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butterflydm · 1 year

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wot on prime rewatch: 1x5 - blood calls blood

spoilers through the end of season one of the wheel of time. I will do a reblog of this soon after I post it, with additional book-related spoilers.

1. We open on the funeral for the fallen and I just love the bookends that this episode gives us. Lan is the one who bury the fallen king (appropriate!) and Stepin is the one to bury Kerene. Stepin also takes Kerene’s ring with him (to take back to the White Tower. In this burial, they go straight into the ground, with a shroud covering them. And Lan also puts a hand on Stepin’s shoulder to comfort him. Lan and Moiraine share a wordless moment after Kerene has been laid to rest. The way the burial site is structured as a wheel really plays into the theme of the Wheel and reincarnation. I love how often we get nods to the importance of the Wheel of Time in all of the customs of the westlands. It really does make the world feel so grounded in the metaphysics of how their world works.

2. And now we get our “one month later” time skip. This is the real place where I mourn Rafe not getting ten episodes (*shakes fist at amazon*), because I feel very sure that we would have had at least one episode set here during what is currently a big time skip of everyone traveling towards Tar Valon. But, to recap how their journeys are going: Nynaeve, Moiraine, & Lan - solemn but uneventful, with pretty much everything put on hold until the White Tower; Perrin & Egwene - chill and uneventful, company and dances and plenty of hot food; Rand and Mat - hellish trauma-bonding nightmare where Mat is constantly getting worse and worse and they don’t dare get to close to anyone lest that person get murdered by the Fade that is chasing them. Everyone else kinda gets to take a break during the travel to Tar Valon, but Mat and Rand are going through an extremely traumatic month together. Extreme prolonged trauma can literally rewire the way your brain works; just something to keep in mind for the future!

3. Now that he isn’t a channeler anymore, Logain isn’t being transported in a cage, only on a horse with a noose around around his neck. He is chained up, but it’s clear that he’s not being taken seriously as a danger anymore. And he looks so empty and blank here.

4. Lan and Moiraine have a brief conversation on the meaning of home -- Moiraine says that she views her life traveling with him as her companion as her home, not Tar Valon. We also get a brief update on Nynaeve’s status: eating every night at the Warders’ fire but not having any deep conversations with anyone. And probably avoiding the Aes Sedai as much as possible, lol. We also,know, from what Nynaeve said in episode 8, that she stops being able to ‘hear the wind’ after her burst of power at the end of episode 4, so she’s probably also struggling with that right now. She’s basically lost her ‘sixth sense’. But Lan can tell that Nynaeve is worrying over Stepin and his reaction to losing Kerene.

5. Something of interest to me is... the emptiness of losing an Aes Sedai kinda feels like it parallels the emptiness of an Aes Sedai losing their connection to the One Power? I guess it feels like Stepin and Logain have similar vibes right now -- they’ve both essentially lost their will to live, because of much of that will was tethered to this greater purpose that they’d had.

6. Next we check in on Rand and Mat. And, boy, Mat looks ROUGH. He also snaps at a child who accidentally runs into him, which of course worries Rand because Mat is so good with kids and very gentle with them, so this is majorly out of character. Rand worries over Mat and Mat tries to brush him off. It’s confirmed that they’ve spent “a month without a warm bed” during the time skip - they’ve just been on the run the whole time. They also lost their horses at some point -- possibly traded so that they would have money for food and for the cloaks that they’re wearing over the clothes they had before, because I don’t think we saw those before.

7. When Rand sees Dragonmount, he feels struck by it, as if he’s seen it before. Another gorgeous landscape shot that shows us Tar Valon and Dragonmount behind it. Then they enter Tar Valon itself. I love this shot too. We can see the mountain in the distance again and the city itself has so many different people going on (camels! parrots!). Rand tries some of the sample street food, but Mat says he’s not hungry. Instead of going to the White Tower directly, Rand leads them to an inn that Thom told him about. We know from what Rand tells Nynaeve later that this is mostly due to worrying about what the idea of going to the White Tower might mean with Mat displaying so many symptoms of potentially being able to channel.

8. I do think we’re getting a big heap of “Rand in denial” during this episode. Mat is so visibly sick and so visibly not himself that it’s probably easy for Rand to believe that all this must mean that Mat is the Dragon, and that any oddities about Rand’s own past are just that - oddities that he can dismiss as important. Deep in the back of Rand’s mind, he’s worried that it has to be him, but Mat is just so CLEARLY unwell.

9. Oh! Fainspotting! I actually did notice the whistling first, and then you only see him from the back, but he’s watching as Rand and Mat make their way through the streets of Tar Valon. Given that Fain DOES use the dagger at the end of the season, I’m thinking that he did go through Shadar Logoth during his search for the kiddos? I must once again be a touch sad that we were lost the episode 8 Mat-Fain standoff that was likely written in the original, pre-covid version of the episode. I love the 7th & 8th episodes, but I definitely agree that they likely would have been even more epic if they hadn’t needed to do emergency re-writes for everything that they lost due to the covid delay (as a reminder, they lost: a whole entire main character actor (Mat); an important secondary character actor (Ingtar); an entire set location (the Blight); and their entire Trolloc stunt-team (which meant they needed to be CG instead of practical). It’s astonishing that episodes 7 & 8 are as good as they are, given how much they needed to scramble and replace. The fact that Rafe was able to do so well in such incredibly adverse circumstances made me MORE inclined to trust his hand on the tiller, not less. That is some tough showrunning to wrangle! Anyway, back to Fain -- guessing that he was called in by the Fade that Dana called? Rand and Mat’s group is really the only ones who are isolated enough that they can be spied on this way tbh.

10. They get a room for the night (which Rand notes is more expensive than a whole month would have been at the Winespring Inn back home), and Mat immediately lies down on one of the two beds, with Rand’s worry just radiating off him. Mat asks for reassurance from Rand, to tell him that he didn’t kill the family/the little girl back on the farm, and Rand reassures him that he didn’t. Mat is so full of self-loathing here and Rand is So Soft (amazingly enough, this still wasn’t what made me ship them, though I am completely heart-eyes over it now) when he tries to comfort Mat and tell him that he didn’t kill that family. It’s clear that Rand has needed to reassure Mat on this point many times over the course of their month together.

11. Moiraine and Lan escort Nynaeve into the White Tower. She’s going to be staying in the Warders quarters. I am, again, loving this thing that S1 has set up where Nynaeve clearly feels a much strong bond (lol) to the Warders than to the Aes Sedai. Love it. Moiraine tells her that this is the safest place for her to hide from all the other Sisters, and Nynaeve breaks in to tell her that she doesn’t care at all about Aes Sedai politics - she cares about the missing kiddos. Moiraine says that she has eyes-and-ears in the city itself, so she’ll know when/if the kiddos arrive. Nynaeve, though, doesn’t trust that Moiraine will actually tell her and, tbh, she probably would not have. Moiraine warns Nynaeve to be careful around the Aes Sedai in the Tower, and that the Aes Sedai will want her to be a novice.

12. Moiraine tries to bond with Nynaeve here and Nynaeve is Not Ready for this bonding experience. It really is kinda funny here how obvious it feels that Moiraine definitely has become fond of Nynaeve and that Nynaeve really doesn’t see it at all.

13. Perrin and Egwene as they travel on with the Tuatha’an. Perrin is still trying to poke holes in their life philosophy. Perrin says they’re being hypocrites by preaching non-violence but letting their dogs eat meat; Aram says that they don’t deny that violence exists - they accept it. Egwene is so bubbly and happy here. Even though some things were adjusted so that Egwene HAD to go rather than choosing to go, we do see here her delight in engaging with another culture and getting to go on an adventure. It’s pretty clear that Egwene has had a relaxing and enjoyable month. We also get a fun wolf joke here “One more turnip curry and I’ll be joining the dogs”.

14. They are in sight of the White Tower and Egwene reaffirms to Perrin that she’s sure their friends will be waiting for them (and she’s being very cute here, jumping on Perrin and then holding his arm). But! They are now about to face their own trauma after getting to have a relaxing month: Whitecloaks are blocking them. But not just any Whitecloaks, but the ones that they met back during episode 2 - including Valda, who promised that he would remember all their faces.

15. Valda spots them from a distance and orders them to be brought to him. The Tuatha’an stand in the Whitecloaks way to give Perrin and Egwene a chance to get out of there. The Whitecloaks get violent with the Tuatha’an but Aram reassures Egwene that they won’t KILL them, only hurt them. Unfortunately, despite the Tuatha’an best efforts, the Whitecloaks do capture Egwene and Perrin.

16. Just an easter egg at this point, but Rand is looking at the Prophecies of the Dragon right before he meets Loial. We see that Rand is on a hair-trigger as well, not just Mat. There’s also an interesting canon change here where Ogier are unknown by the general people of Tar Valon. Poor Rand is just deeply confused by Loial and a bit put-off by Loial’s insistence that he’s Aiel. I’m also fine with how they made Loial look -- it’s much more cost-effective to have practical make-up than CG for his ears, etc, so it will hopefully mean we get more scenes with him in S2 & the future. Loial has already decided that he likes Rand, because Rand is an oddity.

17. We got a bit of nostalgia from Egwene in the last episode, and now another bit of it from Rand here. But then he spots Mat outside the window and dashes out to keep an eye on him. Mat climbs up to sit in a window to watch the official procession of Logain being brought back to the Tower (now back in a cage). They are basically pretending to the city that he can still channel and that they’re doing things The Proper Way. People are jeering at him and throwing vegetables. Mat is watching with quite a lot of melancholy.

18. I really love this scene between Rand and Mat so much. The Promise (TM). The worry that Rand has towards Mat, and the muted worry that he has about himself as well. You can feel Rand’s affection towards Mat so strongly here. But the focus here is on Rand’s worry for Mat, and not on himself. Given what we see in the PoV, I do think that Logain does ‘actually’ laugh here, but he doesn’t press his face against the bars. But, yes, this moment between Mat and Rand is... just so good. Mat desperately not wanting to end up like Logain and Rand trying to reassure him about it. And Rand’s hair is so fluffy and curly here. And, also, the contrast between the way Mat reacts to literally anyone else vs how he reacts to Rand.

19. More of the show fleshing out the Warders! I love it! We do get confirmation here that white is the funeral color in at least some of the countries in the westlands (possibly all?). I like getting to hear Stepin’s backstory, because it tells us more about what sort of people end up becoming Warders. Kerene became friends with Stepin before she asked him to become her Warder, which I really like. The show seeds in a LOT of useful information here, too -- that bonding another Warder could help Stepin with his feelings of loss, but that he doesn’t want that. I also love the Warder Hall in general.

20. And this entire thing where the rings for the new Aes Sedai are made out of the rings of Aes Sedai who have died? Galaxy-brained idea. Fits so perfectly into the reincarnation cycle.

21. Then we have that gorgeous wordless scene afterwards where Lan goes to Moiraine in her room and they silently comfort and grieve with each other and think about the task ahead of them. Beautiful, beautiful scene.

22. The scenes with the Whitecloaks are well-done but I’m not sure I can talk much about them. Valda is awful, the Questioners are awful. But this storyline leads both of them to embracing their respective powers (Egwene channels and Perrin communicates with the wolves to get them to help). Egwene and Perrin are great in these scenes but they are tough to watch.

23. We can hear the wolves howling in the distance as Valda tortures Perrin. He also tries to set them against each other, by basically saying “well, one of you is going to die no matter what, so let’s see who cracks first by giving me what I want”.

24. Stepin goes to Nynaeve for more of her herbs that help with sleeping, and we get to see more of how difficult it is for Warders to deal with not having their Aes Sedai. Nynaeve has a very good bedside manner with her patients which is... not always the case in the books, lol. But it works well here. And then she goes wandering in the Warder Hall and who should pop up but Liandrin, ready for another try at trying to bond with Nynaeve.

25. Nynaeve pokes at Red Sisters not having Warders, and we get to hear some of Liandrin’s justifications for her path in life. Again, I really like this. Liandrin was not a terribly fleshed-out character in the books and she feels so vivid and real in the show.

26. Nynaeve goes to the White Tower gardens, runs into Loial, who recognizes her as “a woman from the Two Rivers” and brings her to Rand (assuming she was the woman that Rand was talking about in the library aka Egwene; “I found the woman you spoke of”). It is definitely a convenient plot beat but this city currently has three ta’veren in it. There should be convenient plot beats (I’d love the show to talk more about ta’veren next season; they only briefly mention it in S1).

27. Nynaeve’s reunion with Rand and Mat here is so wonderful! Her tight hug with Rand <3. I love the super-sweet moment of surprised joy that we can see on Mat’s face when he realizes that Nynaeve is alive and here. I’m really glad we get that moment before we get the reaction of him snapping at her, so we can see the contrast. Outside the room, Rand tells Nynaeve about his worries -- he’s worried that Mat can channel, he’s not sure he can trust Moiraine, he’s worried that Mat will end up like Logain. And Nynaeve does a wonderful job trying to reassure him here, both about Mat and then about Egwene.

28. In an effort to try to convince Egwene to simply let him get killed by Valda so that she can be let go, he confesses to her about accidentally killing his wife in the heat of the battle. But, yeah, this is so much more emotional and more effective than “I killed two Whitecloaks in self-defense”. And, in the end, Egwene is able to trick Valda, while Perrin (accidentally) calls wolves, and they are able to escape. Sadly, Egwene does not kill Valda but she does stab him in the shoulder. (I am okay with Valda getting freaked-out by Perrin’s color-changing eyes; that is outside his experience in a way that Aes Sedai are not). And then the wolves cover their escape.

29. Liandrin lets us know that Moiraine has been gone from the Tower for the past two years. Liandrin continues to have Weird Vibes with people. Here is the first place that I think the show confirms that Yellow Ajah does healing. Liandrin is wrong that Nynaeve has any inclination towards Red Ajah, but Nyaneve DOES want everyone to follow her rules, lol.

30. Another big lore drop here -- Stepin is doing offerings “to ward off the Forsaken”. Stepin namedrops “Ishamael; Father of Lies”, which the show already mentioned in episode 3 -- Dana notes that Ishamael “brought the Dragon before the Dark One” in the last Age and is still famous now. We’re told that they were sealed away by the last Dragon but that they had sold their souls to the Dark One for eternal llife.

31. Now we have a conversation between Alanna and Moiraine about Warders. Alanna has offered to take Stepin on as a Warder, but she’s not certain if she’ll accept. When Moiraine wonders about the possibility of the bond being released, Alanna tries to reassure her that she doesn’t have to worry about dying anytime soon. Moiraine sidesteps the conversation to ask why Alanna is visiting her now. We get the news that the Amrylin has returned from Caemlyn (!) and is going to be summoning their group to answer for gentling Logain without a trial.

32. We get another reminder of Moiraine’s relative strength in the Power and also how ~mysterious~ her goals are to everyone around her. I do really love this relationship between Moiraine and Alanna in the show. They’re friends, but Alanna isn’t within her secret heart. I love that Moiraine goes and looks at the picture after this, too. But I’ll talk more about the picture next time. <3

33. Stepin and Lan talk, and we get another nod at being queer being considered more accepted here, as Stepin casually talks about the idea of being with Ivron and Maksim ‘when’ he bonds with Alanna (though this is a bit of a ruse on Stepin’s behalf, of course). But this is a nice quiet conversation, where Stepin tries to encourage Lan to explore his feelings for Nynaeve if he gets the chance (but then becomes bittersweet as we realize that Stepin drugged him because he’s about to go kill himself). Heartbreaking.

34. And then we get a Warder funeral to mirror the funeral at the start of the episode. This bookending of the episode with two funerals worked really well for me and it still does. It really, again, does a good job to ground the Warder culture by showing us that they have their own traditions, separate from the Aes Sedai (though there are Sisters present, presumably to support their Warders). The giving of a role of an official mourner who expresses the emotion for the rest of the group works effectively here as well, for me.

35. Ultimately, I really loved this episode expanding on Warders and Warder culture so much, and I feel like it will pay dividends in the future as well. We also get some strong trauma-bonding with both the Mat&Rand and Perrin&Egwene pairs. I really wonder how that argument in episode 7 would have shaken out with Mat present too.

#wot #wheel of time #wot on prime #wot rewatch #nynaeve al'meara #lan mandragoran #moiraine damodred #egwene al'vere #perrin aybara #rand al'thor #mat cauthon #wot show

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space-blue · 7 months

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Hey, I saw you reblogging that post about normalizing sending people random asks and can only assume that you'd like some. So here some random questions (in no order) that you can answer in whatever length and degree of seriousness that you're comfortable with:

Favourite dinosaur/prehistoric animal?

Dead historical person that you'd like to resurrect for a chat or a chance to yell at them?

Most/least favourite story trope in fiction?

A country that you'd like to visit some day?

Something funny that happend to you (If you want^^)?

A nature fact that you find fascinating?

Food that you'd like to try?

Favourite artist/artistic inspiration/art style?

Last song that you listened to?

The prettiest insect/arthropod that you can find online?

I think that list is long enough, skip whatever you want if it's too invasive or weird :))

Damn, now that's an ask!! O_O Thank you! Sat down to try and think it through. I don't mind being serious :3

Favourite dinosaur/prehistoric animal?

I love a lot of them, especially now that we have such a greater understanding of what they looked like. Floofy dinos are just extra excellent. But I think I'll have to crown Spinosaurus. It's a bit of a meme dinosaur by now. Every discovery changes our perception of what it looked like, and people still debate if it was aquatic or not. (I'm team aquatic all the way) I mean look at it. It's fucking iconic.

I once started a short story set in a future in which humans had long since reengineered some dinosaurs, and a pirate crew had a raft-style boat that was powered by a Spinosaurus. They'd pierced grommets in the sail to clip ropes to her back. They also had pet Troodons on the crew. Sadly I lost steam and inspiration and never went anywhere with the story. I still adore Spinosaurus.

Dead historical person that you'd like to resurrect for a chat or a chance to yell at them?

If I could just indulge myself, Francois Renee de Chateaubriand. Absolutely crazy guy. Lived through the French revolution, Napoleon, went to the Americas, wrote early romantic works, mostly known for his autobiography memoirs from beyond the grave. He's truly a blorbo from my history. Look at this :

“A moral character is attached to autumnal scenes; the leaves falling like our years, the flowers fading like our hours, the clouds fleeting like our illusions, the light diminishing like our intelligence, the sun growing colder like our affections, the rivers becoming frozen like our lives—all bear secret relations to our destinies.”

BUT if I had a perfect translator and could quizz to my heart's content, and had actual intentions of being useful, I'd talk to a Gaulois. Probably Vercingetorix or an earlier leader from Celtic France.

We know SO little about these people. They're my ancestors, and we have almost no knowledge of their beliefs and practices. We have some (most likely wrong and slanderous) accounts from (the invading) romans. And archeological finds. But stuff like Cernunos/Karnonos (for who I wrote one of my fav short stories ever) is known from one pillar, one cauldron, and nothing else! We don't even know what he was the god of!

It's so infuriating to me. If I could quizz a Gaulois, I'd write the most detailed and comprehensive guide to their belief, their knowledge of others tribes, and their everyday life. I'd want to know about their gods, their myths, and their superstitions.

Most/least favourite story trope in fiction?

A/B/O and mpreg

A country that you'd like to visit some day?

Japan... Sad hours... I live in the UK, right. Scotland. And I had managed to get a work holiday visa to Japan! It's free to get, you just have an age limit. So I saved money (excruciatingly slowly, the UK being what it is), and finally planned it all. Got the visa (in Paris), got 400£ worth of shots (encephalitis, japanese encephalitis, rabies...), and was ready to apply for a Mongolian visa and start buying train tickets.

You see, I was going to do Scotland > London > Paris > Berlin > Warsaw > Vilnius > Tallinn > St Petersburg > Moscow > Irkutsk (on the transsiberian!!) > Ulaanbaatar > Beijing > Shanghai > Osaka

All train and bus, except for the last leg, which is a ferry.

When I was getting my second of three injections (always rabies + another and rabies turned me into a shivering plank of wood omg) the doctor was like... 'are you sure you want the last round done? There's this worrying cough developing in China at the moment...'

January 2020, RIP.

And then I aged out of the Japanese visa. And then Russia went to war and ruined its reputation forever. I spent a lot of time trying to make myself see that COVID had far worse repercussions for countless people, and I got off easily. But this was the culminations of a decade of dreaming and many years of planning and saving. It was a major bummer.

Something funny that happened to you (If you want^^)?

Weirdly enough this one stumps me. IDK why. I have weird, crazy, bad... but funny?

OH. Actually I think I told it once here. I'm sorry, it's not even funny either, just wild...

A nature fact that you find fascinating?

This entire video.

youtube

Food that you'd like to try?

A real family style chinese hot pot. The sort you eat on a tiny plastic stool in someone's backyard.

Favourite artist/artistic inspiration/art style?

That's definitely too hard. I don't have a favourite. Maybe it's because I studied art. Not a matter of taste, but a matter of exposure. I've seen a lot of styles and a lot of artists and there is no one work I can point to and say "this is it". The inspiration art folder I keep is extremely varied itself. Variety is the spice of life.

Last song that you listened to?

I'm currently listening to the IXION soundtrack as I write! It absolutely SLAPS.

youtube

The prettiest insect/arthropod that you can find online?

Definitely has to be a moth. Also I really love the colour scheme of this wasp :

I think moths are just so gorgeous. Butterflies too of course, but the moths are SO fluffy and some of them have insanely clean aesthetics.

LOOK

Milionia moth

Look at this Pompelon Marginata! Literally the Louboutin of moths.

Also they can have really fun caterpillars:

Little beasts... And I think it fucks that they make themselves a cocoon and basically liquify into some primordial goo to remake themselves. And often remake themselves as their best dressed sex party tiiiime!!

Hope that answers your questions appropriately :3

#blue talks #ask #questions #thanks that was very fun!#Sorry for the ton of links haha #long post

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songbirds-wife · 1 year

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BNHA/MHA Hogwarts Headcanons (Even though I’ve only seen up to season 4) Part One ☁

☁These are my personal headcanons, if you disagree that’s alright. There is no rhyme or reason to why I’m doing certain characters first and some in other parts, it’s just me playing favorites sorry. No romantic ships present☁

I do not support JK rowling or condone anyone else supporting her. This is an anti-jk rowling, anti-terf, etc. blog. Anyone spreading hate in the reblogs or replies of this post will be blocked.

Hitoshi: Slytherin willow, dragon core, 11 3/4" black and white cat - protective and determined Halfblood

slytherin beater excels in DADA shit in herbology, izuku helps him out sometimes good handwriting spends a lot of time in the library, and has an exception to go in the forbidden section (sneaks books out for izuku sometimes) knows all the passages, aizawa probably showed them to him partially speaks parseltongue his familiar is a brown fluffy cat that sleeps a lot (named tomi)

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Jiro: Slytherin Elm wood, unicorn core, 9 1/2" crow - crafty and cunning Halfblood

Excels in potions Shinso’s partner in potions (because i like the idea of them being friends) She has two rats, named treble and mitts really good at any sound casting spells always brings hot tea for her friends after their quidditch games a quidditch commentator with sero, they make a funny duo. like a cat and a dog type dynamic seros the funny one but jiro's sarcastic and actually commentates the ghosts seem to like her (they definitely help her fuck with denki)

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Ochako: Gryffindor Maple, unicorn core, 10" hummingbird - small cute and fiercely protective mudblood

potions partners with asui asui helps her with herbology gryffindor chaser her parents are extremely proud of her for having magic talent her wand is the most expensive thing she owns, it was her christmas gift and she loves it very much robes are hand me downs but she doesn't mind did all her own alterations to help them fit better tries really really hard to "earn her place" because she's a mudblood she feels like she doesn't belong

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Bakugo: Gryffindor red oak, dragon core, 11" eagle - independent and powerful pureblood

good grades and a prefect would be head boy if he didn't have a swearing habit gryffindor beater wants to do something where he fights off those who abuse magic after school excels in DADA and quidditch practice all animals absolutely hate him except for his big screech owl (It’s name is probably like violence or something) gets A LOT of howlers

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Izuku: Gryffindor Pear, Phoenix, 10 3/4" dolphin - playful and sociable mudblood

very good at losing house points not a bad student, just fucks shit up on accident and breaks rules for the greater good loves going down to the candy store with ochako, momo pays for their shit drawn to the woods, ochako goes with him to ensure he doesn't venture too deep friends with some of the woodland creatures late bloomer magic wise likes history of magic a lot breaks his bones every quidditch match without fail gryffindor seeker

#hogwarts #bnha #mha #hogwarts au #bnha hogwarts au #mha hogwarts au #class 1a #boku no hero acedamia #my hero academia #headcanons #bnha headcanons #mha headcanons

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writing-for-life · 11 months

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The Light of Stars (WT)

Okay, after much agonising, I’m finally doing it:

The ginormous (well over the 50,000 words-goal) fanfic I wrote “for fun” last NaNoWriMo and never wanted to touch again, never mind publish, has been haunting me for over 6 months now, and I need to bless and release it so I can get on with my life 🤪

So I've pledged to myself I will publish it, chapter for chapter, tidy it up along the way, maybe rewrite a few things that really weren't thought through when I "just had fun", and quite possibly add bits that I've thought about ever since (November 2022).

I’m aiming to publish one chapter weekly on a Friday, but that might change here and there (might be more or less frequently), so bear with me. You will get an excerpt here, but the full chapter will only be available on Ao3 via the link provided.

A word of warning: This is a full-length romance novel and hence a slow burn. If you’re into shorts that have their MCs f*** within the shortest amount of time, you won’t find much joy in this. I occasionally write those, too, but this is not that. However, good things come to those who wait, also in this one 😉

I will tidy up the posts as I move along and create a masterpost, but this first one needed a bit more of an intro.

And don’t forget that creators really appreciate your likes, but that we’re even more grateful for comments and reblogs.

Here we go…

The Light of Stars (WT) by Writing-for-Life

Chapters: 1/?

Fandom: The Sandman (Comics), The Sandman (TV 2022)

Rating: Mature

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Relationships: Dream of the Endless | Morpheus & Original Character(s), Dream Of The Endless | Morpheus & Original Female Character(s)

Characters: Original Female Character(s), Dream of the Endless | Morpheus

Summary:

This is a story about traumatic pasts, deep empathy and healing, but also one of sacrifice. Most of all, it is a story about choosing love despite knowing it has the power to break us…

Artist Thalia Callaghan has strange dreams, but it soon turns out they are more than just dreams.

Night after night, she enters Dream’s throne room, much to her confusion and his dismay. They reluctantly agree to embark on a quest to find out why Thalia has abilities that are usually not granted to mortals - unless there is a greater plan at work.

Chapter 1 - Juxtapositions (1898 words)

“You can’t be here.”

His voice was soft, and yet, it had startled her because she thought she was alone in this vast hall – she couldn’t even remember how she got there. She turned around, and he stood halfway up white marble stairs that seemed to go nowhere - or did they? It was hard to tell - cascades of light flooded the room through seemingly endless stained-glass windows behind him. She could only make out his shape, but none of his features.

All she could say was: “Who are you?”

He slowly walked down the stairs, his long black robe brushing them with every step. Heavy, yet light. The closer he came, the more his face came into focus. Hard, yet soft.

When he stood right in front of her, she noticed the intense brightness of his eyes. The palest blue, or maybe grey?

Silver.

They seemed cold, and yet they were burning with an intense heat – just like stars.

If she had ever seen someone full of juxtapositions, he was standing right in front of her now: In all his unearthly verisimilitude, all his ethereal physicality.

She had never seen anyone so beautiful. Even so, she caught herself thinking that “beautiful” was the wrong word. He wasn’t beautiful in the usual sense of the word: His features were sharp, his skin pale, he was tall and slender, almost wraith-like. An air of haughtiness surrounded him, but he seemed to radiate serenity at the same time. And it enveloped her within an instant.

Surprising. Unexpected.

She felt the irrepressible urge to touch his face, framed with hair so dark it made him look like a black-and-white photograph. However, her hand stopped midway, or rather: It felt like something, or someone, was stopping it, like an invisible wall.

He looked at her closely, his eyes full of inevitable certainty.

“This dream is over…”

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

Thalia gasped and opened her eyes…

Keep reading on Ao3

#sandman fanfiction #dream x oc #morpheus x oc #morpheus x original character #the sandman #dream of the endless #morpheus #sandman #fanfic #fanfiction #the light of stars #ao3 fanfic

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jacscorner · 1 year

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I posted 311 times in 2022

242 posts created (78%)

69 posts reblogged (22%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@jacscorner

@redheartedtramp

@dungeonmastersconsortium

I tagged 290 of my posts in 2022

Only 7% of my posts had no tags

#jac art - 146 posts

#spank - 62 posts

#jango fox - 56 posts

#jac chat - 42 posts

#pokemon - 42 posts

#n/sfw - 41 posts

#ask - 32 posts

#answer - 32 posts

#jac ask - 30 posts

#furry - 23 posts

Longest Tag: 70 characters

#but i can't help but feel it looks too much like a discount samus aran

My Top Posts in 2022:

It’s funny to me how Kishimoto could never top the Sasuke Recovery Arc-at least, to me, he couldn’t. This, in my opinion, is peak Naruto. Not because Naruto or the others are at their peak, but because it combines all I love about the series:

Strategic planning and subterfuge.

Teamwork.

Moments of relationship dynamics between the squad.

And the epic 1v1 battles where much weaker characters have to fight older, more experienced ninja with crazier powers and have to survive with a mix of wit, surprise, and sheer determination.

Even though the mission ended in failure, I love this so much. I love the moments where we see the boys (minus Neji) were troublemakers at school, planting this small friendship already (and I love how Naruto and Neji, who were once rivals with different points of view have to come together for the sake of the mission).

I kinda wish Naruto moving forward, Naruto went more in this direction, with Naruto going in Five-Man Squads with the other members of Konoha 11 (or 12 if we live in the bizarro fanfic universe where the mission was a success, lol) and we got to show off the other members of Naruto's age group. Maybe would've given them a few more moments to shine. Could've even given Sasuke a redemption arc and given him and Sakura some ACTUAL chemistry.

19 notes - Posted December 7, 2022

POV: MILF & Cookies

You've been invited to the Schnee Manor. You don't understand why: you're just an average Huntsman/Huntress. You've worked with Madame Schnee a few times, but you can't imagine doing such good work to get her attention, let alone to remember your name. Maybe you're gonna be given a promotion to a higher station, maybe some special dust to improve your weapon.

And then, you open the door.

"Oh my~"

Standing before you was Willow Schnee, fixing her apron, as well as the Bandit Boss herself, Raven Branwen.

"You've ruined the surprise and spoiled dinner." Willow chuckled a bit, "you came a little early."

"Hopefully that's not a regular problem for you." Raven smirked.

24 notes - Posted August 8, 2022

Black Rook takes White Queen.

I haven't been watching RWBY: Ice Queendom, but was commissioned to draw a Corrupted!Blake to spanking Negative Weiss. Which, honestly, was pretty fun to do!

25 notes - Posted September 6, 2022

Dammit, Smogon! My stupid Pokemon Team gimmick doesn't work cause I can't use Dynamax in Doubles!

41 notes - Posted November 3, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

RWBY Smut; A Maid's Work 2

[Art by Iesupa]

"Welcome home, Master."

Winter Schnee gave her master a curtsy, a smile forced upon her face. There was no greater humiliation, at least so she thought. How could her father arrange for her to work as a maid? Her eldest daughter!

'It'll be good for you to know how to act like a proper wife'.

What nonsense! But, Winter kept herself in check. She couldn't allow her temper to get the better of her; not when her father was holding every advantage over her head.

For the moment, at least.

"Why thank you, Winter." Jango chortled as he walked in, lightly waving his hand against his face. His jacket was hanging off of his shoulder as he walked in, his tie loosened and dangling from his neck. "Sure is a warm evening, isn't it?"

"Yes, Master." Winter said, Jango's words flying into one ear and out the other. "Would you like a drink? Since it's so hot?"

"Thank you, but I think we need to address something first."

Winter cocked an eyebrow. "And what would that be, Master?"

"Why, how could you forget?" The older man smirked as he walked to his study. "It's Sunday."

The white-haired maid grit her teeth. That's right; Sunday was Maintenance Day.

[WARNING: Spanking, Maledom, Femsub]

Jango opened the door and said, "come now, let's get this over with while the night's still young."

"Yes...Master." Winter forced the words out as she followed Jango into the study. Most maids who entered here left with their bottoms hot, red, and sore. Winter Schnee was intimately familiar with the study. Despite her reluctance, Winter had never done anything to warrant a punishment of any kind. In fact, far from it; she was highly skilled and exemplary! A model employee! But Jango firmly believes that a good maid needs proper discipline every once and a while; a reminder of what will happen when they begin to slip up.

The older man grabbed a chair from behind his desk and began to set it in the center of the room. As he worked, Winter began to raise her dress. She was unfazed by flashing her employer her white panties and the garters holding up her stockings. Jango took a seat, and like clockwork, Winter draped herself over his lap.

His gloved hand began to lightly tap Winter's bottom as he said, "ready?"

"As I'll ever be."

Jango chuckled, "oh don't be gloomy now, Winter! There's nothing to be ashamed of about a young woman being spanked."

Winter sucked her teeth; how the hell was that supposed to reassure her? She hadn't done anything to deserve such a fate! But, she held her tongue.

She glanced over her shoulder, watching as Jango raised his hand into the air before-

SMACK!

The first smack landed across her cheeks! Winter grit her teeth, keeping her groans down as Jango's heavy, calloused hand began to slowly start spanking her upturned bottom. Winter was quite athletic, her butt was firm and tight. It flattened against Jango's palm before regaining its shape.

Her right cheek stung, followed by a short pause before a second swat struck her left cheek. Pause, and the cycle repeated again as waves of heat went up her spine.

Winter couldn't see his face, but she knew Jango had a dumb grin on his face. It made her furious; how could anyone be expected to remain stoic under such a punishment.

Another swat, Winter let out a painful hiss as her legs began to tremble. She hated to admit it, but Jango had a strong arm and her ass was well acquainted with this fact. Her nails dug into his pant leg as the smacks began to slowly pick up in speed and tempo.

Hot smacks echoed within the room as Jango chuckled lightly. "You're taking it very well, my dear. We'll finish up soon."

Thankfully, these maintenance spankings were short-at least, so long as Winter took them with some semblance of dignity and grace. Her cheeks were starting to turn a rosy shade of pink as her face was equally taking color. Jango's hand landed sharper, faster smacks that left Winter gasping for air. She couldn't help but lightly kick the floor with the toes of her heels.

She wanted to scream. She could feel tears starting to form, but her pride wouldn't allow her to cry or whimper.

See the full post

51 notes - Posted March 27, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

#tumblr2022 #year in review #my 2022 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review

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darkprincecait · 1 year

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I posted 6,100 times in 2022

That's 2,002 more posts than 2021!

28 posts created (0%)

6,072 posts reblogged (100%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@strangeauthor

@twinklecupcake

@cest-la-venus

@spellinwaiting

@miameirohara

I tagged 584 of my posts in 2022

#pokemon - 87 posts

#cats - 44 posts

#revolutionary girl utena - 36 posts

#precure - 25 posts

#delicious party precure - 25 posts

#precure fanseries - 22 posts

#dracula daily - 20 posts

#pokemon scarlet and violet - 17 posts

#pretty cure mirai spark - 16 posts

#sailor moon - 15 posts

Longest Tag: 119 characters

#beldum because i didn't know about its dogshit catch rate and ended up tearing my hair out trying to catch one in pearl

My Top Posts in 2022:

Sorry for writing fight scenes like a ten-year-old smashing action figures together. It will happen again.

4 notes - Posted November 22, 2022

People who consume nothing but children's media while hating children and insisting they're too stupid to appreciate stuff aimed at them are something else. Nobody says you have to like being around kids or whatever. I mostly enjoy my nephews in small doses, and I also watch a lot of shows aimed at kids and play a game that is primarily marketed at kids. But come on.

Like. I don't know! Little Cait liked a lot of things Present Cait can't stand, things that were loud and silly and yes, juvenile, but they could still notice bad writing! And I think they'd be just as hurt by "you're too stupid to enjoy this cartoon, unlike me" as they were by "everything you like is stupid and I don't care about it" which I did a ton of damage as it was.

I don't want to be that adult! I want to share Pokemon with my nephew instead of turning my nose up and going "this franchise is too good for you, and it owes me." I'm happy kids today have quality cartoons and the kind of protagonists Little Cait could only dream about! I love seeing kids getting into things I've enjoyed for years! I don't want to tear the next generation down, just because I'm bummed out about growing up.

4 notes - Posted December 7, 2022

I imagine my interaction with the greater Precure fanseries fandom is like. They’re enjoying themselves in their nice little clubhouse and every two weeks I kick down the door, announce my fanfic updated, and then leave.

5 notes - Posted November 6, 2022

It's time for another Mirai Spark update!

Pretty Cure's mission to recover the Umbra Carillon goes sideways. When things look grim, a miracle occurs, and the long-lost power of the Shade Pretty Cures is awakened.

And with that, we are now done with Act 2! I might be a bit slow with updates for a while, as we move into the holidays, but we are officially into the final arc, and I hope to see this through to the end!

Also! I'm happy to report that I will be working on one more fanseries after this - please look forward to it!

As always, I hope it's an enjoyable read! Thank you for your support!

7 notes - Posted November 12, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

"Villains should be sympathetic!" "Villains should be irredeemable!" Or idk just do both? I like writing people who are capable of doing better and can be saved but I also like writing bastards whose job is being The Worst. I like contrasting the former with the latter in-story, maybe playing them off each other. It's fun.

35 notes - Posted November 9, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

#tumblr2022 #year in review #my 2022 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review

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whumptober · 4 years

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Whumptober 2020 - Updated

Welcome to Whumptober 2020! We’re doing things a little differently this year so please make sure to read the Event Info carefully. We are also excited to announce the addition of an AO3 Collection, which can be found here.

We hope you’re as excited as us to watch the Whump Community come together once again for a month of bone-crunching creativity and collaboration!

(All 31 Themes + Prompts, Event Information, and FAQs are posted below the cut!)

No 1. LET'S HANG OUT SOMETIME Waking Up Restrained | Shackled | Hanging

No 2. IN THE HANDS OF THE ENEMY "Pick Who Dies" | Collars | Kidnapped

No 3. MY WAY OR THE HIGHWAY Manhandled | Forced to their Knees | Held at Gunpoint

No 4. RUNNING OUT OF TIME Caged | Buried Alive | Collapsed Building

No 5. WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING? On the Run | Failed Escape | Rescue

No 6. PLEASE.... "Get it Out" | No More | "Stop, please"

No 7. I'VE GOT YOU Support | Carrying | Enemy to Caretaker

No 8. WHERE DID EVERYBODY GO? "Don't Say Goodbye" | Abandoned | Isolation

No 9. FOR THE GREATER GOOD "Take Me Instead" | "Run!” | Ritual Sacrifice

No 10. THEY LOOK SO PRETTY WHEN THEY BLEED Blood Loss | Internal Bleeding | Trail of Blood

No 11. PSYCH 101 Defiance | Struggling | Crying

No 12. I THINK I'VE BROKEN SOMETHING Broken Down | Broken Bones | Broken Trust

No 13. BREATHE IN BREATHE OUT Delayed Drowning | Chemical Pneumonia | Oxygen Mask

No 14. IS SOMETHING BURNING? Branding | Heat Exhaustion | Fire

No 15. INTO THE UNKNOWN Possession | Magical Healing | Science Gone Wrong

No 16. A TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, NO GOOD, VERY BAD DAY Forced to Beg | Hallucinations | Shoot the Hostage

No 17. I DID NOT SEE THAT COMING Blackmail | Dirty Secret | Wrongfully Accused

No 18. PANIC! AT THE DISCO Panic Attacks | Phobias | Paranoia

No 19. BROKEN HEARTS Grief | Mourning Loved One | Survivor's Guilt

No 20. TOTO, I HAVE A FEELING WE'RE NOT IN KANSAS ANYMORE Lost | Field Medicine | Medieval

No 21. I DON'T FEEL SO WELL Chronic Pain | Hypothermia | Infection

No 22. DO THESE TACOS TASTE FUNNY TO YOU? Poisoned | Drugged | Withdrawal

No 23. WHAT’S A WHUMPEE GOTTA DO TO GET SOME SLEEP AROUND HERE? Exhaustion | Narcolepsy | Sleep Deprivation

No 24. YOU’RE NOT MAKING ANY SENSE Forced Mutism | Blindfolded | Sensory Deprivation

No 25. I THINK I’LL JUST COLLAPSE RIGHT HERE, THANKS Disorientation | Blurred Vision | Ringing Ears

No 26. IF YOU THOUGHT THE HEAD TRAUMA WAS BAD... Migraine | Concussion | Blindness

No 27. OK, WHO HAD NATURAL DISASTERS ON THEIR 2020 BINGO CARD? Earthquake | Extreme Weather | Power Outage

No 28. SUCH WOW. MANY NORMAL. VERY OOPS. Accidents | Hunting Season | Mugged

No 29. I THINK I NEED A DOCTOR Intubation | Emergency Room | Reluctant Bedrest

No 30. NOW WHERE DID THAT COME FROM? Wound Reveal | Ignoring an Injury | Internal Organ Injury

No 31. TODAY’S SPECIAL: TORTURE Experiment | Whipped | Left for Dead

Alternate Prompt List

Alt 1. Punctured

Alt 2. Falling

Alt 3. Comfort

Alt 4. Stitches

Alt 5. Stoic Whumpees

Alt 6. Altered States

Alt 7. Found Family

Alt 8. Adverse Reactions

Alt 9. Memory Loss

Alt 10. Nightmares

Alt 11. Presumed Dead

Alt. 12. Water

Alt. 13 Accidents

Alt. 14 Shot

Alt. 15 Carry/Support

Event Info

WHUMPTOBER is a month-long, prompt-based creation challenge (think: Inktober, but whumpier). There are 31 Official themes this year - one for each day of the month - which can be used, skipped, or combined in any way you’d like. They are meant to serve as inspiration without being taken literally (e.g. you don't have to include the exact wording into your work). Additionally, there are 3 prompts for each theme. These are optional suggestions and can be used in conjunction with the theme, or as options/alternatives. We want to give everyone as much creative freedom as possible, as well as increase event accessibility for folks with triggers and squicks.

Creators can PRODUCE work in any media they choose, including but not limited to: writing, visual artwork, and photo/video/audio edits. Creators can PARTICIPATE as much or as little as they want (i.e. you don’t have to do ALL the prompts if you don’t want to) and prompts can be used in any order. They are also free to use even after the event ends.

When uploading Whumptober content to your blog, be sure to tag the with:

#whumptober2020 …..(the event tag)

#no.1, #no.2, #no.3, …..(theme number)

#bruised, #stabbed, …..(the theme or specific prompt you chose)

#fandom or #OC

#medium …..(gifs, fic, podcast, art, etc.)

#teeth, #etc …..(trigger warnings & any additional tags. Keep in mind not to add “tw” in front but only use the word/trigger itself, because tumblr sucks)

#nsfw, #nsfwhump …..(only for nsfw content)

PLEASE BE DILIGENT WITH YOUR TAGGING. Only properly tagged posts are considered for archiving on the official @whumptober2020 blog. They must be tagged in the order above.

Unfortunately, due to the sheer number of participants in recent years, we cannot guarantee your work will be archived. A random selection of properly tagged posts from all genres will be reblogged each day.

Whumpers who produce content for 31 total theme days are considered event completionists and will be tagged in a masterpost at the end of the month.

Questions not addressed below can be directed to this blog as well.

Thanks for reading, and happy whumping!

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What kind of content can I make? Can it be NSFW?

This is a MIXED MEDIA event! You can write fic, post meta, doodle or paint, create a gif set or photo edit, link a song, or get crafty with video - anything goes. As for NSFW, make what you like, we just hope that you’ll tag your work accordingly so that others participating in the event can stay safe :)

Q. Do I have to do all 31 Days? Can I post early/late?

Participate as much or little as you like, and post whenever! Just be sure to tag your posts properly (ex. #no.11, #psych101). Combining prompts into one piece of work is okay, and posting late is as well so as long as it’s in October.

Q. What if I don’t understand a theme?

Send us an ask! We’re happy to help clarify. That said, the themes are entirely up for interpretation :)

Q. Can I combine Whumptober with other creation challenges?

Absolutely! That’s like shooting two whumpees with one bullet :)

Q. Can I upload/repost my whumptober content to other social media platforms?

Of course! We’ve created an AO3 Collection to archive any fics posted there. The archive can be accessed here. The blog is the official archive, so please respect the boundaries of any closeted whumpers in your social circle :)

Q. Can I use prompts to write a new chapter for an existing fic?

Yes

Q. An existing fic I am currently writing contains many of the Whumptober prompts, can I use it?

If you are actively writing this fic at the moment with the whumptober prompts in mind, yes. If it just conveniently checks the boxes, then please don’t. You can, however, add new chapters answering one or more of the prompts.

Q. What kind of characters can I write for?

Fandom characters, OC characters, human, furry, alien, cyborg, whoever you like.

Q. Can I use a prompt multiple times?

Yes, but it only counts once

Q. If I’m not comfortable with one day's prompts can I use a prompt of a different day as a substitute and still be a completionist?

Yes, but please do not use a specific prompt twice. We have also created an alternate prompts list that you can draw from [here].

Q. Where can I post my work?

Post where and how you want. You don’t even have to (cross)post it to Tumblr. Just keep in mind if it’s not on Tumblr we will not be able to add it to the blog archive.

Q. Can I start posting early?

You can, but this is an October event and wouldn’t it be more fun with everyone doing it at the same time? That being said, you can post early, but we won’t be reblogging any work predating October 1st.

Q. Do I have to finish a fic I started/can I post WIP’s.?

Yes you can post WIPs. And you’re not obligated to finish it in October for it to count towards being a completionist.

Q. Is co-writing allowed?

Yes, absolutely, and it would count towards being a completionist for both/all of you :)

Q. Do I have to create 31 standalone pieces to be considered a completionist or can I write one continuous story?

One continuous story is fine. The challenge is to write something for 31 prompts. If that’s spread over 31 fics or just one, you are still considered a completionist. (The same goes for every other media you choose.)

Q. Is there a min/max limit on word count?

There is no limit

Q. Can I combine prompts? Is there a limit on how many?

No limit and combine as many as you’d like.

Q. Is a hc/angst focus ok?

Of course!

Q. What’s considered nsfw?

See this post

Q. What's whump?

See this post

Q. My interpretation of the prompt isn't whumpy at all, does that count?

No, sorry, but keep in mind that whump [see definition] is something very nuanced and different for everyone and emotional whump/angst is just as much part of it, as is physical whump and torture. So before you dismiss your idea, think about this.

Q. Can I start working on the prompts before October?

Absolutely! That’s why we posted the prompts a month in advance. We recognise how difficult it can be creating for 31 days in “real time”.

Q. How do I tag triggers?

tw at the end of the word, ex. emeto tw

Q. Do I have to use your tags?

Yes, if you want your work archived on the blog. If not, feel free to use whatever tags you want.

Q. Does combining prompts count towards completion?

Yes

Q. Can we @ you?

Yes but we mostly rely on the whumptober2020 tag

Q. Is there anything we are absolutely not allowed to write?

There are no rules, just be sure to properly tag your trigger warnings. And keep in mind Tumblr’s policies if you are posting it here (or the policies of whatever site you use).

Q. Where can I go for brainstorming help?

Here on Discord

Q. My characters are minors, is that ok?

Yes, but as with everything else, tags are your best friend.

Q. Can I cross post on other blogs?

Yes, multiple platforms and blogs are perfectly acceptable. You can also post different works to different accounts under different names, without posting them everywhere at once.

Note: This is a creation challenge, please don’t repost your old work under our tags (unless it’s been changed or edited for the event).

#eventinfo2020 #whumptober2020 #whumptober #promptlist2020 #prompt list #FAQs #event info

10K notes · View notes

purplemonkeyzm · 3 years

Text

Yom HaShoah

today is Yom HaShoah. it's the Jewish Holocaust Remembrance Day. *This is going to be a very long post*

Here's a couple things:

- if we held a minute of silence for every Holocaust victim, we would be silent for 11.5 years. related to this, on Yom HaShoah in Israel, there is a siren that goes off in the middle of the day and the entire country comes to a complete standstill for 2 minutes. cars-stopped-on-the-highway-people-getting-out-to-stand type of standstill. it's truly one of the most powerful things I have ever experience and it's also genuinely scary. here's a video of it:

youtube

- we are quite possibly the last generation to live amongst Holocaust survivors. LISTEN TO THEM. TALK TO THEM. SHARE THEIR STORIES. don't ever fucking forget. i don't think people understand that its heartbreaking to listen to Shoah survivors and realize they're going to die soon. it's scary if you think about it too hard. it's frightening because it wasn't so long ago (for example, my mom told me that growing up, a lot of her friends parents had numbers tattooed on them from the camps). it's heartbreaking because people deny the Holocaust and want to forget about it as it is and once there are no more survivors it will be easier than ever to do so. to listen and watch some survivor testimonies, go to namesnotnumbers.org or just search "names not numbers" on youtube

- there was something that I saw on social media a while ago thats extremely relevant. it goes something like this: if you're Jewish, you either VIVIDLY remember the first time you heard/learned/were told about the Holocaust or you simply don't remember the first time." to unpack: the second option is scarier because the unsaid part is that you don't remember because it's so prevalent. you don't remember because its always been talked about with/to/around you. it's normal for you to hear about it. that's extremely scary. and for me personally, when i heard this I tried to see if I can recall the first time and I can't. honestly, it gave me a WHOLE new perspective.

- effectively every jewish activist account on social media is posting something right now about this. here's a couple on instagram: @rootsmetals @jewishlgbtq @whatisjudaism @progressivejudaism @jewishpridealways @standwithus theres more, look for them, read the posts.

Watch this:

youtube

it's chilling. its a group of schoolchildren at a Jewish school in 1933 in Munkacs. they are singing the Israeli national anthem, Hatikvah [the Hope]. some of the words are different, instead of it saying "to be a free nation in our land" it says "to dwell in the land of our forefathers." the words are different because this was before the establishment of the modern state of Israel. all of these children were later murdered in the Holocaust (this is paraphrased from @jewishlgbtq's caption on instagram).

and now watch this:

youtube

Koolulam is a group that aims to bring people together in peace through song. This video is of several thousand people singing the song "Chai" ("Life") 3 years ago in honor of Yom HaShoah. all of the people singing in this video are Holocaust survivors and their descendants. this video is full of life and hope.

it's not enough to say "Never Again" or "Never Forget". speak up, stand up, condemn antisemitism, genocide and all forms of hatred. Antisemitism did not start OR end with the Holocaust. in the US, Jews account for ~2% of the population but antisemitism accounts for ~60% percent of religious hate crimes. antisemitism is on the rise according to ADL statistics and it's not always outright "I hate Jews". i STRONGLY encourage you to visit an activist account on instagram because they all have posts on this.

For many people, this day holds greater weight and sorrow than International Holocaust Remembrance Day back in January. Most Jews have ties to the Holocaust and it impacts them to this day. Also, while Jews were not the only victims of the Holocaust, Yom HaShoah is specifically in commemoration of the 6 million Jews who died.

i'll reblog with some way you can commemorate so it's an easier place.

Never Forget, Never Again

#yom hashoah #jewish #neverforget #neveragain #holocaust rememberance day #holocaust #jumblr #shoah #edited to add siren vid

269 notes · View notes

renaerys · 3 years

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PPG One-Shot: Spelling Bee (Brick/Blossom)

Happy birthday to @genovah! She is always inspiring me to come up with more PPG content, a true hero. I’m back with another entry in the ongoing Shooketh, Not Stirred high school AU Reds series for your entertainment. As always, this can be read alone, but it happens in the same universe as part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, and part 5. This is also posted on my AO3.

Summary: Brick and Blossom hunker down in the library to study for the upcoming regional spelling bee.

***Reblogs are extremely appreciated, since this probably won’t show up in the tags due to cursing. Thank you! <3

xxx

In fairness, Brick had come to the library during his free period with the pure intention to learn. And he was certainly learning something. But somewhere between sliding into his seat opposite Blossom and watching her lips move around insouciant as if it were a strawberry slathered in ganache, his purity was torn from his weak, teenage boy fingers and there was absolutely no going back.

“Brick, are you listening to me?” She touched his hand across the table.

“Yup.”

“Did you need me to repeat the word?”

“Yup.”

“In-SOO-see-uhnt.” She sounded it out slowly, and hand to god, that dominating SOO went straight to his cock.

This, of course, was fine.

“Origin?” he asked.

She twirled her hair around her finger and puckered her lips. “French.”

Fuck.

“I…”

Blossom mistook his increasingly horny stupor for plain old stupor and sighed. “Are you even trying? Because if I didn’t know better, I’d say you were completely fine with Darla Dimpleton going to regionals instead of one of us.”

“I am not fine with that.”

Darla Dimpleton was an unassuming, unthreatening nobody with the personality of plain oatmeal. Brick would never have even bothered to learn her name had she not committed the cardinal sin of scoring so much extra credit while everyone else was busy having lives that she stole the number one GPA right from under him. Which meant she stole it from under Blossom too. Which meant Brick was no longer a respectable silver medal to Blossom’s gold, but currently ranked third and therefor merely happy to be on the podium at all (and for the record, no one has ever been happy merely to be on the podium, just like no one has ever been happy winning Most Improved: you sucked, and now you suck a little less. Except this time, you actually suck more because Darla fucking Dimpleton decided to Quaker Oats her way to the top of this rat race that doesn’t actually matter, but it’s the principle of the thing, i.e., the only thing that matters.).

All of this to say, Darla Dimpleton was the Worst™ and she was one hundred percent going down.

“Are you sure? Because you’re being awfully cavalier about this. Some might even call you insouciant.”

It was a testament to Brick’s powerful fondness for winning and being seen doing it that he spelled insouciant in one Darla Dimpleton-shaped cock blocking breath.

Blossom smiled like she knew something. “Much better.”

Yeah, she knows a lot of things.

The problem with dating, Brick was convinced, was that suddenly the mundane became extraordinary. Everyday experiences that he had previously taken for granted—flying around Townsville, enjoying a cup of coffee, thwarting his sometimes murderous demonic overlord from distributing incriminating polaroids, that sort of thing—were suddenly exciting, thrilling even. Because now he got to do those things with Blossom, and Blossom was cool in a smarmy, elitist sort of way that both softened his heart and hardened his dick all at the same time, and that was kind of A Lot to deal with at 9 a.m. on a Tuesday.

“All right, do me,” Blossom said, and Brick coughed so badly his aforementioned weak, teenage boy fingers shook to stifle himself.

Mercy, he thought, probably. But all his blood was rushing south and it was going to take a supernatural willpower to get through these words so that one of them could beat the upstart porridge peasant to this year’s regional spelling bee.

“You’re the boss,” he said, because it was true, and also because he liked the way she looked at him when he said it. Like he was now the ganache-coated strawberry in this overextended metaphor that he was too laden with Homeric concupiscence being in her general proximity to unpack.

Concupiscence, there’s a ten dollar word for you, you horny genius.

He made a mental note to brag to Blossom about this later.

“Okay, let’s see…” Brick made a show of organizing the flashcards so that she wouldn’t see him discreetly re-situate his pants under the table. “Your word is cymotrichous.”

Blossom tapped her lips, and Brick found himself sympathizing with the Puritans in their absolute befuddlement over the libidinous effect of women having lips. Witchcraft, surely. “Could you use it in a sentence for me?”

Compelled entirely by black magic and therefor not responsible for his imminently questionable choices, Brick obliged her with: “Thinking about how I’d rather run my fingers through your cymotrichous hair for the rest of free period instead of sit here spelling words no one’s ever heard of.”

Blossom, who he was dead certain was extremely thirsty for him and had been for years long before they ever reconciled their rivalry, leaned over the desk separating them. Her hair, long and loose and indeed quite wavy today, was tempting. “Brick, are you flirting with me?”

It was a well-known fact of being a Weak-Fingered, Teenage Boy that one must never reveal such weakness, especially not in front of one’s girlfriend. On the other hand, co-opting said weakness and rebranding it as the suave truth was galaxy brain levels of flirting. And Brick, as has already been established, was a horny genius. “Yup.” He leaned in to meet her, and he twirled her hair between his fingers because they were weak for her, indeed. “How am I doing?”

Blossom, too determined to let her thirst deter her from her goal of sweet, academic retribution and bragging rights, tapped a finger to his lips. “Great. But we have so many words to spell, and only thirty minutes left to do them all. So get shuffling, stud.”

Well, he could work with that. One thing that made his relationship with Blossom work very well was their insatiable competitiveness. Whether they were whaling on each other over an empty parking lot, debating the efficacy of post-its as a note-taking device, or combining their powers to Captain Planet a cornmeal know-it-all back down the leaderboard where she belonged, they were relentless glory chasers. And the greater the challenge, the more they enjoyed the experience and each other.

Blossom spelled her word perfectly, by the way. She stretched out the o-u-s at the end in a bewitching little whisper as she pulled away and her hair slipped through his fingers. That moment when the light changes and the temperature shifts and you’re weightless in a state of existential anticipation of something monumental about to happen, but not quite? That happened. Thirty minutes to explore the shape of that anticipation was enough time to taste it but not enough to savor it. Which, Brick supposed, was about to make this the best thirty minutes he was likely going to get all week.

“Are you ready?” Blossom watched him from behind the card she’d drawn. She had a glint in her eyes that told him she was smiling behind that card.

“Anytime.”

“Your word is eudaemonic.”

That fucking gorgeous ooh again.

“Define it.”

Blossom flushed as though he had just ordered her to bend over. She bit her lip (it must have been a ten Hail Mary’s kind of day when the Witch-Finder General caught a flesh and blood woman doing that with her improbably sorcerous lips) and grinned. “It means producing happiness. Based on the idea of happiness as the proper end of conduct.”

Producing happiness, which is proper, much like how Blossom came off as proper and even prim around adults, when really she was the most fun, most confident, most person he’d ever met, especially when she was spelling in that chiffon top (son of a bitch, that was a great top on her), and the only conduct he was interested in was of the happiest kind.

“Oh.” His throat clenched, and then his stomach twisted, and then his pants grew little too tight again in a full-body chain reaction that began and ended with a fierce determination not to give in first even though it would mean release because release would be meaningless without this etymological tête-à-tête.

Don’t think about tête-à-têtes.

Seventeenth century, noun, borrowed from the French meaning literally “head to head” (please, please stop hurting yourself like this).

“Brick?”

Brick cleared his throat. “Yup. Got it. E-u-d…”

Crisis averted, Brick picked the next card and promptly choked on his own tongue. Blossom made a show like she was concerned and are you all right? and please drink some water. Brick drank her water, which of course she had had her anatomically heretical lips on earlier, which was just fantastic for him. Tuesday fucking morning.

Milieu was her word.

“Milieu, hmm.” Blossom’s smile was spellbinding, which was a pun because he punned when he panicked. “Origin?”

You bitch, he thought, and be cool, and also, witchcraft.

Brick leaned back in his chair, slipped his trembling hands in his pockets, and squeezed every ounce of anything you can do I can do better into a winsome grin. “French.”

Blossom’s adult-facing façade cracked like an egg, and he got a glimpse of the raw delight she felt for this game, for the words, and for him for making it happen. For cultivating the electric milieu, if you will, currently driving them both into a state of impassioned, competitive euphoria at 9:42 a.m. in the library.

“Right, um…” She stumbled over her words, and Brick had to restrain himself from crowing for joy and risk the rheumy-eyed librarian coming to scold them.

By the time they got through another set of words, they were each visibly frustrated and doubly turned on by the other’s masochistic resolve not to throw in the towel.

“Okay, ready for another round?”

She wasn’t even trying to hide her intentions now, and that was just fine with Brick. “Of course.”

One more.

If it was another French word, he was fucking done.

“Really?” Blossom truly had ice in her veins for the way she was able to school her face then. He couldn’t read her, and that was very bad.

If it’s another fucking French word…

He could be over the desk and on her faster than you could say concupiscence.

“Okay.” Blossom set down the flashcard she’d drawn and folded her hands on the table. She looked him dead in the eye licked her lips. “Succedaneum.”

The bookshelf shook but Brick’s fingers didn’t as they pinned Blossom’s over a Dewey Decimal-stamped spine and he kissed her with all the horny passion of a teenage genius who would make a note to thank the devil for giving women lips. One of his better ideas.

xxx

“Hey, has anyone seen Blossom? I’ve sent her, like, four texts!” Bubbles shoved her phone, open to the ignored texts in question, in her sister’s face. “She was supposed to help me with Chem homework.”

Buttercup ducked. “No, and watch where you’re swinging that thing.”

“I saw her earlier,” Boomer said. “She was with Brick coming out of first period.”

“Oh, yeah.” Mike slung his arm around Boomer’s shoulders. “Don’t they both have a free period right now?”

Buttercup rolled her eyes. “What a scam. Whoever decided to give the A-students free periods while the rest of us mere mortals gotta slave away is a straight-up Supervillain.”

Boomer snapped his fingers. “Hey, I just remembered! They both decided to compete for the spot at the regional spelling bee this year. I bet that’s what they’re doing.”

“God, that’s the saddest thing I have ever heard in my life. That’s a new low even for Blossom.”

“I heard there’s a cash prize for the regional winner,” Bubbles said. “It’s like twenty thousand bucks! Remember, everyone in school signed up and we had to have that assembly to narrow it down?”

“Twenty thou— How the tits did I miss that?!”

“I mean, it was all over the school,” Mike said. “We signed up too.”

“What? And no one thought to tell me I could’ve won the lottery?”

Boomer chuckled. “Dude, come on. You wouldn’t have stood a chance in hell against Darla Dimpleton.”

“Who?”

Bubbles cast Boomer a not worth it look, and he just sighed. “So, if they’re studying for the spelling bee, do you think they’re in the library?”

At that moment, Butch came bursting down the hall a little too fast to be human. Open lockers rattled on their hinges as he passed, and a Sophomore girl’s binder went flying, scattering looseleaf papers everywhere. Buttercup looked ready to punch him in the dick for breaking the no powers in school rule. “Guys, you’re gonna shit!”

“Calm down before you blow a load, Jesus Christ.” Buttercup yanked him back down to the floor so he wouldn’t spontaneously float.

Sensibly, Boomer asked, “Why?”

“‘Cause Brick and Blossom are making out in the library right now!”

Mike cringed. “Oh, come on.”

“The hell they are,” Buttercup said.

Bubbles smiled. “Good for them.”

“I’m serious! There were books everywhere, and the noise—”

“Oh look, there goes my dignity. Better catch it before it gets away. C’mon, moron.” Buttercup dragged Butch down the hall over his protests. “What were you even doing in the library? I didn’t think you knew where it was…”

“Like that could ever happen,” Mike said. “Those two wouldn’t waste a minute of study time if it means beating out the competition.”

Boomer did not look so convinced. “I don’t know. I mean, they’re officially, for real dating now,”—“Finally!” Mike interjected—“so it’s not that unbelievable.”

The bell for the next period rang. Bubbles groaned thinking of stewing for an hour of Chem. At least she shared that class with Boomer and would not have to suffer alone. They parted from Mike and walked together through the throng of students rushing to get to their next period.

“Hey, do you think…”

“I mean…” Boomer shrugged.

They rounded the corner and nearly ran into Blossom dashing to her next class with a rushed “Got your texts talk later bye!” before she disappeared into the crowd.

Bubbles whirled on Boomer. “Did you see her buttons—”

“Completely uneven—”

The late bell rang and made them jump. Among the last stragglers, they both dashed a bit too fast to get to class and made it to their seats just as Mr. Micelli finished writing a problem on the board.

Boomer winked when she caught his eye a couple desks away from hers, and it took everything she had not to laugh.

“Good for her,” Bubbles said to herself.

“You are late,” Mr. Micelli said.

Everyone turned to watch Brick sink into his seat, his short hair totally askew and looking healthily flushed for a Tuesday morning.

Boomer burst out laughing and needed a whole minute to calm down.

He’d tell her later that the detention was worth it.

xxx

Witchcraft! 👁️👄👁️✨

#powerpuff girls #blossick #ppg reds #ppg blossom #ppg brick #ppg shook #powerpuff girls fanfic #february fic prompts #this probably won't show up in the tag due to cursing #so reblogs are super appreciated!!

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canceltheact · 3 years

Text

Cancel The Act: The Definitive Theory of Lunky, Lixian, and Actor Mark

Hello there theorists! This is the big one - the (hopefully) final draft of CancelTheAct.

For those of you that have been following this tale of truth, perserverance, and chromatic aberration,you may find that a few section of this are exactly the same. It basically is the same theory, but with a few things tightened up (see post from two days ago) and some updated information. This is the big one we’re hoping on spreading, so be sure to reblog this one like you’ve done before. We really appreciate all the support you’ve given this assertion.

And for those who are seeing this for the first time...welcome! This is a theory exploring what's been going on the past few months on Markiplier's channel, and the side story that connects the odd goings-on. If you support this theory, spread the word on Twitter and reblog, not just like, on Tumblr with the hashtags and this very site.

Thank you for all the support, folks! Now...let's talk about the truth. We'll see you on the other side.

So, if you are a Markiplier fan on the interwebs, you have no doubt seen the newest Cloak ad that was in the Cooking Simulator video from about a month ago and noticed something...off. Something... suspicious. And if you follow Mark lore, you know that this was NOT ordinary Mark. This was Actor. The robe underneath the Cloak merchandise he was wearing, the spotlights and cracking of his body reminiscent of the Darkiplier ending from AHWM, and of course, what he says in a haughty tone of voice, seeming to be the opposite of his opening stair spiel in WKM: "It's not about you...it's about me." Heading over to instagram, we get more interesting stuff, with a description of the ad clearly reflecting the events of WKM from Actor's skewed and self-righteous perspective.

Was this just a ploy for marketing purposes, you ask? How could it be important to something? Well, Cloak's response to said post says it all: "oh". Meaning they had NO CLUE this was coming.

Even in that Cooking Simulator video, there were signs that this wasn't just pertaining to an ad. In the kitchen of the game, he comments "Modern is stupid; I’ve always said this; I want the classics," quite a different opinion from the man we knew that owned FIVE OVENS, but would seem quite on brand for someone who lived in a old-style manor - even the Youtube description seems a bit suspicious saying that "this time, I'm gonna show everyone what I'm all about." No doubt, Actor Mark has made quite a return, for seemingly NO REASON, right? Right? Well....not exactly. We’re here to tell you that Actor's been here for quite a longer time than you might expect.

For those who have been paying attention to Markiplier for the past couple months, you may have noticed some strange, yet fleeting events.

The stick figure monstrosity known as Lunky invading Mark’s channel for one day. The strange revelation that Markiplier isn’t real, yet 6 days later denied by the very man who confirmed it. The erratic behavior of the editor known as Lixian.

Such strange goings on, isn’t it? But I have reason to believe that these incidents are part of a greater step in the lore of Markiplier. That these very events are tied to each other, and something much bigger than the sum of their parts. Many people have had their thoughts on what this all means. It’s time we threw our hat full of overthinking and crazed observation into the ring. Hopefully, this theory will help uncover a bigger story. A story of control, reality… and CHROMATIC ABERRATION.

First of all, let’s answer the question: is Markiplier real? Answer: No, he’s not. Even with the “Markiplier isn’t Real” videos not being canon, it doesn’t mean that Markiplier is “real” after all. Because he is, and always has been in terms of CANON, Actor. (Now this doesn’t mean that every video Mark has done has been in character, just the ones that have correlation with the Lunky arc, Lunxian affair, and the Mark isn’t real stuff, as this relates to bigger story beats that are happening.) Think about it. After the events of WKM, Actor (who already was a Youtuber as seen as one of the points on the Detective’s theory board reads “What is a Let’s Play?” implying to Mark’s original ticket to Youtube) used Damien’s body as a replacement for his own and going on with his life, rising to even more Youtube fame. This makes him not who he seems, and definitely not real as the person his fans and editors in canon thought him to be. But what does this have to do with Lixian? With Lunky? What about those confessions? Well, for that, we have to start at the beginning.

Lixian and the Lunxian Affair

Though the MarkiplierIsntReal videos aren’t meant to be canon, as told to the member mixers by Mark himself, we have seen behavior from Lixian that is still similar to the entire week-long event - that Lixian has found something out about Mark. We can gauge this through not only the behavior of Mark, but of Lixian as well. Most notably, in 3 Scary Games #46, we see the description of the video of what reads like Mark’s pleas to us, calling Lixian “a monster” and that “the old methods aren't working anymore.” Actor is trying to control Lixian, and even sow the seeds of fear into his audience. Lixian, in that same video, pulls a knife on Mark and, in general, acts more antagonistic towards him. From 3 Scary Games #46, we can gather that Actor isn't happy about any information Lixian may have leaked or let loose at this point.

There are 2 big points that support this:

1. Lixian's animation sprite during the episode mainly shows up as a shadow, otherwise known as "Shadow Lixian". Lixian's animation sprite typically assumes this shadow form as a visual way to let the viewers know that he's sneaking around and doing something that Actor wouldn't approve of.

2. Actor develops the idea of a "controlled Lixian" (which is later to become known as "Lunxian") to where Actor can use his arcane powers to have Lixian do/say whatever he wishes.

But of course Actor can only come up with the idea of a perfect editor at the time, and has no real way to actually manipulate Lixian at this point. It's not until Lixian leaves for vacation that Actor puts a plan into motion.

In an attempt to try and get rid of Lixian, Actor created Lunky to try and make a replacement Lixian. This obviously didn't work, as Lunky is barely like Lixian and was seen for a time by Actor as a poor carbon copy. And as we can see in the Minecraft video where Lunky is introduced, Mark dislikes Lunky immensely, pushing him off to the side and not wanting to even edit him in. Mark doesn’t even say that he made Lunky - he just says that he’s here so that he’s not talking to himself.

Despite this separation, though, there are clues right off the bat here that Lunky and Mark are connected. Where, may you ask? Well, in the outro of this very video (Lixian Is gone, Lunky Is Here), there were some awfully interesting shrieking sounds. Almost sounded….backwards. And wouldn’t you know it, after we reversed the audio, we could hear a voice. And with a few more tweaks to the speed and to isolate all of the echoing sounds that were added to the audio (which is actually a tad important), we made out “Thanks for watching - don’t forget to like” before it dribbles off. (Hear audio here: https://canceltheact.tumblr.com/post/645011603474038784/backwards-lunky-audio-for-reference-in-todays Also, if there are any audio expert theorists out there who are more skilled than us that can get a better result, write us and tell us what you find!) However...this echoing that comes off the audio seems familiar. What other type of person has a voice that echoes? Oh right! ACTOR when using arcane powers!

This CONFIRMS, through the echos and that would be what Mark would say, that Lunky was created by Actor through the arcane power stuff and Lunky, at the moment, though trying to be a poor carbon copy of Lixian, is at most being a channel for Actor's things he would typically do on the channel, as that encapsulates the story dimension and his power as a whole. And not only does the presence of this backwards audio reveal more about this seemingly joke character, it also reveals that this is something that Mark has put time into and planned for this to be something bigger than a one-off.

But then Actor realized that he could use Lunky to do the next best thing - be an extension of his own power and subdue Lixian enough so that he would be kept quiet. So Actor bided his time with Lunky and ‘allowed’ Lixian to trap Lunky in a cage.

This backfires on Actor though, as Lunky manages to harness some of that Actor power and attempts to complete his original intent...to destroy Lixian. Lunky goes on a rampage, overtaking both Lixian’s channel and Markiplier’s channel until Lixian kills him - Or so it seems.

Actor realizes what has happened and decides to do a combination of his two previous plans: have Lunky possess Lixian, making Lunxian (a name we have come up with for this phenomena), in order to keep Lixian completely under control. We see this through two things:

1. Lunky's rainbow glitch, or chromatic aberration, around him is transferred to Lixian AFTER Lunky gets killed - and we see Lixian acting VERY differently towards the editors, saying that he’s watching them, being present in several videos outside of 3 Scary Games and being generally creepier than usual when judging from the scope in general.

2. Lixian screams "I'm the Editor" after ‘defeating’ Lunky. Interesting, isn't it? Lixian has said a few times before that he doesn’t like being called editor. But Lunky, in control of Lixian now, has a different want. Lunky was meant to be the editor for Actor, hence why Lunky would want to be called editor.

#CancelTheAct Reasoning

But now, to let you know exactly WHY we're pushing "CancelTheAct". So, Actor has used the story dimension in order to keep those he has trapped in the manor in playing out his stories, such as Dark as the villain and Abe as the detective archetypes, right? I realized: the story dimension IS the channel. And what does the channel drive on? Fans. So, Actor derives his power from being able to be the hero, the lead of the stories, and his channel in canon gauges his influence and power right? Well... Lixian is trying to EXPOSE ACTOR from what he’s found and we see that as not just exposing... but “cancel” him in the eyes of the people who GIVE HIM POWER... his fans in canon. Thereby making Actor powerless. The fans in canon will see him as a fraud, not support him, and take away his strength of his ego. Jabbing a slight bit at the now-popular cancel culture, we are siding with that fight with a clever little hashtag that can be made alongside #MarkiplierIsntReal. Though MIR was never actually a canon intention by Mark, it’s still a hashtag that people are familiar with - and as it relates to the fact that Actor has been putting on a facade, we can use it in order to rally our cause.

Rainbow Chromatic Aberration Breakdown

Why would this rainbow aberration be cause for identification of something being off? Of Actor?

Well... back in the WMW breakdown video, Mark talks about this one point in the mini movie where there’s this aberration, when Wilford and Abe go from the detective’s office to back at the dance club. Paraphrasing here, he says that this is not Darkiplier and that he just wanted to replicate the effect of a VCR rewinding to establish to take things “from the top” with Wilf and Abe’s meeting. Remember the VCR thing though, that’ll be important later. (Time stamp: 2:07:50 https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rsi_L1b1RwE&lc=Ugwo26EalTI5QP15ooF4AaABAg) This thereby establishing Warfstache’s use of gelling and framing this weird reality by manipulating time and space. We see this AGAIN in AHWM, as when the box is used in the Bob/Wade endings and we go through time, we see the SAME COLORS OF ABERRATION. Warfstache does the same VCR type thing in the interview as well. Ok, so we’ve established that the rainbow aberration implies when one (besides Dark) manipulates their time and space.

Now, these colors look familiar... where have I seen them before OH RIGHT. LUNKY. Lunky has appeared with this aberration through that video with his song (you know the one) and in the 3 scary games videos. Since we’ve seen that Lunky is connected as an extension of and creation from Actor’s power, it makes sense that Lunky would have a similar chromatic aberration. We see this fabrication from time and space (Lunky) use this manipulation power, and then, as Lixian is possessed and subdued by Lunky to become Lunxian, this aberration is also adopted. (for image examples, see Lunxian picture in the first part of this theory)

However, we have seen some slight resistance throughout these Lunxian appearances, showing signs of Lixian trying to break free, as we see in the Forest video “Escaping the Sinkhole” where he says “You think you can replace me?” But instead of the typical rainbow aberration, the colors are inverted to a purple and bluish green.

An aberration we’ve seen a couple times before: in the “DEAD” post that Lixian posted on his Twitter when he was thought to be killed, and in the flashback sequences in Lixian’s Confession which, while doesn’t give us any information for the story, still gives us context for what colors show Lixian in control.

However, despite the control of Lunky over Lixian, the past few weeks has shown the emergence of Actor, despite how he tries to keep it under wraps.

Events Post First Lunxian Emergence - Post MarkiplierIsntReal

In the past few weeks, we have seen through the types of video uploads that Mark has put out, along with Lixian’s behavior, that despite Actor’s attempts to keep his identity under wraps, there have been increasing signs in the in-canon Actor channel and Mark’s real life channel stuff that tips us off otherwise.

First off, in the first week after Markiplier Isn’t Real, there were only compilations and old footage from streams, which wasn’t exactly too important, except for a few hints through the editing that Lixian gave us - first, the fact that a lot of the text and effects were surrounded in that Lunky/Actor rainbow aberration - implying that Lixian isn’t really acting of his own free will...not controlled, per say, but not allowed to talk about the secrets of Actor.

In this same compilation, we even get a hint that something is amiss from Lixian - in a moment from the end of 3 Scary Games #38 where Mark is wholesomely preeshing Lixian, suddenly, the moment glitches in a similar fashion to how it was done at the end of Lixian’s Confession - then cuts to the scene where Lixian “kills” Lunky. This type of unusual transition into such an event lets the audience know that this event is important and something to pay attention to.

Secondly, in the 3 scary games compilation, we have an interesting change in edit that Lixian made - instead of the normal jumpscare from 3 scary games #57 with Mark with no eyes, Lunky is plastered over Mark’s face, implying Actor and Lunky’s connection.

The interesting thing that has popped up from these videos isn’t just the type of game that has been done, but, specifically, the behavior of Lixian. And it mainly started with the editor collabs that Lixian has been doing with Marcus (aka Nerd Fiction) and Rachel, the two new editors for Markiplier’s channel- not only a tool to help them learn the ropes to the type of editing Lixian does, but also leaving room for an interesting plot device.

In the first simulator collab episode, “Cooking Simulator”, Lixian seemed to be able to be in control by Actor, doing his VCR chromatically aberrated bidding, but being a bit more acting of his own free will, being a bit more resentful of the job instead of compliant.

However, in the second simulator collab video, “Car Accident Simulator”, Lixian seems a LOT LESS compliant and even rebellious. Yet Mark seems to be ok with joshing Lixian’s chain around, even mockingly calling him editor. Even more interesting…the fact that Lixian says “I’ve got all your dirt!”, implying his knowledge and slight ability to share the truth.

So, why is this? Well we think that Mark still thinks Lixian can’t escape, but Lixian is simply biding his time to get free from Lunky and Actor’s grasp... still playing along with Actor’s game, but planning to get stronger and plan an attack.

Unfortunately, this state of the upper hand does not last long. In the Forest 3 Peens stream before this, we get another Lunky appearance, with Mark seeing. Combined with the rebellious behavior he sees Lixian have and Lunky now being separate from Lixian, Actor sees that Lixian is not under control again, and realizes he has to take further action.

Breaking the Facade

This leads us to the latest 3 Scary Games: #64 and #65. In these two, some of the last regular appearances of Lixian, we see jumpscares like usual, but these monsters are...different. The spider monster in #64 is much more detailed than any monster we’ve seen before, and in #65, the fake Mark stand-in speaks in a newer type of audio voice effect. And in both of these video outros, Lixian is shown defeating them both with an axe, fighting them off. (not showing images due to arachnophobia that spider is dang scary) This tips us off that these monsters are different than just the typical jumpscares we see in 3 Scary Games - Lixian is deliberately against these monsters. And in BOTH VIDEOS, Lixian is in the same position, asking where Mark is.

This is why we haven’t seen Lixian in videos since this - because he is trapped in an area either by Lunky or Actor, fighting off these monsters and unable to escape while Actor keeps up his facade.

However, despite this, through real life and in canon, Actor’s facade has been breaking to us little by little.

The Reddit banner changing from a Heist promo to a picture of Date Mark a week after MIR.

In the “Teardown” video, Mark is shown with some interesting edits when he goes to shoot a tree - seems normal, but with that font being Lunky’s font and his background being red, this definitely seems like Actor - even the things he says,” You wronged me and it’s only right for me to come to pay back what is due” - seems like he’s projecting anger from the people in his past onto this tree.

Then, even the day after the infamous Cloak promo, we see even MORE allusion through referencing Actor scenarios THREE TIMES in the “Stormwatch” video: once referring to WKM, once referring to the END music and filter from WKM, and a reference to the Warfstache Markiplier interview, which points to Actor from THIS CONVERSATION: “You heard it here first ladies and gentlemen Markiplier has admitted to NEVER KILLING ANYBODY.” “Well I never said that”.

Looking back at the cloak promo for the self love story line, Mark himself has said that the promo featuring him wearing Actor’s robe was a last-minute choice by him, as he was largely involved with the release of this line. Even so, there are certain details that simply can't be ignored. Enter: At Dead of Night Part 1. During the video, Mark just decides that he has to leave the room, glitches out of the room, and after an uncomfortable amount of silence, he jumpscares us after some spooky red light engulfs the room. In this period of time, there are TWO things that separate it from the normal type of jumpscare that would be found when Mark plays a scary game (despite it NOT being 3 scary games video)

1. We see a quick flash of what appears to be Shadow Lix...until we look at the eyes.

This aberration definitely shows signs of Lunky - looking like Lunxian has returned.

2. Mark returns...with the same Cloak shirt that Actor was wearing in the promo over his robe. Probably just promoting the brand, right? Well this video was five days after the promo was released, quite an arbitrary number for just doing an empty reference to the promo, especially since the day of its premiere, February 16, was around the day the Self Love Story line was dying down and not needed to be promoted. And all the while Mark plays, the Actor robe is on the dresser in the background - the first time we've seen it since the promo in the first place.

Even considering the fact that the promo was a last minute choice, WHY would Mark bring it back up again? WHY would he nudge us with the hints to connect the promo to something bigger - unless he WAS planning something a bit bigger.

Other strange occurrences have been happening in bits and pieces throughout other videos. A Lunxian appearance in the Barn Finders episode.

And curiously enough, a jumpscare in a Forest video from a previously used 3 Scary Games video - #62, to be exact, and the only one who has eyes that are similar to Lunky’s.

Combine that with the fact that despite Lixian editing a lot of this video, he doesn’t show up at ALL to being called editor - this is showing that Lixian isn’t in charge of editing the videos - Lunky is in control. And the monsters coming out of the closet is a clear sign of another one of Lunky’s monsters that might have bled through the area between where Lixian is trapped and where Mark is - the 3 Scary Games dimension, if you will.

The Next Plot Step

The next 3 Scary Games videos since this time have clearly been very, very telling of this banishment and kidnapping of Lixian. Let’s go over some of the most important details, namely from #66, #67, and #69.

In #66, we see the latest monster in the line of the three we’ve seen before, such as the spider and the fake Mark; the squid monster fake Mark. This monster says the same things as the last monster: “Your end is near. Your end is here”, with the same font we’ve come to know of Lunky and Lunxian. (first pic #65, second #66)

But this time…Lixian’s axe doesn’t work. Why? Well, as we can see, there’s some kind of…force field.

Of…dark red. HMM…. looks awfully familiar. Even though we’ve never seen it before. Like RED, ARCANE ENERGY. There’s no doubt about it. Lunky, and by proxy Actor, are making the monsters stronger. So Lixian can’t escape.

And as we see in #67...this has seemed to work. As towards the end of that episode…

Lixian is…not doing good. At all. As we see him in an area, a rock or something, coated in red. Lixian is in trouble. It seems the monsters have finally banished him to a place where he cannot fight back, where he cannot tell the truth he knows. The red lighting looks similar to the prison in where Lunky was kept, possibly entrapping him in a prison of his own making.

Interestingly enough, before this, we see Mark’s “monster” thing: his eyes, moving aLLLL around. And the aberration on him is a tad rainbow-y. Could this be an allusion to Lunky, whose power is all about his eyes?

But...the most INTERESTING video was of course, #69...where quite a few things were confirmed. Let’s tackle them in this breakdown linked here, shall we? https://canceltheact.tumblr.com/post/649094311147978752/3-scary-games-69-the-eldritch-resurgence

We should have you caught up with all of our important findings for now. As you can see, Actor has been playing his games for quite some time. But he’s gotten bold - far too bold, to reveal himself to us like this. And this is where you, dear reader, come into play. It’s not too late to end this game Actor has us in. We, the viewers, give these alternative egos power, and if we refuse to play Actor’s games any further and cancel his acts, we can begin to weaken and perhaps even eliminate Actor’s grip on the channel. We believe that the time is now. Spread this post if you support it - reblog it, hashtag it on Twitter or Tumblr, use the hashtags #CancelTheAct and #MarkiplierIsntReal. This may be our only avenue to have our voices heard, and to truly unearth what the Actor has been threading together all along.

Chromatic Aberration Appendix (Yay!)

Hey there folks! I’ve decided to do a companion writing on my theory, that explains exactly WHAT chromatic aberration is and why it’s important to the current Mark lore.

Chromatic aberration is the glitchy effect of various colors surrounding words, objects, or people. There are quite a few different types of this aberration, and as they are an important part of this theory, this section is to denote the different types of aberration and what they mean.

“Rainbow” Aberration - This aberration has been used multiple times as a representation for the manipulation of time and reality in order to control someone - we see this used in AHWM as we surge through time using the artifact, and as Warfstache brings us to our proper interview location in time/space. This effect has also been associated with the effects or rewinding of a VCR, as Mark says in his WMW breakdown video when discussing said effect when Warfstache takes Abe back to the disco club to “have a little fun”. And as we have seen in this part of the lore, Actor has used this type of power as well in order to control people’s reality. This aberration, therefore, denotes for those OUTSIDE Actor’s planned story - which is why Warfstache has it (since he has no role), why Lunky has it (because he was created as something to exist outside the story dimension and to fill a role that wasn’t a set role in Actor’s story in the first place) and was used initially, yet unsuccessfully by Actor to control Lixian (because he was working outside his story onto someone who didn’t necessarily have a role)

Heavy Presence of Red Aberration - this aberration, though more of an aura than anything else, indicates the control and presence of Actor, as seen in “Damien” - though this isn’t used too often, it is often used with Lunky’s rise of power, such as in “He escaped...” and at the end of various 3SGs.

Lixian’s Aberration - this combination of dark purple, teal, and greenish blue aberration is present in Lixian’s confession and is a marker of when Lixian is in control - as seen in Lixian’s confession and the “DEAD” picture post on his Twitter.

#markiplier #markiplierGAME #markiplier game #markiplier lore #markiplier lunky #markiplierisntreal #markiplierlore #canceltheact #lunky #lixian #markiplier theory #actormark

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luna-the-moth · 3 years

Text

Satan and Lucifer Holding Hands for 24 Hours (SFW/Crack)

Hello love! Thanks for this was request, it was a delight to write! SFW. Here’s the link to the first part, if anyone missed it.

Also, I am so sorry I haven’t been writing the past few days, irl and fandom drama took at toll on my mental and physical health, and I had to step back for a bit. I’m back now though, and will be starting a consistent schedule with my writing.

My ask box is open, but please read my rules and guidelines before requesting! Reblogs, likes, and comments are lovely and greatly appreciated!

Lucifer and Satan Holding Hands for 24 Hours (SFW/Crack)

Oohhhh boy

After the previous incident, Mammon and Levi had grown closer, but not in the way Lucifer would wish.

The pair wanted vengeance, after all, their reputations were spat upon, and were made to look like fools!

Levi couldn’t join a single raid without someone making a reference to his predicament, as his punishment had become a viral meme thanks to a certain Avatar of Lust.

Mammon got less professional gigs, and got ridiculed more often than before, demons and their spawn laughing at him on the streets.

Whearas Lucifer had stood and laughed, sadistic bastard.

They wanted revenge, but unfortunately, neither Mammon nor Levi had the expertise and experience to curse a demon of such power like Lucifer.

However, a certain sorcerer was more than willing to help.

Solomon had watched as Mammon’s and Levi’s punishment unfolded, enjoying popcorn as the two struggled.

Seeing Lucifer in the same situation would be so much more entertaining, and it’d surely make headlines.

So when Mammon and Levi showed up at his door, asking for help, how could he turn down such a tempting opportunity?

After tedious preparation and bargaining for ingredients, the snow-haired wizard had procured an flask, with a iridescent liquid swishing inside.

“Pour this on Lucifer and the being of your choice, when they have physical contact with each other. This is like a strong adhesive, and neither will be able to detach, until it wears off in 24 hours.”

Levi and Mammon had taken it eagerly, anticipating the spectacle of the century, the Lucifer Morningstar, having his hand stuck to someone else’s.

But who, was the question.

As they were pondering the thought in Mammon’s room, they suddenly heard a loud thud, and the beginnings of an argument.

Specifically, one between Lucifer and Satan.

It seemed that Lucifer had spoiled another novella that Satan was reading, and Satan seemed particularly pissy about this one.

Why not?

After all, Satan had laughed at their expense, offering no help or solutions.

In fact, he was one of the ones who spread the meme of their punishment!

So, Mammon and Levi decided to enact their plan at dinner, where they would have the best chance at executing the prank.

That night, Satan had made dinner, and the plan was going smoothly so far.

It went as chaotically as per usual, at least one pair of brothers bickering, Beel was devouring his portion, and Belphie was snoozing on the side.

As dishes were being cleaned, Levi ‘accidentally’ pushed Satan into Lucifer, colliding the two.

Quick as lightening, Mammon dumped the vial’s contents onto their fingers, effectively lacing Lucifer’s and Satan’s hands in a classic, rom-com position.

At that moment, the house was dead silent, perhaps the first time silence had ruled the household in eons.

In sync, Lucifer and Satan whipped their heads toward Mammon, fury burning in both of their eyes.

Like father like son

“Mammon, release our hands immediately.”

To their chagrin, they had spoken in sync as well, only adding fuel to the flames.

But by that time, the two had already snapped pictures, and a short clip.

With a shit-eating grin, Mammon held up his phone,

“Don’t ya worry, Lucifer! It’ll only last ya 24 hours!”

And with that, Lucifer and Satan stumbled over each other in an attempt to grab the phones, but unfortunately fell on top of each other due to being uncoordinated.

Snickering, Mammon and Levi watched as the videos gained traction, raising in likes and comments.

That night, Lucifer and Satan had refused to let the other sleep in their bedroom, and begrudgingly slept in your room, asking demanding you to sleep on the couch for a night.

Which you reluctantly agreed to, as both avatars looked like they were about to bite off each other’s heads.

For their nightly routine, it was...awkward to say the least.

Satan had taken advantage of his situation, to make Lucifer miserable.

Lucifer’s skincare routine ‘miraculously’ spoiled, emitting a rotten scent.

He ‘accidentally’ hit Lucifer’s elbow with his own, in order to knock toothpaste foam onto his nightgown.

Then spilled Lucifer’s nightly glass of wine over said nightgown, resulting in them bickering for hours.

Satan argued that if Lucifer hadn’t punished Mammon and Levi in such a manner, then this wouldn’t have happen.

Lucifer retaliated, saying that it was a necessary punishment, digging in his heels.

For the rest of the night, neither one had accumulated any sleep, as both slept in opposite positions. Lucifer slept on his back, while Satan slept in a curled up, fetal position.

In the morning, they had noticeable eye strain, and had to use concealer in order to hide the signs of their exhaustion.

Aside from meals, they had locked themselves in your room, not wanting anyone to see them in such an embarrassing state.

At breakfast, Lucifer had spilled coffee on Satan as Satan reached for something in the opposite direction at the same time.

“Satan, stop trying to tug me away while I’m pouring cof-”

“......”

Oops.

Before long, Satan was shooting insults and criticism at Lucifer, saying that his new sweater was ruined because of his carelessness.

Which, as you may have guessed, did not boil over well.

Levi and Mammon had mercifully chosen a weekend to commit to their prank, so Satan and Lucifer were spared from the humility.

At least, face to face.

Online, posts and fanfic were thriving, pictures of Lucifer and Satan holding hands in the center of the chaos.

Especially Diavolo.

For the rest of the day, both demons decided to stay off social media, in order to cause less destruction.

However, it didn’t stop them from constantly attacking each other.

Lucifer was unable to do paperwork, as Satan would jerk his hands erratically when signing, intentionally messing his signature up.

In return, Lucifer would play cat noises in inconspicuous parts of the room they were in, watching as Satan looked around, curious to see if a feline were hiding nearby.

All the while Mammon and Levi hid around the house, waiting for a chance to catch their brothers holding hands.

As the day went by, you could hear various objects shattering and the deep voice of Lucifer scolding Satan.

Every.

Damn.

Hour.

At this point everyone (besides Mammon and Levi), was getting tired.

In the early stages of their punishment, it was greatly amusing, but gradually turned irritating.

The two demons couldn’t stop bickering for one hour, and while their fights were petty, it often escalated into greater arguments.

By the time the magic had worn off, it was father/son duo shot away from each other, fast as lightning.

“Finally, I was getting tired of being stuck to your ego all day.”

Satan spat, placing a hand on his hip.

Opting to simply give a tired sigh, Lucifer turned towards Mammon and Levi, a dark aura surrounding him.

Summoning a large spool of rope, he deadpanned.

“Now as for the both of you. Don’t think your actions will go unpunished.”

#my writing #obey me #obey me headcanon #obey me lucifer #obey me satan #obey me crack #obey me fluff #obey me scenario #obey me swd #obey me mammon #obey me leviathan

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welovethecloudboytoomuch · 2 years

Text

I posted 1,491 times in 2021

307 posts created (21%)

1184 posts reblogged (79%)

For every post I created, I reblogged 3.9 posts.

I added 1,505 tags in 2021

#welovecloud - 352 posts

#mha vigilantes - 234 posts

#bnha - 185 posts

#mha - 184 posts

#mhav - 165 posts

#bnha vigilantes - 104 posts

#everyone go read vigilantes challenge - 89 posts

#oboro shirakumo - 81 posts

#koichi haimawari - 65 posts

#loud cloud - 46 posts

Longest Tag: 138 characters

#like the dude tried to fight stain and i imagine kiri doens’t know so he’s just like ‘you did what???’ to most of the things soga has done

My Top Posts in 2021

437 notes • Posted 2021-10-07 14:21:35 GMT

Ya wanna know something that someone on here said that’s been fucking me up for a while??

So, like we know from Vigilantes that when Aizawa erases Mic’s quirk he can’t speak. This is because his quirk is his voice and he doesn’t seem to be able to turn it on and off in a traditional sense.

But if Mic got shot with one of those Quirk erasing bullets he just WOULDN’T BE ABLE TO TALK, EVER AGAIN?

And the angst?? Aizawa rushing to him in a hospital because someone said there is something wrong with Mic. When he enters the room Mic looks fine, not physically hurt in anyway and Hizashi just gives him this small smile.

Aizawa asks what’s wrong, and starts panicking when instead of replying back to him, Hizashi starts writing on a piece of paper in front of him.

It simply reads, “Got shot. It was one of those Quirk erasing bullets. Can’t talk.”

When Aizawa looks back at Hizashi again he notices that small smile is accompanied by tears in Mic’s eyes.

533 notes • Posted 2021-08-25 20:55:30 GMT

DFO but Izuku is Jack-Jack from the Incredibles.

and AFO has to hide it from Inko and track down the owners of the quirks Izuku stole because “LASER EYES? Where did you get that one?!”

The "hide the quirks from Inko and return them" game includes:

AFO holding onto multiple Izuku's and trying to wrangle them all together because Inko is in the next room and oh god he's so screwed.

Izuku gleefully terrorising the racoon that's been eating their garbage and AFO is so proud, but also he should probably do something about that because the noise is going to draw the neighbors’ attention.

and POV: you are the most powerful villain on earth and your son spontaneously bursts into flame

also:

AFO: Honey, where's my supersuit?

Inko: What?

AFO: Where's my supersuit?

Inko: WHAT?

AFO: Where Is My SUPERSUIT?

Inko: I uh, put it away!

AFO: Where?

Inko: WHY do you need to know?

AFO: I need it!

Inko: Un-uh don't you think about running off doin' no daring-do. We've been planning this dinner for 2 months!

AFO: The public totally legitimate business is in danger!

Inko: My evening's in DANGER!

AFO: You tell me where my suit is woman! We're talking about the greater good!

Inko: GREATER GOOD? I AM YOUR WIFE! I AM THE GREATEST ‘GOOD’ YOU ARE EVER GONNA GET!

552 notes • Posted 2021-11-25 00:08:22 GMT

This panel never ceases to make me laugh, like

AFO is being a serious™️ villain and using toy blocks to illustrate his point and asking Kurogiri’s opinion but Kurogiri is just like:

799 notes • Posted 2021-08-14 01:01:42 GMT

After all this, everyone returns to UA only to find Aizawa and Mic desperately trying to hide Kurogiri by covering him with a blanket.

1507 notes • Posted 2021-08-14 17:14:45 GMT

Get your Tumblr 2021 Year in Review →

#my 2021 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review #welovecloud #yes two of my most popular posts are the same panel what of it

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angstsfordays · 3 years

Text

Beautiful Pain (6)

Chapter Six- Growing Pains

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Enhanced! Reader

Summary: Post-Blip, you started to feel lost when most of the Avengers team are gone. Coping with your loss, you still find hope in the connection with your remaining friends. However, it is not easy as everyone is trying to figure their lives after the Blip.

Having a long history with Bucky ever since you both saved each other from Hydra, you were still glad you had Bucky after all this time. However, as you try to give Bucky space to find himself after being pardoned for his past, you start to wonder if you should ever cross the line of friendship before it’s too late.

That thought might have to be put on hold though, when you, Sam and Bucky find yourselves having to deal with threats that continue to rise in a post-Blip world.

Chapter synopsis: Arriving in Latvia, you find your group closing into Karli’s group. You found yourself unexpectedly in upsetting exchanges with Bucky, making you take two steps back from the progress you two had since Madripoor.

Warnings: Angst as I like it! Bucky being a dense block of wood.

Word count: 4k

Notes: It’s insane the number of followers I have gained after starting this series. I am very humbled to know that you guys take interest in my work! Appreciate all the likes and reblogs! 🙏🏼

Hope y’all would enjoy this chapter! Things cannot be forever smooth sailing and we see a roadblock to Bucky and reader’s progress. I would love to know your feedback on the story so leave a comment if you can! 🥰

The tag list is still open! Let me know if you want to join with a message or comment in the chapters!

Next: Chapter Seven

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Six years ago

The embers from the fire glowed warmly in front of you, a finger daringly reached out to touch the flames. The energy flames emitted from the tip of your finger and blended into the fire.

Turning your head back to Bucky and Ayo, you saw how Bucky was anxious and had a doubtful expression on his face. It had been a week since the programming has been removed from his system.

While he was still reassured that the worst was over, he had a lot of reservations. Having you by his side was the only source of comfort that he could through these hard times.

“I won’t let you hurt anyone,” Ayo spoke to relieved Bucky of his concerns. You flashed an encouraging smile back to him and Bucky nodded at Ayo for her to start.

As Ayo started saying the code words, you could see Bucky’s entire body tensing up as if he wanted to resist the possibility of being turned. Holding in your breath at the entire situation, you clasped your hands together in prayer, wishing that things would turn out well.

Every time each word was said, it built up hope and anxiety at the same time. You could see the dread, regret and guilt all from his eyes alone as Bucky stared intensely at the burning fire. It seemed his mind was heavy on a lot of memories and recollections that seemed to eat him away.

You wanted to take a step forward but Ayo shook her head, silently asking you to stay put.

As the number of codewords was closing into zero, your anticipation grew at how Bucky was doing well. However, your heart started breaking when you saw the tears welling up in his eyes.

Once the last code word was spoken, Bucky was sobbing. Seeing this sight, your own tears started to fall down your cheeks as you brought your clasped hands over your heart.

“You are free,” Ayo stated with a pleased smile and she looked over to you to give you a nod. Grinning a full wide smile at her, you looked down to Bucky shaking by the fire. You wondered what was wrong until he removed his clenched fist from his face. It was when he turned to face you that you both mirrored the full-blown smiles on your faces.

-------------------------//---------------------------

Stretching your limbs on the plush couch, your eyes closed wearily from the flight to Latvia. You still couldn’t process the entire series of events that had happened in the past 72 hours and your mind was mentally drained.

Hearing the door open, you lifted your head to finally see Bucky joining everyone in Zemo’s fancy place. Bucky’s eyes turned to yours and the two of you stared at each other silently for what felt like an eternity.

You first broke the stare by blinking and bit your lips in nervousness. Your mind immediately went back to what happened in Sharon’s club and you turned your back to avoid looking at him for the time being.

Bucky was thinking of the same thing and tried his best to maintain a cool façade. Seeing how you turned your back on the sofa, he felt it was best to move on to business with the others first.

“Well, the Wakandans are here. They want Zemo.” Bucky spoke to Sam before looking at an unbothered Zemo who was fresh out of the shower in his robes.

Bucky’s words managed to get you to turn back and sit up at attention.

“It was sweet of you to defend me at least.” You see Zemo looking grateful at Bucky but the super-soldier just rolled his eyes.

“Hey, you shut it. No one’s defending you.” Sam shut Zemo down as he couldn’t believe how thick-skinned the Sokovian man was. “You killed Nagel.”

Zemo tried to defend his stance while Sam definitely wasn’t buying it. You couldn’t say it out loud lest you get a look from Sam but you were glad Zemo did it. Who knows if there would be a day where you would be handed off to Nagel and he got his hands on you to do whatever he wanted?

You shuddered at the thought and as if Zemo knew what was on your mind, you see the Baron turning back to give you a wink and mouthing a ‘welcome’. Your nose scrunched in distaste, not wanting to give the man the satisfaction of him being right.

“Karli bombed a GRC supply depot,” Bucky spoke up again after looking up from his phone. Sam asked for the amount of damage to which Bucky answered that eleven were injured and three were dead.

This was getting serious. Especially when you heard Bucky saying that the Flag Smashers were promising more attacks if their demands were not met. You suddenly felt a renewed sense of responsibility and purpose to help the world once more after the last battle.

Even though you were tired of fighting, you knew that bearing the powers that you had gave you the responsibility to take action for the greater good.

Zemo then remarked that he had the will to follow through with this mission but questioned you and your friends.

“She’s just a kid,” Sam emphasized, showing his empathetic and kind heart who chose to see the good in others first. It reminded you so much of Steve and you smiled at the resemblance.

Zemo didn’t agree with Sam’s opinion and explained how Karli was a supremacist. The very idea of super-soldiers was troubling, how they viewed themselves as invincible and above others. Zemo compared it to the Nazi ideology, how it led to Ultron and the Avengers.

His last point rubbed you the wrong way because you knew your friends were never focused on themselves but rather dedicated time, effort and their lives for the world.

Sam understood that Karli had indeed been radicalised but still argued for a better way to manage the situation, one that he hoped would be peaceful and led to lesser bloodshed.

“I agree with Sam.” You spoke up for the first time. All three men focused on you as you lifted yourself from the sofa and walked towards them. “She’s not doing this for power or money, she’s doing this to help her community and the vulnerable. The least we could do is to try to talk to her first.”

Zemo tilted his head with an annoyed look, seeing how you backed Sam up in this debate.

“Y/N. The desire to become a superhuman cannot be separated from supremacist ideals. Anyone with that serum is inherently on that path. She would not stop, in fact, she will escalate unless you kill her.”

You knew that there were part truths in Zemo’s words. You kept quiet and he looked at you pleased that he probably has gotten through you in some sense.

“Or you can kill her first.” With this, Zemo stared straight at you as if he decided to give you this responsibility, knowing that you were the likeliest to overpower Karli when the time comes.

“Maybe you’re wrong, Zemo. The serum never corrupted Steve.” Speaking from behind you, Bucky refuted Zemo’s claims but Zemo seemed unaffected. He even added on that there was no other Steve Rogers. Who were you guys to presume not everyone could get corrupted once they had a taste of power?

Having enough of Zemo, Bucky suggested handing Zemo over to the Wakandans right at this moment and you wanted to agree. You were indebted to them and with their late king’s murderer right in front of you, a sense of guilt washed over you as you must have realized how livid they must be that he was walking free.

Sam then explained how Donya was an influential member of the community and related it to his own story of his TT aka his aunt. When someone who was a pillar in a close-knitted community had passed, people would gather to hold a long ceremony in memory of that person. He presumed that the same would be done for Donya and that’s where you all should lead with.

-------------------------//---------------------------

The four of you decided to venture to the streets to ask for information on Donya. As Zemo and Sam went their own ways, Bucky looked over you as if to ask if you wanted to join him.

“Uh, I-uh-I” You started stuttering without realising. Bucky knitted his brows in confusion at your sudden display and he immediately thought of your almost moment. Did you not want it? Did he overstep?

Inwardly groaning, he couldn’t believe he did something so stupid in the heat of the moment. Deciding to do something about it, he spoke up.

“Hey. About earlier-” Glancing up at Bucky, he nervously rubbed the back of his neck as he tried to find the words to say.

“Earlier?” You weren’t sure what he was referring to and returned a quizzical look. Taking a deep breath before exhaling, Bucky tried to continue the conversation.

“I mean back in Madripoor. You know that uh-” Your eyes widened realised at the particular event that he chose to bring up. Your heart quickened at how he was choosing to address it now and you stared at him expectantly. “Yeah?”

“It was stupid, all right? I didn’t think and it was all at the moment, I didn’t mean to went in like that-” Blinking your eyes as if you couldn’t process what Bucky had just said, your heart dropped at the realisation that everything turned out to be one-sided wishful thinking of yours.

In his attempt to piece his words together and play it down, Bucky didn’t realise the disappointment painted on your face and how you stopped the tears that welled up in your eyes from falling.

You felt so stupid. There was no way that Bucky would have taken interest in you. All this time, you were nothing more than friends. You didn’t doubt that that moment in Madripoor with its atmosphere could have clouded both of your senses.

“It’s okay, Buck. I totally understand.” You spoke up to prevent him from continuing to dishearten you.

“I’m cool. We were swept up in the music and the dancing- it’s natural to uh-do that.” You were starting to choke up at your words but forced yourself to swallow down the knot in your throat.

Pulling your lips into a tight grin and forcing yourself to meet Bucky’s eyes, you saw him puzzled and expectant of your next response.

“I am going to go that way.” Mustering up a cheerful voice to make it sound like you were fine, you pointed over to a random street. “We should split up and cover more ground. Bye!” Giving a quick wave to him, you hurriedly turn your back and almost broke into a sprint to get as far away from him as possible.

Bucky knew that from your reaction he must have done something wrong. He just wasn’t sure what he did. Scolding himself for being such an idiot, he looked back to where he last saw you before you turned the corner.

Bucky’s hands and jaw both clenched with tension at how things had been with you just moments ago before allowing himself to be distracted with the mission. He made a mental note that he had to catch you later and have another talk.

-------------------------//---------------------------

You were a woman with a purpose and that was to find out more about Donya Madani. You realised after the first few queries, people here were wary once you mentioned the woman’s name.

Cracking your brain to think of a strategy, your eyes roamed around the neighbourhood for some sort of idea. A familiar back caught your attention and your eyes widened in shock at who you had spotted.

The man back from the fight on the truck was here. That means Karli and her group were here too! You didn’t have the chance to see the man’s face as he had a mask on back then but you recognised him instantly.

He was alone and that gave you a good chance to corner him. You blended in with the crowd while closing in on him with every step. As he turned the corner to an alley, you quickened your steps in fear that you might be losing him.

Once you stepped foot into the alley, you were shocked to see there it was clear and empty. Running your fingers through your hair in a stressful moment, you wondered how he could have disappeared without a trace. Venturing further down the alley, you hoped that you might be able to catch sight of him once more.

Your body reacted a second later than your intuition when you felt someone grabbed you from behind, the hands covering your mouth to prevent you from screaming.

The person switched hands and used their strength to push you against the brick walls. Feeling the wind knocked out of your chest, you took quick hurried breaths to regain yourself and that’s when your eyes looked up to meet the dark eyes of the man that you had been following.

His eyes mirrored yours as they widened at the recognition of who you were and he then spoke. “How did you follow us? Where are the rest of your friends?”

Clawing at his hands to free your face, your hands started glowing a bright orange to get him to release you. The man was taken aback at the display of your powers and decided to make a run for it, knowing that you would have the upper hand eventually.

“No wait, please!” You cried for him to stop. The man’s steps slowed down at your plea and he turned back slightly to face you. You raised your hands up in surrender to show you meant no harm.

You willingly put your hands behind you, clasping them together and showing them to him.

“I just want to talk.” You continued saying. Sensing the man’s hesitation, you then emphasized please desperately. Taking a few steps closer, you still left a gap between the two of you.

“I am Y/N.” Hoping that introducing yourself showed that you were interested to get to know him, you looked on anxiously for his response.

“Dovich.” The man replied curtly before staring back at you. Repeating his name once more in your mouth, you showed off a friendly smile before resuming.

“I know what you must be thinking, but please I do not mean any harm.” You hoped that the sincerity in your voice would get his guard down but seeing Dovich squaring his shoulders to look more intimidating, you knew that he couldn’t trust you yet.

“Lies!” Dovich refuted your claims.

“What happened back there was self-defence!” He must have thought about how you were about to use your powers just moments ago. “Trust me, if I wanted to do any damage, I would be able to but I didn’t.”

Seeing how you were still standing there with your arms behind your back, Dovich’s stance seemed to ease up a little. “What do you want?”

“We- my friends and I want to talk to Karli.” You knew your words only served to upset him once more as his face distorted into a frown.

“We really want things to work out! We don’t ever want things to escalate, it is never in my interest to kill anyone.” Dovich glanced over you to see an earnest expression on your face and he couldn’t help but be a little swayed.

He knew who you were. You were less well-known but still regarded as part of the Avengers team. It would be a lie to say he wasn’t intimidated. He recalled how you fought his group back then and knew that given your powers, there was a chance to be bested even if he had taken the serum.

Dovich still clearly remembered how you pulled him up when he was about to fall off the moving truck from before. Your actions at that moment had changed his impression of you, regarding you in a better light. It matched what you had just said earlier, you weren’t interested to kill anyone.

“Karli wouldn’t listen. She is determined and resolute in our vision.” Dovich hoped you understood his perspective and you nodded in acknowledgement.

“I know but that doesn’t mean we don’t want to try settling this peacefully. We don’t want more lives gone than it already had.” You added on to your own perspective in the matter. Dovich believed you but he still wasn’t sure. He couldn’t be so easy to trust especially of all of the experiences that he and his group went through.

You were still considered a threat to the existence of the group.

“I don’t trust your group. Especially that Zemo guy. We know he hates super soldiers.” Dovich reiterated his mistrust before continuing. “Plus you guys are the Avengers, you wouldn’t know what it is like to be us. You get to live comfortable lives and do as you please.”

Hearing his assumption, you shook your head in disagreement. You closed your eyes and exhaled deeply before speaking.

“The Avengers aren’t really there anymore. Most of our group are gone. We are only what’s left but it doesn’t feel like there’s a team anymore.” Your mind to your current situation. Yes, you were with Sam and Bucky but they were just tolerating each other for the moment. You didn’t exactly feel like you were a team at all but just a group put together because you were all that’s left.

The sense of camaraderie from your previous team was gone and you were at a loss. You did what you had to do to support your two friends but you felt empty on the inside. You titled your head up to see Dovich peering at you with an almost concerned look on his face.

“Besides, that’s a bit of a generalisation you have there. We don’t live fancy lives, that’s a misconception because of uh-Tony. We all are still normal human beings dealing with struggles in our personal lives too. We gave up most of ourselves to defend this world….” Reeling from the exchange that you two had, you knew Dovich was someone that could be reasoned with.

“Of course, I am not trying to brag or anything!” You hurriedly explain before he had the thought that you were trying to make yourself look better in his eyes. “It’s just that I hope you could understand where we are coming from too.”

Dovich didn’t expect the conversation to progress in this manner. He had spotted you in the reflection of a glass window of a shop and initially wanted to get you off his tail. Despite the initial scepticism, he was starting to warm up to you. He figured you weren’t like the rest of your group and seemed down to earth despite being an Avenger.

He couldn’t lie to himself and claimed he thought of you several times ever since the first encounter. How can one not forget someone who stepped in to save their life once?

Dovich gazed at you now standing civilly with an awaiting look. He wanted to trust you, he really did. But he knew Karli was especially alert and distrustful of anyone outside her circle. Your affiliation wouldn’t help in this case either. He couldn’t make a promise that he can’t keep.

“I can’t promise you anything.” A grin formed on your face for the first time and you nodded your head in understanding.

“Of course, I just need a chance to talk. That’s all.” Dovich nodded back before he started walking back to the other end of the alleyway. He told you that he would speak with Karli after Donya’s ceremony and asked you to wait for his contact. He made you promise to not speak to your friends about this meeting and that he only trusted you.

You gave your agreement and maintained a friendly smile before he turned back to go onto another street.

-------------------------//---------------------------

Walking with lighter steps, you were glad to be able to do something right. You re-entered Zemo’s place and was greeted with the men gathering around to discuss their lack of result. You had to control yourself from revealing about your meeting with Dovich and kept quiet.

You agreed with Sam’s remarks on understanding Karli’s perspective and how she and her group were not motivated by malicious intentions.

Bucky then gave his own input that Karli would not be any different from Zemo. Recalling your last exchange with him, you suddenly felt upset with the super-soldier. You didn’t agree with his words either as you believed you understood better after talking with Dovich.

“I agree with Sam on this. Karli’s group is different and we need to give them a chance.” Bucky looked at you in disbelief. This was the first time you were ever not on the same page with him. He couldn’t agree with your views of giving the Flag Smashers a chance when they were such obvious threats.

Bucky believed that your soft-hearted nature was clouding your judgement and he thought better of you given your experience of dealing with such people.

“Can’t believe you are actually siding with terrorists Y/N.” His words came out harsher than expected and his heart twisted when he saw the tinge of sadness at how you received his words. A brief moment later, he saw your brows frowning and now looked at him with an offended stare.

“Not everything is black and white, James.” You scoffed before walking off to use the bathroom.

Sam and Zemo were surprised to hear the condescending tone in your voice towards Bucky. Knowing how you and Bucky were close-knitted, witnessing the suddenly tensed exchange between the two of you would have been baffled at what just transpired.

Hearing you calling him James was clear as day to Bucky that you were definitely not happy with him. Rubbing his temples in dismay, he wondered what have gotten over you suddenly. Sure, he was at fault for saying such a harsh comment but he still didn’t expect you to be like this.

Bucky lost his cool when Zemo stated he wanted to keep his leverage by not revealing any more information he had gotten from the little girl on the streets about Donya.

“You wanna see what someone can do we leverage?” Bucky too the glass in Zemo’s hand and threw it to the wall behind the Sokovian baron. He was silently seething at Zemo’s play on top of the unpleasant exchange that he had with you.

Sam came around to calm Bucky down before he indicated that he would make a call.

You stepped back into the common room when you heard the smashing of glass. You looked to see Bucky and Zemo in an intense standoff, well more so Bucky than Zemo.

Sam walked away first. Zemo asked Bucky if he would like some cherry blossom tea but the super-soldier refuted the offer with disdain in his tone.

“Y/N?” Zemo gestured to the lovely glass tea set on the coffee table. Glancing up to meet Bucky’s eyes, you could tell he was still bearing an annoyed look on his face.

You weren’t sure if it was his emotions from his exchange with Zemo or yours. Walking up to Zemo, you gave a polite smile before speaking.

“I would love to.” It was the second time that you acted out of character in a row. He knew that you didn’t like Zemo at all, only because of what Zemo had done to him. You were his girl (well sort of) and seeing you accepting Zemo’s offer even if it was just tea hit him differently.

Hearing how you graciously accepted the glass from Zemo and commenting on the fragrance of the brew, Bucky couldn’t believe his ears. He immediately stomped away from the scene before he felt like he would implode.

This was not right at all. Why would you suddenly act like this?

-------------------------//---------------------------

Tag list: @tanyaherondale @spookycereal-s @cataves @archaeoheart @conflicted-noxsirius @archaeoheart @idiotinnit @anxious-stitcher @lindseyrae20 @mads-weasley

#bucky x reader #bucky x y/n #marvel fanfiction #angstsfordays #beautiful pain #tfatws #thefalconandthewintersoldier #bucky barnes fanfiction #bucky barnes #bucky barnes x reader

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utilitycaster · 3 years

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To me the relationship between Ted and Opal is the most important and consitent plot point in EXU. On the other hand everything with the Plateau and the Nameless Ones feels like it builds up something for C3. I think that Matt gave plot points about the state of the world (crater, sigil) and Aabria used it as a jumping off point and created the city as her contribution. So as long as things like the memory loss and the crown are dealt with, I feel pretty good about the story of EXU.

So I deleted another ask that was similarly purely speculative and I just want to say that like...I have open DMs/replies and obviously reblogs, and if you want to actually discuss your opinions that is always a better place; the askbox is for questions and suggestions and, well, things that explicitly invite my input, which I'm going to give anyway but it feels like this could have been a reply. Because I wholly disagree with much of this:

The crater is certainly a pre-existing concept because Thordak's presence in Emon happened, but including the sigil seems very odd given that he is a player in the world and it appearing was a surprise plot point in the second episode; I think the general worldbuilding was "Thordak's crater is here and there's weird magic possibly tied to the fire plane should you wish to use that" (emphasis speculative, and mine).

I am probably least interested in Opal and Ted, or at least, I was, but more so now that at least that pulls in whatever the fuck is happening with Syngorn. I think you might be correct that this will be treated as the main plot in terms of resolution; but the reason I think this is that Opal being central came up in the interviews and because of how the last episode ended. If you don't think the plot is the main plot until episode 7 and external press...that's not good.

I like Opal and Ted's relationship! I think it's fun for the character, in the same way I don't necessarily really think we'll get all the details of who Dorian really is - and that is truly tangential to the plot, despite any curiosity we as an audience may have. But compared to the fact that they open the entire story with memory loss at the crater, being approached by someone high-up in the Nameless Ones, a vestige of divergence, and sigil mysteriously appearing? The fact that the details of Ted no longer being in Byroden appear at the halfway point of the series and the Ted and Syngorn plot is primarily in stingers?

Again, at this point, yeah, that might end being the main plot...but just thinking about this, after episode 1 it seemed the main plot would be "okay we're missing a week and a person, we're in deep with the Nameless Ones, and we have a vestige of such profound power that it makes two people ill." After episode 2 it seemed the main plot was "well we can escape those problems and maybe find out more about this sigil that's possibly tied to the crater/memory loss by talking to Gilmore." After episodes 3 and even 4 it seemed it was "okay, we go to these ruins, come back, resolve the rest." But we keep getting balls thrown in the air - further mysteries about Ted, the people from Syngorn, Niirdal-Poc still existing, the journey to the Iron Authority instead of returning home - and none of it has been resolved, and again, I'm enjoying myself, but that is because everything other than the plot is great so I'm treating this like those big-budget artistic sci fi movies where you're like "the aesthetic and worldbuilding and acting and dialogue is all incredible and the plot falls apart if you breathe on it a little too heavily."

I was talking to someone about this recently who made the point that the party seems to have missed a lot of checks early on that might have introduced the Ted and Myr'atta plot back in Emon and honestly? forcing one of those checks or giving it for free would have made a world of difference; I think the party would have made far different choices that in turn would have significantly tightened up the plot. And you don't need to do that, in a long-running campaign, but you really, really do in an 8-episode series.

I do want to speak to people talking about this setting things up for C3 because that was in the anon ask I deleted: I'm not saying it doesn't, necessarily, but I think there is a big difference between "C3 may, understandably, deal with some of the consequences of things that happen in EXU. much as it will deal with consequences of C1 and C2, because it's the same world" and "EXU is explicitly leaving threads for C3".

The former I absolutely agree with; that's how shared worldbuilding works and it was the case with C1 for C2. The latter is, I think, a wildly unfair expectation to place Aabria and a terrible marketing choice for the series and bodes ill for future seasons of EXU.

EXU was very much put forth as having appeal for people who, understandably, don't have the time or inclination to watch a 100+ episode series. I have already seen reviews criticizing it for relying on past information; while I don't agree with this completely, given the difficulties with the plot this does, for example, feel like it may ring true for people who have no emotional connection to Gilmore. A tighter, more Emon-focused plot that happened to include Gilmore to the same extent (or even greater) would probably not have the same criticism, but as is, I think viewers unfamiliar with C1 may legitimately be saying "why did we spend time on this."

EXU can have threads that can be picked up with in C3 - it does not need to, for example, resolve every detail of the Nameless Ones, only the status of this party with regards to Poska - but to say "and to know what happens about the major event, in Emon, which is tied to Thordak, ie, how the series was marketed, which was introduced to the audience long before Myr'atta, you need to watch C3" is something I'd consider a serious misstep. The story in EXU should be somewhat self-contained, with the consequences of that self-contained story fueling the plot; it should not be a collection of plot points for a later day. That's not just going to alienate potential viewers of future seasons who don't intend to watch full CR campaigns; it's kind of a shitty thing to do to your guest DM, to say "oh throw to me, you can DM in my world but you need to set up for my show even if it makes your plot seem more unfocused". EXU can and should be thought of as its own show in the same world, not a mere appendage to the flagship.

I'm still withholding final judgement until it can, you know, be final. I think there's a still a chance I am very pleasantly surprised! As mentioned I and much of the fandom had doubts about the campaign 2 finale to the point that some people were writing, as I referred to it at the time, vivisections and calling them post-mortems. I disliked it then and I disliked it now and I will reserve judgement on EXU's plot structure on the whole until after the finale; I am just saying that while it may end up standing quite well as a complete story in the end, the pacing has felt increasingly off to me since the midway point and if this is just setup for C3 I think that makes it worse, not better.

#critical role #critical role spoilers #exandria unlimited

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