#I hope you can read it til the end haha

[danieyells]

I don't know if you've done it yet but I would like to request Ren lines? I'm having tokyo debunker Ren brainrot bro 😭.

@otomelover23

You're all very welcome! I love you guys too, so far! Sorry you've been deprived of lazy boi lolol HOPEFULLY THESE SATISFY YOU A LITTLE BIT.

He's a little tsundere I think. He's one of those characters who just wants to be normal but he can't just pretend to be normal because he lives surrounded by chaos so he just complains a lot lolol. . .but i think he's a good guy. Aside from that he does not help his mother captain at all.

Hello: (the first time the game is opened after that character is set as home screen NPC. Only happens once per day, unless the character is switched out and back.)

"Great, shift change. I'm gonna head out then... What? Do I really need to be here for that?"

You've Got Mail: (whenever there's something in the inbox, usually Arena rewards)

"I think you've got a notification... Aren't you going to look at it?"

Default: (requires no affinity, has no time constraints)

"Who did I disappoint in a past life to end up in Jabberwock... There's no general students or even a single other sane person, and these jumpsuits are a crime..."

"Why do I have to look after all these weird-ass animals? This is forced labor...  Ugh, they're so gross..."

"If you're just gonna stand there, could you go feed the animals in the aquatic zone?  I'm too busy."

"Ugh, why is that clown calling me... ... Whatever, I'll just let it ring out."

you know damn well that if you don't answer the phone you're gonna have to deal with Haru in person. Better to just answer it.

"Oh, hey... Could you open the link I sent you? No, you don't have to sign up or anything. Thanks."

Affinity 1: (between 5am and 11am)

"Ugh... Tell me how I'm supposed to sit through classes when I've been up since 4 AM? (yawn) I'm exhausted..."

well if you didn't stay up until 4am--oh who am i kidding i stayed up til like 3 watching a stream and reading datamine stuff and then I got up at like 6:30 to get ready for work I'm no better kekw.

Affinity 2: (between 11am and 4pm)

"Ugh... I can't believe I'm hiding right now... Why the hell does that clown have to chase me around at lunch time too?"

Affinity 3: (between 4pm and 8pm)

"Preach about doing it for the sake of your friends or the animals or whatever all you want— I really don't give a shit. People who say that stuff are just deluding themselves."

i've known people with this kind of cynicism before. once he finds people care about him and a little more stability he'll come around a little more.

Affinity 4: (between 8pm and 5am)

"Huh? I can't see that clown anywhere... Hell yes. Gonna get through my watch list. I hope he never comes back."

Affinity 5: (between 8pm and 5am)

"I'm grinding this game on my phone, so could you not talk to me for a while? Crap, I think my RSI is flaring up..."

in Japanese he specifies tendonitis haha

Affinity 6: (between 4pm and 8pm)

"Don't people get embarrassed calling out those words when they use their stigmas? It makes them look like LARPers..."

in japanese he says they sound like they have chuunibyou which is much funnier imo lmao. also i guess that means he can say his in his head? since he'd feel embarrassed doing it aloud, maybe he's practiced already lol

Affinity 7: (between 11am and 4pm)

"You think I sigh a lot? Got a problem with that? You realize trying to take away people's freedom of speech is power harrassment, right?"

you're starting to sound like ritsu. gonna hurt yourself reaching like that.

Affinity 8: (between 4pm and 8pm)

"I'm so done... I'm out of HP... Shouldn't I be exempt from missions and classes since I'm looking after all those animals?"

well based on one of Haku's chats, you can just do missions if you don't go to class, and based on Kaito you can just go to class instead of doing missions. . .but I'm sure Haru forces him on missions anyway lol. . . .

Affinity 9: (between 8pm and 5am)

"Pfft... The video of that clown getting attacked by that hawk thing is getting so many interacts. This editing thing's actually pretty fun."

does editing count as a creative effort? i wouldn't be surprised if he switched to Hotarubi next year if so, assuming he doesn't get used to Jabberwock and the animals. Also why didn't he get stopped by Sophy for uploading a video with an anomaly? Unless he uploaded it to an Institute social media site like WickHive or something. . . .

Affinity 10: (between 10pm and midnight)

"Gotta change the locks so that clown can't get in again. I've bought enough padlocks to start my own business by now..."

life haru finds a way. sometimes that way is "towa, break down the door" if he runs out of lockpicking equipment.

Affinity 11: (between 5am and 11am)

"My head's killing me... This is the worst... Rise and shine! my ass... It's basically still the middle of the night. Guess I should padlock my windows..."

5-6am I can understand being 'basically the middle of the night' but after that you're pushing it lmao

Affinity 12: (between 11am and 4pm)

"The cafeteria's way over capacity... The assholes who save seats before its even noon are ruining it for everyone else..."

Affinity 13: (between 4pm and 8pm)

"Why's my pay so low... huh? What's this deduction for? "Consultation Fee: Ritsu Shinjo..." He's seriously charging me for complaining...?"

Ritsu charges for looking at him too long. i'd try venting on wickhive over complaining to Ritsu.

Affinity 14: (between 5am and 11am)

"That rabbit sure has it good. All it has to do is breathe and everyone fawns over it. Doesn't even have to feed itself. Just wait till it grows up and learns what the world's really like."

WELL BASED ON THAT THE ADULT PEEKABOO WAS STILL BEING FAWNED OVER AND HARU HAD TO STOP PEOPLE FROM PETTING IT BECAUSE IT BITES. . .IT'LL PROBABLY STILL HAVE IT GOOD. Haru takes good care of the animals.

Affinity 15: (between 5am and 11am)

"Sup... Huh? I'm alone today. I just got up on my own since if I don't that clown'll wake me up anyway."

yeah? it's because of haru? not because of your affinity with the pc being more than half so you wanna be up earlier to spend more time with them? sure.

Affinity 16: (between 11am and 4pm)

"Oof, nearly missed the noon raid...  Not like I'll have any time to myself once I get back to the dorm, so I guess I should do it now..."

Affinity 17: (between 10pm and midnight)

"No, I'm not going to sleep yet. I'm gonna watch a horror B-movie. You don't have to think, so they're the perfect thing to watch before bed."

i used to watch/listen to mts3k to go to sleep so. i feel this.

Affinity 18: (between 8pm and 5am)

"Well done me for surviving another day... Oh, same to you too, {PC}. I don't how you can do this stuff voluntarily."

SOME PEOPLE JUST LIKE ANIMALS DAWG.

Affinity 19: (between 10pm and midnight)

"Huh? I'm going to the campus store to buy some stuff, where are you going? Well, I'm going that way, so...bye."

not sure if shy or asocial lmao. could be both!

Affinity 20: (between 5am and 11am)

"You're being forced to help out again? Wow, a doormat out in the wild. So? Where do you want me to carry all this food?"

he's helping you even though he doesn't wanna work. HE'S GOT IT BAD.

Affinity 21: (between 11am and 4pm)

"This? It's a video I uploaded. People seem really into it. It's of that clown getting chased by a dog and flailing around like one of those inflatable air dancers."

Affinity 22: (between 4pm and 8pm)

"What am I doing today? Working at the diner. Oh, if you want to keep me company, feel free to come by. As long as you serve yourself."

it's not a date or anything since he's at work but like. . .he is inviting you to hang out. . . .

Affinity 23: (between 8pm and 5am)

"Huh? You were waiting for me to get off work? Oh... Thanks. Wait, that clown put you up to this?! I'm gonna kill him..."

NO NO WE CAME HERE WILLINGLY probably. although it does seem like Haru to be like "oh hey Ren really really likes you, you should go pick him up from work! he'd love that!!" like a real nosy mom who's trying to get his son together with his crush.

Affinity 24: (between 10pm and midnight)

"When did it get this late? That was horrifyingly fast... I'll walk part of the way back with you. I was gonna go buy something to drink anyway..."

excuses, excuses. . . .

Affinity 25(max): (no time constraints)

"Every day here is a fresh hell, sure, but... You're suffering through it with me, so I guess I'll stick it out a little longer..."

'this sucks but you make it suck a little(a lot) less so i can keep going'. yep, that's our tsundere alright!

Spring: (March-May) (between 5am and 11am)

"That clown's even more slap-happy than usual lately—it's horrible. Has he got spring fever or something?"

(between 11am and 4pm)

"Otonashi keeps trying to make me drink some kind of rice porridge with weird flowers in it... It's actual porridge harassment."

considering the flower Towa associates with Ren is poisonous, i think it's safe to assume he is literally trying to poison him to death lmao. also wtf is porridge harassment--i even tried looking it up in japanese and the first thing that came up was someone screenshotting it and saying "what is porridge harassment" lolol

(between 4pm and 8pm)

"All this farm labor's bad enough without all the caterpillars and weird plants that are out there now...This is harassment."

what's harassing you, nature? as someone who just had to kill a huge mosquito that came into my room, nature is harassing me too.

(between 8pm and 5am)

"I hate cherry blossoms. They're like the flower version of being a legacy kid— all they have to do is bloom once a year and everyone claps."

in japanese what he says is something like 'i hate them just like people born with silver spoons in their mouths'. basically he hates people born into privilege lol i bet he'd have the potential to get along well with haku until he learns he'll be inheriting a shrine. . .then again he's getting along with Ritsu in their own little way

Summer: (June-August) (between 5am and 11am)

"This is the worst... It's not even noon yet, how is it so hot? Summer is for extroverts and party animals, I wish it could just be over already..."

(between 11am and 4pm)

"A group trip to the beach? I'd rather die. No decent person would ever go there of their own free will."

butbutbut. think of the summer skins!!!

(between 4pm and 8pm)

"Summer was our busy period back home, so I always had to kill myself helping out. Now I'm here though... nothing's changed."

. . .did Ren's family run some sort of seaside shop??? And he happened to end up afraid of the ocean and hating aquatic creatures and such?

(between 8pm and 5am)

"How can the A/C be banned in the dorm...? Who gives a shit what temperature some anomalous animal that sneaks in prefers, humans should come first..."

okay i agree with him here though what the fuck kind of rule is that. can we talk to hyde about that, that's insane haru.

Autumn: (September-November) (between 5am and 11am)

"Now it's getting colder, I nearly found myself feeling grateful for this tragic jumpsuit... Am I being brainwashed...?"

(between 11am and 4pm)

"Fall, the season of the harvest—I'll stick with cup noodles, thanks. "Fall, the season to enjoy the outdoors"—screw that. I'm gonna make it the season of naps."

(between 4pm and 8pm)

"Look—I got bitten by some weird bug anomaly. To hell with the stupid bug spray ban, I'm buying some."

(between 8pm and 5am)

"I feel like the mountains are rowdier when there's a full moon. Pretty sure my enemy encounter rate goes up when I'm on patrol too... Maybe I'm just imagining it."

is 'enemy encounter rate' here referring to people or anomalies. . .because if it's people then that's just because of tsukimi. . .although I wouldn't be surprised if there were a lot of anomalies or anomalies were more active on full moons.

Winter: (December-February) (between 5am and 11am)

"There's less patrols in winter but anything involving water like washing up gets even worse... Ugh, I wish I could hibernate too..."

(between 11am and 4pm)

"Since the climate in Jabberwock's so messed up, sometimes it's actually warm in winter. The blizzards are way stronger though..."

have you tried pissing towa off less?

(between 4pm and 8pm)

"Oh god, I just saw what's in the diner's new Mystery Hot Pot... It's gotta be a matter of time before this place goes bust..."

i mean if they had ordinary health inspectors maybe lolol

(between 8pm and 5am)

"That clown broke my window so my room's like a freezer... Oh, don't worry. I just took his room instead."

lmao imagine Ren invites you to hang out and takes you to Haru's room instead of his like nah he broke my window so i'm using his room and he can freeze.

His birthday: (July 25th)

"You got this for me? That clown's been spreading my personal info around... No, it's fine, I'll still take it. Thanks."

i guess he doesn't really tell people his birthday, huh.

Your birthday:

"Happy birthday, {PC}. ...Isn't it kind of rude to look so surprised I'd celebrate your birthday? That came from the heart, you know."

I MEAN YOU NORMALLY DON'T CARE ABOUT ANYTHING. . .it's happy surprise!!!

New Years: (January 1st)

"Happy New Year. My resolution? Escaping the hell hole that is Jabberwock, for starters."

well you got here in like September or something so. you've got a while befor eyou can switch houses lmao but you can do it this year!

Valentine's Day: (February 14th)

"You got me chocolates? You're the type who does all this kind of stuff, huh? No, it's fine, you went to the trouble and everything so I'll take them."

i love when characters kinda mock you for doing getting them something but then they're like "nonono i want it gimme--" lolol from Ren especially it's very tsundere. poor guy wouldn't be straightforward about his feelings unless a damn life was on the line.

White Day: (March 14th)

"{PC}... Here, if you want them. I just bought the first thing I saw, so don't read into it..."

i bet it's actually really nice lolol

April Fool's Day: (April 1st)

"Guess what? I got special permission to switch houses. That nightmare is now behind me! I wish..."

Halloween: (October 31st)

"I hope everyone who gets excited about Halloween lives in misery for the rest of their lives. Why the hell do I have to help out with this stupid themed tour?"

Christmas: (December 25th)

"Can I ask you a question, {PC}? You don't still believe in Santa Claus, do you? Never mind, it doesn't matter. Have a good Christmas."

i mean. . .after coming here santa is a plausible entity to believe in. . .if there's gonna be a santa i don't wanna be caught not believing and missing out on gifts. . . .

Idle: (about 20 seconds without interacting with the game) (below 13 affinity)

"Where'd she go...? Whatever. Guess I'll catch up on some of my games."

(13 affinity and above)

"Pfft... This edit's awesome. I'm a genius. I'll show {PC} when she gets back."

true bonding is sharing the funny memes you worked hard on. . . .

Absent: (logging in for the first time in 2 or more days?)

"It's not like I was waiting for you or anything. It's just this hell hole is even more unbearable when you're not around..."

YEP THAT'S OUR UNFORTUNATE CUSTOMER SERVICE EMPLOYEE TSUNDERE ALRIGHT. His lines don't really get super affectionate but. They still have a charm to them when you realize how much he hides his feelings in the usual tsundere way. He likes you a lot but like. . .it's a bother and it's embarrassing. . .and what're the chances you're into him? He'll just invite you over to watch movies and play games with him and stuff. . .and tell himself it's fine to just be friends until it eats away at him. . .or until Haru spills the beans for him--

this took way too long because i got distracted like three times in the middle and my laptop started freaking out and i had to figure out why and close and reopen everything about 8 times hahaha. . . . OKAY TIME FOR ME TO GO TO BED! I hope this satisfies you a little bit!!

[bruisedboys]

yes hi! i kind of have an emergency request if you’d be willing to follow through with it :) i got into an argument and got yelled at a lot about how what i do isn’t good enough, and i started crying haha

so if there’s any way you could do like? sirius walking in on reader kind of maybe sobbing their (she/her if possible but no pressure!!) eyes out about that and maybe some comfort?

thank you for reading this, i appreciate it🙏 and again no pressure!!

hello sweet angel! I’m really very sorry to hear that my lovely :( nobody deserves to be told that, I’m sorry honey and I want you to know I think you’re more than good enough! I tried to make this not too specific so I hope it’s okay! 🤍🤍🤍

sirius black x fem!reader cw for a mean coworker

Sirius walks in the front door and Remus and James swoop on him instantly, both talking loudly and at the same time.

“Sirius—“

“It’s your girlfriend, mate, she’s—“

“In your bedroom, she’s really upset—“

“We didn’t know what to do—“

Sirius drops his bag on the floor and puts his hands up to get them to quit talking. “Woah, what? Y/N’s here?”

Remus backs off, James doesn’t. He’s got a lot of worry in his big brown eyes. Sirius feels a rush of gratitude for his lovely friend that he won’t ever admit to.

“Yeah, man,” James nods exuberantly. “She’s super sad. We tried to help but she only wants you. She’s in your bedroom.”

Sirius’ heart gives a painful twang. He thanks his friends hastily and shucks off his shoes, jogging down the hall to his bedroom. The door’s closed, but he thinks he can hear you crying.

He opens the door and finds you perched on the end of his bed, your knees pulled to your chest. You’re full on sobbing, face buried in your knees, hands pressed to your eyes harshly. You’re making this awful, awful hicupping sound that makes Sirius feel a bit sick.

“Darling,” he says. He shuts the door behind him then surges towards you. He stays close but doesn’t touch you in case you don’t want it. “Baby. It’s me, I’m here.”

You look up. Your eyes are red and wet and it’s maybe the saddest thing Sirius has ever seen. He tries not to cry himself.

“Siri,” you choke out wetly. You unfold yourself and hold your arms out to him, hands grabbing at his hips. You pull at him and he goes happily, stepping in between your legs, arms curling around your shaking form.

You press your face into his abdomen and cling to him, hands bunched in the back of his shirt. You and him stay like that for a long, heavy moment. It’s only when you’ve stopped shaking that Sirius feels he can breathe. He presses you to his chest protectively.

“Baby,” he says. “Are you hurt? What’s going on, hm?”

He’d wait to ask you til you’ve properly calmed down, but something about the way you’re crying makes him feel like the problem begs to be addressed. He knows it’s not the best approach, but maybe you’ll be more willing to talk about it now, anyway, when the upset is so fresh.

“M’sorry,” you say thickly, into the front of his shirt. Don’t be sorry, silly, Sirius wants to say. “I just— I got into an argument at work.”

Sirius heart feels heavy as lead. He feels torn in two. Half of him doesn’t want to examine any further, doesn’t want to hear what horrible things must’ve been said to you to make you cry this way. The other half of him needs to know so he can find whoever did it and give them a good hard punch.

“Aw, honey.” He pulls back ever so slightly. You don’t let him get very far, hands tight where they grip his waist as if you’re worried he’ll leave. He stays very close but takes your face in his hands. He swipes at your hot tears with the backs of his hands. More come, and he wipes those too. “I’m really sorry. What happened?”

Your lip wobbles. It breaks Sirius’ heart clean in two. “It was over something so silly,” you whisper shakily. “But he got so mad, and started saying such awful things. I started crying and even when it was over I couldn’t stop.”

You squeeze your eyes shut and fresh tears spill from the corners and onto Sirius’ fingers. He wants to take all the sadness from you, all the hurt, cause he’d rather he feel it a hundred times over than you have to feel it once. You blink up at him, eyelashes wet and clinging to one another.

Sirius strokes your cheek. He doesn’t know what to say. He’s sorry? He’ll murder the guy if you want him to? He watches as you exhale a long breath through your mouth, eyelids fluttering as you lean into his hand. He knows you feel safe with him, you’ve told him so, but this particular action in itself confirms it for him.

“Honey,” he says, dripping with emotion that he’d never dare show with anyone but you. “I’m really sorry.” He drags a hand down your cheek, stops at your jaw and holds you there. “I’m really really sorry that happened to you.”

You shake your head, sniffling. “It’s okay, Siri. It’s not— maybe I’m being dramatic.”

“You’re not,” Sirius says firmly. “You’re definitely not. What did he say to you, sweet thing?”

“I—“ You stop, and Sirius knows you probably don’t want to tell him because you’re the kind of person who won’t burden someone else for your gain. It’s part of the reason he’s so angry for you. “He just said some mean things.”

Sirius shouldn’t, but he presses. “Like what?”

You’re already warm but you go warmer under Sirius’ hold. “He— well, he told me what I was doing wasn’t good enough. That I wasn’t trying hard enough,” you admit, shame faced. “It was awful, but I don’t know, he was really mad, so you know. He was kind of just saying anything.”

A sort of white hot anger builds in Sirius’ chest, thick and burning, lava hot. It climbs to his throat and strains his voice. “That doesn’t matter.” He sounds angrier than he wants to. But it’s you, and he’s gonna be fiercely protective over you for the rest of his life, he thinks. “He shouldn’t have said that to you.”

You blink at your lap. “Yeah.”

Sirius sighs. He can tell you don’t really want to talk about it. He wouldn’t, either. He takes a big breath, let’s the anger melt away, at least for now. He takes your hands in his and feels your soft skin, the steady pulse at your wrist. The bubbling anger in his chest ebbs.

“It’s not true,” he tells you softly. “It’s not. Of course what you do is good enough.”

You look up at him, an expression on your face that reminds Sirius of a puppy. You’re not crying anymore, thankfully, though he’d let you if you had to.

“I know,” you say quietly.

“Good.” Sirius bends at the waist to wrap you in a strong hug, pleased when you hug back just as hard. “That’s good. You’re incredible, you know? And I love you so much, baby.”

You heave a shuddering breath and Sirius shivers as your fingers dance up his spine and down again. “I know you do, Siri. I love you, too.”

Sirius pulls back and chucks you under than chin. “You’ll tell me who it was, won’t you?” He asks lowly. “I won’t do anything if you don’t want me to, but I’d like to know. I’m sure Remus and James would to, they were really worried about you, doll.”

You smile, pretty as ever though you’ve been crying so much. “Yeah, I’ll tell you.”

[19joo]

It took me a while (like, years haha) before gathering the courage to post this. I've been writing but I don't usually post them publicly. If anyone here has read til the end, please let me know how I did. >_<

Our Last Night

[MCxJake]

"Do you really have to go?", I asked Jake as he is preparing to leave our hideout and run from his pursuers.

He sat in the bed beside me, leaned in closer, and took my hands. "It's gonna be alright. I'll come back as soon as I can. Once we get this over and done with, I'm never leaving your side again. I promise." He gave me the most reassuring look he could. I can only do nothing else but sigh. I know him too well now to see the uncertainty he's trying to mask from his eyes.

We both knew at this point that a desirable outcome is far-fetched. Nevertheless, I chose to hold on. I needed to. Otherwise, I won't have any other reason to keep going.

It's not that I didn't see it coming. I just hope things had never gone to this. Now that Hannah is safe and sound, all that's left is Jake's freedom.

After the Duskwood ordeal, Jake told me everything I needed to know about him. Apparently, we live in the same country, which is currently being ruled by the most corrupt set of government officials. It all began with Jake discovering a sketchy deal between a certain governmemt official and a foreign pharmaceutical company, which turned out to be our country's president. One discovery led to another, and now their organization has obtained a concrete proof that this heck of a useless corrupt "leader" has manipulated the election results.

It was all going so well. Jake's discoveries has been made known to the public. People were enraged, and started demanding justice. However, this government is a difficult group to get involved with.

We are now fighting for our freedom, and we have never been this close. We worked so hard for this. I am willing to do anything, but losing Jake is just a price I just couldn't afford to pay.

Before meeting everyone, I was merely existing. I've been going through the motions for as long as I can remember. I waited everyday for my life to end, because I couldn't end it myself. My body felt like an empty shell moving on its own.

I remember just blankly staring at my bedroom ceiling, contemplating between getting out of bed or going back to sleep again. I reached to my phone and scrolled at the piling messages I haven't replied to in weeks when I received that text message from Thomas. I don't know what got to me, but the urge to reply at his message was strong. When I saw how desperate they were on trying to find Hannah, I decided to sign myself up. Better do something worthwhile for once in my life, I thought.

As we went further, I noticed things gradually changing. I couldn't point out exactly when, but days eventually stopped being as monotonous as they used to. For the first time in ages, I had something to look forward to. The hollow void inside me began to be filled up with a sense of purpose, most of which I can attribute to this hacker who, for some reason, I began trusting with my entire being despite not being able to know a lot about. I don't know how he did it. He is so enigmatic, yet familiar. Despite everything, I never really felt the need to know everything about him. That must have been me going crazy — but I didn't care. When it came to him, things need not to make sense as long as they felt right. I never connected with anyone else the way I did with him.

The day he went into hiding from his pursuers was the day I fully realized can't live again without him in my life. Right then and there, I was finally able to genuinely want something for myself. We could have stopped upon finding Hannah, but I want him to be something more than a stranger I met in the pursuit of trying to save another. I want to be by his side. At the back of my mind, I knew this madness would likely be the death of me, but I'd happily accept my fate if it meant I could be with him.

Damn it. I feel so powerless.

"Maybe this wouldn't have happened had I not been too greedy. Maybe this is me being punished for trying to get what I can't have." I sobbed. "It's not too late, Jake. We can still back out now." I pleaded.

"Don't be hard on yourself. I chose this. It's my fault you got into this mess. I know I might regret this, but I won't ever forgive myself for not even trying to fight for you — for us." His pleading eyes met mine as he pulled me into a tight hug. "Trust me, please?"

He kissed my hand. "Our time is running out. I have to go."

"I love you."

"I love you too."

[evelili]

I just finished your Magnum Opus, and it was super great. I especially loved the Pinkie chapter (which surprised me because she’s my least favorite character!). Anyway, do you have any mlp fic recommendations?

oh boy do i have a list for you, strap in!

if you read my magnum opus writeup, you may have seen i mentioned three authors that dragged me back into mlp. if you're interested in sciset (and what's probably the most popular eqg fic on the entire site), Long Road to Friendship by Albi is a longfic that started after the first eqg movie and is a rlly lighthearted read. i don't normally care for OCs but gosh if i dont accept Albi's version of trixie's parents as canon in my heart haha. if you're interested in pony adventure fic, i also rlly liked Sunset of Time, another rlly well done longfic ive carried in my brain since i first read it xd

the second author, Monochromatic, aka the raritwi authority aka someone who has a GREAT taste in editors, has written three of the most formative longfic ive ever read: The Enchanted Library, its sequel The Enchanted Kingdom, and Crimson Lips which i unfortunately can no longer link since she's taken it down, but i believe you can still buy physically through PFP if you wanted to take a gamble on it (it would be a very good gamble). apart from her longfic though i also adore some of her shorter works, including but not limited to The Choices We Make, a really interesting Pinkie study that's definitely shaped how i view her, Your Own Worst Enemy, which is just. peak rarity content, and Injuring Eternity, which while being one of her older works still has certain passages that wreck me emotionally on sight.

and the third author responsible for my magnum opus is the one and only Aragon, who i can not only recommend for his fics but ALSO for his blog posts and comics (see the comic index on his profile for links to all of them, as well as this amazing blogpost about his neighbour that is just peak comedy). he's also the writer responsible for the banger longfic Crime and Funishment which absolutely defined my writing aspirations for a few years and is the definition of comedy if you looked it up in my heart, as well as In Hindsight, yet another banger rarity fic, and Love Is In Doom which is just bloody, silly, stupid fun (and has sunset shimmer in it)

and then if we want to talk fics i love written by other authors, Sleepless Knights by r5h has my favourite brand of scitwi written right into the margins, Administrative Angel by horizon has one of the most amazing endings to an opening chapter ive ever read AND an amazing celestia, The Best Night Ever by Capn_Chryssalid is a fandom classic with a groundhog day twist on the gala episode from s1, Side by Side by Krickis is a feel-good rarijack oneshot w a focus on lgbt (specifically trans) themes, Wax Earplugs by Reedhoarse has a dysfunctional mess of an adagio dazzle that i adore, Merge Request by FanOfMostEverything has all the scitwi/midnight shenanigans you could ask for wrapped up in the relatable content of github hell, Guppy Love by PaulAsaran is a rarijack longfic with an incredibly realistic setting and an interpretation of mermaids that i love so much, Doused Flame by heartlessons has me handshaking on the "sopping wet pathetic relatable guy" flash sentry interpretation that won me over recently, 80 Days 'Til the World's Farthest Shore by Cynewulf feels like reading a professionally published short story (and i mean that in the best of ways, it's enthralling), and finally if you'll allow me to be self-centred a bit i also am very proud of my two oneshots Heartstrings and Something About Midnights if you wanted to check em out too xd

oops long post!! im not sorry for it, i hope you can find something in here that catches your fancy (or even all of it haha), there's soooo many incredible fics in the fandom it floors me every day that i can read all these incredible works for free!!!

[jeanie-g]

Oh yes, teacher AU please 😏

I mean how can I not 🤷🏼‍♀️

HAHA we were just talking about this so ofc! i started writing it months ago, but lately i've revisited it to flesh out the story a lil bit.

let me set the scene: jack is a 7th grade english teacher working on his first Big Project (either a novel or a play - i'm between the two rn, but i'm leaning towards play) that he's....kinda stuck on. he doesn't love being a teacher either, just sees it as a temporary job til he gets published (can u see the incoming character arc? lol)

so, he's a bit lost. he's got his best friend trevor (who teaches 8th grade science), and he's got his brother/roommate luke (who pays the majority of the rent w his swanky ahl contract), but that's it.

until he meets nico at the bar one night, who's new in town (and also hot and mysterious). and wow! jack finally has a life outside of school....a way to separate his work/home life and a chance at love!

until he shows up on monday and sees that nico is the newest gym teacher lol. cue hilarity and nico trying to seduce jack in the broom closet. jack has to reassess the way he separates his personal and work life and how they intersect - and fall in love in the process ofc.

it's very much a rom-com but i wanna explore jack's identity as a writer and teacher, and give him some room to figure himself out :) i just finished Writers & Lovers by Lily King (highly recommend!!!), which is major inspo for this new direction.

here's a (slightly ~spicy~) snippet:

***

Jack clicks his tongue. “I don’t wanna talk about work. It’s…exhausting sometimes.”

“Hence the bar?”

“Pretty much.” He regards Nico, just sitting there—the hottest man in this whole place—and plays with the straw in his glass. “But I’m feeling better now.” It’s cheesy, he knows, but Nico flushes anyway. Jack is really liking how easy this man is to read.

“And why is that?”

And Jack can’t help himself. He lowers his voice. “Well, I’m hoping the handsome European in front of me is going to ask me to go home with him.”

Jack expects Nico to be surprised at his forwardness, but he just grins like the cat who got the cream. “A little presumptuous, hm?” he asks, goading—devilish.

Jack smiles, darting his tongue out to lick the lime juice off his lips. “Am I out of line? I’d hate to assume…”

Nico takes a calculated sip. He leans in close. “Jack, I’ve wanted to ask you that as soon as I laid eyes on you.”

Jack shivers just the tiniest bit. It's the air conditioning, surely. “Yeah?”

Nico eyes him. His lips shine. “Yeah.”

They finish their drinks quickly after that.

“I should probably warn you,” Nico says in their Uber to his apartment just a few blocks up. They would’ve walked if they had any kind of patience. “My place isn’t very furnished.”

Jack’s hand is tracing patterns on Nico’s quad—this man has to work out. He wonders what he does for work. Construction, maybe? He never did mention, but then again, neither did Jack.

“Do you have a bed?” he asks. His hand crawls towards Nico’s inner thigh and he hears a sharp intake of breath.

“Yes.”

“Sounds suitably furnished to me.”

They’re on each other as soon as Nico’s front door closes, greedy hands finding purchase on any pull of fabric or strip of skin they can find. Nico’s mouth finds Jack’s in the dark, meeting him in a blazing kiss that makes Jack’s hairs stand on end and fireworks light behind his eyelids. Nico’s like a magnet—or a planet, pulling Jack in to orbit around him. Jack surrenders to it easily, and he doesn’t give himself time to even worry he’s being too needy about it.

It takes them a while to get through the small apartment, pushing each other up against walls or furniture to make out some more, Nico getting distracted by Jack’s wandering hands and Jack getting distracted by Nico mouthing marks that will definitely bruise along his jaw. Thank God it isn’t a school night; his students would have a field day with that one.

Blissful, adrenaline-fueled minutes elapse over Jack, and he doesn’t even register they’ve gotten to Nico’s bedroom until the backs of his knees bump against his bed and he goes tumbling backwards with a surprised yelp. Nico tumbles with him, shifting his weight so he doesn't crush him. He’s chuckling into Jack’s neck, and the sound vibrates through his head, swimming alongside the subtle buzz from the gimlets and Jack’s own desire, burning like an uncovered flame with an endless supply of oxygen.

Nico leans back, his hair thoroughly mussed from Jack’s fingers raking through it. A sliver of moonlight from the window illuminates his beautiful face.

“What do you want, Jack?” he asks, voice barely above a whisper. He sounds like he’d do absolutely anything Jack would ask him to.

The moment feels tight with anticipation, a Schrödinger’s cat of possibility. Jack leans up and kisses Nico sweetly, and drops his head back on the pillow.

***

and that's where i have to stop before it gets actually nsfw lmaooo

i'm so pumped to keep writing this. thanks for the ask <3333

[aanoia]

Would you be interested in doing “Broken one” by raelyn with James? Just like a readers who’s home life isn’t awful she has her mom and her mom is amazing. But when it comes to love she just doesn’t have a good foundational understanding unlike James potter who grew up amazing

obviously I loved this request so much and I hope I did it justice. It actually really hit close to home with me, so I'm really glad I got to write about it.

Broken One

James Potter x reader words; 1,626 song; Broken One by RaeLynn warnings; divorce (if you need to talk, reach out. this is something I know personally so I'd love to be someone you can trust about it.) the disrespect this world has for never letting me know about this song until now smh if you have a song request, or a normal request (bc i definitely get those out in a timely manner) just use my inbox. I love doing requests :) this one might be a little confusing to read, lmk if it is haha

We grew up so differently

You had one house, one backyard, one Christmas tree

The difference was obvious between the two of us. Maybe only I saw it, maybe the entire world did. All I knew was I came from a broken home of divorce, my dad was a cheating drunk and my mom, although amazing, was mostly emotionally unavailable. James on the other hand, had parents who loved each other unconditionally, they rarely fought and acted like teenagers in love. 

You didn't split your time, didn't wonder why, like me

“This came from your mother.” My dad said, walking into the kitchen and handing a letter to me.

“Thanks, dad.” He nodded briefly, giving me a tight lipped smile.

“Do you want anything to eat?” He asked. “I can make eggs.”

I smiled teasingly, “You gonna burn them again?” Dad took a swig of his beer and laughed.

“I’ll try not to.”

I smiled and carefully opened the letter. It was from James, so I assumed he forgot it was my dads week and sent his owl to my moms. I smiled as I read the letter, he’s such a sweetheart.

When I met your mom and I met your dad

Damn, it's cool to see that love can last

I watched with a smile as James’ parents danced together in the kitchen, completely forgetting the dinner they were making for us. 

“Are you alright, love?” James asked quietly, not wanting to bother his parents.

I nodded, “I’ve just never seen something like that before.”

James pressed a soft kiss to my lips, “Soon that will be you and I, yeah?”

I smiled against his lips, “Yes.”

'Cause I never knew 'til I was loved like that by you

“Ohhh, Y/n! I’m in love with youUuUUuuUUUuuuuuUU!” James sang loudly in the common as I died with laughter.

Sirius joined as his backup vocals and air guitar and Remus rolled his eyes.

“Will you dimwits shut up, please? I’m getting a migraine.” He asked and James just sang louder, his vocal chords straining.

You could've seen too much work

All the missing pieces

Someone who's gonna leave

'Cause I come from leaving

“I’m sorry, I just-”

“No.” James said, crossing his arms.

I furrowed my brows, “No?”

He nodded and shrugged, “No. You don’t get to finish your sentence because I don’t think I’m gonna like the ending.”

“But Jame-”

He booped my nose and I pulled my face back in surprise, “No. And it’s Jamie to you, missy.”

Could've seen my past

Took a look at my baggage

And packed yours up and run

“You can cry, you know?” James said softly, sitting beside me on the porch of my moms house.

Tears filled my eyes at his words, “I should’ve had you meet them separately. I’m such an idiot.” I whispered, my voice cracking.

James pulled me into his side, “You’re not an idiot. They're the only idiots here. This was important for you, they should’ve been able to put aside their differences for you.”

But you saw a home in a girl from a broken one

“I want this one.” James said and I side eyed him.

“James, I love you. But this one sucks.”

James scoffed as our real estate agent (do they even have those?) laughed.

“That’s all right. I have one more for you two.”

“It’s perfect.” James and I said in sync.

She has my eyes and has your nose

I let out a wet laugh as my baby girl was handed to me. I gently pet her head, a few tears falling down my face.

“I think that was more painful for James than it was for you.” James’ mom said and I laughed as he grabbed my hand, ignoring the teasing.

“I’m at a loss for words.” James whispered honestly and I smiled at him as he stared at our daughter.

“Hold her.” I whispered back and he shook his head.

“I’ll hurt her.” He worried.

“You won’t, my love. Hold our little girl.” I said, carefully lifting her into his arms. He held her carefully, as if she was a fragile flower.

But thank God she never has to know

What it's like to grow up picking sides

“This is a recipe for disaster.” I muttered as James bundled up our daughter in her snow coat. 

“No, it’s not. Relax a bit, Y/n/n.” Sirius responded and I glared at him.

“Don’t kill my kid or I’ll do worse than kill you.”

He grinned, “Don’t threaten me with a good time.”

“She’s ready!” James proclaimed proudly and the two ran out the door. 

I hesitantly followed behind them and watched as they swung her over a large pile of untouched snow. A small smile graced my lips as her laughter filled the air, before it was silenced as she fell into the snow. Instead of it catching her she just went right through. She began laughing again under all the snow and James hurried to get her out while Sirius was howling with laughter. Even a few laughs left my lips.

You could've seen too much work

All the missing pieces

Someone who's gonna leave

'Cause I come from leaving

“Shh, you’re okay, my love.” James whispered into my hair as I cried softly, clutching tightly onto his shirt. “Hey, beautiful, look at me.” He lifted my chin and I struggled not to bury my face in the crook of his neck again. “Hey, we are not your parents, all right? Not your parents.”

Could've seen my past

Took a look at my baggage

And packed yours up and run

I held tightly onto my son's hand as we weaved through the train station, trying to get to platform 9 ¾.

“Are you ready for this, Jean?” James asked our daughter who nodded nervously.

“I think.”

“Well, I know.” I chimed in and she smiled.

“Yeah. I am ready.” She corrected herself.

“First year of Hogwarts, and then in two years it’ll be you Harry.” I said, squeezing my sons hand as he smiled up at me.

“Ah, here we are.”

“Uh, dad, this is a wall.” Jean deadpanned and I laughed.

“Not just any wall, smartas-” I glared at James and he cleared his throat. “Alec. You walk through it to get to platform 9 ¾.”

“Huh?”

“Come on. Together.” I said and grabbed onto Jean’s free hand. The four of us as a group walked through the wall and were greeted with the familiar horn of the train. Jean went rigid and I looked down worriedly. “What’s wrong, my love?”

“I’m scared, mama.”

“No need to be scared!” A voice said from behind us and we turned around.

“Yeah! We can be best friends!” Two identical ginger boys said with large smiles.

Jean smiled, “Okay! I’m Jean Potter.”

“I’m Fred.”

“And I’m George. Or am I Fred?”

“Am I George?”

“What?” James said and I laughed.

But you saw a home in a girl from a broken one

“Ugh, Sirius is a dick.” James said as he walked into our room.

“Then why are you forcing me to let him live with us?” I asked with a teasing smile, setting my book down.

“Because I love him.” James laid his head in my lap. “But I love you more.”

Yeah, my raising wasn't perfect

But the girl you saw was worth it

“I feel so old.” I said, sitting down at the kitchen counter after dropping off Jean and Harry, Jean entering her fourth year of Hogwarts and Harry his second.

“You are, my love.” James said, kissing my cheek and grabbing some milk.

“I hate you.”

“No you don’t.”

You could've seen too much work

All the missing pieces

Someone who's gonna leave

'Cause I come from leaving

“Just go, goddamnit! Leave!” I yelled at my parents who were arguing over who got to see this kids for Christmas. “I mean, for fucks sake, get out of my house!”

“Y/n, that is no way to speak to you pa-”

“I think it’s time for you two to leave.” James said calmly after taking the kids to their rooms, walking over to the door and opening. I breathed heavily, my bottom lip trembling as they walked out angrily. 

Once the door closed my shoulders deflated and I sighed in defeat. James silently brought me into a tight hug, quietly telling me he was there and everything was going to be okay.

Could've seen my past

Took a look at my baggage

And packed yours up and run

But you saw a home in a girl from a broken one

“Oh, you old bag. Shut your face.” I croaked from beside James’ hospital bed.

“You be quiet, you wrinkly tomato.” He retorted.

“Kick the bucket all ready.”

“Mom!” Jean scolded, holding her toddler in her arms.

“What? It’s gonna happen soon for both of us.” I reasoned and James laughed.

“You age like fine wine.” He complimented.

“You age like a banana.” I gently kissed his cheek. “I’m gonna miss you, but if I have to spend another minute in this hospital because you’re too stubborn to die I will kill you.”

He smiled and motioned me closer. I obliged and he kissed me like we were young. Passionate and loving. His monitor flatlined mid kiss and his grip on my hand lessened. I smiled sadly as a single tear fell from my eyes and landed on his cheek.

“It was his time.” I whispered. Two days later I laid in the same bed and took my last breath, the only thing on my mind was seeing James again.

Yeah, you saw home sweet home

In a girl from a broken one

taglist (if you want to be added ask in the comments);

@loving-and-dreaming (your request but still) @1lellykins @poetrypirate

[thesullengrrrl]

We'll Meet Again - Epilogue 2

Months after the Nuremberg trials, Rosie still has one final person to face.

A/N: Hello! Thought you've seen the last of this little old fic haha. Here's another epilogue because I wanted to explore another ending with these two idiots (affectionate). You can read it here in AO3 :) Thank you for being here and I hope you enjoy this. Now on to the chapter! 👀💜

Chapter 8 - 'til there was you

December 1946

Brooklyn, New York

“You can’t keep staying here on weekends, Bob.”

Mrs. Rosenthal is tired of seeing her son being in her house on Saturday mornings—reading the newspapers, bringing his cases or helping her with plumbing or other chores. 

Don’t get her wrong, she’s glad to have a man in the house after her husband’s death, and Bob was reliable. But when her son got back from the war and the trials, she knew that he had to settle down. He can’t live by himself in his bachelor apartment at this age forever.

“Are you seeing someone, ma?” Rosie snickered, flipping a page from his copy of Frankenstein. “That’s why you want the apartment all by yourself?”

“You know there is no one who could replace your father,” Mrs. Rosenthal answered loudly, as if Rosie’s blunder offended every ancestor they had. “But you are almost thirty. I am running out of nice girls to pair with you!” 

“Well…I think I haven’t found her yet.” 

“Your sister is engaged, Robert!” she huffed. 

His mother and her endless matchmaking. A week after he got back from Nuremberg, she slowly executed her plan. He was his mother’s plus one at every party, dinner, and gathering. And at each event, a woman of his age would ‘bump’ into him, or an older woman who would claim to be his mother’s friend would introduce their daughter to him.

Rosie was a gentleman to every girl introduced to him. He talked to them, listened to them, and yes, asked them out on dates. However, it all stops at the second or third date—the girl speaks too loudly, or can’t banter well, those who take it too seriously, bad breath…some of these may seem petty which, sometimes he feels bad about. They’re all interesting women, but something isn’t clicking with him. 

He once contemplated moving to another state then maybe he could find someone. His mother freaked when he told him. 

“Bob, haven’t you met anyone in that wretched club of Minty’s?” Mrs. Rosenthal questioned, sitting beside him. “There has to be someone attractive in there!” 

There was once someone attractive to him there, all right. He could still remember her in that red dress in his mind as if it was yesterday. Her telling him how she eavesdropped on his ex-girlfriend crying over him, her face as she yelled expletives to someone who tried to touch her, and how she extended her hand to ask him to dance. 

Sometimes, he would ask Minty if she visited. The old man could only shake his head and tell him that he’s expecting the woman as well. 

“Minty told me you met someone before the war,” Mrs. Rosenthal told him. 

“I think you’re spending an awful time with Minty and his wife,” Rosie deflected, now too distracted to read his book and laid it on the nearest table.

“I saw the picture, Bob,” she revealed. “Sandra showed me.”

Rosie gave her mother a nervous look.

“She’s pretty, but is she even American? She doesn’t look like one to me.” 

“Yes, as far as I know. Although she may have an English father?” Rosie told her in an unsure voice. “But she’s from New York. Also a Catholic, if that helps.”

Mrs. Rosenthal dreamed for his son to marry a nice Jewish girl from their neighborhood. However, at this point, she’ll humor her son to whoever he fancies. Until probably when she meets this mystery woman. 

“Is she nice?” 

Rosie frowned. “Why do you ask?”

“Can’t a mother be curious about a woman who caught her son’s attention?” Mrs. Rosenthal countered. 

“Well, she’s…different. She is pretty, of course, but there’s something I can’t pinpoint. She swears a little, she can be casual about things that it made me a little worried when we were in England—” 

“Aha!” Mrs. Rosenthal exclaimed. “You saw her again during the war?” 

They did more than that. 

Rosie just walked into his mother’s trap. “Yes, ma. Then she told me it would never work between us, so it ended there.” 

“Then what did you do?” 

“I let her be and told her maybe I’ll see her in New York,” Rosie answered. “And she said that maybe she’ll see me.”

“And…you didn’t seek her out?” she asked. 

“No…” Rosie trailed off. 

“The war’s over, Robert,” Mrs. Rosenthal reminded him. “Did you not even, I don’t know, try?” 

“I don’t even know where to seek her out,” he complained, placing a hand in his temple. “All I got is her name.” 

“Sometimes, a name is all you need,” Mrs. Rosenthal commented, finally standing up, and letting her son connect the dots.

************

And seek, he did. He asked his friends around if they knew someone named Elaine Byrne. When reading the newspaper, he would scour the engagements, weddings, and obituary sections. Nothing. No Elaine Byrne. 

It was a fool’s errand. A person who doesn’t want to be found will never appear. He stopped asking around. But he continued to read the newspapers, with a little prayer that her name would pop out. 

One time while he was on his way home, he stopped by the deli to get dinner to take home. While lining up, she saw a woman with the same build and coat as her, choosing what bread to buy. Rosie could’ve sworn that her eyes widened at the sight of him before she went back on the bread items.

The cashier’s voice tore his attention away from the woman, and he rushed to dig into his pockets to pay. When he turned to see if she was still there, the ring of the door’s chimes filled the air. She was gone. 

For a moment, he let himself believe it was her. He entertained the tiniest possibility that she may be on his side of the city, bidding for her time to appear.   

************

Minty rang Rosie about a new band that would be performing in his club. Without any date or engagement to go to that night,  agreed and found himself in Minton’s one Saturday night. 

It was a win-win for both men—Minty knows that the man knows his jazz, what sounded good, while he gets to enjoy new music. Rosie sat there almost like a newspaper critic, his back leaned to the chair, his fingers tapping at the table rhythmically. 

“What do you think, Rosie?” Minty asked. 

“They’re pretty good,” he simply replied. “Maybe it’s because they’re starting out, but I’m looking for something, maybe a bit more stronger sound? I don’t know, maybe I’m just being nitpicky.” 

The older man snorted at his last sentence. “You’re being nitpicky, all right. I asked around and they think this band’s got it.” 

Rosie only nodded. 

“Did your mother set you up on a date again?” the older man asked, knowing the laments of his mother whenever they invite her to afternoon tea.

Rosie shook his head. “I think she gave up.”

“For now,” Minty shrugged, earning a laugh from the younger man. 

“She’s worried that your sister Hannah will get married before you,” he said. “She is engaged right?” 

“Yes, to David Bergman. An accountant in some insurance firm,” he informed him. “He’s nice, a gentleman. Ma likes him.” 

“Haven’t you really found anyone, boy? How about that girl, Elaine?” 

Oh, Elaine. For some reason, he held on to the flimsy promise of ‘maybe’ she told him that day they said goodbye at the train station. Every mission, he told himself that if he comes back alive, she’ll be in New York waiting for him. It was silly and untrue and yet, effective. He did come home alive.

“She’s long gone, Minty,” Rosie whispered, swirling his glass. “You know that.” 

“You’ll never know who’s going to walk here next,” Minty told him. “Speaking of, there’s someone I’d like you to meet.” 

The younger man gave him a grim look. “Come on. Not you too, Minty.” 

“What? Have you seen anyone you like?” he asked, his hand pointing to the crowd. “Just say the word, and I’ll have a waiter send a drink for them.”

“Minty, when you say it like that, it sounds like I’m a brothel.” 

He laughed at him. “Now, boy. I’m not sure if that girl has arrived, but—” 

“Mint, I’m tired of seeing anyone, all right?” Rosie cut him off. “I know Ma’s getting tired of it too. How many Jewish girls could there be that Ma hasn’t set me up with?” 

Minty ignored him and suddenly stood from his seat. 

“Ah, there she is! Over here, doll!” He yelled, waving at someone behind him. Rosie did not bother to turn at whoever that is, knowing that he would only be disappointed at the end of the night. Why is everyone up to his business when it comes to dating? 

He drank from his glass and continued watching the band who’s now performing a slow love song. 

“Minty, I’m sorry I’m late,” the voice said. “I fell asleep, can you believe that!”

His eyebrows furrowed, wondering where he heard that voice before. 

“I was about to ask Sandra to knock on your door. Never mind, you’re here. Sit, sit,” Minty assured the woman. 

When he heard the scrape of the chair, he turned and saw her. The neatly styled brown hair with curls, the red lips, the hazel green eyes, and the thin scar below her hairline…the smile he knew so well, that it felt like he was back in 1941.

It couldn’t be. How could it be? 

“Is this seat taken?” 

Minty smirked at Rosie’s dumbfounded reaction. “Don’t gawk at her! She’s asking you a question!” 

“Um,” Rosie cleared his throat. “No, it’s all yours.” 

Elaine nodded and sat beside him. Minty told the two that he’ll be back with the drinks that he promised Rosie. 

“Hello, Rosie,” she greeted. “It’s been a while.” 

“Yes…it’s been a while,” he agreed, still couldn’t believe that she was here—in flesh and blood. 

A waiter came and served them two glasses of martini. Elaine thanked him and went back to Rosie, who was still looking at her. “I’m not gonna disappear until like midnight, you know.” 

Rosie blushed. “I’m sorry, it’s just…you’re here. I can’t believe it.” 

“Well, you better believe it.” 

Jaunty music from the band filled the atmosphere. Couples started gathering on the dance floor. Elaine smirked at him. 

“Don’t tell me I’m gonna have to ask you on this one?” 

************

At a distance, in a corner table a few meters away from them, were Sandra, Mrs. Rosenthal, Hannah Rosenthal and David Bergman. Minty made his way over to them after instructing the barkeep to give drinks to the two. He sat beside his wife. 

“How’s the spying so far?” Minty asked as he kissed his wife’s cheek.

“That’s her?” Mrs. Rosenthal asked, careening her head to take another look at the woman who’s now chuckling with her son. 

“Oh, ma! Judging her this early?” Hannah quipped. “Looks like they’re having fun already.”

“She's a little bit eccentric, with all those records she has been playing at weekends, but a nice girl,” Sandra informed them. “One time, she made us lasagna as a thank you. It was good, Rose!” 

“It looks like they’re about to dance,” David added, sipping a drink. 

They watched the two make their way to the dance floor and gradually move with the beat of what the band was playing. Hannah always thought that her brother didn’t really know how to dance—she always thought he was a bit too heavy for it, but with her, he moved smoothly. It’s like he knows to do it with her, for her. She snickered when the woman twirled him, then they laughed. 

Oh, brother.

“Have they known each other for long?” David asked Hannah. 

“I think they know each other long enough to be that comfortable with each other.” 

Rose watched her son laugh and dance comfortably with the woman, and that may be the first time she saw him that way with anyone. 

She once asked herself if her matchmaking had gotten rusty with her son. With this scene before her, now she knows why it never worked for him. 

Robert was waiting for someone.

“She looks good with your brother,” Rose finally commented. “I hope she truly is.”

************

The band now played a slow tune. Rosie rested his arms where it should be, and Elaine followed suit. They slowly swayed to the music, now only looking at each other. 

“I can’t believe you’re here,” Rosie breathed.

“I am,” Elaine confirmed, chuckling softly. “And we’re in Minton’s again.” 

“We are.” 

“Minty said you just came from Germany, how was it?” she asked, genuinely curious. 

“It was…riveting, scenic…a bit intense,” he replied. “I can’t believe I got in and interrogated Hermann Göring and his cohorts.”

“Bombing and prosecuting Nazis? Your mother must be kvelling.” 

“Learning Yiddish now?” he wondered.

“Don’t get all flattered,” Elaine warned him playfully. “It’s the only word I know.” 

“How have you been?” Rosie asked. 

“I moved above the club three weeks ago,” she told him. “Sandra and Minty are great landlords. Well, I’m their only renter.” 

His eyes widened at this information. “You’ve been here for three weeks now? So it must be you in the deli—” 

“Picking bread?” she completed his question.“That was me. I just wasn’t ready to say hi to you at the time.” 

“Why?” 

“I don’t know. I did hurt your feelings, remember?” 

Rosie nodded, now understanding. “Well, if it helps…I’ve forgiven you. You weren’t certain, a war was going on…I get it now. Don’t worry.” 

“All right, then,” she smiled. 

He pulled her closer to him, and she rested her cheek on his shoulder. Rosie missed her, especially when he finally got to the base. Their pictures were tucked in the same copy of Of Mice and Men. When the war ended, he cut off his favorite strip and placed it on his wallet. He told himself that he would remove it the moment he marries someone else. 

“So I guess I don’t have to walk you home every time,” Rosie mused, smiling at her. 

“Every time?” Elaine wondered. “I don’t understand.” 

“I, uh…I know it’s quite early for tonight to say this but can I see you after tonight? Tomorrow?” 

Rosie swallowed a lump of his throat. He was nervous about asking it, since what if she already had a boyfriend? But then, Minty wouldn’t make them meet if she’s attached, surely? What if she says no? 

Elaine removed her hand from his hold and placed a finger in between his eyebrows. “You’re thinking this too much.” 

“Well, yes, I mean…I had to ask.” 

She nodded. “Right. But before I answer that, can I talk to you about something? This is really important before we make any steps after tonight.” 

He felt a bead of sweat form on his temple. His stomach warmed up. What is it this time? Would she break things off again? Did he get her pregnant in England? And do they now have a 3-year-old sleeping alone above the club? 

“Don’t worry,” Elaine said, rubbing his arm. “We can talk in the alley, it’s pretty private there.”

He exhaled and agreed to be led out by Elaine through the kitchen. Some of the staff said hello to her and she greeted them back. Luckily for them, there was no one in the alley. It was only her, him, and the empty trash cans. 

“I need you to not ask questions until I finish my story, okay?” Elaine instructed him with her hands on her waist. “Just listen to me. And I’ll answer your questions later, all right?” She stared at him with such a serious face, probably the most serious he could remember.

Despite feeling a bit scared with this Elaine in front of him, he nodded and motioned for her to continue. 

She exhaled and started. “I’m…I’m a time traveler, Rosie. I’m from 2029. The night we met, I wasn’t supposed to be there. I got there by accident. Then two years later, your letter came and I wanted to see you, so I went. Then we said goodbye. And now, I’m here.”

He waited for her to laugh, to tell him that it was just a joke and ask him to get back with her inside. Instead, he was met by her uncertain gaze—whether it’s fear or anxiety, he can’t be sure.

But the laughter never came. 

Rosie could only hear his heart pounding on his ear. All the questions he had in his head came back and it dawned on him—her casual attitude, her swearing, her actions that seem a bit out of place…all because she wasn’t from here. 

“Did you go back for me?” he asked, his voice a little shaky from what he just heard from her.

Elaine nodded in confirmation. “Yes.”

“Are you going to leave again this time?” he pressed.

“If you’ll have me, then I won’t,” she answered, trying to keep her voice steady.

Silence fell between the two. 

Elaine kept a straight face, but Rosie could see in her eyes the anticipation of what he was about to say. Fear? Rejection? 

“Then that’s all I needed to hear from you, Elaine Byrne,” Rosie declared, striding towards her and enveloping her in his arms. She returned the embrace, her face at the crook of his neck. 

“I missed you, you know,” Rosie whispered. “For a moment there, I thought you were going to tell me I got you pregnant.” 

Elaine chuckled against the crook of his neck. “No, we’re safe in that area, don’t worry.” 

She started to wipe her tears but Rosie took her hand and wiped it with his handkerchief. She smiled at him and led him back. They were greeted by sly looks from the staff. Rosie was embarrassed, while Elaine just brushed them off and pulled him until they reached the main hall. A pair of glasses with fresh cocktails were waiting for them. 

“You do know that we’re being spied on?” Elaine revealed. “One o’clock, behind you.” 

Rosie looked and there were the spies—Mr. and Mrs. Minton, his mother, his sister Hannah and David. He rubbed a hand on his face. 

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry,” Rosie groaned. “I didn’t know.”

“It’s okay,” she assured him, rubbing his shoulder. “I think we should go over there. Say hi.” 

He agreed and she led him to the older adults’ table. Mrs. Rosenthal smiled at Elaine, studying her like a hawk as she interacted with the others. Sandra asked a waiter to add more chairs for the couple, while Minty called for more drinks. 

Within a few minutes, everyone was having fun. Hannah seemingly found an older sister with Elaine, and they ended up dancing together on the dance floor along with David. The trio looked silly, but they were the ones having the most fun. 

Rosie moved his gaze to his mother, who caught him in time. She smiled reassuringly at him. 

************

Days following that night in Minton’s, at exactly 5 o’clock, Rosie would rush out of the firm to make his way to fetch Elaine at the Times’ office. A smile would form in his face when she appeared at the lobby. Then, they would walk arm in arm and tell each other stories of their days. 

Usually, they would wind up in St. Nicholas Park, where they have a usual bench and simply talk or share a sandwich. Sometimes, when it’s their payday, they would visit a nice restaurant they’ve read about. Rosie learned her interest in stand up comedy, while Elaine suggested visiting hole in the wall jazz bars that her workmates recommended to her. 

This has become their routine for the next few weeks.

One night, when he walked her home to Minton’s, Elaine said something that surprised both of them. 

“So, we’re here,” Rosie said, pulling her closer to him. “I’ll see you tomorrow, all right?” 

He gently pressed his lips against hers. When they parted, she smiled at him and patted his cheek. “See you tomorrow. I love you.” 

Both of their eyes widened at what she just said. Rosie then slowly smiled at her, both delighted and amused with Elaine’s sudden consciousness about it. 

“You love me, Elaine?” he smirked.

“Yes, I love you,” she confirmed. “I know it’s probably too early—” 

“I love you, too.” 

**********

Rosie popped the question two weeks after Valentine’s. It was snowing and the two of them were rather too comfortable on the couch to move or venture out. They were reading on the opposite side of the couch with a blanket over them. 

She was reading his copy of Persuasion, while he was reviewing a case that he took home. Seeing as she was too busy reading and writing at the book, he stood under the guise of getting some water.

When he sat back, he was nervously twiddling at the small box inside his cardigan pocket. If it comes to worst, if she rejects him, it would only be the two of them. 

Rosie watched her flip the pages, her eyes concentrated on the book. Pushing the possible scenarios from his head, he cleared his throat. “Elaine. Will you look at me for a second?” 

“Yeah, sure.”

She put the book aside and when she turned to him, a small black velvet box greeted her. Her eyes widened, her mouth fell open at this sight of him. He opened the box and it revealed a thin gold band with a round opal stone. The ring contrasted the black velvet box and showed faint different colors.

“Will you marry me, Elaine Byrne?” Rosie asked, his voice was calm yet with a hint of nervousness to it.

“Are you sure about this?”

“I am sure,” he nodded. “All I know is I love you and I want to spend the rest of my days with you.”

“You know I’m not going to be a housewife,” Elaine countered. “I’ll stay at my job.”

“I know,” he smiled. “You like being a copy editor. I’m not going to make you stop working unless you want to.”

“We'll have different opinions on things. We’re gonna be arguing on small things, big decisions, all that jazz.”

“As every couple does every once in a while. I mean, we just argued on which brand of laundry soap to use,” Rosie reminded her, smiling at the memory earlier today.

“What if I want to visit my parents? Or Bunny?” Elaine asked, her voice slightly shaking. 

“Then I’ll wait for you here,” Rosie assured her. “Or follow you, if that’s allowed.”

Elaine seemed to be moved by his words and held his free hand. “You really thought about this, huh?” 

“I didn’t get to say anything last time, remember?” Rosie said, kissing her hand. “So…will you, Elaine? Marry me?” 

This time, Elaine finally nodded. “Yes, I’ll marry you, Robert Rosenthal.”

Rosie slipped the ring in her finger and Elaine wrapped her arms around his neck and captured his lips with hers. She never thought that one night of accidentally time traveling would lead her to him—the man she would want to spend her life with. 

He pulled back from their kiss, both breathless and excited. “We gotta stop before we have a baby before the wedding.” 

Elaine laughed, and motioned him to rest on her chest. He did and she ran his fingers through his hair, a favorite thing she liked to do whenever they cuddled. 

“Where do you want to get married?” Rosie wondered. “I mean, we have to save up if you want a church wedding.” 

“I don’t think your mother will want us to get married in a Catholic church,” Elaine said. “You’re her eldest son, I’m sure she’d want you to get married in a traditional Jewish ceremony.” 

“Well, you’re the bride-to-be,” he replied, taking her hand. “‘Happy wife, happy life’, as I heard those old lawyers in the firm say.”

A bulb lit in Elaine’s head. “I got an idea.”

************

New York Post

March 12, 1947

Mrs. Rose Rosenthal of Flatbush, New York is pleased to announce the marriage of her son Mr. Robert Rosenthal to Miss Elaine Byrne, the daughter of Mr. Harry ‘Hal’ Byrne of Kensington, England and Mrs. Alice Halford of West End, Connecticut. The two were wed in the New York County Courthouse on March 11, 1947. 

After reading the announcement, Elaine folded the newspaper and laid it on the table. She saw Rosie watching her, and raised an eyebrow. 

“You like what you see, Mr. Rosenthal?” she asked. 

Rosie carefully laid his cup of coffee and leaned his back on the chair. His eyes trailed on her, pleased that she’s wearing his pajama flannel top over her body. Her hair was tied in a messy ponytail, with some strands falling on her face, framing it. 

“Is this what you always look like in the morning, Mrs. Rosenthal?” he countered, his eyes with a hint of wonder and teasing.

“Yes, regretting things now?” 

“No,” he shook his head, smiling. “I think you’re spectacular.”

[f-imaginings]

Hello! I’ve been reading Knowing me, knowing you for like 2 weeks already, I just finished chapter 38 and I gotta say… this is one of the best (if not THE best) fanfic I’ve ever read, and I’ve been reading fics since 2016. I’m obsessed with bill and ford and the way you characterize them is flawless.

I have one request of you: could you please tell me if I can expect lighter side of their relationship/them working together/being kinda happy (?) together in the remaining 20 chapters? The angst is perfectly written but I feel emotionally drained because of it as this fic is what I mostly think about lately😭

I hope you’re able to answer my question (I don’t mind light spoilers) and I wish u the best day!!!

I guess it depends on what you consider light and happy. this definitely isn't a fluffy fic, nor should the ship be relatively fluffy considering the source material, but I like to think there are lots of moments past chapter 34 that demonstrate the fun side of the pairing, particularly throughout the portal adventures, and my goal with the ending is to leave it somewhat hopeful and open ended. There is a bunch of comedy scattered throughout and I want to do each character arc justice, since this is probably more of a character driven fic than simply a ship fic.

This also comes back around to canon which includes weirdmaggedon so more bad stuff does happen to both of them but the point of the fic is to highlight each characters flaws and similarities. That might not mean the future is all sunshine and lollipops for both of them, but hey that's what the spin off will be for, to explore how at each intersection of things going wrong, what would need to change for things to go right.

I'm glad you're enjoying it so far! Just wait til you get to the lottocron 9 chapter, or Ford's adventures in the m dimension! Plus they do eventually go on a library date (though I can't say it's entirely free from angst haha)

[soul-of-justice--uty]

[Intro]

You really wanna do this the hard way, huh? Haha, alright then! Let’s have a little fun before I absorb your SOUL for good! Now, remember what I taught you! Dodge the bullets!

[BEST FRIENDS FOREVER]

Welcome to hell Now bid your farewells! No one will hear your pleading! Tired of your running Finally it’s done and Now Flowey does the leading! This game is over My little Clover Tired of your shenanigans And tired of your trying All of your progress And it’s still hopeless Let’s go back to basics - Which is you and endless dying!

(dying, dying, dying, dying, dying, dying, dying, dying)

For so long I planted seeds And waited for their blossoming So close to all my hopes and dreams But YOU just ruined EVERYTHING!

Patience is out, I’m tired of pretending Put on a brave face Fake integrity, you great disgrace! You persevere, but I write the ending! Justice isn’t kind, it’s blind Determination breaks your mind!

Now together, two Best Friends Forever ‘till your SOUL will end!

*Laughter*

Everybody dies in pain And all will fall to Flowey’s reign Everybody dies in pain And all will fall to Flowey’s reign Everybody dies in pain And all will fall to Flowey’s reign Everybody dies in pain And all will fall to Flowey’s reign

Nowhere to run Time for some fun Cling to your gun And your SOUL Reality Belongs to me Now you will see My control!

[specimen: patchworked]

*Laughter*

Your little story Oh, it’s so boring ‘Till it added me! You were worthless ‘Til you joined the circus I wove the tapestry!

Could’ve reached ASGORE Would have been fine Though you were a bore Didn’t hate all our time Lost souls together Side by side Deciding who lives and dies

[specimen: organic]

Playing nice Thought you were a martyr Then thought twice When I tried to coach you harder Wastes of time Led to such an awful silence Our design Was far better marked with violence! Had a chance But that was long ago Circumstance Turned your belly truly yellow Your heart beats But I can hear it slow Face defeat And yet deeper we will go

[specimen: clay]

*Laughter*

Come on, Let’s play! Entertain me for a little longer Molded like clay Bet you wish you got a little stronger

Some say yellow is the color of justice Close, but that’s not the word I would choose Yellow is judgment, consequence, trust this ‘Cause of everyone who’d know it’d be you Made your choices, heard their voices Tuned all those useless noises! Now you’re here devoid of all hope! So let’s see how deep the void is!

[specimen: paper]

Life is a crazy ride You look for the best time Whatever thrills you find Crumple up like paper So you follow your heart Hoping for the best part ‘Till you end where you start Ended by your maker!

[specimen: polygonal]

Our time, supreme We made the best team So ends your dream At my beginning But we can still play ‘Till the end of your days ‘Till you realize your station That they can’t be saved!

Never meant to last forever Still and all we should endeavor Thought you’d stop, thought you were clever? Now your soul I’ll cleanly sever

[specimen: mechanical]

Tired of feeling Cold and so mechanical More appealing To become tyrannical

The souls will be mine Break the king’s facade! I’ll become divine! I’ll become your GOD! And as the vortex whirls We’ll keep fighting still After all, in this world… IT’S KILL OR BE KILLED

[AFTERLIFE]

No more games No more living in denial Only pain Only struggles for survival ‘Till you die!

*Laughter*

Welcome to hell Now bid your farewells! No one will hear your pleading! Go on and flail I’ll end this tale After you're hoarse from screaming!

You’re a sixth Sacrifice This is your Afterlife

No more games No more living in denial Only pain Only struggles for survival ‘Till you die!

*Laughter*

Best friends forever Lost in the nether Here ‘till the fun is over All in my head Even if you’re dead Try again, my little Clover

I ain't reading all that

[broz0neglitters]

𝙵𝚞𝚌𝚔 𝚒𝚝 𝙸 𝙻𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚈𝚘𝚞 💜💖

Poppy x Val Dating Headcanons

warning: Cussing

----------------

Blogger notes: I know you all are probably sick of reading my SMUT and NSFW but I'm giving that a break anyways I decide to write some fluff and non smut for poppy and val in trollstopia I personally ship them they are total girlfriends haha anyways I feel like poppy can both date branch and val at the same time so I'll probably write a poly relationship w poppy,branch and val I'll even do a smut one in the future but in the mean time here's some fluff and non-smut for you all while I take a break enjoy <3

------------------

-Poppy Knows that her girlfriend Val loves her but she wouldn’t admit that Val loves her intentionally

-Val is shy about telling poppy how she feels such as "I love you." and stuff

-Val isn't much of a PDA But she'll only let poppy hold her hands/link arms with her that its much like branch she would rather keep that PDA Private or when she's alone

-Poppy and Val has a whole playlist of songs that they will listen to when they hangout or do stuff together etc

-Val isn't big on going out on a date but she'll definitely take poppy on a date once a week but it usally something that val would do rather than what poppy would do poppy was hoping that her rockstar Gf would take her on a picnic date

-Val is overprotective of poppy she won't let any trolls near poppy not even branch or her father...

"Uhh, Vals Can I please just talk to my dad please you know him he would never hurt me." Poppy said

"Oh, Sorry poppy I'll put him down." Val said

-Val was deadass afraid that poppy father would think bad about her because she made a bad first impression

-Poppy Would drag Val to a taylor swift concert

-Val and Poppy had taylor swift friendship Bracelets <3

-Val Loves it when poppy hugs her and flirt w her it makes her blush she won’t admit that

-They have matching phone case and everything Holly wasn't jealous she knew that poppy and Val are dating so she doesn’t mind

-They have nicknames for each-other but Val allowed poppy to call her nickname when they are alone

-During their alone time Val and Poppy would lay on top of each-other the couch while Val Combed her soft fingers through poppy hair Val likes how soft poppy hair were

-Val would watch what ever poppy watches but sooner she would beg poppy to let her pick a movie/show

"Okay, if I let you watch your show/Movie if I get scared promise me you'll hold me?" Poppy said giving her that puppy eye

As Val groans "Okay, fine pop squeaks" (I think I spelled that wrong)

-Val Would let poppy play,style her hair

-Val usally spends the weekends with poppy meaning that they have sleepovers

-Poppy would be the one to wake Val up cause Val likes to sleep in

-Val don’t mind hugging other trolls but she will and can hug poppy for hours even days even til death due them apart

-Val Loves brushing poppy soft hair even if poppy did or didn't ask Val would still brush poppy hair because Val loves how soft her hair was so Val desperately ask poppy for a hair care routine

-Poppy try to get Val to say I love you to her so poppy would have to force it on Val so she and Val would watch a romantic movie together

"So Val, Is there somthing you wanna say to me?" Poppy asked teasing her

"Uh, no poppy I clearly don't and why are we watching this romance movie anyways is making me feel weird." Val said looking away you can tell she's blushing

-At the end of the movie she would give val a kiss on the cheek "Thanks for watching a movie with me I love you do you love me?" poppy asked teasing Val again knowing that she was feeling weird and she was blushing the whole time

-Val was so annoyed by her GF so she was even blushing harder "Okay fine Poppy since you want to hear it Fuck it I love you okay happy." Val said crossing her arm looking away blushing....

*Poppy was blushing nonstop since then* ˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶

/) /) ପ(˶•-•˶)ଓ ♡ /づ づ (puff puff) Anyways, I hoped you enjoyed it anyways fill free to request me at anytime :^) *it might take a while to get back to you as I mentioned before I would just write it on my own without any requests plus I've school and real life stuff so be patient with your request your requested are heard loud and clear <3 ---------------------- Like + Follow are very much appreciated! *Blush*

[sujuyeonn]

Sujuu!

It's fanfic writer appreciation day so here I am in your askbox :D

Thank you so much for writing and sharing IWATIFI with us! You have no idea how often I reread it, and how much more I love it with each read. I know I haven't gotten around to commenting on the last chapter yet (and I plan to, it's halfway written so far but life is lifeing) but the short version is: I absolutely love it. Just a little bit more than the rest of the fic though I probably shouldn't have favourites lol.

I also want to acknowledge how hard you've worked on it. It probably wasn't easy writing a long multichaptered fic while maintaining the pacing and plot consistency, but you still posted regularly. And IWATIFI was one of the few things I really looked forward to back when things weren't looking so great in my life- I would often eagerly wait to wake up to that one email from ao3. Well, that and the email notifying me that you replied to my comments haha.

I really appreciate you for being such an amazing writer and human. I hope you have a great day! 💜

lume!! omg hello i can’t believe i’ve taken like,, a week to answer this lovely message.

happy late fanfic writer appreciation day to you too!! :D you made my entire week with this and i’ll probably keep thinking about it til the end of the year lol. hearing that you reread iwatifi is both a blessing and a curse; i want to send you tons of hugs!! but i also reread a few chapters lately and my god, you can really see how my writing progressed throughout. currently afflicted with self critical author cringe😫 that said, i absolutely support ch15 being the favourite because it’s probably my favourite too (… i may have made a whole ranking list at some point). and don’t worry about taking a while to comment! i totally don’t expect it. am super hyped to see your thoughts though, your username in my inbox always makes me scream into the void <3

‘thank you’ isn’t adequate enough because i feel appreciated beyond words. and yeah, iwatifi was a first-fic-ever-so-let’s-experiment-with-slow-burn kind of challenge, i definitely don’t think i could write it again if i started now (plus, i’m working on fics that i think will be way more fun). i’m genuinely so touched to hear that you looked forward to updates and replies. your comments managed to catch me at pretty low points too, for which i’ll be forever grateful since they never failed to cheered me up. hope things are going better for you too :)

i appreciate YOU endlessly for being one of the kindest people ever <3 (and one of my favourite commenters but shhh don’t let anyone know) have a great day!! 🧡

[lakesbian]

Any thoughts on a fitting implement for Blake or Rose? Or for any of the Undersiders?

i will declare right now for my own sake that i shannot discuss the matter of the undersiders as practitioners presently or i will enter an autistic fugue state regarding alec vasil and we will never finish getting through all of the pact questions + resume reading the book. I will continue fermenting my opinions on this matter and return to it at a later date when i have more information to confirm my thoughts.

as for blake: The Stone. no i'm just kidding to make fun of him. it would really be helpful if i had more information on All of the most common implements but i get the gist well enough.

first of all i will state for the record that i do not think blake's aptitude with glamour (as of 3.5) is actually even remotely indicative of his approach to being a practitioner. he's not fucking confident at all with it! glamour is quite literally "fake it til you make it" but magic--if he was intuitively skilled at it, you would expect him to respond to rose's "haha i hope this works or you're fucked!" with "pshh of course it will work," but instead he nervously goes "i hope it works also :(" and then proceeds to sweat bullets the entire time. and despite being constantly paranoid that his glamour is going to be seen through, despite being a complete amateur with it, he gets so into it that it not only holds up largely perfectly but starts seeping into his cracks and emotionally effecting him. as rose put it, It's Not Supposed To Be That Easy. and the fact that it Is despite him...not really being very good at it, i think that indicates more of a weakness he's occasionally able to leverage as an advantage (albeit at intense personal cost) than a genuine talent. that man is getting Corroded. get corroded and subsumed by the violent expectations your family has set for what you were Supposed to be, you fucking nerd.

anyway. as for his actual approach thus far, he's like. hm. as i discussed some during arc 1, he's extremely willing to roll with the punches (& punch back) when he needs to. as much as being humiliated or acting violently upsets him, he can take it And dish it when it's necessary 4 survival. he really really really wants to climb to better circumstances and have a peaceful home and a family comprised of people who are good to him & whom he's good to in return. but ultimately he's extremely familiar with being homeless and beat down and viewed as less worth than dirt, and it's a misery he knows how to force himself through. which is to say his practitioner approach is Miserable Desperate Scrambling by a dude with a Scrambling Degree. he's exceedingly direct so far. he finds out how faeries work and then immediately fights a faerie by literally just telling her how faeries work. he's not, like, utterly lacking in self-preservation during negotiations, but he's pretty direct about attempting to State How Something Is in a convincing manner instead of attempting to mislead people. he responds to finding out that maggie killed his cousin by telling her to fuck right off instead of using her guilt to get a better deal like he could've. etc. ultimate move of Hit You With Pipe or Try To Call The Cops On You (Again) because he simply does not have enough of a knowledge or power base for anything more indirect or clever as of yet. not inherently opposed to trickery per se but thus far he's preferred to feel like all of his actions are some level of morally justifiable, and he's distinctly targeting people who have made the most notable moves against him.

i was sort of hoping that writing all that would make an idea magically pop into my head or brain but it did not. it would be cool if it ended up being a mirror. i can't defend that statement but i think it would be cool! let me see. i think something unique and somewhat decorative in a way that bolsters his personal identity would be fitting, because he stakes a lot on personal identity. he values his body being His to exist in and express himself with, he likes art, he likes having nice new things. i think an implement which bolsters his own sense of self & makes being a practitioner something more comfortable + confident would be a good balance to how thus far it's just sapped him and degraded his identity. something stabilizing, in a way. is that anything. but a talisman doesn't fit, because he Is pretty brash and concerned with the real. something unique and somewhat decorative but with a clear purpose and very direct/blunt application? still struggling for precise objects here, but i think talking abt the Idea behind an implement for him instead of just naming an object is fine.

[reds-skull]

Hi I’m the work anon from earlier

Wow your revenant fic was amazing! I’m so glad I got to read it from start to finish and watch as your story grew and took shape

I adored Soap and Gaz’s friendship but I also adored how Ghost trusted and was friends with him too especially when he asked him for advice! 😭 (there’s so little of their friendship the fandom and it sucks ) Price was best dad and deserves all the hugs (and cigars for dealing with his sons squad every day) Rudy and Alejandro (and the vaqueros) were adorable and had the 141 backs from the start, they were ready to throw down! Grave’s got what he deserved I hated him in this fic so much (great job) he was such a smug smarmy bastard until the end. Farah and Alex were so sweet they were like the favourite cousins that got roped into the family drama (I still want Fahra to BITE shepherd you know as a treat!) Laswell knows things and is scary she will happily help people reach the find out portion of their fucking around.

The reapers were so cool!!!! Especially with how they combined I was not expecting that, was legit shooketh (I now imagine limbo as a pitch black ocean full of burning stars (I also have a couple questions regarding it I would like to asked later please?)) Soap’s reaper was warm and kind Ghost’s was cold and clinical together they’re so much more?!?! Like it’s poetic there the best version of themselves together (like ghoap)

Speaking of ghoap they’re so in love it’s sickening all I could imagine during the vows was Price “listening in” and then getting Laswell to hand the boys a bloody wedding certificate so sweet 😭

Thank you for putting in the time and effort to create something so beautiful for so many people have a lovely day or night you deserve a break after all of that hard work!

And with all my admiration fuck you for making me cry (again)

Hello work anon! Hope it went easy haha

I feel like there's a few versions of Ghost headcannons floating out there, one is basically "the man believes he's broken beyond repair, he doesn't think he's human, all he does is focus on work" and the other is "yeah he went through really fucked up shit, but he holds himself together pretty well, and while it's hard for him to find someone he trusts, the people close to him are priceless."

I like both versions, but this time I went for the latter. I love love love Ghost and Gaz as friends (mw4 please give me them interacting), and you can see that in my comics as well lol.

I made Graves such a little bitch that everyone hates from the start lmao.

I didn't plan for Rudy and Ghost to interact that much if I'm honest, but because Soap wasn't the POV and I wanted to have the Vaqueros more prominently in the story (it does take place mostly in Las Almas after all), Rudy's initial reaction to Ghost's mask was the perfect opening for a deeper friendship.

Farah and Alex weren't too active, if I make a sequel, I think I'll make it focused on the situation in Urzikstan. Farah deserves to take her own revenge and get her happy ending...

I love your description of Limbo, especially because I mentioned in the fic that Ghost loves seeing the stars, because it's the first thing he saw after he was Reaped (and now Soap created stars for him in the void).

I'd love to hear your questions!

Ghost and Soap, like someone else commented, are practically married on all levels beside legal lmao. I never planned for them to be so fuckin' whipped for each other tbh, like the vows at the start were not planned at all. I just looked up Celtic wedding vows, and it was literally so perfect for them ("I give ye my Body, that we Two might be One./I give ye my Spirit, ’til our Life shall be Done."? Couldn't fit more to their story), I just had to add it.

Thank you for reading and commenting! I wish this break was voluntary, but my semester is ending in 3 weeks and I have many projects to finish, so I have to prioritize that for a while T_T

[wanderingblindly]

PLEASE give me the directors cut of Til The End Of The Line bc that fix haunts me in an ethereal manner and I have simply not moved on 🫶🏻

oh my god where do I even start with 'Till the End of the Line, it was such an odd one to write. I started in back in August and literally forgot it existed until November when I was just flipping through my files.

I stopped writing it because it just felt like pretentious, surface level, uninteresting emo drivel. But when I picked it back up, I felt myself really connecting to the emotions I channeled at the time.

Plus, I had been writing a lot of comedy at the time (see: Landoscar) and wanted to flex a different creative muscle. So really, the entire thing was incredibly self serving. But anyways, let's get into some content!

The Origins

I actually received a comment on Ao3 a very long time ago with someone talking about crying on a train while reading a fic, and that idea always sort of stuck with me.

The next thing was, as it always goes, a random line popping into my head one day while going about my Tasks:

But so much life can grow in a place where no one stays

This sort of ended up being the thesis for the entire narrative: the beauty in a passing moment between two people that, maybe, won't ever see each other again despite the mark they've left on each other's lives.

The Writing Process

So I bounced around a lot with how I wanted this to read. Initially I wrote it as a traditional narrative (I have about half of the fic written in an entirely different style), but then I realized that didn't fit the vibe. I wanted it to have more of a liminal, 'what parts of this are real' energy to it, which is why I decided to not use traditional quotation marks.

The italics, something people often use for thoughts, made it feel more like the entire thing could have been made up in Charles's head. I hope that came across haha.

Here's two snippets of parts from the other style that got cut:

And so Charles gets like this sometimes, cause and timing unknown. It hits him suddenly, the overwhelming and inescapable need to just cry. One small inkling, a fragment of an idea, buries itself into every corner of his mind; spreading like a wildfire until every other thought, any distraction, just reminds him of the ache. Deep in his bones. An unsettling mix of nostalgia, loneliness, and something unnamed. Something heavy. It hangs around his neck like a lead weight.

And:

Charles looks up at the stranger, eyes following him down as he sits beside him.  “Rough day?” He tries again, voice just as soft and accent just as distinct.  “I don’t know.” Charles says numbly as he takes the tissue, blotting his eyes uselessly as the tears continue to flow down with reckless abandon. He hums contemplatively in response, adjusting the hood of his sweatshirt around his neck and leaning back against the vibrating walls of the train.

Idk if the difference is entirely apparent, but I wanted Charles's narrative to feel very... sensory. What he's seeing, what he's feeling, not so much the traditional way of writing where you're guiding the reader through a true plot.

The Setting

At first, I put serious time into deciding what country they were in, what train they were on, what neighborhood it started and ended in, etc.. However, the more I poked around and considered different ideas (Berlin, New York, London), the more I realized that the story would be hindered by having it in a specific place.

The overall impact of this fic wasn't meant to the plot. It wasn't meant to be a character arc that compelled you, it wasn't meant to even really be about something as fickle as attraction. At it's core, I wanted this to be a story about the very human feeling of wanting to be somewhere else, about missing something that you can't get back and struggling with to accept that time will continue to move on even if you don't want it to.

Tying that to a place almost removed the universality of it, I think. That's why I never alluded to a specific starting station, ending station, route duration, or season. I wanted it to sort of... transcend those things, I guess.

Trains as a Metaphor

I've always really been fond of trains and modes of transport as a metaphor for things like death, purgatory, change, sleep, etc..

In this, I really wanted the train to represented that sort of liminal, purgatory-esque space. I wanted Charles to feel like he was stuck in between something, that he wasn't entirely here or there. In my head, Sebastian was almost a guiding light out of it, directing him away from the place so removed from real life and into somewhere in the present.

I don't want to beat a dead horse, the heavy handed religious imagery did that for me, but I just love the idea of the train being something transformative. Somewhere you go that isn't quite real life, where you can emerge with something you wouldn't have found elsewhere.

What Didn't Fit In

Ok originally, when I still didn't know what I actually wanted this story to BE beside Charles being distraught on a train, I made up entire backstories for him and Sebastian.

Sebastian was meant to be a youngish teacher coming home from a late night at Lewis's house -- they throw grading parties together during finals season, just to make it suck a little bit less :)

Charles owns the bookstore where he saw the little boy. He moved to the city he's in fairly recently, and hasn't really made his own community yet -- he drank alone at the bar that night because he didn't have anyone to call.

Music

FINALLY, in common me fashion, I listened to music on repeat while writing this. Brand New is a band that captures the sort of... empty, aimless feeling that Charles is going through in this story, and I think that the soundtrack really adds a lot!

[liauditore]

tw dysphoria (i guess?), abandonment issues (it always when we talk about jimmy), just rambling about jimmy not being a toy but being dysphoric about it

(you can just delete it before reading if it could trigger you)

in my head all this "jimmy is a toyyy!!!" arc was not about haha toy story and let's ignore how they could know about it, okay, it's like how scott doesn't remember pearl and jimmy just OMG MY RANCHER, OMG SCAR, OH NO, GRIAN and yeah yeah yeah

you know that thing when everyone bulling person and calling them, for example, "monster" and they are like, well, a lot of people call me that, i should conform (megamind basically). that's something similar, everyone call jimmy a toy (which he's not) and he's starting to doubt if he's a human. everything joel did to him (or its all hallucinations or joel really can control it and make jimmy toy for some time) just making worth. jimmy wasn't a toy, was he? (in my headcanons sheriff jimmy it's cod jimmy that decided to try again but absolute opposite of what he was.)

and because of green also making hallucinations for him (i hope you knows green something like origin, you can find it something in romeos blog, i wrote about it a little), jimmy is really can't really say if he's not a toy. he doesn't want to belive it and we can see it in dialogues with scar, that jimmy refusing to be a toy, an action figure, everything besides who he really is.

i can imagine him, avoiding mirrors and reflective surfaces, so he won't see himself. i'm really inspired to write it all bc of cavetown dysphoric, it's so jimmy for me

it's been over a year now

i thought it was the end

but now i don't remember comfort

because what i am is what i'm not

i don't belong here, it's just hopeless

find me a way out

if you love me at all

don't let me hear what they say

cuz i can't stand it every day

i'm thinking that i should leave now

but i don't i think i'm coming back this time

it's killing my heart.

and scar was the only one who doesn't call jimmy a toy like 90% of their time together. jimmy knows that scar will leave, like his rancher left him, like emp1 scott left him alone with problem with cod father head and yeah yeah yeah....

i don't know, i just woke up and my brain wad like good morning, honey, it's time to make people suffer

- 🔥

angst?? for me??? 🥺🥺👉👈

HKDHKHLADH SCrEAMING,, putting thoughts under the cut cus i already know its gonna get Long but hkhlkfdhjk

OuGH i love this 😭😭😭 although the megamind comparison kinda sent me lmao

side note i am. into very disturbing and messed up themes so you'd have to try very, very hard to upset me. so go wild in my ask box lol (i do have a good chunk of ppl who just have 'minor' in their bios following me tho so i might not respond to smth if i feel like it's 'too far' or hide it under a cut but yeah)

^realising this sounds like a "i am very badass" thing but i swear i just think stuff is cool 😭😭😭

BUT ANYWAY ouhfhkl mind break and objectification my beloved. i love taking the toy bit in an angsty direction cus i'll be honest i never really found the humour in it but it's TASTY recontextualized.

Jimmy's got a lot of fight in him but I'm just thinking maybe one day it all becomes a bit too much and he just.. goes limp in his seat, eyes glazed over, motionless except for his chest rising and falling with each breath. Someone (maybe Scar, since we're doing Scaridarity) finds him and is like "Hey, what's wrong? You okay?" and gets no response.

Scar would probably be somewhat uninitiated on the whole toy thing and be puzzled but I'd think he scoops Jimmy up and takes him somewhere safe til he recovers. and when he finally gets up he has a bit of a panic attack about what is real.

[knotalot]

Hi ! I saw your Aether doll, and I was just wondering what's your process for the hair and the clothes? A friend's birthday is coming up (very) soon, and they really like Aether, so I'd love to know how to make this kind of stuff. I think you're really talented! :)

Hi! Thank you for your kind words :)

My process is largely on a ‘trial and error’ basis, but I’ve done my best to make a guide for you (using Aether as an example, since you mentioned him specifically). Unfortunately right now all of my stuff is in storage due to unstable living conditions, so I hope you’ll forgive me for only being able to offer pre-existing photos and hand-drawn diagrams. When I get access to my stuff again, I might do a step-by-step process for hair (for Lumine, since she’s my current WIP) but that could be quite a while yet.

Stuck under a read more because this is gonna get long lol

I’ll start with clothes because I always leave hair til last.

The first thing I do is hoard as many references as I possibly can, from as many different angles as possible. These are the one I used for Aether (made myself because I couldn’t find any online that met my needs), though I did also sometimes log into my game and rotate him in the character menu haha

From here, the next step is to start dissecting the layers. Work from the base up, and break it down specifically into what you would make as a single piece, rather than say the shirt base AND the sleeves AND the decal. If that makes sense.

I don’t normally draw diagrams or anything like I will be for this, but if that helps you visualise it by all means do!

(I also tend to go really ham on the details because I’m a perfectionist, but please don’t torture yourself unless you really want to. Making things a little more simplistic is perfectly fine and valid.)

I won’t do the whole thing or I’ll reach image limit but here’s an example of how you might break it down:

The more you simplify it, the easier time you’re going to have.

The next step for me, after I raid my cupboard and the local craft store for the right colours, is to work out which pieces of the clothing I’m going to incorporate into the doll’s base body and which will be separate.

For Aether, for example, the ‘hand’ part of his gloves are the actual doll’s hands, but the bit that flares up his arm isn’t. The boots are part of his actual legs up until the part where it flares up over the top of his pants, which I made as a separate piece. The seat of his pants are the bottom half of his base body, but the pant legs themselves are add-ons. Does that make sense?

Next, make your base body! If you’d like to use my pattern, you can find it in my pinned post :)

Once you’ve got the base doll, I start adding layers of clothing. I always use a smaller hook size for the clothes than I do for the base body. In my case I like 2.5mm (and a teeny tiny 1.25mm for fine details and thin layers – but we’ll get to that later). I normally start with the pants.

My normal method of doing pants is this:

Essentially, I crochet directly into the base body in a circle around the base of the leg (so I am not chaining, but actually single crocheting through random stitches on the base in a loose circle shape), and then work in rounds until I reach the length I want.

Because Aether’s pants are puffy at the bottom and have two colours (*shakes fist at hoyo designers*), though, the process ends up being a little different.

I made his pants in two pieces: the outer side and the inner side. So instead of rounds, it ends up being rows. To get that nice puff, just do some standard increases in the right spot and make sure to decrease on the lower rows to taper it back in.

Once you have both pieces, you can just sew the two halves together.

The flare of the boot over the top of the pants is exactly the same process. Attach and single crochet directly onto the leg from the top of the boot, working up towards the waist.

For trickier shapes like the gloves, it’s sort of just familiarising yourself with what kinds of effects different stitches do and allowing yourself to get it wrong about a dozen times before it actually works lol

If you break down the gloves properly, you end up with a shape similar to this:

(this is not great i am so sorry – I am realising once again my reference was awful for the gloves)

But you can kind of see how it’s largely bulb shapes for the brown part, which is easy to do with increases and decreases. The white part I made separately and attached afterwards. Yes it was a huge, tedious pain in the ass.

For finer details, like his jewellery and, like, the shoulder armour, etc etc, I use the smallest hook I can tolerate. Please do not attempt this unless you lowkey hate yourself because it is torture.

So when you look at yarn, you can see that it has a bunch of smaller strands wound together, right?

You gotta split em.

Like this.

(image borrowed from http://illuminatecrochet.blogspot.com/2015/03/what-is-ply.html)

And then. You are going to use that tiny ass hook. And crochet those individual strands. It sucks. It breaks constantly. It makes you want to commit a crime. But damn if it doesn’t look good.

On a similar note, don’t be afraid to use the 2.5mm/whatever hook you use for clothes with less than the full ply of the skein you’re using. For Aether’s cape, I did the outer facing white part with only 2 of the strands in my 8ply yarn, and the inside orangey part with the 1.25mm and one strand. It’s still a little fatter than I’d like but it’s better than doing the whole thing in single strand torture mode lol

I’ll wrap up clothing here but if you want some help with anything specific just let me know!

On to hair!

For hair, I use felt square sheets that are like $1 each. Except for Aether because he has to have a Very Special Hair Colour that my craft store doesn’t stock so his cost me $7 :/

It’s a similar kind of deal for hair as it is for clothes. Break down the shapes and start from the bottom up.

(This is not a good look for him rip)

Layers are your friend! As are sewing pins! For real, do not glue anything down until you’ve got the whole thing pinned down because once you glue you’re in for a bad time if you need to fix something.

I’ve made two Aethers (one as a custom gift commission, one for myself) and they’re both a little different from each other, but this should help give you an idea of how I translated it to felt. I like to simplify if I can, purely because larger pieces tend to look a bit neater and less chaotic than a bunch of smaller ones.

For his braid, I found the easiest way to do it was to just cut three really long straight pieces, braid em, and then trim the end to the length I needed.

My absolute biggest #1 tip for hair:

If it looks bad but you haven’t finished, do not stop and restart.

It will always looks stupid as hell in the early stages. Don’t make a judgement call on whether or not it looks right until you’ve at least got the whole front part/fringe area fully pinned in place. Trust me.

I think that’s probably about all I have the energy for right at this second, but again if you have any questions or want help on anything specific, my inbox/DMs are always open – and that goes for anyone reading this! I’m always happy to help :)