#( i just figure i should try to participate in the event a little bit more. -chuckles- )

[scarletcomalies]

soul bounds entwined

Wanda Maximoff x Fem Reader

Part I, Part III

Word count: 5,248

Warnings: 18+ content, brief masturbation, confrontation, groping, emotional manipulation, brief degrading, edging, angst. Also, Reader kinda uses Billy.

A/N: Oh, my! This was supposed to be second and last part but I'm sorry, I'm leaving the best part in suspense. Thank you 3000 for the support you've given to this little series so far ❤️ See you in part III!

The more you get involved into Wanda Maximoff's life, the more you find yourself increasingly drawn to the woman. Through a series of interactions during family activities, intense romantic and sexual tension develops, culminating in a dramatic confrontation where hidden feelings are exposed.

You met Kate Bishop at High School, a few yesterdays ago. She opened the door for you to photograph galas, events, or photoshoots that her mother, Eleanor Bishop, occasionally participated in. Eleanor only agreed to please her stubborn daughter, who would have hired you regardless.

Despite your young age at the time, you were able to demonstrate to Eleanor -and several others- your almost innate ability to capture the precise peak of every instant. It was as if you had a sixth sense that told you exactly when to pick up your camera and press the button.

You were never more grateful for that gift than when you spotted the figure of Wanda Maximoff hitting the neon green sphere with her racket, so steadily, yet with such elegance that it could easily pass for a dance sequence. That was her, a being who radiated beauty even without trying.

You were barely at the middle landing of the stairs that would lead you to that woman you so longed for, her green eyes had not yet settled on you, for her attention was directed to her opponent. Oh, but she had your full and undivided attention, every action on her part being meticulously scrutinized.

When the redhead was defeated by her son, she let out a sigh of defeat, and moved to pick up the tennis ball that hit the wire and rolled a few meters away from her. It was at the moment when she threw it up, ready to take the first hit, that you pressed the capture button of your old Polaroid camera, which would be your accomplice in freezing that moment inside the piece of zink paper.

You shook the cartridge impatiently, the minutes feeling like hours for the image to be developed. And hell, was it worth the wait, for your eyes were delighted in return.

In your hands was a photograph that only you would have at your mercy, and you couldn't help but consider it a form of unparalleled intimacy that condemned you to an addiction.

Wanda Maximoff with the ball hovering in the air, looking up at said object with her full lips half-open, her racket at shoulder height. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail, some of it beginning to stick to her forehead from the sweat that was beginning to be present. She wore a white pleated skirt like yours, and a light blue polo shirt with three buttons open, revealing just a little bit of her collarbone.

You stared at the photograph for who knows how long, the hours feeling like minutes this time.

"(Y/N)! You made it!" The distant voice of your now muse snapped you out of your trance, and you quickly shoved the photograph in your bag. With quick steps, you descended the remaining stairs and walked to where the awaiting family stood.

"I made it," you replied with a smile.

"And you look..." Wanda began the sentence, looking you up and down, repeating the action twice. However, she concluded it with a sigh.

"You look beautiful," Billy completed it. Despite the fact that he vocalized a complete word, a prolonged intake of breath followed by an exhale, held more meaning for you because it came from the woman before you.

"Completely," Wanda confirmed, grinning at you from ear to ear. "That skirt really suits you. You should show off those legs more often."

"Oh, thank you..." your breath hitched, and you felt as if all the blood in your body lost the ability to distribute itself, landing in your cheeks alone, the impact of her words taking on a peculiar dark pink hue.

"Billy, you pull," Wanda said, and that's when you realized he hadn't taken his eyes off you. His perennial stare was undetectable for you as long as his mother was present. "And (Y/N), go sit next to Tommy, feel free to order food or drinks. I'll teach you how to play as soon as we finish this round."

You found yourself nodding quickly, like a submissive and obedient puppy who didn't let out a word and complied to whatever she said.

Tommy greeted you with a tight-lipped smile. Between the two brothers, you found it easier to relax around Tommy. While you preferred Billy, you always had to be on guard against his suggestive remarks, which hindered your ability to fully enjoy his company. On the other hand, Tommy's voice held no hidden intentions, only friendliness at its best despite his reserved countenance.

"Did you play yet?" You asked him, noticing that his hair was still perfectly combed, with no sign of movement or activity.

"No, when my mom teaches you, I'll be your opponent," he replied.

"Then it'll be an easy win," you chuckled, making him laugh back.

"Don't worry, I won't be hard on you..."

"I meant easy win for me," you corrected, eliciting a surprised gasp from him, making you laugh even harder.

"Ah! Is this how things are gonna be between us? Okay, okay," he joked, feigning offense.

"Okay, Billy, rest," you heard Wanda say, once he lost to her.

With quiet gasps, he walked over to the table where you were seated next to Tommy. He reached for the cold water bottle that was resting across from you. He appeared to be upset, and you assumed it was because he lost, not because he witnessed your interaction with his brother.

"Mom, I want to be the one on the other side when you teach (Y/N)," he spoke, after placing the water bottle on the table.

"What?" Tommy exclaimed. "No way, dude. You played the hell out of it, it's my turn."

Before Billy could counter, Wanda interfered, "You wanted to play first, now it's your brother's turn."

Billy snorted, and sat on the chair, pulling his phone out of his bag.

Wanda signaled for you to follow her, and again, you walked behind her obediently, stopping where she indicated. Tommy positioned himself on the opposite side, stretching out his arms.

"All right, ready?" Wanda asked, handing you her racket. When you took it, you were surprised to see that it was heavier than she made it seem. The way she was handling it earlier made you think it would be featherlight.

"Yeah, ready," you could only hope that you would at least look your best while failing at trying to play the sport.

You let out a small gasp as she suddenly positioned herself behind you, her front pressed against your back. A stream of torturous cold sweat invaded every corner of your body as you forced yourself to keep your sanity.

"We're here to have fun, not the international tennis league," she said, guiding your arm with the racket at the appropiate height. "That said, don't worry if you don't get it perfect on the first try, okay?"

"Sure," you nodded, taking a deep breath. Maybe she noticed your nervousness, and thought it was due to the circumstances, when really, that became irrelevant to you when her body was pressed behind you.

"Take it firmly, with two arms or with one, whichever you feel better," she continued, and you opted for the second option, this being the one that would give you the most freedom if you needed momentum and fluidity.

Noting your choice, she added, "Good. I advice you to use your whole forearm. You're a beginner, this thing is heavy, and we don't want your wrist to dislocate."

"Oh, I was thinking of doing that anyway," you laughed. Using your wrist alone with such a heavy artefact would affect you considerably. She was right.

Wanda laughed softly, her breath colliding against your ear as she did so.

"Now, legs, they need to be apart and parallel," she continued, grabbing the inside of your right leg, a little above your knee, and positioned it in front of hers, so that you mimicked the distance she had. "Like this, good girl."

You swallowed dryly.

You weren't sure if she was simply too trusting or if, in your wildest dreams, she really wanted to bewilder you and have you under her spell.

"Finally, don't be too rigid. Let your body follow its course every time you stroke," she withdrew from behind you, and you felt the emptiness of her closeness linger on you. "Let the movements flow. But keep your posture as straight as you can."

"Noted, I got it."

At first, every time Tommy threw the ball at you, it seemed to take on a life of its own when you hit back. It bounced off the net, or to the side, out of your reach. Frustrated, you looked to Wanda, for help.

"Don't be discouraged, (Y/N). You just need to adjust your position and the angle of your racket a little,” Wanda said, approaching you.

She stood behind you once again, and gently guided your arm, showing you how to hit the ball. “Try to keep your eyes on it and bend your knees a bit for stability.”

Tommy threw again, and this time the ball came closer to you. With Wanda's help, you managed to hit it well, sending it straight towards where Tommy was standing.

“Well done!” Tommy exclaimed, surprised.

Wanda smiled, “Now you try it on your own, (Y/N)."

You took a deep breath and prepared for Tommy's next pitch. This time, you concentrated on following the trajectory of the ball and positioned your racket at the right angle.

You did it! The ball landed right where Tommy was expecting it.

“Excellent, you're catching it fast!” Said Tommy, excited. “I think you'll soon be an ace.”

Little by little, Wanda let you manage the game on your own, intervening only occasionally with advice. Your strokes became more and more precise and powerful, and Tommy had to work harder to keep up.

Wanda no longer considered it necessary to offer you her help, so she sat at the table next to Billy, with dark sunglasses covering her gaze, and although you had decided not to turn around to avoid distractions, her penetrating gaze was able to pierce through every fiber of your being.

You could feel her intense and overwhelming presence, as if a magnetic force pulled you towards her. Your heart was beating with desperation, wishing to turn your head and gaze at her beauty, but you knew you had to maintain focus and not be too obvious.

In the ninth round, Tommy failed to reach the ball and hit the shot needed to keep the streak going, so you decided to suggest to take a break instead of continuing to play. He agreed, and the two of you headed over to the table where Wanda and Billy were.

“I ordered some cold water and snacks,’ Wanda announced, pointing to the tray that contained them.

“Oh, thank you very much,” you replied with a smile. After all the physical activity, the thought of having some cold water was like heaven.

When you sat down, Billy looked away from his phone and smiled at you before placing it face down on the table.

He was about to say something when his brother joined you at the table. "You're a natural, (Y/N)! I must admit, I let you win at first to cheer you on, but then I had a hard time catching up,” he praised you as he picked up a bottle of water and drank almost half of it. In a way, you were grateful for that interruption, as it saved you from having to deal with Billy's corny flirtations.

“Yeah, you were awesome,” Billy added, bummed that maybe Tommy took the words right out of his mouth.

“Thanks, guys,” you replied with a smile. “I had the best teacher, giving me the push I needed,” you turned to Wanda, pining for the older woman's attention again.

And you did, when she leaned a little closer to you and said softly, “Oh, honey, and I had the best student,” she winked at you from under her shades, which you could see through the sunlight.

Billy sat next to you, trying to look gallant. “Well, you know, I could give you a ‘push’ too if you wanted one. What do you say, gorgeous?” He said with a crooked grin.

You couldn't help but laugh at Billy's awkward flirtation.

Wanda shot Billy a stern look. "All right, lover boy, you've got your energy back.

Time for you and me to play a little,” she interferred, taking his hand and pulling him away from you.

Tommy, who watched the interaction, rolled his eyes playfully and sat next to you.

"Forgive my brother," he apologized. "You're the first girl he's ever liked, and he has zero experience in how to behave with one."

You brushed it off with a little wave of your hand.

If he wasn't so charismatic, you probably would have cut ties with him... or maybe that's what you forced yourself to believe, because by being around him, you had opportunities like this, to share with his mother beyond work issues.

"What about you, any person who caught your eye?" you questioned.

"There is a guy, David, yes..." he confirmed, causing you to reposition your chair to turn towards him, showing interest. He laughed softly at your action. "I won't elaborate."

"Tommy, Tommy, Tommy," you clicked your tongue against the roof of your mouth, shaking your head. "I'm a gossip enthusiast, and you can't tell me about a guy without blurting out more details," you replied, but realized that perhaps, it was best to respect his decision. "But it's okay. I understand if you decide not to share. I won't force you."

He sighed, "It's just... everything that shapes me as a person; my hobbies, my passions, my career, my internship, I share with my brother," he shrugged. "Don't get me wrong, I adore him madly. But at least, this is very much my own thing," he sighed a second time, louder this time, watching his brother, who was occasionally observing the interaction, but redirecting his focus to the game.

“I totally understand," you nodded. It was often the case that with a pair of twins, it was more usual to share common grounds and live together almost as if they were one person in two bodies. Sooner or later, there came that desire for individualism, which Tommy found in keeping aspects of his life to himself. "I'm so glad that you are in that process of detaching from your brother and forming your own path, as your own person."

"Sure as hell I am," he giggled. "I have my own friends, I had a girlfriend named Lisa for a while," he continued. "About both, Billy constantly commented on, whining about why I managed to fit in at college and he didn't, what I had that he didn't. And it was always my duty to comfort him," his expression took on a lingering hint of annoyance.

“Must've been so hard to always be the one comforting him, especially when you were just trying to enjoy your own life and relationships,” you nodded with sympathy.

Now you understood why Billy seemed to want to hog your attention, and was so annoyed when Tommy, with his extroverted nature struck up a conversation with you. Billy felt like he was constantly in Tommy's shadow, always comparing himself and feeling inadequate. He craved validation and reassurance, seeking comfort in your friendship whenever he felt overshadowed. You were the only person he was starting to form bonds with besides his brother and mother.

"It may sound selfish, not to have included my brother to my group of friends when many do that."

"No," you replied firmly. "As you said earlier, it's your own thing."

"Thank you... that's what my mother tells me," he confessed, and you were glad to know that the redhead was comprehensive in that regard. "She's a twin too, so she understands the dynamics of having a close sibling relationship while still needing your own space and identity. She ended up being way different than her brother, but both were happy for each other.”

You knew about her brother, Pietro Maximoff, that he died when the Avengers fought Ultron in Sokovia. You saw it in one video of ‘50 things you didn't know about Wanda Maximoff’, at 3AM when you couldn't mitigate the intrigue she left.

And from all that you learned, not only was she talented and charismatic, she also carried a profound strength in her heart, from which she emerged stronger. She was now enjoying the empire she built with the stones life threw at her… quite literally, the mind stone.

"If Billy isn't happy for you, his emotions are not his responsibility," you stated. "In fact, nothing regarding him is your responsibility. You enjoy what you were able to attract into your life."

"Thank you, I'm glad someone is reassuring me that I'm on the right track," he replied, pulling a bag of chips that was resting on the tray. He gestured you to grab one as well, so you did. "A few months after my first breakup, I developed this crush on a girl named Kate, and he never knew. It was refreshing, keeping it to myself, without Billy turning it back on him and how much he hated not even having a girl he liked."

"And what happened between you and this girl, Kate?"

"Oh, well, it was pathetically movie-like," he chuckled. "After crushing from afar, I saw her outside campus. I was very determined, walking towards her to say hi, when a blonde girl came on a bike, got off and went to kiss her. So I stepped back.”

"Wait... isn't that Kate Bishop by any chance?" You asked, the first name, college and blonde girlfriend being enough characteristics that fit your best friend.

"Yes! Kate Bishop!" He confirmed, surprised. "No way... do you know her?"

You let out a laugh at the coincidence, shaking your head softly in disbelief.

"She's my best friend since high school," you nodded.

"Oh, shut up!" He exclaimed loudly. "There is no way!"

Wanda Maximoff's son, studying at the same university as your best friend, Kate, who he used to have a crush on.

Kate, whose girlfriend, Yelena Belova, was the younger sister of Natasha Romanoff, one of the Avengers, of which Wanda Maximoff was a member until the Sokovia Accords marked a new beginning in her career.

All this time, you were closer to Wanda than you thought.

Billy noticed the friendly and amusing exchange between you and Tommy, so he proceeded to purposely miss on the present round, with the excuse to approach the table again where the two of you were.

"What's so funny?" He asked, so innocently, you thought, because you were so oblivious to the look on his face at every single thing you were doing.

Wanda followed him.

Evidently, she wasn't born yesterday, and she knew she had to be on the lookout to intervene in any recklessness, a product of that jealousy you were already aware of, that he was experiencing towards his twin brother. It was funny, nevertheless, that he thought he had to compete against his brother for your attention, when truly, it was her mother the one and only threat.

"Oh, (Y/N) has a best friend, Kate Bishop, who studies at our university. I've seen her a couple of times," Tommy explained. "We were just laughing about how small New York is."

Billy nodded slowly, arching his eyebrows.

"That's so funny!" Wanda spoke, a smile plastered on her face, instantly melting you. Whenever she did so, her nose scrunched a little in the process, and some dimples on her cheeks made themselves present.

Oh, how you longed for her to be so close to you, sharing gestures and glances that seemed to connect you both in a unique way. Yes, they may have been mere human interactions, but you treasured each of those little things, those details that, to the eyes of others, might go unnoticed.

"Actually, her girlfriend, I'm sure you know her," you replied to the older woman. "She's Natasha's younger sister, Yelena."

"Noooooo!" It was her turn to be surprised and laugh, just like you and Tommy were a few minutes ago.

"I know! Unbelievable!" You responded, her laughter contaging you like a deadly virus.

"Yelena, I've met her a couple of times,” she recalled. “When we have one of those friendly get-togethers at the compound, I've had the chance to see her twice or thrice," Wanda commented to you, and seemed to think for a moment. "Hey, next time, you and Kate should join us. Since you and I aren't strangers anymore, and Kate seems to be familiar with the rest of the team."

You laughed instantly, remembering the anecdote of Kate meeting her idol, Clint Barton, for the first time.

"I'm serious, darling," Wanda stated, probably believing that your little giggle was due to disbelief and not the memory that popped into your mind.

"Oh, no, it's just… I remembered how pale Kate looked when Yelena took her to meet Natasha, unbeknownst to her that Clint would be there too," you clarified.

Yelena had invited Kate to a restaurant a little way out of town, in order to introduce her to her sister, Natasha. Things between them had already become serious like that.

Your best friend was a nervous wreck before Yelena picked her up, repeatedly stating that she was not mentally prepared to meet Natasha Romanoff, whom she also admired. She was in for a big surprise, when not only was Black Widow waiting for them, but Hawkeye as well.

You expected to receive a text, or at most a phone call with all the details. However, hours later, the couple arrived at your flat. Yelena walking hand in hand with a completely mesmerized and shocked Kate, with a lost gaze and unable to spill a single word.

"Wow, I can only imagine..." Wanda mused, empathizing with your best friend's feelings at such an experience. As she sat down across from you with a clear determination to continue the conversation, you couldn't help but feel a surge of triumph. It was then that you regained awareness of your surroundings and realized that the twins had left you alone who knows how long ago, opting to play a round together instead. “But seriously, I would love it if you came.”

Wanda Maximoff: (Pauses).

Tommy Maximoff: That’s… (sighs) that’s when the incident happened.

(Y/N) (Y/L/N): Did Tommy say that? (laughs) No, the incident was always that Billy started to get the wrong ideas. Of course, I didn't have the heart to reject him, but I gave very clear signals. At the compound, that’s where it ended.

Tommy Maximoff: There is no worse blind than the one who does not want to see.

(Y/N) (Y/L/N): I always carry my Polaroid camera with me, no matter where I go. I am fascinated by being able to capture the important moments of my life with that particular photographic style and store them in a special album of memories. Maybe it sounds old-fashioned, but over the years, you realize the almost magical power that photographs have to transport you back to those frozen moments in time. Pressing the shutter button at that country club became a sort of curse, as I couldn't help but yearn to be teleported back over and over to those unforgettable moments with her.

When you finished working with Wanda, you already had a large number of photographs of her. A collection, you could call it at this point.

You didn't pass up the opportunity to take pictures in every corner of the tennis court, every time she and Billy played together, and you'd even have more if you'd taken pictures when she played against Tommy as well, but you didn't want to expose him to a jealous feud with Billy.

Likewise, you were more than content with the other occasions; like your personal favorites, the family dinners at which you were frequently included. After the food was served, you proceeded to ask the three of them to pose before eating, just so you could have the privilege of watching that gorgeous face for as many seconds as you wanted later at night.

It always amused you to see him smiling in all the photos, so flattered thinking that he was the one you wanted to immortalize in the memories.

The end justified the means, right?

You let out a small gasp, arching your back in pleasure when, as you stilled your needy entrance, you grabbed another photograph, the bonfire photograph...

"Oh, Wanda!" you moaned, feeling your climax about to burst, clenching around your own fingers.

"Why is it that you only take pictures of Billy when I'm around?" Wanda confronted you, once the twins went to sleep. A great day at their University awaited the next day, unlike Wanda and you, who could stay awake as long as you wanted.

Wanda occasionally held bonfires in the garden of her house. She cordially invited you to join them, and after a few minutes, you were all dressed up and on your way to her house, when you were already comfortable in your pajamas, ready to get into your bed.

And once you were alone, she placed her chair in front of yours, and asked you that question that caught you off guard. You had just taken a picture of her with the twins before they left.

"What?" You exclaimed, pretending to be clueless to buy yourself more time to come up with an excuse.

"Or better yet, why don’t you ever accept seeing Billy exclusively? Only when I'm present," she repeated, leaning towards you.

The air thickened around you, each breath torturous as if you were inhaling the very essence of your dread. Your heart pounded, a relentless drum echoing in the cavern of your chest, each beat reverberating through your bones and threatening to shatter your composure.

"I want Billy as a friend, I don't want me accepting outings or taking pictures of him alone to get him more excited than he probably is," you replied, almost all in one breath.

Wanda's eyes narrowed, her gaze piercing through your weak defenses, "Are you sure that's the only reason, (Y/N)? Or is there something else you're not telling me?"

You felt exposed, as if she could see right through your clumsy excuses.

"I... I don't want to give him false hope," you hesitated, trying to maintain your composure.

"False hope?" Wanda scoffed, her tone full of skepticism. "Then, why taking those pictures in the first place? Who do you wanna see, hm?"

You swallowed hard, the lump in your throat growing by the second. "It's… memories," you protested, but the conviction in your voice was waning.

Wanda tilted her head, scrutinizing you with a mix of frustration and something else you couldn't quite place.

"Bullshit!” She exclaimed. “Why do you always make sure I'm around? Is it because you need a buffer? Or is it because you're more interested in someone else?”

Her words were heavy and loaded with implication. Your mind struggled to form a coherent response, but the truth was clawing its way to the surface, threatening to break free.

“I...-"

She didn't let you finish, "Is it me?" She insisted. "Are you using Billy to get closer to me?"

"Wanda, please, it's not like that," you pleaded, but her words had struck a nerve. She could sense it, therefore, she leaned in even closer, her lips almost brushing your ear. You felt your skin reacting through goosebumps immediately.

"Stop lying. You think I can't see through you, like my son? You're pathetic, hiding behind your excuses. If you have something to say, say it now," she hissed, her breath hot against your skin.

You swallowed hard, the lump in your throat almost choking you.

"No, nothing..." you stammered, but the words wouldn't come.

Wanda's grip on your knee tightened further, her nails digging into your skin.

"You're infuriating. If you can't even be honest with yourself, how do you expect to be honest with anyone else?" She said, her voice a low growl.

“I… I better go,” was all you managed to respond. You never realized how weak you were until the Wanda Maximoff was so close to you, forcing you to face the consequences of your impulsive and not-so-wise acts.

Her eyes glinted with a dangerous determination. She wasn't going to let you off the hook so easily. Her hand slid from your knee up to your thigh, keeping you in place.

"You think you can keep hiding? From me?" Her voice was a seductive murmur that sent shivers down your spine.

You tried to pull away, but her grip tightened. "Wanda, please," you whispered, your voice trembling. You refused to do this at all costs, even though it was what you deserved.

"No more lies. I want the truth, and I'm going to get it," her other hand moved to your waist, pulling you even closer to her.

Your heart pounded wildly, your body not knowing whether to tremble of fear and desire.

"I... I don't know what you want me to say," you stammered, trying to keep your composure.

Wanda's hand moved higher up your thigh, her nails lightly grazing your skin through the fabric. "Oh, but you do," she countered. "You're scared, aren't you? Scared of what you feel. Scared of what I might do if you admit it. So scared that my poor, poor son has to suffer from your cowardice."

You swallowed hard, the lump in your throat almost choking you.

"No, it’s..." you began.

And once again, she didn't give you a chance to finish. Her hand moved to your chin, tilting your face up so you were forced to meet her gaze.

"Look at me, darling. I want to see your eyes when you tell me the truth," she demanded, her voice a low growl.

Your eyes met hers, and the intensity of her green orbes was almost too much to bear.

Tears welled up in your eyes, blurring your vision.

"I... I can't," you whispered, your voice barely audible.

Wanda's grip on your chin tightened, her nails digging into your skin. "Yes, you can. And you will," she insisted, her voice brooking no argument. Her other hand moved between your legs, pressing your core with a tight squeeze, making you yelp and let the first few tears spill out of your eyes. You felt so helpless, regretting every life decision that led you to this very instant.

"Do you want me?" She questioned, with a voice so firm it sounded more like a statement.

"Yes," you finally admitted.

Wanda's eyes shone with satisfaction, "Oh, my good girl. That's all I needed to hear," she murmured, her lips brushing against yours.

Her hand moved from your chin to the back of your neck, pulling you into a searing kiss that left you breathless. You could only describe it intense and fervorous, her tongue exploring every inch of your mouth, without even asking for permission. Just taking you as if she had always owned you, and maybe, she did.

Just as you were about to lose yourself in her lips, Wanda abruptly pulled away, leaving you gasping for air.

"This is your punishment for toying with my son's feelings," she established. "You don't get to have me, not after what you've done. Now go."

[psychesalcove]

Can you do a prompt with Leo Valdez pleasee? You can choose between “this movie is really scary, but you're into it so I'm trying not to cover my face the whole time, but, WHAT IS THAT?–” or “you have something in your hair, uhm..do you want me to get it out?”. Congrats on the 100 followers btw!! 🥳🎉

✧.* leo valdez x gn reader — college au!

prompt: "you have something in your hair, uhm..do you want me to get it out?"

part of psyches, 'in memory of those who chose the sea' event !

-> want to participate in the event?

— my posts are completely race and body type friendly (unless stated in title) so no descriptive words here of someone's skin tone or body shape!! feel free to interact:)

an: hi love! thanks for requesting,, if you want to read the first prompt click here!

neither you or leo had gone on a date before; leading to a semi awkward conversation about where you should go on your first date. leo had suggested the cinema, but you told him that you wouldn't be able to talk much and learn about eachother. you had suggested a restaurant, but leo countered that you couldn't focus on anything else besides the person; which could lead to awkward conversations or silence.

so, the two of you settled for the park.

it was honestly a good idea, you thought as you watched swans elegantly swim across the lake you and leo were by. and, most importantly, you were able to bring your amazing quilt picnic blanket with you.

leos voice took you out of your daydreaming state. "those birds remind me of you," he said, trying to say it as an offhand comment.

you tilted your head to the side. "the swans?" you asked, looking at leo who sat besides you on the blanket, who you realized was already looking your way.

"yeah," he hummed, nodding his head, seeming to agree with his own thoughts. "they're pretty, just like you," he mused, head ducking down to hide the blush forming on his face.

you smiled and breathed out a chuckle through your nose. "i never took you to be so shy when giving compliments, leo," you said gently as to not makeit seen like you didn't like seeing this side of him. it was a bit refreshing to see him be like this when you saw him in other crowds being loud and obnoxious.

he mumbled something under his breath that you couldn't make out, but it sounded like spanish. as he countined looking anywhere but you, you noticed that he had a small leaf in his hair.

"hey," you said to get his attention. his head lifted up like a puppy would've to its owner; and you thought it was cute. you patted to the space infront of you, signaling for him to move closer.

he blushed a little more (if that was even possible) and followed suit with your request, sitting with his legs brought up to his chest in front of you. he does really remind you of a puppy, you thought as his eyes trailed over your figure, a lovesick expression plastered on his face.

"you have something in your hair, uhm..do you want me to get it out?" you asked, suddenly getting shy as you said the words. leo looked at you, warmth in his ember eyes, and quietly nodded his head. gods, you thought. you've approached him a lot sooner to ask him out if he was this quiet in public.

you gently put your hand into his curly brown hair, grabbing for the unwanted item stuck in his curls. it was almost funny how fast leo leaned into your touch, his head moving into your hand, relishing in the feeling of someone's hand in his hair.

as you gently plucked the leaf out, your hands stared to move out of his hair, and leo placed his hands atop of yours to keep them put. "could you, maybe, like..play with my hair? it feels really nice," he said in a small, quiet voice.

you smiled lightly at him, and moved your hands fully back into his mess of curls. it was a nice feeling, you thought as leo readjusted and laid down to place his head into your lap.

[writingquestionsanswered]

Hello! I don't know if you've answered this already but, How do I write banter between characters ?

Dialogue: Writing Banter

Stories need to strike a relative balance between exposition, action, and dialogue, and all of these things need to work together to:

-- develop characters, setting, and plot elements -- build relationships between characters -- fill in backstory or create foreshadowing -- establish stakes, conflict, tension, and goals -- deliver important information to character/reader -- set up, carry out, and resolve plot points

Since exposition, action, and dialogue are always working together to achieve the above, you have to be very careful about "filler" content. In other words, you don't want to have exposition, action, or dialogue that's not accomplishing at least one of the above items.

"Banter" refers to conversation (dialogue) that is playful, witty, and usually quick. In fiction, it's often used to illustrate personality, mood, and chemistry between characters. However, banter can get out of control quickly and turn into filler. The best way to avoid that is to think about the purpose of the dialogue scene. Which of those items listed above is this conversation meant to accomplish? Next, how does quick, playful, witty repartee between these characters help to accomplish that? Once you understand what you're trying to achieve and how the banter will help you do that, it's easier to see exactly what the banter should be.

The next thing to do is to look at what else is going on in the scene. What is the action of the scene trying to accomplish? Is there an important event occurring in this scene, or is it building up to one? Or maybe even following up after an important event? Thinking about where your characters were in the previous scene, what they're doing in this scene, and where they need to go in the next scene can give you some clues about the banter. For example, if they were at a party in the previous scene and the party was broken up by police, and now this new scene is at school the next day, it would make sense for the banter to be about that exciting event. Which character is most likely to make a playful or witty comment about what happened? Is this comment directed at the character they're speaking to? Is it directed at an off-screen character, such as the person who threw the party?

Maybe it's a witty comment directed toward a friend who missed the fun. Now you can look at who is most likely to respond back in an equally playful, witty way. At this point, if there's a third participant, it may be their turn to add something. Or, if it's just the two characters, the first person will take their turn. But at this point you also need to figure out what else you're trying to say with this banter. Maybe you want to illustrate that Character A is a little hurt that Character C didn't go to the party. So maybe after B has responded initially, then C said their bit, A says something that's playful but also illustrates their hurt that C didn't go with them. At which point, either B or C can hit back with something consolatory but still playful and witty.

A: Well, well, well. If it isn't Miss "I have more exciting things to do than go to some lame party." C: Yeah, yeah. I heard. Police-raided parties are so middle school.

B: Oh, so jaded, I love it! Really, it was exciting. You missed it!

A: If you loved me, you would have come.

C: If I loved you, I would have dumped you for expecting me to go to a lame party.

And that's that. Short and sweet. Doesn't need to drag on for half a page. The banter relates to something that happened in the previous scene, tells us something about the characters' personalities, and tells us something about their relationships.

As far as coming up with the actual wit when it's needed, that can be tricky for those of us who aren't particularly witty, or where our wit only comes out when warranted. In that case, I think it really helps to watch TV shows where there's a lot of witty characters and witty repartee. Any number of sitcoms from the past twenty-five years is great for this. You can also watch clips from such shows on YouTube.

I hope that helps!

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[bloodyinkandquill]

Rocket x reporter Reader

i am working on this multiple hours after i meant to because i accidentally took an afternoon nap, so apologies for it being late!

- I imagine you met Rocket while doing your job, maybe some sort of event like a crime or an accident happened by Da Shop so you went to speak to the owner of Da Shop and subsequently his son, Rocket

- Before doing the report you talk to him a little longer than you probably should have, after you finish filming the segment to be sent off to the station you figure that was the last job of the day and to back to chatting with him, eventually you have to part ways but he lingers in your mind

- Next time you do a report in that area you go and chat with him again, and the next time, and the next time till you two begin hanging out outside of when you’re nearby Zuka’s shop, finally you both realize you caught feelings and get together

- Zuka was the first to know Rocket liked you, before Rocket even knew himself he could tell his son had fallen for you, Rocket might not have even realized if Zuka didn’t point it out for him, he can be a bit obvious

- Zuka also definitely approves of you guys, especially since you don’t phight, he hopes you might rub off on his son because deities know he does not like his son participating in phights

- As a joke you guys mock interview each other with random nearly objects that could be used as a fake microphone, leading to some very funny situations and shenanigans, a few objects used include; Rocket’s bionic arm, a sandwich, Sword’s sword, just to name a few of the most memorable ones

- If you ever need to do an interview with him for your job and you start with ‘How are you doing today?’ He will reply something to the affect of ‘Well, still got my remaining limbs!’ and you have to stop yourself from breaking while on air, he knows it too, he’s purposefully trying to get you to crack up

- If you’re a more well known reporter in Crossroads he’d for sure do something along the lines of if he ends up in the background of one of your reports or maybe you’re conducting short quick interviews with people who participated in a phight he’d jokingly mime the ‘call me’ thing making you have to take a moment to make sure you don’t say anything before continuing with your job, which definitely goes noticed by the masses

- You join Rocket in hanging out with Sword sometimes, usually when they aren’t going to train since you aren’t cut out for combat, your gear is not built for fighting or phighting, but they both understand that and respect that you don’t want to phight anyways, it’s not for everyone

- If he gets injured in a phight you fully mother hen him, it’s never a serious injury but it does make you worried, maybe you can understand where Zuka is coming from when he doesn’t want Rocket going to phights

apologies if these aren’t good, i tried but sometimes my brain goes ‘heeeeeeh pffttttt’ and i blank on any ideas, again like states with previous ones, let me know if you want general rocket dating hcs and if i think of anything else ill add it!

[lemotmo]

The other side of their fandom coin. Some of them clearly do understand what's going on. Multiple questions again

Q. I have never been a part of a fandom that was called out directly by the head of a show. I'm very embarrassed to have followed so many of those blogs. And I think you're correct. I think we sunk our own ship.

Q. I feel very stupid after watching Tim's interview. I got so caught up in everyone screaming at me that Tommy was temporary and if we didn't demand more from the show we weren't going to get more of him. I never participated in the Oliver and Ryan hate but I'm very embarrassed today.

Q. I am filled with genuine embarrassment after watching that interview today. That did not sound like a man with any interest at all in continuing with a ship that he seems to believe brought so much meanness into his show. Although I did not personally participate in any of the hate comments being sent I did follow blogs that were actively participating in it. I had no idea it got bad enough to draw Tim's attention. I'm mortified.

A. People being excited over a new ship was never the problem. We have been waiting a long time for canon queer Buck or Eddie. People were bound to go overboard. The problem was how quickly some of those people completely lost all concept of reality, and demanded complete and total legacance to their new found toy. It was bizarre. I have spent more time than I care to admit trying to figure out what the hell happened, and the thing that happened was they believed they were actually friends with Lou. I sound like a broken record when it comes to the cameo videos, but they're one hundred percent the reason we are where we are today. I will give him the benefit of the doubt that he started doing them with good intentions. Fine. He realized he had amassed a little online fandom and he wanted to indulge in that attention for a bit. The problem was it became pretty clear fairly quickly that these were not structured interactions in any way, and he was just saying whatever popped into his head at the time. He lacks the ability to self edit and it became a problem almost immediately.

In his first couple of videos he gave out episode spoilers. He also told his 1200 viewers (yes that tiny viewing number sprouted all of the ugliness we are now seeing) that Tommy ended up with Buck because Ryan wasn't comfortable. Something he knew was bullshit. Whether he knew the actual reason or not he knew it had nothing to do with Ryan. The storyline was conceptualized, story boarded, at least partially written by that point, and approved for Eddie, meaning Ryan was fully aware and clearly on board. Then as the production date drew closer the actress who played Natalia, Buck's girlfriend, suddenly became unavailable, she got a part in a play. While the actress who played Marisol was still available. Tim and the show needed the Tommy plot for the larger plot his character was to be involved in so instead of scraping the mini plot they swapped Eddie for Buck. That's it, and Tim, thanks to Lou's video, had to confirm this. Lou never needed to add his made up version of events and it was alarming that he so casually did. What that video also did though was basically confirm Buddie. Because if the Tommy character was just about confirming queer Eddie it wouldn't have mattered that the actress playing Buck's girlfriend was the one who became unavailable. It should have had nothing at all to do with Buck. He did all of that in the first couple of videos. Tim and ABC should have pulled the plug right then. But at the time they were probably still in the 'all press is good press ' bubble and they looked the other way.

Then he started getting actual ship theories and basically told the fans who paid to submit them whatever it was they wanted him to say. Things went downhill rapidly from that point. He could have stopped it at any time. He could have filmed a simple Instagram video, Cameo video (since he liked the money part) or tweet saying things were getting out of hand and he would appreciate it if people would calm down a bit. Instead he upped the cost of buying a video. That was his response when they turned on Oliver, to increase the cost of talking to him. It was never about his 'fans'. He didn't give a shit about anything other than the fact that they were paying him. But they saw it as a genuine connection to him and everyone else became the enemy. Even when he ended any and all forms of communication, once he was no longer allowed to profit off of them, his little army blamed everyone else for bullying him. Which was crazy to see given what they were putting the cast, crew, and many fans through on a daily basis. You don't have to be embarrassed because you liked the ship, such as it was, but the behavior of many in your fandom should be embarrassing to you, so it's good that it's bothering you. That means you recognize the reality and can change how you choose to participate in it 💗

All right, another interesting post made by our anonymous OP. It gives us a nice timeline of where things started going wrong.

I'm sure that many of the more casual BT fans were just happily shipping their ship and didn't really know what was going on behind the scenes of those big BT blogs that spread the hatred.

It's a certain subset of the BT fandom that did this (and is still doing this). A group of big BT blogs that went too far. They bullied and threatened cast and crew. They posted Tim's DM messages to bludgeon other fans, as Tim put it. It's crazy behaviour to do all this over a damn TV-show. It's fictional people in a fictional world. But as soon as you bring this mess to real people in the real world? Yeah, you cross a line. And once you cross that line, there is no way back. Because in the real world actions have consequences.

Anyway, onwards to better I suppose. *crosses fingers*

Heads up! For anyone who is giving me the shifty eyes for reposting these anon OP updates instead of reblogging. Don't get mad at me. There is a reason for it and it's all done with consent from the OP. You can find out more about that here.

Remember, no hate in comments or reblogs. Let's keep it civil and respectful. Thank you.

If you are interested in more of the anonymous OP’s posts, you can find all of their posts so far under the tag: anonymous blog I love.

[ask-commander-arild]

OOC Post:

Hi, there! I'm @jnix-2006 and welcome to my ask blog, ask-commander-arild!! I made this blog for @pkmoth's @motherbound-askapalooza, and I plan on participating the entire month of August, but if it does well, I may continue it!! But, bear with me, because I don't use tumblr much, so this is all very new to me, haha. Before we start, I feel I should give a little bit of introduction to what exactly this is. So, firstly, what exactly is an Arild? Well, Arild is an OC I created for the game Mother 3 (Heavy spoilers btw)! He can be seen below!

Art done by @pinkalliums!!! Go check them out!!

Say hello to Arild Eskildsen! A young Norwegian lad of 15 years old who, through a series of unfortunate events, was once a pigmask. I know his design may look a little... 2015, but the design quite literally came to me in a dream, and I would've been stupid not to use it. Now, as much as I'd love to go into detail about his backstory, I wanna save most of it for the asks. I guess the most basic gist is that he was taken from our time, currently in the 2010's but may change later, from a very young age, and made to be a pigmask. Yippee, child soldier! He goes on to be promoted to captain. But after yet another unfortunate event, he ends up being chimera-ified and he gets promoted to commander, but not of the pigmasks... Of what, you ask? Well, we'll get there. For now, here's him as a captain!

Art also by @pinkalliums!! Seriously, go check them out! >:)

Few things to keep in mind for this blog:

1. I don't have many artistic abilities, unfortunately, so this will be a text only blog. Some friends have kindly made a few pieces for Arild, and I will show them off, but for the most part, there won't be much in the way of visuals. If you feel like making art of him, feel free! I would actually love to see it!!

2. Quite a lot of the stuff here is going to involve my own headcanons for the Mother series, especially post-game Mother 3. For example, in my headcanon, Claus survives and becomes the leader of the army, rebranding it in the name of peace, and that is why Arild is a commander. Basically, since everyone has unique headcanons for the series, you can just consider this an AU.

3. There will be mention of a couple real life places that will have Mother-ified names. With any mention of Norway, the name will changed to Fjordland, on account of its many... fjords. Canada is also an important place within the story, and that I have decided to call Mapleland. Creative, I know. I figured I would bring it up to avoid confusion

4. Feel free to ask whatever! Though, obviously, just make sure it's on topic, of course. Silly questions are easy to answer and will usually be answered quickest! Lore relevant questions are a little trickier and may take me just a bit longer to respond to, but I will be happy to get to them!! Also, RP is okay with me, if you want to!!

5. When it comes to asking questions, please don't be weird or anything. Like... being a former pigmask, Arild is a plus-sized character, so a comment about his weight would not be great. More importantly, absolutely NO NSFW. This character is a minor, and that stuff is not okay to ask. I don't think any of this will be an issue, but it's good to mention just in case

6. I do not speak Norwegian, so if I want to sprinkle it in a little bit, I have only on option. Google Translate. I know, I know... it's not the best, but I will try my best to avoid mistranslations or misuse of phrases. I wouldn't want to be the new version of that one post about the Norwegian Butter Crisis, haha.

If you're still here, thank you for reading until the end!! As said, I've never done something like this before, so this intro is probably super chaotic in comparison to other blogs, haha. I am really excited to get started here! I've always wanted to do an ask blog, and I really needed an excuse to flesh out my OC, so I'd say this is perfect! I'd like to give thanks to all the friends, and my bf, who helped me out on this!! Thank you to Moth for setting this event up! Thank you to Hal and a few others for the art! And also thank you so much to my friend Red who helped me create this character in the first place! He didn't tell me what his tumblr was, but he is @/Doc_Glowstick on Twitter!! Alright, I think I've rambled enough now. I'll probably go through this and change it later, but for now, let the blog begin!!!

[july13th2004]

Fictober 2024 Day 16 (Late)

Category: Fanfiction

Fandom: Tales of Symphonia

Characters/Relationships: Lloyd Irving, Anna Irving, Dirk, Kratos Aurion (mentioned), Lloyd Irving & Anna Irving, Dirk & Lloyd Irving

Genre: Angst/Family/Fluff

Rating: G

Warnings: None

Word Count: 1651

Prompt: “No, I'm not okay.”

Author's Note: So, I’ve decided to write for this event for the first time in three years. I planned on continuing to write for this event in 2022 and 2023, but two years ago I was going through a mental block/had low confidence in my ability to write anything at the time, so I decided not to participate. Then last year I simply wasn't interested in any of the prompts so that's why I didn't participate then as well. Anyway, I'll only be writing for three of the prompts this year (which is much more manageable for me than the last time I participated in this event), and they should hopefully be around 1k words, more or less. This one is rated G, while the next two will be rated T due to a little bit of spice that will be in those ones. The next two will be posted on the 26th and 31st.

Also, lastly, this one is set in my Anna Lives AU, and the last prompt I'll be writing for this event this year will be set in that AU as well.

(Sorry this one is so late… I kinda struggled with the direction of it. The next two should be posted on time.)

For as far back as he could remember, Lloyd had always thought of his mom as a positive and cheerful person. She always persevered through hard times, and her optimism through those trying times was greatly inspiring to him. So it came as a sudden and disappointing surprise to him, when that cheerful and positive demeanor of hers had all but completely disappeared over the past couple of years. He wasn't sure what to do to help his mom become that optimistic and determined person that he admired so greatly once again; but as a now thirteen year old boy, he was certain he'd do almost anything to help her.

So that's why one night, after hearing his mother quietly crying just outside of her closed bedroom door, he decided to finally ask Dirk, the dwarf who had become a dear father figure to him in the past decade since rescuing both him and his mother, about his mom's declining emotional state. The dwarf was currently in his workshop working on a project for someone far away when the young teen arrived to ask him for his advice and wisdom on the matter.

“Hey dad…” Lloyd started, hesitating a little as he entered the workshop. “Can I ask you a question about something?”

Dirk turned around to face his adopted son after setting his tools down on his work table, and flashed him a bright grin before happily replying with, “Sure, my boy! What is it?”

The young teen looked solemnly at the floor, “It's about mom… Why has she been so sad lately? And is there anything I can do to help her? Because I don't know what to do… I miss her being happy no matter what happens, and I just want her to be happy again.”

The dwarf’s grin dropped to a knowing, yet melancholic smile. “Ah, Lloyd, it's really simple… Why ya mother is so sad right now. Ya mother misses ya father terribly.”

Lloyd looked up at the dwarf and frowned, “If that's why, then I don't understand. I don't think he's coming back to us. He could be dead for all I know.”

Dirk sighed and stepped toward the young teen, “Ya might be right, my boy. Yet, I really think ya mother believes your father is somewhere out there, and that he'll return to ya both someday.”

Lloyd’s expression softened slightly and turned thoughtful, “I really hope she's right then, even if I don't care if he returns to us or not… But still, what can I do to help her be happy again? That's all I want…”

The dwarf placed a large, gloved hand on the young teen’s shoulder, and gave him a soft smile, “The answer to that is also really simple, Lloyd. Ya let ya mother know that you're there for her, as ya would with a friend. Let her know that she has the two of us by her side. Most importantly though, ya let her know that everything's gonna be okay.”

“I guess that makes sense…” The teen nodded and his smile widened, “Thanks dad! Then I'll try to talk to her about that tomorrow night.”

“Now remember, Lloyd, be patient.” Dirk stated after taking his hand off the teen’s shoulder, “She’s not going to be all happy and like herself again right away. That's gonna take some time.”

“Okay, I'll try to be patient about it then, dad.” Lloyd said as he turned to leave the workshop.

“Oh, before you go, my boy!” Dirk called out just as Lloyd was about to leave the room, “I've one last thing to say. Talk to ya mother tonight, right away. I wouldn't hesitate and wait until tomorrow.”

The young teen turned around and nodded before giving the dwarf a grin, “All right then, I’ll go talk to her now. Thanks again, dad!”

_________

Lloyd immediately headed back upstairs the moment he left the workshop, with a new resolve after talking with his adoptive father. When he reached his mother's bedroom door, her room being directly across from his own, he couldn't hear the sound of her crying anymore. He hesitated a moment before knocking on the door as the sudden thought of her possibly already being asleep crossed his mind. But the thought left his mind as he considered that she wouldn't go to bed without wishing him good night and to sleep well, first.

“Hey mom, are you still up?” Lloyd asked after gently knocking on the door, “Can I come in?”

“Yes, Lloyd, I'm still awake.” He heard his mother's response from the other side of the door. “You may come in…”

The young teen quietly opened the door and entered his mother's bedroom. She was sitting on the side of her bed and holding a handkerchief in her right hand. Her eyes were puffy from crying, and that was all he needed to see to know that he needed to talk to her right now. He closed the door behind him and stepped toward her.

“Hey mom, are you okay?” Lloyd gently inquired.

He already knew what her answer would be, but he wanted to actually hear her voice her response.

Anna let out a short, sorrowful laugh, before giving her son a knowing and despondent smile, then answered, “No, Lloyd, I'm not okay.”

The young teen glanced from her to the floor, then back at her, and his expression turned sad again as he commented, “I know mom, I could hear you crying earlier.”

She blinked and gave him a mild look of chagrin, a little taken aback that her son would eavesdrop on her.

Lloyd continued, his tone now somewhat nervous, “I-I know you probably didn't want me to hear you crying, and I'm really sorry about that, but I've also noticed that you haven't been your usual self lately. So I-I wanted to talk to you about that tonight… B-Because I-I just want you to be happy again…”

His mother's expression softened, and she gave her son a gentle smile after letting out a sigh. “Oh, Lloyd, I should apologize to you… I wasn't aware of how my current mood has been affecting you, and for that I sincerely apologize. …So yes, I suppose we should, no, need to talk about this. It might help me feel better, and maybe it will help you fully understand why I've been feeling so down lately.”

All Lloyd could do was simply nod and give her a small smile in agreement with her statement. She gestured for her son to sit down next to her on her bed, which he immediately did without hesitation. The two then talked for close to an hour about how she was feeling and why. Anna had to take a couple moments throughout their conversation to let herself cry, and Lloyd would wait patiently for her to continue.

_________

“I'm just so tired of waiting for him to come home, Lloyd.” Anna concluded as she wiped away the last of her tears with her handkerchief.

“Yeah, mom, I kinda want him to come home to us, too…” Lloyd commented in agreement, his expression somewhat downcast.

Silence fell between the two for a moment.

The young teen then continued, his voice filled with a renewed determination, “But I want you to know, mom, that even if he doesn't, that you'll always have us, dad-I mean Dirk and I! We'll always be there for you! No matter what happens, it's going to be okay!”

Anna's eyes began to water, but she forced herself not to cry again. She gently wrapped her arms around her son and hugged him. “Oh thank you, Lloyd! I'm so glad we had this conversation tonight.”

Lloyd was all too happy to hug his mother in return. “No problem, mom! Do you feel any better, though?”

She released him and nodded in affirmation. “Yeah, I feel a little bit better. I think I just needed to talk with you and hear from you that everything's going to be all right.” Then she glanced at the clock on the wall near her bedroom door. “Oh, look at how late it is! You should go to bed now, Lloyd. You have school in the morning, don't you?”

The young teen let out a nervous laugh, then replied, “Ah, yeah, I do… Good night then, mom!”

He quickly hugged his mother again, then hurriedly left the room. Anna figured her son would probably go downstairs and say good night to Dirk before he headed to bed. She got ready for bed a short time later, wearing a small smile on her face, yet her thoughts were still focused on her husband once she crawled into her bed.

Oh Kratos, I know you're out there somewhere, and I hope someday you'll finally come home. I suppose all I can do is wait until that day arrives, despite being tired of waiting and losing hope that that day will ever arrive…

…Though you should know, our son put something in perspective for me tonight. I haven't been my usual self lately and I didn't realize how much that's been affecting him. He helped me realize tonight that even if you never return to me, to us, that I will always have him by my side. And that I also have Dirk, the gruff but kind dwarf who rescued us around a decade ago, by my side. Together, I think we've raised Lloyd into the nice, empathetic young man I always hoped he'd be.

…I still miss you, and love you so much, Kratos, and after tonight, my hope that you'll return to me and Lloyd one day has been somewhat restored. …And I'm now determined again to wait however long it takes for that day to arrive…

Anna then drifted off to sleep, and for the first time in months, she would sleep peacefully through the night.

[novankenn]

More than meets the Eye

(A/N: For anyone looking for the "Master List" click on the post title, or check out my Fem!Jaune Story Collection)

Mel and Mil moved closer to the dance floor as soon as they noticed Joan trying to make a hasty exit through the press of people, and in short order the identical twin bouncers were escorting Joan to a nearby vacant table.

"You okay?" Mil asked as Joan took a seat. Joan responded with a nod of her head.

"Do we need to eject her?" Mel asked her eyes locking onto the fashionable brunette that had approached Joan. Joan just shook her head.

"If you say so, but if she keeps pressing you... don't hesitate. We've got your back."

Joan shot the normally very severe looking twins a warm smile as a thank you.

"Oh, almost forgot. Gorgeous wants to talk to you." Mil informed the pinkish haired blond. Who replied with a questioning look. "Something about an event or contest you might be interested in."

Joan nodded and took a look around the club, easily spotting the figure of Gorgeous sitting at her customary table, sipping on a glass of wine. Joan stood reached out, and pulled the twins into a quick hug as a thank you before moving off towards Gorgeous, leaving both young women kind of blushing and sputtering.

Gorgeous had introduced herself several weeks ago to Joan, mistakenly guessing that Joan was transitioning from male-to-female like herself. To say she was a little surprised to find out that was not the case, would be fair. Though Gorgeous never once treated Joan any different than the girl she was presenting herself to be.

Like Joan, Gorgeous was more than passable. Years of treatments and living as a woman making her completely indistinguishable from any other woman. Joan was a girl-next-door while Gorgeous presented herself as sex personified... but in a tasteful and publicly acceptable manner.

Joan waved as she closed in on Gorgeous' table, prompting the older woman to get out of her seat and pull the younger into a hug. One that Joan reciprocated. After a few seconds the pair sat down.

"Something to drink? My treat." Joan replied with a shake of her head. Gorgeous chuckled in her musical voice. "You know the offer is still there. I'm willing to give you vocal lessons to help complete your persona."

Joan gave Gorgeous a smile and shook her head.

"Fair enough." Gorgeous giggled, before reaching into her purse and pulling out a folded sheet of paper. She passed it to Joan as she spoke. "The Oyster is holding a little event slash contest in about a week. Nothing serious just some fun for people like me and you."

Joan unfolded the sheet to find a rather professionally done flyer advertising a charity fashion show, that also included awards and prizes for participants.

"All the door cover charges, plus half the house take is going to the Vale Food Bank." Gorgeous informed her companion.

Joan gave the older woman a questioning look.

"No pressure, just letting you know about it in case you're looking to change things up for a night. There will be outfits there, private dressing rooms... and no judgements." Gorgeous informed Joan. "I really think, personally you should take part. It would be a shit ton of fun, and you my dear could really strut your stuff in a safe place."

Joan shrugged her shoulders.

"No pressure. I'm just getting the word out to you."

Joan shot Gorgeous a warm smile and then bit her lip. Gorgeous saw the minute action and let out a soft laugh, which of course caused Joan to pout.

"You are just so damn cute!" Gorgeous commented with a mirth filled voice. "My scroll umber is on the bottom. Let me know if you even just want to have the night out and enjoy the show as spectator, let me know and I'll get you and back safe and sound."

Joan smiles again and mouthed "Thank you."

"No problem, Joan." Gorgeous returned the smile. "The offer for a drink is still on the table, or are you planning to take off?"

Joan pursed her lips, and tilted her head, an obvious pantomime of her thinking. After a few seconds Joan smiles and makes a drinking motion with her hand.

"The usual?" Gorgeous asked as she waved a server towards her. Joan nodded in response.

Having returned to her original seat, Coco frowned as she watched the pinkish blond haired cutie sit down with an older woman. She knew better than to approach. The body language of the two suggesting that they knew each other, and considering what had just happened Coco was nod willing to further upset the young woman, nor get herself kicked from the club, for not taking "No" for an answer.

So she resigned herself to getting another drink and letting her eyes partake in the display of eye candy still on the dance floor. So time passed and the night grew late. Coco didn't even notice that the cutie had left, before checking her own scroll and seeing she had missed the last bullhead to Beacon.

"Damn it." Coco muttered as she made her way out of the Club and on to the street outside. "Time flies when you're having fun."

"Hey, babe... what's with the silent treatment?" came a slurred and rough voice. The tone of which caused Coco to turn her attention towards. "Me and my girl just want someone to join us for a few more..."

[kirchefuchs]

GET CLOVERED MOTHER SHUCKER

NEHEHEH

Okay, break from the fish talk show. Time to talk about my week! That's a very pretty clover btw.

Okay so first off, I did join the Narrator Swap discord for the month of June and I posted my first art for it two days ago. That has been super fun and I can't wait to get my partner for next week!!!

Now the big thing was yesterday. Because yesterday was my oldest brother's birthday and he wanted to bring us to a convention, so some of us joined him for that, myself included. I don't know if this is surprising or anything, but this was the first big convention I've ever been to and my goodness, it sure was something. I didn't know a whole ton about the convention going in so I didn't go to any of the panels. (Though my sister in law told me they had a Sandman panel, but I lowkey forgot and only remembered 30 minutes after the panel started. Pretty upset about that). Anyways! I did end up getting some cool things, though most of what was being sold seemed to be more anime focused there were some other cool things I found.

I ended up getting two charms, an Ineffable Husbands one for myself and a Dreamling one for my sister. I also go a really cute Blackbonnet print signed by the artist (it's so cute!!), a little sewn keychain of my favorite little dragon Figment, a really cute Ponyo sweater, and an adorable strawberry frog keyboard for my computer (cuz I really needed a new one).

So overall, a super fun experience!! I definitely have determined that next time I go to a big con I definitely need to look into everything happening the day I'm going and figure out what events I want to participate in. Also, I should probably try to finish up some of my more casual cosplays, such as the Narrator or the RK900 hoodie I've been very slowly working on. This is because I went to this con in my Ghostbusters cosplay. Since I had a proton pack I couldn't have my backpack with me, which got kinda annoying when I had some downtime and didn't have my sketchbook to draw in. So more casual cosplays would work best for me.

Another thing I've discovered. I walk really poorly. My legs and ankles are so sore right now because of how I walk and how much I was walking yesterday. I realized a few hours in as my feet were starting to hurt, that I walk in such a way that I have a little bit of a limp and it puts a lot of strain on my left leg. Along with that, when walking my ankles are very fluid in their movements in such a way that I tend to put more pressure on the outer edge of my feet. In short. I'm super unbalanced and it wrecks my ankles when I walk like this for a while. So. Oof. This explains why every once in a while one of my ankles kind gives out and I either fall or almost fall. It's very rare, but it happens sometimes. Don't really know what to do about that other than trying to be more conscious of how I'm walking.

So that's about if for con related stuff I guess, though this next thing is a tiny bit related I guess. I have noticed recently, both on Tumblr and at the con, that Trigun Stampede is really popular right now. I don't know much about the anime though my sister did show me an episode or two of the original Trugun series. I did notice a lot of really cool art of Vash while at the con, along with some amazing cosplaysm there was this one person selling the cutest little tiny acrylic standees of him and I kinda wanted one, but I felt like it would be kinda weird to get art of a character from a fandom I'm not in. Anyways, this whole thing has a point. That being, I talked to my sister about it and she said I definitely should watch both Trigun series, sooo.... might end up doing that in my free time. I will probably start with the original Trigun then watch Stampede, cuz that just makes sense to me. I don't know how into it I will get, but I guess we will have to see.

I will have you know you most likely won't have to worry about me dropping TSP since I have a lot of people, both friends and you guys, keeping me into it. So don't worry!! I will not stop drawing TSP art for a long while!!! I just thought that would be important to say.

But yeah, that's kinda been the hughlights of my week. Fun things :)

[a-maydays]

Tell me more

a pabear fanfiction 🌹 🐻

Before the door was closed, a soft whisper of goodnight echoed in the stillness of the night, wishing the children, tucked and warm under their blankets, a happy dream.

Rose's hand slipped off the doorknob. She stretched her arms up in the air, her eyes had met the clock. It was 9 PM. The children were already on their bed as scheduled.

That's one of the tasks done. Now comes..., the next task...

Her steps were quiet towards the living room, there, she found Jake was already collecting the toys that had scattered over the floor.

"You should have asked them to tidy up" Rose crossed her arms, "Not offering them to make up their mess, that's irresponsible for them"

Jake could only gave her a sheepish laugh, "They would get distracted and continued to play, all of them had to go to bed and it was nearly their bedtime"

Jake picked up a train toy and smiled, "being discipline and on time are also part of being responsible, no?"

Rose rolled her eyes, feigning annoyance, though, she relented with his reason, she sighed and finally helped Jake collecting the children's toys.

The sound of toys being picked up and placed inside the box filled the living room for a while before Jake began to hum a song.

Rose's ears perked towards the familiar tune, her attention went back to Jake, "Isn't that the music for the children's day performance?"

Jake stopped the hum and nodded, "Yes, it is"

"How'd you know that?"

Jake reached the back of his head and scratched there, averting his glance away from Rose's figure, another sheepish chuckle escaped him, "I helped with the props and decoration for the stage" he confessed.

Hearing the answer, prompted Rose to raise her brows, "Help...? You mean, you've been going back and forth helping out pak rt and ibu-ibu komplek setting up the stage for the event?"

A quick and nervous nod followed from Jake, "Daniel invited me to help them out, and I volunteered myself"

The room fell silent and they kept on exchanging stare.

Not wanting to misinterpret her glare, Jake quickly cleared his throat and attempted to break the silence first, "Is... Is something wrong?"

Rose hummed, realizing that she had been staring him, "No, it's just..." she paused, her eyes began to drift to the box of toys below...

Her lips were slightly pursued for a moment before she addressed her thought, "I knew Yuki and Daniel will participate in the children's day event, they told me themselves" she paused again, her fingers traced the plush toy she was holding.

"...But, you rarely told me anything you do, Jake"

Jake's eyes grew slightly wider at her words, "I-I don't want to bother you while doing the house chores, that's all"

"That's very thoughtful of you, but the children would still tell me anything even if I was doing the house chores, they would come, offer me help, then yap endlessly. Telling me everything they saw or done"

The room fell silent again, yet, nobody moved slightly.

Rose contemplated and Jake was waiting.

"I wish..." Rose huffed, defeated by her own conflicting thoughts, then, she continued, "I wish you would tell me more about you. What you do, where you're going. It would ease me up a little bit"

"Ease you up..?" Jake repeated,

"Yes. You are still under my care, are you not? It would put me in relief knowing that everyone under my care is safe and not doing anything reckless when I'm not around to scold them"

Rose took in a deep inhale as her features softened, "So, yeah" she mused, continuing her task, "You should tell me more about you"

Jake blinked few times, her words sunk into his mind. "You wouldn't mind?" he asked,

Rose scoffed playfully, "Why would I mind about a small rambling from you? It's harmless"

"Well" Jake gripped the toy in his hand a bit firmer, he could feel the shape of the squishy toy pressing against his chest, he barely moved an inch.

A flustered mess he had become and he hadn't noticed it, "okay, I will try... telling you more in the future" he replied finally, then quickly added, "...about me, that is"

Rose gave him a silent nod in return as she continued to focus at the task at hand: tidying up the living room.

[darthnell]

hello!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 2, 3, 4, 17, 20, 37, 40, 45, 68, aaand 76 with widow's bite and/or true vengeance :> for the ask game :)

Hi mait !!!!! <3 <3 ty for the asks !! :D So many omggg :0 gonna. put this under a readmore too bc i Cannot shut up LOL

2. Do you plan each chapter ahead or write as you go?

So..! I think with my longer stories, I generally like. Have the gist of how the story itself is gonna go, but I tend to leave a lot of the chapter dividing for later / when I get to that part of the story. Bc for chapters specifically, I think the way I write is highly dependent on how the scene goes..? Like maybe when I get to a certain scene, I'll realize I need to split it into two chapters, or I shuffle this scene that was supposed to go into the next chapter into this one. And I like having that sort of leeway as I go ! Like, I'm preeeetty sure that TrV is gonna end at 68 chapters, but it's more like 68 +/- 1 LOL. And I didn't have a super solid chapter count for that until like well into the Games portion (currently, the story is at ch 60).

3. Describe the creative process of writing a chapter/fic

Ooh ! Okay so for chapters, I can talk about TrV, and for fics, I will talk about TBWB since I basically Just wrote that one.

For chapters, I typically have in mind the scenes I wanna write. Sometimes a certain scene needs some leadup into it, especially if it's an important one... Like the characters getting to that scene, or a transitional scene from the previous one into the upcoming one. And once I've got my opening sentence - so, once I've figured out where Exactly I'm starting - the rest tends to come easier. Looking back thru my past TrV chaps, I tend to start a lot of them with a single somewhat attention-grabbing line. which honestly mostly serves to grab my attention when writing LOL. Starting with dialogue is also fun. But yeah, then I work my way through the chapter/scenes (mine tend to be a couple scenes long, with an average of ~4.2k for the whole fic). Each chapter should be driving the story in some way, though that doesn't necessarily mean every one has to be action-packed. Character-driven chapters work just as well ! But typically, I have a set of points I want to hit in each chapter. And that can be super vague, but I find as I write, it gets more specific as I go line-by-line.

For an entire story... The Bridges We Burn is a fun example because I for the event I wrote this story for, I basically had 5 weeks give or take to write the entire thing. The concept of this event was I received an oc from someone else participating, and I had to write a story where they won the Games. So! I got my character, Aslan (pokes him), beautiful kind 6'7" goober from D5 bdhvbhd. ((Side note, typically I'm writing my own characters, but I for sure find that starting with character and a few Situations/concepts is a lot easier than not)). I already had some ideas for what I wanted to do with my arena and some fun events, so what I needed to do now was like. Organize everything. What kind of story would make this character really shine? I will say though that like. Oftentimes, the Situations kind of generate in my brain like. Near-instantaneously, so it's often just a matter of organizing them. Now for Aslan's case, it was pretty easily spelled out on his character form - one of his core traits was trying to see the best in everyone, and rejecting the notion that you can just pick and choose people based on worth, and that the world is inherently cruel. Kid's also got a bit of a savior complex. So, that's a lot of very fun things to put to the test in the Games (: Naturally, I threw him in a situation where he faced a lot of needless cruelty and was also rendered pretty helpless in preventing the deaths of the people he allied with. So, his trials and tribulations regarding all of That, and his reaction to those events were where I had my story.

..And okay, I'll talk a Little bit about it with Ven too. One of her strong notions was her privilege. As a resident of D2, and a kid whose parents are both Victors, she grew up basically assuming that winning the Games was her birthright. And this notion was immediately put to the test in the first chapter, which was the funeral of her little sister, who'd volunteered for the Games when she wasn't supposed to, and died. So, the premise of Ven's story is confronting that (and a whole lot of other things). ...And then naturally I am putting her through the wringer in the Games ehehe..

4. Where do you find inspiration for new ideas?

Bro seriously just take inspiration from fucking Everything. Eat up the world around you, be it tiny irl experiences or media or something you see on your news feeds that makes you go "Ooooh!" (mait yk that weird sea creature post thing u reblogged from me? wouldnt that make a sick arena mutt? :D). You can make anything into inspiration if you're creative enough ! And it's also like. Really fun to think about things in this manner. Also like. Read books, watch shows, play neat video games, talk to people about characters and your ideas and theirs, it's Fun !!! Seriously, anything can be a Hunger Games arena if you think about it hard enough.

17. What do you do when writing becomes difficult? (maybe a lack of inspiration or writers block)

Ngl, I personally refuse to call it "writer's block" (or "art block", etc), I just don't like the term. Feel like it's too easy to create a feedback loop of "oh, I'm having a hard time writing, it must be writer's block" to "i have writer's block now so I literally Cannot write" and I don't wanna touch that loop with a ten foot pole. IT DOESNT EXIST IT CAN'T HURT ME..

But, ofc sometimes writing can be difficult !!! I rly do wanna start doing this more, but I've read that the best thing to do when it feels like you can't write is to read. I rly wanna read more books. It's good for the soul. Kisses Frankenstein's creation on the mouth. (that was the last book i read bjhvdhd). But yeah reading !!! Be it books or other fics or whatever suits your fancy. Some other things that can help are like. Getting out and moving around; exercise, if that's up your alley. I used to run a lot more than I do now, and that's a good hobby for writing, it allows you time alone with your thoughts to plan and shit.. really good. But like walking, or bike riding is good too. And if you're in a discord server that has a sprint bot, or anything like that, those are v helpful too ! Get other people to join you and hold you accountable ! 100 words is better than none ! 10 words is better than none ! You can do this !

20. Have you noticed any patterns in your fics? Words/expressions that appear a lot, themes, common settings, etc?

One thing about me is I rly enjoy writing really bizarre and graphic injuries. Apparently. I don't know why. It's just fun !! Sorry Aslan. I think it's cathartic in a way though, maybe. It's also really interesting to see how I can tie back the horror to the themes of the story.

I used to do a thing I noticed where I'd write like.. alliterative descriptions sometimes? I don't rly know if I still do that though.

Uhh some themes I like playing around with are family; Ven's is rly big on that, and Aslan's re: his adoptive family also tracks. I think grief is a pretty common one in my stories as well - though that's kind of expected in a hunger games fic where so many people are getting offed. But TrV definitely goes into that a lot more.. and my exchange fic from last year, Desiderium, touches on it a decent amount. Another theme I enjoy playing around with, esp in terms of thg fic is images. Concepts of "pretty" and "ugly" and "beautiful." Public images for victors, and stereotypes. What sort of angle the tribute character is going to play - if they're going to pick an angle. Very neat stuff. I think I wrote a post about that recently.. yeah, this.

37. How do you choose where to end a chapter?

Generally on an interesting or intriguing note. Sometimes with a really poignant line or scene of piece of dialogue. Sometimes a surprise event. I ended one of Aslan's chapter's mid-sentence, which was fun c: Playing around with expectations of a scene is just Fun. ..I ended his finale mid-dialogue too LOL (they had to knock him out in order to get him out of the arena.. oops).

Usually though, I end the chapter at the end of a scene. Haha. No shit nell. Uhh yeah. Cliffhangers are fun too ! Not always necessary. But yeah, good to end on something that makes you want to keep reading. ..Now I kinda wanna see a collection of all my chapter endings...

40. If someone were to make fanart of your work, what fic or scene would you hope to see?

!!!!! :0 Man that's a good one :0 Probably Ven bc I am simply always obsessed with her. We been knew LOL. I haven't done like a fullbody of her in her arena outfit yet - I've been meaning to do art of her in all her outfits but alas. ..Yeah, I think just like. Now that everything's gone to shit in her story, I think I'd cry if someone drew one of the soft scenes w her and Mari, or her and Mari and Percy... ;--; I miss their dynamic :c

45. Do you want to break your readers‘ heart or make them laugh?

Yanno. Who says you can't do both !!! I love little haha funny moments interspersed throughout a good narrative; that's how life is, after all. But um. Given the nature of what I write.. I gotta say break some hearts LMAO.

68. What, if anything, do you do for inspiration?

Ooh uh, I think I kiinda answered this one earlier but. Reading/consuming media. ..Not tumblr tho ngl, scrolling apps are rly not good if u wanna get in writing/creative mindset. Like pinterest maaaaybe depending on how you use it but in the end. scrolling app /points gun/... uh yeah, getting outside and going places is good. physical exercise (though don't hold me to that lol). Even just talking to people about your ideas is good for that sometimes ! bounce inspiration off of each other...

76. Did you have any ideas that didn’t make the final cut of [Fanfic Name]? 

Okay, so for TrV and Widow...

Man, I wrote Widow so long ago that I don't even super remember... I know there was a scene of Riin and her mentor Janus watching the latter's Games. I'd originally written that to be included on the train ride home from Riin's Games, but it didn't end up being super necessary for that point; kinda took away from Riin's story. So what I did was I rewrote it from Janus's pov and posted it as a separate fic, No Sleep for the Wicked ! :D

From TrV... hm. So there were def some scenes between the larger Career pack that I cut, just cus they were like. Bits of dialogue that didn't really add anything and they didn't fit well within the scene/chapter/story, so they ultimately weren't necessary. I think there was also a scene of like. Percy sniping a bumblebee with an arrow bc he was so bored and had no other way to show off his skills LOL I genuinely can't remember if I included that or not.. I feel like I didn't though. There's another scene that like.. I didn't exactly cut, it just wasn't observed by any of the pov characters, and it's basically just a convo between Percy and Mariposa after Ven got bitten by the wolf, and they discuss..... Things (idk I didn't actually write it lmao). There's another not-quite-deleted scene from pre-Games between Gaspar and Viper - which I didn't include because neither of them are anything close to pov characters LMAO I just thought it was fun. That one was pretty much just Gaspar telling Viper that he only got the volunteer spot bc Viper's mother bribed the Academy ((and Gaspar lmfao.. fucker literally does not need money and yet...)) and warning Viper not to underestimate Mariposa. Which. Worked out So well for him LMFAO. ((For those unfamiliar, Viper got killed so very dead by Mari <3 oh - Viper and Mari are district partners from D1 and Percy and Venatrix are dp's from D2)). There were also a few scenes that had a lot of reworking go into the final product so like they didn't get cut but some lines got trimmed where they didn't quite flow and stuff.

Okay, that's all for my rambling rn, thanku again for the questions Mait !!! <3

[wvsteria]

hey there!! going to put this out to keep track of the plots i have going for the winterfest! if anyone would like to plot w my muse just like this and i’ll dm you!

bolded = starter i owe

strike through = completed

aj campos / crush / 19 / aware

she’ll be trying to enjoy the festivities. she’s just a very lowkey person though so moreso just browsing stands and being an observer. 

plotting w: yuri plisetsky, cyrus goodman, gabriela campos

alaric saltzman / vampire diaries / 34 / aware

he’s chaperoning a class trip to the winterfest. but he’ll also be getting gifts for his family. and hopefully making memories with them as well!

plotting w: sabina palpatine, five hargreeves, elena gilbert, hope mikaelson, katherine pierce

antonia dreykov / marvel / 25 / aware

this is all completely new to her. she has no idea what any of this is and might be a little cranky to those trying to engage with her here. but she’s also curious and wants to do more normal things. 

plotting w: pj halliwell, jade west, natasha romanoff

audrey rose / descendants / 22 / aware

audrey is all for the holidays and will  be looking to make any moment a selfie moment. you’ll catch her pretty much everywhere but the snowball fight and sledding unless someone can convince her.... 

plotting w: achilles, cj hook, ziggy berman, prince phillip

beth washington / until dawn / 21 / not aware

beth enjoys the holidays fairly enough. she’ll want to get a little bit of everything so you might see her quite literally any and everywhere. 

plotting w: hallie parker, sam giddings, mike munroe, josh washington, hannah washington, jessica riley, ashley brown

bruce wayne / dc / 43 / aware

he is only here to do shopping and because he sponsored some of the booths feels like he should make an appearance. but he will be in and out and not in the mood for festivities. someone please drag him into something he can’t get out of.

plotting w: clark kent

dani powell / prodigal son / 32 / aware

dani is not so excited. i mean the holidays are not but it’s nothing to phone home about. it really just reminds her that her work family isn’t here to celebrate with her.

plotting w: seth gecko, faye chamberlain, nie huaisang, malcolm bright

dominic toretto / fast & furious / 40 / aware

dom is all about family. he’ll be gathering some items to gift his family. and you might find him in the snow fight and sledding competition. 

plotting w: han solo, jim hopper, letty ortiz, scott lang

emily fields / pretty little lairs / 25 / aware

emily will most likely be taking carriage rides around and doing all the crafting events during the winter fest. she might also try karoke so don’t laugh at her please. 

plotting w: wen kexing, hanna marin, blaine anderson

gwendolyn blake / the black phone / 20 / aware

gwen might possibly be all over the place with all the updated tech she’s excited to see what’s out there and what’s next. and you’ll definitely see her taking a photo w hot santa and in the snowball fight. 

plotting w: mj jones, daniela dimitrescu, jinx, piper milano, vex'ahlia de rolo

hayley marshall / vampire diaries / 33 / not aware

hayley saw all this going on and just decided to stroll through. she might not participate in much though. 

plotting w: klaus mikaelson, waver velvet

jacen solo / star wars / 27 / aware

jacen just wants to do whatever would make his family happy. so he’s probably following them around or trying to figure out presents.

plotting w: han solo, leia organa, winter celchu, josie saltzman, kira yukimura

james buchanan barnes / marvel / 32 / not aware

he does not want to go. at all. someone will need to literally drag him there. against his will. 

plotting w: emmeline vance, steve rogers, peggy carter, sharon carter, mark sloan, peter parker

joey jeremiah / degrassi / 21 / not aware

this isn’t really his thing but he’s going for the snowball fight and sledding. 

plotting w: cirilla “ciri” fiona elen riannon, emmett cullen

justin russo / wizards of waverly place / 26 / aware

justin loves the holidays. he’s buying gifts for the friends and family he has here. and he may be gathering gifts for the family that’s not here either just in case they show up. he’ll be doing ornaments, making gingerbread houses, and visiting the nutcracker ballet

plotting w: arcueid brunestud, alex russo

kate bishop / marvel / 23 / aware

kate loves this time of year. well now she does anyways. now that there’s no more family drama to ruin it so yeah she’s decorating she’s building a snowman she’s having the time of her life.

plotting w: cassie lang, yelena belova, ciri riannon, daisy johnson

kiara carrera / outerbanks / 22 / aware

catch her at every live music show. she lives for that kind of thing. and doing the polar plunge because why not

plotting w: katie gardner, eddie munson

lola / star wars / 24 / aware

while the holidays aren’t exactly new to lola, it’ll be the first time they felt like they could actually participate in things like these. so they will be buzzing around excitedly, trying out everything they can get into.

plotting w: rue bennett, leia organa, satine kryze, silco

lorenzo st. john / vampire diaries / 140 / aware

enzo is doing whatever bonnie is doing. lol someone drag him away so she can get presents. 

plotting w: victor nikiforov, auden west, eric northman, caroline forbes-salvatore

lucrecia montesinos hendrich / elite / 20 / aware

she’s feeling a little festive, happy that some friends have come back especially ones she thought she’d never see again. also she’s going to make one hell of a gingerbread house so sorry to anyone next to her. 

plotting w: mob, carla roson

missandei / game of thrones / 33 / aware

missandei doesn’t have much experience celebrating this holiday. but she does like to walk through and buy the cute hats and scarves and make her own hot chocolate. she certainly would love to see the ballet with someone. 

plotting w: blathers, drogon, daenerys targaryen

mouse honrada / pretty little liars: original sin / 18 / not aware

big events like this kind of scare her, something ingrained in her since she was little. but if someone can help give her courage and won’t leave her side! (or if someone does leave her unattended someone is welcome to help comfort her as she freaks out)

plotting w: noa olivar, rosemary winters

padme amidala / star wars / 27 / not aware

padme absolutely adores events like this. you’ll find her all over the winterfest. buying to support the vendors, participating in the events, attending the music nights and the nutcracker play of course. you might even find her out by the plunge if she’s feeling daring enough

plotting w: bail organa, leia organa, anakin skywalker, satine kryze, luke skywalker

penelope park / vampire diaries: legacies / 18 / not aware

honestly, penelope is kind of in the festive spirit. she’s going to make the heck out of some hot chocolate and ornaments. she’ll also be at the concerts of course and taking a pic with hot santa. 

plotting w: hope mikaelson, josie saltzman

rachel green / friends / 27 / not aware

rach wants a pic w hot santa pls and she’s going to the ice bar and making ornaments that will look like crap but who cares because she made it. she’s also buying gifts for the friends she’s made while here. 

plotting w: bela dimitrescu, abigail mckinnon

rosita espinosa / the walking dead / 31 / not aware

rosita probably isn’t going unless someone asks her to go lol

plotting w:

roxanne weasley / harry potter / 21 / aware

roxy wants to stir up some trouble so catch her ruining snowman building, snowball fights and the sled races whoops. but she’s also doing family shopping bcs my god there’s so many of them. 

plotting w: rose weasley, fred weasley, victoire weasley, george weasley

rue / the hunger games / 20 / aware

rue is very happily exploring the fest. they want hats they want the drinks, they might be a little timid about it but they also want to participate in the snowball fight and sled racing. they honestly want to do any and everything here. 

plotting w: stitch pelekai, jeremiah fisher, cato hadley

tara carpenter / scream / 19 / not aware

after the ball she’s a little nervous about going out to places but since it’s open and not in a building she’s going. she’s buying gifts and doing crafts. also might participate in some of the competitions. 

plotting w: renesmee cullen, esme cullen, elijah mikaelson, samantha carpenter

willa lykensen / disney’s zombies / 20 / aware

this is all so completely foreign to her. but she’s oddly into it? 

plotting w: addison wells

zack martin / disney’s suite life of zack & cody / 25 / aware

as cool as he tries to act, he’s actually feeling festive. he buys presents for his friends but he’s mostly into the competition and proving that he’s talented and tough. 

plotting w: maddie fitzpatrick, akie menzies, london tipton, josh washington, alex russo

[30sdiary]

October 19 2024

I stopped the therapist service from today. She kept checking on my situation, as a part of her work but I think I'm good navigating whatever here by myself. I did not do much in the morning, just spent hours checking on my LinkedIn service requests from those potential clients, I thought my LinkedIn service web caught some attention of clients and maybe need more time and attention from me. If more clients are coming, I might consider being self-employed for a while.

Coincidently there is a coming business networking event for startup next week in D1 and I decided to go there seeing how they are doing business on their own. I don't like networking event, but participating some of them felt like stepping out of my comfort zone. At least the foreign community is professional and more appropriate for me to open myself up and a business setting is less personal connection related theme for me to feel safe. Recently I don't feel safe with people connection, I felt uncomfortable in the previous social event when I was trying to stay longer just because I wanted to hang out a little bit with Yoon, but she was so busy talking with the other person. We seemed to lose ourselves in the middle of a crowd when people were just coming and trying to socialize with us. I should prefer a business theme at this moment which both help elevate my potential customer and partner approach and avoid the personal interest connection.

One of my friends saw my open to work status in Linkedin and started asking me about my plan. I'm so tired of people asking me to plan things for future, as sometimes I don't even feel like I have even one. I feel like I'm just trying to plant some seeds for the future every day, to not think about anything to avoid the negative feelings. These days are tough for me to be positive when I need to think of how to tight this budget, if I'm going to be here until when, do I need more roommate to reduce living cost in this city, or should I stop working for a while because i'm so fucking tired of this corporate work, but at the same time, if i decided to stop it, is that okay for me to stay doing nothing for a while, fighting with the feeling of detaching from my career for a while or should I put 100% effort on what i need to do to reach out to more customers..... i'm torn between thousands of questions and millions of possibilities that my little brain can think of. Now I got the feeling of my ex when he told me "When you are unemployed, you worked double triple compared with when you are in an employment". Yah, I totally got it, now I can't stop thinking about it and every time opening my computer, I feel like the to do list is endless and exhausting to even think about it at this moment.

I haven't got out of the apartment in the whole morning because of my reading, maybe going to D2 this afternoon for the gym, swimming and dancing class, hopefully those activities will create some dopamine thing to feel better because then I need to prepare for a test tomorrow morning. The book is kind of intriguing because finally (and for the 1st time in a while), I figured out I'm an avoidant and not anxious at all. I was blaming my ex on being avoidant, then via the book i realize he is so damn secure, or a little bit anxious. The feeling of being so dumb is kind of humiliation. I wish I had read this book earlier, well but time can't come back. Need to move on with my life and never look back to the person who decided to leave.

I have a long day to go, dont know what I'm going to be gratitude for... Maybe some service request on LinkedIn? i have just created my service page 2 days and I've got 2 requests, does that mean in a year I will be able to get 365 requests proportionately? If that is the case, I will be a millionaire and comfortable on running on my business. Though I don't know where it goes, it's kind of a good feeling knowing my work can reach a global scale and tons of work needs to be done to be efficient at it. So please keep coming in. What else... my therapist, my sister, my friends are still around me in this difficult time. Maybe this city, although does not have many things for me, but whatever it brings are good and stable. Here I did not meet so many people to be my friend as in Hanoi, but whoever I met is the one that really deeply connected to me in different ways. I don't know how long I will still be here, or at the end of the year it's time for me to go back to Hanoi, but I believe those connection I made here would still follow me no matter where I am. Maybe the best Saigon can bring to my life is just a little bit money and some good connections.

[lapsed-bookworm]

Spoilers for Episode 2: Like It Touched the Sun below the read-more.

A space walk to try to explore the damaged impact zone of The Event that started this whole thing off leads to someone dying and one injury. A support collapsed and shed metal pieces, more or less, so the spare dude got impaled and one of the lieutenants got a cut on his forehead (and he was supposed to be under observation for a concussion). We are now up to eight total deaths (seven plus the murder of the impersonator).

There was going to be a 'release the bodies into space' thing, except Angus dramatically stopped everything to bring up the idea of human composting. Now, I get that these specific deaths were a bit of a surprise, and I know that the audience may have opinions on end-of-life planning, but I really found the decision to vote on this to show a lack of planning on the writers' part. There should already be a procedure in place for what to do about deaths in space before you send anyone out there on a one way trip to a new planet. If there are any options to choose from, participants should have their final arrangements with whatever information is in the Ark database before Ark One leaves Earth's gravity. There's also no reason to frame 'what will my shipmates do with my remains' as something to indicate worth or worthiness to the mission itself.

(I'm purposefully not picking apart one character's simplification of not wanting to do human composting as 'it'll feed the plants we are going to eat which is basically cannibalism'. I also do not want to get sidetracked by looking into human composting too closely, but it is A Thing in several US states. Angus mentioned a specific thing intended for use on the planet that would compost a human body, so we're just skipping the details of having the necessary components for it.)

In the course of checking on the lieutenant in the med bay, the audience also finds out that Dr Kabir hasn't slept in about 50 hours. There's a bit more that happens in this episode - diverting coolant or whatever to the plant growing bay has essentially led to no A/C and exacerbated crankiness, for example - but I do want to touch on the whole sleeping arrangements thing. At a certain point, the lieutenants acknowledge that they might communicate a little less testily if everyone got the chance to sleep, and Lieutenant Garnet orders Shifts 1 and 2 to sleep for five hours. There's not enough bunks and officers quarters for everyone, and quite frankly, my family was thrown by this.

Like, how do you plan out a spaceship for several hundred people and not have enough beds or sleeping surfaces for everyone to have their own place to sleep? Maybe the two lieutenants who aren't acting as commander would have to figure out switching off on using the one lieutenants quarter left, but that would have to assume that almost everything related to the officers were literally in that one bay that was broken off. Not having enough regular bunks for everyone else, though? The best we can figure is that the cryo-pods were supposed to count towards sleeping quarters, perhaps for certain ranks, but it's on thin ice. Why even have bunks then? Who was going to use those when everyone had a cryo-pod?

Putting that aside, I'm disappointed by the lack of sleep and a little confused by the seemingly useless shift designations. There's this whole thing with Eva - current head of Waste Management - guilting someone who's in Shift 1 or 2 into not sleeping when the water recycler thing needs fixed. She also supposedly can't sleep because no one else knows what to do, and there's the overly familiar "either help or get out of my way" line. (While she is grieving [Harris was her boyfriend], it's a bit adversarial here.) See: Did 3 NASA Astronauts Really Hold A 'Space Strike' in 1973?; Sleep Deprivation Stage Three: After 48 Hours.

On the job impairment due to lack of sleep isn't some obscure and hard to know about topic. The benefit of having a shift schedule is that you don't need to keep everyone awake 24/7 - or until the hallucinations get too intense, or whenever the body gives out. There should be directions for whatever project is being worked on and delegation on the part of heads/chiefs of a division, even if it's "do X and Y but wake Eva for the next step". I'm sure most people are not thinking about documentation and checklists, but if we're 50 hours into being awake from the cryo-pods, we should not need one person to give every instruction in person and verbally. It creates a need for someone to be there all the time, and for some of these projects, there may well be a time when a new person is clueless about what was done and how to troubleshoot it later.

(And five hours of sleep? Some of these people have been going for around or possibly over 50 hours without sleep. Once they find a bed/bunk (which cuts into that five hour break), they're going to be asleep until their body lets them wake up. Granted, maybe I had a different experience with going without sleep, but there was no 'oh, I'll be up in five hours' pre-planning. I choose a bedtime that allowed for 9 or 10 hours and I was at the mercy of when my body released me from sleep.)

Not touched on: Some guy had on one of those stoles that clergy wear during the funerary rite prior to Angus interrupting, so we have glanced very briefly on Religion In Space. Garnet joined in on a brawl in the mess hall. Eva unilaterally decided to divert engine cooling water during the five hour sleep, which means the engines currently don't work.

[faithfulxknight-blog]

// event starter call - ??

      just a small starter call this time, based on the event. :’3 i’ll be writing them out over a period of the next few days. Or, tomorrow... we’ll see. ^_^ but! i figure i don’t have a whole lot going on yet here, so!

        these will probably be relatively small! but, all in all - ( event starter call )! if you’d like a starter, just feel free to give that like button a little tap!

       capped at 3 this time! castmates & acquaintances exempt. :’3

[angstywildcats]

lol hey, I know this blog comes off as a “for content/art” blog and I generally intend to keep it that way but this evening the warrior brainworms are back in town and I don’t have many places to share my thoughts for this kinda stuff,

this isn’t an official post or trying to push people to get to agree with me (I am not enough of an elegant speaker).  dfnjsdfn read if you want, but don’t feel inclined. I’m not trying to be groundbreaking or anything.  I think it’s just a lil vent about how I feel about how squirrelflight as a character is approached

CW: I discuss a little bit of the abuse, but not in detail

I AM so very glad we are past the early 2010s of Warriors amvs for sure at least. Back then “Ashfur did nothing wrong” was a common thing to say and everyone just went along with it, not knowing better from being young teens lol. But man the sexism still sticks and it sucks that Squirrelflight and what she went through is still debated. At least its going in the right direction?? But whew. It’s best to ignore and just go along my day, but seeing a random commenter or even someone who has Ashfur apologist as a name still bothers me more than I want LOL It’s hard to figure out how to consume a book series which... is pretty badly written and has many many many loose ends and issues, and I don’t really wanna police or judge on how people consume stuff. (As long as you’re not being a Freak. This is not a proship defense post get out) BUT I GUESS sometimes the way Ashfur is still perceived makes me uneasy? Like don’t get me wrong. he sounds like a pretty cool villain when he possessed Bramble, and while I personally don’t feel its true to his character to have?? Done whatever he did in the later books (I have . only read One chapter of ALITM and done no other warriors reading in a WHILE) it sounds kinda cool as a premise ig. And like many situations its easy to twist characters into their fanon, I think it’s just.. a little. Just a little. upsetting to have Ashfur to be seen as Such a Cool Character (tm) or whatever.

I think it really stems from the fact that. Ashfur’s decisions and actions all start from the fact he was the rejected love interest that went too far after Squirrelflight very maturely told him that she wasn’t interested. Just because of this, he assists in a murder, threatens Squirrel’s family and even after death seeks revenge and Succeeds when he targets Squirrelflight again. 

So far I don’t think there’s been any levity or relief from Squirrelflight having to go through grief or sadness and it really sucks at this point. I think the thing drives me insane is that Squirrel’s situation of getting such a backlash over a rejection is. Something that still constantly happens IRL. And Squirrelflight is almost Never acknowledged as a victim. Not by the other characters, and I don’t think the authors really grasped the weight of her situation they wrote her in either. It’s exhausting, really. I think i should really focus my blame the Warriors writing team for not approaching it better, but as someone who mostly hangs around for the fandom, it does feel like it’s sometimes thrown around too lightly :(

This is probably just a nitpick, and I’m not harshly criticising participants, hosts or artists of any kind who create the content, but a lot of AU or just, general projects and videos I see revolving squirrel is often about the miserable events of her life, either twisting them maybe to be Worse as a bad end or just. Highlighting them. 

I don’t blame anybody tho lol, it’s not like the source material has given much else but then again, we’ve had AUs and explorations of other background characters that end with brighter outcomes, so what’s stopping that from happening to Squirrel? It’s sometimes just a bit sad that there isn’t much chance to give anything else JDNFJNDFN

animal media huh. lets authors write dark things in Childrens books. And get away with poorly writing dark and sensitive topics.