#I'm only just past act 1 and I'm not even romancing her in my first run but 😭😭😭😭 I love her so much ok

[queer-spectre]

Thinking about Karlach and work song (hozier):

"I was burning up a fever, didn't care much, how long I lived"

ok ignoring the literal tie to the engine, she's so reckless with her life (understandably so) -- but Tav and the group in general giving her long-awaited friendship and companionship is so..... the change through the rest of the song just really hits.

"She never asked me once about the wrong I did"

Karlach did so much to survive in Avernus and especially a good aligned Tav (i esp love Karlach w a chaotic good tav but whatever) just understanding and not pushing it.

"Heaven and hell were words to me."

Especially in the context of her engine failing: crying rn ignore me.

[mrsjjongstby]

ONLY YOURS TO CATCH - N.RK

~ HIS FAVOURITE DETECTIVE

PART 1: BAITED AND BOUND

Pairing: Obsessed serial killer!riki x Detective!fem!reader

Genre: Dark romance.

Synopsis: You, a detective who has always solved her cases with ease — until he appeared. A string of murders, all more twisted and challenging than the last, draws you deeper into a deadly game crafted just for you. As the lines blur between hunter and hunted, you realizes you're not just chasing a killer — you're the prize he’s been chasing all along. In a city full of noise, he made sure only you heard him.

Warnings: Killing, blood, knives, jealousy, obsession, stalking behaviour, violence, mentions of murder, mentions of pregnancy(not related with the female lead), toxic dynamics, dark themes, cursing, jail/ prisoner setting, mentions of poison (cyanide), etc (let me know if i missed any!)

Word Count: 2,962

| Teaser | Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 |

Some traps aren't meant to catch you. They're meant to keep you."

You are good at your job, you really are. But recently the job has been feeling way too easy. Something is just not adding up. You are a very well-known pro-found detective- the one the departments brags about infront of press and in articles.

You knew you deserved the praise, the applause but now, as you are sitting before the 35-year-old man while tapping your pen against the metal table, you don't know if you deserve the “The detective who solved it all” title anymore. 

“I killed Yuri” the man- Jae states bluntly.

He continued, “Had an affair with her and got her pregnant and I didn't want Hana to know, I did warn Yuri though, told her to get abortion but she was stubborn she said she didn't want to kill a life who hadn't even developed into a baby. But I didn't want that- I didn't want her or the child. I did what I thought was best-”

“And that is to kill her?” You can’t stop yourself, gripping the pen tightly as you yell. 

Jae shrugged. “I did what I had to do.”

You don't understand why this is happening, why the past five cases you’ve been handled have been too easy to solve.

But one thing is for sure, you don't like it one bit.

You liked the critical thinking, assessment of the evidence and putting pieces together that come with the job.

But lately, the criminals are being found after you’ve only uncovered a few pieces of evidence.

Not that you aren't happy that the criminals are getting caught early but it's that it almost feels too unreal, too silly and too convenient for a criminal to be found with the first 3 clues.

Too absurd for the criminals to come out and confess- always with an underlying feeling and a strange tension you can’t quite place.

You look at him and ask, “So why are you confessing to me now when you tried to hide her body, hide the murder which you committed?”

Jae chuckles almost nervously “I guess I still have a thing for Yuri.”

You get up from your chair disgusted “Rot in jail bastard.”

With that, you leave the room with your mind full of thoughts and theories. And none of them make sense.  

Now, back in your office, you sat pondering about the past five cases. A knock on your door snapped you out of your thoughts.

Detective Jun-ha, your senior, stuck his head in.

“That’s the sixth case you’ve solved in the past two weeks Ms. The detective who solved it all, are you sure you didn't make a deal with the devil?” Jun-ha, though technically your senior, never acts like one.

He has seen you grow. He was there through your thick and thin and he’s one of the few people who truly support you and are genuinely happy for you.

You gave him a tired chuckle. “Maybe I’m the devil. Anyways, what brings you here my dear senior?”

"Nothing, just checking up on my favourite detective” he says as you roll your eyes playfully.

"I'm doing alright, thanks for checking up on me senior”

“Good to know. I'll take my leave then” he says with a grin as he exits, leaving you alone with your thoughts.

Your smile fades as soon as the door shuts click.

This isn’t normal. It was like the justice system is on autopilot- making crime scenes easier and making criminals confess so that you have a perfect record. The nagging feeling in the back of your mind grows louder and louder. 

You know it. You feel it.  Someone is pulling strings...

A few days pass by. As you enter your office, the first thing you notice is a file placed neatly on your desk- an indicator that you got yourself a new case.

You walk over and flip it open.

There it is. 

Nishimura Riki.

The most wanted serial killer in the city. 

You aren't even surprised anymore. You’ve said the name often, seen it written across countless headlines, articles, reports, evidence sheets- it might as well be imprinted in your brain by now.

You get his cases often, it's like clockwork. Once in every three cases which took you no time to solve and are practically solved by themselves, his case awaits on your table.

A new one every time, only on your desk like the case only wants to be solved by you and no one else. 

His cases are different, they make you work, really work. 

They demand your attention, challenge your logic and wake up the parts of your brain which have been rusted due to the regular cases.   Riki’s trail is cold.

His victims are killed unusually, are scattered, his patterns are confusing and if you are being honest to yourself, the only common piece in his puzzles is, you.

All of his cases only ever come to you and with each murder of his, it's like the universe is leaving his case for you to actually solve.

And beneath the pressure and fear, you almost feel relief because for once, you aren't being handed the answer. You are chasing it  

As you are about to dig through the file, you get a call. The sound cuts through the silence like a blade.

“Ms.Y/n? We found a body. Linked to Nishimura. You are needed on-site. Now.”

You are already grabbing your coat, your mind preparing what to expect from him.

The alleyway is damp, cold and silent, completely as if its untouched by the chaos of the city around it. The streetlights flick, casting that glow on the body surrounded by rainwater.

You duck under the yellow tape. The officers nod at you, their faces pale. You nod back at them and look at her.

Female, early thirties. Clean, untouched except for the severe wound on her head. She has been posed. Elegantly, like someone took their time- as if it wasn't a murder but a performance.

What caught your eye was the folded piece of paper in her hand. You kneel and gently take the paper with gloved hands. You freeze as you open it.  

It was a page torn from a novel- not just any novel- your favourite novel. The one that you mentioned briefly in an interview a year or two ago. No one ever bought it up again.   The highlighted sentence, which was underlined by read ink reads,  

“The hunter always smiles when the prey finally notices the traps.”  

Your stomach twists. Because you know- this isn't just a message- it's an acknowledgement. 

Acknowledgement that he’s watching you- not just your work but you.

And you don't know how to feel about that.  

After inspecting the place, collecting evidence and talking to the nearby people you return to your office.

You walked into your office, but something was wrong. You locked your door- you were sure of it.

Yet there it is. On your chair. A plain black envelope. You quickly closed the door as you tear open the wax seal.  

Jae was wasting your time.   I handled it, you're welcome.  You shouldn't have to clean their messes.  You are meant for something greater- for me  Tune out the voice, love. I'm the only sound worth hearing.  Think smart, Detective This game is ours   - Your R 

You sit down slowly, the wait of the message heavy on your chest  And you feel it- he's taking control of everything around you.

Watching your every move.

Eliminating every distraction.  

For what?

For you.

You begin to notice the small things first.

The coffee on your desk, still hot and made the way you like it, even though no one was in the office when you arrived. 

Your favourite pen- the one with the broken cap with no ink left- replaced by a new one.

Same colour. Same brand.

A hair tie on your desk whenever you chose to leave your hair loose.

Always made your skin crawl and made you look around you to see if someone was watching you. 

Your instincts tell you to file a report, but something stops you.

You're a detective- why would you need another detective to help you?

That's what you told yourself.  

This felt like more than surveillance. It felt like intimacy 

Riki isn't just watching you work. He somehow made his way into your routine... Inside your life. 

And the worst part?

You don't tell anyone- Why?

Because you are scared you'll be mistaken for paranoid rather than being right. 

And that’s why you haven't been yourself lately.

You are always thinking. Something or the other runs through your mind 24/7. You haven't been able to sleep properly, fear clinging to you at night- the fear of being watched which caused you to not be energetic and more "alive-looking" in the morning.

And maybe that's the reason why you were seated across from Jun-ha after work hours in a café.  

"Ok. C'mon y/n, what's going on with you?" Jun-ha asks unable to comprehend why you have been like this for the past week or so.  

You chuckle awkwardly, "What do you mean, I'm doing just fine".

Jun-ha gives you a "Are you really fucking with me right now" look and says, "You know what I'm talking about, you look like a panda with your eye bags, you are always zoning out and you just look paranoid all the time." 

There it is.

Exactly what you feared- people thinking you’re paranoid, when in reality, you are right. Someone Riki is watching you. 

You don't want other people to perceive you as paranoid or delusional. So, you dismiss his worries and not-so-wrong accusations and say, "I'm just tired of dealing with his cases"

Jun-ha looks at you sympathetically, knowing who him means, "Ah I get it, his cases are so time consuming and hard- I wonder how you do it. Just be careful"  

You nod at that as you drink your latte, the bitter taste staying in your throat.

After a few days, an autopsy report lands on your desk.

Victim: Male, age 27 Time of death: Between 2am-4am Cause of death: Cardiac arrest (supposedly). 

You stare at the report, unease setting in your gut.

Something was wrong.

You visit the alleyway where the body had been found. The place covered with yellow "crime zone do not enter" tape and surrounded by multiple professionals.

You greet them briskly and make your way towards the scene. But you don't look at the body. No- you look around it. 

Your eyes catch a half-opened water bottle lying a few feet away holding a small amount of liquid.

With gloved hands, and after confirming with the forensic team, you carefully pick it up and bring it closer.

You unscrew the cap and take a cautious sniff.  

Minerals.

Sharp.

A chemical aftertaste that shouldn't be there.

Poison.

You sent it to the lab for testing- and the results came back quickly.

Confirmed.

Cyanide.

Cyanide- the silent killer. Efficient. Fast. And almost undetectable in standard reports, making it every seasoned criminal’s best friend and making it easier for them to get away with it.

But not on your watch.

Determined, you proceed to your next lead: Lee Haneul, the victim's girlfriend.

She's devasted when you met her- blood red eyes, trembling hands- but she’s cooperative.

"He left around midnight” she sniffles, “said he needed some air to clear his mind. He took his phone, headphones and his wallet"  

You nod, scribbling your notes, "Before this... did he mention anything strange? Anything bothering him? Weird behaviour?” 

She hesitates, then murmurs, "He... he said he'd been getting these creepy messages. Anonymous ones. He brushed them off — thought it was just one of his crazy stalker fans. He posted singing covers online... had a following."  

You thank her gently, offer your condolences, and leave, mind already racing.

Back at your office, you immediately request access to the victim’s phone — the password provided willingly by Haneul. 

You get his phone, and you extract the texts- there it is.

The last message received before his death: "Want to hear a song that ends with your last breath?"

You feel your skin crawl. 

You run the sender’s IP number.

It's a burner. Obviously.

But you trace its last activity, a ping from a local library. You head to the nearby library and review the footage along with your team.

There. A hooded figure. Tall. Black hoodie. Walked out at 1:47 AM.

You zoom in.

A janitor’s badge clipped to his chest. You track him down with the help of the authorities.

His name: Park Minjae.

Minjae is pale as a ghost under the harsh lights of the interrogation room  

"I-I didn't kill him!” he stammers, wide-eyed.

“I swear, I just saw someone dragging something in the alleyway, I got scared- so I hid" 

You lean forward, "Why didn't you call the cops?"  

He swallows thickly. "Because... because he saw me. He looked me dead in the eyes and then he smiled. Like he knew I'd keep quiet" 

You narrow your gaze.

“And this message.” You ask, showing him the threatening text.  

He widens his eyes and shakes his head frantically. "No! My phone broke a few days ago. I got it repaired but afterward, it started acting weird — random messages being sent, glitches everywhere. Turns out... it got hacked."   

He's telling the truth. You know it in your gut.

"Do you remember his face?" You ask quietly. 

"Uh y-yeah I do"  

You nod and show him a photo- Nishimura Riki mug shot. 

Recognition flashes instantly across Minjae's face.  "That's him! That’s the guy!" 

Which means...

Riki left a witness.

That's sloppy. Thats not like him- at all. 

Was it just a mistake? Or was it something else?

You began thinking- thinking of anything that could help your case move forward. 

And then it clicked. 

Cyanide.

There are only two registered mineral industries in the city who had legal authority over cyanide.

You immediately dispatch teams to both. 

One industry reports a suspicious transaction a week prior — security footage confirms it: a man matching Riki’s build, wearing a mask. 

Under pressure, the supplier, Lee Seo-Jun, folds quickly under interrogation. 

And when he does, he gives up an address. 

Registered under the name Kang Tae-jin- A name connected to exactly nothing.

A perfect ghost.

Until now. 

Your team gears up and storms the listed property — a sleek, modern house nestled in the city's quieter outskirts. 

Guns raised, shouting orders, you breach the door. 

And there he is. 

Nishimura Riki.

You visit the jail’s visiting room. It's quiet. Unsettling. 

He’s already there.

Handcuffed, relaxed, sitting like he owns the room.

His eyes lift the moment you walk in. 

And for the first time, you look him in the eye. 

Not through photographs. Not across crime scenes.

Here, In person. 

“Y/N,” he murmurs. “Finally.” voice soft—softer than you imagined, almost delicate. 

"You're earlier than I expected," he says, tone almost... proud. Proud of you- your skills.

His eyes glint.  “Though I didn’t want you to find me yet,” he says softly. 

He shakes his head, “You were beautiful out there,” he says even softer. 

The silence thickens, pressing up against the walls. 

You finally break it.  “Why? Why all of this? Why the murders, the notes, the chase?” 

He leans in, and for the first time, the smile drops. 

“Because you weren’t supposed to waste yourself on simple men and simpler crimes. They don’t deserve your mind. I do.”

You feel your stomach twist. “You killed them to get my attention?” 

“No. I killed them to clear your schedule.” 

“Riki—” 

“No,” he interrupts, voice rising just a little. “You were drifting. Getting tired. Losing yourself in noise. I fixed that.” His gaze pins you on the spot. 

“You’re here. With me. And don’t tell me it’s because of the law.” He tilts his head slightly, smile inching back. 

“Because we both know—you wanted this too.” 

You stare at him, heart hammering. Unsure if the chill running down your spine is fear… or something else.  

He leans back, eyes still on you.

"I told you this is our story, baby"

You don't know what makes you stand up- rage or disgust or the terrifying part of you that understands him a little too well. 

Your chair scrapes loudly against the floor.  Riki’s eyes follow your movement lazily, like a wolf watching its prey. 

You want to leave.  You should leave.  But you don’t. 

Instead, you lean closer.  Hands flat on the cold table separating you from him. 

"You're sick," you whisper. 

His smile grows, slow and poisonous.

"I'm devoted," he corrects, voice warm like he’s confessing love — not murder. 

You clench your fists, trying to steady your breathing. 

"You destroyed lives. Families. You ruined people just to get to me Riki"

Riki tilts his head, handcuffs clinking softly with the movement. 

"Ruined?" he echoes. 

"I think of it more like... rearranging the world around you.” 

You open your mouth — 

but he leans in so fast, so close, you freeze. 

Only inches between you and him now. 

And when he speaks again, his voice is barely a breath: 

"You feel it too, don't you?" 

His eyes are searching yours, merciless. 

"The world makes sense when you're with me." 

Your throat tightens. 

You can't move. 

Can't think. 

His next words are quieter than a whisper — a blade against your skin: 

"You were always mine to catch, Detective."

The guard bangs on the door, warning that visiting time is over. 

You step back, almost stumbling, heart hammering against your ribs.

Riki watches you go, a soft smile curling at his lips — 

as if the real game has only just begun. 

The door slams between you, but you swear you still feel his gaze. 

Watching.  Waiting.  Smiling...

PART TWO YET TO COME...

©mrsjjongstby all writing belong to me. do not copy, modify or repost my works.

©mrsjjongstby all writing belong to me. do not copy, modify or repost my works.

A/n: Hey guys! Writing is not my thing so sorry if it wasnt up to your expectations! And let me know if you guys want to be added in the taglist! Part two is in the making so stay tuned! Hope you guys like it! I literally was literally a second away from ripping my hair off due to exhaustion. Anyways! This is officially one of the longest fic ive ever wrote....... PLease show alot of love! ALSO THE DIVIDERS R FROM THE VERY TALENTED : @uzmacchiato @enchanthings @kodaswrld THANKS GUYS!!!!!!! ENJOY!

[edgeray]

oh yes i meant when the reader is pregnant if u can, not in a nsfw way im sorry i made it unclear😭

Dragon Hunter Mother Part 4

(Arlecchino x Fem! Reader)

A/N -Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3  It is once again dragon time, guys. I've written three dragon-related things straight 😩. The part you guys have been waiting for. Actual romance, hell yeah. Extra fluff for that one annoying moot (you know who you are 😡). It’s a bit short compared to the other parts for this series, but probably because there's no new lore dump. Guys, I’ve thought so far into this au, please feel free to ask questions about this AU outside of requests. I am dying to talk about random bits of lore I made up (such as Arle's backstory that I won't be able to write). Also this isn't the end. Because there is going to be a Part 5. What the fuck, guys /j.  Hi anons!! Yes, you can be 🦊 anon and 👅anon. I'm sorry for how late this was first anon, I know I kept you for a while 😭. Also I'm sorrry for not being able to fulfil parts of your request because a) jealous arle wouldn't make sense given the worldbuilding, and b) i don't write nsfw of any kind. Sorry. I'm not going to include how exactly you're pregnant because it makes me uncomfortable writing it, so I'll just leave it up to your interpretation.  Please don't let these discourage you from requesting from me :). I always try my best to satisfy every request as long as it's reasonable and within my rules.  Content warnings / info - no warnings :), 1.8k words

Recovering from the infected wound didn't take long–in fact, it only took a week to be fully healthy, and the wound was healing nicely. Arlecchino was able to take care of everything while you were bedridden. You were surprised by how diligent and aware she seemed to be of taking care of you, especially as a dragon, but you didn't question it. She has had several decades of experience before you, you wouldn't be surprised if she picked up on a few things about humans. 

It's been about four months since the dragon hunters incident, and you have yet had another situation like that. Venturing into the town you had previously been going to was no longer safe, and so you began frequenting another bordering village. It was a bit further away, but because it turned out to be a port town, it ended up providing you with a lot more food and resources you previously couldn't access; including: fresh fish, more meat and produce, and more clothes and fabric. 

The trio have grown big enough to which you ride on top of one of them with no difficulty. They not only increased in size, but also their affection for you, crawling into your lap or climbing your back, or simply pouncing on any limb and holding onto you tightly. The same could be said for you, you no longer saw them as children, but your children. Arlecchino tells you that they refer to you as ‘Mother’ often.

Speaking of Arlecchino, she is no longer the standoffish dragon she was before the dragon hunters incident. On certain days, she can be just as clingy, if not more, than the children, although she would vehemently deny it with a scoff if you are to ever bring it up. Over time, she was less dragon, and more human to you, and with that, your attraction towards her continued to blossom. Your current relationship status with her is still strange, neither of you had ever labeled it on human standards, nor have the two of you ever ‘courted’ one another–in human or in draconic methods. Still, neither the two of you could miss the glances or the way you hold each other. 

Lately, the past few weeks, she has been acting strange. She's been exiting the cave more often alone, leaving you with her children to tend to, not that you mind. She returns hours later, usually with some type of wild animal she caught for you: deer, the occasional bear or moose, sometimes even pigs. You often stand at the entrance of the cave, dumbfounded as she drags the dead creature by her teeth in her dragon form, while the hatchlings salivate. If it's not wild animals, it's usually an arrangement of different colored stones she found along the shores or in the river. You appreciate them, but you're no less puzzled by the intention with each gift. 

You tried to wrack your brain of why she would be behaving like this, but you can’t come up with anything. It also seemed like with every gift you received, she became more and more… saddened? You weren't entirely sure for the reason, but you don't want to offend her by questioning her more. As the weeks pass by, and she disappears more and more, it seems like Arlecchino is… moping. 

You have asked the children multiple times, but all they do is give you a pointed look before jerking their head towards their Father and letting out a rumble. When you approach Arlecchino, asking what was troubling her, all she does is shake her head, her subtle pout ever so slightly intensifying. Finally, having enough of Arlecchino staring blankly at her hands for hours straight, you finally come up to her, taking her clawed hands in yours and gaze into her eyes. 

“Arlecchino. Tell me what's wrong,” you demand gently but firmly, kissing her knuckles.

The dragon stays silent, turning away from you, making your eye twitch. 

“Please…” You plead. 

Arlecchino seems hesitant to answer, opening her mouth before closing it several times. She contemplates something deeply, then lets out a steady exhale. 

“I've been… making courting attempts towards you,” she quietly admits, her cheeks flushing the slightest amount. “But… it seems like you're unreceptive to it because you're human.” 

Courting attempts? As if she was trying to establish a romantic relationship with you? No, it’s not courting as in ‘human courting.’ If it has to do with dragons, then perhaps it means–

“You… you want me as your mate?” You whisper out loud, your face undeniably warm at the realization, and your lips quirk up to the faintest smile. 

The dragon nods timidly, so unbefitting for a strong beast like herself. She peers at you intently, searching and analyzing every twitch of your face to come up with her own answer. You let out a huff, raising your arms to cup the sides of her face in your palms. The cold texture of her skin will never be an unwelcome sensation. 

“You could have told me instead of pouting like one of our children,” you chuckle, stepping closer to lean your forehead against her chest, feeling her thumping heart through it. 

“I didn't know if you wanted to be since… you never responded to my attempts. I know that it's silly seeing that you're human, but I felt more and more discouraged…” Her voice is low and vulnerable, and it makes you want to do nothing more but hold her in your arms forever.  

“You really still have so many things to learn about humans,” you giggle, pressing your lips against her nose. Fingers card through Arlecchino's silky locks, and you hum contently.

 “What do you mean?” 

You grin knowingly. “We like more direct expressions of our desires.” 

You stand on your tiptoes before leaning in, warm lips gracing cold ones as you pull her towards you. Your arms lock around her neck, keeping the two of you against each other. Quickly, Arlecchino responds, pressing her mouth against yours fervently while her fangs prick your bottom lip. You groan into the kiss, and squeak when her hands slide down to your behind, lifting you up from your feet and wrapping your legs around her waist. 

The two of you pull away, and there's almost a feral look in her eyes. 

“There's somewhere I have to take you to,” she growls in your ear, and you can't deny that it makes your stomach coil, your loins burning.  

“Okay…” You murmur, holding onto her tightly. She carries you with ease, walking out of the cave and following along the edge of the mountain's base. It takes only about ten minutes until you spot a small opening, another cavern. Arlecchino takes you inside, and your eyes widen at the sight.

It's a nest, a careful structure supported by stones as the foundation with the sides from branches and sliced tree trunks, before the top is covered in an assortment of blankets and pillows. However, it's smaller and cozier than the nest at home–as if it's made for humans. You carefully step into it, sitting down and finding it pleasantly comfortable. 

“Arlecchino…” you gasp out with whispered awe. 

“Yes…?” 

“Where did you get the money for this?” You question, holding a heap of the numerous silk blankets in your arms, giving her a pointed look knowing damn well it wasn't your money. 

The dragon brings a claw to her face and scratches nervously. “I had Lyney search the bodies of the dragon hunters for anything of value. They had quite a hefty sum,” Arlecchino confesses. 

You sigh in relief, glad that no weaver or innocent person was harmed in getting this. “It's lovely. Is this what you've been leaving the cave for for so long?” 

Arlecchino nods, her voice bashful. “It's… it's a mating nest, so that if it were to happen the children would not be there. I wanted to ask you here…” 

The dragon walks inside the nest, before kneeling down before you, her clawed hands gingerly finding yours and holding them in her large palms. “Would you like to be my mate?” 

“I thought my answer was obvious. Of course,” you answer, smiling. “But isn't mating season in another two months?” 

She nods in response. “I wanted to prepare as early as possible. I wanted everything to be perfect.” ‘For you,’ she leaves out, but you know it's what she implies.

“It is perfect. Thank you… though I feel bad,” you murmur, your own face flustered by your embarrassment. “It took me this long to realize. I guess… I should make it up to you by courting you back, right?” 

Arlecchino flushes, her face visibly reddening. “What do you mean?”

“I mean… you've courted me with how dragons usually do it. I will do the same, but with humans. Does that sound alright?” You offer, giving her the largest grin. 

Arlecchino's face softens, leaning down and pressing her forehead against you. “Yeah… yeah, that sounds alright,” she murmurs against your lips. 

—

Three months have passed by since then. 

Safe to say, you’re pregnant. 

Arlecchino’s attentiveness towards you had always been impressive, but it borders on extreme with how much she pampers you. Before the mating season, you've taught her all you can about human civilization and socialization so that in the instance you won't be able to travel to town yourself, she can instead. While you always have saved up a lot of money from your time as a dragon hunter, she likes to spend it on you unreservedly. 

It would be endearing if it weren't the excessive amount of blankets in the nest, as if you weren't warm enough. Not to mention the amount of books she's gotten you. Since she doesn't exactly know how to navigate a bookstore, or how to differentiate between different genres of books, she’s gotten you dictionaries, children's book, erotica even. She was blissfully unaware why you read a page for a few seconds, shut the book immediately, took a deep breath before reopening the book, only to reshut it as well, repeating the same process. You didn't want her to get any… ideas. 

Currently, Arlecchino was in her dragon form, nestled around you   protectively from any gusts of wind that may pass through the cave entrance, her tail thumping against the floor softly. Her head rests besides you, her throat rumbling gratifyingly as you run your hand over her snout. 

The trio are currently fighting over some of the beef jerky you mistakenly bought for them, unaware of the chaos it would ensue in the cave. They seem to forget that you can return to the town to buy them more… Ah well, hatchlings will be hatchlings. 

You wonder how much more lively the cave will be with another one. 

[abbyfmc]

Yandere Emperor! x Opera artist! reader Headcanons:

Warning: I will use the Chinese imperial harem system, plus it will be set in a kind of forbidden city (yes, I have seen Chinese palace dramas, XD). Topics to talk about: Mention of kidnapping, abuse, possible manipulation and murder. Although I use elements of ancient China or imperial Asia, I am not describing any emperor in particular; instead, I'm making up my own.

Enjoy it!

1. Yan Li was about 29 years old when he became emperor, and at that time he had an empress whom he loved very much, but she died in childbirth with the first prince due to her poor health, and from then on he became very sad and depressed.

2. You were a beautiful street opera artist who sang and danced at different events. You ran away from home after your noble parents planned to marry you to a man of not very good intentions.

3. You suffered a lot the first few years, but slowly you gained a group of artist friends, and among them is this girl from a humble class named Lili.

4. On the other hand, you had met a young blacksmith named Zhou, with whom you had a secret romance, which only Lili knew about. You and Lili had become confidants.

5. Due to your escape from home, you were also able to avoid the mandatory imperial selection for a long time. In this selection, girls from certain clans were taken to the palace to be selected to be consorts or concubines of the emperor or princes present.

6. You had lived happy and free, without problems until that fateful day…

7. Yan Li's mother, the Empress Dowager, saw how depressed her son was, so she convinced him to organize a trip to the southeast of the country to distract himself, and after a while, Yan Li agreed. After this, the townspeople and ministers organized all kinds of spectacles for Yan Li's arrival.

8. You and your group of artists were hired for those shows, and you were the main actress, not knowing that that would put you in hell.

9. When he arrived at the town where you were, everything started well until the show started and you started acting, dancing and singing. He was captivated by your beauty and your voice, a quality that his wife also had.

10. For him, it was like seeing his wife back. He watched you do similar dance moves, and he remembered his wife doing these same dances for him in the past.

11. He was very impressed with you, which made him come to the conclusion that he wanted to have you.

12. After the performance, you sensed that something was wrong, so you told Lili and your group, and then fled through the darkness of the night to a neighboring town.

13. Yan Li finally set out to find out about you and your whereabouts, and was not at all amused to find out that you were gone.

14. You began to flee with your group of friends from Yan Li's clutches, and you even met with your beloved Zhou and told him about your situation. Yan Li on the other hand, was already getting impatient for not finding you, so he gave the following order:

--Look everywhere for her, and if anyone is hiding, kill them and bring her to me!-- 15. The guards questioned each villager to find out about you, and thanks to that you were located and caught trying to escape with your friends at night.

16. Yan Li walked up to the scene, walking with a smile as his men captured you and your friends. You were very scared; Yan Li holds your face lightly by your chin, making you look at his face. Seeing the situation you put your friends in, you began to beg for their lives.

17. --I…I will surrender to you, but please let them live, your majesty-- You begged Yan Li. He was surprised that you didn't resist him, so he just ordered them to put you in his carriage. Lili tried to do or say something, but Yan Li told her to stay out of all this.

18. Yan Li had you put into his carriage and tied your wrists and ankles and then Yan Li got in, sitting next to you and that's how he ended up taking you to the palace.

19. He talked to you the whole way and although he seemed kind, it didn't take away your fear of what he might do to you. Basically when you arrived at the palace he locked you in a palace that he had prepared just for you.

20. After investigating your past, he discovered your bad relationship with your parents and what you did after running away from home. You seemed magnificent to him and in a way… bold and brave.

21. When he let your parents know that you would be his consort from now on, they agreed. You weren't expecting anything good from them, but this last one definitely hurt you, since they sold you to him just like that.

22. The wedding took place, and Yan Li conferred on you the imperial title of "Noble Lady", and immediately had your green label prepared. The green labels are labels that contained the names or imperial titles of an emperor's consorts, which turned the label of the concubine with whom he wished to sleep.

23. Yan Li spent his free time with you and explained to you personally what things were like in the palace, something he had not done with any other woman, in addition to emphasizing that he would take care of you and love you.

24. When your green tag was ready, Yan Li immediately turned it over and sent word that you would sleep with him that same night. He sent for you with eunuchs and everything. When you were locked in his room, you were wearing fine silk pajamas that Yan Li loved. It was a beautiful dream to see you like this; you wanted to run, but he held your hand tightly, reminding you of what he was capable of doing to your friends, innocent people, and possibly your loved one, so you ended up submitting to him.

25. He did this every time he wanted to get you pregnant, which is why you ended up having six children with him; four princes and two princesses, while your first son, the "third prince" was the eldest of all the princes. You had to rise through the ranks and use Yan Li's hands to protect yourself and your children from palace intrigues.

26. Thanks to Yan Li, you have gone through the following ranks: Noble Lady, Imperial Concubine, Consort, Noble Consort and so on until you reach the empress.

-End of part 1. Have a good night :3

[writesvani]

coming down - character introduction

collegestudent!gojo x collegestudent!reader

click HERE to read | click HERE for taglist

best friends-to-friends with benefits-to-enemies-to enemies with benefits-to?

dearest gentle reader,

(do you notice i’m rewatching bridgerton? of course you do, i'm rocking lady whistledown mode)

alright, so. i see some of you are out here confused—shocked even—like, “why are these characters so messed up?!” and trust me, it’s not your fault. this isn’t just a story; this is a warning. these characters are like the emotional equivalent of a spicy noodle challenge, and you just decided to take a bite without reading the ingredients. and you thought it would be a cute, light read. ha!

so buckle up, buttercups, because i’m about to introduce you to the unhinged bunch of chaos agents that will have you questioning why you even tried to understand them in the first place. each one is a walking red flag on a mission to ruin your expectations, your sanity, and possibly your ability to trust anyone ever again. but it’s fine. totally fine.

enjoy the glorious trainwreck.

p.s. if you’re still here after all this, congratulations, you’re officially as messed up as i am. let’s see if you can handle it, sweetie.

WELCOME TO MY CHARACTER INTRODUCTION:

Y/N (THE DRAMA QUEEN SUPREME)

The story is from Y/N’s POV (for now), so right now, she looks like the main character in a tragic romance movie. Wronged, betrayed, struggling with past trauma—boohoo, right? Except… something ain’t adding up. Y/N is playing the victim card a little too well, and if you tilt your head and squint, you’ll start seeing the puppet strings. She thinks she's the only one suffering, BUT she is THE villain in someone else's story. SHE IS NOT PERFECT. SHE IS IN FACT 50% OF THE PROBLEM.

GOJO (THE MENACE WITH PRETTY EYES)

Listen. Gojo is hot, rich and a MENACE TO SOCIETY. That’s a dangerous combination. Right now, he and Y/N have beef so thick you could grill it, but let’s be honest—he’s loving every second of it. He has never taken a single thing seriously in his life, except for maybe one (1) person, and that’s a problem. Also, trust me there's a lot of UNPACKED trauma when it comes to Gojo and the way he acts towards everyone (especially Y/n), but I don't want to spoil anything so PLEASE don't judge him too hard (or do, i support both choices).

YUMI (THE FRIEND YOU SHOULD HAVE BLOCKED THREE YEARS AGO)

Yumi is that one friend who just has to be the center of attention. If the room isn’t about her, she will MAKE IT about her. At first, Y/N might seem like the victim in their friendship, but let’s not ignore the fact that Yumi’s just doing what she’s always done. The real question is: why did Y/N keep her around for so long? Yumi thrives off attention, treats friendships like competitions, probably is the type to take your ex’s side after a breakup. She has a master’s degree in gaslighting but says it is “just being honest.”

Y/N’S MOM (THE UNSOLVED TRAUMA PACKAGE DELUXE)

Ah, Y/N’s mom. The CEO of Emotional Distance. She could love you so much and still forget your birthday. Her energy is a mix of “I want the best for you” and “why are you making this so difficult”, as if Y/N isn't literally just existing. She's low-key (high-key) terrifying, but not in a loud, dramatic way—no, no. She’s the type to stare at you in disappointment and have you rethinking your entire life. Does she love Y/N? Yes. Does she show it in a way that makes sense? Absolutely not.

REN (THE ONLY REAL ONE IN Y/N'S LIFE)

Alright, gather 'round, folks, because this is the only person in Y/N's life who isn’t here to make everything 100 times worse. Ren is the rare diamond in the trash heap that is Y/N’s social circle. Despite all the nonsense around him, Ren’s always there for Y/N—like a lifeline in a sea of drama and chaos. He’s the person who sees all the cracks, knows all the mistakes, and somehow still believes in her. Yeah, he might drop some truth bombs from time to time, but he’s never the one to push her down. He’s like that calm, level-headed friend who gently reminds you that maybe, just maybe, you’re doing it all wrong—but it’s okay because he’s there for you. (I'm so Ren biased it's not even funny anymore.)

Y/N’S DAD (THE SELF-PROCLAIMED LIFE COACH WITH ZERO BOUNDARIES)

Y/N’s dad is like a mix between a motivational speaker and the human embodiment of a wet blanket. His entire existence is a massive contradiction—he’s always there but never emotionally there. This man’s idea of “helping” is telling you that you could always be better, even if you’re doing just fine. Oh, and don’t get me started on the “lose weight” comment. Classic dad move, right? The kind of guy who thinks tough love means soul-crushing critiques.

and i gotta admit, yes, i’ve got more characters coming down the chaotic pipeline, because let’s face it—what’s a mess without a few more clowns, right? and don’t worry, Nanami, Geto and Sukuna—they’re not just here for the pretty faces and dramatic tension (though, let's be honest, they are very pretty). they’ve got major plot points to hit and more time to make things even messier. can’t leave them hanging out just for the “hotness and funsies,” now can we?

so just like how we added Ren, the actual emotional anchor, in the middle of the storm, i’ll be introducing a few more characters who’ll play their part in stirring things up (and yes, they’ll definitely be getting their own moment to shine and/or ruin everything). by the time we’re done, this ragtag group of drama queens and emotionally unstable individuals will be so intertwined that you'll need a flowchart to keep track of who's friends with who, who's secretly plotting against who, and who's just here to make the popcorn for the circus.

till then, i love you all and thank you, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for all the love you're giving to Coming Down (chapter 4 is gonna be posted this Sunday btw)!

yours truly, [@writesvani]

[ofoceansandtombsanew]

this might be weird to ask on a writing blog but do you have any manga recs?

yeah i got some recs! i'm gonna assume you mean less talked about titles rather than more well-known but quickfire popular recs i have are: chainsaw man, fullmetal alchemist, jjba, fruits basket, jjk and hell's paradise. but onto my other recs:

seinen

children of the sea**: a troubled teen named ruka embarks on the summer adventure of a lifetime after meeting two boys raised by dugongs at her dad's aquarium in the middle of a mysterious event taking place in the ocean.

the summer hikaru died: it's been months since yoshiki's childhood friend and secret crush, hikaru, went missing in the mountains for a week. hikaru's the same as usual, with his jokes and silly rambles and yet, yoshiki can't shake the feeling that whoever came back from that mountain, it wasn't hikaru. much to his horror, it wasn't. but rather than face reality and grief, yoshiki decides to play along with "hikaru's" act (body horror)

dorohedoro**: in a world where there are humans and magic users, humans have it rough being virtually treated as second class citizens. day after day, year after year, magic users come to the human realm to experiment on them with their magic. and after having his head turn into a caiman, kaiman, wants to get it back in blood and have his true form restored (body horror)

witch hat atelier*: in a world full of magic and witches, it's always been normal human girl coco's dream to be one. but after accidentally discovering a truth of this world and her mom getting caught up in the spell, coco becomes an apprentice of witch qifrey. (it was recently announced there's an anime in the works!)

skip & loafer**: desiring to become a government official to revitalize her hometown in the japanese countryside, iwakura mitsumi's first step to accomplish this goal is by going to a uni prep high school in tokyo. she's got a foolproof 10-step plan to boot! but of course, life hardly ever goes as plan, not even for a prodigy (mc's aunt has great trans rep)

jousei

sign of affection*: as someone deaf all her life, yuki has dealt with discrimination in both small and broad strokes. nor has she ever experienced romance. this all changes when she meets backpacker itsumi, a guy who goes to the same uni. just as he opens her world, she opens his

debu to love to ayamachi to***: after waking up in a hospital with no memories to her name, plus sized yumeko is told she is there after surviving a suicide attempt. the thing is, yumeko isn't sure why when she's just so beautiful! with a strong desire to live life to the fullest, yumeko decides to do everything the past her was to afraid to do. all the while it is revealed that her suicide attempt was more of an attempted murder... but who could have wanted to kill her?

my love story with yamada-kun at lv999**: nothing is worse than getting cheated on especially after akane invested a lot of time and energy into her shitty ex's gaming hobbies. but through gaming, not only does akane find herself healing, she managed to get herself a pretty cool boyfriend too

NANA**: 2 women, 2 different lives, 1 name shared. komatsu nana is quick to fall in love and after a series of less-than-lucky relationships, she finally has someone she thinks is the one. abandoned by her mother and her ex leaving her band, osaki nana hasn't had the easiest life. but on the same night, on the same train, these two women meet and their lives become deeply intertwined

shoujo

a condition called love*: when it comes to romance, hotaru's never experienced it besides stories of her friends relationships. but she soon finds herself about to experience the whirlwind of a lifetime when hananoi, the most popular boy in school, asks her to be his girlfriend

a bouquet for an ugly girl***: as her class' resident big girl, hana isn't expecting a blossoming spring in her high school career. and she's okay with that. she has everything she needsー otome games and gardening. but after her class' pretty boy catches her in the midst of changing the class flowers, their lives become a bit more intertwined

uruwashi no yoi no tsuki: yoi is quite popular at her school because of her neat short hair, beautiful face and overall princely appearance. in fact, it's gotten her dubbed 'prince' many times. but when the other prince of the school finally meets her, cupid's arrow quickly knocks him on his ass

shounen

frieren**: a manga that picks up after the journey has ended. the demon king has been defeated and the heroes have saved the day after 10 years of traveling together. 10 years? that's not even a 10th of elf mage frieren's life. but as her companions begin dying one by one of old age, she finds herself desiring to learn more about humans and the short yet impactful lives they still manage to have

dungeon meshi*: when a dungeon raid goes terribly wrong and laios' sister gets swallowed by a dragon, those that remain in his party decide to get it back in blood by saving laios' sister before she gets digested. in the mean time, there's nothing wrong with gordon ramsay-ing miscellaneous ingredients found in the dungeon along the way, right?

and if you like manhwa or would be down for some manhwa recs these are titles i don't see getting recommended enough

concubine walkthrough: a scifi & philosophical spin on the otome isekai genre that asks 'what is reality truly?', 'is your life any less real if you found out all your experiences were a simulation?' and 'what is reality to you?' where protagonist lee yona finds herself stuck in a VR edition of a game she only played once

a wicked tale of cinderella's stepmother: usually when someone wakes up in the body of a villainess, she's the same age as the protagonists. mildred, on the other hand, is stuck in the body of this story's cinderella's stepmother. with no husband and three daughters to take care of, there's only one thing she can really doー build up her daughters' sisterly bonds with one another and make sure they marry into good families (or that they can at least live lives they're happy with)

tricked into becoming the heroine's stepmother: at least mildred got the body of an important character, daisy on the other hand? she's in the body of an NPC you never even see in the story. bright side? this is a story she helped write and after meeting the presently six year old protagonist's father, she and father of the year decide to team up for the ultimate mission: making sure his daughter never meets any of the love interests

inso's law: ham dan-i is in a bit of a pickle when she wakes up and her new school uniform is completely different than the one her mom bought weeks ago. there's a drop dead gorgeous girl next door who claims to be her childhood best friend. even worse, like something straight out of a drama, there are four heavenly kings that rule her school. by the end of the day, dan-i has no other choice but to accept the fact........ her real life has somehow turned into a web novel. even worse, she's a side characterー the main character's best friend

webtoons

plum: in a world where fruit stacking is a major sport, little plum decides to be the very best like no one ever was and moves to the big city to compete in the fruit stacking games along with making some friends and rivals along the way

webtoons that are probably popular enough if they have hardcover copies at my local bookstore but i wanna talk about it anyway

cursed princess club: as the youngest princess of the pastel kingdom, gwendolyn loves her family. her protective papa, her oldest sister maria who often awakes to woodland creatures doing her hair. her older sister lorena who makes flowers bloom with her every step. and her younger brother jamie who's so pretty, he sparkles. and they adore her just as much. but things come to a very reality shattering halt when their father introduces maria, lorena and gwen to blaine, lance and frederick, the princes of the plaid kingdom and gwen overhears frederick call her ugly, something she's never heard in her entire life. somehow, gwen finds comfort in a club full of cursed princesses (and one prince) who teach her how to start loving herself again

key

*) receiving an anime adaptation

**) has an an anime series or movie

***) receiving an anime adaptation & contains a story with a plus-sized protagonist that doesn't involve weight loss

[clairedaring]

I’m enjoying spare me your mercy and love JJ and Tor but I wish the series was 12 eps instead of 8 eps so there’s more time for the plot and to develop their relationship haha. Their relationship development feels slightly rushed now

Hi nonnie 😭😭😭😭😭😭

sighs. loudly sighs again... i get you anon, really i do. i'm really just here constantly mourning about how condensed they've made this series out to be when the source material they're trying to adapt is so long. i think @waitmyturtles 's latest post about smym ep 4 sums up well what some non-novel reader audience will feel about kantew's relationship.

detailed discussions with novel spoilers under the cut, read at your own risk 😭

since it's probably no longer a spoiler since the series has adjusted to change the culprit, i can probably discuss spoilers from the first novel in this post for comparison sake.

so at the end of book 1, Dr. Somsak is revealed to be the murderer for most of the deaths presented but he also knows that Kan has been euthanising patients -> They get into a gun fight -> Dr. Somsak gets fatally shot but isn't dead and got sent to the hospital -> Kan kills Somsak (his first intentional murder) before he could testify in court but the case is closed because all the deaths were indeed caused by Somsak.

I think in this sense, Book 1 made more sense because this was all happening while Kan and Tew were in an established relationship, henceforth in the latter half of Book 1 when evidences were starting to point at Kan, it paid off well to see Tew so distressed and hurt because he didn't like being lied to and he couldn't believe his lover who's he been fucking is a serial murderer (even though he isn't).

The betrayal comes around again in Book 2 when Tew finds out he's been lied to AGAIN. And you could tell the angst hits harder is because we SEE them together as a couple, as boyfriends in a budding established relationship, not as people who have only been seeing each other for a few weeks.

I understand the need to adjust and cover the big plot points but yea I feel the same way anon... their source material was more than enough to be covered in 12-16 eps as opposed to 8 eps. or alternatively as @waitmyturtles suggested in her comment here, it would have been much better to present kantew as an established couple from the beginning and flashback to the past before starting to unravel their relationship.

sighs.... i think Tor and JJ are killing it with the material they're given though. Carrying this type of script is just hard though because sometimes chemistry and acting skills alone isn't enough for a convincing romance narrative.

loudest sighs... lord i wish we got more KanTew scenes before they killed Dr. Somsak off to move tbe story along like pleaseeeee. I was robbed.

I wish I could be mad at Lux but then again they've been able to really incorporate a lot of debates on Euthanasia which Book 1 severely lacked into these first four episodes (something @lurkingshan has also noted here) I can't be entirely mad because you can't say there aren't good adjustments...

But it just so happens that Spare Me Your Mercy has ended up more of a series about clashing opinions on Euthanasia than a crime investigation/romance/suspense series... but the actors have promoted it to be the former rather than the latter so I've really only got myself to blame for expecting more on the relationship development 😭😭😭😭😭

also my apologies nonnie for dumping all this on you... smym is shaping up to be my no. 1 series of the year (because of all the euthanasia debates) but not at all for the reason i expected it to be (for the romance between the cunty and charming doctor and the dorky righteous gullible cop)

[ghostly-bat]

If I can be honest with myself? I have a neutral view on Flatline/Nika as a character. Death has always been a human topic everybody thinks about and I think her embodying this concept is pretty neat. BUT. I have complained many times (and sometimes I feel rather poorly I fear 😭) how I think Nika's narrative was poorly done/or felt distasteful. I've seen people misunderstand what I say/calling it nit-picking/or that I can't read and it makes me feel bad. And it makes me feel worse knowing that I'm not good at words. You seem like an understanding person! Sooo, I thought... why not talk about her a little more? Sure I might be repeating past opinions but so what? Maybe it'll help get some things off my chest? You're also welcome to disagree tho! Anything you say I will take wholeheartedly.

Here's my LIKES and DISLIKES about Nika:

1) Like I said, Death is a fascinating concept we think about regardless whether it's good or bad. Nika embodies this really well. She pushes the boundaries of good vs evil or loyalty vs ambition with her connections to life and death. The idea that death has always been a part of Nika—whether through her past or her powers—is an interesting angle. There's a lot of potential here. And if given the opportunity, maybe Joshua Williamson or some other writer, could let this fascet of her character shine. 2) Her personality. Her theatrical tendencies make a smile form on my face. And I'm guilty as charged to admit that she had her small bits that made me wonder what will she do next. It's that air of mystery that leaves you wanting to know more; dangerous but alluring. 3) Nika has SUCH an eerie and really cool ability! The fact that she doesn't just need to kill people to gain skills is what makes her even more deadly! She just needs to be at a moment of death and her instincts are amplified. Done! And... Like... have you SEEN the way Nika took down all those Man-Bat cultists in B&R??? SHE MOVED LIKE SONIC THE HEDGEHOG! 🤩 4) OF COURSE, you can't go wrong with Nika's classic design! I feel it fits with her symbolism on death—practical but stylish enough to stand out. Not to say her other designs were any less good. They're pretty too! Liked that she kept her jacket and gloves of all elements to her style. 5) I really like little moments where Nika shows depth or rather her vulnerability/where we get to see her soft side or sadness/seriousness that contrasts with her sassy/carefree persona. It's refreshing!

Those are what I like about Nika! Now... here's my reasons that take away my liking towards Nika:

1) Nika's humor isn't great, ngl. I kinda eye-roll whenever she cracks death-related jokes/especially the k-pop comment... nothing against k-pop! It's fine! I think that was unnecessary in the situation Nika was in. 💀 2) I feel Nika doesn't really show vulnerability—both emotionally and physically—which make me feel less engaged with her character. Nika can take on almost all obstacles with ease and she doesn't react much beyond sass/humor/confidence. Moments when she is emotionally vulnerable are rare and while that does spark my interest... it's still brief/only in one or two pages... if that makes any sense? 3) Nika's own content is very underdeveloped and keeps being shoved into Damian's to the point it feels unnecessary/overshadows her character. I'm picking on B&R (2023) because I feel like the Mila and Nika bit wasn't needed when they had no connection with the original (and boring) plot (Man-Bat/Mistress Harsh). 4) Overall just not a fan of Nika being introduced as a love interest FIRST before introducing her own character/meaning we don't really see much of how she acts prior to her meeting Damian—until the romance is established... if that makes sense?

This just doesn't help that while I understand why fans enjoy Daminika... I can't say the same. Damian and Nika entered into a relationship in a matter of eleven issues/which feels pretty fast and does a disservice to both characters: Damian's typical traits feel less like himself (he's easily accepting/less judging and awkward compared to past love interests) while Nika's character wasn't entirely developed beforehand. Other people may see development differently... and I'm sorry that I don't share their vision.

As I look back for more details on previous stuff, I'm in a gradual process of warming up to Nika. She has potential—I don't doubt it. I see the effect she has on fans and... I'm slowly giving her a chance too even as a Damian Wayne fan myself. I wanna see what she can do on her own first before I can continue letting past writings of Nika's appearances affect my view. Who knows? Maybe I'll be humbled. There's been a rumor that Joshua Williamson has plans for Nika this year... so I'll see if things will change.

After all, with death comes new life! 💀🌿

No this is all so well said!

Your points are very clear and if I'm being honest I agree with you completely! The characteristics you seem to not like her are the exact reasons why I want her to have a solo run. I wanna see her out of being Damian's love interest cus she really does have so much potential. If she where to have her own issue maybe we'd be able to understand why some of her humors a bit odd or why she's relatively calm whenever fighting an opponent. Maybe she's just so desensitized to it that it doesn't seem like a big issue anymore to her but we may never know because we don't have a lot to work with in general when it comes to her.

I find her so interesting simply because of her concept and her design and the potential she could have. Is she one of my favorite characters not necessarily but I do really like her. She sparks interest for me and I feel like if she was introduced as her own character before being introduced through Damian she could have been really popular on her own and maybe even the pairing between her and Damian would make a little more sense for some fans

[str4ngr]

𝐡𝐨𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦 [ 𝐕𝐀𝐋𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐀 𝐆𝐀𝐑𝐙𝐀 ]

𝐨𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟖 | 𝗻𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗯𝗼𝗿 |

cw: suggestive, foul language, perverted behavior [from both reader and valeria], sexual tension, establish relationship, alcohol consumption, fem! reader

notes: this is my first time writing for a female character so very sorry if something does not make sense, just wanted to try it out so let me know if there is anything i can improve.

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄𝐒 like these don't come often, especially with women as attractive as you. valeria tapped her foot impatiently. her eyes stared at the silver numbers on your door, the numbers no longer present as components of her thoughts.

it was late, very late, nearing the beginning of the clocks morning, yet here she was, standing at your door.

she knew you weren't going to peak out from behind that door, rather, from the elevator only a meter away. just as the thought came, a familiar bell rang softly to her left. anticipation built in her stomach, he eyes flickering to stare to her left peripheral, her foot still as she waited for your body to come in view, listening to approaching clicks of your heels.

and there you were.

drop dead gorgeous, your skimpy black dress clinging to your thighs desperately, trying their damndest to not ride up your thighs. her eyes twitched, watching your hips sway as your sweet voice called for her, twisting with a tinge of alcohol,

"valeria?"

you sounded like a fucking angel on earth as your voice rang through her ear. she closed her eyes, ignoring the ache between her thighs as she slowly turned to face you,

"thanks for helping me out, cariño."

you two were friends, it was the least you could do, but god, she looked so fucking good sweaty, dirtied up by stains you didn't want to find the origin of. seriously, did you even want to let her use your shower?

you smiled bashfully, cheeks tinted with warmth at the moniker she used, consistently at that. your thighs rubbed together as you looked at her, eyes lingering on tattooed arms, musculature peaking through the fabric of her top.

she saw it. she enjoyed the way you fawned over her, how you acted all innocent as your knowing leaned your hips back closer to hers. she knew you weren't really fumbling with your lock, she knew your slutty little ass was just trying to grind on her. a villainous smirk climbed up her lips, her hand teasingly tracing up your thigh. your breath hitched in time, and it wasa sound she wished she oculd push to a greater level.

the door quickly clicked open, your cute, puffy lips apologizing for a non-existent problem, quickly letting her in. she moved in time with you, he foot between yours as she pressed her chest against your back, shutting the door behind her as she slid the lock into place. her head craned to set into the crook of your neck, her voice sublime as her lust, hands crawling past the hem of your tight dress,

"say, seems like we both need a shower, don't we? why don't you join me, mi muñeca?"

ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈

i've always wanted to try and write for female characters, but i am not [unfortunately] attracted to women, so it's hard for me to infer but i'm going to assume the sexual tension and romance is the same[?].

translation

1. sweetheart 2. my doll

༒︎ 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫; 2023 ༒︎

directory

[midnightyy1]

Oshi no Ko my version✩ (rewriting series)

Remaking Oshi no Ko cuz wtf that ending??? And the whole plot feels too off side for me

.・。.・゜✭・『••✎••』・✫・゜・。.

Do I even have to explain why I make this??

Not only Ruby's character felt chopped but the whole reincarnation thing felt pointless. I'm sorry if it sounds degrading the creator but the concept itself is great but the plot that was supposed to discover Ai's murderer motive/dark secrets often off side to a pointless arc and even seems like focused on the romance which I don't think was necessary especially for Aqua who supposedly is Gorou's reincarnation.

Let's get to the point, for now I want to focus on the entire Aqua's (Gorou) character. Just because he's reincarnated as a child to a teenager all over again, I don't think it justify his actions (he acts like a teenager but it's just a bit weird since he supposed to be an adult in his previous life). Well there's two thing, if the creator wants Aqua to be Gorou's reincarnation, the creator should've make him act like an adult or make him forgot his past life but somehow will discover it.

✫Hoshino Aquamarine (1) : The beginning of Gorou's new life

However, I wanted Aqua to still inverted Gorou's mindset and character, making him act like an adult and a doctor he is than just a manipulative person. Since he is a doctor, he might be confused at first and maybe having an identity crisis, at first. I like to think he's all silent when he's born to the world all over again, still processing what just happened to him. He might think that his past life as Gorou is just a dream. He's a bit distracted with the fact that Ai is his mother in his new life, he's more focused on who is he. But after like a few weeks he might be conscious of how Ai is his mother now.

In my version, I would like to make Gorou has a wife where his wife is a fans of Ai instead of him. His wife likes watching an idol perform, especially young idol because she likes to think they were her child (she can't have children because of a medical reason). After Sarina's death and him being a doctor that was planned to delivered Ai's child, her wife was murdered when he came back home just as the day he have to delivered Ai's child, knowing that there's stalker that been following him, he run to the mountain trail but then was murdered anyway.

And after he reincarnated as a baby, of course he wasn't able to talk yet. All he does was observing and accepted his fate to be Hoshino Aquamarine with a twin sister, Hoshino Ruby, and Hoshino Ai as his mother. It was weird of course, imagine reincarnated as child of someone who's barely your age, younger even. As he grows up, Ai knowledge him to have a liking with books, which makes her think her son is a genius. Ruby often annoys him like a child she is since she thinks he's too serious and adult-like for a child. Aqua tries his best to act like a child but still trying to discover on what's the stalker (his murderer) motive to kill him and his wife. Not only that, because he wasn't the best at entertainment industry, he thinks it was concerning that someone as young as Ai was pregnant despite her popularity. As he remembers from his wife, idols in entertainment industry usually have their own problems that was considered as dark secrets in the entertainment industry. Feeling like Ai's secrets might reveal his murderer motive, Aqua then started to learn about Ai from maybe stories she told, her performance, books in her house, etc. For now Aqua considered that his murderer motive was connected to Ai's life somehow, perhaps a fan of her? His bond with Ruby was fine as he usually felt bad if he didn't play with his twin sister, however their bond to Aqua is more like a brother to his younger sister than a twin. Aqua thinks Ruby is too extra energetic and more weird than a normal child should behaved, she still act childish nonetheless so he wasn't thinking that far. His bond with Ai is like a normal mother and child relationship, he himself thinks his relationship with his supposedly mother was more distant if compared with Ruby which sometimes makes Ai a bit worried. He tries to be as closed with his family despite the weird feelings he felt for being reincarnated as his wife's favorite idol so suddenly. As his curiosity still going, he heard a gossip about how there's a creepy person going on in the neighborhood. Aqua, who was going out with his mother and twin sister, then was interested at the conversation between those people. He already suspect that the person they talk about might be his murderer since he was sure that the year distance between his death and Ai giving birth of course wasn't that far, very close if said. He was getting wary about Ai and even his twin sister safety.

He started to became more and more observant about his caretaker (Saitou Miyako) daily routine, for who knows maybe she might met his murderer and at some point will kill her to track down Ai. Saitou Ichigo was not any different in Aqua's eyes, he has to observe the president of Ichigo Production Inc who is also his mother's surrogate father. The more he dig, the more he knows how Ai was in fact an idol with ambition but her flawless facade was just an act to hide something deeper, perhaps traumatic event? That's what he diagnosed to her though. Not only that, who's the father of Ai's child? Is his murderer reason to kill him was to regained information that will lead to Ai? Or some kind of anger of the fact Ai is having child? His wary became more worse as he several times has to beg Ai to stay at home until a certain day he thinks will be safe for her. Realizing his twin sister admiration for their mother lead her to impersonate her was just makes things worse for him. He often tried to style her sister more differently than Ai to prevent anyone to point out the similarities. All of that work until he forgot he was in a literal child's body. One day, he fell into a high fever, 2 days before the dome concert. When the D-day was come, Aqua is not fully recover yet he doesn't want to burden Ai for her important concert. He tells her that he was fine and just feeling a little cold, Ai then about to give him a medicine before going to her concert with both of her child. Suddenly she hears a knock from the door, thinking it was the president and co, she walks right away to the front door. Aqua wasn't fully focused as he also thinks it was the president and the co, forgetting about the risk if it was someone unknown, someone that maybe is Ai's stalker.

The accident happened too quickly, hearing someone yelling makes Aqua gets out from the bedroom as he told Ruby to stay in. Staring at Ai getting stabbed at the exact same person that murders him. His body was getting weak but he quickly catch Ai that's about to fall, hearing the person rumbles about how he can't accept Ai having a child and was a liar in public. He can't say a single words as Ai mutters out her true feelings to the person, and Aqua's theory was right about that but his focus was more to a memories back when his wife was killed instead caring about is his theory was right or not. After the person ran away, he quickly tried to find anything to prevent Ai's blood from coming out much more but before that, Ai pulls him to her embrace, saying all the things she always wanted to say. Whatever Aqua wanting is, no matter how different his goal from hers and his twin sister is, she hopes Aqua turns to be a morally good person and was able to pursue his dreams. That was in fact another failure for Aqua, for Gorou that he couldn't save another person. Sarina was first, then his wife, now it's Ai. All of the innocent person has to die because he was late again. No matter how fake Ai is, for him, she is still a teen who tries to find the meaning of life, someone who tries to pursue her career and find a point of relationship. Ai is his mother yet his child, reminds him of Sarina's innocence and his wife's ambitions. Ruby and Ai are his family now after he lost his wife. He never had someone as heartwarming as they are after his wife, even if it's platonic, he never felt a platonic love this heartwarming. His wife was right, Ai is amazing. It was upsetting because he never thought that a fan could be so cruel to their idol just because they're an ordinary human who have their own life.

Just a few days after Ai's death, the stalker commits su1cide. It was make sense for him if the stalker will kill himself after that but what was he questioning is how the stalker knew their house? The stalker might be smart as Aqua can't just underestimate a fan's capability but he was sure that the house location was protected as Ai was a very popular idol. And for now, no one seems to know that Ai has a child, then how that man knows? The only people that knows about this are the president and his wife (his and his sister's caretaker). But if they are the one who spoil Ai's location, it'll be an absurd reason since Ai popularity was also the one who makes them regains money. B-komachi members? It doesn't seems like that, but it can be, maybe jealousy for the reason. Then who's the other suspect? Thinking it again, Aqua started to wonder back on whose makes Ai pregnant? Since he never heard about the mentioning of his and his twin sister's father, it makes him wonder if this person is dead or he simply just absent. Or is there some kind of misunderstanding that makes them seperate and leads his father to get a revenge to her? If his father is still alive, that means they engaged in a relationship 9 months or more before she gets pregnant. Since the only one knows about Ai's pregnancy are the president and his wife and they were there when she's about to delivered, right? And the other person knows about Ai's pregnancy nonetheless was his father, he might gave the information to Ai's stalker for some reason because, who else then?

His first suspect from B-komachi members changed to his father, who is he and what his motive to ruin Ai's life? Most importantly, where is he and is he still alive? Aqua used all the information to even dig more to the entertainment industry which he's not familiar with.

This was just a start for the story, would you like to know how Aqua (Gorou) adapted with the entertainment industry despite being a doctor in his past life? Would he still be an actor in my version? Or do you wanted to know about Ruby (Sarina) perspective first? Let's just wait and tell me if you're interested for more!

Next :

✫Hoshino Aquamarine (2) : The genius doctor in entertainment industry

✬Hoshino Ruby (1) : The beginning of Sarina's true life

✬Hoshino Ruby (2) : The new ambitious star in entertainment industry

✵Hoshino Ai : The truth about the perfect idol

✮Arima Kana

✭Kurokawa Akane

✧─── ･ ｡ﾟ★: *.✦ .* :★. ───✧

.

[camcat1320]

I realized that Jet's theme is very similar to Indiana Jones' theme. I've been watching Indiana Jones on repeat to gather character inspiration since then.

Now the characters are not 1 to 1 copies, for example, Jet isn't an archeologist. However the character development and interactions are what I'm looking at. Since we didn't get a Book 4 in the canon, I can only point to Katara and Marion for evidence. Now keep in mind that ATLA was made in 2005-08, so the characters would only be inspired by the first 3 Indiana Jones' movies, excluding the 4th and 5th.

Marion stated that she was a child and in love, "child" meaning young adult that was naive to the ways of the world just to clarify. Katara fell head over heels for Jet, naive and inexperienced with romance. Indiana re-enters Marion's world in a similar fashion as Jet did to Katara. The guy walks to the girl while her back is turned, then she hits him, having been hurt by him in the past and holding a grudge.

Now imagine if there was a Book 4 to work out the remainder of Jet's character. It would include 2 more potential romantic interests and issues with a father figure.

I'm still working out the character interactions with Azula and Jin.

I like the idea of Jin being a secret airbender agent working for the Earth Kingdom government. I imagine that the Dai Lee knew of Zuko and Iroh but chose to watch them instead of acting in order to not cause a disturbance. Ba Sing Se had an isolationist view of the war, keeping it a utopia, not allowing the war to be mentioned in the walls. So in order to keep a closer eye on Zuko and Iroh, they send in a secret airbender agent to watch them. Zuko stated that the girl knew they were firebenders, what if his hunch was right? She didn't even bat an eye when the lanterns were lit without explanation. But in that moment, maybe she thought, "huh, maybe this firebender isn't a bad guy."

Now I have a problem with the character of Willie. I get she is a spoiled singer celebrity and is otherwise helpless in adventures but she had very little to do with the plot and screamed for half the movie. Azula would be more capable and could hold her own. My favorite part was when the elephant was bothering Willie. I want to give Azula a sky bison named Ari and accidentally form a lifelong bond with it but she pushes it away, resistant to forming meaningful attachments.

Why do I want to give her a sky bison you might ask? I'm drawing inspiration from Hindu gods and she is in part inspired by Indra that has a flying white elephant named Arivata. But that's a story for another day.

Most importantly, I want there to be tension between Jet and his grandfather like Indy and his father. Why does Jet have a similar fighting style to Jeong Jeong? What was the thing that drove them apart? Did Jet learn that his grandfather was a Fire Nation colonel/admiral before he cut ties to him or does he learn of that in Book 4? My theory is that Jeong Jeong's cover name was Lee and Jet's full name is Jet Lee (haha get it? Jet Li) and Jeong Jeong just called him Junior because Jet looks so much like himself. Maybe that's why Jet dropped Lee from his name, wanting to burn bridges with his grandfather. Then as Jet is hanging off a cliff and Jeong Jeong is holding onto him, Jet is reaching for the assassin's knife, a symbol of his need for revenge on Colonel Mongke. Jeong Jeong for the first time calls him Jet, telling him softly to let it go. 😭😭😭

Excuse me, I need to go cry now.

[vividiana]

Questions from Fanfic/Author Ask Game!!

5, 9, 13, 15, 23, 27, and 30!!!

thank you so much Emma, I love to yap about my writing 😭❤️ (the questions are from this post if anyone would like to participate!)

5. What’s something you learned while researching a fic? there is a bunch, from perfumery basics to knife-throwing techniques, but the most recent one was how to eat escargot and also why people smell wine corks before drinking 😅 (this was for a chapter of my post-canon fic where Eve and Astarion go to a very fancy restaurant)

9. How did you get into writing fanfiction? 'twas November of 2023. I was towards the end of my redeemed Durge playthrough, I got to the finale of Durge's personal quest, and I just thought that the dialogue with the companions afterwards (especially romanced Astarion) was kind of lackluster/anticlimactic. so I had an idea for a scene that took place when they got back to the Elfsong Tavern that night, and how Astarion finally broke and let down the facade and went on this rambling monologue for how utterly scared he was for Durge that night and how it all shook him up. that has become the first chapter of my first ever fic "the blood on my hands (scares me to death.)" I just wanted to give my Durge some more closure, and then I became obsessed with her and Astarion’s dynamic. and now here we are, 14 months and 100k words later, and I have a whole series written about them ❤️

13. Do you have an 'official' creative writing background such as a degree or previous experience publishing? not really. I went to a liberal arts school in the US, so I was able to take a bunch of different classes outside my major (sociology,) and I ended up taking two creative writing courses: an intro class and then a class on creative non-fiction. I also worked as a writing tutor for two years during college and helped people with their writing, but that was mostly essays and research papers. that’s the extent of my "official" writing experience.

15. Does anyone you know in real life know you write fanfiction? oh yes, I’m very vocal about it 😅 I’ve had a couple friends read my fics. also, my good friend beta reads everything and helps me brainstorm the stories. she has never played the game, but she’s an avid reader of fantasy romance books, so she is super on board. she’s the reason I decided to post my fics in the first place and she’s kept me going through high and lows (love you, Connie!)

also, my parents know about it 😅 I shared parts of my fics with them, but despite their interest, they couldn’t get through it because of the language barrier (I’m Polish.) they’re both very supportive, though, and keep asking me how it’s going. my dad says I should publish it and make some money off of it and I’ve tried to explain to him that that’s not how it works, but he is very insistent 😂

23. What’s a story you’d love to write but haven’t even started yet? I would love to write a fic from Lae'zel's pov. after Astarion she’s my favorite bg3 character. but I feel like before I do that, I should play the game as her, just to get more insight on her character. I have no idea when that will happen because after 700 hours I can’t stand to start act 1 yet again. but it will happen one day!! 27. Are any of your stories inspired by personal experience? I’ve talked a bit about this in some previous asks, but basically a lot of what inspires my fluffy comfort post-canon fic are my past experiences in relationships—especially the disappointments and unmet needs and in general how I wish things had gone differently ❤️ I'm also a very anxious and overthinking person and I've poured a lot of that into Eve's character. 30. Have you noticed your style change over time? I have only been writing fic for a year or so, but when I compare my first fic to what I’m writing now, I feel like I have more of a grasp on Eve and Astarion’s voices and the dialogue comes to me more naturally. I also feel like I write shorter and more dynamic paragraphs and the writing is overall wittier and more dialogue-focused, though that might just be the change in subject—I mostly write post-canon fluff now and I started with act 3 angst, so as we have moved away from The Horrors, the tone shifted along with the story.

[do-what-you-want-with-me]

what are ur thoughts on gabi and trent in found? do you have hopes they will go back to how things were?

oooof.... honestly, that's hard to say lol (gonna put this under 'keep reading' because it's going to be a long one lol...)

I did really like them in Season 1, I think they were cute, it was a fun dynamic to watch. Trent was completely whipped for Gabi, and constantly giving her the puppy/heart eyes, it was cute. But it did feel a tad bit one-sided at times. I think the issue is with the writers, though. At the end of the day, unless I misunderstood it, Trent was in fact only a ONE night stand affair for Gabi? At first, I thought they might had been more and we were just not shown, but yeah I'm pretty sure that's all they were to one another. And we're also never shown any of their potential past together, the build-up to that one-night stand, etc. Gabi has a lot of trauma that she is still dealing with to this day, so her holding off her affection is no surprise at all and is justified - I'm not holding it against her. But in the end, what we get is something that is very one-sided and can't exactly hold strong in face of adversity. I guess what I'm trying to say is that... the writers didn't give them much foundation to stand on? And so I think this is why a lot of it has come tumbling down in Season 2. Lots of people have taken issues with how Trent has been acting in Season 2, and trust me I get it, but I also feel like that's on the writers for messing up? i feel like Trent should have been implicated more intrinsically into Gabi's ""crime"" of abducting Sir to actually justify have him be *this* upset with her? For him to be genuinely justfied in being put in an extremely complicated situation, by Gabi's hand. But right now what we have is the dude she had a ONE night stand with, only ONE, and at best two "heart-to-heart", being upset she's not squeaky clean anymore in front of his "cop eyes". It's just a bit yikes. And he acts SO BETRAYED. which isn't necessarily an issue in-and-of itself - like, on paper, that's good TV for him to act so betrayed, but the issue is that he doesn't have much ground to act this betrayed in the current scenario? See this is where the writers have failed in my opinion. They act like GabixTrent have had this huge romance, but they simply have not.

They're also not making it easy for Trent to be likeable because he comes across as WAY too sanctimonious in Season 2 regarding Gabi and "her crime", which is weird because he otherwise keeps bending the law for others, he's not exactly super-duper-squeaky-clean-incredibly-by-the-book, and has even more or less admitted that he came close to like severely hurting (to put it mildly) his sister's abuser, so he should somewhat be able to empathize a bit more with Gabi and co, but he kinda doesn't for the sake of where the writers want to go in Season 2 and it's frustrating to watch. Finally, there's been other developments in the past few months which doesn't bring me much hope for their future. Mainly Shanola saying "that ship has sailed" regarding Gabi's future with Trent...which... yikes. And the very recent news that Danielle Savre's character, Heather, will be a new love interest for Trent. They're currently advertizing it as some sort of "love triangle" (yawn) between Gabi, Trent and Heather, but based on how they've written these characters until now, I just can't imagine Gabi being bothered for more than 30 seconds by this considering what Sir is doing to her life at the moment.

It's a shame because they had potential for sure, but yeah.

[aleksanderscult]

Part 1 of Aleksander Morozova being a jealous bitch

Here's a long ass meta (I awaited for this moment for so long) where I'll post and comment each scene where the Darkling gets jealous. 'Cause let's be real, we love to see it.

Cut below since it's too long (he seriously gets jealous even five minutes in every scene he appears🤦)

(Part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5 and the bonus content btw🖤)

Let's dive in!

"A grim smile playing on his lips."

Yeah it's grim 'cause he forces himself to smile in order to hide the pain and hurt from just seeing the girl he unintentionally fell in love with have a romantic scene with a deserter tracker, but still be doesn't succeed in putting a good i-dont-give-a-fuck show so now we have this failed effort.

Next!

Translation: "Are you so loyal to her? Willing to do anything for her? LIKE I WAS??"

The low-key spite and snide that comes out here is *CHEF'S KISS*.

Aside from the jealousy matter, the Darkling here tries to manipulate Mal by using fear. With the threat of death. He's testing to see his bravery, courage and how far he's willing to go for Alina. Clever.

THE PETTINESS HERE DJDJSKJSJS

Okay he obviously wants to lower their confidence, strength and break apart the bond that Mal and Alina had re-created the past few days. Again clever.

BUT!

No one can tell me that he also wasn't bitter and vengeful. He was like: "Aww they have rekindled their romance! How sweet! Now watch me destroy it🥰🥰"

"That was a very touching scene we witnessed".

Translation: "I'm disgusted. I'm in pain."

Actually, this is how I imagine the Darkling being when Mal and Alina kissed 😭:

Also, his (famous) sexual innuendos. He knew that Alina would never say to Mal what truly happened between them. So he's "spitting" it on Mal's face with such pleasure and satisfaction (like "she willingly gave herself to ME, boy. Did she tell you that? No. I don't think so"). And even though they obviously didn't have sex he implies it 'cause he's petty like that.

You know. For being famous for his acting skills, he really lets his mask slip easily lots of times.

Aside from anger, he must have felt hurt. This is the first time that Alina recoils from his touch and it bothers him.

The Darkling here being like:

He's acting like they were a couple and had a break up LMAO. The way he doesn't even look at her. Such a dramatic bitch.😔

The Darkling: "Lord, give me patience not to obliterate a bitch (Mal)".

His patience runs out. The fact that the first thing Alina asks him about is Mal makes him want to lash out. He be like: "I'll be so glad when I'll feed his ass to the volcra."

The moment he instructs her what to do, he demands answers about her thoughts for Mal. He's genuinely curious about what she sees in him. And how can she have hopes about being with him, an otkazat'sya, a mortal man that is beneath her? When the only person, according to him, that would understand her and accept her completely is himself (Dude we get it, you're superior 😭).

Also, he's trying to save her from a future disappointment. He has walked this path before and doesn't want Alina to do the same. He has seen this play and didn't like the ending.

So! This is part 1 of my long meta since I can't put more than 10 pictures in a post *shakes fist at Tumblr*. But don't worry. I'll continue this delightful meta in the next few days.😊😊

[kaija-rayne-author]

Is Solas a Villain?

Spoilers for Dragon Age Inquisition and Trespasser DLC. Maybe DAO and DA2 too.

So is he a villain?

Nope!

That's not me being a Solas apologist.

That's me being a pedantic AF writer/editor/word and literary nerd.

Solas, no matter how players feel about him, is an anti-hero.

Firstly, what is an anti-hero?

1. A character who is a hero to some, a villain to others.

Solas was a hero to the ancient enslaved elves, even if he did end up basically destroying the world. If he does what I suspect, he'll also end up a hero to the current generation of enslaved elves, too. He's mentioned he has spies, many, indicating that many people, even good people, serve him. Because they think of him as a hero.

2. A character whose existence offers a critique of social morals and reality.

Can you think of any other character in DA:I who calls attention to the problems of the status quo more than Solas? I mean, truly pointing out the uncomfortable truth?

This convo w/Dorian sort of illustrates that point.

Dorian: Solas, for what it's worth, I'm sorry.

Dorian: The elven city of Arlathan sounds like a magical place, and for my ancestors to have destroyed it...

Solas: Dorian... hush.

Solas: Empires rise and fall. Arlathan was no more "innocent" than your own Tevinter in its time.

Solas: Your nostalgia for the ancient elves, however romanticized, is pointless.

Solas: If you wish to make amends for past transgressions, free the slaves of all races who live in Tevinter today.

Dorian: I... don't know that I can do that.

Solas: Then how sorry are you?

3. A character who is the focal point of conflict in a story.

Rather a no-brainer on this one. I truly think the actual villain/s of DA:D won't end up being Solas. I think, as he was in DA:I, he's a massive distraction. A misdirection of attention.

4. A character who is particularly engaged in the conflict, typically on their own will, rather than for a specific call for the greater good. As such, the anti-hero focuses on their objective first, and everything else is secondary.

Solas, if Romanced, gives up his heart's desire, the Inquisitor, the only person that has ever drawn his attention from the fade, for his goal, even though you can see how much it destroys him to do it.

His heart, hers, his friends... NOTHING can get in the way of the goal. And it's a goal he's taken on of his own will. He's taking the responsibility of fixing his fuck up because he fucked it up. (He's foolish because if he'd just stop and think for a second, he'd realize he's really bad at fixing things.)

5. An Anti-hero is still operating for what they think is the greater good. Solas truly believes that fixing what he broke is for the greater good of Thedas. Not just his own people, (that's an enjoyable side benefit XD) but Thedas itself. Because it was never meant to have the veil in the first place. (We'll just brush that whole evil self-absorbed mage-gods being set free at the same time under the carpet? Because he has "plans". Solas, Solas, just stop and think for a minute!)

6. They tend to be flawed heroes in the sense that they do wrong things/screw up/cause harm.

Welp. That's pretty much a dictionary definition of Solas, isn't it?

So how is that actually different from a villain?

A villain is a malicious, often cruelly malicious character, who is involved in or devoted to wickedness or crime or hurting others for their own sake. One who contributes evil agency (motivation) to the plot.

The literary purpose of a villain is to stand opposite the hero to help the plot move forward.

In contrast with the hero (which is defined by ingenuity, bravery, pursuit of justice and the greater good), a villain is most often defined by their acts of selfishness, evilness, arrogance, and or cruelty. They are often cunning and display unilaterally agreed upon immorality that can pervert or oppose justice.

In short, an anti-hero is a character who does too much good to be truly bad, and too much bad to truly be considered good.

Solas, as a character, gives unflinchingly of himself to the Inquisition. He gave them his home, if you believe Skyhold is actually his.

He gives of his blood and flesh in battles.

He gives his knowledge.

If Romanced, he gives his heart to a mortal inquisitor.

And he's willing to give whatever is left of his heart, his soul, and very possibly his life to fix what he broke.

Sorry, Solas haters, he's just not the villain you want him to be.

And that's what makes him so bloody fascinating!

Humanity loves our anti-heroes.

Did you know the term anti-hero was used as early as 1714, but that the character archetype has been used by Homer (Theristes), in Ancient Greek drama (Medea), in Roman mythology (Hercules), and in a lot of Renaissance literature (Don Quixote)?

At some point, the existence of an anti-hero character eventually became an established form of social criticism. Which Solas is very good at.

Other examples of anti-heroes most folks will likely recognize

Wade Wilson/Deadpool

Huckleberry Finn

Lou Bloom/Nightcrawler

Bruce Wayne/Batman

Mad Max

Captain Jack Sparrow

Lisbeth Salander (Girl w/dragon tattoo)

Han Solo

Pinnochio

James Bond

Lestat de Lioncourt (Interview w/a Vampire)

Geralt of Rivia (Witcher)

Tyrion Lannister (Game of Thrones)

Dexter Morgan (Dexter)

Indiana Jones

John Rambo

T-800 (The Terminator)

John McClane (Die Hard)

The Beast (Beauty & the Beast)

Tyler Durden (Fight Club)

Magneto (X-Men)

Logan/Wolverine (X-Men)

Riddick

Shrek

Stitch (Lilo & Stitch)

Harley Quinn

Hellboy

John Constantine

Frank Castle (The Punisher)

V (V for Vendetta)

Tony Stark/Iron Man

Sherlock Holmes

Judge Dredd

John Wick

Maleficent

Venom

Angel & Spike (Buffy)

Dean & Sam Winchester (Supernatural)

Oliver Queen/Green Arrow

The Mandalorian/Din Djarin

Wednesday Addams

I'll stop there, because the list could probably go on for a looong time (as if it hasn't already? 😅)

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[zhaoly]

UGH I was trying to hold off on commenting further about my disappointment with Halsin until I finished the game but my damn itchy fingers can't stop themselves

Okay so like... I'm just mind-boggled so far about what direction they were even trying to go with him. Even ignoring the lack of character development, what we did get has just been so unsatisfying and strange. LONG thoughts ahead about my general dissatisfaction with his character and some gameplay elements.

(Spoilers ahead)

First of all, the impression I got when I initially met Halsin was this wise, sort of sagely archdruid with many, many years under his belt (and indeed it has been 350 years!) who's been through a LOT and witnessed a lot of terrible things. You know, like the whole Shadow Curse thing. But he hints at a lighter side to him through dialogue options, teasing the possibility of getting past that serious, wise exterior as you get to know him more. He's got the whole gentle giant thing going on and has a good heart but is obviously a powerful druid. I rescued him after I had already killed Kagha, but I saw a clip of how he reacts to her if she's still alive when you rescue him. And it's really cool! He basically shows off the authority and gravitas that I expect to see from the archdruid. He shows mercy but makes it clear what his stance on what she did is.

However--and this is relevant later--the game fails to explain why the shadow druids are "bad," exactly. My own experience was me just having to sort of infer from everyone's shocked attitudes that they are, well, "really bad." Why, exactly? I could only guess. They have "shadow" in the name, which means they must be unfathomably ~evil~, right? Maybe there was a book entry I missed, but considering you need to make a decision about the grove's fate and have the side tasks of dealing with Kagha, this type of information should be easier to access for the player.

Well, fine. Let's just make our own inferences about the baddy badness of the shadow druids and move on. Now Halsin needs our help battling against the Shadow Curse while we make our way to Moonrise. He repeatedly emphasizes that he wants to come. He chills in our camp while we finish up stuff in Act 1. But for some reason... doesn't actually come with us when we finally make our way to the Shadowlands?! This part is really strange to me from a gameplay standpoint. Why have the character say things like he'll accompany you there and talk about how terrible this whole Shadow Curse thing is and then not even have him recruitable at that point? Why is he just hanging out at camp while we're picking our way through the Shadowlands on our own? It makes no sense and is a missed opportunity for him to introduce us to the land and the history of it. It really does his character a big disfavor by having him tell us this whole spiel about the Shadowlands and Thaniel and then sitting at camp the whole time we're trekking through the area.

Well, fine. We find Art Cullagh. He mentions Thaniel. We go back to camp to tell Halsin. Halsin finally leaves camp!... to go sit at the inn, and for some inexplicable reason, we're once again left to our own devices to find a way to wake Art. HUH? Narratively, this whole thing makes no sense! Halsin should be in the party, not waiting for us to do all the work. Again. Is this not an issue near and dear to his heart? Is he not a powerful archdruid with a personal link to Thaniel? Then why the hell is he afk at the inn while we're risking our asses out there??? HELLO?

Fine! We find the lute to wake Art up. I can't remember exactly, but I think it's at this point that Halsin joins our party. Finally! I'm willing to let all that other narrative inconsistency slide for now.

We get some flirt dialogues, sure sure, can ask a few questions, cool. A decent start. I can't actually romance Halsin yet because he's focused on the Shadow Curse, okay, I get it. It's killing me to have such slow progress but I get it, I guess. Fast forward to me completing the Act 2 plot and boss battle and... that's it? There's no real payout regarding Halsin's character. The whole thing was sort of like, yeah let's get rid of the Shadow Curse, hooray we did it! I realized that there was really little more than that to him throughout the entire arc. Well, maybe now I can at least romance him, right? Wrong! "In due time," he says. Bro wtf it's been 100 hours, I cleared the Shadow Curse after doing your dirty work, ISN'T IT DUE TIME?

I'm mentally gritting my teeth as we make our way to Baldur's Gate. Surely any day now. I long rest. We get ambushed by githyanki and meet the Emperor. Okay, maybe next evening. I long rest. Another fucking Emperor dream. I long rest. Another Emperor dream or something, I can't even fucking remember at this point, or maybe it was the Mizora cutscene. Wait the Emperor is fucking flirting with me for some reason, what the hell? Just let me romance Halsin oh my GODASDFLKAS:DLGKasl;d'fasd;lfkas;'ld

We're going through the city. Halsin randomly drops some dialogue about how disillusioned he is with the way the city is handling refugees and says maybe the shadow druids were right. Wtf? That was some quick 180 after all the drama over them in Act 1! Also, why won't anyone tell me what's so horrible about the shadow druids and why this is apparently such a moral dilemma?! All Halsin really says is that they want to cut themselves off from civilization... which is like... is that supposed to be an extreme viewpoint coming from the naturey tree people? He laments about his inadequacies as a leader, and I'm privately thinking, this is REALLY late in the game to be realizing this, isn't it? This probably should have come way sooner, maybe like... when you left your role as archdruid all the way back in Act 1?!

At some point we meet the drow twins in the brothel. Out of left fucking field Halsin's like, "this reminds me of my youth!" and basically says he's interested in a foursome. ???? What??? Bitch you haven't even slept with my Tav yet but you're down for a foursome with her + the drow twins? HUH? The twins then turn Tav down because she doesn't have a lover yet to participate (even though Halsin literally said he would, yeah it makes no sense to me either)... AND I'M LIKE YEAH I KNOW RIGHT 'CAUSE THIS GUY ISN'T LETTING ME ROMANCE HIM YET. I'm thinking this scene is proooobably supposed to take place after you've already triggered Halsin's romance, but there are so many damn cutscenes during the long rests at the beginning of Act 3 that I just don't see how unless you deliberately avoid talking to the twins until then. OR, and this is probably more likely, I presume many people romanced other companions and apparently have the option for an orgy with the twins and Halsin, from what I gathered? But from a gameplay standpoint with a mono Halsin romance, this was just bizarre and extremely dissatisfying for a romance, especially considering how LONG you have to wait to even trigger it at all ARGHHHHH anyway and then from a characterization standpoint, this was... also just bizarre because it felt so utterly random coming from Halsin given that his character had really shown little proclivity for such things and had basically spent the ENTIRETY of the game up until this point turning down Tav (at least for the mono romance--from what I've gathered, the experience is way different in a poly one).

We long rest, goddamn it fuck I forgot to stop the press, okay NOW we long rest, Halsin laments again about the way the city treats refugees. Maybe this was actually the conversation where he brought up shadow druids and his inadequacies as a leader, I don't even fucking remember anymore. I'm getting whiplash from how fast his character's tone is switching. I also then see spoilers that after you actually sleep with the drow, he casually drops the bomb that he was KEPT AS A SEX SLAVE FOR THREE YEARS. BRO???

and is apparently quite cavalier about it. What?? Who is this person???? Why does this feel like a completely different character from the one in Acts 1 and 2, lacking in depth though he was? Why is his character switching tones from one issue to the next so quickly? I'm just so utterly mind-boggled right now. He already lacked the character growth granted to the origins companions, but come Act 3, what existed of his character seemed all over the fucking place.

They really had a missed opportunity with the shadow druids. They could've done something, anything with it. They could've given him a less than flattering past with them that no one in the grove knows about. You know, a big, dark secret that is a staple of every fantasy companion. Something. And it could've given him actual reason to have a moral dilemma or struggle about his role as the archdruid and the trust people put into him. Maybe he had to make a tough decision back then "for the greater good" in that first battle against Ketheric Thorm. Cliche? Yes. But I'll take cliche over the nonexistent depth we got and the way his characterization is getting pulled all over the fucking place in Act 3.

Shadowheart had a lovely arc that's still ongoing (I haven't found her parents yet, and her story has spanned meaningfully across all three acts). Her thing is this identity crisis and a lifelong dream/belief she's had getting flipped on its head. While I benched Wyll and Gale, they've got some storied pasts as well and clearly have some opportunity for change through the story. I kicked Astarion pretty early on (lol) but I've seen glimpses of spoilers of some tragic past he has, and I'm guessing his story is something along the lines of helping him get past that? Lae'zel obviously has the whole thing with her undying belief in Vlaakith and her peoples, and while I ended up killing her in this run, I think it's pretty obvious to see that her story could take a similar turn to SH's where you help her figure out an identity different from what she's known her entire life. In future runs I plan to go through all the remaining companions' stories thoroughly and test that theory out I guess.

I won't go into my issues with Jaheira and Minsc--imo you get them WAY too late in the game (I haven't even picked up Minsc yet) to be invested. I don't think I'll ever pick up Minthara, but I've seen some similar dissatisfaction with her character. It's quite clear that the origins characters had way more development (with the exception of Karlach).

I don't know if this whole thing is even coherent. I feel like as I kept typing I just started devolving into annoyed rambling but I JUST HAD TO GET THIS OFF MY CHEST ARGHHHHHH I'm so utterly fucking disappointed with what they did with Halsin! I was really, really expecting something more out of it. Karlach was my second favorite and her character story is "find some pieces of infernal iron." Whoohoo! I've seen some light spoilers saying that she doesn't have any good endings or something so that's fucking wonderful too.