#Leigh Thinks about Star Wars

[lornacrane]

oh my god Leigh Whannell is a Han Solo girlie

[mcflymemes]

PROMPTS FROM THE STAR WARS - THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK SCRIPT *  assorted lines from the 1980 SCRIPT written by lawrence kasdan and leigh brackett (so it might not be accurate to the actual film), adjust as necessary

i've finished my circle and i haven't picked up any life readings.

i'm heading back to the base.

i'll see you shortly.

what's the matter? you smell something?

it's going to be difficult to spot approaching ships.

you're leaving?

you're an extraordinary fighter. i hate to lose you.

well, don't get all mushy on me.

you said you were going to stay. what happened?

don't give me that look.

you're so terrified of your own emotions.

you want me to stay because of the way you feel about me.

i respect you. you're a bold fighter, maybe not the brightest...

you're imagining things.

i say you came running after me because you were afraid i was leaving you without even a kiss.

believe me, you could use a good kiss.

i've had it with your noble mission.

we'll meet again. maybe you'll have grown up a little by then.

i'll see you in hell.

you must survive, [name].

come on, buddy, you aren't dead yet. give me a sign here. don't do this, [name], it's not your time.

we haven't got much time.

nice of you guys to drop by.

we have a visitor.

whatever it is, it isn't friendly.

i'm afraid there's not much left.

now don't panic. we don't know that.

i think we've found them.

how do you know it's them?

does it still hurt?

what would you think if i went away for a while?

what do you mean, you took care of that?

that's two you owe me, junior.

i don't know what he's talking about.

you must have gone completely out of your feeble mind.

we must hold them off until all our ships are safely away.

don't worry. you haven't seen the last of us.

let's get out of here before we become permanent residents.

it's no good! i can't see!

i don't know if there's anyone left alive in there.

someday you're going to be wrong, and i just hope i'm there to see it.

you don't have to do this to impress me.

if you said you thought coming here was a bad idea, i'm beginning to agree with you.

being held by you isn't enough to get me excited.

i must admit there are times i don't understand human behavior.

i'm looking for someone.

hey, that's my dinner!

my hands are dirty.

why are you trembling?

i happen to like nice men.

we've discussed this before.

i will not fail you. i'm not afraid.

that is why you fail.

it's not my fault! i can't understand it!

i'm still not sure what you've accomplished.

not bad, hot shot. not bad.

i feel cold.

i always said you were a gentleman.

sorry, am i interrupting anything?

would you care to join me for a little refreshment?

once you've made this decision, i cannot interfere.

i was worried about you.

i've done what i can for you.

show yourself, or do you fear me?

you'll find i'm full of surprises.

i'll die first.

you are beaten. it is useless to resist.

[superblysubpar]

masterlist | the music

Chapter Warnings: spoilers for the movie franchise Star Wars | mentions of the holiday Halloween being celebrated by others and reader enjoying it | Leigh is not my character creation, a shared character who @sweetsweetjellybean originally created & I put a little twist on for this story with her permission.

Sorry freaks, no smut this chapter - but the series is 18+ and so is my blog so skedaddle on out of here if you're not!

9.4k words | A/N: I can't begin to express my gratitude for those who've read this story & those that helped me get through writing it, especially my beta extraordinaire @sweetsweetjellybean and @loveshotzz for helping me break that pesky wall of self doubt and writer's block always. I have a big long A/N on the epilogue that's posting right after these two chapters with more sap. Thanks for being here, I love you immensely if you've made it this far from the beginning or you're just arriving 💛

In the movies, they like to make those big plot twists drag out for the protagonist to let it really sink in. Or maybe it's more for the viewers. Special effects, camera angles, flashbacks, and poignant music playing - all to make seconds feel much longer than they are. 

In your experience, these plot twists are usually predictable. Of course that guy’s the villain, it was the best friend all along, he’s Luke’s father, et cetera, et cetera. You’re utterly baffled every time by a character’s lack of intuition to see it coming. You’ve booed at writing and acting and told yourself that in real life, it’s so different. 

Sure, surprises happen. Reality does not care about predictability, the fragile state of the human heart, or what’s fair. You get that. People cheat, they make mistakes, they die, they lose - and there isn’t some fade-to-black-happy-ending guarantee when they do. There isn’t a countdown on the bottom of a screen letting you know there’s still time left to make it all back from whatever happened, no assurance that it’ll all work out. 

To call something real - something happening directly to you - a plot twist, seems horribly wrong though. Is there another word for it? Those moments that manage to catch you off guard, that come without warning or a build up. Moments that hit you repeatedly like a knife to a chest in a slasher flick. Or feel like the instant demise of oxygen leaving your lungs as a door opens to space. That sucker-punch from a red glove to the jaw when you think you’ve just won the big fight. 

What do you call that shit?

Robin’s voice is an echo, muffled and distorted as if you’re deep underwater. “Oh my god, hi! Wow, you are so much prettier than Steve mentioned.”

Who is with Steve?

Robin keeps going, putting her entire foot in her mouth, oblivious to the way Steve’s eyes haven’t left yours. You only stop staring yourself, after what feels like hours, to finally take in their intertwined hands as Robin babbles. “Wait, I mean…no, see…alright, he told us you were pretty is what I’m trying to say, but like you’re even prettier…”

Who the hell is with Steve?

Her laugh cuts through the fog and your eyes finally focus on the woman attached to the sound. 

She’s pretty, just like Robin keeps saying over and over again.

Dark, shiny hair, piercing eyes that you can see - even from this distance - are a hazel to almost match his. A hypnotizing smile, curves and a confidence radiating off of her… everything you wish you were but aren’t.  

She laughs again, assuring Robin she gets it (in an infuriatingly humble way), introducing herself as Leigh Kensington.

Nancy perks up at the name when Robin gasps and shouts, “Oh my god! Nance!” Robin looks back, waving her over, ��Just like Legally Blonde!” Her voice attempts to lower as she sighs to Leigh, “She loves Reese Witherspoon. It is Vivian Kensington right?” The question louder and directed at Nancy again. Robin doesn’t even take a breath to let her answer though, “Which is hilarious because Steve’s mom’s name is Vivian and you’re dating Steve and you work in legal, right? And-“

Emerald glass shatters around your feet as the bottle of beer falls from your hand, the sharp shards scatter quickly, too broken to ever be put back together. Your legs turn to lead and muscles are no longer in communication with your brain as it finally makes the connection to what you’re seeing and hearing and what that means for you. 

“Shit! Jesus, woman-“ Eddie jumps back from you as the glass skirts across the pavement further. 

Robin finally turns in your direction at the commotion, her brows knit together in worry. Face progressively getting more concerned as it tightens. Her hand lets a bean bag fall to the board with an echoing thump. “Hey, you look-“

Not waiting to hear the end of her sentence, you will your legs to work and spin, taking off in search of literally any place that isn’t there. Your feet pound against the pavement, thuds that vibrate through the rubber of your soles all the way up to your eardrums.

It’s seconds, less than a minute, and it’s as if the entire stadium - hell, your entire world - has spun upside down. Roars to your left, the rumbling of fan’s excitement from the nosebleeds down to the field mingle and harmonize with the rapid beating in your chest. As you keep running with no real destination other than away, your shoulders bump stranger’s, meeting their frowns and scoffs with whispered and rushed apologies. The familiar sting behind your eyes forms, eyelashes growing damp as you suck in a sharp breath. No more running, you need somewhere to hide. 

You’re not going to cry about this. You’re not. How could you be so stupid? How could you let this happen?

The familiar long line all women are accustomed to grabs your attention and you’re off again. Disgruntled and shouted annoyance from everyone in line echoes across the dull gray tile as you rush past them, yelling something about an emergency. You slam a turquoise door, sliding the silver latch with shaking fingers as your forehead rests on the cold material of the stall. You focus on breathing through your nose and out your mouth, this is fine. You’re fine. 

A buzz in your pocket once, twice, and then a third time, and you don’t have to pull your phone out to know they’re texts from him. Despite your better judgment, you look:

It buzzes a fourth time and you lock the phone, debating just chucking it into the toilet. 

The sleeve of your sweatshirt presses to your mouth as you clear your throat. No tears are falling for him, not today, not ever. 

You hate Steve Harrington. 

This was always the plan.

You hate Steve Harrington. 

It’s not like you were in love with the guy. 

Even as you think it, the panic turns to defense inside of yourself - scrounging around for rocks and bricks, reinforcing the wall around your heart you had started to let crumble for a boy you thought was worth it. 

“Girl, what the hell?”

A familiar pair of red converse with writing and doodles covering any space they can, mirror your feet at the base of the stall. You step back, fingers hovering over the latch, ready to tell her it’s fine. Robin isn’t an idiot though, and you’re certain that despite your denial, she’ll take one look at you and make you spill your guts. 

Her feet move closer, the familiar clink of rings meeting metal hits your ears, letting you know she’s pressing her palms to the door. Robin’s voice is softer and for one brief, horrible moment, you think she knows. “Are you okay? What’s going on?”

The guilt that’s hovered over you for months like a storm cloud, releases, engulfing you completely, the promise of sunlight no longer on the horizon. Funny how just hours ago, you were thinking about Robin finally knowing, about how she couldn’t be mad, not when you were both so happy. Your gut twists. You’ve lied to your friend for so long, and for what? 

“Just, um, cramps.” The lies keep on building, pushing at the dam you’ve created to keep it all from her. You’re just buying time now, the pressure is going to reach its breaking point soon and you’re worried your friendship with Robin will be washed away when it does. 

At the mention of cramps, the disgruntled voices of those in line turn to understanding - muted solidarity in the form of tampon and painkiller offerings. 

“Robin, why don’t you grab her some food or something? Maybe a ginger ale? I’ve got stuff in my bag and we’ll meet you all out there,” another familiar voice suggests. 

“But I can-“

“That would be really great, Robs,” you interrupt her protest, pushing out the words to sound as eager as you can. 

A pair of white tennis shoes sneak between Robin’s and the stall door - like Nancy is trying to put space between the two of you, shielding her girlfriend from any more of your lies. 

“Okay, if you’re sure,” Robin starts hesitantly, “I saw this gourmet grilled cheese stand thing and-“

“No!” Fingers curling over your mouth at the severity of your interruption, you take a beat before quietly continuing, “Uh, um, actually, just some chips please?”

Your eyes close, willing the memory of your last grilled cheese away. Now is not the time to remember the man you shared it with.

How he looked at you.

How he asked you to open up, how it made you feel when he said he knew you.

How he kissed you.

You hate Steve Harrington.

The initial shock has stopped sizzling and is now a full burn, anger releasing over your frazzled nerves. What else has Steve claimed, what other things could be ruined when all you can do is relate them to him? But as quickly as the anger for him forms, you have to glance down and realize there are three fingers pointing back at yourself.

Why did you give him the opening?

“Roger that, kitten!”

You’re sure she gives a salute to your closed stall door, the red sneakers turning on their heels, her footsteps fading away. The pristine white of Nancy’s twist slightly towards the door. Her voice is quiet as she asks, “Can I come in there?”

Clearing your throat once more, you try to brush her off, “Nancy, really, I’m fi-“

“Bullshit.”

Maybe it’s the way she says the word - that a girl you don’t know all that well can see through your lies, be so sure you’re not fine. Maybe it’s because you desperately wish that you could have opened the door for Robin, to leave the football game and go drown in margaritas and dissect every little thing that led to this moment and let her tell you it was all going to be okay and boys are stupid. Or maybe, it’s the fact that you’ll never get to do that, never allowed to tell Robin, that makes you slide the latch unlocked for Nancy Wheeler.

She slips in quickly, her brown curls that are clipped in a half up-do bounce as she tilts her head quizzically at you. Her arms cross over the embroidered team logo on her sweatshirt, her blue eyes peer directly into your soul. She’s got this way about looking at you that, without saying anything, makes you want to tell her everything. An energy radiates off of Nancy, a quiet curiosity bubbling under the surface - or perhaps it’s frustration. You’re being studied, a puzzle she can’t crack. 

Her lips twist as she clearly debates her words before she finally settles on a simple, “You didn’t know?”

Nancy’s question makes your stomach drop, solidifying that she not only knows about you and Steve, but that Leigh is not a new or unknown development. Your mind swirls to their argument on the beach, Nancy finding you in the bathroom - how long has Steve been seeing Leigh? 

“No,” your response comes out in a half laugh, trying to cover up any feelings that attempt to sneak out and reveal too much. The toe of your sneaker scuffs at a knick in the tile as you avoid her eyes. 

She tucks a curl behind her ear and sighs. Her face pinches into that quizzical look again, huffing, “He’s an idiot.”

Rolling your eyes, you shake your head. You don’t want to dwell on how she connected the dots about you and Steve or how you’ve all been lying to Robin, and you especially don’t want her pity. “Nancy, I really don’t need you to comfort me. I’m fine. Can we just go?”

At the clamp of Nancy’s mouth shutting and the purse of her lips, you regret the icy tone almost immediately. Squeezing your eyes closed, you try again. “I’m sorry, I’m just…” trailing off because where do you even start? You’re mad, hurt, confused, blind-sided, the list could go on and on and you don’t care to reach the end at this moment. You force a smile, changing the subject all together, “Don’t you want to get out there and hear how incredibly little Robin truly knows about sports?”

Nancy’s lips twitch and her arms drop to her sides with a sigh. “Right, well, if you change your mind, I like to think I’m a pretty good listener if you ever want to talk about anything.”

Sometimes, people say things to say things - like they feel as if they’re supposed to say a certain thing when a certain situation calls for it. One look at the kindness in Nancy’s eyes, the small smile on her lips, and you know that is not the case right now. She genuinely, truly means she’s there to listen if you need it. Despite lying to all of them, despite barely knowing her, and the realization has tears forming behind your eyes for an entirely different reason than earlier. 

“Thanks,” the word leaves you quietly. It feels small and inconsequential in return for a gesture you’re not even sure Nancy realizes the weight of. 

That is, until she turns from the door, her hand hovering over the latch as she faces you again. “I should mention though, that one of you is going to have to tell Robin. Sooner rather than later. And I make no promises it won’t be me, but she should hear it from one of you.”  Her tone is adamant with absolutely no room for arguing.  

Your guilt tugs you down harder now, only able to nod in response. 

Nancy’s head bobs once in return, silently agreeing to drop the subject unless you bring it up again, and she leads the way out of the bathroom. 

You hear Robin before you see them. She’s passionately arguing her case about a new musical group that Eddie is scoffing at. Leigh holds her hand up at Eddie’s argument and begins agreeing with Robin, who beams before sticking her tongue out at him. 

“Hey.”

The word freezes you and Nancy clears her throat as she makes her way towards the others. Steve pushes off from the brick wall as you turn to face him. 

You’ve seen many looks in his eyes before now. When they glint with mischief and charm as he flirts, how they soften as you tell a story. When they’ve turned darker as clothes are shed and they get to roam freely over your body, taking you in like an artwork. How they seem to melt like honey all over you when you’ve found them staring and they don’t care to appear ashamed he’s been caught. 

Now, they’re looking at you with far too much pain behind them that doesn’t seem fair. He shouldn’t get to look at you like that, he shouldn’t get to look sad. 

Steve extends his hand, a green can with beads of condensation running down the sides of it in his palm. You ignore how your fingers touch and they way his try to linger as you take the soda from him.

When you don’t say anything, he pulls the sleeves of his maroon sweater over his fingers, the toe of his boot scuffing the pavement as his brows meet in the middle. Several pieces of hair fall over his forehead that’s wrinkled with concern, letting you know he’s run his hands through it too many times to have already broken whatever products he’s put in it. 

“Can we go somewhere and talk for a sec?”

A sec. 

A quick conversation, one he just wants to get over with. To tell you what? Things you’ve already concluded from his surprise today? That he’s with someone. He wants to stay friends. He never felt the way you were starting to feel for him. This was always the plan. 

You’re not interested in anything Steve has to say any more. 

“Game’s about to start, Harrington, maybe later.” Your tone is clipped and short, smile forced. 

His brows pinch closer together as he tilts his head, the harsh line of his jaw flexing. “Really? Cause the way you ran off and that tone could have fooled me.” 

“I’m fine, I don’t know exactly what you’re hearing, but if you have something you’d like to say, by all means Steve, let’s hear it.” 

Steve closes his eyes and a long breath leaves his nose, “Please-“ his plea is cut off by her. 

“Hi, I’m Leigh. It’s so nice to meet you, Steven’s told me so much about you! I hope everything is okay? Everyone was so worried…”

She reaches forward, arms wrapping around you and your stiffening body. 

She’s fucking hugging you. 

“Uh, yeah, you…too. And yes, thanks, I’m fine. This will help.” Untangling yourself from her, you hold up the can and force another smile. “Thanks Steven.”

Leigh beams at him, grabbing his hand and you just can’t help yourself, turning to him again. “Actually, Steven was just letting me know he had something to tell me, what was so important, buddy?”

Eddie coughs as Steve narrows his eyes. Nancy claps her hands, interrupting the tension filled moment, “Alright, ready guys?”

Robin points towards the bleachers. “I’m ready for tip off! To our seats!”

Nancy gives you a look, some sort of attempt at bringing light to the moment in front of her, before she wraps her hand around Robin’s arm and starts to walk away. “It’s kick off, hun.”

Leigh laughs as Robin lets out a long ‘Oh’, Steve and her following. When Steve glances back over his shoulder at you, the full can of soda meets the trash as you turn towards Eddie. Stealing the fresh beer from his hands, the plastic cup tips to your lips, foam slowing you down as you chug. 

“Woah, woah, woah! Easy killer.” Eddie tugs on the cup, pulling it from your mouth. “From my understanding, football games are long and we need to pace ourselves. Stevie is not worth a two in the afternoon black out.”

Your mouth opens to protest and he waves his hand in front of your face, “Ah, ah, ah, you can squeeze my fingers or something whenever you feel like punching him instead.”

“Ed-“ you begin, adamant you need another drink (or twenty) to deal with the day you’re about to have. 

He begins to walk away, waving his hand dismissively, “No really, I’m a secret masochist, I’ll love it.”

Your eyes narrow, hating the way your lips fight a smile that wants to meet his mood. Despite everything, you’re grateful for him and Nancy. Unsure of how to even attempt to show them how much you appreciate them. Especially after Nancy’s reminder that someone was going to have to tell Robin eventually, and these two had been lying for the both of you, keeping your secret when they didn’t need to.  

Up ahead, you hear Leigh laugh, catching her head thrown back and his smile, the squeeze of her fingers on his bicep and you gulp. Your feet plant to the ground harder and you tug on Eddie’s wrist. As the group rounds the corner, heading to their seats, he turns to look at you with his eyebrows raised. 

Eddie must see something in your expression because he mumbles, “Such a fucking idiot,” before he turns to the nearest vendor. “Yeah, hi, I need four very large beers. And I’m talking take your idea of large and triple it.”

This time the smile wins just a little. It’s quick to fall though, when Eddie taps his cup to one he hands you and proclaims, “If you can’t date ‘em, drink about ‘em. To the losers who break our hearts.”

“I-“ ready to tell him that’s not it at all, but his look makes your mouth close. 

You don’t say it out loud, you don’t dare to speak it into existence - Eddie is wrong. You’re not broken hearted, you’re just mad Steve didn’t tell you. You’re mad that clearly they all knew, so why not you? That’s all. 

Your cup taps Eddie’s again and you let the beer wash away the bitter taste in your mouth. 

Screw Steve Harrington. 

As the third cup of cheap beer hits your lips, you risk a glance down the line of your row again. Immediately regretting it like you have every other time. Leigh pushes the loose strand of hair on his forehead back and your eyes return to the field quickly.  You’re sure your skin is turning just as green as the artificial turf, the beer making it a little easier to admit to yourself that you are jealous of the intimate moment. Your gut twinges slightly at the remembrance of only a few short weeks ago when you purposely tried to make him feel what you are now. You have no right to be mad at him. 

The players blur as they move in an intricate dance only they know before anyone else. You’ve always liked sports, but today has been a good reminder as to why. Players and teams practice and memorize skills and plays that work - but there’s no guarantees. They need intuition to know when to use certain moves, to have a good defense and follow their gut and deviate from the plan when they think the other team is pulling a new play. 

It’s all predictable, but not at the same time. Risks and playing with the odds, yet revolving around something incredibly low stakes like a ball in a net or getting past a painted line on fake grass. It’s also realistic. Sure, there are once in a lifetime passes like the Minnesota Miracle or a ball sinking into the net from a distance unfathomable as the final buzzer sounds - but most of the time, it’s just about who’s the best that day. Who ran faster, who slipped through someone else’s mistake. You like that the players can pour themselves into it and it’s still not going to be a win every time, because it’s just not sometimes, and that’s okay. They lose and they get up and they do it all over again. They also know that if they win, it doesn’t mean they’ll keep doing so without hard work and dedication. 

Poetic to your circumstances, really. Steve was just better at the game, and you knew the eventual outcome of your deal with each other. So really, is there anyone to be mad at here other than yourself?

Steve’s laugh echoes down the line and your jaw clenches, because maybe Steve was better at the game, but he certainly wasn’t playing fair. 

Yeah, you can still be mad at him. 

Your eye twitches as Robin and Leigh gush over horror movies they both love, a breath you didn’t know you were holding leaving you when they head off together for a bathroom break. 

His eyes actually burn your cheek from the way they stare down the row in your direction now that he doesn’t have her to focus on. Clear to you now that all you are - all you ever were - is an afterthought, something to pass the time. 

Refusing to look his way, you try not to feel bad about the sigh you hear all the way from five seats away. 

Oh, I’m sorry Steve, are you mildly upset that I don’t want to talk to you after you got me to open up just to blindside me?

You’re not surprised when a dark denim leg presses against your shoulder, his large brown boots landing on the open seat next to you as he climbs over. As he sits, you stand, quickly making your way down the row, occupying Robin’s empty seat on the other side of Nancy. 

Steve stands, hands on his hips as he frowns. “Are you being fucking serious right now?”

Turning your attention back to the field, your knees bounce with restless energy, anticipating his next move. An intricate dance just like the players below you. 

Steve climbs back over, and you can’t help but relish a little in his groan and mumbled comment about being twelve under his breath as you shimmy between Eddie and Nancy, shoving Eddie into your old seat, ignoring his grunted protests. Unable to help yourself, you smirk into your beer, watching out of the corner of your eye as Steve’s jaw clenches. Making him irritated seems only fair under the circumstances. 

You’re ready for his next attempt, sure he’s going to make Nancy swap with him or come up behind you. So when he puts his foot on the chair, you move to the edge of your seat. Steve pounces, tumbling over the back of the row in front of you instead. He’s breathless, cheeks flushed pink as his hands land on the armrests of your spot. His arms cage you in as he leans over the back of the blue metal chairs, ignoring the grumbled complaints of those he bumped out of the way in his pursuit. 

His face fills your vision, freckles that dot the sharp slope of his nose, the light scruff he’s let grow more highlight’s the angle of his jaw and the curve of his cupid’s bow. For a second you forget you’re supposed to be mad when you finally meet his eyes. They steal all of your attention and you hate that you can’t look away. 

You hate him. 

“We’re gonna talk,” he huffs, catching his breath.

“You should hit the gym.” A sad attempt to change the subject, to hurt him a little. Your eyes flit down to his lips in a mistake. You can’t look at his eyes again so you settle on his cheek, trying your best to ignore the endearing pair of freckles. 

“I know you’re mad, and if you just let me explain, I-“

“You’ve had plenty of chances to explain before today Steve!”

The hush of the people around you makes your eyes close, taking a moment for a calming breath. Eddie coughs into his fist on your left and squints at the field, Nancy scratches the denim on her thigh and clears her throat on your right. 

Steve’s eyes narrow, his top lip pulls in, tongue licking over it before he lets out a cold laugh, “Jesus Christ, what was I supposed to do, tell you while we’re fucking? Or how about after you told me about your parents? I-“

The beer in your hand splashes across his face as he coughs and sputters. His fingers wipe over his eyes and you stand, pushing past the gawking crowd and down the stairs. 

Nancy and Eddie were right.

Steve Harrington is a fucking idiot. 

You’d rode the train past your stop twice, both your airpods in and a look about you that dared anyone to even glance at you the wrong way. At the sight of the sun sinking past the horizon, you bite down on your cheek, willing your gut to stop twisting as it attaches a thing you love to him. Steve Harrington was not going to ruin sunsets for you, you draw the line at fucking grilled cheese and football. 

The flick of your entryway lamp illuminates your place, the lyrics “You call me strawberry wine…” drift out of your airpod as you remove it from your ear. You’ve had enough of the universe’s poetic irony today. Tossing the case and your keys into their dish as you turn the lock on your door. 

The sunset is the least of your worries, what didn’t he touch here? Your door, the coffee mugs he proclaimed as his favorites, the counter, the fire escape. You reach for the bottle of wine on top of your fridge as you click on the Instagram notification. 

A caption reading ‘We just hope both teams had fun🏈 ’ below her photos. A selfie first, Robin’s bashful face filling the screen, getting her cheek kissed by Nancy. Another, this one with you - she must have caught it during bags - a shot of Eddie and you mid-laugh. The last one clearly taken after you left, the group in the stands, Steve’s sweater gone, replaced by a dry light blue t-shirt. You click your phone locked again and drink straight out of the bottle as you walk down the dark hallway. Old wood floors creak underneath your feet as you make your way to your room. 

Fuck, your room.

It’s a moment that perhaps you should be crying during, do normal people cry when boys like Steve Harrington blindside them? When a man you start to break down for was spooning you fully clothed at the start of the day and getting a beer tossed in his face by the end, shouldn’t some sort of despair come out in the form of dramatic tears? Nothing leaves your eyes though as you strip the sheets off of your bed. Steve’s not worth any. No guy is. 

Tugging harshly at the last corner of the fitted sheet with a frustrated grunt, you throw all of your bedding out into the hallway and slam the door. The flutter of paper on your desk as the door swings closed catches your eye, your chest tightens at the realization of what you left there. 

The glow from the setting sun outside washes over the photobooth strip as you walk towards it, lit up in a perfect square of tangerine. Your thumb brushes the last photo as you pick it up, wondering how it all went so wrong, so fast.

It rips easier than maybe it should have, diminished to something small and as broken as you can make it before you toss it in the trash in your bathroom. Your eyes linger on the shower curtain and then your shampoo. The wine bottle presses to your lips again as you make a mental note, adding those to your list of things to replace tomorrow as well. 

Your phone pings again, the group chat you’ve just been recently added to: 

Your thumb presses the lock after turning it to silent, the dots from Robin appearing letting you know you don’t want to keep reading all of them talk. Your bare mattress stares at you as you drink more wine. They’re home. Together? In his apartment? In his bed?

It doesn’t matter, good for Steve, hope he’s happy. Good fucking riddance, right? 

Opening your bedroom door, you sigh at the pile of bedding, stepping over it and making your way to your couch. Your protective wall is still standing, your armor dusted off and polished once more. It’s time to pick up the pieces, replace what’s broken, and move on from what others like Eddie may want to tell you is heartbreak, but you would argue is just called life. 

And life is pain, and anyone who tells you differently is selling something, right?

Halloween season used to be one of your favorite times of the year. Parties and opportunities to dress up like someone you’re not. Evenings to be a character in a story far different than the one you were living, with lines already planned for you to say, an ending meticulously thought out. Now, however, the red fabric that clings to your body serves only as a reminder of how your life is the furthest thing from picture perfect. 

Originally, when you found the dress thrifting with Robin, it had felt a little like fate. A tiny and gentle nudge from the universe in the right direction - a sign. Now, you’re sure it was actually some twisted joke. Someone, somewhere out there, is laughing it up as they play with you like a plastic doll. Because even meeting Robin, a thing you were positive was divine intervention, is now wrapped around him. Some evil force at work as they had you meet her, then him, while they cackled and said ‘Ha! Watch this! This one’ll be good.’

Your costume now a cruel oxymoron - a girl who resents love dressed as someone who cherishes it. Pretending to be a girl who loved a boy endlessly, so devoted, she claimed to die the day he supposedly did. A girl who-

“You know,” a finger pokes your cheek, “For a princess, your sour look is not very princessey.”

Robin raises her eyebrows at you, hands on her hips, orange fabric of her skirt swishing around her thighs as she turns. Her sparkly red turtleneck and shine of her black mary jane’s glint in the strobe lights that are making sweeps over the room. 

You try to smile, if only for the fact that Nancy actually got her to wear the costume. Crossing your arms, your eyebrows raise as you respond, “Well, you must be a detective or something, Miss Dinkley.”

Robin rolls her eyes, but fights a smile, fiddling with the magnifying glass in her hands. When you don’t say anything more though, her big blue eyes soften as they glance up at you through fake glasses, and she reaches out and squeezes your shoulder. “Seriously, is everything okay? I feel like…” she trails off, shaking her head, at a loss for words it seems - an unusual thing for her. 

The line for the bar shifts forward and you nod, that terrible feeling still sits heavy in your stomach like a bag of rocks - you’re weighed down, to be left at the bottom of your guilt to drown. “I’m fine, Robin,” it slips out when you repeat the words quieter, because maybe if you say it enough times it’ll come true, “I’ll be fine.”

“Aha!” She points a finger in your face, “You just said be fine, implying something is in fact not fine currently and-“

“Robin,” your laugh is unconvincing even to yourself. You rub your temples as you face the bar. “Quit being a meddling kid.”

It’s supposed to be a joke, but it comes out with a little more bite than you intend and her mouth shuts quickly. It’s silent for only a few seconds though, before her shoulder bumps yours. Her question quiet, “How long were you waiting to use that one?”

Your head rests against her shoulder in a silent ‘I’m sorry’, hers against yours in an equally unspoken ‘You’re forgiven’ as you sigh. “Oh, just since you put on the costume.”

She hums and then lifts her head and faces you. “Last thing, and then I’ll drop it, I swear.”

Facing her, you swallow harshly as she stares at you with eyes that feel like they can see everything. Even more so when she says, “I know we haven’t known each other that long, but you’re important to me. And if there’s something going on…” she trails off before smiling sadly and continuing, “You can tell me, okay? You can open up and I’ll probably talk too much and offer too much advice, but comes from a place of love and-“

You hug her tightly, Robin wraps her arms around you just as fiercely as her sentence breaks off. Your response sticks in your throat, an alarming hope of ‘what if I told her?’ rising in you that you need to squash down quickly. She can’t know, despite Nancy’s warning that she should. If she did find out, you’re not certain she’d be on your side anyways. It was all your idea to lie to her, it’s selfish of you to ask her to comfort you in this situation. 

Especially after you made her practically drag you to the party tonight. Eventually giving into her puppy dog pout (for a girl who easily falls for it, she has a pretty convincing one herself), your guilt all but consuming you at this point. You could put on a smile, a brave face - you could pretend to be someone you’re not, just tonight, and just for her. 

You haven’t seen Steve since the football game, ignoring any sort of notification related to him in your phone. But in the process of trying to remove anything Steve from your life, you’ve removed Robin from it as well - a packaged deal. Each ignored message, each call you watched ring and left unanswered, every dodged lunch, were just more punches to your gut, pieces of your heart ripped off and stepped on. You missed Robin so much, one night out, forced to make small talk with him, was a fair price to pay for the deceit and lies - if it meant you got to see her again. 

When you break away from the hug, it’s your turn for the bar finally. Both of your eyes widen at the sight of the specialty drink menu. ‘Bootini’s’ and things like a cocktail called ‘Vampire Kiss’ making both of you frown at the dollar signs next to each. You’re suddenly grateful for the tequila that’s still filling your stomach with warmth and Eddie’s insistence on taking the shots before leaving Nancy’s. 

“They do have like, a regular bar, right? Cause your girl is on a budget and…” your sentence trails off as Robin smiles at something, someone, over your shoulder. 

“Well, there isn’t much money in revenge.” 

His voice alone is enough to make your shoulders go up, to cause your stomach to twist, but when you spin to see him, you know it’s not the tequila making the room feel fuzzy and your stomach heave.  

He can’t be serious. 

He is not wearing that. He’s not.

“Come up with that all by yourself, did ya?” Robin pats Steve’s shoulder and before he can reply she’s holding up a hand in front of his face, letting out a low whistle. “Hoolly cooww.” She motions for Leigh to spin who blushes and laughs, but obliges as Robin keeps going, “Miss Morticia Addams, if you wanna ditch Dingus here…”

Steve puts his hands on his hips, an edge to his tone you may have found amusing if it wasn’t because of his best friend hitting on his girlfriend. “Seriously, Robin? Are you being serious right now? Where’s Nancy?”

Robin rolls her eyes at him and Leigh laughs more, squeezing his shoulder. “I should be the one saying holy cow! Look at you two! Y/N, where did you find that dress?”

God, you hate that she’s nice. 

Her dress is phenomenal. The low cut, black fabric that hugs her curves and drapes over her flattering in a way it simply wouldn’t be on you. She’s got the perfect gauzy sleeves, the rings and red lips and nails, she’s even got a rose and scissors in her hand. 

You hate that you want to like this girl. 

Your smile is tense, “I, uh-“

The bartender clears her throat and you point, saved by the bell, turning your back on the group. A name of one of the drinks leaves your lips and you’re vaguely aware of Robin saying something about finding the others and to not order her something with whiskey in it because he remembers what happened last time.  

The deep breathing through your nose is a sad attempt for composure when you get a longer chance to take Steve in. Even with the dim bar lighting, the mirror behind the shelf of various liquors gives you a perfect view. You’re not sure whether you want to kiss him or punch him. 

Steve’s dressed in all black, head to toe, the v-cut of the flowy top revealing quite a bit of his dark chest hair and you swallow, your fingers gripping the edge of the counter. You always hated how Buttercup couldn’t tell it was Westley, in fact, you hate it in any movie when a character has a mask over their eyes and suddenly everyone is unable to tell who they’re dancing with, hell who’s kissing them. If anything, the black band of fabric across his face only makes the lips below and the eyes underneath it stand out more  - the curve of his top lip you can still feel under your tongue. The colors of his iris’ so distinctly Steve that you’d recognize anywhere - instead of a sea after a storm, a forest. He really went all out, even his scruff shaved to have a thin mustache, he’s wearing the black cap pushing down his normally styled and perfectly messy hair, and when you glance down, you’re not surprised to find matching pirate boots standing next to you. 

His hand reaches across your chest with a matte black card - that kind that isn’t glossy like a normal one and you quickly hand the bartender crumpled bills instead, earning a sigh from Steve. 

“You’re not seriously wearing that.” Weeks of no contact, and you hate that your voice doesn’t come out strong and confident when that’s all you can think to say. 

Risking a glance his way, you find his eyes are already on you, his jaw clenching before he asks, “What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?”

Your inhale is sharp - how can he be this cruel? How can he act like that costume means nothing, or like the last few weeks weren’t awful? Weren’t they awful for him? To go from talking almost every day to nothing?

“Are you fucking kidding me Steve? After everything, after what you said at the game, you’re really gonna stick to not admitting what this is?” Gesturing up and down his body as you ask. He truly can’t be this much of an asshole, he can’t-

Steve shrugs. “I’m just a pirate. I don’t know what your problem is.”

Turns out, he can be. 

Before you can even start to formulate something nasty to respond with, a person walking by shouts out, “Oh nice! As you wish, dudes!” Clapping Steve’s shoulder as they waltz past like it’s the 90’s and people still say ‘dudes’ to strangers. 

Dude did just make your point for you at least, though. 

You hold your hands out to the retreating body in a show of ‘see?’ and then childishly flip Steve off. “The case rests, your honor.”

“It was last minute and I didn’t-”

His weak and pathetic attempts at excuses fall on deaf ears as you push your way through the crowd towards the beacon of red neon announcing an exit for this god forsaken bar. 

Maybe it’s the tequila talking, but you don’t think it is - screw Steve Harrington for ruining a fucking bar, for ruining the word dude, for ruining The Princess Bride, for ruining everything. 

Screw everything.

The sting of rejection and the quiet anger that’s been sitting at a simmer since the game rests over an open flame now. Your insides quickly grow to a rapid boil. Apathy and anger rage for the top spot as everything you’ve tried to keep under a lid steams, ready to overflow and burn. 

Ignoring the calls of your name, something still makes it past your seeing red rampage of an exit, connecting the voices, aware of Steve saying something to someone, but you can’t really find it in yourself to care who or what. The cool air hits your body as you push outside, stinging against the damp skin under your eyes. 

A hand on your shoulder makes you jump, his voice quiet, “Y/N-“

“Don’t touch me, Steve,” you warn, taking a step backwards after yanking your shoulder from under his fingers. Your hands balled into fists as you spin to look at him. 

He runs a hand through his now uncovered hair, face fully revealed without a mask too. He watches you closely, his voice gentle, as he raises his hands up, “Look, I just want to make sure you’re okay. You can-“

“You don’t get to check on me anymore, or worry about if I’m okay, you’re not my boyfriend,” your tone scathing. 

Steve’s gaze bounces over your face, his jaw hardens as the vein in his forehead dances. Somehow his voice is soft despite the bite to it, “Yeah, I know. You’ve made that perfectly clear. But I am your friend, and I -“

Your laugh causes him to break off. You gesture inside and then to his outfit. “Friends don’t treat each other this way, Steve.”

He drags his palms down his face, his own disbelieving laugh echoes against the brick of the bar. “Are you kidding me? I have been nothing but your friend! I am sorry about what I said at the game, but really, when was I supposed to tell you? And this costume…I…” He shakes his head, licking his lips as he takes a step closer to you. “Look. I should have told you about Leigh sooner, but if you would have given me five minutes to-“

“Five minutes. A sec.” Your hands move in quotation marks as you recall the conversation he wanted to have at the game too. Your face pinches into an irritated scowl as your hands drop in front of you, palms open. Exasperation laced around your words, “What the fuck is there to explain anymore, Harrington? You’re dating her and you didn’t tell me - the story is over.”

Steve stands just in front of you now, that gravitational pull at silent work again, even weeks apart unable to switch it off. Your bodies move with each other, your voices rise in sync, your chests fall with shared breaths. A different sidewalk, that same feeling of flight or fight, but you know that it’s too late this time. Even turning the heat off isn’t going to fix the damage that’s been done. 

Another laugh huffs out of him, “You’d like that, right? That’s it, case closed. Y/N calls the shots and decides everything.” He shakes his head and points to his chest, towering over you, “This is all such total bullshit. You’re mad at me for something that was your idea, because you didn’t get to decide when it was over.” He shrugs, waves of nonchalance carrying his words through the air to hit you hard like a slap across the face. “You’re a spoiled brat who’s mad because you’ve lost a toy.”

Any maturity you attempted to have towards the situation has evaporated. 

“Me? The spoiled brat? Excuse me, Mr. 50th floor and Daddy’s Credit Card. Take a look in the fucking mirror, Steve!”

Your chests almost touch with each ragged breath as his hands run through his hair and he pulls. A frustrated groan at your words, while the volume at which his come out becomes louder, “I’ve got plenty of fucking mirrors, why don’t you take your own advice! You’re a hypocrite. You can’t even admit it to yourself, can you? Tell me I’m wrong! Tell me you didn’t ask me for this arrangement. Tell me that the words ‘no feelings’ and ‘just sex’ didn’t leave your mouth. Tell me what you have to be upset with me for then!”

Your chin quivers at his words, the truth of them daring the tears behind your eyes to fall. 

Steve gulps, his fingers dance on your jaw, thumb brushing your cheek. His eyes shine with his own held back tears, like he regrets how he said it but not that he did. His voice quiets as he pleads, “Tell me.”

He doesn’t get to look at you like that. He doesn’t get to say those things to you and then look at you like that.

What happened last time Steve Harrington asked you to open up and tell him something?

Tequila lingers on your tongue, aiding in the formation of words that are meant to sting - you want to hurt him like he’s hurting you. You bite down on your jaw, the anger and pain ready to fall down your cheeks as you remove yourself from him. 

Your hands press against his chest, “You’re bullshit. This is bullshit.” A small shove as you practically growl the next words, “I’m a hypocrite? How about the fucking bathroom at that party where you told me I couldn’t have it both ways, but then you’re dating someone while getting all jealous?” Another shove, this time his fingers brush your wrists, a halfhearted attempt to get you to stop. “Begging me to open up to you? For fucking what, Steve? This costume? You…” you close your eyes and let your hands drop, letting the words do all the work now, “You’re a liar. You’re an asshole.”

Steve’s head ducks down, his fingers brushing his nose before he rolls his shoulders back. When his mouth opens, you step backwards, shaking your head. 

“Lose my number, Steve.”

His eyes roam over your face, waiting, searching. He only nods once and takes his own step back. 

“As you wish.”

Your breath sucks in sharply, a sob you’ve been holding in since the moment he said the words ‘Sorry we’re late’ threatens to finally crack out of your chest. You wish you had another beer to toss in his face for using those words at this moment. 

It’s not said with the kind of reverence of the movie. There isn’t a narrator to let you know what he actually means by the phrase. But you know. It’s not an ‘I love you’, not like this. No, it’s merely a promise to do as you asked. 

All you can do is turn away from him, hold your chin up and roll your shoulders back as you walk down the sidewalk.

There is no hopeful glance back over your shoulder, no loud smacks against the pavement made by his feet chasing after you like in the movies. 

Like you said, your story is over. 

'One New Voicemail':

“Hey, just thought I’d try ya, I know you’ve been busy. Um, well, Steve and I are heading to the Rocky Horror show tonight and I know he’d love someone to aid in his teasing of how totally into it I get. Right Steve?” 

[muffled sounds of movement and whispers]

“Hm…yeah, I uh-” 

[a clear smack to his shoulder]

“It feels like forever since I’ve seen you or we’ve done something just the three of us! Anyways, call me back, text me…beep me if you wanna reach me…ugh, sorry that was so lame, okay bye. Love you!”

If you were surviving before them, you could survive without them. It seemed simple enough. 

You’ve never stayed in one place for long, friendships like Robin, Eddie, and Nancy had been left before. Friendships that were never given a chance to really even start before you were gone. The promise of any relationships packed into boxes and off to the next city. Addresses and phone numbers and notes of ‘Keep in touch’ left to collect dust until forgotten about completely. 

So, it should have been easy to continue to ignore their messages. To ignore the holes in your chest, to ignore the want to call or text one of them when something happened as mundane as a stranger calling another stranger ‘toots’ in your mailroom. If Steve touched things in your life and now caused them to wilt in your memories and sights, the other three made things bloom. They breathed life into you again. 

You weren’t going to let Steve Harrington take something like that away from you. 

Which is why you found yourself curled into your father’s sweater for courage, walking down the sidewalk towards the cemetery with a promise to meet them there.

Orange and brown leaves crinkle underfoot before they blow across the pavement. The moon is full, the sky that deep indigo it seems to only get this time of year. Both a perfect backdrop for the bare trees that dance in the wind and the blocks lined with homes with glowing porch lights. Orange buckets overflowing with candy rush past in a blur, laughter and squeals of children echoing down the street past you. 

As you make it to the black iron fence, your eyes roam the blankets and patrons occupying them in the park next to the cemetery. Apple and brown sugar meet your nose and you take special note of the mini donut booth attached to the scent. Which is where you see Eddie, shoving two in his mouth and rolling his eyes at Nancy. He spots you and grins around the sugary dough, nudging the shoulder to his right and nodding in your direction. 

Robin spins and you see her shoulders visibly fall and a grin spread across her face. She says something to the other two who head in the direction of the blankets and she races through the crowd. Muffled oofs and sorry’s meet your ears as she dodges and spins around people balancing concessions.

You reach the front of the line, a sandwich board proudly displaying the original ‘The Evil Dead’ poster sits next to an older woman on a stool at the gate. She smiles at you, holding a flashlight towards the ground. “Ticket, dear?”

“Rose! Rose, she's my girl!” Robin shouts, breathless as she makes it to the gate. 

“Oh!” The elderly woman smiles wider, ushering you through, “Have fun ladies! Tell Edward I’m still waiting for my hot chocolate.”

“Yes ma’am.” Robin salutes with two fingers and then grabs you in a hug. “Jesus Christ I missed you!” Her voice is loud and she shrinks in your arms as the lights of the booths go out and the crowd surrounding you turns and shushes. Her voice shifts to a whisper, “Whoops. Come on, we’re towards the back and we still have all the commercials to chat without too many nasty looks.”

Robin holds your arm in a death grip, a silent promise to not let you out of her sights and clutches so long as she can help it again it seems. When you reach the blanket, Nancy and Eddie’s conversation stops abruptly and their smiles seem painted on as they look up at you. 

It’s one of those moments, those silences that are too stilted and too abrupt, letting you know exactly what was being discussed just seconds before. You wave a little, ears burning since you have no doubt about who the subject of their interrupted conversation was. 

“Eddie,” Robin begins, huffing as she falls to their cushy spot with extra blankets, trays of drinks, and several bags of sweets littered around them, “Rose is fiending.”

“Oh shit!” Ducking and wincing when someone turns around and glares at him. He grabs one of the cups with a big R on top and squeezes your shoulder as he stands, “Be right back! Glad you came!”

Sitting as Robin pats his now empty spot next to her. “Can I get you anything? We have cocoa and cider, donuts, popcorn, candy corn, caramel corn, basically any kind of corn and-“

“Robin,” Nancy hums, almost singing, as she sips from a cup. She squeezes her fingers. “You have to actually take a breath to let her respond.” 

“I’ll never say no to a cider or donut,” you point to the items with a laugh. 

Robin grabs them and hands it to you. She whacks pillows and squishes around, rolling and frowning and readjusting. 

Eventually, she sighs, content, and grabs Nancy’s hand and then a donut from your bag and knocks it against one in your fingers before taking a bite. 

“Happy?” Nancy asks as Robin hums around the sugar she licks off of her lips. 

“You know it. Only thing that would make tonight better is…” she trails off with a grin.

You take her words as a warning to look around, wondering where he is and mentally preparing yourself. 

Nothing could have prepared you though. 

It happens quickly and yet not at the same time. 

Your head turns to see them walking hand in hand. A swing of fingers as they walk past twinkling lights, the breeze blowing her hair perfectly.  

Nancy says “Shit,” under her breath as she sits up. When you turn to look at her with a frown, she opens her mouth but no words come out. 

The movie starts.

Eddie slows down as he makes his way back towards the blanket, looking at Nancy then over his shoulder then back at you. 

Robin waves her arm too much and you turn to look again, trying to figure out what you’re not getting.

Steve’s eyes meet yours and he stops, tripping over his own shoe.

Leigh waves and something sparkles on her hand in the moonlight.

Robin beams and squeezes your wrist. “Oh my gosh I can’t believe they actually came! I figured with the whole engagement thing they wouldn’t. Now it’s all officially perfect. All my favorite people together on my favorite day.”

Plot twist: Steve Harrington is engaged. 

WCIL taglist:

@loveshotzz @myobmaya @sweetsweetjellybean @pastel-pillows @littlesubbyflower @johnricharddeacy @freezaz123 @selfdeprecatingnerd @big-ope-vibes @manda-panda-monium @hellkaisersangel @yogizzz @soulmatecashton @happytimeunicorns @mandyjo8719 @lunarxeclipse @buckleylips @beckkthewreck @differentdeputyfishpaper @supardupar @micheledawn1975 @imjuststeddietrashatthispoint @sagelittleplace @totally-bogus-timelady @steves-babysitter @fallinginlovewithqueue @aftermidnightwriting @omgshesinsane @pootcullen @definitionwanderlust @nostalgiafool @palmtreesx3 @scoopshxrrington @live-the-fangirl-life @eddiesguitarskills @mannstarkey @keepingitlokiii

[the-blue-eyed-firebender]

Hi!

Have I ever told you this? (Probably! But I'll say it again, ha) It's been an absolute treat reading your Royai fics. Thank you for joining this fandom!

What are your inspirations? 😃 In terms of writing style, but also ideas, etc. Please indulge us all, and please do geek out about your writing process too!

I always love learning about how fan fic writers work and write!

Thank you, and I hope you have a lovely day~

Hey there!

You are so kind. It's hard to put into words how much it means to have had such a lovely reception from the FMA fandom. I used to write a lot when I was a kid, but eventually stopped due to some unfortunate and painful circumstances. Writing for this fandom over the last couple of months has been an incredible journey. It has healed some very intrinsic parts of me that I’d forgotten were wounded, and I have written more in the last few months than I have in 15+ years.

So, first and foremost, thank YOU.

Inspirations: I've always been a lover of fantasy and science fiction. My very first fandom was Star Wars, followed shortly thereafter by Avatar: The Last Airbender. Recently, I've become a huge Sarah J. Maas fan (I read ALL of her books in the year 2023 - minus the new one that came out in January). I've also enjoyed Suzanne Collins and Leigh Bardugo (particularly her Six of Crows duology).

But really, I just love stories. I love adventure, magic, and romance. I look for complex characters, vibrant worlds, strong magic systems, and rich backstories. My favorites always involve women who embody strength (mental, physical, and emotional), capable leadership, and femininity. Characters who are equal parts war-like and compassionate, fearsome yet soft.

But my very best inspiration comes from real-life: my sweet husband. It's going to sound silly, but I feel like I write about true love because I've experienced it. This guy was 100% written by a woman (lol). He's read everything I've written, and provides the most wonderful feedback and encouragement.

As far as style/process, I feel like I am still developing it? Haha! It's only been a minute since I got back into writing. But it usually starts with daydreaming to music (often songs without lyrics; Secession Studies is a favorite), typically while I'm in the car. With my first FMA fic, The Counteroffer, I was listening to "Beautiful Things" by Benson Boone on repeat. Something about the way he sings "Please stay / I want you, I need you, oh God" really set the tone for that story. That, combined with inspiration from the infamous Chapter 54 of A Court of Mist and Fury.

There's usually an moment or a line of dialogue that pops into my brain first (for The Counteroffer, it was Hawkeye lifting the discharge paperwork to find Mustang has also given her an unsigned marriage certificate). I write that bit, then the rest of the story sort of fills in around it. I write in disjointed fragments, adding chunks here and there and then connecting them together. Sometimes I shuffle things around, moving chunks to different locations in the story to see how it changes the flow.

Beginnings, endings, and titles are usually the hardest for me to come up with.

And here's a few of my own patterns that I've started to notice:

I love stories that read with a poetic beat to them (I think the best example of this in my own work is Hourglass).

I use line breaks for emphasis a lot.

I am intentional about keeping things concise but impactful. When it comes to word count, my personal rule is quality > quantity, always.

I try not to use "said/says" without other descriptive words.

If a portion of the story is dialogue driven, I'll read it aloud to make sure it actually flows like real conversation.

I often drop "and" from sentences when I feel like it messes with the poetic flow ("She became familiar with the space between heartbeats, the squeeze of the trigger, the wet sound of a bullet finding its mark." - Hourglass).

In the same vein, I use a sort of "rule of threes" quite a bit. I break sentences into three parts, offer three descriptions of a character's observation/sensation/emotion, repeat the same phrase three times, etc. (Oh look, I've done it again.)

I write in third person, present tense, always from the perspective of one character at a time. I feel like this puts myself and the reader right in the middle of the action, as it's happening. I dive deep into the primary character's thoughts and senses, both internal and external.

I re-read/re-watch the original content (i.e. FMAB, the manga) often, even if it's just in small parts. It keeps me grounded to who these characters are, and prevents me from going OOC. It's so easy to lose track of characterization if it's been too long since I watched an episode or read a chapter.

Hoo boy this got long. Thanks so much for the delightful ask! It was a lot of fun to dive into my own writing process and habits.

[fairyfantasma]

i'm on a mission to read the 70+ books/series on my tbr so this list will probably change and evolve but here are some of my current favorite characters of all time ! (lmk what some of yours are !)

part 1: book characters

Lucie Herondale (Official Art by Charlie Bowater, The Last Hours series by Cassandra Clare): she's so me, she's silly, she's a writer, she writes borderline erotic fanfiction about her best friend, she sees and controls ghosts, she's the daughter of my favorite characters so she is my favorite character ^3 (cubed) (herongraystairs) <3.

Princess Leia (Art from Star Wars #12 by Stuart Immonen. "Leia, Princess of Alderaan" by Claudia Gray): i love leia in general but in this book my love for her grew x10000. she was 16 and so so angry at everything and the way she grew into her role as a rebel was >>> plus her dynamic with amilyn holdo was delightful. hot take: they should have kissed...

Xie Lian (Image from Heaven Official's Blessing Donghua Adaptation, TGCF aka "Heaven Official's Blessing" by MXTX): The only male character i've ever said HES SO MEEE to, largely cause he's a cancer zodiac like me <3 ascended at 17, went from a crown prince to the god of misfortune and scraps :'(, a virgin for 800+ years, abandoned by everyone except his 1 believer, was banished from the heavens TWICE but ascended three times, cursed, hit rock bottom and then hit it again and then hit it again, nevertheless he chooses to be kind, just wants to help people, he never knows whether to laugh or cry, he's suffered more than jesus, he's so tragic i love him.

Inej Ghafa (Official art for SDCC by Kevin Wada, Six of Crows duology by Leigh Bardugo) : also a cancer zodiac like me hehe (automatically if a character's sign is cancer they get promoted in my brain it seems...) she endured unspeakable horrors and survived, she's a spy, skilled with knives aka the best weapon, she still has faith despite it all and she's so determined to live the best life she can, she's kind !! but also deadly!! so in conclusion, thee best character in the grishaverse + she's called "wraith" aka ghost and ghosts are kinda my thing <3

NEIL JOSTEN (Art from Dazzlingbookishshop special edition cover for The Foxhole Court by @polartss, AFTG series by Nora Sakavic): *SCREAMS* he's my everything. another character who has suffered more than jesus. no one gets him like i get him. most main character to ever main character. i love you paranoid characters who are always running but find a reason to stay <\3. i love his selflessness and his intelligence and his cockiness and his desperation. i love a bunch of aftg characters (most recently jean) but neil is neil. best thing to ever happen to me. no further comment. i can't think of anything else to say i just LOVE him. (and yes him and andrew are the epitome of love)

Annabeth Chase (Fan Art of Annabeth Chase by @madicanart, PJO series by Rick Riordon): ANOTHER ONE (cancer zodiac) my first love. i wanted to be her so bad as a kid. she had curly hair and i have curly hair so i was like YES she's me (she + hermione were my idols). i wore owl-themed jewelry for years cause of her. another smart, kind, and not to be messed with character <3 she was afraid of spiders, and often too prideful, and was always wanting to make her mom proud, and had a complicated relationship with her father. all of that hit a little too close to home :') + her wanting to be an architect in order to build something permanent .. shatters my heart to this day.

Citra Terranova (Scythe Official Bookmark art created for @milleetunlivres_box by @kat_adara, Arc of a Scythe series by Neal Shusterman): her character arc is probably my favorite character arc to this day, she went from a somewhat bratty girl with low empathy to the most empathetic scythe. smart, kind, and strong-willed, she said "i vow to become the change that could have been" and then she did !! seeing how much she grew as a person from book 1 to book 2 was incredible. book 3 was a bit of a letdown but citra's character was still the highlight for me.

Blue Sargent AND Ronan Lynch (Official Art from The Raven Cycle Graphic Novel Adaptation Art by Sas Milledge, The Raven Cycle Series by Maggie Stiefvater): i tried to only pick one character per fandom but they're a package deal for me !!! I LOVE THEM SO MUCHHHHHH !!! they're the most characters to ever character, where else can i find an amplifying half-tree manic pixie alt girl from a family of psychics and a eldrich horror gay catholic farmer. don't get me wrong, i love all of the raven cycle gang but these two spoke to me deep in my soul. like i need to be their friend so badly, i would give anything !!

Benji Ovich (Fanart of Benji Ovich by painacotta, Beartown by Fredrik Backman): the newest edition to my fav characters list. beartown made me cry so much my tearducts no longer produced tears and i got a dehydration headache. i'm not yet done with the series but he's the tragic type of character that i know is going to wreak my psyche and destroy my spirit. raised by women, has a bear tattoo, described as "the boy with the most handsome face, saddest eyes, and the wildest heart they've ever seen". my heart is already broken for him.

sidenote: MORE PEOPLE NEED TO READ BEARTOWN AND DRAW FANART, WE'RE STARVING

runner ups: julian blackthorn from the dark artifices series, PERCY JACKSON !!!, tarisai from raybearer, & zoya nazyalensky from the king of scars duology

& special mention for my resident insane girls: pip fitz-amobi from agggtm, mara dyer from the mara dyer series, lissa dragomir from the vampire academy books, & juliette ferrars from shatter me

[indierpgnewsletter]

New Itch Games for April & May

Been quiet on here but I'm back now!

It’s the itch.io round-up of new games! Now coming to you once every two months because that sounds easier. Usual disclaimer: This comes from be browsing itch.io and people self-submitting through the form. I haven’t played these games and mostly am just going by how interesting they sound to me. Okay, let’s go:

The Hollow Queen: This is a GM-less horror game from Venezuelan designer, Felix Rios, about a dark force haunting the streets and the people trying to uncover it. It uses the diceless Ten Coins system and is available in Spanish.

Contact: A game where you use a music playlist and tarot cards to play through a story about trying to make contact with aliens. I think the idea is that the songs contain encoded messages from the aliens, which is a neat reversal of the Voyager Golden Record. By j strautman.

Tangled Blessings: This is a solo dark fantasy game set in a magic school. It’s a solo/duet game, building on Anamnesis by Sam Leigh. You explore the secrets of this weird school while dealing with a rival who’s making your life difficult. Designed by Cassi Mothwin.

Strike Force Omega: This is LUMEN game about science-fantasy supersoldiers coming back for one last stand, defending their homes in a time of war. By Chris Longhurst, designer of See Issue X and Pigsmoke.

Thirty Foes  (OR Once again, we are defeated): In a similar premise, but much more focused on the drama rather than tactics, this is Seven Samurai but cosmic cowboys. They sling cosmic power and defend against bandits. And they’re probably going to die. From Rat Wave Game House.

Thief and Druid: Two games from Stéphanie Dusablon. Both are solo games with an optional journaling element. Thief uses the Push system and Druid uses the Firelights system. I’m not sure if this is a series that will expand to all the D&D classes but it’s a neat idea.

Skyrealms: This is a fantasy bestiary, setting, and solo adventure game about three floating islands in the misty heights, full of secrets and strange creatures. It’s from Iko and Armanda Haller. You can also use the bestiary as a colouring book apparently!

In The Blind: This is a sci-fi horror game about working class people trying to do their job and instead facing the darkness of space. This is a free preview and showcases how good Riley Daniels, designer of As The Sun Forever Sets, is at visual design.

Queenless: This is another Firelights game from solo game blog, Croaker RPGs. You play as members of the hive, exploring the world and protecting your home from destruction.

When Prophecy Fails: Nick Wedig makes a game about cultists and what happens when their foreseen apocalypse doesn’t happen. I’ll give you a hint: they often get even more radical. Based on the For the Queen. (PWYW)

The Score: Tin Star Games GM-less storygame where you tell a heist movie in 18 minutes using 18 cards.

SDM: Eternal Return Key: Luka Rejec follows up Ultraviolet Grasslands with a full OSR-style rulset and more weird setting. It has the same much-loved psychadelic vibe from the original and there’s a free art-less version as well.

the city begins to exist: A citybuilding game with some solid prompts. I can always use more citybuilding games! Designed by kay w.

[piratekane]

i got an ask in my email that never showed up in my inbox that was basically looking for book recs and since only one person asked for my opinion and because this was the year i fell back in love with reading, i'm going to do a myspace Top 8 books i loved this year, in no particular order:

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein this is basically a love story. it's a love story and you won't change my mind. i don't mean romantic love except that i mean best friends loving each other to and through the end of the world can be romantic and we should say that more often. because this a book about war and its terrors but it's also the love story between two best friends and what they'll do to get back to each other. it has probably one of my favorite protagonists ever - actually, two of my favorites. Wein tells a devastatingly perfect story and i promise your heart will swell and sink and tie itself into tiny knots. kiss me, hardy! kiss me quick! 5 stars, i cried at the end

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo i was late to the SoC books and boy am i glad i finally showed up to the party. this book was perfection. i immediately fell in love with each crow and spent the whole book screaming that if nina and matthias didn't kiss ASAP that i was going to throw something. i also was yelling about kaz and inez, do not think i was not doing that. kex brekker you deserve love you street rat. @dealanexmachina had to deal with the screaming through this. and i think it's going to be a repeat read in 2024 just so i can experience the care and craftsmanship that went into each character, their nuances, and how it wove perfectly together into kaz's brilliant plan. 5 stars, i immediately read the sequel like a hungry jaugar hunting down a person wearing that calvin klein scent

Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson brando sando is... prolific. and it was overwhelming to jump in, but i started with tress and not any of his other books (a problem i have rectified) and what a bang it was. this book is, in a word, hilarious. the narrator is a fantastical being with an aversion to linear thought and a predilection for hilarity. the humor in this book is unlike any of sandos other work and really shows that he has the ability to stretch. the premise is very clever and very cool and just very fun. tress is brave and smart and that's celebrated, not punished. plus who doesn't love a talking rat? i'm looking forward to his other secret projects 4.5 stars, the narrator is my favorite sando character

Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak okay, this is billed as horror, but i wouldn't really say horror and would lean more into the mystery billing than anything. maybe thriller. and it's outside my usual genre and is definitely more suited to my wife's tastes but she finished this book in three days (and usually takes 3 weeks-to-months to finish books) and when she said i had to read it, i said yes dear and picked it up. i'm glad i did. it's an illustrated mystery and as the author writes in the notes, those who pay attention will be rewarded. the ending was a twist i didn't see coming, like, at all. and it was clever. but once the ending started to unfold it was a mad dash to the finish. 5 stars, my wife recommends this

The Nevernight Chronicles by Jay Kristoff now, i know. this is actually 3 books, not 1. but hear me out - they must all be read. it's nonnegotiable. these books were recommended by tumblr user @fiddleabout and am i so very glad they were. mia is unhinged. there's no other way to put that. the girl is fucking off. her. rocker. and no one in her life is any better. they're all just as freaking crazy. but they're my crazy comfort killers. i went on for hours about mia and ash, to the point that my wife shut the bathroom door in my face because i tried to follow her in there talking about them. this series is bloody and more than once i was like, he can't possibly make this any bloodier but he CAN and i think this book is better for it. found family, check. unhinged teenage protagonist, double check. endless fun, check in triplicate. 4.5 stars, i am never not thinking of ash and her vision of a house on a lake and softness

A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon obviously i read priory first and obviously i loved it but ADoFN was... mind-blowing. maybe because priory enriched the world of ADoFN and i was already familiar with all the intricacies of it (though there was certainly more to learn) but reading this just... the bridging Shannon did, the connections she made between priory and ADoFN and how we ultimately saw the way ADoFN threaded some of the loops we saw closing in priory, it blew my mind. the utter romance of it all, my god. i read this monster book in a single day, i couldn't put it down. i emerged from my ADoFN cocoon like andy samberg in that one SNL skit where he plays a teenager who just woke up. i was changed(TM) 5 stars, i was a changed man

Rule of Wolves by Leigh Bardugo i immediately jumped into the rest of the Leigh's work (i went through SaB first but she's so strong at the end of this Grishaverse) and while i love all my SoC babes, nina was a favorite and honestly i'd recommend both King of Scars and this book. tumblr user fiddleabout was blessed to follow along with my completely unhinged livestream of this book and when (spoiler) zoya and nikolai finally got over themselves and K I S S E D, i put the book down and took a lap. then i picked it up and screamed again as nina's arc unfolded. 5 stars, i have a lot of thoughts about the kind of man nikolai is (peg)

The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi by S.A. Chakraborty i'm a bit of a sucker for a pirate book. even more of a sucker about a woman pirate, and amina is a woman pirate of the highest caliber. this book is either intentionally funny or unintentionally hilarious. amina's biggest flaw is that she's constantly ogling her demon ex-husband's cute butt - honest to god. otherwise, she's perfection. badass, scrappy, jacked. amina is all of those things and then some. so she has a bit of a past that winds up coming back to bite her in the ass and then she's thrust back onto a ship where she has to chase down an old crewmate's daughter - can you blame a girl for being the most kickass pirate in all of the seas? no! should you? absolutely not! just let amina live out her life ogling ass and sailing leisurely, please. 4.5 stars, i want to sail on amina's ship even though i'm afraid of boats. and the ocean. and things living in the ocean. and generally the water.

( ͡❛ ᴗ ͡❛)👍 and now you know, cause it's mike's pirate's super short show! ( ͡❛ ᴗ ͡❛)👍

[halfbakedspuds]

Thanks to @orion-lacroix for the tag! I was gonna get to it earlier but... life happened and I forgor.

Eto bleh. Anyways.

(Also I'm writing this while incredibly tired, so I'm sorry if my English isn't up to scratch)

Writeblr Questionaire

How long have you had your Writeblr/writing Tumblr?

I've had this Tumblr account since the beginning of lockdown (March/April 2020 by us) and I created it because of a PM Seymour video. I made like one post that has now been banished to the void, then forgot I even had a Tumblr account until about ¿June/July? last year when a friend of mine brought up the idea of using Tumblr to share her writing, and I decided to do the same.

What's one thing you'd like your mutuals to know about you?

Due to reasons that include but are not limited to me barely having time anymore, I have a tendency to sometimes take a while to reply to people on here.

Don't worry if it takes like a week for me to respond, I'm just like that sometimes.

What's your favourite thing about the Writeblr community?

The amount of people who are infinitely more skilled than me that I can learn and take inspiration from.

Which WIPs or Writing Projects have you been Noodling about recently?

I've had a few emotional scenes for the Tempest Prince brewing in my head (plus I have like an hour with nothing to do after every exam I write, so daydreaming it is)

I'm also somewhat noodling for a small game I'm working on as a side project, but that's less story-related and more technical shenanigans at this point.

Do you remember what inspired them/got you started?

Children of the Stars I don't remember exactly what inspired the story aspect, but I know what the setting evolved from. Basically, I was a huge Mass Effect fan in primary school. Actually, I was a fan of Scifi overall but Mass Effect was peak gaming for me back then. Then somewhere along the line I played Bulletstorm and Warhammer 40k: Space Marine, and this half daydream of an Alien Empire locked in an eternal war for survival began to evolve in the back of my head before turning into the first recognisable precursor to Children of the Stars somewhere in late 2021.

Echoes of Shadows was inspired by the game Tails Noir, Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, and a Call of Cthulhu campaign run by a friend of mine way back when.

The Tempest Prince was originally conceived of because my first playthrough of Bloodborne coincided with my first reading of the Percy Jackson books.

Is there anything you'd like to see more of on your dash?

Comics and short stories. Look, I don't have time to read a full length book until, like, November again, so a little episodic escape is a nice way to detox from the crap we need to deal with for these exams.

Name any characters you've created: side characters, protagonists, antagonists, characters who've never been written, the first original abomination you pulled from your rear... whatever you like!

Artemis is a Siberian ARX-11 mechanized shock-drop trooper who was deployed in a conflict so violent that future historians in-universe consider it less of a war than a outright cataclysm.

Quite literally, like the humble sea-turtle: she was born feet first into a hell she never asked for.

She's also one of the incredibly few Androids who not only survived the Fall of Earth, but after her inevitable 'death' by running out of fuel sources, she managed to remain intact for another six hundred years before a Union archaeology team found her and her enclave and managed to restore some of them to working order.

How much time- in your best estimation- do you spend thinking about them?

Outside the story of Children of Strife, this also makes her one of the oldest sentient beings in the known universe and technically the great great grandmother of almost all modern Androids and Biosynths.

It's also rumoured that she helped to raise a child orphaned during the fall of Earth who would grow up to be the military advisor of the first Empress, which technically makes her an important theological figure in the (now dying) Imperial cult.

Yes

Who's the most unhinged?

See, I'd say Adrian from Children of the Stars because he has a tendency to just do shit that makes you worry about his safety, but the thing with him is that he is fully aware of what he's actually capable of and is very cautious to not overstep those limits.

Lyanni, However...

One of Adrian's many nicknames for her is Miragran, which is Callistoan for "Big miracle", because that's what it must've taken for her to have not gotten herself killed yet.

Who comes the most naturally for you to write?

The fact that the answer is Adrian Castellan does not speak kindly about my mental health, does it...

Do you ever cringe at them?

How much control do you have over your characters? Do they ever write themselves, refuse to co-operate or do things you didn't expect? To what extent?

Not really.

Well, except for Adrian being a typical 27th century child who has no conception of sexism/racism/homophobia etc. beyond it being a footnote in a half-forgotten history textbook, which puts him in situations where it takes him a minute or two to realise that someone's being a prick to Lyanni.

I'd say I have relatively decent control over them. With the exception of the Haliday brothers in the Tempest Prince, 'cause they speak the same dialect of English as I do but I need to dial it back a bit because what's understandable for us has moments where it barely looks like English to foreigners.

And every so often I need to go back and un-Saffa their lines a bit because guess what? My dialect is annoyingly insistent on manifesting itself in these characters.

Are some less co-operative than others?

The old version of Adrian's character was really damn uncooperative. Like, he kept feeling like he was sitting on a story that he couldn't tell, and that was why he kept feeling like he was acting wrong no matter what I wrote him doing.

His current iteration tells that story in a way, and that element of tragedy playing into who he is has made him a lot more co-operative.

When someone asks the dreaded "What do you write about?" question, what do you usually say?

See, most people who know that I write are either close friends who already know what I write, or don't care enough to ask.

My grandmother, however, did ask the one time. That was also the day I realised that I know absolutely no scifi terminology in my home language.

Do you enjoy people asking questions about your characters and do you have a preferred way of receiving said questions?

Listen, if you wrote the question as a note, folded it into a paper airplane and threw it through my window, I'd firstly be very concerned about how in the nine hells you figured out where I live, then I'd be utterly ecstatic for the rest of the day because someone asked me a question.

I keep all my socials separate, though, so if you have any questions then asks, comments, and reblogs on Tumblr are pretty much the only way to go.

What makes you follow another Writeblr account? Do you follow them as you see them? Scope them out first to make sure you align with its content? Or do you follow based on WIPs or vibes?

Imma be honest there are like two people on here whom I followed simply because I know them IRL, and like three total writeblrs whom I followed first.

Everyone else followed me and I said "Ey, sha'p," before following back.

Do you interact with non-mutuals often?

I try to.

Do your mutuals' OCs occupy a space in your Noodle?

Absolutely!

No pressure tag for @honeybewrites and @thatoneterrariaplayers-vault,

[saintvainglorious]

Fics I Enjoyed in September & October

Includes 10 fics from the following fandoms: Black Sails, Captive Prince, DC Comics, Harry Potter, Star Wars

Compromising by samvelg Star Wars | Gen | 13k | Not Rated

Five times Admiral Piett misunderstands the nature of Luke and Vader's relationship, and the one time he doesn't.

Paternal Relations by willowcrowned/@willowcrowned Star Wars | Gen | 1k | Teen & Up

“No,” Vader says, “I am your father.” Every bit of the pain, the terror, and the rage that have been flooding Luke’s senses is completely drowned out by utter confusion. What, he thinks, the fuck. Then, a sinking feeling completely overtakes him. The Force is telling him the truth of Vader’s words— he can feel them resonating, falling along invisible threads and weaving their way through his being— but there’s something not quite right about them. Vader is his father, at least technically, but there’s something he’s missing, something that he— Oh shit, Luke thinks, Vader is my dad’s ex-husband.

What Lurks in the Dark by DragonflyBreak Star Wars | Gen | 155k | Teen & Up | Part 1 of Along a Different Path

A simple mission to check out an abandoned weapons factory turns into a dangerous fight for survival. Trust is broken, loyalties will be tested, and dark secrets are brought to light. Because sooner or later, the truth always comes out.

Lovefool by Kittendiamore Captive Prince | Damen/Laurent | 5k | General Audiences

It starts, embarrassingly enough, with an ad from Craigslist: "I’m a 21 y.o art student (male), writing a thesis on the relationship between performance and the awareness of the audience. You don’t care about that. I’m an actor offering to give you the most dramatic night of your life. I’ll be your date to any event/function/family gathering, and convince your friends/family members that I’m either: the biggest mistake of your life or the best thing that ever happened to you. Up to you. I’m very good at what I do."

all this and heaven too by spinawren/@wrenaspun Captive Prince | Damen/Laurent | 15k | Mature | Part 1 of selkieverse

Laurent felt his mouth twist. “You want me to stay, but not enough to do anything about it.” Damen’s expression softened. “I wouldn’t make you stay,” he said, “for the world.” He said, “Laurent, it would be such a sacrifice.”

we shall be free; we shall find peace by mediant/@blorb-el DC Comics | Clark Kent/Bruce Wayne | 36k (WIP) | Mature

Clark has accepted what it means to be Lex's prisoner - the pain of the Green, the experiments, the hands on it. The long years buried in its containment cell, let out only to act as Lex's weapon, as Lex's tool. It had fought back at first, but years have ground it down and away to almost nothing. Then Lex hands it a baby. And Clark realizes that while it may have hurt humans, and lied about what it is, and it may deserve to be locked away - Kon deserves to be free.

thieves by Ajaxthegreat Black Sails | James Flint/Charles Vane | 4k (WIP) | Explicit

“I’m not averse,” Vane says, and Flint marvels at it: his ability to be so entirely straightforward, his total lack of shame or subtext.

Theories of Magic and Mind by M_Leigh/@morgan-leigh Harry Potter | Sirius Black/Remus Lupin | 28k | Teen & Up

“Pensieves are subjective, just like memories are,” Remus continued. “So I can’t just—pull out memories of Hogwarts and play them like films for you to show you exactly what happened. A lot of it is sort of fuzzy and fragmented and it’s not a reliable record of events. But I thought it might be helpful.” Sirius considered the fact that circumspect, reserved Remus Lupin was offering to crack open his mind and let Sirius inside. “All right then.” Memory magic, across three eras.

Light in August by orestesfasting Harry Potter | Sirius Black/Remus Lupin | 21k | Explicit

Summer, 1977. With the full moon approaching, Sirius heads up to the Lupins' countryside cottage to make himself useful. Or to make a complete and utter arse out of himself, because really, that's all he can seem to do around Remus these days.

Born Under Punches by orestesfasting Harry Potter | Sirius Black/Remus Lupin | 13k | Mature

The truth is that he’s kept this love on the back burner of his heart for so many years that he’s grown accustomed to the smell and can sometimes almost ignore it completely. He likes to think he’s made peace with the fact that he’ll never know what it tastes like.

Frog and Toad Aren't Friends Anymore by swordfishtrombones Harry Potter | Sirius Black/Remus Lupin | 10k | Mature

“Is this really all because I wouldn’t live with you?” Remus is still feeling a little fuzzy, but he’s beginning to get chilly and fed up, and he wants to be on common ground. “Some people just aren’t good flatmates. I wasn’t trying to say I liked Adrian and Mary better than you, or whatever you’re thinking.” Sirius runs a hand through his hair and squints at the streetlight, twisting his mouth like Remus is truly hopeless. “It hurt,” says Sirius, “my feelings.”

[ghostbusterscantcatchme]

Hey!!! I wanted to ask what fandoms you're in? I think I know of a few, but I would love to see how many we have in common! I hope you're having a great day/night wherever you are <3

EVA!!!!!!!! HI !

I have so so many fandoms so here's a list of the ones I can think of right now. Not super active in all of them but, I do think about them a lot.

- Star Wars (currently rewatching all of the films and the clones wars in chronological order, Rogue One and Andor are my favourites though)

- DC (Batgirls, Teen Titans 2003, and Young Justice 1998 are my top comics but i’m slowly working my way through most of pre-crisis, also have watched Titans (netflix) and loved it (Brenton Thwaites did an amazing job of Dick Grayson))

- The Maze Runner (i could talk about the books and films for literal hours and never don’t think about them. my roman empire)

- Marvel (mainly mcu but also the ms marvel comics (Kamala is everything to me), also i watched the Hawkeye finale on xmas eve because its THE Christmas show to me)

- both Percy Jackson and Hero’s of Olympus of course (also Magnus Chase)

- Grishaverse (leigh bardugo is life)

- The Raven Cycle (everything about them i'm in love with and the writing is such an inspiration for me)

- Half Bad: the Bastard Son and the Devil Himself (all time favourite tv show, so mad it was cancelled)

- The Manifold Worlds by Foz Meadows (pretty sure the fandom consists of me and the author of the single fic on ao3)

- Outer Banks (it’s summer here so i’m thinking about them a lot, and also you were literally my motivation for finishing s3)

- the Hunger Games (ballad of songbirds and snakes is such a masterpiece and has transported me back to my hunger games self)

- the magnus archives (was really active last year but not so much anymore)

- a good girls guide to murder (I'm so excited for the show)

[storieschats]

Fourth Wing Book 1 Update 3

Where I am: Page 324 of 516

She and Xander met her mother on the stairs on their way to flying together, they kissed and now they're training together.

What I think so far: I like it!

Positive points:

Ok now more and more the fact that the characters around her are starting to have more defined personalities and more concrete arcs makes it so that I'm starting to have more people to root for xd which helps the story a lot. Liam is great, Rioc is great, Rhi is the best!!! And they add a lot of colour to the story!

 There's clearly a secret sort of rebellion going on here which I find interesting. Was his father, who was the great traitor, good or bad? Is her mother evil? I bet that's what it is, a bit ugh, I think it would be cooler if her mother was bad but not evil, but I don't see any luck. Anyway, I find this part of the story interesting.

All the dragons' lines are absolutely brilliant 10 out of 10.

Negative points:

Yeah oh the dragons are ya know so we are too ya know is very strange. Why write that?! We already had enough “oh attraction is so great I can't think of anything else I can't even hate him” there was no need to add all this crepyness ugh it's horrible. It's like human animals I don't know, not sexy to me ahahah. (Note from future me: I was talking about the scene where the dragons are having fun and Violet comes across Xaden smoking and they kiss.)

Ugh Violence Violet is my new fragile! I got it! Ah ah ah so funny...not.

I feel like we mentioned that this was a kingdom for the first time on page 200 or so xd, which ok I guess, I just find it funny the assumption that I know this is like a “normal fantasy kingdom” and that it doesn't even need to be said. And I still don't quite understand how the whole thing is run. What are these generals doing in recruit schools, guys don't have anything to do in the war?!!! Like some, ok, but all! Like general go generaling to war guys. Basically this school looks like the centre of government with the exception that the king is somewhere?! Where is the king? Is anyone with him?! Or is everyone in this one super exclusive school in the kingdom?! Anyway tasy is a bit all over the place.

Stars I'd give: 3 stars

What I think will happen: Her mother is the bad guy, maybe even her sister only her father and her brother are the good guys in the family! The rebellion is good, which ok I understand because frankly these people run the kingdom in a frankly stupid way. I hate Dairn, reading people's memories without permission, what a jackass, and by the way I bet he's a spy who's supposed to be watching what the marked ones or whatever they're called do. Her signet, which hasn't been revealed yet, I bet will be something to do with light, luminosity something like that! In which case uhm boy general who manipulates shadows falls in love with ultra special girl who manipulates light Leigh Bardugo (Shadow and Bone writer) come get your royalties my girl, you're being robbed xd.

[hesbuckcompton-baby]

[tag game] get to know me

Thanks for the tag @xxluckystrike - love you, Blu! <3

name(s): helena! I'm no longer fussed about the pronunciation, I swear I've heard every iteration that is humanly possible. (it's phonetic. work it out people)

pronouns: she/her

star sign: libra

# of siblings & fun facts about them (if you have any): I have one sibling and we're super close. I'm a few years older than them and as such have successfully indoctrinated them into loads of my interests, and we love watching period dramas together - especially ones for 'old ladies' like Downton Abbey and Call the Midwife

# of pets & their names: I don't have any pets anymore, but I used to have 2 ginger cats - they were brothers named George and Jasper

fandoms: SOOOO many so I'm gonna have to shortlist - HBO War, A Song of Ice and Fire/Game of Thrones/House of The Dragon, The Terror, Star Wars, Shadow and Bone/Six of Crows, Ted Lasso, BBC Ghosts, Doctor Who, Lord of The Rings/The Hobbit, and about a hundred different period dramas

favorite color: green!

favorite song: I think I'll have to go with I Know The End by Phoebe Bridgers - literally nothing hits quite like it

favorite author (of anything readable-- books, fanfics, zines, webtoons, whatever!): Leigh Bardugo is the author I've read the most of, but I also really love Taylor Jenkins Reid, her characters and writing style are really easy to engage with. I'm really getting into R.F. Kuang's books at the moment, as I'm currently reading the second book in the Poppy War trilogy.

hobbies: writing is ofc a big one, but I've always really loved art too! I've been acrylic painting for about ten years, which has enabled me to develop my skills in a way I'm really proud of, and I've recently started doing digital art too. I'm still trying to find my footing with that, and it'll take a lot of practice, but hopefully someday I might draw something good enough to post

favorite fic type: I love angst and fluff equally, it's all dependent on the character(s) I'm reading about or the mood I'm in tbh

favorite holiday: Christmas!!! I'm a Christmas girlie until I die, nothing else comes close

do you have any partner(s)? (romantic, qpp, anything!): nope

fun facts about you / anything extra you wanna share!: Wasn't sure if I should include music under fandoms, but it's a huge part of my life, so I thought I'd ramble about it here. My favourite artists are Hozier, Florence + The Machine, Phoebe Bridgers/Boygenius, and Taylor Swift (Who I'm going to see live this summer!). But I listen to music almost constantly, I literally can't do anything without it, whether I'm writing, working, or just walking around, music is an absolute life-saver to me

Tagging: @basilone @latibvles @dcyllom @trenchenjoyer @educationalporpoises @footprintsinthesxnd

[queenmelancholy]

Illustration by Jimmy Liao. In graphic novel The Moon Forgets. 

INTRO POST

Hi! Nice to meet you on here and thanks for stopping by :)

My blog:

Original posts about Thomas Barrow (he got me here)

Reblogs of the things I like (see lists after the break line)

Personal rambles

Me: I’m 26, from Hong Kong. INTP 5w4. In real life, I’m working towards becoming an architect (which makes me a bit tired). But part of me only ever wanted to live in a lakeside cottage surrounded by trees and spirits. So for now, I guess this is the place to unleash my inner demons every now and then. Hope you find something here that resonates with you~

My interests: Cinema, music, art, history, psychology, science, and philosophy

My languages: I can read English, traditional and simplified Chinese, and a bit of Japanese. I speak Cantonese, English, and Mandarin. I sing in Gibberish.

Other notes: My ask box is always open! I have an AO3 account under the same name: QueenMelancholy It’s ok to tag me in tag games or picrew chains XD

You can use whatever pronouns you want to call me. No DNIs here. Just remember to be kind and respectful. 

Finally, things I love that I might reblog:

Favourite films

On self

The Matrix Trilogy

Ghost in the Shell (1995)

Her

A.I. Artificial Intelligence 

Ex Machina

Memento

On ideals 

Star Wars (I-VI)

X-Men (Original Trilogy)

The Dark Knight

Cube

Dead Poets Society

The Legend of 1900 [this one holds a really special place in my heart]

On love

Cinema Paradiso

Arrival

Princess Mononoke

The Corpse Bride

Amélie

Portrait of a Lady on Fire

Favourite TV series

Downton Abbey

Breaking Bad

Succession

Dark

Black Mirror

Westworld

Fullmetal Alchemist 

Neon Genesis Evangelion

Death Note 

Favourite musicals

The Phantom of the Opera 

Les Miserables

Wicked

Notre Dame de Paris 

Favourite books

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

1984 by George Orwell

Lord of the Flies by William Golding

Angels and Demons by Dan Brown

The Stranger (L'Étranger) by Albert Camus

The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger

Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse

The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Rashomon and Other Stories by Ryūnosuke Akutagawa

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

Twilight of the Idols by Friedrich Nietzsche

Favourite characters

Thomas Barrow

Erik (The Phantom)

Credence Barebone

Anakin Skywalker

Batman & Joker

Xavier & Magneto

Favourite soundtracks

Film music collection by Ennio Morricone

“Ice Dance” by Danny Elfman

“On the Nature of Daylight” by Max Richter

“In the Mood for Love” by Shigeru Umebayashi

“Por una Cabeza” by Carlos Gardel

“Floating Museum” & "Nightstalker" by Kenji Kawai

"Palladio" by Karl Jenkins

Les Choristes OST by Bruno Coulais

Downton Abbey OST by John Lunn

Fantastic Beasts OST by James Newton Howard

Succession OST by Nicholas Britell

Favourite songs

“Piano Man” by Billy Joel 

“7 Years” by Lukas Graham

“The Impossible Dream” by Mitch Leigh

“I Want Something Just Like This” by The Chainsmokers and Coldplay 

“What’s Up” by 4 Non Blondes

“Viva Forever” by Spice Girls

“Space Oddity” by David Bowie

“Beautiful in White” by Shane Filan

“The Dark Side of the Moon” album by Pink Floyd

English songs: Coldplay, Adele, Elton John, Nick Drake

Cantopop: Eason Chan, Beyond, Tat Ming Pair, Faye Wong

French songs: Françoise Hardy

That’s it, I think. Thanks for reading this far. 

[lavendarneverlands]

tell me some completely random stuff about you :)

Ooo that’s a good one and once again surprisingly hard😂 as an introvert (despite the fact I’m going to ramble… I always ramble… I’m a little ADD from C-PTSD in case you can’t tell from my pages of chaos😂) — but there’s some random facts right in there. 1. I am an introvert (another reason I love Tumblr over other platforms😂) 2. I love psychology & learning! 3. I’m a huge fan of therapy & advocating for mental health especially in childhood trauma & chronic illness.

It’s also why I love fandoms & books because they have been an incredibly powerful coping mechanism for me & I find it beautiful how much fictional stories can inspire real change.🥹😊

As you can see from my page I’m a HUGE fangirl! … I was lucky enough to be raised in what I consider to be “the golden age of fandoms”: Percy Jackson & the Olympians, Harry Potter (though I do not support LGBTQ discrimination or generally any toxicity within any fan-base), Star Wars, Divergent (RIP my fangirl self… that series wrecked me), Once Upon A Time, anything by Kiera Cass, & everything Leigh Bardugo, Twilight😂 (yes I was that emo teen) & of course Vampire Diaries🤣 I will always be a Marvel nerd (Agent’s of S.H.I.E.L.D. & Agent Carter & WandaVision are forever favorites). I’ve seen every sit-com you could probably think of but here’s some: Gilmore Girls, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, New Girl, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, The Office, Parks and Rec, Brooklyn Nine-Nine. I love history & am an old soul (Downton Abbey was an era of MY LIFE😂); I would happily read Jane Austen anytime. I love poetry & the Brontë sisters, Sylvia Plath, Virginia Woolf, etc.

Pretty much anything artsy; poetry, writing, painting, singing, dancing, acting, design, etc. I kinda hop around hobbies & interests. I almost always have music on (I love Broadway; Hades-town & Hamilton are favs) I am a major Swiftie of course (& I do fit the “stereotype” of LOVING FALL😂 if I could live in combat booties & sweater dresses, survive off pumpkin spice latte’s, & always have rainy weather to curl up with my cat & a book I would) my taste can be all over the place (I can pretty much find something to enjoy in anything) Conan Gray, Olivia Rodrigo, Chapell Roan, Maisie Peters, Sabrina Carpenter, lorde, Ashe, Lizzo, Lana Del Rey, Gracie Abrams, Lizzy McAlpine, Aaron Dessner, Avery Lynch, Billie Marten, Clairo, Delaney Bailey, Em Beihold, Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus, boygenius, Mitski, Laufey, AJR, Billie Eilish, FINNEAS, Hozier, Shawn Mendes, Adele, Paris Paloma… this list could go on forever.😂

I have horrible insomnia but it’s my secret weapon when it comes to work, school, family & friends, + having seen/read as much as I have.😅😂🤣

I am mostly fluent in sign language & sarcasm … I use both often🤣

I LOVE ANIMALS! I am obsessed with my pets! If I could run an animal shelter out of my home I would.

The true joy of my life (that anyone who knows me knows) is my little siblings, being their big sister is the greatest honor of my existence + my nieces/nephews are the coolest little humans & being aunt/nanny is my dream job always.😊🥰

[akela-nakamura]

I, M, and R for the latest fanfic game

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

Oh gods. So many. I'm a sucker for found family, I love a good Everyone Lives/No one Dies fic, which tend to go with the Fix Its I read. Time travel fics can be hard to write, but I love a character getting YEETED back and going "Fuck it, I'm fixing it all, and all of you are along for the ride, DEAL WITH IT."

I enjoy platonic Omegverse, and the family explorations that can happen from it, and the way the dynamics can change things and the world around them.

I deeply enjoy things with world building, and taking bits of things from canon and expanding on them to flesh out the world, and ask: But what if they used this thing they never talked about again?

This is both reading and writing, btw. There's def more, but we'd be here all night lmao. M: Got any premises on the back burner that you’d care to share?

Stares at the WIPs in my drive. Oh boy. I've talked about a lot of them before, and this fandom tends to SPAWN new WIPs when I'm not looking lmao.

I VERY much want to get back to Jason Sees Dead People (and a ghost cat adopts him) WIP, but I really need to get what I've currently got updating done first lmao. Then there's the Dad!Dick fic, the Ellie Possesses Steph one, and more I'm probably forgetting. I've got a LOT on the plate, including Bang fics I can't talk about yet :P

So we've got a lot coming yet!! I'm hoping to finish at least one of my longfics up over the coming winter, so I hope y'all will see some of these fics in the near future!! R: Are there any writers (fanfic or otherwise) you consider an influence?

!! SO. As far as published authors go, I REALLY love Maggie Stiefvater, author of The Raven Cycle. The way she describes things AUGH. A LOT of the lines of those books live rent free in my head. ("What do you want, Adam?" "To feel awake when my eyes are open." And Ronan was all that was left: molten eyes and a smile made for war.

Rags to riches isn't a story anyone wants to hear until it's over.

If you never saw stars, candles were enough.

"Is it safe?" "Safe as life."

"Oh! Your hands are so cold." "I've been dead for seven years, that's as warm as they get."

Depending on where you began the story, it was about Noah Czerny.)

I just love it so much. Definite goals.

For fanfic writers? Blackkat is a BEAST. The amount of fic she's written, and the size of some of those fics?? Holy HELL. I very much think I've been influenced a lot by her style. She's very good, and if I can write half the fics she has, I'll be doing something right.

I also think I've been influenced by Leigh Bardugo and Rick Riordan.

PLUS there's ALL These amazing authors in DPxDC?? Like so many. I know I admire how much work you put into research and worldbuilding, I deeply enjoy TourettesDog's ability to create environments, SummersSixEcho's interplay of characters, Chromatographic's headcanons and what ifs?, not to meant Cielle's dedication to a HUGE casefic--and there's so many more.

SO many good authors, so little time, and I feel I pick up influence from a lot them. Little turns of phrases, headcanons or interpretations of canon I hadn't thought of/see in a new light.

There's also some Fairy Tail writers I took influence from, wayyyyyy back when lol. I'd have to go digging through to remember all their usernames lol. But I do know Lonestorm and I did some collabing.

There's so many people who got me here. Thanks y'all <3

Fic Ask Game

[jaredxenoengage]

Despite my mix feelings on Three Houses, there is still plenty to enjoy about it. Happy 5th anniversary!

My favorite will always be the Blue Lions.

Flayn is precious to me. Mercedes is best girl.

Barbossa is my favorite class in Three Houses (design wise).

Marianne is brings me joy and is my second favorite 3H character.

Crusher is the best Heroes Relic (and Thyrsus).

Blue Lions is best route.

I hate the TWSITD and think the Four Hounds from Engage are better than them.

Edelgard is a poor protagonist IMO, and is better as an antagonist.

My favorite part of Part 1, Byleth’s awakening.

Favorite Blue Lion’s moment? Dimitri’s redemption.

Favorite Verdant Wind moment? The fight against Nemesis.

Favorite Silver Snow moment? Edelgard’s final death is better handled here than in Verdant Wind.

Favorite Crimson Flower moment? …ummmmm… Rhea’s rage if you kill Seteth and Flayn… I guess. At least because Cherami Leigh killed it.

Speaking of which, Cherami Leigh and Chris Hackney (Dimitri’s VA) are the MVPs of the cast.

Favorite chapters? Chapter 17 of Azure Moon. Chapter 8 of part 1 (The Battle (not War) of the Eagle and Lion). Chapter 17 of Crimson Flower (ironically) and the final chapter of Verdant Wind.

Favorite House? Wasn’t it obvious.

Favorite OST: GOD SHATTERING STAR!

Least favorite House: Black Eagles.

Favorite Route: You already know.

Least favorite: Crimson Flower.

Favorite Ashen Wolf: Constance when not under the sun.

Favorite Golden Deer: Marianne

Favorite Black Eagle:…I am Ferdinand Von Aegir (R.I.P. Billy Kametz), if not him, then Hubert (surprisingly enough).

Favorite Blue Lion: if not Dimitri, then definitely Mercedes.

Least favorite Ashen Wolf: Don’t have one. Except Constance under the sun.

Least favorite Golden Deer: Leonie

Least favorite Blue Lions: Ingrid (but I do not hate her at all).

Least favorite Black Eagles: a tie between Dorothea and Bernadetta (though I lean towards Dorothea more).

Favorite Chruch/Staff: Seteth and Flayn

Least favorite Church/Staff: Manuela

Favorite character overall: Dimitri

Least favorite characters: TWSITD! And Bernadetta and Dorothea.

Favorite Class: Barbarossa (Claude’s exclusive class)

Least favorite: Mortal Savant (a shame, because it’s a good design overall).

Opinion on Byleth: It took Engage for me to like him. Let that tell you something.

Overall opinion on Three Houses: I think it’s a good game. And I can see why people like over Engage. I just think it’s overrated in many ways. And IMO, Engage’s story is far more interesting and bearable than Crimson Flower was. Regardless, I still hold this game and most of the characters in Fòdlan close to my heart.