#((It’s my favorite opening so it’s my about me tag XD))

[ein-schnee-sturm]

respond to the following prompts out of character, then tag others you'd like to get to know a little bit better.

ROLEPLAYER NAME: Sam.

ROLEPLAYER PRONOUNS: They/He.

MUSE NAME: I have too damn many Weiss, Winter, Willow, Whitley, and Wilhelmine Schnee. (Wilhelmine’s is hyphenated with her maiden name von Adalbrecht.) (I also have three side blogs, though only two are connected to my main.)

PREFERRED COMMUNICATION: DMs or Discord, depending on what’s most convenient/comfortable for my writing partner.

EXPERIENCE: Started on proboards back in… 2003 or 2004, I think? After that, bounced between there and various IMs (mainly AIM), before joining tumblr in I think 2013 or 2014. Been here ever since, though an old friend made a forum for our rps, and I’m down with rping on Discord.

PREFERRED ROLEPLAY TYPE: I always try to write at least a good size paragraph or two, while as for genres, I’m definitely best at angst — as I’m sure anyone who’s interacted with me knows XD I’ll write most genres in all seriousness, though I’m not very good at action or crack.

PET PEEVES & DEALBREAKERS: Ignoring my triggers, lying, personals not attached to rp side blogs interacting despite my making it clear that I don’t want them to. Probably others, but that’s all that comes to mind immediately.

PLOTS OR MEMES: Yes.

BEST TIME TO WRITE: Doesn’t matter what time it is, so long as I have the energy for it; gotta love depression.

ARE YOU LIKE YOUR MUSE: I’m autistic like (my) Winter and Weiss, while I have BPD like (my) Whitley. Other than that, I identify with bits and pieces of all the Schneeblings… though mainly that we’ve experienced similar childhoods.

Tagged by: The absolute sweetheart @caeloservare.

Tagging: Steal it. All sales final.

[nelkey]

alright. kinda random but i do have to ask. what kind of media exactly is orv and where can i read it? (bc imma be honest, ur reblogs n stuff sound intriguing as hell)

That's not random at all, and I'm so happy you asked!!!

Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint (orv for short) is originally a novel, though currently there's a manwha coming out on webtoon.

The basic premise is that an apocalypse starts, and it just so happens to be exactly like the webnovel that the main character has been reading since he was a teenager. The novel has everything: comedy, drama, found family... As you might have noticed, I like it a lot, and have been going insane over it since I read it, so I reaaaaally recommend that you read it.

You can start with the manwha, as it might be a bit easier (especially if you're like me and have trouble picturing characters visually without memorizing images of them xD). Though I reaaaally can't recommend enough continuing to read the novel afterwards, instead of waiting for the webtoon to update.

If you still aren't convinced, go read these posts by @ot3 please!

These posts are a big part of what convinced me to read orv when my dash was flooded with fanart and I had no idea what it was xD

All that said, here are the links!!!

This is the link to the webtoon.

And here's a few links to the novel's epub, (so in case one of them stops working you can try the others):

Also, you might wanna check out @lee-hakhyun 's edited epub!

Let me know if there's anything else you need and if you read it and wanna talk to someone about it, my dms are always open!!! (I also recommend you filter the orv tag)

Oh, and last! In case you don't have an epub reader downloaded, I'll link you to the one I use, Lithium. It works with the epub's formatting and I've been using it for a long time with no problems!

[floridecuts]

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12

Yay, it's my favorite time of the week again! I'm always looking forward to read your reactions in the tag comments! They keep me motivated! A big thank you again for all people who have commented so far on this project!! <3

I actually didn't know what to draw for this part's "chapter art" so, have a Mashita with a frog on his shoulder! xD We're about halfway through the comic now and slowly making our way to the finale. (It's gonna be a long finale). So this part is again a bit more explanatory in nature before it will get more serious again.

This part also contains one of my favorite little moments of this comic - Daimon insinsting on taking care of Mashita's scratches, and not taking "no" for an answer! I really enjoyed drawing that part. ^w^ We learn more about Yashiki's powers, or theories about his powers from Yasuoka. I've always wondered why Yashiki thinks so lowly about his own spiritual powers. I've discussed this with a friend and the idea came to mind that he might have been belittled by his family, seen as a "disappointment" because his powers seem so much weaker than others. Consequently he'd think little of what he can do. But I like to think that there's actually some undiscovered powers still sleeping inside him. He might have unconsciously suppressed them because of that treatment and constant stress of expectations from his family.

Yasuoka gives Yashiki an O-mamori. It might become important later. And then there's a guilt ridden Shou. I'm not sure if it fits to his character but I thought be might feel guilty because he initially wanted to accompany Yashiki, because he knew it could be dangerous alone, but didn't after Yashiki's reassurance. Since he sees Mashita a little like his older brother it made sense to me that he would open up to him about his feelings, indirectly asking for advise. I admit Mashita's last words on the last page are heavily inspired by Fullmetal Alchemist (the scene of Edward's last talk to Rose before they part ways, in case anybody knows it). Well, I hope you liked it!!

Thanks for taking a look! :)

[reriart]

[Heinrix x F!RogueTrader] A Sweet Heart

Summary: The Rogue Trader has called Heinrix… to eat some biscuits. Some sexual tension rises between the two and ends with a sweet promise. You can read it on AO3 too at this link. Tags: fluff, unresolved sexual tension, sfw with some hints *wink wink*

Notes: This is my first WH40K fic ever! I've been a huge fan of this universe for almost 10 years. While I didn't liked Owlcat's Rogue Trader videogame immediately, I've become fond of it later. Now I'm obsessed XD I've started playing the game for Marazhai but I fell in love with Heinrix :) This experimental one-shot is based on our favorite biomancer's official background: he can't cook! I hope to write something more elaborate in the future... this one was my way to test how to write about these two idiots. I hope you'll enjoy this silly fic.

Thanks to J., @icastcoconoclast, @blue124th, and also a huge thank you to @redbatchedcumbermayned, who supported me a lot. ^_^

“Van Calox! Interrogator Van Calox!”

Abelard’s voice was clearly recognizable, although distorted by the vox he wore. Composed, austere. Heinrix couldn't take it any longer. Something about how he was forced to listen to  these comments every time they set foot on a different planet or, even worse, every time he tried to direct a word to Cassandra, the former Astra Militarum officer. Despite her young age, she had climbed the ranks, far too quickly in his opinion. Just at the incredible young age of 30, she had succeeded in obtaining the title of Rogue Trader, gained almost absolute power and a noteworthy business network. Her nom de guerre, “banshee”. Just like the creature of legends, she had pale skin, long black hair, eyes of a light green that looked like glass, and... she was lethal.

“Van Calox!”

Heinrix ran a hand through his dark hair, huffing. “Come in, seneschal.”

The mechanical door swung open, emitting an agonizing creak. The man entered briskly, then stopped in front of the black desk in the center of the room, hands behind his back. He smelled of boot wax, cologne and ... spices?

Heinrix stood up, making his way around the table. He glanced at the clock: dinnertime, an unusual time of day for a visit by Werserian. Perhaps the scent was related to something exotic being served in the refectory.

“To what do I owe the honor?”

Abelard raised the chin, clearing his voice. “I have come straight from the Lord Captain's chambers, Master Van Calox. Lady Cassandra requests your presence there in fifteen minutes,” he announced, his sole remaining human eye now narrowed and intent on analyzing his every step and reaction.

Heinrix reciprocated the gaze, clenching his jaw. 

“Thank you, seneschal. However, I guess you are not here just for this purpose; otherwise, you could have reached me by vox.”

“Indeed,” Abelard replied, blinking as if taken by surprise. The bionic eye pulsed with a red light. “I wanted to talk to you about the Magnae Accessio.”

The Rogue Trader's ascension on Dargonus would be held in several months. So why talk about it right now? Heinrix frowned, intrigued, and nodded to the seneschal to continue.

“It will be a celebration throughout the galaxy. The Lord Captain notified me this day that it will be you and I, Master Van Calox, standing by her side during the ceremony,” he continued, then cleared his throat with a cough. “This is a great honor for both of us. This gesture will make public the relationship between the Inquisition and House Von Valancius, among other things.”

He felt his cheeks on fire and immediately called upon his powers to slow the flow of blood that was flowing straight to his face at an insane speed. It was not like him to blush, but the realization that Cassandra had requested his presence knotted his stomach, causing him to feel increasing heat in his chest. Pride? Affection?

He allowed his imagination to wander for a fleeting moment. Dressed in a long gown, she sat on the throne, her pale skin contrasting with the dark fabric.

The green eyes intent on observing him, then giving him the sincerest of smiles. The hand, with a plethora of scars, between his own. 

Heinrix. Stay with me.

Here, in Dargonus.

He shook his head, trying to banish the vision. He could not allow himself to daydream as if he were the protagonist of one of Lady Cassia's beloved books. Then the heat in his ribcage turned into a tightening. Why had she sent the seneschal to tell him this news? Why had she not done so herself?

“It would be a great honor. I will make sure to be all set for the occasion.”

Abelard flattened his mustache. “I suggest an appropriate suit for the occasion. I presume the Inquisition has provided you with formal attire...and, mind you, no gifts: they will be the prerogative of the guests, not our Lady's entourage. Be sure to investigate the records of the principal invitees,” he said, handing him a datapad, then stepping back, bringing his own arms behind his back. “That will be all.”

Heinrix absentmindedly scrutinized the list of names. He already knew almost all of them and, in all likelihood, those he had never heard of were probably useless pawns in a regicide chessboard already filled with pieces.

“I will take care of it as soon as possible. Now, though, the Lord Captain awaits me.” He stood up, retrieving his crimson cloak from the coat rack. “Have a good night, seneschal,” he murmured, thankful to be done with it, for the tone of his cheeks was not much different from the piece of cloth in his hand.

*** 

When the elevator reached the Lady's quarters, Heinrix's senses were immediately tantalized by a strong, pleasant fragrance. He allowed his powers to probe, gliding through the corridors until he located the room from which the spicy aroma was coming. He walked on, only to clear his throat. A thousand thoughts raced through his mind. On all the occasions when he and Cassandra had been alone, she had shown some affection toward him, even if they were only a few caring gestures. Sweet words that concealed an attention the man was not used to.

Are you getting enough sleep, Master Van Calox?

The uniform suits you particularly well today.

I like your haircut.

“Lord Captain? Have you...”

When Heinrix arrived at the main room, he found all the furnishings quite different from the way he had seen them the last few visits he had made. Instead of the various trophies, among monster heads and xeno artifacts, there was now a long stone and golden shelf, and next to it, a stove. In the center stood a kitchen island adorned with the family insignia.

Cassandra, in shockingly casual clothes - just simple cargo pants and a black shirt - was kneading something.

Her tapered, pale fingers, almost silvery from the incredible number of scars, were playing with what Heinrix hazarded to be ... well, he didn’t know, because he'd never cooked anything in his life but camp rations. Nor had he ever actually seen anyone cook.

“Oh, Master Van Calox! You're finally here!”

The woman's voice, despite the name that haunted her, was often cheerful and ringing, in stark contrast to his voice, which was almost always stern. She wiped her hands in the basin of water on the table, then dried them. She approached him,  and he bent his head enough to kiss the back of her hand. The Interrogator's index finger slid lightly to the center of Rogue Trader's wrist, and Heinrix relaxed control over his powers, allowing him to appreciate the woman's pulse, the scent of spices hovering over her skin.

The air suddenly grew cold, and he withdrew his own hand abruptly.

“You called me, Lady Von Valancius?”

She smiled, if visibly a little puzzled by the drop in temperature. She closed and reopened her right hand a couple of times, then returned to the table in the center of the room.

“Would you like to keep me company while I bake some cookies?” she asked, blowing away an unruly wisp that had escaped from her long, voluminous tail. When she was in battle, the woman sported a striking mane as black as the void, made of bright, lustrous black waves. However, Heinrix had noticed that when he could finally return to her beloved Unforgiven, the woman preferred to tie them into a tail or a long braid. As a matter of practice, he would have easily imagined the opposite.

He, however, loved her with her hair undone. He closed his eyes for a moment, imagining kissing such hair, inhaling its scent. He clenched his jaw, trying to banish that thought.

“I ... certainly,” he lied. He wished he could go back to his room and get to work. Safe, away from whatever strange, inappropriate scenario his imagination kept coming up with regardless of his efforts. He stood where he was, feeling uncomfortable, his arms behind his back. “Do you wish to talk about anything? The seneschal has just...”

“Oh, come on!” she teased him, as she resumed kneading. The blue veins under her almost transparent skin danced to the rhythm of her movements. Heinrix observed her, captivated. Despite having spent so many years in the Astra Militarum, the woman possessed incredible grace. “You don't want to stand there all the time like a servitor. Have you ever cooked?”

“I'm afraid not,” he replied, flustered. “My family had personal chefs. And since I left...” he continued, scratching at the top of his neck, ”...let's just say the food on this ship is very good.”

Cassandra rolled out the fragrant dough with a rolling pin, applying pressure. The muscles in her arms swelled slightly, emphasizing the veins that ran along them like climbing plants. Heinrix focused all his attention on the woman, then swallowed and tried to spread his collar a little wider.    

“And, tell me, Master Van Calox...have you ever tasted flour? Some real flour?” she asked, smiling and red-cheeked.

He squinted his eyes. He looked first at her, then at the big bag of dust by the counter.

Aeldari characters.

He raised a finger, pointing it at the woman. “Lady Cassandra, I would like to remind you...”

“What, Heinrix?” she asked, raising an eyebrow. He swallowed, feeling his stomach clench violently. He would have liked to hear his name called again in her voice. “Do you want to, I don't know, interrogate me? Am I a threat to the Imperium just because I bake treats? Let me remind you of my position as Rogue Trader,” she smiled slyly, as she bent to open the oven: apparently she had already baked some cookies. Helping herself with gloves three times the size of her hands, she pulled out the tray and set it on the stone. The scent, sweet and spicy, filled the rooms with disarming speed. Thanks to his powers, he could smell the same delicious aroma on her snow-white skin, on her clothes, on her hair.

...On her lips?

Only then did he notice how shiny and full they were. He looked at the table and noticed a thick, amber liquid with a pleasant smell. He was tempted to taste it ... but it was definitely another xenos product. He would rather starve to death than eat filthy food.

“I didn't say that, but you should avoid consuming food of questionable provenance. Only that which is imperial sourced is reliable.”

She set about cutting the dough with the help of a goblet, creating wide circles. “Well, I bought it on Footfall thanks to Jae. Imperial enough, if you ask me.”

That woman was impossible. Heinrix sighed, pinching the bridge of his own long, straight nose with his fingers. “You are irresponsible, Lady Cassandra. Let me tell you.”

“Is that so? Despite my years of service in the Astra Militarum, am I being declared irresponsible just because I am enjoying my life a bit?” she asked, curious, as she placed the disks - some more precise, some less so - on another baking tray, and then placed it in the oven. She then picked up one of the already-baked cookies and, after careful inspection, bit into a piece. A slight crack interrupted the silence between the two, and then she licked her lips, catching the crumbs that had escaped her. “And what else am I to your eyes, Master Van Calox… Heinrix?”

His attention was all on those plump, red petals. He found it difficult to search for a meaningful answer. He looked up at the forest-green mirrors as soon as he heard his own name, feeling his heart skipping a beat.

“You are irresponsible, I have already said that. Flamboyant. Eccentric. On the battlefield you are a fury and risk your neck every time,” he began, as his eyes descended on her exposed neck. A blue vein, almost perfectly straight, divided her neck vertically. He wished he could have caressed her, felt her pulse. He wetted his lips and blinked, trying not to be distracted. “And young, too young, to be a Rogue Trader.”

He came closer to her, as if attracted by an invisible force. He tilted his head slightly. “You are also fearless -- brave. Despite being hotheaded, you also manage to care for your comrades on the battleground. All attributes that have made your career.”

She smiled, her cheeks a little red. He could feel the warmth of her skin.

“And you know what you are?” she whispered, her eyes firm on his lips.

“What?” he asked, his voice even more barely audible as he stroked the stone of the shelf with one hand, catching Cassandra between it and his body, yet without letting the bodies touch.

What was he doing?

“...a xenos cookie eater!” she laughed, shoving a cookie into his mouth with a speed to make a Drukhari envious.

He jumped on the spot, furrowing his brow and making to spit, but Cassandra promptly put a finger to his lips. “No. Just chew. Let yourself go a little. No one will know that you have eaten non-imperial food. It will be our secret.”

He tried to disagree, but a wave, sweet and spicy, tantalized his taste buds. He chewed slowly, without taking his eyes off the pale index finger.

How could hands so full of scars be so soft?

It was ... delicious. The best thing he had ever tasted in his life. During his years with the Inquisition, Calcazar had often taken Heinrix with him to prestigious dinners; he had then participated in undercover operations, where banquets with nobles were a must if he wanted to extort important information. But never, ever had he tasted anything so unique: the food of the Imperium was often bland or strongly chemical tasting. But that one? It tasted of a childhood he had never had. Of peace, tranquility. Of an evening without work, spent reading and sipping a hot beverage. Things he had never experienced in his life.

He swallowed, parting his lips. The stoic mask gave way to a sudden and, just vaguely hinted at, smile. “Where did you learn? I've never tasted anything like that.”

“My home planet is vaguely similar to Catachan: you really have to get your claws out to survive. But...” she explained, now in a wistful voice, as Heinrix gave her room to move. She took some cookies and placed them in a small tin box. “...It was not always so. The animals changed because of the warp during my teen years. Before then I lived with my family... unaware that I was a Von Valancius. I didn't even know who Theodora was. My mother loved to cook and taught me many recipes. Would you like to try some more, Master Van Calox?”

“Heinrix.”

She tilted her head to the side.

“In private ... you can call me by my name, as you did before,” he almost stammered. He felt his cheeks burning. “And yes, I would like that very much.”

To the void, the xeno ingredients...

She smiled, her eyes bright and happy. She took his left hand, resting the box in his palm, then resting his other hand on it.

“Do you remember when you offered to teach me Regicide, Heinrix?” Cassandra took care to say his name slowly, her gaze now turned to the chessboard on the opposite side of the room.

He looked at the box, savoring its cool temperature compared to his skin, which was getting hot, and then followed her eyes. The memories of that invitation made him smile. “Certainly.”

“Then meet me here, every seven days, at this hour. You will teach me how to play, and I will cook you something different each time. Maybe I'll even make an effort to use less...exotic products. Now, I think it's good for me to rest, the day has been exhausting. Good night, Heinrix.”

He smiled, gently kissing the back of her hand, savoring her soft skin. He left another kiss, this time far from the polite greeting everyone reserved for the woman, on her spice-scented fingers. He felt her pulse race dramatically.

“I will look forward to these seven days with delight, each and every time. Good night...Cassandra.”

[saltedcaramelchaos]

hiii welcomee!! i'm ak, but you can call me any variation of my username as well :D

CURRENT FANDOMS:

Just Roll With It and EPIC: The Musical

CURRENT PROJECT:

JRWI PRIME DEFENDERS THE MAGNUS ARCHIVES AU!!! PLEASEEE PLEASE READ IT <3

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ABOUT ME:

I'm a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints! It's an important part of who I am, so please be nice about it at least. I'm happy to answer any questions :)

She/Her

Living that sweet Gillion Tidestrider life (asexual and either aro or demiromantic)

Minor

I love making new friends!!!! Please talk to me!! (also, let me know if I offend you; it's very unlikely that I meant to <3)

Linguistics is SO cool, especially etymology! I want to go into that or book editing as a career if I get the chance :0

Wanna ramble about something? Go for it!! My asks and dms are always open, as long as you're polite :D

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SIDEBLOGS:

@saltedcaramelreblogs: Sideblog for things with only tag commentary, honestly the line between it and this main is really thin lol

@aks-resource-collection: Anything I think could be helpful- recipes, hotlines, writing tips...

@poetic-song-lyrics: Gimmick blog for collecting especially eloquent song lyrics! Send us a couple suggestions if you feel so inclined!

@arcadian-wild-art: Updates for the ongoing art project inspired by my favorite band of all time!!! Please check it out, or if not, please listen to The Arcadian Wild lol

@intrusive-chat-au: Headcanon-heavy genloss ask blog, on hiatus currently, approach at your own risk XD

@mostlydailyblinkjrwi: Now-defunct daily doodle blog, rest in peace o7

@daily-mcyt-stick-figures: Very defunct daily doodle blog lol, feel free to steal the idea and/or the blog

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POSTS I UPDATE REGULARLY:

AU Writing Progress (Look in the reblogs for recent patch notes; I edit the original post every once in a while)

JRWI Campaign Progress (look at me go!)

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BLINKIES:

[diy-fire-water-pups]

WELCOME TO OUR BLOG!

This is a blog for you to interact with some of the Paw Patrol pups: The Firefighter and EMT pup, Marshall; The Recycle Do-All pup, Rocky; and last but not least, The Cool Water-Loving pup, Zuma.

Before you can send asks or start a RP, please check the rules under the cut first. Hope to see you around and have some fun!

Ps.: Askbox opens from Friday to Monday early morning (GMT -3). It's closed as soon as I wake up (Posts tagged as "No Queue is too big No pup is too small" are scheduled posts).

RULES FOR INTERACTING

1- Be respectful. There’s an actual person sitting in front of a computer or holding her cell phone here, spending time to play as her favorite pups, interact with people she doesn’t know and have fun; Time which she could be using for working and earning money to not worry about what to eat tomorrow, if her own dog and cat will have their food too and if the bills will be paid in time or late again. I’m here to have a good time. If someone starts being a bother, I’ll make use of the block button and delete asks or whatever’s sent my way. I’m not wasting time with assholes.

2- Same goes for the pups, actually - if I feel someone’s bothering them, I’ll do the same as above. Even if I’m not the one affected but I feel the pups would be. 

3- If you wish to RP, please send a DM to my other sideblog, self-indulgent-paw-patrol, so we can discuss about plots first. You don’t need to DM me if you just want to send asks or interact with the pups, though, that’s only for RPs.

4- EDIT! Thanks to some encouragement and the positive reception this blog has been receiving, I'm willing to try RPing crossovers. The thing is, PLEASE TALK TO ME FIRST! Sometimes I don't know your muse at all, so it would be good to get to know them a bit first, before we plot anything. The ideal is for you to have an "About" page for your muses so I can check them out!

5- I’m willing to RP ships, be it platonic or romance, but absolutely NO NSFW will be allowed here. From the possible ships with the pups in this blog, my OTP is Rocky x Zuma, followed by Marshall x Everest and Chase x Marshall. I’m open for shipping the pups with OCs, granted I get to know the OCs first, and the specific pup will need some time to know your OC too.

6- Feel free to reblog any posts you may find in this blog, including the pups' answers to asks they get. The only posts you shall NOT REBLOG (but you can like) are the posts tagged as #RP if you're not the one participating in it. That's basic ancient Tumblr etiquette!

7- M!A (Magic!Anons) are not allowed. One too many people have tried to force stuff that was way past my limitations, even sounding like they just wanted free art out of it. I don’t have time nor patience for that.

Rules may be subject to change in the future as I see fit. For now, that's about it!

Now I'll take the chance to promote some other askblogs in the fandom too just because I can XD Make sure to read their rules before interacting!

@jurassicsnowpups - an askblog for Everest, Rex and Tracker!

@pcwpatrol - an askblog for Chase!

@taking-to-the-skye - an askblog for Skye!

@stretch-n-fetch - an askblog for Liberty!

@paw-patrol-pack-leader - an askblog for Ryder!

@clumsycapn - an askblog for Cap'n Turbot!

@rubble-the-bulldog - an askblog for Rubble!

@wheelerpupfan - a blog for Wheeler from Rubble & Crew!

[aris-has-a-paracosm]

Past life wardens?? 👀

Past Life Wardens is what I'm currently calling an au of mine! Thus far, the plan is for it to be a collection of one-shots, but I'm not opposed to doing something multi-chapter if FinFault allows me the time/energy XD

(Writing snippet after the info)

The premise is that after being killed in the Life Series, all name-tagged wardens are reincarnated as warden-hybrid players on Hermicraft with the derivative code genetics of the player who named them. So the au centers around these three:

Rev (Rancher's Revenge) - she's the oldest and most level-headed of all of them. Her player data has her code derivative from Tango only, but he and Jimmy coparent and both utterly adore her. She spends most of her time on Hermitcraft with Tango since she's not one for world-hopping the way Jimmy is, and she helped out with parts of DO2. Like Tango, she's a fast learner with redstone, but what she really excels at is building. Although very quiet and reserved, Rev is incredibly chaotic and is often the ringleader of any antics the warden kids get up to. Her role model is her uncle Zed.

Dish (Etho's Dishwasher) - the second oldest of the warden kids, his code is derived from both Grian and Etho since one made the nametag and the other named the warden. Etho is a notoriously absent father, so Dish spends most of his time in Grian's social circle. He's skilled with an elytra, and Scar has taught him the art of the HoTGuY (and the art of the con). He loves watching the masters terraform and is beginning to learn the skill himself.

Goober - Etho's favorite. Goober is the youngest (and loudest) of the warden kids, but he's incredibly sweet and finds a lot of joy in gathering resources to give to other players for their builds. However, despite the kindness he shows most of the time, he is very much Rev's "gremlin little cousin," and he is eager to assist her and Dish with pranks (with Grian's motto of "prank hard, but clean up your messes after.") Etho is teaching him how to do redstone, which many players think is a bad idea. Do not let him near tnt.

Any future wardens in future Life Series seasons will be added to this au, and I will likely also feature my Team Rancher fan-kid Phoenix as Rev's younger sister. (I don't think I've talked about her before on here, but I'll likely talk about her more in a different post if people like this one.)

I've had this au for a few months now, and I am happy to keep writing or expand on it if people like it, so please lmk if you like this au idea! I really appreciate feedback on all of my works! :) <3

Now here's a snippet of the first one shot (currently unpublished) that I wrote for this:

Her darkness fades completely, a calm relief taking the place of the fear. It’s a new feeling too. All of these feelings are new. The room she’s in is small but open, and she can see all of it without needing to use any echolocation. There’s an entire wall of chests to her right, and the floor is made of packed mud with a rug depicting a shirtless player in the middle of it. She isn’t sure how she knows the words “chest” and “rug” and  “packed mud,” but she knows them all the same.  To her left is an expanse of cavern, empty save for a vague sense of intention, whatever that means. She can sense the other wardens of this world from where she sits, the sculk in all the spaces between emitting a faint aura of contentment. They like it here, wherever “here” is.  Other wardens? Or just wardens in general? She looks down at what she can see of herself. Her skin is the same dark greenish-navy it always was, but she has the hands of a player, the legs of a player, the torso of a player. Before now, she didn’t know what “warden” meant, nor did she comprehend that it was a term that applied to her. But now that she isn’t one, she understands that she used to be one.  The outfit she wears is not something she remembers putting on, but she likes it. It’s a knee-length black dress made of heavy wool, lined at the top and bottom hems with thick beige fur. The sleeves are longer than her arms, with matching fur at their hems too. A short beige and turquoise cloak rests on her shoulders overtop the dress, the part that covers her chest embroidered with decorative black ribs.  There is an object in her hand, and she brings it closer to her face to examine it, having been holding it without realizing the whole time. It’s a rectangle, perfectly sized to feel natural in her grasp, and the material it’s made of is indescribable by design.  “Communicator.” The term pops into her mind like a surprise gift.  She sees a series of words on it, ones she can read despite never having interacted with the concept of written language before: RanchersRevenge joined the game [joehillssays] howdy to a dish best served cold! [Xisuma] hello? [VintageBeef] that is not a name I recognize [Xisuma] me neither [Xisuma] new person, are you at spawn? [Xisuma] no one at spawn [Xisuma] where are you? [joehillssays] you might have to get their coords yourself if they don’t know how to use a comm  [Xisuma] the admin interface says they’re at Tango’s base Her attention lingers on that name. Tango. She knows that name.  “See? I’m not gonna hurt ya.” She doesn’t understand the language the player is speaking, but he sounds reassuring in his tone. He holds out a piece of steak. She takes it, pausing for a moment to inspect the meal before devouring it. “Well that must’ve been tasty.” He whisper-laughs below the sound threshold of the sculk sensors, reaching out to ruffle the turquoise fluff between her antlers. His touch is as warm as his flames. Soothing. Comforting. Ignoring her sense of instinct, she waddles closer to him, lightly bonking her forehead against his shoulder.  His expression melts with a squeak he fails to stifle. “Ah! Adorable with extra cute!” A sculk sensor chirps nearby, and he quickly scans their surroundings, shrinking down in alertness. “Now let’s skadoodle you up to the surface before we summon any of your friends.” He gently ties a nametag around her wrist. She can’t read it.

I deviated from the canon DL events just a little bit with this to make Tango more caring/parental towards Revenge in this au (rather than raging bc the game kept crashing irl while trying to bring a warden to the surface).

But yeah! Lmk if you want more of this au, and if so, I will very likely drop all of this one shot and write more (and draw some for it too) <3

[quinloki]

Art of Quill

Not Quin's art! Comms I've collected of my OC Quill.

In my ever increasing journey to get more comfy with my OC and my eventual OC/insert Story project, I've been getting art of Quill.

This is going to be a LONG LONG post cause I'm including art and tagging who I can tag.

Most of said art is by @yamiyamiart and as delightful as it is, it's not something I can post to tumblr XD

But I can share the Rayleigh x Quill one since it's merely suggestive xD 😇❤️ (And a Kid x Quill that I am pretty sure was the first thing I comm'd from Yami when I was still hesitant to throw my smutty ideas at someone)

Today I go an adorable piece by @aholepeach (who is that on bluesky and a_hole_peach on Twit). He pulled me in with his comics, and I love the kind of grimy soft vibe of his art.

(It's beautiful and skrunky - it has a weight to it that's present both in the body and the emotions, and I just really love it.)

Just look at it \o/ ❤️

@magnuspool also helped me out back before I even knew Quill was going to be named Quill. I had naught to give this art goddess by a handful of words and a very very smol idea.

I love everything about Mags, and the amount of nervousness I had approaching her for art would probably surprise a lot of you. She's super cool though, and a delight to work with. If you catch her comms open, don't be shy!

Polizon from twitter did a really great job with the composition on the request I had - aside from some direction on Quill I didn't provide any other references ^_^

I just love that they're both very much capable fighters AND researchers. (What can I say, Fullmetal Alchemist was one of my first absolute favorite animes and you have to train the body AND mind.)

Last, but by no means least, is @stevienix - who took a waist up Pic crew for reference and gave me a nice full body for Quill ^_^ (I cannot overstate how much I need those boots in my life.)

She's an IRL friend, we've broke bread together so show her some love, and be nice while you're there too.

@mew-ya was the first person to draw me Boy Mode Quill, and gods I love how it came out

@sylarcookie drew my OC Quill and did an AMAZING job - you should check her out, I love her style and how soft and warm all her work is.

add the birthday arts!

From @cebwrites Quill and Kirin sharing a drink and trading tales

@macbethsymphony who drew these amazing pieces - I love the smooch, but I really love the gender ambiguity of the pieces

@leftsidebonfire who drew her OC Unaek having a cute moment with Quill \o/

[zanarkandfayth]

10 FANDOMS, 10 CHARACTERS

List ten favorite characters from 10 different fandoms and tag 10 people

open tag from @quartzguts so I'm considering myself tagged. because I wanna see if I can decide my ten most favourite (in no order) (hhhh no it's hard)

01 noctis lucis caelum (final fantasy xv) - top blorbo forever and always

02 asch the bloody (tales of the abyss)

03 edward elric (fullmetal alchemist)

04 ishida yamato (digimon adventure/zero two/tri)

05 link (the legend of zelda) ...and I can't believe I'm saying this, but specifically breath of the wild/tears of the kingdom link. oot will always and forever be my favourite zelda and there are so many things about botw/totk that are always and forever going to irritate the shit out of me but like. he lost his fucking memories!! and basically died. and woke up a hundred years later. the fucking angst and trauma potential man. it's irresistible.

06 rinoa heartilly (final fantasy viii)

07 spencer reid (criminal minds)

08 miles edgeworth (gyakuten saiban/phoenix wright/ace attorney/whatever the fuck you wanna call it)

09 you have no idea how much I'm struggling to decide whether to list merlin or arthur here (bbc merlin)

10 similarly, I can't decide between sid and cassie 😭 (skins uk series 1&2)

I will also open tag because making this list was more painful than I thought lmao. only ten is so hard!! I won't inflict this torture on anyone else xD

[asexualbookbird]

If you want to post more pin artists I would be totally ok with that. XD

Thank you!

WELL EXCELLENT NEWS, I WENT THROUGH MY KICKSTARTER PLEDGES AND DUG UP SOME ARTSITS!

The pins I mentioned in the pevious tags were indeed by Nathen Graey, aka owlbare! He calls them RolePins! The designs on these are so Sleek. Doesn't look like he's active on social media anymore, which is a shame, but the shop is still up!

The maneki neko pins I love so much were done by Katie Berntson (who does have a tumblr but I feel weird tagging a dozen artists lol) and it doesn't look like she sells pins regularly but her art is neat so I'm including her.

Foxloft studios does the visionary vulture sets! They fund vulture rehabs! I think they too are on tumblr somewhere. If I could have that full collection I would, the designs are SO neat. What a great art style.

Oh! And Amanda Tulacz! EXCELLENT use of negative space in the celestial designs!!!! (also. look at that art style. what a vibe.)

GlitterPunk has been in my favorites list for ages and someone sent me one of their black cat pins recently and ooooooh I LOVE!! I could easily buy their whole shop lol some pins there haev EXCELLENT use of glitter enamel.

I haven't ordered anything from Black Owl Studio but have been admiring that particular porcelain cat pin for. Far too long. Look at it. So simple. So elegant. So cute.

Corpus Crown UGH WHAT AN EXCELLENT EXAMPLE OF WOODEN PINS!!!! The Party Beetle desisgns are also top tier. If you sense a theme, it's Simple Done Right.

InkJunk Just. Everything in there. The chains. The cut outs. The textures. The wingies. Drooling over this shop.

BeastSoul DO YOU SEE THE TEETH PINS!!!! THE METAL TEETH!!!!! DO YOU SEE THEM!!!!!! I love the designs here that JUST play with metal and use little to no enamel. Letting the metal textures really do all the work. Pushing limits of it. So good. Look at those teeth.

This shop is closed and hasn't been open since 2022 but I wanna shoutout to them anyway in case they're out there, but RBrittonArt made one of my all time favorite pins in my collection and while it's packed away with most of my pins at the moment, here is a grainy picture from the reviews since the listing is gone. I might just dig that out because even ignoring my personal tastes (WINGIES! ANGELS!! EYES!!!!!) it's simply a very well done pin! There are TEXTURES in there!!!!!!!!

Honestly, the only thing I miss about twitter is finding new pin artists. So many people do so many cool things with the art form and I WANT TO SEE THEM!!!!

[blackjackkent]

2024 Writing Roundup!

Tagged by @queenaeducan-writes! Thank you!

Tagging:

@bardic-inspo  @astreamofstars @morganaseren @thedarkstrategist @istibaethoriel

@rhysintherain @0ccuria @gothyanki @dungeonsdragonsandlawyers

@babygurltash @eluvisen

(I tag folks who have liked this post over here! Following me and want to be tagged in other fic writer memes like this? Drop a like there! <3 And if you don’t want to be tagged anymore just unlike the post. c: )

words posted: For purposes of this meme I'm ignoring liveblog writing and ask meme prompt fills, and only focusing on stuff on AO3, which in 2024 totaled roughly 102,482. (This is including one chapter of Open Your Eyes that was posted in 2023.)

additional words written: An uncountable amount of liveblogging, ask meme fills, and WIPs that I'm not even gonna try to guess at tbh. XD

grand total of words: No idea. But in the multiple hundreds of thousands certainly. :O

fandoms: Baldur's Gate pretty much exclusively. (I did write one small Dark Souls flash fic.)

highest kudos: 70 kudos on Prayers and Hellfire

highest hit oneshot: 2358, also on Prayers and Hellfire

new things I tried:

Pretty much everything about this year was brand new, as I've never gotten into fanfiction on this scale and with this much enthusiasm before. But writing multiple-chapter fics and writing published E-rated fic were the two biggest things, I suppose.

fic I spent the most time on: I suppose Open Your Eyes wins this by default since it is a chap fic and has five chapters in it now. (Sixth in progress!) Of the one-shots, probably Sunset or Prayers and Hellfire, which were the two longest one-shots I wrote this year.

fic I spent the least time on: Besides the aforementioned Dark Souls flashfic, probably A Bond That Needs No Name or Owlbear Vignettes, both of which started as off-the-cuff liveblog posts and then got moved to AO3 after.

favorite thing I wrote: Sunset takes the cake here; it took me by the throat and demanded I write it. It's my longest one-shot ever and I'm extremely proud of the result. Unfortunately it's probably reached the full extent of its audience (Jaheira/Khalid is a pretty niche topic) but I am so glad to have given everyone a good show. :D

Runners up here include Prayers and Hellfire, my second-longest one-shot and first attempt at published smut; and The Two Sides of the Coin, my favorite take so far on Jaheira and Karlach's friendship.

favorite thing(s) I read:

Tbh I don't read nearly as much fic as I write, which is something I maybe want to work on in the coming year, but I will shout out everything I have read by @eluvisen (including and especially the epic that I don't think is published yet 👀) and the wonderful Pulled Into Orbit by @thedarkstrategist.

writing goals for 2025:

* Finish Open Your Eyes and Fault Lines

* Write The Grand Reunion once Fault Lines is done.

* Continue exploring Jaheira-related fic out of the enormous list of ideas in my backlog.

* Continue regular ask prompts and liveblogging.

* Don't burn out. XD

new works:

Gonna do like @queenaeducan-writes did and do a full summary even though evidently that wasn't the original intention of the question. XD

* The Blind and the Silent - Dark Souls flashfic set in the End of Fire ending of Dark Souls 3

* What Good, This Heart of Stone? - Hector and Lae'zel handle overwhelming emotions by beating the crap out of each other.

* A Bond That Needs No Name - Jaheira and Minsc reconnect after his rescue from the Absolutists.

* Owlbear Vignettes - Camp adventures with Buddy the Owlbear.

* Zariel's Crucible - Enver Gortash's final test for Karlach before selling her to the hells.

* Comrades and Lost Children - Karlach and Jaheira bond by the fire after Moonrise.

* The Two Sides of the Coin - Karlach and Jaheira discuss loss and being left behind.

* Prayers and Hellfire (NSFW) - Hector and Karlach's first time together (and Hector's first ever).

* Sky-High - Karlach, with Hector's help, wrangles the tiefling refugee children after the battle at Moonrise.

* Broken Little Puppets - Karlach supports Astarion after his stand against Cazador.

* The Hellraisers (hiatused chap fic) - Hector, Karlach, and Wyll's adventures in the hells, post-game.

* We Who Have Faced Gods - Hector, Karlach, and Jaheira talk on the road towards Baldur's Gate.

* Quiet Zone (NSFW) - Hector and Karlach, during their Avernus adventures, find a private moment together in the library of the House of Hope.

* Fresh Meat - Karlach remembers a dark moment early in her time in Zariel's army.

* Fault Lines (WIP chap fic) - how Jaheira and Nine-Fingers know each other, and how their friendship fell apart.

* Open Your Eyes and It Will Blind You (WIP chap fic) - origin story for Jaheira and Rasaad's relationship, and an adventure for the BG2 gang investigating a Sharran invasion in Rasaad's monastery in Calimport.

* A Harper's Bonds (ongoing anthology) - collection of short stories/prompt fills at different periods in Jaheira's life.

* Sunset - Khalid's death, and memories of Jaheira that gave him strength.

[not-so-lost-after-all]

The episode in which he went to the brothel is the latest on his Youtube channel so you can go there and see that it's indeed true and no one is twisting anything he said like it happened with the AA comments. He also said he'll probably come back there later and that Astarion has been acting funny about the whole thing. xD His chat was unbearably horny anyways (just like it always is) so he'll probably do it, unless he forgets about it after Cazador. Well, it's his choice of course but yeah the sex positive crowd will be unbearable "oh look even he did it!!! it's clearly a good choice and important to his healing". Oh and he also accepted Halsin's poly proposal, because why not lmao. Still, even both he and his friend seemed to be a bit put off by the dialogue there when Astarion asks whether or not the fact that he's not putting out is the problem, but of course he chose the "right" option and not the "yeah I'm frustrated that you're not fucking me so I'm going to the big horny druid for sex" one so of course ultimately everything is fine because Astarion is very open minded about it

/sigh So Neil is doing the average "good" horny playthrough? Astarion staying a spawn, Tav doing the 5some, ending with fucking both Astarion and Halsin. I can see it from miles away. He's doing it for the horny audience but still - why was he uncomfortable with people sexualizing Astarion when he's making all the horny choices too? Where would Astarion's confidence in the poly situation come from according to him when Astarion has nothing to offer that Halsin can't offer too without the baggage, why is Halsin the side piece and not him?

I've seen through Larian's marketing and I'm well aware why Astarion is in the game. If it wasn't for the early access Astarion, Gale would probably be my favorite. This all makes me to dissociate from the game and the awful fandom and stick to my headcanons even more. I haven't checked the hell gondola that is Astarion tag in a long while and it'll get even worse.

[lunarleonardo]

Do you know about that tier list website? I would absolutely love to see a visualization of your favorite tags to read or write about on A03, and/or your rankings of Danganronpa characters. ^^

you're asking me to share my OPINIONS on the INTERNET?

I left out anime-only characters (Ryota excluded) because it's been a hot minute since i've watched it. Some of these may or may not be controversial, I dunno. Tiktok has ruined me as a fandom enjoyer (⁠｡⁠•́⁠︿⁠•̀⁠｡⁠) still healing

If you like any of the characters I dislike, that's fine! I just didn't like them very much as I was playing the games ^^" Toko was a hard one to rank cus.. it's toko .... but I liked her a LOT better in UDG than in DR1. Chapter 3 of UDG especially made me looove Genocide Syo. girl why are you blowing everything up girl STOP!! THE PROPERTY DAMAGE

As for the ao3 tags list, I couldn't really find a good one for tags. So I just did one for tropes :P I've left out any that revolve around smut (since I don't read that) and things that I don't know about. I mostly read drv3 fics nowadays, but I used to stalk that Sans (Undertale) and Leonardo Hamato tag daily. speaking of which shuichi saihara whump writers where are yall at

Hurt/Comfort, Angst With A Happy Ending, Torture Recovery/Torture Aftermath are some of my favorite tags and things to write. In case that wasnt obvious xD

some fic types I also really enjoy are LAB AUS!! Superhuman stuff, specifically mermaids and vampires. I also reeeally like dragon AUs and stuff so maybe I'll just go entirely off the deep end and turn my favs into a dragon. I dunno. Also, Pokémon trainer AUs are fun when done right!! I have Crossovers filtered out because there's a lot of fandoms Im not into, but Pokémon AUs are so sick. Superpowers too!!! GODDD superpowers. Im so normal over them

A few other specific tropes I like are kidnapping, force feeding, psychological mindfuckery type shit, HUMILIATION especially I love humiliation. You know what how about I just rank whump tropes here we go

I am a HUGE whump fan. Massive whump fan. Angst With A Happy Ending has carried me through this lifetime from the minute I opened Warrior Cats: Forest Territory on roblox for the first time. I kidnapped way too many kids on there (⁠个⁠_⁠个⁠) rogue groups were my THING I loved being evil and twisted. I miss that game man people were so much fun then. I wouldnt have the confidence to roleplay on a Roblox game nowadays even if I tried (⁠╯⁠︵⁠╰⁠,⁠) it went from that to me googling "steven universe kidnapped fanfiction". and then i discovered ao3 and now look where we are

Anyway these rankings can change at any point as I grow and change as a person. What I dislike today I might like in a few months. So who knows :p

[quinn-of-aebradore]

Get to Know Me Better tag game

Over the past few weeks I've been tagged by a couple folks for this (thank you @chronurgy @valakiir @soedblackchaos and @luddlestons !) and I am finally actually sitting down to do it XD

Last Song: Leather for Hell by Bitter Ruin

Favorite Color: I finally admitted to myself a little while ago now that it is no longer purple, but green XD so many green-themed OCs, not enough green dice to go around. Purple is still a close second, though.

Last Book: not counting The Complete Language of Herbs or The Complete Language of Trees, since those are reference guides, so it was Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands! @rainbowcaleb recommended my the first book in the series a while back and once I finally sat down and started them, I devoured them both. They're such fun reads, I love the worldbuilding and the dynamic between the leads. It got some AU ideas rattling around in my head, though they'll probably never come to fruition. Also, Shadow and Poe are the best boys ever :3

Last Movie: I really am not sure. It might've been Boy Kills World, which I watched with my dad? That was a little bit ago now though, there might've been something more recently. Very excited for Star Trek: Section 31 to come out in a few weeks though! Michelle Yeoh my beloved. That's next on the list.

Last TV Show: Been watching DS9 with my dad recently! We were watching through Voyager for a while, but switched to do a full rewatch of Lower Decks when it ended, and that's led into a DS9 watch XD just finished the S2 opening three-parter last night.

Sweet/Spicy/Savory: I will take either sweet or savory, my spice tolerance is prettyyyyy bad. It's gotten better recently (the last year or two), I've been trying to eat more spicy things, but it's still pretty low level. Would definitely reach for something sweet or savory before I went for something spicy.

Relationship Status: single and very happy about it. I do not have the time or energy for Any Of That XD

Last Thing I Googled: "what time zone is denver in" because I got a Switch Lite yesterday and couldn't remember which time zone option to pick XD (it was the Chicago one, which I had a scroll just a little bit to find) (Denver is mountain time) (I am not)

Current Obsession: Critical Role, as always, though I've also been back on the floral dragons nonsense lately, which has been fun!

Looking Forward To: I'm going to CR's Chicago liveshow in April! And then C2E2! I don't really travel, but I've said for ages that if they ever went back to Chicago for a show, I would go, and now they are, so XD it feels a little unreal that it's only three months away now but also I cannot wait.

No Pressure Tags for: @spottedenchants @flashhwing @saintspringsteen @rainbowcaleb @glossolali @marymauk @wanderingbasilisk @wizardpostingworld :3

[sugar-omi]

Hi Naeomi 👋

Thank you for replying to my inquiry so diligently (omg, me trying to sound like Baxter XD dead)!

For my Baxter request, I want to understand his character more, so I wanna pick ur brain for some ideas 😄

He is a very considerate person as his approach to the MC's comfort level changes between nervous, relaxed, and direct (i think 🤔😅). I just want to know how he reacts with an MC (on crush/love) who is only anxious around him but relaxed with everyone else. MC would be trying to fluster the crap out of Cove and talking excitedly about nerdy stuff (anime/manga, video games, books, random facts on their interests, a tv series, etc.), but when Baxter comes around they simmer down and smile all giddy his way and talk about stuff they he may like or be interested in.

Honestly, my MC would feel a bit unsure how to act around Baxter at first, but eventually, they become more comfortable over time as he is revealed to be easygoing and welcoming to MC's quirky side. Makes my heart flutter just thinking about it, so cute~ 🥰☺️

hii !!! omg your mc sounds so cute n honestly like me when I was younger lol, so sweet<33 excuse to the format I'm on mobile rn and I'll fix text color n format n stuff once I'm on my computer😎👍👍👍👍honestly i had fun writing this, two darlings taking their time to open up n love each other, embracing each others quirks... its so sweet, pls i feel like i could write another lil drabble abt how happy n cute baxter would be w a playful reader like this, mmm many thoughts

tags : fluff, nervous crush/love status w baxter, multiple choice text, headcanons/drabbles

*edited for format

this man is too cocky for his own good, baxter can easily tell how someone feels about him.

but I think that excludes people he has a crush on, as you couldn't possibly like/love him back.

he has some shame! although it's only enough to not assume everyone is in love with him or likes him in any capacity...

anyway, we'll get to that later~

at first he thinks it's because you want to impress him or maybe you don't want to bore him with what you think is brain rot to someone so mature and elegant as him.

(+ a "small" but darker part of him thinks you might hate him, that you don't want to show a piece of yourself to this weird stranger on your block. he squishes the thought)

so he finds out your interest through terri/terry and by spying on snippets of your conversations with your family or with cove.

and even though he will only admit it if you threaten him with something terrifying, like angry dragons, early mornings, or worse- color. then and only then will he admit he wants you to tease him the same way you do with cove.

you're so close with him, snuggling up to cove's side, and you smirk so tantalizingly as you lean i. close to whisper it in his ear, and you say something dirty or perhaps its something cove finds especially scandalous but now cove is blushing and he's pushing you away with a chastising "y/n!"

and baxter wishes it was him...

he wants you to curl up behind him and blow on his ear the way you do cove. he wants you to pinch his butt as he walks by and he wants you to flirt with him.

and he wants you to show up on his temporary doorstep to show him your favorite volume of a manga that you finally got your hands on.

and when baxter is a hopeless romantic because he's so vulnerable under the blanket of night, he imagines you laying next to him in this big bed and he imagines the music is blending in with your voice as you babble on about something before it drifts off into your soft breath when you fall asleep due to the late hour.

but time goes on and his vacation nears the quarter mark and whenever you two talk he notices that you are getting into some of the things he likes, like rock music, and when you see him walking lazily back to his condo you come rushing off the steps of your porch, abandoning your snickering moms, and showing baxter the new song you found that he had not listened to before.

you light up at the praise in a way that makes him wish he could capture it forever...

finally baxter comes to the conclusion that he should speak to you about the things you like, and the first time he mentions something about your hobby you clam up a bit.

you don't want to bore him or scare him off with your excitement but in the end you're showing him your craft/collection and telling him every shiny detail and he's so happy to watch the light in your eyes as you speak.

eventually though you two get to the point where you try to fluster him.

it's not often, baxter makes you far too nervous and he can see anything coming from a mile away. he's so cool and you love him for it but God is his smirking face irritating when you just want him to blush, giggle and kick his feet like a love sicken school girl.

but you finally get him to flush. it takes more than half his vacation for it to happen but you're standing behind him as he works away at plating the dinner you two cooked up together.

it's simple, both of you combined have the cooking skills of a sea turtle but it's good enough for one night and it's edible.

it's good enough, you know your way around a stove well enough not to burn the house down and with baxter as your assistant you're more focused on how fun it was than anything.

it's perfect, you know how to whip up something delicious and baxter did more chopping and passing of the seasonings than anything.

he doesn't process it at first but then it hits him like a ton of bricks.

you just... said something flirty?

he's short circuting and his ears are red, and baxter pretends that his blush isn't spread down to his neck.

it's such a reward for you, you can't help but gape for a moment because baxter alexander ward is walking away from you with a blush from his ears to below the collar of his shirt and he definitely squealed a bit when he beckoned you to the living room.

it takes a whole summer of talking to you about things you like that he has little or no knowledge in, doing an activity that caters to/is apart of your interest, and soothing you when you cut yourself off when talking (it's okay, he does want to hear whatever you're looking to ramble about, be it something exciting, something that happened when practicing your hobby, or venting about something you thought was terrible or sad in a show/comic you saw earlier that week.)

and he finally gets to a point where you're teasing him a bit more often, even if you don't get the flustered reaction you want, and you're taking a page out of cove's book and the two of you spent a secret night in baxter's condo, talking about everything and nothing all at the same time.

but then he leaves, and he let's you down gently but his rejection stabs like a knife anyway.

so when you meet again, half a decade later, baxter feels his heart fall out his stomach so bad he sucks it in to try and make up for the way his heart clocks out and air leaves his lungs...

you look sad. this wasn't what you either of you were expecting to be faced with and having no time to prepare yourself to face the man who ended your relationship that summer has your eyes glassed over and your fingers dig into your skin to ground yourself.

you look indifferent. somehow that hurts more than if you were sad or angry at him, not that he'd prefer it but the smaller part of him thinks that your empty gaze shows he's lost any part in your life and you stare through him like you can see the rawness of his heart...

your face is schooled into a stony expression and you've folded your arms to match the rest of tour cold posture. he can't tell what you're thinking even though he's searching your eyes and this time baxter can't tell if you want to cry, scream at him, or if you're looking past him to the scenic view. but he sees your fingers twitch, like you want to either grab him by his tie or run.

you look angry. you try to mask it, not wanting to display the unadulterated rage you feel but your lip quirks up and your eyes are sharp and the words that escape your lips lick at baxter's ears like fire. if your thunderous glare could kill a man he'd be a goner..

he knows he's fucked up either way.

and the whole time you're working together, you're distant. although sometimes you snap back, you confront him and you joke with him sometimes.

you're both too nostalgic, you're both too in love.

somehow, you let him start over.

perhaps its the nostalgia and sentiment that came from making the groom cake together, or how beautiful scott and jude's wedding went, or perhaps its the way the other person laughs and smiles that has you drunk.

but now you two are sitting on baxter's couch and you're letting him start over.

he messed up, it's something hard to move past. something you did, for better or for worse but now it's for the better and you're moving on together.

and you're almost as nervous as you were when you first met but this time it's more that you're reserved than anything else.

sometimes he thinks he's fucked up too much, that when you cut yourself short while rambling and when you take more interest in his hobbies than your own, baxter puts a stop to it quickly.

it takes while. you both try too much to insert yourself into the other person's likes, as if that will make the comfortable relationship you had once come back quicker.

but finally, you and baxter are sharing a bed in the middle of your new apartment, and you're laughing about something funny Miranda sent you earlier that day and in the morning you two are spinning around your new kitchen in a guideless dance with your hands intertwined and you're laughing...

and baxter loves both versions of you.

the version of you that's so in love with him you quiet down, letting him take up all the space in the world and the other version of you that rants about something stupid in an anime and pinches his pale thigh when he's searching through his messy pile of clothes for that one specific shirt.

and he's so happy you opened up to him and you still open up to him everyday, loving him the same no matter how shy you are that day <333

[metalgearstranding]

Hi hi hope you don't mind me ranting about Ocelot a bit cause I didn't want to clog up tags of that one post and I love talking about the kitty man.

I assume they meant privileged as in. well I always assumed he is a bit of a rich boy, honestly. Like, his upbringing must have been horrible in terms of what and how he's been taught, but he obviously has a good education and training that the Philosophers (or whoever it was that trained him, with his distaste for them I'm assuming it's them) put a lot of time and money in. How harsh was said training is open to interpretation, but they definitely didn't want him harmed enough to not be able to get the job done AND think for himself. He knows many languages, is really skilled, got a position of Major and his own unit that answers only to him at a very young age too. I think there is an mgs3 call that implies part of it was because Volgin knew he's The Boss's son. So like, special treatment and all.

I don't think it in any way takes away from how miserable his childhood must have been though. I just can't shake away the idea of him looking at some regular every-day item and going well how much can it be? Hundred dollars??

Oh yeah, of course, I always assumed the same thing. So yes, you're right, in that way he'd be totally privileged. And maybe part of Ocelot's refusal to indulge in self-pity is him recognizing that he just can't because he knows he was lucky?

I guess I got tunnel vision-ed on this one, because I'm aware of this aspect of his life and the ways it must have influenced him, but to me it really doesn't weigh much in the balance? All I see when I think of his life is what was taken away from him, his freedom and his loved ones.

But also, I think that in a way, his real privilege are his genetics lawl I bet he's highly educated, but that doesn't count for shit if you're dumb as a brick, and to me it's obvious that Ocelot is just naturally gifted. He's scarily intelligent and he learns quickly, and he's eager to learn and get better too. He got lucky enough to get the basics, but I'd say that he as owes who he is primarily to being self-taught. I don't think anybody taught him his fancy gun tricks, and although the idea of his mother teaching him a few moves in Groznyj Grad is heartwarming, I think he just really learned some CQC just by watching Snake and his mom.

So yeah. But I do really love the idea of Ocelot as snobbish and having expensive tastes lmao The guy really is a creature of duality (I don't believe in astrology but he really do be a gemini XD), and the materially privileged aspect of him clashing with his far west aspirations is one of my favorite things about him.