#I’d say yeah they’d respect each other

[vulpixisananimal]

[A:4 C:69]

(Siffrin) {Mal Du Pays} <Null> |Asterion| +Rosmarinus+ =Socks= [Loop] [(Saffron)] 

<The arrow slowed in the air as it flew towards you, and in one slice, you split it in half.>

“Good reaction!” <Ark shouted from across the yard.> “But your stance is off, bend your knees, spread your legs wider, and again!”

<She raised her bow, armed with harmless dulled arrows, pulled back, and shot again. This time you split the arrow just like before, but you could feel the strain on your muscles lessen.>

“Good!” <Ark lowered her bow.> “You’re a quick learner.”

“Thank you.” <You wipe the sweat from your forehead.> “You’re a good teacher.”

<You, Mirabelle, and Ramos had all gone down to Arks watchtower near the south gate. There was a clear yard next to it that she used for training, and that’s where you all were now, training. If you wanted to beat Perci, you had to be versatile.>

“Alright, let’s take a breather.” <Ark swung her bow over her shoulder and walked to the side, you followed.> “Mirabelle, Ramos, the floor is yours.” 

“Alright!” <Mirabelle jumped up with Ramos following, each with their rapier and tonfas respectively. You sat down as the two got into position.>

“Ramos looks way more comfortable today.” <Ark commented.> 

“O-oh yeah!” (You jumped back to front.) “They’ve been uh, struggling with some stuff, but it’s sorted now s-so. . .”

“. . . Let me guess.” (Ark shrugged, taking a drink from a flask.) “Nightmares?”

“Huh?” (You were surprised at the guess, but shrugged.) “Uh, n-no not that.”

“Damn.” (Ark huffed and shook her head.) “Lucky, me and Thai keep waking each other up in the middle of the night because of damn nightmares.”

“Both of you?!?” (You ask, surprised.) 

“Hardly.” (She shrugged.) “Y’know Dr. Gina? He’s been having trouble sleeping too, and that’s to say nothing about his boyfriend Eden, poor guy’s falling asleep standing up!”

<. . . Well. That’s good to know.>

(You blink, then turn back to the scene of Mirabelle and Ramos.) “. . . Most of us have been getting them too.”

“Crab, so it is a pandemic then.” (Ark laughs.) “Just our luck.”

(Right. . .)

<It’s affecting Percival and Merlon too. Ark, Thai, Gina, and this Eden person. Perhaps even the whole town. Hmm, idea.> “Have the sadness attacks at least let up?” 

“Of course not.” (Ark shakes her head.) “Nothing huge like before, enough that I can take care of it. Groups of three or four sadness at a time, usually the faster ones.”

“If it weren’t sadness that were attacking, I’d call those scouting parties.” +You look to the sky, thinking.+ “here there patterns leading up to the other two big attacks?”

(STARS do you just show up whenever you feel like it?!?)

<Are you new here, Siffrin. Always expect an unexpected visitor.>

+Hehe. Ark thought for a moment before responding.+ “. . . Yeah actually, usually there would be a few days with none of those ‘scouting parties’ getting close. Last scouting attack was yesterday, so if that’s true we should still be good.”

“Right. . .” +Still, it makes you nervous.+

(You watched Mira and Ramos fight. Mirabelles stance was somewhat consistent, a middle ground between offense and defence, although usually leaning on the offense. Ramos on the other hand had a clear line; they’d keep their tonfas in line with their arm on the defensive, and start spinning them like crazy on the offense. It really was the perfect weapon for a scissors/rock type.)

+Actually that reminded you; why is it that we all have different types? Aren’t we born with our types?+

<I don’t remember. But I have no type at all. Or craft skills, for that matter.  Not that I need them.>

(Well that’s apparent.)

+WAIT! No you’re not BORN with your craft type, your craft type is somewhat malleable until it solidifies into one as you mature!+

(LIKE A PERSONALITY!!!)

<Like us, huh. That could explain our differing types.>

(Weird! You dig around in your pockets and find a snack (toasted pecans) and munch on them. Ark held out a hand and you gave her some, after hesitating for a second.)

(After a few minutes, Ramos stepped back and held up a hand.) “I, need a second.”

“O-oh! It’s okay! We can take a break if you want.” (Mirabelle reassures, walking forward.)

“N-no it’s fine, I just. . .” (Ramos shakes their head.) “Just. Ark? You said you had spare weapons? May I try one?”

“Uh.” (Ark raised an eyebrow.) “Suuuure? They’re at the base of my tower, just inside.”

“Thank you.” (Ramos jogged over, grabbed their bag and cloak, then went to the tower. Mirabelle walked to you all as they went.)

“I wonder what that was about. . .” (Mirabelle was rubbing her shoulder.) “I-I hope I didn’t do something wrong.”

“I don’t think you did.” (You smile at her.) 

“A-are you sure?” 

“Very!”

(It only took a minute until the door at the base of the watchtower flew open, Ramos, maybe, running from it back to the field. This time, they had their cloak on, and a mask. A mask? Where did they. . . Oh! OH!!! That’s the mask hanging on the wall of their room that you saw!!! Why were they wearing it? And when did they take it down?)

(They stopped at the center of the field with their new weapon, and epee, and waited. You chuckled.) “I think you have a new challenger, Mira.”

(It took a moment for Mirabelle to realize what was going on, but when she did, she beamed.) “Right!!!” (She ran to the field.)

“What’s this about?” (Ark asked.)

“Savior things~” (You smirk.)

(You look at the two. Mirabelle bowed, and raised her rapier, and, as the first time you’ve seen it fronting, Nihil does the same with its epee. They inch towards each other.)

“Oh Change.” (Ark whistled, and stood up.) “This’ll be fun.”

“Huh? (You stand up also.) “What’ll be-”

<But you’re cut off by the sound metal on metal. The match had started. Mirabelle was blocking a flurry of strikes from Nihil and backing up. They were good, both very, very good. Nihil striked Mira on the arm and both stepped back.>

“Safe!” (Ark yelled.) “Point to Ramos.”

+Oh! Fencing! Duh.+

(RIGHT!!! You knew it looked familiar! The match continued, blow after blow. Another point to Nihil, but the third goes to Mirabelle when she deflects a blow down and striked its chest. The fourth point goes on for a while, neither gaining the upper hand until Mira grazes Nihils abdomen.)

“What’s the difference between a rapier and epee anyways?” (You ask.)

“A rapier is longer and designed for more intricate techniques.” (Arks eyes stay glued to the match.) “An epee is much lighter and faster.”

(Ah. You understand that.)

<You can just say you don’t, you know. The match continues, point to Nihil, and the next, then the next three to Mira. After that is one Ark couldn’t call, then one to Nihil.> 

“Match point!” (Ark calls out. The two were focused, having long since stopped their banter.)

<Strike in again, Mirabelle deflects blow after blow, stepping back and to the side. Nihil hops over a swing and thrusts, Mirabelle blocks deftly. They each back up, waiting for their next chance. Mirabelle thrusts in, Nihil deflects, counters, a near miss, Mira punishes the miss, and a moment later, it’s over.>

“Point to Mirabelle, for game!” (Ark clapped, you joined in.) “That was fantastic!”

(Nihil was standing there, breathing heavily as Mirabelle approached.) “A-are you alright? I-I didn’t go too hard did I?”

(Nihil looked at Mirabelle, tilting its head slightly. A moment later, Mirabelle jumped in place and laughed.) “C-change you scared me!!”

(Ark gave you a look as if to say “the crab just happened”, you shrug. Nihil stepped back, a hand to its head. It sat down for a moment breathing before taking off the mask and running a hand through their hair.) “W-woah, crab that was, intense!”

+Well, guess Ramos’ back.+

<Nihil probably wanted to try fighting with an Epee, and left as soon as it got attention. Ha!>

(Heheh, maybe. You go over and hold out a hand to Ramos.) “Nice show you two! It’ll be hard to beat Mira, she’s ra-pierless~” 

“PFFT-”

<Ugh.>

“NO!!!!”

+Hahah!+

“Hehehe!!!”

(Yes!!! Another successful joke!!! You smile as Ramos grabs your hand-)

“HA-” (Ramos yelps and lets go, falling back down, eyes wide.) “W-wha-aaathhe--”

“R-ramos!!!” (You kneel down next to them in a flash, Mirabelle following a moment later.) “A-are you alright??? D-d-did you break something??? O-or, or--”

“N-no it’s, I. . .” (They rubbed the palm of their hand, then sharply inhaled.) “I-it’s just, tender, I-I think.”

“You were fighting with that Epee pretty fast. Maybe you messed something up with your hand nerves?” (Ark suggests.)

“. . . WAIT!!!” (Mira perks up.) “I-it’s the same with Perci!!!”

“Huh?!?”

“What about Perci?”

“?!?!?!”

“W-well, his hands!” (She continued.) “They got a lot more sensitive from using mind craft so much! That gash I gave him back at the inn was still there when we last saw him. S-so. . .”

“Oh yeah!” +You snapped your fingers.+ “I think Gina mentioned something about that, craft overuse. And apparently doing that with mind craft makes your hands sensitive.”

“O-oh. . .” (Ramos looks down at their hands, hiding their face with their cloak. Aww, like you do!)

“. . . Iiiii’ll pretend I didn’t hear all that.” (Ark rolled her eyes and sat down.)

“UHM-”

“R-RIGHT, SORRY!!!”

“No biggie.” (She shrugged.) “Whatever you have going on, I got your back, saviors.”

“T-thank you, Ark.” (Mira says, relieved.) “A-and I, guess we should get you some gloves now, Ramos, right?”

“Y-yeah. . .” (Ramos looks away- wait. . . You look closer.)

(They’re BLUSHING!!!)

“. . . Ramos.” (You say with your most trustworthy smile.) “Can I see your hand, please?”

“U-UH-” (Ramos jolts to attention.) “UH- s-sure???”

(You gently take their hand and press into their palm. They immediately take it back, blushing harder.)

“. . . . . Ramos.” (You’re grinning.)

“FGBHANSDSMDAD” (They hide in the cloak.) “S-SHUTUP!!!”

(You all have a big laugh at that. Oh this is going to be VERY good information to have. You feel light headed.)

(It was about time for a break anyways, so you all start eating snacks and telling stories about your travels. Apparently, Ark was from some far off country on the other side of the ocean. She was in some, organized, army, thing, but she couldn’t remember specifics. But that was okay, because you just liked hearing them all talk.)

(You lay back and close your eye to think.)

(You, Null, Rosmarinus, and the others averaged levels 75 to 99. Saffron was only at level 50, and Socks was at level 6, impressive, for a cat. Mira, Isa, and Odile were levels 54, 56, and 55, and Nille was level 31. Ramo, Alex, Altiare, and Nihil were levels 35, 36, 33, and 51.)

(But most surprising of all was Bonnie, who’d reached level 40.)

(None of you had paid much attention to Bonnies level, they’re just a kid after all. But, well, with re-experiencing all of those loops, they got quite the boost in level. You didn’t like it, neither did Nille.)

(They’re going to be level 99 before they turn thirteen.)

(The thought makes you shudder.)

(You feel a weight on your stomach. Opening an eye, you see Ramos laying their head on your belly. You couldn’t help but smile and run a hand through their hair. . .)

“Cute.” (Ark chuckled, you didn’t even care that you were embarrassed. You just turn your head to the side, leaving Mira and Ark to chat.) 

(What a nice day. . . The grass was dry on this crisp, cloudless winter day. The cold drifted over your face, nipping but not stinging. You see a stranger pass by, pausing a second to look at you all before continuing. Not many people out today, it seems. Ha! Too cold for them, then. You always liked the cold, that’s why you liked to make trips up those snowy mountains to. . . To. . .)

+OH!!+ “I used to take walks up snowy mountains at home. I always liked the cold. And. . .”

“O-oh!! I’m on it” +You hear Mirabelle start writing. You sigh in relief, and go back to relaxing.+ “. . . O-oh! Siffrin has memory issues and sometimes remembers things so, we write it down for them!”

“Aww, that’s sweet of y’all.” +Ark hums.+ “Oh yeah, Ramos you can keep the epee.”

“R-really?” 

“Yeah go for it. I’ve never been a fan of an epee so by all means take it.”

“Thanks, Ark.”

“No problem, heh.”

(Today was a very, very good day!)

[blitzy-blitzwing]

I am very curious to see more about Zestiel myself! He's so interesting, and his design is awesome! Do you think he and Blitz would have some form of respect for each other?

His design is awesome. 🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩

[deonsx]

Hello! I would like to request any bllk boys with a athletic girlfriend who also plays a sport! How are they supportive/react at their games/events, etc!

Ps. I’m a new bluelock reader and i’m loving your stuff! 🩵

Heya!! You are so cute, I'm glad you like my stuff ʕ༼◕ ౪ ◕✿༽ʔ +Sae,Nagi,Kaiser

Sae Itoshi

♡ Sae would always make time to attend her games or events whenever possible, sitting calmly in the stands. He’d analyze her performance with the same sharp eye he uses for soccer, appreciating her skill and dedication. While he might not be the loudest cheerleader, his presence alone speaks volumes

♡ Post-game, Sae would offer feedback, not in a condescending way, but in a way that acknowledges her strengths while subtly pointing out areas she could improve. He values excellence and would want to see her reach her full potential, just as he pushes himself to do the same

♡ If she ever feels down after a loss or a bad performance, Sae’s calm demeanor would balance her emotions. He might not be the most overtly comforting person, but his quiet reassurances like “You’re better than this. You’ll bounce back” would mean a lot to her

♡ Their shared athleticism could lead to some playful one-on-one matches in their respective sports, each pushing the other to improve. Sae’s competitive nature would shine through, but he’d still enjoy seeing her best him in her field of expertise

Nagi Seishiro

♡ Nagi isn’t the type to make a big deal out of things, but he’d always find a way to be there for her games or events, even if he doesn’t seem overly enthusiastic. He might slouch in the stands with his phone in hand, but his focus would still be on her, occasionally muttering “She’s so cool when she does that”

♡ Nagi’s simple compliments like “You looked awesome out there” or “That was a crazy good play” might seem offhanded, but they’d mean the world because he doesn’t say things lightly

♡ If she’s feeling the pressure, Nagi’s relaxed attitude would help ease her nerves. He might say something like “It’s not that deep. Just do your thing it’s easy” which could help her find a sense of calm before competing

♡ While Nagi doesn’t put in a lot of effort in general, he’s a genius at figuring out shortcuts and unconventional strategies. He might offer her advice or tricks for her sport, phrasing it like, “I’d probably do it like this. It seems easier”

Kaiser Michael

♡ Kaiser would be her biggest supporter, showing up to her games dressed to impress and making sure everyone knows he’s her boyfriend. He’d cheer loudly, often calling attention to her accomplishments with phrases like “That’s my queen out there!”

♡ Kaiser would shower her with confidence before her games, saying things like, “You’re going to destroy them today, no question” or “No one stands a chance against you. you’ve got the Kaiser seal of approval” He’d always make her feel like she’s the best

♡ If anyone on her team or an opponent tries to flirt with her or compliments her too much, Kaiser would get noticeably possessive. He might say something like “Yeah, she’s amazing, but don’t forget she’s mine”

♡ After a victory, Kaiser would insist on celebrating in an extravagant way dinners, gifts, or even throwing a party. He’d treat every win like it’s a world championship

Enjoy!

[numberonetacostan]

ONE HEADCANON FOR EVERY II CHARACTER!

Hello everyone!!!!!^^ For a little holiday season special, I’ve typed out a little headcanon for every character!!! By character I mean contestants + host + assistants!!!!! Sorry to all the Nick Le fans out there, he is not included. Since everyone is here, there are characters I may not know as well as my main roster, so if I get anything like, objectively wrong, feel free to let me know!!!^^ Please enjoy!!! (ﾉ´ヮ`)ﾉ*: ･ﾟ

Apple- Her favorite song is Pink Pony Club by Chappell Roan. She doesn’t really understand the lyrics but she really likes ponies!!!! I also think she’d start misspelling her name as “Appell” pretty often after she finds the song. 

Balloon- The first thing Suitcase does with her prize money is buy him a poetry book. He is so very moved by this and writes her dozens of poems with various styles he sees in the book within a few days. He’d read from the book and his own works to Suitcase every night before they go to bed. Some others could join in for a nice bedtime story :). 

Baseball- Once, while the hotel was under construction, Baseball fell down the stairs. And then kept rolling. And rolling. And bouncing. And rolling some more. Overall it set construction back two weeks and Paintbrush broke their leg trying to help stop him. Baseball was banned from the hotel until the elevators were finished. 

Bomb- He can’t eat spicy food. As in he’s banned from eating spicy food. If he gets too hot, he can accidentally set himself off, so despite his claim that he has a great spice tolerance, he is not allowed anywhere near the hot sauce. He doesn’t complain about the ban anymore post-canon, too risky, yeah? 

Bow- She watches so very many makeup tutorials, but being a ghost, can’t practice any of it on herself. That is, unless she possesses someone, like Marsh who would be very easy to put makeup on relative to other objects!!! She’d probably get pretty good at it, after some time, and Marsh would have some lovely new eyeshadow looks every day! 

Knife- He has a longer ghost tail than Dough and Bow do, so I propose him wrapping said tail around people and things he likes!!! Wraps around Pickle when they’re standing next to each other, wraps around Suitcase’s handle when they’re together, etc.!!! He’d get rather flustered if anyone called him out on it. 

Lightbulb- Gives incredible hugs. Incredible. How does an object made of glass and metal give such cuddly, warm hugs? Nobody knows. Sometimes she’ll turn herself on during the hug to make it extra warm!! As long as the person she’s hugging closes their eyes, it really elevates the already sacred experience of a Lightbulb hug. Luckily for everyone else, she is always happy to give one!^^

Marshmallow- She’s still pyrophobic after having been burnt all those years ago. As a very flammable marshmallow, fire would be scary to her anyways, but after having been roasted it’s a whole other story. She’d rather freeze than get close to a fire, but that’s not a problem since there’s a certain fruit always willing to warm her up with a hug <3!!

Nickel- He became very, very, very nervous to give his apology to Suitcase after she blew up Cobs and ate his corpse. He was planning to apologize either way, but clearly Suitcase could absolutely obliterate him if she wanted to do so, which means this apology has to be quite good or else. He has a serious amount of respect for her now. An upgrade, I’d say. 

OJ- His favorite Pokémon is Charizard. It’s orange, it’s very popular, OJ loves it. I know Justin has made a list of the contestant’s favorite Pokemon, but I have not read it in a while so Charizard it is!!!

Paintbrush- Experiments a lot with their image after season 3, mostly by dyeing their bristles with paint!!! Lightbulb helps :3!!! And by helps I mean makes it silly and very fun. Maybe she puts a little dot between Painty’s eyes to give them a “nose”. I think they’d try a solid color first, then maybe a fade, and eventually dye the nonbinary flag into their hair!!! They slay it of course. 

Paper- Pickle once wrote “Property of OJ” on Paper’s back and he didn’t notice for three days. No one told him it was there. When he asked everyone why in the world they would not inform him they said it was because they all thought OJ had written it and he was keeping it because he liked it. OJ did not know why Paper avoided eye contact with him for a week that one time but he did not like it. 

Pepper- Hotel OJ head chef. Yeah you heard me. Let me cook by letting her cook!! Salt wouldn’t like cooking, too much work, so this is something Pepper could enjoy on her own!! And it would be the sole reason that OJ has not yet kicked Salt out of the hotel- if he does than Pepper might be too sad to cook, and with the depressingly low amount of hotel residents that can make food, and the even smaller amount who are willing to make enough food for everyone, they need her. And, if Payjay help out, they can spend more time with her and get to know and enjoy her presence without Salt ruining it!

Pickle- With some help from Tea Kettle and Pepper, he makes Knife a new Dora doll post-finale, since it vanished with the rest of the stuff made by MeLife. He lets Knife possess him if he wants to hug the doll, but it also gets possessed by Knife so he can hug Pickle. Ah shit sorry my Knickle got all over the headcanon dang it. 

Salt- I headcanon her as the only cisgender, straight, alloromantic (I think that’s the right term?) member of the cast. Basically the only one who isn’t queer at all. But uh an actual headcanon for the ~60 or so Salt fans out there, both she and Pepper sleep with those little hair bonnets on to keep their salt and pepper from falling out of their heads in their sleep. 

Taco- This one is fitting for the winter season!! Taco is afraid of snow. Like, straight up terrified. I think she would grab a bunch of blankets and hide in the vents of the mansion whenever it snows, so she can be inside of the inside, as far and safe from the snow as she can be!! Having been homeless for years, she’s had some miserable experiences with hypothermia after it snows, and now that she has a home to live in, she’ll be staying inside until all the snow has melted. 

Mephone- I think he should have a pet bug post-canon. A little beetle or something that just chills on his head and feasts on the many crumbs he gets on himself while he eats. An intelligent one, like Baxter!!! Since we know Mephone will be stepping up into the more ‘big brother’ sort of role for 3GS, I think the bug would be a good outlet for Mephone to talk about his more intense feelings, specifically revolving around Mepad and the contestants. I also think, following his very creative naming of the contestants, the bug would be named Buggy. 

Box- I think she would be an insomniac. After years and years of living in an empty, timeless void-space thing, she’d have a lot of trouble getting to sleep!! She’d definitely need the whole works, warm milk, cheese, lullabies, etc., etc., just to get to sleep, and even then she probably wouldn’t sleep for very long. A lot of nightmares on this one, yeah? 

Cheesy- I think he’d actually quite enjoy eating cheese, as long as it’s not a chunk like he is. He’ll eat nachos, pizza, mozzarella sticks, grilled cheese, etc., etc., but he will not eat cheese cubes. He’d make approximately 5 cannibal jokes every time he does this, and this average goes up to 8 if Pickle is around. 

Cherries- They give Toilet their old Mepad mask post-canon, to try and make him feel better. Toilet might hang out with them a bit more after this- they can do some drawing together!! The more prank-buddies, the merrier, yeah? 

Dough- He eventually did get the recording of Bow saying that he was her brother!! Was it a cut-off version of her denying it yet again (though this time more playfully than anything)? Yes. Does that make him any less happy about having it? No. 

Fan- Out of everyone, he’s the most upset about II ending, and wants to find a new special interest!! He’d try a whole bunch of things, games, music, movies, TV shows, art, and I think it would be funny if he settled on the ii-universe equivalent of Survivor, since it was such a big inspiration for II!! He’d also occupy himself with being very interested in whatever Test Tube is doing and cheering her on!!! Also being a good Dad to Bot!!^^

Microphone- Has, on occasion, accidentally had her volume button pressed in her sleep and woke not only herself but everyone in the vicinity up with her snoring. The first time it happens post-canon it takes her a half-hour to get a very startled and scared but very sleepy and confused Taco to come out from her hiding spot under the bed. 

Soap- Her soap is french vanilla and rose scented!!! She’d find her own scent rather pleasant, yeah? I think being empty for her would have a similar effect on her as it does on objects like OJ and Test Tube, though if she’s in a real pinch she will use her own soap to get clean!! Letting someone use her soap would be a sweet gesture of love/appreciation from her!!!

Suitcase- Balloon would write her a lot of poems once they’re back together post-canon, and she’d keep them all inside of her!! She’d keep a lot of special little gifts from important people inside of her. The stone that Knife set beside her the first time they spoke on the docks, a dried flower bracelet from Box, whatever suits her fancy! (Get it? Ge- ‘cause she’s a suitcase? okay ill leave).

Test Tube- I think she would make phones for everyone post-canon!!!^^ It’s a big island, yeah? And they really need to be able to contact each other in case of emergency, with them being able to truly die now. She could make a functioning rocket out of a vending machine, I fully believe she could make however-many functioning phones out of what she can find on the island. (Or even better, Mepple HQ. I think they all should loot it.)

Tissues- He likes coding :) I personally hate coding, because I sucked at it in school and never want to look at one of those evil “easy kids coding” websites ever again. HOWEVER coding is something he could still do while he’s feeling sick, most of the time!! And we have quite a few gamers living in the hotel, so it would be a great way for him to connect with others!!!

Trophy- He always enjoyed photography as a hobby, but very much threw himself into it after being freed from the elimination closet. After months of seeing nothing but the snotty closet walls, he had a lot more appreciation for scenic and natural photographs. He’d hang a lot of them on the wall of his room to look at as he sleeps, since the rooms don’t have windows. 

Yin-Yang- This one is from my partner @galacticrain!! Because I consider them my resident yin-yang expert^^ Yang isn’t actually gluten free, like he says in season 2 episode 5, he just knew that Yin would confess to the eating of Dough if he put any ounce of pressure on him to tell the truth. 

Mepad- Another cold weather hc! As a Mepple device, he doesn’t really get cold! However, during their first winter together, Toilet worries that Mepad has no winter clothing!!! He buys Mepad one of those super fluffy, pink cases. Mepad does not take it off for months, until his systems start to overheat because of it. 

Toilet- I think he would be rather curious about what having limbs is like. He wouldn’t be particularly upset about his own lack of limbs, just curious!^^ He would ask Mepad about his legs, (try to) ask Mephone about his arms, and maybe make a little doodle of himself with a lot of limbs. A biblically accurate Toilet, if you will.

Blueberry- I like to think his white eyes glow a bit. He functions best in pitch-black darkness, yeah? So imagine you’re walking in the dark and two white eyes are staring at you from the depths. He would love scaring people with it, I think. 

Bot- Hanging out with everyone post-season 3 finale and even more so post-canon, they discover that they really do love videogames, similar to what they told Cabby!! They would absolutely dominate in fighting games, and would main R.O.B. in Super Smash Bros.!!! A fellow robot with a 3 letter name? Sign them UP. 

Cabby- She is endlessly fascinated by how Taco’s arms work. They just…go back in? How? Could she pull them out backwards? Both on the same side? Could she reverse them? Taco does not know either, and the two of them spend a full day together just trying to figure out how they work. Cabby gets a lot of new info about them, and Taco in general, after that :). I’m projecting but I think Cabby would be curious too.^^

Candle- Her meditation training post-canon is what keeps like half the cast from losing their minds after everything that happens. She is very very much needed after… all that. Meditation would help her too, of course, in the way that it usually does, but being so helpful would probably make her feel better than that. 

Clover- She was once blown across the entire island because someone dropped a penny on the ground. It was a particularly shiny penny, though, and the year was one her many, many lucky numbers!!

Goo- My little fella!!! Uh obviously he and Bot would make comics together. They like to draw, he likes to write, it’s perfect!!!! They could help him condense his writing down into a comic format as well!!! They could also make fanart and fanfics together!!! Goo would be a shipper I think he already ships Silver and Painty if you sit that little guy down in front of Steven Universe he will explode. 

Lifering- With everyone losing their immortality post-canon, he quickly becomes one of the most popular among the contestants. Twisted your ankle? Go see Lifering. Migraine? Go see Lifering. Ate the mushrooms that Taco very clearly told you were poisonous? Hurry to Lifering!! He’s happy to be of so much help, but gives some long and rather informative lectures on proper safety checks. 

Silver Spoon- Fills his room with candles. Particularly purple ones. And ones scented with lavender and chamomile. He’ll go on and on about how much he loves candles. Particularly purple ones scented with lavender and chamomile. No one can tell if Candle is trying to politely turn him down or really hasn’t noticed. He progressively gets more and more obvious with his candle collection and nearly sets a building on fire. 

Tea Kettle- #1 Nickloon shipper. I’m serious. Whether they get together or not, she ships it. I don’t think she’d be pushy about it, insistent that they get together if they’re interested in other people, but… we know silly Nickel, always chasing a Balloon. And if he needs a little help catching it, TK will be there in a flash!!!! She’d make them a little romantic picnic complete with hors d’oeuvres! 

The Floor- My guy The Floor still visits Mephone almost daily post-canon. I really don’t see the guy being super upset or holding a grudge over Mephone having made him. He’s pretty cool, if he does say so himself!!^^ And they’re buddies, anyways, so Floory would want to check in on him after his abusive father killed everyone and then was exploded!!!! He might even befriend 3GS while he’s at it :).

[shyamanuensis]

Promises - Sebastian Sallow

Turns out; I needed a little fluff. Nothing special - just two dumb kids who make pinky promises to each other throughout their lives. No delectable descriptions, no heart-wrenching angst, just pure ramble written in an hour with no editing. Enjoy xo

Six.

“Sebastian; do you think Anne will like this?”

I hold up the crown I’ve weaved out of daisies and peonies we’ve collected on our playtime adventures this afternoon out in the far fields of Feldcroft. Our parents said to be home by dusk, which is nearing, but it is not yet dark enough for the two of us to find ourselves in trouble. He crosses his arms and shakes his head - commenting about how flower crowns are such a girly thing and I roll my eyes with the argument of “yeah - but Anne and I are girls.” He’s quick to shrug.

“I guess then, for girls - they’re alright.” His voice was laced with annoyance and… a hint of jealousy. I can’t help but giggle and push up off the ground; brushing the petals and dirt off my sundress.

“I made you one…” I skip over and push onto my toes to place the flower crown on his head. His hair is always so messy and he’s got dirt on his cheeks doubling the look of his freckles from climbing trees all day.

“T-t-thanks.” “Oh you’re welcome. Every prince needs a crown.”

Hearing our mothers call out to have us come home for dinner; I sigh and wonder if we’ll have time to play again tomorrow.

“Do you think we’ll be friends forever?”, I’m quick to ask with a raised brow and although he doesn’t answer at first, Sebastian smiles before taking my hand in his as we walk back to the cottages with a skip in our steps.

“Of course - why wouldn’t we be?”

“You promise?” “Pinky promise.”

Nine

“We all gather here today, to remember and celebrate the lives of Vincent and Rosemary Sallow…”

The church was filled to the brim with mourners paying respects. Whispers of ‘it’s just such a tragedy’ through to ‘and what about the children’, circle on repeat amongst the congregation throughout the service. Anne and Sebastian are in the front row, seated on either side of their uncle with two deep mahogany-coloured caskets mere feet away. Anne’s been an absolute wreck for days. She’s barely left her room; barely eaten, barely slept. Sebastian, on the other hand, I’m yet to see shed a tear. This changes though when the priest asks both twins if there are any words they’d like to share about their parents' lives. Happy memories. Loving words. I’d never seen Sebastian run away from something so quickly.

As the congregation of mourners watches him flee the church, I’m quick to follow irrespective of my mother's instructions to stay put. It’s been raining outside; the storm clouds in the skies mimicking just a hint of the chaos I see in his eyes when I approach.

“Seb?”

He doesn’t move or speak; yet a few rogue tears swim down his cheeks. Distraught isn’t even the right word to use. Broken perhaps? Lost? We stand in absolute silence for a moment until he murmurs out his realization of the situation. Of his reality.

“They’re never coming back…”

I’m not sure how I should answer; or say nothing at all so instead reach out to grab his hand and in doing so, get pulled into a hug. Tight. Needed. Whole.

“They’re never coming back and it’s all my fault.” “No one else is going to leave… I promise.” “Pinky promise.”

Eleven

“I can’t believe you’re both Slytherin’s.” “And you a Gryffindor…”

Green suits Anne and Sebastian oh so much - and red, well it’s growing on me. My mother said I’d enjoy the sorting ceremony and she wasn’t wrong; the whole night has been an absolute thrill. The chatter in the hall amongst the first years comes to a halt as Professor Weasley asks us to separate into our respective houses and follow a prefect to our new common rooms. I sigh a little; it's the first time we’ve been separated. 

“What’s wrong?”

I glance around as students begin to shuffle into groups and let my gaze drop, shifting from one twin to the other. Anne being as social as ever has already made small talk with a cute blond boy which I can’t help but chuckle at.

“It’s just you have Anne with you. I don’t know anyone…” “Hey, it’s alright - it’s just for tonight”, Sebastian reaches out and put his hands on my shoulders, giving them a gentle squeeze before shaking me a little to get a smile. “I’ll meet you back at the hall for breakfast and we’ll walk together our first class.”

I nod. He has a point. It’s just for a night.

“You promise Sebastian?” I look down at our hands.

“I pinky promise.”

Fifteen

“But Seb, you don’t get it - I really, really liked him.”

My sniffles are short. Cries huffed. There’s enough tissue scattered across the bed to make it look as if it has started to magically snow indoors. After a very public, near humiliating break up in the Transfiguration courtyard involving my now ex-Leander Prewett, I’ve decided I’m never leaving my dorm room again.

“Have you at least eaten?”, Sebastian asks for what I’m convinced is the 17th time but I don’t bother answering coherently. Eating means either sneaking into the kitchens or heading to the Great Hall and both of those activities involve going into the public of the castle. I shake my head and reply back in sobs, eventually resting my head on Sebastian’s shoulder with a sigh. He doesn’t flinch.

“I’m not hungry.” “You can’t survive on air.” “I’ll just have jellybeans then.”

Sebastian sighs heavily enough for the both of us at my quip.

“Look, Prewett is an idiot. You deserve better. You’ll find better.” “You think?” I wipe my eyes dry before biting my lip. “I know.” “You promise?”

That sigh from before turns into a chuckle as Sebastian’s hand finds my own.

“Pinky promise.”

Eighteen

“Who’d have thought - the most troublesome student at Hogwarts would become head boy.”

I flick the badge pinned into Sebastian’s robes and watch the familiar blush of his cheeks flood them softly. They say unexpected things can happen in life and this - well this was definitely one of them.

“Do you still have so little faith in me?”, Sebastian asks with a smirk and I’m more than aware he already knows what my response will be so I just chuckle and shake my head softly.

“Guess this means no more adventures then Seb…” “Actually - the way I see it, this means more adventures, because I won’t get caught or scrutinised for them.” “Ooohhh, so you could cancel my detentions then?”

He rolls his eyes and folds his arms neatly across his chest.

“What’s it with you always getting into trouble?” “Well I’m friends with you aren’t i?”

Sebastian’s question is met with one of my own but our banter comes to an end when Samantha Dale, headgirl approaches and asks to speak with Sebastian about something important for a minute. I’m aware she’ll hold his attention for far longer than that and I’m impatient about waiting so I suggest we catch up in the library later to study.

“I’ll see you there later, I guess, if you’ll have time Mr Head Boy.” “Oh I’ll make time.” He replies as Samantha walks the two of them away. “You promise?”

Sebastian winks while looking back over his shoulder; his trademark smirk on display.

“Pinky promise.”

Twenty-Two

“It’s not like I’m permanently disappearing; I’m just moving to London.” “Yeah but Sebastian - that’s like an 8 hour train ride away…”

We both knew this time would come. I guess I just thought I could trick it into being delayed. Having both completed our respective studies and training, Sebastian secured an apprenticeship as an Unspeakable, I as a healer at a local hospital; I sipped quietly at my butterbeer and enjoyed the hum of chaos the background of the Three Broomsticks provided.

“Well, Samantha and I have brought an apartment down there and…” “You’ve brought an apartment?” My throat went dry.

“Yeah - it’s kind of what couples do.”

I nodded. Of course. Friendships blossomed into relationships that blossomed into commitments which blossomed into… buying apartments. Glancing down at my drink and hoping I’d turn small enough to perhaps fall in past the rim and sink, we were joined by Ominis who clearly couldn’t read the somewhat bitter tone that filled the air and asked if I’d seen the ring yet.

“A RING?”

Tearing my eyes away from Ominis and back to Sebastian, he scratched the back of his neck and pulled out a small black velvet box from his pocket that contained the most beautiful sapphire ring I’d ever laid eyes on. Princess cut with a white gold band which any girl would be screaming to have on their finger.

“Wow.. it - it's beautiful.” “You think Samantha will like it?”

I wanted to say that I’d love it - but bit my tongue; knowing better than to make such remarks.

“Well I definitely don’t think she’ll reject the proposal; let’s just say that.” “Really?” Sebastian’s eyes glistened; I wish mine had to.

“I promise.” “Pinky promise?”

Twenty-Five Always a bridesmaid, never the bride. Or in this case, the maid of honour. The Weasley-Onai union was nothing different. Who’d have thought the joker and the queen of responsibility would fall in love. Guess anything can happen if the universe decides to play its cards right. The couple were beautiful. A radiant glow of passion, devotion, and respect.

As for Sebastian - fuck. He suited up well as best man although I hated to admit it. While we’d smiled for photographs and been cordial with small talk when necessary with our roles; it ended there. Sort of.

‘You didn’t hear this from me’, Poppy had whispered just before the ceremony started, ‘But Garreth mentioned the reason Samantha’s not here today is because she and Seb broke things off. Shame really, they were a cute couple.’

That was all it seemed I needed to hear. Well that a drink a few glasses of champagne before confronting Sebastian behind the catering tent. The bicker which commenced with ‘We’re best friends - you’re meant to tell me what’s going on in your life’ ended with his lips on mine, dress pooled around my waist, him in between my thighs. A long time coming is what I think Sebastian called it but my mind was nowhere to be found.

“We shouldn’t be doing this.” “But I want to.” “You sure?” “Sebastian - I promise.” “Ugh…” “Say it!” “...pinky promise…”

Thirty

“Kids, climb off your father; he’s just come in from work.”

Toddlers were hard work and I had; well three - Amelia Rose, James Vincent and Sebastian. Our usual evening ritual consisted of the kids attempting to help with dinner preparations, Sebastian coming home, the house being an absolute mess, screaming and chaos as they played hide and seek around the house, some kind of meal eaten - never together at the same time, bath, book, bottle, bed.

Crashing down against the pillows, my body ached although I was still able to get out a chuckle at the forever ridiculous way Sebastian would strip and toss his clothing throughout the bedroom.

“...you know I did tidy today.” “The house doesn’t look any different.” “You’re pushing it Sallow.” “What was that? Sallow - mhmm, funny; I didn’t realise you could use the name you don’t have yet as a taunt.”

My eyes narrowed. Sebastian smirked. I was unimpressed. He was just getting started.

“I’m going to bed.” “Aw, c’mon…” “Sebastian - I’ll make it up to you in the morning.” “You promise?”

It was the first time he’d ever asked. Half rolling over, I watch with tired eyes as he slips beneath the sheets and glances over, the boy I’d known from six years of age through to now still so endearing. Well… troublesome, yet charming. Reaching across the bed, I linked our fingers together and shut my eyes to rest.

“Yeah Sebastian - I pinky promise.”

[brittle-doughie]

(I wanted to put some lore on this character, so let me yap for a while. Also, I may change this in the future so yeah.)

Blood Orange is the secret Ride or Die friend of Y/N cookie. He and Y/N have a sibling like relationship, always looking out for each other with a little of teasing every now and then. Blood Orange has a slew of personal problems. One being that his nerve system is completely destroyed and, most importantly, most of his emotions are gone. So it’s really hard to tell if he is actually carrying or not. (He does. DEEPLY)

Timeline wise Blood Orange would technically appear in Forgotten Academia as an illusion or Y/N mentioning someone who taught them about history. but officially in Snow on the Black Wall or Citadel of the Frozen Cliff. In those stories Blood Orange cookie would save Y/N at a certain part of them. 

In Snow of the Black Wall it would be repealing an attack from the Living Licorice Abyss. In Citadel of the Frozen Cliff it would be when Dark Cacao goes berserk and tries to attack Y/N.

From an outside perspective, it looks as though they were complete opposites. One being kind and caring while the other is cold. But in fact they’re both relevantly the same. 

As stated before most of his emotions are gone. The only ones remaining are fear and (some) anger. Meaning it’s extremely hard to trust anyone or for anyone to trust them…BUT. If one was to actually develop a relationship with Blood Orange. They’d find they’re like a more introverted Y/N and someone that DEEPLY cares about everyone. Trusting or not.

The only ones that he trusts the most are Y/N, Croissant, Dumpling, and Dark Cacao. Ones that he trusts the least are anyone above Epic…Especially two. White Lily and Pure Vanilla.

Blood Orange doesn’t trust ANYONE with any form of higher power out of fear they will abuse the hell out of it. Doesn’t if they’re the sweetest cookie around, they won’t be trusted as much like any epic or some Super Epic cookie.

Croissant cookie is an interesting case, as Blood Orange will be quick to notice her dislike of how he is Y/N’s Ride or Die. So he will temporarily drop it and would be called “Y/N’s old pall” instead. As a way of respecting Croissant cookie. Tho he will return to his old Status if she’s gone or allows it.

If you think Blood Orange is weak. Then you’d be in the afterlife or worse if you fought him. Blood Orange is grossly overpowered compared to the other powerful cookies. Here’s a list:

Time Stop - can stop the flow of time for 30 seconds or less

Space Manipulation - can change any physical thing he wants in a 15 meter radius. But has to made contact with something that has life in it in order to change it.

Life Energy control - has the ability to control life energy. Also comes with being able to bring back the dead and control life to a small degree.

Super Strength - explanatory 

Yeah, if anyone, or White Lily, wants to fight Blood Orange. Be prepared or PRAY that he spares your life. Cause you’ll basically be fighting against a god.

The powers are a bit peculiar, but everything I’d say is pretty interesting about Blood Orange, he’s a bro through and through. He’s got Y/N’s back and they’ve got his.

As for the title of bestest pal, yeah, that’s the one fight in his life that he will have trouble on!

[bookuce]

Change My Mind (Jey meets William)

Read Part One if you haven't yet, this adds context to that chapter and why she was so upset and ignoring him.

SUMMARY: Josh and Alina are great friends most days. Other days, they want to tear each other apart. Some days, they’re in love with each other, but neither of them will admit it. 

*DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters in the writing except for the OC. The book uses actual names of wrestlers. Josh is Jey Uso and Alina is Alina. The one-shot is not realistic and does not take place during real events. I DO NOT GIVE ANYONE PERMISSION TO TRANSLATE OR REPOST MY WRITINGS ANYWHERE. THAAAAAANKS. *

PAIRING: Jey Uso x Black OC

TROPE: Friends to Lovers

WARNINGS: Language

WORD COUNT: 1,049

“So, did you have fun?” William asks from the driver’s seat. Alina peers over to him, grinning. They had just finished their first date. He had chosen a Michelin-rated restaurant just to impress her. Between that and the grand bouquet in her lap, she was impressed. She wouldn’t have minded seeing him again. 

“I did. Thank you again for tonight.” She says. William meets her gaze before reaching over to grab her hand. His hand was a comforting warm on her own, a tolerable dry. His thumb would brush over the top of her hand, sending her stomach into a frenzy of flutters. She had a good feeling about this one. They’d turn onto her street, their evening now winding down to seconds left. “Can we do this again when I’m back in town?” She asks. He’d smile, showing the prettiest white teeth. 

“You’d want to see me again?” He asks.

“Yeah,” She answers. “Maybe I can cook dinner, we can watch a movie?” She proposes. He’d nod slowly, his dazzling smile becoming a grin. 

“I’d like that.” He says. His car would slow down, a sign he was nearing her home. His eyes lower into squints as he looks past her. “There’s someone on your car.” He points, prompting her to look towards her house. The smile she once wore was gone quickly. There, dressed in all black, was her friend Josh. With his arms folded across his chest, he leaned against the side of her car. Josh would glance at William’s car, his dark brows furrowed. He’d glance away, looking straight ahead at the next house. 

“Great.” She says under her breath.

“Stay here,” William says, getting out of the car.

“That isn’t…” His door opens and closes before she can finish. “Necessary. Okay.” She breathes. Alina starts to gather her things. This wasn’t going to end well, and she knew it.

Meanwhile, on the outside of the car, William was in Protector mode. He unbuttons his suit jacket before moving around to Alina’s side. Josh wasn’t going to say anything. She was on a date; he would be respectful this time. He promised her that. “May I help you?” William calls out to him.

“Nope,” Josh replies quickly, still looking ahead. He adjusts his stance on the car, swaying briefly from left to right. Usually, a question like that would have earned someone attitude from him, but again—he’s trying to be respectful. “Go on and drop her off, Uce; I ain’t studying you.” He says, now looking towards the house. Alina opens her car door, pushing past her date. 

“You’re supposed to be in Florida.” She says, earning his attention. They would lock eyes with each other, staring for several moments. 

“I changed my mind.” He informs her. That wasn’t a lie. Josh had planned to go to Pensacola but realized he didn’t want to be alone. Third-wheeling his brothers and their wives wasn’t exactly fun to him. He could go on dates, but they’re not her, so what’s the point? Now, he wasn’t aware she had a date tonight. No, this was a coincidence. Some would call it fate, though. He’d call it fate—just not out loud. 

William’s brows furrow, his gaze shifting from Josh to Alina. “You know him?” He asks.

“Nah, we just met.” Josh quips, earning a glare from the man. Alina steps from the car, closing the door behind her. That’s when Josh snuck a glance at what she was wearing. A creme-colored bodycon dress hugged her body, accentuating her curves. Father, give me strength, he thought.

“So, you the ex?” He asks.

“My name and ex won’t ever be in the same sentence, Uce,” Josh says with a smug grin. At least for her, it wouldn’t be. “Quit trying to figure out who I am and drop her off. Doorstep is over there,” He points at her front door. “Hug her goodnight and keep it pushing.” 

“Joshua.” She snaps. Alina looks up at William. “I’m sorry, he’s a coworker.” That would earn her a sound of disapproval from Josh. He doesn’t like it when she reduces him to that. It’s already bad enough that she friend-zoned him. This is embarrassing, she thought to herself. She shifted her gaze to the ground, twisting her lips to the side while she thought of something to say. “Um,” She starts, looking up at her date. “I had a lot of fun tonight, I did. Thank you for the flowers and for being so kind. Hopefully, we can do this again soon.” She says with a nod.

Alina would touch his arm before leaning in to kiss his cheek. Josh averted his gaze, not wanting to see her kissing another man. Without another glance, she begins to march up to her front door. Josh and William watch after her before turning their attention towards each other again. Josh fought back a smirk that wanted to show on his lips. He wanted to tell that man he didn’t deserve her. Hell, he knew William couldn’t handle her, but he promised to be respectful, and he thought he did well this time. He didn’t cuss anyone out, no one tried to fight, and he even kept the staring at a minimum. Promise fulfilled. 

He leans down, grabbing his black duffle from the ground. With every bit of audacity known to man, Josh tilts his head up at the man across from him. “Have a good night.” He says, turning to walk up the steps to the front door. His hand touches the doorknob, but it doesn’t turn. She locked the door. He smacks his lips, reaching into his pocket to fish out his keys. “This woman—.” He mutters to himself. 

He unlocks the door and steps into the house, quickly closing the door behind himself. Alina came walking around the corner from the kitchen. He scanned her appearance again, his tongue dragging along his bottom lip this time. This dress was going to drive him up a wall. “A heads—.”

“Go to hell, Josh.” She snaps, making her way up the stairs. He’d watch after her.

“How the hell was I supposed to know!” He shouts after her. She doesn’t respond to him verbally, but the slamming of her bedroom door is enough of a response for her. “He don’t even deserve your ass.” He mutters to himself.

______________________________________________________________

A/N: I been wanting to write this for a while LMAO. This is why she was avoiding his ass in Part One. Did he do too much or did he do good being "respectful"?

🏷️ list: @thesamoanqueen @whatdoeseverybodywant @headoftheetable @mzv11 @southerngirl41 @yana3sworld @wanderingreigns @wrestlingprincess80 @siriuslycee @vebner37 @astridxxxxxx @alichesmi @tshepisho @scarlettnoir01 @brokenglassslippers @reignsboy19 @sayyestoheav3nn @cyberdejos2 @empressdede @sisinever @truefant4sy @paigereeder @tbmotw @fearlesschimera @venusesworld @usoholic @sageispunk @bebesobrielo @jstarr86 @vibesonvibes @issahyland 

[hyperactively-me]

what if what if.. price is some kinda like.. commanding guard/soldier/knight in king!ghost’s kingdom..? I’d imagine they’d be decently good friends and trust each other quite a bit due to it probably having been ghost who decided to make price the commander.. Or maybe Price has already been that for years and kinda made friends with ghost when he was still a prince and price still a regular knight/soldier..?

It would be fun to see some interaction with princess!reader and price, then.. like her stumbling into price somewhere or somehow during some situation or just a normal day in the castle or outside it.. maybe she could end up having a conversation with price and price reveals smth abt ghost to her that she didn’t know? Or just.. yk. Whatever you could possibly figure out or think of, lmao. I’m just pretty invested in these things you’re writing and I’d love seeing price in one of the king!ghost x princess!reader stories you make.. unless you already have added him in it. I’m not sure if you have.. I don’t think so 😭😭

i had another ask super similar to this so here is the end result! hope everyone is happy haha :) i really liked writing this!

You move through the corridors of the palace, the echo of your footsteps reverberating against the grandeur of the walls. As queen, you had no time to dilly dally. You were on your way to another daily lesson when you turned a sharp corner, almost colliding with a man whose presence demands attention.

Dressed in the distinguished uniform of the kingdom's army, General John Price stands before you, a living legend whose name has graced the lips of courtiers and soldiers alike.

“Oh my, I didn’t see you there, I am so sorry–” you apologize profusely, a little shaken up by the collision. 

General Price, ever the embodiment of discipline, offers a reassuring smile, “No need for apologies, your majesty,” he intones with a bow, the brim of his hat casting a shadow over his weathered face. “I should have been more careful. General John Price, at your service.” 

His eyes, wise and warm, meet yours with a mixture of respect and curiosity. You’ve heard tales of this man, a figure who has shaped the destiny of Kastron more than anyone could fathom.

“How nice it is to finally meet you, General Price,” you reply with a smile and a nod, your voice carrying the grace befitting a queen. “I've heard much about you.”

A flicker of acknowledgment crosses his features, and there’s a subtle warmth in his gaze. “I hope, your majesty, that these stories are favorable.”

You giggle, intrigued by the aura of respect that surrounds him. “Yes, they are. The kingdom owes much to your service.”

"Thank you, your majesty," he says, his salute crisp and precise. “I've had the honor of serving Kastron for many years, alongside our esteemed King Simon. He’s truly grown into a confident, strong ruler.”

A spark of curiosity ignites within you. “You've known Simon for quite some time, haven't you?”

Price's expression softens, and for a moment, you catch a glimpse of the depth in their relationship. “Since he was but a young prince. I had the privilege of training him, watching him grow into the leader he is today.”

Gratitude swells within you for the mentorship he provided your husband. “I'm grateful for the guidance you provided him and for your service to our kingdom. He turned out amazing.”

“The honor has been mine, your majesty,” he replies, bowing slightly. “Simon is not just a ruler to me; he's a dear friend I would do anything for.” 

You smile at him. “Good, Simon deserves the best.” 

General Price returns your smile, a glint of pride in his eyes. “He's grown into a remarkable leader. It's been a privilege to witness his journey and contribute in whatever way I could.”

He takes a beat. 

“Simon told me that he’s going to be assigning you a personal guard”

You still for a moment and look at the floor. “Yeah, he did say that.”

Price's expression remains composed, but a glint of acknowledgment gleams in his eyes. “Your safety is of utmost importance to me, your majesty.”

You nod slowly in agreement, appreciating the consideration for your security. “It's…. a sensible precaution.”

The general's gaze softens, and he speaks with a touch of reassurance, “Rest assured, the knight assigned to you will be among our most skilled and trustworthy.”

As you continue the conversation, Price shares insights to his role as General. He highlights the meticulous selection process that will go through for your personal guard, highlighting skill, loyalty, reliability, and discretion. A mention of his second in command, Kyle “Gaz” Garrick piques your interest. 

“And, speaking of those who serve alongside me, your majesty," Price begins, “I believe you might find it helpful to meet Commander Kyle Garrick.”

“Oh, of course, that sounds lovely,” you smile, expressing genuine interest in meeting the Commander. Price offers to take you to him, leading you towards some of the military planning rooms. Maps, battle plans, and the hum of strategy surround Commander Garrick. He rises from his seat, his gaze sharp yet respectful as he greets you. He’s awfully young to be second in command of the army, but you know that he’s earned his position here. 

“Your Majesty," he says, his voice steady as he flashes a big smile at you, “an honor to meet you.” He extends his hand to yours, offering to shake it.

“How charming,” you giggle, shaking his hand firmly.

“The honor is mine, your majesty. I've heard much about you, how you’re excelling here in Kastron.” 

Your laughter, light and genuine, fills the room, momentarily lifting the weight of formality. “Oh, Commander Garrick, please, I’m just trying my best.”

“Please, call me Gaz,” he smiles gently at you, his demeanor exuding a natural friendliness. 

You exchange pleasantries, Gaz, with a nod from Price, provides a brief overview of their ongoing strategies and the challenges faced by the kingdom. His words are measured, revealing not only a keen mind but also a deep commitment to Kastron. 

“So, Commander, have you also known Simon for a while?”

“Yes, your majesty, ever since I entered the military, Simon and I have had a great friendship.” He pauses, smiling to himself. “We used to attend certain training sessions together, and from there we became great friends.” 

A fond smile graces your face as you consider the bond that unites them. “That’s so sweet, Gaz. General Price spoke highly of the friendship between you and Simon.”

In the midst of the discussion, a sense of pride wells within you. The men who safeguard your kingdom are not just military powers; they are people with an unwavering dedication to the well-being of Kastron and the crown. The way they speak of their relationship with Simon makes your heart swell with pride.

The commander nods, his expression thoughtful. “Simon is not only a great ruler but also a steadfast companion. We’re truly lucky to know him.”

As the conversation draws to a close, Commander Garrick expresses his gratitude for the opportunity to meet you. “If there is ever anything you wish to discuss regarding strategies or defense, I am at your service.”

You thank him sincerely, acknowledging the commitment that both he and Price bring to their positions. As you say your farewells, you can't help but feel a strong sense of reassurance knowing that people like Gaz and Price are among the most trusted in safeguarding Kastron.

General Price, ever the courteous man he is, escorts you back through the palace corridors. 

“I can’t thank you enough for spending this time with me,” you say to Price. 

“It’s never a bother,” he says, smiling at you warmly. “I will do anything for you and Simon.” 

Your encounter with Gaz and Price left you with a deeper understanding of the intricacies and dedication that comes with holding high ranking military positions, as well as a deeper understanding of their relationship with Simon. 

You giggle to yourself. Now, time to bother Simon about your discovery.

- - - - -

(masterlist)

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

Am I the asshole for not inviting my friends friend to my wedding?

👰‍♀️

We’re all women in our mid 20s. I have this friend Fran* who I was friends with in hs lost contact and re-connected with. Fran js friend with Tisha who I was friends with middle school and some of hs and not gonna lie I ghosted her (I’ll explain later.) Fran and Tisha are super close.

I got engaged recently. And I’ve been planning a wedding. Fran likes wedding stuff and wants to watch the process with me. However she’s been inviting Tisha to our lunches without telling me Tisha is gonna be there. It’s uncomfortable because when they ask about my wedding Tisha always has something to say. “I’m thinking about a spring wedding” “the weather is awful here in the spring time” (example).

So for some info. When in school Tisha started using me as a butt a lot of jokes as the years went on. She was always trying to call me dumb, and project her insecurities on Me. (Tisha does/did have a hard life). I ended up telling Tisha some issues I was going through and later she used it to make a joke saying I was dumb for letting that sorta stuff happen to me (not super dark but still a dick move). She loved to use me as a therapist in private and love to make fun of me in public. Something snapped in me, and every time she was be rude to me I’d say something like “that’s a weird thing to say” or is look her up and down and just make a face. When she’d asked to cheat off my papers I’d tell her she wouldn’t want to cheat off my stupid answers. I was lucky I had other friends that I just hung out with to avoid her. She never asked for answers and I never expected her to.

I went to college far away, lived away for awhile and then moved back to work at a start up that has been awesome.

When I reconnected with Fran it was awesome. We mutually reached out since we both liked the same restaurants in the area.

Fran would try to get me to wanna hangout with Tisha and try to plan something and I told her that Tisha is a good person, but I don’t really need to reconnect with her. She would “respect” that until later she would ask again. I never told her the details because I still questioned if I was being too sensitive or not about Tisha. Not gonna lie I do pity Tisha and I hate the idea that someone like that ever did intimidate me. She’s just a reminder that I was ever awkward. Fran hasn’t asked me for the whole story. However I couldn’t avoid Tisha forever. Fran would throw a party and Tisha was there. And I knew she would be. And she was the same.

Tisha fran and I are all bisexual. When I’d hang out with them they’d sometimes refer to me as a lesbian or a wasted lesbian because now I’m marrying a man. I’d tell ‘em I’m uncomfortable with that since I’m bisexual. Fran respected it, Tisha would “forget”.

Tisha dropped out of college and I did for a bit. I told her I did the same and she would just tell me the career she was doing was so much harder than mine that I couldn’t understand how hard her life is. (It was a hard program, and she does have a hard life but again it’s that “I have it worse Olympics”) Tisha even made a joke that I got a job I wanted and I didn’t even needed to finish my college program for it since I got the job before I got my degree. I just said yeah I’m a quick learner.

I don’t see Tisha much, maybe 3 times a year before. So I just figured I’d roll with the punches because I love Fran she is awesome. Tisha kinda brings fran down too. They both kinda enable each other to be down in their dumps. They’re not dating but they’re like each others plus ones. I’ve been helping fran budget, opening new banking accounts and getting a credit card that’s good for her. Fran was grateful and tisha heard she said we were bowing our heads to capitalism.

Anyway ever since I got engaged fran has been brining Tisha everywhere. I had planned on telling fran privately, I don’t want it hanging out with Tisha, but also Tisha is not coming to my wedding. Before I could do that, while we were at lunch, TISHA MADE THE ASSUMPTION SHE WAS A BRIDES MAID.

I asked her why did she think that and she said we’ve been friends longer than fran and I. I said you’re not invited, we don’t talk privately, we don’t text, we don’t hang out, and you don’t like my fiancé because he’s a man. Fran was shocked and said couldn’t Tisha be her plus one and it’s uncofortable to talk about events someone isn’t invited to. I said that they both have been asking about it. The lunch ended.

Fran has been asking me to consider letting Tisha ve her plus one since dating is hard. Tisha thought the things I mentioned were objectives so now she is texting me, and said she wants to meet my fiancé to get to know him so she can go to the wedding.

I was trying to be nice by never mentioning to fran I really hate Tisha, but now they’re both upset and I regret not being mean. I feel like an asshole.

[poorgirlinpoorworld]

I asked chat gpt how movie version boys from tmr would react to meeting book version of themselves :D

This is what came out:

Thomas

Movie Thomas: Confident but still a bit reserved, Dylan O’Brien’s Thomas would initially approach Book Thomas with cautious curiosity. “So… you’re me, huh? I don’t think I look that bad.”

Book Thomas: Much more prone to self-doubt and overthinking, he’d probably size up Movie Thomas and mutter, “You’re awfully sure of yourself. Didn’t you almost get everyone killed, like… multiple times?”

Dynamic: They’d bond over their shared sense of guilt and leadership struggles, but Book Thomas might accuse Movie Thomas of being “too Hollywood.” Meanwhile, Movie Thomas would roll his eyes, joking that Book Thomas needs to lighten up.

Newt

Movie Newt: With a softer, more compassionate demeanor, Movie Newt (Thomas Brodie-Sangster) would greet his book counterpart warmly, offering a handshake. “Bloody hell, mate, didn’t think I’d be seeing myself today.”

Book Newt: A bit gruffer and more haunted, he’d smirk and say, “Well, you’ve got the charm, I’ll give you that. But don’t you think you’re a bit too polished?”

Dynamic: They’d likely find common ground quickly, both sharing their loyalty to the Gladers and their frustration with Thomas. However, Book Newt might tease Movie Newt for being too clean-cut and “soft.”

Minho

Movie Minho: Ki Hong Lee’s Minho would swagger up to his book counterpart, grin, and immediately challenge him to a race. “So, you’re me? Bet you can’t outrun this.”

Book Minho: Not one to back down, Book Minho would cross his arms and smirk. “I don’t need to prove anything. But you look like you need to prove everything.”

Dynamic: The two would have a competitive streak, constantly trying to outdo one another. They’d also bond over their shared no-nonsense attitudes and mutual annoyance with Thomas’s hero complex.

Gally

Movie Gally: Will Poulter’s Gally, more nuanced and misunderstood in the films, would approach his book counterpart with a wary glare. “So, I guess you’re the angry version of me?”

Book Gally: Full of fire and resentment, Book Gally would sneer. “And you’re the one who got a redemption arc. Lucky you.”

Dynamic: There’d be tension at first, but Movie Gally might soften Book Gally’s edges by explaining his motivations and eventual growth. Book Gally, however, might accuse Movie Gally of being too sympathetic and not enough of a realist.

Frypan

Movie Frypan: The jovial and slightly quirky Frypan from the films would immediately try to bond with his book counterpart. “Man, I bet you make a mean stew too, huh?”

Book Frypan: A bit more serious, Book Frypan would nod and say, “Yeah, but I don’t need to crack a joke every time I open my mouth.”

Dynamic: They’d connect over their shared love of cooking and loyalty to the Gladers, but Book Frypan might roll his eyes at Movie Frypan’s more lighthearted approach to danger.

Alby

Movie Alby: A natural leader with a calm yet commanding presence, Movie Alby would likely greet his book version with a firm handshake. “Nice to meet you, man. How’d you keep everyone alive?”

Book Alby: More volatile and blunt, Book Alby would shrug. “Barely. And with a lot less talking than you.”

Dynamic: They’d respect each other’s leadership styles, though Book Alby might see Movie Alby as overly dramatic. Movie Alby, in turn, might find Book Alby too harsh.

Chuck

Movie Chuck: The lovable and innocent Movie Chuck would be excited to meet his book counterpart. “Whoa, you’re me! Do you think they’d let us keep a pet pig here?”

Book Chuck: Slightly more grounded but just as endearing, Book Chuck would laugh and say, “Maybe if we don’t die first.”

Dynamic: The two Chucks would instantly become friends, sharing jokes and dreams about life outside the Glade. They’d also both tease Thomas mercilessly.

I know it may not be totally right but I still think it’s funny 🫶

[marlynnofmany]

Small Noises

The air was warm, the breeze smelled of spicy alien flowers, the sun was a comforting Earthlike brightness, and something kept making a popping noise that was slowly driving me mad.

I tried to figure it out. The hoversled that Mur and I sat waiting on was inert and parked. There was no cargo on it because the client was late (thus the waiting). Our ship lay behind us on a relatively quiet landing pad, with crewmates bustling around inside and a variety of locals going about their own business at some distance.

The door to our ship was closed. Maybe it was something from another ship? I turned my head back and forth, trying to pinpoint the direction.

Mur noticed, glancing up from where he was idly braiding his tentacles like a particularly arts-and-crafts-inclined dark blue squid. “Something wrong?” He sounded like he was hoping I’d say yes, because it would mean something to do.

“I’m trying to tell where that sound is coming from,” I told him, cupping a hand to one ear. Of course it stopped when I was actively trying to find it.

“What sound?” Mur asked.

“The little popping noise,” I said. “It happens every few seconds. I thought maybe it’s that ship over there, but I don’t know.”

“This noise?” Mur separated his tentacles and lay one against the deck of the hoversled, popping it upward with a suction-cup smack.

“It was you??” I spread my hands in exasperation. “I was trying to see which ship engine was making the weird cooldown noises, or maybe somebody on this spaceport chews bubblegum!”

“Nope,” he said cheerfully, popping a different tentacle even louder this time.

Shaking my head, I pulled my lips in and made a popping sound with my mouth. I’d meant it to be a frivolous imitation, but Mur gave me a sharp look.

“You do know that’s a swear word, right?”

“Ha! No, I didn’t.” I grinned. “Good to know.”

Still visibly bored, Mur lined up two tentacles against each other and separated them in a cascade of sound like undersea popcorn. “Bet you can’t do that.”

“You’re right,” I said. “But I can do this.” I breathed on my palms and squished them together in a respectable imitation of squeaky flatulence. Third-grade me would have been proud.

“That’s not a swear,” Mur said.

“Probably for the best,” I told him. “Humans have been known to make that sound accidentally, and I can just imagine the diplomatic kerfuffles that it could lead to.”

Mur twirled a tentacle in assent. “Like we need more of those.”

I thought of another one. “Hey, I know you can’t do this.” I pressed one long fingernail against another, letting it snap back with a tiny click. “This only works when I need to trim my nails.” I snapped away in a flurry of clicks.

“Well, yeah,” Mur said. “You’ve got more hard parts to hit against each other than I do.”

“True.”

“Good thing there are no Mesmers here to put us to shame,” he said. “With all their clicky bits.”

I nodded, picturing the mantislike species that came in wild colors with egos to match. “Yeah, they’d definitely win the clicky-tappy competition. You know, I bet they’d make amazing tapdancers. I should ask Zhee if that’s already a thing.”

“Or you could ask these guys,” Mur said, standing abruptly.

I looked up to see an irritated-looking procession of Mesmers towing their own hoversled in our directions, loaded with shipping crates. There were many taps, clicks, and hissing grumbles.

I did not ask the late clients about tapdancing. Mur and I simply accepted the delivery with patience and grace, making sure everything was accounted for and all payments were squared away, promising that we would do everything in our power to get the crates to their destination in the agreed-upon time frame or better.

The clients agreed in a huff, leaving with a flair of red and bronze limbs, still muttering. Some of it was barely-veiled insults that they clearly didn’t care if we overheard.

I didn’t say anything as they clicked away. Neither did Mur.

But I did swear in his language once they were out of earshot.

~~~

The ongoing backstory adventures of the main character from this book. More to come!

[smilesrobotlover]

Whumptober day 22- bleeding through bandages

There’s like, no bleeding through bandages but it’s there lol. Sorry this took so long to write. I’m strugglin 😭😭😭

Warnings for uuuuh a bloody cut

~~~~

After a few weeks of staying in the cabin, the men decided that it’d be best to begin their search for the Links once again. Kass was flying again, and Rusl and starting to move normally as well. They were all getting cabin fever anyways, and were anxious to get on the road to find their respective sons. So one morning, Leon had them pack up everything and they headed out, with Rusl feeling refreshed from the smell of the pine trees. He especially has been losing his mind from laying around and doing nothing for weeks. Of course he allowed himself time to rest for his friends’ sake, but he would be lying if he said that it was a pleasant break. He was desperate to get moving again. So he walked with a skip in his step, one hand holding his sword as he watched the pine trees around him. He really couldn’t help but take deep breaths, relishing in the smell of nature. Spirits, it felt so good.

“Careful Rusl,” Talon warned, watching him uneasily as he hopped on a rock to get a better view of the trail. Rusl glanced over at his friend, not hiding his irritation as he hopped off. Despite being all healed up, he was still being coddled by the men as if he’d fall apart any moment. Yes, he got injured badly, but surely they’d start trusting his abilities now that he was healed.

“I’ll make sure to not tumble down the mountain,” he grumbled, lightly kicking a rock.

“I’d hate for that to happen again,” Linebeck joked, and Rusl gave him a smile.

“Me too. If I have to rest for a few more weeks I think I’d actually die.”

“I am impressed at how fast you healed,” Ammon started, “usually injuries like that take months to heal!”

“Guess I’m just a super fast healer,” Rusl chuckled.

“Well, Talon’s also just so good at what he does,” Ammon wrapped his arm around the man, who began to look bashful.

“Oh, it’s nothin’. The red potions did the job mostly,” Talon mumbled, looking away.

“Naw, you’re just good at what you do!” Rusl cheered, and the rest of the men joined in complimenting Talon, who was covering his face.

“I-it was nothin’, really. I didn’t do much.”

The men all made different noises of offense and began to speak all at once, saying, “I beg to differ” “Quit being humble” and “I’m gonna pay you to say otherwise.”

Talon rolled his eyes, but there was a smile in his eyes. “Well I’m just glad it paid off in the end.”

Rusl gave him a pleasant smile. He truly owed the man his life.

The men all began to chat with each other, spirits high as the sun shone down on them. Soon the sun began to sink behind the trees, and Leon stopped to stare at a small open area surrounded by trees.

“We stoppin’ there?” Rusl asked, standing right next to him. Leon nodded, gesturing for the men to follow.

“It’s a good spot. We’ll make camp there.”

“Yeah!” Rusl ran and did a front flip off the rock, landing perfectly on his legs. Spirits, it felt so good to move again. He heard annoyed sighs behind him, and he turned to see everyone staring at him unamused.

“I think you’re gonna give Talon a heart attack,” Linebeck said.

“I think he’s gonna give me a heart attack!” Leon grumbled, and Rusl shrugged.

“Y’all ain’t never seen a flip before or something?”

“I’m just so used to seeing you bed ridden.”

“I’ve been walkin’ for a few weeks now, bud.”

“I-I know,” Leon stammered. “I just—I’m still worried.”

“Well don’t look now,” Rusl said before doing a backflip, landing with a slight stumble. He heard more agitated sighs, and Leon glared at him.

“Don’t do that again.”

“No no, do it again,” Benji pushed.

“No. Not again.”

“Yes again.”

“No!”

“Yes!”

Leon turned to Benji. “Do you want another hanging session? Perhaps off that tree over there?”

Benji’s teasing manner dropped and he stepped away from Leon. “N-No.”

Leon squinted his eyes at Benji before following Rusl, walking to the campsite. The men set up tents and bedrolls, excited to rest after a long day of traveling—all except Rusl of course. He felt like he had energy pent up for weeks now. He needed to let it out now. So when Leon asked for someone to collect firewood and kindling, he volunteered himself, anxious to work his arms out again. Talon volunteered to go with him, and while Rusl loved spending time with the man, he was rather suspicious as to why he volunteered to get firewood.

Talon has been watching Rusl like a hawk the past few weeks, trying to strengthen his limbs but also being very… overprotective. He’d freak out whenever Rusl pushed himself to get better, trying to get Rusl to rest more than moving his limbs, and overall hovered around him in case he’d crumple. Bless the man’s heart, he was the sweetest person ever. But Rusl wasn’t helpless. He’d never recover if he was treated like he was fragile. But he supposed being human surrounded by tough Hylians made them see him as nothing more than that. It was beginning to frustrate him though.

“Well Talon, it’s just you and me,” he started, trying to lighten the mood between them. Talon only nodded, staring at the trees around him. Rusl sighed, picking up small logs and twigs, turning to Talon. “Luckily there’s plenty of kindling and wood on the ground, yeah?”

Talon nodded again, watching him carefully. “Yeah.”

Rusl flipped a stick in his hand before catching it effortlessly, humming slightly as he watched the ground carefully. It grew silent between the two, and Rusl flipped the stick again, except this time it slipped out of his hand and landed on the ground with a thud. He hopped back, letting out a curse word before reaching down to pick it up. Footsteps approached him, and he looked up to see Talon watching him with his brows furrowed.

“Are you ok?” He asked, and Rusl stood up straight.

“Yeah? Just dropped the stick.”

Talon sighed. “You really shouldn’t move like that, you could pull a muscle or something.”

Rusl frowned, before letting out a sigh, tucking the sticks under his arms and facing Talon full on. “Alright Tal’, we need to talk about that.”

“Talk about what?”

“Talk about… this,” Rusl waved his hand around between them, with his palm facing down. “I greatly appreciate you lookin’ out for me, but I’m startin’ to feel like I’m being treated like a newborn goat, you know?”

Talon stared for a moment before frowning. “Well, you’re still healing—”

“I know I am but I don’t need to be treated like I can’t do nothin’. That was fine when both my legs and arms were broken ‘cause I really couldn't do anything. But I can walk now. I can move! I don’t need someone watching over me like I’m gonna die any second.”

“I understand Rusl, but if you push yourself too much ‘cause you think you’re gettin’ better, you’ll only hurt yourself again,” Talon argued. “I’m just tryin’ to keep that from happening because I care about you!”

“I haven’t felt a single ache or pain though,” Rusl argued further, “that’s why we started moving again because I’m better. And now you can’t even trust me to collect firewood. What do I look like, a city boy?”

Talon sighed, rubbing his bald head. “No. I-I trust you with collecting firewood I just… is it so bad that I want you to feel completely better?”

Rusl crossed his arms and turned away, looking for more firewood. “It’s not a bad thing, Talon. But I’m not helpless.”

“I know you’re not. I just…” Talon paused, following him closely once again. “What else do you want me to do? I’m–I’m worried, Rusl. When Kass came down with you all busted up, it was terrifying! You’re my family and it was so… traumatic to see you that way—”

“And you think it wasn’t traumatic for me?” Rusl snapped, spinning around to face him. “I was the one who fell off the cliff! The puppeteer lured me into a trap and made me believe my son was dead and controlled me! I could’ve killed Leon and Linebeck and I wouldn’t have been able to do anything about it!”

Talon stared in shock, his eyes wide as Rusl panted from yelling. The two grew silent as Rusl calmed down, turning away from Talon in shame. He certainly didn’t want to yell; he didn’t know why he snapped suddenly.

“Rusl—” Talon started, but Rusl brushed him off.

“I just want to collect the firewood, ok?” He said, not caring at how harsh it sounded.

“Rusl.” Talon started again, a more firm tone to his voice. “Wait. Clearly what happened has been bothering you and we didn’t know. Don’t you wanna talk about it?”

“No.”

Talon huffed, running to catch up with Rusl. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know all of that happened to you.”

Rusl ignored him. He didn’t know why. But the idea of reliving those moments was not something he wanted to do.

“Rusl! Quit actin’ like a child and talk to me!”

Rusl groaned and looked at Talon, trying to hide his glare. “I’m fine Talon. I’m just sick of being treated like I can’t do anything.”

“I know it ain’t just that!” Talon pressed, walking up next to Rusl and grabbing his arm. “Look, if you think you can be stubborn with me, you’re wrong. I married a Gerudo and those women are far more stubborn than you!”

Rusl stopped and gave Talon a look, pulling his arm away and letting out a breath.

“I’m fine, Talon,” he said softly, “I’m just annoyed is all. Sorry I yelled.”

“But Rusl—”

“How many times am I gonna have to tell you to leave me alone! I said I’m fine, what more do you want from me—”

Rusl’s foot suddenly caught on a root, and he gasped as he suddenly fell backwards, crashing through leaves and twigs that created a false ground. He heard a yell along with someone grabbing his arm, and the two crashed to the ground, with Talon sprawled out on Rusl. Rusl opened his eyes to see that they were clearly in a hole, and he shifted to lift Talon off of him. Good goddesses, the man was heavy.

“Tal’—get off,” he strained, and the man scrambled off him, looking over him frantically.

“Oh goddesses, Rusl are you ok? Are any of your bones broken? Are you hurt? Are you—”

Rusl raised a hand to stop him, moving each limb to see if there was any pain. There was not.

“I’m fine, just a little shaken. Wasn’t expecting that.”

Talon let out a sigh, then gasped when he looked at Rusl’s arm.

“No! You’re not fine! There’s bone stickin’ out of you!”

Rusl’s eyes widened and he turned his head in a second to look at his arm. There was a cut on his bicep, but only a tiny pebble rested on the edge of his skin, no bone.

“I’m fine,” Rusl let out a sigh of relief, lightly flicking the pebble out of the cut. Talon let out a sigh of relief as well, but Rusl gave him a glare. “Don’t freak me out like that again! I thought I was done for!”

“S-Sorry,” Talon apologized, scratching his bald head. “I got scared there.”

Rusl let out a breath, looking up above him. They were in a relatively deep hole—not deep where the fall was bad, but deep enough where they couldn’t crawl out. Darn it.

“Who put this dang hole in here?” Rusl grumbled, getting to his feet and brushing himself off. Talon shrugged and got up as well, looking over the cut.

“Can I just put a bandage on that?” He asked, and Rusl sighed, nodding his head. Talon cleaned it the best he could with what he had, and he quickly wrapped it up with a bandage, though the white quickly began to stain red. Talon glanced up at Rusl, shrugging his shoulders. “Well, guess we gotta wait for help to fix that.”

“It’s fine. Since when did you travel with bandages?”

Talon sighed, sitting down and resting his back against the wall of dirt. “Since you got hurt.”

Rusl frowned, joining him on the ground and watching his friend.

“I… I’m sorry I worried over you so much, Rusl,” Talon apologized, twiddling his thumbs. “I just care about you and… I just… I feel like I have no purpose here if I don’t take care of y’all, you know?”

Rusl tilted his head, inviting him to continue.

“I can’t do nothin’ for y’all except to treat injuries. And even then I’m awfully new at that. I just… I want to be useful to y’all, is all.”

“Oh Talon, you don’t have to be useful to us to be important.”

“I know. But I want to. Especially since I… um… love you guys I just… I want to.”

“Ah,” Rusl blinked, leaning up against Talon. He suddenly felt horrible for snapping at him earlier.

“But enough about me. How are you? I landed right on top of you, and I ain’t as light as a feather.”

Rusl chuckled. “I’m fine, really. You didn’t hurt me.”

“You sure? I’m just huge and you’re so… small.”

“I’m not small!” Rusl scoffed.

“Yes you are!”

“Tal’, I’m taller than you.”

“Yeah but I’m wider.”

Rusl burst out laughing, wrapping his arm around his friend. “Alright, true. But I promise I’m fine. Really.”

Talon’s eyes softened. “I’m glad. Maybe… maybe the writer of our destiny decided to give us a break for once.”

“Or maybe the writer didn’t want to give us another injury to deal with.”

Talon chuckled. “Maybe. Injuries sure as heck are a pain.”

“Yeah… to deal with and to write.”

Both laughed, but Talon gave Rusl a serious look. “Seriously Rusl. Are you ok though? And I’m not askin’ about your body this time around.”

Rusl pursed his lips, looking down on the ground. Was he fine? So much has happened, and despite it all being months apart it was still…hard to deal with. The memory of his son, in a twisted and dark form, covered in blood and body parts scattered around him. The memory of swinging his sword at his friend, helpless to stop the one controlling him. The memory of him falling, the last thing he thought he would see was a world he didn’t know, the last thing he thought being how his wife would never know what happened to him….

He really wasn’t ok. So he rested his head against Talon’s and let it all out. He explained the mountain and the puppeteer’s attack, and his fear and dread over his son’s well-being bothering his every waking moment. Talon listened quietly, not saying anything or doing anything while he spoke, and it felt nice to unravel his thoughts that have been running rampant through his head for months now. When he finished, it was completely dark outside, and Talon remained silent, just letting Rusl rest on him for as long as he needed.

“That’s… terrifying,” he finally said, not looking at him, though his hand was wrapped tightly around Rusl’s. “I’m so sorry Rusl, I can’t imagine how awful that would be to witness.”

Rusl shrugged. “I-It’s fine I just… I’ve been trying to cope with it.”

“Yeah, but you shouldn’t cope alone. We’re all here for you. Even if you don’t want to explain to the others, you can always talk to me about it.”

Rusl smiled, closing his eyes. “Thanks Tal’. I appreciate you.”

“I appreciate you too, Rus’.” It grew silent between the two until Talon finally glanced over at him. “I’d hate to fall off a cliff. It sounds horrible.”

“It is,” Rusl chuckled, wiping a tear that suddenly fell. “I pray you never have to experience that.”

“Yeah…and the recovery process too. You’re strong, Rusl.”

“Thanks.”

“I mean, I remember when I broke my femur as a young bloke, it was painful.”

Rusl frowned. “You broke your femur? How’d that happen?”

“Oh, I was just… um… trying to impress my wife on my horse and… I … failed.”

Rusl blinked a few times before letting out a laugh. “Oh Talon, I didn’t know you were such a daredevil!”

“I-I’m not! I just… wanted her to like me!” Talon stammered, his face growing more and more red.

“Well clearly it worked if it was your wife?”

“Ah, yeah… I guess it did work. But it was humiliating having her carry me to the desert so the witches would heal me,” he sighed. “But they did a great job doing it. My leg was perfectly normal a week later!”

Rusl snorted. “I wish I was healed in a week.”

“Me too bud.”

The two stayed there chatting until Leon finally found them. He was red in the face and furious with them, but was relieved they were at least alive and uninjured. With his help, Talon was able to boost up Rusl, and then the two men pulled him out of the hole. The rest of the trip back to camp was full of Leon chewing them out, for not shouting for help, for not making a signal, for not being careful, all of it. Rusl and Talon merely listened, giving each other guilty looks as they were being yelled at. But they were alive, and both were feeling far better about everything. Rusl at least knew that he always had someone close he could confide in, and he was always grateful for Talon.

They were going to be ok at least, and that was all Rusl could ask for.

[dogwittaablog]

hello! could you explain the nolan and nico lore? what happened between them?

Nico and Nolan, were both in the 2017 draft they were going head to head on seeing who was going to go 1st overall. Media through this tried to paint some picture that they had some big rivalry (they always do this.) Tho it was pretty evident THROUGH HARD CORE FLIRTING ON NATIONAL TELEVISION that these dudes had nothing but respect for each other, and were happy on whatever spot they landed.

It was highly anticipated that Nolan was going to go 1OA, and its been like that ever since the kid was 15-16 (give or take.) Tho injuries derailed him of his spot, and the little Swiss prince came out of no where and jumped the rankings. In the end Nico went 1OA to New Jersey, and Nolan landed 2OA heading to Philadelphia.

(Here’s a photo of them hugging after)

Most thought that they’d just associate during the draft and go separate ways after. Though it came out that they actually went on vacation together during one of the All Star Weekend breaks and were well in contact. You could also find them liking and commenting on each others ig pics time to time.

(Here’s the video clip of a reporter taking about there little get away.)

They had that “met once and instantly clicked” kind of chemistry and you just couldn’t miss it… FAST FOREWARD TO PRESENT DAY AND NOLPATS IS BRINGING US THROUGH THE RINGER, AND DECIDES TO UNFOLLOW NICO AFTER 6/7 YEARS WHILE NICO STILL FOLLOWS HIM BACK *SIGH*.

So here’s a throwback of the hard launch Nolan did at the time (now deleted.) I know Nolan’s ass is picky on who makes it on his gram, so IF THIS DOESN’T SAY SOMETHING TO YOU.

Side note: I forgot to add that moment when they both got asked by a reporter which country they’d play/represent besides their own and they said that they’d play for each others countries. SO NOLANS VISIBLY BLUSHING AND SMILING OUT HIS ASS LIKE “Yeah Nico showed me photos of back home, so I’d say Switzerland.” SEE YA.

*I FOUND THE VIDEO*

[wolveria]

The Raven’s Hymn - Ch 36

Pairing: SCP-049 x Reader

Series Warnings: Eventual smut, dubcon, slow burn, violence, horror, death, monsters, human experiments, dark with a happy ending

Chapter Summary: “I told Leahy I’d tell you myself. I didn’t want you to find out from him. It’s cruel enough without him saying the words.”

AO3

That night, 049 didn’t offer to share the bed, and you didn’t ask. You couldn’t, not when… It had just been so odd, and the SCP hadn’t been himself the rest of the day. Oh, he’d seemed the same on the surface, acting as his usual cordial self. But that was the thing. He’d been so much more open the past few weeks, warm and present, that his stiff politeness was a regression.

You didn’t sleep well. Restless dreams plagued you, but not once did you open your mouth to ask. You regretted it in the morning when your neck hurt and you could barely keep your eyes open. Of all the oddly delicious meals you’d had while staying in 049’s chamber, they’d never given you coffee. Wine was apparently fine, but coffee beans were too much to ask.

Not that you needed the jitters. Without 049’s affectionate presence, the anxiety crept in, a reminder that you were not staying in a hotel room with a scholarly roommate.

Despite all of this, when the outer containment doors opened, they came as a surprise. At least, to you. 049 was on his feet and squarely between you and the guards before you fully registered what was happening, his shoulders hunched like a predator braced for the hunt.

“SCP-049, calm yourself. There’s no need for that.”

You frowned, carefully looking past 049’s arm. Dr. Puli stood between the guards, his eyes a little too large in the gaunt hollows of his face. Stubble lined his jaw, and he looked like he hadn’t slept well in days.

“But I will need you to separate,” Dr. Puli continued, for once not sounding nervous or uncomfortable. He simply seemed weary. “I only need Reid.”

“Where, may I ask, are you taking my assistant?” 049 didn’t move from his station in front of you.

Dr. Puli sighed and stuck his hands into his lab coat, shoulders hunched. He didn’t even seem to care that 049 was only about ten feet away. Even with the four guards at his side, 049 could close that distance with ease.

“I come as a gesture of goodwill.”

“Goodwill?” 049 asked with an edge of sharpness. “For what purpose?”

Dr. Puli looked past him, meeting your eye.

“We need to talk, Reid. Just talk, that’s all. Stand down.” He said this last to his guards. They glanced at each other but lowered their gun muzzles midway towards the floor. That was about as relaxed as they were going to get.

You studied him. This felt… different. You couldn’t pinpoint how, but you knew it wasn’t a trick, and it wasn’t another test. Maybe you didn’t trust Dr. Puli any longer, but you did know Leahy. If this was another experiment, the Site Director wouldn’t bother with your old boss. He wouldn’t ask you to come nicely. He’d simply have you dragged out, leaving 049 shocked or sedated into submission, as he had many times before.

049 turned halfway toward you, as if sensing you’d made up your mind.

“You do not have to go with him.”

Placing your fingers against his arm, you tried to convey to him what you couldn’t say aloud.

“Yeah, I do. But… it’s okay. I’ll be back.”

His eyes softened, a sad knowing in their depths that you could offer no such promise. But he still moved aside, respecting your decision, and hopefully trusting you would return. You squeezed his arm before letting go, and you moved past him, following Dr. Puli out the door.

You were right about it not being a test, unless it was a new level of bizarre concocted by the Site Director. You were led to a room you hadn’t been in months. The tan colored walls, the maroon carpet, the dark wood desk and the green futon all deeply familiar to you. Dr. Puli’s doctorates were lined and framed on the wall behind the desk. The first time you’d stepped foot in here was your initial day with the Cryptopsychology Department. The last time when you’d been assigned to SCP-049 as part of the observation detail rotation.

It was a lifetime ago. The person you’d been then might have looked identical in a mirror, but the internal workings were completely different. You didn’t know exactly what had changed, or if you were any stronger, but you certainly weren’t the same person: the one who kept her head down and focused on her work to the exclusion of all else.

The guards didn’t follow you inside. Dr. Puli indicated the futon, and you sat on one end, expecting him to also take a seat.

Instead, he pulled a paper cup from the receptacle next to his water cooler. He filled the cup and handed it to you before going to the front of his desk to lean against it.

You waited for him to talk, unmoving and taking slow breathes, no outward indication that your stomach was tight and twisted.

“I’m sorry about everything,” he started, staring firmly at the carpet. “All that’s happened, it wasn’t… it wasn’t my idea. None of it was. It was all the Site Director, that fucking prick.”

Your brows rose. You decide to take a sip of water after all, savoring the cold filtered flavor that tastes better than the water from the bathroom or lab sink.

Dr. Puli removed his glasses and wiped his forehead with the edge of his sleeve. He was sweating, but the air conditioning thrummed through the vents above you.

You didn’t forgive him for not protecting you, but you could appreciate the difficulty of his position. Either way, it was best to let the silence force him to confess whatever was clearly eating at him.

Dr. Puli finally met your eye.

“This wasn’t my idea either. I don’t approve of it, and I fully plan to contact the O5 Council myself. I don’t give a damn what it costs me. I can’t believe they would ever sanction… It’s madness. Utter madness.”

“What?” you asked quietly, your stomach twisting further. “What’s madness?”

But Dr. Puli continued on as if he hadn’t heard you, shaking his head.

“I told Leahy I’d tell you myself. I didn’t want you to find out from him. It’s cruel enough without him saying the words.”

Dread knotted your gut.

“What words?!” Your throat cinched tight, strained. “Tell me!”

Dr. Puli didn’t answer. He swallowed compulsively, his expression etched with what could be him fighting down the urge to vomit. When he did speak, it was slow and dull, like reading from the page of an academic brochure.

“The Site Director has greenlit a program that would, potentially, have the benefit of… of creating Foundation personnel that would have a higher survival rate, given they would have… anomalous properties themselves.”

You frowned. It was an audacious idea but not exactly unheard of as far as projects went. There were plenty of anomalous objects that had given unnatural abilities to Foundation staff, Dr. Bright being the most infamous example.

But Dr. Puli continued to look sick as he went on.

“These Foundation personnel would not be given their anomalous properties from experiments. They would be born with them. The offspring of a human subject… and an SCP.”

No.

“You are to take part of the first trial—”

No. No no no.

“—and will be bred to SCP-049 until gestation is achieved.”

You couldn’t breathe. There was nothing, nothing to grasp onto. Your thoughts slipped like water through a sieve, just like the half-empty cup slipped through your fingers. Neither of you noticed the spill on the carpet.

“I’m going to do all I can to alert the O5 Council,” Dr. Puli said from somewhere very far away. “But Leahy is pushing through with this as soon as possible. I told him… I told him to let me tell you first. You deserved to know. To be treated like a human being.”

You stared without seeing. Everything was at a great distance. Nothing was present, nothing was real, it all just… slipped past.

Until there was a light touch on your arm. Dr. Puli knelt next to your leg, eye level with you now where you sat on the futon.

“Reid, listen to me. I know this is a lot to take in, but you can’t separate from this. Focus on surviving. You know how to do that. I know you can hold on until I can stop this.”

You spoke very quietly.

“You can’t. And you know that. That’s why you’re telling me. To ease your own guilt.”

He flinched, but he didn’t deny it.

You stood and flatly stated, “I want to go back now.”

He said your first name, something he rarely did, but you turned your back on him and faced the door. You drew your arms across your chest, protecting yourself from something you had no protection from. He would let you go back to 049’s chamber. That was the point now, wasn’t it?

Dr. Puli let out a tired breath, but he opened the door. You stepped through, and the guards took up positions around you, escorting you back to 049’s containment chamber.

You’d made it back. Just like you promised.

As soon as the doors locked behind you, the inner containment cell opened and 049 stepped through. He quickly strode toward you, concern in his grey eyes.

But you couldn’t breathe, horror clawing up your throat.

You flinched.

049 stopped dead in his tracks. He was only a few feet away, his hands halfway raised as if to reach for you, his stare uncomprehending.

“Doctor?”

You shook your head.

“Please, tell me what ails you?” He sounded almost scared. It was jarring to hear the fear curled in his words. “What did that man say to you?”

You swallowed and tried to steady yourself, but your jaw shook, and your eyes burned.

“I just… I need a minute.”

You went around him in a wide berth, past the frozen SCP to the inner containment chamber. As soon as you caught sight of the full-sized bed, you knew. You knew exactly why the bed had been upgraded to a bigger size from its previous small twin.

You rushed to the toilet and barely got the lid up in time.

After you were done emptying the contents of your stomach, you flushed the toilet and washed your hands and mouth in the sink. You washed your face too, cleaning away the tears that had finally escaped while you’d been sick on your knees.

You would have preferred a shower to scrub it all away until it was gone, but there was no removing this.

Glancing at the bed again, you opted to sit on the ground, your back against the wall and your arm against the sink pipe. It was cold. Uncomfortable. That was good, it grounded you, made you stay in the moment and not float free again. You couldn’t afford to check out, as much as you might wish to.

During all of this, 049 watched but didn’t move. He stood just at the threshold of the inner containment chamber, as if fearing to step inside. An unwanted visitor in his own cell.

You flushed with anger—not at the SCP, but at Leahy. He’d taken this from you, perverted and tainted the only solace you had in this hell, the only friend you’d made in this place.

It wasn’t 049’s fault. He wasn’t the problem, but he was just as much effected as you were.

You steadied your breathing and looked him in the eye.

“We need to talk.”

Next Chapter

[kozykricket]

Now that we have music and a name for 1.21, I'll give some of my thoughts ... on 1.21 as it is. That is to say, I'll withdraw any comments about "they... didn't update this unrelated thing :/" because like... yes, theres many other things that I think they could've updated, and I do hope they get to stuff thats on the backburner/backlog soon, but I respect 1.21 heavily for its lovely, wonderful additions LONG READ AHEAD!!

Tricky Trials feels like it … didn’t overscope, and thus was able to accomplish confidently what it had set out to do: To add more fun to Minecraft. Yes, there are of course still issues in Minecraft, and many things on the backlog / stuck in the ideas box, but… when you just look at 1.21 for what it DOES and not for what it DOESNT do? You get a 9/10 update, I’d say.

By focusing on the trial chambers, they’ve really created a special experience. A more refined dungeon than any other. I want to talk about… why I love trial spawners. 

So, I’ve thought frequently of adding my own dungeons to minecraft, but a struggle I always came to was… If I want the player to have several rooms with encounters of enemies, how will I do that elegantly? If its rooms with spawners, they’ll just be overwhelmed forever in each room until they light it up… and they’ll be able to farm a single room for mob loot, if they so please. They’d also be able to just… completely farm the heck out of every single spawner constantly working, like you can do with battle towers in modded minecraft. I think that feels a bit too cheap. But what if you go the nether fortress route, and just have mobs spawn in the structure? Well, thats … random. Its based on the mobcap, which is unpredictable especially in multiplayer. There won’t be a consistent difficulty to the dungeon… which leaves the bastion route: Designated single time enemy spawns. It’d probably be the best, but… it also leaves the enemies to wander around while the player is in nearby rooms. What if I only want them to spawn in when the player gets near? That’s… exactly what the trial spawner is. It goes on a long cooldown, so it might as well be a single time spawner. You get into a single encounter with a wave of mobs when it gains line of sight with you, and this allows for there to be plenty of them in the chambers without it being overpowered to farm or overwhelming if not lit up. The per player loot via vaults is also fantastic. It lets players who are “late to the server / structure” have a chance at getting their own loot, and even still enjoying themselves with trial spawners resetting their cooldowns. An example of why trial spawners help the experience for players coming to structures late, is… even if we had once-per-player loot in say, bastions, there’d still be… no piglins left guarding the treasure. No fun experience, just purely the loot. But with trial spawners AND vaults? You get the full experience… minus any destruction your friends may have caused to the structure, and a few chests or so. But the chests are mostly just supplies like wood as far as I’ve seen.

And then, to add on top of that, the ominous events system lets us experience the same structure AGAIN but in a HARDER mode that lets us access more cool and powerful loot in the ominous vaults… its brilliant!

But lets get back to 1.21 being Fun: I think the breeze, mace, and wind charges are perfect examples of just purely fun content. The Mace feels a tad unbalanced at times, but its also just… fun? Like, yeah, it could stand to pierce armor less, or do less single target damage, but in terms of flying with wind burst and wind charges? Thats just FUN. When was the last time we got a fun utility consumable? Ender pearls? They aren’t even that fun, its just teleporting. Movement in games is very, very fun. Wind charges stopping your fall damage to some extent feels like they’re welcoming you into giving them a try. This combined with the open chambers of the titular structure, and the overall adventure-map like design leads to … more fun!

I really respect how the ominous trials throwing potions to make encounters tougher is done, because it feels so much like a thing you’d see done in some adventure map. A lot of the trial chambers feels very in touch with what a player might make as a map or challenge for their friends. Which, I think does sort of take away from player-built structures and challenges, but luckily they kept all of the redstoning extremely simplistic, relying on breezes to activate the dispensers. It feels hard to critique such a fun dungeon just because “it feels really well made, like it was actually made by a real person with intent” because… well, we can have a little bit of fun, can’t we? Sure, if every structure was like this, I’d have some concerns for the sandbox elements of minecraft, but having one structure in the game that embodies what the end product of creation can look like? I think that works out well. Might even inspire some people!

And theres a certain jankiness of using in game mechanics like dispensers and potions that makes it feel… human, as opposed to extremely gamey. 

Theres more I could say, I’m sure. Like how the breeze is quite a breathe of fresh air in terms of enemy design, being a disruptor / support rather than full on beeline-attack-you

But yeah, I think 1.21, Tricky Trials, is shaping up to be fun. I know mojang had been thinking about how they needed to freshen up the extrinsic content a little bit, even though minecraft IS a game focused on intrinsic motivation; doing what YOU want to do.

But having fun midgame things for people to do when they want to take a break from their personal projects is something I consider important. Maybe I want to take a break from building my house, but I don’t wanna stop playing minecraft, so I’ll pop on over to the nearest trial chamber, and do some fights.

…Did I even mention how much groundwork this lays for future updates? Like, they can use trial spawners and vaults in MORE structures, like giving them to, I dunno, strongholds! Bastions! 

I do hope 1.22 is an update that focuses on updating old stuff to newer standards, like new models for old animals or new sounds for old wood types… or changing some old weird recipes…

But as Tricky Trials stands on its own? It’s great. Maybe the vault loot needs a bit of tweaking; I sorta disagree with different dungeons having different pieces of gear… I’d like to get enchanted pickaxes, but the experience is overall pretty good, considering I can actually get XP and mob loot in an engaging manner rather than just running around at night.

[writingwell]

20 13 fanfic questions

Thanks to @randomfoggytiger for the tag. I didn’t do all of them, just the pertinent ones, and I modified those just to include ffnet as well. 

1. How many works do you have? 26 on AO3 (for my mature rated Spy Castle stuff); fanfiction.net has 278 Castle fics;and about 300ish archived at Gossamer for X-Files.

4. What are your top fics by kudos/reviews? The Return of Vulcan Simmons, Tempest (not a spy work!) on AO3; ffnet would be One Hundred Days of Summer (co-authored with SandianeCarter) and Dash It All.

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not? Yeah, I think if you take the time to contact me, you deserve the respect of hearing from me. It might not be a full-blown conversation, but I’ll do what I can with a full-time profession and a writing one as well. Also, suuuuper sorry, just discovered AO3 has an inbox. 300 days ago, some of you messaged me and I am just now seeing those. Lol. 

6. What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? I have a spy fic where the two of them are just so at odds, so grieving with and over each other… okay that’s most of them. But I try not to end on angst, as it’s supposed to be the journey not the destination. (Angst is a twisting of the heart, not a place where you stay. According to me.)

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? Dash series has the ‘happiest’ endings. Not because life is happy, but because they figured out how to create contentment within what they’d been given/dealt in life. And in ways other versions of the Castle characters hadn’t accomplished. They did the work.

8. Do you get hate on fics? Oh definitely. A while back, I turned off comments on tumblr for about a year as I processed and healed from some targeted attacks, and I can say that I came out more certain of myself and my writing. But I was also an adult who had not been forced to weather these attacks as a vulnerable 13 y-o on social media (as so many of you are unfortunately dealing with). I was able to detach, center myself once more, and rise above because I’d grown up IRL, so to speak. I have a faith in something bigger than me which, while it doesn’t look like what it did, has sustained me and given me the confidence to know my worth even as it spurs me to be/do better. 

9. Do you write smut. If so what kind? Oh definitely, lol. It’s on AO3. Usually I like to explore M/F with a third in there for kicks, as the concept of generosity and giving within the sexual relationship/experience is intriguing to me.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? I objected to the term ‘stolen.’ I’ve had my fics, without my knowledge, posted elsewhere, translated without my knowledge, and changed to other fandom characters to be posted elsewhere. However! I’ve had loads of people ask me too, and I really appreciate being able to go visit them. (Stolen would indicate I somehow own these fanfictions, and I do not, as that would be a legally difficult hill to stand on. I also do not perceive collective fan art in this manner, because the world is all of ours.)

15. What's a WIP you want to finish, but doubt you ever will? Oh there’s a co-written story that me, carto, and muppet47 started and have NEVER finished. We all know Castle has to go to jail, but we can’t write it.

16. What are your writing strengths? Writing it the first time. Correctly. As in, it comes out the way it should or ought to or how I am seeing it in the moment. I have the right rhythm, I can spell and I have the grammar skills. My first draft is fast and good enough for submission. Of course, I go back and edit, and I have to, but I’m very blessed in not ever going through anything like writer’s block.

17. What are your writing weaknesses? Secondary characters. I have a tendency for tunnel vision, where all I want to do is talk about and to and for the main characters. If they have friends or family, I barely include them. I can’t manage to care that they exist. But all of us live in a complex web of relationships and community; no one is alone. My last novel, Taste of Salt, was an concentrated effort to include as many other perspectives as possible, so it was told through the POVs of the two main characters and interspersed with flashback chapters from the POVs of their friends, family, coworkers, chance encounters, medical personnel, kids, support networks… there you go.You have to do the thing that’s hard. Write it out, over and over, keep practicing.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic? Yeah, sometimes it becomes necessary for the character. But please keep it to a minimum (imo) as it detracts from the reader’s understanding and experience of reading. It ought to be rather easy to understand what the person is saying due to context or just the flow of the scene. If you’re writing in English, and you have a character visiting France, then obviously some of that ought to be in French, but after a while, you can indicate that the language is being used while writing it in English. I say this because most of you are fandom writers who are not writing for literary audiences; therefore, don’t ruin everyone’s fun my making it incomprehensible or inaccessible. Please.

20. Favourite fic you've ever written? Don’t ask me to choose between my children! I can tell you that Dash holds a special place in my heart due to the amount of readers who said it gave them understanding of their own sensory issues or their child’s autism, etc. Spy gave me one of my greatest friends, carto, who continues to love and support me and my writing. 

I won't tag anyone, because I deleted so many of these questions, but feel free to answer or share or talk with me about them!