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alwaysbethewest · 7 days

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Triple Frontier/Narcos fic: Crossing the Streams

This week is @fleetwoodmactshirt's birthday and I knew I wanted to write her something if I could—it was just a question of what. Frankie Morales making ravioli from scratch? An intimate morning spent with Ezra? Or: this? A deeply self-indulgent (and Fleetwood-indulgent) AU of an AU crossed over with another AU from an entirely different piece of media. It made sense in my head.

This concept is something we've jokingly(?) discussed for years but it always felt too outrageous to actually put to words. Until now. Happy birthday, beloved! I hope this makes you smile.

Title: Crossing the Streams Characters/Pairings: Frankie Morales, Benny Miller, Javier Peña, OFC, Baby Morales, ghost!Reader. Nascent Fishben implied; Javi/OFC implied. Rating: Teen (but maybe Gen) Word count: 1.8k Content/warnings: Crossover of my ghost 'verse and @fleetwoodmactshirt's Javier Peña X-Files AU 🙃 Not really exactly officially a part of the ghost 'verse, but could be considered a spin-off chapter of it maybe. I don't think any particular warnings apply. Reader is a ghost. The OFC listed above is the reader from Fleetwood's AU, and I tried to leave her a blank slate. Javi holds the baby a lot. I fudged the timelines so Javi is older but not as much older as he would be. Unbetaed, so let me know if you spot any mistakes.

You can see the family resemblance immediately. The man standing in the foyer isn’t an exact carbon copy of Francisco, but they could easily be mistaken for brothers. Benny had been the one to answer the door and the visitor is sizing him up, friendly but with a hint of narrow-eyed assessment peeking through. Benny senses it and stands a little straighter, calling over his shoulder, “Fish, they’re here!”

The slap-slap-slap sound of the baby’s hands on the hardwood floor announces her arrival even before she rounds the corner into the hallway, crawling rapidly towards the front door while Francisco ambles behind her. Ben scoops her up before she can reach the threshold, easily hefting her up to his shoulder, while the other men greet each other with a hug.

“Ah, mi sobrino!” Francisco’s uncle gives him an affectionate pat on the cheek. “Te ves bien, Francisco.”

“Hola, tío Javi,” he says with a grin. “Come on in. You met Benny?”

Now that they’re standing side by side you’re able to see the similarities and differences between them. Javier is older by fifteen years or so, his dark hair greying at the temples, slim body still fit but gone a little soft around the middle. He’s cleanshaven but for an attractive, full mustache, and his warm brown eyes are shielded by a pair of glasses with dark, slightly rounded plastic frames.

Javier nods. “I haven’t met this one yet, though,” he says, reaching for Francisco’s daughter. She goes to him without hesitation and he has to catch her chubby hands in his before she can drag his glasses down his nose. He pulls a face at her and she giggles.

“And is your…” Francisco pauses, as if searching for the right word. “Partner outside?”

Javi glances out the open door. “She’s getting some equipment out of the trunk. Listen,” he says, lowering his voice a little, “she takes this stuff seriously and she can be a little—excitable, about it. Take it easy on her, okay?”

This stuff, as it turns out, is investigating the world of the paranormal.

After Francisco’s mom had heard about Santiago’s suspicion that the house was haunted, she’d been the one to suggest he invite tío Javier and his… partner, for a visit. (You understand the hesitation before “partner” as soon as you see her; the energy flowing between them is lit up with something far brighter than a pair of regular, platonic co-workers would ever have. And even someone without your vision might notice the way it takes her a moment to recover from the sight of him with the baby in his arms, or how his hand hovers over the small of her back as they make their way down the hall.)

Francisco leads them into the kitchen, where he sets a pot of coffee brewing.

“You can set her down if you want,” he tells Javi, nodding to the baby’s high chair.

“That’s alright,” he says, taking a seat and easily shifting her into the crook of his arm. He crosses his legs so she’s half in his lap and bounces his thigh, just lightly, offering up his free hand for her to pull and pinch and bite at as she likes to keep her entertained.

His partner is watching from the doorway and you observe with interest how her breathing goes almost imperceptibly unsteady before she gathers herself again.

“So which of you saw the ghost?” she asks Francisco and Benny.

Ben’s eyes shift to the corner where you’re perched on the kitchen counter, but Francisco is already answering for the both of them. “Neither of us,” he tells her. “Our friend Santiago is the one who thinks he saw something.”

She’s taking notes in a pocket-sized notebook.

“And what was it that Santiago saw?”

“Socks,” he says, in a tone that indicates he thinks this is just as silly as it sounds.

“Socks,” she echoes, tilting her head inquisitively.

“Floating in the air.” He makes a vague, floaty gesture with one hand while pouring the coffee with the other.

Tío Javi’s partner finally takes a seat at the table, so she’s not stuck juggling her coffee cup and the notebook. The baby leans towards her, curious, and she gives her a polite smile. “Hello.” Then, struck by a thought, she looks to Francisco again.

“Has the baby seen the ghost?” she asks.

Benny’s eyes widen. Francisco just chuckles. “Not that she’s mentioned,” he says dryly. “Look, I don’t want to be wasting your time. You should know that—I’m not suggesting Santi’s making it up or anything but—the guy’s had more than one concussion before. You know what I’m saying?”

“That’s interesting,” she remarks, jotting it down.

Francisco exchanges a glance with Javier.

“Is it?”

“Well, brain injuries, trauma, near-death experiences—they can open a person’s senses to things that others can’t see,” she explains.

He looks skeptical.

“We’ve all had near-death experiences,” he says, gesturing around the room. He says it so matter-of-factly that she looks startled, and maybe a little concerned. “Ben and I were Special Forces. Tío, I’ve heard your stories from Colombia. We’ve all dealt with some dark shit.”

Javi flattens his mouth in a grim line. Ben is rubbing his knuckles over his lips and you can see the anxiety building in him. The room falls silent for a moment.

“I’m sorry if I upset you,” she says. Under the table, Javi shifts his leg to bump his foot with hers reassuringly.

“No.” Francisco frowns. “I’m sorry. You’re just doing your job. You—I know you brought some gear with you. You’re welcome to check the house, or… do whatever you need. I’ll show you where Santi saw the socks in the air.”

She sets down her pen.

“If you don’t mind.”

Francisco leads her upstairs to the nursery. You’re not sure you want to get anywhere near her ghost-hunting equipment, whatever it may be, so you stick to the kitchen and keep Ben company while he attempts to make conversation with Francisco’s uncle.

“So you worked in Colombia,” he tries. Javi gives a quiet grunt to the affirmative. He doesn’t want to talk about that—you can tell, and Benny figures it out pretty quickly, too.

“Do you—” he starts, but Javi’s already speaking.

“What’s the situation here?” he asks.

“What do you mean?”

“Between you and Frankie.”

You can almost feel the heat radiating off him as the air shimmering around Benny turns a deep, blushing pink.

“There’s no situation,” he says.

“You’re roommates?”

“Yeah—I mean, we’ve been friends for a long time. My lease ended a few months ago and he said I could stay here. He has a guest room,” he adds, a touch defensively.

Javi smiles and nods like he hadn’t meant anything by it.

“What about you?” Benny asks. He nods to the ceiling, where Javi’s partner is upstairs. “You guys seem close. Are you dating her?”

Javi’s placid smile doesn’t falter for a moment, but his eyes narrow a little.

“No,” he says. “She has a guest room, too.”

Ben’s mouth opens, then snaps closed, and the men sit in silence for a moment.

“I think she wants to get down,” he says, gesturing to the baby in Javi’s arms, who’s squirming and lunging forward as if to jump to the floor. He sets her down carefully on all fours and she takes off at speed, leaving Ben to scramble behind her. Javier looks around the empty room, eyes skipping right over you, drains his coffee, and follows suit.

You trail behind him to the living room, where Benny has deposited the baby in the middle of the conversation pit with a basket of toys. Javi stops short, taken aback by the sunken couches.

“Holy shit,” he says. “This place hasn’t been remodeled in a while, huh?”

Benny glances at you, knowing this subject is a sore spot. You’d taken great pride in this house, back when it had belonged just to you, and you’re not sure why everybody keeps wishing to change it now.

“We like it,” he tells him. “It’s got character. Plus, this is like a built-in play pen. She’s too little to climb out.”

Javier sits himself down, spreading his legs comfortably wide in a confident-man sprawl.

“It’s a good house,” he admits. “Quiet neighborhood.”

They watch the baby playing on the floor. You join her there, rolling plastic balls back to her too subtly for Javier to realize they haven’t simply bounced.

“Can I ask you something?” Benny says. Javi raises an eyebrow in assent. “Say there is a ghost—” he starts.

“There isn’t.” Javi narrows his eyes a little, like he’s trying to decide if Benny really believes in something so unfathomable.

Benny is avoiding your gaze.

“But theoretically,” he says. “If there was. What would—I mean—What do you do? Like if the EMF meter or whatever registered something.”

“Well,” Javi replies slowly. “Theoretically, if there was a ghost hanging around I think my partner would tell you there’s something unresolved that they still need. A sense of peace, or…”

He pauses, scratching his chin. Eyes still on the child.

“It’s the same as what anybody wants, right? A sense of fulfillment. So you can move on.”

It makes something feel hollow and fluttery inside your chest, achy like you haven’t felt in a while. Now you’re the one avoiding Ben’s eyes, when he looks at you. You retreat to the corner, wanting to be alone but unwilling to give up eavesdropping on such a rare visit.

Their conversation is cut short by the others’ return. Francisco still looks skeptical and she looks thoughtful. Javi tilts his head back and raises an eyebrow.

“Inconclusive,” she announces. “There were some very interesting readings but nothing concrete. There are some other tests we could—”

“I think this is enough,” Francisco cuts her off gently. “It’s not like any of us have been possessed. If blood starts dripping down the walls, we’ll call you back.”

“Well, for a simple specter I don’t think you’ll have to worry about that,” she assures him. “Blood drips can be indicative of—”

“It was a joke,” he says, and she smiles but she also shrugs like, well, we’ll see.

“Mijo,” Javier says, changing the subject for everyone’s sake. “Pick a restaurant, we’ll go out to dinner, my treat. Your roommate can come too.”

The emphasis he puts on roommate isn’t strong enough for Francisco to pick up on, but Benny does and he shoots Javi a narrow look. Javi gives him an innocent grin and turns back to the baby, who’s been pulling herself up on his pant legs, trying to climb up to her dad since he’d walked in the room. He swings her into his arms and hands her over to Francisco, and after a ten-minute debate over a pizzeria versus a steakhouse, and a five-minute diaper change, the group heads outside.

Alone in the quiet house, you float up to your attic window seat, where you settle in to contemplate tío Javi’s words about things unresolved.

(tiny tag list: @pedrostories, @littlemisspascal, @loversandantiheroes, @by-ilmater, @pettyprocrastination, @littleferal, @pennyserenade)

#narcos fanfiction #triple frontier fanfiction #frankie morales #benny miller #javier peña #fishben #pedro pascal #my fic

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david-goldrock · 1 month

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The following is a song I love

It's a song about stereotypes and embracing complexities

the stereotypes are Israeli stereotypes, so near the ones that won't make sense, imma put an explanation in squigely brackets

youtube

[Verse 1] How easy it is to flow with the brain in automatic conditioning that do not require you to work hard Only to tag and bark, incite and sacrifice (something to a god) To the rating idols (also fake gods), items with full strength Everything is already arranged in our heads drawer by drawer- No, we cannot allow reality to prevent us from seeing that

Every leftist is a traitor Every Arab is a suicide terrorist Every haredi (ultra-Orthodox) robes in daylight {the Haredi population in Israel is often criticized for taking egregious amounts of money while they don't serve in the army and many don't work, that is often called שוד = robbery in daylight} And all the settlers murdered Rabin {After the assassination of former prime minister Yitzhak Rabin, many settlers were blamed for the assassination, both because they were a part of the demonstrations against him and the fact Yigal Amir, the assassinator, was a settler} All of Tel Aviv is vegan {Tel Aviv is the city with the most vegans in the world} All of Netivot is traditional- down to earth {I don't know this stereotype tbh} All the religious are primitive with a tassel and while doing so, they erased Darwin

[Chorus] Do not lock me up in any cage Don't summarize me on Wikipedia I am everything, I am nothing Infinite light clothed in a body So don't lock me up in any cage

[House 2] Call me Don Quixote who dares to challenge Put a bounty on my head and a guillotine in the square The demons their time had passed And the king is naked Erase everything you knew about me until today No, I am not the settler, not a representative of God Not a dos (slur for religious people) that excludes women Not a bridge between the sectors {Hanan Ben-Ari, the singer and songwriter, is often called "a bridge between the (secular and religious) sectors" because he is a figure both sectors feel attached and connected to} May The sectors burn, May the prejudices burn And everyone will have a chance to write their own story

Because if everything is visible and known in advance cliché by cliché No, we cannot allow reality to prevent us from seeing that Every Mizrahi is oppressed, Every secular is a dirty infidel All the women should be in the kitchen And all the Russians are in love with Stalin {which is the wildest stereotype on the list because, come on, they hate him so much} All the endings have ended {a hebrew saying meaning all hope is lost, a sentiment the singer despises} Every member of the Knesset is a pot of vermin All Ethiopians run (well) and those who don't, sing with Raychel {a joke about people who say they are not racist, and then talk about the Idan Raychel project, in which many ethiopian jews sang with him.}

[Chorus] Do not lock me up in any cage Don't summarize me on Wikipedia I am everything, I am nothing Infinite light clothed in a body So don't lock me up in any cage

[bridge] A day will come one day A day will come one day

[chorus/outro] A day will come and you will not be lock me up in any cage You won't summarize me on Wikipedia I am everything, I am nothing I came naked and I such I will return So don't put me in any cage Do not put me in any cage

This is just for the irony

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ceph-the-ghost-writer · 1 month

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Happy STS Ceph! If someone was looking for your characters, how would they describe them to people? What features would they most pick out to distinguish them from a crowd?

Isaac: His messy black curls are probably the best way to spot him. Not messy as in stylish bedhead, but as in oh, this man is on the brink and desperately needs help with self-care. (It's not until Dorian coaxes him into it that his hair starts to become noticeably healthier and eye-catching for other reasons.) Elfy describes his fashion sense best: Mexican grandpa and/or country veterinarian. That is, flannel/plaid shirts (buttoned all the way to the collar in Isaac's case), and old jeans that don't fit him well at all. Again, it's not until Isaac starts rebuilding and maintaining relationships with others that this changes. 9 out of 10 times you'll catch him with his eyes glued to the screen of his tab, doing something work-related.

Renato: If you meet a man who makes you forget every warning your common sense screams at you, you'll know you met Renato Faria Dimas. Of course the blue-green color of his eyes gets the most attention. Though he acts like this is tiresome, he goes through a lot of effort to groom his brows and hair as well as pick clothing colors to show them to their best advantage. He's a dating sim character come to life: handsome, charming, seductive, and definitely hiding more than meets the eye beneath the pretty façade. Dimples are another weapon in his arsenal he uses to devastating effect.

Dorian: Critics rave 5 stars, want to hug and/or cuddle with them on first meeting. Dorian exudes a love for life and the topics they're passionate about which is downright infectious. Their peacoat is legendary, though they do wear other hoodies and sweaters depending on the season and conditions. They've loved having their hair braided since they were very small, and continue to make an event of it as an adult, with food and movies and drinks with family and friends all day. They also really like the freckles across their face and shoulders, if you're one of the fortunate few to see those. You may have to wade through a sea of their other admirers to get to them.

Kinslayer: Isaac wasn't exaggerating when he described meeting their gaze as staring down the barrel of a rifle. Their eyes are an utter shade of black, reflecting no light whatsoever. Kinslayer has worn many faces and experienced life in all sorts of bodies, but this feature remains a common denominator no matter what they look like.

Elfy: She's the tiny woman with all the piercings, the mop of reddish-brown curls piled on her head, and who's vibrating like a rocket about to take off, unable to keep still. Can't miss her.

Ben: They just don't make 'em like this nowadays. He looks like a thug or back alley boxer from a movie set during the Great Depression because, well, that's kinda what he was. His size, the broken-one-too-many-times nose, and scarred knuckles give him a natural intimidation factor. He's quick to smile though, and the gleam in his brown eyes can turn someone's knees from a solid to a liquid even quicker. You know, if big, bi vampire guys are your thing anyway.

Motley/Noose: Its stitched together skin really makes it stand out in a crowd. Even its sunken eyes are unusual amongst necromancers, smoldering with a sullen red light rather than being the dull, lifeless gray of something that's been preserved in a jar of alcohol. Of course, it could very well be disguised as that stray dog trotting down the street. Or a white-faced barn owl in the tree outside the window. Or--goodness forbid--somebody you knew.

Breezy: One of the three weed-smoking girlfriends, now semi-retired in her 60s and versed in witchcraft. When she feels like wearing clothes, she could be in full, flowing ren faire garb or a pair of denim overalls for working in her garden. (Has a pretty nice tan, given her nudist tendencies.) She might braid her long white hair, but more often than not leaves it in loose waves over her shoulders.

#dysthanasia #writeblr #answered asks #storyteller saturday

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fandom-ash · 9 months

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Beyond the Pain // Chapter Four: Rhythm of the Night

Pairing: Miguel O'Hara x Maria Philips (OC) Word Count: 2.7k Warnings: No NSFW scenes, but Maria is horny on main Ao3 Mirror: Coming Soon Chapter Two | Chapter Three | Chapter Four Summary: Maria hits the gym and is confronted by her feelings - and her boss. Later, night patrol begins. This series is intended for adult audiences. MDNI. > Spider-Verse Masterlist <

The gym was a place for heat to boil and sweat to simmer. Spiders often congregated in Sector 12 in order to make use of the extensive super-human-weighted exercise equipment. If you were here, chances are you could lift a bus with one arm. That kind of strength required extra care when it came to designing gym equipment. Normal barbells felt like curling toothpicks and just didn’t cut it. The iron here, however, was cut differently.

Exhaling slowly as she pushed upwards, Maria continued her set on one of the many benches. There was a steady rhythm to reps that let her clear her mind. Up, down. In, out. It made her flow as one unit. Press. Breathe. Relax. Repeat. The thoughts that were rampant in her mind flowed through her arms and vanished, burning away like snow into a fire.

Uncertainty gnawed at her insides most days. Cooper was busy with his work and home dimension (specifically a masked man named Silk) and Felicia was taking a small break in order to head on a small archaeology expedition on her Earth. The isolation felt suffocating but there was nothing Maria would do to interrupt them on their journeys - instead, the opportunity to make new companions among the Society kept her occupied.

And so here she was, at 6 am on a god damn Saturday, pumping iron because Ben wanted a “workout sesh before the dawn breaks forth through the night.”

And he didn’t even fucking show up!

Maria, already awake and dressed, decided to take advantage of the gym’s currently-low population.

Another push, another breath. Pull. Inhale. Push. Exhale.

Strange feelings nipped at her heels anywhere she went. After the Cavewoman Kraven incident a week ago, there was a new sense of power she felt… but also of longing. Not for something, but for someone. Something clicked into place with those magic words he said at the debriefing.

“Good work.”

Good lord, I’m pathetic, she chastised herself as she pushed out once more, raising the weighted bar above her. Praise kink be damned, I am NOT going to fall for my boss. She gritted her teeth. Push. Exhale. Pull. Inhale.

Resolve raged like an inferno within her. She would stand firm. No amount of broad shoulders, pouty lips, dark hair, large hands would ever… make her doubt…

GOD FUCKING DAMNIT!

Push. Exhale. Pull. Inhale. Push. Exhale. Pull.Inhale.Push.ExhalePullInhalePush-

“Maria.”

And so the castle of cards came tumbling down as the breeze carried Miguel’s voice to her. Opening her eyes, she looked at the absolute Adonis before her. Tank top. Sweat pants. The outfit of a gym rat and a lady-killer. She had never seen him out of his suit before, and the tanned skin of his arms drew her eyes in with every small and faded scar that hugged the contours of the muscle.

“Are you alright?”

Maria blinked owlishly before resting the bar on its hooks above her. “Yeah, yeah! Never better! I love being up at the ass-crack of dawn on a Saturday for no reason… It’s great, really,” she stammered, sitting up and rubbing her face, which was damp with sweat.

“Uh-huh,” Miguel said. “Well, since you’ve never been better, I’ll spot you and clock your reps for the next set.” He sat his water bottle down on the bench to the left and stood behind Maria’s headrest.

“How generous, just don’t get too smug when you see my max is half of yours.” She laid back down and adjusted her spine and hips before reaching up and gripping the bar. Another set would be no problem, except…

Why. Why why why. He’s going to kill me. Or maybe I should kill myself. I’m going to disintegrate.

Miguel was so tall that when he stood behind her, fingers lightly on the bar to catch it, his package was lined up perfectly to her head. If she leaned back, her mouth would align perfectly.

“Ready when you are.” His voice was so even and calm that it nearly made Maria scream. How could he be so calm?! His manhood was right fucking there! If he leaned made towards the bar, perhaps to catch it, she would get a face full of-

“Alright then. Shooting for 30. Let’s go.”

Push. Exhale. Pull. Inhale.

18. 19. 20.

“Maria. Don’t lock your elbows.” The slight tremble in her arms was obvious, and Maria closed her eyes and exhaled through her mouth as she pushed upwards, making an effort to keep good form.

“Attagirl,” he whispered. It was so low that his lips barely moved and it wouldn’t have even registered if someone with enhanced senses hadn’t been listening intently to every breath he took. The words rushed through Maria, fanning the flames running up her spine.

“Water break!” she declared, quickly docking the bar before sitting up, wiping her burning face, and walking over to one of the bottle-refill stations against the far wall. She grabbed one of the plastic cups from the dispenser and filled it quickly with cold water before downing the whole thing in a few gulps. While trying to literally drown her feelings, Miguel smirked.

That’s one way to confirm a hypothesis, he mentally gloated.

Sitting down on a nearby bench, Miguel picked up one of the heaviest dumbbells and began to curl, paying attention to his biceps. While he seemed focused on the weight in his hand, his eyes were well aware of Maria in his peripheral vision. Watching. Observing. Collecting data and seeing how she reacts.

It almost felt twisted, in a way, to take such a… scientific approach to … whatever he was doing. Courting? Seducing? Flirting? Teasing? He didn’t have a name for it. All he knew was that he had needs, and she had needs. And if their needs overlapped, perhaps they could help each other.

Maria felt like her heart was going to explode out of her chest. Miguel was hot, criminally sexy. And here he was, showing off for her like he’s trying to make her combust on the spot.

If that’s what he’s even doing… Am I reading too much into this?

Setting her doubt aside with a small sigh, she finally sipped on her fourth cup of water and watched him curl out of the corner of her eye. His rippling muscles, strong arms, the way his full lips parted when he exhaled, the line of sweat dripping down his temple… All of it was quite the sight to behold. Furrowing her brows, Maria pulled her phone out of her legging’s side pocket and tried to busy herself with looking at anything other than Miguel’s massive arms. Her mind was racing, thoughts bouncing around and stinging like angry hornets.

Felicia would be giving me so much hell for being a chicken about all of this, she thought. But then again, he is my boss. I’m sure that’s against an HR code somewhere, but… can he fire me for this?

Maria wiped her face as she tapped some bubbles on a game that supposedly “helped you focus” as they appeared and disappeared. It was a load of shit but it was something to keep herself mentally occupied until-

Spindle coiled in her mind, ready to pounce. Her spider-sense was screaming at Maria, but it was different than panic. Her stomach flipped while Spindle chittered endlessly in her mind. Anxiety filled her, but also anticipation. Spindle wanted something - but what?

“Maria.” Miguel’s voice ripped through her thoughts and Spindle was practically doing flips in her mental web.

Whore, Maria chided her familiar.

“Don’t need the bench press anymore, so you can help yourself to the station if you need it,” Maria said, looking up from her phone and trying desperately to play it cool.

“So you’re finished with your exercise for the morning?” he asked, a brow raised and his hands on his small waist.

“Uh, yeah, yeah. Gonna hit the showers and then see what tech lecture Aaron has sent me a recording of this time. My inbox has never been the same, I almost worry for it,” she chuckled.

“Report to my office at 7:00 pm tonight. If you’re still interested in going on patrol, that is.”

Maria blinked. “Patrol? Like out into the city?” The gleam in her eyes was nearly infectious. Playing it cool always played second fiddle to how genuinely excited she was to see all of the sights in the city. New tech, new places, maybe even cool places to hang out at - literally! It beat the monotony of HQ, with its sharp architecture and white-on-gray metal panels for all of the walls. Between ceiling-to-floor glass windows, of course. There was nearly an unnatural amount of natural light in the HQ lobby that reminded Maria of what she was missing out there. Sun and fresh air.

“I figured tonight would be a good time for it. Didn’t want you to think I had forgotten.” The soft ghost of a smile on his lips made Maria’s stomach flip. Spindle had a similar reaction, chirping and skittering around inside of Maria’s mind.

“I’ll be there! I mean, uh - yeah, that’s cool. See you then.” Maria waved a two-finger salute at him, trying to salvage any chance at a decent facade she had. It wasn’t often she found herself getting all goo-goo-eyed over a guy, and there was something about Miguel that made her feel like a teenager again, kicking her feet while laying on her bed and drawing hearts in her notebooks with their initials inside them.

Miguel let out a soft chuckle as Maria immediately made her way to the exit, nearly jogging out and away from the potential of any more embarrassment. Her nervousness and obvious attraction was quite the stroke to Miguel’s ego, and he wiped a hand down the lower half of his face, hiding his smug smile from any onlookers.

Still got it.

The thrum of excitement made Maria feel alive. Lightning danced in her bones as she ran to Miguel's office, swinging, jumping, and flipping along the way to get some of the energy out. It was time. She was going to see Nueva York!

The lift ride was painfully slow. Once the doors slid open on the correct level, Maria jogged excitedly down the long dark hallway that eventually led to the Lair. Each step was accompanied by a bounce of the balls of her feet. If she didn't keep moving she was going to explode from excitement. Spindle chirped happily, also bouncing on a mental web within Maria's mind.

The doors slid open as she approached, revealing the blue hues of the dim lights within Miguel's office. His dias was raised high, as usual.

"Boss!" Maria greeted excitedly before webbing up to the raised platform and landing beside him. Miguel swept his gaze over several monitors before glancing at her.

"You're early," he said.

"By 10 minutes! You expect me to wait while we could be out swinging around?"

"If you're this excited about patrol, I'd hate to see how excited you get over actually cool things," he chuckled, letting a small smile curl the corner of his lips. "Lyla, everything quiet?"

"For the 12th time, yes. Go out and enjoy yourselves. I'll keep my eyes peeled for emergencies." The small hologram woman appeared and hovered beside them, rolling her eyes at Miguel. Maria left out an amused huff before looking at Miguel.

"You heard the lady, Bossman." She beamed at him while resting her hands on her hips.

Miguel's brows furrowed for a second as he glanced back over the monitor collection. Closing his eyes, he nodded and turned away, walking towards the edge of the platform and leaping down onto the floor far below with a massive thud. Maria followed with a considerably higher amount of grace.

"Lyla, lock up. Keep me informed of everything that-"

"Yeah, yeah, anything that might cause a disruption or anomaly creation." Lyla's voice mirrored Miguel's perfectly as she mocked him. "Go. Get out of here. Touch grass. Breathe fresh air." Her hands shooed him away as they walked out of the office. The doors slid shut behind them and clicked as they were locked.

"Sounds like you should get out more," Maria teased as they entered the lift. Miguel rolled his eyes, a small smile on his full lips.

"Not you too - don't need another person making me socialize and see the sunlight every now and then." He tapped directions on the lift panel.

"If I'm going to be a Conclave member, it'll be my job to bully you into going outside."

"You're fired. I'm bringing in someone else," he chuckled before the lift started moving upwards.

"Wait- up? Shouldn't we be going down?" Maria asked as she looked at the view outside. The city was beautiful, with large swathes of green and circular paths between large clusters of tall buildings and perfectly-round ponds. The sunset bathed everything in a fiery glow.

"Where would be the fun in that?" Miguel's mask pixelated over his face, and Maria followed suit, letting her mask cover her head with a light flash of blue. The doors opened to the very rooftop of Babylon Towers. The wind howled across the smooth metal flooring, and Maria's stomach flipped as she understood for the first time how painfully high up they were. Miguel stepped out, Maria following hesitantly behind him.

"Don't tell me you're afraid of heights," Miguel said. Maria could feel his smug expression, even with his mask up. She scoffed and approached the edge with him, peering over it cautiously.

"It's just… a long way down." She squeaked as Miguel rushed past her as a blur, leaping off the rooftop like it was nothing.

"Miguel!" She exclaimed as she watched him descend before he shot a web at nearby flying traffic, grabbing a car and using it to swing from. He repeated, using the cars as moving anchor points with a practiced pattern to his movement.

"Mad man…" She closed her eyes tightly before stepping back and rushing forward, leaping off the edge of the roof. The wind screamed around her as she entered free fall, angling herself towards the line of traffic zipping by. With a flick of her arm she shot out a web and nabbed a car, using it to catch herself and swing forward with the momentum from her fall.

Miguel was already way ahead, swinging towards a large central cluster of skyscrapers. He made this look easy! Continuing to swing from car to car, Maria felt the gears turning.

Spindle, think we can get a boost?

The excited squeaking from within made Maria laugh before she felt the familiar tingle of energy through her body. She webbed a far-ahead car and quickly pulled herself towards it, using the distance to gain speed as the energy built. Blue light crackled around her like lightning before she released the web and shot forward with a thundering boom.

The cars behind her were knocked slightly around, wobbling to regain balance after being hit with the literal shock-wave generated. Maria flew forward like a bullet as her surroundings blurred from speed. The energy faded as she slowed, webbing another car and swinging ahead. She looked behind her to see that she had shot herself ahead of Miguel, whose suit-eyes were wide.

"How did you-?" His voice crackled over comms. Maria laughed in delight as she continued to swing forward towards the cluster.

"I've been learning some new tricks with Spindle!" She kept her momentum and saw her opening, swing forward and up. Arms tight, legs straight, she pulled herself into a spin before landing on a rooftop, skidding to a halt.

Her breathing was hot and heavy as she took a moment, running her hands through her bangs. Her blood was pumping and her muscles ached. Letting out a whoop, she pumped her fist in the air as Miguel landed, similarly skidding until he stopped.

"That's how it's done!"

Miguel shook his head and chuckled. "I took it easy on you - I didn't know you had some tricks up your sleeve." She could feel his grin from behind her mask, and she laughed in delight.

"Sure, sure. Whatever helps you sleep at night."

He shook his head and motioned to the nearby buildings. "Welcome to Surface Central. We'll start the patrol here."

A/N: Special thanks to my beta readers, @madschiavelique, Fari, and Nura! Love you guys! <3333

Remember to comment and reblog - support fandom creators! And if you want more spider-verse content, why don't you check out my Spider-Verse Masterlist?

#miguel o'hara #spiderverse #across the spiderverse #atsv #spiderman 2099 #oc x canon #Ash Writes [⌨️👽📖 Read it and Weep!]#Miguel O'Hara [🕷🌹🩸 Emo Vampire Spider]#Maria Philips [🕷💙👟 Rhythm of Love]

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deadcactuswalking · 20 days

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REVIEWING THE CHARTS: 13/04/2024 (J. Cole's Might Delete Later, David Guetta/OneRepublic)

Hozier’s “Take Me to Church” peaked at #2 for four weeks. The first week, “Uptown Funk!” blocked it, but for the most part, it was halted by Ellie Goulding’s “Love Me Like You Do”. This week, just under a decade later, Hozier can finally claim his UK #1 as “Too Sweet” lands its first week at the top, skipping straight up from #4 last week. I’m personally not complaining as it’s a great song, but I will be complaining because under it, we have J. Cole. Welcome back to REVIEWING THE CHARTS!

Rundown

As always, we start with our notable dropouts, those being songs exiting the UK Top 75 (which is what I cover!) after five weeks in the region or a peak in the top 40. This week, we bid farewell to: “exes” by Tate McRae, “I Remember Everything” by Zach Bryan featuring Kacey Musgraves, “vampire” by Olivia Rodrigo, “Flowers” by Miley Cyrus and some long-term bottom-feeders like “Someone You Loved” and “Everywhere” by Fleetwood Mac. Like much of everything else this week, it’s a bit of a mixed bag.

We only have one returning entry, but it’s pretty interesting and surprisingly high: Thanks to the specific surge of TikTok traction to a Summer Walker remix, “Hell n Back” by Bakar, which peaked at #20 just last year, is back for another run at #26, already nearing its peak position that I honestly expect it to surpass soon enough. As for the gains, we see healthy boosts for “We Ain’t Here for Long” by Nathan Dawe at #49, “Worth It.” by RAYE at #46, “Jump” by Tyla, Gunna and Skillibeng at #43, “if u think i’m pretty” by Artemas at #39, “Saturn” by SZA at #30, “Happier” by The Blessed Madonna and Clementine Douglas at #21, “Back on 74” by Jungle at #19 - really glad this is still at it - “Belong Together” by Mark Ambor at #14 and finally, of all hits, “Austin” by Dasha finds its place in the top 10 at #8. Maybe this is a fluke, or maybe Dasha is a pop star in the making. I guess time will tell.

As for our top five, we start with… Artemas, joy, and “i like the way you kiss me” at #5, then the usual suspects: “Lose Control” by Teddy Swims at #4, “TEXAS HOLD ‘EM” by Beyoncé back to down to #3, Bentley Boonemobile with “Beautiful Things” at #2 and of course, Hozier at the very top. Now for whatever debuted on the rest of this chart this week… trust me, it’s mostly not very good.

New Entries

#67 - “Cry” - Benson Boone

Produced by Malay

Bento Box’s debut album with a name stupider than the nicknames I give him on this show debuted surprisingly low at #16 - that’s lower than Feeder, man. And I like Feeder. Regardless, I did like those two singles, I have yet to hear the record, but I’m sure there’s some good on it, and I’m happy to say that this would be included in that. Now why is pretty simple, it starts with a melancholy ballad produced by Frank Ocean’s go-to, Malay, but that doesn’t last long as it’s scrapped for a more propelling pop rock chug. The lyrics go from woe-is-me to bitter and toxic bitching about his ex, in icky falsetto deliveries only accentuated by an ugly, distorted vocal chop that does not fit at all. There’s an obvious vocal glitch that was kept in and doesn’t sound intentional in the first verse, but it adds to the genuinely infuriating song full of straining and one-note riffing, as well as a second fake-out with him briefly trying to see her perspective. The song’s ugly, it doesn’t flow and it makes me hate the guy singing it, but that seems to be the intention, with which it completely succeeds. Three-for-three, Ben 10, keep it up. I wish you were comfortable with swearing though, it would hit a little better… I know, that’s rich coming from me.

#64 - “Good Luck, Babe!” - Chappell Roan

Produced by Dan Nigro

With Olivia Rodrigo’s producer and some sleeper traction for her debut album from last year, Missouri singer Chappell Roan seems primed for a big 2024 breakout, especially since she’s on tour with O-Rod. Her last album was a bit of a queer concept record and this seems to be following in similar footsteps, being about compulsory heterosexuality, feeling like you are conformed into heteronormative behaviours despite being queer. It details a secret relationship wherein love cannot be fully reciprocated due to that circumstance, and it’s treated tastefully with enough drama for most of the song for it to feel both worthwhile and not mundane, as well as not making some grander statement. The bridge irks me a tad, not allowing for the nuance of gay women marrying men and framing it in a way that seems more bitter and honestly self-serving to her narrative. Even if it’s from a different perspective, it seems a bit tasteless and awkward tonally with the rest of the song, especially given this is a classic synthpop track in the vein not of the retro pastiche or indie revival but standing damn near to Wham!’s “Last Christmas” and struggling to tell the difference kind of synthpop. That makes it slightly unique but in terms of the vocal melodies Ms. Roan lays on top of that sound, it fails to capture me all too much, and I’m also really struggling not to hear a mashup on the verses with “I Just Called to Say I Love You” by Stevie Wonder. The lyrics sharing soime similarities aren’t helping either. This is far from bad but both sonically and lyrically, it trips over, in a way that seems like it might be on purpose, and I do want to give this song credit for tackling an interesting, niche topic and having a morally grey depiction of it. That’s impressive for the pop charts, I just don’t really enjoy the final product. Sorry.

#59 - “Feel It” (From the Original Series Invincible) - d4vd

Produced by Gray Toomey, Noah Ehler and Sam Homaee

For some brief background, Invincible is an Amazon animated series based on the comic books starring Omni-Man, and the second part of its second season has just concluded, with the crew recruiting d4vd of… “Romantic Homicide” fame, because, of course, for a soundtrack single. Now for the song and okay, this is quite similar to the Benson Boone song from before. Firstly, it vaguely aligns itself with alternative R&B and indie pop in its groove, guitar tones and delivery and secondly, on a lyrical and vocal level, I’m pretty sure I’m also supposed to find d4vd a bit overwhelming and annoying, given how this girl thinks he’s crazy and he’s being inescapable to her. There are a key differences: A) this is not a rock song, it’s a synthpop haze with too much reverb, echo and overdubs - probably enough studio manufacturing to kill a small elephant. B) d4vd is neither funny nor really aggressive, he is simply being a nuisance towards the woman in the name of love, and has some creepy undertones regarding how she treats the woman in this story being uncomfortable with his advances, even if this relating to a fictional character in the series, it fails to translate beyond that. C) there is not much space left in this mix for any real emotional resonance, because he’s half-rapping and the song is filled to the brim with effects. It’s difficult to even focus on the narrative given the sheer amount of layers. Finally, D) this is a pick-up, not a rejection, so the annoyance feels like encroaching on territory rather than having any solid catharsis. All this is to say that the song just fails on all of its levels, but fails honestly. I can absolutely see someone liking this even having over-analysed it like I have, and its crime is not translating well to an audience it didn’t really intend to have, considering I’m not a d4vd fan and I’ve never seen this show. I can envision this getting pretty big and whilst I do not like the song one bit, it’s hard to complain about, really. It’s just refreshing, especially in a J. Cole week, to have a song that I don’t like for storied but largely impersonal and constructive reasons. To put it simply, I just don’t feel it.

#53 - “Crocodile Tearz” - J. Cole

Produced by T-Minus

I wrote a pretty extensive and scathing review of J. Cole’s latest mixtape, Might Delete Later. It’s #7 on the albums chart this week, and debuted three songs here this week. I am going to keep these entries brief as can be, because that review is there for you to read on my RateYourMusic 2024 listening log, the account’s exclusivelytopostown. Most of that log is in a scattered first-impressions style but that review is very thought-out, reflective and in-depth, so I’m quite proud of it. I’m tempted to format it and upload it separately as a review to this blog, though I don’t want to flood my page with such negativity. To cut it short, I think this mixtape is frankly embarrassing, as even moving away from stagnant and dire trap-adjacent production mostly headed by a clearly tired T-Minus, Cole is so unconvincing and insecure in his flexing that it becomes difficult to listen to, especially when he has all the technical lyrical skill and little personality to back up those flows, so they end up soggy and awkward. When he in any way attempts to be conscious, introspective or even commenting on his “place in the rap game”, he becomes downright insufferable and really just shows his ass rather than his pen. This song in particular has some of the dullest production Cole has ever rapped over though there are not many particularly corny lines here, other than how his dogs only shed tears in emojis and how he’s so much better than those girls on Instagram, right? Cole’s insistence on claiming himself superior to entire groups of people based on an intellect or higher spirituality he shows no proof of existing never gets old.

#38 - “7 Minute Drill” - J. Cole

Produced by T-Minus, Conductor Williams, Al Hug and Elyas

Okay, genuine question: how do I ethically tackle a song that has been rescinded by its artist, that days after release, has been disowned by the person who wrote and performed it, expressing live on stage that he regrets it and wishes it to be removed? Surely giving harsh criticism to a song that already makes him feel bad is just kicking a man when he’s down. Firstly, if you consider Cole’s position to be “down”, then you and me both are in the trenches and secondly, whilst I understand that the industry demands quick responses and can make the bureaucracy of releasing a track based on heated emotions quite frustrating, there is the option of just leaving it alone and not releasing anything, especially because “7 Minute Drill”, referring to the song process used to make it, not its runtime or genre, is framed more as a warning shot than a full-on diss. He didn’t even send the angry message before deleting it and walking it back with apologies. If anything, this song, like really the whole album, proves Cole’s insecurities about his self-instated “middleman” promo package and media representation. Cole just doesn’t have either the heart, or lack thereof, to make an actual diss track and also has nothing but good things to say about Kendrick - even in this diss track, he praises his musical output and fabricates outright lies about the albums’ reception to make it appear disrespectful. If you want any sonic criticism, the T-Minus beat is a practically unlistenable parody of “Like That” but Conductor Williams, as he always does, pulls a smooth piano jam in the back half that sadly cannot save the pathetic bars placed upon it. Next.

#37 - “I Don’t Wanna Wait” - David Guetta and OneRepublic

Produced by David Guetta, Brent Kutzle, T.I Jakke, Tyler Spry and Timofey Reznikov

Sigh… I quietly predicted this to myself. Once I’d seen EDM do-overs of “Gangsta’s Paradise”, “Better Off Alone” and “I’m Blue” hit the charts, a sinking feeling inside of me knew that O-Zone were not safe, and by God’s, Guetta has gone and done it. And he bought the hacks at OneRepublic with them, so no, let’s talk about that original song, because I think it’s genuinely great. Those synths glitch and buzz out more than you remember, having some pretty cool interplay with the deeper-voiced verses, and whilst yes, there is a nonsense hook, and the rest is in the band’s native Moldovan dialect of Romanian, you don’t need to know the language to find yourself humming the refrains in your head. The flip-phone beep after he says “beep”, the call-and-response “Alo! Salut!” and obviously both the “maiya-hee, maiya-hoo, maiya-ha” and “numa-numa-ey” choruses, they are so embedded into my brain, and that can’t just be by memetic coincidence, it’s a brilliantly written song and well executed. And obviously it was a hit - in the UK, their only hit, peaking at #3 in 2004 whilst Mario Winans’ “I Don’t Wanna Know”, also a classic, was #1. What’s most frustrating about this Guetta rendition is that “Dragostea din tei” was already milked dry for sampling, long before his 20-year anniversary last year. Most famously, it was sampled in a Newgrounds meme, but other than that, T.I. took it to #1 in the US with Rihanna on 2008’s “Live Your Life”, which was already a comical attempt at making it serious (consider it starting with T.I. shouting out the troops in Iraq), but you know what Tip and Rihanna DIDN’T do? Remove the nonsense lyrics - Rihanna does re-sing real lyrics in the nonsense melody, but they start and end the song with the original sample, there’s no hiding where it came from. They work because they’re nonsense, we do NOT need a Ryan Tedder rewrite! “Live Your Life” peaked at #2 here, but it was blocked by a single from The X Factor so it’s basically an honourable #1, I don’t like it much but it has a heart and charm that Guetta and Tedder could not successfully pull off even in their “prime”… which coincides pretty comfortably with when T.I. released that song. Have fun chasing the past, boys, maybe you’ll find your talent and creativity hidden back there.

#29 - “H.Y.B.” - J. Cole and Bas featuring Central Cee

Produced by DZL, T-Minus, Cedric Brown, AzizTheShake and FNZ

I quite like Bas. He doesn’t exactly a consistent brand of sound, instead shifting through a pretty eclectic array of pop-rap styles, though often maintaining both trap and Afrobeats influences, and therefore, his work tends to be a bit hit-or-miss when you consider the full-length projects. Regardless, he has genuine pop perfection on those albums - what ties his albums together is Bas, a lighthearted but experienced presence who is full of hooks and catchy flows, as well as often genuine heart that makes the variety of styles feel connected via that vocal throughline. This is his first top 40 hit in the UK, and it really bothers me that Cole do not push Bas further, as this could have easily been at least his second given he released a Jersey club-inspired single with AJ Tracey last year that could have absolutely smashed over here. It was one of my favourite songs of 2023, and still gets me really excited - if there’s anything Bas is great at, it’s just letting you loose and allowing for a dropping of the same pretence that has defined J. Cole’s every move. Cole puts Bas on his albums as a gesture but is seemingly unwilling to promote the man’s solo music. This may be because of how obvious it is that Bas, whilst maybe not as technically lyrical, has the pop edge over Cole, and could honestly be way bigger if given a chance to a mass audience or even bigger features like Cench over here, who is completely fine in his verse. This is just a sample-drill track wherein Cench does fine, Bas is cool but is only granted the hook - telling - and Cole embarrasses himself by reciting the alphabet without the letter L because he doesn’t take those. You got outcharted this week by two Benson Boone songs, Teddy Goddamn Swims and the song that dissed you in the first place still at #11. Please, stop lying to yourself, it’s not healthy.

Conclusion

Guess Best of the Week Boone strikes again with “Cry”. Jesus, I thought I was better than that. It’s even the only song I actually like out of our debuts, which is fantastic, so there won’t be an Honourable Mention. Instead, we can throw out a Dishonourable Mention for J. Cole’s “Crocodile Tearz”, whilst he ties for the worst. Both “7 Minute Drill” and David Guetta’s “I Don’t Wanna Wait” with OneRepublic feel like very cynical and regretful songs, made not for response but reaction and no, in art, those aren’t necessarily the same thing. Hopefully, we’ll have a more pleasant week on the horizon, there are pop girls by the dozen with Dua Lipa, Perrie of Little Mix, Sabrina Carpenter, Mimi Webb and perhaps most importantly, Future and Metro dropped the sequel. For now, thank you for reading, long live Cola Boyy, and I’ll see you next week!

#uk singles chart #pop music #song review #j. cole #might delete later #bas #central cee #d4vd #chappell roan #benson boone #onerepublic #david guetta

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stupid-elf · 5 months

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Consider this your permission to rant about comics as modern myths, from a classics major who would love to hear it :)

HI OKAY so this ask might've been months ago but it's fine we're here to answer it now

SO BASICALLY one of the main features of myths is that they're archetypal, right? So long as you follow the archetypes and the general flow of the story it's the same myth. There is no definitive version, only the teller's version. Think about this with comic reboots and different versions and timelines. So long as Spider-Man is funny, slings webs, and lives in a city with a rogues gallery, that's Spider-Man. Actually, Across The Spider-Verse has somewhat demonstrated even that list is hewing too close to the bone, Spider-Man is more flexible even than that.

Consider Batman. Grim backstory, detective, uses fear as a weapon for good, has a dual identity with one consuming the other. Who to make, then, of Godkiller Batman? Of Chaos Nexus Batman? We still recognize them as Batman, but they're not detectives, they don't have dual identities, they're arguably not even fighting on the good side. Still the same character. But Owl-man? No, that's somebody else. That's a narrative foil.

We have good indications that what we assume about Dionysus isn't who Dionysus was to the people that worshipped him. Similarly, Red Hood is not, to me, who Red Hood is to somebody obsessed with the resurrected wrong trope.

If you're looking for modern myths, comics characters are your best bet. You don't have to have read, watched, or listened to Spider-Man content to know who that is. Living in the US or our sphere of cultural hegemony is enough. Similarly, a random Greek might not be able to list the 12 labors, but they know who Heracles was supposed to be.

Franchises don't usually work. There's a canon, definitive version of Obi-wan Kenobi. You can't really have a re-imagining of Old Ben. A re-imagining of Iron Man though? There's 3 of them being printed right now, with no relation to the MCU besides the idea of a guy and a suit. There's one where it's a knight in an unconventionally advanced suit of armor set during the middle ages, but a reader can look at that and go "yeah, that's Iron Man alright." I'm not sure how besides "archetypes just work like that," it's probably helped by the stamping of the name on the cover (similarly to how there's a couple dozen myths about different things Prometheus did, and some of them don't even seem like the same guy but short of a persistent translation error we're to understand it is; the storyteller often begins with "let me tell you a story of the titan Prometheus," or some variation to that effect).

All of this comes from a class I took on Ancient Mythology and a couple classes on genre, archetypal thinking, and characterization. I'm not an expert, but I'm fascinated by the ways humanity hasn't really changed, even over several millennia. We still just have our blorbos, and believe me there's people on this hellsite that would go in the woods and hold a Bacchanal if society was still structured in a way that allowed it.

#hey remortal tony #which mutual is that #come find this post

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florietiae · 1 month

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DETAILED CHARACTER SHEET ! CREDIT HERE. GIF PACK CREDIT FOUND HERE.

FULL NAME: MRS. AFTON / JULIET SAGE. FACECLAIM: ELIZABETH DEBICKI. FANDOM: F.IVE NIGHTS AT F.REDDY'S OC, WIFE TO WILLIAM A.FTON. OCCUPATION: EVENT PLANNER, ARTS ADMINISTRATOR. NAME MEANING: YOUTHFUL. NICKNAMES: JULES, JULIE. AGE: 26-32. GENDER: FEMALE. PRONOUNS: SHE/HER/HERS. SPECIES: HUMAN. BIRTHDATE: FEBRUARY 7. BIRTHPLACE: MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA . GREW UP: CORONA , QUEENS NY. CURRENT RESIDENCE: HURRICANE , UTAH. ETHNICITY: WHITE. NATIONALITY: AUSTRALIAN . ROMANTIC ORIENTATION: BIROMANTIC. SEXUAL ORIENTATION: DEMISEXUAL MARITAL STATUS: depends on the verse, but usually married to william. CHILDREN: MICHAEL, ELIZABETH & EVAN AFTON. SPOKEN LANGUAGES: ENGLISH, GERMAN.

HEIGHT: 6′ 3″ HAIR COLOR: BLONDE. EYE COLOR: BLUE. BUILD: ATHLETIC. TATTOOS: a cluster of roses on her inner right wrist. has each of her children's birthdays on her back. ATTIRE: she's very into power suits. ( for example, something like this or this ) she likes wearing oversized, comfortable sweaters. and she's a sucker for jeans & florals. as well as soft, flow-y fabrics. POSITIVE TRAITS: AMBITIOUS, PLAYFUL, PERSUASIVE, ANALYTICAL. NEGATIVE TRAITS: STUBBORN, COMBATIVE. MORAL ALIGNMENT: NEUTRAL GOOD. TEMPERAMENT: OPTIMISTIC, SOCIAL. ZODIAC SIGN: AQUARIUS. LIKES: LONG WALKS, HOT CHOCOLATE, HAND HOLDING, WEIGHTED BLANKETS. DISLIKES: BURNT COFFEE, BEING LATE, GREAT BOOKS WITH TERRIBLE ENDINGS, HEAVY TRAFFIC. HOBBIES: BALLET, TENNIS, YOGA, SCULPTING. STRENGTHS: ACTION ORIENTED, ADVENTUROUS, CHARISMATIC, DETERMINED. WEAKNESSES: CAN BE IMPATIENT, DEFIANT. BLOOD TYPE: B MOTHER: LILLIAN SAGE. FATHER: BEN SAGE. SIBLINGS: THE THIRD AND YOUNGEST OF THREE SISTERS. PETS: A DOG NAMED MAX.

#。 ·ﾟ ❪ 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙘𝙖𝙣𝙤𝙣𝙨 ❫ — juliet afton.#large gif cw

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humaudrey · 1 year

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Getting sidetracked with the smallest details of my writing, I'm making this post to get it out of my head and my creative juices flowing so to speak so don't mind me...

But, like, have you guys ever wondered what the relationships between the OG Disney characters (mainly the parents) in the Descendants-verse would be like?

Like for some reason, I see Tiana, Snow White, and Cinderella being like the best of friends. All three of them are a few of the handful of princesses who aren't afraid of getting their hands dirty to help their cleaning staff and I see their personalities bouncing off of one another.

I also see Tiana, Cinderella, Rapunzel, Aurora, and Belle to have their own group-chat as queens that weren't born royal (or in Rapunzel and Aurora's case, not raised in royalty), gossiping among themselves, giving each other etiquette/diplomatic tips, and low-key dissing the others with how willy-nilly they are with their money.

Rapunzel, Belle, Ariel, Anna, and Elsa all have their own private book club that originally included EVERYONE but Ariel and Belle's over-enthusiasm wasn't everyone's cup of tea.

Jasmine and Elsa are as thick as thieves and as close as can be, silently judging others in a small, quiet corner at public events but also snorting like hogs at their own, rather immature inside jokes.

Rapunzel is low-key the glue of the group out of the Disney princesses, and gets along great with everyone.

Mulan and Merida are constantly sparring against each other.

It'd also make sense for Belle, Cinderella, and Aurora to be friends due to Ben, Audrey, and Chad.

#disney descendants

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honorhearted · 1 year

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@bladedwoe | continued from (x)

Although Ben never made a habit of carousing, he could hardly resist on this night. In a rare moment of c.ampground levity, the limited supply of s.pirits were passed around, and the men were actually making merry and laughing again. He would be an absolute miserable cur if he didn’t partake at least a little.

In between verses of “Ye Good Fellows All,” Ben finally staggered up to his feet for a bit of a breather. The warmth around the fire was making him drowsy, and the ale, though certainly not the strongest, flowed through his veins in a pleasant rush that made him equally serene.

Intent on his quarters, Ben took a slow swallow of ale, then nearly choked into his cup once something -- or rather, someone -- caught hold of his arm and shoved him harshly inside a neighboring stockade. His response was immediate: he dropped the ale and struggled, attempting to left-hook the figure as it pushed him securely against the wall.

The stranger, naturally, pushed back and covered his mouth, and amidst their grappling, Ben somehow knocked the hat free of the person's head, and all at once, a sliver of moonlight spilled in over their features, and eyes -- her eyes -- glinted back at him akin to the dagger that was surely somewhere within her grasp. She never seemed to leave without it.

“You,” Ben snarled. Instantly gripping at her wrists, he became far less rigid, though his defenses were still very much high on the alert.

Astrid’s words brought a disbelieving sneer to his lips. She had come for him?

“What do you want?” he demanded. She fished around inside her pocket in response, and tensing anew, Ben realized that this must be it -- she would no longer take pity on him, but finish whatever damnable job she’d been hired to do.

But when she lifted what appeared to be a sprig of mistletoe above his head, he gave a disbelieving huff and regarded her incredulously. Despite the fact that he hated everything she stood for, loathed her, his b.ody’s response from having her so close -- by having that heated familiarity -- made him tremble and a warm, bewildering heat to flood through his limbs and pool into his stomach. Pink-cheeked, he rasped, “This is why you came here? To humiliate me in front of my men?”

Furtively assessing the area, he tried to get a feel for his options. If he knocked her in the head, she could potentially stab him, and if he remained docile...well...the same outcome was likely on the horizon, but at least at present she seemed more willing to tease than maim.

"I'm not doing this again," he warned her. "Whatever partnership we had, it's over. Rogers got away, and I intend to finish him myself." Scowling, he lifted a hand and pushed aside the mistletoe. "My refusal includes that part of our old arrangement, as well."

#bladedwoe #mistle no #ben x astrid #//lmao i tried to go with a pun for the title #cuz ben's like NO GURL despite his b.ody being like oh...YASS missed this B) lolol

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barc0d3 · 7 days

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Most Underrated Blackbox Ever 💥💯

youtube

This Freestyle Has Some Incredible Lyrics But Specifcally There's A Moment Where xMDx Mentions 9 British Urban Movies

CAN YOU NAME THE MOVIES??

(LYRICS)

Always wrap that don't want a clap back. When you smash that big back make sure you slap that back fat. Never snap chat that chap. Cause that could snap back to rack tax to attract stacks never double tap that, tap tap avoiding the xo xo, not needing that cheat code Nah nahh not needing that cheat code

Sauce it sauce it sauce it wave Pour shit poor shit pour pour shit wave So sick so sick so sick wave Porcher hahahaa

Dm girl on Ops empty drops 2 an a shot hot in that box 2 in a top. Taking it off. Banging in block no block in that bang. You do what you can i do what i want. Youse a mort & mans a simon... simon says that mandem being a bitch he'll pop your hymen No need for a management team. Man do that noel edmunds. Man flowing is elementary, man kill you no weapon. That lethal ting, tight like grip anaconda thats villianous Vamanous venomous those posionous animals telling us.

You and i id iron you thats doa if rivald you. That Do or die that die will do roll out and try it dude. Cause i hate that snake like ting, cause im wrapping up no more cling. No abc im out of it. But abc in the alphabet fix bayonet for the heavy set like a public threat i bring respect. 24 and i move that slide on the inside No insight when im inside. in tight for the intell no oblong drops or ops for the hotshots gunna shot stop no block. . . suspenseful. Intentions protentious inhighten through senses enlighting through sentences. Not insisting on sentencing but developing centers to center development.

Girl dem... I like the Off white type with the highlights, high drive loves night life, high vibes, top 9 on sight. Ill fight for the right right. Im the best like psg.... conjector You roll in the back of a beat up vector no line drawn but insertion of sections no version is besting my versing, rehursing & learning ent merking, correction no detection.

Shifty Youngers and offenders try attack the block, these ill manors ran by govnours, im a top boy locked. Bring a sket and a shank and u think to cotch you aint gone to far catch a bullet boy first shot. Bang .

tryna live life like movie xmrxmdx that ten ten like semtex that ben ten with that flow select. Collect correct confect. Make moves. Detect deject deflect to make news. For the pounds i pounce on G make a mount on g make amounts off g. That on off and i switch. That flow change and ditch. Man lip lock with ya marker. Man dip dat i go harder. Don't dig dat i go faster. Talk that, am on M roads. Your outside by that bent pole, sell drugs thats a fence post.

#Blackbox #XMRxMDx #xMDx #Freestylerap #Ukrap #Challenge #Youtube

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existentialmagazine · 20 days

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Review: B. Snipes new single ‘Friend’ delivers quick-paced indie rock that’s catchy and meaningful in one

Since releasing his first EP in 2015, the up-comer Ben Snipes (known musically as B. Snipes) has truly flourished into a formative indie-rock act unlike any other, delivering modern touches in nostalgic roots. It’s no surprise it sounds familiar either, with influence from The Killers and The Strokes, as well as folk artists like John Prine and Townes Van Zandt that separate Ben’s work from most. Now with a few scattered singles over the years, and his second of 2024 just releasing, Ben is here to make you feel heard in a space where he’s authentically himself too.

Have you ever just really needed a friend? Yearned for company when everything seems to be falling apart? Desperately wanted to escape the loneliness that seems consuming? Well, you’ll probably find that Ben’s newest single ‘Friend’ might relate a little too much, aching for someone to lean on in the midst of personal and societal collapse. With soft faded-in percussion, the introduction of ‘Friend’ in itself is at first cautious, perhaps afraid to ask loudly and be met with rejection. But it picks up soon, hurtling along with quick-paced drum beats, vibrant guitar strums, bright piano keys and rich bass twangs, a speeding shift that seems to mirror Ben’s building emotions coming into the opening chorus. As his lines right away delve into the deep end, Ben sings ‘you say you want to be a friend, when the whole world ends…’ , an acknowledgement that it’s often left until no return for people to start showing up. Even the world ending would be a semi-selfish reason to show up, pushed to the bottom of their priorities unless some devastating event - that also impacts them - may occur. Ben’s vocals are fleshed out and bold, keeping up with the fast-moving sound and flowing through gorgeous highs and lows with a delivery that’s a little pushed and emotive in itself.

Things simmer down a bit for the verse, a shift towards just intermittent piano notes, bass twangs and clashing drums, still hurtling along but with much less of an impact with the reduced layers. Ben’s vocals are more intimate to match, a spoken-sung sort of delivery that reminds a bit of Sam Fender and Sundara Karma in one, delivering charisma in such a uniquely diverse package. You’ll want to sing along to every single line, even when some will have you frozen for a moment to reflect on what exactly it is you’re saying: ‘He gave you your name too, yeah but he didn’t know you.’ Weaving in his own childhood trauma and a clear sense of isolation through it, moments like this line carry the harsh reminder that although you may have family, they are not always there to give the love and safety they should provide. Instead, the idea of family seems to be nonexistent to Ben, pushing onwards alone as he’s done from a young age.

Between autobiographical admissions and and a composite of adjacent experiences through his work as a clinical work as a therapist, ‘Friend’ carries the raw truths that we can’t always look in the face: ‘The lights go out, you see it now.’ To match these new lines, the bridge ebbs and flows with an almost theatrical edge to it, a cascading of piano keys and rising vocals that quite literally feel like the final moments before the lights dim at the end of a theatre show or concert. Everything about it is intricately thought out, a sonic experience that’s tied to its words with careful planning and depth, delivering an experience through ‘Friend’ that you won’t be able to forget - so add it to your own playlists here.

Written by: Tatiana Whybrow

Photo Credits: Unknown

// This coverage was supported and created via Musosoup, #SustainableCurator.

#tatiana

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dfroza · 3 months

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A touch of B&W

do you see how you read but never actually “connect” your thoughts?

(only until you do open up to this inner conversation of the heart)

will you ever “find” me here?

[Monika Kross]

Presque Isle on Lake Superior

#nmu #presqueisle #marquette

1.23.24 • Facebook

Always reaching out from this shoreline…

and do you know our Creator and Father is always on a massive heavenly Throne ruling over Creation and its sacred “Breath”?

just as an immovable and majestic mountain, an unshakable Tree of Life

(Life is a constant and eternal force of nature inseparable from Love)

And Love is constantly True.

and we don’t normally hear God speak, nor do we see Him in His brightness (although people do see the Son as a Man and the 2nd Adam who is also now in Heaven)

but we have the silent and invisible Spirit here on garden earth with us to illumine His thoughts and His Heart inside our own

to offer hope and Light and encouragement for the journey…

(spiritual truth)

i hope to “mirror” this from the open book of my heart and its pure Winter dream by a conserved “seed”

A post by John Parsons:

Today is Tu B'Shevat, the 15th of Shevat, which marks the "new year" for trees...

====

The “Tree of Life,” etz ha’chayim (עֵץ הָחַיִּים), is mentioned ten times in the Scriptures. In the Torah it first appears in the center of the paradise of Eden (Gen. 2:9; 3:22-4), but it is soon lost to humanity because of Adam’s transgression. In the book of Revelation, it reappears in the center of the Paradise of God (Rev. 2:7, 22:2), resurrected on account of the faithful obedience of Yeshua as mankind’s “last Adam” (1 Cor. 15:45). Those who have washed their robes by means of His righteousness are given access to this Tree in the heavenly Jerusalem (Rev. 22:14). The paradise lost by Adam has been regained by the greater ben-adam, Son of man, Yeshua the Messiah.

In the book of Proverbs, the Tree of Life is a metaphor for the life of wisdom (chokhmah), which is the implied subject of our verse above (see Prov. 3:13). Traditional Judaism identifies talmud Torah (the study of Torah) as the Tree of Life, promising wisdom to those who “lay hold of her” (a Torah scroll has wooden rods called atzei chayim – the “trees of life” – used to roll the parchment). According to the Rabbis, the eternal life that was lost in Eden was restored to humanity with the giving of the Torah at Sinai.

A midrash says that in the paradise of olam haba (the world to come) there stands the Tree of Life, with the tree of knowledge forming a hedge around it. Only the wise one who has cleared a path for himself through the tree of knowledge can come close to it (which is said to be so enormous that it would take 500 years to walk around it). Beneath the Tree flows forth the water that irrigates the whole earth, parting into four streams, the Ganges, the Nile, the Tigris and the Euphrates rivers. In mystical (i.e., gnostic) Judaism, the Tree of Life is depicted as an elaborate symbol, the meditation of which is said to “clear the path” back to paradise.

Followers of Yeshua understand that He (alone) is the Tree of Life, the Center of the true Paradise of God (Rev. 22:2). He is the Seed, Root, Trunk, Branches, and Fruit that comes from heaven. The first Adam lost access to God by means of his transgression (eating from the tree of the “knowledge of good and evil”), but the “Greater Adam” reclaimed our access by means of His obedience, resisting the power of evil even to the point of death upon the “tree” of the cross (Phil. 2:8). The resurrection of the life of Yeshua is the “firstfruits” of all who put their trust in Him (1 Cor. 15:20; Jas. 1:18). Yeshua is the “Tree of Life in the center of the Paradise of God,” and all who retain Him are forever blessed indeed. Say ye Amen.

[ Hebrew for Christians ]

========

Proverbs 3:18 reading:

https://hebrew4christians.com/Blessings/Blessing_Cards/prov3-18-jjp.mp3

Hebrew page:

https://hebrew4christians.com/Blessings/Blessing_Cards/prov3-18-lesson.pdf

1.25.24 • Facebook

we’re being invited into this by the Spirit

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mirandamckenni1 · 4 months

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youtube

Lesbian Bed Death - Flesh (Official Music Video) Lesbian Bed Death performing their song 'Flesh' from the album, 'Born To Die On VHS' (Psychophonic Records). Available from lesbianbeddeath.net, all good record shops & online retailers via Shellshock Distribution. Directed and produced by Dan Peach & Evelyn Wolf Director of Photography: Ben Thompson Focus Puller: Kieran Martin Make-up and SFX: Jacqui Dunn Performers: Bella & Rose Lesbian Bed Death are:- Luci4 – Vocals Mr Peach – Rhythm Guitar Aimee Violet – Drums Magic Andy - Bass Steve Lethal – Lead Guitar (Special guest) Lesbian Bed Death management & booking enquiries: [email protected] https://ift.tt/t3erXuy https://ift.tt/GJUhdV0 http://www.twitter.com/lbdofficial https://ift.tt/2dHMXhA Lyrics: FLESH (Intro) I want your flesh I need your flesh Give me your……flesh Verse 1 I’ve left the lights on And I want you to come Make my black heart Beat like a drum Whatever the cost It’s never too much At the stroke of midnight Our lips are gonna … touch Chorus Black orchids on the pillow (I want your flesh) Let the blood flow (I need your flesh) So vicious and delicious (I want your flesh) Join my ritual (Give me your flesh) Verse 2 It’s the witching hour There’s nowhere to run Your dreams all turned sour And were burned by the sun I am your church I am your voodoo Get on your knees And taste my bad juju via YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7TA6u2ZuMI

#IFTTT #YouTube #Youtube

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uozlulu · 6 months

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20 questions for fic writers!

I was tagged by @firebatvillain :D!

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

I have 148 works on AO3

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

I have 740,203 words in total. I added 59,061 words this year

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Supernatural (TV 2005) (32) Naruto (16) Doctor Who (12) Interview with the Vampire (TV 2022) (11) Black Clover - Tabata Yuki (Anime & Manga) (10) The Avengers (Marvel Movies) (8) Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies) (8) Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms (8) Tennis no Oujisama | Prince of Tennis (7) Banana Fish (Anime & Manga) (7) Sherlock (TV) (7) Teen Wolf (TV) (5) My Hero Academia (Anime & Manga) (5) Spider-Man (Movies - Raimi) (4) Hawaii Five-0 (2010) (3) Death Note (Anime & Manga) (3) X-Men (Movieverse) (3) xxxHoLic (2) Whitechapel (TV) (2) Sherlock Holmes - Arthur Conan Doyle (2) Star Trek (2) Captain America (Movies) (2) Hannibal (TV) (2) Pacific Rim (Movies) (2) One Piece (Anime & Manga) (1) CSI: NY (1) Spider-Man - All Media Types (1) The Venture Bros (1) Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon (Anime & Manga) (1) Kakuriyo: Bed & Breakfast for Spirits (Anime) (1) Suite Life on Deck (1) My Life in Film (TV) (1) Boruto: Naruto Next Generations (1) Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle (1) Daredevil (TV) (1) Gundam 00 (1) Vampire Chronicles Series - Anne Rice (1) Star Trek: The Next Generation (1)

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Our Soulmate Academia (BnHA (MHA)) - 355

Pain (Banana Fish (manga!verse)) - 280

Crush (SuperWolf (SPN/Teen Wolf (MTV))) - 256

A Gift (Avengers (MCU)/Daredevil (Netflix)) - 219

Best Laid Plans (Banana Fish (manga!verse)) - 203

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I always respond because it seems like the polite thing to do especially now that people don't leave as many comments as they used to back the 00's on ff.net

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

You Can't Stay Blind - (SuperWho (SPN/Doctor Who)) - the Eleventh Doctor runs into Crowley who's wearing a too familiar face

In the Pasture of a Vale (Supernatural) - Dean runs into Adam and Ben five years post-season 5 (written back in 2010)

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

I think I always end up with a kind of mixed emotion ending like Best Laid Plans or Our Soulmate Academia, so it's difficult to remember the truly happy ones. The most recent happy ending would be The Mystery in the Fog (ACD!Holmes) where Holmes and Watson end up at the same secret wedding of an underground queer club they're both members of unbeknownst to each other and have some revelations

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Sometimes I do. The most infamous incident was the time I wrote a fic speculating on who Castiel's vessel might have been before I got to Jimmy's episode in my binge watch back in the day. The reviewer went into gruesome detail on how I was going to burn in Hell for my fic. It was unreal. I just deleted the fic and then went on to write several more SPN fics as you do.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

I've written smut a handful of times for fics and more often than that for RP since that's part of the RP culture I fell into in university. Most of my smut fics have been orphaned now, but the one that remains is Swallow My Fang at Night Island (Interview with the Vampire (AMC)) I approach smut like I approach fight scenes so I can keep track of the flow of action. I keep my own personal kinks out of it and try to write a scene I think the audience would look for instead

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

I've written 15 crossovers. I enjoy them tbh. In terms of plot, the craziest one I wrote was Distortion (BBC Sherlock/My Life in Film) where Jones was hired to play Moriarty and things get way too real. In terms of titles crossed over, the craziest one is probably The Hokage (Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle/Naruto)

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Yes, ages ago. It's why I'm my own beta reader or Kitty Britpicks me because I can trust her

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

I had some requests but I've never been alerted to the final products

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

My brother and I regularly cowrote fics together when I was in high school and he was in middle school. If you ever read a Trigun script-based crack fic in the 00's with the phrase "Love and peace! Doves and geese! Change the world!" or "Another carnival ride with cotton candy," that was us.

14. What’s your all time favourite ship?

I don't think I actually have one because I'm a multi-shipper and I have so many favorites. That said, it might be inuyasha/Kagome since I always had an Inuyasha fic in rotation (usually more than one though) from 2001 - 2007 or so. Unfortunately they've all been lost to time. According to my AO3 relationship toggle in the filters sidebar, it's Destiel (7) and Devil's Minion (7)

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

I have a BnHA fic from before we learned what Hagukure's powers were where she sent Class-A and Aizawa back in time to Yagi's high school years to do a kind of Tenchi in Love (1996) type of plot where they had to stop a time traveler from murdering Yagi. I wrote quite a bit of it but it stalled on me when Midoriy and Nana interacted and I wasn't completely sure how to get that to work

16. What are your writing strengths?

The most consistent thing I get complimented on are my fight sequences, which is why it's sad I lost all my IY fics because I wrote so many fights for them

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

My memory is a sieve and some of the holes are too big

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

I've done it before because I was a weeb and it was a trend in the 00's. Not sure I'd do it again now that I've matured past that.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Technically fairytales. I retold Cinderella when I was so little my mom had to write it down for me because I couldn't write yet. I drew pictures to go with the narration

20. Favourite fic you’ve written?

The Land Across the Sea (Black Clover/Boruto) - Boruto ride a tsunami to Clover Kingdom and the knights have to take him back home, which is also Yami's homeland.

I got the idea for this fic when a friend and I were talking about what we'd want the Black Clover movie to be about when it was first announced. Then I took my idea of Yami getting to return to his homeland and made it a crossover because I like the idea of Yami and Naruto knowing each other from back in the day.

#firebatvillain #adventures in fic writing #long post

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