#One day i'll draw your god of wild au | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

thescarletnargacuga · 6 months ago

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SHADOW PUPPET

PART 4 OF THE UNSEEN SERIES: A HARLEQUIN AU FANFICTION

Harlequin AU credit: @tadc-harlequin-au @iamespecter

Shadowblade is my OC and NOT CANON

Featuring MOTSI, OC by @paper-fowl

WARNING: swearing, nightmare imagery, PTSD

~~~

"OW! Are you sure you know what you're doing!?" Jax loudly complained as Pomni mended a crack in his arm.

"I'm not Caine, shithead. You're lucky I'm even attempting this. Now shut up, so I can concentrate." Pomni focused her energy into the mending tool, slowly soldering Jax's wound closed. It was messy, but at least his inner workings were no longer exposed.

They sat with Shadowblade in the middle of the ruined warehouse where their epic battle with the silver beast ended. The beast's body laid headless, purple fluid congealing around it. Jax was badly wounded from using a powerful energy attack that finished the beast off. He could still fight if he had to, but energy was out of the question until he had more rest. Pomni wasn't too bad off, the only serious thing was some shrapnel in her left leg. Shadowblade needed serious repair, the giant dragonesque puppet had gone into shutdown and was unresponsive.

The sky was still dark. It was hours before dawn. Pomni had her mask to help her see in the dark while she attempted minor repairs. Jax bared the pain of the unprofessional work by occupying himself with conversation.

"Hey, is your pet going to live?" Jax nodded to Shadowblade.

"They better, or getting back home will be a bitch. I don't want to deal with you more than I have to." Pomni commented sarcastically to distract herself from her worry over Shadowblade.

"Ditto." Jax deadpanned. "You gonna call your boyfriend for help? They're pretty messed up." He looked over Shadowblade's torn torso and wings. If he hadn't arrived when he did, they would likely be dead.

"He's not my boyfriend." Pomni grumbled. "But, yes, I'll have to call him. Shadowblade's damage is too severe for me to even attempt to fix. We're going to be here for a bit. Even with his blink, I don't think he could get here faster than we did, and it still took us a whole day."

Jax rolled his eyes. "I told you we'd end up stuck here. Why don't you-.... Uh....why don't..." Jax collapsed.

"Jax??" Pomni put down the tool and double checked what she did, seeing if she damaged him in a way that would make him fall over. "Jax! Wake up! That's not funny! We need to-!!!!" Pomni felt it. An overpowering aura that made the air feel dense. She could sense the direction it was coming from but couldn't see anything yet. She instinctually reached for her sword, but her hand shook too much to unsheathe it. She couldn't stand, her body refused to move from its kneeling position on the floor.

Thunk.

Rhythmic tapping of a heavy metal cane echoed from the far end of the warehouse. Pomni's eyes went wide with panic. Not him. Not now. Please, if there is a god...

Thunk.

A towering, suited humanoid figure emerged from the darkness, within range of Pomni's night vision. The seven foot, bullhorn-head puppet walked slowly but with purpose. He was going straight for the silver beast.

Pomni hyperventilated. The Patriarch was going to kill her. She was defenseless and miles from Caine. She internally cursed herself for not even being able to draw her sword. She watched the imposing figure hold the end of his cane to the silver beast's chest. Firey red energy blazed down the cane and made the end white hot, burning through the beast's armor.

The Patriarch cut a hole over the beast's core with one circling movement of his cane, then held his hand out as though expecting something to be dropped into it. The purple crystal within the beast's chest cracked and shifted out of place before the very core of it shot out and landed in the Patriarch's palm. He closed his fist and pocketed the crystal before slowly turning his head to Pomni.

Pomni gasped, her heart going wild with fear. Everything inside of her screamed to run, but she fought it to stay with Jax and Shadowblade. Even under distress, she would not abandon them.

Thunk.

The Patriarch approached calmly, completely unbothered by anything around him. Then, in a burst of fast forwarded motion, he was directly in front of Pomni, staring down at her.

Pomni would have screamed if she could breathe. Instead, she scrambled backwards; managing to find the strength to back away, at least until she was against Shadowblade. She stared into the Patriarch's single bright red eye, knowing it would be the last thing she would see before the void.

"You have something I want." He held out his hand. His voice clear and derisive, but with a threatening undertone.

Pomni put her arms out against Shadowblade, covering their exposed core like she could stop him from harvesting it too.

Instead, an object in Pomni's vest jumped, drawn in by the Patriarch's telekinesis. She tried to hold it down, but the journal from the basement safe flew away from her and into the Patriarch's waiting hand.

"Thank you." The Patriarch gripped the journal and turned to leave.

Thunk.

Pomni's mind raced as she stared into the back of the Patriarch for as long as she could see him, half expecting him to turn around and put his cane through her heart. The air still felt oppressive even after he was long out of sight. She felt like she was holding her breath for eternity when it finally stopped. She gasped and held herself as she trembled against Shadowblade.

Jax groaned. "Fuuuuck, my head...what happened? What did you do to me?" He sat up, rubbing his head. His chest felt weird as well, like his soul had been disconnected from his body before coming back suddenly. He saw Pomni curled up against Shadowblade with a thousand yard stare. "Hello, I asked you a question."

Pomni didn't respond.

Jax got himself to his feet and dragged his tired frame over to her. "Pomni?"

No response.

Jax has never seen her like this. Something spooked the Harlequin into silence and it was freaking him out. They couldn't wait any longer for reinforcements. He extended his arm to reach into the saddle bag. He rummaged around until he found a communicator. They were outside of radio range, but the distress beacons were detected by the W.A.C.K.Y watch no matter where they were. He activated the beacon and sat next to Pomni. For once, he was fine with the silence. He didn't know what to say anyway.

Caine was roused from sleep by a pinging noise from his watch. "Huh..?" His vision swam as he struggled to focus on the noise. "Wha-.. woah!" He rolled off the bed, nearly hitting his head on the nightstand on the way down. He groaned and searched his pocket. His watch continued to ping loudly and a distress marker was lit up in the City of Gears. He got to his feet and hastily grabbed his things. He was about to start blinking when Gangle and Ragatha came in.

"Caine! What are you doing out of bed??" Ragatha fussed.

"Pomni's activated her distress beacon. I need to go." He tried to blink outside but his heart lurched from the overexertion, causing him pain. He grunted, clutching his chest.

"Absolutely not! You're in no state to travel." Ragatha put her foot down, trying to guide Caine back to bed.

"Unhand me!" Caine pulled away, stumbling into the bed post. "Pomni's in trouble!"

"Then we'll send others!" Ragatha argued, scared for his well-being.

"No...no... You won't get there fast enough. None of you can...oh god." Fear gripped Caine soul. He barely felt strong enough to stand, let alone blink all the way to the City of Gears. He cursed himself for holding on to the void for too long. Now Pomni needed him and he couldn't get to her.

"I'll take you." Gangle said quietly when there was a silent pause between Caine and Ragatha.

The two looked at Gangle, surprised. Caine steadied himself. "Have you learned to blink?"

"No...but I am more comfortable with my soul magic and I....can fly."

"Since when??" Ragatha gaped.

"Not long. I figured out I could do it when one of Kinger's stick bugs wouldn't come down out of a tree. Next thing I knew I was floating." She giggled lightly. "Caine, If you need to get to the City of Gears, I will take you as fast as I can."

Caine put a grateful hand on Gangle's shoulder. "Thank you. We need to leave immediately. Grab anything you may need."

Gangle swept out of the room and Caine double checked his pockets for tools. Ragatha sighed. "It's going to be dangerous. You're so low on energy, you're stumbling around like you've been drinking all night. Let me go with Gangle. Let us handle whatever's got Pomni down."

"With all due respect, if Pomni has activated her distress beacon, you wouldn't be able to handle what made her do it. She and Jax, and possibly Shadowblade, could all be downed. They'll need an expert healer. I can rest on the flight there. By the end I should have enough energy to at least help them, even fight if I must. Try not to worry." Caine adjusted his coat on his shoulders, as ready to go as he could be.

"Impossible, I'm afraid. Everyone here has come to mean a lot to me. Including you. Please, don't push your soul too hard. It can only take so much. I'm sorry if I'm being overbearing, I just...."

"You're a wonderful friend, Ragatha. The world needs more people like you. I'll be careful." Caine reassured.

Ragatha nodded solemnly. "That's all I ask...oh, before I forget, I found some information on the crystal that I think you'll want to know." She took the fragments out of her pocket. "This is piezoelectric quartz. It's used as a power source for marionettes. It comes in a variety of colors, but they all generally come from the same place. The City of Power."

Caine remembered what the Master said about the existence of a D.I.E in Shadowblade. "Within...oh my god."

"What?" Ragatha asked.

"That's how he did it. The rat bastard fused a D.I.E with a large marionette's power source and then used a charm to maintain control. The process required to do such a thing.... I'm sick just thinking of it." He gripped his cane hard.

"Who...?" Ragatha stood confused.

"I spoke with the foul soul responsible for Shadowblade. Why do you think I'm so tired?"

Ragatha took the reformed control charm with S.B's initials out of her pocket. "Here. I don't know if it'll be of anymore use, but you should have it."

Caine took it as Gangle rushed back into the room, wearing a small cross body bag. "I'm ready!"

"Let's go then." Caine turned on his heel, marching to the door. "Hold down the fort, Ragatha."

Gangle and Caine went outside, where the sky was showing only the slightest bit of light from dawns approach. Gangle nervously held her arms out. "I, um...have to carry you."

Caine jumped into her arms without question, eager to get going. Gangle securely wrapped her ribbons around Caine legs and torso, carrying him as though he were her bride. She was the only one even slightly embarrassed.

Gangle focused on the gentle breeze lazily wafting by. A silvery glow emanated from her heart, traveling down the ribbons she stood upon. The wind rushed around with force, becoming gale force in an instant. Gangle's ribbons caught the air and gained lift. Caine watched with fascination as they rose from the ground. Gangle leaned forward and she started flying quickly, due east.

"Well I'll be dipped. You're soul magic uses the wind! That's incredible!"

"Heh, thank you." Gangle smiled with a tiny blush.

"Now we just need to find someone who can influence water, and we can make our own weather." Caine joked.

Birds chirping in hazey morning light gently stirred Shadowblade. They were in a comfortable human bed, wrapped in warm blankets. The smell of food in the air.

Shadowblade sat up, feeling very light and strange, their body not moving in a way they were used to. Removing the blankets, they saw a fair skinned human hand. They gasp. Two hands. Dainty and young.

Slowly, they get out of bed, standing on two legs. They look down, lifting their long nightshirt to see two human feet. Ten toes. Cold against the hardwood floor. They take a step forward. Then another. They balanced as though they had been walking on two legs their whole life.

Shadowblade looked around the room. It was small; only a bed, small vanity and wardrobe. The sunlight pouring in from the window gave everything a warm glow. They go the vanity. A crystal clear mirror reflects their chest as their head stood just out of its sight.

Shadowblade's hand shook as they reached for the top of the mirror. They tilted it...to see a young woman wearing a bonnet staring back. Shadowblade touches the human face, staring wide eyed at the reflection. The face was that of a young adult woman. Bright hazel eyes. Light freckles dotted pale skin. They grasp the bonnet, pulling it off to reveal long dark red hair that spilled over their shoulders. The hair curled lightly, a bit frizzed in the morning humidity.

Shadowblade touches the hair. The thick locks slide between their human fingers. It was the softest texture they'd ever experienced.

"You awake in there?" An unfamiliar woman's voice called from beyond the bedroom door.

Shadowblade jumped, staring at the door like a startled cat. "Coming, mother!" They said involuntarily. They gasp and clap their hands over their mouth. Their voice was soft, melodious even, like Gangle's.

Their eyes went back to the mirror and they looked different. They wore a simple brown dress and their hair was tied back. They felt compelled to leave the room, so they went out to find "mother".

The house was tiny, a bit ramshackled, but cozy. Floors boards creaked with each step. They only had to turn a corner to see a woman standing at a stove, her back to Shadowblade.

She was humming to herself, stirring a small pot of porridge. Shadowblade approached tentatively, jumping again when the woman looked back at them.

"Good morning, dear! You slept late. Have a seat, breakfast is nearly finished." Mother said with a smile.

Shadowblade sat stiffly as they were served a meager meal of porridge and a slice of bread. They kept their eyes on Mother, not trusting to take their gaze away from a stranger.

"Wh...where...am...I?" Shadowblade said slowly, not knowing their own voice.

Mother sat next to Shadowblade at the table with her own food and gave a warm smile. "You're home, silly. I certainly wouldn't mistake this place for anywhere else."

"I don't... understand...how..?"

"Where else would you go when you are hurting? You've been in a lot of pain for a long time. I'm glad you finally made it back. I've missed you."

Jax eyed the shrapnel in Pomni's left leg. "...you gonna get that?"

Pomni still wasn't responding. She stared emotionless at the floor, lost in a daze.

Jax gripped a piece of metal sticking out of Pomni's leg and yanked it out.

"AH! SON OF A FUCK THAT HURT! WHAT THE HELL!?" Pomni gripped her leg, glaring at Jax.

"There you are." Jax tossed the shrapnel. "What happened to you? You got all weird."

"Nothing." Pomni said stiffly.

"Bullshit."

"I'm not obligated to tell you anything."

"You are if it puts me at risk. I pass out for no reason and then you start acting like scared child?"

Pomni picked at the remaining pieces of shrapnel in her leg, carefully removing them. "You wouldn't understand even if I told you."

"Try me." Jax said firmly.

Pomni locked eyes with Jax in an intense stare for a long moment. "...fine. Are you familiar with an entity referred to as The Patriarch?"

"No."

"I may be the last combat Harlequin, but I am not the only Harlequin. This self proclaimed Patriarch has been following me ever since I defeated Kingr. I've seen him everywhere... I don't know how he gets around so fast."

Jax paused, thinking. "...maybe he isn't real."

Pomni went ridged, looking about as mad as she could be. She pulled the collar holding her bell away from her neck, exposing an ugly scar. "He did this to me, just by LOOKING at me. He's real. I don't know what he wants... Some times he hurts me. Sometimes he doesn't. Nothing and no one can stop him."

"Caine hasn't fixed that?" Jax pointed at Pomni's neck.

"I never take off the bell... He doesn't know about it."

"Damn...what did The Patriarch do this time?"

"He took part of the core of that thing." Pomni pointed at the deceased silver beast. "And he stole the journal. I don't know what he would want with it, but I can't imagine anything good. I'm just glad he didn't take Shadowblade." Pomni looked over her damaged companion.

Silence fell between them once again. The only sound being the soft rhythmic hum of Shadowblade's core. Pomni took off her mask, morning light giving her enough to see.

Gangle zoomed across the sky as fast as she could. Making much better time than expected. Caine took the time to meditate, rejuvenating some of his energy on the flight. His watch pinging louder as they grew close to the City of Gears broke his trance.

"We're here already?" Caine checked his watch.

"I found a jetstream!" Gangle proudly announced. "Where are they?"

"Down there. The warehouse with the big hole in the roof."

Gangle gracefully descended through the roof, bringing the wind with her and kicking up dust. Pomni and Jax were on their feet, expecting a fight. Caine almost blinked to Pomni, but saved his energy. Gangle released him, feeling his anxious squirming.

Caine ran up to Pomni, checking her for injuries. "We came as fast as we could! What happened!?"

Pomni embraced him. "I've never been so happy to see you."

Caine stood stunned, looking to Jax and Shadowblade's body, but gradually hugged her back. "I'm glad you're safe."

Jax avoided looking at the hugging duo. He was more interested in why Gangle was so far away from the manor. "Well, look who decided to leave the manor walls for once. Enjoying your field trip?"

"Indeed, Sir Jax. The air is so fresh up high." Gangle was transfixed a moment, then looked away shyly. " Master Caine needed to get here quickly. So I helped."

"Descending from on high like an angel? That's one way to get my attention." Jax chuckled.

Gangle squeaked. "I didn't- I'm not- oh my..." She hid her face, emotive patterns on her mask changing wildly.

Caine wished Pomni wouldn't let go, this was the most contact he's had with her that didn't involve fighting in a long time. His very soul sang in her presence.

"Shadowblade isn't doing good." Pomni said quietly. "And...he showed up."

Caine's blood ran cold. "The Patriarch?"

Pomni let go of Caine and pointed to the silver beast. "He took the core of that thing that attacked us. I thought he was going to take Shadowblade's too, but he didn't. He just...left. Even thanked me. Condescending bastard."

Caine could see the broken core and blood of the beast. "...the traitorous son."

"Huh?"

"Later. Shadowblade." Caine started evaluating Shadowblade's condition. The torso and an entire wing were torn apart. Heavy damage to the neck as well. They lost a lot of fluid, the core was dim and cracked. "Void preserve me, this is going to take awhile." He puts a hand on Shadowblade's face, drowning at seeing no signs of life.

"You can fix them...right?" Pomni asked with worry in her voice.

"Enough to get them back to the City of Circuits, but even that's going to be hours. You'll want to get comfortable."

Gangle and Jax came close to hear Caine's take on the damage. Gangle gasped, staring right at the core of Shadowblade.

"Oh my goodness...I can see them."

"Yeah, they're kind of hard to miss." Jax snarked.

"No, I mean I can SEE them. They're soul... This creature is a puppet!?"

"Hey, that creature has a name." Pomni glared.

"I-I'm sorry. I never thought-...Poor soul." Gangle stared, transfixed. The energy from the soul escaped through the cracks of the crystal containing it's D.I.E. She read what came through. "You saved them..." She looked at Jax.

"What?" Jax looked behind him, like Gangle could be talking to someone else.

"The last memory they have is you stopping the silver beast from killing them. You're a hero."

Jax blinked. "You know what? We haven't had a chance to secure the perimeter. I'm going for a walk." He turned on his heel and made for a side door outside.

"Jax?" Gangle called after.

"Let him go." Caine said, not looking up from Shadowblade.

"I think I insulted him. I didn't mean to." Gangle said.

Pomni huffed. "I'll have to remember that the next time I don't want him to bother me."

"Am...I...dead?" Shadowblade asked Mother.

"Not in a way that matters." She cryptically responded. "Won't you eat? You need your strength."

Shadowblade looked down at the bowl and considered eating but something blocked out the sun coming through the window. Shadowed mist poured in through every window and under the door and even the cracks. Shadowblade stood so fast, their chair fell over.

Mother didn't react, watching Shadowblade solemnly. "I wish we had more time..."

Shadowblade breathed heavily, they had no means of defense. They were small and weak and fragile as just a human. Ominous mechanical growling came from outside, from all sides of the tiny house. The mist filled the building, choking Shadowblade's throat and stinging their eyes. They fumbled blindly for a door but found nothing. The building they were in was gone. There was only darkness.

A golden light shined down on them. Two large eyes peered from the shadows. Shadowblade ran, but no matter how fast or far they thought they went, they couldn't get away from the eyes watching them. Ever nearer.

They ran until the eyes were on them. A beaked maw large enough to swallow them whole descended upon them. Then, they were the eyes. Feeling tall and powerful...and cold.

The mist dispersed to reveal an unknown battlefield. Human bodies by the hundreds were piled and rotting. Puppets torn to uncountable pieces littered the landscape. They knew this was their doing. They never failed a mission. Obey the Master. Seek and destroy.

Behind the stoic mechanical eyes was horror beyond comprehension. Shadowblade was realizing for the first time the true weight of what they'd done. All those people, humans and puppets alike, dead by their hand. The blood that stained their soul would never wash away.

Caine focused hard on putting all of his energy into healing Shadowblade, mending vital systems first. Pomni stood watch, keeping a com handy if Jax reported something. Gangle sat with her eyes locked on Shadowblade's core, taking in as much information as she could gather.

"Shadowblade is a she..." Gangle commented.

"Do you know her name?" Pomni asked.

"Not yet. Their a lot of memory to sift through and...most of it is as this form. She's been a puppet much longer than she was a human."

"Fucking hell..." Pomni grimaced.

"She fought in the war." Gangle added. "Against her will."

Caine tossed Gangle the charm. "You can thank this for that."

Gangle examined the ruinic stone. "SB... Shadowblade?"

"No, but an amazing coincidence." Caine answered. "Probably why they liked the name to begin with."

Pomni's com came to life with Jax's voice. "Hey, you bonzos wanna see something cool? Go outside, south side of the warehouse, and follow the ramp down."

"Really? You want to look for more trouble?" Caine guffawed. "We're lucky this place isn't swarming with marionettes."

"I'm sure that silver beast over there took care of anything troublesome a long time ago. I need to stretch my legs." Pomni left to go see what Jax wanted to show them.

Gangle stayed, putting a sympathetic hand on Shadowblade. "What will we do when she wakes up?"

"I don't know..." Caine answered honestly. "Figure out how to communicate, that's for sure, but otherwise, I'm not sure what we could do for her."

"Maybe a new body? Like the rest of us?"

"If that's what she wants, but I'll have to figure out how to safely extract the D.I.E from the crystal. This is all unique technology and I don't want to risk severing her soul from the mortal plane."

Gangle frowned, seeing more of Shadowblade's memories and state of mind. "What if she wanted you to do that?"

Caine paused. "Then I would understand." He left it at that.

Pomni met Jax on a subsection of the warehouse. They were in what looked like a massive subway tunnel system, but there were no rails. A tunnel to their left was collapsed, a train buried in the debris. To their right, an open tunnel with an odd looking train intact and waiting for passengers that would never come.

"We need to work on your definition of cool, Jax." Pomni looked around, bored.

"You don't know what these are, do you?" Jax forced open a hatch near the front of the complete train.

Pomni saw writing on the side of the nose of the train. "Mobile Operative Transport, Sector I."

"Exactly! It's a MOTSI! One in good condition, too. These living trains took people back and forth across and to other cities super fast. I rode more than a few in my time. Always fun."

"Living..?"

Jax activated a power stitch in the front car and the train came to life with a loud hum. As it shifted, the front of the train shook debris off its head raising it slightly from the ground. Bright yellow lights shined in Pomni's face.

"Ha! It still works!" Jax cheered. "We just got our ticket out of here."

The MOTSI train was more snake-like now that it was active. A faded white and red paint job was down the entire length of it's body. The hatch Jax had opened shut him inside and the train went off through to the only available opening in front of it.

Pomni stepped aside, avoiding being accidentally crushed against the wall. The movement of the giant train made the earth beneath it rumble. It forces it's way out of the smaller entrance, under Jax's direction, and breaks free of the underground railroad.

All the noise got Caine and Gangle to rush outside, prepared to fight, only to see a massive metal snake coil itself around a building. Jax popped out of the top front section, behind the head, and jumped down. "I got us a ride home. You're welcome." He smirked.

The snake stayed put, watching Jax.

Pomni joined the others. "This is getting ridiculous. Why can't we find any small pets."

"I was about to ask the same thing." Caine stared up at the snake train.

Shadowblade tore at their body. Their claws ripped away armor and spikes and cut into vitals. They tried to speak, only roars and rumbles of anger and agony came out. All they could hear were their own thoughts.

I am not a monster.

I am NOT a monster!

I AM NOT YOUR PUPPET!

I AM ME!!

They dug their claws into their chest. The crystal cracked under their grip. The pain was immense.

YOU DO NOT CONTROL ME ANY MORE!!

Shadowblade roared as mist poured from them. It formed a shadowy silhouette of their form, glaring back with the same golden eyes.

YOU ARE NOT ME!!

Shadowblade crushed their own core. Golden shards fell like stars from their chest. A white light beamed from the center of the crystal, piercing the shadow. It scattered in the harsh light.

I am...me.

Shadowblade's mind felt clearer. More memories came, but they didn't hurt. They flowed freely like a river that had been dammed for too long, washing away the barrier that held them back from feeling human.

Caine went back to Shadowblade alone, the others entertained by their new pet. He was about to continue repairs when a sharp sound from the core for his attention. He watched in amazement as thin black tendrils sprouted from the center of the crystal, forcing their way out through the cracks.

The new flesh wove itself into Shadowblade's inner workings, spreading across the entire body like vines. Shadowblade's eyes slowly brightened as she came to consciousness.

Caine smiled softly, putting a hand on Shadowblade's head. "Welcome back."

Shadowblade rumbled, happy to see a familiar face.

~~~

To be continued...

#the amazing digital circus #tadc #tadc fanfiction #tadc caine #tadc pomni #tadc jax #tadc ragatha #tadc gangle #tadc showtime #tadc ribbun #tadc harlequin au #harlequin au #oc #tw ptsd

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lil--nuggett · 11 months ago

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Hey guys, so if you know Baldur's Gate 3 this is an AU for that with Hardenshipping but it's really fucked up. I will explain why it's fucked up below the cut.

Maxie is a High Half-Elf Warlock (his patron is Groudon), and Archie's a Human Fighter <3

Also I just realized this is the first time you have seen me draw Archie seriously lmao my bad guys I'll try to draw him again soon

I took a ton of inspiration for various things for these designs, including Guile for Archie's armor bc I love Guile sm!!

(More info and our dumb AU lore under here - No BG3 Spoilers I promise <3)

I'm going to tell you this now... this gets really fucking crazy and honest to god I know I'm going to have a hard time explaining this. It WILL be quite long and I WILL be yapping.

This AU is really just something we did on impulse and it's really fun to mess around with, so I'm hoping you all will enjoy the concept as well :)

I'll try to explain it simply as I can. I thank you in advance to all who sit here and read this ily sm if you read it all <3333

Anyways, okay so imagine how one could do a bg3 AU for these two fuckers...

And throw it right out the window because you'll never guess how me and my friend have done it.

The Backstory:

This all started when my friend decided to play BG3 for the first time, and he jokingly said to me "Should I make Maxie our main character??" and I replied "I you want, but I won't force you" and thus BG3 Maxie was created, and his misadventures began.

Now your probably wondering (if you've played the game) what about the guardian?? Who did we make the guardian?? Well, we made Archie the guardian. However, I did not know just how wild this idea would get within the next few days.

So, eventually we realized how crazy the BG3 lore actually is (it's a like fucking DnD campaign idk how we didn't realize this beforehand), and so, we jokingly started our own "AU Lore" that ties in with the BG3 Lore.

If you really want to know, I have an entire note in my notes app dedicated to keeping track of what happens. It is very long.

The Parasite:

Now, if you've played the game or know anything about it, you know about the Mindflayer parasites. Well, one fateful day, me and my friend joked that the Parasite in Maxie's head was this little freak who looks like Archie.

The two have no correlation other than looks, its completely coincidence and it's not a mimic situation. The Parasite "Archie" does nothing but talk nonsense to Maxie all the time, and initially the bit was that he only talked about Fortnite. All because I made the joke that the dream realm in game looked like a fortnite update. By now, that bit has fallen off (thank god), replaced by just general nonsense and lies.

Also he fucking looks like this:

Weird little freak. This is just one of his talk sprites I have, this is just his neutral expression.

So basically it's:

- Maxie was supposed to be on a Geology research trip, but instead he got dragged into the Parasite issue with the rest of the companions. He really just wants to get home to Archie.

I am the one who handles everything for Maxie in this AU, I do his voice, I handle his lore, etc.

- Parasite Archie is this 1 foot tall, neco arc-esque version of Archie that sits on Maxie's shoulder and tells him nonsensical things. He also says Maxie's name wrong, he says Maxie's full first name and pronounces it as "Maximilliam" instead of the "N" at the end. For Maxie it's like handling a toddler but the toddler fights back, doesn't shut up, and threatens your life. He also has a ton of his own lore that my friend continously adds on to, so I can make another post with just the parasite's part of things.

My friend handles everything with the Parasite himself, comes up with the lore, does the voice, etc. I simply keep track of it.

- The "dream visitor" version of Archie is not real either. It's linked to the Parasite in ways that if I get into it, I will spoil a good chunk of the game. Sorry. Just know you can consider this and Parasite Archie kind of as one in the same almost.

- The REAL Archie is still at home, completely unaware of what's happening, while Maxie is fighting for his life. He does miss him, though, and hopes he gets home soon. He and Maxie are only boyfriends, they haven't gotten married yet. (They also haven't been through their rivalry yet, as this all takes place before that happens.)

Sorry for the convoluted yap sesh, I just have more art planned for this stupid AU and- God I cannot possibly just post this shit with no context. Like, I'd have to explain it eventually so I might as well do it now beforehand yk 😭😭

I might do separate posts with our HCs and some silly conversations that have happened between Parasite Archie and Maxie if you guys would want that :)

Also, I do have all of the sessions from where my friend plays the game recorded and I'll be sure to post some clips of what Parasite Archie sounds like eventually, possibly with snippets of my shitty Maxie voice in there as well. You'll get to see the talk sprites in action with that, too.

#nugget's yapping again #apologies in advance to all the bg3 fans who end up seeing this shit im so sorry guys #nugget art!!#GOD THIS IS SO LONH IM SO SORRY GUYS #Parasite Archie #its official #he has his own tag now. god help us.#like i said ill make a separate post about Maxie and Parasite Archie so you can know more about them and their dynamic #hardenshipping #magma leader maxie #aqua leader archie #bg3 #bg3 au

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subway-boss-jericho · 2 months ago

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(threataning with art anon) yes! Rambles! Also you are so incredibly real for imagining all that stuff in different mediums (I have had similar experience) wish I could make a full animated film. That would be So Cool.

And! At one time or another I think I’ve read through the majority of the aus, but you are so right I freaking. Love the Mech AU. And coupled (uncoupled) looks like it would a verrry interesting character study (in like a “I wouldn’t do this but ingo would. Huh” kinda way)

help I’m reading them all again

also! I am here to encourage prattling I love prattling (it gives me more ideas for drawing-)

Hiii hii welcome back thank you for continuing to enable me :D

:D Yayy I'm so thrilled you like them. I never know if people actually think my wild bullshit is interesting or they just follow me for one thing (wheeze) ((Which, to be clear, is still totally fair and valid. No shame)) Of the AUs I've uploaded, I think the one that has gotten disproportionately ignored the worst is Coupled (Uncoupled). I am fucking obsessed with the coupled twins, and you're exactly right on the money there because holy Shit it's Such a character-study-rich situation to put them in. They were my in my top 3 indisputably Favorite AUs for a very long time (along with Steady Tracks and Spirit Keeper as the other two) and while I feel like I'm not super vocal about them they're still extremely high on that metaphorical list.

Realistically I could never actually list my Favorites, for the same reason why I can't really pick favorite pokemon. I like all my AUs for different reasons, so I may like one aspect of a given AU more than a different aspect of a different AU, but actually Ranking them As Favorites would be virtually impossible. Just know that I'm horribly fucking ill about coupled uncoupled more than most of the other smaller ones. Some day I'll vibe check you all so fucking hard with art or animation or writing out of left field that is about them, and then none of yall fucks will ever be normal again /lh /j

Actually. I've been struggling to write a caption for this thing so I can post it for months. Check this out:

I'M SO NORMAL ABOUT THEM.

Slaps top of this guy. He can fit two people's worth of the worst existential socio-emotional crises in him. I love gel pens.

I've decided to keep rambling about whatever the fuck on this topic, but I'm putting a cut here for my sanity:

Anyway! I really did make this AU entirely because I saw a fandom trend and went Whoa! Did we consider The Implications! And then didn't wait for an answer. Considering the implications is actually the Thing I Do the Most as I am writing in general, as any friend of mine can easily confirm. It's how a decent number of my AUs happened. I also have a trend towards either 1. trying to make an AU that doesn't touch on anything I've seen other people doing or 2. is explicitly inspired by what I perceive as trends in the fandom. Coupled Uncoupled is one of the latter, being directly inspired by Diamond Crossing. God I was not normal about diamond crossing. I'm Still Not Normal about diamond crossing.

I'm a HUGE fan of fusion in media, just in general. I don't actually know a whole lot of examples off the top of my head other than steven universe, but fusion as a concept drives me totally crazy. What if you and your friend/best friend/closest ally/rival/enemy/lover/a stranger etc could be the same person through a process so crazy intimate and vulnerable that it forces you to expose your deepest weaknesses, insecurities, emotions and motivations fully and without restraint. Sure I can be normal about that 👍

But yeah coupled uncoupled isn't like, me looking at Diamond Crossing or any other fic for that matter and going "I could do it better/I don't like insert plot point A," it was actually me looking at diamond crossing and going holy FUCK this is the COOLEST SHIT I'VE EVER SEEN. I need to participate in this or I am going to die. Then I came up with a million different ideas of fusion stories I thought would be interesting to tell, identified aforementioned trope of using the b2/w2 DNA splicers as a plot device, and went. ohohohohohohhoohohohoo i could do something silly and fucked up me thinks.

What if fusion was great and cool and awesome and a coping mechanism for a trauma/grief and also not what you thought and also more than you bargained for and also didn't give you the closure you were expecting and ALSO you didn't know how to make it stop.

Fusion as a mistake. Fusion as a regret. Fusion as a character flaw. Fusion as a major conflict (that isn't inherently connoted about?? forms of abuse and toxic relationships?? can we use fusion as a metaphor for other nuanced things too?? pls let me have this /lh)

Anyway their story is extremely complex and just by listing off ^ that I am extremely underselling the level of interwoven conflict and complicated emotional states of all parties involved so please do not misunderstand and think that one of the twins is fucked up and evil. I swear i didn't mischaracterize them that badly 🤣 The main point of the story, just off the top of my head, is actually focused around the theme of vulnerability, conflict resolution, and the strength of relationships founded on communication.

Trying to avoid spoiling The Entire Plot because I really think Coupled (Uncoupled) is going to be my next major fic project but in essence it does get better and this new tool available to them only opens the door for them to be closer than ever before and express care and compassion in new ways unique to them. i might make myself cry if I keep yammering. i care them

God I totally just used your ask as an excuse to go off. I've been doing that every time you send an ask, actually. This is why I love asks. Tysm <3 And I hope you enjoyed reading or if you didn't and TL;DR then basically god i'm so ill about them.

Every day I think about how a friend of mine made an entire animatic for this AU and yet we can't put it anywhere because we both want to remake it digitally. thats going to be one hell of a day when that bombshell drops

Thank you for the ask, and as always thank you for listening!

Coupled (Uncoupled) Masterpost

#Submas #Submas Art #Subway Boss Ingo #Subway Boss Emmet #Emmet #Ingo #Pokemon Ingo #Pokemon Emmet #AUs #Coupled (Uncoupled)#Fusion AU #Ramble #Ask #Anon #Killing Me With Hammers anon #I lied I said I wouldn't reuse that tag/nickname but I'm definitely using it now #everyone say thank you killing me with hammers anonnn

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bruciemilf · 2 years ago

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on something something anon here :DD

-On regency au Jayara

YOU YOU YOU YOU!!!! HOW DARE YOU DO THIS TO ME, I'M GOING INSANE, I'M GOING CRAZY OVER THEM

I've always been a massive fan of royalty love stories for some unknown reason and it imagining these two with that aesthetic makes me go wild, one of my fav stories ever is Cinderella (1950), mainly because the aesthetic is just right!! (mostly it's because I love Cinderella, she deserves the word, my silly willy girl)

Jason hating Yara is funny as hell, this is princess swan on reverse because 1. Jason isn't a cunt who only appreciates women for their beauty, thus he doesn't need that lesson, and 2. They never truly stop hating each other.

their bickering starts loud and iconically, I mean, you can't not go down in history as a badass when you are Yara Flor, the girl who slapped Jason Wayne so hard he went flying through an entire ballroom and hit the biggest bush of flowers, Jason spent the rest of the week spitting flower petals, mostly at her.

Yara deserves to resemble Princess Jasmine (from Alladin) solely because instead of a tiger it's her horse who keeps scaring people away, despite his goofy face. Ironically enough, the moment Jerry and Jason meet they hit off immediately. (Martha was there with them when that happened and in the distance, she could hear Thomas screaming that was a sign he was correct!! they're made for each other)

But it's that delicate soft lonely feeling of silently dancing together in a ballroom that starts to change things (<- delusional Cinderella stan dumbassery)

Bruce always told Jason that if you want people to love you have to love them first, Love them harder, do it dearly, and do it because you care, not because you must. It's hard to understand someone so different as Yara, but he knows that uncomfortable when you have to practice dancing while people are watching, and you're bad at it. So he asks their teacher to let them dance together, alone, and he's whispering to Yara she's doing great because out of the two of them, he's the one who fell on his butt twice. (Yara learned that day it's very hard not to blush when there's a deep voice in your ear calmly telling you're good, you're great at this and you don't need to shy away. She wishes he would have said more)

my god, I have to draw them RIGHT NOW

(I don't want to make this ask bonkers long I'll come back for more later >:3)

YOU'RE GOING INSANE? IM GOING INSANE!!! oh anon how you've blessed me. Bewitched me body and soul.

Yara wasn't forged for grace; she's better with a sword than with a fork. She can't tame her reckless tongue, or her crude jokes, or her atrocious table manners.

She's not dainty and sharp and quietly powerful like one of Jason's paper fantasies;

There's admiration for them, a respect, a desire to see them succeed and flourish, especially when he talks of them with so much passion and fire, but that'll never be her.

She's always been too much; Too loud, too hot headed, too opinionated, too strong-headed, too much like Her to be anything even close to good. She's not poetry.

She's flesh and attitude and stubbornness and she knows, like a truth for the ages, that Jason Todd wouldn't marry her if Cupid shot him twice.

But when they dance together, when big hands carve a perfect hold on her hips, when clever fingers mold her frame almost possessively, Yara thinks, for someone that can't stand her, he sure doesn't touch her like it.

For someone that can't stand her, he's so quick to her side when another lord makes a flirty comment to her.

He's quick to say "disrespect my wife again, and I'll show you war" when lord Luthor won't take her strategic advice because she's young and has no cock for him to measure with.

"Do you think I'd have a bigger cock than him thought?"

Jason braids her hair (he's the only one allowed to touch it) and doesn't even need a second, "Of course"

But is she better? Is she above loudly correcting someone when they say poetry and writing are futile skills and Jason's the one wayne man who won't amount to anything? When she bites his neck so the next time high ladies have something to look at? When she defends his honor? No. Yara isnt

In conclusion; They're idiots in love your honor

#regency au #jayara

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geddy-leesbian · 6 months ago

Text

I was thinking about how Luis was the person who killed Salazar in my Winterserra AU and was looking back at screenshots I took fighting Salazar with a playable Luis mod to feed the brain worms, and it led to me expanding a scene I'd already half written to add something about scars Luis got during that fight :3

Just Ethan being a good fiance and helping Luis in the shower because he's pregnant with their ✨️magic mold baby✨️ and on the struggle bus, a little bit of an argument because Luis is a self sabotaging mess, and them talking it out and hugging because Ethan is hell bent on them being a happy family some day and refuses to let Luis push him away

Still a little shaken up by nearly slipping and wiping out stepping into the tub, Luis grabs the bar on the shower wall to steady himself when Ethan drops to his knees to start scrubbing the grime off of Luis's lower body.

“Ethan? Are you done washing, or..? Not to criticize when you've already done so much for me, but I don't feel clean yet,” Luis eventually asks, after several moments of Ethan just kneeling, not moving the washcloth. Of course his stomach now protrudes out far enough that he can't see Ethan's facial expression, all he can do is take a wild guess about what he's thinking. “I understand if you're getting tired of helping me, you've done more than enough already. You can stop now and go wait for me in the bedroom. I'll figure something out to finish washing up by myself, it'll be fine.”

“Don't worry, I'll go until you're squeaky clean. I just got distracted. God, I can't believe you think I'm the type of guy that would leave his injured, pregnant fiancé alone in the shower trying to figure something out. That's not who I am. When I promised I'd protect you from everything last night, I didn't just mean I'd protect you from the BSAA and any other mad scientists out there that would be interested in the baby. I meant everything, including protecting you from yourself. You already almost slipped getting in, and you definitely would have hurt yourself if I wasn't right there ready to catch you! You're not showering alone, not until you've recovered more,” Luis doesn't argue further, because Ethan has a point. While injured might be a stronger word than Luis would use, even he has to admit that he's not doing well at the moment. Swollen feet and ankles, bruises all over his hips and shoulders from slamming into trees every time he lost his balance. And of course that was all on top of the normal, but no less annoying, aches and pains he was dealing with simply because he was pregnant. Trying to be independent now would only lead to him being even more dependent on Ethan, when he inevitably got himself an injury. “I stopped because I got distracted by the scars on your thighs, I've never really seen them before now. It's always been too dim, or you positioned yourself in a way to hide them. You don't need to do that. I like the ones you don't hide. I like these too.”

Luis is a little surprised Ethan hadn't noticed the splotchy burn scars splashed across his inner thighs. He'd assumed Ethan noticed at some point and just didn't comment on it. But they are quite faded now, and Ethan is right that Luis tried to hide them, at least at the start of their relationship. There were plenty of times Ethan could have seen them, but it's not implausible he never noticed without something to draw his attention to that area.

“I don't mind the scars on my upper body. There was a time I hated the chest scar from removing my plaga, I thought it was hideous. But Leon liked it, I didn't mind it so much after that. Most of the other scars I got after…” After I fucked up and killed Leon. “... After– After you know, I didn't mind so much. They weren't the ugly kind of scar, they're the kind you see on some pretty Hollywood actor to make him look a little tougher, a little rough around the edges, but not too rough. Just the right amount to look badass, not all hideous and deformed. But I don't like the ones on my thighs. They're not the handsome badass kind, just gross.”

“You are a handsome badass, and you're really exaggerating the thigh scars. They're not that bad,” Ethan affirms, beginning to move the wash cloth over Luis's skin again, gently scrubbing. “They look like burn scars… There a connection to this and you not liking fire? Sorry if that was too invasive.”

“It's fine. Good guess, but no. They were from someone named Ramón Salazar. He was always creepy as hell. Before transforming into a monster, I think he was actually creepier than he was after. He somehow looked 8 years old and 80 years old at the same time. But anyway, once he transformed, he was able to spray acid,” Luis realizes he has yet another reason to be thankful to Ethan: He's been through this same shit. Ethan understands what Luis means when he talks about someone transforming, he doesn't need to elaborate. “I did a good job dodging it and none got up on my face or upper body, but there was one spray I didn't move quick enough. It hit my thighs and just burned right through my jeans and into my skin, leaving me with a nasty chemical burn. Nasty enough to have one silver lining, no pain. Fried all my nerves, can't feel shit where the acid hit. Was thankful for that later that night when I was yanking arrows out of my legs. They all hurt like a bitch, except the couple that managed to hit the burns.”

“Nerve damage, yeah, that makes sense.”

“How so?”

“I tried kissing the insides of your thigh the first time I went down on you and you didn't react at all. I just thought it was something you didn't like and you were too polite to say anything. But sounds like you weren't reacting because you couldn't even feel it.”

“Oh, yeah, sorry. Maybe I should have warned you, that normally is a sensitive place,” Luis blushes as he rambles. He's not sure why this has him so embarrassed. It is a little embarrassing, thinking about poor Ethan kissing his thighs and getting no reaction, wondering if he was doing something wrong. But in the past 24 hours Ethan has cleaned up his vomit, wanted to have sex even though Luis hadn't bathed in more than a week and was especially filthy from his poorly thought out Valdelobos trip, and witnessed Luis having a panic attack right under their goddamn bed after some candles spooked him. He should be developing some immunity to shame after all that, but somehow he's still embarrassed by the thigh kissing revelation. “I did like that kind of thing before, it's really just the nerve damage, nothing you were doing wrong. I'm sorry. I would have explained sooner if I knew you'd been thinking about it. If I could have felt it, I would have loved it. Sorry–”

“Hey, Luis, it's okay. You apologize way too much,” Ethan rises to his feet and stands on the tips of his toes to kiss Luis on the cheek. “And don't you dare try to apologize for apologizing. Not to play the I got my hand cut off card, but in case you forgot, I did get my hand cut off with a chainsaw once, and forgave and saved the person who did it. There's nothing you can do that I can't forgive you–”

“I haven't forgotten,” Luis interjects. “I also haven't forgotten that you were a married man when Chris brought you to me. You can say you forgive her all you want, but actions speak louder than words, and I watched you sign the divorce papers when Chris dropped them off, so you can't pretend like what she did had no effect on the marriage. You divorced her because she did something you couldn't forgive her for, and you'll divorce me for the same reason, unless I do something unforgivable before we even get married.”

“Stop it, Luis. Stop trying to read my mind and put words in my mouth. Don't act like you know what happened between me and Mia better than I do, because you have no idea what the hell you're talking about, and I really don't appreciate you pretending like you do,” Luis flinches at Ethan raising his voice again. It still isn't yelling, but it's louder than the first time. Of course it's also completely justified. “I did forgive her. I still fucking loved her, and I forgave her for everything. I didn't choose divorce because I was mad at her for anything, we just wanted different things out of life. We weren't making each other happy anymore. Since you remember everything so well, I'm sure you remember that I cried after signing those papers, because I did still love her, and it hurt to finally close that door for good, even if I knew it was for the best. I might have still been with her now, starting a family with her, if she'd just agreed with Chris's plan and left the BSAA facility with me.”

Luis deserves the harshness. What he said did cross the line, and he has no right to be upset by Ethan rightfully calling him out. But that doesn't make him any less upset or stop the tears. If he hadn't started crying, maybe this would have been the end. Maybe Ethan would have realized he deserves better and dumped Luis. But Luis is crying, so every ounce of Ethan's anger drains away, replaced with pity. He drops the washcloth and envelopes Luis in a side hug, leaving him with a free hand to gently rub Luis's belly with.

“Please don't cry, honey. I'm sorry. I could have made my point without raising my voice and swearing. If you can just take my words at face value, believe me when I say that I love you and forgive you, I'll never raise my voice at you again. And I'm a lot more sorry for saying that I'd be with Mia starting a family right now, I shouldn't have said that. Makes it sound like I'd rather be with her and settled for you. That's not true. The Baker Incident just changed us too much, we couldn't ever go back to what we had before. You're a much better fit for the person I've become since then. I'm glad I hesitated when Mia was asking to have a baby. I'm glad that I'm here having a baby with you, not having a baby with Mia while we were locked up in a BSAA facility where we were treated like lab rats, constantly arguing because she refused to acknowledge anything in our lives was wrong and thought my attitude was the only problem. You were exactly what I needed, someone that likes to dig into situations and excited to be given a problem to tackle,” The water starts running cold, so Ethan takes his hands off of Luis to turn the water off. Then he cradles Luis's belly with both hands. “I love you, and I love the baby you're carrying. And I know you love and care about me, or you wouldn't be trying so hard to push me away.”

“I do. I do love you,” Luis lets go of his death grip on the railing to wrap his arms around Ethan and put his head on his shoulder, and Ethan moves his hands to Luis's back. He can't press himself against Ethan as closely as he wants to, but he can't be too annoyed, because the obstacle between their bodies is his own pregnant stomach. Whether he deserves Ethan or not, he's having his baby. “If Chris hadn't brought you to me, I'd still be a shell of a person, barely eating, living in squalor, only continuing to stay alive because of my promise to Leon. You made me want to stay alive.”

“Good, because I like having you alive. And healthy. Now you gotta let me take care of you so you can stay alive and healthy. It's not just about me and you anymore, we've got a baby on the way now, and they deserve to have both their dads in their life. No more feeling like a burden and thinking I'm going to leave you, no more of me raising my voice and making you cry, okay? We'll have a baby in a couple months, that's something to be happy about, so we're going to be happy,” Ethan stops hugging Luis, who reluctantly stops clinging to Ethan. “Sit down on the edge of the tub for a minute. I'm going to go get you a warm towel from the dryer for you, then I'll carry you back to bed. Don't try to get up on your own, it's not worth it.”

“I know, Ethan. I know,” Extra cautious, Ethan holds Luis's hand until he's securely in a sitting position. “I won't move a muscle until my knight in moldy armor comes back to sweep me off my feet and carry me back to bed.”

“And? There was something you promised me you'd do before we got in the shower.”

“Shit, that's right. I did. I'll keep my word, eat whatever giant breakfast you decide to make for me.”

“And maybe after you eat…” Ethan gets a mischievous smile. “I'll put some work in to find out if there's anywhere on your thighs I can kiss that still have enough sensation for you to feel it?”

“Easy there, mold man. Remember, the humidity hasn't done anything for me, just you. I'm still as tired as ever, feeling horribly unattractive, and just not in the mood. I wish I realized humidity got you so damn fired up sooner, I would have asked you to take a hot shower every time I wanted to take it rough…” That thought almost gets Luis in the mood, but the exhaustion wins out. He'll let Ethan explore his thighs eventually, just not yet. “I'm sorry, mi amor. It's not that I don't want you to do that, I'm just too beat right now and taking a rain check, got it?”

“No pressure. It won't be a good time for me if you're not into it,” Ethan throws a t-shirt on and presses a quick kiss on top of Luis's head before heading for the bathroom door. “Alright, I'll be right back.”

#luis gets his thighs kissed a couple days after this btw 🥰#should i add the rosa tag since this is related 🤔#𝑹𝒐𝒔𝒂🍄#<- she is ofc the magic mold baby that they havent named yet #winterserra

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extraordinarilyextreme · 1 year ago

Text

Twenty Questions for Fic Writers!

tagged by @bbcphile～ thank you my dear 🫶

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

30 right now～ what a nice number!

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

363,479!

3. What fandoms do you write for?

so many, lol. right now, i'm actively writing for LHL and YRZX (and a bit LZTJ), but i previously wrote a lot for QYJ, CHSSN, and DMBJ.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

may we tie our hearts together again ⚫️⚪️ QingYa

9k, red string AU, canon + post-canon

NOTICE: Seeking Marriage Partner 💙💚 PingXie

5k, post-canon

青山仍在 | as long as the green hills remain 🪷🐕 HuaFang

7k, post-canon fix-it

but ask for no regrets 💙💚 PingXie

5k, canon-compliant N+1 things

a ghost walks into a soldier's house 💙🤍 SuiTang | 🖤💚 WeiLan

16k, crossover + crack treated seriously

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

i try my best to, but for various reasons comments will accumulate in my inbox and i might not respond to them until even a year later. but please believe me, i do read every single one.

6. What is a fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

i write a lot of HEs... perhaps only an echo, since the entire premise of that (unfinished) series is an AU where Wu Xie isn't there to fulfill his ten-year promise with Xiaoge. rather than angsty endings, i write more angsty stories? in which case, the angstiest might be 千里自同风 | no distance too great as a canon-compliant post-canon fic that follows Fang Duobing's journey of grief. (but i don't think the ending of that is sad, tbh.) alternatively, 飞蛾扑火 | for you, i'll gladly burn is another contender given Shen Yi's big reveal in the last chapter (but also don't think the ending is sad). 红尘似水，万事��歌 | the world becomes song is pretty sad too if only because we the readers know the characters' fates in canon.

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

honestly, i think most of my fics are HEs. or if not "happy," comforting for sure. most of my fics end with a promise to be together, to spend an ordinary life together, to have the chance to be in the moment together. it might not be super, like, grand or dramatic or anything - but i genuinely think all my fics have peaceful endings. so take your pick, peruse my works～

8. Do you get hate on fics?

rarely, and the few times that i have, i've simply deleted them.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

nope. i don't know how to, LOL

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

i have a guilty pleasure of writing crossovers, lol. i think they're all kinda wild:

a ghost walks into a soldier's house

镇魂 Guardian & 成化十四年 The Sleuth of the Ming Dynasty

do not speak as loud as my heart

盗墓笔记 The Grave Robbers' Chronicles & 镇魂 Guardian

红尘似水，万事入歌 | the world becomes song

鬓边不是海棠红 Winter Begonia & 老九门 Mystic Nine

懷月夢 | on the summit, sun and snow

三生三世枕上书 Eternal Love of Dream & 封神演义 The Investiture of The Gods

照猫画狐 | tracing a cat to draw a fox

猎罪图鉴 Under the Skin & 无眠之境 Desire Catcher

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

not that i know of. don't steal my fics.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

yes! 此生如梦 | this life, a dream was tl'ed into Russian～

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

yes～ @naiwong-bao and i somehow churned out the 111k monster that was 懷月夢 | on the summit, sun and snow. to this day, i have no idea how we did that, LOL

14. What's your all-time favorite ship?

impossible for me to choose～ recency bias will suggest 🦊🐼 青也, 🪷🐕 花方, and 🎨🔍 城心城翊 though～

15. What's a wip you want to finish, but doubt you ever will?

my 往前走莫回呀头 | go forward and don't look back series 🥹 i had two more parts planned originally after Xiuxiu's POV... one was Liu Sang, the other was Xiaoge. (there was an undetermined Bai Haotian POV fic too.) i also definitely won't be finishing the sound of snowfall (and don't want to LOL)

16. What are your writing strengths?

atmosphere and rhythm, i think. maybe because i used to write a lot of poetry? i also have faith in my world-building (bc i do a LOT of research) and dialogue. in terms of tropes, it must undoubtedly be hurt/comfort.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

i'm not good at writing fight/action scenes (probably another reason why i literally cannot write smut). i also don't think i'm super great at description, but i think i've been improving.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

this is an interesting question because i actually write all my dialogue in Chinese first and then tl it to English since i pretty exclusively write for c-media now 😆 i like that a lot bc i think it helps me to more accurately characterize these ppl - but also it sucks tremendously when English is just the ugliest-sounding language in the world, LOL. (i always think my original Chinese dialogue is prettier and has more depth～)

19. First fandom you wrote for?

the first fandom i posted fic on AO3 for was Good Omens: i love(d) you. but in my life, it was probably like... Warriors (yes, the cats) or Shugo Chara..? idk, or maybe Case Closed (still love that series despite how insufferably long it's gotten).

20. Favorite fic you've written?

only children need to choose; adults can have everything～

tagging: @rongzhi, @elenothar, @difeisheng, @asterdust, @willowcatkinblossom, @starlitwishforu, @tunnelofdusk

#tagged #answered #mine #my writing #i dont remember what my system was for these #i tagged seven people for my bday but~ if you see this on ur dash THEN YOU ARE TAGGED!!!!!!!

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nochi-quinn · 2 years ago

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campaign 3 episode 51: like a fucking fiddle

I am Afraid

sam riegel has never played a video game in his life

dslkjfskl he has to read all the disclaimers for the audio-only people

oh nooo

laura you're the main character how could you

"polishing the knobs"

I got distracted playing with my moon lamp

I can theoretically make it red but eh

the monitor I'm watching on trends warm so the lighting tonight is gonna be fun for me

do we need a deep dive on fcg right this fucking instant

donna noble voice: sometimes you need someone to stop you

poor laura

she probably had so much tea that day. or that weird chinese cough syrup they seem to swear by

stop spending all your spells on sending

"that wasn't an accident"

ira's gonna kill xandis and gank the ship

like I'll be very happy to be proven wrong but magic 8 ball says Unlikely

"sam did a lot of pharmaceuticals before this game"

threaten ira with nana morri

sam suffering for his art

sam's gonna fuck with laura about her voice all gd night isn't he

am I the only person old enough to remember Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot

I'm a simple bitch, I hear "three-pronged claw" and I think Doctor Loboto

someone get him some tinfoil

him leg too big for him got-dam robit

"how do I see - " "take the glasses off"

samuel

damn, nobody can talk tonight

okay where's the bioshock au fanart

they're ALL gonna fuck with laura about her voice

ashley

sam's fuckin gas can

"traveler's garments" they're all wearing green cloaks

NATURAL 20 OF FUCK OFF

oh shit

dunamis bunny

oh somebody finally commented on the warder/water thing

notohan

not the "son"

oh that's not great

ngl I dozed off until everybody yelled @ initiative

I am saving my attention span for when the moon hatches

"wiz kids exists!"

this can obviously only end well

"I'm going to then shit"

rapidly hiding and scarfing food OR me playing breath of the wild

"massive explosions" found caleb

oh NICE

NOT NICE

it was a good idea tho

PROJECT CHICKEN LITTLE

[puts xandis in a bubble]

pls no break ryn

NO BREAK RYN

not the Guess I'll Die

who left the robot unsupervised

HEY

PUT HIM DOWN

"uh-oh-regard"

UH-OH-REGARD

CAN WE HAVE A KEYLETH PLS

we need the Marisha Convergence

every time with the petrify and the arms

I WOULD LIKE TO ORDER AN AIRSHIP PLEASE

HEY WHAT

HEY W H A T

PUT TIME BACK WHERE IT CAME FROM OR SO HELP ME

YEAH

godDAMMIT

LET US HAVE NICE THINGS

"and that's when scanlan shorthalt arrived" listen I'm still crossing my fingers for kiki to bring grog

fcg! buzzsaw!

oh thank GOD xandis booked it

correct response

fucking reddit atheist bro

MATTHEW

that was a hair you didn't need to split

oh cool now I'm crying

"looks important, better push everything"

WHERE KIKI

IS KIKI??

KEYTEOR???

KEYTEOR!!!

MARISHA CONVERGENCE

matthew

sir

matthew you have to drive home with her

THE BOY

he's gonna be in so much trouble with his mom

BUT

liam piecing his brain back together in real time

"he's just so attractive~"

I need this animated. vax as described in the dalen's closet one-shot but animated

nooooo he was so close

god there's not even half an hour left what happens

MONKEY

"let a monkey end this"

WEREWOLF OUT OF FUCKING NOWHERE

okay that was a good line, I'll give chetney that one

godDAMMIT

like a bird off a windshield

hey I hate it

god I'm so glad my kid's off school tomorrow, no way I sleep after this

noooOOOO

they fucked with keyleth to draw her in bc they knew it'd bring vax in??? is that what fucking happened???

HEY MATT WHAT THE FUCK

NOW WOULD BE A GOOD TIME FOR GROG

oh we have LAURA book-on-head

that's never good

somebody get liam a goddamn fainting couch

they just got fucking BLASTED

is robit on moon???

they're on WILDEMOUNT???

what the FUCK

okay I mean this very legitimately somebody get liam a bottle of water and a blanket. like shit.

somebody get ME a bottle of water and a blanket.

#critical role #spoilers #crititag #liveblog #reaction post

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futureseaempress · 1 year ago

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20 Questions for Fic Writers

hi so my sweetheart tagged me in this @hypnostheory so thank u bb

1. How many works do you have in Ao3?

27 (teehee that's my fave number) (i also have like two more on a google drive that are wips,,, some princes don't become kings & first date which is called nastygum in like all my notes)

2. What’s your total Ao3 word count? 163,308 which is like longer than twilight i think

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Homestuck, AFTG, SK8 the Infinity, TMA, Stardew Valley, RWRB, and uhhh law and order svu

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

honey, why're you calling me so late? (matchablossom)

about to bloom (matchablossom)

baby kiss it better (first prince)

i only want what i can't have (first prince)

as certain dark things are to be loved (jonmartin)

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

i would love to but sometimes i just don't have anything to say

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

uhhhhh i don't think any of my fics have super angsty endings-- fanning the flame was supposed to end with a super sad chapter about agnes and jack but i never wrote it lmao maybe i'll get back to her in november

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

ummmm i try to end everything on a loving/happy note bc that's what i like to read most

i think asking you to stay has like the cheesiest last line

8. Do you get hate on fics?

uh not yet thank goodness. i used to back in my wattpad days though and i did have someone say something kinda off color to me in a writing exchange but that worked itself out

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

because it's most of what i read i try to include like a horny scene in most if not all of my stuff but i like anything rlly i sort by ship, explicit, and go from there I think "Coming In Pants" is a frequent flyer.

10. Do you write crossovers? If so, what’s your craziest one?

Nope. Not my cup of tea. OH MY GOD ACTUALLY I'M A LIAR IN 2012 I HAD A ONE DIRECTION RPF TWILIGHT FANFIC? THAT I NEVER POSTED AND SOLELY EXISTED IN MY NOTES APP THAT MY FRIEND AND I WOULD LIKE ROLEPLAY???? seventh grade was wild for me

11. Have you ever had your fic stolen?

YEP! both my current fanfic and my older stuff like i had a terrible homestuck fanfic on wattpad that someone reposted saying mine was too smutty and then on ao3 there is a fic,,, that,,, very heavily seems to draw from baby kiss it better but idk maybe henry wearing alex's white t shirt and a taylor swift cardigan while sick before alex blows him is just reaaally common

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

nope

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

so other than some garbage i was writing in middle school no, but i do for sure like let my partner beta everything and we run ideas by each other all the time and like work out how to block stuff and what seems interesting they keep me from going to melodramatic and i help them know what sex sounds fun

14. What’s your all time favorite ship?

oh god i can't choose. i love davekat, but i love alex and henry a lot. like a lot. like wow i loved the book last year and the movie has given me brain worms and there's other karkat ships i rlly like. hmmm okay i have two hands and i hold my sons Crabapple and Firstprince.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but probably never will?

so many davekat wips

the sweet home alabama fic for sure.

the nanny au. uh the other davekat band au that's just a draft... probably fanning the flame. there's also a coda for more silver paint that haunts me.

16. What are your writing strengths?

uhhhhh i think i'm good at banter? (see echoed through my mind) i think i'm good at like making stuff fit into canon and comply with it in fun ways (see this hope is). i think i'm good at writing characters having break downs (see chapter 3 of silver paint or going with the flow)

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

I SUCK SO BAD AT FINISHING THINGS AND I GET STUCK ON MY PORN EVERY TIME

also commas

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

bafhehasdk so like it's kinda a pet peeve a lot of the times i feel like spanish especially ends up reading kind of like Law and Order dialogue like "he trabajo'ed here last week" but i eat that shit up in theory. like people would probs do better throwing random french in shit bc my ass would be like SOUNDS RIGHT TO ME. it's also like cultural references get lost and i know just enough spanish to know when something is "off" so i prefer like "This is a line of dialogue," they said in Spanish.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Homestuck! on wattpad! in 2012! it was bad mpreg! i was 13!!

TMA on ao3! in like 2020

but i did once write a one direction rpf with my friend that we posted on instagram in 2011

20. Favorite fic that you’ve written?

oh god i don't know. i think it's gotta be glory just bc i spent so long with it and i'm hoping to finish it during november (i do nanowrimo in a crazy bass ackwards way) but tire trouble is like the one everyone else loves best??? and i have a sequel in the works for it im just super into rwrb rn

I’m tagging @wardenhawke bc i feel like you might like talking about your ocs at least and i like u

#asks #writers #20 questions for fic writers #20 questions

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your-brilliant-lady-m · 4 years ago

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Part 2 - Basic Concepts of Miraculous Ladybug: Kwami

Kwamis are a fun concept and one of the main draws of the series. They make sense story-wise because, firstly, our characters need some support system. And since a lot of conflicts are centred around secret identities, characters should be able to discuss their double life with someone. As magical beings they could also be used to expand the lore, introduce new concepts and drive forward both the plot and character development. It doesn't always happen but Kwamis are a good idea. Some people who write AU's think that Kwamis are redundant, but I have to disagree.

Origins and nature

Where do Kwamis come from? What are they? It's never explained. Oh wait, it was explained in a comic people can accidentally find. You decide to explain the origins and nature of magical beings who are one of the key elements in your magic system and worldbuilding IN A SIDE COMIC, which has zero effect on your main story. Sounds legit.

Here it is.

So, Kwamis are abstract creatures. They can become tangible and interact with the world because of the miraculous jewels. Essentially, each Miraculous acts as an anchor to the material world for Kwami. They existed since the beginning of time and were invisible observers of the universe. Until they settled on Earth and observed how humanity came to be. This is where things get interesting.

Kwamis are the embodiment of abstract concepts. But, some abstract concepts were created by people (like everything mentioned in the comic: beauty, math, love, etc).

Kwamis wanted to help humans. And then, a human, who couldn't see, hear or touch a Kwami creates miraculous jewels. And now these beings can interact with the world, use their powers and grant them to humans. Yet, they are completely under control of their holder. I'll discuss it later, but why did Kwamis accept this deal? They are practically enslaved. At the same time they care about people and generally love humanity.

According to the wiki Kwamis grant powers because of "the privilege of having the ability to be perceived by mortals". What? Did I read that right? Kwamis agreed to be enslaved and used as a power source, because they wanted to interact with material world. That's it, guys, end of the story.

We also know these things about nature and abilities of Kwamis from the show:

1) need food, but only to provide the power for the holder;

2) can't phase through precious metals (Chloe's bracelet in "Rogercop"), their own miraculous and humans;

3) they can control if they phase through things or not – meaning that if they want to, they can (this way Tikki can stay in Marinette’s purse without much trouble and Plagg sleeps on Adrien’s pillow);

4) they can perform magic without a holder but they don’t control it very well, there are certain types of things that they can’t do without a holder;

5) they are immortal but can get sick for some reason, a non-magical reason mind you;

6) technology can't detect them in any way, you can't film, photograph or record their voices (writers establish this many times, but promptly forget all about their own rules in "Optigami", where Marinette talks with Kwamis over the phone without any problems).

If I missed something important, then let me know.

Look, the questions related to origins and motivations of Kwamis might not be very prominent in your story right now, but you must answer them in case you might need to involve these facts in the plot down the line. It's important to avoid contradictions in the serialised story with liquid plot, that can't be set in stone. It's a made up world for the sake of everything sacred! You can make up explanations and rules, of course as long as they don't contradict common sense.

Plausible ideas for origins and nature of Kwamis:

1) Kwamis are immortal spirits, whom humans accidentally summoned and bound with spells to Miraculous stones. They remember their existence before this. This version doesn't really explain their desire to serve people and love for humanity, however. It would be more logical for Kwamis to resent people for enslaving them. It doesn't explain how humans could create those spells and Miraculous stones either.

2) Kwamis are physical manifestations of abstract concepts who existed simply as fragments of matter for a very long time without sentience, until they were accidentally summoned through the Miraculous stones and bound by humans to serve them. Kwamis do not remember their existence before Miraculous. In this version Kwamis serve humans and love them because they have never known a different kind of existence. Unfortunately, it doesn't provide any explanation on the creation of Miraculous and spells.

3) Kwamis are gods, who created the universe with all its elements and concepts including humanity (similar to Valar and Maiar in Tolkien's Legendarium). They wanted to help their creations but discovered that their power was too wild and unpredictable for that. So, Kwamis decided to give up their free will and magical independence to help humanity. Together they created Miraculous stones for humans to use and sealed themselves inside. Kwamis as gods were abstract concepts, who didn't have a body. The act of sealing their power in the Miraculous gave them an opportunity to interact with outside world (an anchor) and each Kwami chose an small animal form (because humans easily formed bonds with animals, had animal companions (pets), small animals look non-threatening and familiar). Kwamis intentionally choose certain animal forms to suit the human symbolism. Humans later used magic that Kwamis discovered for them to place spells upon small gods (spells related to identity protection and so on). This version answers most questions, but if Kwamis are gods then powers they grant to people seem to be rather small.

Feel free to add more. I would be interested to hear your ideas.

Identity Protection

In "Origins" we learn that Wayzz can sense the aura of Butterfly Miraculous, a negative aura of activated Butterfly Miraculous, to be more precise. And yet, Tikki and Plagg are genuinely surprised to discover the identities of their holders in "Dark Owl". There are several things wrong with that.

Can Kwamis sense each other's presence? They shouldn't be able to do this to protect the identities of their holders. On the other hand, they are ancient spirits. So, their inability to sense each other seems weird. Unless it's the same situation as with the spell that does not allow them to speak the name of their holder aloud.

But if they can sense each other like Wayzz did, then it means that Plagg and Nooroo were living in the same house for over a year and nothing happened. I mean, Plagg could have just come upstairs, take off the brooch from Gabriel, while he is asleep and return it back to Fu.

This question lies right here, on the surface. And that's only one massive and very obvious plothole. How to fix it? Establish that Kwami can't sense each other for identity protection. In "Origins" Fu meditates on his balcony and Wayzz sees a charged Akuma flying by. That's how they discover that Butterfly is in Paris and the Miraculous is in the wrong hands. Perhaps, Gabriel akumatizes someone for the first time to survey the surroundings and general public is not aware of this. This works better in the narrative, giving Fu time to select holders for Ladybug and Black Cat. It also establishes whether Hawkmoth can remove the Akuma from someone without Ladybug and discharge it. Maybe it depends on the circumstances (sometimes he can, but if this person was akumatized many times or their emotions are too strong and their mind doesn't want to let Akuma go then Hawkmoth can't pull the butterfly out with his magic). This scenario allows for Volpina to happen on "Heroes' Day". Silly recurring Akumas like Gigantitan and Mr. Pigeon could still happen. In this case Gabriel didn't want to akumatize the guy more than 70 times on purpose. It just keeps happening against his better judgement because evil butterflies are automatically attracted to Mr. Ramier. This way repeated attacks of Mr. Pigeon annoy Hawkmoth just as much as they do the heroic duo of Paris (I did not sign up for this Nathalie!).

Let's come back to the spell mentioned earlier for a moment. Kwamis can't say the name of their current holder out loud, but apparently, they can exploit a loophole in the spell by confirming the identity of their holder in another way. The spell doesn't work with other holders. Kwami can say the names of other holders if they know their identity. That being said, can the holder order the Kwami to tell them the identities of other heroes if they know them?

Kwamis know how each Miraculous looks with or without camouflage. Can the holder order the Kwami to tell them how each Miraculous looks in disguise (I liked that Grimoire doesn't have pictures of camouflage for identity protection)? Guardians can recognise Miraculous in any mode (Su Han). Did Fu teach Marinette this? Does she know how each Miraculous looks like unactivated?

Oh! Since we are discussing camouflage, let's take a moment to appreciate the Mother Of All Plotholes. Plagg didn't recognise Peacock because of the plot.

Relationship with Holder

I absolutely loved the idea that Kwamis must obey their holder introduced in "Sandboy". This concept opens tons of plot opportunities. It's such a great idea that makes sense, has potential, can create conflict. Why, oh, why didn't writers develop it more?

Like, it was so good. It can be a great push for character development. This concept resolves so many existing inconsistencies within the plot. It's mind-blowing.

Why can't Nooroo simply leave Gabriel, so that he wouldn't be able to transform? Because Gabriel bound him with Miraculous to always stay near.

In "Sandboy" Tikki asks Marinette's permission before going to the meeting. Plagg lies to Adrien instead. This implies that usually Plagg's holders weren't kind to him or feared his power (Su Han's remark in "Furious Fu"). Perhaps, his holders were taught to keep the Kwami of destruction under constant control. So, Plagg in turn has learned not to ask, because if he doesn't ask permission then his holder can't deny him freedom with magic.

Can Kwami lie to their holder? Maybe they can't lie to their holder about their nature, origins and powers and other Miraculous (but Kwamis can't reveal the location of Miracle Box, Guardian's identity and can't confirm identities of other holders known to them in any way). Kwami would be forced to speak even if they don't want to. That's why Nooroo told Gabriel everything about the abilities of the Butterfly Miraculous and the wish secret of Ladybug and Black Cat.

But Kwamis can lie to their holder according to Plagg in "Sandboy". If Kwamis can lie about everything (including powers) then Nooroo didn't have any reason to be honest with Gabriel way back in "Origins".

Speaking of Gabriel and Nooroo. Can Kwamis harm their holder? Maybe doing so would harm the Kwami as well. Can they do it only when the holder is not wearing the Miraculous? Can Kwami take their Miraculous from their holder? Will they disappear if they try to do so? It seems like Kwami disappears only when the holder takes off the Miraculous with the intention of renouncing power, the words "I renounce you" are not necessary.

Other Kwamis can take the Miraculous from people if it's not their own (Wayzz in "Feast"). But what if it wasn't possible. Imagine what could happen if it's not possible to take the Miraculous by force from the transformed or untransformed hero. Just like Lady WiFi couldn't remove Ladybug's mask. A person has to willingly give up the Miraculous. Only in this case, it's possible to take it. For example, somewhere around the middle of season 3 Hawkmoth could have trapped Ladybug and Chat Noir and cut off any escape routes. His Akuma tries to take both Miraculous, but they don't budge. Then afterwards, every Akuma tries to manipulate the heroes using hostages, illusions or mind control. It's hard to say whether this version will be better than canon, but it's a fascinating theory.

You can use the idea of obedience to create more situations contrasting the relationship of Plagg and Adrien, Gabriel and Nooroo. I liked how canon created a storyline about Plagg learning to control his powers without a holder and Adrien helping him. However, why would you stop here? Give us some flashbacks about Plagg's previous holders, tell us what kind of people they were. Expand the lore and add some character development for Plagg and Adrien. The same thing goes for Marinette. What kind of battles did they have in the past? What kind of people past holders were? Did Ladybug and Black Cat heroes always get along well? Were they allies or enemies? Were they always lovers?

Give us more information about Butterfly and Peacock holders. Perhaps Nooroo has dreams about his past holders who were good people. Show us what kind of things a Butterfly holder with good intentions can do. Tell us more about Duusu and her past holders, sprinkle in a few bits of info about Emilie and Duusu's relationship, just a few vague hints to preserve the mystery. You have a lot of screentime each season and instead of doing filler episodes dedicated to love drama, you can use them for developing minor characters, relationships between them and lore.

#miraculous ladybug #ml #miraculous analysis #miraculous meta #ml meta #ml analysis #miraculous transformations #miraculous critical #miraculous ladybug critical #miraculoustalesofladybugandcatnoir #kwami #miraculous kwamis #miraculous holders

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theros · 3 years ago

Note

Fanwalker ask: 6, 14, 51, 67

What did your fanwalkers have in mind when they sparked, and what plane did it send them to?

I do have your spark ignition prompt response queued over on the other blog, but what she was thinking of didn't actually factor into the plane she ended up on when she sparked. She was thinking of betrayal and the fact that she should have seen this coming (because what causes her to spark is the person she spent a year helping attempting to kill her once all is said and done).

The reason she ended up on the first plane she 'walked to, Innistrad, was pretty much because of her being a Moroii, being drawn to strong life forces and powerful mana. Since she's only half-Moroii, "youth" doesn't really draw her so much as life does. When she panics or is in a high-stress situation, her fight/flight/freeze reaction is geared more towards the vampire side of her instincts than her human ones, so when she sparked she ended up on a plane that felt incredibly vibrant and wild to her compared to Ravnica, a plane where the natural mana of the land isn't drowned out or changed by the various city precincts. Somewhere that would be an excellent feeding ground if she was injured or weakened and needed the extra life force to aid her recovery.

This is also why she struggles to planeswalk home for over six months; she instead lands on Theros, again due to the vibrancy of the mana there, and every time she tries to get back to Ravnica by following Arlinn's instructions, she finds herself bouncing between those two planes. It takes her a long time to figure out exactly why she keeps ending up on one of these two planes instead of managing to get home, and then it takes a little longer to get to a point where her will to go home overrides the instinctual draw toward a Plane with better feeding.

I originally wanted her to play hopscotch across several planes when she's trying to get home, but the next important tie-in to her story happens on Theros, so I decided playing accidental ping pong between Innistrad and Theros would be less chaotic.

(In a separate AU I have for her that's nowhere near as developed as this one, she lands on New Phyrexia when she sparks. 2/10 would not recommend.)

What one quote from them would you pick to define your fanwalker?

Gods, I'll be honest with you, I really don't know. The first quotes to come to mind are actually from her main timeline, not the Planeswalker AU, and while the personalities of both timelines are similar, they're still very different versions of her due to the different upbringings and events, so a quote from Main!Mestas doesn't really work for Planeswalker!Mestas (from You Were Born to Burn it Down). I've got all of YWBTBID outlined, but only like the first 3 months of a 2-year timeline is actually written out so I can't even go read through the story to find a suitable quote lmao.

What is your character most scared of?

In her planeswalker timeline, lightning. Along with fire, it's a major weakness of hers so she has a natural fear of it.. She also used to be terrified of heights, but slowly forced herself to get over that since her clan prefers to ambush from trees and the tops of ruins.

In her main timeline she still has the fear of lightning (and of fire; she was burned by an elemental in the main timeline), but her worst fear is that one day she'll mess up so bad or say the wrong thing and everyone she cares about will finally realize she's not worth keeping around and will leave her. Main timeline Mes did not have as healthy or stable an upbringing as planeswalker Mes did, so she has a lot more social fears.

What does your character’s magic look like when it’s used?

Mestas has the same rough, gray skin as Moroii do, albeit to a much lesser degree since she's half human. She also has the same glowing, pupilless blue eyes. When she uses mana in any way, her eyes glow much more brightly and her veins can be seen glowing through her skin, which is either pretty or disturbing depending on who you ask. More disturbing at night, especially if she's the only source of light in the woods.

Aside from the bodily effects, all magic she uses takes on a blue tint, regardless of the colors used to fuel it*. This leads to even Gruul signature spells like Cindervines taking on a uniquely identifiable appearance whenever she uses them; the red fire and embers are electric blue instead.

*If she wasn't Moroii, she'd be RG, and she has the personality to match. As it stands, her colors are actually primary Red, secondary Blue, tertiary Green. In the main timeline it's fairly obvious in her personality that she has Blue mana, but the traits from it are actually really unhealthy representations of Blue, like an intensely strong need for control in her life + often the lives of people around her (also affected by her temporarily having Black during her developmental years). In YWBTBID however, these traits are much more subtle and on the healthier side of the Blue spectrum; immense curiosity and interest in knowing how the world works and an unquenchable thirst for knowledge.

#mtg #fanwalker #will fix typos + probably rephrase some things later. it is 3am and i have to be up early for work whoops

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leonawriter · 5 years ago

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To Watch The Parade

Read it on AO3

Fandom: Bungo Stray Dogs

Characters: Chuuya, Dazai, others mentioned.

Summary: Chuuya always feels a pull, a flutter of something between fear and longing as the parade goes past each year, and this year is no different. Neither is Dazai's presence.

But there are changes, this year.

Notes: Mostly canon youkai au. SKK implied.

...

Chuuya stands a distance away from the parade, dressed not in his sharp suit but a kimono that had last been worn for a summer festival, along with the mask he'd worn at New Year's. He leans forward a slight bit, hesitates, and shifts his feet.

It would be easy to go and join them. They all seem to be having fun, after all, and it wasn't as though there weren't people who looked like him - not exactly, but still, close enough that he wouldn't feel out of place - in among the people who didn't, and it was tempting. So tempting.

He could take a few steps, slip in, and pretend that he'd always been there.

Tell himself that he would stay for only a while.

It would be so easy-

Which was why he couldn't, and he stayed where he was, watching them all march past with no idea where they were going.

"You could join them, you know," a voice says from behind him. He doesn't even bother turning around. "None of them would force you out of the life you've built for yourself. They'd understand. A lot of them lead perfectly normal human lives most of the time too, just like you do."

He continues to watch, and he isn't sure why his heart beats faster - if it's fear, or if it's excitement.

It certainly is something, being caught between fear and longing.

"I can't," is all he says.

"Mm," his companion hums. "That's what you've said every other year I've found you here, ever since I realised what you did when the time for the Night Parade came around. I shared my secrets with you, and I even have said that I could ensure you had a better kimono to wear to the event. That one is fine for normal festivals, but for..."

"I said I can't, Dazai."

He's stopped pretending that he doesn't know who's joined him, as if there was any pretending of such a sort when it was Dazai, and he tears his eyes away from the parade to see Dazai staring down at him, inscrutable in his dark blue kimono.

Unlike Chuuya, he's not bothered with a mask.

Also unlike Chuuya, Dazai sports two soft white ears pointing up toward the moon, and a number of white tails show through from under that kimono he's wearing.

Chuuya had freaked the hell out the first time he'd seen Dazai like this. They'd been sixteen, and Chuuya had been watching just like he had been earlier, and an almost-familiar figure had just raced out of the parade, seeming to flicker and shrink as he'd run, as if he'd been bigger or taller than he already was when with the demons, and closer to what Chuuya recognised when he grew further away from them.

He'd thought Dazai was human, after all. Why shouldn't he? Ignoring the name of Dazai's ability, everything about him said that he was human, right from the way he was skeptical of gods and spirits, to the way he threw his temper around like the brat he was when Mori told him to do something he didn't want to do. And then there he was, right in front of him with fox ears and not just one, but nine fox tails, and Chuuya had wound up having a screaming match with him in the middle of the street.

He'd also not been able to get over that for several weeks. Dazai had suffered the full wrath of Chuuya's silence, and harder hits when they were training together, and Chuuya had let more and more things get through his defences, just shy of anything that'd catch Mori's attention as actually going too far.

He can't remember anymore what had made it so they'd talked to each other again. Maybe nothing did, and he just plain forgot why he'd been so mad, aside from the next year, when they were seventeen, he wasn't so shocked or angry seeing Dazai in the parade, or when Dazai snuck out of it to try and trick Chuuya into joining, saying that it was a prank afterwards.

The worst had been the four years between eighteen and twenty-two, when he hadn't dared watch, because he wasn't sure if Dazai would turn up, and he wasn't sure how he'd react, if he saw the traitor with the demons, wasn't sure if he'd march in there against everything he knew just to punch Dazai's lights out, or if the other demons would take offence at such a thing, or if... worst of all, maybe, if he'd just turn around and go home, because clearly Dazai was better off not being human at all, and not even trying to make an effort at it.

But now here they were again.

"...You know," Dazai starts again, sounding far less sure of himself this time, enough that Chuuya's caught off guard, "I'm thinking of inviting Atsushi-kun next year. I didn't think I should, this year, when everything is still so new for him, and he's still settling in... he might have easily forgotten where home was, because you're right. It is easy to forget. But I think that it would do him a world of good, once he's ready."

Chuuya snorts.

In the distance, the wild music keeps playing. The sound of a hundred and more voices raised in jubilation and music and chaos.

"You never bothered asking me if I was ready."

He's more than a little bitter, about that. He can still remember how he'd been scared shitless the first time Dazai had tried dragging him in, after he'd heard all of the stories of people just going missing, and how just the other day Dazai had joked about making Chuuya disappear.

"Maybe I should have," Dazai admits, not looking at him, attention drawn back to the parade, though a single ear has cocked toward Chuuya, a piece of body language he almost wishes would stick around full time, because it's nice knowing he's got Dazai's attention and doesn't have to work for it, when he wants to have it. "But I was... I didn't even think of it. At the time, all I cared about was drawing you further in. I hadn't... been able to share this side of myself for... so many years."

Chuuya feels a shiver run through him, at the reminder, subtle though it had been, that Dazai wasn't actually the few months younger than him that the records said he was; or at least, perhaps Dazai Osamu was twenty-two years old and had been born roughly two months after him.

The kitsune standing next to him, though - who knew. Dazai had never told him exactly how old he was, always treating the question like some woman for whom age was some touchy subject. The first he'd even known was what he'd looked up online, which had suggested Dazai could have just been born as a white fox, but the number of them heavily suggested he'd lived at least centuries, if not... more.

He didn't act like it, at least. Which tended to be a relief. Dazai acted most of the time like he was as old as he said he was, no more and no less. He barely - if ever - even spoke about the idea of being older than that. He'd treated Chuuya coldly the first time he'd brought the idea of age up, in regards to legends, and Chuuya had been pissed off enough because of the double standard - Dazai knew things about him that he'd never told anyone else, but the moment he tried looking up shit that was public knowledge about kitsune, the moment he tried to ask, Dazai acted like he'd started reading his private diary with all his darkest secrets in.

"You're asking me again now, though," he says at long last with a resigned, more than a little frustrated sigh.

Dazai tells him he should have been more patient, and yet there he is again, being the same as ever-

"I'm asking. That's all I'm doing. And offering. Because the offer is always open, just like it has been since I found you here when we were sixteen." Dazai's nails click against something, and he doesn't have to look to know that they're claws, and to be honest, it does sort of suit him. On days like these, he looks on the outside like Chuuya thinks he is on the inside. Sharp, dangerous, but also kind of fluffy and soft. He wonders what it says about Dazai that he's always been fluffy and soft as well as sharp and dangerous. "You know... if you accepted, I would go with you. I just wanted you to know that. I always would have gone with you, Chuuya. Even if it would have seemed like I'd left you, I still wouldn't have... tonight, too. I don't think you have anything to fear from the Night Parade, but... even so. I wouldn't let you be spirited away by anyone else."

His heart caught in his mouth at the confessions, the changes, the... everything, that was so different from the Dazai he had once known.

He forces himself to calm, to breathe, even though he sees one of the demons wave over to Dazai - to them - to come over, to join the fun.

"I... don't think... I don't know if I'm ready. If I'll ever be ready. That's why I just watch, Dazai. I appreciate it, I do - I really do. But I..."

"You're scared that if you join them, they'll call you by a name that you don't call your own," Dazai says simply.

Matter of fact.

The words - the first admission, the first confirmation of something he's kept hidden away for so long - are as much a punch to Chuuya's gut as seeing Dazai with silvery fox-features all those years ago had been.

"What, and you think they wouldn't? And what about if some demon decides they want Arahabaki back? What then? I don't even- what if that does something to me-"

"It wouldn't," Dazai says firmly, "and even if it could... no one would do that to you."

"And how do you know that?"

He's holding onto himself, now - arms around his own chest, and hyper-aware of the hat still resting on his head, even with the demon-mask resting on his face that Dazai seems to be able to see right through.

"Because," Dazai says. He hesitates. Chuuya can tell in the tension in the air and in Dazai's body, that it's a true hesitation, a moment of indecision. "Because," Dazai continues slowly, "no one calls me anything other than 'Dazai Osamu', either."

Chuuya blinks, and then feels all of the air leaving him at once.

It's the first time he's ever heard Dazai willingly talk about any life before being Dazai, ever. And here he is, admitting that at one point, this hadn't been his name. That he'd been someone else. Known as someone else. That perhaps Chuuya could look in the history books and find someone with a different name, and they'd have Dazai's face looking back at him.

It's a sobering thought, the amount of trust - beyond even their normal - that such a piece of knowledge suggests. But at the same time, it's simply an extension of the invitation extended to him, and his mouth dries.

"I... thanks. I'm sorry. I just - maybe... I just need more time too, Dazai."

"That isn't a 'no', though."

He lets out a breathy laugh, which sounds stranger than even his normal speech, coming from under the mask.

He feels like he's walking on thin ice. Walking the edge of a tall building, with Dazai keeping pace with him, so that he might be touched and nullified at any moment, that sense of vertigo that only Dazai can give him.

"No, no, it's... not. I guess. I mean... maybe next year, Dazai."

He looks back at Dazai, only to see his partner smiling from ear to ear, with his eyes closed, just like a fox, and like this he can even see the sharp fangs in Dazai's mouth that are like a physical manifestation of all the harm the man can do with his words, but right now it just looks kind of... cute.

"Next year, then," Dazai says happily, still smiling.

"And what about you? You going back in, or...?"

Dazai shrugs.

"It doesn't matter that much to me either way," he says. "The parade is fun, and everyone there enjoys having me, but... if Chuuya is here, then that's where I think I'll stay."

He loses the ability to breathe all over again, albeit for different reasons entirely.

Dazai will go back to the Agency in the morning, he knows that, and he'll probably act as though tonight never happened to most if not all of the people he works with, same as what happened when they both worked together in the mafia. Chuuya will go back home, and he'll wake up in the morning and go to work, and in general... life will go on. As normal.

If Chuuya is here, then that's where I think I'll stay, Dazai had said, though.

For two years, he'd avoided the parade entirely in large part just because he'd been afraid that hadn't been the case, and Dazai had just left, given up on being human at all, and the Dazai he next met would be more fox than not, would look different, older, stranger, and it haunted him in his dreams. This Dazai that no longer cared about humanity at all, and sometimes hadn't even recognised him.

And now - now, hearing those words... more than the first time they'd met in person again, more than seeing him as a human being, more than Corruption and knowing he could still trust and more than knowing Dazai was trying to be more human than he'd ever been in the mafia-

Something shifted.

Chuuya sighed.

For the first time, he felt comfortable just to watch the parade go by, without the indecision of whether he wanted to risk knowing whether he was too human to not be carried away by it, or not human enough.

Instead, he's just happy to stay where he is.

...

AN: If you think I'm suggesting that "Tsushima Shuji" or any other name Dazai might have taken is effectively a deadname to him and has been ever since he became "Dazai Osamu" and he has distanced himself from that past life or lives, then you're absolutely right. By which, there is the implication of - as Chuuya figured - just how big of a deal even admitting one existed to Chuuya means to Dazai himself.

#bsd #bsd stuff #Leona fic #soukoku #bsd chuuya #bsd dazai

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firebrands · 5 years ago

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Congrats on your milestone!! I know it's blog rating time but I still wanted to stop by and say hi lol. I really love your writing! It brightens up my day and helps me keep busy during the lulls of work. One of these days I'll get around to drawing a doodle for one of your fics as a thank you since I consume a wild amount of your work!

jdksjhfkjas oh my god, i would absolutely die if you did, i love your art!!! (so i hope it’s okay that i’ll do a blograte of @sourwoif )

favorite thing about your theme: i--this is the first time i noticed you have FENRIS ON YOUR HEADER,, oh fdgkjd DRAGON AGEfavorite thing about your mobile theme: i love your icon!!favorite thing about your content: your art is truly, truly, so lovely and soft and cute!!!favorite creation of yours: COLLEGE AU STEVETONY ARTfavorite thing about your blog: i really like the way you draw tony and i love the little blush you include when you color!!!

✨FIREBRANDS BLOG RATES✨

#1k celebration #stellachka

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huffle-dork · 6 years ago

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Perfect Valentine’s (SwapBoys AU)

(Gasp could it be? A fresh swap boys story?? It is indeed my friends! I was inspired by the love day and I’m only slightly late! I will be working on the swap boys prompts this weekend hopefully so keep your eyes peeled for those! God I missed these kids- enjoy the fluffy goodness!)

“You sure you don’t want to take the kids out tonight, Jackie?” Chase said through the receiver that sat between Jackie’s neck and shoulder as the father dashed around the kitchen ,grabbing ingredients. “I can pull a couple strings no problem and get them into like anywhere fun! Any restaurant you want-”

“Chase, really, it’s fine,” Jackie laughed, as he held the mixing bowl against his stomach and leaned against the counter. He checked on Penny’s playpen in the corner and smiled to see the toddler babbling and laughing as she threw her toys against the net. “We don’t need a special night or anything…”

“I just…” Chase stammered on the other end, “It’s Valentine’s dude! I figured… You’d be missing her…”

There was a beat of silence as Jackie stopped his stirring and frowned slightly, his heart hurting. He saw his wife’s face in his head and tried to stop the pang in his chest.

“-I just thought like, a distraction might be good. Something to keep the kids busy maybe… I dunno i just want you to be okay today, bro,” Chase continued. Jackie slowly gave a careful sigh before forcing a smile back on his face.

“I appreciate it bro but… I think I'll be okay. I’d rather just hang with the kids one on one tonight.” Jackie pushed himself off the counter and started to work on his cooking again, walking around the kitchen. “Besides! I got this whole cute little valentine theme dinner planned! I think the kids will love it.”

Chase didn’t really sound too convinced on the other line but he eventually replied, “Well, if you say so man. Just, let us know if you need anything okay?”

Jackie laughed, “I will dude. You enjoy your night.” He finally set down his bowl to end the call before looking back down at his dinner prep. He really had to get cracking if he wanted to get this set up by the time the kids got home from school!

The time flew by and soon the door was bursting open with the choruses of “DADDDYY!!!” Jackie is quick to turn around and open his arms just in time to be tackled to the ground by two tiny whirlwinds. The father laughed as he caught his breath his daughter on his chest, excitedly babbling about her day at school, while Ollie dug around in his backpack, waiting patiently for his turn.

“Daddy! I had the BEST DAY today! I got sooo much candy! And cards, and flowers! And everybody liked my outfit! And there was hearts and cookies everywhere!!” Kelsie’s eyes were practically sparkling as she spoke and Jackie’s heart swelled as he held his baby girl up his arms (God.. she was getting heavy…).

“Oh yeah? That sounds amazing Kels-bells!”

He gave the girl and quick peck on the cheek, earning a giggle from her before he turned down to the bespeckled boy next to him. “And how was school for you, Ollie?”

Oliver held a couple pieces of paper in his hands and shuffled them a bit self conscious before he looked up and smiled. He held out a piece of paper to Jackie before speaking. “We made cards today. This one’s for you and Kels and Penny, Daddy!”

The little white card had a drawing of red stick figure with big blue eyes like a super hero mask and wild green hair next to small girl in a blue dress and round scribbles for hair, like Kelsie’s braids. A tiny pink stick figure sat on the ground next to Kelsie, for Penny, with bright brown hair and purple eyes. A blue stick figure stood next to the Jackie one, with round glasses, blue eyes, brown hair and a big smile. In messy crooked writing it said “ I Love my Familee! Happe Valintines day!” Then Ollie’s name sprawled at the bottom.

Jackie’s heart melted. He reached over and ruffled Ollie’s hair affectionately.

“I didn’t know you could make masterpieces in Kindergarten!” Jackie gasped and Ollie blushed, giggling into his jacket sleeve. Then he fiddled with one other paper in his hands before looking back up to Jackie. He paused before revealing it.

This one had the same 4 stick figures on the other card all in a group. But they seemed to be surrounding a 5th one in a hug. The 5th stick figure was drawn in purple, with a black ponytail and a kind smile. The words on this card were, “We love you, Mommy. Happe Valintines, Love Ollie!”

Jackie swallowed a small lump in his throat and blinked some wetness out of his eyes before looking back down at Ollie. The boy played with his sleeves before shyly looking up at Jackie.

“I made one for Mommy too… I know she’s not here right now but… Could we send it to her so she knows we love her too?” He asked in a small voice. Jackie had to blink several more times to keep his eyes from misty over. He forced another smile on his face.

“Of course Ol… It’ll be a little late but I’ll send it first thing tomorrow. I’m sure she’ll love it.” Oliver’s face brightened up. Kelsie then excitedly jumped up. “Oh oh! I wanna make one too!” She almost started to run to her room before Jackie caught her and held her in place.

“Not so fast,” He laughed, “You can do that later. First~ I made a special dinner tonight!”

The kids gasped in excitement and Jackie beamed, steering them down to the dining room. Penny was already set up in her high chair, banging on her tray as she stared at the food. But when she saw her siblings she started babbling excitedly, making grabby hands.

“Keke! Oo!”

“Hi PenPen!” Kelsie greeted, coming over and kissing her little sister on the head before sitting down. She then almost immediately shot out of her seat at the sight of dinner as she gasped, “Woah! Chicken nuggets!! Grilled Cheese- AND mac and cheese?!”

Ollie leaned over the table to peek, “That’s so much cheese!” He said in surprise.

Jackie laughed and helped Ollie into his chair, before addressing Kelsie, “It’s not just any chicken nuggets and grilled cheese though! I made it all myself!”

Kelsie gasped cartoonishly again as she practically stood on top of her chair, “They’re all heart shaped!”

“Kelsie sit down all the way you’re gonna hurt yourself-” Jackie scolded, before he laughed, “Yes, yes they are!” He smiled and sat down with his kids, “Happy Valentine’s day.”

His kids beamed at him and he grabbed the dishes, “Alright, who’s hungry?” The kids cheered and started chattering to try to get the food they wanted and Jackie lectured them goodnaturedly to be patient.

But, then suddenly, there’s was a knock on the door followed by the doorbell. Jackie blinked in confusion and excused himself to go to the door. But he was surprised to see it was already opening? Hadn’t he locked it like he always had?

Slowly, the door opened and a silky head of black hair peeked through followed by two bright purple eyes. She looked slightly surprised to see Jackie just standing there staring at her.

“Uh, Surprise?” Zara said with a shy grin.

Jackie was at a loss for words. How… How long has it been…? He hadn’t seen her in person in… so long. It was like she stole the breath right out of his lungs.

“Zara,” Jackie breathed softly, eyes blown wide. Zara blinked at him in bewilderment but soon Jackie was closing the gap between them, shoving the door completely out of the way and pulling Zara into his arms. She gave a small squeak, stumbling slightly, as her arms were filled with gifts. “Jackie, oh my god, careful, my arms are full! Can’t you let me get through the door first-?”

But her protests fell on deaf ears as Jackie pushed her bangs out of her face and pressed his lips against her, pulling her body right against his. Zara immediately pressed back, giggling slightly against his lips before she dropped her cargo and wrapped her arms around his neck. They kissed for a good long second, lost in each other until Jackie pulled back with a long drawn out sigh. His eyes then sparked mischievously as he locked eyes with Zara and he quickly scooped up his wife in his arms, causing her to scream out in surprise, holding on tighter around his neck. He quickly spun her around, peppering her face with kisses. Zara pressed her face into his shoulder and shrieked with laughter, her face turning red, “J-Jackie!” Jackie laughed too, his heart soaring.

The laughter alerted the kids, who shot out of the kitchen and soon barrelled into the front room.

Ollie gasped and Kelsie gave out a girlish scream of delight before the two kids came running, smashing into the legs of Zara right as Jackie set her down.

“MOMMY!!!”

Zara hid her giggles behind her hand before ducking down and opening her arms wide for both her children, who happily obliged, jumping and settling into her arms. She wrapped her arms around them tight and squeezed, rocking back and forth before kissing the back of their heads.

“MMmm! Hello my little guppies!!” Zara breathed, petting Kelsie’s hair and poking Ollie’s nose. “Oh how I missed your faces!”

“We missed you too, Mama!” Kelsie said excitedly, wrapping her mom’s neck up in her arms and leaving a big wet kiss on her cheek.

Ollie nestled himself in her arms and was staring at her like he couldn’t quite believe what he was seeing. “I.. I thought you were still on the ocean!” He whispered out and Zara smiled before leaning over and kissing his forehead.

“Well, i talked to the ocean… and said I missed my family a whole bunch. And they said I was doing such a good job at my job that i could take the wholeee weekend to come see you guys!” Zara beamed as the kids gasped with excitement.

“Speaking of which,” The young mother said in the tone of an epic storyteller as she reached behind her, “The ocean… gave me, special gifts to give you two just. For. today!” The kids’ eyes sparkled as Zara reached behind her for her gifts. She pulled into her lap a large pink stuffed seahorse, and a slightly smaller stuffed whale plush with a doofy grin. “Tah-dah!!”

“I want the pink one!!” Kelsie shouted, raising her hand and jumping up and down. Zara smirked and held back a laugh. So she had predicted. Instead, she feigned surprise and looked down at the plush then back at her daughter.

“Wha- how did the ocean know? They said give this one specifically to Kelsie!” She hands the large plush to Kelsie before leaning over and kissing her cheek. “Happy Valentine’s Day, Sunshine.” Kelsie giggled then kissed her new friend.

Zara then turned and fixed the fluff of the whale stuffed animal before looking at Oliver. “And for Ollie.. The ocean entrusted the care of this whale.. To you!” She looked down at her son with a soft and playfully serious smile. “Can i trust you to keep him safe?”

Ollie nodded quickly and pounded his chest over his heart, “I promise!” Zara giggled and gave it to the little boy, kissing his forehead and ruffling his hair. “Happy Valentine’s Day, Ollie Pol.”

Jackie soon came back with the last member of the family, who was fussing slightly in his arms. “I think someone’s cranky she got left in her highchair and away from the party.

Zara gasped and quickly got to the feet, leaving the others to play with their new toys before taking Penny in her arms, cooing and going in to tickle her littlest daughter, “My shiny Penny!! Oh look how big you’re getting!” Penny giggled and grabbed at Zara’s hair, pulling herself up to pap at her face. “Ma! Mama!!”

“Yes,” Zara almost sighed with relief, nuzzling her nose against Penny’s, “Hello, baby girl.”

Zara had a quiet moment with Penny… for all of two seconds before Kelsie and Ollie started to tug on her dress. They started talking all at once, trying to get her attention.

“Mommy did you see my outfit i wore today and-” “Mama, i-i I got to do something at school-” “DId you know you came just in time to eat-?” “It was fun to color and i think you’ll like it-” “Daddy made a big dinner! It has lots of hearts and cheese-!”

Zara’s head bobbed back and forth trying to keeping up before Jackie came up behind her, putting soft hands on her shoulders.

“Alright, you two. Give her a break. You have all night to talk with her…” He said kindly as he laid his head lightly against hers. She leaned back and smiled.

“So… I heard talk of dinner?” Zara smirked, side glancing Jackie as she rocked Penny in her arms, “Is there enough for me?”

She could feel her husband tense behind her, a nervous, “uhhhh-” prying itself out of his lips.

Lucky for Jackie… Zara always had a backup plan.

But sharing a plate of heart shaped chicken nuggets and grilled cheese with her husband... Listening to her children talk and bicker and catch her up on their adventures...Feeling Jackie’s hand slide into hers as he stared deeply into her eyes, like a lovesick puppy… That was all she wanted.

It was the perfect Valentine’s Day.

#swapboys #swap boys au #hufflewriting #zarkie #jack1eboi #zara mann #ollie mann #kelsie mann #penny mann #valentines day #family fluff #fluff #mmmm i could write cute kids and family shit forever...#why cant i do that with normal fluff?#bro fantastic #there was a bit of him in here too lol #readswapboys

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