#I kind of wish this was better written but pls accept it as a sharing of guesses and estimations and where thoughts come from

[tozettastone]

Thinking about populations in Thedas and specifically in Ferelden for a little story I'm thinking about. Long self indulgent thoughts extrapolating from what we know about thedosian cities, real life medieval castles, current small towns, etc. beneath the cut.

Denerim having around 70,000 people in 9:30 (presumably before the archdemon, which is I think either 9:30 or 9:31?) is a statistc people cite coming from Searle, Mike. "Traveler's Guide: Ferelden Details", Dragon Age: Origins Collector's Edition: Prima Official Game Guide. I don't have that but I also don't have any reason to think that those people are making this citation up. It's the biggest city in Ferelden.

The same Prima Official Game Guide is the citation used for Redcliffe village having 200-odd people in it. I think that number has to be separate and distinct from the castle, and that together the village and the castle should be at least (at least) 300 people, but probably more.

Even the amount of castle you see in inquisition and origins could support a staff so large that there'd be nobody to actually run or support the other stuff.

In the village, they've got the pub (Village Tavern, in origins, which is I assume the Gull and Lantern in Inquisition—unless they're separate, because I guess the map expands in Inquisition..? Let's assume they're the same for now), the chantry, the big mill, a general goods store, a blacksmith and a bunch of salespeople like that dwarven bookseller in the village.

By comparison, there's a 150 person modern town in Australia in my mind right now. It had one cop, one nurse and two teachers for a primary school that served about ten kids. You got all your goods at the same place, from tyres to fuel to fresh produce to frozen meats shipped from another state. It had a hotel, but pretty much only because it's often the last tourist stop before people hit their "outback adventure". And that's with the tourism floating it, and all sorts of modern engineering. (Wikipedia says it has an 80 kW geothermal power station as of 2012, the only one of its type in Australia. Who knew.)

Castles are designed to be able to garrison men at arms, and Redcliffe Castle has been a key part of Ferelden's defences for a long time, as well as being considered pretty formidable, which is something you talk about in both DAI and DAO. It's on the route through the frostback mountains and down past Lake Calenhad to the rest of the country: an Orlesian army comes down out of the mountains, hit the plains, and now has to either deal with Redcliffe or leave a live, fortified and angry enemy behind them, right?

A skeleton staff in a large fortified castle might be enough men at arms and whoever their military leader in residence is to just operate the place: raise and lower the bridges, open the gates, defend the place from looters. This did happen in medieval castles when nobody important was in residence and when no violence was expected, is my understanding. The opposite is when the family was at home, and violence was expected, which meant they'd cram hundreds and hundreds of combatants into a castle. Even in peace time, a family in residence also needed servants because every task was done laboriously and by hand.

Numbers for this kind of thing given by English Heritage (a conservation non-profit which looks after many historical castles and buildings in the UK) range from "140 knights and perhaps a thousand fully equipped soldiers" at Dover Castle in 1216, to "in peacetime, a small castle might have a garrison of only a dozen soldiers." One of the owners of Goodrich Castle is said to have "nearly 100 servants" when they were in residence.

I don't think there are in excess of 1200 people at Redcliffe Castle, either, to be honest. But they did have Dennet working there with "his herd" the whole of his life, so I think we can assume that there were enough men and horses there to require dedicated servants and facilities at all times.

It sounds like the Arl is kind of a homebody from the games, though—he's usually found there, except when Alexius (and Fiona I guess) kick him out of the place, or some massive drama is going on and he has to go to his Denerim estate. As far as I can tell, Redcliffe is a prosperous but pretty small area to govern, and there are definitely forts and manors but nothing to rival Redcliffe Castle.

(Aside: I think Redcliffe Castle, being the home of relatively wealthy nobility, might have *some* advantages over regular medieval castles in terms of work, because they're also between Orzammar and Denerim and on that trade route, and near the Circle at Kinloch: they'd have access to whatever enchantments could make their lives easier, which could definitely help with the labour of servants if they took advantage of it—frost runes, for example, could take a lot of the worry out of preserving the harvest for those late winter and early spring months.)

So on this basis, I think there's probably at *least* a hundred or so extra people living in Redcliffe Castle itself, and probably more depending on how that generation feels about Orlais. (The Ferelden rebellion was only like a generation ago though, like, Loghain is still alive and in active service, so... yeah. Probably more.)

So, options:

Redcliffe village itself has less than a hundred people and the population is counted with the castle's, but there's a lot of labour happening in its very immediate surrounds that is technically not defined as "the village"

Redcliffe village itself has 200 people and the castle's population is counted separately

I think option 2 is more likely, so now that I've worked that out for myself, I have a better basis to think about what kind of population the greater Redcliffe area, and the Hinterlands agricultural regions, are supporting—and how much grain, meat, wool, skin and other produce it takes to do that, and how much havoc the Blight wreaked upon their manpower, and if famine immediately followed, or if the population was depleted enough for that to be less of a problem...

Having done all that work thinking about Redcliffe, I'm just slapping an arbitrary 40,000 people in Amaranthine. It's smaller than Denerim, it's larger than Highever. But it's where the Chant was revealed and it's a large port city in Ferelden, and frequently a last stop before goods (or refugees lbr) sail to the Free Marches. 40k in 9:31 Dragon, done, and whether or not it's still that big by 9:41 Dragon depends entirely on if I decide to let the Warden Commander leave it for the darkspawn during their civil war. Bangs gavel.

(You may be able to tell, but the thing I was working on is set in and around Redcliffe, and only briefly touches on Amaranthine and Denerim.)

[n0tamused]

Hellooo hon can i request pls? Can u write for tobirama a one shot where he rejects his s/o but then he sees her with another guy in the village often and starts to realize about hia feelings but its late bc she is marrying this other guy? I need some angst hahahah. Its ok if you don't want to write it! Thank you 😘

A/N: Hello anon, thank you for the request! Here's some Tobirama angst. It made me sad to write this but here we are. The things we do for angst. Hope you enjoy.

Warnings: none. Just pure sadness.

Words: Around 1.475

' The Fire Which Didn't Burn '

-"No. I do not love you."

Those words echoed in your mind days after his initial rejection. Over and over again until it was all you could think about. It stung your heart each time you repeated the sentence. The never ending feeling that it was something you did wrong wrecked your mind, it made work harder and rest scarce for a while. You didn't understand. You were sure he felt at least some semblance of love for you, in the end you were the one he truly did let in his company. One he could rely on for anything that he may need. Or did you read the signs that wrong? At that point it wouldn't be a surprise if it was all for business sake, seeing as you both worked together on making the village prosper and bloom.

But that was almost an whole year ago. Even more. Since then you have moved on from the heart ache. Although a few select close friends knew of your pain, you never indulged them with your gloomy moods that came and went. It was a tendency you seemed to pick up from the younger Senju and the years you spent at his side. Not letting anyone really in. Only letting them scratch the surface of it, to know enough to leave you be.

It has been a whole year since the last time Tobirama had spent proper time with you, a whole year since you both sat down to unwind and discuss things amicably. At the confession of your feelings for him he was rather cold, cooly brushing you off and trying to get back into his work. He didn't feel like it was such a big deal then, he believed that it didn't matter as long as you both still remained a good bond. But he was proven wrong. You recoiled from his reach and even disappeared from his sight. His ears seldomly heard of you anymore. It was as if you disappeared from the village all together. Even if he saw traces of your work, your signatures and reports. It was all superficial.

At first this didn't bother Tobirama much, even if he was initially worried about your lack of communication with him. The man was simply so drowned in his work to take some kind of action, to do anything to smooth things over with you again. On certain days, when work was lesser, he would indulge himself in things he did with you once. Only then feeling the effects, the weight on his shoulders due to your absence. There was no more of your reasoning voice, no more laughter, no more endless teasing when the two of you were alone, no more long nights where the two of you shared your worries and even fears. There was none of it. Only distant memories.

As stubborn as he was, he would finally come to terms that he, in the very least, missed you greatly. That he should've done something sooner. Now he felt embarrassed to even try after so long had already passed.

Tobirama had recently started to seek out information about you. Head full of things, horrible things. Were you alright now? Have you moved on?

As it turns out, yes you were alright and yes...you have moved on. You were still working as a ninja, so how you managed to keep out of his sight so much and for so long surprised the silver haired Senju. And when word reached him that you were getting married soon. He was...he didn't know how to feel, actually. You had found another man to love and share your burdens and future with. He had spotted the pair of you once in the village, walking peacefully side by side. Hand and fingers entwined together. You pressing into his side once to give him a quick hug. Him smiling down at you, a genuine, earnest smile which you reflected back just the same. It made Tobirama ill. A deep, gut wrenching feeling over took him so much that he wanted to bolt. As unlikely as that was for him.

Perhaps this was karma. You were his most trusted friend. You understood him at best and at worst times, and you dealt with him when he was being difficult. You were with him at his side even when his brother got fed up with his arrogance. The amount of times you sat at the stairs on his porch, waiting for him to cool off were countless; even your company alone was salve enough. And not to even mention your beauty, you were the rare one that really caught Tobirama's eye, like no other woman has before. And yet, he pushed you away. Perhaps this was his punishment. The maker gave him a chance, a chance to be happy and content and have someone with him and he let it fall and shatter to the floor. Tobirama could only scowl, and he found himself in a sour mood ever since.

He wouldn't admit it but his heart was aching. Was this how you too felt?

-"Tobirama!"

You exclaimed. Shock written all over your features, the basket of fruit, fish and vegetables hooked onto your elbow. Neither of you knew what to say at first. Tobirama was just as shocked as you, regretting not using his sensory abilities to sense you and turn in another direction. Now that you two ran into each other his tongue felt dry.

Your breath stopped in your throat as you searched his eyes, his face for anything that could indicate some sort of reaction. Yet the only thing you found in his scarlet gaze was yearning, and then emptiness once he collected his racing thoughts.

"Y/N. It.. it has been a while."

He spoke, clearing his throat while his heart felt as if it was going to burst out of his chest. The clothes he wore suddenly felt suffocating and scolding. A tangible tension grew between the two of you.

"Yes. It has been...How have you been doing? I surely hope you are getting some proper rest, I heard there was quite a scuffle recently."

Trying to keep the conversation average failed. A frown became prominent on his lips as he only nodded, in a almost mechanical fashion, but didn't respond to the question. You caught his gaze flickering, only for a second, down to your ring finger. Where the silver ring was. A small gem held on the top of it. And you understood, in a way.

"Oh..."

A wind breezed past the two of you, but it didn't feel comforting. It felt chilling and hot and dry all at the same time, like raking hands that clung to the both of you. If you were paying just a little more attention to the Senju, you would've seen the sadness collect in his eyes. Even if his face remained cold and unreadable. His eyes gave it all away.

The conversation ended rather awkwardly with both of you wishing each other well and saying your goodbyes. So many things were left unsaid then. It wouldn't take Tobirama long after that quick encounter to really admit it to himself that he has grown feelings for you, that he was in love. Realizing a year too late. A year he wished he could get back so he could be with you instead of that man. A year that could make it all better, for the both of you. But no matter how many sleepless nights he had, no matter how much he wished and even prayed, he couldn't take your happiness away. He couldn't even dare do such a thing, couldn't dream of it.

Sometimes you would even worm your way in his dreams, his mind visualizing a future he knew he couldn't have. A happy one with you at his side, in a house different from the one he was in now, with enough space for the both of you and even another addition. No matter how much he dreaded those dreams, he let himself drown in the comforts of them even if for a moment. Letting himself experience what could have been. The phantom touches and plush kisses that soon turned to dust in his mouth when he woke. The image of you still dancing vividly in front of his sleep hazed eyes.

Other times he even found himself crying in those dreams, angry, bitter and regretful tears. Clinging onto you in his dreams, pleading to not wake up yet to make it all better. It pained him. That he couldn't have you anymore. You were now married to someone, and that someone wasn't him.

Tobirama saw how happy you were, genuinely. And he wasn't going to take it away just because of his own mistakes.

Now it was his turn to share the pain you went through. He accepted it all. It was now his responsibility. His mistakes.

[blisschi]

Hello, I hope you have a great day! May I request something? A scenario where female reader is madly in love with diluc but is too afraid to confess because she thinks he doesn't like her. Diluc on the other hand isn't confessing to her either bc he thinks she likes Kaeya. Muchos fluff pls q.q

I love u, keep being awesome ! ♡

Hello! 🌼

Thank you for all the kind words! I've never written scenarios before, but I decided to give it a try. I hope you enjoy it! 🌿🌷

🍃Drinking has its perks🍃

Pairing: Diluc x F! Reader!

Warnings: None

Notes: I'd appreciate letting me know if I did the scenario right! 🙏🌸

Okay, you promised yourself you'd avoid being around the red-haired winery owner.

And where were you right now? By the counter in Angel's Share.

You've been having kind od rough time lately, trying to accept that your love interest - Diluc, doesn't like you back.

Or doesn't like you at all.

That's what you thought at least.

He's been pretty cold towards you lately, what surprised you because at the beginning of your relation, he seemed to be pretty eager to get to know you better.

It all started when you fell for him and tried to ask Kaeya for advices.

Cavalry Captain would tease you a lot because of it, but he'd be happy to help eventually.

After two of you started spending more time together, Diluc started to seem a bit off.

Of course, he was jealous!

And why does it even have to be his 'brother' that caught your interest?

He started avoiding you.

He didn't want to even talk you, because every moment spent with you made him fall in love even harder than he already was.

And it hurt so damn much, knowing you chose someone else.

At first you thought he has a rough time, something happened at work or stuff, but after you saw him on the street and tried to greet him.

Oh god.

Pyro vision wielder has never been so cold.

It hurt.

Of course, the first thing you did was running to Kaeya, asking him what to do.

Both of you started meeting up more often, usually in Angel's Share, trying to drown your feelings in some wine.

But hell, it didn't work.

It even made it worse if you ask me.

Usually, you tried to keep sober, however this day was extremelly shitty and you couldn't help, but down a drink or two.

You rested your head on the counter top, sighing loudly. Diluc didn't seem to want to leave your mind today, did he? You were thinking about old days, when the two of you spent time together. You would just simply go for a walk outside the winery or for a trip to the city.

Where is it all gone now?

You didn't know. The only thing you could wish for is to forget. Remembering all this memories of him hurt more than broken heart. So how are you supposed to bear with both of them?

"Kaeya.. What am I doing wrong.." You whined, turning your head towards the Cavalry Captain. He was sitting next to you. Drunk as well, probably celebrating getting rid of some dirty tasks Knights of Favonius gave him.

"Be patient.~ Everything's going to--"

"I-I don't want to wait! I can't wait any longer!" You interrupted him, hitting your clenched fist against the counter.

You didn't want Kaeya's pitifull words. You didn't want to hear another empty 'It's going to be alright'.

"I want him now!" You exclaimed, bringing to yourself attention of nearly sitting drunkards. "W..why doesn't he like me anymore? What did I do.. Kaeya.. T-tell him I like him..! Tell him I want to spend time with him like we used to! I don't want him to find someone else while I'm hiding under the cloth and waiting for some damn miracle!"

You teared up, red blush spreading over your face. "P-please tell Diluc I like him.."

"He doesn't have to."

You widened your eyes, hearing the same familiar voice, that you dreamt of. Like a lightning, you shot your head towards the door and noticed him. The owner of the bar you were in.

He looked at you strictly, yet his eyes showed some kind of relief. You were scared. You didn't want the moment of confession to look like this, not here, not when you're drunk.

Diluc sighed loudly and put a hand to his temple. What should he do? He came to check on the business, yet the first thing he sees is his love interest, sitting next to his brother.

"Kaeya, get her home. She's drunk."

"Didn't you know Diluc? Drunk people usually say what they wouldn't say while being sober.~ As winery owner you should know that, don't you think?"

You blushed even harder, glaring at the Cavalry Captain in embarassment. You tugged at his sleeve, not wanting him to continue. Even though just a while ago you begged him for help.

"Is that so?" Diluc walked up to you, putting one of his hands under your chin, gently forcing you to look up at him. He wanted to get a closer look in your eyes, he needed to know if you're serious.

You blushes madly and shut your eyes closed, letting out embarassed whine.

"I-I'm sorry for making you dislike me.. I promise I'll never do it again, I-I- Please, give me another chance.." You babbled nonsense, not even knowing what you were apologizing for.

You felt a hand covering your mouth and when you opened your eyes, Diluc was already looking towards Kaeya.

"I'll take her home then."

You widened your eyes at the sudden statement and the next thing you felt, was him picking you up in bridal style. He turned around and let himself smile slightly.

He wanted you to sober up and explain your feelings properly, but first of all, he wanted to get you away from Kaeya.

"Have fun.~" You heard from the Cavalry Captain as Diluc took you out of the building.

Who would have thought, that getting drunk actually has it's perks?

[inskz]

lucky charm - lee minho

pairing - lee minho x reader

genre - college!au, best friends to lovers, very cliche fluff (lucky girl starring lindsey lohan kinda vibes???)

words - 4k

note - this is just a cute little drabble i wrote while im still waiting for my covid test results to come back so that i can leave my room and see the sun again 🤪 pls be careful everybody take care of your health 💚 enjoy!!!

- - - - -

“You must be kidding me,” you sigh when you see Minho’s hand has turned into a fist, his rock crushing miserably your scissors. Once again, you lost at rock, paper, scissors. And once again, you’re the one that is going to wash your best friend’s dishes that have piled up in is tiny kitchen sink throughout the week.

“Fuck that. This is so unfair,” you grumble, throwing the dishtowel in Minho’s stupid yet perfectly chiseled face.

You make a beeline for his bed, which is actually only a few steps away from the kitchen. Being a broke college student definitely doesn’t allow him to rent a spacious studio, let alone a two-room apartment. You throw yourself headfirst onto his uncomfortable mattress, whose springs always poke your back at night.

“Life is so unfair,” your friend mocks you, dragging out every vowel of his sentence dramatically.

No doubt, you would be strangling him at that very moment if you weren’t so busy playing dead, hoping he would forget about your pitiful existence.

But there is no way mister Lee Minho would miss out on an opportunity to have his gross plates cleaned by someone else. Grabbing onto your ankle, he drags you out of bed until you plop down on the dirty carpeted floor (Minho has the unfortunate tendency to procrastinate vacuuming too). At this point, you are fake crying, throwing a literal tantrum, like a 6 years old child would.

“Life is unfair!” you yell, your feet kicking in the air in pure anger.

At least it is to you. You can’t remember the last time you’ve been lucky. The only instance you got remotely close to it was when you found a four-leaf clover last summer. Well, only if you disregard the fact you stepped into dog poop  on your way to picking it. Oh and that you were wearing brand new white Converse. 

On the other hand, it seems like the boy has the whole crew of the Olympus gods on his side. Not one day goes by without his guardian angel manifesting its presence. 

Minho has always been the lucky type. The type to get an extra nugget in his box of 10. To find 20 dollars bills on the ground. To win every single Instagram giveaway he participates to (and lord knows how much he likes participating to them). 

But how can you be mad at him when he always happily shares his food with you, invites you to the restaurant without you even asking, and gives you his prizes, pretending he doesn’t need them? You don’t believe him when he says he see no use in a panda onesie or a waterproof bluetooth speaker. Deep down, you know it’s his way to silently love you. 

But well, you can still blame him for occasionally taking advantage of your misfortune to make you do his dreaded house chores, just like right now. 

Everyone thinks you are a bizarre duo. Even you can’t fathom how in hell you two became best friends, considering how awfully your first encounter went three years ago. 

On orientation day, he asked you for the time, probably because his phone was dead (or maybe because he was dying to talk to you?)

Without hesitation, you lifted and rotated your wrist so that you could see your watch. Little did you remember; you never actually owned a watch and you were holding a fancy 7 dollars iced coffee, which, of course, did not have a lid on because plastic is bad for the environment (duh). 

Minho couldn’t help but burst out in hysterical laughter when the whole drink spilled on your jeans. For your defense, you didn’t sleep at all the night before  since you were terrified of being alone in your new dorm room the first few days (weird stuff happens all the time in dorms, okay?). If he had asked you for your name, you probably wouldn’t even have been able to tell him. 

But Minho thought you were the funniest person on campus, and he really needed a clown like you to entertain him throughout his endless college semesters. That’s what he told you anyways. Not that he thought you were the cutest human being he had ever seen. 

Why would he when you are the literal definition of a mess: always having toothpaste stains on your sweater, bags under your eyes, messy hair, tripping and falling, missing buses, breaking things, losing stuff. 

Most of the time, you just forget your keys and Minho lets you crash at his place since he hasn’t got any roommate and he isn’t used to sleeping alone, especially without his cats. It surely isn’t because he loves waking up next to a very groggy but adorable you every single morning, no.  

Minho manages to bring you back to the countertop despite your reluctance. Positioned behind you, his arms trapping your body to make sure you can’t run away from your duties, he dips your hands into the soapy water, and you can’t help but squirm at the touch of an unknown substance sticking to a plate that has probably been soaking here for a week. You despise doing the dishes and your friend knows it.

You hear him giggle in your ear while he is playing with your arms like you are some type of marionette, making you to take the sponge and squeeze dish soap onto it. 

You’ve never been the kind to like proximity nor seemed to be Minho, but for some reason, you always end up glued to each other. You hate public displays of attention and pet names a little less when it comes from him. Or maybe you don’t hate it at all and actually crave it every single minute that goes by.

Before he has the time to come up with the Machiavellian idea to soak your pajamas in dirty water (because you know he would inevitably have at some point), you yank his hands off of you and start scrubbing angrily the dirty cups. 

Minho stays behind you anyways, observing your every move, his chin propped up on your shoulder like a curious little bird. To be honest, his presence is kind of getting overwhelming. But whatever, it’s not like his slightest touch makes your heart warm up in comfort or that he smells like fresh linen drying out on the porch of a cottage house on a sunny Sunday morning or anything. 

“You missed a spot. Here” he murmurs teasingly, his lips almost touching your earlobe, while he points at the handle of his hideous ‘world’s greatest dad’ mug Jisung gifted him last christmas. 

You know he has noticed the way you shivered violently at the feeling of his breath tickling your skin because he starts snickering loudly. 

“I swear to god if you don’t shut up and go seat on the couch, I’ll slap you so hard with this spatula you’ll regret you were even born,” you say, turning around suddenly to menace him with the plastic utensil. 

Of course, he isn’t afraid one bit. Right now, you really wish you could make the smug, but oh so attractive, look on his face disappear. 

“Alright, ma’am” he laughs, holding up his hands in surrender. “I’ll let you do your thing”. He lets himself fall onto his dingy couch. 

You can hear him humming one of his favorite songs above the sound of the water running. It would probably be getting on your nerves if his voice wasn’t so pretty.  

“Chan’s sick, so we’re not going to the gym tomorrow night. Do you wanna eat tacos? El Huero has even better deals than usual” he asks you, scrolling mindlessly through his phone. 

“Aren’t the deals supposed to be on Tuesdays?” You frown and scrub a little harder the frying pan Minho has burnt the night before while trying to make chocolate chips pancakes for diner, because why eat savory food when you can have dessert for every meal, right? It is one of the few advantages of living without your parents you both truly enjoy. 

“Yeah, that’s what I said. Tomorrow,” he yawns, probably exhausted after what you put him through last night. You forced him to catch up on the entire season of Love Island because you desperately needed someone to bitch with, and what better partner than Lee Minho.  

You take a quick glance at him and see him stretching himself across the cushions like a cat. You always thought there was something feline about his features. While you’re drying the mugs with the dishtowel, your mind wanders uncontrollably, thinking about his piercing eyes, his delicate nose, the corners of his lips that curl up a little… 

All of the sudden, your hands freeze. Minho is too immersed in TikToks to notice the stupor on your face. “Wait. Today is… Monday?” you stutter. 

Alarmed by the sound of your voice, his eyes finally leave his phone’s screen to look up at you. “Yeah” he repeats slowly as if you are the dumbest person he has ever encountered. 

And you truly are. You are pretty sure your heart has stopped beating. Minho’s “world’s greatest dad” mug you’re holding slips between your fingers and comes crashing on the floor with a deafening sound. The pieces are now scattered all around you, making you unable to make out what’s written on it anymore. Not a big loss, if you ask. 

“Y/N, you know that’s my favorite mug!” he exclaims, leaping up from the couch. “I’m sure you did it on purpose,” he mutters while he’s trying to collect the small fragments, in vain. 

But you’re too shocked at this very moment to pay attention to the glare your friend is giving you. To be honest, Minho has only two moods: glaring at you or teasing you.  

“My interview,” you finally manage to say, and Minho’s eyes go wide as he realizes the critical situation you’re in. 

You check the time on the microwave: 10:45. In 30 minutes, you’re supposed to be on the other side of town, being interrogated by boring businessmen that are going to decide whether or not you’ll be accepted for a paid internship in one of the most reputable music label of the country. Basically, decide whether you’ll live a happy and fulfilling life, working in the sector you’ve always dreamed of or end up miserable with a boring office job and a massive college debt. 

“Holy shit,” Minho whispers. You can see a wave of panic washing across his face for a split second, but, as always, he manages to find his composure back immediately. 

He has never been the kind to lose his cool, except to scold you when you forget the names of his cats and their respective coats’ color (which you unfortunately often did forget). 

“What are you doing? Get dressed!” He tells you when he sees you’re still standing there dumbfounded in the kitchen, like the famous Robert Pattinson meme, wearing an oversize Kermit the frog shirt with a dozen holes in it and his favorite Adidas sweatpants you always stole from him.

“No, it’s too late. I can’t make it,” you mutter, your breath short. You’re paralyzed, as if there is a 20lbs rock sitting at the bottom of your stomach, pinning you to the ground. 

This isn’t bad luck, you think. This is karma. This is what you get for skipping classes to watch telereality shows in your bed with your best friend and not even realizing it isn’t the weekend anymore.

“Miss me with that bullshit.” He runs to his closet and rummages through his drawers, throwing every piece of clothing that’s on his way to find an appropriate outfit that would fit you. 

“You’re gonna go do this interview even if I have to drag you all the way there.” He pushes you into his bathroom since you still haven’t moved an inch. 

You manage to brush your teeth and your hair, fighting through the nauseous feeling that is building up in your tummy. 

When you come back to the living room, Minho has found dress pants and a sweater that might not look utterly ridiculous on you. He lets you change in a corner, while he runs around the room collecting all your essentials. 

“You’re coming?” you ask him when you see he is already wearing his puffer jacket.  

“You really think I’m gonna let you go all by yourself when you’re literally not even able to put your shoes on properly”. You are, indeed, struggling with your laces, as if your fingers are suddenly made out of butter. 

Minho ties them up for you and you literally feel like he’s your babysitter. You know you’re gonna hear about this for months – what are you saying- years! But all you can think about at the moment though, is the fact that sneakers are definitely not appropriate for an interview. 

He throws your warmest coat at you, grab his keys, and by some type of miracle, you’re both out to the door in less than 10 minutes. 

You try to call the elevator, but Minho grabs your arm and leads you to the staircase. His hand never leaving yours, he runs down the stairs and you have no choice but to follow him as fast as you can. 

You can’t count how many times you missed a step and fell at this particularly slippery spot, between the 5th and the 4th floor, but weirdly enough, it doesn’t happen today. 

When you finally reach the ground floor, you exit the complex and Minho hops on his old and rusty bike that he had attached to nearest tree the night before.

“There’s no way I’m riding behind you on this death machine,” you laugh nervously. The memory of that one time Minho convinced you to seat into his bicycle basket (as if you could even realistically fit in it) and you both fell seconds after he started to pedal is coming back to your mind.

Sure, it was after a long night of drinking, you were both tipsy and it was the only way to get you home since you had spent all your uber money at the bar, but still! You’re pretty sure the bruise on your butt hasn’t disappeared to this day.  

“Hurry up,” Minho groans, ignoring your complaint. You unwillingly seat on his flimsy pannier rack and wrap your arms around his torso. 

You haven’t even left, yet you’re already holding onto his puffer jacket for dear life. A giggle escapes your friend’s mouth (which you think is very inappropriate in such a desperate situation) before he lifts his feet off the ground and starts pedaling. 

You try to ignore the loud squeaking of the bicycle drive by shutting your eyes tighter and rehearsing your introduction you have prepared over and over in your head. No matter how hard you are trying, you can’t remember what you are supposed to say just after your age (which, as you can imagine, isn’t really far into your monologue). 

By the way the wind is lashing your face, you can tell Minho has picked up the speed. His breathing is getting louder, his heartbeat faster and you can’t help but think you’re probably way too heavy for him to bike you around like that. Maybe he shouldn’t skip his gym sessions with Chan so often. Or maybe you shouldn’t have eaten the leftover pancakes for breakfast after all.

You find the courage to open your eyelids and are pleased to see you’re already halfway there, probably because every single one of the traffic lights you encounter is green, and your friend is going surprisingly fast. Is luck finally starting to smile upon you? 

Your mad race comes to a halt when you reach the address of your interview. You hop off the bike and so does Minho who, by the way, is a panting mess. He’s barely able to catch his breath, strands of hair sticking to his sweaty forehead, but he’s beaming at you when he realizes you’re just on time. 

“Go” he gasps, pushing you in the direction of the building’s hall. 

You walk up to the glass door but as your hands are about to push it, you pull a 180. Your friend sighs loudly, already knowing what’s coming next. 

“Wait. No. I can’t do this. I’m not prepared” you tell him frantically. “I’m freaking out. I think I’m gonna pass out.” You are now walking in circles, mumbling incoherently. 

“Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck.” 

Your heart is racing in your chest and your hands are getting clammy at the simple thought of failure. But guess what? You can’t fail if you don’t even try! One more good reason to just go back to bed and forget about your sad life for a good 8 hours, right? 

“Y/N, you’re the most talented person I know, you’re gonna do just fine” Minho catches you in his arm to stop your endless pacing. You would probably think this gesture is endearing if it wasn’t just meant to make sure you couldn’t run for your life.  

“No, I’m not. What if I throw up in front of everybody like that one time during the Romeo and Juliet musical?” You look up at him and his face is only inches away from yours. You’re sure you would be swooning at how beautiful he looks if you weren’t so terrified at this very moment.

“You were nine,” your best friend says, and you swear you have never heard him speak to you in such a sweet tone before. His voice is like honey and lavander but it doesn’t soothe you like it should. 

You manage to break free from his embrace to crouch down, in an attempt to slow down your breathing. If only you had data left, you could be watching those short relaxing videos on your phone. They always work. But no, you had to spent it all on online games, just one week into the month. You really are beyond help.  

“Y/N I know you’re scared, but if you miss out on this opportunity, you’re gonna regret it for the rest of your life.” Minho is lowering himself so that you can hear him, even though you’re curled up in a ball. 

“And I’m warning you, I won’t want to hear you complain about it,” he adds, this whole situation obviously starting to get on his nerves. 

If you were him, you would have probably left a long time ago. But this isn’t your best friend’s way of behaving. You know he would never abandon you no matter how annoying you could be (and you could be very annoying sometimes). After all, he is always the one holding your hair while you puke in the toilets when you had a couple too many drinks.

It takes all your willpower to stand up but there is no other way, you have to do it. You can hear the time ticking dangerously in your mind, as if your brain had turned into a clock.

“You’re right. Slap me,” you say, looking at him straight in the eyes, dead serious. 

“Wha -“

“Slap some sense into me. They do that in movies when people are panicking. It’s like throwing a bucket of cold water in someone’s face. But clearly we don’t have a bucket and we don’t have cold wa- “ you start blabbering. 

“What the fuck are you talking about? I’m not gonna slap you!” Your friend isn’t usually that horrified at the thought of beating your ass. In fact, he has felt the desire to rip your head off more than once, especially when you’d steal all the duvet at night, but at this moment he is just scared you might have actually lost your mind.  

“Just fucking do it Minho!” you scream, your hands clenching the front of his grey hoodie he always looks so divine in. 

Minho has never obeyed you, and this is not the day he is going to start. 

He puts both of his hands on the sides of your face and crashes his lips onto yours. 

You would be lying if you said you have never imagined the day your best friend would kiss you. It happens pretty much every single time you look at his cute pout a little too long. But one thing is certain, it isn’t like you pictured it to be at all.

You were convinced your heart would go so wild it would burst out of your chest and your head would spin so furiously you’d lose your balance. You thought your stomach would fill with butterflies to the brim and your whole body would be on fire.

But none of that is happening. On the contrary, every single muscle in your body relaxes under his touch. The way his soft mouth presses gently against yours makes you calmer, almost at peace amongst all this turmoil. 

Minho is kissing all your tension and stress away and you catch yourself letting a sigh of relief escape your parted lips.

As if you have kissed him already hundreds of times in your past life, Minho feels like home. He’s a safe haven you can always take refuge in during troubled times. Ever since the day you met, he has never left your side.

When he breaks away from the kiss, you notice your breath isn’t so ragged and your mind isn’t so foggy anymore. You’re serene. His cold hands are still cupping your face, slightly squishing your cheeks, and you feel like an idiot sandwich for asking him to slap you seconds before.

“That can work too, I guess…” you mutter.  

“You’re okay?” he asks, staring at you with the softest eyes you’ve ever seen.

You just nod, unable to say one more word, and sprint to the entrance, not wanting to make your interviewers wait any longer than they already have.

“Good luck!” You hear him yell just before the door closes behind you and you can’t help but grin from ear to ear.

- - - - - 

Thirty minutes later, you finally step out of the fancy lobby to find a very bored Minho leaning against a tree, patiently waiting for you.

“You’re still here?”

“Of course, I am,” he says, his mouth full of croissant. He gives you a large iced coffee he probably went buying to kill time. Your lips unconsciously curl up into a smile when you notice it comes from the same chain that the one you spilled on your lap on the day you first met him. 

“How did it go?” he asks you, sticking his buttery pastry into your mouth so that you can take a bite.

“Way better than I thought” you answer, right after you swallowed. You hate the way flakes would always get stuck between your teeth. But Minho is always there to warn you about it before anyone else notices, and even pick them for you if you can’t manage to, which, when you think about it, is kind of gross. 

There are two things the boy knows about you: you’re the greatest pessimist on earth and you’d rather die than admit you were wrong (especially if it meant he was right). So for you to even say it wasn’t that bad, means it went phenomenal. 

“I don’t want to say ‘I told you so’ but I told you so.” He smiles so wide you can barely see his eyes anymore. You have to look away, otherwise you know you might become instantly blinded by love.

“Maybe I could use some more of your luck” you mumble, staring at your shoes and kicking the red leaves that were surrounding your feet on this sunny autumn morning. 

“Really? And what makes you think I’ll share it with you,” he teases you, leaning forward to incite you to look at him in the eyes. 

“That.”

Your hand finds the back of his neck and pulls him in, in order to close the space that is still left between your mouths.

At first, Minho stiffens, taken aback by your bold move. But soon enough, he caves into your touch. He kisses you back fervently, like he means it. 

His fingers entagle in your hair, his arm wraps around your waist and his chest presses against your body. You’re melting in his embrace, submerged by a wave of bliss which he alone seems to know the recipe. 

It feels new, yet so familiar. Like it was supposed to happen, like it was written in the stars. 

He tastes like croissant and Americano. Like fortune and fate. 

And you can’t help but think you’re the luckiest person on earth.

Who cares about winning the lottery when Lee Minho is your lucky charm? 

[ninacarstairss]

Hello bestieeee :D How are u today? I hope u are living ur best life and are well<3

GUESS WHAT?

Yesterday,I finished RWRB!!! How can I even start to describe my love for this book? Hmmm I don’t think that I can put it in words but I’ll say whatI loved about it and by that,well,It’s pretty much everything. All the characters(except Philip the homophobic bitch,Richards the coward and um the Queen) were just so amazing and it was refreshing(yeah refreshing,don’t criticize me for choosing this word) to read about them and I learned so much from each one and there’s no doubt that they inspired in many ways.Tho I love all of them immensely,Henry and Alex hold a special place in my heart.The way Henry and Alex grew up through the book and let themselves to truly be the people they are at the end even after all the consequences they were ready to live with left me happy and hopeful.But I think that Alex and Henry couldn’t have been themselves one day in front of the whole world if they did not choosed to know each other and fall in love through this journey.Its beautiful to see how Alex who never expected to bond with Henry,was so grateful that he had the chance to do so.And there’s Henry who for so long,he had to pretend that he was someone else and live a life that was painfully untrue and unfair to his own feelings but he still managed to be the kindest and generous person that he could be and that,made my heart break but proud.I love them and lemme tell u,they are one of the most power couple and even THE power couple that u could possibly hope for. I love this two and If I want to find comfort,I’ll always look up to re-read some scenes with them(😏😎💕).What else?Ohh it was gracefully written and the way the characters expressed themselves was really relatable and I could see myself in them.There’s the plot who was entertaining and I just adored the aesthetic of this book(I mean the places that we saw etc).The whole story captivated me.RWRB is without a doubt one of my favourite books that I’ll eternally recommend(maybe not to my parents hehe cuz of the um spicy scenes👉🏼👈🏼,u know?).That’s pretty much that,I could talk about RWRB more but I know it will end up be a novel just about how much I LOVED IT. I can’t wait to read One last stop by the same author who made me feel countless of emotions in just one book.

P-S: Expect to see me posting(poems and the wonderful Chia already helped me giving me some ideas,aesthetics,drawings etc and maybe even a fic? Or a few?I’ll see). Alsooo,I’ll start SOA so lemme tell u if someone doesn’t mind to share my thoughts about this one and wish me luck for all the pain that I’ll be going through this one too).Why do I like pain so much?

Tagging some RWRB simps who I want to thank for bearing my thoughts and making me so excited for this book and hopefully I did not annoyed anybody: @shadowhunting-hooligans @carstairgray @gabtapia @niastormsanctuary-bolastairkanej @queen-born-out-of-fire @clarys-heosphoros

EVERYTHING YOU SAID. EVERYTHING.

ok let’s do this right i’m gonna try with a coherent answer—

hii bestie!! i’m fine and honestly now i’m even better because this ask just made my day and i read it twice because how could i not?? it’s literally exactly all i thought when i finished the book and i still think about all this 24/7, even after a month. this book is literally everything and it just stays in your veins.

and, honestly, you chose the perfect word. refreshing it’s exactly what this book is. except for those three horrible unnameable characters, all the characters were really refreshing and the relationships between them were so good and healthy that it was really refreshing. i loved alex and henry’s relationship, how it was developed and how it was built, it was so wholesome and it was definitely refreshing (yes now i clearly can’t stop using this word) to see so much communication and all this getting to really know each other inside out. and i totally agree, without knowing each other so well their story wouldn’t have been the same, they wouldn’t be so aware and so sure about going public and taking all the risks and consequences of that.

and their growth, both as individuals and as a couple, is amazing. the way alex is grateful to have met henry and how he learns to know himself better thanks to henry and how he learns to steady himself and slow down and the way henry learns to accept himself and learns that he deserves happiness, all of that without ever losing his kindness and his ability to love beyond measure even after years of being forced in the dark, always makes me emotional. they truly have some of the best character development i’ve ever seen, and it’s subtle and not rushed, and at the same time it’s so visible and tangible.

they’re definitely THE power couple and also THE comfort couple. seriously half of their scenes are the softest thing ever and they’re perfect for every mood. like, want to feel happy and laugh? reread the great turkey calamity or the karaoke scene. want to feel that sort of calm and soothing happiness? reread the scene at the beekman or alex’s speech at the end. want to get some serotonin? reread all their phone calls, email and texts. there are literally so many scenes i reread almost on a daily basis.

and i totally agree, the book was amazingly written, i loved the sceneries and even tho all these characters are probably the least relatable characters ever —considering one is a prince, one is the son of a president and the others are also involved in these spaces — they all end up being incredibly relatable, so much more than a lot of other characters i’ve read about. june and nora are also characters i loved so much because they were so relatable and so real.

rwrb is definitely one of my favorite books ever too and i can’t wait to read one last stop, from what i’ve heard so far it’s just as amazing!!

and i assure you bestie, you didn’t annoy anyone!! i loved reading all your thoughts and this last ask gave me life so pls do share your thoughts with the song of achilles too!! you’re gonna have to suffer and cry a lot there but it’s worth it, it’s really an amazing book. i’ll be here for moral support love 🧁🧁♥️♥️

anyway i hope you’re well too and having an amazing day, aside from the constantly missing rwrb part, because that’s gonna last a lot of time. ily and i’ll be waiting for more comments to cry and rant with you <33

[somethinginthethunder]

could you write friends to lovers goshiki x reader where he PINES AND PINES AND HE FEELS LIKE EVERYTHING IS HOPELESS AND THEN... kith. reader gives him a big fat kith kith (... tongue ? 😳) hehehehe... pls. he's so cute.

Author’s Note: Hi hi hi! Thank you for being patient!! AND THANK YOU FOR REQUESTING BC WRITING THIS GAVE ME LIFE. Ah, and apologies if it’s not what you wanted and/or any of the characters are ooc! I’ve never quite written for Goshiki before! Thank you <3

Shares and feedback are appreciated!

Word count: 2,089

Summary: Goshiki has been pining after you for years, but the more he thinks about it, the more hopeless he becomes.

Warnings?: uhhh i don’t think so?

---

“Goshiki.”

Said boy turned his head, pressing his lips together. 

“Y-Yes?” he shouted in response.

Ushijima handed him the ball, stepping toward him with an unbothered look in his eyes.

“Pay attention,” was all he said before resuming his own practice.

“Y-Yes, sir!” Goshiki responded, bowing in apology.

Damn, he thought. He shouldn’t have been so distracted.

But you were just there, stopping by the gym to greet your friend. You had waved your hand to him and called out, “Tsutomu!!” before moving on to get back to what you were originally doing.

Even just hearing his name from your lips took him out of the world. It was frustrating how you had him wrapped around your finger. But, then again, it made his heart flutter, too.

“What’s this?” Tendou hummed. “Looks like Tsutomu has hearts in his eyes!” 

“H-Heart... eyes?” he squeaked, almost dropping his recently returned ball.

Ohira turned his head. “It’s nice that you have a crush on L/n, but don’t let it take away from your playing, Goshiki.”

The bowl-cut brat didn’t respond, sighing under his breath in frustration. He didn’t even bothering trying to deny his feelings this time. 

They were right. He got distracted way too easily.

☆ ☆ ☆

“Y/n-san!” 

Both you and Goshiki blinked at the newcomer who had so suddenly interrupted your conversation.

“Yes?” you murmured, leaning back in your seat.

He looked very nervous. His hands were behind his back, yet you could still tell they were shaking.

“I- I like you!” he confessed quite loudly. 

The rest of the class went silent as they realized what was happening, pausing their conversations to look right at you.

The boy who supposedly had a crush on you presented you with a letter, sweating nervously for your next move. 

Beside you, Goshiki was trying not to show his jealousy and irritation. He gripped the end of his shirt and furrowed his brows as he watched you, afraid you might accept and/or reciprocate his feelings. Who did he think he was, just walking up to you like that?

Oh, but God, he wished he had those kinds of guts.

His heart began to tighten when he saw you take the letter, setting it in your lap and inspecting its quality. For some reason, though, you did not open it. Nor did you seem interested in doing so.

“Ah,” you said. “That’s very kind of you,” you smiled. “However, as I do not know you and do not want to lead you on, I’ll have to admit that I do not quite return your feelings. Thank you, though.”

Your confessor noticeably looked disappointed and embarrassed, nodding in response.

“Of course! Thank you!” he declared, hastily walking out of the room. 

Your eyes momentarily followed his retreating form, humming to yourself. How strange. That was the second time this week.

☆ ☆ ☆

“Don’t you think you’re being a bit blunt with them, Y/n?” Goshiki murmured, finishing the last bite of his popsicle.

He didn’t care much about how she was rejecting her admirers as long as she was rejecting them (selfish, perhaps?). However, this did instill a fear into him that she would react just as bluntly if she ever was told about his feelings for her. This also added onto the risk of losing their long-lasting friendship, which was one of the things he cherished most.

You laughed, which surprised him greatly. “I don’t know what he was expecting! I hardly knew him, and I don’t have time to go on dates that most likely won’t be worth my time since, y’know, I didn’t like him in the first place,” you said, your voice calming down. “Besides, he didn’t really know me either. He probably just thinks I looked cool during my games and liked the idea of me instead.”

“B-But you don’t just look cool! You are cool!” the raven-haired boy retorted. Jumping slightly at his outburst, you raised a brow in doubtfulness. “I mean, you’re one of the strongest girls on the volleyball team, you’re super smart, know how to read people super well, and even got in a good word from Ushijima-san! You’re one of the coolest people I know!”

His words had taken you aback, heat rising in your cheeks and a laugh bubbling softly within you.

“That’s sweet, Tsutomu. Thank you. But nonetheless,” you resumed walking away from him and to the girl’s dorms. “The odds still weren’t in his favor.”

☆ ☆ ☆

Goshiki could remember the first time he realized he liked you. Back then it was just a tiny crush. 

“C’mon, Tsutomuuu! How are you going to be an all-star ace if you can’t even match my spikes?” you whined, sitting next to the taller kid.

He was in a mood, grumbling to himself as he just couldn’t seem to get into the groove of playing today. You had both agreed to practice spiking with each other and a couple of other friends after school got out.

Noticing this, you placed a hand on his shoulder and leaned forward to grasp his attention. It was almost too close for his standards (but we all know he really didn’t mind).

“Oi,” you said. “You better not start giving up today just because you’re frustrated,” you scolded, talking down on him.

“Wha?” he asked, scrunching his nose to look at you, trying to hide the blush rising to his cheeks as you inched your face closer.

“You know what’s worse than failing even after you tried your hardest?” you continued, ignoring the looks your got from the rest of the kids. “Giving up before the game’s even ended!!” you shouted, patting his back firmly, receiving a soft ‘ow’ from Goshiki.

 “So stop sitting on the ground like the loser you aren’t and come try and beat me!”

You stood up, wiping the dust from your legs and offering him your hand. He cocked his head to the side like he was trying to figure you out before letting a smile spread onto his face. 

And suddenly, just by your words, he was on top of the world again. But it hit different this time. Because for the first time since he met you, butterflies began to form in his stomach.

☆ ☆ ☆

The more he thought about how great you were and how much he’s pined after you, the more he’d get discouraged.

You just seemed so out of his league and uninterested in having a romantic connection with anyone. Why would you ever consider giving him a chance?

“Tsutomu?” you said softly, waving your hand in front of your best friend’s face.

“Sorry, sorry!” he apologized, snapping out of it. “What were you saying?”

You laughed at his spaced out moment, leaning back against the tree you both sat by.

“Since I’ve been having a few more confessions than usual, I was wondering if you were going to try your luck on any girls, yourself,” you said, repeating your statement.

Goshiki’s face turned red for a second. “Oh,” he murmured. He already knew the answer to this question, yet still acting as though he had to think about it.

Pursing his lips, he said, “Well… I do like this one girl.” He hesitated, noticing your eyebrow raise in the periphery of his vision. “But I don’t think she likes me back.”

“Whaaat?” you sighed, leaning forward and resting your hands on your legs. You seemed very captivated by his admittance.

“There’s no way she doesn’t like you back! You’re a pretty cool guy!” you added, your brows knitting together.

“Ah, trust me,” he laughed lightly, scratching the back of his head. “She’s really cool. Out of my league, actually. I’ve liked her for awhile, too, but after all these years, I just don’t think she’s ever gonna like me back. Everyday when I see her, I pinch myself just to make sure I’m not dreaming. If I could just get to her level…” he trailed off, looking down at his hands.

You both stayed like that for quite some time. In fact, none of you said anything. This made him nervous. Oh, no, did you think he was weird now? Did you figure him out and now hate him? Why were you being so quiet?

“Tsutomu,” you finally said, your voice oddly emotionless.

He tensed slightly at the sound of your voice, preparing himself for whatever was going to happen next.

“Wh- huh?!” he cut himself off, taken by surprise when your hands began to hold his face.

For a fraction of a second he could see the soft smile on your face and the look in your eyes before you leaned forward and kissed him.

His brain stopped and his heart felt like there were fireworks going off inside. Panicked and confused, his hands shot up to yours, but he didn’t pry them away from his face. Instead, he rested them on top of yours, allowing you to press him up against the tree as he finally realized what was going on.

You were kissing him. 

Deciding that he couldn’t let this opportunity go to waste, he made the bold move of incorporating his tongue, which you gladly obliged. It was much less a battle of strength and more of an exploration of each other.

It was surreal being able to kiss you for the first time. The world was suddenly gone, and it was just the two of you. Nobody else in the entire world existed. Just you and him.

When you (unfortunately had to) pull away, you didn’t move from your spot.

Goshiki finally noticed that he was the one pressed against the tree, with you between him as you both held each other. His face was on fire, and his mind was racing so fast that he could barely remember his name.

“H-How did you know it was you?” he asked breathily, forgetting to breathe when you intertwined your fingers with his and brought them down from his face.

Again with that damn smile, you leaned back to get a better look at him. 

“I had a suspicion, but I didn’t act on it until you talked about the pinching thing,” you admitted.

“Wait, you noticed that? I thought you couldn’t see me doing it!” he replied.

“It was a bit noticeable after a couple of times. I didn’t exactly piece together that it was you pinching yourself, but when you told about how you did it everytime you saw the supposed ‘girl’, I put two and two together,” you answered, letting your thumb glide over his palm.

“Oh…” he murmured, his shoulders relaxing, though the blush on his face certainly didn’t. “Does this mean… you like me too?”

“Well, duh, silly! Why would I have my first kiss with you if I didn’t?” you chuckled, amused by his question. Though, of course, you couldn’t blame him.

“Ah, alright!” he said. He was nervous, but pumped up at the same time.

The two of you stood there in that position. It was almost as if you two were waiting for something.

“Alright, come on. It’s getting late and practice starts early tomorrow,” you said, releasing his hands and pressing a soft kiss to his nose before standing up (Lord help him, you just made him a hundred times softer for you). “Let’s measure our jumping heights tomorrow. Bet you can’t beat me,” you grinned, offering him your hand just like you did all those years ago.

“H-Hey! I’m the taller one, here!” he objected, attempting to shake off the light feeling in his stomach. He took your hand and pulled himself up. 

“So?” you countered. It sounded as if there were two meanings to the question, but you wouldn’t confirm, stuffing your hands in your pockets and gesturing for him to start the walk back home with you.

He caught on to your inquiry, stepping forward before stopping himself.

“Y/n!” he said confidently (though, in reality, he was more nervous than ever). He clutched his hands into fists.

Stopping in your place just a few feet ahead of him, you turned around. “Yeah?” you hummed.

“Would you like to go on a date with me?” he asked, almost shouting his offer. If he were any louder, the neigboring buildings might’ve had a chance to hear him.

You blinked at his question, your chest tightening and face heating up. Your surprise only lasted for a fraction of a second before you put your hands on your hips and gave him his answer.

“I would!”

---

☆taglist ☆

@shou-kunn @warmbearhugs

disclaimer: i would like to clarify that when goshiki is pinching himself, it isn’t enough to seriously harm himself at all!! i would not recommend it! it’s just enough to receive a response, and he most certainly doesn’t do it every time he sees you!

[flodaya]

Can I add something to the “straight gay” discussion?

There’s this YouTube video sketch that makes fun of this trope very well, and there is a line in it that goes “I’m not gay for me, I’m gay for you.” A movie like Love, Simon, is considered a bit of a gateway gay film, there to not offend or make straight people uncomfortable. To not be too much. (And some still thought it was)

In Queer as Folk & The L Word, (let me just say quickly, the rep is not the best in either), a character in each show becomes like a “gay guru” sort of thing for different networks, and it’s all fun and games until any of them dares to insinuate actual attraction for the same sex and the mention of having a real sex life, because to straight people they are only fun and quirky as long as they’re walking stereotypes, minus the actual sexuality part.

I do think that Isak works a bit as a gateway kind of gay guy. His sexuality isn’t erased, him and Even can still be attracted to each other. But I still feel he is there to make people comfortable, rather than challenge their ideas. Eskild telling him off that one time was really, really good, and I wish there was more of that. More stripping away of Isak’s obvious prejudice, and him embracing his sexuality in different ways.

Also, I wish they gave him queer friends. I’m not saying he can’t have straight friends, but most queer people do have other queer friends, because they understand you in a way your straight friends never will. And I think it’s just another example of Isak characters being written by and for straight people 🤧✋🏼

(I’m really sorry for this rant that makes no sense 🤧)

pls never apologize for these eloquent and exquisite rants

if you remember the name of the sketch pls do share (I somehow have an inkling I’ve seen it before, the quote seemed so familiar, but I can’t remember). And yes this “gay for you” thing definitely also translates into real life, I’ve had encounters with cishet ppl who I came out to who then treated my sexuality as their entertainment, wanting some trauma stories to paint themselves as the straight hero. like my lovey ex-roommate who constantly kept bragging about the fact that our other roommate’s whole family was homophobic and she was the only one who accepted her right away, and then she kept pushing me to share some sad coming out stories (which i just don’t have, thank god) bc she wanted to feel better about herself and be entertained by some dark queer stories

which I think media is responsible for, because queer characters way too often have at least one storyline that is connected to a straight character “accepting” them for the first time or something, or a storyline that is definitely for straight ppl’s entertainment

anyway, back to what you said: eskild’s speech is the best clip of season 3 and I feel like too many fans ignore the actual importance of it, it’s all “yeah [insert eskild remake] is so right” acting all woke and then immediately going back to ignoring any kind of rep that is pushing gender norms or includes stereotypes. and I can’t say that watching eskild’s speech once changed my internalized homophobic assumptions about the “right kind of gay”, unlearning these prejudice takes a lot more effort

I too would have liked for isak to have more gay friends or seek out gay communities bc I really don’t know a single queer person who doesn’t actively look for other queer friends. just another example where I think both druck’s and skamfr’s new generation have improved upon skam’s queer rep by having the queer character exist surrounded by at least one other canon (in ismail’s case somewhat canon) queer person who isn’t their designated love interest

[themulberrytree]

character sheet.

full name: Shallan Davar pronunciation: Sha-Lahn Dah-var (fuck IPA i am not doing that shit again)

nicknames: strong one (by hoid), love, dear (by adolin), storming woman (mostly by kaladin)

height: 5′6″ age: 19/20 (rosharan years) / 21-22 (earth years)   zodiac: gemini (donut ask me when her bday is i donut have a date yet) languages: (spoken/written): veden (native), alethi, azish, selay (moderate skill in speaking only) thaylen (reading/writing only).

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS.

hair colour: rich, deep red, only red. eye colour: bright blue skin tone: shallan is very fair, though she spends as much time in the sun as she can, so her face is dusted with freckles. body type: slim and slender. unlike the curvaceous body type often seen on alethi women, shallan is much smaller both in figure and stature. she could be mistaken for delicate, at first glance. as she spends more time training with her blade, her body becomes much more defined and muscular, but she will never achieve any kind of bulky muscles, she simply does not have the body type.

accent: her natural veder accent would be considered low, given shallan’s isolation out in the countryside. she can speak in a more posh (re: acceptable) accent, but she has little reason to do so. dominant hand: right posture: shallan has the posture of a perfect vorin lady, back straight and shoulders back at all times. when sitting, her freehand always covers her safehand, placed delicately in her lap unless she is sketching. when walking, her hands are clasped in front of her. she is rarely animated in her posture when speaking, and depending on her company, she works hard to blend in. when alone, shallan may slouch when studying, or do her work in a very unlady like fashion on her bed. if she trusts her present company, they may witness this lapse in acceptable posture, but only if she trusts them.

CHILDHOOD.

place of birth: jah kaved hometown: some hick town in the middle of the countryside. birth weight / height: 6 pounds, 3 ounces. 18 inches. manner of birth: natural first words: pa siblings: (all elder, all brothers) helaran, balat, twins: wikim and jushu parents: lin davar, and an unnamed mother, malise davar (step mother), all deceased. parental involvement: shallan remembers a somewhat happy childhood (although the likelihood of that being the case is up for debate). her mother taught her how to draw, and was in charge of shallan’s education in the early years. much of her early years have been forgotten due to the trauma of shallan’s witnessing (see: committing) her mother’s murder. she did not speak at all for half a year afterwards. from that point on, her father became overbearing, and with each year he was less of the man shallan had first known. he was violent towards two of her brothers and the servants, often scaring away tutors, so shallan’s education in those critical years was sporadic at best. her father demanded complete obedience, and any deviation on her part meant that a servant got beaten in her place. in order to spare them and placate her father, shallan worked hard to draw little attention to herself and obey. it was her father who also chose her devotary (purity) rather than her having the opportunity to choose for herself.

ADULT LIFE

occupation: she is the ward of jasnah kholin, having managed to convince the woman she was worthy of wardship at seventeen. after being taken in, shallan begins her education in scholarship, fine tuning her skills in making logic based arguments, study, and critical thinking.

on the shattered plains, she secures work with highprince sebarial as a clerk while maintaining the work in finding urithiru that she started with jasnah, and working to infiltrate the secret group known as the ghostbloods.

she latter assumes a more public role as a knight radiant, the first of the order of lightweavers in centuries. while her status as a radiant is known, she works very hard to keep her work covert. she deals in spywork and information, and uses her lightweaving to form disguises for herself and associates. she has also used her abilities to battle unmade, work oathgates, and help run reconnaissance in kholinar.

as highprincess, her duties would include helping manage affairs of the realm and detecting intrigue to better aid her husband.

close friends: lmafo what are those????? jk, her brothers, later adolin, renarin, kaladin, jasnah (sort of, more teacher/student) wit/hoid (when he’s around). relationship status: verse dependent, married to adolin kholin in canon financial status: her family is destitute, and shallan herself has little experience in personally handling money. that being said, she knows how to balance finances and plan expenses. when working for sebarial, she manages to secure a comfortable pay from him, her later marriage secures her financial security, though her status as a radiant could’ve done that too. driver’s license: she could probably drive, but would be terrible at it due to the fact that she’d keep lookin out the window. she has little experience on horseback, but can manage. criminal record: technically none yet, having managed to get away with murder twice. she had also stolen successfully from jasnah kholin.  

SEX & ROMANCE.

sexual orientation: bisexual romantic orientation: biromantic, could be polyromantic preferred emotional role: submissive (someone pls force her to accept comfort i am beggin) | dominant |  switch  |  unsure preferred sexual role: submissive |  dominant  |  switch  |  sex repulsed | libido: she’s basically DTF anytime and anywhere, and yes, i wish i were kidding, but she’s just horny on main. turn ons: she’s into more traditional kinds of attractiveness, people who look put together. but she really enjoys some kind of hint at wildness, hair that won’t quite stay, a kind of subtle ruggedness. post-battle disheveledness  is HOT. allow her to talk about her studies, things she’s working on or wanting to start, she’ll love that. don’t be afraid to talk about your own interests, she goes off on her own a lot, so she’ll want someone with their own hobbies too. be kind, be willing to grow and change and share. be there if she asks. laugh at her absolutely fucking awful jokes. on the more physical side, not being afraid to show affection in public. that spot on the neck below the ear? yeah, kiss it. leave a mark. kiss the inside of her wrist. do not be afraid to be rough with her, she’s not easily hurt and she doesn’t always like being treated like a china doll. go to town. BUT you must also be good at taking your time. tenderness is a good trait to have in every day life, but if you can translate that into the intimacy of the bedroom, give her a slow buildup, ur golden. turn offs: unnecessary rudeness, lack of independence. anyone who treats her like she needs protecting, or thinks she needs to confine herself in some way, for any amount of time. never laughing at her terrible jokes, or indulging her seemingly random curiosities. being a skybreaker. love language: physical touch is primary, but quality time and words of affirmation are also great. relationship tendencies: shallan has a tendency to fall fast. even when she’s telling herself to be careful and take things slow, it’s easy to pull her in and have her grow an attachment on a superficial level fairly early. she’s good about letting the other person lean on her for support, but she’s not so great when it comes to sharing anything deep about herself. she has a habit of trying to mold herself into what she thinks the other person would like, and clinging to that. if confused she might play around with feelings, though she’s not fully aware she’s doing it. she’s big on positive reinforcement, she’ll let you know if she enjoys your company, and when she’s invested in the relationship, she’ll look for fun ways to spend time with that person. she might attempt to appear more serious and mature than she is, but her silliness will slip out. when she loves though, she loves completely, and a distracted heart is settled once she makes a decision about what she wants.

MISCELLANEOUS.

character’s theme song: flowers, from ha.des.town iris, goo goo dolls moth’s wings, passion pit: this is more a general vibe. i picture it when shallan is in a creative spurt. sun, sleeping at last: for the same creation aesthetic. fire drills, dessa (for when she finally Snaps. and also some lines just really Hit)

hobbies to pass the time: drawing is the big one. she’s always got her sketchbook and something to draw with on hand. it’s an art she’s perfected and uses it both for her lightweaving, and to relax. she enjoys scholarship, exploring history is of a special interest, but taking a closer look at the local flora and fauna is just as fun. she’s naturally curious, so if something grabs her attention, she will want to take a look. she also enjoys discussing what she’s working on with other people, sometimes just so she can use them as a sounding board, but also because they might have insights she doesn’t. it’s very fun for her to explore ideas. she likes going on walks, exploring the area around her. just spending quality time with people she enjoys too. mental illnesses: Dissociative Personality Disorder is the big one. ADHD, PTSD, some depression. physical illnesses: None. left or right brained: right fears: CONFINEMENT. she fears vulnerability and relying others, but she also craves it quite a bit. she fears being understood completely because she’s certain there isn’t anything left to love if someone were to see everything. she fears what she can’t understand, and losing the people she loves, more than she already has. self confidence level: extremely low. she projects an air of self confidence, but frequently downplays her talents. she finds it completely astounding that adolin might actually find her attractive in any sense, let alone be interested in her as a person. her trauma and what she precieves as crimes has left her feeling hollowed out, because she is so terrified of someone really Seeing her, she works hard to hide those corners of herself from others and often feels like she’s failing at even that. vulnerabilities: shallan keeps secrets. too many of them. and she can often dig herself into a pit and struggle to get herself out, and even when she’s in that deep, she has difficulty asking for help. she doesn’t always think things through. her dpd can leave her particularly vulnerable depending on which personality is in control (veil in particular has trouble seeing the Big Picture). it’s easy to goad her into a fight (of the verbal variety) and she will stop at nothing to have the last word. if you have members of her family to hold over her, that’s a good tool. and shallan cannot resist a good mystery, that is a surefire way to pull her in.

tagged by: @luck-crowned tagging: @marblecarved (for mary, emma, or horace!), @melnchly (meg or ros), @minastiriiths, @arturiusrex, @gxtenoughnxrve, @ambiidexter, and @arborvitas

[madlymiho]

Could I please request hc on how the monster trio would react of their Fem!s/o trying to leave the crew for personal reasons? Maybe they have a past that’s catching up to them or they have some unfinished business and they’re just trying to run away from the entire crew and disappear? Pls and Thank you!!

Oooooh that’s sooooo heartbreaking, omg! I love this and I hate this, lmao, so many twisted feelings! 😩

Thanks for the ask, anon! And hopefully it will suit you! ~

Luffy :

• From the first second you have accepted to become a part of the Straw Hat, Luffy has always considerated that you were nothing but family

• Your dreams, your fears, your fights, he embraces them strongly, always willing to fight for you if you ever need his strength, ready to set the world on fire if you are in trouble

• Luffy shares this special link with you, and as your captain, but also your life partner, he wishes that you can fully open yourself to him, and have some faith in what he can do for you

• So Luffy can’t accept that you want to leave, even if he knows that must have some good reasons, and that you don’t want to hurt them all ; he knows that without any proves ; he trusts you with all his heart

• He decides to go after you, no matter where you are ; from the deepest prison to the highest mountains, Luffy, along with his crewmates, would show up and you better be ready to meet the most stubborn person ever

• Every time you try to explain him that you can’t follow him anymore, that you have unfinished business somewhere, and you don’t want him to get involved with your past, Luffy shakes his head and crosses his arm, offering you his brightest smile while he simply denies your demand

• “Yo go there, and I go with you. Remember? We are family.” Luffy says, putting his heavy and self-assured palm on your shoulder, just to remind you that you’re not on a lonely road anymore, and whatever you’d do, he’d be there with you

• He laughs and gently wipes your tears, knowing deeply how much you have been afraid of his reaction, and the fact that perhaps… He’d have leave you to your journey, which has always destroyed your heart and shattered your feelings

• You run in his arms, and Luffy is terribly ready to welcome you there, his embrace warm and reassuring, while he pats your hair with some awkward and so Luffy-like gestures

• He promises you that when everything will be over, he’d sail to that specific island you have always dreamt about, making sure that all of your wishes would become real one day

Sanji :

• As soon as you have entered Sanji’s life, the link between the two of you became very profund

• Sanji doesn’t really need to talk to you to analyze your feelings ; he knows when you’re up to something, and even more when this thing seems heavy and more than complicated

• There’s this sort of gleam inside your irises, or perhaps the lack of it, which only alarms him deeply on the fact that you’re definitely not alright, and there are reasons about it

• Yet, he doesn’t want to cross your boundaries at the moment, preferring to take care of you with his best medecines, keeping his eyes on you discreetly because he feels it ; you’re on your way, and you don’t know how to tell him

• So the night you try to escape from the crew, Sanji isn’t asleep, he actually waits for you on the deck, a nocturnal picnic ready for the both of you to share

• He seems serious, lazily smoking his cigarette while he catches your bag and puts it on the ground, asking you with a warm and reassuring voice to take a seat here first, and have some hot chocolate, fruits and sandwiches, before you go

• It’s his way to make you talk ; and since you are busted, you know that you owe him the truth, so you accept his offer, and for hours, as you can’t help but cry and shiver, you let it go and explain your story

• Sanji has always been a good listener, and since he doesn’t want you to act recklessly, he simply gives you his opinion and the matter, his fingers running on your skin while he gently pulls you against his chest, so you can have some reassuring cuddle time together

• He knows that you need to get rid of your past, but he also believes that you will need help, and what a better one but the people who are already on board, and ready to take care of you, no matter what you’re living at the moment

• A bit asleep after many hours of talking, Sanji lies you back on your bed, kissing your lips, making sure that you don’t need anything, before he heads to the boys quarter, cigarette trapped at the corner of his lips, eyes full of determination

• “Hey captain, can we make a detour?” Sanji asks, leaned against the door. Luffy smiles, because he already knows everything and was waiting for the cook to make his decision

Zoro :

• Zoro might be the kind of boyfriend to be a bit detached from you ; this is not because he doesn’t want to have you around, but he has his own activities on board, and most of the time it consists in training sessions, booze times, and nap times

• Around the others, Zoro likes to keep things casual, slightly embarassed when you require some physical contact, even if he becomes really clingy when you two share a bed at night

• You love him deeply… but you are so sure that he wouldn’t even care if you leave the crew, because his behaviors make you feel that he works this way ; if you are here, it’s for the best, but if you are not… He would get along with it pretty easily

• But you’re all wrong about Zoro… because despite his distant nature, he knows exactly when there’s a problem, and as Sanji, he feels that you’re on the edge of running away for some reasons

• He gets tensed because of it, and shows a slightly harsher nature towards you, because he anticipates your departure, and it makes him deeply concerned, but also desperate. He wishes that he could find the words to reassure you, but nothing come out, and the gap between the two of you becomes almost unbearable

• The night you run away, devasted, full of fears and heartbroken, you don’t even hear that someone is running after you, and a few meters away from the Sunny, you’re suddenly tackled on the ground, your back protected from the dangerous fall by a strong grip to rescue you

• Zoro looks at you with furious eyes, but there’s also so much love in them ; you feel his despair, all those words he couldn’t say before, written deep in his lonely iris, while he doesn’t let you go, catching his breath after his intense race

• “Where do you think you’re going, idiot?!” Zoro snaps loudly, pulling you hard against his chest, his embrace so strong that you’re almost breathless

• He knows that you have your reasons, that you must feel awful at this moment, yet he doesn’t let lose his grip, his body holding you intensely, until you melt under his touch and desperately cry in the crook of his neck

• He doesn’t say anything, his own throat too tight to actually find his words, but he starts to rock you gently, pressing dozens of his best kisses on every part of your skin

• “You’re stupid.” Zoro eventually growls, his voice broken by his own emotions. You don’t need to speak anymore, as he knows you, you also understand that he will take care of everything from now

[theharellan]

101 DRAGON AGE QUESTIONS | not accepting

for the sake of reducing the number of ooc posts i’m answering these all in one and just @ing the people who asked the questions! thank you for them all!

if you sent me one of these btw and rbed this meme yourself and i didn’t send you something, please let me know! i want to send you things back and must have missed you reblogging the meme. this includes non-mutuals.

1. How did you get into Dragon Age? | asked by @kaaras-adaar & @dreamerlavellan​

Sort of by accident, actually. It was the summer between my freshman and sophomore years in university (2011) and summertime is generally a time of inactivity and depression because I cannot tolerate the weather here. My dad happened to own Origins and I picked it up because??? Fantasy? RPG?

Starting the game I saw you could play as a dwarf, who have been my favourites in fantasy since a child as The Hobbit is among my favourite books. Then after that I fell in love with the worldbuilding for dwarves and Gorim, my first actual Dragon Age love. I was more or less hooked after that. DA was actually not my first Bioware game, I was obsessed with Jade Empire as a kid so like Origins appealed to me immediately despite being far less fun to play than literally any other Bioware game I’ve ever played. The characters and world more than made up for it.

I beat it relatively quickly and my dad bought Dragon Age II which had come out earlier that day, actually against my suggestion because I’d heard it wasn’t good. And in this instance my dad forgetting something I said turned out for the best because I ended up enjoying DAII more in some respects. While it took me a while to join the fandom as a content producer I was a consumer and certified DA trash from then on.

2. Have you finished all three games? | asked by @kaaras-adaar

Kskjdfs yes. I’ve beaten each at least 4 times, but probably more like 8. The only thing I haven’t played are some of the Origins DLC because as much as I enjoy my replays I am so ready to be out by the end of the game (and I have the worst luck with Awakening bugs) and I also don’t have Sebastians DLC b/c his never goes on sale individually and I refuse to spend more than like $4 on him.

3. How long did it take you to finish the series? | asked by @kaaras-adaar

I honestly don’t know. I think it took me like a week to beat Inquisition without 100%ing it, I’d say my first playthroughs all probably took about that long. I tend not to do everything in my first playthrough. Like shard collecting didn’t happen until round two, etc.

7. Favorite DA:O backstory? | asked by @dreamerlavellan & @fatefaulted

I’ve played through all of them and I enjoy them all except Cousland, but my favourite is Aeducan. I enjoy the politics, the culture, the aesthetic of Orzammar. I love Gorim Saelac and the surprising amount of depth to this character who is designed to be thrown away after the prologue. I love how it ties you to the Darkspawn threat in a bigger way than any of the origins accomplish. I love how it ties you to the Orzammar plot later in the game, and playing Aeducan first is probably one reason why I adore that branch of the game. It’s a good origin that establishes its world really well and has great characters to boot.

11. Share a pic of your favorite OC from any DA game. | asked by @dreamerlavellan

I just want to share pics of my girl and Solas’ future husband.

Ian Lavellan, non-Inquisitor written by @theshirallen

Thora Cadash, dwarven Inquisitor and default Inquisitor for this blog written by... me lmao.

22. Favorite DA2 party combo? | asked by @fatefaulted

My main Hawke is a mage Hawke, so this party is horrendously imbalanced, but: Varric, Merrill, Isabela. They all just like each other and I think that’s neat. Although in act one my favourite is probably Carver, Merrill, Isabela / Varric. Unfortunately the game doesn’t want me to have a warrior in my party.

24. Favorite main-story quest from DA:I? | asked by @kaaras-adaar

It’s hard to pick between In Hushed Whispers and In Your Heart Shall Burn. I love seeing the red lyrium’d companions and the dark future of Thedas, and speculating on what happened in the intervening year. I love reflecting on what it must do for the Inquisitor to see that and have it be undone. I think it sets up the rest of the game really well, and in ways Champions of the Just doesn’t do quite as well.

In Your Heart Shall burn is a simpler quest but I think the power and emotions in the quest are so raw. Playing this the first time was riveting and I was on the edge of my seat. The triumph of closing the Breach, the strangeness of your first encounter with Cole (whose appearance at the gates is another reason I prefer IHW tbh, I think it’s more tension building than Dorian’s), Corypheus, crawling through the snow. Capping it off with The Dawn Will Come and the journey to Skyhold idk, it’s just such an emotional high point in the series that every time I replay I get goosebumps.

25. Favorite DA:I place? | asked by @fatefaulted

It’s a tie between the Frostback Basin and the Emerald Graves. I love the lore in both, as elf trash I prefer the lore in the graves especially if I can include the Din’an Hanin into that category. But the Avvar lore and Ameridan is also Very Good, and while I adore the giant trees of the graves the Frostback Basin clearly was able to have more resources poured into its design, and as a result the different sections of the map have so much more character.

A close runner-up is the Hinterlands, as I think the quests there are fun and it feels like home. I enjoy returning to it. Which is good, b/c I’ve played through it... a lot... I think loving it might be a coping mechanism, but also I love the vibe of the early game that’s best captured in the Hinterlands.

32. Favorite DLC mission overall? | asked by @fatefaulted

Trespasser is up there with Shivering Isles as my favourite DLC ever produced. Its hits every emotional beat I think it needed to hit, set up the next game with greater detail and intrigue than the initial epilogue, and I’m honestly dying to get to replay it again on Thora despite what it does to my nerves. The first time I played it I could feel my heart beating faster like wtf me.

37. Blood magic: yes or no? | asked by @hopewrought​

Would I use it myself? No. Morally I think it can be reprehensible but also neutral, much like any other magic in the game. In certain characters I think even if used for good it may encourage unhealthy habits, but I think it can be learned to be engaged with in better ways.

59. Who was written really poorly? | asked by @theshirallen you can’t hide behind anon I know it was you

Oghren fucking Kondrat. When I think about the reasons Origins is my least favourite game he is among them. With Oghren there was a really good chance to portray an alcoholic abuse victim, suffering from severe mental health issues, and still mourning his wife, with the respect it deserves. Instead he just... is a gross sexist dwarf and his alcoholism is mostly played for jokes. And then he comes back in Awakening and... continues to be a gross sexist dwarf whose alcoholism is mostly played for jokes.

There could have been some really interesting stuff with Oghren, the Warrior caste of dwarves I think would suffer from issues similar to qunari warriors, where when they can no longer fill the purpose society has dictated they must serve, what then? They can’t do anything but fight. There could be comradery with Sten, or perhaps Zevran or Alistair, or any of the companions who have had the path their lives took dictated to them by societal forces they had no say in (even if they are happy with that direction). There are snippets of good stuff in here, the line “let us show them our hearts, Warden, and then show them theirs” is one of the best of the good-byes the game offers us imo. It’s a shame about what came before.

Like there are other characters, such as Sera, who I think were done dirty by their writers, but Sera at least got some growth in the DLC and there were attempts to address criticism of her character. Oghren in Awakening was just kind of a take two of an already poorly-done arc.

60. Who do you wish had been given more story? | asked by @hopewrought​

I wish Briala had more, like that she had some impact on the story in universes where Gaspard isn’t crowned with her as his puppetmaster. She and the elves reappears in that but not if you reunite her with Celene or exile her, and I think it would’ve been neat. I also wish she’d had a chance to interact with Solas in some small way given how many parallels were drawn by one of his own agents during Masked Empire.

I also wish we had more about dwarves in general in 2 and Inquisition. We get some great lore in Inquisition that was set up in 2, but with our only dwarf companion being Varric, who honestly has a relationship with his race that at times is comparable to Sera’s, it pulls a few of its punches. I really think they have dwarves set up to be important players in the next game, with their architecture featuring heavily in the dev diary, buuut no dwarves to be seen. So who knows. Just give me dwarves in the next game who aren’t Varric Bioware pls. Let me kiss one maybe.

61. Favorite NPC? | asked by @kaaras-adaar​

I’m not going to count advisors even though they kinda are NPCs and I’m going to answer one for each game so uhh...

Origins - Anora

DA2 - Feynriel

DA:I - Krem

Bonus - Lord Woolsley, the only unproblematic DA character

63. Best story moment? | asked by @ghilannainguideme

It’s a tie between the journey to Skyhold and the talk with Solas at the end of Trespasser and the resulting disbanding of the Inquisition (if you so choose). I really can’t separate them because I think the reason Trespasser works so well is how it calls back to the very beginning of Inquisition and that moment with Solas in the snow. It’s triumphant and sad, something’s ending, the fellowship is breaking, but you know all of you will continue to work towards a better world apart.

In DA:O I think it’d be saying good-bye before the final battle and in DA2 I think the moment where you can tell the Arishok he was right to take in the elves who killed that guardmen is good. Probably one of the reasons why I think Hawke-Arishok work so well as a protagonist-antagonist combination.

81. Favorite fanfic? | asked by @ghilannainguideme​

I don’t read a lot of fanfic, actually. Save what I read on here, which I do count, but idk if other people do.

My favourite writers to read are @theshirallen​, obviously. Joly wants to tweakIan’s personal quest but I think the version they have written now is still very good and you can find it here. I love reading Peace’s stuff and find their smut especially spicy in the best possible way, you can find a Merrill/f!Mahariel piece here! Gaia doesn’t write on Tumblr much these days, but she wrote a wonderful Tug/Sketch (the companions from Leliana’s Song) that you can find here.

I follow so many talented writers and I can’t list them all but here are a few I can fire off real fast: @theshirallen / @ghilannainguideme / @seahaloed / @sabraelin / @valorcorrupt / @mercysought / @hopewrought / @ofrevas / @skyheld have all moved me with their words at some point, be it in fic or rp.

82. Favorite fanart/fanartist? | asked by @ghilannainguideme

Again I just can’t choose jsdfks.

The easiest way is to just link my Solas fanart tag. Obviously this favours Solas artists, however, so also here’s a link to thedaswlw where there’s a boatload of amazing fanart all of wlw.

Of people I’m mutuals with I know @abracafockyou, @kaaras-adaar, @dalathin (currently inactive but I gotta link them), and @syntharts​ are all very talented artists.  I’m also a big fan of destinyapostacy, nipuni, elbenherzart, starscollected (on twitter), and many more.

97. What’s your favorite DA mod? | asked by @ghilannainguideme​ & @hopewrought​

I’ll chose one as many as I want to apparently from each game again, b/c why not?

DA:O - I have to admit I find this game hard to mod because nothing can really salvage the gameplay or look of the game. I need Better Dwarf Model so I don’t have to look at the odd dwarf proportions in the game (the women have arms for days). Mostly I have armour mods. I like Grey Wardens of Ferelden so I can match Alistair in the final batte and have everyone in uniforms in Awakening. I do like Kirkwall Exports because I can put Zevran in the robes of the notorious pirate tho. I haven’t used this mod yet but I also love this mod I retweeted this morning.

DA2 - Again, I don’t mod 2 very much. You could probably make some kind of chart for correlating my enjoyment of a game versus my urge to mod it, with the more I love a game means I want to mod it more. With 2 I enjoy the combat and overall design of the characters more so I mostly use a couple of tweaks, my favourite is Ishs Scarf for Merrill which just adds a cute blue scarf to Merrill and hides the fact that elves in this game have weirdly long necks. Oh and a mod to fix the weird hand dirt.

DA:I - Equal Opportunity Solas mod, I bought the game again on PC just to use it. Being able to play Solas/Ian for screencaps was everything tbh. Other mods I enjoy are More Banter, which while I have better luck with banter it is nice to be able to count on it. I installed it this latest pt and I have heard location comments that have never triggered before. Black Hair for Everyone has changed my life because finally Thora doesn’t have grey hair. No Dirt Buildup is also amazing, as the dirt can cause some really weird blotting on PCs that’s especially noticeable on dark-skinned Inquisitors.

99. Where would you live (Ferelden, Orlais, Free Marches etc?) | asked by @heysales​​

Probably Ferelden. It is fantasy England and hey if I make it past Inquisition maybe nothing will ever happen there again. Somewhere in the Free Marches might also be chill. Not Kirkwall. Maybe Starkhaven? Honestly tho I just want to live in the Frostback Basin. Have a spirit friend. Shake hands with nugs.

101. If you could meet your Warden/Hawke/Inquisitor, what would you say? | asked by @dreamerlavellan​

If I met Thora I’d tell her I’m proud of her. She’d be confused, but that’s ok.

[obstrucct-m]

You know I’m required to put Rio and Piers for the ship meme-

Ultimate Ship Meme ♫ @galaxciaas​ ♫ Accepting

General:

Rate the Ship -   Awful | Ew | No pics pls | I’m not comfortable | Alright | I like it! | Got Pics? | Let’s do it! | Why is this not getting more attention?! | The OTP to rule all other OTPs

How long will they last? - Despite their difference in personality, they totally balance each other out and do plenty to support each other, so I can see them lasting quite a while~

How quickly did/will they fall in love? - They spent quite a while as friends (despite Piers’ initial aversion/reluctance to being friends with her). On Piers’ end, it took a long time & a whole lot of thinking to unjumble his feelings for her, as he’d never really experienced something like this before. He might’ve written a few songs about her already by then... But once Rio confessed to him after a battle in the Galarian Star Tournament, he finally felt confident enough to return the confession.

How was their first kiss? - Surprisingly, it’d been Piers who made the first move after one of his concerts where he’d finally preformed one of the songs he’d written for/about her as the final song. He wound up kissing her not too long after they met up after the show.

Wedding:

Who proposed? - Piers did~ He was essentially rambling for most of it, but he did eventually get the words he needed to say out. 

Who is the best man/men? - Likely Raihan.

Who is the bridesmaid(s)? - Maybe Nessa and/or Sonia..?

Who did the most planning? - They shared in the planning~

Who stressed the most? - Piers might’ve seemed fairly chill, but this man was internally screaming.

How fancy was the ceremony? - Back of a pickup truck | 2 | 3 | 4 | Normal Church Wedding | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Kate and William wish they were this big.

Who was specifically not invited to the wedding? - Hm, probably no one? They both get along well with the other Gym Leaders & such.

Sex:

Who is on top? - Piers is a switch, so he’d be fine being on top or bottom.

Who is the one to instigate things? - It depends on the circumstances, but I can see either of them instigating, but it’s a bit less likely for Piers to instigate since he’s still a bit shy when it comes to intimacy. But I imagine he has his moments of instigating.

How healthy is their sex life? - Barely touch themselves let alone each other | 2 | 3 | 4 | Once a couple weeks, nothing overboard | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 

How long do they normally last? - I imagine they last an average amount of time. 

How much cuddling/snuggling do they do? - No touching after sex | 2 | 3 | 4 | A little spooning at night, or on the couch, but not in public | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | They snuggle and kiss more often than a teen couple on their fifth date to a pillow factory.

Children:

(Went with Janis for this~)

How many children will they have naturally? - if we’re basing this just on Janis, one.

How many children will they adopt? - I think they’d be fine with Janis for the time being, so none.

Who is the stricter parent? - I can neither of them being too strict with her as they both seem like they’d be chill parents.

Who stops the kid(s) from doing dangerous stunts after school? - Both, even though Janis isn’t that kind of kid.

Who remembers to pack the lunch(es)? - Rio and she’s always sure to add a cute little encouraging note in it~

Who is the more loved parent? - Janis loves them both equally, but finds herself relating a bit more to Piers.

Who is more likely to attend the PTA meetings? - Rio since Piers still likely wouldn’t be a fan of being a group of people where Socializing is required. Plus, he’s just kinda nervous about how the others there might perceive him. But if he has to, he’ll go, especially if Janis says he should. He’ll do anything for her, after all.

Who cried the most at graduation? - Let’s be honest, Piers might look like he’s not when they send her off on her Pokemon journey... but he is.

Who is more likely to bail the child(ren) out of trouble with the law? - Even though Janis isn’t a troublemaking kid, Piers totally would.

Cooking:

Who does the most cooking? - I imagine Rio does, but Piers totally helps her if she needs any.

Who is the most picky in their food choice? - Gotta say Piers because sensory issues.

Who does the grocery shopping? - I can see them trading off who does the shopping. Like, Piers does it one day and then Rio does it the next day. But they do go together every now and then.

How often do they bake desserts? - Mostly just for special occasions, like holidays and birthdays. But they will attempt baking just because they felt like it sometimes, and plenty of shenanigans ensure. But it’s usually a good time when they bake together, with music playing in the background and their Pokemon sometimes helping out.

Are they more of a meat lover or a salad eater? - I imagine a mix of both, especially since Piers is trying to eat heathier.

Who is more likely to surprise the other(s) with an anniversary dinner? - Piers being the romantic person he is, he’ll totally surprise her with it. It likely won’t be anything extravagant, but it’s clear he tried his best.

Who is more likely to suggest going out? - Piers, because it’s what he did the most before getting with Rio, and it’s become sort of a habit for him. But he is trying to get better at actually cooking things. 

Who is more likely to burn the house down accidently while cooking? - ...Piers because this man does not have the best cooking skills. 

Chores:

Who cleans the room? - Both.

Who is really against chores? - It’s not that he’s against it, it just that executive dysfunction tends to kick in whenever Piers has to do them. So, it takes a while for him to them. Rio is super understanding of this.

Who cleans up after the pets? - They clean up after their respective Pokemon, so both.

Who is more likely to sweep everything under the rug? - Tbh, I can see Rio doing this...

Who stresses the most when guests are coming over? - Piers might not look like it, but he’s internally screaming whenever guests have to come over.

Who found a dollar between the couch cushions while cleaning? - Rio~

Misc:

Who takes the longer showers/baths? - Have you seen Piers’ hair? It takes forever for him to wash it, so he takes the longer showers about 90% of the time. Rio always comments on how fluffy it gets once it’s dried, too.

Who takes the dog out for a walk? - I imagine they both take their Pokemon out for exercise together~ It’s quite the sight to see, considering the difference in Pokemon. cx

How often do they decorate the room/house for the holidays? - I imagine they start a few weeks before Christmas, but it’s nothing too excessive. You got the Christmas tree, lights hung up here and there (inside & outside), etc. Simple decorations, but really adds to the atmosphere~

What are their goals for the relationship? - Just to support each other (& that includes each other’s towns) & help each other improve in personal aspects. 

Who is most likely to sleep till noon? - These two have a bad sleep schedule in common, so usually it’s both 

Who plays the most pranks? - Tbh... Piers does most of them, but Rio does get back at him. And then it’s just a cycle of them pranking each other.

[khadij-al-kubra]

Ticklish

Pairing: Logince (platonic or romantic)

Characters: Logan, Roman

Words: 1411

Author’s Note: A short fic I wrote a while back based off this post. I realized i’d only written/posted it in the reblogs, so i thought i’d make it’s own post.

AO3

It had been a rare quiet afternoon in the Mindscape. Roman was off on one of his quests in the Imagination, Virgil was holed up in his room, and Thomas had summoned Patton to help him with a social event. So Logan had chosen to take advantage of the peace to curl up with a good book.

Today’s selection was a variety of science fiction short stories from “The Time Traveler’s Almanac,” a favorite of his. He has been captivated by a Ray Bradbury story but paused in his page, taking a moment to enjoy the delicious solitude. The sun shone through the living room window, the thermometer was at a comfortable temperature, and he was halfway through a cup of jasmine tea. Logan took a deep content breath and smiled. So peaceful…

SLAM

“I’m baaack!” sand Roman, bursting through the door. “Did you miss me?”

Logan groaned. ‘So much for peace and quiet.’ “Greetings Roman. I take it your ‘quest’ went well?” he asked, attempting to be polite.

Much as the creative side aroused his ire, the four of them did live under one roof. It was wise to attempt maintaining some semblance of civility.

“Why of course. I always emerge triumphant! Still, it is good to know that I was missed,” Roman smiled, his teeth practically glinting. “So, did i miss anything? Where are padre and the stormcloud?”

“Patton is busy with Thomas and Virgil is in his room. I meanwhile have been here reading all afternoon. Nothing of note happened in your absence, other than the interrupted quiet upon your rather boisterous entrance.”

Logan adjusted his glasses and gave Roman a pointed look. Apparently the creative side didn’t get the hint. Instead he chose to plop right next to Logan on the couch. Rather close might he add.

“Oh hush sub-astute teacher. So,” Roman leaned over Logan’s shoulder to peek at the page. “Whatcha reading anyways?”

“A science fiction story,” said Logan.

“You? Fiction? That seems out of your realm.”

“I’m not opposed to delving outside of my usual genres from time to time. Besides, I happen to appreciate well written prose.”

“So what’s it about?”

Ordinarily Logan would take any opportunity to share knowledge with someone else. However he has rather enjoyed his previous solitude and frankly wanted to just get back to reading in peace. Besides, he was just getting to the good part when Roman had popped in. Nothing worse than being interrupted during the big climax.

“Roman, if you’re so curious I shall lend you my book later. For now though I’d prefer to get back to the story.” Logan lifted the book up to his face.

“AWw come on Logan! Just tell me.”

Then Roman poked him in the side. It was only a light finger jab, but it had been right beneath Logan’s ribs, a.k.a. his hidden proverbial Achilles Heel. Before he could hold it in, Logan let out a giggle. He shut up and sat up straight as a meerkat. Too late. Roman had heard.

“What was that?”

“Nothing!” Logan cleared his suddenly high voice. “Nothing at all.”

“Logan…are you ticklish?”

“……no.”

Logan slowly turned to Roman. To his dread the creative Prince had the most villainous grin plastered to his face. He let out an ominous giggle and held up his fingers, wiggling them in front of the logical side’s flushed face.

Oh no.

Logan didn’t need Virgil around to know his fight or flight reflexes were kicking in. Fast as he could Logan fled from the living room, Roman tailing behind.

“STAY AWAY FROM ME, FIEND!”

“I’m gonna getcha Logan!”

“Nooooo!”

Roman chased him around the kitchen. He chased him up the stairs and past the bedrooms. Logan almost lost him outside the bathroom when he slid under tho taller side’s legs. Logan had considered shouting to Virgil for help, hoping that the anxious side would surely come to his rescue against a common enemy. However when he passed Virgil’s room he could hear music blaring loudly from the other side. Not the usual kind that signaled Virgil was having a panic attack, but even so there was no way he’d be able to hear Logan. Just as Logan was debating on whether or not to slide down the banister he felt Roman wrap his arms around his torso. Roman pulled Logan away from the stairs and then…oh the torture.

“Tickle-tickle-tickle!” said Roman as trailed fingers lightly up Logan’s sides.

Logan couldn’t fight against the ticklish sensations. They set him into a racoucious laughter that left him breathless. He felt himself sinking to the floor beneath Roman’s phalangial assault, taking the princely side down with him.

“Ro-ro- ROMAN! HA! P-pl-PLEASE AHA-HA!I ca-can’t BREATHE!” Logan laughed, tears running from his eyes. “Plea- STOP!!”

Mercifully so, he did. Logan fought for air, taking several deep breaths. Finally, after a trail of weak laughs, Logan was able to compose himself again. He glared at Roman fiercely. He despisedbeing tickled! Not only was it an awkward sensation that forced him to show laughter when nothing was amusing, but it made him lose all sense of composure. It was rather embarrassing.

“Don’t ever do that again!” said Logan, his tone pencil sharp.

Roman winced. His face shifted from amused to genuinely sorry. Logan almost felt sorry for his harsh tone.

“I…I’m sorry Logan. Truly,” said Roman, his voice soft and hesitant. “I didn’t think you’d mind that much.”

“Well i do.”

“Patton usually likes it when i have tickle fights with him.”

“I am not Patton.”

“No…you’re right. I-I am sorry Logan. I just…really needed a laugh after my last quest. And ordinarily I go to Patton for that, or even Virgil if I can rope him into playful banter. I did not mean to violate your personal space in such a way. It was…wrong of me.”

Logan could hear the genuine remorse in Roman’s voice. He took a deep breath. “…Apology accepted Roman. Just…don’t ever do it again.”

“I promise!” Roman held a hand over his hear and raised his right hand as well.

They sat on the carpeted floor for a while in silence.Ironic given that was what Logan had been trying to regain in the first place.

“You know,” Roman said , looking at him with a small smile, “you have quite a nice laugh. Shame I so rarely get to hear it. Truly.”

Logan didn’t understand why his face suddenly felt warmer. Perhaps it was a side effect of being tickled. Still, he cleared his throat before responding.

“Well…thank you Roman. That’s flattering, i supposed.”

“So,” Roman lay on his side looking up at him. “What was that story you were reading about anyway?”

“Oh. Well, it was, in short, a story exemplifying the repercussions of the butterfly effect. Quite good actually.”

“Sounds like it. Would you…” Roman looked away, blushing. “Would you read it to me?”

Logan stared at him baffled. “Why would you wish to read with me?”

“Honestly? Because, like i said, it was a difficult quest. One that had left me tired and, well, rather down. And the two things i need most to make me feel better after something like that is a) a good laugh, and b) some peaceful relaxation. And i can think of nothing more peaceful that hearing you reading aloud. Unless…you’d rather be left alone.”

Something in Logan softened at the sincerity of Roman’s explanation. It was only then that he realized just how drained the other truly looked.

“I supposed that would be an adequate way to spend the remainder of the day.” Roman sat back up, beaming at him. “However, notickling. Do not even entertain the thought.”

“You have my word!”

So they went back downstairs and sat together on the couch. Logan picked the almanac back up and went back to the beginning of the story so he could catch Roman up on the tale. As promised, Roman did not attempt to tickle Logan again. However, he did lean against Logan’s side as the logical manifestation read aloud in a soft yet steady voice; a gentle smile of easement resting upon his handsome face. To Logan’s surprise though, he didn’t mind. He still had the light shining gently through the window, a freshly brewed cup of tea, a good book and comfortable quiet. Perhaps, he mused, solitude wasn’t necessarily needed to feel at peace.

General Tag List: @quoth-the-sparrow @altruistic-skittles @em-be-lievable @justisaisfine @broadwaytheanimatedseries​ @thekeytohappiness-is-you @jynxlovesluck @queer-human-being​ @phlying-squirrel @ab-artist @grey-lysander @a-valorous-choice​ @xx-fandom-potato-xx @impatentpending @book-of-charlie @randomslasher @tinkslittlebelle @insanelycoolish  @ironwoman359​ @icecoldparadise @bluebloodstains @purpleshipper​ @patchworkofstars @axyzel @hissesssss @beautifully-terribly @pink-and-purple-flowers @thatsanswitch @6tick6tock6 @hanramz-the-fander @azlinne @helplesscreator @thestoryofme13 @bibbidi-bobbity-booyah @accidental-sanders @moonstone-fox​ @smokeyrutilequartz @madly-handsome @puns-and-patton​ @notveryglittery @eequalsmcscared @safesandersides​ @lizziepopanime @anxiously-unsatisfied-world @unikornavenger @fuck-my-life-i-want-food @backatthebein @mephonic  @paperghastly @ravenclawangst @iamtrashcans​ @loganberrysanders @icequeenoriginal @ierindoodles @a-new-witch-in-learning @punsterterry @your-average-pangirl  @goldteethandacurseforthistown  @dragonsight9​ 

[thegeminisage]

ooooh i'd love to hear G, I, J, and M for the ask meme! (I also want to ask about K but i'm genuinely afraid for the answer)

BLESS YOU it was so sweet of u to send me this many

G: Care to share a favorite crack fic?

as a rule i don’t do crack exactly but my favorite funny fic is…from marvel, and It’s The One About The Cow. if you were even vaguely into the fanfic scene post winter soldier, i promise you have read it. here it is. the author sure does have a way with words, i wonder whatever happened to her

I: Do you have a guilty pleasure in fic (reading or writing)?

i do but i don’t know what to call it or how to describe it. in fanfic there seems to be like…a tag for every genre/trope but there is not one for mine! but anything that’s like really super emotionally intense or fraught without being out of character or turning someone into a woobie - for instance, a demon and a hunter fall in love despite the fact that they should hate and fear one another, or a werewolf and a hunter, or a mage and someone who abhors magic, or a sorcerer and a king who banned sorcery…i just listed like half of my otps i’ve ever had and i still haven’t gotten it across quite right, but you get the idea. i love Heavy Shit and Exploration Of Trauma and Reluctant Emotional Vulnerability. sometimes people tag this with hurt/comfort but as a rule i really hate h/c particularly because of woobism so ??? what’s the tag for that, no one knows 

J: Write or describe an alternative ending to [insert fic]. + K: What’s the angstiest idea you’ve ever come up with?

im gonna cheat a little and combine these two because the best alternate idea & angstiest idea are the same one. it’s the au for cambion in which jesse does in fact ditch ben and claire at the roadhouse and never sees them again and sam and dean stay in purgatory for all 50 years, eventually coming back to bobby’s to find an aged ben and claire still living there, married, having never expected to see them again. i have a post about it here but here’s an excerpt: 

it’s just ben there alone. and he’s MOVED ON, he’s given up on this, he’s accepted he’ll never know why or how, and he’ll never see them again, and he grew up and he did good without them, and suddenly they’re HERE, and this old man all arthritic and wrinkled with age is a little bit sixteen again

just a guy who really, really missed his dad

dean, just like in cambion, doesn’t recognize him right off, it’s not until the rib-crushing hug and “dean, it’s me” that he understands who it is and hugs him back, this old man he knew as a boy, ben braeden, who is now older than his father

this jumped to my mind IMMEDIATELY - i don’t think i will ever come up with an idea worse than this even if i live to be 99 years old. jesus fucking christ, imagine being older than your own father

M: Got any premises on the back burner that you’d care to share?

SOOOOO FUCKIN MANY ok here’s a list

(abandoned, outlined but w/ no intention to write it) a shadowhunters fic in which alec learns to be a better boyfriend, because i think he’s a bad one, abandoned in a fit of rage upon viewing season 3

(abandoned, outlined but w/ no intention to write it) the episode of spn where john comes back except actually taking the child abuse into account and also the real castiel is there, abandoned after they murdered my MOM mary winchester in cold blood

i have an Original Novel that i’m quite excited about. i’m not planning on showing it to anyone or attempting to get it published or anything like that because then i’m allowed to do whatever i want to do with no pressure as a means i actually teaching myself to write something from scratch…it’s still all outlines at this point but i LOVE working on it

i have been meaning to write a dragon age fic for dorian/cullen for YEARS because when you like rarepairs you gotta do it yourself but i just keep having other things to do first

similarly, the very first fanfic i ever wrote was a novelization of the legend of zelda: ocarina of time for the n64, and it has always been a very dear wish of mine to go back and rewrite it someday with my grownup liz skills, but i don’t have time/energy to prioritize it, rip

in the same vein i would really kind of like to do a dishonored 1 novelization one day…idk, i think it could be fun, although my interpretation of corvo is probably not as close to the canon one

i really would very much like to finish my detroit become twink fanfic…every time i read it i remember how excited i was about it & how close i was to the end. i just got wrapped up in other stuff and then lost my ability to write

i have a teen wolf fic about my secret rarepair written entirely from outside pov and the pov character is scott. im having a tough time bc im not good at humor fics but that was what i was working on before i left for florida

envesseled. thats been a BARREL of laughs and not at all emotionally taxing

since i didn’t have enough to do i may have uh…turned one of these things here into…a proper outline…for…a show i happen to be watching…will i finish it? will i post it to allow human eyes to view it? only time will tell

(FANFIC MEME, pls send me questions)

[mooleche]

A Story of Ink and Venom - Chap. 5

A/N - Someone wicked this way comes! Some new revelations revealed and Nina is tasked with an important request after some distressing news! There are some french translations in here that I’m not quite sure how to post on here so if you’re curious to know what they say I can make a separate post to explain what they translate to! As always I hope you enjoy and if you’d like to be tossed onto the notifications list lemme know! 

Tagged - @leo-writer @master-sass-blast

Chapter 5: Preparation

I dreamt of blood.

Of tendons snapping and muscle being torn in two.

Heard the inescapable screams of terror in a void of nightmares that had me tossing and turning all night.

Then I saw them again. Those milky white eyes that narrowed as they set their sights on me, soon replaced by a gaping maw full of jagged teeth that were ready to tear into my skin like it was paper.

Then I woke with a small, terrified gasp. 

It was just a nightmare. This is what I had to tell myself as I stared at the ceiling and tried to calm my racing thoughts. My heart continued to pound and my clothes were damp with sweat from my troubled sleep. But the longer I laid there the more aware I became of my surroundings. A soft melody weaved in and out of my hearing and the hues of blue and pink of our hanging lights danced in my blurred vision. It was noticing this that I was finally able to release a sigh of relief as I was able to remind myself of two important things:

I was home. And I was safe. 

Beside me, the bed creaked and I turned my head to find Ava sitting cross-legged by my curtained window, hand over her mouth in serious concentration as she stared at her laptop screen. I made the effort to sit up and felt my entire body seize up with pain.

“Ah, she awakens,” her husky morning voice announced beside me as a groan of pain escaped me. I struggled to make the minimal effort to turn to her, only to be met with her hand that held my glasses and a bottle that she rattled at me.

“Drink up, Princesa. You’re gonna need these for the day ahead,”

“You’re a lifesaver,” I murmured as I accepted and downed them graciously. They could have been horse tranquilizers and I wouldn’t have cared, the pain that my body felt as I sat up had me almost wishing I was still facing those nightmares. Just the brief thought of reliving them made my stomach churn though, and I quickly tried to ignore it and press through the pain instead. 

I slumped over on Ava’s shoulder and sighed, a small chuckle escaping her as she carefully moved a piece of hair away from my face.

“Surprised you’re even awake right now, you outdrank all of us,” she teased as I held my head, now fully feeling the effects of my terribly thought out decisions last night. That was right, we had drunk last night to calm our nerves. Despite being desperate to escape the conversation we spent almost all night talking about it. Ava and Benni assured me the news hadn’t caught wind of my participation that they were aware of, only that there had been no bodies at the scene. 

That alone left me both relieved and terrified for Spiderman and whatever remains were of Deadpool.

If there were any at all.

I shook my head sluggishly to rid myself of the thought before looking to Bambi and Benni who were haphazardly sprawled along Bam’s bed, still very much unconscious.

“Why are you awake?” I asked Ava groggily, taking every motion delicately as the room continued to spin. 

She raised a brow at me and smirked.

“You think a little booze is going to cause me to break schedule? Pfft, I’m Latina, bebita. But also,” she added, pointing to the floor and frowning, “You really need to answer that thing. It’s been going off since 7.”

I went to ask her what she meant but then I heard it. The low rumble of my phone vibrating against the carpet. At that moment my hangover was completely disregarded and pain tossed aside as I slid to the ground and fished for it desperately. Ava watched me, perched from above, curiosity now wrinkling her brows as I found the source to the buzzing and curled into a ball to suppress the pain. 

All I could muster was a soft ‘oh no’ when I saw what was on the lock screen. 

Ava inched closer to me to try and sneak a peek as I continued to stare, not daring to unlock it to see what fresh hell was waiting for me inside. "What's going on?"

A soft 'oh' left her lips as I showed her. A handful of messages and mixed calls littered the screen, the fear you only felt when you missed 10 calls from your mother when you were a teen hitting my core as I swiped it open.

Only this fear was brought by missing the calls of my mother, father, AND Renato.

I swallowed hard and scanned the messages. All worried, all sent at various times during the night and this morning:

‘Honey, we just saw the news. Are you alright?’ ‘You’re not picking up. Did something happen?’ ‘We’re very worried. Pls respond!’ - Mom

*‘Mon chéri? Nous sommes inquiets pour vous’ ‘Appelez s'il vous plaît’ - Dad

‘Are you home? -R’ ‘Nina? -R’  ‘Look. I know you’re still recovering from last night but something has happened. Come to the lab ASAP. -R’ ‘Again, it’s URGENT. -R’ ‘Also, call your parents. -R’ - Renato

My gut twisted further with guilt as I read various texts from them all, but the last few from Renato worried me the most. It was sent almost half an hour ago and my imagination was going in every direction it could with what could have happened.

He rarely sent texts out to people, even when it was an emergency. What if something happened to him? What if that thing came back for it’s missing piece? What if it pulled an Alien and created a Chest Burster inside of him?? 

I had to go and see what was going on. 

I uncurled myself from my position before releasing a groan of discomfort, moving from one awkward position to another as I attempted to summon the strength to get up. It didn't work. Lying half off the bed beside me Bambi began to stir.

“Nina? What’s going on?” she yawned, rubbing her eyes as she unshifted from her own awkward position to sit up and watch my staggered efforts. Benni gave a soft snore next to her but remained still. I was fully convinced that we could have dropped a bomb on the city and she’d have stayed asleep during it.

“I have to go to the Professor’s office. Something's wrong,” I winced, finally finding my footing and attempting to poorly stretch to try and subdue the pain. While it didn't do much to help with it, it did help me understand where the source was. I tenderly touched my side only to recoil back as the shock of pain it sent. It was almost exactly where I had landed after the creature had flung me, bringing a series of uncomfortable pictures to my head before I could shake them away.

“What?!” Both Ava and Bambi asked in unison at my announcement, watching me shuffle awkwardly to my wardrobe that had seen better days. Bambi was now wide awake at this point and stood to meet me, a heavy frown set on her once pouty lips.

“Please tell me you’re not going, especially after last night-”

“Last night is just as much my issue as it is Renato’s, Bam. Who knows, maybe he just found out something interesting about that gunk,” I tried to reassure both her and myself as I began to rummage through my clothes. We were assigned two wardrobe closets to a dorm at the beginning of the year and expected to fit all of our belongings inside. While Bambi had somehow made hers always look presentable. Mine was everything but, and I now struggled as I attempted to rip a cute yellow hoodie with ‘Good Vibes’ written in a cute font across the front out of its clutches for the day ahead.

I succeeded, only to fall back and have a mess of clothes topple onto me in the aftermath. Both Ava and Bambi shared a look of worry before Bambi knelt down to help me.

“I just...think it’s kind of bullshit he’s calling you in after everything. Especially with that,” she added as she pointed to my midriff, shirt now raised some to reveal a nasty looking bruise that had formed overnight. Underneath lurked a nastier looking scar from past events that I quickly hid and looked away, suddenly very aware of my flaws.

“Bambi, *déjalo!”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean-”

“It’s fine,” I managed quickly, not wanting to mention it any more than it already had been. Like a monkey's paw suddenly sensing my wish to change the subject we all turned to my phone that had begun to vibrate again. Ava, the closest to it, studied the notification before her hazel eyes grew wide. “What is it?” I asked hesitantly as she stood and quickly closed the distance between us, holding my phone at arm's length like it was a bomb.

When I saw who was calling it might as well have been.

It was my father.

“Oh no, no. Can't you just like...I don’t know, tell him I’m sleeping??” I asked desperately, a snort erupting from her as she held it closer, holding me captive against the wall now.

“You really think I’m gonna pull off lying to your dad? Get real,” she hissed back while swiping over the green telephone emote to accept the call. I pursed my lips angrily in response, knowing she had me at a stalemate before I accepted the phone in defeat.  "Ante up, bebita, you're on." she mouthed quietly as she and Bambi stood nearby quietly to listen. Even Benni's once peaceful snores were gone from the room as I prepared to completely BS my way through this conversation.

“Bonjour Papa!” I chimed into the receiver, knowing full well the I had just stepped into the lion’s den and had to be very careful about what was said. My father was as smart as he was strong, and the man had won a plethora of heavyweight titles before he retired. I had to be smart about where the conversation would go.

“Nina,” he started, dad tone already in full swing behind his heavy french accent. “We’ve been trying to get ahold of you all morning, *est-ce que tu vas bien? We saw the news and-”

“Oh right, the news.” I interrupted, clicking my tongue with thought as Bambi and Ava watched with wide eyes. I ignored them as I continued to search for the rest of my outfit in the mess I had created. “Wild stuff, right?”

“You didn’t get involved, did you?” he asked point-blank, my insides squirming as I pretended to scoff at his words.

“Me? Get involved? C’mon dad, *Avoir une certaine foi!” I grunted while struggling into a pair of leggings. He grunted back in response.

“I just worry, mon petite. Because reports say that a small mystery hero came in at the last second,”

“You don’t say,” I asked softly, hoodie stopped half over my body at these words. I wanted to curse. Sure, the news hadn't been able to record anything of my failed attempt at heroism, but I hadn't even thought about bystanders that might have seen.

“Oui, and she seemed to be wielding a hammer. A big black hammer that fell apart right after using it,” he pressed, my nerves getting the best of me as I scrambled to find proper words to say. “You sure you weren’t there?”

“Of course not." I started, tugging at my hair nervously as I began to feel myself ramble. "I-I was studying with the girls during the lock-in! Do you know how many superheroes are in New York? In Brooklynn for that matter? Do you really think I’d be dumb enough to take on that thing? Hah! Hah! You’re so funny, papa. Oh? What’s that? My phone is dying and I need to leave? What a very strange coincidence!” I laughed a little too loud into the phone, walking nervous circles in the room as Ava and Bambi watched with embarrassed stares.

“Nina-”

“I really gotta go, I did nothing wrong, ever!” I answered hastily before hanging up, pulling my hood over my face to hide from the heavy looks the girls were giving me. “Please, no commentary.”

“Smooth,” Ava whispered dryly as I shrugged and tossed my hands up in the air, immediately racked with another bout of pain. I struggled to shrug it off, instead focusing my attention on gathering my belongings to leave for the day. As I went to grab my bag I stopped, sheets of my old weapon schematics poking through that brought me back to the day before. I shook my head of the invasive thoughts wanting to pry through and removed them, knowing I had no business trying to use any of them anymore.

Behind me, Bambi took a seat on my bed and tugged at her sleeves nervously.

“You’re really not going to tell them?” she asked softly. The question made me stop abruptly and turn to her, disbelief in my eyes. 

“Do you want to explain to them how they almost lost their only child while she was out playing hero?” I shot back quickly. I knew she meant well, and I knew that this would most likely end up biting me in the ass at a later time. But I also had to keep this a secret from them until it was all figured out, there'd be no point otherwise.

Especially if it meant putting them in danger.

“That’s...fair,” she agreed quietly after a moment of silence, Ava joining her side on my bed as they watched me scramble to shove my clothes back in my wardrobe. “Do...you want some company with Renato?” she offered, but I could see the fear in her eyes of having to face that moment again. Of having to go back to the labs and seeing what could possibly be another nightmare waiting. She had suffered just as much as I did and I didn't want to force her through it again if she wasn't ready.

Instead, I shook my head and feigned a smile.

“It’s fine, I’m going to Renato’s and then straight to Drawing 2 after. I’ll pick up your SD card for you while I’m there though, yeah?”

She looked relieved at this and nodded. “You’re a lifesaver, Neeners.”

“I know it,” I teased before grabbing my helmet and sauntering out of the door. Before I could leave fully my phone went off. Inside a simple text from Benni read ‘Be careful!’, but when I looked to the bed she was still as motionless as ever and dead to the world.

How did she do that?

“Aye, keep us posted!” Ava shouted through the door as I left, a soft sigh of relief escaping my lips as I headed outside. Truth be told it was a bit of a relief to be away from them. All the worried looks, the fear we had all felt hanging like a miasma in the room. I needed to get away from it all, to escape briefly so I could think.

Outside storm clouds loomed above, threatening to release hell down on the city at any moment. I hurried to Queen and took off before I was the unlucky duckling to have to experience it and, to my surprise, the street that had once looked like a warzone the night before was now pristine. Even the dark stain I had been haunted by on the way home was nothing more than normal black asphalt now. As much as people complained about where our tax dollars were going I had to give it to the city restoration committee for always being on point. They made it look like nothing had ever happened and, for a brief moment, I believed that.

Before I could enjoy the momentary peace of mind I was given I was already at work. My hands gripped my key card tight as I hurried to the door, trying to brace myself for whatever might be waiting for me inside. Instead, the door opened as I went to swipe and Barry stared at me, eyes wide with surprise as he saw my face.

“Miss Knight? What in the world are you doing here?” 

“I wish I knew. The professor called me in,” I explained shortly before scooting past him to sail down the stairs. I stopped abruptly at the last step, hearing the harsh tone of Renato’s ring through the air. I had never heard him so angry, not even when I once accidentally almost broke Levi's aquarium by playing with one of my ink balls in the lab.

Another voice, a strangely familiar voice this time, now spoke in a deep yet desperate tone.

“Darwin please, we may have had our differences before but this...this could very well save lives!”

“I’m not going to tell you again. This is a dangerous subject and it has no place in the medical field. Leave the premises or I will be calling the police. And don’t you ever, ever use that name again.” he growled. My surprise and curiosity were through the roof at this point. Who could strike so much anger in such a simple man that would lead him to talk like this?

I had to know.

“Knock, knock.” I chimed softly through the sliding doors, as if I hadn't just been eavesdropping just moments earlier. My eyes immediately fell on the stranger causing the ruckus and I couldn’t help but manage a small gasp at who I saw. It was the janitor from last night, the man that had sent chills down my spine with just a simple question. “A-am I interrupting something?” I stammered, trying to keep my composure as his gaunt appearance glared at me before looking back to Renato.

“I was just leaving. I hope you sleep well at night knowing you work for a monster,”

“Well, I’m in college, so your first mistake was thinking I sleep at all,” I responded a little too sarcastically, a small grim chuckle leaving the man’s throat as he knocked shoulders with me on his way out. His demeanor had changed completely from the man I had seen just moments ago, once slumped shoulders now broad, all frailty from him diminished as he turned to face Renato once more with a dark stare.

“It was nice seeing you again after all these years, Professor. Remember, I did try to play nice,” he called before exiting the lab, leaving a heavy silence in his wake. I blinked in surprise, unsure if I had just been tricked into seeing two different people or if that man was just that good at changing his personality. 

I turned to Renato who's brows were furrowed and was staring angrily at nothing in particular before I attempted to break the ice.

“So, who’s your friend?” I asked carefully, watching his eyes flicker up to me and narrow at the assumption.

“Never friends. We were hardly even colleagues,” he muttered as he began pacing, running his hands through his once neatly ponytailed dreads. They now fell over his face and shoulders as he stood hunched over his desk, fuming. “I knew something was off about that man, why didn’t I see it sooner?” he whispered to himself, fully immersed in the conversation in his head.

“Uh, what?”

“How could I have so foolish? Of course, I was being watched...how could I have known he would go to this level though? Stupid..."

"Renato?"

"If he gets his hands on this...dammit!” he hissed before slamming his fist on the desk angrily. I flinched at the action before snapping my fingers at him.

“Hey! Earth to Renato, bring it back down to Earth!” I called, watching him snap from whatever stupor he had previously been in. Looking up close at him now he looked exhausted, like he hadn’t slept at all. Under his lab coat, I saw now that he was wearing the same clothes he had worn when I left last night and it finally clicked. “Did you stay here all night?”

“I...well, yes,” he admitted sheepishly before he took to rubbing his chin, looking at nothing in particular like he was deep in thought. We stood in silence for a few moments before I touched his shoulder, confusion rapidly growing in my head that I was desperate to get explained.

“Hey, are you going to explain what’s going on or…?”

He seemed to slip back into the moment and sighed, pulling off his glasses to clean them anxiously. “Right. Sorry. I was hoping to give you a day to rest but...something happened.”

“So you said in the text. What is it?” I asked suspiciously, fear creeping into my voice before I could stop it. He took a large sigh before pressing his palms together and directing them at me with somber eyes.

“You have to promise that you’ll let me explain before you get upset,” he started, looking down at me with a gaze that turned serious within a few seconds. My stomach gave a quick twist of fear at this. It was suddenly very apparent that whatever that substance he had was no longer within sight, which made my thoughts run wild with worry.

“What did you do, Renato?” I asked gravely, watching him hesitate before starting towards the fish tank. My gaze hardened as I noticed it was now covered with a dark sheet, a sheet that he now removed to reveal a lazily wandering Leviathan in the water. I released a sigh of relief, a piece of me fearing the worst for the little crustacean. 

That was before it turned its sights on me at least.

It was like I had been tossed into a sci-fi horror flick. Its skin went from its usual beautiful maroon to a horrific pitch black, it’s size growing into something grotesque before he began to slam against the glass. Renato steadied the tank before tossing the sheet over it once more and it's furious attempts to leave grew silent. I stood in terrified silence trying to process what I just saw, hands quivering at my sides as Renato turned back to me and managed a weak unsure shrug.

“What, pray tell, the everloving fuck was that?” I finally managed to whisper as he started back towards me, hands shoved deep in his lab pockets as he seemed to ponder what to say to me. I took a step back from him, my gut suddenly unsure of how I felt about being around him. His gaze looked hurt at this but he kept his distance as if nervous I would run if he got too close.

“I suppose I deserve that…” he whispered before I scoffed, tossing my arms up in the air with a sarcastic laugh.

“You suppose? That guy was right, you're a damn monster!"

“Nina please, your language-”

“Do not start with me over that,” I snapped, folding my arms, ready to hear what excuse he had ready for what I had just seen. "Explain. What the fuck happened when I left?”

He sighed and nodded softly, giving up on arguing.

“Right. So, you left, and I had been engrossed in researching this creature. It’s quite a find, Nina, it’s DNA is incredible. So incredible in fact that I found it had regenerating cells and I…” he trailed, taking his glasses to fiddle with them as he spoke. “I saw a window for experimentation and I took it.”

“On Levi? But why? You know what that thing can do!” I protested, his features dark with thought.

“I know, trust me, I know. I thought...maybe a smaller dose wouldn’t have the effects of its original host, that maybe it could reverse his health,” he admitted, a look of weariness taking over him. “It did do that but it also turned him into what you just witnessed.”

“And how does your friend tie into this?” I asked grimly, nodding towards the door. He scowled at my use of friend but sighed wearily.

“As I said, he’s an old colleague...from a different time. Back...when I worked for the government,” he explained quietly. 

I blinked in shock. 

“You did what for the who now?”

“I was a scientist for a special research program briefly after college with the close colleague of mine I've mentioned, along with the man you saw earlier. He went by Oliver Phobus, though I’m not sure if he still goes by that name…” he trailed as if thinking hard into the past.

I couldn't believe he wasn't sharing this information with me. I could barely get him to reveal what his favorite juice was on store runs half the time much less a look into his past like this. I decided to press my luck and prod further.

"Why is that?"

“Oliver was, well, is a desperate man. His forte used to be finding cures to uncommon diseases, often taking devious measures to get to his answers if it meant a breakthrough.”

“Such as?” I pressed, curiosity growing by the second. He pursed his lips before continuing, a look of discomfort falling over him as if not wanting to answer.

“He did many experiments on...people...terrible things,” he whispered, my mouth growing dry at his words. His eyes grew dark at the mention of it, like he was reliving the experience as he spoke. “As soon as we found out we made sure he was removed from the program, but soon after he and his family left without a trace on where to find him. And then today…” he sighed, fist resting on his chin as he recounted what happened. “Today I was trying to take a sample from Levi and he came in and saw. He saw what Leviathan had become and I know he’s going to come back for him.”

“You think he’s going to come back? You told him you were going to call the cops!” I reasoned, a grim chuckle erupting from him as he stood once more and started organizing things from his desk. 

“You underestimate the level of desperation he’s at,” he answered shortly before hunching over his laptop, body stiff as he began to clack away at the keyboard. I shifted nervously, still trying to process all the new information given to me. Renato called him a desperate man but didn’t he just commit his own messed up experiment in the name of science? But also to hear he experimented on people, it left a bitter taste in my mouth. That strange smile he presented to me the night before now seemed all the more devious and caused a shiver to run down my spine at the thought of it. Renato at least seemed ashamed of what he did.

Phobus just seemed like a mad man on a mission.

“So...what will you do now?” I asked softly, my gaze traveling back to the tank that stood silent now despite the uproar that had just happened. Just remembering the glimpse of black tendrils slithering out and the sheer anger it seemed to have when it saw me...it made me not even want to be in the room.

Renato sighed as he turned back to me and folded his arms.

“This is where it gets tricky,” he began, frown settled deeply on his lips at what he was about to say. “My work, Levi specifically, can’t stay here any longer. I’ll be alerting the proper authorities of what’s transpired but I need to get him somewhere safe before I do so. Can't exactly have them seeing what he's become without it turning into a worse situation than it already is,"

“Fair enough,”

“What I need from you is just to stay here and keep guard while I travel home to get the proper equipment to take him to my colleague's residency. There we can do some proper testing, maybe see if we can reverse this-”

“You want me to do what?” I asked incredulously. Above us, a warning of thunder rolled past, a feeling of unease taking hold of my gut at his request. Here he was, dropping a complete bombshell on me and expected me to just roll with it like it was no big deal? I shook my head and held my hands up in disagreement. “Professor…”

“I wouldn’t be asking if I wasn’t desperate, Nina. You're one of the only people I trust with this,” he admitted, placing a hand on my shoulder with a look of sheer exhaustion. “I know you’re unhappy with me right now. I know I made a bad decision, but I can’t let him have this. He’s a dangerous man and I don’t know what he’ll do with the information or what could happen if-,”

“If he gets ahold of this, right,” I sighed, not wanting him to finish the terrifying thought that Levi could very well transform into some terrible if given the chance. Or even something worse happening if someone was able to manipulate that DNA. Inside every fiber of my being protested this request, but deep down I also knew all too well that sometimes you had to make the hard decisions that you really didn’t want to. I just wished it wasn’t me in this scenario, especially after the first time had already gone so wrong.

Renato was desperate by his standards though, and he had stuck his neck out for me so many times in the past year that I lost count. It was only fair I repay him for it.  

I just hoped it wouldn't bite me in the ass later.

“Alright, I will watch Levi until you can make it back. I have a class soon but I can skip if you need me to-”

“Not necessary. I’m already in enough hot water, I don’t need your parents blaming me for you missing class,” he joked softly before his demeanor changed. “You did talk to them last night, didn't you?”

“Define talk and last night,” I smiled sheepishly before laughing nervously at his sour appearance. “Relax, we spoke briefly this morning. They know nothing so I’d like to keep it that way,” I admitted before glancing at the clock and frowning. “Shoot. I’ve gotta head out but I’ll be back at around 6, is that too late?”

“6 is perfect. I’ll have everything ready for when you return so we can make this quick,” he added before pausing and looking at me with a soft frown. “Are you sure you’re up for this? You can say no, especially after everything that’s happened last night.”

“I’ve already made my decision, haven’t I? What’s the worst that can happen anyway? It’s just some science nerd that probably won’t even show up tonight, right?” I joked, trying to hide my own fear by making light of the situation. Renato gave me a weary smile before heading to his desk to get to work, brows creased with uncertainty at my words.

“I suppose you’re right, I'm probably just being careful about this. Just...be ready, we’ll discuss more when you return,” he concluded, setting us on our separate ways until the big night ahead.

Despite him trying to be reassuring about it a part of me knew that it wasn't going to be that easy.

Things were never that easy.

[emkayoh]

Spider-Man: Homecoming Fic Recs

Alright, I snapped y’all. I’m blown away by the quality of writing in this fandom and I want to share some of my absolute faves that I’ve found. Especially since I haven’t really seen any fic recs and these fics deserve to be spread like wildfire. So here are my top favorite reads, mostly Tony and Peter centered because of course. 

(Under the cut because this is looooooong):

How to Repair a Broken Heart by InfluentialPineapple (WIP)

Summary: The Mechanic has a lot on his plate; Thanos is coming, the Guardians of the Galaxy are marooned, Thaddeus Ross is reaching right down his throat, and a budding super hero deserves his full attention. He's also dying. No big deal. He can fix it. He can fix anything.

And he can do it all without even opening that stupid phone.

Now, where did those notes on Extremis go...?

Relationship: Tony and Peter

Rating: Mature

Notes: Holy shit, y’all. This is definitely my favorite fanfiction... ever. Out of everything I’ve ever read. It’s still a WIP so beware of that, but I am extremely confident in the author’s ability to finish it. And honestly, it’s well worth reading even if it isn’t finished. It has some of the most spot-on characterization, an amazing plot that rivals whatever Marvel cooks up for Infinity War, and glorious writing. 10/10 I am in the fandom for this fic specifically. (Warning: Violence, torture, lots of death.)

The Long Way Round by undeerqueen

Summary: Tony wants him to hold on. Peter just wants to go home.

Relationship: Tony and Peter

Rating: General Audiences

Notes: Okay, warning... this is a death fic. But it’s my favorite death fic ever written. It’s so beautifully written in a way that keeps you hanging on until the very end and leaves a hole in your heart that never goes away. If you’re like me and enjoy that kind of stuff, please, please, please for the love of god, read this fic. (Edit: This is a whole series now!!! Even more pain abounds.)

three words that became hard to say (i and love and you) by madasthesea

Summary: Tony likes giving gifts to prove his love, but they don't usually have four paws and a tail.

AKA: Tony, Peter, and a dog named Maggie learn how to be a family.

Relationship: Tony and Peter

Rating: General Audiences

Notes: I’m crying???? I’m usually not a fan of fics that kill off May so that Peter and Tony can be a family because she deserves better than that, but this fic is the ONLY exception. May isn’t cast aside as unimportant, Tony struggles to make Peter accept him as his new guardian, and there’s a dog! What could be better than that? (Edit: It’s a whole series now!! Tears from beginning to end.)

Everyone You’ve Ever Loved by JBS_Forever

Summary: “You will lose, Tony Stark,” the man says. “You have taken everything from me. Now I'm going to take everything from you.”

(Or: A masked-man threatens to destroy everyone Tony Stark has ever cared about. He starts by taking Peter.)

Relationship: Tony and Peter

Rating: General Audiences

Notes: I honestly had a hard time picking out a JBS_Forever fic to include in this rec list, because everything they write is amazing and I recommend all of it, but this fic stands out. It’s a classic “Peter gets kidnapped and Tony has to save him” fic, which is a favorite trope of mine lol (are you noticing a pattern with the fics I tend to like?) It’s a oneshot but it’s MASSIVE and really realistically portrayed. I love how she writes Tony and Peter and I was holding my breath the whole time. 

Astronomy In Reverse by pansley (WIP)

Summary: A year after the Winter Soldier failed his mission in DC, Bucky Barnes is doing his best to stay under the radar from both Hydra and Steve Rogers. His hope for a peaceful day-to-day life in limbo goes awry, however, when he meets Queens’ newest hero; a pure-hearted kid with a death wish and a ridiculous pair of red and blue pajamas.

The last thing Steve expects when he finally tracks Bucky down is that, not only has the man been living in Queens all this time, right under his nose, but also that, in the two years since they last saw each other, Bucky somehow acquired a kid.

Alternatively: How Peter Parker effectively fucks over Bucky Barnes, and also totally saves him.

Relationship: Bucky and Peter

Rating: Teen

Notes: I guess I should mix things up a bit and rec one that isn’t a Tony and Peter fic! This one took me by surprise. I read it because I was intrigued by the relationship tag between Bucky and Peter and didn’t know how it would work. Spoiler: It works very well. It’s so different from a Tony fic but it’s so precious. Featuring foster kid/homeless Peter Parker. Also a WIP and only in the beginning stages but I sense a really interesting plot. (Warning for attempted sexual assault in one of the chapters! But it’s very, very brief. )

Weak Spot by grilledcheesing

Summary: Peter Parker has been sent back in time hundreds of times after their last face off with Thanos to do the one thing nobody else can: save Tony Stark.

Unfortunately, he has to find a way to kill his past self to do it.

And the last thing Tony is going to do is let him.

Relationship: Tony and Peter

Rating: Teen

Notes: Back on my Tony and Peter bullshit. This author is a very prominent author in the fandom so I’m sure you’ve read at least one of their fics if you’ve read a lot of Homecoming fics, but this is my absolute favorite of theirs. It’s such an interesting (and heartbreaking) concept and it’s another one of those stories that leaves you feeling empty inside. Warning for more character death.

pretending by ace8013

Summary: Natasha reflects on what she noticed.

Relationship: All of the Avengers really, but come on I read it for the Tony and Peter

Rating: Not Rated

Notes: I’m honestly... flabbergasted that this fic has so few kudos. Pls go read it and give it more. It’s really short but so poignant and says so much with so little. I honestly love it so much. It’s in Natasha’s POV which is really interesting and the author really nails her personality. It’s absolutely soul-crushing and it will only take you like 2 minutes to read please just do it. (Warning for so much character death...)

Tony Built a Son by Footloose_Poets

Summary: Peter navigates learning to be human. Tony navigates fathering an android.

Relationship: Tony and Peter

Rating: General Audiences/Teen

Notes: Ohmygosh... this one probably isn’t surprising considering the massive amounts of fanart I’ve drawn for it. The idea is so obvious yet so unique and satisfying to read. The author does an AMAZING job creating a realistic world where Tony builds an android son to keep his loneliness at bay and keeps both Tony and Peter so in character despite the vastly different circumstances from their movie counterparts. And it’s a whole series! Every new installment is a beautiful read, and the author even created a tumblr: @friendly-neighborhood-android to post mini ficlets, art, and factoids in the interim. 

5 Times Peter Thought Tony Was Mad by caraminha

Summary: ... and one time he actually was.

Set a few months after Aunt May's death where Tony is Peter's legal guardian. Navigating a new life together and settling into being father and son is a rollercoaster - falling in love with the kid? Easy. Dealing with a grieving teenager, and trying to figure out how to do this whole parent thing? Uh... not so easy.

Relationship: Tony and Peter

Rating: Teen

Notes: Oh no more dead May. But I promise I only recommend these fics when they’re really well-written! And this is a REALLY good fic. I got so many feels reading this and domestic Tony and Peter really gives me life. Tony messes up a little but more than makes up for it, and then Peter messes up a lot but it’s okay because Tony loves him. It’s so adorable and heartwarming and I had the warm fuzzies the whole time.

Only Human by tonysta_k

Summary: When Flash takes things too far - pushes Peter too far by mentioning his fathers and what happened, Peter can't take it anymore.

Or, an au where after civil war, Steve was put in prison, Tony has a hard time facing his feelings, and Peter just wants to see his pops.

Relationship: Steve/Tony (Past), Tony and Peter

Rating: Teen

Notes: Damn. I don’t even ship Stony. I don’t like it, Steve has hurt Tony too much for me to ever see them as romantically involved, but if Stony just so happens to be in an intriguing Tony and Peter fic... fine, I’ll read it, so sue me. But wowowow did this fic hit me where it really hurts. It’s good because it acknowledges Steve and Tony’s failed relationship and puts Peter right in the middle of a REALLY nasty divorce. It’s really heart-breaking and realistic and claws at your emotions. 10/10 had to hug my parents right after reading. 

for good by Madelinedear

Summary: "Sorry, May, we can't all be best friends with a celebrity.”

May opens her mouth to retort reflexively, the words 'we aren’t even friends' on the tip of her tongue before she closes her mouth. Because they are friends, now. They’re way past that point.

Oh my god, she thinks somewhat hysterically. Tony Stark is my best friend.

(or; Tony Stark, May Parker, and the road to something like friendship)

Relationship: Tony and May

Rating: General Audiences

Notes: YES!!! YES!!! YEEESSSSS!!! Finally, the Tony and May fic I’ve been waiting for!!! To end this rec list on a fluffier note (because boy do I love angst, huh?) this fic is hilarious, heartwarming, and so in-character. It’s a really good study of how May and Tony’s relationship might evolve over time due to their mutual bonding over fiercely loving Peter. It’s everything I ever wanted in a May and Tony friendship fic and more. 

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And these two are not necessarily Homecoming fics but I have to include them because they are on the list of my all time favorite Spider-Man fics: 

Weaver of Silk and Dreams by a_stands_for

Summary: Ben Parker sighed as he looked up into The Thing's eyes, so expressively human in spite of the rest of his rocky appearance.

“My fifteen-year-old nephew--who's practically my own little boy!--” he choked out with a tight voice, “h-he can't pass for human anymore. He's scared, and he's isolated, and he just needs someone else to talk to! Someone who can understand. Please."

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Some alternate realities are unrecognizable, and some are indistinguishable. This one lies somewhere in between.

Peter Parker's life was derailed when he mutated into a strange human/spider hybrid, and he knows that's not the way things went down for him in other realities. Still, he's determined to forge a new path and make the best of it. Sometimes "the friends we made along the way" really is the greatest treasure anyone could ask for.

Relationship: Peter Parker/Wade Wilson (Peter Parker/Johnny Storm)

Rating: Mature

Notes: Okay so this is more based in the comic-verse, but I pictured Tom Holland Spidey while reading it anyways. I don’t even ship Spideypool tbh but I got curious. I didn’t even watch the Deadpool movie or know anything about Deadpool (or the Fantastic Four, who feature prominently in this) but still... it’s SO. GOOD. More spidery Spider-Man isn’t a thing I knew I needed until this fic, and it honestly reads almost like a fantasy. The world-building is incredible and the fic also comes with great drawings to help you visualize this strange new Peter. (Warning though: There are sex scenes. I was kinda hesitant about whether or not I should rec this because of that, but honestly the fic is worth it. I don’t usually like to read fics with sex scenes, but the plot more than makes up for it.)

I Like Birds by chinashopbull (WIP... possibly abandoned?)

Summary: Peter has Asperger’s/ASD. Yes, of course he’s still Spider-Man. Deadpool tries to accommodate, with mixed results.

Some feeble plot happens eventually, blood gets on the walls, etc. I play fast and loose with canon but try to stay true to (what I perceive to be) the spirit of the characters. 

Relationship: Peter Parker/Wade Wilson

Rating: Mature

Notes: Okay, so this fic predates Homecoming so it’s definitely not about that Spidey (even though I picture Tom Holland anyways), the summary doesn’t do it justice, the way the fic portrays Tony Stark makes me sad, and it’s most likely abandoned because it hasn’t been updated since May 2017 (Edit: This totally updated after a whole year. It’s still going!!!)... but hear me out. This fic is worth the heartbreak of reading an abandoned fic. First of all: Autistic Peter!!!!! Written by someone who is autistic themselves so it’s very accurate!!!! I know I say this a lot but the plot is AMAZING. There’s an amazing side story about suicide bombers that’s really intriguing. I love the mystery element of this story so much, it reads as it’s own standalone work of fiction. Also, the slow burn is so slow that the Spideypool never happens, so if that’s not your thing, don’t let that stop you from reading this truly incredible fic. (Warning: A really, really graphic eye injury in one of the earlier chapters that’s pretty gruesome. )

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IS THIS LONG ENOUGH FOR YOU?? If you read any of these fics KUDOS AND COMMENT because the authors deserve your love! Feel free to send me any recs too! You know what I like. ;) 

[thejonlife]

1, 4, 7, 8, 9, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 23, 25, 26, 32, 33, 36, 42, 47, 49, 56, 57, 59, 62, 63, 66, 67, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 75, 78, 81, 83, 85 (Wanted to pick them all but I picked the ones that are better....... no pressure!)

vaguely nsfw asks

1. Are looks important in a relationship? To an extent of course but theres way more important stuff :]

2. Are relationships ever worth it?

3. Are you a virgin?

4. Are you in a relationship? i am not.

5. Are you in love?

6. Are you single this year?

7. Can you commit to one person? As much as i joke about wanting to be a hoe i dont think i can?

8. Describe your crush Shes an old co worker shes blonde nerdy and sweet to me.

9. Describe your perfect mate :oh i have no idea but i hope shes nice cool thinks im cute and is a nerd in her own way.

10. Do you believe in love at first sight?

11. Do you ever want to get married? Honestly i dont know i dont love marriage as an expensive social construct but i always imagined dying with someone you know?

12. Do you forgive betrayal?

13. Do you get jealous easily? Sometimes if her friend is taking up my attention ha but im understanding. 

14. Do you have a crush on anyone? Yes an old work buddy and a couple tumblr crushes :]

15. Do you have any piercings? Stretched ear lobes but i lost my left one in SF

16. Do you have any tattoos? No but im trying to set up an appointment today actually 

17. Do you like kissing in public? Definitely as long as its not intense PDA but im affectionate for sure. 

20. Do you shower every day?

21. Do you think someone has feelings for you?

22. Do you think someone is thinking about you right now?

23. Do you think you can last in a relationship for 6 months and not cheat? Of course im not a cheater.

24. Do you think you’ll be married in 5 years?

25. Do you want to be in a relationship this year? This year compared to last year i would like to put myself out there but i believe in things happening organically.

26. Has anyone told you they don’t want to ever lose you? Yes but im not sure how serious those words were and or they were back then.

27. Has someone ever written a song or poem for you?

28. Have you ever been cheated on?

29. Have you ever cheated on someone?

30. Have you ever considered plastic surgery? If so, what would you change about your body?

31. Have you ever cried over a guy/girl?

32. Have you ever experienced unrequited love? I was so in love in my last relationship that i couldnt tell she wasnt on my level so yes but thats life and that happens. 

33. Have you ever had sex with a man? I havent and i dont think i could but i know tons of great looking guys.

34. Have you ever had sex with a woman?

35. Have you ever kissed someone older than you?

36. Have you ever liked one of your best friends? No actually and im lucky for that but i had a crush on a middle school friend because she always went out of her way to give me a hug :]

37. Have you ever liked someone who your friends hated?

38. Have you ever liked someone you didn’t expect to?

39. Have you ever wanted someone you couldn’t have?

40. Have you ever written a song or poem for someone?

41. Have you had sex so far this year?

42. How long can you just kiss until your hands start to wander? Less than a minute if we know each other already but i am restrained if weve just met.

43. How long was your longest relationship?

44. How many boyfriends/girlfriends have you had?

45. How many people did you kiss in 2012/2013?

46. How many times did you have sex last year?

47. How old are you? My birthday was this last wednesday and i turned 31 but ive been told i look younger than i am so thats great.

48. If the person you like says they like someone else, what would you say?

49. If you have a boyfriend/girlfriend, what is your favorite thing about him/her? im single AF

50. If your first true love knocked on your door with apology and presents, would you accept?

51. Is there a boy/girl who you would do absolutely everything for?

52. Is there anyone you’ve given up on? Why?

53. Is there someone mad because you’re dating/talking to the person you are?

54. Is there someone you will never forget?

55. Share a relationship story.

56. State 8 facts about your body I have a beard i wear glasses I am 5′7 i have brown eyes i have been told i have a nice nose i like my legs/thighs weird but theyre muscular kind of my ears are stretched and i wish i had bigger hands?

57. Things you want to say to an ex: I hope youre well.

58. What are five ways to win your heart?

59. What do you look like? (Post a picture!) I will do this later but bear with me im terrible at selfies :[

60. What is the biggest age difference between you and any of your partners?

61. What is the first thing you notice in someone?

62. What is the sexiest thing someone could ever do for/to you? Im a sucker for just touching period especially any that makes me feel manly.

63. What is your definition of “having sex”? Insertion?

64. What is your definition of cheating?

65. What is your favorite foreplay routine?

66. What is your favorite roleplay? I have never lol but itd be cool to pretend to be a sick patient and have them be a nurse.

67. What is your idea of the perfect date? Brewery trip or a museum after we grab food and we go for a drive or a walk and we talk :]

68. What is your sexual orientation?

69. What turns you off? Mean or pessimistic or dirty people.

70. What turns you on? Nice legs and a sense of humor or a great smile

71. What was your kinkiest wet dream? I wish i could remember ha ha ha ha but god those were awkward ill say if i remember eventually.

72. What words do you like to hear during sex? Moaning and i was called daddy once and i didnt think id like that but i do also being called papi. If you just exclaim fuck thats super hot too.

73. What’s something sweet you’d like someone to do for you? Fill out this form and or just text me to say hi or invite me out to drink or have dinner.

74. What’s the most superficial characteristic you look for?

75. What’s the sweetest thing anyone’s ever done for you? A friend of mine just recently bought me one of those SNES classics :] my birthday sucked but my friend bough that for me months ago and i had no idea :0

76. What’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever done for someone?

77. What’s your opinion on age differences in relationships?

78. What’s your dirtiest secret? Im almost certain i might be depressed or have some mental ailment because im always going through sadness but im okay right now oh and i ghosted somebody once and i felt terrible about that. Oh i also once accidentally broke somebodys drivers side mirror but karma got me last year. 

79. When was the last time you felt jealous? Why?

80. When was the last time you told someone you loved them?

81. Who are five people you find attractive? Famous people? Gal Gadot Chrissy Teigen ashley graham and tons of other awesome people.

82. Who is the last person you hugged?

83. Who was your first kiss with? Ha ha ha im lame but my first kiss was my prom date senior year.

84. Why did your last relationship fail?

85. Would you ever date someone off of the Internet? I have a crush on some people i follow on tumblr so of course :D ;]

Send me asks pls I'm bored : )

Why not?