#I’m sure this sort of thing has been done before and much better lol

[skufdaddyswansea]

I’m genuinely curious what you would do if you were in Curly’s shoes for the week leading up to the accident. This isn’t a malicious question, I’m just obsessing over his inaction because genuinely considering the circumstances, what could Curly have done to prevent the tragedy? They’re a few months in of a year long expedition— too late to turn back, too early to try and make it to the finish line— and your estranged best friend has done something unforgivable. There’s no temp jail on the ship either. You’re all being fired after this. There’s no way for Anya to get any sort of pregnancy care or an abortion procedure on the ship, and she may well give birth during the trip. It’s like… genuinely, what do you do?

It's hard to say when you're on the outside looking in. When you're looking at someone else failing to do something, and knowing the consequences, it's easy to say "Well, I would have done this differently." But obviously I'm not actually under the same pressure, with a clock ticking over my head or anything, yknow? So all I can say is what I hope I would do.

Ideally, I'd like to think I'd strip Jimmy of his rank. No access to the cockpit, to be accompanied at all times (or at least as much is reasonable. But then I don't know how successfully you can rope Swansea and Daisuke into going along with that.) I can't say how that would turn out for the long term, 8 months is a long time. Especially with everything else going on. So plenty of time for someone to slip up somewhere.

I'd also tell Anya she was welcome to sleep in medical room since it can lock. If I'm being honest she might even be able to convince me to give her the gun under the right circumstances, but I don't really think that's a good thing, that could just as easily become a disaster.

As for the pregnancy that's... much more difficult. There really isn't anything Curly could have realistically done about that by the time he found out. Especially because Anya herself is the nurse. Swansea could potentially have the experience to give her support there but tbh I get the feeling he wasn't particularly involved in that process with his kids either. (...Does Curly have kids?? This is making me realize we don't really know what his family life is like. I get the feeling he's a bachelor though, it probably would have come up if he had a family to worry about. Anyway.) I guess the only thing to do would be to make sure to actually check in on her and give what ever support is possible.

And again, who knows if any of that would have worked out for the better, or if I'd be able to stick to it. No matter what you do it's going to be a bad time.

I guess in the truly ideal situation he'd have spotted the red flags in Jimmy's behaviour and done something about it long before it reached that point, but there's no way he could have known how bad things were going to get that far in advance.

So I get what you mean, I don't envy his position at all lol. Thinking about this did make me realize that I think the way I've been framing my Curly analysis has been a little overly judgemental. I just kind of assumed most people went into the game with the idea that Curly was totally innocent like I did, and then over-corrected to make a point. I still stand by my overall interpretation, but I probably should have been a little more balanced. After all, one of Mouthwashing's strengths is being able to put you in the shoes of someone who does awful things, and showing that they're still just a human with flaws, while not glossing over the ramifications of their actions.

[honest-moth-of-silver-grove]

How would the male companions go about helping/comforting a tav who’s “monthly visitor” came to town during their journey??

A/N: The timing of this ask is impeccable because guess what I just got? Lol. But seriously I would be mad as hell in the 5 or 6 days I’m supposed to stop my mind flayer parasite AND save the universe I ALSO had to deal with cramping and bleeding. Nu-uh. Nope. Sign me the fuck out. Goodbye cruel world, I would be DONE. 

TW: Mentions of Menstruation; Blood 

Tried to keep this Tav as Gender Neutral as possible so that it could apply to anyone who menstruates.  <3 

Please Like & Reblog! 

Male BG3 Companions Helping Tav w/ Their Period

⭐ Astarion: 

He probably notices it before Tav does

Of course, he offers to help “clean up” ;) (this may or may not get him a kick in the balls)

No, but seriously, if he and Tav are in a relationship, he’d have no qualms going down there himself every so often to “alleviate” some symptoms. That is, of course, if Tav would go for that kind of thing. Astarion won’t keep pushing it if Tav says “no”. He respects the hard boundaries Tav gives him. 

Of course, he teases Tav a bit. Not horribly, and it’s all in good fun. But enough to let Tav know that this matter doesn’t disgust or upset him in the slightest. It’s blood for devil's sake! What creature would be better prepared to handle it than him?

If any of Tav’s clothes end up stained or they end up bleeding through them, Astarion has just the thing to take the stains out. Turns out, knowing how to get blood out of most fabrics is quite beneficial knowledge in the vampire community. Plus he has an instinct for knowing where the best tailors and seamstresses in Baldur’s Gate are. Should Tav need an emergency change of clothes, he knows just the place! 

Then again, Astarion himself has no problem with the blood stains. After all, they’re traveling around killing monsters for gods sake! If anyone has a nasty comment about how much blood either he or Tav is drenched in, they better be damn quick on their feet. His arrows can shoot pretty far. ;P

As far as cramps or pain goes, if his previous, ahem, suggestion was shot down, he’ll make sure Tav takes a moment here and there to rest. He might even bother Gale, demanding some sort of heat pack. Scratch that. He’s most definitely harassing Gale for some sort of heating pack spell. 

If Gale refuses, he might even try and figure out how to fix one himself. Granted fire and vampires aren't the best of friends, but Tav is the only one in the last two-hundred-plus years to see him as a person. A little scorching here and there means nothing if Astarion can let Tav know how much he values them. 

🔮 Gale: 

He’s clueless, okay? Tav would have to outright tell him. I mean yes, he was raised by a single mom, but she didn’t exactly share the details of this stuff with him. And it never came up all the years he was with Mystra because goddesses don’t exactly reproduce the way other Faerun humanoids do! Please forgive him, he really does want to learn.

He immediately offers to find a spell or potion to either pause or skip this one altogether. He gets that Tav may want to opt out of dealing with it for the time being, seeing as the two of them have much more pressing matters to attend to. 

He’ll cast it himself if Tav wishes. Or he’ll find another trustworthy wizard to recommend. Although he does prefer to do it himself, he understands Tav might be uncomfortable with the thought of their new partner doing such a thing for them. His entire life has been spent studying magic, so of course he immediately thinks to use that to remedy any problem Tav has. 

Nevertheless, should Tav choose to deal with it in the old-fashioned non-magical way, he’s perfectly accepting of that as well. He’ll enquire about which local herbs are suitable for such applications, possibly even soliciting the help of an herbalist or surgeon. 

Gale wants to give Tav as many options for comfort as possible. If Tav’s concern is about heavy bleeding, he looks for answers on natural remedies to lighten the flow. Or he may even speak with a midwife about the best clothes and absorbent materials to use in the coming days.  

As awkward as he can be in social situations, he’s oddly great in this endeavor. He treats it the way he would a Weave experiment- with an open mind and curiosity. At the end of the day what matters is Tav knows how much Gale admires and respects them. And that he doesn’t think of them any less for having this bodily function. If anything, he admires Tav more for being so forthcoming. It’s an ask that actually strengthens his and Tav’s relationship. 

🗡 Wyll: 

Wyll probably shies away from it the most. It’s not that he doesn’t want to help Tav in any way he can, it’s just that he’s a gentleman, and to his knowledge, speaking of certain subjects with the one you like, isn’t something a well-behaved gentleman would do. That being said, a true gentleman is always prepared to put away their discomfort in order to aid their friends, so that’s exactly what he does. 

He enlists the help of Shadowheart almost immediately. He knows realistically, there are others he could ask (midwives, doctors, healers), but Shadowheart is an ally and a Cleric to boot. So her skills as well as her knowledge may very well come in handy. 

He’ll go along with whatever Tav decides, but he, like Gale, recommends Tav either suspend or skip this round. He thinks it wise to have all their wits about them for the battles ahead. With demons like Mizora and Raphael running about, none of them can afford to get distracted. Again, if Tav chooses to push through it, he’ll be kind and supportive, and request Shadowheart’s healing in subduing some of the more troublesome symptoms. But deep down, he’s happier should Tav decide to use magic or spells to resolve the issue for the time being. 

And then, Wyll goes all out in preparation for the next one. Once their fight is won, he can turn his attention back to his family- his Father, and of course, Tav. He makes sure his family home has a room for them, customized in many ways to Tav’s liking. Wyll has their favorite color blanket, a soft pillow, their favorite flavor tea in an enchanted flask to keep it just the perfect temperature… the list goes on and on. 

He loves Tav so much. He just wants them to be comfortable, and to feel safe to express whatever feelings they have. After all, Tav is the best thing to ever happen to him. 

🌱 Halsin: 

The nice thing about him being ‘one with nature’ is that he has no unease regarding the subject. He is an archdruid, and some three-hundred years old at that- believe me, there’s very little Tav’s body could throw at him that he’s not ready to receive. 

Out of all the companions, Halsin is the one most likely to not immediately suggest using magical means to pause or skip it. Instead, he has more natural aids at the ready- herbs, teas, heat packs, massages, and well, yes, even that. ;)

The difference between Halsin suggesting it and Astarion suggesting it, however, is that Halsin’s motivations are more focused on what he can do for Tav and their body; they’re not based on the idea of mutual satisfaction. Halsin has had countless lovers and years to understand pleasure. He knows you take turns giving, and he’s well very versed in that. 

Or if Tav isn't up for that, he'll offer to shift into a cat and rest on their abdomen, using his body heat to lessen Tav’s cramps. 

He’s also the most ‘normal’ when it comes to continuing their journey. He won’t make a habit of fussing over Tav unless they specifically request him to do so. Periods, however annoying and painful, are a part of life, of nature. Halsin believes it best to learn how to accept nature, and live in harmony with it, rather than try and prevent it. 

If Tav does want to explore other means of stopping this particular cycle, however, Halsin will help them any way he can, even if he doesn’t think it very wise to mess with the flow of nature like that. As a druid healer himself, he knows a few things or too about reproductive spells. He can make it so the symptoms lessen, or temporarily subside until their perilous journey has come to a close. 

Halsin may not want to settle for a single lover, but out of all of them, Tav seems to shine the brightest. He would do anything within his power to aid them. 

Bonus! 💪 Minsc (and 🐹 Boo!): 

He offers to fight it lol. Just straight up. 

“What is this thing causing you stress? Tell Minsc where it is so he can destroy it for you!” 

Boo basically has to be the one in charge of the situation, but then again, what’s new? 

Boo finds the supplies Tav might need, and directs Minsc to them. Boo also directs Minsc towards either Shadowheart or Halsin, because they’re better suited for dealing with these sorts of things. 

Once Minsc understands what Tav meant, he apologizes with a bouquet of wildflowers he picked. 

And by ‘picked’ I mean mostly smooshed before ripping their roots out of the ground.  

He's really trying okay, give the man some credit.

And give Boo treats to thank him for his service.

[accio-victuuri]

(candy vault) : alexander mcqueen shoes, nike off white and yibo’s missing mole 🤍

this fandom has lots of candies in the past years and there are ones that fall through the cracks or things that i simply wanna talk about. also for the benefit of new turtles who probably missed it & a good trip down memory lane for those who’ve been here for a while. i made other posts similar to this before and i haven’t done a good old mini compilation so here ya go. ^^

2/23/2021 WYB was in Beijing, participating in the recording of CCTV’s Lantern Festival program in the evening. The actual broadcast was 2/26/2021.

In the materials initially sent out by YBO, for the photos, you couldn’t see AM shoes. Maybe the shoot was better off focusing on his face, which I totally agree, but it was like they didn’t want to focus on it that much. We only saw the shoes when they released the BTS video where it would be tricky to crop it out.

During the actual performance he changed into a more comfortable looking Jimmy Choo shoes. He was wearing AM outfit so it made sense that the shoes should match too. This should’t really be a big deal or even a CPN, only because changing shoes is sort of normal at events like this. Maybe he was more comfortable with the Jimmy Choo, although the choreography for this performance is not that complicated like his other routines. The way I remember it, WYB usually sticks to the shoes he has on.

The CPN alarm bells started going off tho when ZZ flew from Beijing to Shanghai wearing the same style McQueen shoes. He had shooting back in 2/24 and there were some talk that he was more than a half hour late as planned on set. So going by our collective galaxy brain, they could have spent some time together during late 2/23 and some time on 2/24 which is after the CCTV shoot. WYB probably lent the shoe to him or he just got it from their shared closet lol. This is why ZZ was sort of late, because he was with WYB. The pattern of ZZ being later than usual on set when he is with WYB is something that still happens this year. I’m not implying that he is slacking off when he is with WYB but more of just adjusting his schedule so he can accommodate the love of his life. they both deserve that in between their busy schedules.

maybe this is why YBO didn’t want to highlight that on the materials they released 2/26 ; because they knew where the shoe went 😂😂😂

While we’re in the subject of shoes, let’s take it further back with their matching nike off white in 2018. It’s one CPN that is often given as an example but I haven’t discussed on here.

AAAAAHHHHH! I miss the days when they could still wear Nike shoes. Oh well….

Looking through the airport pictures of ZZ before joining the CQL group from 2016 to 2018, there are no pair of Nikes that could often be seen in pictures of him. There are 2 back in 2017. Before CQL, ZZ had quite a variety of shoes, including a few pairs from Adidas. Like WYB, it is obvious that he likes to buy Nike co-branded products, likes to grab the latest models, and even buys more for collection.

Now let’s focus first on the shoes, it’s a collab of Nike air vapormax X off white. There are two shoes of the same style but in different colors. The black model will be available at 3/30/2018 and the white will be available at 4/18/2018. We know that at the time, WYB will surely have what’s new when it comes to NIKE. It’s either it will be sent to him cause he has a relationship with the brand or he will buy it himself. He is known to always wear the latest designs released. He is also a collector, so he most likely bought the black and white version.

WYB wore the white version on 4/28 and ZZ wore the black model on 5/8 based on photos.

As for ZZ, he was recording an episode for a show and he also used this shoe for the rehearsal. It is the same show where he had to dance and the choreography was taught by WYB. We’ve seen this in the BTS and ZZ talked about it himself.

WYB was seen again with the pair during PD101 on 5/10. It’s funny cause this is the same day where XZ was filmed candidly behind the scenes and he said he hasn’t seen LWJ all day.

These two. Honestly. They only formally “met” and then started shoot 4/16 and it hasn’t even been a month but they already have a couple shoe and ZZ was out there emoting about missing LWJ/WYB? It’s a common discussion that leads to alternative timelines like DT or 2017 or it could just be that it’s one of those rare instance where you connect with someone so quickly.

I have 3 possible explanations:

1. It’s totally unrelated. They bought their pairs separately since they like the style and collab.

2. WYB gave the shoe to XZ. I am a fan of both of them giving gifts to each other. And if you are someone who believed XZ gave him a lego set even before they started filming as a gesture of goodwill then this should make more sense to you. Also WYB is known to give gifts and that includes shoes ( for example SDC 3, he gave out multiple pairs ). This reasoning is not necessarily a CPN of them being boyfriends, but more of being close enough to give each other gifts. and not just the usual one you would give to a colleague cause if WYB only has the white and XZ has the black, it’s a couple shoe. WYB low key hinting at the prospect if them being a pair and XZ accepting it.

3. They bought it together, as you would when you’re with a friend and are scrolling through shopping apps together. I think there are fake rumors of that, the two, in between takes scroll through their phones and buy each other stuff or same style clothes. Again, it doesn’t necessarily mean boyfriend behavior, but more of being close enough to do that.

A clue for that is WYB was seen with the black pair during CQL filming around early 6/2018. You can clown that he is wearing ZZ’s shoes or he did buy the 2 kinds for his own and ZZ got the black only.

Lastly is the stolen mole!!!!! ♥️

Since cpfs are obsessing over WYB’s very visible mole from the Bazaar shoot.

It’s one of my favorite fake and it basically says, The reason why WYB cares so much about ZZ’s mole under the lip, is because WYB also had one like this when he was little. The elders in the family said it’s something good and it means he will have a happy life. However the mole disappeared. Or i guess in his case it’s not as prominent and has faded instead.

While filming, GG has scenes where he didn’t have make up or it gets taken off because of the heat. WYB looks at him closely and points out his lip mole, saying that he had something like that before but it disappeared. GG then added that his mom told him that his mole appeared only after a while when he was young.

That’s when WYB said GG stole his mole. When it disappeared, the mole transferred to GG 😂😂😂

Maybe this is why WYB is so fixated with his mole that he even includes it in his drawing of XZ/WWX.

-END.

[gracie7209]

Amaryllis Epilogue

Pairing: Frankie x f!Reader

Word Count: 1.8K

Warnings: Fluff, fluff, fluffy-fluff, reflection- (of more than one sort? I’m on one today. Don’t mind me lol), happiness, loved ones, we get to meet Reader’s momma! (Her English isn’t great so we will see her and Reader speaking Spanish) tiny sliver of angst? Lemme know if I forgot anything!

Summary: Just before your lives are set to change yet again, you and Frankie each get a moment alone to reflect on how life has brought you to where you are now. Santi saves the day yet again!

A/N: Guys…… This is it! We have officially officially reached the end of this story and I’m a whole mess of emotions. The has been such a labor of love and learning for me. It’s my very first fic and also the very first piece of writing I have ever shared with anyone. As previously mentioned, I have several new WIPs and I cannot WAIT to get to work on them! For everyone who has commented, liked, reblogged, asked questions or shown even the tiniest bit of love for my little story, I just want to thank you with everything I have. I have wanted to write since I was little, but could never put pen to paper until I forced myself to write a little 100 word Drabble, which literally turned into this series. The Pedro fandom alone has literally changed my life in so many ways and I will forever be grateful. So anyways....... Thank you all so much!!!!

Series Masterlist | Main Masterlist

When he sees himself in the mirror, Frankie is all nerves.

Checking and rechecking his hair, making sure his tie isn’t crooked… worrying the little patch in his scruffy beard that refuses to fill in.

His palms are sweating and his stomach is doing flips, but he’s unbelievably HAPPY.

He never thought he would be here. Never thought he would ever want to be doing this, but you had changed his way of thinking in more ways than one.

It had always terrified him to feel as though he were tied to something. Or so he thought…

In reality, he never felt he was worth enough for someone to ever want to be tied to him. The things he had done, the horrors he’d seen? The nightmares he still endured would run off anyone who might be even the slightest bit interested. Damaged…

Valid.

He was damaged. There was no way to come out from that other side and not be. But to those who weren’t there? Ones who could never understand what he’d been through? They would only pity him and he didn’t want that.

He just wanted understanding. Wanted someone to accept him as he was, without trying to fix him.

And then there was you. You never looked at him like he was damaged. You knew about things and yet you never held anything against him. You knew the atrocities he’d seen and those he had committed, yet you never backed away from him or looked down on him.

From the beginning, Frankie felt a connection to you. He didn’t know what you’d been through at the time, but there was an understanding there - “We’re not defined by our experiences Frankie,” you’d tell him.

“We simply learn from our mistakes, grow into better people, and if we are genuine, that’s all that really matters. —You yourself told me something similar at one time, remember?”

Frankie smirks at the memory. Shaking his head, as he gets back to the task at hand.

...

He doesn’t think he can tie it any better, so he takes one final look, takes a deep breath and smiles at himself in the oversized mirror. Just a small half smile, knowing that what he was about to do was going to change his life forever….

And he was ready.

—

It doesn’t start to sink in until about ten minutes beforehand that you are actually going to marry Frankie today. You’re in the small guest room, waiting for your mother to stop fussing over you already and to let you look in the mirror. “Mija, todo tiene que ser perfecta!” (Everything has to be perfect)

“Mamà, está bien... ¿puedo mirar ahora? Ya casi es hora de irse..." (It’s ok….. can I look now? It’s almost time to go…)” There’s no malice in your tone as your mouth turns up into a silly smile that you just can’t seem to hold back.

“Ah, si mi hermosa luz, creo que estes lista. Ven agora, and a y mira.”(Ah yes my beautiful light, I believe you are ready. Come now, go ahead and look.)

You stand up and slowly walk over to the full length mirror. The look on your face doesn’t at all match the sheer joy you feel in your chest. The initial shock wears off, but the weight of the moment hits you then; You’re marrying Frankie today. This incredible man who barreled his way into your life and decided he wanted to stay.

To see yourself in your mother’s wedding gown and jewelry, knowing that Frankie was waiting for you had your eyes welling up with tears. You silently prayed they stayed put as your mother had fussed with your makeup for a small eternity and Lord help you if you messed it up. So, you forced the tears back, albeit they were happy, joyous, singing to the choir tears that would surely fall once everything was said and done. You were more certain now in this choice, in Frankie, than at any other time in your life..

You gave yourself one final look in the mirror before turning back to your mother. Grabbing her small hands in yours and kissing her forehead, you silently thanked her for everything she had done for you; today and everyday.

“Ok Mija?”

“Si Mamà, Estoy lista.” (Yes, I’m ready.)

—

The ceremony was modest, with only close family and friends in attendance, but you were blessed beyond reason.

Those in attendance included your mother, who had brought along your Aunt and your two little cousins all the way from Cuba. You hadn’t seen her in ages, and this was the first time you’d gotten the chance to meet the little ones.

Frankie’s Mom and Step-Dad had flown in from Texas along with his older sister, which had been a surprise to the both of you, having never gotten to meet them prior. They welcomed you with nothing but warmth and love. Your previous apprehension at making a good impression, falling away the moment his mother wrapped you in her arms as she introduced herself.

She also took little to no time in latching onto your and soon-to-be Frankie’s son, her Grandson. Who she happily spoiled rotten from the get go and volunteered to be in charge of during the ceremony, giving your own mother a well deserved break as she had been deemed (by herself) as the primary babysitter.

And of course, Santi, Will and Benny were front and center. They would’ve all been groomsmen if you and Frankie had decided to have a wedding party. Instead you both opted for just a simple service. Santi would still supply the rings, but aside from the preacher, it would only be you and Frankie standing at the altar.

—

It was time.

You took a deep breath in, and let it out slowly as you turned the small corner to make your way to Frankie.

As you slowly made your way down the aisle, you didn’t expect to become breathless at the sight before you.

The expectation was that, the Bride-to-be would walk in and a hush would wash itself throughout the room. All eyes on her as she made her way to alter to join her fiancé.

You were sure your anxiety would rear its ugly head at being the center of attention, and had tried to give yourself a pep talk before walking inside. However, the moment you laid eyes on Frankie, you nearly stopped in your tracks.

You realized at that moment that you had never seen Frankie wear anything remotely resembling dress attire, let alone a suit and tie.

It was always jeans and a t-shirt, jacket when necessary and work boots… always work boots. He looked good on any given day and there had never been an occasion up until that point for him to “dress up.” But, you couldn’t take your eyes off of him…

His hair was still a disheveled mess of curls that you loved to run your fingers through. Not too long, but long enough that the ends would curl behind his ears. He just wouldn’t be Frankie without them, so you were grateful he didn’t try to tame them back. He was also wearing his glasses, which he had been trying to wear more and more these days as he couldn’t stand to wear his contacts after having gone without them for so long.

His tux was your normal coat and pants, but completely white, with a black bowtie and shoes with a shine that could blind a person if they got too close. You don’t think you have ever seen someone so beautiful in your life and he was yours.

You had managed to keep your pace steady all the way to the alter, even though you had half a mind to just run and get yourself there that much faster. Your mother was waiting up front to take your bouquet and give you over to the man you truly wanted to spend your life with. She kissed your cheek before turning to Frankie and offering him your hand. As he took it she wrapped both yours and Frankie’s hands in hers, saying she loved you both and giving a firm squeeze before letting you go and sitting back down at her seat in the front.

Frankie took both of your hands and whispered from under his messy bangs, “Are you ready?”

You couldn’t speak so you just nodded, trying not to cry before the preacher even had a chance to talk.

You tried to concentrate on the words being said, the prayer being read to the audience, but you could only focus on Frankie’s smile and his thumbs rubbing reassuring circles into your hands. You didn’t know why you were so nervous, but ultimately, it didn’t matter. Frankie was sure as stone and after you both repeated your vows and placed the rings on each others’ fingers, Frankie lifted your veil, seeing your lips quirk up into a smile and he kissed you. In front of all of the people who mattered to you the most in this world.

His kiss was equal parts strong and soft with his hand coming to your cheek while the other wrapped around your waist. You didn’t dip, but he held almost all of your weight as he put his entire life into that kiss. Letting you and everyone else know that you were it for him.

—

When you both came up for air, there was nothing but big smiles and happy tears from everyone around. Benny was hooping and hollering, and even Will had his hand to his mouth letting out a piercing whistle that echoed throughout the church. Santi was clapping along with the others, with an almost forlorn expression that seamlessly slipped back into a playful smile once Benny clapped him on the shoulder, joining in with everyone else in raining congratulations on the happy couple. Frankie took your hand and raised them both entwined up toward the sky as you walked back down the aisle, side by side, as husband and wife. The both of you more than ready to begin this new chapter in your lives.

Together.

—

—

Two hours earlier -

“Rings, rings…. Uh, shit!” Santi is looking around frantically, shuffling papers and patting down his pockets, seemingly having misplaced the rings he was in charge of.

“Haha, very funny pendejo…. Now’s really not the time to be fuckin’ around…” Frankie’s voice is playful, but when he looks over at Santi, he sees the panic starting to set in.

“Fuck man, seriously? You had one job… !” Frankie is pacing now alongside Santi as they both desperately search for the missing rings.

“Wait!! Wait, oh! Shit haha, we’re good, we’re good, man. We're fine, everything's fine... I just left them on the kitchen table after I grabbed the mail this morning. I only live like ten minutes away from here, I’ll be right back!”

“Jesus Pope! I about lost my goddamn ass over here man… Shit, just go grab them and come straight back, ok?”

“Alright, alright…. You need anything else while I’m out?”

“For fucks sake Pope! Just go!”

“Yep, yep on it!” At that, Santi runs out the door, leaving Frankie to his thoughts for the moment.

He sits down on the little couch in the sitting area and puts his head in his hands. He’s nervous and he wants this day to go perfectly, but he actually starts to laugh when he thinks about the circumstances.

All of this fuss over rings, when in reality, they were just a symbol. A token to show the world that you were his person, and he was yours. And even if Pope had lost them, it honestly wouldn’t change a thing. He was marrying you today, with or without a ring, and he could hardly wait.

—

It only takes Santi about eight minutes to get to his place. Possibly breaking a few speed limits to do so, but he did not want to be the cause of something ruining this day for either of you.

He goes inside and sees the ring boxes sitting right there on the table next to the untouched pile of mail. He lets out a deep breath, muttering under his breath, "Thank you, God!" Checking inside each box, making absolutely sure he had everything before putting them safely in his jacket pocket. Picking up the stack of mail, he quickly skims through it out of habit. Finding an envelope in the mix with only his name and address handwritten on the front with no return address.

He carefully opens it, revealing a small slip of folded paper. On the inside is a jumbled set of numbers and symbols…

Ones that he recognizes instantly—

—

—

Coordinates.

Coordinates to the money stolen out of the walls of Lorea’s house before it was burned to the ground. Money that was dumped in a ravine to get rid of extra weight that made flying too dangerous. Coordinates that only he, Will, and Benny knew about. Aside from one other person.

Tom.

Tom had found the money.

—

—

Taglist: @boliv-jenta @just-here-for-the-moment @quica-quica-quica @heythere-mel @sunnysidekit @dashavau @queridopascal @queridopascal-main @hnt-escape @rhoorl @readingiskeepingmegoing @mysterious-moonstruck-musings @ramblers-lets-get-ramblin @bitchwitch1981 @jb2856 @mymo-n @littlemisspascal @tanzthompson @luciferiorbxtch @spookyxsam @imaswellkid @harriedandharassed @autumnleaves1991-blog @wildemaven @pastelnap @pimosworld @alwaysdjarin

A/N: Whoops!

*But seriously, from the bottom of my heart, thank you all for reading. It absolutely means the world to me 🥹

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Mise en Place 7

Warnings: noncon, coercion, manipulation. Proceed with caution.

Note:I’ll be honest that these parts are a little more hands on because I’m full on learning cocktail recipes here lol.

Thanks all for reading and I hope you’re excited for this one. All feedback is more than welcome and loved and appreciated. Reblogs are most helpful.

Part of The Club AU

You leave your apartment, the window boarded up with your landlords half-assed at replacement. You almost prefer the wood; more resilient and you can’t see through it. Still, the place feels eerie. Your little fortress has been breached and the mystery of the attacker has you addled.

You walk into work as you always do. Head down, bag hooked over one shoulder, fingers twiddling as you go through your task list in your mind. You put your things in the coatroom and go to the kitchen.

You grab the broom and mop, eager to go over anything you didn't get to before. Behind the bar, upstairs and downstairs and the private rooms that were always in use even after closing. You methodically work your way from the bottom floor up.

As you return the bucket and pan, Thor is behind the bar. You give a small hi as he booms his usual hello. You tuck away the broom and mop and wipe your hands on your apron, grabbing a cloth to tuck into it from the tidy stack leftover from the day before. You have a whole load of napkins to deliver to the servers' station.

Thor enters as you begin sorting through the cutlery into the slotted tray. You peek up at him briefly, shying back to your task.

"How are you? Good night?"

"Mhmm," you hum, "you?"

"Good," he answers, letting silence dangle as he gives a thoughtful hum, "you made it home okay?"

"Safe and sound," you reply as you examine a spoon and put it by the sink to be rewashed.

"And a nice sleep?"

You pause as his line of questioning irks you. He's nice enough but sometimes his conversation feels intrusive. You told him already, you're fine.

"Yep," you shrug, "how about your night?"

"Ah, I did some reading, and a bit of drinking," he winks as you glance at him once more, "they've still not rehired. Just me again."

"That's too bad."

"Lonesome," he chuckles lightly, "but I can always count on you, can't I, fawn?"

You nod, elusive at giving an answer. You don't like being behind the bar and to be fair, it's frustrating doing extra work without the pay to match.

"Have I done something? Said something?" He prods as he comes closer, standing at the other side of the counter.

"No."

"Hmm," he hums as his large hands rest on the silver edge, "you certain?"

You nod again. You hate to even think it, it feels mean, but you just want to be left alone. You miss those days when no one noticed you.

"Well… my hand feels much better," he waves his bandaged fingers.

"That's good," your lips twitch with a momentary smile, "I should take this to the hub."

"Nah, I got it," he volunteers as he grabs the tray of silverware, "little thing like you carrying all this around, that's no good."

"I do it all the time–"

"Yes, well, perhaps it is time you let others help, fawn," he insists, keeping the tray out of your reach, "you might actually enjoy it."

He spins and struts out before you can respond. You don't even know how you would. It confounds you how he can be so friendly yet so pushy. It puts you off yet makes you feel so ungrateful. You can't assume the worst of him because he reminds you of someone else.

🍸

You finish your shift without much disturbance. A few times you bring out clean glasses to the bar and incap a few bottles but nothing exhaustive. Sonny keeps you entertained as he tells you about his time in the corps. He also makes sure Thor can't steal you away again as he keeps you busy with the pans.

The chef leaves first. He works short shifts, leaving the kitchen tidy as he puts on his leather vest and gives a wave. You enter the bar as last call sounds and gather up any empties you can find, you'll do another sweep once it's empty.

You wait out the last of the clubgoers and return to the dance floor, oddly quiet and vacant. The servers count their tips at the station and you hear the subtle clink of glasses from behind the bar. You have your earbuds in still, the low buzz of your favourite playlist easing the tension.

You don't notice when the servers leave, silence is only ever comforting so you rarely make note of it. As you bend to grab a crushed can from beneath a table, a foot appears around the other side. You stand and face Thor as he smiles at you.

"Need help?" He offers.

"All good," you assure him as you dump the can in the plastic bag.

He stares and you back away, looking around for more garbage.

"What're you listening to?" He frightens you again as the blur of his finger fills your peripheral as he points to your ear.

"Oh nothing," you say, "just music."

"What kind of music?"

You blanch. It feels too rude to ignore him or ask him to leave you be. You're working but there's not much left to do. You stand up and face him. Again, you're reminded of his height.

"Florence and the Machine."

"Ah, I love her, er, them?" He questions, "it is a band, yes?"

"I think," you push your lip out indecisively.

"Do you listen to music often?"

"I guess," you squint. His questions are stiff and awkward. Almost like an interrogation.

"You have a record player," he says and you wince, thinking of the green suitcase player in the corner of your apartment, "asking. Sorry, that came out weird."

You clutch the bag and utter an answer, "yeah…" you look around, "I should finish…"

"Of course," he gulps audibly, "let me know if you need me to walk you home… I heard about another girl, eh? At the club down the block, you know the one, right?"

You don't know. You shake your head, "I had no idea, thanks."

"Wanna make sure you're safe," he backs away slowly, "so I'll wait by the door?"

You hesitate and grab a napkin, shoving it in the bag.

"You should just go home, I hate to keep you late."

"I don't mind–"

"I do," you interrupt without meaning to. You sniff and look at him, "really, I'll be okay."

He stares at you, the humour draining from his face as his cheek tics. He looks very unlike himself. It takes your breath away.

Just as quickly as he darkened, he brightens up again and turns his palms out, "stay safe."

He turns and strides away. You watch his back and tension corded in his forearms as he closes and opens his fists. The tenor of his last words hang in the air, more ominous than hopeful.

Maybe it's all in your head. It's the broken window and the unattached footsteps and the memories. You're fucked up and that's why you're better off alone.

[traincat]

hi!! ikesoren height anon again, thank you for the detailed answer!! i honestly loved how thorough it was, but you talking about the height and weight stats in-game also made me think—soren's probably not wearing any armor into battle with a weight stat like that, huh?? ike being even heavier than he is tall makes sense because he's got armor and a big sword and whatnot, but soren is really just charging into battle in nothing but a shirt and cloak... i know mechanically it's somewhat normal for mage classes in these kinds of games to only wear light/leather armor or even just cloaks, but i wonder how ike feels about soren waltzing into fights with zero padding lol

Hi height anon! Yeah, like you said, it's pretty typical for Fire Emblem mages not to wear much in the way of armor. Typical fantasy RPG things. (His strength stat in FE9 starts at, uh. Zero.)

But on the general topic of Ike worrying over Soren/being protective over him, there's a couple of things this ask brought to mind, like these quotes from Soren's introductory chapter.

Shinon: All right, Ike. Let’s see how you handle the role of captain. Well? What are your orders, boy? We’ll do what you say, so long as you hurry up and spit it out! Ike: I know, I know! I’m thinking! Give me a moment, will you, Shinon? Shinon: Bah. Useless! We’d be better led with Mist than this soft, untested whelp. Ike: Let’s see…We’re in the middle of the road, and there’s not much cover. Soren and Rhys are vulnerable, so we have to protect them from enemy attacks…Right? Soren: That’s a sound strategy, Ike. I can attack from behind your defenses. Good thinking. Ike: Do you mean that? Um…all right! Let’s do that then.

(FE9, Chapter 4.) For context, Ike's the son of a mercenary commander and this is the first job he's been given lead over, so he's very much still learning how to command -- so this is a little bit tutorial-y for players, built into the script, since Soren is your first mage and positioning him behind a character with better defense like Ike is a pretty good strategy for training him up. (There's also some boss dialogue much later where Shinon accuses Soren of, quote, "hiding behind Ike's apron.") The above is the default, where everyone is alive, but there's this variation if you've (somehow) gotten multiple other characters killed.

Soren: Ike, do you have any ideas on how you want to approach this fight? Ike: Let’s see…We’re in the middle of the road, and there’s not much cover. You’re vulnerable, so I have to be sure you’re protected from enemy attacks, right? Soren: Right. Er…sorry for the trouble…but I appreciate the consideration. Ike: Sure. All right, let’s do that then.

I think the awkwardness of this variation is really cute, tbh, down to Soren apologizing for the trouble. It fits considering how young they both are at this point in the game, and that it takes place in the early chapters before war breaks out.

And then a variety of "death" quotes -- Soren is too plot important to actually be killed before the very final chapters of FE10, so if you do get him killed, Ike will order him to retreat. (Classic Fire Emblem has permadeath for characters, and it's sort of an in-joke-that's-not-entirely-a-joke that a lot of players, including me, will just reset if characters die. Listen, it's the right way to play. But I always like looking at the death quotes, they tell you a lot about the characters, and Soren has a lot of special ones.)

Soren: Oof! That was…poorly done. Ike: Retreat, Soren! You’ve done all you can here! Soren: But, Ike… Ike: You heard me. Fall back! You can still help us with our planning. Besides, if you tell us all what to do, we’ll be better off, right? Soren: I… I understand… Please…be careful!

(Up until FE9, chapter 17.)

Soren: Oh… Ow! Ike: Hold it, Soren! You’re not staying in this a moment longer! Withdraw! Soren: Ike, I can still– Ike: Our tactician isn’t allowed to make faces like that. Ever! Listen, we need you planning our strategies at base, so leave that attitude behind. That is unless you have a problem with the two of us in command. Soren: Of-of course not! I didn’t see… … I understand. But listen… Stay safe, Ike.

(FE9, chapter 18 until the endgame chapter.)

Soren: Argh! Not now… It’s the last battle… How could I be so careless? Ike: Soren! Just fall back! This may be the last battle for Crimea, but it won’t be the last battle for us, will it? Soren: What? Ike: We’re mercenaries. After this battle, there will be hundreds, maybe thousands of fights ahead. Am I wrong? Soren: I… No… Ike: Right. So get out of here. Our little group needs you! Do you understand? Soren: Ike… I understand. I will withdraw… Ike! Don’t let me down!

(FE9, endgame.)

Soren: …Ugh… What a terrible place… to die… Ike: Soren, retreat! Soren: But, Ike… Ike: Aren’t you supposed to be my strategist? Use your head! I need your help. Soren: …I see. As you command…

(FE10, part 3.)

And, okay, listen, not on the subject of Ike being protective, but Soren's endgame actual death quote is a lot.

Soren: Ike… Please live… Even if all the cities burn, and the seas swallow Tellius… You mustn’t die… Not you…

(FE10, part 4 endgame.)

There's also some fun game mechanics at play -- if you have Ike and Soren next to each other in FE9, Ike negates critical hits against Soren. Soren is the only character he does this for, notably.

The possessed version of Ike from the mobile game also explicitly warns only three characters to stay away from him so he won't hurt them -- Mist, his sister; Titania, his surrogate mom; and Soren.

[maoam]

Ramblings stemming from frustration with this fandom sometimes. ( Naruto. )

I know Naruto fandom has always been a tad toxic ever since it started becoming popular and such, but something about these newer fans who are so comfortable with d3ath threats, body shaming, sa threats, and d0xxing other people for the sake of a character. Fandom discourse is truly never that serious and the fact that they’ve become so obsessed with “ratioing” or “owning” other people that they’re willing to say absolutely vile things all for what… some likes? Validation from other gross people?

And then for these people to still say they’re the “good part of the fandom” or “the sane part”. It’s almost narcissistic for lack of a better word at the moment. ( not diagnosing anyone or speaking as if I’m some sort of mental health expert. Just can’t think of another word right now because of the headache this phenomenon is causing me as it is becoming much too common. )

They have this obsession with demonizing “the other side.” To the point of making false claims, which is insane. Or maybe they actually believe them? I can’t tell. They just spread whatever makes them feel good about what they like and don’t care about the source.

This is mainly a lame annoyed rant about the Hinata fanbase which have become somehow even worse within the past few days with their weird obsession with trying to get the Boruto artist (I think he works for sp? Unsure as he says most of his art is fanart but he made a like two or three official pieces that were on the official boruto/naruto page.) fired and sending him death threats for I guess just not drawing Hinata as much as they want? Like to the point where they were literally saying she was being “oppressed and bullied” by this artists. It was insane to see in person because you really would like to believe people WOULDNT compare a character not being drawn in a way they approve of to the oppression the people of Palestine are facing but hey, I suppose it’s a competition now to see how much of a bad person you can be for the sake of a character.

Also I know this is not just an issue in the hinata fandom, although the recent need to fetishize how “Asian Hinata is compared to that white girl sakura.” Is irking me a lot more than what other fandoms have done as of recent that I’m aware of. The Sakus seem to be their usual level of delusion and crappy attitude. Which is easy to ignore for me.

Does it sound like I’m making stuff up at this point? Because as I’m writing this I’m seeing just how insane this really is. This *shouldn’t* be real. This *shouldn’t* be things people say without shame. And yet, people just throw their morals for… what, internet points? The self validation that they defended to their favorite character? Who knows.

You might not even read this, I wouldn’t blame you lol. Just me being annoyed with how comfortable people within the naruto fandom have become so comfortable with being bad people.

My only real question is have you noticed an increase of toxicity within the fandom? Do you think this behavior has gotten worse with the ending of Naruto and beginning of Boruto?

I kinda get what you mean. I remember even before the manga ended there was apparently aggressive fights between Narusaku/Naruhina shippers, like the body shaming towards the other ship's girl and so on. And SS also were aggressive. But nowadays it indeed seems worse. I'm not sure if it's because we have new big platforms? Twitter and Tiktok I mean, both have really cancerous fandom spaces.

SS/NH harass official staff all the time, as well as other parts of the fandom. And then they act like victims because some people think Sakura and Hinata are shitty characters lol. Meanwhile they treat real people like shit. I think it might be because everyone makes fun of their ships/girls all the time, because it's so easy, so they become even crazier in trying to compensate, they try to harass the staff for more content for their ship, to get back at the people who say their ships suck. Also because so many popular content creators keep making content on Naruto and Sasuke being gay and Sakura/Hinata being their beards it's also humiliating to them.

Of course, they also need to fight which girl is the best girl. Which girl is less of a single mother for example. XD

"Or maybe they actually believe them?" Considering how many SS have convinced themselves that some moments that happened between Naruto and Sasuke actually happened between Sasuke and Sakura, I can believe them being that delusional.

"Does it sound like I’m making stuff up at this point?" No because I have witnessed it myself, plenty Sakura and Hinata stans on twitter have that toxic "bad bitch" attitude that they think makes them queens or whatever, they harass people and are extremely aggressive and think female character doing the bare minimun = queen behaviour. It comes off as very childish and narcissistic. No wonder Sakura and Hinata as characters appeal to them.

[bigball-thefrog]

Hi! Really think ur writing is good! I wanna know if maybe you could write something with Brook. He’s been on my mind recently. Could u maybe do something along the lines of where Brook and the reader have been together for a few months and obvi the reader is younger and a goth. But what if they had an argument that resulted in her saying something hurtful. Like I’ve been wondering how Brook would be in an argument. Something along the lines of that i’m bout sure lol

Hello Hello, thank you for the request. I hope it is good enough. This has actually now become the longest thing I have written by one word! So I hope that it's good, please enjoy

Warnings/Tags:

Angst with comfort

Fem reader

Brook asking to see panties as usual

Little bit of a sexy joke at the end

______________________________

Narrator POV

Everywhere you go you always got strange looks, first it it was about your "dark and creepy" outfits you wore, then it was about your partner. You loved Brook with all your heart and he loved you with all his soul. I mean, an undead musician and a goth girl? It was a match made in heaven!

The rest of the Strawhats didn't mind and thought it was cute just how well you both went together. But not everyone was like that. Strangers, enemies, and sometimes even friends you made along the way said that your relationship was strange and wouldn't last, comments about how he was so old and that he could die any minute, then when you told them about his Devilfruit they'd comment about how the relationship is pointless because he'll outlive you and once you're gone Brook will probably just move on to he next. Someone even pointed out that he's a Rockstar so he could replace you with a fan with a snap of his fingers. Each time you tried your best to defend your relationship with Brook, but each time someone would say something new that could point out a flaw in your relationship. And as much as you were secure in your relationship, any person could only take so many negative comments before beginning to doubt something. And that's what's happening to you now, so many comments have started to stick to you that you're beginning to think that maybe your love for the skeleton is pointless. And as the days went on, you began growing colder and distancing yourself from Brook, meanwhile Brooks love only grew stronger.

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

Brook was trying to find you. You had suddenly started avoiding him and he wanted to sort this out. He wasn't mad or anything, but he was concerned, had he done something wrong? Were your emotions getting the best of you and you needed comfort but we're too scared to ask? Whatever it was Brook wanted to help and if he could, better himself for you. He found you coming out the bathroom early one morning, looking as radient and as beautiful as ever to him. Snapping out of his admiring daze, he took a deep breath and made his way over to you, "My dear, may I please talk to you?" He asked as he bent over a bit to get closer to your level. You scoffed and tried to talk past, "Don't calm me dear, and don't talk to me anymore. I'm breaking up with you." Brook gently grabbed your shoulder and turned you to face him, "Please don't say that... Talk to me, I want to help and better myself for you... Please don't break up this relationship and not tell me what is wrong, just talk to me." "Oh what's the point talking to a bag of old bones like you?!" you spat out leaving Brook surprised. He could feel anger starting to grow but he breathed again and calmed himself down, "My dear, please do not shout. I want to simply talk things out, not start an argument with you, so please just calm down and tell me what's wrong, is it because of my looks? Are my bones not attractive to you anymore?" He asked, still trying to keep the peace but your frustration and insecurities were getting the best of you, "No, I'm not shallow enough to care about your looks. But you can get any girl you want and replace me with a snap of your fingers! Since you're such a famous Rockstar!" you shouted back. Brook was getting frustrated now. He wanted to stay calm but your anger was starting to affect him, "My dear, I am trying to stay calm but your constant anger is beginning to piss me off. Is it my fake that's made you upset? Are you scared that I would replace you with a fan or another musician?"

Each time Brook asked if you were upset about something he was right, you were upset and insecure about everything he had just mentioned, but you were too angry right now and prideful to admit your insecurities, which now caused your next words to accidentally spill out, "Why would I care about you replacing me since I know it's going to happen some day! You already did it with your first crew, they died and you moved on with the Strawhats and stopped caring!! One day we're gonna die and you're just gonna move on from the Strawhats and jump onto the next pirate ship that comes your way!!! We're all gonna grow old and die and you're just going to stay a skeleton for eternity and find more friends and forget about us, until one day we won't matter to you anymore because it's gonna be so many years later and you're going to forget about us!!!"

It went dead quiet after that. Brook didn't have a heart but he could feel it shattering, in fact his soul was shattered from the words you had just said. Brook had was always sensitive and upset of the fact that his Devilfruit mad him live longer than most and the face that one day he'd have to watch another crew he called family pass away, and you knew how much it upset him but here you were spitting it all back into his face. His expression softened and you could see tears forming in his eye sockets, that made you stop and what you just said hit you in the gut and your guilt grew immensely. "Brook, I'm sorry I-" he raised his hand to cut you off, "Please do not speak anymore... To prevent any further hurtful words being said, I would like to be alone for awhile to calm down and collect my thoughts... I would appreciate it if you left me alone and not say anything to me during that time..." you gulped simply nodded. Brook turned back around and left to be by himself in his room. Once he was out of sight you just sobbed, you didn't mean to say all that nor did you really mean it. You were just frustrated and let your insecurities get the better of you. Now you pay the price of it.

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

It was late at night and you stood at the front of the ship and you were still crying. You hadn't seen Brook for the entire day and you were worried and you wanted to run and apologize but you respected his space and left him alone. You also isolated yourself the entire day, not wanting to get the rest of the crew worried or involved so you just felt completely alone. You heard footsteps coming up behind you, thinking it was one of the other Strawhats you turned to leave but to your surprise, it was Brook. He had a cup of tea in hand and was sipping it as he made his way over to you. You stood frozen, not knowing what to say or to say anything at all, so you stood in silence with your head down as Brook stopped next to you. "Beautiful night tonight, isn't it?" He said as he sipped more of his tea. He went quiet again and with a quiet sigh he spoke, "Have you calmed down? No more screaming or shouting?" you nodded and he nodded as well. Another awkward silence and the guilt was clawing at your back so you decided it was time to apologize, "Brook listen, I-I didn't mean what I said... I just... I'm just so frustrated because because almost everyone won't shut up about how problematic and unstable our relationship is it just gets so frustrating trying to block all the comments out but I hear it so much that I start to believe it but I don't want to believe it but God, I just..."

You couldn't even finish your words before you became chocked up and just continued sobbing. Seeing your distressed state, Brook knelt down in front of you and wiped your tears away with his thumb, "Shhh... Please don't cry my dear, it hurts me to see you in such distress. Just calm down and talk slowly... Don't rush through your emotions, just let them calmly flow out..." hr said as he continued to wipe your tears away. You slowly calmed down and when most of the tears were gone and you were able to speak again Brook spoke, "Now please, just tell me what's bothering you. You've been an emotional mess for the past couple of weeks and I've been worried to death." You took a few deep breaths and finally spoke, "I've been feeling insecure lately... It's nothing you've done, it's people making comments about you and our relationship, mainly about how because of your devilfruit that you're going to live longer than me and that you'll move on and forget about me... And I've been trying so hard to not listen but I just heard it all so much that I mistakenly started to believe it. But that doesn't excuse the things I said... I shouldn't have let my frustration get the better of me and take it out on you... I am deeply sorry Brook..." said, it felt good to get everything off your chest but now you needed to wait and see how Brook would respond.

Brook remained silent for a few moments before he took your hand in his and caressed your hand with his thumb, and finally he spoke, "My love, I know it's scary to think that we only have limited time together and that I will live on after you but... You are the only one for me. You call me handsome when I am only bones and no flesh, you laugh at my jokes, you know all the words to my songs, you accept my perverted flaws and love me even though I am nothing but a bag of bones. So every day I make sure to savor every moment I have with you. My dear you are more precious to me then you'll ever know, I want you to be by my side on this journey through the ocean and to find the one piece, I want you o be next to me the day I get to see Laboon again. I want to spend every waking moment of our days together next to you because you are a rare gem that can love even a skeleton like me... So please my dear, don't listen to these stupid comments about our love, listen to your heart, and listen to what feel right. Because my dear, I love you with all my heart and all my soul, and nothing will ever change that." Brook then leaned down and pressed his teeth against your forehead, making a kissing sound as he did. Your heart fluttered in your chest, "You mean, you're not upset about what I said?" "Oh I am upset... But I'm more upset that you didn't trust me hard enough and that you didn't trust my love. Please next time you feel insecure or you're not sure about something in our relationship that you'll come to me and you'll talk to me, or if someone is bothering you, I'll sort them out, just please don't bottle up your emotions until they spill out and we have another incident like today." He said as he rested his forehead against yours. "Alright.. I'll will... And I promise I won't say anything like I did this morning to you... It was completely out of line and I'd there's anything I can do to make it up to you, I'll do it." You said. Brook smiled and cupped your cheek, "My dear, we can put that behind us and now we can focus on strengthening our bond, and we can start by getting some rest together." "Sounds like a good idea~"

Brook put his arm around your waist and you both walked back to the rooms in silence until a cheeky smirk grew on Brooks face and he stopped walking, "You know, there is something you can do to make it up to me~" He said as his hand lowered to your hip. "What is it? You said as you tilted your head to look up at him. Brooks smile grew wider, "May I please see your panties?~" you started laughing at the sudden question, you should expect nothing else from your musical skeleton, "Meet me in the showers tomorrow morning and you'll see more than just my panties~" You replied back which for once left Brook speechless. You then got on your toes and gave him a quick kiss on the Jaw bone before entering the girls room, leaving your lover blushing and in shock. And as Brook entered the men's room and went to sleep, all he could think and dream about was the activities that would happen tomorrow morning.

______________________________

Posting again this week, I know it's quick but my next set of exams are starting soon and I want to finish them all since my mom says she's going to be taking my phone during that time to help with my studying (trust me, I need it😭) so hopefully I can finish my requests and upload the last of my Slasher Rob Lucci X Reader before that. So I'll maybe see you all tomorrow, but if not I'll see you all soon.

Kelly🐸

[azzifudd]

Damn 6 surgeries is crazyyyyyyy not trying to compare severity with their injuries but I thought fudd had it worse til now. But, I guess a lot of the greats go through it at some point. This just gives Azzi more of an opportunity to have a great comeback. I hope steph and Azzi are still close I bet he has a lot of help to give her. He really does seem to see her as a little sister. It’ll be cool if Dijonai and Azzi cross paths. I guess I saw Azzi as having these injuries as a major turn off for some regarding entering the WNBA. I’m not sure how that works. I would love it if u can sort of explain how it can do with that? Cuz why would we want to put risk on an injury prone player. But I guess if Azzi is doing everything she can during her rehab to not re injure herself then she’ll be fine. I see a lot of people saying it’s just a mental game at this point for Azzi when it comes to playing again. But when she had she last comeback from her injury she did really good. Even tho I’m all for her staying another yr at UConn it’s not my decision to make. I just hate seeing all these haters step on Azzi’s game it’s really annoying lol I see the same comments all the time “oh she’s one day away from injury” ,”she’s overrated” etc. I guess that what’s comes with being an athlete and all eyes on u ,people are just bored.

It would honestly be amazing to see her on the mystics or GSV. I’m all for Azzi getting into gsv before Paige. I feeling further down the line Paige would wind up in gsv. I’m praying for Azzi to have the best season ever because she deserves that.

yeah a ton of great players go through injuries, it just depends on how lucky you are coming back from them. some players never fully get back there, unfortunately, but there are some that do and the medical advances have just gotten better.

steph loves azzi & has a lot of faith in her & her game, so i'm sure he and his team are doing everything they can to help her get back to form.

six surgeries is nuts, they were on both knees and i think that's probably better than tearing the same one twice, but still. nalyssa follows azzi & paige and dijonai follows paige so i'm sure they'll meet someday haha they got some stuff in common for sure.

dijonai was drafted at #20, not super sure how much her injury history played into it, but it really shows how hard she worked to get on and stay on that roster.

being injury prone can definitely hurt you in the draft. if there's two players with a similar level of skill, but one gets hurt more often than the other, that can affect where they're picked for sure. azzi has so much talent and potential, she's going to get drafted, we'll have to wait and see how high. that's one of the reasons people think she should stay an extra year, to show how good she can be, before declaring.

a ton of it will be mental for her next year. it would be tough for anyone to believe they can trust their body again after so many injuries, but she'll have to work past that to be great. she's already done it before & paige will be a great support for that too.

people making comments about her injury history is annoying for sure, but being available is one of the most important things & she hasn't been, but we gotta hope she proves everyone wrong this year.

i dislike the mystics coach lol but it would be cool to see her with her hometown team. gsv would be a dream for under armour i think. marketing for her and steph would go hard. can't wait for her and paige to both be in the league

[superfluouskeys]

wip actually wednesday! ♥

I was certainly not tagged by non-tumblr-user @menzosarres in my personal favorite form of social media, being snapchatted a tumblr post, but anyway, I have chosen to bother you all with more original thing because it's been awhile and also I want to and it makes me happy :) I'm also sharing two snippets bc see above :) and also the sections are related but my transitional sections in this part are a bit of a mess rn LOL.

I really need a better sorting system this is starting to become egregious.

part 1 || part 2 || part 3 || part 4

I'm doing a cop-out and saying if you want to do the thing pls feel free to consider yourself tagged!

==

“Back already, Sister?”

Tamsin startles.  Althea turns with poise and grace.  The owner of the voice is not nearly so imposing in her stature as Althea, but no less regal in her countenance.  Her flaxen hair is arranged delicately around her shoulders, accentuating the delicate shape of her face.  She wears a dress of deep red that appears to Tamsin a bit more fashionable than what Althea prefers, fitted at the waist and flared out down to her ankles.

“Sister Maren,” Althea nods cordially.  “There was an unexpected development.”

Maren’s sharp eyes fall upon Tamsin.  “So I see.”

“May I introduce Tamsin of Godsplace?” says Althea.

Tamsin glances nervously between them.  “Uh.  Pleased to meet you.”

She attempts a surpassingly awkward curtsey.  Maren’s thin-lipped smile exudes haughty derision.

“Yes,” says Maren.  “A pleasure, I’m sure.”

“So, as you can see, I’ll need to take her to get settled in and find someone who’s available to initiate her.”

Maren hums, a short, affected sound.  “I can teach her,” she says, with a sharp-eyed glance toward Tamsin, “if you want it done properly.”

Althea laughs.  “I think I’d prefer that our newest student survive her first week.”

Maren’s brow twitches in subtle annoyance at the jab.  “Suit yourself,” she says primly.  “But don’t come crying to me when Sister Helie teaches her whatever it is she’s calling proper form these days.”

“Did you need something, Maren?” Althea asks her evenly.

Maren scoffs.  “And here I thought I was coming to greet an old friend,” she replies mildly.  “Yes, as it happens, but I didn’t know you’d have company.  Come and find me, when you can spare the time.”

She turns to leave without waiting for an answer, her red skirts twirling dramatically around her.  Before she gets very far, though, she stops abruptly and turns back toward Tamsin.  “Oh, and,” she begins, and then curtseys low, curling her hand into a fist somewhere near her heart.  “Well come and well met, little sister.”

Tamsin watches her go in stunned silence.

“Well,” says Althea, with muted amusement.  “What a welcome.  Let’s get you settled, shall we?”

She sets off with surety, and Tamsin is left to scramble after her.

“Is she really a teacher?” Tamsin wonders, for lack of a better way to begin.  Tamsin does not have much experience with teachers, but the small handful of schoolteachers in Godsplace are all kind, if somewhat harried women, all but one among them (who but recently began as a sort of apprentice) much older and married with children.

Tamsin supposes Maren could be much older than she appears, but she certainly doesn’t have the air of patience Tamsin would expect from a teacher.  Tamsin wonders if teachers are very different here at the Academy.

“You doubt her suitability?” Althea wonders, still with that lilt of amusement about her voice.

“Oh, no, I only—“

“It’s understandable, but I assure you Sister Maren is an excellent teacher, and has an excellent heart besides.  Her style, however, is…not for the faint of heart, shall we say.”

“That was sort of what I was wondering about,” says Tamsin.

“Oh, you’ll see soon enough,” says Althea. 

==

Whatever Tamsin is expecting, Teacher Helie is not it.  She is noticeably slight of frame, particularly set against Althea, not quite plump but with an air of softness about her, and the silvery blonde of her hair and eyelashes gives her the look of one lightly dusted with the morning dew.  She greets Tamsin in the same way Maren did, except that it is not the same at all.  The curtsey, the gesture, and the words all bear the conviction of deepest sincerity.

“Tamsin cannot see the Gift thus far,” Althea tells Helie, “and it’s my impression she still doubts me when I tell her she possesses it at all.”

Tamsin ducks her head, embarrassed, although the words are true.

“Oh, dear,” says Helie gently, reaching out for Tamsin’s hands, “we Forgotten must never bow our heads in shame!”  Her voice matches her countenance, soft and sweet, and with the lilt of an accent Tamsin does not recognize.  When Tamsin takes her hands and looks up, she notices that Helie’s eyes are unusually pale, as though painted with the same brush as her hair and lashes.

Helie smiles kindly and squeezes Tamsin’s hands.  “Every Gift, big or small, is precious,” she says, with the same heart-wrenching conviction as well come and well met.  “And I believe that no Gift is an accident.”  She leans in, almost conspiratorial.  “The Gift wants to be used, you see.  Even the tiniest sliver of magic, in the right hands, may one day take the world by storm.”

“See?  Just as I’ve been saying,” says Althea, pleased, but restrained as ever.  “And with that, I shall leave you in Sister Helie’s capable hands.”  To Tamsin’s surprise, Althea then mimics the greeting the others have bestowed upon her.  Althea’s version is not sarcastic, but neither is it effusive.  Althea makes the gesture seem somehow ordinary, as though it were the way one should always expect to be greeted.  “Well come and well met, little sister,” she says with a regal curtsey.  “If there’s anything you need, your teachers can likely provide it, but nevertheless, please do not hesitate to seek me out.”

“Ah,” Helie sighs musically when Althea closes the door behind her.  “Forgive me for saying so, Tamsin, but you must really have left an impression on Sister Althea.”  She chuckles lightly.  “Normally she doesn’t like to be sought out by anyone.”

Tamsin picks at her skirt self-consciously.  “She could have just been saying that to be polite.”

Helie laughs.  It is a bright, joyful sound.  “Believe me when I tell you, Sister Althea doesn’t 'just say' anything.  And certainly not for the sake of politeness!”

Helie leads her to the front of the classroom, and pushes some of the frontmost desks out of the way.  “Now,” she begins.  “I’m sure Althea’s told you, but just to reiterate, it’s not at all unusual to be unable to see the Gift at first, particularly if you were raised in an environment where magic was not commonplace.”  She taps her temple.  “Our eyes can play tricks on us, you see.  We see what we expect to see, and our very minds are wont to ignore what doesn’t make sense to us.”

Tamsin considers this.  The statement somehow sparks both comfort and anxiety.  She wonders how much of her life she has somehow misremembered.  She wonders if perhaps there were signs that she had the Gift and she simply didn’t have the eyes to see them.  She wonders, with a sudden and intense twinge of remorse, if she could have escaped sooner, or if she’d have even thought to try.

“For those who cannot see, I find it’s best to start with feeling,” Helie continues.  “Now, don’t be discouraged if this doesn’t work right away, either.  Many of us are inclined to ignore what our bodies tell us, too.”

Tamsin lets out a breath of something like laughter.  “You make it sound a bit bleak.”

Helie considers this with a subtle furrowing of her delicate brow.  “Bleak?” she echoes.  “Oh, not at all, dear.  Perhaps you’re thinking of the time you’ve lost?  Wishing you’d realized earlier?”

Tamsin averts her gaze.  “You’ve read my mind, I’m afraid.”

Helie shakes her head.  “Whatever happened in the past, Tamsin, you’ve made it all the way here.  That is no small feat.  Where you are now is already so very different from where you started.  We Forgotten sacrifice much, but what we gain is…immeasurable.”

She holds out her hands, palms upturned, but it feels somehow different than before.  Tamsin watches her for a moment, hesitant, until Helie nods her encouragement.

Tamsin takes her hands.

She looks up, trying and failing to hide her disappointment.  She had expected something to happen.

“Close your eyes,” says Helie.

Tamsin closes her eyes.

“Take a deep breath.”

Tamsin breathes.  Her chest is tight, and she realizes only now that she is trembling.

“Another,” Helie directs.  “Breath by breath, let go of your fear.”

Tamsin breathes again.  But another voice echoes in the back of her mind, the man from the Town Square back in Godsplace.  Do you know fear?  How will you find peace?  Burn her, burn her, burn her—

Tamsin staggers back from Helie, heart racing, gasping for air, and with tears in her eyes.  “I’m sorry,” she stammers.  “I’m sorry, I really tried, I—“

“Oh, dear,” Helie soothes, with hands gently patting her arms.  “I see now.  Your power frightens you.”

Tamsin scrubs at her face, but the tears will not stop flowing.  It’s like the whole journey has come crashing back into her all at once, the horror of the screaming girl in the Square, the sorrow at the loss of a dear friend to an archaic tradition, the muted fury at the way her mother treats her, the terror at what would befall her at the whim of Teddy Page, and then--!

And then, perhaps worst of all, the hope!  The horrible, heart-rending hope that someone had come to save her at last, that everything would be different from now on--and the shame, that a nothing and a nobody should dare to want such change for herself, let alone allow herself to have it.

Tamsin covers her face, unable to stop her crying.  Helie continues patting her arms, and she speaks in a soft, soothing tone.  “It’s all right now, Tamsin,” says Helie.  “It always hurts the most before it starts to heal.  And can I tell you something else?”

Again Tamsin attempts to dry her eyes.  She sniffles miserably.  Helie withdraws, and digs a handkerchief out of her pocket, which she offers to Tamsin.

“Some people think foreswearing home and family and all that came before is the hardest part about becoming Forgotten.  And for them, that may be true.  But it’s not just about dedicating yourself to your craft, or to your sisters.”

Helie pats her shoulder again, more firmly this time.  “It’s about letting go,” she says with a smile, “of what is holding you back.”

The gravity of her words stuns Tamsin into a state of calm, and she is able to dry her eyes at last.

“Shall we try again?” Helie asks her.

Tamsin nods.

Helie moves away, back to the center of the space, giving Tamsin room to follow her.  Tamsin watches the way she holds herself, the way she presents her hands to Tamsin, like there is some sort of strength flowing through her arms, even though Helie doesn’t look remotely like the sort of person one would consider physically strong.

Tamsin tries to imitate Helie’s posture, squaring her shoulders and taking a deep breath before she approaches to take Helie’s hands.

“I can see what you’re thinking,” says Helie with a wry smile.  “You don’t want that to happen again.  But it might.”

Tamsin falters.  She withdraws her hands, and so does Helie.

“You have a lot of pain,” says Helie kindly.  “I’d guess it’s pain you barely even knew was there.  It won’t just go away like that.”

“Then…” says Tamsin uncertainly, “what should I do?”

“Let it all in,” says Helie.  Again, she presents her hands.  “The pain, yes.  But also the joy.”

Tamsin nods.  She takes Helie’s hands, and closes her eyes like before.

“Breathe in,” says Helie.  “Feel your fear, your sorrow, your anger.  Then breathe out, and let it go.”

Tamsin breathes in.  It’s like being outside in the dead of winter.  Her chest aches, and she is still trembling.  Dozens of burnings flash before her eyes, each one the same, each one an injustice.  Her cheeks burn with the shame of her namelessness, her ingratitude toward the woman who didn’t have to raise her, even in spite of everything Mrs. Burkow did and said.  Whatever Tamsin imagined in the recesses of her mind, she had always expected to lead an unremarkable existence.

But Tamsin is no longer unremarkable.  And it no longer matters that she has no family and no name.  Tamsin is here because Keeper Althea saw something in her that no one else ever could.  Tamsin is here because she has the Gift, because Althea believes she has the Gift, and so she must have the Gift, because, because—

Tamsin gasps, and she almost withdraws her hands, almost opens her eyes.  She feels…something, like a tingle beneath her hands, like some sort of invisible energy is radiating from Helie’s palms, real enough to touch.  She holds on tighter, as though she could get more of the feeling just by pressing down, but the tingle remains subtle, distant, like the fleeting remnants of a wonderful dream.

“Do you feel it?” Helie whispers, but there is a smile in her voice.  She already knows the answer.

“Yes,” Tamsin breathes.  Again there are tears in her eyes, but she isn’t embarrassed.  These are tears of joy.

[vermont-writes-fanfic]

Can I please request a Pip x reader comfort. College is stressing me out to mental breakdowns and I crave comfort

Sure thing lol anon! Just want to say I really hope you get some down time sometime soon, taking time for yourself is so super important!

Request: Yes

Warnings: Mental Breakdown/Panic attack, mentions of stress, anxiety, hi sexy innuendoes if you squint hard enough, comfort, crying, cursing

Characters: Pip Bernadotte x Reader

Reader Pronouns: She/Her

It’s Okay

Working for the Hellsing organisation has been…a lot, to say the least. Since the events with Seras, Alucards peon, and then Father Anderson a lot had to be taken into account. Not to mention the paper work for all of those soldiers who had died. Despite the low-key nature of the job, working their had no shortage of paperwork and it was becoming too much to handle. Sir Integra had given you your own room and office away from the general noise but that only did so much. Luckily you had Pip to rely on when things got to be a little too much for you, he would come and sit beside you and hold you in his arms or take you out, no matter what he always knew what to do. As you sit at your blackthorn desk, the sound of the clock ticking away started to irk you, reminding you of the constant time limit you were on. A mountain of messily arranged paperwork waiting to be reviewed or organised looms over you menacingly. You had barley even touched the paper, yet it seems your just about ready to quit already. You can feel the tears well up and sighs in frustration. You were trying to study last night in this same room and the massive books paired with all the extra paper work made getting any work done seem impossible. Your vision blurs as tears well up in your eyes and you slump deep into your chair willing them to go back or go anywhere but rolling down your cheeks.

Minutes later the door opens, though you can’t be bothered to look up, if you did now your raging headache would only worsen. They turn off the lights, which for a small moment calms your mind. As they step closer, you can hear that slightly slurred humming, it’s deep, comforting with that low trill in his chest. It’s Pip, you can tell, you can always tell. He had that certain calming affect on you that nothing and no one else really did. His long arms wrap around you as he mutter, accent thick in how low voice.

“Come now cheri, do not cry,”

You can’t help but hold him closer chest heaving with your heavy sobs, face wet with tears.

“That’s it, just let it out. I’m right here amour,”

He is always so sweet, as you calm down some, he moves you to the couch and pats you down. Before you know it, you fall asleep and it’s hours later when you wake up. Instead of waking to his face, you wake up to his ping limbs sprawled out on the floor surrounded by papers that seem to be some sort of organized. Surprisingly it’s not awful, they have a general rhyme and reason to it. His face lights up when you are awake and he gives you a sloppy grin.

“Are you going to tell me what’s on your mind now mon cheri?”

You nod sitting down next to him

“It’s just…been a lot. Between studying what Sir Interga has asked of me and handling all this,” you gesture to the massive amounts of paper work “ I guess I just feel overwhelmed,”

He nods following a long, as you to talk and he chats about what he had been doing before. With the help of his silly jokes and flirtatious behavior you finish your work early and decide to spend the rest of the day laying with him. As you take a sip of his drink he smiles down at you.

“It’s okay to take a break mon cheri, ”

I hope you liked it! I kinda forgot what I was doing so I’m really sorry if it flips but I hope it makes you feel a little better!

[frannyzooey]

hi Kelli !! hope you’re having a lovely day :) i’m not sure if you’ve answered something like this before, and no pressure for one!

do you have any advice for getting a fic out to more people, or increasing engagement? i am super new to actually posting what i’ve written, and while it’s so heartwarming seeing the likes, tumblr is very much about reblogs and comments 😃 are there actually any tricks to this, or is it basically just down to luck and the algorithm?

also a huge thank you for the write nights you’ve done, which seriously motivated me to get my ass into gear 🫶🏻

hope you have an amazing rest of your day/night! <3

First of all, I am so glad that you like the write nights! Part of the thing I feel (imo) that has been missing around here is creative encouragement of others? I know it's hard to find your people, and I know it's hard to share, and I know it's hard to find the time in busy schedules to make space for creating and I wanted to sort of tackle all those issues with that night. I myself have found it super motivating, but also just so heartwarming to think of the other people out there all sitting down to create, knowing they are with "their people" while doing so ❤

In terms of engagement, I wish I had a better answer for you my lovely, but the one I have is slightly defeating 😔 that said, here are some things I've noticed:

The site has definitely changed. The likes to reblogs ratio has been off for over a year and has only gotten worse as the fandom has expanded, due to the migration of users from other platforms where engagement IS liking. Tumblr was never meant to be used this way, as the dash is created by reblogs, but it doesn't seem that people participating in the fandom are interested in learning the correct way (in my observation). I don't think this will get better any time soon - in fact, I only think it's going to get worse.

That said, I would: reblog your own work several times a day just to get it into the algorithm/tags, respond to all reblogs with your own reblog to boost it back into circulation (and engage with people who like it!), make friends who will in turn reblog your work (though it should never be an assumption/one should not feel entitled to it because of the friendship because that just makes for hurt feelings, not everything is for everyone), don't be afraid to rec your own stuff when people ask for recommendations and above all else, just keep writing and posting. It took me ages to get interaction on my work, and even now it's hit or miss depending on the subject/character/trope.

I know it can feel defeating when you see some things that have a billion notes, but remember that there are so many factors that can come into it: fandom (marvel and tlou have enormous fanbases and I have noticed their metrics are often super skewed), creators that have been posting for years and have built up a base during that time, or even something as simple as it "hitting the dash at the right time" aka people just seem to like it for whatever reason on that given day aka luck, lol.

Something I like to do when I feel bummed about engagement is work on my own skills - not because you need to be super talented in order to get notes, but it helps me feel better about the piece itself, which helps me think less about the actual engagement because I found so much satisfaction within the creative process alone, if that makes sense? Another reason behind the write nights ❤

I wish I had something more concrete for you, but it really does boil down to: persistence, working on your skills, engaging meaningfully with others in the fandom and luck. ❤

[redshoes-blues]

Alright, now that I’ve watched the new Doctor Who episodes, here are my thoughts (below the cut because it turns out I had a lot to say!):

First, Space Babies:

— I thought it was…okay? It was a serviceable first episode, though I do wonder what the thought process was behind starting an intro season with such a weird concept. Throwing new viewers into the deep end?

— Lots of exposition, and I feel it could’ve been done a bit more naturally, but it isn’t a big deal. I’m watching the show with my brother who is twelve and new to DW (he’s only seen Nine’s season), so that infodump was helpful for him and new viewers even if it could’ve been handled a bit better.

— THE RANI MENTION!! Obviously exciting, but I may be even more intrigued by the lack of mention of the Master. Clearly lots of hard feelings there.

— The butterfly thing. Okay. What was happening when Ruby transformed into that green creature? I have many questions. Maybe it was just an example of a butterfly effect, but why is she that creature? Because it was a Changling she was swapped with? Sometimes things fly over my head so who knows.

— Major uncanny valley with the babies, which kind of made me wish they went a bit more in a horror direction with them, but ah well.

— WAS THAT CORUSCANT?! Maybe not *literal* Coruscant, but it has to be a reference, right? I mean, they referenced Star Trek too!

— I immediately adore Fifteen and Ruby’s dynamic. They have wonderful best friends energy and Ncuti has already proven himself as an amazing Doctor.

— Very intrigued by both the snow (clearly a recurring thing) and the DNA scan the Doctor is doing at the end of the episode.

— In terms of the snow, I wasn’t expecting to get emotional so early on in this series, but that and the scene where the Doctor is talking to the baby about his past made me well up. Beautiful writing there in an otherwise pretty silly episode.

— The little call-out of how hypocritical anti-abortion people are. Love to see it.

— Also the babies never being hugged before?! I’m sorry but that’s so devastating oh my god.

— Clearly a major theme of the series is going to be adoption, where the Doctor and Ruby came from, as well as their found families. I’m a huge sucker for found family, so I’m quite excited to see this inevitably come up again throughout the season.

— I love RTD for refusing to ignore that the Timeless Child is a thing that happened, and not only for that, but also for actively working to make it a serviceable aspect of the Doctor’s character now. It wouldn’t have been my choice for a plot, but it’s here, and I’m glad it isn’t being retconned. And I love how it parallels Ruby’s story. Also: the line about the baby Doctor being left in the void of space was so sad.

— I enjoyed the callbacks to The End of the World!

— Overall, the episode was fine, nothing special, but there were some lovely moments.

The Devil’s Chord

— Okay. WOW. I loved this episode so much. This is by far my favourite of all the episodes we’ve gotten with Fifteen and Ruby, and I can see it becoming a new favourite in general too.

— I loved when Fifteen and Ruby stepped out of the TARDIS and we got a little Abbey Road moment. Expected? Yes. But it was very adorable.

— Maestro was an incredible villain and Jinkx was giving everything!! Are they a child of the Toymaker? I feel like that was sort of implied, but either way they’re definitely part of his liege. I’m sure we’ll be seeing many more of the people connected to him throughout the series.

— Conceptually, I loved this. I love when DW takes a big concept asks questions. Like what would the world be like without this thing that’s so integral to humanity that we take for granted? It reminded me a little bit of the Yesterday movie (“what if the Beatles’ music didn’t exist?”) if it was good and thoughtful lol.

— I loved the slight corniness of seeing the world without music and how devastating that is. It made me cry seeing Ruby and Fifteen in the 2024 post-nuclear earth without music. And then seeing the joy Ruby’s song brought to people?! That song itself was absolutely beautiful and I’m so thrilled Murray Gold is back because wow. Stunning. Made me cry!

— We also learn that it’s June (or July?) 2024 now, which means they’ve been travelling for about six months. That’s quite a substantial chunk of time that we haven’t seen. Which leaves a lot of wiggle room for Big Finish audios. And that’s always welcome!

— The Doctor’s soul is split in two?! Woah. That’s a big deal and was brushed over really fast? Which is fine, maybe we won’t come back to that. But that in itself is very interesting.

— The Harbinger again. Hmmm.

— Also: Susan Twist again? What is happening!! She appeared in the previous episodes too.

— Ruby and Fifteen’s outfits were so fuckin good, I know so many people will cosplay them and look incredible doing it. I need Ruby’s dress badly.

— The part when Maestro was trying to steal Ruby’s song inside of her soul (very cool concept) and CAROL OF THE BELLS PLAYED OH MY GOD. The callbacks to the church are crazyyy and I’m so intrigued. I’m loving the mystery.

— SUSAN MENTIONED! All of these classic who references…Susan, other Time Lords, etc. are making me wondering if they’re just unsubtle easter eggs OR if they’re building towards something.

— Maestro referred to Ruby as a “creature” which is another tidbit that may point to her not being human, which I’m very intrigued by.

— I enjoyed the fourth wall breaks, which were slightly unsettling and especially the theme song beginning in piano which was such a cool callback to the original DW theme.

— THE SNOW IN THE TARDIS?! What is happening omg. The collision of that memory into the current time where Ruby is…what’s going on?! I’m scared but so, so invested.

— Musical number at the end was so much fun. Was it necessary? Not at all. But it was good camp fun and that’s why I watch DW, so I’m here for it!!

— There’s definitely more I’m forgetting to mention because this episode had a lot packed into it, but basically I loved it so much and am adoring Ruby and Fifteen as a duo. This was strong writing and a great episode for me!

[kiwikipedia]

I decided that I better post the first and second ascensions before I went insane and did the third fully. Circe’s staff is a placeholder, but once I have all three I’ll post this again lol

Anyways, did you know that there’s almost zero muscular guys with their legs showing fully? I worked with Caligula but it was still a bit of a trial. There’s a lot more of guys who wear armor and leg coverings than you’d think!

I used and edited assets from Summer Robin Hood, Summer Blackbeard, and Waver (shirt), Rider Da Vinci (ponytail... hair not uh, horse tail), Summer Marie, Kiara, and Kiyohime (hat and flowers) , Caligula (as stated above), Summer Costume and Alter Emiya (Torso and cooler), and Lancer Arturia Alter (horse ears). Saddle bag and towel were hand done and everything else was taken and edited from Chiron’s own assets.

Not including the Draft Layers, Two Ascensions end up close to 400 Layers which seems like a lot but when you factor in the combination of color, lineart, shading and the shirt’s texturing, its a lot. Fate’s sprites are all cut up so you gotta make sure it all fits, yeah?

Anyways (again), I have a general plot line for the Summer Event with Caster Summer Chiron (tentatively called Eternal Summer Stage / Lost Summer Stage) and also the individual sets below the cut as well as the taglist

In general, I’m thinking that kinda like the Hawai’i event, this one takes place in Greece, but things are really different — either the nation’s been condensed or it’s impossible to tell where you are in Greece, even for the Greeks.

The premise is that something or someone is creating an influx of energy there, causing an unbalance or some shit but while the threat level is low, allowing for you to take your time (as all Summer events do), it still needs to be dealt with.

Chiron is your main companion Servant though he’s not the welfare one. He, alongside of a rather enthusiastic Li Shuwen and unmasked Berserker Lancelot— both of which are also Summer Servants for the first half wave (Li being either Saber or Berserker) and Lancelot being a Lancer but still Berserker’s more mellowed and gloomy character.

(Costume dress Servants are still up in the air but I’m weighing more on Hans Christian Biggerson and Geronimo, with the long overdue Hawai’i Cu, and Medusa)

Upon arrival, there’s all sorts of plays and performances going on up and down the coast and further inland where there’s a large village up against a Mountain. Both myth and man are mingling, to which Medusa and Chiron both note to be something much out of an ancient sort of tale (hence why Chiron can take his true form and no one cares).

The first half of the event is mostly solving the mystery of what this influx of energy even is— which is where you meet the second Summer Servants for the first half. Technically not Summer in terms of Class change, Ching Shih is the first you meet, dressed in that event’s other Costume Dress for her summer look. She’s happy to help, though there seems to be something a bit off about how easily things start to pop up after that. Plays pertaining to [    ] and other tales, along with even more heroic legends being spun and told. At night, you often run into an unknown woman who sits and chats with you about things as well.

All the while, Chiron seems to become more and more troubled as time goes on.

One night, however, you wander outside the inn because you can’t sleep only to get attacked by rouge Servants. This is when the second meeting happens— and it’s the “Dark fellow” that Ching Shih has been talking about. None other than Sir Agravain of Iron is here.

Though he recognizes you, he doesn’t say much on the matter, simply defeating the rouge Servants and sending them back to the Throne mercilessly. Post fight, Chiron arrives with Ching Shih and Li Shuwen and Agravain is formally introduced.

(There’s an entire thing about him wearing black armor and then you get his costume dress for free)

After that, the reveal that there’s all sorts of half-phantom-half-servants or rouge servants hiding about is finally confirmed though you’ve been fighting shadows and monsters before, the real task is at hand.

In general throughout the farming periods, the Servants will state that they are splitting up to investigate the area, kinda like the very first summer event where each location is a little bit of a sub story (Lancer-lot and Cu are at the shore investigating traces of magical energy with Geronimo, Li Shuwen and Medusa are investigating the plays and performances with Ching Shih, Biggerson and Agravain are in the town investigating there) so that’s there to get the rest of the costume dresses in the shop (Ching Shih, Cu, Medusa, Biggerson, Gero, etc)

The second half has much more to do with Chiron than the first, though he’s your companion for the first half.

Achilles joins the group, though like Ching Shih, he seems a bit odd, but he arrives and arrives with startling news which kicks off the second half of the event— the mountain against the town is Mount Pelion, the Birthplace of Greek Heroes.

This, of Course, has Chiron absolutely of kilter because suddenly he’s home. Ching Shih admits that she feels like a majority of the Singularity’s power is coming from the Mountain but didn’t want to risk going there because it’s crawling with phantom-servants— which only spurs Chiron to restate that he should still go to investigate there.

Everyone decides to go after that, because Chiron clearly isnt about to just up and let it go.

As you go through the mountain you learn a bit more about it from Chiron and Achilles, and Medusa inputs some that she knows. Agravain and Lancelot get into a minor fight, but it’s settled by Hans mostly, the usually in-between stuff.

Oh and did I mention that during this time there’s also cutscenes and non battle story from an unknown person’s POV within another space? Because there is.

In general, I’m still working out the middle chunks, but the ending is pretty much the arrival at Chiron’s Cave, only to be met by the mysterious woman who you’ve been talking to at night. It turns out that she’s Chariclo and she admits— or seems to admit— that she’s been summoning Servants from between the lines of history and Servants that normally have been gotten overlooked for some reason or another due to either being seen as not heroic enough, prejudiced factors, or they’ve simply been forgotten.

Some other stuff happens, and right when she’s about to say something pretty important you’re interrupted... by you.

Another version of you has arrived and it turns out that while Chariclo has been summoning and maintaining Servants, it wasn’t her choice. The other You has been having her do so in order to find [     ] and you know who that is— how could you not?

An argument breaks out, the other You is convinced that Chariclo has already summoned That Man, and while she doesn’t deny it, she states she can’t let the Other You into the Cave because it’ll ruin things. the Other You is determined, and perhaps a bit irrational with obsession to see That Man again and orders the Shadows to attack.

While almost every Servant is there for support, Achilles is not, and when the battles are done you realize why as Achilles stands by the Other You.

Chariclo is firm, continuing to refuse entry into the cave, and the Other You has had enough. Achilles is revealed to have not been Chaldea’s Achilles and apologizes before he’s ordered to kill Chariclo. Obviously, Chiron’s not about that, and takes the blow, severely wounding him.

Of course, this causes a chain reaction, as Li Shuwen and Agravain immoderately go for the kill on Achilles— the Other You makes a move for the Cave, you intercept Yourself because even though Chariclo might not have been a full alley, she had protected the Cave vehemently, Medusa and the others hold off the others are still fighting the shadows, before the mountain shakes.

While not dead, Chiron’s blood on Chariclo’s hands is enough to pull her from her passive state and forge a temporary contract with you. In combination, you and Chariclo stop the Other You and there’s a long conversation about grief and letting go before You and the shadows leave— either fading away or just leaving.

Once gone, Chariclo immediately has you bring Chiron into the cave so she can start healing him.

This is where you meet your welfare— none other than Romani Archaman himself. He’s weak, of course, but there and its a big reunion moment only to be interrupted by the Singularity destabilizing now that the Other You is gone.

There’s conflict, of course. Chariclo wasn’t lying when she said that Romani was too unstable to bring back. Similarly, the only reason she was able to appear, that she knows of, is because they are at Mount Pelion meaning she too is too unstable to follow a Rayshift. Unless a Holy Grail is used.

A choice is presented that you have to make, but all your choices are Romani, no matter how much you or Chiron want to bring Chariclo back as well. When you make your choice, Chariclo will present you a Grail and admit she didn’t use it on Romani at first because she was terrified what the Other You would do when Romani was stable.

With Romani Stabilized, everyone moves to head back down the Mountain for a rayshift back, but Chiron lingers. There’s grief, of course, but the two must say goodbye once more.

... Only, upon arriving in Chaldea, it turns out to not be the case.

Upon Chiron’s injury, Chariclo’s Noble Phantasm, “Lifeblood of Pelion”, quite literally used Chiron’s blood as fuel upon it being soaked into the ground. While they’re not the same as Ryoma and Oryou, as they’re separate Servants, Chiron and Chariclo’s origins linked and allowed for her to exist in Chaldea as another Caster. it’s a bittersweet ending, as Ching Shih and Agravain did not follow— but it’s no worry. Ching Shih stated that she’d see you again, and Agravain, while he didn’t say so, simply nodded in response.

( * Basically Ching Shih and Agravain are added to the permanent summon pool with Ching Shih being a 5* Rider and Agravain a 3* Assassin )

Chaldea Achilles remains extremely put out that he had been the one to harm Chariclo in the Singularity— and also annoyed he couldn’t go because he was busy making sure that Herc didn’t go off the rails.

Post event, the usual collection of the other 4 copies for the np5 welfare are unlocked along with a costume dress for Romani. Who is a Shielder class Servant.

So yeah. That’s basically the bare-bones of the idea. I don’t quite remember where the Shielder Romani idea came from but I saw a post on it and filed it away in my brain forever. The only reason Medusa, Cu, and Gero aren’t full servants is because I really couldn’t think of good classes for them. The only ones I can really think of for Gero is Avenger, and Medusa has alts for lancer and avenger, and Cu has alts for saber caster and berseker... also there’s the Servant pool of Ching Shih, Agravain, Chariclo, Chiron, and Li Shuwen, which is a hefty number even if the first two are perma summon.

If Third Asc Chiron doesn’t obliterate my soul then I’m probably going to work on Summer Li Shuwen next, or the Costume Dress trio of Gero, Medusa, and Cu. Then we’ll see about making those sprites where there’s no character base to use at all.. I might die (jk)

But when I do post the third ascension I’m going to include hatless Chiron because he’s got a lil bow hair tie and the horse ears are CUTE as hell

Anyways, Tag list below. Good god if you made it this far congratulations I know I ramble and make zero sense half the time

Taglist Form or feel free to ask me to get tagged (just DM!):

@jedifisto​​ @spaceydragons​​ @purgetrooperfox​​ @spacerocksarethebestrocks​ @insanelytomato @babygirljoelmiller​ @certified-anakinfucker​ @d3epfriedanger​ @genifer-championofpaldea​​ @thecodyagenda​ @babygirl-leon-kennedy​ @txtalnyx​ @jawajawas​

Please tell me if you want to be taken off of the list as this is no longer just Star Wars art

Additional Tags for those who have been interested in Summer Chiron the past few days (i hope you dont mind):

@300iqprower​ @bitterrosebrokenspear​ @random-senpai​

[whinlatter]

Hello! I just read the latest chapter of Beasts and I am, once again, blown away by your skill. I don’t usually read fics in the HP fandom (not sure why, to be honest- there are so many good ones!) but yours are far and away my favorite of the works I have read. (Re: Beasts, I would like to note that your portrayal of Hermione is dead-accurate and delightfully layered. I appreciate the kindness with which you write her, as neither a saint nor a monster— just a deeply traumatized teenage girl.)

I’m not sure if you dispense writing advice on here— if not, feel free to ignore the following— but if you are, I would love some pointers! I’m sure part of it is my anxiety talking, but I find whatever I write to be irritatingly juvenile. You do such a wonderful job of bringing nuance to your works, and I’d appreciate any guidance you have for amateur writers looking to take their fics to the “next level,” so to speak. Also, on a broader level, any tips you have about nailing characterization would be very welcome. I know the ultimate answer to my questions is simply “time and practice,” but I have a genuine desire to improve, and I figure there’s something I can do to hurry the process along.

In the interest of not wasting your time, I’ll wrap it up here. Many, many thanks!

Oh man, I’m blown away by this comment, are you kidding me? Thank you so so much. You really don’t know how much that means to hear (saving this to look back on on a rainy low self-esteem day).

On writing advice... I'm always a bit hesitant about offering writing advice, even though I have benefited so so much from other people’s advice over the years in lots of different ways (probably because I suspect few of us ever really see our own work very clearly). This is also sort of hypocritical of me because I literally teach (non-fiction) writing as part of my job, lol, but maybe this is my imposter syndrome syndroming.

Anyway, I’ve been thinking a lot about this question since you sent this, and wanted to say something that might be useful. I actually ended up going back to the (very bad) fanfiction I wrote about 15+ years ago for another fandom (I will not be linking this here lmao), to see what I do differently now and what I’d gotten better at. This was both a very unsettling but also very cathartic process, lol, because I think I’ve gotten a lot better since then (though, truthfully, it couldn’t have gotten much worse).

So, having done that, I’ve tried to put some writing advice and reflections and thoughts below that I think I’ve learnt since I first started writing and that I feel I’ve found out the hard way (by getting it wrong first time around). My points below are more ‘what I admire in other people’s work and ‘what I would like my writing to do’ rather than me thinking I do all these things well all the time, especially on the nuance and characterisation questions. Some are going to sound super obvious but I definitely did not know them once and have definitely had to work to learn all of them, so I really hope they’re useful to you all the same.

Having now sat down and read my truly truly dire past fanfiction (which has a lot of reviews on it telling me, in no uncertain terms, how and why the work sucked), I think these are the things I wish someone had told me or the things I've learnt after a long long time of getting it extremely wrong...

Writing should answer a question, or a series of questions. I think the big shift from the fanfiction I used to write is that I would start from the premise of ‘I want to write these two characters in X setting’ or ‘I want to fill in Y missing moment’. It’s not that these are bad premises - often, fic ideas start this way - but there needs to be a step after this idea before the writing happens, which is the ‘what question would this answer and what would the answer be’. To give an example, for Orchards I always wanted to write a Harry/Ginny summer teenage love story, but I never really thought of it as answering a question, and so every version I could imagine doing of it was unsatisfying. It was only when I realised the question I had was how does someone fall in love and not realise it (and, I guess, and what do they do when they’ve realised it too late?) that I was like ohhh ok, the fic needs to answer that question, and the conceit is how do we get from A (not being in love) to B (falling in love, but not knowing it) to C (knowing it, and being tormented by knowing it). The later layers the fic took on and that I now like so much - flashbacks, use of the future tense to switch to a period where Harry knows he’s in love but can’t do anything about it - all came after that realisation, and I think the fic is more satisfying for me as a writer because it answers a question I had always had in the back of my mind but hadn’t made conscious.

Show, don’t tell - so, signpost, but give the reader credit. Work that I really admire and take the most from is work that doesn’t beat the reader around the head with the point of each scene. You don’t need to tell the reader how x character is feeling. ‘Ginny felt angry because she thought Hermione was being dismissive of other people’s feelings’ - that’s a note to yourself as a writer more than it needs to be expressed so obviously written to the reader. On a first draft, maybe you need that line to be written out as you figure out how characters are feeling in that scene - that’s completely fine. But as you edit, think of ways you can show that kind of emotional response without coming out and straight up saying it. Try to cut lines that state emotional responses so starkly and jarringly, because they take the reader out of the flow of the scene. How might Ginny as a character show she’s pissed off in ways that are legible to the reader (especially a reader of fanfiction, who is familiar with her)? How can we show Hermione being dismissive (not making eye contact, for instance, or saying curt, dismissive statements that shut down the conversation). This relates to the next point which is… 

Make the setting work for you - or even let it be a character in its own right. It’s rare in any form of fiction writing that the setting or the activities around characters are incidental. This is especially true for HP, where the author uses the setting throughout to both build a sense of atmosphere but also parallel/symbolise the dynamics of the scene at hand, like little winks to the reader. The weather is often the most obvious way of doing this. As the author, you play god - the weather is exactly what you want or need it to be to best serve the scene. That doesn’t mean necessarily happy scene has to = sunny, or sad scene = rain,, but it could mean torrential rain = huge release of something pent up that’s been building for hours (think of the rain pounding on the tent when Harry and Ron have their screaming match in DH - it’s like a fourth character in that scene), or too-hot sun = rising pressure, huge discomfort, feeling prickled and angry and trapped with no shade (think of Harry at the start of OotP, in the heatwave). It doesn’t have to be weather, either. If you want to show how a character is guarded, struggling to let another character in, why not have them have the conversation hovering in a doorway, with the door partly closed? If you want to write a scene where two characters are thinking about their future together and really getting somewhere emotionally, why not have them have the conversation in a moving car, heading towards a meaningful destination (you could even have the instigator of the conversation in the literal driving seat, if you want to suggest dynamics of control or maturity). These are just examples, obviously, but the writing I really admire does this so well (and rewards re-reads for that reason).

Find a motif or a hook. This is more a personal preference, but I love reading pieces of writing that have a clear framing. The post-war summer fic I’ve been working on for nine thousand years lol only really started coming quicker once I finally found a conceit - an image, really - that worked for me (the fic is called Rubble, and the conceit is: how do you literally build a house that is a family home, as a way of thinking about rebuilding after the war, told around the Weasleys as a family). For Orchards, there are a few motifs: ‘the truth’ as a character; ‘truth or dare’ as a game, but also as a metaphor for Harry and Ginny’s early love story, and Quidditch (love is a quaffle). In Beasts, I have motifs and hooks that I hope to stretch over the entirety of the fic, not least this idea about beasts and beings and the hubris and the monstrousness of the wizarding world - I wanted to write a postwar fic for a long time, but I didn’t have a conceit that allowed me to get at the type of story I wanted to tell for ages. Within each chapter, I also like to have a little motif: so chapter two it was ‘coming back’, chapter three it was sleep and dreams, chapter four it was the soul/what makes a person who they are, chapter five was the sea. Some of these were more successful than others lol, but it helps me to fashion and discipline a piece when writing and when editing/cutting to think: everything in this piece, in some loose way, needs to link back to this theme I’m trying to thread through.

Make sure people sound/think/behave like people. I’ve put points specifically about characterisation below, but this is a more general point: characters shouldn’t sound like generic talking points, they should sound like real people putting together sentences. I think in fanfiction writing, because we often want to resolve flaws in characters, write about characters we love and admire, or want them to have the difficult conversations or hard confessions that they don’t do in canon, we sometimes can both idealise them and make them sound like very self-aware consistently compassionate angels who are experts at expressing exactly how they’re feeling in extremely emotionally healthy and communicative ways. It would be nice if our characters all did that, sure! But what makes for immersive, compelling writing is when characters try and struggle and fuck up and live their flaws, and sound like real living breathing failing growing people.

You probably need to lose the last line. The last line of a fic is important, but sometimes you can lose a reader who’s been with you the whole time with a clumsy last line or one that’s excessively cheesy or overly summarising or just seems like an afterthought because you wrap up. I say this as a real mea culpa because I still suck at last lines, but the best advice I have gotten on this is, if in doubt, cut the last line you were going to go with, lol. Let the scene end without the line you think is a great summative profound line or something reassuring or overly comforting for the reader. I am definitely still learning this (the end line of chapter four of Beasts I’m still considering cutting or editing severely lol - it’s too on the nose for my taste, and I don’t love it), but the last lines I do like most are always the most minimalist, sparse, simple, or even abstract. basically - if it sounds like chat gpt could write your last line (chat gpt loves an on-the-nose happy ending - eg. ‘Hermione knew it was all going to be ok after all’) then go back to the drawing board.

Embrace critique. This is a very subjective one, especially for writing fanfic. Writing fanfic is a rich and rewarding hobby but I recognise that it is a hobby and a source of pleasure, so lots of people prefer not to get constructive critique. I’m actually being a bit hypocritical here as I don’t currently have a beta for fic writing, but I do have a brutal self-editing process (oh, the scenes and sentences I’ve cut!) and I have spent the last decade of my life in academic writing and sharing my work-in-progress written work over and over and over again, often for a couple of hours every few weeks in front of a room of people more senior and much smarter than me all with my written work printed out in front of them ready to tell me what I got wrong and what I need to change or get better at, lol. This has been bruising to say the least, but it 100% has made me a better writer and disabused me of a lot of the bad habits I picked up when starting out, and kicked the ego out of me thinking I didn’t need to edit and draft and re-draft everything several times. I’ve also spent a long time reading and editing and responding to other people’s work, in the same way, and that’s also been super productive to help me think about how to better communicate written ideas, fiction or non-fiction. So I think real improvement and growth in your writing has to come from getting a thick skin and being able to take critique from people you respect, who are constructive not destructive, and who believe in your talents, your right to show them, and want to see your work presented in the best possible way.

On characterisation specifically...

Look for similar scenarios in the books and see how the character reacts to those. I go back to canon a lot to find plots that are analogous to the plots I’m writing to see how characters physically and verbally respond to them. My thought processes are like, Hermione and Ginny in conflict? Head to HBP when they clash over Harry and Sectumsempra to see how they fight lol. Need to write a Weasley ensemble scene? Head to Goblet of Fire Burrow chapters pre-world cup to see the family dynamics in full swing, and see how the text conveys warmth and love between the characters, while also attending to power dynamics and changing/fractious relationships, down to the adverbs used to describe how people speak, how they physically occupy the space. (I used this chapter a lot when writing the beach day scene for the latest chapter of Beasts, because I knew I was going to have a scene that in part shows how Bill operates an older brother, especially how he deals with his parents and Percy, but also how to distinguish Bill from Charlie when they’re often characters that can get blurred together a bit as ‘the older ones’.) I’m doing this a ton with Hermione atm, because I think she sometimes exists in fanon differently to how she appears in canon and I didn’t want to just assume I knew her speech patterns based on reading a lot of fanfiction about her, but also because Hermione, unlike Ron, doesn’t have her existential crisis within canon but probably (I suspect) has a post-war reckoning that speaks on insecurities and traumas that do occur within the canon text. So if I’m looking at Hermione struggling to relate to the student body, I need to go back to the canon text and find moments where some of those dynamics were already starting to come into play (eg. Hermione not getting Quidditch, Hermione’s responses to Neville telling them what life was like under the Carrows, Hermione’s relationship with other girls in her year eg. Lavender and Parvati).  

Relatedly: look at how characters that are similar to each other react to certain scenarios if you don't have enough evidence of how one character might behave. I decided with Beasts that, while Harry and Ginny are not the same person, they are characters that often react in certain situations similarly, so if I don’t have an example of how Ginny herself would respond to a certain situation (eg. injury in Quidditch), I can use Harry’s response as a bit of a guide for what Ginny would be like. That scene in chapter two where Harry and Ginny discuss her going back to Hogwarts actually borrows lines from Dumbledore and Harry’s conversation in the purgatory King’s Cross after Harry’s ‘death’ - ‘I have to go back, don’t I?’ ‘That’s up to you’ - because although Ginny deciding to go back to Hogwarts is not exactly the same as the decision Harry makes not to ‘go on’, it seemed there were enough analogies with it that I could borrow little lines and colour from that scene. (I have a bit of a cop-out dumb joke to myself in this scene - Harry saying to Ginny ‘we’re the same’ is me nodding to swapping out two very similar protagonists).

Play the ‘there’s a pigeon in the living room’ game. There’s lots of different versions of this exercise for improving characterisation, but I like this one: if this character woke up tomorrow, went into their living room and found a pigeon in it, what would they do? How would they respond? Would they scream/swear/laugh/calmly acknowledge the situation? How would they physically respond - would they try to get the pigeon out, if so how would they physically try to do that? What words could you use for how their body would move in the space while they tried to, say, open a window, or shoo it out the door? Would they call someone to help, if so, who, and why? What would they say, and how would they say it? It's such a stupid game but I do really find it helpful to better inhabit the character, especially if the character is very different from you as the author.

Good characterisation means trying to get everyone right. The trouble sometimes with fanfiction writing is that we have our main character as someone that we love and want to write about, and then harness all other characters in the service of our main character’s personal development. But that’s not really how real people behave - people rarely walk around thinking all day every day about one specific main-character person they know, lol (I always think of the bits in Inception where everyone starts looking at the person in the dream…) Strong characterisation means having at least a working understanding of what motivates every character that interacts with the main character in the fic, that thinks about how both characters perceive their relationship, and how their behaviours and the things they say might change based on who they’re talking to. Characterisation is deeply relational, and very much about how characters react or respond in a way that’s highly specific and contextual. It just takes a lot of really boring slog work of figuring how characters’ typical sentence structures, their body language, their thought-processes, who they gravitate towards, the kind of arc or change they are capable of. It’s important not to come in with judgement, and from a place of wanting to understand and empathise with a character. (It's why I don't really write characters I don't fully understand or 'get' - I'd do a horrible job!)

The last thing I want to say is that the best advice I ever received is pretentious and cloying but true: it's to know your gift. You say you find your own writing ‘irritatingly juvenile’. But in even asking a question like the one you’ve asked, you’ve shown you’re clearly a thoughtful, curious and creative person - and thoughtful, curious and creative people will always produce writing that other people will get something out of. I’ll bet your writing has real strengths, some that you don’t even see and others that actually (at least I hope!) you recognise and that you’re really proud of. This doesn’t mean you can’t develop new skills or improve or challenge yourself. But starting any process of improvement by clearly identifying what you’re good at (knowing your gift), figuring out why you’re good at it, thinking about how best to showcase it and believing you have a right to show this talent or skill is really important. I know this is excruciating to do but I really recommend making a little list of things and starting from this point of acknowledging you have stories to tell and ways of telling them that other people will admire and benefit from you sharing with them. You'll never actually want to improve if you come from a place of being horrible to yourself as a writer. What you do has worth, and wanting to improve is a journey we're all on, just trying to find ways to better share what we have and have it mean something to someone else who comes across it.

[crguang]

Sorry for double asking but what makes you like Zoya?? I feel like what I’m about to say is gonna get me sniped or outcasted but I don’t get the appeal of her. Like she attractive and hot but I honestly just can’t see her that way lowkey. I do admire her for wanting to change syndicate even if she knows the way isn’t through violence (which is something she’s know all her life) and is honestly willing to put her trust in this newbie, literally just woke up a week ago, chief. Cuz she sees that there’s a way forward through them for her and her people. Like it’s fascinating(?) to see her be able to look past the experience that the chief does not have and give them a chance, a footing if you will, in a world that doesn’t really want them. And literally put her life on the line and reputation too just so they can start making a difference.

Hopefully that reads coherently, honestly first time really writing down my thoughts like this in a while so hopefully it’s not a bunch of nonsense.

Tho…. I do think her an Bai Yi should sloppy, mouth open, kiss on the bike that she has. Can you imagine the soft sex they could have when Bai Yi got her out of the BR and she brought her back to her place or an hideout of some sort. Bai Yi telling her she’s an idiot while she patches up her wounds and probably even gives her bath too. After get her all cleaned and bandaged up she finally breaks down to which she’s kinda embarrassed by but doesn’t care because this woman almost fucking died because of some rando chief (I’m pretty sure they haven’t really met yet at this point) and Zoya leans towards her, pressing her forehead against hers and tell her she’s sorry and that she saw a chance for a better life for the legion, syndicate…. them.

She tells her she’ll make up for what happened before giving her a soft kiss on the corner of her mouth, Bai Yi looking at her a little stunned at the gesture but closes that gap between them that she didn’t even realize was so small and how she could feel Zoya’s hot breath on her lips. The kiss gets heated but not by too much cuz she’s doesn’t want to hurt her but Zoya tells her she’s a tough cookie, surviving being a freaking corpus for a BR. A very cocky smile on her face as looks at her with a desire she so desperately wants to show her. And Bai Yi give her a little pinch on her arm, letting out a weak laugh, telling her that she could’ve died. Zoya immediately telling her “but I didn’t did it.” Bai Yi nodding and then leaning into kiss her so fucking softly that it’s like she pressed a marshmallow to her lips or even a cloud perhaps.

And then they fuck with Zoya laying about ever so soft kisses on her skin and giving her little nibbles here and there. Making sure she could feel how much Zoya wants her NEEDS her and how much she cares for in the night.

…… okay I’m done lol hopefully that’s okay to put in your asks …. Ok bye 👋🏾 🧍🏾‍♀️🧍🏾‍♀️

-🍷

you asked why i liked zoya then answered your own question gehdbdjfn i love her for the same things you said. she’s a product of a super violent environment and she uses her power to change the city for the better. she knows new things cant be built on violence but it’s all she has and she’s still putting it to good use; her character arc was honestly amazinggg she’s been a favorite ever since. like yeah shes hot and her dick is big (i would know) but i just feel so hype whenever she’s on the screen, she’s one of those characters where they show up and you breathe a sigh of relief because you know they’re gonna win. she’s so cool !!! she’s cocky but she earned it because no one can beat her fr😭 her consciousness was being torn apart for i cant remember how long inside BR-004 and she still fought to the END! she’s sooo inspiring. chief barely did anything; zoya was the one who fought back and allowed earl/bai yi/chief to save her, if she was any weaker she would’ve turned into a corpus. there’s a lot of comfort that comes with being so strong, she makes others feel safe whenever she’s around and that’s so precious in a place like syndicate where suffering is the norm. seeing how she was treated growing up, the people she’s lost and how she turned into such a compassionate person anyway warmed my heart. character wise, she’ll always be on top, she’s a real comfort character fr— i’m literally like horo. like just know that i will gas her up every time, i’ll suck her dick every time! that’s my commander. my GOAT. she made the story click for me, i was intrigued before but when she showed up?! it was gigglefest. people said she sucked gameplay wise and GUESS WHAT. GOT HER ANYWAY. THATS MY TROPHY WIFE! she loves me so bad she came home in 2 pulls. what we have is something so real, so special and beautiful.

also yes that is definitely okay to put in my inbox i get fanfiction for free lmfaooo, bai yi is always next to zoya in some way in official art like she wants her so bad. she’s so annoying (affectionate) i still havent forgiven her for taking zoya from me though… literally stole my wife for over six months and it was never mentioned again like?;?;$:$ tbf i only just started ch.11 but stilllll— WHERE IS ZOYA. but it’s funny that you want them being soft and cute cause the bai yi/zoya stuff that i see is just them fucking nasty jdjfkgkg i havent even met bai yi (properly) in the story yet but i already love them because i know they would banter like crazy since bai’s a menace AND strong enough to hold her own against corpus!zoya so she must be super cocky too… if there’s no space for a third all i need is the tape🙂‍↕️