#(CAN SOMEONE PLEASE. PLEASE. Try to Genuinely Get what I'm aiming at here and I was rambling about INITIAL impressions of Semantics)

[koushirouizumi]

{Major Implied} #TheBeginningSpoilers #The Beginning Spoilers

('The Beginning' initial rambling under 'read more') {Note: This is some of my reaction BEFORE Seeing} [So please note I Will Add Additional Contexts I got later but for the most part...]

THIS IS THE CLIP I was Referring to in advance {WARNING FOR} MAJOR RUI-INVOLVED The Beginning Spoilers (I was talking to a mutual who gave me a run-down review)

(If you can't tell, I was Venting at concepts like infertile parents being treated/handled as a potential) Negative

Further Reading: Koushiro's + Izumi Family's Timeline {Notes} in Hikarigaoka

*I mention something towards end but I was mis-remembering what it was called and it's more like 'premature birth' that leads to "early" death... {And yes we've even had this happen in my ancestors' pasts too, notably on my Grandpa-married-to-J E W I S H-grandma ends' end. Grandpa E.'s youngest sibling {not even a year old} passed that way, along with the child of a cousin + their fam much later on, and they (both) have dedicated spots in our familys' plot, also very near where my J e w i s h Grandma is now buried. ... So I Have Feelings on Such Issues, Too.}

[ethereal555]

FUCK BOY PT.1

player!jude x stonerblackfem!reader

You laugh, not quite believing your ears, “What?'

'Please don't make me say it again. Honestly baby, I'll never forgive myself'.

You fixate on him. The man you loved, gave your body to and had the lowest of lows with has done the one thing he promised never to do.

He betrayed you.

You get off of the couch, as if it’d become hot lava. You feel your blood vigorously pumping through your veins, heating up your cheeks and ears. Like church bells had just gone off, your ears were ringing.

“Get out my flat - now” you forced out shakily, you felt as if your throat was closing in. Your chest raising rapidly.

He blinks, as if I was speaking a foregin language.

'No, sit down' he pleads reaching for my hand. You swat his hand off of you, taking a huge step away from him.

“Jude please, I don’t want you to touch me. How dare you think you can even come into my home right after disrepecting me? Do you think I'm a joke?” you pant

'I'm not going to even ask you why you did it? She's clearly who you wanted all along. The world's right; you only got with a black girl to make your Mum feel better. I swear I should have listenied when they called you a man!fucking!whore”.

'I've wasted my time with you, time I'll never get back'! I realise in hysterics. You feel like someone has hit a wong in your ear, its an intense feeling you feel in your head. You cover your ears to silence your thoughts that were going off on autopilot.

You pace around going on a tangent, finding all the offesive words in the dictiionary to throw at him. You search to find any small inanimate objects to throw at him, a way to inflict the hurt you felt emotionally onto him.

'Yeah, Yeah,ok' he bitterly chuckled trying to play off as unfazed, as if all the lethal words you spat had fallen upon deaf ears. His jaw was tense, it was taking everything for him not to shut you up himself, but he knew how genuinely wrong he was in this situation and how much he deserved the names so he decided against taking any action. This time.

You scower the kitchen trying to find any items that were bought for you by him. You take the Gucci scarf off of your kitchen highchair, lobbing it at him. He sat there, with the nerve to have a scowl of his face 'Take it' you yelled as you threw the cloth. 'I don't want anything of yours, you're disgusting'.

It landed on his face, and he, in an act of self -discipline didn't react, folded it up placing next to him on your couch, licking his lips. I must admit it must've taken a lot for him to not retaliate, the Jude last year was another story.

'This too’', you removed the burgundy coloured Van Cleef bracelet he had gifted you for your birthday back in May, aiming it for his face. The athletic boy, with instincts like a cat, caught this too, placing it untop of the scarf next to him. His left leg was shaking with irritation. A scowl on his face. His teeth tucked into his plump bottom lip as he sat back cross armed on the couch, pissed.

“You're not fucking intimidating me, not in my own house. Good try. GET the fuck OUT JUDE!”

I was seeing red, because he wasn't listening to me. My nose and eyes running like a water fountain. I looked a hot mess. I wipe my face with the back of my hands. Embarrassed.

To my advantage, I find my tedbaker slippers on the floor near the door. I laugh at myself picking it up with full intention to throw it -

He stand ups “Don’t you fucking dare, I swear to God Tiana act like you have some fucking sense”.

'I will do whatever the fuck I want to you. You’re not welcome here anymore, I dont want you in my house anymore. Listen to me Jude, for once... leave' I cry, shaking. “I’ve told you to leave and you’re still here”

“I can’t, I can't leave you. Why dont you listen to me for once, just once, I can explain” he fought shouting over her cries.

'Why dont you understand' i hiccup, 'i cant, i physically cant sit here, whilst you, a fucking vile the vilest man ive ever met, wants to speak, to me and justify him sleeping with someone he's lied to me about for 8 FUCKING MONTHS'

' A bitch that racially abused me, and you fucking too? You are not worth anymore of my time. Like, really Jude? Are you that fucking desperate for pussy? Are you that desperate to hurt me? For fucks sake, if you really needed to fuck someone, at least fuck someone that resemebles the woman you claim to love 'more than football' she looks nothing like me Jude' you drag..

'It didn't happen rec-' he started

You felt the waterworks again but you didnt want to give him the satisfaction of seeing you cry. It was the fact he wasn't understanding that him explaining the details was causing you to have to envision him with another woman. Having had enough of this row, you turn around immediately going to your cabinet to get your pre rolled blunt.

'I wasn't in the right mind, I have no excuse, it was a genuine mistake. Baby, please..' he argued.

You turn on your stove, shoving your blunt into it, to light it. You sit on your counter once it finally draws and you inhale deeply, making sure to cough so it hit you harder, Cali. You weren’t in the right mental headspace to deal with this sober.

“You hear me Ti?” he begged

It was like pathetic fallacy, a dark day for you emotionally and the only things illuminating the house were the many Central London streetlights outside your grand glass windows as well as your purple led's shining from your room upstairs.

'You can check my phone, my social media DM’s, theres not one trace of a woman Tianna, because I've decided all I need you. You don't understand I cant do it without you- this thing called life, no. Hell i cant even go a day without thinking about you and the life we could have’ he confesses clapsing at his heart.

Then there's a deafening silence.

You transfix on him fresh tears still imprinted on your cheeks, as you inhale, one toke after another after another. You both hold each other’s eye contact for a split second, before you withdraw focusing on your blunt.

The boy you loved most in the world, now turned traitor, sat across from you looking helpless. The only things that can be heard in the flat were both your infrequent sniffles, your sharp inhales and distant modes of transport outside.

Emptiness.

He rubs his eyes, typical, always seeming to cry when you cried, excusing it as something he couldnt help because he loved you so much. Well if only he thought of that before he decided to fuck the bimbo.

You snigger, you’re eyes low, the weed has you feeling like you’re floating.

“Jayy” You drag, your head and body feeling extremely light

“Yeah, yes” he answers quick, attentive

“You know, it’s a true shame, for Denise. I just wonder, like, if only she knew what an absolute bitch she would have raised before having you, would she have had an a-' you giggle

' Don't finish that sentence or we'll have a problem' he growls shooting up, charging towards me.

'Get up off the counter now, Tiana. Have you lost your fucking mind?' he spat. His natural doe - shaped eyes enlarged with anger, this dark brows furrowed.

You look at him, your giggles disentergrating into the air just like your weed smoke, daring him to do what he's been doing indirecting for the past 8 months.

'Fucking dare do what, what are you going to do about it? Hm, Jude? I’m going to continue to make you feel like shit until you leave because I’ve asked you to LEAVE MY HOUSE and you're still here, so take the insult”. You take another puff of your blunt, feeling the anger rising again.

Granted, the blunt was probably making you say things you shouldn't, he deserved it.

“I could’ve hurt you, so so badly” he lets out his jaw clenched.

'I beg your pardon?, you fucking idiot what do you think I'm -“

'Shut up and let me talk, i could have kept it silent and have the whole world find out at the same time as you, but i didnt. i've flown here on Chrismas to tell you. To be here I’ve sacrificed spending time with my brother and my parents. I've literally put your feelings and wellbeing first before my families,before mine but you're too bloody dense to be objective and see things from another person's perspective'.

You drop your blunt on the counter, hopping off of it. At the same time, not caring if you blew the rest out in his face, although you knew he hated the smell.

'I don’t give a fuck about how it all unravels, or who's feeling you are putting first over others. You got your self here in the first place, you wouldnt be in this predicament if you had some sense about you; and stayed loyal to what we have built. And shit, even if you genuinely needed to fuck a girl, do better next time and fuck a woman who wont go round running your business, dumb boy. But you're too thick and pussy hungry to realise that' she seethed pushing at his chest with every last world.

'Jude, we are sooooooo done' you ridicule 'i cant actually emphasise it enough'

'We're not, technically can't be. Tiana, we havent been together since March, which is another reason I dont know why you're so angry'

You sneer, clenching your fists as your sides. Your nostrils flared, you decided against screaming or shouting; you didn't have the energy. So using up all the mature strength you could muster, you leave to go to your room. Genuine rage and shock slapped onto your facial features. You barge past him walking at high speed until he grips your wrist pulling you back to stand infront of him.

'Don't walk away from me when I''m speaking to you.' you snatch out of his harsh grasp.

You push at his chest, 'I've told you stop touching me, Jude. I'm walking away because this conversation can't be had with a 2 year old.'

'And who's the two year old?, I havent been the one throwing a fucking tantrum this whole time and gettting high thinking it’s cool, whilst an adult has been trying to have a mature conversation with you! He spits.

'A tantrum ? I have everyright to be fuming. You’re so lucky I'm high right now you should thank God because, if I was sober you know exactly what would happen' you threaten.

'Yeah I do know, because that’s the type of person you are. You’re so quick to dehumanise people',

“And rightfully so for you at least.. so... where do we go from here? Nowhere, bye. Shut the door after you'.

You push yourself off of the kitchen counter, that you were reluctantly leaning on.

'Stop fucking walking away from me. Tiana. We’re not finished. Act your fucking age', he exclaimed trapping you between himself and the counter, leaving no room for you too escape. Both his arms, decorated in bulging green veins, clenched either side of you.

He gets in my face as if you make it clear to me ‘I’m going to ask you again ok.. Why are you so fucking angry?'

'BECAUSE YOU'RE STILL FUCKING ME JUDE ME !!! WHAT DONT YOU UNDERSTAND!! you rage in this face.

You feel you're eyes watering again so you break out from his constraint and turn around to go a relight your blunt before taking another 3 tokes.

“What type of question is that-have you no emotional intelligence or sympathy?” you exhale

'Because you fly me out to Madrid to fuck and hang out. You choose to spend time with me when instead you could be with your family or friends. You come over here during you're off season to fuck me, kiss me, cuddle me, give me presents, bags and jewellery. You eat my ass, we've been fucking on my period for Gods sake - all these things have happened whilst we've been broken up. so dont - please dont try to play it like we're just sneaky links, sneaky links dont have history , sneaky links are not ex's'

'For Jobe’s birthday you flew me out, for Mark’s and Denise’s birthday you flew me out to celebrate with you and them. When you went to go check on your grandma I was there, all of this happened when we were broken up. Doesn’t this sound particularly “together” to you ?

'I explicitly rememeber telling you that if this was truly over than the fucking, and seeing each others family and all that had to stop, and then what did you do, you came to London the very next month and stayed 3 nights.'

'So excuse me for feeling cheated on, Jude’ you pant, out of breathe, you take some tissue roll from your counter top, wiping your eyes. Saying all of this makes you feel dumb, and taken advantage off.

He only looks at you, with regret, sympathy. Stillness befriended him. He turns around going to sit down.

“I wish you and Laura the best in the future.”

Jude sits down on your black fur rug, playing with his fingers, something he never did unless we was uncomfortable. His plump lips parted looking at the ground.

He clears his throat, his eyes glazed over. His tone was soft, you'd given a different persepctive he was to blind to have seen

'Love, I've tried to explain to you that there was no emotional connection there with Laura, she was something easy, she was something i used, as horrible as it sounds, to distract myself from the fact that i felt like i might lose you, the love of my life. But now that, well, we were back on track I feel the need to tell you because i don’t want anything in the way of our relationship progression. I - can assure all the while we have been sleeping with other, i swear i havent so much as touched another girl, this happened in early April before we started messing around again. When you gave me the expression it was really done. I needed to tell you about it today, because she’s been threatening to tell people and news outlets. And if she did that-“ he paused swallowing the lump in his throat.

'It would kill me Ti, you have to believe me, i don’t want to do this thing called life without, i'd rather die' he swears.

You stand there watching him, your blunt was now finished and to be honest you were so high, not even his most compassionate love poem would sober you up.

You start to clap, obnoxiously 'Weooooo, and the Oscar goes to Jude Belligoallll, wooooo', you fall into a fit of laughter.

He wasn’t amused. Not one bit. He looks directly at you, his widened eyes connecting with your red hazy ones.

You walk over to sit down infront of him on the floor. He listens attentively.

'Ok that was mean, sorry' you giggle

'Jude you can't hurt me and then apologize expecting everything to be better again, we need to - ' you hesistate trying to find the right words.

'To, level the score, surely. You play football baby, you know how it goes. We need to draw, right now its 1-0 to you. When I score, then its over right because then it'll be 1-1', you advise.

'Between me and you' I lean in closer, he stares following my lips.

'I like the look of Levi', you draw back, you lick your lips. The cotton mouth getting to you.

'I need water Jude, and you look like you've just seen a ghost. So I'll make that two waters, since you're not going to leave anytime soon right?'.

He snickers,a frown on his face when he grabs my jaw, tight.

'You're not going to do such a thing, not to me'

'So what? you can do it but I can't, boy please' you tut trying to leave from his grip.

'Sleep with him or any man for that matter and I swear I'll make you miserable' he swears

Your mouth drops, the audacity you think mentally

'Jude you're insane, clinically -'

' I mean just think of all the friends you've lost, because they were trying to fuck me, all those friends you've had to cut off are at my beck and call you know that right'

'You wouldnt dare' you snatch out of his grip on your jaw. You felt dizzy moving your head too fast, and the cali was only intensifiying both feeling of heartbreak and dizziness.

'I actually hate you Jude, oh my God, why would you say that?" you softly cried. It was such as slap in your face, espeically because those women he was mentioning were childhood bestfriends that it had taken you ages to get over, still to this day.

You stumble up, stomping into your room, slamming the door shut.

'What, are your feelings hurt baby?" he shouts after me, mockingly. His voice following me up the stairs.

---

part 2 may have smut

this was requested, a toxic jude. this page is for my girls that have been through many toxic relationships. im here to heal you LMAOO

[yuenthevoices]

Okay so I haven't seen Transformers One yet (just had midterms) but honestly from the bits i've seen of it - from movie clips on tiktok to some of the hilarious promo stuff they have Bee do - i'm ABSOLUTELY in love with it. some of my favorite stuff i've seen are the little, more niche details i don't see enough of that really show how much care has actually been put into the movie. don't worry, no spoilers for the actual movie - mostly about official promo clips and such.

for example, i saw a bit of an interview where it's said the animation team all grew up with transformers, and were even fighting to animate their favs. there was also another interview i saw where someone - i believe a story boarder/director - seemed genuinely pretty sad that they couldn't do the Megatron gladiator and Orion Pax archivist backstories because it would make the movie too long. like, there is just so much genuine love for the franchise that makes the movie so good and so interesting its crazy like ahduaogeuaisahe

alright alright so enough of my rant i know some of y'all are here for the x reader stuff soooo here's some TF One headcanons! also do keep in mind that this is from my very limited knowledge of the movie characters so prob oc? if they were to somehow meet humans

B-127 (Badassatron)

first off, he's such a silly guy and so adhd coded

but honestly, as a human, be just a bit careful around him, seeing as he accidentally knife-handed quite a few people, and some on purpose

he'd either be as clumsy as he is with his friends that he built, or would literally be too scared to get within touching distance of a human

if you want to get closer to him, honestly just listen to him - with some small input here and there to show you're listening - and he'd want to hang around you a lot more

really, just be nice, don't baby him, and let him yap as much as he wants - bonus points if you sometimes yap to him as well, i'm sure he'd be a great listening, with a lot of input from him, of course

Elita One

honestly, i wish i knew or could tell more about her, but any clips or trailers i've seen her in are pretty limited glimpses into her character

the trait i see the most from these glimpses however, is how she's ambitious and diligent

she'd probably respect you a great deal if you're as ambitious and diligent as she is, and would probably be a bit proud if you compliment her work ethic as well

i think she'd like someone who matches her, aiming for higher goals with the work and strength to prove it - especially since you're a human

bonus points if you can kick ass as well

D-16

similar case to Elita, except i think i have a bit more to go off of, considering how much he shows up in promo trailers and stuff

honestly, kinda hard for me to say?

again, i think he'd appreciate someone similar to him, considering how much time he spends with orion, it'd be a nice change of pace

someone who won't take bs, maybe a teeny bit of malicious compliance, and someone who doesn't try to hide their opinions

considering how mush shit miners seem to take from those who can transform, seeing someone else - especially some smaller, squisher being - being proactive and not taking shit, he'd probably be interested

Orion Pax

ok so only doing orion pax and not optimus prime because in total i've only seen like 3 clips of him as optimus soooo yea

i could see him with a jokester kind of person, but also with a more calm caretaker kind of person as well

being a jokester with him would be fun, and he'd probably have no problem with carrying you around to places for plans

being a calm caretaker would possibly be a little more stressful, but still fun with him nonetheless

either way, he'd still be somewhat careful, keeping in mind that he is much larger and sturdier than humans are

just don't play dead on him please, he'd genuinely freak out and run you over to D-16 and ask him what's wrong (D-16 probably won't find it nearly as funny lol)

[wings-of-ink]

Pls I love how you answer angst and it's all dark and gloomy and then there's this cute emoticon at the end ^_^ and suddenly it makes all the worry go by sheer power of cuteness, you are so real for that

I'm gonna pull the "chaotic neutral" on an angst galore and humbly ask for ROs reacting to MC coming to them looking all pretty (gn) and asking RO how do they look only for the RO to find out MC is going on a date.

...and what if MC after seeing ROs reaction smiled gently and said "Well... It's for our date, actually. If you would have me"

(hehe did I got ya? Thought I'd ask some irredimible angst?)

Okay, you did actually get me with that! LOL Totally turned it around at the end, and I made a very unglamorous noise.

I don’t know why, but I always gotta get my little smile in there somewhere, lol. Even if my eyes are a bit watery. ^_^

As for your adorable ask (assuming at least some feelings or romantic words have been exchanged between RO and MC of course):

Oswin: 

Big lump in his throat off the bat. MC looks wonderful, and they're going on a date with someone else? He smiles through it and nods emphatically. “You look amazing. The lucky person will be well-pleased.” Has he misread everything between them?

At the reveal:  His knees actually buckle. “Our? Our. *OUR* DATE!?” His heart is absolutely pounding. “What do you…what should I wear?” MC will need to help him out with that one.

Zahn: 

There’s some genuine enthusiasm there when they tell MC they look gorgeous - because they do. They’ve always thought that about MC. They shine inside and out. Maybe that’s why they confused the things stirring between them. But they’ll be happy for MC and cheer them on.

At the reveal:  Zahn has a smile that would make the sun jealous. They run and grab MC’s hand. “Let’s go! Let’s go right now!” They have zero idea where they’re going…

Duri: 

“Well that’s hardly fair. Are you trying to tease me? It won’t work.” *pouts* (it’s working) *Walks around MC studying the outfit. “You look delicious as ever, but is this person really deserving of such a feast? Never fear, I have just the thing. We’ll borrow Zahn’s ratty cloaks - trust me on this - you’ll still make a statement.” *If MC allows this to run its course, Duri will deck them out in the most atrocious outfit they can make with the items on hand. MC is probably wearing a basket on their head.

After the reveal:  They go quiet for a long moment. “Well, of course, I knew that. You can’t fool me - ha! …What in the stars are you wearing though?”

Rune: 

Swallowing their feelings. Checks MC out, straightens their collar (it wasn’t crooked), smooths the wrinkles (there weren’t any), and gently fixes their hair (it was fine). “You should already know how fabulous you look as well as I do. You’d be enchanting even if you wore robes of grass and leaves.” They fidget. “If…if you aren’t sure about this person - be careful…and I’d also like to take you out too, if you’ll allow it. I apologize for asking like this.”

After the reveal:  The smile takes over before they can stop it. “Well played, I’ll admit it. I suppose that’s a yes to my request then?” MC gets a nervous laugh out of them. Is that a tinge of red on their cheeks?

???: 

“Date!? Well, that isn’t fair, I’ve been flirting with you for ages and we haven’t been on a date yet.” He takes a flower from a vase and slips it into the outfit or tucks it in MC’s hair. “Here’s an idea - I go with you and you can show me how a date works. I’ll make some notes and I promise not to glower menacingly at your date.” *He’s lying* “And…yes, for the record, you are a vision. Always.”

After the reveal:  “No need to change your plans on my account, MC! Go on then, and have your fun - tell me how it went tomorrow.” He pushes MC to the door. “Don’t stay out too late, aim for the throat if they get too fresh with you.” *Door shuts, MC is made to wait a few minutes before ??? comes back out with a big stupid smile.

Thank you for the Ask, Anon! This one was a lot of fun! ^_^

[terror-punk]

On safety:

I didn't want to go off about this but it keeps happening, so. @ the people in our notes repeatedly asking if we're trying to get people hatecrimed or killed or telling us to shut up because we're talking about people being more open about stigmatised things: No, we absolutely are not trying to get people hurt. That's the literal opposite of what we want.

We're not telling people to put themselves in danger. We're not telling people to walk up to people who hate whatever they are and scream "I'm the very thing you hate, here I am!" or what have you in their faces. We can't control what people do, but... A very important part of the post people keep having issues with has clearly outlined within the body text itself a note about safety.

[Image ID: A screenshot of a tumblr post reading: Don't make yourself small because others can't handle you. Be open where safe. Be you. Be scary. /end ID.]

"Be open where safe". We literally said that on the post. It has no ulterior meaning behind it. I genuinely don't know what other meaning it could have.

We're advocating for people to be open where they're able to. We're advocating for the destigmatisation of things like psychosis or "weird" LGBT identities or things society hates in general, because these things SHOULDN'T result in people getting harmed. We're advocating for people to have their voices heard if they so choose to speak, we're advocating to boost the voices of marginalised communities of all sorts. But we are NOT advocating for people to be forced out of safety and into the spotlight if they don't choose that themselves.

It's a post about positivity surrounding those identities or disorders, about how your voice as someone marginalised DESERVES to be heard, and about how if you have the choice (specifically if you are SAFE TO), being who you are and not masking things you can hardly control is what we're aiming for. People shouldn't have to hide.

Are we, as a heavily stigmatised psychotic, queer and generally disabled system, being a little "too open" to be considered safe sometimes? Sure, but that's our experience and our decision. We can't hide half of what we are anyway--it actively hurts to do that most of the time. And hell, we want to be open because sometimes? People who are hurting and shunned by society end up thanking us or reaching out for making them feel less alone. Something we sorely needed growing up--a way to feel less like the entire world was against us. We're not here to tell you what to do, we're here to tell people they aren't alone, and there are some safe spaces out there, even if few. If other people want to do the same, that's their decision.

We're here for solidarity, NOT harm, and this is OUR choice. The unfortunate reality is that we're unsafe anyway, but we're not going to live our life personally trying to hide things that change the very fundamental reality of what we are. WE get to do what we want. WE get to choose to speak. So does anyone else--and they get to choose to remain quiet, too. We literally never told anyone to put themselves in the line of fire, and we wouldn't expect you to.

If you can't be open, or you're unsafe, you're no lesser and you aren't excluded from the label "terrorpunk", that's for sure. It's not about getting yourself hurt.

Please read what we're saying before hitting us with "as a psychotic person, this is putting us in danger"--we specified "where safe" and we never said people should get hurt. We're also psychotic, and tired of the way the world is, so we're not going to shut up, we're not going to hide anymore, because that's our decision.

I don't know how we got from "be openly you where safe because these things shouldn't be so shunned" to "wow these guys want people hurt", but we're not putting up with words being put in our mouth. Please actually read and digest what we're saying.

[pico-digital-studios]

Into, Across and Beyond! Scripting: Prime Encounter

This scene was co-written with @mcgamejolter. The scene is also based on this animation by DedGrafic.

During Cosmic Discoveries, OMT!Tails was thrown into the Prime Sonic universe by Lost Memory Sonic and knocked out from the impact. A few moments later, Sonic Prime/Modern Sonic showed up, seeing the alternate version of his best bud lying on the floor.

Modern Sonic: Huh? What's up with the blue shoes? Yo, Tails!

As he knelt down to have a closer look, another portal opened behind him, prompting him to leap out of the way as LM!Sonic showed up.

LM!Sonic: Urgh... You could've just stayed out of my business, Prower, and you managed to screw up even THAT.

He held OMT!Tails up by his ankle.

LM!Sonic: You should never have become the hero of your world. You're a mistake, child.

OMT!Tails (in a daze): Uh... Mom, I don't wanna go to school today... I've got a headache...

LM!Sonic: You're an abomination, a danger to others AND to yourself.

On cue, Sonic Prime sped right through him, moving OMT!Tails to a safe position before going back to confront his alternate self.

Sonic Prime: Hey, man. If you're part of Eggman's new army of creepy eyes, you'd better hit the hay if you know what's-!

LM!Sonic promptly bashed him out of the way.

LM!Sonic: SILENCE!

Once Sonic Prime impacted with a tree, his hands were quickly restrained via energy spheres.

LM!Sonic: To think you're the "Prime" version of myself. Disgusting... You once fragmented this reality, creating wars between dimensions and threatening thousands of lives. There's not much difference between you and this two-tailed freak; you're both ticking time bombs that could wreak havoc on reality.

Sonic Prime: Oh, brother. I found someone even grumpier than Shadow. Hey, what's up with you beefing about the whole Shatterverse incident that happened a while ago?!

Shadow Prime arrived on the scene.

Shadow Prime: Well, to be fair, he's right.

Sonic Prime: Hey, wow!

Shadow Prime (to LM!Sonic): However, that still doesn't justify why you've come here. So I suggest you leave now!

LM!Sonic glared at Shadow Prime hatefully, seeing ANY Shadow being his big berserk button.

LM!Sonic: Get out of my way! That sorry excuse of a sidekick is coming with me!

Shadow Prime: So it's the kid you want, huh?

Sonic Prime: Hey, now. I don't want another Nine situation, so I hope you're not thinking about giving Tails to red eyes over there-!

Right then and there, Shadow Prime charged at LM!Sonic as they engaged in combat.

Sonic Prime (genuinely surprised): Huh. I'm... I'm actually surprised.

As the fight went on, OMT!Tails wearily woke up, noticing Sonic Prime restrained.

OMT!Tails: Oh? Hang on! I'll get you down from there.

He disabled the spheres, letting Sonic come back down to terra-firma.

Sonic Prime: Thanks, dude! So... alternate universes... Tell me about it.

OMT!Tails: You know, I remember seeing you a few months back. Weren't you being chased by that robot that wanted the Paradox Prism?

Sonic Prime: Metal X? Yeah, that would be me.

OMT!Tails gasped in awe, his thoughts ultimately confirmed.

OMT!Tails: So you ARE Prime Sonic!

Sonic Prime: The one and only! Fastest thing alive with no-one to serve except the wind that flows free! What more can I ask for than the freedom to go wherever I want! Well... Except, it's clean-up duty again. Someone's gotta fix the mess Baldy McNosehair did.

OMT!Tails: Heh, figures. So, will Shadow be alright trying to fight off that psychopath on his own?

Sonic Prime: Shadow? Oh, please! He's fought a giant lizard and an alien god trying to destroy humanity. What else could some edgy-looking version of myself possibly do?

OMT!Tails: I mean, there's all sorts of variations of you out there, several of which have got this huge Society aiming to keep the wider multiverse safe!

Sonic Prime: So I've heard. I gotta admit, it's really weird seeing hedgehogs that look like me but with different-coloured fur across those multiversal stretches. Speaking of that... is it me, or was that a version of Nine I saw the other day?

OMT!Tails: It sure was!

Sonic Prime: So, where do you plan to go from here? Besides obviously running from that psycho.

OMT!Tails: Well, I've still got some more work to be doing with my own multiversal team once I get moving again.

On cue, LM!Sonic was kicked close to the two.

LM!Sonic: H-How is he so strong...?! This isn't fair! He should've fallen by now!

And fittingly, Shadow Prime kicked him right in the face.

Shadow Prime: Leave now, freak, unless you want me to kick your ass a second time.

Sonic Prime: (to Shadow) Nice work, Shadow! (to OMT!Tails) See? Told ya he could beat him no problem!

OMT!Tails: Heh, sweet!

LM!Sonic got up, frustrated.

LM!Sonic: You weren't even giving it your all! Urgh, Maria would be so ashamed of-.

OMT!Tails: Woah woah woah WOAH! Haven't you even researched the golden rule related to Shadows?

LM!Sonic: Enlighten me, "genius".

OMT!Tails: Do. NOT. Mention. Maria. Out loud. When Shadow is in proximity!

Shadow Prime cracked his knuckles, not at all chuffed with this version of Sonic speaking foul of Maria.

Shadow Prime: So unless you're looking for a death wish, leave our world... and never come back!

LM!Sonic: Fine, then! (to OMT!Tails) But this isn't over, fox! I'll get you yet!

LM!Sonic made his retreat through another portal.

Sonic Prime: Aaaand we'll never see him again.

Shadow Prime: You'd better get back to wherever you came from, Tails. We're not looking to get involved in whatever situation this is.

OMT!Tails: Yeah, that's a good call.

OMT!Tails prepared to leave.

OMT!Tails: Oh, yeah. Before I go, if it at least helps you feel a little better, Shadow, there's always at least one universe where she's alright. Well, see you both around!

OMT!Tails left, Shadow Prime being left to process Tails's words.

Shadow Prime: You know... I prefer him over Nine any day.

Sonic Prime: Oh, come on! Nine wasn't that bad either!

The two began running off.

Shadow Prime: Yeah, but at least this Tails didn't try to kill us.

Sonic Prime: Uuurgh! You're never gonna live that down, are you?

Shadow Prime: Nope.

Sonic Prime: You know what? I shouldn't have asked.

[curlygrant44]

Mod: Hey folks! This isn't aimed at anyone in particular, and it's come up after multiple asks and conversations from several different parties over months, so please don't think of this as a callout! I'm solely establishing the norms for this blog to make sure that newer folks are aware of how things work here.

Pumpkin's crew, from his ship, consists of the following people, exclusively and definitively:

@/nursexanya

@/cptjimmy

@/swan-and-bolts

@/theman-withthe-dustpan

He does not currently have a Daisuke, which isn't really a big deal the way things are currently being written; if one is added to the crew, it will only be by the consensus of said crew's mods.

The only OC directly affiliated with this crew at present is Jon/June, the janitor, which was decided mutually after ooc discussion based on what made narrative sense to us based on what we had been writing together. Jon was not an original part of his crew before the anomaly and his acceptance as part of the crew now does not mean that we have retconned that.

All of our blogs are written with a serious tone, grounded in a hefty dose of realism both in terms of science when and where we can, and also in the human interactions. We hold ourselves to a high standard in this regard, and most of us very rarely allow magic anons, and only circumstantially do when we find it helpful to the blog in some way.

Because of that, while we may have plenty of humorous moments, the overall tone of our writing tends to be darker and full of conflict between the crew due to the circumstances they find themselves in. This is by design. We all met because of our desire to tell a serious story and coalesced because of our shared values about this and other matters.

You are more than welcome to send asks and starters and interact with Pumpkin, but here's a handy list of what to do or not do:

DO

Have a well-fleshed out character with an actual backstory

Give your character genuine struggles to overcome

Make them behave like a professional in a workplace

Interact with Curly in a professional capacity

Keep personal interactions appropriate to talking with a stranger

Give your character hobbies and interests

Make sure they behave like a reasonable adult

DON'T

Start hitting on Curly immediately

Provide nothing but surface-level interactions

Write with the primary intention of pursuing a relationship with Curly

Claim to be a member of his ship's crew

Flirt aggressively

Try to retcon your character into his prior interactions

Godmode (try to take control of someone else's character, in this case Curly)

Pressure me into writing my character differently

Have a minor (under 18yo) character

Write your character as being constantly immature or childish

If you're unsure and need clarification about any of these, feel free to send an ask about it. :) Once again, this isn't meant to discourage anyone from interaction. This is solely about establishing what this blog is intended for, and what both Curly's standards for the people he'll voluntarily talk to, and my standards as mod for what I'm willing to write, involve. If you find that what you prefer to write is on my list of no's, that doesn't mean I hate you. All it means is that our writing wouldn't be a fit together, and that you're better off finding another Curly to interact with who does enjoy those things.

As long as you're writing a realistic and mature adult in their workplace and behaving accordingly, it's likely that they'll get along with Pumpkin just fine.

[fayrobertsuk]

Carpe Caput, not Kaput...

... or something.

The other evening, a new acquaintance was asking advice in a group about how to make a solid go of it in a creative field I'm only just starting to peer into, so I felt I had nothing to offer, but actually, in hindsight? I'm pretty sure a lot of the same advice applies to pretty much most creative fields (and possibly broader), so here goes:

Show up. I'm serious. Practise, try new methods, work hard at your craft. Put in the hours. Turn up to events, reliably. If you're booked for something, turn up on time. Check what the producer/ host means by "on time" - too early can be as stressful for them as too late. If you need to cancel, postpone, or let them know you're running late, do your best to tell them that well in advance of the event starting. They probably won't be able to take messages otherwise. This goes whether you're an open mic attendee or a headliner, and everything else in between. If you do this too much, don't expect people to ignore that, no matter how nice and/ or talented you might be.

Be helpful, polite, and/ or personable. If you struggle with what that looks like, for neurospicy or other social anxiety/ processing reasons, the best, very best thing you can do for a producer is ask what they need and pay attention to what they actually say, especially if you can give a short list of the kind of things you know you're good at doing. Including fetching refreshments for in-venue events. Hell, offering to keep them company while they do a boring-but-fiddly thing it would take too long to explain to other people is great. Do not be offended if they say no at first. They don't know you. You haven't turned up enough for them to form an impression of your utility. The same goes for compliments - work out what actually makes them feel pleased about themselves or their work, which means observing. Fending off meaningless/ unwanted compliments can get really tiring.

Thank people. It's amazing how far properly and sincerely thanking people goes. This applies so far across the board, and not just in the arts. Doesn't have to be elaborate or embarrassingly effusive, but genuine thanks are a wonderful gift.

Take criticism, but don't take shit. I have stolen this phrasing from an excellent producer I know. It's a really succinct way of putting something it took me a long while to learn. Take opportunities to learn from people who know better than you, but don't feel you're supposed to please everyone at every turn, whether they're the producer or you're the producer, especially if it means sacrificing too many bits of your own psyche, let alone any of your own soul. You can leave a situation without sacrificing everything. Which leads us to:

Not everyone is going to like you. They're just not. You're not going to be to everyone's taste. That's fine. I do not mean by this to aim to become some tedious edgelord. There are already far too many of those. I just mean: let go of the grief that comes with incompatibility. Use it to learn how to choose your targets better, but don't let it rule you. RSD is a bastard, but it generally doesn't have all the facts. Be prepared to let go with grace. Talking of which:

Don't be afraid to ask for feedback/ give it if asked. You never know. And see #4.

You are going to fuck up. Own it. Learn from it. Process and communicate the lessons. Don't let it stop you striving (but do let it stop you being a dick about it).

Don't burn your bridges. I can barely believe I'm typing this on the internets in the year 2024, but holy shit - making a life as a creator is hard enough without alienating people. And creators look out for each other so yes: people will talk if you start flinging insults and other harm around when someone doesn't give you what you want. Stop. Think. Outsource your common sense to a proper friend (i.e. one who will tell you that you're overreacting) if necessary. Do not publicly insult other producers and creatives in your field. If someone has done grievous hurt to you, of course talk to other people about it, but please, for the love of all that's holy, if you find all your friends giving up on you, one-by-one or in droves, you need to stop, breathe, find another way, work out how you can (re)construct rather than (self-)destruct in the wake of a disappointment. I do not mean to ignore or play down actual harm done to you. Emphatically not. Just consider whether e.g. not getting an opportunity you really, really wanted is actually a conspiracy, or maybe you didn't learn from some spectacular #7...

Acknowledge your privilege. Probably preaching to choir here on Tumblr, but if you find yourself envying people of less privilege than you, saying "Huh, I don't get booked because I'm not [insert marginalised demographic here]!" you definitely want to stop and consider your motives, and what your brain is actually telling you. Are you missing community? Are you missing cohesion? Are you missing feeling special? You're a fucking artist - you're already special, and there's a great deal of community to be found, even if you think your work/ style/ taste is too niche. Possibly especially if you think your work/ style/ taste is too niche. But if you find yourself putting effort into believing that there's truly a conspiracy to put [insert mainstream demographic(s) here] out of work or out of the limelight, I hate to tell you this, but you're not coming from a place of good faith at all. Work out what the actual problem is, and solve that. But not by joining the fascists. Please. Those people are not your friends.

Don't quit the dayjob. I learned this the hard way. Whatever your Next Great Move is, try it out first in bitesize increments. Unless you're independently wealthy, in which case fucking go for it. And maybe share some of the wealth while you're at it. 😉 Sometimes we don't have much of a choice and we have to make a go of the creative career because of diverse Difficult Times. If that happens, don't be afraid to ask for help. Seriously. Ask for help.

I'm manifestly not the world's most successful poet/ musician/ voice artist/ storyteller/ publisher/ event promoter, and I've definitely screwed up a bunch of times (although I sincerely hope I haven't done an #8 or #9!), but I think these are reasonably sensible things to take into account (and I need to work harder on many of them myself). The thing is: I've seen too many people founder on their own entitlement with too little to back it up. I've witnessed people succumb to the temptation to steal ideas, sometimes word-for-word, because certain measures of success seemed more important than creative integrity and pride in their own work. I've seen people burning their bridges and then complain very loudly about the smoke inhalation. I've seen people surrender to jealousy and untapped depths of bigotry because they felt lonely and out of place. And I've seen people act as though no-one else is real and this means that they can take whatever their ego demands they be fed.

None of these things work for long, and none of them seem to satisfy - there will always be something missing in the attention and stimulation these dark paths cast an artist's way. And I'd feel sorry for all of them, if the more extreme exemplars weren't causing awful damage as they go.

Anyway, if you've more to add, please do so - no matter how slowly, sometimes, I do love to learn!

[aureli-us]

having watched punk hazard and just rewatched stampede, we need to talk more abt how much of a literal SASSPOT smoker is. like holy cannoli this guy is just so smug sometimes it's the GREATEST thing known to man

some notable lines:

"i'm listening" (vaguely sultry, while law is explaining a plan, one boot on top of buggy)

"well, you can tell me at least" (still vaguely sultry, law still explaining plan)

"what now, genius?!" (to law while they are in total freefall)

"i can do both" (somewhat sultry? to hina when she asks him to do his job and not his super secret personal agenda)

"doesn't sound like much of a plan but what can i say" (hilarious. talking shit abt law's plan to his face)

"you little-" (to sabo after being called "smokey")

"were you trying to fly into his fist?" (upon luffy getting smacked by douglas bullet)

"can someone stop him? moron, he never learns" (affectionate, but luffy getting smacked again)

"i'm so sick of running from this crap" (on punk hazard running from the poison gas for the 80th time)

"undone by your own powers, huh? that is some record-breaking stupidity" (stuck in the cage in punk hazard w law. this one is GENUINELY MY FAVORITE, ITS SO OUT OF POCKET)

"quiet, dumbass! stupid pirates, don't you realize the gravity of the situation here?" (to luffy. need i say more)

"QUIT YOUR BITCHING! YOU FOOLS COULDN'T STEAL CANDY FROM A BABY! you're not even worth suspecting🙄" (yelling at the G-5, one of my fav lines as well)

"you don't get to lecture me on the law" (i can't remember this one verbatim but towards the start of PH, aimed at the G-5)

- calls pretty much everyone younger than him (aka everyone) a "punk"

- says "crap" a lot bc PG-13 but absolutely means "shit". please let him say shit. just ONCE

- also lots of "well, damn" or "i'll be damned", sometimes in just the most (un)impressed voice and it makes me giggle

he probably has some zingers in loguetown and elsewhere (maybe his brief appearance in marineford) but these are all i can think of for now. anyway please spread smug smoker far and wide and never forget how insanely sassy this 36 year old dilf is

[ngt48fanshub]

ISSHUN NO HANABI RELAY INTERVIEW - OTSUKA NANAMI

"I want to be someone who fits as a center."

The first interview is with Otsuka Nanami, one of the triple center members.

Ⓠ How did you feel when you were chosen as one of NGT48's first triple centers? Nanami: I was genuinely happy to be selected as one of the senbatsu members and as one of the triple centers; it made me feel that what I have been doing until now wasn't wrong. I'm excited to see what colors the 10th single "Isshun no Hanabi," which is filled with so many firsts, will take on from here. I will do my best so that the position of the center, which I have been given this time, will be recognized by the fans and members as soon as possible.

I have always aimed to be the center, and I have worked hard together with the fans to stand in this place. When I first heard the news, I was very surprised, but I was truly happy to have been chosen. At the same time, it motivated me to become a person who fits the role of the center.

Ⓠ What was your first impression when you heard the single "Isshun no Hanabi"? Nanami: The beautiful and bright melody that naturally touches the heart, combined with the slightly bittersweet lyrics, is very characteristic of NGT48, and I was deeply moved. Once you hear it, it gets stuck in your head!

Ⓠ How would you describe the outlook of the song? Nanami: This song is like a firework with a sense of speed from the intro to the outro. Just like how the memory of fireworks remains in your heart, I want to deliver a performance that makes the memories and time spent with me unforgettable, even after many years.

Ⓠ What was your impression of the coupling track? Nanami: This time, I will be participating in "Namida ga Kareru Made Soba ni Iru". When you listen to this song, it gives you the feeling that you can overcome anything! It's a song that gives you power.

Ⓠ Could you share any memorable episodes related to the recording or music video (MV) shoot for the 10th single? Nanami: During the MV shoot, the three of us as the triple centers jumped into the pool while still in our school uniforms, and the 11 of us played with handheld fireworks. We really got to experience "youth"! I think the mood and structure of the video are unlike any MV we've had before.

"I want to work hard to become the face of the group."

Ⓠ Can you tell us about your special skills or something you won't lose to anyone in? Nanami: Right now, I still have a lot to improve, but I want to be able to proudly say that my talking skills are second to none. I enjoy talking to people and conveying things through words, so I want to gain a lot of experience in hosting and reporting work to make people and things shine through my words. Ⓠ What is your charming point? Nanami: It's my performance in theater shows. No matter what position I stand in, I always try to be the protagonist in my mind while on stage. I enjoy reading the lyrics thoroughly and thinking about how I want to present each song. I'll keep working hard to improve my singing and dancing. Ⓠ What are your dreams or goals for your future activities? Nanami: I want to take on more challenges in TV and radio work. Since I like hosting and reporting, my goal is to first become well-known in Niigata and eventually have my own regular show! Right now, I'm fully committed to each job I receive, striving to achieve good results, and working hard to become the face of the group. I also want to become someone who can continuously stand at the center of NGT48.

Currently, I'm performing in our theater show called "Omoide Ippai Kouen," which consists entirely of NGT48's songs. It's full of great songs, and the MC parts are always friendly and fun, making every performance a blast. Please come and enjoy my comments!

Ⓠ Can you recommend some spots in Niigata? Nanami: This spring, Niigata Station was renovated and now has an even better selection of restaurants and eateries. Among them, as a member of NGT48's Ramen Club, my top recommendation is "Tsubame-Sanjo Shumentei Jun." It's a sublime bowl with rich soup full of back fat and chewy noodles, which really hits the spot after a live performance. I highly recommend you try it!

Ⓠ Which NGT48 member are you paying attention to? Nanami: 3rd generation member Rua Isobe. Her dance skills are incredibly high, and lately, I've often seen her guiding her juniors during rehearsals. I hope she'll take the lead in driving NGT48's performances from here on! Ⓠ What TV shows and music do you like? What do you like about them? Nanami: I often watch morning news programs. I love how they always introduce new things and make the day ahead feel exciting. As for music, I mostly listen to idol songs! (LOL) I always find myself realizing how much I really love idols. Ⓠ A message to fans and readers? Nanami: Thank you for reading all the way to the end. We're putting our all into making the 10th single "Isshun no Hanabi" (A Momentary Firework) the best it can be! I hope you'll come to love NGT48. Please continue to support us!

(From The Television web, published 2024/08/18)

[the-crystal-femmes]

Honestly this may be my sleep deprivation talking but I do need to get this out here. This isn't aimed, please don't think it's aimed. Anyone this is potentially "aimed" at has been blocked for a bit. Putting under a cut cause I probably won't be able to see this later.

I don't know, but what the fuck is up with her getting triggered constantly? We have this deep paranoia that it's literally happening on purpose and that others have been literally trying to get a rise out of him. I know this is irrational, but it's so fucking constant, we've constantly had to do fucking damage control because she either fronted or emotionally bled onto me and there was shit that went down due to it.

Like this shit feels genuinely dangerous especially due to her past life and what would happen back then if this shit happened to him. There have been so many times I felt something was going to go SO fucking wrong and at this point we are legitimately scared and all I can do is just fucking pray it doesn't get to the point she suddenly harrasses someone and/or does something completely irredeemable.

She feels like he's some fucking monster for all of this. I keep tryna tell her that that's not the damn case, he was literally formed to do this shit, but my words aren't too helpful. It's all a tangled fucking mess and I just wish I could go. ONE FUCKING WEEK without feeling the need to go on a block spree because I'm afraid Ula is going to absolutely lose his shit and bring us to a dangerous point.

Like for fucks sake we just want. One. One fucking week where something doesn't happen. Honestly Ula being scary ain't the worst part, it's when he starts god damn crying because then, THEN I know shit's down the drain, hit the fan. It absolutely fuckin' terrifies me when Ula cries.

It's just eyeheysydbdhevrgwh fuck. I'm done. Don le with what I dunno. It's about 6am, I am sleep deprived off my ass and my period is wrecking my shit rn

[theskyexists]

Perhaps I will never find a book again that deals with female characters as protagonists the way I want again.

Anyway I try again! The world in a different place of the world. The Hallowed Hunt. The Weald. Makes sense that she'd pull demons riding humans and making up a balance out of the book - that's what I WAS THINKING.

So the girl was given away to be raped by a prince..uh huh. And she called on the Son of Autumn. I guess thats somehow a bit more effective than calling on the Daughter of Spring???? What are the Daughters weapons? The gender determinism in this (violence IS COSMOLOGICALLY a man's job, right, capability) is grating on me more and more.

But it seems strangely coincidental that the leopard also had a demon...or maybe he could see it. Or maybe she just got the one from the Prince.

Ah she thinks the truth can be seen as self-evident. The truth will be hidden of course. Ingrey has a decision to make. He doesn't conceive of it that way as of yet, pretends he's neutral, that the judge can be swayed and he won't have a say??

His duty is to deliver the girl. But he was also the investigator on the site. HELLO

What is it with this author and always hating on the female servants for being frightened, chatty, weak.

Oh damn, so r these animal spirits demons or just animal spirits? And then you don't go to heaven. Well. That sucks. In this land of certain heaven. Oh. Now they say the Wealdings DID worship the gods. Then why forsake your damn soul.

Always the men have to be older and more experienced. And if not, then always Ista must have equal men galore. And always women must prove somehow more capable than expected

Didn't save her, she saved herself, then tried to kill her, almost drowned, she saves him. Lol. But no romance please.....

Ah, she is the son's chosen...oh. she's not. But she MUST be. Ah the animal acts as spiritual channel.

So this animal stuff is wholly different from demons. It is the Son's business. Goes to show that even the Quintarian (ofc) can do genocides etc.

They assume HES saved her. Urgghg

Man. This better turn into a triumph for Ijada

Ok. So vines from all gods....but they are bad....

So why would disorder from a demon allow the animal spirits to lead their humans to a second reality.

It honestly seems that the Wealdings weren't half wrong about taking animal spirits within them. But is it really true that then they can't be taken up by their gods?? Who would do that to themselves???

Why is it that Ingray loses time and control of his body to his wolf when Ijada is perfectly at peace and one with her Leopard lol

I'm starting to warm up to the romance. That's because protagonist is a bit of a failman though normally quite competent, and his refusal to be a tool has stirred. It seems like he might be Ijadas equal and he is spiritually attracted to her (as well)

Yes. Ingray is leashed to some death centaur still...

They call the son ' brother' here. Is the Daughter also Sister?

Starting to like how the protag is falling all over himself discounting himself

Ah. A horse. Wencel is absolutely the man who has Ingray on a leash.

Does Wencel carry a demon on top of his animal?

Does Ingrey not REALISE that Wencel is digging and planting and trying to get rid of them??

Why would Wencel share this knowledge about the animal-god? Ijada might be right to say that he simply wants others to KNOW, smugly delightedly. But clearly he is possessed with a very old animal-spirit, passed down Horseriver kin.

Ah but so is Ingrey's. That's why he saw so much history.

It seems Ijada is also of some deep line, her dower being the genuine site of great genocide

Maybe Wencel yet aims to marry Ijada somehow to come by her dower. But he doesn't need to legally own it to enter.

The Ice Bear is the Daughters? No of course not - the Bastards. Forgot that the Bastard is also the Son's brother lol

Good thing Jokol the prince is himself deeply in love. He will surely want to help Ingrey. 'yep I love someone- she beat a prince to death bc he wwas trying to rape her at the time.' Lol

Oh. To be so an intimidating man as to be able to intimidate your very own master.

He did pretty well teling Hetwar and the Prince off. Appealing to higher ends, the gods, practical considerations, personal revenge (his).

The author is a woman, and I am sure it is nice j( I thought so) to inhabit the freedom's and greater powers and particular problems of patriarchy as a man. An insanely gifted man, always, of course. Bit i cannot inhabit it fully, when there is always such a tempting female character around to inhabit instead - not as object of pursuit, affections, admiration. But as subject....

I like how Ingrey is decidedly different from Ista and Cazaril - more doubtful.

Ah. The king was already immortal and bound. So that is who Wencel is.

Really describing some serious genocidal maniacry here. Darthacans were pretty crazy about colonising the Weald. I don't believe for a second that the Weald was so bad.

Ah right. The problem of empire. One sets boundaries to the land where one's people dwells. Then they are picked at by the other people, the enemy now. You campaign against them, conquer, set boundaries further in, but now these must be defended, and are picked at. And aren't you justified? Better to genocide the lot, make it all empire in one, for peace. For peace!

Right.

Yes well - Wencel the ancient animal spirit is telling them because he must emotionally tell them.

OH! So the Son comes to Ingrey but not to Ijada???

Yep there you go. They split animal from human spirit after death. No problemo. The Darthacans were idiots

So why does HE command the animal spirits. Anywayyyy. Ah because Ijada needs to be grateful to him. For no reason

Jeeze she's laying out magical possibilities and then when you think you've pinned it down she extends those possibilities AGAIN

If Ingrey is the Wencel Old Weald Prince heir then why would Wencel throw him away like that. I guess there must be other options. A younger Scion somewhere

So Ingrey or Wencel has to become King in order to break the spell and restore the old Weald. Doesn't make much sense that Horseriver king never headed a cultural campaign, and never aimed for the kingship.

The book will end as such: they will kill Wencel and in that moment call his melted hodgepodge of a soul out and into the Son's hunt. But not before Ingrey becomes king (breaking the spell and making such a thing possible). All in the same moment

Wouldn't it be great to be saved by a good, funny, wnd wonderful godblessed woman and be able to offer service and know that you were contributing to good with absolute certainty on a deeply personal level as well? Now that would be a good life. Every day a day of gratitude and friendship

This was the FIRST time he could have stolen the kingship back???

'The terrible charisma of kings... men crept close, longing to bask in it, for something more than material reward. The lure of heroism, the benediction of action, might have only death for its prize, and yet men flocked to the king's banner. The seductive promise of perfection of self in service to this high bright-seeming thing?'

Hah

Aha. The sons got elected before the fatherss died.

So .... They did a big spell that would have made the warriors immortal but only the king was in it yet. The gods did not come to help them and let them be slaughtered by Audar. (Seeing how much they meddle to resolve sticky supernatural situations - why can't they goddamn well meddle in politics some more). The culture was destroyed and colonised. They struggled free politically but very like their conquerers now. The king kept going and going, the warriors killed there could not reach the gods, and their souls could not be taken up anyway because of the animals. The king was so upset by the gods betrayal that he kept the place closed from the gods. Audar must have known and deliberately genocided 4000 not just lives but also eternities. The king tried to break the spell, because it was torment, and he could not get back the Old Weald. But he needed the Hallowed Kingship and the Banner woman and the Shaman to cut the loop of the spell. But how in the hell did that bit of Hallowed Kingship even end up in the current King? If the old Bannerman never made it out of the slaughter?

And what was up with that heart on the banner??? Why half half? What ???

The magic in this was elaborate and elaborately elaborated and in the beginning the mysteries too spoken and in the end the mysteries not enough explained.

[l0veraven]

I'm gonna throw my 25¢ into the convo, because this is very worth understanding. I'm gonna preface this with: no one is obligated to change their art style based off of questions or recommendations that people make. However...

I'm going to make my points by referring to the photos by number as they appear in kaleido-write's post. I will also refer to Leo as "he" throughout this post, but keep in mind his pronouns are he/they.

(Image 1)

Leo's post (using direct quotes) essentially boils down to:

Why are the clothing choices (sans maybe this chapter) so bland and uninspired?

Why are you against depicting skin pigmentation? [the context meaning: a constant natural blush on the cheeks, ears, nose, and general face]

Why have you only depicted disabilities that are caused by violent men?

I can't tell Rusty how to conduct herself, because it's ultimately her choice what to do or how to behave since she's (like many of us) an adult.

But here's the thing.

Rusty and her supporters have a strong habit of assuming that criticisms aimed at Rusty are a personal attack from the Lease Bound antis. I would honestly recommend that she try to ease up on her hostility because these questions, as they are, are just asking for clarification. They all ask "Why". Would it hurt to give a genuine and honest answer in the event it was actually a reader that liked the story.

Another thing to keep in mind is that not everyone is going to be so entrenched within her work. Some critiques commenters have made in the past have been met with "I can see that you haven't read the comic" or other related sentiments. I hate to say it, but if the audience is confused, then it's okay to give clarification.

(Image 2 & 3)

I find it odd how anything that isn't purely "practical and comfortable" is somehow "fashionable". Honey, I'm the furthest thing from fashionable, but it's fun to get creative with clothing sometimes. I'm also a practical person, but you can have fun with the way you look without it being really extravagant. You can also make simplified designs for many types of clothes. I'm not really seeing the point Rusty is trying to make.

Rusty says, "I have a preference for dressing practically and comfortable." Cool. But not everyone has that same outlook. I'm saying this because it's good to add elements of realism to a webcomic that aims to focus on real issues that lesbians face.

Color schemes also won't kill you. It'd actually be really useful if you had color palettes saves of your characters because it would help with skin tone consistency. Yes, I'm a POC that is bothered by the inconsistencies in the characters' skin tones, still. Also, color schemes aren't just for merchandising (which is your primary argument against using color schemes for some reason). I'm honestly wondering if we're even operating on the same definition of color palettes to be honest with you.

Realism will matter in many works that are made, especially for webcomics that are intended to be grounded within reality (unless you're claiming your comic is supposed to be unrealistic).

She could've simply answered, "I don't want to draw hyperpigmentation." I'm glad she directed him to her FAQ, though. I'm certain he has more questions that might have already been addressed there.

I also don't think the commenter was even trying to say self harm scars are a disability. I feel like she's not trying to engage with anyone that doesn't blindly agree with her. It's okay to be asked questions.

At no point did the commenter even say "you broke art rules," so please stop acting like that's what the point being made is.

(Image 4)

Continuing from my previous sentence, "Not everyone is out to drag you down." Rusty just has a hard time taking criticism and that inherently makes someone a worse artist. Ask many people in the artist sphere. You NEED to be able to handle criticism in order to improve (and no, Rusty does not have to be perfect).

(Image 5)

I also don't give a fuck about what Crypty says lmao. She's not relevant. This is a comment about YOU, the creator of a webcomic that generates more unanswered questions. I'm just saying, if people outside of the "haters" are asking the same exact questions, it might be worth reflecting on. You can't just assume that everyone is out to hate from asking questions.

(Image 6)

Crypty, you do realize that the questions asked weren't even nitpicky, right? I think everyone absorbed too much of Rusty's angered response that they didn't see how not-so-hostile Leo was.

(Image 7)

This just emphasizes that she's only willing to engage with people that endlessly praise her work. The best novelists still use editors to ensure that they can make their books the best they can be. It's beneficial to listen (but maybe not always follow) to what the comments are saying could be better. It's ultimately food for thought. No one is forcing you to do anything (after all, we're separated by screens).

Anyways, that's all that I wanted to add. I genuinely hate how she's unable to engage in good faith with people that are asking questions or giving critiques (in ways that aren't even close to how aggravated she gets in her replies).

I feel that at this point, she should put a section on the home page of the webcomic saying:

"Don't leave art critiques in the comments".

When people post art, you're gonna get critiques unless you post something saying to do otherwise (it's not always a guarantee, but hey, at least you're setting a boundary, right?).

However, I think it's good to have people critique your work. It might help to make your webcomic better!

Leasebound: artsyle or art choices

I've seen the latest comment and wanted to add information and context my credentials on the matter are being a multidisciplinary art student , I've done pretty much any type of art you can think about going from glass painting to kabuki theater.

Leo here this absolute king was eloquent and very nice in his questions wich i absolutely love , he showed a level of respect rusty isn't capable of

And here is rusty reply

1.

We start terribly wrong here , clothing *is* about personality, it is about someone preferences , likes , dislikes ect . Its here to tell us about the characters

Such as , well any characters in media their fashion style is representation of who they are , and the same goes irl .

Let's use the howl house as an exemple because it's a really great dos and donts made by a women so hopefully rusty will swallow better the criticism ! Dana uses fashion to show the evolution of her character and their personality , reducing fashion as unnecessary is a tell that rusty doesn't know anything about character design nor how to make a story that matters and make sense

And what do i mean by matters ? Because it can sound harsh and mean I admit it , i mean something that tell us something, not just a place holder to say she is relevant nor good because she made a comic . Because you can do something for a long time and still be bad at it . Time isn't always an indicator of something value

2.

Color schemes are completely natural in artwork ??? What is she talking about ??

Color schemes are so so important to ensure the color coordination of your panels , to ensure everything fits together without being such different color it will give a headache , color schemes are there to tell stories to and her complete lack of acknowledgement towards it tells me everything i need to know about her as an artist

She doesnt know anything about the theories nor is her limited art knowledge truly worked on , she simply started drawing one day and never bothered to study anything art related

3.

Its actually quite simple to do , all that work you find monstrous rusty is actually the before work you do , its the work you do to get to know your own characters and how you will tell your story , and it's quite easy to do , you simply lack the imagination and understanding of the importance of forework

4.

No rusty nobody is insulting your skills , Leo was simply asking about your stylistic choices , yk what you claim is an art style? Because there's a difference between the 2 if you didn't knew wich i know you don't.

5.

Rusty , you made a comic on the basis that lesbians don't have enough representation. How can you in your right mind complain over people asking if you will represent them too , how stuck up do you have to be really .

Also many many 1 person comics have theses little details , details that are not concise , like Jaden tattoo !! But apparently that tattoo and shez tattoo aren't too annoying to draw uh ?

You can pick and chose what you want to represent but don't belittle people for asking why you're representation is a very selective way of portraying lesbians , representation that at its core is the lesbians you would be attracted to nobody is blind enough to not realize you do that , especially with how much every main character slowly start to look like each other .

6.

Actually rusty you did break art design rules and comic making rules to actually make the comic go better and faster . You just don't know them so obviously you can't know that you broke them because you're too ignorant to actually study art properly

In conclusion no one (again) discussed rusty actual artstyle wich involve the way she draws , that's the artstyle

The art choices are wich color to use , the design choices ect , so thank you for anyone to actually take the time to learn what an artstyle is and maybe yall will stop bitching and moaning about a fight that doesn't exist .

Also special shout out to Sarah 🫶 hope you doing good too

Unfortunately yet again rusty and her over inflated ego took over any sense she may have and decided to just be absolutely mean and awful once more

Sarah only showed to you that a color palette is used *everywhere* (i will use neutral pronouns but if Sarah wish for me to correct the text with the appropriate pronouns I will) they came forward to show her and she had the audacity to complain ??? They didn't latch onto it they simply wanted to help you improve

It is a mistake rusty , you're actively making art mistakes because you don't know shit about art . You keep having the sheer audacity when many people who actually study art tell you you're wrong and making mistakes .

Yikes since you can't insult him you decided to misgender him ? You're right rusty you're not stupid you're pathetic cruel and mean and can't differentiate hate from genuine comments for wich reason ? Oh wait I know ! Because everyone that came forward with good tips and advice you see it as hate , you have no distinction of it because if someone doesn't comfort you into your self idealized version of yourself you feel too challenged and the idea of growing to be better is terrifying to grown ass women like you .

You seem to be incredibly bitter over making your comic for free , and to think of the hatedom as genuine interest when no rusty, me personally I simply take great joy in dissecting your work and seeing every mistakes you make , because you're a terribly mean person that has no idea what respect is and can't be respectful to people if they're not your bootlicker , i pity your friends and fans , they must live in fear of saying the wrong thing and make you mad

Cola we all blocked you because you too have no idea what you're talking about you too can't even tell us what is an artstyle from art choices

A great exemple of representation and simplified artwork is "high class homo" on webtoon with the main lesbian princess having a prosthetic leg or again "the cursed princess club" wich is amazing and has a simplified artstyle

What we are critiquing are art choices , please you all should go take art classes and learn a fraction of what I know

But rusty , Leo was good faith , Sarah was good faith , we are all good faith you simply chose to see it as attacks because of your over inflated ego , please go to therapy you need it more than me , learn that other people have feelings ok ?

No , it is a hatedom rusty , I do not in the slightest enjoy your work riddled with mistakes and hatred for anyone that doesn't conform to your narrow definition of how people should be.

If you're losing money then..stop it ? Stop complaining about losing money , if you have health issues too you should put that all first instead of a comic .

[ineffably-human]

guess I'm seeing enough bad takes that I'm gonna write meta about a thing I haven't even properly consumed yet, lord fucking help me

tagging this more broadly but it is about wwdits 4x9 and 4x10 leaks, mostly 4x9. here is the cut you are warned do not pass go etc etc.

So I'm not touching most of the Marwa side of things with a ten foot pole yet, because I want to hear certain specific lines in English/with full context before I determine how we, the audience, are meant to feel about how things end up with her. (Meant to is key term here.) We're gonna put that on the side table for the most part.

This is about 4x9 and Nandermo. This is about 4x9 and how it is actually good for Nandermo, in my point of view. Because if I've read summaries/translations/done Google Transcript the right way I think everyone is missing something here. Several somethings.

First of all, let me just say: this is a story in which Nandor likes the same things Guillermo likes. We'll come back to that.

Nandor specifically says he doesn't want to cheat on Marwa, marriage is important to him, he never cheated on any of his 37 wives. And he has no doubt he could steal him, but says it would be cruel to take Freddie from Guillermo.

So he reacts exactly how a narcissistic, polyamorous man with zero emotional intelligence, who's spent the last 700 years having orgies and casual threesomes with his married housemates, would react. He genuinely does not think there's a problem with what he's doing. Guillermo has a Freddie, Nandor has a Freddie, problem solved and everyone's happy.

On their twinsies dates, Guillermo says that this time with Freddie has made him realize how much he needs a life outside work, because somethingsomething about how he keeps thinking he sees Nandor everywhere and it's crazy how much room Nandor takes up in his mind. We will also come back to that.

When Guillermo finds them together, he basically says 'maybe this is a whim to you but it was important to me' and explains the seriousness of it, that Nandor has found a way to take everything from him. ("You take and you take and you take...") And Nandor could leave it at that. Because Guillermo is still video chatting with his own Freddie, and is resentfully just trying to kind of suck it up. Nandor can still have what he wants.

But Nandor doesn't leave it at that.

And he doesn't fully understand, at all. But he's genuinely happy with the Freddie situation, at least for now, as shallow as it is. And he still proceeds to try and give that up for Guillermo. To give his Freddie to Guillermo, first, although Guillermo refuses. (And again - this is a very dumb polyamorous man. He does not see the problem with this.) And then to let go of Freddie, which means letting go of Marwa, which means he has been trying to 'perfect' this marriage whim of his all season. He's finally located something that, at least for the moment, worked very well for him. And he has deliberately given that up for Guillermo.

He's chased after Guillermo before (which is reactive and based on his own needs), or tried to uplift him and make him feel included. But I don't think we've ever seen him sacrifice anything for Guillermo before. I don't think we've seen him do that for anyone.

Nandor at his worst is self-absorbed and self-involved. He's desperate for attention so he gets infatuated with the tiniest crumb of it. Someone who can take his reins, so to speak, like Jan or like Gail stringing him along - he can be incredibly giving to them, because he's aiming for the attention that comes with pleasing someone. But when someone shows him kindness or their own desire to please, he starts viewing them as an extension of his own whims. His own wishes. And that makes him happy for a while, until it bores him, and then that person is...just a little too familiar.

That's who Guillermo was for a long time. That's who Marwa is now, that's what Freddie might well have become eventually. And it means Nandor doesn't have to self-examine or deal with his insecurities, or be vulnerable, or risk rejection or loss.

But Guillermo both gives acts of service and is pushing for his own life and power. He'll both support Nandor and call him out. He's both lover and fighter. And Nandor spent season 3 starting to see Guillermo as someone whose power he could accept, someone he could trust to take care of him. Now he's starting to see Guillermo outside the lens of himself.

He keeps Marwa as Freddie because she seems happier that way. (Again, I...will deal with this post-season or at least post-episode because yeah.) He sends his Freddie back to England to try and make it up to Guillermo. And he says something along the lines of:

"Maybe love is more than someone liking all the things you like. Freddie always said he wanted to see the world. It looks like I'm the one granting wishes now." And he is genuinely hurting to see Freddie go.

Maybe love is caring about someone else's happiness over yours. Maybe love is learning to think about what others might want, and why. Maybe love is admitting you fucked up even if you don't fully understand it, taking someone else's pain seriously.

Meanwhile: Freddie. Who is open and agreeable and falls immediately into bed with Nandor, and just as easily starts snatching Guillermo's video calls away to chat with himself. Who has enough narcissism to not get bored by a copy of his own desires - instead he falls in love with himself, cheating on Guillermo in the process. Nothing about Nandor's wish forced him to do that. That's who Guillermo's first boyfriend turned out to be, and if that's true then maybe Freddie isn't who Guillermo thought he was. But Guillermo certainly isn't who Freddie thinks he is, either.

And in 4x10, he describes the breakup with Freddie as "my first serious boyfriend left me for...himself," so he doesn't blame Nandor for that either. There's a wall between him and Nandor but honestly? That's been happening all season.

4x10 is a whole other can of worms and I'm not sure how I feel about it yet. I wrote about it a bit before and I want to write about it again after it actually airs. But what I will say is: Guillermo talks about how nothing changes. And that's the question of the season, right? Can you change or are you going to stay the same person forever?

Does Guillermo think Nandor's Freddie left of his own accord, or does he understand what Nandor did? Does he view that as someone who is starting to change? And is that change enough?

[fairyoftbz]

it's never too late... | b. jacob

🏀 pairing: crush! basketball player! jacob x fem!reader 🏀 genre: high school!au, fluff, (sort of) strangers/acquaintances-to-lovers 🏀 word count: 5.2k 🏀 tw: very cliché 😳 and it goes kinda fast lmaoo 🏀 a/n: lisa I'm sorry I took this long to do your request, but I hope you'll like it nonetheless!! ALSO: to my fellow Americans, here football = soccer!! 🏀 requested: yes! thank you lisa!! @skrtbabe

╰☆☆☆☆╮

You had waited for this time since the beginning of your academic journey there. Graduating from high school was two months away, and it felt just as exciting as weird.

It felt like you had started your first year last week, but the amount of work and time spent in those dull buildings makes you feel like you’ve been there for at least five years.

It was exhausting to attend classes and see the same people every single day of the year, with repetitive subjects, annoying or cool teachers depending on your luck and everything that followed. The homework, the assignments, the small -or not so small- fights between classes or groups of people, you were praying that university wouldn’t sound like that.

However, at the same time, you were almost starting to feel nostalgic for this time. The last years where you could remain a bit silly before entering the adult world, being in your last teen years with people that you appreciated and met there. You chose to do this before letting them go and live your own lives, memories that will disappear if you don’t cherish them enough.

So, with Soyeon, your best friend, you decided to enjoy the time that you had left to do things together while still studying and revising for the exams, which was sometimes not easy to do. Yes, you shared classes, but personal and private activities sometimes came in the way and prevented you from hanging out.

“It’s life after all,” she said one night over the phone as you shared your opinion on this topic, “it’s good that we can be together almost 24/7, but sometimes, things don’t allow us to be together. It might be for the best, we never know,” she said, trying to be positive no matter the situation she was in, but you knew her well. As much as she wants to appear strong, you had found her many times crying on her own. But it was her personality, and no matter how hard you tried to change her, what's bred in the bone comes out in the flesh.

Soyeon wasn’t your only friend, you were getting along well with most of your girl classmates, as well as the boys that weren’t suffocating under the number of pick-me-girls that were populating your school and your class.

Sadly for you, you’ve been eyeing the most popular (and prettiest) boy in your whole school since you crossed gaze with him at the very beginning of your first year there. Jacob, your crush, was also the star basketball player of your school, and constantly surrounded and attracting cheerleaders or rich, random, good-looking girls, which had a knack for getting on your nerves. He was always spending time together with his pals and teammates, but other people as well. Everyone wanted to be his friend because you know, he had a promising career ahead of him, so it was always nice to be friends with a potential future celebrity.

As defeated as you were, there was still a small voice in your head telling you to do something before he left to go back to his home country, South Korea, where he had a career already planned and traced out.

You were confused as it was almost impossible for you to get a chance with him since you were not one of those girls and you simply couldn’t compete against them, but Soyeon and her boyfriend Sunwoo were always there to praise you and reassure you about your potential chances of dating him. Never convinced by your friends’ words, you had tried many times to get him out of your head and focus on someone else, but it never worked. Everything came back to him. He was unique and oh so nice, everything reminded you of him, and it was sickening at this point.

“He won't get out of my head, it’s getting on my nerves,” you shared your thoughts to your best friend as you braced your head in your hands, slapping your cheeks as if it were going to change anything and help you throw Jacob out of your brain.

“Why do I keep this stupid boy in my head when I know I don’t stand a single chance against those girls,” you slapped your cheeks harder and whined as Soyeon’s hand landed on your wrist.

“Y/N, stop your nonsense. You are perfect, you don’t need to change anything for him!”

“It’s easier said than done, you pulled the football star player!” you exclaimed, and she rolled her eyes, shifting closer to whisper.

“He pulled me because he knew that I am pretty, and that wouldn’t change a single thing for him. If he’s not happy with who I am, he can leave,” she shrugs, signalling you to do the same if you dated Jacob.

Sunwoo was also among the popular boys, but your friend remained the same, not even trying to fit in with the popular girls. She claimed that Sunwoo fell in love with her for her true self, so she didn’t see the point of changing to please other people. And you wished you had her confidence and her strength, admiring her for not changing anything about herself to please others.

Back to the present.

You felt stuck, desperately in love with an unapproachable boy who was too popular and way out of your league to be lucky to have his eyes sparing you any sort of attention. Even if he was a sweet young man, he was always surrounded by popular people, who were trying to hook up or use him for his school fame and sharp features.

One day, while studying with your best friend at the library, Sunwoo and one of his friends, Hyunjae, the football captain, burst into the library and come not so quietly to your table.

“For the love of God, can you both be quiet for once?” Soyeon whispered-yelled but her voice got toned down by Sunwoo vividly pressing his lips on hers, an arm wrapping around her shoulders. Hyunjae laughed but quickly gagged as they didn’t stop the kiss as quickly as the captain wished.

“Gosh, please, get a room,” he mumbled before hugging you, your knee resting against his as his arms pressed you against his chest.

Your friendship with Hyunjae felt more like siblings, he was genuinely nice and caring with you, making sure that you were okay and that you had enough of everything before allowing you to go home. Despite all the teasing and a few rumours going around school, you were not dating and didn’t have any romantic feelings for each other. He simply checked that you had an older brother figure since you were the first-born child, and it felt relieving.

The thing you did not know was that Jacob and a few of his basketball teammates, Juyeon, Eric and Younghoon, were a few tables away from yours, your back facing them, the future star looking at you and Hyunjae from the corner of his eyes. He nodded at his friend at your table, who gave him a wink as an answer, Jacob’s eyes burning holes into your back as Hyunjae was close to you. Too close to you for the basketball player not to feel something churn in his stomach.

Two long, manicured fingers snapped in front of his eyes to get him out of his reverie, lazily looking at the girl that sat across from him, who he was supposed to get help from.

“Jacob please, pay attention to meeeeee,” she whined and pouted, giving him puppy eyes that he couldn’t give a single fuck about, too busy in his mind to hear what she had to say.

She had volunteered to help him study History, but she wasn’t any better, probably worse than he was. It was already the third time Juyeon corrected her basic knowledge without being an expert himself, not even caring about the death glares she kept sending him. It only made him smirk as he knew it irked her dearly yet amused the rest of the table a lot.

They all sighed as she finally took the hint and left their table, Jacob bitterly chuckling as Hyunjae rolled his eyes when she walked past your table, his demeanour making you laugh.

╰☆╮

“Bro, do you think I should ask Y/N for help? Isn’t that a bit… lame?” Jacob sat on one of the soccer balls, hands joined and panting as Sunwoo practised his dribbling skills before shooting the ball in the cages, aiming for the up-right corner. He trotted to his friend and collapsed on the grass next to him, the last rays of sunshine offering his skin a wonderful, honey glow. He ruffled his hair after plopping down, checking his phone for any message before answering.

“If you need help, you shouldn’t be afraid to ask her. I mean, she’s super smart in every subject, but she’s just the boss in History. Her presentations are always golden, and she explains things a lot better than some of the teachers.”

“I got Smith as a teacher,” the basketball player grimaced, his left hand holding his right wrist as his gaze wandered in the grass.

“We’ve got Antal, and I can tell you that she’s always mad when Y/N does a presentation because they honestly just sound better than her lessons,” Sunwoo chuckled as Jacob pondered his friend’s words, the gears of his mind working at full speed.

How is he going to be able to approach you and get to talk to you?

╰☆╮

“Bestie, no. I swear I saw that in the other book,” you said as you found yourself back in the library the following week, bending over the table to grab the book your best friend was resting hers on. You started flipping some pages when a loud, masculine chortle followed by some whispers of annoyance drawing your attention.

“Hi, babe! Hi Hyunj- Oh hi Jacob!” your neck almost snapped as you abruptly lifted your head up at the mention of your crush’s name, a small, embarrassed smile making its way on your mouth. You were a bit sad that your brother best friend was not here with Sunwoo, but you weren’t going to complain to have your crush instead.

“Can I sit here?” the basketball player asked in a soft voice while pointing at the empty spot next to you, making you quickly nod and gather your stuff to make him some space.

You resumed searching for the precious paragraph you were searching for your project as if it were nothing, trying to ignore your stammering heart in your chest and the couple eating each other's mouths. The only thing you hoped was that Jacob couldn’t hear the loud, irregular beats in your ribcage because it would give in your attraction to him.

“Hum, Y/N?” the voice next to you made you flinch, surprised that he knew your name and that he said it aloud.

“Y-Yes?” you said, cursing in your head as you stuttered.

“I heard that you were the Ace when it came to History,” Jacob started, and you couldn’t look at him in the eyes, fire spreading in your chest up to your face.

“I can’t really say that I’m the Ace, but I really love that subject, so yeah I have some… knowledge,” words tripped over your tongue, and your best friend pulled away from Sunwoo and scoffed.

“Some knowledge? Are you kidding?” she said, Sunwoo placing a hand on her mouth as she was louder than intended. She removed his palm and furrowed her brows at him, before turning her head back at you with the same angry expression.

“She knows so fucking much that Antal hates her because she feels humiliated compared to Y/N. So let me tell you one thing, Cobbie, if you need help, you’ve come to the right person. Y/N is just a living encyclopaedia,” your best friend proudly smirked as you glowered at her, Sunwoo chuckling at his girlfriend’s behaviour before immediately stopping.

“Wait, did you call him Cobbie? How come you call him like that when I get nothing other than babe or baby?” Sunwoo argued while pouting, and your best friend sighed, ruffling his hair before pressing her lips against his one more time, making you slightly grimace as envy flooded your veins.

You sighed and dared to look at Jacob, who was reading the beginning of your essay written on your computer, leaving Sunwoo and your best friend bicker like the cute couple they were.

“Do you have this project too?” you asked, and he shook his head, eyes remaining glued on the computer screen.

“It’s so interesting what you wrote, I like your way of writing and explaining stuff,” he offered a small smile as he looked at you, clearing his throat. For someone that was super popular and constantly surrounded by friends or people at parties, he behaved and sounded quite like an introvert.

“W-Well, thank you,” you said with a smile and turned your head to the side for a second, taking a deep breath before looking back at him, opening a new tab on your computer after he gestured to you that he was done reading.

“What do you need help with?”

╰☆╮

You were astonished at how quick-minded Jacob was. Behind his fit, muscular appearance and obsession with basketball, he had the soul of a thinker and grasped the knowledge of historical concepts quite easily and rapidly. He just wasn’t good with the way Smith was teaching, the method not suiting him.

“You retain things well for someone who hates History,” you joked, and he shyly smiled, scratching his neck. His smile looked gorgeous, and you were pleasantly surprised at how much of a genuine person he was.

“Well, History is not my cup of tea, but it might be a bit more thanks to you,” he said, and you tried to stifle a smile, thankful that your best friend was no longer sitting across from you because she wouldn’t have let you two live.

“It’s nothing. You can come back to me if you need help, I really don’t mind. I actually like explaining things,” you said, and he nodded, clicking your pen close before placing it in your pouch.

“Thank you, really. Sunwoo was actually the one that told me about you, so I have to thank him as well,” you stood up and slowly started to pack your stuff, shutting down your computer with a smile.

“I’m glad he did so, I just hope it was positive,” you giggled, and he quickly joined you, twirling his pen in between his fingers as he cleared his throat.

“You know, it’s Sunwoo. It can only be nice and positive,” you genuinely smiled at him and fall in silence, throwing glances at each other from time to time as the conversation was slowly starting to die down.

“And... How’s basketball going by the way? Is everything going well?” you asked, and his heart skipped a beat at your question as it took him off guard.

“I-It’s going pretty well, I’m excited to finish high school to be able to focus on basketball. I’m gonna have to take some of my last finals in South Korea because the season and the training start pretty early in Summer so…” his voice trailed as his eyes widened, a hand slapping his mouth as you both stood up.

“What?” you quizzed, confused by his sudden change of behaviour.

“I… was meant to keep this a secret,” his voice trailed, the end of his sentence falling in a whisper as he started panicking. “Can we pretend you didn’t hear what I said?” he asked as you placed your bag strap on your shoulder, taking your sweater before pushing the chair against the table.

“Said what?” you replied with a smile, and Jacob sighed in relief, somehow feeling like his secret was safe with you, even if you’ve talked to him for the first time at the beginning of the afternoon.

╰☆╮

The rest of the month rolled off smoothly, yet the stress and the revisions became more intense as the days went by. You didn’t hear anything back from Jacob, but you’ve caught him staring at you a few times, offering him an awkward wave and a smile as not to get noticed by some of his “fan girls”, as they called themselves.

You still had a whole month left before finals, and you felt blessed as summer decided to start a bit earlier this year. It was only the beginning of May, but you were already able to wear shorts and dresses. It felt good to see the blue sky and being surrounded by the warmth of the sun hitting your exposed skin after the cold, lonely winter and spring you’ve just got out of. Everything looked prettier and warmer, and it did nothing but make you happier and brighter, despite the stress of the finals piling up on your shoulders.

So, to get rid of this pressure, you decided to leave town with Hyunjae and let him drive to one of the lakes that surrounded your town, knowing that the beach and parks would get crowded in no time. It was a place that you used to go to with your parents when you were still a child, memories that you shared with your friend coming back flooding in your mind.

Hyunjae and his family tagged along to give you some company and take care of you as your parents were busy looking after your newborn twin sisters, Hyunjae and his younger brother acting like elder siblings to you.

After driving for a few dozens of minutes, you settled your stuff in the shade, right under a weeping willow that offered you freshness throughout the entire day. Your best friend napped almost the entire time you were there, hand lingering on his abs while the other plucked out some grass until he dozed off, trying to store as many hours of rest as possible before finals. By his side was you, reading a book and enjoying the chilly water to cool down from the hot temperatures of early Summer, playfully nudging the young man next to you each time he was starting to snore.

It’s near the middle of the afternoon that you heard another car pulling up near the lake, a bunch of excited teenagers coming out of a van. You didn’t pay much attention to them, only sighing as your peace was about to get ruined, their screams when they jumped in the water woke your best friend up.

He abruptly sat up next to you and rubbed his eyes, some sleeping marks lingering on his face, making you giggle. Being the short-sighted idiot that he was, he squinted to try and recognise some people, but he didn’t have to.

A young woman screamed and started jumping up and down, waving her arms above her head in your direction, hearing her scream something towards you.

You looked at each other with Hyunjae, confusion painted on your faces, hearing your phone buzz in your small bag hidden by your folded clothes.

“Hello?” you said as Hyunjae’s phone started vibrating too, picking up the call as well.

“Y/N, it’s us! We’re on the opposite side of the lake! Come and join us!” you heard your best friend yell in your ear, hearing her as well through Hyunjae’s phone, who picked up a call from her boyfriend.

“Okay, we’re coming!” you excitingly said as you hung up, waving at your best friend from your spot as you started packing your stuff to get back in the car and meet up with your friends.

Your best friend excitingly jumped in your arms as soon as you got out of the car,

“Tt’s crazy how we’re so connected! Did you also think that the beach would be crowded?” she asked, and you nodded with a smile, happy to see her this joyful to see you.

The inseparable duo was here, as well as Younghoon, Jacob, Eric, Juyeon and Sangyeon, the striker of the football team. They all engulfed you in a tight hug, Jacob staying in the background the entire time.

“Hi Jacob!” you brightly said and wrapped your arms around his neck, hugging him close. “Hi Y/N,” his answer vibrated in his chest and had repercussions in yours, sending your heart flying in your ribcage.

You looked so good being this carefree, it was thankfully a sight that he managed to imprint in his mind despite the shortness of the moment. Being surrounded by all your friends felt so good that you forgot to be awkward and worry about the stupidest things, and Jacob adored seeing you this natural and smiling in the company of your friends. He was a bit sad that he wasn’t fully the reason for your smile though, but he still managed to enjoy the rest of the day with you and your mutual friends, whether you were on the ground or in the water.

Sangyeon, Younghoon and Juyeon copied Hyunjae and joined him in a restoring nap, while Eric, Sunwoo, Jacob, Soyeon and you played different games in the water, improvising a volleyball match with an imaginary net and the ball Sunwoo took with him as the volleyball, but it did the job. It was just a bit hurtful for the liberos since it wasn’t as soft and bouncy as a volleyball, but the joy of the moment allowed any type of pain to become bearable.

The evening eventually started to settle in, and you all got out of the water, drying yourselves before deciding to spend a part of the night here. You helped Sangyeon build a bonfire in the safe area by bringing some different branches, the eldest placing them correctly before lighting them with his pocket lighter.

“Hyung! I didn’t know you were a boy-scout,” Sunwoo exclaimed and made everyone laughed as you all were sliding some marshmallows on a stick, Sangyeon smiling with modesty at everyone.

“Ya, don’t say this,” Sangyeon mumbled, and you smile, rubbing his upper back as he sat down next to you, thanking him when you handed him over his marshmallow stick.

“Oh no! Mine burnt,” Soyeon pouted when she retrieved her snack from the flames, and her boyfriend was quick to give her his sweets, Eric cooing at the gesture of affection.

“Give it to me, I like them burnt,” he mumbled as he bit in the fluffy texture, immediately regretting it as it was boiling. His girlfriend handed him water as he stood up, bouncing up and down to try and reduce what felt like flames in his mouth.

“Oh my, thanks babe,” he muttered with his mouth stuffed when he gulped down everything with a pained expression on his face. Eric’s eyes filled with boredom locked into yours and you both chuckled, your friend shaking his head.

“When is it gonna be my turn,” he huffed and Sunwoo hit him playfully in the back as you all laughed around the bonfire, relating to your friend.

“When you’ll stop being obsessed with football and mango juice,” Eric grunted and folded his arms over his chest as Sangyeon called him out, making you coo and playfully run to him, holding him against you as he fake-cried on your chest while everyone was laughing at him.

Except for Jacob, who only offered a weak smile, but you didn’t catch it, too busy having fun and being light-hearted with your friends.

After your stomachs were filled with sweets and soda, Sunwoo pulled out his guitar and strummed a soft melody until some became heavy-eyed or fell asleep against the other, his girlfriend succumbing to his musical talents first. Jacob looked exhausted as well but forced his eyes open, finding him even hotter with hooded eyelids and his hair slightly curling with the humidity of the air and the lake water.

When it was time to go home, Hyunjae, as well as Younghoon, Sunwoo, Soyeon and Eric decided to jump into Hyunjae’s car to go to the beach, feeling the urge and the thrill of going skinny-dipping. On the other hand, you and the rest of the boys were too exhausted and modest to do this, only wanting to go home and get some good rest.

Just like they had arrived, Sangyeon was behind the wheel while the rest was either next to him or in the back seat. And you didn’t know how it happened, but you got stuck between the window and Jacob, who was struggling to keep his eyes open.

“You good?” you asked, and he turned his head towards you before offering you a tired yet sweet smile, moving his head up and down.

“I'm just exhausted, tonight was simply amazing,” he mumbled, and you expressed your agreement by a happy hum and a nod, bringing your attention to your eldest friend.

“Are you sure you’re awake enough to drive?” you enquired on the current situation and Sangyeon looks at you through the inner rear-view mirror, eyes forming two crescent moons as he smiled.

“I just jumped in the water, I’m nothing but awake,” he clapped in his hands to motivate himself and started the engine, your best friend’s car already gone.

Jacob rested his head against the headrest and closed his eyes, his head rolling to the side each time Sangyeon took a turn. You settled yourself on the window and let the vibrations of the car lull you to sleep, the small talk that Sangyeon and Juyeon were having in the front seats acted like a background noise, which helped you dozing off.

However, when the car pulled up in front of your house, they didn’t expect you to have your head resting against Jacob’s shoulder, his hand on your knee. The two men smiled at each other before Sangyeon got out of the vehicle, drawing the door open. As he was about to carry you to your doorstep, Jacob’s arm was quick to wrap itself around your waist, keeping you close to him.

You woke up confused, blinking a few times as you saw the striker standing next to you with a wide smile on his face. He removed a limb around your body, and you felt someone groan under your right shoulder, noticing in dread that you snuggled up to Jacob for some warmth in your sleep.

“You gotta go before the beast wakes up,” Sangyeon joked and winked as he helped you get out of the car, closing the door behind you. It opened again a few seconds later, Jacob looking just as confused as you were.

“Come on, lovebirds, we don’t have the night.”

“Lovebirds?” Jacob and you asked in unison, the basketball player rubbing his eye with the back of his hand. He jumped out of the van and gestured to Sangyeon to get back in.

“You can go, I live just around the corner,” he drowsily said as he vaguely gestured behind him.

“You sure? Your house is on my way back home, I can drop you off,” Sangyeon suggested but he refused, offering a handshake to the striker before letting him go.

Being more awake now, you waved at your friends driving away before turning to your crush, who looked even more adorable as he was super sleepy and just woke up.

“Are you sure you’re gonna be okay? You look really tired,” you asked, voice still laced with sleep yet sounding caring, which made Jacob’s heartbeat fasten. He nodded and weakly smiled, taking a step closer to you. His attitude was a bolt from the blue as he wrapped his arms around your waist, pulling you to him, nuzzling his face in your neck.

“You felt so warm during the ride, it’s almost like I could get used to this,” he tiredly said with a smile, gently pulling away to stare at you, his fingers leaving your back to come and slide a wild piece of hair behind your ear. Your whole body stiffened at his words as he stared at you in the eyes, noticing a small, washed-out smirk plastered on his face.

“Don’t you think it’s a bit... late to start something with someone? I mean, we have finals and then y-you’re le-leaving for South Korea and-” you started stammering as his thumb gently stroked your cheek, loving watching you lose your composure at his display of affection.

“It’s never too late when you love someone,” he whispered, feeling his warm breath tickling your lips in such a delicious manner that you have to resist the urge to move forward and press your lips against his.

His words punched the air out of your lungs, leaving you breathless as he kissed your cheek, mouth slowly moving to the side until it reached your lips. The kiss was soft yet a bit on the rougher side as if he wanted you to understand every feeling he had for you. Instinctively, your arms wrapped around his shoulders, and you kissed him harder, deeper, his hands on your lower back pulling you flush against him.

You had dreamt, wondered about what it was like kissing Jacob, but it never felt as good as you were experiencing it now. Fireworks and butterflies were erupting in your stomach, leaving you dizzy with love and passion as one of his hands came and cupped your cheek, the pad of his thumb gently caressing the skin.

Once you pulled away for oxygen, you held onto his shoulders for your dear life and he chuckled, his mouth slowly travelling down to your neck.

“I-I think my… my- oh my god, my parents will worry,” you gently pushed him away and he stared at you with a smile before diving in to capture your lips in another soft kiss.

“I'm only letting you go if you're free tomorrow. Let's put that off to tomorrow, shall we?” he asked, and your eyes widened at his suggestion.

“We can go back to the lake if you want, but only if we’re alone,” he said, his hand caressing your cheek while the other was busy stroking your upper back up and down.

“I want to enjoy this with you and you only,” he added, mumbling against your mouth and this time, you’re the one pulling him for a kiss.

“Come and pick me up at 10, then,” you said as you pulled away.

“I’ll be there, I promise,” he answered and started walking towards your house, closing the front gate behind you, waving at him with a smile.

He sent you a flying kiss with a smile and you waved at him one last time before closing the main door of your house behind you, both sighing with a huge smile and warmth painted on your faces.

You peeled the clothes off your skin and went straight to the bathroom to take a shower, shaking your head left to right while chuckling as you recalled what just happened in your last month of high school.

Nothing was making sense, you didn’t know how you got there, but you were happy.

And that’s what mattered the most.

[bikelock28]

say something about the process of your writing, please! anything you like

I love all these questions :) This one especially is thought-provoking as I don't really consider my process. So here's a list of random points about it:

I see writing as solving a puzzle. I view it as the "correct" answer is in there somewhere, and I have to use my imagination, and my words and punctuation, to work out what it is. It's trial and error and looking at the words to try to find out how they should go.

Writing on phone, emailing to self, working on it as an email so if I'm writing at work and someone walks quickly by my computer they will (hopefully?) just think I'm writing an email.

Generally, dialogue first. Like many writers, I consider myself better at it than prose and find it more fun to write. Filling in the thoughts and actions and prose is more like homework.

Loads of unnecessary research, much of it unused.

I don't have writing playlists, I'll have whatever music or YouTube clips on in the background.

Daydreaming, daydreaming, daydreaming. Tbh I think I genuinely, subconsciously view my job as just an inconvenience to my busy schedule of daydreaming.

Sometimes I get an absolutely killer opening line in my head. Often I write it down and it looks shit.

Editing is fun! I find it a really fun and interesting thought of writing. You're really get into what you actually want to capture/say, and you have to problem-solve the words to do so.

Procrastination, OF COURSE.

Thesaurus.com is your best friend. #BabyKangarooTribbiani

I generally know with certainty if what I've written is Decent, Good or Excellent. If course one always aims for Excellent, but sometimes the words won't do what you want them to, and then you've fiddled about so much you just think, "Sod it, I'm publishing this". And that's OK- it's only fanfic, and perfection is the enemy of progress.

If there's one part of my process I would advise other writers to copy, it's to finish editing you final version, ready to publish- then sleep on it and come back to it the next day. Sometimes this revisit will make you feel better about a story, sometimes worse. Sometimes you will have to re-edit and the, yes, you still have to come back the next day. Yes, this can extend the process and yes, that does get frustrating and boring. But I think it's absolutely necessary and I never publish anything without doing it.