#I tried so hard to make it rhyme lol

[petfriendamy]

One Ring to dazzle them all One Ring to wow them One Ring to bring them all And then your beauty show them

Um... About that category...

[harryspet]

Bimbo reader maybe / kinda like hostage situation where she is in a cabin with him and she has Stockholm syndrome 🥹

[warnings] dark!daddy!rafe x bimbo!little!reader, this takes place in a cabin though i realize now i don't even mention it lol, DUBCON, stockholm syndrome, implied kidnapping

18+ MDNI

“Have you been good today, hmm?”

Eagerly, you nodded, gazing up at your captor with hopeful eyes. You had been diligent, completing every task on the list he had assigned and waiting patiently for his return. Today was special, he had promised that, as a reward, he would finally let you out of your room.

“I have been, Daddy, I promise,” You answered obediently. You rose from your desk, crossing your bedroom, and handing him your homework, “Look, I did all my worksheets.”

“I see, get down on your knees baby while Daddy looks these over.”

You smiled weakly, holding onto his legs to steady yourself as you lowered yourself to the ground in front of him. You looked up at his figure, strong and imposing, and instinctively your hands found the button of his jeans. 

You recalled the effort you had put in throughout the day: matching baby animals with their mothers, coloring vibrant butterflies from Africa, tracing the alphabet with charming illustrations, and rhyming words by pairing pictures of objects that sounded alike. Each task was completed with care in sparkling pink ink, while you wore a plaid skirt that barely covered your white underwear.

Rafe was kind to let your mind be occupied while he was away. It kept you mentally stimulated. A little girl like you shouldn’t have to concern herself with adult matters, but there was still so much to learn.

“You did such a good job, baby. Tell Daddy something you learned.”

Unzipping his pants, you freed his cock from his jeans. Wrapping your hands around the thick base of him, Rafe’s lips parted and he gave you a look of wanting, of anticipation, “Uh, uhm, something I learned ….oh!” Something came to your mind just as you brought your lips closer to his tip, “I learned about patterns. Patterns repeat in a certain way. Like red-blue-red-blue, that’s a pattern!”

Strong hands caressed your cheek as beautiful blue eyes stared down at you, “What a smart little bunny. You make Daddy so hard, baby,” He groaned huskily as your mouth filled with spit and you took his tip inside your mouth, “Fuck, that’s a good girl.”

It wasn’t your favorite thing to do with Rafe. Prying your mouth open often made your jaw ache and the taste …you didn’t love the taste. However, Rafe would get mad if you didn’t swallow. . Over time, you had perfected the art of swallowing him and forcing a smile through the discomfort. It wasn’t pleasant, but you had learned that keeping him happy meant he would finish quickly.

“I love that fucking mouth,” Rafe grunted as you swirled your tongue around him. You pumped him with your hands as your mouth focused on his moth sensitive area, “Smart little bunny. So good at sucking my cock.”

Rafe had a habit of talking to himself while you were with him, and you had come to accept it as part of the routine. He preferred to grab your head and push himself deeper when he was close, which was the only way he wanted to finish. That’s when you often found yourself struggling to catch your breath, with tears usually welling up in your eyes as you waited for him to let you breathe again. When he finally did, you felt a wave of relief and focused on maintaining a composed appearance. You tried to stifle your coughs and gave him a look that conveyed your gratitude.

“Good girl,” He’d usually say as he rubbed himself across your lips, tapping himself against your cheeks as he made a mess of you, “What do you say?”

“Thank you, Daddy, for letting me suck your cock.”

“You’re welcome, bunny.”

“Does that mean I-I can leave my room today?”

Rafe nodded his head as he concealed himself again, looking down at you as he zipped his pants, “You’re just so excited, aren’t you?”

You nodded your head quickly, practically bouncing in place, “Yes, yes, I’m super–really excited!”

“You want up?” He held his hands out to you, a comforting gesture. You placed your hands in his and Rafe helped you to your feet before lifting you into his arms. You wrapped your legs around him and he carried you towards the door. 

You were smart to always obey your Daddy.

+

hope you enjoyed!

rafe cameron masterlist

[moon-lit-petal]

From Chaos to Comfort Pt1

George Weasley x Fem!Hufflepuff!Reader

Summery: George becomes acutely awear that sometimes, people aren't the biggest fans of his and Freds pranks.

Warning: enemies to lovers(?) George fell hard and fast. I tried to do a slow burn but you can tell I gave up lol. Also, Y/N is a little mean to George Ngl

Word count: 2.5k

Notes: I have almost 12k words written already xD But after my 5k Neville fic, I figured I'd take this one a little slower and give myself time to proofread and make adjustments, for now? Chapter One!!also georges face in this Gif omfg

Part 2 Part 3 Part 4

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

The quiet halls of Hogwarts were where Y/N felt most at ease—especially in the dimly lit corners of the library or the serene grounds at night, where the only sounds were the wind rustling through the trees or the occasional hoot of an owl. As a reserved Hufflepuff, she preferred these moments of tranquility, keeping out of the spotlight and far from the bustling excitement that so often dominated the school.

Unfortunately for her, Fred and George Weasley didn’t share her preference for peace and quiet. In fact, their favorite hobby seemed to be drawing attention to those who tried to hide from it—particularly Y/N.

On this particular evening, Y/N had settled down in the library with a stack of books, hoping to get some quiet reading done before the day ended. The library had a hushed atmosphere, with only the occasional whisper or the soft turning of pages to disturb the stillness.

But that all changed in an instant.

One by one, the books she had carefully chosen began to glow faintly before bursting into song—loud, off-key, and echoing through the entire library. It started with the first book in her stack, a thick volume of Transfiguration spells, which suddenly belted out a shrill tune:

"♬ I’m a magical tome, filled with spells and rhymes, cast a charm on me, and I'll sing for all times! ♬"

The next book joined in, followed by another, until her entire pile of books formed a chorus. Y/N could feel the eyes of everyone in the library turning toward her as the cacophony grew louder and louder. Laughter rippled through the students around her, and even Madam Pince, the strict librarian, seemed too flustered to immediately react.

Y/N's face flushed a deep red as she frantically tried to shut the books, but they wouldn't stop singing no matter how many times she slammed them shut. The laughter and whispers grew louder with each failed attempt. Her humiliation only deepened when she spotted the identical grins of Fred and George Weasley from across the library, clearly enjoying their handiwork.

That was the last straw. Furiously shoving the singing books into her bag, Y/N stormed out of the library, her cheeks burning with embarrassment. She could still hear the faint echoes of the enchanted books singing behind her as she hurried through the corridors, ignoring the amused glances and hushed snickers from passing students.

"I swear, I’m never speaking to either of them again," she muttered to herself, her fists clenched in anger. She couldn't even tell Fred and George apart half the time, which only made it worse. It was easier to avoid them both altogether, and that's exactly what she intended to do.

But deep down, a part of her wondered if it would be that simple. After all, it was Fred and George Weasley—masters of mischief. Avoiding them might prove to be an impossible task.

----------

In the days following the library prank, George couldn’t shake the memory of Y/N’s reaction. While Fred had laughed it off, pleased with how the prank had turned out, George had noticed something different—something that stuck with him more than he expected. He had seen the hurt flash across Y/N’s face, the way her cheeks flushed, not just with anger, but with humiliation.

At first, he tried to brush it off. Pranks were what he and Fred did. They brought laughter, lightened the mood, and sometimes, yes, embarrassed a few people in the process. It was all in good fun, wasn’t it? But George couldn't quite convince himself this time. For some reason, the image of Y/N storming out of the library, her fists clenched in frustration, kept playing in his mind.

Fred, on the other hand, barely gave it another thought, moving on to plotting their next grand joke. George, though, found himself paying more attention to Y/N in the days that followed. It wasn’t something he did consciously at first. He’d catch a glimpse of her in the corridors, her head down, her pace quick, always avoiding eye contact with others. In the Great Hall, she often sat at the very edge of the Hufflepuff table, picking at her food while quietly observing the lively chatter around her, as if she were a part of the scene but always apart from it.

The more George noticed her, the more his curiosity grew. Why did she keep to herself so much? Why did she seem to go out of her way to avoid people—even more so after their prank in the library? And why, of all things, did her quietness intrigue him?

During one particular afternoon in the library, George found himself sitting a few tables away from Y/N. She was engrossed in a thick book, her brows furrowed in concentration. He watched as she absentmindedly twirled a strand of hair around her finger, completely absorbed in whatever she was reading. There was something peaceful about her in those moments—a calmness that contrasted sharply with the chaos of his own life.

Fred, of course, remained blissfully unaware of George's growing fascination. He saw Y/N as just another target for their pranks, and to him, the twins’ antics were a way of livening up the mundane routines of school life. But George found himself torn. The more he observed Y/N, the more he realized that there was something about her that went beyond the surface—something he admired. She didn’t seek attention, didn’t thrive in the spotlight like so many others did. She seemed content in her own little world, even if that world often seemed lonely.

But Y/N, still furious about the library prank, had no interest in any of the Weasleys—least of all George, who she still couldn’t distinguish from Fred. As far as she was concerned, the twins were a package deal of trouble and mischief, and the less time she spent around them, the better. Whenever she caught sight of George, she would quickly turn the other way or disappear down a different corridor, determined to avoid them both at all costs.

George, however, wasn’t ready to give up just yet. The more Y/N distanced herself from him, the more he found himself wanting to understand her, to know what lay beneath that quiet exterior. Maybe it was guilt, maybe it was curiosity, or maybe—just maybe—it was something more.

----------

The days at Hogwarts had grown increasingly tense for Y/N. No matter how hard she tried, it seemed impossible to escape the pranks that followed her like a shadow—pranks she was certain came from both Weasley twins. Whether it was her quill turning into a puff of glitter mid-essay or her robes suddenly sprouting a cascade of flowers, Y/N felt like a constant target. Every laugh that echoed in the hallways after a prank only deepened her frustration.

And George, always nearby—watching her, noticing her—was no exception in her mind. She never saw him without assuming he was plotting alongside Fred. Every time he appeared, she would tense up, bracing for whatever prank they’d cooked up next. To Y/N, they were the same—partners in crime who found amusement in humiliating others, especially her.

Unbeknownst to Y/N, George had slowly started pulling away from the pranks, his growing guilt making it harder to join in on Fred’s antics. He had tried to distance himself, letting Fred take the lead while he hung back, watching Y/N more than participating in the mischief. But to Y/N, it didn’t matter. She saw him as guilty by association, and every time she spotted him, her resentment flared.

The tension between them simmered under the surface, waiting to boil over. That moment came one afternoon when Y/N, in a hurry to get to her next class, rounded a corner and collided with someone—George.

The impact was sudden, and Y/N’s heart leapt into her throat. Her body tensed, and she flinched instinctively, taking a step back as if expecting an explosion of fireworks or an instant prank to follow. Her breath caught in her chest as she braced for whatever humiliation would come next.

But nothing happened.

George, equally surprised by the sudden collision, raised his hands in apology. “I’m sorry, I didn’t see—”

Before he could finish, he saw it—the way Y/N had recoiled at his touch, the way her eyes flickered with distrust, her whole body stiffening as if she were preparing for yet another prank. His stomach dropped at the realization.

“Y/N, I—” George began, but the words faltered. He could see the wariness in her expression, the way she avoided his gaze, the way her shoulders remained rigid, ready for disappointment. His chest tightened with a pang of guilt. She saw him as no different from Fred, no different from the pranks that had made her the center of unwanted attention.

Y/N didn’t give him a chance to explain. Without a word, she brushed past him, her shoulder grazing his as she hurried away, her head down.

George stood there for a moment, frozen in place, watching her retreating figure disappear down the corridor. Her reaction stung more than he’d expected. He hadn’t meant to scare her, hadn’t meant to make her feel like this. But how could he undo all the pranks that had come before, all the times she had flinched at the mere sight of him?

Fred’s voice echoed in his mind—“Come on, George, it’s all in good fun!”—but it no longer felt like fun to George. Not when he saw how deeply it had affected her. He clenched his fists, determined to show Y/N that he was different, that he wasn’t what she thought he was.

But for now, the tension between them lingered, thick and unspoken, a rift caused by misunderstandings and misidentification—one that George desperately wanted to bridge, even if Y/N wasn’t ready to see the difference yet.

----------

It was another dreary Monday morning in Potions, and the last thing Y/N wanted was to be paired with any of the Weasley twins. But, as fate would have it, Professor Snape announced the pairings, and her heart sank when she heard George’s name called alongside hers.

Y/N shot a glance at George, her lips pressed into a thin line. He walked over to her, offering a tentative smile. "Guess we're partners, huh?"

Y/N barely looked at him, focusing on gathering the ingredients from the shelf. "Looks that way."

George rubbed the back of his neck, sensing her reluctance. "Listen, I know you probably think I’m going to mess this up somehow, but I promise I’ll be serious about this. No pranks."

She finally turned to him, raising an eyebrow. “Is that supposed to be reassuring?”

George chuckled, trying to ease the tension. “Well, considering my track record, yes. I really do want to help.”

Y/N sighed and handed him a few ingredients. “Just don’t blow anything up, and we’ll be fine.”

As they started brewing, the conversation remained minimal, but George kept trying to break the silence.

“You know,” he said, stirring the cauldron, “I’m actually pretty good at Potions. Don’t tell Fred, though. He’ll never let me live it down.”

Y/N gave him a sidelong glance, clearly skeptical. “Right.”

“Seriously,” George said, trying to sound casual. “You’d be surprised.”

Y/N couldn’t help the small smirk that tugged at her lips, though she quickly hid it. “I’ll believe it when I see it.”

As the potion bubbled away, George continued to sneak glances at her, noticing the small expressions she tried to hide. There was more to her than her quiet demeanor, and it only fueled his curiosity.

“I’m not as bad as you think,” he said after a while, his tone more sincere this time.

Y/N didn’t respond immediately, focusing on measuring the next ingredient. “You still think this is all a game, don’t you? Even now.”

George’s smile faded, and for a moment, he looked unsure. “No,” he said quietly. “I really don’t.”

Y/N paused at his words, glancing at him again, this time with a hint of surprise. But before she could say anything more, the potion bubbled over, and they both scrambled to fix it, their brief moment of connection slipping away in the chaos.

----------

Later that week, Y/N was sitting in the library, trying to concentrate on her studies. The library was her refuge, a place where she could escape the noise and chaos of the school—and, more importantly, avoid the Weasley twins.

But just as she was getting lost in the words on the page, a familiar voice interrupted her thoughts.

“Mind if I sit here?”

She looked up, annoyed to see George standing there with an uncertain smile. “The library’s big enough,” she replied coolly. “I’m sure you can find another seat.”

George hesitated, but instead of leaving, he sat down across from her. “I wasn’t sure if you’d talk to me after Potions.”

Y/N scowled, clearly frustrated. “Did it ever occur to you that I don’t want to talk to you?”

“I figured as much,” George admitted, leaning back in his chair. “But I also figured it wouldn’t hurt to try.”

She huffed, focusing on her book again, though she wasn’t really reading. George’s presence was too distracting. He wasn’t like Fred. There was something quieter about him, something that made her defenses waver ever so slightly, though she hated admitting it.

After a few moments of silence, George spoke again. “I’m sorry for everything. I know Fred and I have caused a lot of trouble for you, and...well, you’re probably sick of hearing it, but I really didn’t mean to make things so awful.”

Y/N’s eyes flickered up to him, and she could tell from his expression that he was being sincere. But she wasn’t ready to forgive so easily.

“You think an apology will fix everything?” she asked, her voice sharp. “You and Fred don’t get it. You don’t care how it affects people, do you?”

George frowned, sitting up straighter. “That’s not true. I do care. Fred… well, he doesn’t think before he acts, but I see what it does to you. And I don’t like it.”

Y/N narrowed her eyes, skeptical but slightly softened by his words. “Then why haven’t you done anything to stop him?”

George hesitated, looking away for a moment. “I guess I didn’t realize how bad it was for you until recently. But I’m trying now. I’m not like that, I dont mean to be. I want to be better.”

Y/N’s expression softened, if only slightly, as she studied him. She could see the sincerity in his eyes, but she wasn’t ready to let her guard down yet.

“Then prove it,” she said, her voice quieter now. “Stop making excuses and prove you’re different.”

George met her gaze, determination flickering in his eyes. “I will.”

They sat there in silence for a few more moments, the tension between them palpable. Y/N finally returned to her book, and George didn’t push the conversation any further. But something had shifted between them—a tiny crack in the wall Y/N had built around herself, and George had noticed it too.

Part 2 Part 3 Part 4

[inkie-does-whump]

You’ll look back and laugh someday (or at least you’ll learn to be okay)

A Life Series Lab AU, featuring Mumbo

Content warnings: kidnaping, tranquilizer gun, implied abuse, angst

2200 words

Aka: it’s Mumbo’s first day in the facility. He meets some new friends, and reunites with an old friend.

Author's note: wow, this came out much longer than I expected. I guess that's what I get lol. It is the first one shot for the AU so I had to do work building

Mumbo likes to think the world is predictable. He likes mechanics and spreadsheets, and he likes things that are always the same. He likes days where he gets to wake up, follow a plan, and go back to bed.

But today is not one of those days.

It is hard to tell what is happening exactly, but Mumbo is very certain he does not like it. It is dark and humid where he’s just woken up, and by the way the floor is shaking, he guesses he is in the back of a van.

He tries to reach up to rub the sleep from his eyes, but his hands seem stuck on something. He tugs again, only to finally come to the realization that his hands are tied behind him.

“Hello, excuse me?” he calls. He strains to look towards the front of the vehicle. “Where am I? What are you doing?”

Two people in cloaks and masks sit in the front. One of them, the one who wasn’t driving, turns to stare at Mumbo. The mask is white, covering his whole face, with one cultish symbol in the middle.

“Erm. Hello.” Mumbo clears his throat, “Mind explaining?”

The masked person just glances back at the driver and murmurs something to them.

The driver sighs and nods.

Mumbo arches his eyebrows, trying to make out what they were saying, “I’m sorry, you what?”

There is a tranquilizer gun pointed at him in a matter of moments.

“Goodness gracious!” he gasps, “Now, I don’t think-”

But then the trigger is pulled, and Mumbo can’t feel the movement of the van anymore.

…

There is a cold metal floor underneath him, still and steady.

Mumbo groans and sits up, rubbing his face. His hands are free again, he realizes. He rubs his wrists where the bite of the rope has left angry, red lines.

He frowns at his clothes. White tank top and pants. He doesn’t own these clothes. They aren’t his.

“What on earth…” Mumbo looks up at the people around him.

He is surrounded by half a dozen people in identical masks and cloaks. Several medical devices and tubes are attached to various parts of his body. They seem to be measuring something.

One of the people turns to look at him.

“Hello, I see you have awoken

Welcome to your new home.

Just making sure nothing’s broken

Then you’ll be free to roam.”

Mumbo just stares at the person blankly. They begin to remove the medical devices stuck to his arms and chest.

“Excuse me,” he says, “I, uhm, who are you? Why are you rhyming?”

The person nods, as if expecting this question, but they don’t answer him.

“You can’t just take a person off the street like that! I was filming!” He looks around quickly, like he would be able to find his things just laying on a table somewhere. “Where is my camera? And the rest of my equipment?”

One of the people help him off the table he was sitting on. The tiles are cold under his feet.

“And where are my shoes?” He huffs, “what is happening?”

The person walks him to the door. They nod, as if they understand his confusion.

“Let me show you around,

I’ll give you some rules too.

Just stay inside your bounds,

And trouble will avoid you.”

The person guides Mumbo to a wide room, painted bleach white, and gestures to a frame on the wall. Glancing around the room, Mumbo sees a three other doors, one on each side of the room. In the center of the room there are several tables and seats, bolted to the floor, and a few bean bags in the farthest two corners. Several people in the same white uniform as him are scattered around the area.

Mumbo swallows nervously and turns to the frame. Inside are a list of rules:

1. Obey the Watchers

2. Eat during designated mealtimes

3. Take your medication

4. Stay in your room at quiet time

5. Work hard

“Who are the-“ Mumbo turns to the person who led him here, but they are gone. “-The… Watchers.”

The other people in the room keep glancing at him. He can hear some of their whispers.

“-Another new one?”

“Poor guy…”

“You don’t think-“

“Rude, aren’t they?”

That last voice is directly in Mumbo’s ear, and he flinches.

“Well they just sit there talking about you instead of introducing themselves.” The guy who is talking is covered in scars. He looks charming, and warm, and like he would be over six feet tall if not for the wheelchair he was sitting in. “I’m Scar by the way.” He holds out a hand.

Mumbo eyes the people on the other side of the room, before shaking Scar’s hand.

Scar has a metal collar around his neck. It looks uncomfortable, except then Mumbo reaches up to feel his own neck and finds a matching one. He tugs on it gently, and something sharp pricks against the nape of his neck. He decides to not force it off.

“Sorry, excuse me.” Mumbo rings his hands together, “Where am I? What’s happening?”

“Last Life SMP” Scar answers, as if that was any sort of answer. “And you’re a new subject! There’s two other new subjects too, I think, but I don’t know where they went.”

“Uh. SMP?”

“Oh! Yeah, that’s a Scientific Mastery Project. It’s what they call facilities like this, where they test us and make us do things. For, like, science I guess.”

Mumbo shakes his head, “I’m. I’m not a subject of anything! I need to go home, how do I leave?”

Scar winces, like he’s been waiting for this question. Instead of answering, he turns his wheelchair around, “Let me show you the facility?”

Mumbo hurries behind, “Who were those other people? Why were they rhyming?”

“Oh, the Watchers.” Scar says, “Yeah, they just do that. We don’t know why. The Watchers run everything here. The tests, the work, the food, everything.”

“Work?” Mumbo squeaks. Oh goodness. Oh no. Has he been kidnapped into a labor camp? His stomach drops.

Scar nods, struggling with a doorknob and his wheelchair. Mumbo opens the door and holds it open for him. “Thank you. Yeah. Rentings and stuff. You, uh, you get used to it.”

There is a beat of silence as Scar wheels down the hall. There are several doors along the stretch of hallway, each spread out by several meters. The doors each have a window next to them, but most of the curtains are drawn.

Scar stops at one of the doors at the very end of the hall, “This is the last open room.” He says, “So you stay here.”

Mumbo pushes the door open and peers in the room.

Other than the light coming in from the hallway, it is dark. It pours in through the open window, illuminating the small space. There is a bed and a nightstand. A lamp sits on the nightstand. Other than those things, the room is plain.

“No. No, I’m supposed to go home.” Mumbo says, “I can’t stay here.”

Scar rolls backwards a few inches, avoiding eye contact, “Could I introduced you to the others?”

Mumbo hesitates, then sighs and nods, “Yeah, maybe someone in charge? So I can explain this is all misunderstanding. Then I can go home.”

Scar doesn’t answer. He just wheels away down the hall.

Distantly, Mumbo can hear screaming, “What was that?”

Scar swallows. His voice is stiff, “It’s just Joel.”

“Joel?” Mumbo echoes, “Well is he okay? Why is he screaming?”

Scar forces a smile, “This is Scott’s room! You’ll like Scott.” He knocks on the door.

The knock his answered by a little voice, “you can come in.”

Scar nods at Mumbo, prompting him to open the door and creep inside. Someone, Mumbo assumes this is Scott, is laying on top of the bed. He lifts his head weakly to look at Mumbo.

“You’re new.” He comments. “Did Impulse send you here?”

“Uh, Scar.” Mumbo says. “You’re Scott?”

Scott forces himself to sit up with a pained sigh, “Yeah.” He manages, “That’s me. Do you need something?”

Mumbo hesitates, looking Scott up and down. He looks ill. “Are. Are you okay?”

Scott grimaces, “Yeah, all good here.”

This was clearly a lie, but Mumbo could hear Scar calling him down the hall.

“Well. Good.” Mumbo manages, “I’ll, um. Goodbye.”

“Bye.” Scott says.

Mumbo hurries down the hall to catch up with Scar, who is already talking about how Mumbo should meet Impulse and Skizz.

They pass doors and windows until one of the catches Mumbo’s attention fiercely. He stops walking.

Those eyes.

Someone has their curtains open, and they are staring directly at Mumbo with wide purple eyes.

“He’s cool, you’ll like him. Oh, and you should-“ Scars cuts himself off, realizing that Mumbo has stopped following him. “Mumbo? What are you looking at?”

His throat is dry.

“I know him.”

Scar is quiet.

“Who is that?” Mumbo asks, “Why won’t he blink?”

His eyes stare and stare, and Mumbo can feel himself start to sweat under the gaze. He knows those eyes. He knows that face, that figure.

And yet something is so wrong.

“Scar, who is that?”

The hallway is silent, except for the soft sound of Scar coming back over to be beside Mumbo. Scar looks through the window at the person sitting in the bed.

“He doesn’t talk to anyone.” Scar says. “He just sits there and looks at people. Sometimes he comes out to get food, but even then, he doesn’t say anything.”

“But I know him.” Mumbo says, still unable to take his eyes away. “What’s his name?”

Scar shakes his head, “You wouldn’t know him, he’s been here forever. Longer than I have.”

“His name.” Mumbo insists.

Scar hesitates.

Mumbo manages to tear his eyes away to look at Scar.

Scar sighs, “Grian.”

And it clicks.

Mumbo knows where he’s seen that face before. Grian is not a common name, but Mumbo knows it. He knows it very well.

He steps away from the window and slams the door open. Without the glass between them, Grian is much less intimidating. He’s in the same uniform as them, with a metal collar stuck around his neck. He was just as much prisoner as Mumbo was.

Grian’s eyes go wide at the sudden movement, and his wings flare up, but he doesn’t flinch. He doesn’t say anything. He just looks at Mumbo.

“Grian.” Mumbo says, “Grian, it’s me.”

Grian does not answer. His black wings lower slightly. Mumbo takes it as recognition.

He wanders a step closer, “It’s your best friend.” Somewhere behind him, Scar makes a choked noise. Mumbo ignores it. “Grian, where have you been?”

Grian does not answer.

“Just… here? The whole time? Grian, it’s been years!” Mumbo says. “You can’t have-”

“Mumbo.” Scar starts. “how do you know him?”

Mumbo turns to where Scar is sitting a distance away, “I know him from- I, uh, I grew up with him. I’ve known him forever.” He turns back to Grian, “We thought you were dead! You’ve been reported missing for ages.”

Grian’s eyes finally move away from Mumbo to stare at Scar through the window. Then he slowly looks back at Mumbo.

Mumbo approaches Grian carefully, “I thought I’d never see you again. How long has it been, five years? Six?”

Grian watches him carefully. He is sitting crisscross in his bed, hands in his lap, with a blank and unmoving look on his face. His hair is longer than Mumbo remembers. And his eyes.

Something is wrong with his eyes.

They shouldn’t be that color.

“What did they do to you?” Mumbo breathes, stopping at the edge of the bed in front of Grian. “You’re not. You’re not okay.”

Grian looks down at his hands. Mumbo follows his gaze, and spots with Grian is looking at.

Two symbols, one on the back of each of his hands, are seared into his skin. Burned, dark and red.

The same symbol Mumbo saw on the masks of the Watchers.

A brand.

His stomach turns uneasily. He glances back at Scar. He has no burn marks on his hands. Mumbo swallows, throat dry, and looks back at Grian.

“Why did they do this to you?”

But Grian still doesn’t answer. He just lifts his head again to stare at Mumbo blankly. Mumbo is going to be sick.

“Why did they hurt you? Why did they take you away?” Mumbo starts to beg, “Say something, Grian! Say something.”

Grian’s expression doesn’t change.

Mumbo shudders and grips the bedsheets, “Why won’t you answer?” he asks weakly, “You use to laugh! You use to laugh so much…”

And Grian keeps looking at him, unblinking, eyes so unfocused that Mumbo doubts he can even hear him.

“Answer me.” Mumbo whispers, head bowed and eyes screwed shut, “You were my best friend…”

Scar rolls up beside him silently, and reaches to put his hand over Mumbo’s.

The comfort is lost on him.

[last-words-ofashootingstar]

tips that i've collected in my years of writing

i've been interested in writing fiction stories since i was like five, and because of that i've accumulated a lot of tips and tricks. from the internet, teachers, fellow writers, readers, and my own brain - so there's a lot to share !

just a disclaimer; i am by no means a professional. but i've been seriously writing for about four or five years, so im not a beginner either. these are just the things that have helped me personally as a writer, and only a few cause we'd be here all day otherwise lol

the last one is probably the most important ❤️

1) said is dead

repetitive words often make a story feel flat and boring, "said" being the most common offender. there's a bunch of lists online that you can use to find a substitute, and you can even search for different types of speech. for example, if someone is angry: seethed, yelled, shouted, bellowed.

SAID IS DEAD !!

wordhippo is a great free website that i use pretty much every time im writing, you can use it for synonyms, antonyms, rhymes, a lot more <3

2) use of repetition

like i said, repetitive words get boring - but sometimes you can use repetition to your advantage. to reiterate or drive home a point. especially with the use of italics, it can make something hit harder. for example (from Losing Dogs):

" Mingi doesn't know what to do, he feels like his body isn't responding to his mind. His mind wants to knock Seonghwa over the head and run away with you in his arms. But his body seems to remember the pain of the last time he tried to help you even slightly. He's stuck. He's stuck. "

the repeated "he's stuck" is used to tell the readers not only how he feels but how he's acting: he's stuck physically and mentally

another way i use this a lot is to show disbelief or anger, a repeated "no,no,no" is simple and effective

3) chose a pov and stick to it

i'm brave enough to admit that i'm a victim of this in my early days 😭 choosing a point of view to write from is tricky, so pick what goes best with your story !

example ; 1st person- one person describing a story from their perspective: what they see, feel, hear, and KNOW. if you're writing from first person, it limits the knowledge the reader has because they only see what's happening through one set of eyes. it can be a blessing or a curse

pick a pov and stick to it, it can be confusing if it suddenly changes from "her" to "my" or "your" when describing the same person

4) foreshadowing

i can't lie i'm a huge sucker for some foreshadowing !! it's a way to capture readers attention or make them go "hoooooolyyyy shit" when something comes back or just a way to deepen the story

my favorite is probably indirect foreshadowing or foreshadowing through objects or nature. ex: in "Serendipity" the black dahlia lego representing betrayal and tragedy and the rain that keeps baby in the apartment which she thought would pass

there's also direct foreshadowing; where you tell the audience almost exactly what will happen. ex from CODE L-O-V-E:

"  "You guys are whipped, no one is this... enchanting! Enchanting, that's it!" San would be eating his words in less than forty-eight hours. "

and then he ends up watching her in awe while she's writing a song, eating his words kkkkkk

5) set the mood / get into the mindset

this is a big one ! genres exist for a reason, and it's important to keep a steady atmosphere unless you're trying to purposefully make tension or confusion (which CAN be done effectively)

the tone of a story can do a lot, and it's hard to balance sometimes. my best tip for trying to set the mood is to read, watch, listen, do SOMETHING that matches the atmosphere you're trying to go for. if you're going for a horror, watch a scary movie. comedy, watch a standup show.

get yourself into the mindset that you want your readers to be in when they read your story ! the mind is a powerful tool

whenever i'm writing CODE L-O-V-E i listen to the songs ive imagined as the group's discography, along with the songs that they're singing/covering/ect. but whenever im writing sad things, i listen to classical music. ect ect, find something that works for you !

6) dialogue

dialogue is a HUGE DEAAAAL and it can make or break a story. theres so many thing to say about writing dialogue but probably the most important thing i can say is make it feel real; even when it's fiction

remember where the characters are, how they feel about they people they're talking to, and what's going on around them

the most important thing is to remember who's speaking. what kind of character are they ? are they an introvert ? are they talking to someone they're close to or a stranger ? what's the point of their dialogue ? where are they from, how did they grow up ? are they being truthful ? SO MANY FACTORS LIKE SO MANY AAAAH

i know all of those questions are overwhelming to think about every single time you want to write a sentence where someone asks where the nearest bus is, but it will improve your story so much. and there's an easy way to keep track —

7) character spreadsheets

this has made my life so much easier ! if you take one piece of advice from this, take this one !! it has so many benefits. seeing how a character fits into a story: what they add, what's their role, how do they change things in the plot, what's something that makes them unique, how do you want the audience to feel about them throughout ?

you don't have to write all of the answers to those questions lmaooo

just fill out the basics: what they like or dislike, what their goals are, who they're close to, how they grew up, things like this

8) surprise

to surprise an audience , you have to surprise yourself !

i took this from the director of "Barbarian", one of the only movies where i genuinely had no idea what was going to happen. he said, in order to surprise the viewers, he first had to surprise himself. he wrote the script not knowing what would happen next, and it WORKED SO WELL DUDE.

obviously if you have a plot in mind that you want to stick to, do that ! but if you're writing a thriller or horror or who-done-it, this will guarantee that it will be hard to guess what will go down.

if you chose to do this, remember not to just write random things for the fuck of it; as it can give the audience whiplash if plot twist after plot twist happens

9) just write !!!

now, hear me out. it sounds simple, right ? but i know from experience that sometimes you can just be drawing blanks — DONT LET THAT HOLD YOU BACK.

even if all you write is : "then they tried to do this. but then this stopped it from happening. then they get lost" literally anything is better than a blank page.

you can ALWAYS go back and flesh out a story more, you can ALWAYS change something you don't like, YOU CAN ALWAYS WRITE !! if you have an idea, WRITE IT DOWN !!

don't force yourself to write an extremely detailed sentence the first time around. drafts exist for a reason. ex:

idea: "they met at night"

1st draft: "it was nighttime when they bumped into each other."

and keep adding more until you like it;

final: "The moon was at its highest point, casting its soft light on the quiet city. Neither of them was expecting it. But tonight was the night they would fall in love."

also, don't force yourself to write things in the order they happen in. i'm also a victim of this, and it held me back sooooo much ! if you know what you want to happen, if you're inspired: do it !!! don't let your ideas get away from you

10) the bigger the headache, the better the story

yes, i stole this from hongjoong... but its honestly true !! the stories that ive had in my head for years that i finally get around to making come to life are always the best or my favorites.

Allure, CODE L-O-V-E, the ateez vampire one i'm working on — they have all been giving me headaches for years; trying to move things around and come up with more ideas and changing it because i don't like it and all of this bull hunky... but they're always my favorite which leads me to the next bit of advice

11) write what you want

do what you want, it's your story ! it's your world and YOU are in control, and that's the beautiful thing about writing fiction.

you can do anything you want in your story and no body will stop you. if they don't like it — they can close the tab !

if you want to make a story about a unicorn who suddenly learns how to speak english and tells everyone that aliens are real and they're just avoiding earth cause humans suck... YOU CAN DO THAT !!

you can do anything

write the stories that you would want to read, and they will be amazing no matter what

and most importantly:

we are all our own worst critics.

one of my mutuals told me this probably about two years ago after i was showing them a part of a fic i was working on and i said that i still didn't think it was good enough. they told me this, and it's been in my head ever since.

we are all our own worst critics. we spend every second of the day with ourselves, so of course it makes sense that we will be hardest on our work. if it's art, or singing, or cooking, everything we do we will always think the most about it. but outsiders don't know what you were trying to do, they don't know if something you've created was supposed to be bigger or better

we are all our own worst critics, we all think we're worse at things than we really are

so don't think to much about if your writing is good enough or engaging enough or this that and the other — just do it because you want to.

and now i've taken enough of your time lolol

have a good day, and keep writing !! 화이팅 !!

[kuoukyeee]

Imai Cosmo sfw alphabet

Gender neautral

Suggestive

Mentions boo(👻)bs

A = Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?)

He's very affectionate. He tries to hold back on affection in public, but he cant help himself! Especially when you're cooing and smiling at him so sweetly.

He deffo holds your hand in public and drags you if he finds something he wants to check out.

If you guys haven't seen eachother for a long time, he likes to run up to you and jump into your arms or on your back, he won't give much of a warning except a shout of your name, but you better catch this boy or you both are going down.

B = Best friend (What would they be like as a best friend? How would the friendship start?)

He would be the friend that always brings a smile to your face. His positivity and youthful mannerisms make him so charming and pleasant to be around.

He would always be down to gossip and listen to your worries, however most of the time he doesn't give good advice as he probably doesn't have experience or knowledge on the topic.

You guys probably met through Nishihonji.

C = Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?)

YES SQUEEZE THIS BOY UNTILL HE TURNS TO MUSH, HE LOVES IT.

He would wrap his lean, nimble limbs around you, almost like a snake, you would have a hard time escaping no matter your strenght.

He likes to rub his head against your chin/neck area, trying to get as close to you as possible and kneading your body, almost like a cat making bread.

He also likes to shove his face into your chest/boobs and nuzzle into them. He finds this so comforting.

D = Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?)

I cant necessarily see him seeking out a partner, but if he meets someone when he's older, he would definitely try to win them over. He thinks getting old with someone is super sweet and something he would like for himself.

He's average at cooking and cleaning. But I can see him being a bit passionate about/better at baking, because he looks like he'd enjoy some sweet treats.

E = Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)

You guys would have a conversation, where both of you realise you're not compatible and that splitting is the best way to not hurt eachother.

I can see both of you crying together, before going your separate ways, and grieving separately afterwards.

F = Fiance(e) (How do they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?)

He wouldn't mind it! Not now though, when hes more older.

I think he would hesitate a bit, especially if he proposes when he's younger, not because he's insecure, but just because he knows that getting married is a big decision which comes with lots of responsibility, so choosing the right one is quite a big deal for him.

G = Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?)

Sometimes he can get too playful and may accidentally use too much force, but he realises quickly and fixes his mistake.

He's very clever emotionally since he always hangs out with older dudes because of the kengan matches. This makes it so he has to act in a way so he can blend in with them, which makes him more aware of social cues. He can adapt to you because of this.

H = Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?)

I see him having a body temperature which runs on the warmer side, maybe because of his cheery personality.

If you neck hug him he goes bonkers because of your honkers (that rhymes lol) touching him. No but fr he feels super manly.

You guys have an unconscious schedule everyday. You hug when waking up, hug before one of you leaves, hug before bedtime etc.

I = I love you (How fast do they say the L-word?)

You guys would be doing something together that makes both of you happy. He would notice just how much you are enjoying yourself which would make his heart melt. He would then grab you and drop the L bomb, followed by a kiss.

How fast he says it depends on you, if you are more playful like him he would say it within a few months of dating, if not he would hold himself back.

J = Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?)

He would get very jelly. He's young, and like many young people he's a bit insecure. He would stand closer to you, puffing up his chest in order to seem more scary and manly.

But to no avail, most of the time the other person ignores him. This makes him super frustrated, which makes him more clingy than usual (Adam definitely teases him about this).

But he calms down when you pull him close and smother him with affection.

K = Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?)

He has soft plump lips which fill you with warmth and playfulness every time you kiss him.

He likes to kiss you on your lips, cheeks (the ones on your face lol💀💀) and your hands because it makes him feel like a prince.

He likes to be kissed on his head (even though he denies it), on his neck/jaw area and on his tummy and chest if you guys grapple/spar together and you manage to pin him down.

L = Little ones (How are they around children?)

He is quite young himself, so he'd be more happy to entertain/play with them as he has more energy.

The kids like him alot as he picks them up or pins them down and tickles them. He's also not very intimidating, so if they have a problem they would be inclined to go to him compared to other fighters.

Hed get nervous if a child starts crying while with him, but he would calm them down by playing with them.

M = Morning (How are mornings spent with them?)

You guys wake up tangled together and with most of your guys' pillows and blankets on the ground.

He cuddles you and refuses to let you go, especially if he wakes up groggy. After you manage to get him out of bed, he likes to take a quick shower (he doesnt mind if you hop in 😏) before eating and going to train.

N = Night (How are nights spent with them?)

I can see you guys going to the disco/bar/pub or any sort of party. If you want something more calm he wouldn't mind watching some netflix (and chilling) with you.

O = Open  (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say  everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?)

I mean, he doesn't have any top secret info or anything, so you just got to bring it up.

P = Patience (How easily angered are they?)

He doesn't seem like the guy who'd argue about everything and anything.

Hed get more annoyed or bored.

Q = Quizzes  (How much would they remember about you? Do they remember every little  detail you mention in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?)

He remembers quite a lot since he's young, but as he's young he probably doesn't put everything to heart so he forgets little details here and there.

R = Remember (What is their favorite moment in your relationship?)

Probably when you guys got together or if you had a trip etc.

S = Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?)

He's moderately protective, he knows that people can be dangerous however he doesn't like to focus on the negative stuff.

In case protection is needed (lol) he'd try to shield you from the attackers, hes able to fend of a few. But if there's many of them he'd try to put up a fight, however you would encourage him to flee with you.

Honestly I cant see him letting you protect him, fighting by his side? Sure, but full on fighting for him.... i don't think so.

T = Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?)

He's young, so he'd like to impress you as much as possible, so you see that he's cool like the 'older guys'.

U = Ugly (What would be some bad habits of theirs?)

He can be impatient and annoying, especially if you're a more serious kind of person.

V = Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?)

Quite a bit, like almost every young person. He keeps himself as clean and fresh as possible for you.

W = Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?)

Not really, he's young and will have time to get over break ups and improve himself. Although he would get a bit depressed without you, because nobody gets him like you do!

X = Xtra (A random headcanon for them.)

His family love you and think you guys are so cute.

He has a good sense of fashion.

Y = Yuck (What are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner?)

Someone who doesn't know how to have fun and who doesn't want to go out and enjoy themselves. He needs someone who can go with him on interesting adventures.

Z = Zzz (What is a sleep habits of theirs?)

Flails around in his sleep if not holding you. However, if he has a grip on you he's not letting you go, this is probably a habit from all the grappling he does.

He snores sometimes but its barely audible, or very rarely he grunts out a phrase (usually gibberish😭).

He sleeps on one side so he can look at you, its so cute. His disheveled hair sprays out on the pillow, and his little face is pressed up on it, smooshing his cheek, making him look like a little angel🥺🥺🥺. You can help but give him a big fat smooch every time you see him sleeping.

[ranticore]

Helloo I have questions for you re: the author ask you reblogged recently!! If you'd like for Félix and Islin: 2, 3, 4, 12, 14, 19 (and 20 if you'd like!)

let's fucking GOOOOOOO!!!

2: How long was the process before the character reached its final version? (or a version that would be clearly recognizable as the character?)

F: day fucking one babey i knew his entire life story from the first second i drew him. the only things that changed are some minor appearance details. the FINAL final version has not arrived yet because i haven't finished writing the third book ;)

I: sure he looked different but in terms of personality and behaviour, the early him was very similar to what ended up in the books. what has changed is my understanding of him (<- that is to say, he always behaved the same, but i had to keep teasing out WHY he did that to reach what felt like a 'true' conclusion)

3: What was the first thing you decided on, the character's name, appearance, personality or their role in the story?

F: "oh I have to make a guy to be Jean's Twin Brother" so role in the story I guess

I: Absolutely the religiosity, there had to be a tension between his morals and what he did for a living (among the magpies). Personality I guess

4: And reverse, which one of the four things did you struggle with the most?

F: Name. I am TERRIBLE at naming

I: .... Name

12: Do you have a playlist for the character? What songs do you associate with them and why?

Both of them had separate playlists, but I hated how it crowded my spotify playlist window thingy to have so many, and there was a lot of overlap, so I consolidated their playlists into 1 big MVF draft one playlist with no rhyme or reason and no consistent anything

For songs, I can pick some random ones now just by hitting shuffle. It's a playlist I actually don't listen to much anymore (I made a new one for the rewrite) so this is a fun time capsule

Ok first Islin one i got was Devil Devil by MILCK, Point of Creation by Markéta Irglová, Wouldn't It Be Nice by The Beach Boys OF COURSE, Judas by Lady Gaga... of course..., Los Ageless by St. Vincent, No Light No Light by Florence + The Machine, Without a Map by Markéta Irglová, and Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up) by Florence + The Machine naturally

for Félix i got Heat Waves by Glass Animals, What's a Devil to Do by Harley Poe, A Mask of My Own Face by Lemon Demon hehe, Like a Prayer by Madonna, The Stolen Child - 2006 Remaster by the Waterboys (this is just. The Poem. yknow the one), Stalker's Tango by Autoheart, and finally Bad Believer by St. Vincent

14: Do you have any quotes tied to the character, either from the story itself or from another source that fit them?

Oh hmmm I don't think so? It would be hard to pick one line out of thousands except who am I kidding it's this line from the first draft of the book i'm writing right now

it's so dumb

19: What is your general favourite thing about the character? What is your least favourite?

F: who's to say

I: i like how mean-spirited he can be at times despite all illusions to the contrary. huge fan personally

20: Bonus question: share any additional thoughts, art, favourite scenes, anything you've been waiting for a chance to ramble about

i got nothing lol i tried going to random spots in the document but i'm not feeling any excerpts rn

[cowbok]

I have 2 main AU's for COTL

First one is "Between Life and Death" that's less cannon compliant to the game as it focused mostly on Narilamb

Where Lamb was once the god of Life and the sixth god to survive the purge, being part of the Old Faith for a while but not quite fitting in with the rest of the bishops.

Everything turned out south after Narinder and them fell in love, as the very action of two gods falling in love was forbidden, even more so gods of completly different realms like them. Shamura holded this value.

Specially after Narinder crafted ressurection as a gift for the Lamb.

Thousands of years after Narinders imprisionment and Lamb's persecution. They don't remenber who they were anymore, reincarted in a mortal's body. When they first saw Narinder they couldn't remember a thing or why the cat was acting so sad with them.

They still help Narinder and in the process, maybe some of their memory will come back. Or maybe not.

Second AU is "Kindness Doctrine" where is basically the lamb taking the most humane, kind and good-hearted rute in the game (This is more Cannon compliant to COTL)

Even allowing the bishops a form of mercy by letting them confess regrets and make peace with their deads.

The lamb tries so hard to choose kindness in a world that makes them want to choose Corruption every single day.

All in the name of the one and only thing they remember about their kin, the sheep-folk. The only lesson that stayed with them after so long, even after they forgot their family's faces.

"Don't you know why gods crave our blood the most? Its because ours is the most kind, pure blood to ever touch this lands.

Why does a sheep overgrow their wool? Just to share with others that are cold.

Little lamb, may the wolf hidding inside that fleece, be as kind hearted as the lamb wears it"

A song. A rhyme. The only thing they have left after the genocide of the lambs.

Even when everything tells them to go the villain route, they decide not to. They decide to care and nourish this cult instead, and show them love.

"And so, when i ascend into godhood, you and your brothers will be ridiculized! I'll show them that you can ascend without the need to spill innocent blood" -Lamb

(This AU also has Narilamb because i love Narilamb, don't bother me lol)

[spurgie-cousin]

Ellen asked her what the “stuff” on the bottom was. It’s pre-cooked noodles, chicken, potato, and spinach. Leftover casserole buried under a new casserole?

I hope that countertop was CLEAN CLEAN before she started cutting directly on it. Also was she using a bread knife to cut everything? I’ve never seen that before.

It’s wild to me that here’s a woman who crows about being a traditional homemaker all over social media and yet 8/10 times that she posts the meals she makes, it looks like she threw a grenade into her fridge and pantry and used whatever blew out. There’s no rhyme or reason.

Since Jill is such a hateful person I will never get tired of pointing out what a shitty "homemaker" she is, particularly in the kitchen. She's an objectively really bad cook and that fills me with joy lol.

I've eaten some crazy casseroles in my time, but the thing that makes an otherwise weird casserole work is rhyme and reason (which as you pointed out is very lacking here). That pasta mixture looks like it it's got something saucy on it, which feels like it's going to clash with the very particular flavor of that kind of Italian sausage, and idk it just doesn't vibe with the otherwise breakfast-y theme.

Every time Jill tries to prove her family eats well or that she's even a passable cook she does the opposite, and by her own standards she's not living up to her God given role. And maybe it sounds mean but, with how much she shits on other women, I hope she's bothered by that. A lot.

Edit: everything Jill makes also feels like some kind of struggle meal, like something you're trying to make stretch as much as it can (like this casserole) or using random ingredients because it's all you have (also this casserole). Maybe it's like that because they have struggled for so long and that's what they're used to doing, although to be fair, they struggled because Jill and David made the decision to, repeatedly, so it's hard for me to feel sympathy atm.

[cosmiclion]

Not even two weeks in and I already turned them into furries. And no, I'm not the tiniest bit sorry for putting this on y'all's dash ✌️

A few notes:

-Tbh I didn't put that much thought into choosing the animals, I just did some research on the species from the character's countries (minus for Yurio lmao) and chose the ones that felt more like them to me, if that makes sense. -Yuuri was a Japanese river otter up until the very last minute but then I saw the tanuki and couldn't resist its cute lil face, plus I like how the species name rhymes with his last name. -At first I tried to give them hair like their human counterparts, but no matter how I drew it it just looked weird, I don't know how other furry artists do it 😭 So instead I opted for trying to capture their overall vibe, it was a bit hard bc for example I know a key element of Victor and Yurio's designs is the bangs that cover one of their eyes but I hope I more or less nailed it lol. -I don't care if Yurio would be an adult by now and isn't even that much younger than me, he's still my little meow meow 💛

[korrasamibottles]

Year-End Writer's Roundup: 2024 edition

Thank for tagging me @sweetorangepoptart !! I'm not sure who's been tagged so @ any and all writers who see this and want to participate, consider yourself tagged!!

1. Words written (published or not, WIPs totally count too!!):

18,083?? I can't believe I did that. I can't believe that came out of me. Sounds fake. Also one fic is responsible for like two thirds of that, which also sounds fake.

2. Smut scenes:

Just one, in my Korrasami Week fic Love Bites (So Do I)

3. New things I tried:

Mmm I wrote an AU? Sometimes I have trouble getting into AUs as a reader because I end up missing the established universe, so I never envisioned myself writing one, but that's the fic that wanted to be written! It was a challenge to make the characters feel like themselves (if their personality is molded by their environment and life experiences, and then that environment and set of experiences is tweaked, what happens??) and also make the world feel Legend of Korra-inspired rather than exactly like the real world as it exists except with people named Korra and Asami (not that that's a bad way for an AU to be—it's just not how I wanted this one to be).

I don't want to spoil anything, but there are a number of little details sprinkled in that I hope make the fic feel somewhat rooted in-universe even though it isn't. Anyway overall I'm pretty happy with how it turned out? If I had endless patience I might've continued adjusting things, but uhh I don't lmao.

4. Fic I spent the most time on:

Love Bites for sure. It ended up being over twice as long as every other fic I've written, and I'm still shocked by that. I did not think I had 12,438 words in me. (And I almost didn't because I wanted to quit like a dozen times shhh🤫)

5. Fic I spent the least time on:

The Space Between Heartbeats, but not because I didn't care!! Turns out it's just way easier to keep the word count lower and tie everything up relatively quickly (for me. lol. takes me a while to write anything) when it's set in-universe and there isn't any extra world-building to figure out.

6. Favorite thing I wrote: 

You would have me choose❓️🥺 I can't. The two fics I finished are so different from one another, but they're both precious to me and I'm happy with the way they turned out.

7. Favorite thing I read:

Can I tag everyone who participated in Korrasami Week? I've started going through the Korrasami Week Collection on ao3 and there's so much talent in this fandom it's crazy. Shout out to @appalesbian @ozais-lobotomist @kingwuko @madlad-link for writing things that drove me absolutely bonkers.

I also fell hard and fast into Velcinta Madness after watching Andor earlier this year and subsequently spent weeks groaning in agony and rending my clothing (many such cases!) so I want to mention what a knife measures. It packs a powerful punch into a quick read and is beautifully written, as sharp as the title suggests, and has the kind of character dynamics that make me want to pull my hair out (complimentary). I love it.

8. Writing goals for next year: 

Specific goals: Wuko Week approaches......I have a doughy lump of an idea currently rising in a warm, humid location, and soon it will be time to put it in the oven. I also think I can loosely tie it in with an older Korrasami wip (which I really want to finish. and it rhymes with shmibrator shmic.) but I don't want to make any promises because fics always take on a mind of their own at some point and things change. I'm also tempted to try writing something Velcinta-related but idk. Participating in a new fandom is always intimidating. We'll see.

Non-specific goals: I really want to reach a point where my recurring perfectionism/shame-induced writer's block no longer gets the better of me👍

[prettyoddfever]

One of my favorite parts of following the Fever-era band was watching where they got inspiration, and how they’d build on an idea to make it their own. 

Motley Crue did their Carnival of Sins tour shortly before Panic started touring. And P!ATD didn’t even pretend like that didn’t influence them when it came time to plan their national headlining tours. Some reviews for P!ATD’s summer tour (which was the Moulin-Rouge-inspired one) had said that the band pulled off what Motley Crue had been trying to do... and that was before the Nothing Rhymes With Circus tour even existed. 

It became a well-known fact that the band had tried to borrow Motley Crue’s circus tent, so the Panic guys had to answer quite a few questions about that (here’s a random example from early October once the band already had their NRWC plans).

The pictures at the top of this post are from Panic’s Nothing Rhymes With Circus tour, which felt like the finale of the Fever era. And then the screenshots below are from Motley Crue’s Carnival of Sins tour:

They had acrobats, fire breathers, and other circus-type stuff:

Here’s Tommy Lee’s makeup:

In hindsight, it’s pretty funny to look at all of the things that P!ATD talked about wanting to do (that they weren’t allowed to do)... but Motley Crue had been able to do those things. Brendon and Spencer especially talked about wanting to get fire breathers, trapeze performers, and ANY type of pyrotechnics, get Brendon shot out of a cannon, etc. 

It’s hard to tell in this screenshot, but Tommy Lee is flying across the stage on wires (he’s above the “T” in the name):

he landed on a platform and started playing while a pyrotechnic mess happened:

Spencer & Brendon would have loved to have this amount of fire...

and after grabbing those screenshots, I think I can spot some moments that answer why some people were claiming in late 2006 that their sister/friend/whatever went to P!ATD’s tour and saw the female performers doing some very specific sexual stuff... and the rest of us were like wtf show did they go to because that’s not what everyone else in the arena talked about seeing. So maybe those people legit thought that the two tours were the same thing. I also think that some journalists subconsciously lumped both tours together because they’d write about Panic having trapeze artists, fire-breathers, “dwarves,” and/or other things that were actually from Motley Crue’s tour. 

I could ramble for a long time about how the two tours were very different, but I suppose that’s not the point of this post. Basically, the Panic guys were open about being inspired by some aspects of Motley Crue’s stage show. 

The video was released during the season when Panic was planning their first national headlining tour. Here’s an ad from spring 2006:

update: sometimes I switch tracks in the middle of writing a thought and then go back and rearrange stuff because I have learned to roll with my ADHD buuuuut I totally failed in this post. So sorry. I just re-read this and the second paragraph was a hot mess that made it sound like the summer tour was in arenas (I could spot like 3 different approaches I had been trying to start with lol). I fixed it now! 

I’m just going to leave this quote from Gerard Way to Kerrang:

[mykingdomforapen]

Man, the AU you mentioned about LTC possessing LG and causing damage with his voice and hands that he'll wake up to has not left my brain. I do have some questions, if you would maybe expand on it a bit!

Do you think this is a bit of a role swap, in a way? Of LG being the one possessed instead of QL after what happens with Liu Min and Emma? In that case, what could happen? LTC would have access to his memories, to CXS's vulnerabilities and fears that LG is well aware of, and coming back right after Emma's death might have CXS in a position where only words could do immense damage, without even mentioning the knife he might or might not have access to.

I feel CXS might recognize it's not LG even if LTC tried to act like him, right? But it would not make what he says sting any less, or would not make a sudden stab any less surprising as he comes back from a dive with his guard down, I guess. Ah!!

He might be possessing LG in a completely different context, too, I guess! Although he would need LTX to be around for it to be done remotely, right?

Please forgive my rambling, even just as a concept, I'm very very curious to know what you considered for that idea. Thank you for your time!

Thank you for giving me an excuse to expound on an indulgent au that I dream of whenever I have trouble staying awake during my jet lag aksjsksksk.

I admit that when I have my sleep-affected stories in my head, it is effectively Whump Without Plot so I didn't really have a logical reason of why Lu Guang would be possessed. However, if we were to make a rhyme or reason for it, it would likely be to make Qian Jin's capturing of Cheng Xiaoshi quicker. Since CXS was targeted by the antagonists because they wanted to take advantage of his abilities, after all.

(Which of course is what happens vaguely in the canon, but shhh)

But in an AU where CXS doesn't recognize LG is being possessed (or, even if he does find something odd, isn't in a position to question it), he would easily follow Lu Guang anywhere no question. So he would be an easy mark as long as the baddies can use LG to take him somewhere else.

As for my indulgent AU in which it's a completely different context, maybe baddies want to separate CXS from LG for whatever reason, make him run away from LG and make him more vulnerable to the baddies' attacks, whether to capture him or something else. In which case, they can use LG and force him to push CXS away even if it's just for one vulnerable night. And since LTX's abilities are such that she can see all the memories of a person, it would be at least enough to glean what LG's usual personality and talking style is like to make his possession seem at least believable. And as you say, if it's on such a night that CXS is perhaps already vulnerable--maybe a bad dive, or a hard reminder about his parents--really, it's about saying something hurtful to CXS that he already kind of believes about himself that would make him less likely to question whether or not LG actually means it.

Like, if a possessed LG were to say that CXS is cruel and dishonest, I think CXS would be a bit ? about that. But if LG were to call CXS, idk, clingy and burdensome, which arguably (at least in my headcanon) CXS has wrestled with in his own self-image already, that would make him a bit more likely to believe those are LG's words. Because CXS is already struggling with those worries that he is so, and hearing it from his best friend who knows him most deeply would feel like confirmation ...

(and if he doesn't believe it's LG, then possessed!LG would just knife him and drag him to the baddies we get the best of both worlds lol)

Of course, in the way that Chen Bin was able to sort of gain some sense of self when he was possessed because he was being forced to walk off the edge of a building but the love for his unborn daughter gave him some consciousness to, while unable to resist, have sentience, I can imagine that Lu Guang's love and care for his best friend and seeing the way that he was being used to hurt him would give him some ability to try to resist, or at least be conscious about what he was being forced to do...which is perhaps even worse....

Witnessing his own body and mouth hurting his best friend but unable to stop it...

[bardic-inspo]

Wondering if you can answer #5 in the couples ask game for Naomi and Astarion?

This is @just-hereto-blog and thank you for the ask! I am working on it right now - coming as anon because I don't want to appear as my simblr lol

Absolutely -- thanks for asking! :) (And no problem re: sending on anon!) [Couples Ask Game]

5. How do they sleep? When they sleep (or trance) together, they're wound up so tight around the other, it's like they're trying to use their own body to blanket burrito the other person 😂 They are wrapped. They both want to big spoon and little spoon at the same time and this is the result.

I HC Astarion as a closet cuddle-lover. He takes to "sleeping together" with Naomi after the confession in Act 2. He might act stingy about snuggles initially, but once he's tried it, he can't get enough. There are a couple incidents pre-confession where they fell asleep near or next to/leaning on each other. The seeds of that sort of ease were there early on. More than just the touch itself, the warmth and the sound of her heartbeat are really soothing to him.

For Naomi's part, my poor girl is cursed (I say, as if I didn't make this up and foist it on her). Part of her curse is hearing this ongoing song that feels tip-of-your-tongue familiar, but she can never place the memory or recreate the tune. Even when that's leaving her be, the curse's other side effects make restful sleep and/or trancing very difficult. Astarion having absolutely no heartbeat at all is like a salve to her soul. It helps her drown out everything else that's haunting her head. I haven't gotten a chance to play that out very much in their longfic, Midnight Chimes, just yet, but it does come up in one of the early scenes:

The tadpole connection hums, all at once familiar and foreign. Listen, she says back, with the same smile in her thoughts as on her lips. He lets the connection pull him through and stifles a soft sound of awe in the back of his throat. Quiet. Blessed, blissful quiet. Like none she’s ever known. Naomi’s ear rests over his heart, but it doesn’t beat for her. Not literally, at least. He’d still heavily negotiate any figurative sense of the matter. But it doesn’t matter that it isn’t beating. It’s not what she wants. Not what she…needs. He feels the ache of it, as she lifts her cheek, briefly, and music flits, frenetic, though her mind. Spells and stanzas and half-remembered rhymes in mangled cacophony. She lays her head back down, and lets out a long breath. Astarion echoes the sound, unbidden, as the connection withdraws, and he’s left with the pluck of her heartbeat in his head again. It’s never quiet. Not in her head. But it can be. With him. If he hadn’t prayed so hard to them already, he’d swear the gods gifted him this woman. Astarion knows better. The illithids did.

[cto10121]

What are your thoughts on Tybalt? I knew before reading that he killed Mercutio and then was killed by Romeo so maybe i went in with some bias. But i wanted Tybalt dead as soon as he stepped on stage. No joke. The moment it said [enter TYBALT] and he started swinging his sword and talking smack i was like “Lord Jesus somebody stab him in the face rn.” This opinion never changes and is only furthered by his treatment of Benvalio in that scene as well as the Masquerade scene and the dual scene. But, i think if anyone could convince me of otherwise, it’d be you 🤭

Lol, I can try. Let me count the ways.

So I was, too, thinking about Tybalt, and I have come to the conclusion that his introduction may just be my favorite Shakespeare character introduction, no joke. I can hardly believe it myself, since Tybalt is such a minor character all things considered, but it’s true:

Tybalt: What, art thou drawn amongst these heartless hinds? Turn thee, Benvolio. Look upon thy death.

Tybalt also shows a modicum of wit when he criticizes Benvolio’s methods of keeping the peace. “What, drawn, and talk of peace? I hate the word / As I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee.”

After that, though, Tybalt becomes more or less regulated to antagonistic catalyst. He does have some good rhyming couplets (“Patience perforce with willful choler meeting / Makes my flesh tremble in their different greeting”). I’d say he is perhaps the most eloquent of Shakespeare’s hothead characters, except that he can’t stand against even Capulet’s bluster (“Why, uncle, ‘tis a shame” 😡 poor bby).

One thing Shakespeare is careful to denote, though, is his commitment to honor and the rules of dueling. He sends Romeo a letter of challenge. When Mercutio tries to antagonize him into a fight, he keeps his cool and doesn’t rise to his bait, but instead is focused on Romeo. When Romeo refuses to duel him, only then does he duel Mercutio instead. In a way, he is undone by his own curious integrity—Romeo dispatches him quickly through sheer rage.

That said, I do agree that Tybalt does get a lot of unjustified love, not just in the fandom but in productions. I’ve noticed that a lot of productions cast Tybalt with a much sexier actor than Romeo, despite the lack of canon evidence. Romeo of course is the much larger and more dynamic role, but I feel if you’re going to include sexy good looking actors, you should do it for all the youths (once again, the French musical is so superior for this). And then there is the anime version.

Like dude. Dude. Why did you go so hard on his design????

I think overall people are responding to the unrealized potential of his character—he does show charismatic flair at the beginning and quietly honorable instincts. And Shakespeare does show discipline and restraint in not rising to Mercutio’s bait. But yeah, most adaptations either go the Totally Evil Antagonist route (ew) or the tragically misunderstood/traumatized one (better, but just depends). You must be the first I’ve heard who disliked him immediately, but then I went into it not knowing he would kill Mercutio. So maybe that does make a difference.

[martianbugsbunny]

MartianBugsBunny Reviews: The Music of Wish

I'v been working on this for the past week or so and I have now seen the movie...eight times I think? Four on one Sunday and four on the next lmao

Let’s get the basics out of the way first! Overall, a lot of these songs were mediocre but probably would’ve been things I’d sing in the shower ad nauseam if it weren’t for one or two really horrible lines. That’s kind of the overall theme of the music from Wish, to be honest. I liked the music/tunes of most of these, though. I also noticed that the lyrics have this weird dichotomy of “let’s rhyme these things even if it doesn’t make sense” and “let’s just not care about the rhymes,” both of which were kind of off-putting to me.

I think the voices they got to sing this stuff were MEGA wasted. Ariana DeBose has the most heavenly voice; her higher register has a gorgeous sound. Chris Pine is better at singing than I would've expected. Both of them are good at those subtle shifts in pitch (I think it's called melisma? but don't quote me on that) that I can and will go nuts over. They deserved better material to work with. Now onto the specifics! I’m gonna rank each song out of ten (totally arbitrary lol) and ramble about why for a while. It's not too long, so if you have a little time on yours hands, read on and enjoy!

Welcome To Rosas 5/10 Not bad. It terms of tune, it has some decent flavor, but the lyrics are pretty forgettable. I think using a song to set up the concepts that they did was a good idea, like the first song in Encanto, but I just don't like it much. I think part of that is the informal tone??? like when Asha says "so like, we have this king" or "I'm totally kidding" or "oh hey, did I mention," that kinda gets on my nerves. and yes, I'm well aware that's a little hypocritical bc The Family Madrigal did some of the same things, but WTR isn't super strong to begin with so I instantly become more annoyed at the little details. Also, Asha's literally being a tour guide for the kingdom and that's not professional imo.

At All Costs …… I’m not scoring this one. I don’t know how to. I’m addicted to the chorus, that’s the first thing I’ll say; I watched Wish four times on the first day I watched it, and that was the first part I started singing along with. The harmonies get into my gut. But honestly, in terms of context, it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. The lyrics sound like they should be directed at a person, not inanimate objects, which takes me out of the moment when I’m watching the movie. Some parts are a little clumsy, but if I’m viewing it as a love song it’s stunning, and DeBose and Pine's voices are heavenly together. I will say that subjectively, it's my favorite song in the soundtrack, I fell for it so hard and fast. <3

This Wish 7/10 In terms of Disney “I Want” songs this is at the bottom of the rankings, let’s be real. I like the sound of it, especially the non-syllabic vocalizations at the end of the chorus, but a lot of the lyrics just do not hit. Now, I will say that I saw a lot of people ragging on “to have something more for us than this,” and that’s actually one of my favorite parts of the song. It captures that feeling of longing for more without knowing exactly what that means or how to phrase it out loud so neatly. On the other hand, I definitely agree with the critiques of “throwing caution to every warning sign,” that’s one of my least favorite lyrics in the whole movie.

You’re A Star 6/10 Oddly, this one was less horrible than I expected. It delivered absolutely nothing, don’t get me wrong. It tried to tackle the idea of people and stars being made out of the same stuff and basically living as different notes in the same symphony and failed spectacularly. The big question “have you ever wondered why you look up at the sky for answers?” was one of my favorite lyrics in the entire soundtrack and there was NO payoff. (Plus, if I mixed up “elegant” and “eloquent” in a multi-million dollar movie I would never be able to look myself in the face again.) The entire second half of the song was pure lyrical garbage. But I like the tune and the animals are pretty cute, and despite being relatively hollow I found myself enjoying this one.

This Is The Thanks I Get 7/10 I’ve already said this but I’m gonna repeat myself: tonally this song was all wrong. 0/10 for that if I’m being perfectly honest. Something more along the lines of Hellfire or Be Prepared would’ve hit a lot harder—more sinister, more in line with the descent-into-madness thing that was occurring in the plot, would’ve improved this section of the soundtrack SO MUCH. With that complaint out of the way, the song we got was fine. Some of the lines were either poorly-written or repetitive, but as a whole I kind of enjoy it and would definitely dance around amateurishly in my room to it. It’s just too silly.

Knowing What We Know Now 1/10 This was my least favorite song in the entire movie. I just hate it. The lyrics are so sloppy.

This Wish (Reprise) 7/10 Honestly I think I liked this part better than the original song. Asha starting by herself and gradually being joined by her friends and the entire city was incredibly moving, and I might go so far as to say that this was the most powerful moment of the movie. I also enjoyed the twists on the original lyrics, particularly “we’re past dipping our toes in, we know it’s do or die, it’s sink or swim.” That part just felt really well done.