#(( event : ren faire gone wrong ))

[fightingdragcnswithycu]

open starter: @hiddenstarters venue : local tavern

after months at sea, oona was trying to find her land legs again. she loved traveling the world and if she could do it without coming on land ever again, she would but it was not possible. they needed supplies so here they were, her and her crew, "excuse me," she said to someone as she walked into the tavern, "what is the... how you say? currency here? how do i pay? do they accept gold pieces?" she asked.

[fightingdragcnswithycu]

"two and twenty. you don't look much older than me though. how old are you?" astrid replied, "or we could both get into trouble. have you ever thought of that?"

"guessing, i don't know. how old are you?" she asked, not knowing why it really mattered. the other was obviously more interested in the logic of it all, instead of the fun they could have. "messing with people, they could think you're me and i'm you, and then neither of us can get in trouble for what happened."

[fightingdragcnswithycu]

closed starter : finnick & junwoong (@devilsmenu) venue : market

"oh yes, all of these are caught fresh this morning," finnick said, "i caught it all myself, it's a very good catch. i can assure you of that. what were you interested in buying this morning?"

[hiddenwashington]

observant citizens of washington may have seen the beginning of a set up, stands, a partially built stage, and the signs that something was coming to the city. those who have been here long enough to remember start telling their friends that perhaps the ren faire is coming back for another year, to let everyone know they should start planning costumes though no official event date or information has been released. despite the fact that something is clearly being set up no one can track down who is running the event, or any of the important details for it, and nothing in washington can ever be that simple. overnight the upcoming ren faire seems to have taken over the city. bars suddenly become taverns, shops are replaced with merchant stands, and nobility now holds the power rather than the democracy that had been running the city. cars are an unknown creation, so citizens better be comfortable with a horse if they intend on going anywhere far.  luckily the transition seems to have gone well for the majority of the citizens, who are unaware that anything has gone wrong, going about their lives as if the sound of a dragon overhead is simply something they've grown used to, and know how to navigate in their lives.

TLDR;

overnight the city of washington has been trasformed into an image of the past. the entire city looks like it may have been taken out of any renaissance faire, though not many are aware a massive change has occurred. though this is america the city has somehow become the image of medieval europe, with all of its citizens losing their modern clothes and technology and employment.

OOC INFORMATION:

happy fall everyone! we're super excited to go ahead and bring you our eighteenth event! we have done a ren faire mini event in the past, and decided to have some fun making things bigger, and much more complicated for your characters. we're super excited to see what your characters do and how they live in this new environment for a little bit of time. that said, definitely go out there and come up with some crazy ideas, plot, and don't hesitate to get creative with it. obviously this isn't an exact time period or realistic in any way since we're pulling a european fantasy setting and sticking it in america, but the goal is just to have fun with it!

DATES:

october 2nd - october 16th 19th!

this event will last the same time ic and ooc

THE CHANGE:

magic has swept over the city and completely transformed it into an era similar to that of the european medieval/renaissance era. modern washington as everyone knew it is completely gone. this includes technology, clothes, transportation, and anything else you can think of.

what does suddenly exist is medieval fantasy! feel free to get creative with this, but know that it would be easy for characters to find creatures such as dragons, witches, fae, dryads, unicorns and more throughout the city. this could include monster hunters as well, both as a potential job, and something for supernatural characters to have to worry about.

feel free to check out our list of potential fantasy elements you could incorporate into your threads here!

AWARENESS:

characters will keep their awareness status on the taken page! this means that if your character is aware they still remember their past and believe that at some point they arrived in dc in this time period, and that it has been this way the entire time.

most characters will have no idea there was a time shift! they will believe that washington has always been like this, and they’ve been living in this era for the entire time since arriving in washington. this way threads don't just have to be about the surprise of arriving in the new time period, and you can instead have the chance to explore how your characters would be living in this environment.

with that said there can be exceptions! we will allow you to pick up to half of your characters to be completely aware that they have been shifted to this time period overnight! these muses would know that one minute they were in washington and the next day the city had completely changed, with no idea why that isn't common knowledge.

you do not have to meet this cap, and can have the majority of your character unaware that any change has taken place.

JOBS:

we encourage thinking of what your character would have been doing and potentially posting a little blurb about it before the start of the event so everyone knows. there are lots of possible jobs your characters could have taken up, such as being a noble, scribe, blacksmith, court jester, knight, merchant, rat catcher, and much more

feel free to check out a longer list of job ideas here if you need help deciding on something that would be fitting for your character!

HOUSEKEEPING:

please make sure to tag all event threads hwevent18!

nonevent threads will be paused during this time! as it doesn’t make sense to have threads going on in modern washington and the event washington we do ask that all nonevent threads are put on hold until after the event

feel free to kill your characters! though it’s not the focus of this event there are still plenty of dangers, between the fantastic with creatures like dragons around, and more grounded options, such as jousting as a duel. with that being said, as this is not the main intent of the rp you do have to message the main and get confirmation before killing any of your characters! 

please use your best judgement when including time accurate content. obviously we are throwing characters far into the past, and social hierarchies and situations were very different, but characters should not have to worry about time accurate racism, sexism, homophobia, or otherwise in washington. this is all meant to be a fun time and we don't believe that content would be appropriate for our group

of course make sure to review our triggers page any tag any post with content that requires it.

feel free to begin your plotting and starter calls now! we know that you have to figure out situations for your characters with this event so definitely take the time you need to do a plot and starter call if you wish! there will be an event themed meme coming at the start of the event to get some threads going, but you can always draft things ahead of time if you want.

and that's all! if you have any questions don't hesitate to ask either over dms or in the discord, and feel free to get started with plotting and starter calls! finally please make sure to like this once you've read it!

[ticklishraspberries]

Ren Faire (Eddie/Steve)

Summary: Steve, Eddie, and Robin go to a Renaissance Fair and see some interesting demonstrations. (This fic is for my lovely friend @gigglyrambles!! I literally just pulled this whole plot out of my ass and wrote it in one sitting, so I really hope you like it, LOL. Also, shoutout to @wordstrings because I know she has written something similar for Our Flag Means Death, I hope you don't mind me taking inspiration!!)

Steve isn’t sure how he ended up being dragged along to a Renaissance Fair with none other than Robin and Eddie, but he found it hard to say no to either of their puppy dog eyes and incessant begging.

His outfit is simple, consisting of a white, long-sleeved shirt with laces at the neckline, tight brown pants, and brown boots. He feels only a little bit ridiculous, but after seeing what his friends are wearing, he supposes he isn’t the weirdest looking one.

Eddie is decked out in black, an intricately detailed top with ruffles and buttons. A fake sword sits in a holder on his waist. Robin has gone for a more masculine look, a cloak over her shoulders and a bow and arrow in her hand.

“Screw historical accuracy,” she’d said.

“The fact that you’re a girl isn’t the problem, it’s that you couldn’t hit a moving target with an arrow to save your life,” Eddie had teased, and Robin had elbowed him in the ribs, making Steve laugh.

Now that they’ve arrived, Steve has relaxed a bit. He used to feel out of place whenever he attended events that he wouldn’t have been caught dead at in high school. Corroded Coffin concerts, DnD campaigns, and that one time he drove Eddie and Robin to the nearest gay bar in Indiana. It had definitely been more awkward sober, and before he realized that he’s bisexual, and could have totally had more fun if he’d been aware of and okay with that information at the time.

He’s sort of glad he wasn’t, though, because kissing Eddie Munson during a childish game of truth or dare was a much funnier way to have your queer awakening, and dating Eddie Munson is way more fun than hooking up with random guys in a bar.

“They have really good beer here,” Eddie comments, to which Steve holds up his car keys and jingles them. No medieval mead is going to keep him from being the designated driver.

“I can drive us home,” Robin says, absolutely joking, but Steve still gives her a horrified look and makes a show of sliding his keys back into his pocket, patting the denim for safe keeping. She sticks her tongue out at him, and he flicks her cheek.

Eddie does end up getting some beer, and Steve allows himself a few sips. They’ll be here for at least a few hours, he’ll surely sober up by then. He also samples the gigantic turkey leg that Eddie gets, and Robin wrinkles her nose in disgust at the messy nature of the food.

As they walk around, Steve finds himself getting into the spirit more than he had expected. They eat, watch musical performances, and shop at the little stalls set up by various vendors. Eddie buys a few rings for himself, and buys a handmade mug for Uncle Wayne. Robin indulges in candles and soaps, and even dares to see a fortune teller.

“She said that I’ll meet my future husband soon,” she says, giggling. “Clearly she’s a fraud, or she’d know I’m not interested.”

When Robin runs off to find a bathroom, somehow, Eddie and Steve end up standing around a demonstration about medieval punishments and torture, which Steve expects to be gruesome, and quickly finds he would rather hear gritty, gorey details than stand her and watch this happen.

A pretty girl, probably around their age, is locked into a pair of wooden stocks, and—

“You’ve gotta be kidding me,” Steve mutters, pinching the bridge of his nose between his fingers.

Eddie looks absolutely delighted as he leans in close. “What’s wrong, Stevie? The demonstration isn’t bothering you, is it?” he asks. His cheeks are flushed, too. A few months ago, Eddie would probably be the one stuttering and staring at the ground right now, but ever since he introduced this little world to Steve, he’s gained a confidence about it that only comes out when he gets to tease Steve into oblivion.

“Shut up.”

“You shut up, I’m trying to watch. Maybe I can get some pointers from these guys.”

‘These guys’ refers to the two men who have started tickling the girl’s trapped feet, and frantic giggles fill the air and make Steve’s stomach flip.

“Oh, she’s handling this better than you would,” Eddie continues to tease. “I’d already be called every insult under the sun if you couldn’t kick me instead.”

“I will kick you right now,” Steve threatens. It’s a complete lie. He’s frozen to the spot on the grass, torn between watching and focusing on the grass. Everyone else in the crowd is behaving like this is so normal, no big deal, just a silly show.

One of the men has moved behind the girl to tickle her ribs, her arms secured above her head. Steve crosses his arms over his chest, subconsciously protecting his own sensitive spots, like just watching her could tickle him, too.

“You love that spot,” Eddie coos. “You make the cutest sounds when I tickle you there.”

“I’m gonna fuckin’ kill you,” Steve grits out.

“Sure you will, sweetheart. Can it wait ‘til after I’ve made you cry real pretty for me?”

Just then, Robin appears at his side. “This looks like my worst nightmare,” she says. “I hope this girl is getting paid well.”

Steve makes a noise of agreement, but can’t bring himself to look over. Eddie Munson is going to be the fucking death of him. Thankfully, Robin is immediately bored of the display and drags them off to explore. Eddie subtly gives Steve’s side a quick pinch as he walks past him, and Steve suddenly can’t wait to go home.

***

“You are a fucking menace,” Steve accuses the moment they’ve made it through the door.

His parents aren’t home, Robin was dropped off back at her house, and now, Steve is alone with Eddie for the first time all day, and he refuses to voice how excited he is for whatever Eddie’s got planned.

But Eddie just grins, tugging off the more elaborate pieces of his costume, leaving himself in socks, boxers, and a white t-shirt. He makes his way to the kitchen, comes back with two cans of beer, sits on the couch like he isn’t ignoring the clear tension in the room.

Steve gapes at him for a minute before joining him on the couch, kicking off his boots and taking a beer as well. Maybe Eddie’s changed his mind…Maybe he just isn’t the mood, and Steve isn’t going to pressure him into anything.

But…Well, he has a sneaking suspicion that isn’t the case at all.

“If you’re waiting for me to ask, it’s not gonna happen,” he says.

“Ask for what?” Eddie tilts his head curiously, but there’s a glint in his eye that proves Steve’s theory.

“Nothing,” Steve replies, playing along. “All that talk back there just made me think you had a plan for when we got home. But if you’re not interested, that’s fine too.”

“Did you want me to have a plan?”

Steve huffs. “Maybe. But if you don’t, then let’s forget about it.”

“Oh, c’mon baby,” Eddie says, throwing an arm around Steve’s shoulders and pulling him close. “All you’ve gotta do is ask if you want it so bad.”

His cheeks burn. Stubborn as ever, he shakes his head.

Eddie sighs with exaggerated disappointment. “If you insist. I guess I’ll just keep my hands to myself tonight…”

“Good,” Steve says, and turns the television on.

It takes two beers and a stupid scene in a film to break him. It’s a quick, barely there tickle, but the character’s laugh makes Steve perk up like a dog hearing a doorbell ring.

“Fine,” he says.

“What’s fine?” Eddie asks.

“Just fucking tickle me, you dick.”

Eddie grins and wastes no time, lunging across the couch and pinning Steve to the cushions.

“I knew you’d crack eventually, sweetheart,” he teases. “Sorry we don’t have quite the same set up, but I’ll hold you down real nice, okay?”

Steve is already grinning. He can’t help it, he’s so lovestruck by his boyfriend and desperate to laugh his head off. And laugh he does when Eddie goes straight for his ribs, scratching at the dips between each little bone.

“There’s that pretty sound,” he says, pressing a kiss to Steve’s jaw that is both sweet and ticklish under the current circumstance.

The stupid shirt with the laces is pulled over his head and discarded on the floor, and Eddie pins Steve’s wrists and tells him to stay still before exploring each ticklish spot on his torso, making him shriek and cackle and snort like a fool.

He doesn’t stay still for very long, arms shooting down to his sides when Eddie attacks his belly with blunt fingernails, and Eddie scolds him but doesn’t stop.

As he squirms on the couch, giggling like mad, he wonders if they sell some of those bondage contraptions there. He thinks that they should go back to the Ren Faire sometime. 

[rebrandedbard]

I have returned from Ren Faire!

For doublet pictures and a fun story about myself getting serenaded by The Prince, go ahead and click below!

To begin the real beginning of our adventure, my friend @prosebushpatch and I caught the champion’s joust after lunch. We sat by chance on the side of what I assume to be (based off their swaggering and charmingly unsportsmanlike conduct) the side of The Baddies, Sir Edgeron (who I erroneously thought was called Etteron) and Sir Maxmillian whose horse is named Drax. During the second run, I came up with a short verse for them to cheer in the lull. That’s the first domino that led to this chain of events:

You turn to look and then he’s gone

So swift is our sir Edgeron!

And riding just behind on Drax

None other than our noble Max!

After the round was over and the stadium was empty, my friend and I hit up the AMT so I could get cash to buy a flag. On the way to ask, I sang the little song. A member of staff was sitting on the fence, so I went to them to ask where the flag seller had gone. They and I got to talking while two flags were fetched and another man came up, having heard tell that I was a bard. He and the other staff said that I must, I MUST meet the prince as he would love to meet a man of musical talents such as myself.

The older gentleman of unknown but higher rank led me to where the prince was watching a celtic band and dancing. Before there could be any introductions, however, the prince invited us to join in his dance and he taught up a couple styles of jig. I was wearing a crown at the time and it fell off my head, only to be caught last second by a quick bow. It was most impressive. The prince called me a fellow prince throughout all our interactions thereafter, even when I put away my crown.

I spun him under my arm a couple times. It must be said, he has very comfortable hands. Made to be held, really.

So! At the end of the dance the prince asked if Rose were my fair lady. “Fair is she, and a lady, but mine she is not,” I said. Platonic companions, naturally. And he pulls out a dazzling crown pin to present to her for joining the dance; a pin which he only gives to two people in a day! I was very proud, and a bit envious. But not for very long.

Rose and I left to go kill a bit of time before the next part of the tournament. On my way out, I looked back and saw the prince and older gentleman talking, the older gentleman gesturing forward to myself and my friend. We lost them in the crowd. He's a picture of them just before they got to talking:

Eventually, we wound up in the place the feast was held and it was time for a village dance. The whole royal family was there, who would guess? I danced with the older gentleman from before, delighted to see him, and the princess, in the large circle dance. I got the steps quickly enough but always turned the wrong way on the first spin. Got it in the end though.

After the dance, the prince came through the crowd of dancers to find me, having spotted me and my friend in the circle. He asked if the gossip were true and that I was a bard. I gave him my unofficial title, the bard Galanthus, and he introduced me to the queen, leading me to the sort of staging part of the square so to speak. He then requested a song.

“If my prince commands it.”

“No, not a command. Not required, but I do heartily request.”

So I sang him a song from one of my upcoming stories, Buttercups Are Blue. Oh god, if you could have seen his expression! I had never felt my mouth dry up so quickly. I’m only glad I got through the first verse without stumbling, I was so nervous. He was well-cast: extremely charming, friendly, and handsome. Performing is nothing, but singing alone to him? Nerve wracking.

“I must say, I have never been serenaded quite so well!” (I’m so happy to have gotten that line on video):

And then he turned around, whipped out a tiny lute/mandolin thing the size of a ukelele and sang a song for me in Gaelic, then in English. I swear, I didn’t know what to do with my hands and my face was outside of my control. I’m glad he looked more to the camera in the last verse because I was feeling very red by the end of the second song with all the direct eye contact. I was more than a little infatuated by the end of the first dance—I was completely gone by the time he began to sing.

I was very light-headed after that. He introduced me to the jester to gift us another song, and I don’t remember which of them it was that asked, because both of them said something to the effect—but they asked why I was not among the other entertainers, singing for the crowds. I was invited to be the court bard (after the formality of an audition in August, said very quietly out of character lol).

We returned for the final part of the joust and I just couldn’t help looking up at the prince on the balcony between hits. Oh, I know it’s all pretend, but a prince is a prince is a prince! And I had the loveliest day. Thanks for the song, fair prince!

[ninjapotatohead]

Sonic Chronicles, a Sonic RPG from Bioware back when they still had a perfect reputation & is the closest we got to a game based on the comics continuity. It got B's & 80%s from various review sites & magazines. What could possibly go wrong?

Oh God it hurts, please make the hurting stop.

Here's 3 quick facts about me: A. I can play Sonic games B. I can play RPG C. I can't play rhythm games to save my life

Which of these 3 facts would you say is the most important to playing a Sonic RPG? Well it turns out the answer is C because every damn attack & spell requires the player to do some Elite Beat Agents bullshit to work. Made worse that the you-did-it-wrong sound effect sounded more like a you-did-it-right SFX to me, so I didn't realize how badly I was screwing up for the longest time.

In fact, the audio top to bottom is just terrible Shadow's "voice" is the falling-down-the-tube SFX from Sonic Spinball. & the music, Hoolee Moolee the music. Apparently Bioware ran into legal issues with their soundtrack in the 11th hour or some other shit & at the last minute replaced most of the tracks with MIDIs from a fan site. The results weren't pretty.

Story is.............ok. To Bioware's credit, they've done some homework & tied previously unconnected threads from multiple past games together to form this game's backstory & this was probably the last time any Sonic game remembered the Master Emerald. However, some of these callbacks don't really amount to much in the long run. OK, so the Dark Brotherhood built the Gizoids from Sonic Battle, what of it? The gizoids in the game might just as well have elite Brotherhood troops for all the difference it makes. If Gemerl from Advance 3 made an appearance they could've gone somewhere with it but he doesn't so nevermind.

Speaking of the Dark Brotherhood, the other disappointment is that this is like the only Sonic game to incorporate elements from the archie comics canon, except not really. Instead of the Dark Legion/Julie Su/Dimitri, SC has the store brand knock-offs Dark Brotherhood/Shade/Ix. It's like getting Kylo Ren instead of Jacen Solo. I hate to imagine a sequel having substitute Freedom Fighters if Bioware kept going.

Dialogue choices seem to be there for the sake of Bioware tradition, not to actually add anything of note. You can either choose from sarcastic Sonic or serious Sonic, but the results the same regardless. This probably would've been a better game to work in a custom player avatar instead of Forces, Bioware at least could've done more with it. Tails is so insufferable about reminding the player to save the game, he continues to do it even after telling him to stop. That's how inconsequential choices are.

Stats are so weirdly implemented. Damage output is not a visible stat, you can equipped items that increase your damage but they don't show by how much. There's an "Attack" stat that you can see, but it actually refers to the attack's accuracy, which I didn't know for the longest time & was hella confused at why I was doing so little damage. You give party members protection from different elemental attacks, but there is no single enemy in the whole game that even deals any sort of elemental damage so the shields are pointless.

In short, it's a game where every facet of it fails. Crap graphics, terrible audio, lousy controls, half-assed gameplay, weak story, & a cliffhanger ending that'll never get resolved thanks to a lawsuit from a dumbass ex-writer. It may not be the worst Sonic game ever but it was the 1 that broke my heart the most.

Though, to be fair, Chronicles also sold like shit. If memory serves me, there were special "Viral" Chao that were supposed to be given out at special events, but they never were due to poor attendance from the players.

Chronicles is only just barely passable as "baby's first RPG", but it's when the game is shown to someone who's played many better RPGs that the game's many glaring flaws are laid bare for all to see.

[fightingdragcnswithycu]

closed starter : charles & harriet ( @devilsmenu ) venue : tavern or shop or honestly anywhere

charles' surprised was clear. his face was plastered with a startled expression as he looked at the other and shrugged, "what? did i do somethin wrong? if i've wronged you in some way, i don't know how."

[fightingdragcnswithycu]

"dragons, i have seen. i'm not sure what you mean by technology? do you mean the printing press? that's still around," he paused, "when do you mean by before?"

at his oblivion, kimiko swore she felt a sigh leave her lips.. as she turned the torn piece of paper over to write, "seriously? you haven't seen the dragons? or noticed the lack of technology? -this all wasn't happening before." she held the paper up- for the other to read once more.

[komatsunana]

I really don't get all the Takumi hate, I mean, almost all the main characters in Nana are maladjusted adults. All of them have issues but other fans seems to gloss over that fact. I mean Nana O is selfish and possessive who treats her friends as objects and possessions to own and can be discarded (note what she said about Shin when he was arrested) but almost everyone forgives her and ships her with either Ren or Hachi, justifying it with her being abandoned by her mother. Ren is an addict, Shin is a victim of abuse, Reira is selfish and needy and is basically a child trapped in a woman's body. While most of these characters are viewed sympathetically, Takumi who is also a victim of abuse and neglect is vilified, when he is one of the most self aware of the bunch and seems to show growth in the future chapters.

I just find it unfair, is all. What do you think about the fandom's perception about this characters?

ok, so like I said on this post... I'm assuming you're the same sender and there is A LOT to unpack here.

So starting right at the claim that all characters in NANA are maladjusted adults... this is what we call false equivocation. Yes, correct. All characters in NANA (and frankly all people) have done some things that we would call "problematic." The thing is not all problematic things are equal and is frankly just a lazy way of saying "I know what's going on here is morally or socially wrong in someway, but I'm not going to think too hard about it and call it problematic rather than more specifically define it as racism, misogyny, homophobia, etc" and like tbh, even just defining something as misogynist as though all misogynistic acts are equal - making a sexist joke is a whole different thing than rape.

So, yes. Nana has done fucked up things. I would argue that Nana never really treated Shin as her friend and that if it had been in Yasu or Nobu who had gotten arrested instead, her reaction would have been VERY different but I digress. It's not a matter of "forgiving" her because as readers... we don't really get that right. We're just along for the ride and we get to make and form our own opinions. Whether we sympathize with the characters or not, or if we think their actions are right or wrong and what we think those characters should do as reparation for their actions.

Personally I sympathize with Nana and think her possessive, controlling traits are part of what makes her an interesting character. She's done fucked up things and I am very interested in seeing her make up for past actions and becoming a happier person.

And I do sympathize with Takumi. He's been through some shit, this is true. However, he's raped Hachi at least twice that we've seen as readers (again, chapter 29 and chapter 47) and I will not be posting panels of the acts because of the triggering content... But they are very explicitly rape, even if I don’t know how much Yazawa understands that herself even if Hachi calls it rape in chapter 48... But I feel it is important that Hachi herself very much connects both events, because after Takumi rapes her in chapter 47, in chapter 48 we see the events of what happened right after him raping her in chapter 29: her discovering the broken strawberry glasses and Takumi apologizing for “being forceful.” So on some level, Yazawa must know.

And I’m not going to get into how he emotionally abuses Hachi and to some extent Reira. Lots of people have gone through scene by scene at this point, I’m sure.

But the rape and abuse that Takumi does to Hachi are not at all comparable to anything Nana has ever done.  I think it’s fair and fine if we want to sit down and discuss the abusive natures of all the characters of the series.  If we find some dynamics inexcusable and others worthy of redemption, and like some of us are going to disagree.

I do want to quickly touch on the fact that I completely disagree with any and all statements that Reira is a “child in a woman’s body” or that Shin is the adult in his relationship with her or anything along those lines, which I hear very often in the fandom regarding Reira. I feel it’s very important to never lose sight of the fact that Reira *is* an adult, particularly when it comes to her relationship with Shin who *is* by all accounts a child. but this just a side bar.

Because I do want to talk about one aspect you said, which is that Takumi is a victim of abuse and neglect himself.  And I agree entirely and his situation is very sad and horrible.  And I think there is a lot to be said about the way media portrays abusers as being part of a cycle of abuse, as though all those who have been abused are doomed to go on to abuse others.  And this is something that is HIGHLY disturbing to see in much of our media.  

It would be very different if we saw more abusers who were never abused before as part of their backstory in storytelling, but we really don’t. And it has really horrible implications for abuse survivors who consume those stories, as well as abusers themselves.  Because it just lends to a narrative that we should be lenient on abusers, because they have been abused themselves. We definitely need more nuanced and interesting portrayals of abusive characters that are simply them being part of an abusive cycle that they were once a victim of themselves.

I sympathize very much with Takumi’s past, but nothing can excuse what he does to Hachi.  I remain very interested in his character and his possible growth in the future, to him apologizing for the wrong he’s done to other characters (and frankly, not just to Hachi but to everyone) and doing what he can to make things better for those he has victimized.

We all have our own experiences and we’re all going to feel differently about different things. I don’t think it’s entirely fair to act like being interested and invested in Takumi’s character arc is a moral failing and I think people are free to be interested in any character they want. But if people hate a character for raping and abusing well, that’s fair and no justification needed. 

Anyone feel free to reblog and add on, respectfully, please.

[radishaur]

hey! can I request a zuko imagine with prompts 15 and 33 from the make a reader swoon list please??

I love these prompts! I hope you enjoy! For those who haven’t read the prompt list, #15 is “I’m asking because I’ve seen the way you look at me” and #33 is “I think you need to tell me the truth and how you feel towards me”.

- Zoe

•••

Confessions (Zuko x Reader)

Warnings: None

Genre: Fluff, Minor Angst

Part: 1/1

Summary: See request

•••

Zuko and I’s relationship had always been...complicated. We met on his ship, one year into his search for the Avatar. He was this lanky 14 year old boy who was barking orders like he owned the place. I was just an old family friend that Uncle Iroh took in after my parents abandoned me.

Zuko insisted my presence on his ship was a burden. That hadn’t started us off on the right foot.

Eventually, we grew to have a very hot and cold dynamic. One moment it would be friendly and pleasant and then the next it was tense and aggressive. We had legendary screaming matches that sent the crew into hiding. Two angry firebenders on the same ship was never a good idea.

But, deep down, I knew he cared. I learned very quickly that Zuko was not a man of words, but of actions. So, it was the little things he did that reminded me not to give up on him. Like when he would bring me dinner to my room after an argument or when he would patch me up after sparring.

Sometimes though, I wished he would just tell me how he felt in words.

Actions can easily be misinterpreted. Is it friendly? Is it romantic? Is it spiteful? What does it mean when I catch him staring? What does it mean when he spends hours talking with me into the night? What does it mean when he threatens anyone who insults my honor?

Two years of asking these questions and I was done. I wanted to know. I wanted him to say it so that I could determine what to do with my own feelings. I had an assumption that he did share my feelings, but it was Zuko. He was incredibly hard to read and I didn’t want to confess until I had proof.

I watched as the man in question continued training on the deck. He had been training practically nonstop since he actually encountered the Avatar. I could barely get a moment alone with him. I huffed before storming off the boat and into town. He barely gave me the time of day anymore, which was just another reason I doubted if I was reading the signs right. I wanted a distraction.

We had docked to gather supplies and I decided to browse the stalls before returning back to the ship. I was browsing through a rack of Fire Nation shirts when I bumped hips with someone.

“Oh, I’m sorry!” I apologized, turning to face the person.

He was a sweet looking teenage boy who seemed to be from the Earth Kingdom. He had brown hair and fair skin with bright green eyes. He smiled kindly at me.

“It’s no problem. It was my bad,” he said, holding his hand out for a handshake before saying, “My name is Ren.”

I smiled and took his hand in a polite but firm handshake.

“Y/N,” I replied.

We continued talking for a few minutes. I found out that he was the shop owners son. I told him I was sailing with family in the area. Technically, it was a lie but I didn’t want to tell the truth. Usually, people found out you were sailing with the banished Prince of the Fire Nation and his Uncle, the Dragon of the West, and they treated you differently.

I was enjoying our pleasant conversation when I suddenly felt an aggressive hold on my arm. I didn’t have time to move or say anything before Zuko was speaking.

“Sorry, she has to go,” Zuko growled before yanking me back towards the ship.

I looked over my shoulder at Ren and mouthed an apology before turning angrily to Zuko. He was almost back to the ship before I forced him to stop.

“What the hell was that?” I asked, yanking my arm from his grip and crossing my arms over my chest.

“That boy was from the Earth Kingdom! You’re risking your safety by talking to him,” he snapped, waving his hands around indignantly.

“He had no idea who I was. Besides, if anything you coming in and yanking me away was definitely more suspicious than anything I was doing!” I argued, standing my ground against his stupid excuse.

“You shouldn’t even be talking to random strangers anyways! It’s dangerous,” he continued.

“Ugh! Stop being a jealous asshole and let me have a conversation,” I huffed, pointing my finger at him accusingly.

Zuko scoffed but avoided making eye contact with me.

“I am not jealous,” he insisted.

“Really?” I asked, stepping closer to him with an evil smirk, “So you wouldn’t care if I told you I thought he was attractive?”

He stayed silent and simply glared at me. I could tell I was getting him all riled up, but I didn’t care. I was tired of him playing this back and forth game. Now it was my turn to push his limits.

“You wouldn’t mind listening to me talk about how his eyes shone in the light. Or how his hair ruffled in the breeze. Or that I spent a good amount of time during our conversation imagining what it would be like to kiss him?” I egged him on, stepping closer until I was right by his chest.

He was fuming at this point and I could tell his patience was running thin. He had small plumes of smoke billowing from his nose and his hands were clenched by his sides.

“Enough! That has nothing to do with it,” he said through gritted teeth.

I finally stopped instigating him, knowing I had won this one. I got the reaction I wanted. The small tint of red that dusted his cheeks and the back of his neck told me everything I needed to know.

“I’m sure it doesn’t,” I scoffed before adding, “But, if it makes you feel any better, none of what I said was true.”

“What?” he asked, clearly confused and hesitant to assume.

“I just wanted to see if my assumption was right. You are jealous. Which means you like me. Am I right?” I asked, a confident smirk plastered across my face.

His knuckles were now white from how hard he was clenching them. I could see the sparks of fire dancing around them as he glared at me.

“No I don’t! Why would you ask me that?” he spat out angrily.

“I’m asking because I’ve seen the way you look at me. I’ve seen the way you act when someone like Ren even looks at me. I’ve seen the way you act like a nervous blushing teenager around me. I’m asking because you send me so many mixed signals and I’m tired of guessing!” I exclaimed, my voice strained.

“I...,” he began, but trailed off.

His anger was gone and was now replaced with a mix between embarrassment and shock. He shut his mouth and I could tell by the look in his eyes he was debating what to say.

“I like you, Zuko. Despite you being a jealous, hot headed idiot at time, I really like you. Sometimes you’re so sweet and caring, but then out of nowhere you push me away and pick fights with me for no reason. So, forgive me for being tired of trying to read between the lines,” I said, my eyes watering as I came clean about my own feelings towards him before I added quietly, “I think you need to tell me the truth and how you feel towards me. At least so I can start getting over you.”

I didn’t give him time to respond before I was walking past him towards the ship. I could feel his eyes on me as I disappeared inside the ship, but I didn’t have the heart to look back at him. I simply locked myself in my room to go over the events that had just happened.

I had been so sure that he had liked me back, but perhaps I really had misread the signs. Maybe he was just an awkward teenager who didn’t realize what signals he was giving off. Maybe he really did just see me as a burden. Maybe I had been wrong to think he would ever like me.

It was an hour later before I heard a knock on my door. I sighed and got up to open it, expecting it to be Iroh. I had a small smile on my face as I swung open the door that immediately dropped when I saw Zuko instead. My mouth was agape and my eyes widened.

“Zuko! I-“ I began to say, but I was cut off by his lips crashing down on mine.

His lips were warm against my own and I instantly kissed him back. It was soft and passionate, but not aggressive. I felt his arms wrap around my waist and I allowed mine to hang over his shoulders. I only pulled away when I was out of breath.

“I like you a lot. More than you’ll ever know,” he whispered as he rested his forehead on mine.

“Took you long enough,” I giggled, relief rushing over me at the confession.

He kissed me again and again and again and I smiled against his lips. I didn’t leave his arms for a long time afterwards. We spent the better part of a few hours together just enjoying each other presence once again.

Life had never felt more perfect.

[fightingdragcnswithycu]

"well, of course. the world doesn't just disappear," quigley said, "but... now that i think about, i don't think i know anyone who has either," he paused, "i've recently been told there are monsters in there, maybe that's why?" he suggested.

"Well, I was only thinking that it has to end somewhere, doesn't it?" Martin's no expert on the geography of America, beyond knowing that at some point there's surely mountains, and then there's plains, and then eventually one would hypothetically reach California and the Pacific Ocean. If this world is structured the same as the modern United States would have been. "But it's a bit odd I haven't met anyone who's actually, you know, gone all the way through and then come back. It's not that I think the forest is cursed or anything," he hastily reassures the other. "It's just. I don't know. It's strange."

[bunilicious]

MASTERPOST #2: ONE-SHOTS

~*~

From This Day Forward

A Reylo Medieval AU set during the Norman Conquest. Sequel to "To Have and to Hold."

Rating: E

Summary:  Two years after the events of To Have and To Hold, Ben and Rey settle into their married life.

~*~

Nimble Fingers: An Ode to Ben Solo's Hands

A Reylo modern AU

Rating: E

Summary: Real estate agent Rey is thirsty for her massage therapist.

~*~

We Will Never Be Alone Again

A Reylo Medieval AU

Rating: M

Summary: Two households both… unalike in dignity. In fair Endor where we lay our scene. A pair of star-crossed lovers… do not take their life. But with their marriage bury the familial strife. :)

~*~

Where We Belong

A Reylo College AU

Rating: E

Summary: Engineering student Rey accidentally walks into a figure drawing class… and Ben Solo is the nude model.

~*~

Elementary, My Dear Solo!

A Reylo Victorian AU inspired by Sherlock Holmes

Rating: E

Summary: It was not every day that one fell in love with the detective investigating one’s family for murder, but Benjamin Solo had done just that. Rey Holmes was nothing if not intriguing. He should not be deceived into telling her that he had killed his own father. Or did he?

~*~

Mercy

A Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde AU set in the Victorian era

Rating: E

Summary: Her new husband was part demon, his monstrous form the result of an experiment gone wrong. During the day, he was Dr. Ben Solo, the renowned scientist. But, between the stone walls of Mustafar Hall he was Kylo Ren - the demon that roamed the earth at night during the full moon, refusing to be seen…to be touched. To be loved.

~*~

My Links: AO3 |  Tumblr | Twitter | Pillowfort

[whitewolfmoving]

Going For Gold || Bucky Barnes Mixed Martial Arts AU

Summary: Bucky made his choices long ago, now he has to live with the fallout. Can he return to the life he once knew? Can he mend the heart of the girl he left behind? Can he be a better man than he used to be? [Modern au] [Mixed Martial Arts au]

Trigger Warnings: lots of swearing, Bucky Barnes being a whole ass idiot, mentions of character death, mild detail of injuries, arguing, flashbacks, PTSD, alcohol and prescription drug use (non-addictive)

Word Count: 1817

Chapter Warnings: swearing, arguing, mentions of alcohol (non-addictive)

——————————

Chapter Two: Go To Hell

Bucky sat on the bench outside of Serenity’s office; she hadn’t been happy to see him. Could he really blame her, though? After everything he put her through? He sighed, absentmindedly rubbing his left shoulder, it always seemed to ache more when Bucky was nervous. He tried not to flinch as he listened to Serenity Corbyn tear Steve Rogers a new one.

“Please, please tell me what I saw out there was a fucking ghost! Or— or a figment of my imagination!”

“You know I can’t do that, I can’t lie to you.”

“You ‘can’t lie to me’, huh? Bullshit! You lied to me about where you were yesterday.”

At that, Bucky perked up. Steve lying to Serenity? Impossible. Steve Rogers didn’t possess a dishonest bone in his body when it came to that girl. Bucky and Mikey had done all of the lying when it involved Serenity as kids. Yet as a general rule, asking Steve Rogers not to lie was like asking a dog not to lick its own butt, it couldn’t be done.

“What do you mean I lied about where I was yesterday? I told you, I left work early so I could help Nat prep for dinner with Peggy and Marc. That way you could focus on closing the gym.”

“Then why’d she call me at 5:30 asking if I knew where you were? You left at 3:15 to be home by 3:45, Steve. You lied to me.”

Bucky worried his lower lip between his teeth. Ah, there it was. That’s where Steve had made his mistake. Sure, he’d left work at fifteen after three, but it wasn’t so he could be home by 3:45. No, he’d taken a detour, and that detour was to meet up with Bucky. Steve had parked his pickup right next to Bucky’s Harley, overlooking the old mill. The two of them had spent the better part of an hour and a half shooting the shit, reminiscing about high school, discussing the reasons for Bucky’s absence when Mikey died. Sure, correspondence was a two-way street, but it’s not like Bucky had made an attempt to reach out to Serenity either. Not once. And Steve wouldn’t let him forget it.

“Ren, I—”

“You were with him, weren’t you?” The way she’d said it—accusing Steve so easily—cut through Bucky like a jagged knife, carving his heart out through his stomach. God, she really hates me.

Steve sighed, defeated. “Look, can we talk about this later? After work? I’ll tell you everything you want to know then, I promise. But he’s home, Ren, he’s back and he’s here. And he came to see you.”

“Because you asked him to, right? Because you told him he should stop by, didn’t you? Because Bucky Barnes isn’t capable of making one simple decision for himself, oh no, he needs Saint Steve’s permission.”

“You know that’s not fair, Serenity.”

“Not fair? I’ll tell you what’s not fair, Steven. Having my best friend abandon me two weeks after graduation, that’s not fair. Having the man I would have moved heaven and hell for not showing up when my brother died, that’s not fair. He didn’t call, he didn’t write. Not once. My entire world was crashing down around me and taking me with it, and he wasn’t here! That’s not fucking fair! Don’t tell me I’m not being fair. Don’t you dare stand there and fucking defend him to me, because I don’t want to hear it.”

Bucky stood as the office door swung open, turning to meet Serenity’s pissed off gaze burning holes into his skin. He swallowed, unsure of what to say. He’d known this was a bad idea but he’d also known Steve was right, avoiding Serenity wasn’t a luxury he could afford.

“I’m only going to say this once so listen well. Whatever he promised you’d find if you showed up? I don’t have it for you, I’ll never have it for you. Coming here today was a waste of your time and mine. Got it?”

Serenity’s words were a punch straight to Bucky’s gut; they’d knocked the wind out of him with no hesitation, they’d snatched the ground from beneath his feet with no remorse, they’d taken everything he knew about life and turned it upside-down right in front of him. He was free falling with nowhere to land.

“Tasha and I are going to my dad’s tonight. We’ll be out late, don’t wait up.” This she’d directed at Steve over her shoulder before disappearing down the stairs.

Bucky stared after Serenity’s retreating form. He wanted to go after her, everything in him was screaming at him to follow her down but he couldn’t get his body to move. He was stuck.

+

Bucky Barnes was an idiot, but Bucky Barnes was also pretty intelligent. Especially when it came to his best friend.

He and Steve had met when they were five, met Mikey and Serenity a year later, and the four of them had been inseparable ever since. Bucky knew Steve like the back of his hand. He’d sensed something was off about the tall blonde when he’d appeared behind Serenity earlier that day. The way he planted himself at her back, staring Bucky down as if she needed protection from the soldier. Bucky knew there was something more to the story, something else that Steve hadn’t told him when they met up the day before. After witnessing the fight between him and Serenity, Bucky was sure of two very important things. One, was that he was going to have to work his ass off if he wanted to get back in Serenity’s good graces and two, was that Steve had lied to him, too—he wasn’t dating Natasha like Bucky had been led to believe for the last four years. Steve was dating Serenity, and he’d knowingly set Bucky up to have his heart shattered in front of everybody in the gym.

“Hey, Buck, you want a beer?” Steve asked, breaking through Bucky’s analysis of the day’s events.

“Uh, yeah, sure. Thanks,” Bucky replied. “Hey, Stevie, can I ask you something?”

Steve sat down on the couch next to Bucky and handed him one of the two beers he’d fished out of the refrigerator. “Sure, pal. What’s on your mind?”

“When were you going to tell me you’ve been seeing Serenity?”

Steve choked. “I’m sorry, what?”

“When were you going to tell me you’ve been seeing Serenity?” Bucky repeated, fire settled in his ocean blue eyes as he took a sip of his beer. He’d sit there and quietly wait for Steve to make his move, he’d sit there as long as it took to be sure that he was given the truth. Steve was stubborn, Bucky was more so. How could his best friend lie to him like that? How could he bring Natasha into it like that? And how could Serenity just go along with it like she had no idea?

“Buck, y-you got it all wrong,” Steve said slowly. “Serenity and me, we— I—”

“How long?”

“What?”

“How long, Steve?”

“How long what?”

Bucky slammed his beer bottle down on the coffee table with enough force to startle the man next to him, if he hadn’t been paying attention. He’d held everything together while they were at the gym, he’d watched Serenity go about her routine as if Bucky hadn’t been there. And he waited, waited for his friends to come clean. But they never did.

“Don’t play dumb with me, Rogers. How long have you two been seeing each other? How long were you going to let me believe you were seeing Nat? Did you think I wouldn’t figure it out? Think I wouldn’t catch you in your lie, huh? And while I’ve been countries away, you’ve been shacking up with Serenity behind my back for four fucking years!”

“I highly suggest you watch your tone. We aren’t shacking up, Buck. We’ve always lived together, you know that. And what was I supposed to do, huh? You weren’t here, you left her, Bucky. You know, Serenity didn’t even let herself cry over you? She told me and Mikey that she didn’t need to because if you could leave just like that, clearly she didn’t mean as much to you as she thought.” By now Steve was standing, pacing back and forth in front of the coffee table. He refused to meet Bucky’s gaze. Both of their tempers flared; Steve’s in defense of Serenity, in defense of the truth Bucky had yet to know. And Bucky’s because out of all the people he trusted never to betray him, Steve had done just that. He was sure his and Serenity’s relationship hadn’t gone cold before Steve swooped in and played the hero, and worse than that, neither of them had thought to tell him.

Steve stopped pacing and carded a hand through his short blonde hair. He chanced a glance at Bucky. “We never wanted to hurt you, Buck.”

“I was right, this whole time, I was right. She didn’t wanna see me. Why’d you tell me to come buy if she didn’t wanna see me?”

“You don’t get to blame Serenity for this. You walked away, you left her behind. When she felt like she couldn’t go on after Mikey died, I was there for her. I held her every night while she cried, while she begged me to let her die, too. And when she was ready to, I helped her put those pieces back one by one.”

Bucky’s arms hung at his sides, he clenched and unclenched his fists. Finally, he looked up, meeting Steve’s gaze. “Do you love her?” When Steve cocked his head to the side confused, Bucky elaborated, “Serenity. Do you love her, Steve?”

Steve nodded, considering his next words carefully. “Yeah, I do.”

Bucky squared his shoulders, eyeing Steve with rage in his eyes. “Then pick one. Her or Nat. But you can’t have them both.”

Steve reeled back, feigning disgust at Bucky’s implication. “I know.”

“Tell Serenity about Natasha. If you don’t, I will.” Bucky grabbed his jacket from the back of the couch and marched toward the door. He’d rode with Steve after closing the gym, leaving his Harley just inside the back gate. He wasn’t about to ask him for a ride back to his bike, he was far too prideful for that. 

“Hey, at least let me give you a ride back to the gym.”

“No, thanks. You’ve done enough.”

“Come on, Buck. It’s the least I can do,” Steve offered, reaching for his keys.

“I said you’ve done enough. Go to hell, Rogers.” Bucky stepped out onto the porch and pulled the door shut behind him. He knew exactly what he had to do to get Serenity back…

Bucky Barnes was getting back in the cage.

——————————

A/N: Finally, chapter two is live! I’m so sorry it too so long to post tonight, I kept getting distracted. Whoops.

Uh... can we talk about the DRAMA?! #sorrynotsorry 😬

As always, feedback is greatly appreciated and encouraged. Leave a like, comment, and reblog if you love it!

-Auri <3

[fightingdragcnswithycu]

"it's a tricky skill if you don't know what you're doing. it would be great to have more devices to make it easier. maybe one day," quigley paused, "anyway, don't mind me, rambling about maps once again."

"oh, i'd have volunteered if i thought i'd be any good at measuring angles. but that sort of thing is not my strong suit." as much fun as it sounded to climb mountains to chart courses, she doubted they'd manage to get the angles close enough to correct to be helpful.

[fightingdragcnswithycu]

closed starter : chelsea & victoria ( @mcrcki ) prompt : sender is suspiciously investigating if receiver is a witch/fairy venue : local tavern

chelsea thought she recognised the woman but couldn't quite place her. she had met many people in her long life and the redhead did not appear to recognise her so maybe she was mistaken. however, she felt eyes burning into her when she looked away, "can i help you?" she asked, "or am i just impossible not to stare at?"