 Works / Complete

Summary: “A not-relationship in the making.”

**Each part could be read as a standalone I suppose... But it’s so worth it to read the whole series!

between the walls by CountlessStars Rated M / Canon Era (Post-War) / 2275 Words / Complete

Summary: “ Eugene decides to paint his living room. It should be easy, it really should, but it doesn't go as planned (in more ways than one).”

Walking Wounded by papersky_pencilstars Rated G / Canon Era / Magic AU / 3501 Words / Complete

Summary: “Prompt: Canon-era; Either Gene or Babe have magic, or both. Maybe magic is known or maybe they need to hide it.”

JOHNNY MARTIN/BULL RANDLEMAN

they don’t know about the up all nights (they don’t know I’ve waited all my life) by PotofCoffee Rated T / Canon Era / 22010 Words / 3 Chapters / Complete

Summary: “ Johnny and Bull throughout the war, in a slow meandering dance you might just call love.”

All My Love to Give by Muccamukk Rated E / Canon Era / 8852 Words / Complete

Summary: “ Johnny wants to screw around to pass the time. Bull wants to show Johnny how he feels without having to risk saying it”

The Red String by Arwen88 Rated M / Canon Era / Soulmates AU / 1834 Words / Complete

Summary: “He had to wrench his gaze away from the sickening sight, from the machine that was probably moments away from killing his soulmate. He would’ve thrown himself under that tank if that meant saving his lover, but he couldn’t do it. He had to take care of his men, and so he forced himself to stop looking, to order his men to retreat, to see that they did what he was screaming at them.“

Over Where You Began Muccamukk Rated E / Canon Era / 2949 Words / Complete

Summary: “ The way Bull saw it, Johnny was mad at him now, and Bull had no idea what he'd done wrong. Maybe it was better to just let it lie, let Johnny come out of whatever angry mood he was in on his own, instead of kicking an ant's nest.”

Simple as a Glass of Chocolate by ThrillingDetectiveTales Rated E / Canon Era / 2600 Words / Complete

Summary: ““It was supposed to be syrup,” Johnny muttered darkly. “Says right there on the can!”“Reckon it started out that way,” Bull shrugged, biting his lip against a smile when Johnny narrowed a glare over his shoulder.(In which Johnny and Bull try to sweeten up their sex life and it doesn't go exactly as planned.)”

CHUCK GRANT/RONALD SPEIRS

to Babel, in ruins by captainkilly Rated T / Canon Era (Post-War) / 5114 Words / Complete

Summary: “Chuck knows recovery isn't a linear event. Knows there are times when words will leave him and the night will place him back beneath the dirt. Knows there are things he just can't speak about.Captain Speirs hears him anyway.”

pulse by captainkilly Rated T / Canon Era / 4706 Words / Complete

Summary: “ Ron Speirs knows how to kill. Knows how to hurt, how to twist, how to maim. He doesn't think he's figured out how to love, not really, not where it counts the most, but the touches he reserves for Chuck Grant beg to differ.. “

AUTHORS

there are so many authors on this list that have written tons of amazing works for one or multiple pairings. as much as I would have loved to, I couldn’t rec all of their works... I had a hard enough time keeping it down to 3 or less works from the same author! similar to fics, I’ve only linked authors that I am familiar with/know have written multiple fics, so feel free to send me more people to add to the list :)

churchkey - is a sweetheart. has multiple amazing winnix works. she has recently gotten into super rarepair toye/malarkey. godspeed I’ll see you there when I read those fics.

ThrillingDetectiveTales - writes for multiple pairings. all of their works are fantastic! every time I see their name as the author I go !! and know it’s going to be good.

Howling_Harpy - has written so many fics. many different pairings. lots of speirton. they’ve ripped my heart out and made me cry but then gently kissed my forehead and put my heart back. I think that’s praise of the highest order.

masongirl - another fantastic author who has written so many amazing fics. tons of speirton and other ships too. also has made me cry and then quietly wiped my tears away.

mariamegale - baberoe queen. that’s all I have to say. I was tempted to just rec all her baberoe fics. check them out!

Muccamukk - another multi ship, multi works writer. i had a hard time only choosing a few of their fics to rec. they’ve got so much to offer!

Impala_Chick - writes lots of great webgott and other pairings too!

captainkilly - if i could rec all her fics I would. there’s some rarepair pieces that are fantastic. I didn’t list it here because it’s more of a character centric piece with an OFC and a little bit of ron/chuck dashed in mostly at the end, but read her form & void series. seriously. read it. I have nothing else to say because her work speaks for itself.

Arwen88 - another writer for multiple pairings with multiple works! love to see it. some great rarepair stuff and also fantastic popular pairings.

LT_Aldo_Raine - love their work! they write for multiple pairings.

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jess-the-vampire · 3 years

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honestly i’m not even sure i should be talking about it, i guess i just feel better to mention it then bottle it up to people who might be wondering

personal stuff under the cut

i’ve had some people recently try to send me moringmark comics, or link me to posts that he’s made and so on and so forth and it’s cool and i appreciate it cause i love when people send me to new works and stuff.....i just wish i was able to really respond to them like i can with others.

mark blocked me guys, at least here on tumblr (Everywhere else i’m fine for some reason), i can’t view any posts of his and haven’t for awhile.

While we were friends a few years ago, but things have changed since i was helping him with his star vs comics.

back a few years ago when mark’s tumblr got randomly deleted, i was trying to contact him to make sure he was ok and nothing happened and all that and....ever since then he’s never spoken to me.

He kinda...ghosted me, and he has since then.

this was our last exchange:

I never got a reason why, one day we were talking fine and the next he was well....not speaking to me. I didn’t want to spam him so i would try again every few days, then weeks, then months....just with conversation starters....nothing accusatory, i just wanted to check up on him and everything.

I tried contacting him on other Sms and everything but i never got a response, and for awhile i thought maybe he was busy and i was kinda sorta bothering him so i gave him space and tried again months later.....and yeah, he never said anything.

i tried sending him apologies if i said something wrong, i tried asking if he wanted to talk and see what was happening, i was willing to accept if maybe i had said something hurtful and he no longer wanted to be in contact with me.

Because maybe i did at one point and if i did i wanted to own up to it to him because i liked being his friend and wanted to keep being his friend.

but as far as i can tell we had nothing but polite conversation with each other.

And after awhile it started to feel, at least to me, like he was purposefully shoving me to the side and ignoring me. First he stopped following me, then he had a whole comic about the art programs he was using which felt awkward to me because i was actually the person who introduced him to medibang

not that i needed to be credited for it, obviously, i guess it just felt weird at the time when he mentioned how much he loved it and then just never mentioned i had been the one to introduce him to it. It only came off as weird as it did because i was being ghosted, i probably wouldn't have cared at all if we had been still in contact.

it kinda makes looking at any comics i ever do get to see of his surreal, because i think to an extent “i helped make this.”

I guess it hurts more now looking back, because now i just kinda feel.....used.

Because i never was told why i was being ghosted i’ve been just kinda left to speculate what i did, and sometimes when you’re left thinking like that your mind makes you wonder if he was never my friend in the first place.

or if i felt differently about the friendship then he did.

i helped with ideas for his star vs comics for awhile, got him into a new art program, then all of a sudden he just.....pretended i didn’t exist....it’s...y’know, sad and makes you think.

And it’s upsetting too because i had a very positive experience working with mark briefly, talking about the show and ideas for projects, when this happened i was heartbroken.

Also he never really finished that specific comic so i don’t know if i should be credited for the help exactly, i don’t know if he ever got to most of my ideas.

at most i helped him find artists and their ocs for him to draw and that was the biggest contribution i had that i can at least recall.

Point being tho, it felt hurtful to me, because of course it feels hurtful to feel like you made a friend and helped them and then they pretend you never existed.

But even after this had been happening for a few years i still was giving him the benefit of the doubt because i still wanted to think i was misinterpreting the situation and maybe i still am....

but when i found out he blocked me now as well, i gotta admit, i lost faith on that.....

i only mention all of this at all, because i used to say i really respected mark like a lot, as a creator in the star vs fandom, and that’s still not entirely gone either....but i have to admit....i’ve soured on him....a lot since this happened.

i don’t want anyone going after him or anything (Though i doubt he’d listen to it anyway he’s got so much on his blog it’d drown in the notes, but still, don’t), i just wanted to address why you’ve never seen his content on my blog despite us being friends awhile ago, why i barely talk about him, why i may sometimes get uncomfortable when he’s brought up.

it’s been pretty upsetting tbh, because friends turning on me is something i’m uncomfortably used to happening and it gives me serious anxiety about me being a bad friend or hurting ppl because i’ve had so much bad experience with friendships with rather toxic ppl.

honestly if mark showed up today in my dms and said something to me and why he did all this i’d probably forgive him if he had a reason and i was just being silly or something. But because of how limited the information is for me, i’m sadly left to think of the worst and there’s not much here making it any better.

he’s a very creative guy and he does deserve his following.

but as is, i just wanted to address that our relationship as friends has changed a lot since i talked about it last and why things may seem off these days so people can get a better grasp on what happened.

i feel it’s better i address it then not address it.

the guy doesn’t owe me anything, i just felt personally betrayed as a friend that i at least wasn’t given an explanation for him cutting our relationship how he did.

it is how it is tho, he may never contact me again, especially now that i know he blocked me, and it does make me sad tbh. I did like being his friend and i wish we were still friends, but this seems to be out of my control, he pushed me away and blocked me for whatever reason and i’ve just had to deal with it.

i’ve been trying to move on from it, i have not attempted to contact him in over a year at this point, but it’s hard to avoid thinking of it when he’s as popular as he is.

but i hope this helps give you all an understanding on things and why we don’t seem to be as close as we used to.

#jess's random posts #jess rambles

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kittyfandango · 2 years

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One day I’ll stop hyperfixating on how bad I thought the Loki show was, but apparently today isn’t that day, so here’s a list of assorted small things that I didn’t like or found annoying. Some of these are probably really picky, or something I’d forgive if I liked it overall, and there are plenty of other parts of the show that I also thought were bad so this isn’t meant to be comprehensive.

Glorious Purpose

No, fuck off show. This wasn’t a catchphrase or a motto. It was one memorable line from one of Loki’s appearances. You could make a case that they weren’t even his words at all, given how similarly culty Ebony Maw’s later glad tidings of the Black Order sounded. And would old Loki have remembered it possibly thousands of years after the events of The Avengers?

The magic clothes drying thing

Would Loki have used magic to dry himself off? I mean maybe, why not? It’s not that he did it, it’s that the conversation about it was so awkward. It was obvious what he was doing, Hunter B-15 didn’t need to ask.

The train guard uniforms

The closest thing we got to a non-TVA forced costume change for Loki was when he disguised himself to get on the train in Lamentis, and no shade to the costume department in general (designing Sophia’s costume so she could nurse her baby was really cool) but they were pretty ugly.

The sword holster... thing

Ok, so I’ve just been down a rabbit hole of trying to work out what this is actually called, and I’m still not 100% (possibly because they’re not historically accurate) but I have learned about leather sword frogs for hanging from waist belts, so there’s that.

I dislike this mostly because the scene where he conjured it was a poor replacement for the costume upgrades Wanda and Sam Wilson got, but it’s not very practical either.

There’s some disagreement if people actually wore swords on their back, but the general consensus seems to be only if they’re being transported because it’s too awkward to draw and sheath quickly in that position. But this is probably picking holes for the sake of it because it’s really common in fantasy stories. It’s not like Loki literally keeps his daggers up his sleeves either though, so did he need it?

The sword itself was a reference to Laevateinn (I suppose someone involved had either read some comics or knew something about mythology) but it was a bit wasted on an easter egg.

Do you have candy on Asgard?

I don’t know exactly why I found this so irritating, but it was played with the same tone as the rest of the ‘make Loki look like a stupid blustering idiot’ scenes. It’s hardly Loki’s fault that absolute monarchy Asgard didn’t have mass marketed products designed to make money under a capitalist society. Besides, despite it’s quasi-historical appearance, Asgard is an advanced alien civilisation. They’ve probably heard of dessert.

Loki’s are overly sensitive

I mean, yeah Loki probably is sensitive in a lot of ways, but it’s so often used dismissively or as an insult, and in this case seems to be part of the explanation as to why Loki ‘felt like his loving family didn’t love him’. Ugh. Even though this line was delivered by a version of Loki (who on the whole don’t seem to have a very high opinion of themselves) it fits with the whole victim blamey vibe (much like Thor’s line about Loki’s ‘imagined slights’ except the show never frames it as a bad take).

Loki Laufeyson

You’re telling me that someone who pretty much just found out he wasn’t biologically related to his family and reacted, well, explosively, wouldn’t even twitch at being called Laufeyson?

Besides, Sylvie's file lists her as Sylvie Laufeydottir. Why is the alias that she’s chosen to use the more important one for her than her birth name? Would Loki even have been born Loki? If so, how did Odin know? Did baby Loki have a name label? (I haven’t seen the episode of What If? that seems to have Jotun Loki still named Loki, and I'm not sure I care).

I know Marvel generally identifies versions of the character as Loki Laufeyson (technically correct) but this doesn’t make sense. I’m sure it’s convenient to have something unique to refer to the characters by though.

Now I understand why Thor found this so annoying

This was Loki’s line from episode 2. It’s just part of the ‘Loki’s reform comes from seeing himself from an outside perspective’ that they tried to sell, but this isn’t anything like the dynamic between Loki and Thor and just sort of comes across as a non sequitur.

Talkie-talkie

Either you compare this to original Loki and it’s wrong (you could say letting him talk could be dangerous, I’m sure he could be persuasive, certainly eloquent) or you’re talking about new Loki, and it’s still wrong. It’s just one of the many examples of ‘Loki should shut up’.

I was adopted

This isn’t just the fault of the show. Thor called it adoption too, when stolen would be closer to the truth (although who knows what Thor was actually told). This could have been a nice conversation if they’d played it differently - Loki sharing memories of a mother that Sylvie didn’t remember.

D. B. Cooper

Look, it’s a fascinating story, but it doesn’t make sense in context. We know this was only included because Michael Waldron thought it sounded cool. I don’t know if I’d have enjoyed the show that the trailers tried to sell us, but this would make much more sense as part of ‘Loki’s wacky adventures through time’ than it would as something that happened in the past.

What makes a Loki a Loki?

It absolutely makes sense for the two of them to have a conversation to work out how similar or different they are, but it’s really weird to word it like they’re just instances of a cosmic construct called Loki, rather than individual people. Maybe the TVA sees it like that, but Loki and Sylvie shouldn’t.

Sylvie’s clothes

Ok, there’s been a lot of discussion about this, but the show went out of its way to show us that Sylvie wasn’t like the other Lokis, except in the one way that she really shouldn’t have been. I could see a version of the same person having similar tastes in colours and styles etc, but the costume details are so specific to the exact outfits Loki wore himself. Plus they wasted the broken horns from Agent of Asgard on a cheap visual for a different character.

#loki critical #loki series negativity #my posts

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sullustangin · 3 years

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Darth Marr and Satele Shan: Names and Priorities

I’ve reached the point in my Yavin fic that I’m starting to use Marr’s POV on occasion. One of the things I’ve been chewing on (likely to the annoyance of others) has been the Marr-Satele-Theron dynamic during the Yavin 4 op. It’s clear that Satele and Marr have put aside differences and have become friends (as much as a Force ghost and a self-exiled Jedi Master can be friends) by Chapter 12 of KotFE.

I give credit to @swtorpadawan for posting about Satele on Yavin 4 a few months ago and being willing to have continued discourse about the post -- thank you. In comments and reblogs, there’s been discussion about how to interpret Satele’s references to Theron during the op and her motivations for why she does this.

This is a spin-off of that post, since I’ll be focusing more on the dynamic between Marr and the Shans instead of Theron and Satele.

During the Yavin op, Theron is consistently referred to as Theron, not as Agent Shan or as Shan. The issue of his last name is avoided. A few people (including me) have the headcanon that ‘Shan’ is a common name in the galaxy, like Smith or Patel or Garcia would be on our world; two people named Shan does not a family connection make, necessarily. It would explain why Theron doesn’t have a code name (though he jokingly? complains about it on first meeting).

And yet, Satele avoids using the name in reference to Theron. So does Marr. And Theron doesn’t insist on being referred to by his last name, even though his peer, Lana Beniko, is referred to as ‘Beniko’ by Marr. (Satele never addresses Lana using her name.)

Why the dance?

Honestly, when I try to reverse-engineer dev!logic, in terms of the game design for Yavin 4, I’d guess it was done to help the player differentiate between Grand Master Shan and Agent Shan. And maybe that’s all it is: calling Theron “Theron” just keeps the player from getting confused, especially if the player isn’t a Jedi and doesn’t know Satele; and/or skipped the Forged Alliances quests and thus doesn’t know Theron.

Within the universe, however, what’s an explanation a player can come up with?

The Spies in Question

Theron’s name was broadcast across the galaxy as a wanted man for killing Colonel Darok. He was to be apprehended on sight, but Theron was a spy; spy agencies to this day rarely let any images of their active duty agents be circulated, even if they do go rogue or defect to the other side. Theron’s image in direct connection to his name and job as SIS agent would be on a need-to-know basis. This has led me to headcanon that Director Trant was well-aware of Theron going off the grid; in fact, he aided and abetted it.

Lana, on the other hand, was a known member of the Sphere of Military Offense. She commanded troops on Hoth. She had a known face, and there was an Imperial bounty contract on her head, per Theron at Manaan. If anything, Lana was in as much danger as Jakarro; someone could try to claim the bounty on her head, since the bounties weren’t lifted til the end of the Yavin op.

And yet, Theron’s name was the unspeakable one.

Satele and Theron

As I’ve mentioned elsewhere, I feel that the dynamic between Theron and Satele is not that of son and mother; both of them have gotten past that decision. Rather, it’s more similar to a child who was given up for adoption looking for some sort of acknowledgement from his birth family -- it’s not love. It’s not approval. It’s.... complicated. Acknowledgement of existence. Acknowledgement that the decision had impact on Theron well beyond his first year of life. Acknowledgement that Satele hurt Jace.

I’ve interpreted Theron’s bristling at the use of the term “my agent” to be more directed at the possessiveness of the word, yet how far apart they still are, despite the biological connections. Technically, Yavin 4 was the first time they worked on an op together. This was their first professional collaboration. They haven’t seen each other socially, they can’t talk about their issues/relationship/whatever.....and they have to save the galaxy together.

Giving up Theron doesn’t mean Satele felt nothing. She privately struggles with what she did and how it turned out -- still does, based on 6.2. However, she, like Jace and Theron, believe in serving the cause at great personal cost. Seeing Theron beat to hell after Rishi bothered her -- it would bother anyone with any sense of compassion (which she does have). Theron got the beatdown he did because he was taken by the Revanites. Revan attempted to convince Theron to join him on Yavin 4 by invoking the idea that they are flesh and blood -- family.

Pretty sure Revan wasn’t talking about the Malcom side. Satele knew that. Was there a sense of protectiveness for Theron because of what happened immediately before Yavin 4? I think so, yes, but it’s not motherly.

Theron’s experience on Rishi probably made Satele hyperaware that if Theron was of interest to the Revanites, then the Empire would doubly interested in Theron if they knew that he was not only an heir of Revan, but that the Grand Master of the Jedi Order was his biological mother. Referring to him as “my agent” may be Satele’s way to avoid using any part of his name on Yavin 4.

I’m willing to bet, regardless of any efforts to ignore or conceal Theron’s name, that Marr quickly figured out that the agent who managed to outfox Revan, resist torture, get Marr’s attention, and unravel an intergalactic conspiracy was something special to the Republic. Odds were that this agent had acted against the Empire.

Marr would be interested.

The History of Darth Marr and Satele Shan

Prior to Yavin 4, Marr and Satele had most recently squabbled over Makeb in the Hutt Cartel expansion through their various operatives. When Marr saw Satele on the Imp side Battle of Rishi, he bowed. He respected her and she respected him. I didn’t get any other impression from their interactions. They saw each other as equals, though on rival sides; that creates tension, since a fight between them would be a draw or mutually assured destruction. It’s highly likely they fought against each other in the previous Galactic War (which I’ll talk about below).

Marr was born in 3702 BBY, Satele in 3699 BBY. They’re about the same age, and they ascended almost equally quickly when the Sith returned in 3681 -- Satele is 18, Marr is 21. I have spoken about how Satele and Jace (who seems to be somewhere between 16 and 20 in the trailer) were essentially just kids when the conflict started. So was Marr.

The big difference, in terms of how their characters are constructed, is that we have the end product of Marr. Period. We don’t know what his name was before he took on the name ‘Darth Marr.’ We know nothing about his family, his relationships, his struggles. As Marr said later to the player in KotFE, he wanted to be a symbol to the Empire. Marr did not let himself be just a man.

Darth Marr is not the singular leader of the Sith. Marr is the head of the Sphere of Defense of the Empire for decades, and as of the Battle of Corellia and the death of Darth Decimus, he also becomes the head of the Sphere of Military Strategy. With 2 of Military Spheres in his grasp, Marr was the de facto leader of the armed forces of the Sith Empire. The Sphere of Military Offense passed from Baras to Arho and then to Arkous after Ilum. When Arkous is killed by the player’s character, there is no indication as to who was the next head; that Sphere is never spoken of again in-game. We may assume Marr took hold of that. Either way, he has become the de facto leader of the Sith Empire. His voice, his robes and mask -- immediately recognizable to the whole galaxy.

The creators of content for SWTOR took the opposite approach to Satele. We can read about how her mother Tasiele was forced into exile when Satele was still a child. We meet Satele at 18 in a SWTOR trailer during the first Sith incursion at Korriban. We see her in comics fighting against the Empire. We see her at the Battle of Alderaan against Malgus. In Annihilation,we see bits and pieces of her falling in love with Jace Malcom and hoping she doesn’t get too attached... until a pair of permanent complications occur in 3667 BBY: Jace was severely maimed in the Battle of Alderaan, and Satele got pregnant. Jace’s injuries made him a much harder person than the soldier Satele met in 3681 BBY; he scared her with his hatred of the Empire.

I’ll take a moment here to say that Satele wasn’t dumb or naive when she made the decision about Theron. Satele was at least 32 years old, possibly 33 by the time Theron was born in 3666 BBY. She wasn’t a teen having a knee-jerk “oh noes, he’s evil” moment. She had been in a constant state of war for 15 years when she got pregnant. It’s in that context that Satele was concerned that Jace’s hatred could drag their child to the Dark Side... but also, Satele’s love for her child would make it impossible for her to serve the Republic without a second thought. She couldn’t fight and die for the Republic if she was always preoccupied with coming home to her baby.

So she let Theron go. She had other adventures. She was at the Treaty of Coruscant. Satele founded Tython. She became the Grand Master of her order.

We don’t get any of that pathos or glory with Marr. Marr IS. Marr is the Empire. He is the best of them. He has been, is, and will be.

The odds are pretty good that Marr and Satele met each other in combat, directly or indirectly. The bow on Imp side Rishi is a big thing for me that points to that. Also, look at their responsibilities during the last war. Marr was responsible for not only defending Korriban and what would become the Imperial core, but also any gains the Sith made over time against the Republic. That’s the job of the Sphere of Defense of the Empire; taking planets was somebody else’s rodeo, not Marr’s. His job was to defend... something the Imperial people living on these planets would love him for. He was their protector against brutish Republic troops and their systemic corruption.

Satele was responsible for winning those territories back; we see her on counter-strikes against the Sith. Satele is cast as the liberator of people imperiled by the spreading Sith Empire, not a conqueror taking new territory. Marr probably had to defend against Satele at least once in their careers, possibly multiple times. If she was absent from the front lines for any period of time, Marr would have noticed; he had to anticipate the next move of Republic counterstrikes as part of his job.

And indeed, Satele was absent for an extended period. How long Satele was absent from the battlefield due to her pregnancy, we don’t know. Satele did continue her battlefield duties for “months” after she found out. The only information we have about post-partum Satele is that she stopped visiting Baby Theron at 6 months old, according to Lost Suns. I don’t think she could just skip off at random while in command, so I think she probably was off the battlefield at least 10 months (last 4 months of her pregnancy, 6 months post-partum), possibly as long as 18 months, since Gnost-Dural reports she was assigned to duty with the Republic Navy at some point in 3665 BBY. She did give birth on a random planet in a cave, so she didn’t exactly have the best medical care immediately. Maybe there were complications. Maybe she did show early. We don’t know.

Regardless of the timeline, Marr would have been paying attention. Marr would have noticed when Satele Shan stopped fighting for the Republic. Where was she? What was she doing? Was this part of a greater plot by the Republic? What were they planning? And when Satele did return, he may well have wondered what she had been up to. But no matter; she had returned. Marr had to be ready.

There’s no obvious indication in the game as to when Marr figures out Satele and Theron are mother and son. He makes no comment to indicate that he knew before Rishi. Based on Marr’s dialogue in game on the Imperial side, he heavily suggests that he knows who Theron is by the time Iven, the former commandant of the Imperial Guard, is taken into custody and it’s time to interrogate him. Satele objects to Marr’s plans to torture Iven. “And what do you think your agent has done in the Republic’s name?” is Marr’s response.

The delivery of ‘your agent’ is indicative that Marr knows.

Theron himself stated at the end of the Imp side romance that if he was indeed recruited by the player to join the Empire, people would be suspicious that he’d be working for his mother. That would have to include Darth Marr.

Personally, I would guess that the after-action reports from Lana and Theron would have some clues for Marr. However, once Theron had healed up from the Rishi events, Marr may well have taken one look at Theron standing next to Satele, and then had an epiphany so immense it gave him a headache that Lana felt across the compound. There’s the answer. That’s why she disappeared for almost two years, twenty-nine years ago. Theron Shan.

(According to Jace in Annihilation, Theron has some similar features to his mother. He doesn’t specify which ones.)

The Lie of Omission

A lie of omission is permitting an inaccuracy or a falsehood to continue to circulate without correction, even though the person knows the truth. (In contrast, a lie of commission is when you actively make something up or contribute to the lie -- you commit the act lying.) Marr signals he knows who Theron is by the time Iven is retrieved from the Imperial Guard training facility on Yavin, but he never says the name Theron Shan out loud. It’s simply “the agent” “your agent” or “Theron.” But not Agent Shan.

The use of “Theron” in the Pubside story is most eyebrow-raising.

Marr calls people by their titles. Marr always keeps professional distance. Underlings are uniformly referred to by their titles. Lana doesn’t like titles, so Marr doesn’t refer to her as Lord Beniko or Darth whatever; it’s just Beniko.

Calling someone by their first name is highly irregular. He does not refer to Satele as such until 6.2 (and that might be the Socratic Problem of Marr in the player’s memory rather than the real Marr). It’s always Grand Master or Grand Master Shan. In a unique instance in the game, Marr calls Theron by his given name when he finds the Imperial Guard’s buildings in ruins during the Pubside story: “But given the destruction Theron describes, it’s mostly likely a distress call.” This is before the Pub operative annoys Marr by going to the Imperial Guard facility by themselves; it’s not said in anger or in irritation. It’s said under ‘normal’ circumstances (if circumstances on Yavin are normal at all).

But why? Why not “Agent Shan”? That would differentiate him from Grand Master Shan. Just referring to the pair as Grand Master and Agent would work too; how many Grand Masters and SIS Agents are running around on Yavin 4? Why is Marr avoiding attention to the man’s last name?

And why doesn’t Marr hop on this and use it to the Empire’s advantage?

Pragmatism and Prioritization

Marr is not a Jedi. Marr doesn’t do things for the greater good. He does things for the Sith Empire and for the people of the Sith Empire. Offing Theron Shan? Definitely on the agenda. So is killing Satele, eventually.

But not now. Not on Yavin 4.

Marr is probably the person closest to knowing what Revan is going to try to do in order to make the Emperor take physical form again so he can kill him. It’s going to involve a lot of dead people. That can easily happen; up until this tiny fragile cease fire between Marr and Satele, the Empire and the Republic have been engaged in a hot war. When they first make camp on Yavin, there is a real possibility they’ll frag each other regularly. This is why players have to do daily quests, in theory -- to build good will between the factions.

My partner is a military nerd and a Star Wars nerd. He watched both version of the Battle of Rishi. His conclusion: based on the ships we see, Marr had more than twice the number of troops that Satele did (I put the numbers in my Yavin 4 fic). The Imperial troops, at Marr’s word, probably could wipe out the Republic forces on Yavin 4, pack up, and head back to Dromund Kaas in time for tea.

But they won’t. Marr wouldn’t permit it.

He knows how dangerous the Emperor is, and if he does let his troops kill the Pubs, they feed him. There also appears to be some sort of weird mystical thing going on with Revan’s bloodline. Revan knew highly personal information about Theron (and Theron says so when the player opens the temple later on); somehow, Theron was able to use that connection to get Revan to give up Yavin 4 and secure an invite there at the end of the Rishi op.

Marr knows about this. Marr doesn’t know what Revan would do if Marr did kill Theron or Satele, plus there’s the more predictable possibility that the Republic would respond to the death of Satele Shan thanks to the Jedi feeling it through the Force. Chancellor Saresh would not let that opportunity pass by, even if it did feed the Emperor; we saw that at Ziost.

Grand Master Shan is a public figure. Her name and her power is obvious to everyone in the Yavin camp. Theron, however, is everything his mother is not. He is a spy. His face is not known to the general public. His work is secret, his exact abilities unknown.

Sure, the last name is common enough....

But Theron and Satele have never worked together before. They’ve never operated in such close proximity before. Yavin 4 would be the first time all the pieces could fall into place to someone observant. Marr is many things, but one of the things he really gets annoyed about in regard to the Sith is their arrogance. They get such fat heads that they can’t see obvious danger or they overlook aliens and non-Force Sensitives to their own detriment.

Marr isn’t arrogant.

He doesn’t think he’s the only one who can see a family similarity or sense some connection between them. Saying someone’s name is a powerful thing; we get upset when someone screws up our name. It’s how our attention is attracted. Shared last names of interesting people attract attention. Attention leads to distraction away from the primary goal of stopping Revan and the Emperor.

That’s something Marr doesn’t want to deal with right now. Revan and Emperor now. The Shans later. He avoids referring to Theron as “Shan” so as to reduce any chance that some young Sith will attempt to make their bones killing Theron, since that would spell doom for the Empire, whether through Revan’s anger or the Republic’s revenge. It would also help empower the Sith Emperor to retake physical form, which is the last thing Marr wants him to do.

Exposing the Grand Master as having a secret son would remove an ally from the field for Marr; Marr doesn’t want to destroy his assets before he’s used them to their full ability. There’s no point in burning Satele Shan on Yavin 4 before Revan is dealt with.

...And Marr respects her. It’s a cheap way to win against a rival he knows to be his equal.

Marr wants to end Revan and the Emperor now, in that order, to defend the people of the Empire. He’ll worry about the Shans later. Marr will let Theron’s last name be overlooked and unmentioned, if only because it makes his job as Defender of the Empire less complicated for a few months.

Thanks again to @swtorpadawan and also @inyri @shabre-legacy @theniveanlegacy for discussing the original post about Satele and Theron and making me think about this.

Headcanon Postface:

This last bit is purely my headcanon ideas about Marr, so you can leave here if you so desire. I’m placing them here rather than making a separate post and having to link back to this one.

As I’ve described previously, we have the finished product of Darth Marr, with none of the personal insight that was provided for Satele Shan. Who’s under the mask? Nobody knows, really. His first comic book adventure takes place in 3678, when he’s about 24 years old. There’s nothing about his life beforehand that would let the player wonder how his past life affected his current decisions. Marr ultimately would do the best he could for the Empire, regardless, but knowing if he ever hesitated, ever had second thought, had a regret -- that would make him mortal.

And Marr is an icon, not a man, in the grander SWTOR universe, per the writers. That’s the point driven home to the player. So that leaves it to fan fic to take off the mask or not.

In “The Planter of Trees and Other Tales from Yavin 4,” Marr comes to this conclusion about the Shans’ relationship after observing two Shan chins. He then alludes to understanding Satele’s decision to conceal Theron’s existence.

After Marr had gained his seat on the Dark Council (late 3680s, early 3670s), a lot of Sith families wanted him to add to their prestige. The man needed a legacy; he needed heirs. Marr had already set himself on his path, however; he understood that it was better to be an icon. If Marr was a normal man, he would be weakened by family connections, love, protectiveness, concern for his personal future. Instead, Marr’s devotion to the Empire was unmatched and pure. In the public’s eye, he was the great defender. He was the perfect Sith.

Marr never did have a public wife or a political marriage. His private life -- better secured than Imperial state secrets -- produced a daughter that did not inherit her talents from her Force-Using parent. Marr had been relieved that his daughter was not like him. It meant she would never be pressured to come into public life. It meant she was free of the burden of his legacy.

Lately, I’ve considered that, regardless of having access to the Force or not, a child of Marr was always in danger of becoming a pawn. She was something Marr’s enemies could use against him, if they ever found out about her; being Force-Null simply meant that others could not detect her as easily. That may have also have been a concern of Satele in regard to Theron, especially as she rose through the ranks of the Jedi Order. As soon as Marr could let his daughter fly away from Dromund Kaas, he did. She was free.

She died shortly before the Sack of Coruscant. Marr did not go to her. The Empire had to matter more. That doesn’t mean he didn’t love her. He just never could prioritize her over the Empire.

In my fic universe, Marr understands Satele’s choices. He can keep his mouth shut. For now.

Theron is far more dangerous to the rival faction than Marr’s daughter ever was, however; he is an active player in the war, while she... just got caught in the middle, in the end....

Revan and Emperor now. Shans later.

#swtor #shadow of revan #darth marr #satele shan #revan #theron shan #lana beniko #swtor fan fiction #headcanon #pragmatic sith

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anwynb2003 · 3 years

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Um... I think I made a BatFam AU while half-asleep...

Ok so, I wake up, and it seems last night I wrote out a messy explanation of a story that I just might have to write now... but I've read literally one Batman comic (Death in the Family), and all my knowledge comes from either YouTube, Wikis, and stories on AO3...

Hyperfixation is fun, isn't it?

Anyway, here's a copy-paste of what I wrote in my half-asleep state at around 2:00 last night (note, the doc itself is simply titled "C'mon. You Know."):

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Tireeeeed let’s do this

Okay so

AU: No superheroes. Bruce Wayne is just a rich dude who starts taking in orphans because reasons.

First up was Dick Grayson, who he adopted when he was 9.

7 years later, he added 13-year-old Jason Todd.

3 years later, 12-year-old Tim Drake.

2 years later, 14-year-old Cassie Cain.

And finally, 2 years after that, he learned of and gained custody of his only biological son: 10-year-old Damian Wayne.

Only a year after Damian joined the family though, Brucie boy died, presumably in a “tragic accident”, but it’s quickly revealed that someone’s altered his will, leaving his kids with none of the family’s fortune; not even their home.

Dick, who’d moved out a few years ago, now has custody of his 3 youngest siblings, and only a small, 2-bedroom house in Blüdhaven to care for them in.

Jason, who for a variety of reasons had run away at 15, and had stayed away for the most part, reluctantly agrees to move in Full House style to help Dick, while all the siblings work with their ex-butler/grandfather figure Alfred, and family-friends Jim and Babs Gordon to figure out the mystery of their father’s death and will.

Tensions run high, Dick’s having a breakdown, Jay’s struggling to Dad (verb), Tim’s gay and spiralling, Cass struggles with speech, and Dami’s emotionally stunted. Yay!

So we got:

Dick, 24-year-old officer of the BPD. Adopted at 9 years old after losing his parents in a circus act gone wrong, Dick stayed with Bruce until he was 18, when after a heated argument he left for college. He made up with his father over the next couple years and stayed in contact, often visiting him and his siblings.

Jason, 21-year-old, works part-time at a gym in Crime Alley, Gotham City. Adopted when he was 13, after several years of living on the streets after his step-mother’s death by overdose and his father’s “peace out” moment. Discovered the identity of his birth-mother, ran away to go find her because teen angst and increasing fights with Bruce, then she was found dead a week later (her ex was charged and found guilty) and while Jay couldn’t be found, much of the blood at the crime scene was his. Then, randomly, he contacted his family again 4 years later, at 19. Didn’t move back in, and things were quite tense between him and Bruce, but still hung out with his siblings outside the home (though he was angry at Tim at first, for being adopted less than a year after his “death” and "replacing" him).

Tim, 17-year-old honours student. Adopted when he was 12, but actually started hanging around the house a little before that, as Dick was tutoring him after school. This helped both Dick, and Bruce to discover how neglectful and emotionally abusive his parents were, and Bruce literally had to sue for custody for this kid. He won.

Cassie, another 17-year-old. Adopted at 14, she’d been on the streets much like Jason had, but of her own volition… to a point. She was scarred after seeing her father do… something, when she was only 8 years old (she’s repressed so hard that even she doesn’t remember exactly what), and so ran away. This thing traumatized her so much that she lost her ability to speak for years, and has only just started learning to talk again. Instead, she usually uses ASL.

And Damian, an 11-year-old ball of politeness, good manners, and pure, unadulterated rage. He was born nine-months after his mother date-raped his father, and was raised in quite an… odd way, by said mother and her father. Long and short of it: crime family, but not a close one. He rarely if ever actually saw his mother, and when he did she wasn’t overly affectionate. He spent most of his early days being groomed to be his grandfather’s heir, only for their entire organization to be captured by police when he was 10. It was now when the emotionally stunted, spoiled brat was put into his father’s custody.

Main issues:

-Dickie boy stressed ooooooouut, gotta be a breadwinner and keep his siblings together and safe

-Jaybird technically never made up with Bruce; they’d actually made plans to get together and talk things out, but then, y’know, death

-Timmy, poor thing, is balancing school, work at Wayne Enterprises, and investigating the case of his father’s death, and has seemingly forgotten what sleep is. Adding on the fact that Bruce being dead means his (granted, chosen) role as heir to the company seems much more real (even despite the fake will, he's confident he'll figure it out and find the real one), he’s not doing all that great

-Cassie, sweetheart, has been emotionally traumatized for years, and now just has more trauma to add to that with Bruce being dead. She’s getting better, but struggling

-Dami, baby bird, is filled with more rage than usual, and is endlessly worried about all the animals in his “zoo”; Alfred remains at the manor (though he has not met his new employer), for the sole purpose of making sure they stay fed, watered, bathed, and more or less cared for.

So, to sum up, Dick’s working to support them and trying his best, Jay’s Dad-ing while Dick’s at work since his hours are more flexible, Tim hasn’t slept in years, Cass needs therapy and hugs, and Damian has a growing army of stuffed animals to fill the gaping hole in his life where his zoo used to be (since he could only bring Titus and Alfred the Cat with him to Bludhaven).

Will they be able to figure out who had their father killed and get their family legacy back?

Hell if I know, I haven’t written it yet. Probably. Get off my back.

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So, long story short, I seem to have issues, but this is happening now apparently.

Not right now though, Ima go play Minecraft.

#batfam #batfam au #au #no heroes au #bruce wayne #dick grayson #jason todd #tim drake #cassandra cain #damian wayne #alfred pennyworth #bat bros #kill me #why do i do these things #hyperfixation #i'm hyperfixating #can you tell?#ok ima go play minecraft now #bye

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true-blue-megamind · 3 years

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FAN THEORY THURSDAY: Megamind’s Connections Beyond the Film

Before we get started, it’s time for the obligatory SPOILER WARNING!

In case this hasn’t been made sufficiently obvious by the fact that this is a post about Megamind written in a fan theory series about Megamind and published on a blog dedicated solely to Megamind, please let me just assure that this article is, in fact, about Megamind.

If you haven’t seen the film yet yet, I have to question why you’re reading this in the first place. As well as your taste in animated movies. I’m definitely questioning that.

Over the years I’ve heard several fan theories concerning connections between the film Megamind and various other forms of media. Today, let’s delve into just a few.

The first one is so obvious it’s almost painful, but it has to be mentioned. Megamind is a Superman spoof. Metro Man is clearly based on the Man of Steel himself, with a hefty dose of Elvis Presley and a larger range of character flaws thrown in for good measure. (He also seems to contain quite a lot of the Popular Jock archetype.) The character of Megamind is more complex still, combining elements of Alice Cooper and a nineties Goth theater kid with several comic book supervillains. The best known of the last include alien genius Brainiac and mad inventor Lexx Luthor, but they aren’t the only ones. Some of Megamind’s engineering and technological inventions call to mind Spiderman villain Doctor Octopus even more than Lexx Luthor, and he also shares some parallels with the mad inventor Dr. Sivana in the SHAZAM comics.

Megamind’s most notable of the latter is the similarity of attitudes toward society. Both Megamind and Dr. Sivana started off trying to use their inventions for good—the first in the classroom and the second for the betterment of mankind—but both became bitter when people mocked and shunned them. For Dr. Sivana, this led to a desire to conquer all of Earth while for Megamind, in a sort of microcosm, it led to a similar drive to take over Metro City. Both Lexx Luthor and Dr. Sivana have, perhaps, the strongest connections to Megamind as share, deep down, a desire to help or protect mankind, and as Lexx Luthor, like Megamind, harbors a secret love for the reporter damsel in their respective stories. (This desire to do good, especially in the face of corrupt officials, ties into another Megamind fan theory that I will likely discuss in more detail in a later post.)

The connection between Megamind and Alice Cooper, by the way, was extremely intentional. The creators stated in an interview that, like Alice Cooper, Megamind’s dark, evil self is, in fact, a stage persona. (Even their clothing, consisting largely of black leather and spikes, is similar.) That fact is illustrated in the film as we can see that Megamind’s behaviors on- and off-camera tend to be vastly different. Even as a villain, he is merely playing a role, although in the case of Megamind that role has begun to merge with his self-identity.

There are, however, hints within the world of DreamWorks that Megamind has other connections as well. The first is fairly recent and intensely interesting. In the Rise of the Guardians, Jamie Bennett, a young boy who still steadfastly believes in the seemingly impossible, mentions “aliens in Michigan,” only to be scoffed at by his friends. Because Metro City is located in Michigan, (as can be seen briefly when the Death Ray is fired from space,) many fans theorize that the “aliens in Michigan” are none other than Megamind, Minion, and, perhaps, Metro Man.

This would indicate that the two stories take place in the same world, and that Megamind’s adventures, while well-known in Metro City itself, have been covered up and kept secret from the rest of the world. (Imagine moving to a moderately-sized city only to discover that—surprise!—there’s an extraterrestrial supervillain in residence and, oh, by the way, if you live downtown homeowners’ insurance is ridiculous!)

The second inter-film connection is less clear, but has spawned some interesting fan theories as well. The idea is that, like Rise of the Guardians, Monsters VS. Aliens also takes place in the same reality as Megamind. It’s not too far fetched—after all, both films involve extraterrestrials and amazing inventions—but there is one specific theory that really ties the two together. Consider this for a moment: Megamind is a blue alien with incredible intelligence who hails from a destroyed planet. Does that sound like any other DreamWorks character you know? If you’ve seen Monster VS. Aliens, the antagonist, Gallaxhar, probably springs to mind.

According to Fandom.com, Gallaxhar’s official backstory is that he “destroyed his home planet” for the implied reason that “he experienced bad childhood and unhappy marriage.” The fan theory is that that Gallaxhar’s planet was, in fact, Megamind’s home world, and that the former created or harnessed the black hole which destroyed it. This would explain why Megamind’s people—as well as Metro Man’s—didn’t have time to escape despite being space-faring. You see, black holes take millions of years to develop, and even a rogue black hole would take about a million to shift and swallow an entire solar system, so if the event had occurred naturally, there should have been plenty of time to build an entire fleet of spacecraft and leave for Earth or another safe planet. (The fact that Megamind’s parents set his escape pod’s navigation system for Earth indicates that they knew of its existence.)

Of course, despite their large heads and blue skin tones, there are quite a few physical differences between Megamind and Gallaxhar. The first is humanoid while the second has four eyes and tentacles instead of legs. Fan theories have explanations for that, too, however.

There appear to be two schools of thought on the subject. The first is that Gallaxhar was another breed of alien living on the planet, possibly a servile race different from Minions, and the second is that part of Gallaxhar’s “bad childhood” involved being experimented upon, thus giving him his bizarre appearance and his seeming obsession with experimenting on others. (There is some disagreement in the Megamind fandom about exactly why Gallaxhar was subjected to such treatment, ranging from falling into the hands of an unscrupulous scientist to being part of an experimental medical program. The latter fan theory suggests that Gallaxhar was both blind and paraplegic, and that his additional eyes and tentacle “legs” were meant to rectify that, but that those physical differences made him an outsider, thus leading to his unhappy life and ultimate hatred for his own planet.)

If that were true, many may wonder what, exactly, Megamind might do if he ever found out about Gallaxhar. Well, good news! Just like there’s an app for everything, there’s a fan theory for that, too! I will warn you, however, that this one is, frankly, build upon pretty thin evidence. However, it’s interesting enough to be worth relating.

There is a character in Monsters VS. Aliens named General Warren R. Monger who, on the surface, is exactly what he appears to be: a high-ranking military man. However, there are a few things that fans point to as possible evidence that Monger isn’t what he seems.

The first is so simple that, alone, it would be inconsequential. Monger rose through the ranks uncommonly fast, so much so that it caused some comment among others. The second is significantly odder; Monger claims to be ninety years old despite looking like he is in his late forties. Now, of course, this may have simply been the character exaggerating or messing with the “monsters” under his care, but some fans say it’s more than that, and claim that Monger chose that age because he was unfamiliar with human lifespans. Next there is the fact that Monger is so intelligent that, despite one of the beings in his containment facility. Doctor Cockroach, being a super-genius, Monger outwits every escape attempt the monsters can make. Then, of course, there is the fact that, despite his brusque manner, Monger seems to actually sympathize with the inhuman people he is charged with containing, and even pushes for them to be given a chance to prove themselves. There is the oddity that, although he is assigned to the secret military base at “Area Fifty-Something,” Monger seems to disappear a lot, often for days at a time. Finally, there are a few key physical and technological attributes: Monger has some odd and incredibly energetic facial expression—including a nearly maniacal smile and a dark scowl—as well as a jet pack that he appears to have constructed himself and green eyes.

I’m still not certain I see the resemblance, but maybe there are some similarities? What do you think?

If you’re familiar with Metro City’s resident blue alien, you can probably see where this is going. Although it’s not a popular theory, I’ve heard it suggested in the Megamind fandom that Monger is, in fact, Megamind disguised using his holowatch. (This is why the green eyes are significant; Megamind’s eye color is the only aspect of his appearance that the holowatch doesn’t change. However, I feel compelled to note that the shade of green appears to be different.) Fans insist that it would have been easy for someone as incredibly brilliant as Megamind to hack government systems and forge documents such as birth certificates thoroughly enough to dupe even U.S. Military Intelligence. The two jet packs, some have contested, look different either because of the disguise or because the one featured in Monster VS. Aliens is an older model. I’ve even seen the fact that both Megamind and Monger begin with M being pointed to as possible evidence that the latter is no more than an invention of the former.

The argument is as follows: as Monsters VS. Aliens takes place in 2009, one year before events in Megamind, it’s possible that Megamind, still being a villain, created an alter-ego which he could use to help him search for and deal with other alien life. (He is shown to be painfully lonely, and the Megamind comics reveal his desperate desire to find other survivors from his home planet.) Upon figuring out who Gallaxhar was, and more importantly what he had done, Megamind wanted to be part of taking him down. But he couldn’t be too open about it; he was, after all, still a “Bad Guy.” This theory explains Monger’s frequent long absences—during those time Megamind was back in Metro City taking care of his regular business— as well as why Monger had a secret soft spot for the “monsters.” Megamind, having always been treated like a monster himself, would naturally want to give them a chance, but wouldn’t dare behave in too overtly friendly a manner as it would have aroused suspicion.

As I said, support for that particular theory is, perhaps, a little thin, especially given the fact the Monsters VS. Aliens preceded Megamind, so character designs from the former are unlikely to have been influenced by the latter. Nonetheless, I admit to appreciating the complexity and creativity of it. It’s an undeniably fun theory. If they haven’t already, maybe someone will write a fan fiction about it one day.

Those are only a few of the theories out there connecting Megamind with other fandoms. One could go on and on about the subject, but I won’t torture readers by doing that. Nonetheless, it illustrates once again the immense love and original thought that Megamind fans put into developing their theories! I dare say that few other animated movies have earned a following so dedicated and inventive… But, then, any of us who love the film Megamind will tell you that it has more than earned the consideration!

#Megamind #Megamind fan theory #Megamind movie #Megamind fan theories #comic books #comic book #superheroes #supervillain #DreamWorks #DWA #Monsters vs Aliens #Rise of the Guardians #Rise Guardians #Monsters #Aliens

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eydi-andrius · 3 years

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Till Death Do Us Part - Basilio x Reader | Trese

SPOILER WARNING: This story was heavily influenced by the new chapters of Trese comics. I was supposed to write a Crispin x Demi Goddess reader today but was so heartbroken by what I read and decided to do Basilio instead. I love Basilio and his jokes y’all! T_T

Warning: angst, character death, fluff, happy ending? :P

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You walk with a heavy heart along the shores of the underworld. Your eyes were puffy from crying the whole day. And were glazed from the unshed tears you tried so hard not to let go.

You can’t cry. Not here. You need to be strong and ask the ferrywoman of the underworld, Magwayen, to let you see the soul of Basilio that was temporarily on her majestic balangay.

You closed your eyes and took a deep breath.

The painful memories came flooding back again. And a tear fell down your right cheek.

It happened yesterday. During their mission, Basilio was stabbed by a cursed kris.

It’s nothing unusual, of course.

He can’t be killed. He was a demi-god. The son of Talagbusao, the War God, who will keep coming back as long as there is a battle to fight.

However, the stabbed wound he got was not usual. The kris was filled with an everflame curse which couldn't be extinguished unless the body inflicted dies.

So for the whole day, you have witnessed Basilio being revived and killed immediately by his brother Crispin to end his suffering.

Meanwhile, Alexandra researches for a cure to remove the curse in her father’s library.

It was torture. Not just for Basilio but for everyone inside the four corners of the room. The screams of agony coming out from him echoes and bounces to all of your ears.

Sometimes he will call out to his brother on how painful it was.

And sometimes he will yell out your name and thrash his head around looking for you.

You’re too worried to cry so you just stand there beside him and hold his skeletal hand when he finally seizes and dies.

That torturous cycle continued until Alexandra came out of the library with an item in her hand that temporarily put Basilio to his death.

When you have confirmed that he will not be revived and suffer again, that’s the only time you cried, hence, the puffy eyes and face from crying.

“I know why you’re here, Y/N. Youngest child of the Goddess of Dalikamata. The demi-goddess blessed with her eyes.”

Even though the figure in front of you has her back turned on you. You know she finds the reason why you’re here amusing. Her words were filled with amusement and smugness in which you expected already.

Magwayen wore a long black funeral gown and different ornaments and accessories for the dead. She has a heavy head dress adorned on her head made from silver, gold and precious stones.

“I know you do. He probably told you about it. Since there is no explanation to do anymore, I will now offer you my bargain in return that I can be with him until the Lakan and his brother find a cure to the curse inflicted on him.” I keep my face emotionless as much as I can.

Magwayen was known to be unpredictable and crude. If you show any emotions, she will play with you until you give up. Being a ferrywoman of the dead, many have tried to bargain with her to bring back their loved ones but only a little percent can successfully convince her.

“Hmmmm? Do you think that because you’re a child of a goddess I will just agree to your request? Oh poor child. That’s not how life works.” The goddess fully turned her face in my direction with a smirk on her lips.

“I will lend you my eyes until he gets back and is cured.” I firmly said and looked directly into her eyes.

Silence filled the place. Only the whisper of the waves and singsong of the wind can be heard.

The ferrywoman titled her head and started laughing.

“Oh! Baliw na bata (Crazy Child)! You do know how to bargain real well! But do you know what your mother would do to you if she found out that you gave up your eyes which can see everything for a man!?”

“I know you care about your children. I will give you my eyes temporarily so you can watch over them.” Instead of answering her question, I just convinced her to take my offer more.

She was known to be a great mother. To the point that she begged my mother once to give her access to her eyes just so she can watch over her remaining children after the death of Lidagat due to heartbreak.

Magwayen smiled at me and sighed. She came closer and caressed my face. Her hands were soft and motherly, it made me want to cry but I resisted the urge to bawl in front of her.

“You children becomes stupid when you fall in love.” She looked at me sadly and continued.

“I will take your offer not because I agree to your reckless decision but because I can never witness another death due to heartbreak.”

After she said that, her balangay with no ferryman came forward.

And from there, I saw him waving his hand in my direction. His long slick black hair flutters from the wind and he is smiling widely. His usual beaten up black suit looks crisper than ever.

“Basilio!” I yelled and didn't hesitate to run forward and jump at him with a hug when he came down from the boat.

“Ooooof! Aray naman! Do you miss me that much?” He laughed but immediately squeezed me back.

“Dakilang Laon! Salamat at maayos ka! (Thank God! You’re okay)” I cupped his face and looked at his eyes.

When I saw his unworried eyes and usual careless demeanor, I couldn't help but frown and smack his head.

“I hope this will be the last time for you and your brother’s careless battle frenzy! Do you know how worried I was? I almost died thinking you will never come back to-”

I didn’t get a chance to finish my rants when I felt his soft lips touch my own. At first it was light and sweet until it turned hungry and passionate. All of our worries, pain and grief have been poured out to that kiss.

When he pulled out from the kiss, he placed his forehead on mine and looked me in the eye lovingly.

“It’s okay now, my love. My brother and bossing will surely find the cure. Hush now okay?” He flashed his beautiful boyish smile and wiped the tears that I didn’t know run down on my cheeks. I nodded and placed my head on his chest. The warmth I used to feel is not here yet but I know, soon, I will feel it again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Time seems so slow here so we made sure to enjoy every waking moment when both of us were together.

We know this seems careless but we trust Alexandra and Crispin to find a cure. We know they can find it.

So we play, sing and dance together.

Also, talked about things we find amusing, curious and stupid.

Then shared stories and facts about ourselves we haven’t told each other yet.

Sometimes we make love, stare at each other or cuddle and just enjoy watching the calm waves of the black underworld ocean.

Until one day, while resting my head on his chest, I felt it. The warmth. Basilio also felt it.

I stood up and gaped at the white light coming through his chest. I can’t help but cry and laugh at the same time because finally they found it! He can come back on the other side.

He hugged me tight and kissed me. We smiled through our connected lips and rested our foreheads together.

Then he looked me in the eye and cupped my face.

“I’ll see you on the other side again, my love.” I nodded and watched his soul disperse to a thousand lights and disappear.

“I’ll see you there.” I smiled.

#trese imagines #basilio trese #basilio x reader #trese basilio #trese drabbles #trese one shots #trese x reader #fluff #angst #happy ending #trese netflix #trese spoilers #spoilers #trese 2021 #alex trese #trese komiks #trese anime #part 8 trese #basilio

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majorsoapfan · 3 years

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The Umbrella Academy Season 3 Episode Titles Analysis

Now that the episode titles for season 3 have dropped, I’ve spent the last few days wondering and theorizing just what they could mean. Most of what I’ve gotten so far rests on symbolism, headcanons, potential theories and a lot of googling, but we all need some way of staying sane until season three drops, right?

Now this is just what I’ve come up with so far, I could be massively wrong in all of these, but these are just my predictions based on what I know of the characters and plot so far, previous ways of naming episodes and the very little I know of the comics.

Meet The Family

Now this one is very self-explanatory and we’ll most likely get to know our birdies very well in this episode. We’ll probably be seeing a flashback to the Sparrows as children fighting crime - maybe already being better at it than their Umbrella counterparts were when they first started.

I’m hoping that we’’ll see another montage of introducing the siblings as adults like we saw in season one with our Umbrellas - which had been so helpful to me at the time as I had started watching the show about a week before season two dropped. I had known absolutely nothing about the show when I started, I had only clicked on it because Robert Sheeran was in the card as Klaus with his pink umbrella and I thought he was pretty. I became a massive fan all because I had thought Robert was pretty and I was bored.

So yeah, I loved the initial introduction montage of the siblings as it helped me figure out who was who quickly without wasting time. And I think that doing something similar for the Sparrows will also help give a better and quicker insight into their personalities and how they work when we see them in episode one.

The World’s Biggest Ball of Twine

If you google ‘ball of twine’ it does mention that this is an archetype for an odd roadside attraction. Now if we’re going literal here, there are plenty of such attractions in the States, including one of just this in Texas, where our dysfunctional family had been last season. Maybe an indication of a road trip or even them fleeing the Sparrows and New York in order to regroup and figure out their next step without the birds circling in?

Ball of twine can also mean wrapping really strongly around something, especially as the material mentioned is usually very strong and durable. A ball of wool isn’t the episode title after all. Now this could mean maybe a family or an emotional issue that is massively at play here. Or more likely, the Umbrella’s and more specifically Five, are trying to figure out their exact steps and actions in the 60′s and just how badly they changed the past and future, both in the general sense of the world and for their own personal lives.

Ball of Twine can also mean wrapping around something tightly, so maybe a trap is being put in place or enacted. Either for the Umbrellas by the Sparrows, or the Umbrellas are trying to lure their counterparts into a trap to regain the upper hand.

Pocket Full of Lightning

Now the first thing that comes to mind when I think of this title is something like this being described or mentioned regarding a character and their abilities. Now the characters that come to mind immediately when referenced to this are either Vanya or Christopher. Or maybe it may have something to do with a team-up, more than likely the Sparrows and what can happen when they team-up and combine their powers.

But lightning also has a lot of symbolism in many different societies and periods and in all honesty, I feel like I have to mention this. Symbolism includes but isn’t limited to: illumination, destruction, punishment, inspiration and revelations. Lightning is also highly associated with the King of the Greek Gods Zeus. Maybe Marcus or Reginald?

Marcus is after all described as a natural leader after all, gaining perhaps a Zeus like image in the public eye?

Whereas Reginald on the other hand would definitely see himself as being as King and acts like it at times, using his children as his soldiers to advance his agendas. Zeus isn’t a very kind or forgiving God either so unlike Marcus maybe this has something to do with the Hargreeves patriarch?

Kugeblitz

Thank you Tumblr for having already given me the definition for this episode title when I had first found out the episode titles so I know that it means a black hole formed from radiation.

Luther and Five when I think of this title in terms of its definition a kugeblitz has me thinking of both space and science, as both topics are highly associated with these characters. Black holes have ties to space which Five who’s powers are teleportation and Luther who spent four years up in space both have ties to a title like this.

But of course we can’t forget the actual alien in the family Reginald Hargreeves. A black hole could be a reference as to what happened to his original planet, or maybe signalling a potential threat later on in the season. Will it cause another apocalypse or a warning for an alien invasion perhaps?

But it also might have links to a well known Umbrella Academy villain, Dr Terminal. I haven’t read the comics so I will admit to a lack of knowledge on this villain although I will Google him later. But as the season will be focusing on the Sparrow Academy and potentially any previous villains, Dr Terminal seems to be the most well known in the fandom and thus the most likely to make an appearance, whether in flashbacks or in person. A few people here seem convinced that this episode title will have something to do with him in some form.

Kindest Cut

When I think of this episode title, my first thought goes of course, to Diego. People can often get cut with knives and they are of course Diego’s preferred weapon of choice.

Maybe however they are referring to another powered sibling and what harm their abilities can cause. Top contenders after Diego of course, are Vanya whose power we know can cut after seeing what she did to Allison at the end of ‘The Day that Was’ in a moment of anger.

But if we go with the Sparrows then Alphonso is at the top of my list. His character sheet is mentioned as him bearing the scars from his years of crime-fighting. His power is assumed to be the voodoo from the comics and if he can transfer the injuries he obtains or inflicts on himself to others, this may be what this title means.

But, and this theory I think is the one that I’m most obsessed with right now, is that the episode title could be an adaptation of the saying ‘unkindest cut’. The definition for this is ‘a cruel or devastating injury or insult inflicted on you by a supposed friend’.

If we go by current timeline we’re in then my money is that Five may be joining the Sparrows either under duress or having worked out an agreement with Reginald that his siblings would be spared if he did. Only his family might not be aware of what Five has planned and agreed to and would only see the apparent betrayal of what they have all gone through together as a family. Of only seeing their brother join the team that probably want them dead.

But this betrayal may also be coming from the Sparrows and Sloane perhaps. Sloane is an inverse of Five in a sense in that while Five is driven by his desire to save his family, Sloane often feels like hers are holding her back from experiencing her dream of leaving. Maybe she betrays the Sparrows in some way by letting an opportunity to capture the Umbrellas flee or seeking them out as allies.

Marigold

According to what I can glean from the comics, marigold refers to the balls of light that eventually became the 43 super-powered children. So could we be getting an explanation as to how these supers came to be and why?

But like with episode three’s episode title, I can’t not mention the symbolism connected to this title. Marigolds often have conflicting symbolism today. In modern western society their bright colours often have them being associated with the sun and positive emotions and energy such as happiness, optimism and good luck. Not what I think the episode will be about.

But on the darker side of things, which is something that I do think has more ties into what to expect, is that they also refer to jealousy, grief, despair, mourning and cruelty. It is a flower associated with death and the Day of the Dead in Mexico and is said to offer protection from evil spirits. This connection with death is what I first thought of when I saw the episode title and the most obvious character associated with Death is none other than our ghost-boy Klaus Hargreeves.

Klaus as a character has a lot of ties to death naturally and I did see a post on here describing how Klaus will be entering the fourth stage of grief which is depression for both Ben and Dave during season three. This makes sense as they are now both gone in a way that not even his powers can reverse nor can he summon their spirits. Marigolds can often symbolize a despaired love and strong passion as well as well as pain and grief, so it could be a reference to Klaus’ depression over permanently losing both his closest brother and his love. But the main reason I do think that this episode does tie in heavily with Klaus is that it’s a mid season episode and so far that’s usually when Klaus undergoes most of his development. Maybe it’ll continue that way in season three.

Of course if Marigold will also represent a despaired love there are other options in the Umbrellas other than Klaus and Dave: Diego with both Eudora Patch (who is possibly still alive in this timeline) and Lila Pitts still bouncing around the timeline. Allison dealing with leaving her 60′s husband Raymond Chestnut and maybe trying to track down her ex Patrick to find out what happened to daughter Claire in this timeline and Vanya with love Sissy Cooper. Or maybe even Five and Dolores or possibly a love interest for Luther could be a reference to this title.

Explaining how the Umbrella and Sparrows came to be wouldn’t take the whole episode giving us time for some potential (doomed) love.

Auf Wierdershen

This is very likely to be a Klaus focused episode, even if Marigold isn’t.

The episode title is German for goodbye and Klaus is the character most associated with Germany. Klaus is the only character to have spoken German during the shows events so far and his name is of German origin (interestingly enough, all of the male Sparrows bar Ben, have their names tied to Germanic origin. Meanwhile, Fei’s name is of Chinese origin, Jayme has both Spanish and Hebrew roots, while Sloane is derived from an Irish surname Ó Sluaghhadáin). Not only that but it is considered fanon that Klaus was born in Germany just like Diego and Vanya’s roots are considered to be Mexico and Russia respectively.

Not only that but he literally has ‘goodbye’ tattooed on his hand.

‘Goodbye’ has many different interpretations for what this could mean especially if this is a Klaus centric episode like we are assuming. And like I mentionned above with Klaus going through the fourth stage of grief in season three, this might be the episode where he moves into the fifth and final stage: acceptance. Perhaps by having one last talk with Umbrella Ben in the afterlife or by trying to track down Dave after Vietnam and discovering he (seemingly - I do have hopes for Commission Dave later on) did live a long and happy life after the war.

Mending fences with Ben and both getting the chance to air their genuine grievances with one another and mend their relationship from the horrific state it was in at the end of season two might help Klaus find closure. Klaus and Ben both love each other but they crossed a lot of lines and hurt each other deeply with their behaviours last season and they deserved the chance to try and fix the issues as well as say a proper goodbye to one another. This could give Klaus the opportunity to say just that as well as moving into accepting Ben’s death once and for all.

And when it comes to Dave, maybe just knowing that Dave moved on can help Klaus move from depression into acceptance. He was more than fine with stopping Dave from enlisting in the army during season two even knowing that it would mean that Dave would never meet or fall in love with Klaus. He was willing to sacrifice his chance at love with Dave if it meant that Dave would survive. Perhaps if he knew that Dave had been happy and safe in his later life he could then move on and say goodbye?

And maybe by coming to terms with the departure of two of the biggest influences in his life, motivate Klaus to embrace a new outlook and control of his life and his powers?

Wedding At The End Of The World

This very clearly has ties to the very first episode of the show which is ‘We Only See Each Other At Weddings and Funerals’. Both have marriage and death connected in their titles. The characters that we know have been married so far out of our Hargreeves family so far is Reginald and Allison.

Reginald was married on his home planet when his wife died. Not a lot is known about her other than she was the original owner of Vanya’s violin in the original timeline. Maybe we’ll get information on her and just why Reginald left his home planet?

The next character married so far is Allison who so far has been married twice already (maybe they’re going three for three this time?). And judging by the episode title in season one, that event was the last time the Umbrella Hargreeves (bar Five) were all together as a family until they arrived for Reginald’s funeral. Maybe there’s a link there.

Or maybe this is referencing a whole other wedding that may be happening during the events of season three? I wouldn’t be surprised if Five reunites with Delores and decides just to get married to make it official. To paraphrase Klaus, it’s probably one of the healthiest relationships that family ever had regarding love.

Six Bells

Now this tile had me stumped for a good bit and it will probably make more sense when season three does drop and we watch the episodes, but for now I can just theories on it.

Bells have often been associated with religious services, which may tie in with the last episode, but can also be rung for important events or in deference of important people.

But what is really getting me is that the title is six bells and there are six Umbrellas left so far. Could the bells be in reference to something regarding them, some sort of trap perhaps? Which will definitely tie in in some way to the seasons finale:

Oblivion

Now like episode one this one seems fairly self-explanatory. This seems like Hotel Oblivion is finally coming into play here, meaning they are probably switching the order of stories from the comics. But the question is: if it is Hotel Oblivion, did the Umbrella’s enter the Hotel/prison out of free will or were they trapped here by the Sparrows? Anything goes at this point considering that it’s the last episode of the season.

But when it comes to the Hotel there are so many possibilities as to what happens here:

- Are all of the Umbrella’s trapped inside or did one escape and their other cell mate is a Sparrow perhaps (Sloane maybe for trying to leave the Sparrow Academy?)

- How will this set up the cliff-hanger for season four? Will all or some of the Umbrella Hargreeves be trapped in the hotel once the season ends and that helps set up the tension for the next season. Or maybe a break out of prisoners just like in the comics occurs and the Umbrella's are forced to deal with it?

-Where will this leave our Sparrows at the season end, because I know that we’re going to get attached (I know I will). Will some of them come with us into season four? Maybe they are split into two teams as the season ends, each containing a mixture of both Umbrella’s and Sparrows?

Well that’s all I have, maybe I’m right about some of it, maybe I’m all wrong, just need to wait until season three to find out.

#the umbrella academy #tua #luther hargreeves #diego hargreeves #allison hargreeves #klaus hargreeves #five hargreeves #ben hargreeves #vanya hargreeves #marcus hargreeves #fei hargreeves #alphonso hargreeves #sloane hargreeves #jayme hargreeves #christopher hargreeves #christopher the cube #reginald hargreeves #the sparrow academy

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barnibumblr · 3 years

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No Secrets Among Sisters

Pairing: Ina x Lillian

Summary: Following the incident in the bookstore, Ina confides in her sister about the nature of her relationship with Bea.

Warnings: Just fluff!

Word count: 2607

Tagging: @ikingsley @kaitlynliaofanxx @kwaj115 @sheepmomther-personal @swimmingshoebakerydreamer

***

Ina knocks at the door, muttering to herself nervously “breathe Kingsley, just breathe”. Almost immediately a familiar voice rings out from inside, “coming!”.

The door swings open and Lillian stands on the step, smiling from ear to ear at the sight of her older sister. “Ina! Come in already, I was starting to forget what you looked like”, she teased. “Sorry Lil, I have been rather... Preoccupied”. She scolded herself internally as she stepped inside, ‘preoccupied?! Is that really all you could come up with?’.

The truth was that Ina had been avoiding her sister since the night at the Speakeasy and subsequently, finding out Bea was her student. The evasion wasn’t ignored. “So where’ve you been for the last three weeks? I thought you may have eloped for some illicit affair?” her sister joked, waving her hands dramatically as she headed for the kitchen. For a split second Ina froze, her mouth hanging wide open, she only hoped that Lillian’s choice of scenario was coincidental. ‘WITCHCRAFT’ she thought, ‘it’s the only plausible explanation’. Thankfully Ina had managed to compose herself when Lillian turned her attention back to her, “well?” she laughed.

Ina was no good at keeping secrets, the pair were close enough that Lillian would see straight through her and she was certainly no liar. There was a moment’s pause as Ina contemplated how to respond, she was almost consumed by the awkward silence when the youngest of the Kingsley women bound in to the room, “Auntie Inaaaaa”. Charlotte came running through, jumping straight in to Ina’s arms. “Oh how i’ve I missed these hugs” Ina exclaimed, whilst Charlotte all but squeezed the life out of her.

“Let’s get a good look at you” Ina said as she pulled back from Charlotte, turning her full circle and back to face her. Charlotte giggled as she went round, rolling her eyes as she lands back in front of her aunt. “Yes, you’ve definitely grown some” Ina concluded, eyes crinkling at the corners with the first heartfelt smile she had offered since arriving.

“Auntie Ina, will you come see my Lego? I’ve just finished building the Millennium Falcon!”. Charlotte was hopping on the spot in excitement, she really did take after her aunt when it came to her love of Star Wars. “I do really need to speak to Mummy a little first…” Ina started as she spared a glance at Lillian (who by now had stopped busying herself to listen), her attention was brought back to Charlotte when her shoulders visibly and quite dramatically deflated. “I have a mini Chewie?” Charlotte added, in a bid to sweeten the deal. Ina hummed, that’s when the young girl realised she needed to play her final card. ‘Is she giving me puppy dog eyes’ Ina thought to herself, internally appraising the mini genius, ‘oh god she is! Smooth move kid’. “You make an interesting offer little Kingsley” she finally answered.

Ina didn’t make a habit of saying no to her niece, she often felt the need to compensate for their lack of family, it really was just the three of them. That didn’t stop her milking it for what it was worth though, Ina convinced herself she was helping keep that super brain on it’s toes. “Do you think you could go get it ready and wait for me?” she finally caved, offering her pinky in promise. Charlotte smugly accepted before skipping back out the room.

Lillian moved to the table, “I’m guessing by your tone that I should probably sit down for this?” she asked. Ina couldn’t quite meet her sister’s eyes as she pulled out a chair “yes, that’s probably best”. Lillian shook her head, laughing silently “I knew something was off the moment you came in. You may have a PHD Ina Kingsley, but you are a terrible liar”. Ina finally looked up, “I am under no false illusion when it comes to my skills in lying” she replied, hands up in surrender. “However I really did think I had mastered the art of deflection!” She challenged, her expression mocking offence. “Not with me you haven’t” Lillian replied, pressing her lips firmly together as she slowly shakes her head.

“I’ve met someone” Ina finally admitted, turning serious.

“Ina! That’s great news, we should be celebrating? Why aren’t you happy?” Lillian questioned, eyebrows knitted tightly together. “Oh, make no mistake Lil, I am” Ina was quick to dispel that notion, sitting forward in her seat. Her eyes dropped back down, fixed on her hands, she twiddled her fingers nervously as she considered her next words.

Lillian focused on her older sister intently, giving her the space to continue. There were only two occasions she recalled seeing Ina this anxious, the first was when she came out to their parents, the second was when she helped Lillian tell them about the pregnancy. Neither conversation ended well.

The minute that passed had felt like forever and finally Ina continued, “I’m just not particularly sure you are going to approve of my decisions”. Lillian frowned at her accusingly, “I swear to god Ina, if you are sleeping with a married woman, I will disown you. You know how I feel about that. How you of all people should feel about that”. There it was, the conclusion Ina knew her sister would be jumping to, ‘two feet as always!’ she thought, huffing at the idea. “No Lil. I’m not, and will never be, the other woman” Ina spat, as if the words themselves were poisonous.”What then? Ina you couldn’t even play hooky at school, what could possibly be so bad?”.

Her wild imagination didn’t stop there, Ina would have almost found it comical if the situation wasn’t so dire. The older woman knew she should probably just come out with it, but it was so interesting to see where Lillian’s mind went. ‘Wow… I am a terrible person, this is not the time for subject analysis!’ Ina admonished herself, but it really was a force of habit.

“Is she serving time? Drugs? OH MY GOD… Please tell me it’s not a he?!” Lillian pushed, whispering the last part. That was it, Ina couldn’t stop the snort that escaped her. “Lillian stop!” Ina’s eyes were wide at the absurdities being thrown her way, although at this point she wondered if they were better than the truth. “For the record, absolutely not – on the males species I mean. Some things simply cannot be undone” she affirmed, a flicker of a smirk fading as quickly as it arrived.

Ina closed her eyes as if bracing herself “I need you to let me finish though. If I don’t tell you now I’m not certain I ever will” she pleaded, opening her eyes. She exhaled slowly, trying to steady herself and regain some resemblance of her usual composure. “She’s my…” Ina paused, summoning whatever courage she could from within. “She’s my student”.

The silence that followed was deafening.

Ina searched her sister’s eyes for a moment, eyes she knew well, eyes that mirrored her own. When Lillian eventually spoke, her voice was soft. “Oh Ina” she sighed.

The room was quiet, bar the ticking of the clock. Ina shifted uncomfortably in her seat, not really sure whether she should speak next or just leave whilst Lilian cradled her head in her hands. “Please say something” Ina breathed, “anything?”.

Lillian moved to prop her face on one hand before replying, “I don’t quite know what I expected, but it wasn’t that. This isn’t like you Ina?” she reflected, the disbelief evident on her features. “I know” Ina mumbled as she went back to toying with her thumbs. Another agonising pause left Ina rubbing her hand over her face, it was only then that Lillian noticed how tired she looked. In fact, this was a look normally reserved for a stressed Ina, the same Ina who wouldn’t have slept in three nights just to meet a deadline.

“Please don’t think for one minute, that I’m not already punishing myself for allowing it to get this far” Ina said as she met her sister’s gaze. “I know it’s inappropriate. Trust me when I say, I’ve tried to distance myself from her”.

“Clearly not enough!” Lillian immediately retorted. Ina winced. As much as it stung, she also knew it was true.

As difficult as she found the conversation, Lillian wasn’t about to let Ina off lightly. “Have you had sex with her?”. The question hung in the air.

“Yes” Ina simply replied, earning a groan from Lillian, who was now massaging her temples. “That was before discovering she was my student though” Ina quickly added, “not that it makes much difference at this point”. It was clear she had been berating herself enough, so Lillian eased off. “How?” Came her next question, much softer than before.

Ina leaned back her in her chair, relaxing only a little by the change of tone. “I was having a drink at that little speakeasy, when this young woman approached the bar. We only spoke briefly at first, whilst she was being served, but she was different. She had this air about her, she was just… Completely captivating!”. Lillian watched her sister smile fondly at the memory.

“Dare I say, I was devastated when she returned to her table. I was on my third old fashioned and feeling rather courageous, so I sent over a drink”. Lillian raised her eyebrows in surprise, it was’t like Ina to be so bold.

As much as Lillian tried to hide it, she was now fully invested in how the story would progress (she always was the soppier of the two). “Sooo? Did she come back?” she asked. Ina’s grin grew wide with triumph, “she did”.

“We must have spoken for a good couple of hours, it all felt so effortless. I knew I wanted to kiss her, but I wasn’t sure how I should go about it. I mean, I would consider myself a bit out of practice!” She chuckled, acknowledging her love life, or lack of. “Despite my earlier confidence, I just didn’t have the nerve. Thankfully that was something she wasn’t short of though, she seemed to pick her moment perfectly”. Ina started to rub the scar below her lip absentmindedly, as she recalled how they had shared their first kiss. The small gesture didn’t go unnoticed, nor did the light in her eyes as she went on. “One thing led to another and before I knew it, I was semi naked in one of the private lounges!” Ina finished in a rush. “I’ll spare you the details” she added, as a blush crept across her cheeks.

“So you really had no idea she was from Belvoire?” Lillian queried, her initial disapproval subsiding slightly. Ina shook her head, “I didn’t even know her name. I gave her my number but If I’m honest I wasn’t sure I would ever see her again. I was pleasantly surprised when she text me the next morning, and rewarded me with said name”. Lillian gave her sister an expectant look, “Bea” Ina breathed, answering the silent question.

Lillian could see the impact the young woman had already made on Ina, pushing her to almost feel sorry for her.

“Imagine my horror when I walked in to my first lecture the very next day, and Bea’s sitting three rows in”.

Ina explained that she had tried to stay away, but couldn’t ignore the connection they had. She joked how Bea might as well be living in her mind, rent free, only it wasn’t really a joke. Ina told Lillian how she had vowed to herself to keep things professional, however that was proving increasingly difficult.

Taking her older sister’s hands, Lillian prepared herself to approach the elephant in the room, the one they had both been dancing around for some time. “Ina, I’ve spent the last two years watching you bury your head in your career, helping you undo the damage she did”. Lillian paused as Ina interjected “you mean she who shall not be named?”. “Yes, Voldemort” Lillian replied, knowing Ina would appreciate her easing the conversation with some humour.

“You’ve barely been able to consider the possibility of love again, because of the pain she put you through. And the one time you do, it threatens to jeopardise the very thing that saved you”. Ina bit her lip as she gave Lillian’s words some real thought.

Lillian carried on “I know how much love you have to give and how desperately you want to give it. You have to ask yourself at what cost though Ina?” Before continuing, she stopped for a second to allow the message to sink in. “I want nothing more than for you to open your heart again, but you can’t be the only one making sacrifices. Especially not of this size, and not based on one night of passion”.

Although Lillian’s voice was one of warning, her eyes showed nothing but care. Ina pulled her hands away to wipe the tears that had to started to escape the corners of her eyes.

“I know you’re right Lillian. I have worked so hard for my career, I daren’t think about what I would do if I were to lose it”. Satisfied that she had highlighted the enormity of the risk (and that it had been understood), Lillian softened once again.

“You deserve the greatest love story of them all Ina. Do you really believe you are ready?”. Ina sighed softly as she thought about the prospect of some kind of ‘future’ with Bea. “I think she’s good for me Lil. In one breath she makes me nervous, but in the next she knows exactly what to say to put me at ease. She may be the cause of my turmoil but it’s like she is also the only resolution”.

“It’s wrong I know, but I can’t help wanting to explore this with her?” Ina said, running her hand through her hair.

“Okay enough of this” Lillian slammed her hands on the table, way harder than intended. “Here’s my advice Ina. You need to keeping working and keep it professional, as professional as possible. That doesn’t mean you can’t get to know her though. If this girl really is interested in you, she will put in the work, thus giving you the chance to work out how you really feel. Then and only then, can you decide where your moral compass wants to settle and if you are willing to put your job at stake”.

Ina nodded slowly, mulling it over, however Lillian wasn’t done. “In the meantime, why don’t you speak to Sam? She’s had her fair share of work place scandals after the whole Dalton/Russo saga, she might be able to offer you some sound advice”.

“That’s actually a really good idea” Ina replied, “she won’t judge me either”.

“Exactly, it’s always worth getting a second opinion from someone who isn’t blinded by sex appeal” Lilian teased as she got up and made her way round the table. “Wait a minute, isn’t that exactly what happened…” Ina was cut off by Lillian pulling her to her feet and giving her a tight embrace. “It’s going to be okay Ina. Thank you for being open with me”.

Breaking the hug and holding Ina at arms length, Lillian laughed at her sisters pout. “Now pull yourself together, get upstairs and see my daughter. I can’t deal with two mopey Kingsleys”, she added with a wink.

“Thank you Lil” Ina said earnestly as she straightened herself up, “I don’t know what I would do without you”.

***

#ina kingsley #ina x mc #professor kingsley #lillian kingsley #queen b #choices queen b #choices qb #playchoices #first fanfic #fanfiction #myfanfiction #fluff

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thedistrictsleepsalonetonight · 3 years

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Your mess is mine

Sue may only be a math major, but she knows this much about telling a story: it needs to have a beginning, middle, and an end.

If she were to sit down and write one, here is where it would start — Emily laughs and she falls in love. It doesn’t matter the year, the month, or the minute; when Emily laughs, she falls in love. Sue’s a little slow when these things are concerned, love doesn’t come to her as quickly or as easily as it has historically come to Emily. I saw you in the coffee shop and I knew you were the one, she’s fond of telling Sue, usually during fights. It’s highly annoying that Emily thinks it’d work on her. Even more annoying is the fact that it does.

Alright, does she have moments of intense déjà vu sometimes? Like when they’re lying in bed, after one of Austin’s house parties, and Sue curls up into Emily’s soft shoulders, plays with her pretty, pretty hands? Or when she catches Emily conked out in front of her laptop in a corner table at the café on her break and gently wakes her up? Sure. But isn’t that what love is? The same five gestures repeated in infinite ways, creating a well of infinite affection. So if walking the steps with Emily settles deep into her bones without flinching, as if they’ve done this before, she’s convinced that it’s because they’re well and truly perfect together.

(Definitely not because — and this is something that has been occurring to her more and more lately — they were star-crossed lovers in a past life a century ago.)

(That would be crazy.)

(Right?)

*****

Falling in love aside, Emily can be really, infuriatingly, secretive about the worst of things. Sometimes it is charming, watching her having to pick her way through multiple explanations, create long-winded detours just to attempt to confuse Sue into getting exasperated enough to drop the subject altogether. But that’s at the very end, when it turns out that she was going to all this trouble to make sure Sue wasn’t going to find out she’d gotten her that one Hawaiian shirt Sue had off-handedly admired once, aeons ago. Or that she’s been holed up in their room all day because she’s been setting up lights in honor of it being exactly six months since they first hugged. Which is why she is more resigned that surprised when Lavinia sits down in front of her, leans in, and asks her what she’s doing for Emily’s birthday next week.

Sue sneaks a look at Emily who is currently chatting with an old lady who usually comes in on the weekends. Her girlfriend happens to be one of those baristas who is beloved by the elderly, God only knows why. All the older ladies will hang back at the counter and tell her all about their grandkids’ schools and ballet recitals. In return, Emily will rant to them about college and apparently, Sue as well, which was something she discovered one day when she walked in and two old ladies gave her teasing yet approving smiles from their table.

(And then took her aside to whisper — Showing a little skin wouldn’t do any harm and would keep your girl on her toes — which near about killed her)

The entire situation is hilarious. Also the most adorable thing she has ever seen.

“Why haven’t you guys discussed your birthdays yet?”

“It’s just never,” Sue muses, “come up, I guess.”

Austin rollerblades past, swivels to a stop and bends so he’s approximately level with their faces. “Are we talking about,” he says, lowering his voice to a comical whisper, “Emily’s birthday?”

Lavinia pulls him down, so he’s sitting on the spare chair. “And Sue’s, apparently. Did you know her birthday falls, like, nine days after Emily’s?”

Austin stares at her, wide-eyed. “That means it’s on the.... 19th?

Sue nods.

“The 19th of December? After Emily’s birthday, on the 10th of December?”

“Y....es?”

He swipes at his phone, taps a couple of buttons, and then looks up with a smug smile. “I knew I remembered something. Look.”

Lavinia has to angle her whole body to see, but it registers for both of them at the same time. A certain poet and her muse, who also apparently shared the same birthday as her and Emily.

“Huh,” Lavinia says. “Maybe there is something to Emily’s theory after all.”

“You mean Emily’s theory that we’re the reincarnations of those two?” she asks, hearing her own voice get progressively more hysterical by the word. She clears her throat, takes a deep breath, adds it to the list of rapidly growing coincidences in her head that she’s never going to give a closer look to, because that would be crazy.

“Really the only part of this I’m genuinely shocked by,” Lavinia says after a long pause, in which Sue is struggling to reason with the logical part of her brain, “is that Austin remembers Emily Dickinson’s birthday.”

Austin smiles proudly, and the thought is so funny that it drives potential insanity out of her mind eventually.

*****

“Why didn’t you tell me your birthday’s tomorrow?”

Emily startles from where she’s staring out the window of the car, and Sue has about a moment to regret blurting it out before they’re looking at each other. She’d spent the entire week setting up the entire thing for Emily and now it probably won’t even be a surprise, but she’s insanely curious. No better time for it, either way. She’d planned everything perfectly, from picking up Emily at the café in the classy car she’d borrowed from Austin, to making sure it wasn’t too late after dinner. And yet, here they were, surrounded by cars and honking people because traffic was a fickle bitch.

“Is that why we’re taking this trip?” she asks, wide-eyed.

Sue extends a hand towards her, ruffles up her hair, feeling fond. Trust her idiot girlfriend to not have figured it out yet. She moves her hand to Emily’s cheek, and feels Emily cover it with her own. Feels a soft kiss pressed against her palm.

“What did you think it was, dumdum?”

“Well, it is the three month anniversary of—” Sue’s alarm is probably showing on her face, so she backtracks quickly. “Kidding. Kidding. There’s nothing tomorrow.”

Sue pinches at her cheek. “Except your birthday. Speaking of which—”

“Eh,” Emily shakes her head, shuffles around on her seat awkwardly, “it’s.... uh, complicated.”

“Is the complication that you happen to share a birthday with a poet from long ago?” she’s only half-joking.

Emily laughs at that. “Caught on, did you? Did you also check—”

“E-yup.”

“That your birthday is also—”

“E-yup,” she says. Then turns to look at Emily. “Wait. How do you know when my birthday is?”

Emily opens her mouth, but before she can say anything Sue hurriedly cuts in. “And you’re not allowed to say you have your ways.”

Years ago, when Sue was fourteen, one day her dad and her mom came home with the same vegetable. Same quantity. It was beans, and she could vividly remember all three of them staring down in mock dismay at the two separate huge bundles of beans that now took up most of the space on the table. Then they started comparing prices. Turns out her mother’s bundle had cost a couple cents lesser than her father’s. But it’s not the same , her mother had insisted, holding up both the bundles. See, yours weighs more. I think the grocer I bought it from took some off .

To this day, she defines love as the way her mother’s hand fell over his, combined with the way her dad looked at her next — like a child who had just been told that the blanket fort he’d spent hours constructing, wasn’t going to be torn down. Like someone had just handed a piece of the world to him, and told him to make of it whatever he wanted.

Sue recognizes it in the way Emily looks at her. Like she’s saying — Of course. Of course, you know me well enough to guess the next stupid thing that comes out of her mouth.

(She’s not very good at love, but she hopes Emily can read the answer in her eyes just the same)

“Birthdays are complicated,” Emily says, slowly. “I’ve had some very good ones and then some very bad ones.” First girlfriend who she asked out on her 20th birthday, and second girlfriend who she broke up with a week before her 23rd; Sue fills in the blanks as she talks. “So I guess I try not to tell people so I myself don’t expect anything out of it. Neutral birthdays are better than euphoric ones or sad ones, because at least they don’t haunt me forever.”

“Baby,” she says, and then trails off. Sometimes she likes calling Emily endearments, or just say her name out loud, randomly, even if there’s no statement attached to it. The sentiment’s always the same, however. I’m glad you exist. I’m glad you found me. I like your name. I love you.

(Emily’s fallen asleep by the time she’s driven to the top of the grassy knoll, by the time the clock hits midnight. Sue lets her sleep through it. There will be time to sit on top of the blanket and watch a sleepy Emily blow out the candles on a tiny cake that looks like a typewriter, to stare at the stars all night long while they listen to soft, slow songs on a pair of shared earphones. For now, Sue watches Emily sleep, head tilted against the glass and decides to hold off on telling her she loves her until the day after her birthday. It’s a perfectly neutral birthday. No use in spoiling it.)

(Emily says it back though, in case anyone was wondering)

*****

Sometimes, when Sue sees Emily cooking for her, she loses her breath.

(And sometimes, it’s not even due to the smoke from a burned dish)

But there’s something peaceful about watching Emily cook, especially if she hasn’t yet cottoned onto the fact that Sue’s watching her. She’s one of those annoying people who always has their headphones on, so most of her cooking in the kitchen involves perfectly timing the beats with the swipes of her spatula. Sometimes she spins around in the middle of a pancake flip to see if she can catch it in midair. Juvenile shenanigans aside, what really gets Sue, even after almost a year of having watched Emily dance around in the kitchen is the care with which she handles food that they will eat. It’s so different to the kind of food she cooks when she’s just cooking for herself. Sue’s seen her slap on two days expired cheese on top of a tortilla and call it lunch. And yet.

And yet. Sue will have the best of things. Lasagna that’s still steaming. A sandwich filled with the most delicious ingredients. Waffles topped with cream that Emily will get up early in the morning to get for her. Food enhanced with care, made better with love.

Why don’t you make those nice things for yourself, she’s asked on multiple occasions, to which Emily’s always shrugged. It’s just me. I can have almost anything.

(Emily deserves the best. Sue will make sure she has it)

There are flowers on the table, an assortment of daffodils and lilies arranged on a vase. Right in between two shiny plates laid out with napkins folded carefully beside them. Sue slides into one of the chairs quietly, rests her elbows on the table and waits for Emily to finally turn around.

There is a panicked scream when she does. Sue doesn’t want to be that girlfriend, but this is definitely going on the list of stories she’ll tell their future kids when they’ve grown.

(Another day she would worry about how the term — Their kids — moves around in her chest comfortably like a sip of hot cocoa. Today, exactly one year to the day Emily told her she liked her, she shrugs it off)

“You weren’t supposed to wake up for another half an hour at least.”

Sue hums. “You did tire me out last night, that is true.”

“Sue!” Emily says, scandalized, face rapidly turning red. “I — that’s highly — okay wait, first things first....”

She walks over to the table, and bends to kiss Sue.

“Happy anniversary.”

Sue closes her eyes, kisses both her cheeks in response. “Happy anniversary, my love.”

Emily grins back, then stands again. “Either way,” she says, as she ladles soup onto a bowl, and gathers multiple plates on a tray to subsequently bring to the table, “brunch! Courtesy of your beautiful girlfriend who finally managed to figure out how to make the perfect chicken pot pie without burning down the house, or worse, giving you salmonella.”

Sue inspects what lies in front of her. “Babe, this looks amazing.”

Emily looks proud, as she sits on the other chair. “And that’s not all, okay? This is just the start. Today evening I have gotten us both tickets to—”

“Move in with me.”

When Emily blinks, Sue startles. The words that had just come out of her mouth definitely weren’t well-thought-out, but now she was thinking about it and it seemed like all she ever wanted in life. To go to sleep with Emily, and wake her up in time for her morning classes, to be able to see her all the time, and not have to watch her go.

“That wasn’t my gift, by the way,” she adds, speaking fast, thinking of the limited-edition original copies of a book she’d driven five hours to the next town to get. “But it’s what I want. Us. Living together. I love you. We should.... uh, live together so — uh, okay Emily make me stop talking please.”

Emily shuts her up with a kiss. When they separate, she stays close to Sue, looking right into her eyes with that soft, soft expression.

“Are you sure?” she asks.

Sue takes in a deep breath. Nods. “Yeah.”

Emily considers that for a moment. Then says with a teasing smile — “I thought this violated your relationship rules.”

“What ae you—”

“No kissing before the second date. No celebrating six-month anniversaries because that’s for dummies. No moving in before at least two years of dating—”

“And if you remember correctly,” Sue cuts in, smoothly, “I kissed you two days before our first date. And serenaded you with a Taylor Swift song at the café on our six-month anniversary.”

“You did do that,” Emily says, quietly.

“And as long as we’re on the subject, I hate staying up past 11, or listening to sad girl music in the car, or watching that horrendous show about those two annoying men fake-dating,” Sue tells her, “but — it is my greatest honor that I get to do that for you. And with you. Emily, if you haven’t figured it out already, you’re kinda the exception to every single one of my rules.”

Sue reads Emily’s answer in the kiss she receives next.

*****

The middle, the middle, everything boils down to the middle. It’s what Sue sometimes hears Emily muttering to herself in the middle of the night when she has an assignment due the next day. Sue will blink, look over to the desk where Emily is planted with her nightlight on, hands in her hair. Sometimes Sue will keep blinking slowly, taking in the sight of Emily typing until she falls asleep. Sometimes Emily will notice that she’s up, walk over to the bed, and hum snippets of songs until she’s drifting off again.

And for all the beauty of the beginning, of first kisses and first dates and first times, there’s something to be said about the fifteenth time Emily plays her something on the ukulele, warning her beforehand that her voice might crack. Or the sixtieth burger she runs across the campus to hand over to Emily when she knows she’s got back-to-back classes scheduled. About the hundredth time she falls into bed, and scooches over, eyes closed, until Emily’s wriggling body is aligned against hers. There’s peace in knowing that a first time will inevitably lead to a second time, and then countless others.

(There’s peace in knowing the middle lasts the longest)

*****

She knows she’s in trouble. Has known she’s in trouble the minute she came out of the store and discovered that there was a pileup on the highway. And then when Lavinia called her panicking because their house-warming slash house party was getting out of control because of a lack of beer and a general overabundance of Austin. And then when her phone died in the middle of her conversation with Emily.

(So much trouble)

She’s exhausted by the time she makes it back to her apartment (their apartment , she corrects herself, smiling at the thought) and makes her way up the stairs, hearing the volume of the music increase with every step. Opens the door and is assailed with extremes — the tiny sparkling mirror ball someone’s managed to hook up to the ceiling, the dancing crowd in their living room, and a very loud and weirdly on-point Austin making guitar noises on the karaoke microphone.

“Lavinia!” Sue calls out in relief, when she catches sight of her. “Where’s Emily?”

Lavinia excuses herself from a group of frat boys hanging onto her every word and walks over. “Sue! Emily!”

“Yeah, I know! Tell me where she is!”

Sue points towards the ceiling, and in the same smooth motion, grabs the crate of beer from her hands.

Sue’s out of there before the first cry of “Beer” permeates the air. She climbs another two floors, and then the metallic ladder to find Emily sitting there, wrapped in her blanket, glaring up at her.

“You promised,” she says, flatly.

Sue drops onto her knees and takes Emily’s cold hands in hers. “I know.”

“No, you,” Emily repeats, then pauses, looking like she’s struggling, “you promised you were gonna be here, okay? I agreed to the housewarming thing only because you told me there wouldn’t be many people and you’d stay with me the whole time—”

“—baby....”

“No, don’t baby me. Let me finish.” Emily waits until Sue nods. “And then you went off to the store.”

“We ran out of beer,” Sue says, feeling sheepish.

“I know — I know that, okay?” Emily says. “I know there’s a reason, and probably a valid one but I’m mad, okay? You promised me something and then bailed. That’s not cool.”

Sue adjusts so she’s properly sitting down right in front of Emily. “I’m sorry,” she says, and means it. “It was inexcusable.”

Emily sighs, and seems to relax a little. “Okay. Thank you for saying that.”

Sue nods. “Some party, huh?” she says, after a while.

Emily smiles a little, then. “Did you see Austin? He was performing the High School Musical songs when I left.”

She laughs. “When I came in, I think he was doing the guitar riff to Bohemian Rhapsody.”

“Hey,” Emily says, after they’re done giggling at that. “I never asked. What took you so long? I thought you just went to get beer.”

“Uh,” Sue says, “I’d rather not tell you.”

“What? Why not?”

“Because I don’t wanna charm my way out of you being mad at me.”

“Oh,” Emily draws the sound out, teasingly. “It can’t possibly be that charming.”

If she wanted to play it this way, then okay.

“I stopped at an animal shelter on the way home. There’s a young cat there I thought we could adopt. Consider her a housewarming present.”

“Oh,” Emily says, then in an undertone. “Damn it.”

“Charmed?”

“Ugh, fuck, okay,” Emily admits, then pulls at their joined hands till Sue gets on top of her lap. “I hate you. I love you, but I hate you.”

Sue kisses her in return, settles in more comfortably.

“Tell me about her?” Emily asks, softly, in the quiet.

“Well, she chased the light reflected off my watch round and round so it’s safe to say she’s not the brightest.”

“I love her already,” Emily assures her.

*****

On her eve of her 25th birthday, Sue walks into her apartment and finds Emily, Lavinia and Austin panicking over how to fit the last half of her last name onto limited space on a handmade banner. She says hi to Juggers and Iguana, their two cats, then picks up their two-month-old puppy Rooney, all before one of the three already present humans in the room realizes she’s there.

“Sue, I’m so sorry,” Emily says, walking over to her and looking at her with a slightly desperate look in her eyes. “We tried baking cake, but it’s half burnt, but we can’t decide what to get and all we have are balloons but then Austin’s going crazy trying to keep Juggers from bursting them, because guess what? The cat is the devil—”

“—babe—”

“—no, I tried to make it a good birthday, I really did!”

She puts her hands on either side of Emily’s face, which forces her to quiet down. Then she looks over at the others.

“Have you guys been here the entire time I was taking classes?”

They nod.

She feels a little overwhelmed. “Guys, I — thank you so much,” she says, then takes stock of the situation. “Can you order pizza? We’ll ring in my birthday with pizza tonight.”

Lavinia side-hugs her on their way out to the couch, and then they’re alone in the kitchen. She kisses Emily on the forehead, then on both cheeks, trying to drive away the frown.

“What?”

“I just wanted you to have a good birthday,” Emily says, despondent.

“You’re here, aren’t you?” Sue says. “And so are our friends, who sat and worked this hard for hours trying to make me happy. And we’ll have pizza! We like pizza.”

“You’re just saying that.”

“No, you idiot” Sue explains, fondly. “I mean it. We’ll have burned cake, and we’ll fight over the pizza, and even if the animals are outnumbered, we’ll probably lose to them. And then we’ll probably watch a movie, and somehow all fall asleep on the carpet because Austin always claims the whole couch. Either way, it’ll be a good birthday, because I’m happy. And you know why I’m happy?”

Emily’s still pouting.

“Emily, why am I happy?”

“Because we’re together,” Emily completes, in a small voice, and then finally, finally smiles.

(It’s the messiest birthday Sue has ever had. Also the best)

*****

Here’s the thing about endings: everyone who writes stories knows they don’t really exist.

A famous author once said that they weren’t really the end of the story, just where you chose to stop it. Well, Sue agrees. Which is why this story in her head never ends. The imaginary typewriter in her head will keep typing long after, filling pages with anniversaries and birthdays and emergency dog adoptions. Maybe the next page talks about the day Sue breaks her arm, and Emily proposes to her with an onion ring she gets out of the hospital vending machine. Or the day Lavinia loses Rooney, walks around the entire block with Austin to find him and finally discovers he’s hanging out at the old café they used to work at.

So. Yes. This is where she decides to leave it. Finish it. There will be more stories to write later.

The end.

(Wink wink. Nudge nudge.)

#dickinson #emisue #fanfiction #emily dickinson #dickinson fanfiction #alright - so this is a modern emisue domestic fic about them being happy and in love or whatever bullshit people in love do #and technically it's a sequel to my first dickinson fic - although i don't thikn it's necessary to read that first to understand this #i've been working on this a while - so i hope you guys like it #also i made anohter playlist to vibe - think i'll put it in a reblog just in case anyone wants to check that out #and yeah #that's it i guess #happy reading!

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