#I bet I'm missing some books and it bothers me. ����

[thecruellestmonth]

Jason Todd + literature

RHATO (2016) #20

Become What You Are by Alan Watts

Joker: The Man Who Stopped Laughing #8

Hannah Arendt, author of Eichmann in Jerusalem: A Report on the Banality of Evil

Batman (1940) #395

Detective Comics #573 // Detective Comics #1042

The Gotham Gazette, local newspaper

We Are Robin #7

Alexandre Dumas, author of The Man in the Iron Mask, The Count of Monte Cristo, and Robin Hood: The Outlaw

Batman: Legends of Gotham

La Bête humaine by Émile Zola

Batman and Robin Eternal #3

1984 by George Orwell

Batman Incorporated (2012) #7

Richard III by William Shakespeare

RHATO (2011) #6, written by Joshua Williamson

Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

Batman and Robin (2009) #5 // Batman: Three Jokers #2

Getting the Best Out of Your Brand

Chronic Pain Management

Detective Comics #569

Moby-Dick; or, The Whale by Herman Melville

Batman and Robin (2009) #23 //Batman: Wayne Family Adventures #31

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Red Hood and the Outlaws: Rebirth

The Prince by Niccolò Machiavelli

The Art of War by Sūn Zǐ

Batman #648

Batman #409 // Batman: Arkham Knight—Genesis #2 // Batman: Wayne Family Adventures #23

See also: lit nerd Steph by @our-happygirl500-fan, Shakespeare nerd Dickie by @luanna255

[mariclerc]

Cute boy next door | cl16

Summary: your little one can't sleep at night thanks to the noise from your loud neighbor.

Warning: latina!hispanic reader, streamer charles (i miss him A LOT) and fluff.

Part 2

A hallway with sleek, modern doors lining either side, the soft glow of moonlight filters through the window at the end. You stand outside one of the doors, biting your lip nervously... You hold a three-year old little girl named Lola in your arms; Lola is rubbing her eyes sleepily while she holds a stuffed animal in her little hands.

“Okay, y/n... you can do this! It's just a noise complaint and Lola needs to sleep.” you whisper to yourself.

You raise a fist to knock on the door, for a moment you doubt it, but you do it anyway.

The door swings open to reveal a handsome young man in a fitted t-shirt and sweatpants. He has a pair of glasses on and a bandana tied loosely around his forehead, he looks a little bit surprised.

“Uh... hi? Can I help you?” he asks softly.

You swallow a little bit. “Um, hola... hi... Excuse me for bothering you... I live next door, and, well...” You look down at Lola in your arms, who whimpers softly. “I don't know if you were playing loud music or something earlier? But, my little girl Lola can't sleep.” you say softly.

Charles's eyes widen in realization, he blushes slightly and rubs the back of his neck. “Oh my gosh, I am so sorry! I was just... streaming while playing on the simulator a bit... I didn't realize it would be so loud.” He says with sorrow in his voice.

“It's alright, don't worry too much about it.” you say shyly. “This is all new to us, we just moved here from Miami a few months ago.”

He opened his eyes in surprise and smiled.

“From Miami? Wow, that's a big change! I bet it's quite an adjustment.” He says. “Are you hispanic?” he asked softly and you nod proudly of your roots.

“Si señor, now you have two latina friends on the other side of your wall.” you say giggling. “And yes... It is quite the adjustment, especially for Lola, since she misses her abuelos terribly.” (yes sir) (grandparents)

Charles smiles warmly at the both of you, he looks so friendly and there's a pretty familiar and warm vibe about him, but you can't quite figure it out yet.

“Well, I'm Charles, by the way. Welcome to the building! It's nice to meet you both.” He says and you smile warmly.

“Nice to meet you, Charles.” you say shyly and you quickly look away. “Well, I don't want to interrupt your night of fun but it was a pleasure and thanks again.”

He smiles genuinely. “It's no problem at all, and if Lola wakes up again, don't hesitate to knock on my door... Maybe we can have coffee sometime?” He asked, there is a slight blush on his cheeks and you nod and blushed a little too.

“Coffee sounds lovely. Thank you for the offer, but, we wouldn't want to intrude though...” you were saying but he gently interrupted you.

“Not at all! Trust me, a little company is a welcome change from the roar of a Formula One engine... Besides, maybe you can teach me some Spanish, my language skills are a bit rusty.” he says quite blushing.

You blush at his words, is that a slight flirtation or is it just your head making things up? Be that as it may, you smile tenderly at him.

“That sounds good, i'm sure Lola and I would be happy to help! Alright, Charles, we'll take you up on that coffee offer then.” you say and he smiles shyly.

Charles beams. “Great! Just let me know when... Here's my phone, you can write your number there!” He says, extending his hand to give you his cell phone and you do the same.

You write your number and schedule yourself as: "y/n the latina neighbor 🤍" He writes down his number on your cell phone and books himself as: "Charlie the nice neighbor ❤️" you smile tenderly when you see the red heart next to it.

“Well, I should go to my apartment... Good night Charles and thank you again... For understanding.” You say sweetly and he smiles, showing off his dimples. "dios que lindo luce con sus hoyuelos" you think while looking at him. (God how cute he looks with his dimples)

He smiles widely. “It's no big deal y/n! Have a good night you two, sweet dreams.” he says softly and smiles.

You smile back and walk into your apartment, feeling something strange and cozy in your chest. You place Lola on her bed and give her a little kiss on her forehead, meanwhile, your head won't stop thinking about the cute, handsome neighbor next door and you're sure that his shy smile will probably stay stuck in your head for days and weeks.

***

“Si mami Lola y yo estamos bien” You say while talking on the phone with your mom. “Y no, todavía no he ido a tomar café con el lindo vecino, mamá por dios! Que preguntas.” You say a little excited, Lola giggles at your reaction. (yes mommy Lola and I are fine) (and no, I still haven't gone to have coffee with the cute neighbor, mom for God's sake! What do you ask)

You were talking to your mom on the phone, what you told your mom was a "little white lie", since you were finishing getting ready to go to your coffee and dessert date with Charles and Lola, who was already dressed and looked like a cute little princess. You and Charles had been talking for several weeks by text and so on, he even sometimes stopped by your apartment before going to his, Lola likes his company, it's very fun for you to see the two of them interact. While you finish putting some of Lola's things in your bag, the door rings.

“Mami te llamo luego, sí? Te quiero mucho, bendición!” You say hanging up the call as you walk to the door. (Mommy, I'll call you later, okay? I love you so much, blessing!)

When you open the door you find a smiling Charles holding a bouquet of lilies, he was wearing his glasses and was dressed very casually but a little elegant at the same time, Lola came up behind you and smiled when she saw Charles.

“Hello there, señoritas! Ready for our afternoon of coffee and good desserts?” He says and you smile when you hear him speak Spanish, even if it's just a little bit. “These are for you y/n! I hope you like them, I think they are pretty just like you.” He says in a whisper and you blush when you hear his words. (ladies)

You take the bouquet of lilies from his hands and smile at his cute but meaningful gesture.

“Hello Charlie! Aww, you didn't have to do it.” You say as you place the bouquet in a vase, Lola looks at the bouquet curiously. “Mira mi amor, son unas flores muy lindas, no lo crees?” you say softly to Lola and she smiles. (Look my love, they are very pretty flowers, don't you think?)

“Flores! Dindas!” Lola says happy (flowers! cute!)

Charles smiles as he sees you two speaking in Spanish, a warm and cozy feeling is present in his chest.

“I guess you both liked the flowers!” He says smiling and with his cheeks red. “So let's go? Those desserts await us!” He says quite enthusiastically and Lola giggles, you close the door to your apartment and walk with them down the hallway.

He linked his arm with yours and you carried Lola with your other arm, to be honest, it looked like an image straight out of a movie, but that made you happy.

***

The three of you sat at a table a little far away from the crowd, but it had a nice view. You ordered an espresso and a pain au chocolat, you also ordered the same thing for Lola, only instead of the espresso you ordered her a strawberry milkshake in children's size. And Charles ordered a cappuccino with a small strawberry pie.

Charles's company was quite nice and comfortable, it was as if there had always been a place for him in yours and Lola's life and also a place for the two of you in his.

He looks at Lola while she drinks her milkshake and smiles. “Lola looks so pretty and cute!” He says as he strokes Lola's hair and she smiles. “You know? From what little I have seen I can say that you are a really good mom.” He says in a whisper and you smile slightly.

You look at him, finishing your pain au chocolat and feeding Lola with hers. “Thank you... Sometimes it's hard, especially when it's just the two of us, this thing about being a mother and father at the same time is... Complicated, but satisfying in a way.” You say as you let out a light sigh.

“I wouldn't want to bother you with this, but... Why did you move here? You two alone, venturing to the other side of the world.” He asks softly, he doesn't want to invade your privacy or bother you.

You nod shyly. “Well... It was something complicated for both of us back in Miami, but I think it has been worth it so far.” you say while you look at Lola and you look back at him. “You see, her "dad" didn't want kids and his most logical solution was to leave me after four years together, to be honest my father almost killed him...” You say and let out a small chuckle. “I had an apartment and I lived there while I was pregnant, after having Lola my ex wanted to come back and threatened me multiple times, which is not very nice as a first-time mother.” You sighed. “When Lola was 6 months old I decided to return to my parents' house.” you say looking at your little girl. “Ese desgraciado maldito.” You mumbled in spanish. “We decided to move here because I got a good job offer as a freelancer in a good business here... and to escape from my ex's harassment, to be honest.” you giggled shyly. (that damned bastard)

He looked at you in shock, he never thought someone could do something like that. “Oh, I'm so sorry that happened to you.” he said softly. “But you two are so amazing and cool! And, well, it's his loss at the end of the day.” He says and you smile a little.

“You couldn't have said it better Charles.”

Lola smiles and stretches her little hands towards Charles's strawberry pie, he smiles as he sees her stretch out her little hands towards him.

“Fresas!” Lola says animated and happy. (strawberries!)

“Mi cielo pero si acabaste de comer tu pain au chocolat! Let Charlie eat his pie, okay?” You say a little blushing at the almost embarrassing moment that Lola puts you through. (My dear but you just ate your pain au chocolat)

Charles giggled at Lola's antics and your words. “You know, it's okay! I have no problem giving you guys some of the pie... At the end of the day, it is to share with you!” he smiles and blushed.

Then he cut a little of the pie into three equal pieces for the three of you, you just smile at his cute gesture towards the two of you, Lola smiles and takes her spoon to start eating the piece of pie, she looks very happy while eating the delicious dessert, you took a spoonful and the sweet and fresh taste of the strawberries invaded your mouth, you closed your eyes happily, savoring the pie. Charles smiled when he saw your reaction, he thought it was super cute and sweet.

Between the two of you you've shared a few glances while talking about totally mundane and simple things, even though he may have all the money in the world for you he's a pretty down to earth guy and you appreciate that.

***

After having gone to a small park where Lola played a lot on slides and trampolines, the three of you went back to the building with satisfied and somewhat tired smiles on your faces.

“Come here my honey, let me carry you, okay?” You tell Lola as you try to pick her up, but she refuses. “Oh, don't you want me to carry you inside?” you ask her softly.

She looked at the green-eyed boy who was standing next to you with a smile on his face. “Chaaa! 'ould you carry me? Pweasee...” she said and Charles looked at you as if asking your permission to do so, you just nodded at him.

“Can I?” he asked shyly and you nod again.

“Yup, you can carry her inside. I don't have a problem with that.” you said timidly and he approached you to bend down and take Lola in his arms and walk into the building.

For you it was a super cute image, it was as if it had happened before, as if all the pieces fit together, as if he were the missing piece of the puzzle. You smiled as you walked a few steps behind them, you had a strange feeling in your chest, a feeling of belonging, something you hadn't felt in recent months and in the last three years, Lola looked quite comfortable in the green-eyed man's arms while they talked about... You don't know, maybe they talk about superheroes or princesses? You have no idea, but the smile on your girl's face is inexplicable.

When you reach your apartment floor he lowers Lola to the ground, but she didn't want to get out of his arms.

“Noooo, I don't wanna go in!” Lola says, hiding her face on his shoulder.

You unlock the door, a small smile tugging at your lips. “Maybe she wants a piggyback ride all the way in?” You say, letting out a small giggle and he blushes.

Charles turns, a playful glint in his eyes. “Is that true, little princess? Well, hold on tight, we have an adventure.” he whispers softly at Lola and she had a bright smile.

He ducks through the doorway, carrying a giggling Lola into your apartment. You follow, a warm feeling blossoming in your chest. The door shuts behind you with a soft click, and Charles carefully navigates the small hallway, Lola clinging to his back like a happy koala, you can't help but laugh as you watch them.

“Alright, superhero princess, your chambers await!” you say towards Lola.

Lola throws her head back and lets out a peal of laughter. Charles reaches her bedroom door, a hint of shyness creeping into his smile. “Is this the secret superhero lair?”

Lola nods vigorously. “Yes! But, shh, it's a secret, 'kay?”

You smile at your little girl. “Our little secret, superhero. Now, how about we get you out of your superhero suit? Bed time awaits.”

You reach out and gently take Lola's hand, ready to help her down. But Lola hesitates, her eyes flickering between you and Charles.

“Can Charl tuck me in tonight, Mommy?” she asked softly.

The unexpected request catches you off guard. A warmth spreads through your chest, a surprising mix of shyness and something deeper. You glance at Charles, his gaze warm and understanding.

“Would you like that, y/n?” You meet his eyes, a silent question hanging in the air. Would it be okay? Would it be crossing a line? Charles seems to sense your hesitation. “Of course, it's entirely up to you... Just thought maybe it would be nice for Lola to have a superhero story for bedtime.” he smiles reassuringly.

You look back at Lola, her eyes pleading with a hope you can't deny. Maybe, you think, just this once.

“Alright, superhero. But only because you saved the day from tantrums.” you say while smiling softly.

Lola's face breaks into a wide grin. “Yay! Thank you, Charl! Thank you, Mami!”

You help Charles lower Lola to the floor, watching as he scoops her up again into a hug. A comfortable silence settles between you as he walks towards the room, the warmth of his presence lingering in the air.

***

Charles stands by the bed, holding a squirming Lola as you pull out a pair of fluffy pajamas decorated with stars. You manage to wrestle her arms into the sleeves, Charles chuckling as Lola tries to escape.

“Alright, superhero princess, time to transform back into your regular self!” you say smiling.

Lola lets out a dramatic sigh, then allows herself to be pulled into the soft fabric. Charles gently helps with the buttons, his fingers brushing against yours briefly. A spark of electricity shoots up your arm, making you blush.

“There you go, little superhero. All ready for your mission to dreamland!” he smiled gently at Lola.

Lola snuggles into the bed, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “But before I go, I need story! About a princess! Superhero!” she giggles softly.

You exchange a glance with Charles. “Well, how about we make one up together? Let's see, uhm... Once upon a time, in a faraway land, there lived a brave princess named...” you chuckled.

You pause, looking at Charles for inspiration. He shrugs playfully. “Hmmm... Princess Lola! The bravest, strongest princess in the whole kingdom... But even princesses have problems sometimes, right Lola?”

Lola nods vigorously, sucking her thumb thoughtfully.

“One day, a terrible monster called Bedtime snuck into the kingdom! It made everyone feel sleepy and grumpy, and wouldn't let them have any fun!”

Lola gasps, her eyes wide. You continue, weaving a tale of Princess Lola's bravery as she confronts the monster Bedtime. Charles adds details, giving the monster a ticklish weakness and Princess Lola a magical cape that grants her super snuggles.

As the story unfolds, the tension in the room gradually melts away. Warm light bathes the room from a bedside lamp, casting dancing shadows on the walls. Lola's eyelids begin to droop, her thumb slipping out of her mouth.

With a flourish, you reach the climax. Princess Lola defeats the monster Bedtime with a flurry of super snuggles, restoring peace and good sleep to the kingdom.

“And so, Princess Lola learned that even the bravest heroes need their rest. Sweet dreams, little one.” he whispered softly.

Lola yawns, a tiny smile playing on her lips.

“Thank you, superhero... Charl... Night night mama!” she mumbles drowsily.

“Buenas noches mi niña... Have sweet dreams! I love you so much!” You whisper and give her a kiss on her forehead. (good night my girl)

Her eyes flutter shut, and her breathing slows to a gentle rhythm. You and Charles exchange a tired smile.

“Looks like our superhero princess is out for the night.” you whispered at him.

Charles nods, his gaze lingering on Lola's peaceful face. A comfortable silence settles between you, filled with a sense of shared accomplishment.

The silence stretches after Lola drifts off to sleep, a comfortable quiet that feels different from the usual solitude of evenings. Lola's soft breaths filled the space, a gentle counterpoint to the sudden tension between you and Charles. His gaze flickers from your daughter's sleeping form to your face, his eyes holding a warmth that sends shivers down your spine, a newfound appreciation for this unexpected moment.

There's a beat of silence, thick with unspoken emotions. You clear your throat, about to suggest to head out of her room, when Charles speaks, his voice barely a whisper.

“She's incredible, isn't she?”

You nod, a lump forming in your throat. “She really is...” you say softly.

He takes a step closer, his presence filling the space beside you. You can smell his cologne, a now familiar scent that makes your heart beat faster.

“Thank you for letting me be a part of this... For letting me be a part of both of your lives this few weeks.”

His words hang in the air, a silent confession of his growing feelings. You meet his gaze, your own filled with a mixture of gratitude and something deeper.

“Thank you for being here, Charles.” you say with your voice barely above a whisper.

The distance between you shrinks further. His hand reaches out, brushing a stray hair from your cheek. His touch sends a jolt through you, a rush of electricity that makes your breath catch.

Charles leans in slowly, his eyes searching yours, you don't pull away... Instead, you find yourself leaning in too, drawn to him by a force you can't explain.

The kiss is soft, a gentle exploration at first. His lips are warm and tender, sending shivers down your spine. It's a kiss filled with unspoken emotions: gratitude, affection, and, you might say, a little hint of something more.

You pull back slightly, your cheeks flushed. Charles's eyes hold a question, a silent plea for permission. You hesitate for a moment, then a small smile graces your lips.

“Maybe she doesn't need to be the only one with a superhero story tonight...” you whisper as a shy smile graces your face.

The air crackles with unspoken possibilities. Charles's smile widens, his eyes shining with a newfound joy. He leans back in, and the kiss deepens a little bit, filled with a passion you haven't felt in a long long time. You smile halfway through the kiss and in a rather cliché way, you feel content and happy with everything that is happening in your life since perhaps this was what you needed. A breath of fresh air in your life and in Lola's.

[thehusbandoden]

You Flinch During an Argument -Todoroki Shoto

Sooo I decided to change this into drabbles instead of headcannons and a drabble bc I'm a lot more comfortable writing in this format, sorry if this bothers anyone <33

Oh and this is a lot more fluffy bc I'm so soft for Sho <3

I'll make Bakugou's a lot more angsty tomorrow >:))

Angst to fluff/comfort | 1,057 words

Warnings!: Mention of arguing, flinching, fear of hurting/scaring your s/o, mention of abuse (Shoto's childhood), and spending money in copious amounts (is that a warning??). Pls let me know if I miss any <33

Dabi | Hawks | Todoroki Shoto | Bakugo Katsuki | Midoriya Izuku | Shigaraki Tomura | Aizawa Shota | Amajiki Tamaki | Kirishima Eijiro | Shinso Hitoshi

The argument was getting nowhere, you were exhausted, angry, and hurt. You also bet that Sho felt the same.

Sighing, you stand up and walk towards where Shoto was pacing around.

"Listen Sho, let's just go to bed, we can talk about this in the morning."

"Fine then, you go to be-" Shoto froze as he saw you flinch away from him, he wasn't going to.. hurt you. He would never hurt you.

"Did.. did you think I was going to hurt you?" Shoto asked, inwardly panicking as he rushed to your side, hands hovering over your arms, shoulders, and hands, too scared of hurting or scaring you to touch you.

"No baby no. It was some kinda reaction from my body, probably because the tension was high and we're heroes." You coo, grabbing Shoto's hands comfortingly.

"A-are you sure?" Shoto asked, body shaking as he moved his hands up and down your arms, trying to comfort you as best as he could.

"Positive my dear, lets just get to bed, yeah? We can talk about our.. disagreement in the morning." You smile, causing Shoto to nod as he followed you to your shared bedroom, hovering behind you as you go through your night time routine.

"Baby.. I promise I'm not scared of you." You whisper, turning around to hug Shoto as he hovered over your shoulder, heart broken.

"I- I know.. it just reminded me of mom.. and him.."

"Oh baby, no. That is completely different."

Hugging Shoto tighter, your heart partially broke as Shoto clung to you, burying his face in your neck, seeking any kind of comfort he could.

"T-this was a one time freak accident.. right?" Shoto asked, a few tears staining your shoulder as he let you comfort him, needing some kind of stability for him to be sane.

"Yes, yes this will only happen this one time. I was not scared of you, my body moved on its own, I hold zero fear towards you, my love."

"Promise?"

"I promise. Now, let's get to bed and cuddle, yeah?"

Shoto simply nodded, shuffling his feet in a way where he could move yet stay attached to you, and he completely climbed on top of you, burying his face into your chest as you played with his hair, kissing his forehead sweetly.

~~~

The next morning he was attached to you until you had to go to work, and even then he was very reluctant to let you go, asking for kiss after kiss as you attempted to leave.

You came home to a completely cleaned house, your favorite meal, and your favorite at home activity set up.

And the next day, after he came home from work he brought you flowers, your favorite treat, take out, a movie, and a book that's been rotting in your 'tbr' list on Amazon.

It stayed that way for at least a week and a half, Shoto doing everything he could to show you how much he truly loved you.

~~~

"Baby I'm home." Shoto calls, shutting the door with his foot as he moved to set todays findings on your kitchen island.

"Hey, you're home early!" You smile, quickly making your way to kiss Sho's lips before hugging him, smiling at the comforting warmth and smell.

"Yeah, I missed you too much and there wasn't much going on. If there's any thing they need my help with they'll simply call me in."

Pecking his chest as acknowledgment, you turn to the island, blushing in embarrassment at the multiple bags on the smooth surface.

"Sho, how many times do I need to tell you that you don't need to keep buying me things?" You sigh, smiling as the hero pecked the back of your ear to help you cool off.

"And how many times do I need to tell you that I know I don't 'need' to, but I can, and want to spoil my queen."

"Sho you're too good for this world." You huff, blushing at Shoto's bold honesty.

"I belive that is you, my love."

"Okay okay- what did you get this time?" You sigh, peering at the bags curiously.

"You have to wait for this one," Sho mused, picking out a small black bag from the bunch, maneuvering it so you wouldn't see the brand name.

"Ah c'mon Sh-"

"and this one is for dinner-" Sho continued, shushing you with a quick peck to the lips, setting the grocery bag aside.

" and the rest is for you to enjoy at your leisure." Shoto smiled, causing you to blush.

Smiling, you look through the remaining four bags, smile widening at the sentimental gifts Shoto had gotten you.

One bag was full of books and movies you were dying to read/watch, and another one was full of bags of sweets you enjoyed from the gas station near your house -which means he most likely grabbed them on a whim, barely putting a thought into spoiling you as he remembered all of your favorites and which one you liked the most.

The other two were full of some of your favorite hobbies, and things you were meaning to get. Needed a new pair of earphones for long hours of patrol? Sho got the new model, making sure to get your favorite color. Oh- did you want a pair of fuzzy socks for the upcoming winter? Shoto got you just that, spending extra money to make them just right for you. The list went on and on, causing you to both feel giddy and annoyed.

"Shoto, you can't just spoil me. You need to be spoiled too, and all of your money is going into this isn't it?" Giving Sho a look to stop him from interrupting, you continued, "but, I really do appreciate this. You're too sweet for this world, Sho."

Shoto just smiled at you, eyes holding a certain spark that made you giddy.

And that alone stopped you from telling him to stop.

Because he truly enjoyed spoiling you, and you won't be that one to dampen that light, you'll be the one to continue to let it grow.

Plus you started spoiling him too- and now it's basically part of your routine

Series' masterlist | Shoto's masterlist | Main masterlist | Navigation

Tips <3

~~

Reblogs help spread and support my work, and therefore help me out a ton, but any support is appreciated <33

Do not copy, repost, nor plagiarize my work. Ask before you translate or use my work in any way, minus reblogging.

[noisycroissant]

As You Wish

Astarion x Female Tav

It had been six months of domesticity. Six months spent setting up a home in the Underdark, teaching wayward, borderline feral vampire spawn to be "human" again. Six months of organising books and scrolls and knick-knacks pilfered along your travels.

The first six months of peace Astarion had known in two centuries.

And then the letter had come and everything changed.

********

He'd sensed something was wrong on their journey back from the get-together. He could feel Tav's brain churning, the cogs and wheels that made her brain so brilliant turning and spinning with anxiety.

The dread in his belly bloomed the longer she said nothing was wrong.

Of course everything was wrong. It was him, wasn't it? Six months she'd been cloistered away and now she'd seen the others and he'd bet his best set of lock-picking tools that that wizard had somehow succeeded in charming his way into her heart.

He hated himself for thinking the last part. Tav wouldn't. Not his beloved Tav. Tav promised to love him and be loved by him forever. He shouldn't think so lowly about her.

But then why in god's name does she seem miles away from him?

*******

Astarion knew that she wasn't reading. Sure the book was open, her fingers held the next page ready, but she'd been staring at the same paragraph for the last ten minutes.

She'd been holed up in her study since they'd returned. It was the first time in the two days since they'd been back that he'd been able to coax her into coming to bed with him.

This had to end. So he decided to do something he'd promised himself he'd never do again.

He gently kissed her shoulder, "Tav?"

Another kiss. And another, moving to her neck. "Taav..." he whispers, grazing the shell of her ear with a sharp fang, "Sweetheart, I've been so lonely..."

"Mmhm, yes dear, give me a moment, I'll be right with you," says Tav as she moves to sit up.

And the dam fucking burst in his chest.

He jumps up and kneels in front of Tav, grabbing her hands, tears filling his deep-set eyes, anger stopping them from spilling over.

"What did I do?! Tell me what I did! Please!! I'm sorry. Whatever it was that I did, I'm so sorry."

Tav's face changes from surprise to confusion to realisation.

"Oh? OH! Oh sweetheart," she says, hugging him, bringing his head to her chest, "You've done nothing wrong. Oh my dearest, I'm so sorry... I've been mulling over something, I never knew I was hurting you! Astarion, my darling, I'm sorry I let you think you did something to hurt me. Won't you forgive me?" Tav presses kisses into his soft hair while hugging him tighter.

The relief that washed over him was indescribable. He hadn't done anything. Of course Tav would tell him if he had. They'd promised each other no more secrets. This is what trust is. He had to trust her to tell him whatever it was that was bothering her; he could take it.

"Tell me what's been bothering you. Please, Tav... I..need to know," he asks, holding her face and looking into her eyes.

*******

"So you miss travelling?"

"Not just that, Astarion. I miss it all! Not knowing where tomorrow will take us, who we're going to meet, where we'd be bunking for the night...And all the new things to learn out there. The books, the scrolls, the secret chambers under some shady tavern!"

"Next you'll tell me you miss eating four apples and stale toast for dinner," Astarion deadpans, moving to hold Tav closer under the quilts.

"I sort of do actually," Tav replies sheepishly.

"What I cannot understand is why? Look what we have, Tav. A home. A spawn family of sorts."

Tav strokes his cheek as she replies, "Before the tadpole...before you...my life was so.. plain. Just reading and taking notes and helping with experiments in that stuffy tower. The occassional trip to Candlekeep. And then everything happened. You happened. I cannot stop thinking how it would be if it were just us going on our own adventure. What would we find? Who would we help? What would we learn?"

"What shiny things would we steal?" Astarion offers helpfully.

"Of course! I mean...we do need to get by. Can't carry all our money around and risk getting mugged," Tav shoots back, a glint in her eye.

"As if anyone could mug us," Astarion scoffs.

"Do you remember our first time? Down by that clearing near the Grove?"

"You mean your first time," Astarion corrects you saucily.

"Oh hush! I remember looking up at you, you hair contrasted with the dark sky, all those stars like a child had flung sugar. And your face. I remember thinking how beautiful the view was. How a mediocre sorcerer ended up seeing something so beautiful was beyond me."

Astarion moves to straddle Tav, his face inches away from hers, "You are anything but mediocre. You're brilliant, amazing, a genius even, dare I say it. You saved us all. You saved...me." He kisses her fiercely as if to prove his point.

******* A month later *******

Astarion watches as Tav moves above him. Sweet moans bubble up her throat as she chases her release, her hands gripping his shoulders harder the closer she gets. He sucks a finger and moves it to her clit, gently circling it, and watches as his beloved comes undone.

Her beautiful face in contrast to the dark sky and sugar-flung stars.

"That is a sight to remember," he murmurs to himself as he holds Tav closely, listening to her heart beat for him.

[shadowqueenjude]

"But Elain … The Spring Court had been made for someone like her." "She plucked another figurine from the mantel: a rose carved from a dark sort of wood. She held it in her palm, its solid weight surprising, and traced a finger over one of the petals. “He made this one for Elain. Since it was winter and she missed the flowers.” Elain had come into the house, her right palm bleeding from several gashes thanks to a stubborn rosebush that had pierced her gloves.

I think it's interesting that Elain is constantly associated with roses/Spring Court. Tamlain shippers use this as justification for their theory rather than Elucien, but I have a different one:

I think 100% Lucien is going to be spending some time at the Day Court to discover his heritage, but the Day Court already has a ruler, we can't move around that (unless Helion is killed off). And Lucien also says this: And I’m willing to bet I’m no longer welcome at h—the Spring Court.” Home, he had almost said. “ He thinks of the Spring Court as his home. And this describes Tamlin: It seemed like a cold, lonely position to have, especially when you didn’t particularly want it. I wasn’t sure why it bothered me so much. Tamlin said this: “I claimed Lucien as my own—named him emissary, since he’d already made many friends across the courts and had always been good at talking to people, while I … can find it difficult. He’s been here ever since.” Because Tamlin hadn't been prepared to become High Lord, he relied a lot on Lucien to whom High Lord shit came easy. And of course, this: “I’d say that sounds more High-Lord-like than the life of an idle, unwanted son.” A long, steely look. “Did you think it was mere hatred that prompted my brothers to do their best to break and kill me?” One thing is almost certain in my mind: Lucien will be becoming a High Lord in his book. But while most people are certain he'll end up in Day, I'm not. The Spring Court is the court that's the most in shambles, the one that would benefit the most from a guy like Lucien. Secondly, this is not a hit on Tamlin fans, but Sarah has explicitly said that she hates Tamlin, so unfortunately for you guys I don't think he will be getting a redemption arc. I'm not sure if SJM will kill off Tamlin or make him abdicate and roam around in beast form forever, but either way I'm almost certain Tamlin is the one who will get replaced. Sarah likes Helion so I don't think she will kill him off. I'm not certain of this though, Sarah hates creating healthy father-son relationships. Also, Lucien is in a unique position because he possesses abilities characteristic both of an Autumn Court ruler and a Day Court ruler; I think this unique mix would mean it makes more sense for him to rule over neither court and rather the Spring Court. And of course, Elain would be his High Lady :))) Would not mind him ending up in Day at all, though. He looks hot in Day Court robes.

[amazingmsme]

Wake Up (Proto)Call

AN: FINALLY, MY FIRST NPMD FIC!!! Been wanting to write this since I saw it, the brainrot is strong with this one. Just some Spankoffski bros fluff ft. Steph. This fic was an absolute blast to write! This trio literally own my heart now, wtf. Here’s day 29!

Ted walked down the hall toward's Peter's closed door, hands shoved deep in his pocket. He barely gave a knock before opening it.

"Hey Pete, got a min- oh. Well hello." Ted stood in the doorway awkwardly, looking like a deer caught in headlights.

Stephanie Lauter looked about the same, sitting on the leaning against the headboard with a book in hand and Peter napping in her lap. A blush quickly spread across her cheeks as a teasing smirk tugged on his lips. She gave a shy wave.

"Um, hi."

Ted walked into the room, milling about as he inspected his brother's shelves of action figures, comics and other nerdy memorabilia. He held a hand out for her to shake.

"I'm Ted, Pete's older brother." She arched a brow, but didn't shake his hand. He held his hands up in surrender. "Too cool for a handshake, hey, I get it." This seemed to snap her out of it.

"No! It's not that, you just- caught me off guard is all."

Ted gave her a skeptical, albeit amused look. "Mmhmm." He turned his back to her and grabbed a stack of comics. "I owe him 20 bucks now, so thanks a lot." Steph scoffed.

"Excuse me?" she asked incredulously, setting her book aside.

"I thought he was full of shit when he said he was meeting the mayor's daughter at Pasquale's, so obviously I made a bet," he explained as he started to sift through the stack. It was Stephanie's turn to smirk.

"And obviously you lost."

Ted snorted, but didn't pay her much attention beyond that. Steph frowned. "You know he's really particular about his stuff, right?" Ted turned around on his heels, bending at the waist to get closer to her height.

"Seeing as I've known him since birth, uh, yeah I do, lil miss," he snarked. Steph glared at him and flipped him off.

"Don't fucking call me that. I'm sure Peter doesn't want you snooping around his room anyway," she sassed back, crossing her arms, careful not to jostle Peter as he slept.

Ted rolled his eyes, somehow putting his whole body into it. "Yeah I was hoping he'd be gone, but asleep is the next best thing," he said, turning back to face her. "If you must know, I'm just trying to keep track of everything he's got. All this junk looks the same to me, and I can't just ask what he doesn't have, 'cause then he'll know what I'm getting him-" he started rambling.

Steph's expression softened into a grin. "His birthday's still a month away."

"Yeah, and I'm running out of time," he mused, setting the comics back where he got them. He even made sure they were ordered correctly, Stephanie noticed. He glanced at her, looking as though he wanted to say something. Stephanie scoffed and looked him up and down. "What?"

"I really wanna do this thing, but if I do Pete's probably gonna be pissed," he said, mischievous eyes glued to his brother's sleeping form. Mischief came off of him in waves Steph hummed as she reached for her book again.

"Then you probably shouldn't do it."

Ted took one step closer to the door, but meandered his way back to the side of the bed.

"Oh but it's a tradition. You see, it was always my job to wake him up for school, dude sleeps like a fuckin' log-" he started. Steph frowned and shook her head, a hand carding through his long hair.

"Don't wake him up, he's tired. I told him he could nap."

"Yeah but he has a guest over, and that shit's just flat out rude in my opinion. Besides, I think you'd really like it," he said the last bit in a singsong tone. She rolled her eyes and returned to her book.

"I'm serious, don't bother him." Then quieter, she added, "He's cute while he sleeps." He made a gagging motion while she was distractedly looking down at Peter, stopping right before she looked back at him.

Ted turned around in "defeat" and headed to the door, muttering, "Even cuter when he's being tickled." Now that got her attention.

"What?"

Her tone was joyous and inquisitive and when Ted looked at her, she had an evil smile spreading across her face. That's more like it.

Ted sauntered back, sitting on the bed next to his brother. "Oh yeah, one thing you need to know about my lil bro is that he's like, crazy ticklish. Seriously, you're welcome, I just gave you the key to getting anything you want from him," he chuckled, only have joking.

Steph was looking at her boyfriend in a new light. "Thank you. That is... very intriguing information."

Ted made a show of cracking his knuckles as he spoke, "This is one of the only ways to actually get him up. Yeah an alarm will wake him up, but he won't actually get outta bed, ya know?" He was hunched over Peter's sleeping frame with hands hovering over his torso. He gave her a sly grin. "I don't get to do this as often as I used to, so I'll take any chance I can get."

Steph giggled and ducked her head, "I don't blame you."

Peter was laying on his side with his head resting on Steph's thighs, his knees tucked close to his chest. Ted started poking up and down his side, slow at first but gaining speed as he went. To Stephanie's delight, sleepy giggles slipped past his lips as he began to stir.

Sporadic poking turned to scribbling and the small huffs of laughter grew more consistent. His hands swatted blindly at offending ones, but lacked the strength or accuracy to protect himself.

"C'mon Pete, time to wake up," he cooed, one hand trailing up to scribble at his neck. A tiny squeal slipped out as Peter scrunched his neck, burying his face in the flannel tied around Steph's waist.

"Tehed leave mehehe alooone," he whined in his half asleep state. It took a second for his foggy brain to connect the dots, but once they did he was wide awake. He shot up so fast it startled both of them, Steph even letting out a startled squeak. "TED WHAT THE FUCK? GET OUTTA MY ROOM!" he yelled and pointed at the door, face quickly turning red.

Ted sat on the edge of the bed, completely frozen with his hands in the air as if he'd been caught by the police. He was fighting off his own laughter, mouth gaping open in shock at the outburst. Shock quickly gave way to amusement.

He wore a sly yet somehow sheepish grin as he looked at Stephanie. "I promise he usually isn't like this," he joked, shooting her a wink.

"GET OUT!" Peter repeated, using his long legs to his advantage, kicking his brother in the back to shove him off the bed. Ted stumbled to his feet, giving his brother a bewildered look. What the hell was his deal? Oh right, they weren't alone.

"Alright aright, I'm leaving," he admitted defeat. He only made it two steps before Stephanie spoke up.

"No you aren't." Peter stared at his girlfriend, a look of utter betrayal in his face. Ted's brows furrowed in confusion as he turned back around.

"I'm not?"

"Yeah, he's not?"

"Ted here was just about to give a detailed demonstration on all your tickle spots," she said, so matter of factly. Both Spankoffski brothers scoffed in shock before she continued, "Weren't you?" She looked at Ted expectantly, cocking her head to the side. There was something almost... challenging in her eyes. As if she dared him not to comply to her demands.

"I wasn't planning on it, but if you insist!" It took little to no convincing for Ted to take the golden opportunity presented here.

"No wait!" Peter protested, about to bolt off the bed when a hand around his wrist pulled him back. His nervous smile grew wider by the second. "Steph, let go."

"No," she said, an evil grin firmly in place. She snatched for his other wrist, and he moved it out of reach just in time. He held his arm out to the side as far as he could while Stephanie stretched across him, trying to grab him. She took the cheaters way out in the end and scribbled in his exposed armpit, causing him to slam his arm against his side for protection, a bark of laughter escaping past his lips. She easily caught his wrist and pulled both of his arms above his head.

"Thanks for being so cooperative babe," she said and Peter rolled his eyes.

"You're not welcome," he snarked.

"I'd be nicer if I were you. She doesn't look like she holds back," Ted chuckled as he sat on his ankles to keep him in place. Peter kicked and tugged on his legs, but they remained firmly trapped.

"C'mon guys, this isn't funny!"

"Really? Then why're you laughing?"

"But I'm not-" Peter was cut off with a shriek when Ted struck, squeezing his younger brother's boney knees. He yanked his arms down, catching Steph off guard with the level of strength he displayed. His hands immediately moved to cover his face and clamp over his mouth.

"Oh yeah, forgot to warn you, he's stronger than he looks," Ted added casually, as if he wasn't making Peter scream with laughter. "But knees: major weak spot." Steph nodded in understanding as she wrestled Peter's arms into her hold once more.

"Ohoho you're one toho tahahahalk!" he managed through his laughter.

"This isn't about me though, is it? Nooo, it's about you," he emphasized his point with a poke to his tummy, making him try to curl in on himself with a squeak. Ted continued, "Anyway, his belly's also pretty bad," he noted, forming a claw with his hand and hovered it in the air. Peter saw what he was doing and shook his head frantically.

"NO! Tehehed Ihihi'll kihihill you!" he threatened through giddy, nervous giggles. His older brother merely shrugged.

"I'd like to see you try," he said, not quite as condescending as usual.

Steph had had enough just watching and shifted his hands under her legs so she could join the fray. She looked at Ted expectantly.

"Where should I start?" she asked, smiling at the indignant cry Peter let out. Ted chuckled in amusement.

"Well he's ticklish just about anywhere, so knock yourself out," he encouraged, ignoring the indignant protest that mingled with Peter's laughter.

"Yeah, but what's a good spot?" she pressed further, seemingly unsatisfied with the vague answer.

"Well if you wanna hear the cutest giggles ever then go for his neck. Oh! And if you scratch at this one spot behind his ears he'll snort really loud, it's hilarious!"

"TEHEHED! Shut thehehe fuck uhup!" he shrieked, his cheeks taking on a dark pink hue from the flustering conversation taking place overhead.

"Wow, is that how you talk to your brother?" Steph asked in a taunting tone. Peter shook his head, babbling protests spilling from his mouth as she skittered her nails over his neck. Ted really wasn't kidding: this was probably the cutest sound she'd ever heard her boyfriend make. She was smiling down at him, her grin stretched from ear to ear as she scribbled her nails just behind his ears.

Peter snorted and tried hiding his face in the crook of his arm, but it still left half of it exposed for Steph's viewing pleasure.

“Oho my God, that’s so cute!” she exclaimed, leaning so far into his personal space they nearly touched noses. Ted fake gagged behind her back, for no one’s benefit but his own. “Do it again,” she ordered, using both hands to scratch at that spot.

A loud squeal was abruptly cut off by a giggly snort, and Peter turned a shade darker.

“Steheheph nohoho!” he whined, kicking his legs futilely where they remained pinned.

“Steph yes!” he cried, ducking down to blow a raspberry on his neck. Peter threw his head back, wild cackles filling the air. Ted leaned back, looking impressed and proud.

“Wow, and I didn’t even have to tell you about that!” he teased, reaching out to tweak Peter’s hips. He yelped, twisting side to side.

When Steph blew the third raspberry, Ted decided to show a little mercy. He grabbed a lock of Stephanie’s long hair, giving a few gentle tugs to get her attention, “Hey, we wanna keep him alive, yeah?” Steph looked over her shoulders, leveling him with a harsh glare as she yanked her hair back.

“You do?” Peter asked breathlessly from where he laid beneath his tormentors. They both chuckled and finally relented.

“Mhm,” Ted hummed cheerfully, standing up from the bed and dusting himself off.

“You got a funny way of showin’ it.”

“Hey, what’re brothers for?” he asked with a shrug. He held his hand out for a fist bump. Peter scoffed, looked at the hand, then at his brother. He sighed in defeat and gave him a fist bump. He turned back towards the door, ready to leave for real this time, when he was stopped once again by a familiar voice.

“I’ll get you back you know!”

Ted stopped in the doorway, one arm resting against the frame as he casually leaned on one foot. Peter was sitting up now, leveling him with a determined stare. It was a look Ted had seen before. He smirked; Peter rarely followed through on his threats.

“Yeah? I’d like to see you try,” he said, classic condescending snark returning to his tone. He turned back around, only taking one step before another voice spoke up.

“He’s a lot braver now, you know.”

Ted spun around on his heels, retort ready on the tip of his tongue when he saw his brother standing by his bed, a confident smirk on his face.

Ted’s own cocky smile faltered into something a bit more nervous. He took a step back, holding his hands out in front of him.

“Hang on now, Pete. W-wait!”

Peter cocked his head, like Ted had done so many times at him. Well shit.

“Why would I do that?”

Ted saw movement from the corner of his eye and noticed Steph also stand.

“Hey, I helped you!”

“Actually, I asked for a comprehensive list of his tickle spots, and IIII don’t knooow… that didn’t seem like a fully comprehensive list to me.”

That little bitch!

Ted scoffed, “Did you just use me to get your way?”

Steph wore a truly radiant smile. “Get used to it.”

Ted took another step back. “I had to leave you some surprises!” he defended himself, shrieking when Peter lunged at him. He just barely escaped when Peter caught him by the shirt, sprinting out of his grasp. His celebration was short lived when he was tackled to the ground.

“Oh Ted, I bet you thought this day would never come. But it’s about damn time you had a taste of your own medicine.”

He could never take what he dished out.

[onceinawhilemoon]

Finished the Mycroft’s Pride DLC and you bet I have some thoughts to share. Long read ahead and Spoilers if you haven't 100%-ed the DLC!

Interesting how you can look at the DLC as Mycroft's way of distracting Sherlock from uncovering the past, like if he can't talk him out of it, he might as well distract him as much as he can and hope for a miracle, similar to how Jon distracts him with all the childhood memories and the treasure hunts and challenges. The psychological implications/interpretations of that last one are vast: Sherry is deep down dreading the truth enough that he wants to stall as much as possible, or maybe he realized he missed Cordona so much and wants to spend as much time as possible here before leaving for good, or maybe it's a coming-of-age thing where he sees it as a chance to revisit and relive his best childhood memories and interests before he grows old and out of them, or all the above.

Either way, I really appreciate FW making Mycroft more prominent in Sherlock’s life and depicting him as a parental figure who clearly takes so much pride in having raised him and, in Mycroft's words, shaped him into the fine and productive young man that he is today. Despite all the miscommunication and the bickering and arguing, the only thing that remains solid and unwavering in their turbulent relationship is that Sherlock is Mycroft's pride and joy. (omg look i said the thing)

I lose it every time Sherlock goes into tsundere mode and makes a show out of how much he does NOT want to accept the request.. before he accepts it. He goes “let me guess.. it's urgent and important and lives are at stake and Mycroft’s too busy with his tea parties and keeping the Crown's jewels to do it himself? Alright, give it here. I'll handle it. I'm far better equipped anyway.” like stop you’re killing me with those lmao especially since I'm sure this is a nod to the canon ACD universe where Mycroft is portrayed as lazy and can't be bothered to make his own bed whereas this Mycroft is too diligent for his own good; running multiple operations at the same time and losing agents left and right and probably losing his mind with stress and not to mention the constant worrying over where Sherlock is and what he's doing and what sort of trouble he's got himself into and whether it's serious enough to require intervention. I mean, the man has long earned the right to ask for some help lmao.

Funny thing is, I finished the Muse From Abroad case and unlocked the cabinet of curiosities just before finishing the DLC, so they just had a tense argument and Mycroft stormed off and then sent Sherlock a letter right away asking him to drop everything and pursue one more thing for him, even said it like "consider it a holiday!" and Sherlock was like sheeeeeesh Mycroft and his errands and then, as usual, he went and did the thing anyway.

Like no matter how tsundere he wants to get about it, this man still can't find it in himself to refuse his brother’s requests (for the most part) and I think that's freaking adorable, like don't tell me he doesn't secretly revel in his older brother's "Well done" and “Great work” just like when Mother used to praise him for figuring shit out and Jon said it’d be the happiest Sherlock’s ever been. This boy is still at an age where he craves and cherishes praise. After all, he made up an entire person to be his cheerleader (among other things) and to constantly tell him how great he’s doing and how much he’s proud of him.

I can also see Sherlock begrudgingly agreeing to take Mycroft's requests as him never wanting to miss on a chance to outperform his older brother, and probably even keeps a record to guilt-trip Mycroft into returning him favours, like "remember that one time you sent me to all sorts of ungodly places just to fetch a book? How about when I almost died busting a gang operation for you? See how much you owe me? now give me all the dirt you can on this dude." (the "almost died" is dramatic exaggeration. It was me who almost died fighting the Eels. Sherry on the other hand is a badass I'm sure it was a piece of cake for him lol) I love this headcanon also because him having a little competitive sibling rivalry thing going on with Mycroft is even more adorable, no matter how one-sided it is because I doubt Mycroft cares as long as Sherlock gets the job done and learns a few more tricks of the trade.

And it makes me sad to think this has all probably changed now that their relationship is in a blender dangerously set to start blending on the highest speed...

Anyway, here's the real reason why I made this post:

... to tell you how loud I screamed

(Ngl I was hoping for like a bonus Mycroft cameo at the end or something but THIS made me giddy like a schoolgirl)

But back to serious talk..

Jon said something in the Missing Shopkeeper case when they found the body along the lines of “the ugly reality of being Mycroft's agent,” and I agree. These requests serve to give Sherlock a glimpse into the nasty reality of Mycroft's day-to-day job; he's getting to learn just how grim and dangerous it actually is—that it's not all cushy and royal tea parties and getting to rub shoulders with the rich and powerful as Sherlock would like to think, if only just to poke fun at his older brother's career choices.

I also love how even Mycroft's agents and acquaintances have depth and intrigue and backstories.

Like Ursula Oni, the well-respected chief archivist in City Hall. She's so good at her "other job" that she managed to hide a whole other- other job as a grave robber for a considerable time, so much so that even Mycroft himself (probably) was unaware of her nightly exploits. (For real though, discovering her body genuinely saddned me. She seemed nice enough, and I kept interacting with her every time I was in City Hall hoping she'd give me a quest. Alas..)

There's also Yeasmin, the Cordona Chronicle editor-in-chief, who's not only a hardcore Holmes stan and just here for the tea, but turns out to be the wife of the murdered agent/shopkeeper. And the way she reacts when Sherlock tells her the truth by leaving Mycroft's service is interesting; like there are layers here: there's distrust and resentment toward her boss for hiding the truth from her, indicating that there's limit to Mycroft's elusive and covert methods that his agents won't tolerate, and there's some light shed on how messy things turn out when interpersonal matters become entangled with the professional.

What boggles me is that Mycroft specifically gave the letter about the husband going missing to Yeasmin of all people to deliver it to Sherlock, with strict orders not to read it, and, with total faith in her boss, she complied without asking any questions.

I'm starting to actually consider if this case was a test to see what Sherlock would do and how he'd handle the situation. Will he tell Yeasmin about her husband's death? or keep it from her knowing that Mycroft will never tell her. I mean it's all possible. I mentioned in an earlier ramble how I believe Mycroft carefully researches and chooses the "errands" he sends his brother on beforehand to ensure his safety. Anything could be a carefully planned test.

Quick two cents on In for a Penny:

I wonder why Mycroft has a particular dislike for the Manghir? I assume since it was gifted to him by the governer, it's having to do with how corrupt Sinclair is.

Maybe the governer offered it to him as some sort of lowkey bribe to keep some dirt on him in the ground aka "invaluable help" and Mycroft begrudgingly accepted it because he knew his little brother would be ecstatic to have it among his collection? (or maybe it's just the fact the manghir has a freaking cthulhu head engraved on it and Mycroft’s prophetic big brother senses were itching…)

But yeah, again, Mycroft making time in his overpacked schedule to put together the coin quest for his little brother is the sweetest thing, like I can totally see that being his love language. He knew exactly what kind of things interested Sherlock and what would keep him entertaind (and educated, Mycroft not wasting a single opportunity to subtly train his little brother in espionage is kind of hilarious) I appreciate the mentor-protégé dynamic that FW set for them in this adaptation.

It's a shame that Sherlock never got to finish the coin quest in time before shit hit the storm and they had to leave Cordona for good, thus he never got to have that meeting with Mycroft and report his findings and share what he'd learned, something that Mycroft was looking forward to with great anticipation as he expressed in his quest letter… it would have been a precious bonding moment for them and it's a real shame that they never got to have it...

Anyway, back to the outfits. Look at Jon???

Look at him!!!

More screenshots because I couldn't help myself:

(don't pay attention to Jon's feet clipping through the carpet lmao)

He looks so embarrassed here and I totally get it. Sherry you're so brave I could never wear my sibling’s clothes in good faith. And you look stunning btw.

I wonder if this game also changes your outfit back to default in serious scenes because I would do ANYTHING to see Sherlock confront Mycroft like this. I'm sure the exchange won't suddenly spike to 90 degrees awkward; your brother catches you screwing around in Cordona dressed as him… can't begin to imagine the level of embarrassment.

Anyway, time to run around town and fuck shit up officially. 🕴🕴🕴🕴🕴

[incubusnero]

Tales from the Little Black Book + 1 / ?

A couple years ago For the most part the entire trip has been rather uneventful. While there were a few people in the Tiber Bay that caught my eye, the moment I spoke to them I knew it wasn't meant to be. There's so many men who see the sea and adventure from below deck but claim to be these wild pirates and everyone can see right through them. I'm not here to slum with someone scrubbing the galley.

I decided to skip the isles and bothered Nari into taking me to Caribella and I truly owe her a favor for doing so. Because I met him. An actual pirate, a local to Caribella with his sunkissed skin and his curls. He laughs like he doesn't have a care in the world and it's so different from anyone I've met around Eterna. I will have to tell Eridani that she has won our bet, she was right, I did actually find a pirate to sigh dreamily at. It's hard not to when he's animatedly talking about his travels, the ways of the sea, this captain of his. Anyways, so we first went down for a walk down by the docks after a few pints, he showed me a spot the locals loved and .... And then the inn hallway... Over a barrel of wine... The hammock situation was new to me though. On the beach, tied between two trees a sheet big enough to sprawl out in. Secluded enough to feel private because again, Robin knew a spot. It's one of the few times I've wondered how many other people he's taken here. Bit hypocritical. Anyways... We laid there together afterwards just talking about nothing, my fingers drawing patterns on his skin, connecting freckles. I was going to miss it. So things do not go as planned. I didn't think they would, I don't think I could spend an entire three months with one person. But he makes me want to and I might be a fool but I am not foolish enough to think I could ever replace a ship and the open water. And so... It just keeps happening, us running into each other, spending time. I don't even care for sailing but we make a day of it, the two of us. It's been maybe a month of this and it feels too easy. There's shades to him that are darker, I know laughter to disguise pain when I see it. Two more weeks were spent together, making it six weeks I spent making moon eyes at a singular man. A new record, probably, I'll have to go back and reread to be certain. He can keep his soul and his smile, I won't indulge further, I can't compete with the sea. I sail back to Eterna tomorrow. I told him maybe he'd see me again some day. I left him a cologne.

Robin Top notes - Rose petals, lemon Middles note - salt, lime Base note - musk, actual sea water Smells like the breeze coming off of the ocean

[amethystviolist]

I've seen many posts about people missing how common asks used to be, I have been trying to send more asks. I really don't want to bother anyone though so I'd love to know if you enjoy receiving asks and if so what kind of asks. Detailed? Vague? Work? Fandom? Movies? Books? Childhood? Gardening? Thoughts? OTPs? OCs? Pets? I'm sure there are way more categories, I'm not limiting you to these listed options. Perhaps if it's an easier question what types of asks do you not like? Do you like being tagged in things?

*Asks are sent for fun, no pressure to answer within a certain amount of time or at all.

Hello! I opened this very excitedly when received, planned to answer later, and then 100% forgot it existed without a notification. Anyway I’m here now

Thanks for asking, that’s very considerate! I’d enjoy most any sorts of asks and tagging me in stuff is fine (if I don’t want to answer, I simply. Will not.) especially if you think it’s something I’ll enjoy.

As far as what to ask me, most fandom stuff is a safe bet that I’ll have some sort of opinion to share. I also enjoy answering questions about my fanfics I’m writing (e.g. what’s your most recent line, or, what’s mega fic’s current word count), and usually the more specific the better (or else I’ll go on for a very long time lol).

Looking forward to your asks in the future should you choose to send them!

[twistedsimmer]

Week 1: Settling In, Part 2

Thankfully, no one was seriously hurt in the van's sudden crash, aside from an unfortunate pine tree. The settlers now found themselves stranded, and went into action to set up camp. While Jake and Amayata scouted the area, Marf took to salvaging supplies. Emi administered first aid, and Solomon consoled a hysterical Brigette, whose feline companion had fled into the forest after the crash being used as a projectile.

"I'm sorry, Mona, I shouldn't have tried to throw the cat at you. Are you injured?"

"I forgive you. And not really, I just have this little scrape on my knee.."

"*sprays with antiseptic*"

"Ow!"

"Stop being a baby, you don't want to lose a leg to infection, do you?"

By nightfall, the group had cobbled together a primitive campsite. It wasn't perfect, but it was a start.

Not long after, Emi found a new target for her ire: she and Marf began to argue, which quickly escalated into a full-on brawl or two.

Jake, trying to be a responsible leader, attempted to mediate between them.

"Okay. Marf, Emi, I get that you two don't like each other."

"What gave it away? The yelling? Him attacking me?"

"Hey! You jumped me, you psycho!"

"But can you both try to not kill each other before we've completed our task? Please?"

"..Fine. Just keep him away from me."

"Agreed. She can keep her crazy, I just want coffee."

The next morning was much more peaceful. Solomon volunteered to make breakfast, while Amayata dug/built a well with moral support from Mona.

"I can't wait to move out and build my own house. I've always wanted a nice little cabin."

"I doubt you have the skills to build one."

"I'll just have to learn how, then. Got any good tips in your book there?"

"Yes. Stop bothering me and let me study."

When Jake and Marf returned from gathering firewood, they also brought back a lost feline, to Brigette's immense relief.

"Mon cher! Let's get you some food, you must be famished."

"Meow!"

Later in the day, Jake brought Amayata to the secluded clearing he'd found earlier.

"It's so pretty! Just curious, why didn't you and Marf just gather some berries and fish while you were out here?"

"Well, um, we forgot the fishing rods this morning. And neither of us knew which plants are poisonous or not, so I wanted to ask you."

"You chose wisely."

Luckily, all the berries turned out to be edible, and the pond rich with fish. Working together, the pair came up with a bountiful harvest that would feed the group for days.

"Oof!"

"You okay? Hang on, I got you."

"There you go. Are you hurt anywhere?"

"Just my pride. It'll heal."

"Heh, you want me to kiss it and make it better?"

"I'd like that, though I'm not sure where exactly my pride is.."

"I suppose I'll have to keep kissing everywhere until I find it then."

"You smooth-talker, you. I bet you say that to all the ladies."

"No, you'd be the first. Did it work?"

"Very much so."

While sparks flew up at the pond, expletives were flying back at camp as Emi and Marf continued their feud.

"Take that!"

"Ow! Leave me alone, dammit!"

"We're back! What'd we miss?"

"Oh, nothing. Mona's just playing with Brigette's pussy."

"Hmm, sounds like a good time. You didn't murder Marf while I was away, did you?"

"Nope, not this time."

"..okay then."

~*~*~*~

So ended an eventful first and second day.

-> Next Chapter..

[tintinology]

With the Spielberg/Jackson sequel becoming less and less likely to ever happen, here's a look at another Tintin movie we could one day have if Moulinsart stops being such a little bitch

English translation under the cut:

The Castafiore Emerald: Patrice Leconte dreams of a "slightly artsy" film in the style of Wes Anderson

In 2020, we learned that the director of Les Bronzés wanted to adapt Tintin to the cinema. More precisely: The Castafiore Emerald. Patrice Leconte swore he had already chosen the interpreters of the singer and Captain Haddock, but very quickly, the question of adaptation rights posed a problem, and the filmmaker finally directed Maigret with Gérard Depardieu.

Just as he releases a book devoted to the Belgian investigator published by Moulinsart Casterman, entitled Tintin de A à Z [Tintin from A to Z] (which takes elements from the famous cover of Emerald as can be seen above), he gives an update on this film, which he still intends to shoot.

"The Castafiore Emerald film project is not completely down the drain, but it's so complicated, what with the rights issues with Paramount and Moulinsart," deplores the filmmaker, relayed by BFMTV [a French national television channel]. "Maybe to calm my impatience, Moulinsart offered me this Tintin primer. They gave me carte blanche."

He then justifies his choice of the only Hergé comic strip taking place entirely at Marlinspike Hall ("I dream of making an adventure film without adventure") and specifies that he already has "the whole film in mind". Quoting the works of Wes Anderson (whose universe sometimes openly refers to the work of Hergé, notably in The Grand Budapest Hotel, where some shots seemed to be taken from his comics), Leconte speaks of a "slightly artsy film": "I will not take the album in my left hand and the camera in my right hand, but I will try to respect everything that the album visually communicates: the fabrics of the Castafiore's outfits, the step that is missing a chunk of marble... I really believe that we can make a film in a ligne claire style [...] We can allow ourselves liberties if they are in the spirit of comics, but otherwise it will be extremely faithful. I want it to be very close in terms of frames, colours, flat tints, absence of shadow."

On the casting side, if he had mentioned actors in 2020 (without quoting them), he no longer talks about them here, simply explaining that he will undoubtedly bet on an unknown actor for the title role: "What will amuse me when I shoot, it's to only have known actors for lines like ‘Hello, is this Mr. Cutts, the butcher?' and that the only unknown actor is Tintin. But I don’t see any known twenty-year-old actors who look like Tintin. I prefer to do a complete casting to find a Tintin." As for Snowy, he assured three years ago: "We will take any pooch, that won’t be a problem."

While he has "the whole film in mind", Patrice Leconte has not yet written his screenplay. He specifies that he wants to team up again with his accomplice Jérôme Tonnerre (Mon meilleur ami, Confidences trop intimes, etc.), but adds in the process: "We are not going to spend three months of our life writing a screenplay if the film never ends up being made. I don't want to get too involved. You can't live too long with fierce hope, because afterwards you can only be disappointed." Finding the process of adapting Tintin "too long", he concludes by saying that he won't do it after his 77th birthday (to respect the saying that Tintin is aimed at readers aged 7 to 77?): "I said that I only had a year and a half left to make the film, because I'm going to be 77, the age limit for enjoying Tintin. It was an irrefutable argument, but it didn't bother them too much."

Finally, evoking all of Hergé's comics in Tintin de A à Z, he proclaims his admiration for the adaptation directed by Steven Spielberg in 2011, The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn: "It's the best adaptation of Tintin. Pure Hergé and pure Spielberg. He understood everything. He managed to translate without betraying. I really enjoyed it."

[empresstheresa-guide]

And here we have it: the final cover. It's a new "improved" version of the previous two. Yikes.

There's a certain aesthetic to the font and color, which I think is OK. It looks a bit distinctive from other book covers, and is miles better than the unprofessional font in the last two. I'm not a huge fan of purple and yellow, but I don't want to knock this. The yellow rectangle is a bit too high, but apart from that, I'd say this aspect is fine.

But Theresa.. I mean look at that face. It looks flat, like she's made of paper. The nose is so odd with its grey lines. It seems he drew it in pencil and then never filled in the line work. Maybe he was worried about "ruining" it. Or maybe he drew a face he didn't like, and then erased/filled with paint and drew it all over again. The impression is very uneven. Remember Theresa is supposed to be super beautiful, and when you write a character like that - not saying you should - the expectations are high. And at least for me, this doesn't do it at all. The first cover showed a happy, proud looking woman who actually had expressive eyes It felt more natural, while these later covers seem so tortured. He probably toiled for hours and hours to make her look "just right", but it just turned worse and worse. Drawing, trying again, coloring, erasing. Over and over. Sitting up late at night in your room, frantically drawing more and more, in a frenzy of having to make it better.

Her hands bother me the most. They're completely different sizes. They look like mannequin hands, and the fingers are oddly bent. Salad Fingers meets Vincent Adultman. She also seems to have very old-fashioned red nails. I guess long nails would make the fingers look even worse, but there's something so dated about her whole look.

And then there's her torso. The breasts are super far apart, but at least they're not unrealistically huge this time. The rest of her body is just completely flat. No hips. I thought she had a sexy butt, which she admires herself in one chapter. Usually that would include big hips, but maybe that's too "fat" for Norman.

The microphone is now red and less disturbing than the neon green one, but it's still very small and looks like Norman drew it with a single line. A black, sturdy microphone would look much better. I bet Norman doesn't watch any modern videos, because most streamers use proper headsets.

Somehow the soldiers turn into dogs, then spiders. The buildings get smaller, except for the one that's randomly slightly bigger. Norman needs to learn about perspective. You'd think there are art guides all over the internet for this kind of thing.

Not the worst version, but it's a hot mess. I give this 3,5/10 HALs.

I'm very curious to see if he will make a new cover some day. He seems to have trouble letting go of the book, probably because he sees it as his life's work, and it's hard to stop working on it. Maybe he feels empty and like something is missing. He should try to write another book. Many people would buy it, just to see how bad it is.

[crossstitchbossbitch-blog]

Storytime: Believing in Santa, or "I bet you were a delight"

Yesterday on a lunch outing with 5 work colleagues, 3 of whom are parents of kids under 10, plus myself and another young-ish woman who are childless but have enough dealings with sprogs... the conversation turns to Christmas and belief in things like Father Christmas/ Santa, the Tooth Fairy and whatnot.

After general sharing of stories including the parents talking about when their kid stopped believing, or had it told to them by an older kid, I shared my story of having a debate in primary school (y5 or y6, so age 9 or 10) about whether Father Christmas was real.

I had read the Hogfather by Terry Pratchett by that age and shared his solution to the conundrum: that many of these beings can be described as an anthropomorphic personification, and the more belief people have in it, the more real it becomes.

I really like this notion: it gives strength to magic, superstition, beliefs and faith alike. This is how religions rise and fall, how supernatural phenomena won't occur around skeptics and how some things are just ingrained into our collective psyche, because somewhere in our subconscious there is a grain of memory or residual belief about it. It waxes and wanes with the power of collective thought and storytelling, and for those that have time for it, it is as real as you make it.

I didn't say any of that following paragraph, just said the first bit about using it in a primary school debate and it being from Terry Pratchett and the Hogfather; to which the other young woman retorted, "Oh, I bet you were a delight".

I don't know whether I'm meant to be offended. At the time I laughed, and the conversation moved on.

But honestly, I worry that it was meant in a mean way and that kind of upsets me. I have always treasured being able to circumvent the breaking of the illusion and the loss of innocence. I love the fact that reading, an activity always pleasing to grownups, had given me that gift of knowledge and terminology for something I wanted to understand.

Sir Pratchett's influence on the nerdy, the neurodivergent and the not-very-cool is profound and far reaching even after his death. Of course, he was a bestselling author and millions of people have read his works, so I assume neurotypical people have also read his books!

I don't know if I should be sad that this person who called me sarcastically, "a delight", just never got the memo about the wholesome quirky cool that is Pratchett's worldview.

Maybe I am taking offence where none was intended - I guess having a 9 year old use big words could be annoying to adults, but I think it's a good thing. I really wish I could read half as voraciously as I did when I was a child. I miss getting lost in fantasy worlds of literature and by gosh I miss Terry Pratchett. It's it just nostalgia? Maybe. But also if I lose this shit, I probably lose even more of my identity and continue down the slope of depression and anxiety that began around that age. I keep getting told I look so young (I'm 31) and I know that ADHDers do grow up slower than their neurotypical peers. It takes longer for our brains to develop. The ADHD / Autistic brain doesn't "prune" neural pathways and the overlap can contribute to positive and negative elements of cognitive differences. E.g. improved pattern recognition vs sensory overload. I would cite the studies I have looked at, but I can't be bothered digging through my browsing history.

This is one of those times where I overthink the interaction and realise I'm possibly at fault for being "too much", or reflect on a childhood memory and have it reframed as another example of me being neurodivergent and not fitting in. But at that point in time, age 9 or 10, the other kids on my debate team seemed fine with me sharing my point and explaining it, as a means to an end in completing the class debate. I thought I was welcomed.

It's only with this comment, I find myself wondering how much of my past conduct was actually too much or too weird or too different for other people.

Ironically, this lunch came after we had an hour long presentation from the EDI (Equality, Diversity and Inclusion) team at work... where they specifically outlined how feeling "othered" can negatively affect behaviour.

Cool. Cool Cool Cool.

[megamindsecretlair]

20 Questions for Fic Writers

I was tagged by the lovely @umber-cinders, TY

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

None. I just made an A03 a few weeks ago and it will take a long time for my brain to figure out how to put my stuff on there LOL. On Tumblr, jeez, let me see. I have 35? So far. I counted my two series as 2.

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

Oh lordt, let me see. On Tumblr, I have...roughly 168,964 words across all my fics. YIKES. And I can't even write in my books LOL

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Marvel, They Cloned Tyrone, Snowfall, and Scream.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Sprung - Tyrone

Stay With Me - Tyrone

Sunday - Tyrone

Run it Back - Tyrone

Pray For Me - Franklin

Gonna link my masterlist because why not: Megamind's Secret Files

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Yes! I love getting comments. I want people to know I appreciate them taking the time to read and comment. I love discussing my writing.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Probably Through the Fire. It was such a sad ending! It had to be done! Someone said "What kind of sane person would write an ending so sad???" Literally made my day as a writer.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Most of them got happy endings LOL. But the one that ended the sweetest, hm, probably...Sunday?

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Nope. I be in my own little corner of the innanet and all my comments and reblogs have been positive! It might change with my Kang fic and I'm okay with that. Block button is my bestie.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

YES! A thousand times yes. So far, they've all been one shot smut fics that resolves itself. I have some pt 2's coming, but I'm so behind on Tyrone asks. I'm sorry!!!! I will get to them, promise.

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

Never did a crossover. My fandoms are all over the place and the only one to use for crossovers is Marvel and I'm not that confident yet. I don't hate on folks who do, but not the type of fics I be reading.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of and I hope it never does. That's so heartless and unnecessary. Everyone can write. You don't need to steal.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Nope. That would be a huge compliment though!

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Nah. But I'm constantly flinging my fic ideas at friends and they share with me. I love it.

14. What’s your all-time favorite ship?

I'm so not a person that ships, it's terrible. Canon relationships bore me to tears or I know that the writers are gonna do some fuck shit to break them up, so why bother? However, I'm obsessed with Attoye and Janine and Gregory from Abbott Elementary.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

Believe it or not, I write fics in the moment and release them in the wild before I have a chance to go back and change everything. I only plot my series. And I plan to finish both series! I've been trying to think of what other series I can do.

16. What are your writing strengths?

I think I write dialogue pretty well. I'm able to write things in character and pay attention to their characteristics.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Do we have all day? LOL. Nah, I think scene descriptions are still my biggest weakness. I always put them in a white room and it's hard picturing it well enough to write it down. I'm trying to work on it!

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

I haven't done it. Only because Google translate only takes you so far and it doesn't take nuance into account. And I appreciate when there's translations after the fic. It's hard to copy on mobile and put it into Translate to figure out what was said.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

I just started fic writing this year. LOL. I used to say I missed a crucial part of writing culture as a teen. But it was a Marvel Loki fic.

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

I can't choose between my babies! But it would probably be my Loki series. One of the chapters I finished, I was like??? Okay, you fuckin' ate that. I felt so proud of myself as a writer, that self-satisfaction is what I'm writing for.

No pressure tags: @soft-persephone @ramblers-lets-get-ramblin @mybonafidefeelings @notapradagurl7 @sweet-potatah-pie @saturn-rings-writes @c-nstantine

[liviavanrouge]

As It Was

Satan: *Sits with the four year old twins in his lap* Is there anything you both want?

Davina: More time with Dad!

Davino: Books..

Satan: *Chuckles, looking amused* Very well

Davina: Yay!

Satan: *Stands up, carrying the twins* Let's go for a walk...

Davino: Alright...

---

Satan: *Holds the six year old twins hands, walking with them through their garden*

Davina: Dad, I want a puppy!

Davino: We want a puppy

Satan: That can be arranged, I'll send a group to find demon dog puppies for you

Davina: Yay!

Davino: *Perks up, Satan picking him and Davina up*

Satan: Let's go eat lunch...

Davina: Yes! I'm hungry!

Davino: Me too...

---

Satan: *Runs to the front doors, and throws them open*

Davina: Dad?!

Satan: *Hugs the ten year old twins tight, sighing* Where did you two go??!

Davino: You kicked us out, so we stayed with Mister Mammon...

Satan: I owe him one then..

Davina: Papa, Davino's arm is hurt

Satan: *Flinches at the sight of the boys bloodied arm* Get him inside!

Davina: *Pushes Davino inside, looking worried*

Davino: *Narrows his eyes looking worried*

---

Satan: *Glares at Michael, gripping an axe* Ugly bastard...

Michael: I see you've looked in the mirror

Lesley: *Flinches then screams, her eyes glowing*

Michael: LESLEY!

Davina: *Rushes forward, her eyes glowing* LESLEY!!

Davino: *Stomps the ground, shadows shielding his twin*

Satan: *Stares, watching the thirteen year old twins surprised*

Davina: *Throws her arms around Lesley, using her ability to weaken the girls aura*

Davino: *Hurries forward, looking alarmed*

Lesley: *Coughs, Davina sitting her up* S-Sorry..

Davino: You're okay, that's what matters

Davina: And he's your father *Smiles, pointing to Michael*

Lesley: *Stares at Michael stunned*

Michael: We...have catching up to do..

---

Davina: *Narrows her eyes at the demons, looking annoyed*

Sitri: *Stops Astaroth from interfering, smiling slightly* Let them handle this..

Davina: SILENCE!!!

Davino: *Glares as the demons fell silent*

Davina: *Glares at them all* King Satan is in a small coma! He needs time to recover and rest! HE DOESN'T NEED IDIOT DEMONS BOTHERING HIM!

Askios: *Smiles in amusement, now seeing why Davino didn't want to be king*

Davino: I have gathered information on the guilty party, I need volunteers to drag them here

Davina: And in the meantime I shall take over my Dad's job! If anyone has complaints, concerns or requests come to me!

Sitri: They got this, leave them be..these are the children of King Satan and Queen Eve after all..

---

Satan: *Smiles, watching the fifteen year old twins*

Lesley: Congratulations you two!

Michael: You two worked hard for this...

Davina: Thank you and thanks for attending! I'm happy to see you all!

Davino: As am I..

Askios: Who wouldn't attend, word about you two has reached all kingdoms, even the angels are nervous about you both!

Davina: Good! They better keep their distance or else we'll be after them!

Davino: *Laughs, looking amused* Well I will at least! Future General here!

Davina: Whatever!

Satan: *Chuckles, Sitri standing beside him* They've gotten big and strong..

Sitri: Queen Eve would have the proudest smile right now..

Satan: Yeah, that idiot most certainly would..

Sitri: Satan..

Satan: I'm fine, it feels like time as flew by so fast, I remember when they were little brats..one always wanting my attention and the other being a little bookworm

Sitri: *Smiles, looking at the twins* Some of us miss how this were before, seeing them run about..

Satan: *Snorts, chuckling* I bet you guys do..

[jubilantwriter]

Well heelllloooo my beloved~

Let's go wiiiithhhh 4, 8, 16, 26, 55, and 68!

Helloooooo my darling~

4. Where do you find inspiration for new ideas?

Usually through music, but nowadays I've been drawing inspiration from hefty quotes on tumblr and comics where there's a certain Flavor to it that I really like and wanna try with my own takes.

8. Do you prefer the beginning, middle, or end of a story?

The middle! That's where the meat of the fic is, and where my general creativity really goes loose and uncontrolled lol. You can bet that my excess writing collects in the middle and just continues to unravel from there. Beginnings tend to be rough, but once I get a start, I manage to keep on chugging.

Endings are where I really struggle. Don't- [grabs your face to look away at my incomplete but published fics] -don't look over there.

16. How many fic ideas are you nurturing right now? Share one of them?

Oooohh so many. Granted, all of them tend to be centered around my and my friends' OCs, but the one I'm nursing right now is:

Clay (from Pokemon Black and White) has to deal with the grief and guilt of his younger cousin going missing (my OC, Rod, of whom you know), and processes it as healthily as he possibly can. Which is to say, he processes it poorly. There's blame tossed around and angry jealousy/envy towards another figure who's lost a family member.

Takes place just before Legends Arceus truly kicks off, but is set in that universe. I've actually been working on this fic for AGES, and it's only recently returned to bother me in the corners of my brain.

26. Which of your fics would you call your wildest ride?

GOD. I would have to say... "The Space Between". It was my first true horror fic where I pushed myself to really experiment with my writing. Building the atmosphere, figuring out how to word things just right to drive home the pure terror David was in was a struggle, but a well fought one! I remember putting myself in David's headspace and freaking myself out with horror stuff to get me to really feel and experience what David felt to properly translate the terror into words. I even thought about reading a Stephen King book or two to understand how to write horror! Needless to say, I didn't end up doing that LOL

After all that build up tho came the downhill climb from all that horror tension, which honestly is what got me put into a standstill. Like, how do you write a satisfying conclusion to all that build up? That's still something I need to work on for that fic, and one that's been nagging at me for ages. Hopefully, I'll figure something out. I know how it ends, after all.

55. Of the characters you write for, which is your favorite? Has that choice been swayed at all by your followers/readers’ reactions to certain ones?

...........r Od, my pokémon OC. loL. Writing my own OC has been a pleasure and a joy, just because I can put him into so many situations and throw him into so many AUs with my friends. But also, the biggest appeal of Rod is that he's my own character. I know who he is and why he behaves the way he does better than anyone else - his motives, his drives, his weaknesses. Not only that, but he's a character who can change and grow into something else! He used to be a cis man before my friends and I talked more and more about him until we realized... no, actually, he's a transman. He leaves so much room for experimenting, for discovery and building that it's so much fun to work with him! It's less constraining to work with him than with established characters, and it's also SUCH a breath of fresh air!

My friends DEFINITELY had some part in my choice to write about him. They all just... loved him so much??? Right from conception when he was nothing more than a sock puppet with googly eyes and a fishing pun for a name. They loved him so much that they all breathed the life into him, until I actually had something to work with.

And then they kept playing with him!! Lord did they play with him. So I played dolls with their OCs as well, and this interconnected world with OCs just kinda grew and expanded and became so much fun to explore that I just couldn't not enjoy writing fics about him and their OCs falling in love or being a family or struggling together. A lot of the fics I write of Rod tend to be shared only amongst my friends, but maybe... some day... I'll post something here.

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

Listen to songs in hopes of getting my writing spunk on. That, or daydreaming! Daydreaming scenarios really helps.

The other thing I do is write my fic on minecraft which is a sane and nor Mal thing to do,