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jinjeriffic · 11 months ago

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DCxDP Prophecy Universe Part 4

Part 3

Aaaah, Tim had missed undercover work! There was just something thrilling about becoming a whole new person by making a few small tweaks here and there. He had combed his hair in a side-part, carefully applied make-up to make his skin look paler and his eyes bigger and put on a pair of thick rimmed glasses. Worn sneakers, baggy jeans, a loose plaid flannel shirt with a hoodie tied around his waist hid his lean, muscular frame. A slight slouch and his old high-school backpack completed the look. Goodbye Tim Drake-Wayne, Gotham socialite. Hello Adam Taylor, college freshman.

Jason took one look at him and practically fell over laughing.

“Oh my God, you look like a total dork! Would you like some braces to go with that?” he heckled, catching himself against the side of the car.

“I’ll have you know that this is the height of broke college student chic,” Tim sniffed in mock offence, “It’s called ‘blending in’ Jason. Maybe you should try it!” He walked past his snickering brother to get in the passenger’s seat of the beat-up Ford they used for travelling incognito.

“No thanks, I’ll leave the theatre performance to you,” Jason drawled, tossing the keys in one hand before getting behind the wheel. “I’ll just hang back and keep an eye out in case things go tits up.”

“I don’t even know why you insisted on coming along. I’m just going to question a civilian!”

Jason gave him a Look before starting the engine. “A civilian raised by mad scientists. The way our lives work, we’ll find her building Kryptonite powered robots in the janitor’s closet or something.”

“And the fact that she’s a cute red-head has nothing to do with it?” Tim teased.

“Nope!”

“Liar.”

The drive to Metropolis passed in a mix of mutual ribbing, arguing over radio stations and discussion of recent cases. They carefully avoided the elephant in the room - the reason for their current investigation. The sullen anger of their youngest brother, the quiet grief in Bruce’s eyes whenever he thought no one was watching and the mounting tension within the family. Tim doubted that this excursion would be all that fruitful, but he needed to get out and do something for the sake of his own sanity. The last thing he wanted was to watch Bruce emotionally implode over what may or may not be another dead son.

Getting onto the university campus was no problem. Tim had a fake student ID on him just in case, but it looked like he needn’t have bothered. His hacking had revealed that Jasmine Fenton checked into the university library after her last class almost every day, so it was just a matter of biding his time. He sat at one of the carrel desks, idly flipping through the latest issue of Forbes. I wonder if Luthor’s new tech acquisition means he’s up to something? Hm…

“Heads up, target at your 10,” came Jason’s murmur through Tim’s earpiece. Tim turned another page then sat up and stretched, glancing around casually. He instantly recognized the red-head from his earlier research. Tall and light build, long hair held back by a head-band, wearing skinny jeans and a dark grey sweater. She made her way over to the row of desks, carrying a small stack of books and a pencil case. She walked past Tim, only sparing him a glance and eventually settled down at the table farthest from the entrance and away from the other students. Perfect.

Tim got up and returned his magazine to the periodicals section before meandering over to Jasmine’s desk. He put on his best impression of a nervous smile. Showtime.

“Hey, is this seat taken?”

She only glanced up from her work briefly then went right back to taking notes. “No, knock yourself out,” she said in a bored tone.

Tim pulled out the chair next to hers and turned it slightly to face her. He sat down and cleared his throat.

“Hi, sorry to bother you. I’m Adam. Adam Taylor,” he lied, offering his hand to her. She gave him a tight, polite smile and shook hands with him.

“Jazz Fenton,” Her tone was light, but her body language screamed ‘please go away’. Tim filed the nickname away for later, “Look, it’s really nice to meet you but I have this project I need to work on, so…”

Ah, she probably thinks I’m trying to hit on her, Tim thought.

“Oh, I understand completely! I don’t wanna take up too much of your time, I just… I was just wondering if you could tell me about… you know,” he whispered with affected hesitation, “...ghosts.”

The smile dropped from her face and her gaze sharpened. “Excuse me?”

“Sorry! It’s just… your parents run Fenton Works, right? The ecto-biologists?” Tim rushed out, “I just wanted to hear your opinion on their work…” he trailed off at the look of tightly controlled anger on her face. She turned and scanned the room around them.

“Alright. Where’s the camera?”

Tim was caught completely wrong footed. Was she onto them?

“Camera? What camera?” he hedged. She slammed her notebook shut and glared at him.

“I get it. Lets pretend to interview the girl with the crazy ghost hunter parents and have a good laugh at her on social media later. Very funny, har har,” Jazz stuffed her pen back in its case with sharp movements, “Well I have better things to do than make you TikTok famous, so if you’ll excuse me,” she gathered up her books and stood.

Tim winced. He really needed to salvage this situation and quickly. He held up his hands in a placating gesture.

“I’m not filming you, honest! I just read some of your parents’ papers and wanted a second opinion on their research! They, ah… they seem pretty biased,” he said apologetically.

Jazz narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously. “Why are you researching ghosts, then?”

The best lies are built on truth.

“Because…” Tim took a deep breath, “I think my brother might be one,” he forced out, then swallowed hard and looked away.

“Oh,” the anger had drained from her voice, “I’m sorry for your loss.”

Tim glanced at her as she sat back down. “Thanks,” he croaked and blinked away fake tears. They sat in silence for a few minutes.

“Adam, what makes you think your brother might have come back as a ghost?” Jazz asked gently.

Tim collected himself for a moment, thinking about how to score the most sympathy points.

“It’s hard to explain. My younger brother… he saw something strange and now my whole family is freaking out. Dad is putting on a brave face but I can tell this is eating him up inside but he refuses to talk about it. I just… I need to know if there’s a scientific explanation to all this. I need to make sense of this whole mess!” he looked up at her through his lashes with his best puppy-dog expression, “Please, can you help me?”

Tim could practically hear her heart melting.

“And the Oscar goes to… Timbird!” Jason teased over the comms.

“Alright. But not here,” Jazz said, standing up again, “This is gonna take some time. And diagrams.”

Oh goodie.

Part 5

#dcxdp #dpxdc #dc x dp #dp x dc #danny phantom #batman #batfamily #jazz fenton #tim drake #red robin #jason todd #red hood #prophecy universe #the one where clockwork uses prophecies to mess things up (and set things right)#tim drake loves acting #help how did this get so long

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queenshelby · 1 year ago

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Daddy Issues (Part Four)

Pairing: Dominant!Cillian Murphy & Shy!Reader (& Jamie Dornan)

Warning: Smut, BDSM, Daddy Kink, 4-Somes, 3-Somes, Sugar Baby Arrangements

Summary: Through your best friend, you meet actor Cillian Murphy and come to some kind of arrangement involving intimacy in exchange for being spoiled financially.

Written with: my beautiful wife @darkshelbyfiction

Your PoV

At around eight o'clock in the morning, you woke from your slumber feeling refreshed and pleasantly worn out. It appeared that the entire night's events had left quite an impression on you. In fact, just recalling the events brought forth surges of excitement which you had never felt before.

The memory of having heated intercourse with Cillian in particular induced goosebumps, sending shivers along your flesh, making you wonder what the day ahead might bring.

When you stumbled into the living room however, only Emma could be found while Jamie had already left in order to go for his usual morning run.

Meeting your eyes, Emma began speaking immediately. "So, did you sleep alright?" She asked kindly, showing genuine concern.

"Yeah, surprisingly enough," you admitted honestly, thinking back to the incredible experiences you had just undergone.

"Cillian did not stay. He never does," Emma explained quietly, running her hands through her messy curls, wondering whether you were upset by how things had ended last night, namely with him leaving.

"I don't blame him. I hate sleeping in the same bed with strangers anyway," you told Emma lightheartedly, immediately sensing her relief.

"Really? Because I absolutely love staying in the same bed with Jamie. He is surprisingly cuddly," Emma laughed before querying directly how you felt about last night's events.

"Do you have regrets? About last night?" Emma asked, searching your eyes earnestly. There was something unspoken lingering between you two, a bond formed amidst shared experience.

She needed to understand where you stood, emotionally and, much to her surprise, you smiled slightly and leaned closer to her, taking her hand into yours.

"Not really. If I regret anything, it's that our little tryst didn't happen sooner. It was fun and I feel surprisingly comfortable with what happened between the four of us," you confessed casually, raising your eyebrows playfully. "Maybe even too comfortable," you added and, immediately, Emma grinned widely as she stretched herself comfortably.

"I am so glad because I honestly thought I went too far. I never intended to push you into anything like this, knowing how reluctant you usually are when it comes to intimacy," Emma expressed sincerely, cupping your cheek affectionately. Her honesty touched you deeply, and it struck you that perhaps your friendship hadn't changed irreparably due to all the strange occurrences lately.

"No, I didn't feel pushed into anything, Em. We are all good, alright?" you said reassuringly, giving her a gentle smile. You then continued, "I am curious though, Jamie did not appear to be as dominant as I had expected. Is he usually this timid?"

Glancing away for a second, Emma responded hesitatingly, "He can be dominant, but most of the time, he prefers to let me lead..." She trailed off, seemingly unsure whether she should continue discussing this or not.

Feeling somewhat confused, you pressed further, asking "But why is he so generous then? What is his deal if control is not what he is after?" Your expression grew increasingly perplexed as you tried to piece together your understanding of Jamie's behavior.

Emma shrugged slightly, choosing her words carefully before answering. "Well, think about it like this - a man like him might get bored easily and there is always a risk, considering that he is somewhat famous. He wants security, but without any feelings or strings attached. He has a high libido that needs to be satisfied. He is really into adventurous sex, but he is not Christian Grey. He does not like to exercise dominance. All he wants is to have fun with someone he can trust," Emma explained.

Your brow furrowed in thought, processing the idea as you mulled it over. Then you contemplated, "But when he is done with that, doesn't that mean he may stop supporting you sometime, once he wants something more serious with someone else?" These questions seemed pertinent given the circumstances. But Emma, ever resourceful, had answers prepared.

"It's true, Jamie may not stick around forever. However, I believe it's more beneficial for me than harmful," she asserted firmly. "He gives me everything I need right now, and once I'm ready to leave him behind, I will. Until then, it works perfectly for both of us," Emma defended fervently, a stubborn glint in her eye. It occurred to you then that despite Jamie's apparent lack of commitment, his support provided stability and security for Emma during her financial struggle at university.

Perhaps Jamie saw something in Emma beyond mere sexual attraction; something deeper that kept him interested. Maybe it was trust and security that he was after, just like Emma had suggested. Or maybe, he simply enjoyed being able to provide such benefits to someone in return for the pleasure she gave him.

Regardless, your curiosity was piqued about this kind of arrangement, one based solely upon mutual satisfaction and desires. As you delved deeper into conversation with Emma, your initial confusion gradually dissipated, replaced instead by fascination.

"You know, Cillian might be looking for something similar to what Jamie and I have in place, some form of temporary companionship rather than romantic attachment. He just separated from his wife and with this new movie coming out, he is reluctant to continue his usual behavior," Emma pondered pensively, drawing you into the nuances of these unusual arrangements before suggesting that this may be an option for you.

Her proposal was unexpected but certainly interesting. While you initially dismissed the notion, deep down, a part of you couldn't help but entertain the possibility of exploring such an arrangement yourself, especially after witnessing firsthand the dynamic between Jamie and Emma. This type of setup, founded entirely on fulfilling needs and mutual desire, appealed to you tremendously.

But then again, Cillian was much older than you. He had experience and you could not match this experience. He also had a reputation of being a womanizer and you read about several cheating scandals in the past. He was clearly sleeping around and the last thing you wanted was to be one of many.

"I don't think so, Em. Cillian is extremely gorgeous, but he is not the kind of guy I should get myself involved with. Besides, he's way older than me," you replied, attempting to dispel the suggestion gently. Emma raised an eyebrow at your comment, acknowledging your reservations about age differences, although her gaze suggested a hint of intrigue.

"You are right. Maybe he isn't for you. He is into some kinky shit too. At least so I've heard," Emma murmured suggestively, flashing a devilish smile that made you raise an eyebrow in response.

You couldn't deny that you had always been curious about experimenting with different aspects of intimacy, pushing boundaries and exploring limits. Was it possible that this was just another opportunity presenting itself to indulge those curiosities?

"What kind of kinky shit are you talking about? I mean, we just had a foursome, and I don't think it can get any kinkier than that," you joked, feigning disinterest. But inside, you knew you weren't telling the truth. You secretly craved more intense thrills, more deviant experiences. Deep down, a small voice whispered seductively, tempting you to consider the possibilities that lay beyond vanilla. Yet, you remained hesitant – partly due to fear, partly due to uncertainty regarding the path laid before you.

"Well, apparently Cillian actually likes some elements of bondage and discipline", Emma divulged nonchalantly, smirking teasingly as she awaited your reaction. "Maybe he should have played Christian Grey instead," she then mused, referencing Fifty Shades of Grey again.

"How do you even know this stuff?" you asked Emma, clearly caught off guard by this revelation. Emma smiled mysteriously, crossing her legs provocatively as she spoke.

"It came up a few weeks ago when we had this threesome. Jamie mentioned it in passing," Emma giggled softly and your face flushed red instantly, unable to hide your embarrassment or curiosity. Clearly, this topic aroused you greatly, but you did not want to admit this to your friend.

"So, he likes to be the dominant then, I assume? Is that what you call it?" you ventured hesitantly, intrigued yet still apprehensive.

Emma nodded affirmatively, adding with mischievous excitement, "Yes! And trust me, there is no better feeling than knowing exactly what you want and getting it. He was being gentle with you. He was much more dominant when the three of us...you know...never mind...," Emma trailed off but you would not let loose.

"Well, I am not you, obviously. He was probably cautious, seeing that I was really nervous," you said with blushing cheeks, and Emma went on to explain that, in other aspects of life, Cillian was rather timid.

"He is a nice, caring and somewhat gentle guy, who seems to like rough sex," Emma said with a mix of admiration and amusement, as though recounting a personal experience. Your head spun with thoughts as you processed the information she had revealed. Intrigued by the prospect of engaging in a more liberating, uninhibited form of sexual encounter, you found yourself questioning whether you were truly capable of embracing such a radical shift in your usual approach to sex. You wanted to be more open to your needs, but could you?

"Interesting. Well, I am sure there are many suitable women for this kind of power exchange. But, I am not one of them," you determined in the end, finally voicing your inner concerns.

"Are you sure? Because, I could see how attracted you felt towards him, and you are clearly asking a lot of questions. That alone tells me that this might indeed be worth considering. Everyone starts somewhere Y/N," she encouraged gently, her tone persuasive and compelling.

As she spoke, images of your steamy encounters danced through your mind, leaving you yearning for more intensity and eroticism. How would you react in such a situation?

Would you dare take the leap? Your imagination raced ahead, visualising every detail of such a forbidden scenario vividly. You felt your heart race, pounding loudly within your chest. You looked towards Emma inquiringly, seeking confirmation and guidance. She studied your face closely, reading your thoughts accurately. With a sigh, she acknowledged your internal turmoil, saying quietly, "Of course, only you can decide what is right for you." Emma's calm demeanor served as a reminder that ultimately, the choice rested squarely upon your shoulders.

After all, it wasn't as if you hadn't fantasized about this kind of liaison before. The difference was merely the scale of risk associated with it, compared to the rewards it offered.

The thought sent waves of heat coursing through your body, causing goosebumps to rise along your skin and, yet, you declined the notion to engage in something like this.

You realized that perhaps you were not quite ready for this change just yet and, with that, you were determined not to take Cillian up on his offer on catching up with him again.

Cillian’s PoV

Meanwhile, after his morning run, Jamie caught up with Cillian at his hotel where, in the neat little coffee shop downstairs, they exchanged some lighthearted banter.

"So, did you have fun with Y/N last night?" Jamie asked casually, sipping his espresso.

"Yes. She is rather cute and we managed to find our rhythm pretty quickly," Cillian responded, equally casual in mannerisms, albeit with a touch of melancholy evident beneath his exterior composure. His fingers traced absentmindedly across the rim of his cup.

Jamie observed Cillian closely, picking up subtle cues which indicated that, perhaps, Cillian wanted to see you again after last night's encounter.

"Are you going to see her again? You seemed to get on quite well," Jamie probed further, raising a brow quizzically. Cillian considered the question for a moment while thinking about how shy and inexperienced you were.

"We did get on, but she is quite young and inexperienced so it might be a waste of time," Cillian mulled out loud, his gaze far away, likely contemplating memories of the sensuous encounter he shared with you earlier that evening.

Jamie noticed the introspective look on Cillian's face and decided to leave him with his thoughts. After a brief pause, he changed the subject abruptly, hoping to redirect the discussion.

"Hey, speaking of time, let's grab dinner tonight, shall we? It's been ages since we caught up properly, without women being involved," Jamie proposed cheerfully, breaking the heavy silence that hung thickly around them.

Cillian glanced at Jamie briefly, acknowledging the suggestion with a slight nod.

Despite the camaraderie among themselves, both men understood perfectly well why they sought solace in casual affairs and no-strings-attached hookups - it allowed them to temporarily escape the monotony of daily routines. They knew how fleeting pleasures could provide much needed respite amidst hectic schedules.

***

Over dinner, Jamie and Cillian discussed their respective lives, ranging from acting projects to failed romances. Their rapport was effortless, built on honesty and understanding.

Despite the surface conversation about work and women, Jamie picked up on undercurrents of dissatisfaction swirling beneath Cillian’s placid exterior that day.

Cillian was about to divorce his second wife, who was an actress as well but was tired of living in his shadow. He had grown weary of the superficiality that accompanied stardom while she indulged on it whenever she could. As he continued drinking, Jamie noted Cillian's solemn state and wondered what demons haunted him behind closed doors these days.

He appeared drained – not just physically, but emotionally too. There was an air of vulnerability about him that piqued Jamie's interest even more. It occurred to Jamie that Cillian was essentially similar to himself, searching for true fulfillment amidst an empty world full of deceiving facades.

Without warning, Cillian began discussing his marriage and its eventual end. As he narrated tales of his failing relationship, his hands moved nervously across the table, giving the impression that his thoughts were almost tangible.

“She’s so… demanding,” he uttered with a hint of bitterness in his voice. “Always wanting attention, accolades, and constant validation.”

"And just an hour ago, she sent me a text. She now does not want to go through with the divorce, claiming that 'we need to try harder'. What's left to try?!" exclaimed Cillian bitterly, slumping back into his chair. This latest development added fuel to his frustration, making the already volatile mixture inside him reach boiling point.

There was a palpable sense of despair and exhaustion hanging heavily in the room as Jamie listened intently, offering nothing more than comforting silence. He recognized these feelings well, having grappled with them countless times during his own tumultuous past relationship. Jamie too was divorced, and this is why this arrangement with Emma came as solace to him as he could be himself without judgment from her.

Having been in this situation himself, Jamie could relate to Cillian's predicament because he experienced it firsthand. It took him several months of therapy post his split with his wife, but eventually, he emerged stronger – wiser. Now, his priorities revolved mainly around his career and maintaining a healthy balance between his personal needs and work.

"You need to find a balance man," Jamie thus suggested earnestly, hoping his advice resonates with Cillian.

"And how will I do that?" Cillian questioned, genuine curiosity lacing his words.

"By focusing less on other people and instead turning inward, examining what brings you joy or contentment. You do not need to make everyone else happy. You just need to look after yourself for now. It may sound cliché, but discovering your own needs can sometimes be the most difficult task," Jamie advised earnestly, knowing that self-exploration isn't always easy.

Cillian mulled over Jamie's advice, reflecting deeply on it. He appreciated Jamie's sincerity, but the truth remained that achieving equilibrium required more than just insightful counsel. One must also possess courage to actively pursue personal happiness. Despite feeling exhausted, a spark of hope flickered within him as he grasped onto the potential of redefining his life.

Meanwhile, outside the restaurant, the streets bustled with people hurrying home from work. Neon signs advertised trendy bars, flashing enticing invitations to indulge in late-night escapades. Jamie stood up from the table, signaling the end of their evening, but suggesting a drink at a local bar named "Soho".

"Let's go and have a few pints before calling it a day," said Jamie gesturing towards the exit.

"Alright, where to?" Cillian enquired, his tone teetering between amusement and weariness.

"Just follow my lead," Jamie replied with a grin, taking charge. Leading the way towards Soho, he guided his mate through crowded streets filled with pubs, restaurants, and colorful storefronts. Everywhere, there was music blaring from clubs and pubs, adding to the vibrant atmosphere. People passed by them in a blur, seemingly lost in their own adventures.

***

With a familiar ease, they entered the dimly lit Soho bar. Dimmed lights cast warm, alluring shadows upon the walls, creating an ambiance perfect for anyone's mood.

Unbeknownst to Cillian, both you and Emma worked at Soho as part-time employees due to your close connections with the bar's owner, Michelle.

Michelle was a woman in her thirties who, just like you and Emma, attended law school during the day.

Unlike you, however, she was rather wealthy after having inherited a good fortune from her late father, allowing her to own and operate various establishments throughout London. This included "Soho", which was one of her favorite spots. The bar held sentimental value for her, serving as an oasis where she found solitude amidst the bustling city.

The pair settled into comfortable chairs near the bar counter, surveying the cozy yet lively interior decorated with exposed brick walls, antique mirrors, and tasteful light fixtures casting a soft glow on patrons.

"Couldn't stay away, could you?" Emma asked Jamie after she had spotted him while, all at the same time, you dropped your utensils when Cillian came into view. For some reason, you had not expected to see him again, but here he was, at your work, having a few drinks with Jamie.

"No, I couldn't," Jamie teased without showing her genuine affection in public. For what Michelle and the other waitresses knew, Emma was nothing but an acquaintance to Jamie Dornan and, ironically enough, most of them wanted her to introduce them to the famous actor.

Jamie and Cillian ordered a couple of bottles of beer, taking a seat against the wall. Tired from the evening's events, they sank deep into their seats, watching the crowd move restlessly around them.

Cillian occasionally glanced over towards you, unable to help stealing subtle peeks every once in a while. His gaze then drifted towards the bar, where rows of whiskey glasses gleamed seductively under the low lights.

"Stop starring at her. You are making her nervous, "Jamie joked as he noticed Cillian's frequent glances toward you.

"I am not starring!" Cillian defensively responded, sipping his beer and averting his eyes.

"You are. But that's okay. After all, you got to fuck her last night. Just calm down and let her work though, alright?" Jamie said, smirking playfully.

Cillian hesitated slightly, trying to suppress his growing desire. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, avoiding eye contact with you before realizing that hiding his attraction would only become increasingly challenging as the night wore on and the drinks kept flowing.

"Look, let's call it a night soon," Cillian finally spoke up, breaking the heavy silence that had fallen upon them. "These drinks are starting to get to us anyway," he pointed out just as Emma knocked off and walked over towards their table with a drink in her hand.

"True," agreed Jamie, nodding along, though a faint smile played on his lips. "Do you want to come to my place? I am sure Emma would like you to join us again," Jamie invited Cillian with a slight pause.

"Not tonight. I need to catch up on some sleep before my interviews tomorrow," Cillian declined, his eyes betraying a twinge of reluctance while Emma suggested that, at the very least, he should finish his last bottle of beer.

"Sounds like a plan," Cillian conceded, his focus returning to his half-empty bottle while you, too, finished up your shift and joined the trio.

"Hello strangers! How are we feeling tonight?" you asked casually, placing two extra bottles of beer on the table - much to the delight of Jamie who was not yet ready to leave.

Cillian, on the other hand, was yawning and you too were exhausted from your long shift.

After a while and some more conversation between the four of you, you decided to finally excuse yourself and head back to your flat since it was getting quite late.

"How are you getting home?" Cillian enquired as you made plans to depart, alone.

"I parked out the back. I don't like taking the tube at night on my own," you answered nonchalantly and, much to your surprise, he seemed relieved.

"That makes sense," acknowledged Cillian as he drained the remainder of his drink. "I will walk you to your car and then head off myself, alright?" he suggested to which you nodded agreeably.

***

As Cillian accompanied you to your car, the night air felt fresh despite the humid summer heat while his body itself was radiating warmth. There was something incredibly attractive about him which intrigued you and he was aware of your attraction too, evident in the way he looked at you — those intense blue eyes burning brightly even under the streetlights, the curve of his mouth hinting at something far beyond simple friendliness.

Yet, you didn't dare say anything. Instead, you chose to walk alongside him silently, cherishing these fleeting moments together, unsure if they would ever happen again after you had already made up your mind not to call him following last night's encounter.

As you approached your car, however, everything else came to a standstill.

"So, um..." you stammered. "How are you getting back to your hotel? Do you need a lift?" you offered politely, suddenly finding yourself wishing to prolong your unexpected reunion.

Cillian looked surprised but grateful as he accepted your offer without hesitation.

"That would be grand, thank you," he expressed, reaching for the door handle to open yours for you before walking towards the passenger side of the car and taking a seat next to you.

Your hands trembled slightly as you tried inserting the key into the ignition slot. This small gesture of kindness brought forth so many mixed feelings.

Embarrassment quickly flooded your face, turning redder than usual. Trying hard to regain composure, you attempted to start the engine of your car but your efforts were futile. The car would not start.

"God dammit," you cursed, hitting the dashboard lightly with frustration. Cillian simply watched, observing how your cheeks flushed deeper with embarrassment as you struggled with the malfunctioning engine before speaking up.

"Don't worry about it. Let me call roadside assistance. They are usually pretty quick in London," he said with a gentle tone while tears started forming in your eyes from pure exhaustion, relief, and vulnerability. It dawned on you – no matter how much you desired to forget your meeting with him, fate conspired otherwise in the most irritating way possible.

"No don't. I can't...." you began to say, panicking and desperately hoping that he wouldn't notice how utterly disheveled you truly were beneath your professional exterior. "But thanks. I appreciate it."

"Y/N, you can't just leave the car here. You will get fined if you do," Cillian stated firmly while watching you lose your mind. "It's alright. It's not a big deal. We will just make the call and they will come out and probably replace the battery. I will wait with you. It's all good," Cillian confidently declared, trying to calm you down but you kept shaking your head.

"I can't afford it. It will cost at least a few hundred pounds," you explained with a defeated voice, looking away as Cillian raised an eyebrow, sensing your less than fortunate situation.

He moved closer, offering a sympathetic grimace. "Don't stress, Y/N. I can pay for it," Cillian assured you gently, reaching for his phone and dialing the emergency number as you continued to argue with yourself mentally, debating whether accepting his generosity might compromise your independence.

"No, I can't accept this, really. Thank you, though. Seriously," you pleaded; however, your pleading fell on deaf ears as he put on his best persuasion tactics.

"Y/N, please. Let me take care of this. Trust me, you can't leave the car here. You will get fined more than the battery would cost, especially if you get towed overnight," he told you and, with little room left for refusal, you caved in, feeling torn apart inside. Despite wanting to maintain your distance from him, there was still something undeniable about the man. Perhaps it was his raw charm, captivating presence, or his sincerity.

"I will pay you back when I can," you whispered quietly, attempting to hide your shame at accepting such an act of kindness from someone you barely knew.

"There's no need," he replied firmly, holding your gaze intimately, but you insisted.

"No seriously Cillian. I will pay you back

when I can," you repeated resolutely, determined to hold onto what remained of your dignity. Yet, even through the dim street lamps, you could see the intensity in his eyes, burning right through your resolve. He took your hand gently in his, rubbing comfortingly with his thumb.

"Y/N, stop. It's fine," he whispered softly before, finally, roadside assistance picked up the phone.

After providing the necessary information, Cillian handed it over to you. With his guidance, you navigated through the automated system until a service provider confirmed the arrival time. Relief surfaced across your face.

Cillian smiled, recognizing your gratitude. "Thank you," you breathed deeply, feeling calmed momentarily, allowing yourself to relax against the cold leather seat, your heart racing as you realized how close you now stood to him due to the limited space within the confines of the car.

"Do you want to go back inside while we wait?" you asked, but Cillian shook his head head decisively. "No, let's stay out here. I prefer it outside," he stated firmly, pulling out a cigarette packet from his pocket and lighting one up. His eyes turned glassy as smoke swirled around him, creating an ethereal aura surrounding him. Your eyes followed his every move.

"You know you don't actually have to wait around with me. You can go with Jamie and Emma," you said sheepishly, glancing at Cillian briefly, trying to gauge his reaction. He only chuckled softly, shaking his head playfully, clearly unbothered by your suggestion.

"No, I had enough excitement last night and, to tell you the truth, these things are a lot of work," he admitted candidly, blowing out a cloud of smoke before continuing.

"So, you are saying that threesome are hard work, huh?" you questioned curiously, raising an eyebrow while secretly admiring his frank honesty. He smirked wryly, tossing the cigarette stub away into the darkened street below.

"Yes, don't you think?" Cillian asked before continuing this conversation. "I mean, they are fun, occasionally, but not regularly," he admitted candidly, making eye contact with you once more. You couldn't help but feel drawn to him as he spoke with such openness, his words resonating deep within your core. You found yourself unable to resist probing further.

"So, you prefer one on one encounters then?", you queried curiously, amused yet somewhat confused by his admission. "Well, mostly," he responded candidly, blowing out another puff of smoke. "Though sometimes it depends on who I'm with and the chemistry." Cillian added thoughtfully just as, finally, roadside assistance

arrived to change your dead battery. Their appearance provided temporary reprieve from the escalating sexual tension between both of you.

The mechanic worked efficiently on your car, carefully replacing the old battery with a new one. While they completed their task, Cillian and you stood outside and you were getting visibly cold.

He noticed your shivering and pulled off his jacket to drape it over your shoulders, engulfing you warmly. You felt like a bird trapped in a cage - caught up in the magnetic pull that seemed to exist between you two. Unconsciously, your body shifted slightly closer to his, seeking some form of heat from his frame. But, instead of reacting, he merely stared straight ahead, appearing unfazed by your proximity.

When the mechanics were finally

done fixing your car, you silently wondered why he bothered helping you tonight. Hadn’t it been too much trouble for him? Nonetheless, you refused to express any signs of indebtedness or sentimentality and, after he paid the mechanic's bill, you both jumped into your car.

Despite the late hour, traffic was relatively smooth and quiet, allowing you to navigate the streets together seamlessly. As you cruised along, the mood became increasingly awkward.

You exchanged polite, neutral conversation which did nothing to alleviate the palpable tension. Despite sharing laughter over trivial matters, you couldn't shake the feeling that the air was charged, electric even. You attributed it to the circumstances under which you met – a combination of intense desire and circumstance, but you also couldn't deny that something else lay hidden beneath it all. Something far more potent than simple attraction.

Unphased by this however, you dropped off Cillian at his hotel. After thanking him profusely again for everything, he said goodbye, kissing you on the forehead tenderly before stepping out of the car and heading back inside.

"It was good to see you again, Y/N. Call me know if you ever want to catch up," he said and, with that, the door closed behind him, leaving you alone with your thoughts. You sat there for a moment, taking in the lingering scent of his cologne mixed with your own musky pheromones. The memories of your passionate encounter played vividly in your mind, consuming you completely. Your fingers traced light patterns upon your skin where his hands had held you so tightly. Unable to escape the power he held over you, you drove back home, haunted by his touch, knowing deep down inside that you should not be getting involved with this man. It was something you should not pursue and, with that, you remained resolute to avoid him from that point forward.

Tags:

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#cillian murphy #cillian murphy smut #cillian murphy imagine #cillian murphy x y/n #cillian murphy x reader #cillian murphy x you #cillian murphy fanfic #cillianmurphy #cillian murphy fanfiction

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nadas-dirthalen · 2 months ago

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I Saw Solas's Origin in an Achievement Icon and It Opened My Eyes on 15 Years of Lore

— PART TEN, THE FINALE: if you haven't read previous parts, do it now! —

[ 1 ] [ 2 ] [ 3 ] [ 4 ] [ 5 ] [ 6 ] [ 7 ] [ 8 ] [ 9 ]

Welcome, friends and travellers! I wanted to get some thoughts recorded before Veilguard's release so I could see if I am right about an absolute BOATLOAD of theories I have.

In short: I saw the achievement list when it was released. I have seen the backstory hints for Solas included in said list. AND MY MIND WAS BLOWN.

You have been warned: THIS COLLECTION OF THEORIES INCLUDES SPOILERS FOR EVERY DRAGON AGE GAME AND ALL PROMOTIONAL MATERIAL UP TO AND INCLUDING OCTOBER 18, 2024.

Come sit down with me. Make a nice cup of tea (and hide it from Solas). We've got a lot of unpacking to do.

(no, this photo isn't the spoiler, I just like it.)

The Story of Solas: Him Solas Evanuris, Da'durgen'lin (3/3)

— From the Long Sleep to the Dark Present —

If you're still here, I thank you, from the bottom of my tired heart. I am doing MY BEST to get through this final bit of theorycrafting, all in one long, gigantic post, the night before Veilguard.

I haven't been spoiled. Please no one tell me anything. I want to be able to properly say I did all this, all 10 parts, without spoilers of any kind.

This post is going to be long. Let's dive right in. We've got:

A Tiny Aside, First: Solas's Paintings are Really Important, Actually

The Herald, the Breach, and the Horrible Future

Solas's Thoughts on the Grey Wardens

Fear in the Fade

All New, Faded for Her

But Solas Left, and Not for Pride

Terror Unfolding on the Din'anshiral

What Rook Did and the High Cost of Failure

Veilguard Predictions

[Image Source.]

A Tiny Aside, First: Solas's Paintings Are Really Important, Actually

I'm writing this segment last, but placing it up here because the other sections are sort of in order. So hello. Welcome, first, from a very tired Nadas Dirthalen.

I just wanted to make mention of a few key lines regarding Solas's paintings. Emmrich remarks on them as not just memories: they are what Solas wishes to forget. (No source; I'm not hunting for footage right now.)

The Regret demon is able to spring out from them. Huh.

And, finally:

Cole: You like to dance, but can't. You hate to sing, but can. You should not paint. It would be very bad if you did.

Given that I believe Sera's playing with "small painted boxes" gave her a fragment of that memory Mythal stole from Andruil (its own theory; so many people before I have explained it in depth), I'm going to go out on a limb and say that the Evanuris, existing in a time before sundered Titans, could trap memories in things.

Like stone. Like paintings on stone.

It's said that the Shapers put their actual thoughts into the Memories. I wonder if this means creating small spirits, like wisps, in the Stone; an echo of Titans' ability.

I wonder if this means Solas was literally offloading tiny spirits of Contemplation and Regret in his paintings, the whole time. Memories taken out of himself, so he could stay true to his purpose.

(Do I have any idea how that would work? No. Do I still think it's true? Yup. Do I have time to look it up and weigh it against everything else that could be possible? Absolutely not. Enjoy!)

Anyway. I wonder if that's why he paints everywhere: because if he doesn't, his problems will consume him, forcing him to take another... terrifying... shape.

(Yes, this is foreshadowing; keep reading. <3)

The Herald, the Breach, and the Horrible Future

Solas wakes up from uthenera, hands his orb off to Corypheus, and then Corypheus doesn't die. We know the story. What I want to touch on is the fact that the Inquisitor doesn't die, either. They are dyING, but they do not die immediately, which Solas thought would happen even for Corypheus. Beyond the fact that Corypheus has, by that point, been using the orb for some time, I want to talk about why the Inquisitor doesn't die from the orb.

Because I have a theory.

Solas speaks to a high-approval Inquisitor about wisdom: one that he has never seen in their people, regardless of who those people are. I had to look it up to make sure, but it's true.

dwarf PC Solas: Dwarves are practical. They do not dream. The cannot even imagine a world beyond the physical. But you have shown subtlety in your actions. A wisdom that goes against everything I know of your people. Qunari PC Solas: Qunari are savage creatures, their ferocity held in check only by the rigid teachings of the Qun. But you have shown subtlety in your actions. A wisdom that goes against everything I know of your people. human PC Solas: Humans are shortsighted, brutish. Blind to the beauty of the Fade, their minds cast in a duality of black and white. But you have shown subtlety in your actions. A wisdom that goes against everything I know of your people. Dalish PC Solas: You have shown subtlety in your actions, a wisdom that goes against everything I expected. If the Dalish could raise someone with a spirit like yours… have I misjudged them? [Source.]

The Dalish dialogue speaks of what I want to focus on: a spirit like yours.

My hypothesis is that the Inquisitor is a spirit from the same Titan as Solas is, and that Solas's true name really is Contemplation. He is seeing a spirit like himself, from the same home.

I think this is why the Inquisitor, even a non-mage Inquisitor, can visit Solas in the Fade and surprise the shit out of him. It's because the Inquisitor, imbued with the mark, has awakened something deep in their subconscious. Something they don't even understand.

Connection.

Isatunoll, with one singular other person (who is very single, the moment she asks, if she asks, har har).

From this and other things already covered, I know: Solas marvels at the sight of spirits similar to his, and people similar to him. He seeks for those spirits and people to thrive, and mourns their death. Ultimately, he wants the Titans to be restored, likely for the benefit of all future spirits and for the benefit of the Titans themselves (we'll get there).

That's why the Breach is a threat to him, even when he wants to tear down the Veil.

Solas wants the Titans brought back, but not as they are right now. Right now, they are Terror, Malice, Pestilence, and Spite. Before, they were something else: something happy and whole. Un-sundering them is a first step to their regeneration, but they will first come back as those unhealthy aspects.

And the Breach, should it tear open the Veil, would likely break the Evanuris's prisons, thereby releasing them. The freed Evanuris would continue wounding the Titans and manipulating the blight. The Titans would never heal; they would always be fighting back. (We'll get there, too.)

And we know this information because we had the chance to play through In Hushed Whispers.

During In Hushed Whispers (IHW for short), we saw a timeline where the Breach had been allowed to completely tear open the Veil, without the Evanuris being re-imprisoned. We see Solas as a prisoner during this questline, showing that he did not get to do what he wanted.

The whole sky is blown open and swirling green—but surely we all saw how much red lyrium is everywhere, too. They're growing it out of people, and if we remember the Chant of Light, we remember that (however abstractly) the Chant tells us that the Maker's second children (aka, everyone after the Evanuris) are formed with bodies made of lyrium and spirits comprised of Titans' thoughts.

That is Solas's worst nightmare, even though the Veil has been torn open. Because what Solas wants isn't just the Fade being rejoined with the waking world, but for the Titans he was forced to wound to be able to heal.

Clearly, with that abundance of red lyrium, they were not.

This, I believe, is also why Solas says, "You change... everything," to a high approval Inquisitor.

If the Inquisitor's soul truly is a spirit that comes from Terror, either pre- or post-Veil, it means one very crucial thing to Solas. It means that not all of Terror is blighted. That someone mortal, so much younger than him, is comprised of a thought from the Titan he has been mourning for thousands of years.

Which brings me to...

Solas's Thoughts on the Grey Wardens

Picture that you are Solas: once Cool Contemplation, now Cold Dread. You have spent thousands of years mourning the action you were forced to take, leading to the destruction of everything you knew, and also your connection to everything and everyone else. You have just woken, made another grand mistake, but in the process you have discovered that one singular person is made from the same Titan as you, and remains free of the blight.

One. But it is enough to hope for a world you thought could never exist; one you were willing to tear down the Veil to fight for anyway, despite that.

Still some hope remains for restoration.

PC: I wouldn’t mind never having another Blight. Corypheus interfering is the real problem. Solas: The Blight is the real problem. PC: And the Wardens are trying to end the Blight. Solas: Yes! Would it have worked? Do you know? Do they? The fools who first unleashed the Blight upon this world thought they were unlocking the ultimate power. [Source.]

Except for that some people have been drinking the blood of archdemons, WILLINGLY ingesting the foulness of turned Titans. Some people are WORSENING the very thing that you think has a teeny tiny itty bitty chance of being fixed. And what do they want?

They want to charge straight for Titans' hearts to exact violence upon the archdemons, who aren't actually the cause of the blight at all. Because you are. You, who is watching them suggest all of this as if it's a serious idea.

I dunno, folks. I'd be a little salty, too. Especially if they were unknowingly making casual mention of my worst fear...

Fear in the Fade

I always found it curious that Fear spoke to Solas in Elvhen. I mean, yeah, it makes sense, but why do that to the player, when Solas clearly has a grasp on the common tongue?

To make it a puzzle, because BioWare loves their puzzles. Well, I love puzzles, too, as we can all probably guess by now.

Trick Weekes says that, essentially, the Nightmare's words are, essentially, "Your pride is responsible for everything that has gone wrong; you will die alone." Solas's response, according to Trick, is, "Nothing is known for certain / Not necessarily."

But, knowing "dirthara-ma," "banal," "ma," "enasalin," and "salin," I am led toward this interpretation.

Dirth ma, harellan. Ma banal enasalin. Mar solas ena mar din. May you know, Dread. Your blight led to victory. Your pride leads to your death.

And Solas's response?

Banal nadas.

Two interpretations. One is "nothing is inevitable," just like Trick says. The other is "The Nothing is inevitable," where The Nothing refers to the blight. And yes, they knew that in this scene. The Nothing is Sera's greatest fear.

Knowing what I know now, I agree with Solas on both counts, and that's why I think, now, that this is such a genius line. Solas toes the line between hope and being "grim and fatalistic."

The blight—the blighted Titans, fighting back—are inevitable to him. They are a fact of life, and why he must tear down the Veil. So they have a chance at ever being healed.

But with the Inquisitor's existence? That chance exists already. The Nightmare shows us, then, that Solas stands on a precipice throughout his time in Inquisition, because hope continues to chase him.

The Titans are waking—but what will that mean?

All New, Faded for Her

This, I feel, is the deciding line for Solas during his time in Inquisition. We know that ultimately he makes the same choice at the end either way—he leaves the Inquisition as soon as Corypheus dies.

Cole: He hurts, an old pain from before, when everything sang the same. You're real, and it means everyone could be real. It changes everything, but it can't.

But until that exact moment? I believe, for many Inquisitors, Solas makes the firm decision to stay.

The Inquisitor is real. They are a real person, with a spirit so much like his own, and they continue to survive, not blighted. There is hope for Terror. It means everyone could be real. The Titans might heal on their own. It changes everything, but Solas can't depend on that change: not when the Inquisitor might be the only good thing to ever happen in these thousands of years, and abandoning his duty now might mean never seeing the world healed.

Can't he?

I believe that doubt in his own convictions—and his decision to stay—come in the moment pictured above. The moment where his friend is allowed to die as itself, as Wisdom, not bound as Pride. The moment where the Inquisitor shows Solas that there might be a world where the current society embraces the People (spirits; Titan-thoughts; Titans) that he knew.

You know what else happens during that part of his personal quest? Solas leaves. He genuinely debates leaving the Inquisition while he mourns.

PC: Guess I owe Varric an ale. I wasn’t sure you were coming back. Solas: Neither was I for a time, but only a short time. [Source.]

He visits the Fade; the spot where his friend used to be.

PC: Where did you go? Solas: I found a quiet spot and went to sleep. I visited the place in the Fade where my friend used to be. It’s empty, but there are stirrings of energy in the Void. Someday something new may grow there.

Stirrings of energy. Not in the Fade. In the Void, which the ancient elves referred to as synonymous with the Abyss. That's odd—shouldn't spirits go back to the Fade when they die?

No: this represents a Titan healing. Stirrings of energy; a scab crawling over a wound.

Cole speaks often of hope. The Inquisitor as a beacon, burning bright for both spirits and the people worshipping the Herald of Andraste.

I believe this is why: the Inquisitor represents hope for the two worlds joining—literally and figuratively. And their soul represents something that Solas sees in Wisdom's death: that the Titans may be healing on their own, in a way he never expected. The blights may end on their own, in time.

And Solas would have stayed to see it. He would have come back to a romanced Lavellan, after Corypheus's death.

But...

But Solas Left, and Not for Pride.

Let's remember Solas's first words after Corypheus's defeat.

Solas places the pieces back on the ground and stands. If Solas has high approval: PC: There’s more, isn’t there? Solas: It was not supposed to happen this way. [Source.]

He sounds genuinely shattered in the moment, much like that orb. That's because he had no time to mask the feeling, as he had been for the entirety of DA:I up until that point. This was a crushing loss.

The defeat of his fleeting hope.

Why? Well, to keep it brief because I swear my hands will give out before Veilguard releases at this rate: I, like many, many others, believe that pieces of the Titans make up magical foci. The ancient Tevinter call them the vessels of dreams, and we know now what dreams are.

We also remember the Trespasser mural of a sundered Titan, and how the orb on the Fade half (left) bears a direct resemblance to the ones Mythal and Elgar'nan carry in Solas's Lighthouse mural.

I believe that this may have been Solas's sundered heart of his own Titan. Terror.

Home, all gone.

Now there is only the Inquisitor sharing kinship of any kind with him, because Wisdom is dead and Terror is half-dead, too.

It doesn't matter how much Solas appreciates the Inquisitor's company, or how they represent an end to his loneliness. It doesn't matter how much he loves a romanced Lavellan. It can't matter.

Because the Inquisitor is mortal. They will die, and unless Solas does something, their soul will not go back to Terror if Terror does not exist at all.

Solas—Cold Dread—was not motivated by pride when he left the Inquisition.

He was motivated by fear.

Terror Unfolding on the Din'anshiral

I literally have no time to unpack the existence of this man's wolf form. Anyone who wanted to read this post for that, I'm so sorry: I don't know why it's a wolf. I suspect I'm not supposed to know why.

I will say this: I wonder if when Solas sundered the Titans, maybe he also sundered a (blighted) wolf form from himself. One he could previously shapeshift into, like seems to be the case with the Evanuris and their archdemons.

Do I have evidence to link? Nope not really; only that it's weird, then, that Solas's Dread Wolf absorbed—

Nope, okay, I've got a theory. Normally, I edit out these real-time realizations. Not today, Satan.

What I was going to say is that, if Solas had to sunder himself from the wolf when he made the Veil, it's awful weird that the wolf (sundered) somehow absorbed Urthemiel's power from Mythal.

Only: I don't think the wolf was sundered, and I remember evidence that backs that up.

Anyone remember the inexplicably killed Qunari from Trespasser?

"Backs hunched, eyes wide open... They were scared shitless when they died," says Bull.

"More dead Qunari with terrified expressions," the Inquisitor later remarks.

They were killed without wounds. They were so afraid that they instantly died. I really wondered what happened, there, since Solas has been known to petrify (a lot of) people.

It's because there's two magics going on. One, Solas's magic from being from the Stone/Titans.

The other... Dread.

I'm not sure if Solas mysteriously left no pawprints (lol) in Trespasser. What I do know is that Solas and the Dread Wolf are the same being—and that if the Dread Wolf truly is blighted, that is why both sides of the Evanuris's conflict would worship him. Solas symbolizes power over the blight—representing hope for a future with a cure, or indomitable Evanuris power, depending upon the story.

Now that THAT epiphany is out of the way, let me continue on with what I was going to say about Trespasser and the din'anshiral.

Solas, after Corypheus's defeat (more importantly, after his orb shatters), has little left to lose. If he doesn't act and do everything necessary, it's only a matter of time until the other orbs are lost this way. Until the Veil weakens and breaks entirely. Until the Evanuris walk free and take the Titans for all they've got left.

His fear is mounting. He is not acting in Pride during Trespasser (however haughty he might come across); he is acting in fear. Fear that makes him try to put on a brave (and maybe prideful) face. Fear that sends him crumbling every time his vhenan is in his line of sight. Fear that has him suddenly callous with an Inquisitor he isn't friendly with, because he no longer has time to play nice and is scared shitless of the consequences of failure.

The man is literally the living embodiment of anxiety. Cold Dread.

This is why Solas says he is walking the din'anshiral. The path of death; the path of endings. Because Terror's heart is dead in his hands. Because he carries the blight. Because the Veil is weakening, the Evanuris are on the verge of escaping their stone prisons, and he doesn't have a way to stop them.

If he fails, the Inquisitor is mortal. Wisdom is dead, and there are mere stirrings in the Void. There is no guarantee either his spirit friend or the Inquisitor will ever come back in a way he will recognize, if either of them come back at all.

And if Terror's vessel of dreams is shattered and lifeless, who is to say that Terror will ever dream again? Who is to say that there will ever, ever be another Titan-thought, another spirit, that Solas will feel close to in the same way?

I'd be willing to cause an apocalypse for that reason, too. Maybe a war between Tevinter and the Qunari, just for funsies, because my perpetual anxiety that makes up the entire core of my being sometimes needs a distraction.

(Tiny sidenote that did not fit in elsewhere: mentioning again that the spirit guardians in Trespasser say, "Revas vir-Anaris," which means "Freedom we-Anaris," which is the name of a Forgotten One. Wondering if it means Solas previously fighting to free the elves borne of Anaris, or maybe freeing Anaris (Terror??) from the blight. But also? I wonder about that Anaris and Andruil story in a way I have no time to dissect. Really, what does anything mean? Okay. Carry on.)

What Rook Really Caused and the High Cost of Failure

I honestly think things were going great for Solas (as much as a sad, dirty bed roll alone in the Deep Roads where he was probably cuddling rocks and crying can be called great) before Rook showed up.

Yes, he had an itsy bitsy little Regret demon tear apart Skyhold.

Sure, he had a little bit of a Dread-Wolf-shaped meltdown at the Mortalitasi. (On that note, I think he had said wolf-shaped meltdown because the Mortalitasi are stopping spirits from reconnecting with their Titans once they leave the fade because, oopsie, all the necromancers are catching them and putting them into corpses instead.)

But other than that?

Great. Really great. No sense of cold dread here. Nope. No sir. Definitely not guiding every single one of his actions, from petrifying random people all the way to breaking time a little bit (?) to save Varric's life in Arlathan.

He makes it up onto his little (dilapidated, fracturing) staircase in his (also under-construction and very unstable) ritual site in Arlathan, and his ritual's begun (right out in the open, with an eluvian leading right to it that we all somehow have the password to, because he definitely doesn't want to be stopped at all, nope, not at all).

The Evanuris are going to go into their stone prisons! Rock Jail 2.0: Waking World Edition! It's great!

Until Rook shoves over one of those not-quite-stable statues. Which falls into another statue (Falon'Din's?). Which then topples one more statue, before Solas shatters it (which....... buddy. Why.)

Point is: ritual broken, Ghilan'nain and Elgar'nan freed, blights inevitable, Titans doomed. You know: Ma banal enasalin. Your blight wins, Dread.

Except that's not all.

Those other Evanuris, whose archdemons we killed? My guess is that they're not gone from their stone prisons. Remember what happened when we killed Corypheus's dragon? The soul just flew back into Corypheus, who was then mortal for a time (and we dropped him in the Fade instead, smh, Inquisitor, we literally went over this right before the final fight).

This means that the same is probably true of every archdemon we have killed. That means Dirthamen, Falon'Din, Sylaise, June, and Andruil are all out there somewhere, ostensibly, if they are freed from their stone prisons.

What happened in the Hissing Wastes when the stone broke, when we put the torches in the wrong order?

Demons. And what did Cole say about them?

"They were Dwarves. They think they still are. They sound like dust tastes."

And what does the Chant of Light say about the Evanuris?

Those who had been cast down, The demons who would be gods, Began to whisper to men from their tombs within the earth. — Threnodies 5

(sidenote, what if tombs within the earth doesn't necessarily only mean the abyss-earth, but also the rocks in which they're imprisoned in the fade? juicy...)

I think that not only are Ghilan'nain and Elgar'nan freed, not only is Terror still broken, not only are the blights back in business, not only are all the Titans still turned—

But five of the seven Evanuris just came back as world-endingly-bad demons.

Who could possess anything.

Or anyone.

I don't know whether Solas is trapped-trapped in Fade Jail™ (because there's an awful lot of wolf statues in there, and yet, he is not bound inside any of them), but honestly, that matters little when examining the scope of things.

The Evanuris all walk free. All seven. And our friend Fen'Harel, Dread Wolf, Cold Dread, Anxiety Incarnate, isn't going to be able to trick them twice.

Veilguard Predictions: the Ballad's Conclusion, or Does the Song Go On?

Oh my god this post is so long, this series is so long, my hands hurt, please for the love of god, I need to employ some sort of brevity somewhere.

Here's some predictions. I'm so tired. I've written so much.

Harding: her powers awoke, apparently, when she touched Solas's dagger. I'm wondering if that is reconnecting her to Solas's blood (which might be what makes the dagger?) or Solas's Titan. We also saw that diamond concept art, didn't we?

Varric: If you know, you know. Lyrium dagger, dwarf. If you don't know, close your eyes and pretend you read nothing.

Lucanis: You know what's really funky to me? The fact that Lucanis is possessed by Spite. And this is a time when all the other five Evanuris might possess some people. And this game might really just be Who Got Possessed By Whom. But, I think the thing Spite wants might be to see Solas dead. Or, Spite might want to see all the Titans healed. Or some other third thing that is sure to stomp on my heart.

... Sidenote I think we're going to see all the Forgotten Ones, and maybe even find out the one who's unnamed.

Solas: Fen'Harel walked among both clans of gods. The Forgotten Ones counted him as one of their own. It's possible Solas might be Terror. Not sure how that works! Not sure how sundered Titans operate! But it would sure be neat if the elven word for Contemplation were Solas's true name, and also the "true" name of the final Forgotten One (as they all have two names; their qualities and their name-names).

Emmrich: You know who'd have a really good shot of freeing all those spirits from the Necropolis? Three guesses. And you know what might happen if all those happy spirits that the Mourn Watch gave therapy to all move back into their Titans? Well, something really nice, plus a whole lot of crying from us. Sidenote: if Wisdom had enough time to reincarnate into an incomplete wisp before Solas's terror-orb broke? You know who'd be a really great candidate for a skeleton to house New Wisdom? Three guesses.

Neve: Magister Gallus is the one mentioned in the Gangue codex. :) But also, Neve is widely theorized to be the Archon's bastard child. It would be amazing to me if Magister Gallus were some other relative of hers—but how would that work, with Neve notably born as a commoner? The other, OTHER theory I've seen floating around is that this Magister Gallus is actually Neve's husband. But also—how does THAT work, with what we know of Neve?

Taash: Sylaise creation. Or Ghil creation. Who knows? Maybe Taash is how we find out the origin of all kossith. Maybe Taash is a little bit more dragon than other kossith. Maybe Taash is half scaled one, half kossith.

Davrin: Something something, the griffons woke up as the Veil began to come down. I don't know what that means, except more in the line of "Titans are waking" things. But also? He's a Warden, and he's about to see how much the Wardens didn't know about the blight. And also, Solas is blight patient zero and/or the source of all blight. And he's the Dread Wolf. Either Davrin and Solas have a lot of growing to do, or maybe Davrin is a source of anti-Solas sentiment.

Bellara: :) I really think Dirthamen, who potentially escaped the Fade in the time of the Magisters Sidereal, is hanging out with Bellara. She's got new vallaslin that none of the rest of us have access to. She's obsessed with knowledge. She has a very funky piece of ancient technology and just seems to have a way with old elvhen knowledge and equipment. Sleeper agent Bellara? Secret betrayer on our hands, or has Dirthamen become something better, kinder, than he was?

The Truth About Solas and Mythal's Relationship: I'd be so shocked if it were romance. I think, rewatching that post-DAI credits scene, they just trauma-bonded a shitload when Solas was born. Maybe I'm wrong! But if anyone in all of Thedas would have a reason to trauma-bond, it's them: the guy who started the blight, and the woman who made him do it; the two Evanuris who begged the others not to go back looking for more blight.

The Eclipse: Dirthamen and Falon'Din? Do I just love the Bird Boys™ too much, or is there something here?

Blackened Hearts Memory: I was wrong with Falon'Din, I think, and stumbled into the answer with Mythal. I think Mythal blackened the first Titan heart.

Do We Win?: man. Please. I'm just begging. Please let us be happy after all this. Do you know how much I cried, falling into the truth about Solasan and the dread at the door? I need a happy ending here. Or I need someone at BioWare to get me a nice cup of hot chocolate. Something.

Is Solas A Villain?: Bro have you even been reading? No. Pookie's never done anything wrong a day in his goddamned life. Let him sing Hallelujah in peace. :)

Do We Stop the Blight?: What other choice do we have? It's beat the Evanuris and fix the Titans now, or end up in a blighted world forever...???? Or... kill the Titans and kill all magic? Guys. Please don't kill all magic forever.

That's all I have in the way of major predictions. Probably.

---

I need a nap. You're a hero for reading all of these, if you have. <3

I'm still on an internet blackout until I have Veilguard in my hands, so I am likely not to reply here. But I promise: I will be back soon, when I've seen the game's story play out!

Let's all have some fun in Thedas tomorrow. :)

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jerzwriter · 8 months ago

Text

Mostly Pleasant Surprises 3 of 4 The Best Laid Plans

This is the final installment of "how they finally got together." I promise. 😊

Book: Open Heart (Book 2 Timeline) Pairing: Tobias Carrick & Casey MacTavish (F!MC) Rating: Teen

Series Summary: It's been months since the chemical attack, and "kind of" exes-turned-friends Tobias & Casey have been stubbornly denying their growing feelings for each other. But when a series of events threatens to come between them, will they find their way back together?

Part 3 Summary: Casey's friends are determined to get her and Tobias together at long last. When Bryce has a chance encounter with Tobias, it seems like all systems are go. Will they get the fairy tale ending they deserve?

A/N: Graduations and family events are over; I'm getting my babies together! For the 2 fans still remaining, I hope you enjoy the final two parts as much as I've enjoyed writing them!

Series Masterlist || Tobias x Casey Masterlist Full Masterlist

Casey was half asleep as she plodded through the cafeteria. She never showed up this early for work, and it showed.

“Excuse me,” an intern apologized, even though it was Casey who had tripped into him.

But the exhausted resident was too tired to care. After muttering something nasty about interns under her breath, her eyes went wide. If she didn't watch herself, she would morph into Ethan Ramsey! In the distance, Bryce and Jackie waved her to their table. Delighted to see friendly faces, she rushed to join them.

Bryce eyed the food on his friend’s tray with disgust. “What... the hell is that?”

“Breakfast!"

“On what planet? A scoop of grey cottage cheese, artificially flavored orange Jell-O, chocolate milk, and a package of Fruit Loops.” Bryce looked up in horror. “Are you pregnant?”

A bark of laughter escaped her. “Please! There’s a better chance of Sister Agatha from St. Joseph’s being knocked up than me.”

“How can you be so sure?” Jackie teased.

“Because if God wanted a vessel for another immaculate conception, I assure you, he’d choose Sister Agatha over me.”

“Ouch,” Bryce winced, placing one of his pancakes on Casey’s plate. “Don’t be so hard on yourself. God could do much worse than you.”

“What’s the pancake for?”

“I don’t know,” he smiled. “Do you really want to eat any of the crap on your plate?”

Casey looked down at her plate with a sigh. “No. I’m so tired, I didn’t even know what I was grabbing.”

“Why so tired?” Jackie asked. “You were already in bed when I got home last night.”

Casey went to answer but couldn’t find words. Sitting with her mouth agape, Sienna slid into the seat beside her and saved the day.

“She wasn’t feeling well last night... she went to bed early but was up and down a lot.”

“In that case, why don’t you take a sick day?” Bryce asked. “Ethan knows you’re still easing back into work. I don’t think he’d mind.”

Casey mumbled something unintelligible as she stuffed a forkful of pancakes into her mouth.

“Uh, come again?” Bryce asked.

“I said, I doubt Ethan would be all right giving me the day off to get over Tobias.”

“Over Tobias?” Jackie asked with a raised brow. “I’ve been waiting for you to be under Tobias. When did this happen?”

“Casey saw something online last night,” Sienna jumped in. “But we don’t have all the facts.”

“Online?” Bryce asked protectively. “What exactly did she see... online?”

“It’s nothing,” Casey stated. “Tobias was on a date, that’s all. But it doesn’t matter... he and I are just friends. So, it doesn’t matter.”

Jackie was already scrolling through her socials to find the damning post as Bryce looked pointedly at Sienna for more details.

“We don’t know that he was on a date!” Sienna insisted. “A nurse from Kenmore posted something that alluded to that, but I have my doubts."

“Nurse’s name?” Jackie asked.

“Audrey Kenner,” Sienna replied before Casey could stop her.

“There’s nothing daming on her Insta now. Are you sure it was there?”

“It was there,” Casey spat. “Trust me.”

“Yeah, but it’s gone now,” Sienna tried to placate. “That tells me something is fishy! You can’t jump to conclusions.”

Bryce nodded in agreement. “Sienna’s right. Everyone knows he's crazy about you. Talk to him.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Casey said, dropping her fork to her plate with an exasperated sigh. “It doesn’t matter because we’ve only been friends, and that’s what we’ll stay.”

She ignored her friends eyeing each other but took the opportunity to steal a second pancake from Bryce’s plate.

“Fine,” Jacie shrugged. “Fairy tales are overrated anyway. But you should get yourself back in the game. It’s bad for your complexion to be celibate this long.”

“What?” Casey huffed, rubbing her face. “My complexion is fine!”

“For now,” Jackie said without missing a beat. “But you’re in the danger zone.”

“Then I’ll up my skincare routine. Because I’ve decided to focus on work... my career. Who needs the other shit, anyway?”

“You do,” Bryce interjected. “Come on, Case. All the work and no play make Jane a very dull girl. That’s never been my Casey.”

“Well, near-death experiences have a way of changing outlooks.”

“What have you changed your outlook on?” Elijah asked, joining the table.

“Casey’s going to remain celibate for life,” Jackie said as Elijah erupted into laughter.

“Sure she is!”

“You know,” Casey said, pushing away from the table. “I’ve really had enough. If you’ll excuse me, I have work to do.”

“Casey... come back,” Sienna called, but Casey marched right out the door.

“Nice work, Greene,” Bryce groaned.

“What did I do?” his friend wailed.

“Nothing,” Sienna sighed. “Casey’s just nursing a broken heart.”

“A broken heart?” Elijah asked. “Who broke her heart?”

“The internet,” Jackie deadpanned.

“I think she has the wrong idea about Tobias,” Sienna stated.

“Are we sure it’s the wrong idea?” Elijah asked.

“No,” Sienna replied. “But I’m pretty confident. The only way to know is to ask him, but Casey refuses.”

“So,” Elijah shrugged. “Ask him yourself.”

“I’m not going to overstep like that!” Sienna insisted. “It’s up to her to ask if she wants to.”

“You’re right,” Bryce insisted. “And if she doesn’t... maybe it means she is over him.”

Jackie let out a laugh. “You know she’s not over him! The girl was all googley eyes looking at him not two days ago.”

“Of course she’s not,” Bryce replied. “I was being facetious.”

“She’s scared,” Sienna countered. “She’s had her heart broken a lot... her college boyfriend, her med school girlfriend, by he of whom we shall not speak of at Edenbrook, and even by Tobias last year. It’s not surprising that she’s protecting herself.”

“So,” Elijah grinned. “What do you say we force her hand?”

“And how do you suggest we do that?”

“If she’s so over T, let’s hook her up with someone else!”

“Terrible idea,” Bryce grimaced.

“Yeah,” Sienna agreed. “That wouldn’t work.”

But Jackie was intrigued. “It could. What do you have in mind, Elijah?”

“That new guy that signed up for the softball team.”

“Oh! The hottie from Radiology!” Sienna enthused as a smug Elijah nodded.

“That’s him!”

“I’ve seen him,” Bryce shrugged. “I’m unimpressed. Besides, Casey doesn't even know him."

“Not yet,” Elijah grinned. “But if we talk him up... offer to set them up?”

“It’s brilliant!” Jackie jumped in. “She'll realize she has no desire to see anyone else, and it’ll force her to face the fact that she wants Tobias.”

“Since when do you care about other people’s love lives?” Bryce asked.

“I don’t. But I’m invested in this... I’ve been watching those two circle each other for months and I deserve the payoff."

“Don’t do it,” Bryce warned.

“Too late,” Elijah grinned, looking up from his phone. “I just texted nurse Sarah who confirmed radiology hottie is single, and he was asking her about Casey just the other day.”

“Great,” Bryce sighed. “So he has a thing for Casey. Let’s use him to trick her into seeing she has a thing for Tobias. Except she already knows she has a thing for Tobias; she’s just too scared to address it. What could go wrong here? This isn’t a dumpster fire waiting to happen.”

“You are such a drama queen,” Jackie griped. “Elijah, you know him... talk to him about Casey. I’ll start to upsell radiology hottie at home tonight. By the way, does he have a name?”

“Jake,” Elijah smiled. “You know he’s a nice guy... worst case scenario, Casey falls for him instead.”

“Yeah,” Bryce shook his head. “That’s the worst-case scenario.”

“Relax, Lahela,” Elijah laughed. “When we’re heading to their wedding one day, you won’t be able to say you played a part in getting them together.”

“Whose wedding are we speaking about, exactly?”

“Casey & Tobias’s!” Jackie spat. “Duh!”

“Knock yourselves out, guys,” Bryce said, stepping away. “But count me out of this.”

~~~~~

Across town, Tobias was just beginning to wake up and eagerly reached for his phone, disappointed to see Casey had yet to respond. He instinctively shot her another text, and when he didn't hear back a few hours later, he tried once more.

Casey picked up her phone when it buzzed in her pocket... she knew Tobias was persistent. He was bound to show up if she didn’t answer, so she shot a text his way...

She felt her stomach turn, and her eyes went moist. Great, she thought. He needs to tell me... tell me he’s been dating Audrey. She was angry at herself for letting this bother her so much. All she wanted to do was cry. But there was no avoiding this. Maybe biting the bullet and confirming her worst fears was the way to go. But not during the work week... she had just returned to work and didn't need the distraction.

~~~~~

The next few days passed in a blur; before they knew it, it was Friday night, also known as Pizza Friday, at the roomies. Jackie & Elijah’s attempt to sell Jake was now entering day three, but Casey was still not biting.

“No,” she stated firmly.

“Why not!” Jackie demanded. “Look,” she held her phone with a picture of the handsome radiologist in Casey's face. “Look at him! He’s adorable! He’s got that dopey, doe-eyed look so many of you chicks go crazy for and blue eyes. Not for nothing, I’ve noticed blue eyes are your thing.”

“So? Go out with him yourself?” Casey shrugged.

“Meh, you know guys are just a passing interest to me,” Jackie replied.

“Well, for the hundredth time, I’m not interested either.”

“You know, you snooze, you lose,” Elijah smiled. “A hottie like that won't be on the market for long.”

“Would you stop calling him a hottie!” Casey cringed. “And I’ll take my chances... the answer is still no.”

“Guys...” Sienna attempted to intervene, but Jackie spoke over her.

“Because you’re not over Carrick.”

Elijah’s and Sienna’s heads flung toward Casey, and if looks could kill, they’d be planning Jackie’s wake.

“There’s nothing to get over,” she said through clenched teeth.

Jackie was undeterred. “Look, the Casey I know would have been all over this. It’s time to get back out there, hon. And if Carrick isn’t a thing, what’s the harm in talking to the guy? Worst case scenario, you tell him you're not interested."

“She’s not wrong,” Elijah agreed. “It doesn’t even have to be a “date date.” You can just happen to be at Donahue’s at the same time; you grab a beer together....”

“No!”

“Fine,” Jackie snapped. “But when you die alone surrounded by seventy-five cats, don’t say I didn’t warn you!”

“I happen to like cats,” Casey smirked.

“Well, Jackie may be giving up, but I’m not,” Elijah insisted. “I’m sorry, Casey, but I think this one has real potential!”

“I’m not giving up!” Jackie yelled as Sienna unsuccessfully attempted to change the subject once again.

Casey's head pounded as the three friends continued to bicker. She rubbed her temples as the noise and the monotony continued.

“Fine! Fine!” She yelled. “If I share a beer with this guy, smile, and go home... do you promise to never discuss this again?”

“Absolutely,” Jackie beamed.

“Then make it happen. But I’m just doing this to shut the two of you up. It's not a date! Is that clear?”

“Crystal!” Elijah grinned. “Just leave it to us.”

~~~~~

Casey sat hunched over the bar. Her lack of enthusiasm was impossible to miss as she downed her third beer of the night. Her dutiful sidekick, Sienna, hadn’t left her side, still trying to make her best friend smile.

“If it makes you feel better, I think Jake is working tonight. So they probably won't spring him on you today."

“It doesn’t matter,” Casey sighed. “I just wanted some time out with my friends, and their stupid quest isn’t helping at all.”

Sienna placed a comforting hand on Casey’s shoulder. “Their hearts are in the right place, but their brains... not so much.”

“Well, if they spring him on me tonight, I’m ready,” Casey grinned, gesturing toward her attire. “See this? My rattiest, oldest jeans, accompanied by my shittiest sweatshirt! The messy bun and minimalist makeup complete my look."

"And what look is that?" Sienna laughed.

"I call it... I'm not interested."

“You jerk. You’re still prettier than just about anyone in the room. So that plan is a major fail!”

“I don’t care,” Casey shrugged, her mood slipping even lower; then, she spoke in just a whisper. “I’m having lunch with Tobias tomorrow.”

“You are!” Sienna enthused. “That’s great news!”

“Don’t get hopes up,” Casey frowned. “He said he had to talk to me.... he’s going to tell me about Audrey.”

Sienna let out a long sigh. “Do you know this for a fact?”

“Yes.”

“How?”

“I just do.”

“Casey,” her friend winced. “Sometimes, you’re your own worst enemy.”

Casey motioned to Reggie for another beer... and she didn’t even like beer.

“I can’t do it again, Si. I’ve had my heart broken one too many times. What kind of an idiot falls for Tobias Carrick... Boston’s biggest playboy who’s already hurt me once. Tomorrow, when he tells me about Audrey, I will smile and wish him the best, and then I’m moving on. I... I can't do this again.”

“Casey....” Sienna whimpered.

“My mind is made up.”

“All right then,” Sienna said, swirling her drink. “Then you do what you need to do.”

“Casey?”

She felt a tap on her shoulder and turned around to find an incredibly handsome man with the kindest eyes she’d ever seen standing behind her. Even sitting, she could tell he’d stand a good half-foot above her 5’9” frame. “A little bird told me I’d find you here,” he smiled.

“Mmm hmm," she hummed, playing it cool. "Was the little bird’s name Elijah or Jackie?”

“I won't give them away," he grinned. "But, I can already tell I’m going to be thanking them soon. What are you drinking?”

“Blue Moon,” she said, nodding toward the bottle Reggie just delivered.

“Well, this one is on me.”

She should have gone home. She knew she wasn’t interested in anyone whose name wasn’t Tobias Carrick. But that familiar ache in her chest told her another heartbreak was just hours away. With that on the horizon, would it be so bad to give this man a chance?

“Would you like to grab a booth?” Jake asked.

Casey grabbed her beer from the bar, stepped off her stool, and sauntered past him. “This isn’t a date,” she smirked.

“I never said it was. But if I play my cards right... maybe the next one will be.”

She found herself smiling despite herself. “You have one hour."

That hour went by in a flash. Even if Casey would have noticed it ended, she wouldn’t have been inclined to point it out. Jackie and Elijah were right. Jake was delightful. Smart - he graduated top in his class from Harvard Medical – followed by a residency at Hopkins. He had already published more than physicians twice his age, and Edenbrook considered snagging his a coup. Still, he couldn't have been more humble. He was easy to talk to and far more interested in talking about her than himself, though she managed to get her questions in. He was very close with his younger sister, who had turned him into a bonafide Swiftie. As he talked, Casey couldn't help but think this guy checked every single box. He was perfect for her, everything she ever thought she wanted, and she was decidedly not interested.

She might regret passing up this opportunity one day; she was sure she'd be discussing this with her shrink. But, no matter how mesmerizing his blue eyes were, they weren't the ones she wanted to be gazing at. Jake's shy, unassuming charm was the polar opposite of Tobias’s confident swagger... but how she missed it.

“What do you say,” Jake asked, pointing to her empty bottle. “I realize my hour is up, but would you care for another?”

“Sure," she smiled. "What's the harm in one more.”

~~~~~

Tobias looked good. Too good. In his black cashmere coat, herringbone gaberdine pants, and black turtleneck, he was well overdressed for a Saturday night at Whole Foods. He was picking up a few items and then had the night free. He considered stopping by the Puddingstone. Seeing some old friends wouldn’t be the worst idea, and maybe it would keep him from counting the hours until he’d see Casey tomorrow. He just reached the checkout area when someone called out his name.

“Lahela,” Tobias grinned, extending his hand.

“You can call me Bryce.”

“Sometimes I do,” he smiled, taking notice of the younger man’s scrubs. “Just getting off shift?”

“Yeah! It was a long day. I can’t wait to get home and get some sleep.”

“On a Saturday night?” Tobias mocked. “Come on, Lahela! You’re too young and too good-looking for that... you should absolutely have a date.”

“Is that why you're so dressed up?" Bryce asked.

“Excuse me?”

Bryce exaggeratedly sniffed the air. “Is that Tom Ford? And those clothes.... not exactly a going home after grocery shopping look.”

“Nah,” Tobias chuckled. “No dates for me. At least... not tonight.”

“It’s Casey... isn’t it?”

Tobias looked startled as a brief silence fell between them.

“You two drive me crazy,” Bryce sighed. “Everyone can see you're crazy about each other.... and you'd be perfect together... so why don’t you tell her how you feel already?”

“Well, as fate would have it, that's exactly what I was planning to tell her tomorrow at lunch.”

“Nice!” Bryce beamed, patting Tobias on the back. “Finally! I’ve gotta give you credit, though.”

“Credit? For what?”

“Your patience! If I was about to tell the person I loved that I was crazy about them, I’d rush to do it as soon as possible. I wouldn’t be able to wait. You’re much cooler than me, Carrick.”

Tobias’s eyes went distant. “You know what... you’re right.”

“I am?”

“You’re absolutely right. I’ve been waiting long enough; why should I wait any longer?” He grabbed a bunch of loose bills from his pocket and tossed them into his basket. “Can you take care of this?”

“Sure!” Bryce insisted. “Just...go! Go! But where should I bring your groceries?”

“I don’t care,” Tobias hollered. “I’ll call you later!”

“All right,” Bryce grinned at the cashier as he pulled out his phone. “Si? Who is the man?”

“I’m assuming you’re the man?” Sienna replied.

“Oh, I am absolutely the man!”

“Good to know,” Sienna laughed. “Now, why are you the man?”

“Jackie and Elijah had all those bullshit games, but who is the one who got Tobias to finally tell Casey the truth? ME!”

“Bryce.... what talking about”

“I ran into him at Whole Foods. A sixty-second conversation with me, and our boy is running off for a romcom-worthy ending.”

“Running off to tell Casey?” Sienna asked with concern. “Where is he running to?”

“To Donahue’s...she’s still there, right?”

“He’s heading there NOW?” Sienna yelled.

“Yes, now... why is there....”

“Oh, no! No, no, no, no, no!” Sienna was already slipping on her sneakers. “I have to get back there. I have to call Casey....”

“Wait, why? Oh, no....” Bryce gasped. “They didn’t set up that thing with the radiology stud for today, did they?”

“YES! Casey was so sure Tobias was telling her he’s with Audrey tomorrow that she agreed to have a few drinks with him.”

“Oh, shit!” Bryce cursed. “I’m heading over there now.”

“Not if I get there first!”

~~~~~~

The ride from Whole Foods to Donahue’s went by in a flash, and if fate wasn’t smiling on him enough, Tobias found a parking a few doors away. In Boston! It was reminiscent of the day when he met Casey at the deli; a spot had been waiting for him as if it was bringing him to his future. It was all coming together.

He smiled as he took in a deep breath of the cold, New England air, making sure he memorized everything about the night. The way the streetlights sparkled on the icy patches on the sidewalk, the old Celtic tune blaring from inside the bar—he wanted - needed - to remember every moment of this night.

So, this was what it felt like? He had successfully avoided it for nearly four decades, never understanding what all the fuss was about. But here he was—Tobias Carrick was in love. He had dreamt of telling her for some time, and as he reached for the door, he couldn't believe the moment was finally here.

Sienna was in an Uber, not chancing this to public transit. She dialed Casey a dozen times on the ride there and tried Jackie and Elijah, too... but nothing. Bryce was already running to the bar, grocery bags in hand; his messages to Tobias had gone unanswered as well. Inside Donahue's, Casey and Jake’s conversation continued under the dim lights and the haze of one too many beers.

“Are you a Disney fan?” Jake asked.

“I'm not anti-Disney, but I’m not obsessed.”

“Tsk. That’s too bad,” Jake frowned. “Maybe we'll go to Disney World together one day, and I could help change your mind.”

“That would be a hard sell,” Casey grinned. Jake was a nice guy... a really nice guy... and this wasn't right. Even if Tobias was about to break her heart, experience told her that she'd be better off taking some time before seeing anyone else, and she could tell Jake deserved better.

“I have a few friends who are Disney freaks. If you’d like, I’d be happy to introduce you.”

Jake deflated a bit but quickly picked himself up. “Hey, if Disney is hard no, I will happily give up the Mouse for you.”

“It’s not that,” Casey smiled. “You seem like a great guy, Jake, and if this was another time, I might let you attempt to make me a Disney convert. But I’m still dealing with the after-effects of the chemical attack... and I’m not quite over someone I loved... so it's not a good time for me to begin seeing anyone."

“I understand,” Jake smiled. “And I appreciate your honesty. But we can still be friends, right? Because I hardly know anyone in Boston.”

“You’ve got a deal,” Casey smiled, extending her hand over the table to shake his hand. The handshake lingered a little too long, and with their hands intertwined, Casey smiled and turned toward the door.

Timing. Life was always about timing. After months of meaningful conversations, long rides, hugs, and occasional kisses, after all the tenderness they shared, the time was finally here. He could have told her dozens of other times, or she could have told him, but this was the moment fate had brought them to; he was going to do it. His heart was so full he worried it might burst, and then...it did.

The packed room seemed to fall silent as he stared at the woman he loved, and his face turned to stone. Her smile, her laugh, that light in her eyes... but she wasn’t looking at him. Maybe it’s not what it seems, a voice inside him pleaded, but that didn't stop his heart from sinking. He was nauseous, and his legs felt like gelatin beneath him. Maybe this was the flipside. This was why he had avoided it for so long. Dating was fun. Sex was fun. But relationships? Love? They were work. Work punctuated with heartache, and he successfully avoided them until he met her. Casey... his precious Casey, sitting no more than a few yards away, her face flushed as she held the hand of another man. Had he imagined everything before today?

Casey looked around the room, and the blood drained from her face as she locked eyes with Tobias.

“Hey, are you OK?” Jake asked.

“Yes... I’ve just... give me a minute.”

She rushed toward Tobias, who wished he could have lurched for the door, but it was too late; there was no choice but to face her.

“Tobias!” she yelled. Breathless, with a genuine grin when she reached him. “What are you doing here?”

“Nothing,” he said, acting as nonchalant as he could. But as his eyes darted back to the table and Jake, realization washed over Casey.

“Oh, Tobias! Wait... let me explain...”

“There’s nothing to explain,” he replied with a level of coolness that shook Casey to her core.

“No... you don’t understand,” she insisted. “I want to explain because you should know that....”

“You’re on a date,” he shrugged. “That’s cool. Nothing wrong with that.”

“There’s.... there’s not?” She swallowed, her eyes beginning to glisten, and she suddenly felt much smaller than she was.

“Nope. It’s a good thing... it means you’re really ready to be back out in the world again.”

“Well, I am, but that's not what....”

She grasped his arm with desperation, but Tobias gently pushed it away.

“We’re friends. Right? We haven't been more than that since we broke up last year. You don’t owe me any explanation.”

“Oh,” she whispered, diverting her eyes so he wouldn't see the impact of his words. “I see...”

“Go have fun, Case. We’ll talk soon.”

“T...Tobias...” she called after him. “Are we still on for tomorrow?”

“Actually, I wanted to tell you that I got called into work. I’ll have to take a rain check.”

“Oh... but wait! You said you wanted to tell me something... tomorrow... what... what was it?”

He took a deep breath as he stepped toward her, steeling himself as he gently touched her shoulders. He never thought of himself as a skilled actor, but he had to pull out all the stops tonight. He would have made his college drama teacher proud.

“I was going to tell you that now that you’re back to work... and you’re doing well... you don’t need me as a crutch anymore.”

“Tobias!" She interrupted. "I never thought of you as a crutch! I hope that’s not the impression I gave!”

“Of course not,” he smiled, brushing a stray strand of hair away from her face. “But it’s time for us to move on... that's what I wanted to tell you... but... it looks like we already have. Now, I really have to go.”

She wanted to run after him, but her feet felt like they were glued to the floor. What had he just told her? All she could do was stand in stunned silence as the man she loved bolted out the door. He had barely taken ten steps outside when Bryce ran up to him.

“Hey,” Bryce gasped, attempting to catch his breath. “Did... did you see Casey?”

“I did,” Tobias grunted. “And now, I’m heading home.”

“Wait... what happened?”

Tobias remained silent, his demeanor like steel as he opened his car door.

“Tobias!” Bryce hollered. “I don’t know what happened in there, but I know Casey, and I know she's crazy about you."

“It doesn’t matter," Tobias said with a wave of his hand. "Sometimes, the universe gives us signs and tonight, it delivered a neon sign to me. Now, if you’ll let go of my door... I really want to go home."

~~~~

Casey grabbed her coat from the rack, then rushed to the front door in tears.

“Casey!” Sienna hollered, grabbing her by the arm. “Where are you going? What happened?”

“Si,” Casey wailed. “I just... I just want to go home.”

Noticing the commotion, Jackie raced across the room. “Hey, what happened? I saw Tobias was here... what did he say?"

“It doesn’t matter!” Casey cried. “I told you, I’m an idiot... now, please... I need to go home.”

Sienna was already buttoning up her friend's coat. “Then that’s exactly where I’m taking you, sweetie. Don’t worry, I’ll get you there.”

“I’ll come, too,” Jackie added nervously, but Sienna held up a hand to stop her.

“No. Not now. I think you’ve done enough for tonight.”

~~~~~~~

Tobias tossed his keys on the side table as he entered his townhome. The place had never felt this cavernous, this quiet, this empty. He walked to the sideboard and poured himself a tumbler full of whisky, downing it quickly before pouring a second. He brought the decanter with him when he retreated to his couch; sitting in the darkness, he hoped the alcohol would begin to numb the thoughts in his head, and he prayed that when he woke up tomorrow, he'd revert to the man he once was... with no memory of the foolish one he had become. Minutes turned to hours, and by the time he decided to rise, he nearly had to crawl up the stairs to his room.

He collapsed into his bed, fully dressed, only taking a moment to kick off his shoes. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and scoffed when he saw a text from Casey.

"This was a horrible experiment," he groaned, deleting her message before reading a word. He pushed a button next to his bed, and a buzzing noise surrounded him as his shades came down, ensuring light couldn't peek through until he was damn well ready to let it.

He looked at his phone again, squinting to see another message that had come in. This one was from Audrey, and in this state, he considered replying; the company might do him good. But stopped himself. Audrey, like Casey, was now in the past, and that's where the past belonged. It's not like he didn't have other options. Tomorrow was a new day, and he was determined to come back to life when the sun rose. It was time to move on.

(OK we're almost there... almost. I promise :) )

@choicesficwriterscreations @openheartfanfics

Tagging others separately.

#open heart #open heart choices #choices open heart #tobias carrick #tobias carrick x f!mc #tobias x casey #playchoices #choices stories you play #choices fanfic #playchoices fanfic

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pitter-patt-art · 5 months ago

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Ace Attorney AU August (halfway progress update!)

Okay technically it's the 16th (lol, 17th by the time this is done) so a little over halfway actually, but still I thought since I haven't had anything finished to post the past few days this would be a fun alternative!

I've been going a little nuts (affectionate) over @augustwritingchallenge's AU-gust prompts list this year so August has been a wild ride (about 40k words of one, in fact. so far.) but seeing as I will get attached to even the jokiest of AU ideas instantly, I've completed* a whopping 5 whole fics of 16, lol. Considering the shortest of those is over 3k and the longest is over 12k, I think the problem with not finishing these in a timely manner is entirely on my verbose foolish thick skull, haha, but I'm still having a blast with it.

Here is my ao3 series where I'm posting!

And a rundown / progress report / quick teaser of all the AUs including those I've yet to finish, if anyone's interested:

(*by "completed" I should note two of the already posted fics are basically assuredly going to be continued past the challenge, but let's say "completed enough to post and be on theme")

1. Canon Divergence - complete - 4.5k words ("For the Murder of Mr. Wrong" link)

Mia POV, gen. What if Dahlia succeeded in poisoning Phoenix and framed Doug Swallow instead (and then Mia defended him in court)? Basically a 3-1 rewrite. Fun Fact: I only came up with this AU because before I even remembered AU-gust existed at all, I'd come up with like 4 totally separate AUs in which I poison Phoenix in various ways With Real Consequences because it amuses me, lol, but he survives all those other ones and I eventually realized I hadn't even considered straight up killing him off yet so I figured I should try it at least once, haha.

2. Colorless - complete 1st chapter - 3.2k words ("Grey Matters" link)

Phoenix POV (for 1st ch --prob alternating after), wrightworth. "You can't see color until the first time you touch your soulmate"-soulmate AU. 1st chapter is their first meeting as kids (skipping the class trial itself). Fun Fact(s): I really love a color soulmate AU! Big fan of the "only see the color of their eyes" type of one too but uhhh on top of that working better for things that have wild anime eye colors, you could not pay me enough to try to figure out what the HELL is going on with Ace Attorney eye colors at any given time lmfao. (Also--spoilers for what i haven't written yet but hey if you're here you earned it--this IS one of my very many "teehee what if i poison Phoenix just a smidge as a treat for me" fics. NOT my fault the man ATE GLASS. That's on him.)

3. Dark Academia - complete "1st chapter" - 4.4k words ("The Spirit of the Laws of Magic" link)

Mia POV, lanamia. Magical boarding school setting featuring corruption and missing-student conspiracies and a most likely overthought system of magic with hierarchies and prejudices in societal views of academic/formulaic vs folk/innate magic. Fun Fact: I really thought for SURE i was going to skip this day entirely, lol. (foolish.) I don't think i've actually ever personally read anything "dark academia", technically--so if this doesn't read EXACTLY that way, there you go, but i did my best. I also then thought I could live with keeping this vague but I accidentally thought about it too long so... plus at least two people on top of myself at this point have expressed interest in more of this and so I have some semi-concrete Plans™ now.

4. Zombie Apocalypse - conceptualized (but not started)

Concept: probably gen and Phoenix POV, but also because I'm me and they're them, at least a little bit wrightworth even if it isn't necessarily explicit in any meaningful way bc they are Not Normal about each other lol. A little sketchy on how much of an "AU" this counts for, since it could probably be argued to be canon compliant somehow, but basically just: Universe where they make a Pride and Prejudice and Zombies-type Steel Samurai reboot movie thing (featuring, you guessed it, zombies), and Miles comes over and forces Phoenix to watch it with him just to have someone to bitch about it at, and then during that time Maya blows her way into Phoenix's apartment as well with the exact same intentions except her "day job" isn't quite as time-sensitive-strict so she's already finished watching it earlier and knows all the spoilers. Honestly a good chance Phoenix and Pearl (who came with Maya) end up hiding out in the kitchen together to let Maya and Miles rile each other up in front of the TV, but I'm never exactly sure where they'll take me once I wind them up and set them loose on the page, so who knows. I also hadn't necessarily determined the exact time frame yet but for it to make sense as a reboot-type movie/special episode/whatever it probably should be 7yg-or-later so Trucy may or may not be there as well. (That said, in my struggles to complete an actually short one-shot, I probably shouldn't even include Pearl let alone Trucy, lol.) Fun Fact: I also thought I'd skip this day bc I'm not the biggest zombie guy in the world, and to be fair, I managed to do Way Less with it than the dark academia prompt so, yippie?

5. Chess Players - incomplete (currently 3k word WIP)

Miles POV, wrightworth. Miles is a chess grandmaster and back in Japanifornia for the upcoming world cup tournament, but his greatest challenge is actually to FINALLY best Franziska in their annual who-can-get-the-best-Christmas-gift competition. Luckily, he just so happened to hear of an artist who makes bespoke chess sets, so the plan is to get a custom board made for Franziska without her finding out. The plan is not to get trapped in a weird art collective labyrinth with some model-photographer named Cindy who keeps hitting on him but also happens to be protective of the artist he's there to see because "she and her boyfriend kinda-sorta owe him big time", but this is what he gets for coming here without doing any extra research into the artist besides seeing his work and hearing only "his name is White, or, eh, something like that, you know how those artist types are" from Mr. Amano. (AU where we replace law with chess and no I don't think Phoenix could necessarily hack it in the top-world-grandmasters-level of chess tournaments HOWEVER have you considered he DID go to art school so what if he just tries selling custom chess sets until somehow that reconnects him with Miles. Is that somehow a more insane plan than studying law? Maybe. Did Manfred still shoot Gregory but now it was over fucking chess? Maybe. Idk. But I did let Greg live this time at least!) Fun Fact: we can all DEFINITIVELY blame my lovely, terrible, very wonderful friend Ben (shameless friend plug! she's an outstanding writer and has some AA fics of her own too!! @kindlystrawberry on tumblr!!) for making a total joke about "well what about au where they make chess pieces instead" while i lamented not knowing enough about chess to write an actual match and spawning this ENTIRE concept. It is her fault. 100%. She is the guilty party. (I want to finish this one VERY BADLY. Save me.)

EVIDENCE!!!!! Guilty.

6. Reality Show - incomplete (currently 700 word WIP)

Phoenix (& Franziska) POV(s), background wrightworth wedding planning going on as set up but it's also definitely just one of my many excuses to set Phoenix and Franziska up as bitchy worsties who can't admit they enjoy each other's company and will cut you down if you suggest it as such. So far I've only written the quote "set-up" section which is in Phoenix's POV, but that was SUPPOSED to be like 5 paragraphs and cut away and then lead into my actual plan for the main body, which was to be in Franz's instead, so. This is very similar to the zombie one in that it's them watching reality tv instead of being contestants on a show (I don't personally like or watch a lot of reality tv so my creative well was somewhat dry on how to make that work) and then I accidentally thought about Phoenix and Franziska watching something just to judge and tear apart the decisions of every person on it and that was too fun to not consider further, haha. Basically the plan is just they get left alone together and don't know what to do with that and end up wine-drunk and making fun of some reality dating show of some kind and Miles and Trucy come back to them losing it together over something stupid and are like "......uh. what's happening." Fun Facts: I really love the thought experiment of Franziska somehow discovering how often Phoenix's internal dialogue/reads on situations and especially people can be So Bitchy And Judgey despite his affable complexion, and her unfortunately finding his opinions to SOMETIMES be somehow slightly okay. Moderately correct, even--occasionally. I know the section she follows you-as-Phoenix around in T&T is really not long at ALL, but I adore it. There's something about it that so badly makes me want to force them into proximity more (to both their chagrin, I'm sure).

7. Farm/Ranch - complete - 12k words ("Two Little Dickey Byrdes" link)

Gumshoe POV, gumbyrde (tho i still think dickeybyrde is a funnier ship name). 5+1 things--except more like maybe 7-or-8+1 to be honest--so it's more: over 5 times Dick and Maggey sit on a wall together and 1 time they find someone else there instead. AKA: Dick runs his family's small farm (think fantasy farm like in a farming sim or maybe horse girl novel type of thing that has nothing to do with what a real farm is like lol don't worry about it) and Maggey starts working at the next farm over as the latest of her many odd jobs. Fun Fact: oh god this one got so far away from me. it was not supposed to be this long lmao. it's literally the elaborate set-up to a very silly Nursery-Rhyme-I-Didn't-Even-Know-About-Prior-To-This -based punchline!?! still, i was pleasantly surprised by how happy i was with this once it was done... two sittings and about 16 total hours later. haha).

8. Nomad - incomplete (planned/outlined)

Apollo (or possibly Klavier) POV, klapollo. Sort of Jove-Thalassa swap adjacent, but basically: AU where Jove survives the Khura'in fire but loses his memories for [contrived convince sake reasons]. (And also possibly loses some or all of his eyesight just to really go for the parallels?) Therefore: Jove and Apollo stay with Dhurke and Nahyuta and the Defiant Dragons for a time, while Jove recovers, but eventually they leave and head out on their own, just the two of them, and do the traveling musician thing, both because it's dangerous in Khura'in and Dhurke already canonically didn't want Apollo to get caught up in it and potentially get hurt to begin with and because with a functioning actual parent Apollo doesn't need to be taken in by him--and also Jove from what little we know seems like he prefers to be on the move and was already a world traveler anyhow, so even amnesiac maybe he gets a little antsy stuck in one place too long. And so like amnesiac Thalassa, Jove thusly becoming a renowned mysterious musician--and then Apollo, sweet tone deaf Apollo, becoming the sonager of all time (like a momager but...you get it) because he's not that into music but he IS into arguing for better conditions/making deals (contracts!! international legalese!! woohoo!!) with venues and promoters and stuff. And then--oops dang Lamioir still exists and now they have a meet-cute (2 electric bugaloo) (but by then it's later enough Trucy still exists because it will be a cold day in hell when I don't find a way to make her work) and they do music collabs or join up to form a group or whatever and OOPS this means now that Apollo and Jove are with Lamioir when The Gavinners / Klavier specifically meet her and get her to come to do the Guitar's Serenade concert eventually. And Apollo and Klavier ofc thusly also have a meet-cute and then talk and bond etc etc. AND THEN the au STOPS THERE and I DON'T think about how without Apollo Phoenix is totally getting convicted of Zak's murder because there's no way that trial works out as well for him with some other attorney and I also don't think about how reasonable it would then be that maybe Trucy ends up helping Valant with his work setting up the trick for the concert afterward on account of the one father in prison and the other being dead and having left behind a notarized confession clearing Valant's name of suspicion, etc. AND I DEFINITELY do not think about how i could then still so easily get everyone in one place at the concert for Turnabout Serenade and/or any possible funny Sibling (And Thalassa) Reveal that could happen i dont i dont i do not--

9. Accidental Baby Acquisition - conceptualized (not started)

Gen, possibly my weakest / least defined idea on this list, but basically: Phoenix kind of already lives this in canon, lol (insomuch as an 8yo counts as a baby) so I thought, well, how to take it a different direction, then? And I thought, I don't usually go for a Phoenix Fey kind of au because I personally really love the relationships he has with all the Feys as-is in canon and so it's not quite as funny to me as, say, a Miles Fey AU where like Misty and Gregory are married, or any of the ones in that bent, because I'm sorry but that's just SO funny (and sad, but mostly funny) any way you slice it--plus his NAME is RIGHT THERE mia-miles-maya he FITS--anyhow, that completely aside, there are just a lot of reasons I really love the platonic relationships the Feys already have with Phoenix and I don't think it NEEDS to be made specifically familial to still be so very important, y'know? BUT. That said. AU where Phoenix is idk abandoned as a baby or maybe his parents die young or something and it's like a Thing to leave babies at temples or churches or whatever, right? So like--Phoenix adopted by the Feys AU but only because the more i considered it the more i thought it would be WILD for him to literally know Maya her entire life, and it's fascinating to me to consider a Maya who ISN'T basically left all alone to her own devices (and Morgan's) and who has someone absolutely in her corner in the village the entire time even after Mia leaves (who isn't a baby when Mia leaves, love you tho Pearls), AND also and perhaps more importantly, the ships-passing-in-the-night-ness of a scene where, like: Morgan does something sketchy or whatever and Phoenix wants to keep Mia updated but for whatever reason decides to go down to the city and actually tell her in person and so he's waiting outside the courthouse or something (possibly part of or perhaps Most Of the reason he goes in person is because he knows her first courtroom trial is that day and he wants to see her + hear how it went) and when he gets there she's in a heated argument with some asshole in a fancy over-embellished jacket and once that guy leaves Phoenix is like "Sheesh, what's his problem?" You know???? And maybe he really would never even know!!!! Bc he grew up in Kurain!!!! And has no reason to care!!! About some random prosecutor who was mean to Mia!! Aaaah!!! So that, and on top of that, Diego would be there too ofc at that point, and I feel like he would ALSO be quite a funny interaction in this scenario. ("Wow, someone's popular, kitten, you have all sorts of guys waiting on a chance to talk to you, heh?" "Uh.--I'm sorry, WHAT did you just call her")

10. Enemies-to-Allies - incomplete (currently 370 word WIP)

Ema POV, faraskye. Cyberpunk AU where Lana is still under Gant's thumb and Ema, with no other way to stay close to her and getting rejected from any of the sorts of jobs she really wants to do, decides to just join the security force (or cyber police or w/e I decide to call it) and is tasked with hunting down the Yatagarasu, guerilla hacker supreme who is threatening the sanctity of the capitalist overlords. Except Ema's squad gets ambushed and she's captured and tied to a pole, and with her useless fop partner seemingly not coming to rescue her (if he even noticed her absence), she does some quick cost-benefit analysis and decides she didn't really like that job anyway and maybe there's another way she can get her sister back in her life. So she breaks free of her own handcuffs (which she definitely didn't modify into incidental ineffectiveness she's still testing for bugs) and helps fix the "Little Thief" device her captor seems to have broken despite how obviously valuable and impressive the tech is, and they eventually come to something of an agreement. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em, and all that. Either Ema as the hardware-engineer one and Kay as the software-programming one as the two sides of the tech coin, or else Kay can just be like doing the physical sneaking kind of spy stuff only--or maybe she knows a little about software but not so much she's a pro the way she is with infiltration and such. Possibly toying with the idea Kay herself is just completely an android, but if not, I think she has some cybernetic cyborg things going on regardless. Possibly from or inspired by her father? I also like the idea that Gant did something maybe more drastic with regards to having dirt on Ema to get Lana to do his bidding--like maybe Ema has a whole cybernetic hand because instead of just her handprint on a leather jacket, Gant has some sicko jar with her entire hand in it in his office safe, or something. I don't know why this would be useful to him but it is certainly an image. I also find it funny if Miss Fingerprint Powder Enthusiast doesn't actually have any fingerprints of her own anymore somehow in this AU, lol.

11. Retail Worker - complete - 6.7k words ("The Bake Anything Boulangerie" link)

Apollo POV, gen. Phoenix gets a job at a bakery instead of the Borscht Bowl Club during the 7 year gap, and Apollo happens to stumble across it and ends up meeting the Wrights while he's still in high school. He becomes a regular at the bakery and is already close to them by the time "Shadi Smith's" murder comes around. And also, yes, sibling reveal right away--at least as soon as Phoenix realizes and can reveal it. As a treat. (Other reveals, though, I might put poor Apollo through on a delayed basis. Also as a treat, lmao, just not one for him.) Fun Fact: I'm being redundant bc this is also in my a/n, but, Baker Phoenix lives rent-free in my brain because Professor Layton vs Phoenix Wright was in fact the very first Ace Attorney game I ever played, technically, and Maya and Phoenix semi-brainwashed in that bakery was literally one of my first impressions of them. ........followed immediately by starting a let's play of Justice for All (which i watched through the first case, after which I was like oKAY fine maybe i DO need more context here, i should probably figure out what the actual first game is, and went back to start the series properly at the beginning hahaha). What do you MEAN i have a disproportionate fascination with amnesiac Phoenix, even if I have yet to finish and publish one of my myriad AUs that utilize stupid, unrealistic, plot convenient re-temporary amnesia?? Hm???? Idk what you're talking about. Also everyone who complains about 2-1 is wrong lmao it's objectively (okay subjectively is what i'm saying yes BUT objectively) such a funny place to start without knowing broad plot strokes, it's great. I both knew so much and absolutely shit-all nothing about Maya after PLvPW and 2-1, LMAO. god.

12. Animagus Wings (Joker) - incomplete (planned/outlined)

Miles POV, wrightworth. Angel/Demon AU, except I'm playing super fast and loose with the rules on that because all my knowledge of Christian-mythos comes from firstly and unknowingly the Chronicles of Narnia and more recently and cognizantly Lucifer (Netflix) and Good Omens. I know that's probably more or less what we're all doing with this kind of AU but still, I'm not even sure I want to refer to Heaven and Hell here, I'm kinda on the fence about maybe just keeping it all very vague? I also accidentally semi-worldbuilt more than i intended incidentally on account of "But Then How-Why Names If Angelic Creatures?" Format-wise it would semi-follow gomens s1 where it's hopping through some meetings between long stretches but also a kind of pre- and post- Fall type of thing? And potentially à la Lucifer becoming, like, these are My Mortal Humans and i will be Spending Time With Them, screw you celestial duties, I'm making my own Free Will, etc. And i mean i guess Lucifer is also a crime procedural lmao maybe they still solve crimes in the end too. Fun Fact: I didn't want to do the original prompt for several reasons, and sure fuck jkr is one of them but even before I knew about her I still wasn't really the biggest hp person in the first place? So i wouldn't know/don't remember at all the way it works without having to do the specific research and i...don't want to haha. Hence. And I know the prompt seems to be using it loosely / might just be borrowing the word and not actually referencing hp specifically but tbh either way human-animal shifter things just in general I can be somewhat picky about haha. (Okay okay plus full disclosure the ONLY idea I have for this sort of thing actually ties into my day-3-dark-academia-extended-au-verse and i COULD make my life simpler by just connecting the two days but Heh who would I be if I simplified things for myself... *sigh*) All that to say: I saw "wings" on the wild card list and I thought, ooh, well that's still sort of a related concept! Let's tag that one in! So it's still kind of day 12 prompt-adjacent, if you squint.

13. Found Footage - incomplete (planned/outlined)

Video Transcript POV? Is that a thing? Possibly capped by a little Phoenix POV (but i don't want that to get too long), wrightworth. Larry's new girlfriend of the month bakes weed brownies and Larry does not realize this and swings by the Wrights' apartment to beg some kind of help off Phoenix and forgets the whole tray there somehow (because it's Larry) and they leave to deal with Larry's thing and by the time they figure the brownies out, in some twist of fate Miles and Trucy have been hanging out (last minute babysitter/adult supervision? but she's at the very very least 14 or 15 here and most likely older, and Nick clearly isn't the most strict about like uhhh supervision in general lol sooo idk. he's helping her with a project or smth. it doesn't really actually matter; he's THERE, that's the important thing.) The point I'm very clearly getting at is they accidentally get incredibly high (not dangerously so because I'm not going that far haha but also, neither of them has actually been high before, so they are Affected) before Phoenix finds out what was in the brownies and tries to warn Trucy and hurry home to like, dispose of them or at least put a warning label on them or whatever, but he is too late lol. By a lot. Definitely an underage drugs tag on this bad boy because it's definitely sometime 18-or-earlier for Trucy, let alone 21. (idk about other places but as a Californian I can tell you Japanifornia "LA" could theoretically have it legalized at 21 for anyone (like alcohol) and 18 with Dr's permission--which Trucy definitely does not have in this AU lol.) Basically, Phoenix grabs Trucy's phone to get photo evidence so he can let them never live this down (after making sure they're okay lmao), but he ofc doesn't get technology so he doesn't realize he leaves the phone still recording when Trucy asks him for something / needs his help, so the recording just keeps going and captures a lot of tomfoolery and eventually some inebriated-to-Extremely-sober Feelings-Adjacent confessions (or maybe more like allusions). Idk, this was actually a fic I thought of before August and wanted to use as an excuse to try a Weird Format for fun, but then i saw this was a prompt on the list and...well. Fun Fact: Cannabis was legalized in California on November 8, 2016 (the first election I could vote in!!! ......uh, rip. lol. but yeah babey I helped legalize weed at least!! gotta remember the positives), which means it was legal right in time for Miles' case(s) / Turnabout Goodbyes!!! Yay!! I mean, I suppose that's genuinely seriously one way to try to mitigate nightmares and manage insomnia--not that I think Miles Edgeworth would ever deign stoop so low as to use an aid to manage his severe PTSD and trauma symptoms, psshaw, who do you take him for? (Get these people some help lol. They all need so much therapy.)

14. Princes & Princesses - conceptualized (not started)

So I've been reading a lot (a LOT) of isekai and/or revenge reincarnation romance fantasy manhwas lately (like, oh, too many, hahaha. they're quite good and they're VERY popular in webcomics at the moment.) Soooo. Soft pitch: Apollo already gets slapped into so many wild backstories he's constantly trying to dodge in an effort to be just a Normal Guy, he's honestly, like, the PERFECT protagonist for one of these lmao. And tell me Kristoph doesn't make a perfect "Upstanding Duke" kind of persona, and Klavier couldn't be the "wild rake" younger brother no one expects much from, and all I'm saying is it wouldn't be that hard to contrive a reason Apollo tries to get Klavier to agree to a contract marriage the way all these stories go, lol. And also, something something, Apollo from the "real world" is an orphan/has an absent family (also like so many of these manhwa protagonists, lol) but then he gets to actually have one in his second life!! I'm such a sucker for that shit. Slightly harder pitch, and the reason I did not let myself actually start writing anything (...yet): so what if the actual plot of the "original romance novel" Apollo is familiar with from the "real world (Earth)" is actually about the slightly older generation and something something instead of admiring Phoenix as a defense attorney, it's just that he instead was Apollo's favorite "love interest" character (not, like, for himself, just the one he most liked to read about) in every way except what a blithering idiot he became when the author had him fall for the female lead--but BEFORE that, he's a cool information guild leader guy who seems like he's trying to work toward some way to improve conditions for commoners in the kingdom (but abruptly there are no more mentions of this after he gets involved with the lead, which is annoying). Aaaand... I guess what I'm saying is, Dahlia is the original female lead because she REALLY fits the whole White Lotus trope, and I'm thinking Klavier is the original male lead because A) hilarious, B) fits in with the idea there's more going on in the ACTUAL world Apollo ends up in that is written in such a way as to make things seem different in the novel (like, that Dahlia and Klavier are actually as nice as they seem and that the terrible things that happen around them are just the trials and tribulations of being main characters and not anything they're directly involved in). And Apollo, the character in the novel Apollo, is an adopted prince of Khura'in, but he's the sickly younger prince and of course not actually of the royal bloodline (and also a man, considering Khura'in is matrilineal), so Rayfa and Nahyuta are the ones the public and other nobles actually know and care about and deal with. But wait! As it so turns out, The Wright Anything Information Guild (I feel like the actual guild name CAN'T have their freaking name on it front and center lol but you get the idea) happens to know some other things that aren't really expanded on in the original novel, and might be key to preventing Apollo's death so he doesn't follow the path of the original story, and also idk maybe Apollo and Trucy are half-fae or something like that and instead of like Aw Yay Bracelet in this AU it's more of a secret Iron Shackle Tool That Will Hurt I Mean Totally-Definitely-Help Us Later (still, in a way, passed down to him by Thalassa, but more as, like... she's kind of a secret hostage and does not manage to hide pregnancy number one so Apollo's now also a secret hostage, but she manages to escape so they don't know about Trucy, only she didn't tell Apollo basically anything to "keep him as safe as possible" or w/e, and......) Well, anyway. It got away from me before I even really wrote anything, that's all.

15. Secretly Alien - unfinished (currently 2.6k WIP)

Trucy POV, gen. Apollo gets sick of very consistently always losing the card games they play at the Wright Anything Agency (usually and in the specific instance the fic starts, Bullshit/BS) and in a stroke of inspiration somehow ropes everyone into playing Among Us instead. ("What! It's still a game of trying to lie/trick everyone else--like you like!--but I actually stand a freaking chance, so we're playing this or I'm going home.") Yes. This is my Among Us AU. Hi. They play Among Us. I'm justifying this one as prime AU territory however because A) Among Us has to exist in this universe, and even more pressingly, B) I found a way to force Phoenix to have--for at least a period of time if not moving forward in perpetuity--an actual smartphone instead of a Nokia-type brick cellphone. Which even under the wild but somehow plausible considering Ace Attorney circumstances I contrived, is just automatically a complete AU lmao. Fun Fact: I am so mad this one wasn't just totally finished day-of, lol. Why I ever thought I could give myself run of an entire WAA 4-person conversation and NOT get instantly derailed is beyond me. (And I want to get the prosecutors there, too?? Someone take the characters away from me.) Anyway. No, I have not written ANY of the actual Among Us part yet. Sigh. Also I haven't personally played amogus since like, 2021? maybe? And I know (now) that it's been pretty updated since then, but, ehhh, I'm just gonna run off like, lockdown-era amogus rules and vibes, lol. If I can get to the game part.

16 - Hobby Drama - conceptualized

I'm going to go out of order this time to say: Fun Fact: I have ALWAYS wanted to write a Reddit-style fic!!! I absolutely love them and I've read some REALLY, really good ones, so I've always wanted to try my hand at it. So theoretically this is the perfect time to make that a reality and write a r/HobbyDrama subreddit fic, buuut I got stuck before starting because I'm torn on two possible routes to take it (I can easily foresee myself caving and just doing both lol). - Option 1: Steel Samurai fandom discourse, always a fun/funny thing to think about, definitely would enjoy having Maya and Miles post some stuff for that. - Option 2: courtroom law fandom discourse, because come ON, how are those galleries ALWAYS SO FULL. The little wiggling rabba-rabba onlookers have GOT to have investment in this shit. And why WOULDN'T they, honestly. I've seen those trials and I have, in fact, spent a Lot of time thinking about them, not that any posts I've made lately would reflect that in any way or anything. Like I know it's hard to tell, but if I can be invested in the Lawyers Fandom, who's to say the people in the courtrooms aren't????? And I LOVE an outsider POV fic actually, I think they're so fun. So anyway. Reddit fic. You will be mine. Just as soon as I can hone my energy

And, what the hell, since it's so late now by the time I complete this "Heh This'll Be So Quick To Throw Together" post, I'll include today's, too:

17 - Flower Shop - conceptualized (at work earlier today. lol)

AU where Daddy Hawthorne is like, 97% less shitty. And the Hawthornes have a flower shop instead of like a gemstone industry or whatever. And he takes both Dahlia and Iris with him instead of dumping one of his daughters at a fucking secluded mountain temple and seemingly forgetting about her forever. On second thought, maybe what I actually mean is he's like 999% less shitty, lmfao. Anyway, Iris POV, but Dahlia (while not a "nice" person by any stretch) is not pushed to such extremes or nearly as desperate as canon, so Valerie lives, Terry Fawles lives, Doug Swallow lives, and Dahlia gets to live a good life overall--because as much fun as I love using her as a villain, she's really such a product of the absolute worst circumstances and I really do find her interesting so I've been kind of wanting to explore her in a less cartoonishly evil light, haha. (Don't get me wrong, I do love the cartoonishly evil light too, but I like spicing things up sometimes.) Like, she does (more) normal teen rebellion things ("Look at my inappropriately older boyfriend, Dad" "I'm going to talk my way out of speeding tickets and petty shoplifting as a bid for attention" etc.) and she still totally orders Iris around and Iris still totally does whatever she asks very much to her own detriment and has to learn to break away and be her own person. Fun Fact: I have a very passionate love for Iris/Adrian Andrews. Is that. Um. Is that a ship anyone else has ever considered before? Is that just me? I'm not sure but very possibly I'll just make this a rarepair fic as a treat, for me alone, teehee. (Like... it's about the becoming the master of your own destiny it's about breaking out of codependent cycles it's about how I genuinely honestly think they'd be each other's type and have chemistry even though they've obviously never interacted lmao... idk what to tell you.)

AND THATS MY AU-GUST UPDATE POST!!!

If you made it this far, take a sprinkle of my undying affection, and may you be blessed with AU inspiration if you so desire it!! (If you do not desire it, hopefully you are not cursed with it. I do not take refunds if you are. Sorry.)

Wish me luck with completing some more fics soon!!! Unfortunately weekends are actually my least free time because I work the most and the earliest hours so I have less time and am more tired, but also on Wednesday I'm leaving for a family vacation, which will either be the BEST thing to happen in regards to AU-gust or the WORST thing lmfao. If nothing else I have 2 flights, and I actually Love writing on an airplane, so fingers crossed for it being Good. <3

EDIT: Now with part 2 for the rest of the month here!

#au gust 2024 #au gust #ace attorney #ace attorney spoilers #OH this post is so long. i did not. mean for that to happen. but i had fun with it and now I've got all my ideas in one place! yay #i kind of feel bad about clogging the tags though so idk what even TO tag lol #wrightworth #narumitsu #lanamia #gumbyrde #phoenix wright #miles edgeworth #mia fey #lana skye #larry butz #maya fey #dick gumshoe #maggey byrde #apollo justice #trucy wright #FUCK IT WE BALL im just tagging it all. i put enough time into this to justify clogging tags lol #i typed wrightworth so many times here despite liking narumitsu aesthetically more but in technicality im definitely #writing the localization characters and not naruhodou and mitsurugi.... so. meh. I'll survive lol #aaau-gust 2024 #welcome to my patt ttalk #patt's prattle #idk why i have so many ramble tags when i am so bad about using this blog haha #i feel like I'm forgetting smth but if i am I'll get back to it later #I'll be posting everything else to the same ao3 series!! if you want me to ramble forever more about any of these literally #i will do it at the drop of a hat this is my entire personality lately lol. minimally ask me and I'll write you an essay

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moonferry · 5 months ago

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who's ready for a *drumroll* parent lore dump!! and by that i mean, i'm going to give some lore about kent and jodi's parents in fsioy.

like 2 people are gonna care about this but it's okay i'm doing it for me 🫂

ANYWAY. let's get started. this is probably gonna be long and rambly but i hope it makes some semblance of sense.

warning: mentions of abuse, manipulation, anger issues, divorce

jodi's parents:

mother: diana smith (thank you spacesapphi for coming up with her name.)

diana is 48 years old & a mother of 4 children- jodi and her 3 older brothers. she has peachy-auburn hair similar to jodi's, however it's impossible to tell because she is always wearing some sort of cover (ie a bandanna or bonnet). her most prominent features include her deep worry/frown lines and her downturned mouth, which is almost always formed into a sneer

diana struggles with anger issues & they often get out of control. on more than one occasion, she has even gotten physical with whoever she's arguing with. despite this, she means well and always apologizes directly after. she never means to actually hurt anyone, it just happens.

diana always wanted a daughter and almost gave up when she was given three sons. because of this, when she finally gave birth to jodi, she had some pent up resentment. it didn't help that around this time, jodi's father had filed for divorce. the beginning of jodi's childhood was particularly rocky and she was often left in the care of her older brothers (who, by the way, all grew very protective of their younger sister.)

jodi's parents would often be found arguing and their voices would get loud enough to shake their small apartment (which was far too small to accommodate all 6 of them). i would like to say things got better once the divorce was finalized, but i would be lying. it got worse. much worse. diana was left with her four children & barely any income. she had previously inherited her mother's old bookstore - a small place in the middle of town that she was using for extra storage - and decided she would turn it into her own. because jodi was still very young, she often had to accompany her mother everytime her mother journeyed into town, so jodi has practically grown up in that book store & was very familiar by the time she was old enough to "start working".

diana is still struggling, mentally, and unfortunately doesn't have a "healthy place" to express her negative emotions. and, as it turns out, she liked the idea of having a daughter better than the practice of actually having one - she created this idea in her head of how the "perfect daughter" should be (likely by noticing how other young women in town acted or seeing her sister's children) and applied a tremendous amount of pressure for jodi to become this made up idea, becoming upset whenever jodi would fall short or do something "out of character". she would always claim that she knew what was best for jodi (she didn't) and would often manipulate her into listening or doing what she wanted.

HOWEVER, she later reflects on her actions and realizes she has been an awful person (thanks to best boy kent). she tells herself she is going to get the help she needs and to be a better mother to her children . she and jodi have a long road of healing ahead of them, but she is willing to take it - no matter how long it takes.

jodi's father: samson sawyer

samson is a 47 year old man, father of 4. his most prominent features are his kind eyes and almost entirely grey hair (due to stress and constant arguing with diana)

he is the polar opposite of diana and rarely gets angry or even raises his voice. he absolutely adores his children and took on a sort of "house husband" role when he wasn't at work. in fact, he only divorced diana out of reluctance and his need to protect his children. he did love diana, at one point, he just couldn't take the arguing anymore.

when the divorce was finalized, samson actually attempted to gain full custody of their children, but he was denied. he visited them almost weekly - until diana found out about it and threatened to call the police if he ever showed up at her home again. jodi makes a trip to the outskirts of the city every weekend to visit her father, whom she loves very deeply. in fact, the nickname "starfruit" actually came from her father - when jodi was a baby, all she would eat was starfruit purée, none of the other baby foods would even be allowed near her. she told this fact to kent and he liked it so much that he started calling her it as well (tho he would likely tell you "it's because of her favorite fruit" because he doesn't want to embarrass jodi). samson often listens to jodi and asks how things are "back home". he's a very good listener and has a personality that makes people want to talk to him.

also, notice how his last name is "sawyer"? that's very important. jodi's three brothers actually share this last name (jodi's is smith due to the divorce taking place when she was a child) & mayhaps kent will have an encounter with a "sawyer" in the war (jodi's brothers are still overseas, you know :eyes:)

kent's parents!!!

mother: misty neilson

misty is a 43 year old woman with shoulder length blonde hair. she is almost always dressed in the latest fashion & runs a small gossip circle with the local women. despite how she loves to chatter, she also has such a kind heart and always puts others before herself (something kent inherited). misty was unfortunately widowed after kent's father had enlisted. but don't worry, she takes solace in her "close female companion" ruby.

kent has always admired his mother and how she was able to make even the gruffest of men smile. misty has a bubbly personality and is much more of a "people person" than her late husband. she loves her son (who is her only child) very deeply and wants to see him succeed, even if he's still a bit childish and has a lot to learn.

misty instantly took a liking to jodi and treated her like the daughter she never had - offering maternal affection and advice, allowing jodi to borrow her jewelry or clothing, and even styling jodi's hair. to jodi, misty was the mother she always wanted. misty was over the moon when she found out kent and jodi were engaged and went into "wedding planning overdrive"(by that i mean she gathered a group of local women and organized the whole thing herself).

kent's father: christopher neilson.

chris was a 45 year old man who was most known for his hearty laughter and the wrinkles around his eyes from years of crinkling when he laughed. some say his heart was the biggest thing about him - he couldn't bare to see someone in pain or an animal suffering, he always had to help. that was, unfortunately, what led to his death after his enlistment.

chris was originally from the valley and had a very distinct southern drawl (however he learned to hide it over the years), though he moved to the city as he was searching for jobs in his mid thirties. he had stopped at a small cafe in between searches and met misty - who was a waitress at the time. she had accidentally spilled coffee on his shirt and he burst into a huge fit of laughter. misty then apologized very profusely and chris replied "you're quite alright, ma'am." he decided it would be better not to scout out more jobs with a coffee stained shirt and waited at the diner until misty's shift was over. there, misty asked what she could do to make it up to him, and he asked her on a date.

kent always admired his father; he always seemed capable of everything and never appeared afraid. his father was extremely caring, despite his gruff and burly exterior (he was 6'0 and built like a refrigerator, had an extremely long beard and hair spiker than kent's own, for starters). kent wasn't as close to his father as he would've liked and a part of him will always regret that - his father wasn't much for physical affection and the most kent received was a tender pat on his shoulder or back (kent so wishes he could've gone back in time and hugged his father back that day)

also... what if i was to say.. misty was the mother jodi wanted and samson was the father kent needed.. what then? ooh i have an idea for a kent/samson interaction Oooh... (also u see what i did there teehee. let's just say i'm very particular with the names i chose)

#stardew valley #sdv #stardew #fsioy #forever stuck in our youth #writing rambles #pip rambles

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pocketramblr · 1 year ago

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Inspired by the 'Tenya is All mights son', what about an AU where Shouto is a result of Rei having an affair with All might? For maximum drama Shouto still has half hot half cold.

1- "where the hell did the hot half come from" Toshinori's mother had a fire quirk. He got his quirklessness from his father. The fire skips generations but everyone is hot I guess. Maybe that's why Toshi's vestiges is flame-y.

2- Shoto is born with a mess of white and golden hair, like a little candle flame. One blue eye and one grey, and Enji would never suspect his wife cheated on him... Surely this kid will just have a mild fire that hopefully won't be too much for an icy constitution. This is Rei's fourth child. It seems all attempts have failed. Enji withdraws to work. Touya's half mad that his little brothers were too useless to get their father's attention back where he was, half glad that they've all be thrown aside.

And then Shoto turns four, and he doesn't just hold a warm flame in one hand, but a sharp icicle in the other. His blue eye seems to glow when he's alight, and there's clear power in the quirk. After a few days of trying, Enji actually comes out of the office to see what his youngest is trying to show him, and is almost afraid to believe what he sees. He doesn't want to wake up from the dream he had all but abandoned, and he's cautious, careful with training... at first.

3- Shoto, who's already bonded with his siblings, does not like to be pulled away from them now that he's not useless anymore, and he will say so loudly and at great length. It shames Enji... At first. Rei does her best but has long since realized who her son's father is. That there was any fire at all baffled her, but she can't reach back out and ask All Might. She can't even stand to see the heroes face on the news, or on the toys Shoto asks for. Her children assume her hatred grew with Enji's actions about his own. The pressure builds. Touya almost kills himself and Shoto in training one day when Enji is at work, and Rei is injured trying to stop them. At the hospital, she has a breakdown about how she hesitated, how she thought about if the house burned down there'd be nothing left of her children, no evidence of her own or of Enji's wrongdoings. Touya and Shoto return from the hospital. Rei does not. A nurse looks at Shoto's blood type, and then Touya's, and says nothing.

4- Training slows again, at first. Until Touya leaves, eighteen and burning up, and takes Natsuo with him. (Natsuo insisted. He already finished middle school, who cared more than that. Fuyumi can take care of Shoto, but none of them should be left alone, like Mom) Then Shoto continues training, refusing to use his fire. Fuyumi, her mother's secret keeper, who only knows because Rei wasn't seeing her when she spoke, burns to tell her brother the truth. But she can't. She waits, and when Shoto gets into UA and the news breaks that All Might will be teaching there, she nearly collapses.

5- so does Toshinori ever figure out that beautiful woman was in fact Endeavor's wife- yeah actually he did, Rei told him the morning after that she was married and apologized profusely then vanished, and he saw her a few years later on his arm at an event. He has said nothing but assumes this is the reason Enji hates him. He doesn't realize until the SF that Enji believes Shoto to be his son, even with the blond hair, and wonders if that's because of the fire but then realizes that Enji truly knows nothing. So, after the SF, Toshi decides the first person who deserves to know the truth is Shoto and pulls him aside, telling him that once, about sixteen or seventeen years ago, he knew a woman who turned it to be married- Shoto interrupts and asks if that's Izuku's mother, and if Izuku told All Might that he was on to him. Toshi, confused, says no- it's another student. He explains more. Shoto is in shock. He leaves school in the middle of the day and goes to the hospital to see his mother for the first time in years. The only thing he can ask is why she didn't tell him. He doesn't leave until visiting hours are over, the hospital staff called Fuyumi to come pull him from his mother's arms because they can't.

#well that's not a good time for Shoto!#but hm. candle light hair shoto. it's a not a bad vibe....#pocket talks to people #starredmoth #ask game #candlelight shoto #candlelight!shoto

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hot-take-tournament · 1 year ago

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even if you don't know the series you can still vote!

HOT TAKE TOURNAMENT

POST-PRE-PRELIMINARY #71

Submission 181

a3! banri settsu's spring outfit IS NOT AS BAD AS SOME OF YALL MAKE IT OUT TO BE IT LOOKS GOOD

[JUSTIFICATION UNDER THE CUT]

Pre-preliminaries will be used to determine what qualifies as a hot take. Propaganda is encouraged!

Also, remember to reblog your favourite polls for exposure! (exposure like when you’re exposed to the fact that the KISS Scooby Doo crossover does actually exist, scarring you for life)

for reference this is what i'm talking about: https://yaycupcake.com/a3/images/6/6b/Banri_Fullbody.png THIS IS MY MAN MY BOYFRIEND I INSULT HIM ALL THE TIME BUT I WILL NOT LET ANYONE SLIGHT THIS DRIP. "oh my god he's wearing leopard print with plaid" AND HE MAKES IT WORK. yes if someone just told me with no context or reference pics whatsoever that this guy pairs leopard print with plaid, i too would be like what the fuck lol that's terrible. BUT NOW THAT I’VE ACTUALLY SEEN IT WITH MY OWN EYES I’M A CHANGED WOMAN. and this is how he works it: neither pattern is too much. the leopard print is lightly sprinkled on the top of his vest (idk why he wears it it doesn’t seem to serve any practical purpose but it looks good so who cares), and the plaid is literally just on the sleeves. there isn’t a lot of contrast between the black and the purple squares so it’s easy on the eyes. and under the plaid and the vest he’s wearing a normal black tee with a little graphic on it, and again it’s not too much it’s just a little thing. his top half definitely catches the eye but it’s not terribly busy. i love it! and he loves the colour purple (his summer, autumn, and winter default outfits all have him wearing purple in some form and he looks great in them!) LET HIM WEAR PURPLE LET HIM BE HAPPY.

and he balances it out with how simple his lower half is in comparison to the top half! just a normal pair of dark blue jeans and grey sneakers. because he KNOWS that his top half has quite a fair bit of stuff going on, so for balance he keeps the bottom half simple HE KNOWS WHAT HE’S DOING HE IS CANONICALLY CALLED A FASHIONISTA FOR A REASON, AND IN AN INTRA-FANDOM FASHION TOURNAMENT I HELD HE LITERALLY RANKS 6 OUT OF 24 CHARACTERS (AKA IN THE TOP QUARTER, ALBEIT THE BOTTOM OF THE TOP QUARTER BUT STILL) WITH AN AVERAGE OF 81.7 VOTES, and his best outfit (not this outfit) ranked no. 4 OVERALL with 238 votes to its name (you can check the stats in this post https://www.tumblr.com/a3outfitstournament/722364282034110464/part-2-pairings?source=share) so there is substance to his canonical status as a stylish fashionista!! do not doubt or disparage the plaid + leopard print combo!! besides his canon fursona (long story short all 24 main characters were assigned a fursona as part of an april’s fools prank thing) is a leopard so let him express his furry self through his wise and based fashion choices!!

also he’s literally an anime guy. and not just that, a CANONICALLY STATED HANDSOME ANIME GUY. as in, multiple people in-universe have commented that he is good looking and stylish. sure all anime boys can look pretty but he is acknowledged IN-UNIVERSE to be attractive so even if he wore a potato sack he’d still be my specialest guy <3

#hot take tournament #tournament poll #tumblr poll #tumblr tournament #tumblr bracket #hot take #unpopular opinion #pre preliminary #post pre preliminary #a3!#a3! act addict actors #banri settsu #a3! banri

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its-callum-everybody · 5 months ago

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I CANNOT DRAW. That’s how I’m starting this off. So I, sadly, cannot give you all the visuals for this lovely woman. However! What I can give you all is a In-depth analysis of her character and Creation! Of course, we’ll be breaking this into parts.

Part 1 — Basic Character Information / Relationships

Part 2 — Everything to do with her Unique Magic

Part 3 — Lore

Part 4 — Appearance

PART 1 ➤

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Name: Cyrielle [No Known Last Name]

Name Meaning: Lordly

Nicknames: Ce-Ce [Cater], Killifish-Chan [Floyd], Madame Profiterole [Rook], Yam [Vil], Henchman/Second-in-Command [Grim (she got ranked up)], Little Imp [Sam]

Age: Presumably 17

Height: 5 foot 8 inches or 173 cm

Weight: Never ask a lady this [146 lbs]

Gender: Female

Birthday: 8/18

Star Sign: Leo

Hair Color: Charcoal Black

Eye Color: Dark Grey

Sexuality: Undetermined

— (•) —

Dominate Hand: Right

Favorite Food: Breakfast Sandwich

Least Favorite Food: Pickled Eggs

Likes: Aesthetically pleasing things, being right

Dislikes: Dark Chocolate, amnesia

Hobbies: Dancing

Talent: Sword-Fighting

— (•) —

Year: 1st

Dorm: Ramshackle

Class | Student No.: 1-B | 34

Best Class: History

Favorite Class: Practical Magic

Club: N/A

Favorite Teacher: Sam (If that counts)

— 1st Years

Ace: Best Friend #1

Deuce: Best Friend #2

Jack: Mutual Respect. Don’t say their friends, understood to be friends.

Epel: He goes to her to get Junk Food and she happily feeds him. Friends.

Sebek: Begrudging Friends. She takes care of him like a stray cat and he complains while accepting it.

— 2nd Years

Riddle: Friendly Divorced Co-Parents of ADeuce.

Azul: Would smite him on sight with the sweetest smile on her face. He fears her. Slightly calmer after his over-bolt. Slightly.

Jade: Neutral. Can have decent conversation.

Floyd: Try to kill each other while smiling and laughing. Friends.

Ruggie: Hated him during Book 2 but they’re actually pretty chill afterwards. If they see each other in the halls, he tries to make her laugh by making someone do something weird with his magic.

Kalim: She’s number One sunshine protector. Was one-hundred percent ready to fist fight Jamil during his over bolt if she had too.

Jamil: Pre-book four, they were at a neutral standing. During his overbolt she was fully ready to just rock him. Post-overbolt, they’re very quiet around each other but nice. She sometimes just goes to Scarabia to sit there while he cooks.

Silver: She’s very nice to him and he doesn’t understand why. He woke up from a nap one day with his hair braided and a blanket over him. The only reason he knew it was her was because some birds told him. So he tries to be polite back but genuinely has no clue why she’s so nice and it freaks him out. She likes him.

— 3rd Years

Cater: Made a Separate Magic-cam account called ‘Cyrielle’s Adventures’ which focuses on him introducing Cyrielle to TWST pop culture and its a hilarious mess. Cater proclaims them BFF’s.

Trey: Dorm-Dad TM. She may not be in Heartslabyul but she’s always a welcome guest. When she comes over, she sits on the counter while Trey bakes. He lets her stir and eat the leftover batter.

Leona: One she actually did end up punching during his over bolt. She couldn’t stand him before or afterwards. During book three when he begrudgingly helped her and Grim though she loosened up. She can respect his intelligence though. Kingscholar would be more admirable if he had a bit of tenacity.

Vil: He kind of annoyed her pre-overbolt, after the over-bolt she did felt some level of sympathy for him. To always be the villain. That fact alone resonated with her for some reason those she can’t recall why.

Rook: He makes her uncomfortable. She can put up with him, but whenever she knows he’s nearby she can’t seem to let her guard down.

Idia: She didn’t really have any sort of feelings towards him before book 6. After book six though he ended up getting punched, then an awkward head pat. Needless to say He’s awkward around her and she ends up trying to nicer in the end. Even if he just runs away from her half the time.

Lilia: He caught her when she was covering Silver with a blanket and was sworn to secrecy. He knows very well about her crush and casually likes to drag Silver into spending time with him, find her, then leave them together.

Malleus: She invited him in to have tea one day and he ordained her and Silver’s wedding at that moment (because of course Lilia told him everything). Both can be the Yapper to the others Listener. Lilia forces him to play matchmaker too. So he casually tries to tell her about what Silver likes. He’s not good at trying to hint at it but he’s trying.

— Other

Grim: Her son. Will defend him with her life and soul. Do not touch her boy.

Ortho: She gets sad when she looks at him, even before book six. Something about a child that isn’t fully a child because they aren’t a person… it reminds her of someone she can never seem to remember. So she likes to treat him like a little kid even if he can do almost anything with his robotic abilities.

— Staff

Crowley: Fresh-out-of-Jail Uncle and Put-him-back Niece.

Crewel: There is blatant favoritism towards her and Vil. He does not hide it.

Vargas: Takes it easy on her in gym class because she’s one of the only girls; he watched her pick up Jack one time with no struggle and still does this.

Trein: She stays after his class sometimes to ask more questions about history. Lucius likes to chill in her lap during this time. Grandpa vibes.

Sam: Literally her adoptive dad.

#twst yuu #twst wonderland #disney twst #twst oc #twst #twst rp #twst roleplay #twisted wonderland original character #twisted wonderland oc #twisted wonderland #twsited wonderland #Cyrielle (twst oc)

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fckinwild-kiwi · 1 year ago

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Dec. 4th: Wear My Clothes Forever

Day 4: Borrowing Clothes/Getting a Pet Together

Here is day FOUR of @comp-lady’s December writing challenge!

Warnings: Swearing, SMUT (This is an 18+ blog, minors dni) Word Counts: 1.2k+ Words Pairings: Steve Harrington x Reader

Author’s Note: Yesterday I wrote in the third person, today I am going to try the first person. Again, it’s not something I am used to so if you have any tips or critique, please send them my way! <3 Also, this is the first time I’ve written any kind of smut in a while and it feels like the most awkward and cringe thing I’ve ever written so please be kind. :)

Dating Steve Harrington after being his friend for years seemed to only require a simple shift. There were differences, of course. For one, I was no longer eyeing him from a distance. I could kiss him anytime I felt like it and I could openly admire the man I loved without fear of rejection. But underneath it all, he was still my best friend.

“Baby,” I heard Steve call from the kitchen as I walked into his house. His parents were once again gone as they had been absent for the past month.

“Hi, Stevie,” I called back, taking off my shoes before entering the kitchen. “I’ve missed you today."

“Yeah?” Steve asked, pulling me into him for a kiss. As soon as his lips touched mine, my body melted into him. As he pulled away, Steve mumbled, “I think I’ve missed you more.”

“Agree to Disagree, Harrington,” I said, pulling him back in for another kiss. Instead of a welcome home, there was a sense of longing an urgency that only he could fix. Steve understood, swiping his tongue across my bottom lip, asking for more. As I pulled him closer to me, slightly parting my mouth to welcome him in. With our heavy breathing mixing together, I could feel the need radiating off of him. His hands snaked underneath my shirt to feel my skin. “Baby,” I mumbled against his lips, leaning back just enough to break the kiss.

“What did you just call me?” Steve questioned, leaning back fully, and opening his eyes to look at me.

“Baby.”

“Fuck,” Steve moaned, his face heating up in a pink blush. “You’ve never called me that before.”

“I don’t have to say that, I’m sorry, it just slipped out,” I said, instantly feeling a wave of insecurity flood my body.

“No, honey,” Steve said, already wide eyes somehow getting even wider. “I don’t think I ever want to hear you call me anything else ever again.”

“Oh really?” I said, laughing as relief now took over my body. “The nickname has that kind of power over you?”

There was something so empowering about this encounter. To know that I could do something that made him weak or feely needy, changed everything. And it made sense, here in front of me was a boy who just wanted to be loved and I was so happy to be the one to shower him with it.

“You have that power over me.”

“Oh Stevie,” I sighed, wrapping my arms around his slim waist. “How about we get changed into some cozy clothes, order some takeout, and watch a movie?”

“That sounds like a dream, babe.”

Together, we walked upstairs to Steve’s bedroom which had quickly become my second bedroom as often as I slept over. Falling into a familiar routine, Steve walked over to his dresser drawers and pulled out a pair of boxers and a t-shirt for me before pulling a pair of sweats out for himself.

“I’m not sure I’ll ever get over the fact that I am the only one who gets to see you wearing your grey sweatpants and no shirt.”

“The sweatpants do it for you, huh, babe?”

“Oh my god, yes,” I groaned before quickly stripping to throw on the clothes Steve got out for me. “It might be the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen.”

“No,” Steve said, staring at me, his gaze darkening. “You, wearing my shirt is hands down the sexiest thing this world has seen.”

“Yeah, baby?”

“Fuck,” Steve breathed out, taking a quick step towards me. “Can I prove it to you?”

“I think you better,” I mumble, then moan when he grabs my face, bringing our lips together in a searing kiss. Breaking the kiss, Steve sinks to his knees, looking up at me with lustful eyes.

“Can I?”

“Please,” I whispered. Steve stood up, guiding me backward towards his bed before pushing my (his) shirt up above my hips to grab my panties. My pulse speeds up. Steve stopped moving, eyes darkening as he continued raking his eyes across my body. “What?” I question, leaning up on my elbows to try and understand what has thrown him off.

“You’re so God damn beautiful, baby,” Steve growled as he spread my legs, causing me to clench my legs together at his sudden roughness unconsciously. Before I could respond, he took this opportunity to begin peppering wet kisses up my thighs. His hands glide up my torso before cupping my breasts. Heat rips through me and my hips arch up as I beg for the friction to release some of the pressure building.

“Stay still baby, be good for me,” he whispers, looking up at me with his big brown eyes as he reaches down to hold my hips in place before pressing his lips against my clit.

“Shit,” I moaned, not expecting the touch. “Please, Stevie, I need it so bad.”

Before I could beg any more, Steve swirls his tongue around my clit before sucking gently causing me to arch up, grinding my pussy on his face. Steve drags a finger up my leaking pussy, before looking at me, asking for permission. As I nod my head, he thrusts his finger in, curling upward to reach that spongey spot that had me clenching around his fingers.

“More, baby.” And then Steve added another finger, my hands threading through his hair to ground myself in the euphoria as I chased my high. “I’m so close, Stevie, don’t stop!”

And he didn’t. I’m gasping for air, writhing on the bed, as Steve continues relentlessly eating me out. “Fuck, fuck, I’m coming,“ I scream as the orgasm comes. It hits me like a tsunami. A giant wave crashes over me with small flutters of shocks coursing through me as my body relaxes and begins coming back down.

“I changed my mind, you, fucked out like this, is the sexiest thing I have ever seen,” Steve said before crawling up and kissing me. “Stay right here baby, let me get a towel.”

“Wait,” I said, grabbing onto his arm. “What about you, can I return the favor?”

“No, baby,” Steve chuckled. “I got off to you, I wasn’t lying when I said that was the hottest thing.”

“Oh my god, you dirty boy,” I yelled out, as Steve walked into his ensuite to grab the towel.

“What can I say,” he said, coming back into the bedroom before taking the warm washcloth to wipe away the mess. “You do it for me, honey.”

“I love you, baby.”

“And now I’m hard again,” Steve groaned, throwing the rag in his dirty clothes basket as I let out a chuckle. At this point, I was unsure how we were both so clueless before as to how the other felt when he was so open with his feelings and love.

“Should we order some dinner and make our way downstairs?”

“Only if you promise to wear only my clothes for the rest of our lives."

“How about I promise to wear only your clothes for the rest of the night? I’m not sure my boss would like to see me in your shirt and panties.”

“You’re right, you in my clothes is for my eyes only,” Steve grumbled, rolling onto his side and pulling me into him. “And I love you too, honey. What do you think about Chinese for dinner tonight?”

“Chinese sounds great,” I said, wrapping my arms around Steve’s waist and raising my head in the crook of his neck. And finally, things made sense.

#fckinwild kiwi #fckinwild kiwi writing #stranger things #stranger things fic #stranger things au #steve harrington #steve harrington fluff #steve harrington smut #steve harrington x reader #domestic december #comp lady domestic december

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saradrewitt · 2 years ago

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SARAH JACKALOPE I DESPERATELY NEED YOUR HELP WITH LEARNING HOW TO DRAW A TERZO EMERITUS PLEASE GET BACK TO ME

Hi! I’m so sorry this took a bit to answer!

FULL DISCLOSURE I am literally the worst person to ask because the way I do it always changes but I appreciate your trust in my inconstancy! I also have a hard time drawing him or the other papas for that matter without a reference. I can try to help the best way I can. here we go, I really hope this helps!

So the number don represent the order but just what I'll explain. First always consider the shape of the face I know this is just the sketch but we always start somewhere.

(1) Take a look at the basic jaw structure my style always make it longer than it should be but in this case I'm taking in the fact that while I made this tutorial I was looking at a photo reference. (2) Then the ears. (3) The basic middle line mark. (4) Two lines are of course for the eyes and you must realize that our eye level matches the tip of the ears show in the picture for remember that. (5) What I personally do when I draw noses it just help with a realistic measurement of the brows and the nose size. if we’re looking at this through a stylized realism way, remember that the distance between the eyes is matched by the size of the nose. this is not the case for some people but look at refs of people’s noses and see that the size of the eyes is the same size of the nose.(6) The first initial circle is the base, but remember that that won’t be the size of a head. so expand it a little bit so there is extra room to get that hairline and detail when we get to that part (I ended up not paying attention and ngl Terzo ended up with a big ass head but shhhhh I warned you)....

I went ahead and did some detail work but this is what we’ll be seeing when I draw them. from pictures you can see the age lines and it’s really just a matter if you want the detail or not, done people can do that with little detail and make it look good but my style is in constant crises all the time so this is how I do it. you can also why I have the base sketch on top of my “lineart”.

So Terzo’s hair specifically is weird in my opinion. I normally have a part I go off from when I draw hair but his just has to be weird. Either way, when I draw his I go down from the middle and just make it both have that volume and fluff he normally has. (Agin in the end result I polished it up so his part is that square like formation seen in pictures).

Okay now the fun part, the papal makeup! The deep pink lines are the base sketch I usually draw up so when I color and shade it can be adjusted if needed. It also helps me know that proportions are somewhat realistic but with a small hint of my style as well. Idk I'm still in a style crisis as we speak and it’s gotten a lot worse since I've joined this fandom.

When I think everything looks good I work with the black and color it. I normally like using our black when I work with lineart to give it that ink look. I called this blunt lineart (and shading cuz like I said my style is very inconsistent). Now if you’re working digitally I do this type of coloring on a layer on top of this sketch so when I low the opacity I can see if my placement is correct (again just of needed). if I think I got most of it correct that’s where I go I with my next step.

Wow, it’s looking like Terzo now, look at our sweet boy with the rbf, Blessimo!

So in these next few steps I just add the white and added purple wrinkle likes that were cover by the blunt lineart. You can make those line grey or white depending on your style but I like adding his colors when I draw him digitally so that’s an option. Once I have everything done I just against as needed then move on.

Lastly I finish up the lineart, work on some shadow work and add color, for sketched I don’t really do that but in this case I placed a color pallet I usually work with (it’s still gonna be inconsistent as I go) but this is usually what I do when I draw him. honestly to god my methods and process changes but I at least hope this was a helpful guide.

#ghost band #ghost #ghost ghouls #papa terzo #papa iii #papa emeritus iii #answered asks #sara jackalope’s art #sara drewitt’s art

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frodothefair · 7 months ago

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Mr. Nisile and I watching Bridgerton: the season 3, part 2 edition

@konartiste

Episode 5:

Mr. Nisile: Kate looks so much like my former classmate, it's uncanny. Me: Yeah, and Anthony looks like my weird friend from med school. Mr. Nisile: and they both had a propensity to share really awkward things with us. Like, didn't (the weird friend from med school) once text you "just had sex"? Me: I don't know. If he did, I probably repressed that.

Mr. Nisile on Anthony, Benedict and Colin talking: Ok, this whole scene is just collars talking to collars.

Daphne the cat is on Mr. Nisile's knee during the mirror scene: Daphne, we must look away for scenes like this. (And then, Daphne actually does look away :P)

Mr. Nisile: You know, this might have been said before, but Penelope probably actually fit the beauty standards of the time far better than most of the people cast in this show. Me: Yes, indeed. There is fatshaming of Penelope even in the book, but in fact, it's quite anachronistic. It was not until the late 19th century that thinness became chic because... *goes off on a tirade that is far too long to document here*

Mr. Nisile: It would've been funnier if Lord Greer had announced his conditions backwards: if he had led with the 4-5 children and Cressida was like, "ok, ok, this I can do," but then only one ball per month, and Cressida is like "shiiiiiiiit" and then the coup de grace is the grey and brown dresses.

Episode 6:

When John Stirling announces his and Francesca's engagement, a few of the chords in the music that follows sound suspiciously like the Fellowship theme from LOTR. Mr. Nisile upon hearing this: NO, NO, NO! YOU CAN'T DO THAT! Me: wha, did I just hear what I think I heard?! Mr. Nisile: You can't SHIRE THE TON! YOU CAN'T FELLOWSHIP THE BRIDGERTONS! Me: what are you talking about, that was excellent! Mr. Nisile: THAT JUST RANKLED ME IN THE RELIGION! Me: Ok, that is one for the Mr. Nisile-isms post, once my nails dry. Mr. Nisile: Ok, fine. But I'll be right back. I need to use the bathroom -- when you get rankled in the religion, it tends to loosen up the bladder.

Mr. Nisile on Cressida Cowper's red dress: That dress looks like a red spinnaker. Me: what's a spinnaker? Mr. Nisile: (looks is up and shows me -- it is a type of sail) Oh. Yeah. Ok.

Me when Cressida Cowper shows up at a ball after she reveals herself as Lady Whistledown: And all the while, Ms. Malhotra is in the background going :D, and that is my favorite thing in this episode so far.

Episode 7:

All of the below are from Mr. Nisile:

You know, Cressida needs some better editing. I could write better than her. I could be Lady Whistledown, that could be my new drag name.

The schism of the ton!

Well, at least this Lady Whistledown is better composed than a crummy tweet.

That outfit is like a Rorschach test for flamingoes.

You know, with how autistic-coded Stirling is, I'm glad the Bridgerton brothers didn't try harder to convince him to "declare himself" by throwing rocks at a window. He might have gone and actually done it.

You know, carriage drivers probably have the best gossip. I wonder why no one thought that Lady Whistledown was a carriage driver.

Ok, you want to talk about anachronisms? Colin's black light vest. It looks like it came from a laser tag studio. (This is in response to me having eagle eyes for any part of a period piece drama that is anachronistic).

Episode 8:

Mr. Nisile on Colin's home decor: Those houses have co-lors.

Mr. Nisile on Colin and Eliose talking: I would be more comfortable wearing what she's wearing than what he's wearing. I mean, he's got like two cravats and three collars, and a woolen coat. I would be sweating like a pig in July.

Mr. Nisile on the introduction of Michaela Stirling: wait, are they (Eliose and Francesca) just in awe of her overwhelming femininity or something? Me: (sitting on my hands and aggressively not saying anything because I have read the books and he has not, and I know what the deal is with Michaela Stirling)

Eventually, I did tell him about Michaela Stirling, and then he felt vindicated because he thought he saw an intimate moment between Francesca and Penelope in the first part of the season, and thought they were trying to code Francesca as queer all along.

#bridgerton #bridgerton spoilers

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grumpy-zane · 1 year ago

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(( Watched all of Ice chapter for the world building. got a little derailed, but kept to it for the most part. Here are my observations below:

Episode 1

Heavily mountainous, and snowy. High elevation, yet no icebergs.

layer of clouds, presumably blocking out the sun?

HEXAGONAL FORMATIONS, meaning Basaltic. AKA: highly volcanic.

Trees have a root structure akin to mangrove trees. Perhaps it was marshland beneath the freeze?

Wolves are dark. The marshland must also be pretty dark, they have not adapted their coat to match the camo of the snow

The inhabitants have blue garb with Red highlights. Foliage or perhaps shell-based dyes? Trade?

Live in a place surrounded by mountains, with a large pond inside. Caldera?? very large caldera?

Dark ice is sort of like mirrors.

Episode 2

Pass from the lake village to the castle, called 'mala-wojira', or Wojira's Wrath. Culturally believed that she is the one that causes avalanches. The place is highly reactive to noise/motion.

The sun is not fully blocked, at least when it is setting. Therefore, the clouds are only overhead but not too far wide.

Clouds not present at night.

people made of ice fully, some just mind controlled. ice controlled. very funny.

Episode 3

'There can be no ice without water' WRONG, Solid Nitrogen GO

I love Nya's temper. hwaaaa. She and Kai both hate being dead weight

Not all inhabitants of the realm are formlings, in fact there's some worry that they are cursed, or at least the formling village vex came from. -The magic ice can spread from those who are under its spell to non-cursed

Episode 4

UV being a fan of Lou is very funny, yet I am sure she is not the only one.

Fugi-dove's first appearance.

Kais eyes are more yellow than Nyas. Coles eyes are grey or black? hard to tell. Jays are blue ofc.

Pixal is OP.

Episode 5

Giant bird is part of the normal fauna of the realm.

Zane making note that he feels as though he has been there for quite some time, though this may allude that he was not the emperor for very long. However, this contradicts the idea that the village lady planted, in that its been cold for a stupid long time. (Decades)

Episode 6

Cole your anxiety dreams… This seems to be something he has normally. :(

THATS A LARGE TOOTHBRUSH. Jay by far must have the best dental hygiene.

Nyas struggle answers an interesting question, in that understanding similar elements is a thing that's inherently hard.

It is known in the village that travelers occasional 'stop by' and get leaves from the travelers tree to leave. This may be why they aren't so inquisitive of their sudden appearance.

It takes the wind out of Cole to do some terraforming.

Episode 7

CRAIG. ohh my god the flowers on the burial mounds probably are where the blue dye comes from.

There's small little crab apple looking things in the realm. They smell bad.

The Ice samurai have hunted the Craig species for sport. The Craig Species is an herbivorous fauna.

Travelers Tree. it creates its own heat, as well as being in a place far above the cloud line. needs Regular sunlight. Flowers are buttercup shaped, and the apple-like fruits come from it. Presumably, the tree also smells bad. I don't know why the tea is made of flower pedals, you tell me. Floral Tea I suppose.

Episode 8

'Legion of Grimfax', named after the captain. the legions are divided by generals. Assumedly, there's only one?

There are still no glaciers. There's a lot of frozen bodies of water. I have to assume that it rains a lot, or did rain a lot at some point, which also explains the marshland further down.

The shape of the rock construct is very similar to the shape of the Guardian in the Birchwood forest. Also made of Basalt.

Episode 9

Apples are native to the realm.

Chickens, bears, falcons, wolves, elk, Rabbits. (Formling types)

Vex' failure to find his animal form was 'a long time ago'. Perhaps Zane really wasn't the ice emperor for too long, due to Vex just being kind of the only icified guy. If the natural state of winter in the never realm allows for greenery, then it must not be a super cold winter.

Formling ritual includes a travel in silence, as well as a chase to ones own animal. It's granted to the formling once said formling catches their animal. Perhaps Vex did not catch his, it probably didnt show up for he is 'not worthy'. The Ritual also seems to only occur in the winter(?)

There is a type of purple berry as flora as well, in the form of a bush.

Boreas is the one who doomed the formlings. It is good to note that the ice does not kill, but freezes.

Zane and Vex did not have an army until recently it seems. He and Vex brough boreas, but no others.

Episode 10

There are a lot of large ribcages. What large fauna have been killed? large quadropeds of some sort?

The castle probably existed long before Zane inhabited it. I wonder who made it in the past?

Episode 11

The Realm tea opening to Chima Beavers. Mystake made the travelers tea recipe.

Very interesting that tea leaves open to any realm. First Realm, Chima, Underworld, Cloud Kingdom, Departed Realm.

THE DEPARTED REALM!!! Its Green and dark, perhaps the preeminent's existence there has warped parts of it.

Speaking of the Preeminent, she appears to have the whole realm inside of her. When she died, she appeared in the departed realm, though is still the embodiment of the cursed realm. Is she smaller than she was before?

Episode 12

The castle is the king of the realm(?) the samurai are clad in Red.

Zane seems surprisingly level headed when using the scroll. However, he seemed to struggle slightly to put it down.

Zanes 'I feel like I have been here a long time' does not make sense given how quickly he just spawned in the realm, but perhaps he is temporally displaced and is feeling the effects of said displacement.

Episode 13

Zane seems rather adamant on not killing. Its strange that his ice isn't killing.

Corrupted Ice behaves like Vengestone. Perhaps Vengestone is Corrupted Earth.

The Ice samurai are not fully 'evil', or rather fully mind controlled. At least, not the general.

Episode 14

'Lava Zombies' the name of an old arcade game made my Milton Dyer

Craig is 8 ft tall.

Zane spends a lot of time sleeping. perhaps constantly using his element is doing a number on him.

Episode 15

the berries are more potent than the tea leaves.

#ninjago #ns11 #stuff to think about. I feel like it could be cool of the area was more volcanically active #mun rambles

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2-d-rogue · 3 months ago

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Completed my Silent Hill marathon! (Games 1-4)

With Silent Hill 2's remake coming out in just a little while (or is already out for those that pre-ordered the digital version), I decided to do a quick replay of the first four games. I would have done the others, but unfortunately, didn't have the time.

I plan to do a second marathon to replay the post-four games, but for now, settled on the originals as I feel they're the most relevant to this.

I've been a fan of this series since there were only three games. (Not counting the SH1 mobile game.) I used to replay games 1-4 back-to-back all the time years ago, but have not done that since the early 2000s. Getting a chance to return to this series after so long in preparation for SH2R was definitely something, though my opinions from then to now have definitely changed.

Back then, Silent Hill could do no wrong in my eyes, but now I can certainly see these games were not perfect like I once believed. Even so, they're still great and by no means bad, even if I may be looking at them with a more critical eye now.

Below is some screenshots of my results after completing the games, coupled with a review for each game, and some little notes at the end of each review.

Silent Hill (finished on 09/22/2024)

It's such a crying shame how overlooked this game is. I get that it's old, and suffers from some jank, but it's truly a masterpiece of a game. It feels like a huge love letter from the Japanese to American 70s/80s horror, and in my humble opinion still holds up as a fantastic game.

It does have issues. Being of the PSX era, it has that lovely old skool jank that I mentioned, though I'd say it controls reasonably well in spite of it. There's also its issue of being far too vague at times, especially in that the game will never give any indication to go to Annie's Bar in order to save Kaufmann. The only way you'd might find it blind is if you don't mind exploring around a town crawling with monsters and happen upon it by chance, something most players don't tend to do and end up with an unsatisfying ending.

Regardless, this is still one of my favorite games of all time, and in my Top 3 Silent Hill games (probably in first place at that). I love the story, atmosphere, music, puzzles. I love how much you can explore the town. I love Harry Mason, Lisa, and seeing what happens to poor Alessa at the end still tugs at my heartstrings.

There's just no other game like it. Not even the other games come close to its unique vibes. (The closest maybe being Downpour.)

For that, despite it's issues, I continue to rate it as the best SH game in the series.

Few notes: *Hard mode is brutal. I remember it being tough and how much it loved spamming grey children and other enemies, but I forgot just how merciless it could be. SH3's hard mode is still the hardest for me, though. (Homecoming as well, but that's mainly because of its poor combat.)

*Did you know that by examining the teachers' list before you leave the school, Harry will mark down the location of K. Gordon's house, and later, examining the payphones after the hospital level will have him mark down the Green Lion's address? Not totally necessary to do, but I thought it was a neat little feature I hadn't noticed before.

*Learned this from Silent Hill Fact Hub. Apparently Harry was going to have a hidden dark side in this game. The more he traversed on, the more he was going to start to enjoy killing the monsters. Seems this concept got used in SH3 instead (though it might've been referenced in SH3 with it mentioning how Harry initially felt about raising Heather).

Silent Hill 2 + Born From a Wish (both finished on 09/27/2024)

Ah, Silent Hill 2. The fandom darling. The "best game in the series", or "best horror game of all time". The "best of the best of the best of the best". I've heard it all before by now, and while I do love SH2, and can see why so many people love it, I do not share the sentiment so many seem to have towards it.

Is it a good game? Absolutely. Does it handle its topics well? For the most part, yes. But having cleared it as many times, along with the other games, in the past as much as I have, I can say with confidence it's not this perfect game so many believe it to be.

For one, it plays like ass. I have no idea how they somehow managed to make the controls of the sequel worse than the first game. James is painfully slow, and doesn't even have the benefit Harry had of being able to instantly reload his gun by re-aiming. (I'm sure SH2's fans would send me a 2,000 page essay of the meaning behind this, but I can assure you I've no interest.)

I also did the so-called impossible and played it on Hard Mode. I remember when I played it as a kid on Hard Mode that I found it to be just a slightly more challenging Normal Mode, so imagine how perplexed I was when everyone nowadays kept saying that Hard Mode is "literally unplayable". Having gotten to play it again after so many years, it did catch me off guard in some spots, but it's definitely not "impossible". Challenging? At times, yes. Tedious? Oh, definitely. Impossible? Not at all. In fact, once you get passed the more challenging parts, it's most of the time a cakewalk.

As for the story and themes, I do like and enjoy it very much. However now, and even back then, I simply just don't care about James. Never really did, honestly. I don't know why, but he just never clicked with me. I find all the other characters much more interesting, personally (especially Maria), but James? Nada. And it's not because I don't relate to him. In fact, I kinda went through something similar to what he did to some extent. Even so, he simply does nothing for me.

I may be making it sound like I dislike this game. I don't. As always with this series, the music is good, the visuals, level design, psychological horror, all of it's great. But I just don't share in giving it the endless praise it gets. For me, it's just a "good game" in the series. That's all.

Even if it's not my favorite, or in my Top 3, it's still a solid experience.

Looking forward to the Remake. Perhaps it may change my mind on a few things.

By the way, check out this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbxW7QqwpHQ It compares the English localization to the original Japanese script. Got some interesting things in it.

Silent Hill 3 (finished on 09/30/2024)

(Went with Easy Mode this time in order to speed things up, and also to take in as much of the environments as I could without interruption.)

If it's not SH2 getting all the praise, then it's this game, and just as well it does. This game has so much good to offer and shows how much the series has come a long way. It's easily the best-looking game in the franchise, it controls very well, and has a lot of weapon variety. The creature design is fantastic, and the puzzles are real brain-twisters (though the Shakespeare one on Hard Riddle Difficulty is absurd because it assumes everyone has read all of Shakespeare, and gives no clues or hints about the books to help out those who haven't, but hey, it sounds awesome being read out loud by McGlynn in "Walk On Vanity Ruins").

I'm especially in love with the level design. It's dark and unnerving, with strange noises happening wherever you go, making you afraid there might be some horrifying monster waiting for you around the corner, or somewhere in the dark abyss below. It's truly brilliant in its sound design, and its atmosphere.

And Heather? Easily one of the best female protagonists in horror game history. She's spunky, sassy, takes no crap, yet she can get frightened and put off by the terrors around her, and vulnerable when confronted with tender memories from her past. She also has a kind and protective side towards people who manage to win her trust, as shown with Douglas towards the end.

Not only that, she rejects the role being forced on her. Any other piece of media I've seen, when a woman is being forcefully turned into a mother for some wicked agenda, they often accept this role, despite their bodies being violated and their agency removed, all because this is the traditional role that is expected of women.

Not Heather, though. She spits right on that concept and ejects that evil god baby from her body and happily kills the monstrosity it is. It's refreshing, and Heather was far ahead of her time. To think there was a time I didn't like her because I thought she was too bratty, but when I thought of her situation, she kind of has every reason to distrust and lash out at all out around her. (Except her daddy, of course. Bless you, Harry.)

She's extraordinarily well-written that it makes me sad to say that I no longer like the story of her game.

I really don't know what happened, but I find I don't love it nearly as much as I did years ago. The level design is wonderful, the atmosphere is fantastic, it's the best looking game of the series, and does everything else right. Heather is still one of the best protagonists in the series. And yet…I find I now greatly dislike the story, or at least the execution of it.

I'm fine with the idea of returning to SH1's story, but I no longer enjoy how they went about it. The dialogue has aged so badly, with the one-liners and all the talk of "being on X's side" becoming eye-rolling and ruining the mood. I get it, Heather's a teenager, but it just started to grate on me, plus she's not the only one saying such terrible lines. It was getting so cringe-inducing that I was close to considering skipping the cutscenes just to get back to the eerie atmospheric gameplay.

The second half of the game is where it really loses me. I'm sorry, but reusing SH2's map was a huge mistake. I know they likely had to do it to save on budget, but it doesn't stop it from being such a huge clash to this game's story. Though I did like the hospital level—and even though I "enjoyed" the Stanley subplot—it really shouldn't have been Brookhaven. It has nothing to do with Heather's story, and it ultimately ended up being a waste because the thing you get from it turns out to be useless.

And since they didn't update the outside of SH2's map, Heather looks so out of place on it, with hers and the monsters' polished models clashing badly with SH2's graphics that it's easy to see that the reason why the fog is so heavy in this game is to hide how awful it looks.

And then the levels that follow just feel like member berries from the first game. Why would Claudia set up the church so close to the Amusement Park? I could see that maybe it's because that's where her and Alessa used to escape to in order to have some fun, but that's never hinted at. It's also just kinda weird that Heather battles Alessa on the carousel when that was actually where you fought Cybil in SH1. It was likely to reference that, but thematically, it feels a little off.

The main villain, Claudia, also just irritates me. I understand the hardship of her backstory, but she will never get any pity from me, and the game trying to make me feel sorry for her in the end fell utterly flat. I just can't believe this woman ever really cared about Alessa with how much she looks delighted in seeing Heather in pain without even a hint that she doesn't enjoy watching this. If they wanted to make it seem like she feels mixed about doing these horrible things to her beloved friend, then they should have shown it more, but they spend so much time making her pseudo-Dahlia, her expressing remorse last minute came off as an afterthought.

I really think making it that Alessa had a childhood friend (that was never mentioned or hinted at in the first game) was also a mistake. It feels really tacked on to me, and when you think about it, makes almost no sense at all.

There's also just how much this game loves to over explain itself. If SH1 should be criticized for being too vague, this one should be criticized for explaining too much. It spells everything out, almost to a fault. The thing that makes Silent Hill so good is the mystery, the subtlety. Things get explained, but enough is left open to figure the rest out on your own. Not with this game, however.

And the monsters, while great in design, have little to no meaning behind them. Ito-san even admitted that creatures like the Numb Bodies were just monsters he thought up with no real meaning behind them, and apparently that's the case with most of the others as well. Very unfortunate to learn.

I used to really love this story and never thought to question it back in the day, but now, I can see so many flaws with it. It saddens me, but that's how it is now, unfortunately.

That being said, I do still enjoy playing this game. It's in no way bad or terrible. It's a great game to play, but I simply no longer like the story. If/when I do replay it, I might just skip most of the cutscenes and play the game only for its design.

Though, I find it funny that the post-four games get criticized for a lot of the things this game gets praised for.

Few notes: *Though I don't care for the main story, there's a lot of the background stuff that I would have been more interested in. Like the case involving Harry having to kill a cult member to save Heather, or the implication Douglas might've shot and killed his own son. It's a shame the game doesn't put more focus on things like that.

*There's whisperings that this game wasn't originally going to be tied to the first game and was going to be its own story. If that were true, it would explain a lot of the bizarre pacing issues, and lack of a focused direction, because I can't help getting the feeling as I played, this really wasn't the way they wanted to take the story.

Silent Hill 4: The Room (finished on 10/04/2024)

(Again, picked Easy Mode in order to speed things up, as well as get a chance to examine and take in as much as possible.)

Poor SH4. This game has had a negative reputation since release and continues to carry one to this day. Considered the "worst of the original four", and for good reasons, I'll admit. This game really changed or got rid of a lot of what its predecessors set up. Gone is the flashlight, fog, radio ('cept the one in Henry's room). The graphics are also a major step down from SH3, and the monster design perhaps isn't the greatest.

There's also only two bosses, one of which barely counts, and your inventory is now limited, taking a page from Bio/RE it seems.

And of course, there's Henry. The so-called "blandest protagonist ever with no personality."

There are many issues with this game. Some of which I agree with, some that I've noticed that others have not, and some that I highly disagree with. This game certainly does carry many, many flaws. There's the ghosts, which were a great concept, but badly executed, as they make exploration a pain in the ass. The combat is very strange, and it's amusing to see a health bar along with a charge meter on screen in a Silent Hill game, and not in a good way.

The hauntings later, while creepy, become redundant once they start repeating themselves. There's also Eileen. I went for the "Eileen's Death" ending because I typically go for either the perfect ending, or the bad ending, so I decided this time, I would pick one of the "slightly good endings". The other reason is I wanted her to read all of Walter's diaries in their entirety to get as much of a refresher as I could.

Eileen herself is not terrible. She can be really helpful in fighting off monsters, but when you need her to step aside, (such as in the "One Truth" battle), she can be an absolute pain. It's good that you can leave her in safe places for a while, so there's that. Overall, she's not the worst escort, but I can get it if sometimes you get dealt a bad hand with her.

Though, I have no idea why they bothered with having candles recover her sanity when the effects only last a few minutes before she becomes possessed again. It makes using any candle on her useless, and pretty much tells you you're screwed if you let her take too much damage. Bad call there, I'd say.

That's just scratching the surface of the problems with this game. There's more where that came from that to mention them all, including some other problems I noticed, would take far too much time. In a lot of ways, it feels extremely unfinished.

And yet, in spite of that, I friggen love this game.

Yes, it's true. Eversince I first played it upon release, I loved it even then. I was probably one of the few that defended it back in the day, and still defend it now. I can't fully explain it, but there's just something about this game that makes me love it and enjoy it every time I play it again.

If I were to consider why, I would say it's because of how subtle the horror is. On the surface, it doesn't seem to offer much, but when you think about it, it's really incredibly disturbing. All the horror is happening so close to home, to a man who was just minding his own business and had done nothing to deserve it except attract the eyes of an occultist serial murderer that decided to choose him for his ritual.

It's extremely creepy, and almost realistic how something like that can happen in real life. Someone just somehow caught a creepy stalker's eyes, and never even knew nor intended it. To think Walter was secretly watching and spying on Henry for two years before he would enact his plan with him… That, along with the terrible things he would do like sealing him up in his own home and make him witness terrible things again and again, is just pure fridge horror right there.

It's slow, subtle, and feels like it's nonexistent, but it is definitely there, and it can creep on you without realizing it. The environments don't have a lot to offer, either, but that's because they don't need to. Just the fact these places exist and what they were for are enough. For example, Wish House. Just an orphanage, right? Except they were indoctrinating orphans, there's a trap right outside, a woman was murdered here, and there's rules about never leaving or else "the master will be sad".

The cylindrical prison… What needs to be said? Especially with what it was based on. The crap that happened here is more than enough.

It's really interesting how they built up the horror in the background without being so in-your-face about it that it's really quite clever, and it's so good.

And Henry himself.

I really don't care whatever negative remarks people make about him being "bland" or "having no personality". He's my favorite protagonist of the whole series, hands down. Each time I play, I find myself not only loving his game more and more, but Henry as well. I loved him as a kid, and now that I'm much older, I relate to him more as an adult.

The thing about him is that he does have personality, and he does react to the things around him. You just simply have to pay attention. Through taking the time to examine the things in his room after each level, as well as examining objects around the levels themselves, you learn a fair amount about him, and get a general idea of what he's like. I know most players won't care to do that, and that's how so many come away not realizing there's more than meets the eye.

Henry is very kind, helping people to the best of his ability, and getting frustrated when he fails, crushing him down to being desperate to save someone. He doesn't make a show of it, but just by watching his face, taking notice of his expressions and body language, you can see he's not as "bland" as people say. His face will drop into horror seeing something frightening. He will slump in distress when he can't save someone. He'll even roll his eyes/shake his head at Jasper when he's going off on his rant in one cutscene. Or get nervous and put off by Cynthia's advances.

There's so much there, and while I admit, he may not be as developed as the other protags that came before or after him, he's definitely misunderstood and it's so unfortunate to see many dismiss him.

With that all said, I do think more should have been done with him. If SH4 ever receives a remake, I'd want them to give him a bit more to work with, but please don't change him too much.

So, despite the issues that this game has, I can't hate it. There's stuff to dislike, but there's also enough to enjoy. I really believe if this game had gotten the time and budget the others got, it would have easily been a masterpiece, but despite the "beta-feeling" it has, it's amazing what they were able to pull off.

There's more I could say, both in praise and in criticism of this game, but I feel I've said enough. Simply put, despite its flaws, it's my second favorite game in the series. The surreal, subtle horror it manages to accomplish despite all the issues is amazing. And what can I say? It has my fav protag.

Again though, if this game gets a remake, I'd hope they address the flaws, flesh things out with the worlds and monsters more, among other things. (And let me get to explore Wish House, darnit.)

Few notes:

*This playthrough went a little longer because my friend and I decided to document as much of Henry's comments as possible. After it's cleaned up, I intend to post it.

*At the beginning of the game, you're playing as Joseph. No matter what you examine, his first few comments will always be the lines he wrote in a memo prior to his death. After you've exhausted all five of those lines, he'll start commenting on the objects you examine themselves.

*Did you know that when Walter starts chasing you in the second half of the game, he won't shoot Henry as long as he stays still? He'll still run up and try to melee him, but anytime you see/hear him go for his gun, stopping and then staying still will make him not shoot for some reason. (Naturally, this trick no longer works upon the Apartment World revisit, or the boss fight with him.) Found this out a very long time ago, and I see no one else ever mention it, so thought I would. Plan to post a video showing it when I get the chance.

*In the second half of the game, if you wait long enough in your apartment, someone will start knocking on your door. (Though, no one will be outside…)

*In the very last stage of the game, (Apartment World Revisit), all the residents you see on the opposite side will be gone…

*I didn't get to mention it, but Walter is one of the most creepy, inventively interesting villains ever. I'd put him over Pyramid Head even.

*Check out this really neat SH4 fan film/series pitch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0S81SL5Od8Q Apparently, this is the director's pitch to Konami for a 10-episode series for SH4. I know it's unlikely, but it'd be neat if it happened. (Brian Dole, the guy picked to play Henry, seems to be a great choice looks-wise.)

#Silent Hill #Silent Hill 1 #Silent Hill 2 #Silent Hill 3 #Silent Hill 4 #Konami #KCET #long post #screenshots #reviews #with this all finished I now await SH2R #also apologies for how long this is #originally meant for this to be individual posts after finishing each game #but things came up and...yeah

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